Cut to the Bone by Alex Caan

offices. To discover what secrets they kept about Ruby Day.

Chapter Twenty-five
    Bill Anderson was in his late forties, hair silver and black, eyes grey. He had a hard jaw, his square shoulders giving away his weight-lifting regime. He was dressed in a standard dark suit, sleeves too short, a tie falling above his belly button. He squeezed Kate’s hand with a noticeable pressure.
    They sat in a conference room, a spider phone on the oval table, a videocon screen at one end. It was a space designed for twenty people; with the three of them occupying only one corner of it, it felt like they were trespassing. A coffee machine, with real china cups instead of throwaway paper ones, stood on a small wooden cupboard.
    ‘Can I get you anything?’ said Siobhan.
    ‘Coffee would go down well,’ said Kate. ‘Black, no sugar.’
    ‘Bill?’ said Siobhan.
    ‘I’m fine,’ he said, his accent Scottish, but the sort Kate could understand clearly. ‘Tragic case, all this. We were all shocked this morning when we heard Ruby is missing. Any resources you need, we will provide.’
    ‘Thank you. Yes, it is worrying, but I’m hoping I can avert a tragedy,’ she said.
    ‘Of course,’ said Anderson.
    ‘Her parents must be suffering,’ said Siobhan.
    ‘They are. I spent some time with them this morning. I’m trying to understand Ruby, and why someone might have taken her. It’s why I’m here. I need to understand more about her online profile. Explore that as a possible motive.’
    ‘It’s a worry, isn’t it? The internet. I know it’s our business, but still. I keep my own kids off it,’ said Siobhan.
    Kate didn’t think she looked old enough to have kids that had to worry about online predators.
    ‘What exactly do MINDNET do?’ said Kate, after Siobhan handed her a cup filled with coffee and sat down.
    ‘We provide a global online resource,’ said Siobhan. ‘It sounds woolly, I know, mainly because it is. It’s an ever-changing marketplace; it’s impossible to define yourself. The market defines you. Needs change, we adapt.’
    ‘And currently? What have you evolved into?’
    ‘Our main focus is on harnessing the power of personality online, trying to channel a generation. There are hundreds if not thousands of online stars out there, with millions of followers, billions of video views. We are aiming to hone that power, and provide a quality control to it. Giving the viewers what they want, but better, and allowing the content providers to really make a living from it.’
    ‘And Ruby? How does she fit into this power dynamic?’
    ‘Ruby Day is one of our biggest assets; she’s key to our future. She is on a plan to take her from where she is now to become one of the biggest female stars on YouTube.’
    While Siobhan spoke, Anderson was watching Kate intently. He had a Bluetooth in his ear, and Kate got the distinct impression he was recording the meeting. It would explain Siobhan’s scripted approach, at least.
    ‘Interesting piece of equipment, Mr Anderson,’ said Kate. ‘Is it entirely necessary? Are you expecting a call?’
    He didn’t flinch, but made a show of pulling it out and switching it off. The room probably had some sort of in-built conference recording facility anyway.
    ‘From what I’ve gathered, Ruby came to you fully formed,’ Kate said. ‘What exactly were you providing for her?’
    ‘Numerous things. Video production is the most obvious service: we record her videos in a studio, and use effects on them. Nothing flashy – we want to keep the raw, one-to-one relationship in focus. Lighting, hair and make-up, some touching up, slicker pacing to keep the content engaging and fresh. It’s a feat to release a video so regularly. Imagine a fortnightly soap opera with only one character; it would take a team to make it work.’
    ‘Ruby seems to have managed without your help. Built herself quite a substantial fan base.’
    ‘Subscriber numbers are one thing. It’s easy to subscribe;