Shallow Grave Page #3

Juliet's hand and arm appear around the bathroom door. She

attempts to grab the letter. Alex plays at holding the letter

just beyond her reach.

ALEX:

(continued)

Aroused and inflamed.

JULIET:

Alex.

ALEX:

He even signs them, in his own name, can you believe it? I'd sign

someone else's name. I'd sign his name. If I wrote them, that is.

Which I don't.

INT. LIVING ROOM. EVENING

Alex, David, Juliet and Hugo sit round a table towards the end of

a meal. Alcohol has been consumed. Bowls containing the last of

the food sit on the table, being picked at occassionally. Alex

dispenses wine mainly into his own glass, alternating with

Macallan malt whisky, of which he pours generous amounts.

ALEX:

Interesting.

HUGO:

I see.

ALEX:

Yeah, well, that's what she said. Interesting. That's why you're

here, you see.

DAVID:

Normally I don't meet people, unless I know them already.

HUGO:

I see.

DAVID:

People can be so cruel.

ALEX:

So, uh...

HUGO:

What?

ALEX:

What?

HUGO:

You were going to say something.

ALEX:

What was I trying to say? Oh, yes, I think, we think, or at least

I suppose we think -- am I right?

JULIET:

Just get on with it, Alex.

DAVID:

Keep it going, Alex. You're unstoppable now.

ALEX:

We think it's fine.

Alex starts eating again. The others watch him expectantly. David

coughs.

ALEX:

(continued)

It's OK. There's no problem.

HUGO:

You mean I can have the room?

ALEX:

Well, that's what I said, isn't it?

DAVID:

He made it clear.

ALEX:

Why, thank you, David.

JULIET:

Yes, you can have the room.

Alex pours yet more alcohol.

ALEX:

I'm not usually drunk.

JULIET:

Not usually this drunk.

DAVID:

Only on expenses.

ALEX:

It's true. A newspaper is paying for all this. A newspaper...

With exaggerated scorn, Alex knocks over a glass of wine.

JULIET:

In a moment he's going to tell he could have been someone --

ALEX:

It was you, Juliet, it was you --

JULIET:

-- instead of what he is --

ALEX:

What I am.

JULIET:

-- which is --

ALEX:

-- which is a hack.

JULIET:

The man we know and love.

ALEX:

A miserable, burnt-out, empty shell of a --

Alex pauses, looks at his drink, then at Juliet.

ALEX:

(continued)

Know and love?

JULIET:

Yeah.

ALEX:

I think you're lying.

JULIET:

You're right.

ALEX:

You see, they don't really know me.

JULIET:

No, Alex, we don't really love you.

Alex smiles at Juliet and drinks again.

ALEX:

Can you afford this place?

HUGO:

Yeah.

Hugo reaches into his pocket and pulls out a thick bundle of

notes, which he places in front of Alex. Alex leans over and

sniffs the notes.

DAVID:

Can I ask you a question?

HUGO:

Certainly.

DAVID:

Have you ever killed a man?

HUGO:

No.

DAVID:

Well, that's fair enough, then.

Alex raises his head.

ALEX:

Certainly smells like the real thing.

EXT. A STREET. NIGHT

At a cash dispenser a man in his thrities is taking out some

money.

A younger man, Andy, stands besdie him, looking around in a

mildly agitated fashion.

As the money emerges, Andy assaults and robs the man. He starts

by smashinf the victim's face repeatedly against the cash

dispenser until the Perspex is smeared with blood. When he has

final finished and the man lies on the ground, Andy takes the

money and the card from the slots, then gets into a car which has

pulled up alongside, driven by Tim.

INT. STAIRWELL. DAY

Hugo climbs the stairs, carrying two suitcases. He stops at the

door of the flat and looks at a bunch of keys before selecting

one, which he inserts in the door.

INT. HALL. DAY

Inside the flat. The door opens and Hugolifts his cases in,

kicking the door closed behind him.

INT. JULIET'S ROOM. DAY

Juliet sleeps, undisturbed by the closing of the door.

INT. HALL. DAY

Hugo walks across the halland disappears into his room.

INT. HUGO'S ROOM. DAY

Hugo unpackshis bags. Included in his things are a few syringes

and needles. All these he puts into the drawer beside his bed. He

checks inside a second bag.

INT. HALL. DAY

Hugo dails a number on the telephone and awaits a reply.

INT. JULIET'S ROOM. EVENING

Juliet is woken by her alarm clock. The time is five p.m.

INT. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT

Alex sits watching television, constantly changing channels.

Juliet walks in, wearing a dressing gown. She watches Alex for a

few moments.

JULIET:

Have you seen Hugo?

ALEX:

No. Any idea which channel he's on?

INT. HALL. MORNING

The telephone is ringing. Alex lifts up the reciever. Again he is

wearing his dressing gown and is on his way to pick up the mail.

ALEX:

No, she's not in.

Without waiting for any more, he replaces the reciever and walks

to the door, where he picks up the mail. On his way back from the

door, David emerges, ready to go to work.

ALEX:

(continued)

Have you seen him?

DAVID:

Alex, I don't have the time --

ALEX:

Yes or no, yes or no, yes or --

DAVID:

No.

David leaves, slamming the door.

INT. KITCHEN. MORNING

Alex returns to the kitchen, pausing only to knock at Hugo's

door, which elicits no response. In the kitchen Juliet sits

dressed for work, having just returned. He casually opens an

envelope and glances at both sides of the letter before handing

it to her.

ALEX:

David hasn't seen him either.

JULIET:

So I gathered.

ALEX:

Maybe he didn't like us.

JULIET:

David?

ALEX:

Hugo.

JULIET:

His car's still there.

ALEX:

He's got a car?

JULIET:

So what's wrong with that?

ALEX:

What sort of car?

JULIET:

Alex, how shouldI know? I'm just a girl.

ALEX:

I will ask you once more, what sort of car --

JULIET:

A blue one, OK. And it's still there.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

We see the door to Hugo's room, then Alex rapping sharply against

it. David and Juliet stand behind him.

ALEX:

Hugo. Hugo. Sorry about this, but can you open the door? It's us,

Hugo, your flatmates and companions. Your new-found friends. He's

not in. He's left and we'll probably never see him again.

JULIET:

Alex, the key is in the keyhole on the other side.

ALEX:

So?

JULIET:

Open it.

ALEX:

You want me to kick it open?

JULIET:

Yes.

ALEX:

Now?

JULIET:

Yes.

ALEX:

All right. No problem.

After several ineffective kicks at the door, Alex turns to David.

ALEX:

(continued)

You want a go?

INT. HUGO'S ROOM. NIGHT

Inside Hugo's room we see the door as David, outside, throws

himself against it. At the third attempt the lock gives way and

the door bursts open.

In the foreground at one side is the bed with a naked foot lying

still and exposed.

When the door is open, David is first in, followed by the other

two. There is a period of silent shock as they contemplate Hugo's

naked corpse. Alex opens a window.

DAVID:

Is this what they always look like?

JULIET:

Yes.

Juliet drapes a sheet over the body, covering it completely.

ALEX:

I wonder how he did it?

JULIET:

Did what?

ALEX:

I wonder how he killed himself. I presume that that's what

happened. What do you think?

Quite casually, Alex begins to open drawers and cupboards,

emptying the contents on to the floor.

JULIET:

Alex.

ALEX:

What? What's wrong?

JULIET:

What are you doing?

ALEX:

I'm just looking.

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