Line of Duty Page #6

DETECTIVE SERGEANT LEAH Janson (early 30s) and Fleming stare

at the pile. Various others -- mostly civilians, mostly with

hang-dog appearances -- look gloomy.

Fleming lifts the first file -- the hit-and-run.

FLEMING:

Hit-and-run? Why us?

JANSON:

Because we’ve got a big sign over

our heads that says “CID -- dump

your crap here”.

"Line of Duty" Episode 1 Shooting Script 18.08.11 32.

FLEMING:

(Sighs.)

Fine.

JANSON:

(Indicating computer

screen.)

We’ve got ten unsolved burglaries

stinking up our figures. Give the

hit-and-run to the civvie.

The civilian investigator -- RITA BENNETT, middle-aged,

overweight, jobsworth -- shuffles from her desk with a bit of

paper and all the vigour of a trained slug.

JANSON:

(Off Fleming’s look.

Shrugs.)

She’s had the training.

(Beat.)

Anyway, I’m out of here.

Janson turns to look through the glass partition towards TO

20. Fleming follows her gaze: Cottan and Morton larking

about.

JANSON:

Gates’s had a written warning about

his team’s gender balance. I’m a

shoe-in.

Janson looks smug. Envy plays on Fleming’s face.

CUT TO:

1/56 INT. GATES’S OFFICE/CID. LATER THAT DAY. DAY 4. 1/56

From his office, Gates watches Jackie being escorted into the

CID office by Rita Bennett. Jackie looks very, very nervous.

Which makes Gates nervous too. He struggles to keep his eyes

on his computer screen.

RITA:

Have a seat please, Ms. Laverty.

Jackie sits at the corner of Rita’s desk while Rita takes a

little too long to track down Jackie’s statement on her

computer. She hits wrong keys and gets warning bleeps.

RITA:

There we are. Sorry about that.

You’re Jacqueline Laverty, date of

birth 23-11-67?

"Line of Duty" Episode 1 Shooting Script 18.08.11 33.

JACKIE:

Yes.

RITA:

Right person. That’s a good start.

We don’t have your occupation

listed.

JACKIE:

I run my own business. Laverty

Holdings.

(Off Rita’s blank look.)

You could just put down Self

Employed.

Rita enters it on the screen without question.

JACKIE:

I’m sorry, are you one of the

detectives looking into the theft

of my car?

RITA:

I carry out some forms of police

work but I’m not a police officer.

Cut-backs.

(Moving on quickly.)

You reported your car stolen at

10.06 pm the night before it was

found abandoned ... ?

Jackie trembles with nerves. Gates makes brief eye contact

with her, nervous as hell too.

JACKIE:

That’s right. I returned home from

a business trip around nine, but

later I remembered I’d left

something in the car. When I went

to pick up the keys, they were

gone, and they’d broken part of the

window in my front door.

Rita clacks the keyboards.

RITA:

They hooked the keys off the hall

table. You didn’t hear anything?

Jackie hesitates. Gates’s eyes are all over her.

JACKIE:

I was in a back room of the house,

with music playing.

"Line of Duty" Episode 1 Shooting Script 18.08.11 34.

Satisfied, Rita clacks her keyboard while Jackie tries to

maintain her composure.

Gates can tell there hasn’t been a shock confession. He looks

mortified.

CUT TO:

1/57 EXT. KINGSGATE. LAY-BY. DAY 4.

Traffic whips by on a busy dual carriageway. Gates’s car

pulls up behind Jackie’s parked roadster. She gets out as he

does. He pulls her quickly away from the road, into the

shadows.

GATES:

What the hell are you playing at?

JACKIE:

The woman seemed so convinced. She

made it impossible to change the

story.

GATES:

You don’t change, do you? Look

after number one. Wreck my life and

leave me to pick up the pieces.

Same old Jackie, played me for a

mug.

JACKIE:

No, Tony, no. I’ll fix it. I’ll

find a way.

GATES:

What, like today?

He pushes her off and heads back towards his car.

JACKIE:

I’ll take the blame. I’ll go to

prison if that’s what you want.

The last line hits him, makes him pull up.

We keep looking at them on a long lens from the other side of

the road, as traffic speeds in between, two people who care

about each other but caught up in a terrible dilemma. They

want to move towards each other, then apart, their conflicts

playing out.

CUT TO:

"Line of Duty" Episode 1 Shooting Script 18.08.11 35.

1/58 EXT. POLICE STATION. NEXT DAY. DAY 5. 1/58

Arnott and Hastings head into a busy city centre station.

CUT TO:

1/59 INT. POLICE STATION. CID RECEPTION. NEXT DAY. DAY 5. 1/59

Arnott and Hastings stroll into reception. Straight ahead is

public access to a secure desk; to the right is police access

to a security entrance.

Hastings’ phone rings.

HASTINGS:

Sign us in, Steve, I’ll just be a

minute.

(Into phone.)

Superintendent Hastings.

Hastings steps back out to take the call. A fraction of a

second later, Fleming comes out of the police door.

Arnott checks her out.

ARNOTT:

Hi. DS Arnott.

(Shows ID.)

FLEMING:

How can I help you?

ARNOTT:

We’re here to see DCI Gates -(

Reads name-badge.)

-Kate.

FLEMING:

Okay.

Fleming leads him towards the police access door.

FLEMING:

You been posted?

ARNOTT:

You could say that.

FLEMING:

(Smiles.)

Welcome to the Alamo.

"Line of Duty" Episode 1 Shooting Script 18.08.11 36.

ARNOTT:

(Smiles back.)

Thank you very much.

She tries her fob but it doesn’t work first time.

FLEMING:

They said they were getting this

fixed.

She tries the fob again and this time the door releases.

HASTINGS:

(Entering, coming off

phone.)

Sorry about that, Steve.

FLEMING:

(Recognizing Hastings. To

Arnott.)

You’re with AC-12?

ARNOTT:

Yeah.

Fleming’s face drops.

CUT TO:

1/60 INT. CID/GATES’S OFFICE. MOMENTS LATER. DAY 5. 1/60

Hilton appears. Idle chatter stops; heads turn to their

computer screens. He crosses to Gates’s office and taps on

the glass before stepping in.

GATES:

Sir?

HILTON:

AC-12 are in the building. Hastings

and some snot-nosed DS.

GATES:

(Shaken.)

Is the complaint against one of my

squad?

HILTON:

Afraid it’s you personally, Tony.

Gates looks very worried.

CUT TO:

"Line of Duty" Episode 1 Shooting Script 18.08.11 37.

1/61 INT. INTERVIEW ROOM 2. MOMENTS LATER. DAY 5. 1/61

Arnott waits behind a desk. Next to him sits Hastings. Enter

Gates, shown in by Fleming.

FLEMING:

Can I get someone to bring you a

tea, coffee, sir?

Hastings and Arnott stand to shake hands with Gates.

GATES:

I’m fine, thanks, Fleming.

Arnott tries to catch Fleming’s eye with a mollifying smile.

She pointedly ignores him and exits.

HASTINGS:

DCI Gates, Superintendant Hastings.

Like the Battle.

GATES:

(Shakes hands.)

I know who you are, sir.

HASTINGS:

(Off Gates’s look to

Arnott.)

This is DS Steve Arnott.

ARNOTT:

Pleased to meet you, sir.

Gates shakes hands. He sits down, smiles, adopts a friendly

and confident posture.

GATES:

I recognise and respect the

importance of your mission. I’m

very happy to help in any way I

can.

HASTINGS:

That’s very reassuring, ... Can I

call you Tony?

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