The Coroner Page #3

BILL:

So what do you propose?

JANE:

(KNOWING IT WILL GO DOWN LIKE LEAD) The simplest thing would

be to insist that all bodies buried at sea are subjected to a DNA test.

BILL:

A voluntary test?

JANE:

At the moment.

BILL:

Who’s going to pay for that?

JANE:

You’d pass that onto the customer.

GRAVELLE:

Undertaking is a highly competitive undertaking. If we raise our rates our

customers may well take their business elsewhere.

JANE:

You could all raise your rates.

BILL:

That would be price-fixing, which is illegal.

PRINCE:

And in case you hadn’t noticed we’re just coming out of a recession.

JANE:

I did catch the news, yes.

BILL:

Or why don’t you pay for it?

JANE:

My office barely has enough money to keep the lights on, Bill, you of all

people should know that.

BILL:

Voluntary DNA testing isn’t going to work.

JANE:

Then you could lobby for DNA testing to become law.

BILL:

That would require a change in national legislation…

JANE:

And as Councillor you would be in a perfect position to throw some of your

weight that way.

BILL:

I don’t see why those who are recently bereaved should have to submit their

lost loved one to an invasion of their privacy.

JANE:

It’d be a tiny sample.

BILL:

It’s the principle. It’s an invasion of their human rights.

JANE:

I’m not entirely sure dead bodies have human rights.

BILL:

(PATRONISING) I think you’ll find if you ask a lawyer…

JANE:

I don’t need to ask a lawyer, Bill, I am one. And when I was appearing at

the Supreme Court they most certainly didn’t.

BILL:

Well you’re not in London now.

JANE:

(APPEALING TO THE UNDERTAKERS) You won’t consider passing this

on to your customers?

[SHE IS MET WITH SILENCE]

JANE:

Then perhaps it’s time I conducted a review of which undertakers I choose

to use in future.

[THE TONE IN THE ROOM IMMEDIATELY CHANGES

BUT IT’S TOO LATE. JANE LEAVES]

CUT TO:

EP2/SC10. INT. POLICE STATION. DAVEY’S OFFICE. DAY 1.

09:
33

DAVEY, DORA

[DAVEY’S A LITTLE BLEARY-EYED AND IS

SLUGGING A COFFEE IN BETWEEN FILLING OUT A

MISSING PERSON’S FORM FOR DORA. HIS HEAD’S

NOT FULLY SWITCHED ON JUST YET…]

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes