From Darkness Page #7

CLAIRE:

Where are we going? This isn’t

the way.

34 I./E. JOHN’S CAR (TRAVELLING) / EXT. RED-LIGHT DISTRICT - DAY

34

3 (13:
05)

We see JOHN’s car turn left into an area that’s in the

middle of being redeveloped into warehouse apartments and

luxury condos (BOUNDARY WAY). As the car drives we hear

CLAIRE and JOHN’s dialogue continue over the action.

CLAIRE:

Where are you taking me?

JOHN:

You remember, recognise it? It’s

changed superficially, been cleaned

up, gentrified... on the surface

but if you ask me it still has that

same feel...

JOHN looks across at CLAIRE as he pulls up.

JOHN (CONT’D)

I guess there are some pasts you

can’t escape no matter how good a

front you put on it.

BEAT.

JOHN (CONT’D)

They’ve found a third body.

And with that just gets out of the car.

CLAIRE looks out to see him headed towards the CRIME SCENE

TENT. We stay on her as she watches JOHN show his ID, put

on protective shoe covers.

It’s too much for her and he knows it.

Suddenly CLAIRE flings off her belt and dashes out to follow

him...

CLAIRE dashes out of the car towards the CRIME SCENE TENT.

CLAIRE:

John! Wait!

Only to be met by a uniformed officer at the CORDON who stops

her going through.

FROM DARKNESS EPISODE ONE

She looks up to see JOHN looking back at her and heads in.

ON CLAIRE astonished by her own impulse, horrified by her

desperation and compulsion to know more, by her re-

engagement.

35 SCENE CUT. CONTENT MOVED TO SCENE 36. 35

36 INT. TRAIN (TRAVELLING) - DAY 3 (13:50) 36

CLAIRE stares at her reflection in the window of the train,

lost and trying to come to terms with what just happened,

her eagerness to see the crime scene, the resurfacing of a

Claire she thought she’d buried years ago.

The noise of the passengers around her brings her back to

reality:
FAMILIES & KIDS bickering innocently. Opposite her

a BUSINESSWOMAN reads a paper and a tired TRAVELLER snores

a little, mouth gaping. Her phone rings: NORRIE.

CLAIRE:

Hi... no. Everything’s fine. All

sorted. I’m on my way. No,

really. Love you. Yes. I’ll call

you from the ferry.

She hangs up, stares at the BUSINESS WOMAN opposite. She

has turned the page of the paper to reveal a spread on the

MANCHESTER MURDERS.

REFRESHMENT MAN (O.S)

Any refreshments?

CLAIRE looks up to see the refreshment trolley passing.

CLAIRE:

Coffee.

REFRESHMENT MAN:

Milk, sugar.

CLAIRE:

Two of each.

CLAIRE turns and reaches into her bag for her purse.

REFRESHMENT MAN (O.S)

One fifty?

She doesn’t answer. She’s looking at something in her bag.

A green file:
the GREEN FILE, the CRIME REPORT. There’s a

note attached to it: “READ IT - CALL ME”.

REFRESHMENT MAN (CONT’D)

One fifty?

CLAIRE remembers herself.

FROM DARKNESS EPISODE ONE

CLAIRE:

Sorry.

She pays. The REFRESHMENT MAN goes. She glances around her,

holding the file to her. She looks at it again and starts

to open the folder just the tiniest bit and sees the corner

of a photocopied sheet, a photo, just EARTH... DUG EARTH.

It’s totally overwhelming. She shuts the files, and looks

out the window, weak. The muddy countryside is obscured as

the INTERCITY rushes into a tunnel.

37 EXT. QUAYSIDE. WESTERN ISLES - DAY 3 (17:57) 37

We see the eddy and swirl and pull of the sea as the FERRY

moors. CLAIRE looks at the ever moving gap between boat and

land and jumps onto the quay. She looks up at the island and

the mountains, feeling the safety and the relief, closing her

eyes for a second, just soaking it all in.

38 I./E. COTTAGE, LOUNGE & KITCHEN. WESTERN ISLES - DAY 3 38

(18:
06)

MEGAN sits playing at a piano in the cottage - a beautiful

piece - late Schubert - she’s good, the adult in the child

emerging through the intensity of her concentration and the

music.

CUT TO:

We pull back and see that we’re watching from CLAIRE’s POV

through the cottage window. She’s just walked in from the

ferry and, rather than announce herself, is just watching

and quietly listening.

She turns to see NORRIE heading out of the barn, his arms

full of stuff as he heads into the kitchen.

CLAIRE:

Hey.

NORRIE:

Hey.

But that’s all she gets from him as he heads in. He’s

pointedly avoiding eye contact, still in a strop for the way

she left but doesn’t want to admit it.

39 INT. COTTAGE, LOUNGE & KITCHEN. WESTERN ISLES - DAY 3 (T/C)39

CLAIRE follows NORRIE in.

NORRIE:

You didn’t call. I’d have picked

you up.

CLAIRE:

Fancied the air.

FROM DARKNESS EPISODE ONE 32

BEAT. NORRIE half glances at CLAIRE as if he’s about to

have this out now, broach the issue of her departure with

JOHN but instead heads into the kitchen. MEGAN turns to see

CLAIRE.

MEGAN:

Tell me about Manchester! Did you

buy anything?

CLAIRE goes over and plants a kiss on her head and sits by

MEGAN - ignoring that question...

CLAIRE:

You’ve got it all wrong. Rihanna

starts on Middle C.

MEGAN rolls her eyes. CLAIRE smiles but her focus is on

NORRIE, who she can see moving around in the kitchen, aware

that he’ll be listening, pissed off. CLAIRE knows that

she’s got some explaining to do later when they’re in

private.

40 INT. COTTAGE, BEDROOM. WESTERN ISLES - NIGHT 3 (23:16) 40

CLAIRE and NORRIE get ready for bed. CLAIRE just going

about her routine, a little doggedly, wanting to avoid the

conversation they need to have. NORRIE not wanting to push

her but watching her.

NORRIE:

So it was fine.

CLAIRE:

Yes.

She walks into the en-suite. Through the crack in the door

we can see NORRIE on the bed, getting changed.

NORRIE:

Just fine.

CLAIRE:

Like I said. Nonsense... Nothing.

She takes her moment alone, to down another pill.

NORRIE:

They just dragged you down to

Manchester for a laugh.

Downing it quickly and zipping away the bag as NORRIE walks

in.

CLAIRE:

Yeah. It was a scream.

FROM DARKNESS EPISODE ONE

She looks at him, trying her best to look nonchalant and

like he’s worrying over nothing, then starts brushing her

teeth. He comes closer to her, standing behind her.

NORRIE:

I didn’t think we had any

secrets.

CLAIRE:

(mouthful of toothpaste)

We don’t.

BEAT. She spits, turns, leaning back against the sink.

CLAIRE (CONT’D)

I’m just knackered, okay.

She smiles a little unconvincingly and kisses him. He looks

at her unconvinced.

He heads back through to bed. CLAIRE glances to see where

he is then shoves the toilet bag containing the tablets

that she’s been shielding to the back of the cabinet.

She turns the light off in the bathroom and heads through

to bed. NORRIE has climbed into bed and turned his back to

her.

BEAT. She lies and looks at him for a second then...

CLAIRE (CONT’D)

He’s on a case that relates to

some work I did years ago.

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