The Night Manager Page #4

JUAN APOSTOL gets out of a taxi in a humming street in

Madrid.

He enters a restaurant.

We stay outside, POV of someone watching as APOSTOL walks to

the back, sits and meets Roper’s smooth-as-silk lawyer, SANDY

LANGBOURNE. They shake hands and begin to talk.

Night Manager ep 2 final

As they do, we hear the click click of a digital camera

taking shot after shot of the two men as they begin their

conversation.

The man taking the photo is tall, solid, African-American, 45

years old and likeable. We have never seen him before.

He is JOEL STEADMAN.

18 EXT. LONDON. STREET. DAY. 18

REX MAYHEW is walking outside. BURR with him.

BURR:

Our boy’s left Switzerland. Money

in hand.

MAYHEW:

What do you need?

BURR:

I need to give him some criminal

history for Roper to find. It’ll be

West Country, and it needs to be

real. I want the Home Office on

board. And I need you to take at

least three senior police officers

for lunch so they play the game.

REX MAYHEW:

What game?

BURR:

Theft, narcotics and murder.

REX MAYHEW:

No half measures eh.

He smiles.

BURR:

And not a word to the River. You

understand me Rex? Not... a ...

word.

They stare across at the shiny River building.

REX MAYHEW:

I do hope I’m not about to regret

the soft spot I have for you

Angela.

19 OMITTED 19

Night Manager ep 2 final

20 INT. LONDON. HOTEL ROOM. DAY. 20

SINGHAL and BURR enter side by side. BURR is carrying a

useful bag.

BURR sets out the contents of her bag on the low table -

thermos of hot tea, three cups, fresh milk, a tin of mixed

biscuits, sugar.

A knock at the door.

BURR:

You open it.

She sits in the better chair and composes herself. SINGHAL

gives her a moment, opens the door. PINE enters and stands

still. SINGHAL closes the door behind him. BURR and PINE

exchange a long look. BURR nods PINE to the second chair.

PINE remains standing.

BURR (CONT’D)

(challenging)

All right then? Up for it? Sure,

are you?

PINE:

Yes.

BURR:

Well, sit down then, for God’s

sake, and have a cup of tea. You

make me nervous.

She pours, offers sugar. No sugar. Milk? A nod.

BURR (CONT’D)

(pouring)

All you’ve said so far is Yes.

PINE:

Do you want me to say no?

BURR:

Now’s your moment. Or forever after

hold your peace.

PINE’s silence says it all.

BURR (CONT’D)

(shoving the biscuit tin

at him)

You’re too bloody perfect, that’s

your trouble, Jonathan Pine. I

don’t want you bloody perfect.

Take one. Go on. Eat the damn

thing!

Night Manager ep 2 final

PINE takes a biscuit, playfully nibbles at a corner, puts it

down.

BURR (CONT’D)

(now fiercely serious)

I want your worst side up,

Jonathan. Once you hit glorious

Devon, I want you to be the second

worst man in the world, first prize

already awarded. There’s half a

psychopath lurking behind that

smile of yours, and you wouldn’t

know right from wrong if it bit you

in the arse. Don’t give an inch to

anyone, man or woman. It’s me, me,

me, all the time. Anyone pisses

you off, smack them. Anyone does

the dirty on you, God help them.

Yes?

PINE:

Yes.

21 EXT. DEVON. COUNTRY ROAD. DAY. 21

A motorbike batters its way through wind and light rain along

a remote Devon country lane, the smell of the sea in the air,

a flatness of land all around. It seems we may be at the end

of the earth.

22 INT. LONDON. HOTEL ROOM. SOME TIME EARLIER. DAY. 22

BURR:

I don’t just want you leaving a

common or garden criminal trail

behind you. I want more. I want you

to frighten the living daylights

out of me. I want Dickie Roper to

know you’re in his league. You’re a

man after his own heart. Assuming

he’s got one. A man who thinks

laws are made for little people and

you’re not one of them. That’s

when he’ll come to the table. And

that’s when we’ll get him over a

barrel and skewer him.

BURR is irritated by PINE’s passivity.

BURR (CONT’D)

Are you comfortable with that at

all?

Night Manager ep 2 final

PINE:

Yes.

23 EXT. DEVON. VILLAGE. DAY. 23

JONATHAN PINE is riding into town on his bike. He approaches

the town centre.

He sees the village shop. Walks towards it.

24 INT. LONDON. HOTEL ROOM. DAY. 24

BURR is taking out a piece of paper.

PINE:

What’s that?

SINGHAL:

It’s our insurance. We didn’t push

you, you’ll never sue us, you have

no case against the government for

neglect, malfeasance or rabies.

Whatever happens, it’s all your

fault.

Beat. BURR pushes it across. Holds out a pen.

BURR:

Last chance to flee.

She smiles.

25 INT. DEVON. VILLAGE SHOP. DAY. 25

The village shop. A desolate and bleak little place, badly

stocked.

The door opens. PINE enters.

MARILYN. 20 years old, strapping, made a mess of life and she

knows it, is at the counter. Bored out of her brain.

PINE:

I’ve taken Rosums cottage. I was

told to leave the rent here.

As if she cares.

PINE (CONT’D)

Is this your place?

MARILYN:

My mum’s. I’m just looking after

it.

Night Manager ep 2 final

PINE nods. He takes out a wad of spanking brand new notes.

MARILYN’s interest is piqued, just like he meant it to be.

MARILYN (CONT’D)

You’re from up country?

PINE:

That’s right.

MARIYLN:

What you doing down here?

PINE:

Just having some time to myself.

Almost deliberately suspicious.

That’s when PINE hears it. A baby’s cry.

PINE (CONT’D)

Someone’s hungry.

MARIYLN:

When isn’t he?

PINE:

Yours?

MARILYN:

Fraid so.

She stares at him.

PINE:

Well - nice talking to you.

He gathers his things and walks to the door.

MARIYLN:

What was the name?

PINE:

Jack Linden. With an I.

He smiles, walks out. She watches him go.

26 EXT. DEVON. ROSUMS COTTAGE. TRACK. DAY. 26

PINE rides his bike down the lane. Turns into the track that

leads over the cliffs to a deserted cottage right on the edge

of the cliff.

27 EXT. DEVON. ROSUMS COTTAGE. DAY. 27

PINE gets off the bike, grabs his panniers, and walks towards

the remote cottage.

Night Manager ep 2 final

He has the key in his hand.

He is about to open the door.

Then he hears something. From inside the cottage.

He enters the cottage.

28 INT. DEVON. ROSUMS COTTAGE. DAY. 28

Inside the cottage, a young couple are f***ing, her on top.

This is JACOB DODRIDGE and his girl.

PINE stares.

She sees him, pauses, stands up, grabs her dress to her,

grins.

GIRL:

Jacob.

JACOB turns, gets up.

JACOB:

Who the bloody hell are you?

PINE:

I’m Jack Linden. I’m going to live

here.

JACOB:

No one’s lived here for years!

PINE:

Well I am now. So take your clothes

and get the hell out.

Beat. A threat here.

JACOB:

Come on then girl.

He storms off. The GIRL, grinning, finding it all hilarious,

trips after, not that bothered to cover herself up.

PINE closes the door after them. Looks around.

It’s cold, small, shabby, dusty. Perfect.

He takes the stove-top kettle, puts it on. The sound of the

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