Happy Valley Page #7

Season #1 Episode #4

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(CLARE looks around

frantically and grabs a

biro that happens to be

sitting on another table)

Go on.

She scribbles down the number on a newspaper.

HELEN:

(a mumble, to CLARE)

What’s the NCA?

CLARE:

National Crime Agency. I think. Is

it?

CATHERINE:

Thanks, tata.

HELEN:

Do things like this happen all the

time?

CATHERINE:

(as she prods in the NCA

number)

You’d be surprised.

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE FOUR. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT. 36.

CLARE:

Helen, you must be going out of

your mind.

HELEN:

I don’t know how I get from one

moment to the next. Except what

choice do you have?

CATHERINE:

(hello?)

Yes, hello. It’s Sergeant Cawood

from Norland Road police station in

Sowerby Bridge, Calderdale

District. Can I speak to the on-

call Detective Superintendant?

(I’m sorry, he’s just in a

meeting)

In a meeting? Is he. Can you knock

on his door for me? I need to talk

to him about a kidnap, a tiger

kidnap, it’s live, it’s on-going,

it’s happening now.

CUT TO:

32 EXT. SOWERBY BRIDGE RAILWAY STATION. NIGHT 9. 17.00 32

Half an hour later. HELEN and CATHERINE loitering at Sowerby

Bridge railway station. There’s no-one else here.

CATHERINE:

Are you warm enough?

HELEN nods, although we get the idea she’s being brave. A

Vauxhall pulls up. A smart bloke in his mid-forties steps

out. He heads over to them. CATHERINE stands up to greet him.

She recognises him. He recognises her.

MAN:

Catherine?

CATHERINE:

Phil.

We sense something between them. A fling, many moons ago.

PHIL CRABTREE:

How’re you?

CATHERINE moves swiftly on: this isn’t a time to reminisce.

CATHERINE:

This is Helen.

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE FOUR. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT. 37.

PHIL CRABTREE:

Hello, Helen. I’m Phil Crabtree.

(he offers his hand. His

manner is pleasant,

reassuring, low-key,

professional, calm,

swift)

I’m a detective inspector with the

National Crime Agency. I need you

to stay calm, and I need you to

tell me everything you know.

HELEN:

I know very little. I’ve been

saying to Catherine. I’m not really

the person you need to be talking

to. The person you need to be

talking to is going to be very

cross when he finds out I’ve spoken

to you.

CUT TO:

33 INT. NGA, NEVISON’S OFFICE. NIGHT 9. 17.05 33

NEVISON’s sitting staring into space when his mobile bleats.

He grabs it. On screen: HELEN. He answers quickly, hoping ANN

is back

NEVISON:

Has she turned up?

Cutting as and when with:

CUT TO:

34 EXT. SOWERBY BRIDGE RAILWAY STATION. NIGHT 9. 17.06 34

CATHERINE and PHIL keep an eye on nervous HELEN as she talks

to NEVISON. We get the idea HELEN’s been told not just what

to say, but the manner to say it in too. Calm, clear

HELEN:

No, love. No, she hasn’t. You need

to meet me. Down at the railway

station in Sowerby Bridge.

NEVISON:

What?

HELEN:

Don’t tell anyone where you’re

going. Are you still at work?

NEVISON:

Yeah, I’m

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE FOUR. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT. 38.

HELEN:

Are you in a meeting?

NEVISON:

No, I’m

HELEN:

Don’t tell Justine, don’t tell

anyone. Just get your car keys,

stand up calmly. Don’t draw

attention to yourself. Get in your

car. And drive straight here. Now.

NEVISON:

What’s going on?

HELEN:

Everything’s going to be fine.

NEVISON:

What’s going on?

HELEN:

I’m with a detective inspector from

the National Crime Agency. They

know exactly what to do, and they

can help us. But they need to know

everything that you know, and they

need to know it quickly.

NEVISON’s shocked. And he’s cross.

CATHERINE:

(concerned about HELEN’s

health)

Tell him we’ll be in the cafe.

HELEN:

We’ll be in the cafe.

NEVISON:

(quiet)

Right.

He hangs up, grabs his car keys, leaves the office.

CUT TO:

35 INT. NGA, MAIN OFFICE. NIGHT 9. 17.07 35

Despite being cross, NEV does exactly what he’s told. He

walks out, with his car keys. But there’s nothing exactly

casual about it;

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE FOUR. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT. 39.

he may think he’s being casual, but in fact he looks tense

and preoccupied, and he moves swiftly. KEVIN sees him. It

worries KEVIN.

CUT TO:

36 EXT. SOWERBY BRIDGE RAILWAY STATION. NIGHT 9. 17.30 36

NEVISON’s Bentley pulls in.

CUT TO:

37 INT. SOWERBY BRIDGE RAILWAY STATION, CAFE. NIGHT 9. 17.35 37

NEVISON comes in. He sees HELEN sitting at a table with

CATHERINE and PHIL. PHIL stands up to intercept him. PHIL can

see that NEVISON’s potentially angry, and not a man to be

messed with. PHIL remains calm, and he’s a big bloke; someone

equally not to be messed with.

PHIL CRABTREE:

Mr.Gallagher? I know you didn’t

want us involved, but I’m going to

tell you the same thing Sergeant

Cawood’s told your wife.

(NEV glares daggers at

CATHERINE, realising

she’s the interfering

b*tch who was on the

phone last night. PHIL

lowers his voice, he’s

going to be slightly more

blunt than they’ve been

with HELEN, because NEV

needs a wake-up call)

Four days in. Your daughter is

likely to know a lot. About the

people who’ve taken her. They’ve

got your money, and the reality is,

they’ve got things to lose now by

releasing her alive, whatever

they’ve been telling you. Have you

heard any more from them since this

morning?

NEVISON:

No.

PHIL CRABTREE:

Okay, well we need to work quickly.

All we need now is information -

from you - and we’ll have the ball

rolling.

NEVISON:

I know very little.

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE FOUR. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT. 40.

PHIL CRABTREE:

You’ll be surprised.

Cut to a few minutes later. NEVISON sits at the table with

PHIL, HELEN and CATHERINE. The conversation is very swift,

very focussed.

PHIL CRABTREE (CONT’D)

Does he always ring you on your

mobile?

NEVISON:

Yeah.

PHIL CRABTREE:

What comes up on the screen when he

rings?

NEVISON:

Ann’s mobile, first time. Then

since then it’s said ‘blocked’.

It’s all on there.

PHIL’s got NEV’s phone.

PHIL CRABTREE:

Is it the same man every time?

NEVISON:

Yes.

PHIL CRABTREE:

When does he ring?

NEVISON:

Any time.

PHIL CRABTREE:

There’s no pattern?

NEVISON:

No.

(he considers)

No.

PHIL CRABTREE:

And Helen said the last phone call

was this morning?

NEVISON:

This morning, yeah. Ten past eight.

Saying where he wanted the money

dropped. They tell me how much,

then they’ll ring a few hours later

to say where they want it. They

rang yesterday afternoon then again

this morning.

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE FOUR. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT. 41.

PHIL CRABTREE:

They?

NEVISON:

He.

PHIL CRABTREE:

Has he got an accent?

NEVISON:

(a shrug)

Round here.

PHIL CRABTREE:

How old does he sound?

NEVISON:

I couldn’t say. Not old.

PHIL CRABTREE:

What kind of language does he use?

NEVISON:

He’s cocky. He’s clever. He thinks

he’s funny. He says “You can call

me God”. He reckons like he’s

helping. He says, “I’ll do what I

can for you, Nev, but these people,

they’re nasty”, like he’s got nowt

to do with ‘em.

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