The Coroner Page #5

CUT TO:

EP2/SC28. EXT. STREET. DAY 1. 17.30

JUDITH:

[PLATFORM SHOES STRUT DOWN THE STREET.

REVEAL JUDITH:
DOLLED-UP, CRAMMED INTO

FLARES, IN FLOUNCY TOP AND FARRAH FAWCETT

HAIR. HER MOBILE RINGS BUT SEEING IT’S MICK,

SHE CUTS THE CALL.

ADMIRING HER REFLECTION IN A SHOP WINDOW,

JUDITH HEADS INTO TOWN, FIZZING]

CUT TO:

EP2/SC29. EXT. GOWER ESTATE. DAY 1. 18.25

JANE, DAVEY, CHARLES

NSE GUESTS:

[CHARLES WAVES A GROUP OF GUESTS OFF INTO

THE GROUNDS AS JANE AND DAVEY STAND BY]

CHARLES:

Enjoy!

DAVEY:

So Mr Gower, you'll be pleased to hear we finally managed to turn up some

council records on Greyvale.

CHARLES:

(WARY, COVERING) Did you? Splendid!

DAVEY:

It's not all good news. The records on residents were all flood-damaged.

But due to the miracle of plastic folders, other things survived. Including

your resignation letter from 1976, citing "financial difficulties".

[CHARLES IS AWKWARD, AWARE OF NEARBY

GUESTS]

CHARLES:

Oh yes?

DAVEY:

Yeah, apparently you had several county court judgements against you. The

real head-scratcher is, your company records showed a profit.

[CHARLES USHERS JANE AND DAVEY ASIDE]

CHARLES:

Really? Very interesting!

DAVEY:

'Tis, isn't it? So I'm wondering where all the money went. If maybe

someone had your feet to the fire over something?

JANE:

Something at Greyvale?

[THROWN, CHARLES HESITATES]

DAVEY:

And you were paying them off?

CHARLES:

What? No, you mean...

[THEY EYE HIM]

CHARLES:

No, no..! It was nothing like that.

[CAUGHT, CHARLES DEFLATES]

CHARLES:

I had... what these days would probably be called an addiction. But my

father happily called "a defect in my moral character"...

[JANE AND DAVEY EXCHANGE A GLANCE]

JANE:

A defect?

CHARLES:

Gambling.

[JANE AND DAVEY ARE WRONG-FOOTED]

CHARLES:

Got myself into quite a pickle. Had to resign. (BEAT) Shameful I know...

[JANE AND DAVEY EYE HIM]

CHARLES:

But I had nothing to do with... this business. I was a trustee, nothing more.

Never hands-on with the young people, like...

DAVEY:

Like who?

[CHARLES HESITATES, TORN, EDGY]

CHARLES:

There were rumours, later on, that Greyvale... wasn't so well run by the

family concerned, and had to close. That's all I know...

[JANE AND DAVEY EYE ONE ANOTHER, TAKING

THAT IN]

CUT TO:

EP2/SC30. EXT. CORONER'S OFFICE. DAY 1. 19.13

JANE, DAVEY, JUDITH, CLINT, PHIL

NSE JUDITH'S SCHOOL MATES, PASSERSBY

[DAVEY AND JANE PARK BEHIND JANE’S CAR]

DAVEY:

He didn't name any names...

JANE:

No. But he was clearly talking about the Tates.

DAVEY:

Yeah, but Ron or Phil?

[JANE DOESN'T KNOW]

DAVEY:

Either way, not enough to pull them in for questioning. And then he

clammed up. (BEAT) Like he was scared, maybe... holding something

back?

JANE:

Like everyone else we've talked to.

[DAVEY CLOCKS:
JANE, STUDYING THE OLD

PHOTO, TOUCHED]

DAVEY:

You reckon the third girl could be the mother?

JANE:

(NO IDEA) She just looks so lost. And no-one seems to remember her, or

what happened to her. Or the baby. (POIGNANT BEAT) Two lost souls.

[DAVEY AND JANE SHARE A RESIGNED BEAT, BOTH

PRIVATELY AWARE OF THE RESONANCE, THEIR

CONNECTION. BUT THE MOMENT IS BROKEN BY A

VIOLENT THUMP ON THE CAR ROOF. JANE IS

THROWN TO SEE ANGRY PHIL AT HER WINDOW]

PHIL:

What the hell’re you playing at?!

[DAVEY GETS OUT, HEADING AROUND THE CAR]

PHIL:

I got a call from my dad’s nursing home! They had to sedate him after you

left!

[DAVEY BLOCKS PHIL FROM JANE, HERDING HIM

AWAY]

DAVEY:

Eh, eh mate! Listen, we were five minutes and he was fine.

[EDGY, JANE GETS OUT (WITH HER CASE FILES, THE

ALTERCATION CONTINUING IN THE

BACKGROUND), SEEING CLINT RETURNING]

PHIL:

(IN BG) I ain’t your mate. I told her stay away...

CLINT:

(RE MUCKY SNEAKERS) You owe me new sneakers. And counselling,

for the spiders.

JUDITH (OOV):

There she is!

[RAUCOUS FEMALE LAUGHTER, AND BOTH TURN

TO FIND JUDITH AND A GAGGLE OF (3) MATES, ALL

IN 70’S GEAR, DRUNK, DESCENDING ON THEM]

CLINT:

(FEARFUL) And the women!

JUDITH:

How’s my baby?

[JUDITH ENFOLDS JANE IN A TIPSY HUG]

JUDITH:

Look at her, still cute and cuddly as the day she was born.

[AMUSED AND EMBARRASSED, JANE HUGS HER

BACK]

JANE:

And house-trained now. What you up to Mum?

JUDITH:

Rebelling! Recapturing me lost youth… (RE CLINT) or any other youth I

can lay me hands on!

[CLINT FLEES INSIDE TO BAWDY LAUGHTER FROM

THE GAGGLE AS DAVEY APPROACHES, AMUSED

(PHIL STALKING AWAY IN BG)]

DAVEY:

You lot making trouble?

JUDITH:

70’s do at The Captain’s Pipe! (TO JANE) You got me thinking, see? Had

to look up the old crowd, paint the town red like the old days! ‘Cept we

were underage back then.

[DAVEY TUTTS, MOCK-DISAPPROVING]

JANE:

(STRUCK) What, these are old mates from school?

JUDITH:

(YES) Tina’s still got her old disco tapes!

[THE GAGGLE DRUNKENLY SING “D-I-S-C-O”]

JUDITH:

So we’re heading back to hers for a few more and a boogie.

JANE:

Why don’t I give you all a lift? Save your platforms for Barry White...

JUDITH:

Ah, cheers darling!

[THE GAGGLE ADLIB ASSENT (YEY!), DAVEY

DUBIOUS AS THEY PILE INTO JANE’S CAR SINGING

“D-I-S-C-O”. JANE SHOOTS HIM A SLY LOOK,

JUGGLING CASE FILES TO FIND THE PHOTO]

JANE:

(TO GAGGLE) We could have a look at some old photos. Talk all about

the good old days.

[JANE CLIMBS IN, JUDITH SQUEEZING IN (LAST)]

JUDITH:

You always were a good baby.

CUT TO:

EP2/SC31. INT. LIGHTHAVEN CARE HOME. RON'S BEDROOM.

DAY 1. 20.12

PHIL, RON

[IN BED, SEDATED, RON TURNS, FINDING PHIL

(STILL SIMMERING) BESIDE HIM]

PHIL:

It's okay, Dad. I've sorted the cops. They won't be bothering you again...

[BUT HE REGISTERS: RON AGITATED, TRYING TO

SAY NO. PHIL PUTS A PEN IN HIS RIGHT HAND,

PAPER UNDERNEATH. GROGGY, RON WRITES

"LEE"...]

PHIL:

Lee? Lee who?

[RON LABORIOUSLY WRITES SOMETHING UNSEEN.

PHIL WATCHES, FURY RISING]

CUT TO:

EP2/SC32. INT. SARAH'S BUNGALOW. LIVING ROOM /

HALLWAY. DAY 1. 21.19

LEE, SARAH, KAREN, PHIL

[LIVING ROOM:
LEE IS FINALLY CALMING TEAR-

STREAKED, TRANQUILISED SARAH, LYING HER ON

THE SOFA]

SARAH:

(MUMBLING) But, did you..?

LEE:

It's all okay now, I promise.

SARAH:

We're safe..?

LEE:

Yeah, see? I made it go away, like always. Shh...

[SHE CLOSES HER EYES. RELIEVED, LEE IS

STARTLED BY:
THE DOORBELL RINGING

INCESSANTLY. SARAH MOANS, DISTRESSED, LEE

STROKING HER HEAD. A DOG (SAMSON) GROWLS

AND BARKS MENACINGLY OUTSIDE]

LEE:

Shh.

[HALLWAY:
THE LETTERBOX OPENS]

PHIL:

(FUMING, DARK) Eh. You in there?

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