Line of Duty Page #7

GATES:

Whatever you’re most comfortable

with, sir.

HASTINGS:

Maybe we should call you “Officer

of the Year”?

"Line of Duty" Episode 1 Shooting Script 18.08.11 38.

Gates laughs along with the joke but doesn’t like it.

Arnott starts looking embarrassed and awkward.

HASTINGS:

May I start?

GATES:

Of course, sir.

Hasting starts the tape recorder. Gates starts looking

properly nervous.

HASTINGS:

AC-12 interview. Present

Superintendant Hastings, DS Arnott,

DCI Gates. Detective Chief

Inspector Gates, we’ve received an

allegation that you received a

gratuity in the form of a free

breakfast at the Sunflower Cafe in

St. Anne’s Place, Kingsgate. While

receiving a gratuity is not in

itself a breach, failure to declare

a gratuity is a breach of the

police officer’s code of conduct as

specified in Home Office

guidelines. I hereby serve you a

yellow notice.

Hastings passes Gates the charge in writing.

GATES:

(Visibly relaxes.)

That’s it?

HASTINGS:

Yes.

Gates grins from ear to ear before returning to professional

autopilot. He takes the document.

GATES:

In which case I decline to make any

immediate written or oral statement

but I acknowledge receipt of the

yellow notice and inform the

investigating officer I will

respond within the regulation 10

working days.

HASTINGS:

Interview terminated.

"Line of Duty" Episode 1 Shooting Script 18.08.11 38A.

Hastings stops the tape.

"Line of Duty" Episode 1 Shooting Script 18.08.11 39.

GATES:

This is coming from the muggers,

isn’t it? These toe-rags learn

every trick in the book.

HASTINGS:

Sorry, Tony, we have to go through

the motions.

GATES:

Not your fault, sir.

Gates shakes hands and exits briskly.

Hastings gathers his materials. He glances at Arnott. Arnott

remains seated in the same mood of sulky embarrassment.

HASTINGS:

A player like Gates knows it’s

against regs not to declare a

gratuity. So what does it tell us

that Gates didn’t bother to fill in

the form?

ARNOTT:

That he forgot?

HASTINGS:

DCI Officer of the Year’s stuck-on

and just strolled out of here like

butter wouldn’t melt. He’s an

arrogant so-and-so.

ARNOTT:

(Beat.)

Right.

HASTINGS:

Steve?

ARNOTT:

What’s this got to do with

investigating Gates’s performance

indicators?

HASTINGS:

Sooner or later he was going to

twig we had our eye on him. This

way, he thinks it’s all over a

storm in a teacup. Or should that

be a coffee cup?

Arnott forces a subordinate look.

"Line of Duty" Episode 1 Shooting Script 18.08.11 40.

HASTINGS:

Steve?

ARNOTT:

Yes?

HASTINGS:

Why don’t you call me “sir”?

ARNOTT:

Sorry, sir. I didn’t realise.

CUT TO:

1/62 EXT. POLICE STATION. MOMENTS LATER. DAY 5. 1/62

Outside on the street, Arnott wears a deeply troubled look.

INTERCUT:

1/63 INT. CID CORRIDOR/GATES’S OFFICE. CONTINUOUS. DAY 5. 1/63

Gates strolls along the corridor. A couple of detectives hold

out their hands and he gives them high/low-fives. He returns

to his office calmly.

Fleming taps away at her keyboard, updating the unsolved

burglaries with lines like “no further information available”

“offender undetected” “IP unwilling to assist”. The

undetected cases have big red markings on them.

She takes a big breath then makes her way to Gates’s office.

She knocks.

GATES:

Come in.

FLEMING:

Sorry to bother you, sir.

GATES:

No problem.

FLEMING:

I thought you should know I’ve been

looking back over arrest reports in

the last couple of days and I’ve

noticed an upsurge in Class A

detections on the Bog.

"Line of Duty" Episode 1 Shooting Script 18.08.11 41.

GATES:

Thanks for the tip, Fleming. Good

work.

She waits expecting more from him, such as an invitation to

get involved, but nothing is forthcoming. So she comes right

out with it.

FLEMING:

I want to join TO-20.

GATES:

Anyone with any sense would steer

clear right now.

FLEMING:

AC-12? -- you’ll piss all over

them, sir.

She shuts the door behind her.

Fleming (cont’d)

I’m sick of CID, sir. We get all

the crap no one else wants. I’m

better than that. I want to be on a

squad.

GATES:

Join the queue.

FLEMING:

Check out my cv. I’ve got five

years. I’ve been kicked, punched,

spat on and pissed on. But my

social life aside ...

Gates grins.

Fleming (cont’d)

Every week it’s a new initiative or

a new audit. I want to work for a

unit that actually fights crime.

GATES:

Part of the job description is

surveillance. Men are going to

notice you.

FLEMING:

And women don’t notice you?

A momentary crackle of sexual tension. Gates enjoys the

moment. Fleming acts like she does too.

"Line of Duty" Episode 1 Shooting Script 18.08.11 42.

GATES:

Come for a drink this week.

(Off her surprise.)

Not a date.

FLEMING:

You’re breaking my heart, sir.

GATES:

It’ll be a good way to get to know

the lads a bit.

FLEMING:

And?

GATES:

And then we’ll see.

Gates gives nothing more away. She exits. He watches her go,

but his desire is dark.

Fleming retakes her position at CID. Janson slaps a hand down

on her desk, standing right over her.

JANSON:

What the bloody hell was that?

FLEMING:

Nothing.

JANSON:

I’m next in line for a squad.

FLEMING:

If you say so, Leah.

JANSON:

I’m one-quarter Romany.

Exit Janson.

Gates strolls out into the CID office, arriving at Rita’s

desk. She’s texting on her phone and eating a bun.

GATES:

Rita.

RITA:

(Half-choking on bun.)

Sir?

GATES:

I’m DCI Gates.

"Line of Duty" Episode 1 Shooting Script 18.08.11 43.

RITA:

(Gushing.)

I know who you are, sir!

GATES:

We get some civvies who aren’t up

to the job, but I want you to know

that I’m impressed with your work.

What was it you did before coming

to us?

RITA:

Parking Enforcement.

GATES:

Traffic warden.

RITA:

All that walking. My corns.

GATES:

There’s a hit and run ...

RITA:

Oh, yes, sir. I’m still trying to

match the victim to missing

persons’ reports.

GATES:

It might connect with something my

team’s looking into. If you get

anywhere, you’ll come straight to

me, to no one else, won’t you?

RITA:

Yes, sir. Absolutely.

GATES:

You’re a star.

Rita’s face lights up.

CUT TO:

1/64 INT. KINGSGATE. PUB. DAY 5. 1/64

Hastings shows Arnott in to a pub local to the station.

Various officers we recognise mingle with regular punters.

HASTINGS:

This’ll cheer you up.

"Line of Duty" Episode 1 Shooting Script 18.08.11 44.

As soon as other officers clock them, they move out of their

way. They’re given space at the bar -- too much space.

ARNOTT:

Maybe this wasn’t the best place to

come.

Hastings indicates some female officers, among them Janson.

Janson pays attention to Arnott.

HASTINGS:

Young single fella, new in town.

You need to find yourself a

girlfriend.

ARNOTT:

Uh. Hm.

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