Red Riding Page #8

HADLEY:

Best to wait until after the

inquest. Don’t wish to speak ill,

but you never know what they’re

going to turn up...

Eddie smiles with dangerous charm. He opens his file and

pushes a couple of pieces of typed copy across to Hadley.

HADLEY:

(scanning the copy)

Do we really need this?

EDDIE:

There’s been a spate of animal

mutilations. Hacked about swans

found over on Bretton Park...

HADLEY:

I’m not stupid. Jack showed me the

post-mortem.

EDDIE:

It’s background.

Eddie stares at him. Waiting. Hating him through a polite

smile. Hadley shoves the copy back at him.

HADLEY:

Get some police quotes. Maybe we’ll

run it on Thursday.

EDDIE:

(standing)

Thank you, sir.

HADLEY:

No mention of Clare Kemplay, mind.

Straightforward abuse of animals.

Like those pit ponies.

EDDIE:

Absolutely, sir.

HADLEY:

And pull back on some of the more

visceral details. Don’t want that

with your Cornflakes, do you.

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EDDIE:

You got it, Mr. Hadley, sir.

HADLEY:

Eddie...

(stops him in his tracks)

You’re trying too hard. You’re likeBarry...

EDDIE:

And look what happened to him...

HADLEY:

It needn’t have. If you had done asI told you...

Eddie grits his teeth at that one.

EDDIE:

What do you mean by that, sir?

HADLEY *

We could be sued thanks to Barry.

Mrs. Dawson has been recovering inHartley’s since his visit...

EDDIE:

Hartley’s loony bin?

HADLEY:

Nursing home.

EDDIE:

I’m sorry to hear that, sir.

HADLEY:

Take care, won’t you, Edward...

EDDIE:

I will, sir.

68 INT. YORKSHIRE POST, OUTSIDE HADLEY’S OFFICE - DAY 68

Eddie swipes Steph’s flowers out the vase as he passes.

STEPH:

Pig!

EDDIE:

Slapper!

69 INT. HARTLEY NURSING HOME - DAY 69

A white coated NURSE opens the door to reveal Eddie withSteph’s wilting bunch of flowers and a charming smile.

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EDDIE:

Good afternoon. I’m here to see

Aunty Marjorie. Marjorie Dawson?

70 INT. HARTLEY NURSING HOME, STAIRCASE - DAY 70

A tailored NURSE MANAGER leads Eddie up a vast staircase.

NURSE MANAGER:

We’ve had to give her something for

her nerves. She was in a bit of a

state when they brought her back.

Eddie passes a STRANGE FEMALE PATIENT who paddles at her

crotch, her eyes on him.

71 INT. HARTLEY NURSING HOME, CORRIDOR - DAY 71

Eddie and the Nurse Manager. Down a corridor to room 102.

72 INT. HARTLEY NURSING HOME, ROOM 102 - DAY 72

Eddie is shown into a sunny room. Flowers, over-heating,

Radio 3 -Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder: “Now I can see why such

dark flames / You flashed at me...”. MARJORIE DAWSON is on

the bed in a satin dressing gown. Trophy Wife on the verge.

NURSE MANAGER:

Mrs. Dawson? You have a visitor.

Marjorie Dawson opens her eyes. The Nurse Manager takes

Steph’s flowers.

NURSE MANAGER:

It’s Eric, Mrs. Dawson. Your

nephew.

(to Eddie)

It sometimes takes her a while to

come round...

The Nurse Manager gives Eddie a sly smile, then she’s gone.

Marjorie Dawson stares at him. It’s very hot. Eddie checks

the window.

MARJORIE DAWSON:

It’s locked. Who are you?

EDDIE:

Edward Dunford. I’m a journalist.

MARJORIE DAWSON:

So, you’ve been telling lies.

EDDIE:

Privilege of the profession.

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She allows her gown to fall open - lets Eddie clock some

thigh - makes a show of covering up. She takes a cigarette -

lets Eddie light it for her.

MARJORIE DAWSON:

I can’t help you, Mr. Dunford.

EDDIE:

You told my colleague, Barry

Gannon, his life was in danger.

MARJORIE DAWSON:

Did I really? What a strange thing

to say.

EDDIE:

He was killed that night.

MARJORIE DAWSON:

How terrible.

EDDIE:

You didn’t know?

MARJORIE DAWSON:

Who can tell what I’m supposed to

know these days...

A tear runs down Marjorie Dawson’s face...

EDDIE:

Why did you tell my colleague he

was in danger?

MARJORIE DAWSON:

He was asking questions.

EDDIE:

What kind of questions?

MARJORIE DAWSON:

Reckless questions. About reckless

men. Like you.

EDDIE:

Like your husband?

MARJORIE DAWSON:

My husband isn’t reckless, Mr.

Dunford. He is very careful...

EDDIE:

Careful?

More silent tears...

EDDIE:

Are you OK?

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MARJORIE DAWSON:

You smell so strongly...

EDDIE:

Pardon?

MARJORIE DAWSON:

You smell of death.

Outside, there’s a screech of brakes.

MARJORIE DAWSON:

I think you had better leave now.

Eddie looks down to see a police car. Two policemen leap out.

EDDIE:

Mrs. Dawson...

MARJORIE DAWSON:

Don’t touch me! Don’t hurt me!

Please don’t! Please don’t!

She cringes back, wailing like a tormented child. There’s

Pounding and shouting up the stairs...

EDDIE:

I’m not going to hurt you. Calm

down...

The pounding up the stairs is getting louder and louder. Mrs.

Dawson grabs hold of Eddie - hisses into his face.

MARJORIE DAWSON:

Tell them about the others...

EDDIE:

What?

MARJORIE DAWSON:

The others!

EDDIE:

What others? What are you talking

about?!

MARJORIE DAWSON:

Tell them. Please tell them where

they are...

Eddie turns to the window. Locked. Marjorie Dawson smiles

charmingly - once again the perfect trophy wife.

MARJORIE DAWSON:

Hello, you must be going...

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The door slams open. The two policemen Eddie met earlier

burst in. Craven and Douglas. A truncheon whacks Eddie’s

shins. He goes down. The Nurse Manager snarls from the door.

NURSE MANAGER:

Lying bastard!

Marjorie Dawson turns away in her bed - turns up Radio 3.

CRAVEN:

You’re dead, Little Fairy.

A truncheon cracks Eddie’s head. A hand grabs Eddie’s hair.

He’s dragged from the room. Marjorie Dawson and Mahler

rapidly recede. The door slams shut!

73 INT. HARTLEY NURSING HOME, STAIRCASE - DAY 73

Eddie. Dragged back down the stairs. Spine bouncing off each

stair. Hands flailing hands. Fingernails tearing...

74 EXT. HARTLEY NURSING HOME - DAY 74

Crash! The Nursing Manager slams the front door. Eddie

dragged backwards by his hair. Shoes coming off. Hands

scraped on the gravel.

Eddie twists round. Ribs and hips scraping across the ground

now. His Vauxhall Viva rapidly approaching his face. Crack!

Straight into it.

The Viva’s door is swung open. His arm held out. His grasping

hand. The door slammed on it. F***! And again. Eddie’s watch

smashes to smithereens.

Blackness.

75 INT. PINDERFIELDS CASUALTY - EVENING 75

Blackness. Sounds of a hospital.

A big fat bandaged hand rises against the blurred image of

Eddie’s mother. No watch.

EDDIE:

What time is it?

EDDIE’S MOTHER

Just gone six, love.

Eddie is on a hospital bed. He looks bad. His face is bruised

and cut. His mother is close to tears.

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EDDIE’S MOTHER

I found you in the car. In the back

seat. Covered in blood. Just lying

there...

EDDIE:

Mum. Please...

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