London Road
Page 3
HELEN. / Yeah.
HELEN. / Mmm.
HELEN. / Mmm.
HELEN. Yeah. Well we assumed. We assumed. Particularly when – / I mean it was just prostitutes he seemed to be (Beat.) murdering. (Gently laughs.)
GORDON. / We assumed.
DODGE. I just think like ya know that okay. The erm – the people that lived round here wer-were just a bit more vigilant like ya know – they go out in couples ya know and then so I don’t think there was the fear – that – ya know. It’s weird that I don’t think that we – were going to be attacked.
ROSEMARY. No no – cos I think at my age erm, I could see that what he was targeting – sort of, slightly younger than me. Yeah – no I wasn’t frightened at all.
RON. I can’t say that people were concerned. The Neighbourhood Watch people – the main concern was once again – callin’ us a red-light area.
JUNE. Because he hant been caught (Beat.) an’ I think (Beat.) like, the sycartrist said – there was a statement (Beat.) ‘If – this man – is not caught, ee will murder again.’
TERRY. Yur.
JUNE. An’ that if he couldn’t find a prostitute – then that would could be – a just an ordinary – woman. (Beat.) So that – made people a little bit / (Beat.) scary.
TERRY. / That made, uh – that made the area (Beat.) more, uh – vulnerable in that sense.
Section Three
London Road sitting rooms.
DODGE. The first girl went missing an’ of course like erm ya know like the body wasn’t found. The second girl went missing – (Clicks fingers.) there you go. Here come the police. Anthen from then on we had a police presence, around the area. Ya know from, from, from the sort’of second girl goin’ missin’.
RON. I’ve never seen so many coppers. All from, all over the place. Somebody said there were five hundred policemen on this inquiry.
JULIE. They would knock on the door an’ we’d have these forms to fill in. ‘Do you recognise these ones?’ or ‘When did you last see her?’ an’ it’s ‘Can you remember what she was wearin’?’
JAN. Uh for each girls, there was an’ a team (Beat.) a-a different team –
TIM. Yeah.
JAN. An’ they all questioned us. (Beat.) I-it – it was – it / was getting (Beat.) awful –
TIM. / It just went (Beat.) it just went on and on and on.
JAN. We were so getting fed up wi’ just bein’ – asked (Beat.) ye know… / (Pause.) They were asking if you – had nose hair – ear hair (Beat.) ah w – ah (Beat.) goodness knows why / they – wanted to know that.
TIM. / Y –
TIM. / Y’know like –
JUNE. Well I fought ee was gonna be arrested.
TERRY. Err – yer mind goes blank (Beat.) ‘Where was you on Monday night?’ sortofthing – or whatever – day it was – can’t ’member zactly the date – an’ you couldn’t ’member whether I went out – or (Beat.) an’ so ya know you’re think – ‘W – where was I, what was I doin’?’ (Laughs.)
JUNE. Then they said (Beat.) ‘Wh – What colour is yer car?’
TERRY. Yer. (Beat.) I said ‘Well s’outside – burgundy, nn – ’
JUNE. ‘What c (Beat.) / erm, registration?’
TERRY. / Yeah.
JUNE. Well ee dint even know that, did you, ‘registration’.
They chuckle.
Men are all of them – well, if – peh lottof people are like that aren’t they? (Beat.) Then he said – ‘What colour eye – have you got blue eyes?’ (Beat.) I said ‘yes’, I think –
TERRY. Yeah, you said ‘yes’.
JUNE. An’ ee said, ‘Have you got a hairy chest?’ (Beat.) An’ I looked at him, an’ I thought, you know, where is this leadin’ to? (Beat.) ‘An’ what make – is your watch?’
TERRY. An’ then that was – / really –
JUNE. / Well then that was really – ee said, ‘I don’t know – I don’t kno’ cuz he ant got that one on – at the time. (Beat.) Had you – ee dint know which one ee ’ad on that night, ye know? An’ that was really – I thought, ee’s gonna take ’im away – in a minut.
They laugh.
(Laughing.) An’ I thought, not over my dead body! (Laughs.)
Stella’s Coffee Shop.
STELLA. Oh!
OLD LADY. Well we’ve never had anything like that before. No. Well no I tell a lie. My mum’s friend was murdered twenty-odd years ago yeah (Beat.) yeah. So yeah. (Beat.) Yeah she wa’ murderd and they never found anybody that erm (Beat.) that (Beat.) that killed ’er. Ya know so – yeah, this is (Beat.) quite big isn’t it? Yeah. Ha ha. (Beat.) We’re all a bit, ha ha – frightened to go out at night. (Beat.) Yeah. But then we are anyway! Ha ha. Yeah. Yeah but yeah.
STELLA. Erm – oh I didn’t put the brown sauce in did I? Ooooh! You’re distracting me! Ha hang on a sec. The funny thing that some people say that they’re terrified of going anywhere. I don’t think it’s affected many people I know like that.
CAROL ‘CREAMS’. You have to carry on living your life. It’s a tragic situation but everybody has to continue to do the good things that we do in Christian way that we do them. Erm there’s a hundred and seventeen thousand people I think live in Ipswich. (Beat.) I think that’s the correct figure. Ha ha ha. We’re looking for a tiny percentage. The rest of us must stick together.
STARBUCKS GIRL 1. You automatically think it could be him. / That’s the scary thing, you know he could be amongst us an’ loo walking around with us every day and we, we don’t know. / Which-like anyone. It could be anyone in here / for all we know which has now really scared me / now thinking about it. I’m just gonna like cry. Ha ha ha.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Ha ha ha.
STELLA. Erm, what have I gotta do next? Anybody?
STARBUCK GIRL 1. Cappuccino please.
STELLA. Takeaway?
STARBUCK GIRL 1. No.
STELLA. I might do you a coffee when this girl’s gone. Ha ha – oh de. It’s not usually quite so crazy. I think it’s Christmas…!
Song – ‘It Could Be Him’
STARBUCKS GIRL 1. You automatically think it could be him. / That’s the scary thing, you know he could be amongst us walking around with us every day and we, we don’t know. / Like anyone. It could be anyone in here / for all we know which has now really scared me now thinking about it. I’m just gonna like cry. Ha ha ha.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah.
STARBUCKS GIRL 1. Uhm well some serial killer seems to be on the loose! And erm has sort of attacked prostitutes from i the Ipswich area. And they’ve bin found dead, naked, in, various different areas surrounding Ipswich – one ten minutes away from my house, which is slightly scary! An’ it wason the body – on the land of a girl that goes to my school.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. Yeah. Yeah I think cos we’re in the countryside, you think it’s safer than it actually is. I always cos I – lies – y’know ‘Suffolk’ an’ everyone’s like ‘Oh iss really nice an’ stuff.’ Bu’ then when you know there’s actually someone out there, it’s a lot more scary so I ain’t been going anywhere on my own.
STARBUCKS GIRL 1. It’s not safe for young girls – an’ women out – / in Ipswich any more, it’s not safe. It’s quite scary to think how the world’s come to this.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah.
STARBUCKS GIRL 1. You automatically think it could be him. / That’s the scary thing, you know he could be amongst us walking around with us every day and we, we don’t know. / Like anyone. It could be anyone in here / for all we know which has now really scared me / now thinking about it. I’m just gonna like cry. Ha ha ha.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah.
HECTOR. I erm, I’ve just
go’ – jus’ broke up with – my – girlfriend, but – she’s been living in a mobile home – on a farmyard, so that’s – that’s even more worrying. But I haven’t said anything – but you do. All them things go through your mind. (Beat.) Jus’ hope they catch him.
STELLA. You being served? (Beat.) Yes?
MARK. No.
WAYNE. We hoped it was an immigrant (Beat.) from nish-noff land –
GRAHAM. And if it is an immigrant there’ll be uproar –
WAYNE. – and they’ll send the fuckers all back.
Beat.
GRAHAM. Like I – I’m n, I’m not like that. I mean – I’m sure you’re not really like that deep down.
WAYNE. I fucking am. (Beat.) I reckon it’s one Polish bastard. (Beat.) We fucking have him.
Song – ‘It Could Be Him’ (continued)
STARBUCKS GIRL 1. Something like this happens and you realise that so much –
Fire alarm goes off.
– is (Beat.) so many things are bad in the world. That’s the fire alarm we’re all going to die.
STARBUCKS GIRL 1 and STARBUCKS GIRL 2 laugh.
But like / it’s exciting cos nothing ever happens in Ipswich. / This is the first bit of like local scandal we’ve ever had. / Being girls being gossip- / mongers we’re like – it’s quite exciting.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. Yeah.
STARBUCKS GIRL 1. You automatically think it could be him. / That’s the scary thing, you know he could be amongst us walking around with us every day and we, we don’t know. / Like anyone. It could be anyone in here / for all we know which has now really scared me / now thinking about it. I’m just gonna like cry. Ha ha ha.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah.
STELLA. It’s cooking (Beat.) the breakfast huffer. They are coming on, they are just cooking. (To audience.) I’ll make you a coffee now. Do you want anything to eat?
Underscored:
YOKEL. It could be ya next – next-door neighbour doin’ it. Nobody did’t know who it was. You women did’t know who it was. So all us men, when I used to get on, when I used to get on the coorporation bus – I used to say ‘I’m innocent, I’m innocent.’ They didn’t know. Even this bloke. I suppose – he felt the same.
GRAHAME COOPER. Yeah – we’re all guilty. (Pause.) No we (Beat.) no, we’re not. (Beat.) No we’re not. There were days (Beat.) when I just didn’t go out – Christmas shopping. (Pause.) Cos (Beat.) I suspected (Beat.) that all the females (Pause.) kn – thought – that I (Beat.) was a person who’d done this. (Pause.) So I walked around – with me head down (Beat.) didn’t wanna look at people (Beat.) I didn’t wanna see them lookin’ at me.
Song ‘It Could Be Him’ (continued)
STARBUCKS GIRL 1. You automatically think it could be him. / That’s the scary thing, you know he could be amongst us walking around with us every day and we, we don’t know. / Like anyone. It could be anyone in here / for all we know which has now really scared me / now thinking about it. I’m just gonna like cry. Ha ha ha.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. / Yeah
GRAHAME COOPER. You’ve got this feeling of suspicious by everybody (Beat.) upon everybody else.
STARBUCKS GIRL 1. Is it him, is it him, is it him…? I don’t know.
STARBUCKS GIRL 2. You did get that feeling. / You did!
STARBUCKS GIRL 1. / Yeah.
STELLA. Bye. (Beat.) Have a nice Christmas.
The County of Suffolk pub.
Song – ‘Shaving Scratch’
MARK. He’s a white male aged between twenty-three and forty-seven. He’ll live in the local area. He would have been fascinated absolutely fascinated with murders in his younger youth. He would have tortured animals up till his mid-teens as well. He’s probably been married. Lives on his own but with a partner. And he’ll definitely, definitely, definitely know all the victims – apart from one realistically and that’ll ’ave been his one he’s mucked up on because the other ones would have been absolutely fine goin’ with him and it’s probably why ee strangled her because she panicked.
Beat.
GRAHAME. Ha, ha, ha.
WAYNE. I’m fucking shitting myself! I’m getting mi coat.
GRAHAME. You work with him.
WAYNE. Fuck I’m leaving now.
GRAHAME. That is scary. Is that scary or what? I bet you’re…
*
MARK. I uhm. I I I’ve studied serial killers since in my mid-teens. It doesn’t mean I am one but err…
GRAHAME. …Ooh I don’t know. Ha, ha, ha.
MARK. I just er, find it interesting. But as I say just to emphasise that doesn’t make me a serial killer so…
GRAHAME. Oh that’ll get you off the hook / after all that you’ve just said!
MARK. / That’s alright then.
*
MARK. His failed relationships will be because erm he became violent when he was drunk – actually – he’ll be an alcoholic or he’ll have trouble with substance abuse as well.
GRAHAME. Mark you’re describing yourself.
MARK. Ha, ha, ha.
WAYNE. What you trying to turn yourself in for. / It’s not good.
GRAHAME. / Shall we ring the police now. It’s scary (Laughs.)
MARK. And also in the last, last six weeks actually ’bout the last two – two months approximately he’d have probably quit his job or he’d be off sick or to that effect.
GRAHAME. Shut up now. / Shut up now.
WAYNE. / That’s it. That’s it.
GRAHAME. He’s describing himself.
WAYNE. Look. I’ve just fucking wiped mi arse, I can’t believe that.
*
MARK. I uhm. I I I’ve studied serial killers since in my mid-teens. It doesn’t mean I am one but err…
GRAHAME. …Ooh I don’t know. Ha, ha, ha.
MARK. I just er, find it interesting. But as I say just to emphasise that doesn’t make me a serial killer so…
GRAHAME. Oh that’ll get you off the hook / after all that you’ve just said!
MARK. / That’s alright then.
*
MARK. He er. He’ll be a local in the local pubs. He’ll be a bit of a loner. So that’s – spot on who he is.
WAYNE. Mark! What you? (Beat.) What are you on?
GRAHAME. You are worrying me / because I remember a couple of weeks ago when that first girl went missing you come in the pub with blood pouring out your face.
WAYNE. / What you on?
MARK. No I did / not.
WAYNE. / You did!
GRAHAME. No I’m sorry you did come in the pub with blood coming out of your face.
MARK. Actually I did didn’t I?
GRAHAME. You did!
MARK. Yeah. (Pause.) Shaving scratch.
GRAHAME. I have bin – I tell you what I have been thinking about it. I thought oh. / Half a million quid! Now you’re worried aren’t ya? (Pause.) Right we gotta go we’ll leave you with him. (Laughs loudly) We’ll come back next week.
WAYNE. / I’ve bin thinking about it.
*
MARK. I uhm. I I I’ve studied serial killers since in my mid-teens. It doesn’t mean I am one but err…
GRAHAME.…Ooh I don’t know. Ha, ha, ha.
MARK. I just er, find it interesting. But as I say just to emphasise that doesn’t make me a serial killer so…
GRAHAME. Oh that’ll get you off the hook / after all that you’ve just said!
MARK. / That’s alright then.
Section Four
London Road sitting rooms.
TIM. I get up at (Beat.) I-I’m up at five – ’bout five, quarter-past five.
(Pause.) An’ I’m normally, sittin’ here (Beat.) eatin’ a bowl a cereal (Pause.) an’ I flick through Teletext – to see if there’d been any developments, (Laughing.) during the night, throughout the world, you know (Beat.) an’ I could hear these – car – doors closin’. (Beat.) An’ voices (Beat.) outside (Beat.) I was peekin’ outta the curtain – and the road was just full of p’licemen. (Beat.) ’Undreds of ’em.
JAN. He – h-he dint come and tell me w-exactly what was going on, did you – or (Beat.) or – ah – and –
TIM. Thought it’d be a surprise.
Pause.
JAN. And, so I thought – put my head out the door an’ said, ‘Do you want a cup of tea?’ (Beat.) And they said ‘Ooh – yes please.’ (Beat.) An’ I looked up an’ then (Laughing. Beat.) all the p’licemen, loadsa p’licmen down here, an’ loadsa the p’licemen down – I thought there was two. (Pause.) An’ I thought – ‘I ca… I gotta get t’ work, I (Laughing.) can’t give ’em all a cup a tea.’ (Breaking into a laugh.)
Song – ‘That’s When it All Kicked Off’
RON. I got up and all I could see was police cars (Beat.)
goin’ up the road. Course – ya know –I–
we knew obviously in charge –
ya know – somethin’ to do with these poor girls.
But uhm –
ALL. And that’s when it all started – it all kicked off.
JULIE. Well I got woken up by the telephone.
My son erm rung me on his mo – on my home phone.
I said ‘Where are you?’
He said ‘Well I’m down, I’m down the road
But you need to tell the police that I’m your son.’
I said ‘Why what have you done?’
ALL. And that’s when it all started – it all kicked off.
JUNE. And you went to wor go te work, didn’t you, and / you couldn’t – w, course ee couldn’t get froo.
TERRY. / Yeah. (Beat.) An’ I thought well (Beat.) – ‘What is’, well, you know – ‘What’s goin’ on?’ – ye’ow.
ALL. And that’s when it all started.
JULIE. He said ‘No, no no, we’re not allowed down the road’
And lo and behold there was poli –
There was cameras – there was from the Sun.