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 thesubjectof an episode, is something akin to a religious experience.
Danny has a three-camera set-up, including a Sony FX9 – a serious piece of kit – for the master angle. Reubyn makes a mental note that he should aspire to own one of those. Pointing towards him is a Shure SM7. An identical mic is opposite, in front of an empty chair on the other side of the table. The key light is positioned high to his left, tilted at a 45-degree angle, and he can feel its heat against his cheek.
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 ofEscape 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.
