Line of Duty Page #11

That drops a bomb. Hastings looks embarrassed.

DOT (CONT’D)

(Enjoying it.)

I’m Sorry, sir, weren’t you aware

of the relationship between

Rogerson and Arnott?

HASTINGS:

No. I wasn’t.

Hastings looks dismayed.

DOT:

(To Kate.)

You should have told him, DC

Fleming, spared the gaffer his

blushes.

KATE:

The only person known to have

handled that file, apart from DS

Rogerson, is you, not DS Arnott.

DOT:

Well, the pair of them must have

hatched a plot to alter the file.

KATE:

DS Rogerson denies altering the

file.

DOT:

She would, wouldn’t she? Look, it

sounds to me like this is another

one to throw at Steven Arnott.

HASTINGS:

Yeah, well I’m still exercised by

the fact that you didn’t mention

any of this sooner.

DOT:

Yeah, well I don’t cast aspersions

on fellow officers unless I can

back it up with hard evidence.

Unlike some I could mention.

Hastings and Kate fall silent.

HASTINGS:

DC Fleming?

On screen appear photos of mobile phones.

KATE:

On screen you’ll see evidence

gathered in the case against

Harinderpal Bains. Images 291 and

292, showing item reference MR-3

and MR-4. MR-3 and MR-4 are

unregistered mobile phones

recovered from Hari Bains’s home.

DOT:

(To Hastings.)

Sir, what is this?

HASTINGS:

One of our own’s about to be

charged with murder. I think we’re

entitled to ask a few questions,

don’t you?

DOT:

Yeah, of course, whatever I can do

to help.

KATE:

These phones were provided to Bains

and he used them to communicate

with the Caddy. A similar type of

phone was recovered from the boot

of DS Arnott’s car.

DOT:

Yeah. These are matters of fact in

the case against Steven Arnott.

KATE:

Yeah, well I’m just making sure we

all understand the “facts” as they

stand. We’ll return to the phones

shortly.

Dot shifts uneasily. Hastings and Kate see this

and look encouraged.

KATE (CONT’D)

Now in last night’s interview of DS

Arnott, you stated that you’d

attempted to order a second post

mortem on the body of PC Rod

Kennedy. A search of email records

found no email from you to the

pathologist’s office requesting

said post-mortem.

HASTINGS:

DI Cottan?

DOT:

Sir? Seriously? Look, you know what

the IT system’s like in this

building. Just because it’s not on

the server that does not mean I

didn’t send it.

HASTINGS:

As a matter of fact, DI Cottan,

what I’m seeing here is a... is a

pattern. A pattern of failure to

discharge your responsibilities as

a senior detective. I mean you

should have been chasing up that

post mortem.

DOT:

No. You’re absolutely right, sir.

And what’s worse is Kate had made a

specific point of asking me an’

all. I was beside myself when I

realised. And I apologise

unreservedly for my error.

Dot looks at Hastings and Kate, hopeful he’s put

them off the scent.

HASTINGS:

But you see, DI Cottan. It raises

the distinct possibility that you

were some how reluctant to seek

confirmation that Kennedy wasn’t a

suicide, that he was in fact

murdered?

DOT:

Well I was very pleased with that

information, sir, as it was

instrumental in our arrest of

Bains, for which I won a

commendation.

Dot looks confident of his position. Hastings

and Kate give him this moment, then press on.

HASTINGS:

Let’s just stay with Hari Bains for

a second. He levelled some very

disturbing allegations against you,

DI Cottan, wouldn’t you agree?

DOT:

Which I strenuously deny, and for

which there’s zero evidence.

HASTINGS:

Yes, well, we carried out a search

of your service vehicle.

DOT:

What? Now I’m doing very well to

avoid blowing my top here. This is

out of order.

Music

11:
00:42

DUR:
1’49”.

Specially

composed by

Carly

Paradis.

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SOLICITOR:

And, as you well know, completely

illegal under the Police and

Criminal Evidence Act 1984, as DI

Cottan is neither under arrest nor

charged with an offence.

HASTINGS:

Yes, well, said illegality would

only apply if it was DI Cottan’s

personal vehicle. His service

vehicle is owned by the Police and

as such we are entitled to search

it without any form of authority.

SOLICITOR:

Still, in my view we’ve reached the

point where either you stop, or you

caution my client.

Tense beats. It looks like it could go either

way. With a nod from his solicitor, Dot looks

triumphant and starts to exit. He crosses to the

exit.

HASTINGS:

DI Cottan, stay right there. You do

not have to say anything however it

may harm your defence if you fail

to mention something under

questioning that you later go on to

rely on in court. And of course,

anything you do say may be used in

evidence.

(he motions for Dot to sit)

Thank you.

Dot and his rep and solicitor sit back down.

DOT:

(Beats.)

What the hell are you doing

searching my car?

HASTINGS:

(Shoves document to Dot’s

solicitor.)

This is a signed authority from

Superintendent Summers of AC-3 to

investigate AC-12 officers, based

on concerns raised by DC Fleming.

DOT:

(Shocked.)

Kate?

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X:

Music Ends

11:
02:31

Kate can’t look Dot in the eye. She averts her

gaze, ashamed. Dot looks hurt and angry.

HASTINGS:

Just doing our job here. There’s

nothing personal.

Dot recovers.

DOT:

Kate was obviously investigating

Steven Arnott, not me.

HASTINGS:

The signed authority from

Superintendent Summers is a bit

like grandma’s nightgown --it

covers everything.

Awkward beats. Hastings needs to prompt Kate out

of the awkward interplay with Dot.

HASTINGS (CONT’D)

DC Fleming --the search of DI

Cottan’s service vehicle if you

please?

KATE:

Sir. Service vehicle November

Juliet Zero Seven Zulu Foxtrot

Whisky, was examined forensically,

with one notable finding.

Kate brings up an image on screen, some rope

fibres.

KATE (CONT’D)

Item GBS-8 is a number of synthetic

fibres. Comparison of fibres from

GBS-8 and NTW-7 finds multiple

chemical correlations that imply a

very strong likelihood the

materials derive from the same

original source.”

HASTINGS:

“The same original source.”

KATE:

NTW-7 is the item reference

assigned to the rope found at the

industrial unit where Hari Bains

was arrested.

Music

11:
03:10

DUR:
1’47”.

Specially

composed by

Carly

Paradis.

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HASTINGS |

The noose had been in your boot. |

The noose that you claimed Hari |

Bains was going to hang you with! |

|

Everyone reacts --this is a massive bombshell. |

Everyone apart from Dot. |

|

HASTINGS (CONT’D)|

What the forensics are suggesting |

is that you planted it there in |

that industrial unit to falsely |

incriminate Bains for Kennedy’s |

murder! |

|

Dot helps himself to a glass of water, biding |

his time, getting his thoughts together as |

coolly as possible. |

|

DOT |

Bains had handled the rope when he |

prepared the noose. Bains and I had |

a scuffle in which he attempted to |

overpower me. Fibres transferred on |

to me. Those fibres were then |

transferred into my service vehicle |

the next morning when I clocked on. |

|

KATE |

They were in the boot, nowhere |

else. |

|

DOT |

The first thing I do before I get |

in the motor, is sling my coat and |

briefcase in the boot. Now if those |

fibres were going to end up |

anywhere that is exactly where |

they’d be found. |

|

Dot, completely poker faced, Kate and Hastings |

have been brilliantly out manoeuvred. |

|

HASTINGS |

Are you covering for the real |

murderer of Rod Kennedy? |

|

DOT |

No, I’m not. |

|

HASTINGS |

Were you involved in murdering Rod |

Kennedy? |

|

DOT |

No, I wasn’t. |

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