The X-Philes - Allies

2 Conversations

Opening scene

Richmond, Surrey, England 15th Febuary 2002 9.30 pm

A woman opens her living room door, she carries a box file under one arm and a glass of wine in her other hand. She puts the glass on the table and speaks to herself.

Woman: 'Well Nana lets see if you've left any clues to the identity of your wartime lover.'

She breaks the seal on the file and takes the papers out. She spreads them out on the table, spots a photograph and picks it up to look at it. It is of a man and woman in forties-style clothes; the woman is identical to her, the man is Agent John Doggett.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three months later, Washington DC, 7.30pm

John Doggett is sitting in front of the TV. He has a beer bottle in his hand and is watching a re-run of the Indy 500.

*Phone rings*

Doggett: 'Hello?'

Woman's voice (English): 'May I speak to John Doggett please?'

Doggett: 'Speaking.'

Woman: 'Erm you don't know me, my name is Catherine McGuire.'

Doggett: 'Whatever it is you're selling I'm not interested.'

Catherine: 'No I'm not selling anything... erm... do you have a relative called Miles Doggett?'

Doggett: 'Yes. He's my grandfather. What's this all about?'

Catherine: 'I found his name in some papers my grandmother left me in her will... erm... she asked me to make sure these papers get to your family. In fact, she was quite insistant and I can't wait to get rid of them.'

Doggett: 'What's in these papers that's so important?'

Catherine: 'Erm... I can't really tell you over the phone. Is it possible to meet you? You really need to see these papers for yourself.'

Doggett: 'Ok come over here. It's 212 Collins Drive.'

Catherine: 'Thank you, I'll be there in about an hour.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

212, Collins Drive. 8.30 pm

*Knock on Door*

Doggett opens door to a red haired woman aged between 30-35, carrying a box file.

Doggett: 'Ms McGuire?'

Catherine: 'Catherine please. Erm... John Doggett?'

He nods.

Doggett: 'Come in Catherine. Coffee?'

Catherine: 'Thank you and thank you for seeing me. You must think I'm a little strange calling you out of the blue like that.'

Doggett: 'I'm intrigued! I do remember my grandfather telling us about an English woman he'd met during the war. Rose I think he said her name was.'

Catherine: 'Yes that's her.'

Doggett hands her a coffee mug and indicates for her to sit down.
She opens the file, takes out the papers and photographs and spreads them on the table. He rummages through the papers and picks up the same photograph. He looks at the picture and then at Catherine; the resemblance is remarkable.

Doggett: 'My God this could be me and you.'

Catherine: 'Yes it is a little spooky isn't it.'

Doggett: 'So why are you here and what is this all about?'

Catherine: 'Well I suppose I'd better start at the begining.' She smiles.

Catherine: 'Are you sitting comfortably, then I'll begin.'

He looks bemused.

Catherine: 'Sorry, it's an English thing. It's what I say to my nieces when I tell them a story (flustered). Sorry, back to the subject. Nana was sent to America in 1940 to stay with her Aunt.'

Doggett: 'To get away from the War?'

Catherine: 'No. Her father was a member of the Fascist party. Do you know much about British wartime politics?'

He shakes his head.

Catherine: 'Well, my great-grandfather, Sir Richard Mallory-Price, was an equerry to the Prince of Wales - he became Edward the Eighth, the Duke of Windsor. You must have heard of him?'

Doggett: 'Yeah he gave up the throne for an American woman.'

Catherine: 'Well, he was also a supposed Nazi sympathiser. Sir Richard was a card-carrying member of the Fascist party, Oswald Mosley's right hand man. Nana was sent here for her own safety. Sir Richard had received death threats and he was about to be placed under house arrest. Anyway she found a job in the British Embassy as a typist. They were listening to Russian radio signals. The Americans weren't interested in Russia as they were allies but the British were suspicious. It was Nana's job to type up the translations.'

She picks up some papers and hands them to him.

Catherine: 'Well, she obviously thought that whatever the codes were about warranted the FBI's involvement. She flouted every rule to get this information to your grandfather.'

Catherine sits next to Doggett and points to various passages in the papers.

The scene dissolves, replaced in black and white by Doggett dressed in a forties style suit. The accompanying music is American Patrol by Glenn Miller. He is standing on the steps of the FBI headquaters. A newspaper boy is calling the latest news.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FBI Headquarters, Washington DC. 15th May 1943

Boy: 'Read all about it!!! British bombers blow up German dams.'

A zippo lighter flares. Doggett lights a cigarette.

Voice (off camara) 'Hey Miles. You going to join us for a beer or not?'

Miles: 'Not yet. I've got to meet somebody.'

Voice (laughs) 'Hope she's worth it.'

Miles: 'So do I.'

A woman walks up the steps and crosses over to him.

Woman 'Are you Agent Doggett?'

Miles: 'Yes.'

Woman 'I'm Rose Scott, I called you earlier. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you much but I don't know who to trust.'

She looks around her.

Rose: 'Can we go somewhere else? If someone sees me with these transcripts I'll be locked up and the key thrown away.'

Miles: 'You've been reading too many spy stories.'

Rose: 'If you're going to be like that I'll try someone else.'

She turns to go, he catches her arm.

Miles: 'Look I'm sorry, ok. Let's go inside we can talk in my office.'

The door opens. Miles and Rose enter and sit either side of a desk.

Miles: 'So what's this all about?'

Rose: 'I work at the British Embassy. We moniter Russian radio traffic and we've been getting signals that seem to suggest that they are conspiring to build a biological weapon. At least, that's what I think. A lot of the signals talk about a vaccine against a virus the Russians have found.'

Miles: 'Found? Don't you mean developed?'

Rose: 'That's what I thought, but all these transcripts talk of finding a virus in Tunguska in Russia and trying to develop a vaccine against it. Look!'

She hands him the transcripts and he starts to read through them. She still nervously looks around her.

Miles: 'Why did you come to us? Why didn't you give these to your boss?'

Rose: 'I did, but Mr McLean said not to worry my pretty little head about it. Then I tried his boss, Mr Philby in London, and got nowhere and now I think they're on to me.'

She hands him another transcript.

Rose'See that bit there? They talk about 'The Rosette'. That's me. They're talking about things I did two days ago. I mentioned to a colleague that I was arranging a date - that's you I was arranging to meet.'

Miles: 'Who's the colleague? It sounds like you've got a serious spy problem there.'

Rose: 'I know, but I don't know how far it goes. It could be Mr McLean or even Mr Philby or even my co- worker Diana. It could be anyone.'

Miles: 'Is this Diana the colleague you told about the date?'

Rose: 'No, his name is Alain Crowley. He works in the translation room. He translates the Russian into English. He's creepy... he's always leering at me. I know that someone is spying for the Russians but no-one wants to listen to me.'

Miles: 'Well the Russians are our allies. It's not a crime to pass Information to allies is it? I mean your doing it now.'

Rose: 'That's it, I'm off! I knew this was a mistake. I'm going to get locked in The Tower for this. I knew no-one would believe me.'

She gets up and heads for the door. He gets up to stop her.

Miles: 'Look will you calm down? I'm not saying I don't believe you. It's just a little hard to prove.'

Rose: 'You've seen the transcripts. Somebody is spying for the Russians, somebody is covering it up and somebody is helping them develop a weapon that could kill millions of people maybe even here in America. Don't you think that's worth something?'

He looks at the transcripts again and looks as if he recognises something.

Miles: 'These numbers here, they're co-ordinates for New Mexico. My boss had me dig them up a few days ago.'

He searches through the papers.

Miles: 'This transcript is dated four days ago.'

Rose stands behind him looking over his shoulder.

Rose: 'Maybe I'm not the only one with spy problems, ever think about that?'

Miles looks troubled. He looks at Rose then at the papers.

Miles: 'Maybe you're right! I can't believe it, though. Everybody who works here is checked thoroughly, Mr Hoover sees to it personally.'

He leans back in his chair thinking. Rose is watching him. She's looking worried and checking her watch.

Rose: 'Look, I've really got to go soon. My aunt will be worried.'

Miles looks up at her, brought back out of his thoughts.

Miles: 'Ok, from what I can see, there's a spy in the Embassy and one here. It looks like they're working together for the Russians. I'll see my boss in the morning - see what he's got to say. I want you to keep an eye on your colleagues, anyone suspicous, someone somewhere they shouldn't be, let me know. If something's going on I want to know. If there are traitors here I'm gonna find them and God help them when I do, ok?'

Rose nods in agreement. Her face still shows concern. Miles notices
and puts his hand on her arm.

Miles: 'Hey, don't worry. You've done the right thing. It'll be ok, honest. We'll get to the bottom of it. just remember, trust no-one and you'll be ok.'

Rose smiles.

Miles: 'Look, leave me some way to contact you and I'll let you know what I find out.'

Rose reaches for a pen and writes something down.

Rose: 'This is my address and telephone number and my office number. Just leave a message if I'm not there.'

Rose looks guiltily at Miles.

Rose: 'Um, if my aunt answers could you tell her that you're a work colleague? She's... er... a little overprotective. If she thinks strange men are calling for me the interrogation I'll get would put the Gestapo to shame.'

Miles laughs.

Miles: 'Sure, anything you say. I'll call you when I've got something.'

Rose: 'Ok, and thank you for believing me. I'll be able to sleep a bit better now.'

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