11:55.
Almost midnight.
Enough time for one more story.
One more story before 12,
just to keep us warm.
In five minutes,
it'll be the 21st of April.
One hundred years ago on the 21st of April,
out in the waters around Spivey Point,
a small clipper ship drew toward land.
Suddenly, out of the night,
the fog rolled in.
For a moment, they could see nothing,
not a foot ahead of them.
And then, they saw a light.
My God, it was a fire burning on the shore.
Strong enough to penetrate the swirling mist.
They steered a course toward the light.
But it was a campfire, like this one.
The ship crashed against the rocks.
The hull sheared in two.
The mast snapped like a twig.
And the wreckage sank with all the men aboard.
At the bottom of the sea
lay the Elizabeth Dane with her crew,
their lungs filled with saltwater,
their eyes open and staring into the darkness.
And above, as suddenly as it had come,
the fog lifted, receded back across the ocean
and never came again.
But it is told by the fishermen
and their fathers and grandfathers
that when the fog returns to Antonio Bay,
the men at the bottom of the sea,
out in the water by Spivey Point,
will rise up
and search for the campfire
that led them to their dark, icy death.
Twelve o'clock.
The 21st of April.
It's midnight and we've just started into the witching hour,
This is Stevie Wayne, on top of the world tonight
and I'll be here right up until about one o'clock,
I'm all through, Father.
Oh, thank you, Bennett.
l won't need you until four tomorrow.
Yes, sir.
Something to keep you warm on the way home?
No, thank you. Father, can l get paid?
Why don't you come in at six instead of four tomorrow?
Yes, sir.
Hello?
It's 59 degrees outside
and let me be the first to wish Antonio Bay a happy birthday,
We're 100 years old today,
The weatherman's trying to spoil it,
He says we may be in for rain tonight,
From where I'm sitting, it looks like clear skies,
I think the weatherman's been working too hard,
Well, I'll stay here for another hour, just to see if he's right,
And I'm inviting you to stay here with me,
There's a cutter run aground over here on the east bay, Over,
GlobaI 1 X, This cutter's name's lady Belle Pacific,
SeriaI number 024Kl596, Over,
GlobaI 1 X5, lady Belle Pacific is seaworthy, No major damage,
Why don't you send a tow, I'm about a quarter mile above the boateI, Over,
This is KAB, Antonio Bay, CaIifornia,
Six minutes after midnight,
Haven't heard from the weatherman, so I don't know about that rain,
But there's a full moon and no clouds in the sky,
I'm Stevie Wayne and if you don't have anything to do right now,
I'll be here, pIaying music, all through the witching hour,
Even if you do have something to do, keep me turned on for a while
and I'll try my best to do the same for you,
OK.
Hi. How far you going?
- Other side of town. - Close enough.
- Can you make it? - Yeah. Thank you.
Sip?
Thanks.
listen, l never hitchhiked before.
l just really wanna be careful.
- Can l ask you something? - Sure.
Are you weird?
Yes, l am.
- l am weird. - You are weird.
Thank God. The last one l had was so normal it was disgusting.
He picked me up in Santa Barbara. By Carmel, he wanted to marry me.
Yeah. l thought you never hitchhiked before.
Not before last week.
You're my thirteenth ride.
Great. Weird and unlucky.
We'll see.
- Are you all right? You sure? - I'm fine. l think so.
What the hell was...?
It's tweIve minutes after midnight and this is Stevie Wayne,
- let's get out of here. - Around untiI about 1 o'clock,
I'm high tonight in the KAB Iighthouse on Spivey Point,
In case you've forgotten, it's ApriI 21st
and a happy birthday for Antonio Bay,
There's a celebration planned for tonight.
So if you're so excited about it you can't sleep,
well, stay up with me
and I'll figure out some way to keep you occupied.
Or not.
- KAB. - Hi, sweetheart,
Hi, Dan, what have you got?
Are you lonely? is there anything l can do about it?
Never loneIy, I thought you finished at eight,
l changed shifts so l can make it to the party.
Will you be there?
Until l can talk someone into giving up city life for Antonio Bay, I'm it.
- And it means day and night. - Too much work,
That's what l get for owning a station.
Tell me why you called, or in 15 seconds I'm gonna hang up.
- You want something to talk about? - Anything,
I've got a position on a trawler about 15 miles out
called the Sea Grass.
I've got something on my scope - appears to be a fog bank.
It's about 25 miles out and moving in their direction.
Thanks. That's worth about ten seconds.
I'm on the air, Bye,
Ahoy, mateys. This is KAB, Antonio Bay.
Stevie Wayne here, beaming a signal across the sea.
For the men in the Sea Grass, 1 5 miles out tonight,
a warm hello and keep a watch out for that fog bank,
heading in from the east,
In the meantime, reIax with me
while I pIay this song from the Coupe De Villes
dedicated just to you,
Boy, would l like to meet her.
l saw her at a grocery store. You would like to meet her.
She's crazy. There's no fog bank out there.
- What do you know about her? - She owns that lighthouse.
- l know. - Her son plays little league.
- She's a mother? - l thought you were happily married.
- Not that happy. - No fog bank out there.
There's a fog bank out there.
All right. I'm drunk enough. let's go back.
All right.
Al, come here.
- Just give him a hand. - Come here.
What was that?
Come here.
What was it?
It's a generator.
It's gone. There was just a ship out there.
listen.
- Nothing. - listen.
Who's there?
Who is that?
It's right beside us.
It's big, Al. It's a ship.
It's a big ship.
What happened? You get wet?
It's 12:43
and I've got four in a row for you
right here on KAB.
Nothing but water, Stevie.
But it sure beats Chicago.
KAB.
l like what you said but for your information, you lied.
The fog bank has moved due west and probably missed the ship entirely.
My gauges must be wrong. I've got a wind blowing due east.
What kind of a fog moves against the wind?
- You got me, - I'm not so sure l want you.
- You're just a voice on the phone. - You're just a voice on the radio,
We'd make a perfect couple,
You Iet me take you to dinner tonight, I'll prove it to you,
Sorry, Dan. My idea of perfection is a voice on the phone.
OK, mystery Iady,
Good night.
Not bad.
l started a week ago in San Diego.
Right up the coast, five drawings a day.
It'll take a month to get to Vancouver but if l sell them for five bucks apiece, I'll be rich.
- Can l ask you something? - Sure.
What's your name?
- Elizabeth. - Nick.
Hello, Nick.
Hi.
is that where you're from, San Diego?
You said, ''Can l ask you something?''
Something, to me, means one thing. San Diego is two things.
Pasadena
and a lot of money.
And never a chance to do anything l wanna do.
What do you wanna do?
l don't know.
That's OK. Me neither.
l think l gotta have this one. Can l buy it?
The drawing's free.
It's one o'clock, straight up,
The end of the witching hour and time for me to sign off,
So untiI tomorrow night at 6pm, when KAB comes back on the air,
this is Stevie Wayne, your night-Iight,
hoping you have a nice rest of the night,
Mom!
Hey, Mom!
Mom, come on, get up. look what l found.
Andy,
l love you.
Sometimes you're a real pain.
Sure, Mom, but look.
First it was a gold coin and then it turned into this neat piece of wood.
- This is one of those times. - But look at it, Mom.
Good morning, Andrew. Did you have a nice time last night?
Yeah. Old Mr Machen told us ghost stories.
Did you thank Mrs Kobritz for bringing you home?
Yes, ma'am. Mom, can l have a stomach pounder and a Coke?
- After lunch. - OK.
I'm gonna look for another one. Maybe this time l can get the gold coin.
- Where the hell is he? - Pulled out of here 4:15 yesterday.
- That's the last l saw of him. - l said 7:30.
- You know Al. lf l were... - Did you call the coastguard, Hank?
- They probably got drunk. - He wouldn't do that.
- He'd do anything. - Al and l got drunk together a lot
but we never got so shitfaced we couldn't make it back.
He's too good a sailor to stay out and not let somebody know.
- You sound like his wife. - Just his friend.
You worry too much.
Where are we going?
I'm going to talk Ashcroft into looking for the Sea Grass.
- Who's Ashcroft? - Someone who owes me a favour.
Can l come along?
Thought you had to move on to Vancouver?
Eventually.
Sheriff will drive his own car.
The Mayor and his wife are to be picked up at 6:45
and brought to the Mayor's box.
Then we will have speeches by the Mayor, Sheriff, me.
Do you have my notes?
Then we pass out the candles and begin the procession.
Then l will go home and pass out.
I'm almost afraid to look.
Well...
- Not bad. Not bad at all. - A work of art.
Sandy, just be civil to me for another five hours, that's all l ask.
let's see. Did you order the candles? What a thought.
- A candlelight procession with no candles. - Taken care of.
- And the promotional material, did you...? - Signed, sealed and delivered.
You can be very annoying but you do keep me together.
Thank you, Mrs Williams.
,,Spivey Point,
As of 1:57 today,
the Sea Grass has not responded to radio communication,
The coastguard has begun a sweep south from WhateIy,
around Arcom Reef,
and shouId be in the area of Spivey Point in approximateIy one hour,
Repeating this bulletin from the coastguard,
Be on the lookout for the Sea Grass -
a thirty-foot trawler
Iast seen approximateIy 1 5 miIes east of Spivey Point,
If you sight this vesseI, please notify the coastguard immediateIy,
Can l ask you a question?
- Is it always like this? - It's always different.
- You're worried, aren't you? - Yeah.
She can get real mean.
There.
lf l can get through the speeches without yawning...
- l couldn't sleep last night. - Too excited?
Al went out in his boat last night and didn't come home.
- Still isn't back. - Mrs Williams.
The coastguard said he might have had engine trouble.
They said not to worry. He was complaining about his boat.
- You ought to go home. - That's the last place l wanna go.
My dog started to bark at twelve last night and didn't stop until six.
- What happened? - He was growling at the ocean.
What does that tell you? My dog goes crazy and decides to bark at the water.
l heard the church bells at midnight
and suddenly my car alarm went off for no reason.
- Really? - Woke up the whole block.
Nothing happens for 100 years, then one night, the whole place falls apart.
Al?
Take this line, too.
Al! Tommy!
Dick!
Cabin and steering house are empty.
Maybe somebody picked them up.
There's water in the generator.
But the deck is dry as a bone.
There you have it. My next project.
Restoration of the Morgantown Road cemetery.
- It's historical, our ancestors... - It'd cost a lot.
So? This town should be proud of its past.
But trying to get anyone involved in community affairs is like pulling teeth.
- Get estimates ready for the next meeting. - Yes, ma'am.
You're the only person who can make ''yes, ma'am'' sound like ''screw you''.
Yes, ma'am.
Say a little prayer, asking that he not be in his cups.
Not a good sign.
Father Malone.
- Hello? - Another bad sign.
You try the study and I'll look up front.
- Jesus. Father, I'm sorry. - I'm sorry, Mrs Williams.
- Mrs Williams... - Are you all right?
l have something to show you.
''December nine.
''Met with Blake this evening for the first time.
''He stood in the shadows to prevent me from getting a clear look at his face.
''What a vile disease this is.
''He is a rich man with a cursed condition.
''But this does not prevent him from trying to better his situation
''and that of his comrades at the colony.''
Every single gauge is broken. The glass is shattered.
- Remind you of something? - last night.
Your truck.
Thermometer's broken.
Mercury's stuck at 20 degrees.
There's no water got in here but something awful cold did.
''December 1 1 . Blake's proposition is simple.
''He wants to move off Tanzier island
''and relocate the entire colony just north of here.
''He has purchased a clipper ship,
''called the Elizabeth Dane, with part of his fortune
''and asks only for permission to settle here.
''I must balance my feelings of mercy and compassion
''toward this poor man
''with my revulsion at the thought of a leper colony
''only a mile distant.''
It's rusted to the wall.
It was on.
- They drank a lot of beer last night. - Every night.
What's it like?
The room always starts spinning...
l mean fishing.
- You fish. - The only thing l know about fishing
is you use a lot of worms.
Saltwater.
She was clean two nights ago, l checked,
and now it's as if she's been turned over in the water.
''April 20. The six of us met tonight.
''From midnight until one o'clock,
''we planned the death of Blake and his comrades.
''l tell myself that Blake's gold will allow the church to be built
''and our small settlement to become a township
''but it does not soothe the horror that l feel,
''being an accomplice to murder.''
Now what?
Wait for the coastguard.
- I'm sorry. - What for?
Since you picked me up, things have been going wrong.
The clock, the windows breaking, the weirdo at the door last night.
- That isn't you. - I'm not so sure.
Things seem to happen to me.
I'm bad luck.
l don't believe in luck, good or bad.
l don't believe in anything much.
Something did happen once.
My father was a fisherman.
He ran a trawler out of Whately Reef.
One night, late, coming back in,
he was off beyond the reef, out near Spivey Point,
he looked the windward
and saw a brig under short sail,
heading right for him.
He radioed. There was no reply.
Nothing moved on the deck
but she held her course.
My dad and two of his hands, they boarded the brig -
the Resa Jane.
No one was on board.
There was food on the table and a hot, steamy cup of coffee
but underneath, the tin cup was rusted to the table.
And then something caught my father's eye.
It was a gold doubloon,
minted in Spain, 1867.
My dad picked it up, put it in the pocket of his jacket,
zippered it up, came home,
told us the story.
And he unzippered the pocket to give me the coin.
It was gone.
l think I'll go to Vancouver now.
''April 21st. The deed is done.
''Blake followed our false fire on shore
''and his ship broke apart on the rocks off Spivey Point.
''We were aided by an unearthly fog that rolled in, as if heaven-sent,
''although God had no part in our actions tonight.
''Blake's gold will be recovered tomorrow
''but may the lord forgive us for what we have done.''
l couldn't read any further.
Your grandfather had a way with words.
Our celebration tonight is a travesty.
We're honouring murderers.
Side one, KAB promos and lead-ins,
More music on top of the worId,
KAB 1340,
33,
KAB 1340,
57,
From the top of the worId,
Fabulous 1340,
KAB Antonio Bay,
31,
From the top of the worId, fabulous 1340,
the smooth sound of KAB,
Antonio Bay, CaIifornia,
54,
KAB 1340,
31,
The sounds of the surf from Antonio Bay,
KAB 1340,
39,
Fabulous 1340,
KAB, Antonio Bay,
More music on top of the worId,
KAB 1340,
E-S-T one eleven B,
Cut two,
From the top of the worId, fabulous 1340,
KAB, Antonio Bay,
Father, where did you find this?
My grandfather hid his sins in the walls.
When did you find it?
last night, just after midnight. What difference does it make?
That's the same time the rest of the town fell apart.
The same time the six conspirators met.
- 100 years ago. - It's really getting late.
There's not much we can do about any of this.
Are you going to give the benediction tonight, Father?
Antonio Bay has a curse on it.
Do we take that as a no?
Maybe it's just as well.
We're leaving now.
Will you be all right?
I'm gonna call Dr Thayden and ask him to just drop by.
l think you're taking this much too seriously.
We're all cursed, Mrs Williams.
All of us.
1340,
KAB,
44,
The smooth sound,
Fabulous 1340,
KAB,
45,
From the top of the world,
fabulous 1340,
KAB,
Antonio Bay, CaIifornia,