Epilogue Reubyn
Epilogue
Reubyn
Reubyn sits alone at a black conference table in a medium-sized studio.
Every inch of the walls is covered in black open-celled soundproofing foam, and behind him is a screen showing the logo for Danny Mascall’s podcast. Reubyn has seen this room before so many times, on video.
But to be here in person, to be the subject of an episode, is something akin to a religious experience.
Danny was on the phone when he arrived. He put it on mute, greeted Reubyn with a bone-crushingly firm handshake, and directed him into the studio before wandering off to finish his call.
‘Sorry to keep you waiting,’ Danny says, strolling back into the room and closing the door behind him.
‘No problem at all.’
‘I really appreciate you coming in.’ Danny visits each camera in turn, making final adjustments and getting everything rolling.
Reubyn watches him with interest, fascinated by how he works. It’s the first time he’s seen Danny in real life, and he’s impeccably groomed. His black pompadour fades to a number one at the mid-section of his crown, and his beard also contains some kind of oil that makes it glint under the lights.
He sits. ‘I’m all set. Are you good to go?’
Reubyn gives him the thumbs up. He had expected there might be a bit more small talk before the cameras started rolling, but apparently not.
Danny checks some notes set out in front of him, then begins.
‘Hi everyone, and welcome to a very special episode of the Danny Mascall Podcast. I’ve got a really exciting guest today.
’ Danny’s speech is smooth and assured – the kind of authority and confidence that Reubyn attempts to emulate when making his own content.
‘Here with me in the studio is Reubyn Carmichael, the executive producer and star of Escape to Hell. If you haven’t heard of this true-crime series about the murder of Elis Pritchard-Jones in New Zealand, then you must have been living under a rock because I can’t seem to go a day at the moment without hearing somebody talking about it.
Reubyn has kindly agreed to come on and tell us a little about the making of the series and his plans for the future.
So, Reubyn. Thanks for coming on. How are you doing? ’
‘I’m doing good. It’s great to be here.’
‘To kick things off, and for the benefit of anyone who hasn’t seen the series, why don’t you give us a quick rundown of what the series is, and the story behind it.’
Reubyn takes a deep breath. ‘Sure. I mean, I could fill the whole hour with this story so I’ll try to keep it as concise as I can.
’ Reubyn starts with the whole saga with Miles and his court case, and then the trip to New Zealand, culminating with Elis’s murder.
He concentrates on trying to get the pace of his speech just right – it needs to be engaging and enthusiastic without him flustering over his words.
When he reaches the bit about Elis’s demise, and Miles’s brush with death, he allows his tone to become graver.
‘It must have been a super-traumatic experience for all of you,’ Danny says. ‘And what’s also crazy about this situation is that, while this was all unfolding, you were there, the whole time, filming everything on broadcast-quality equipment.’
It’s not a question, but from Danny’s rising inflection, it’s clearly Reubyn’s turn to speak.
‘That’s right. Well, I wasn’t filming everything.
But yes. I have my own channel, and I was trying to shoot a couple of videos.
When we got home, and the dust settled on this whole thing, I was watching all this footage back and realised that what I had was really quite a unique documentation.
It was all there. And out of this terrible tragedy, we were able to create something quite powerful and moving, something we could dedicate to Elis in his memory. ’
Danny nods. ‘I love the way you dedicated the series to Elis.’
They spend a few minutes talking about Elis, the way he and Reubyn bonded in New Zealand, about how deeply his loss has been felt.
‘And what about Miles? He didn’t take part in the series, did he?’
‘That’s right. He chose not to be involved.’
‘There were some reports that you and Miles had fallen out over it, and that he tried to stop the series from being aired. Is that right?’
Reubyn has been expecting this question. He pauses, pretending to give it a moment’s thought, before delivering his preprepared answer. ‘Miles is one of my best friends. It’s true that we had a difference of opinion when it came to this project, but he’ll always be one of my best friends.’
‘Have you spoken to him recently?’
‘No, but we’ve both been really busy. I’m sure I’ll talk to him soon.’
‘Right then.’ Danny entwines his fingers and cracks his knuckles. ‘Let’s talk about Faith Jackson.’
Reubyn grimaces for the camera. ‘Yes.’
‘Because, when you made the series, she was on the lam, right? Has there been any update on that?’
Reubyn shrugs. ‘Not that I know of. As far as I’m aware, they’re still looking for her. The New Zealand police, the British police, Interpol – she’s evaded them all, so far.’
‘She’s slippery,’ Danny says.
Reubyn laughs. ‘She’s clever. Faith’s good at disguising herself, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the police never track her down.’
‘Now,’ Danny places a finger on his notes and begins reading his next question directly off a sheet of paper, ‘the police are saying they’re not looking for anyone else in relation to Elis’s murder, so that makes Faith the only suspect.
The internet is awash with rumours about why she might have done it, especially after the series aired.
I’m not going to repeat any of this speculation, for legal reasons. But do you have a theory?’
Reubyn sucks air in through his teeth. ‘The truth is, I think Elis was just unlucky. We were out there in the forest with Faith, who was unhinged and chaotic and had her sights set on Miles, and Elis somehow got caught in the crossfire. You have to remember, none of us knew what we were dealing with when it came to Faith. She seemed totally normal, but under the surface, Faith had a burning desire for revenge. She was extremely emotional, inwardly volatile and possessed by an urge to kill.’
Danny takes a sip of water. ‘All right, why don’t you finish up by telling us a little bit about your channel and your plans for the future. I gather you’ve brought something in to show us?’
‘I have.’ Reubyn reaches for his bag and pulls out a gold plaque, which he stands on the table in front of him. ‘This arrived this week.’
‘I remember getting one of those. Explain to our listeners what it is.’
‘It’s a Gold Creator Award. YouTube sends you one when you get to a million subscribers. A little marker of progress.’
‘Congratulations, Reubyn. Welcome to the club.’
‘Thanks. Since the series aired, I’ve had more and more people coming to the channel and discovering my content. I’m going to make that my focus again, for the foreseeable. In fact, I’ve got a bit of exclusive news for you, on that front.’
Danny tilts his head to the side, with a look of pleasant surprise. ‘That’s what I like to hear. Do tell.’
‘I’m planning to go back to New Zealand for another project. I’m going to retrace our steps. And, who knows, maybe we will be able to succeed where the police have failed. Maybe we’ll be able to track Faith down.’
They continue to discuss his project for a few minutes, and Reubyn offers a few more details.
He explains that, as was the case for the first series, Jessie is the only other member of the original group who has agreed to take part.
He hopes he might be able to persuade the others to change their minds.
A lot of the people who were heavily featured in the first series – like Caira’s ex-boyfriend Ben Knight – aren’t really relevant for the second.
But a greater financial incentive, available this time around, might tempt George to get involved.
Reubyn also reveals the working title for the project: Finding Faith.
He chooses not to reveal the true extent of his aims, that Faith remains a source of fascination for Reubyn.
Of course, he knows she was never really interested in him.
Faith had simply identified him as weak and manipulable – someone she could latch on to in order to gain access to Miles.
She was never attracted to Reubyn one bit.
And disappearing into the wilds of New Zealand without a trace was simply another ghosting – albeit an elaborate one.
But still, he finds himself thinking of her often, sometimes from the very moment he wakes of a morning.
Danny wraps up the interview with some enthusiastic praise and encouragement for Reubyn’s work, then rises from his chair and turns off the cameras. ‘Thanks for that, Reubyn. That’ll be a great episode.’
‘Oh, no, thank you. This is brilliant exposure for me. I really appreciate it.’
‘I’m always happy to help a brother out. We’ve got to lift each other up, you know. The odds are stacked against people like us, these days. We’ve got to fight harder for every win.’
As Reubyn wraps his plaque in a towel and places it into his bag, Danny stops next to him and perches on the edge of the table. ‘Tell me, what are your goals? What does Reubyn Carmichael want to achieve this year?’
Reubyn scratches his head. He doesn’t want to embarrass himself by appearing unambitious. ‘Five million subscribers.’
Danny nods. ‘Achievable.’
Reubyn slides his backpack on to his shoulders. ‘Do you really think so?’
‘Absolutely. It’s important to set yourself goals. They keep you honest. Once your goal is set, it’s on you to make it happen.’
‘I’ll do my best.’