The Missing

PELTING RAIN

MURMUR OF DINERS

I wanted chocolate.

Pleeeeease...!

Pleeeease...!

Please, Mummy!

Mummy, please!

How old are you?

Thirteen.

Sorry. I have a son his age.

No, no. It's fine.

DIALLING ON MOBILE PHONE

'Hi, there. I can't come to the phone

'but please leave a message and I'll get back to you when I can. Thanks.'

It's me.

I hope you're well.

Well, I heard the news, so I suppose you are.

Erm...

I came back.

Same room, everything.

TV still doesn't work.

Anyway, I'm here.

I thought you should know why.

I've found something.

# Oh, my love

# We pray each day

# May you come home

# And be OK

# For now

# We wait for you

# For you to come home... #

FRENCH LANGUAGE ON CAR RADIO

Bonjour! Ca va?

CHILD CHUCKLES

What you drawing, Olly?

It's Daddy!

Shall we show him!

No!

Not again!

Why do you always draw me with such big ears?

I don't have big ears, do I?

It's you. It's Daddy Big Ears!

My ears aren't really that big, are they?

Huge.

PHONE VIBRATES

Already...!

I'll be quick.

MOBILE'S BUZZING CONTINUES

I know, I know.

No work this side of the Channel.

Deal?

Deal.

CAR FAILS TO START

ENGINE STRUGGLES TO TURN OVER

ENGINE FAILS

Try again?

How long... Er, combien pour la voiture?

Uh...

One hour?

Non... Un jour ou deux.

One day, maybe two.

Um, bit of a change of plan.

Come and help me with the bags.

Est-ce que la...une hotel...ici?

Un hotel... un hotel...

L'hotel le plus proche est L'hotel L'Eden.

Premiere etage, la derniere porte a gauche.

- Bonjour. - Bonjour.

Erm, do you speak English?

Yes, hello.

- Have you got any rooms? - We only have one room, monsieur.

Oh, great. Yes, we'll take it.

- The television does not work, I'm afraid. - Oh, that's fine.

I would have preferred if you said you must have one, so I could give you this one!

MAN SPEAKS FRENCH

- The World Cup is all he thinks about. - Ah!

Fancy your chances?

Er, what?

France against Brazil - France?

Ah. yes, good, good.

These are the keys, please, Mr Fox. It's a nice little fox.

I'll bring the portable bed for the little one later.

OK, good.

- What's the number, Olly? - Seven! - Seven.

I've found it!

Oh, wow!

Ooh, it's very big.

It's quite a big room!

Yeah, good, yeah, I'll get the bags(!)

REPEATS HIS ENQUIRIES IN FRENCH

Vous avez vu ce jeune homme?

Vous avez vu ce jeune homme?

Have you seen this boy here?

Look at the photo, will you?

Mr Hughes?

Laurence!

Been a long time. Last time I saw you was...

Tony...

We have had some calls about you.

- Look... - Complaints.

You are bothering people. You understand?

We have to address these things. And you being here, it's not...

No, I understand. You're doing your job.

Will you stop this?

No, OK, yeah. I'll stop.

Show me this picture.

That's the scarf Olly was wearing when he went missing.

This boy was in Chalons. Do you recognise him?

No.

I'm sorry, I...

You should go home, Tony.

Yeah, I know, I will.

Oh!

SHE CHUCKLES

How are they?

The colony is well under-weight, I was off on the flow.

They need syrup and water.

You should never have built that hive.

You're not a carpenter, my love.

'Allo? C'est Julien Baptiste.

Laurence! Comment ca va?

Bein, merci. Au revoir.

Tony Hughes has gone back to Chalons du Bois.

Why?

He thinks he's found something.

Laurence says he's being a nuisance.

A drunk. Nobody wants him there.

I can't imagine why.

My honey bees will only survive the winter

if they think there is still a nectar flow.

To live through this cold,

they must believe the world outside the hive is warm.

That there is food,

that nothing has changed.

Tony is in Chalons du Bois because there,

he can believe that his son is not gone,

and that somewhere he is now

13 years old and playing football,

starting to think about girls...

You're not thinking about seeing him, are you?

Hey.

N'inquietes pas!

Qu'est-ce qui se passe, alors?

Gimme a bise.

I'm ready.

Mmm...!

It's that one!

That's the one, 100%!

No...!

The expensive one's the other one?!

- Correct. - Liar! You're just being a cheapskate!

Yeah, cos 15 grand's not enough to spend on a day?

Well, we'll just have to blindfold all our guests.

Mmm...interesting!

Oh, look, I found your phone.

Oh! My hero.

Fell into one of the boxes.

'It's me. I hope you're well.

'Well, I heard the news, so I suppose you are.

'I came back.

'Same room, everything.

'TV still doesn't work.

'Anyway. I'm here.

'I thought you should know why -

I've found something.'

So, er... So, sorry, what?

The car is fixed?

Fixee?

OK. Thank you.

TV SHOWING FOOTBALL

All done. Car's fixed.

Great. What was it?

He explained it mostly in French,

though I wouldn't understand it in English.

Swimming tomorrow, Olly.

- Swimming NOW! - Where? - Now? Bit late, love.

It's way past your bedtime.

- Ooh. There is a pool there. - Please?

But we'd have to go all the way back to the hotel

to get your trunks.

There's plenty of holiday left.

Pleeeeease...!

Pleeeease.

- Swimming it is, sir! - YAY!

All right, absolutely no longer than half an hour, you two. All right?

CHATTERING AND LAUGHTER

I'm thirsty!

"I'm thirsty!"

"I'm thirsty!" Come on, then. We'll get you out.

STILL AND QUIET

What would you like to drink?

I think a cup of...

Hmm... I know, some hot butter!

No...!

It's delicious, I'm telling you.

- What about some frogs' legs? - No!

- Stop being silly. - ROWDY FOOTBALL VIEWERS

Give me your hand.

ROWDY HUBBUB

NOISE RISES AND FALLS WITH GAME