Happy Valley Page #9

Season #2 Episode #1

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accusing me of strangling and

bottling Lynn Dewhurst.

CLARE:

(appalled)

Who are? Bottling?

She doesn’t know what it means. CATHERINE doesn’t feel

inclined to explain.

CATHERINE:

This... D.I. Jodie Shackleton.

She’s about fifteen. She’s David

Shackleton’s daughter.

CLARE:

Who?

CATHERINE:

Chief Con. So guess how she shinned

her way up the greasy pole.

CLARE:

Hang on, what’s that got to do with

Lynn Dewhurst?

CATHERINE:

It were her, that body I found. And

they’re not accusing me. They’re

trying to

(silly voice, air bunnies)

“eliminate” me. But you can see her

thinking things with her little

brain.

CLARE:

Why? Why you?

CATHERINE:

I found her body. I left

threatening messages on her answer

machine. I had a motive.

CLARE:

Yeah but... you didn’t. Did you?

(pause)

Did you?

CATHERINE:

Are you seriously asking me that,

Clare?

HAPPY VALLEY SERIES TWO. EPISODE ONE. GREEN SCRIPT. 43.

CLARE:

Sorry. No. I was...

(what was she doing?)

No.

CATHERINE:

(trying to be reasonable)

Oh, she’s just doing her job.

CLARE:

Yeah, but bloody hell.

CATHERINE:

It’s routine, it’s procedure.

CLARE:

B*tch.

CATHERINE:

It’s just not much fun being on the

wrong end of it.

Silence.

CLARE:

Lynn Dewhurst.

CATHERINE:

I know.

More silence. And then the thing CLARE’s gagging to say

CLARE:

I once snogged him.

CATHERINE:

Sorry?

CLARE:

Neil. After a disco at school. Down

at t’bus stop in Sowerby Bridge. I

always liked him.

Silence. Eventually

CATHERINE:

Shall we get a take-away tonight?

CUT TO:

44A EXT. WILLS O’NATS PUB. EVENING 2. 20.02 44A

We follow JOHN’s car as he speeds along the road and pulls up

in the pub car park.

CUT TO:

HAPPY VALLEY SERIES TWO. EPISODE ONE. GREEN SCRIPT. 44.

45 INT. WILLS O’NATS PUB. EVENING 2. 20.04 45

A rather seedy threadbare moorland pub. The sort that feels

stuck in a time warp and should have closed down. VICKY waits

for JOHN. She’s sipping a gin and tonic, and she’s bought a

pint of bitter for him. The pub is quiet. JOHN appears at the

door, and - to be fair to him - he does look like he’s rushed

to get here. (She could’ve got a taxi here, then she can

drive his car back to her place).

JOHN:

I thought I was going to be late.

VICKY:

(she looks at her watch)

No.

He sits down.

JOHN:

Is that - ?

For me? He’s pointing at the pint.

VICKY:

Only if you want it.

He does; he’s had a long day. He pulls the glass towards him.

JOHN:

I’m sorry things’ve... I don’t want

you to think... you know, when it

started I did mean all those

things, I just... I mean you must

feel the same. It wasn’t... it just

hasn’t

VICKY:

Lived up to its early promise.

JOHN:

Become what I thought it would.

(he thinks about what she

just said)

Yeah. Yeah if you like.

VICKY:

Well. That’s not how I feel, John.

For the record. I’m...

(she’s not far off tears)

well, I’m disappointed. I thought

you couldn’t wait to get away from

her, I thought you were sick of

her. And all I’ve got to comfort

myself with now is the idea that

two years with me, and all it’s

done is make you realise she’s just

not that bad.

HAPPY VALLEY SERIES TWO. EPISODE ONE. GREEN SCRIPT. 45.

JOHN:

It’s not just [her] - it’s

complicated. With the kids. You

know, three kids, it doesn’t get

any easier, it just gets more and

more...

(he dries up, but the

implication is that it

becomes more and more of

a headache)

We’ve had some good times. *

VICKY *

How do you know I’m not going to

make life difficult for you?

JOHN:

Are you?

VICKY:

Why shouldn’t I?

JOHN has no response to that. A moment.

JOHN:

Did you bring them things?

VICKY gets a couple of items out of her handbag: the warrant

card, a sock. JOHN stuffs them unobtrusively in his pocket.

JOHN (CONT’D)

We can still be friends.

VICKY:

Sure.

JOHN:

Can’t we?

VICKY:

Sure.

HAPPY VALLEY SERIES TWO. EPISODE ONE. GREEN SCRIPT. 46.

JOHN believes she’s sincere. He takes a big long swallow of

beer. VICKY watches him drink.

CUT TO:

46 INT. CATHERINE’S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM. EVENING 2. 20.15 46

CLARE and RYAN are flopped on the settee together watching a

cookery show on tv. At length

RYAN:

(nodding in the direction

of a bloke on the telly)

He’s stupid.

CLARE:

Yeah.

RYAN:

She’s annoying.

CLARE:

D’you think?

RYAN:

I could do that better than either

of them two.

CLARE:

Good for you.

RYAN:

What’s Granny doing?

CLARE:

She’s just busy in t’kitchen.

CUT TO:

47 INT. CATHERINE’S HOUSE, KITCHEN. EVENING 2. 20.16 47

CATHERINE’s washed out the take-away containers, ready for

recycling, and now she’s sitting at the table going through

the domestic calender, her diary and her pocket book, making

notes about what she was and wasn’t doing in that two-week

period five weeks ago. She’s finding it frustrating;

inevitably there are gaps, days off when there’s nothing

written anywhere to prompt her memory. We linger with her and

her oppressive thoughts for a moment, when suddenly she’s

aware of someone heading in the through the conservatory

door, and then the back door. Much to CATHERINE’s surprise,

it’s DANIEL. He’s got an overnight bag. DANIEL’s embarrassed,

angry, wretched (though these things only emerge as he keeps

talking).

HAPPY VALLEY SERIES TWO. EPISODE ONE. GREEN SCRIPT. 47.

CATHERINE:

Hello love.

DANIEL:

Can I stay here for a bit?

CATHERINE:

Wh[y]? Course you can. What’s

happened?

DANIEL:

She’s chucked me out.

CATHERINE:

Lucy? Why?

(he doesn’t want to talk

about it, but can’t admit

that he doesn’t want to

talk about. He just sits

down without taking his

coat off looking as

wretched as CATHERINE

feels)

When did this happen?

DANIEL:

Last week. I’ve been at me dad’s.

Only Ros got sick of me. Which was

entirely mutual. Then I’ve been in

a bed and breakfast, but that’s

just made me feel even more sh*t.

So.

So he’s here. CATHERINE weighs things up. She’s aware there’s

a lot DANIEL’s not telling her.

CATHERINE:

You’ll have to sleep on the settee.

DANIEL:

That’s fine.

CATHERINE:

Is it...? How permanent...?

DANIEL:

She reckons she wants a divorce.

She won’t talk to me. I keep

knocking on t’door. Her dad’s

changed the locks! That’s my house.

Then he’s been on t’phone making

threats.

CATHERINE:

Well... why? What’s happened?

HAPPY VALLEY SERIES TWO. EPISODE ONE. GREEN SCRIPT. 48.

DANIEL:

Nothing’s happened! She’s just got

stupid ideas in her head, that’s

all.

CATHERINE:

About what?

DANIEL:

Me. Ever since Daisy was born,

she’s been off her ffff...flaming

trolley. But now she’s just gone...

complete fruit loop.

CLARE comes in followed by RYAN. They’ve heard raised voices.

CLARE:

What’s up?

CATHERINE’s entirely aware that she’s just been given a

heavily edited version of whatever it is that’s happened. But

she knows the truth will out eventually if she doesn’t push

it.

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