Line of Duty Page #2

A search team including white-suited forensic scene

investigators search Lindsay’s house, bagging items in

evidence.

Kate looks on studiously. She scoops up the cat. She reads

its name tag (”BELLA”) before passing it to another officer.

KATE:

Anyone got an evidence bag for

this?

Laughter.

CUT TO:

301D INT. POLICE HQ. STAIRS. LATER THAT DAY.

Dryden makes his way with another senior officer in uniform.

DRYDEN:

Strategically community policing

needs to be re-evaluated -

HARGREAVES:

(Catching up.)

Sir.

DRYDEN:

(To senior officer.)

I’ll catch up with you, Andrew.

The senior officer continues on.

HARGREAVES:

Ted bloody Hastings, he’s only gone

and charged someone.

DRYDEN:

(Shocked.)

Who?

HARGREAVES:

The DI.

DRYDEN:

Denton?

Dryden looks even more shocked. He takes a couple of beats to

recover.

HARGREAVES:

Any more developments, I’ll bring

‘em right to you.

(CONTINUED)

LINE OF DUTY #2.3 04/06/2013 Salmon revisions 9.

301D CONTINUED:

DRYDEN:

Alright, thanks, Les.

HARGREAVES:

Sir.

Exit Hargreaves. Dryden weighs up his options.

CUT TO:

302 INT./EXT. TRANSPORT VEHICLE/HMP BRENTISS. LATER THAT DAY.

The vehicle’s back doors snap open revealing Lindsay in the

back and the prison courtyard outside.

HMP Brentiss is a privately run facility, covered in

corporate logos for the security contractor. It’s more like a

new office building than a traditional Victorian-style

prison.

SMASH CUT TO:

303 EXT. HMP BRENTISS. CONTINUOUS.

Lindsay is led towards the front entrance by two female

prison officers. They are OFFENDER MANAGEMENT OFFICER ALISON

MERCHANT (40s)and O.M.O. JENNY LELAND (30s), both armed with

a mini-iPad.

MERCHANT:

(To Lindsay.)

Answering only “Yes” or “No”, do

you understand spoken English?

LINDSAY:

Yes.

MERCHANT:

(Taps mini-iPad.)

Answering only “Yes” or “No”, are

you Lindsay Elizabeth Denton?

LINDSAY:

Yes.

MERCHANT:

(Taps mini-iPad.)

I’m Offender Management Officer

Alison Merchant. This is Offender

Management Officer Jenny Leland.

(CONTINUED)

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303 CONTINUED:

LELAND:

This way please. Please avoid the

trip hazard of the step and the

headroom hazard of the entry door.

FLASH CUT TO:

304 INT. PRISON ENTRY SUITE. MOMENTS LATER.

An automated digital camera flashes in Lindsay’s face.

Merchant and Leland study the image as it appears on a

computer screen. Behind them is a flow-chart poster: top is

PHOTOGRAPH, next is FINGERPRINTS.

CUT TO:

305 INT. PRISON ENTRY SUITE. MOMENTS LATER.

Lindsay rolls her fingers over an electronic pad; Merchant

and Leland see the prints appear on a computer screen.

CUT TO:

306 INT. PRISON ENTRY SUITE. MOMENTS LATER.

Merchant and Leland bombard Lindsay with questions and note

the answers on their mini-iPads.

MERCHANT:

Answering only “Yes” or “No”, are

you currently suffering from an

infectious disease?

LINDSAY:

No.

LELAND:

Answering only “Yes” or “No”, are

you currently suffering from a

sexually transmitted disease?

LINDSAY:

No.

MERCHANT:

Answering only “Yes” or “No”, are

you or could you be pregnant?

LINDSAY:

No.

(CONTINUED)

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306 CONTINUED:

LELAND:

Answering only “Yes” or “No”, do

you currently harbour any thoughts

of deliberately harming yourself?

LINDSAY:

No.

MERCHANT:

Answering only “Yes” or “No”, do

you currently harbour any thoughts

of committing suicide?

LINDSAY:

No.

MERCHANT:

Your current items of clothing

contravene our health and safety

standards. You will kindly undress.

LINDSAY:

What’s wrong with my clothes?

MERCHANT:

Answering only “Yes” or “No”, do

you understand the instruction?

LINDSAY:

I understand but if there are some

items I need to swap, that’s fine,

I just wonder if we could talk

about it, that’s all.

LELAND:

Please restrict your answers to

“Yes” or “No”.

Merchant and Leland just stare at Lindsay robotically.

Lindsay visibly gives in, the first bit of her spirit

crushed.

CUT TO:

307 INT. PRISON VPU. LATER THAT DAY.

Merchant and Leland lead Lindsay along a spotlessly clean

corridor lined with heavy cell doors. Lindsay’s prison garb

is ill-fitting and unflattering. From inside cells come the

wailing/moaning sounds of severely disturbed women.

(CONTINUED)

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307 CONTINUED:

MERCHANT:

You qualify under Rule 46 as a

Vulnerable Persons requiring an

enhanced level of protection as you

are stroke were a law enforcement

officer. You will reside in the

Vulnerable Persons Unit. You will

be in a cell on your own and you

will have Minimal Association with

other residents. Answering only

“Yes” or “No”, do you under-?

LINDSAY:

Yes.

Leland unlocks a cell door.

CUT TO:

308 INT. PRISON VPU. LINDSAY’S CELL. CONTINUOUS.

Leland opens the door revealing a spotlessly clean cell with

a plain bunk bed, a desk and a sink. It is very small -- you

can’t move without bumping into something.

LELAND:

When an O.M.O. enters your cell,

she’ll order you to move away from

the door. Answering only “Yes” or

“No” -

LINDSAY:

Yes.

MERCHANT:

If you maintain good behaviour, you

may request a television set at the

cost of two pounds per week to be

taken out of your allowance.

LINDSAY:

Would it be possible to have a

piano keyboard please?

MERCHANT:

Answering only “Yes” or “No”, would

you like to request a televis-?

LINDSAY:

No.

MERCHANT:

Move away from the door.

Lindsay complies.

(CONTINUED)

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308 CONTINUED:

Merchant and Leland shut the cell door. Lindsay hears a

sequence of electronic locks closing.

Through the walls, Lindsay hears nothing. Only silence. She

is alone in her cell, cramped, utterly powerless.

DRYDEN (O.S. PRELAP)

A 36-year-old woman has been

charged with conspiracy to murder.

CUT TO:

309 INT. POLICE HQ. PRESS BRIEFING ROOM. CONTINUOUS.

At the table in front of a large police logo, Dryden and

Hargreaves face an assembled mass of reporters, photographers

and camera crews. With them is a replacement Media Manager,

JO WRIGHT (female, 30s) -- “New Jo”.

REPORTER 1

There are rumours the victim was a

protected witness granted immunity

from prosecution.

DRYDEN:

No comment.

REPORTER 1

You gave a statement on August 9th,

speaking out against police and the

courts granting immunity for --in

your words -- “repugnant

offenders”. Was the victim one such

offender?

DRYDEN:

No further details will be

disclosed at this time. The

charging of the 36-year-old woman

is a highly significant

breakthrough, and I’m confident

more arrests will follow. Thank you

all.

Dryden receives a volley of questions but stands, looks

commanding and exits, followed by New Jo and Hargreaves.

CUT TO:

310 INT. CORRIDOR OFF BRIEFING ROOM. CONTINUOUS.

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