The Coroner Page #3

DAVEY:

Tell me about this body that’s washed up. How long was it in the water?

JANE:

Haven’t got the PM yet but bodies rot quickly when they’re exposed. This

one’s particularly grim. (BLOWS CHEEKS OUT) Looks like the

marshmallow man.

DAVEY:

Have you got an ID?

JANE:

It’s further gone than the other two, getting an ID from it’s going to take a

miracle.

DAVEY:

Could it be this guy?

[HE PUTS A MUGSHOT OF KEVIN BURTON ONTO

THE TABLE]

JANE:

Honestly, the fish had a right go. The clothes had been torn off by bloating

and the only thing on him was a watch.

DAVEY:

Kevin Burton. He’s a troublemaker and he’s missing. Rubs people up the

wrong way, gets into fights. I’ve arrested him a few times but he’s never

been charged. He went sailing ten days ago and didn’t come back.

JANE:

My bloat’n’float’s a botched sea-burial.

DAVEY:

If it’s this guy it’s my bloat’n’float.

JANE:

The body’s mine, not yours.

[JANE STANDS AND CRACKS THE DOOR SLIGHTLY,

TRYING TO GET A GLIMPSE OF THE HALLWAY]

DAVEY:

It was stormy when he went out.

[BEAT]

JANE:

If you’ve arrested him don’t you have his DNA in your system?

DAVEY:

Should but we can’t find it. I’m chasing up the National Database but I think

this is my man.

JANE:

My man. Maybe your man just had a blowout with his girlfriend and gone

off for some space.

DAVEY:

Or maybe he’s lying in the mortuary.

JANE:

Have you checked out where he works?

DAVEY:

Going to now. Are you alright?

JANE:

Fine, just don’t want to talk to the flipping journalist in the hallway.

DAVEY:

Then don’t.

JANE:

Can’t exactly avoid him, Davey, he’s camped out in my office.

DAVEY:

Then get out of your office. I’m going to the Hippodrome Casino.

JANE:

I don’t like to gamble before lunch.

DAVEY:

Burton worked security there. Come on, prove me wrong.

JANE:

Ok, never too early for a flutter.

[JANE HEADS OUT AFTER DAVEY, KEEN TO AVOID

HAVING TO TALK TO THE JOURNALIST]

CUT TO:

EP2/SC12. EXT. HIPPODROME. DAY 1. 11.05

DAVEY, JANE

[JANE AND DAVEY PULL UP OUTSIDE THE

HIPPODROME ON THE SEAFRONT. IN DAYLIGHT

IT’S A SORE SIGHT]

CUT TO:

EP2/SC12A. INT. HIPPODROME CASINO FLOOR. DAY 1. 11:06

DAVEY, JANE

NSE CLEANER:

[JANE AND DAVEY HEAD PAST SLEEPY ROULETTE

TABLES. AN NSE CLEANER HOOVERS THE FLOOR.

DAVEY ASKS HER WHERE TO GO. SHE POINTS]

CUT TO:

EP2/SC13. INT. HIPPODROME CASINO. DAY 1. 11:11

DAVEY, JANE, HARVEY CAMPBELL

[HE WOULD HAVE BEEN HARD TO FIND WERE IT

NOT FOR THE LOUD GRUNTING COMING FROM HIS

OFFICE. WHEN THEY ENTER, DAVEY AND JANE

FIND A HUGE MAN LYING ON A BENCH BENEATH

AN EVEN HUGER BAR OF WEIGHTS. THIS IS

HARVEY CAMPBELL (51), CASINO OWNER]

HARVEY:

Seven!

DAVEY:

Harvey Campbell?

[CAMPBELL KEEPS LIFTING]

DAVEY (CONT’D):

(FLASHING ID) DS Higgins and this is my colleague Jane Kennedy.

[JANE THROWS DAVEY A SIDEWAYS LOOK]

DAVEY (CONT’D):

We’re looking for Kevin Burton.

HARVEY:

Eight!

DAVEY:

We understand he works here?

HARVEY:

Niiiiiiine!

DAVEY:

(TO JANE) Is this a gym or a Bingo hall?

HARVEY:

Ten!!

[WITH ALL HIS EFFORT HE PUSHES THE BAR ONTO

THE HOOKS THEN SITS UP, TOWELLING SWEAT

AND INSPECTING HIS MUSCLES IN THE MIRRORS]

JANE:

(SOTTO) Or a hall of mirrors?

HARVEY:

(WINKING) Got mirrors on the ceiling too, love.

DAVEY:

Burton.

HARVEY:

What about him?

DAVEY:

Seen him?

HARVEY:

You think he’d come back here. (SCOFFS) Please.

DAVEY:

When was the last time you did?

HARVEY:

Did his shift on that Saturday and that’s it. Vanished.

DAVEY:

Has he ever missed work before?

HARVEY:

Too precise for that; got that sportsman’s mentality. Hasn’t missed a day in

three years.

DAVEY:

And you’d say you know him well?

HARVEY:

Should do. Promoted him for long enough. Heavy-weight division. Good

fighter, hands like shovels.

DAVEY:

Burton’s a boxer?

HARVEY:

Could lift more than me. (AT JANE) And I’m pretty big.

JANE:

The only muscles I like are in seafood.

HARVEY:

It’s not a crime til someone reports it right, and I haven’t so who’s grassed?

DAVEY:

What makes you think there’s a crime, Mr Campbell?

HARVEY:

The money.

DAVEY:

We’re just investigating a missing person.

[HARVEY SITS, REALISING HE’S DROPPED HIMSELF

IN IT]

HARVEY:

(RELUCTANTLY DIVULGING) Look, every weekend a security truck

collects the casino’s earnings and a week ago Saturday seventy-five grand

goes missing between the front door and the van.

JANE:

And Burton was on security?

HARVEY:

Looks and brains.

DAVEY:

Why haven’t you reported that?

HARVEY:

Probably should have done.

DAVEY:

Well would you like to make a statement?

HARVEY:

No thanks. I can look after myself.

DAVEY:

How about you leave the law and order to me?

HARVEY:

And how about you toddle back to your station. (TO JANE) You can stay if

you like?

JANE:

Think I’ll toddle too. Good morning, Mr Campbell.

[THEY GO. HARVEY PICKS UP HIS PHONE]

HARVEY (INTO PHONE):

Police have got a sniff of Burton. Yeah well get up here.

[HE SLAMS THE PHONE DOWN]

CUT TO:

EP2/SC14. EXT. CORONER’S OFFICE. DAY 1. 11:43

CLINT, DAVEY, JANE

[DAVEY AND JANE STEP OUT OF HIS CAR. WAITING

FOR THEM BY THE OFFICE DOORS IS CLINT, FILES

IN HAND]

DAVEY:

An exemplary employee goes missing from work the same day as he goes

missing from home after going sailing and a body washes up ten days

later…And the missing’s a suspect in a robbery.

JANE:

A robbery that hasn’t been officially reported.

DAVEY:

A suspect in a suspected robbery then.

JANE:

My gut still says it’s a botched sea-burial not Burton.

DAVEY:

Yeah well mine doesn’t.

[THEY REACH CLINT]

CLINT:

(HANDING HER THE PM) PM’s ready.

JANE:

Great. Is that journalist still here?

CLINT:

Not leaving til he gets your comment.

JANE:

Not going to happen. (TO DAVEY) Let’s see the body.

[JANE TURNS]

CLINT:

If that’s everything I’m going to nip out -

DAVEY:

(TO JANE) Maybe you’re hanging onto your view because you’re cheesed

off at the Undertakers Association.

JANE:

Or maybe because three in a month’s a pattern I can’t ignore.

DAVEY:

You follow your gut, I’ll follow mine. But I’m telling you I’m right.

JANE:

And what’s at stake?

DAVEY:

How about a steak. From Mick’s new menu?

JANE:

Alright. Clint, I want you to doorstop all the Undertakers on our books

registered to perform sea-burials. Get a description and history for all sea-

burials in the last two months.

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