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Stay With Me

Summary:

In 1997, Dr. Richard Strand was found guilty of the murder of Coralee Strand. Nearly two decades into a life sentence, he agrees to an interview with a reporter from an obscure little broadcasting company in the Pacific Northwest.

Chapter 1: The First Interview

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Alex pictured bulletproof glass.

Maybe concrete walls. Maybe orange jumpsuits. She most definitely pictured bulletproof glass. And a row of phone booths separated by bulletproof glass. She'd be sitting on a stool on one side with the inmates all lined up on the other side, phones pressed to their ears. There'd be guards standing to the sides, armed and ready to break up a fight.

But the visiting room of the Washington State Correctional Facility has none of those things. Instead she sits in an open room that wouldn't look out of place in a library. The only indications that she's in a prison are the bars on the windows and the guard standing by the door.

She has three things on the table. Her notebook, meticulously detailing sources for her podcast. A prison-approved charcoal pencil. According to security, real pencils are a potential weapon. How they discovered that she'd rather not find out. And finally her recording equipment, her only permitted electronic. And she fought tooth and nail to get that in here.

Alex looks at the clock on the wall for the tenth time. 9:48. The interview was supposed to be at nine. She even arrived early.

She's prepared for everything about the interview except the subject himself. They haven't actually met face to face, haven't even talked over the phone. She has one brief letter to go off of. But her subject isn't without opinion. Every colleague, researcher, and acquaintance she's talked to have varying accounts:

"He's a sociopath. Just watch the trial."

"I don't want to say he did it, but who knows? It's just a shame how it all turned out. Such a great mind gone to waste."

"He seemed distant. But I didn't know him very well... you never really know a person, do you? The only person who knew him is probably chopped up and scattered across Washington by now."

"He mostly keeps himself. Most of the lifers do. I'd say he didn't do it, but you never know. Crimes of passion and whatnot. Fellow named Ray used to be here. One of the sweetest guys I ever met. He stabbed his wife thirty-eight times."

But the man himself? As much a mystery as the case surrounding him. Still, Alex wanted this interview. Her podcast needed this interview.

Part of her can't help but wonder though... did he do it?

Then in walks Dr. Richard Strand, the man with two PhDs and a life sentence. The man she fought so hard to snag an interview with. He looks different but not as different as she expected. The pictures from his trial back in '97 showed a handsome man with cool blue eyes and a slender frame. The years in prison haven't completely worn that away. He's still slender but there's a wiry quality to him, like he'll snap at anyone who gets too close. Even as the guard leads him by the arm, he seems ready to tear himself away at the first sign of conflict.

Alex stands to greet him. Their eyes meet. Even behind a pair of outdated glasses, his eyes are even bluer than the picture captured them. Against his graying hair and beige jumpsuit, they're about the most vibrant thing about him.

She isn't sure if she should shake his hand or not and opts instead for a friendly smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Strand."

He doesn't return the smile. "Ms. Reagan. You're very persistent," he says bluntly. He sits down, and Alex follows suit. "And this is for your pod-cast?"

"It's like radio but online," she explains.

"Seems a little backwards to me," Strand says.

"Haven't you heard? Everything old is new again."

"It seems I'm behind on the times," Strand says dryly. He looks to the recorder and lets out a deep, bitter sigh. "Before we begin, I have one condition."

Alex shifts nervously in her seat. She prepared for conditions. 

"My wife is not to be discussed."

Including that one.

Would she love to get the first post-prison interview with Dr. Strand regarding his wife's disappearance? Absolutely. A disappeared spouse, a controversial suspect, an even more controversial trial? The story is a journalist's gold mine. Even the paranormal researchers she's interviewed can't help but bring up the respected but convicted felon whose writings are annoyingly prevalent in academia. Shifting her podcast to focus to the crime is tempting beyond words.

But she's writing a lifestyle podcast, not Serial.

So instead of protesting, Alex puts a smile back on and says, "Agreed. Are you ready to start?"

The ease at which Alex breezes past such a heavy topic surprises Strand. He's trying his damnedest to hide it, but Alex catches the way his eyes widen and his lips part before he shuts himself off once more. But it's enough. Because she has an in. "Of course," he says.

"All right. What made you want to go into paranormal research?"


Strand reminds her of Alex favorite college professors. Brilliant and engaging with a confidence that could easily be misconstrued as arrogance. They start on how he got into paranormal research but soon enough, they're discussing his entire line of work. He talks about paranormal research with such passion, such intense knowledge, if they didn't have only an hour, she could listen all day. And he listens to her. What initially started as a series of questions turns into a natural conversation. His shoulders relax. He stops sneaking glances at the guard. She almost forgets they're in a prison.

But not quite. Alex hits a snag when they're discussing his research methods. "How have you been able to continue your research from prison?"

"I have a typewriter," Strand says. "Admittedly, it's a slower process, but I get work done. My assistant handles publishing and mails me any outside resources I need."

Alex makes a mental note to follow up about that assistant. "I noticed you don't use a pseudonym. Are you not worried your reputation as a felon might overshadow your academic integrity?"

Up until this point, Strand has slid effortlessly into each of his answers. But he hesitates at this question. Alex fears the fragile rapport they've built up might be a push away from falling apart.

"My... detractors often bring that up," he says. "I see no point in hiding my identity. There's nothing I can do about my conviction-"

"-even though they never found the body?" Alex blurts out.

Dammit.

Alex tenses the moment those words come out of her mouth. His one condition, his one single condition, and she broke it. Strand gives her a look that could melt ice. Her producers are going to kill her.

But after a moment, the fire in his eyes cools down, and he picks up where they left off. "Yes. Nonetheless, my conviction and my credibility are two different things..."

Strand remains tense for the remainder of the interview. Still intelligent, still passionate, but he never lets his guard down. Once Alex gets down to her last pre-written question, she knows it's time to wrap the interview up. Strand seems more than happy to return to his cell. Ironically.

Alex is putting her recorder away when Strand says, "May I ask you a question?"

Her hand latches on to the recorder. "On or off the record?"

"Whichever you prefer." She sets it back on the table and hits the record button. "Why did you seek an interview with me?"

"I told you-"

"For your show, I know. But why me specifically?"

Do not bring up his wife, do not bring up his wife.

"I guess..." Alex searches for the best way to frame her response for the podcast. "You're somewhat of an anomaly. In your field of study, that is. A paranormal researcher who doesn't believe in ghosts? It makes for an interesting topic. That and..." The reporter in her wants to pull on this thread, even if her conscience wants her to keep it to herself. "A few days ago, I sat in on a paranormal investigation conducted by Dr. Emily Dumont-" Strand scoffs at the mention of her name. "-and your name came up. Your name's actually come up multiple times since I began work on this episode."

"And I'm certain Ms. Dumont had nothing but praise for my line of work." If sarcasm were a poison, Strand has enough to kill a fully grown man.

Forcing her tone to stay neutral, Alex says, "She expressed a few criticisms. As did others."

"What did they say this time?" he says as leans forward suddenly, too suddenly, and the guard clears his throat. Strand gives him a look and slowly, deliberately leans back.

Alex hesitantly replies, "I have the recording, but it's not exactly... flattering."

"I can handle it."

She's not sure if she believes him. But he did ask. She switches the tapes out and presses play. The recording brings her back to City Trust bank where Emily Dumont and her team were setting up that night's investigation. Strand sits with his arms crossed, but his face betrays no emotion. And only when one of Emily's assistants brings up Dr. Strand does Alex see the faintest hint of discomfort.

Knowing how the conversation goes before Strand does makes Alex feel even more uncomfortable. "The paranormal research community is a tight-knit one, almost like a family," Donnie, Emily's equipment engineer, says. "And Strand? He's not part of that family."

"Despite his research contributions?" Alex hears herself say.

"I don't care how many articles he's published, that guy can rot in prison," Donnie says.

And then that age-old question.

"Do you think he murdered Coralee Strand?" The Alex in the present stares at the tape rolling in the recorder like her life depends on it. She can feel Strand's eyes boring into her.

"Absolutely."

"That's enough," Strand says. Alex gladly switches the recording off. She meets his eyes and for the first time feels an instinct to run. She's had a hard time picturing him capable of murder. But the quiet, contained fury behind his eyes is far more chilling than an outburst.

She starts, "If it's any consolation-"

"It's nothing new," he says curtly, like they're talking about a bad review instead of murder. "Their self-proclaimed, 'paranormal research' is nothing more than flashing lights and parlor tricks. I've debunked entire cases from prison with more efficiency."

Nice to know prison hasn't chipped away at his confidence. "Are you saying that the investigation I sat in on was a fraud?" Alex says.

"Not to the people conducting the investigation," he replies. "They're so blinded by their own belief in something beyond the grave, that their findings are inevitably biased. Tell me, did they use the EMF reader?"

"They did."

"And were they waving it around?"

"...They were."

"There's your, 'ghost.' An EMF reader needs to be stationary." Strand looks at her with a hint of a smirk, like he's just won a chess match against a particularly easy opponent. Alex feels a little disappointed. His logic makes sense, but the ease at which he cut through a major part of the investigation is a tad underwhelming.

"So that's it? Case debunked?" Alex says incredulously. "I don't mean to sound critical, but I expected a little more from such a famed skeptic."

Strand huffs out a laugh. "A little more?" Alex can't tell if he's amused or irritated by her remark. He gestures to her notebook. "May I?"

Alex looks to the guard for approval, and he gives her a nod. She slides him her notebook and a pencil. Strand writes down a name and phone number. Alex peers at the writing. "Ruby Carver?"

"My assistant. Tell her I sent you. Ask her about the Robert Torres case."

"The Robert Torres case?" Alex echoes with uncertainty.

Strand gestures to the paper. "An opportunity to see how a real researcher approaches claims of paranormal activity."

"And if I need to discuss this case with you?" Alex says.

"Do you have a number I can reach you at?"

Alex blinks. Is he joking? "Wow. Are you sure?"

"I'm not exactly going anywhere."

Now he's definitely joking. She's not sure if she should laugh though. She pulls out one of her business cards and jots down her cell phone number on the back of it. "In case you need to reach me after hours," she says as she slides the card to him.

As Strand puts his hand down on the card, their fingers come close to touching. It doesn't dawn on Alex that she spent an hour with a convicted felon until the moment their fingers are centimeters apart. That this might be the closest Strand's come to touching someone outside the prison walls. That those same hands might be the same ones that murdered Coralee Strand.

Then Alex draws her hand away.

"I'll be in touch next week," Strand says as more of a declaration than a request. At this point Alex is too giddy to object anyways.

They say their goodbyes like normal people. Alex thanks him, he thanks her. They go over the consented release form one more time. Then the guard grabs Strand by the arm and leads him back to his cell, reminding Alex that their situation is far from normal.

Once security clears Alex to leave, she gets to her car and sits for a good thirty minutes finding everything she can about Richard Strand via phone. 

By the time she's driving through the gate, she has the barest bones of a new direction for her podcast.

Notes:

I've been waiting so long to write this, and I've finally had the time! I've had this idea for months, and I'm so happy I finally got to write it down. Now that I've gotten this out, I want to do more oneshots in this universe.