ONE OF THE BOYS
Written By
Ronan Gallagher
(C) Ronan Gallagher
SCENE
1
EXT.
STREET IN RATHMINES. NIGHT.
It
is 6.00 am. The streets are beginning to wind down from a busy Sunday night and
the many fast food shops and takeaways which line the street are serving the
last of the stragglers. STEPHEN KELLY, a young student with longish hair and
dressed in slightly hippyish clothes, walks down the street. He is eating a bag
of chips, and is slightly drunk. As he passes a shop doorway a dirty hand
stretches out to him. Startled, he jumps back. A wino emerges from the doorway
hand outstretched.
WINO
Gisss
a few shipps.......Gisss a few .....
Kelly
stops and taking pity on the wino offers him some chips. As the wino's hand digs
into the bag, Kelly sees it is filthy. He gives the whole bag to him.
KELLY
Here!
Take the lot. I hope you like vinegar.
He
continues on, leaving the wino to his unexpected meal. He turns into a doorway a
few paces down and begins fumbling for his keys. Finding the keys he raises them
to the door lock. He is just about to insert his key in the lock when suddenly
the door swings open from the inside and a grey haired man in his fifties,
wearing glasses and an expensive looking coat, runs out in apparent panic,
nearly knocking Kelly in the process.
KELLY
Heyyyy....For Chrissakes watch where you’re going......
He
looks after the older man and watches as he runs down the street. The running
man looks back once or twice giving Kelly a good view of his face.
KELLY
Arsehole!
Kelly
shakes his head, enters the building and closes the door behind him.
SCENE
2
INT.
BUILDING - CORRIDOR. NIGHT
Kelly
makes his way down a long dimly lit corridor, past the doors to the various
flats
and
bedsits which make up the building. As he passes one of the doors he notices it
is half open with light coming from the room
He stops at the door, curious.
KELLY
Peter?.....Are
you in there?.....
He
waits a few moments for a response.
KELLY
Hello?.......Peter?........
He
pushes the door gently and it swings inwards to reveal the room. It is a typical
bedsit with a small cooking area at one end and a single bed at the other. A
figure lies sleeping on the bed, facing away from him and covered to the neck in
a sheet. A small bedsit lamp dimly illuminates the room.
KELLY
Peter?
Are you alright?
Getting
no response he enters the room and slowly approaches the bed. He reaches to the
figure to rouse him.
KELLY
Peter?
Come on man. Wake up.......
Placing
his hand on the sleeping figure’s shoulder he begins to gently shake him.
KELLY
Peter?
You left your door op........
He
rolls the figure onto it’s back.
We
see Kelly’s face; he is shocked and horrified by what he sees.
KELLY
Oh
my God.......oh Christ.....
SCENE
3
EXT. STREET- RATHMINES. DAY
A
number of journalists and photographers have gathered outside the house where
Peter Corrigan’s body was found. Among them an RTE crew are filming the TV
stations crime correspondent Paul Reynolds making his report.
REYNOLDS
......Gardai
have now sealed off the area and so far have released no details other than to
confirm that the body is that of a young man.....eh..A young man....in his
twenties...ahhh. Blast it...
He
breaks away from the camera in frustration.
REYNOLDS
Sorry
lads. It's no good. It's no good without a
name....we need to know his name......
SCENE
4
INT.
BEDSIT. MORNING
We
see the body on a bed. It is covered up to the chest with a sheet. Lying on it's
back, the body stares sightlessly up at the ceiling. The face is that of a
handsome young man in his early twenties. The right side of the face is bruised
and bloodied.
DET.
HIGGINS (O.S.)
One
Peter Corrigan. According to his neighbour who incidentally, also found
him......
A
camera flash bathes the scene with white light.
We see a full view of the room. It is a hive of activity with the forensics team dusting for clues and a police photographer taking pictures of the scene. Courtney, Roche and Detective Dave Higgins from forensics are standing over the bed. Higgins is talking. Courtney has a cold and blows his nose with a hanky. Higgins looks at him momentarily and continues.
HIGGINS
.....Seems
he was a waiter. Worked in a place called Shanks. We found a payslip in his
things. Pathology haven't examined him yet but from the mess on the side of the
face it looks as if he received a severe blow somewhere along the line. You'll
need Reynolds to confirm if that was the cause of death though. We've picked up
a few sets of prints some good but most slightly smeared or just plain
unreadable.
COURTNEY
Any
witnesses? Anyone hear or see anything?
Higgins
smiles.
HIGGINS
That’s
the good bit. The lad who discovered the body, he lives on the same floor.
Stephen Kelly's his name. A student. Says he saw someone leave the building
in a hurry just before he discovered the body. We've checked with all the other
occupants and nobody had any visitors fitting the description. He's two doors
down. He was in a bit of a state
but he seems ok now...the Super's with him at the moment.....
COURTNEY
The Superintendent is here?
HIGGINS
Got
here about ten minutes ago.....
Suddenly
a commotion is heard coming from the hallway. Someone is shouting. Courtney
walks to the doorway and looks out.
FROM
HIS POV
Two
uniformed Gardai are restraining MICHAEL BRESLIN, a young journalist who is
struggling with them.
BRESLIN
Let
go of me...I’ll have you for assault....I’m a journalist for Christ sake....
COURTNEY
Then
you'll know that this is a crime scene and no unauthorised people are allowed in
here.
Breslin
looks up at Courtney.
BRESLIN
I’m
just doin my job. I’m entitled to get my story.
COURTNEY
Then
read about it in the papers like everybody else.
He
nods to the two Policemen.
COURTNEY
Get
him out of here lads.
The
Policemen lead Breslin, still protesting, away. Courtney turns back into the
room shaking his head. He sneezes again and fumbles in his pocket for his hanky.
COURTNEY
Bloody
journalists.
CUT TO: