The Coroner Page #8

[TWO NSE POLICE OFFICERS STEP EITHER SIDE OF

HER]

JANE:

(SKEWERING) I do have a question, though. Did you take the boat to those

rocks before or after we first visited you?

[OUT ON DORA FIGURING OUT SHE’S BUSTED]

CUT TO:

EP2/SC42. INT. HIPPODROME CASINO. ROULETTE TABLE.

NIGHT 0. 23:
09

PRINCE, DAVEY (V/O)

NSE CROUPIER, NSE GAMBLERS, NSE WAITRESSES

[CCTV FOOTAGE SHOWS PRINCE SITTING IN HIS

MORNING DRESS SITTING AT A ROULETTE TABLE]

DAVEY (V/O):

Mr Prince, what can you tell me about your relationship with Kevin Burton.

PRINCE (V/O):

Don’t have one.

DAVEY (V/O):

Have you ever been to the Hippodrome Casino?

PRINCE (V/O):

I don’t think so.

DAVEY (V/O):

Would you look at the video, please? Is this you at the Hippodrome Casino

on the evening of July 14th 2012?

CUT TO:

EP2/SC43. INT. HIPPODROME CASINO. BAR. NIGHT 0. 23:55

PRINCE, DAVEY (V/O)

NSE GAMBLERS, NSE WAITRESSES, NSE KEVIN

[CCTV FOOTAGE SHOWS PRINCE AT THE BAR

DRUNK AND STRUGGLING TO STAND]

DAVEY (V/O):

And is this you having one too many on that same night?

PRINCE (V/O):

Can’t remember.

[PRINCE STUMBLES AND BUMPS INTO AN NSE

GAMBLER. A BRAWL ENSUES. SECURITY GUARD

KEVIN BURTON ENTERS THE PICTURE AND HAULS

PRINCE AWAY]

CUT TO:

EP2/SC44. INT. HIPPODROME CASINO. ENTRANCE. NIGHT 0.

23:
56

PRINCE, DAVEY (V/O)

NSE KEVIN:

DAVEY (V/O):

And is this you being thrown out of the Hippodrome Casino on that same

night? By Kevin Burton.

[PRINCE’S DRAGGED TOWARDS THE EXIT BY

KEVIN. WE PULL OUT OF THE CCTV AND…]

CUT TO:

EP2/SC45. INT. POLICE STATION. INTERVIEW ROOM 1. DAY

1. 16:
23

DAVEY, PRINCE

NSE LAWYER:

[…THROUGH A TV INTO AN INTERVIEW ROOM.

NEXT TO HIS LAWYER, PRINCE SITS THE OTHER

SIDE OF A TABLE FROM DAVEY. A TAPE RECORDS

HIS CONFESSION. IN THE BACKGROUND, A LARGE

ONE WAY MIRROR REFLECTS THE INTERVIEWEE]

DAVEY:

The Coroner tells me that you’ve always done exemplary work…

PRINCE:

(LOOKS TO HIS LAWYER AND THEN BACK) I never meant for any of

this to happen.

DAVEY:

What happened?

PRINCE:

My wife died and I fell off the rails. Gambling made me feel good but

before I knew it I got into so much debt. It was his idea. Burton. He knew

what I did for a living – used to call me The Man in Black –

DAVEY:

What part did you play in the robbery?

PRINCE:

(ADAMANT) Nothing. I didn’t steal a thing…I just helped him…disappear.

DAVEY:

By botching sea-burials.

PRINCE:

I only did the one. I saw on the news that a couple of bodies had floated up

and thought it’d be easy just to add another. He said if I made it look like

he’d died he’d pay off my debts so I just put a few of Burton’s things on a

corpse that came my way and dropped it off the headland. I knew soon as

the body washed up it’d be next to impossible for you to identify that it

wasn’t him, and without DNA…

DAVEY:

So who’s body is it?

PRINCE:

Theodore Rosenstein. He was an alcoholic. Homeless, broke his neck falling

off a bench.

DAVEY:

And what about the other bodies?

PRINCE:

Not mine. Someone’s been doing sea-burials on the cheap but your

Coroner’s on that now. You don’t want to cross her.

DAVEY:

Tell me about it.

[DAVEY TURNS TO THE MIRROR]

CUT TO:

EP2/SC46. INT. POLICE STATION. OBSERVATION ROOM.

DAY 1. 16:
24

JANE, CLINT, DAVEY, PRINCE

NSE LAWYER:

[JANE AND CLINT WATCHES THROUGH ONE-WAY

GLASS AS DAVEY TURNS AND WINKS AT THEM.

JANE’S IN HER COURT ATTIRE. SHE AND CLINT

STEP OUT OF THE ROOM…]

CUT TO:

EP2/SC47. INT. POLICE STATION. CORRIDOR. DAY 1. 16:25

JANE, CLINT

[…AND INTO THE CORRIDOR]

JANE:

Sorry you missed out on the swell.

CLINT:

It’s ok, forecast’s good for the morning too.

JANE:

Come in an hour later.

CLINT:

Not done with today yet. You’ve got Court in 5. And that journalist’s still

waiting…

JANE:

I’ll have a word when I’m done.

CLINT:

(PLUCKING COURAGE) One last thing. I think we should reassess which

undertakers we call when bodies first show.

JANE:

What’s wrong with the way we have it?

CLINT:

There’s a feeling in the trade that we favour some more than others. Maybe

that’s why this sort of stuff’s been happening. I feel we should make sure

we spread the work evenly so no one gets left out.

JANE:

I’ll bear that in mind. You’ve done great work today. Clint.

[HE BEAMS AND HEADS OFF]

CUT TO:

EP2/SC48. INT. BLACK DOG. DAY 1. 18:03

JANE, MICK, BETH, JUDITH, DAVEY

NSE CUSTOMERS:

[A LOBSTER CRAWLS ACROSS THE BAR TOP. IT’S

OBSERVED CLOSELY BY MICK, BETH AND JANE. IN

THE BACKGROUND JUDITH WAITS IMPATIENTLY

BY THE STAIRS]

MICK:

(TO JANE) Come on you deal with dead things all the time. Should be

second nature by now.

JANE:

I don’t kill stuff, Mick, it’s dead when it arrives.

JUDITH:

(WITH GROWING IMPATIENCE) Mick? Before it gets too busy…

[DAVEY ARRIVES AND HEADS TO THE BAR]

MICK:

You’ll kill Jeff won’t you, Davey?

DAVEY:

Why, what’s he done?

BETH:

Jeff’s Mick’s lobster. Someone’s ordered him and Mick’s too chicken.

MICK:

We’ve become quite attached.

BETH:

Shouldn’t’ve given it a name. I’m telling you, as soon as you give

something a name…

JUDITH:

Just cut off it’s head.

JANE:

No, that’s cruel, drop it in boiling water.

MICK:

(IGNORING HER) Davey, if you kill Jeff your steaks are on the house.

JUDITH:

(AT THE END OF HER WICK) Michael Sturrock. What I’m wearing

under this is pretty itchy. So, if you don’t come upstairs and take it off right

now, you’re getting Jeffed too.

MICK:

(TO BETH) Keep the bar for me, would you?

BETH:

I’m underage.

MICK:

I’ll only be a minute.

[MICK HEADS UPSTAIRS. DAVEY LOOKS AT JEFF

AND PICKS UP THE KNIFE]

DAVEY:

Alright Jeff. Shut all your eyes.

[ALL TURN AWAY AS DAVEY HOLDS THE BLADE

ABOVE JEFF’S HEAD. BEAT. DAVEY GIVES IN AND

PUTS THE KNIFE DOWN]

DAVEY (CONT’D):

I can’t.

BETH:

Mum, do the bar.

JANE:

Where are you going?

BETH:

I’m breaking Jeff out of this prison. He’s going back in the sea.

[BETH GRABS JEFF AND LEAVES. JANE GOES

BEHIND THE BAR]

JANE:

Get anything out of Burton?

DAVEY:

Full confession.

JANE:

How did you get him to talk?

DAVEY:

Told him his girlfriend couldn’t remember the colour of his eyes. Pretty sure

they’re not going to last. And green, by the way, Annette’s eyes are green,

just temporarily slipped my mind.

JANE:

Course it did.

DAVEY:

Wouldn’t forget a thing like that. Now do us a pint on the house, eh?

[JANE RAISES AN EYEBROW AND PULLS HIM AN

ALE]

CUT TO:

EP2/SC49. INT. CORONER’S COURT. CORRIDOR. DAY 2. 09:58

JANE, CLINT

[JANE HEADS INTO COURT CARRYING HER FILES.

CLINT FOLLOWS AND OPENS THE DOORS]

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