Jack the Ripper Hits Walford (Scenes 53-56)
(Scene Fifty-three: The Arches -18th September. Jamie Mitchell has been given his marching orders by Phil has he keeled over in The Arches).
Phil: Drink this.
(He hands Jamie a glass of water. Jamie does so under his godfather’s watchful eye).
Phil: Right Garry, you’re on your own for the next couple of hours.
(Garry looks up from the newspaper groaning).
Phil: And put that paper away! Just in case Ricky comes in here for something to do other than bawling his eyes out about Janine. I’m going to take Jamie to the surgery.
(Jamie looks at him in protest).
Jamie: Phil, no! It’s all right. I don’t need to see a doctor.
Phil: You’re going. Don’t argue with me.
Jamie: She’ll only tell me it’s flu.
Phil: Perhaps she will, but you should’ve gotten over it by now and all this vomiting, Jay.
(Jamie reluctantly gets to his feet and follows Phil out of The Arches).
Phil: If you’re going to chuck up again warn me! I spent ages cleaning this car yesterday after Louise.
Jamie: Has Louise been ill too?
Phil: No, she’s a child who likes to make a mess. Now belt up.
(Jamie frowns).
Jamie: What?
Phil: Do your seatbelt up! (He shakes his head impatiently). Give me strength and patience. (He’s forgiven Jamie’s misdemeanour concerning Lisa, but these days finds Jamie increasingly intolerable).
(Scene Fifty-four: An hour later - Albert Square - Jamie is unlocking the door of 25 Albert Square when DCI Marsden drives up, her car coming to a screeching halt outside the house. She’s livid and is accompanied by two sergeants).
DCI Marsden: Jamie Mitchell!
(He turns to greet her, the boy looks terrible, his pallor sickly and he’s lost a lot of weight. The DCI makes a mental note of the fact that Jamie has been strangely ill since the karaoke night and therefore she’s been unable to interrogate the boy as closely as she would’ve wished. Now with the recent media coverage of a leak to the press, she’s put Jamie at the top of those she wishes to interview. And sickness or no sickness, she’s determined that Jamie will answer questions. She opened this morning’s newspapers with stunned disbelief and outrage at the news headlines of exclusive stories regarding the death of Janine. The exact details of Janine’s death had been a closely guarded secret, now it has been leaked out by someone who was at the scene of the crime. Jamie, she knows, had been observing from the bedroom window).
DCI Marsden: Can we come in and chat please, Jamie?
Jamie: I haven’t got long. I’ve got to pack things up, the doctor wants me in hospital for tests.
(He shows them into the house and they all go into the living room. DCI Marsden is pleased to see that they’re alone in the house, she can question Jamie without interruption. Jamie flops down upon the sofa moving aside the stack of newspapers).
DCI Marsden: What’s wrong with you? I thought you said you had flu?
(Jamie shakes his head).
Jamie: The doctor says I’ve had flu but I’m still throwing up and she thinks I could have stomach migraine. So I’ve got to go in hospital for a few days.
(He looks and sounds dreadful and seems in some pain, but the DCI doesn’t let that put her off the objective of her visit).
DCI Marsden: Well I’m sorry to see that you’re ill. Rather coincidental that this started after karaoke night at The Vic.
Jamie: What…what are…are…you…getting at? That’s the problem with flu, you can be all right one minute and then the next it just hits you.
DCI Marsden: So I’ve gathered. (She picks up the newspapers and browses at them, they all claim exclusive details of Janine’s death revealed and carry the story on their front page and centre pages and throughout most of the paper in fact). Do you usually have so many papers delivered?
Jamie: No, only the Walford Gazette normally. We just got most of them this morning because it’s about Janine. (He sits forward suddenly and the DCI steps back fearing that he’s about to throw up again). Whatever you want, can you just get on with it? Phil sent me home from The Arches and I need to tell him and Sonia I’ve got to go into hospital.
DCI Marsden: All right, Jamie. I shall get straight onto business then. You and Janine, Jamie. You failed to mention you had a relationship with her. A sexual one and that your relationship was also fraught.
(She leaves it to her officers to make notes and they just listen and write silently, Jamie finds their manner rather intimidating and feeling so unwell he’s in turmoil).
Jamie: I didn’t know it had any bearing on the matter.
DCI Marsden: Now that’s a lie! You knew very well that we were seeking to interview all those who had a relationship with the girl in order for them to be eliminated from the line of enquiries. Your failure to inform us of your relationship with her can also be taken as a lack of co-operation. This is a murder enquiry, Jamie. We have the body, we have the proof. So different to the fabricated story you and Sonia presented to us regarding Lisa’s disappearance. You’ve already shown yourself to be a bit of a nuisance and lacking in respect to the law.
Jamie: I don’t understand what you mean? Are you saying I’m a suspect now because you know I had sex with Janine?
DCI Marsden: I’m saying that you’ve been seen to withhold information to us, Jamie, and we take that very seriously indeed. As such we need to go over your statement again. At this time, I’m treating everyone as a suspect who might have a motive. So tell us about you and Janine and about the arguments arising from it.
Jamie: It’s personal__
DCI Marsden: I don’t care if it is, Jamie. Would you prefer to talk to me in the station? We can take you there now to an interview room.
Jamie: I was a virgin okay…
DCI Marsden: We were all virgins at one time, Jamie. Just answer the question, Jamie.
(Jamie looks at her stupidly).
DCI Marsden: Do you want to accompany us down the police station?
Jamie: I can’t, I’m not well, for God’s sake! All right I’ll tell you about Janine and I.
(He quickly runs through his relationship with Janine, choosing wisely not to omit any information from her. He’s actually feeling very ill and can hardly think straight, but an enraged DCI Marsden doesn’t care for his well-being right now. She thinks all Mitchells are a waste of space anyway).
DCI Marsden: So Jamie. Despite being affected by Janine’s malicious rumours around Walford that you were sexually inadequate, you still slept with her the second time and risked your relationship with Sonia!
(Jamie nods and he might’ve very well incriminated himself further had the churning of his stomach not been so violent and painful then that he cried out and doubled over in agony and threw up every where. Stunned at the boy’s obvious unhealthy condition, DCI Marsden backs away too late and it splashes onto her shoes and tights. She curses angrily as Kate and Phil unexpectedly burst the lounge).
Kate: Get out! You can see he’s ill and this is harassment.
(One of the officers hands the DCI a pile of tissues to mop herself up with).
DCI Marsden: We’re going all right. But I’ll be needing to speak to you again, Jamie.
(Phil is looking concerned for Jamie, the first time in weeks, and rubs the boy’s back as Jamie continues coughing and retching).
Phil: Why didn’t you ring me, Jay? I had a call from the doctor saying how concerned she was about the state you were in. You need to go to hospital now. I’ll drive you.
DCI Marsden: I’ll be speaking to you again as well, Phil.
Phil: Yes well make an appointment then. No barging in like you did with Jamie.
DCI Marsden: You give me the impression that you’re hiding something, Phil.
Kate: And you give me the impression that you’re clutching at straws. It won’t look very good on your records if news of how you’ve badgered Jamie gets out knowing very well how ill he is!
DCI Marsden: Withholding information is a serious matter, Kate as you are well aware. One more question, Jamie, have you spoken to the press regarding Janine?
Jamie: No.
DCI Marsden: Are you sure about that?
Jamie: Of course I am.
DCI Marsden: How much can you see outside your bedroom window? Do you mind if I have look?
Phil: If you’re going to seriously treat Jamie as a suspect of something I’ll contact Marcus and be sure to inform him of how much grief you’re causing a sick lad.
DCI Marsden: This is a double murder investigation, Phil. I don’t get results from playing soft, neither do you. Someone has leaked to the press information that was crucial to the case, that person could be just someone who was present on the scene of the crime or who observed the scene (she looks at Jamie who’s perspiring visibly and looks almost in a semi-conscious state right now)…perhaps from a bedroom window, or more crucially still, could be from someone who in fact killed Janine. Whoever it is, I will find him or her and they will be severely reprimanded.
(Scene Fifty-five: 18th September The Vic - 3.00 p.m. Gem N and Jake Powells have arrived at The Vic and receive a warm reception despite the otherwise cold atmosphere lingering throughout the entire Square. They’ve noted the innumerable floral tributes on the railings surrounding the cordoned off gardens. Both Jake and Gem N are exhausted after travelling and Gem N decides to unwind downstairs in the bar chatting to Alfie and Nana Moon, who is experiencing one of her good days, whilst Jake goes upstairs to spend some time with Spencer).
Nana Moon: Well of course I remember you, dear. My memory’s not that bad!
(Gem N smiles. Seeing nana like this it’s hard to imagine just how serious her condition has become).
Kat: So who’s your friend then, Alfie?
Alfie: This is Gem N.
Gem N: I’m an old flame of Alfie’s from a few years back.
Kat: Old flame eh? An item then were you?
Gem N: That’s right. But we’ve kept in touch. You’re looking good, Alfie.
Alfie: And aren’t you a sight for sore eyes!
Kat: I think I’m going to puke any minute.
(She squirms at the way in which they stare adoringly into each others’ eyes).
Grant: Looks like you’ve got competition there.
(Kat serves Grant his pint).
Kat: What’s it to you anyway?
(Since Grant has arrived back at Walford he’s been niggling Kat, clearly disliking what he sees and hears. He turns from the bar when he hears Dan Ferreira arrive. Despite his blatant disapproval, Kareena is chatting away to Kelly and Zoë and with them is also Sasha).
Sasha: Gem N!
(She runs up and the two embrace like excited schoolgirls. Grant raises an eyebrow and he exchanges glances with Dan).
Dan: Not another one!
Kareena: Another one of what papa?
Dan: Prostitute!
(Grant nearly chokes on his pint).
Grant: I would think that Alfie has better taste than to go off with tarts. (Then he catches Kat’s eye and adds). Oh well then, perhaps not.
Kat: Hey what you saying?
(She’s ready to tip a pint over him but Grant holds her wrist and warns).
Grant: Careful darling, we Mitchells still own this place, you’re on borrowed time okay?
Kat: Peggy!
(Grant looks at the doorway where his mother and Charlie Slater has just arrived).
Grant: Going to cleck now are you? Surely you’re big enough and ugly enough to fight your own battles.
Kat: I can fight quite well thank you.
Grant: Well whenever you’re ready you tell me!
(He takes his pint and goes to join Patrick Trueman who’s sitting at the table on his own).
Grant: Didn’t finish your lunch, Patrick? Not up to the usual standard?
Patrick: No. I’ve been reading all those news stories about Janine and it’s been putting me off my food. My stomach’s been playing up ever since seeing her like that to be honest.
Grant: Jamie’s stomach has been acting up as well, funnily enough during the time she was found, he’s been ill. Had a call off Phil just now. Jamie’s got to go into hospital for a few days for tests and observations.
Patrick: Oh sorry to hear that.
Grant: Yeah. And that Marsden woman is prowling around The Square again asking a lot of questions. Expect another visit from her, Patrick. Words out that she’s talking to anyone who witnessed the state Janine was in.
(Scene Fifty-six: The Vic - 18th September - Spencer has shown his schoolfriend, Jake Powells into his bedroom. Jake is blown over by the enormous sexy posters of Delta Goodrem plastering his friend’s bedroom wall).
Jake: Wow! She’s come along way despite starring in “Neighbours!”
Spencer: Yeah what a knock out.
Jake: But phaw Spencer, you don’t half stink of fish!
Spencer: (laughing) I know. I’ll go and scrub up. Thursday tends to be a quiet day on the stall, so I’ve been able to finish early. Once in a blue moon’s okay especially when my mate is here to stay!
Jake: Hey I just purchased the new Delta Goodrem CD on my way here. Want to listen to it?
Spencer: Yes, that’ll be great.
(The two of them sit on the bed as Jacob puts the music on. They haven’t seen each other since finishing school, but kept in touch via the telephone and writing).
Spencer: You are going to stay now?
Jake: Definitely. I just hope I find a job soon.
Spencer: Well there’s some job advertisements in today’s paper. (He passes Jake the Walford Gazette and immediately his friend is engrossed in the cover story of Janine).
Jake: Oh my God! And this place isn’t that far from The Gardens? You had a good look yourself yes?
Spencer: We were all out there, Jake. I mean after karaoke it’s difficult to wind down to go to bed immediately what with all that loud music blaring in your ears. We were all practically on top of her and you can get a good view from the window here.
(Jake joins his friend at the window and shudders. An eerie sensation sweeps throughout his body, surveying the scene from the window with his schoolfriend he can almost visualise how the events must’ve looked like from this bedroom window and how many people had gathered at the murder scene).
Spencer: Whoever it is. He moved very quick. The police think he’s from the area, but he could’ve been in a car and just drove off the scene. Just think he could be downstairs this very moment. Someone you’re travelling with on a bus or a train. Someone working in the market…there’s a killer in our mists, Jake, and the police just haven’t got a clue who he is.
TBC