Line of Duty Page #9

HASTINGS:

Thank you, Kate.

Exit Kate.

GILL:

You’re barking up the wrong tree.

Matthew Cottan has done a first-

rate job of rooting out a bad

apple.

HASTINGS:

Gill -

GILL:

As for the file, he knew we were

being obstructed so he obtained it

through unofficial channels.

HASTINGS:

Yeah. Why didn’t he just give it

me?

GILL:

Because he was afraid you’d give

him a dressing down for acting

improperly.

HASTINGS:

Gill. Even after the time we spent

together, you really don’t know me

at all.

Exit Gill. Hastings looks daunted by his

choices.

CUT TO:

INT. AC-12. OPEN-PLAN OFFICE. LATER THAT NIGHT.

Dead of night. The place is deserted except for

Kate, Hastings and now Maneet. In civvies,

Maneet’s rocking her baby (6 months) off to

sleep.

Maneet shows them images from traffic cameras,

starting with a still from a traffic camera of

Steve’s Volvo passing through traffic signals in

the city centre. The time in the top right-hand

corner is 09:
46 17-07-2015.

MANEET:

This is a video capture taken from

a traffic camera situated on the

Kingsgate Express Way showing

traffic at the time indicated in

the top right hand corner, 09:46.

HASTINGS:

Steve’s car?

MANEET:

At first glance, yes, but...

Maneet zooms the image, blowing up the

registration plate, which is not Steve’s.

KATE:

Different reg.

MANEET:

Correct. Here are more traffic

camera images.

Maneet brings up a sequence of five traffic

camera images of the same vehicle in different

locations. Kate and Hastings study the images,

she explains while holding her sleeping baby.

MANEET (CONT’D)

This same vehicle captured

travelling through the city centre,

on traffic cameras a few minutes

apart. Image enhancement has failed

to show who's driving. Now here’s a

street map.

Maneet brings up a map with the locations and

times of the vehicle sightings.

MANEET (CONT’D)

This street map shows the locations

of the vehicle at times

corresponding to the exact times of

the traffic camera images. I’m now

going to add the location of the

internet cafe where Lindsay Denton

was last seen alive that morning.

Next the street map appears the same apart from

the addition of the internet cafe location. The

locations of the vehicle are clearly heading

towards the internet cafe. Baby stirs.

KATE:

Someone was driving the vehicle to

Lindsay’s location that morning.

MANEET:

Yes. Previous to the internet cafe,

Lindsay Denton was last seen at her

Approved Premises the night before.

I’m now going to add the location

of the Approved Premises.

Maneet brings up the location of the Approved

Premises and it tallies with the route of the

vehicle.

MANEET (CONT’D)

There’s an hour’s delay in the

timeline of the vehicle’s

movements, suggesting it hung

around the Approved Premises during

this time.

HASTINGS:

So, Lindsay was followed to the

internet cafe.

MANEET:

Looks like it, sir.

HASTINGS:

And correct me if I’m wrong, but

this is the same time that Steve

says that he was home alone?

KATE:

Yes, that’s correct, sir. Steve

doesn’t have an alibi. So it could

be him driving that vehicle.

MANEET:

One final thing. I’ve identified

this registration as belonging to

another make and model entirely.

They’re fake plates.

HASTINGS:

Well done. Well done. I think you

better get that wee one home. And

thanks very much for coming in.

Maneet wants to say more, but Hastings and Kate

don’t realise, so she exits carrying her baby.

KATE:

Why would Steve be driving his own

car with fake plates?

10:
49:33

HASTINGS:

To hide his movements.

KATE:

It doesn’t make sense, sir. She

wouldn’t have got in the car. If

Steve turned up with fake plates,

she’d had know he was up to

something. She would never get in.

HASTINGS:

Maybe she just didn’t see it.

KATE:

We all know Lindsay, sir. She never

missed a thing.

Hastings absorbs this sagely.

Maneet reappears at the access gate.

MANEET:

Sorry, Kate, you couldn’t give us a

hand with the lift?

KATE:

Yeah. Sure.

Kate joins Maneet at the lift. Kate helps her

with the baby bag and holds the lift door.

MANEET:

(Whispers.)

Off the record, DI Cottan put

pressure on me not to tell Steve

about the additional forensics on

the envelope found in Danny

Waldron’s flat.

KATE:

Cheers, Maneet.

The lift door shuts on Maneet. Kate takes that

in and moves off with renewed vigour.

CUT TO:

INT. AC-12. MEETING ROOM/WAITING AREA. LATER

THAT NIGHT.

Hastings goes through reams of documents. A man

drops of a large box if files. Enter Kate.

KATE:

He’s here, sir.

Music

10:
49:26

DUR:
0’38”.

Specially

composed by

Carly

Paradis.

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10:
50:37

HASTINGS:

And?

KATE:

Well, I can’t say he’s very

happy...

Hastings follows Kate out of the meeting room

and to the waiting area. In the waiting area not

looking remotely comfortable is DC Nigel Morton,

in casual civvies, looking like he’s just been

got out of his bed (which he has).

HASTINGS:

DC Morton, would you mind coming

with us.

Morton sits.

HASTINGS (CONT’D)

DC Morton?

MORTON:

I’m not coming anywhere till I get

some assurances.

HASTINGS:

Assurances of what?

MORTON:

Four things:
im --mu – ni --ty...

Sir.

Morton folds his arms and holds out. Hastings

and Kate look bitter about being held over a

barrel.

CUT TO:

INT. DOT’S LAIR. LATER THAT DAY.

Dot makes his breakfast --cracking eggs into a

frying pan.

His work mobile phone rings.

DOT:

(Into phone.)

DI Cottan.

(Listens. Face drops.)

Questions about what, sir?

(Listens. Feels worse.)

When do you want to do this, sir?

(Listens.)

Yes. No, I’m happy to assist.

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X:

Music Ends

10:
50:04

Music

10:
50:29

DUR:
1’29”.

Specially

composed by

Carly

Paradis.

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10:
51:20

10:
51:51

Dot hangs up. He looks very worried.

CUT TO:

INT. AC-12. VANTAGE POINT/LOBBY. LATER THAT DAY.

Daylight streams in through the windows.

Hastings and Kate have pulled an all-nighter.

She’s in the same crumpled clothes, he’s

unshaven and bleary-eyed. Kate drinks strong

coffee. Hastings shaves with an electric razor.

They gaze down into the lobby.

The revolving doors turn. Enter Dot with his rep

and solicitor, to sign in at the desk. Dot looks

fresh as a daisy. Two AFOs, one being AFO X,

stand guard with G36s.

HASTINGS:

All right. Let’s do this.

Exit Hastings. Dot signs in.

CUT TO:

INT. AC-12. BEHIND INTERVIEW ROOM. CONTINUOUS.

Hastings enters from round the corner. Gill

waits for him by the interview room. Hastings

sees her and tenses.

HASTINGS:

Morning.

Gill shuts the door.

GILL:

A word to the wise. Arnott or

Cottan, if either turns out to be a

bad apple, he’s acting alone. They

can’t be connected to any wider

conspiracy.

HASTINGS:

I see. And Patrick Fairbank the

same?

GILL:

We feel his legal team have a

strong case. His dementia

precludes a trial.

HASTINGS:

He might have forgotten some

important details.

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