THRESHOLD | Part 1 "Dead Man's Mouthpiece"

Harlan Guthrie (0:18)

They must have been close. Thank you for stopping by so late.

SPEAKER_3 (1:27)

The pain on my front door.

Harlan Guthrie (1:30)

The middle of the fucking night.

SPEAKER_3 (1:59)

It's you, it's you. Stay away from me.

Harlan Guthrie (2:09)

You stay away from me, you.

SPEAKER_3 (2:36)

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. No, no!

SPEAKER_4 (2:53)

Where am I?

Harlan Guthrie (2:59)

In the car. You got to sleep.

SPEAKER_4 (3:03)

In the car?

Harlan Guthrie (3:05)

The Arnett farm. The stakeout? Our case?

SPEAKER_2 (3:11)

Oh, right. Right.

Harlan Guthrie (3:15)

I, uh...

SPEAKER_4 (3:22)

How's it going?

Harlan Guthrie (3:23)

Not as well as it's been going for the last few hours.

SPEAKER_4 (3:27)

Well, thanks for keeping an eye out.

Harlan Guthrie (3:31)

Yeah, for four goddamn hours while you dozed. Remind me again. How exactly is this fair? How?

SPEAKER_4 (3:41)

Hmm, you want a full refresher? Okay, well, let's see. Last year, I opened a mysterious book that was delivered to my office. And when I did, a fragment of an eldritch guard known as the King in Yellow, that's you, John, was somehow transferred into me.

Harlan Guthrie (4:00)

I meant-

SPEAKER_4 (4:00)

Leaving me completely blind. However, he, again, that's you, got control of my eyes. So when we do stakeouts, or after tail a client, or hell have to file a police report-

SPEAKER_3 (4:13)

Arthur!

SPEAKER_4 (4:14)

You're sadly the one who watches.

SPEAKER_3 (4:16)

Well, I-

Harlan Guthrie (4:18)

I get to nap. It's the napping I'm talking about. Feels like I have to work while you get to rest.

SPEAKER_4 (4:26)

That's exactly what it is.

Harlan Guthrie (4:28)

Hardy har har.

SPEAKER_4 (4:29)

Oh, come on. You get plenty of time to rest, too. Do you not?

Harlan Guthrie (4:33)

I don't rest. I- Sure, sure.

SPEAKER_4 (4:36)

What I mean is, when I sleep, you get your time to relax, to pursue your own endeavors.

Harlan Guthrie (4:41)

And you do the same. When you want time alone, I let you put me in time out. Willingly.

SPEAKER_4 (4:47)

You said you enjoy that space. You said it's like sleeping for you.

Harlan Guthrie (4:51)

It is. I'm not complaining. In moments like this, shouldn't we both be working?

SPEAKER_4 (4:57)

What am I supposed to do here? We're stuck staring at the broad side of a barn.

Harlan Guthrie (5:02)

And the field surrounding.

SPEAKER_4 (5:03)

How am I supposed to know?

Harlan Guthrie (5:05)

I mean, you could review the case with me. Keep me company.

SPEAKER_4 (5:08)

I know, but it's so boring.

Harlan Guthrie (5:11)

Like it isn't for me.

SPEAKER_4 (5:13)

Fine. The Arnett case. He hired us because he suspected someone of nefarious nature was living in his barn.

Harlan Guthrie (5:21)

It wasn't just him who hired us. A few of the local farms were concerned. Some of the livestock went missing.

SPEAKER_4 (5:29)

Right, right. Arnett is the one who noticed the guy.

Harlan Guthrie (5:31)

Yes. And for the past three nights, he's seen a figure, sculking about the fields. And when he looked into the barn during the day, he saw signs of someone living there, including...

SPEAKER_4 (5:43)

Including a sigil painted on the floor.

Harlan Guthrie (5:47)

In blood.

SPEAKER_4 (5:49)

In what he thought looked like blood.

Harlan Guthrie (5:52)

It can't be blood? It can be.

SPEAKER_4 (5:54)

But we don't know that. For all we know, it's a vagrant just needing a warm bed for the night.

Harlan Guthrie (5:58)

A vagrant?

SPEAKER_4 (6:00)

We don't know anything. In fact, we don't even know if old man Arnett is all there.

Harlan Guthrie (6:04)

All there?

SPEAKER_4 (6:06)

Oh, he's older than dirt, John. And he said himself that his granddaughter was dating a troublemaker. It's probably the two of them sneaking off to canoodle in the barn while the old man sleeps.

SPEAKER_3 (6:16)

What about the sigil?

SPEAKER_4 (6:17)

I don't know. Maybe kids these days make love in mysterious ways. I'd rather not know.

Harlan Guthrie (6:22)

Yeah, well, you better know. Faroe is bound to start dating soon.

SPEAKER_4 (6:26)

Don't bring Faroe up, please. God, I'm having a hard enough time sleeping as it is.

Harlan Guthrie (6:32)

Well, then wake up. Why is she keeping you up?

SPEAKER_4 (6:37)

You know why. It's been what, a handful of months since?

Harlan Guthrie (6:41)

Since we got back.

SPEAKER_4 (6:42)

Yeah, and I mean, I can't tell her about you.

Harlan Guthrie (6:45)

I know.

SPEAKER_4 (6:46)

You know how awkward that is for me?

Harlan Guthrie (6:47)

I know, I know.

SPEAKER_2 (6:49)

I'm just...

Harlan Guthrie (6:51)

I need more time to...