Line of Duty Page #4

(Off Dryden’s discomfort.)

Thanks, Kate, but we’re obliged to

keep within the parameters laid out

in the Regulation 15 notice. Any

other lines of enquiry need to be

notified in writing to DCC Dryden

and his representatives.

DRYDEN:

Fine.

HASTINGS:

(To Lightwater.)

Sir?

LIGHTWATER:

Quite right, Hastings.

(CONTINUED)

LINE OF DUTY #2.4 Blue Revisions 19/07/13 21.

412 CONTINUED:
(8)

Dryden stands straight away. Hastings and Cottan stand

sharply, Steve and Kate more slowly.

HASTINGS:

Apologies again for troubling you,

sir.

DRYDEN:

Sure.

Dryden swans out with his rep, joins up with the uniformed

officers, and the retinue exits.

Steve and Kate are resentful of how it went. Cottan is the

only one who’s relaxed (and enhanced).

Hastings looks worried. He heads out quickly.

CUT TO:

413 INT. AC-12. OPEN-PLAN OFFICE/LIFTS. CONTINUOUS.

Hastings catches up with Dryden and his retinue.

HASTINGS:

Sir?

DRYDEN:

Ted?

Dryden lets the retinue continue to the lifts and call one.

HASTINGS:

My team, they’re young and keen -

DRYDEN:

It’s fine.

HASTINGS:

You understand, sir, this was

necessary. No one can appear to be

above -

DRYDEN:

Ted, it’s fine.

HASTINGS:

What I mean to say, sir, is I’d be

mortified if you thought I wasn’t

grateful for your support.

DRYDEN:

Never entered my head. Keep up the

good work.

(CONTINUED)

LINE OF DUTY #2.4 Blue Revisions 19/07/13 22.

413 CONTINUED:

Dryden joins his retinue in the lift. Hastings puts on a

convivial expression as he watches the lift door close. Just

before it does, Dryden shoots Hastings a slightly colder

look.

CUT TO:

413A

INT. AC-12. LIFT. CONTINUOUS.

Dryden heads down. We see that the question about Denton has

seriously unnerved him.

CUT TO:

414

INT. AC-12. OPEN-PLAN OFFICE/HASTINGS’ OFFICE/INTERVIEW ROOM.

CONTINUOUS.

From the lifts, Hastings heads for his office. We’re on him,

seeing him register what an invidious position he’s in, owing

his gratitude to someone he might have to investigate. It

takes him to a place of moral compromise he’s successfully

avoided throughout his career.

In the interview room, Steve and Kate are making notes, and

Cottan is receiving a mug of tea off a lackie. Steve sees

Hastings and comes out to pursue him; Kate and Cottan follow.

STEVE:

Sir?

Hastings continues into his office. Steve, Kate and Cottan

troop in.

STEVE:

(From notebook.)

I’ve listed questions that remain

unanswered in regard to DCC Dryden:

whether he approved the lack of

back-up and firearms, changing the

rota to put Denton on duty; his

alleged relationship with her ...

COTTAN:

Hold your horses. The gaffer’s

already said how careful we have to

be.

STEVE:

And that explains your stand-up

routine?

COTTAN:

There’s more than one way to skin a

cat.

(CONTINUED)

LINE OF DUTY #2.4 Blue Revisions 19/07/13 23.

414 CONTINUED:

STEVE:

Eh?

COTTAN:

We’re after the evidence. You’re

after a willy-waving contest.

STEVE:

Jesus.

HASTINGS:

I don’t recall saying, “Come in.”

(Beat.)

It’s fine, Steve, you did a grand

job.

(Hastings is too good a boss to put his problems on his team.

His default is to keep supporting them and deal with is own

problems privately.)

KATE:

I need clarification, sir. Will we

seek an interview with Mrs. Dryden?

HASTINGS:

No, it’s bound to be non-

evidential.

KATE:

Yes, sir.

COTTAN:

Sounds like a load of bollocks to

me anyway. Why would he lie to

incriminate himself? If anything

he’d dodge it and put it on his

missus.

KATE:

I think we’re getting a deeper

insight into why Dot’s divorced.

HASTINGS:

Let’s close it and dump it back to

Traffic.

COTTAN:

Sir.

Hastings moves to usher them out.

STEVE:

And the alleged relationship with

Lindsay Denton -- are we seeking

evidence?

(CONTINUED)

LINE OF DUTY #2.4 Blue Revisions 19/07/13 24.

414 CONTINUED:
(2)

HASTINGS:

Didn’t she say it was over?

STEVE:

With respect, sir, though it’s

historical, it connects Denton to

the person she alleges set her up.

COTTAN:

Can we just not be saying career-

ending stuff like that out loud?

HASTINGS:

(Beat.)

Okay, Steve. Look for

corroboration. But be very careful.

You’re dealing with someone’s

marriage here.

STEVE:

Sir.

Hastings ushers them out and shuts the door.

Out in the open-plan office, Steve, Kate and Cottan fall

silent. They all sense there’s something not quite business-

as-usual with their boss. It makes them all uncomfortable,

but it’s also the elephant in the room no one wants to

confront.

CUT TO:

414aA INT. PRISON. VPU. LINDSAY’S CELL. LATER THAT DAY.

Lindsay stews in her cell.

REGAN (O.S.)

MOVE AWAY FROM THE DOOR!

Instantly Lindsay tenses.

The door swings open.

She girds herself for whoever’s going to come at her.

Facing her are two new Offender Management Officers, REGAN

and CARROLL.

LINDSAY:

What happened to the other two?

They don’t answer.

CUT TO:

LINE OF DUTY #2.4 Blue Revisions 19/07/13 25.

414aB EXT. PRISON. EXERCISE YARD. MOMENTS LATER.

The electronic locks open on a gate; the gate buzzes loudly

as Carroll leads Lindsay into the yard followed by Regan.

CARROLL:

For your own safety, you’ll

exercise alone.

Lindsay surveys an empty yard.

Through the perimeter fence, she sees a dark 4WD coasting

along the road. It looks exactly like the one involved in the

ambush.

She watches it in concern, then it turns out of sight.

Lindsay finds the sight unsettling.

CUT TO:

414A INT. AC-12. OPEN-PLAN OFFICE. LATER THAT DAY.

Steve and Kate work at their computers.

Steve studies the database entries from Dryden and Lindsay.

He pores over Dryden’s service record, going back from his

stint in Crime Audit in 2008 to his posting to Vice a few

years earlier.

KATE:

Suppose Dryden was trying to create

an alibi for the night of the

speeding offence ...

STEVE:

Let’s request his electronic diary

and access to his work emails --

find out what his official

movements were that day.

KATE:

Okay.

Kate reaches for the phone. Instead her mobile rings. She

answers it.

KATE:

(Into phone.)

DC Fleming.

She listens. It’s a Custody Officer from 4th Street Station,

who’s been requested by Richard Akers to call her. Her face

drops.

(CONTINUED)

LINE OF DUTY #2.4 Blue Revisions 19/07/13 26.

414A CONTINUED:

KATE:

(Into phone.)

Thank you.

She hangs up.

Steve sees how uncomfortable she looks.

STEVE:

What?

KATE:

Major Violent Crime have arrested

Rich Akers.

CUT TO:

415&416 OMITTED

417 INT. 4TH STREET STATION. CUSTODY SUITE. LATER THAT DAY.

Steve and Kate enter at pace, approaching the Custody

Officer.

STEVE:

(Showing ID.)

DS Arnott, AC-12.

KATE:

(Showing ID.)

DC Fleming.

The Custody Officer notes their details in a log.

Cottan is waiting further on, outside an interview room.

COTTAN:

I’ve wangled it for us to observe.

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