Line of Duty Page #5

STEVE |

Right, so no prints. Lindsay Denton |

was shot at close range. The |

vehicle interior shows a |

substantial blood-spatter pattern. |

Did you find blood particles on me? |

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KATE |

At the time of Steve Arnott’s |

arrest, his clothing was seized for |

forensic examination. There were no |

traces of blood or gunshot residue |

detected. |

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DOT |

Yes, but anyone with half a brain |

covered in blood and gunshot |

residue would know to dispose of |

his clothing. |

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STEVE |

So where’s this clothing? |

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DOT |

You tell us. |

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STEVE |

Why would I shoot Lindsay in my own |

car? I’d know the forensics would |

be totally incriminating. |

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DOT |

Correct. They are. |

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STEVE |

So I wouldn’t have done it! |

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HASTINGS |

Yes, come on. You were at the end |

of your tether with Lindsay Denton. |

She’d betrayed you, manipulated |

you, deceived you, and finally she |

discredited you. You weren’t |

thinking straight. |

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STEVE |

So I used my service-issue firearm |

that I left at the scene? And I |

used my registered service vehicle? |

I mean that’s just stupid! |

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DOT |

You panicked. You left your bullet |

and the casing and you didn’t do a |

good enough job disposing of the |

gun. Then you cobbled together some |

story about your motor being

nicked. In fact, the only thing you

didn’t make a hash of was the blood

stained clothing.

STEVE:

That’s not what happened!

KATE:

Image 22 shows item reference EDC3,

found in said service vehicle.

Kate brings up an on-screen photo of a blood

stained pocketbook. It bears the name DS S.

ARNOTT and his badge number.

HASTINGS:

Can you tell us what item EDC-3 is?

STEVE:

My pocketbook.

HASTINGS:

And is that the one stolen by

Lindsay?

STEVE:

Yes, sir.

DOT:

So you went after her to get it

back, things got out of hand, and

in your panic you didn’t even

remember to take it.

STEVE:

I didn’t take it because I wasn’t

there!

HASTINGS:

Yes. So you’ve said. Is there

anyone, anyone, that we can talk to

who will bear witness to the fact

that you were at home during the

time of Lindsay Denton’s murder?

Steve searches for a response, in vain. He looks

defeated.

STEVE:

I had my issues with Lindsay

Denton, I can’t deny that --but I

wouldn’t kill her!

Hastings and Kate share a look --they’re both

feeling sad and awkward for Steve. Dot isn’t,

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X:

Music Ends

10:
22:49

though.

DOT:

So you’ve said.

STEVE:

I didn’t have that gun! So if I

didn’t return it, why didn’t anyone

try and recover it?

There’s a tense silence.

SOLICITOR:

DS Arnott’s asked a very important

question.

HASTINGS:

Yes, well I admit, there was a

failure to do due diligence in the

part of the officers at South Ferry

Armoury. But I’ve written to the

Strategic Firearms Commander making

my feelings on the matter

abundantly clear and I can assure

you, disciplinary action will

follow.

STEVE:

No one realised because I had

returned the firearm!

(beat.)

Someone must have access to the

booking-out forms, and replaced the

real one --the one showing I

surrendered the gun --with the

forgery.

HASTINGS:

Yes. But this same “someone” would

have to have signed out the same

gun that was used in the murder -and

where’s the record of that?

STEVE:

It’s the same thing, sir. Stolen,

so no one can track who’s got the

weapon.

HASTINGS:

All right, let me get this

straight, DS Arnott – what you’re

saying is that some impostor

acquired the firearm and then

tampered with the paperwork to

cover his tracks?

STEVE:

Yes, sir. Obviously the same person

who stole my service vehicle that

morning.

DOT:

So your defence is, “It wasn’t me.

It was just some random impostor.”

STEVE:

No. Not random. To know it’s

extremely difficult to steal a

service-issue firearm, but not

actually all that difficult to fake

the paperwork, that takes inside

knowledge. This was done by a

police officer.

DOT:

Oh? But apparently it’s a piece of

cake to steal a service-issue

vehicle, fitted with deadlocks and

immobiliser?

Steve has no answer. But he sees Kate making

another note, he feels a tiny glimmer of hope.

HASTINGS:

I have to say this is all sounding

a bit far-fetched, son.

STEVE:

There’s a parallel in this case,

sir. Ever since we started

investigating Danny Waldron -first

his shooting of Ronan Murphy,

then Danny’s murder – there have

been holes that the evidence hasn’t

completely filled, one of which is

the murder of PC Rod Kennedy.

DOT:

Sir, this is a massive tangent. DS

Arnott knows we have to charge or

release and he’s playing for time.

STEVE:

Sir, DI Cottan was too quick to

close the investigation into

Kennedy’s murder, just like he was

with his inquiry into the Caddy.

He’s doing the same thing here.

He’s cutting corners, not

challenging evidence robustly, and

I’m the one suffering for his

negligence.

Music

10:
24:51

DUR:
1’07”.

Specially

composed by

Carly

Paradis.

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DOT:

Sir, DS Arnott’s casting aspersions

for one reason and one reason only

to discredit this case. To get AC12

taken off the investigation

against him. It’s what these

coppers do when you’ve got ‘em bang

to rights --exploit their

knowledge of the system to try and

tie us in knots.

HASTINGS:

Look. I’d be really grateful if we

could just stick to the issue in

hand here, which is the murder of

Lindsay Denton.

DOT:

Thank you, sir.

Seamlessly Dot brings up an image of Steve’s car

at the Lindsay crime scene.

DOT (CONT’D)

Now with respect to service vehicle

Foxtrot Juliet One Four Romeo

Charlie Zulu a forensic search was

carried out at the crime scene.

Dot brings up a photo of the open boot

containing various items including a gym bag.

DOT (CONT’D)

Image 43. Interior of service

vehicle boot. Image 45.

Dot brings up a closer shot of the gym bag.

DOT (CONT’D)

Image 45 is Item reference VCT-7.

Do you recognise VCT-7?

STEVE:

My gym bag.

DOT:

Image 46.

Dot brings up a shot of the interior of the bag.

DOT (CONT’D)

Image 46 shows the contents of VCT

7. Sports clothing and trainers.

Image 47.

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X:

Music Ends

10:
25:58

Dot brings up a shot of a pay-as-you-go basic

mobile phone.

STEVE:

That was not in my bag! What? What

is going on here?

HASTINGS:

(Chiding.)

DS Arnott. Please.

DOT:

Image 47 shows item reference VCT

9. VCT-9 is an unregistered pay-asyou-

go mobile phone.

HASTINGS:

Your phone, DS Arnott?

STEVE:

No, sir.

HASTINGS:

“No, sir.”

STEVE:

Someone put that there.

DOT:

VCT-9 is a phone of the type

repeatedly associated with covert

criminal communications.

STEVE:

That is not my phone!

HASTINGS:

What the hell is it doing in your

gym bag?

SOLICITOR:

DS Arnott denies any knowledge of

the phone. There’s clearly some

irregularity with the search.

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