[ Electricity crackling ]
[Liquid sloshing]
[Birds chirping]
[Mid-tempo country music playing ]
♪ With this whole town behind I
♪ Even though ifs good to me I
Oh, bloody show-off.
I thought that was the point.
♪ I don't know where I'll be ♪
CHARLIE: Olson can't win it again.
That's what you said before last year's beach hop.
And the year before.
Yeah, well, I'd back my Cadillac over that Thunderbird of his
any day of the week.
You'd back anything any day of the week.
What the hell's happened here?
CHARLIE: Don't! Don't touch anything.
Call the cops.
He hasn't been moved?
No. He's exactly as we found him.
No, just walked in, saw him, called you guys.
Do you know him?
CHARLIE: No. Never clapped eyes on him.
- KEITH: No. - I know his type, though.
Young punk petrolhead trying to take what he hasn't earned.
SHEPHERD: Beautiful. Lot of work gone into that.
CHARLIE: Yep. 1969 Cadillac Eldorado.
Temperamental prima donna, but worth it.
His injuries look consistent
with falling through the skylight.
There would have been massive internal trauma,
plus the angle of the head hitting the concrete
has forced the neck back.
Snapped it.
SHEPHERD: No ID?
No wallet, no cards, no phone.
He's conveniently a man of no identity.
As if he knew he might not make it.
Not your most optimistic burglar.
Hmm.
Who are you and who sent you?
You think someone sent him?
He's a kid. He's someonés minion.
Or acting on his own initiative?
Sees a flash car, wants it.
You might be underestimating
the drive and ambition of the younger generation, Mike.
Maybe underestimating their sense of entitlement.
Hmm.
Why are cars like catnip to men, young or old?
Big engines.
They often compensate for other things.
Go you, Mr. Feminist.
BREEN: No, that's Roxy's theory, actually.
Okay, how did he know that the Eldorado was here?
If indeed that's what he was after.
And can we assume that he's local?
I'll get started on some inquiries.
- Is that yours? - M m'
CHARLIE: Ooh. Good bones.
I could do something with that.
I kind of like it the way it is.
Yeah, but there's a difference between original and mint.
Tell you what.
Why don't you bring it along, meet some kindred spirits?
I might just do that.
[Engine running]
The mongrel hot-rudders. Scourge of the sport.
I thought you car people
were one big happy, slightly mad family.
Like hell.
[Rockabilly music playing]
-[ Car door closes] - Good to see you, girl!
[ Laughs ] You too.
- Greg. - What's up?
- How are you? - Good to see you, man.
- How lung's it been? - Oh, not long enough, brother!
Ooh, yeah!
Some things never change.
JARED: Coffee?
GREG: Yeah, we'll grab the bags.
- JARED: Yeah, you do that. -[ Laughs]
KADINSKY: See the bleed at the back of the head?
From something blunt.
- Is that what killed him? - Maybe.
But how did he get it?
It's not consistent with the impact from the fall.
[ Line rings]
Kristin, could you check the arc of the fall before you go'?
Sure.
Could he have hit something on his way down?
SIMS: Uh, there's maybe a sprinkler pipe.
I'd have to take a closer look.
You looking for something?
Why the screen?
Cuts the light from the MIG welder.
Health and safety thing.
Right. Yeah, that'll work,
Unlike the safety bars over the skylight.
- What safety bars? - Exactly.
Sam. Safety protocol time.
All checked. It's safe and secure.
- Thanks, Sam. - Good.
Don't really want anyone else falling through the roof.
Uh, would you mind just sticking to the nail lines?
[Camera shutter clicks]
From here it's a sheer drop.
No one's gonna touch the sides on the way down from there.
How was he planning on getting down?
Eh?
- Did he have any rope on him? - You're right.
It was never gonna be a happy ending without rope.
[Cellphone chimes]
The soles look like a match with your print.
SIMS: Thanks. Just checking.
I thought the weekend was all about the beach hop,
the big parade.
Yeah, yeah, but tonight's
a little private street action for the hot-rudders.
- Cheers, brother. - Street action?
Yeah. All the cars are street legal.
And what you're doing on the street, is that legal?
We've found a little road outside town.
There won't be any traffic that time of night.
You'd be up for a little quarter mile, wouldn't you?
A drag race? Nah, mate, I'm good.
We're all friends here, aren't we'?
And I need a crew tonight.
- Where do you keep it? - The ladder?
Just inside with the rest of the gear.
Was the garage locked last night?
Well, if it wasn't, Why'd he use the skylight?
Point taken.
There's nothing missing, from what I can see.
Right.
For an accident, there are too many unexplained elements.
There's not even a drainpipe he could've shimmied up.
So how did he get on the roof,
given that the ladder was locked inside last night?
Maybe he had an accomplice or a friend
who scarpered with their own ladder when things went wrong?
Some friend.
Even so, why no rope?
How was he planning on lowering himself through the skylight?
Well, he was climbing on the roof in work boots.
Hardly designed for stealth.
-[ Engine running] - A total novice, perhaps?
HOW...
Frodo.
[Engine stops]
What are you doing here?
Work here. You?
What happened to the tire center'?
Too many heavy memories, you know'?
Charlie and Keith offered me
an apprenticeship here, so, yeah.
Where were you this morning?
Got a call from Keith saying there'd been an accident,
take the morning off.
Nice wheels for an apprentice.
Thanks. I'm competing tomorrow.
Got a bit to do.
Better get on with it then.
35, 40 grand at least, I'd say.
How'd he come by that sort of cash?
Hey, uh, Frodo's heard something on the grapevine
you might be interested in.
[ Rockabilly music plays]
[ Engines revving 1
MAN: Whoo-hoo!
[ Horn honks]
He totally loves it.
What the hell do you think you're doing, huh?!
Who do you think you are, mate?
OLSON: Easy, friend.
You know, it's criminal what you bastards do.
That is a '56 Customline. lfs a classic.
Look at it now! It's desecrated!
Well, we make 'em go. You ponces just make 'em show.
Ponces?
GREG: Yeah, get back in your Tonka toy
and head for the hills.
And if the cops turn up tonight,
I'll know exactly who tipped them off.
OLSON: Yeah, you surely will.
Now, why don't you head home and tuck yourself in
with your cup of cocoa, eh?
[Laughs]
Hey, Morehu! What are you doing out here?
- GREG: Are you his mum now? - Just hanging, Charlie.
- GREG: It's public property. - Get back into your car.
GREG: Oh, look who called the cops, eh?
Him and his boyfriend.
Okay, this is a public road and you need to get off it.
Good. Yeah, you tell the bastards.
They're killing the sport.
Giving genuine enthusiasts a bad name.
- What? - It goes for you too, Charlie.
- W hat? - Get!
OLSON: Come on. Come on, hombre.
See you later, Charlie.
CHARLIE: Yeah, good night, mate!
♪ Well, I'm six months married
r And I'm on the road r
♪ Singing 'round the Southiand in a country show r
♪ Leaving my man home all alone a'
♪ Yeah, I'm six months married and I'm on the road ♪
I Yeah, I'm six months married and we're paying the rent I
♪ Trying to earn it faster than it gets spent ♪
How sweet is this, eh?
Hey, Frodes, isn't that your boss' car'?
♪ Six months married and I'm paying the rent S'
- Yo, boss. - Is it him?
FRODO: I guess so.
Charlie, need a hand?
- You can't just leave him. - Eh, he's busy.
EDWARD: Can we help?
Bit late, I reckon.
Wait.
Aaaah!
[ Rockabilly music plays]
MARLOWE: Carry on, detectives.
- Don't mind us. - EDWARD: Was that a film?
- What? -"Carry On Detectives."
You know, made a lot of those “Carry Ons."
Barbara Windsor.
Blonde. Huge bosoms.
Yes, that's the one.
Petrolhead dies ingesting petrol.
Some would call it irony.
Others might say natural selection?
Ingestion. What makes you so sure?
The scenario before us, Gina.
All we know at this stage
is that he has a plastic pipe sticking out of his mouth.
A plastic siphon tube
running back into the petrol tank.
The keys are still in here.
Tank is half full,
so he was taking gas out of his own tank for someone else's?
Charlie would've had to park up close to access that tube,
so the other car musfve been here?
Maybe it slid into the side as it ran out of gas.
But there are no obvious tire marks.
So much for the Good Samaritan.
But if it was an accident,
why didn't the other party report it?
- Cold. - As is he.
So yesterday morning
you discover a dead man in your garage,
and the next morning you end up dead.
Is this a coincidence, Charlie?
You can get back to me on that.
Speaking of coincidence, you remember him?
Mm.
Frodo, isn't it?
We've already told him everything.
- Can we go now? - She's pretty freaked.
That's understandable.
Kind of put a downer on the day,
but we were hoping to get to the beach hop prelims.
You've just found your boss lying dead in the road.
You're still in the mood?
Hey, well, Charlie was a good guy,
and the beach hop was the highlight of his year.
He wouldn't want the show to stop
just because he had an accident.
What if it wasn't an accident?
What?
Would that make you feel any different?
Did Charlie have a wife?
Yeah.
They live just up the hill outside town.
Off Connemara.
Got to go, eh?
Could, uh, you take their statement?
SIMS: I thought you wanted me to get to the beach hop.
- Yeah, but... - Besides...
I think she'd prefer you more than me.
[ Engine starts]
Detective Shepherd!
- We saw nothing. - Speak for yourself.
Well, apart from the green Cadillac.
Bronze.
EDWARD: Bronze Cadillac.
It was partially obscured by the brown Mustang.
Red.
EDWARD: Red Mustang.
[Rockabilly music playing]
BREEN: Wow.
So much panel, paint, and testosterone all in one place.
- You got to love it. - No, you don't.
So, how should we do this?
More coverage and quicker if we split up.
Valerie Baxter?
Val. Yes?
Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd.
This is bad news, isn't it?
It is, I'm afraid.
Is there somewhere we can sit down?
Sorry, I don't want to sit down.
What's he done?
Mrs. Baxter, your husband, Charlie, has been found dead,
♪ Well, I'm on the road for weeks at a time ♪
♪ But when I get home to you I
♪ Yes, I need your lovin', baby ♪
♪ I want some lovin', baby I
Sorry. Got to check my makeup in the mirror.
What do you think?
Yeah, good.
You're a fan of the old T-Bird, eh?
Best car ever made.
Mr. Siola?
Olson, please.
You're a mate of Charlie Baxter's, aren't you?
Charlie's the president of the Car Restoration Society.
I'm the treasurer. Yeah, we work very closely together.
He's been found. An accident.
What, serious?
Fatal, I'm afraid.
Oh, dear.
[ Engine starts]
Greg. Coffee break?
Yeah, bro.
Ta.
Mmm. You remembered.
No sugar.
Sweet enough without, you used to say.
I did?
[Engine revving]
God, I hate that noise.
I'll give him another call.
Wait.
Remember these?
I scanned them.
That was us. Lovebirds.
[Chuckles ] Yeah.
-[ Footsteps ] - Wow. Long time ago.
- CARLY: There's more. Just like old times, eh?
Dude, your coffee.
Thanks, brother.
What was that, 10 years ago? Where was I?
0h, that's right -- Afghanistan. Fighting the good fight.
The reconstruction force in Bamyan Province.
GREG: Yeah, whatever that means.
Flag the coffee.
The Killing Machine is tuned and ready for action.
Let's get over to the beach hop.
So after the confrontation with the hot-rudders,
you drove where?
To Charlie's garage, where I'd left my car.
I left Charlie there and drove home.
BREEN: Did Charlie go straight home?
OLSON: No, Charlie went in the garage.
He said he wanted to do one more cut and polish.
Really? That Cadillac looks spotless.
No, not the bodywork -- the engine.
He was gonna cut and polish the engine?
Yeah, chrome-plated, like mine.
Charlie was a true devotee. Just backed the wrong horse.
What horse?
General Motors. Should have got a Ford.
Right.
Look, I'm gonna need to take a statement.
Yeah, yeah. I'm happy to oblige.
But the kids come first.
You know, can't let them down.
[ Bicycle horn honks]
Well, a couple of punters
saw the Eldorado earlier this morning --
as early as first light -- but no one stopped,
so Charlie could have been there for hours.
Anything from Olson?
Not yet.
What makes a grown man want to dress up like that?
To make kids happy?
- Freak them out, more like. -[ Chuckles ]
SHEPHERD: Charlie didn't come home last night at any stage?
No.
Was that unusual?
Not in the lead-up to a big show.
Like this weekend's beach hop parade?
He was obsessed with that bloody car.
That car restoration stuff, it's like a drug, an addiction.
I hated it.
I told him more than once,
“There'll come a day, Charlie, it'll be that car or me."
The irony is it was him.
You wouldn't understand, of course.
- Sorry? - You're one of them.
One of what?
I saw your car.
I'll admit I have a soft spot for the old Kingswood,
but ifs not what you'd call an obsession.
You keep it that way, Detective.
Obsession can end up killing you.
SHEPHERD: Thanks for coming in.
Two victims on consecutive nights.
But what is the connection?
Thanks.
Charlie's car.
Balaclava guys trying to steal it,
Charlie was trying to protect it.
Any l.D. on balaclava guy?
Fingerprints are working on a match.
Forensics have gone over Charlie's Cadillac.
There's nothing unusual about it.
Other than being a priceless piece of automotive bling.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Oh, you're saying you're feeling the love?
I'm saying I really don't care.
SHEPHERD: Val Baxter hates cars with a passion.
Does that make her a suspect or just sane?
BREEN: She didn't seem very upset.
She's definitely upset, but ifs more anger than grief.
She may know more than she's letting on.
I'll see what she stands to make from Charlie's death.
Last night, that altercation out on Boundary Road with Charlie.
Who was on the other side of that'?
Out-of-towners.
- And Jared Morehu. - Jared?
BREEN: And Olson Siola with Charlie.
They are -- were --
chairman and treasurer of the Car Restoration Society
and rivals.
- SIMS: They looked like mates. - Up to a point.
But Charlie's pride and joy was a Cadillac Eldorado,
while Olson's is a Ford Thunderbird.
So, different cars.
It's tribal.
You're either Ford or General Motors.
Boys and their toys. I'll never get it.
Okay, let's get back over to the beach hop,
do a bit of mix and mingle before the big parade, hmm?
[Sighs] I'm not sure
how much more fawning over cars I can take.
Deep down, I reckon there's a petrolhead in you
just waiting to come out.
Not even a tiny bit.
[ Tami Neilsofls "Come Over" Plays]
♪ Come over and take me out I
♪ Take me someplace where we can jump and shout I
♪ I want to put on lipstick, do my hair up high I
♪ Tight dress, make you lose your mind I
♪ Come over and take me out I
♪ Take me where the music is good and loud ♪
♪ Get over here now, come over and take me out I
Impressive beast.
Yeah, beast is right. 500 horsepower.
[ Exhales sharply]
- What does that actually mean? - Goes fast, I think.
Quarter of a mile in less than 12 seconds.
That's what that means.
I call her the Killing Machine.
Mike, Kristin, this is Greg and Carly McQueen.
SIMS: Yeah, we've met.
Not formally introduced, but...
That's what was gonna happen last night out on Boundary Road?
A drag race?
A gentle quarter mile, mate. Nothing to be alarmed about.
But then those idiots turned up and shut the party down.
Which idiots?
Charlie and his mate.
But you guys already knew that,
so what's this harassment really about?
Greg, they're just trying to do their job, bro.
Nothing happened last night.
That nutter made sure of it by calling you guys.
But something did happen.
- Yeah? - Last night.
Charlie Baxter died in suspicious circumstances.
- No way. - What?
Suspicious? In what way?
What was said out at Boundary Road before we arrived?
What was suspicious?
That's what we're trying to clarify.
By talking to me?
SIMS: We're talking to everyone.
Mate, if you think you've got something on me, go on,
arrest me right here.
But otherwise you and blondie here should back off.
We've got a beach hop to get to.
As have we.
Enjoy.
Since when did you get
all friendly with the cops, huh,bud?
Finished clowning?
Oh, until later, yeah.
It's time for the serious business.
The Prix de la Concours Cup.
You're the defending champion, right?
Well, actually she is.
Quick question --
If Charlie cut and polished his engine,
how long would that take?
Two, maybe three hours.
But Charlie was a perfectionist, eh?
But it wouldn't have been an all-nighter?
Not even by Charlie's standards.
[Air horn blares]
We're on, my beautiful!
[ Rockabilly music plays]
SHEPHERD: If we believe that the first victim
was trying to steal the second victim's car,
then one gets the feeling
that these murders are all about cars.
Which means the killer could be right here amongst us.
I doubt they'd miss an event like this.
SIMS: Well, that narrows it down a bit.
You think they're laughing at us right now?
Laughing or lining up their next target.
Bit touchy, that bloke.
Just a bit.
-[ Crowd cheering] -[ Laughing ]
[Cellphone rings]
- Breen. - BREEN: Senior.
Olson dropped Charlie at the garage at about 10:30 p.m.
Charlie cuts and polishes his engine,
which, according to Olson, would take him a max three hours,
so that brings us to 1:30 am latest.
Kristin says one of the early arrivals saw Charlie's Eldorado
at about 7:30 this morning,
so Charlie died between 1:30 and 7:30.
Thanks.
You know, I think I'm starting to get all this --
the color, the enthusiasm for their hobby.
Those people that told you they saw the Cadillac,
why didn't they stop?
Just thought it was some guy tinkering with his engine,
taking a leak.
[Crowd cheering]
Whereas Frodo stopped because he recognized his boss' car,
he says.
Do we know what he was up to last night?
[Cellphone rings]
Gina.
Yeah, on my way.
- Back soon. - What's up?
Uh, Gina's got a cause of death.
Tell me what you see.
He died from superficial cuts and grazes?
How would that be possible?
Okay, he died from swallowing petrol, then.
If he had swallowed it, he would probably still be alive.
Our digestive systems can deal with petrol?
In Russia, some of the vodka is much the same as gasoline.
But for normal mortals, like Charlie Baxter'?
What killed Charlie Baxter would kill any Russian too.
So?
It was the petrol getting into his lungs.
Even a tiny drop there can be very dangerous
because it spreads out rapidly, coating and damaging the tissue
and making it very hard to breathe.
So the actual cause of death would be?
Asphyxiation.
By the petrol coating his lungs.
But how would it get in there?
By inhalation. Or...
But why would he start inhaling petrol?
If his breathing was suddenly disrupted.
If he began coughing.
Like someone attacking him while he was attempting to siphon,
forcing him violently forward onto his hands and knees.
Exactly.
So it wasn't a coincidence was it, Charlie?
MAN ON P.A.I Olson Siola!
[ Cheers and applause]
Thanks a lot.
I'd like to dedicate this year's Prix de la Concours
to my dear friend Charlie Baxter.
Excuse me, Sam.
A moment of your time.
We've just recalled what could be a material fact.
We?
- Well, Mrs. Marlowe recalled. - How can I help?
That young man...
- EDWARD: In the red shirt. - MARLOWE: Brown.
EDWARD: The brown.
MARLOWE: He was the first at the scene of the crime.
If indeed it was a crime.
One of the young girls got out of his car
and discovered poor old Charlie Baxter.
Yes.
MARLOWE: And the interesting thing is, Sam --
I'm no criminal investigator, as you know,
but when we pulled up and Edward asked Frodo...
Can we help?
Bit late, I reckon.
MARLOWE: ...he said, "Too late"...
KIMBERLEY: Wait.
Aaaah!
...before the young lady screamed.
Meaning?
That young man seemed to already know
what the young lady was about to discover,
and it was too late to help poor Charlie Baxter.
You can confirm that, Edward?
Well, let me see now. How can I put this'?
Um [Clears throat] if Mrs. Marlowe says
that the young man told her that it was too late
before the young lady screamed,
then that is exactly what happened.
Got it.
Thank you.
- Excuse me. - MAN ON P.A.: Frodo!
[ Cheers and applause]
Whoo!
Very "Thelma and Louise."
Nah. I'm Kimberley, and she's Toni.
You must be proud.
KIMBERLEY: Whoo! Go, you good thing!
So you and Frodo, you're an item?
[Laughs] No way.
Oh. Sorry. So you, uh...
Well, we both sort of are. Kind of.
Okay, so you were both with Frodo last night?
[ Laughing ] Whoa, no.
It's not like that.
[Sighs]
Congratulations.
Seems a bit hollow without Charlie being around.
Still, on to more important things,
like making little kids laugh.
Do kids actually laugh?
Yeah, of course.
Yeah, but is it, like, joyous laughter
or a bit, you know, nervous?
When I was a kid,
I always thought clowns were pretty scary.
Did you actually want something?
Val Baxter.
She didn't look like she was congratulating you.
She's upset.
About?
Need I explain?
It would be helpful.
Have you no compassion?
She just lost her husband.
Of course.
Thanks for your time.
SHEPHERD: So Charlie fell forward
onto his hands and knees,
choked on the siphon, and ended up getting petrol in his lungs.
Question is, did he fall, or was he pushed?
Well, if it was an accident,
how come whoever Charlie was trying to help
hasn't come fowvard?
BREEN: If someone forced him to swallow that petrol,
ifs manslaughter at the very least.
We need motive, then.
What is it, and who might have it?
Uh, well, Greg McQueen seemed pretty fired up
going head to head with Charlie last night.
We were too late to hear exactly what was said.
I'll have a yarn with Jared, away from McQueen,
try and confirm what was said.
Olson Siola was having heated words with Val,
Charlie's widow, after the prize-giving.
She says she hates cars. What was she doing there?
Crying on Olson's shoulder, apparently.
- You think that's all? - I'll keep digging.
Minor point, but neither of the two girls in Frodo's car
is his girlfriend.
BREEN: What, like rent-a-date?
Pretty much, but meaning neither of them
can verify Frodds whereabouts last night.
BREEN: Oh, and Mrs. Marlowe and Edward
reckon Frodo told them it was too late to help Charlie
before Kimberley discovered his body.
Tomorrow morning bring Frodo in for a chat.
Yes, boss.
[ Slow country music plays ]
♪ Still her heart is breaking ♪
He seems different since Afghanistan.
Maybe.
JARED: I guess he saw some pretty hard-out things.
He's a pretty hard-out guy.
Always has been.
[ Indistinct conversation ]
You want to go?! You want to go?!
Yo, ifs cool! Yo, back up!
He doesn't mean no harm.
MAN: Don't bother to get up.
- JARED-: It's cool. - Ooh, big man eh?
-[ Slurring ] - Oh!
Bro, you're wasted.
Yeah.
Just like old times.
Watch out for that.
You're a good mate, bro.
You're a good mate.
CARLY: He'll appreciate you bringing him in.
I usually have to leave him in the car.
Is he like that a lot?
Fair bit.
Are you guys Okay?
Yeah. Why? Do we seem...
No, just...
That's good. I'm glad you're happy, you knovfl
Do you sometimes wish things had worked out differently?
What?
Between us.
Y-You can't just say stuff like that.
Tell me you don't think about it.
I don't.
Really?
Have you ever had anything else like we had?
Look, Carly,
I pretty much keep to myself these days, and...
That's howl like it.
Night.
Bit early in the morning for the mailman, Mike.
Maybe.
And I take it you're not keen on taking up running again.
Yeah, not really dressed for it.
OK?!-
What?
Out on Boundary Road, before Kristin and Breen arrived.
There were strong words said
between Greg McQueen and Charlie Baxter.
What was said?
Is this on the record,
or is this just the bit where I'm Mr. Anonymous,
helping you with your inquiries?
Mr. Anonymous works for me.
We're just talking at this stage.
Okay. Talking and walking.
Walking, not running.
Greg was pissed off all right.
And if the cops tum up tonight,
I'll know exactly who tipped them off.
So Greg made a direct threat against Charlie Baxter?
Was it a threat?
Look, Mike, Greg's a decent guy deep down.
He served in Afghanistan and something happened.
I don't know.
Aid-reconstruction fatigue?
He's dropping hints there was more to it than that.
Maybe he's got some post-traumatic stress.
So you and Greg and Carly came straight back home after that?
We did, yeah.
And Greg was at your place all night?
Yeah, must have been.
I would've heard that bloody machine of his
if he'd tried to go out.
- You're sure? - Yeah.
I mean, no way. That monster would wake the dead.
The Killing Machine. Why would he call it that?
Kills the competition.
Metaphorically.
It's just a stupid name, Mike.
Right.
Where were you night before last?
The night Charlie died? Am I in the gun for that?
It's not the most helpful turn of phrase, Frodo.
Do you mind just answering the question?
Working late on my car, getting it ready for the show.
So you were at the garage when Charlie came back with Olson?
No. When did they turn up?
- When did you leave? - Before they turned up.
Care to put a time on it?
About 10:30.
That's when Charlie came back with Olson?
10:00, then.
Maybe it was earlier, because I didn't see them.
Why did you pretend that Kimberley was your girlfriend?
She's a girl. She's a friend.
Okay, she loves my car. Okay, I get that.
But you stand a better chance of winning
with a hot chick in your car, so it works both ways.
Right.
At Charlie's Cadillac,
Mrs. Marlowe and Edward arrived just after you.
YEP-
When Edward asked if they could help, you said,
“ifs a bit late for that."
Ah, yeah. Yeah, I think I did.
You said that before Kimberley discovered the body.
So?
As if you already knew Charlie's body would be there.
How could I have known that?
Why did you say, “ifs a bit late for that"?
Because we were already there. Already taken care of.
What was taken care of?
Whatever was the problem with Charlie's car.
Look, you know Mrs. Marlowe and Edward?
Yes.
Well, what help could they possibly be?
[Sighs]
SHEPHERD: Boots.
What?
Your boots.
So what?
What brand are they?
I don't know. Be on the label.
Steinmans.
Your own boots, and you don't know what they are?
I was given them by Charlie. Standard-issue work kit.
1969 Cadillac Eldorado.
Temperamental prima donna, but worth it.
Standard issue? You sure about that?
Yeah.
What size?
12.
You're a size 12?
[Camera shutter clicks]
The soles look like a match with your print.
So they're a bit big.
I like them that way.
Particularly if they're free, eh?
Extra pair of socks, sweet as.
- CARLY: Do you want one? - JARED: Nah.
Hey, look, Carly, Greg's got to pull his head in and be careful.
The cops know he threatened Charlie Baxter the night he died
and I had to reassure them he was here all night.
OK?!-
Jared.
What I said last night...
Oh, it's no big deal. You'd had a few.
No. I meant every word of it.
Jeez, Carly.
What -- What am I supposed to do with that?
GREG: That coffee coming?
[Car doors close]
You were seen arguing with Olson Siola
at the beach hop prize-giving yesterday.
- What was that about? - Nothing important.
I thought you had an aversion to the whole car-culture thing.
I do. What better place to find a buyer for Charlie's Cadillac?
I thought Olson might buy it, given he's got all the money.
I don't really care what I let it go for.
I'm sorry, Val. I'm sorry for your loss.
But I've no desire to own that car.
It'd be like walking in a dead man's shoes
while he's still wearing them.
I need the money.
Can't you take it and flick it on to some other car nut?
Well, maybe if it was a Ford.
SIMS: Why do you need the money?
The bank made a friendly call just over a week ago.
This place is underwater, virtually.
You talk to Charlie about that?
- No. - Why not?
I tried to. He got angry.
SIMS: Before the bank rang,
you had no idea how much the mortgage was?
VAL: The mortgage secures whatevefs owed to the bank,
including any business debt.
I had no idea how much that was.
SHEPHERD: Was Charlie a violent man?
- Not to me. - Who to?
You just wouldn't want to cross him, that's all.
So you never did. Until the night he died.
You said it was an accident.
We believe that Charlie stopped for someone
on the side of the road --
that they'd run out of petrol and he went to help them out.
- Was that you? - What? No!
We're working through several theories.
For instance, it's dark, the wee small hours.
Who's the one person in the world
that Charlie would be certain to stop for?
His own wife, if you'd run out of gas.
No, that never happened.
Okay. Like I said, it's only a theory.
I never left the house!
Can anyone confirm that?
No.
I know how this looks.
I knew something was wrong. He was away a lot.
Away? - Overnighters.
He said it was the Cadillac,
but there was something else going on.
I kept asking him what was wrong, and he'd just...
He'd say it was business, and not to worry about it.
Did you ever think there was someone else?
Of course.
I even asked him if there was another woman.
At least he was honest.
There was?
Yes. He said her name was Eldorado.
He could be such a smart-ass.
[Cellphone ringing]
Breen.
Thanks.
We have a fingerprint match
for the guy who fell through the skylight.
Sonny Smith.
Long list of previous. Bit of breaking and entering.
Lots of car conversion.
SHEPHERD: Another car enthusiast.
Maybe he was after Charlie's Cadillac.
Or maybe there was something else in that garage
he was interested in.
Local?
Up north until recently.
Patchy employment history up there.
Possum trapper, forestry release cutter,
local farmhand.
Arrived down here six weeks ago and got a job cleaning cars.
Who m0?
Local clown. Olson Siola of T Bird Cars.
You really don't like him.
Why would anyone want to be a clown?
To bring a little joy into the world?
Nah. There's something dodgy about clowns.
Anyway, getting back to the facts.
Olson Siola employed the deceased, Sonny Smith.
One of the deceased.
SIMS: Maybe Sonny was stealing to order for Olson.
A Cadillac? General Motors?
Olson wouldn't sully himself.
What was that kid doing there?
And who sent him?
And I still want to know how he got on the roof.
What do we know about the business, Baxter & Balance?
BREEN: They advertise themselves as a one-stop car shop --
repairs, panel and paint.
And they do compliance work for imports.
What, so they take the cars off the wharf as they arrive?
BREEN: No, the dealer or importer does that,
then the dealer takes the cars
to an authorized compliance agent
like Baxter & Balance.
They check them out and make sure they can be issued
with a warrant of fitness for our roads.
And then the cars go back to the dealer to be sold.
Sounds lucrative.
Baxter & Balance is the only
authorized compliance agent in the area.
Kaamng!
So how come the Baxter house is so heavily mortgaged?
Breen, get an address or phone number for Sonny out of Olson,
then go there, find someone to ID him at the mortuary,
and pick up whatever background you can on him.
There must be some connection to Charlie Baxter.
Ah, the clown whisperer!
Mr. Siola.
Do you have any contact details
for a kid you employed here as a cleaner -- Sonny Smith?
Who?
How many cleaners do you have?
They're called car valet.
What's the name again?
Smith.
Such an unusual name.
It's a wonder I can't remember it.
- Sonny? - Sonny.
Oh, wait there.
I think I've got something for you.
He came in looking for a car valet job,
so I gave him a couple of tries.
Had to give up on the boy.
Stoned most of the time.
Can't say I'm surprised he's in trouble.
I never said he was.
Then why's a detective inquiring after him'?
[ Rockabilly music plays]
Hold the fort.
Keith Balance about?
Just missed him.
[ Tires screech ]
Urgent callout?
Delivery.
Just finished compliance on that ute.
What happens behind here?
FRODO: That's where the compliance work are done
for the imports.
- Why is it screened? Regulations.
Got to be accredited to do that stuff.
Separate business. I can't go in there.
And nor should you. That's the rules.
- It's okay. - You'll cost me my job.
- You've got to be accredited. - Will this do?
- No car. - Keith was driving it.
- Where to? - Making a delivery I guess.
- Delivering the car? - Yeah.
- Who to? - I don't think ifs a secret.
I mean, most of that work's for T Bird Cars,
far as I can make out.
[ Knocking on door]
Hey! Stop! Police!
Ah, come on!
Oh, hell!
Don't run, okay?
When a police officer says stop, you stop.
I didn't know I was being chased.
Why were you running?
Exercise.
It's for my own use.
What's your name?
- Tai. - Tai, do you know Sonny Smith?
You gonna bust me for the dope or what?
Yes or no? Do you know him?
He's my cousin.
Where is he?
[Sniffles]
Bastards.
[ Crying 1
Who?
He wouldn't hurt anyone.
How did this happen?
He fell through a skylight. Possibly accidental.
Yeah, right.
[Mid-tempo rock music plays]
♪ Why don't you come and talk to me anymore? I
♪ When you get home I
♪ The first thing is you shut that door I
SHEPHERD: Are we interrupting something?
Not at all.
Just delivered an import, and I'm about to pick up a new one.
Takes a day or three to clear customs.
OLSON: ls there a problem, officer'?
Why did you take off when we pulled up at the garage?
Didn't see you.
Oh, we had a little chat to Frodo.
Yeah, Frodds got an IQ in the margin for error.
[Laughs]
Why did you give him an apprenticeship, then?
That was Charlie. Charlie did a lot of things.
OLSON: Please, Detectives, can't you see this --
What did Charlie do, Keith?
There's many stages to grief. There's anger --
I'm talking to him.
Charlie was just a bit, uh, headstrong at times, that's all.
Frodds not a bad guy.
Look, I've got work to do,
Got to get that new ute back to the garage.
Time is money.
Oh, that's what I wanted to talk to you about.
"May?
You seem upset about Charlie.
I'm the one left holding the baby.
Is there something you want to share?
Perhaps down the station while making a statement?
Why? Am I a suspect?
That would suggest that you believe Charlie was murdered.
Why?
You can put whatever words you want in my mouth.
I'm saying nothing.
My cuz wouldn't fall. He was like a cat.
As in burglar'?
Was Sonny on a job when he fell?
Who was he working for, Tai?
Somebody sent him to Baxter's garage.
He got a call that night.
- Who from? - He wouldn't say.
He never did.
It was his way of protecting me.
Sonny took a call. What, on the home line?
He had a mobile?
Who doesn't?
[Sighs]
What do you think happened to Charlie, then?
Charlie owed a containerload of money.
We know his house was mortgaged to the hilt.
Val said that was because the business was in trouble.
The business wasn't the problem.
- Charlie was the problem. - Why?
You've got his phone. Take a look at the apps.
BREEN: What's up?
Baxtefis mobile? Something about apps.
[Beeps]
BREEN: Jeez.
Gaming Club, Jackpot City, Royal Vegas.
Charlie had a gambling problem?
It wasn't a problem -- It was catastrophic.
- Who'd he owe money to? - Oh, who didn't he owe?
He owed me for taking the money out of the business.
He owed Val for leaving her nothing.
Well, that gives you and Val motive.
Oh, like hell!
I've had enough of this.
I don't have to stay here, you know?
That's right. You don't.
Yeah, good enough for me.
[Beeps]
Does he ever stop?
Fiddling with the car or drinking?
Jared, babe...
Please, you can't call me that anymore.
Sorry.
What if Greg walked in and overheard?
Is that the only reason?
No, but what happened between us, it was --
it was a long time ago.
- I know that. - Okay.
There's still something I need to tell you.
- Oh, Carly, we can't go there. - It's not about that.
What?
The night before last -- the night of the standoff
between Greg and that guy Charlie Baxter --
Greg went out.
No, no, no. Couldn't have. I would have heard him.
He didn't take the Customline. He took your car.
No way.
Greg's got problems, but...
...he's no murderer.
Greg did that?
He hits me where no one will see.
Never my face.
Sometimes 'round the head.
No. Not Greg.
You guys can't see what's in front of your eyes
when it comes to your mates.
What happened to him?
He was always exactly like this.
Afghanistan just made it worse.
Sonny's cousin Tai confirms that on the night he died,
someone phoned him on his mobile,
which seems to have disappeared.
He went out to meet someone and never came back.
So he was on a mission at Baxter's garage.
Tai also said Sonny was as agile as a cat,
and she doesn't believe he would fall.
Unless the agile cat was wearing oversized boots.
Completely the wrong footwear for creeping across roofs.
By the look of it, he and his cousin
didn't have two cents to rub together.
Maybe those boots were all he had.
Or someone's trying to cover their tracks.
Also a big doper according to Olson,
who cannot be trusted.
Because? - He's a clown.
Is that it?
At this stage.
Wasn't Olson's opinion that Sonny was a stoner
backed up by the bag of dope you found on his cousin?
Maybe he was so stoned he put on the wrong shoes.
Size 12 were way too big for him,
but they're Charlie's size exactly.
Yeah, and size 12 is the same size that Frodo wears.
So, instead of a middle-aged success story --
own house, own business --
we are now getting a picture
of a very different Charlie Baxter --
a desperate gaming addict
who was causing his wife and business partner
financial distress.
Which might provide motive for both of them.
SHEPHERD: But motive enough for murder'?
Well, it'd certainly put a lid
on all the debts he was running up.
Maybe Val and Keith were in it together'?
Conspiring lovers?
Valerie Baxter is living proof of what my mother used to say --
'When debt comes in the door, love flies out the window."
Get hold of the Baxter 8. Balance company records --
balance sheet, cash flow, who owes what where.
And then we get in a forensic accountant.
Let's see what we can make of it first.
You.
- What are you doing here? - I can't be seen.
I can see you.
Can we go somewhere, you know, without windows?
What time was this?
Well, Carly reckons the bedside digital was reading 2:23 am
You saw and heard nothing?
Sound asleep.
So Greg leaves the marital bed, takes your car, and goes where?
Well, Carly has no idea.
She went back to sleep, didn't hear him come in.
But when she woke just after 6:00,
Greg was in bed beside her.
Between 2:30 and 6:00 certainly fits the time frame
for Charlie Baxter's death.
I thought it might.
There's no avoiding it.
We have to interview Greg, try and get a statement.
If Greg gets a whiff of where this is coming from,
Carly might be the next body you find.
You think he's that bad?
What you don't know about your mates.
He's been giving Carly the bashing.
She showed me the bruises. She's terrified of him.
We could arrest him for that.
I doubt she'll testify against him.
Okay. We can sort this so it doesn't come back on her.
We don't have to disclose who our witness is.
Thanks.
Your mate's hiding in the kitchen.
We're actually here to see you.
Listen, I've already told you --
If you want to talk to me, you're gonna have to arrest me.
If you insist.
Caution him, Sims.
What? Based on what?
- Morning, Jared. - Mike.
What the hell is this? What do you think you've got on me'? Huh?
They can't have anything on you, babe. Just relax.
SHEPHERD: Good idea. Relax.
If you've got something to say, say it here.
We'd like to. But it's confidential to you.
Like what?
It's to do with a witness that's come forward.
- GREG: A witness, babe? - CARLY: It'll be nothing.
GREG: A witness to what?
SHEPHERD: Your movements the night
you were out on Boundary Road.
Okay. Um, well, let me grab my stuff,
and I'll meet you down at the station.
Much appreciated.
Better hope he turns up.
Oh, with a car like his, he won't be hard to find.
Your mate's straight out of the bloody Gestapo.
What the hell's he trying to prove?
They're just doing their job, Greg.
You know, ticking the boxes.
That better be all it is. See you guys soon.
Frodo.
-[ Thud, metal clangs] - FRODO: [Groans ] Gosh.
What?
Where's the boss?
FRODO: Oh... He was here.
But isn't?
Might be.
Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?!
I was going to ask politely
if I could have access to your firm's financial records --
bank accounts, securities, budgets, cash-flow charts.
Get out of here. You need a warrant to do that.
That's plan B.
Either way, ifs going to happen.
Look, we just want to familiarize ourselves
with your position.
My position, what, vis-é-vis Charlie Baxter,
was bent over a table with my pants around my ankles.
Right. Because of Charlie's gambling.
Pretty much.
That musfve been hard to take.
Look, he dipped his fingers in the till
and put the squeeze on the business, that's all.
-Infuriating. - But you get on with it.
Or you take matters into your own hands, get back control.
Bugger this. I've had a gutsful!
Here!
And here!
That's this years.
There's only seven more years to go once you've finished those.
And this!
Oh, and this!
Fill your bloody boots!
Keith Balance is keen to help.
- Sort of. - Looks like it.
Greg McQueen's on his way in.
How'd you manage that?
He wants to find out what we know.
The theory being?
Charlie's driving home in the dark,
he stops to help someone he knows.
He recognizes Jared's car, assumes it's him.
That makes sense.
There's no way he would have stopped for Greg's hot rod.
There's more.
You do the interview,
given that Greg knows I'm friendly with Jared.
OK?!-
Remember...
Before confirming Carly/s assertion, get him to deny it.
You're onto it. And?
Their names will not leave my lips.
Okay, we just need to firm up on everyonds movements.
So, can you confirm that you didn't go out in any car
between the hours of 1:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. that morning?
I didn't.
Well, we have information that you were out and about
in Jared Morehu's car.
And this would be the witness that you mentioned?
- That's right. - Who is.. .7
So this witness that you wont name reckons that, uh...
He? She? It?
- Th ey? - T hey
...that they saw me in Jared's dunger
in the early hours of the morning that Charlie died?
- Is that it? - Yes.
So how can this witness be sure it wasn't Jared in his car'?
Our witness says it was you.
Well, how can they be sure? He, she, it, or them.
Would have been dark.
And how many people around here know me?
The witness saw you at the beach hop.
The beach hop didn't start until the next day.
Well, that car of yours attracts a lot of attention.
Not before the beach hop began.
Unless helshe was at the drag race that wasn't,
out on Boundary Road.
Look, we just need to know
whether you can account for your movements that night.
But there were no movements.
I was in bed asleep.
And I have two alibis to support me on that.
Unless Jared was out in his car.
But I wouldn't know. I was asleep.
Have you spoken to Jared?
We will speak to Jared.
If you haven't spoken to Jared, how do you know it was his car'?
Our witness knows his car,
and he knows it wasn't Jared driving, it was you.
He?
Which is weird because as I said,
I was tucked up in bed all night.
And you can easily find two witnesses to verify that.
Well, you could have slipped out unbeknownst to either of them,
which is why you took Jared's car,
so they wouldn't hear anything.
Ah, so they heard nothing?
I don't know. I'm just guessing.
You've talked to Jared and Carly already.
No, I didn't say that.
You've got nothing. You're fishing.
I don't know who put you up to this,
but someone is hanging me out to dry.
[Sighs]
You got him to deny he was out and about?
But Jared can't actually confirm
that he left the property at that time in his car.
No.
It's down to Carly. We have to get her statement.
Well, can we pull both Carly and Jared in now.
I mean, they can just tell Greg
that they're providing him with an alibi.
In fact, if we don't do that, Greg'll get suspicious.
You've got the makings.
- Of what? - A forensic accountant.
Expect Jared'll be showing up any minute now.
Wouldn't want a miss a chance to share lunch with his old flame.
Babe.
What's with the paranoia?
Just because you're paranoid
doesn't mean they're not out to get you.
What are you talking about?
The cops reckon that they have a witness
who saw me driving Jared's car
the night that that guy was killed.
No way!
You were in bed with me all night.
Mm. Did you tell them that?
- Hmm? - I will.
But you haven't spoken to them already?
No. I swear.
[Car approaching]
Ah. Speak of the devil.
Whafd I tell you? He can't stay away from you.
[Car door closes]
[ Footsteps]
- Hey. - Hey, brother.
Cleaning your rifle?
Yeah. Old army habits die hard, eh?
See, in the desert,
your life depends on having a clean rifle.
Just like I thought I could depend on you.
Eh?
I thought we were mates.
What do you mean?
I didn't expect you to go to the cops behind my back.
What?
- GREG: No, and stitch me up. - Come on, Greg.
No, you've been speaking to your detective mate.
The cops reckon they have a witness
who saw me driving your car the night that Charlie was killed.
- I thought you were here asleep. - Is that what you told them?
- Who?! - The cops! Who else?!
- What are you saying?! - It was your car.
They'd need to talk to you first
to make sure you weren't driving it.
- Not if they'd seen -- - I know how the cops work.
[Car approaching]
Ah, who do we have here?
[Car door closes]
GREG: Didn't hear you knock.
Is Carly about?
That depends. I'll get back to you.
Okay, lovebirds, which one of you put the cops up to this?
Comms, this is DSS Shepherd.
Someone better start talking real quick!
Is everything okay in there, Greg?
GREG: You tell me.
SHEPHERD: If there's an issue,
we should just keep calm and talk it through.
Listen to your mate. He's giving you a chance to tell the truth.
Okay, okay. It was me.
You were right to be suspicious.
I wanted to be with Carly
and saw a chance to get you out of the way.
She knew nothing about it.
- Is that true? - I knew nothing.
Honest, babe.
I should put a bullet through your head.
Don't, babe. He's not worth it!
You tell them what you just told me.
Tell them!
I made the story up.
Greg never took my car. He was here all night.
I tried to set him up so me and Carly could get back together.
OK?!-
- You got that? - SHEPHERD: We've got that.
Now you can lower the rifle.
Lower the rifle.
Good.
Now put it down.
Now step back inside.
Put your hands on your head.
NOW!
[Car door closes]
That was such a brave thing to do.
Thank you.
It's okay. It's over.
They'll lock Greg up, and you'll be able to make a statement.
Hey, hey, hey. Greg will never bash you again.
Maybe I won't have to make a statement.
How do you mean?
Well, Greg'll go to prison for what he did today.
Maybe.
But he's still got to stand trial
for murdering Charlie Baxter.
Except he couldn't possibly have done that.
He was here all night.
He never went out, didn't take your car.
I wanted him out of the way so we could be together again.
It was all a lie?
Awhite lie. Afib.
- In a good cause. - Do you know what you've done?
You told Greg the truth, that you really want to be with me.
And I want that too, babe, back the way it was.
Get in the car.
I didn't know what else to do.
Get in the car, Carly.
Charge him with reckless use of a firearm.
I'll get a statement from Carly. We'll go from there.
[Door closes, locks]
She's got something to tell you.
[ Exhales sharply] Unbelievable.
I know you want to charge her with something,
but all she's actually done is lie to Jared.
I feel like we're going 'round and 'round in circles,
getting nowhere.
Doughnuts. Doing doughnuts.
Going 'round and 'round in circles and getting nowhere.
Petrolhead term.
I know what a doughnut is. I'm just surprised that you do.
Actually I can see you popping some wheelies in your youth.
Did you? Pull a few doughnuts?
Let's just say I prefer mine with jam and cream.
Hey, you should see the money trail here.
So much money.
Huge amounts going out on Baxter's online gaming accounts.
Indian sports betting, TAB, online poker.
You name it, Charlie was up to his eyeballs in it.
So he was a gambling addict. Does that help us'?
No, the mystery's not how he lost all this dough,
ifs where the hell he got it from.
The business is doing well.
The panel and paint, the car repairs,
the compliance work on imports is all here,
all going through the books.
- So he blew it all? - And much more besides.
According to Val, he borrowed against the business
and against their house.
Yeah, that would cover some of it.
But Charlie's online gaming accounts
show so much more going out.
And there's no trace of it on the books,
so he must have had a huge stream of income
that wasn't going anywhere near the books.
From where? From his winnings?
No way. None of those accounts were ever in credit.
So Baxter's gambling and gaming
went far beyond what he was making from the business?
Way beyond.
And despite all this money coming in,
the business itself is mortgaged to the hilt --
the land the garage sits on to an outfit called Taurus Inc.
And then there's also a debenture
on the remaining company assets to something called Edsel Inc.
SHEPHERD: Who are they?
BREEN: Well, I'm still trying to find out.
They were shelf companies, but now with an accountant
holding the shares in trust for the real owners.
Which means we're looking for a cash source,
some kind of black-market money stream?
Has to be.
Keith Balance must know where the cash is coming from.
- BREEN: How could he not? -[ Computer chimes]
And how could he not stop Baxter from blowing it all'?
SIMS: Ah, okay.
An e-mail from Val and Charlie's insurance company.
Charlie's life policy was increased 10 days ago.
Sole beneficiary -- wife, Valerie Baxter.
We note that you increased Charlie's life cover --
doubled it to half a million -- just over a week before he died.
I did. It was a five-yearly review.
I know the timing looks bad,
but it was just a coincidence, I swear.
And when exactly did you hear from the bank
about the size of the mortgage on this place?
Before or after you increased the life insurance?
Before.
Right, so increasing the life insurance
wasn't entirely coincidental.
No.
I called them. Can you blame me?
SIMS: The point is, you doubled the cover
on your husband's life insurance just days before he was killed.
That was coincidental, I swear!
SIMS: Oh, you'll have to.
If there's this half mill in the pipeline,
why were you so anxious about selling Charlie's Cadillac?
Because I very quickly realized after he died
that half a million wasn't nearly enough.
You know what I would have done if I'd known?
I'd have put it up to two million
and killed the bastard myself!
CARLY: I'm sorry, babe.
Sorry doesn't do it.
It didn't work out exactly as I thought it would, but --
Carly...
I don't blame you.
You did what you did
to try and get out of a toxic relationship, and...
...I get that.
But I'm not the answer.
You've got Greg out the picture for a while, and...
...you should take advantage of that.
Go see your family. Let them help.
I'm still your friend, okay?
OK?!-
Olson says that after the altercation
out on Boundary Road,
Charlie drove him back to the Baxter & Balance garage.
OLSON: It's not too late to get a Ford.
CHARLIE: [Laughs]
- Good night. - Good night.
SHEPHERD: Olson drives home.
And Charlie works on the Eldorado.
Next morning, Charlie is found dead beside his Eldorado,
halfway between the garage and his home.
Yet when I showed up here that morning
to give Val the bad news,
his ute is sitting in the driveway -- there.
How did Charlie's ute get home that night?
Either Charlie drove it or you drove it.
Either way, you're not telling us the truth, Val.
He did come home.
[Door slams]
Those bloody hot-rodders spoil it for everyone!
VAL: He wanted me to drive him back to the garage
because he still had more work to do on the car.
He said he'd bring it home when he'd finished
so he could go straight to the beach hop in the Eldorado
in the morning.
This was about half past 10:00, quarter to 11:00.
He never came back to the house that night in the Eldorado?
VAL: No.
It wasn't the first time he'd promised to come home
and not shown up.
After you dropped him at the garage, you came straight home?
And you never left the house again that evening?
VAL: No.
Why do you think I never mentioned it?
I was the last one to see him alive.
I knew that and the insurance would make me a suspect.
Plus lying to the police.
That doesn't help.
No one's touched this since Charlie parked it here?
No. I ran him back to the garage in my car.
SHEPHERD: Key?
No idea where.
Sonny Smith.
VAL: I swear I've never seen any of this stuff before.
What the hell was Charlie up to?
I'd say he was up to no good...
...if the shoe fits, and I suspect it will...
...on Sonny's foot.
SIMS: Tai verified that these belong to Sonny,
and they fitted his feet perfectly.
They're not the only things that fit.
KADINSKY: From something blunt.
It's not consistent with the impact from the fall.
SHEPHERD: Thafll have traces of Sonny's blood and hair.
Tai also said Sonny took a call earlier in the evening
before going out.
- She was telling the truth. - Trace it.
The jerrican will need to be tested too.
I'm picking it will have Sonny's prints on it
as well as Charlie's.
Sonny was sent to the Baxter & Balance garage
not to steal the 1969 Cadillac Eldorado
but to burn the garage down.
Why? Insurance, we can only assume.
But Charlie was working late.
Charlie heard or saw something
and sprang Sonny about to commit arson.
Charlie whacks him.
Charlie needs to make it look like an accident.
He's got too much to hide.
So he gets the ladder from the garage
and drops Sonny through the skylight...
...to make it look like the burglary had gone wrong.
Which is why there's only one set of footprints on the roof.
And a burglafls not gonna care about keeping to the nail lines.
But Charlie did care about those prints up there.
And he saw a great way to tie those to Sonny.
So it's clear that Charlie killed Sonny.
But who killed Charlie?
BREEN: Was it revenge for Sonny?
Whoever ordered Sonny to torch the garage
would have been angry that Charlie screwed the plan.
We'll only know that
when we find out who sent Sonny on his mission.
It's got to be an inside job. Keith Balance or Val.
Maybe.
And where is Frodo in all of this?
- Where's the boss? -[ Engine idling]
Hey! You can't just barge in there.
Frodo! Get in here now!
Stand back!
[ Lift whirring]
[ Inhales deeply]
[Line rings, clicks]
- He's alive. - SHEPHERD: Right.
Stay with him until he's up to talking about the secrets
he was so keen on taking to the grave.
SIMS: Too many loose ends around you, Frodo.
Brand-new boots the day after
the burglar was found dead in the garage
wearing the same brand and size.
Charlie flicked me those.
What am I supposed to do?
Turn them down so I can fork out for my own?
How much did you fork out for that car'?
It'd be worth about 30 or 40K.
And how does an apprentice mechanic get that sort of cash?
It's not actually mine.
SIMS: Meaning?
It's the company's.
Which companys?
Charlie and Keith jacked it up for me, so I assume it was them.
We'll check who it's registered to.
FRODO: I'm allowed to drive it as if it's mine.
- SIMS: Generous bosses. - Nothing wrong with that.
SHEPHERD. What was the quid pm qua'?
What -- What?
What did you have to do in return?
Nothing!
Not much.
Drive it over to Olson's yard for a valet.
- How often? - Once a week, regular.
Well, couldn't you just clean it yourself?
I wasn't to touch it. That was the deal.
Once a week? Isn't that a bit excessive?
Maybe. I wasn't gonna argue, was I?
I get free use of a mint Mustang,
and I don't even have to clean it.
How choice is that?
And I won the Piston Trophy at the beach hop.
Yep, Kimberley and Toni were very impressed.
Yeah. Yeah, they were.
Uh, do you mind not telling Kimberley?
She -- She doesn't need to know it's not my car, right?
[ Beep]
[Door closes]
Don't get it.
Frodo appears to be a pawn in a very strange game.
He's not up to this. I'm sorry.
Just one question. Okay?
You had a stream of black cash.
Huge. Where did it come from?
Take a look at the ute on the hoist.
I've seen it.
[ Chuckles ]
Do your job.
Take a real look.
[ Lift whirring]
Bingo.
Pseudoephedrine, precursor to P.
They came in through the utes.
The Asian ones.
We had it made.
How did you launder the money?
All Charlie had to do was go into the casino,
buy some chips, not bet them all,
get a good proportion cashed up,
and we'd be home free with clean money.
But Charlie got a taste for the gaming tables and couldn't stop.
So you two put Sonny Smith up to torch the garage
for the fire-insurance money.
Fat use thafd be.
The mortgagee would collect, not me or Charlie.
So who's the mortgagee?
Who's standing behind those companies?
Taurus Incorporated and Edsel Incorporated.
Who did you deliver the bags to?
[Coughing] They went back where they came from.
- Well, where did they come from? - That's enough.
- How far back down the line? - Please!
I'm asking you to leave.
[Cellphone rings]
Kristin.
Sonny's mobile is prepay, predictably.
Untraceable.
I think we know whose phone thafll turn out to be.
Oh, and Frodds Mustang
is registered to one of those companies -- Edsel Inc.
Thanks.
Edsel Inc. owns the Mustang.
Oh! How did I miss that?
What?
Taurus and Edsel,
the companies that hold the mortgage on Baxter & Balance.
It has to be -- Ford!
Ford what? Ford who?
Taurus and Edsel are the model names
of the least successful Ford cars ever made.
The mystery shareholder has to be Olson Siola,
the biggest Ford freak in town.
So Frodo was the unwitting mule,
driving his precious Mustang back and forth to Olson
for a valet.
If it was ever stopped, Frodo would have to take the fall.
Yeah.
Nice work.
Mr. Siola!
A word, please.
What's he doing?
[Tires screeching]
Olson, you idiot! Pull over!
[ Engine revs, tires screech]
[Tires screeching]
Can I help you, Officer?
Yes, you can accompanying us down to the station.
I must admit it's a lovely evening for a cruise,
but why would I want to do that?
To help us with our inquiries.
Need help, do you?
From you, yes.
And what if I find that inconvenient?
We could arrest you if that would help.
On what grounds?
Failure to stop, for starters.
Were you pursuing me?
If I'd known you were gonna get all O.J. Simpson about it,
I would have driven my white Bronco.
It's your choice, Olson.
Can I bring a friend?
Miranda Temple. My lawyer.
Please do.
SHEPHERD: Charlie Baxter had become a loose cannon
who was jeopardizing your lucrative scheme.
- A lucrative scheme? - Olson. Please.
SIMS: Ms. Temple cautioned her client to say nothing.
I certainly did not.
By gesture.
SHEPHERD: Burning the garage
was a way to put Charlie out of business
and to cash up at the same time
by collecting the fire insurance.
Charlie caught Sonny in the act and killed him.
Hence plan B for ending your partnership with Charlie.
You knew Charlie's plans to cut and polish the Eldorado
and exactly how long that would take.
And you knew he'd then drive it home.
You parked the T-Bird
where you knew Charlie would see it on his way home.
You knew he'd pull over.
[inhaling sharply]
OLSON: It's coming.
[Grunting]
[Coughing]
As much as my client and I enjoy a good story,
we're still unaware of what lucrative scheme
you're referring to.
SHEPHERD: These were found in the last ute
that your client imported.
The one Keith Balance rendered unsalable
due to carbon monoxide toxicity?
Keith dubbed your client in.
Well, he would, wouldn't he?
Although my client is unaware
of what he and Charlie Baxter were up to,
clearly the stress has taken
a terrible psychological toll on the man,
and he's trying to deflect culpability.
Keith will be ready and able to testify.
TEMPLE: Which is more than can be said for Charlie Baxter.
What, is that it?
One psychologically unstable witness
who's clearly implicated in some sort of drug importation
and will lie to save his own skin?
If that is it, Detective,
my client and I will take our leave.
BREEN: Damn.
Then there's Frodo.
TEMPLE: Frodo?
As in Bilbo Baggins' nephew?
Frodo, aka Frankie Oades.
The apprentice at Baxter & Balance.
TEMPLE: What does he have to do with my client?
He made deliveries directly to your client weekly
in the borrowed Mustang,
still registered in Olson's company's name.
Frodo knows nothing.
Olson. You're not required to speak.
Hobbits driving Mustangs?
Until you can give us something
less fictional to go on, Detective,
we'll bid you good night.
I tried to tell you.
Never trust a clown.
The murderer of a murderer. Should we even care?
And I hate to say it,
but it seems you've dropped Frodo in it.
We better try and warn him.
Poor Frodo.
At the mercy of that crazy clown
and not likely to die laughing.
Straight to voice mail. What do we do?
[ Electricity crackling ]
Frodo, my friend.
I go out of my way to help you,
give you a Mustang to play with,
and you repay me by talking to the cops?!
You weren't supposed to know about
the P-import side of the business,
but as with most things, Charlie and Keith were loose!
Unfortunately, my friend,
you're gonna have to pay for their mistakes
with another little accident, just as Charlie had to.
These workplaces can be so unsafe.
-[ Grunting ] - BREEN: Drop the weapon!
Drop the weapon!
Quite a performance, Olson.
Drug imports, Charlie's murder, all on tape.
And attempted murder on camera.
Olson Siola, you're under arrest
for the murder of Charlie Baxter.
You have the right to remain silent.
- You okay? - Never better.
That was so awesome!
Thanks for helping out.
No, like I said, that was totally wicked. Anytime.
Well, let's hope there isn't another time.
Take care, Frodo.
Hey, um, since he's nicked, will I lose the car'?
Proceeds of a crime.
I'd make the most of it.
Hey, um, want to take it for a spin, then?
Hell yeah. As long as I can drive.
FRODO: Hard out.
[The Eastern's “Misty and Jimmy" plays]
[ Engine starts, revs]
[ Chuckles ]
Petrolhead within! It's a beautiful thing!
FRODO: Yee-haw!