09/08/2019
Caminada
Scene 1 -
The interior of a dark and dirty brick gas lit room in a basement of a Victorian pub, it maybe a cellar or an outhouse.
There are about 20 men and women of different ages, some in dirty Victorian clothes, some in tatty top hats, other more well to do men too with young women of the night leaning against them and laughing and shouting.
They are surrounding the outskirts of the room watching two men, a large tattooed and overweight white man and a younger, slighter black man are taking part in a in a no rules bare knuckle fight.
Both men are sweating and bleeding from the fight.
The crowd are cheering, laughing and jeering the two on, they are supporting the larger white man as the most of their money is on him.
The black man is faster and keeps avoiding the large swinging, haymaker punches of the bigger white man.
The crowd jeer and call at the larger man to finish his opponent quickly, to beat him to death.
Crowd - 'Kill 'im!' 'Go on big John ! Finish the bastard!' 'Do 'im!'
The men trade punches close in, then Big John catches his smaller opponent as he throws and misses a punch.
He grabs him and pins his arms, leans hard into his face and bites into his ear and the side of his face, blood spurts everywhere.
The crowd cheer and punch the air cheering and shouting excitedly.
The smaller black man screams as he is bitten by Big John.
We see his hands are opening and closing into tight fists pinned at his side by Big John's grip as he struggles to escape the savage biting of his ear and face.
Suddenly his arm gets free from Big Johns grip and he takes the chance to dig his thumb deep into Big Johns eyeball.
We see blood spurting as the smaller man gouges at his opponents eye.
Big John let's go and screams and bends down as he grabs at his destroyed eye ball.
As he bends the smaller man grabs his head and smashes his knee hard into big Johns face smashing his nose to pulp.
Big John falls back against a wall, scattering the audience as he staggers backwards and hits the wall hard.
The smaller of the men pursues his foe and jumps on him beating and pounding him with fists and knees.
Then out of the crowd a large man in an overcoat and top hat walks quickly into the fight and stops the smaller man by pulling him away hard.
Large man in coat - 'Enough Jacob... He's had enough, you'll kill him and then I'll be watching you hang from the gallows by next week!'
The smaller black man disengages from the fight, staggers back to his corner stool, and his corner man empties a bucket of water over him, as the large man in the great coat and top hat checks Big John is not dead.
Satisfied Big John won't die, he turns and walks back to Jacob sat at his stool.
The large man in the coat says whilst smiling to Jacob -
' Is this any way for my new Constable to be earning a quick sovereign or two?'
Jacob is sat slumped on his stool, his ear and side of his face bleeding, he is breathing hard.
He smiles weakly and says
Jacob - 'All in an honest nights work Mr Caminada'
Caminada - 'That's Detective Caminada to you Jacob... Chief Detective of Manchester and you'll do well not to forget it.'
He turns to the baying crowd and shouts above their din
'Now all of you lamentable sods leave this hell hole before I drag you down the Newton Street Cells.
You had better not be late for duties due to injury or malady tomorrow Jacob, or I will be the one beating you senseless next time'.
The crowd are counting, jeering, collecting money and leaving the cell noisily.
(We go to to the Introduction)
Scene 2 -
Caminada steps through the church at St. Mary's in Manchester.
It is dark inside except for the light of several candles near the entrance and alongside the oak pews.
He walks slowly toward a kneeling figure near to his right hand side and three rows down from the Church entrance door.
No doubt this bent, darkened figure is praying for redemption from his saviour which he could never find after a lifetime of dark and dismal sin unimaginable to all the other poor sinners seeking similar heavenly reprieve as they sit or kneel scattered through the Holy Mothers shrine.
Caminada walks up and sits in the pew behind the praying figure he was looking for and spied upon on entering the Church.
Caminada - 'May your God be with you brother' he speaks quietly toward the figure in front of him.
Caminada continues - 'What do you pray to be forgiven for this night?'
He whispers sarcastically at the huddled figure, who moves uncomfortably in his seat upon hearing the voice of the police man.
Dickie Brown - 'I pray ... I pray, I had never set eyes on your blasted face officer, I pray no one ever knows of the sorry tales of woe I provide you with, which in turn bring sorrow and misery upon those who I give up to your oh so kind, kind mercy'.
The words are delivered with just enough grudging respect to hold Caminada back from feeling the individuals collar, but they are tinged with an animosity, recognition and hopelessness from the mouth they are spat.
TBC.
