The Night Manager Page #5

There are servants preparing for the lunch party. It’s about

to kick off.

PINE is in the house. He sees a car enter through the gates.

LANGBOURNE, his wife CAROLINE and his young and leggy NANNY

get out, along with the three kids.

28 INT. MALLORCA. ROPER’S VILLA. CORRIDOR/ROPER’S BEDROOM DAY. 28

PINE walks up the stairs. The bedroom is open. He hears a

voice. JED. Beyond her is a small door leading to Roper’s

private office.

PINE stops at the door. Ties his shoe lace. PINE slides a

backwards look through the door. JED, naked, back to him,

sits on the bed.

JED:

Did you get the money? Ok good. No

I don’t want to talk to him. I

don’t know when I’ll be back Lisa.

What difference does it make,

you’re doing fine without me.

She hangs up. The phone goes on the bed, and she holds her

head in her hands.

Then suddenly she grabs a bottle of pills, takes one. Knocks

it back.

PINE stares at her through the crack in the door.

Then rather loudly he knocks.

PINE:

Sorry to interrupt. The Langbournes

are here. I think it’s time for the

party.

She turns. She stares at him. Her tear-stained face is

impossible to hide.

The Night Manager ep 3 final

29 EXT./INT. ROPER VILLA. DAY. 29

PINE greets APOSTOL who has just flown in with his

tart/girlfriend and a stranger. OMAR BARGHATI. The Arab man

from the Madrid party.

PINE:

Mr Apostol. My name is Thomas, I

work with Mr Roper. May I take your

jacket?

He eyes BARGHATI.

APOSTOL:

Where is Roper?

PINE:

He’s through the living room in the

fruit garden.

They sweep through barely registering him. But PINE is

watching them.

PINE turns away to see CORKORAN watching him. PINE smiles.

CORKY raises his glass in return. The two men stare at each

other.

30 OMITTED 30

30a INT/EXT. MALLORCA. ROPER’S VILLA. TERRACE. DAY. 30a

Later:
at the lunch table. Everyone there. ROPER, JED.

BARGHATI. APO and his MISTRESS. CORKORAN. The LANGBOURNES

plus KIDS and NANNY. And an AUSTRIAN COUPLE.

Beside PINE is JED, who shows no sign of her previous tears.

We are between courses and ROPER is doing magic tricks for

the Langbourne kids and DANIEL, It’s the classic three-cup

trick. He’s good.

ROPER:

All right now watch the cups this

time. No slacking.

He starts to move the cups.

ROPER (CONT’D)

I was taught this trick by a man

from Mars. But he had three hands

which I thought was cheating.

The KIDS laugh, and ROPER uses this as a way to distract.

PINE watches. ROPER completes another elegant pass with his

hands and stops.

The Night Manager ep 3 final

ROPER (CONT’D)

All right. Danny. Where’s the ball?

DANNY shifts, uncomfortable. He points to the cup that ROPER

wants him to point to.

ROPER lifts it. It’s empty.

ROPER (CONT’D)

Danny. You didn’t watch the cups.

Thomas knows where the ball is.

Don’t you Thomas.

PINE smiles.

ROPER (CONT’D)

Right who’s for pudding?

31 EXT. MALLORCA. ROPER’S VILLA. GARDEN. DAY. 31

Later:
after lunch. PINE moves through the garden. CAROLINE

is walking apart with BARGHATI. PINE sees that APOSTOL is

having a conversation with LANGBOURNE and ROPER that seems to

be of the utmost seriousness. And they are glancing at

CORKORAN who stands at the other end of the garden gossiping

with the AUSTRIANS.

APOSTOL:

According to my friends he’s been

shooting his mouth off, in certain

“bars” in Palma. I wasn’t sure if I

should tell you...

They stare across at CORKORAN.

LANGBOURNE:

It happens every time he drinks

Dicky. He can’t stop his bloody

mouth. In every way.

ROPER is looking quietly furious. ROPER walks across to

CORKORAN. Takes him off the Austrians and engages in a

furious quiet conversation.

CORKORAN:

Chief, I honestly don’t know what

you’re talking about...

PINE watches, walks away. Sees LANGBOURNE brush past the

NANNY, something to physical in the way he brushes her arm.

PINE sees it.

And so, he sees, does CAROLINE LANGBOURNE. Who turns and

walks away, hiding her anger. Her and PINE’s eyes meet for a

moment. She knows he has seen it all. She walks on, past him,

saying nothing.

The Night Manager ep 3 final

PINE enters the swimming pool area, a drink in hand. Cocktail

or similar.

CAROLINE LANGBOURNE is sitting alone at the edge of the upper

pool, feet in the water, in blouse and skirt. Terribly

English. Pale and tired.

Exactly who he was looking for.

PINE:

Thought you could do with a pick-meup.

CAROLINE:

How kind of you.

PINE:

You’re not swimming?

CAROLINE:

Not in the mood.

She sips her drink. PINE sits, says nothing.

CAROLINE (CONT’D)

I like you Thomas. You see

everything and say nothing.

Beat.

CAROLINE (CONT’D)

You saw the way he touched her

didn’t you.

PINE:

Yes.

CAROLINE:

My husband is screwing our nanny.

What a cliche. Jed says I should

have hired an uglier girl. But the

agency only have stunners.

PINE smiles. The water ripples around her legs. CAROLINE ties

her skirts up, puts cream on her calves. Pulls the shirt off

her shoulders, puts cream on that too.

CAROLINE (CONT’D)

Could you do my back.

Almost an instruction. A strange eroticism to this terribly

English 40 year old. He creams her back. Freckly. Pale. She

undoes another button or two.

CAROLINE (CONT’D)

Don’t worry. I don’t want to sleep

with you.

The Night Manager ep 3 final

PINE smiles. He creams down her back. Then, after a long

pause, and rather slowly and quietly.... She speaks.

CAROLINE (CONT’D)

Why’s he keeping you here?

PINE:

I don’t know.

CAROLINE:

Grooming you is he?

PINE:

I don’t think so.

CAROLINE:

Well be careful. What you get

involved in.

Beat. As if she is making a decision.

CAROLINE (CONT’D)

The whole party’s a sham of course.

All so they can meet the Lebanese

man Apo brought. You know what it’s

about?

PINE:

No.

CAROLINE:

I do.

Beat. They gaze across the compound. There’s a terrible

danger in the air.

CAROLINE (CONT’D)

Roper’s planning to sell arms.

Weapons from seven British and

American arms companies.

Beat. He continues oiling her back. Huge tension.

CAROLINE (CONT’D)

They are signing the conditions of

sale tomorrow. Roper’s using a

company called Tradepass to fence

the deal. You can stop rubbing now.

PINE stops rubbing her back. CAROLINE lies back, eyes closed.

CAROLINE (CONT’D)

But Sandy’s nervous. Apostol warned

him that Corky might be a bad egg.

Sandy wants to stop the deal but

Roper’s pushing onward. Roper

thinks he’s indestructible.

The Night Manager ep 3 final

PINE:

Why are you telling me this?

CAROLINE:

Just wanted to be honest with

someone in this world.

PINE:

With a little revenge thrown in.

She smiles.

PINE (CONT’D)

Does Jed know?

CAROLINE:

No of course not. Sandy screws

everyone and tells me everything.

Roper is steadfastly faithful and

tells Jed nothing.

PINE:

I suppose if you really wanted

revenge, you wouldn’t tell me.

You’d tell her.

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