Blog

Lovett: “You coming or not?”
Die: “Lead the way Detective Bobble.”
Lovett hits him the chest again and he coughs with pain again.
Fade to black.
Gary Numan singing from ‘I am Screaming’
Can you see me?
Can you feel me?
Can you hear me?
I am screaming
Fade from black to the inside of an Indian restaurant. It is small, dimly lit a little bit shabby and old fashioned. There are people in the far back eating at two tables, there are two waiters milling around. Lovett and Die are seated close to us sitting opposite each other at a round table. Lovett’s red coat is on the back of her chair. Die is still wearing his suit Jacket and looking a little out of place. There is at least seven dishes of food on the warning trays on the table between them. Lovett’s plate is piled with food and next to her plate are two cans of Old Jamaican ginger beer (one is open) and a glass half full of it. Dies plate has a lot less on it and a glass of red wine is next to it. Lovett is shoving food into her mouth.
Lovett -with her mouth full-: “So, who is this Jacques?
Die uses his little finger to remove ‘something’ out of his eye.
Die: “He is Ex-French Secret Service and now a hit man, of sorts.”
Lovett: “A friend of yours then?”
Die: “We don’t, as a rule, make friends in the service.”
Lovett: “Why not?”
Die: “Watching friends die, tends to mess with your head.”
Lovett leans back and finishes her drink and opens the other the can and fills her glass up again.
Lovett: “You not going to take your jacket off?”
Die: “I find that the sight of man wearing a shoulder holster with a gun, 3 mags and a knife on the back of it puts people off their food and causes a bit of a fuss.”
Lovett: “Fair point.”
Lovett starts eating again.
Die: “Do you think… you ordered enough food?”
Lovett with a fork full half way to her mouth.
Lovett: “You are paying right?”
Die -with smile-: “Yes; it was kind of my idea after all.”
Lovett raises one hand and a waiter starts to move towards her.
Lovett: “Simon, can I get another garlic naan please?”
Simon: “Yes of course Detective. And two more cans of ginger beer?”
Lovett: “I love you Simon…
Simon nods and walk towards the back of the restaurant.
Lovett: “…Thank you!”
Lovett goes back to eating. Die looks at her for a while and gets a serious look on his face.
Die: “Why do you do what you do?
Lovett: “I like being a Cop. I like getting justice for those that can’t get it for themselves. I right wrongs.”
Die: “That’s not what I meant.”
Lovett: “What then?”
Die: “You ran out on to that roof, knowing full well that Jacques and I had guns, and all you had was your metal stick and a badge. You could have been killed the moment your foot passed through that door way and you knew that!”
Lovett: “I have anger issues.”
Die: “You? No never, I don’t believe it, I am so shocked.”
Lovett: “You really are a sarcy sod.”
Die: “What’s the real reason?”
Lovett puts her fork down and takes up her glass and has a long drink and holds the glass in both hands in front of her.
Lovett: “I hate injustice. Ok?” … “Seeing people getting away with nasty shit makes my blood boil. It’s like, an itch in my brain.” … “And I forget about my own safety sometimes because of it.” … “I love my job, but I hate that there has to be people like me to do the job. If people could just stop being dicks to each other, then I could stop doing it. I know I look like I am in some sort of control on the outside…”
Her voice is getting louder
Lovett: “…and I do my very best to all the time but… It infuriates me! And inside; inside my head!
She realises she is shouting and looks around the room a bit embarrassed and lowers her voice again.
Lovett: “Inside. Deep inside.” … “I am screaming.” … “All the time… with rage.” “That’s why, ok?”
Die nods slightly.
Lovett: “What, no witty come back?
Die: “Not this time.”
They look at each other in silence for a few moments.
Then Lovett burps, puts down her glass and picks up her fork and starts eating again. Die smiles and shakes his head, picks up his wine and takes a sip and holds the glass out looking at it in disgust. Lovett sees him do it.
Lovett: “Oh, don’t tell me, they stirred it instead of shaking it didn’t they?”
She grins.
Die: “Ok, come on; get all the Bond jokes out now so we can move on.”
Lovett: “Actually I have never seen a Bond film.”
Die: “Never?”
Lovett: “I remember when I was little seeing a bit of one on TV. It was in space… with laser guns? I thought it was crap, so I never bothered again.”
Die: “That is Moonraker; I saw that at the cinema when it can out.”
Lovett chokes a bit on her mouthful of food.
Lovett: “Jesus, when was that!?”
Die: “Nineteen seventy nine, I think.”
Lovett: “Bloody hell, how old are you?”
Die: “That is one of things I can’t tell you.”
Lovett: “You know I will try and work it out.”
Die: “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.” “I was more of a ‘Napoleon Solo’ kind of kid anyway.”
Lovett: “Who?”
Die: “Just eat Detective.”
Lovett starts eating with gusto. Die eats some food ignoring her staring at him.
Lovett: “So… partner. What’s our next move?”
Die: “Well, I am going sit here watching you eat three times your own body weight in Indian food, which shouldn’t take long by the looks of it. And then I will see you home safely, so you can get some sleep and I will go and make my report.”
Lovett: “Will this report mention me at all?”
Die: “Oh yes, a lot.”
Lovett: “Am I going to lose my job?”
Die: “Over my dead body.”
Lovett: “Oh great, the way you act that will be about… this time tomorrow then?”
Die: “Shut up and eat.”
Lovett: “I’m guessing, you couldn’t have been more than… about four in nineteen seventy nine, so that makes you…”
Die: “Wrong! And I said, shut up and eat.”
Lovett grins again and shovels more food into her mouth as Die downs his glass of wine and raises the empty glass.
Die: “Simon, can I have another one of these please?”
Fade to black.
Fade from black to a London suburban street and a long row of small attached houses each with a small front garden, little gate and short path leading to the front doors. It is night.
A black London cabby draws up to the pavement and stops. Lovett gets out the back and Die is inside paying. Lovett walks up to one of the little gates and hears the cab drive off, she turns and Die is standing right behind her, really close to her.
Lovett: “And where do you think you are going?”
Die: “I am coming in to check your house and see you are safe.”
Lovett: “You bloody well are not!”
Die: “Lovett don’t be a pain, I have to.” “Your knickers are quiet safe from me.”
Lovett: “My knickers might be, but what about the rest of me?”
Die: “You can hold your baton the whole time, if it makes you feel any better ok?”
Lovett: “You broke it!”
Die: “Just open the door!”
Lovett “I think you mean ‘Pórta’ don’t you?”
Die: “Lovett!”
Lovett: “Ok, ok I getting my keys out now look.”
She rummages in one of the pockets of her red coat pulls the keys out and waves them in his face.
Lovett: “See?”
Die makes a grab for them but she is quick and throws the keys to her other hand.
Lovett: “No way mate, these are mine.”
Die: “Get on with it then.” “Do you live here alone?”
Lovett: “I’m always alone.”
They walk the few steps to her front door. Lovett opens the door and reaches in and switches a light on. There is narrow hall way with stairs at the not so far end. There is an open door to the left and another open door to what looks like a small kitchen just past the stairs.
The hall is an utter mess there are boxes and bags all over the place, coats and jumps and shoes litter the floor. There is a small dresser half way along the hall; two of its draws are open, one is on the floor. It is covered with all sorts of stuff, piles of unopen letters and bills have spilled of off it on to the floor. There are broken photo frames and empty ginger beer cans everywhere. There is pieces of clothing on every stair.
Die pulls out his gun grabs Lovett’s arm and pulls her toward him.
Die: “Get behind me, he might still in here.”
He pulls her behind him and steps into the hall his gun up and ready.
Lovett: “Who might be still here?”
Die: “Jacques! He has turned your place over.”
Lovett slaps him on the back hard and shakes her hand in pain as she has hits the knife under his jacket.
Lovett: “You wanker! This is how I left it.”
She pushes past him and walks into the room on the left. Die is a little stunned. He is staring around in disbelief.
Die: “You live like this?”
Lovett: “You can bugger off if you don’t want to come in you know?”
Die: “I better check upstairs.”
Lovett come running out of the living room.
Lovett: “Oh no you don’t! You’re not going anywhere near my bedroom, thank you very much.”
Die: “Lovett!”
Lovett: “No!”
Die, somewhat reluctantly relaxes a little and puts the gun back under his arm.
Die: “Ok, on your own head be it.” “Your bedroom floor is covered with you dirty underwear isn’t?”
Lovett is now closing the front door.
Lovett: “No it isn’t! And you are never finding out anyway!”
Die: “I’m taking that as a yes.”
Lovett walks into the living room, takes off her coat and throws it on the floor in the corner. The room is slightly bigger than expected and there is a three seater bright red sofa against the wall on the right, it is covered in loads of scatter cushions of all different colours. There is a messy coffee table in front of the sofa and a small unit with a TV on it in front of that. Against the wall opposite the door are whole rows of book shelves full books that are of course not neatly placed. The wall the door is in has a small chest of draws against it. As Die walks in Lovett is looking in one of the draws. She pulls a rectangle card bored box out, opens it and slides out another extendable baton. She goes to her coat and puts it in the inside pocket. And then stands in front of Die.
Lovett: “Would you like a drink?”
Die is looking round the room.
Die: “I don’t know. It depends what you have really.”
Lovett looks a little nervous and does a strange slapping of her thighs with her hands. She goes to the sofa and starts looking under the scatter cushions, finally she pulls out a nearly full bottle of Jack Daniels and holds it up.
Lovett: “How about some ‘Jacques’?”
Die: “Do we drink out of the bottle?”
Lovett pushes the bottle in to his chest so he holds it.
Lovett: “No! I do have glasses.” “Sit down and I’ll get them.”
Lovett walks out the room and Die sits in the sofa by the arm closest to the door.
Die: “Ok a glass of ‘Jacques’. Hold the botulism!”
Lovett -from far off-: “Fussy git!”
Fade out and fade in to the same room a while later.
Lovett and Die are laughing. Die is in the same spot on the sofa but much more relaxed and has his jacket off but not the shoulder holster. Lovett is at the other end of the sofa with her back against the arm rest. Her now bare feet are on the sofa with her knees resting on the back rest. Die is holding an old fashion pint jug glass by the handle, it about a third full of Jack Daniels. Lovett is holding a white ceramic mug with a picture of Mr Bump from the Mr Men on it she is pour Jack Daniels into it.
Die: “Let me get this straight. You managed to cause a black out, of the whole of the North east of London, just with your baton and on your first day as a detective?”
Lovett: “Yep. My captain gave me a bit of a bollocking for that.”
Die: “Really? Some people just have no sense of humour.”
Lovett: “You’re not wrong.” “Umm… I haven’t thanked you for saving my life have I? The first time I mean, when you got shot in the chest.”
Die: “I have been thinking about. I don’t think, you need to thank me.”
Lovett: “What do you mean?”
Die: “How far behind me, do you think you were when I got hit?
Lovett: “I don’t know. Maybe ten meters? Might have been more. Why?”
Die: “So in old money that is at least thirty three feet?
Lovett: “Old money?”
Die: “Never mind. He was standing on that wall… and hit me square in my chest. From that high angle, I am sure that bullet wouldn’t even have hit you, not even your feet, I think.”
Lovett: “So, you think he made you, think, he was aiming at me? So you would get in the way but he knew full well it wouldn’t hit me anyway?”
Die: “Yes. And in the street; he missed me and hit that biker in the arm. He would never miss at that range.”
Lovett: “But why would he do that?”
Die: “I have…
He take a sip of his drink.
Die: “…no idea.” “But I am guessing, it has something to do with those cameras”
Lovett yawns.
Lovett: “I really can’t work those out. Why would he track us on the roof? And then replace the damn thing, and did he know we would back there at night? I don’t get it.”
She yawns again.
Die: “Go to bed. We can talk about it more tomorrow. And I’ll get the SIS techs to work out the angle and see if I am right.”
Lovett: “You better check the camera I have too.”
Die: “Yes we better. “I really should check your bedroom you know?”
Lovett gets up and goes to her coat on the floor and takes out the baton and extends it.”
Lovett: “Tell you want, if there is anyone up there, I will scream really loudly, before I beat them to death; and you can come running. Deal?”
Die: “I don’t…”
Lovett: “Deal!?”
Die: “Ok, deal.”
Lovett: “You are going to sleep here, on the sofa I mean.”
Die: “Yeah, why not? Thank you.”
She walks out of the door into the hall way.
Lovett: “Nighty night Die.”
Die: “Night Lovett.”
Die puts his glass down on the floor and tries to get comfortable. He puts his feet up on the coffee table. He folds his arms across his chest with this right hand on his gun.
Fade out
Fade back to the same room but filled with sun light. Die is more or less in the same position but asleep. Lovett is standing next the sofa looking down at him. She is wearing a white bath robe and bright green towel wrapped around her head; lengths of wet hair hangs down here are there.
Die-with his eyes closed-: “You better not be watching me sleep.”
Lovett: “No. No I wasn’t. I have made coffee, do you want some?”
Die open his eye and sits up and looks at her.
Die: “Yes please, black no sugar.”
Lovett: “Ok.”
She walks out the room.
Die: “That is another wonderful hat!”
Lovett: “Shut up.”
Die’s phone buzzes in his jacket pocket he pulls it out and answers it.
Die: “Six-Seven.” … “When?” … “Do we know where from?” …“How many? …
Lovett comes back in holding two cups and stops, looking and listen to him.
Die: “Shit.” … “Yes of course; I am at Lovett’s place” … “Her too? Are you sure? But…” … “Yes ok. How long?” “Yes I will.”
He hangs up and looks at Lovett.
Lovett: “What’s happened?”
Die: “The internet is now full of pictures of me seemingly killing the permanent secretary. And of you chasing me; plus me killing Jacques on the roof and you arresting me. I have been royally set up.” “My Boss is having a fit.”
Lovett: “Oh god.”
Die: “You better get dressed. She wants to see you as well as me. I am Sorry Lovett this isn’t going to be pleasant. Just try not to talk too much and answer any questions completely honestly. Do not defend me in any way, understand?
Lovett: “Yes I understand.”
Die: “A car is coming to pick us up. You have about fifth teen minutes.”
She puts the cups down on the coffee table and an pulls the towel off of her head.
Lovett: “Yes of course. Where are we going?”
Die: “Thames House, Millbank.”
Lovett: “The MI5 building? Oh shit. I’ll be right back.”
She runs out the door and comes back quickly.
Lovett: “At least we know what the cameras were for now.”
Die: “Yes.”
Lovett: “Internet cancel culture, of a British spy. That’s a new one.”
Die looks at her as if he hadn’t thought of it like that.
Die: “Well done Lovett.” “You better get dressed.”
Lovett: “Yep! Be right back.”
Lovett runs off shouting over her shoulder
Lovett: “I better hold your nose this time!”
Die: “Deep shit indeed.”
Fade to black.
Gary Numan singing from ‘I am Screaming’
For all the things that you could have been
Do you deserve forgiveness?
Of all the things that you could have seen
The blind could not have seen less