Luther Page #4

Season #1 Episode #1

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here. But it helps.”

A broad grin. Reed steps forward. He and Luther hug it out.

Loud applause. Whistles.

35B INT. SCU - LUTHER AND REED’S OFFICE - DAY 3 - 10.13 35B

Luther and Reed enter. Luther is perturbed by the tidiness of

his area. Empty desk. Office chair tucked neatly into it.

Telephone. Desk tidy with no pens. Naked pinboard.

He puts down the mug. Picks it up again. Puts it down somewhere

else. No good. Wherever he puts it, the desk is still empty.

REED:

They welcomed you back with a weird

one.

LUTHER:

(distracted)

They did. They gave me a weird one.

You?

Reed shows him a THICK CASE FILE, then drops it onto his desk

REED:

Honour killing.

Luther winces, turns to the monitor at his desk. Glances at

Alice Morgan - with a female Family Liaison Officer - sitting

in shocked silence in the interview room.

REED:

So how are you?

LUTHER:

I’m splendid.

REED:

Excellent, then. Good. Splendid.

LUTHER by NEIL CROSS Episode 1 Page 18.

Opens his case file.

36 SCENE 36 OMITTED 36

37 INT. SCU, OUTSIDE INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY 3 - 14.23 37

Luther walks to the door of the interview room. Reaches for the

handle. Hesitates. Enjoys the moment. Back!

Then opens the door and steps through.

38 INT. SCU, INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY 3 - 14.23 38

Alice looks up as Luther enters and nods to the Family Liaison

Officer. The FLO leaves the room.

Luther is low-key, compassionate, unthreatening.

LUTHER:

Ms. Morgan?

ALICE:

Alice, please.

She has the beatific air of the deeply medicated.

LUTHER:

Alice, I’m John Luther, Senior

Investigating Officer. May I?

She nods -go ahead. Luther sits.

LUTHER:

I know you must be very tired.

ALICE:

Thank you. I am. I don’t think I’ve

ever been so tired.

LUTHER:

It’s shock. It’s how we react. It’s

one of those strange things.

This moment of everyday compassion moves her almost to tears.

LUTHER:

I know this has been a terrible,

terrible day. I know things look bleak

and you feel very alone. But believe

me when I say, we’ll do everything

possible to get whoever did this.

ALICE:

Thank you.

LUTHER:

So these things I’m going to ask - I

have to ask them. I’m sorry.

LUTHER by NEIL CROSS Episode 1 Page 19.

She sniffs. Nods. Go on.

LUTHER:

Do you have any idea who might have

wished your parents harm? Even if it’s

just a feeling, a sense of unease

about someone - something you heard

your mum or dad say, maybe? Something

that didn’t sit right.

ALICE:

No. There’s nothing. Mum was - a very

kind, very gracious woman.

LUTHER:

Would you like a glass of water? A cup

of tea?

ALICE:

I’m sorry. I’ll be okay.

LUTHER:

And your dad?

ALICE:

He was a very admirable man.

LUTHER:

The thing is, Alice - this was a very

singular crime. No sign of robbery, no

apparent - I’m sorry - no sexual

motivation. Now, I’ve been a police

officer a long time, and one of the

things I’ve learned in that time is,

crimes like this aren’t random. They

don’t happen without motive. I know

it’s painful, but I need you to dig

deep and really think - about any

money worries your parents may have

been experiencing, perhaps any marital

difficulties

ALICE:

I’ve done nothing but think. All I do

is think. There’s nothing. Absolutely

nothing.

Their eyes meet. Her gaze is wide, wounded. Raw. Trusting him

absolutely. Wanting to please - and failing.

39 INT. SCU, TELLER’S OFFICE - DAY 3 - 14.41

Teller is watching Luther and Alice on the monitor. She stands

as DETECTIVE CHIEF SUPERINTENDANT CORNISH enters.

TELLER:

Guv.

LUTHER by NEIL CROSS Episode 1 Page 20.

CORNISH:

So he’s back.

TELLER:

From outer space.

CORNISH:

You do know the man is nitroglycerine.

TELLER:

With respect, sir - a comprehensive

investigation under your edict cleared

him of any wrong-doing -

CORNISH:

Not least because the sole other

witness is in a coma measuring twelve

on the Glasgow Scale.

TELLER:

-and Mia Dalton is at school today,

not in the ground.

A beat. Challenging but not unfriendly.

CORNISH:

Rose, if you bet too heavily on Luther

then you stand or fall with him. And

with you goes this unit - and my

credibility, as its architect. Haven’t

you’ve worked too hard, for too long

to place that big a risk on such a

wild card?

TELLER:

I don’t consider him a risk.

CORNISH:

Then what is he?

TELLER:

An investment.

CORNISH:

And if Henry Madsen wakes up? Gives

his account of what happened that

night?

TELLER:

He won’t.

He gives her a wry look. Exits. And Teller sags. Perhaps not as

confident as she made herself appear.

40 INT. SCU, INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY 3 - 16.16

Luther and Alice.

LUTHER by NEIL CROSS Episode 1 Page 21.

LUTHER:

One last time - just to get it

absolutely clear in my head. You saw

nothing or anyone unusual.

ALICE:

I’m sorry. I wish I could tell you I

had.

(Beat)

I’ve got this feeling, this strange

feeling. Like I’m looking at it down

the wrong end of a telescope. As if it

happened years ago.

Luther pinches his nose, stifles a yawn.

LUTHER:

That happens. Under stress, we

remember things in strange ways.

Different parts of the brain take

over.

He makes a note. Alice’s eyes flick to him as he writes.

He drifts off for a moment. Stares at the paper. Dry-washes his

face with his hands - then YAWNS, extravagantly.

LUTHER:

Sorry. Long, long day.

ALICE:

Really. There’s no need. It’s very

tiring. Going round and round like

this. You must be exhausted.

A moment. Something in Luther‘s eyes.

Alice sees it. Their eyes meet. Something has changed between

them.

LUTHER:

Can I get you a coffee, maybe?

ALICE:

A tea would be nice.

He stands, aching and stiff. Paperwork under his arm. Exits.

41 INT. SCU, OUTSIDE INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY 3 - 16.18

He shuts the door. And we see the tiredness was a ruse. He’s

full of energy, electrified. He races past Ripley.

RIPLEY:

What’s happening?

Luther sweeps past. Stops. Turns.

LUTHER by NEIL CROSS Episode 1 Page 22.

LUTHER:

It was her. She did it.

42 INT. SCU, TELLER’S OFFICE - DAY 3 - 16.26

Teller, Ripley and Luther look at the video feed - a SERENE

ALICE.

Luther hits a KEY COMBINATION on a laptop.

ANGLE ON THE MONITORS: Luther YAWNS, extravagantly.

LUTHER:

Sorry. Long, long day.

ALICE:

Really. There’s no need.

Luther hits PAUSE.

LUTHER:

She didn’t yawn.

Blank looks.

LUTHER:

Yawning’s contagious. Someone in a

room yawns, you yawn too. Even talking

about it

(He waits. Teller and Ripley

each suppress a yawn.)

See? It’s got to do with the parts of

the brain that deal with empathy.

(taps at the back of his

skull, impatient.)

She didn’t yawn. She’s a psychopath.

TELLER:

And - he’s back.

RIPLEY:

Nothing in her affect points to

survivor guilt - “Why them? Why not

me?” That’s pretty atypical.

TELLER:

So her affect’s off. It could be shock

-medication. Whatever.

LUTHER:

It could be, except it’s not.

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