Page 86 of Evidence of a Folktale

“I’m guessing that’s what went better than expected,” she said. “What’s the part that didn’t?”

“They refuse to halt filming,” he said. “Moving locations would require massive reshoots. It would cost them too much, so they’ll stay and finish the episodes.”

“I’m glad I’m not a fan of this show because their behavior would’ve ruined it for me. They’ve had three brutal deaths, and their bottom line is still worth more than their crew’s lives.”

“Let’s just hope the reduced population will help us find the killer before he finishes his fiveW’s.”

“Speaking of theW’s, I found the full articlethatRot’s nose clue camefrom,” Bel said.“It was published five years ago in an entertainment journal, butit’snothing groundbreaking. Itjustdetailed how Aesop’s Files aired for a few short seasons with abysmal viewership and was on the verge of cancellation when it suddenly became one of the most streamed shows. It did so well that it was renewed instead of being canceled, and here we are with a show so popular, they unconventionally turn their location shoots into conventions.”

“And you still believe that’s the why?” he asked.

“I do. I’m just not sure how it fits,” she answered. “This articleisdated five years ago, so I’d wondered if the weather report was from the same year. The contact lens image is of generic snowy trees. That eliminates the southern states, but that still leaves half the country. Plus, even if something happened five years ago in January that drove someone to kill crew members, that’s thirty-one days and multiple states to search.”

“Are there other articles about the show’s renewal?” Griffin asked.

“Tons.”

“Did you read any?”

“Some, but they all say the same thing. Nothing details what made the show popular.”

“Did you search for January and red cloaks?” he asked.

“Yes,” she answered. “I tried multiple variations, but I didn’t find anything. It was a long shot, anyway. There are an average of twenty thousand reported homicides in the United States every year. Robberies, burglaries, assaults, and violent crimes number in the millions. Trying to uncover what happened in January five years ago—if that’s even the right year—is almost impossible, especially if the riddles aren’t referencing a crime. We won’t find police or news reports about personal issues. I don’t know what to search for, but something about this show’s renewal is worth killing over.”

“Well, keep looking,” Griffin said. “And in the meantime, let’s pray Gold has luck with the writers’ consultants.”

Except for therandom film set being constructed, and the occasional fan refusing to vacate the hotel rooms they paid for, Bajka regained a semblance of her former self over the next few days. The peace was a welcomed relief, but with it arrived a mountain of dead ends. There were, thankfully, no more murders, but there were also no new leads, evidence, or suspects. The police were no closer to solving the murders of Rossa, Roja, and Rot than they were a few weeks ago, and they’d become the laughingstock of the national news outlets. The backward town that let three of Aesop’s File’s crew members die and the detectives too stupid to figure anything out. Bel was surprised a task force hadn’t been sent to seize control of the case, but then again, that would halt filming, and the studio seemed keen never to let that happen.

“Are you becoming a secret fan on me?” she whispered as she curled against Eamon’s side, the sounds of Aesop’s Files playing on the television waking her. It had taken a few days for her to work up the courage to sleep at home, even though Eamon had replaced the bloody bench, and this was their first night back in her cabin.

“No.” He wrapped an arm around her as his eyes remained glued to the episode, and Bel reached across his stomach to scratch Cerberus’ head. Her mattress was significantly smaller than Eamon’s, but he was a good sport about her and her dog sandwiching him until he could barely move.

“Your comment has been bothering me,” he said, as if that explained why he was binging the show in the middle of the night.

“What comment?” she asked. They hadn’t talked about anything serious over the past few days. Had she said something hurtful or concerning by accident?

“About why a show with no viewership went viral overnight,” he answered, and Bel sagged in relief. That comment. She’d given up trying to hide case details from him. She never shared her work with civilians, but was an ancient evil really a civilian?

“I was curious about the season that transformed an almost canceled show into a success,” he continued. “Aesop’s Files aired for a few years with a minimal budget and short seasons, but its fame was nonexistent, and then suddenly it became a cult classic. I figured something must’ve happened. You’re too busy to watch multiple seasons, so I decided to help you. I started with season one and have been working my way through every episode, hunting for what transformed its viewership. I was interested to see if it was different writers, a new hot actor, or maybe steamier sex scenes.”

“Have you found anything?” Bel asked, suddenly wide awake.

“Not a single thing.” Eamon sagged against her. “This show was bad. Like I’m immortal, and it’s still a waste of my time bad.”

“Seriously? I’ve seen a few episodes. I don’t love it, but I didn’t think it was that awful.”

“I only just started the newer seasons, and I’ll admit those are entertaining. The writing and production value improves as it goes on, but I’m talking specifically about the season that went viral,” he said. “It sucks. I was alive when the cinema was invented. I saw the classics before they became classics, so I think I’m a decent judge of film quality, and Aesop’s File’s original episodes are painful to watch. I had to force myself to keep going because I kept thinking surely something must’ve happened in that transition season to change the studio’s mind, but no. It was as boring as the others. It eventually improved, but based on the material available at the time, it should’ve been canceled.”

“It’s really that bad?” Bel asked. “So why wasn’t it?”

“I looked into that,” Eamon said. “Some people enjoy garbage television. I figured a celebrity watched it and became a fan, therefore influencing their fans. I also considered a scandal. Something so controversial it made viewers tune it. I found nothing. When they said this show blew up overnight, they literally meant overnight, and there’s only one force I can think of that’s strong enough to accomplish that.”

“Someone involved has connections?”

“No. A deal… much like the one Charles Blaubart struck to get his scalpel.”

“Black magic,” Bel whispered.

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