by Ian Rankin
REBUS
What do you think?
HEATHER
You canny dance to it?
REBUS
Canny dance to anything. Wouldn’t try.
HEATHER
I love dancing. You think that’s creepy? That I go the pub she did? The pub where she had her last drink.
REBUS
No. No I can understand why you might do that.
HEATHER
Don’t always think about her. She went out drinking and took the short cut home through the building site. Sometimes I get really mad at her for being that stupid. I knew better before I was ten. So you’ll help me?
REBUS
What?
HEATHER
You’ll see if they’re still trying to catch the guy that killed her? Chase up your pals in the police?
REBUS
I haven’t got many pals in the police. Never did.
HEATHER
But you could phone somebody.
REBUS
No. Look, I know it’s hard but you’d best forget it. Live your life. You don’t always get an answer.
HEATHER
I bet you could always get an answer.
REBUS
If I could, I’d sleep better.
HEATHER
Do you have nightmares then?
REBUS
Only since I stopped drinking.
HEATHER
Christ that’ll dae it.
A young man ANDY is coming up the stairs. He stops dead when he sees HEATHER and REBUS.
HEATHER
You’re late. I nearly called the polis on you.
ANDY
(wary) You been talking to him?
REBUS
Any reason she shouldn’t?
HEATHER
(on the move) Come on then . . . What’s your name again?
ANDY says nothing.
REBUS
A. Lamont. That’s what it says on the bit of cardboard. Don’t know what the A stands for. Archibald?
ANDY
Andy.
REBUS
Just being neighbourly Andy. (to Heather) You should maybe ask him how he’s supplementing his income. Doesny look like an impoverished student to me.
HEATHER
No?
REBUS
His post says he’s a student. Mature student is it Andy? Second degree? Don’t get your fees paid for that do you? How do you manage? Are you doing a wee sideline in pharmaceuticals? If I’ve noticed . . . (let’s that one hang)
ANDY
Fuck off.
HEATHER
You’ve noticed him dealing?
REBUS
Are you surprised? Isn’t that why you’re here?
HEATHER
No. No it’s not.
REBUS
Glad to hear it.
ANDY is still warily watching REBUS as HEATHER makes her way back upstairs.
HEATHER
I’m just visiting. I’m going to ask you again John. I think you’re the man that can help me.
REBUS
I don’t change my mind.
HEATHER
No? Don’t say things like that. I love a challenge. See you John.
She’s gone. REBUS is still watching ANDY.
ANDY
What do you think you’re looking at?
REBUS
I’ll let you know.
REBUS waits until ANDY goes upstairs. REBUS tries to get in, doesn’t have key. He searches all his pockets. It’s not there. Swears. Takes one from top of door jamb. Goes into his own flat—
Rebus’s Arden Street flat/dream
He’s walked into darkness. A young woman, MAGGIE, stands on her own, the only thing lit in darkness. She’s played by the same actress who plays HEATHER but MAGGIE is dressed differently, a coat from 2001 fashion, a scarf round her neck. She’s dancing to the same song, half singing along. We can’t see her face clearly.
REBUS
What are you doing here?
MAGGIE
Sit down John.
REBUS sits down in an armchair and watches as if this is television.
REBUS
Who are you?
MAGGIE
I thought you never forgot a face, or a name. You let me down John Rebus . . .
Rebus’s Arden Street flat
Lights snap up as REBUS wakes in his armchair. It was a dream. He’s fallen asleep in the chair. The song is still playing, just the last line, stuck on repeat. SIOBHAN has walked in. She goes and lifts the needle off the record.
SIOBHAN
So there’s something you need to know about twenty-first-century etiquette. If you get a dozen texts and you don’t answer inside twenty-four hours everyone thinks you’re dead.
There’s an empty glass beside REBUS’S chair. He picks it up and stares at it. SIOBHAN takes it out of his hand and replaces it with a take-away coffee.
SIOBHAN
And I thought you weren’t doing this any more.
REBUS
Doing what?
SIOBHAN
Drinking yourself to sleep in an armchair.
REBUS
Did I do that?
SIOBHAN
Pretty conclusive evidence.
REBUS
’Time is it?
SIOBHAN
Time to check your phone.
REBUS mutters swearing as he pushes out of the chair and leaves the room, going to the bathroom.
SIOBHAN
(calling after him) Don’t mind me. I’ll just make myself at home.
She makes a half-hearted attempt to clear a few things up. Quickly gives up.
SIOBHAN
I’d make you another cup of coffee but I’m betting you’ve no milk.
She finds his phone. Sighs. REBUS comes back into the room, towelling his face. She holds up the phone at him. Accusing.
SIOBHAN
And you’ve no juice. Where’s your charger?
She’s looking for it, finding it, plugging in his phone.
REBUS
I do have a landline. You’ve heard of them? Ancient communication devices, never run out of juice?
SIOBHAN
I rang it. About half one?
REBUS
I was out.
SIOBHAN
Doing what?
REBUS
Walking.
SIOBHAN
Wandering round the Meadows in the middle of the night.
REBUS
Wandering’s part of my ongoing exercise regime.
She’s got the whisky bottle.
SIOBHAN
Is this part of your exercise regime?
REBUS
Better than sleeping pills. Natural product. Organic.
SIOBHAN
That’s great. You can put it on your muesli instead of milk.
REBUS
Muesli? I forgot my keys last night. Ageing brain. Too much content, no enough storage.
SIOBHAN
Throw some of the memories away.
REBUS
Working on it.
There are boxes and stacks of files all over the floor. REBUS is starting to look through these as they talk.
SIOBHAN
Don’t you want to know why I was trying to get hold of you?
REBUS
Aren’t you here to tell me?
SIOBHAN
No, I came round looking for proof of life.
REBUS
But since you’re here . . .?
SIOBHAN
They’re going to offer it.
REBUS
Promotion?
SIOBHAN
Had one of those ‘strictly between us but you might want to buy some smarter suits’ conversations.
REBUS
Well that’s great! (she’s not responding) Isn’t it great?
SIOBHAN
Just wanted to talk to you.
REBUS
What’s to talk abou
t? About time isn’t it?
SIOBHAN
So I’d be crazy to knock it back?
REBUS
You want to be stalled at detective inspector for the rest of your days?
SIOBHAN
I could do something else.
REBUS
You’re no fit to do anything else.
SIOBHAN
Hey. We’re not all as sad as you! Some of us have other things in their lives apart from the job.
REBUS
Like what? Driving to Hibs away games? That’s a fast track to suicidal depression.
REBUS is still half looking for something in his heaps of paper.
SIOBHAN
I could do another job!
REBUS
No you couldn’t.
SIOBHAN
Well thanks for the vote of confidence. What are you doing?
REBUS
I just remembered something, about an old case.
SIOBHAN
What old case?
REBUS
A murder, 2001.
SIOBHAN
Seriously?
REBUS
Aye, I passed on it when it came in. Maggie Towler? Remember?
SIOBHAN
No.
REBUS
No, well, we were a bit busy that year. I bet you remember that.
SIOBHAN
Only on the bad nights. We’ve had worse years since.
REBUS
I was starting that case with you. I pushed Maggie Towler onto Fraser Morris. (he’s found the file he wants) Got it! (looking through file) Fraser was a sloppy wee shite, I think he just read the notes of the first officer on the scene and filed it as a lost cause.
SIOBHAN
So I want career advice and you want to rerun some whinge from 2001? Are you even listening?
REBUS
Take the promotion. You’ve come too far to stop now.
SIOBHAN
Have I?
REBUS
It’s our anniversary.
SIOBHAN
What?
REBUS
Twenty-five years since I started mentoring your illustrious career.
SIOBHAN
Oh is that what you were doing?
REBUS
Helping you scale the heights of Police Scotland, Shiv.
SIOBHAN
Keeping me on the brink of investigation for professional misconduct.
REBUS
The edge that sharpens the detective senses.
SIOBHAN
Is it really twenty-five years?
REBUS
I counted.
SIOBHAN
You’re right. It must be. Because I arrived just after the first time we tried to convict Mordaunt.
REBUS
Is that what’s got you in this state? The Mordaunt case?
SIOBHAN
I’m not in a state. Alright. I want the right result this time. I want that a lot. But you must be feeling that. You were part of the original investigation . . .
REBUS
I was just a baby detective. All I did was a wee bit of the leg work. But everyone was part of it . . . Something about it, it got to everyone. You know that last lassie he killed . . . Angela . . . (trying to get name) Jesus . . . dying brain . . .
SIOBHAN
(cutting in) Angela Simpson.
REBUS
Aye. That was her first proper night out you know. First time her Mum and Dad let her stay out past eleven. A sixteen year old lassie just excited to be out on a Saturday . . . Is it the Dad you’re getting ready for court?
SIOBHAN
Yes.
REBUS
How’s he doing?
SIOBHAN
He’s still blaming himself: ‘If I’d known she was going drinking . . .’ Sixteen. You ought to be able to sneak into a pub kidding on you’re old enough, laughing with all your mates. That shouldn’t get you killed.
REBUS
Sixteen. Still new. Still daft enough to fall for it when some older guy starts chatting you up. Young enough to swallow the lines . . .
SIOBHAN
But Jesus, look at Mordaunt!
REBUS
Aye. Even when he was young he looked like a feral weasel that lived in a sewer. He must have had some chat up lines.
SIOBHAN
He’d’ve had confidence by the time he murdered Angela wouldn’t he? He’d already got away with rape and murder twice.
REBUS
He was a cocky swaggering little prick. Then and now.
SIOBHAN
Now we’ll get him. The forensics will get him.
REBUS
Is it from the tights? Is the evidence on the tights he strangled them with?
SIOBHAN
Come on John, I’m not supposed to talk about ongoing . . .
REBUS
(cutting in) Aw come on yourself, that’s no even me guessing. He strangled those girls with their own tights. There must be traces the forensics weren’t good enough to catch at the time, but you can prove the bastard’s hands were on the knots now.
SIOBHAN
Alright. Good guess. Hopefully, finally, we can do a proper job of putting him away.
REBUS
You don’t think we did a proper job back in 1992?
SIOBHAN
I’m not saying that . . .
REBUS
Sounds like you are.
SIOBHAN
Look, I can’t help adding up the evidence the original detectives had. They had Mordaunt’s plumbers’ van parked up near where the young women vanished, three times. Every murder, there’s his van . . .
REBUS
And there’s his wife, giving him an alibi, every time.
SIOBHAN
And, ok, you find yourself thinking, ‘How hard did they lean on his wife?’ Because she must have known.
REBUS
Why would you want to know a thing like that? Way I heard it she was like concrete. They couldny budge her. Mordaunt was drinking with her, apparently, every time.
SIOBHAN
CCTV evidence might’ve knocked a hole in that lie now. Forensics would have nailed him, will nail him now . . . if nothing goes wrong.
REBUS
What might go wrong?
SIOBHAN
The trial starts Monday.
REBUS
I know. And what might go wrong? What’re you worried about?
SIOBHAN
Nothing. Nothing at all. Do I look worried?
REBUS
Yes.
SIOBHAN
You see you think you can read me but this just proves . . .
REBUS
(cutting her off) Why haven’t I been called to give evidence?
SIOBHAN
You just said it. You weren’t doing more than door to door back then. You weren’t the lead detective. Steve Cant was.
REBUS
Steve Cant couldny lead his own shite out his arse. It’s thanks to him we never nailed the pervy weasel the day we lifted him. He was so busy worrying about playing it by the book he barely asked Mordaunt his name and address . . .
SIOBHAN
(cutting in) It’s thanks to him and the forensic pathologist at the time that the evidence of the Angela’s clothing has been preserved properly all these years. Stored properly, logged properly, and believe me that’s going to be an issue for the defence.
Something in her tone alerts REBUS.
REBUS
What’s happened?
SIOBHAN
You did put Mordaunt away John. You got him the same year Angela died. For assault.
REBUS
Aye. What about it?
SIOBHAN
What made you so sure it was him?
REBUS
I could see rapist murdering scum beneath that cheery plumber exterior.
SIOBHAN
And could you really see the kind of man that could lay out a man twice
his size? A man like Morris Gerald Cafferty?
REBUS
Cafferty was hit from behind.
SIOBHAN
True.
REBUS
And that was twenty-five years ago. Cafferty wasn’t the behemoth of crime and chaos he was in his prime.
SIOBHAN
He was a big man. And a lethal one.
REBUS
He turned his back for two minutes. All it took.
SIOBHAN
But I never understood why he let Mordaunt get away with it.