The Night Manager Page #10

BURR:

For the very first time Mr Roper,

it seems you are without

protection. How does it feel?

Beat. PINE guards the door.

ROPER stands in silence.

ROPER:

What do you want?

BURR:

I want to know something. All those

lives lost. All that pain and loss

you’ve caused. Why do you do it?

PINE watches.

ROPER:

It’s the only honest reaction to

the world.

BURR:

What is?

ROPER:

Terror.

BURR:

You really believe that?

ROPER:

Yes I do.

The Night Manager ep 6 final.

He smiles.

BURR:

Then you and I are not in the same

world.

Beat.

ROPER:

But my dear Angela, we are.

BURR nods. POLICE come in. Handcuff ROPER. PINE watches.

ROPER smiles as BURR approaches.

ROPER (CONT’D)

You really think this is going to

work? What happens when you get me

back to London? I’ll get bail of

course. Long court case. Expensive

lawyers fudging the issue. Friends

in the right places, too many

people knowing I know too much, I

can say too much, about them, about

their fingers in the till. We will

all agree on a minor custodial

sentence in a comfy cell, no

questions asked. And on release, a

year, maybe two, back to the old

life. And I’ll begin again. Only

five times worse.

BURR:

That won’t happen.

ROPER:

You want a bet?

He smiles at her. She holds her ground but inside she knows

he speaks the truth. He smiles, almost triumphant.

ROPER (CONT’D)

I always win Angela.

And BURR stares at him with an almost complete hate.

INT. NEFERTITI HOTEL. DAY.

Music. ROPER is being led through and out of the foyer of the

hotel by POLICE, it’s a public scene, BURR and PINE with him,

heavyweight EGYPTIAN POLICE behind him, the muscle.

EXT. NEFERTITI HOTEL. DAY.

Outside the hotel, ROPER sees the police van waiting. He

turns to PINE.

The Night Manager ep 6 final.

ROPER:

To another day Jonathan.

He stares at PINE. Almost triumphant.

And then something strange happens.

A black car draws up across the street. POLICE visibly shaken

by its arrival as if they just know this is power, real power

that has arrived on the scene.

BURR turns to see it. PINE too.

And RICHARD ROPER sees it too.

The black car stops. And out of the car steps BARGHATI.

He stares at ROPER. Smiles quietly.

ROPER looks visibly nervous.

ROPER (CONT’D)

Take me to the van.

BURR stops. PINE stares at her.

They are both having the same thought.

ROPER (CONT’D)

Take me to the bloody van.

No one moves.

Then another door opens and a HENCHMAN of BARGHATI, suited,

sleek, gets out.

ROPER stares.

ROPER (CONT’D)

What are you bloody waiting for?

Beat.

BURR:

No. You’re right Richard. Taking

you home’s not justice. In fact

they might be the only justice

there is.

She moves close. The rage of past deaths and recent in her

eyes but there is no triumph in her look.

BURR (CONT’D)

Goodbye Mr Roper.

He stares at her.

And BURR walks back into the hotel.

The Night Manager ep 6 final.

ROPER turns tries to follow but EGYPTIAN POLICE stop him from

re-entering.

ROPER turns to PINE.

ROPER:

Jesus Christ man. Don’t be stupid.

Get me in the van.

But now the POLICE VAN starts up and drives away.

ROPER watches it go.

Turns to PINE.

ROPER (CONT’D)

Help me.

PINE:

I can’t.

PINE stares at him. Then he says it, not knowing why, but

says it none the less.

PINE (CONT’D)

Good luck.

And PINE walks past the POLICE cordon back into the hotel,

leaving RICHARD ROPER cuffed and utterly alone on the street.

Desperately he stares at BARGHATI who stares back calmly,

inscrutably.

The HENCHMAN slowly walks across the street.

ROPER desperate now, approaches a BELLBOY.

ROPER:

Get me a taxi to the airport. Now!

The BELLBOY, embarrassed, scared, moves away. No one wants to

be involved, not with these guys on the scene.

BARGHATI walks calmly across the street.

And ROPER starts to feel the terror.

BARGHATI:

We’ll take you Mr Roper.

He smiles. The HENCHMAN with him.

ROPER thinks of struggling, but what can he do? He fights as

the HENCHMAN grabs him.

And BARGHATI slowly walks him back across the street into the

car.

The Night Manager ep 6 final.

And put him in the back.

The car slowly draws away from the hotel.

INT. HOTEL NEFERTITI CORRIDOR.

PINE walks along a hotel corridor slowly approaching a door

to a room.

EXT. CAIRO STREETS. DAY.

ROPER is in the back of the car, BARGHATI and KHIYAMI to

either side.

INT. NEFERTITI HOTEL.

ANGELA BURR stands in the hotel foyer, almost imagining what

is happening. Her face is solemn, almost sad.

EXT. CAIRO STREETS. DAY.

ROPER sits alone. His face in pure terror. The car drives

through the streets.

INT. HOTEL NEFERTITI. DAY.

PINE enters a hotel room. His room.

There is JED. Bruised and broken. But standing waiting for

him. Alone.

He stares at her.

EXT. CAIRO STREETS. MORNING.

ROPER’s face. Close-up. The car has stopped.

Somewhere like a wasteland. But we can barely see this. We

are on ROPER’s face and no one else’s.

Maybe the sound of a gun being primed.

ROPER starts to shake. Plea.

Squeal in pure naked terror.

Freeze-frame on his face.

The Night Manager ep 6 final.

103 INT. CAIRO. NEFERTITI HOTEL. NIGHT. 103

It’s ten o-clock at night. JONATHAN PINE is pouring an

elegant coffee for a beautiful woman in the dining room of

the Nefertiti Hotel. Just as he did for Sophie Alekan all

those years ago.

But this time it’s JED MARSHALL who is sitting at the table.

Still a little worse for wear, but recovering from her

ordeal.

JED:

Thank you.

She sips.

JED (CONT’D)

You pour a good cup of coffee.

He nods, Sophie in his mind, all those years. She leans in,

takes his hand. He strokes her hand.

JED (CONT’D)

I remember when I first saw you.

All beaten up on that restaurant

floor.

PINE:

It was just an act.

JED:

It wasn’t though was it? None of it

was just an act. You’re a remote

island Jonathan.

PINE:

You got closer than anyone.

She stares at him.

JED:

Did I?

He takes her hand tight. Emotion fills him.

PINE:

Jed I...

Then a figure appears in the doorway. The NIGHT MANAGER.

NIGHT MANAGER:

Mademoiselle your taxi is here to

take you to the airport.

JED:

Thank you.

She puts her coffee down.

The Night Manager ep 6 final.

PINE:

What time do you land?

JED:

Six in the morning.

PINE:

Will there be someone there to meet

you?

JED:

I think they’ll all be there.

She means BILLY, her boy. Sudden emotion.

JED (CONT’D)

What if he doesn’t recognise me?

PINE:

A son always remembers.

He stares at her. She leans forward. Kisses him deeply.

JED:

Goodbye Jonathan. Don’t forget me.

Then gets up.

PINE watches through the windows as the NIGHT MANAGER and

BELLBOYS help her with her luggage into the taxi.

One look back from inside the taxi - and she is gone.

PINE stands in the foyer. The NIGHT MANAGER walks past.

NIGHT MANAGER:

Is there anything I can get you

sir?

PINE smiles at him.

PINE:

No thank you. Nothing at all.

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