Night Vale Unsolved

35

The car door opened, startling Carlos. He popped out his earbuds - he'd recently gotten into podcasts, finding that they filled lulls quite nicely.
"So?" He asked as Cecil got in the car.
Cecil sighed. "Well, Larry Leroy-"
"Out on the edge of town?"
"Yeah." Cecil chuckled. "He said that the Secret Police visited Josie after you and our visitors left." He glanced pointedly at Carlos.
Carlos blinked, processing Cecil's words.
"Wait, Larry Leroy is the one who insisted on meeting you? To tell you that?"
"Yep." Cecil fastened his seatbelt. "He was worried about Josie, so-"
"But how is that so important and secret?" Carlos interrupted again, trying desperately to understand. "I mean, people have had much more...private conversations with you on the air." He blushed a little. Some of those conversations had included him, after all.
Cecil just shrugged. "Well, maybe he just didn't want the Secret Police to visit him. And anyway, I explained that Ryan and Shane were just here to film a video..."
Carlos groaned.
"...And Larry said that they should never have come."
Carlos was glad that he hadn't started driving yet. Because if he had, he would have swerved wildly and most likely crashed.
"What?"
"Oh, you know how people here can be." Cecil waved it off.
"I do know. Remember when the University of What It Is sent their representatives to come find me? Night Vale didn't exactly welcome them."
Cecil nodded, remembering the shouting mob that greeted Dr. Kayali and her group.
"But not everyone gets that treatment. Like you! Besides, Shane and Ryan have been in town for...how long, now? A couple days. Dr. Kayali was...greeted... immediately."
"But they haven't really interacted with the people here," Carlos argued, "We don't know..." He trailed off as Cecil started shaking his head. "What?"
"Nothing." Cecil said, clearly meaning something. "It's just that I don't think they have anything to worry about."
Just then, Carlos'phone rang. He answered it.
"Shane?"
A few seconds passed as Carlos listened to whatever Shane was saying on the other end of the line.
He swore.
"Carlos!" Cecil exclaimed as he started the car.
"Their footage is missing." Carlos told him, more focused on the road than his words. "They're worried it might have been taken."
Cecil was quiet. He went so long without saying anything that Carlos finally started to worry about him, as well as their new friends.
"Cecil?"
"Well..." Cecil's voice was quiet, but sure. "I mean, they were going to reveal a lot about Night Vale to the outside world."
"What are you saying?" Carlos forced out through gritted teeth.
"All I'm saying," Cecil said defensively, "Is that if it was the Sheriff's Secret Police who took it - and it probably was - then maybe they had good reason. There is such thing as-"
"Forbidden knowledge." Carlos finished for him. "Yeah, I know. But this wasn't forbidden knowledge. It was stuff that everyone already knew about - we made sure if that. For this exact reason."
Cecil shrugged. "Everyone in Night Vale, maybe. But...you know we don't exactly mix well with others."
Carlos sighed. He had a point there. But still.
"We have to at least try to help them." Carlos decided.
Cecil didn't argue. He liked Ryan and Shane, so of course he would help them. Besides, Carlos was the one driving. Cecil, as the passenger, had little say over destination at the moment.
They fell into silence. Carlos focused on getting across town to the hotel quickly and safely. Cecil let his mind wander, wondering what the Secret Police had asked Old Woman Josie, and if it really was them who stole the footage. It certainly seemed reasonable, but it also seemed...awfully non-confrontational of them. Confrontation was an area the Secret Police excelled at. Quietly dealing with issues...not so much.