Line of Duty Page #7

STEVE:

This isn’t relevant to our

investigation.

HASTINGS:

It is because Denton’s on tape

quoting the Regs.

STEVE:

She was clutching at straws --

anything to undermine us.

HASTINGS:

I’ll thank you to let me be the

judge.

STEVE:

The nurse isn’t a witness against

Denton. She’s never even heard of

her.

HASTINGS:

Did you have inappropriate

relations with a witness?

STEVE:

As I’ve said, sir, she’s not a

witness. Not our witness, anyway,

and MVC aren’t charging her as an

accessory.

HASTINGS:

(Raises voice.)

What the hell you saying, son --

she was fair game?

Hastings’ raised voice makes heads turn out in the office.

Two of the interested observers are Cottan and Kate.

STEVE:

I’m saying I know the difference

between screwing up an

investigation, and just screwing.

HASTINGS:

There’s Discreditable Conduct and

there’s plain right and wrong.

STEVE:

Meaning?

(CONTINUED)

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330 CONTINUED:
(2)

HASTINGS:

She’d been threatened with her

little boy’s life, she was in

protective custody.

STEVE:

If you’ve got a moral problem,

that’s down to you.

HASTINGS:

(Raises voice again.)

There’s nothing wrong with my

morality.

Outside, heads turn again.

STEVE:

I’m a single bloke and I’ve got a

normal private life. With respect,

sir, you need a better reason for

having this conversation.

HASTINGS:

How the hell can we uphold

standards if you go round not

upholding them yourself? There’s my

reason, and it’s a bloody good one.

They glare at each other. Steve doesn’t back down.

HASTINGS:

I’m disappointed, son. Get out.

Exit Steve sharply. Hastings fumes.

CUT TO:

331 INT. AC-12. OPEN-PLAN OFFICE. CONTINUOUS.

Steve sees everyone staring at him. He walks out of the

office.

Cottan sees. After a beat or two, he follows.

CUT TO:

332 INT. AC-12. CORRIDOR/LOBBY. CONTINUOUS.

Steve tries to cool off. Enter Cottan.

STEVE:

Another bollocking? That’s all I

need.

(CONTINUED)

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332 CONTINUED:

COTTAN:

I’ll tell you what you need ...

CUT TO:

333 INT. CURRY HOUSE. THAT NIGHT.

Steve and Cottan have a curry in a traditional restaurant

with all the classic decor and music. They both have pints of

lager and face each other over a tall pile of poppadoms.

COTTAN:

So, this nurse, fit was she?

STEVE:

(Shrugs.)

Alright.

COTTAN:

Did you then?

STEVE:

Need to brush up your interrogation

technique.

Cottan laughs. Steve laughs.

COTTAN:

Don’t look -

Steve looks round.

COTTAN:

What did I just bloody say about

not looking? There’s a couple of

birds behind you, I’m not

formulating a scheme or anything

...

Steve waits a few beats then furtively looks round. There are

three women eating at a nearby table.

STEVE:

There’s three of them.

COTTAN:

I’m a bloody detective inspector -I

can see there’s three of ‘em.

There’s always one who’s got a

boyfriend or her period or summat.

STEVE:

(Laughs.)

You were obviously off the day they

did the gender awareness training.

(CONTINUED)

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333 CONTINUED:

COTTAN:

I gave the gender awareness

training.

They both laugh.

STEVE:

This is bloody weird, Dot.

COTTAN:

What - you and me working together?

STEVE:

Er yeah.

COTTAN:

That’s Anticorruption, mate --

beggars can’t be choosers.

They laugh.

The waiter comes over to take their food order.

COTTAN:

This is all on me by the way.

STEVE:

No, honestly -

COTTAN:

Hey. No argument.

(To waiter.)

But first things first -- can you

go over and ask those ladies what

we can get them to drink? No food,

mind, I’m not made of money.

The waiter shrugs and goes. Steve can’t believe Cottan’s

chutzpah, then they laugh about it.

CUT TO:

334 OMITTEDOMITTED

335 OMITTED

336 EXT. INDUSTRIAL ESTATE. NEXT DAY.

Steve pulls up in his car. Police vehicles and forensic scene

vans stand behind a police outer cordon set up at the end of

the access road. Steve shows his ID to a PC. The PC directs

Steve to park off in an area by the trees away from the units

themselves.

(CONTINUED)

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336 CONTINUED:

Steve gets out of his car and faces the units. The inner

cordon is round the A&B unit at the far end. He makes his way

towards the hive of activity.

Kate is outside the inner cordon and they see each other at

roughly the same time. He sees her grave expression.

STEVE:

What?

She beckons him towards the edge of the inner cordon, which

run a few metres outside the entrance to the garage unit.

CUT TO:

337 INT. INDUSTRIAL ESTATE. A&B CARRIAGES UNIT. CONTINUOUS.

Inside an inner cordon, the concrete floor has been dug up.

Only white-suited forensic scene investigators are inside the

inner cordon; everyone else is outside. Spray-painted arrows

on the floor point towards a hole being dug.

Crews are digging up the concrete floor with picks and

pneumatic drills.

And overseeing the op from outside the inner cordon are

Hargreaves and Rogerson.

HARGREAVES:

We’re taking it from here.

KATE:

Sir?

HARGREAVES:

Our crime scene.

STEVE:

You kidding?

HARGREAVES:

Our side of the investigation.

STEVE:

Sir, it was thanks to Kate the

subsidence was spotted. That

floor’s collapsing because

something under it’s collapsing.

HARGREAVES:

(To Kate.)

Top marks. Geophysics confirmed an

anomaly one metre down.

(CONTINUED)

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337 CONTINUED:

STEVE:

Sir, may I respectfully request

that any findings be shared?

HARGREAVES:

Send your request in writing to my

office and someone will respond

within ten working days.

Hargreaves and Steve stare it out.

A couple of feet down in the hole lies a shape wrapped in

black bin-liners and tied up with gaffer tape. It’s

unmistakably the shape of a human body.

Steve and Kate exchange concerned looks.

Rogerson is assisting Hargreaves in running things

ROGERSON:

Please keep back, let them work.

A lot of officers begin to drift away. Rogerson’s gaze falls

pointedly on Steve and Kate.

The moment is broken by a breach in the bag allowing gooey

fluid to trickle out. They get a glimpse of rotting,

distorted flesh inside.

HARGREAVES:

Okay, let’s lock it down, preserve

evidence in situ. Forensics in,

everyone else bugger off.

Hargreaves focusses totally on the body.

Remaining officers exit to let another couple of forensic

scene investigators in.

Rogerson glances at Steve and Kate.

Steve and Kate step out of the garage.

A couple of beats ltaer, Rogerson comes out.

She comes close to Steve very briefly as she passes. They

whisper, crossing.

ROGERSON:

Call me later for initial

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