REBUS What are you doing here?
MAGGIE Sit down John.
REBUS sits down in an armchair and watches as if this is television.
REBUS Who are you?
MAGGIE I thought you never forgot a face, or a name. You let me down John Rebus...
Rebus’s Arden Street flat
Lights snap up as REBUS wakes in his armchair. It was a dream. He’s fallen asleep in the chair. The song is still playing, just the last line, stuck on repeat. SIOBHAN has walked in. She goes and lifts the needle off the record.
SIOBHAN So there’s something you need to know about twenty-first-century etiquette. If you get a dozen texts and you don’t answer inside twenty-four hours everyone thinks you’re dead.
There’s an empty glass beside REBUS’S chair. He picks it up and stares at it. SIOBHAN takes it out of his hand and replaces it with a take-away coffee.
SIOBHAN And I thought you weren’t doing this any more.
REBUS Doing what?
SIOBHAN Drinking yourself to sleep in an armchair.
REBUS Did I do that?
SIOBHAN Pretty conclusive evidence.
REBUS ’Time is it?
SIOBHAN Time to check your phone.
REBUS mutters swearing as he pushes out of the chair and leaves the room, going to the bathroom.
SIOBHAN (calling after him) Don’t mind me. I’ll just make myself at home.
She makes a half-hearted attempt to clear a few things up. Quickly gives up.
SIOBHAN I’d make you another cup of coffee but I’m betting you’ve no milk.
She finds his phone. Sighs. REBUS comes back into the room, towelling his face. She holds up the phone at him. Accusing.
SIOBHAN And you’ve no juice. Where’s your charger?
She’s looking for it, finding it, plugging in his phone.
REBUS I do have a landline. You’ve heard of them? Ancient communication devices, never run out of juice?
SIOBHAN I rang it. About half one?
REBUS I was out.
SIOBHAN Doing what?
REBUS Walking.
SIOBHAN Wandering round the Meadows in the middle of the night.
REBUS Wandering’s part of my ongoing exercise regime.
She’s got the whisky bottle.
SIOBHAN Is this part of your exercise regime?
REBUS Better than sleeping pills. Natural product. Organic.
SIOBHAN That’s great. You can put it on your muesli instead of milk.
REBUS Muesli? I forgot my keys last night. Ageing brain. Too much content, no enough storage.
SIOBHAN Throw some of the memories away.
REBUS Working on it.
There are boxes and stacks of files all over the floor. REBUS is starting to look through these as they talk.
SIOBHAN Don’t you want to know why I was trying to get hold of you?
REBUS Aren’t you here to tell me?
SIOBHAN No, I came round looking for proof of life.
REBUS But since you’re here...?
SIOBHAN They’re going to offer it.
REBUS Promotion?
SIOBHAN Had one of those ‘strictly between us but you might want to buy some smarter suits’ conversations.
REBUS Well that’s great! (she’s not responding) Isn’t it great?
SIOBHAN Just wanted to talk to you.
REBUS What’s to talk about? About time isn’t it?
SIOBHAN So I’d be crazy to knock it back?
REBUS You want to be stalled at detective inspector for the rest of your days?
SIOBHAN I could do something else.
REBUS You’re no fit to do anything else.
SIOBHAN Hey. We’re not all as sad as you! Some of us have other things in their lives apart from the job.
REBUS Like what? Driving to Hibs away games? That’s a fast track to suicidal depression.
REBUS is still half looking for something in his heaps of paper.
SIOBHAN I could do another job!
REBUS No you couldn’t.
SIOBHAN Well thanks for the vote of confidence. What are you doing?
REBUS I just remembered something, about an old case.
SIOBHAN What old case?
REBUS A murder, 2001.
SIOBHAN Seriously?
REBUS Aye, I passed on it when it came in. Maggie Towler? Remember?
SIOBHAN No.
REBUS No, well, we were a bit busy that year. I bet you remember that.
SIOBHAN Only on the bad nights. We’ve had worse years since.
REBUS I was starting that case with you. I pushed Maggie Towler onto Fraser Morris. (he’s found the file he wants) Got it! (looking through file) Fraser was a sloppy wee shite, I think he just read the notes of the first officer on the scene and filed it as a lost cause.
SIOBHAN So I want career advice and you want to rerun some whinge from 2001? Are you even listening?
REBUS Take the promotion. You’ve come too far to stop now.
SIOBHAN Have I?
REBUS It’s our anniversary.