Original subtitles

[building, dramatic music]

[crickets chirping]

[man shouting in a foreign language]

[suspenseful music]

[man shouting a foreign language]

[suspenseful music]

[man speaking a foreign language]

[suspenseful music]

[man screaming]

Themba!

[boy speaking a foreign language]

[suspenseful music]

Worked through the night?

They needed something to go on.

I needed to get back today, so.

I slept on the plane.

For an hour.

It's fine. Anyway, how's your case going?

Mine? Yeah, good.

I can talk you through some of my deductions if you want.

No, no, no. I trust you.

Need to get my head into Soweto. What time's the call?

Three.

Oh, but I didn't get a chance to tell you before you left,

Brink brought forward your meeting.

[dramatic, swelling music]

Quantico are already doing this.

Ressler. John Douglas. Even Canter in the UK for the Met.

I'm aware of that.

Erika's already covering her own cases.

By not expanding further you're.

Well, the killers are ahead of us. Innocent lives are lost.

Micki, let's forget that. There is no money for this.

Do you really want this?

Do you honestly think this is going to make anything better?

Yes.

Training courses, extra travel budgets, progress reports.

I mean, on top of everything that you're doing now.

I'm sorry to say this

but you already look like chewed string.

[knocking on door]

Sorry, Sir. There's a problem.

Micki, just give me a minute, please. Just wait outside.

[muffled heart beating]

[Micki breathing heavily]

[alarming music]

[Micki sobbing]

[dramatic music]

Really? No.

Your blood pressure's a little high. How are you sleeping?

Well, fine. When I get to.

Work is busy, huh?

No, you could say that.

[Doctor] Has been for a while, no?

Is that what this is?

Your heart is fine from what I can tell.

What you've described seems to be a mild panic attack.

That's it?

Well, yes. But it's something that is not to be ignored.

Your mind is trying to tell you something.

Cut down on Vogue Slims?

Or that it might not be able to process

everything that's being thrown at it.

You've told me about the work you do, the things you see.

This is not normal. Certainly not on an ongoing basis.

It needs unpacking. And you need to rest.

Well, I'm supposed to be in court right now, so.

Micki, this is something that can't just fix itself.

I'm saying this is a warning sign.

The tip of a somewhat unpleasant iceberg.

Talk to somebody.

[Micki] Do I seem okay to you?

[Mark] A little distant, maybe.

[Micki] Well, I said I needed a break

but I can't just up and leave.

They need me. They can't do it without me.

That's a lot of pressure.

Yeah.

Mhm.

These things you see, you can't just un-see them.

It's harder seeing the families.

Watching that hope dying. All the damage.

[Mark] Is there someone you could talk to?

No. No, that's just impossible with work.

Then what about me?

Not only am I a great listener

but I have an almost endless supply of wine.

Yeah.

For you.

What is that?

[Mark] It's an address.

Grabouw.

It's my parents' cabin.

It's nothing grand but I'm heading there Friday.

You should come. Maybe it's what you need.

[slow, dramatic music]

Hey.

So, I ended up giving testimony in court. It went fine.

Oh. Well done. Sorry, I just got caught up in something.

[Erika] Everything alright?

Yeah. Yeah, of course.

How is the rest of the week looking? What?

Brink.

[Micki] The proposal?

No, you remember the Phoenix case

the superintendent recalled?

Oh, the sugar cane fields, right?

There's more bodies now

and they're putting pressure on Brink.

I'm sorry, but they want us out there for the week.

You are okay though?

Mhm.

When do we leave?

[dramatic music]

[building, dramatic music]

[Pieter] What is in the plantations are not uncommon.

Rough area. Squatter camps.

I'm fairly certain all the victims are female.

They're that badly decomposed?

Burnt. First four are burnt. Clever, really.

He knows the cane fields are burnt before harvest,

so no evidence.

And then we have five or ten

other dockets that could be connected.

And that's what you need us for.

It's Superintendent van Rooyen, right?

Please, Pieter. I was the one who requested you guys.

My team, well, they're is struggling.

They need a steer in the right direction.

I was told you could provide that.

Yeah, well, possibly. If we have enough detail.

Female. Five five. I'm going to say late 20s.

A little underweight

but organs healthy from what we've seen.

Callus skin under the hands. She possibly did manual work.

[Micki] And you believe

all the victims to be black and female?

I do.

Given the state of decomposition,

they asked me to remove bone marrow for DNA extraction.

I couldn't get much from under the nails

but there's evidence of blunt trauma

to the back of the skull.

Not enough to kill, but it drew blood.

So, possibly to stun or at least get her to the ground.

You okay?

Yeah. Yeah, I am. Um, I need to see where it happened.

[slow, dramatic music]

Now, as I said, some of the bodies were burnt.

Maybe he's aware of farm practises.

But those, impossible to tell whether they were bound.

The problem is people around here don't trust the police.

I can't send my white cops into this,

into the township, it's too dangerous.

Both victims were killed by strangulation?

Chetty suspects. Only one with clear ligature marks.

There's nobody out here to help.

[Erika] Superintendent?

Yeah?

Sorry. Can you just help me get my bearings?

I'm ust trying to figure out where Essenwood Township is.

I've got the map at the car.

[emotional music]

You were so scared.

I'm sorry you were so scared.

[building, emotional music]

[building, emotional music]

Yeah, so it's definitely the same guy.

All five?

Yeah. And the two other dockets you showed me.

[Pieter] I was hoping we were wrong.

That you would you tell us we're chasing shadows.

Afraid not.

Bodies always a similar distance from the tracks.

Always a secluded, quiet spot.

They were all found in similar submissive positions.

This last one had aggressively tight binding

but neat, precise knots.

And your pathologist thinks they're all female.

This is not opportunistic. An organised serial killer.

Selecting, planning and acting.

I guess he'd be Zulu. Late 20s, early 30s.

Similar to The victims.

Why?

Well, organised serial killers of this type

tend to be intraracial.

Their type is the same race as them.

Plus, these women trusted him.

Enough to follow him into the fields.

So, chances are he's within their age range

and they've probably seen him before, locally.

Okay.

I'd focus on the squatter camps

with a view of the plantations.

Yeah, he probably knows the farmer's practises.

He's hoping the fires will cover his tracks.

You know, it's like each crime scene

is where the hills form a kind of amphitheatre.

I need to visit the remaining scenes.

Yeah. See all the visual material.

Okay. Louis?

Louis can pull together the photos for you.

And all the info from the postmortems.

Well, Erika knows the sort of thing I'm after.

Most importantly, I suggest we check

all the outstanding dockets.

I think there's gonna be more.

[knocking on window]

It's late but here are some more dockets.

Look at this.

The knotting on these ligatures is so consistent.

When you really look it's, it's like a facsimile.

Yeah, I sensed what he was straight away.

Honestly. It's like he was there.

Well, we're going out for a bonding session.

Are you going to join us?

Uh, No. Not tonight.

Have fun.

[rock music playing]

Thanks.

Cheers.

[indistinct chatter]

Hey.

Hey, yourself.

So, they decided you're alright.

Hm. Good to know.

Your boss, though. They think she's fucking weird.

Hm. Well, whatever it takes, right?

So, you guys on the road all the time?

Feels that way.

Hard? Being away?

Why? Are you the homesick type?

My family all moved away. Port Shepstone.

I would miss my boys back there, though.

You know, through all this, there's no hiding anything.

We really got each other's backs, you know.

You seem tight. You're lucky.

[Louis] So, you, you got family in Pretoria?

Six months ago, I would have said yes

but now I don't know what I've got.

Hey, um, it's, it's getting late.

I, I could give you a lift.

Back to my place?

Um, If.

Put it back in your pants, detective.

We are professionals.

See you tomorrow. And there better be coffee.

Coffee. Uh-huh.

[dramatic music]

Ah, you're early.

Mm, I want to make a start on these scenes.

Well, then you're gonna wanna

have a look at these, as well.

Based on what you told us yesterday,

we found six additional murders.

I mean, the MO is slightly different but,

age, ethnicity, location. All matches.

Makes it 11, Micki.

Eleven that we know about. Yeah.

Just leave these with me, yeah?

[slow, dramatic music]

So, this is the second most recent body?

Correct. Still don't have a name.

Apparently, the boy was hiding from his father.

She was, uh, she was found.

There.

She was one that was confirmed

as death by strangulation, as I said.

Did you sleep at all?

Feels like I haven't slept in a week.

I suppose you'd rather be alone.

Pieter?

Thank you.

Hello, little fella.

Why would you do this?

Here?

I need to see it like you.

[building, dramatic music]

[keyboard clicking]

Does oxygen deprivation help the process?

I know this guy. I know what's driving him. Look.

"She trusts me now. I can see it.

So I tell her we should cut through the fields.

The fact that it's her choice thrills me."

Yeah.

You're writing as if you're the killer, Micki.

That's, that's what made sense.

I mean, we don't normally do that.

Why now?

Don't you think they might be a little bit surprised?

Like, worried even?

Look, um, maybe, maybe the strain you've been under.

I know what I'm doing, okay?

Expressing the emotional signature of the attacks.

It's the only way I know how.

Just, um, I know how thin you've been spread, that's all.

Are you leaving?

Yeah, um, got some work to do at my desk.

[Micki] Great.

[water running]

[glass smashing]

Shit.

[building, dramatic music]

He lures them into the cane.

And there, he physically forces them into submission.

Incapacitates, ties up, rapes and kills. In that order.

Control. Submission. Domination.

So, why the tying up?

They're already unconscious, struck in the head with a rock.

They don't need to be bound. Because he wants to.

This is a man who fetishizes bondage.

No intimacy. Don't touch me.

The ball of cloth in the mouth. Don't speak to me.

This is a man angry at women.

Their mysticism, fearful of their power,

fearful of intimacy without control, so.

A black male. Late 20s, early 30s. A loner.

He'll already have a criminal record for burglary or rape

because his crime is sophisticated.

Something he's built up to. The sullen, moody type.

Outwardly I'm charming but I have outbursts. A temper.

I'm like a, a wounded animal. Yeah. It's about my pain.

My powerlessness. I've built up to this.

Yeah. Rape alone isn't enough anymore.

It's taken me time to develop my techniques,

to correct my mistakes.

You'll find my work in old rape cases with the same MO.

But I'm sure as hell nowhere near done.

In fact, I'm working on my next one right now. Right now.

[Arno] Alright.

Okay. Uh, good. Plenty to go on there.

Um, some of you I'll be putting to reviewing

old sexual assault cases.

And the rest,

well, you asked for a steer and there it is.

Alright.

Micki?

Mhm?

Look, everything I've seen

tells me this guy is going to act again really soon.

He has no plans to wait.

[Pieter] Micki.

No, no, I know you don't believe me

but it is right there in front of me, okay?

Yeah, it's just that.

Whoa, hang on, hang on.

It's just as likely he's seen our cars around

and knows we're onto him now.

Listen, just, at least give the fellas

a chance to catch up with these ideas.

It's not typical practise for them or for me.

I've got a team of dogs from this afternoon.

They'll go to the scene, let them.

No, no, no. We are not moving fast enough.

I, I'm sorry.

Arno.

When last did you have something decent to eat?

Why do people always ask me that?

It'd be great if you could come home with me.

My wife knows I've been working late

and, well, frankly, she wants to meet you.

Make sure I'm not having an affair.

Um. Yeah. Okay.

Thank you.

[slow, dramatic music]

[cutlery scraping]

No, no, no, no, no. Don't feed the dog at the table.

You know mum's food goes right through him, poor guy.

Best manners for our guest, hm?

[Esther] Have you've got any kids?

Uh, no.

[Esther] Married?

I'm divorced actually.

Oh, sorry.

No, no. No, it was amicable. We're on very good terms.

And Pretoria's home?

Well, I travel a lot.

Actually, lately, I spent some time

working in Mitchells Plain.

Ever since I felt, sort of, drawn there.

[Esther] Why?

Um, I don't know.

The people are. They live and work and argue.

It's mixed up and chaotic but. But it's real. No pretence.

That makes sense. Pieter and I had met at church.

Oh.

One of the few with a mixed congregation.

Eventually, he plucked up the courage to ask me out

and for the longest time, our relationship was secret.

We were scared.

And then '85 came and we could marry, so we did.

And then our families cut us off.

I guess what I'm saying is we could have kept the lie

but we wanted it to be real. No pretence.

Have a boyfriend?

Uh, yeah, um, when I have time.

Now, this I've got to hear.

It's distracting. I don't know what it is.

He has this way about him.

He's so open and lovely and handsome.

Oh my god, it is distracting.

And is this your first something since your husband?

My first something.

Your first real something.

I think so. Well, I hope so.

Now, when we're together, it's so good.

Everything feels better. But I don't know.

Sometimes I think this job takes away so much.

I worry it's infectious.

One of his detectives committed suicide

over this case you're working on.

Young guy. Sebastian.

I had no idea.

He's hardly been home since it started.

Tonight was a rarity. It's really eating him up.

I can see it. All of us need this over.

I know.

Hi.

[Esther] What is it?

Uh. There's news.

[slow, dramatic music]

Seven.

Five more this morning plus the two we found last night.

Seven women in a part of the plantation

we haven't covered. Some of them were only metres apart.

Means the victims must have seen

the other bodies before they were attacked.

Jesus.

Entomologist took samples of blowfly.

Reckons if he can work it out

exactly where they are in the life cycle,

he can ascertain precisely when the victims died.

Some of them were much fresher.

You were right.

Yeah.

[keyboard clicking]

Micki?

Micki?

What?

Did you speak to Brink? I put the call through.

Fuck, I never picked up. What was it?

Soweto were expecting the full profile

on their rapist yesterday.

Well, you're across it. Couldn't you have helped me out?

You know what I'm in the middle of.

Well, I thought you were on it.

How can I be?

I've got to finish this profile based on the new evidence.

I'm pushing back requests from Wemmer Pan.

Sorry.

I've got three serial killers in my head, okay?

I can't just turn on off and switch the other one on.

Everything okay?

Listen, I think we've got something.

This, uh, profile you've been feeding through his method.

Louis been going through some of the older murder dockets.

Sure.

Come on then.

Okay. Nandi Phutini. 22, from Blackburn Estate.

A guy picked her up on the street

offering manual work in a hotel

and then he convinced her to walk with him

via the sugar plantations to Durban.

She was with him for, like, two and a half months.

Until farmers found her burnt remains.

That was a year and a half ago.

Hang on. How do we know all this?

That's just it. Her sister, Ruth.

She overheard them talking.

And I have her details.

Come.

[emotional music]

[woman speaking in a foreign language]

She not speak now.

I am so sorry.

[woman speaking in a foreign language]

The person who did this.

Yes, I did. I know.

And we're still trying to find him, I promise.

This man and your sister.

You were inside cooking and overheard them talking?

I know you've been through all this before but, um,

if you could remember anything about how he sounded.

Maybe quiet. Or confident.

Charming.

He was charming.

[woman speaking in a foreign language]

I was cooking.

[woman speaking in a foreign language]

He jokes.

[woman speaking in a foreign language]

His job, to find cleaners.

[woman speaking in a foreign language]

I did not feel he was true.

And did you voice that to your sister?

[woman speaking in a foreign language]

But he had another side to him, right?

[woman speaking in a foreign language]

She says we wait. We go tomorrow.

[woman speaking in a foreign language]

Then it was nothing again.

[woman speaking in a foreign language]

She need to come now. And my sister. She needed money.

She always want to make life for herself in city.

[woman speaking in a foreign language]

And that's the last time you were with Nandi?

I follow.

[woman speaking in a foreign language]

And I turn away.

I let her go.

My sister.

But you say you didn't see him?

Yes, I did.

You mean you saw his face?

[woman speaking in a foreign language]

It's okay. It's okay.

So, you can describe him? You remember?

Yes. It's like a tattoo.

In my mind.

[dramatic music]

Not round. His face more narrow.

High cheekbones.

No. Ruth needs to focus right now.

Yeah, but I wanna go over what she said.

If we dig, there's bound to be more.

This is the most important thing. We get this right.

Okay. Okay, well then you and I

can go over the details of the profile.

Micki, you've done enough.

You still haven't slept since you got here.

Go and rest. Get your head in gear.

I'm gonna need you later.

But this.

This is progress.

Okay.

Sure.

Hey, did the entomologist come back with anything?

I, I don't know.

Okay. Um. Okay, well, what about Soweto?

[Erika] Soweto?

Yeah. We need to go over the new information they faxed.

But I did that, I gave you my summaries.

Yeah, so we go through it again.

It's just, I don't physically have the files.

Well, we can at least try Erika, please.

Micki.

Sorry, I just. I cannot just sit there, okay?

I can't sleep knowing he's out there

sweet-talking the next girl.

Micki.

What?

I'm really worried about you.

Sorry. Sorry.

[slow, emotional music]

I'm not a mother. I can't imagine your pain.

They're so carefree.

Lost in their own world.

They'll be proud of how their mother helped.

What Ruth is telling us, it takes us so much closer.

The children are not Ruth's.

They're Nandi's.

Oh.

They are my pain.

I look at their faces.

And I see that thing they brought home from the sugar cane.

You know that thing they called my daughter?

With everything they've done to her.

Tell me,

why won't you catch him, hmm?

[emotional music]

It's him.

It's definitely him.

We need to get this out there.

Circulate it in the communities.

And we will carefully.

You do know he's operating right now?

I told you, if anything, he'll speed up his attacks.

The press release is being prepared

along with part of your profile.

Micki, a word.

We're getting closer. But you have to trust me.

It's time for the nuts and bolts way.

We should have got here sooner.

You don't realise, if I'd open myself up I could.

I get it, you're strung out. We all are.

No, no. A delay like this will be our fault.

You think I don't know that?

I'm going to need you for what's to come, all right?

But your profile's done.

I know how to do my job so just let me do it.

[suspenseful music]

[fabric tearing]

[building, suspenseful music]

[Micki coughing]

[Micki gagging]

[Micki panting]

[slow, swelling music]

[knocking on door]

Micki?

[knocking on door]

They found another body.

[slow, swelling music]

[Micki's voicemail message playing]

Fuck.

[building, dramatic music]