(gentle organ music) (birds chirping) - My name is Brenda.

I worked with Declan at the Wadsworth Homestead, and, um, he was a really amazing gardener.

And the Wadsworths, who are in France for the winter, sent this message.

"To our dear departed Declan, you knew how to coax a prickly stick into a perfect rose.

(mourners laugh) You cared for our gardens as if they were your own.

You were and will remain a poet and a gentleman."

- Thank you, Brenda.

In true O'Grady style, he's insisted on having the last word.

- You know, (mourners chattering) when the cancer found me out, I said to myself, "Let's not make this a gloomy affair."

And I didn't know how better to do that than to leave you with a final poem, A sweet smell of death.

Lower the main sail, lower the flags.

Lo and behold, I've run aground.

I'm holed and I'm sinking.

Pour me a Guinness, don't stop me drinking.

Pour me a shot, pull me another.

Remember me.

Remember me well.

Tight to the wind, out on high.

Riding the horizon.

Living it up between Mrs. Smith's thighs.

(mourners laugh) - And please remember that Declan's final book, "Having a Pint on the Wild Blue Yonder" is for sale in the foyer, proceeds to the Cancer Recovery Foundation.

(gentle organ music) (gentle fiddle music) - Let the Lord be your judge and jury now, Declan O'Grady.

Coward.

(mourners chattering) (car rumbling) (crowd gasping) (intense music) - Oh God, God.

(camera snapping) ♪ You can bury my body ♪ ♪ You can bury my body ♪ ♪ You can bury my body ♪ - Doesn't look good.

You wanna tell me how you got there?

- Stab wound.

I said that, not her, in case you were wondering.

- You are not a ventriloquist then.

- (laughs) No.

But, uh, stab wound, that'd be my guess.

- Guessing gets you nowhere, Detective Sims.

That's why I'm here.

Usually I take the body to the morgue, and from there, the undertaker takes them for burial.

Today, it's all very back to front.

- I'm sure she feels the same way.

- Came to pay my respects to one of our great poets and ended up in a crime scene.

Right busman's holiday.

- Crime or negligence?

- When I die, can you remind me not to trust my body to that bloke?

Gotta get back to HQ for a budget meeting.

I'll, um, alert the coroner for you.

Keep up the good work, Spleen.

- It's Breen.

- Mm-hmm.

- Please step away from the car when it comes to caring for the dead, reputation is everything.

- Well, I'm just after the facts so that we can ascertain what's going on.

- Well, the fact is, I delivered the deceased to the church and he turned into a woman.

- So you are positive that Declan O'Grady's body was in the coffin when you sealed it up?

- Of course.

(phone rings) Excuse Me.

Bugle Funerals, where life and death shake hands.

This is Warren.

(Mike clears his throat) - Detective.

I'm at a loss for words.

- There may well be a simple explanation.

But tell me, was the casket always closed from the time it arrived here at the church?

- Yes.

It was a closed-casket ceremony.

There's nothing unusual in that.

- Except for an Irishman.

Hmm, perhaps, but funerals are a personal affair.

- So you never saw the deceased?

- No, I didn't.

Tina.

On behalf of St. Judas, my apologies for this harrowing experience.

- Don't take responsibility for another's sins, Reverend.

- Oh, I'm, I'm sorry, Detective Shepherd.

Do you know Tina Morehu?

- Hello, I'm Jared's auntie.

He speaks highly of you.

- Oh, well, he's too kind.

- He spoke highly of Declan, too, but we won't hold that against him.

The devil visited today.

There is, if you'll excuse the pun, a certain kind of poetic justice to Declan being turned into a woman, and a young woman at that.

God bless, Reverend.

- An exemplary Christian, devoted to the scripture.

I sometimes feel she puts me to shame.

- So you don't know who she is?

- At this stage, no.

- Maybe her name is Scarlett.

- Any idea what she was stabbed with?

- It'll take some time to figure out what implement caused that wound.

But I have special techniques.

I'll know more when I open her up.

- Did you do the autopsy on Declan O'Grady?

- Sadly, no.

- Do you know who did?

- He died of natural causes.

I understand it was unnecessary.

- Unlike her, who died of unnatural causes and did need one.

- We have a Jane Doe.

- According to Gina, dead for approximately three days.

- Which puts us out last Saturday.

No ID, nothing distinguishing, other than being Asian.

25 to 30 years of age and a tattoo of the word Scarlett, - Which could be her name.

- Or the name of a lover - Or her favorite color.

- There are no reports of a missing person matching her description on any police records.

- Carry on with your inquiries.

(bright music) We need to know who she is.

She's the only thing that ties us to Declan's casket.

Which brings us to the other big question, where is the body of Declan O'Grady?

- Probably her question best asked of this man.

(energetic music) (energetic music continues) (bell rings) (saxophone blowing) (saxophone blowing continues) - Mr Bugle.

Mr. Bugle.

- Can't sneak up on people like that.

- We did ring the bell.

- Oh, I didn't hear it.

- Been playing long?

- Since I was 12.

It's a good way to de-stress, and adds value to the services.

One-stop shop, embalming, all arrangements, even offer musical accompaniments.

- Mr. Bugle, we need to understand the exact process undertaken with Mr. O'Grady, and his movements before you took him to church this morning.

- Well, I've told you what I know.

- When you say one-stop shop, you do all the embalming yourself, right?

- Yes.

- So you embalmed Declan O'Grady?

- Yes.

I don't have an assistant.

- After you'd embalmed Mr. O'Grady, what happened then?

- He went in the chiller.

(door slides) - Until?

- Today.

I brought him out and took him to St. Judas.

I have a worksheet here.

(door slides) It's, hmm, somewhere.

Sorry.

Ah, here.

Declan.

Patrick O'Grady, it's all in order.

- Except it says he wasn't to be embalmed.

- What?

- Oh, right.

Well then I didn't, obviously.

- When was the last funeral you conducted prior to today's?

- Ah, the day before today.

- Yesterday?

- Yes.

That's, that's correct.

- And is it possible it was in a casket that was similar to Declan's?

- Yeah, as a matter of fact it was, very similar, it's the Autumn Cradle.

It's a lovely piece.

Very popular.

- And can we assume it was for this woman?

- No.

No, I've never seen her before, until today.

So who did you bury yesterday?

Andrea Broadly.

- A woman?

- No, Arthur.

Arthur Broadly.

- You seem unsure.

- Is it possible you buried the wrong person?

- I think it's highly unlikely.

- Mr. Bugle, we'll be seeking a court order to exhume the body from Mr. Broadley's grave.

- No, no.

If word gets out, this will ruin me.

- It can be a discreet process.

(gentle music) - Is it really necessary?

- Whatever way we look at it, there is a body missing, and we need to make sure we are looking for the right one.

Is it Declan or this Arthur Broadly?

(birds squawking) - We appreciate your help, Mrs. Marlowe.

- Oh, not at all.

See, poor old Arthur had no living next of kin, and I knew him well.

There was bridge, bingo and Tai Chi.

(gentle music continues) Oh yes.

That's Arthur.

Such a big nose.

Oh, and that ridiculous toupee.

Who would want to be buried with a thing like that?

- Father bless this soul for the disruption caused today, and let us remember that- - I knew it.

(Lucas continues faintly) You see?

There was no professional misconduct.

I think I deserve an apology.

- Warren, the fact remains that you have still mislaid a body, that of Declan O'Grady, so we will need to talk about this down at the station, - Right.

Well, in the name of good professional practice, I must attend to the casket first.

- Well, at least we have one dead body in the right casket in the right place.

- Mm.

Thanks again, Mrs. Marlowe.

- Oh Jean, please.

- An unpleasant task.

We're very grateful.

- I'm happy to help.

I never forget a face, unlike Declan.

- Meaning?

- Well, I guess he was more a man of words, rather than of faces.

"For You" is my favorite one of yours.

- Mine too.

- And you wrote it about?

- Oh, whoever the reader believes it to be.

- (laughs) But really, who's it for?

- For you, Mrs. Marlowe.

- (laughs) Oh, Jean, please.

Thank you.

- Can you sign it for Melody?

(gentle music) Do you remember me?

(pen scribbling) - No, sorry.

I don't.

- Result of the cancer, you see, chipping away at his memory.

Oh, such a tragedy for a man of words.

Well, I must take a wander and check up on some old friends of mine.

Cheerio.

- Safely stowed.

- Thank you, Reverend.

- Of course.

Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name.

Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our sins.

(gentle music) (bright music) - Take a seat, thanks, Warren.

- We will be right back.

(phone ringing) - We've checked all backpackers, motels, the visitor center, pubs, cafes.

No one recalls seeing Jane Doe.

It's as if she came from nowhere and has been invisible until the coffin burst open.

- Keep on it.

She came from somewhere.

- I was called to the Wadsworth Estate at around 11:00 AM on Sunday morning - By?

- A woman.

- Called?

- White.

Barry White.

- She was called Barry?

- Oh, Brenda, sorry.

Names can be so tricky.

Brenda.

Yeah, she's the housekeeper there.

She was waiting outside.

- Has the doctor been in attendance?

- Yes, the doctor was here, but I can't go in there.

His eyes are still open.

- Allow me.

(gentle music) Ms. White.

Safe and sound.

- Um, he left instructions.

- But I knew that already.

- Because?

- Mr. O'Grady had visited my parlor.

- Something simple, austere, earthy.

- Yet comfortable.

- Does that really matter?

- So you would say he was at peace with his impending death?

- No, I wouldn't.

- Apologies.

(sighs) I'm sure you are world weary about death, but I'm still coming to terms with it.

It's like a place where life and death shake hands.

- (laughs) I like that.

Hence the new logo.

But that'll have to change now.

Everyone saw it at the church.

I'll have to rebrand, again.

- Mr. Bugle, I'm not sure you appreciate, there is a body under your care that is unaccounted for.

- But nobody died.

- Pardon?

- Well, I mean they were dead already, so it's not a complete catastrophe.

- What were the instructions?

- Sorry?

- You said that Declan left instructions.

- Oh yes.

Uh, did natural burial, close casket, quick internment.

Super.

- [Mike] And how long do you lie in the parlor?

- Well, after I straighten the body, I labeled the coffin, and put it in the chiller.

(phone ringing) - [Mike] At which point the coffin was sealed?

- Absolutely.

When a client is to be buried au natural, that's without preservation, it is imperative that the casket is airtight to slow down the decomposition process.

Otherwise, things can get a bit wiffy.

(gentle music) Then yesterday, Tuesday morning, I placed him in the hearse and took him to the church.

That was the last direct contact I had with the coffin.

- Thank you Warren.

- Until after the service.

(casket clattering) - Hmm.

- Thank you, Mr. Bugle, for your time.

- Your death is my business.

- Excuse me?

- It's catchy.

- We may have more questions later.

- I've sent out copies to all registered tattooists, hoping someone remembers doing it.

- Well, assuming it was done in New Zealand?

- Yeah.

I recognize the font as Lucy in italic, which should narrow it down.

Certain tattooists specialize in certain fonts.

- You have an encyclopedic knowledge of tattoo fonts?

- It's a common one.

- And you know this because underneath that suit you are fully inked?

- Roxy has one.

- Oh really?

Where?

Actually don't answer that.

- Someone needed to dispose of Jane Doe and switch Declan's body out to where?

And why Declan?

- Because they knew he was entrusted to the most hapless funeral director on the planet.

- Yeah, but the reason must also lie with why Jane Doe needed to be disposed of.

- Where are we at with the search for Declan's body?

- OC Search have a team and inquiries are underway.

- I can't get an answer from Wadsworths'.

I'll take a drive over on my way home.

- He's missing and she appears outta nowhere.

But they're connected.

(gentle music) All ideas welcome.

♪ Travelin' the world ♪ ♪ I'm a rollin' stone ♪ (phone ringing) ♪ It's in my blood, it's in my bones.

♪ - Simon.

- Lost poets, exhumations, it's all getting quite gothic up there.

- Thanks for calling me back.

- Developments?

- A missing body and an unidentified Jane Doe linked by circumstance only.

- (sighs) Those Irish poets, even when they're dead, they like to be the center of attention.

Could you chase up the coroner again for cause of death?

- Well, aside from too much Guinness and a brain tumor, sure.

I'll put a call through in the morning.

Gotta get to hot yoga.

Hot yoga.

Good Lord.

(mysterious music) (crickets chirping) (mysterious music continues) (doorbell rings) (mysterious music continues) (car rumbling) (bicycle clicking) - Hey!

Excuse me?

(knock raps on door) - Merlot?

- Ah sure, yeah.

- Freaky day, eh?

- You are referring to the funeral?

- Yeah, well, Declan was a good dude.

I felt bad for him being disrespected when he is dead.

So much for rest in peace.

(Mike laughs) (liquid pours) - You, uh, knew him well?

- I only got to know him properly recently when I got the shoulder tapped to take over his gardening role in Wadsworths'.

He knew he was on his way out with his cancer, (Declan speaking softly) and wanted to pass on his wisdom.

(gentle music) - Why you?

- 'Cause I'm good.

(Jared laughs) - Of course.

- Nah.

My Auntie Tina hooked me up.

She knew Declan was looking to hand over the reigns and wanted someone with green fingers.

I worked there for two weeks while he went to Thailand for some experimental operation.

Didn't work, apparently, so he came home to die.

For you are the stars, the wind and rain.

For me, shouted from the storm of pain.

For you, I am yours and we are won again.

- "For you."

you know it?

- It's my favorite - (laughs) As was she.

I wrote it about an incredibly special woman.

But she's moved on now, as I will soon, too.

- He certainly has.

But where to exactly is a little unclear.

(gentle music) (birds chirping) You are sure it was Lucas Greene?

- Yet when I rang the doorbell, no one answered.

- And he came from inside the house?

- I didn't see, but he must have, as did someone else driving a Jaguar.

- Number plate?

- No, it was too dark.

But you know, a reverend plus a bicycle at nighttime, that's a trickle dodgy.

- Well, curious, at least.

(phone ringing) - Shepherd.

- Seen last night's paper?

- "Boo!

Who is Declan's mystery woman?"

That has to border on unethical.

- At least it creates awareness in the community.

It might help identify Jane Doe.

- No, it's sensitive.

- That was Gina.

We need to take a detour on the way to St. Judas.

(knock raps on door) - Cushla, speak of the devil.

- Any developments you wanna share?

- You don't deserve a lead after this.

- Excuse me?

- Parading an unknown dead woman on the front page is offensive.

- It's news.

- And what if her family don't know she's dead yet?

That'd be a hell of a way to find out, wouldn't it?

- They'd find out eventually.

- Yeah, through proper channels.

So pull your head in, and work with us, not against us.

- I have been working hard, Mike, to isolate the murder weapon.

Given the shape, depth, and circumference of the wound, I have narrowed it down to these.

All possibilities.

- They're all long, narrow and tapered?

- Yes.

They all match the wound and the piercing of the heart.

- What about a knife?

- No, not a knife.

Too thin.

- To make a wound of that dimension?

- Correct.

(tools clatter) - Apologies.

- Please be careful.

- You have a shoulder of pork on your table.

- It's not for eating.

- Glad to hear it.

- It is the closest thing to the density of human flesh.

- You stab this?

- It's work, not just fun and games.

- I'll take your word for it.

- You want to try it?

It's good for anger.

- I'm not angry.

- Everyone is angry deep down.

It's good to let it out.

(gentle music) - Right.

Excellent.

Thanks, Gina.

(bright music continues) (bright music continues) - Detectives.

- Rev Greene.

- A couple of questions?

- Of course.

- Uh, did I see you leaving the Wadsworths' last night around 8:00 PM?

- Ah, yes.

Yes, that would've been right.

- Do you go there often?

- I was ministering to Brenda White.

- Ah, so she was there?

- Yeah.

She's been fragile since Declan's death.

She's been asking the big questions, meaning of life, life after death, et cetera.

- I rang the bell but no one answered.

- Yes, well, it's a very big house.

One can so easily get lost in it.

- Uh, she drives a Jaguar?

- Oh, you're asking the wrong person.

I've never been a car person.

Two wheels good.

Four wheels bad.

Reverend, were you ever alone with Declan's coffin once it arrived here on the morning of the funeral?

- No.

No, I think not.

(intense music) It was only a matter of an hour before the service that Mr. Bugle delivered Declan, and I had my helpers with me.

- They being?

- Mrs. Marlowe, our organist, and Janelle, who does the flowers.

- Declan, poor man.

He truly was a great poet.

"For you" is my favorite.

- It is a particularly passionate poem.

They say it's about Denise Snodgrass.

- Oh really?

I thought it was about someone else.

- As I remember, it wasn't long after that that the first of the mourners arrived.

- Any idea who that might have been?

- Tina Morehu.

- Uh, no.

Who the poem was about?

- Oh, to be honest, no.

Please, don't get cold.

It's no secret Declan was a lover of more than just life.

It could have been any number of acquaintances.

- I see.

- The, um, the woman in the coffin, I didn't actually see her, but I, I've heard said she was Asian.

- That's all we know at this point.

(phone ringing) - Excuse me.

Simon.

- I spoke with the coroner, Jim Manson, and he wasn't notified of Declan's death, as it was natural causes.

- Do we know what exactly?

- The cause of death certificate was forwarded to Internal Affairs.

- By?

- Uh, the undertaker, Warren Bugle.

It cites heart attack, a result of invasive brain cancer.

- And who signed off on that?

- A Dr. Plummer.

- Dr. Plummer.

Got it.

- I've sent a copy through to the station.

- Thanks.

- You said Tina Morehu who was in the church at that time?

- Yes.

She comes often.

Nothing unusual in that.

- Okay, that's all for now.

- Only too happy to help.

(mysterious music) (phone dialing) - Warren Bugle got a cause a death certificate from a Dr. Plummer, and he forgot to mention that.

- Well, he has been very busy trying to think up a new slogan.

- It's Lucas.

Storming out last night was no solution.

Roger, questions are being asked.

It was her.

(phone ringing) - Mike.

- Jared, I have a couple of questions for your Auntie Tina.

Do you have an address?

- Well, just so it happens, I'm at Auntie's now.

15 Powers Lane.

- Okay, see you soon.

- "For you, the devil departed.

For me, the Red Sea parted.

For you, I rise to the occasion, riding you with self-flagellation.

Swallow me whole, I'm wholly yours."

(country music plays) Way too many mixed metaphors.

- I always liked poetry.

- You know country music doesn't count right?

- Oh, come on.

Three chords and the truth.

It's gotta be poetry.

♪ 'Cause all I want is a place to play ♪ - No.

- Yes.

♪ A place to play ♪ ♪ Where I can sing my song ♪ (country music continues faintly) - Yo.

- Hey Jared.

- You said you were gardening with Declan?

- Yeah.

- After he got back from Thailand?

- Yeah.

- After his brain surgery?

- Oh, he was pretty banged up.

They'd only given him a few weeks to live.

Obviously loved his work.

Well, I guess he was determined to make the most of the time you had left.

- [Tina] Detective?

- Ah, Mrs. Morehu.

- Miss.

- Miss.

Uh, this is Detective Sims.

- Hello.

- We are just clarifying a few timelines around Declan's coffin.

- What has that got to do with me?

- You were one of the first mourners to arrive.

- Oh, I like to get a good seat.

- You, Mrs. Marlowe, Janelle the florist and Lucas Greene?

- Yes.

- And were you ever alone at any point with the coffin?

- I don't believe so.

- You said it was poetic justice that Declan turned into a young woman.

I'm curious, what did you mean by that?

- What are you insinuating?

- Nothing, I just- - [Tina] This has got nothing to do with me.

How dare you.

- What?

- Cast them into the furnace of fire.

There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

- (sighs) Steady on, Auntie.

Do you wanna know where Declan's body is?

- Well, yes.

- It is burning in the fires of eternal damnation, Mr. Shepherd.

Try looking there.

(intense music) - No one was left alone with Declan's casket once it was placed in the church.

Therefore, the swap must have occurred at the funeral home.

- Or en route between Wadsworths' and the funeral home?

- Well, Warren Bugle said he checked him over before putting him in the chiller.

- Okay, Dr. Plummer is based in Riverstone and is yet to return my calls, but Brenda White is at the homestead.

- Let's get to Wadsworths'.

Uh, developments on Jane Doe?

- We've checked out all Asian-based restaurants.

Nothing.

I thought maybe she was a singer, perhaps in town for the karaoke festival.

But that's next month, and the organizers don't recognize her from their lineup.

- Borders?

- We've got airport police covering that off with immigration.

- Keep it up.

She came from somewhere.

- She came from somewhere.

I know.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) - They don't make them like this anymore.

- Probably because people got sick of cleaning all the bathrooms.

(knock raps on door) - Here you go.

English breakfast.

I hope that's okay.

- Perfect.

Thanks.

- That's quite a complex pattern.

- Yes, well, I've always liked knitting, and now I have the perfect excuse.

- Oh, are you expecting?

- No.

(laughs) They're for my sister.

She's expecting twins.

And when the Wadsworths are away, things are quieter here, so I steal a bit of time.

Milk?

- Oh, I can do it.

- No, please, allow me.

It's what I do.

And if the Wadsworths knew that we had special guests and I didn't give proper service, well... - Brenda, were you present when Declan passed?

- Yes.

- First on the scene?

- No, Janelle was.

- Where were you?

- Here in the kitchen, cleaning.

(intense music) (water splashing) And she was in the garden with Declan.

Declan had been struggling for weeks, and ever since returning from Thailand, we'd said that he needed to slow down, because he had Jared Morehu who on board, but... (Declan groans) (Janelle screams) (glass shattering) - [Janelle] Help, someone!

Please!

- [Brenda] It's almost as if he was determined to die with his boots on.

- For God's sake, where's the doctor?

- Where is he?

- Out by the camellias.

- [Kristin] What time was this?

- Just after 10:00, I think.

- And you called the ambulance?

(phone dialing and ringing) I did, but...

He's collapsed.

The, the Wardsworth's Homestead, yes.

Yes.

- It's too late.

- What?

- Brenda, he's gone.

(Brenda gasps) Let the reverend know and then call Mr. Bugle.

(Brenda gasps) - When I came back out, Declan had been moved to the cottage to wait for the undertaker.

- And Dr. Plummer waited, too?

- No, he left.

- And then what happened?

(intense music) Well, I didn't know what to do.

I was in shock.

- Don't go in there.

God, his eyes are still wide open.

- [Mike] But you didn't go in?

- [Brenda] No, I couldn't go in there.

And then Mr. Bugle arrived to take Declan away.

- Has the doctor been in attendance?

- Yes, the doctor was here, but I can't go in there.

His eyes is still open.

- Oh, allow me.

- [Kristin] Did you go with Declan to the funeral home?

- No, I called the Reverend, and then phoned the Wadsworths in France.

- Well, thanks for your time, Brenda, and the most excellent tea.

- You're welcome.

- What were you cleaning?

- Oh, uh, wine glasses.

(water splashing) - How many?

- Uh, Six, I believe.

- Had there been a party?

- (sighs) I clean, Mr. Shepherd.

That's what I do.

As you can see, the Wadsworths expect the highest standards.

(laughs) - Yet, when you went to call for an ambulance, Dr. Plummer came from within the house?

- Oh, well he stayed over.

- So he doesn't live here?

- No, no.

He's a personal friend of the Wadsworths, and when he has to work late in Brokenwood, he stays here so he doesn't have to drive all the way back to Riverstone.

There's plenty of rooms.

- And Janelle?

What was she doing here on a Sunday morning?

- Well, she's a florist, and Declan let her pick the more exotic blooms when the Wadsworths were away, so when the blooms are out, she came running.

- Well, we'll let you get back to knitting.

(phone rings) - Kristin Sims.

Dr. Plummer, thanks for getting back to me.

Right, I see.

I'll meet you then.

Thank you.

He's teaching at the university in the city.

Won't be able to meet me until this afternoon.

What sort of doctor teaches?

- Either a very good one or a bad one.

(car rumbling) - It's me again.

I'm just wondering where you are.

Oh, hello - Courier?

- What?

- Well, you sound like you're chasing your courier.

- Oh, exactly.

(laughs) I mean, how hard is it to pick up some flowers?

It's not like I'm asking to pick up some bizarre, rancid cheese.

I'm sorry.

How can I help you?

- Ah, we're still trying to locate the body of Declan O'Grady.

- A ghastly business.

I mean how macabre, to desecrate a man's memory by stealing his body, and to do what?

(sighs) There are some sick people in this world.

- Ah, Janelle, you were with Declan when he died?

- I was.

He died in my arms.

(mysterious music) Oh, for God's sake.

Get the doctor!

There was nothing he could do.

The attack was massive, apparently.

He was dead before he hit the ground.

Let the reverend know and then call Mr. Bugle.

(Brenda gasps) - [Kristin] And the ambulance came?

- It did.

- When Brenda returned to the garden, she said that Declan had been moved into the cottage.

- To give him some dignity from the cold, hard ground.

- [Kristin] The ambulance drivers helped you with that?

- Well, I couldn't have done it.

Despite Declan's illness, he was a strong man, full of life even in death.

And Dr. Plummer was- - Oh, he'd gone by that stage.

He had an appointment in town, I believe.

Moutard, sit.

- Moutard, that's an interesting name.

- [Janelle] It's French, isn't he lovely?

- Cheers.

(printer whirring) Yes.

a photo match of Jane Doe coming through international arrivals.

Immigration records have her as Scarlett Ming, Chinese heritage, but hailing from San Francisco where she runs a clothing boutique called Missy Scarlett.

She flew in on the 6:00 AM Saturday morning, the day before Declan died.

On an immigration card, she wrote 135 Dunville Lane - Wadsworths'.

- Enter Paula tracking down her next of kin, They'll need to fly out to formally identify her.

She came from somewhere.

- Nice work.

- Question is, what brings a San Francisco clothes designer to Brokenwood?

Maybe Mrs. Wadsworth had a special fitting?

They're loaded enough, right?

- [Mike] Well, except she's in France.

- Brenda White is the Wadsworths' housekeeper, right?

- Yes.

(intense music) - And the florist is called Janelle Peacock.

- Yes.

- Brenda White, Janelle Peacock, a woman trading as Missy Scarlett.

And what sort of a doctor teaches?

A professor, Professor Plummer.

Surely this has to be more than a coincidence, right?

- All we need now is a colonel.

- Moutard.

It's French for mustard.

- Are we suddenly in a board game?

- Senior, There's a, a Reverend Greene here to see you.

(bright music) (birds chirping) - It started some years ago when Brenda White, Janelle Peacock, Professor Plummer and I realized we all shared our rather unique surnames with a timeless, classic and most rewarding board game.

And then with the Wadsworths having a, a large manor we could use while they were away, we thought wouldn't it be jolly good fun to adapt it into real life?

A, a role playing club was formed, something of a whodunnit evening, you see.

- And, uh, how exactly does it play out?

- Ah, yes, well, the evening begins in the dining room.

(mysterious music) Firstly, the six weapons are made available.

We each take one and discreet it in a random room of our choice.

When everyone returns, we each draw three cards that decide the weapon, the room in which the murder is to take place, and the victim.

We draw fourth card, five of which a blank, that the sixth reads murderer.

The short straw, if you will.

The aim of the evening is for the designated murderer, let's say it was me, to move the required weapon to the required room.

- Ah, what are we drinking here?

- And negotiate the victim there as well.

- Ah!

- At which point, the victim assumes the position.

The villain slips out and assumes an innocent demeanor so as not to be sprung by the other participants.

(clock rings) We all meet back in the dining room at midnight where the accusations begin.

- Dr. Plummer in the billard room with the rope.

- No.

- Brenda White in the kitchen with a cleaver tree.

- No!

- True.

- No?

- Oh!

(group groans and laughs) - If you are the villain and no one guesses- - You get away with murder.

- It really is totally harmless, good old-fashioned fun.

Jolly good evening.

- And the last time you played was last Saturday night?

- Yes.

- That was the night before Declan passed away.

- And Declan took part?

- He always played the colonel.

- Even though his name's not Mustard?

- No one's is.

- Except for Janelle's dog.

- Quite.

But the chance of everyone having the same name would be a coincidence too great.

However, Declan always called himself Colonel Moutard.

I think it tickled Janelle's fancy.

- He was well enough to play.

- Oh, he knew it would be his last hurrah.

- And the other woman?

- Denise Snodgrass, a fine player, but she left town.

- Why?

- Let's just say her feelings towards Colonel Moutard weren't exactly murderous.

More amorous, unrequited, sadly, so she left to get on with her life.

- So you needed a Miss Scarlett?

- Yes.

- Enter Scarlett Ming.

- Her name really was Scarlett, you know?

- And how did you find her?

- Oh, she found us.

The internet.

- Hello!

- [Lucas] Somehow she'd heard about our private soiree.

- That game is my favorite of all time.

I'll book my tickets.

(group chattering) - She really was a lovely, bubbly sort.

(group chattering) And when she arrived, she was very polite and courteous, and wearing a dress that she had made for the occasion.

- Ah.

- Well done.

- [Lucas] We all took a shine to her.

We couldn't have hoped for a better participant.

(intense music) - Do you need a cup of tea?

- Sorry.

No, no, no, I'm fine.

Before each soiree, we take a photo, a memento of the evening.

Oh, that one was taken about six months ago, Denise's last game.

And so the evening took shape.

(bright music) We all went about our business.

Some were more active than others.

- China girl, what joy you bring.

(Scarlett laughs) With your scarlet heart and your name of Ming.

- (laughs) That's very good.

- No, no.

One more, one more.

Um, there was a young girl from Shanghai.

- The rules are clear.

You have to go to each room at least once during the evening.

And there is strategy.

We we, we moved the weapons around to flush out the villain.

(clock ringing) Eventually, we all met back in the dining room on the stroke at midnight.

Initially, of course, we all thought Scarlett was the victim.

- But she wasn't?

- You see no one had the murderer card.

- I don't have it.

- She's not in the study.

- Or the library - Or the kitchen.

- We know the billiard room is clear.

- Yes, and the ballroom, but I found this.

- I have it here.

- "Sorry, too tired, jet lag.

Hope the game goes well.

XX, Scarlett."

- We took it that she'd drawn the murderer card but then got cold feet and slipped away.

It was the most disappointing night.

- And that was the last time you saw Scarlett Ming?

- It was.

We assumed she'd got on a plane back to San Francisco.

- Until you saw Declan's coffin.

- Now, to be fair, I didn't see her then, and and the others, well, well, they'd only met her briefly, and she was wearing a, a scarlet dress.

In the coffin, apparently, it was hard to tell.

It only made sense later.

- Hmm.

After you conferred with the others at Wadsworths' last night?

- I wanted to be sure we all thought the same thing.

- It's her, I tell you.

- We can't be sure.

- I can't tell from that.

- Oh my God.

What will the Wadsworths say?

- This has all gone horribly wrong.

- The others were adamant that her demise had nothing to do with us.

Regardless, I felt very conflicted.

Hence, I'm here today.

- And do you believe your fellow role players are telling the truth?

- My goodness, yes.

(phone ringing) No, please, they're all good, Christian souls.

And it would've been most unfair to drag Scarlett into something distasteful if she was simply back in San Francisco.

- Oh my God.

- He converted you?

- (laughs) Something even more weird.

Something that was going on up at Wadsworths'.

- People were playing murder.

- What, like role playing?

- Uh, the Reverend Greene with a pistol in the conservatory, that sort of thing.

- Don't they have anything better to do on a Saturday night?

- Well, what were you doing on Saturday night?

- Ah, well it was a quiet one, bottle of sav, and I'm binging my way through the box set of "Downton Abbey."

- Well, maybe they were having more fun at Wadsworths'.

- Hey, at least I wasn't murdering anyone.

- Well, neither were they, if Lucas Greene is to be believed.

- But that was the last place she was seen alive, right?

- Yeah.

- So whoever murdered her used Declan's death as a perfect way to hide her body.

They got lucky.

- Very lucky.

- Well, until Warren Bugle dumped her body on the tarseal.

Anyway, I'm off to Riverstone to meet with Dr. Plummer.

Or should I say Professor Plum?

- Watch he's not hiding a candlestick in his study.

- Senior?

There's people here to see you.

- Jared.

Tina.

- Yeah, um, so Auntie here has some news.

- I do not need to be airing this issue with the police.

- She reckons she knows who the poem "For You" was about.

- Sorry about the decor.

My office would be cozier.

- Nah, I want to keep this low-key.

Here's good.

- This should remain as a matter between us and the Lord.

- No, the cops have the right to know anything that might help them locate the body of my father.

- (coughs) Sorry?

Declan is your father?

- According to Auntie.

The first I heard was today.

- Can I help it if Declan was a man who shirked from responsibility?

- So you've never known who your father was?

- But I had well-founded suspicions.

When I heard he was dying, I confronted him.

Surely he owed Jared the courtesy of acknowledging him as his son.

- [Declan] Well, Tina, you've got to let it go.

- Well, are you denying it?

- What we had was what it was.

We were young.

- Don't, don't you change the subject.

- This is the subject.

You've never gotten over it.

- Running off with my sister?

No, it was a little hard to take.

- Mariana came onto me.

- Just confess to Jared.

- He's not my son.

If he was, I'd be proud to admit it.

- Ow.

- His sins are more numerous than the hairs upon his head.

- Get outta here.

Enough of your crazy talk.

- The truth will come out soon, Declan, and you, you will rot in hell.

- I'm not going to hell.

- So you and Declan were?

- Not something I'm proud of.

He was new in town.

I was 19.

But in the end he favored my younger sister, and nine months later, Mariana gave birth to a son.

Maths is pretty obvious, don't you think?

- Well, surely Mariana can verify.

- I never knew my mum.

She died in childbirth.

- Oh hell.

(sighs) Sorry.

(Jared sighs) - The truth will come out.

I took samples of them both and sent away for a DNA test.

- Ow.

- [Jared] Is that what you were doing?

- Mm-hmm.

(Jared scoffs) Results are due any day now, and then Jared will know the truth.

- So the poem, "For You," you think it could have been about Mariana?

- I wrote it about an incredibly special woman, but she's moved on now.

- Well, it certainly wasn't about Denise Snodgrass, or any of the other women, though they all think it is.

(car rumbling) (bright music) (car beeps) - Detective Sims, please come through.

The cancer apparently affected the hippocampus, but the human brain is remarkable in that it can sustain significant parts being removed without losing fundamental functions, hence the popularity of the lobotomy for a while, until they realized it was robbing people of their humanity.

- Well, is a physical existence worthwhile without an ability to experience emotion?

- Exactly.

In Thailand, they were apparently able to remove a large part of the cancer, but apparently not enough.

- Apparently.

- Excuse me?

- Well, you keep using that word.

Surely as his doctor, you'd know exactly what went on.

- The cancer wasn't my domain.

- I don't understand.

- I wasn't Declan's doctor.

(gentle music) - What?

- There seems to have been some misunderstanding.

I counseled Declan as he faced the notion of death.

I'm not a GP, I'm a doctor of psychiatry.

- But you signed the cause of death certificate.

- How could I have?

- The last time I saw Declan, he was alive and well and tending the garden.

(mysterious music) (bright music) - The poet, yes.

I know who Declan O'Grady was.

- And he was a patient here?

- Not that I recall.

And even if he was, there is the matter of patient confidentiality.

- All I need to know is when and for how long he was in the District Health Board records.

And the next time I see you down at the Frog and Cheetah, your first margarita's on me.

- And what will Roxy think of that?

- She'll be with me, and probably already onto her third.

- (sighs) It can't matter too much, since he's dead.

- Appreciate it.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Dr. Plummer, thanks for coming in.

D.S.C.

Shepherd.

- Dr. Roger Plummer.

- You are also a professor, I hear?

- [Roger] That is correct.

- Dr. Plummer, as I mentioned, we were under the impression that you signed Declan's cause of death certificate.

- And as I said, I did no such thing.

- Well this was forwarded to Birth, Deaths and Marriages.

Is that your signature?

- Well, yes.

- [Kristin] Which would suggest that you filled it out.

- I certainly did not.

- But you were there at Wadsworths' on the Sunday morning when he died?

- Well I, I may have been, but as I said, the last time I saw Declan, he was alive, tending the flowers with Janelle Peacock.

Where is he?

- Uh, out by the camellias.

- I'm off.

Take care, Declan.

- You too, Roger.

- And with that, I left.

- Then you are suggesting that the signature on the certificate is a forgery.

- It must be.

- Brenda White was at the sink.

What was she doing?

- The dishes.

- Glasses?

(phone ringing) - Um, cutlery, I think.

- It's Breen.

Sam.

- Excuse us.

- Declan O'Grady never set foot in the hospital, nor does he appear anywhere in the District Health Board records.

For a cancer patient, he somehow managed his treatment completely independently.

And get this.

- Right.

Thanks.

It seems Declan didn't have a GP.

- I've already said I'm not an oncologist, and I, I don't like what you're implying.

- But you have said that you were Declan's confidante and psychiatrist.

Therefore, surely you would know that he wasn't receiving treatment.

- Well, it was none of my business.

- So he just never mentioned it?

- You're being very hostile.

- No, I'm just- - Curious.

We're curious as your relationship with Declan.

- I treated him as a friend, and to be honest, a fan.

He was a great poet, and I was happy to help.

Poets aren't wealthy.

They certainly can't afford psychiatry fees.

(laughs) - Would you say that Declan's psychological issues were significant?

- Now, that is not something that I'm at liberty to discuss.

- On the evening before Declan's death, you were at Wadsworths'?

- Mm, yeah.

- Doing what, exactly?

- That is a private matter.

- It's no longer a private matter when a murder investigation is involved.

We know about the role playing.

Reverend Greene was very forthcoming.

- I see.

What did he say exactly?

- But why don't you tell us what you can remember.

- Well, I can barely remember, and I wasn't really in the mood, but the sweet girl had made such an effort to be there, and I knew was most likely Declan's last time, so I played my part.

I spent most of the evening in the study catching up on patient notes.

I moved a weapon or two to see if I could, um, tweak to who the perpetrator was.

I moved the pistol from the study to the library at one point, when I had suspicions Lucas may have been the perpetrator, but it was merely red herring.

And I wanted some light readings, so I returned to the study.

- [Kristin] Why was that?

- That's none of your business.

- You never know.

- I feel I've said enough.

Anything else I say will be in consultation with my lawyer.

- Brilliant.

Thanks.

Declan O'Grady never went to Thailand.

According to Immigration, he never left the country, because he has no passport, which means he never had an operation.

- Better than that.

The ambulance that was called to Wadsworths' was intercepted at the gate and told that a doctor had already been and gone.

- What?

So they never actually saw the body?

- [All] Declan's not dead.

(energetic music) - [Kristin] Was the ambulance met by Janelle or Brenda?

- [Sam] Neither.

- Thank you, but the undertaker has been called.

- Lucas Greene?

- Okay, so he was there too?

- Why did he omit that?

- Must have been in on it.

- Or he has something to hide.

Okay, so Declan fakes his own death.

Why?

What motivates someone to do that?

- Well, if we have a psychiatrist in the next room, perhaps he could shed some light.

- Oh, unless he was part of it.

I mean, Declan had help.

How else do you get out of a sealed coffin?

- Warren Bugle.

- Possible.

- But wherever he is now, he may be depending on that help still.

The last one, "The Farewell Poem."

Read the last line.

- (clears throat) "Tight to the wind out on high.

Riding the horizon, living it up between Mrs. Smith's thighs."

Who's Mrs. Smith?

- A lucky lady.

Or not, depending on your view of Declan's literary genius.

- We find Mrs. Smith, we find Declan.

And since you did so well finding Scarlett Ming.

- Do realize there are a lot more Mrs. Smith's in the world than Scarlett Mings?

- Have a little faith.

- Meanwhile, we have zero facts surrounding Scarlett's death, other than she was last seen inside Wadsworth Manor.

- Everyone believes she ran off after leaving the message.

- Well, given that she was last seen playing out of fantasy and then ended up in a dead gardener's coffin, it seems unlikely.

- Meaning someone else wrote the note.

- And why did she write "Hope the game goes well" when she had the murderers card, knowing that the game would fall apart without her?

And as coverups go, any one of them could have done it.

(door squeaks) - [Sam] Or all of them.

- Shrink's lawyer's here, Miranda Temple.

- [Kristin] Ms. Temple.

Detective Sims.

- [Miranda] Hello.

I'd like to see my client.

- Of course.

I'll show you through.

Uh, shall we commence and, say, five minutes?

- Please.

Need, I remind you that the time alone with my client will be at my discretion?

I'll let you know when I'm ready.

- What's to say he even is a professor?

He might just be role playing.

- At least we know that Temple's a lawyer, and she's a good one.

Can you take this?

- Sure.

What, what's your next move?

- I'm gonna take these and apply a fine tooth comb, with a glass of Merlot, and then tomorrow I'm gonna start again, with Brenda White.

Good luck with Temple.

(gentle music) - [Kristin] Wait, where'd she go?

- I'm ready.

Are you?

- [Kristin] So after the role playing had finished around midnight, you went to bed?

- Yes.

- And it was just you and Brenda White on the premises?

- Really?

I don't understand your- - Then point is, Detective?

- Scarlett Ming disappeared somewhere just prior to midnight.

She was next seen on Tuesday morning in Declan's coffin, but we know she died late Saturday, or thereabouts, so I just need to make sure that Dr. Plummer didn't see her in the manor after the game had finished.

- I did not.

- Then you woke on Sunday morning, around what time?

- I slept late, perhaps 9:00, showered, and left Wadsworths' around 9:45 AM.

(gentle music) (water splashing) I'm off.

Take care, Declan.

- You too, Roger.

- 9:45?

- That's what he said.

- Because both Brenda White and Janelle Peacock recall you leaving later, after Declan collapsed, which was just after 10:00 AM.

- Well, they're lying.

- Both of them?

- Clearly both of them, because I had to make an appointment in town at 10:00 AM, and I'm a punctual person.

- Detective, if my client had any part in this elaborate ruse that you are suggesting, then why would he not have used another name?

Why risk his practicing certificate to help Declan O'Grady play hide and seek?

- [Kristin] We will need to corroborate your appointment in town.

- Consider it corroborated.

- I'll need a witness.

- That would be me.

Dr. Plummer was meeting with me in my chambers.

My PA, Cindy, was there to take notes.

- On a Sunday morning?

- On a Sunday morning.

- At 10:00 AM?

- Sometimes it's the only time when parties can get together.

Call Cindy to verify.

And since the certificate cites 10:35 AM as the time of death, then it can't have been Dr. Plummer who filled it out, as he was with me in my chambers.

You look skeptical, Ms. Sims.

- What was the meeting about?

- A private matter.

His wife has issued divorce proceedings.

(gentle music) It's been a very stressful time.

Now, it really is late, and I believe enough of my client's privacy has been invaded.

Roger, let's go.

(bright music) - [Mike] There's something you haven't been forthcoming about.

- I'm sorry?

- The reason Dr. Plummer stayed over on Saturday night.

- Well, that's none of my business.

- But you were part of it?

- What?

- The role playing?

- Oh yes, that.

Well, you need to talk to the others.

- I have.

What I want now is your version of events.

- This is where we start the game and finish.

- At midnight?

- Yes.

- Where were you just before midnight?

- Uh, I was in the kitchen for a while.

That's where I saw Reverend Greene getting more wine, and then the study with Dr. Plummer, and then I stopped for a while in the ballroom, (gentle music) did some knitting, but no one came, so I just moved on.

- What about Janelle?

Did your paths cross much?

- I saw her several times.

Once in the library and in the hall.

I think she had the rope.

There was something up her sleeve.

- The weapons for the game get placed in different rooms before the game starts?

- Yes.

- [Mike] Uh, which one did you place?

- [Brenda] Uh, I placed the candlestick into the conservatory.

- Then depending on who draws the murderer's card, they need to locate the weapon and get it to the appropriate room?

- Yes.

- Which cards did you get?

- Uh, I got the dining room, the cleaver and Rev Greene.

I've had him before.

He can be really tricky.

- But you didn't get the murderer card?

- No.

No I didn't.

- Oh, was this room used?

- No, it's mine.

- You planning a trip?

- Oh.

(laughs) No, that's for my sister's birthday.

She's the one with the travel bug.

Sorry, my room's a mess.

(door clicks) - This one?

- Ah, that's just the spare bedroom.

- Where Dr. Plummer stayed?

- Mm-hmm.

(door clicks and squeaks) - Can I see the ballroom?

- Of course.

- This is where the team photo was taken before every match.

- Yes.

(camera snaps) - At the end of the evening, when you realized Scarlett Ming had disappeared, you all searched the rooms?

- Yes.

- Which ones did you search?

- [Brenda] Uh, the ballroom.

That's where I found her note.

- [Mike] And she was nowhere to be seen?

- [Brenda] We just assumed that she'd run off, that the game wasn't her cup of tea at all.

- One more thing.

You said that when Declan died, Janelle told you to let the reverend know.

- [Brenda] Yes.

- But you didn't need to phone him, did you?

- No, but I did call him.

Reverend, Reverend!

(Brenda knocks quickly) Reverend, wake up!

- [Mike] So he was in Dr. Plummer's room?

- What is it?

Oh God, I've slept in.

- You never mentioned he'd stayed over.

- Well, I didn't think it was important.

- Thanks (footsteps tapping) - A rose by any other name.

- Oh, pretty much anything but a rose.

Camellias, Mike.

- Ah.

Oh well, (laughs) nice day for it.

- An auspicious day, no less.

- How's that?

- Well, this came in the mail this morning, from the DNA place.

Not sure I wanna open it.

- Jared, without giving too much away, we are now of the belief that Declan is indeed just disappeared, if that makes any difference.

- I'm not sure if that helps.

(phone rings) - Kristin.

- The phone rang.

- Yeah, I know, and I answered it.

- (laughs) No, when we spoke to Warren Bugle.

He described putting Declan in the chiller and then the phone rang.

(phone rings) - So if he did get a call out, that could have provided opportunity for the switch to happen.

- Good.

Follow it up.

- All over it.

(mysterious music) Mr. Bugle?

(door slides) (eerie music) Can I help you?

- Oh.

Warren, hi.

The place is unlocked.

- Oh, got called out.

Have a new corpse to process.

She's in the car.

- Warren, when you put Declan O'Grady in the chiller on Sunday, your phone rang.

- Did it?

(phone rings) Bugle Funerals.

Where life and death shake hands.

This is Warren.

- Who was it?

- It was a woman who wanted me to pick up her dead husband.

And I wrote down the address, but I noted it wrongly, obviously, 'cause it didn't seem to exist.

- So what did you do?

- Well, I drove around for an hour trying to find that phantom corpse.

(scoffs) No doubt one of my competitors beat me to it.

But now with my new GPS, there will be no repeat.

Now this says 12 separate functions for- - Finding dead people?

(laughs) - Not exactly.

- What time was this?

- Around noon Sunday.

Shaping up to be a busy day after Mr. O'Grady.

- And it was a woman?

- Yes.

- But she didn't mention her name?

- No.

- Do you recall a Dr. Roger Plummer visiting?

Dr. Plummer signed Declan's cause of death certificate.

- Oh, right.

That rings a bell.

- And you forwarded that on to Birth, Death, and Marriages?

- It's all part of the service.

- Okay, so who gave it to you?

- (sighs) This was over a week ago.

Jerome Peacock.

- Not Janelle?

- Janelle, that's it.

She came to do the flowers and passed it on.

Saved the doctor a trip.

- Thanks Warren.

(bright music) Oh, and some, you know, friendly advice, you should get into the habit of locking your place up when you leave (bright music continues) (bicycle squeaks) - Detective Shepherd.

- Quick question, Reverend?

- Of course.

- Last Sunday morning, did you give a sermon at the 8:00 AM service?

- Um, no.

No, um, my associate Delia did that service.

I took the 11:30 AM worship and the 7:30 PM session.

- That makes sense, given that you were talking to the ambulance officers at Wadsworths'.

- Would you care to come inside?

You have to understand, it's love.

And you, you don't want it to be a secret, but although the church is supposedly more open these days, it's still... (sighs) And for Roger, you see, well, it's even more difficult for him.

- Being married.

- Indeed.

- Who asked you to talk to the ambulance?

(intense music) - It was Janelle.

Oh, Janelle, I'm so sorry.

- The ambulance is coming, but it's too late.

I can't face them.

And Mr. Bugle is on his way.

Could you go?

- Oh of course, of course I will.

I'll, um, I'll say a prayer in worship.

- All right.

- I shall so miss this place.

- You'd think a man of the cloth and a psychiatrist could put a pretty compelling case to the law for some gay rights.

- Warren Bugle is a liability to the dead.

- Why?

What's he done now?

- Mm.

It's more a case of what he didn't do.

I mean, he doesn't lock his doors.

(laughs) And whoever did the switch, he made it easy for them.

And it was Janelle Peacock who passed on the cause of death.

- Well, while you've been hanging out with cadavers, I've been tracing Mrs. Smiths.

There are 94 in the hinterland of Brokenwood, so busy day tomorrow.

- Ah, putting your feet up, I see.

- Simon.

- Whoa.

- Take it easy, men.

- Greene?

- I was passing through on my way to the Rangers for a pig hunt with a few lads from HQ.

Thought you'd appreciate this.

(mysterious music) - Is that Declan?

- Or as he was known then, Tom Romanski.

He's no more bloody Irish than Vladimir Putin.

Well, 30 years ago in Southland, he was charged with unlawful sex with a minor.

He was released on bail, but disappeared, completely vanished.

- So he headed north and reinvented himself?

- And lived happily ever after.

- Up until he decided to fake his own death.

- Yeah, must have got spooked.

- Was the plaintiff a woman by the name of Melody by any chance?

- Mm.

Melody.

Yeah, Melody Farmer.

- Can you sign it for Melody?

Do you remember me?

- No, sorry, I don't.

(clears throat) - Coincidentally, around the same time the brain cancer kicked in.

- Which answers the big question, why go to all that trouble?

To preserve his alter ego, for the revered poet Declan O'Grady to die an innocent me.

- That is a complicated way to live your life.

- Well, when you find him, tell him to try pig hunting.

That keeps it real.

After he's done his stretch.

(gentle country music) ♪ There's nothing ♪ ♪ That can go on forever ♪ - Neighbor.

- Jared.

Pour yourself a glass.

- [Jared] Sure.

- You're up late.

- So are you.

Burning the midnight to find Declan?

- Yeah.

Though it's not helping.

- You know, up until now, I had no mother or father, just a great bunch of (indistinct).

Now, I've got this mystery envelope.

- Don't you wanna find out one way or the other?

- Well, if I open it and it's positive and Declan is my dad, then yay, I've got a criminal for father.

And if it's negative, then nothing changes, so what's the point?

"Tight to the wind way out on high, riding the horizon, living it up between Mrs. Smith's thighs."

(Mike laughs) Wonder if he had kids to her, too.

- Did he ever mention a Mrs. Smith?

- Not that I recall.

I mean, I can't see the resemblance, can you?

And I've never felt very Irish.

- Might not be any resemblance to see.

And he is not Irish.

Turns out, he's Polish.

- What?

(wine splashes) (Jared gasps) Don't worry, don't worry.

It's old.

It's old.

(intense music) (gentle music) (gentle music continues) - It is a boat.

- What?

- Mrs. Smith.

It's a 40-foot Catch More down at the inlet.

Maybe the thighs are a poetic sailing term for the deck either side of the companion way, if you catch my drift.

(bright music) Looks like it hadn't seen any action in a while.

- Perfect hiding place.

- Well, we'll jump in my dingy and we'll check it out, eh?

- (laughs) I don't do boats.

(water splashing) (bright music continues) (car beeps) - Lovely morning for it.

- Oh, morning, detective.

(laughs) - You come here often?

- Yes.

This is Moutard's favorite spot.

(laughs) Okey-dokie.

Into the car.

(Moutard whines) Good boy.

Good boy.

- Janelle, I've been meaning to ask, you said that after Declan died in the garden, the ambulance paramedics helped you move his body to his cottage.

- Yes.

- Yet the ambulance was turned away at the gate, so they wouldn't have been able to assist.

- Right.

Well, I wouldn't know because I wasn't there.

- Oh?

You were?

- I fainted.

- Fainted?

- Mm.

The last thing I remember is saying to Brenda.

It's too late.

- What?

- Brenda, he's gone.

(Brenda gasps) The shock, coupled with hyperventilation from giving him CPR, I was extremely overwhelmed.

- Who do you think moved Declan?

- Well, it must have been Reverend Greene.

- I, I believe Reverend Greene was dealing with the ambulance at the gates.

- Yes.

- Yeah, after which he rode straight to the church.

- Well, it must have been Brenda then.

- Maybe.

- Please excuse me.

I have to go and open the shop.

(phone ringing) - Jared?

- Yeah, no sign of life.

- Maybe the Mrs. Smith in the poem is actually a hot lady after all.

- Well, it was worth a try.

Hey, uh, I need to see a man about a rug.

- You want me to stake it out?

- I can't ask you to do that, Jared.

- Is that official?

- That's official.

(phone beeps) - Not a problem, sir.

We have special ways to deal with this.

- And again, maybe I should upgrade.

How much is this one?

- You have exquisite taste.

That is a premium rug.

Highest price, but also highest of quality.

- You sell many?

- Hardly ever.

Which makes it all the more unique, special just for you.

When did you sell the last one?

- Admittedly, it was last Sunday, but before that, not for several years.

Today, I can do a special price just for you.

- I should check the measurements first.

- Of course.

- All the proceeds from Declan's last book go to the Cancer Recovery Foundation, right?

- I believe so.

- It's actually a limited liability company registered in Vanuatu.

- A tax haven.

He's all class.

(intense music) - Why?

- These were all taken before Saturday night.

I took this yesterday.

The rug is different.

Why did it get changed?

- To hide the damage.

- Nice.

- What about the who?

- Well, it was someone who knew about the empty coffin that Declan would vacate, the person who was in on it.

Janelle knew.

- Circumstantial?

- Not when you consider this.

Watch carefully.

- Living it up between Mrs. Smith's thighs.

- The camera is switched off without Declan leaning forward or leaving frame.

(static buzzes) He had help.

(computer beeping) And see that?

Peacock's pendant.

(intense music) - Okay.

Let's go over everything from start to finish.

- I'll make the coffee.

- Allow me.

(bright music) (bright music continues) (gentle music) - That has to be it.

- That's the only thing that makes sense.

- I'm liking it.

- And you are okay with this?

- I'd say it's time to round up our suspects and have a little chat.

- A soiree, even.

(birds chirping) - Thank you all for coming.

- It's not as if we had a choice, did we?

- While we appreciate that, all of you had the opportunity to kill Scarlett Ming, only- - Excuse me.

That is slanderous.

- Only one of you had the motive.

- Which counts me out.

- Roger, please.

- Oh, Dr. Plummer, let's start with you.

You only gave the evening a cursory effort.

What with news of your divorce, you were distracted.

You weren't really in the mood.

(bright music) You spent most of your time in the study, moving to the conservatory, and then to the library to place the pistol and to get a reference book.

- So I find solace in Jung when I'm stressed.

That's hardly a crime.

- Reverend Greene, on the other hand, well, you were always keen to play.

You move through all the rooms, moving the weapons randomly so as to unsettle the murderer, in the hopes that they might give themselves away.

- It usually works.

- You visited the library on two occasions, once having followed Dr. Plummer, and again following Declan.

But he was distracted by Scarlett entering the billiard room.

(Scarlett laughs) - Very good.

(laughs) I'm, I'm sorry, but would it be wrong for me to say I'm actually rather enjoying this?

- Brenda White moved through the rooms with deft ability.

After all, she knows the place better than anyone.

She's spent time in the ballroom, where she sat for a while knitting, and it was here that she accidentally left her sewing scissors.

Oh, I'd wondered what happened to them.

The only time Scarlett was ever seen entering the ballroom, Brenda was already in the billiard room with Declan, as witnessed by Reverend Greene.

So it can't have been Brenda.

- I don't remember that.

- I do.

- Which leaves us with Janelle.

- But aren't you missing someone?

- No.

- Declan, he was there.

Who's to say it wasn't him?

Because Declan was intent on his own death, not someone else's.

(gentle music) (seabirds calling) (mysterious music) You were the only one not to mention going into the ballroom on that evening.

- Because I didn't.

- Not exactly in the spirit of the game, Janelle.

- Do shut up, Lucas.

- You came across Declan and Scarlett during the evening.

He was flirting.

- With your scarlet heart and your name of Ming.

- You've seen it too many times.

(Scarlett laughing) - No, no.

- What's wrong with your head?

- Ah, terminal cancer.

- Oh God, I'm so sorry.

- No, no, no, no.

Don't be, don't be.

Thankfully, when I meet a woman as beautiful as you, it just reminds me how important it is to fight the disease and live on.

- Make way, Declan.

(laughs) Don't listen to him.

He's a poet.

You can't believe a word he says.

- Later, you would snap.

After all, you had the right cards.

Then having lured Scarlet into the ballroom.

- Oh my God.

So excited.

My first time and it's me with the rope.

So cool.

(Janelle panting) (intense music) (Scarlett's body thumps) (intense music continues) - This is ridiculous.

And based on what?

- This photo was taken before the event.

The pattern on the rug has three diamonds running across.

The rug there now also has three diamonds, but a black border.

Someone replaced the rug to hide the blood stains.

(clock ringing) As the clock struck 12, you'll reconvened in here.

- Clearly the victim is Scarlett.

- I accuse you, Lucas, with the candlestick in the conservatory.

- Ah, but the candlestick is here.

- Oh, so it is.

- Really Roger, where is your head this evening?

- Well, I'm picking.

- [Kristin] After several other false accusations, it became clear that Scarlett wasn't around.

- Moutard.

- No.

- She's not in the study.

- Or the library.

- Or the kitchen.

- We know the billion room is clear.

- Yes, and the ballroom, but I found this.

- "Sorry, too tired, jet lag.

Hope the game goes well.

Scarlett."

Oh, she was clearly a dud.

We recruited a failure.

- Lost her nerve.

- Poor thing.

- Oh dear.

- Port, anyone?

I admit I said that, but it doesn't mean anything.

But you were in love with Declan.

- Yes, I was.

Everyone was in love with Declan, but that doesn't make me a murderer.

- But the killer had to know of Declan's plan.

- Riding the horizon, living it up between Mrs. Smith's thighs.

(upbeat music) (camera beeps) - Declan, you are so clever.

- Thank you, Janelle.

- So when you killed a Scarlett in a fit of jealous rage, you knew you had a way out, a way to dispose of the body, in Declan's casket.

- Please.

That is wrong.

It's all wrong.

- All?

- He was a strong man.

Full of life, even in death.

(inhales) Yes, all right.

I helped him stage his own death.

(pencil scratching) - You treacherous woman.

How dare you jeopardize my career?

- I was doing it to help our friend, Declan.

- Janelle.

- But I didn't kill Scarlett.

- So where is Mr. O'Grady now?

- Well, if I knew that, don't you think I'd damn well be with him now?

- Janelle Peacock, you're under arrest for forging a death certificate in Dr. Plummer's name and for the murder of Scarlett Ming.

- No, you are wrong.

You are so wrong.

- Can we go?

- Yes, thank you.

You're all free to go.

- Shame on you.

(phone ringing) - Jared.

- Yeah, Mike, unofficially speaking, the fox has broken cover.

Mrs. Smith is heading for open water.

- Thanks.

- It seems that Declan has set sail without you.

- Bastard.

- Headed for international waters?

- I feel boats coming on.

- Deep sea.

- Big swells.

- I'll process, Ms. Peacock.

(intense music) (energetic music) (boat rumbling) (gentle music) - Well, they really aren't salubrious, are they?

- Functional at best.

(door squeaks) (metal clanking) Your lawyer shouldn't be too far away.

- I didn't kill Scarlett.

- But you did aid and abet Declan O'Grady?

- I was a fool.

It was a fantasy.

The thought of leaving Brokenwood and sailing away and starting again.

But now it has unraveled in ways I could not imagine.

- And where do you think he's headed?

- He was always waxing lyrical about the South China seas.

Surabaya, Borneo, and then up to Sri Lanka.

- With a stop in Vanuatu on the way?

- Yeah.

The things we do for love, even if it is unrequited.

- I will check on your lawyer.

- Breen, try north-northwest.

Uh-huh.

(energetic music) ♪ These city streets ♪ - See anything?

♪ There's nothing for me here ♪ ♪ So, so cold ♪ ♪ So, so cold, but there's no snow on the ground ♪ ♪ So why should I stick around ♪ ♪ Well, sometimes I wished I lived ♪ ♪ In a little mountain town ♪ ♪ Where everybody knows your name ♪ - That's it.

♪ And nobody get you down ♪ ♪ Oh-oh ♪ ♪ Oh-oh ♪ ♪ Oh-oh ♪ (phone ringing) - Jared.

- I opened it.

- And how do you feel about that?

Let's talk about it tonight over a Merlot, eh?

- Yeah, sounds good.

I'd like that.

(energetic music continues) - We've recovered the yacht.

It seems Mrs. Smith has turned into Mary Celeste.

- And Declan isn't on board?

- No, neither is there any dingy or life raft.

He's lashed the tiller.

This doesn't change anything, does it?

- Far from it.

♪ The only thing ♪ ♪ Well, the only thing I keep seeing is love of a girl ♪ ♪ A sad love of a girl ♪ ♪ She'll never understand ♪ (Declan and Brenda sigh) - We did it.

- Like the chambers of a gun.

- We are the bullets ready to fly.

Not one of your greats, Declan.

Not like "For You."

- How the hell did you- - So where are we off to?

Baby clothes shopping?

Frames?

High chairs?

(gentle music) So much to get.

Far from those booties being for your sister, they were for you, weren't they, Brenda?

- Yes, well, I've always liked knitting, and now I have the perfect excuse - You planning a trip?

I mean, why else would you be taking pregnancy supplements?

And what sister expecting twins would really be planning (sirens wailing) on globe travel?

- But Janelle.

- Janelle didn't do it, as you know, - But Detective Sims.

- Was playing a role.

We needed everyone to think we'd found the killer so that the real killer would lead us to Declan.

And look, here we are.

Oh, tea?

Must have been cold out there.

- What do you mean the real killer?

- Sorry, well, you were busy being dead, you've missed out on so much.

You see, being pregnant to you made Brenda understandably vulnerable.

- Don't listen to him.

He's a poet.

You can't believe a word he says.

- Fearing that you might back outta your plan for the more exotic Scarlett Ming.

- There was a young girl from Shanghai whose beauty enchanted my eye.

No, I'll stop.

(Scarlett laughs) I have this for you.

- [Scarlett] I don't know what to say.

Oh my God.

- When you finally managed to lure Scarlett into the ballroom, I imagine it all came with something of a a reflex response.

- He's so mysterious.

Oh, and that poem, "For You," is totally amazing.

I feel like it was written for me.

Oh my God.

So excited.

My first time and it's me.

Oh, and with the rope.

So cool.

(laughs) - I couldn't find the rope.

I think Janelle has it.

(Scarlett gasping and grunting) (Brenda gasps) (intense music) (clock ringing) - Is it true?

- I didn't mean to.

- Oh.

- Meanwhile, Janelle was doing your dirty work, staging your death.

(Janelle gasping) - She's upstairs.

- Go.

- [Mike] Then sending Warren on a wild goose chase.

- Hello, my husband's died.

- Marigold Lane.

I will be there forthwith.

- Then rescuing you from the chiller.

(Declan panting) Brenda was busy covering her tracks.

(keys jingling) (Brenda breathing heavily) (water splashing) (Janelle screams) Janelle described a clatter, (metal clattering) not smashing glass.

The sound of tin clanking on tin.

- [Janelle] Someone help!

- What would that have been?

European Precision, not cheap.

You couldn't bring yourself to throw them away.

- Look, obviously I knew nothing of this.

- I'm sure you didn't.

I mean, why would Brenda want you to know that?

I mean, it's one thing to run off into the sunset with your pregnant lover, but now she's a murderer, well, you'd wanna sleep with one eye open.

- Declan, I love you.

Please.

- Then again, did Brenda know about you, Tom?

- Tom?

- Brenda White, you are under arrest for the murder of Scarlett Ming.

Tom Romanski, you are under arrest for faking your own death.

And we need to talk about that historic matter of sex with a minor.

- What?

- You two have so much to catch up on.

Excuse me.

- Take these.

- Sir.

- Despite what all the women of Brokenwood think, the poem "For You" was written about your mother, right?

- Yeah.

- I don't know if it's any relief, Jared Morehu is not your son.

It was certainly a relief to him.

♪ Sometimes I wish I lived ♪ ♪ In a little mountain town ♪ ♪ Everybody knows your name ♪ ♪ And nobody gets you down ♪ ♪ I know I'll find my way out there ♪ ♪ To that little mountain town ♪ ♪ Things are gonna be the way I please ♪ ♪ In the little mountain town ♪ ♪ Said I'm gonna find my way out there ♪ (bright music) (no audio)