The Night Manager Page #2

DANIEL:

Thank you very much, sir, for

protecting me from those criminals.

I hope you’re feeling better.

PINE:

You’re welcome. And yes, I am.

Man and boy shake hands. Formal, but touching.

ROPER:

Alright, now scram. Catch us some

mackerel for lunch, will you?

DANIEL takes his leave.

The Night Manager ep 3 final

ROPER (CONT’D)

No disturbances Frisky. Nobody on

the terrace. Who’s that ass on the

lawn?

FRISKY:

That’s Javier fixing the sprinkler

system.

ROPER:

Tell him to unfix it. Where’s

Chico?

Almost on cue a WAITER appears with champagne.

ROPER (CONT’D)

About bloody time. For a moment I

thought we were running a dry ship.

Well you deserve one.

He hands him a glass. PINE takes it, expecting the attack at

any minute. He does not drink.

ROPER (CONT’D)

So you’re fighting fit. What do you

want?

PINE:

I’d like to get back to the

restaurant if that’s all right.

ROPER:

I didn’t mean that. What do you

want? From life?

He eyeballs him.

PINE:

I haven’t got a plan. I’m taking

time out.

ROPER:

Don’t believe you. You’ve never

relaxed in your life.

PINE:

If you say so.

ROPER:

Everyone thinks I was born with a

silver spoon in my mouth. It’s

balls. My father was an Oxfordshire

auctioneer, taught me everything

has a price. But the energy, the

drive, to create all this, that

comes from me alone. Where does it

come from in you?

The Night Manager ep 3 final

PINE:

I’m not sure I have what you

describe.

ROPER sips his wine.

ROPER:

Why d’you do it?

PINE:

Do what?

ROPER:

Murder that Australian. It’s all

over the wire. I called the police,

by the way. Had no choice. Be here

any minute.

PINE doesn’t move. ROPER smiles.

ROPER (CONT’D)

My you are a cool cucumber.

PINE:

Listen you’ve patched me up. I’d

like to move on.

ROPER:

Corky can’t make you out you see.

Suspicious chap Corks. Got bad

vibes about you. But I think he’s

being possessive. Why’d you kill

that Aussie? Don’t deny it, because

that’s just tedious.

Beat.

PINE:

He lied to me.

ROPER:

And you didn’t like that.

PINE:

No.

ROPER:

Quite right. What happened to the

dope you were smuggling?

PINE:

I threw it in the sea.

ROPER:

That must have hurt.

PINE:

Yes it did.

The Night Manager ep 3 final

CORKORAN comes out of a side door.

CORKORAN:

The Langbournes have confirmed. So

that makes twelve for the lunch

party. Or thirteen.

He eyes PINE without much love.

ROPER:

Come and explain why you think this

one’s a bad apple Corky.

CORKORAN:

His references aren’t all that

clever. Lucky for you old Jorge was

so desperate for a sous-chef he

didn’t bother to check them.

ROPER:

Did you fake them Pine?

PINE:

I needed a job fast, I didn’t have

time for formalities.

ROPER:

How did you get the passport?

PINE:

I met a girl in Devon.

ROPER:

Marilyn Trethaway. Pretty little

thing.

He throws a photo. It’s Marilyn. PINE stares.

PINE:

Quince was her ex. Never been

abroad. Never had a passport. I

took his name.

ROPER:

Taken a lot of names haven’t you?

Makes a man wonder who you really

are. Father died in service. No

relationship with mother. Married

once, lasted all of six months so

we can assume not a triumph. Two

tours. Distinguished service. But

on return? What? Despair?

Depression? A loss of hope, a loss

of sanity? Five years as a night

owl in the hotel business, what was

that? Hibernation? Burying yourself

alive?

(MORE)

The Night Manager ep 3 final

ROPER (CONT'D)

Then a sudden moment of madness,

thievery, narcotics, murder. It’s

bloody chaos Jonathan. I mean do

you have any idea who you are?

Beat.

ROPER (CONT’D)

Those fellows you smashed up in the

restaurant. You know them?

PINE:

No.

ROPER:

They hadn’t eaten there before?

PINE:

Did they look like it?

ROPER:

Never sailed a boat for them?

PINE:

Is this an interrogation?

ROPER:

I’ll decide that. Did you cook for

them?

PINE:

No.

CORKORAN:

Those mussels were marvellous.

ROPER:

So you weren’t the lookout guy? You

didn’t switch roles half way

through?

PINE:

No.

ROPER:

One of Corky’s little theories.

PINE:

Well it’s an insulting theory. I

saved the kid’s life. I haven’t

asked for anything. I don’t want a

reward, I certainly don’t

appreciate this investigation into

my past life, and I’m bored of your

hospitality. Maybe I’m not squeaky

clean but nor I suspect are you and

your little friend here, so why

don’t we just leave it at that?

The Night Manager ep 3 final

ROPER:

Where are you going?

PINE:

I’m leaving.

ROPER:

What are you going to do for a

passport?

PINE:

I’ve got a passport. Thomas Quince.

Beat. They stare at him.

PINE (CONT’D)

Where is it?

ROPER:

Corky, sock him the bad news.

CORKORAN:

That passport’s gone old love.

Thomas Quince had to be shredded.

He smiles at PINE who feels a quite instinctive sense of

rage. He walks towards him, threatening. FRISKY melts into

existence at the sign of violence.

PINE:

What are you talking about?

CORKORAN:

No good getting in a paddy my dear.

Your cover is blown sky-high.

You’re on every wanted list on

God’s earth. Murder, theft, sadly

not buggery but we’ll work on that.

PINE:

That was my passport. That was

mine!

ROPER:

Well. You’re going to have to learn

to be someone else. Aren’t you?

Threat in his voice. PINE stares at him.

Footsteps on the terrace. ROPER gets up, furious that his

orders have been disobeyed.

ROPER (CONT’D)

I SAID NO ONE IN HERE!

Even CORKY stops dead in fear. ROPER’s outburst is sudden and

violent. It is JED, in her towel robe, swimming costume

underneath.

The Night Manager ep 3 final

JED:

Oh sorry darling I didn’t know.

And then as if nothing had happened...

ROPER:

ROPER (CONT’D)

My fault, didn’t know it was you.

It’s good news actually. Thomas is

staying a while. Til he’s fighting

fit again.

JED:

Oh that’s great. Come and have a

swim.

ROPER:

Go on. Corky can lend you some

Speedos.

JED walks over to the pool and dives in.

PINE:

No thanks.

ROPER gets up.

ROPER:

Corky put him in the fisherman’s

cottage at the end of the estate.

CORKORAN:

Will do chief.

ROPER:

There’s a party on Sunday. We’ll

decide what to do with you after

that. Get fit again. And keep Danny

company. Try and get him to smile a

bit.

ROPER approaches PINE, speaks quietly.

ROPER (CONT’D)

One more thing. I run a tight ship

here. You saved my boy. I’m

grateful. But you step out of line,

you’ll wish you’d never been born.

He pats him on the arm.

PINE smiles.

JED is swimming gracefully in the pool.

The Night Manager ep 3 final

10 EXT. LONDON. CITY AIRPORT. DAY. 10

ANGELA BURR and JOEL STEADMAN are taking a taxi into London.

BURR stares out at the city.

11 INT. LONDON. RIVER HOUSE. MEETING ROOM. DAY. 11

GEOFFREY DROMGOOLE holds out his hand to JOEL STEADMAN.

RAYMOND GALT and HARRY PALFREY are there. DROMGOOLE shakes

STEADMAN’s hand. Firm handshake.

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