From Darkness Page #10

CLAIRE (CONT’D)

You do not look at these. They

are none of your business.

She turns and tidies it away in the FOLDER which is on the

side. Then walks into the kitchen (MEGAN following) to see

NORRIE staring at her.

NORRIE:

What’s going on?

CLAIRE:

Nothing. What do you mean?

CLAIRE heads, with purposeful nonchalance to the fridge.

NORRIE:

Well, the door’s locked, the

dog’s about to piss himself, and

you’re acting weird.

CLAIRE:

I’m not acting weird.

She looks into the fridge door that she’s opened to see a

prepared chicken. She stares at it for a moment, seeing the

binding string around its legs.

CLAIRE (CONT’D)

No.

She shuts the door then still not managing to get a

particular image out of her mind, dashes to the back door

which she tries, only to discover of course that it’s

locked. She bashes the door then remembering heads over to

the sofa, unzips a cushion and removes the key from it.

FROM DARKNESS EPISODE ONE 44

She walks back past her astonished audience, unlocks the

door and marches outside in her night stuff.

NORRIE:

What was on that photo?

MEGAN shrugs.

MEGAN:

Jewellery?

NORRIE looks at her then marches out too, after CLAIRE.

MEGAN peers through the window, half interested in a very

adolescent way. She looks to CLAIRE and NORRIE both out by

the hill in their nightwear, NORRIE talking to CLAIRE

trying to work out what’s up.

MEGAN (CONT’D)

Thank God we haven’t got

neighbours.

She turns on her laptop - starts watching TV (not having a

set certainly doesn’t mean you don’t watch it), while

making herself toast.

The phone rings. She grabs it, propping it under her chin.

MEGAN (CONT’D)

No. Sorry, she’s... out.

She glances out to where NORRIE is holding CLAIRE.

MEGAN (CONT’D)

Can I take a message. Hang on...

‘Kay.

She grabs some paper and a POST-IT and scribbles down the

message...

MEGAN (CONT’D)

(mumbling/repeating what

she’s hearing)

Sally Fisher...

SALLY FISHER POSITIVE ID...

MEGAN (CONT’D)

Got it. Byeee.

She hangs up then sticks the message up on the fridge.

57 INT. JOHN’S HOUSE, HALLWAY - DAY 4 (07:50) 57

JOHN looks at himself in the downstairs hallway mirror - we

can almost hear his thoughts, “heavy-drinking, embittered,

middle-aged, male, detective”. He tightens his tie, smooths

his hair with a little more care than normal.

FROM DARKNESS EPISODE ONE

58 INT. JOHN’S HOUSE, KITCHEN - DAY 4 (07:55) 58

JULIE is making toast and tea. One of his teenage sons

(JACK, 18) at the table - finishing his homework the other

headphones on. JOHN gives JULIE a quick kiss on the back of

the neck as he passes.

JOHN:

I won’t be late, I promise.

Julie glances at him. He turns, taps JACK with the

headphones on the head.

JOHN (CONT’D)

...You, behave.

JACK doesn’t respond at all but as JOHN makes to go his

younger son, OLLIE, comes in for breakfast and as he sits

down - is the only member of the family who actively

interacts with him.

OLLIE:

See you Dad. Go get him.

JOHN smiles, almost surprised/ashamed at his son’s continuing

faith in him, not as surprised at JACK though who evidently

thinks his brother’s a complete tit for what he just said.

JACK:

(Mouthing at his brother)

‘Tosser’.

JOHN:

I’ll do my best.

He leaves. JACK turns to his brother.

JACK:

Are you going to ask him to take

the stabilisers off your bike?

Meanwhile JULIE watches JOHN leave. As she does, we hear a

phone call over the action. A phone call that has already

happened that has led to this moment. We hear the phone

ringing at the other end of the line. The call answered.

JOHN (V.O) (CONT’D)

DCI Hind.

CLAIRE (V.O)

It’s me.

BEAT. There’s a pause we just hear him breathing for a

moment.

JOHN (V.O)

You got the message.

FROM DARKNESS EPISODE ONE

59 I./E. JOHN’S CAR, JOHN’S HOUSE - DAY 4 (07:57) 59

JOHN glances around at his street at the large modern build,

mock Tudor Barrat homes. A NEIGHBOUR nods to him as they

clean their car windscreen. JOHN nods back but we sense a

large part of him is alienated from all this. Especially

today, his mind is just full of one thing as he gets into his

car. We know because he stops himself from lighting a

cigarette. Also that previously made PHONE CALL continues

over the action.

CLAIRE (V.O)

We should meet.

60 I./E. NORRIE’S CAR (TRAVELLING), MOTORWAY - DAY 4 (13:06) 60

We see CLAIRE driving down the M6. The journey down like a

journey back into herself. The PHONE CALL CONTINUES over

the action.

JOHN (V.O)

Where?

CLAIRE (V.O)

Somewhere... neutral... somewhere

in-between.

We see CLAIRE turn off into SERVICES on the M6 in the

LAKES.

61 EXT. M6 SERVICES - DAY 4 (T/C) 61

We see Norrie’s car turn off but we stay for a moment, just

watching all that traffic moving between those mountains.

62 EXT. M6 SERVICES, CAFE - DAY 4 (13:14) 62

JOHN sits by the window, the busy road and the car park

behind him, and in the distance the magnificent but ominous

hills of The Lakes. A FILE is placed on the table in front

of him. He looks up to see CLAIRE, stood pale faced and

serious - deeply uncomfortable with this meeting.

CLAIRE:

For the record, this doesn’t mean

we’re about to work together, it

doesn’t mean anything...

JOHN:

So don’t read anything into it.

This is your case Claire... Now we

have the positive ID on Sally

Fisher.

FROM DARKNESS EPISODE ONE

CLAIRE:

I’m here to tell you what I know

and then that’s me done with

this.

JOHN:

Any more ground rules?

CLAIRE:

We’ve an hour.

He looks at her astonished.

CLAIRE (CONT’D)

I’m on the 5 o’clock ferry.

JOHN:

In that case Cinderella.

He slides out a chair for her. CLAIRE looks at it then

sits.

He moves a cup of coffee across the table towards her:

along with two cartons of milk and two sachets of sugar -

just like she asked for on the train.

JOHN (CONT’D)

Two of each.

He’s remembered exactly how she takes it. He glances out at

the car park.

JOHN (CONT’D)

Just like the good old days: the

two of us stuck in no-man’s land,

waiting for our haul to come in.

The coffee’s better than it used

to be.

BEAT.

JOHN (CONT’D)

As for me... fat, old,

embittered. But you Claire,

...you [look amazing]

CLAIRE:

(cutting)

...a different person entirely.

BEAT. He looks at her.

CLAIRE (CONT’D)

At least that’s how it feels.

Looking back... I...

As a horn of a lorry blares in the background CLAIRE turns

towards the window shuts her eyes.

FROM DARKNESS EPISODE ONE

63 SCENE CUT. 63

64 I./E. M6 SERVICES, CAFE - DAY 4 (13:17) 64

BLACKNESS.

CLAIRE (V.O.)

I barely recognise myself.

BEAT. Everything seems to slow down for a second. Then we

hear a cigarette lighter strike... and see the bright glowing

light of a flickering flame.

CUT TO:

As a DRIVER lights up a cigarette, then tokes on it as he

stands on the pavement outside the services.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes