Jesus.
Kill the engine!
You made it.
I was right in the middle of something.
Sunday morning? Should I ask?
No.
Still warm.
The owner of the place whipped it up for you.
I always imagined this place was a bit flasher somehow.
Nice of you to show up.
A Captain Cook called the body in.
That can't be his real name, can it?
Initially, the uniforms
thought it was a simple drowning,
but the marks on her neck say otherwise.
- Any idea who? - It's Ophelia Marley.
The professional tennis player? What's she doing here?
It was her hens' do.
A group of them stayed last night.
Gina's on her way.
Senior.
She was on the international circuit
until a couple of months ago.
Just inside the top 200.
Her dad died recently. I read it in the Courier.
That's why she was back in town.
Is that Captain Cook?
No, he had to catch the tide.
That's the owner of the Tidal View Lodge.
- D.S.S. Mike Shepherd. - Marcus Donovan.
They all signed a health and safety waiver.
It pointed out all the potential dangers.
Is that standard practice?
Been a while since you've stayed in a hotel, has it?
Do Phee's friends know what's happened?
No. They are still sleeping off their big night.
I didn't want to be the bearer of bad news, you know?
Best we put some more coffee on?
Put out some tissues. That sort of thing.
This is very like the play "Hamlet,"
with Ophelia drowning in a stream.
Yes, indeed.
Except in "Hamlet," Ophelia wasn't strangled.
Who said this woman was strangled?
But looks like strangulation?
Detective Sims.
We never know what we know until we know it.
Any thoughts on the cause of that?
Maybe the necklace.
It looks cheap.
Surely it would've snapped with the force?
And these markings don't seem to match.
A rope of some kind?
No sign of fibrous damage to the skin.
A chain?
Or a garrote.
A garrote?
From the medieval period?
Some things are timeless.
Can you hazard a guess as to how long she's been in the water?
Not so long. But at least six hours.
Whoo! The fun police out on a Sunday morning.
Nicky.
- Do you want a coffee? - No.
What did we do, officers?
I don't remember breaking the law.
Not good news, I'm afraid.
Not good how?
"You might want to sit down" not good.
Shouldn't we wait for Phee?
Sadly this involves the bride-to-be.
We had a call this morning reporting someone deceased.
It was Ophelia.
What?
- No way. - She's upstairs.
Sleeping off a hangover.
I wish that were true.
She was found in the river.
We're so sorry.
- My God. - Is that Phee?
What the hell happened?
We need to find that out.
This place is in the middle of nowhere.
Mainly farms, lifestyle blocks.
Organize a door-to-door.
See if any neighbors recall any suspicious activity last night.
On it.
Let's hope that was in working order.
Just so you know, I've got a booking this afternoon.
It's not gonna happen, I'm afraid.
I've got everything in.
You know, food, staff booked. They reserved the whole place.
Mr. Donovan, we're dealing with a suspected homicide.
We'll need to cordon the place off.
I'm sorry for any inconvenience.
Could you show me around the lodge?
Yeah, of course. Whatever I can do.
Is this the only way in here?
Yeah, yeah. One road in, one road out.
Chontelle Reihana.
R- E-I-H-A-N-A.
Phee's best mate.
Thanks.
And, do you know how I could get in contact
with Phee's next of kin?
I know her father passed away recently.
She doesn't have any. Her mum died when she was really young.
Scotty's the closest thing she has to a family.
Um, and Scotty is...?
Scotty Hammet.
Her fiancé.
And you'll need to talk to the others.
The others being...?
The other hens. They, um, went home last night.
We'll get them to come down too.
Come down where?
To the police station.
We'll need to get a statement from each one of you.
What do we do with our rooms?
Should we just check out or what?
Leave them as is.
We'll let you know when you can come
and collect your belongings.
We'll need a ride.
We were supposed to catch the boat back.
I'm doing next of kin, so...
I'm sorry. Pop those in the back.
Okay.
Are you like a part-time cowboy?
No.
Country music fan, though.
Sheriff Mike Shepherd.
How did you all know Ophelia?
We all went through Brokenwood High.
- We're still tight. - Mostly.
Why was Ophelia wearing her wedding dress?
We made Phee get a wedding gown,
and we all got bridesmaids' dresses.
They all had to be second-hand.
Because of something old, something new,
something borrowed, something blue?
No, 'cause she's rich, and we're not.
There was a $10 limit. The tackier, the better.
Nicky's the op-shop queen.
I think I'm gonna be sick.
Okay. Not in the car. Not in the car!
Definitely gonna be sick.
My God. Me too.
No, I'm okay.
Do you reckon we could stop for a pie?
I'm kind of hungry.
They arrived about 4:00. Met the boat for their cruise.
Got back about 6:00.
Got some food into them about 8:00.
More drinks. Dancing.
Closed the bar at midnight.
Put the other hens in the taxi van.
Left the girls to it.
Went to bed.
They were still going when you left?
Yes.
Anyone know where Scotty Hammet might be?
124 Tullamore Rise.
That's where he lives. I think.
He's not at home.
Maybe the tennis club.
They had his stag party there last night.
Try the tennis club.
Chontelle.
Walk me through what happened yesterday.
We started in town.
Midafternoon.
At, um, A Second Time Around.
That's the op shop on...?
The main drag.
First up was the cruise.
This is amazing!
It was really fun. We were all getting on.
No!
It was awesome.
Chontelle had gone to a lot of effort
to make Phee's big day special.
The big day before the big day.
Before she settled down.
Sorry, this is just so freaky.
It was freaky to think she was settling down.
Why do you say that?
Well, 'cause if I had that international lifestyle
and all that, I wouldn't.
I'd want to keep partying on.
Not that she didn't party to the max, because she did.
That's what hens' nights are for -- partying.
And she seemed to be having fun?
Yeah. We all did.
What time did you call it quits?
I don't know. I was really wasted.
I guess 1:00ish maybe.
'Cause Phee dared me to eat the worm.
The worm being...?
Tequila worm.
Don't be a pussy. You have to chew.
Chew! Chew! Chew! Chew! Chew! Chew! Chew!
Chew! Chew! Chew! Chew! Chew! Chew!
- Nicky!
I don't remember much after that.
It's all a bit hazy....
I'm sorry.
Yeah.
No, definitely 1:00-- ish.
Sorry, I've got a few blank spots.
Tequila and bubbly does that to me.
Um, yeah, no, I reckon -- I reckon 1:00.
So you were the last person to see Ophelia
before she went to bed.
Was I?
Did you see anyone after that?
I never saw her again.
No.
I never saw her again.
I most defs did not see her again.
Howdy, stranger.
This is where you've been hiding.
Yep, been working on my backhand
in case we ever get to play that game.
Sorry.
Work's been frantic.
Well, you're here. I'm here.
The courts are empty.
Except this isn't a social call, is it?
Unfortunately not.
Big night?
To be honest, it was kind of dull.
Scotty was in a low-key mood.
I left them to it around about midnight.
By the looks of Darryn, though, they carried on for a bit.
So, what's up?
Scotty.
Is he here?
Yeah, he's in his office, sleeping it off.
Into the hall.
Scotty.
What?
Scotty, I'm...
I'm sorry to wake you.
Who...?
Um...
I'm sorry, but your fiancée, Ophelia Marley,
was involved in an incident last night.
In what sort of incident?
She has passed away.
What?
What do you mean?
Well, we don't have many details yet,
but she was found in the Brokenwood River.
I'm so sorry.
Christ.
What sort of relationship did Scotty and Ophelia have?
Quick.
They've only been together like two months.
But they were getting married?
Guess they were made for each other.
They had total chemistry.
- You're going down this time. - I'm going down this time?
- You are. - Ha!
- I don't care about last time. - No. I don't think so.
- Just wait. - Okay!
Phee reckoned they had the hots for each other
as soon as they locked eyes.
Wow.
Two months. That's fast.
I was so into her.
Nothing's ever felt so right.
So you met when she was in town
for her father's funeral?
Yeah, she was looking for a hitting partner,
and then...
Aah! God!
Aah!
Her dad just died.
That's why Phee latched on to Scotty so fast.
Her dad was like her go-to fix-it guy.
She needed a replacement.
Jeez, Nicky. Harsh.
What did he fix?
When she pushed things too far, he would smooth things over.
She could be a bit ruthless.
No, she just didn't want to be alone.
I was into her. Really into her.
Scotty, do you want to go and talk to the others?
Sure, sorry, I...
I've been finding this hard to process.
No, it's okay. Of course.
Sorry, can we go?
Yeah. I really need some sleep.
Apart from Marcus and the other hens,
Nicky, you mentioned a stripper, um...
- Alex. - Alex Fuller.
- He does a lot of hens' nights. - Way too many.
He's been doing it way too long.
Yeah, he's kind of past his use-by date.
He was fun, though.
It was a fun night, you know?
Okay. Get some sleep?
My gosh.
It's the worst.
- You okay? - Hi. Yeah, we're fine.
- It's crazy. - I miss Ophelia.
I know.
Done?
- Not done. - I was saving them for you.
I'll put some more coffee on.
This is Detective Sims.
It's Phee.
This morning she was found drowned in the river.
Something's happened to Phee?
She was found in the river.
Drowned.
Jesus.
Um, Scotty, I'm...
I'm so sorry, again, for your loss.
I have to ask,
what time did the stag do finish up last night?
About 1:00.
I was pretty loaded.
I crashed here.
So you stayed here all night?
Yeah.
I mean, once I hit the couch I didn't leave.
So, what happens now?
Um, I'll need you to come down to the station
and give us a statement.
Just whenever you feel up to it.
Okay. I can do that.
- Right.
Once these three went to their rooms, none of them have alibis.
And as far as we know, at this stage,
Kimberley Mason is the last person to see Ophelia
before the discovery of her body
by the riverboat captain, um...
James Cook.
I'm not kidding. "Jim" to his mates.
Our Captain Cook was in Tahuna Point all night.
It checks out.
He had to catch the morning tide, hence the early arrival.
Did Marcus Donovan cheer up?
Selling the place?
Yeah. I've done my dash.
You want to buy? It's a great little business.
No.
Any chance you can talk to your boss, then?
He won't want to buy it either.
No, I mean about keeping my name,
the Tidal View Lodge, out of the paper.
No one's gonna want to buy an old lodge
where someone's just died.
D.S.S. Shepherd has no say over what they put in the papers.
And with forensics around,
we're gonna need you to stay off site.
- And how did he take that? - Moaned some more.
But he let me look around the lodge
and gave me the security footage from the car park.
Victim's room?
Phee's bed had not been slept in.
Do you live on the premises?
In one of the guest rooms, yeah.
So you were here too?
Sure. Goes without saying.
Cellphone?
Nothing.
And no handbag as well.
According to one of the hens, she had one.
River?
Possible.
Start a ground search first.
Get SSG to look for it
and anything that might account for the wounds on her neck.
I'll give the dive squad a heads-up.
Kristin?
Scotty. Hammet.
Fiancé.
Spent all night at the tennis club
with best man Darryn Walker,
who, incidentally, is deaf.
How did the fiancé take the news?
He was upset...
But?
But -- and maybe it's nothing --
but he seemed slightly disconnected.
If you'd like to see Ophelia, that can be arranged too.
Sure.
It's entirely up to you.
No, of course. I want to do that.
You know, chrysanthemums are the symbol of death.
It is a mortuary.
Red roses would hardly be appropriate.
Okay.
Check this out.
So here's the hens leaving at 12:05 a.m.
Now, according to everyone's statements,
Phee, Marcus, Chontelle, Kimberley, and Nicky
were the only ones there during the night.
Turns out...
That is not the case.
Wait. Play it back.
That's Scotty. And Darryn Walker.
- You know sign, right? - A bit.
But it's too dark to make out what they're saying.
I thought you said that they both spent all night
at the tennis club.
Their words, not mine.
There was no water in her lungs.
So she was dead before she went in the river.
Toxicology will show if there were any other
contributing factors, but we can say she died
from asphyxiation through strangulation.
Sims was right, then?
Lucky guess.
Time of death?
I have closed the window to between 1:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m.
Any further thoughts on these?
It looks like a chain of some kind,
but the force would have broken the skin.
Maybe a garter belt or...
...the braces of a man's lederhosen.
Lederhosen?
There were any Bavarians at the party?
I don't believe so.
Probably not lederhosen, then.
What a waste.
She had a promising career ahead of her.
You're a tennis fan?
Every little girl in Russia dreams of being a tennis star.
We have some of the greats.
Maria Sharapova, Elena Dementieva,
Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anna Kournikova.
Although she was more about the fashion than the game.
Do you play tennis, Mike?
Not anymore.
Thanks for coming in.
We're sorry for your loss, Scotty.
Sure.
D.C. Breen will take you through.
Come this way.
Hi. D.S.S. Mike Shepherd.
Darryn, take a seat.
We're just waiting on the interpreter to come.
Hi, sorry. Um, Zoe Fuller.
Zoe.
Detective Sims. You can come through.
Hi, um, I got a call last night.
I'm supposed to helping with an interrogation.
Interview. Yeah.
- I'm late, aren't I? - No. Not at all.
Darryn!
So how does this work?
Well, Darryn can lip-read, so we'll ask the questions.
And we just need you to relay his responses verbatim.
But, um, you've obviously worked with Darryn before?
Just a couple of job interviews. Nothing like this.
Great. Well...
You told Detective Sims you were at the tennis club all night.
Is that correct?
Couldn't see the point in going back to an empty house.
I bunked down on the couch in my office.
Wouldn't be the first time.
Do you have any idea who these men might be?
Maybe you want to reconsider that?
Did you spend the whole night at the tennis club?
No.
After the party, Scotty and me went to Tidal View Lodge.
So you can confirm
that this is you and Scotty in this footage?
Why did you lie?
I don't know.
I freaked out.
You have to admit it doesn't look good.
I guess...
Well, I thought if you knew I'd been there,
then it would look suspicious.
More or less suspicious than lying about your whereabouts?
Why were you going to the lodge?
Scotty wanted to see Phee.
Wait.
Phee.
Ophelia Marley?
She's dead?
We haven't released her name yet,
so your discretion would be appreciated.
Um...
I know her.
Is that gonna be a problem?
Um, are -- are you friends?
We went to school together. Um...
Maybe I should go. This feels weird.
It's okay. Um, excuse me a moment.
There's no one else.
One translator is on maternity leave,
the other one is on holiday in Fiji.
It's Brokenwood. 1.5 degrees of separation.
They're not close, and she's not providing a statement,
only reporting it.
You were, right, by the way.
Ophelia was dead before she entered the water.
And Gina called it a lucky guess?
- Yep. - Yeah.
Can I have a quick word?
I've ruined things, haven't I?
No. Not at all.
When was the last time you saw Phee?
Be at the tennis club.
- Zoe? - She'd just hurt her foot.
No, it can't be.
I'm sorry about your dad.
I hardly recognize you.
I know, right?
That was the only interaction that we had.
Okay, well... Do you play tennis?
I do. That's a problem, isn't it?
No. Not at all.
Keep up the good work.
Yeah.
We would've been there for about half an hour.
It's a long way to go for half an hour.
Why did you go?
Because I was drunk and I wanted to see her.
Scotty had it bad.
I've never seen him like that with a woman before.
So he went to get some romance?
Then why were you there?
What do you mean?
Why did you go to the lodge?
Scotty asked me to come.
No, but if Scotty wanted some quality alone time
with his fiancée, why bring a friend along?
I thought I was going to a party.
Thought my mate would be there.
Your mate. Sorry, is that Scotty?
No. Peter.
Peter Toovey.
He works at the lodge, helping the owner.
But he'd gone.
Okay, um, so you visited Ophelia and...
- We fell down the stairs. - Really?
Yeah!
I thought you wanted to meet at the wharf.
What? No, no. Here's cool.
It was awkward.
I stayed for a quick drink and then left.
Okay?
Nobody likes being the
spare prick.
Sorry -- third wheel.
I texted a taxi.
I waited a long time for it to come.
What time would this have been?
Around 2:00.
You and Darryn Walker visited Phee in her room?
Why was Darryn there?
He's my best man.
What did you talk about?
Not much. Just hi and stuff.
"How was your night?"
You went all that way to talk about not much?
Why didn't you stay the night?
That wasn't an option.
She said she was tired...
- Bye. - Bye.
...that it was a girls' night.
Fair enough. Traditional rules.
What time did you leave?
Maybe around 2:00.
And you went straight back to the club rooms?
Yeah. I had a couple more beers, then hit the couch.
Look...
You know I didn't kill my fiancée, right?
I mean, come on.
Thanks for your time, Scotty.
Perhaps your Sunday-morning activity
was a patchwork quilting course?
Brazilian jiujitsu?
Regarding more important matters -- What's new?
This guy.
Peter Toovey.
He's Darryn Walker's friend who works at the lodge
as a part-time barman and cook.
Also deaf like Darryn.
So he's waiting and then...
...he gets a lift with Alex Fuller, the stripper.
You know Fuller's like 50?
Proving that even stripping
is an equal opportunities profession.
Apparently, his routine is that of a cop.
Don't see the appeal, personally.
Well, when you work with two sex gods
who are real police already, it's probably like...
Coals to Newcastle.
Um, sorry.
A, still processing that last statement,
and, B, coals going where?
Newcastle.
Doesn't matter.
Guys. Take a look at this.
That's the way to the wharf.
Exactly.
Darryn intimated that he went and waited around the front.
Yet here he is coming from the back at 1:56 a.m.
Fits with time of death.
Could it have got lost in translation?
Maybe, but either way it raises the question --
Where has he been and what has he been doing?
There's rosemary. And that's for remembrance.
And there's pansies. That's for thoughts.
Ophelia from "Hamlet" after she lost the plot.
I see.
And with our Ophelia going in the river like that,
well, that's certainly life imitating art, isn't it?
Definitely foul play, was it?
It seems so.
I blame the tennis.
The pressure of the game?
A certain game between Marcus Donovan
and Scotty Hammet.
There was money riding on it, you know?
Rather a lot.
It was no secret.
Anyone from the club will tell you.
Phee umpired.
She made a few close calls that cost him the game.
And $1,000.
That he didn't have to lose.
The guy's on the verge of bankruptcy,
he acts like he's loaded.
Do you often play for money?
No.
It started out as a hundred bucks.
He just kept upping it.
We got carried away.
- It's a lot of money. - Yeah.
He didn't take it well.
Sorry. I have to coach.
- Hey. How you doing? - Hey.
Couple of hours.
I arrived around 9:00, changed, warmed up, ripped into it.
Girls loved it.
I've been doing it for a while, so I know what they like.
Show went pretty well.
Quick shower, couple of beers with Marcus,
and I was out of there.
11:00, I'd say.
And then you went...?
Home. After I'd dropped Peter off.
He works at the lodge. Deaf guy.
Quiet drive home.
I mean, I know some sign,
but not much more than, "Hi, how are you?"
Then home, yeah.
Peter lives locally?
Yeah, Slane Road.
You've been doing the stripping thing for a while?
Yeah, hens' parties, birthday parties.
The odd stag do. It's just a sideline.
It keeps me fit.
I don't mean to be rude,
but isn't it kind of a younger man's game.
Didn't pick you for an ageist.
I'm not. I'm just curious.
I guess when they stop hiring me
I'll know I've reached my use-by date.
No sign of that yet.
Did you notice anything unusual? Um, amongst the hens.
No. They looked to me to be having a great time.
Okay. Thanks.
Hey, how did Zoe go this morning?
- Sorry? - Zoe.
With the translating. She's my daughter.
Very well. Great help.
That's good. She was pretty nervous.
She gets a bit anxious sometimes.
She was very conscientious.
Hey, what did you do to your leg?
I broke it a while back. How did you know?
Your alignment's all out. Why don't you jump on the table?
- I'll sort it out for you. - I'm fine for now.
Well, you don't want to let a thing like that compound.
Here. Pop by. Anytime.
Thanks.
Might just do that.
Shit!
Scotty and I have always been rivals.
One and two on the ladder. Club finals were coming up.
Decided we'd make it interesting by putting a grand on the line.
I'd beaten him the last two games.
I backed myself.
Were Ophelia and Scotty an item then?
Not that I knew of.
Otherwise I wouldn't have asked her to umpire.
Out!
What?
Your eyes painted on?
That was not out!
Did she know about the bet?
Well, everyone did.
Or maybe Scotty cut her in to throw the game.
Is losing the bet got anything to do with selling the lodge?
Come on, guys. It's only a grand.
It's no big deal.
Did you pay Scotty his winnings?
I will.
When you sell the business?
You seriously think I killed Ophelia Marley over the bet?
We're just trying to get a picture
of where everyone was at that night.
You said you shut down the bar just after midnight,
saw the hens off in the taxi, and then went to bed,
where you spent the rest of the night in your room.
Yeah.
Can anyone corroborate your movements?
No.
Okay. Thanks for your time, Marcus.
Although, you know, I- I guess Nicky could.
Nicky Stone?
I spent the night with her.
She came to my room somewhere between 1:00 and 2:00.
How long did she stay?
Let's just say it was a big night.
She left sometime around dawn.
When I can move back to my lodge?
We'll let you know.
The thought of Marcus and Nicky Stone is disturbing.
Only if it's true.
Go to the lodge.
Time how long it takes to go from his room
to the wharf and back again.
And whether anyone could have seen him.
You're thinking he could have killed Phee after Scotty left
but before Nicky arrived?
It would certainly make her the perfect alibi.
Hi.
Are you Peter?
I'm Detective Sims.
I have some questions for you both.
Darryn, um, on the -- the night that Phee died,
where, -
where did you go after you left her room?
Taxi.
And did you wait for the taxi around the front
or the back of the lodge?
Sorry. Smoking? It was windy?
You -- You lost me.
Yes, please, write it down. Thank you.
Um, Peter, can I confirm that Alex dropped you home
after the hen party?
Excuse me.
Mike.
Going somewhere?
My Auntie Renee's been in a car crash.
- Is she okay? - No.
They had to chopper her to a hospital in the city.
- It's pretty bad. - Sorry to hear that.
Nicky, we've been talking to Marcus Donovan.
- Do you know who that is? - Yeah, the guy from the lodge.
Well, he claims that you two spent the night together.
What?!
Eww! No!
No way would I sleep with that creep.
Did you go to his room?
Hey, look, I have to hit the road.
We still have a few more questions.
Well, I have to go. You can get me on my cell.
- Kimberley. - Where's she off to?
Her auntie's had an accident.
Do you have Nicky's number?
Do you guys know something?
It's a work in progress.
Thanks.
How would you describe Nicky and Phee's relationship?
Why?
We're just trying to understand the group dynamic.
They're mates. We're all mates.
But?
Okay.
They brought out the worst in each other.
If it came to giving someone a hard time,
they'd be the ones to get a bit mean,
take it too far.
Me and Chontelle were like the peacemakers.
Fair to say Nicky had a bit of an attitude
about Phee's success?
Nicky has that about everyone.
I'm wondering if Nicky really does have an aunt in hospital.
Historically she has a difficult relationship with the truth.
I say we call the emergency department.
Hospitals never talk to the police.
Privacy Act.
Hi, this is Kristin. I'm a Brokenwood florist.
I've just got some flowers for a patient.
I want to make sure they haven't been discharged.
Sure.
My name is Kristin, I do live in Brokenwood,
and I've been known to put some flowers in a vase
from time to time.
Boss. The SSG come up negative.
Time to get the dive boys in.
Yeah, go for it.
By the way, Nicky Stone denies Donovan's claim.
I'm at the Toad and Lion chasing him up, but he's checked out.
Leave it with me.
Fancy seeing you here.
It's my place. Need a change of clothes.
You know you can't stay, right?
Look like you're done.
Not yet.
I'll escort you. I was hoping for another chat.
We know that Ophelia had a reputation
for being "ruthless."
Perhaps she pushed someone or something too far
and her father was no longer around to fix it up.
I'm looking for a motive here, folks.
Tell me about Marcus.
We've spoken to Nicky Stone.
She denies spending the night with you.
Course she does.
You don't seem surprised.
We came to an arrangement.
That being?
Nicky came to me with a proposition.
Said she was broke,
didn't have the money to pay for her share of the hens' night.
She traded sex for bed and breakfast?
Well, you can see why she might lie.
It's not a great look.
For either of us.
Okay, Nicky Stone?
Sounds like there was some definite resentment there.
And by the way, confirming that her Auntie Renee
is in Central Hospital, although it's worth noting
that Nicky is now not answering her phone.
So I'll keep trying.
Kimberley?
Well, Kimberley is just Kimberley?
Kimberley said good night to Phee in her room
sometime around 1:00 a.m.
At 1:25, Scotty and Darryn turn up.
The last person to see Ophelia in her room was Scotty,
sometime before 1:56,
when he and Darryn caught a taxi home.
And Darryn was having a cigarette
around the back of the lodge just prior to that.
Which means he would've seen Phee
or anyone heading towards the river,
which suggests that Ophelia and/or her attacker
went to the river sometime after 1:56 a.m.
It only takes four and half minutes
to get from the lodge to the wharf and back.
If Marcus left the lodge at 1:56 a.m. with Ophelia,
he could've been back in time to meet Nicky.
Okay, whose idea was it to have the party at the lodge?
Um, according to Kimberley, it was Chontelle,
the chief bridesmaid's idea.
It was Marcus's idea.
To have the hens' party at the lodge?
Yeah. He was quite pushy.
We were gonna go to paintball, then the Frog and Cheetah,
but he made us an offer we couldn't refuse.
What sort of offer?
Like a super-cheap deal.
I don't know. I guess he needed the cash.
Did you know about the bet between Scotty and Marcus?
Please. The whole club knew.
I've got 10 on Scotty. That's where the smart money is.
- What, 10 grand?
Just $10.
But I'm quietly confident.
Do you think it's possible
that Scotty and Ophelia rigged the game?
Scotty?
No way.
So Marcus lost fair and square.
No, Marcus lost because he's a loser.
Are you sure you should be working?
Don't underestimate the shock of what's happening to you.
Yeah, this whole thing, you know, it's...
Are we okay here?
Absolutely. Thank you.
Bugger.
You should really get that seen to.
Yeah, all in good time.
- Shooting pains, right? - Yeah.
Well, you should stop wearing high heels.
- I don't wear high heels. - I've seen those cowboy boots.
Packing away her father's life.
This is what it all comes down to.
Yep. All ends up in boxes.
Both cardboard and wooden.
She was quite the star.
Mainly documents pertaining to her father's estate.
Shopping list, bank statement.
Look at this.
One way, to the States.
And only a couple of days after the wedding.
Scotty too?
Not unless he booked his own.
Are you getting much exercise?
Work keeps me on the move.
And I've just signed up for a weekly class.
Okay. There you go.
Here.
Do these exercises, couple more sessions,
you'll be a new man.
You were Ophelia Marley's physio.
Yeah, briefly.
Briefly because...?
She injured herself here, so Scotty called on me..
If you change your mind, let me know.
Whatever.
Zoe?
No, it can't be.
What did you change your mind about?
Surgery. I thought she was making a mistake.
You recommended surgery?
No, I recommended time,
which was not what she wanted to hear.
Heh. She called me a provincial hack.
She was impatient?
Driven.
That's why she was a winner, I guess.
Scotty.
Detective.
Um, tell me, did you and Ophelia
have any travel plans for after the wedding?
A honeymoon, perhaps?
No.
When we searched her home, we found a one-way plane ticket
for two days after the wedding.
Well, yeah, she was going back to the States.
Early days for newlyweds to be apart.
She was a pro player. Goes with the territory.
And you were okay with that?
I understand the game, the business.
I know how it works.
If I didn't, I wouldn't have wanted to marry her.
Okay.
Thanks, Scotty.
Um, I'm just getting a coffee, so I'll meet you at the station.
- Do you want anything? - Yeah, why not?
Done.
Um, can I have a flat white and a long black, please?
Coming up.
Frodo.
New business?
Yeah.
Just holding the fort for Rodriguez.
He's got some family drama.
Right, yeah.
Got time to have your coffee here?
I'm actually pretty slammed,
and, um, you've got a -- a friend in need so...
She's okay.
You know we're just friends, right?
Me and Chontelle.
Doubles partners. Have been for years.
It's none of my business.
She's been going through a tough time lately.
Well, she just lost her best friend.
She's also dealing with a breakup.
I'm sorry to hear it.
I'm -- I'm just a shoulder to cry on.
Okay.
Look, I probably shouldn't be telling you this --
Chontelle and Scotty were friends with benefits.
It was supposed to be on the down-low,
but she fell for him.
So everything that's been going on is just extra crazy.
Chontelle and Scotty?
When was this?
Been going on for years.
He saw other people, but he'd always come back Chontelle.
So he left her for Phee?
About six weeks ago.
She thought he'd come bouncing back, but he's changed his ways.
She keeps it quiet, but she had it bad.
She's totally burned.
Your best friend running away your boyfriend.
That's got to hurt.
Okay, he wasn't my boyfriend.
It was just a casual thing, you know?
We both knew the score.
Are you okay?
Yeah, I'll be fine.
It wasn't a casual thing, though, was it?
You had feelings for him.
Kahu's got a big mouth.
Being in love with Scotty is nothing to be ashamed of.
Who said I'm ashamed?
So you are in love with him.
More fool me.
Turns out he left Chontelle six weeks ago to be with Phee.
Which makes Chontelle the jilted lover.
But if that were the case,
why did Ophelia ask Chontelle to be her bridesmaid?
And why did Chontelle agree?
Maybe Phee didn't know
that Scotty and Chontelle were together.
So Chontelle chooses to play nice
and not show how hurt she is?
Weddings do weird things to women.
And, um, that's been your experience
precisely how many times?
It's just what I've heard.
Strangled by your own handbag.
Brutal.
- Gina. - Mike.
I have toxicology results.
Anything of interest?
Blood alcohol ratio was high.
Well, it was a hens' night, so no surprises there.
It wouldn't have taken long to kill her,
nor would she have been able to put up much of a fight.
So I am done with the body.
Thanks. I'll let the coroner know.
This belonged to the victim?
The strap fits the markings on her neck.
Not unusual, but surprising.
In what way?
The victim was a Kiwi woman.
Usually it's Russian men who die this way.
Okay.
What have we got?
Strapping tape.
Lipstick.
Breath mints.
Phone.
Can you hand me that?
This is, um, sign language for "detective,"
just by the way.
No way.
"Meet me at the wharf at 2:00 a.m."
Who writes notes anymore?
I mean, everyone just texts or messages.
Not if they don't want to leave a digital footprint.
Or they're old.
She receives a note.
Folds it neatly.
What does this tell us?
It's of some value?
- Someone who mattered. - A friend.
So we collect handwriting samples
from all of our suspects.
Won't they just change their styles?
Not if we don't tell them what we're doing.
Ha, this'll be the florist of Brokenwood speaking?
But even if they do change it,
the handwriting forensics team could still make a match.
Actually, we've got some samples already.
Darryn's note.
And Kimberley wrote down Nicky's number for us.
Yeah, there are some similarities.
But these 2s are very different.
And there's another thing. The contents of Phee's bag.
- There was no wallet. - Maybe it's still in the river.
Let's check with the bank first,
see when Phee last used her card.
Um, it wasn't local.
It's...
...an American bank.
Give the international team something to do.
I'll give Hughes a call.
Now we're getting somewhere, people.
A custard square to take away, thanks.
Sure.
And, could I trouble you for a sample of your handwriting?
Because...?
It's a line of inquiry.
You don't have to, but it would be helpful.
What do you want me to write?
Just "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."
Capital letters.
Do you remember if Phee used her bank card that night?
She definitely had it at the secondhand store.
I'm not sure after that.
We put everything on a tab at the lodge, so...
Appreciate it.
And I'll get you that custard square.
Chontelle's A's and M's look similar.
So does the E.
The bank card is still in use. Hughes has a team tracking it.
But if she lost it at the op shop,
anyone could've picked it up.
Either way, someone is using it who isn't supposed to.
Update on Phee's cellphone.
It was trashed, obviously, but her phone records came through.
No activity from 8:00 p.m. until 12:59,
when she gets a text from a number matching Scotty's.
"You still up?" Check out her reply.
"Eharf or Roger?"
Who's Roger?
She's drunk, right? It was a predicative text fail.
She was trying to say, "Wharf or room?"
Hey.
What?
Okay.
You tried to get him to leave, but he won't.
He -- He won't.
He's crazy? In what way?
What's five grand to a man like you?
Marcus, just cool it, bro.
I'm not interested in a rematch.
Yeah, 'cause you know you can't win
without your girlfriend throwing the game.
I'm good here, Daz. Not gonna happen, Donovan.
- A cheater and a pussy. - You don't have the money.
You couldn't pay out on your last bet.
You don't have the balls.
Hey, Marcus, that's enough, mate.
Just piss off, Donovan.
I know you've got the money.
Your girlfriend was loaded, right?
And it's all yours now.
Mon-- Mongrel!
- Hey! - Calm down.
You find Scotty.
Excuse me.
Um, where's Scotty now?
Let's get you cleaned up.
Do you want to lay charges?
No.
Good. Because off the record, I'd say you asked for that.
Drunk in the middle of the day. Normal?
You guys made me stay in a pub.
I need you to do something for me.
I need a handwriting sample.
Do I have to?
No, but it would be helpful if you did.
What do you want me to write?
"The quick brown fox" in capital letters.
You want me to drive him home?
I'm fine to drive.
No, you're not.
Good news is you can go back to the lodge.
We're done there.
About bloody time.
Well, the good news is Marcus Donovan
will not be pressing charges.
He'd have a nerve if he did.
Do you know what he said to Scotty?
- I was told, yes. - He's a complete loser.
Even so, going around hitting people is not a great solution.
Felt pretty good at the time.
Scotty, Ophelia's phone records
show that you text her at 12:59 a.m.
The message, "Are you still up?"
Yeah. 'Cause I was going 'round there.
And she responded with, "Room or wharf?"
Why do you think she mentioned the wharf?
Don't know.
She was a bit drunk.
Did you send her any kind of message earlier that day?
No.
Okay.
Can I trouble you for a handwriting sample?
What for?
We need it to help eliminate you from the investigation.
I'm still part of the investigation?
- They asked me for the same. - We just need one sentence.
Maybe some other time?
Right.
Well, the only other news
is Ophelia's body is being released.
So you can go ahead with the funeral.
Damn. Sorry.
- Okay, is she...? - Yeah.
10 weeks.
Yeah.
Why didn't you tell us about the pregnancy?
You had plenty of opportunities to disclose.
It's private.
And secret?
How is this relevant?
You haven't been clear with us.
In your witness statement,
given to me in that room next door,
you said, and I quote,
"It's all a bit hazy. Sorry."
The implication being that you were drunk
and couldn't remember what had been going on.
- Had you been drinking? - No.
But I had to look like I was.
Whoo!
Whoo-hoo!
It was all a bit hazy.
I was spinning out. I'd only just found out that morning.
Okay.
Let's go back in there and start again, shall we?
When did she tell you?
As soon as she knew.
The morning of my stag do.
And how did you take the news?
I was shocked, obviously.
Are you joking me?
I'm so sorry, hon.
I'm sorry.
The timing was unbelievable, you know?
The wedding was in a week,
the hen and stag parties that night.
I thought we were being careful.
Not careful enough.
I'm gonna be a dad.
Did you want to be a father?
Hadn't really thought about it.
But in that moment, it kind of made sense.
Phee was never gonna give him kids.
Not in a million years.
And then what did you do?
We talked it through. Decided to keep it to ourselves.
I wanted to tell Phee.
I hadn't done anything wrong.
Okay, Chontelle thought we should tell Phee,
but how that was ever gonna be a good idea, I don't know.
She's a part of the equation, Scotty.
I'm gonna keep the baby, and this is a small town.
She deserves to know.
I mean, she deserved to know, but...
We were going overseas so...
'Cause there was no crossover.
We didn't do anything wrong.
Did you tell her?
Chickened out.
So she never found out about the baby.
I guess that's something.
Is that why you went to the lodge?
To see if Chontelle had told Phee.
I figured I might need to do some major damage control.
Why did you take Darryn?
Moral support.
I just wanted to reassure her it could all work out,
it'd be okay.
It wasn't supposed to be this way.
It could've worked out.
Excuse us.
He had an option.
Scotty had another option.
When he went to see Phee on the night of her death...
He was going to call off the wedding.
If fatherhood was more important than marriage,
they would've argued, could've got out of hand.
Phee ends up dead in the river.
A very messy situation.
The night Phee died,
did you go to the lodge to call off the wedding?
Yes.
Postpone the wedding, or call it off?
In the end, it was the same thing.
What exactly did you say?
So that's why you were coming here?
What?
Yeah, I needed to tell you.
God, no, I can't get my head around this.
I know.
Chontelle.
My best friend is having your baby?
Yeah.
It's crazy.
- And you tell me now? - I only just found out today.
Really?
There was no overlap. I swear. It wasn't like that.
God!
Scotty, do you know how messed up this is?
I know.
So I think we should just take a pause, and...
A pause? Are you ending this?
No, I just...
It's a lot to take in.
What do you want, Scotty?
Me or a baby?
That's the thing.
Both, babe.
I think I want both.
Because you're shit out of luck!
So Phee just stormed off to the wharf?
I don't know.
Did you follow her?
No.
I took a few minutes to pull myself together in Phee's room.
Then I went and jumped in the cab with Darryn.
It was over.
Well, there was nothing to hang around for.
I'm telling you how it was.
Did you know that Scotty was going to the lodge
to call off the wedding?
Not at the time.
Scotty told me in the taxi
on the way back from the tennis club.
Two people. Ready now.
I assumed they'd been fighting again,
Scotty wanted to make up.
Now I know why we were going there.
Did they fight a lot?
There was a lot of tension around
Phee getting back into international tennis...
...and how their marriage would work.
You arrived at the lodge at 1:25.
You then went to Phee's room.
I left them to it.
I went outside.
I texted the taxi, waited.
I had a cigarette.
I saw Phee leave the building.
Wait. Stop.
You saw Phee?
But you -- you didn't mention this before,
that you saw Phee.
I saw Phee leave the lodge.
Then the taxi texted me.
I walked around the front, met Scotty,
and we went back to the tennis club.
Stayed the night. The next day, Phee was dead.
Darryn, you did not mention this in your earlier statement.
I should have. I'm sorry.
Why didn't you tell us?
I was tired and hungover.
I only remembered later.
Did you know that Chontelle was pregnant with Scotty's baby?
He told me when we were on the way back to the tennis club.
I felt for for him.
Scotty was a mess.
Bathroom. Sure.
It's down the end.
Can I go as well?
Okay.
Scotty could have gone out the back door and followed Phee.
Then four minutes later doubled back.
Well, that doesn't explain the note.
Are you lying?
I know enough to understand what you just said.
Did you see someone else?
Darryn, we need a straight answer.
Okay, yes.
I did see someone.
Apart from Ophelia Marley?
A few minutes later.
Just a figure. Dark.
I didn't get a good look,
so I didn't think it was helpful.
It's all helpful. Were they short, tall?
Their build? Gender? What?
You must've been able to see
whether they were male or female at least.
I wasn't paying attention.
I didn't know what was going to happen.
Could it have been Scotty?
I doubt it. We left five minutes later.
It's a four-minute round trip from the lodge to the wharf.
Did the figure you see fit Scotty's description?
I didn't see.
You're Scotty's best friend. Was it him or not?
Excuse me.
Zoe.
Zoe?
- I'll call an ambulance. - No.
Zoe, is this an asthma attack?
Call my dad. I need my medication.
Keep those breaths long and slow.
Darryn, um, you should go.
We can pick this up tomorrow.
Alex, come through.
You gonna be okay for a bit?
Okay.
It's from Hughes. The money card's active again.
Ta.
Ophelia's funeral is tomorrow.
Sorry. I thought she'd beaten it.
How long has she suffered this?
Since school.
It started when her mother left.
She's had a lot of issues. Anxiety, bulimia, depression.
She's been in and out of treatment.
Do you know what triggered it?
Sometimes it's stress.
I know she's been very uptight about working for you guys.
She wants to do the right thing.
Puts a lot of pressure on herself.
If it's any help, we won't need to call on her again.
In the short term, at least.
Okay. Thanks.
I'll show you out if you like.
The op-shop queen.
Simon. Mike.
Try the HDU at Central Hospital.
I think the person using the card is a Nicky Stone.
Scotty tried to break off the wedding.
Phee refused. He followed her to the wharf...
Where he kills her so he can be a dad.
It counts as motive.
Plus we think that Darryn saw Scotty follow her to the wharf.
He actually say it was Scotty?
Why else would Darryn cover it up?
Still doesn't explain the note.
Why would Ophelia agree to meet
anyone other than Scotty at the wharf?
Having just seen him, why go to the wharf at all?
- Kai time. - Thanks, Nigel.
Yum!
Thai! Again.
I'll leave you to it.
- Night. - Night.
Sunday morning, your, mystery activity --
Could it have been a cooking class?
Let it go.
I will find out. I'm a detective.
Zoe.
Hi.
I'm sorry about yesterday.
As long as you're okay.
Yeah. But back to therapy.
- Sorry if we pushed you. - No.
It was just all that talk of Ophelia.
Must have been hard, losing a school friend.
I hated her. She was a bitch at school.
Then seeing her again...
Zoe?
No, it can't be.
I'm so sorry about your dad.
I hardly recognize you.
I know, right?
Little Zoe Fuller, so full of fat.
It was like nothing had changed.
Well. Off to get my head shrunk.
Bye, Detective.
Bye.
Simon.
A couple of the boys made a special delivery for you.
Good luck. She's a piece of work, that one.
Nicky.
We've missed you.
So you didn't kill Ophelia, then take her money card?
No!
Well, I mean, yes about the card.
But, no, I didn't kill her. Honest.
What about Marcus Donovan?
I didn't sleep with Marcus.
What kind of person do you take me for?
You've been using your dead friend's money card.
He's adamant you went to his room.
Wait.
No, I did go to his room. But just for like a minute.
I got the wrong door. I was looking for Kimberley's.
Okay, you're not Kimberley.
No. You all right?
Do you want to come with me, then?
Where?
Into the bush to see the glowworms.
Tonight they're my spiritual brothers and sisters!
Or maybe you should just go to bed.
Hoo!
The tequila worm, it really messes with you.
I, um, I took some photos.
Why didn't you tell us this initially?
'Cause I found Phee's card, and then she turned up dead.
I kind of freaked out.
The time and date stamps
put Nicky outside the frame for time of death.
I told you.
The power of the worm.
Where's this?
It was down behind a larger track I found.
So you said you found her card?
Yeah. I- I didn't steal it.
Well, can I go now?
I really have to go visit my auntie in hospital.
Sure.
Just after we get a full statement
and charge you with credit card fraud.
Sims. Senior.
The figure you saw was six feet tall,
medium build, male.
Thanks, Darryn.
No, we won't need to use Zoe again.
- Is Darryn --
How does he feel about Zoe?
Um, Peter says that Darryn is in love with Zoe
but is too shy to ask her out.
She's a nice young woman. Tell him to get brave.
Nicky proved Marcus lied about his alibi.
Why would he do that if he wasn't the offender?
He kind of fits the description.
He slips her a note during the night...
Let's check it out.
You think I'm right, don't you?
Maybe I just fancy a drive.
Why did you lie?
Because I'm not stupid.
Lying to the police is generally pretty stupid.
Hey, it looked bad.
People knew I was pissed off with Ophelia.
I needed an alibi.
Nicky's reputation is well known.
Nicky said she found a track.
Well, there's only Portman's Trail.
It doesn't get used.
The entrance is 'round the back by the water tank.
You said there was only one way in.
Well, by car, yeah.
Take another statement.
This time with a semblance of truth about it.
I think I'm gonna be sick.
Not going to Ophelia's funeral?
Is that the time?
I might still make it.
How's your leg?
Very much better. Magic hands.
I was wanting to send Zoe some flowers,
say thanks for all her work.
She did get paid.
Yeah, I know, but with everything else.
Thought it'd be a nice touch.
Well, she'd appreciate it, I'm sure.
Could I get you to jot down your address?
I'll get Kristin to organize it.
She likes flowers.
Thanks. Fancy a cup of tea?
Sure. Why not?
I'll put the kettle on. Down at the station.
I did wonder if the reason that you killed Ophelia was...
Hang on.
You think I killed Ophelia?
We do.
Ha. This is ridiculous.
N- Not really.
I- I thought the reason was to do with your work.
She called you a provincial hack.
But you're good at your job. That wouldn't have bothered you.
No, this investigation was about love.
Not romantic love -- rather, the love
a father feels for his daughter.
Protective. Primal.
Powerful stuff.
You wanted revenge
for the life she took from Zoe.
Thanks in no small part to Phee's bullying at school,
Zoe developed chronic anxiety.
You said so yourself.
She'd got on top of her anxiety...
...until something changed recently.
I hardly recognize you.
I know.
Little Zoe Fuller, so full of fat.
Right about the time Phee returned.
All Zoe's feelings of inadequacy came flooding back.
You wanted to punish Ophelia.
At first I thought
you slipped her the note while doing your strip,
but she would never agree to meet anyone at the wharf
at 2:00 a.m. other than...
Hey. Scotty asked me to give you this.
Thanks, hack.
"Meet me at the wharf at 2:00 a.m."
We found it in her handbag.
With Peter Toovey as an alibi,
you headed into town.
But after you dropped him home...
You doubled back and waited.
Just before 2:00 a.m.,
you took Portman's Trail to the wharf unseen.
Only, you were seen.
We thought that Darryn was covering for Scotty.
He was on the property at the time.
He had motive.
He fit the description that Darryn later gave.
But then we realized he was covering for you.
The father of the woman that he's in love with.
You see? There it is again -- love.
He didn't want to see Zoe get hurt, so he lied to protect you.
I didn't ask you to write in capitals, but you did.
It's unusual.
I didn't mean to kill her.
I just wanted
to tell her what she did to Zoe was not okay.
That's all.
You must have had a plan.
I swear I didn't.
I wanted to get her alone and tell her that it was wrong.
I was surprised she even showed up.
She only turned up
because she'd had an argument with Scotty.
Sad irony being is she probably just wanted some air.
You.
She was drunk.
Why the hell are you here?
You freak.
You said it was from Scotty.
You old sicko...
She went off...
- Hey, that's enough. - At me.
You're an old hack!
At Zoe.
Say what you like about me, but my daughter is off limits.
And that's when I snapped.
Don't you get it?!
I was so angry.
I needed her to understand.
Stop it!
See what if feels like when you can't breathe?!
You see?
- This is what it's like... - Stop.
...when you can't breathe!
People like you.
Why can't you just leave her alone?
Why can't you just leave her alone?!
And the next thing I know, she was dead.
Hey.
No, no.
Hey, hey, come on.
Wake up, sweetheart.
Come on.
I truly never meant to kill her.
Do you think I could see my daughter?
I need to explain.
Please?
I'm pinching myself. Is this real?
My desk is clear.
My phone is off.
We are doing this thing.
Any intel on the opponents?
Mike and Breen.
Neither, I suspect, have hit a tennis ball in years.
So we got this.
Oi! If I'm playing, you're playing.
Mixed doubles.
Mike.
I have been dreaming of this day since I was a small child.
Thank you.
Now, let's turn them into pulp.
Shepherd and Kadinsky versus Sims and Taylor.
Shepherd to serve.
Line dancing.
Line dancing?
Yeah, like-minded people, exercise, great music.
I'll give you that for free.
And you that for free.
High five!
What?! All these years, you never told me you played tennis!
Yeah, junior and senior boys champ.
Recently out of retirement.
15-love.