Line of Duty Page #13

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Dot nervously drinks his glass of water. |

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HASTINGS |

Well it couldn’t have been the |

money in Steve’s gym bag. Because |

that wasn’t recovered until the |

forensics carried out a search of |

the service vehicle the next day. |

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DOT |

Arnott was behaving suspiciously. I |

wanted to give Kate a heads up as |

they’ve been partners for a long |

time. |

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HASTINGS |

That’s very considerate of you, but |

I will ask you for the second time, |

what was the lead? |

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DOT |

(Beats. Struggling for answer.)|

Erm... I’d glimpsed some banknotes |

in his gym bag. I intended to |

investigate. |

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KATE |

When did you see the banknotes? |

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DOT |

Earlier that day. |

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KATE |

How could you have known that|

forensics would connect them to |

money planted at Lindsay’s? |

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Dot has been hoisted by his own petard. He |

shifts uneasily. He helps himself to a glass of |

water but for the first time his hand is |

shaking. They’ve got him on the ropes. |

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HASTINGS |

DI Cottan, were you able to |

forewarn Kate because you had a |

scheme in mind, when you were going |

to plant that money in Steve’s |

service vehicle? |

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DOT |

No. No. Absolutely not. |

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KATE |

That’s how the service vehicle was |

stolen. You cloned the key and were |

plotting to use it to plant |

evidence against Steve. |

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DOT |

No. No. Absolutely not. |

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But Dot sounds increasingly unconvincing. He |

knows it. He’s getting extremely edgy. |

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HASTINGS |

DI Cottan, I think we’ve earned the |

right to ask you the question: will |

you kindly tell us your whereabouts |

between 10 and 11 that morning. |

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DOT |

Well, I really don’t have to answer |

that question. |

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HASTINGS |

Don’t you? |

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DOT |

This is a voluntary interview and |

I’m only cooperating out of my |

lawful duty as a police officer to |

assist in a criminal inquiry. |

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HASTINGS |

Indeed you are. Indeed you are. We |

can call a halt to the proceedings |

right there, and leave this |

question hanging over you and your |

career. Or you can stick your hand |

up and offer us an answer and |

exclude yourself from our inquiry. |

It’s entirely your decision. |

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Dot has lost command, and continues to hesitate |

in the face of his dilemma. |

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HASTINGS (CONT’D)(O.S)|

Take your time. |

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Hastings and Kate stop looking at him and start |

making notes. Tension builds. Dot is all over |

the place. The solicitor whispers in his ear. |

The rep does the same. |

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DOT |

I was at my flat. I’d had a late |

night on surveillance, and I needed |

to catch up on some kip. |

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HASTINGS |

So you were in during those hours? |

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DOT |

Yes. |

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HASTINGS (O.S) |

Yes. |

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KATE |

Say that again. |

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Suddenly Dot is extremely worried. |

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KATE (CONT’D)|

You just said you were in your |

flat. We have that on tape. |

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Dot is very worried now, and Hastings is a |

fascinated observer, on the edge of his seat. |

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DOT |

Yeah... |

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HASTINGS |

It’s a very simple matter, DI|

Cottan. |

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KATE |

DI Cottan has answered. Haven’t |

you, DI Cottan? You’ve mentioned |

when questioned something you later |

intend to rely on in court. |

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Dot is seriously freaked by Kate’s appearance of |

having one over on him. |

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DOT |

Yeah, look I, uh, sorry... I may |

have got that wrong. Er... I just |

need to... think. Erm... I’d been |

up late and... |

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HASTINGS |

Take your time. Take your time. |

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Dot looks all at sea. He sees Lindsay looking |

down at him. |

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DOT |

Look. I need to think about that |

one... |

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HASTINGS (O.S)|

Absolutely. Absolulely. |

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Very deliberately, Dot reaches inside his |

jacket. |

Kate tenses.

Dot pulls out his phone.

Kate relaxes again.

DOT:

Maybe I could just check my

calendar...

Dot opens his calendar app.

HASTINGS (OVERLAPPING)

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Massive, escalating tension. Dot knows he’s on

the edge. Hastings and Kate do too.

Dot surreptitiously opens his text messages.

There’s one sitting there, already written, a

group message to various codenames:

Urgent exit required.

Dot speaks as he presses send, to disguise his

action.

DOT:

You wouldn’t have entered my flat,

would you, Kate?

Kate doesn’t answer, knows she’s on a knife

edge. Dot watches the sending bar extend and

complete. (His phone’s on silent so no sound is

made.) The message has been sent.

Outside the interview room, AFO X receives Dot’s

text.

DOT (CONT’D)

I mean alone.

Kate looks embarrassed. Hastings smells a rat.

But things happen incredibly fast. AFO X turns

his carbine on his colleague, releasing two

rounds to his colleague’s chest and strike the

wall behind before the colleague even collapses

to the floor. Dot hits the floor, anticipating

the following action:

AFO X machine-guns the glass of the interview

room, sending shards everywhere. As Kate,

Hastings, the solicitor and rep take cover, Dot

runs out, accompanied by AFO X.

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X:

Music Ends

11:
15:03

Music

11:
15:01

DUR:
4’00”.

Specially

composed by

Carly

Paradis.

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11:
15:22

Kate crawls out from under the table, scrambling |

to the wounded AFO. He’s not breathing. |

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Kate takes the AFO’s carbine and runs out. |

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HASTINGS |

(Generally)|

Tend to this wounded man here. |

Quick. |

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STAFFER |

Sir. |

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Kate picking up her stab vest on the way. |

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HASTINGS |

Kate! |

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She keeps running. |

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HASTINGS (CONT’D)|

(Generally.)|

Someone start CPR! I want this |

building locked down! |

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See Kate running down the corridor slipping on |

the stab vest. |

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Back in the office the staff attend to the |

wounded officer administering CPR. |

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CUT TO:
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INT. AC-12. LOBBY. CONTINUOUS. |

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Alarms sound. Dot and AFO X run down the stairs |

and towards the doors. A PC is activating the |

lock. |

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DOT |

Open the door! |

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Kate has reached the landing and looks down to |

the scene below. |

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AFO X points his gun at the PC. Terrified, the |

PC releases the door. Dot and AFO X run out. |

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AFO X |

Don’t Move! |

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CUT TO:
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EXT. STREET OUTSIDE AC-12. CONTINUOUS. |

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Dot and AFO X run. |

11:
15:28

11:
15:36

11:
15:38

11:
16:04

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DOT |

Gimme your Glock. There’s a pickup |

point. It’s all arranged. |

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AFO X hands Dot the pistol as they run. |

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HIGH ANGLE:
Dot and AFO X run through traffic on |

a busy high street. |

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CUT TO:
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INT. AC-12. LOBBY. CONTINUOUS. |

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With her stab vest on, Kate runs through the |

lobby towards the door. |

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Kate runs out. |

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CUT TO:
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EXT. STREET OUTSIDE AC-12. CONTINUOUS. |

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Kate runs out into the street, looks right, sees |

no one, looks left, and sees Dot and AFO X quite |

some distance away. |

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AFO X (O.S) |

Move! |

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A truck comes by. She flags it down. |

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KATE |

Stop! Stop! Armed Police. |

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Kate jumps on the foot-plate of the passenger |

side, able to speak through an open window to |

the driver. |

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KATE (CONT’D)|

Keep driving, as fast as you can! |

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DRIVER (O.S) |

Okay. |

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The driver complies, and the truck speeds along |

the street in pursuit of Dot and AFO X, entering |

a busy high street. |

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CUT TO:
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EXT. HIGH STREET. CONTINUOUS. |

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Kate is on the truck in hot pursuit. |

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