Episode 3 Blackout

For my entire adult life, I've been selfish and cynical. What kind of city would want me as a mayor?

I think my father might have corrupted the contract process.

How can they do it at this price?

If he was going to do that, who would be in it with him?

I own you, Danny boy.

(GASPS)

They took it all - his files, his laptop, everything.

This is a company called Danto Global.

It's way beyond the scope of just providing services.

The devil certainly has a very powerful advocate.

What happens if you drink that one?

I'll drink another one. I keep going.

Then hell.

Argh!

There's blood on your shirt.

So they're looking for some bloody street drunk called Frank Waters.

It was me who found him. It was me who got the tip-off.

Take a look at your attitude, mate.

Maybe you wanna be a little bit more...

conducive.

Everything that has happened is telling me that I can pay for what I've done.

Don't you ever touch my children again!

Don't you ever come near them!

I just want to see you sometimes,

so I don't feel like I'm on my own with this.

When everything is so good...

Argh!

TYRES SQUEAL

..it has to be bad.

Do you know why I've called you here tonight, Daniel?

This is not about the service contact, is it?

Things are going to happen to this city.

Danto have plans that are beyond your imagining.

You're the mayor.

You can make them happen.

I like you.

I like you a lot. I want you to survive.

Why do I get the feeling I'm lost?

Because you are.

Because we...

know...

that you killed Pulis.

That means we own you.

This programme contains some violent scenes and some strong language

SIREN WAILS

MUFFLED VOICE OVER POLICE RADIO

What are we doing here, Daniel?

MUSIC PLAYS

He said...

"We own you."

-What does that mean?

-That you and the kids aren't safe.

Who do you think paid for your election?

Why do you think the police haven't arrested you?

You're protected.

Why do you think the phone records, CCTV footage hasn't come to light?

Griffin's buried it. And he's going to bury the detective sniffing around this.

You think this is about a service contract?

Wise up.

£82 million is chicken feed.

Within five years...

..you'll pass legislation

giving Danto control of schools, hospitals,

housing, police, City Hall.

You'll do that.

They'll own the city.

Look at New Orleans.

Before Hurricane Katrina, the schools, the hospitals, all publicly owned.

Who do you think owns them now?

Because every crisis is an opportunity.

A natural disaster smashes a city to pieces, and what comes out of it?

Community?

Togetherness?

No.

The teachers' unions had their contracts ripped up.

4,700 members were fired.

Our great institutions will be publicly funded

but privately owned...

with one agenda - profit.

Pure capitalism has arrived.

And you want to be part of that?

Open your eyes, look around you.

They've won. It's done.

The war's over.

It is a corporate finance government.

It is a hedge fund government.

What if I speak out?

Say I killed Henry Pulis,

and this multinational corporation are using that to rule this city?

It's too late for that.

Your wife knows.

She's implicated.

She goes to jail, too.

How's that going to feel for your children?

It's one blackout memory I can't get hold of.

I'm on a rooftop.

On the edge.

Don't know whether I'm there to jump

or I'm running from someone.

Just...

looking down.

Looking down.

Daniel...

Daniel!

Talk to me.

The kids will be up soon - we should go in.

What are you going to do?

I'll have to give them what they want.

-TV:

-'Officers are now out in force across the city.

'Members of the public have been urged to come forward with any information.

'Although it seems there are currently no active leads in the investigation,

'it is believed the deployment of extra officers

'have increased the chances of finding Detective Bevan safe and well.'

OK, be careful, have a good day.

See you, Dad.

-Come on, Charlie.

-Mind the road.

HE SIGHS

At our last meeting, we agreed a way for the co-operative

to finance plant and set-up costs.

But we need to face political reality and...

look at the Danto offer in a broader context.

Investment is needed right across the city.

We need substantial financing to create jobs, prosperity, growth.

I've asked Jerry to look at the Danto proposal...

and make a recommendation.

THEY WHISPER

'Ground floor.'

Why do this?

I've watched you fighting for the working man for years. What happened?

You remember...

back when we used to love community, justice, togetherness...

our fellow man?

Now...I just love burgers,

tits

and sugar.

All that matters is our entitlement to cheap petrol and designer babywear.

So bring it on.

Bring it on till we all choke on it.

People are so easily bought.

And that's what they deserve. They deserve to live in ignorance.

So it's revenge?

You believed in the people, and they let you down.

It doesn't really matter what you believe.

What matters is what you do.

What you do, Mr Mayor,

is what you're told to do

by the people that own you.

His teacher said he's been completely withdrawn recently.

They're suspending him again, because he hit another child today.

They think he's suffering from depression.

-They want him to see a therapist.

-I don't think he needs that.

I think it's just two kids having a fight in school.

I won't let you make this all right. This is not acceptable.

-I do not want him t...

-Turning out like his dad.

Come on. Let's get him home.

Luke?

Luke, come on, sit up.

What's going on?

TV IS ON

Come on, Charlie, homework.

Luke's going to be OK. Get your bag.

I'll take you to dancing.

Let him sleep tonight.

It's...a reaction, shock.

I put my hand in my pocket at work today and found Pulis's phone.

I forgot it was there. I've been carrying this around with me.

Give it to me.

Why, what are you going to do with it?

I don't know...throw it in the canal, or something. Give it me.

-I don't want to be scared of you.

-You don't have to be.

No, I know I don't, if you don't drink.

If you're scared of me, don't stay.

I mean it.

Don't be anywhere near me if it scares you.

TRAIN HORN BLARES

HE GASPS

Argh... HE COUGHS

TV IS ON

-TV:

-'And members of the public have been urged to come forward

'with any information.'

BULLETIN CONTINUES

PHONE BEEPING

Meg, what are you doing?

Got no credit on my phone, and I want to text Cherry.

Give me my phone.

Dad, go easy, it's one text.

Give me my phone!

PHONE RINGS

-RINGING TONE

-Where do you live?

You can't come here - my ex might turn up.

Just tell me where you live.

Apartment 8, Upper Northern.

OK.

The girls are awake. You'll have to be quiet.

SHE POURS WINE

Sylvie...when I was with you, I was a drunk.

I did things I should never have done.

But I'm sober now.

I've just dropped my daughter off at dancing.

My eldest son's unwell...

I think he might be having some kind of a breakdown.

I want to be there for my kids now.

I need to be a father to them.

I'd like to look in the mirror and not hate what I see.

We can't be involved any more.

I thought we had found something.

I'm sorry.

CHILD SHOUTS

Um...give me a minute.

Mum!

Mum!

CRASH OUTSIDE

DOG BARKS

It's...it's just a fox.

She's always out there pulling the bins over.

Girls call her Roxy.

You understand why I'm doing this?

Course.

Your kids have to come first.

I have to be honest with you.

I love my wife.

She's lucky, then.

You're safe. I can't go to the police.

My ex is a detective.

It's the last thing I could do,

and if you knew him, you'd understand why.

Take care of yourself.

You're not going to crack up on me, are you, Danny boy?

Hey, you ever look at your daughter and think,

"I hope she never finds out the man I am"?

I've come to tell you

your offer to hand over the plant...

to make the co-operative possible...

we're going to go a different way.

We're going with Danto.

They were in my house!

I mean...

...who are they?

They attacked me right outside of my own bedroom.

Walk away.

You know something.

What do you know?

Why are you doing this?

I'm...trying to make it right.

Excuse me.

Do you remember me?

Yeah. I remember you.

I wanted to ask you...

you said to Daniel...

He was looking for someone, and you said to him,

"Did you find the friend you were looking for?"

-Mr Demoys your boyfriend?

-No, he's not my boyfriend!

Are you saying...

was it a woman he was looking for?

Please...

help me.

Yeah.

Yeah, it was a woman.

They were out here quite a while, you know.

And he was pretty wasted, so I wanted to make sure she was OK.

I don't trust him.

I only let him drink here because I owe him.

-I heard his voice.

-'Sylvie...'

My Sylvie...

My Sylvie...

"My Sylvie"?!

"My Sylvie."

SIREN WAILS

VOICE ON POLICE RADIO

PHONE RINGS

Who's this?

'Bevan.'

-'Need to talk to you.'

-Where?

The first time I met you.

Mr Mayor.

Detective Griffin.

Detective Bevan was in a car accident.

That's what they're saying on the TV, so it must be true.

That's very funny.

I just wondered if you might have heard from him.

Yeah, course. Everyone who crashes their car calls the mayor(!)

LIFT BELL RINGS

'Ground floor.'

TRAIN HORN BLARES

GROANING

COUGHING

What happened?

They tried to kill me.

They ran me off the road.

-So now I know I was close to the truth.

-I'll get you to hospital.

It's not safe in the hospital.

They'll find me again, they'll try to kill me again.

They didn't kill you the first time.

Well, maybe they did.

-They found you digging around the Pulis murder.

-Not last night, I wasn't. Last night, I was...

...I was trying to find out who's fucking my wife.

Who's covering this up?

Is it Griffin?

Ssh...

Maybe they'll let me find Waters, huh?

BEVAN BREATHES HEAVILY

JD.

It was in Griffin's office.

Everything else was names.

This is initials - JD. You know who JD is?

Jerry Durrans, Chief of Staff, City Hall.

You've got rats in your house, Mr Mayor.

PHONE RINGS

-Alex.

-'Daniel. Meg is missing.

'Um...I-I-I went to collect her from dancing, she wasn't there,

'they said she hadn't even been into class.

'Her phone is going straight to messages.'

Someone knows about this...

a detective...Griffin.

Him and Jerry are behind it.

'Hi, it's Meg.

'I got my messages. I'll call you back if I can be bothered.'

Meg...

it's important. Just...call me, OK?

-That's what she said.

-BOTH LAUGH

SPEECH INAUDIBLE

Daniel!

-Where is she?

-Stop it, Daniel! What's going on?

-Argh!

-Where is she?

-What are you talking about?!

Daniel! Stop it!

-You fucking know!

-Stop it, please!

Do you think you can scare me with this?

Well, you find Griffin and you tell him to call me.

-What are you talking about?!

-What is going on?

-Meg's missing.

Why would Jerry know where she is?

If anything happens to my daughter, the last thing I'll do on this earth, I'll come after you.

I want to know, what is going on?!

You tell her.

What have you done?

Tell me.

Jerry, tell me!

ALEX: No more excuses...

There's Jerry, there's Griffin - that's all I know.

You will call whoever they are and tell them whatever they want to know. You do it!

And you tell them I want our daughter back.

If they have her, they'll come to us.

-If they want to use this to keep us obedient, they'll call.

-What are you doing?

This is what it's going to be like, isn't it? One big hell, full of fear.

-MEG:

-'Dad...'

-Where are you?

-'I'm all alone and I...'

Tell me where you are. I want to come and find you.

-'I need you.'

-Tell me where you are.

'I'm at the cemetery. I need you, Dad.'

-She's at the cemetery.

-BUZZER

-Who's Sylvie?

-Ruth...my daughter, I have to go to her.

She's the woman the police are looking for, isn't she?

Silver buckles.

You were at the Yellowmoon with her that night.

You saw my father that night!

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I have to go to my daughter.

Megan!

Megan!

Meg!

Where are you? Megan!

Megan!

Megan... Oh, God.

Megan!

Please...

Help!

Megan...

Please, Megan.

Hello! Please!

Please can I get some help here, please?

-Move, move, move!

-What's happened?

-I think she's been drinking.

-What's her name?

-Megan. Megan Demoys.

-Megan, can you hear me?

-She's been drinking.

It's drink.

Come on, Megan.

Oh, please...please...please.

PANTS

There were bottles on the ground.

She looks hollowed out.

I did that to you for years.

Yeah, well, Meg is not the same.

She just got drunk with her mates. It never happened before.

It doesn't mean she's the same.

Let's just get her home,

get her well.

You don't have to tell me anything.

I'm a nurse, a drunk, a nothing.

An alcoholic stops drinking, things tend to get worse.

Because...

..until we abandon ourselves...

Your secrets will kill you, Daniel.

I didn't want my wife and kids pulled into this chaos.

You said...

..a purpose...

there's a reason for this all happening.

I'm trying, Donna.

I want to pay.

We might be done with the past, but the past is not done with us.

There is a simple truth that works for me.

I have to be honest, or my illness will kill me.

I keep telling you that, Daniel.

Whatever it is you have done,

you want to pay by being mayor, doing good things.

I have a question for you.

Is it working?

You want to know what the spiritual solution is?

The constant thought of others.

I don't know where he is and I don't want to know where he is.

He just vanished.

What did he tell you?

Danto...

..worst thing that happened in my life.

You were almost killed, and he used that.

To me, that is beyond belief.

Everything he has said to me...lies.

Can hardly bear to be in the same city as him.

If I see him, he knows if I ever see him, I'll walk past him.

What happens if I keep the baby?

That's part of him, isn't it?

He has betrayed me...

so deeply - that would always be in my life.

It would be unbearable... if you let it be unbearable.

But that child's part of you too.

I want to keep it.

I need a lawyer.

-Daniel...

-I need a sister.

I need a sister, I need a lawyer.

I need someone who believes in me.

-Did you go to the police?

-Why would I do that?

They already know.

They're the ones protecting you.

No wonder they were getting nowhere.

I have to ask you something for my ch...

"Get away, Ruth! You have to leave it alone, Ruth.

"You deserve a life, Ruth."

You may not go to prison,

but I hope you go to hell.

I want you to say it.

Say!

Say it!

I...killed your father.

Thank you.

I could go to the press.

But nothing changes.

My own father was rotten.

My brain is screaming...

get away.

Get out.

Or this place'll kill you.

I know I said there wasn't...

..but there was a man.

I was going down the clubs.

I want to tell you about them now.

It was hopeless, really. I met this bloke

and I thought it was something.

I wake up hating myself.

And then I want him again.

So much has happened, I'm scared to tell you, but I had to tell you about...

Don't tell me.

Shh.

Shh.

You want to tell me - that's enough.

He's a bloke, he's a bloke.

That's enough.

I have a husband.

And I have two kids.

And I didn't even notice.

Oh...

I just want to lie down and sleep.

If I ever ask you,

never tell me.

Promise me you'll never tell me who he is.

I promise.

The man trying to destroy me, I have to find him, finish this.

So we can start again.

-DANIEL:

-I was convinced I could live with my conscience if I was doing some good.

Never possible.

There's only one way to pay now.

We have Pulis's phone. That's the way to get you out of this.

No, I won't do that.

You take it to a lawyer, someone untouchable,

tell him you found it in the house.

If I take the phone to a lawyer,

our children will believe I betrayed you.

No.

Our children will see their mother telling the truth,

doing the right thing.

We have dinner with them tonight

so they can look back and see that I didn't want to just vanish.

They're going to want to know why I'm taking them away.

Well, we tell them it's because I'm the mayor.

We have to act as if nothing's changed.

We can't show any signs of running.

So we don't tell them anything until the last minute.

OK?

You're right.

I hate it, but you're right.

They have to believe you're innocent.

That's the most important thing.

They can turn against me, they can hate me, but they have to trust you.

Lukio...

..you're scaring your mum.

We just want to help you.

All we want is to have you back with us.

What's going on?

What if you could say it in one sentence?

One word.

What's going on.

Can you do that?

Shame.

Oh, Luke...

..I know how that feels.

Can I ask you one thing?

I know somebody...

She's not a therapist, nothing like that.

But she knows this stuff.

Will you meet her?

You're already doing better than me, Luke.

At your age, I couldn't have done this.

Sit in a cafe with some old woman who has turned up out of nowhere.

Think I'm odd?

I think I'm odd.

OK if I ask you some questions?

You wake up with a big feeling of dread in the pit of your stomach, hm?

You don't know which Dad is going to turn up.

You never feel safe.

Walk on eggshells.

Best to keep quiet, stay invisible, stay way out of the way.

Hm?

You have feelings that get so big,

they're not you any more.

They get a life of their own.

What you feel, it doesn't come from nowhere.

You're the child of an alcoholic - that means something.

That has done something to you.

This is a family illness.

Sitting here, Luke, you're already my hero.

So many kids are just like you, Luke.

You're not alone.

And be clear, young man, this is not your fault.

You with me?

Don't nod - say it.

If you say it, if you keep saying it,

until you believe it, it'll set you free.

"It is not my fault."

It...

it...it...it is not my fault.

And be clear, young man, I'm not saying your father is bad.

He is ill, and let's all pray he wants to get well and stay well.

But you have to admit that you have a problem too...

in your head.

We have to take that away before you pick up a drink.

-I hate swimming!

-Well, what do you want to do instead?

Boxing!

THEY LAUGH

Boxing?

-What about your swimming?

-I don't like getting wet.

THEY LAUGH

There's heavyweight, lightweight, flyweight and now Charlie-weight.

THEY CHUCKLE

Listen, I want you all to pack a bag.

Not much, but do it now.

Your mum's going to take you away for a few days.

Why are we going at night... all of a sudden?

Because your dad's the mayor

and sometimes he has to do things that people don't like.

They might...kick up a fuss.

Just want you out of the way for a short time.

I don't want to.

Wanting doesn't come into it, sweetheart.

Where will you be, then, Dad?

I'm going to find your mum's chocolates and I'll be feet up in front of the telly.

Eat up, Rocky - you're going to need it.

You're only going for a few days.

You say we're only going for a few days,

but you're not saying you'll see us in a few days.

(SOBS) Love you, Dad.

I know you do, Lukio.

What I mean is...

..I always love you.

The last time I was here...

I said we had to look at the Danto contract.

What I in fact meant was...

let's sell our souls.

I heard myself use the poisonous phrase "political reality".

Well, there's only one political reality that matters now -

what's best for this city.

Daniel, shouldn't Jerry be here? I mean...

Jerry's not the mayor.

I've had some papers drawn up.

As of now,

as of this minute...

..it's done.

This is an exclusive 20-year contract

which states that all city services will be governed, run and owned

by the people who do the work.

MUTTERING

There's a stipulation in here which makes it impossible

for this contract to be sold on.

The people of this city gave me the power.

Now I'm giving it away.

And by the end of the day,

I'll have done that with schools, hospitals and water.

Bloody hell.

MUTTERING

You back on the sauce?

I don't care what you do to me.

My children are safe.

If you're thinking of telling the world that I killed Henry Pulis,

you better do it before I do it myself.

You want to come clean?

For what?

So you can hold your head up?

You think this is over?

It's not over until Danto say it's over.

You go as far up the chain as you can and you take this message.

Tell them..."Come here, come to City Hall,

"and look me in the eye."

When there's bad news...

they like to hear it straight away.

We've lost him. Says he can't do this any more.

You want me to do what I need to do?

Then we need to put it in place now.

I just need to deal with one thing first.

Bevan!

You look like a ghost.

What are you doing here?

I'm looking for you.

Now you've found me.

Let's get you sorted.

You're dying fast.

Who killed Henry Pulis?

Was it you?

-Was it Jerry Durrans?

-Where is Durrans?

Go looking for him too?

Who killed Henry Pulis?

You're a fucking joke, Bevan.

You're no more than a pain, Bevan.

You are a skid mark, Bevan.

You lose...

you always lose.

Why is that, hm?

Why are you the one with your face down in a ditch?

Cos you never learn.

Conducive.

You want to know who's fucking your wife? I'll tell you.

Anyone...

who wants to.

SQUELCHING

GRIFFIN GURGLES

Argh...

Ah...

-GRIFFIN GASPS

-Shh...

HUBBUB

I'm doing this here because I want to speak to the city...

speak to the people who voted for me...

..speak to my family.

I'm doing it like this in public so it can't be covered up.

There are people who want to bury the truth.

I was one of them.

Today, I'm going to be honest.

Admit what I've done.

-DANIEL:

-I killed a man.

SIREN WAILS

I killed Henry Pulis.