INT:INNER OFFICE AT THE SCHOOL.

Derek is reporting to Eve and Frank.

DEREK
So she's made a new Will, leaving
the bulk of her husband's wealth
to the church, with a large
settlement on Daisy, which would
also go to the church in the event
of her niece's death preceding her
own...

FRANK
And how did you get all this so
quickly?

DEREK
Oh, remote viewing...

MS.POULTER
You don't mean dreaming?

DEREK
No, no. It's totally accurate, I
promise you. Look...

He pulls his phone from his pocket, speed dials to the
webcam, and turns it to show them. We can just see the
living room, with no-one in it.

FRANK
Very ingenious! And how did you
get that in place?

DEREK
I can do invisible, like I told
you. Actually we use this
technology to monitor patients at
the nursing home. Even better,
watch...

He presses a button, and we hear the voice of a
recording...we can see Daisy talking to Sam and John...

DAISY
(recorded voice)
She decided not to gift the money
to the church right now, but to
write a new Will, leaving some to
me, and the rest to the church
after she's gone to a better
place.

He clicks it off. And smiles.

DEREK
So do you want me to show her the
door?

FRANK
Sorry, what?

DEREK
To Summerland. When people miss
their loved ones, I enjoy opening
the door for them, so they can be
happy ever after!

MS.POULTER
No, no Derek, that won't be
necessary. Let's not be impatient.
We need to consider the
possibilities. And where is this
Will right now?

DEREK
It's at the house, but I think
they intend to deliver it to the
solicitor after the weekend.

MS.POULTER
So, at the moment, those four are
the only ones who know about it?

DEREK
As far as I can see.

FRANK
And any luck with knowing more
about these guys?

DEREK
Well, I got their names when they
were introduced.

MS.POULTER
And...

DEREK
The one who is getting up your
nose is Sam Hill, and his little
friend is John West.

FRANK
Good start! And do you know any
more about them?

DEREK
I have done a quick Google, and it
seems Mr Hill is what they call a
Mentalist, quite well known in his
line of work.

MS.POULTER
(with disgust) Show business!

DEREK
Well, yes, but he also dabbles in
exposing fraudulent mediums on the
side. Although I don't think
that's his main interest. Like a
lot of magicians, he's upset by
the amount of publicity people
like Uri Geller get...when he can
do all the same things by
trickery.

MS.POULTER
Yes, yes. Well, we would all be
better off without the frauds who
misuse the knowledge of other
realms...

Frank exchanges a brief look with Eve, an almost
imperceptible raise of the eyebrow.

FRANK
(to Derek) And the other one?

DEREK
John West gets credit for being
his ideas man. His backstage guy.
A real cynic, apparently. A wise
guy. Doesn't believe in anything
at all.

MS.POULTER
Do you have an address for them?

DEREK
Not yet. Online there is only a
contact address for Hill's agent,
and that sort of thing. But it
shouldn't take me long...

FRANK
That's very well done, Derek. Very
quick, and very useful.

Frank is standing, indicating for Derek to rise, and showing
him to the door.

FRANK (CONT'D)
Now we need to discuss the
implications.

MS.POULTER
If you could pick up their trail,
or find out how we could get hold
of them if necessary, it would be
very useful.

DEREK
You could always book Mr Hill
through his agent!

FRANK
Another great idea! Thanks Derek.

Frank shows Derek out, and returns to his seat.

MS.POULTER
This changes everything.

FRANK
Yes.
MS.POULTER
If the Will gets to the
solicitors, then we get nothing
until the old bird dies, and we
don't get the bit she's set aside
for her niece, which might be a
tidy chunk of that.

FRANK
Unless the niece dies first...

MS.POULTER
Yes, unless the niece dies first,
and her aunt dies fairly soon
afterwards.

They share a look.

INT:SCHOOL RECEPTION.

Sam enters, cheerfully enough. He approaches Helen at the
desk.

SAM HILL
Is Eve here? I think I owe her an
apology for being a bit overzealous
the other day.

HELEN
She's not here, right now, I am
afraid.

SAM HILL
Is Frank about?

HELEN
No, they went off together.

SAM HILL
Oh. Um. I can't really leave a
message...

HELEN
Mr Hill?

Sam looks startled.

SAM HILL
How do you know my name?

HELEN
We all do, now. In fact we know
quite a lot more about you...

SAM HILL
How...

HELEN
I can't really go into it now...

She looks around at the cctv cameras.

HELEN (CONT'D)
Perhaps we could meet during my
coffee break? At the cafe up the
road...?

SAM HILL
Okaay...

Sam turns, glances back, slightly puzzled, and leaves.

INT: CAFÉ
Sam is nursing a cup of coffee, when Helen enters to join
him. She signals to him, and ushers him to share a table by
the window, and away from the counter.

HELEN
I have a couple of things to tell
you.

SAM HILL
How do you know who I am?

HELEN
Oh, they had you followed, and
probably bugged.

SAM HILL
What!

HELEN
They are not quite such easy game
as you seem to think Mr. Hill.

SAM HILL
Oh, I had no intention of
underestimating them, I am just
glad to know it wasn't telepathy
and remote viewing!

HELEN
This is not a joke. I am going to
tell you something in confidence,
as it is important to both of us.
I am only working as a
receptionist in order to spy on
them.

SAM HILL
What? What for?

HELEN
I know, you had me down as one of
their gullible fools.

SAM HILL
I didn't say that.

HELEN
A True Believer...

SAM HILL
(weakly) Not really...

HELEN
Your opinion of me doesn't matter,
but you have to believe me now.
You and Daisy and Maud may be in
some danger now.

SAM HILL
You have linked me...

HELEN
Come on, catch up, Eve knows all
about everything.
SAM HILL
But how...

HELEN
Oh don't start all that again, or
I'll say her control told her...

SAM HILL
Perhaps I'd believe you. I thought
we had been really careful, in
fact I imagine that guy is still
sitting outside the hotel in his
car...

HELEN
You have a more dangerous enemy
now. Someone a bit crazier. He's
already found out about the new
Will, and that changes everything.

Sam looks startled again, then crestfallen.

HELEN (CONT'D)
Don't start sulking that your
little game didn't work. This is
serious. If that Will reaches the
solicitor's then the Church will
no longer want to keep Auntie
dangling on a string. They'll want
her dead, and if they want ALL the
money they'll want Daisy dead
first.

SAM HILL
Now wait a minute. We thought this
had bought us a bit of time.

HELEN
I don't think you are quite up to
speed here. This is not some
Jonathan Creek puzzle, or Agatha
Christie mystery, set in sedate
England. These people can be
ruthless.

SAM HILL
Oh, I think you may be
exaggerating a little bit.

HELEN
Mr Hill, whatever you do, don't
patronize me. You already
compromised my cover by involving
me in your prediction trick. They
were so baffled they assumed I had
to be in on it with you, and that
led to them trusting me less. I
didn't need that.

SAM HILL
But I don't understand...

HELEN
It's a bit of a need to know
basis, Sam, can I call you Sam?
All you need to know is that the
Church is under investigation for
Fraud, amongst other things.

SAM HILL
The Fraudulent Mediums Act? Surely
people don't get prosecuted under
that any more?

HELEN
As it happens, that is no longer
the law ruling these matters. And
it's not The Witchcraft Act
either. More to the point, that is
not all they are accused of.

SAM HILL
So what else, apart from fairly
harmless religious chicanery?

HELEN
They exploit workers in their
call-centres (who use scripts
written by Eve), they provide
young women mediums for 'private
sessions'. You wouldn't believe
the half of it.

SAM HILL
Private sessions? I had a couple
of mediums over for the evening,
but wasn't very impressed...

HELEN
Please don't ask me to go into
details, Mr Hill. Back in the 19th
Century young female mediums were
restrained (tied to chairs)
supposedly as proof that the
physical manifestations were
independent of them. Then the
lights were turned out. And, yes,
they could escape from their
restraints, that's where Houdini
got half his ideas. It was all a
bit of a thrill to The Victorians.
The 'spirits' might dance around
in flimsy gauzy clothes, or sit on
the scientist's knees, and stuff.
Need I say more?

SAM HILL
But, I don't...

HELEN
OK, Mr Hill (sighs) let's say your
fantasy is to get a blow-job from
Marilyn Monroe? They send along a
medium who channels her...do you
get the picture?

SAM HILL
And Eve is behind all this?

HELEN
No, she's part of an empire, and
subject to the Secret Chiefs.

SAM HILL
Theosophy? Avatars in the
Himalayas? Tibetans seem like the
second choice after Native
Americans for spirit guides.

HELEN
Oh no, Mr Hill, these secret
chiefs are all too real, and they
are the ruthless ones I warned you
about. Think Psychic Mafia, and
you'll be on the right level.

SAM HILL
So what can we do?

HELEN
Be a lot more careful than you
have been so far...

SAM HILL
OK, so what do we do?

HELEN
You don't have to do much except
stay out of the way...we have to
bring our plans forward, that's
all. Oh, and you could maybe keep
an eye on Daisy for the moment,
now that you've put her at risk.

SAM HILL
Unless we can convince them that
the new Will has been destroyed?
Which puts things back as they
were.

HELEN
Well, you can set yourself that
task if you want. I don't know how
you'd do it. I've got calls to
make...Can you pay for this?
She indicates the coffee cups.

SAM HILL
Of course, but...

Helen has pulled a mobile from her bag, and is briskly
leaving the cafe, while dialing, looking carefully up and
down the street. Sam looks forlorn