The Coroner Page #8

[MATT LOOKS OUT TO SEA. WATCHING THE

WAVES. HE WIPES HIS EYES WITH HIS SLEEVE.

TRIES TO STOP THE TEARS. SEES BETH COMING

OVER TO JOIN HIM. HE SIGHS]

BETH:

Fancy going to the Dog? Meeting mum. Can cadge some chips off Gran.

[HE SHAKES HIS HEAD. LOOKS AWAY]

MATT:

Not good company right now.

BETH:

(CONCERNED) Is it Steve?

[MATT FEELS A SOB ABOUT TO OVERWHELM HIM.

CHOKES IT BACK DOWN]

MATT:

I was a crap mate.

BETH:

What? Course you weren’t.

MATT:

Want to bet?

[BETH REACHES OUT BUT HE STANDS]

MATT:

Want to be on my own. Sort my head out.

[HE WALKS OFF, AWAY FROM BETH. SHE

WATCHES - HELPLESS]

CUT TO:

EP. 1/SC. 39 INT. THE BLACK DOG. DAY 6. 13.01

JANE, BETH, JUDITH, DAVEY, MICK

N/S CUSTOMERS

[JANE SHOOTS IN. SPOTS MICK]

JANE:

You seen Beth? She’s not answering her phone.

MICK:

Nope.

[JANE GOES TO EXIT AS BETH ENTERS]

JANE:

Beth, when did Matt arrive at the beach party?

[BETH FROWNS –WHAT? SHRUGS]

BETH:

Stacey said he arrived after her. Half three?

[JANE FORCES HERSELF NOT TO REACT]

JANE:

And how was he? At the party?

[JUDITH APPEARS. SHE WEARS A GRASS SKIRT

AND FLOWERY HEAD BAND]

JUDITH:

It’s happy hour. What’re you having? Two for one on the pina coladas. Can

do you a non-alcoholic one? Pineapple juice and coconut milk?

JANE:

Sorry, Mum, I need to talk to Beth.

JUDITH:

Why? What’s she done now? (EYES BETH) It’s not drugs, is it?

JANE:

She hasn’t done anything. Please, mum. It’s… private. (AS JUDITH

SNIFFS, WALKS OFF) How was he? Matt?

BETH:

Pretty quiet. Really wasted. He’s not normally like that. Hardly drinks.

Why?

JANE:

And what’s he said to you about Steve?

BETH:

That he misses him… (FROWNS) Actually, mainly he changes the

conversation. I just saw him. He was… weird. Said he was a crap mate.

[JANE SIGHS. BETH LOOKS ALARMED]

BETH:

You think he was involved! Are you going to be like this with all my

boyfriends?

[JANE ABOUT TO ANSWER WHEN DAVEY ENTERS

WEARING SUNGLASSES. HEADS OVER]

DAVEY:

John was with his fancy woman. Been going on for years. Didn’t want to

say in front of May. He’s still in custody. Assaulting a police officer.

[JANE LIFTS HIS GLASSES, REVEALS A BLACK EYE]

JANE:

Subtle approach worked then. We got the time of death wrong. Steve’s

watch was already broken. Could’ve died earlier. We need to find Matt.

He’s got a hole in his alibi.

DAVEY:

Where is he? (EYES BETH) Beth?

BETH:

He hasn’t done anything!

DAVEY:

No-one’s saying he has. We just want to talk to him. Well?

BETH:

I don’t know. Said he wanted to be alone. Sort his head out. Oh… (IT

STRIKES HER – HE’S SAID THAT BEFORE) I think he’s at Gora Bay.

[DAVEY AND JANE STARE AT EACH OTHER. A

CHILL DOWN BOTH THEIR SPINES]

CUT TO:

EP. 1/SC. 40 EXT. NEAR GORA POINT LOOKOUT. DAY 6. 13.43

MATT:

[UPSET, MATT STUMBLES SLOWLY UP A HILL.

SWIGS ON A HALF BOTTLE OF SPIRITS.

HE ARRIVES AT THE BASE OF THE TOWER, TAKES

ANOTHER SWIG AND EMPTIES THE BOTTLE AND

THROWS IT DOWN. HE GETS THE CROWBAR AND

BREAKS THE DOOR]

CUT TO:

EP. 1/SC.41 EXT. NEAR GORA BAY LOOKOUT. DAY 6. 13.47

JANE, DAVEY, BETH, MATT

[JANE’S CAR DRIVES ACROSS THE HEADLAND.

FROM DAVEYS POV HE SEES MATT BREAK IN]

DAVEY:

There he is.

[JANE DRIVES TO THE BASE OF THE TOWER. DAVEY

GETS ON HIS PHONE]

DAVEY:

I need backup at Gora Point Lookout. Soon as you can.

[HE HANGS UP AS JANE STOPS THE CAR. JANE AND

DAVEY JUMP OUT – DAVEY HEADS IN. JANE LOOKS

UP AT THE HEIGHT OF THE TOWER (NOT AGAIN).

BETH SUDDENLY SHOOTS PAST HER. JANE GRABS

HER]

JANE:

Stay in the car. We agreed!

BETH:

He’s my boyfriend!

JANE:

No arguing.

[JANE HEADS IN]

CUT TO:

EP. 1 / SC.42 EXT. TOP OF GORA POINT LOOKOUT. DAY 6.

13.57

MATT, JANE, DAVEY, BETH

[MATT SITS ON THE EDGE OF GORA POINT

LOOKOUT. THE WAVES CRASH BELOW. DAVEY

ARRIVES]

DAVEY:

Matt!

MATT:

(STANDS) Keep away!

[JANE ARRIVES. HAS A VERTIGO MOMENT. BETH

FOLLOWS AFTER HER. FREEZES TO SEE MATT]

JANE:

(TO BETH) Do you ever listen?

MATT:

I’m sorry.

[BETH FROZEN. JANE TAKES A DEEP BREATH,

MOVES CLOSER TO MATT, TO THE EDGE]

DAVEY:

Come back down.

MATT:

(HELPLESS) It was my fault.

[BETH FROWNS – WHAT? MATT STARTS TO STAND

ON THE PLATFORM LEDGE]

JANE:

Come down and we can talk about it.

[MATT STANDS ON THE LEDGE. THE SEA BELOW.

BETH TERRIFIED]

BETH:

Matt, get down! Please!

[MATT LOOKS DOWN AT THE SEA]

MATT:

It’s high. (HE’S SCARED, SWALLOWS) Steve was never scared.

DAVEY:

(HOLDS A HAND OUT) Matt, come on… please.

JANE:

Don’t do this. You didn’t push him off.

MATT:

Might as well’ve done.

BETH:

(IN TEARS) Matt, please…

[MATT LOOKS BACK AT THEM]

JANE:

Matt, d’you really want Beth to watch this? See what you had to see? Look

at her, Matt. Look at her!

[MATT TURNS SHARPLY AWAY. WOBBLES. LOSES

HIS BALANCE. DAVEY GRABS HIM. MATT

SCREAMS, HANGS OFF THE PLATFORM LEDGE]

DAVEY:

A hand here would be good!

[JANE GRITS HER TEETH, DARTS OVER. HELPS

DAVEY PULL MATT UP OVER THE EDGE]

CUT TO:

EP. 1/SC.43 EXT. GORA POINT LOOKOUT. DAY 6. 14.05

JANE, DAVEY, MATT, BETH

N.S. POLICE OFFICERS

[MATT SITS, SOBS. DAVEY’S JACKET ROUND HIS

SHOULDERS. . JANE SITS ON ONE SIDE, DAVEY ON

THE OTHER. BETH SOME DISTANCE AWAY. POLICE

OFFICERS IN THE B/G. MATT’S RELIEVED TO

FINALLY TELL THE TRUTH]

MATT:

We met here. He was drunk. I was angry. Said he’d dropped me. Now he

had her. Sophie. He wanted to prove he hadn’t. Said we should get

wasted, like in the old days. Mess about. He dared me to break in here.

[BETH LOOKS AWAY, SHAKES HER HEAD]

MATT:

Then I dared him. (NODS AT THE LEDGE) Said he had to walk round

that. (DEVASTATED) I never thought he’d do it.

CUT TO:

EP. 1/SC.44 EXT. GORA POINT LOOKOUT. NIGHT 1. 02.35

MATT, STEVE

[FLASHBACK.

A DRUNK STEVE CLIMBS ONTO THE LEDGE]

MATT:

Steve, I didn’t mean it.

STEVE:

A dare’s a dare. Not gonna have you call me chicken.

[HE STARTS TO WALK ROUND, WOBBILY]

MATT:

I won’t, just…

STEVE:

(KEEPS WALKING) Just need to keep me balance

MATT:

Stop it.

[STEVE IGNORES HIM, KEEPS WALKING]

MATT:

(PLEADS) Mate, come on, get down.

STEVE:

(KEEPS WALKING) Told you I could do it.

[BUT STEVE STARTS TO WOBBLE – TOO DRUNK.

MATT DARTS FORWARD]

MATT:

Steve!

[STEVE FALLS. SCREAMS AS HE HURTLES

TOWARDS THE GROUND. MATT CLOSES HIS EYES.

A SICKENING THUD. MATT LOOKS OVER. SEES

STEVE’S BODY SPRAWLED BELOW. DEAD]

CUT TO:

EP. 1/SC.45 EXT. GORA POINT LOOKOUT. DAY 6. 14.12

JANE, DAVEY, BETH, MATT

NS POLICE OFFICERS

[JANE, DAVEY AND BETH STARE AT MATT. TEARS

FLOW DOWN HIS FACE]

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