Beyond All doubt

Written by

Tom Benson

1.

INT. INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY

OVERHEAD SHOT of notepad with Film4 logo on. A Coffee mug is lifted up and brought back down, placed beside the notepad. The coffee is black, suggesting a long day at work.

MEDIUM CLOSE-UP of man reading a newspaper. It is held up in front of him, obscuring his face.

OVERHEAD SHOT of the same newspaper being thrown onto the desk, folded up.

CLOSE-UP of a page in the notepad being turned over to reveal LUC AMADEN scrawled in biro. Hand comes into shot and underlines the name with a pen. Then the page is turned to reveal DOM RANWELL-JONES. Hand again underlines the name, this time twice.

LOW ANGLE CLOSE-UP of P.C. Benson looking down at his notepad, writing something. He places the pen down and looks off to the left.

P.C. Benson (loud)

Gill, send the next one in please.

EXTREME CLOSE-UP of a door as it opens. The camera here is placed on the floor. A pair of feet appear, wearing school shoes; a poor attempt to look formal. Person can also be seen to be wearing black school trousers. P.C. Benson can be seen in the background, out of focus, waiting at the desk. The door then swings shut.

MID SHOT of P.C. Benson writing again. He is resting his head against his hand, suggesting tiredness. We can just see the top of a chair in the foreground. Mitch enters from the right and sits down in the chair in a very informal way; his arm resting on the back of the chair, and his right foot resting on his left thigh. The focus is pulled from P.C. Benson to Mitch.

CLOSE-UP of P.C. Benson as he looks at Mitch. He sighs as he sees him.

CLOSE-UP of Mitch as he looks everywhere but at P.C. Benson. His fingers are tapping.

CLOSE-UP of P.C. Benson as he looks down at his notepad.

2.

P.C. Benson

This is P.C. Benson, interviewing suspect 1, Mitch Daniels, at 11:15am

(looks up)June 2006.

(sighs)What were you doing on the night of Friday the 3rd?

CLOSE-UP of Mitch. He is playing with his fingers. He doesn’t care.

MitchNot much really. It was a normal night...I guess.

P.C. BensonYou guess? Do you care to be more specific?

MitchWell Blake was pretty drunk.

P.C. BensonOkay.

MitchMore drunk than he usually is.

P.C. BensonHow drunk does he get usually?

MitchWell...I dunno, he sort of quit...drinking ‘cause he gets really angry and violent...and er...well...he got like that last night.

CLOSE-UP of P.C. Benson. He maintains eye-contact with Mitch, trying to intimidate the truth out of him.

P.C. BensonWhat do you mean by

3.

violent? Do you mean acting aggressive? Physically aggressive?

MitchWell...

P.C. BensonShouting?

CLOSE-UP of Mitch. He is still playing with his fingers. Clearly he is not intimidated. In-fact, he seems quite comfortable, as if this is a routine conversation.

MitchHe shouts a lot...erm...he makes a habit of hitting Bruce. Well...

(a tiny smile)Made.

180 DEGREE TRACKING SHOT starts from behind Mitch.

P.C. BensonMitch, it says here that you have a...pretty bloody damaging psychological record.....

MitchLook. I’ve been there, I’ve done all of that. That’s over. I’m straight now.

P.C. Benson(interrupts)

But is it over? ‘Cause on the evidence here...

Camera goes behind P.C. Benson’s back as he speaks.

your anger management issues...okay, you could be convicted.

As the camera emerges from behind P.C. Benson’s back, we see Mitch laugh, as he knows P.C. Benson is struggling.

180 DEGREE TRACKING shot again begins behind Mitch’s back.

4.

P.C. BensonYou honestly think this is funny? ‘Cause right now? With the record you’ve got, you could go down, for life. Okay? Probably if you do maintain innocence right?

PANS to show Mitch smiling. He has returned to his earlier position. He knows this interview is about to end.

You’re mad.

We just see Mitch’s smile before the camera TRACKS behind P.C. Benson’s back. When it re-emerges, we see the smile has turned to smugness.

MitchThat’s what they all say.

Mitch leaves this hanging in the air, as he locks eyes with P.C. Benson.

FADE TO BLACK

LOW ANGLE CLOSE-UP of P.C. Benson. He looks deep in thought, and even more tired.

CLOSE-UP of P.C. Benson’s hand, writing away at his notepad.

MID SHOT to the left of P.C. Benson, showing the door at the end of the room opening. We see a person enter, but we do not know who as his head is out of shot. We can guess he’s young as he wears tight jeans and a baggy T-shirt stained with blue paint. He sits down, and we see him raise his hands to his mouth, almost like a prayer. He is clearly nervous.

OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT of P.C. Benson writing. He has not yet looked up from his notepad. The focus pulls to the young boy as he rubs his head, trying to find something to do with his trembling hands. P.C. Benson is out of focus, but we can see his eyes look up.

P.C. BensonBlake...

CLOSE-UP of Blake as he places his hands on the table in a hurried fashion.

5.

Blake(interrupts)

I didn’t do it!

P.C. BensonI’m sorry?

BlakeLook, I know Mitch an-an-and I know that he told you I was drunk an’ that I did it but I didn’t sir, I swear it!

CLOSE-UP of P.C. Benson. There is a look of concern on his face.

P.C. BensonAre you going to tell me who did then?

BlakeIt...it was Mitch.

CLOSE-UP of P.C. Benson as he sits back, tired. He sighs.

P.C. BensonWell there’s a surprise.

(slightly louder)

Tell me what happened Blake.

BlakeOkay....Well last night-

FADE TO BLACK

EXT. AN ALLEY BEHIND A HOUSE - EVENING

Blake(V.O)

We were out by the chippy down the road, sort of around 8ish. Me, Bruce and Mitch.

P.C. Benson(V.O)

You were seen leaving a house rather hurriedly

6.through it’s back gate, zipping up bags. What you were doing doesn’t concern me Blake. Just tell me how Bruce died and why.

OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT from Mitch’s shoulder showing Blake and Bruce in front. They are walking suspiciously up to a house, looking around for anyone. They go round a wall to the back door. Bruce and Mitch both have bags on.

Blake(V.O)

Okay...well...we had just stolen a few things.

LOW ANGLE MEDIUM SHOT of the house they have entered.

Blake(V.O)

And Me and Mitch were coming out of the house, but Bruce sort of came out a couple seconds after, zipping up his bag.

P.C. Benson(V.O)

And where did you go from there?

LOW ANGLE MEDIUM SHOT of an alley to the side of the house. We see Blake hurry out first, followed by Mitch, who is putting his bag back onto his shoulders. A few seconds later, we see Bruce come out. He pauses for a second, and looks back at the house, but hurries on when Blake calls back for him.

Blake(V.O)

Home.

LONG SHOT through a bin, as the three boys hurry out of the alley. Again, Bruce is trailing behind.

INT. THE BOY’S “DEN” - EVENING

OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT from Mitch’s shoulder as they enter a large room. Its white-washed wallpaper is peeling, and tings litter the floor. The room consists of random pieces of

7.furniture collected over the years. This includes multiple chairs, a sofa, a small table and even a set of lockers. Clearly these boys don’t take care of their home. In-fact, there is nothing homely about it. the place feels empty. The 3 boys sit down, Mitch throwing his bag carelessly in front of him, whilst Bruce place his bag beside him.

Blake(V.O)

When we got back, we all just sort of chilled out for a while. I er...was drinking. But it was weird, Bruce just sort of sat there thinking for a while, and Mitch was like staring at him and his bag the whole time. Until Mitch tried to see what was in the bag.

LOW ANGLE SHOT from inside Bruce’s bag. Mitch tries to put his hands in.

BruceWhat are you doing?

Bruce pushes Mitch’s shoulder and makes an attempt to close the bag. The bag closes over the camera.

MID SHOT of Mitch, with Bruce in the foreground. Bruce picks up the bag and moves it to his other side. Mitch makes a grab for it.

Mitch(raised voice)

What the hell, just give it!

BruceNa...

MEDIUM SHOT from a distance shows Mitch, Bruce and Blake sat down in their chairs. Blake seems silent at this incident, instead watching. In anger, Mitch rises, and Bruce does too, to protect the bag.

MitchWhat is in the bag?

8.P.O.V SHOT from Bruce’s perspective. Looks at Mitch, and pushes him. Mitch looks angry.

Bruce(raised voice)

What the hell are you doing?

Bruce turns to Blake who drunkenly tries to stop what is about to happen.

BlakeOi no, don’t do it, don’t do anything stupid.

Bruce turns back to Mitch who now has an unsettling smile on his face. Mitch grabs something from his back pocket, steps forward and thrusts his arm towards Bruce’s stomach.

Blake(shouts)

No!

The camera looks down to reveal the grip of a pair of scissors in Mitch’s hands. The rest? Buried in Bruce’s stomach. The camera falls to the ground.

CLOSE UP of the back of Bruce’s head as it hits the floor.

P.O.V from Bruce as Blake rushes over and begins to shake him. The camera shakes, emphasising the ferocity of Blake’s efforts.

Blake(shouts)

Bruce! Bruce!

FADE TO BLACK

P.C. Benson(V.O)

And that’s how he died?

Blake(V.O)

...that’s how he died...

P.C. Benson(V.O)

9.I just have one question Blake...

Blake(V.O)

Yeah?

P.C. Benson(V.O)

What the hell was in that bag?

END