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 doyouhave 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 elaborateone. 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, thankyou. 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.’
Danny holds the studio door open for Reubyn. They enter a bright corridor and walk towards the exit. ‘Ask yourself, what would the world’s most high-value men do in your situation? You’ve got to think like a CEO. Behave like a CEO. Get up early every morning and hustle. Successful people don’t take a day off, and you won’t achieve your goals by sleeping in on the weekends.’
Reubyn nods vigorously. He’s heard this advice before, on video, but to hear it here, for an audience of one, is nothing short of thrilling.
They stop by the door. ‘I’ve booked you a car,’ Danny says. ‘It’ll take you wherever you want to go.’ He offers his hand. ‘Thanks so much for coming on the podcast.’
Reubyn accepts Danny’s handshake and once again feels that crushing, vice-like grip. This time, Reubyn reciprocates, squeezing with similar force. An equal.
Reubyn leaves the studio and climbs into a waiting Mercedes, his heart still giddy from the excitement of being featured on Danny’s podcast. The driver is smartly dressed in a dark suit, and a compartment in the armrest contains a selection of snacks, bottled water and mints. It’s a nice touch. Nice things like this seem to be happening more regularly for him these days. Reubyn gives the driver his address, and leans back on his leather seat, basking in the afterglow of his performance.
What just happened feels like a pivotal moment. It’s funny how many pivotal moments in Reubyn’s life can be linked to the Danny Mascall Podcast. The subjects of Danny’s interviews are so varied; Reubyn has lost count of the number of vital life lessons he’s learned from watching his show.
He’s been given eye-opening insights about business, health and politics. But if he had to pick a single episode that had the most profound effect on him, it was the one with the psychologist, Dr Sheridan. Her tips for success with women. In fact, all the crazy events of the last few years can be traced back to her ten rules. More specifically, to rule number five:If you know someone who’s successful with women, watch them and see what they do. It was such a simple piece of advice. And the more Reubyn thought about it, the more he realised he knew the perfect person to watch.
When it came to success with women, there was no one better to learn from than Miles. Whatever he was doing, it worked – womenkept falling helplessly into his orbit. But what was it that made Miles so much more luminous than other males? What was he doing that meant girls were drawn to him as helplessly as moths? The answers to these questions would hold the key, Reubyn realised. If he could understand the secrets of Miles’s success, he could use them for himself. It would be transformational.
