DETECTIVE STORY
SYNOPSIS:
As CATHERINE searches the streets for her missing daughter, JENNY, she grows hopeless when she can’t find her. Suddenly, she receives a text message from an unknown number telling her to meet at a specified location. With no other choice, Catherine goes to meet the stranger, who turns out to be DETECTIVE HARRIS. He informs her that MR. MORGAN, a friendly police officer, told him that Jenny’s been missing for two days and wants to help locate her. Catherine tells him that she was last seen at a Hostel, so Detective Harris begins his search there. When he meets the receptionist, he gets a strong feeling that she’s hiding a dark secret when she claims to have only given Jenny her key and nothing more. Detective Harris brings in DETECTIVE WOODS, who goes undercover at the Hostel. As he’s checking in, the receptionist instructs him to provide very personal information, including signing into the visitor’s log book. After doing so, Woods is greeted by a LOCATOR, who makes a very sketchy business proposal. When the receptionist isn’t looking, Detective Woods snatches the visitor’s book and has Mr. Morgan analyse it, and realises that several people have gone missing from the Hostel. Furthermore, Jenny’s bank statements show that there’s a £2,500 withdrawal pending in her savings account. After realising that similar robberies have occurred from other guests, the detectives uncover an identity fraud group, with the receptionist and Hostel owner heavily involved. As the detectives comes closer to the gang, they manage to escape. When they speak to the Locator, he confesses to seeing Jenny dragged off by the receptionist and a hooded man, which leaves the detectives with the sad realisation that she may be dead.
LOGLINES:
1. When a young girl goes missing from a Hostel, a pair of detectives uncover a hideous identity theft scheme linked to the place, which may be killing its victims.
2. After a young woman goes missing from a sketchy Hostel, a pair of detectives and a police officer suddenly uncover as larger and deadlier scheme. With the receptionist and Hostel owner part of a massive identity theft ring, the detectives quickly realize they must bust the theft ring in order to locate the girl.
3. When a young girl goes missing near a Hostel, two detectives link the receptionist and owner to a dangerous identity theft ring that may have stolen the girl.
4. When a young woman disappears from a Hostel, detectives narrow in on the receptionist and Hostel owner as suspects. As the missing case drags on, the detectives uncover that the suspects are part of an identity theft ring, and that the girl was one of their victims.
5. As two detectives try to solve the missing case of a girl, they target the Hostel she was staying at and expose an identity theft group that victimized and potentially killed her.
6. Two detectives are determined to solve a young girl’s missing case, when they suddenly stumble upon an underground identity theft group that she was the victim of.
7. When two detectives attempt to locate a missing girl, they instantly connect her to a Hostel where several people have become the victims of identity theft and have never been seen again.
8. After a young woman goes missing, detectives link her to a string of disappearances at a Hostel, and expose an identity theft group that victimized her.
9. After a young girl disappears from a creepy Hostel, a pair of detectives uncover an identity theft ring in which the receptionist and Hostel owner are part of to some degree.
10. As two detectives attempt to crack the missing case of a girl, they inadvertently expose an identity theft group linked to the Hostel she was staying at.
STORY LINE:
It’s a cloudy and rainy night as Catherine cries while driving her car. She drives and looks through the soaked window in search of her daughter Jenny, who’s been missing for two days.
Suddenly, she hears her message pop-up. As she opens her message, it reads, “go to No: 7, Arlington Avenue and meet Mr. Harris. He can help you.” Catherine speeds to the address and arrives in record time.
She slowly enters a dark room. As she gets further inside, a man’s voice suddenly comes from upstairs and asks her to come up. As she enters the room, the gentle, mysterious man sits behind his desk, wearing a hat and drinking coffee. He somehow already knows all the problems she has been facing for the last two days. She was stunned as he said, “Don’t worry, I know all this information from the person who sent you here, Mr. Morgan, a policeman and friend. He asked me to take care of this situation.”
Mr. Harris is a detective who used to be a part of the country’s police department. He asks Catherine about her daughter’s activities for the past couple of days. Catherine states that her daughter Jenny had gone to London for the weekend. The detective investigates in the places Jenny used to be. He soon finds out that she was staying at a Hostel in London.
The detective goes to the same Hostel and finds the door locked. He investigates around the neighborhood for more clues. There are hustlers, hoods, prostitutes, and drug addicts living in this Hostel and its surroundings.
The Hostel receptionist comes along and the detective asks about Jenny. The receptionist replies nervously, “I don’t know anything about her. I only gave her a room key.” The detective and Catherine go back to the office to meet detective Mr. Jake Woods, a partner of Mr. Harris’s, to investigate Jenny’s missing case.
Detective Harris suspects that the Hostel and the Receptionist are very fishy, and strongly believes that the dodgy receptionist knows something about Jenny’s disappearance. They plan to send Mr. Jake Woods to that hostel as an undercover spy in order to find some answers.
As Mr. Woods checks in, he wants to pay by cash, but the receptionist tells him that they only do bank transfers. They don’t accept cash. While he stays in the reception area, the receptionist asks him to sign a guest book and to take a photocopy of his ID. She also asks him for his previous address. The detective thinks that she’s asking too many strange questions, wanting to know too much about him and his details, and decides to question her. However, the receptionist explains that this is a standard safety procedure and she just wants to be friendly.
When Detective Woods finally goes upstairs to his room, he meets one of the Hostel locators sitting and drinking on the stairs. The locator welcomes the new guest and tells him not to worry about paying for the Hostel. He states that if the detective needs money, the locator can give him a small job to do that guarantees good money. It’s a secret though, and if he wants to earn quick money, he’ll talk to the receptionist and will contact him soon.
Detective Woods walks around the Hostel and chats with an old man by the old dark gate near the Hostel. A neighbor who don’t like the Hostel’s loud and drunken locators, tells Mr. Woods that he’s not like the other locators that he sees every day and he should be careful because there are bad things going on here.
Back inside the Hostel, the undercover detective steals the visitor’s book to check who’s been staying in there. He gives it to policeman Mr. Morgan to check it using the police database. Later, the detectives find out that there are a couple more people who have gone missing recently and they were customers at the same Hostel Jenny went missing from.
After a long investigation, Catherine provides the detectives with Jenny’s bank statements. Detective Harris searches through Jenny’s banking activity, and notice a £2,500 withdrawal pending in her savings account.
Mr. Morgan calls the detectives with news that he’s found out that similar robbery was reported with other names from the Hostel visitor’s book. In each case, thieves were able to hoover out the savings accounts belonging to victims. Detective Harris suggests it might be an organised criminal effort. After a long investigation, the detectives find out that the hostel receptionist is an identity theft gang member. Eventually, the detectives trace the crime wave back to a woman running a Hostel. She’s already scammed many victims, and they were all her Hostel guests.
Organised gang target unsuspecting victims and steal their ID’s and bank cards or checks. Then, frequently using hair dye and wigs, they or their co-conspirators, the locators from the Hostel, dress up like the victims to gain access to theirs accounts. The gang systematically sucks away the victims' funds, sometimes with the help of corrupt allies working inside tag agencies and banks.
Meanwhile, Mr. Jake Woods watches the Hostel receptionist and one of her guest. They sit in a car outside the Hostel. From his own car, Detective Woods watches as the women uses a spray hair dye to darken her blond locks in the back seat of their car. She also wears sunglasses and a scarf, while the guy behind the wheel wears a grey hoodie.
Detective Jake Woods starts to follow them and catches a woman making a fraudulent Quick Loan transaction using Jenny’s ID card. But when the detective comes closer, she manages to escape with her driver.
Mr. Morgan tells the detectives that the gang also hit up cash machines in different places, where they attempt to access the accounts of other victims whose names were found in the Hostel visitor book.
The detectives goes to find a man in the hotel who said before that the receptionist had a job for him and his friends and paid him good money. The detectives wants to get the truth out of him. They tell him they know the truth about the receptionist and the police already arrested her. They threaten that he’ll have a problem unless he tells the truth. “Where is the girl? Where’s Jenny.”
Eventually, the man gives up and reveals that he saw the girl with the receptionist and the hoody guy. They took her somewhere in the car.
The detectives call Catherine to come to the office to give her a bad news that her daughter was the victim of a fraud gang, and she might be dead by now.
<END OF EPISODE ONE>
THE DETECTIVES SCRIPT DRAFT: by Lukasz
FADE IN
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD STREET - NIGHT
Rain drops down on the pavement, cast from gloomy and dark
clouds from above.
Suddenly, a car turns onto the street. It’s slow and steady,
as if searching for something.
INT. CAR - NIGHT – TRAVELING
Inside the car sits CATHERINE.
Her eyes are bloodshot with tears as she looks outside her
window. She sniffles back tears as she continues searching,
switching her gaze from the left side to the right.
CATHERINE
Where are you?
Suddenly, a text message phone sounds.
Catherine searches through her bag and pulls out her phone.
It’s a text message. She CLICKS into it and begins reading.
INSERT - CELL SCREEN
The text message is from an unknown number.
It reads, "Go to No: 7, Arlington Avenue and meet
Mr. Hussani. He can help you.”
BACK TO SCENE.
INT. CAR - NIGHT - TRAVELING
Catherine stares at the screen for a moment before setting
her phone down.
She speeds back down the road she just searched.
INT. NO: 7 ARLINGTON AVENUE - NIGHT
DISSOLVE TO:
The building looks abandoned and dark. Catherine takes a
deep breath and enters.
DARK ROOM
The room is so dark that Catherine can’t see anything in
front of her. With no other choice, she slowly takes a step inside.
MAN’S VOICE (Detective Hussani)
Please come!
Catherine walks in as instructed.
She instantly spots a gentle, mysterious man sitting behind
his desk, wearing a hat and drinking coffee.
This is MR. HUSSANI, a detective.
DETECTIVE HUSSANI
I know your daughter, Jenny, has
been missing for two days.
CATHERINE
H-How do you know that?
DETECTIVE HUSSANI
Don’t worry, I know from the person
who sent you here, Mr. Morgan.
Policeman and friend.
(pause)
He asked me to take care of the
situation for you.
Detective Hussani points the empty chair in front of
him. Slowly, Catherine takes a seat.
DETECTIVE HUSSANI
Please, tell me your daughter’s
activities for the last couple
days. What did she do leading up to
her disappearance?
CATHERINE
She went to London for the weekend.
She was staying in the Hostel.
This is her photo.
Catherine lists the places her daughter might have gone.
Several beats pass before Detective Haussani stands up.
DETECTIVE HUSSANI
I’ll do my best to find your daughter.
Please have a good sleep tonight, you look very tired.
CATHERINE
Thank you so much.
Catherine stands up, they shake hands, and she leaves.
Detective Hussani sits back down and begins typing into his
laptop. The search has begun.
Several beats pass. Suddenly, Detective Hussani leans back,
satisfied with his search.
DETECTIVE HUSSAINI
I got it!
He stands and walks out, like a man on a mission.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. HOSTEL - NIGHT
The hostel appears abounded but still functioning.
Detective Hussani walks up to the front door and turns the knob.
It’s locked.
He checks his watch and proceeds to walk around the grounds.
As he searches the area, he locates several hustlers, hoods,
and drug addicts living there.
As he doubles back, Detective Hussani notices the door is unlocked.
He enters the hostel.
INT. HOSTEL - RECEPTION AREA - NIGHT
Detective Haussani walks. The RECEPTIONIST notices him.
RECEPTIONIST
Hi, welcome to the hostel. Are you checking in?
DETECTIVE HARRIS
I’m actually looking for this young woman...
Detective Harris reaches into his pocket and sets a picture
down onto the counter.
Detective Hussani pushes the photo to the receptionist. She
attempts to avoid looking at it.
DETECTIVE HUSSANI
Have you seen her around here in
the last few days?
RECEPTIONIST
I don’t know anything about her. I
only gave her a room key.
DETECTIVE HUSSANI
Are you sure?
RECEPTIONIST
And who are you?
DETECTIVE HUSSANI
I’m a detective. I’m looking for this girl. Here’s my
business card. Please let me know if you see her.
The receptionist takes the business card and quickly turns away and pretends to be busy. Detective Hussani walks away. A Guy in the hood watches him from the stairs.
RECEPTIONIST
(Worried and a bit nervous)
Did you see that man, he said he’s a detective and
he’s looking for that girl…
GUY IN THE HOOD
Yes, I heard it. Good he’s gone.
As long we keep silent, nobody knows nothing.
INT. OFFICE - NIGHT
Detective Hussani and Catherine walk into the office.
Catherine sits down as he makes her a coffee.
Just then, the door opens and DETECTIVE JAKE WOODS enters.
DETECTIVE HUSSANI
Catherine, meet Detective Jake Woods.
He’ll be helping me to locate your daughter.
DETECTIVE WOODS
Pleasure.
The detectives both sit down as Detective Hussani explains their plan.
DETECTIVE HUSSANI
I strongly believe that the
receptionist knows something about Jenny.
DETECTIVE WOODS
Why do you suspect her?
DETECTIVE HARRIS
She attempted to dodge every
question I had regarding Jenny. I
think she’s hiding something.
The detectives fall silent, contemplating their next move.
DETECTIVE WOODS
I’ll go undercover as a hostel
guest and keep an eye on her. If
she’s hiding something, I’ll figure it out.
INT. HOSTEL - RECEPTION AREA - NIGHT
Detective Woods stands in front of the reception desk. He
pulls out some cash as the receptionist shakes her head.
DETECTIVE WOODS
I need a room for a weekend.
I found your Hostel online.
It looks like a good and cheap place to stay in London.
I’m on my business trip.
I need to stay here for a night or two.
RECEPTIONIST
Sorry, we only accept bank
transfers. No cash. Didn’t you see on the website.
DETECTIVE WOODS
I didn’t know I thought it’s ok, I have only cash.
RECEPTIONIST
It’s ok, you can transfer the money tomorrow, it’s too late now. I can take a photocopy of your ID for now.
(Pause)
Also, please sign our guest book.
The receptionist takes a book from behind and smiles at him.
His face looks confused.
RECEPTIONIST
Lastly, we’ll need to know your previous address.
Detective Woods takes a step back.
DETECTIVE WOODS
Isn’t this all a bit too.. much.. too personal..
just to sign into a hostel? Why do
you need all this information from me?
RECEPTIONIST
I assure you, it’s just our
standard safety procedure and I
just want to be friendly. I’m trying to help you.
The receptionist smiles at him.
DETECTIVE WOODS
My address is printed on my ID.
You already have a copy of it.
I will transfer the money for the room tomorrow morning.
I’m really tired now. Can I go to my room now?
RECEPTIONIST
Yes, don’t worry, here’s your key.
When they finish up, Detective Woods walks towards the stairs.
STAIRCASE
As he walks up the stairs towards his room, he spots a
LOCATOR – GUY IN THE HOOD sitting on the steps, drinking.
The locator starts a conversation with the detective.
LOCATOR (Guy in the hood)
Not to worry about paying for the
Hostel. If you need money,
I can get you something extra.
DETECTIVE WOODS
Detective Woods is curious.
What is it?
LOCATOR (Guy in the hood)
You know… a small job to do.
It guarantees good pay. I’ll let you know.
DETECTIVE WOODS
What sort of work?
LOCATOR
If you want to earn quick money,
I’ll get something good for you.
I have good links here.
The locator winks as he walks down the stairs.
HOSTEL ROOM
Detective Woods drops his single suitcase on the floor. He takes his photo camera out and watches the area through the window. He takes some pictures.
After a while detective heads immediately back out.
EXT. HOSTEL - NIGHT
Detective Woods scans the surrounding area for clues and people to talk to.
Suddenly, he spots an old lonely man by the old dark gate near the hostel. He walks over.
DETECTIVE WOODS
Hi, can you tell me anything about
this place?
The old man stares up at the hostel and shakes his head.
OLD LONELY MAN
You are not like the other locators
I see around here every day.
(pause)
You should be careful, because
there are bad things going on here.
GANG MEMBERS
Get lost, you tourist!
DETECTIVE WOODS
What sorts of bad things? Are you living here? Sir!?
The old man just shakes his head and walks away. He doesn’t say another word.
INT. HOSTEL - RECEPTION AREA - NIGHT
Detective Woods enters the reception area. He notices the
receptionist is not around.
He takes a picture of a visitor’s book.
INT. OFFICE - NIGHT
MR. MORGAN
(A voice - phone call to Detective Hussani)
Hussani, several people have gone
missing recently.
(pause)
DETECTIVE HUSSANI
Sits behind his desk with his phone close to his ear.
MR. MORGAN
(A voice - phone call)
Yeah, they were all guests at the
same Hostel Jenny went missing from.
(pause)
DETECTIVE HUSSANI
Got it. I’ll keep searching.
Detective Hussani hangs up. While Detective Woods walks in.
DETECTIVE WOODS
Have a look at these photos I made in the hostel.
He connects the USB to the laptop.
Detectives Harris and Woods sit on opposite ends of the
desk. The door opens and Catherine enters while detectives are looking at the digital photos on the laptop screen.
CATHERINE
I’ve brought you Jenny’s bank
statements. Hopefully these help.
DETECTIVE WOODS
It will. Thank you.
As Catherine leaves, the detectives search through the statements.
They notice a £2,500 withdrawal pending in her savings account.
Detective Hussani calls Mr. Morgan at the police department.
DETECTIVE HUSSANI
Calls Mr. Morgan again.
Can you look into any robberies reported with the names of
the Hostel locators that were reported missing? I’m sending
you the names I dot from the Hostel register book.
MR. MORGAN
(Voice in the phone)
Give me a second.
(put on hold sound)
Hang on... apparently, similar
robberies were reported with other
names from the Hostel visitor’s book.
In each case, thieves were able
to hoover out the savings accounts
belonging to the victims.
DETECTIVE HUSSANI
It might be an organised criminal effort then.
INT. DETECTIVE WOODS’S CAR – LATE AFTERNOON
Detectives Woods and Harris sit in their car, staring at a
woman and man in a car across the road.
DETECTIVE HUSSANI
Is that the woman running the Hostel?
DETECTIVE WOODS
Yeah, she, the receptionist and
some others are her gang members.
DETECTIVE HUSSANI
We need to catch them switching
appearances in order to steal from
their victims.
Suddenly, the woman in the car sprays her hair to shape her blond locks, and puts on sunglasses and a scarf. The man behind the wheel wears a hoodie. The detectives follow the pair as she attempts to make a fraudulent Quick Loan transaction using Jenny’s ID card.
The detectives attempt to get closer to the gang, but they spot them and run away. The Receptionist escapes with her driver.
DETECTIVE WOODS
We almost had them!
Just then, Detective Hussani’s phone rings. He answers it.
DETECTIVE HARRIS
What?
MR. MORGAN
(Voice in the phone)
Turns out the gang also hit up cash
machines in different places,
attempting to access accounts of
other victims whose names were in
the Hostel visitor book.
DETECTIVE HUSSANI
Yes, We almost had them.
We have enough evidences to say that
the Receptionist from that Hostel is a fraud thief.
Detective Hussani hangs up and looks at Detective Woods, feeling slightly defeated.
EXT. HOSTEL – DAY
The Police car rushing on a red and blue light signal through the streets near the Hostel. Two Police Officers are takes the Receptionist out of the Hostel in a handcuffs. The Hostel doors are secured with Police tape, that says “Police Investigation”.
EXT. HOSTEL – LATE AFTERNOON
The detectives find the locator (Guy in the hood) from the stairs. They’re already in a heated argument with him.
DETECTIVE WOODS
You tell us what happened to Jenny now.
The receptionist already confessed
and was arrested. Do you want to be next!
LOCATOR (Guy in the hood)
Okay, okay!
I saw the girl with the
receptionist and the hoodie guy.
They... took her somewhere in the car.
FLASHBACK
(Mute)
A flashback from when the kidnapping happened. The receptionist and the guy in the hood take a frightened Jenny from the hostel to parked outside car.
BACK TO PRESENT
EXT. HOSTEL - NIGHT
DETECTIVE HUSSANI
That’s it?
LOCATOR - GUY IN THE HOOD
That’s everything I know!
DETECTIVE WOODS
We don’t trust you! Whatever you say, be careful!
Don’t waste our time!
The guy in the hood puts his arms up in defence as the detectives walk away.
INT. OFFICE - NIGHT
The detectives sit on either side of Catherine as she cries uncontrollably.
CATHERINE
I-I never thought I’d... What
happened to my daughter?
DETECTIVE WOODS
We connect her disappearance
to the Hostel she was staying at.
She was...
CATHERINE
What happened to her?!
DETECTIVE HUSSANI
Your daughter was the victim of a fraud gang and...
Detective Hussani sets a comforting hand on her shoulder.
You need to prepare yourself for the worst, Catherine.
Catherine starts to cry.
FADE TO BLACK. <END OF EPISODE ONE>
Storyboard:
Scene 01
Scene 02
Scene 03
Scene 04
