Man Overboard
by
Adrian Tullberg
INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
A large, expensive hotel room overlooking the city. A man
in his fifties, Charles Sanford, is standing in front of
the window.
The man’s face is drawn, pensive and nervous. Darren
Cogburne, a younger man in his thirties, enters and shuts
the door behind Sanford.
COGBURNE
Ready to address the faithful,
Mr. Sanford?
SANFORD
I don’t think they’re going to
keep the faith for long, Darren.
COGBURNE
Sir?
SANFORD
The quarterly figures. On the
table.
Cogburne looks down, picks up the document. His face
betrays the worry he’s trying to cover up with confidence.
COGBURNE
Just a dip. We’ve endured worse.
SANFORD
There’s more.
COGBURNE
How bad is it?
SANFORD
I give the company six months. At
most.
COGBURNE
That’s ... that’s a problem.
SANFORD
I want out.
COGBURNE
At this stage, Mr. Sanford, that
would be difficult.
SANFORD
At this stage, my deferred stock
and options are nearly 60
million. I have to cash out right
now while it’s still worth
something.
COGBURNE
You realise, that even before the
company finally goes belly up,
there’ll be a stack of charges
from every government agency in
the country. Everyone who’s lost
even the smallest amount in this
company will file a civil suit
against you. Your leaving might
even speed up the whole process-
SANFORD (INTERRUPTING)
I know, I know! That’s why I
haven’t left yet.
Sanford walks to the table, and sits down, exhausted.
COGBURNE
Any ideas?
SANFORD
I don’t know. Marketing’s got
its limits. Can’t gloss over
complete bankruptcy.
COGBURNE
So it’s abandon ship?
SANFORD
You might be able to make it to
shore, but I haven’t a hope.
There’d be a lynch mob waiting at
the dock.
COGBURNE
Too many people will say you left
everyone else to drown while you
took a whole lifeboat.
SANFORD
Do you think it’d be any
different if I stayed until the
ship went down? No. I’d still be
held up as the ultimate in
corporate bastardry until
somebody else caught the media’s
eye.
Cogburne sits across Sanford.
COGBURNE
What if there was a valid reason
for leaving the boat early?
SANFORD
What, family emergency? Stuff
that, it never works.
COGBURNE
I was thinking ... medical.
SANFORD
Unless there’s a history, that’s
even worse.
COGBURNE
There’s a way.
SANFORD
You can get me out of this?
COGBURNE
It’ll cost.
SANFORD
I’m giving you six months to
cover your own arse.
COGBURNE
It’ll need some extra padding.
SANFORD
One million worth?
COGBURNE
Two.
SANFORD
Done. What have you have in mind?
INT. HOTEL ROOM - OUTSIDE - NIGHT
A young man is delivering an envelope to Sanford. His suit
jacket is off and his necktie loosened.
COGBURNE (V.O.)
There's a stimulant. Similar to
amyl nitrate, but different
enough. I'll get someone to
deliver it to your room.
Sanford locks the door behind him, and heads to the coffee
table.
He spreads out the contents of the envelope onto a piece of
A4 - a white powder.
COGBURNE (V.O.)
You cut it, and snort it.
SANFORD (V.O.)
What?
COGBURNE (V.O.)
You don't want needle marks on
your skin.
SANFORD (V.O.)
Okay.
Sanford produces a credit card and starts stirring around
the powder until it reaches an even consistency.
COGBURNE (V.O.)
It'll be cut to a specific
concentration for your age and
body mass, so snort the lot.
It'll take effect in five
minutes, so use the time to clean
the area where you ingested the
drug and your face.
SANFORD (V.O.)
What'll it do?
COGBURNE (V.O.)
Make your heart race, sweat a
bit. You'll be fine in a day,
forgotten about it by the
weekend.
Sanford starts to draw the powder into fine, even lines.
COGBURNE (V.O.)
When it kicks in, call for an
ambulance from here. You'll be
admitted to an emergency ward and
tested.
SANFORD (V.O.)
Won't the drug show up?
The lines are drawn razor thin.
HOTEL BATHROOM
Sanford is fastidiously cleaning his credit card with
toilet paper. Satisfied, he takes a pre-rolled piece of
paper rolled into a straw, while throwing the paper into
the open bowl.
COGBURNE (V.O.)
That's the thing. The tests they
do won't reveal this stuff.
They're designed to detect a
specific series of drugs, and
this won't show because there's
easier and cheaper ways to get a
high.
SANFORD (V.O.)
Ah.
HOTEL ROOM
Sanford places the suite phone next to him, not taking any
chances.
COGBURNE (V.O.)
You'll be admitted overnight, and
they'll discharge you with a
prescription of 'more exercise
better diet'.
Still cautious, he moves a chair out of the way, making
sure he has a clear line to the bathroom.
COGBURNE (V.O.)
And the same time next week,
you'll have announced your
resignation, your recent health
scare being a sign for you to
spend more time with your family.
SANFORD (V.O.)
They won't like that.
Sanford is overlooking the whole room from the door,
mentally replaying what he’s going to do, ironing out any
kinks in the scenario.
COGBURNE (V.O.)
And when the dust starts flying
six months from now, you'll have
the highly publicised ambulance
ride from the shareholder's
general meeting and emergency
ward admittance to show your
total innocence.
Sanford takes up the paper straw, and lodges it in position.
SANFORD (V.O.)
I’ll leave you to it.
COGBURNE (V.O.)
Good luck.
The nasally inserted straw lowers to the powder -
LATER
-a head is lifted from the table.
It’s Sanford. His eyes are rolled back in his head, and
froth has issued and dried from his mouth. He’s dead.
The suite is full of people, examining the area. One person
is photographing the corpse.
Cogburne is standing at the open doorway, trying to
discreetly see what’s going on, a man is interviewing him
and taking notes.
POLICEMAN #1
... were there any signs of
unusual behaviour?
COGBURNE
We ... no, not really. Well, he
was a little stressed, but it’s
the annual shareholder meeting.
He’s due - was due to give the
opening speech in an hour.
POLICEMAN #1
Do you have any idea where he got
the drugs?
COGBURNE
No idea. It’s not ... you don’t
ask your boss if he’s doing ...
what was it, coke?
POLICEMAN #1
The blokes at the lab will give
us a result by tomorrow. Thanks
for your help, Mr. Cogburne.
COGBURNE
No, not at all. If you need
anything ... (hands his card) Do
I have to make a statement or
something like that?
POLICEMAN #1
We’ll let you know.
Cogburne moves away while other policemen walk in.
HOTEL CORRIDORS
Cogburne walks away, heading into the fire escape
stairwell.
STAIRWELL
Cogburne closes the door carefully behind him, and looks
down.
Four men in suits are standing on the landing below him. At
his arrival, they look up expectantly.
SUIT #1
Well?
COGBURNE
It appears that our CEO has died
of a cocaine overdose.
SUIT #2
Shame.
COGBURNE
Isn’t it?
SUIT #1
Good bloke.
COGBURNE
Not that good.
SUIT #1
True. When people hear about how
Mr. Sanford died, they might
think he was directly responsible
for... certain problems that
might occur later on.
COGBURNE
You’re right, unfortunately.
Especially when they can’t defend
themselves.
SUIT #2
Could reflect badly on the
company though.
COGBURNE
It can be managed.
SUIT #1
You sure?
COGBURNE
Can I count on your complete
support?
The group look at each other, then murmur their assent.
COGBURNE (CONT’D)
Glad to hear it.
SUIT #2
Better get to work.
The group open the door they’re closest to, and start
filing out.
COGBURNE (while walking)
Yep. This ship can’t stop because
of a man overboard.
They leave the stairwell, and close the door.
FADE OUT