The Coroner Page #2

JESS:

(UPSET) Where is he? Where’s Rafe?

LORI:

Jess, I’m so sorry…

JESS:

I want to see him.

DAVEY:

Mrs. Phelps? D.S. Higgins.

JANE:

Jane Kennedy, Coroner. I’d like to offer my condolences. If there’s

anything I can do.

JESS:

(VULNERABLE) I want to see Rafe.

DAVEY:

Sorry but that isn’t a good idea. Not right now.

JESS:

Please, let me see my husband. (PLEADS) I just want to see him.

STIX:

(GENTLE) Believe me, you don’t. You really don’t.

[LORI EYES JESS, SHAKES HER HEAD. RAFE AND

JESS’ HOUSE LEGS BUCKLE. DAVEY CATCHES HER]

DAVEY:

(EYES AN NS OFFICER) Can you take Mrs. Phelps back home?

[THE NS OFFICER PUTS AN ARM ROUND JESS,

LEADS HER AWAY. LORI WATCHES. STIX TOO]

STIX:

I’ll get changed.

[HE MOVES AWAY]

LORI:

(LOW) There’s something I need to show you.

[DAVEY FROWNS – WHAT COULDN’T SHE SAY IN

FRONT OF STIX? SHE WALKS OFF, JANE AND

DAVEY EXCHANGE GLANCES, FOLLOW]

CUT TO:

EP10/SC12. EXT. DROP ZONE. DAY 1. 11.58

LORI, JANE, DAVEY, STIX

N.S. POLICE

[LORI WALKS JANE AND DAVEY OVER TO WHERE

RAFE LANDED. A WHITE TENT COVERS HIS BODY]

LORI:

We use two parachutes: a main and a reserve. If there’s a problem with the

main chute you pull your cut away and pull the reserve. Standard

procedure. Extra precaution. I examined them straight after it happened.

The Air Accident Investigators or the British Parachute Association should

confirm what I found.

DAVEY:

Which is?

LORI:

This wasn’t an accident.

JANE:

How do you know?

LORI:

Both chutes were sabotaged. The main bridal line was cut and the risers to

the main parachute. As soon as Rafe pulled the handles, it disconnected.

His reserve didn’t deploy at all.

JANE:

(SHOCKED) It was deliberate?

LORI:

Rafe was a dead man the moment he climbed into the plane.

[OUT ON JANE AND DAVEY’S SHOCK]

CUT TO:

EP10/SC13. INT. THE BLACK DOG. DAY 1. 12.15

MICK, JUDITH, BETH, EDDIE,

NS PUNTERS:

[AT THE BLACK DOG, BETH CLEARS A TABLE. THE

PUB IS RAMMED, NOISY. PEOPLE BUMP INTO HER]

BETH:

Excuse me… Excuse me…

[SHE PUTS PLATES DOWN ON THE COUNTER]

BETH:

It’s worse than the returns queue at IKEA.

JUDITH:

It’s the pasty and a pint for a fiver. Doing well.

[WRITES “NEARLY SOLD OUT!” ON A SMALL BLACK

BOARD ADVERTISING IT, RESTING ON THE BAR]

BETH:

It’s giving me a headache. Thought people came down here for peace and

quiet?

[MICK SURVEYS THE PUNTERS]

MICK:

Plus the views. An’ this is the best view in the world. Wall to wall profit.

JUDITH:

Table three wants clearing, Beth.

[BETH TURNS, BUMPS INTO EDDIE – NOW DRUNK]

BETH:

Careful!

JUDITH:

Sorry, she does have a habit of getting in the way.

MICK:

Funny how someone so small gets under your feet so much.

[MICK GRINS, BETH ROLLS HER EYES, HEADS OFF]

MICK:

Pasty and a pint?

EDDIE:

Triple vodka. Neat.

[HE FALLS, KNOCKS OVER THE BLACKBOARD,

SQUINTS AS HE TRIES TO PROP IT BACK UP. FAILS]

JUDITH:

Maybe you should take it easy.

EDDIE:

No chance. (BEAT) I just killed my best friend.

CUT TO:

EP10/SC14. EXT. THE DROP ZONE. DAY 1. 12.25

JANE, DAVEY, LORI

NS POLICE OFFICERS

[DAVEY, JANE AND LORI AND AN NS OFFICER.

JANE’S PHONE RINGS – JUDITH. SHE CUTS IT]

DAVEY:

So we’re looking for someone who knew about parachutes…

JANE:

I don’t know. Anyone could cut some straps.

LORI:

Not anyone. You’d have to be able to hide what you’ve done. Repack it.

DAVEY:

Any idea who might have done it?

[JUDITH CALLS AGAIN. JANE CUTS IT]

LORI:

No. (FIRM) None of us would have.

DAVEY:

Then why didn’t you mention it in front of Stix?

[LORI SHIFTS, AWKWARD]

DAVEY:

We need to take statements from everyone who had access to the

parachutes. (TO NS OFFICER) Start the ball rolling?

[N.S. OFFICER SAYS SOMETHING LIKE “COURSE,

SARGE”, HEADS OFF WITH LORI. JUDITH RINGS

AGAIN. JANE ANSWERS, ANNOYED]

JANE (INTO PHONE):

Mum, I’m at work. What is it? (LISTENS, STUNNED) What?!

CUT TO:

EP10/SC15. INT. THE BLACK DOG. DAY 1. 12. 55

JANE, DAVEY, JUDITH, MICK, BETH, EDDIE

NS PUNTERS:

[[DAVEY ENTERS, ON HIS PHONE. PUB STILL BUSY]

DAVEY:

(INTO PHONE) Keep taking statements, back soon as I can. Cheers.

(HANGS UP, EYES JANE CLOSE ON HIS TAIL) Just leave me to it.

JANE:

And miss out? Mum called me. Anyway… I want to say hello to Beth.

DAVEY:

No. You want to be nosy.

[SHE TUTS, SHOVES HIM. DAVEY’S PHONE DROPS

INTO A BUCKET OF SOAPY WATER NEXT TO A MOP]

JANE:

Oh. (WINCES) Sorry.

[DAVEY PULLS IT OUT. ITS SCREEN BLANK]

DAVEY:

Great. That’s just brilliant.

JANE:

Put it in a bag of rice in an airing cupboard. Should be fine. I could…

[SHE GOES TO TAKE IT BUT HE JERKS IT AWAY]

DAVEY:

Leave it!

[HE JOINS JUDITH WHO WITH EDDIE, MICK STANDS

GUARD. EDDIE SITS, SWAYS. TOTALLY TROLLIED.

JANE WATCHES FROM A DISTANCE]

JUDITH:

We had to give him vodka, stop him from leaving. Thought it best.

[DAVEY SIGHS. SITS]

DAVEY:

I hear you’ve got some information about what happened at the Drop Zone?

EDDIE:

(SQUINTS) Who’re you?

DAVEY:

(TO MICK) How many vodkas did he have?

MICK:

Six.

JUDITH:

Doubles.

DAVEY:

(TO EDDIE) I’m D.S. Higgins from the South Hams police.

EDDIE:

(SLEEPY) Then you better arrest me.

DAVEY:

You gonna tell me why?

[EDDIE STARTS TO DROP OFF. DAVEY CLAPS HIS

HANDS LOUDLY. EDDIE WAKES]

DAVEY:

Eddie, what did you do?

EDDIE:

(UPSET) He was my best mate...

DAVEY:

Why don’t you tell me what you told Judith?

[EDDIE DROPS OFF AGAIN. DAVEY STEERS JUDITH

AWAY]

DAVEY:

I can’t interview him like this. He needs to sleep it off. (PULLS OUT HIS

PHONE. REMEMBERS) Can I use your phone? (HEADS TO THE

PHONE WITH JUDITH) Keep an eye on him til he’s picked up? No more

vodka!

JUDITH:

Where’re you going?

DAVEY:

I’ll need to see Lori.

JANE:

(EAR-WIGGING) I could take you.

DAVEY:

Don’t wanna risk it, thanks. Thought you wanted to see Beth?

[HE NODS AT BETH, CARRYING PLATES. AS SHE

NEGOTIATES A GROUP OF TOURISTS, ONE STEPS

BACKWARDS INTO HER. SHE DROPS THE PLATES]

DAVEY:

Well done, Beth! There’s a couple there, you didn’t break.

BETH:

(GLARES AT HIM) Stop it. I’m not in the mood.

DAVEY:

(TO JANE) Must be like looking in a mirror.

[JANE EYES HIM, HEADS OVER]

DAVEY:

Got a bag of rice, Judith?

BETH:

(TO A TOURIST) Can you just move back? Jeez.

JANE:

(HELPS HER GATHER PLATE SHARDS) How’s it going?

BETH:

It’s totally doing my head in. Been rammed all day. Still. I’m off in ten

minutes. I’m going to rent a boat. And go out very very far out to sea.

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