Shallow Grave





Final Draft Screenplay

by

John Hodge
[Introduction]


Typed and HTMLed by "Greg Adkins"



INT. DAY

A blurred image forms on a white screen. A horizontal strip of 
face, eyes motionless and unblinking. 

DAVID
(voice-over) 
Take trust, for instance, or friendship: these are the important 
things in life, the things that matter, that help you on your 
way. If you can't trust your friends, well, what then?

EXT. DAWN 

A series of fast-cut static scenes of empty streets. 

DAVID
(voice-over)
This could have been any city: they're all the same.

A rapid, swerving track along deserted streets and down narrow 
lanes and passageways. Accompanied by soundtrack and credits.

The track ends outside a solid, fashionable Edinburgh tenement.

INT. STAIRWELL. DAY

At the door of a flat on the third floor of the tenement. The 
door is dark, heavy wood and on it is a plastic card embossed 
with the names of three tenants. They are Alex Law, David 
Stevens, and Juliet Miller.

A man climbs the stairs and reaches the door. He is Cameron 
Clarke, thin and in his late twenties with a blue anorak and 
lank, greasy hair. He is carrying an awkwardly bulky plastic bag. 
Cameron gives the doorbell an ineffectual ring and then stands 
back, shifting nervously from foot to foot until the door is 
answered.

CAMERON
Hello, I've come about the room.

Cameron enters and the door closes.

INT. LIVING ROOM. DAY

David, Alex, and Juliet sit in a line on the sofa directly 
opposite Cameron, who shifts uneasily in his armchair. Alex 
checks some items on a clipboard before speaking.

ALEX
What's his name?

DAVID
I don't know -- Campbell or something?

JULIET
Cameron.

ALEX
Cameron?

JULIET
Yes.

ALEX
(to Juliet)
Really?

CAMERON
That's right.

ALEX
(to Cameron)
What?

Cameron is not sure what to say.

ALEX
(continued)
Well, Cameron, are you comfortable?

CAMERON
Yes, thanks.

ALEX
Good. Well, you've seen the flat?

CAMERON
Yes.

ALEX
And you like it?

CAMERON
Oh, yes, it's great.

ALEX
Yes. It is, isn't it? We alllike it. And the room's nice too, 
don't you think?

CAMERON
Yes.

ALEX
Spacious, quiet, bright, well appointed, all that sort of stuff, 
all that crap.

CAMERON
Well, yes.

ALEX
So tell me, Cameron, what on earth -- just tell me, because I 
want to know -- what on earth could make you think that we would 
want to share a flat like this with someone like you?

INT. STAIRWELL. DAY

As Cameron plods slowly down the stairs, his shoes striking out 
against the stone steps, Alex's criticisms continue.

ALEX
(voice-over)

I mean, my first impression, and they're rarely wrong, is that 
you have none of the qualities that we would normally seek in a 
prospective flatmate. I'm talking here about things like 
presence, charisma, style and charm, and I don't think we're 
being unreasonable. Take David here, for instance: a chartered 
accountant he may be, but at least he tries hard. The point is, I 
don't think you're even trying.

Cameron has reached the bottom of the stairs. He opens the main 
door.

ALEX
(continued)
And, Cameron -- I mean this -- good luck!

Cameron leaves and the main door closes behind him.

ALEX
(continued)
Do you think he was upset?

INT. STAIRWELL. DAY

Inside the hall of the flat, David approaches the door toopen it. 
Freeze-frame.

ALEX
(voice-over)
David likes to keep spareshoelaces in sorted pairs in a box 
marked, not just shoelaces', but spare shoelaces'.

David opens the door to the Woman.

WOMAN
I've come to see about the room.

INT. STAIRWELL. DAY

Outside the door of the flat a young Goth girl, aged about 
twenty, rings the doorbell.

INT. HALL. DAY

Inside the hall of the flat Alex approaches the door to open it. 
Freeze-frame.

JULIET
(voice-over)
Alex is a vegetarian. Do you know why? Because he feels it 
provides an interesting counterpoint to his otherwise callous 
personality. It doesn't. He thinks he's the man for me. He isn't, 
though there was a time when, well, there was a time when...

Alex opens the door to the Goth.

GOTH
I've come about the room.

INT. STAIRWELL. DAY

At the door of the flat a Man aged about thrity-five rings the 
bell.

INT. HALL. DAY

Inside the hall of the flat Juliet approaches the door to open 
it. Freeze-frame.

DAVID
(voice-over)
Like one of those stupid posters -- you know, a gorilla cuddling 
a hedgehog, caption love hurts --- that's what I think when I 
think of Juliet.

Juliet opens the door to the Man.

MAN
I've come about the room.

INT. LIVING ROOM. DAY

In the living room each of the candidates is interviewed 
individually with the same seating arrangements as before (i.e. 
the trio on the sofa and the applicant on the chair). What we see 
are briskly intercut excerpts from each of these interviews. We 
do not get the responses to the questions, although we may see 
some facial reaction.

All of David's questions are to the Woman.

All of Alex's questions are to the Goth.

All of Juliet's questions are to the Man.

DAVID
All right, just a few questions.

ALEX
I'd like to ask you about your hobbies.

JULIET
Why do you want a room here?

DAVID
Do you smoke?

ALEX
When you slaughter a goat and wrench its heart out with your bare 
hands, do you then summon hellfire?

JULIET
I mean, what are you actually doing here? What is the hidden 
agenda?

DAVID
Do a little freebasemaybe, from time to time?

ALEX
Or maybe just phone out for a pizza?

JULIET
Look, it's a fairly straightforward question. You're either 
divorced or you're not.

DAVID
OK, I'm going to play you just a few seconds of this tape -- I'd 
like you to name the song, the lead singer and the three hit 
singles subsequently recorded by him with another band.

ALEX
When you get up in the morning, how do you decide what shade of 
black to wear?

JULIET
Now, let me get this straight. This affair that you're not 
having, is it not with a man or not with a woman?

DAVID
Turning very briefly to the subject of corporate finance -- no, 
this is important. Leveraged buy-outs -- a good thing or a bad 
thing?

ALEX
With which of the following figures do you most closely identify: 
Joan of Arc, Eva Braun or Marilyn Monroe?

JULIET
It's just that you strike me as a man trapped in a crisis of 
emotional direction, afflicted by a realization that the partner 
of your dreams is, quite simply, just that.

DAVID
Did you ever kill a man?

ALEX
And when did anyone last say to you these exact words: You are 
the sunshine of my life'?

JULIET
OK, so A has left you, B is ambivalent, you're still seeing C but 
D is the one you yearn for. What are we to make of this? If I 
were you, I'd ditch the lot. There's a lot more letters in the 
alphabet of love.

DAVID
And what if I told you that I was the antichrist?

INT. SQUASH COURT. EVENING

In a sports centre Juliet sits outside a glass-walled squash 
court. She is ready to play, but at present is watching Alex and 
David, who are inside the court.

INT. SQUASH COURT. EVENING

Inside the squash court, Alex is about to serve.

ALEX
Squash is often used as a metaphor to represent a struggle for 
personal domination.

DAVID
Serve.

ALEX
I was trying to educate you.

DAVID
Just serve.

ALEX
In the same fashion as chess.

DAVID
What?

ALEX
Chess. Chess is often used as well.

DAVID
Will you shut up and play.

ALEX
You're a bad loser.

DAVID
I haven't lost yet.

Alex serves.

INT. SQUASH COURT. EVENING

The squash-court door opens and David walks out past Juliet as 
Alex stands behind, jabbing his finger at him.

ALEX
Defeat, defeat, defeat-- sporting,personal, financial, 
professional, sexual, everything. Next.

Juliet walks in and closes the door.

INT. SQUASH COURT. EVENING

Inside the squash court Alex is about to serve.

ALEX
Did you know --

JULIET
Just serve.

Alex serves.

INT. JULIET'S CAR (A MINI). NIGHT

Alex sits in the back, drinking.

Juliet is driving. David sits beside her.

ALEX
I wasn't trying to win.

There is no response from Juliet.

ALEX
(continued)
I don't want to devalue your victory, but I just want you to 
know: I wasn't trying to win.

DAVID
Victory is the same as defeat. It's giving in to destructive 
competitive urges.

ALEX
You learn that in your psychotherapy group?

DAVID
Discussion group, Alex, discussion.

JULIET
I thought you stopped going.

ALEX
Yeah, he had one too many of thise urges. You of all people 
should know that.

Alex leans close to Juliet. Juliet brakes abruptly and, as Alex 
flies forward, elbows him in the chest.

ALEX
(continued)
God, you two are sensitive. All I'm doing is implying some sort 
of sordid, ugly, sexual liason. Why, I'd be proud of that sort of 
thing.

JULIET
Maybe you should go, Alex.You'll meet someone wonderful.

ALEX
For my life? At a discussion group? I think not.

JULIET
For the flat.

ALEX
No. Be someone else like him. One is enough. And what happened to 
that girl, that friend of yours, the one that came round. I liked 
her. I really felt we had something. She could have moved in. We 
had chemistry.

JULIET
She hated you --

ALEX
Well, she had problems --

JULIET
-- more than anyone she has ever met. In her whole life.

ALEX
-- I'd be the first topoint that out. In all kindness I would. 
But, like they say, you know, she's got to want to change, hasn't 
she?

INT. STAIRWELL. DAY

Outside the door of the flat Hugo rings the bell and waits. 
Juliet opens the door. Hugo is in his early thirties, tall, dark 
and bohemian in appearance.

JULIET
You must be Hugo.

HUGO
You must be Juliet.

JULIET
Would you like to come in?

HUGO
I'd be delighted.

Hugo walks in and Juliet closes the door quite deliberately 
behind him.

INT. VACANT ROOM. DAY

Hugo looks around, pleased at what he sees, while Juliet watches 
him. He sits on the edge of the bed.

HUGO
It's nice.

JULIET
Would you like to see the rest?

INT. LIVING ROOM. DAY

Hugo is seated on the sofa, Juliet sits opposite on an armchair.

JULIET
What do you do?

HUGO
Well, I've been away for a bit, travelling, that sort of thing, 
and now I'm trying to write a novel.

JULIET
What's it about?

HUGO
A priest who dies.

JULIET
I see.

HUGO
Yeah. Well, maybe I'll change it.

JULIET
No.

HUGO
Yes, I mean, who wants to read about another dead priest? It's 
about some other guy, some guy who's not a priest, who doesn't 
die. You see, it's better already.

JULIET
Writing seems easy.

HUGO
It's a breeze.

The telephone begins to ring out in the hall. Juliet does not 
move and at first says nothing. Hugo looks at her and towards the 
door leading to the hall. After several rings, Juliet speaks. 

JULIET
Do you think you could answer that?

HUGO
The telephone? 
It continues to ring.

JULIET
Yes, the telephone, but if it's for me, I'm not in. 
HUGO
You're not in.

JULIET
No.

HUGO
All right.

Hugo stands up. The ringing continues.

INT. HALL. DAY

Hugo lifts the phone. He turns to face Juliet and looks her in 
the eye as he lies on her behalf.

HUGO
Hello. Yes. Who's calling please? Well, I'm sorry, but she's not 
in right now. I don't know. Would you like to leave a message?

Hugo replaces the receiver.

HUGO
(continued)
It was some guy called Brian.

JULIET
Did he sound upset?

HUGO
A little bit. Is that good or bad?

JULIET
It's an improvement.

The telephone begins to ring again.

HUGO
Shall I answer it?

JULIET
No, just leave it. He knows I must be at home. I'm working nights 
this week.

The telephone continues to ring.

HUGO
Working nights?

JULIET
I'm a doctor.

HUGO
And he's a patient of yours?

JULIET
No. But he needs treatment.

HUGO
For what?

JULIET
A certain weakness.

HUGO
The human condition.

JULIET
You know about it?

HUGO
I write about it?

JULIET
And that's not the same thing?

HUGO
No, but like all novelists, I'm in search of the self.

INT. KITCHEN. MORNING

Juliet, dressed and fatigued, sits at the table sipping a coffee. 
Alex is also seated at the table, but wearing an old dressing-
gown and munching at cornflakes while he reads a newspaper and 
talks at the same time. An array of other papers is spread over 
the table.

ALEX
Has he tried down the back of the fridge? I mean, that's where I 
normally find things.

JULIET
He seemed like a nice guy, Alex.

Juliet gets up and leaves the kitchen. The soundof a bath running 
is heard.

ALEX
I'm not saying he didn't seem like a nice guy. All I'm saying is, 
it's a bit strange, and this search for the self, and what he's 
on about, you know.

Alex hears the mail falling through the door and stands up to 
leave the kitchen and get it.

JULIET
(calling from outside)
He didn't seem strange, Alex.He seemed, you know --

INT. BATHROOM.MORNING.

Juliet watches the bath fill.

JULIET
...interesting.

INT. KITCHEN. MORNING

Alex considers her reply.

ALEX
Interesting. Interesting.

INT. HALL. MORNING

Alex is walking through the hall to the door,muttering 
interesting' to himself. As he passes the phone starts to ring. 
He stops and lifts it.

ALEX
Hello. No, she's not in. No. No. No. No ideas.

Alex replaces the reciever and walks on to the door.

JULIET
(from the bathroom)
Who was it?

ALEX
I don't know. He sounded Swedish. Do you know any Swedish men? 
Maybe it was just the emotion.

Alex picks up the mail and looks through it. As he does so,David 
emerges from his room, dressed for work.

ALEX
(continued)
What do you think?

DAVID
About what?

ALEX
About this guy, this Hugo person.

DAVID
I don't have time.

ALEX
I'm only asking what you think.

DAVID
I don't have time to discuss it now. I don't care so long as he's 
not a freak.

David opens the door. Alex hands him an envelope.

ALEX
This is for you. It's your mother's handwriting, so I didn't open 
it. I don't like reading about your father's constipation.

David snatches the letter and leaves, closing the door.

Alex walks back across the hall, opening one of the letters and 
reading it quickly.

JULIET
(calling from the bathroom)
So we'll meet him, then?

ALEX
What? Oh, yeah, sure, if you want. I tell you, every letter this 
guy writes to you is the same: they all begin like pure love and 
descend into open pornography. I dream of your thighs, the soft 
touch of your white skin leading me in desire, while I, aroused 
and inflamed --'

Juliet's hand and arm appear around the bathroom door. She 
attempts to grab the letter. Alex plays at holding the letter 
just beyond her reach.

ALEX
(continued)
Aroused and inflamed.

JULIET
Alex.

ALEX
He even signs them, in his own name, can you believe it? I'd sign 
someone else's name. I'd sign his name. If I wrote them, that is. 
Which I don't.

INT. LIVING ROOM. EVENING

Alex, David, Juliet and Hugo sit round a table towards the end of 
a meal. Alcohol has been consumed. Bowls containing the last of 
the food sit on the table, being picked at occassionally. Alex 
dispenses wine mainly into his own glass, alternating with 
Macallan malt whisky, of which he pours generous amounts.

ALEX
Interesting.

HUGO
I see.

ALEX
Yeah, well, that's what she said. Interesting. That's why you're 
here, you see.

DAVID
Normally I don't meet people, unless I know them already.

HUGO
I see.

DAVID
People can be so cruel.

ALEX
So, uh...

HUGO
What?

ALEX
What?

HUGO
You were going to say something.

ALEX
What was I trying to say? Oh, yes, I think, we think, or at least 
I suppose we think -- am I right?

JULIET
Just get on with it, Alex.

DAVID
Keep it going, Alex. You're unstoppable now.

ALEX
We think it's fine.

Alex starts eating again. The others watch him expectantly. David 
coughs.

ALEX
(continued)
It's OK. There's no problem.

HUGO
You mean I can have the room?

ALEX
Well, that's what I said, isn't it?

DAVID
He made it clear.

ALEX
Why, thank you, David.

JULIET
Yes, you can have the room.

Alex pours yet more alcohol.

ALEX
I'm not usually drunk.

JULIET
Not usually this drunk.

DAVID
Only on expenses.

ALEX
It's true. A newspaper is paying for all this. A newspaper...

With exaggerated scorn, Alex knocks over a glass of wine.

JULIET
In a moment he's going to tell he could have been someone --

ALEX
It was you, Juliet, it was you --

JULIET
-- instead of what he is --

ALEX
What I am.

JULIET
-- which is --

ALEX
-- which is a hack.

JULIET
The man we know and love.

ALEX
A miserable, burnt-out, empty shell of a -- 
Alex pauses, looks at his drink, then at Juliet.

ALEX
(continued)
Know and love?

JULIET
Yeah.

ALEX
I think you're lying.

JULIET
You're right.

ALEX
You see, they don't really know me.

JULIET
No, Alex, we don't really love you.

Alex smiles at Juliet and drinks again.

ALEX
Can you afford this place?

HUGO
Yeah.

Hugo reaches into his pocket and pulls out a thick bundle of 
notes, which he places in front of Alex. Alex leans over and 
sniffs the notes.

DAVID
Can I ask you a question?

HUGO
Certainly.

DAVID
Have you ever killed a man? 
HUGO
No.

DAVID
Well, that's fair enough, then.

Alex raises his head.

ALEX
Certainly smells like the real thing.

EXT. A STREET. NIGHT

At a cash dispenser a man in his thrities is taking out some 
money.

A younger man, Andy, stands besdie him, looking around in a 
mildly agitated fashion.

As the money emerges, Andy assaults and robs the man. He starts 
by smashinf the victim's face repeatedly against the cash 
dispenser until the Perspex is smeared with blood. When he has 
final finished and the man lies on the ground, Andy takes the 
money and the card from the slots, then gets into a car which has 
pulled up alongside, driven by Tim.

INT. STAIRWELL. DAY

Hugo climbs the stairs, carrying two suitcases. He stops at the 
door of the flat and looks at a bunch of keys before selecting 
one, which he inserts in the door.

INT. HALL. DAY

Inside the flat. The door opens and Hugolifts his cases in, 
kicking the door closed behind him.

INT. JULIET'S ROOM. DAY

Juliet sleeps, undisturbed by the closing of the door.

INT. HALL. DAY

Hugo walks across the halland disappears into his room.

INT. HUGO'S ROOM. DAY

Hugo unpackshis bags. Included in his things are a few syringes 
and needles. All these he puts into the drawer beside his bed. He 
checks inside a second bag.

INT. HALL. DAY

Hugo dails a number on the telephone and awaits a reply.

INT. JULIET'S ROOM. EVENING

Juliet is woken by her alarm clock. The time is five p.m.

INT. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT

Alex sits watching television, constantly changing channels. 
Juliet walks in, wearing a dressing gown. She watches Alex for a 
few moments.

JULIET
Have you seen Hugo?

ALEX
No. Any idea which channel he's on?

INT. HALL. MORNING

The telephone is ringing. Alex lifts up the reciever. Again he is 
wearing his dressing gown and is on his way to pick up the mail.

ALEX
No, she's not in. 
Without waiting for any more, he replaces the reciever and walks 
to the door, where he picks up the mail. On his way back from the 
door, David emerges, ready to go to work.

ALEX
(continued)
Have you seen him?

DAVID
Alex, I don't have the time --

ALEX
Yes or no, yes or no, yes or --

DAVID
No.

David leaves, slamming the door.

INT. KITCHEN. MORNING

Alex returns to the kitchen, pausing only to knock at Hugo's 
door, which elicits no response. In the kitchen Juliet sits 
dressed for work, having just returned. He casually opens an 
envelope and glances at both sides of the letter before handing 
it to her.

ALEX
David hasn't seen him either.

JULIET
So I gathered.

ALEX
Maybe he didn't like us.

JULIET
David?

ALEX
Hugo.

JULIET
His car's still there.

ALEX
He's got a car?

JULIET
So what's wrong with that?

ALEX
What sort of car?

JULIET
Alex, how shouldI know? I'm just a girl.

ALEX
I will ask you once more, what sort of car -- 

JULIET
A blue one, OK. And it's still there.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

We see the door to Hugo's room, then Alex rapping sharply against 
it. David and Juliet stand behind him.

ALEX
Hugo. Hugo. Sorry about this, but can you open the door? It's us, 
Hugo, your flatmates and companions. Your new-found friends. He's 
not in. He's left and we'll probably never see him again.

JULIET
Alex, the key is in the keyhole on the other side.

ALEX
So?

JULIET
Open it.

ALEX
You want me to kick it open?

JULIET
Yes.

ALEX
Now?

JULIET
Yes.

ALEX
All right. No problem.

After several ineffective kicks at the door, Alex turns to David.

ALEX
(continued)
You want a go?

INT. HUGO'S ROOM. NIGHT

Inside Hugo's room we see the door as David, outside, throws 
himself against it. At the third attempt the lock gives way and 
the door bursts open.

In the foreground at one side is the bed with a naked foot lying 
still and exposed.

When the door is open, David is first in, followed by the other 
two. There is a period of silent shock as they contemplate Hugo's 
naked corpse. Alex opens a window.

DAVID
Is this what they always look like?

JULIET
Yes.

Juliet drapes a sheet over the body, covering it completely.

ALEX
I wonder how he did it?

JULIET
Did what?

ALEX
I wonder how he killed himself. I presume that that's what 
happened. What do you think?

Quite casually, Alex begins to open drawers and cupboards, 
emptying the contents on to the floor.

JULIET
Alex.

ALEX
What? What's wrong?

JULIET
What are you doing?

ALEX
I'm just looking.

JULIET
Don't.

ALEX
Don't look?

JULIET
No.

ALEX
Why not? What's wrong, Juliet? Aren't you curious? Don't you 
wonder what he died from?

JULIET
No.The guy's dead.What more do you need?

ALEX
It's not every day I find a story in my own flat.

JULIET
Thats not a story, Alex. It's a corpse.

ALEX
Old newspaper proverb says dead human being is living story. Be 
rational, please, and failing that be quiet.

In a drawer in a bedside cabinet, Alex finds needles, syringes 
and a small bag of powder. Without comment, he holds it up and 
throws it on the bed.

He reaches under the bed and pulls out a case, which he opens. It 
is empty and he pushes it back under.

DAVID
I've never seen a dead body before.

JULIET
Alex, I think it's time for you to stop.

Alex continues to search. Juliet walks out.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

Juliet stands alone.

INT. HUGO'S ROOM. NIGHT

Alex continues his brisk search through Hugo's posesseions while 
David looks on, appalled but speechless.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

Juliet listens to the sounds from the bedroom, then picks up the 
telephone. She dials 999 and waits for a reply. It rings and 
rings.

INT. HUGO'S ROOM. NIGHT

Alex has found and opened a large Gladstone bag. Neither David 
norwe can see into it.

DAVID
I saw my grandmother, of course, but I don't suppose that counts. 
I mean, she was alive at the time.

ALEX
Can I show you something?

INT. HALL. NIGHT

Juliet awaits an answer.

Alex approaches Juliet with the open bag. She turns around and 
looks into it, then, seeing the contents, she replaces the 
receiver. As she does so, the Operator's voice is audible for a 
second.

OPERATOR
Hello, emergency services.

The telephone hits the cradle.

INT. KITCHEN. NIGHT

David, Alex and Juliet are seated in silence around the tabel. 
The bag, stacked with money, lies open on the table.

DAVID
No.

ALEX
Think about it.

DAVID
No.

ALEX
Come on, David.

DAVID
No.

ALEX
Juliet?

JULIET
No, Alex. It's, it's --

ALEX
What?

JULIET
Unfeasible.

ALEX
Is that all?

DAVID
You mean immoral.

ALEX
I'm only asking you both to think about it.

DAVID
It's asick idea, Alex. It's sick.

ALEX
But don't tell me that you're not tempted by it. Don't tell me 
that you're not interested. I know you well enough.

DAVID
You think so?

ALEX
(amused)
All right, then, go ahead, telephone. Telephone the police. Try 
again. No one's going to stand in your way. Go ahead. Tell them 
there's a suitcase of money and you don't want it.

INT. HALL. MORNING

The flat is silent. Footsteps are heard outside the door and mail 
falls through the letter box.

INT. LIVING ROOM. DAY

The living room, empty.

INT. KITCHEN. DAY

The kitchen, empty. The bag of money still sits on the table.

INT. HUGO'S BEDROOM. DAY

His corpse lies on the bed, covered as before, incompletely, by a 
sheet, with parts of his body still showing (a foot, a hand, part 
of his face or abdomen).

INT. NEWSPAPER OFFICE. DAY

The open-plan office of a busy newspaper. Alex sits at his desk. 
He is talking on a telephone jammed against his shoulder and 
while he does so he is casually acknowledging and waving at 
colleagues.

ALEX
Now, was there a pet in the house? Yes, a pet, like a dog or a 
budgie or a gerbil. You see, what I need is PC Plod rescues Harry 
the Hamster from House of Horror'. All right... well, that's a 
pity, you see, no pets, no human angle.

Alex hangs up.

INT. HUGO'S ROOM. DAY

Another view of the body: for example, from above.

INT. HOSPITAL. DAY

In the accident and emeregency department of a busy hospital, 
Juliet sifts through a setof casenotes. Another Doctor approaches 
her.

DOCTOR
Hi, there.

Juliet does not look up.

JULIET
Hello.

DOCTOR
What happened to that guy?

JULIET
What guy?

DOCTOR
That guy, the one that died.

Juliet looks up.

JULIET
What guy that died?

DOCTOR
That one, last week.

JULIET
Here?.

DOCTOR
Yeah, here, I mean, where else?

JULIET
Oh, him. Well, he died.

DOCTOR
(satisfied)
That's what I thought.

INT. HUGO'S ROOM. DAY

The body, stillpresent, exposed and motionless. The curtain 
flutters by the open window.

INT. LUMSDEN'S OFFICE. DAY

Lumsden, a middle-aged chartered accountant, isseated in a 
largechair behind a desk. He is talking to David,who appears 
distracted.

LUMSDEN
What do we do here, David?

DAVID
Sorry?

LUMSDEN
Here.

DAVID
Right here?

LUMSDEN
In this firm.

DAVID
Well, it's a wide range of, eh --

LUMSDEN
Accounting, David, chartered accounting --

DAVID
Exactly what I was --

LUMSDEN
-- is often sneered at. Are you aware of that?

DAVID
Not any real sneering as such, no.

LUMSDEN
There's a whole wide world out there, and it all needs to be 
accounted for, doesn't it?

DAVID
Eh --

LUMSDEN
But they sneer, don't they?

DAVID
I'm not sure --

LUMSDEN
Oh, it's unfashionable, I know, but, yes, we're methodical, yes, 
we're dilligent, yes, we're serious, and where's the crime in 
that, and why not shout it from the rooftops, yes, maybe 
sometimes we are a little bit boring, but by God, we get the job 
done.

DAVID
Yes, sir.

LUMSDEN
And that's why I think you fit in here.

DAVID
I'm boring?

LUMSDEN
You get the job done.

DAVID
Oh, I see, I thought you meant --

LUMSDEN
Which is why I'm trusting you with this account.

Lumsden throws a heavy folder into David's lap.

INT. HUGO'S ROOM. EVENING

It is almost dark.Only the familiar contour is visible through 
the gloom.

INT. STAIRWELL. EVENING

David ascends the stairs to the flat.

INT. LIVING ROOM. EVENING

Alex sits in an armchair facing out of the window. Juliet stands 
facing into the room. David, the last home, appears in the 
doorway.

DAVID
He's still here.

ALEX
He couldn't get his car started.

DAVID
When are you going to let the police know?

ALEX
You call them if you want.

DAVID
(to Juliet)
And what about you?

JULIET
Well, I'm getting used to having him around.

INT. HUGO'S ROOM. DAY

The corpse as before.

INT. ACCOUNTANT'S OFFICE. DAY

David sits at his desk, looking across the office.

Crouched over a large array of other desks, young men and women 
in suits are pouring over folders and columned books. No one is 
speaking except in muted tones on the telephones.

David watches them. He looks to his left and to his right: on 
either side young men like him are toiling over accounts. He 
turns and looks behind him, where another array of accountants 
sit.

He turns back to his desk and opens the file he was previously 
given. He looks at the columns of records of profit, with a large 
total at the bottom.

When David looks up he sees Juliet seated beside his desk. She 
smiles and directs his gaze, with her own, to the surrounding 
scene.

INT. HUGO'S ROOM. EVENING

The body in silhouette.

DAVID
(voice-over)
OK. Let's do it.

INT. DIY STORE. DAY

Inside a large, brightly lit DIY store with Muzak playing in the 
background. We start with a tracking shot along an aisle stacked 
with potentially vicious tools.

ALEX
(voice-over)
All right, now listen. We have to dispose of the body in such a 
way as to make it unidentifiable, so that even if it is found, 
then it's never anything more than an unknown corpse. Burning, 
dumping at sea, and straightforward burial are all flawed either 
by fingerprints, or, more commonly, by dental records. This I 
have learned. Now, what I suggest is that we bury him out in the 
forest, but first of all we remove his hands and his feet, which 
we incinerate. And his teeth, which we just remove. It's as 
simple as that.

As the tracking shot ends, we see David's head and shoulders as 
he looks at something off picture. Suddenly a spring-loaded 
screwdriver appears and is fired' so that the tip stops a few 
millimeters from his face. David winces as we see that Alex is 
holding it.

ALEX
(continued)
I always wondered what these were for.

Alex places the screwdriver down on the shelf and walks across 
the aisle to pick up a saw and a hammer.

ALEX
(continued)
Now this is what we need. And this. 

Alex hands the tools to David, who looks at them with disgust. 
Alex walks on.

ALEX
(continued)
Now what else? 
DAVID
I don't know.

ALEX
A spade, we need a spade -- I wish you would concentrate -- we 
need a spade if we're going to dig a pit.

DAVID
So who's going to do it?

ALEX
Dig the pit, I don't know.

DAVID
No, not that.

ALEX
Then what? Who's going to do what?

DAVID
You know what I'm talking about.

ALEX
Do I? What? What? What are you talking about?

DAVID
You know what. Who's going to do it.

ALEX
We all are, David, we're all going to do it. Each of us, you, me 
and Juliet, will do his or her bit. Is that fair enough?

DAVID
I can't do it.

ALEX
I don't hear this.

DAVID
I won't be able to.

ALEX
You're telling me you want out? Already? You're telling me you 
don't want the money? Hugo is going off. He smells. The flat 
smells. We can't wait any longer.

DAVID
I'm just telling you I can't cut him up.

Alex turns away in disgust.

EXT. LANE. NIGHT

Late at night, in a quiet lane at the back of the flat, a hired 
Ford Transit is parked.

INT. VAN. NIGHT

Inside the dimly lit van, Alex and Juliet are laying down plastic 
on the floor.

JULIET
Who's going to do it?

ALEX
I thought we all were.

JULIET
I don't thinkI can.

ALEX
But you're a doctor. You kill people every day.

JULIET
I don't want to. It's different.

ALEX
And now you tell me.

INT. UNDER WATER/BATHROOM. NIGHT

A Man's face is being held under water. Bubbles escape from his 
mouth and his eys bulge.

Tim hauls the Man's head out of the bath. His legs and arms are 
bound with cord. Andy sits on a chair, watching.

Tim ducks the Man's head under the water again.

The Man's face as before.

INT. HUGO'S ROOM. NIGHT

We see Hugo's face just before Alex, David and Juliet wrap him in 
a sheet and thick, black plastic. They wear masks over their 
noses. The smell is making them uncomfortable and irritable.

DAVID
There's something I want to ask.

INT. BATHROOM. NIGHT

The Man's head has just been lifted from the water.

MAN
I don't know. I swear to God, I don't know.

Tim ducks the Man's head back under the water.

INT. HUGO'S ROOM. NIGHT

ALEX
(angry through his mask)
Family? Family? Friends? Drugged-up wandering suicidal search of 
the self fuck-ups don't have families, David.

DAVID
I just thought we should discuss it.

ALEX
Take his legs.

INT. STAIRWELL. NIGHT

In the stairwell of the flat, grunts of effort are heard as Alex, 
David and Juliet struggle with the heavy corpse, carrying it down 
the stairs wrapped in plastic sheeting. They come into view and 
go down the stairs. They are all very tense and freeze with panic 
after accidentally banging against another flat's door. They 
swear at one another and continue theri descent.

INT. BATHROOM. NIGHT

Tim is ducking the Man again. He writhes and struggles but is 
powerless to stop it.

EXT. BEHIND THE FLAT. NIGHT

The back yard and back door of the flats. The door opens and 
Alex, David and Juliet emerge, carrying the corpse out towards 
the van.

INT. LANDING OUTSIDE THE BATHROOM. NIGHT

From the landing we can see along the floor into the bathroom. 
The Man's legs extend away from the bath. They are completely 
still. Andy and Tim stand beside them, looking down.

ANDY
You stupid bastard.

INT. VAN. NIGHT

Inside the back of the empty van. The door is opened and the body 
is half slid and half thrown inside. The door is closed and in 
the dark interior, the outline of the plastic lump is just 
visible, thanks to a streetlight. One of the doors opens again 
and David throws a bag of tools in. He then closes and locks the 
door.

INT. VAN. NIGHT

In front of the van, David is climbing into the passenger side. 
Juliet and Alex are already in, with the latter at the wheel. 
Alex turns to the other two.

ALEX
Why don't we just draw lots for it?

The other two remain silent.

ALEX
(continued)
Whoever draws the short straw does it all. That way, you either 
do it or you don't. All or nothing.

JULIET
OK.

ALEX
David?

DAVID
I don't know.

ALEX
Look, if I draw the short straw, then I'll do it, but I'm not 
going to do it just because you won't.

Alex starts the engine of the van.

EXT. FOREST. NIGHT

Through the darkness we hear an engine, then the headlights of 
the van come into view.

It pulls off the track onto a patch of grass. The engine is 
switched off but the light remains on. The trio descend from the 
van.

In fron of the van, Alex, illuminated by its lights, Alex, David 
and Juliet stand together. Alex is showing them two long stems of 
grass and one short one. He encloses them in his fist and holds 
them out.

ALEX
All right, then, here we are and this is it. Do you want to play 
or not?

Alex holds his hand out towards Juliet, who takes the tip of one 
of the stems. It is one of the larger ones.

Alex and Juliet turn to David. Alex holds out the stems. David 
reaches out and takes one of the tips. It is the short straw.

DAVID
I can't do it.

EXT. FOREST. NIGHT

Deeper in the forest, with the headlamps still casting a little 
light throught the trees, we see David's head and shoulders. His 
right arm is moving briskly back and forth accompanied by a 
vicious sawing noise. The sawing stops as he evidently finished 
with one extremity. He shuffles back and starts sawing at 
another.

Alex leans against the spade in a shallow pit that he has dug. He 
observes David impassively. The sawing stops again.

DAVID
Finished.

ALEX
But not quite.

DAVID
Is that going to be deep enough?

Alex bends down to pick up the hammer, which he holds out towards 
David.

ALEX
Don't you worry about that.

DAVID
Is this necessary?

ALEX
Yes. Now come on, all or nothing.

Most reluctantly, David takes the hammer and looks at Alex, who 
gestures as if to say, "On you go.' With revulsion on his face, 
he raises the hammer above his head.

INT. DAVID'S ROOM. DAY

David's face is visible against the plain white backdrop of his 
pillow.

He lies fully clothed on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. 
There is a knock at the door, then Juliet walks in.

JULIET
Are you all right?

DAVID
(without looking at Juliet)
Oh, yes, I'm fine, thanks, just fine.

JULIET
Would you like to talk about it?

DAVID
No.

INT. LIVING ROOM. DAY

Alex sits with his feet up watching a noisy game show, while 
eating a snack and drinking from a can of beer. Newspapers lie 
scattered at his feet.

INT. LOFT. DAY

The loft above the flat in darkness, but the trapdoor is opened, 
letting in a pool of light.

INT. HALL. DAY

David is pulling himself through the trapdoor up into the loft. 
Beneath him is a stepladder. Juliet stands half-way up the 
ladder, while Alex stands on the floor beside it. As David enters 
the loft, Alex hands up the bag of money to Juliet, who passes it 
on up to David.

JULIET
Be careful.

ALEX
Yeah, we don't want another stiff on our hands. Don't fall 
through the ceiling. OK? Is he listening to me?

JULIET
Stop nagging.

ALEX
(to himself)
I don't know why we couldn't stuff it in a mattress or put it 
under the floor like any normal human being. We could have hid it 
in the fridge.

INT. LOFT. DAY

David moves on into the dark cavernous loft, edging his way 
across beams and pipes. There are no skylights.

He stops and leans against some structure (the water tank). He 
strains to see in the darkness.

Suddenly there is a loud sucking and flowing noise as water 
empties from the water tank. David is startled and steps forward, 
tripping. He reaches out as he falls, striking a light switch. 
Briefly the loft is illuminated: David blinking as he lies across 
some beams, the large cavernous area, the pipes, the water tank, 
the bag of money lying between two rafters, and then the old 
brass switches beginning to spark and the light goes out.

David scrambles towards the trapdoor.

INT. HUGO'S ROOM. DAY

Now clean and empty, with no trace of recent habitation.

INT. HOSPITAL. DAY

In a basement corridor in the hospital, pipes run along the 
ceiling. Above a fenced-off area is a sign saying For 
Incineration Only -- No Aerosols'. On the floor of this area are 
yellow plastic sacks. Juliet appears around a corner carrying one 
of these. Quite casually the clumps it on the pile and continues 
past.

EXT. QUARRY. EVENING

Alex pushes a blue car into a quary.

INT. SUBURBAN LOCK-UP GARAGE. NIGHT

In the garage there is a car, gardening equipment, several sacks 
of fertilizer and a trunk-style deep freeze, on the lid of which 
sit Andy and Tim. Tim takes out a cigarette and offers one to 
Andy, who declines.

They slide off the deep freeze and open it.

Inside the freezer there is a man, naked and bound with cord. 
They lift him up. He is very cold and weak.

The Man begins to whisper inaudibly. Andy moves his head so that 
he can hear the whisper. He listens, then nods approvingly.

They push him down again and close the lid. Andy holds the lid 
while Tim dumps the sacks of fertilizer on top.

INT. CHARITY BALL. NIGHT

Alex, David and Juliet are attending a charity ball. Everyone is 
dressed very smartly, in ball gowns and black ties with the 
addition of a significant number of kilts.

Neither Alex nor David wears a kilt. The trio seem to know a 
number of people there but do not seem especially keen to speak 
to them.

A middle-aged, podgy, mustachioed Master of Ceremonies is 
standing on a platform in front of the band, making a speech to 
the diners who are still sat at their tables.

MC
Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please. First of 
all, may I thank you all for coming along tonight and supporting 
our appeal to raise funds for the sick children's unit.

There is a quick drum roll and applause breaks out. We move to 
the table where Alex, David and Juliet are seated. Alex leans 
across to Juliet.

ALEX
You didn't tell me that this was for children. I hate children. 
I'd raise money to have the little fuckers put down.

Some other guests around the table cast critical glances at Alex.

JULIET
Sshh.

ALEX
I want my money back. Excuse me.

Alex signals to the waiter by lifting his hand and snapping his 
fingers, then indicates another bottle of champagne that already 
ists in front of him.

MC
For all too often there's a complacency: out of sight, out of 
mind, let someone else bother about these things.

Alex cheers once and starts to applaud on his own. Juliet nudges 
him viciously.

MC
(continued)
But just before the dancing, I'd like to say a special thank-you 
to a few of the people who've worked so very hard to make this 
occassion happen.

The MC's drone continues in the background while conversation 
continues back at the table.

DAVID
Do you know many of these people?

JULIET
Yes. They're my friends.

ALEX
I see, so if they want to talk to you, we say you're not in.

MC
And now, ladies and gentlemen, and those of you who are neither 
or both --

Drum roll.

MC
(continued)
-- would you make your way to the floor for Strip the Willow.

JULIET
Are we going to dance?

ALEX
Well, it's physical contact, isn't it?

INT. DANCE FLOOR. NIGHT

The dance floor a few minutes later. It is packed and rather 
chaotic. Sweaty, dishevelled dancers sling one another around, 
with the thud of flesh against flesh. Toes are stood on and 
jackets discarded.

Juliet dances with Alex, who plunges in with the maximum of 
violence, eventually tripping up and tumbling forcefully among 
the other dancers.

He starts to get up, then rests his head back against the floor.

David has not been dancing. Instead he remains at their table and 
at the bar, drinking steadily and watching the other two.

INT. TABLE. NIGHT

Back at the table, while most people are still on the dnace 
floor, the trio sit drinking and Alex smokes a cigar.

ALEX
That was good.

DAVID
Can we talk about something?

ALEX
Not now. I have an idea.

Alex pours champagne on to a stack of glasses.

DAVID
Listen, it's important. We need to talk about what we're going to 
do --

ALEX
Just stop worrying.

Alex stands and raises his glass.

ALEX
(continued)
Love and happiness for ever.

JULIET
For ever and ever.

Alex drinks, then puts his glass down. Juliet drinks but does not 
drain her glass. David sits still.

ALEX
What's the problem?

DAVID
I want to talk now.

ALEX
After you drink to love and happiness forever.

DAVID
Now.

ALEX
After.

JULIET
David, I promise we will. Keep him happy.

ALEX
It's not for me. It's for love and happiness forever.

David reaches out to take his glass. Suddenly, Alex flings an arm 
out to point, knocking over David's glass and completely losing 
interest.

ALEX
(continued)
Look over there. It's Cameron.

JULIET
Who?

ALEX
Cameron. You remember Cameron.

JULIET
No, I don't.

ALEX
What's he doing here?

JULIET
That's not him.

ALEX
Yes, it is. It's him. Cameron, Cameron, come on over.Yo!

From some distance away, Cameron becomes aware of Alex and 
cautiously makes his way across until he stands a few feet from 
the table.

CAMERON
What?

ALEX
Nothing. We thought you were someone else.

Alex falls forward, laughing, and the other two also laugh as 
Cameron walks away, humiliated again.

ALEX
(continued)
Good luck. I love that guy, but why does he have to follow us 
around?

DAVID
Anyway, what I was wanting to say was this --

BRIAN
(unseen)
The divine Juliet. Long time no see.

Brian approaches and is standing behind their table.

JULIET
Brian.

BRIAN
Would you care to dance?

DAVID
Hold on there. Who do you think you are?

BRIAN
What?

DAVID
Who do you think you are? You interrupted us.

BRIAN
I'm Brian McKinley, and who are you?

DAVID
Well, Brian McKinley, if you want to talk to my girlfriend, you 
talk to me first. If you want to dance with her, then you apply 
in writing three weeks in advance or you're gonna end up insode a 
fucking bin-bag. You didn't apply, so you don't dance.

Shocked and frightened, Brian backs away, then turns around to 
complete his departure. Juliet restrains David with a touch as 
they watch him go.

JULIET
Do you think you could be a little more forceful next time?

DAVID
I'm sorry.

JULIET
It's alright. I think he got the message anyway.

DAVID
That was stressful. I found that stressful.

ALEX
Yeah, but you were good, you were really good. Fucking bin-bag', 
I liked that. You were good. You explored your maleness to the 
full there.

DAVID
You think so?

JULIET
Well, you certainly had a good look around.

ALEX
You were magnificent.

INT. TOILETS. NIGHT

The gents' toilet. Brightly-lit and white-tiled. Alex walk in and 
goes into a cubicle and closes the door. We hear him whistling 
and laughing as he passes urine. He keeps muttering bin-bag' to 
himself. Then he flushes the toilet and opens the door. As he 
does so a look of surprise appears on his face as he sees someone 
waiting for him.

ALEX
Cameron! What a surprise.

As Alex is speaking Cameron's fist flies forward, hitting him in 
the face and sending him flying backwards. Cameron enters the 
cubicle and closes the door behind him.

INT. HALL. MORNING

Mail falls through the letter box.

INT. KITCHEN. MORNING.

Alex does not stir.

INT. HALL. MORNING

David emerges from his room, ready for his work. He looks towards 
the kitchen, then walks to the door and opens it.

INT. KITCHEN. MORNING

We hear the main door closing as David leaves. Alex jolts with 
energy with every sound. The telephone begins to ring. Juliet 
looks at Alex expectantly, but he does not move. Eventually she 
gets up and answers it.

JULIET
Hello. Hello.

ALEX
Who was it?

JULIET
Don't know. No one said anything.
ALEX
Rendered speechless with desire. I recall that feeling, from the 
days when I had such a thing.

JULIET
Are you all right?

ALEX
No.

JULIET
Then let's spend some money.

INT. FLAT. DAY

There follows a video depicting the results of Alex's and 
Juliet's spending spree. It opens with Alex seated at the kitchen 
table talking to the camera, absolutely deadpan.

ALEX
Hello. It's been a struggle, but now the days of worry are over, 
the light at the end of the tunnel has expanded into a golden 
sunrise and at last, at long last, nothing will ever be the same 
again.

Alex leans out and the camera foloows him as he presses the play 
button on a tape recorder. The music begins.

Fast cuts follow, occasionally interrupted by out-of-focus shots 
of the floor or ceiling as the camera swivels round and is 
switched on and off.

Alex wearing several different suits, outfits and silk pyjamas.

Juliet wearing several different outfits.

Both of them posing with small objets d'art.

The expensive watch on Alex's wrist.

Juliet's jewellery.

Expensive toys.

Juliet takes a picture of Alex with a Polaroid camera.

Alex holds the camcorder out at arm's length in order to film 
himself and turns to the camera and adjusts his tie.

ALEX
(continued)
This is Alex Law reporting from the scene of his own life, and 
you know, I'm so happy I could die.

Darkness. TV. Turned off.

INT. LIVING ROOM. DAY

The music has stopped.

David presses the eject button and lifts the video from the 
player.

Alex and Juliet are seated on the sofa, surrounded by their 
acquisitions, and are evidently a little embarrassed. Juliet is 
holding the Polaroid of Alex.

DAVID
I think we ought to scrub this, don't you?

David reinserts the tape and presses record.

ALEX
Will you calm down.

JULIET
Yeah, you're making us all nervous.

David picks up the Polaroid of Alex and throws it down, then 
picks up a vase.

DAVID
How much did you pay?

ALEX
I don't know.

DAVID
How much did you pay?

ALEX
I don't know.

DAVID
How much?

ALEX
I don't know.

JULIET
Two hundred.

DAVID
Two hundred pounds?

JULIET
Two hundred pounds.

DAVID
You paid two hundred pounds for this?

JULIET
That's what it cost, David.

DAVID
No, no, no. That's what you paid for it. Two hundred pounds is 
what you paid for it. We don't know what it cost us yet, for you 
two to have a good time, we don't know the cost of that yet.

From out in the hall, the phone starts to ring. Nobody moves.

INT. DAVID'S ROOM. NIGHT

David lies awake in his bed.

INT. A FLAT HALLWAY. NIGHT

Hearing the noise, David sits up in bed, then gets out, reaching 
for his clothes.

INT. STAIRWELL. NIGHT

David looks down the stairwell. Other neighbours, in nightclothes 
or hurriedly dressed, are standing at the open door of the flat 
below. David descends the the stairs and looks into the hall of 
the other flat where the occupant, an Elderly Woman, lies 
groaning on the floor.

A hand on David's shoulder pushes him out of the way and two 
uniformed policemen walk past, followed by an ambulance man 
carrying a stretcher.

DAVID
Did they take anything? Did they take anything?

No one acknowledges his question or answers it.

The ambulance men emerge carrying the woman, her face bruised and 
cut. Everyone else begins to melt away.

INT. STAIRWELL. NIGHT

David stands alone on the darkened stairwell.

INT. DAVID'S ROOM. NIGHT

David lies awake in his bed.

INT. DOOR OF THE FLAT. DAY

Someone attempts to open the door but cannot because there are 
two new security chains on the inside. The door is forced against 
the chains with no success and Alex calls from the other side.

ALEX
What is this? What is going on? David!

David approaches the door.

DAVID
I'll let you in.

David closes the door and looks through a new spyhole to see Alex 
grinning at him while he releases the chains and then opens the 
door again. Alex walks in.

ALEX
What is this?

DAVID
Security.

DAVID
From what? Jehovah's Witnesses?

DAVID
There was a break-in.

ALEX
Downstairs, I know. Pensioner's terror ordeal: page six.

Alex hands David a rolled-up newspaper.

DAVID
Doesn't it worry you?

ALEX
No, it doesn't. I tried to let it worry me but it won't. I've 
worked on that paper for three years. There is a pensioner's 
terror ordeal on page six every day. Every day. Maybe when I'm a 
pensioner it'll worry me.

Alex notices some more tools and the stepladder leading up to the 
trapdoor.

ALEX
(continued)
What's all this for, more security?

DAVID
I fitted a lock up there. On the inside.

ALEX
Oh, that'll come in useful.

INT. KITCHEN. NIGHT

Alex is serving on plates from a large bowl of pasta.

David and Juliet sit at the tabel.

JULIET
Is this the same stuff you made last week?

ALEX
No, no, it's different.

JULIET
I hope it tastes better than the other stuff.

ALEX
It tastes different.

JULIET
I don't want it to taste different. I don't know why I bother. Is 
that enough for you? Hey!

DAVID
What? Yes, that's fine.

ALEX
You're sure? There's lots more.

DAVID
No, I'm sure, that'll be enough.

ALEX
What's wrong?

DAVID
Nothing.

ALEX
You're not eating.

DAVID
Not eating what?

ALEX
Not eating like you used to, that's what.

DAVID
If you give me the plate, I'll eat.

Alex hands him the plate and he starts to eat. Alex watches him 
chew a mouthful.

ALEX
Now swallow.

David does so.

ALEX
(continued)
You know, you should spend some of that money instead of worrying 
about it. That's my advice.

JULIET
He's right. You'd feel much better about it.

David has stopped eating.

ALEX
Once it's spent you won't have to worry about it.

JULIET
Be like a weight off your shoulders.

ALEX
You know we're right.

JULIET
Don't you?

DAVID
I want to secure it.

ALEX
Secure it? What do you mean -- you're gong to take it to a bank? 
You're not going to take it to a bank? You're not going to take 
it to a bank Or what, you want to bury it? Is that it?

JULIET
I don't see the point in that.

ALEX
Because that's no good. Remember, we did what we did, we took the 
money. It was a material calculation. But what's the use if it's 
underground, or in some funny bank in some funny place? If you 
can't spend it, if you can't have it, what use is it? None. It's 
nothing, all for nothing, if you do that. I didn't get into this 
for nothing, so that I could have nothing --

DAVID
Yeah, and you didn't saw his feet off.

There is silence. David resumes eating.

DAVID
(continued)
It tastes different.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

Alex stands at the sink doing some washing up. He hears footsteps 
from the loft above. He stops what he is doing and walks slowly 
out ot the hall.

INT. LOFT. NIGHT

In the darkness we can just make out David's eyes as he sits in 
darkness.

ALEX
(calling from below)
David, David, what are you doing up there?

The torch goes on. David lifts the bag of money from between the 
rafters. He puts it inside another thick yellow plastic bag, 
which he ties tightly with string.

David opens the water tank.

Alex's voice can be heard throughout.

ALEX
(continued; calling from below)
Will you come down now. It's not safe up there. Are you listening 
to me. Security and insanity are not the same thing.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

ALEX
Shit.

INT. KITCHEN. NIGHT

Juliet sits drinking coffee, while Alex sands in the doorway 
looking up towards the trapdoor.

JULIET
Leave him alone.

ALEX
He can't stay up there.

JULIET
He'll come down. Leave him alone.

ALEX
Yeah, he's got to go to work, hasn't he? You think he'll come 
down for that?

JULIET
No, but he's looking after the money, so what's the problem?

ALEX
Looking after it -- he's probably fucking well eating it.

INT. HOSPITAL. DAY

Juliet looks through the door from a small office out into the 
main waiting area in the casualty departmet. It is busy and there 
are rooms of people nursing injuries waiting to be seen. More 
file past the door while she watches with no enthusiasm.

INT. HALL. DAY

The trapdoor opens. David's head appears. He looks around and 
listens carfeully.

INT. LUMSDEN'S OFFICE. DAY

Lumsden answers his telephone.

INT. HALL. DAY

David speaks on the telephone.

DAVID
It's my mother, sir, she's very ill and I think I need to be with 
her just now. I don't know. The doctors aren't sure. It could go 
either way. Yes, sir, I'll certainly stay in touch.

INT. BATHROOM. DAY

David shaves carefully with a safety razor.

INT. KITCHEN. DAY

Bacon and eggs fry in a pan. David attends to them while drinking 
from a large tumbler of orange juice.

INT. HOSPITAL. DAY

A Sister hands Juliet a casualty case sheet. Juliet reads it.

JULIET
Painful groin? What does that mean?

SISTER
I don't know. He wouldn't show me.

Juliet draws back the curtain of a cubicle. Alex is sitting on a 
trolly. 
ALEX
Boy, am I glad to see you.

JULIET
What are you doing here?

ALEX
We have to talk.

JULIET
Your painful groin?

She turns and walks away. Alex chases after her.

ALEX
Later. But first -- him.

JULIET
David?

ALEX
Exactly. Now I've been thinking --

JULIET
Oh, good.

ALEX
He won't do anything for me, but for you --

JULIET
Forget it.

ALEX
He isn't safe up there. If you really cared about him, you'd use 
your influence to get him down, then he'd be safe.

JULIET
And the money?

ALEX
We could put it somewhere.

JULIET
Where he can't get it?

ALEX
Now you thought of that, not me.

JULIET
Forget it -- he'll come down.

Juliet walks away.

INT. HALL. DAY

The hall is empty and the flat is silent. We see the trapdoor.

INT. LOFT. EVENING

David sits in the darkness. A crack of light penetrates beside 
the trapdoor.

INT. KITCHEN. NIGHT

Alex and Juliet sit at the table, eating in silence.

The doorbell rings. Alex and Juliet look at one another.

ALEX
Expecting anyone?

JULIET
No.

ALEX
Oh.

Alex resumes eating.

JULIET
Aren't you going to answer it?

ALEX
Well, I'm not expecting anyone either.

Juliet glares at him.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

Alex approaches the door and is about to open it. At the last 
moment he checks himself and looks through the spyhole.

INT. THROUGH THE SPYHOLE. NIGHT

Tim and Andy stand outside the door.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

Alex, slightly puzzled, fixes the security chains before opening 
the door. As soon as he opens it, the door is kicked wide open as 
the security chains break off. Tim and Andy enter the flat.

In a whirlwind of force they drag and shove Alex and Juliet into 
the living room and bind them up with cord. There are no words 
apart from slightly muffled cries.

At the end of this Andy stands in front of Alex holding a 
crowbar. Swiftly and without warning, he cracks it across Alex's 
shins. Then Andy slowly puts one one end of the crowbar into 
Alex's mouth. For a moment he does nothing, then just as slowly 
again, he takes the crowbar out.

ALEX
It's in the loft.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

The trapdoor is closed but the sound of it being unlocked can 
just be heard (although not by anyone in the flat.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

Tim pulls the ladder across to the trapdoor.

INT. LOFT. NIGHT

It is completely dark in the loft, but as the trapdoor opens a 
shaft of light strikes upwards and illuminates a small pool 
around the opening.

INT. LOFT. NIGHT

Away from the trapdoor there appears to be a wall of uniform 
darkness, but then we see a pair of eyes in the darkness. It is 
David. He stands perfectly still.

There is a hammer in his right hand.

INT. LOFT. NIGHT

Tim's head appears through the trapdoor. Cautiously he lifts 
himself through and balances on the beams.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

The hall is empty, but we can see the open trapdoor. Suddenly 
there is a single thud, as might be caused by a body landing 
heavily on and across some beams in the loft.

INT. LOFT. NIGHT

David stands motionless in the dark, exactly as before.

INT. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT

Andy has heard the single thud. He strains to hear anything else 
but does not. Slowly he backs away to the door of the living 
room, keeping the crowbar trained on Alex as he does so. He looks 
back and up towards the trapdoor.

INT. LOFT. NIGHT

Once again a small pool of light emanates from the open trapdoor. 
Andy emerges into the front of this, crowbar in hand, peering 
into the darkness. Carefully he stands up and moves out of the 
light and steps across the beams. His foot strikes something and 
he looks down. Tim's body lies spread-eagled beneath him. He 
looks up. To one side of him is the brass light switch. Andy 
lifts his arm, reaches towards it and switches it on. Sparks pour 
out for a moment and then the light comes on for a fraction of a 
second, long enough for Andy to see David's face is only 
centimetres from his own.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

Alex and Juliet are bound together as before. There is a loud 
thud from the ceiling, following by a few heavy steps. Then 
Andy's body falls headfirst through the trapdoor, straight down 
to the floor below, landing awkwardly and coming to rest with his 
head hanging back, looking towards Alex and Juliet. Andy takes 
one agonal breath and dies. Blood trickles from the side of his 
mouth.

Tim's body lands on Andy.

David drops himself from the hatch to the floor.

David takes a large knife from a wooden block.

Back in the hall he kneels, holding the knife, beside Tim. 
Noticing something at the top of tim's neck, he uses the knife to 
lift away Tim's T-shirt. A tattoo covers Tim's neck. David looks 
at it, then stands up.

He walks through to the living room, where Alex and Juliet, still 
bound, watch him approach. He looks at them for a moment, then 
extends the knife and cuts the cord in one place.

EXT. FOREST. NIGHT

In a scene similar to the dismemberment of Hugo, we see David's 
shoulders as he saws back and forth at something unseen. He stops 
and reaches out for the hammer, picks it up and raises it above 
his head.

EXT. ROAD. DAWN

The van is silhouetted against a rising sun.

INT. BACK OF THE VAN. DAWN

The tools and the yellow sack slide about in the back of the van.

INT. VAN. DAWN

David is driving. Alex and Juliet are huddled silently away from 
him. David seems quite at ease.

A thick bunch of keys dangles from the ignition. Juliet observes 
them.

INT. LOFT. DAY

David sits still in the darkness.

INT. NEWSPAPER OFFICE. DAY

Alex sits at his desk fidgeting, about to write something but 
unable to start. On the screen of his word processor is a page 
mock-up with the headline CATS EAT PENSIONER'. As the telephone 
on his desk rings, he is startled, then reaches out, slowly lifts 
it fractionally and replaces it.

INT. TRAVEL AGENT'S. DAY

Hunched over a VDU, the Salesman is offering Juliet a range of 
flights.

SALESMAN
October 15th, direct flight, London Heathrow to Rio de Janeiro, 
British Airways, you are looking at seven hundred and sixty-five 
pounds. Seven six five.

JULIET
That sounds fine.

SALESMAN
Air Portugal, on the other hand, via Lisbon, same day, five 
hundred and sixty-five. Five six five. It's up to you. Catering 
important?

JULIET
What?

SALESMAN
Air France. Glasgow. Direct, but then you're looking at the wrong 
end of nine hundred and twelve pounds. That's nine one two. It's 
up to you.

JULIET
Yes, the first one's fine. Heathrow direct.

SALESMAN
It's up to you. Air Patagonia. New outfit: via Caracas and Bogot 
. No catering. Four hundred and eleven pounds. Four one one. Good 
value, but refueling at Bogot  is variable.

JULIET
The first one was fine.

SALESMAN
Well, it's up to you. Seven six five. How will you be paying?

INT. HALL. NIGHT

The hall is empty but we can hear David's footsteps on the beams 
above.

INT. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT

Alex sits watching The Wicker Man on televison. He can hear the 
footsteps above. He turns the sound up on the television so that 
he cannot hear them, but he keeps looking up at the ceiling, as 
though he expects to hear them or see somwthing.

Eventually he turns the sound back down and, after a moment's 
silence, the footsteps start again, back and forth, then stop.

Alex looks up.

Without warning there is the sound of an electric drill.

The blade of the drill appears through the ceiling and is then 
withdrawn. Alex is shocked. Other drill holes appear.

INT. VARIOUS CEILINGS. NIGHT

Holes are drilled in the ceilings.

INT. LOFT. NIGHT

Rods of light penetrate up from the holes, interrupting but not 
obliterating the darknes. David sits back, pleased with his work.

INT. JULIET'S ROOM. NIGHT

Juliet sits at her desk. Alex stands in the doorway. He is about 
to speak. Juliet raises a finger to her lips. They both look at 
the ceiling.

EXT. GARDEN AT FRONT OF THE FLAT. NIGHT

Establishing shot of Alex and Juliet in garden.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

The trapdoor is open.

INT. ALEX'S ROOM. NIGHT

David is searching through Alex's desk, looking through letters 
and folders, then shoving them back into drawers.

EXT. GARDEN AT THE FRONT OF THE FLAT. NIGHT

ALEX
No, definitely not. And that's that. I refuse to discuss it 
further.

JULIET
It's the only way.

ALEX
I refuse.

JULIET
You're frightened.

ALEX
No, I'm not frightened. A little terrified maybe. Did you see 
what happened to the last two who tried that? They went up alive 
and they came down dead -- the difference, I mean, alive dead 
dead alive, that sort of thing. It wasn't difficult to spot. He 
killed them both: he cut them up.

INT. JULIET'S ROOM. NIGHT

David is now searching through Juliet's desk. He picks up a large 
brown envelope and looks into it. Beneath it is the airline 
ticket envelope.

The doorbell rings.

INT. THROUGH THE SPYHOLE. NIGHT

McCall and Mitchell stand outside the door.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

David opens the door. McCall smiles.

MCCALL
Good evening. I'm Detective Inspector McCall and this is DC 
Mitchell. I wonder if we could ask you some questions.

DAVID
What about?

MCCALL
It's about the burglary.

DAVID
Burglary?

MCCALL
Downstairs.

DAVID
Of course.

MCCALL
Can we come in?

INT. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT

David sits on the sofa while the two policemen sit on armchairs 
several feet apart.

DAVID
So I just heard her cries for help and all that, and when I went 
downstairs there were already those other people there, so I just 
stood around really, waiting -- you know how people do -- and 
then when your colleagues arrived I came back upstairs. And 
that's about all, I think. I didn't actually see anything useful, 
I don't think.

MCCALL
did you hear anything before he cries?

DAVID
No, not that I recall, I was asleep.

MCCALL
Have you seen anything or anyone suspicious around here in the 
last few days?

DAVID
No, nothing, sorry.

MCCALL
Well, if you do, you'll let us know?

DAVID
Of course.

MCCALL
And the other three people on the flat, did they hear anything?

DAVID
There are only two other people in the flat. 

McCall consults a notebook.

MCCALL
Two?

DAVID
Who said there were four?

MCCALL
We understood there were four people living here. Not always, of 
course, but now, four.

DAVID
No, three. Who said there were four?

MCCALL
How strange. And how unsatisfactory to have misleading 
information. Only three people here. You're sure?

DAVID
Yes, absolutely.

MCCALL
Take a note of that, Mitchell. Only three, rather than four. 
Write it down. You can use numbers or words, I have no 
preference. Which are you using?

MITCHELL
Both, sir.

MCCALL
Excellent. DC Mitchell is a rising star, Mr. Stevens. Under my 
tutelage he will undoubtedly make the grade.

DAVID
I see.

MCCALL
I doubt it. And these two other people, did they hear anything?

DAVID
No, they were asleep. They didn't even wake up.

MCCALL
Yes. Why do you think you woke and they didn't?

DAVID
I don't know. Maybe I'm a light sleeper.

Uncomfortably, David realizes that Mitchell has noted down even 
this last, trivial remark in a painful longhand and has 
underlined a short segment of it.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

In the hallway of the flat Mitchell stands at the open main door, 
waiting to leave. McCall is kneeling at the door to Hugo's room, 
tracing his finger down the broken lintel and lock. David looks 
on.

MCCALL
Loks like you had a break-in up here as well.

DAVID
Someone lost the key.

McCall gently pushes the door open and the light from the hall 
illuminates Hugo's room.

MCCALL
Is this where no one stays?

DAVID
Yeah, that's right, that's it.

David notices that Mitchell is writing this down.

INT. GARDEN AT FRONT OF THE FLAT. NIGHT

ALEX
You'll wait in the hall?

JULIET
I'll wait there.

ALEX
And if it sounds like I'm being killed, you'll phone the police, 
you'll tell them everything?

JULIET
Everything.

ALEX
Everything. Except maybe that it was his idea and not mine in the 
first place. OK? That's important to me. I need to die 
misunderstood. 

JULIET
Alex.

ALEX
What?

JULIET
As smart as you are, you'll need a little help.

She hands Alex a Yale key. Alex stares at it.

INT. LOFT. NIGHT

In the darkness, the sound of the lock being turned is heard.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

Alex tsands at the top of the ladder, holding the key in the 
trapdoor lock.

ALEX
All right, David, what I'm going to do is, I'm going to open this 
lock and I'm going to come up, and what's important is that you 
remain calm.

There is one light on. Juliet stands at the bottom of the ladder. 
Having opened the trapdoor, Alex stops and listens, but there is 
no sound above his own breathing. Juliet throws up a torch, which 
he catches. He switches it on. It shines, then goes out, and he 
knocks it against the ladder, making it work again. Slowly he 
pushes the trapdoor open.

INT. LOFT. NIGHT

The trapdoor opens. Below it, Alex crouches on the ladder, 
expecting attack at any moment. He looks back down to Juliet, who 
returns his gaze, then he slowly raises himself into the loft.

He turns around quickly, darting the torchlight around into 
corners and squinting in the darkness, but he sees nothing.

The torch goes out. Cursing, he knocks it against a beam and it 
shines again.

Slowly he moves further from the trapdoor into the centre of the 
loft, still turning around and worried about what might be behind 
him.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

Juliet stands waiting, braced for sounds of conflict.

INT. LOFT. NIGHT

Alex is still looking but has relaxed a little, feeling les in 
danger. In one corner he notices David's pile of left-possessions 
and the mat on which he has been sleeping. He moves towards it.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

Juliet stands, still waiting.

INT. LOFT. NIGHT

Alex stands in David's corner. With another sweep of the torch he 
can still see nothing. He calls to Juliet.

ALEX
He isn't up here.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

A close-up of Juliet's face, just as David's hand slams across 
her mouth, gripping her tightly while his other hand clamps on 
the back of her head. David's mouth is right up against her ear 
as he spits a warning into it.

DAVID
Tell him to look for the money.

Slowly, David relaxes his grip on Juliet.

JULIET
Look for the money.

INT. LOFT. NIGHT

Alex, cheerful now, is looking in the rafters.

ALEX
Don't worry, that's what I'm doing.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

David holds Juliet across her face again. She is terrified and 
does not struggle.

DAVID
Expecting anyone?

JULIET
What?

DAVID
Were you expecting anyone? Tonight?

JULIET
No.

DAVID
Visitors? Some friends maybe? Someone you talked to?

JULIET
No one. I promise.

DAVID
Who have you talked to?

JULIET
No one.

DAVID
If I think you're lying --

INT. LOFT. NIGHT

Alex stands gazing around the loft.

ALEX
(from the loft)
Well, it's not up here.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

David pulls Juliet to one side.

INT. LOFT. NIGHT

Alex is about to descend when he notices the water tank. He walks 
over and lifts the lid. His face breaks into a smile as he 
realizes what it holds. He dips an arm into the tank, raises the 
yellow bag, then quickly lowers it again. Alex steps back from 
the water tank.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

Alex appears at the top of the ladder. Without looking, he slides 
down as quickly as he can, calling out as he does so.

ALEX
Juliet, I have --

Alex reaches the base of the ladder. He turns around to find 
himself facing the blade of the battery-operated drill, held by 
David. Juliet stands off to one side.

ALEX
(continued)
-- a problem.

David holds the drill even closer until it is almost touching the 
centre of Alex's forehead and presses the trigger' to turn the 
blade slowly as he speaks.

Alex does not move at all.

DAVID
You looking for me?

ALEX
Looking for you? Yes.

DAVID
What for? What did you want? The money? Was that it?

ALEX
We just wanted to speak to you.

Alex's hands and sleeves are wet. A few drops of water fall from 
his fingertips. Unnoticed by the other two, he slowly wipes his 
hands on the back of his jeans.

DAVID
Who else have you wanted to speak to? Maybe you thought they'd 
already got me.

The blade os the drill scrapes Alex's skin.

ALEX
Who?

DAVID
Your friends.

ALEX
I don't know what you're talking about.

JULIET
He doesn't know David.

David holds the drill back slightly while he thinks. It could go 
either way.

DAVID
Well, maybe you don't --

David lowers the drill and smiles.

DAVID
(continued)
I'm talking about the police.

INT. ALEX'S ROOM. DAY

Alex has just woken up. He rubs his forehead. There is a nick in 
it, where the drill has scratched. He rubs at it and examines the 
drop of blood on the end of his finger.

INT. DAVID'S POINT OF VIEW. ALEX'S ROOM. DAY

Looking down from a hole in the ceiling, we see into Alex's room, 
where he is getting dressed.

INT. HALL. DAY

Alex leaves his room and enters the hall.

INT. LOFT. DAY

Looking down from a hole in the ceiling, we see into Alex's room, 
where he is getting dressed.

INT. LOFT/HALL. DAY

Looking down on Alex as he leaves the flat and closes the door.

INT. LOFT. DAY

David scurries back across the beams to look down through another 
hole. He looks for several seconds.

NOTE In the following sequence, Juliet's face is not seen until 
her comment on it. 
INT. JULIET'S ROOM. DAY

Juliet lies on her bed. She throws the covers back.

INT. LOFT. DAY

David is still looking down through the hole.

INT. JULIET'S ROOM. DAY

Juliet moves about her room. She is wearing a large, baggy T-
shirt.

INT. LOFT. DAY

David still watching.

INT. JULIET'S ROOM. DAY

Juliet's legs are seen as the T-shirt lands on the floor beside 
them.

INT. LOFT. DAY

David sits back suddenly, recoiling from the activity. He 
scrambles back across to his mat, where he sits back down and 
closes his eyes. Then he opens them and scrambles back to look 
down again.

INT. JULIET'S ROOM. DAY

The room is empty.

The sound of the flat door closing is heard.

From David's point of view we see:

INT. LOFT/HALL (EMPTY). DAY

INT. LOFT/LIVING ROOM (EMPTY). DAY

INT. LOFT/KITCHEN (EMPTY). DAY

INT. HALL. DAY

David's head appears beneath the trapdoor. He hangs from the 
hatch and drops down to the floor.

INT. BATHROOM. DAY

David showers.

INT. HALL. DAY

David emerges from the bathroom and walks towards the kitchen. We 
follow him in.

INT. KITCHEN. DAY

David takes orange juice out of the fridge and pours himself a 
glass. He sits at the table and looks briefly into a corner that 
we cannot see. The expression oh his face does not change and his 
voice is impassive.

DAVID
I thought you'd gone to work.

JULIET
(unseen)
With a face like this?

INT. KITCHEN. DAY

Juliet's face. There are bruises across it where she was gripped 
by David.

INT. MONITOR SCREEN/NEWSPAPER OFFICE. DAY

In close-up we track along the following half-sentence: In the 
event of my death I want the following facts to be known:' --

The remainder of the screen is blank.

Alex sits at his desk, deciding what to type next on the screen 
seen before. A young Office Boy approaches his desk.

OFFICE BOY
The editor wants to see you.

INT. KITCHEN. MORNING

David sits while Juliet talks. She is now seated behind him.

JULIET
I remember how things used to be here, and I see how they are 
now, and I don't know why it is. I don't know how we let you 
become like this. We were your friends and we should have looked 
after you.

INT. EDITOR'S OFFICE. DAY

Alex sits nervously while the Editor sits on the side of his 
desk.

EDITOR
Out in the woods. Three bodies. Decomposed. Mutilated. Beyond 
recognition.

ALEX
I don't know anything about it.

EDITOR
Of course you don't know anything about it. If you knew anything 
about it, I wouldn't have to send you over there to cover it.

ALEX
Cover it?

EDITOR
Well?

ALEX
But there's no --

EDITOR
Animals involved? I know, but you need a change. And besides, 
we're short.

ALEX
I don't know.

EDITOR
Don't know what?

ALEX
Well, I've got this story, it's really good, I'm working on, that 
is good, I feel it could be big, it this, eh, and it's, you know, 
it's incredible. Am I right, did you say beyond recognition'?

INT. KITCHEN. DAY

David and Juliet are seated as before.

DAVID
I'm sorry.

JULIET
I should hope so.

david turns towards her. He reaches out and softly touches her 
face.

DAVID
Maybe we can still sort everything out.

Juliet takes his hand.

JULIET
We can try.

They look at one another.

EXT. FOREST. DAY

Several police and unmarked vehicles, including one mobile 
incident room', stand on a rough track. Another car arrives at 
the end and is parkeed to one side. Alex steps out.

From where he stands, Alex can see towards the site of the 
burials. There are a few policemen, uniformed and plain-clothes, 
and a small knot of journalists, kept at bay by plastic tape 
draped from tree to tree. Mounds of earth mark the site of the 
exhumations.

Alex walks past the other journalists into the woods. He looks 
back towards the sight, then turns to look in the opposite 
direction. He finds himself at the edge of a golf course. From 
the green to the graves is hardly any distance.

To one side, Alex sees McCall and Mitchell, hunched in earnest 
discussion. Mitchell looks up briefly and ctaches Alex's eye.

BINT. KITCHEN/HALL. DAY

The kitchen is empty. We track through the kitchen and out into 
the hall, stopping at the door to Juliet's room.

INT. JULIET'S ROOM. DAY

David and Juliet are seated on the bed. Among the junk on her 
bedside table is the Polaroid photograph of Alex, propped up 
against a tumbler. Juliet reaches out and turns it away before 
pulling David towards her.

INT. MOBILE INCIDENT ROOM. DAY

Several journalists sit close together on plastic chairs. Alex 
sits at the back, near the half-open door. At the other end, 
three police officers face them. They are a medium-ranking 
Uniformed Officer, and to one side of him Mitchell and then 
McCall, both of whom sit in silence.

UNIFORMED OFFICER
All right, ladies and gentlemen, the releasable and print-worthy 
facts of the day so far are as follows. Late yesterdat afternoon, 
forestry workers came across one set of human remains lying in a 
grave which appeared to have been recently dug. Further 
excavation on our part has revealed two similar, deeper graves, 
again containing human remains.

Alex turns his head and looks out of the door towards the burial 
site, now enclosed in a plastic tent. He continues to stare at 
it.

While Alex is looking, the sound of laughter and Uniformed 
Officer's subsequent comments become muted and we hear the memory 
of a sound in Alex's head: it is the noise of the saw going back 
and forth across the victim's limbs.

UNIFORMED OFFICER
(continued)
As and when the corpses are removed, we will endeavour to 
ascertain the mode of death and duration of burial, as well as 
identification, which will of course be passed on to you after 
informing, where possible, the next of kin.

Alex discreetly stands up and slips out of the van.

EXT. FOREST. DAY

Alex walks away from the incident room towards his car. He breaks 
into a run for a few paces.

The noise of the sawing continues.

As he reaches his car, Alex fumbles in his pockets for his keys. 
He is sweating and trembling. He drops his keys. As he bends down 
to pick them up, his foot slips on the wet grass. He falls to his 
knees, his forehead banging against the car door. He kneels for a 
moment, gripping the keys, his head resting against the door.

The noise of the sawing stops.

From behind, the arm of a Police Constable reaches out and his 
hand rests on Alex's shoulder.<BR
Alex turns around to see the Constable looming over him.

CONSTABLE
Are you all right sir?

INT. MOBILE INCIDENT ROOM. DAY

The Uniformed Officer continues.

McCall is staring impassively at the empty chair by the door.

INT. ALEX'S CAR. DAY

Alex sits in his car, staring ahead. Eventually he puts the key 
in the ignition.

EXT. STREET. NIGHT

The outside of the tenement.

INT. STAIRWELL. NIGHT

Alex ascends the stairs. He is carrying copies of the next day's 
edition.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

Alex enters the flat. The hall is dark but light comes from the 
living room. He moves towards it.

INT. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT

Alex opens the door. Juliet sits with her back to him, while 
David looks out of the window. Concerned for Juliet, Alex 
approaches her.

ALEX
Are you all right?

JULIET
Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I be?

Rebuffed, Alex takes in the situation.<BR
ALEX
I don't know. I thought maybe I was --

JULIET
We were just sorting things out.

She and David exchange a glance.

ALEX
Well, you'd better read about it.

Alex drops the newspapers on the table in front of Juliet.

The headline reads TRIPLE CORPSE HORROR'.

DAVID
We already know. All about it.

JULIET
It was on the television.

Alex picks up the papers.

ALEX
(nervously)
Of course, but I think you'll find the print medium provides a 
more lucid and detailed --

JULIET
Oh, shut up, Alex.

DAVID
It wasn't deep enough. I told you it wasn't deep enough, but you 
wouldn't listen.

ALEX
It doesn't neccessarily matter. They don't even know who those 
people are, and even if they did, they have nothing to connect 
them with us, nothing at all.

DAVID
I'm glad you're so certain, Alex. It makes us feel a whole lot 
better.

ALEX
I beg your pardon?

JULIET
It makes us feel a whole lot better.

ALEX
That's what I thought he said.

INT. ALEX'S ROOM. NIGHT

Alex lies asleep. Slowly track towards him.

INT. KITCHEN. DAY. DREAM

McCall and Mitchell are standing in the centre of the kitchen. 
They say nothing. Mitchell leans down and begins to poke at the 
slender gap between two floorboards as though trying to get his 
fingers into it. This appears impossible but he manages 
nevertheless. His finger digs in, while McCall watches. Gradually 
Mitchell takes a grip on the floorboard. It is nailed down fast 
and Mitchell strains as he pulls. Eventually the nails fly out 
and, in a flurry of cracks and splinters, the plank comes away.

McCall and Mitchell look down. In the gap between the rafters, 
Alex is lying face down and trying to crawl away under the 
floorboards.

Mitchell grabs Alex's ankle and McCall is now holding a saw.

INT. ALEX'S ROOM. NIGHT

Alex awakens abruptly and in shock. He is sweating. Just as he 
recovers his composure, he sees a form, almost hidden in the 
darkness, sitting at the end of his bed.

ALEX
Who the fuck?

He braces himself for a fight and fumbles for the bedside light 
switch.

JULIET
Sshh. Stop.

Alex leaves the light off.

ALEX
What are you doing here?

Juliet pauses.

JULIET
It's about me and David.

ALEX
The perfect couple, I should say.

JULIET
You mustn't take it so badly.

ALEX
Don't worry about it. I'd do exactly the same, but I don't think 
I'm his type.

JULIET
Don't you ever stop?

ALEX
No.

Alex slumps back, eyes closed, asleep almost instantly.

Juliet watches him.

INT. LIVING ROOM. DAY

McCall and Mitchell sit opposite Juliet, who is being questioned. 
They watch her while she studies photographs of Hugo, Tim and 
Andy intently. Eventually, McCall breaks the silence. Mitchell 
takes notes continuously.

MCCALL
Take all the time you like, doctor.

JULIET
I'm sorry, I've never seen any of them.

MCCALL
Look again if you like.

Juliet glances at the photographs.

JULIET
No. I haven't seen them.

MCCALL
Do you think you have a good memory for faces?

JULIET
Same as everyone else.

MCCALL
But in your work you must meet lots of different people, every 
day -- new people, new faces. No?

JULIET
Yes.

MCCALL
And what do you recognize, names or faces?

JULIET
Diseases.

MCCALL
Like recognizing criminals by their crimes.

JULIET
I suppose so.

MCCALL
I mean, that's what it's like.

JULIET
Sorry?

MCCALL
And you said you supposed so, but I wasn't offering it for 
debate.

MITCHELL
Offering it for debate.

MCCALL
It's like recognizing criminals by their crimes.

INT. ALEX'S ROOM. DAY

Alex sits on his bed. Beside him are copies of the newspaper that 
he brought home with the headline TRIPLE CORPSE HORROR'. He lifts 
one and tears at the front page.

INT. LIVING ROOM. DAY

McCall and Mitchell sit facing David. He is looking at the 
photographs of Hugo, Tim and Andy (as they were when they were 
alive). They are official, mug-shot snaps. David shows no hint of 
recognition.

DAVID
No, I've never seen them.

MCCALL
You're sure of that.

DAVID
Yes.

MCCALL
That wasn't a question.

MITCHELL
You can tell by the intonation.

MCCALL
One other thing. Do you have any tattoos?

DAVID
No.

McCall points at the photograph of Tim.

MCCALL
Neither does he.

David and McCall both look at the photograph.

A small trickle of plaster and dust falls from the ceiling and 
lands on McCall's knee. He wipes it off and looks up. David sees 
but does not look up.

INT. LIVING ROOM. DAY

McCall and Mitchell sit opposite Alex.

ALEX
Is this being recorded?

MCCALL
This is just an informal discussion.

ALEX
Are you recording it?

MCCALL
What does it look like?

ALEX
It looks like he's writing everything down.

MCCALL
That's because he is. Does that upset you?

ALEX
No. Why should it?

MCCALL
Well, then?

ALEX
I've never seen any of these men before.

MCCALL
Take another look at these two.

ALEX
I don't know them.

MCCALL
And if I told you their car was parked outside, would that 
surprise you?

ALEX
Yes, I suppose so.

McCall gathers up the photographs and puts them into an inside 
pocket.

ALEX
(continued)
Well, is it?

MCCALL
What?

ALEX
Parked outside?

INT. LOFT/LIVING ROOM (FROM ABOVE). DAY

MCCALL
No, not any more. I just wondered if it would surprise you.

INT. LOFT. DAY

David steps back from the hole above the living room. He is 
puzzled.

INT. LIVING ROOM. DAY

Alex's interrogation continues.

MCCALL
That's it, then.

ALEX
That's all?

MCCALL
Sorry to waste your time.

ALEX
Oh, no problems. Don't worry.

MCCALL
Just one thing.

ALEX
Yes.

MITCHELL
That watch.

ALEX
What?

MCCALL
Your watch.

MITCHELL
Is it real?

MCCALL
Or a fake?

ALEX
What? Uh, no, no, it's a fake. I picked it up in Thailand. The 
second hand doesn't sweep, you see.

MCCALL
I see.

Mitchell takes a note of this.

ALEX
Right.

MCCALL
Tell you what. If you do remember seeing any of these guys, maybe 
you could give me a phone, on this number, any time you like.

He holds out a card for Alex. Alex hesitates and then takes the 
card. 

INT. HALL. NIGHT

The hall is empty but we can hear voices from the living room.

ALEX
I didn't tell them anything. Nothing at all, absolutely nothing. 
They're plods, that's all they are. If they had anything, 
anything at all to connect us, any witnesses, any forensic 
evidence, they'd have whipped it out there and then.

INT. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT

Alex, Juliet and David are in the room.

DAVID
But they know.

ALEX
They can know all they like, it won't do them the slightest bit 
of good --

DAVID
They know.

ALEX
They know? So what? They have nothing, there is nothing, to 
connect us to that bodies stuff.

DAVID
Except the money.

JULIET
He's right, Alex. They know.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

The empty hall and closed door as before.

INT. LOFT. NIGHT

The loft is dark but a small amount of light filters in, 
revealing david's face on the pillow. He is awake. In his hand he 
holds the Polaroid of Alex. He examines it, then, reaching up, he 
pins it to a rafter so that Alex's face stares down at him.

There is a movement in the bed beside him. It is Juliet, asleep.

INT. ALEX'S ROOM. NIGHT

Alex is also awake. He sits up and reaches for some clothes.

INT. LOFT. NIGHT

Juliet sleeps, while David slowly extricates himself from the 
bed.

He lifts the lid of the tank and pulls at a piece of string, on 
the end of which is the thick yellow plastic bag.

INT. ALEX'S ROOM. NIGHT

Faintly lit by a dimmed lamp, Alex opens the door to the hall.

INT. LOFT. NIGHT

David makes his way to the trapdoor and slowly opens it. The door 
creaks once and Juliet mutters in her sleep but does not wake.

INT. ALEX'S ROOM. NIGHT

Hearing the creak, Alex freezes in mid-dial, but hears nothing 
more. He starts to dial again, then stops and replaces the 
receiver but continues to hold it.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

David drops to the floor with the money.

INT. DAVID'S ROOM. NIGHT

The light is on. David dresses quickly but quietly and pulls a 
bag from under his bed, into which he puts some clothes, his 
passport, etc.

INT. ALEX'S ROOM. NIGHT

Alex lifts the receiver again and dials. He stares at a card in 
his hand. It is the one given to him by McCall.

INT. DAVID'S ROOM. NIGHT

David is now wearing a coat and is finished packing. He glances 
quickly around his room for the last time, then lifts the two 
bags and switches off his light.

INT. HALL. NIGHT

As David closes his door behind him he disappears into the 
darkness of the hall.

Suddenly he is brightly illuminated as the main light goes on.

Juliet stands by the door to the flat, dressed to leave.

JULIET
You forgot to wake me.

INT. ALEX'S ROOM. NIGHT

Alex sits still, listening to David and Juliet. He ignores the 
message that can be heard coming over the telephone.

WOMAN'S VOICE
This office is closed at present. In the evnt of an emergency, 
please contact the duty officer via the switchboard. If you wish 
to leave a message, please speak clearly after the tone, leaving 
your name, address and telephone number.

Over this, David and Juliet can be heard from the hall.

JULIET
So let's go.

DAVID
You and me?

INT. HALL. NIGHT

David and Juliet stand as before.

JULIET
Together.

David nods, then steps across the hall, leans down and pulls the 
telephone cable from its socket in the wall. He calls out to 
Alex.

DAVID
Hey, Alex, who are you calling at this time of night? Come on out 
and talk to us.

Alex appears at the door of his room. He is not angry, but wary. 
Juliet is not sure what David is playing at.

DAVID
(continued)
Well?

Alex says nothing.

DAVID
(continued)
Sex lines? Is that it? Triple X-rated interactive fantasy? Old 
habits die hard.

ALEX
Yeah, I was phoning your mother.

DAVID
You old devil. Well, anyway, as you can see, we're leaving.

ALEX
So I gathered.

DAVID
Yeah, I'm sorry, but that's the way it is.

ALEX
It's all right. I'll forward your mail.

DAVID
No, really, I am sorry, sorry to be ducking out on you like this. 
I hope you won't take it personally.

ALEX
Oh, no, no, no. Don't let it worry you. Not at all. It's probably 
for the best.

DAVID
For the best. Exactly. I wouldn't want things to end on a downer.

ALEX
Not at all.

DAVID
I mean, we've had ups and downs, right -- good times, bad times?

ALEX
Yeah?

DAVID
But more laughter than tears, I think? Yes. On balance? I mean, 
remember that time when -- oh, we could talk all night, but we 
have to go. Don't we, Juliet?

JULIET
Yes.

DAVID
And you need your sleep.

ALEX
Yes.

David pauses in thought.

DAVID
No, can't think of anything else that matters.

ALEX
About the mail --

DAVID
It's very kind of you to offer, but --

ALEX
Where do you think you'll go?

DAVID
Where will we go? Where will we go? Juliet?

He turns to her.

JULIET
Eh, I don't know.

DAVID
Oh, don't be so coy, dear. You're going to Rio.

JULIET
What?

DAVID
That's right. You're going to Rio. Rio de Janeiro. On your own. 
Come on, you should know. You bought the fucking ticket.

David produces Juliet's airline ticket from a pocket and hands it 
to Alex, who looks at it before putting it in a pocket.

DAVID
(continued)
Did you see that? Did you know about it? I'll bet you she didn't 
tell you about that before she sent you up there. You could have 
died. What did she say, We'll split it together, you and me, 
fifty fifty'?

He turns to Juliet.

DAVID
(continued)
But I bet you didn't say you were going to split on him.

JULIET
It wasn't like that.

DAVID
Don't lie to me. Don't treat me like that.

ALEX
I bought it.

Juliet looks at Alex in surprise. David is momentarily 
confused.<BR
DAVID
What?

ALEX
I bought the tickets. One for her and one for me. It was my idea.

DAVID
Your idea? Well, that fits. I mean, the two of you, that fits 
together. I should have seen that long ago.

David picks up his bag and starts walking to the door.

Juliet bars his way. He stops.

David gently shove past her, but Juliet overtakes him and stands 
right in front of the door. David stops again.

JULIET
Stop him, Alex. You've got to stop him.

ALEX
Let him go. Let him take it all.

David steps forward, but Juliet is pressed against the door. He 
drops his holdall and reaches for the door handle. Juliet tries 
to push him back. They struggle but neither is winning. David 
relaxes.

DAVID
I'm going.

David pauses for a moment, then hits Juliet once in the face, 
knocking her to the ground.

David looks at her with disdain, then reaches for the door 
handle. As he does so he is hit from behind by Alex. Surprised as 
much as hurt, David stumbles round and touches his cheek. Alex is 
almost apologetic.

ALEX
You shouldn't have hit her. You can do whatever you like, but you 
shouldn't have hit her.

David takes a step towards the door again, but Alex launches 
himself at him, forcing him back, where trips over Juliet's 
outstretched leg and drops his case. As Alex and David fight 
briefly on the floor, Juliet picks up the holdall containing the 
money and throws it into the kitchen.

David forces Alex off and, pushing past Juliet, he enters the 
kitchen after the bag.

INT. KITCHEN. NIGHT

David stands holding the bag, but a few feet from him, Alex and 
Juliet block his exit. David holds out the bag temptingly towards 
Alex.

DAVID
You want it? You want it?

As Alex lunges at the bag, David shifts and kicks Alex in the 
groin, but is himself immediately stunned again by being hit in 
the face with the edge of a toaster held by Alex.

A brutal and angry fight ensues, mainly between Alex and David, 
around the kitchen and involving various implements and artifacts 
in it.

Eventually, just as Alex seems to be gaining the upper hand, 
David reaches out, pulls a long knife from the wooden holder and 
plunges it with great force through the upper part of Alex's 
right lung, just beneath his shoulder, pinning Alex to the wooden 
floor.

David sits up and reaches for a second knife but, as he does so, 
a blade is forced through his own throat, appearing at the front. 
Clutching his throat, David falls to the floor, burbling and 
bleeding to death.

Juliet surveys the scene with shock. She approaches Alex, who 
cannot move his left arm over to the knife in his chest. They 
look into one another's eys. Neither she nor Alex speaks.

As Juliet carefully touches the knife in his chest, Alex whinces. 
With his right hand he grasps her ankle. She tries to shake 
herself free, but Alex holds on. She stops and takes off one of 
her shoes.

JULIET
Alex, you did the right thing, but I can't take you with me.

Holding the toe of her shoe, she hammers the top of the knife two 
or three times, driving it firmly into the floor. Alex's grip 
falls away. She then puts her shoe back on and picks up the bag 
of money.

Juliet leaves the kitchen carrying the case. Alex looks to one 
side, where David is breathing his last, and to the other into 
the hall. In the hall, he can see Juliet reappearing from her 
room, carrying the holdall of money and another bag. She walks 
back into the kitchen, kneels down and kisses Alex's forehead. At 
the same time, she takes the airline ticket from his pocket. She 
stands again and leaves. She disappears from sight and we hear 
the main door close.

INT. KITCHEN. NIGHT

Alex lies alone, with David's body beside him.

INT. KITCHEN. DAY

It is brightly lit now. Policemen's legs swarm around Alex, who 
blinks as a flashlight fires. He looks out to the hall again, 
where he sees McCall and Mitchell.

Alex lies back, a faint smile on his face.

INT. KITCHEN. DAY

The handle of the knife fills the screen. Moving slowly, the 
picture tracks down the blade, past Alex's shoulder and down to 
the pine floor, then through the floorboard to the tip of the 
blade on the other side. A drop of blood falls from the tip, a 
few centimeters, on to a thick pile of banknotes.

INT. AN AIRPORT DEPARTURES HALL. DAY

Scraps of ripped newspaper lie scattered around the holdall. Two 
of the scraps contain the headline TRIPLE CORPSE HORROR'.

INT. DAY. MORGUE

A horizontal strip of face. The eyes unmoving and unblinking. We 
draw back to reveal David laid out on a mortuary slab.

DAVID
(voice-over)
Oh, yes, I believe in friends, I believe we need them, but if, 
one day, you find you can't trust them any more, well, what then, 
what then?

Two attendants in white approach across the mortuary and slide 
the tray into its slot.

Darkness.



THE END