by Ian Rankin
TECHNICIAN
That’s just what he was asking.
SIOBHAN
Is that so? Well, has it been picked up?
TECHNICIAN
(checking) Yup. That went on its way this morning.
SIOBHAN
Good. Glad to hear it. No-one else had a look at it before it went did they?
TECHNICIAN
No.
SIOBHAN
Just checking. Sorry to bother you. Got time for a word John?
REBUS
I’m glad you’re here D.I. Clarke. Tell him.
SIOBHAN
Tell him what?
REBUS
We need to check the evidence for Maggie Towler’s murder.
SIOBHAN is just staring at him.
REBUS
March, 2001. Building site between Granton and Newhaven. Lead detective D.I. Morris. (as no-one moves) Case number 4568/NM/ Morris.
SIOBHAN
(to TECHNICIAN) Can you look please?
TECHNICIAN
What am I checking?
REBUS
That it’s still there, safe, sealed and fit for court.
The TECHNICIAN moves off.
REBUS
And once we’ve done that we need to get the name of the property company that developed those flats . . .
SIOBHAN
We’re not doing anything John. I’ve been over this.
REBUS
Right. Fine. I’ll get it all together myself. Hand it over to you with a big bow tied round the case . . .
SIOBHAN
What case!?
REBUS
Maggie Towler. I told you. She’s the unsolved from seventeen years ago? I met her daughter, Heather, night before last. She was on my stair.
SIOBHAN
What was she doing there?
REBUS
Don’t know. She vanished on me.
SIOBHAN
You can have that effect on people.
REBUS
But I remembered we let mother her down.
SIOBHAN
And that’s why you’re here?
REBUS
Of course that’s why I’m here. Why else would I be here?
SIOBHAN
So why were you asking about the Mordaunt evidence?
REBUS
Just making conversation. It’s on my mind Siobhan. What can I tell you? Why were you here? Just checking no-one had tried tampering with the Mordaunt evidence?
SIOBHAN
Yes.
REBUS
Well there you go. Nothing to worry about.
SIOBHAN
You have to stop John . . .
REBUS
Stop what?
SIOBHAN
Poking into cold cases.
REBUS
Oh so Maggie Towler doesny deserve justice?
SIOBHAN
Will she get it if you steam in trampling all over the evidence . . .?
She’s cut off as the TECHNICIAN is back.
TECHNICIAN
Still there. Sealed, safe and ready for court.
SIOBHAN
Thank you.
TECHNICIAN
No problem. (indicating REBUS) But he shouldn’t be in here.
SIOBHAN
I’ll walk him out.
The TECHNICIAN leaves as SIOBHAN walks REBUS into—
Stairwell Police H.Q.
SIOBHAN
Have you slept?
REBUS
Have you?
He puts something in his mouth.
SIOBHAN
What’s that? You trying the nicotine lozenges?
REBUS
Had to try something.
SIOBHAN
What do they taste like?
REBUS
Well I’ve never actually licked an ashtray full of cat’s piss but . . .
SIOBHAN
We’ve got a family liason officer visiting Angela’s father. But I promised him I’d keep him informed personally. I took his hand and looked him in the eye and promised him I’d convict the man that destroyed his daughter twenty five years ago . . . Destroyed him too. He’s just a husk of a man, a living container of unbearable grief.
REBUS
No mother?
SIOBHAN
Cancer. Five years ago. They’d split up by then.
REBUS
Sorrow too heavy for two to carry. See it all the time.
SIOBHAN
We have to get Mordaunt convicted John. We have to.
REBUS
I know.
SIOBHAN
And there’s something you’re not telling me.
REBUS
Right.
SIOBHAN
Isn’t there?
REBUS
Mebbe.
SIOBHAN
Something to do with the attack on Big Ger. Who are you protecting John?
REBUS
You.
SIOBHAN
From what?
REBUS
A mess. A mess that you don’t need to worry about.
SIOBHAN
Oh dear god . . . (she slumps) You rang him didn’t you?
REBUS
He came round the flat.
SIOBHAN
I know. We’ve got a tail on him.
REBUS
(genuine) Smart girl . . .
SIOBHAN
Oh don’t even start with that! Don’t you . . . !
REBUS
What? It was the right thing to do.
SIOBHAN
Yes John, I know, because I’m a really good detective.
REBUS
You want to know what we talked about.
SIOBHAN
Are you going to tell me?
REBUS
He’s got nothing Shiv. It’s all a bluff. He’s just messing with your head. Last night? He just fancied tormenting me.
SIOBHAN
Is he going in the witness box?
REBUS
Not unless he wants to look like a clown. Big Ger will not mess up your case against Mordaunt. You can keep staring at me Siobhan but you’re either going to trust me on this or you’re not.
SIOBHAN
If I couldn’t trust you on something like this I wouldn’t trust this job, I wouldn’t trust myself, I wouldn’t trust any seeming solid thing in the whole world.
A beat.
REBUS
No pressure then.
SIOBHAN
Something I’ve always wanted to ask you: why does Cafferty call you ‘Strawman’?
REBUS
I was giving evidence against him in a case in Glasgow, the lawyer got me mixed up with another witness called ‘Stroman’. Cafferty loves that.
SIOBHAN
He thinks you’re a man of straw.
REBUS
He wishes I was.
SIOBHAN
And you think you’re a lone wolf. The last gunslinger in High Noon, taking down the bad guys as he goes.
REBUS
What do you think I am?
SIOBHAN
Retired. And good police work is team work John.
REBUS
You think? I think a result’s a result.
SIOBHAN
John . . .
REBUS
(cutting in) I hear you Siobhan. I do.
SIOBHAN
I see her you know. In my head.
REBUS
Who?
SIOBHAN
Angela. Just watching me. Never had that before on a murder, not even my first. I see her. Staring at me. Asking if I’m going to get her the only thing worth anything to her now. A bit of justice, for that little life snapped short . . .
MAGGIE and ANGELA are on.
REBUS
I know. I see her too. I remember watching Sam going out for a night with her pals at that age.
SIOBHAN
How is she?
REBUS
Good, pesterin
g me to come and see the granddaughter before she’s taller than Sam is.
SIOBHAN
Well you’ve the time now.
REBUS
That’s what she says. In a few years that toddler will be a teenager. Then Sam will understand what it was like, looking at her, so fresh and full of life, beautiful . . . and fragile as a moth. She didn’t understand why I shouted at her for pulling her top down and making up her face like she was something glossy and available. She didn’t see what I saw . . . what the predatory monsters out there would see. Christ. The way young lassies dress themselves up Shiv . . .
SIOBHAN
A young woman’s got every right . . .
REBUS
(cutting her off) Aye I know I know.
SIOBHAN
Attacks like the one on Angela, on Maggie Towler are rare. Still. Women risk more in their own homes. Young women can’t be prisoners of their father’s fears . . .
REBUS
It is just a fact that a strong man can grab a woman and do whatever he likes. It’s just a fact that young women will always need protection, as long as that’s true. And we’re the protection, or we should be. We need to get them locked up.
SIOBHAN
Maybe the answer is to keep trying to make a world where no man ever would hurt a young woman.
REBUS is surrendering something, realising he can’t fix this, struggling with that.
REBUS
Aye. Alright. Alright.
SIOBHAN
What?
REBUS
I can’t see a way through . . .
SIOBHAN
What is it?
REBUS
Shiv . . . There’s maybe is something I do need to talk to you about . . .
She waits. He can’t find a way to go on.
SIOBHAN
Well what is it?
REBUS
Nothing. No it’s nothing. I’ll fix it myself. Just . . . Look . . . I might need your help, tonight . . .
SIOBHAN
(cutting him off) Oh I can’t tonight.
REBUS
(thrown) Oh. Right. Sorry.
SIOBHAN
No I’m going out. I have to . . . I mean I want to eh . . . (she’s floundering) It’s just this thing . . .
REBUS
(cutting in) Hot date?
SIOBHAN
Hardly. Important. Important date.
REBUS
Anyone I know?
SIOBHAN
It’s work. I can’t shift it so . . .
REBUS
No, no, fine. Work on the Mordaunt trial?
She says nothing.
REBUS
’Course it is. And nothing you can tell me . . .
SIOBHAN
Sorry, it’s just . . .
REBUS
I’m no even asking. It’s fine. Really.
SIOBHAN
I could come and see you after? How late will you be up? Stupid question . . .
REBUS
(cutting her off) No, I’ll be out. I thought maybe you could come with but . . .
SIOBHAN
How about I buy you breakfast?
REBUS
Aye . . . aye that might work.
SIOBHAN
You can tell me all about it then.
REBUS
Yeah. Alright. I’ll tell you all about it then.
SIOBHAN
It’s a date.
She’s on the move, going back upstairs.
REBUS
So you know about the murder on my stair then?
She pauses.
REBUS
If you had eyes on me and Cafferty then you’ll have heard about the murder on my stair? (as she doesn’t reply) Why didn’t you say?
SIOBHAN
I was waiting to see when you’d tell me. You fancy Cafferty for that?
REBUS
Don’t you?
SIOBHAN
So why didn’t you tell that very competent police officer who interviewed you?
REBUS
I’ll tell you at breakfast.
SIOBHAN
You better.
SIOBHAN goes back upstairs. REBUS walks slowly down the stairs. ANGELA and MAGGIE are with him.
MAGGIE
You couldn’t tell her.
ANGELA
Couldn’t face it.
MAGGIE
Well that’s just weak!
REBUS
Fucking shut it!
Transition into—
Rebus’s Arden Street flat
REBUS is searching through paperwork, not even sure what he’s looking for. MAGGIE and ANGELA are still with him, still talking. REBUS has put music on, we barely hear it, it’s HEATHER and MAGGIE’S song ‘Show Me the Way’.
ANGELA
Look at him, did you really think he cared about us? It’s all about her.
MAGGIE
Siobhan . . . We’re dead.
ANGELA
No sense worrying about the dead.
MAGGIE
But if Siobhan Clarke finds out you lied to her . . .
ANGELA
Messed with her . . .
MAGGIE
Let her down . . .
REBUS shouts at them, at the world.
REBUS
Cafferty’s got nothing!
MAGGIE
But you know that’s not true.
ANGELA
Better go and find out.
MAGGIE
Under the dusk dark cherry trees on Middle Meadow walk, go and climb up the stairs of the old Infirmary, polished new and caged in with des res glass . . .
REBUS
(paperwork) Why did no fucker write down the name of the property company that owned the building site? I’m going to get the fucker that killed you Maggie I . . .
MAGGIE
(cutting him off) Too late for that John. I’ll still be dead.
ANGELA
And what about me?
MAGGIE
What about my baby girl, Heather?
Now we hear the music, MAGGIE’S song. REBUS goes and takes it off.
ANGELA
Maggie and Heather, Angela and Siobhan.
MAGGIE
And you.
ANGELA
And ex–detective John Rebus.
MAGGIE
Canny save all of us John.
REBUS
(quiet) The fuck I can’t.
MAGGIE
It’s too late.
REBUS
There’s a way through this . . . There must be . . .
MAGGIE
There’s not.
REBUS
There is. There’s a way . . .
ANGELA
Time you were on your way John.
Transition into—
Quartermile penthouse, stairwell/flat
MAGGIE and ANGELA are gone. Laboriously, REBUS climbs up to CAFFERTY’S penthouse and rings the bell. CAFFERTY lets him in.
CAFFERTY
What’s wrong with the lift?
REBUS
Someone’s getting a Waitrose delivery.
CAFFERTY
They’re supposed to use the service life for that. Come in, come in, take a seat, admire the view. Christ, state of you man. You can have a wee lie down if you like. What are you drinking?
REBUS has semi collapsed.
REBUS
Just give me some water.
CAFFERTY
Bit late to crawl back on the wagon isn’t it?
REBUS
(weary) Stick some whisky in it then.
CAFFERTY
I’ve got something better. Going to expand your mind John, wait till you taste this. (fixing the drink, wine) This is the best move I ever made, never get tired of that view. You can see half of Edinburgh from up here. 360 degrees of lights and life.
REBUS
And all the world can see you, up here in your glass tower.
CAFFERTY<
br />
What does that tell you? I’m at the top of the world John, nothing to hide, no-one to fear now, monarch of all I survey. Is that how it goes? I can see you of an evening John, down there, having a wee wander in the Meadows in the middle of the night. Didny know anyone was watching did you?