FADE IN:
EXT. STANTON'S CAR - NIGHT
STANTON LARKCOMBE (35), expensive suit, gold Rolex, sits in
his parked Mercedes staring out the windscreen, on the edge
of madness.
An involuntary face twitch. Stanton's knuckles turn white
as he grips the steering wheel.
He's out of the car striding away with purpose. An
afterthought. He stops yards away, turns, sets the alarm
remotely.
Realises what he's just done. Fucking idiot!
He clicks the alarm off and throws the remote key into a
bush.
INT. STAIRWELL - NIGHT
Stanton storms up the stairs taking the steps four at a
time, all that time in the gym paying off.
His mobile rings. Stanton slides to halt, rips his phone
from his jacket pocket. It's the wife.
STANTON
Adios.
Stanton hurls the phone down the stairwell and continues up
the stairs at pace.
INT. STAIRWELL, GROUND FLOOR - NIGHT
The phone shatters on the ground, its ringtone dying a
digital death squarking its last note in defiance.
EXT. ROOFTOP - NIGHT
Stanton slams open the roof door, sweating heavily and
slightly out of breath. The door closes slowly behind him.
Stanton searches his pockets, finds the black marker pen he
was looking for, turns to the door, scribbles words.
He steps back to admire his work.
CLOSE UP: DOOR - "DEAR WORLD, FUCK OFF!!!! LOVE STANTON."
The pen flies over the side of the building.
Stanton adjusts his tie and strides to the edge of the
roof, only to find he's not alone.
JEAN BONNER (63), slightly overweight wearing a floral
seventies dress, lunch box and flask by her side, sits on
the roof edge, feet dangling over the side swinging in the
breeze, munching on a sandwich.
Stanton can't believe what he's seeing.
STANTON
What the hell are you doing?
Jean drops her sandwich, startled.
JEAN
Oh dear, you did make me jump.
STANTON
I hope not.
Stanton stands, impatient.
STANTON (CONT'D)
Well?
JEAN
Oh sorry, love, I won't be long.
STANTON
Too right you won't, I want you
down here this minute.
Jean has no intention of moving.
STANTON (CONT'D)
Come on you old bag, hurry up and
move, I don't have all night.
Jean ignores him.
STANTON (CONT'D)
Did you hear me?
JEAN
Yes.
STANTON
Well?
JEAN
Apologise.
What the hell?
STANTON
(questioning)
Sorry?
JEAN
Apology accepted.
Stanton, open mouthed astonishment.
JEAN (CONT'D)
Too many young people your age
have no manners. My Alfie says
it's because of all that techno
stuff and nonsense, like those
Ibones I've seen on the TV,
contact at your fingertips, you
have no time to think and that's
why you're rude. You don't have
the time to pause and be polite.
Stanton, convinced Jean's off her rocker.
STANTON
Right, well, are you going to
move, or what?
JEAN
When I'm ready to jump.
Jean helps herself to another sandwich.
Stanton struggling not to be overwhelmed with disbelief and
impatience.
STANTON
You can't jump from here, you'll
have to find another building.
JEAN
Why, what's wrong with this one?
STANTON
Because it's mine.
JEAN
I don't think so, I got here
first.
STANTON
Look, this is my building. I own
it, or technically my Father-in
law does, but it's still my name
on the front door, so lets have
you down now.
JEAN
(confused)
You want me to jump?
STANTON
No, just out of my way. I'm in a
bloody hurry.
JEAN
That'll be the techno.
STANTON
The tech what? Look, just get
out of my way.
JEAN
You're being rude again.
STANTON
(exasperated)
OK, I'm sorry, but if you could
just get up from the ledge and
make your way down the stairs
that would be excellent.
Jean takes a bite of her sandwich.
JEAN
As I said, I was here first.
Stanton silently does his nut behind her.
JEAN (CONT'D)
Why don't you try another side of
the roof?
STANTON
Because I fucking want to jump
from this one.
JEAN
Oh dear, such language. My Alfie
is right the suit doesn't make
the man.
If Stanton waves his arms about any faster he'll take off.
STANTON
Right, try and understand this.
The right side of the building is
an alley. If I jump there I
might not be found for weeks and
by that time the rats will have
half eaten me. The back of the
building leads on to another roof
and the left side has railings
down the side of it. I don't
fancy being impaled, if I did I'd
thrown myself at my wife's sharp
tongue. The front's the only
option.
JEAN
And it has such a lovely view
too.
STANTON
Are you fucking mad? You're here
to kill yourself not see the
fucking sights.
JEAN
I'm going to stop talking to you
if you keep swearing.
Stanton jumps up and down barely keeping a lid on his
frustration. He takes a couple of deep breaths to calm
himself down, he can sort this.
STANTON
So why do you want to jump?
JEAN
Why do you want to know?
STANTON
Well maybe your reason isn't as
urgent as mine in which case I
should be the one jumping. You
could come back another day.
Tomorrow, maybe?
JEAN
Oh, I'm sure my reason is quite
urgent.
STANTON
I doubt it. I bet you haven't
just lost two million of your
father-in-law's money.
JEAN
Oh dear, you have been a naughty
boy, haven't you.
Stanton waits for Jean to give her reason, she just helps
herself to another sandwich.
STANTON
Well?
JEAN
Pardon?
STANTON
Your reason?
JEAN
For what?
STANTON
Why you're here?
JEAN
Oh, that's private.
Stanton, annoyed as hell. He can sort this by reason, he
just needs to think. He comes to a decision.
Stanton strides forward, determined. He jumps up onto the
ledge and sits down beside Jean. Jean isn't very happy
he's invaded her space.
JEAN (CONT'D)
You're not going to try and jump
with me, are you?
STANTON
Suicide is not really something
you can share.
JEAN
And you're not going to jump
before me?
STANTON
Only one of us is going to jump
tonight, we've just got to decide
who.
Jean offers him a sandwich, Stanton declines.
STANTON (CONT'D)
What's with the sandwiches
anyway?
JEAN
My Alfie loves that CSI program
on the TV, always gets me to tape
it. When they do one of those
autopsy things they always check
the contents of the stomach. Did
you know you can tell a lot about
a person by the contents of their
stomach?
STANTON
No, I never knew that.
JEAN
So I thought what would my
stomach contents say about me. I
decided fish and chips wasn't the
way I wanted to go. Cucumber
sandwiches and Earl Grey tea
speaks with a little more class.
Stanton shakes his head at Jean's loopy logic.
STANTON
Look, I'll give you my watch if
you go home and let me jump.
He hands it to her.
STANTON (CONT'D)
It's a Rolex.
JEAN
Pretty little thing, but I won't
need it after I jump, so it's a
bit useless.
Stanton takes the watch back, offers his hand to Jean.
STANTON
Stanton by the way.
She shakes it.
JEAN
Jean.
STANTON
Well, Jean, this can't go on, I
fully intend being the only one
to jump tonight and I don't want
you raining on my parade, so to
speak.
JEAN
As I said...
STANTON
I know, you were here first. So
what are we going to do?
JEAN
Well jump I thought?
STANTON
Jump yes, but how are we going to
figure out who?
JEAN
But I was...
STANTON
Yes, I know.
Jean sips her tea.
JEAN
So how do you lose two million
pounds?
STANTON
With a few bad investments.
JEAN
Bad?
STANTON
Horses that couldn't run.
JEAN
Ooh, I've always wanted to own a
horse.
STANTON
Right. So, any idea how we're
going to solve this?
JEAN
I was here...
STANTON
...first. No need to keep going
on about it!
JEAN
Would you like a cup of tea?
Stanton nods, might as well.
Jean hands him a cup. He sips it... not bad.
JEAN (CONT'D)
Why are you always so angry?
STANTON
If you were married to my wife
you would be angry too.
JEAN
She can't be that bad.
Stanton shrugs, maybe she isn't.
STANTON
How about we toss for it.
JEAN
For the tea?
STANTON
For who jumps and who goes home.
JEAN
Oh I couldn't leave something
like this to chance.
STANTON
I'll let you call.
Jean considers this.
JEAN
OK, I'll take heads.
Stanton puts down his tea and stands, fishes a pound from
his pocket. Jean stands with him.
Stanton tosses the coin, fumbles, loses it over the side.
They watch it drop.
JEAN (CONT'D)
Can you see what it is?
STANTON
Don't be daft.
JEAN
Shall we do it again?
STANTON
That was my last coin.
JEAN
You could always go down and have
a look.
STANTON
(suspicious)
So could you.
Neither is prepared to give way. Stanton looks down, spots
someone.
STANTON (CONT'D)
(shouting)
Oi you. Yes you. Can you check
if the coin came up heads or
tails?
Beat.
JEAN
Did he just pocket your money?
STANTON
The thieving bastard!
Jean sits back down.
JEAN
Now what?
Stanton joins her.
JEAN (CONT'D)
We could always jump together?
STANTON
No!
JEAN
Why not?
STANTON
No offence or anything, but I
wouldn't want people to think we
were... you know...
JEAN
(hurt)
Oh. You could always come back
tomorrow.
STANTON
So could you.
JEAN
But I... well, you know.
STANTON
Unfortunately I do.
Silence, Jean happy with her sandwiches and Stanton deep in
thought.
A YOUNG PUNK walks up between them and throws himself off
the roof easy as pie.
Stanton reacts.
STANTON (CONT'D)
Oi you fucker, there's a queue.
Stanton and Jean watch as the Punk falls to his death,
grimace when he hits the ground with a squelch.
They both sit back and reflect.
STANTON (CONT'D)
Guess that's it then?
JEAN
Seems like it.
STANTON
Same time tomorrow?
JEAN
Fine with me.
Jean collects her stuff and joins Stanton walking towards
the stairwell.
STANTON
Do you want a lift?
JEAN
That would be nice.
STANTON
You'll have to help me find my
keys. And if you could keep your
head down while we're driving
that would be excellent.
They exit the roof.
FADE OUT.
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Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.