Line of Duty Page #9

HASTINGS:

All that your idea, Manish, or was

it Dryden’s? Did Dryden kill her?

PRASAD:

I request immunity from prosecution

and enrolment in a witness

protection programme.

STEVE:

We’ve got you on CCTV at a City

Hall function with Dryden and with

Carly Kirk.

PRASAD:

Immunity.

HASTINGS:

What were the three of you doing

there together?

PRASAD:

Im-mu-ni-ty.

Prasad glares glassily at all three of them. They’re all

utterly frustrated.

CUT TO:

545E OMITTED

545EA INT. AC-12. OPEN-PLAN OFFICE. LATER THAT DAY.

The lift door opens. Steve comes out and heads towards his

desk. Kate jumps up from hers straight away.

KATE:

Good timing. There’s summat you

need to see.

(CONTINUED)

LINE OF DUTY #2.5 Tan Revisions 19/7/13 52.

545EA CONTINUED:

She leads him out.

CUT TO:

545EB INT. AC-12. EVIDENCE ROOM. MOMENTS LATER.

This is a secure space within the AC-12 Department.

An IT Technician unlocks a small battered laptop computer

that’s prominently labelled AC-12 SEIZED IN EVIDENCE.

KATE:

This was found in the boot of

Prasad’s private car, hidden under

the spare wheel.

Up come photos of Dryden, long-lens surveillance shots of him

going in and out of Police HQ, in and out of his home, in and

out of his car, lots of random shots.

KATE:

The night we’re interested in is

16th August, the night of the

driving offence.

(To IT Technician.)

Show the files with that date.

The technician complies. Soon he’s showing photos of Dryden

sitting in his parked car accompanied by a young woman on the

passenger seat.

KATE:

Zoom.

The photo gets zoomed till the woman’s face is recognisable --

CARLY KIRK.

KATE:

Carly Kirk. He must’ve left the

reception with her.

STEVE:

Keep going.

More images come up. They show what looks like Carly giving

Dryden a blow-job but obviously that’s circumstantial -- her

head going down out of sight in the car.

Steve and Kate react. They reflect for a couple of beats on

what to do next, absorbing the enormity of this discovery.

Steve is delighted and energised.

STEVE:

Got the bastard.

(CONTINUED)

545EB

545F

LINE OF DUTY #2.5 Tan Revisions 19/7/13 53.

CONTINUED:

Kate seems more photo files.

KATE:

Open those photo files.

The technician obliges. We don’t see what’s revealed but Kate

and Steve are visibly shocked. Kate looks upset at the sight.

CUT TO:

OMITTED:

INT. AC-12. HASTINGS’ OFFICE. MOMENTS LATER.

Kate pins photos on a board showing Dryden with Carly,

observed by Steve and Cottan.

STEVE:

We’ve got Prasad’s Dying

Declaration that Dryden set up the

ambush. And now we’ve got the

motive.

KATE:

These other images we also found.

Kate puts up images of a young woman dressed in a waitress’s

clothing, obviously dead, with mutilated face and hands.

These images need to be done in an implicit way to ensure

making the cut.

KATE:

This appears to be Carly Kirk’s

body before it was buried under the

concrete floor of the industrial

unit.

Hastings studies the photos.

HASTINGS:

Okay, okay, good work. But there’s

something I’m not getting. Prasad

has these photos? To my mind, that

makes him part of the effort to

blackmail Dryden. Then he switches

sides, does Dryden’s bidding, and

carries out the ambush?

COTTAN:

Till we can get the CPS to agree

terms on Prasad’s immunity, we’re

stuck.

(CONTINUED)

LINE OF DUTY #2.5 Tan Revisions 19/7/13 54.

546 CONTINUED:

STEVE:

And we’re stuck on Dryden without

Prasad’s testimony.

HASTINGS:

(Blows heavy sigh.)

Too many ifs and buts.

KATE:

That’s why we need to fill in the

gaps with Dryden, sir.

COTTAN:

We’re past evidence threshold, sir.

STEVE:

We can’t do much more without

arresting him ...

COTTAN:

Would’ve by now, if he weren’t the

DCC.

All eyes on Hastings. He’s staring down the barrel of a gun.

Agonising beats.

HASTINGS:

Do it.

STEVE+KATE+COTTAN

Sir.

They exit sharply. Hastings knows he’s crossed the Rubicon.

CUT TO:

546A INT. AC-12. OPEN-PLAN OFFICE. CONTINUOUS.

Steve accompanies Kate.

STEVE:

Everything okay with you?

KATE:

Fine.

She heads towards her desk. Steve knows something’s up but

decides not to pursue it.

Steve heads towards the lifts.

KATE:

Where you going?

(CONTINUED)

LINE OF DUTY #2.5 Tan Revisions 19/7/13 55.

546A CONTINUED:

STEVE:

To tell Lindsay.

KATE:

Mind if we don’t?

Beats. He studies her. She takes a few steps to somewhere

more private. He follows.

KATE:

(Lowers voice.)

When she was given the long-term

mispers, Carly Kirk was the one

case she prioritised. Out of all

the possible cases, this ends up

being the girl Dryden was with?

STEVE:

He knew she was onto him, and

that’s why he set her up.

KATE:

(Very sceptical.)

How, exactly?

STEVE:

Well let’s ask her then. She’ll

have an answer.

KATE:

She will. That’s the problem.

Kate moves off, leaving Steve to reflect on Lindsay’s

guilt/innocence.

CUT TO:

546B INT. DRYDEN’S HOUSE. THAT EVENING.

Dryden works in his home office.

Tyres crunch on the gravel drive. Surprised and concerned, he

goes to investigate.

CUT TO:

546C EXT. DRYDEN’S HOUSE. CONTINUOUS.

Dryden comes out. Steve and Kate get out of his car. Two

uniforms get out of a liveried patrol vehicle.

DRYDEN:

What’s going on?

(CONTINUED)

LINE OF DUTY #2.5 Tan Revisions 19/7/13 56.

546C CONTINUED:

STEVE:

Would you come with us, please,

sir?

DRYDEN:

Where?

KATE:

We’ve made an arrangement with East

Midlands. Superintendent Hastings

felt that was the most sensitive

way to proceed.

Dryden takes a beat to process what that must mean. His wife

comes out to see what’s going on.

DRYDEN:

Work, love. Give us a minute.

Please.

She goes back inside.

DRYDEN:

I’ve got no intention of making

this easy for you.

STEVE:

(Beats. Gulps.)

Michael Dryden, you’re to accompany

us for questioning. We’re not

arresting you at this time but if

you do not comply then we will be

forced to arrest you.

DRYDEN:

Get off home, the pair of you. Past

your bedtime.

Dryden expects Steve and Kate to wilt. They don’t.

STEVE:

We’re not going anywhere, sir,

unless you’re with us.

Dryden won’t make this easy. He folds his arms, not budging.

STEVE:

Michael Dryden, I’m arresting you.

You do not have to say anything but

it may harm your defence if you

fail to mention when questioned

something you later rely on in

court. Anything you do say may be

used in evidence.

CUT TO:

LINE OF DUTY #2.5 Tan Revisions 19/7/13 57.

547

OMITTED:

548

INT. HASTINGS’ BED-SIT. LATER THAT EVENING.

Hastings’ mobile rings. He sees the caller ID (STEVE ARNOTT)

and answers it.

HASTINGS:

(Into phone.)

Steve.

STEVE (O.S.)

It’s done.

HASTINGS:

(Into phone.)

Well done, son. Well done.

Hastings hangs up, and stares into the abyss.

CUT TO:

548A

EXT. LINDSAY’S HOUSE. CONTINUOUS.

Steve hangs up. He’s seated in his car right outside

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