The Coroner

CUT TO:

EP10/SC2. EXT. RAFE AND JESS’ HOUSE. DAY 1 08.45

RAFE, JESS

[RAFE CARRIES A LARGE RIG (CONTAINING HIS

PARACHUTE), HEADS TO HIS CAR – HIS WAY

BARRED BY JESS (42, NERVY, AUSTRALIAN)]

JESS:

Don’t. Stay. Please, stay.

RAFE:

I’ve got to.

JESS:

Don’t go up. Please.

RAFE:

You can’t do this, every time. It’s my job, Jess.

JESS:

I don’t want you to go…

RAFE:

I can’t let the team down.

JESS:

(UPSET) You mean you can’t let Lori down?

[BEAT]

RAFE:

No, Jess. No, I can’t.

[HE GOES TO KISS JESS BUT SHE TURNS AWAY,

WALKS INSIDE. OUT ON RAFE – TAKEN ABACK BY

HER LACK OF AFFECTION]

CUT TO:

EP10/SC3. INT. THE DROP ZONE HANGAR. DAY 1. 09.12

RAFE, LORI, EDDIE

[LORI (43, OUTDOORSY, TOUGH, TOMBOYISH)

WATCHES EDDIE (42, AGING, IMMATURE, SURFER

DUDE) CHECK A PARACHUTE RIG [SIMILAR TO

RAFE’S]. HE FEELS INSIDE, CHECKS THE PINS]

EDDIE:

It’s good to go.

[HE PUSHES IT AWAY. LORI STARTS CHECKNG IT]

EDDIE:

I checked it.

LORI:

And I’m double checking it.

EDDIE:

(LIGHT) Don’t trust me?

[LORI IGNORES HIM. EDDIE, SHEEPISH, STARTS ON

THE NEXT. RAFE ENTERS, STILL UNSETTLED, WITH

HIS RIG. EVEN MORE UNSETTLED TO SEE EDDIE]

RAFE:

What’s he doing here?

LORI:

Rafe…

EDDIE:

C’mon, man. One slip up.

RAFE:

One that could’ve killed someone.

EDDIE:

It won’t happen again.

[RAFE PULLS EDDIE CLOSE. SNIFFS. RECOILS]

RAFE:

You stink of booze.

EDDIE:

From last night. I haven’t touched a drop. I wouldn’t… I’m not stupid!

RAFE:

Out. Now.

[ANNOYED, EDDIE STORMS OFF]

LORI:

Why’re you being such a ball breaker? He needs our support.

[RAFE LOOKS AWAY. SO DOES HE…]

LORI:

What? Is he in trouble?

RAFE:

Not him. (VULNERABLE) I’ve made a big mistake, Lori.

LORI:

About what?

[FOR A SECOND, IT LOOKS LIKE HE MIGHT SAY]

RAFE:

I’ll deal with it.

[HE WALKS AWAY. OUT ON LORI’S CONCERN]

CUT TO:

EP10/SC4. INT. THE DROP ZONE. LOCKERS. DAY 1. 09.17

EDDIE, STIX, RAFE

[EDDIE UNSCREWS THE TOP OFF A BOTTLE. GOES

TO TAKE A SWIG. PAUSES. SCREWS THE CAP BACK

ON, SHOVES THE BOTTLE IN HIS LOCKER.

HE HEARS WHISTLING, SEES STIX (28, ADRENALIN

JUNKIE, MIXED RACE) ENTER. EDDIE ABOUT TO

JOIN HIM WHEN]

RAFE (OOV):

(SHOUTS) Stix!

[EDDIE HANGS BACK, SEES RAFE HEAD OVER STIX

SHIFTY. THEY ARGUE. EDDIE CAN’T HEAR WHAT

ABOUT BUT HE SEES RAFE SHOVE STIX, HARD.

EDDIE CREEPS AWAY. PASSES A PHOTO ON THE

WALL OF HIM, RAFE AND LORI BEAMING, BY A

SMALL PLANE. ARMS ROUND EACH OTHER. A

MILLION YEARS AWAY FROM NOW]

CUT TO:

EP10/SC5. EXT. THE DROP ZONE. DAY 1. 09.58

RAFE, EDDIE, STIX, LORI

N.S. PILOT

[THE SAME SMALL PLANE NEAR THE HANGAR AS

RAFE, LORI AND STIX, (WEARING RIGS), CLIMB

INSIDE.

THE PILOT STARTS THE ENGINE.

EDDIE HANGS BACK, WATCHES. SWIGS FROM HIS

BOTTLE. IF LOOKS COULD KILL, AT LEAST ONE OF

THEM WOULD BE DEAD RIGHT NOW…]

CUT TO:

EP10/SC6. INT. LIGHT AIRCRAFT. DAY 1. 10.13

RAFE, STIX, LORI

N.S. PILOT

[IT’S NOISY. THEY PUT ON HELMETS WITH GO-PRO

CAMERAS ATTACHED. RAFE PULLS THE DOOR

OPEN. DEVON A LONG WAY DOWN.

HE CHECKS THE ALTIMETRE ON HIS WRIST]

RAFE:

(SHOUTS) Ready?

LORI:

Ready.

STIX:

Yep.

[RAFE EYES STIX – THERE’S A TENSION. JUST

BETWEEN THEM – LORI DOESN’T SEE]

STIX:

I said yes.

[RAFE PUTS HIS VISOR DOWN, THE OTHERS DO THE

SAME. FACES NO LONGER VISIBLE. LORI AND STIX

TAKE THEIR PLACES BY THE DOOR]

RAFE:

Three, two, one…

[LORI DIVES OUT, FOLLOWED BY STIX THEN RAFE]

CUT TO:

EP10/SC7. EXT. SKY ABOVE DEVON COUNTRYSIDE. DAY 1.

10.14

RAFE, STIX, LORI

[RAFE, STIX AND LORI WEAVE IN AND OUT OF

EACH OTHER, IN A SERIES OF INTRICATE MOVES.

IT’S SPECTACULAR. RAFE INCREDIBLY GRACEFUL.

AS THEY FALL CLOSER TO THE EARTH, WE GO TO

RAFE’S GO-CAMERA POV - HE SEES LORI AND STIX

RELEASE THEIR PARACHUTES. HE LOOKS TO THE

SIDE, THROWS OUT HIS PILOT SHOOT. PULLS THE

RIGHT HANDLE BUT HIS CHUTE DOESN’T OPEN. HE

LOOKS UP, RELEASES THE PARACHUTE.

HIS PARACHUTE FLOATS AWAY UNCONNECTED.

HE LOOKS DOWN, PULLS THE LEFT RIP CORD

HANDLE TO RELEASE THE RESERVE CHUTE. IT

COMES AWAY IN HIS HAND WITH AROUND

EIGHTEEN INCHES OF CABLE.

HE TAKES IN THE EARTH AS IT HURTLES CLOSER

AND CLOSER…]

CUT TO:

EP10/SC8. EXT. THE DROP ZONE. DAY 1 10.16

EDDIE:

[EDDIE WATCHES HORRIFIED. HE DROPS HIS

BOTTLE. WE HEAR A DULL THUD.

HE NEARLY VOMITS.

STUMBLES BACKWARDS, ALMOST FALLS OVER IN

HIS HURRY TO GET AWAY]

CUT TO PRE-TITLES:

EP10/SC9. INT. CORONER’S OFFICE. DAY 1. 11.26

JANE, CLINT

[JANE ARRIVES AT WORK, JUGGLING FILES]

CLINT:

I’ve been trying to call you.

JANE:

No hands. There was nowhere to park. Parked miles away. Grockle season.

It’s like an invasion.

CLINT:

Be empty in September.

[HE TAKES THE FILES FROM HER]

JANE:

The sooner the better.

CLINT:

Davey’s called. He’s with a fatality at the Drop Zone. Lori, woman who

runs it, has specifically asked for you to go down too. Here’s the address.

[HE HANDS IT OVER. OUT ON JANE’S INTRIGUE]

CUT TO:

EP10/SC10. EXT. THE DROP ZONE CAR PARK. DAY 1. 11.49

JANE, DAVEY

NS POLICE AND CSI

[JANE AND DAVEY WALK TOWARDS THE DROP

ZONE. IT’S BUSY WITH NS OFFICERS AND CSI]

DAVEY:

It’s a skydiving school: teaching, displays, corporate training, charity jumps,

competitions. They were practising for a competition when it happened.

JANE:

Who died?

DAVEY:

Rafe Phelps, Chief Instructor and co-owner.

JANE:

What can you expect jumping out of an airplane?

DAVEY:

Actually, risk’s pretty low. The road you just drove on’s more dangerous.

[JANE LOOKS SCEPTICAL]

DAVEY:

Just cos you’re scared of heights. (Anyway) Lori’s followed all the correct

procedure, she just wanted to have (you here.)

JANE:

(IN) Jumping thousands of feet with nothing but a bit of material to save

you is… madness.

[SHE CATCHES DAVEY GRINNING AT HER]

JANE:

I’m not scared of heights. I’m sensible.

DAVEY:

You? Wouldn’t go that far.

[HE STRIDES AHEAD, JANE HURRIES TO KEEP UP]

CUT TO:

EP10/SC11. INT. DROP ZONE HANGAR. DAY 1. 11.54

JANE, DAVEY, LORI, JESS, STIX

NS POLICE:

[JANE AND DAVEY WITH LORI AND STIX – BOTH IN

SHOCK. LORI SHAKES JANE HAND, SHAKES]

LORI:

Thanks for coming.

DAVEY:

Lori was jumping with Rafe when it happened. This is Anthony King, the

other jumper.

STIX:

Call me Stix. (SHUDDERS) I keep seeing him. Can’t get it out of my head.

[JANE WINCES, SYMPATHETIC]

LORI:

You should go home.

DAVEY:

We’ll need to take a statement, first.

[LORI, GLANCES QUICKLY AT STIX THEN BACK TO

DAVEY, ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING WHEN JESS

ENTERS, ACCOMPANIED BY A POLICE OFFICER]

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