ACT ONE - PART ONE

FADE IN:

EXT. HOME - DAY

[Large detached building set in an acre of land.]

CUT TO:

INT. JOHNSON HOME - KITCHEN.

[EMMA (28) an attractive sylph-like woman with dark curly hair and olive skin, is making cakes with her twins, TYLER and TIONI (4) cute with golden-brown curls and tan skin. Emma holds the bowl steady while Tyler scoops the mixture into the paper cases Tioni sets out a baking tray. The television is on in the background. The lunchtime news catches Emma's attention. She picks up the remote control and turns up the sound.]

NEWSCASTER
A white male believed to be in his mid to late thirties has been shot and killed outside a West end nightclub. The victim- who has not been identified- was shot outside Illusion nightclub in Regent Street, London. It has not been established if the victim was at the club prior to the shooting, or just passing by.

Police were called at 0545 BST, and he was taken to The Royal London hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. No arrests have been made in connection with the killing.

The police are appealing for witnesses...

[Emma shudders and changes the channel.]

EMMA
Watch the cartoons for a minute. I need to ring Daddy. I'll be back in a sec.

INT. HALLWAY

[Emma sits on the bottom stair with her mobile against her ear. She chews on her fingernails as the high-pitched BLEEP of the answer phone kicks in.]

EMMA
Give me a ring when you get this message. I need to speak to you. It's important.


CUT.

INT. TWINS BEDROOM - EVENING

[Emma sits on couch under the window. The twins sit either side of her listening to her read from a storybook. The front door SLAMS downstairs. The twins jump up and scramble into their beds. Emma closes the book and follows them. She straightens the duvet around each child and gives them a kiss.]

EMMA
Night-night, don't let the bed-bugs bite.

[The twins giggle as she heads for the door. She blows them a kiss and snaps out the light.]

CUT TO. HALLWAY

[CRAIG throws his keys on the hall table next to a vase of fresh flowers. He bends to give his wife a dutiful kiss as she lingers at the bottom of the stairs. She averts her face.]

CRAIG
(Frowning)
What's up with you?

EMMA
Where have you been?

CRAIG
Out. Why?

EMMA
Out where? I tried to call. Your phone was switched off.

CRAIG
Is dinner ready? I'm starving.

[She skirts round him and makes her way down the hall to the kitchen. He follows her and seats himself at the scrubbed, oak-wood table. He notices the single placement setting.]

CRAIG
You not eating?

EMMA
I'm not hungry.

[She picks up a cloth and takes a plate of food from the oven.
His eyes rove over her body as she sets it down in front of him.]

CRAIG
Just as well really. You could do with losing a few pounds. Your tits are getting a bit heavy as well.

[She turns towards the darkened window and studies her reflection.]

EMMA
Are they starting to sag?

CRAIG
Don't worry about it. I'd still love you even if you were fifteen stone with tits down to your ankles.

[She gives him a weak smile, walks over to the kettle and flicks the switch.]

EMMA
Coffee or tea?

CRAIG
Orange juice- freshly squeezed.

[As she walks past him to get to the fruit bowl, a resounding SLAP stops her in her tracks.]

CRAIG
(Lewd grin)
Your tits might be sagging but your arse still looks good.

[Camera zooms in on the indignant expression on her face.

She finishes squeezing the oranges and uses a paper towel to polish the glass before handing it to him. She holds her breath while he inspects it under the light. Finally, he gives a curt nod of approval.]

CRAIG
So, what you been up to today then, anything interesting?

EMMA
Not really. What about you?

[He throws her a look of disdain.]

CRAIG
What was so important you had to ring my mobile, that couldn't wait till I got home?

EMMA
A man was shot outside Illusion. I saw it on the news.

CRAIG
So?

EMMA
What do you mean, 'so'? It happened outside your club.

CRAIG
I didn't shoot him if that's what you think.

EMMA
What am I supposed to think when I find a gun hidden in the wardrobe- my wardrobe at that, you didn't even have the decency to hide it in your own. And then a week later there's a shooting outside your club. Bit of a coincidence wouldn't you say?

CRAIG
I already I told you. The gun belongs to mate. I'm just minding it for him. It's got nothing to do with what happened in Regent Street.

EMMA
How can you be sure?

CRAIG
Give it a rest, babe. You're starting to piss me off now.

EMMA
I'm your wife. I have a right to know what kind of business you're involved in.

[He slings down his knife and fork and glares at her through narrowed eyes.]

CRAIG
I don't see you complaining when you get behind the wheel of my convertible BM. I don't hear you asking questions about how legit my business is when you're buying designer clothes for yourself with my money.

EMMA
That was before I realised you've got friends involved with firearms.

CRAIG
I haven't, okay? It belongs to my sister's bloke, if you must know. So shut the fuck up and let me eat my dinner in peace.

EMMA
No, I won't shut up. What if one of the kids had found it instead of me?

CRAIG
Don't be stupid. It's on the top shelf. They can't reach that high. If it bothers you that much I'll get rid of it.

EMMA
You know it bothers me. You shouldn't have agreed to look after it in the first place.

[He pushes his plate away and stands up. Emma shies away as he moves towards her. He backs her against the stainless steel American-style fridge, and caresses her cheek with his index finger.]

CRAIG
I swear on the twins' life the gun has got nothing to do with me, okay? I might duck and dive a bit, here and there, but I would never get involved in that sort of shit.

[He grabs her round the back of her neck and plants a kiss on her forehead.]

CRAIG
I gotta pop out for a bit. I won't be long.

EMMA
But you've been out all day.

CRAIG
Wait up for me. I'll only be a couple of hours.

CUT

INT. PUB - EVENING.

[SIMON (30's) Tall and broad shouldered with short cropped hair, is sitting at a table laughing and joking with GARY (30's) Slightly built and covered in tattoos, with mad eyes, CHALKY (30's) A black man with a bald head and a heavy build, and PETER (30's) a man of few words, with a medium build, dressed in an immaculate suit. Craig swaggers over and joins them.]

SIMON.
Hey, we was wondering when you'd show up. What kept ya?

CRAIG
I had a bit of grief with the old woman. She kept harping on about the shooting in Regent Street.

PETER
You didn't tell her nothing, did ya?

CRAIG
Behave, my name ain't Simon, you know?

CHALKY
If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a nosey woman with a big gob.

CRAIG
You and me both, mate. She's lucky she didn't get a slap.

[He holds his thumb and forefinger a centimetre apart.]

CRAIG
She came this close to it, I tell ya.

GARY
(Grinning)
If she had the tits to match her gob, I reckon I could make an exception.

CRAIG
You'd make an exception for anything female, Gaz.

GARY
Yep, you're right there. If it moves I'll shag it.

SIMON
Ain't you afraid of taking something back to your misses?

GARY
Nah! I make sure I carry plenty of protection.

[He puts his hand in his pocket, pulls out an assortment of condoms, and offers them around.]

GARY
Chocolate, strawberry, ribbed. I got all sorts, take your pick.

[Craig makes a random selection and rips it open.]

CRAIG
Extra strength- it's the thickness of a balloon. What the fuck do you want that for?

GARY
That's for when I fancy a bit of Chad valley.

[He plucks it out of Craig's grasp and stuffs it back in the packet.]

GARY
Don't wanna take no chances there. One split and you're in the shit.

CRAIG
I don't know how your old woman puts up with you. You're a proper dirt box.

[Camera pans over the CROWD and rests on the pub door. The door opens and a YOUTH dressed in Adidas trousers and a matching top enters the pub.

Craig stands up and follows the youth over to a door with a sign saying 'GENTS' above it]

CUT TO.

INT. PUB - TOILETS.

[The youth stands at the urinals with his back to the door. Craig joins him and unzips his fly.]

CRAIG
You done a good job. I'm pleased with ya.

[He pulls an A5 manila envelope from the inside pocket of his jacket and hands it over.]

CRAIG
There's five big ones in there, plus a little bonus on top.

[The youth takes it and stuffs it inside his jacket.]

YOUTH
Nice one, mate. Cheers for that.

[Craig tugs at his zipper and walks over to the sink. He speaks to the youth through the mirror as he washes his hands.]

CRAIG
I might be able to put a bit more work your way. I'll give you bell.

[He dries his hands on a paper towel and tosses it in the basket.]

CRAIG
Oh, and by the way. I ain't yer fucking mate. You got that? You need to be out of short trousers before you even consider me as an acquaintance.

INT. PUB - BAR

[Craig strolls back over to his mates and sits down.]

SIMON
Everything all right?

CRAIG
Sweet as a nut.

[Peter drains the rest of his beer and stands up.]

PETER
Same again for everyone?

CRAIG
Not for me. I'm chipping.

CHALKY
You're not coming to the club?

CRAIG
Nah, I better not. I gotta go home and appease her, ain't I? I've been out-and-about all day. She'll have my balls on platter if I stay out half the night as well.

CUT


EXT. RUNDOWN COUNCIL ESTATE - NIGHT.

Tall blocks of flats form a perimeter around an estate of houses in the centre. With his hands deep in his pockets the YOUTH from earlier swaggers along the street with a jaunty air. As he approaches his house he sees a MAN dressed in a dark jacket and jeans standing in MICK and DEBBIE's front garden. The youth stops in the street crossing his arms protectively over the envelope under his jacket.

Camera focuses on the man's hand. A baseball bat slips down from under his sleeve. He raises it high in the air and brings it crashing down on the windscreen of the car on the drive.

The youth dives behind a transit van parked in the street and watches his neighbour Mick run out of the house.

MICK
What the fuck you doing?

MAN
Where's my money?

MICK
I told ya, I'm doing my best to scrape it together.

MAN
You said that last week and the week before. And every time you lie your debt gets bigger like Pinocchio's nose.

He walks round the car and does the same to the back window.

A young girl (20's) with dark straight hair appears in the open doorway holding a screaming toddler.

MICK
Get inside, Debs.

DEBBIE
(To the man)
Look what you've done? He's a taxi driver. You've taken away his livelihood.

MAN
Not my problem. Don't smoke the Hash if you ain't got the cash. Next week feller or the windows of your house get it. I might even take a pop at your misses if I fancy it. Knock a few quid off yer bill.

He tucks the bat up his sleeve and saunters off. Mick puts his hand on Debbie's back and ushers her indoors. The youth steps out from behind the van.

YOUTH
Mick

The man and girl turn round.

YOUTH
What was all that about? You got yourself in a spot of bother?

MICK
Nothing I can't handle.

YOUTH
Didn't look like you were handling it from where I was standing. How much you owe him?

MICK
You don't ask questions like that, Jay-Jay, but put it this way, it's a lot more than it started out.

[The youth- who we now know as Jay-Jay, strolls up the path and hands Mick a wad of notes.]

JAY-JAY
Here's a couple of hundred sobs. Get yer windows done. You can't afford to be off the road.

DEBBIE
Oh my God, Jay-Jay. You're a star. We'll pay you back, I promise.

JAY-JAY
Don't worry about it, you're me next door neighbours. There's plenty more where that came from.

[He swaggers off and fishes out the key to his front door. A black and white staff bounds up to him as the door opens, and licks his hand.]

JAY-JAY
All right, Jukey-boy. What you been up to?

[The dog follows him through to the lounge, a neat and tidy room with cheap furnishings. His mum, a woman in her 40's dressed in jeans and a plain jumper, turns in her wheelchair.]

MUM
Hello, Son. I wasn't expecting you home so early.

JAY-JAY
Why, you got a hot date lined up.

[She laughs as he plants a kiss on her cheek.]

MUM
I wish. So, what do we owe this honour? None of your mates wanna come out to play?

JAY-JAY
Shut-up, Ma, I fancied an early night. I'm shattered. I stopped off at Morrison's on the way home. Put a deposit on one them new wide screen TV's you've been on about.

MUM
What, Billy Morrison?

JAY-JAY
Well, I ain't talking about Morrison's supermarket, am I?

MUM
You be careful dealing with him. You know he's got a dodgy reputation around here.

JAY-JAY
It's all right. Don't worry. Her at number five had a TV off him last week and she ain't had no come back. I ordered you the next size up, so you can make the neighbours jealous when you invite them round to watch your soap operas.

MUM
Where you getting the money from? Have you been you been up to no good?

JAY-JAY
Course not. I been working, ain't I.

[Screaming and shouting comes through the walls next door along with the muffled sound of a baby crying.]

MUM
Did you hear what happened to them just now?

JAY-JAY
I saw it. I give em a few quid to get the car fixed up.

MUM
You're a good lad, Jay. I can't help worrying about you, though.

JAY-JAY
Well don't.

[He walks over and gives her a goodnight kiss.]

JAY-JAY
I've got a steady job now. I can take care of us properly.

FADE OUT


PART TWO TO FOLLOW