Red Riding Page #7

PAULA:

Thanks for the drink.

Paula pushes past Eddie - heads for the door. He watches her

go. Wants her...

50 EXT. STREETS, CASTLEFORD - NIGHT 50

Paula Garland walks through the deserted streets like a

ghost. Everything around her is frozen and silent.

51 INT/EXT. VAUXHALL VIVA / PAULA GARLAND’S HOUSE -NIGHT 51

Eddie smokes and waits in his car opposite Paula’s house. No

lights on. Then in the mirror he sees Paula’s figure emerge

out of the dark. He ditches the fag.

Paula pauses - as if sensing the air. Eddie scrunches himself

down in the seat...

Paula turns lets herself in through the red door.

No lights come on. But Eddie watches her come to stand at the

window, smoking a cigarette. Very blonde. Very pale.

Does she know he’s watching her?

1974.TG.170808 Locked Draft - 1st Revision

37

52 EXT/INT. PAULA GARLAND’S HOUSE / FRONT ROOM - NIGHT 52

Eddie crosses to the house. He can see Paula inside. The glow

of her cigarette... She turns to look at him through the

glass... He puts his hand against the front door. It’s off

the catch...

53 INT. PAULA GARLAND’S HOUSE, FRONT ROOM - NIGHT 53

Eddie watches Paula’s image in the large mirror. Her eyes are

on him. Velvet eyes. Red mouth.

Eddie’s hands go out... Inches from her body... His mouth a

fraction from her neck... His hands go out. His mouth close.

Can’t move closer...

Wants her. Can’t have her...

54 OMITTED 54

55 OMITTED 55

55A INT. EDDIE’S MOTHER’S HOUSE, BEDROOM - DAWN 55A

Eddie wakes from his sex dream. Still wants her. Still can’t

have her... Sound of the phone ringing... His mothers low

voice, then...

EDDIE’S MOTHER O/S

Eddie? It’s for you. About Barry.

56 OMITTED 56

57 INT. THE ATHENA CAFETERIA - DAY 57

Eddie heads fast through the steamed up cafeteria packed with

PRESS; LOCALS, but also NATIONALS at separate tables.

GAZ:

Brakes went. Straight in the back

of van. Bang! Pane of glass slices

through - scalped him - took the

top of his f***ing head clean off!

EDDIE:

They’re sure it’s him?

GEORGE GREAVES:

Barry’s dead, mate.

1974.TG.170808 Locked Draft - 1st Revision

38

GAZ:

And in f***ing Morley too.

A hand on Eddie’s shoulder. Jack Whitehead. Boozed up.

JACK:

Dead drunk’s what I heard.

EDDIE:

You’d know, Jack!

JACK:

(crosses himself)

Mea culpa, but it wasn’t me getting

our Dear Departed pissed up, was

it.

GAZ:

Heads up! Press Conference.

EVERYONE moves. Coats, fag packets and papers grabbed. They

all head out into the rain with newspapers over their heads.

Jack pauses - speaks quietly to Eddie.

JACK:

Sure you’ve the stomach for it,

Scoop?

EDDIE:

Like you, Jack?

JACK:

Oh, no. You’re the man. Jack

Whitehead’s away from his desk just

now.

Eddie is left alone and friendless.

58 INT/EXT. VIVA / MORLEY, VICTORIA RD JUNCTION - DAY 58

Eddie drives slowly down Victoria Road. He slows as he

approaches the junction. Police tape streams from the lamp

post. A sign:
FATAL ACCIDENT. A plea for information. Smashed

green glass has been swept into a heap.

58A EXT. MORLEY, VICTORIA RD JUNCTION - DAY 58A

Eddie stares at pile of smashed glass. A young, very friendly

sergeant - BOB FRASER - comes up to him - shakes hands. Eddie

is immediately suspicious.

BOB FRASER:

Sergeant Bob Fraser. Thanks for

coming, Mr. Dunford... I know you

were friends.

1974.TG.170808 Locked Draft - 1st Revision

EDDIE:

Yeah. Is it true the van was

carrying plates of glass?

BOB FRASER:

Yes.

EDDIE:

And one went through the

windscreen...?

BOB FRASER:

Yes.

EDDIE:

So, you reckon it was

instantaneous?

BOB FRASER:

I’d say so, sir, yes.

EDDIE:

F***.

BOB FRASER:

Yeah... I understand you last saw

Mr. Gannon in the Shakespeare

Public House... Would you say he

was drinking heavily?

EDDIE:

I think he had a half. Pint at the

most.

BOB FRASER:

And you’ve no idea where he went

from there?

EDDIE:

No.

BOB FRASER:

No idea why he might have come to

Morley?

EDDIE:

None... It’s a strange one...

BOB FRASER:

I see... We almost have all the

details, sir. There’ll be an

inquest tomorrow...

EDDIE:

Bit quick, isn’t it?

1974.TG.170808 Locked Draft - 1st Revision

40

BOB FRASER:

I think the family are keen to, youknow, get it all sorted...

EDDIE:

Right.

BOB FRASER:

If anything occurs to you, I can bereached through the Morley policestation.

EDDIE:

Thanks...

(appraises Fraser)

You’re one of the good ones, aren’tyou, sergeant?

BOB FRASER:

I do my best, sir. Not good copy,

is it.

EDDIE:

Not really.

Eddie stares across the street, the world fading. Through thetraffic:

Clare Kemplay in her red kagool waves at Eddie...

59 OMITTED 59

60 OMITTED 60

61 OMITTED 61

62 OMITTED 62

62A OMITTED 62A

63 OMITTED 63 *

64 EXT. HUNSLET CARR, MOTORWAY - DAY 64

Eddie’s car is parked on the hard shoulder, door open, radio

on. The radio plays. “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?”.

The same music Eddie heard when he was approaching theburning Gypsy camp earlier:

*

*

*

*

1974.TG.170808 Locked Draft - 1st Revision

41

“As I walk this land with broken dreams / I have visions of

many things...”

Eddie stands on the embankment. The busy motorway on oneside, the wasteland on the other. Like a sentinel. Caughtbetween worlds. Below him is the circle of burned out

caravans and scorched earth where the encampment was razed.

SURVEYORS in hard hats measure out the land. Above Eddie is a

hoarding:
A DAWSON UK DEVELOPMENT. A SHOPPING CENTRE FOR

HUNSLET CARR.

*

*

*

BARRY V/OEverything’s linked... Show me twothings that aren’t...

65 INT/EXT. VIVA / SHANGRILA - DAY 65

Eddie watches through a long lensed camera. He’s across from“Shangrila”. Eddie snaps; the front door, a figure at awindow, the red Jaguar in the drive. A curtain twitches at awindow...

A second, then the Jason King Moustache comes out down thedrive with a cricket bat in his hand. The gates open...

Eddie spins the wheel and is out of there fast.

66 INT. YORKSHIRE POST, OUTSIDE HADLEY’S OFFICE -DAY 66

Eddie comes through the open plan office with a folder in hishand and a knavish grin on his face. Steph is scowling at himfrom behind a beautiful vase of flowers on her desk. Eddie

keeps walking - mimes giving a blow job.

67 INT. YORKSHIRE POST, HADLEY’S OFFICE -DAY 67

Hadley reads from an A4 sheet of typing.

HADLEY V/O(reading)

“We live in the Great Age ofInvestigative Journalism and BarryGannon was one of the men who gaveus this age. Where he sawinjustice, he asked for justice.

Where he saw lies, he asked for

truth. Barry Gannon once said thatthe truth can only make us richer.

For all of us who seek the truth,

Barry’s premature passing has leftus all so much the poorer.”

Hadley looks up. Eddie’s waiting impatiently with a file inhis hand.

1974.TG.170808 Locked Draft - 1st Revision

42

HADLEY:

Not overtly panegyric, is it?

EDDIE:

Panegyric?

(no idea what it means)

No, no I don’t think so... Is it

going in today’s?

Rate this script:3.7 / 3 votes