The Coroner

STEVE:

I’ll get us somewhere better soon. I know it’s a bit skanky.

SOPHIE:

(SMILES) I quite like the idea of living in a caravan. It’s romantic.

[SHE HANDS HIM SOME JEWELLERY. STEVE

HESITATES]

SOPHIE:

It’s mine. Might as well use it.

[HE STUFFS THEM IN HIS POCKET]

STEVE:

(GRINS) Should check out the rest of the house. Ready?

[SOPHIE NODS, GRABS HER BAG. THEY HEAD OUT

ONTO THE DARK LANDING.

STEVE IMMEDIATELY BLINDSIDED, KNOCKED TO

THE GROUND BY PHILLIP (LATE 40’S, BURLY,

TUXEDO’ED). HE GRABS SOPHIE, SHOVES HER IN

HER ROOM. SLAMS THE DOOR, LOCKS IT]

SOPHIE:

Let me out! (BANGS) Dad… Dad!

[PHILLIP SEES THE JEWELLERY SPILL FROM

STEVE’S POCKET. DRAGS HIM VIOLENTLY BY THE

SCRUFF OF THE NECK DOWNSTAIRS]

STEVE:

Get off me! Get off!

PHILLIP:

I’m calling the police. Breaking and entering. Theft. Abduction.

STEVE:

You can’t stop us.

[HE STRUGGLES. PHILLIP PUNCHES HIM HARD IN

THE RIBS. STEVE GASPS. PHILLIP PULLS HIM UP,

HIS FACE IN STEVE’S]

PHILLIP:

(LOW) I’ll get you sent away. Three years. Four. You think a girl like

Sophie’s going to wait for you?

STEVE:

Course. (SMILES) She loves me.

[PHILLIP PUNCHES HIM AGAIN. HARDER. HIS

KNUCKLE CATCHES THE WALL. STEVE FALLS TO

THE FLOOR]

PHILLIP:

She’s a child.

[HE DRAGS STEVE TOWARDS THE FRONT DOOR]

CUT TO:

EP. 1/SC.2 EXT. SOPHIE’S HOUSE. EVENING 1. 20.47

PHILLIP, STEVE

[PHILLIP THROWS STEVE TO THE GROUND.

SHAKES OUT HIS HAND]

PHILLIP:

One minute ‘til I call the police. (BEAT) And then I’ll call the ambulance.

[PHILLIP TAKES OFF HIS JACKET, ROLLS UP HIS

SLEEVES]

PHILLIP:

They can scrape up what’s left.

[SOPHIE WATCHES FROM A WINDOW ABOVE.

BANGS ON IT]

SOPHIE:

Leave him alone! Please… please!

[STEVE TAKES IN SOPHIE. TAKES IN PHILLIP –

THERE’S NO WAY HE CAN TAKE HIM ON. HE RUNS

AWAY. PHILLIP WATCHES HIM GO]

CUT TO:

EP. 1/SC.3 EXT. BEACH. NIGHT 1. 04.30

BETH, MATT, TEENAGERS

[WE SEE IN THE DISTANCE A PARTY OF TEENAGERS

HUDDLED ROUND A CAMPFIRE ON THE BEACH,

DRINKING. THE DISTANT SOUND OF CHATTING,

LAUGHING AND MUSIC PLAYING. HAVING A

BRILLIANT TIME. A FIGURE (BETH) JOINS THE

GROUP]

CUT TO:

EP. 1/SC.4 EXT. SOUTH DEVON COASTLINE. DAY 2. 07.05

STEVE KERNAN:

[A PANORAMIC SWOOP OF THE STUNNING

DEVONSHIRE COAST. PICTURESQUE BEACHES. THE

EARTH WAKING UP.

A DOG WALKER IS WALKING ACROSS THE

HEADLAND TOWARDS GORA POINT LOOKOUT. ITS

BRICK GLOWS IN THE EARLY MORNING SUN.

BEAUTIFUL. PERFECT.

AT ITS BASE, STEVE’S CRUMPLED, BROKEN BODY

LIES IN A POOL OF BLOOD. HIS EYES OPEN. DEAD]

CUT TO:

CREDIT SEQUENCE:

EP. 1/SC.5 INT. JUDITH’S HOUSE. JANE’S BEDROOM. DAY 2

07.25

JANE:

[JANE ASLEEP. HER MOBILE RINGS. JANE FUMBLES

FOR IT, KNOCKS A GLASS OF WATER OVER,

ANSWERS]

JANE:

Damn! (INTO PHONE) Sorry, Clint, not you. What’s happened?

[SHE SOAKS UP THE WATER WITH A SHIRT,

LISTENS. WAKES UP QUICKLY.]

JANE (INTO PHONE):

Where? (LISTENS) Gora Point Lookout. On my way. See you there.

[SHE HANGS UP. REACHES FOR HER TROUSERS,

THEY’RE SOAKING WET]

JANE:

Perfect.

JUMP CUT TO:

EP. 1/SC.6 INT. JUDITH’S HOUSE. DAY 2. 07.40

JANE:

[JANE KNOCKS ON BETH’S DOOR. ENTERS. THE

ROOM LOOKS LIKE A BOMB’S HIT IT. JANE TUTS.

SEES BETH SNUGGLED UNDER THE DUVET]

JANE:

Beth? Clint’s just called.

[JANE SHAKES HER, PULLS BACK THE DUVET…

TO REVEAL PILLOWS UNDERNEATH. JANE

FURIOUS]

JANE:

Mum!!!

CUT TO:

EP. 1/SC.7 EXT. BEACH. DAY 2. 08.15

INTERCUT WITH SC.8.

BETH, MATT

TEENAGERS:

[BETH, SLIGHTLY DRUNK, SITS WITH MATT CLOSE

TO THE CAMP FIRE WITH A CROWD OF TEENAGERS.

SHE HER PHONE LIGHTS UP – “MUM”, IT’S ON

SILENT. FOUR MISSED CALLS ALREADY. BETH

SIGHS. ANSWERS]

BETH:

(FORCED CASUAL) Mum?

JANE (OOV):

Where are you?

BETH:

Couldn’t sleep. (GRINS AT MATT) Fancied a walk. Back in a bit.

[SOMEONE START CHANTING “DRINK, DRINK,

DRINK". BETH WINCES]

JANE (OOV):

Home. Now.

BETH:

Lighten up. I haven’t done anything. I’ll be back later.

JANE (OOV):

That wasn’t a request.

BETH:

Alright! God, it’s not like anyone died!

JANE (OOV):

Actually they just did. He was the same age as you. Go home.

BETH (INTO PHONE):

What?! Who’s died?

[MATT REACTS – WHAT? BUT JANE’S HUNG UP.

BETH SHOVES HER PHONE AWAY. STARTS TO

GATHER HER STUFF]

BETH:

I’m so busted. Don’t know how she does it. Every time. S’like she’s

psychic.

[MATT STARES AT HER]

MATT:

Who’s died?

BETH:

What? (SHRUGS) She didn’t say. Some boy.

MATT:

(FROWNS) How does she know?

BETH:

She’s the Coroner.

[SHE KISSES HIM, HEADS OFF. OUT ON MATT -

SHOCKED]

CUT TO:

EP. 1/SC.8 EXT. GORA POINT LOOKOUT. DAY 2. 08.15

JANE, DAVEY, CLINT, BETH (OOV), MAY

STEVE, DOG WALKER, POLICE, CSI, PARAMEDICS

[JANE, COMING OUT OF HER LAND ROVER

ACCOMPANIED BY CLINT. THE INCIDENT SCENE

BUSY WITH CSI AND POLICE. A FEW OBSERVERS.

CORDONED OFF WITH BLUE AND WHITE TAPE.

WHITE TENT AROUND STEVE’S BODY, CLINT AND

DAVEY OUTSIDE. JANE CALLS BETH, EYES A

UNIFORMED POLICE OFFICER]

BETH (OOV):

(FORCED CASUAL) Mum?

JANE:

Where are you?

[THE POLICE OFFICER MOVES THE BLUE AND

WHITE TAPE, SHE HEADS FOR THE TENT. PASSES

MAY (40’S, COWED, HEARTBROKEN) WITH A

WOMAN WITH A DOG. JANE DOESN’T NOTICE HER.

HEADS FOR CLINT AND DAVEY]

BETH (OOV):

Couldn’t sleep. Fancied a walk. Back in a bit.

[JANE HEARS SOMEONE CHANT “DRINK, DRINK,

DRINK". HER FACE DARKENS]

JANE:

Home. Now.

BETH (OOV):

Lighten up. I haven’t done anything. I’ll be back later.

JANE:

That wasn’t a request.

BETH (ON PHONE):

Alright! God, it’s not like anyone died!

JANE (INTO PHONE):

Actually they did. He was the same age as you. Go home. (HANGS UP,

FURIOUS, JOINS DAVEY) Never have kids!

DAVEY:

(WARNING) Calamity!

JANE:

(SEES MAY, REALISES) Sorry, I didn’t mean… (GENTLE) Is he in

there?

DAVEY:

(NODS) Just waiting your say so to move his body.

[JANE GOES TO THE TENT ENTRANCE. WE SEE

STEVE’S LEG, A TRAINER, A FEW EVIDENCE

MARKERS, HIS SMASHED WATCH. CLINT

NERVOUSLY JOINS THEM]

DAVEY:

Steve Kernan, sixteen, local lad. (OF WOMAN NEXT TO MAY) Dog

walker found him an hour ago.

[JANE NODS. CONSIDERS STEVE’S BODY, WATCHES

CSI BAG HIS TRAINER. SHE TURNS TO DAVEY]

JANE:

You can move him now.

[THE PARAMEDICS START MOVING THE BODY

INTO A BAG. CLINT GLANCES OVER, HEAVES]

CLINT:

Sorry, I (HEAVES) I can’t. I…

JANE:

(ANNOYED) Clint!

CLINT:

(LOOKS AT STEVE’S BODY, HEAVES). I’m more… Living focused.

Relatives, friends. Not (LOOKS OVER, HEAVES) It’s like having a

massive whitey. (HEAVES) Sorry…

[HE MOVES AWAY. DAVEY TAKES IN MAY – SHE’S

SEEN THEM MOVING THE BODY]

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