Cut to the Bone by Alex Caan Page A

can’t skip it after five seconds, they pay you more. And while the actual video plays, you see all these adverts scrolling across the screen? Again, he gets paid for them.’
    ‘Still, how does one cent, or half a dollar – what’s that, thirty pence? – earn him enough to live in his flat or pay for yours?’
    ‘Look at his view counts. I think he has hundreds of millions of them. Not all of them earn him cash, but just think how many do. He earns a lot.’
    ‘Fuck me,’ Zain said. ‘So, guy makes videos, posts online, and earns millions. The yoof of today.’ He stepped away from the laptop.
    Millie laughed, sitting down on her desk chair. ‘Seems unfair, doesn’t it?’ she said, looking up at Zain. ‘But they had the balls to do it, put themselves out there. Got in on the rising surf. It’s an endless supply. Young people around the world turn into teenagers, and some of them turn to people like Ruby and Dan. And there will always be Ruby and Dan, or someone else like them.’
    ‘Thank you. I had an idea, but it helps seeing it,’ said Zain. ‘Do you know anything about MINDNET?’
    ‘Not really, they’re one of these companies that are realising the potential of online stars. Helping them somehow. Dan’s agent mentioned it to me.’
    ‘Dan has an agent?’
    ‘Had. Karl Rourke. His agent, accountant, manager. Like a theatrical lawyer. I hate to say it, but Karl’s actually a nice guy. Married, two kids, lives in the suburbs. Can’t believe he used to represent trash like Dan.’
    ‘Used to?’
    ‘MINDNET manage him now. They do all that for him.’
    ‘So why did Rourke get involved with you? Let me guess,’ said Zain, moving back and sitting himself on the edge of Millie’s bed as she turned in her office chair and looked back at him. ‘Karl Rourke is the one that arranged the cash?’
    ‘Yes. He came to see me, told me how I could destroy Dan – that actually there was a better option. He was so apologetic, and it was genuine. Said if someone did that to his daughter, he’d rip them to pieces. He understood, said I was someone’s daughter. Sounds cringe, but it worked.’
    ‘The cleaner. Comes to shovel up Dan’s shit.’
    ‘Everyone has to make a living.’
    ‘Why didn’t MIDNET get involved? Why did Dan send Karl?’
    ‘Maybe he didn’t want MINDNET knowing. Or maybe they wouldn’t do what Karl did. Maybe Karl did it as a favour?’
    ‘Do you know where I can get hold of Karl Rourke? I think I need to speak to him. You think he could be involved?’
    ‘I don’t think so. He might be willing to sort out Dan’s mess – even hire people like me for his parties – but he wouldn’t do something like this. He was also Ruby’s agent, before MINDNET.’
    ‘Dan and Ruby shared an agent? How romantic. How did that happen? Who signed up first?’
    ‘I have no idea,’ said Millie. ‘You think Dan’s done this, don’t you?’ she said.
    ‘Don’t you think he’s capable?’
    Millie considered for a moment, then nodded. ‘Yes, I do,’ she said. ‘I’ve seen the evil in him. He is an absolute monster.’

Chapter Thirty-one
    Ryan was poking something in a cake tin when Kate went into the kitchen.
    ‘We need to talk,’ he said.
    Kate sat down at the kitchen table. She had called Harris from this exact spot during the night. It seemed like a lifetime ago.
    ‘I don’t have long. I’d better get back,’ she said.
    ‘You can’t keep running from what’s happening,’ said Ryan. ‘This is the third time in two months.’
    ‘I know,’ said Kate.
    ‘You need to have a conversation with her. Or at least get it checked out.’
    ‘I know,’ said Kate again.
    ‘Do you want me to book something?’
    ‘I’ll get on to it, later today. It might just be a seasonal thing.’
    ‘The pull of the full moon?’ he said, laughing. ‘That New Age bullshit is my mantra, not yours. She’s going to hell in a hand basket, as my dear old mother used to say. Although that might