2 script

Hit & Run

Episode one – Where It All Began

Pre-production Script

Rebecca Collinson

We see a dim lit street with nobody to be seen. A young man (ADAM) leaves a house on the street and begins to walk. As he is seen further into the distance, we then see a black car’s lights turn on and the car slowly moving along the road.

Francesca is inside the car with the radio on and tears are pouring down her face. She wipes them.

Adam is beginning to cross the road, the car speeds up. Adam turns to face the car speeding towards him. We see the car within meters of him.

Francesca kills him instantly.

FRANCESCA: What have I done? (Punches the steering wheel then drives fast)

Ambulances and police cars arrive; Francesca is nowhere to be seen.

KATE: and this is where it all began.

It shows the medics around Adam’s dead body.

KATE: The day my best friend was taken from me.

We see Francesca setting the car on fire.

KATE: I had to do something.

PC Brookes and PC Riley arrive on scene.

KATE: It was only right; Adam would have done the same for me.

PC BROOKES: PC Rowe! (He walks over) The victims name is Adam, he’s just 25 and I believe he lived just down the road.

PC ROWE: I’ll inform the family straight away and report to you as soon as I know more.

 PC BROOKES: Be sure to ask them if they can think of anyone who would have wanted to do this to him, and be sensitive will you?

PC ROWE: When am I not?

PC BROOKES: There are more important things to do right now, take PC Riley with you. Now, go.

PC Rowe walks over to PC Riley and they knock on the door of Adam’s house.

PC ROWE: I’m afraid we have got some bad news. Earlier on this evening Adam was killed. May we come in?

We see the officers enter the house.

We are shown the crime scene investigators at work.

PC Rowe and Riley leave Adam’s house and PC Rowe walks over to PC Brookes.

PC BROOKES: How are they?

PC ROWE: Pretty shook up, obviously. They said he only nipped out to the shop just down there. (PC Rowe points in the direction)

PC BROOKES: We will have to go to question them to see if they heard anything or saw anything unusual, along with the rest of the residents on this street.

PC ROWE: Yes, I’ll get the officers on it now.

PC Rowe shouts to fellow officers and gives them instructions.

PC ROWE: Brookes, before I forget. Adam’s girlfriend mentioned he had been witnessing a lot of aggressive behaviour from his ex. There was one incident where she allegedly smashed a glass over his head but she walked away charge free.

PC BROOKES: Good job, Rowe. You managed not to forget, what a great improvement for you.

PC ROWE: We’ve got more things to worry about right now, Brookes.

PC BROOKES: (rolls her eyes). You forgot to mention this ex’s name, Rowe.

PC ROWE: Yes, it’s Francesca. Francesca White.

PC BROOKES: Right. I’ll get officers round to her house now. You go question the shopkeeper and keep the team in check while they’re questioning the residents on this street.

PC ROWE: And what will you be doing? 

 PC BROOKES: Going to get the CCTV footage for this street and the surrounding ones. Do you understand what you need to do?

PC ROWE: Yes, I have done this before.

PC BROOKES: I’m glad, see you back at the station.

PC Rowe heads over to the shop while PC Brookes gets an officer to head over to Francesca’s house. She then gets into her police car and drives away to get the CCTV footage.

We see officers arresting Francesca who reacts badly to this and kicks off. (Pushing and kicking the officers)

PC Rowe is entering the shop.

PC ROWE: Evening sir. There’s been an unfortunate incident tonight at around 10:30PM. Someone was killed.

SHOPKEEPER: I’m sorry to hear that, what can I do for you?

PC ROWE: I’m just wondering if you have seen or heard anything that you wouldn’t normally tonight. Any noises or yelling perhaps.

SHOPKEEPER: Now you mention it, a woman came into my shop and she was very frantic. Panicking a lot and I noticed her shaking as she handed the money over. After she left, it must have been what, half an hour? I did hear a large noise, but as I looked outside I couldn’t see anything so I thought nothing of it.

PC ROWE: Thank you very much. Do you have CCTV what I could look at?

SHOPKEEPER: I’m afraid not, nothing like this usually happens here. It’s such a small town, everyone gets along so well.

 PC ROWE: I understand. What did this woman look like?

SHOPKEEPER: She had short brown hair, it came to her shoulders or just past. She was about 5’4”.

PC ROWE: Thank you very much.

SHOPKEEPER: Anytime. Do tell me if you need any more information.

PC ROWE: I will do, if you remember anything else please let us know also. Goodbye sir.

SHOPKEEPER: Of course, goodbye.

PC Rowe leaves the shop.

He calls PC Brookes to inform her on the information given from the shopkeeper.

PC BROOKES: Rowe, what’ve you got?

PC ROWE: The shop owner recalls a frantic woman coming into the shop. About 5’4”, with brown hair to her shoulders. He doesn’t really remember much more other than she seemed nervous and worried about something as her hands were shaking but that’s everything.

PC BROOKES: No CCTV footage?

PC ROWE: No. He said that nothing like this happens around here so it didn’t seem necessary to have it.

PC BROOKES: That’s not a problem, I’ve just heard Francesca has been arrested and the description matches. Please ask the shopkeeper to drop in the station tomorrow to give a statement.

PC ROWE: Ok. I’ll do that now.

PC Rowe heads back into the shop.

PC ROWE: Sorry to bother you again, we’ve found a woman matching your description. Would it be possible for you to come by the station tomorrow to give a statement? It doesn’t matter which time.

SHOPKEEPER: Yes, that’s fine.

He leaves the shop.

The next day…

We are shown the outside of the police station. Then we see the interrogation room. PC Brookes and PC Rowe are seen in interrogation room with Francesca.

PC BROOKES: Interview started at 09.00AM. Suspect- Francesca White charged with murder.

PC ROWE: So Miss Francesca White, could you please tell us where you were on the 25^th of November at 10:30PM?

FRANCESCA: At home.

PC BROOKES: Is there anyone who can clarify this?

FRANCESCA: No, I live alone.

PC ROWE: Do you know a Mr Adam Knowles?

FRANCESCA: Yes, he went to my school but I’ve not seen much of him since.

PC ROWE: and how was your relationship with Mr Knowles?

FRANCESCA: It was fine, nothing special.

Francesca folds her arms.

PC BROOKES: We both know that isn’t true. You dated Adam, and when he decided he no longer wanted to be with you, you reacted badly.

FRANCESCA: Who’s told you this?

PC ROWE: Why would we tell you that now? What since you lied about your whereabouts and everything?

PC Brookes slides a photograph of her burnt car over and another photograph of the shop.

PC BROOKES: So how do you explain this?

PC Brookes point to the burnt out car.

FRANCESCA: It was stolen from me about two days ago.

PC ROWE: Why didn’t you report it missing?

FRANCESCA: I’m not answering anymore questions until I have a lawyer.

PC ROWE: Interview suspended at 09:35AM.

PC Brookes and PC Rowe leave the room.

The shopkeeper enters the police station.

PC ROWE: PC Brookes, this is the man.

PC BROOKES: Morning sir. Thank you for coming in.

SHOPKEEPER: No problem at all.

PC BROOKES: Please come with me and we’ll get the statement over and done with as soon as we can.

The shopkeeper follows PC Brookes.

PC BROOKES: Oh, Rowe! Let Mrs White has her phone call home now while we’re waiting for her lawyer to arrive.

PC Rowe heads back into the police cells.

We see Francesca being escorted to the telephone.

PC ROWE: You have three minutes. Make it quick.

FRANCESCA: Only three minutes, what a joke.

PC Rowe walks down the corridor.

Francesca dials a number in the phone.

THEO: Hello?

FRANCESCA: Theo, it’s me.

THEO: Hi sis, what’s up?

FRANCESCA: I’m in a lot of trouble, Theo. I’m in prison.

THEO: You’re joking?! What, who? How is this possible?

FRANCESCA: It’s Adam, he’s dead. I need to talk to you, come in and visit me tomorrow please? I’m begging you.

THEO: I’ll see what I can do. Just please, tell the officers the truth Francesca.

FRANCESCA: I have to go.

Francesca puts down the phone and is escorted back into her cell.

Theo is shown; he’s talking to his mother.

THEO: Mum, Francesca’s in prison. She’s been charged with suspected murder from what I could gather. Don’t worry yourself, I’ll sort it. I’m heading down tomorrow to see her. Bye.

Theo leaves his mother’s house after kissing her on the cheek.

PC Brookes, PC Rowe and Francesca are back in the interrogation room with the requested lawyer.

PC BROOKES: Interview resumed at 11:57AM.

PC ROWE: Miss White, we left off with us asking you to recall why you didn’t report your car missing?

PC BROOKES: So, why did you not Francesca?

FRANCESCA: I (stutters).

PC BROOKES: It wasn’t missing was it? You knew exactly where it was because you killed Adam Knowles and then tried to get rid of the evidence by setting it on fire.

FRANCESCA: Do you even have enough evidence to be making such allegations? It’s pretty harsh, don’t you think? 

PC Brookes takes out more photographs, but this time it was the CCTV footage he had gotten previously.

PC BROOKES: I took the liberty to trace your car through the surrounding streets.

Francesca’s face drops.

PC ROWE: Unfortunately there aren’t any cameras on this road, so we can’t see exactly what happened.

Francesca smiles a little.

PC BROOKES: Why are you smiling, Francesca? We still have footage from the surrounding streets at the time of the killing.

FRANCESCA: That proves nothing.

PC ROWE: A bit suspicious is it not? You were driving round the streets when your ex-boyfriend was maliciously killed and you’re expecting us to believe you didn’t have a part in it? And not to mention you claimed you was home alone.

FRANCESCA: And how do you know it was me driving the car? You don’t. It could have been anyone!

PC Rowe points to a woman’s face on one of the photographs.

PC ROWE: Now, this looks like you don’t it?

Francesca shrugs, and takes a sip of water.

PC BROOKES: We also recovered this bottle of wine from the ruins of your car.

FRANCESCA: So?

PC ROWE: So this would support the statement we’ve been given off a witness! Why won’t you just admit what you’ve done? I mean you have nothing to lose anymore.

PC BROOKES: No family, no friends, and now you don’t even have anyone to be in love with since you killed him, over jealousy I suspect. Give yourself in.

FRANCESCA: I didn’t do it. I weren’t jealous…

PC ROWE: You don’t seem too sure about that, Miss White.

PC BROOKES: Forget it Rowe, we’re getting nowhere with this, you’re wasting our time now. You will remain in custody until further notice. Interview suspended at 12:22PM.

PC Brookes and Rowe leave the room.

PC ROWE: So what now?

PC BROOKES: I was going to ask the same thing. The best thing to do now will be to look through the evidence we’ve already collected and spot if we’ve missed anything. Do you have any suggestions?

PC ROWE: Yes, actually. I do.

PC BROOKES: Spit it out then.

PC ROWE: Well, Francesca must be been watching Mr Knowles’ patterns. How else would she have known when he was most likely to leave the house?

PC BROOKES: Excellent thinking, Rowe. I’ll get someone to get the CCTV footage for the previous two weeks. Well done.

PC ROWE: I thought I could go to Adam’s house and neighbours again to note if they’ve repeatedly seen the car? If they have I’ll ask them to give a brief statement and describe the time they saw these car and just how often they did.

PC BROOKES: Ok. Get a team of officers to go with you. Be thorough with the questions.

PC ROWE: Ok, I’ll tell you how I get on.

PC Brookes and Rowe separate, with PC Rowe gathering some more officers.

PC Rowe and other officers are knocking door to door on the street where the incident happened.

PC Brookes is working with a team of officers, when something is whispered in her ear.

PC Brookes rings Rowe.

PC ROWE: Brookes, what’s up?

PC BROOKES: Great news, I think we’ve finally got Francesca. Round up these interviews and I’ll meet you back at the station later.

PC ROWE: Oh great, has the finger prints analysis come back yet from the car?

PC BROOKES: Yes, there are some on the steering wheel from Francesca but this doesn’t prove anything seen as it is her car.

PC ROWE: So there’s not a trace of Adam’s finger prints anywhere on the front of the car where he could have tried to stop the car?

PC BROOKES: They’ve not been able to find anything as of yet.

PC ROWE: Ok. I’ll round everything up here and head back to the station.

PC BROOKES: Right, bye.

PC Rowe is at Adam’s house seeing how his girlfriend is and if she recalls anything to do with Francesca’s car.

PC ROWE: (mid conversation) is there anyone at all you feel like we should inform of his death? We’ve already rang his parents.

ADAM’S GIRLFRIEND: Yes, there is someone. It’s his best friend. They’ve been close ever since they were little; Adam was always there for her.

PC ROWE: What’s her name?

ADAM’S GIRLFRIEND: It’s Kate Leon.

PC ROWE: Thank you very much for you time. If you need anything at all, do not hesitate to call us.

PC Rowe walks away and rings his office.

PC ROWE: Hi, it’s PC Rowe here. Could you forward the number of Miss Kate Leon? Thank you.

He checks his phone for the number and rings it.

PC ROWE: Hi, is this Kate Leon?

KATE: Yes, who’s this?

PC ROWE: It’s PC Rowe. I’m afraid we’ve got some bad news

*no noise*

PC ROWE: Miss?

KATE: Yes, sorry. Who is it?

PC ROWE: I’m afraid it’s Adam. Adam Knowles. He’s dead.

KATE: No! How is this possible?! Who’s done this? Why?!

PC ROWE: It was in a freak incident. He was actually murdered in a hit and run. I can’t tell you the suspect just at this minute I’m sorry.

KATE: It was the stupid girl weren’t it!!

PC ROWE: Do you have something to tell me?

KATE: His stupid ex-girlfriend, Francesca. She’s obsessed with him. She attempted to hit me not so long ago because I was stood with Adam. She knew he was my best friend as well.

PC ROWE: Is there anything else I should know?

KATE: Actually yes, I’m 70% sure he was threatened to be killed off her. I’m sure of it. It was her!

PC ROWE: Could you please come by the station and make a statement of this?

KATE: Anything to get this woman locked away.

PC ROWE: Thank you for your time. See you soon.

KATE: Thank you.

We don’t see Kate’s face yet. We see Kate put down the phone (just her arm) and we here crying.

End of episode one.