[Festive mariachi music plays]
[People cheering and laughing]
♪
Beautiful people, tie the knot?
- Oh, no. - No, thanks.
♪
Yes, I see one, two, three, four children in your future!
[Gasps]
Ahhhhh!
[Laughs]
Yeah.
♪
Man: Yee-haw!
[Birds chirping]
[Down-tempo music plays]
♪
Oh. Todd, you're here.
There is so much to do.
All these decorations need to come down.
Have you seen Frodo?
No, no, not since last night.
Well, his coffee cart is still here,
and I need it gone.
Oh, yeah. I-I'll check it out.
[Scoffs] Take these.
This place has got to be spic and span.
[Sighs]
[Sin City's "Hanging from the Branches Above" plays]
♪ They dragged me into a willow ♪
♪ Where they tied a rope around ♪
♪ Said they're from Amarillo
♪ Where a price on my head could be found ♪
♪ Oh, [indistinct]
♪ Oh, my love
♪ When you see me in the morning ♪
♪ I'll be hanging from the branches ♪
♪ Above
♪
[Suspenseful music plays]
♪
[Mumbles]
Oh!
I was having the strangest dream.
I was a maraca master dancing for an adoring crowd.
Dude, there was no dream. [Laughs]
[Crowd cheering, maracas shaking]
[Festive mariachi music plays]
♪
[Music stops, crowd gasps]
[Music resumes]
[Crowd cheering]
♪
So I am a master?
Yeah, you were a plastered master,
flying high and falling low.
Did someone spike my drink?
Yeah. You. Self-inflicted.
[Chuckles]
Anyway, we have to clean up the park.
The outdoor yoga ladies have booked it from 11:00.
And if we don't, Mrs. Baker will be applying these to our butts.
[Groans] Come on.
[Groans] Oh.
[Mellow music plays]
♪
Hey, take it easy. That's a heavy one.
[Thud]
Whoa! Ugh.
What the hell?
Todd!
No way.
[Suspenseful music plays]
♪
[Down-tempo music plays]
Día de Los Muertos.
Yeah, I actually went to one once when I was traveling
around Mexico. It was quite spectacular.
What is it exactly?
It's like the ultimate Mexican fiesta.
The Day of the Dead.
Festival of death?
Or a celebration to honor the dead
rather than just mourn them.
Well, all I know is I had way too many margaritas
than I should have and got a tattoo
somewhere I shouldn't have.
Don't ask.
So you got a tattoo where exactly?
I said don't ask.
Okay.
This is T.J. French.
He and his wife, Amelia, own the bakery in town.
As in the French Bakery?
Mm. It's a shame.
He made an excellent oat macchiato.
Hello, T.J.
It seems you took the festive theme a little too far.
Good morning, Mike.
What a glorious day it is today.
I see you dressed up for a special occasion.
I, uh...
No, I know.
You are always understated, even on special days.
- I appreciate that. - Uh-huh.
Interesting.
You'd think this man has been strung up by his neck
like a chicken that crowed three times before noon.
- Would you not? - I don't really know what that means,
but it appears he's been hanged, yes.
But appearances can be deceiving.
There seems to be a distinct lack of bruising to his neck.
I will, of course, know more when I get him on a slab.
But I would bet my tort na den' rozhdeniya
that he was dead before he was strung up
like a rooster in disguise.
[Clears throat] Could the victim have been
killed last night during the festival?
I can say this man has been dead for at least 20 hours,
perhaps longer.
Is there anything else you'd like to say?
No.
Uh, 20 hours suggests that
he died sometime yesterday morning.
So we start with a list of all the stall holders.
Mm. I'll talk to Frodo.
♪
[Camera shutter clicks]
Every year, the SSA plans a themed festival.
The SSA?
Uh, Small Stallholders Association.
We have a new theme every year.
Last year it was the Baby Jumping Festival.
Yeah, that didn't end well.
Well, this year we "unamanously" decided on the Day of the Dead.
Well, almost "unamanously"
Some weren't in favor?
Well, thank you all for your interesting suggestions
for this year's theme.
I think we've got it narrowed down to two options.
So, all those in favor of the mud wrestling festival?
And the Day of the Dead?
Seriously? I told you guys,
Día de Los Muertos isn't some stupid money-making scheme.
It's not even the right time of the year
for La Muerte Díos.
T.J., my friend, change your vote.
A little mud wrestling never hurt anyone.
It's nothing personal, Miguel.
It's just way too cold for anyone to strip off and mud
at this time of the year.
No one wants that.
Besides, a Mexican theme is just way more profitable.
People would rather buy churros than mud pies.
Not everything should be about profit.
I'll have nothing to do with it.
[Speaks Spanish]
I really thought Miguel would be into it
since he's Mexican, you know?
It's supposed to just be a nice, tame event for the whole family.
Yeah, but if it was supposed to be such a tame event,
how come you're nursing a big hangover this morning?
Uh, that might have been my fault.
We started it off with making, uh, regular coffees.
But once the sun went down, I thought it might be
a good idea to make some more special coffees,
if you know what I mean.
Nothing illegal.
Yeah, mostly coffee and a-- and a shot of, uh, liqueur.
But I think he tasted tested one too many.
It all gets a bit hazy about 9:00 p.m.
[Festive mariachi music plays]
I think I need to lie down.
Well, plenty of aspirin down at the station.
Come on.
[Down-tempo music plays]
♪
Uh, good morning, Mrs. French.
I'm Detective Kristin Sims.
Has something happened to T.J.?
Um, well, would you mind if I came inside?
Oh, God. Something has happened.
Uh, I regret to inform you, Mrs. French,
but a-- a body was found this morning.
Dead? He's dead?
Are you sure?
I'm so sorry.
♪
Mrs. Baker: Well, I was given the honor
by the Small Stallholders Association
to run the festival.
Well, I thought it would be a great opportunity
to have a wedding stall.
I mean, you never know when the young and in love
might spontaneously decide to tie the knot.
Well, I've got some really lovely packages
I think you might be interested in.
This is classical or gothic, or I've got jungle over here.
That's fun.
What can you tell me about the French Bakery stall?
Always a big seller,
but T.J. never showed up.
Amelia was run off her feet all night, poor thing.
Be just one second. Two croissants? Okay.
Yes, we've got it. Yeah, yeah.
Just one second, one second.
T.J. was right there all the time?
OMG.
Who was responsible for putting up all the effigies?
Well, they were outsourced to local artists,
I mean, anyone who wanted to make one, really.
People were turning up with them all morning.
Frodo, please keep moving.
I need you to sort out the coffee cart,
and then you need to sort out this broken... Frodo: Huh?
Oh, he looks amazing. Hello!
Awesome.
♪
Uh, do you recall what time Amelia got there?
Maybe 1:00 p.m.?
All right. I'm gonna need
all the names of the stallholders.
Oh. Of course. The Beating Heart of Brokenwood
was run by Morgana Marincovich.
She's got the crystal shop in town.
Oh, how wonderful.
I see a lot of travel in your future.
I would avoid trains, though, if I were you,
and planes,
and anything with wheels, just to be safe.
And those stalls?
Ah, well, the Pitru Paksha stall
was run by Karishma Patel.
Her family owns the Brokenwood Dairy.
Karishma looked absolutely stunning
in her red sari last night.
And Whenua Chocolates was run by Ngahuia Johnson.
All handmade, artisan, you know?
Lovely girl. Very talented.
I mean, I would be very much surprised
if either of those girls were mixed up
in this terrible business.
Can I ask why you thought something had happened to T.J.,
Mrs. French?
He was supposed to help me at the festival,
but he never showed up.
You're Amelia?
I'm late. Sorry.
And then when his van was here,
but he didn't come home last night,
I-I sensed that something wasn't right.
It's okay. Just take your time.
So he didn't come home last night?
Was there a reason you didn't think to report that?
[Sighs]
How did he die?
Uh, there will be an examination
to determine the exact cause of death, but...
I can say he was found
hanging from a tree.
What?
What tree?
Uh, a tree at the festival park.
Quite close to your stall.
- There you go. - Thank you.
Thank you. Have a great night, ladies.
[Mid-tempo mariachi music plays]
♪
Oh, my God!
That was him?
[Sobbing] Oh. Oh.
I don't know what happened,
but I know that T.J. didn't kill himself.
Someone has done that to him.
Oh!
[Sobbing]
[Down-tempo music plays]
♪
Thanks. I feel terrible.
Well, the, uh, aspirin should help.
No, I mean, my whole thing was my idea.
No one was supposed to actually die.
I can't get arrested for coming up with the theme, can I?
I think you're good.
[Sighs]
I really thought we'd nailed it this year.
Richie even said it was as good as the festivals he goes to
in the big [indistinct].
- Richie? - Yeah, Richard Wright.
Richie. We went to school together.
He's just moved back to Brokenwood.
[People cheering]
Come to think of it, he used to date T.J.'s wife, Amelia.
[Dramatic music plays]
I'm sorry. I know this is hard, Mrs. French.
Thanks. Just call me Amelia.
Amelia, um...
when was the last time you saw T.J.?
Yesterday morning.
It would have been around about 7:30 before he went
to the bakery to bake the bread for the festival.
And I stayed here to make the churros.
And then we were supposed to meet at the park.
But by the time I got there,
he'd already dropped the bread off and gone.
So I-I figured that he was still upset with me.
What was he upset about?
[Crying] We've been married for almost 20 years.
[Sniffles] But recently,
things hadn't been very good between us.
And then Richie moved back to town.
Sorry. Richie?
This, uh, Richie Wright-- is he single?
Frodo: No, he's engaged.
Wait. No. Richie, is that you?
Frankie Oades.
Wow. How are you, Frodo?
- Good. Hey. Good to see you. - Good to see you, too.
This is my girlfriend, Hope. Hey.
Fiancée. Sorry.
- Uh, Todd. - Hey.
Hey, wedding gift. On the house.
- Oh, thank you. - Hey, one for you, too.
- Thanks, mate. - I'm just gonna...
Mm-hmm.
Richie, want some of this?
Oh, yeah. Why not?
His fiancée is a total babe.
Thanks, Frodo. Stay as long as you like.
[Sighs]
[Down-tempo music plays]
♪
Morning. I'm looking for Ngahuia Johnson.
Ah, you're speaking to her.
D.C. Chalmers.
Do you mind if I ask you a few questions
about yesterday's festival?
Why? A man was found dead there this morning.
He's been identified as T.J. French.
I believe you had a stall near his.
T.J. is dead?
Yeah. How well did you know him?
Well, we're both members of SSA,
but that's-- that's about it.
And what time did you arrive at the park?
I guess around about 12:30.
Did you happen to see whether a mariachi
was already hanging from the tree near your store?
Come over and say hi later? I will.
♪
That was T.J.?
So he was already hanging there when you were setting up?
Y-Yeah. Uh...
Yeah, he was.
Oh, God. Oh. Poor Amelia.
Yeah, how was Mrs. French yesterday?
Did she seem her usual self?
Oh, I don't know her that well either,
but, yeah, actually, she did seem a bit upset.
I just assumed it was because T.J. never showed up.
She was overworked.
Excuse me. You forgot your change.
Thank you. Thanks.
Thank you. Sorry, I'll just check whether these are...
No, just a little bit longer. What can I get for you?
Did you notice any suspicious activity during the festival?
Um, no, not during. Before maybe.
When we were setting up,
I saw someone, uh, lurking in the trees.
They were quite far away, but I could have sworn it was Miguel.
Miguel Fernandez, from the Lucky Taco truck?
Ah, he wasn't happy with the Day of the Dead thing.
Um, in his opinion, he thought it was cultural appropriation,
which I totally get and support.
But that's-- that's not what we were doing.
You think his concerns were unfounded?
Well, there's festivals dedicated to the dead
all around the world. They're a positive thing.
And make a little money on the side.
Well, you gotta pay the bills.
Can you think of anyone else
who might have held a grudge against T.J.?
Well, there...
If there's someone else, it's best you tell me now.
Okay, well, I did hear a rumor that Morgana Marincovich
had given a reading to T.J. recently,
and he was-- he was pretty dark on her.
I think you should reconsider
giving Morgana Marincovich a stall.
My goodness. Why?
She's a rip-off artist.
[Chuckles] Oh, T.J., I can't do that.
People love her at these festivals.
I'm telling you, she's a liar and a fraud.
[Sighs]
Okay, uh, thanks for that.
If there's anything else...
...give me a call.
♪
Did you hear that?
Uh, Frodo mentioned that Amelia French's
ex-boyfriend Richard Wright
has just moved back to Brokenwood.
Yeah, and that had caused some tension
between her and T.J.
Richie and I were high school sweethearts.
He went away. I married T.J.
That was the end of the story.
So what caused the argument between you and your husband?
T.J. was a jealous person.
So when I heard that Richie moved back, I didn't tell him.
Of course, he found out anyway.
And when did you find out he was back?
A few days ago. But I haven't seen him, I swear.
I don't even care about Richie. Come on.
Do you really expect me to believe that?
That good-looking Richie Wright, the love of your life,
returns to Brokenwood and you don't care?
She maintains that T.J. left for the bakery
straight after their fight at 7:30 a.m.,
and that was the last time she saw him.
His van was still parked in the driveway.
Forensics are looking into it.
And Richie?
She says she hasn't seen him
since he moved back to Brokenwood.
Do we believe her?
Ngahuia Johnson recalls
seeing T.J.'s body hanging from the tree by 12:30.
And during that time,
Amelia said she was at home prepping churros.
If she's telling the truth.
Sure, but let's say T.J. died at 7:30.
Could Amelia have met him at the park and killed him there?
It would still give her enough time to race home
and get changed before officially arriving.
Mm. If they were fighting that day,
that would give her motive.
She's not the only one with a motive.
It seems T.J. French has been rubbing a few people
up the wrong way in the last few weeks.
T.J. was badmouthing Morgana Marincovich
over a palm reading and wanted to get her
kicked out of the festival.
That's hardly enough to motivate a homicide.
Still worth following up.
Ngahuia Johnson also thinks she saw Miguel Fernandez
acting strangely at the park.
Now, he was upset with the SSA over the Day of the Dead theme.
Uh, Frodo corroborated that.
Miguel tried to get T.J. French to change his vote.
[Cellphone rings]
Gina.
Mike, I'm ready for you.
Uh, I'm on my way.
[Mid-tempo music plays]
♪
Gloves? Uh, no, thanks.
Nice earrings.
Thank you, Mike.
I only wear them for special occasions.
Oh, so you went to the Day of the Dead festival?
No.
Oh. Well, they are certainly very festive.
Uh, the post-mortem--
did it reveal anything out of the ordinary?
As I suspected,
there were no premortem ligature marks on the neck.
There was, of course, some slight abrasion from the rope,
but no bruising, as would be expected in a death by hanging.
Also distinct livor mortis on the torso and thighs.
Meaning he died on his side?
Correct.
So the victim was dead before he was hung up in the tree.
But that's not all I discovered.
The victim has subconjunctival hemorrhage in both eyes.
And see here? Some biological residue
in a corner of the mouth,
as well as some burning on the lips and tongue.
Bloodshot eyes and vomit.
During my work,
I noticed a strong smell of strawberries.
♪
[Sniffs]
He ate [speaks Russian]
not long before he died.
That's not Russian, is it?
Strawberry chocolate, Mike.
The sort of thing you might give someone on a special occasion.
Uh, sure, but strawberry chocolates
- aren't usually deadly. - By themselves, no.
But coupled with the broken capillaries,
which suggests a violent seizure,
and the vomit,
I suspect our victim died from poison.
I'll know more when toxicology report's back.
Oh. Nice work, Gina.
Uh, Mike,
poison is normally a woman's weapon.
I would bet my tort na den' rozhdeniya
an angry woman did this.
I'm sure it won't be that hard for you to find one.
♪
Sims: Detective Sims. We're just making inquiries
about the Day of the Dead festival.
Please. Thanks.
Cute house.
Oh, thank you. Yeah, it was my granddad's.
Left it to me. Oh.
So you've moved to Brokenwood?
Oh, uh, for a minute.
We're just gonna do the place up and sell it.
Also gives Hope a chance to see where I grew up.
Yeah, Brokenwood is really-- it's really cute.
You know, I could actually see us living here one day.
Wow. Careful. Might hold you to that.
[Laughs]
So, um, you both attended the festival around 6:00 p.m.?
Uh, yeah. I mean, give or take.
I thought the organizers did a really good job.
Yeah, the atmosphere was fantastic.
There was a mariachi effigy hanging from a tree.
Did either of you--
Sorry. What's a mariachi?
Uh, a Mexican band player. Musician. A black suit.
Embroidery. Did either of you see it?
Mm. I want to say maybe.
There was a lot going on, so I can't be sure.
Uh, what about the French Bakery stall?
Did you stop there at all?
Uh, yeah, yeah, we saw that.
Yeah. Stopped by.
Owned by Amelia French.
Yeah.
This morning, the body of Amelia's husband,
T.J. French, was found at the park.
What? Sorry.
T.J. French is dead?
Hence, I'm interested in your relationship with Amelia.
What-- What relationship?
Well, I understand she's your ex-girlfriend.
Uh, I mean, ex is being generous.
We dated, I mean, briefly, when we were teenagers.
But I take it you also know T.J.?
Uh, yeah, yeah.
But I moved away from Brokenwood
when I was 18 to study.
Never came back.
Not even to visit your grandfather?
Uh, yes, um, once or twice, but they were--
they were fleeting visits. I never stuck around.
Right. So you're saying you haven't seen
T.J. or Amelia French since you left Brokenwood?
Apart from seeing Amelia at the festival yesterday, no.
Have a good night.
[Festive mariachi music plays]
Amelia, right?
Wow. It's been a minute. Uh, Richie from high school.
Nice to see you.
Yeah, really nice to see you, too.
You, uh, haven't aged a day.
[Both laugh]
Uh, sorry. This is-- This is Hope, my fiancée.
Hi. Lovely to meet you.
Hi.
Hello. Would you like some churros?
Yeah.
- Chocolate sauce. - Hey, we better let you go.
- You seem busy. - Okay.
- Yeah. - So nice to meet you.
You too.
Chocolate sauce?
Uh, we left not long after that.
Yeah, we really weren't there that long.
Maybe an hour or so.
Okay, uh, well, thank you both.
Oh, just one more thing.
Where were you both earlier in the day
before you went to the festival?
We were both here gardening.
Fighting the weeds.
Give them a chance, they'll take over everything.
Okay, uh, well, thanks again.
[Down-tempo music plays]
♪
[Mid-tempo music plays]
♪
Mr. Fernandez.
D.C. Chalmers.
I wasn't at that stupid festival.
Okay. Didn't ask.
I heard what happened to T.J.
Terrible thing. What else can I say?
A Mexican festival seems like the perfect place
for a taco truck, yet you weren't there.
In my culture, Día de Los Muertos
is a day to celebrate those who have passed,
not some cheesy dress-up party to sell sombreros
and get your face painted.
Reports are that you were very hostile at the SSA meeting.
It's not even November.
My abuela would be turning in her grave,
God rest her soul, if she saw me partake
in some shonky Día de Los Muertos
for no better reason than to make money.
She'd come down and haunt me herself.
Seems like she wanted T.J. instead.
Do you recall the last time you saw T.J.?
Yesterday. What time?
It was early in the morning. Must have been around 8:00 a.m.
♪
What were you doing here so early?
Breakfast tacos.
Do you mean breakfast burritos?
Every man and his dog cafe does breakfast burritos.
Breakfast tacos makes you stand out from the crowd.
The Crunchita. Mm-hmm.
Freeze-dried strawberries and dark chocolate
with a smear of Vegemite.
Yeah. Very Kiwi, eh? All inside of a crunchy taco.
A lucky way to start the day.
Do you recall when T.J. left the bakery?
Uh, it must have been around 11:00 a.m.
Was he with anyone when he left?
Not that I saw.
Thank you.
♪
How long were you here yesterday?
I packed up at 1:00 p.m.
And then? I went home.
So if a witness claimed to have seen you
at the park at that time, you'd dispute it?
I avoided that festival like the plague.
Okay. Mm-hmm.
Thank you.
♪
[Bell jingles]
[Ethereal music plays in background]
♪
Kia ora! My gosh.
Your aura is the brightest yellow I have ever seen.
Okay.
Uh, I'm D.C. Daniel Chalmers from the Brokenwood CIB.
Are you Morgana Marincovich?
Oh, my God. You've got the wrong person.
I have no idea what you're talking about.
- So you're not Morgana? - Yes.
- Yes, you're not? - No, I am.
Right.
Good.
You had a stall at the Day of the Dead festival?
Yes.
And your store was alongside the French Bakery stand?
Yes?
That's not a trick question.
Okay. Yes.
Uh, and T.J. French--
did you have reason to be upset with him recently?
Why would I?
Something about a bad reading.
Totally false.
I gave him an excellent reading. Ask him yourself.
I would, but T.J. French was found dead this morning.
Oh, my God.
It's very sad, obviously, but I can confidently say
I had nothing to do with the death of T.J. French
or anyone else... who might have died yesterday.
No one else died,
that I know of.
Do you?
No.
Uh, did you happen to see any suspicious activity
at the park when you were there?
Maybe.
Hello? Miguel, are you okay?
Aha! Here they are.
I-I dropped my keys.
Yes, I know. I saw you.
No, I-I mean earlier.
Uh, but now I have found them.
And now I will be on my way.
I have no idea what he was even doing there
after he cursed all of us.
You recall what time that was?
Around 1:00 or just before.
But maybe you didn't hear that from me.
Thank you, Morgana. We'll be in touch.
[Bell jingles]
Uh, Gina confirmed that T.J. was already dead
when he was hung in the tree.
She suspects he was poisoned and that the poison was
in something that contained dark chocolate and strawberries.
Aside from Ngahuia Johnson making her own chocolate range,
Miguel Fernandez
sells a breakfast taco called The Crunchita,
which is freeze-dried strawberries and dark chocolate
with a smear of Vegemite.
How does that work?
I don't think it does.
But Miguel claims to have seen
T.J. leave the bakery at around 11 a.m.
on the day of the festival.
So T.J. died and was hung in the tree
sometime between 11:00 a.m. and 12:30
when Ngahuia saw the mariachi in the tree.
According to Miguel,
T.J. was wearing civvies when he left the bakery,
so during that time frame, he must have changed
into mariachi outfit.
Or was changed by the offender.
What if T.J. went home to change
after he left the bakery,
then the fight With Amelia picked up where it left off
and then she killed him?
But why would Amelia hang T.J.'s body
directly above her own stall?
The old hide-in-plain-sight theory?
Less chance of anyone else discovering him
until after the festival.
Yeah, but if Amelia is telling the truth,
T.J. never returned home that morning.
What about the palm reader?
Morgana Marincovich claims the reading was great
and that she had no reason to be angry with T.J.
She confirms that Miguel was at the festival,
despite him strongly denying it.
And then there's the ex, Richie Wright,
who says that he and his fiancée
were at home all day, and according to them,
they didn't leave for the festival
until almost 6:00 p.m., which may or may not be true.
But if he's engaged to Hope, why kill T.J.?
Unless there was something going on between T.J. and Hope
that we don't know about?
Team.
- Todd? - Yeah. Um...
I-I have information.
Uh, but it can't come from me,
even though it could only have come from me.
What is it, Todd?
I'm pretty sure I know how that body got into the tree.
Uh, thing is, I was just helping out, you know,
for any of the store holders that needed a hand.
Awesome.
[Down-tempo music plays]
Hey, you need a hand?
I just thought it was another piñata, you know?
Oh. Holy guacamole.
That's heavy, he is. [Exhales and chuckles]
Lot of lollies in this one, eh? [Laughs]
♪
Don't mention it.
They just, um, disappeared into the crowd.
This person-- male or female?
Uh, the thing about skeletons is, once you get to that stage,
the whole gender thing is hard to pick.
And you're sure they didn't speak?
Not even a "thank you."
Can you give me an estimate of height?
Not that tall, not that short.
M-Maybe my height.
- But they were alone? - Uh, it's hard to say.
There were a heap of people around.
Me pulling T.J. up--
does that make me an accessory after the fact?
Not unless there's something else you're not telling us.
Well, I told you everything I know.
[Exhales] It feels real good to get this off my chest, too.
[Chuckles]
[Mid-tempo music plays]
♪
Morning.
G'day.
Uh-huh. We already talked
to your colleague yesterday.
I just have a few follow-up questions.
Do you, now?
If you don't mind.
[Dramatic music plays]
♪
Is your fiancée home?
Hope. Uh, no, she's just ducked into town
to pick up some supplies.
I can call her back if you like.
No need. It's you I wanted to talk to.
Well, I already told your colleague everything.
Everything about Mrs. French?
Meaning?
You claim not to have seen her for years.
But I wondered, without your fiancée here,
whether you wanted to amend your version of the story?
Because...?
I find it hard to believe.
Good instincts. [Chuckles]
Yeah, I may have, uh,
blurred the facts on that a little bit.
I-I didn't want to upset Hope.
So you have seen Amelia French recently?
When my grandad started ailing, I, uh--
I made a point of seeing Amelia every time I came back to visit.
Nothing scandalous.
Just two old friends catching up.
But I didn't want Hope getting the wrong idea,
so I didn't tell her.
When, uh, Detective Sims came to the door yesterday,
I, uh... [Chuckles]
I didn't know what to say, so I, um...
you know.
Did you lie about your whereabouts on Saturday morning?
No. Absolutely not, no.
Hope and I were here all day gardening.
Can you verify that?
Actually... yeah.
We were out here all morning cutting back the overgrowth,
just knocking it into shape so I can sell it.
So how exactly does this prove your story,
other than with each other?
The neighbor. He saw us.
He's there again, isn't he?
[Down-tempo music plays]
[Knock on door]
Detective Chalmers.
A home visit. To what do I owe this pleasure?
Mayor Bloom.
Oh, please. Neil is fine.
Is this about the nasty business at the festival?
- Did you attend? - No. I had planned to,
and I feel slightly bad for not making it.
But, uh, with my partner, Gray, away on tour,
I decided it was a good opportunity
to work on a Christmas gift he'd given me.
3,000 pieces. I simply got carried away.
Your neighbor, Richie Wright and his fiancée, Hope--
Mm. Lovely couple.
Yeah, Richie claims that you saw them
gardening on the morning of the festival.
Mm-hmm. Indeed. I definitely saw them both,
about 10:00, I'd say,
as I took a quick promenade around my yard.
A breath of fresh air does wonders for the brain
when you're closing in on the sky.
Sky is always the hardest part.
Very limited clues with the sky,
apart from the odd wispy cloud.
Um, around 10:00 a.m., you think?
Yes. Sorry. It would have been that...
morning tea break.
I could hear raised voices.
I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.
I don't know.
I kind of like the place.
We will sell and get back to the city.
- Hey! - That was the plan.
Neil: I was, uh, too far away to hear
what they were saying, unfortunately.
But it looked like I interrupted a bit of a disagreement.
Then after that, I went back to my puzzle,
and I don't know where the day went.
[Chuckles] Okay.
Um, thank you.
Would you, uh, like to see it?
Sorry? My puzzle.
I just completed it yesterday. It is quite something.
I, um-- next time.
Uh, things to do. Thank you, Mayor.
Yes, of course. Of course.
♪
Detective Sims.
- Hi, Karishma. - How are you?
Thanks. Yep.
Oh, actually, I wanted to ask you--
I heard about T.J.
I feel terrible for Amelia.
I understand that you had a stall there.
That's right.
Do you recall what time you arrived?
It would have been around 12:30.
I got there at the same time as Ngahuia.
Oh, it came together beautifully.
Last one. Great work.
You look beautiful.
Thank you. So do you.
Come over and say hi later?
I will.
♪
Can you tell me about your stall?
Well, lots of cultures have festivals for the dead.
Samhain, All Souls Day.
And in Hinduism, we celebrate Pitru Paksha,
where we honor our ancestors
and thank them for all they've given us.
Um, how long have you been stocking
the Whenua chocolates for?
Several months. They're a good seller.
Oh. I'll grab one of these, too.
Great. Thanks.
Did you happen to notice
anyone acting suspiciously at the festival?
I wish I had.
Uh, Detective, are you absolutely certain
that it's T.J. who died?
- There's no mistake? - Why? Were you two close?
No, I-I wouldn't say that.
But I knew him, of course,
from the Small Stallholders Association, and I--
I just can't believe he's dead.
Excuse me. Hi. How can I help?
Just these, thanks.
Of course.
Hi. Hi.
Okay, that will be 9.50. Thanks.
[Beep] Oh, thank you.
You're welcome. Have a good day.
Thanks.
Uh, excuse me? Ms. Franks?
Sorry. Uh, I was just wondering
if I could ask you a couple of--
Are you following me?
Ah, well, given I was here first, no.
But there was just something I wanted to discuss with you.
Yeah, I-I've told you everything I know, so...
Uh, it won't take long, promise.
Um, your move to Brokenwood-- how's it been going?
Yeah, It's good.
I like it here, but it's not permanent.
Richie and I are gonna be back in the city before summer.
I guess it helps having a fiancé who is from here.
Yeah, it's made it easier, I suppose.
I hope it hasn't been awkward for you, though.
You and Richie coming back here
just as Amelia French becomes a widow.
Wow.
Okay, look, there is nothing going on
between Richie and Amelia,
if that's what you're trying to imply here.
Fair enough.
Uh, so I just need to verify your whereabouts
between 11:00 and 12:30 on the morning of the festival.
[Scoffs] I'm a suspect now?
I didn't say that.
Yeah, well, you didn't have to.
It's just procedure.
My colleague is talking to Richie again, too.
Okay, well, then you'll know that I was with him at home.
We worked in the garden all day.
Suddenly he got all nostalgic and wanted to hold on
to the place, so we talked about it.
Part of my childhood. There's no hurry here.
Oh, my God. What has gotten into you?
Hope: Actually, halfway through our conversation,
I saw his creepy neighbor watching us through the trees.
So check with him if you need to.
Uh, yep. We will.
Thanks.[Engine starts]
[Jenny Mitchell's "Empty Promises" plays]
♪ Empty promises
♪ That only end in sad goodbyes ♪
♪ I'm not sayin, love ain't real ♪
♪ But this sure ain't it
♪ I'm not sayin' love ain't real ♪
Mrs. French? [Gasps]
Uh, apologies. I tried knocking.
Uh, D.S.S. Mike Shepherd.
Forgive me. I've--
I've just been in a daze ever since.
Fully understandable.
I thought some gardening might help, but I think
I've been staring at this hydrangea for about an hour.
I can't even find my wheelbarrow.
It's the toughest thing to wrap your head around,
the loss of a loved one.
I'm sorry for your loss.
I keep expecting him just to walk down the path like you did.
I know you've already spoken to Detective Sims,
but if you wouldn't mind, I have a couple more questions.
Take a seat.
[Down-tempo music plays]
♪
The morning of the festival,
you were here?
Uh, yeah. Prepping the churros.
I sent T.J. a couple of text messages,
but he didn't reply, so I just got ready,
headed to the park, expecting to meet him there.
Um, as I told Detective Sims,
we'd had a disagreement earlier that morning,
so I just figured that he was still angry with me.
I never thought that he was...
Uh, this disagreement--
it was regarding an old acquaintance, Richard Wright?
Richie had nothing to do with this.
I don't know who killed T.J.,
but I know that it wasn't Richie.
How do you know that?
He-- He just wouldn't do that to me.
Why? Is there something that you know that we don't?
There's nothing going on between me and Richie.
But...?
But every now and then, we would catch up for a coffee
when he came to town to visit his grandfather.
Did the two of you begin an affair?
No. No, nothing like that.
We would just catch up on life.
He told me all about when he met Hope, his fiancée,
and how happy she made him.
I was pleased for him. Hope makes him happy.
I-- I would never ruin that for him.
These brief visits--
did they somehow complicate your relationship with T.J.?
Yeah, maybe.
And T.J. never knew how you felt about Richie?
I never told him, no.
So if not Richie, what caused the breakdown
in your relationship?
Uh, T.J. was cheating on me.
T.J. was having an affair?
I mean, at least I think that he was.
I accused him of it, anyway,
that morning before he left for the bakery.
You were the love of my life. I married you, remember?
Yeah, because Richie left town.
Might have been a different story if he'd stayed, right?
Please. It was 20 years ago. This is stupid.
Yeah? No.
I'll tell you what's stupid.
This marriage. It's a joke.
The sooner we call it quits, the better.
Yeah, you'd like that, wouldn't you?
So you could move on with that pretty little thing
you've been flirting with.
Who? Ngahuia Johnson.
[Laughs] Ngahuia?
Yeah, trust me, she wouldn't be interested in me
even if I was single.
Which I'm not, remember?
So you admit it.
You would have an affair with her if you could.
Oh, get over yourself, Amelia.
That was the last time that I saw him.
What makes you think he was having an affair
with Ngahuia Johnson?
It was about a week ago at the dairy.
They didn't see me, but I caught them flirting.
I'd love it. Do you really mean it?
Yeah. I'm sure we can come to some sort of understanding.
What are you doing later?
Honestly, I wouldn't blame him if he was.
Our marriage was as good as over.
Thank you for your candor, Mrs. French.
It's always helpful.
Please call me Amelia.
Mrs. French just seems so...
I mean, is that even me anymore?
♪
[ Line ringing]
Man: Boss.
Bring in Ngahuia Johnson.
♪
Morena.
It's a bit early for the hard stuff, isn't it?
Well, that depends entirely on what time zone you're in.
Maybe I'm on Hawaiian time.
Fair enough.
Are you on Hawaiian time, Detective?
That sounds nice, but no.
I wanted to talk to you about the ingredients
in your chocolates.
They're all sourced here in the Brokenwood region.
Like the ones in that book that you're reading?
You interested in our native flora and fauna, are you?
I am, when T.J. French was killed by poison,
and the poison was contained inside chocolates.
Any of the plants in that book poisonous?
You can't be serious.
Let's talk more down at the station.
[Down-tempo music plays]
♪
Mrs. French, would you mind if we took a look around inside?
Oh, please. Yeah. Do what you have to do.
Great. Thank you.
[Cellphone rings]
Oh, it's Gina.
Hi, Gina. You're on speaker. I've got Mike with me.
I have the toxicology results
from the blood and stomach contents.
Okay. It's just as I thought.
The victim was poisoned
with an extremely high dose of strychnine.
Strychnine?
Chocolates in his stomach contain enough strychnine
to kill two or three full-grown adults.
Death would have been quick.
Uh, Gina, how quickly are we talking?
It's possible he was dead within minutes,
and it would have been agony, Mike.
Strychnine is the most excruciating way to die.
I-I'm sure.
More painful than a Belarusian brass band
playing "Happy Birthday" in a marble bathroom.
But the strychnine-- it would have been bitter?
Very. But dark chocolate is also bitter.
It would mask the taste.
In fact, I would bet my slightly stale
tort na den' rozhdeniya
he gobbled down a chocolate or two quite quickly
before he even noticed.
Uh, but as you say,
poison is a woman's weapon.
I'm glad you sometimes pay attention to what I say.
[ Dial tone]
"Na den' rozhdeniya." Does that mean anything to you?
Um, no, I don't know.
Some kind of a weird Russian quiche, maybe.
Thanks.
Let's get Mrs. French down to the station.
Woman: Thanks.
[Suspenseful music plays]
♪
[Truck door slams]
Miguel.
Miguel, are you there?
[Cellphone ringing]
[Ringing continues]
You want to answer that?
Well, the problem we have, Miguel,
is that multiple people saw you at the festival.
Okay.
Okay, the truth is,
I didn't want to admit that I was jealous.
- Jealous of who? - Of everyone.
When I saw Mrs. French all dressed up for the festival,
I was suddenly overcome with homesickness.
I haven't been to Mexico for years.
It's embarrassing,
but I just wanted to get a glimpse of the festivities.
So you watched from the bushes
because you wanted to save face?
It sounds loco,
but I love El Día de Los Muertos.
But I knew after everything I said,
I wouldn't be welcome there, so I just left.
It's my fault, I know. I lost my cool.
- What else can you do? - Wait. Um...
When did you see Mrs. French
in the Day of the Dead costume?
I was parked across from the bakery.
Tacos! Tacos!
Come and get your tacos!
[Car alarm beeps on]
And when she came back out,
she had transformed into an hermosa mujer.
♪
[Car alarm beeps off, car door opens]
What time was this?
Uh, must have been about an hour after I saw T.J. leave,
so I guess around midday.
And when did she leave?
Maybe about a half hour after.
That's when I packed up and went to the park.
All right. Thanks, Miguel.
Wait, so I'm not being arrested?
For now. If you want to sell more tacos,
maybe don't hide inside when people come knocking.
[Exhales]
[Mid-tempo music plays]
♪
Amelia, evidence suggests
that your husband died outside your home.
I see.
At a time that you claim he wasn't there.
I understand.
Also, the chocolates that were found
in your kitchen this morning--
it's been confirmed that they contain
a lethal dose of strychnine.
I would like to speak to my lawyer.
You use local ingredients in your chocolates.
What type of ingredients exactly?
Fruits mostly, for the jam infusions.
Last time I looked, that wasn't against the law.
Uh, it depends on what plants you use.
Did you know it was possible to extract strychnine
from nux vomica?
It's used in herbal remedies.
I didn't know that. [Scoffs]
But I don't use it in any of my infusions.
Well, then how do you explain the presence of strychnine
in the chocolates that killed T.J. French?
Your chocolates.
Well, it wasn't me. Oh, come on.
Anyone could have bought my chocolates and laced them
with... whatever poison you just said.
How would you describe your relationship with T.J. French?
Relationship? [Scoffs]
We were both members of SSA, so I saw him at meetings.
So you and T.J. were just business colleagues?
Nothing else?
We weren't even business colleagues.
To be honest, I didn't even like the guy.
- He was kind of a jerk. - Based on what?
Let's just say we didn't see eye to eye
on a few fundamental things. Why?
Because Mrs. French thinks
that you were having an affair with her husband.
[Laughs]
Oh. I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm not laughing.
Much. Much.
Um...
Look, I can't imagine
what Amelia is going through right now.
And I feel bad for her. I really do.
But there is absolutely no way that I would
ever have an affair with T.J. French.
Because you don't see eye to eye?
Let's put it this way, D.C. Chalmers--
gun to my head, [chuckles]
if I had to seduce anyone in this room...
...it wouldn't be you.
[Chuckles softly]
And I'd happily do it without a gun.
[Mid-tempo music plays]
♪
We'll talk with you soon.
Anything I need to know?
[Clears throat] Only that Ngahuia Johnson
was definitely not having an affair with T.J. French.
Don't ask.
Okay, well, even if that is true,
she's still the chocolate maker.
She has the best opportunity
to lace the chocolates with strychnine.
Yeah, the problem is,
she claims that she was with someone when T.J. died.
Well, even if you weren't in a relationship with T.J.,
he was killed by your chocolates.
And we still don't know your whereabouts the morning he died.
[Sighs]
Okay, fine.
I was with Mrs. Baker.
Mrs. Baker Mrs. Baker? What exactly were you doing?
I'd rather not say.
Mrs. Baker. Seriously?
Yeah, then she clammed up and refused to say anything else.
Let's go straight to the oracle.
[Cellphone rings] Oh.
Till Death Do Us Part.
Becky Baker speaking. How can I help?
Mrs. Baker, it's D.C. Chalmers.
Oh, officer, this is my first one, I swear.
[ Chuckles] What?
Well, I just popped in to meet a lady and I thought,
oh, well, I'll just have a sneaky one, wet my whistle,
you know, just before we get down to it.
But I don't make a habit of it.
Where are you?
The Croc and Panther.
Well, I was in a client meeting that morning.
A lovely couple.
And this couple-- can I have their names to verify?
Oh, well, I'm sworn to secrecy.
But I can say that I'm beside myself
with excitement at the possibility
of seeing two wedding dresses at the special event.
Two wedding dresses?
It's my first lesbian wedding,
and I could not be more thrilled.
Is one of the brides-to-be Ngahuia Johnson?
Oh, I cannot say.
And what about the other bride?
I've already said too much.
And that's what you call
client-wedding planner privilege.
You'd have to ask Ngahuia.
Oh.
Oh, I should not have had that second wine.
♪
I just can't seem to get away from you.
I have it on good authority
that you've been planning a wedding.
Mrs. Baker needs to learn how to keep her mouth shut.
And if Mrs. Baker is correct,
then your wedding meeting took place during the time
- T.J. French died. - Is that right?
So I'd say it's in you and your partner's
best interest to come clean.
What if we're not ready to go public with our relationship?
The information will be kept within the investigation team.
What do you think?
[Mellow music plays]
Well, I guess the point of getting married
is to make a public statement.
D.C. Chalmers, Karishma Patel.
- Hello. - Besides, T.J. already forced my hand.
In what way?
When he discovered Ngahuia and I were in a relationship,
he threatened to expose it to our family.
My family.
You know, Ngahuia, we should discuss
you putting a stand into the bakery.
We get a lot of customers.
I'd love that. Do you really mean it?
Yeah, I'm sure we can come to some sort of understanding.
- What are you doing later? - Oh, no, gross.
Get your hands off me.
Oh, aren't you a little tease?
I'm not teasing you. T.J. Trust me.
You're not even close to being my type.
So what is your type, exactly?
I am.
Well, well.
Aren't you two good at keeping secrets?
Does your family know?
That's really none of your business, T.J.
Well, I'm sure your father wouldn't, uh, feel the same way.
- Is that a threat? - Hey, I'm just saying,
if you were my daughter, I'd want to know.
My family are very conservative,
and, uh, I've always been expected to marry
and have many children with a respectable man.
T.J. knew that, but it's-- it's not a life I wanted.
Yeah, we were scared,
but we didn't want Mr. and Mrs. Patel
to find out from the likes of T.J.
So I decided to tell them myself.
You know what?
Turns out they're really happy for me.
So, in a strange way, T.J. did me a favor.
And he's still a jerk.
What? I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking.
I made it clear to Mrs. French
that she's under no obligation to answer any of your questions,
Detective Shepherd, if she doesn't want to.
I've got nothing to hide.
Huh. On the morning of the festival,
you claim to have been at home until you left
for the festival at approximately 12:00, 12:30,
is that correct? Yes.
And you deny that your husband came home
at any stage during that time?
- That's correct. - Then how do you explain
what we found by the path at your house?
I can't.
We have traces of the strychnine that killed T.J.
deposited in his vomit by the bush.
Uh, we also have chocolates, also containing strychnine,
that were found in your house.
Well, he could have been given those by Ngahuia Johnson.
Did you find out whether they were having an affair?
Uh, we did, and they weren't.
At this stage, we don't believe that Ms. Johnson
had anything to do with T.J.'s death.
How do you explain the chocolates being in your house?
I can't.
I mean, there must be some explanation, but...
How about you start by being honest
regarding your whereabouts that morning?
I've told you where I was.
Yet we have a witness that can place you in town
at the bakery at midday,
when you claim to have been at home.
Your witness must be mistaken.
Perhaps they saw someone who looked like my client.
Huh. The person in question knows you.
Miguel has his own reasons for lying.
He was angry at everyone after that SSA meeting,
particularly T.J. because they were friends.
I never said it was Mr. Fernandez.
Detective, I think my client is confused.
No, I'm not confused.
Miguel often parks opposite the bakery.
But you should know that he came to our house and threatened us.
- Geez, mate. - What the hell, dude?
I thought we agreed to both vote for the mud wrestling.
You know how I feel about Día de Los Muertos.
I know, and I'm sorry, but [sighs]
no one else was into it.
I just went with the group decision.
I won't forget this, man.
The next time that you need a favor,
ask someone else.
Hey![Pot shatters]
- He was threatening. - He may well have been,
but he claims that he saw you
at the bakery the morning T.J. died.
What about Morgana Marincovich?
She threatened T.J., too, just a couple of days ago.
[Indistinct conversation]
Hey, don't bother. She's a con artist, mate!
Save your money.
- Hey! - I've warned you. T.J. French.
You better stop turning my customers away,
or there will be hell to pay.
Woooo!
[Down-tempo music plays]
♪
T.J.!
The reading she gave him-- why was T.J. so angry about it?
He wouldn't say, but he would tell
anyone who would listen that she was a fraud.
I'm sure she would do anything to shut him up.
That may well be true,
but it's your movements that are in question.
I went straight from my house to the park,
and T.J. never came home.
Lawyer: I think my client has answered
enough questions for today,
if that's all, Detective?
You're free to go, for now.
Uh, if you are shielding someone else from our inquiries,
I would recommend that you rethink that.
♪
Our fingerprints came back.
Only T.J.'s and Amelia's in his van,
so nothing conclusive there.
Any progress with Amelia?
Uh, she's still refusing to admit
that T.J. came home that morning or that she left.
She's lying. I can't figure out why.
Well, if Miguel saw her arriving at the bakery
at midday, where was she coming from?
Yeah, if she wasn't at home when T.J. died,
why wouldn't she admit to that to put her in the clear?
She's trying to protect someone.
What are we saying?
That Amelia thinks Richie killed T.J.,
so she's lying to protect him?
Mm.
The question we should be asking is,
does Amelia think Richie killed T.J., or does she know?
Because there's a big difference.
Well, did he have opportunity?
Um, Mayor Bloom can only place Richie
in his garden at 10:00 a.m.
So his fiance, Hope, is the only person
who can confirm his whereabouts for the rest of the day.
Yeah, well, I can see her lying to protect him.
Yeah, but why would she lie for him
if he was having an affair with Amelia?
Maybe she doesn't know.
Which leaves us with the question,
who else wanted T.J. dead apart from Amelia and Richie?
♪
[Bell jingles]
♪
Have I done something?
I don't know. Have you?
If I say no, you'll think I'm lying.
Not nec--And if I say yes, you'll arrest me.
I don't know how to answer.
How about we change the question?
You can do that?
Um, this bad reading you gave T.J. French-- tell me about it.
It wasn't a bad reading.
He just didn't like what I told him,
which was enough for him to start badmouthing me.
And you were angry about that?
Of course.
He was turning people away with his false accusations.
If anything, he should have spent more time taking heed
of what I told him.
It might have saved his life.
Hmm. That's an interesting claim.
He had a terribly short lifeline.
I warned him if he wasn't careful,
he was probably going to die.
I suggested he keep an eye out for slippery stairs,
falling boulders, that sort of thing.
He didn't take it very well.
Sounds almost like a threat.
I was just telling it how it is.
It's like, don't get your fortune read
if you don't want to know the truth.
But I barely knew T.J., and his aura was black,
so he's not the kind of person I like to spend my time with.
Okay. Um...
The morning of the festival, before you went to the park,
do you recall where you were?
I was giving a reading here in the shop out the back.
Oh, I have never seen such complementary auras
between two people.
They're kismet.
The who what?
Thanks to you both for coming in.
Hope and I feel like we've seen far too much
of you guys this week.
Ah, you claim not to have had any contact with Mrs. French
on Saturday prior to the festival.
Yeah. That's right.[Sighs]
The thing is, Amelia has repeatedly failed to give us
a satisfactory account of her whereabouts
at the time of the murder.
Well, maybe she's protecting someone.
Well, why would she? She could go to prison.
Amelia is fiercely loyal. Always has been.
If we were able to verify that Amelia wasn't at home
between 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 on the morning of the festival,
it would go a long way towards helping her.
Is that when T.J. died?
We believe so, yes.
[Sighs]
Well, then, uh, that proves it.
Amelia couldn't have done it.
And why is that?
Because she was with me.
So where were you?
Hope and I had a fight about the house.
It's like part of my childhood. And there's no hurry here.
What has gotten into you?
I don't know.
I kind of like the place.
No, Richie, we agreed.
We're gonna sell and go back to the city.
That was always the plan.
Hey! If you hate it here so much,
no one's stopping you from leaving, okay?
Yeah, okay. Great idea.
[Sighs]
From there, you went to see Amelia?
Yeah, we met at a cafe.
Uh, what time was this?
10:30, maybe just after.
We, uh, chatted over coffee.
Amelia talked me down off the ledge.
[Chuckles]
Are you, um...
Are you married, Detective?
I have been.
I love Hope. I really do.
But I don't know.
Sometimes I think maybe I should just call the engagement off.
And how does Hope feel about this?
Ha! Well, uh, she doesn't know about that,
but, um...
but it's-- it's hard, you know?
When you still have feelings for someone else?
Yeah, Amelia was the one that got away.
I don't know. Sometimes life just, uh,
takes you in different directions, I guess.
What happened after the coffee?
Uh, Amelia had an appointment booked.
Um, I definitely wasn't ready to go home,
so I went with her.
What type of appointment?
Oh, my gosh.
Oh, I've never seen this before.
You both have light-pink auras.
It's representative of the heart chakra.
Oh, what does that mean?
Your twin flames.
Ah.
Oh, dear.
Your love line is tumultuous.
It's strong to begin with, but then see here?
It breaks and almost fades away.
Well, that sounds bad.
It means for many years you've had
very little love in your life.
Since you're married to T.J., that doesn't surprise me.
But I do see a future of deep love for you.
And that love will last for the rest of your life.
With T.J.
Oh, God, no. He's a goner.
This broken line is the end of a relationship.
But this line here is the start of a new one,
and it's very strong.
Yours now, please.
Oh.
[Chuckles] All right.
Oh, yes.
Oh, your heart lines are almost identical,
as are your life lines.
From this point on, your lives will be intertwined
and blissfully happy.
I don't think that's possible.
Nothing is impossible that the universe decides.
You two are destined to be together.
Once the universe decides something,
nothing can stand in its way.
[Whispers] Kismet.
[Dramatic music plays]
♪
Richie lied. He wasn't at home that morning.
Hmm. I'll see what Hope has to say about that.
[Mid-tempo music plays]
♪
If Richie's finished,
I'd like to leave with him, if that's okay.
Well, my boss just has a few more questions.
Are you still claiming that Richie and yourself
were at home that morning?
As I said, we were in the garden.
So it would surprise you then if I told you
Richie has admitted that he took off after your fight
and wasn't home again for two hours?
What really happened that morning?
We fought, and Richie took off like he always does.
He always runs away from conflict.
So I started packing.
Ugh. Get me out of here.
So you were going to leave town?
Yeah, I was, until...
♪
...he came running back with his tail
between his legs like he always does.
He apologized?
Mm.
You know, we fight, but...
yeah, I-I just couldn't imagine my life without him.
And, uh, when did he get back?
Just before 1:00, I think.
And then what happened?
We kissed and made up and worked in the garden
until we went to the festival.
After your reading at the crystal shop,
- you went straight home? - Mm-hmm.
And you didn't leave--
well, until you went to the festival?
Correct. You expect me to believe that?
Up to you. It's the truth.
Ex-boyfriend. Unhappy relationship.
Still in love with Amelia French.
In fact, some might say that you had a vested interest
in Amelia being single again.
You can't be serious.
You just told me that T.J. died between 11:00 and 12:30.
- That's right. - And I just told you
that I was with Amelia between 11:00 and 12:00.
There's no way that I could have killed T.J.
and then put him up in the tree. I wouldn't have had time.
Except T.J. was poisoned.
Poison administered through artisan chocolates.
[Scoffs] Whoever gave T.J. those chocolates
could easily have been somewhere else when he died.
Were are you or Amelia responsible for T.J.'s death?
No.
- Were you and Amelia? - What?
I think you and Amelia are playing this together.
She administered the poison in the morning,
and then you came back and took care of the body.
That didn't happen, okay? I'm telling you the truth.
Oh, just like you did to Detective Sims
in your first statement when you said you were at home all day?
Yes. Okay, I did lie then. I'm not lying now.
And why should we believe you now?
Sims: Okay, so we've established that Richie
did leave the house.
Why did you lie about that?
Because I love him, and--
and I couldn't be sure where he was, so, I don't know,
I just, I thought it was best I said he was with me.
Or perhaps it was because you were worried
that he killed T.J. What?
Don't be ridiculous. Like, why would he even do that?
Because T.J. was the thing between him and Amelia.
My God. Look, I have--
I've already told you guys multiple times
that there is nothing going on between
Richie and Amelia French, and I just--
I really need you to accept that.
When's the wedding?
Sorry? You and Richie.
If you don't mind me asking.
Uh, well, we're-- we're actually waiting
until we sell the house first, so...
So you haven't set a date?
No. How is that important?
To me, it's not.
Well, w-we are getting married, and that's a fact.
Yeah. Of course.
Do you recognize these?
They're chocolates.
Chocolates found in the French house after the murder.
- I don't understand. - Well, it's quite simple.
They were in Amelia French's kitchen.
Uh, no, I mean, that's impossible.
They're strawberry. And?
Well, Amelia's allergic to strawberries.
I mean, deathly allergic. She can't even touch them.
If she went anywhere near those, she would end up in hospital.
Well, she could have worn gloves.
[Chuckles] Yeah, I guess she could have.
But, I mean, if she so much as
breathes the air around these things,
she's gonna go into anaphylactic shock.
[Chuckles] Why would she take that risk
when she could just put the poison into something else?
I'm telling you,
Amelia had nothing to do with T.J.'s death.
[Dramatic music plays]
♪
Ah, curiosity got the better of you, huh?
Sorry? You want to see my jigsaw after all.
Come on. Uh, no, actually, not that.
It's more of a professional matter of the chemical kind.
Ah, okay.
T.J. French was killed with strychnine.
Strychnine? Mm.
Nasty stuff, as I'm sure you know,
with some stealthy attributes--
no odor, and completely colorless
when it's in liquid form.
And bitter to taste.
Not that you'd want to.
How hard would it be for someone
to get their hands on it?
Oh, almost impossible these days.
And not something that you keep in stock at the pharmacy?
[Laughs] Well, once upon a time, yes.
My grandfather talked about how they used to sell it
over the counter at the pharmacy back in the day.
And these days?
Oh, it was phased out in the '40s and '50s.
But no doubt a few homes still have the odd bottle
knocking around in the back of a cupboard
or under the house.
Would an old bottle still be lethal?
Mm. A sealed, non-light-sensitive bottle?
Quite possibly, particularly if it was in crystal form.
Strychnine is surprisingly hardy.
Okay, um, thank you, Mayor Bloom.
Do you want to just pop up and have a look?
Love to, but, um...
[Down-tempo music plays]
Yep. And you get a free taco with that.
And what if I don't want a taco?
What's wrong with my tacos?
I just want coffee.
No, man, you gotta try these, um, breakfast tacos.
The Desperado is mean. [Chuckles]
Get a coffee, you take my taco.
If you don't like it, you can throw it straight in the bin,
just like that woman - from the other day. - Mm.
But I dare you not to like it.
That was brutal.
To be fair, though, she was kind of surly.
She was like that at the festival, too, eh?
- What woman is this? - Well...
Uh, this is my girlfriend, - Hope. - Frodo: Hey.
Fiancée. Sorry.
- Uh, Todd. - Hey.
Hey, wedding gift. On the house.
- Oh, thank you. - Hey, one for you, too.
- Thanks, mate. - I'm just gonna...
Mm-hmm.
Oh, yeah. Thanks, fellas.
Like I said, surly.
What day did you see her at the taco truck.
I'm pretty sure it was the morning of the festival.
Mm. She was acting kind of weird.
Can you be more specific?
Well, apart from, um,
throwing a perfectly good taco in the bin,
she looked like she was following her, um, boyfriend
without him knowing she was following him.
You know, kind of like an unfollowing following,
if you follow me.
Uh, but don't follow me if that's okay.
Makes me nervous.
Richie? Yeah, yeah, that's the guy.
She watched him and, um,
Mrs. French over there at the cafe.
Yeah, I remember that.
[Dramatic music plays]
♪
Miguel: Would you like a taco?
♪
I was trying out a new flavor-- corn flakes and parmesan.
She wasn't into it. Maybe it was the parmesan.
You didn't tell me this yesterday.
No, pues, well, you didn't ask.
Unbelievable.
So Hope also lied about her whereabouts that morning?
Lying about where she was doesn't mean she killed T.J.
I mean, what's her motive? She'd never even met him.
This was premeditated, and it would make more sense
for her to kill Amelia, not T.J.
But if Hope was following Richie,
she can prove that he never moved T.J.'s body.
Unless she saw him do it but is protecting him.
Well, yeah, she's lied to protect him before.
It comes back to who has the best motive.
Well, surely that's Amelia.
She might have loved T.J. once,
but she clearly wasn't in love with him anymore.
Wanted him out of the way?
I have a hunch on the source of the strychnine,
but I don't have a warrant.
A big hunch? Little hunch?
Pretty big.
Go.
♪
[ Line ringing]
Richie. Mike Shepherd.
Yeah, we have a new line of inquiry.
[ Richie laughs]
Oh, come on, Detective. Enough is enough.
Okay? I'm over it. Hope is over it.
Amelia's over it.
In fact, she's invited us over for tea and cake
to help get some closure on all of this.
- I see. - So either talk to my lawyer,
or better still, just leave us alone.
[Suspenseful music plays]
♪
Fancy a spot of afternoon tea?
♪
Chalmers, good work.
Amelia: Thank you both so much for coming.
Hope: No, thank you for inviting us.
It's lovely to get to meet you properly.
- Wow. Thank you. - There you go.
- Detectives. - Oh, come on.
What did I just say on the phone?
Is this some type of ambush?
- No, I didn't invite them. - I hope we're not too late.
Or at the very least, harassment.
Would you like a cup of tea? A piece of cake?
Uh, thanks, but no. Richie, put the tea down.
- What? - Put it down.
No one is to touch the cake or the tea.
- Why? - We believe the cake or the tea
or both is laced with strychnine.
What?
- Oh, my God. - No.
I swear I didn't poison T.J.
You wanted him out of the way.
- No. - So what?
You can finally get your claws into Richie?
Is that it? No.
I invited you both here today to apologize
for dragging you into this mess.
Unbelievable, Amelia.
What, did you bring me here to knock me off, too?
No.
All right, then prove it.
Go on.
Go on, prove it.
I knew it.
You wanted to get back with Richie,
so you had to get rid of your husband.
Amelia, is that true?
Well, that depends on where the strychnine came from.
Uh, 10 minutes ago.
D.C. Chalmers revisited your grandfather's shed.
Your grandfather wasn't much of a gardener, was he?
The shed hasn't been touched in decades.
Hence, there are some very old bottles of pesticide in there.
The common poison in some of those pesticides is strychnine.
Now, since it didn't have a lock,
almost anyone had access to the shed,
but someone knew what was in there
and what those bottles contained.
[Tony Daunt & the Dauntless' "Long Kiss Goodnight" plays]
♪ I'll be the one to say goodbye ♪
♪ I'll be the one
The chocolates were easily purchased from the local dairy.
Oh, I'll grab one of these, too.
The strawberry ones were covered in dark chocolate,
which would have disguised the bitter taste of the poison.
♪ You better keep your eyes on me ♪
But we know that the chocolates
made their way here to this house.
The thing about chocolates is that they're tempting.
♪ And I'll be the one to tell you sweet lies ♪
The offender was depending on that.
♪ And I'll be the one in the real cool disguise ♪
♪ Keep your eyes on me
♪ I run away right into her arms ♪
♪ You better keep your eyes on me ♪
♪ The long kiss goodnight, uh-huh ♪
♪ The long kiss goodnight, it's goodbye and good night ♪
T.J. might have assumed that they were from Richie
in a blatant overture to Amelia, but what he couldn't have known
was that the offender was waiting nearby.
♪ It's a long kiss goodnight
♪ It's goodbye and good night, my dear ♪
[Groaning]
Seems that T.J. had just enough time to get changed
before the poison kicked in.
The hardest part would have been moving the body
from here to the park.
But we know that Amelia has misplaced her wheelbarrow.
♪
From there, it was easy.
Awesome.
Shepherd: The offender made sure to leave the bread
so that Amelia would assume that T.J. had been and gone,
later dropping the car back here.
Hey, you need a hand?
♪
Oh, thanks.
♪
Oh. Holy guacamole.
That's heavy, he is. [Exhales and chuckles]
Lot of lollies in this one, eh? [Laughs]
Don't mention it.
♪
Well, arrest her.
She killed her husband. She's clearly very deranged.
Except Amelia didn't kill T.J.
She couldn't have.
Amelia suffers from pseudo anaphylaxis
and is deathly allergic to strawberries.
But the offender didn't know that.
In fact, if they had, I would say that they wouldn't
have used chocolate strawberries in the first place,
because T.J. wasn't the intended target.
Amelia was.
I realized I'd been looking at the mirror the wrong way round.
Amelia being the target made more sense,
so the offender had to be someone
that didn't know about Amelia's allergy,
someone who was jealous of her, wanted her out of the way.
Amelia, right?
Wow. It's been a minute. Uh, Richie from high school.
Amelia: Nice to see you.
Yeah, really nice to see you, too.
The offender needed a disguise
in order to hide T.J.'s body in plain sight.
The Day of the Dead was a gift.
♪
You killed the wrong person, didn't you, Hope?
It was Amelia who you wanted dead.
But even after killing T.J. by mistake,
you realized you could still get Amelia out of the way
by framing her for his murder.
So you put the chocolates in her kitchen
knowing that we would find them.
♪
But when that didn't seem to work,
you tried again today, didn't you?
♪
Then placing the tea in front of her.
Hope.
Tell me that's not what happened.
You still had feelings for her, didn't you?
You killed T.J.?
[Exhales]
No! No, I...
I did-- I didn't-- I didn't mean to, okay?
I just-- it was supposed to be her.
I did this for us.
No! Come on.
- Don't! - Richie, come on.
Surely you can see what she's trying to do here.
Richie.
[Dramatic music plays]
♪
Are you happy?
You got exactly what you wanted, didn't you?
Exactly what you wanted.
Oh, you're good.
I hate you.
I truly wish that you were dead.
Richie: Hope, for God's sake.
♪
Agh![Amelia screams]
[Grunts]
She's trying to make me look crazy.
I'm not crazy!
All right, Hope, that's enough.
You can tell us all about it at the station.
[Hope grunting]
♪
You know, for a minute there, I actually thought you did it.
For a second, I thought it was you.
We're both idiots.[Chuckles]
Do you think those two will be able to move on after this?
Oh, love always finds a way.
Does that mean Morgana Marincovich is actually
a good palm reader?
Okay, if this is the way that you treat cake,
remind me not to invite you to my birthday.
I wouldn't go to your stupid birthday anyway.
Gina.[Matt Joe Gow & Kerryn Fields' "Your Heart Of Gold" plays]
♪ I know a place where the sun shines like a diamond ♪
♪ Glistens across the horizon
♪ Like the way your eyes reach into mine ♪
♪ Chasing the light
Okay, watch your step.
We're moving through the door now.
Oh, Mike. It's very exciting.
I hope you're not taking me to the cells.
Uh, that wasn't the plan.
Have I been a naughty girl?
Uh... no.
Um, you can take off the blindfold now.
Oh! You are here, too.
Well, it wouldn't be a party without us.
Or cake.
Or, as you would say, tort na den' rozhdeniya.
Very good, Mike.
Happy belated birthday, Gina.
Oh, better late than never, Mike.
But if it happens again, you might not be so lucky.
[Clears throat] It's, uh, probably not
a great idea to upset the woman
that knows how to kill you in 50 different ways
and make it look like an accident. Mm.
- Happy birthday, Gina! - Happy birthday!
Happy birthday!
[Upbeat music plays]
♪
Wish.
- Yay! - Whoo-hoo!
Oh, I have a scalpel in my bag to cut the cake--
the best way.
♪ We can take the back streets, tell me where to go ♪
♪ We can turn the radio on and play a song ♪
♪ Play it all night long
♪ I just want to go there with your heart of gold ♪
♪ We can take back streets, tell me where to go ♪
♪ We can turn the radio on and play a song ♪
♪ Play it all night long, da-da-da-da-da ♪