Line of Duty Page #5

TV news crews record the procession.

Everyone watches the procession somberly. Lindsay finds it

hard.

Once the procession’s delivered the coffins to their resting

place at the front, Dryden goes into the pulpit/equivalent.

DRYDEN:

God asks us to forgive. But first

we must gain justice for our fallen

comrades. “Recompense to no man

evil for evil. Provide things

honest in the sight of all men. If

it be possible, as much as lieth in

you, live peaceably with all men.

Dearly beloved, avenge not

yourselves, but rather give place

unto wrath:
for it is written,

Vengeance is mine; I will repay,

saith the Lord.”

Kate stares towards the front row. Rich looks round and

catches her eye. She looks away sharply.

Dryden comes down, crossing with the Chief Constable as the

latter goes up.

CHIEF CONSTABLE:

(Whispers.)

Bit strong, Mike.

Dryden glances back but feels in control. The Chief

Constable’s oration is weaker, less confident.

CHIEF CONSTABLE:

“Greater love has no one than this:

to lay down one's life for one's

friends....”

Kate finds her gaze drifting back to Rich, and his to her.

CUT TO:

Line of Duty #2.1 cherry revisions 25.6.13 29.

141 INT. CATHEDRAL. LATER THAT DAY.

Mourners exit, first signing a book of condolence, then

passing through a line comprising the Bishop, the Chief

Constable, Dryden and the Chief Mourners, murmuring their

sympathies.

Lindsay hangs back, aiming to avoid the line. Dryden makes

eye contact with her. Lindsay feels exposed, with no choice

but to go through the line.

She shakes hands briefly with Rich -

LINDSAY:

Very sorry for your loss.

-- and moves on, can’t get past Rich quickly enough. Dryden

helps her by reaching to shake her hand.

LINDSAY:

Sir.

DRYDEN:

You called me that night.

LINDSAY:

Yes, sir.

DRYDEN:

How are you bearing up?

Embarrassed at being asked, so near to Rich, Lindsay

flusters.

LINDSAY:

Okay, thank you, sir.

She moves on quickly, nodding to the Chief Constable -

LINDSAY:

Sir.

Lindsay exits sharply.

Hastings, Steve and Georgia, with Kate bringing up the rear,

come through the line.

HASTINGS/STEVE/GEORGIA

Very sorry for your loss.

Deepest sympathy.

Moving speech.

Kate approaches Rich nervously.

(CONTINUED)

Line of Duty #2.1 cherry revisions 25.6.13 30.

141

CONTINUED:

KATE:

Very sorry for your loss.

Very awkward beat. She moves on along the line but keeps

looking back at Rich.

CUT TO:

142

INT. AKERS’ HOME. HALLWAY. THAT NIGHT.

Rich lets Kate in and turns on the light. In the hallway, he

slips off her coat. The close contact reignites their strong

mutual attraction.

Long silent beats.

He moves to kiss her.

She doesn’t back off.

He continues the movement, tentatively. She lets it happen.

The kissing gets stronger.

They rip away each other’s clothing, plunging towards raw,

immediate sex.

SMASH CUT TO:

143

INT. AKERS’ HOME. BEDROOM. LATER THAT NIGHT.

Kate lies in bed, staring at the wall, hating herself. Tense

silence hangs between her and Rich; on the other side of the

bed, he stares into space.

Rich swings his legs over the side of the bed and sits up,

revealing superficial but slightly bloody nail scratches on

his back.

He pulls on some pants and exits.

Kate keeps staring into space.

CUT TO:

144

INT. AKERS’ HOME. LIVING ROOM. LATER THAT NIGHT.

Bouquets of flowers and condolence messages litter the house.

(CONTINUED)

Line of Duty #2.1 cherry revisions 25.6.13 31.

144 CONTINUED:

Rich drinks a tumbler of Scotch, gazing at a framed

photograph of a group of probationary police officers that

includes him, Kate and Jayne. The photo is labelled RYTON-ONDUNSMORE

POLICE NATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE 2005.

He wipes back tears.

Enter Kate.

KATE:

I’m sorry.

RICH:

What for?

KATE:

For tonight.

RICH:

Doesn’t matter much, in the scheme

of things.

Tense, horrible beats. He turns the photo towards her.

RICH:

You pair always used to end up side

by side.

KATE:

D’you think she ever knew?

RICH:

(Slow shrug, beat.)

When it mattered, she trusted us

both, with her life. The night of

the ambush, she called me, to call

you.

KATE:

What did she say?

RICH:

For you to call her back about the

case she was working on.

KATE:

That’s all?

RICH:

(Shrugs.)

Jayne kept me at arms’ length about

work.

(CONTINUED)

Line of Duty #2.1 cherry revisions 25.6.13 32.

144 CONTINUED:
(2)

KATE:

Why not call me direct? Was she

worried her phone was tapped?

RICH:

If you’d answered, you could’ve

asked her yourself.

This fact works on Kate -- her guilt about not helping her

friend in her hour of need.

CUT TO:

145 OMITTED

145A OMITTED

146 INT. 4TH ST STATION. SQUAD ROOM/MALLICK’S OFFICE. NEXT DAY.

Lindsay slips in, keeping her eyes down despite the cervical

collar, trying not to be noticed.

In his office, Mallick is on the phone. He spots Lindsay.

MALLICK:

(Into phone.)

Sorry, Tom, can I call you back?

He attracts Lindsay’s attention as she heads for her office,

and she hesitantly approaches.

MALLICK:

(Into phone.)

Yeah, five minutes, cheers.

Mallick hangs up, stands to let Lindsay in.

MALLICK:

I’m moving you up.

LINDSAY:

Where?

MALLICK:

(Shuts the door. Beat.)

The 28’s.

LINDSAY:

Why?

(CONTINUED)

Line of Duty #2.1 cherry revisions 25.6.13 33.

146 CONTINUED:

MALLICK:

Quality Control are responding to

complaints that non-high-priority

Mispers are downprocessed. We’ve

got to be seen to take action. I’ve

received funding for a unit

specifically tasked to investigate

all mispers that’ve been put on 28day

review.

LINDSAY:

Because I didn’t cover for you.

MALLICK:

I’ve got a room full of detectives

scoring 4’s and 5’s. After the

balls-up of the ambush, you’re a 2,

at best.

LINDSAY:

I’m taking this to HR.

MALLICK:

Take it to Butler’s missus, or

Wallis’s kids.

LINDSAY:

(Takes the hit. Recovers.)

Who’s on this unit?

MALLICK:

You.

LINDSAY:

And?

MALLICK:

I’ll find some DC or other, if

there’s one who’ll work with you.

Lindsay is left hurt and bitter.

CUT TO:

147 EXT. LINDSAY’S HOUSE. THAT NIGHT.

Her new car parked at the kerb, Lindsay walks up the path to

the front door of a semi-detached house in a working-class

neighbourhood. (She ought to live somewhere better than

this.) She lets herself in.

CUT TO:

Line of Duty #2.1 cherry revisions 25.6.13 34.

148 INT. LINDSAY’S HOUSE. LATER THAT NIGHT.

Lindsay lays down a bowl of food for her cat, and then

microwaves a meal for herself. She takes off the collar.

She eats at a table, flicking through a broadsheet newspaper.

The cat snuggles next to her and she strokes it periodically.

Shelves are packed with books and cult movies on DVD. There’s

also an upright piano against the wall.

On the TV screen, Dryden gives a statement, his name and rank

are captioned over a rolling BREAKING NEWS strapline: POLICE

AMBUSH. He sits at a table in front of a police logo with Jo

at his side. Dryden’s manner is more like a politician than a

cop.

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