(flash story)

Rain lashed the windows as Mara Blake cued her midnight segment, *Voices in the Dark*. The phone lines lit up, as always, but tonight, something was off.

The first eight callers were typical: lonely night owls and insomniacs. But the ninth. He breathed first, slowly and deliberately.

“You hear me now, Mara?”

Her spine stiffened. “Who is this?”

“You’ll know me. Soon. Listen close.”

Each night, the ninth caller returned. Each time, a riddle. Each riddle led to a crime scene. The police listened. The FBI tapped in. But the killer never slipped. His voice, calm, confident.

Then, on the seventh night, he said, “The answer’s always been right there. You talk to him every show.”

Heart pounding, Mara scoured old recordings. A frequent guest Darren Miles, a true crime podcaster and friend, matched the killer’s voice too perfectly. The friendly banter, the deep dives into murders… it had been a game for him all along.

She called him live on air the next night.

“I know it’s you,” she whispered.

Silence.

Then: “You’re finally paying attention.”

The line went dead.

Behind her, the studio door clicked open.