All language subtitles for The Brokenwood Mysteries - 03x04 - A Merry Bloody Christmas.BluRay.x264-PRESENT.English.HI.orig.Addic7ed.com

♪ Dashin' through the snow ♪

♪ In a one-horse open sleigh ♪

♪ O'er them fields we go ♪

- ♪ Laughing all the way ♪
- [Siren chirps]

♪ Bells on bobtails ring ♪

♪ Making spirits bright ♪

♪ What fun it is
to laugh and sing ♪

♪ A sleighing song tonight ♪

♪ Oh, jingle bells,
jingle bells ♪

- How you doing?
- ♪ Jingle all the way ♪

♪ Oh, what fun it is ride
in a one-horse open sleigh ♪

MAN:
Oh, giddyup, now.

Hey, I'm home.

It's just me.

Evan?

[Ringing]

EVAN: Hello.
This is Mayor Evan Whitestone.

Please leave a message.

[Beep]

Dad.
Hi, it's me.

I just got back from the beach.
Where are you?

Maybe you didn't take your car.

Anyway, look forward
to catching up.

Hope the parade went well.

Dad?
[Chuckles]

Dad, are you asleep?

Dad.

[Gasps]
Oh! Oh!

Dad!

Somebody!

[Whimpering]

- Oh, my God.
- [Ringing]

Oh, my God.

[Vehicle door closes]

A Christmas wonderland.

Fake snow,
Santa climbing down the chimney,

reindeer, sleighs,

but wouldn't it be nice if
just once it did actually snow?

You know --
like in the picture books.

You're dreaming
of a white Christmas?

Yeah, I know.

I thought
you looked very handsome

- in the parade today, Mike.
- Thank you, Gina.

Perhaps, next year,
you could be Santa.

Brokenwood will be needing
a new one.

Let's see
what we've got here first, eh?

[Police radio chatter]

Mayor Whitestone.

SHEPHERD: He's held office
for a long time, right?

As long as I've been here.

Brokenwood's most popular mayor.

I remember his wife died
several years ago,

so there is no Mrs. Claus.

Smell that?

[Sniffs]
Woodsmoke.

No evidence of a recent fire.

Evan was on the Christmas float
less than 90 minutes ago.

Whoever did this
can't have got far.

We need SSG and ESR,
plus the dog team,

to see if they can pick up
anything fresh.

Your Worship, we'll get you
out of here and cleaned up.

You were great in the parade,
by the way.

That must have been difficult.

What?

Whether to refer to him
as the mayor or Santa Claus.

Not at all.

Bring in pathology.

[Lid closes]

[Camera shutter clicks]

Looks like the carotid artery
was severed.

Judging by the volume of blood,
it was sudden and explosive.

Type of instrument used?

Something sharp.
Not serrated.

You're not usually
so forthcoming.

I already had a backlog, Mike.

Then I took time off
for the parade.

I love Christmas so much,
but now I must pay the price.

I've been speaking
with Hayley Whitestone,

Evan's daughter
and only next of kin.

She arrived back from a holiday
up north at the family bach.

She walks in and finds... this.

She's seriously shaken up.

Well, I'm glad to see

that you dressed appropriately
for the occasion.

Mm.
Don't knock it.

He won best-dressed elf.

- Oh. Congratulations.
- It was a hollow victory.

Jared didn't show up,
and I know for a fact

that Mrs. Marlowe had
something amazing made for him.

He's got that sewing circle

wrapped around
his little finger.

SIMS:
Roxy did all right.

I feel like a stalk of rhubarb.

All right.
What can we assume?

Evan finishes the parade.

He comes home.

Drinks some champagne
to celebrate something.

With someone?
Hence the two glasses.

That person kills him,
then leaves.

Do you think they ate the pie

before, during,
or after the murder?

Or Evan's a very sloppy eater?

The rest of the house
is immaculate.

Or he was eating it
when he was killed?

Cold.
But not congealed.

Hmm.
The king of pies.

- Mince and cheese?
- SHEPHERD: Steak and cheese.

I think you'll find the king
of pies is mince and cheese.

Not when a truly great steak
and cheese can be life-changing.

As in giving you a heart attack?

- Mince all the way.
- Boys.

[Chuckles]
Does it matter?

Well, whatever.
It sure looks good.

- You want to eat that?
- Yeah, Roxy's gone vegetarian.

I'm not seeing a lot of meat
these days.

Bag it. I want to know what it
is, where it came from, okay?

- 10 bucks says steak and onion.
- Done.

Anything else?

What do you call it when you
find a dead Father Christmas

inside your house?

- Insantacide.
- [Chuckles]

That's quite good.

The deceased isn't Santa Claus.

He's just a man in a Santa suit.

- Am I missing something?
- You should really get changed.

We have a mayor
with his throat cut.

Who was dressed up as Santa.

SIMS:
And a half-eaten meat pie.

Of an indeterminate flavor.

The local body elections
aren't far off.

We can't discount
that being a possible motive.

Probable even.

He was
the most popular mayor ever.

Five straight terms in office.

If he's so popular,
then why kill him?

A frustrated opponent?

The parade started at 10:00 a.m.
and finished at 12:00 p.m.

The 111 call
comes in at 1:19 p.m.

Trace Evan's movements

from leaving the parade
and getting home.

And who was he drinking
champagne with last night?

Last night?
You mean this afternoon.

That ice bucket was warm.

That champagne
was drunk last night.

Or possibly this morning.

Perhaps he and whoever necked
a bottle before the parade.

Dutch courage.

For all we know,
he could have been

completely trolleyed up there.

Yeah, well, maybe that's how
he gets through it every year.

Then he gets home
slightly hungover.

Someone is lying in wait
and slits his throat.

Then best we find out who has
a bone to pick with Evan.

I say we start with those
challenging for mayor --

Pete London,
Jed Charmers, Neil Bloom.

- SHEPHERD: The chemist?
Pharmacist.

And Victoria Speigleman.

Senior?

Kylie from victim support
and Hayley Whitestone are here.

Thanks for coming in.

Usually we could do this
at your house,

but obviously it's off-limits

until the scene examination
is finished.

God, I never want
to go back there.

It's like a house of horrors.

Your father was a great figure
in the community,

and he will always be remembered
that way.

I mean, he was popular.
How does this happen?

Well, that's
what we're working on.

He had his throat cut.

Was there anyone
that your father talked about

in a way
that might suggest he had...

- an enemy?
- God, no.

I mean, he had rivals,
but enemies, no.

By "rivals," you mean other
candidates for the mayoralty?

Pete London?
Jed Charmers? Neil Bloom?

Pete's an awesome guy.

It wouldn't be him.
No way.

You seem certain about that.

Well, I worked for him
as his P.A.

when he was expanding
his businesses.

I mean,
Pete has a big personality.

You know,
he's in your face even.

But he's a teddy bear.

I mean, he might be a butcher,
but he wouldn't hurt a fly.

What about Jed Charmers
and Victoria Speigleman?

I don't know Jed.

And [Sighs] Victoria,
well, she's, um...

Eccentric?

That's putting it politely.

Any idea who Evan might have
been drinking champagne with?

Um, Maureen Moffat maybe?

- Maureen is?
- Evan's campaign manager.

Yeah, she's been
at the council forever, right?

[Voice breaking]
She'll be absolutely devastated.

Was your father
partial to a meat pie?

What?

Did he like pies?

- Pies?
- SHEPHERD: Yes.

You know -- steak and cheese,
mince and cheese,

that sort of thing.

I'm sorry.
How is that important?

We're not sure yet.

Uh, yeah.
Yeah, he used to.

But he was on a diet.

Goji berries?

Kale?

The doctor
gave me the hard word.

High cholesterol.
No more pies.

[Chuckles] I said, "It's not
the pies that are to blame.

It's the idiot
who puts them in his mouth.“

So, yes, it's spirulina quiche
from here on in.

[Chuckles]

So he was off the pies?

Kylie has organized a motel,

and we'll keep you informed
of any developments.

Thank you.

- You were up north?
- Smith's Bay.

- Family place?
- Yeah.

- Holiday?
- A writer's retreat.

I'm trying to finish
my first novel.

[Sighs]
It seems so trivial now.

It still sounds impressive.

What genre?

Romance.
It's Mills & Boon.

They can be lucrative, I hear.

Yeah.
Only if you get them right.

It's harder than it might seem.

That's always been my feeling
with romance.

BREEN: That was Wally Seymour,
the curator of the float parade.

He reckons Evan left the
warehouse where the floats park

up around 12:30 after doing
some photos with the kids.

He saw him
drive off in his Captiva.

SHEPHERD:
Was he with Maureen Moffat,

- his campaign manager?
- Didn't mention it.

Find out what time she left, did
she leave with him, et cetera.

Right.
I'm off to see Crazy Pete.

And I'm onto Jed Charmers.

Oh. Look out.
You'll come back a hipster.

- Is that good?
- Some might say you already are.

MRS. MARLOWE:
You looked very smart

in the parade this morning,
Detective Shepherd.

- Mrs. Marlowe, thank you.
- Oh, Jean, please.

You know, next year,
I'd be happy

to whip you up
a senior elf suit.

Well...

Santa's helpers
come in all ages, you know.

I'll bear that in mind.

And the young ones
can be a bit unreliable.

- Jared?
- Oh!

We put such a lot of work
into that costume.

I'm sure
there was a good reason.

I suppose so.

He does have his fingers
in a lot of pies.

- Mm.
- It's true, isn't it?

About Evan Whitestone?

That?

He was found naked
and bound in his mayoral chains.

That is not the case.

Still, he was a very good mayor.

So it seemed.

- Well, I must...
- Are you going in to see Jed?

[Whispering] He'll get my vote
now that Evan's gone.

He's a hipster, you know?
[Chuckles]

Thank you for letting me know.
Yeah.

We'll talk soon.

- Jed Charmers?
- I am he.

What can I do for you?

Haircut?
Wet shave? Coffee?

They all sound good.

Detective Senior Sergeant
Mike Shepherd.

Ah.

I've just been told about Evan.

[Breathes deeply]
Not good.

Not for Evan, no.

- [Cellphone rings]
- Oh. Excuse me.

Breen?

Maureen Moffat
is not answering her phone

and not answering her door,
but her car's in the driveway.

She's either gone to ground
or done a runner.

Where are you?

49 Tyrconnell Place.

Stand by.

- I’ll be back later.
- Do that.

I could give you a look to match
that classic car of yours.

Maybe.

[Bells ring]

There you go, Diane.

One pound
of my best pork sausage.

Hot and spicy,
just the way you like it.

[Laughs]
Mighty Meats can't be beat!

[Bells ring]

[Sighs]

Evan was a good man.

Cut down in his prime.

- So to speak.
- What?

[Sighs]
I didn't mean it like that.

Why don't we get a coffee?

[Knocking]

I've called her work,
her mobile,

her after-hours -- nothing.

The neighbors don't recall
seeing her this morning.

Engine's cold.

Maybe she's a jogger?

Or into marathons.

Were you at the parade?

A good opportunity
to press the flesh.

Did you see Evan Whitestone?

Well, of course.
Everyone saw him.

He's bloody Santa.

- Speak to him?
- Afterwards.

Well, sort of.

["Jingle Bells" plays]

Hey, thanks, Evan,
for gathering my voters for me.

WALLY: Evan.

We've got 10 or so kids
for photos.

CHILDREN: Santa Claus!
Santa Claus! Santa!

Did you feel snubbed by Evan?

No.

Well,
I didn't take it personally

if that's what you mean.

See, like Evan,
I'm a people's man

with our fair share
of public interest.

Mine from people
interested in the issues

and, well,
his mainly from 5-year-olds

wanting a picture with Santa.

Do you need to be somewhere?

- Oh, it can wait.
- I won't hold you up.

Okay.
Well, good luck.

Where do you need to be?

Oh, I have a commercial to make
for local TV.

♪ Don't forget to take
a big bitey of my meat ♪

Well, I'm glad to see my
marketing's reaching its target.

It's hard to ignore.

Well, that's the power
of the jingle.

Well, I'll take your word
for it...

though I'm not your target.

You're not a bloody vego,
are you?

No.

Anyway, it's not one of those.

This ad's
for my mayoral campaign.

- Today?
- Well, it was scheduled.

It's too expensive to cancel.

Besides, this town needs
a new mayor more than ever.

These are on me.

Still nothing.

Well, Pete London
is wasting no time

in capitalizing on Evan's death.

His mayoral ambitions
have never been a secret.

SIMS: Oh.

Jed Charmers obviously didn't
give you that makeover, then?

False start.

We can't locate Maureen Moffat.

SIMS:
And we still have to cover off

Victoria Speigleman
and Neil Bloom.

Kristin, come with me.
Breen, you take Speigleman.

Are you too busy
to tackle Speigleman?

Why?

It's just, you know,
I've heard she's quite intense

in that way
only crazy vegans can be.

No, no.
Don't worry.

Those claims that she poisoned
her first husband

were never substantiated.

Wally?

D.S.S. Mike Shepherd
and Detective Sims.

WALLY:
Good to meet you.

Hell of a shock about Evan.

You're curator of the floats?

Yeah, curator,
wrangler, photographer,

chief bottle washer,
general dogsbody.

There she is.

And this was the one
that Evan was riding?

WALLY: Yeah. She hasn't changed
in 20-odd years.

Some things are best
kept the same. Don't you think?

SIMS: [Chuckles]

- Do you mind?
- WALLY: Go ahead.

Did you notice anything odd
about Evan after the parade?

No.

He wasn't anxious or hurried
at all?

Actually,
now you come to mention it,

he was a little absent-minded.

- [“Jingle Bells" plays]
- Evan.

We've got 10 or so kids
for photos.

CHILDREN: Santa Claus!
Santa Claus!

Yeah, yeah. You could say
he was in a bit of a hurry.

Ho ho ho!

WALLY:
Look this way.

- Smile!
- [Camera shutter clicks]

And then Evan headed off?

Do you remember what time?

No. I told your other guy
maybe 12:30.

And what about Maureen Moffat?
Was she with him?

[Laughing] Maureen?
Of course.

And they left together?

Well, actually,
now you come to mention it...

No, that's right.
He wasn't with her.

Usually she's stuck by his side
minding his P's and Q's,

making sure
he's shaking the right hands.

But not this year.

So you didn't see her at all?

Now you come to mention it, no.

You look quite the part
up there.

Gina was right.

With a white beard
and a red hat,

you could be
next year's Brokenwood Santa.

No, I couldn't. I could
only be a man in a Santa suit.

Thanks, Wally.
Most helpful.

Look, Mike, this whole "man
in a Santa suit“ thing...

Our job is to find out
who killed a man in that suit.

We can't refer to him as Santa
because then, potentially,

people might start fearing that
Santa Claus is actually dead.

That would be a very sad day.

Yeah, okay.

Mm, to many of us,
Santa is very real.

Well, it's, um, good
to be clear on that.

More importantly,
why didn't Maureen Moffat show?

Wally implied that she came
every year -- with Evan.

Perhaps they drank
the champagne earlier...

celebrating poll results...

but had an argument.

She refused to go to the parade,

and by the time Evan got back,
she was fuming and...

Cut his throat?

What would she have done
if the poll results were bad?

Well, she's gone to ground,
right?

Disappeared in a puff of smoke.

If it was a disagreement,
it must have been big.

Were they lovers?

Although Hayley
would have mentioned that.

[Tires screeching]

Whoa. What?

Where there's smoke,
there's always fire.

We smelled smoke
in the living room.

But who lights a fire
in the middle of December?

Yeah, when
it's the height of summer.

If there was a fire,
it's been reset.

You don't light a fire
in the day.

Then he had one last night,

then cleaned it out
this morning.

While drinking champagne?

The rubbish bin's empty.
That's been cleaned, too.

You think
someone was burning evidence?

Trying to.

But then got smoked out.

Which is
why they cleaned the grate.

Or they didn't want us
thinking about the fireplace.

Find a ladder.

Mike!

After you.

No wonder they got smoked out.

It's completely blocking
the chimney.

Two dead Santas in one day --
It's a freakish omen.

I think
Christmas will be unusual.

- Hopefully, that means snow.
- [Camera shutter clicking]

On the other hand,
two dead Santas

has to be some sort of a record.

Hm!
Not in Russia.

In the lead-up to Christmas,
they fall like flies.

Usually from accidents involving
roofs, ice, and too much vodka.

Remember --
The deceased is not Santa.

Just a man in a Santa suit.

KADINSKY:
Or not.

This is a woman in a Santa suit.

SIMS: Well... clearly,
this Santa was intent

on delivering
a certain kind of present.

Maybe a Santa strip-o-gram?

Senior.

I have Hayley Whitestone.

Follow me.

Hayley.
Thank you for coming.

I'm sorry to ask this,

but do you, by any chance,
recognize this person?

Oh, God.

That's Maureen.

Maureen Moffat?

Evan's campaign manager?

What the hell
is she doing dressed as Santa?

Oh, I'm sorry.
I feel sick.

Get a PM on Evan Whitestone.
I need a time of death.

A busy day just got busier,
but he's next in line.

Can we rule out
death by misadventure?

I think so.

This is looking
more and more like a campaign

against a campaign.

Someone or some people didn't
want Evan to be mayor again.

I still have Victoria Speigleman
to see.

- Should I stick with that?
- Definitely.

Yeah.

Watch your step.

Interesting.

Victoria Speigleman?

Yes?

BREEN:
D.C. Breen, Brokenwood CIB.

- Oh, yes.
- I have a few questions.

VICTORIA:
It's to keep the dogs away.

- What?
- The lines.

They crap everywhere.
Nobody picks it up.

- Right.
- So I trip them up.

Hope they break their necks.

Works for cats, too.

The lines
are all different heights.

Plays havoc with their whiskers.

Right.
Look, I'm here about Evan.

Evan Whitestone?
What does he want?

- You haven't heard?
- Heard what?

He's been found dead.

You'll be needing a drink.

♪ Well, they're full of advice
that I won't ever need ♪

♪ And I know that I can't see
the woods for the trees ♪

This will put
hairs on your chest.

So, when did you last see Evan?

Today.
At the parade.

PETE: Hey, thanks, Evan,
for gathering my voters for me.

[Amplified] Vote Speigleman
to end Christmas!

Give it a rest, Victoria.

Christmas
is a retail conspiracy!

We can end this together!
People unite!

Not really a huge vote winner,
that policy, though, is it?

- Really?
- Who cares?

It's the truth.

And true politics
is about truth.

Truth and power.

However,
if you can't get into power,

you can't effect any change.

Fidel Castro wasn't voted in,

and look at the change
he made to Cuba.

That was a bloody coup.

Protest plus revolution
equals change.

Are you saying
Brokenwood needs a revolution?

VICTORIA:
It needs a change.

But democracy
favors those in power.

Drink.
Please.

[Coughs]
Wow. Okay.

Kawakawa, ginger, lemon,
bitters, and arsenic.

It was never proven, you know?

The nonsense said about me.

It's iodine.

Tastes worse than arsenic,
but better for you.

Held my grandfather's bowels
intact

in the trenches
in the Great War.

Could I have a drink of water?

Help yourself.
If you'll excuse me.

The prunes from breakfast
are calling.

Neil, if you weren't
at the parade, where were you?

NEIL:
I was at the pharmacy.

Holding the fort so my staff
could get to enjoy it.

SHEPHERD:
You're a generous boss.

Well, the Santa parade's
all about family.

My kind of family have
their own parade -- in the city.

If you become mayor, you could
look at bringing it here.

Mm.
Very progressive, Detective.

Is Brokenwood
ready for its first gay mayor?

I hope so.

Is it ready
for a gay-pride parade?

- That may be a bridge too far.
- Mm.

Many customers this morning?

None.
Very quiet.

Well, they were all
at the parade.

So, between 9:30 and, say,
12:30, you had no customers?

But I caught up
on a lot of paperwork.

- Fun.
- Hm. A necessary evil.

I may have more questions.

Oh, well, just call me anytime.

You spoke of a campaign
against a campaign.

Now, there is a campaigner.

Passionate.
Principled.

Some of those types are prepared
to fight the big fight.

And here's the thing -- She has
a placard inside her house

that speaks out against Evan.

Saying what?

What was your problem
with Evan Whitestone?

- Who said I had a problem?
- Your placard.

It says,
“Whitestone is a whitewash.“

When did you take the sign down?

Why did you take the sign down?

- There was no room on the lawn.
- Why was he a whitewash?

He was a spineless puppet.

- For who?
- The oil exploration companies.

- There's no oil in Brokenwood.
- Yet.

But once the fracking starts,
who knows?

And whether there is or not,
the damage is done.

Do you know what fracking does?

- I've heard.
- Your taps catch fire.

Brokenwood will become
a toxic wasteland.

Are you saying Evan Whitestone
greenlit fracking in Brokenwood?

Not yet.
But he would have caved.

They all do.

Oh.
So she's delusional.

Which can mean dangerous.

- And what about Maureen Moffat?
- BREEN: No love lost there.

And Maureen Moffat -- When was
the last time you saw her?

Don't know.
Don't care.

A mouse in wolf's clothing...

or little clothing at all.

BREEN:
She's been found dead.

At Evan Whitestone's place.

She always was a coat-tailer.

So, Speigleman
didn't like Evan or Maureen.

But she doesn't like anyone.
It's hardly proof.

Well, at least we have
proof of one thing.

That being?

Well,
with Mrs. Claus being real,

it takes
all the burden off Santa.

I always wondered how he managed

to cover the whole globe
in one night.

Well, now we know what they did
for a little R and R afterwards.

Both deceased
are just people in a Santa suit.

They're not the real thing.

Okay, I can't believe
I'm about to say this,

but I think
Mike actually believes in Santa.

Come on.
That's really not possible.

Is it?

♪ Don't sit down
before the cooking's done ♪

♪ You've got to give it half a
chance before you cut and run ♪

♪ When your new love
needs working at ♪

♪ And the working
ain't that fun ♪

Back so soon?
Just as well.

I want to lay a complaint.

- Of?
- Burglary.

It was like that when I arrived.

And you're sure
nothing is missing?

JED: We don't keep cash
on the premises.

There's valuable memorabilia,

but none of that
is out of place.

I'll pass this on
to the uniform branch.

Probably kids looking for booze.

- None taken?
- None consumed.

I'm teetotal.

I don't need that stuff
in my life.

Do you want that new look
to go with your car?

Maybe another time.

I do have a couple of questions,
though.

Okay.

You're running for mayor.

Are you implying I might have
offed my opposition?

No.

Did you?

No.
Is that it, then?

What are you offering
that your opponents aren't?

I believe
in business and culture.

I want Brokenwood to be
a cultural destination.

A new art gallery.
A new museum.

This town
needs some vision and style.

I like the sound of that.

A vote for me
is a vote for change.

SHEPHERD:
Don't they all say that?

Neil Bloom isn't.

He's running
for the pink vote...

which is a statement,
not a realistic manifesto.

- Pete London?
- In my opinion,

he's only running for mayor

to expedite
his own business interests.

Mighty Meats.

That doesn't require expediting.

What does?

Pete has a property development
on the outskirts --

a massive 100-hectare
residential development.

Well, a white elephant, really.

Because?

Evan wouldn't bend the rules
to push it through council.

So Pete decided
to become the council?

In my opinion.

Hm.
I'll file that report.

Wake up, Mr. Elf!

Wake up!

- Mom!
- GIRL: Morn!

Thank you.
Thanks.

[Sighs]

Dr. Carlton says the gash
in Jared's thigh

missed the femoral artery
by millimeters.

Severe concussion, blood loss.

So it's a waiting game?

Mike...

he was found
with this in his hand,

and his car located nearby --
It reeks of it.

He drove in that state?

Even more worrying is this.

It was found in his pocket,

and it has to be what caused
the cut to his thigh.

Take a look at the handle.

Could this have caused
the cut to the throat?

Yes. But so too a box cutter,
a scalpel, many things.

But this would fit the profile?

Mike, I will know more as soon
as you let me get started.

[Sighs]
Breen, remain with Gina.

I need to see Jed Charmers.

Five minutes.
I'm waiting for my associate.

Background on Maureen Moffat.

Lived alone for a long time.

Always a strong advocate

for Evan
and his mayoralty aspirations.

Worked like a Trojan,
but liked to party.

She had a penchant
for fancy dress.

So the Santa costume
makes sense.

Does it?

♪ Every time I think of you,
you get a little smaller ♪

Recognize this?

I wondered where that got to.

- You knew it was missing?
- Misplaced.

But since you have it,
it must have been stolen

- in the break-in.
- You said nothing was taken.

Didn't notice.

You didn't notice
a missing cut-throat razor?

No.
They live in the sterilizer.

And it's called
a straight razor.

How many do you have?

Five.
It was a busy day.

It wasn't till this morning,
when I was setting up,

I saw there were only four.

So, is that the murder weapon?

Why would you assume that?

You're a detective holding
a potentially lethal weapon

in a specimen bag, investigating
a suspicious death.

The cause of which hasn't
been released to the public.

It's a small town.
You hear things.

From who?

Mrs. Marlowe popped in with her
inside knowledge or speculation.

This is
not exactly her sort of haunt.

On the contrary.

She's my best word of mouth.

Soon your elfin chin will be
as smooth as a baby's bottom.

[Chuckles]

Now, I need you
to stay very still.

He was pretty nervous.

All first-timers are.

When was this?

The day before the Santa parade.

[Cellphone rings]

- Mike?
- Jared was at Jed's

the night before the parade.

So he had opportunity
to take the razor?

SHEPHERD: But then,
so did whoever broke in.

If they're not one and the same.

Mm.

Any developments at your end?

Evan Whitestone's Santa sack
was full of boxes...

big, small, tiny,
but all of them empty.

It's a good thing no kids were
actually expecting presents.

It was all a ruse.

Any luck with Crazy Pete's
property venture?

Yeah.
I've arranged to meet him later.

Okay.

♪ I went off to Calgary,
hoping to make it big ♪

♪ Got a two-bit job
in a motorcycle store ♪

[Volume increases]

♪ I was so alone, and I hurt
myself and nearly lost it all ♪

♪ Yeah, I left you
to your own devices ♪

[Cellphone rings]

Breen.

You should get down here.

My initial belief was correct.

He was killed by a razor-sharp
slice to the carotid artery.

Death would have occurred
within two minutes.

And now Maureen Moffat.

- Head wound?
- KADINSKY: Likely from the edge

of the chimney.

- But that didn't kill her?
- No.

It may have stunned her

long enough
to die from smoke inhalation.

Intoxication.

2 1/2 times

what would be considered sober
for her body weight.

- Engagement?
- From that finger, yes.

But wait.
There's more.

Neither stomach contents suggest
consumption of a meat pie.

- And...
- Time of death for both --

12 to 18 hours before discovery
of Evan Whitestone.

Which means...

That Evan was dead
before he went to the parade.

When we find the person on
the float, we find the killer.

Or at the very least
an accomplice.

Okay.
Thanks, Eddie.

What?

That was Eddie Young
from Monsoon Pies.

Mm.
Best in town.

BREEN:
It wasn't one of his.

Pastry's generic --
no flake, poor crust.

And?

And it was a steak and cheese.

And?

And he believes
they are the king of pies.

So, find out who bought
that flavor on Saturday morning.

On the bright side,
we can eliminate

Crazy Pete
and Victoria Speigleman, though.

- Why?
- Well, firstly, Speigleman

would never touch a meat pie,

and secondly, we can corroborate
both of them as being present

when Evan, or whoever
was pretending to be Evan,

dismounted the float.

Yeah, well,
that's the perfect alibi.

I'm a vegan, I leave a meat pie
at the scene of a crime

and get someone else
to be on the float --

place yourself
where you can be seen.

Doesn't mean that they didn't
organize it or even do it.

This was the work of two people?

Yeah.
Why not?

Hayley?
It's Mike Shepherd.

Yeah, I've got
a couple more questions.

Of course, that would require
Victoria Speigleman

to have a friend,
which is hard to imagine.

Well, for whatever reason,
whoever was on that float,

it wasn't Evan Whitestone.

Of course, it could have been
the real Santa.

Focus on
any Santa Claus look-alikes,

wannabes...

- fantasists.
- BREEN: Right.

Okay, how, exactly?

Initiative, Breen.

♪ As far as the eye
can see tonight ♪

♪ The coast is clear ♪

♪ The day looks all right ♪

If Evan was killed the night
before the parade,

why was
he wearing his Santa suit?

The bigger question being,
why was Maureen Moffat

wearing a Santa suit and trying
to climb down the chimney?

♪ And that's all right by me ♪

SHEPHERD: Hayley.
Thanks for seeing us.

It's a busy time, we know.

HAYLEY:
I presume you have some news.

We've learned that your father

was killed
the night before the parade.

But he was at the parade.

Someone was.

- An imposter.
- What?

Which means that your father
was wearing his Santa suit

the night before the parade.

Does that seem odd?

Yeah.
Of course.

But then, Evan loved being
Father Christmas, I suppose.

What about Maureen Moffat?

Was there anything more there
than purely professional?

Not that I was aware of.

Why would you say that?

SIMS: Well, it's
the matching-Santa-suit thing.

We're just trying to understand
what was going on.

Well, I know Maureen
had a reputation for dress-ups.

I mean, any chance to turn
a function into fancy dress,

she'd do it.

But Evan hated it.

Despite his Santa costume
for the parade?

HAYLEY:
Well, that was different.

That was for the kids,
for his community.

Thanks, Hayley.

We'll keep you abreast
of any further developments.

So, Evan and Maureen were
nothing more than colleagues.

Who liked to dress up
after hours.

- Excuse me.
- SIMS: Oh.

Buckle yourself in.

Kia ora.
Tina.

Kia ora,
Detectives Shepherd, Sims.

SHEPHERD:
Little progress, I hear.

Well, that's what happens when
you make a good Christian boy

dress up as an elf.

- Neither Detective Sims nor I --
- Show me in the Scriptures

where Santa Claus is mentioned,
hmm?

Never.
That's where.

Santa isn't mentioned
in the Bible

because he is
a devil's instrument

designed to make
people buy things

with money that they don't have.

VICTORIA:
I couldn't agree more.

You see?
Here is a woman who understands.

Aroha, my Tina.

I'm so sorry to hear
about your nephew's predicament.

Ae.
You know the detectives?

D.S.S. Shepherd
and Detective Sims.

Victoria Speigleman.

But I'm sure you know that.
One of your comrades came by.

D.C. Breen.

You were at the parade,
weren't you?

As I mentioned to D.C. Breen,
yes.

And the night before?

Where were you?

At home.

Was anyone with you?

VICTORIA: Some of us don't have
the resources of other people.

We need to rely on
the cut-through of our policies.

Now if you'll excuse me,
I came here

to support a whanau
under duress...

not suffer further
unnecessary interrogation.

We'll leave you to it, then.

And to campaign on the back
of very vulnerable people.

Do all mayoral candidates
have to be gross opportunists?

Politics is a ruthless business.

Tell that to Evan Whitestone
and Maureen Moffat.

I am a drunk woman in lingerie

climbing on top of a roof
dressed as Santa.

Why would you do that?

- What, wear lingerie?
- Climb up here.

And dressed as Santa?

To fulfill a fantasy.

Yours or someone else's?

[Chuckles]
Evan's, we presume.

Yet there's no known attachment
between them.

Plus, she was engaged.

But to whom?

Don't know.

Maybe she was cheating
on the fiancé with Evan.

Under the guise of work?

Well, Hayley was away.

Evan had the place to himself.

Maureen turns up to see Evan.

It's a pre-parade
campaign debrief.

They drink champagne
to celebrate progress.

They light a fire
to make things Christmas cozy.

But the room
fills up with smoke.

I forgot about Santa
in the flue!

- [Laughs]
- I'll get it.

Maureen climbs the ladder.

[Grunts]

She gets a face full of smoke.

- MAUREEN: [Coughing]
- SIMS: She coughs, splutters,

passes out,
collapses into the flue...

and dies.

And, whilst dying, manages to
upend herself into the chimney?

True.

Plus, her reflexes
would make her recoil.

So someone held her down.

We have to accept that
someone else was on the roof.

Most likely the same person
that killed Evan.

- The jealous fiancé.
- Possibly.

But the question is,
who is that?

[Cellphone rings]

Breen.

Uh-huh.
Right.

Thanks.

The lab have found traces

of Evan's blood
on the straight razor.

That links Jared directly.

So it seems.

After you.

I hope you have
an update on the break-in.

Nothing as yet.

- This is Detective Sims.
- Hello.

As you can see,
my hands are rather full.

Oh, we don't want
to hold you up.

We're just piecing together
people's movements.

- Were you at the parade?
- [Sighs]

Sir, I'll be right with you.

No, I wasn't.

It's not really my thing.

I took the opportunity
to keep the shop closed

and headed down
to Brokenwood Beach for a surf.

Were there many other surfers
out there?

JED:
As it happens, it was just me.

I guess
they were all at the parade.

SIMS:
And the night before, you were?

- Meeting.
- With?

My campaign manager,
Simon Petrovich.

- SIMS: Where?
- Here.

And this was
before the break-in?

JED:
Well, of course.

Can we get Simon's number
to verify?

Good luck with that.
He's on a plane.

- Which will land at some point.
- In Croatia.

- It's a 28-hour flight.
- Why?

To visit his sick aunt.

I'm not sure
this will work overseas.

It's bad timing,

- with your campaign.
- Life happens.

You Okay?

Yeah. Fine.

Thanks.

I'll put a call into Hughes

and get Interpol
onto this Petrovich guy.

SIMS:
Jed Charmers is a wannabe mayor,

yet he doesn't attend
the one event

that would guarantee him a large
audience to mix and mingle with.

Instead, he's in a place that
no one can verify him being.

Plus, he has a break-in
where nothing was stolen

except for a cut-throat razor...

with the victim's blood on it.

- Convenient.
- You think it's a setup?

Could be.
By him to deflect suspicion.

It's suspicious, yes,
but motivation?

Yep.

- The mayoralty?
- Yeah, sure.

Although if he wants it
that bad,

why wasn't he at the parade?

Perhaps he was.

Dressed up as Santa?

- That wouldn't really work.
- No.

What about his missing mate,
Petrovich?

Goodbye.
Yeah, thank you.

Yes, thank you.
Yes, thank you.

Good bye.

That was Mrs. Marlowe.
Get this.

She once made
a bespoke Santa suit

for Pete London of Mighty Meats.

PETE:
Well, this is it.

- Big vista.
- Meetville.

Yeah, I came up with that.
[Chuckles]

It's a big vision.

- So, what's the holdup?
- Zoning.

They're changing it
from rural to residential?

Everyone can see it's
a progressive and good idea.

Brokenwood has to grow.

Everyone except Evan Whitestone.

He had the power of veto.
He used it.

Do you think it was personal?

Shortsighted.

Not anymore.

I'm sure
the council will reconsider.

After the elections
when you are voted in as mayor

since you have
little opposition now.

Brokenwood needs to expand
or get left behind.

The last thing it needs is a new
bloody art gallery or museum.

People can't live in art.
They need houses.

In much the same way
that developers need permits.

Do you think
I'd be that obvious?

We have to consider
all the angles.

Well, then consider this.

I had nothing to do
with Evan Whitestone's demise,

or his puppy dog Maureen Moffat.

If you want motive,
look a little harder

at that crazy vegan
Victoria Speigleman.

Victoria Speigleman.
Why?

PETE: Why?
Are you serious?

I'm a butcher.
I deal in meat.

She'll do anything
to discredit me.

No.
Why would she kill Evan?

[Sighs]

You had a Santa suit
made for you.

- What?
- A Santa Claus suit.

Oh, some years ago, yeah.

For a promotional campaign.
So what?

Have you or a colleague
or a friend worn it lately?

No. Why?

So, you still have the suit?

It'll be somewhere.
In storage.

- I'd like to take a look at it.
- Oh, please, Detective.

I'm a busy man.

And likely to become
a lot busier once you're mayor.

- [Sighs]
- So, shall we?

PETE: [Chuckles]

I'm at the Frog and Cheetah.

[Chuckles]
A long wet lunch?

No.
I wish.

I'm trying to co-opt
likely Santas for a photo shoot.

- A photo shoot?
- BREEN: I'll explain later.

Ray Neilson is a bit wary,
but he did mention

Jared was seen
drinking with Evan here

the night before the parade.

Right.

Yeah, I served Evan and Jared.

Evan was full of joie de vivre.

Not sure why.

Christmas cheer maybe.

As I was saying to Jared,
we must let bygones be bygones.

You'd agree, wouldn't you, Ray?

"If I could change the past,
I'd have to change my ways.“

Not sure who said that.

Probably me.

Another Dirty Bastard
for the road?

Dirty Bastard?

His favorite rum cocktail.

He was fond of his rum,
old Evan.

Probably a sailor
in another life...

or the one he's going to now,
if you believe in all that.

Who did he call?

RAY:
I'm not an eavesdropper.

- But Jared would have overheard?
- Perhaps.

It may have pertained
to what they were discussing.

Which was?

As I say,
I'm not an eavesdropper.

- Hm.
- How is Jared?

It's a waiting game.

- It's bloody terrible.
- Mm.

Was he drinking
Dirty Bastards, too?

- Another beer, Jared?
- JARED: Nah. All good.

I'm driving His Worship home.

Big day tomorrow.

Channeling the elf within.

RAY:
Yeah, he's a beer man.

With a nose for a good red,
as you know.

I do.

Thanks.

Uh, it's purely coincidence.

The suit will be in here, along
with all the other costumes

we've used over the years
for promotional purposes.

After you.

Uh, you go.

You'll know
where best to find it.

Okay.

So, where is it?

I'm sure.

Look, it's not here, but...

Right.

Can you explain that?

[Sighs]

If the public gets wind of this,

it'll jeopardize
my electoral chances.

For the record, you are simply
helping us with our inquiries.

[Chuckles] Everybody knows
that's a euphemism

for being a bloody suspect.

[Breathes deeply]

If this gets out, I will sue.

Are you prepared for that?

This is a witness statement,
Mr. London.

We just need
to fill in the blanks.

So, you attended the parade.

Yes!

I told you.

There were witnesses.
Ask Wally Seymour.

Even that witch Speigleman
saw me.

Yeah, but the night before.

You can't account
for where you were?

How is it relevant?

Is there someone who could
attest to where you were?

What about your wife?

She's in Sydney
on a bloody yoga retreat.

Anyone else?

You're fishing for an alibi?

Well, for want of a better term.

I don't need one.

And the sooner you can explain
your movements that night,

the sooner
we can be sure of that.

- I'm not under arrest, am I?
- No, you're not.

So I don't have to stay here?

No, but all I'm after is an
explanation of your whereabouts

and the whereabouts
of that Santa suit.

PETE:
I can do that...

when I return...

with my lawyer.

Mr. London.
Just the man I wanted to see.

Would you be willing to don
a Santa suit for a photo shoot?

I'll do no bloody such thing!

Shame.

It would have helped
eliminate him as a suspect.

Yeah, he gets a little tetchy
over the word “suspect.“

What photo shoot?

All in good time.

Hey.

I've been thinking.

Perhaps Mike does believe
in Santa,

like, as an imaginary friend.

You know?
Because he's got no one else.

He's that alone guy
on Christmas Day.

Why else would he volunteer
to be on duty on the 25th?

Yeah, well, at least
I get to go to my parents' place

and have it all laid on.

That strange
Antipodean tradition

of a mighty roast
on a sweltering summer's day.

BREEN:
Yeah, good for you.

It's just me and Roxy this year.

I'll be lucky
to get tofu and lettuce.

- [Chuckles]
- [Door closes]

End of Day 2,
and we know what, hmm?

Uh, Pete London is obfuscating

on his whereabouts
on the night of the murders.

And we are still waiting
to hear back

from Jed Charmers' campaign
manager, Simon Petrovich,

to verify his story.

We know Jared Morehu
was the last to see Evan alive.

If he dropped him off.

Which we will only know
when Jared wakes up

- and answers a few questions.
- SHEPHERD: Yeah.

Though we have to be prepared
for the possibility

that he may not wake up.

Oh, well, he's a fighter.

He'll pull through.

In the meantime,
I have a photo shoot

set for first thing tomorrow.

Right.

What is this?

Mrs. Marlowe
and her sewing circle

have created a replica suit
to the one of Evan's.

Ray Neilson, Neil Bloom,

and two others
of similar height and build.

Plus, I'll approach
Jed Charmers.

Well, it can't be Jed.

- Why not?
- Well [Chuckles] because...

- you know.
- BREEN: What?

He's Maori.
He'd be a brown Santa.

We at least know he's not Maori,
and he's got blue eyes.

[Scoffs]
But we're dealing with a guy

who went to extraordinary
lengths to disguise himself.

I mean,
who knows how far he went?

What, you mean
like white makeup?

BREEN: And contact lenses.
Why not?

Because it's implausible.

Aah! Come on!
Look. Here it is.

We're dealing with a tiny
fraction of the human face

to identify our culprit.

By getting them
to become Santas,

we can at least eliminate.

And anyone
who doesn't want to do it,

well, what are they hiding?

- You wanted initiative.
- Right now, all I want to do

is swing by the hospital
and check on Jared...

followed by a glass of red.

- Good luck with that.
- Night.

Try to look kind of jolly.

- [Laughs]
- Yeah.

That's good.
Sit tall.

RAY:
I feel stereotyped.

That my jovial attitude to life

leads me to being
in some weird suspect lineup.

NEIL:
It's funny.

I don't think of you as jovial.

- Really?
- Mnh.

“Grumpy, “ "cantankerous, “
and "surly“

are words that spring to mind.

Here.

Vote Bloom
for equality and honesty.

Sam.
We're ready.

Right, hold there, mate.
Hold there.

Oh, don't they look lovely?

- Smile.
- MRS. MARLOWE: [Chuckles]

- [Camera shutter clicks]
- Uh-huh. Yeah, very good.

- Smile.
- [Camera shutter clicks]

- Next.
- [Camera shutter clicking]

Say “Merry Christmas!“

[Camera shutter clicks]

So, as you can see, white wig,
white beard, spectacles, gloves.

It's a little hard to tell...

...anything at all, really.

So, all you've proved
is what we already knew --

that it could have been anybody.

Well, you see one Santa,
you've seen them all.

Except Pete London
refused to participate.

And Jed Charmers
wouldn't cooperate.

Yeah.
That sounded awkward.

Do I look like
a traditional Santa?

It's part
of an elimination process.

I don't think so.

It doesn't exonerate him.

I mean, two people could have
been involved in this.

Someone on the float

to provide our other
likely suspects an alibi,

Or -- I don't know.

Are we really discounting
this guy because it's unlikely?

It doesn't mean he didn't do it.

And we still don't know
it wasn't this guy.

Is he actually in Croatia?

And we can't forget about Jared.

Jed fakes a break-in
to throw us off the scent.

But how did Jared end up with
a straight razor in his pocket?

He nicks it
when he's getting the shave.

Which means
the break-in was legitimate.

But nothing was taken?
Unlikely.

Ta.

137 steak and cheese pies

were sold in Brokenwood
on Saturday morning

from five different bakeries,
six dairies,

and three service stations.

137. Hmm.

We're in the wrong business.

[Sighs]
I need a coffee.

Anyone else?

I'll follow up on Crazy Pete's
reticence to play Santa.

He may have had
a change of heart.

NEIL: Oh, thank you.
And remember --

A vote for me is a vote
for equality and honesty.

Aha.

There you go.
And...

- No, no.
- [Chuckles]

- Too much, do you think?
- It gets the message across.

NEIL: [Laughs]

Did you know Maureen Moffat?

Of course.

- Tragic business.
- Mm.

I understand she liked to party.

Oh, yes.

Maureen was never shy
of a good time,

but more than that, she was
a tenacious council employee...

devoted to her job and to Evan.

- How devoted?
- Very.

Hello, there.

A vote for me is a vote
for equality and honesty.

Enjoy your breakfast.

They were having an affair?

Why would they do that?

It's not like
either were in a relationship.

But Maureen was engaged.

- To whom?
- You don't know?

If that were true, I'm sure
word would have got out.

She only had eyes for Evan,

but they never declared
themselves as a couple.

Excuse me.
Hi, there.

A vote for me is a vote
for equality and honesty, okay?

- Thank you.
- Why?

Well, Evan could
never bring himself

to accept that he'd moved on
from his dead wife.

Are you sure about this?

Yes.

How did you know
if Hayley Whitestone didn't?

Out of respect for Hayley.

Evan was a kind man.

Pompous, but kind.

And given the grim circumstances
of Patsy's death,

it's hardly surprising.

When Pete gets back, could you
get him to give me a call?

- Aah!
- I've got this.

Say no to fracking!

Hey!

[Bells ring]

Has Victoria stopped ranting?

No. But she's in the cells,
so it doesn't matter.

Why was she accusing Pete London
of fracking?

You can wait here
until a duty solicitor arrives.

I have the right to free speech.

Therefore,
I've done nothing wrong.

Apart from willful damage,
disorderly behavior,

and assault of a police officer?

Read this.

Minutes
from a closed council meeting.

Pete London wasn't
after residential consent.

Oh, my God.

Everyone can see it's
a progressive and good idea.

Brokenwood has to grow.

Mining consent.

Evan vetoed it.
It went away.

But Victoria believed he would
have been bought off eventually.

- So she killed him?
- BREEN: Maybe.

But that would have assured
that Pete got elected.

Then he'd be free to run riot.

She is so deluded, she probably
thought she might win.

Any tips on removing motor oil
from a polyester suit?

Setting fire to it?

Senior.

Thanks so much
for popping back in.

How are the arrangements going?

- Everyone's been amazing.
- Mm.

- [Door closes]
- The big day is tomorrow?

In the meantime, I'm sure
it takes all your energy

just putting one foot
in front of the other.

Mm.

SHEPHERD: Feels like
you're wading through molasses.

- I know.
- You've been there?

I have.

Although with your mother
and now your father,

- that is a terrible loss.
- Hm.

Look, I won't hold you up.

We're trying to fill in
a few blanks.

Trying to eliminate
several scenarios.

Can you remember what time
you arrived back in Brokenwood?

- You mean when I found Evan?
- SHEPHERD: Yes.

[Sighs]
I rang 111.

Of course.
Um...

At 1:19 p.m.

As a matter of interest, is it
a long trip down from the bach?

About an 1 hour, 45,
give or take.

So you would have left Smith's
Bay at around, say, 11:30?

That's sounds right.
Why?

This may or may not have
anything to do with anything,

but do you think
your father and Maureen Moffat

might have been anything more
than just colleagues?

- How do you mean?
- SHEPHERD: Romantically.

No.

Well, let's say it was true.

Can you think of a reason
he might not tell you?

But he would. I would be
the first person he would tell.

- Huh.
- Is there...

Is there something
I don't know about?

Nothing concrete.

Then why would you ask that?

[Sighs]
Following lines of inquiry.

Most lead over
a bridge to nowhere,

but all must be explored.

The man in the station wagon.

Sorry?

When I pulled into town,
I-I had a small accident.

I'm so sorry.

[Vehicle door closes]

It doesn't look that bad.

When exactly?

I exchanged numbers with him.
He might remember when.

Look, I'll write down my details
for you.

I'm really sorry about that.

Uh, I have his details here
somewhere.

- That'd be helpful.
- [Knock on door]

Sorry to interrupt.

- Hi, Hayley.
- Hi.

A quick word?

Excuse me.

Jared's woken up.

[Sighs]
Some good news at last.

Well, the last thing I remember

is getting one
of those crazy shaves at Jed's.

Yeah, it was
Mrs. Marlowe's idea.

- That's right.
- JARED: Yeah.

Not my idea of a good time,
you know?

Do you remember how you got
the bump on the head?

No idea.

What about drinking
with Evan Whitestone

at the Frog and Cheetah?

Nah. Sorry.

And what about necking
a bottle of rum?

JARED: Rum?

Nah, no chance.

I can't stand the stuff.

I blew that pleasure
on my 16th birthday.

Never again, Mike.

I think that'll do for now.
Please.

Jared.

The king of pies?

Yeah.

Steak and cheese all the way.

- You know that, Mike.
- Rest up.

His symptoms are consistent
with partial amnesia.

How long will it take
for his memory to return?

A day, a week, a year.
Possibly never.

So recent events
could be permanently eradicated?

DR. CARLTON: Yes.

Could that be the concussion
or an alcohol-related blackout?

For a man who supposedly drank
a bottle of rum,

his blood alcohol
is surprisingly low.

Negligible, in fact.

It's probably the reason
he didn't die out there.

So he wasn't drunk?

Hmm.

Senior.

Ta.

♪ Well, put 'em down tonight ♪

♪ You know
I'm South-Island-bound ♪

♪ Had enough of these cities ♪

♪ Going home to my little town ♪

♪ Tired of all these choking,
stinking, ugly roads ♪

♪ Gonna find a place
in the mountains ♪

♪ A place nobody knows ♪

♪ Well, maybe I'll write
a poem ♪

♪ Maybe a history or two ♪

♪ But it's hard to leave you ♪

♪ You look like
someone I once knew ♪

♪ But it's all right tonight ♪

♪ I'm getting gone ♪

♪ But it's all right tonight ♪

♪ I'm getting gone ♪

♪ Just keep
them glasses coming ♪

♪ It's just the afternoon ♪

♪ When the evening twists,
I'll be looking ♪

♪ I'll be howling at the moon ♪

[Knocking]

Uh, Evan Whitestone's
phone records,

And the tech boys managed
to hack into his voicemail.

There's a recording of Hayley.

She was leaving a message
when she discovered his body.

It's rather chilling.

Thanks.

Mike, you keep mentioning that
many people believe in Santa.

They do.

I assume you mean people
of about age 8 or younger.

Or have a mental age of 8.

Which is not you.

Right now, I'm not so sure.

My sister.

Her son Aaron is Down syndrome.

- Right. Sorry.
- SHEPHERD: Don't be.

He's probably the most positive,
happiest fella

you could ever meet.

And when he talks
about Santa Claus...

well, you realize
that Santa is, of course,

without a doubt 100% real.

Why would we want to do anything
to spoil that?

[Chuckles]

What are you doing
for Christmas?

Uh, Mum and Dad are flying back
from a holiday in the U.K.

in time
to shove a roast in the oven.

- You?
- Working.

Right.

Well, good night.

Night.

[Beep]

HAYLEY: Dad, hi.
It's me.

I just got back from the beach.
Where are you?

Maybe you didn't take
your car.

Anyway,
look forward to catching up.

Hope the parade went well.

Dad?
[Chuckles]

Dad, are you asleep?

Dad.

[Gasps]
Oh! Oh!

Dads!

Somebody!

[Whimpering]

[Monitor beeping]

[Police radio chatter]

Someone tried
to finish Jared off,

but the machines that go "beep"
started going crazy.

And two nurses
scared the assailant off.

Security?

He made it out
before they could apprehend him.

Description?

Should we be surprised or not?

It's only a matter of seconds
later when...

If I had to place a bet,

I'd say that that physicality
most resembles Pete London.

So, his suit had gone missing?

[Scoffs]
That's his story.

Mm.
Rewind it.

Interesting.

We know two things.

One, that Jared
has been stabilized.

And, two, whoever is on the CCTV
footage is not the real Santa,

just a man in a suit.

Hmm.

- Thanks again for coming in.
- No worries.

Who was that?

SHEPHERD:
Steven Lipton.

He and Hayley had a nose to tail
on her way back into town.

- Where's Breen?
- He's on an errand.

So, that places Hayley back
in town just after the parade.

Hmm.
No luck there, then.

I'm not sure luck has got
anything to do with it.

Apart from bad luck perhaps
for Evan and Maureen.

[Cellphone rings]

Kristin Sims.

Detective Sims.
This is Dennis Buchanan.

My client Pete London and I have
something we'd like to show you.

Thank you for coming by.

I believe you were interested
in the whereabouts of this.

- Indeed.
- Well, here it is.

I swear
I had no idea how it got there.

Someone's been playing
silly buggers.

Most likely Jed Charmers.

Or Victoria Speigleman.

Peter, that is
the concern of the police.

Yours is simply to help them
wherever possible

with their inquiries...

- which you have done.
- It'll be bloody Charmers.

We have no proof of that.

We do, however, have proof
of Peter's whereabouts

- the night of Evan's death.
- [Sighs]

My client was in the city
attending a gentleman's club.

There will be receipts
to prove it

and, no doubt, security footage,

should you wish
to delve further.

The name of the venue?

Stallions.

He stayed over at a hotel.

He may or may not
have had company

and arrived back in time
for the parade

and will sign an affidavit
if required.

But the point is, my client
wasn't in Brokenwood that night,

and the nature of his activities

are private
and in no way illegal

and, therefore,
not something the public

- ever need to know about.
- Like fracking.

Thank you for your candor.

I hope it doesn't have
to go any further...

like the idea of oil exploration
in Meetville.

For the record,
that's a terrible name.

RAY: Oh, God.

Look, I've got happy hour
coming up.

Can't this Wait?

- This won't take a moment.
- Why?

You want to dress me up
as Humpty-Dumpty now?

Are your lot still trying

to figure out if he fell
or was pushed?

Evan Whitestone -- You said
he was in a lively mood.

"Lively's“ another word
for quite pissed, but yes.

But happy?
“Joie de vivre, “ you said.

Yes.

About what?

I don't know.

He was raving, to be fair.

When punters get the rave on,
I tend to switch off.

It's part of the skill set
of hospitality --

nod, smile, and think about
something else entirely

while the punter waffles on.

EVAN: It's time
to come out of the closet.

Tomorrow the town can know.

And you know what, Ray?
That's okay.

Maybe he was going
to announce that he was gay.

That would have taken the wind
out of Neil Bloom's sails.

Is that it?

Well, Jared was being vulgar,
of course.

[Whispering] Maureen.

Mm.

Vulgar?

You know -- the old sign for...

a bit of the old [Wolf-whistles]

Of course.
The old...

Then Jared offered him a ride.

So, Santa, since Hayley's away,

do you want me to be
your chauffeur in the morning?

As long
as you have room for two.

[Both laugh]

I'll leave you
to your happy hour.

[Cellphone rings]

- Hughes.
- This Simon Petrovich fella.

He is in Croatia.
You know why?

We were told he had a sick aunt.

HUGHES:
Oh, that may be the case.

She's probably sick with worry

because he's also secreting away
his nephew -- Vinnie Petrovich.

Vinnie slipped
his home-detention bracelet

on Friday night.

They flew out on the red-eye.
So thanks for the heads-up.

Happy to help.

HUGHES: How are you getting on
with the Whitestone case?

Small steps.

Shame.
Nice bloke.

Met him once at a charity do.

With his stepdaughter.
Hannah?

Hayley?

HUGHES: Hayley.
That's it.

Bit of a honey.

Probably shouldn't say that.

Anyway, let me know
if you need anything else.

And the international boys
owe you one.

Cheers.

Your campaign manager,
Simon Petrovich.

He is in Croatia.

Right.
Like I said.

SHEPHERD:
With his nephew.

But then,
I think you already knew that.

I presume he was with Simon
at your meeting on Friday night.

You can leave that.

- Call it a day.
- Sure.

Look, Simon didn't ask
for the trouble.

Vinnie came to him.

And Simon came to you?

He's a good friend.

He's like a brother.

You can't bring him in here,
bro!

He was in a jam.
I lent him some money.

That is all.

[Sighs]
I mean...

- what would you do?
- [Sighs]

I'd probably take that down.

Crazy Pete was at a strip club
in the city.

He could have saved himself
a lot of pain

if he'd explained that
at the beginning.

But his Santa suit
has miraculously reappeared.

Overnight?

SIMS: Yeah, well,
someone put it back there.

Or he did.

Back in his office?

Actually,
that makes perfect sense.

It does?

We don't need to push him
any further.

And Jed Charmers, too.

His alibi is complicated,
but true.

Senior.
All set.

Mm. Thanks.

So, Pete London, Jed,
Victoria, Neil Bloom --

All of our suspects
are off the table.

Not... all.

Join me when Breen calls.

He's up at Smith's Bay hopefully
verifying a couple of things.

SIMS: So, you're focusing
on Evan's daughter.

Stepdaughter, actually.

You know, the funeral's
in less than an hour.

This shouldn't take
more than a couple minutes.

I just wanted to talk

- about your mother's passing.
- Why?

I still find it hard
to talk about.

Trust me.
I understand.

I know it creates great pain
for those of us left behind.

- Your mother?
- Someone very close.

Your mother
suffered clinical depression.

One day, she decided
that the only way out

involved the bathtub
and a razor blade.

And it was you who had
the terrible misfortune --

Do we have to talk about this?

How did Evan handle
the depression she suffered?

He did what he could.

Stayed so busy he didn't really
have time to deal with it.

[Knock on door]

Breen is on the phone.

Excuse me.

- Talk to me.
- It checks out, Mike.

Hayley was definitely here.

There's fresh food
still in the fridge.

The bed's unmade.

There's a laptop on the table
with some sort of manuscript.

There's only a handful
of houses.

Might be hard to find anyone
to verify when she left.

What is the title
of the manuscript?

BREEN:
“Blood Letting."

Mike, there's only a title page.

We need to be gentle.

It seems she has writer's block.

Look, I need to get
to the funeral.

Of course.
One more thing.

On the night before the parade,
Evan called you at, um...

Oh.

Uh...

9:03 p.m.

I can't remember the time,
but he called me, yes.

To say?

Just to check
when I was coming home.

SHEPHERD:
That's all?

HAYLEY: Yes.

He didn't have any other news?

That's all I recall.

SHEPHERD: Mm.
Strange.

Because in the seconds before
he called you from the pub,

he was waxing lyrical about
letting bygones be bygones,

about coming out of the closet,

and in the morning,
the whole town would know. Hmm.

Oh, and you did mention
that if Evan had any news,

that you'd be the first to know.

Look, I don't know
what you're getting at.

Evan was busting with excitement
because, as he told you,

he was on his way home

to meet Maureen Moffat
to pop the question.

And I wanted you
to be the first to know.

Tomorrow, for the first time in
many years since your mum died,

at the Santa parade,

there will be a Mrs. Claus
riding on the float.

I'm so happy for you.

But you weren't happy, were you?

Up until then, you were the sole
beneficiary to Evan's will.

But he gets remarried,
it starts getting shared around,

and Maureen's only 39.

If she decides
to get pregnant...

You're forgetting
that I was at Smith's Bay.

Well, it's only
an hour and 3/4 away.

The night was still young.

Plenty of time
to formulate a plan.

A plan that had probably
been brewing for years...

...since your mother's demise...

...to point the blame
at those with likely motives...

...and lethal means.

EVAN: [Laughing]

Ho ho-ho ho-ho!

[Laughs] Oh.

Hayley.

We didn't hear you come in.

Well, I couldn't wait
to congratulate you.

♪ All is calm ♪

- Expensive.
- MAUREEN: [Squeals]

HAYLEY: [Chuckles]

Is that the Santa suit
that my mother used to wear?

I'll go get another glass.
[Chuckles]

MAUREEN: [Chuckles]
It is.

It's about time it got used
again, don't you think?

- We should light a fire.
- MAUREEN: Afire?

Yeah, make it more Christmasy.

Marvelous.

[Laughs]

This is stupid, and the funeral
is about to start.

Sit down, Hayley.

Or you'll miss the best part.

[Coughing]

Santa must be
coming down the chimney.

Oh, the bloody dummy!

Oh, Evan, don't be silly.
You're half drunk.

I'll hold the ladder.

On. Okay.

[Grunts]

Stupid bloody thing.

Is it clear?

- What?
- The flue. Check it's clear.

MAUREEN: [Screams]

[Thud]

♪ Oh, Christmas tree,
oh, Christmas tree ♪

Any luck?

That Santa is
well and truly wedged in there.

Oh, well.

Where's Maureen?

- She had soot on her face.
- Ah.

More champagne?

I'll get it.

You never really liked Evan,
did you?

You thought
he was a pompous old bastard.

And him not being
your biological father,

you could be dispassionate...

...for that moment in time...

...to get the job done.

You should write novels,
Detective.

- That is quite a story.
- I haven't finished yet.

On that key ring will be a key
to Pete London's office.

You used to work for him.
You still have the key.

Am I right?

If it is, I wasn't aware of it.

It was a long time ago.

SHEPHERD:
What better place to find

a freshly padded Santa Claus
outfit fit for a parade?

Why didn't you stage it
as a suicide pact?

- I didn't stage anything!
- Suicide wouldn't ring true.

There were too many witnesses
to Evan's happiness --

Ray Neilson, Jared Morehu.

Better to point the finger at
one or several of Evan's rivals.

That was a good plan, except...

- [Knock on door]
- Yo!

Santa and Mrs. Santa,
your sleigh awaits.

Oh, hi.

Uh, I thought you was up north.
Where's, um...

Oh. Evan.

He's asleep.

What?

Evan.

Whoa.

It must have taken a while
to decide on the plan.

Was leaving the pie
a good or a bad idea?

It certainly tied
Jared to the scene.

And if you could make it
look like he did it,

and he was dead, well...

- The makings of a perfect crime.
- SHEPHERD: Mm.

That was your second mistake.

Jared hates rum.

[Scoffs]
And what was my first?

- Committing murder.
- Nice try.

SHEPHERD:
You don't accept that you did?

If this was true, why would
I partake in the parade?

Well, initially, you needed time
to get back from the bach.

If Evan was at the parade,

no one would think
anything was amiss.

Cutting it fine, Evan.

[Children cheering]

SHEPHERD:
But now with Jared in the mix,

that seemed less important.

Having driven Evan's car to
the parade, you dropped it home.

From there, you drove to town
as if just arriving...

...being sure to have
a little accident on the way

to put you in time and place...

It doesn't look that bad.

Look, I'll write down my details
for you. I am so sorry.

SHEPHERD: ...calling Evan
as you walked in,

thereby leaving evidence
of your own shocked discovery.

Dad, hi.
It's me.

I just got back from the beach.
Where are you?

Nice touch.

But that was your third mistake.

Why would you say that?

SHEPHERD:
You tried too hard.

In all our dealings with you,

you never once referred to him
as Dad, only Evan.

Dad?
[Chuckles]

Dad, are you asleep?

Dad.

[Gasps]
Oh! Oh!

Dad!
Somebody!

You thought you'd killed Jared,
didn't you?

But then when you heard that...

Sorry to interrupt.

Jared's woken up.

SHEPHERD: [Sighs]
Some good news at last.

...it was time
to don the suit again.

[Monitor beeping]

He should have bled to death.

Hayley Whitestone.

I'm charging you
with the murders

of Evan Whitestone
and Maureen Moffat

and the attempted murder
of Jared Morehu.

Love you, too.
Bye.

[Sighs]

My parents' plane

has been grounded at Heathrow
due to snow.

They're not gonna make it back
in time for Christmas Day.

Shame.

Yeah, I'm really jealous.

They get to have
a white Christmas.

I can't promise you snow,
but you're welcome to join me.

- Thanks.
- Mm.

When did you zero in
on Hayley Whitestone?

When I looked
at her bookshelf.

For a romance writer,
there wasn't one of that genre.

- They were all about...
- Scandinavian serial killers?

- Pretty much.
- Mm.

How did you know that the figure

running down
the hospital corridor

in Pete London's Santa suit
wasn't Pete London?

Oh.
That's not important.

No, it is.

That's how I get better
at my job.

I'd rather not say.

- Please.
- [Sighs]

Okay, but you're
not gonna like it.

[Sighs]

That Santa ran like a girl.

SHEPHERD: For the record,
I never said that.

You did.

♪ Joy to the world ♪

- ♪ The Lord is come ♪
- Ooh.

God, that looks good.

Not a word to Roxy.
Promise?

Merry Christmas.

- [Cracker pops]
- Whoa!

Merry Christmas.

- Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas.

♪ Let heaven and nature sing ♪

All right.
It's a fine tradition.

Oh!

[Laughter]

- [Pop]
- Ah!

♪ ...through the snow ♪

♪ In a one-horse open sleigh ♪

♪ O'er them fields we go ♪

♪ Laughing all the way ♪

♪ Bells on bobtails ring ♪

♪ Making spirits bright ♪

♪ What fun it is
to laugh and sing ♪

♪ A sleighing song tonight ♪

♪ Oh, jingle bells,
jingle bells ♪

♪ Jingle all the way ♪

♪ Oh, what fun it is ride
in a one-horse open sleigh ♪

Ripped & Corrected By mstoll
April 2017

Ripped & Corrected By mstoll
Released on www.Addic7ed.com