Happy Valley Page #6

Season #1 Episode #4

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Hiya.

Cutting as and when with:

CUT TO:

29 INT. HUDDERSFIELD CHRISTIAN MISSION. DAY 9. 12.31 29

CLARE’s gathering used plates from a table. She glances [not

quite] at HELEN, who’s just pulling her overalls on and

chatting to someone at the counter.

CLARE:

You said to let you know if Helen

turned up. Well she’s just got

here, just now.

CATHERINE:

I’ve got another three hours on

duty. Will she still be there at

half four. Ish?

CLARE:

Yeah, I’d have thought so. She

sometimes gets tired, but yeah.

CUT TO:

30 EXT. SCHOOL. DAY 9. 15.15 30

Three hours later... preoccupied CATHERINE’s waiting for

RYAN, along with the mums. Then the children start to emerge

and he’s amongst the first rush of kids, a happy, speedy

exit. He sees CATHERINE and heads straight for her, and in a

very jolly, robust, unsentimental way

RYAN:

I’m sorry I was horrible to you

last night, Granny!

So that’s a pleasant surprise. And no MRS.MUKHERJEE coming

out to say he’s been in bother again.

CATHERINE:

That’s all right.

She squeezes him tight. He squeezes her back. Then he’s

happily away and off, chasing another kid, one who wants to

be chased, both of them squealing with the joy of being

released from school.

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE FOUR. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT. 31.

CATHERINE’s heart lifts for a moment, but then of course

she’s reminded that LYNN DEWHURST knows things about RYAN.

About his existence.

CUT TO:

31 INT. HUDDERSFIELD CHRISTIAN MISSION. DAY 9. 16.30 31

CATHERINE - changed, showered, off-duty - heads into the busy

canteen with RYAN. (RYAN has been here before, it’s where

Auntie Clare works, he accepts it). CLARE(who’s behind the

counter) is having a laugh with/giving a kind word to one of

the drop-outs as CATHERINE heads in. Prompted by CATHERINE,

RYAN goes and gets a jigsaw or a board game out of the

cupboard and sets up at an empty table (like it’s something

he’s done before, and knows the protocol). CATHERINE goes to

the counter.

CLARE:

(winks at RYAN)

Y’shoulda taken him round to

Janina’s, he could’ve played with

Cesco.

CATHERINE nods, doesn’t want to explain, but she wanted to

keep him with her.

CATHERINE:

Where is she?

CLARE:

(she nods across the way)

Talking to Jonno.

(the lad - JONNO, a wobbly

drunk - who HELEN’s with,

has stood up like he’s

about to leave)

He’s got a meeting with social

services at ten to five. If you

want to grab her I’ll bring y’over

a cup of tea.

CATHERINE heads over to HELEN. HELEN’s just about to stand up

and get back to work as JONNO heads off, but CATHERINE stops

her by sitting opposite.

CATHERINE:

Helen? Hello. I’m Catherine, I’m

Clare’s sister. We spoke. On the

phone. Last night.

HELEN’s a little taken aback. And - as ever - she’s an ongoing

bag of nerves.

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE FOUR. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT. 32.

HELEN:

Oh yes. Yes, she said you were

coming to pick her up. I’m sorry I

CATHERINE:

I hope you don’t mind. Only. I was

worried. About you. And. Sorry, I

know this is awkward. But. And I

know you’re not well. But.

(delicately)

Is your husband hurting you?

HELEN:

(amazed)

My husband?

CATHERINE:

Look, I don’t want to over step the

mark. And I’m sorry if I’ve got the

wrong end of the stick, but last

night. When you said, “I’m with my

husband” it occurred to me that

maybe you couldn’t speak, and maybe

that was your way of telling me,

and I wouldn’t be doing my job

properly if I didn’t ask, and

HELEN:

No. My husband isn’t hurting me.

CATHERINE:

Are you sure?

HELEN:

I know people think he’s a bit of a

rough diamond - and he is!

(she manages a smile)

-but not like that. He’d never do

something like that.

CATHERINE:

It takes all sorts.

HELEN:

You really have got the wrong end

of the stick.

CATHERINE:

It’s not always easy to acknowledge

things sometimes, it’s not

something that it’s easy to face up

to, and

HELEN:

It’s very kind of you to be

concerned. But you really have got

the wrong end of the stick.

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE FOUR. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT. 33.

CATHERINE’s not convinced.

CATHERINE:

Okay.

Silence. They’re looking straight at one another. CATHERINE’s

giving her a chance to tell her the truth; that he is hurting

her. CATHERINE’s just about to speak again when

HELEN:

My daughter’s been kidnapped.

HELEN can’t believe she’s said it. CATHERINE can’t quite

believe she’s heard it. CLARE comes over and puts a mug down

in front of CATHERINE.

CLARE:

Tea.

HELEN:

I wanted to tell the police but

Nevison won’t. He wants to do

exactly what they tell him -and -

they have said they’d let go of

her. After the last lot of money he

gave them. Just this morning. But

we’ve not heard anything, not yet.

CLARE:

What’s happened?

HELEN:

Ann’s been taken, she’s been

abducted, she’s been kidnapped.

CLARE’s appalled. Stunned CATHERINE’s having to think fast.

CATHERINE:

How long’s she been missing?

HELEN:

Four nights.

CATHERINE:

When did you last see her?

HELEN:

Tuesday morning, she was driving

into Huddersfield. She set off -

she has a little Mini, it’s very

distinctive - she had a dental

appointment only I know she didn’t

get there because I rang up. After

all this emerged. To see if she’d

been.

CATHERINE:

He’s been giving them money?

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE FOUR. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT. 34.

HELEN:

Yes.

CATHERINE:

How?

HELEN:

How much?

CATHERINE:

No, how.

HELEN:

I don’t know. Do you think I should

tell the police?

CATHERINE:

You have told the police, Helen.

I’m sorry, but

(delicately)

I’m obliged to report something

like this, I can’t just [let it go]

-

HELEN:

(interrupting)

No. No. He spoke to a friend who

was in the CID, and he said

CATHERINE:

Retired? Yeah well he should’ve

known better.

HELEN:

No, look, Nevison really doesn’t

want the police involved, I think

he’s terrified they’d wade in and

CATHERINE:

I don’t know how to put this.

Except bluntly.

(except of course she does

it very delicately)

Most times. When something like

this happens. The outcome isn’t...

it’s not good. You have a much much

- I can’t tell you how much -

better chance of getting her back,

safe, all in one piece, with the

police on board. Nobody will wade

in, we have techniques, we have

highly trained people. Helen. Are

you going to let me make a phone

call?

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE FOUR. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT. 35.

HELEN’s terrified. CATHERINE picks her phone up and prods in

a number.

HELEN:

(worried, upset)

Oh good Lord...

CLARE has sat down next to HELEN.

CLARE:

Don’t you think this is the right

way forward, Helen?

HELEN:

Yes. I don’t know. I just - I don’t

want him to think I’ve gone behind

his back.

CATHERINE:

I’ll talk to him. If something

did happen to her, and you hadn’t

acted on your instinct, you’d never

forgive yourself. Would you?

(HELEN knows that’s true.

Phone:
hello?)

Could you give me the number for

the NCA, please?

(yes, have you got a pen?)

Hang on.

(to CLARE)

Pen, pen, have you got a pen?

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