Original subtitles

[Stella] Partial remains only.

No skull, so no dental, but...

[Reza] They reckon they know who it is.

Michael Novak - the only victim

of Rose De Vigny's who was never found.

[Andie] You need to be straight with me, Sam.

Are they going to find anything?

Are you suggesting Sam's directly involved

in these murders?

Just run the test.

The vet says Wurra-Wurra was poisoned. Cyanide.

[sawing]

Dad?

Mitch killed Wurra-Wurra.

Come on! Yeah?!

- Come on, come on! - [miners shouting]

If you or Jax lift one finger against Andie,

I will put you both down like dogs.

[Andie] Oh, come on, Nash. You must know something.

Ask Dyson. He's the one that broke into my shed.

If Dyson ever gives you grief, you let me know.

You took your fuckin' time.

Ouch.

Are you buying this?

At least he won't get away from you this time, Sergeant.

[unsettling music]

[Glenn] The men and women of the police force

are bound by the same principles -

to protect the peace without favour or affection,

without malice or ill-will.

Our decisions are guided by the rule of law,

not by our emotions.

We do our best to abide by this code.

[pensive music]

Sometimes we fail.

[person coughs]

Behind this badge is a human being.

The man who murdered my family tried to evade justice

by putting a bullet through his own head.

Not because he was sorry for what he'd done.

But because he knew I would pursue him

to the end of his days.

That's why he took his own life.

As a detective...

..and as a grieving brother and uncle...

..how could I not?

- Bye-bye. - Thanks very much. Bye-bye.

Oh, see ya, Ron.

Hey, Phil. Thanks for coming, mate.

Hey, Sam.

Ah, Tammy.

- Nice to see you. - [Tammy] Yeah.

- How are you? - I'm alright.

Oh, these things, you know?

Well, you must feel relieved that it's all over.

Yeah.

Listen, uh...

I'm sorry we weren't able to give you

the same closure with Luke.

[footsteps receding]

I'm gonna head off too.

Okay, then.

- [Andie] See ya, mate. - See ya. [sighs]

[uneasy music]

[vehicle engine revving]

[brakes squeaking]

[Nash] Dyson!

- Get back in your car, mate. - I'm not your mate.

This isn't the time or place. Get back in your car!

- Did you kill him? - What are you talking about?

- Put him down like a dog? - Who?! What...

- Am I next? - Nash, that is enough!

- That's enough?! Am I next? - You're outside a church.

- He threatened me and my dad! - Calm down! I know you're upset.

But for God's sake, you're in front of a church!

Sam, get in your car and go home.

Go!

You cops are all the same.

Do nothin' about the real crims.

[footsteps thudding]

[car door opens]

[door shuts]

Follow me back to the station.

Nash? Yes?

Yes.

[slow mysterious music]

[door shuts]

I'm sorry it ended the way it did with your dad.

[clears throat softly]

[pages rustling]

[Andie sighs] He left a note.

This is it.

[Nash scoffs]

It's bullshit.

In what way?

For starters, he wouldn't apologise

to anyone, especially me.

What makes you think he knocked himself off...

..when he was chasing someone for money?

How do you know that?

He told me.

Did he say who or what it was for?

Nup.

[sombre music]

What makes you think Sam Dyson killed him?

He's hassled us ever since I got out of prison.

He told me to my face he would put both of us down like dogs.

What am I supposed to think?

- [phones ringing] - [low chattering]

[sighs]

[footsteps approaching]

You got a minute, Sarge?

Oh, yeah.

Remember the remains found on Timbertop near Novak's car?

What about it?

Mansfield police found a matching skull.

It has a bullet hole, point-blank range.

[uneasy music builds]

Sam!

Sam?

In here!

Guess whose skull turned up.

What?

Michael Novak's.

Novak?

This is not death by misadventure.

This bloke didn't accidentally run off a cliff.

This was point-blank execution.

Did you shoot him?

No! Of course not!

What... I don't know how he got shot!

I mean, it doesn't make any sense.

I wouldn't do something like that!

Well, come on, Andie. You know me!

[sombre piano music]

Actually... I don't.

- [door opens] - Andie!

- Andie! - [door closes]

[wind whistling]

Where were you on Wednesday night around 10pm?

Asleep.

Can anyone verify that?

My pillow.

Did you unlawfully enter the Meridian Ridge Mine

with the intent to damage equipment?

Course not.

You recently had an altercation with Mitch Hamilton...

Well, that's because he's an entitled prick

who thinks he owns the town and everyone in it.

[knocking at door]

Thanks, Reza.

[door opens and closes]

You the good cop or the bad cop?

Depends. [sighs]

I'm fluid like that.

Mitch is spinning his usual shit.

There was a witness.

One of Mitch's dogs? They'll say anything.

[solemn music]

Ben?

Said he saw you damaging equipment.

Is that true?

[breathes shakily]

[inhales]

You will be charged with unlawful trespass

and criminal damage.

You'll get a letter regarding your court hearing.

Hey. Take care.

Can you, uh, write up the brief, please?

What's up?

[Stella] We got the forensics report back on Jax Mason.

Some things don't add up.

Okay.

[Stella] Angle of the bullet,

the way the gun would've had to be held...

Doesn't fit with a self-inflicted wound.

[Andie] Okay.

[footsteps receding]

[lock clicks, door opens]

[door closes]

[unsettling music]

[knocking overhead]

[knocking continues]

[unsettling music continues]

[cupboard door squeaks]

[Glenn] Hmm.

[soft pensive music]

[Glenn sighs]

[Helen] There you go.

- Ah. Ta. - Receipt.

You must be pleased to be heading home.

You pulled a swifty on me, didn't ya?

That day when I found you in my room.

"Turn-down service."

And you know what?

I figured out what it was.

You got the hots for me.

[chuckles]

Yeah. You got me there, Glenn.

Mm-hm.

[Helen chuckles]

Such a beautiful woman.

Too good for this place. You know that?

Anyway...

..gonna leave my card, so, um...

..if ever you want to talk about, you know, anything...

[disquieting piano music]

[Glenn clears throat]

[door opens]

[door closes]

[music darkens]

[knocking at door]

- Here you go, Sarge. - Legend.

- Mmm. - One of those nights?

There's an update on the Timbertop skull.

[Andie] Right.

The skull's definitely a DNA match with the remains.

- But it's not Michael Novak. - Who is it?

Dental records ID a Stuart Frost.

Who the hell is Stuart Frost?

Some small-time drug dealer from Wangaratta.

Went missing about five years ago.

Okay. Thanks.

We still on for our meeting?

Nash was one of the last people to see Jax alive.

He said his dad was going to Queensland to lay low,

but first he had to meet someone who owed him money.

Sounds like something the main suspect would say.

Um, Nash is certainly in the mix, but let's assume

he's telling the truth before we pick it apart.

What if Jax was hired to murder the Gilmours?

Maybe he was going to collect.

Yeah, there was no money in the car,

but maybe they reneged on the payment.

Or they killed Jax to shut him up,

took the money, made it look like suicide.

Hm, so we're looking for someone who has motive

to want Tom Gilmour dead and the means to pay for it.

And is connected to Jax in some way.

Well, that could be anyone.

Mikey K.

Tom dead means one less rival in the chop-chop trade.

He's got an alibi for the night of the murders,

but he's got a crew that could do it for him.

And who's the link between Mikey K and Jax?

[all] Nash.

Yeah, he was in prison with a couple of Mikey's boys.

Mm, would Nash recommend Jax as a hitman?

[Stella] Well, I wouldn't, but I'd like to think

I'm a tad more reasonable than Nash Mason.

So let's see if we can find a direct link

with Mikey K and Jax other than Nash.

Good job, you two.

['Blak Matriarchy' by Barkaa plays]

[phone buzzing]

Your dad's calling again.

[buzzing stops]

[knocking at door]

[door opens]

[Helen] Hey, Owen.

He's downstairs with Kirra.

[Owen] Thanks.

[door closes]

[Kirra] What are you doing?

[door closes]

[music stops]

Hey, Kirra.

Hey.

Hey, Ben, open the door, please.

Come on. I just want to talk. Please?

Look. I know I stuffed up.

Just open the door, please? Come on, son.

I just want to put this shit behind us and start over.

Please?

Dad, fuck off.

[door shuts]

[Owen knocking] Son?

I'm sorry.

That's okay.

- I'll keep an eye on him. - Yeah. Thanks, Helen. See ya.

['Blak Matriarchy' resumes playing]

[faint radio chatter]

[phones ringing in distance]

Mikey K and Jax had a connection.

Mikey's housekeeper says Jax

did a job at his vineyard six months ago.

Apparently he tried to clear a paddock full of rocks...

..with explosives.

While Mikey hooned around on a bobcat.

[Stella] Miracle they're both still alive.

Let's go see Mikey.

Man the fort.

[pensive music]

[Stella] You're a great boss.

You give lots of encouragement. You're calm in a crisis.

[chuckles] It's the uniform.

Off-duty, I'm all over the place.

I'm the opposite.

Well, you've been through a... pretty rough patch.

Don't be so hard on yourself.

If anything, I'm less confident as I go along.

I'm just...

..I'm just always afraid I'm gonna make the wrong call.

You know, questioning things,

being aware of what you don't know,

how you might do things better...

I reckon that's what makes a bloody good cop.

[Andie] How's things, Mikey?

[Mikey] Thanks for your concern, Andie. I'm doing alright.

[Stella] Bet you're missing those Louis Vuitton trackies.

Is she flirting with me?

- I doubt it. - That's a shame.

Did you hire Jax to get rid of the Gilmours?

Oh, now you're definitely flirting with me.

Did you have Jax killed?

- Now, why would I do that? - [Stella] Two birds, one stone.

You stop Jax from talking, you keep the money.

I'm flattered, Andie...

It's Sergeant Whitford.

Could we have a minute, please?

I am flattered, Sergeant Whitford,

that you think that I'd be gangster enough

to pull something like that off.

But...?

Even if I wanted to kill Tom -

and kudos to whoever did it, he was a massive knobhead -

I'd be batshit crazy to do it with his brother in the mix.

Are you saying Glenn Gilmour knew about Tom's business?

I am saying that my lawyers told me to keep my powder dry.

But fuck it.

Glenn Gilmour's as corrupt as they come.

Not only knew what his brother was up to, but he protected him.

And then he took care of the competition one by one.

- Sounds like sour grapes. - Damn right sour grapes.

He planted Em's scarf in my car, then he used you to bust me.

[uneasy music]

[whispering] We've both been played, Andie.

[Mikey whistles]

[uneasy music continues]

- [brakes squeak] - [handbrake clicks]

[car door shuts]

[Andie chuckles]

[Lynne] Hey! I'm not mucking around.

I told you if you come around again, I'll put a bullet in ya!

Hey, Lynne, it's Sergeant Whitford!

I'm here with Senior Constable Cross!

Sorry about that.

Yeah. Some dealer's hassling me.

Showed me some stupid gaming app on his phone

Finn used to order drugs.

You want a coffee?

We're right, thanks.

He says Finn owes him money.

I have to deal with this shit as well as everything else.

We'll look into it for you.

We wanted to ask you a few questions

about Tom's chop-chop business.

What about it?

Can you confirm if his brother Glenn knew about it?

If I answer, will you drop some of the charges?

We can't do that,

but it would go down favourably with the judge if you cooperate.

I don't know how much he knew.

He was around a lot - in the office with Tom,

knock-off beers with the drivers after work around the firepit...

When was the last time you saw Glenn there?

A while ago. He stopped coming around a few months back.

Oh, Tom was all shitty too.

They had a falling out, I reckon.

Do you know what over?

The boys say it's probably money.

Has this got anything to do with Finn?

There's nothing to connect Glenn to the death of your son.

I've been running around, blaming everyone under the sun.

But it's me.

[scoffs] I was a shit mum.

It wasn't your fault, Lynne.

[Lynne] Yeah, it is.

I wasn't here when he needed me.

Away on long hauls

while he was getting up to god-knows-what with his mates.

[solemn music]

Now my son's dead

and I'm talking to the cops about the drug deals he made,

like that's normal.

Like chop-chop and crooked detectives

and... and dealers stalking me is normal.

It's not normal, Andie.

Get you that coffee, eh?

[solemn music continues]

[people chattering cheerfully]

You've really got such a good eye, kiddo.

I really love the framing of that one.

Aren't the frames all the same?

[chuckles softly] He's talking about the composition.

Oh!

- Hey. - Mm!

[mumbling] Oh, my God. Jenny's cake is phenomenal.

Congratulations on all this.

Yeah. Not bad, is it?

They're a talented bunch.

Especially this one. [kisses]

What?

No, I just thought Ben would be here by now.

I love this one.

It, uh, looks like tiles on the Opera House.

- [Sam and Helen chuckle] - It's a dead fish, actually.

Did I catch it?

It was on the bank.

When people catch carp, they usually just leave it there.

Nah, not carp.

I think you'll find that this is actually a rainbow trout.

You see, if you look at the scales there...

There's Jenny. I just have to thank her.

Oh, me too.

Mansplaining - works every time.

- Is that the file? - Certainly is.

Let's go in the back.

[Andie] That skull wasn't Novak's after all.

Sorry for doubting you.

[grunts] More importantly,

who the hell is Stuart Frost?

Some dealer who went missing five years ago.

There is something else I want to run by you...

..about Glenn Gilmour.

He knew about Tom's tobacco business.

He was the one getting rid of the competition.

Apparently they had a falling out, maybe over money.

What are you saying?

[lowers voice] What if it was Glenn who hired Jax

and then killed him to cover his tracks?

[Sam exhales]

[huffs] That's a big call.

You're gonna need to tie Glenn to Jax to make that one stick.

I mean, this isn't some low-life dealer from Wang.

Mm, I know.

Look.

I've been down this road before.

I've had all my ducks in a row.

Somehow or another, Glenn's managed to wriggle free.

Been hunting me ever since.

Are you telling me not to look into it?

No, no. Just...

[inhales]

He sure as hell will not go quietly.

One misstep...

..you've fucked your career.

[car lock beeps]

[uneasy music]

[sighs]

[knocking on window]

[window winding down]

[Glenn] Pretty weird stuff in there.

Thought you'd be back in Benalla by now.

Oh, no, I decided to take a few weeks off, actually.

Hired a houseboat on the lake there.

Mm?

I heard you ran into Mikey K today.

Amazing how word travels.

Well...

..when you've been around as long as we have,

you have a guard at every gate.

Anything of interest?

Ah, you know what he's like.

Keeps his cards close to his well-groomed chest.

Makes sense he's back on your radar.

Sounds like you're on the right track there, Sergeant.

We'll see.

Okay, then, I won't hold ya up.

[engine starts up]

[uneasy music continues]

[vehicle departs]

Glenn Gilmour's still heavily invested in this case

and has mates everywhere,

so I need absolute discretion.

No mention of Glenn in any online reports.

Handwritten notes only for now.

- Is that understood? - [both] Yes, Sarge.

Where are we at, Rez?

Jax has a pretty extensive criminal history,

but Glenn wasn't involved in any of his convictions.

What about investigations that didn't end in a conviction?

None, according to his file.

Nash said he made a complaint to police

about Jax when he was young,

but nothing happened.

It's not in here. Why?

[Reza] No idea.

Maybe he went to a different station.

Call Mansfield and see if they've got a report

on Nash's complaint around 30 years ago.

[eerie music]

[man] That's everything we have on it.

- Yep. - Not much else on file.

- I'm sorry we couldn't do more. - [sighs]

Let us know if you need anything else.

Okay. Thanks.

Nash's statement was taken by a young constable,

but it never made it into the database.

Why not?

There was a handwritten note at the bottom of the statement -

"Do not proceed, by order of G Gilmour, Benalla CIB."

Why the hell would Glenn intervene?

Mm, get me everything Benalla was investigating at the time,

12 months either side.

From now on, database only, no phone calls, no emails.

[mysterious music]

Morning, Annie Leibovitz.

Hardly.

Well, you sold three pieces.

Yeah, you, Andie and Sam don't count.

- Where'd you get those? - From my students.

Aren't they gorgeous?

You look nice.

[chuckles softly] Thank you.

Ben's taking me out for lunch.

I think he feels bad about yesterday.

Oh, well...

..he'll talk about it when he's ready.

Just let him know you're there for him.

Shh!

- Hey. - Hey.

- Hey. - [Kirra kisses]

[chuckling] Sorry. I got some lip gloss on you.

No, no, it's fine.

Hey, I'm sorry I missed that thing yesterday.

No, it's okay.

I'll tell you all about it over lunch.

- What? - I was thinking...

We could save some money.

[chuckles] Surely one lunch won't hurt?

Uh, well, I'm off.

There's always the pub if you can put up with your mum.

[scoffs] Love you.

Love you.

So do you want to talk about what happened with your dad?

Ki...

I just want to have a shower, okay?

Ben?

Ben!

[shower running in distance]

[phone chimes and buzzes]

[Ben coughing in distance]

[phone buzzes repeatedly]

[uneasy music builds]

[exhales heavily]

[sighs] Wasn't shy about getting his photo taken.

I don't know how he finds time for actual policing.

[Reza] This is interesting.

A couple of months after Nash made his complaint,

Glenn made his first drug bust in the CIB.

Jax Mason is listed in an early brief as a person of interest,

but he was never prosecuted.

Maybe he was ruled out.

There's nothing in the files.

What if Glenn shut down Nash's case to use as leverage,

told Jax he would make it go away

if he informed on his crew?

Having Jax in his pocket

explains Gilmour's dream run of busts.

Yeah, we don't know that for sure,

but it's our best theory so far.

Took a lot of guts for Nash to walk into the station that day.

Yeah, all for nothing.

[Reza sighs heavily]

It was so long ago.

How the hell are we gonna prove anything?

We will.

[door opening]

Hey, I was thinking, maybe we can go down to the river,

have a swim?

What do you reckon?

Ki?

I know about the money.

What money?

[sighs] What the hell?

Is this why you've been working so much?

Because of this stupid betting thing?

Why'd you go through my phone, though?

What... How else am I supposed to know what's going on, Ben?

You don't tell me anything!

So this is the reason your dad's so upset?

You know, I really don't need this shit right now, Ki.

Ben!

Can we... can we talk about this?

- [door opens] - [Kirra sighs] Fuck.

[door closes]

[sombre piano music]

[insects chirping]

[Sam sighs]

[unsettling music builds]

28th of August?

28th...

Oh, Jesus.

Yep.

- Take a look at this. - [sighs] I'll be there in 20.

- Sorry, Sarge. - [Andie] Thanks, Rez.

You've got two minutes and it better be worth my while.

[Sam] Look at these dates. This can't be a coincidence.

What am I looking at?

The statement of Luke Samson's father.

Not this again.

Listen!

Now, Craig said that he and Luke were camping at Timbertop.

They left because Luke was upset by gunshots

after seeing a deer hunter.

Now, this was on the 28th of August, 2021 -

the same day that Stuart Frost went missing.

Luke disappeared the very next day,

29th of August!

So?

So what if it wasn't a deer hunter that Luke saw?

What if it was the murder of Stuart Frost?

Sam...

And then the murderer comes after Luke.

I mean, it's... it's too much of a coincidence!

I've got enough on my plate without adding a cold case.

[sighs] The cases are linked, for God's sake.

I'm out for the rest of the day.

And do not annoy my officers!

[intriguing music]

What have you got, Whitford?

A lot of questions only you can answer.

Well, I'm going fishing.

Why didn't you tell me that Jax was your informant?

Obviously there's no formal record of it.

That would take the shine off you

being the, uh, hotshot young detective.

Dunno about young, but definitely hotshot.

You were protecting him.

So what?

Got results, didn't it? That's what we're here for.

You lied to me about what you knew about Tom's business.

I know you and your brother had a falling out.

Mikey K is hardly a credible source.

Oh, it was over chop-chop money?

Oh, yeah, everything's over chop-chop money.

It's all about the chop-chop, isn't it?

It was over jewellery.

My brother was the executor of my mother's will.

He took all the good stuff.

Yeah, you must have been close.

It was my mother.

Did you hire Jax to threaten Tom,

but it all went horribly wrong?

And did you kill Jax because of it?

[low tense music]

Tread very carefully, Sergeant.

Good luck fishin'. I hope you catch somethin'.

[Glenn] Yeah, you too!

[tense music continues]

[vehicle approaching]

Hey.

Going on country for a bit.

Need to clear my head.

Didn't want you lot to think I'd scarpered.

Mm-hm.

Can you feed the horses for me?

Of course.

Thanks.

[phone chimes]

- [chuckles softly] - [phone whooshes]

[tense pulsating music builds]

[insects chirping]

[exhales deeply]

[knocking overhead]

[voice whispering] Andie!

[soft plaintive vocalisations]

- [knocking at door] - [vocalisations stop]

[Stella] It's just me, boss.

[Stella] I was going through Finn's phone,

looking for any contact with a dealer, to help Lynne out.

He was using the gaming app Clinker to buy his drugs,

but he was also messaging other people through it.

This is in the week before he died.

Who's this 'OMG' person?

I think it's Emily Gilmour.

'Em G' are her initials and her birthdate is the 17th of June.

'OMG1706'.

Look at the last message she sends

the day before the murders.

[Andie reads] "I'm coming up tomorrow.

"Need to see you. I've got proof."

Proof of what?

Whatever it was, it was big enough stakes

to message it on an encrypted app.

[enigmatic music]

We've been looking at this all wrong.

Tom and Sarah weren't the targets.

What if it was always Emily and Finn?

[rummaging]

[taps keyboard]

[clicks]

Jesus.

Hah!

Glenn Gilmour.

I knew it!

[unsettling music swells]

I got you, you bastard.

[slow mysterious music]

Captions produced by Access Media Pty Ltd