The Night Manager Page #7

PINE’s heart is pierced with a terrible pain. But he can do

nothing but watch her go.

Alone once more.

47a INT. LONDON. IEA. NIGHT. 47a

Pearl has indeed bought a microwave. The little office is

crammed full of files. BURR and ROOK, frozen to the bone, are

working late. PEARL in the background as usual. Ashtrays full

of fags. Whiskey on the table. Microwaved pizza on the side.

ROOK bangs the radiator to no avail. BURR is on the phone.

She is tense with excitement at the hunt for Roper being back

on.

BURR:

Gordon? Listen don’t wait up. I’ll

probably sleep here tonight. Yeah

the JIC meeting is tomorrow and

I’ve got to go in fully armed. You

too.

She puts her mobile down. ROOK, steeped in the Roper papers,

talks across.

ROOK:

How is Mr Burr?

BURR:

He’s being clingy. Wants us to have

a child. Thinks it will bring us

closer together.

ROOK:

Progeny as marital solution. Oh

dear.

BURR:

I’ll let you know when I want

emotional advice from you. What

have you got?

ROOK is on the computer studying a GCHQ record of red-flag

phone calls of R. ROPER. Lists of times and places. Durations

of call.

TNM Ep1 PRE-SHOOTING SCRIPT 15-3-15 3636.

ROOK:

Not a lot. Roper’s careful who he

talks to. GCHQ have logged nothing

but dross.

BURR:

Always the same. His name’s on

nothing, not a single register at

companies house, not one email, not

even a bloody SMS. I bet you his

fingers have no prints.

BURR stares at Roper’s face. Smiling, calm, insouciant. BURR

hates every muscle in it.

When suddenly a phone rings. ROOK picks up.

ROOK:

Rob Rook. IEA.

He listens.

ROOK (CONT’D)

I see. Do you want to speak to her

yourself? (no they don’t) Yes I’ll

tell her.

BURR watches.

He puts the phone down.

ROOK (CONT’D)

The JIC meeting’s been cancelled.

BURR:

Cancelled? What do you mean

cancelled?

ROOK:

Apparently there are political

reasons why an enquiry into the

Cairo papers would not be

productive at this time.

BURR:

Get me Mayhew’s office.

ROOK:

That was Mayhew’s office.

ANGELA BURR sits staring at the photo of ROPER on her desk.

BURR:

Richard Onslow Roper. He’s not even

in the country. But he’s right

here.

Beat.

TNM Ep1 PRE-SHOOTING SCRIPT 15-3-15 3737.

BURR (CONT’D)

Who sent the papers from Cairo

Station?

ROOK looks on the lists.

ROOK:

The Station Officer. Name of

Ogilvey.

ROOK (CONT’D)

Simon Ogilvey?

ROOK (CONT’D)

You know him?

BURR:

He was my legman in Kiev 2004.

She is thinking fast now.

BURR (CONT’D)

Get him on the phone. I need to

know how he got his intelligence.

ROOK:

That’s breaking protocols.

BURR:

Rob. Whoever gave him those papers

is in danger. Get him on the phone

now.

48

OMITTED 48

49

INT. CAIRO. NEFERTITI HOTEL. RECEPTION / IEA OFFICES LONDON49

NIGHT.

PINE stands at his desk. He stares at the light for the

Hatshepsut Suite. Thinks about ringing. Does not.

Then his phone rings.

PINE:

Nefertiti Hotel Cairo, how can I

help?

It’s ANGELA BURR in the IEA offices in London, late at night.

BURR’S VOICE

Is that the night manager?

PINE:

Yes. Who is this?

TNM Ep1 PRE-SHOOTING SCRIPT 15-3-15 3838.

BURR’S VOICE

You have a guest in the Hatshepsut

Suite. She needs to leave the

hotel. Call me when she’s safe. 44

700 70 70 70.

PINE writes name and number.

PINE:

Who are you?

BURR’S VOICE

I’m a friend.

PINE:

What do you mean a friend?

BURR’S VOICE

Just get her out Mr Pine. Her

life’s at risk.

The phone goes down.

PINE stares.

Then he rings the Hatshepsut Suite. But there is no answer.

And PINE starts to run.

50

INT. CAIRO. NERFERTITI. CORRIDOR/HATSHEPSUT SUITE. NIGHT. 50

JONATHAN PINE is running fast along the corridor. His face

hollow with the anticipation of what he is about to see.

And then he sees it. The door to her room is already open.

Almost unable to bear it, he enters the room..

51

INT. CAIRO. NEFERTITI. HATSHEPSUT SUITE. NIGHT. 51

Time slows. Sound collapses. He does not hear himself scream.

He sees the smashed-up remains of what once was Sophie Alekan

lying on the thick pile carpet of the penthouse.

PINE’s face goes pale, it’s like the air is forced from him

in a silent howl of horror.

52

INT. CAIRO. NEFERTITI. HATSHEPSUT SUITE. DAY. 52

Hours later. Crime scene. Two EGYPTIAN POLICE are in the

room. POLICE PHOTOGRAPHERS take photos. JONATHAN PINE stands

soberly answering questions. The body of SOPHIE ALEKAN is

being wrapped in sheets.

TNM Ep1 PRE-SHOOTING SCRIPT 15-3-15 3939.

EGYPTIAN POLICE:

Who found her?

PINE:

The maid. She called me.

EGYPTIAN POLICE:

Did you know her?

PINE:

To speak to yes. I believe she was

connected to Mr Hamid.

Blank face.

EGYPTIAN POLICE:

Who?

PINE:

Freddie Hamid? Freddie Hamid. You

must know him. The Hamids?

EGYPTIAN POLICE:

Don’t know him.

PINE:

How can you not know him? They’re

one of the most famous families in

the city.

The POLICEMAN just looks blank. Determinedly so.

EGYPTIAN POLICE:

No. Was burglar. Crazy burglar.

PINE:

Why would a burglar do that?

He points to her mangled body. The POLICEMAN turns on PINE,

hard face.

EGYPTIAN POLICE:

What do you care? Maybe you know

her better than you say? Maybe you

kill her?

PINE shakes his head, looks away. Maybe he did.

He walks away as the body is wrapped.

He walks into the bathroom to get water.

And stops dead as he sees it.

A dead Pekinese Dog. Lying on the bathroom floor. Its belly

slit from arse to neck. Insides bubbling out.

He stares at it. Expressionless. In silent, blank horror.

TNM Ep1 PRE-SHOOTING SCRIPT 15-3-15 4040.

Music rises.

53

EXT. LONDON. SQUARE. DAY. 53

ANGELA BURR sits alone in the rain. She stares at the distant

River House. Her eyes filled with pale anger.

54

OMITTED 54

55

INT. CAIRO. OGILVEY’S MANSION. LIVING ROOM. DAY. 55

OGILVEY is backing away. A furious, raging JONATHAN PINE is

throwing teacups, smashing furniture, trying to reach

OGILVEY, SECURITY are entering, PINE is trying to strangle

OGILVEY, the SECURITY are pulling him off, PINE’s face is

racked with guilt and rage.

56

OMITTED 56

57

INT. ZERTMATT. MESITERS HOTEL. LOBBY. NIGHT. 57

It is one a.m.

JONATHAN PINE’s impassive face, five years later, as he sits

at the desk of the Meisters hotel, staring into the dark

night.

Then he looks at the courier parcel.

Carefully cuts the tape with the old letter opener. Looks.

Inside are six brand new mobile phones.

PINE stares at them. At the numbers.

He stares at the guest list for tonight.

R. ROPER.

Two young PORTERS are waiting at the door. They suddenly

burst into life.

BENITO:

They are here Mr Pine.

PINE looks up. He breathes hard. Controls his breathing.

And stands.

57a

I/E. ZERMATT. MEISTERS HOTEL. LOBBY. NIGHT. 57a

A helicopter has landed on a patch of ground outside the

hotel. Its propellers still whirring.

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