Line of Duty Page #10

163 CONTINUED:
(2)

ROISIN:

(Awkward beat.)

Have you been here before, Steve?

STEVE:

I haven’t. Looks like a nice place.

HASTINGS:

(To Roisin.)

We’ve heard good things, haven’t

we, love?

Hastings studies the menu. Enter Georgia.

HASTINGS:

Talking of good things.

GEORGIA:

I’m not late, am I? Sorry, sorry.

ROISIN:

I’m Roisin.

GEORGIA:

Georgia.

HASTINGS:

(Summoning waiter, to

others.)

Drink? Steve?

STEVE:

I’m still on this beer, thanks.

HASTINGS:

Georgia?

GEORGIA:

If anyone fancies wine ...

HASTINGS:

(To waiter.)

Wine list, please.

GEORGIA:

(To Steve.)

Oh. You’re on beer.

HASTINGS:

Want one?

(Calling after waiter.)

And a beer here.

(Indicates Georgia.)

(CONTINUED)

Line of Duty #2.1 cherry revisions 25.6.13 59.

163 CONTINUED:
(3)

HASTINGS:

(To Roisin.)

Steve’s been in AC a year now.

Every day’s felt like a lifetime!

Laughter.

STEVE:

That’d make me about your age, sir.

HASTINGS:

He likes the banter, the cheeky wee

b-

ROISIN:

Ted.

Laughter.

HASTINGS:

I was going to say, “Boy” --

“Cheeky, wee boy.”

Laughter.

HASTINGS:

See, Steve, you need a good woman

to keep you on the straight and

narrow.

ROISIN:

You’re new to Ted’s unit, aren’t

you, Georgia?

GEORGIA:

Transferred from Armed Robbery.

HASTINGS:

(Indicates menu.)

You’ll be at home here, with these

prices.

Laughter.

The waiter arrives and places a glass of beer in front of

Georgia and hands Hastings the wine list. She drinks

immediately, then realises.

GEORGIA:

Cheers.

ALL:

Cheers.

(CONTINUED)

Line of Duty #2.1 cherry revisions 25.6.13 60.

163 CONTINUED:
(4)

The waiter takes away Steve’s wine glass and moves to take

Georgia’s. She reaches subtly to hold onto it, not even

making eye contact with the glass/waiter.

CUT TO:

164 EXT. RESTAURANT. LATER THAT NIGHT.

Hastings, Roisin, Steve and Georgia emerge into a buzzing

city street.

STEVE:

That was very generous, thanks,

sir.

GEORGIA:

Thank you, sir.

HASTINGS:

Pleasure.

ROISIN:

Lovely meeting you both.

HASTINGS:

See you tomorrow.

STEVE:

Night, boss.

GEORGIA:

Night, sir.

Hastings and Roisin walk down the street and out of sight.

Pregnant beats between Steve and Georgia.

GEORGIA:

Need a lift?

STEVE:

Bus stop’s just here.

(Indicates one direction.)

GEORGIA:

(Indicates the other.)

I’m that way.

STEVE:

You okay to drive?

Georgia pulls a face like it’s a stupid question and starts

to move off up the road. She stops.

(CONTINUED)

Line of Duty #2.1 cherry revisions 25.6.13 61.

164 CONTINUED:

GEORGIA:

Fancy a nightcap?

STEVE:

(Beat.)

Sure.

CUT TO:

165 INT. BAR. MOMENTS LATER.

Steve and Georgia enter a buzzing bar.

STEVE:

What you having?

GEORGIA:

On me. I insist.

STEVE:

Lager. Whatever they’ve got.

Georgia pushes through to the bar. As the barman approaches,

she checks over her shoulder that Steve hasn’t followed her.

GEORGIA:

Pint of, uh, Peroni, half of

Pilsner, double vodka.

CUT TO:

166 INT. BAR. MOMENTS LATER.

Georgia pays for the drinks. Again checking Steve isn’t

watching, she gulps down the vodka shot and slips the glass

aside. She receives her change, then takes up the beers and

turns in Steve’s direction with a smile.

CUT TO:

167 INT. HASTINGS’ CAR. MOMENTS LATER.

Hastings drives Roisin home.

HASTINGS:

Thank you for that.

She maintains a tense silence. The pressure grows for him to

address it.

(CONTINUED)

Line of Duty #2.1 cherry revisions 25.6.13 62.

167 CONTINUED:

HASTINGS:

You always said you wanted to try

the place.

Still the tense silence. More pressure on Hastings.

HASTINGS:

I got you out under false

pretences? That it?

ROISIN:

I didn’t detect any pressing reason

for keeping up appearances.

HASTINGS:

I’m their boss.

ROISIN:

And picking up the bill -- that

took the prize! For my benefit, was

it?

In a dark mood now, Hastings pulls up outside a nice semi in

a quiet street.

HASTINGS:

Is it so hard to comprehend, a man

wants to spend an evening with his

wife?

ROISIN:

(Beats.)

This hurts me too.

She gives him a tender, fragile look. He moves to touch her

face. She gets out of the car before he can, and goes to the

semi.

Hastings watches her go in without looking back at him.

He pulls himself together and drives on.

CUT TO:

168 INT. HASTINGS’ BED-SIT. MOMENTS LATER.

Hastings lets himself in, and puts on the light. This is a

cramped bed-sit. He’s still living out of a suitcase, with

only his uniform hung up on a hanger. He looks lost and

falling.

CUT TO:

Line of Duty #2.1 cherry revisions 25.6.13 63.

169 INT. BAR. LATER THAT NIGHT.

Steve returns from the bar with the next round. He’s got a

bottle of beer, she’s now got a big glass of wine. The place

is loud so their conversation is private by default.

GEORGIA:

Bottles now?

STEVE:

Work in the morning.

GEORGIA:

That little thing.

They drink.

GEORGIA:

When I first arrived, what did you

say to Hastings, when you were

alone in the office?

STEVE:

Operational parameters.

GEORGIA:

You’re such a crap liar!

(Laughs.)

STEVE:

(Laughs.)

I just wanted to know more about

you.

GEORGIA:

Happy to oblige.

STEVE:

You into football?

GEORGIA:

Hate it.

Steve acts jokingly like that’s a conversation stopper. She

laughs.

GEORGIA:

Here are three facts about me but

one of them is false.

(CONTINUED)

Line of Duty #2.1 cherry revisions 25.6.13 64.

169 CONTINUED:

STEVE:

You’ve bitten off more than you can

chew, Trotman. I do this for a

living.

GEORGIA:

Well let’s see, shall we?

I’m a gifted horsewoman. I won a

poetry competition when I was 11.

I’m a secret pool hustler.

He studies her. She laughs. He laughs.

STEVE:

You don’t know one end of a pool

cue from the other.

She keeps a poker face for a couple of beats. Then suddenly

she grabs his hand and leads him through the bar to a pool

table. A couple of guys (student types, up for a laugh) are

playing, down to the last few balls.

GEORGIA:

Hi, guys, can I play?

They don’t know how to react.

GEORGIA:

Okay. Ten quid says I can clear up

on stripes.

She slaps a tenner down. The pool players look amused by her

bravado. She holds out her hand for a cue. One of them gives

in and hands his over.

Georgia assesses the layout of the balls, then sinks pot

after pot of the striped balls, finishing with a black ball.

All the guys are impressed. The pool players dig in their

pockets for money.

STEVE:

It’s alright, guys, I was the one

who got hustled. Enjoy your game.

Steve gives Georgia a tenner and leads her away.

CUT TO:

Line of Duty #2.1 cherry revisions 25.6.13 65.

170 INT. ALLEYWAY NEAR BAR. MOMENTS LATER.

Revellers make their way home. A couple of snoggers lean

against a wall in the shadows. Steve and Georgia stumble into

each other’s arms.

GEORGIA:

This is a really stupid idea.

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