Episode 2 - Scene 1 Checking In

Fade In

INT - THE HOTEL LOBBY - AFTERNOON

JOSEPH and PADDY walk inside the hotel. A RECEPTIONIST, early thirties, is standing behind the reception counter. NATALIE is also standing inside the room.
She watches PADDY. There are also some guests standing inside the lobby. JOSEPH and PADDY walk over to the reception counter. The RECEPTIONIST faces him.

RECEPTIONIST (politely)
Good afternoon. How may I help you?

PADDY
I have a reservation. The name’s Paddy. Paddy Norton.

The RECEPTIONIST types PADDY’S name into the computer. She hands a key card to PADDY afterwards.

RECEPTIONIST
Your room is the penthouse suit. If there’s anything you need, don’t forget to ask.

PADDY
Thank you.

JOSEPH and PADDY start to walk away.

JOSEPH (muttering)
You’re such a flirt.

PADDY laughs.

Cut to
INT - THE PENTHOUSE SUITE - AFTERNOON

JOSEPH and PADDY walk inside the penthouse suite. He closes the door behind himself. He puts his bag down on the floor. He then looks around the suite. JOSEPH sits down on the settee.

JOSEPH
I could get used to living like this.

PADDY
I’m just going outside to make a call. I’ll be back in a minute.

PADDY walks out of the penthouse. He closes the door behind himself. JOSEPH gets to his feet. He walks across to the window. He looks out of it.

Cut to
INT - BILLY'S OFFICE - AFTERNOON

BILLY is sitting at his desk. He has JOSEPH'S application form out in front of him, which he is reading. He sees JOSEPH'S address. With the form in his hands, he gets to his feet and he walks out of the room, closing the door behind himself.

Cut to
INT - BILLY’S CAR - AFTERNOON

BILLY stops the car outside JOSEPH’S house. He switches the engine off. He looks at the front of the house. He then takes his seatbelt off and he climbs out of the car. He closes the door behind himself.

Cut to
EXT - OUTSIDE JOSEPH’S HOUSE - AFTERNOON

BILLY walks across the garden. He stops by the front door. He rings the doorbell. He waits for a moment, but there is no response. He rings the doorbell again. There is still no response. A DOG WALKER, early fifties, is walking down the street. He stops outside the house. He watches BILLY, as he stands by the door.

DOG WALKER
They’re not in.

BILLY turns to face the DOG WALKER. He walks towards him.

BILLY
Do you know when they’ll be back?

DOG WALKER
Not a clue. That house has been empty for at least a week now. If you ask me, the aliens took ‘em.
BILLY
Aliens?!

DOG WALKER
Don’t kid yourself. They’re real. It’s only a matter of time before they reveal their selves to us.

The DOG WALKER leans forward.

DOG WALKER (whispering)
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

The DOG WALKER chuckles, then he carries on walking down the street.
BILLY watches him as he walks away.

BILLY
What a strange one...

Cut to
INT – OUTSIDE THE PENTHOUSE SUITE – AFTERNOON

PADDY is standing outside the penthouse suite. He is on the phone to ACE.

PADDY
I thought it would be best for him to lay low for a while. I don’t think he’s ready to carry on at the moment.

ACE
Well, as long as they don’t get the code he'll be fine, won’t he?

Cut to
EXT – OUTSIDE MI6 HEADQUARTERS – AFTERNOON

ACE is standing by the entrance of the building. He has his phone in his hands. NICKY comes out of the building. She sees ACE standing there.
She faces him.

NICKY
Who were you on the phone to?

ACE turns to face her.

ACE
Paddy. He said that he’s staying at the Casablanca Hotel with Joseph.

NICKY
What’s he doing there?

ACE
What's it to do with you?

NICKY
I was just wondering.

ACE
Well, stop wondering and get back to work. You have a job to do.

ACE walks inside the building. NICKY looks around. She sees that no one
is there. She takes out her phone. She takes out her phone. She begins to ring EDWIN. He answers the phone a moment later.

NICKY
It’s me. They’re staying at the Casablanca Hotel.

SETH is hiding around the corner. He is listening to her conversation.

Cut to
INT – CHARLIE’S OFFICE – AFTERNOON

CHARLIE is sitting down at his desk. He has his head slumped over the top of his desk. BILLY is also standing inside the room. He has a folder in his hands.

CHARLIE (moaning)
The candidates for this year’s show are appalling. It’s a disgrace to call them singers. One’s a forty-two year old pub singer with a beer belly. There’s no way he’s gonna appear on the cover of a CD.

CHARLIE pauses.

CHARLIE (continued)
Have you found out anymore on that kid yet?

BILLY
Yes, I have. According to a neighbour, the house has been empty for at least a week. We even checked out his school. No one’s seen him.

CHARLIE
So there’s no way of finding him?

BILLY shakes his head. CHARLIE slumps back over the top of his desk. He moans to himself.

Cut to
INT – THE PENTHOUSE SUITE – AFTERNOON

JOSEPH is sitting down on the settee. PADDY sits down next to him. JOSEPH faces him.

JOSEPH
I want to know about the code.

PADDY
The code on your chest is the activation code to a bomb. If it is activated, it could wipe out the whole of the city. That’s why Edwin cannot get his hands on it.

PADDY pauses.

PADDY (continued)
You know, you’ve changed a lot since I first met you. You were afraid of pretty much anything. But now you’ve matured into a fine young adult.

JOSEPH (smiling)
Thanks.

PADDY
You’re not that bad a singer either.

JOSEPH
I might as well give it up now. There’s no way I’m gonna be able to sing again.

Cut to
INT - A CELL - AFTERNOON

CRYSTAL is sitting on the bed. She is facing EDWIN, who is sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. He is staring at the wall as he quietly
talks to her.

EDWIN
I had a family once. Just like you. My wife. Molly, her name was. She meant
the world to me. We had a son. He was twelve when it happened. Someone broke into our house. He took my wife and threatened her at gunpoint. I was helpless. There was nothing I could do. I watched as he killed her. Two bullets to the chest. He left after that. Who’d have thought my job would get my wife
killed?

CRYSTAL
You shouldn’t have been doing what you were doing. You were asking for
something like that to happen.

EDWIN
After that night, I couldn’t bare to look at my son again. I could see so much of my wife in him. He had her eyes. I sent him into a care home after her funeral. I haven’t seen him since.

CRYSTAL (shocked)
How can you do something like that to your own child?

EDWIN faces her.

EDWIN
Look at me. Do you have any idea what type of person I am?

CRYSTAL
I think you’re grieving over your wife. That’s why you’re doing this. I know what it’s like losing someone you love. I’ve been through exactly the same. But you need to get over her. Start again. I can help you.

EDWIN
There’s nothing you can do to help me.

EDWIN gets to his feet and he walks out of the room. He closes the door
behind himself. CRYSTAL sighs.