A Question of Blood

“All human life is here, most of it ever so slightly depressing.”

“Just what’s needed after a day at the coal mines.”

Her face creased in what could almost have passed for a smile. Rebus made a show of reaching for the tea tray.

“Here we go, I think,” Siobhan said a couple of minutes later. Rebus looked at where she was underlining some words with her finger.

Myss Teri-visit my 100% non-pornographic (sorry, guys!) home page! “Why ‘Myss’?” Rebus asked.

“Could be all the other spellings were already taken. My e-mail’s ‘66Siobhan.’”

“Because sixty-five Siobhans got there ahead of you?”

She nodded. “And I thought I had an uncommon name.” Siobhan had clicked on the link. Teri Cotter’s home page started to load. There was a photo of her in full Goth mode, palms held to either side of her face.

“She’s drawn pentagrams on her hands,” Siobhan noted. Rebus was looking: five-pointed stars enclosed by circles. There were no other photos, just some text outlining Teri’s interests, which school she attended, and an invitation to “come worship me, Cockburn Street most Saturday afternoons…” There was an option of sending her an e-mail, adding comments to her guest book, or clicking on various links, most of which would send the visitor to other Goth sites, one of which was marked “Dark Entry.”

“That’ll be the webcam,” Siobhan said. She tried the link, just to be sure. The screen changed back to the same red words: WELCOME TO MY DARKNESS! Another click and they were in Teri Cotter’s bedroom again. She’d changed position so that she had her head against the headboard, knees tucked in front of her. She was writing something in a loose-leaf binder.

“Looks like homework,” Siobhan said.

“Could be her potions book,” Rebus suggested. “Anyone accessing her home page would know her age, which school she goes to, and what she looks like.”

Siobhan was nodding. “And where to find her on a Saturday afternoon.”

“A dangerous pastime,” Rebus muttered. He was thinking of her potential as prey to any of the hunters out there.

“Maybe that’s why she likes it.”

Rebus rubbed his eyes again. He was remembering his first meeting with her. The way she’d said she was jealous of Derek and Anthony… and her parting remark: You can see me whenever you like… He knew now what those words had been hinting at.

“Seen enough?” Siobhan asked, tapping the screen.

He nodded. “Initial thoughts, DS Clarke?”

“Well… if she and Herdman were lovers, and if he was the jealous type…”

“That only works if Anthony Jarvies knew about the site.”

“Jarvies and Derek were best friends: what are the chances Derek didn’t let him in on it?”

“Good point. We’ll need to check.”

“And talk to Teri again?”

Rebus nodded slowly. “Can we open the visitors’ book?”

They could, but it didn’t have much to say. No obvious notes from either Derek Renshaw or Anthony Jarvies, just twaddle from some of Miss Teri’s admirers, the majority of whom seemed to be based abroad, if their English was anything to go by. Rebus watched Siobhan as she shut the laptop down.

“Did you run that license plate?” he asked.

She nodded. “Last thing I did before clocking off. It was Brimson’s.”

“Curiouser and curiouser…”

Siobhan folded the screen shut. “How are you coping?” she asked. “I mean, dressing and undressing?”

“I’m all right.”

“Not sleeping in your clothes?”

“No.” He tried to sound indignant.

“So I can expect to see a clean shirt tomorrow?”

“Stop mothering me.”

She smiled. “I could run you another bath.”

“I can manage.” He waited till her eyes met his. “Cross my heart.”

“And hope to die?”

Which took him back to his first meeting with Teri Cotter… asking him about deaths he’d witnessed… wanting to know what it felt like to die. With a website that would be as good as an invitation to some sick minds.

“There’s something I want to show you,” Siobhan said, rummaging in her bag. She produced a book, showed him the cover: I’m a Man by Ruth Padel. “It’s about rock music,” she explained, opening it to a marked page. “Listen to this: ‘the heroism dream begins in the teenage bedroom.’”

“Meaning what?”

“She’s talking about how teenagers use music as a kind of rebellion. Maybe Teri’s using her actual bedroom.” She flicked to another page. “And there’s something else… ‘the gun is male sexuality in jeopardy.’” She looked at him. “Makes sense to me.”

“You’re saying Herdman was jealous after all?”

“You’ve never been jealous? Never flown into a rage?”

He thought for a moment. “Maybe once or twice.”

“Kate mentioned a book to me. It was called Bad Men Do What Good Men Dream. Maybe Herdman’s rage took him too far.” She held a hand to her mouth, stifling a yawn.

“Time you got to bed,” Rebus told her. “Plenty of time in the morning for amateur analysis.” She unplugged the laptop, gathered up the cables. He saw her out, then watched from his window as she made it to the safety of her car. Suddenly, a man’s figure appeared at her driver’s-side door. Rebus turned and ran for the stairs, took them two at a time. Hauled open the front door. The man was saying something, voice raised above the ticking engine. He was holding something to the windshield. A newspaper. Rebus grabbed his shoulder, feeling a jab of fire from his fingers. Turned him around… recognized the face.

It was the reporter, Steve Holly. Rebus realized that what he was holding was probably the next morning’s edition.

“Very man I wanted to see,” Holly said, shrugging himself free and offering a grin. “Nice to see CID making home visits to each other.” He turned to glance at Siobhan, who had cut her engine and was stepping from the car. “Some might think it a bit late in the evening for chitchat.”

“What do you want?” Rebus asked.

“Just after a comment.” He held up the paper’s front page so Rebus could make out the headline: HELL HOUSE COP MYSTERY. “We’re not printing any names as yet. Wondered if you wanted to put your side of the story. I understand you’re on suspension, subject to an internal inquiry?” Holly had folded the paper and produced a microrecorder from his pocket. “That looks nasty.” He was nodding towards Rebus’s ungloved hands. “Burns take a while to heal, don’t they?”

“John…” Siobhan warning him not to lose his head. Rebus pointed a blistered finger at the reporter.

“Stay away from the Renshaws. You hassle them, you’ll have me to deal with, understood?”

“Then give me an interview.”

“Not a chance.”

Holly looked down at the paper he was holding. “How about this for a headline: COP FLEES MURDER SCENE?”

“It’ll look good to my lawyers when I sue you.”

“My paper’s always open to a fair fight, DI Rebus.”

“Then that’s a problem,” Rebus said, smothering the tape recorder with his hand. “Because I never fight fair.” Spitting the words out, showing Holly two rows of bared teeth. The reporter pressed his finger to a button, stopping the tape.

“Nice to know where we stand.”

“Lay off the families, Holly. I mean it.”