How he might be quizzed over No10's parties
****DRAFT COPY****
CONFIDENTIAL - SPEC SCRIPT LINE OF DUTY S7
SCENE 2.2
INT. AN INTERROGATION ROOM, SOMEWHERE IN CENTRAL LONDON
NEW RECRUIT TO AC-12 DS SUE GRAY (SG) IS INTERROGATING ‘BRIAN JENKINS’ (BJ) CEO OF A LARGE CENTRAL LONDON-BASED FIRM.
BJ IS DISHEVELLED FROM A WEEK’S INTERROGATION. SG IS DETERMINED TO CRACK HIM, AND FIND THE TRUTH BEHIND THE PARTY SCENE HE’S BEEN CAUGHT UP IN.
SG: Let’s go over this again. When did you first realise…
BJ: Well, I was in my office and I was working pretty hard let me tell you.
SG: Economic stuff? Foreign affairs? Pandemic planning?
BJ: It was a Sudoku.
SG: Right. And when…
BJ: Fiendish one though. Bloody tough.
SG: Yes. That’s fine. Can you tell us a bit more…
BJ: When’s the wine coming?
SG: I’m sorry?
BJ: The wine. When’s the wine coming?
SG: I don’t think you understand what’s going on here. This is a serious meeting. The whole future of your job depends on it.
BJ: Sounds like it should probably be a Merlot then.
SG: There’s not going to be any wine.
BJ: Strange kind of meeting without any wine. Anyway, I was working away on my crossword…
SG: Sudoku
BJ: Whatever, and I became aware of a bit of a commotion outside in the garden. Bit alarming. Sounded like dozens of people. I started to panic.
SG: How so?
BJ: I thought it might have been my kids.
SG: Dozens?
BJ: (Indistinct)
SG: For the benefit of the tape, BJ shrugged and started counting on his fingers.
BJ: Anyway, I went downstairs and out into the garden. People everywhere. It looked like a meeting, but then I thought something’s not right here. There’s loads of people, all laughing and dancing. We normally only have a couple of dozen at our meetings.
SG: When did it dawn on you that this was not a work meeting, that it might have been a party?
BJ: I think when I was on the bouncy castle.
SG: Really. And how…
BJ: I just remember thinking – while we were playing pass the parcel – hang on a minute, this isn’t a work meeting at all – this is a party. This shouldn’t be happening. There are rules in place, everyone is doing their bit, the whole nation is paralysed. This is not right.
SG: So what did you do?
BJ: I knew I couldn’t stop it, so I knew it was important to get back inside.
Straight away. Not just for me. For the good of the country. For the optics. For
the reputation of the office.
SG: So how long did it take you to leave?
BJ: About 25 minutes.
SG: 25 minutes?
BJ: Yes.
SG: Why so long?
BJ: There was a magician.
(Silence. Tape ends.)
