The Coroner Page #6

DAVEY:

Why break in?

STIX:

Rafe made me promise not to tell Jess. I couldn’t just hand it back. I didn’t

mean to break the window.

DAVEY:

I’m going to ask you this one last time… why did you argue?

[STIX LOOKS ASHAMED]

STIX:

He wanted the money back. I’d spent it. Down payment for a base jump at

Angel Falls in Venezuela. (GUTTED) He went mad. Said he’d never trust

me again.

[OUT ON DAVEY – FINALLY BELIEVES HIM]

CUT TO:

EP10/SC32. INT. CORONER’S COURT. CORRIDOR. DAY 4. 11.48

JANE, CLINT

N.S. PASSERSBY

[CLINT HOVERS OUTSIDE THE COURTROOM,

SHOOTS OVER AS JANE EXITS IN HER COURT

OUTFIT]

JANE:

You said it was urgent?

CLINT:

Rafe’s doctor’s just called. They got a letter from a private clinic this

morning. (HANDS IT OVER) Thought you’d want to read it ASAP.

[SHE STARTS READING. INTRIGUED]

CUT TO:

EP10/SC33. INT. POLICE STATION. DAVEY’S OFFICE. DAY 4.

13.04

JANE, DAVEY,

N.S. POLICE OFFICERS

[DAVEY WATCHES FOOTAGE OF THE JUMP FROM

RAFE’S GO-PRO CAMERA]

DAVEY (INTO MOBILE):

Surfing, Sunday? Yep, I’ll tell him.

[HE HANGS UP, GOES BACK TO WATCHING THE

FOOTAGE. JANE APPROACHES WITH A FILE]

DAVEY:

Feel like Clint’s social secretary. (NODS AT SCREEN) Rafe’s footage.

[JANE EYES IT, GRIMACES. DAVEY PAUSES IT]

JANE:

Rafe was diagnosed with motor neuron disease. His doctor missed it.

Thought it was a frozen shoulder. Rafe wasn’t happy, went to a private

clinic, they diagnosed it.

[DAVEY THROWN, JANE HANDS OVER THE LETTER]

DAVEY:

He’s a bit young for M.N.D, isn’t he?

JANE:

Younger than average, yes. In his case, the M.N.D. would’ve affected his

speech, swallowing… breathing even. He was given a life expectancy of

around a couple of years.

DAVEY:

And he was still skydiving? (BEAT) Does Jess know?

CUT TO:

EP10/SC34 INT. RAFE AND JESS’ HOUSE. DAY 4. 13.55

JANE, DAVEY, JESS

[A STUNNED JESS WITH JANE AND DAVEY]

JESS:

He wasn’t ill. He can’t have been. He'd’ve said. We were trying for a

baby.

[JESS STRUGGLES TO PROCESS IT]

JANE:

His consultant said he was devastated.

DAVEY:

Did he mention anything about his health? Anything at all?

JESS:

(DUMBFOUNDED) Nothing. He didn’t say anything. Not a word.

(BEAT) He was going through all that alone?

[JANE AND DAVEY EXCHANGE LOOKS]

DAVEY:

Jess, I need to see where Rafe kept his kit.

[JESS FROWNS. IT HITS HER]

JESS:

(APPALLED) You think he did it himself?

CUT TO:

EP10/SC35. INT. RAFE AND JESS’ HOUSE. GARAGE. DAY 4. 15.04

DAVEY:

CSI, N.S. OFFICERS

[DAVEY, GLOVED, WATCHES CSI EXAMINE RAFE’S

GARAGE. ONE TAKES PHOTOS. IT’S FULL OF

SKYDIVING GEAR. ON A SHELF IS A ROW OF

HELMETS - ONE WHITE ONE IS SLIGHTLY SMALLER

THAN THE OTHERS AND HAS A SMALL PINK

SYMBOL ON IT. BUT WE DON’T NOTICE IT. YET.

AN OFFICER CALLS HIM OVER. SAYS “YOU MIGHT

WANT TO LOOK AT THIS”.

DAVEY JOINS HIM. THEY HOLD A STANLEY KNIFE.

DAVEY PUTS IT UP TO THE LIGHT. A SMALL NYLON

THREAD ATTACHED TO IT]

DAVEY:

Good work.

[HE BAGS IT UP CAREFULLY]

CUT TO:

EP10/SC36 EXT. ROAMER’S BAY. DAY 4. 16.33

BETH:

[BETH FINISHES HER BOOK. TAKES IN THE BEACH -

BEAUTIFUL.

SHE PULLS OUT HER PHONE AND TAKES A PHOTO.

PLEASED WITH IT, SHE WANDERS FURTHER ALONG

THE BEACH. STARTS TAKING MORE PHOTOS]

CUT TO:

EP10/SC37. INT. CORONER’S OFFICE. DAY 4. 16.52

JANE, LORI

[JANE PACKING UP AS LORI ENTERS]

LORI:

Rafe would never’ve killed himself jumping. No way.

JANE:

He was ill…

LORI:

Not by skydiving. He wouldn’t want to damage our reputation.

JANE:

Maybe he wasn’t thinking straight.

LORI:

It didn’t feel like his last jump. He was exactly the same, there was nothing

different in the way he…

[SHE HESITATES, JANE JUMPS ON IT]

JANE:

So there was something?

[LORI FROWNS, DOESN’T WANT TO ELABORATE]

JANE:

It’s not being disloyal, it’s letting me help you.

LORI:

(RELUCTANT) He said something about… That he’d made a mistake.

JANE:

About what?

LORI:

Don’t know. Said he was going to deal with it.

[JANE CONSIDERS LORI, SUSPICIOUS]

JANE:

Were you and Rafe…? I know you used to be together.

LORI:

(APPALLED) Whatever it was had nothing to do with me. He was in love

with Jess. They were trying for a baby. I’m not that sad to still be after my

first boyfriend!

JANE:

(EMBARRASSED) Of course. I didn’t.... I just. (BEAT) Sorry.

[OUT ON JANE – TROUBLED]

CUT TO:

EP10/SC38. EXT. ROAMER’S BAY. DAY 4. 16.55

BETH:

[IN A NEW PART OF THE BEACH, BETH TAKES A

PHOTO. SINKS SLIGHTLY IN THE SAND.

SHE FROWNS. STEPS BACKWARDS AND FINDS

HERSELF SINKING RAPIDLY]

BETH:

Oh, no... No!

[SHE’S UP PAST HER KNEES, SHE STRUGGLES BUT

IT MAKES HER SINK EVEN MORE. SHE KEEPS VERY

VERY STILL. GOES TO MAKE A CALL - SEES

THERE’S NO RECEPTION]

BETH:

You have to be joking!

[SHE HOLDS HER PHONE UP AS HIGH AS SHE CAN

GET IT]

BETH:

Please…

[A RECEPTION BAR COMES UP. BETH PULLS UP

HER MUM’S NUMBER ABOUT TO CALL. CUTS IT]

BETH:

(TORN) She’ll kill me.

[OUT ON BETH - TORN]

CUT TO:

EP10/SC39. INT. THE BLACK DOG. DAY 4. 17.10

JANE, DAVEY, MICK, JUDITH, NS PUNTERS

[JANE ENTERS. HEADS OVER TO DAVEY WHO’S

WITH JUDITH AND MICK. JUDITH DABS CALAMIME

LOTION ON THE WEALS COVERING MICK’S FACE.

DAVEY HOLDS TWENTY QUID]

DAVEY:

And whatever you two want.

JUDITH:

A weekend away at a proper spa.

MICK:

You can go alone. Wouldn’t catch me anywhere near one. Too dangerous.

(GRABS DAVEY’S CASH) We’ll have two bacardis and coke, cheers.

[DAVEY GRINS, SPOTS JANE]

DAVEY:

What d’you fancy? Celebrate finishing the case.

JANE:

Nothing.

DAVEY:

(GRINS) Cheap round.

JANE:

You haven’t finished.

JUDITH:

(NOSY) Oo, why’s that then?

[JANE IGNORES HER, STEERS DAVEY AWAY]

JANE:

Why would Rafe kill himself in front of the people he was closest to?

DAVEY:

Chasing a last thrill? Stix said it was addictive.

JANE:

Can I look at the footage from the jump?

[DAVEY LOOKS AT THE PINT JUDITH’S POURING,

SIGHS]

DAVEY:

Why?

JANE:

(IGNORES HIS QUESTION) You don’t have to watch it with me. Can you

get it emailed over? Please?

[BEAT]

DAVEY:

Go on, then.

JANE:

(SMILES) Thanks.

[SHE HEADS OFF. DAVEY’S PHONE RINGS]

DAVEY (INTO PHONE):

No, it’s not Clint. (LISTENS) Beth?

CUT TO:

EP10/SC40 INT. CORONER’S OFFICE. DAY 4. 17.25

JANE, CLINT

[JANE GRIMACES AS SHE WATCHES RAFE’S

CAMERA FOOTAGE WITH CLINT. THE CAMERA

LOOKS AT RAFE’S HAND PULLING THE RIGHT

HANDLE. THE CAMERA LOOKS UP. THE

PARACHUTE FLOATS AWAY. LOOKS BACK DOWN]

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