From Darkness Page #4

JOHN:

We think they’ve been in the

ground since 1998.

BEAT. She stares at him. The colour washes from CLAIRE’s

face.

JOHN (CONT’D)

No one else knows as much about

this as you do.

She looks to the other side of the room where NORRIE is

talking with friends.

JOHN (CONT'D)

I’ve got the report you gave me.

There’s stuff in there that’s...

It’s not finished...

(MORE)

FROM DARKNESS EPISODE ONE

JOHN (CONT'D)

(softly)

I need you with me on this.

Something about the intimacy of what he just said makes

CLAIRE look at him.

CLAIRE:

I’m sorry. Whatever you hoped to

achieve by coming here, you made a

mistake. This has nothing to do

with me.

He pulls out a file and places it on the table in front of

CLAIRE. She looks visibly disturbed, scared. This is a

lifestyle she put behind her a long time ago. JOHN goes to

open it but she stops him. This time her dismissive bravado

is all gone what we see now is fear... pleading.

CLAIRE (CONT’D)

No. Not here! Please.

The moment is shattered as on stage a microphone squeals and

GORDON the lead signer announces...

GORDON:

Ladies and Gents, before we go on,

an announcement...

CLAIRE looks over, GORDON seems to glance to at her too as...

BEAT. He strikes a chord on his guitar...

GORDON:

Happy Birthday to you...

A cheer goes up but NORRIE looks around him, still not

certain but the horrible truth slowly dawning on him, as

GORDON looks his way and cod rock - ballad like continues...

GORDON:

Happy Birthday to you...[BEAT.

TALKING] Come on, you grizzly old

bastard...

NORRIE stands shaking his head... simultaneously, pleased and

horrified, mouthing the odd shocked expletive... Who the f***

-told everyone? For someone so sure of himself, he’s

wonderfully shy, not the type to make a big fuss of these

things. He looks over to CLAIRE, who gets up. This was

obviously all her idea.

CLAIRE:

(TO JOHN)

Excuse me.

JOHN:

Least the candles’ll still fit.

FROM DARKNESS EPISODE ONE

And with one last glare at JOHN, heads over to NORRIE smiling

and singing along, as are half the pub now.

GORDON:

Happy Birthday, Dear Norrie...

So JOHN watches as CLAIRE heads towards NORRIE... beckoning

MEGAN to join them. MEGAN is just mortified. CLAIRE puts her

arms round NORRIE, then as GORDON holds out the microphone to

her... sings the last phrase, accompanied by a rock riff from

GORDON.

CLAIRE:

(singing)

Happy Birthday to you... [BEAT: Not

singing/with a squeal and only half

caught by the Mic] Love you babe.

There’s a huge cheer as CLAIRE kisses NORRIE and hugs him. We

however, catch her giving one quick nervous glance in JOHN’s

direction. Then the music kicks in again. NORRIE and CLAIRE

join the rest of the crowd chatting and dancing, someone

comes over to NORRIE with another round of drinks.

JOHN watches. It’s clear that NORRIE’s down-to-earth,

unpretentious demeanor is a real kick in the teeth for him

but not half so much as CLAIRE’s evident closeness and love

for NORRIE. Together they share an easy, intense, warm

intimacy. They’re a hot couple and for JOHN that stings.

Subconsciously, JOHN rubs his lower back, feeling his age.

AN ORANGE JUICE lands down in front of JOHN. He looks up to

see BOYCE.

JOHN:

What do you call this?

BOYCE:

Orange juice. We’re on duty... On

duty, boss.

He sits and starts to sip his orange juice. He stops though

when he sees JOHN just staring at him.

JOHN:

You ever thought about applying

to go under cover?

BOYCE looks up with interest. JOHN rolls his eyes “tit”.

JOHN (CONT’D)

When in Rome, Boyce.

His phone goes and he sees that JULIE his wife is calling.

He gets up handing his phone to BOYCE.

JOHN (CONT’D)

Talk to the boss. I’ll sort this.

FROM DARKNESS EPISODE ONE

And with that he heads back up to the bar. ON BOYCE

nervously looking at the phone - sipping at his orange

juice as he goes to answer.

ON JOHN as he heads up to the bar.

JOHN (CONT’D)

Laphroaig.

He holds up two fingers to signal two glasses. Then glances

over at CLAIRE and NORRIE foreheads together, laughing

saying something intimate to each other, singing along to

the band together, their obvious closeness galling him as

he waits for the BARMAN to return.

JOHN:

(TO HIMSELF)

Bakes and sings. Every woman’s

dream.

The BARMAN comes back.

JOHN (CONT’D)

Actually.

JOHN nods towards the bottle. He’ll just take the whole

thing.

ON CLAIRE, up in front of the band with NORRIE and friends

but glancing across at JOHN momentarily.

20 INT. COTTAGE, BEDROOM. WESTERN ISLES - DAWN DAY 3 (06:11) 20

Darkness. A strip light flickers on above a mirror. CLAIRE

wearing her pants and vest glances back at NORRIE, who we

can just make out asleep in the bedroom behind her, then

quietly opens the bathroom cabinet and rummages inside it

until she finds the bag with the pills she looked at

earlier. She unzips the bag and pulls out the tablets and

on automatic pilot, swallows one down with a handful of

scooped water from the tap.

21 EXT. COTTAGE. WESTERN ISLES - DAY 3 (06:13) 21

On CLAIRE stepping out into the blustery grey early morning

light for her run, she glances back up at the house, deeply

aware of JOHN’s presence inside it, before heading up into

the mountains. CARRICK barks after her.

For a moment we just follow CLAIRE, as she runs. The memories

she’d like to escape even closer now than in her dreams.

22 INT. COTTAGE, OFFICE. WESTERN ISLES - DAY 3 (T/C) 22

We pull back and see that we are watching her tiny figure

heading up to the mountains from JOHN’s POV as he looks out

of the office window.

FROM DARKNESS EPISODE ONE 17

He turns as he hears a groan behind him, to see BOYCE roll

over on a sofa bed (that they’ve evidently had to share),

pulling a blanket over his head to shield himself from the

light, an empty bottle of whisky on the bedside table near

him.

23 EXT. COTTAGE. WESTERN ISLES - DAY 3 (07:17) 23

CLAIRE heads back towards the cottage, breathless from her

run, to see JOHN leaning against NORRIE’S CAR outside.

CLAIRE:

Morning.

She goes to walk past him, he watches her the whole time as

she stretches off.

JOHN:

This yours?

CLAIRE:

The island’s so small I barely

use it.

JOHN:

Prefer to run.

She half smiles, goes to head inside.

JOHN (CONT’D)

Had any more thoughts?

CLAIRE:

About what?

She looks at him.

CLAIRE (CONT’D)

Oh, that? I put that down to the

Single Malt.

JOHN:

Unfair. I was stone cold sober...

At that point...

BEAT. She half smiles. It’s enough to have him entranced.

CLAIRE:

Look, John...

JOHN:

First time you’ve called me by my

name.

Her eyes flick up to his.

FROM DARKNESS EPISODE ONE

JOHN (CONT’D)

First time you’ve really looked

at me.

CLAIRE:

I’m flattered, really...

JOHN:

Flattered too?! That must have been

a good run.

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