[Organ playing down-tempo music]
[Birds chirping]
My name is Brenda.
I worked with Declan at the Wadsworth homestead.
And, um, he was a really amazing gardener.
And the Wadsworths,
who are in France for the winter,
sent this message.
“To our dear departed Declan.
You knew how to coax a prickly stick into a perfect rose.
You cared for our gardens as if they were your own.
You were and will remain a poet and a gentleman."
GREENE: Thank you, Brenda.
In true O'Grady style,
he's insisted on having the last word.
[Down-tempo music plays]
You know, when the cancer found me out,
I said to myself, "Let's not make this a gloomy affair."
And I didn't know how better to do that
than to leave you with a final poem.
“The Sweet Smell of Death."
Lower the mainsail, lower the flags.
Lo and behold, I've run aground.
I'm holed, and I'm sinking.
Pour me a Guinness. Don't stop me drinking.
Pour me a shot. Pour me another.
Remember me.
Remember me well.
Tight to the wind, out on high.
Riding the horizon,
living it up between Mrs. Smith's thighs.
[ Laughter]
And please remember that Declan's final book,
“Having a Pint on the Wild Blue Yonder,"
is for sale in the foyer.
Proceeds to the Cancer Recovery Foundation.
[ Organ plays mid-tempo music]
[ Down-tempo music playing]
[ Indistinct conversations]
Let the Lord be yourjudge and jury now, Declan O'Grady.
Coward.
[Music continues]
[ Engine starts]
[Crowd gasps, tires screech]
Oh, God. God.
[Camera beeping, shutter clicking ]
♪ You can bury my body I
It doesn't look good.
Do you want to tell me how you got that?
SIMS: Stab wound.
I said that, not her, in case you were wondering.
You're not a ventriloquist, then?
[ Chuckles ] No.
But a stab wound. Thafd be my guess.
Guessing gets you nowhere, Detective Sims.
That's why I'm here.
Usually I take the body to the morgue,
and from there the undertaker takes them for burial.
Today it's all very back to front.
I'm sure she feels the same way.
I came to pay my respects to one of our great poets
and ended up in a crime scene.
A right busman's holiday.
Crime or negligence?
HUGHES: When I die, can you remind me
not to trust my body to that bloke?
Got to get back to HQ for a budget meeting.
I'll, um, alert the coroner for you.
Keep up the good work, Spleen.
- It's Breen. - Mm-hmm.
Please step away from the car.
When it comes to caring for the dead, reputation is everything.
Well, I'm just after the facts
so that we can ascertain what's gone on.
The fact is I delivered the deceased to the church...
and he turned into a woman.
So you're positive that Declan O'Grady's body
was in the coffin when you sealed it up?
Of course.
[ Cellphone playing down-tempo music]
Excuse me.
Bugle Funerals, where life and death shake hands.
This is Warren.
[ Clears throat]
Detective... I'm at a loss for words.
There may well be a simple explanation.
But tell me -- Was the casket always closed
from the time it arrived here at the church?
Yes. It was a closed-casket ceremony.
There's nothing unusual in that.
Except for an Irishman.
Oh. Perhaps.
But funerals are a personal affair.
So you never saw the deceased?
No, I did n'\.
Tina. [Sighs]
On behalf of St. Judas,
my apologies for this harrowing experience.
Don't take responsibility for anothefs sins, Reverend,
Oh, I-I'm sorry.
Detective Shepherd, do you know Tina Morehu?
Hello.
I'm Jared's auntie.
He speaks highly of you.
Ah. Well, he's too kind,
TINA: He spoke highly of Declan, too,
but we won't hold that against him.
The devil visited today.
There is -- if you'll excuse the pun --
a certain kind of poetic justice
to Declan being turned into a woman --
and a young woman at that.
God bless, Reverend.
An exemplary Christian.
Devoted to the Scripture.
I sometimes feel she puts me to shame.
KADINSKY: So you don't know who she is?
SHEPHERD: At this stage, no.
Maybe her name is Scarlett.
Any idea what she was stabbed with?
It will take some time to figure out
what implement caused that wound.
But I have special techniques.
I'll know more when I open her up.
[ Metal clatters]
Did you do the autopsy on Declan O'Gradfi
Sadly, no.
Do you know who did?
He died of natural causes.
I understand it wasn't necessary.
Unlike her,
who died of unnatural causes and did need one.
SIMS: We have a Jane Doe.
SHEPHERD: According to Gina,
dead for approximately three days.
Which puts us at last Saturday.
No ID, nothing distinguishing
other than being Asian, 25 to 30 years of age,
and a tattoo of the word "Scarlett."
Which could be her name.
Or the name of a lover.
Or her favorite color.
There are no reports of a missing person
matching her description on any police records.
Carry on with your inquiries. We need to know who she is.
She's the only thing that ties us to Declan's casket.
Which brings us to the other big question --
Where is the body of Declan O'Grady?
Probably a question best asked...
...of this man.
[ Up-tempo music plays]
[ Bell chimes]
[Saxophone playing]
SIMS: Mr. Bugle.
- Mr. Bugle. -[ Saxophone squeaks]
You cannot sneak up on people like that.
We did ring the bell.
Oh. I didn't hear it.
Been playing long?
Since I was 12.
It's a good way to destress and adds value to the services.
I'm a one-stop shop -- embalming, all arrangements.
I even offer musical accompaniments.
Mr. Bugle, we need to understand
the exact process undertaken with Mr. O'Grady
and his movements before you took him to church this morning.
Well, I've told you what I know.
SHEPHERD: When you say one-stop shop --
You do all the embalming yourself, right'?
Yes.
So you embalmed Declan O'Grady.
Yes. I don't have an assistant.
After you'd embalmed Mr. O'Grady, what happened then?
He went in the chiller.
[Fan humming]
Until?
Today.
I brought him out and took him to St. Judas.
I have a worksheet here.
It's, um, somewhere.
Sorry.
Ah. Here.
Declan Patrick O'Grady.
It's all in order.
Except it says he wasn't to be embalmed.
What?
I Paper crinkling]
Oh. Right. Well, then I didn't. Obviously.
When was the last funeral you conducted prior to today's?
Uh...the day before today.
Yesterday.
Yes. That's -- That's correct.
And is it possible it was in a casket
that was similar to Declafls?
Yeah. As a matter of fact, it was -- very similar.
It's Autumn Cradle.
It's a lovely piece. Very popular.
And can we assume it was for this woman?
No. No. I've never seen her before.
Until today.
So who did you bury yesterday?
Andrea Broadly.
SIMS: A woman.
No. Arthur.
Arthur Broadly.
You seem unsure.
Is it possible you buried the wrong person?
I think that's highly unlikely.
Mr. Bugle, we'll be seeking a court order
to exhume the body...
-[ Gasps ] No. No. -...from Mr. Broadly's grave.
If word gets out, this will ruin me.
It can be a discreet process.
Is it really necessary?
Whatever way we look at it, there is a body missing.
And we need to make sure we're looking for the right one.
Is it Declan or this Arthur Broadly?
[ Birds squawking]
We appreciate your help, Mrs. Marlowe.
Oh, not at all.
See, poor old Arthur had no living next of kin,
and I knew him well.
There was bridge, bingo, and tai chi.
Oh, yes. That's Arthur.
Such a big nose.
Oh, and that ridiculous toupee.
Who would want to be buried with a thing like that?
Father, bless this soul for the disruption caused today.
- And let us remember that... - I knew it.
You see? There was no professional misconduct.
I think I deserve an apology.
Warren, the fact remains that you have still mislaid a body,
that of Declan O'Grady.
So we will need to talk about this down at the station.
Right.
Well, in the name of good professional practice,
I must attend to the casket first.
Well, at least we have one dead body in the right casket
and the right place.
Thanks again, Mrs. Marlowe.
Oh, Jean, please.
An unpleasant task.
We're very grateful.
I'm happy to help-
I never forget a face -- unlike Declan.
Meaning?
Well, I guess he was more a man of words rather than of faces.
“For You" is my favorite one of yours.
[ Chuckles ] Mine too.
And you wrote it about...
Oh, whoever the reader believes it to be.
[ Chuckles ]
But really -- Who is it for'?
For you, Mrs. Marlowe.
[Laughs] Oh.
Oh, Jean, please.
Thank you.
Can you sign it for Melody?
Do you remember me?
No. Sorry. I don't.
MRS. MARLOWE: Result of the cancer, you see.
Chipping away at his memory.
Oh, such a tragedy for a man of words.
Well, I must take a wander
and check up on some old friends of mine.
Cheerio.
Safely stowed.
Thank you, Reverend.
GREENE: Of course.
Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins.
[Mid-tempo music plays]
Take a seat, thanks, Warren.
We'll be right back.
We've checked all backpackers, motels,
the visitors' center, pubs, cafés.
No one recalls seeing Jane Doe.
It's as if she came from nowhere
and has been invisible until the coffin burst open.
Keep on it. She came from somewhere.
I was called to the Wadsworth estate
at around 11:00 a.m. on Sunday morning.
- SIMS: By? - WARREN: A woman.
SIMS: Called?
WARREN: White.
Barry White.
She was called Barry?
Oh. Brenda. Sorry.
Names. They can be so tricky.
Brenda. Yeah. She's the housekeeper there.
She was wailing outside.
Has the doctor been in attendance?
Yes, the doctor was here, but I can't go in there.
His eyes are still open.
Oh. Allow me.
Miss White?
Safe and sound.
Um, he left instructions.
WARREN: But I knew that already.
Because?
Mr. O'Grady had visited my parlor.
Something simple...
austere. earthy.
Yet comfortable?
Does that really matter?
SHEPHERD: So you would say he was at peace
with his impending death?
WARREN: No, I wouldn't.
Apologies.
[Sighs]
I'm sure you're world-weary about death,
but...I'm still coming to terms with it.
It's like a place where... life and death shake hands.
I like that.
Hence the new logo.
But that'll have to change now.
Everyone saw it at the church.
I'll have to rebrand.
Again.
Mr. Bugle, I'm not sure you appreciate
there is a body under your care that is unaccounted for.
Well, nobody died.
Pardon?
Well, I mean they were dead already.
So it's not a complete catastrophe.
- What were the instructions? - S0rry?
You said that Declan left instructions.
Oh. Yes.
I did natural burial, closed casket, quick interment.
Super.
SHEPHERD: How long did he lie in the parlor'?
WARREN: After I straightened the body, I labeled the coffin
-and put him in the chiller. -[ Telephone ringing]
SHEPHERD: At which point the coffin was sealed?
Absolutely.
When a client is to be buried au naturel --
that's without preservation --
it is imperative that the casket is airtight
to slow down the decomposition process.
Otherwise things can get a bit-..whiff y.
Then yesterday, Tuesday morning,
I placed him in the hearse and took him to the church.
That was the last direct contact I had with the coffin.
Thank you, Warren.
SIMS: Until after the service, when...
Mm.
Thank you, Mr. Bugle, for your time.
Your death is my business.
- Excuse me'? - That's catchy.
We may have more questions later.
I've sent out copies to all registered tattooists
hoping someone remembers doing it.
Well, assuming it was done in New Zealand.
Yeah.
I recognize the font as lucida italic,
which should narrow it down.
Certain tattooists specialize in certain fonts.
You have an encyclopedic knowledge of tattoo fonts?
BREEN: It's a common one.
And you know this because underneath that suit
you are fully inked?
Roxy has one.
Oh, really? Where?
Actually, don't answer that.
Someone needed to dispose of Jane Doe
and switched Declan's body...
...out to where?
And why Declan?
Because they knew he was entrusted
to the most hapless funeral director on the planet?
Yeah, but the reason must also lie
with why Jane Doe needed to be disposed of.
Where are we at with the search for Declan's body'?
OC search have a team, and inquiries are under way.
I can't get an answer from Wadsworth s'.
I'll take a drive over on my way home.
He's missing, and she appears out of nowhere.
But they're connected.
All ideas welcome.
[Mid-tempo music plays]
♪ Travelin' the world like a rolling stone I
[Telephone ringing]
♪ It's in my blood and it's in my bones I
Simon.
Lost poets, exhumations --
It's all getting quite gothic up there.
Thanks for calling me back.
Developments?
A missing body
and an unidentified Jane Doe linked by circumstance only.
Those Irish poets, eh?
Even when they're dead,
they like to be the center of attention.
Could you chase up the coroner again for cause of death?
Well, aside from too much Guinness and a brain tumor?
Sure.
I'll put a call through in the morning.
Got to get to hot yoga.
Hot yoga?
God.
[Insects chirping]
[ Engine shuts off]
[ Doorbell rings]
[ Engine starts]
Hey!
Excuse me!
[Mid-tempo music playing]
[ Knock on door]
Merlot?
Uh, sure. Yeah.
Freaky day, eh?
You're referring to the funeral?
Yeah. Well, Declan was a good dude.
I feel bad for him being disrespected when he's dead.
So much for rest in peace.
You, uh, knew him well?
I only got to know him properly recently
when I got shoulder-tapped to take over his gardening role
in Wadsworths'.
He knew he was on his way out with his cancer
and wanted to pass on his wisdom.
SHEPHERD: Why you?
JARED: 'Cause I'm good.
[ Chuckles ] Of course.
Nah. My Auntie Tina hooked me up.
She knew Declan was looking to hand over the reins
and wanted someone with green fingers.
I worked there for two weeks
while he went to Thailand for some experimental operation.
Didn't work, apparently, so he came home to die.
JARED: "For you are the stars, the wind and rain,
for me shelter from the storm of pain.
For you, I am yours.
And we are one again."
"For You.“ You know it.
It's my favorite.
[ Chuckles ] As was she.
I wrote it about, uh, an incredibly special woman.
But...she's moved on now.
As I will soon, too.
SHEPHERD: He certainly has.
But where to exactly is a little unclear.
[Mid-tempo music plays]
You're sure it was Lucas Greene?
Yet when I rang the doorbell, no one answered.
And he came from inside the house?
I didn't see, but he must have,
as did someone else driving a Jaguar.
Number plate?
Oh, it was too dark.
But, you know, a reverend plus a bicycle at nighttime
has to equal dodgy.
Well, curious at least.
[Telephone ringing]
Shepherd.
Seen last night's paper?
"Boo! Who is Declan's mystery woman?"
That has to border on unethical.
At least it creates awareness in the community.
It might help identify Jane Doe.
No. It's insensitive.
That was Gina.
We need to take a detour on the way to St. Judas.
Cushla.
Speak of the devil.
Any developments you want to share?
You don't deserve a lead after this.
Excuse me?
Parading an unknown dead woman on the front page is offensive.
It's news.
What if her family don't know she's dead yet'?
Thafd be a hell of a way to find out, wouldn't it?
They'd find out eventually.
Yeah, through proper channels.
So pull your head in.
Work with us, not against us.
I have been working hard, Mike, to isolate the murder weapon.
Given the shape, depth, and circumference of the wound,
I have narrowed it down to these.
All possibilities.
They're all long, narrow, and tapered.
Yes. They all match the wound and the piercing of the heart.
What about a knife?
No. Not a knife. Too thin.
To make a wound of that dimension?
Correct.
- Apologies. - Please be careful.
You have a shoulder of pork on your table.
- It's not for eating. - Glad to hear it.
It's the closest thing to the density of human flesh.
You stab this?
It's work, not just fun and games.
I'll take your word for it.
You want to try it? It's good for anger.
I'm not angry.
KADINSKY: Everyone is angry deep down.
It's good to let it out.
Right.
Excellent. Thanks, Gina,
[Mid-tempo music plays]
[ Brakes squeak, engine shuts off]
Detectives.
Rev Greene.
A couple of questions.
Of course.
Uh, did I see you leaving the Wadsworlhs' last night
around 8:00 p.m.?
Uh, yes. Yes, that would have been right.
Do you go there often?
I was ministering to Brenda White.
Oh. So she was there.
Yeah. She's been fragile since Declan's death.
She's been asking the big questions --
meaning of life, life after death, et cetera,
I rang the bell, but no one answered.
Yes. Well, it's a-a very big house.
One can so easily get lost in it.
Um, she drives a Jaguar'?
Oh, you're asking the wrong person.
I've never been a car person.
Two wheels good, four wheels bad.
Reverend, were you ever alone with Declan's coffin
once it arrived here on the morning of the funeral?
No. No, I-I think not.
It was only a matter of an hour before the service
that Mr. Bugle delivered Declan.
And I had my helpers with me.
SHEPHERD: They being?
GREENE: Mrs. Marlowe, our organist,
and Janelle, who does the flowers.
Declan.
The poor man.
He truly was a great poet.
“For You" is my favorite.
It is a particularly passionate poem.
They say it's about Denise Snodgrass.
Oh, really?
I thought it was about someone else.
GREENE: As I remember, it wasn't long after that
that the first of the mourners arrived.
SHEPHERD: Any idea who that might have been?
GREENE: Tina Morehu.
Uh, no. Who the, uh, poem was about.
To be honest, no.
Please. Don't get cold.
It's no secret Declan was a lover of more than just life.
It could have been any number of acquaintances.
I see.
The, um, the woman in the coffin.
I didn't actually see her,
but I-I've heard said she was Asian.
That's all we know at this point.
-[ Cellphone ringing] - Excuse me.
Simon.
I spoke with the coroner, Jim Manson.
He wasn't notified of Declan's death, as it was natural causes.
SHEPHERD: Do we know what exactly?
The cause-of-death certificate
was forwarded to Internal Affairs.
By?
Uh, the undertaker, Warren Bugle.
It cites heart attack a result of invasive brain cancer.
And who signed off on that?
A Dr. Plummer.
Dr. Plummer. Got it.
I've sent a copy through to the station.
Thanks.
You said Tina Morehu was in the church at that time?
Yes.
She comes often. Nothing unusual in that.
Okay. Um, that's all for now.
Only too happy to help-
[Cellphone beeping]
Warren Bugle got a cause-of-death certificate
from a Dr. Plummer, and he forgot to mention that.
Well, he has been very busy trying to think up a new slogan.
It's Lucas.
Storming out last night was no solution.
Roger... questions are being asked.
It was her.
[Cellphone ringing]
Mike.
Jared, I have a couple of questions for your Auntie Tina.
Do you have an address?
Well, it just so it happens, I'm at Auntie's now.
15 Powers Lane.
Okay. See you soon.
[Cellphone beeps]
“For you, the devil departed.
For me, the Red Sea parted.
For you, I rise to the occasion,
riding you with self-flagellation.
Swallow me whole.
I'm wholly yours."
Way too many mixed metaphors.
I always liked poetry.
You know country music doesn't count, right?
Oh, come on. Three chords and the truth.
It's got to be poetry.
R Alt I want is a mace to play a'
- No. - Yes.
R A piece to play r
♪ Where I can sing my songs r
r A piece to play r
♪ Where I can forget the wrongs ♪
- Yo. -[ Music stops, doors close]
SIMS: Hey, Jared.
You said you were gardening with Declan.
Yeah.
After he got back from Thailand?
- Yeah. - After his brain surgery?
Oh, he was pretty banged up.
They'd only given him a few weeks to live.
Obviously loved his work.
Well, I guess he was determined
to make the most of the lime he had left.
TINA: Detective'?
SHEPHERD: Ah. Mrs. Morehu.
- Miss. - Miss.
- This is Detective Sims. - Hello.
We're just clarifying a few timelines
around Declan's coffin.
What has that got to do with me?
You were one of the first mourners to arrive.
I like to get a good seat.
You, Mrs. Marlowe,
Janelle the florist, and Lucas Greene.
Yes.
And were you ever alone at any point with the coffin?
I don't believe so.
You said it was poetic justice
that Declan turned into a young woman.
I'm curious -- What did you mean by that?
- What are you insinuating? - Nothing. I just --
This had got nothing to do with me.
- How dare you. - What?
"Cast them into the furnace of fire.
There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
Steady on, Auntie.
Do you want to know where Declan's body is?
Well, yes.
It is burning in the fires of eternal damnation, Mr. Shepherd.
Try looking there.
No one was left alone with Declan's casket
once it was placed in the church.
Therefore, the swap must have occurred at the funeral home.
Or en route between Wadsworths' and the funeral home?
Well, Warren Bugle said he checked him over
before putting him in the chiller.
SIMS: Okay.
Dr. Plummer is based in Riverstone
and has yet to return my calls.
But Brenda White is at the homestead.
Let's get to Wadsworths'.
Uh, developments on Jane Doe?
We've checked out all Asian-based restaurants.
Nothing.
I thought maybe she was a singer,
perhaps in town for the karaoke festival,
but that's next month,
and the organizers don't recognize her from their lineup.
Borders?
We've got airport police covering that off
-with Immigration. - Keep it up.
- She came from somewhere. - Came from somewhere.
I know.
[Door closes]
[Down-tempo music plays]
They don't make them like this anymore.
Probably because people got sick of cleaning all the bathrooms.
[ Chuckles ]
[ Knock on door]
There you go. English breakfast. I hope that's okay.
Perfect. Thanks.
That's quite a complex pattern.
Yes.
Well, I've always liked knitting,
and now I have the perfect excuse.
Oh, are you expecting?
No. [ Chuckles ]
They're for my sister. She's expecting twins.
And when the Wadsworths are away,
things are quieter here, so I steal a bit of time.
- Milk'? - Oh, I can do it.
No. Please. Allow me.
It's what I do.
And if the Wadsworths knew that we had special guests
and I didn't give proper service, well...
[Tea pouring]
Brenda, were you present when Declan passed?
Yes.
First on the scene?
No. Janelle was.
Where were you?
Here in the kitchen, cleaning.
And, uh, she was in the garden with Declan.
Declan had been struggling for weeks.
And ever since returning from Thailand,
we'd said that he needed to slow down,
you know, because we had Jared Morehu on board, but...
-[ Grunts ] - Oh! Help! Someone, please!
BRENDA: It's almost as if he was determined
to die with his boots on.
For Gods sake! Where's the doctor'?!
- Where is he? - Uh, by the camellias.
SIMS: What time was this?
Just after 10:00, I think.
And you called the ambulance?
I did, but...
He's collapsed.
The -- The Wadsworths' homestead. Yes.
- Yes. - It's too late.
Brenda, he's gone.
Let the Reverend know and then call Mr. Bugle.
OK?!-
When I came back out, Declan had been moved to the cottage
to wait for the undertaker.
And Dr. Plummer waited too?
No. He'd left.
Then what happened?
BRENDA: I didn't know what to do.
- I was in shock. - Don't go in there.
God, his eyes are still wide open.
SHEPHERD: But you didn't go in?
BRENDA: No. I couldn't go in there.
And then Mr. Bugle arrived to take Declan away.
Has the doctor been in attendance?
Yes, the doctor was here, but I can't go in there.
His eyes are still open.
Oh. Allow me.
SIMS: Did you go with Declan to the funeral home?
No, I called the Reverend
and then phoned the Wadsworths in France.
Well, thanks for your time, Brenda.
And most excellent tea.
You're welcome.
What were you cleaning?
Oh. Uh...wine glasses.
SHEPHERD: How many?
BRENDA: Uh, six, I believe.
SHEPHERD: Had there been a party?
I clean, Mr. Shepherd. That's what I do.
As you can see, the Wadsworths expect the highest standards.
Yet when you went to call for an ambulance,
Dr. Plummer came from within the house.
Well, he stayed over.
- 80 he doesn't live here? - No, no.
He's a personal friend of the Wadsworths,
and when he has to work late in Brokenwood, he stays here
so he doesn't have to drive all the way back to Riverstone.
There's plenty of rooms.
And Janelle -- What was she doing here on a Sunday morning?
Well, she's a florist.
And Declan let her pick the more exotic blooms
when the Wadsworths were away.
So when the blooms are out, she came running.
Well, we'll let you get back to your knitting.
[Cellphone ringing]
Kristin Sims.
Dr. Plummer. Thanks for getting back to me.
Right. I see.
I'll meet you then. Thank you.
He's teaching at the university in the city.
Won't be able to meet me until this afternoon.
What sort of a doctor teaches?
Either a very good one or a bad one.
JANELLE: It's me again.
I'm just wondering where you are.
- Oh, hello. -[ Telephone beeps]
- Courief? - What?
Well, you sound like you're chasing a courier.
Oh, exactly.
[ Chuckles ]
I mean, how hard is it to pick up some flowers?
It's not like I'm asking them to pick up
some bizarre rancid cheese.
I'm sorry. How can I help you?
Uh, we're still trying to locate the body of Declan O'Grady.
A ghastly business.
I mean, how macabre.
To desecrate a man's memory by stealing his body.
And to do what?
There are some sick people in this world.
Uh, Janelle, you were with Declan when he died.
I was.
He died in my arms.
Oh, for God's sake! Get the doctor!
There was nothing he could do.
The attack was massive, apparently.
He was dead before he hit the ground.
Let the Reverend know and then call Mr. Bugle.
SIMS: And the ambulance came?
It did.
When Brenda returned to the garden,
she said that Declan had been moved into the cottage.
To give him some dignity from the cold, hard ground.
SIMS: The ambulance drivers helped you with that?
Well, I couldn't have done it.
Despite Declan's illness,
he was a strong man, full of life even in death.
And Dr. Plummer was...
Oh, he'd gone by that stage.
He had an appointment in town, I believe.
-[ Dog barking] - Moutarde, sit.
Moutarde. That's an interesting name.
It's French.
Isn't he lovely?
Cheers.
[Machine beeps, whirs]
Yes!
A photo match of Jane Doe coming through international arrivals.
Immigration records have her as Scarlett Ming.
Chinese heritage but hailing from San Francisco,
where she runs a clothing boutique called Missy Scarlett.
She flew in on the 6:00 a.m. Saturday morning
the day before Declan died.
On her immigration card, she wrote 135 Dunvilles Lane.
Wadsworths'.
Interpol are tracking down her next of kin.
They'll need to fly out to formally identify her.
She came from somewhere.
Nice work.
Question is, what brings a San Francisco clothes designer
to Brokenwood?
Maybe Mrs. Wadsworth had a special fitting.
They're loaded enough, right?
SHEPHERD: Well, except she's in France.
Brenda White is the Wadsworths' housekeeper right?
Yes.
And the florist is called Janelle Peacocke.
- Yes. - Brenda White?
Janelle Peacocke?
A woman trading as Missy Scarlett?
And what sort of a doctor teaches?
A professor. Professor Plum-mer.
Surely this has to be more than a coincidence, right?
All we need now is a colonel.
Moutarde. It's French for "mustard."
Are we suddenly in a board game?
Senior, there's a Reverend Greene here to see you.
[Birds chirping]
It started some years ago when Brenda White,
Janelle Peacocke, Professor Plummer, and I
realized we all shared our rather unique surnames
with a timeless, classic, and most rewarding board game.
And -- And with the Wadsworths having a large manor
we could use while they were away, we thought,
"Wouldn't it be jolly good fun to adapt it into real life?"
A role-playing club was formed,
something of a whodunit evening, you see.
And, uh, how exactly does it play out?
Ah, yes.
Well, the evening begins in the dining room.
Firstly, the six weapons are made available.
We each take one and secrete it in a random room of our choice.
When everyone returns,
we each draw three cards that decide the weapon,
the room in which the murder is to take place,
and the victim.
We draw a fourth card, five of which are blank.
The sixth reads "murderer" -- the short straw, if you will.
The aim of the evening is for the designated murderer --
let's say it was me -- to move the required weapon
-to the required room... - What are we drinking here?
GREENE: ...and negotiate the victim there as well,
at which point the victim assumes the position.
[Mid-tempo music playing]
The villain slips out and assumes an innocent demeanor
so as not to be sprung by the other participants.
[Clock chimes]
We all meet back in the dining room at midnight,
where the accusations begin.
Dr. Plummer in the billiard room with the rope.
No. Brenda White in the kitchen with the cleaver.
- No. - No.
- Aw! _[ Laughs]
If you're the villain and no one guesses...
You get away with murder.
It really is totally harmless, good old-fashioned fun.
Ajolly good evening.
And the last time you played was last Saturday night?
Yes.
That was the night before Declan passed away.
And Declan took part?
He always played the colonel.
Even though his name's not Mustard.
- No one's is. - Except for Janelle's dog.
Quite.
But the chance of everyone having the same name
would be a coincidence too great.
However, Declan always called himself Colonel Moutarde.
I think it tickled Janelle's fancy.
He was well enough to play?
Oh, he knew it would be his last hurrah.
And the other woman?
Denise Snodgrass.
Afine player, but she left town.
Why?
Let's just say her feelings towards Colonel Moutarde
weren't exactly murderous.
More amorous.
Unrequited, sadly.
So she left to get on with her life.
So you needed a Miss Scarlett.
Yes.
Enter Scarlett Ming.
Her name really was Scarlett, you know.
- SIMS: How did you find her'? - Oh, she found us.
The Internet.
Somehow she'd heard about our private soirees.
That game is my favorite of all time.
I'll book my ticket.
GREENE: She really was a lovely, bubbly sort.
And when she arrived,
she was very polite and courteous,
wearing a dress that she'd made for the occasion.
- Ah! "I Applause ]
GREENE: We all took a shine to her.
We couldn't have hoped for a better participant.
Do you need a cup of tea?
Uh, sorry.
No, no. No. I'm -- I'm fine.
Before each soiree, we...take a photo,
a memento of the evening.
Oh, that one was taken about six months ago.
Denise's last game.
And so the evening took shape.
[Mid-tempo music plays]
We all went about our business.
Some were more active than others.
DECLAN: China Girl, what joy you bring,
with your scarlet heart and your name of Ming.
[ Laughs ] That's very good.
No, no. One more. One more.
Um, There was a young girl from Shanghai...
GREENE: But the rules are clear.
You have to go to each room at least once during the evening.
And there is strategy.
We -- We move the weapons around to flush out the villain.
Eventually, we all met back in the dining room
on the stroke of midnight.
Initially, of course, we all thought Scarlett was the victim.
And she wasn't?
You see, no one had the murderer card.
I don't have it.
She's not in the study.
- Or the library. - Nor the kitchen.
We know the billiard room is clear.
Yes, and the ballroom.
But I found this.
GREENE: I have it here.
"Sorry. Too tired. Jet lag. Hope the game goes well.
XX, Scarlett."
We took it that she'd drawn the murderer card
but then got cold feet and slipped away.
It was a most disappointing night.
And that was the last time you saw Scarlett Ming?
It was.
Uh, we assumed she'd got on a plane back to San Francisco.
Until you saw Declan's coffin.
Now, to be fair, I didn't see her then.
And -- And the others, well, they'd only met her briefly,
and she was wearing a scarlet dress.
In the coffin, apparently, it...was hard to tell.
It only made sense later.
Mm.
After you conferred with the others
at Wadsworths' the last night?
I wanted to be sure we all thought the same thing.
GREENE: It's her, I tell you.
DR. PLUMMER: We can't be sure. I can't tell from that.
Oh, my God. What will the Wadsworths say?
This could all go horribly wrong.
GREENE: The others were adamant
that her demise had nothing to do with us.
Regardless, I felt very conflicted.
Hence I'm here today.
And you believe
your fellow role-players are telling the truth?
My goodness. Yes.
No -- Please. They're all good Christian souls.
And it would have been most unfair
to drag Scarlett into something distasteful
if she were simply back in San Francisco.
Oh, my God.
He converted you?
Something even more weird.
Something that was going on up at Wadsworths'.
People playing murder.
What, like role-playing?
Uh, the Reverend Greene with the pistol in the conservatory --
that sort of thing.
Don't they have anything better to do on their Saturday night?
Well, what were you doing on Saturday night?
Well, it was a quiet one.
Bottle of sav
and I'm bingeing my way through the box set of "Downton Abbey.“
Well, maybe they were having more fun at Wadsworths'.
Hey, at least I wasn't murdering anyone.
Well, neither were they if Lucas Greene is to be believed.
But that was the last place she was seen alive, right?
Yeah.
BREEN: So whoever murdered her used Declan's death
as the perfect way to hide her body.
They got luck)'-
Very lucky.
Until Warren Bugle dumped her body on the tar seal.
Anyway, I'm off to Riverstone to meet with Dr. Plummer --
or should I say Professor Plum?
Watch he's not hiding a candlestick in his study.
Uh, Senior, these people here to see you.
Jared.
- Tina. - Yeah.
Um, so Auntie here has some news.
I do not need to be airing this issue with the police.
She reckons she knows who the poem "For You“ was about.
Uh, sorry about the decor.
Uh, my office would be cozier.
No. I want to keep this low-key.
Here is good.
This should remain as a matter between us and the Lord.
No, the cops have the right to know anything
that might help them locate the body of my father.
[Grunts]
Sorry?
Declan is your father'?
According to Auntie.
The first I heard was today.
Can I help it
if Declan was a man who shirked from responsibility?
So you've never known who your father was'?
But I had well-founded suspicions.
When I heard he was dying, I confronted him.
Surely he owed Jared the courtesy
of acknowledging him as his son.
Oh, Tina, you've got to let it go.
- What, are you denying it? - What we had was what it was.
- We were young. - Don't you change the subject.
This is the subject. You've never gotten over it.
Running off with my sister?
No. It was a little hard to take.
Miriana came on to me.
Just confess to Jared.
He's not my son.
If he was, I'd be proud to admit it.
- [ Grunts 1 - Ow!
"His sins are more numerous than the hairs upon his head."
Get out of here! Enough of your crazy talk.
The truth will come out soon, Declan,
and you -- you will rot in hell.
I'm not going to hell.
So you and Declan were...
Not something I'm proud of.
He was new in town. I was 19.
But in the end, he favored my younger sister.
And nine months later, Miriana gave birth to a son.
Maths is pretty obvious, don't you think?
Well, surely Miriana can verify.
I never knew my mum.
She died in childbirth.
Oh, hell. Sorry.
TINA: The truth will come out.
I took samples of them both and sent away for a DNA test.
- Ow! - Is that what you were doing?
Results are due any day now.
And then Jared will know the truth.
So the poem "For You“ --
You think it coulcfve been about Miriana?
I wrote it about, uh, an incredibly special woman.
But...she's moved on now.
TINA: Well, it certainly wasn't about Denise Snodgrass
or any of the other women, though they all think it is.
[Mid-tempo music playing]
[ Door closes, alarm chirps]
[ Buzzer sounds]
Detective Sims. Please come through.
The cancer apparently affected the hippocampus.
But the human brain is remarkable
in that it can sustain significant parts being removed
without losing fundamental functions.
Hence the popularity of the lobotomy for a while,
until they realized it was robbing people
of their humanity.
Well, is a physical existence worthwhile
without an ability to experience emotion?
Exactly.
In Thailand, they were apparently able to remove
a large part of the cancer, but apparently not enough.
Apparently?
Excuse me?
Well, you keep using that word.
Surely as his doctor, you'd know exactly what went on.
Uh, the cancer wasn't my domain.
I don't understand.
I wasn't Declan's doctor.
What?
Uh, there seems to have been some misunderstanding.
I counseled Declan as he faced the notion of death.
Uh, I'm not a GP. I'm a doctor of psychiatry.
But you signed the cause-of-death certificate.
H-How could I have?
The last time I saw Declan,
he was alive and well and tending the garden.
[Mid-tempo music plays]
The poet.
Yes, I know who Declan O'Grady was.
And he was a patient here?
Not that I recall.
And even if he was,
there is the matter of patient confidentiality.
All I need to know is when and for how long
he was in the district health board records.
And the next time I see you down at The Frog and Cheetah,
your first margarita is on me.
And what will Roxy think of that'?
She'll be with me and probably already onto her third.
[Sighs]
It can't matter too much since he's dead.
Appreciate it.
Yeah, yeah.
Dr. Plummer, thanks for coming in.
DSS Shepherd. Dr. Roger Plummer.
You're also a professor, I hear.
That is correct.
Dr. Plummer, as I mentioned, we were under the impression
that you signed Declan's cause-of-death certificate.
And as I said, I did no such thing.
Well, this was forwarded to Births, Deaths, and Marriages.
Is that your signature?
Well, yes.
SIMS: Which would suggest you filled it out.
I certainly did not.
But you were there at Wadsworths'
on the Sunday morning when he died.
Well, I may have been.
But as I said, the last time I saw Declan,
he was alive, tending the flowers with Janelle Peacocke.
Where is he?
Uh, out by the camellias.
[Down-tempo music plays]
I'm off! Take care, Declan!
You too, Roger.
DR. PLUMMER: And with that, I left.
Then you're suggesting that the signature on the certificate
is a forgery.
It must be.
Brenda White was at the sink.
- What was she doing? - The dishes.
Glasses?
- Um, cutlery, I think. -[ Cellphone ringing]
It's Breen.
- Sam. - Excuse us.
Declan 0'Grady never set foot in the hospital,
nor does he appear anywhere
in the district health board records.
For a cancer patient,
he somehow managed his treatment completely independently.
And get this.
Right.
Thanks.
It seems Declan didn't have a GP.
I've already said I'm not an oncologist,
and I-l don't like what you're implying.
But you have said
that you were Declan's confidante and psychiatrist.
Therefore surely you would know he wasn't receiving treatment.
Well, it was none of my business.
- So he just never mentioned it? - You're being very hostile.
- No. I'm just... - Curious.
We're curious as to your relationship with Declan.
I treated him as a friend and, to be honest, a fan.
He was a great poet, and I was happy to help.
Poets aren't wealthy.
They certainly can't afford psychiatry fees.
Would you say that Declan's psychological issues
were significant?
Now, that is not something that I'm at liberty to discuss.
On the evening before Declan's death, you were at Wadsworths?
Mm, yeah.
Doing what exactly?
That is a private matter.
SIMS: It's no longer a private matter
when a murder investigation is involved.
We know about the role-playing.
Reverend Greene was very forthcoming.
I see. What did he say exactly?
Why don't you tell us what you can remember'?
Well, I can barely remember, and I wasn't really in the mood,
but the sweet girl had made such an effort to be there,
and I knew it was most likely Declan's last time,
so I played my Pa"-
I spent most of the evening in the study,
catching up on patient notes.
I moved a weapon or two
to see if I could, um, twig to who the perpetrator was.
I moved the pistol
from the study to the library at one point
when I had suspicions Lucas may have been the perpetrator.
But it was merely a red herring.
And I wanted some light reading, so I returned to the study.
- Why was that? - That's none of your business.
You never know.
I feel I've said enough.
Anything else I say will be in consultation with my lawyer.
Brilliant. Thanks.
Declan O'Grady never went to Thailand.
According to Immigration, he never left the country,
because he has no passport.
Which means he never had an operation.
Better than that.
The ambulance that was called to Wadsworths'
was intercepted at the gate
and told that a doctor had already been and gone.
What? So they never actually saw the body.
- Declan's not dead. - Declan's not dead.
[ Up-tempo music plays]
Was the ambulance met by Janelle or Brenda?
Neither.
Thank you, but the undertaker has been called.
Lucas Greene?
Okay. So he was there too?
- Why did he omit that? - Must have been in on it.
Or he has something to hide.
Okay. So Declan fakes his own death.
Why?
What motivates someone to do that?
Well, we have a psychiatrist in the next room.
Perhaps he could shed some light.
Unless he was part of it.
I mean, Declan had help.
How else do you get out of a sealed coffin?
- Warren Bugle. Possible.
But wherever he is now, he may be depending on that help still.
The last one -- the farewell poem --
read the last lines.
[ Clears throat]
“Tight to the wind, out on high.
Riding the horizon,
living it up between Mrs. Smith's thighs."
Whds Mrs. Smith?
A lucky lady --
or not, depending on your view of Declan's literary genius.
We find Mrs. Smith, we find Declan.
Since you did so well finding Scarlett Ming...
You do realize there are a lot more Mrs. Smiths in the world
than Scarlett Mings?
Have a little faith.
Meanwhile, we have zero facts surrounding Scarletfs death
other than she was last seen inside Wadsworth manor.
Everyone believes she ran off after leaving the message.
Well, given that she was last seen playing out a fantasy
and then ended up in a dead gardener's coffin,
it seems unlikely.
Meaning someone else wrote the note?
And why did she write, “Hope the game goes well,"
when she had the murderefs card,
knowing that the game would fall apart without her'?
And as cover-ups go, any one of them couldve done it.
-[ Door closes ] - BREEN: Or all of them.
The shrink's lawyer is here. Miranda Temple.
Ms. Temple? Detective Sims.
Hello. I'd like to see my client.
Of course. I'll show you through.
Uh, shall we commence in, say, five minutes?
Please.
Need I remind you that the time alone with my client
will be at my discretion?
I'll let you know when I'm ready.
What's to say he even is a professor?
He might just be role-playing.
At least we know that Temple's a lawyer and she's a good one.
Can you take this?
Sure. What's your next move?
I'm gonna take these and apply a fine-tooth comb --
with a glass of merlot.
And then tomorrow, I'm gonna start again,
with Brenda White.
Good luck with Temple.
[Down-tempo music plays]
Wait. Where'd she go?
I'm ready.
Are you?
So after the role-playing had finished around midnight,
you went to bed?
Yes.
And it was just you and Brenda White on the premises?
- Really, I don't understand -- - Your point is, Detective?
Scarlett Ming disappeared
somewhere just prior to midnight.
She was next seen on Tuesday morning in Declan's coffin,
but we know she died late Saturday or thereabouts.
So I just need to make sure
that Dr. Plummer didn't see her in the manor
after the game had finished.
I did not.
Then you woke on Sunday morning around what time?
I slept late -- perhaps 9:00 -- showered,
and left Wadsworths' around 9:45 a.m.
I'm off! Take care, Declan!
You too, Roger.
-9:45? - That's what he said.
Because both Brenda White and Janelle Peacocke
recall you leaving later -- after Declan collapsed,
which was just after 10:00 a.m.
- Well, they're lying. - Both of them?
Clearly both of them.
Because I had to make an appointment in town at 10 a.m.,
and I'm a punctual person.
Detective, if my client had any part
in this elaborate ruse that you're suggesting,
then why would he not have used another name?
Why risk his practicing certificate
to help Declan O'Grady play hide-and-seek?
We will need to corroborate your appointment in town.
Consider it corroborated.
- I'll need a witness. - That would be me.
Dr. Plummer was meeting with me in my chambers.
My P.A., Cindy, was there to take notes.
- On a Sunday morning? - On a Sunday morning.
At 10 am?
Sometimes it's the only time when parties can get together.
Call Cindy to verify.
And since the certificate cites 10:35 a.m. as the time of death,
it can't have been Dr. Plummer who filled it out,
as he was with me in my chambers.
You look skeptical, Ms. Sims.
What was the meeting about?
TEMPLE: A private matter.
His wife has issued divorce proceedings.
It's been a very stressful time.
Now, it really is late, and I believe
enough of my client's privacy has been invaded.
Roger, let's go.
[Mid-tempo music plays]
SHEPHERD: There's something you haven't been forthcoming about.
I'm sorry?
The reason Dr. Plummer stayed over on Saturday night.
Well, that's none of my business.
But you were part of it.
- What? - The role-playing.
Oh. Yes. That.
Well, you need to talk to the others.
I have.
What I want now is your version of events.
This is where we start the game and finish.
- At midnight? - Yes.
Where were you just before midnight?
Uh, I was in the kitchen for a while --
that's where I saw Reverend Greene getting more wine --
and then the study with Dr. Plummer.
And then I stopped for a while in the ballroom.
Um, did some knitting.
But no one came, so I just moved on.
What about Janelle? Did you paths cross much?
I saw her several times -- once in the library
and in the hall.
I think she had the rope.
There was something up her sleeve.
The weapons for the game get placed in different rooms
before the game starts.
BRENDA: Yes.
SHEPHERD: Which one did you place?
BRENDA: I placed the candlestick into the conservatory.
Then, depending on who draws the murderefs card,
they need to locate the weapon
and get it to the appropriate room?
Yes.
Uh, which cards did you get?
Uh, I got the dining room, the cleaver, and Rev Greene.
I've had him before. He can be really tricky.
But you didn't get the murderer card?
No. No, I didn't.
Was this room used?
No. It's mine.
You planning a trip?
BRENDA: Oh. [Chuckles] No.
That's, um, for my sister's birthday.
She's the one with the travel bug.
Sorry. My room's a mess.
This one?
Uh, that's just the spare bedroom.
Where Dr. Plummer stayed?
Mm-hmm,
[ Door opens]
- Can I see the ballroom? - Of course.
This is where the team photo is taken before every match.
- Yes. - Mm.
[Shutter clicks]
At the end of the evening,
when you realized Scarlett Ming had disappeared,
you all searched the rooms?
Yes.
Which ones did you search?
BRENDA: Uh, the ballroom. That's where I found her note.
SHEPHERD: And she was nowhere to be seen?
BRENDA: We just assumed she'd run off,
that the game wasn't her cup of tea after all.
One more thing.
You said that when Declan died,
Janelle told you to let the Reverend know.
Yes.
But you didn't need to phone him, did you?
No. But I did call him.
Reverend.
Reverend!
[Breathing heavily] Reverend.
SHEPHERD: So he was in Dr. Plummefls room?
What is it?
Oh, God. I've slept in.
You never mentioned he'd stayed over.
W-Well, I didn't think it was important.
Thanks.
[Birds chirping]
A rose by any other name.
Oh, pretty much anything but a rose.
Uh, camellias, Mike.
Ah.
Oh, well. [ Chuckles] Nice day for it.
An auspicious day, no less.
Hows that?
Well, this came in the mail this morning from the DNA place.
I'm not sure I want to open it.
Jared, without giving too much away,
we're now of the belief that Declan isn't dead,
just disappeared.
If that makes any difference.
I'm not sure if that helps.
[Cellphone ringing]
Kristin.
The phone rang.
Yeah, I know. And I answered it.
[ Chuckles ] No.
When we spoke to Warren Bugle.
He described putting Declan in the chiller,
and then the phone rang.
[ Telephone rings]
So if he did gel a callout, that couldve provided opportunity
for the switch to happen.
Good.
Follow it up.
All over it.
Mr. Bugle?
- Can I help you? -[ Exhales deeply]
Warren.
Hi.
The place is unlocked.
Oh.
Got called out.
I have a new corpse to process.
She's in the car.
Warren, when you put Declan O'Grady
in the chiller on Sunday, your phone rang.
Did it?
[Telephone ringing]
Bugle Funerals, where life and death shake hands.
- This is Warren. - SIMS: Who was it?
It was a woman, uh, wanting me to pick up her dead husband.
And I wrote down the address, but I noted it wrongly,
obviously, because it didn't seem to exist.
So, what did you do?
Well, I drove around for an hour
trying to find that phantom corpse.
No doubt one of my competitors beat me to it.
But now, with my new GPS, there will be no repeat.
You know, this has 12 separate functions for --
Finding dead people. [ Chuckles ]
Not exactly, but...
What time was this?
Around noon Sunday.
Shaping up to be a busy day after Mr. O'Grady.
- It was a woman? - Yes.
But she didn't mention her name?
No.
Do you recall a Dr. Roger Plummer visiting?
Dr. Plummer signed Declanks cause-of-death certificate.
Oh, right. That rings a bell.
And you forwarded that on to Births, Deaths, and Marriages.
It's all part of the service.
Okay. So who gave it to you?
[ Sighs ] This was over a week ago.
Jerome. ..Peacocke?
Not Janelle?
Janelle. That's it.
She came to do the flowers and passed it on.
Save the doctor a trip.
Thanks, Warren.
[Mid-tempo music plays]
Oh, and some, you know, friendly advice --
You should get into the habit of locking your place up
when you leave.
[Music continues]
[Brakes squeak]
Detective Shepherd.
A quick question, Reverend.
Of course.
Last Sunday morning,
did you give a sermon at the 8:00 a.m. service?
Uh, no. No.
Um, my associate Delia did that service.
I took the 11:30 a.m. worship and the 7:30 p.m. session.
That makes sense, given that you were talking
to the ambulance officers at Wadsworths.
Would you care to come inside?
You have to understand -- It's love.
And...
...y-you don't want it to be a secret, but...
Although the church is supposedly more open these days,
it's still...
[Sighs]
A-And for Roger, you see,
well, it's even more difficult for him.
Being married?
Indeed.
Who asked you to talk to the ambulance?
GREENE: It was Janelle.
Oh, Janelle. I'm so sorry.
The ambulance is coming, but it's too late.
I can't face them.
And Mr. Bugle is on his way. Could you go and...
Of -- Of course. Of course I will.
I'll, um, I'll say a prayer and wash him.
Oh, thank you.
I shall so miss this place.
You'd think a man of the cloth and a psychiatrist
could put a pretty compelling case to the Lord
for some gay rights.
Warren Bugle is a liability to the dead.
Why? What's he done now?
It's more a case of what he didn't do.
I mean, he doesn't lock his doors.
Whoever did the switch, he made it easy for them.
And it was Janelle Peacocke who passed on the cause-of-Death.
Well, while you've been hanging out with cadavers,
I've been tracing Mrs. Smiths.
There are 94 in the hinterland of Brokenwood.
So busy day tomorrow.
Ah. Putting your feet up, I see.
- Simon. - Take it easy, Neeme.
Breen.
I was passing through on my way to the ranges for a pig hunt
with a few lads from HQ.
Thought you'd appreciate this.
SIMS: Is that Declan?
Or as he was known then, Tom Romanski.
He's no more bloody Irish than Vladimir Putin.
Well, 30 years ago in Southland,
he was charged with unlawful sex with a minor.
He was released on bail but disappeared.
Completely vanished.
So he headed north and reinvented himself.
Hm. And lived happily ever after.
Up until he decided to fake his own death.
Yeah. Must have got spooked.
Was the plaintiff a woman by the name of Melody, by any chance?
Hmm.
Uh, Melody --
Yeah. Melody Farmer.
WOMAN: Can you sign it for Melody?
Do you remember me?
No. Sorry. I don't.
[ Clears throat]
Coincidentally, around the same time the brain cancer kicked in.
Which answers the big question --
Why go to all that trouble?
To preserve his alter ego.
For the revered poet Declan O'Grady to die an innocent man.
That is a complicated way to live your life.
Well, when you find him, tell him to try pig hunting.
That keeps it real.
After he's done his stretch.
[ Down-tempo music playing]
- JARED: Neighbor. - Jared.
-[ Door closes] - Pour yourself a glass.
Sure.
You're up late.
So are you.
Burning the midnight to find Declan?
Yeah.
But it's not helping.
You know, up until now, I had no mother or father,
just a great bunch of whanau.
Now...I've got this mystery envelope.
Don't you want to find out one way or the other'?
Well, if I open it and ifs positive and Declan is my dad,
then yay -- I got a criminal for a father.
And if it's negative, then nothing changes,
so whafs the point?
“Tight to the wind, way out on high.
Riding the horizon,
living it up between Mrs. Smith's thighs."
[ Chuckles ]
Wonder if he had kids to her, too.
Did he ever mention a Mrs. Smith?
Not that I recall.
I mean, I can't see the resemblance.
Can you?
And I've never felt very Irish.
Might not be any resemblance to see.
And he's not Irish.
Turns out he's Polish.
What?
Oh, shit.
Don't worry. Don't worry. It's old. It's old.
[Down-tempo music plays]
It's a boat.
What?
JARED: Mrs. Smith.
It's a 40-foot ketch moored down at the inlet.
Maybe the "thighs“ are a poetic sailing term
for the deck either side of the companionway.
If you...catch my drift.
[Mid-tempo music plays]
Looks like it hasn't seen any action in a while.
Perfect hiding place.
Well, well jump in my dinghy and we'll check it out, eh?
[ Chuckles ] I don't do boats.
[Alarm chirps]
Lovely morning for it.
Oh. Morning, Detective. [ Chuckles ]
You come here often?
Yes. This is Moutarde's favorite spot.
Okeydokey. Into the car. Whoop!
- Good boy. Good boy. -[ Dog whines]
[Door closes]
Janelle, I've been meaning to ask --
You said that after Declan died in the garden,
the ambulance paramedics helped you move his body
to his cottage.
Yes.
Yet the ambulance was turned away at the gate.
So they wouldn't have been able to assist.
Right.
Well, I wouldn't know because I wasn't there.
Oh. You were...
I fainted.
- Fainted. - Mm.
The last thing I remember is saying to Brenda...
- Yes. - It's too late.
Brenda, he's gone.
JANELLE: It was shock
coupled with hyperventilation from giving him CPR.
I was extremely overwhelmed.
Who do you think moved Declan?
Well, it must have been Reverend Greene.
I believe Reverend Greene was dealing with the ambulance
at the gate.
Yes.
After which, he rode straight to the church.
Well, it musfve been Brenda, then.
Maybe.
Please excuse me. I have to go and open the shop.
[Cellphone ringing]
Jared.
Yeah. No sign of life.
Maybe the Mrs. Smith in the poem
is actually a hot lady after all.
Yeah. Well, it was worth a try.
Hey, uh, I need to see a man about a rug.
You want me to stake it out?
I can't ask you to do that, Jared.
Is that official?
That's official.
[Cellphone beeps]
Not a problem, sir.
We have special ways to deal with this.
Then again, maybe I should upgrade.
How much is this one?
You have exquisite taste.
That is a premium rug.
Highest price but also highest of quality.
You sell many?
Hardly ever, which makes it all the more unique.
Special just for you.
[Chuckles] When did you sell the last one?
Admittedly, it was last Sunday,
but before that, not for several years.
Today I can do a special price just for you.
I should check the measurements first.
Of course.
All the proceeds from Declan's last book
go to the Cancer Recovery Foundation, right?
I believe so.
It's actually a limited liability company
registered in Vanuatu.
A tax haven.
He's all class.
Why?
These were all taken before Saturday night.
I took this yesterday.
The rug is different.
Why did it get changed?
To hide the damage.
Nice.
What about the who?
Well, it was someone who knew about the empty coffin
that Declan would vacate.
The person who was in on it.
- Janelle knew. - Circumstantial?
Not when you consider this.
Watch carefully.
Living it up between Mrs. Smith's...
The camera is switched off without Declan leaning forward
or leaving frame.
He had help.
[ Click, rewinding]
And see that?
Peacocks pendant.
OK?!-
Let's go over everything from start to finish.
I'll make the coffee.
Allow me.
[ Up-tempo music plays]
That has to be it.
It's the only thing that makes sense.
I'm liking it.
And you're okay with this?
I'd say it's time to round up our suspects
and have a little chat.
A soiree, even.
[Birds chirping]
Thank you all for coming.
It's not as if we had a choice, did we?
While we appreciate that all of you had the opportunity
to kill Scarlett Ming, only --
Excuse me. That is slanderous.
Only one of you had the motive.
Which counts me out.
Roger, please.
SIMS: Ah. Dr. Plummer. Let's start with you.
You only gave the evening a cursory effort.
What with news of your divorce, you were distracted.
You weren't really in the mood.
You spent most of your time in the study,
moving to the conservatory and then to the library
to place the pistol and to get a reference book.
So I find solace in Jung when I'm stressed.
That's hardly a crime.
Reverend Greene, on the other hand --
Well, you were always keen to play.
You moved through all the rooms,
moving the weapons randomly so as to unsettle the murderer
in the hopes that they might give themselves away.
It usually works.
SIMS: You visited the library on two occasions,
once having followed Dr. Plummer and again following Declan.
But he was distracted
by Scarlett entering the billiard room.
Very good. [ Chuckles ]
I'm -- I'm sorry, but would it be wrong
for me to say I'm actually rather enjoying this?
Brenda White moved through the rooms with deft ability.
After all, she knows the place better than anyone.
She spent time in the ballroom,
where she sat for a while, knitting.
And it was here
that she accidentally left her sewing scissors.
Oh. I wondered what happened to them.
The only time Scarlett was ever seen entering the ballroom,
Brenda was already in the billiard room with Declan,
as witnessed by Reverend Greene.
So it can't have been Brenda.
I don't remember that.
I do.
Which...leaves us with Janelle.
But aren't you missing someone?
No.
Declan.
He was there. Who's to say it wasn't him?
Because Declan was intent on his own death, not someone else's.
You were the only one not to mention
going into the ballroom on that evening.
Because I did n't.
Not exactly in the spirit of the game, Janelle.
Oh, do shut up, Lucas.
You came across Declan and Scarlett during the evening.
He was flirting.
...with your scarlet heart and your name of Ming.
SIMS: You'd seen it too many times.
SCARLETT: What's wrong with your head?
Ah. Terminal cancer.
Oh, God. I'm so sorry.
No, no, no, no, no. Don't be. Don't be.
When I meet a woman as beautiful as you,
it just reminds me how important it is to fight the disease
and live on.
Make way, Declan.
[ Chuckles ]
Don't listen to him. He's a poet.
You can't believe a word he says.
SIMS: Later, you would snap.
After all, you had the right cards.
Then, having lured Scarlett into the ballroom...
Oh, my God.
So excited!
My first time, and it's me.
With the rope? So cool.
[Grunts]
[ Down-tempo music playing]
JANELLE: This is ridiculous!
And based on what?
This photo was taken before the event.
The pattern on the rug has three diamonds running across.
The rug there now also has three diamonds but a black border.
Someone replaced the rug to hide the bloodstains.
-[ Clock chimes] - As the clock struck 12:00,
you all reconvened in here.
Clearly the victim is Scarlett.
I accuse you, Lucas -- with the candlestick in the conservatory.
Ah.
- But the candlestick is here. - Oh, so it is.
Really, Roger. Where is your head this evening?
Well, I'm picking...
SIMS: After several other false accusations,
it became clear that Scarlett wasn't around.
- Moutarde? - No.
She's not in the study.
- Or the library. - Nor the kitchen.
We know the billiard room is clear.
Yes, and the ballroom.
But I found this.
"Sorry. Too tired. Jet lag. Hope the game goes well.
Scarlett."
Oh, she was clearly a dud.
We recruited a failure.
- Lost her nerve. - Poor thing.
Oh, dear.
Port, anyone?
I admit I said that, but it doesn't mean anything.
But you were in love with Declan.
Yes, I was.
Everyone was in love with Declan.
But that doesn't make me a murderer.
But the killer had to know of Declan's plan.
Riding the horizon,
living it up between Mrs. Smith's thighs.
-[ Camera beeps] - Declan.
You are so clever.
Thank you, Janelle.
SIMS: So when you killed Scarlett
in a fit of jealous rage.
You knew you had a way out, a way to dispose of the body.
In Declan's casket.
Please. That is wrong.
It's all wrong!
All?
He was a strong man, full of life even in death.
[Voice breaking] Yes. All right!
I helped him stage his own death!
DR. PLUMMER: You treacherous woman.
How dare you jeopardize my career.
JANELLE: I was doing it to help our friend Declan.
- Janelle -- - But I didn't kill Scarlett.
So where is Mr. O'Grady now'?
Well, if I knew that, don't you think
I'd damn well be with him now?
Janelle Peacocke, you're under arrest
for forging a death certificate in Dr. Plummefs name
and for the murder of Scarlett Ming.
No. You are wrong!
You are so wrong.
- Can we go? - Yes.
Thank you. You're all free to go.
Shame on you.
[Cellphone ringing]
- Jared. - Yeah, Mike.
Unofficially speaking, the fox has broken cover.
Mrs. Smith is heading for open water.
Thanks.
It seems that Declan has set sail without you.
Bastard.
Headed for international waters.
I feel boats coming on.
- Deep sea. - Big swells.
I'll process Ms. Peacocke.
[Mid-tempo music plays]
[Engines rev]
[Music continues]
Oh, they really aren't salubrious, are they?
Functional at best.
Your lawyer shouldn't be too far away.
I didn't kill Scarlett.
But you did aid and abet Declan O'Grady.
I was a fool.
It was a fantasy.
The thought of leaving Brokenwood
and sailing away and starting again.
But now it has unraveled in ways I could not imagine.
And where do you think he's headed?
He was always waxing lyrical about the South China seas.
Surabaya, Borneo, and then up to Sri Lanka.
With a stop in Vanuatu on the way?
Yeah.
The things we do for love.
Even if it is unrequited.
I'll check on your lawyer.
Breen, try north-northwest.
Uh-huh.
[The Harbour Union's “Little Mountain Town" plays]
♪ These city streets I
See anything?
♪ These city streets are gray and bare ♪
♪ There's nothing for me here I
♪ So, so cold ♪
♪ But there's no snow on the ground ♪
♪ So why should I stick around? ♪
♪ Well, sometimes I wish I lived in a little mountain town ♪
♪ Where everybody knows your name ♪
That's it.
♪ And nobody gets you down I
rOhmha'
♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪
ROhmha'
IOhI
rOhmha'
[Cellphone ringing]
Jared.
I opened it.
And how do you feel about that?
Let's talk about it tonight over a merlot, eh'?
Yeah. Sounds good.
I'd like that.
[Music continues]
We've recovered the yacht.
It seems Mrs. Smith has turned into Mary Celeste.
And Declan isn't on board?
No, neither is there any dinghy or life raft.
He's lashed the tiller.
This doesn't change anything, does it?
Far from it.
♪ The only thing I
♪ Well, the only thing that keeps me here I
I ls the love of a girl I
♪ The sad love of a girl I
♪ She'd never understand ♪
♪ Why I should ever want to leave her alone ♪
We did it.
Like the chambers of a gun, we --
We...are the bullets ready to fly.
Not one of your greats, Declan.
Not like "For You."
- How the hell did you -- - So where are we off to?
Baby-clothes shopping?
Prams, high chairs -- so much to get.
Far from those bootees being for your sister,
they were for you, weren't they, Brenda?
BRENDA: I've always liked knitting,
and now I have the perfect excuse.
Are you planning a trip?
SHEPHERD: Why else would you be taking pregnancy supplements?
And what sister expecting twins
would really be planning on globe-trotting'?
But Janelle...
Janelle didn't do it, as you know.
But Detective Sims --
Was playing a role.
We needed everyone to think we'd found the killer
so that the real killer would lead us to Declan.
And look.
Here we are.
Ah. Tea'?
Musfve been cold out there.
What do you mean, the real killer'?
Sorry.
While you were busy being dead, you've missed out on so much.
You see, being pregnant to you
made Brenda understandably vulnerable.
Don't listen to him. He's a poet.
You can't believe a word he says.
SHEPHERD: Fearing that you might back out of your plan
for the more exotic Scarlett Ming.
DECLAN: There was a young girl from Shanghai
whose beauty enchanted my eye.
SCARLETT: [ Laughs] DECLAN: No. I must stop.
I have this for you.
SCARLETT: I don't know what to say.
Oh, my God.
SHEPHERD: When you finally managed
to lure Scarlett into the ballroom,
I imagine ii all came as something of a --
a reflex response.
SCARLETT: He's so mysterious.
Oh, and that poem "For You" is totally amazing.
I feel like it was written for me.
Oh, my God.
So excited.
My first time, and it's me.
Oh, and with the rope? So cool-.
I couldn't find the rope. I think Janelle has it.
[Grunts]
[ Up-tempo music plays]
[Clock chiming]
Is this true?
I didn't mean to.
SHEPHERD: Then, while Janelle was doing your dirty work,
staging your death...
[ Exhales deeply, sobs]
She's upstairs. Go!
SHEPHERD: ...then sending Warren on a wild-goose chase...
Hello. My husband's died.
Marigold Lane.
I will be there forthwith.
SHEPHERD: ...then rescuing you from the chiller...
...Brenda was busy covering her tracks.
Janelle described a clatter, not smashing glass --
the sound of tin clanking on tin.
What would that have been?
European precision.
Not cheap.
You couldn't bring yourself to throw them away.
Look, honestly, I knew nothing of this.
I'm sure you didn't.
I mean, why would Brenda want you to know that?
It's one thing to run off into the sunset
with your pregnant lover, but knowing she's a murderer,
well...you'd want to sleep with one eye open.
Declan, I love you. Please.
Then again, did Brenda know about you, Tom?
Tom?
Brenda White, you are under arrest
for the murder of Scarlett Ming.
Tom Romanski, you are under arrest
for faking your own death.
And we need to talk about that historic matter
of sex with a minor.
What?
You two have so much to catch up on.
Excuse me.
Take these.
Sir.
Despite what all the women of Brokenwood think,
the poem “For You" was written about your mother, right?
Oh, if it's any relief, Jared Morehu is not your son.
It was certainly a relief to him.
♪ Where sometimes I wish I lived in a little mountain town ♪
♪ Where everybody knows your name ♪
♪ And nobody gets you down I
♪ I never found my way out there ♪
♪ To that little mountain town ♪
♪ Things are gonna be the way I please ♪
♪ In a little mountain town I
♪ Said I'm gonna find my way out there ♪