The 12 Ghosts of Christmas - Four Calling Birds - The Whistleblowers Silence

The 12 Ghosts of Christmas - Four Calling Birds - The Whistleblowers Silence

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Calarogu Shark Media, Hello and Welcome to Ghost. This episode
is titled four Calling Birds The Whistleblower's Silence.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
In the bustling heart of nineteen sixties London, the newsroom
of the London Chronicle was alive with the clatter of
typewriters and the murmur of voices. Among the journalists, there
was one who stood out for his tenacity and wit,
Gregory Haynes. Gregory was a man of contrasts and contradictions.

(00:48):
By day, he was a consummate professional, his name synonymous
with groundbreaking journalism in the bustling heart of London. His work,
often characterized by fearless investigative reporting, had the power to
shake the very foundations of the high and mighty. Despite
the era's prevalent attitudes, Gregory's skills as a journalist were undeniable.

(01:11):
He had a knack for uncovering the truth, no matter
how deeply it was buried, and his articles often led
to public outcries and significant changes. However, by night, Gregory's
life was a stark contrast to his professional excellence. He
frequented the dimly lit pubs and jazz clubs of London,
where the smoky air and the clinking of glasses provided

(01:33):
a stark contrast to the ink and paper of his
daytime world. Here, Gregory was a different man, charismatic yet
often aloof and enigmatic. Despite his prowess in journalism, Gregory's
personal views, particularly towards women, were archaic even for the
nineteen sixties. He often referred to his female colleagues as birds,

(01:57):
a slang term that, while common at the time, underscored
the sexism that pervaded the workplace. This attitude, however, did
not diminish the respect he held in his professional circle
for his uncanny ability to sniff out a story. His
sources were diverse, his network extensive, and his determination unyielding. Ironically,

(02:19):
it was his night life that often provided the impetus
for his most significant stories. The secrets overheard in hushed
tones over a pint of ale, the gossip shared across
a smoke filled room. All these fragments would coalesce in
Gregory's mind into the next day's headline. Yet this double
life took its toll. The late nights, the constant search

(02:40):
for the next big scoop, and the weight of the
stories he uncovered left Gregory a haunted man, both in
life and, as it would turn out, in death. Gregory

(03:01):
had stumbled upon evidence that city officials, possibly in collusion
with higher government authorities, were misappropriating funds. These funds, generously
allocated for public Christmas events and charity drives, were being
siphoned off for personal gain. The revelations were shocking. Money
meant to bring holiday cheer to the city streets and
aid to the less fortunate was lining the pockets of

(03:24):
the corrupt. Gregory's articles painted a grim picture of the situation,
subpar Christmas decorations adorning the streets, and charity drives falling short,
failing to reach the needy for whom they were intended.
The deeper Gregory delved into the scandal, the more dangerous
his pursuit became. He unearthed a network of deceit that

(03:46):
involved kickbacks, bribes, and fraudulent contracts. The city's festive mood
was marred by the realization that those intrusted with amplifying
the holiday spirit were exploiting it for personal gain. Gregory's

(04:07):
relentless investigation brought to light the impact of this corruption.
The dimmed lights of London's Christmas celebration and the disappointed
faces of children and families, deprived of the joy and
assistance they deserved. As he delved deeper, he began to

(04:33):
receive ominous, anonymous phone calls warning him to stop his inquiries. Gregory, ever,
the defiant soul, ignored these threats and continued his work.
The phone calls, recorded on his real to reel tape recorder,
became his only clue to the danger he was courting.
As Christmas approached, the festive lights of London did little

(04:55):
to dispel the growing darkness surrounding Gregory. His coworkers were
wrapping up for the evening. They were heading to the
Christmas party and encouraged him to come. He said he
just wanted to finish one more thing, then he would come.
That cold December night, the unspeakable happened down at the pub.

(05:18):
Gregory's co workers began to belt out classic Christmas carols,
their voices filling the pub with festive cheer. The journalists
from the London Chronicle couldn't resist joining in. The first
song was Deck the Halls, its lively melody and familiar
fal La chorus, inviting more voices to join. Laughter and
singing mingled creating a joyful noise that seemed to momentarily

(05:41):
lift the weight of their daily responsibilities. Next came Oh
Come All Ye Faithful, a carol that resonated with the
solemnity and reverence of the season. The journalists sang heartily,
their voices rising and falling in unison with the timeless tune.

(06:02):
As the night progressed, the group launched into a spirited
rendition of jingle bells, a stark contrast to the more
solemn carols. The pub irrupted with the sounds of laughter
and clinking glasses as patrons joined in the chorus. Someone
noticed Gregory had never joined them and went upstairs to
peel him away from his work. Gregory was found dead

(06:28):
in his office, the phone off the hook beside him,
an eerie silence filling the room. His death was ruled
an accident that those who knew him suspected foul play.

(06:51):
The story of Gregory's demise soon faded into the background,
but something lingered in the newsroom of the London Chronicle.
Workers began to report strange occurrences. Papers rustling without a breeze,
typewriters clacking in the dead of night, and the faint
sound of a man's voice on the phone, whispering secrets
that never reached the living. He first signs of his

(07:16):
haunting were subtle, yet disconcerting. Initially, it began with the
distinct sound of a typewriter clacking away in the stillness
of the night, long after the office had been vacated.
The old fashioned typewriter, a relic from an earlier era
of journalism, sat in a dusty corner of the archives.

(07:37):
Employees who worked late reported hearing the keys striking rhythmically,
as if an invisible hand were crafting a story from
beyond the grave. The papers in the typewriter's carriage, however,
remained blank, adding to the eerie mystery. As the haunting progressed,
the manifestations became more frequent and tangible. Lights would flicker

(07:58):
in his old office, and the air would occasionally carry
the distinct scent of his tobacco, a blend he had
always favoured. Some nights, the ghostly sound of Gregory's voice
could be heard, dictating notes or muttering about a lead,
as if he were still piecing together a story. The

(08:18):
most unsettling manifestation was in the form of shadowy apparitions
late at night, a figure resembling Gregory could be seen
pacing through the newsroom, disappearing when approached. This apparition was
never fully tangible, often seen from the corner of an
eye or reflected in the windows. On certain anniversaries, particularly

(08:41):
the night of the annual Christmas party, the telephone in
his office would ring. When answered, there would be nothing
but static on the other end, followed by a faint
sound reminiscent of Gregory's voice, as if trying to convey
a message from the other side. For those who worked late,
the sense station of being watched was almost palpable, as

(09:03):
if Gregory's spirit was lingering overseeing the stories being developed,
perhaps in a never ending pursuit of the truth that
had consumed his life. His presence was a constant reminder
of the stories left untold and the secrets that lay
buried in the archives of the newspaper office. One journalist,

(09:42):
often dismissively referred to as a bird by Gregory Haynes,
was in fact the unsung heroes of the newsroom. Margaret
Maggie Thompson had a sharp mind and a sharper tongue.
She had a no nonsense attitude that commanded respect, even
in the male dominated world of journalism. As the hauntings continued,

(10:02):
Maggie began to investigate his death. She discovered the recorded
phone calls, each one a piece of the puzzle leading
to the truth about Gregory's untimely demise. The calls revealed
a web of deceit and danger that Gregory had uncovered,
involving some of the highest officials in the government. It
became clear that Gregory's spirit could not rest, haunted by

(10:24):
the story he could never complete. Maggie, moved by a
sense of justice and a new found respect for the
man she once knew, vowed to finish what he started.
They published the expose, bringing the corrupt officials to justice
and revealing the truth. With the story finally told, the

(10:45):
hauntings ceased. The newsroom returned to its usual bustling state,
but with a newfound sense of camaraderie and respect among
its workers. Gregory's spirit, finally at peace, left the world
of the living, his legacy carried on by one the
very colleagues he had once underestimated in the shadowed, venerable

(11:17):
halls of the Home Office, a place steeped in the
governance and secrets of the nation. An eerie phenomenon persists
each December, as the echoes of the day's bustle fade
into silence. A solitary phone rings in an abandoned wing
of the building. The person who dares to answer is
greeted not by a voice, but by an eerie, distant sound,

(11:39):
the unmistakable clack of typewriter keys, rhythmically striking, as if
composing a story that would never be told. The sound
seems to echo from another time, a ghostly reminder of
a truth that had once shaken the very foundations of power.
No one can trace the calls. They seem to come
from nowhere, yet they were as real as the cold

(12:00):
shiver that runs down the spine of anyone who answers them.
After a long and fulfilling career, Maggie passed away peacefully,
leaving behind a legacy of journalistic integrity and a reputation
for unearthing the truth against all odds. In her quaint
London home, filled with mementoes of a life well lived,

(12:21):
there was one room that remained a mystery to many.
It was a small, quiet study, preserved as if frozen
in time, on a sturdy oak desk sat an old
rotary phone, its once bright red color faded to a
gentle rose. Beside it, commanding its own space, was a typewriter,
a classic nineteen sixties Olympia SM.

Speaker 1 (12:43):
Nine Ghost is a Calarogu Shark Media production, written and

(13:05):
hosted by Alexander Ian McIntyre, Produced by Mark Francis. Executive
producers Mark Francis and John McDermott Calaroga Shark Media