The Night Manager Page #9

ROPER (CONT’D)

Only joking. But we’ll need another

two bottles I should think. The

good stuff.

PINE:

Of course sir.

ROPER:

And find out where the hell that

parcel is.

Not a flicker from PINE.

PINE:

Of course sir. I’ll have it sent up

when it arrives.

PINE turns, walks back through the room. As he passes the

bathroom he sees through the crack in the door JED’s naked

back in the bath. She turns, sees him looking, smiles at him.

SMASH CUT to SOPHIE’s beaten body on the hotel room floor.

TNM Ep1 PRE-SHOOTING SCRIPT 15-3-15 4747.

SNAP BACK to now. PINE walks out the door.

Outside PINE breathes deep, then walks fast down the

corridor, faster, faster...

Until he hits the public toilets on the floor. He dashes

inside and we can hear the sound of him retching his guts out

into the Meisters loo.

59 INT. ZERMATT. MEISTERS. LOBBY. NIGHT. 59

Later. A newly elegant PINE is on his nightly rounds through

the now completely empty, sleeping hotel.

JONATHAN PINE looks across at FRAULEIN VIPP, the fifty year

old Austrian and seriously old-school telephone operator.

Walks over. Asks casually.

PINE:

Can I see tonight’s late arrivals

please?

She hands him the registration forms. He stares at the names.

Alexander Lord Langbourne address Tortola British Virgin

Islands. Wife Caroline. Onslow Roper. Richard. Company

Director. Address, PO Box 245 Palma, Mallorca. Frobisher

Cyril, pilot. Macarthur and Danby, down as company

executives. Inglis, Francis, Perth Australia. Perez, Tobias,

from Spain. Marshall, Jemima, address PO box 245 Palma,

Mallorca. Profession. Model.

PINE (CONT’D)

Can you do me copies of these

Fraulein Vipp. We’re conducting a

marketing survey of Tower Suite

guests.

FRAULEIN VIPP:

Yes of course Mr Pine.

She flirts slightly with this elegant Englishman.

PINE walks over to his desk. Looks at the parcel. Looks at

the mobile phone numbers.

Carefully writes them down on a hotel pad. Six brand new

mobile numbers.

PINE looks up to see a large tray of smoked salmon, steak,

carrot cake and Schlag being carried across the hall by

ALFRED the night waiter.

PINE:

Tower Suite?

ALFRED nods as PINE holds open the door.

TNM Ep1 PRE-SHOOTING SCRIPT 15-3-15 4848.

ALFRED:

Good tips tonight. It must mean he

is in love. English only tip when

they are in love.

PINE goes back behind his desk, rewraps and takes out the

parcel.

PINE:

Alfred, take this up, it just

arrived for Mr Roper. And make sure

you clear all the rubbish from

their bins before dawn. Mr Roper

hates mess.

ALFRED nods, enters the lift and presses up. PINE watches him

go.

60 INT. ZERMATT. MEISTERS HOTEL. LOBBY. NIGHT. 60

JONATHAN PINE walks across the reception area.

A noise. PINE watches ALFRED carrying a small plastic bin bag

out of the back door of the hotel out to the bins round back.

PINE watches as a freezing ALFRED hurries back into the

hotel.

PINE dons his coat, slowly walks out of the front of the

hotel.

61 I/E. ZERMATT. MEISTERS HOTEL. NIGHT. 61

PINE walks languidly, taking a smoke, around the forecourt of

the hotel. He stares at the shadowy mountains.

He walks, without hurrying, round the back of the hotel. It’s

dark here, no lighting.

He reaches the bins.

He opens the bins, apparently to chuck his cigarette inside.

There is the small bin bag.

Quietly PINE takes the bag, lifts it out.

As PINE crouches, he quietly and efficiently opens the black

bin bag and takes out six disused mobile phones, opening

them.

The old SIM cards are not there.

PINE pauses. Thinks.

He carefully looks at the rest of the rubbish from the room.

TNM Ep1 PRE-SHOOTING SCRIPT 15-3-15 4949.

It’s mostly plastics, some food. And three champagne bottles.

PINE stares at the champagne bottles.

He upturns them. Pistachio shells fall out of the first. And

second.

But out of the third fall six SIM cards.

PINE stares at them.

He picks up the SIM-cards and pockets them.

Then very smoothly he lifts the black bag and returns it to

the bins.

And walks back towards the hotel entrance.

62 INT. ZERMATT. MEISTERS HOTEL. LOBBY/RESTAURANT. NIGHT. 62

PINE re-enters, walks to his desk. Takes the sim cards out

his pocket.

As Roper’s two BLAZERS come through the door. They stare at

him. He has the sim cards in his hand but he remains entirely

cool.

PINE:

Can I help you gentlemen?

FRISKY:

Bar still open?

PINE:

Yes I believe so.

They nod and walks through into the bar.

PINE stays very still as they do.

Then he slips the sim cards into a private drawer, locks the

drawer.

Breathes deep.

62a EXT. ZERMATT. MEISTERS HOTEL. NIGHT. 62a

PINE walks out, lights a cigarette.

Then hears a voice. From behind him.

ROPER:

Glimpse of the infinite.

TNM Ep1 PRE-SHOOTING SCRIPT 15-3-15 5050.

PINE turns, manages not to turn fast. There is ROPER standing

alone, also smoking. Staring at the night sky. PINE’s heart

races just a little.

PINE:

Yes. It’s reassuring.

ROPER:

Up to a point.

Beat.

ROPER (CONT’D)

You work here all year?

PINE:

Yes.

ROPER:

Couldn’t do it. Too bloody quiet

for me.

PINE:

You get used to it.

ROPER:

Like to keep away from the world do

we? Got a girl here?

PINE:

No.

ROPER:

All alone? Well we all are, in the

end. Aren’t we?

He looks at him. Beat. The two men stare at the snow.

ROPER (CONT’D)

Got a chum coming tomorrow night.

Name of Apostol. Bringing his

daughter and a girlfriend. Make

sure there’s a private room ready

would you? Champagne, the usual.

PINE:

Certainly sir.

ROPER walks back into the hotel. Stops and turns.

ROPER:

Lot of people would have tossed

their cigarette when the paying

customer turned up.

PINE stands his ground.

TNM Ep1 PRE-SHOOTING SCRIPT 15-3-15 5151.

ROPER (CONT’D)

Good for you.

ROPER smiles, and turns back to the hotel. Over his

shoulder:

ROPER (CONT’D)

And tell Meisters he needs new art.

I have a Landseer he can have, 250

and I’ll throw in the hook. ‘Night.

He goes. PINE takes a deep, relieved drag on his cigarette.

63 OMITTED 63

63a I/E. ZERMATT. MEISTERS HOTEL. MORNING. 63a

It’s early morning, the sun just touching the distant peaks.

JONATHAN PINE does his rounds.

He stops to see through a window the stunning hotel swimming

pool.

Someone is swimming lengths. Head down. Graceful in the

water.

JED.

She does not see him as he watches.

64 INT. ZERMATT. MEISTERS HOTEL. MORNING. 64

JONATHAN PINE is preparing to leave at the end of his shift.

His coat back on. HERR STRIPPLI is at the manager’s desk.

Changeover time.

STRIPPLI:

See you tonight Mr Pine.

PINE stares across into he breakfast room where ROPER is

alone with JED, having breakfast “a deux”.

He is making her laugh.

ROPER turns to see PINE as he leaves. He waves.

And smiles a dazzling smile at JONATHAN PINE.

65 OMITTED 65

TNM Ep1 PRE-SHOOTING SCRIPT 15-3-15 52.

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