Coroner (2019) s01e01 Episode Script

1 [WATER SPLASHES.]
[WATER SPLASHES.]
- We can talk about anything.
- Mhmm.
- Not just about David's death.
- Mhmm.
[PHONE THUDS, SOUND ECHOES.]
[LANDING THUD.]
[WATER BURBLE.]
- [DOG BARKS.]
- [SHAKY EXHALES.]
ROSS: Mom! [MUTED SOUND OF WATER BURBLING.]
PODCAST: Notice how the tension in your body - fuels your anxiety.
- [RELAXING EXHALES.]
You may notice that your shoulders begin to lift.
If you've ever been in nature, imagine yourself there now.
Nature.
Nature.
Nature.
Nature.
[TIGHT INHALE, CALMING EXHALE.]
PODCAST: You are a force of nature.
[PILLS RATTLE.]
Yep, I'm a force of nature! - PODCAST: You are a force of nature.
- Yeah yeah.
I'm [BREATHS HEAVILY.]
I'm a force of nature! [FOOTSTEPS THUD.]
[DOOR BUZZES.]
[MUFFLED CHATTER.]
[EXHALES.]
Jenny Cooper.
I'm the new coroner.
Donovan McAvoy, Homicide.
We haven't touched the body, we were waiting for you.
Okay, thank you.
This is Detective Taylor Kim.
- 'Sup, Doc.
- Hi.
[MUFFLED POLICE RADIO CHATTER.]
Shit.
All right, let's have the body, boys.
[MOURNFUL SIGH.]
[MUFFLED WHISPERS.]
- Is she praying? - Beats me?! [EXHALES.]
[SIGHS.]
The noose looks like it was made from garbage bags.
No petechiae ligature mark is in a classic hanging orientation.
Rigour mortis in the jaw.
She's been here for a few hours.
- Who cut her down? - Guards.
Her nails are clean, not cracked, no sign of a struggle.
It's a heel abrasion, a fresh one.
I'm finished.
Send the body to the pathologist, please.
It's pretty grim.
It's prison.
Yeah.
For children.
What can you tell me about the decedent? Danielle Wills, 16.
Robbed a convenience store.
She has quite the record got bumped up from a group home.
She fits the profile.
Are you a profiler? Suicide rates are quite high in these places.
Are we debating what happened here? [LOUD FEMALE SCREAM.]
OFFICER: Open the door! [INMATES BANGING ON DOORS AND SHOUTING.]
[DOOR BUZZES OPEN.]
That's the warden.
MAN: Let me out, man! [INMATES BANGING ON DOORS AND SHOUTING.]
[INMATES BANGING ON DOORS AND SHOUTING.]
Can I get your ah, your poky thing? Poky thing? Yeah, you, you, you hit people with it? It's Can I have your baton? Thanks.
[INMATES BANGING ON DOORS AND SHOUTING.]
[STRUGGLING GRUNTS.]
I woke up and he was dead.
Nothing? No? Okay.
Well, if any of you'd like to speak to me privately, don't be afraid to come forward.
Dismissed.
[FOOTSTEPS SHUFFLE.]
I hope your bodies will talk to you, because silencio.
Found this by the hoops.
Romeo and Juliet.
[PAGES FLIP.]
Juliet's part is underlined.
The ladder: Romeo and Juliet.
The balcony scene.
Elaine! Um, were the kids doing a play? Yes they were doing a play.
I bust my ass to get good programs in here.
GED, yoga, drama.
We're preparing these kids for life.
- For life.
- For life.
[TRAFFIC WHOOSHES LOUDLY.]
Dr.
Cooper! Dr.
Cooper! It's Alison Trent, we met last week! Debbie, buzz her through, she's the new coroner! You're late.
Tick tick.
I think it's tick-tock? No, it's tick tick.
Oh.
Dr.
Peterson is waiting for you.
Did you take the Allen? Because if you did, that's why you're late.
[LOW HUM OF CHATTER.]
[GLOVES RUSTLE.]
[GURNEYS RATTLE.]
[WORRIED EXHALE.]
[ZIPPER RASPS, BAG RUSTLES.]
[SAW BUZZES IN THE BACKGROUND.]
I prefer to touch elbows, it's more hygienic.
So, these are your inmate suicides? Yeah.
The boy is Kevin Knuckles.
[SMALL CHUCKLE.]
Good name.
He was found asphyxiated in his cell.
And Danielle Wills here, she was found in the gymnasium, also hanged.
The knots are similar.
Are they similar or the same? PETERSON: Forensics will tell us that.
Classic furrow.
Upwardly sloping compression mark with hm, suspension marking on the back of the neck.
There's no peri-ligature bruising, which suggests A self-inflicted wound.
What are you thinking, suicide pact? Maybe.
But um I'm interested in the abrasion on her heel.
She would've had to hit it pretty hard to get it.
She convulsed when she hanged.
Uh, she was actually suspended, and her shoes were on when I found her so I don't think so.
You don't "think so".
I mean, I I had an instinct.
How can you have instincts when you don't know anything? [SCOFF.]
I'm sorry, what? They're called "guesses".
What you're doing is guessing.
I've been a pathologist for 20-years.
And before this you were what a GP? I was an ER doctor.
Mhmm.
I stay competent, year after year.
And the coroners just get younger and more Look, how 'bout this.
I'll write up my findings and then you can sign off on them.
Okay? I'm gonna start the Y-incision on the girl, you can get going on the boy.
Sorry, um, when-when can I get the pathology report? Hm.
Late next week.
That's too slow.
These kids died in custody, there is gonna be an inquest.
Oh, now you want me to rush.
No, I want I would like, a thorough examination of both their necks and her heel, as soon as possible, please.
Dr.
Allen.
I'll work on it.
Thank you.
So, there's the boys' range and the girls' range? They don't really get together, huh.
Sometimes we let 'em.
Like, when they're practicing for the play? That play, what a bunch of bullshit.
I read it in Grade 11.
I don't know, whose idea was it to do a play where two kids commit suicide.
You think the play gave them the idea? Well, he was playing Romeo, she was playing Juliet.
[LOW HUM OF CHATTER, LAUGHTER.]
Anyhow.
There's a hiring freeze on.
We're understaffed.
As long as the kids don't bug us or fight, we really don't pay much attention.
Did you do bed checks on Kevin? Oh, man, I don't know.
Dude.
He's had a new baby.
Just tell him.
I fell asleep at my desk.
No one saw anything.
[SMALL CHUCKLE.]
It's a silent killer, like carbon monoxide.
- Thanks for the tour, gentlemen.
- Mhmm.
[DOOR BUZZES.]
I don't think you'll get much out of the mother.
Why? Is she too distraught? She's too - [CHILD WAILS.]
- It's okay.
I'm Jenny Cooper.
I'm the coroner.
Hi.
I've never identified a body before.
I'm so sorry, Simone.
Could you tell me a little bit about Danielle's state of mind? Was she depressed? She was herself, just her regular self.
Um oh.
Did she like being in the play? Sorry.
The play? Uh, "Romeo and Juliet".
You didn't pack diapers? Can't you help me out for once?! You gotta buy diapers, Simone.
[FRUSTRATED GROAN.]
Go change the baby.
You know I'm a detective, right? Mhmm.
That's why I know you can find the diapers.
[QUIETLY.]
Here.
Come.
There you go.
There.
Hold it.
Give us a minute.
Can you tell me about the last time you visited Danielle.
She liked being there.
She was happy.
Does my little girl look okay? [HEAVY SIGH.]
[BIRDS CHIRP.]
[LEAVES RUSTLE IN THE WIND.]
[PAPERS FLAP.]
No bruising.
Bruising.
That's weird.
- Are those dead people? - Hey.
Don't look at this, okay? It's not appropriate.
ROSS: Yeah.
I don't want to look at them.
Are you sure you can even bring those home? Do you want pineapple? Do I? Hey um do you and your friends ever talk about suicide? [SCOFF.]
Um yeah, not in like a proactive way or like, a worrying way.
I like being alive, okay? - Why? - It's just a case.
I Oh, you have a case.
Mhmm.
- No.
- Okay.
It just they're they're young kids.
I'm trying to get inside their mind.
Figure out why they'd do something so desperate.
- [PHONE CHIMES.]
- Oh.
Uh - autopsy photos.
Go.
- Go? - Don't look at them.
- Okay.
You know, I think the thing is, is that people forget that, your passions run so high.
When you're a teenager? Like nothing's ever neutral.
And you think things are neutral for me? No.
You're sad.
Because of Dad.
Yeah.
I am.
And I know you're sad too.
Obvs.
[SNIFFLES.]
There is not nearly enough pineapple on that pizza.
- [ROSS GRUNTS.]
- [JENNY LAUGHS.]
ROSS: More pineapple.
I'll be right back.
[SHAKY EXHALE.]
[LETTERS RUSTLE.]
[GLASS SLIDES.]
[PAPERS RUSTLE FRANTICALLY.]
[DRAWER RATTLES.]
[GRUNTS.]
[HITTING THUDS.]
[LOCK CLANKS.]
[GASPING FOR AIR.]
[LICKING SOUNDS.]
[CRYING.]
- Pizza's ready.
- Hey.
Uh [CLEARS THROAT.]
Your, your dad didn't, he didn't leave a key to the desk.
FUCK YOU! Fuck! [CRYING.]
[KNOCK ON WINDOW.]
[WINDOW WHIRS.]
I'm fine.
I could see you from the office.
[SIGHS.]
Detective McAvoy is waiting for you? Great.
[SNIFFLES.]
- Hey.
- Hey.
I thought we'd drive out together.
Okay.
That's because you know I don't need a warrant to get back into the prison.
No I just enjoy your company.
[SEATBELT CLICKS.]
Whatever you do - [TURNS ENGINE.]
- You don't do it half way - But don't - Are you are you gonna sing the whole time? Are you gonna cry? Now I'm gonna try To put fun in your life Investigating deaths isn't for everyone.
You're part of a fundamental truth of the human experience.
But aside from that, it can be gloomy.
And lonely.
It's kinda condescending when men give women advice.
It's not coming from that place.
You seem a little obsessive, and a little lonely.
And that can take you to a dark place.
There's no shame in saying, this isn't for me.
It is for me.
- How do you know? - I just know.
Your suicide pact theory doesn't make sense.
Even if they were playing Romeo and Juliet, There's nothing explaining the bruise on her heel.
And her Mother said that she was happy, that she was doing well In here? - Nobody's happy and well.
- Yeah.
Right.
Well, even so.
Kevin's roommate was the only one there when Kevin died.
We talked to him.
He's not giving anything up.
You really think this is a love triangle.
I don't know that it wasn't.
All right.
Well, I've got the thing to do.
So, I'll see you on the other side.
I'm gonna need your holes.
Oh, that didn't sound good.
- Sabina.
- Hey.
I saw your name on the staff list, and I couldn't believe it.
What Since when did you become a drama teacher.
Um, still a social worker.
The drama people all bailed actually.
The warden cancelled the play.
[SIGHS.]
So, what can you tell me about Danielle and Kevin? Well, Kevin was Antifa, antifascist.
He was all about the future.
[SCOFF.]
That doesn't sound like a drama kid.
He came for Danielle.
The play was her life.
Yeah, we're mourning.
Sabina, can I ask you something? Okay.
Hey.
Sneax, right.
- Yeah, Hi.
- Hi.
[SIGHS.]
Oops.
Were you into Danielle? No.
Maybe for a minute but not now.
Why are you in here? I was in my cousin's car and we got stopped.
But I didn't do anything, wrong place wrong time.
Yeah.
Can we finish now because I have a, a lineup of people in my office, waiting for me.
I have Explain to me again why you didn't send us over the CCTV? There isn't any.
Every two weeks, the drive on the central command post gets wiped.
This just happened to happen after two kids died? It's on an automatic timer.
We have no control over it.
Excuse me.
[DOOR BUZZES.]
[SINISTER MUSIC.]
[CUFFS JINGLE, CLICK.]
[DOOR CREAKS.]
This is Jenny, we went to university together.
And she's joining us because she wants to know more about Kevin and Danielle.
She's good people, you can trust her.
I'm really sorry that your friends died.
So, if, uh if there's anything that you would like to share? Danielle was a really great actress, that's what I know.
She was gonna be amazing in the play.
I'm not supposed to have this, but I made a like, tribute.
DANIELLE: For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmer's kiss.
[KEVIN LAUGHS.]
DANVILLE: Try it again.
KEVIN: Let me try it again.
Yeah.
Okay.
Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too? [DANIELLE LAUGHS.]
No.
No, try again.
KEVIN: Okay.
Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too? Aye, pilgrim, lips they must use in prayer.
Well, then dear Saint, let lips do what hands do.
That's the real R&J for you! What are you doing? [GRASPING FOR AIR.]
Sneax? Hey! Sneax! Sneax! Can you hear me? He's OD-ing! - Somebody turn the lights on! - Give him space.
- SABINA: I'm getting Naloxone.
- Give it to me.
It's okay.
It's okay.
It's okay, Sneax.
Here.
I got it.
GIRL: Oh my I need another one.
It's okay, Sneax.
- [HITTING THUD.]
- Oh! Holy shit.
[BREATHING RAPIDLY.]
Don't-don't let me die.
It's okay.
You're okay.
Okay? I won't.
Okay? [VOMITS VIOLENTLY.]
Nobody touch the barf! The CCTV's all been erased.
Here.
Let me help you with that.
Well, one thing I do know.
Sneax didn't murder Kevin.
[PAINED GRUNT.]
Maybe this job is for you.
This is vomit.
From a kid who OD'd on some kind of drug.
- Blood test would be better.
- Yeah, I know, but I don't have time for the legal rigamarole, and it would have been out of his system by then.
Hey, come here.
Detective McAvoy said that the footage from the CCTV in the detention centre was erased.
Can you go through the Attorney General and get a court order to search their servers? Technically, yes, but it'll take months.
So, practically, no.
But I could Hold on one second.
Uh, Dr.
Peterson? I need to discuss your pathology report.
[EXASPERATED SIGH.]
You didn't do an examination of Danielle's heel abrasion.
It didn't seem relevant.
Well, I told you to do it.
You're the one who wanted speedy results.
And Kevin's neck tissue? I mean, you say here that the neck injuries are consistent with auto-strangulation, but I saw on autopsy photos that post-mortem bruising had come up.
Which is consistent with someone else strangling him, and there is no mention of that in here.
I made a judgment call.
No examination of Danielle's neck either.
I mean, come on, these are children! I did toxicology.
Your dead girl had traces of Fentanyl in her system.
She was high when she died? She was an addict who hanged herself.
- And the boy followed suit.
- NO! Don't! We are supposed to speak for the dead, and how am I supposed to do that with with this? I wanna re-examine Kevin and Danielle bodies myself.
You can't.
I released them.
What? [SLOW.]
I released them.
- You're fired.
- Excuse me? Congratulations, Dr.
Allen, you're promoted to senior pathologist, You can't fire me! You're arrogant.
You cut corners.
And you are not gonna change.
It is you or it is me.
And it is not me.
- Where are the bodies now? - [PAPERS FLUTTER.]
[LOW HUM OF CHATTER.]
- Hi.
- Hey.
You missed the funeral.
Yeah.
I'm sorry.
I um I need you to release Danielle's body back to me.
There was a problem with the postmortem.
And I I'm sorry.
I know this isn't good time.
You want me to give you back her body? There was a mistake.
She died! She was high when she died.
No! She was a happy, well-adjusted girl! And how would you know? - You never visited her.
- [HARD SLAP.]
[CRIES.]
The play was her life, Simone.
And you didn't know about it.
Okay.
So, that makes me think that you didn't go visit her.
So, this whole "she's happy, she's fine", that is a fantasy because you don't want to know the truth! The system took my kid! You can't have her back! [CRYING.]
[PANICKED BREATHS.]
[BAG RATTLES.]
[PILLS RATTLE.]
[EXHALES.]
Come on.
Come on, Jenny.
[CALMING EXHALES.]
[PILLS RATTLE.]
[ENGINE ROARS.]
Hey.
Thanks.
[OBJECTS CLATTER.]
[LID RASP.]
[FOOTSTEPS CLANK SLOWLY.]
Hi.
Tissue from the heel of Danielle Wills.
I'd like a proper dissection of it please.
Where did you get this? Don't ask.
I like more proper samples, in the future.
Got it.
I did a quick dipstick on your barf.
I'll wait for toxicology to confirm, but uh, it tested positive for Fentanyl.
And drum roll please Carfentanil.
Carfentanil's a 1000 times stronger than Fentanyl.
We were getting 10 ODs a week in the ER.
Nobody knows what they're taking, and nobody knows what they're making.
I want you to re-test Danielle's blood - for Carfentanil.
- You think she OD'd? Well, if the heel abrasion was post-mortem, I do.
[PHONE PINGS.]
[SCOFF.]
Another body.
Let me know as soon as the results come in.
[DOOR OPENS.]
[DOOR OPENS.]
[READING EXHALE.]
Hey.
Thanks.
[BIRDS CHIRP.]
Okay.
[BRANCH THUDS.]
Hey! You can't be up there! I'm cutting down branches.
Yeah.
No.
I'm the coroner, you can't be up there while I'm doing an investigation! The police are inside.
They didn't seem worried about me.
Are you Mrs.
Panychs' son? No, she was 90.
I'm doing some work for her.
Or for someone I guess, no-one now.
That's a joke.
Yeah.
Uh I have to go.
All right.
I get it, you're the coroner.
[DOOR OPENS.]
[WIND CHIMES CHIME.]
[FOOTSTEP THUD SLOWLY.]
[TIRED EXHALES.]
[SIGHS.]
[EXHALES.]
Hey.
You wanna go get a beer? [RELUCTANT SIGHS.]
[LOUD MUSIC PLAYS, UPROAR OF CHATTER, LAUGHTER.]
- Here you go.
- Thanks.
[WINE GLASS CLINKS.]
I'm a widow! What? I'm a, I'm a widow! - Okay.
- Yeah.
I'm sorry, I don't-I don't know why I'm telling you this.
[CHUCKLES.]
What, what um, how did your husband die? An aneurysm.
He was, uh he was only 40.
Um I'm sorry.
I didn't know.
I just You Come on, you knew I was married.
No.
You know what? - Maybe this is a weird conversation - No! No! My husband spent all our money before he died! [SCOFF.]
Yeah.
He had a gambling problem.
So, he took out a second mortgage, he gambled that away! He didn't pay our life insurance premiums.
So, I'm-I'm gonna have to sell my house! And [LAUGHTER AND CHEERING IN BACKGROUND.]
Oh Um So, uh, what about you? You smell like travel.
Oh.
Uh I was in the army.
Afghanistan.
What did-what did you do there? I killed a bunch of people.
[PHONE VIBRATES.]
Uh, so sorry.
This is, it's work, I've just gonna a minute.
- I'll be right back.
- Yeah.
Sure.
Thanks.
[ENGINE RUMBLES.]
Hey, thanks.
Uh, thanks for the beer.
[DOOR SHUTS.]
[DOOR OPENS, THEN SHUTS.]
[NERVOUS EXHALE.]
[COYOTE HOWLS IN THE DISTANCE.]
[DOG BARKS IN THE DISTANCE.]
[FOOTSTEPS SHUFFLE.]
[PASSIONATE INHALE.]
[HEAVY BREATHING.]
[CLOTHES RUSTLE.]
[GRUNTS.]
How did you get your scar? My ex-girlfriend gave it to me.
And you? Where'd you get this? I don't remember.
[TRAFFIC WHOOSHES.]
So, Danielle had Carfentanyl in her system? Uh yep.
It wasn't on her tox screen.
Because we didn't test for it until Sneax OD'd.
Dr.
Allen examined Danielle's heel wound.
It was made post-mortem.
Walk me through your thinking.
Carfentanil acts fast.
She OD's.
Whoever gave her the drugs covers it up, making it look like a hanging.
In the process, she gets dragged across the floor, injuring her heel.
Kevin sees it.
They kill him too.
Mhmm.
And then they erase the CCTV.
MCAVOY: This is my theory.
Go on in.
Go on the other side of this door.
Don't worry, I won't hurt you.
All right.
This is how guards cuff the kids.
Can you move? - [DOOR RATTLES.]
- Not really.
I pull you gently.
Now I have complete control over your physicality.
Someone slips behind, strangles you, what can you do? Nothing.
We have a witness.
SABINA: Three minutes.
[WHEELS RATTLE.]
[CHAIR CREAKS.]
Danielle was using drugs.
Yeah.
And Kevin knew about it.
Who gave her the drugs? Was it the same people who gave you the drugs, when you OD'd? [IMPATIENT EXHALE.]
There is two of them.
They give kids drugs sometimes.
What do they ask for in return? Nothing.
They just make sure you take them.
Who was in the cell? [EXHALES.]
Hey Sneax please.
Hawk.
The older guard.
- Thanks, man.
- Thank you.
All right.
Nobody gives something for nothing.
They were experimenting on these kids.
Yeah.
Using them as guinea pigs to get the dosage on their drugs right.
I'm exhuming Kevin's body.
Siddiq, that's your name, right? Did you really run around with the Weston crew? That's what they say.
You don't look much like them.
No tats, no flags.
Whatever.
Sneax is all about sneaking through.
Well, you're getting out of here soon so.
If there's something you need, look me up.
If I get stopped, I just end up back in anyway.
Like Romeo said, you can't outrun your name.
Sneax Peace.
[HARD KNOCK.]
MCAVOY: Mr.
Hawk.
It's the police.
We have you surrounded.
Put your hands on your head and walk out the door.
[DOOR SHUTS.]
JENNY: First, I wanna thank you for the permission you gave me to exhume Kevin's body.
He didn't hang himself.
The police have suspects in custody.
And I am ruling his death a homicide.
Get him out of here.
Danielle died of an overdose.
But the men who gave her the drugs knew that it was bad.
And they covered up her death to look like a suicide.
So, I'm also ruling her death a homicide.
But there is something else that I wanted to tell you.
Your children were in love.
And they wrote their own poetry.
[GINA READS.]
"Dear Danielle, you are the stars and the moon, [EMOTIONAL EXHALE.]
and everything that shines.
" [SIMONE READS.]
"Dear Kevin, you are fire you make my heart melt you are fire you make the earth warm under my feet".
[KEYS CLACK.]
[COMPUTER BEEPS.]
[HEAVY SIGH.]
Sneax.
Ahem.
Hi, I, uh, I like to put an offer in on a house.
It, uh no, it hasn't been listed yet.
It's-it's out of the city.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's a new listing, the uh, the owner just died.
So, I'll, I'll email you the address.
Okay.
Thanks.
[PHONE BUZZES.]
Ahem.
Hello.
Dr.
Cooper, it's Donovan McAvoy.
Detective.
Those two kids wouldn't have peace if you hadn't fired Dr.
Peterson.
I I sense a "but" coming.
Have you considered the magnitude of doing that, down the line? You mean, do I plan to further reopen Dr.
Peterson's cases? Unearthing the past can cause a lot of problems for a lot of people.
I like being a problem.
Hmm.
Me too.
Good night, Detective.
'Night.
[BIG EXHALE.]
[DOG BARKS.]