Episode 2 The Driver

He's an armed robber. I want him out of here.

-Col tells me you're a driver.

-Cabbie, yeah.

-How would you like to earn yourself a bit extra?

-Doing what?

-Driving.

Driving lessons. Thank you!

Happy anniversary. I've booked us a table.

-DOORBELL RINGS

-You're needed.

-Vince!

I'll be back in time for the dinner. Don't worry.

-Hey! Will you leave it?

-Just drive.

This programme contains some violent scenes and some strong language.

MUFFLED SCREAMING

All right, this'll do.

MUFFLED SHOUTING AND BANGING

What are you going to do to him?

What am I going to do?

Exactly what I've been told to do.

Come on, help me get him out.

Hey. I'm just the driver, aren't I?

I can't get involved in this.

Help me get him out and then you can stay in the car.

-All right?

-I'm sorry, yeah.

-Please don't...

-Shut up! Shut up!

-If you hurt me, yeah, they'll find you, they'll kill you!

-Get out!

All right, just mind your head.

All right, whoa, hey!

All right, all right, leave it!

-Please...

-Shut up.

-I know...

-Walk.

-..I should never have done it, yeah?

-This way.

-Look, I know I should...

-Come on, help me get him!

Jesus! Help me get him, will you?

Col, leave him! Col!

Col!

Just leave it, will you?

Just leave it. You're all right, mate.

Shut up and walk, will you? That way.

Look, I'm sorry. Please!

Shut up!

-You'll have to help me get him t'hole.

-Col...

-Please!

-..you're joking.

-Not the hole, please!

-Shut up.

-Please, please, please!

-Shut up!

Will you wait? He's just a kid, ain't he?

Go back to the car.

-What are you doing?

-Go back to the car!

Go. Go!

-Please, no!

-Shut up.

Ow!

-Please, please!

-Wait, wait, wait there.

Please! Look, I'm sorry.

Please, yeah, don't!

HE SCREAMS

Just so you know...

The Horse didn't ask for you.

I just wanted company.

It's just here.

And your coats?

-Thanks.

-Thank you. Thank you.

Thanks.

Sir?

Vince.

Oh, sorry.

God, this place is amazing.

I read a review online.

Said it's the hot new place to be seen, and here we are being seen.

Don't look now but there's three members of Coronation Street

at a far table.

Famous people!

I'm just going to the bog.

-Vince.

-What?

"Bog"?

In here you could at least attempt sophistication.

'Col's phone, leave a message.'

Yeah, it's me. Call me, all right?

I want to talk to you. Just call me.

No, no, no, don't dismiss the idea.

Six weeks, we could take all our holidays at once.

Hire one of those huge American cars, a Chevy, is it, with the wings?

And just drive, coast to coast.

I've always wanted to do that.

Wind in our hair, stereo banging out,

be like a little piece of heaven.

You're drunk.

-You're going to get hammered.

-Oh, so what?

Let's get hammered, we used to get hammered all the time.

I am with my husband in a posh restaurant,

why shouldn't I get hammered? Here.

You were right...

..what you said earlier.

Life can be good again.

All we need to do is pretend our son doesn't exist.

Why would you say that?

Why won't you talk about him?

-I'm talking about us, our marriage.

-And he's a part of that.

It's like a grief, isn't it? You've got to go through the stages.

You're in denial.

-That's not true.

-You suppressed it, Ros. You said so yourself.

Can we just have a nice night?

-You blame me, don't you?

-Vince, please.

-You still blame me. Don't deny it.

-God! I do not blame you.

So what else could I have done? What? Beat him up?

Locked him in his room? He was 17.

For God's sake, why are you pursuing this?

They brainwashed him. They got into his mind.

-Tell me what else I could have done.

-You could have brought him home.

You went over there, you went to see him, you should've brought him home.

MOBILE PHONE RINGS

Answer it.

Vince.

I'll take it outside.

I mean, who was he, huh?

What had he done?

'You know, I, I can't get it out of my head.

'You said you were just going to teach him a lesson.'

-You should never have taken me.

-'Calm down, just calm down.'

-I need to know.

-'Correction - you don't need to know.'

As a matter of fact you're better off not knowing.

-Just tell me. Who was he?

-'He was a germ. He was a scroat, right?

'A nobody, and trust me, what happened tonight,'

-he would've done the same to you in a heartbeat.

-'I can't do this.

'I can't believe he deserved that. It's not what I signed up for.'

A bit of driving like I do now,

-I mean, that's all I agreed.

-'You knew what you were getting into.'

You knew there was risks.

Risks...

Yeah, but not sticking some kid down a hole!

'You can't question The Horse,

'otherwise you'll find yourself down the hole too.

'Remember, Vince, you wanted this, yeah? Remember?

'You wanted something new in your life.'

Yeah? Cos every single day you were getting shat on from a great height.

'Well, congratulations, here it is, your new life.'

And guess what, mate? Shitty things happen in this job too.

I...

It was work.

Wanted to know if I could start early.

Look, I'm...

I'm sorry for bringing up... For ruining the evening, you know?

I'm sorry too, for what I said.

Shall we get the bill, eh? Go home?

I want a brandy.

Double. And then we're going to go to a bar and have another.

And another. And we're not going home until we can't walk anymore.

GUNSHOT

Tim!

# Go... #

-RADIO:

-Good morning from NWA radio. It's six o'clock in the morning

and before we start our usual request show, here's some news...

Hello?

Can you hear me?

I'm going to help you, all right?

If I throw down a rope, can you, can you climb up?

OK, well, I'm coming down.

Mind yourself, all right?

HE MOANS IN PAIN

All right?

Going to try and get you out of here.

Ah!

Oh, Jesus.

How am I going to do this?

Listen, you're bleeding a lot.

All right, I've got to get you out of here.

I'm going to put the rope around you

and I'm going to tie a knot in it so it doesn't crush you

but you're going to have to hold on to it tight or...

HE SCREAMS IN PAIN

HE SCREAMS IN PAIN

Hey, are you all right?

Hurry up!

HE SCREAMS IN PAIN

Mate, hey, listen, just...

I know you're in pain,

but just keep the noise down just for a second, will you?

Just shut up for a sec, all right?

3-5, logging on.

-HE GROANS IN PAIN

-Shut up.

-ON RADIO:

-All right, Vince, you're up bright and early.

Yeah, you wouldn't believe me if I told you.

Listen, Jane, I want to get started, so give me anything, will you?

Craven Arms, 7:45?

Got that, I'm on it. I'm on it now.

You're all right, we won't be long.

All right.

Hey, mate. I'm a cab driver. I found someone in the middle of the road.

-He's injured.

-How badly?

-Yeah, serious.

-Show me.

Ah, shit.

Is he going to be all right?

HE SCREAMS IN PAIN

-You found him like this?

-Yeah, he was just lying there.

I didn't know what to do.

Well, wait around, we'll need to take some details from you.

Oh, jeez!

-Hello.

-Hi, come in.

-Nice to see you.

-Hi.

Never drink coffee while you're driving, eh?

Spilt it all over myself.

Hi.

Coffee stains won't come out in an ordinary wash.

-You need stain remover.

-Really?

You should have asked me.

Well, I didn't want to disturb you, you know.

Where did you go this morning?

I just couldn't sleep, so I thought, you know,

I'd try and get some early bird work.

Amount we drank last night, it's a wonder you weren't over the limit.

I was fine.

I'd better get back to my group.

WASHING MACHINE WHIRLS

So, taste each of the samples and after you've done so,

rate each of them one to ten, ten being the highest.

-I'll give you some time.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

SHOWER RUNNING IN BACKGROUND

Why have you got two phones?

-You what?

-Two phones.

This one and this one.

You've been going through my things?

Yeah, well, I needed to know the time.

Why were you going through my things?

-You think I'm up to something?

-Well, are you?

-No.

-So, why have you got two phones?

It's a job, all right? A private job.

A little bit of work on the side.

For who?

Businessman, his name's Tommy.

He couldn't get hold of me one time so he bought me this crappy phone.

Doing what?

Just driving, you know, just like on the cabs now.

Except without Amjad taking his cut.

-And you never mentioned this.

-I didn't want to worry you.

-What if he finds out?

-He won't.

-How do you know that?

Ros, will you trust me? Hey? I'm not an idiot.

It's just a little bit of work, you know, and it's good money.

How else do you think I paid for those driving lessons?

I hope you know what you're getting yourself into.

My office.

Now!

Close the door.

You're not even supposed to be working mornings.

You never work mornings.

But you call in, request a job,

then don't bother attending.

What the fuck?

I helped to save a dying man.

Are you taking the piss?

I found him on the side of the road.

Phone the hospital if you don't believe me.

And last night, what happened last night?

Because you weren't here earning me money.

Were you saving a dying man last night as well, Vince?

My wife's had an operation, I had to look after her.

An operation?

So there is a dying man and a wife with an operation.

Anything else?

-A dog with the fleas?

-Is that all?

Yeah, Vince, that's all.

Maybe the rest of the day will be less eventful.

RADIO PLAYS IN BACKGROUND

There you go.

So how's the dating game going?

Very strange people out there, mate, very strange.

I met this bird last night, wanted me to dress up as her dead father.

So what was that, a sharp exit, then?

No, I dressed up as her dead dad. A shag's a shag, innit?

MOBILE PHONE VIBRATES

What?

I'm at work.

I said, "Don't ring me when I'm at work," and you're ringing me at work.

I said, "Don't ring me at work."

You didn't do as I asked.

You just went off on your own.

One-man band, that, Vince.

It just isn't tolerated.

MOBILE PHONE RINGS

Hello?

-You're needed. Come over as soon as you can.

-OK.

Hi, I'm Donna.

Hi, I'm Vince.

Nice to meet you. Come in, he's expecting you.

Come in.

There's an aeroplane landing in one hour.

On it is a man - Mr Reynolds.

He has a present for me.

I want you to go and pick it up.

The present is in his suitcase.

I want you to collect the suitcase and bring it to this address.

Shit!

Sorry, I'm just a bit...

Yeah.

Don't let me down.

DOORBELL RINGS

Ros, my darling!

Sorry to hear you have been in hospital.

Still, you look like you're making a sterling recovery.

-Vince not home yet?

-Er, no.

He's popped down the chemist.

Has he?

Has he really?

Well, tell him I stopped by, won't you?

Hope you soon feel better.

Echinacea and a hot bath.

-Oh, I'm ever so sorry.

-It's all right.

Tell him we're quits now.

I owe him nothing, yes?

ELEVATOR DOORS BEEP

ELEVATOR: Doors closing.

Doors closing.

-Just got back into the country?

-Yeah, yeah, that's right.

Where from?

Ah, Madrid, you know, just...business trip.

Damn cold, isn't it?

Well, I sure hope my lift gets here.

If I have to stand out in this any longer, I'll die of exposure.

-Have a great evening.

-And you.

'Change of plan - bring the case to me.

'Make sure you're not followed and then the evening's yours.'

Did you know that house was for sale?

What house?

-The one across the road.

-No.

There's people moving in.

It must have been for sale, then.

Who was there before? Do you remember?

No, I've got no idea.

Oh, wasn't it that weird bloke with a dog?

How can we not remember who our neighbour was, eh?

Dad, it's not the 1970s. They've got iPhones now.

Yeah?

Morning.

Amjad came round.

-When?

-Yesterday.

You'd told him I'd been in hospital. He brought flowers.

Why didn't you tell me last night?

What the hell is going on, Vince? Where were you? With Col?

No. You know where I was, it was that job I told you about.

He wanted some driving doing last minute, so I just lied.

Saying I'd been in hospital?

It was the first thing that came into my head, sorry.

Vince, he was clearly checking up on you. What if he sacks you?

-He won't.

-How do you know?

-Things are hard enough as it is.

-He won't, all right? Don't worry.

Why did you have blood on your shirt?

Sorry?

It wasn't coffee.

-It was.

-Vince, I checked your shirt, it wasn't coffee.

It was coffee.

-You're lying.

-I'm not.

-I know you too well.

I'm not lying!

Dad?

Dad!

-KNOCK ON DOOR

-Dad?

You OK, Dad?

Dad?

Why are you in Tim's room?

Dad, why aren't you answering me?

Dad!

Just give us a second, will you, Katie?

-Has something happened?

-Will you just give us a sec?

-Mum!

-What?

-Dad's crying.

Katie, will you shut up?

-Dad!

-No. Just leave it, will you?

Vince, you're freaking me out.

He was crying. He was crying, Mum. Last night he was acting

-really weird about the neighbours moving in.

-Just leave it.

-Dad!

Vince. Vince, wait!

Wait!

Oi!

-Hello?

-Hi, I'm looking for Tim McKee.

-And you are?

-I'm his father.

I see.

Hey!

Hey, open the door!

I'm not going anywhere so you might as well open the door.

-He doesn't want to see you.

-Have you asked him?

-We don't want any trouble...

-Tim!

-..but you have to respect your son's wishes.

-You haven't asked him!

-We know what he wants.

-How do you know? Tim!

He doesn't want to see you.

-We're a community.

-No, you're a cult.

-A community.

-Yeah, well, I'm his father.

-Not any more.

Don't start that crap with me, mate. I'm looking for my son.

-I'm looking for Tim...

-Tim has no parents, no siblings, no relations...

-Don't you start that crap with me, mate.

-He's chosen his own family.

I'll tear your head off!

-I'm looking for my son.

-Lower your voice, remain calm.

Don't tell me what to do, mate.

-All right?

-Trouble?

-I'm looking for...

-This is Tim's birth father.

He's arrived unannounced,

I've asked him to leave. He's refusing to cooperate.

-Mr McKee?

-That's right, yeah.

I'm going to explain how things work here.

I'm going to speak and I'd like you to listen very, very, carefully.

-Do you want some as well, do you?

-No, no.

-Eh?

-No.

Come on. Any of you?

Hey, Tim? Get out of my way. Tim!

Tim! Tim!

Tim, it's me! It's your dad!

-Vince, this is a mistake.

-Amanda, get out of my way.

-We've made our choices, you know how we feel.

-Get out of my way, Amanda.

I want to talk to my son.

I'm afraid that's not possible. We need you to leave.

I'm not going anywhere until I've talked to him. Yeah, come on.

Come on, I dare you. I'd love you to.

If violence is your language, it's no wonder your son left.

What are you scared of, eh?

That they'll reject you? They'll walk away from this sham

and never come back, is that it?

Not at all. Tim knows his own mind.

All right, then. Let me talk to him.

Five minutes, no more.

Tim, come on, it's your dad.

Open up, I want to talk to you.

Come on, mate. Come on.

It's all right, the fella said I could.

Come on, Tim, just let me know you can hear me, will you?

Tim, can you hear me?

Please, mate...

All right, I'm just going to talk and assume that you can, all right?

Tim, you're my boy, you're my son, all right?

And ever since I first saw your face,

I've loved you more than you can possibly imagine.

And I want you back, I want you home.

More than anything, we all want you home.

I know you felt isolated and you felt lost

and life didn't add up to much,

but this place you've chosen, mate, it's not real.

And you can kick out at the world, you can be angry.

You can want to change things, but just include us with it,

include your mum and your sister and me because it's tearing us apart.

We're not angry with you. I'm not angry. You know, we just...

just don't understand...

..where it all went wrong.

How did we get here, eh?

Come on, I need to see your face.

I want to see your face.

I want to make sure that you're all right.

Let me see your face.

Vince, I'm sorry.

Come on, I want you home now!

I want you home now...

I want you home now. I want you home.

Please...

Come on.

I love you.

Can you enlarge the image?

Pull down to the registration plate.

Perfect.

PHONE RINGS

'Hello?'

-Where are you?

-'I'm at the hospital.'

The hospital?

Yeah, Sarah's had a baby. Me and my mum are visiting.

'Craig wasn't happy, he threw me out,

'but I got a quick look at the baby.'

'What did she have?'

It's a boy.

'She's had a son.'

-She's calling it Fernando.

-'Fernando?'

-I know!

Listen, mate, I need to talk to you soon. Do you fancy a drink?

Yeah, all right.

Just like me, you know, it was like looking at my own kid.

Got a lovely little face, gorgeous, and these little tiny hands.

I'm just sitting there, you know, making small talk,

having to pretend to be happy for them, you know,

and I'm just looking at these delicate little hands

and suddenly I realised - like a blinding flash, it hit me.

-What did?

-The solution to my problem.

My Craig and Sarah problem.

Put Craig down the hole.

Don't think about it.

Craig disappears, Sarah's heartbroken, right?

She's a new mum, she can't cope.

I steam in, you know, shoulder to cry on, supportive.

I help look after little Fernando,

try and persuade her to change his name.

Before you know it, you know, I'm back where I should be,

with me feet under the table, but with a ready-made bonus...

of a lickle baby...

that coincidentally looks exactly like me.

Think about it. I mean, come on, honestly, hand on heart,

where's the flaw in that plan?

You have to kill your own brother.

The brother that shafted me, the brother that stole my life.

-He didn't steal your life.

-He stole Sarah.

You were in prison for six years.

When are you going to stop obsessing about this, eh?

When are you going to realise that it's over? That she's had his baby?

I can win her back.

Will you just..?

-What's this? An intervention?

-Stop feeling sorry for yourself.

Thanks for the advice. I enjoyed our little chat.

Col, you're out of prison now, you've got everything ahead of you,

so stop wasting your life.

Yeah, well, you'd know about that, wouldn't you?

I've got a wife and I've got kids.

Look how happy it's made you -

so happy you're hanging round with me.

Jesus, Vince, something must be bad.

-I thought you wanted to chat.

-Yeah, I did.

PHONE RINGS

Hello.

'What have I told you about not answering this phone?'

-Have you seen Col?

-Not recently, no.

'Prick's disappeared.'

I need you to pick up Darren and Woodsy.

Soon as possible, from the club.

Yeah, OK, I'm on my way.

-You all right, Vince?

-Yeah, all right.

-How's your day?

Had better.

-Where we going?

-We'll direct you.

Do you want to stick the radio on?

MUSIC STARTS

What are we doing?

You're not doing anything. You stay here.

Me and Woods have got to attend to something.

Yeah, but...

I mean, you can tell me a few things, can't you?

Here you are.

What are you doing?

We can't get hold of Col,

so we're just checking he's done what he was told to,

and that's all I can tell you.

There's no-one in there.

There's blood.

How would he have got out?

'This is Colin's phone.

'If it's urgent, ring me mum's, if not, just leaves a message.'

The police are here.

-Right.

-They say you picked up an injured man off the street.

I was going to tell you,

but I didn't want to freak you out, all right?

Ah, Mr McKee.

Yeah. I presume this is about that guy I found, yeah?

Just a couple of questions, won't take long.

You've got a brew, do you mind if I get one?

The paramedic says he asked you to hang around,

give them a statement for when we arrived.

Yeah, I didn't want to get involved.

You know, I took him to the hospital and that was my bit done.

-Can you confirm where you found him?

-High Lane.

Halfway down, you know where it curves round by the park?

I was on a job and he was just...just lying there.

-So you stopped?

-Well, wouldn't you?

-Might have called an ambulance.

-Well, he was in a bad way, you know?

-That's all the more reason.

-Sorry, but have I done something wrong?

Not at all. It's just routine.

I panicked.

I've never seen anyone like that before and...

You know, I made the call - this guy needs help and he needs it fast,

so I just...

I just took him. Sorry.

-Tell us about the rope that was attached to your car.

-Rope?

The paramedic, he saw a rope attached to your bumper bar.

Oh, yeah, I was giving one of the other drivers a tow, that was all.

You didn't take it off?

No, it was... The knot was too tight, I was going to get a knife,

you know, when I got back to work but because of that, I didn't.

I know this is awkward, Vince, but we do need to ask these questions.

-Sure.

-There's something we have to inform you.

The man you helped is a known criminal.

His name is Joseph Paslowski.

He's a member of a very dangerous criminal gang

-that operates in another part of Manchester.

-Oh, my God.

We don't know what he was doing over this side of town,

but obviously we are... we're looking into it.

It doesn't put you in any danger. We're only telling you

because if we discover that his injuries

are linked to a serious crime...

you might be called upon to give evidence in court.

Court? Is that likely?

Has he said anything? I mean, you know, have you questioned him?

He slipped into a coma shortly after you delivered him.

Oh, my God.

Try not to worry.

Your world and their world rarely collide.

It just seems your husband was unfortunate -

wrong place, wrong time.

If we find anything to report, we'll be in touch.

That's a nasty cut on your hand. Get that seen to.

It's just one of the hazards of the trade, you know.

Is that why you had blood on your shirt?

Why wouldn't you tell me?

-Like I said, I was going...

-Don't give me that crap.

Where'd you been?

The only reason you didn't tell me

was because you'd have to explain where you were coming from,

so where were you coming from, Vince?

It was Col.

-I was looking for Col.

-At six in the morning?

Yeah. He called me. You know the night before?

You know when I said I was going to the airport?

-Well, I wasn't, it was Col.

-Oh...

-He was pissed, he was upset.

He wanted me to take him to see some girl and I said I would, all right?

And when I got there, she was in this house full of scumbags

and I was worried about him.

And the next morning it was going around my head,

so I thought I'd go and check on him and then I saw this guy.

I'm sorry. You know, I know I did a stupid thing.

I know I should have phoned an ambulance or something,

but I can't just leave someone to die alone. Can I?

Whoever they are.

Don't lie to me.

What's he got you involved with?

Nothing.

I am scared, Vince. I'm...

I'm scared. What's going on here?

It's supposed to be a bit of driving for him.

For who?

What driving?

It's a friend of Col's, that's all.

A friend of Col's?

A criminal.

-A businessman.

-What kind of businessman?

What the hell kind of businessman does Colin Vine know?

What have you got yourself involved in?

I'll go and tell them. I'll tell them now, I want to get out.

-What kind of businessman? A drug dealer?

-I don't know.

-What do you mean, you don't know?

How can you not know? What the hell have you got us involved in?!

I'll get out, all right? I'll tell them.

If you're driving for a criminal, you don't come back in this house.

Do you hear me? I warned you.

I warned you about getting involved with that idiot friend.

I'll tell them, don't worry.

-Vince.

-I need to see The Horse.

-It's not a good time.

-No, no. I need to talk to him.

It's important, you know?

You'd better come in.

Come in.

Have a seat.

So, do you want a drink?

-No, thanks.

-Drink? No?

I'm all right.

SHE HUMS

I'll tell him you're here, OK?

Yeah.

DOG BARKS

He says to go out.

Come.

DOG BARKS

It's your mate, look.

MAN CHUCKLES

HE SCREAMS

MAN CHUCKLES

He didn't do what I asked.

Once is an accident.

Twice starts to look like carelessness.

What didn't he do?

When I say someone's finished, they're finished.

I don't expect them to show up in the hospital.

HE SCREAMS

One solo job I give you and you screw it up.

Donna says you've something important to tell me.

No, it's not important. I just want to say, erm...

I'm sorry for not returning your calls, that's all...

Ah, well, yeah...

Come with me. I've something to show you.

HE YELPS

GARAGE DOOR CLOSES

There's a job coming up.

You don't need to know the details, but I need a good driver.

We need to get from here...

..to here.

Fastest possible route.

Side roads, back ways, using your expert knowledge.

What time of day?

Evening. Post rush hour.

-Right.

-Study it. From here to here.

-What's here?

-Another car.

That's the way it's done.

It works.

It always works.

The only time things go wrong...

is when people don't do what they're told.