Original subtitles

[ Siren wailing, bell ringing ]

[ Mid-tempo music plays ]

♪ Nothing happens here ♪

♪ Each and every day ♪

♪ It's just another day ♪

♪ I've got everything that a man can need ♪

♪ Lucky in my own way ♪

[ Siren wailing ]

♪ Days are rolling ♪

♪ Days are rolling by ♪

♪ See them in the corner of my eye ♪

♪ Days are rolling ♪

♪ Days are rolling by ♪

♪ Rolling from the sea into the sky ♪

Well done, mate. I'll take over.

He just collapsed about... quarter of an hour ago.

He's got a bad heart.

Rom, grab the defib out of the truck.

Here it is.

Nice work, Rog.

Let's give him a bit of air.

[ Defibrillator humming ]

- Okay. - Clear!

[ Thud ]

[ Music continues ]

♪ There's no way to know ♪

♪ What's around the bend ♪

♪ On the twisted, turning road ♪

♪ It's out of our hands ♪

♪ It's out of our hands ♪

Again?

I'm calling it.

♪ It's out of our hands ♪

What the hell are you planning on doing with that?

I...

Idiot.

Geez, Warren.

WARREN: As it happens, I live close by.

It's just over there. I could be back in a jiffy.

Well, just hurry it up.

Thanks, Steve.

Captain Bayliss to you.

[ Birds chirping ]

Hi. I'm Romily. I'm deputy, BVFB.

Uh, Kristin. CIB.

You've probably seen one of our calendars, eh?

Uh, n-no. I don't know what you're talking about.

- Oh, yeah. Sure, you don't. - Sorry about that.

New recruit.

Captain Steve Bayliss.

Detective Kristin Sims.

Warren's funeral company

is on call for you guys this week, so he --

he's just nicked off to get the hearse to pick up the body.

Okay. That has got to be a first.

No, it's not, actually. Bloody amateur.

It's not Warren's fault he's got a day job.

We all do.

Unless you want to start paying us, boss.

Oh, but then you'd miss out on the enormous pride

of being a volunteer for your community.

Uh, I'm sorry it wasn't a better outcome.

Yeah, me too.

The man clearly had a heart attack.

A bit of overkill for you to be here, isn't it, Detective?

Well, the uniform branch are a bit stretched

with a spate of burglaries.

So lucky you. You get royalty.

- [ Radio beeps ] - Go ahead. Over.

MAN: There's a barn fire reported at Randall's Farm.

- Are you K22? - Copy that.

We're K1 to Randall's Farm now. Over.

Captain!

- I'll wait for the hearse. - Nice one.

- Hey. - Hi.

This is last year's one, but doubt you'll mind, eh?

You're welcome!

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

[ Engine idling ]

[ Engine revs ]

Oh, my God.

Bugle and Hornblower Funeral Services.

Your death is my business. Warren speaking. How can I help?

I see. Could you please hold?

Well, well.

- [ Siren wailing ] - What do we have here?

[ Music continues ]

Guess the horses bolted for you blokes --

and for the lasses.

STEVE: Well, you did the right thing calling.

There's still some dangerous hot ashes in there.

Suppose you think it was an insurance job.

- Is it? - Not worth insuring.

It's full of bloody borer.

For the record, I wasn't here last night.

Found it when I got back this morning.

It'll be kids. Teenagers.

They're always bloody lurking around,

trying to find a place to drink or smoke their pot.

And shagging. Always bloody shagging.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

Chief? I've got a body.

Oh, sweet Jesus.

[ Music continues ]

I already told Steve. I wasn't on the farm last night.

Okay. Thanks.

Aren't you gonna ask me where I was?

Where were you?

I was across town. Hooked up with a lady friend.

- Good on you, Doug. - Yeah.

She took me to this exhibition in the city.

Fella by the name of Van Gogh.

- Right. - Or it might be Van Go.

But he's an interesting bugger.

He whipped off his ear in a hissy fit.

Yeah. I believe so.

Yeah. I knew a sheep shearer did the same thing.

Whipped it off with a blade.

Reckon the bleating was getting to him.

Course, it was the same noise,

just twice as loud, in the other ear.

- STEVE: Hey, Mike! - Uh, got to go, Doug.

Blaze was seated in what looks like a cooking fire.

How can you tell what anything was?

Well, I've seen enough of them.

You see the burn pattern here

that spreads out from the center?

I reckon someone was squatting here.

I reckon they cooked dinner, fell asleep,

and the fire took off.

And they never woke up?

Well, probably out of it. Maybe drugs.

- Yeah, or booze. - [ Down-tempo music plays ]

There you go.

That's the usual case, unfortunately.

And a dry old barn like this would have burned quick and hot.

What a way to go.

Well, smoke's what gets them first usually.

And if that's the case, they just drift off.

I reckon it's almost peaceful. [ Chuckles ]

I'll take your word for it.

Chief! We've got a K55 on the other side of town.

Should we respond?

STEVE: A cat up a tree is not a priority right now, Romily.

Yeah. Totally. Hundred percent.

- It's just it's also a K66. - The tree is on fire?

Christ. Let's go.

Sorry to do this again.

Yeah. No. You save that cat.

I'm afraid I won't be able to join you on this one.

Obviously I'm needed here, so...

Yeah, thank God.

So make yourself useful for once.

Monitor any flare-ups. Think you can handle that?

No problem, Captain Bayliss.

They're a great bunch.

Very dedicated.

Warren, the golfer -- He's not still in your car, is he?

Oh, that would be unprofessional. No, no.

I've handed him off to my new 2IC, Dougal.

He's en route to the mortuary as we speak.

Oh. Busy day for you, then.

Busy, busy. Mustn't grumble.

Sorry.

SIMS: [ Clears throat ]

Hello there. I don't know your name.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

Ah.

Sims, take a look at this.

Is it some sort of dummy?

SHEPHERD: Look, something's come up,

but I'll come around to yours when I'm done.

I'll, uh, bring a wine.

BETH: I've got wine here.

No. I'll surprise you with something from the cellar.

- Talk soon. - BETH: Bye.

Um, you never break out the fancy cellar wine for me.

Does this mean Beth's staying in town for good?

Yeah, but we're, uh, still keeping it casual.

It's early days.

Oh. Well, I wouldn't wait too long.

You're no spring chicken.

W-What sort of chicken would you say I am?

Oh...mid-autumn?

[ Music continues ]

All I'm saying is I'm in no hurry

to make any big decisions.

Okay. So I shouldn't listen out for the sound

of distant wedding bells?

That ship has sailed too many times already.

Yeah. Four, wasn't it?

Or was it five?

Ah! The intrepid search goes on.

- Any breakthroughs? - Not yet.

But these are the latest priceless items to go missing.

Thrilling stuff.

What kind of sick individual targets innocent

and defenseless ceramic dogs?

Mind if we borrow the board?

Hell no. It's all yours.

- What you got? - SIMS: Two deaths.

One a man in his 60s at the golf course...

...and an unidentified victim of a barn fire at Randall's Farm.

The golf course was a suspected heart attack, so not suspicious.

Yeah. And the fire victim looks to be accidental too.

But it's odd, though.

There was a-a life-sized dummy found nearby.

Mm. That is odd.

SIMS: What's even odder is the on-call undertaker this week

is Warren Bugle,

who also happens to be a new recruit

of the Brokenwood Volunteer Fire Brigade --

the same fire brigade

that attended both callouts this morning.

- Lucky run. - Well, exactly.

CHALMERS: Except Bugle was on call for that homicide

two months ago, wasn't he?

Yeah, and the one down at the beach.

And I believe he was on call for the hiker death in March

out at Tahuna Point.

Well, that's a very lucky run.

[ Music continues ]

- SIMS: Wow. - [ Classical music playing ]

Warren Bugle's certainly upped his game.

Almost...classy.

Ah.

Not quite classy.

Hello?

Hi. Uh, DSS Mike Shepherd. Detective Sims.

Uh, is Warren around?

Uh, he's out. Not sure when he'll be back.

- I'm Dougal. - Ah.

The place has been done up lately.

Mm. Warren invested a lot in the business recently.

Uh, premium coffins, eco-funeral packages.

He got me in to help carry the load.

Oh, I also play the bass guitar,

which works well with Warren's saxophone

as a live music combo we offer as part of any service.

What's an eco-funeral package?

Oh, it's great.

Uh, we bury you in, like, a sort of egg made of cardboard,

with fertilizer and nutrients and...stuff

and eventually, you just grow into a tree.

Is that...legal?

DOUGAL: It should be.

Uh, pretty legal. Yeah.

No one's bought one yet, though.

SIMS: What about the T-shirts?

DOUGAL: No, not a single one.

We've found people aren't really in the mood to buy T-shirts.

I can't imagine why.

I think it's because they're usually here

to bury a loved one.

No, I um... Yeah.

Fair to say that business has been good lately?

Mm. Has been busy.

[ Clears throat ]

Oh.

- What happened there? - Uh, nothing.

Just a bird. [ Chuckles softly ] Sorry.

You actually just caught me in the middle of an embalming.

I shouldn't leave it too long.

Things tend to...sink.

You should get back to that.

I'll tell Warren you called.

[ Music continues ]

I quite like the idea of my body turning into a tree.

Like a mighty pohutukawa.

Mm. Maybe I'd like to be part of a vineyard.

Reverend!

Wow. Yuck.

I'll be steering clear of that vintage.

I always have trouble getting my baguettes to fit in the basket.

We saw your better half this morning.

Yeah. Didn't realize you were dating a hunky firefighter.

Yes. Roger has really taken to it.

I think after years of psychiatry,

he's enjoying doing something more physical.

Mm. And you must love the uniform too.

[ Chuckles ]

It's rather striking, I'll admit.

Now, I don't wish to speak ill of a local business,

but if you're thinking of using Warren Bugle Funerals,

it might be worth shopping around.

Really? Why is that?

Roger's mother passed recently,

and the embalming job that the new embalmer did on her

was quite terrible.

She resembled Herman Munster.

Well, did you complain?

Roger wrote a stern letter of complaint to Warren

and refused to pay the bill.

Roger got quite an abusive letter back,

touting Mr. Hornblower

as a man at the top of his professional game.

We decided to agree to disagree.

Just thought you should know.

Good day, detectives.

Thanks. See you.

Gina. She wants me.

Of course she does.

Mustn't keep your new bestie waiting.

Don't be jealous.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

They've gone.

[ Exhales deeply ] Jolly good.

I told them you were out.

Yes. Quite.

Well done.

Well, back to it, eh?

Thirty-two minutes.

Not bad.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

Oh, Kristin. Thank you for coming so quick.

Of course. So, uh, the golfer.

A routine heart attack. Very dull.

But I need you to know I have been the victim of a hit job.

A -- Um, sorry. A what?

That new embalmer.

Oh, you mean Dougal?

When he delivered this body earlier today,

he was hitting me.

A-Are you saying that Dougal Hornblower assaulted you?

KADINSKY: Yes. He was very salty.

Just here.

[ Russian accent ] Nyet problem.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

[ Speaking Russian ]

Uh... [ Speaking Russian slowly ]

I look like a tired and lonely old cow?

Uh... [ Clears throat ]

[ Speaking Russian slowly ]

[ Music continues ]

KADINSKY: He was trying to tell me I looked lovely.

Right. So he was hitting on you.

Silly man.

Well, t-the other way of looking at it is you could be flattered.

Embalmers are not as clever as they think they are.

It's all formaldehyde, formaldehyde,

formaldehyde with them.

Have you had a chance to look at the fire victim?

I just was about to start.

I think male, but even that is hard to tell yet.

This is going to be much more of a fun challenge.

Rather you than me.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

What's that?

KADINSKY: What is left of his trousers.

And what color would you say that was originally?

They've been darkened by the fire,

but it looks to be a tough sort of fabric.

[ Cellphone beeps ]

Mike, I think the victim was wearing a firefighter's uniform.

[ Up-tempo music plays ]

Really get into those mud guards there, Sean.

Maybe you could actually help, Romily.

[ Music continues ]

[ Door closes ]

Detectives!

We're just giving Big Brenda a bit of a scrub.

SIMS: Big Brenda?

Oh, it's what we call our fire engine.

I actually think it looks a little bit more like a Maureen,

but whatevs.

Everything okay?

Yeah. We need to talk to Steve Bayliss.

- Is he around? - Oh.

Um, he's in the showers, washing off some fire retardant.

Anything I can I help with? I'm deputy.

We're trying to identify the barn-fire victim.

Sorry. The images are quite graphic.

Oh, please. We have seen it all.

I mean, a few months back, we had this horrific car accident,

and the inside was just completely --

Yeah. So, does this look like a firefighter's uniform to you?

Um, okay. We don't really call it that.

We call it turnout gear, but, um...

Sean?

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

This is the victim from that Randall Farm fire.

What does that look like to you?

Heavy. Looks like ours.

Yeah. That looks legit.

So I-I guess the next question is...

Are you missing any firefighters?

Yeah. So, we're all volunteers around here, apart from Steve.

He's a career guy.

Sean and Claudia out the front,

they're married, if you can believe that.

And then we've got Rog -- Hey, Rog!

He's our station officer.

He's new, and he's pretty old, but he's a good sort.

And then there's Steve and me, and that's the whole team.

And Warren?

He's a new recruit. He's still on probation.

He's not really, like, part of the team, you know?

He's a weird guy.

You haven't seen him, have you?

Um, no. Not since this morning.

He's probably out shirking his duties.

Probably thinks I haven't noticed, but I have.

Oh. Yeah. Here we are.

Uh, it's all here.

We keep a pretty close eye on this stuff

because it's freakin' expensive like you wouldn't believe.

Like, how much would you say this costs?

- No idea. - Yeah, but if you had to guess.

Maybe just tell me.

Four grand each.

Whole turnout kit -- 13 grand.

Mad, eh?

So it wouldn't be easy to get hold of one?

Nah. Not around here.

It's weird, though, eh?

There was also some kind of dummy found in the wreckage.

ROMILY: Dummy?

- [ Bell ringing, alarm blaring ] - Oh. Sorry, guys.

Got to go. Um, do you want to watch me slide the pole?

It doesn't actually go anywhere, but, you know,

I got it put in for station morale.

You know, firefighters. Got to have the pole and all.

- No. Thanks. - Uh, no.

Maybe another time.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

The victim was male, above average height, average build.

Cause of death is still being confirmed,

but smoke inhalation is the likely candidate.

He was also possibly intoxicated when he died.

There was also a bicycle

found in the wreckage along with the dummy.

CHALMERS: He was sleeping rough with a dummy as company --

...wearing an expensive firefighter's uniform.

He lights a fire to cook something,

drinks himself to sleep, and never wakes up?

Any missing-persons reports?

CHALMERS: Uh, none in the last few months.

And without knowing who we we're trying to look for,

we can't try and match dental records or DNA.

Any other identifying features?

Um, Gina sent this through.

Looks like a sliver of a tattoo on the upper right thigh.

CHALMERS: What is that? A leaf?

Looks like a paw.

Maybe a cat's paw.

Oh, my God.

Uh, just hang on a second.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

[ Keys jingling, lock clicks ]

Here.

Look at this.

Ah. You want to hang that up in here?

What? No.

Romily forced it on me.

Oh. Forced it on you. No judgment here.

Well, I only glanced at it, but I'm sure that somewhere here...

Wait. Was that Sean two months in a row?

Yeah. He's actually in here six times.

Oh. Six times, you say?

I thought you only glanced at it.

Would you two just calm down? Look.

Nice work.

[ Cellphone rings, beeps ]

Mike Shepherd.

STEVE: Steve Bayliss.

The body. I know who it is.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

STEVE: Martyn Travers.

Yeah.

So, after Romily told me that you'd found the turnout gear,

I...I had this feeling.

It's him, isn't it?

We don't have a positive ID yet.

Uh, Romily didn't seem to think any of your crew were missing.

Martyn's not part of the crew. Not anymore.

No, he left early last year.

Left Brokenwood -- Well, left the country, I heard.

Yeah. It was after that, uh, fire at Hinch Road.

[ Dramatic music plays, scream echoes ]

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

We all heard about that.

Um, about the turnout gear.

Martyn and I didn't part company on the best of terms,

so when he left, he took the turnout gear with him.

I had to replace it out of my own pocket.

I didn't tell the team because I was a bit embarrassed.

Do you mind elaborating on "best terms"?

After that fire, Martyn started drinking on the job.

Well, that's immediate dismissal, unfortunately.

I mean, Martyn had his problems,

but before that, he was a damn good volunteer.

And they are bloody hard to find.

I mean, my crew at the moment -- Geez.

Do you have any idea why Martyn came back to Brokenwood?

Other than to hit the pubs, no.

Uh, this was found next to the body.

Do you recognize it?

I do.

I need to check something.

[ Cellphone rings, beeps ]

- Can I get back to you? - Of course.

- [ Down-tempo music plays ] - Gina.

Hey, uh, head to the Snake and Tiger.

See if Trudy's seen this guy hanging around

over the last few days.

Yeah. On it.

Once we have this Martyn Travers' dental records,

- I will do a comparison. - SHEPHERD: Thank you, Gina.

- KADINSKY: No problem, Mike. - [ Cellphone chimes ]

The cause of death, it's smoke inhalation, as we thought.

Better way of going than being burned to a crisp.

[ Cellphone chimes ]

And we are still waiting on toxicology,

but alcohol looks to be a factor.

- Mm. That would be a matchup. - [ Cellphone chimes ]

Uh, do you need to check that?

No.

Is everything okay?

[ Chiming continues ]

Now, this is what I want to show you.

I found it inside the mouth.

That's why it's not burned.

I think probably the victim tried to use it as a mask.

So that means he was conscious when the smoke overcame him,

not passed out because of intoxication?

- Yes, it would. - [ Cellphone ringing ]

Chalmers.

Martyn Travers was seen drinking with someone we know.

This Dougal man,

he keeps sending me picture of his organ.

What? You mean he's sending you pictures of his --

Liver, heart, lungs. Yes.

Embalmers are not supposed to touch other people's organs.

That's my job.

But he's pretending he's a big shot.

He thinks it will make me want to have dinner with him.

Embalmers. So transparent.

And could you pick up one of their T-shirts on the way?

- Thanks. - [ Cellphone beeps ]

- Uh, we need to go. - Yeah.

[ Clears throat ]

[ Cellphone chimes ]

STEVE: The game's in a fortnight, all right?

And I do not want us to come last again.

So let's see some action. And that means you.

- On your marks. Get set. - [ Whistle blows ]

Go, go, go! You can do it! Come on!

- Good! - Come on! Come on! Come on!

You've been giving us quite the runaround, haven't you?

- Have I? - Uh, we need to talk --

down at the station.

Can it wait until tomorrow?

- Afraid not. - You know what they say.

Tomorrow never comes.

I mean...

Why don't we, uh, give you a lift, save you the trouble?

Am I under arrest?

Not yet.

WARREN: How long is this gonna take?

I've got a funeral tomorrow morning, and I need my vehicle.

Well, we just have a few questions,

and then we'll drop you back to the station.

SHEPHERD: Have you seen Martyn Travers recently?

I don't know who that is.

He was your predecessor at the fire station.

Right. Martyn. Yes.

I've never been great with names.

My Grandfather Janine was the same.

It's a family thing.

Your grandfather was called Janine?

Actually, when I think about it, no. He was James.

Janine was my uncle.

Yeah. O-Okay.

Uh, we believe that Martyn was the victim

found at the Randall farm this morning.

I see.

Have you met him?

Well, I think I'd remember if I had.

So you weren't drinking with him last night

at the Snake and Tiger?

[ Indistinct conversations ]

DOUG: What the hell is this?

An invitation to peace of mind.

Peace of mind, my arse.

I can think of better places to be.

Keep an eye on this clown.

[ Mid-tempo music playing ]

Heathens.

[ Chuckles ] Oh! A fellow firefighter.

- Evening. - Do I know you?

I'm a new recruit myself. Let me buy you a drink.

Trina?

My name's not Trina.

I'll have a black Russian, uh, with milk,

and my comrade here will have --

No, no, no. I'm all right. I'm on the waters.

- Ah. - [ Liquid sloshing ]

Oi!

I think you've had enough free waters for one day.

Out you go.

I'm going. I'm going. I'm going.

Oh, that guy?

Yeah. Yeah. Well...

Yeah, I may -- I may have run into him.

So not good with names or faces.

Well, he didn't look like this.

He -- He looked unwell.

Not long for this world, if you know what I mean.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

Do you have a helmet?

WARREN: He got on his bike and left.

- That was it? - Yeah.

So if we pulled CCTV footage

from outside the Snake and Tiger,

that's exactly what we would see?

Yes. One hundred percent.

Well, maybe not...exactly.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

I might have given him a lift?

Might have?

[ Music continues ]

Comrade! Come on. Let me you a lift.

- Where are you headed? - I'm fine.

[ Thud, metal clattering ]

WARREN: I was just trying to help a comrade in need.

[ Music continues ]

I drove to the funeral parlor.

[ Martyn snoring ]

Uh, no. Please.

Please don't do that.

J-- Uh...

Someone's in here.

A sad lack of decorum.

Then what happened?

He rode away.

So you were possibly the last person

to see Martyn Travers alive.

If you say so.

Any thoughts from the family about the funeral?

I doubt that they'd want a cremation, would they?

A bit on the nose.

Unbelievable.

SHEPHERD: This cloth was found in Martyn's mouth.

There's a letter on the fabric. Do you recognize it?

How about now?

Looks like one of your T-shirts to me.

You bought one of my shirts!

CHALMERS: In the line of duty, yes.

I told Dougal they were winners.

- How did Martyn come by one? - He must have bought it.

Even though Dougal told us you haven't actually sold any.

Oh, then -- then he must've taken it from my car.

You just said he was asleep in your car.

Then...maybe it's just one of those things.

CHALMERS: Seriously?

Ah. No.

Yes! That's right.

- [ Martyn snoring ] - He was a little whiffy.

So I gave him a fresh shirt.

You see?

A simple explanation when you think hard about it.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

And lied about seeing Martyn,

but Trudy confirmed he was drunk,

which stacks up with him dying by accident.

Other than that, what have we got?

A load of shifty behavior and the T-shirt.

He was also coincidentally the on-call undertaker

for at least four suspicious deaths in a two-month period,

so that's got to mean something.

But we can't prove he was there

when the barn burned.

In fact, we can't prove that he's done anything wrong at all.

Oh, God. Proof. Enh!

Sometimes it's just so overrated.

So we let him go?

Chalmers? Someone at the desk.

Samantha, if I remember rightly.

Sorry to come so late.

- Um, I want to report a crime. - Okay.

Threatening to kill someone is a crime, right?

It is.

Well, then I want to report that creepy funeral guy.

He's been threatening to kill my grandmother.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

[ Insects chirping ]

[ Music continues ]

Warren Bugle, you have some serious explaining to do.

But I haven't done anything!

That's not entirely true.

WARREN: I don't understand. This is an advertising document.

Unfortunately, it reads a lot like a death threat.

- How? - You literally say

that you're gonna be there when they die.

I will be. That's my job.

And you've been posting these anonymously

through elderly people's front doors.

Oh, I see.

Is this about ignoring the "no junk mail" signs?

Well, quite frankly,

it depends on how you define the term "junk."

There's been a formal complaint.

They want to press charges against you.

And there's the broken window at your funeral parlor.

Was that another unhappy customer?

The Aitchesons, probably.

Very, very difficult clients.

They better hope their house doesn't burn down.

[ Dramatic music plays ]

What did you just say?

Nothing. Nothing. It, um...

I believe you just said,

"They'd better hope their house doesn't burn down,"

- "they" being the Aitchesons. - Yeah, but --

Why would you say that, Mr. Bugle?

Because... I'm a firefighter.

Who's making a threat to property.

Who is also an undertaker.

So you are threatening property?

No, all I'm saying is...

if their house burnt down and I was busy fixing my window,

then I might not be able

to attend to their fire in good speed.

Are you suggesting there might be another fatality?

That is possible, yes.

Warren Bugle, we're gonna hold you overnight

while we investigate your threat and these other matters.

Come with me, Warren.

What? This is unbelievable!

Really? You're sure it's not just "one of those things"?

I need you to pick up the hearse from the fire station.

We have the funeral tomorrow for Mr. Higgins.

- Mrs. Higgins. - Yes. Yes.

- And then Mrs. Forsythe. - Uh, Mr. Forsythe.

WARREN: Oh, my God. Details.

Anyway, the keys are in the staff room at the station.

It needs petrol and a bit of a spruce-up,

and there may be some Chinese takeaway boxes in the footwell.

[ Whispering ] He eats in his hearse.

And you are...

I have been detained.

It's all a complete misunderstanding, of course.

I'm seeking legal counsel, and I will be out in a jiffy.

But I need you to step up, Dougal.

You can count on me.

[ Siren wailing ]

Wait, wait, wait! Wait! Wait!

[ Brakes hiss, siren stops ]

What the bloody hell?

I need to get the keys for the hearse.

Well, it's gonna have to wait, isn't it?

We got a cow emergency on our hands.

Aren't you the embalmer?

That's me.

You did my mother.

Oh, yes. I recall.

Tell you what. I'll take the hearse back myself.

- Really? - I'd be delighted.

Come on, Plummer! Stop gossiping!

- Let's go! - [ Engine revs ]

[ Siren wailing ]

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

[ Birds chirping ]

SHEPHERD: Thanks, Frodo.

I see you've gone quite minimalist today.

- Eh? - No coffee cart this morning?

Oh, yeah. Nah.

There was a coffee cart.

There's always a coffee cart, right?

Like, that's what I do.

And I set up early, like usual.

But then I made the mistake of doing what I always do --

sneaking off for a leak in the bushes before the morning rush.

But when I came back...

I mean, I know some people are desperate

for their morning coffees, but this is just way out of line.

Someone stole your coffee cart?

Yep. Just...poof!

Have you reported this to our uniform branch?

- I was just about to. - You poor thing!

Thanks.

I feel totally desecrated.

You know what, Frodo?

Despite the rude knock-back,

I love that you've just set up anywhere and carry on.

Yeah. Well, if or when I get it back,

I reckon I'll set it up somewhere inside.

I've always thought it would be great idea

to have a coffee cart but inside, you know?

More secure.

That would sort of be like a café, then, wouldn't it?

Interesting.

Never thought of it that way before.

Sharp one, this one.

Hey, um, I got to take another leak.

Could you keep an eye on my...table?

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

Poor Frodo. [ Chuckles ]

Oh. Got to put my skates on.

My shift starts in 10 minutes.

[ Smooches ]

[ Music continues ]

- Morning! - Mm.

- Got a new lead? - Yeah.

Another burglary reported last night,

including jewelry, an expensive wristwatch,

and an antique silver chamber pot.

Well, you can add Frodo's coffee cart to that list.

An entire coffee cart? Hmm. Bold.

- From? - Right under his nose.

Very bold.

Senior.

SHEPHERD: Steve.

Mike.

I hear you've arrested my rookie.

I'm afraid so.

I need to show you something.

This is from two nights ago.

That's Martyn.

He would've known the station was unattended.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

Was he trying to break in?

It's not hard if you know how. We're not a bank.

Are there any other cameras?

No.

- [ Music continues ] - SIMS: What is that?

STEVE: That is one of our rescue dummies.

We use them for live fire training.

You see, that's what tipped me off yesterday.

So I went to look, and sure enough, one of ours was missing.

So I checked the footage.

Warren didn't kill Martyn.

I did.

[ Music continues ]

The fire at Hinch Road last year.

[ Siren wailing ]

The house was halfway to Tahuna Point,

so by the time we got there, we were close to losing it.

It was already too big for one engine.

But the word was there was a family trapped inside,

and the roof couldn't last much longer.

We got this, team.

Sean, you're on the hoses with Claudia.

Rom, Martyn, we're going in.

Everyone set?

All right. Let's do it.

[ Music continues ]

[ Screaming in distance ]

Have you ever been in a burning building?

No.

The heat is unimaginable, even through the gear.

And my guys, they're volunteers, you know?

Romily's a bloody hairdresser.

But...

But they went in.

- STEVE: Yeah. - Clear!

- STEVE: Heroes. - Clear!

STEVE: We found the bedroom. Two kids.

ROMILY: Boss!

Hey, you're okay. [ Speaking indistinctly ]

STEVE: [ Speaking indistinctly ] [ Grunts ] Good boy!

It's all right.

STEVE: Rom and I got them out

while Martyn went to the rear of the house,

towards the parents' bedroom.

And then the roof.

It was starting to go.

[ Wood cracking ]

[ Music continues ]

Martyn managed to get out.

But not the parents, nor the third kid.

That hit the team hard, Martyn hardest of all.

I think he blamed himself for what happened,

and he started drinking.

In the end, he -- he rolled up to the job drunk,

and I had no choice.

- I'm standing you down, Martyn. - No, mate. Please.

T-This is all I've got. I haven't got anything else!

It's over. You're done.

Steve, please. [ Sighs ]

Don't cut me loose!

[ Music continues ]

I couldn't risk endangering other people's lives.

It was a blow to the station -- until Roger Plummer came along.

He was a real boost.

You'll be fine, Warren. Just breathe.

Two, one, go.

Ha! How was that? Fantastic! Well done!

STEVE: Damn handy having a psychiatrist on the team.

And he's a top bloke, too.

And Martyn?

I heard he was in Australia -- Perth or somewhere.

And then, a couple of weeks back,

he called late at night to tell me that he was back

and he was ready to join the team again.

MARTYN: I-I've sorted myself out, man.

I-I've been keeping up the training.

I'll even take the exam again,

you know, to prove it, if that's what you want.

Come on. I'm still a hell of a firefighter, Steve.

But I could tell he was drunk, so I said no.

And that's why he stole the rescue dummy.

You see, I think he got drunk

and he tried to run a live fire drill in the barn.

But he had no oxygen tank.

He didn't have a face mask. He had nothing!

I mean, it was...

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

[ Sighs ] It was suicide.

And that's --

That's why it was my fault.

In that respect, I killed him.

[ Birds, insects chirping ]

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

Son of a bitch.

Not you, Parns. You're a good girl.

Mate?

If I catch you in my bar with those flyers again,

I'm gonna feed you to my dog.

[ Music continues ]

Parns, come here.

[ Monitor beeping, air hissing ]

No problem.

He's back from the brink, Reverend.

[ Sighs ] Thank God.

Frankly, it's a kind of a miracle,

so pass on my thanks as well.

Will he be all right, do you think?

DR. CARLTON: Let's take it one step at a time.

Beth will let you know when you can go in to be with him.

Dr. Carlton, the level of carbon monoxide in his system...

Surprisingly low.

The only reason he's still with us.

But...there are also signs of contusions around his neck.

It's a serious cry for help.

I had no idea Roger was going through

whatever he's going through.

I'm very sorry.

All that time, he must have felt so alone,

and I just didn't notice.

[ Sighs, chuckles softly ]

My biggest regret is the way we left things last night.

GREENE: You're going to be late.

I'm so sorry.

It's our anniversary, Roger.

I've got the nice napkins out and everything.

ROGER: It really can't be helped.

I'll be as quick as I can!

What is it? A fire? Car accident?

It's a cow.

- Cow? - In the river.

There's a cow in the river.

There's a concern it might be swept out to sea.

Come on, Roger!

Roger, I'm making beef massaman curry.

I'm sorry, Lucas. It's not my call.

Perhaps you should sleep at the station tonight,

since you clearly prefer being there to being at home with me.

[ Sighs ] The last thing I said to him.

Reverend, I'm going out on a limb here,

but I don't believe that Roger tried to take his own life.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

Really? But, um --

I think it was staged.

The petrol tank is bone dry,

yet Dr. Plummer is still with us.

You're not buying it?

People who want to check out this way

don't start with an empty tank.

Hmm.

And why do it in Warren Bugle's hearse?

Unless it was out of some perverse sense of expediency.

There's fingerprints on the inside.

Cold feet, you reckon?

[ Shutter clicks ]

Then why not just open the door?

Because someone was holding it closed.

Uh, do you know anyone that would wish him harm?

No.

Well, other than he's a psychiatrist,

so he deals with some rather challenged people.

Reverend, you can come and sit with him now if you like.

Oh, thank you.

And thank you, too.

One suspicious death

and one attempted murder, both connected

with the Brokenwood Volunteer Fire Brigade.

Go to Reverend Greene's and requisition

Dr. Plummer's patient records, just to rule any of them out.

- He's expecting you. - Will do.

We spoke to the rest of the crew.

They're obviously gutted.

- Christ. [ Sniffles ] - [ Down-tempo music plays ]

This place is falling apart.

ROMILY: We'd had a good night for once.

You know that cow we saved from the river?

It actually turned out to be heavily pregnant,

so it was a beautiful moment.

We all really needed it after the day we had with Martyn

and then Warren.

We took some selfies with the newborn calf.

CHALMERS: [ Clears throat ]

And what did you do after the call?

We came back to the station and cooked some dinner, eh?

Then Roger instigated one of his talk circles.

Talk circles?

ROMILY: They're Roger's idea.

He says they kind of help us deal with the day-to-day trauma

of being a firefighter.

You know, we definitely do them after a fatality.

SEAN: I'm not really into them, eh?

CLAUDIA: Some people get more out of them than others.

Yes, Romily. What would you like to share?

Look, I know it's still fresh,

but I think we should all put some thought into

how we address Martyn's death on the station Facebook page.

I've actually drafted up a little bit of a post,

which I would love some feedback on.

No. No post.

Actually, Steve, Romily has the talking ball.

Look, we've had a bloody hard day, and we all need some rest.

And then the chief called it and we went home.

[ Insects chirping ]

STEVE: Apart from Roger.

He was dropping off Warren's hearse.

ROMILY: Actually, I think he was also going to stay the night.

'Cause, you know, there's trouble in paradise.

- Romily. - Well, it's true.

It may be, but it's none of your business.

Yeah, but I'm only saying it, like, if it's relevant, right?

Yeah. Thanks, Romily.

[ Music continues ]

STEVE: Here's us leaving.

SIMS: And what time is this?

11:05.

And there's Roger 10 minutes later.

SIMS: And that was the last time they saw him --

driving Warren Bugle's hearse.

The same Warren Bugle

who was the last person to see Martyn alive.

Yeah, but who was also locked up here last night

so couldn't have attacked Dr. Plummer.

Which leads us... to Mr. Hornblower.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

MRS. BAKER: Weddings are more my thing,

but with the Reverend indisposed, well...

And I have someone of great authority

to guide me through it.

You know, ashes to ashes dust to dust.

- [ Laughs ] - DOUGAL: Sorry, folks.

The hearse wasn't available today.

Neither is the funeral director.

But not to worry. I'm the embalmer.

And I have done a rather good job on your granddad,

if I do say.

Well, you'll see for yourselves.

Technically, it's not illegal to use a van for a funeral.

It's just not most people's preferred option.

We understand

you were supposed to retrieve the hearse last night.

- Yes. - So why didn't you?

I had...plans.

Dr. Plummer offered to return it.

He was quite keen.

I'd be delighted.

But this morning, it wasn't there.

What were your plans last night?

I was meeting someone.

- SIMS: Who? - I can't say.

This morning, Dr. Plummer was found very close to death

in your hearse out near Powers Park.

Warren's hearse. It's not mine.

So Dr. Plummer never came to the funeral parlor?

- No. - But how do you know?

You were out. You had plans.

Exactly. I was.

So actually, I don't know if he showed up or not,

because I wasn't there. I was out.

- Out with? - Nobody.

You just said you were meeting someone.

I wasn't. I was just out!

Because this nobody could confirm your whereabouts.

You don't think I...did this?

Why would I try to kill him?

You recently embalmed Roger Plummer's mother, correct?

That's right.

And he laid a complaint?

When people view a deceased loved one,

they are often disappointed.

Well, that's hardly a glowing reference, is it?

Disappointed that they are dead!

Is it possible that Dr. Plummer arrived

as promised in the hearse and gave you a piece of his mind?

- No! - And maybe you didn't like

hearing critique of your work, so then you --

Well, I didn't. I wasn't even there!

So once again -- Where were you?

Can I see Warren?

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

Certainly.

[ Buzzer sounds ]

What the dickens?

Has the world gone mad? You can't keep us both in here.

You're right.

Mr. Bugle, you are free to go,

so long as you're not still intent

on lighting the Aitchesons' house on fire.

I'm not. I never was.

As a firefighter, that feels truly unconscionable.

Good.

Meanwhile, Mr. Hornblower will be taking some time out

to recall his movements last night.

- Why don't you tell her? - I can't.

What, you know?

He was collecting

and cleaning our hearse for a very big day today,

which, of course, has been severely compromised.

No. No, I wasn't.

You see? He wasn't.

- Wait. You weren't? - He wasn't.

- Then where were you? - I can't say.

Why on earth not?

Because sometimes the frying pan is worse than the fire.

[ Music continues ]

[ Buzzer sounds ]

[ Door closes ]

[ Mid-tempo music plays ]

One undertaker down, an embalmer to go.

[ Keys jingle ]

Are those Dr. Plummer's patient records?

Yeah. That's not the only thing I got from the good Reverend.

Turns out Dr. Plummer recently started seeing new,

off-the-book clients.

When Roger joined the fire brigade,

some of the team members were showing symptoms of PTSD.

He thought it was because

of a particularly traumatic callout they'd been on.

- The Hinch Road fire. - That's the one.

He offered some free, casual counseling sessions --

off the record, of course,

since there was a clear conflict of interest.

- Any idea what was discussed? - I'm afraid not.

I don't even know if he made any notes.

I do know who they were with, though.

Romily Jorgensen, Sean Finian, and Claudia Finian.

[ Telephone ringing ]

Until I get new mug shots, that's all I got.

So, how's he doing?

I haven't had any news.

I heard he tried to, uh, you know...

It's possible.

Oh, sweet Jesus.

Did he say anything to you last night?

No. He mentioned that he was sleeping over the station.

But we've all been there.

I understand he offered counseling to your crew.

Yeah, he did.

He came to me with the idea when he first joined.

What did you think?

Well, initially, I wasn't that thrilled.

I mean, in my day, we were taught to suck it up.

But then I thought, "God, well,

if it's gonna stop me losing anyone else off the team."

Did you ever take him up on it?

[ Chuckles ] No.

No, I've been doing this for long enough.

I know the score. But I'm glad the others did.

If you want to talk to them, they're all at their day job.

I've got the details here somewhere.

[ Grunts, exhales deeply ]

Look at all this.

Who'd be the boss, eh?

It's not all bad. People bring you bad coffee.

[ Chuckles ] True.

But don't you get tired, leading from the front?

Sometimes.

I feel it in my bones.

It's like rust has set in.

I'm past it, Mike.

I keep pretending I'm not, but I'm running on fumes.

And after Martyn, well...

No. It's time for me to get out.

Have you given any thought to your replacement?

STEVE: Well, it's funny you should ask.

Last night, I offered the job to Roger Plummer.

- [ Shutter clicks ] - Hey, you did good today, Rog.

You were there with the defib, and you were there with the ax

to cut that bloody cow's umbilical cord.

[ Both laugh ]

You're just always there.

Well, I have to thank you, Steve.

I've never felt more alive than in this job.

Well, I'm glad to hear that, 'cause I want you take over.

You're not serious.

I've just never had someone I can trust

to keep the place ticking over.

- But Romily's deputy. - No, no. It's you, Rog.

You proved that, today especially.

Now, obviously it won't happen straightaway.

And I know you're gonna want to talk it over

with your, you know, your hubby.

But if you could just think it over and let me know.

I will.

Thank you, Steve. I'm flattered.

Good man.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

Oh, hell. I'm sorry, Rom.

I offered her the job months ago.

She was clear she didn't want the stress.

I think she just likes being called deputy.

Yeah.

So it looks like retirement's on hold.

Thanks.

Oh. Uh, one more thing.

STEVE: Yeah. This was Roger's.

Not much in there.

Some spare clothes, pack of cards,

workbook of some kind --

mostly recipes, from what I could make out.

- You've been through it? - Yeah.

When something like this happens,

I've got to put in a report to head office.

Paperwork nightmare.

A mah-jongg set, which nobody played

and station-issue Bible, which nobody read.

Steve, I'm sorry to ask,

but last night when you left the station, where did you go?

Home for an early night.

Why?

Uh, just ticking the boxes.

What? Do you think something might have happened to him?

Oh, I don't know.

Christ.

Well, just let me know if I can help.

- [ Cellphone rings ] - Excuse me.

Bayliss here.

Uh-huh.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

[ Birds chirping ]

[ Music continues ]

This is very inconspicuous.

You gonna ask me if I was followed?

Were you followed?

You know, Gina, you can actually just come down to the station.

Not about this.

Right.

Well, what have you got for me?

I'm done with men.

Oh, my God.

Gina.

Okay. I thought this was about Martyn Travers' autopsy.

Because I actually have a lot of work to do.

After last night, I just cannot take them seriously anymore.

Okay. So...what happened last night?

Dougal.

I think it's time you told the truth.

I should wait for a lawyer.

Sure.

Okay.

But, you know, I...

I did hear about your big romantic gesture last night.

At 11:20 p.m.,

Dr. Gina Kadinsky received a text message from you saying,

"Taken new body to the mortuary.

Need you to get down there ASAP."

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

[ Speaking Russian ]

[ Grunts ] Wait! Gina!

Gina! Gina!

Wait! Aah! Sorry!

Uh, there you go.

[ Footsteps departing ]

DOUGAL: I misread the signals.

SIMS: How exactly?

She told me that she would never have time for me,

that the body on the table would always come first.

So I thought --

That you were being clever and romantic?

Yes. You think I was?

No.

And as a general rule,

breaking into someone's place of work is never a winner.

I...see that now.

Do you know what I'm thinking?

Uh, that... I should lay an assault charge.

She hit me with a clipboard, right?

No. No. That's -- That's not what I'm thinking.

That would be a very unwise thing to do.

- Oh. - No.

What I'm thinking is

despite your very odd behavior --

And let's face it -- It was quite odd,

this late-night stalking around a mortuary.

But given it happened at approximately 11:45 p.m....

...that exonerates you from the attack on Dr. Plummer.

Oh, it does, doesn't it?

- Yeah. I told you. - Well, no.

Actually, you didn't.

But it does just go to show --

Usually the fire is worse than the frying pan.

You are not to contact Ms. Kadinsky again

without her express permission.

Understood?

Maybe I'll just send her flowers.

No. No flowers, Mr. Hornblower.

Truly.

And...definitely no more pictures of anyone's organ.

[ Mid-tempo country music playing ]

[ Music continues ]

Do you need to take a break?

No, no, no, no, no. I'm fine, doll.

[ Bell chimes ]

Take a seat, babes. I'll be with you in a second.

Oh, no. I'm not actually here for a trim.

Oh! Kristin! What a surprise.

I've never seen you in here before.

No. I-I usually go across town and see Pauline, so...

Oh. I could tell from the moment we met.

Only the best for a classy girl like you, eh?

Lovely lady, though, Pauline. Just lovely.

Ow. You're actually hurting me.

Stop moving.

Uh, is there anywhere we can talk?

Oh, we can talk in front of Samantha.

It's like a total cone of silence in here.

Isn't it, doll?

Romily, last night, Steve offered the job of station chief

to Roger Plummer.

Did you hear that?

Yeah. I may have heard something to that effect.

And how did that make you feel?

Oh, well, you know, I never really wanted the job anyway.

- Really? - Steve and I talked about it,

but we both agreed that I don't do well under extreme stress.

You know, that's what tripped me up in Rio.

- Rio? - The Rio Olympics?

You were in the Rio Olympics?

Mm. Shot put.

Could've taken the bronze, but pressure got to me.

I...had no idea.

Well, I don't really like to go on about it.

So...you had no issues with Dr. Plummer taking over?

No. Great guy, Roger.

Great guy.

And after you left the station last night, did you go home?

Yeah. That's right.

Were you home alone?

No, actually.

Um, Sam came and watched a movie with me.

- Didn't you, doll? - SAMANTHA: Huh?

"My Best Friend's Wedding," wasn't it, hon?

[ Dryer whirring ]

Uh, did, uh, any of the other crew members have any issues

- with, um, Dr. Plummer? - [ Dryer stops ]

Are you trying to get me to gossip about my own crew?

Why would I know anything?

No. I-I just...

I imagine it's easy

for people to feel like they can open up to you.

That's all.

Mm. Yeah, it's true.

Everyone does.

Even Roger.

Recently, I had a case of the Debbie Downers,

and Roger offered me some free therapy.

But before I knew it, he was the one crying to me.

[ Mid-tempo music plays ]

He said all sorts of things,

like, "My relationship's on the rocks,"

and, "I don't know if I love my husband anymore."

And then he said something absolutely wild.

He said he finds himself "more and more attracted to Sean."

[ Gasps ]

To Sean?

I mean, can you blame him? He's only human.

But that's not even the wildest part.

You know, one time after a callout,

Sean and I were alone in the changing rooms.

And I make this little joke, like...

You'd make a fantastic stripper. [ Chuckles ]

ROMILY: You know, just, like, classic work-banter stuff.

But then he was like, "Sit down."

And then he started going full Magic Mike.

I guess he has the hots for me or something.

I'm not gonna lie. I was loving it.

I'm only human. But who should I see?

Roger, around the corner, perving at us.

So Sean grabs him, and he's like,

"You'd better not tell Claudia -- or else!"

Wild, eh?

[ Music continues ]

All right. All done, babes. Looking gorgeous.

It's -- It's not straight.

Well, hey, that's what you get when you keep moving.

Romily, is this...true?

Yeah. Of course.

Why? Is it helpful?

Yeah.

Thanks.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

[ Cellphone rings ]

Sixth sense, eh? Want me to save you a coffee?

No, but Sean Finian allegedly threatened Dr. Plummer.

Can you get him down to the station ASAP?

- Will do. - Thanks.

[ Line ringing ]

- Hello? - [ Woman gasping ]

Sean. D.C. Chalmers. We need a word.

[ Woman gasping, exhales deeply ]

Well, I'm a bit occupied at the moment.

Little bit faster, baby!

Uh, I'll -- I'll come to you, then.

Well, no. Uh, I'm at a cemetery.

At a funeral or...

Well, no. I'm working out. What else?

[ Chuckles ]

Little bit faster, bub. Let's go.

- Looking good, darling. - [ Laughs ]

Yeah.

Oh, you got to be joking. That is absolutely cooked.

I would never strip for Romily. Never.

Well, you are in the calendar -- quite a lot.

Well, a-apart from the calendar, that doesn't count.

So you never threatened Roger Plummer to keep quiet,

to not tell Claudia?

Well, no, because I never did anything.

Well, Romily says you did.

What, and -- and you believe her?

Have you met Romily?

I'm just trying to ascertain the truth.

Well, she's a liar -- like, a proper liar.

I mean, I bet you she told you

she was an Olympic shot putter too.

- As a matter of fact, she did. - See?

She's never putted a shot in her life.

She's a liar. She does to get attention.

Everyone knows that.

That may be,

but at the moment, it's her word against yours.

And she's not the one who chooses to do a boot camp

in a cemetery.

Not your typical pastime.

Well, it adds a little bit of spice,

gives the workout an edge.

You never know when one of them might jump out at you.

- Ohh! - Oh, shit!

[ Laughing ]

Boo!

You have a thing for dead people, Sean?

What?

So, I checked.

Romily's never represented New Zealand

at any international sporting competition.

Is this one of Beth's creations?

'Cause it smells way too good to be your cooking.

Mm. What does Claudia say?

Well, she says the same about Romily -- that she lies.

But more than that...

I swear to God,

the next time I see that woman, I'm gonna...

What will you do?

I will have a calm discussion

about how she needs to shut her mouth.

You don't believe her and Sean --

Oh, I believe she wishes that happened.

Have you seen how many times she puts him in the calendar

every year?

It's sad.

It's -- It's also so messed up she's saying that stuff

about Roger while he's lying in hospital.

All he did was try to help us when we were struggling.

With the therapy?

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

I've been having nightmares since last year.

Sean too.

The Hinch Road fire?

Roger's a good listener.

Did it help?

A bit.

In the end, Sean and I found our own way through with exercise.

Right. Running through cemeteries.

But, you know, if you're looking for someone

with a grudge against Roger, it's Romily.

Romily said she didn't care about the job.

Yeah. Seems she was lying about that too.

Apparently, she's secretly furious.

Claudia said she confided in her.

Makes sense.

Bring Romily in for a proper chat.

Are you planning on converting her?

- [ Telephone ringing ] - Ah. It's not mine.

It's from the fire station.

Dr. Plummer's locker.

CHALMERS: You a fan, Mike? Stories of the Bible?

Not really. I find them a bit hard to read.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

CLAUDIA: My favorite memory of Dr. Plummer

was when we had that callout

where the lady said her husband was trapped in the bedroom.

And it turned out he was handcuffed to the bed, naked,

and even though they were only plastic handcuffs,

Roger decided to bring in the Jaws of Life to cut him free.

I'm afraid I'm gonna have to break up the party.

It's time to go.

Thank you all for coming.

I know Roger really appreciates it.

[ Monitor beeping, air hissing ]

Stay strong, Doc.

How is he, honestly?

Oh, the doctors are hopeful.

With any luck, he'll be off the ventilator tomorrow.

Just be positive.

All right.

That was really funny about that guy with the handcuffs, eh?

I'd better get back to work.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

SIMS: Is there anything about your story you'd like to amend?

Um...no.

I...No.

Because both Claudia and Sean say it never happened.

Well, they would, wouldn't they?

SHEPHERD: This notebook was found at the fire station.

Roger Plummer is a meticulous man.

I knew he would keep notes,

even for his off-the-book sessions with your crew.

Oh.

His notes on you, Romily, say,

"She been displaying a tendency towards pathological lying

in order to gain attention,"

and that he believes you're doing it

to cover a deep insecurity.

Well, Roger's clearly lying too.

You know, he's trying to save his marriage.

Why don't you tell us where you were

when you finished work last night?

I was at home.

Um, I watched a movie with Samantha.

Yeah, because Samantha called me.

She wasn't at your house last night.

She felt pressured by you into giving you an alibi.

She's also, incidentally, quite upset about her haircut.

- She's lying. - So everyone's lying except you?

Yeah. I don't know what to tell you.

By the way, what year were the Rio Olympics?

- The Rio... - Olympics. You were there.

So just remind me what year they were held.

Okay. Fine. I made it up. I'm sorry.

I-I didn't mean to get anyone in trouble, and I wasn't...

you know, I wasn't trying to hurt anyone.

Like, you just seemed so interested in what I had to say

that I couldn't help myself.

And, you know, I'm always used to feeling

so stupid and bad at my job.

And then... [ Sniffles ]

I'm the deputy fire officer,

and no one takes me seriously, okay?

Sean and Claudia just think I'm pathetic,

and Steve doesn't trust me with any responsibility, right?

He-- He's right! 'Cause I'm a mess.

I hyperventilate just trying to choose what to have for dinner.

And then I can't sleep.

I can't even cut hair anymore

because my hands won't stop shaking, and it's like...

I'm just stupid! I'm stupid. [ Wheezing ] I'm stupid...

Hey. Romily, it's okay.

Just...take a breath.

Deep breath. That's it.

You're not stupid.

[ Breathing shakily ]

We just need to know what really happened.

The truth.

Roger never said anything about Sean.

We just talked about me.

He was really nice to me.

And last night, after work... where were you?

Home.

Is that the truth?

Mm.

SHEPHERD: Romily.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

I...

Do I have to say?

It would allow us to rule you out of Dr. Plummer's attack.

What if it's totally private?

What if it's none of your business?

Well, legally, you don't have to, but --

Then I won't. I'm not gonna say anything.

SHEPHERD: "Since the fire at Hinch Road,

Claudia and Sean have become increasingly reckless

and self-destructive.

They regularly engage in downhill mountain biking,

BASE jumping, skydiving --

anything that will get their heart rate up."

Little sneak.

Engaging in self-destructive behavior

is what happened to Martyn,

except your drug of choice sounds like it's adrenaline.

Yeah. Well, we're nothing like Martyn.

Why are you bringing this up? We haven't done anything wrong.

Well, apart from having intimate relations

in the cab of Big Brenda while on duty.

Uh, what?

SHEPHERD: A few months back, Dr. Plummer left his wallet at work.

When he came back that night, he found the two of them...

[ Woman, man moaning ]

- [ Gasps ] - Aah!

[ Clears throat ]

That's a fireable offense, surely.

- That never happened. - Well, it's only once.

Maybe Dr. Plummer threatened to tell Steve.

Uh, he didn't.

Or maybe after Steve planned to promote him,

Dr. Plummer simply said he would let you go?

Yeah. That never happened.

And in act of retaliation, the two of you tried to kill him.

- What? - The ultimate adrenaline rush.

- Wouldn't you say? - No way.

We didn't do anything.

SHEPHERD: And yet nobody apart from the two of you

can corroborate where you were after work last night.

Maybe I can.

Sean, is that a Rolex?

Yeah.

My wife gave it to me.

CHALMERS: Mm. It's, uh, pretty flash.

You don't see many of those around Brokenwood.

That's for sure.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

Chalmers.

Way to serve your community.

[ Voice breaking ] Oh, babe.

Know anything about a certain coffee cart?

[ Music continues ]

♪ ...need you, baby ♪

♪ Don't need your lies ♪

♪ I didn't know it, but now I reali-- ♪

[ Music stops ]

[ Radio beeps ]

MAN: Comms to any Brokenwood unit.

We've got a report

of a body being dumped off Brokenwood boat ramp.

Please attend.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

[ Birds crying ]

WARREN: If we could actually borrow that pole...

DOUGAL: We would be able to reach

without having to get in the water, wouldn't we?

Oh, thank God.

I just want to assure you that this is --

this is just a huge...

...uh, misunderstanding.

[ Music continues ]

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

- It could've happened to anyone! - Harmless mistake.

It was simply a mishap with the gears.

Okay. Move forward.

Okay!

- [ Engine revs ] - Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!

[ Birds squawking ]

Dougal!

DOUGAL: Oh, my God.

I'd just like to circle back to the reason

you had a body in the van at the wharf in the first place.

- Well, it's obvious, isn't it? - I-Is it?

- Antarctica. - Antarctica.

Antarctica?

[ Exhales sharply ] Yeah.

Yeah. Let's pretend for a moment that it isn't obvious.

Oh. All right.

Well -- And please don't spread this around,

because if the competition heard about this...

We are seeking a rather lucrative contract

for Southern Ocean exploration.

I see.

Shipping services to Antarctica.

We were practicing a burial at sea.

Lot of death on those ships.

WARREN: Mm. And no designated funeral services.

You're planning on expanding your business -- to Antarctica?

WARREN: Why not?

It's an untapped market. Huge potential.

I've been training, working at subzero conditions.

Thirty-two minutes.

Not bad.

One last, minor detail.

Uh, the body -- Whose was it?

That's not a real body.

Heavens, no. What do you take us for?

It was a dummy.

They're bloody heavy, those things, let me tell you.

They weigh the same as a real person.

We stole it from the fire station.

Well, borrowed it.

Um, can I just say one more thing?

- Absolutely. - Please.

Good luck with the Antarctica job.

Oh.

I sincerely hope you both end up going there.

- Thank you, Detective. - Yeah. That is so kind.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

CHALMERS: Worrying.

Yep. He's been like that since I got here.

MAN: Chalmers.

Mr. Finian.

I didn't steal that stuff.

Right. You just borrowed it.

No. Seriously. It was all Claudia.

I had no idea about any of it.

You didn't notice a coffee cart in the driveway?

No. She told me she was looking after it.

[ Sighs ]

So you weren't there when the Rolex was stolen?

No.

She's got a problem, and she admits it.

I'll stand by her, but it wasn't me.

CHALMERS: You didn't think it was suspicious,

her giving you a $20,000 watch?

[ Sighs ] Well, her parents are loaded.

I just -- I thought it was a tax dodge or something.

So it's not about money for her, all the stealing?

Well, I think it was about the rush.

Must have been a lot of nights, her out late, all by herself.

You didn't notice?

Well, I was, um...preoccupied.

- [ Down-tempo music plays ] - With what?

We know that Claudia was stealing a Rolex

at the time Dr. Plummer was attacked.

But now we don't know where you were.

Were you just sitting at home,

not noticing your wife was missing?

Well -- Well, I... [ Clears throat ]

I was...not at home.

Then where?

That's private. I'd prefer not to say.

Where have we heard that before?

You mean you'd prefer not to say that you were with Romily?

[ Music continues ]

We were together.

It's not what you think.

I mean, I think it sounds like an affair.

- Well, it's not. - No, no, no.

Care to fill us in?

I said that all the adrenaline stuff

was Claudia's way of dealing with stress.

But it doesn't mean that I wasn't struggling too.

Yeah. He's been having headaches and panic attacks.

- The poor dar-- - Rom.

But yeah.

Ever since that family...

Anyway, I've been trying heaps of stuff,

and none of it's helped.

ROMILY: Until I saved the day.

I mean until I asked him to do karaoke with me.

SEAN: I was at home one night.

Claudia was out -- probably stealing stuff

in hindsight, you know?

And, um, I was sad and a little bit bored,

maybe a little bit drunk as well.

Okay. You don't need to say it like that.

So I went, and, um, it actually turned out to be really fun.

♪ I'm a lover, I'm a sinner, I'm a fighter ♪

♪ Gonna set your soul on fire ♪

♪ I'm a lover, I'm a renegade fighter ♪

♪ Gonna set your soul on fire ♪

[ Both laughing, music continues ]

And, um, that night, I slept like a baby.

ROMILY: Singing's, like, basically therapy.

I couldn't tell Claudia because she would've got the wrong idea.

Turns out she had the bigger secret.

And all of this is completely true?

No more embellishments?

Honest to God. I swear that part of me is over.

Like, I am like bathed in the blood of Jesus.

I mean, yeah. It's -- It's just over.

Uh, one thing.

Yesterday, Sean, w-what did you mean exactly when you said

that you and Claudia were nothing like Martyn Travers?

Well, you were suggesting that we all acting out

after the Hinch Road fire,

but Martyn's drinking problem has always been there.

After that fire, Martyn started drinking on the job.

Always?

- Mm. - Poor guy.

Thanks.

[ Music continues ]

[ Monitor beeping ]

[ Music continues ]

[ Knocking ]

[ Cellphone rings, beeps ]

Beth.

It's probably nothing, but I just got back from break,

and the fire chief is here alone with Dr. Plummer.

Nobody knows how he got in.

Beth, listen carefully. Do not approach him.

He could be dangerous. Don't do anything.

- I'll be right there. - [ Cellphone beeps ]

[ Dramatic music plays ]

[ Tires squealing ]

I need all available units to the hospital now.

[ Music continues ]

[ Monitor beeping ]

[ Music continues ]

[ Roger grunting, gasping ]

[ Music continues ]

[ Monitor beeping rapidly ]

[ Grunts ]

[ Extinguisher clangs, monitor beeping ]

- Are you okay? - I'm fine. I'm fine.

[ Exhales deeply ] Okay.

BETH: Okay.

You'll be glad to hear that Dr. Plummer's gonna be okay.

How's the head?

Dr. Carlton says there's no sign of a concussion,

- but let me know -- - Oh, just bloody get on with it.

The fire at Hinch Road was an horrendous tragedy

that affected you and your entire crew.

But Martyn's alcoholism wasn't the result of that tragedy.

It was the cause.

Romily said that Martyn's drinking

was something of an open secret.

But I suspect that you chose to ignore it because,

like you said, good firefighters are hard to come by.

Martyn was drunk, wasn't he?

- STEVE: Martyn! - [ Man shouting in distance ]

SHEPHERD: Maybe you didn't realize how drunk

until it was too late.

[ Woman, children screaming ]

As a result, you had to save Martyn yourself.

STEVE: Come on! [ Grunts ]

SHEPHERD: And that potentially cost the lives

of the people inside.

But that was it, of course.

You told him to leave or you'd call the police.

And he did.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

Your team was scarred more deeply than you know.

- But you all carried on. - [ Woman screaming ]

And then Dr. Plummer joined,

and things were better for a while.

But then Martyn came back to Brokenwood.

He tried to convince you to let him back on the crew.

STEVE: But I could tell he was drunk, so I said no.

Martyn got desperate.

He suggested something crazy -- running a live fire drill

in a disused barn that he was camping out at.

I think it was that suggestion --

such a reckless, dangerous suggestion --

that reminded you how much hurt and pain

that this man had caused.

- So you said yes. - And why would I do that?

Maybe you genuinely thought that Martyn would prove you wrong.

Oh, that's insane.

I agree. It's not rational.

But I believe you are more profoundly damaged

than any member of your crew, Steve.

You just know how to hide it.

Martyn needed one of the station dummies for the fire drill.

And that's where your original story falls down.

They're bloody heavy those things, let me tell you.

They weigh the same as a real person.

There's no way that Martyn, as drunk as he was,

could carry something that heavy on his bicycle

all the way back to the barn.

Unluckily, he didn't have to.

Because you were there waiting with your car,

just out of view of your own station's CCTV.

You must have smelled the alcohol.

At this stage, had you decided to kill Martyn,

or were you just covering your tracks

in case things went wrong?

Either way, you set up a live-burn fire drill

in the barn.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

You lit the fire.

And then you sent him in there to die.

No.

It didn't happen like that.

Not like that.

Then tell me how it happened.

[ Music continues ]

Martyn set it up.

I'd brought the bunker gear, my own, from home.

Martyn lit the fire.

I had the extinguisher all ready to go.

I didn't send him in to die.

It was just that the barn went up so fast.

MARTYN: Steve! Please!

- STEVE: And in that moment... - MARTYN: Steve! Steve!

STEVE: ...I wasn't hearing his screams.

MARTYN: Steve! Please!

Help me! Help!

STEVE: I was hearing the screams of the family in Hinch Road.

[ Woman, children screaming ]

I swear I could hear the parents.

I could hear the kids! Those poor bloody kids!

And I just couldn't risk

letting his reckless actions hurt anybody else.

SHEPHERD: But in that moment, you became a killer.

Instead of saving Martyn, you let the barn burn.

You got into your truck... and you drove away.

The next day was like waking up to a nightmare.

I tried to bury it, but I hated myself.

It was eating me alive.

Did you talk to Dr. Plummer?

I called him and asked him to come 'round to my place.

He came 'round in Warren's hearse,

on his way to dropping it off, and I told him everything.

And after, Roger said I should turn myself in.

And I agreed.

I said I'd be happy to do that,

knowing that he would take over at the station.

I'm sorry, Steve, but I'm leaving.

What?

It's too much of a toll on my marriage,

and I've made the decision.

But you must turn yourself in.

I can't leave the station unmanned.

That wouldn't be right.

Right? Steve, a man has died.

If you don't tell the police, I will.

I told you all that in confidence.

- You can't -- - I have to inform the police.

It's the law.

[ Grunting ]

[ Dramatic music plays ]

[ Insects chirping ]

STEVE: In this job,

every day we take our lives into our hands.

All of us know the risks.

And I made a calculation --

that without me leading the team,

countless civilian lives would be put into danger

because of their incompetence.

And those lives had to be worth more

than the single life of Roger Plummer.

[ Coughing ]

[ Music continues ]

I was thinking of the greater good, Mike.

The greater good.

I've given 40 years of my life to this job.

What will happen now?

With you out of the way,

I believe certain members of your team

will finally get the chance to step up.

Mike... I'm glad this town still has you in it.

But we're a dying breed, you and I.

I'm not like you, Steve.

[ Dirge playing on saxophone, bass guitar, and bass drum ]

[ Off-key note plays, music ends ]

GREENE: Thank you, Warren and Dougal.

[ Drum thuds ]

T-That was very...special.

And so we farewell Martyn Travers,

a man who left us too young, too soon,

and in far too tragic circumstances.

But let those not be our final memories of Martyn,

for many of you are here today to say not only goodbye

but thank you for your service.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Way to go, Marty.

GREENE: We're reminded at times like these

of what is most important.

Is it to be a hero and die alone or is it to be loved

and have that special someone at your side?

We're not all fortunate enough to have that choice.

Some of us are just fortunate.

I-I'm reminded of the words of Christ, our Savior,

who -- who said...

...many things,

but I'm also reminded of the immortal words of Joni Mitchell.

"Don't it always seem to go

you don't know what you got till it's gone?"

So if the death of Martyn is to mean anything at all,

perhaps it is, if you can, love the one you're with.

And now let us sing hymn 927,

"Jesus Was My Carpenter, A Tradesman Up on High."

Sorry. We don't know that one.

It's okay, Warren. You can sit this one out.

Mrs. Baker.

[ Mid-tempo music playing on organ ]

[ Indistinct conversations ]

WARREN: And a solemn pause.

[ Keys jingling ]

[ Alarm chirps ]

[ Alarm chirping, music continues ]

Sorry. Small technical --

Dougal.

Good to see the clown show is back in town.

Something to entertain the penguins in Antarctica.

And voilà.

[ Music continues ]

Ah. Great to see you back on your feet.

- Thank you. - How you feeling?

Oh, 89%, if I'm honest.

Which is a normal person's 100.

I put it all down to excellent home-nursing care.

Oh. You'll have to tell me your secret.

It's all in the sponge baths.

- BETH: [ Laughs ] - Oh, Roger.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

They are such a formidable couple.

They are.

But not as formidable as you with a fire extinguisher.

[ Laughs ]

You know, that whole business, it -- it just reminded me --

Life's really short.

And we're here for a good time, not a long time, right?

Well, that's one way of looking at it.

Yeah.

And as the good Reverend said,

you never know what you've got till it's gone.

On that note, um...

Would getting married be such a bad idea?

[ Music continues ]

How 'bout it, cowboy? [ Laughs ]

What do you say?

♪ Let's hold hands and let's reminisce ♪

♪ The good times gone by ♪

[ Music continues ]