a small piece of silence -...
TRANSCRIPT
1
A SMALL PIECE OF SILENCE
Scene 1
Open plan office at the Town Hall. Housing Department.
Brigitta Shelly this is Joe. Joe this is Shelly.
Joe Pleased to meet you.
Shelly Hello.
Brigitta Joe is deaf. Obviously. Needless to say. But he’s a highly,
highly valued member of the team. Anyway you’ll be sitting
next to Joe here.
Shelly Okay.
Brigitta Any problems with your computer Joe is very good.
Shelly Okay. Great.
Brigitta Coffee’s over there. I’ve got to dash. I’ve got a meeting with
Mr Humble. We’ll have a catch up at the end of the day.
Shelly Right.
2
Brigitta moves off
Joe Do you want a cup of coffee?
Shelly That would be nice.
Joe Nice?
Shelly Yeh.
Joe No.
Shelly Sorry?
Joe It’s not nice coffee.
Shelly Oh.
Joe If you want nice coffee you have to go - out.
Shelly But are you having one?
Joe Yes. Definitely.
Shelly laughs slightly.
3
Shelly Okay. I’ll have one too.
Joe Okay.
Joe (V/O) I have worked in this office for seventeen years. Every
morning when I walk through the door I think - I should think
about making a change. I should start looking for something
else.
Scene 2
Canteen.
Vernon She’s pretty.
Joe Who?
Vernon Who?
Joe Who’s pretty?
Vernon The new girl.
Joe That’s Shelly.
Vernon Shelly is it?
4
Joe Yeh.
Vernon Lucky you.
Joe Why lucky me?
Vernon Sitting next to the only good looking woman in the department.
Joe Oh. Right.
Vernon Do you know if she’s married?
Joe I haven’t asked her.
Vernon Well ask her when she gets back from lunch.
Joe You ask her.
Vernon Then it’ll be obvious.
Joe It’ll be what?
Vernon Obvious.
Joe Obvious?
5
Vernon That I fancy her.
Joe I don’t want her to think. That I fancy her.
Vernon Just ask her will you. Be a mate. As a favour. I do you favours
all the time.
Joe No you don’t.
Vernon I brought you a kit kat yesterday.
Joe Say that again.
Vernon I bought you a kit kat. Remember?
Joe That’s not a favour.
Vernon It’s a present. It’s even better than a favour.
Joe Then you ate it.
Vernon I didn’t eat it all.
Joe Most of it.
Joe (V/O) Vernon is in charge of stationery. Vernon is a Man City
supporter and a human dustbin.
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Vernon Are you going to eat the rest of that?
Joe Yes.
Vernon Why aren’t you eating it then?
Joe Because.
Vernon That’s not an answer, because, is it? Are you eating it or not?
Joe Do you want it?
Vernon Yeh if you don’t, yeh.
Vernon takes the rest of Joe’s dinner.
Vernon You’re too skinny you know. That’s why you never have a
girlfriend. You don’t eat enough.
Joe I don’t eat enough cos you always steal my food.
Vernon Cos I know you’re not going to finish it.
Joe gets up.
Vernon Where you going?
7
Joe Cigarette.
Vernon They’re going to kill you those things.
Joe (V/O) Vernon pulls a face with his tongue out, the whites of his
eyes showing, to illustrate the point.
Scene 3
Exterior. Soundscape of traffic and pigeons.
Shelly Crap weather.
Joe Sorry?
Shelly The weather. It’s horrible.
Joe Oh. Yeh. / It’s always like this. This city.
Shelly It can’t always be like this.
Joe No. It can’t. But it is.
Beat
Joe I didn’t know that you smoked.
8
Shelly No. Yeh. I should give up.
Joe I can’t read your lips if you don’t look at me.
Shelly Sorry, sorry. I forgot. . . I should give up smoking.
Joe Me too.
Shelly Is it difficult?
Joe What?
Shelly Lip reading.
Joe I only get five out of twenty words and then I have to guess the
others, deduce them. I’m still piecing it together afterwards.
Shelly You’re like a detective.
Joe Sort of.
Joe (V/O) She smiles. She’s got a good smile. A great smile. If I
was another person I would tell her, “You’ve got a great smile.
Shelly, you’ve got a great smile.” Or maybe that would just
make me sound like a dentist.
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Shelly Do the pigeons ever get you?
Joe Sometimes.
Joe (V/O) She smiles again. She makes me think of a Tom Waits
song. *
Joe (singing) And I Hope That I Don’t Fall In Love With You.
And I can see that you are lonesome
Just. Like. Me.
Scene 4
Office. The office.
Vernon Did you ask her?
Joe No.
Vernon You said you’d ask her.
Joe No I didn’t.
Shelly comes over.
Shelly Joe?
10
Joe Yes?
Shelly Do you want some water?
Joe Er no thanks.
Vernon I don’t believe we’ve been formerly introduced. I’m Vernon.
Shelley Hello
Vernon Vernon Fletcher. Anything you need Shelly. You come to me,
yeah? Paper clips, paper, elastic bands, paper clips. I mean
anything really.
Shelly Thank you.
Vernon Fridays. Fridays. Usually we go to the pub. At the end of the
day. Quite a few of us go to the pub. He never comes. Joe. Cos
he’s a miserable sod.
Shelly He doesn’t seem like a miserable sod.
Vernon Sorry?
Shelly Joe, he doesn’t seem like a miserable sod.
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Vernon Well no he’s not, he’s not really, but he’s not sociable. Not like
me. I’m more, you know, the life and soul.
Joe (V/O) I don’t know what he’s saying to her. He’s talking too
fast and I can’t see his face for much of the conversation.
Shelly Did you want any water?
Vernon I’m all set thanks. Thanks Shelly.
Shelly Okay.
Shelly moves away.
Vernon I wouldn’t make her sleep in the bath.
Joe Sorry?
Vernon I would not make her sleep in the bath.
Joe You need a bath?
Vernon No. I’m saying she’s very sexy.
Joe doesn’t reply.
Vernon What? What’s the matter?
12
Joe Did you just tell her that I was a miserable sod?
Vernon No. No mate. Course not. You’re being paranoid. And you’re
whistling.
Joe What?
Vernon Your hearing aid. It’s whistling.
Soundscape. The whistling hearing aid moves into the sound of the bus.
Scene 5
Interior. Bus.
Joe (V/O) On the bus. On the way home I see this child who I
always see. Every Monday. Almost every Monday she is
waiting at the stop outside the swimming pool. With wet hair. A
towel in a plastic bag. She has a red coat. In winter when it’s
dark she still comes out with wet hair. Sometimes she is with
her mother. Other times she is with her grandmother. Today
something happens that has never happened before. The child
comes up to me and signs…
Angel Hello, my name is Angel.
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Joe She spells it out on her hand very slowly. I sign back that my
name is Joe. She looks pleased with herself. Her mother asks
her to sit back down. When they get off the bus she waves to
me.
Scene 6
Office.
Vernon Alright Shelly.
Shelly Hello Vernon.
Vernon So it’s Friday.
Shelly So?
Vernon Friday is pub day.
Shelly Oh yeh, you said.
Vernon You coming then?
Shelly Erm
Vernon Oh go on, it’ll be a laugh.
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Shelly Joe?
Fade up hum and sssh.
Joe What?
Shelly You coming to the pub?
Joe Are you?
Shelly I will if you will.
Joe Okay.
15
Scene 7
Interior. Pub.
Vernon This is Jambo. This is Lorraine. This is Raj. And this is Ash.
A round of random hellos.
Jambo I’m getting the beers, what do you want?
Jambo What’s his name again?
Shelly Who?
Jambo Him.
Shelly Joe.
Jambo Joe. Do. You. Want. A. Drink?
Joe What?
Shelly Do you want a drink?
Joe It’s okay.
Jambo I. Will. Get. This. You. Get. The. Next. One.
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Joe Erm, a pint of lager please.
Jambo Shelly?
Shelly Same here.
Jambo Right.
Vernon So Shelly what do you to enjoy yourself?
Shelly How do you mean?
Vernon What are your hobbies?
Shelly Hobbies?
Vernon You know.
Shelly Yeh erm. ..
The noise is overwhelming.
Joe I’m going outside.
Shelly Okay.
We follow Joe out of the pub.
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Scene 8
Exterior. Street. Outside the pub.
The noise recedes. Joe lights a cigarette.
Joe (V/O) It’s finally stopped raining and the air smells fresher. The
sky is going dark
Shelly comes outside.
Shelly You alright?
Joe I think I’m gonna go.
Shelly Really?
Joe I need to get home.
Shelly Have you got kids?
Joe What?
Shelly Have you got kids?
Joe Er no. Why?
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Shelly I don’t know. I just thought. You said you had to get home.
Joe I just meant. It was time to go.
Shelly Right.
Joe Have you got kids?
Shelly laughs slightly
Shelly I don’t even have a boyfriend. / That’s not true. I do have a
boyfriend.
Joe What?
Shelly Sorry. Erm. I am seeing someone but he’s married.
Joe Your boyfriend is married?
Shelly Yeh.
Beat
Shelly I can’t believe I just told you that.
Shelly Are you one of those people that other people just tell things to?
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Joe Sorry. What?
Shelly Are you one of those people, who other people end up telling
things to?
Joe No. No body tells me anything. Because it’s hard work. Telling
me things. The conversation doesn’t. Flow.
Shelly Well I just told you something.
Joe You did.
Beat
Shelly Do you think less of me now?
Joe Less of you?
Shelly Do you think I’m bad?
Joe No. No.
Vernon comes outside
Vernon Alright you two?
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Shelly Yeh we’re fine.
Vernon Won’t come to the pub for me but he’ll come to the pub for
you.
Joe Actually I’ve got to go.
Vernon You’ve only been here ten minutes.
Joe Ten minutes is enough.
Shelly I’ll come with you.
Vernon Do I smell or something?
Joe Yes you smell bad.
Shelly See you Monday Vernon.
Vernon Oh you don’t have to go as well.
Joe See you Vernon.
Vernon Yeh alright, get lost .
Joe Vernon. I know you love me.
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Vernon No. I don’t. I don’t love you at all.
They walk away
Joe (V/O) We walk down the street and I wish that she didn’t have
a boyfriend. And I wish that I didn’t care . He sounds like he’ll
break her heart. I don’t want her to get her heartbroken, I want
her to fall in love with me and leave him.
Joe I’ll see you Monday.
Shelly Yeh, see you Monday Joe.
Joe (V/O) She smiles and she looks a bit sad and I want to say
something but I don’t know what it is.
Joe Have a nice weekend.
Shelly You too.
Joe (V/O) I don’t want to go home.
Scene 9
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Joe starts walking through the city.
Joe (V/O) I buy a bottle of whiskey and I start walking through the
city.
Joe Hm! I end up coming back to work.
Joe climbing stairs, opening a door on to the roof
Joe No body knows that you can get up on to the roof. I discovered
this by accident a few years ago and now I come here all the
time.
Beat
Joe I look at the sky and I think about how big the world is and how
small we are.
Beat
Joe I realise I haven’t eaten anything and I am very drunk. I
imagine myself falling off the roof. I imagine what that moment
of falling would feel like.
Scene 10
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Joe’s living room
Newsreader It’s believed that two people have died in a fire at a
block of council flats. Police are investigating the cause of
the fire. Firefighters say the blaze spread shockingly fast
and they were unable to reach everyone who was trapped in
the building. The victims of the blaze have not yet been
named.
Joe (V/O) My heart is in my mouth. I recognise this building. This
building is very near to where I live. This is a building that we
are in charge of. That we are responsible for. And two people
have died. Two people dead.
Scene 11
Office.
Brigitta Hello, hello good morning everybody. Of course you will all be
aware of the terrible events of yesterday. Obviously this is a
very distressing time for the families involved. And this council
is fully supporting the investigation with the police and the fire
service. If we can all work as efficiently as possible today I
would appreciate it.
Vernon Clothes dryer.
Joe What?
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Vernon Paper says it was a clothes dryer started it.
Joe Can I have a look?
Vernon leaves Joe to it as Shelly approaches.
Vernon Alright Shelly.
Shelly Hello Vernon.
Vernon You look very lovely today Shelly.
Shelly Erm thanks.
Joe [pained noise]
Shelly Joe? What’s wrong?
Joe What?
Shelly You’re crying.
Joe I know them.
Shelly Who?
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Joe This woman. And the little girl. Flora de Souza, aged 31 and
Angel de Souza, aged seven and a half.
Shelly Oh God.
Vernon What’s going on? Is he crying? Are you crying?
Brigitta What’s the matter? Joe?
Shelly He knew them. The people who died.
Brigitta What?
Shelly In the fire.
Vernon Seriously?
Brigitta Oh good Lord.
Shelly I think he’s only just found out.
Brigitta Is this true Joe?
Shelly Well he’s not going to lie is he?
Brigitta How do you know these people?
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Joe From the bus.
Vernon From the bus?
Joe I see them on the bus. Every Monday. I saw them last week.
Brigitta So they weren’t friends of yours?
Joe No.
Brigitta I must say I’m relieved that he wasn’t better acquainted with
them. That would have been terrible. If they were close friends.
Shelly But it’s still terrible.
Brigitta Well of course it is.
Shelly It’s tragic.
Brigitta Tragic. Of course it is. Yes. It’s appalling. (to Joe now) I think
the important thing Joe is not to dwell on it now. Try to put it to
the back of your mind. I think that’s the best thing you can do.
Scene 12
Joe is on the bus.
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Joe (V/O) Today. The child isn’t standing there. At the bus stop by
the swimming pool. She should be waiting with her towel in a
plastic bag, with wet hair.
Angel Hello my name is Angel
Joe (V/O) Yesterday she was alive. Yesterday she was thinking her
seven and a half year old thoughts. Yesterday she was eating
and breathing and singing and smiling and complaining and
dreaming.
Angel Hello my name is Angel.
Joe (V/O) She’ll stay that age now. Seven and a half years old
forever. And she won’t do all the things a person should do. In
life.
Angel Hello my name is Angel.
Joe (V/O) Why are some people allowed to grow up? And others
aren’t? And who decides? Does anyone decide? Is it just luck?
Is it – is that all it is?
Scene 13
Office, hum and sssh.
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Shelly You look terrible.
Joe Thankyou.
Shelly Are you alright?
Joe Couldn’t sleep.
Shelly I’m so sorry Joe.
Joe Did you watch the news last night?
Vernon approaches
Shelly It’s awful.
Vernon What’s awful?
Shelly They think the fire was cos of the refurbishments .
Joe Inadequate refurbishments . Yeh. . . Look.
Joe passes Vernon a newspaper
Vernon “Early results of the initial investigation indicate that
inadequate refurbishments may be responsible for the rapid
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spread of the fire at Marshalls Court. The real question for this
council is has corner cutting cost lives? ” Ah, they’re just
looking for someone to blame.
Joe The building didn’t meet fire safety standards.
Vernon Well they’re dead old aren’t they. Those tower blocks.
Shelly They should still meet safety standards.
Vernon Well course they should but we don’t live in a perfect world do
we?
Shelly Vernon.
Joe The fire shouldn’t have spread like that.
Vernon Fires spread. That’s what fires do.
Joe Not if the building is safe.
Vernon It’s early days though isn’t it. I mean they don’t know anything
for sure.
Joe It was a horrible bloody death Vernon.
Vernon I know it was. I know.
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Joe How would you like to die that way?
Vernon What you having a go at me for?
Joe I’m not.
Shelly I’m just going to get some water.
Vernon You drink a lot of water you, don’t you?
Shelly Do I?
Vernon It’s meant to be good for your skin and everything but don’t
you have to wee all the time?
Shelly Erm not really.
Shelly moves off
Vernon Shall I just ask her?
Joe Ask her what?
Vernon Ask her out?
Joe She’s got a boyfriend.
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Vernon Has she?
Joe Yeh.
Vernon Is it serious?
Joe How should I know?
Vernon Well she talks to you.
Joe No she doesn’t.
Brigitta Vernon.
Vernon Yes Brigitta.
Brigitta Don’t you have any work to do?
Vernon Er yes Brigitta.
Brigitta Then I suggest you go and do it.
Joe (V/O) Brigitta looks different.
Joe (V/O) She shuts the door to her office.
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Joe (V/O) I can see her through the window. The window that
separates her office from the rest of us. She looks worried.
More than worried. She looks afraid.
Scene 14
Joe’s living room.
Humble There has been a terrible, terrible tragedy and my heart
goes out to the family and friends of the de Sousas. Of
course we will do everything in our power to assist them in
any way we can. We will do everything in our power to
understand how this fire happened and ensure that it never
happens again.
Joe (V/O) Richard Humble. Council leader. Pillar of the
community. I find myself hating him. Looking at him and
hating him. Which isn’t justified. Because it’s not his fault.
Then a woman gets up from the group of journalists and throws
paint at him. I recognise her as the children’s grandmother.
Except she looks ten years older. Like she got ten years older in
three weeks. The paint is red. Richard Humble looks like he’s
bleeding. Like he’s dying.
Scene 15
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Office.
Brigitta I just wanted to say a few words this morning about coming in
and out of the building. People need to be extra vigiliant about
security in the light of recent events. In case of retaliatory
behaviour. In the light of the unprovoked attack on Mr Humble.
Joe Excuse me – Brigitta.
Brigitta Yes Joe.
Joe Did you say – that attack was unprovoked?
Brigitta Yes.
Joe But it wasn’t.
Brigitta What do you mean?
Joe I think it was understandable. It wasn’t unprovoked. This
woman lost her daughter and her granddaughter.
Scene 16
34
Office.
Joe (V/O) I’m looking through the window of Brigitta’s office. The
window that separates her office from the rest of us. Brigitta is
in deep conversation with Richard Humble.
Joe (V/O) He has his back to me. I have no idea what he is saying
to Brigitta, but Brigitta is talking about the fire.
Joe (V/O) She looks jumpy. The same face she’s been wearing for
the last few days.
Joe (V/O) I am sure she just said. Something about refurbishments.
Richard Humble looks like he is trying to reassure her. He takes
her hand.
Joe (V/O) Brigitta says something about her job. I don’t want to
lose my job? Is that it?
Joe (V/O) SWhat. Someone. Out. What if someone finds out? She
repeats it. I am 99% sure she just said: What if someone finds
out?
Joe knocks on the window.
Brigitta jumps.
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Joe Hi Brigitta.
Brigitta What is it Joe?
Joe Can you sign this invoice for me?
Brigitta Can’t you see I’m in a meeting?
Joe Sorry. Hello Mr Humble. I’m very sorry to interrupt.
Humble That’s alright.
Joe I’m just trying to get this invoice on the system. For month’s
end.
Brigitta Give it here then.
Brigitta signs it.
Joe Thanks Brigitta. Thanks a lot.
Joe leaves the office.
Joe (V/O) Richard Humble closes the blinds at Brigitta’s window.
The window that looks out on the office.
Joe (V/O) What if someone finds out?
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Joe (V/O) What if someone finds out what?
Scene 17
A council tower block flat. High up. Joe is nervous
Outside Marion’s flat. Joe rings the bell.
Marion Who the hell are you?
Joe My name is Joe.
Marion You’re deaf.
Joe I’m deaf.
Marion Are you collecting money?
Joe No.
Marion I thought you might be.
Joe No.
Marion For charity.
Joe No.
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Marion What do you want then?
Joe I wanted to tell you I was sorry.
Marion Sorry?
Joe Sorry for what happened to your daughter and your
granddaughter. I saw you on television, throwing the paint.
Marion Did you?
Joe Why did you use red?
Marion What?
Joe Why did you use red paint?
Marion That’s what I had in the flat. That’s what I had. It was gloss.
Which I was pleased about.
Marion What do you really want?
Joe Sorry?
Marion What did you really come here for?
38
Joe Nothing. Nothing. I just wanted to say I was sorry. And. And I
hope they get whoever was responsible.
Scene 18.
Office, quiet, most people have gone home.
Brigitta Joe. Haven’t you got a home to go to?
Joe I just want to. Catch up on stuff.
Brigitta I’m very sorry about the other day Joe.
Joe What other day?
Brigitta It must have been a shock. Finding out like that.
Joe Oh. Yes. Yes it was.
Brigitta But you mustn’t let it affect your work.
Joe Sorry?
Brigitta We’ve all got to carry on as best as we can.
Joe Yes.
Brigitta Everybody likes you Joe.
39
Joe Do they?
Brigitta You’re very likeable. And you’re a very valued member of the
team.
Joe Really?
Brigitta I hope you don’t ever feel marginalised. You don’t, do you?
You don’t ever feel that do you?
Joe No. No.
Brigitta We try very hard to get it right Joe.
Joe To get what right?
Brigitta The balance.
Joe (V/O) I don’t know what she’s talking about. The balance of
what? What is she talking about? Have I missed something?
Brigitta Well goodnight Joe. Don’t work too hard.
Joe (V/O) I watch her walk down the corridor and get into the lift.
Everyone else has already left.
Joe gets up and goes into Brigitta’s office.
40
Joe (V/O) The door to Brigitta’s office is never locked.
Joe switches the computer on.
Joe (V/O) She has a password but I know what it is. Because
Brigitta trusts me.
Joe begins typing.
Joe (V/O) There’s a file, marked private, with a password.
Joe stops typing
Joe (V/O) What would Brigitta’s password be?
She had a cat who died two years ago. I remember because she
took the day off work. The dead cat was called – erm - Nigel.
Joe types
Joe N. I. G. E. L 63.
Beat
Joe (V/O) No.
Joe She has got a crush on Johnny Depp.
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J.O. H. N. N. Y . D. E. P. P 63.
Joe (V/O) The file is opening.
Scene 19
Pigeons plus the sound of water in a cave.
Joe Can you keep a secret?
Shelly Yeh.
Joe Look.
Joe takes the list out of his pocket.
Joe It’s a list of suppliers that the housing department uses for
refurbishments.
Shelly So?
Joe I found it on Brigitta’s computer. It was protected by a
password.
Shelly Why were you looking on Brigitta’s computer?
42
Joe All of these companies were involved in the renovations on
Marshalls Court and twelve other tower blocks.
Shelly So?
Joe So why was the list marked private?
Shelly I don’t know.
Joe Could you stay a bit later today?
Scene 20
Canteen, the same canteen clatter of before.
Vernon Something going on between you two?
Joe No.
Vernon Would you tell me if there was?
Joe No.
Vernon Are you going to eat that?
43
Scene 21
Office, hum and sssh. Plus something else.
Shelly Do we know what we’re looking for?
Joe types into his computer.
Joe Let’s do this first one. So if I google Simpson. Doors and
Windows with . . . .Richard Humble. . . . .
Shelly Why Richard Humble?
Joe I don’t know. He’s the leader of this council.
Shelly So?
Joe Well look. Here.
Shelly What?
Joe Richard Humble was chief exec of Simpsons Doors and
Windows. From 1989 to 1997.
Shelly So?
44
Joe You know there’s rules.
Shelly Rules?
Joe Procurement rules. They can’t just give out contracts or jobs.
They have to get at least three quotes from three different
companies.
Shelly Erm. Yeh. I know, I know.
Joe So it looks like he’s giving jobs to his old friends.
Shelly But that’s not. That’s not illegal or anything.
Joe It is if he’s disregarding the rules of procurement.
Shelly But he might not be. He probably isn’t.
Joe Imagine this. Richard Humble gets contracts for his friends and
his friends’ friends and then they cut corners on the
refurbishment and keep the rest of the money for themselves.
And Richard Humble gets a share. And maybe Brigitta too.
Shelly Brigitta?
Joe Why not?
45
Shelly You don’t know any of this Joe. I mean. You’re making it up.
Joe The fire spread because they cut corners.
Shelly Yeh that’s probably true. But it doesn’t have to be this major
corruption thing. It could just be human error. Incompetence.
Joe What about this window company and Richard Humble?
Shelly You need more than that. You need a smoking gun.
Joe What?
Shelly A smoking gun. Isn’t that what they call it?
Joe A smoking gun?
Shelly Solid evidence.
Joe We could look on Brigitta’s computer.
Shelly Oh God Joe.
Joe Let’s do it now.
Shelly We’re going to lose our jobs.
46
Joe I don’t even like my job.
Inside Brigitta’s office. Joe and Shelly are looking at the computer.
Joe The list has gone.
Shelly Really?
Joe It was right here.
Shelly I’m scared someone’s going to come in.
Joe It was here on the desktop.
Shelly We really could get fired for this.
Joe Will you keep a copy of the list?
Shelly Why?
Joe I don’t want it to go missing.
Shelly Oh. Yeh. Okay.
Joe Don’t look so worried.
Shelly But I am worried!
47
Joe What are you worried about?
Shelly You.
Beat
Joe I had a dream about them.
Shelly Who?
Joe Flora and Angel de Sousa.
Shelly What happened?
Joe They were on the bus. And I forgot to tell them
Shelly Tell them what?
Joe Not to go home.
Scene 22
Interior. Pub.
48
Shelly What is it you can hear?
Joe A lot of noise. Tinnitus.
Shelly Tinnitus?
Joe Yeh.
Shelly Does it sound bad?
Joe Sometimes it sounds bad. Sometimes good. Depends how I’m
feeling.
Shelly Aha.
Joe Right now I can hear a low steady bubbling like a waterfall in a
cave.
Shelly Honestly?
Joe Sometimes it’s like music.
Shelly Music?
Joe If I’m very tired or if I’m shaken by a sudden movement, the
tinnitus gets v loud. If I see the sun rise the tinnitus can be
poetic. Melancholic even. I can sort of hear it.
49
Shelly You can hear the sunrise?
Joe Yeh. It’s sort of a middle range frequency.
Shelly Really?
Joe Yeh.
Beat
Joe If you whisper into my ear I might be able to hear you.
Joe Try it.
Shelly whispers into his ear.
Shelly You. Are. Lovely.
Beat
Shelly Did you hear that?
Joe Can you say it again?
Shelly You. Are. Lovely.
50
Beat
Shelly Did you hear it then?
Joe I heard you the first time.
Scene 23
Canteen, the clatter
Vernon Do you know, I’d never noticed how handsome you were?
That Shelly, she’s really bought a sparkle to your eye hasn’t
she. You’re really, blossoming.
Joe Sorry?
Vernon Look at you.
Joe What are you talking about?
Vernon I saw you.
Joe Who?
Vernon You and Shelly. Outside. Chatting away like two love birds.
Joe You’re imagining things.
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Vernon So is it like unofficially official?
Joe I don’t understand.
Vernon Are you seeing her, but you’ve agreed not to tell anyone in the
office.
Joe I’m not seeing her at all.
Vernon Don’t lie.
Joe I’m not lying.
Vernon Oh Shelly, Shelly, Shelly.
Vernon makes kissing noises.
Joe Can you shut up?
Vernon Are you gonna eat that?
Joe Leave my food alone, yes.
Vernon takes something off Joe’s plate anyway.
Joe hits him with a fork.
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Vernon Ow!
Joe I told you. Food. No.
Scene 24
Office. Hum and Ssssh.
Brigitta is ushering Richard Humble through the office.
Brigitta This is Joe. Joe McCracken.
Richard I think we’ve met.
Brigitta Yes but I don’t think you’ve been officially introduced.
Richard How are you Joe?
Joe Fine thanks.
Brigitta Joe is one of our most trusted and valued employees.
Richard Keep up the good work Joe.
Joe Yes. I will.
53
Brigitta And Shelly, obviously you know Shelly already.
Humble Shelly, good to see you, how are you getting on?
Shelly Er fine, thanks.
The sssh becomes more of a hiss and discordant chimes join in.
Joe (V/O) He puts his hand on her shoulder. He keeps it there. They
talk. I don’t know what they’re saying. Because I’m looking at
his hand. On her shoulder.
Humble OK, good stuff. Keep up the good work.
Humble and Brigitta move off.
Joe Why didn’t you tell me that you knew him?
Shelly I don’t know him.
Joe Yes you do.
Shelly I know him a bit.
Joe You didn’t say anything.
54
Shelly I don’t really know him. Just to say hello. That’s all. He used
to work. I used to work for the same organisation. Before. A
charity actually.
Joe What sort of charity?
Shelly For the homeless.
Joe So did he get you the job?
Shelly No, no, no, it’s nothing like that. It’s just a coincidence.
Joe But he remembers you.
Shelly Well. Yeh.
Joe (V/O) He put his hand on your shoulder.
Joe (V/O) He kept his hand on your shoulder a long time. Longer
than he needed to.
The hissing noise builds and then abruptly cuts out
Shelly Are you alright?
Joe I’m fine.
55
Scene 25
Office, the hum of the office and the sssh.
Joe Erm, where’s Shelly?
Brigitta Shelly?
Joe Shelly.
Brigitta She’s gone.
Joe What do you mean?
Brigitta I mean she’s left.
Joe She left for the day?
Brigitta No she’s gone Joe. Gone for good.
Joe Why? What happened?
Brigitta It wasn’t working.
Joe What wasn’t?
Brigitta It wasn’t working for us or for her. It was a mutual decision.
56
Joe She didn’t say she was leaving.
Brigitta She didn’t know until Friday evening.
Joe She was only here for three weeks.
Brigitta Yes well that’s the way it goes sometimes. Not everyone is as
loyal as you.
Joe Can you look at me when you’re talking?
Brigitta Sorry?
Joe I didn’t understand what you just said. You turned your head.
Scene 26
Office, the hum and the sssh.
Joe (V/O) I send Shelly a text message but she doesn’t reply. I go to
her flat. She isn’t at home. I go back there several times. No one
ever comes to the door. I become so worried I actually go to the
police. A month later there is still no sign of Shelly.
Vernon Move on Joe. There’s plenty more fish in the sea.
57
Joe (V/O) I send her one last text message: ‘Piss off then if you
don’t want to know me. I don’t know want to know you.’
That’s what I say. When the office is empty I decide to look
through Brigitta’s emails.
Joe at the computer in Brigitta’s office
Joe (V/O) Then Brigitta comes back.
Joe hides under Brigitta’s desk.
We hear him breathing. We hear Brigitta, looking for something,
moving about cursing.
Joe’s hearing aid whistles.
Brigitta Joe?
Joe Hello.
Brigitta What are you doing under my desk?
Joe I dropped something.
Brigitta You’re hiding.
58
Joe My pen. I dropped my pen and I was looking for it.
Brigitta What’s going on Joe?
Joe Nothing. I just. I came in here because I dropped my pen.
Earlier.
Brigitta I’ve always liked you Joe.
Joe Really?
Brigitta I like how you keep your head down.
Joe Oh.
Brigitta You do your work very well for a man with your disabilities.
Joe My disabilities.
Brigitta You know, with being deaf and everything.
Joe Aha.
Brigitta I don’t want to see you spoil it.
Joe Spoil what?
59
Brigitta Your track record.
Joe Oh my track record. Yeh. That.
Scene 27
Office, hum and sssh.
Vernon She’s gone right off you, hasn’t she?
Joe Who?
Vernon Brigitta.
Joe Oh. Yeah.
Vernon You used to be her favourite. Teacher’s Pet. Proof that diversity
and equal opportunity thrived under her management. You
know that’s the only reason you got that promotion.
Beat
Vernon I’m just saying.
Scene 28
Humble’s office.
60
Humble Would you like a cup of tea? A cup of coffee?
Joe No thankyou.
Joe Brigitta said you wanted to see me
Humble I just wanted to have a chat.
Joe Chat?
Humble I’m very sorry to hear that you knew the woman who died.
Joe And her daughter.
Humble Yes of course.
Joe Her daughter was called Angel.
Humble I know what her daughter was called Joe.
Joe Do you think angels exist?
Humble Sorry?
Joe Do you think maybe angels do really exist, for real?
61
Humble I’ve no idea. I doubt it.
Joe I hope they do. I really hope they do.
Humble Erm. Well I just wanted to offer up my condolences.
Joe Your condolences?
Humble Yes.
Joe Well thank you. I feel much better now I have your
condolences. Everything is fine now. Great. Terrific. Thank
you.
Humble There’s no need to be sarcastic.
Joe I can’t help it.
Humble How well did you know Shelly?
Joe Shelly?
Humble Do you have something that belongs to me?
Joe Sorry?
Humble Do you have the list?
62
Joe I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Humble If you have a copy of the list then I would like it back and we
can forget all about this business.
Joe I really don’t know what you’re talking about.
I need to get back to work.
Scene 30
Office, the hum and the sssh.
Joe Do you feel guilty Brigitta? You look guilty.
Brigitta What are you talking about?
Joe Did you know. When Richard Humble asked you to disregard
the rules. Did you know that they were going to cut corners.
Did you know that they were going to keep the rest of the
money for themselves?
Brigitta Joe. Can you remember where you are? And who you’re talking
to.
Joe Look. At. Me. You. Have. To Look At Me.
63
Brigitta Can you keep your voice down?
Joe How do you sleep at night? How do you sleep at night?
Joe starts throwing things.
Brigitta Joe, if you don’t calm down I’ll ask security to evict you.
Joe ignores her.
Brigitta Excuse me. Excuse me.
Brigitta leaves.
Joe Where you going? Come back! Come back!
Vernon What is the matter with you? You’re going to lose your job.
Joe I don’t care.
Vernon Don’t be stupid Joe.
Joe I don’t care.
Vernon You won’t get another job. People like you don’t get jobs. Jobs
don’t grow on trees.
64
Joe I knew them Vernon..
Vernon You didn’t know them personally.
Joe I feel like I did.
Vernon But you didn’t. You didn’t actually know them.
Joe I knew them by sight.
Vernon Yeh by sight is not the same thing though is it.
Beat
Vernon Come to the pub.
Joe No thank you.
Vernon Have a drink with everyone.
Joe No, thanks.
Vernon Come to the pub. Come on.
Joe The pub is boring.
65
Vernon What?
Joe I’m bored at the pub.
Vernon What you talking about?
Joe I sit there and everybody talks to everybody else.
Vernon No they don’t.
Joe I’m not going to the pub anymore.
Vernon I talk to you. I talk to you all the time.
Joe Why can’t you just slow down? Why can’t everyone just slow
down?
Vernon If you come to the pub I’ll talk to you. I promise I’ll talk to you.
Joe I don’t want you talking to me out of pity.
Vernon Fine.
Beat
Joe Vernon.
66
Vernon Yeh.
Joe Can I trust you?
Vernon Why do you ask that?
Joe Are you a man of integrity?
Vernon Yeh. Course I am.
Joe I need somebody I can trust.
Vernon Why? What you talking about?
Joe I never know with you. Vernon. I never know whose side
you’re really on.
Scene 31
Joe is sitting on the bus. The siren ghost is in Joe’s head.
Joe (V/O) You look for someone and you look for someone. Then
you give up and suddenly you find them. I’m sitting on the bus
and it’s a Monday and I see Shelly. Walking down the street.
Like in Dr Zhivago. And I always remember that line. About
the walls of his heart being paper thin. And he has a heart attack
67
when he sees her. And she doesn’t see him. And then he dies on
the pavement and she goes to his funeral. So it’s like that.
Except that I don’t have a heart attack.
Joe pushes past people and the bus stops. The doors open and he jumps
off the bus. He runs to catch Shelly.
Joe Shelly! Shelly! Shelly!
Shelly Joe.
Joe You didn’t say goodbye.
Shelly I’m sorry.
Joe Why didn’t you say goodbye?
Shelly I just thought it would be better. If I just went.
Joe Better for who?
Shelly Everybody.
Joe Richard Humble – he’s your married man isn’t he? It was his
hand on your shoulder.
Shelly Oh.
68
Beat
Joe You told him about the list.
Shelly I didn’t. I didn’t. Honestly. He saw it Joe. It was on the table.
He was in my flat and he just saw it.
Joe He just. Saw it.
Shelly I called him. To tell him it was over.
Joe I don’t believe you.
Shelly He wanted to talk about it. He came round. To talk me out of it.
And he saw the list on the table.
Joe You could have hidden it. When he rang on the door.
Shelly He let himself in. He had a key.
Joe Why? Why would you be in a relationship with a man like that?
Shelly I don’t know.
Joe So what happened when he saw the list?
69
Shelly He went crazy.
Joe Why didn’t you reply to my messages?
Shelly I was trying to protect you.
Joe Protect me?
Shelly I didn’t want him to know I got the list from you.
Beat
Shelly Joe? Joe will you look at me?
Beat
Shelly Joe. You need to look at me.
Beat
Shelly I’m sorry. I’m so sorry..
Scene 32
Roof.
70
Joe (V/O) I send Richard Humble an email asking me to meet me
on the roof of the town hall. I tell him that he can have his list.
Humble How much do you want for it?
Joe How much?
Humble Would five thousand do it?
Joe You’d give me five thousand pounds for a list?
Humble Are you going to take the money?
Joe Blood money.
Humble Hardly.
Joe How much did you make from cutting corners?
Humble There was nothing wrong with our refurbishments.
Joe Then why did people die?
Humble People die in fires. Fires are extremely dangerous.
Joe I could push you off this roof and no one would know.
71
Humble You’re not going to push me off a roof Joe.
Joe I might.
Humble You’re a nice man.
Joe No I’m not.
Humble I didn’t kill them -.
Joe takes Humble and holds him over the wall.
Humble What are you doing?
Humble screams. And screams again.
Humble What the hell?
Joe Admit that the fire was because they cut corners. Admit that
you ignored the rules! Admit that you made money from this.
Admit it!
Humble Alright!
Joe Admit it!
Humble I admit it! I admit it!
72
There is a tussle. Humble and Joe stay the right side of the wall. Both of
them breathless and sitting on the ground.
Humble You. Are. A. Maniac.
Joe Why is it so important for you to be rich?
Humble It’s important to everyone.
Joe No it isn’t. I’m going to make sure everyone knows. Who you
are.
Humble You can’t prove anything Joe.
Joe I can send the list to the newspapers.
Humble The list won’t mean anything to anybody but me.
Joe Then why do you want it back so much?
Beat
Joe I can tell them you tried to bribe me.
Humble I can tell them you tried to kill me.
73
Joe I wanted you to be SCARED.
Humble Jesus.
Joe Don’t you think they were scared?
Humble Who?
Joe Waiting for the fire brigade.
Beat
Joe Do you think about them at night?
Humble Of course I do.
Joe I dream about them.
Beat
Humble Listen. I’ll leave you alone if you’ll leave me alone.
Joe I am never going to leave you alone.
Scene 34
Joe rings the doorbell.
74
Joe (V/O) I go to see Marion de Sousa again. I tell her who I am
and how I used to see them on the bus, Flora and Angel. And I
tell her that I hope she’ll get some kind of justice in the end.
And she cries. And I cry. And we drink tea.
Marion I wish I had died with them.
Joe But then there’d be no body to fight for them. That’s why
you’ve got to live. To fight. That’s your purpose. I think you’re
very brave.
Marion Thankyou.
Joe (V/O) I compile all my notes. Everything I could learn about
the list . I send them with a letter to the QC in charge of the
investigation. I tell him that I think Richard Humble is corrupt
and directly responsible. I haven’t heard anything back yet.
Brigitta takes indefinite sick leave. Richard Humble announces
he will not be standing for re-election. The full investigation
into the fire will take two years to be completed. It will be two
years before the de Souza family or any of us know the truth.
Scene 36
75
Shelly and Joe are in the pub.
Shelly I like the way you say my name.
Joe Really?
Shelly I like the way you pronounce it.
Joe I have a bit of a problem with that sound - the Sh sound.
Shelly It sounds lovely though.
Beat
Joe Can I kiss you?
Shelly Yes please.
Vernon comes into the pub.
Vernon There you are. You can run but you can’t hide.
Joe Hi Vernon.
Shelly Hello Vernon.
Vernon What’s everyone drinking?
76
Joe (V/O) I dream that I am swimming in the sea. And in the dream
I can breathe under water. It’s very calm and very beautiful.
There is no noise at all. And then I see the child. She swims
towards me. In a red swimming costume and angel wings. She
smiles and salutes me. Then she swims away. I know it was just
a dream. I know that. But still. It made me feel better.
Theme music.