Hey leth the listeners take torres here. Stay tuned for the next episode of Lethal Lit. But first, here's a quick word from our sponsor. A got sacred hopes and not has to them? Why is that so? This is Jane Ferranti recording for Something in the Water. I'm in Hollow Falls at the take Back the Falls party as the young residents of this cursed town try to reclaim some control, no matter how symbolic, over their own community. The event was conceived in hope, but in reality is rank with despair, thick with the unavoidable, pervasive truth. Death stalks them all. The murderers have one and Hollow Falls, and these young people's lives will forever be tied to the evil at rules here, and that will continue to rule here. But there's nothing I can do. I stand to the side and let them have their moment of hope, and don't dare tell them that it's already too late. And right on, cue, come on, let's get them out front. Lift higher, Max, I'm trying. What's happening, none of your business, Jane, Get out of the way. Poisoned? Was there a music box accidentally ate some oysters? Shell fish allergy. How do you accidentally eat an oyster? They were slippery? Max, you stay with Walter. I gotta go help take Why is it tig with you? I thought you all made up. She's she's downstairs. She got locked in. Huh there was a music box, wasn't there? Yes, Okay, there's no time for this. I'm coming with you. When wait, the killer is probably using the back entrance and let's hope by the falls follow the trail this way. Audio courtesy of Jane Ferranti, host of the forthcoming Something in the Water podcast. Are we working together? Well? After she hears this episode, maybe not. I'm tig Torres and this is lethal lit. While Max and Wyn we're scrambling to get Walter help. I was in a predicament of my own. After weeks of phone calls and with some dubiously motivated encouragement from Jane, I was standing face to face with the guy who, last time we saw each other promised me that quote, We're going to be in this for the long haul, Ali Price. And I didn't even know if you were going to answer the phone when I gave it to you, and and I knew it would seem crazy that it was just waiting for you on your doorstep. But it's not like I can walk into a ups store, you know. And and it was just like, is she gonna hate me? And of course you're gonna hate me? You have every right to hate me after what I did. But I just had to try and take I need to say this. You don't have to worry. You don't have to be afraid of me that person I was. I'm not that that what Levinson tried to turn me into. But it's not me. I I shut up, I get it. Just stop talking for a second. Okay, where did you come from? I was trying to find a place we could talk, and then I heard voices coming, so I ducked back in here the bootleggers tunnel. How did you know? So? Confession time? Uh, I kind of already knew the floor plan when Levinson left you tied up in the basement. Here you were with him. Damn it, Ali, I was the one who saved you instead of you know, he hadn't settled on a book for you yet. I convinced him it would be a better story to keep playing cat and mouse. That's I have very mixed feelings about that confession, Ali, But can we dig into that later? What voices? Who did you hear? Two people? One man sounded very agitated, one woman oddly calm. I could hear them talking for a couple of minutes. Then he started getting short of breath, coughing, choking, and and then I think I heard Max's voice over his walkie talkie, and then the music box the killer. Why didn't you do anything? By the time I put all the pieces together, the killer was gone, And I know how strict nine works. His only hope is that Max and Win can get him to the hospital in time. Well, we're not doing any good in here, and the doors locked. Where does this tunnel go? Tig I thought we could talk after the killer's caught Ali. Until then, either help me or get out of my way. In that case, right this way us, I'm following. When one of the correspondents from Lethal it as we tried to say, the show's host, tig torres from the hands of the music box killer. This is pure excitement, folks. Will you please shut your stupid jerk face manners? When I said, please, when slow down, I'm here to stop a killer. What are you even doing here? What is it? Do you see over there? That's the path that leads to the back entrance. So so shut up. The killer could be anywhere. Do you see anything? Yeah? I think they're supposed to be a room back here, somewhere a room. What is all this stuff? Hang on? See something on the Sisters of Monogue Academy. It was the stashed all the leftover junk from the school back here when they were renovating. Brock really named the school the Sisters of Monogue. That just really, really conceited. I'm not surprised, though. Wait. What's that glow? Someone's been down here? M hm hm. It's an old TV hooked up to a cam quarter. Someone must have just been down here. It's still playing. Everyone's in uniforms. Looks like a school assembly, graduation or something. Hang on, they just connected the video. We hook up the sound there. Oh, come on, don't need to be so rashful. You look wonderful. Oh I don't ah that boys Levinson. Levinson's filming. He must have taught at the school. You are a fisher, my dear, No, not for like a blim nonsense. Wait, is that Walter in the background too? Brock Stephanie, you are the only ray of light in this bleak house. Ali, I have something very important to tell you. I know you're not the music box Killer. Oh thank god, I knew you. Believe me. I knew that. I know you're not the killer because the killer is really here for you. I'm following when Abbot, the resident muscle of Tig Torres's crew, as we creep down a dimly lit path behind the Montague Shane with the music box Killer potentially hidden behind every corner, stop talking? Oh what who was that? What the anything to say to the listeners out there? Denise Walter was a sadist. He deserved it the most out of any of them. Direct from the mouth of the music Box Killer herself, folks, But what drives someone to such lengths? What makes them take that final step when so many others think about it but never do? What makes a killer become a killer? Is this? Are you going to use all this? This is golden ni'se Trust me, everyone is going to know your name. Hay Lee. The listeners stay tuned more Ley the Lid is up next, But first a quick word from our sponsor, hey Ley, the listeners take Torres here There's always more to the mystery, and I could use your help getting to the bottom of it. Join us on Instagram and TikTok at I am tig torres for more clues and inside info. Take take, that's crazy? Who want to kill me? Besides when? Maybe Max? I hope not you, and I guess all of Levinson's victims of family that might blame me. Tell Ella, I didn't kill Tony. I was with you, remember Ali, I didn't say kill you. That sounded like when it's coming from the wall. Of course, it's the boot laggers tunnel. They must have brought their haul down the river and through here. Follow the sound of the falls. This is it this way? Are you gonna do? Kill the news? Trust me? Everyone is going to learning Take when stay back, Shane, Denise, what did you do to win? Don't look at me. I'm just here recording. Everyone chill out. No one else needs to get hurt tonight. Well, well, well, listeners, a new piece has just been added to the board. We have answered the burning question. Where is Ali Price? And guess what He's right here? Are you going to tell him, Denise? Or should I tell me? What? Holi? I? I wait? You look familiar. Older, yes, but you were that girl on the video with Levinson filming. He was so charming a first after if you knew the way I grew up, and then to have it feel like someone could have actually see me. Don't this is too good. We also saw who was in the background of the video. Let me guess, Walter Stephanie Brock. That's right. The victims of the music box Killer. Anything to say, Denise, they all deserved it. You have no idea what it was like. They were all horrible, horrible people. Oh, when I heard her voice on her podcast, I came back as soon as I could. But I knew, I know you wouldn't come out of hiding for nothing, man. And then Jane told me she could find you. And Jane was right, look at you. You're right here, Jane, what you've been. Don't focus on me. I'm not the story here. What who are you? She said that she could get Tack to work with her, and that if you come back, if if she could get Tick to work with her, what do you want with me? Who are you? The name she's been going by is Denise, and she looked just different enough, older, different hair, big glasses, to cover up her features, and it had been years and memories get hazy, so no one recognized her. Even if something about her seemed familiar, they just dismissed it. It worked. Now I'm here with you, Ali, No, where is this going? Ali? Meet Denise Pembroke a k A Anna killed Dean. No, yes, it's true. Ali. They made me give you up, all of them. I didn't want to give you away, but they made me. They They said it was embarrassing to me and the school. But was was he punished? No, of course not. Instead they gave you to him to left the monster, and that's what they had to pay. And I knew Brock was only going to be in town for a couple of days for the opening, so it was gonna be my only chance. And then Stephanie had Then Jane told me you were gonna be here, and Walter was the last name on my list, but not Levinson himself. I I I couldn't he You're still afraid of him. I don't know what it is, but every time I hear his voice good, even his name. I got out of this place after a while, but he still had control of you, and I had to do whatever he wanted in order to see you, Ali, and he made me do a horrible thing, horrible, horrible thing. I can't. Oh, but he's locked up, he's behind bars, he can't get to us. Now. He was standing the way of us ever being together again. Ali. But but that's over now. OHI please please say something. Take I'm sorry, Ali, I'm so sorry. Hand me the recorder. Take what please from me? And that's when I gave my recorder to Ali. I had put myself ahead of the people who mattered to me for long enough, and though I couldn't fathom everything that was going through Ali's head in that moment, he was able to see clearly enough to give me a choice. Would I be Mr Hyde, be like Jane, putting the story first above the actual people involved, exploiting their moments of deepest sadness just to score a few more cliques. Or would my humanity win out? Could my better impulses triumph? After all Ali had been through in his life, and how many times he had fought that same battle and lost. I knew this wasn't about the recording. Ali was giving me a chance to save myself. So I handed it over. But as we already knew I wasn't the only one. They're recording. This is better than I helped. I'm going straight to number one. How could you? I didn't want to. He made me. Did you know what he was, what he was gonna do to me, what he had planned. I couldn't stop him. He's do, he's do. You were supposed to protect me, find me, steal me back, get me out of his grasp and said you left. You ran after we faked my death. The police they game I had no other two. I was a child. I want to talk about not having a choice. Huh left me to be dood by that monster. Look at me? What would he turn me into? You have any idea what he did to me would have like inside my head after everything I lived through. There is no stop otherwise he wins. Levinson wins, all right, don't become the thing he tried to turn you into. It's okay, Ali, it's over. We can still be together again. There is no us, Sanna, the child you gave up his day. This is all that's left. Oh yes, what an incredible last line, Ali, But the wrong choice. What America really adores is a killer. And that was when Jane stopped her recording. After what she does next, you'll understand why she didn't want this next bit on tape. Too bad for her. Ah. Yes, what an incredible last line, Allie, but the wrong choice. What America really adores is a killer and turning that off. Don't really want a recording of this next party, Denise, Let me help you off. Are you okay? I think so? Oh? Those are some nice marks around your neck there, those are gonna bruise perfectly. She bye, Denise, what so? No? Stop? Stop? Stop? H What did you do? I wrote a better ending to the story? How could you? When they find her buddie, whose handprints will be on her neck? Those scratches on your arms look pretty red. They're ali Whose skin do you think they'll find under her fingernails? They'll never believe you. Both of us are witnesses. You think they're going to believe him? They'll believe me, the teenage girl who's been secretly chatting with her wanted boyfriend. I have the tapes, Tig you can't do that, of course I can't. How I have to admit it was a stroke of luck. My ratings have been tanking ever since the death in Taos podcast, and so I come here and find out twenty other people are already chasing the same story. But then I see Denise at the Monty and she's nervous and sweating, and I decide to tail her and catch her in the act of poisoning Brock. So I corner her the next day at the store and she breaks down, tells me everything of out Ali about only coming back now because Levinson's locked up, gets literally paralyzed with fear just talking about him. He planned all of this. She was going to off Stephanie and Walter with her without me. So I waited at the hospital for Stephanie to come in, and when you showed up, I knew you were back in it, and I knew I could use you to draw all the out. No, the music boxes were just a happy coincidence. The first one was actually just someone leaving a nice gift for Brock. After that, I had Harris Rush ordered me some replicas. Pat I'm a pretty penny too. I wonder he thought he could make a fortune off of them, but that's what it takes. Tig without a catchy name, you got nothing. Instead, I'm going to have the whole country on the edge of their seat to find out who is the dreaded music box killer. And with this ending, oh boy, I'm actually smelling TV on this, but I know the truth. I'll go and leave a lit all the real story. Oh please. That would be the only thing that could make this an even bigger story for me. Then, instead of deranged teenage fugitive murdering his own mother, I have the new Bonnie and Clyde, famous teenage podcaster joins and murder packed with her killer boyfriend. She's right, Take Ali, you have to get out of here. You're what the world wants. Ali. They want you to be the monster they're afraid of and afraid to be. They want to listen on the edge of their seats because they're afraid to become what you and I are capable of being. They want you to be that killer, Ali, and that's all you'll ever be to them, whether you like it or not, and whether you actually did it or not. You have to go, Ali, Take what about I'll be fine, Ali, Go help Help. Right after that, the police came storming down the path, finding me, Jane and a knocked out Win, who was just beginning to come to Denise or Anna, I should say, wasn't found for six more days. When her body washed up down river. The coroner was all too eager to call it asphyxiation due to the bruises around her neck. I told the police everything exactly as it happened. Jane told them a different story. Guess who they believed. A man hunt for Ali ensued, they found nothing. The burner phone disconnected. Now you're probably wondering, if I stopped recording and Jane stopped recording, how did you just hear everything you heard? Well, after I out off my recorder, the next tape you heard was Jane's. When we were working together. Our audio files were all on a share drive that I discreetly sent to auto back up to a computer at the talent smart paranoid both. I know one thing, She's going to be so pissed when she hears this h and the rest. Well, a couple of weeks after the night in question, I found a box on my doorstep, no return address, simply marked four TIG and containing a tape with this message, Hey, it's me. I thought I had control, but after that night, after what I almost did, I realized I haven't even begun to get a grip on whatever's inside me, so you won't be hearing from me for a while. I cared too much about you to let you near that. I guess I just remembered how I felt during those moments we had together. The God went and I don't know, I just wanted to run towards that feeling because it was so much better than anything I've ever had. And then I felt nothing. When Jane did what she did, I felt relieved. Really, the name Anna has no power over me anymore, another piece of my past that can no longer hurt me anyway. Keep listening to this tape. I think there's something that you and yes, your listeners are gonna want to hear. None of this makes me hate him any less, I mean a little right. The rest of the recording after that is Jane throwing Denise over the falls. When Jane stopped recording, Ali turned my recorder back on and caught everything and then left it on your doorstep in the middle of the night, like a mega creepo stalker who maybe hasn't really gotten over his murder. Urges geez uh, don't hold back or anything. I guess Ali brings out Spicy Ella. Regardless, this does clear his name, so we have to take it to the police, right dig Yeah, of course, but podcast first, he deserves his name cleared in public. I have the power to make sure the people know the truth. The absolute most satisfying part of this whole ordeal. Jane's been so busy shopping her story around she hasn't published yet. She's got half a dozen networks caught in a bidding war, and they'll all be racing to get out once the real story, this story hits the air. Oh and don't forget the whole go into prison for murder thing. Jane, if you're listening, and I say this with all due respect, you deserve everything you get. And Ali, if you're listening, I have a little bit of a different message for you than I had at the end of last season, and it's this, you may not control all the events that happened to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. That's from Maya Angelou. I know you're stronger than you give yourself credit for. And what about the person you really ought to be talking to. I screwed everything up so bad. She still has me blocked everywhere. Oh, we know, we're still in the old group chat, you know, the one without you on it. I swear I wasn't trying to rekindle anything with Ali. I was just trying to help him. We just start the tape. Clearly he had a different impression. I don't know what to do. The strange case of Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde is on the surface about the good in us, all represented by Jekyl, and the evil we repress or let free, represented by Hide. Even after I was horrible to her when still ran full speed toward danger to try to stop a killer and got bashed over the head for it, she was willing to do that for me, and what did I do for her? I'm Jekyl and I'm Hide, and guess what they both suck because your good side isn't supposed to let you be that bad to the people who matter the most when I'm sorry. Right before I moved back to Hollow Falls, I decided that the only important thing in my life was solving the lit killer case. But through all of it, looking back, I found something more important, someone more important, who made me want to live my life in the present instead of being consumed by my past. I realized now that this podcast has become an excuse for me to be all about me, so I'm giving it up. I'm letting the past stay in the past, and when I hope you can too. This will be my last broadcast for now, maybe forever, I don't know, in the hopes that whatever comes next can be about us instead. I'm tig Torus and this is Lethal litt. Ironhorn's Epic Productions and I Heart Radio present Lethal Lit, a tig Torres Mystery Season two, created and executive produced by Heather Einhorn and Adam STAFFARONI created by Alex Agora and Monica Gallagher. Executive produced by I Heart Radio head writer Melanie Hoops, writer's Louis Cornfeld, Jasmine Alshammy and Adam Stafferoni. Directed by Critzia Bajos, with performances by Rebecca Solair as tick Torus, Shelley Schnoy as Win, Matt Gumley as Max, Luke Slattery as Ali, Rachel orem Land as Ella, with Critzia Bajos and J. B. Blanc. Special guest Chuck Bryant as Brock Montague. Additional voices Paul Giatt Caleb En Stacy Moseley, Alba Ponza de Leone, Stephanie Shea, Christian Ochoa, Louis Cornfeld, and Megan Gray. Post sound and music by Chapter Four. Sound supervision and sound design by Sarah Gibelaska. Music by Kareem Dueti. Produced by a Rupe, Santa Kayla and Bo Young. Blood Development Executive Greg Lock, Art production coordinator and script supervisor Laura Martin, Operations Laura Kaufman, Marketing and Publicity Jesse Post Digital Marketing Jennifer Gennaro. Creative direction and design by Ryan McCann. Key art illustrated by Rebecca Mock. Promotional art illustrated by Bree Newman. Special thank you to the Shadow Unicorn. Head to lethal Lit podcast dot com to share theories, discover new evidence, and follow case updates. Ironhorn's Epic Productions and I Heart Radio present Lethal Lit, a tag Torre's mystery

Hey leth the listeners take torres here. Stay tuned for the next episode of Lethal Lit. But first, here's a quick word from our sponsor. A got sacred hopes and not has to them? Why is that so? This is Jane Ferranti recording for Something in the Water. I'm in Hollow Falls at the take Back the Falls party as the young residents of this cursed town try to reclaim some control, no matter how symbolic, over their own community. The event was conceived in hope, but in reality is rank with despair, thick with the unavoidable, pervasive truth. Death stalks them all. The murderers have one and Hollow Falls, and these young people's lives will forever be tied to the evil at rules here, and that will continue to rule here. But there's nothing I can do. I stand to the side and let them have their moment of hope, and don't dare tell them that it's already too late. And right on, cue, come on, let's get them out front. Lift higher, Max, I'm trying. What's happening, none of your business, Jane, Get out of the way. Poisoned? Was there a music box accidentally ate some oysters? Shell fish allergy. How do you accidentally eat an oyster? They were slippery? Max, you stay with Walter. I gotta go help take Why is it tig with you? I thought you all made up. She's she's downstairs. She got locked in. Huh there was a music box, wasn't there? Yes, Okay, there's no time for this. I'm coming with you. When wait, the killer is probably using the back entrance and let's hope by the falls follow the trail this way. Audio courtesy of Jane Ferranti, host of the forthcoming Something in the Water podcast. Are we working together? Well? After she hears this episode, maybe not. I'm tig Torres and this is lethal lit. While Max and Wyn we're scrambling to get Walter help. I was in a predicament of my own. After weeks of phone calls and with some dubiously motivated encouragement from Jane, I was standing face to face with the guy who, last time we saw each other promised me that quote, We're going to be in this for the long haul, Ali Price. And I didn't even know if you were going to answer the phone when I gave it to you, and and I knew it would seem crazy that it was just waiting for you on your doorstep. But it's not like I can walk into a ups store, you know. And and it was just like, is she gonna hate me? And of course you're gonna hate me? You have every right to hate me after what I did. But I just had to try and take I need to say this. You don't have to worry. You don't have to be afraid of me that person I was. I'm not that that what Levinson tried to turn me into. But it's not me. I I shut up, I get it. Just stop talking for a second. Okay, where did you come from? I was trying to find a place we could talk, and then I heard voices coming, so I ducked back in here the bootleggers tunnel. How did you know? So? Confession time? Uh, I kind of already knew the floor plan when Levinson left you tied up in the basement. Here you were with him. Damn it, Ali, I was the one who saved you instead of you know, he hadn't settled on a book for you yet. I convinced him it would be a better story to keep playing cat and mouse. That's I have very mixed feelings about that confession, Ali, But can we dig into that later? What voices? Who did you hear? Two people? One man sounded very agitated, one woman oddly calm. I could hear them talking for a couple of minutes. Then he started getting short of breath, coughing, choking, and and then I think I heard Max's voice over his walkie talkie, and then the music box the killer. Why didn't you do anything? By the time I put all the pieces together, the killer was gone, And I know how strict nine works. His only hope is that Max and Win can get him to the hospital in time. Well, we're not doing any good in here, and the doors locked. Where does this tunnel go? Tig I thought we could talk after the killer's caught Ali. Until then, either help me or get out of my way. In that case, right this way us, I'm following. When one of the correspondents from Lethal it as we tried to say, the show's host, tig torres from the hands of the music box killer. This is pure excitement, folks. Will you please shut your stupid jerk face manners? When I said, please, when slow down, I'm here to stop a killer. What are you even doing here? What is it? Do you see over there? That's the path that leads to the back entrance. So so shut up. The killer could be anywhere. Do you see anything? Yeah? I think they're supposed to be a room back here, somewhere a room. What is all this stuff? Hang on? See something on the Sisters of Monogue Academy. It was the stashed all the leftover junk from the school back here when they were renovating. Brock really named the school the Sisters of Monogue. That just really, really conceited. I'm not surprised, though. Wait. What's that glow? Someone's been down here? M hm hm. It's an old TV hooked up to a cam quarter. Someone must have just been down here. It's still playing. Everyone's in uniforms. Looks like a school assembly, graduation or something. Hang on, they just connected the video. We hook up the sound there. Oh, come on, don't need to be so rashful. You look wonderful. Oh I don't ah that boys Levinson. Levinson's filming. He must have taught at the school. You are a fisher, my dear, No, not for like a blim nonsense. Wait, is that Walter in the background too? Brock Stephanie, you are the only ray of light in this bleak house. Ali, I have something very important to tell you. I know you're not the music box Killer. Oh thank god, I knew you. Believe me. I knew that. I know you're not the killer because the killer is really here for you. I'm following when Abbot, the resident muscle of Tig Torres's crew, as we creep down a dimly lit path behind the Montague Shane with the music box Killer potentially hidden behind every corner, stop talking? Oh what who was that? What the anything to say to the listeners out there? Denise Walter was a sadist. He deserved it the most out of any of them. Direct from the mouth of the music Box Killer herself, folks, But what drives someone to such lengths? What makes them take that final step when so many others think about it but never do? What makes a killer become a killer? Is this? Are you going to use all this? This is golden ni'se Trust me, everyone is going to know your name. Hay Lee. The listeners stay tuned more Ley the Lid is up next, But first a quick word from our sponsor, hey Ley, the listeners take Torres here There's always more to the mystery, and I could use your help getting to the bottom of it. Join us on Instagram and TikTok at I am tig torres for more clues and inside info. Take take, that's crazy? Who want to kill me? Besides when? Maybe Max? I hope not you, and I guess all of Levinson's victims of family that might blame me. Tell Ella, I didn't kill Tony. I was with you, remember Ali, I didn't say kill you. That sounded like when it's coming from the wall. Of course, it's the boot laggers tunnel. They must have brought their haul down the river and through here. Follow the sound of the falls. This is it this way? Are you gonna do? Kill the news? Trust me? Everyone is going to learning Take when stay back, Shane, Denise, what did you do to win? Don't look at me. I'm just here recording. Everyone chill out. No one else needs to get hurt tonight. Well, well, well, listeners, a new piece has just been added to the board. We have answered the burning question. Where is Ali Price? And guess what He's right here? Are you going to tell him, Denise? Or should I tell me? What? Holi? I? I wait? You look familiar. Older, yes, but you were that girl on the video with Levinson filming. He was so charming a first after if you knew the way I grew up, and then to have it feel like someone could have actually see me. Don't this is too good. We also saw who was in the background of the video. Let me guess, Walter Stephanie Brock. That's right. The victims of the music box Killer. Anything to say, Denise, they all deserved it. You have no idea what it was like. They were all horrible, horrible people. Oh, when I heard her voice on her podcast, I came back as soon as I could. But I knew, I know you wouldn't come out of hiding for nothing, man. And then Jane told me she could find you. And Jane was right, look at you. You're right here, Jane, what you've been. Don't focus on me. I'm not the story here. What who are you? She said that she could get Tack to work with her, and that if you come back, if if she could get Tick to work with her, what do you want with me? Who are you? The name she's been going by is Denise, and she looked just different enough, older, different hair, big glasses, to cover up her features, and it had been years and memories get hazy, so no one recognized her. Even if something about her seemed familiar, they just dismissed it. It worked. Now I'm here with you, Ali, No, where is this going? Ali? Meet Denise Pembroke a k A Anna killed Dean. No, yes, it's true. Ali. They made me give you up, all of them. I didn't want to give you away, but they made me. They They said it was embarrassing to me and the school. But was was he punished? No, of course not. Instead they gave you to him to left the monster, and that's what they had to pay. And I knew Brock was only going to be in town for a couple of days for the opening, so it was gonna be my only chance. And then Stephanie had Then Jane told me you were gonna be here, and Walter was the last name on my list, but not Levinson himself. I I I couldn't he You're still afraid of him. I don't know what it is, but every time I hear his voice good, even his name. I got out of this place after a while, but he still had control of you, and I had to do whatever he wanted in order to see you, Ali, and he made me do a horrible thing, horrible, horrible thing. I can't. Oh, but he's locked up, he's behind bars, he can't get to us. Now. He was standing the way of us ever being together again. Ali. But but that's over now. OHI please please say something. Take I'm sorry, Ali, I'm so sorry. Hand me the recorder. Take what please from me? And that's when I gave my recorder to Ali. I had put myself ahead of the people who mattered to me for long enough, and though I couldn't fathom everything that was going through Ali's head in that moment, he was able to see clearly enough to give me a choice. Would I be Mr Hyde, be like Jane, putting the story first above the actual people involved, exploiting their moments of deepest sadness just to score a few more cliques. Or would my humanity win out? Could my better impulses triumph? After all Ali had been through in his life, and how many times he had fought that same battle and lost. I knew this wasn't about the recording. Ali was giving me a chance to save myself. So I handed it over. But as we already knew I wasn't the only one. They're recording. This is better than I helped. I'm going straight to number one. How could you? I didn't want to. He made me. Did you know what he was, what he was gonna do to me, what he had planned. I couldn't stop him. He's do, he's do. You were supposed to protect me, find me, steal me back, get me out of his grasp and said you left. You ran after we faked my death. The police they game I had no other two. I was a child. I want to talk about not having a choice. Huh left me to be dood by that monster. Look at me? What would he turn me into? You have any idea what he did to me would have like inside my head after everything I lived through. There is no stop otherwise he wins. Levinson wins, all right, don't become the thing he tried to turn you into. It's okay, Ali, it's over. We can still be together again. There is no us, Sanna, the child you gave up his day. This is all that's left. Oh yes, what an incredible last line, Ali, But the wrong choice. What America really adores is a killer. And that was when Jane stopped her recording. After what she does next, you'll understand why she didn't want this next bit on tape. Too bad for her. Ah. Yes, what an incredible last line, Allie, but the wrong choice. What America really adores is a killer and turning that off. Don't really want a recording of this next party, Denise, Let me help you off. Are you okay? I think so? Oh? Those are some nice marks around your neck there, those are gonna bruise perfectly. She bye, Denise, what so? No? Stop? Stop? Stop? H What did you do? I wrote a better ending to the story? How could you? When they find her buddie, whose handprints will be on her neck? Those scratches on your arms look pretty red. They're ali Whose skin do you think they'll find under her fingernails? They'll never believe you. Both of us are witnesses. You think they're going to believe him? They'll believe me, the teenage girl who's been secretly chatting with her wanted boyfriend. I have the tapes, Tig you can't do that, of course I can't. How I have to admit it was a stroke of luck. My ratings have been tanking ever since the death in Taos podcast, and so I come here and find out twenty other people are already chasing the same story. But then I see Denise at the Monty and she's nervous and sweating, and I decide to tail her and catch her in the act of poisoning Brock. So I corner her the next day at the store and she breaks down, tells me everything of out Ali about only coming back now because Levinson's locked up, gets literally paralyzed with fear just talking about him. He planned all of this. She was going to off Stephanie and Walter with her without me. So I waited at the hospital for Stephanie to come in, and when you showed up, I knew you were back in it, and I knew I could use you to draw all the out. No, the music boxes were just a happy coincidence. The first one was actually just someone leaving a nice gift for Brock. After that, I had Harris Rush ordered me some replicas. Pat I'm a pretty penny too. I wonder he thought he could make a fortune off of them, but that's what it takes. Tig without a catchy name, you got nothing. Instead, I'm going to have the whole country on the edge of their seat to find out who is the dreaded music box killer. And with this ending, oh boy, I'm actually smelling TV on this, but I know the truth. I'll go and leave a lit all the real story. Oh please. That would be the only thing that could make this an even bigger story for me. Then, instead of deranged teenage fugitive murdering his own mother, I have the new Bonnie and Clyde, famous teenage podcaster joins and murder packed with her killer boyfriend. She's right, Take Ali, you have to get out of here. You're what the world wants. Ali. They want you to be the monster they're afraid of and afraid to be. They want to listen on the edge of their seats because they're afraid to become what you and I are capable of being. They want you to be that killer, Ali, and that's all you'll ever be to them, whether you like it or not, and whether you actually did it or not. You have to go, Ali, Take what about I'll be fine, Ali, Go help Help. Right after that, the police came storming down the path, finding me, Jane and a knocked out Win, who was just beginning to come to Denise or Anna, I should say, wasn't found for six more days. When her body washed up down river. The coroner was all too eager to call it asphyxiation due to the bruises around her neck. I told the police everything exactly as it happened. Jane told them a different story. Guess who they believed. A man hunt for Ali ensued, they found nothing. The burner phone disconnected. Now you're probably wondering, if I stopped recording and Jane stopped recording, how did you just hear everything you heard? Well, after I out off my recorder, the next tape you heard was Jane's. When we were working together. Our audio files were all on a share drive that I discreetly sent to auto back up to a computer at the talent smart paranoid both. I know one thing, She's going to be so pissed when she hears this h and the rest. Well, a couple of weeks after the night in question, I found a box on my doorstep, no return address, simply marked four TIG and containing a tape with this message, Hey, it's me. I thought I had control, but after that night, after what I almost did, I realized I haven't even begun to get a grip on whatever's inside me, so you won't be hearing from me for a while. I cared too much about you to let you near that. I guess I just remembered how I felt during those moments we had together. The God went and I don't know, I just wanted to run towards that feeling because it was so much better than anything I've ever had. And then I felt nothing. When Jane did what she did, I felt relieved. Really, the name Anna has no power over me anymore, another piece of my past that can no longer hurt me anyway. Keep listening to this tape. I think there's something that you and yes, your listeners are gonna want to hear. None of this makes me hate him any less, I mean a little right. The rest of the recording after that is Jane throwing Denise over the falls. When Jane stopped recording, Ali turned my recorder back on and caught everything and then left it on your doorstep in the middle of the night, like a mega creepo stalker who maybe hasn't really gotten over his murder. Urges geez uh, don't hold back or anything. I guess Ali brings out Spicy Ella. Regardless, this does clear his name, so we have to take it to the police, right dig Yeah, of course, but podcast first, he deserves his name cleared in public. I have the power to make sure the people know the truth. The absolute most satisfying part of this whole ordeal. Jane's been so busy shopping her story around she hasn't published yet. She's got half a dozen networks caught in a bidding war, and they'll all be racing to get out once the real story, this story hits the air. Oh and don't forget the whole go into prison for murder thing. Jane, if you're listening, and I say this with all due respect, you deserve everything you get. And Ali, if you're listening, I have a little bit of a different message for you than I had at the end of last season, and it's this, you may not control all the events that happened to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. That's from Maya Angelou. I know you're stronger than you give yourself credit for. And what about the person you really ought to be talking to. I screwed everything up so bad. She still has me blocked everywhere. Oh, we know, we're still in the old group chat, you know, the one without you on it. I swear I wasn't trying to rekindle anything with Ali. I was just trying to help him. We just start the tape. Clearly he had a different impression. I don't know what to do. The strange case of Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde is on the surface about the good in us, all represented by Jekyl, and the evil we repress or let free, represented by Hide. Even after I was horrible to her when still ran full speed toward danger to try to stop a killer and got bashed over the head for it, she was willing to do that for me, and what did I do for her? I'm Jekyl and I'm Hide, and guess what they both suck because your good side isn't supposed to let you be that bad to the people who matter the most when I'm sorry. Right before I moved back to Hollow Falls, I decided that the only important thing in my life was solving the lit killer case. But through all of it, looking back, I found something more important, someone more important, who made me want to live my life in the present instead of being consumed by my past. I realized now that this podcast has become an excuse for me to be all about me, so I'm giving it up. I'm letting the past stay in the past, and when I hope you can too. This will be my last broadcast for now, maybe forever, I don't know, in the hopes that whatever comes next can be about us instead. I'm tig Torus and this is Lethal litt. Ironhorn's Epic Productions and I Heart Radio present Lethal Lit, a tig Torres Mystery Season two, created and executive produced by Heather Einhorn and Adam STAFFARONI created by Alex Agora and Monica Gallagher. Executive produced by I Heart Radio head writer Melanie Hoops, writer's Louis Cornfeld, Jasmine Alshammy and Adam Stafferoni. Directed by Critzia Bajos, with performances by Rebecca Solair as tick Torus, Shelley Schnoy as Win, Matt Gumley as Max, Luke Slattery as Ali, Rachel orem Land as Ella, with Critzia Bajos and J. B. Blanc. Special guest Chuck Bryant as Brock Montague. Additional voices Paul Giatt Caleb En Stacy Moseley, Alba Ponza de Leone, Stephanie Shea, Christian Ochoa, Louis Cornfeld, and Megan Gray. Post sound and music by Chapter Four. Sound supervision and sound design by Sarah Gibelaska. Music by Kareem Dueti. Produced by a Rupe, Santa Kayla and Bo Young. Blood Development Executive Greg Lock, Art production coordinator and script supervisor Laura Martin, Operations Laura Kaufman, Marketing and Publicity Jesse Post Digital Marketing Jennifer Gennaro. Creative direction and design by Ryan McCann. Key art illustrated by Rebecca Mock. Promotional art illustrated by Bree Newman. Special thank you to the Shadow Unicorn. Head to lethal Lit podcast dot com to share theories, discover new evidence, and follow case updates. Ironhorn's Epic Productions and I Heart Radio present Lethal Lit, a tag Torre's mystery