Cut to the Bone by Alex Caan Page A

him.
    ‘I’m just messing,’ said Dan. ‘You’re Harris, right? You left me them messages this morning? How can I help?’
    ‘We need to ask you some more questions,’ said Kate.
    ‘Poor Rubes. This is crazy what’s happening. I saw the vid on YouTube. Someone’s playing a sick game.’
    Kate nodded when Dan indicated the empty La-Z-Boy for her to sit. Zain took a space next to Dan on the sofa, sitting a bit too close to him. Dan shuffled away slightly, looking uncomfortable.
    Dan looked young to Kate, in the way that everyone below twenty-five looked like a teenager to her. Light-brown hair cut simply, close to his scalp, and big green eyes. There was still acne on his chin in places, and the room was heavy with the scent of sweat and food.
    ‘You just woken up?’ said Zain. ‘Late night?’
    ‘Something like that. Had a friend round.’
    ‘All night?’ said Zain, sounding solicitous.
    ‘Yeah. Think till about six, or something. Why? You checking for my alibi already?’ said Dan.
    Zain smiled at him. There was steel in it.
    ‘I called your office before. Told them I didn’t know where Ruby was. What else do you want to know?’
    ‘You saw the video on YouTube? How did you find out about it?’ said Kate.
    ‘Someone emailed me, sent me the link. We all got it – Rubes’ crew.’
    ‘You were deliberately targeted?’ said Kate.
    ‘Yeah, think so. Be too random otherwise.’
    ‘How are you feeling about it?’ said Kate.
    ‘What, the video, you mean? I’m majorly disturbed, obviously, how would you be feeling if it was someone you knew? We have to help her, get her back.’
    Dan stayed immobile on the sofa; glued to it, almost. He didn’t convey distress, and his half-awakened state suggested he hadn’t lost any sleep over the situation.
    ‘I’ve been on YouTube all day. Been trying to see if I can get the handle. I put it out on Twitter, Facebook, Vine, SnapChat. Even my Instagram. I got people looking for her. Asking if anyone knows where she is, or if they see her, to get in touch. I don’t know what else I can do.’
    ‘When did you last meet with Ruby?’ said Kate.
    ‘Don’t know, it’s been a week, I think. A bit over, maybe.’
    ‘A week?’ said Zain. ‘Thought you were dating?’
    ‘We are. It’s complicated. I just haven’t seen her, nothing weird about it.’
    ‘Why not?’ said Zain.
    ‘Just busy. Time slips, we don’t get together. Nothing major.’
    ‘Did you guys have an argument, or something?’ said Zain.
    ‘No, I told you, just busy.’
    ‘When did you last speak to her?’ said Kate.
    Dan leaned forward, picked up one of three phones he had on his coffee table. He started scrolling through.
    ‘Texted her yesterday.’
    ‘What did you say in that text?’ said Zain, looking over at the phone.
    ‘I just asked her how she was, when were we hooking up. She said she couldn’t say, would be in touch.’
    Zain took the phone from him. Dan tried to grab it back.
    ‘Give it back to me, man, what is this?’
    ‘Just having a look. Interesting, some of these messages. Do you mind if we hang on to this, Mr Grant?’ said Zain.
    ‘Yeah, I do mind. You can’t come in here, taking my stuff. What is this? North Korea?’
    ‘We’re trying to build a picture of Ruby, anything that might help us locate her.’
    Kate threw Zain a look; he gave the phone back to Dan.
    ‘Apart from texting her, when did you last have a proper conversation?’
    ‘Dunno, probably a week ago when I saw her.’
    ‘When was it exactly?’
    Dan flicked through his phone.
    ‘Last Thursday, at 5 p.m. We met for a drink in a pub called The Garter, off Charing Cross Road.’
    ‘Just the two of you?’
    ‘Yeah.’
    ‘What did you talk about? How did she seem?’
    ‘Usual stuff, about our vlogs and shit. She was all right, normal.’
    ‘She didn’t seem different at all? Worried about anything?’
    ‘No, just normal, like I said.’
    ‘Her parents seem to think she had ended her