The Coroner Page #7

JANE:

He seems pretty calm.

CLINT:

He’s doing the routine. It’s drilled in to you.

[THEY SEE RAFE’S HAND PULL THE LEFT RIP CORD

HANDLE TO RELEASE THE RESERVE CHUTE]

CLINT:

It becomes instinct. Look, locate, cutaway, reserve, arch. It’s so you don’t

panic when something goes wrong. Stop you freezing.

[THE CAMERA TAKES IN RAFE’S LEFT HAND

HOLDING THE HANDLE WITH EIGHTEEN INCHES OF

CABLE ATTACHED. THE CAMERA LOOKS DOWN AT

THE GROUND HURTLING TOWARDS IT. JANE

FREEZES IT]

JANE:

So why would Rafe pull the reserve if he’d cut the lines himself?

CLINT:

No idea.

[SHE CONSIDERS A FOLDER ON HER DESK. RAFE’S

BANK STATEMENTS. A PHOTO OF RAFE AND JESS.

A THOUGHT HITS HER]

JANE:

Whatever you’ve got planned, cancel it. (GATHERS PAPERS) We’ll work

at mine.

[OUT ON JANE – SHE’S GOT A HUNCH…]

CUT TO:

EP10/SC41. EXT. ROAMER’S BAY. DAY 4. 17.35

DAVEY, BETH

[THE TIDE IS COMING IN. BETH TERRIFIED, STUCK

IN THE SAND, THE SEA UP TO HER CHEST. PHONE

HELD ABOVE HER HEAD]

DAVEY (O.O.V.):

Beth!

[BETH TOO SCARED TO TURN]

BETH:

Help. Help me! I’m trapped… It’s quick sand.

[DAVEY TAKES OFF HIS JACKET AND TIE AND

SHOES QUICKLY AS]

DAVEY:

Don’t move! Keep absolutely still.

[BETH WHIMPERS AS A WAVE DASHES AGAINST

HER. DAVEY SWIMS OVER]

DAVEY:

Hold on to me.

[BETH CLINGS TO HIM AS HE PULLS HER]

BETH:

I can’t get out. I can’t get out...

DAVEY:

Don’t panic! Worst thing you can do.

[BETH CLOSES HER EYES AS DAVEY DIVES UNDER

THE WATER. HE TUGS HER HARD. RELIEF FLOODS

BETH FACE AS SHE’S WRENCHED FREE.

THEY START TO SWIM BACK TOWARDS SHORE]

CUT TO:

EP10/SC42. EXT. ROAMER’S BAY. MOMENTS LATER

BETH, DAVEY

[BETH HAULS HERSELF OUT OF THE WATER.

SHIVERS. DAVEY GRABS HIS JACKET, WRAPS IT

ROUND HER. HUGS HER]

DAVEY:

Okay? You okay?

[SHE NODS. HE RUBS HER ARMS, TRIES TO WARM

HER UP. BETH FREEZING, PARTLY IN SHOCK]

BETH:

I… I thought I was going to drown...

DAVEY:

(CONCERNED) This beach is full of quick sand. It’s why nobody uses it.

BETH:

(SHIVERS) Yeah, that’s what mum said.

DAVEY:

(PULLS AWAY) And you still came?

BETH:

I thought it’d be okay.

DAVEY:

(FURIOUS) Talk about bloody stupid. It’s quick sand! People have died

here! You would’ve been next. No one would have found you, no one

would even have known where to look. We would’ve lost you!

[BETH BURSTS ITO TEARS AS IT HITS HER]

BETH:

I’m sorry. Don’t tell mum. Please don’t tell her. Please.

[OUT ON DAVEY - TORN BETWEEN CONCERN AND

ANGER]

CUT TO:

EP10/SC43. INT. JUDITH’S. DAY 4. 18.24

JANE, DAVEY, CLINT, BETH

[JANE SEES BETH AND DAVEY ENTER. BETH IN ONE

OF DAVEY’S OLD JUMPERS. DAVEY CHANGED.

JANE DOESN’T NOTICE. CLINT’S ON THE PHONE]

JANE:

I was about to call you.

DAVEY:

Gave Beth a lift home.

JANE:

(EYES BETH WHO LOOKS SHAKY) You okay?

BETH:

Headache’s back. I’ll go upstairs. Have a lie down.

JANE:

(CONCERNED) Painkillers’re in the bathroom.

[BETH HEADS UP. DAVEY WATCHES HER]

JANE:

Rafe went through the drill. The one you do if your main chute fails.

[DAVEY DRAGS HIS EYES AWAY FROM BETH]

DAVEY:

So?

JANE:

So why do that if he’d sabotaged his chutes? If he wanted to kill himself?

DAVEY:

It’s second nature to them, isn’t it? The routine. Look, locate, cutaway…

[JANE EYES HIM - NOT CONVINCED]

CLINT:

(INTO PHONE) Thanks. (HANGS UP) That was the IVF clinic.

JANE:

What did they say?

DAVEY:

Hold on… The IVF (clinic?)

CLINT:

(IN) Rafe cancelled it two weeks ago. Said they’d changed their minds.

[DAVEY TAKEN ABACK]

DAVEY:

Jess would’ve known. She’d’ve talked to them the week before. They want

to check you’re well, that you’ve been taking your drugs.

JANE:

(REMEMBERS) I saw some in her cupboard. Clomiphene…. Citrate?

DAVEY:

Never heard of that before.

[HE FROWNS AS A THOUGHT HITS HIM. GOES TO

HEAD OUT]

JANE:

Where’re you going?

DAVEY:

(EXITS) Back to work!

CUT TO:

EP10/SC44. INT. POLICE STATION. DAVEY’S OFFICE. DAY 4.

19.12

DAVEY, JANE, NS OFFICERS

[DAVEY ON HOLD ON THE PHONE, STUDIES A

PHOTO FROM RAFE’S GARAGE. IT’S OF THE ROW OF

HELMETS, ONE SLIGHTLY SMALLER. JANE, ALSO

ON THE PHONE]

JANE:

(INTO PHONE) Jessica Phelps, she’s been receiving treatment from you.

Drug’s called Clomiphene Citrate… (EYES PHOTO) That looks smaller

than the others.

DAVEY:

That’s what I thought…

JANE:

(INTO PHONE) You definitely didn’t prescribe it?

[DAVEY ENLARGES IT. REVEALS A PINK HALF-

CIRCULAR DESIGN – THE WORDS “PARACHUTE”

AND “EAM, THE IMAGE OF A PARACHUTE AND

SOMETHING INDISTINGUISHABLE]

JANE:

Very helpful. Thank you. (HANGS UP) You were right. It’s not one of

their’s. They’re to help stimulate the ovaries. (EYES THE ENLARGED

IMAGE) What’s that?

DAVEY:

Looks to me like a kangaroo’s tail.

[HE CONSIDERS A PHOTO OF RAFE’S CERTIFICATE

FOR THE AUSTRALIAN PARACHUTE FEDERATION]

DAVEY:

Same logo.

[HIS PHONE ANSWERED]

DAVEY (INTO PHONE):

Hi, sorry it’s so late. This is D. S. Higgins, South Hams Police, U.K. I’m

checking on your members. Have you got a Jessica Phelps or a Jessica

Jackson registered? (DISAPPOINTED) Okay, just a thought, thanks.

[HE’S ABOUT TO HANG UP WHEN HE CATCHES

SIGHT OF A PHOTO OF STIX… STIX!]

DAVEY:

Wait, hold on! Are people registered under nick names? (LISTENS) Great.

Can you check against a date of birth please? Third of February, 1973?

CUT TO:

EP10/SC45. INT. RAFE AND JESS’ HOUSE. DAY 4. 19.57

DAVEY, JANE, JESS

[JESS LEADS THEM INTO THE KITCHEN – SHE

SEEMS STRANGELY DETACHED, NERVOUS]

JESS:

You said it was urgent?

DAVEY:

Let’s sit down.

[JESS SWALLOWS. DAVEY GENTLY LEADS HER TO

THE TABLE, SITS HER DOWN. A CLOCK TICKS]

DAVEY:

We know you used to be a skydiver.

[JESS LOOKS ALARMED]

DAVEY:

I’ve talked to the Australian Parachute Federation. Your last registered

jump was on your thirty ninth birthday. The day you lost your baby, J-J.

[JESS LOOKS AT HIM, SHARPLY]

DAVEY:

J-J was your jumping name. Your initials? Jessica Jackson? (SOFT) Was

that why you needed IVF?

[JANE GETS THE TABLETS FROM THE CUPBOARD]

DAVEY:

A baby. All you ever wanted. To have it taken away from you. The

months and months of trying for another. All you could think about.

[A TEAR GLISTENS IN RAFE AND JESS’ HOUSE EYE]

DAVEY:

And then for Rafe to tell you he didn’t want one.

[JESS FEELS AN ACHING WRENCH]

JESS:

It was our last chance. He knew how much I wanted a baby. How I did

anything… Everything just to hold my own child. He took that away. Never

said why. (BEAT) He never said he was ill.

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