The Coroner Page #3

JANE, PHIL

NSE SAMSON (DOG)

[A PHOTO OF (YOUNGER) RON AND PHIL IN FRONT

OF (SMARTER) GREYVALE (ON A SHELF AMID

OTHER MEMENTOES).

EYEING THEM, JANE REMAINS AWARE OF FIERCE-

LOOKING SAMSON SITTING BESIDE THE TABLE

WHERE PHIL SCOFFS HIS FRIED LUNCH, GROUCHY]

JANE:

So you're Ron Tate's son?

PHIL:

Phil. Greyvale closed yonks back.

JANE:

Yes...

PHIL:

Investment for some yuppy Londoners now. I'm just caretaking...

JANE:

But you were living here then, when it was a children's home?

PHIL:

Working.

JANE:

As what, if you don't mind me asking?

PHIL:

Whatever my Dad needed. Handyman mostly.

[JANE EYES HIM]

JANE:

You must have been a young man yourself then?

[PHIL BARELY NODS]

JANE:

(CASUAL) And there were teenage girls living here?

[PHIL EYES HER, PEEVED]

PHIL:

Yeah, not that kind of handy. And I don't remember none of them girls

being pregnant.

[JANE SMILES, BACKING OFF]

JANE:

And where's your Dad now?

PHIL:

Nursing home. Not well.

JANE:

Oh, I'm sorry. Which nursing home?

PHIL:

(STOPS EATING. EYES HER) You deaf? I said he's ill.

JANE:

It's possible your Dad might remember something you can't...

[PHIL BANGS DOWNS CUTLERY, ANNOYED]

PHIL:

My Dad worked himself into the ground looking after them kids, so you're

not to go bothering him..!

[NERVOUS OF PHIL AND SAMSON NOW, JANE

HOLDS HER GROUND]

JANE:

I'm sorry, but I have to go where my investigation takes me.

[BUT PHIL DOESN'T STAND DOWN EITHER]

JANE:

Well, what about records, or notes... would your Dad have kept anything

from Greyvale?

[PHIL STEWS, SEEING JANE RESOLVED, STANDS.

JANE FLINCHES]

PHIL:

Suppose there might be some old photos in the shed.

[HE HEADS OUT. JANE MAKES TO FOLLOW]

PHIL:

(RE SAMSON) No, you watch my dinner, or he'll have it.

[PHIL EXITS. JANE TAKES A RELIEVED BREATH,

MOMENTARILY TEMPTED BY PHIL'S CHIPS - UNTIL

THE TINIEST GROWL FROM SAMSON]

CUT TO:

EP2/SC17. INT. BLACK DOG. DAY 1. 14.25

JANE, DAVEY, JUDITH, BETH, MICK

NSE PATRONS:

[A FADED 1970’S GROUP PHOTO - OUTSIDE

GREYVALE, AROUND 12 CHILDREN UNDER 10,

SOME OLDER BOYS - BUT ONLY 3 GIRLS AGED

AROUND 15, 2 OF THEM MATEY, THE 3RD TALLER,

PLAINER AND UNHAPPY, APART FROM THEM,

RUNNING A HAND THROUGH HER HAIR.

JANE SCOFFS CHIPS OVER MULTIPLE OPEN CASE

FILES AS SHE STUDIES THE PHOTO (A COUPLE

MORE UNDERNEATH)]

JANE:

Mum?

[BUT FRAZZLED JUDITH IS BUSILY SERVING

DRINKS (AT THE TAIL END OF THE LUNCH RUSH,

MICK SLUMPED IN A QUIET CORNER)]

MICK:

(PITIFUL) Babe... I really need a chest rub. I got that congestion...

JUDITH:

You’re not the only one.

[COLLECTING GLASSES, BETH CLOCKS THE PHOTO

OVER JANE’S SHOULDER, TICKLED]

BETH:

The state of that gear. What do they look like?!

[STRUCK, JUDITH PEERS AT THE PHOTO AS SHE

POURS]

JUDITH:

Loons.

BETH:

No kidding.

JANE:

Yeah, mum..?

JUDITH:

(TO BETH) The pants, silly! I had a pair in crushed velvet...

[CRINGING, BETH MOVES OFF]

JUDITH:

(WISTFUL) My glory days. Out gallivanting, not a care in the world back

then...

MICK (OOV):

Babe?

[HASSLED, JUDITH IS ABOUT TO DELIVER DRINKS]

JANE:

(TO JUDITH) Mum, you were 15 in 1976, weren't you?

[DAVEY ARRIVES, NICKING A CHIP, PEERING AT

THE PHOTO]

JANE:

D'you know these three girls?

[JANE SHOWS JUDITH THE PHOTO]

DAVEY:

Got your text. This Greyvale?

JANE:

(AFFIRMING) They're the only ones the right age at the right time.

JUDITH:

(INDICATING) Think these two were in my year at school. Karen Shaw.

And Sarah... Millar? Dunno about the other. Lucy? Maybe the year above.

JANE:

D'you remember anything about them?

JUDITH:

Had me own crowd. (MOVING OFF, TINIEST HINT OF RUE) Anyway,

got a bit busy for the next eighteen years didn’t I?

JANE:

Would some of your old crowd know the third girl?

JUDITH:

Ooh, haven't seem ‘em in years.

[SHE DELIVERS PINTS, TAKING MONEY, MORE

CUSTOMERS WAITING]

JUDITH:

Ask the other two. Think they still live local.

MICK (OOV):

Babe, I think I got a temperature!

JUDITH:

(PUT-UPON) Well, you know where to stick the thermometer!

[AMUSED, JANE CLOCKS DAVEY ALREADY

HEADING OFF WITH THE PHOTO]

JANE:

Oi, wait for me!

[JANE GIVES CHASE JUGGLING CASE FILES]

CUT TO:

EP2/SC18. EXT. BEACH. DAY 1. 14.55

JANE, DAVEY, KAREN

NSE FOSTER KIDS, BEACH-GOERS

[SMALL KIDS PLAYING ON THE BEACH. HASSLED,

KAREN STANDS WITH JANE AND DAVEY]

KAREN:

You know a bit of warning would have been nice. (RE KIDS) This is

supposed to be a fun day out, and seeing your foster mum hunted down by

the Old Bill... [isn't fun.]

DAVEY:

(OVER) No one's hunting anyone. I just asked your neighbours where you

were.

KAREN:

Well they shouldn't have said. There's child-protection issues...

JANE:

(PEACEMAKING) Which bring us back to the matter at hand?

[KAREN IS ABASHED AS JANE SHOWS THE

PHOTOGRAPH]

JANE:

Can you put names to these other two girls? (POINTING) Sarah Millar?

KAREN:

(EYEING HER KIDS) No, I dunno.

DAVEY:

You two look thick as thieves to me.

KAREN:

I don't remember. It's a long time ago. (MOVING OFF, RE KIDS) So if

that's it..?

DAVEY:

How about a DNA sample, then?

[KAREN BAULKS]

DAVEY:

To rule you out of our enquiries?

KAREN:

I think I'd remember if I'd been pregnant.

JANE:

Sorry, but this is about a baby. A technician, two seconds and we won't

bother you again?

[ABASHED, KAREN SHRUGS AGREEMENT, MOVING

OFF. DAVEY TURNS TO GO, JANE JOINING HIM]

DAVEY:

(SOTTO, SOUR) Yeah, thanks for your cooperation.

JANE:

She has got her hands full.

DAVEY:

Yeah. But some people foster for the money, don't they?

JANE:

Maybe she's just trying to give them the good home she never had.

(POINTED) Or maybe she can't have one of her own?

DAVEY:

Or maybe she did, and something happened to it?

[HOISTING A SMALL CHILD, KAREN WATCHES

THEM GO, TROUBLED]

CUT TO:

EP2/SC19. INT. SARAH'S BUNGALOW. HALL. DAY 1. 15.40

JANE, DAVEY, LEE, SARAH

[SARAH IS VERGING ON MELTDOWN AS LEE TRIES

TO GET HER TO TAKE THE PILL]

SARAH:

We have to do something!

LEE:

(CALMING) There's nothing we can do. Come on, just take this, and it'll

all be okay...

SARAH:

No it won't! How is it ever going to be okay again?!

[LEE GRIPS HER ARMS]

LEE:

They don't know. There's nothing to connect us...

[THE DOORBELL GOES. THROWN, LEE STEERS

SARAH INTO THE LIVING ROOM, SHUSHING HER,

COMPOSING HIMSELF BEFORE OPENING THE DOOR

TO DAVEY AND JANE]

LEE:

Hello?

DAVEY:

Afternoon. (SHOWING WARRANT CARD) DS Higgins, and this is Jane

Kennedy, Coroner for Lighthaven. We're looking for a Sarah Millar?

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