**
Aah!
**
It's some kid.
**
Welcome to the House of Screams!
Uh, yes. I'll just get you guys to park down at the end there.
Um, cheers, guys.
Be honest. How scary is it?
Oh, come on. It's not that bad. A bit of fun.
And just remember. It's not real.
See? It's just fake blood and...
One sec.
**
Uh, Mr. Milgrove!
Are you-- Are you alright, mate?
What's going on out here?
I'm gonna get the first-aid kit.
Might be a bit late.
Chad?! Baby?!
Are you okay?
Oh!
Christ.
**
Grim start to the season.
Spring?
The spooky season.
Halloween? Ah.
You have heard of Halloween, haven't you?
Mm, nut we don't really do that here in New Zealand, do we?
Well, tell that to these people.
Halloween has become an entire season, not just a day.
Hey. Um...
Victim appears to be a Chad Feldman. 18 years old.
In his last year at Brokenwood High.
Geez. He's just a kid.
Mm. Apparently, he came here with his girlfriend.
They were heading to a Halloween party.
**
Hi, Chad.
Sad to say that's not part of the costume.
**
Was there a second injury?
Oh, that's John Milgrove. He's the manager.
Apparently, he fainted after he saw
Chad sporting the... sickle-necklace look.
M-Manager of what? What is this place?
It's called the House of Screams.
Sort of a live haunted-house experience.
Yeah? And the, um, ghouls?
Yeah. The staff.
They asked to be referred to as "Screamers."
I bet they did. Mm.
Uh, excuse me, sir-- or, uh, ma'am--
would you mind stepping back for us while we--
Detective Sims! It's me-- Frodo.
Frodo? You're a-a Screamer.
Apprentice. Yeah. I haven't graduated to the main floor.
Currently, I'm just parking cars.
But I saw the whole thing. It was gnarly as hell.
Do you remember seeing him and his girlfriend arrive?
I do remember, yes, because it was quite memorable.
Excuse me, guys! Hey. Sorry.
You're actually not allowed to park here.
Even if your car is awesome. That is a disabled park.
Well, I am disabled, so that's a bit insensitive.
Oh, I'm so sorry. I-I didn't see a sticker.
Yeah, I've, um-- I've got no legs.
Okay, well, I can clearly see you've got legs.
These are fake legs.
Chad! Don't be...
Look. I'm gonna have to ask you to move, please.
Alright. Alright. Keep your hair on. Oops!
Hey! Give that back, you little twerp!
That's property of the House of Screams!
Well, my dad just bought the place,
so, technically, it's mine.
But here you go, bud.
Oh.
Hey, park my car for me, will ya?
Cheers, buddy. Appreciate ya.
And did you move the car?
Well, yeah. I mean, begrudgingly.
But then later...
Oi! Give me the keys.
I'm not sure that--
I was gonna call the cops.
He seemed like he was a bit pissed,
but I didn't have my phone.
But I took down the number plate.
Oh. Well. Anyway...
That's all I saw. Until he came out of the woods over there.
That's fake blood?
Yeah. They make it here.
It's mostly maple syrup with some cochineal.
And coffee for depth of color.
Mm.
Put some feelers out for that car.
And let's start getting some statements.
- Copy that. - On it.
**
Maple syrup.
**
Any ghosts?
Uh, one or two.
Well, after speaking to the Screamers,
it seems that one of them is missing--
a teenager by the name of Kyle Harris,
who plays the... Undead Scarecrow.
And in the House of Screams, the Scarecrow carries a sickle.
Ah. Let's, uh, start in there.
I've got the feeling that Kyle was watching me from the trees.
Okay.
♪ The... an elegant ♪
♪ Line the sift... ♪
♪ Precisely in time ♪
♪ Conjure the creature ♪
♪ Have mercy on me ♪
♪ Whose beauty is potent ♪
♪ It's only skin-deep ♪
♪ What year is this? ♪
♪ Dissatisfaction ♪
**
♪ I love... ♪
Lena, are you sure that you wouldn't like us
to get your parents in here?
I know that you're 18, but--
They'd just stress me out more.
Okay, well, we'll make this quick.
We-- We just simply need to know what happened.
Okay.
So you and Chad were dating?
We've been together forever. Like, almost two years.
It was... gonna be our anniversary next weekend.
Um, why don't you just tell us
what you remember about tonight?
Uh, we were gonna go to a party.
Today was the last day of school
before everyone went on study leave.
I wanted to make sure I looked really good
because Chad loves Halloween.
He's, like, obsessed with all American stuff.
Hey, babe.
Hey, baby. Wow. You look great.
**
What are you? Like, a football player?
It's a surprise.
Finn's gonna love it!
Baby. I thought it was date night.
It is. Yeah. Don't worry about him.
Hi, Finn.
You guys keen for a quick detour?
It'll be fun. I promise.
This Finn-- he and Chad were friends?
He's basically Chad's shadow.
To be honest, I think Chad just liked
having him around for protection.
Was Chad the type of person who needed protection?
Well, he wasn't always the nicest to people.
No! Come on! That's so mean.
Guys! Really? Chad! Stop it!
Leave the poor guy alone!
Well, that's good of you to try and stop him.
Chad's father has just bought the House of Screams.
Is that right? Yeah, yeah.
Bought it off the weird guy who runs the place.
I'm afraid we don't offer discounts.
Oh, I'm not after a discount, John.
I want to go in for free.
I'm running a business. It's only $10.
It's not like you can't afford it.
If you don't let us in,
I'm gonna call my dad and have him fire your ass.
Go right ahead. Do you think I care?
Oh. It's ringing.
Alright. Alright!
Just don't touch any of the props.
And please respect the performers.
What's this?
It's one of your father's ideas. Drum up ticket sales.
So, what? If I can get through the whole place
without screaming, I win a trip to Vegas?
Easy.
Well, not you, obviously. It wouldn't be fair.
In any case, nobody has ever made it through
without screaming.
You calling me a pussy, John?
What?
Hey. Come here.
I don't suppose that you heard what Chad said to him.
Hm. Probably something dumb.
Chad made a lot of dumb jokes.
Sometimes they would really annoy me.
You little bastard.
But now I'll never hear them again.
Is this cow's milk?
Ugh!
Um... anyway.
Unh! Unh!
If I'm being honest, it was kind of lame.
N-o-o-o!
**
Especially 'cause a lot of the actors
were just, like, people from our school.
Some of them weren't even really trying.
Uh, that's a Minnie Wylie, who goes to your school?
She started this year.
I tried to make friends with her, but she had other ideas.
**
Not that I could blame her.
You've seen how hot Chad is, right?
Oh, I couldn't comment.
Because he's dead?
Well, no, because he's a-a teenager.
Sorry. You were saying?
Um...
After that, Chad and Finn snuck off to drink their booze.
I went to the toilet, and when I came back...
Where's Finn? Having a sulk.
I was just happy we were finally alone.
Baby. Can we go? This place is gross.
Not yet. Okay? I wanna see the rest.
It's our special night.
And I want to win that trip.
Why didn't Chad just ask his dad for the money?
Sounds like he had a lot of it.
Lane's really tight, especially with Chad.
He doesn't trust him with money.
And why was it a special night for you two?
We don't need too many details.
Chad was meant to be leaving.
He was going to L.A. to stay with his mother
for a few months, and then after that,
he was going to start uni at Yale.
Wow. Yale.
So he wasn't going to finish the school year?
Hm. Didn't see the point. He'd already gotten in.
Wow. That's impressive.
Mnh. It was mostly through his dad's connections. And money.
Well, that must have been tough for you both,
having to leave each other.
I think Chad was taking it especially hard.
Please, baby. Let's just go.
Oh, my God. Leave me alone. You're so clingy.
**
I went out for some fresh air.
And that's when...
I just thought he'd failed the challenge.
But he was fighting for his life, wasn't he?
And I did nothing.
Well, you couldn't have known.
And that was the last time you saw him?
Yeah. Until I saw him with--
with, um, the thing in his neck.
Okay. Thank you, Lena.
Yeah. You've been very helpful.
It was Kyle Harris, right? He used to go to our school.
I heard it was Kyle that killed him.
Uh, well, we don't know anything yet,
but we do need to find Kyle and ask him some questions.
He used to go to your school?
He got kicked out last year for dealing drugs.
He was probably high out of his skull.
**
The cause of death is not surprising.
Severed artery in the neck
from a wound at the base of the skull.
- Stabbed from behind. - It appears so.
Death would have occurred within minutes.
There was also a noticeable gash on the leg--
smaller but most likely from the same weapon.
That fits with the smaller spatters of blood
that we found outside the building.
Also of note-- a scratch on his face here.
Uh, fingernail?
I think so.
Mm...
Gina, don't tell me you're into Halloween, too.
Mike, I love it! Every year I go trick-or-treating.
Oh, that's nice.
What, escorting nieces or nephews?
Wait. I didn't think you had any.
I don't. And I wouldn't. They only slow you down.
I like going on my own,
particularly when people ask me for a trick.
Do you want to know my trick?
Senior. The father's here.
Oh.
**
Uh, Mr. Feldman. Thanks for coming in.
What do I have to do?
We need you to formally identify the body.
If you're up to it.
**
What a waste. He was...
That's my boy. That's Chaddy.
He was such a good kid, you know.
Any word on this Kyle Harris?
Uh, we are still looking for him.
Waste of space.
Yeah, at this stage, he remains a person of interest.
How hard is it to find a teenage junkie in this town?
We will find him.
You better.
I've got some powerful friends in the city,
and I'm not afraid to call them.
This is a difficult time for you, Mr. Feldman.
Russian toffee?
**
Mike?
No, thanks, Gina.
**
Hello?
Uh, hello. Mr. Milgrove?
It's Detective Kristin Sims from last night.
Oh. Come in. We're just painting babies.
**
Well, I don't know what I was expecting.
Hello, Detectives. It's good to see you again.
That's my daughter, Ariel.
Nice to meet you.
So you wanted to have a look around?
Uh, yes. Please.
It's a terrible, terrible thing.
I've run the House of Screams for six years,
and in that time we've never had so much as a skinned knee.
Mind your head.
You'll find that the house is full of secret entrances
and hidden passages for the Screamers to get about.
And if you're looking to kill someone.
I resent that.
You recently sold your business to Chad's father,
Wayne Feldman. Is that correct?
I had to. This place has never made a profit.
We do it for love.
This is one of the oldest buildings in Brokenwood.
That's why it needs so much work.
Yeah, the whole second story needs to be redone.
This...
It's quite, quite beautiful
in the daylight, though, isn't it?
Uh, yeah. It's great.
Is it at all possible to stop that noise?
Y-- Uh, yes.
Ariel, can you make sure
all the speakers are turned off, please?
We're scaring our guests.
I didn't say I was scared.
Ah. This way.
This is the Hall of Terror.
At night, it's completely pitch black.
...hold this rope
and have to feel their way through the room.
That's where Chad was first attacked.
Poor, poor boy.
Uh, Chad's girlfriend, Lena,
said that he was harassing you last night.
I wouldn't say harassing. He had a lot of spirit.
She also said that he whispered something to you.
You little bastard.
It was a remark about my daughter.
It doesn't bear repeating. He was a nasty little turd.
I thought he was a "poor, poor boy."
I suppose he was both.
This is Kyle Harris' cubbie.
Have you had any more ideas about where he might be?
Because we can't even find an address.
No. I'm sorry. I don't know.
I know he's had a few problems,
but he's always been hardworking and polite
around here.
I don't like to judge.
Kristin.
Ohh! Christ.
Chad was not a good person.
Uh, it's Ariel, isn't it?
He was cruel, and he was a bully. They all were.
When you say "they," you mean...
Them. Lena and Finn.
They're all not nice people.
You okay, Ariel?
God. You look awful.
Are you just a bit hormonal, babe?
I can see why you wear all that black makeup, usually.
Yikes.
You're such a little freak!
You know what I heard is good for exorcising demons?
Holy water.
Piss off!
Whoa! I don't think you're supposed to break character.
It's just a joke. No need to get all psycho.
I was just trying to do my job.
I'm s-sorry that happened to you.
I'm not asking for pity. I just want you to leave Kyle alone.
He would never hurt anyone.
Well, at this stage, we just want to speak with him.
I know what people say about him. The drugs.
But it's not true.
It was Chad.
Everyone knew who the weed dealer at school was.
**
Kyle never even touched the stuff.
He was just a bit strange.
Like me.
But that didn't matter to anyone else.
Okay, everyone. Attention this way, please.
Put your hands on your desks. Thank you.
Officer...
**
- That's not mine. - Come with me, please.
Young man: ♪ Someone's in trouble ♪
Young woman: Bye-ee!
Okay. Back... everyone.
Settle down, now. Back to work. Thank you.
And I tried to help Kyle make an appeal.
We told the principal that it was Chad,
but his daddy came down with his flash lawyers
and said that if we so much as implied his son was responsible,
that we'd end up in court.
It worked. Kyle was suspended.
Kyle was innocent then, and he is innocent now.
You have to believe me.
What do you think?
I think she accidentally gave a pretty good motive
for Kyle wanting to kill him.
I didn't realize that you had such a thing
for creepy children singing.
Comms to BW-1.
Maybe if they were singing Prince.
Go ahead, Comms.
Uh, vehicle has been discovered
down the side of Blackwater Gully,
matching the description of the deceased's car.
Uh, copy that. En route.
**
Kid spent the night down the bank.
Dehydrated. Possible concussion.
And I'm guessing that'll be Finn Clarke.
Drunk driving. Are you kidding me?!
No! You've ruined your life. I hope you know that.
Get that through your thick skull.
You're a disgrace!
**
- Hi. - Hi.
- Come in. - Thank you.
Finn. This is Detective Sims.
Hi, Finn. How are you feeling?
He's got a broken ankle and a minor concussion.
Oh. Uh, no offense.
Your dad made your injuries sound a lot worse.
What, worse than my rugby career being over?
It's too soon to know that.
What is serious is your blood alcohol levels.
It's frankly a miracle you're still alive,
getting behind a wheel in your state.
Uh, might be hard to believe right now,
but there is more to life than rugby.
You might want to keep it brief.
I've just given him some tramadol.
Yeah.
Uh, Finn, I'm really sorry to have to tell you,
but your friend Chad is dead.
Yeah. I know.
Okay. Well, let's just take it back.
Um, why did you leave the haunted house early?
I don't like dogs.
Sorry?
Cheers.
Lena went to the toilet, and me and Chad were alone.
**
That's not funny, bro.
**
- Aah! - Rah!
What do you think of my costume, hm?
It's Teen Wolf.
You're such a prick!
**
Wait. So you don't like it?
You did good.
I thought I'd take his car. He could walk home.
Oi! Give me the keys.
Oh, I'm not sure that's a good i--
But I guess I was more pissed than I thought.
The next thing I knew, I woke up upside down.
I feel good now, though.
I take it you have a phobia of dogs?
I was 7. I was protecting my little brother.
And Chad knew about that.
Yeah. He thought it was funny.
He liked to find people's buttons and push them.
So he had a lot of enemies.
Yeah, well, usually I was around to protect him.
Guess not this time.
Was that funny?
Are you single?
I still need a date for the formal.
I'm... going to leave you to rest.
**
Hey. Any luck?
Uh, we've secured Kyle's caravan.
He's been living here under a different name
for over a year.
But he's not there.
Uh, some clothes and sleeping gear appear to be missing.
Looks like a child's been living here, as well.
A sister maybe.
Between 6 and 9, I'd say based off her art skills.
Unbelievable. What?
I think I know where they are.
**
Detectives. Any luck?
The creepy-child sound we heard earlier.
Could you play it again?
Sorry? The girl singing.
You said it was a sound effect.
Uh...
Let me find out--
You know what? We'll look ourselves.
**
You stay here and watch him.
You take the other stairs.
It's not safe up there! I told you!
- We'll take our chances. - Please!
Dad!
**
Detective.
**
Stella okay?
Uh, your sister's in good hands.
**
What's that?
It's a report.
Can I draw on it?
**
Your parents are... Not in the picture.
Mom left about two years ago. Just kind of walked out.
And your father?
No.
I was always worried social services
would take her away, so I never really told anyone.
I was basically raising her myself anyway already.
Here's the situation, Kyle. We have a dead teenager.
A classmate from your old school.
Evidence indicates that Chad
was initially attacked in a room
known as the Hall of Terror, where he was wounded.
He then fled to the nearby forest
where the fatal blow was struck.
**
Stabbed through the neck with a sickle.
The Hall of Terror, where you were
normally positioned as the Undead Scarecrow.
The Scarecrow's weapon is a sickle--
identical to the murder weapon.
The only prints we've managed to lift off the weapon are yours.
And on top of all of this,
you and your little sister, Stella,
have been evading police for the past 24 hours.
So we're very interested in hearing what you have to say.
It wasn't me.
Care to elaborate?
Um...
**
What was your relationship with Chad Feldman?
I didn't really have one.
I mean, they hassled me a bit, but...
How come?
Well, because I'm a bit weird.
It didn't make me special, though.
No. He hassled everyone.
And then Chad got you removed from school?
Yeah, I didn't see him do it, but I think he did.
And how did that make you feel?
Like, I know what you're getting at.
Yeah, I was pretty pissed, but...
Can you talk us through what happened last night?
Well, um, everyone was real pumped.
**
Attention, my dear Screamers!
I want you all to have a safe and terrifying night.
And remember to reapply your blood capsules
and to scream from the diaphragm!
So let's have fun tonight.
And remember that the customer is always...
fright!
My bit is the Hall of Terror.
**
I'm quite good at my job.
Baby. Can we go?
Just leave me alone. You're so clingy.
Later on, I heard Lena and Chad arguing.
They were having a fight.
It was pretty intense.
Ow. You're a real bastard, Chad Feldman.
You scratched me, you psycho--
I wish I could be there when everyone sees you
for who you really are.
It's going to be beautiful. "Mr. Lacrosse Champ."
**
Did Lena mention hitting Chad?
She did not.
And what's this about a "lacrosse champ"?
I don't know. I just didn't want to
come face to face with Chad after that.
**
I went out for some air.
And you didn't see Lena vaping when you went outside?
I didn't see anyone. I just heard.
I know real fear when I hear it.
You know, I'm talking real fear. Bloodcurdling.
I went outside, looked around for a bit.
And then...
Chad?
Oh, my God.
Mr. Milgrove!
I knew what everybody would say about me, so I ran.
Anyway, that's all I saw. I swear.
So nobody can verify your whereabouts
at the time Chad was attacked.
I know I look guilty, but, you know, without me,
my sister's got nobody looking out for her.
I would never do anything to risk losing her.
**
You can both go back home,
but you're not to leave the district without notifying us.
Got it? Yep. Thank you.
- Come on, Stella. - Thanks, Officer Chalmers.
Hmm.
That is an uncanny likeness.
I didn't consent to that.
Kyle Harris had a grudge against Chad,
his prints are on the murder weapon,
and no one can corroborate his story.
Well, there's another possibility.
Lena had some reason to hit Chad.
There's also no witnesses to her whereabouts
when Chad was being attacked.
Mm.
Uh, let's see if we can get some more answers
from her tomorrow morning.
**
Lena! Put the bins out, please.
Roy, leave her alone!
Her boyfriend's just been M-U-R-D-E-R--
Jesus! I can spell!
It's fine! I'll do it!
**
Chad?
**
Morning, Trudy.
It's a bit early, isn't it, Mike?
Or is it late?
Are you after the hair of the dog?
I was actually just getting a coffee from Frodo.
Mike, I've been doing some digging,
and I've found something of interest.
I don't remember asking you to do any digging, Frodo.
Oh, well, I mean, to be fair, I didn't have to dig very hard.
Here you are.
Had a bit of a weird interaction
with your new boss at the pub last night.
That Wayne Feldman fella.
And what did she say?
I really think you should hear it from her.
Or you could just tell me.
I-It wouldn't be right.
I'm no narc. That goes without saying.
I only mention it because Frodo's a sweetie,
and I'd hate to think his new boss was gonna
cost all those nice freaks their jobs.
He was hanging around the bar last night,
looking quite worse for wear.
Who can blame him, what with his son and all.
Poor bloke. Hey.
Oi! We don't get handsy in here.
Let her go, or I'll snap your fingers like breadsticks.
She's alright.
She's, uh, one of my freak team
at my scream house.
Yeah, well, right now she's one of my bar team
in my drinking house, so show some respect.
I need to get my hands on 10 grand, cash.
Hm. I suggest going to the bank and withdrawing it.
You're loaded, aren't ya?
No, no, no. It's gotta be cash.
No questions asked.
Why are you asking me?
You got connections, right?
I think you're mistaking me for some sort of criminal.
I thought you were...
Hm. Well, I don't know what you heard,
but for the record, that was a misunderstanding.
Huh?
What would Wayne Feldman
suddenly need that much cash for?
Hm. Beats me. You should talk to Frodo.
He's the one with the loose lips.
**
Frodo!
Any idea why Wayne Feldman
suddenly needs a large amount of cash?
Uh, did you ask Trudy?
Yeah. She thought I should speak to you.
Right. Well, I think you should speak--
Frodo. Okay, okay.
No. Don't know. Sorry.
Uh, but maybe it's to do with this crypto business.
As in cryptocurrency? Yeah.
Wayne was trying to get everyone at the House of Screams
to give it a try.
But I don't think John was too into the idea.
**
Anyway...
You don't happen to have one of those pamphlets, do you?
**
Hi. I'm Detective Kristin Sims.
I'm here to speak with Lena.
Through here.
Thanks.
Hey, Lena.
Your mother tells me that you're not...
feeling very well.
Uh...
Should we...
put the knife down, you reckon?
**
Do you believe in ghosts?
Sorry?
Uh, nothing. Um... What do you want?
Uh, well, we just need to clear a few things up.
I'll tell you what, though.
Let me just, uh, crack a window here real quick.
Uh, Lena, look, I-- I need you to be honest
about what happened between you and Chad.
I was.
We have a witness who saw you two arguing.
I told you that.
But you didn't tell me that you hit him in the face.
And I can see a broken nail there.
What happened?
He dumped me.
Please, baby. Let's just go!
Oh, my God. Just leave me alone, okay?
You're so clingy.
What's that on your neck?
What are you talking about?
Is that a-- That's a hickey.
Chad!
So? "So?"
So you're cheating on me and you're not even gonna deny it?
Oh, a hickey is hardly cheating.
Yes, it is.
I love you.
Hey. Look. Um...
Listen.
We've had a good run, okay?
But I'm...
I'm going to Yale next year.
I need to free myself up
to date some new tier of females.
You understand, right?
Ow.
You're a real bastard, Chad Feldman.
You scratched me, you psycho--
I wish I could be there
when everyone sees you for who you really are.
It's gonna be beautiful.
"Mr. Lacrosse Champ."
**
Maybe I was too clingy.
Lena. You have to know that you don't deserve
to be treated like that.
That is not love.
Thanks.
Um, so, what's this lacrosse thing?
Yeah, it's just one of those games
they play in America, isn't it?
**
And I-I don't suppose you know
who Chad cheated on you with.
Minnie Wylie. That little skank.
Sorry.
Two cops in one day. Feel like the belle of the ball.
I'm here to see your new hire.
Oi! Minnie!
You're not running a child-labor racket, are you?
She's 18. She's got more brains
than half the drongos I hire.
You've got a visitor.
Hi.
I like your necklace.
I stole it. Are you gonna arrest me?
That depends on who you stole it from.
My sister.
Well, I think we can probably let that one slide for now.
Minnie, I need to talk to you about Chad Feldman.
Right. Super sad.
I didn't really know him.
I've only been here for a few months.
So you didn't have a relationship with him?
Because Lena Branston thinks you did.
Lena knows?!
Oh, God. She's actually gonna kill me.
She won't. I'll make sure of that.
So why don't you just tell me about you and Chad?
When did that start?
Well, I hated moving here.
**
Okay, listen up, everyone. This is Minnie.
Make her feel welcome.
There's your spot just over there, Minnie.
And it didn't seem like it was going to be easy
to make new friends.
Back home, I was popular,
but here, I was just another weirdo.
But then Chad approached me, and he was confident and hot.
It was just nice to talk to someone
that wasn't, like, the farmer's kid or something.
I could tell he was into me, and I was kind of into him.
But Lena scared the crap out of me.
Eventually I told him if he wanted to hook up,
then he had to end things with her.
That's only fair, right?
And did he end things?
He said he had.
And I believed him like a frickin' idiot.
Then he has the audacity to bring her to my work.
**
You're such a pig.
So you felt angry at Chad?
Yeah, but I was more afraid of Lena.
I don't want drama.
Minnie, I need to ask.
Did anyone else see you after that?
No one else came through.
It was a slow night.
Until we all went out to see the body.
And that must have been... shocking.
I've seen dead bodies.
It is a shame, though. He was really hot.
But why would people invest in something that isn't real?
There's lots of reasons.
What's going on?
I'm trying to teach Mike about cryptocurrency.
Oh. Godspeed, pal.
You're welcome to try.
Uh, I know that there's a "blockchain."
Exactly. And mining. And there are digital wallets.
I also know that if a guy mentions cryptocurrency
in his dating profile, it's an instant red flag.
Noted. I mean, it's basically a pyramid scheme, isn't it?
Well, the one Wayne Feldman's running is.
He recruits investors. They recruit others.
All the money flows up to him.
And look who's one of his newest members.
**
He was. He was standing out there.
He pointed at me.
Well, you have been through a traumatic experience.
And you are also on some painkillers.
It was Chad. Okay? I saw him.
Chad is dead.
Someone dressed as Chad.
H-He had a wolf mask.
I thought it was a ghost.
A ghost.
It's karma. For the girl.
Finn. What are you talking about?
Hey. Lena mentioned seeing a ghost.
She seemed really shaken up by it.
Yeah. Never did find Chad's wolf mask.
Looks like somebody has.
**
Where's Kyle?
He's at home. He hasn't been charged with anything yet.
Then what do you want?
We're looking for a wolf mask.
Belonged to Chad Feldman.
You haven't seen anything like that, have you?
I could check lost property.
Follow me.
It's this way.
Is... that your bag?
Um...
Don't.
I believe in you!
**
Stop!
**
Very unsafe!
**
Like he said. Don't.
Mr. Milgrove. Thanks for coming in.
Where is Ariel?
Uh, just clearing a few things up.
Nothing to worry about.
I want to be in there with her.
I'm afraid that Ariel has asked that you not be present.
What? Why am I here then?
Because I'd like a word, actually. If that's alright.
Finn Clarke claims that, last night,
someone wearing this wolf costume
appeared at his window and threatened him.
An identical wolf costume was worn by Chad Feldman
the night he died.
In fact, we believe that this is the very same mask.
We also have reason to believe that the same person
threatened Lena Branston the night before last.
Pretty harsh thing to do,
pretending to be someone's dead best friend or dead boyfriend.
Unless this person was trying
to invoke a confession from them.
Or maybe this person was the killer,
scoping out their next victim.
No, I wasn't!
So it was you.
No.
Finn also said something about "karma" for a girl.
Do you know what he was talking about?
It was my fault.
What was your fault?
I didn't think it would actually--
So I was trying to save the others!
But I think that it's too late.
Save them from what?
Death.
It started a few years ago.
I was a bit of an outsider.
I didn't really have any friends, apart from Selene.
Oh, my God!
Shame!
We did everything together.
And our favorite thing to do was practicing witchcraft.
Uh, just to be clear,
by "witchcraft," you mean...
Spells. Incantations. Earth magic.
Okay. Yep. So that is what you mean.
You don't have to believe in it. That's your choice.
But it doesn't stop it from being real.
There was a party.
Chad brought alcohol.
He kept pushing Selene to drink.
Who's up for a night swim?
- Yes! - Yeah?
Whoo! Go, baby!
You coming, Selene?
He knew she was drunk and that she couldn't swim.
**
You can't swim. Shh!
- You a bit scared, weirdo? - No.
Well, come on then, Selene!
Do you want Mummy to walk you in?
At the time, I was just gutted that my only friend
was leaving me for the people who made my life hell.
But she just wanted to be accepted.
We all do, don't we?
**
Where's Selene?
She's behind me.
She was behind me.
- Selene?! - Selene!
I can't see her.
She-- She was right there, I swear.
No!
We were both useless at swimming.
If Kyle hadn't been there,
I would have drowned, too, if I had swum out.
The worst part was Chad's dad.
He got his lawyers involved and threatened legal action
if we ever tried to claim that what happened
was anything more than a tragic accident.
But everyone knows who really killed my friend.
Ariel, we have nobody that can confirm
where you were when Chad was attacked.
You think that I killed him.
- I'm not saying that. - No.
Because you're right. I did kill him.
He came to my work, the one place that was mine,
and he ruined it!
I lost control.
I cursed them.
**
You... cursed them.
A death curse.
Yes.
Is... that it?
A death curse is no joke!
It is the worst possible spell that you can cast on someone.
And, sure enough, a few minutes later...
It is my fault. I am a killer.
Okay, but that still doesn't explain the stalking.
It does. I was trying to reverse the spell.
I cursed all three of them. It was just a matter of time.
I had to cast a counter-spell.
Duh!
Well, uh, at least you scared them half to death.
I think they're still probably traumatized.
Good.
Ariel Milgrove seems to think
she was indirectly responsible for Chad's death.
But it could be her way of deflecting guilt
from the actual murder she committed.
She knows the layout of the building better than anyone.
And she certainly has motive for wanting to kill Chad.
He's made her life very painful over the years.
I had an interesting chat with her father
about cryptocurrency.
Hmm. Look at you. Getting the hang of it.
I wouldn't go that far.
I found this crypto stuff
really hard to wrap my head around at first,
but then my colleagues helped me realize
that it was just the same game
that people have been playing for years.
They make you invest a little, then a lot, and then everything.
Pretty soon you're cleaned out. Life savings gone.
Wayne said it was a bulletproof investment opportunity,
that we could all live like kings, just like he did.
I'm not sure Wayne's lifestyle is all that it appears.
I never wanted it.
I-I just wanted to help Ariel and the business.
But in the end, you had to sell the business.
And Wayne swooped in to buy it.
He said he was gonna keep it as-is,
that he would help to fix it up.
I'm guessing you didn't get that in writing.
Two weeks after taking ownership,
he filed a planning application
for a...
a new golf course and members club.
I'm gonna bet that he kept you in the dark about his plans,
and you found out from someone else.
My dad's bringing the bulldozers
to flatten this stinking place.
It's gonna be beautiful to watch.
You little bastard.
They must have made you very angry.
I was livid.
With Wayne and that little skidmark.
He took so much pleasure in telling me.
I wanted to throttle the little--
right then and there!
But I didn't. I-I couldn't.
I actually could never harm the boy.
Sure. It was just a reaction.
Involuntary. Just a reaction.
And maybe what happened next was involuntary, too.
Nothing planned. A reaction.
No! I didn't do anything!
Are you saying that-- Did you kill him, John?
No, I didn't! I--
I didn't kill him.
Was John blinded enough by rage to lash out?
I'm not sure he has it in him.
You don't think the unstable haunted-house owner
who's just lost everything is capable of murder?
Uh, no, I mean, I literally don't think
that John was capable of doing the deed.
It was something that Trudy said.
I can see why you hired that one.
She's a tough cookie, isn't she?
You want a girl like that in your bar.
Or your haunted house, for that matter.
She's more suited to the job than others.
Meaning?
Her boss. What's his name. The weird one.
Beats me why he'd run a haunted house
with his condition.
That condition being...?
Another gin and tonic, please, Trina.
Sure thing, Jack.
It's "John."
Being a grade-"A" wuss.
And then I was-- I was just thinking
about that first day that we went to talk to him.
**
I don't think that John Milgrove
can physically stand the sight of blood.
Then why is he running the House of Screams?
Immersion therapy?
If he had a phobia of blood,
chances are that putting a sickle
through the back of Chad's neck
would have caused him to flake out at the scene.
Unless he had his eyes closed.
You know?
Get out!
Frodo. Mike, I just got offered a deal
on a car that seems too good to be true.
I'm not sure that this is a matter for the police.
No. I mean, listen.
I don't normally do this,
you know, like, snitching and whatnot,
but he's supposed to be mega-rich, right?
So why is he suddenly in a hurry to sell?
What are you talking about, Frodo?
Wayne Feldman. He just tried to sell me
his mean-as muscle car for 10 grand, cash.
The whole thing seemed real dodgy.
Hey, chief! Extra hot latte. Three sugars. Pronto.
Whoa! Mr. Feldman! You're selling? For real?
Yeah, but I'm only considering serious offers.
I've got no time for tire kickers.
Oh. I'm serious.
And it's got to be cash up front.
Oh, I've got cash.
**
In the end, it wasn't enough cash.
I was short about 9,800.
Anyway, I was giving it a look-over, and I found this.
**
Yeah. Not bad.
**
What... all this?
Mr. Feldman. D.C. Chalmers.
You charged that little bastard yet?
The Harris kid.
We'd actually like a quick chat with you.
Down at the station.
About what?
How you holding up, Wayne?
Well, let's see. Uh, my only son is dead.
The kid who killed him is apparently roaming free.
I've barely slept in four days.
When I finally do nod off for a few hours, I get woken up,
dragged down here to be asked stupid question.
So, yeah, not great.
Are you having financial troubles at the moment, Wayne?
What are you talking about?
We've had several reports this week of you
going around asking for large sums of money.
What the hell does that
have to do with finding my son's killer?
We have to explore all the angles.
Which is why yesterday I asked D.C. Chalmers
to keep eyes on you.
At 5:15 p.m., you took a collection of items,
including a TV, an electric guitar,
and a set of golf clubs to the local pawn shop.
**
I didn't realize that selling my own stuff was a crime.
See, I've got a funeral to pay for.
If you needed the cash, why not just withdraw it?
I'm not especially liquid at the moment.
My money is tied up in several new developments.
Such as the House of Screams,
which you tricked John Milgrove into selling to you.
I didn't trick anyone. I offered. He accepted.
Only after you bleed him dry with your crypto scam.
Sometimes investments don't work out.
I saved their crappy building and all the freaks.
All the while secretly planning to tear it down
and build a golf course.
Shame you sold your clubs.
What am I actually being accused of here?
You're not being accused of anything, Mr. Feldman.
We're worried for your safety.
We know you've been threatened.
This was found in your car.
You've got a coffee boy doing your dirty work now?
Well, he does make excellent coffee,
and he's also an employee of the House of Screams
concerned that his future earnings might be under threat.
**
Someone has been extorting me for cash.
Yeah. That, we know.
**
The question is, why is someone extorting cash
from an upstanding citizen such as yourself?
Huh. You're all very pleased with yourselves, aren't you?
Well, if you must know, I was dating a woman.
We got cozy,
and I might have sent her a saucy pic or two--
at her request.
And suddenly she's blackmailing me.
Ohh. So that's it.
Yeah. It's embarrassing. But there you go.
Because I thought it was more to do with you
defrauding the Yale University entrance exam
so that you could get Chad accepted.
Excuse me?
See, I had quite a long night, too...
Yeah, that's "Chad Raymond Feldman."
...talking to the administrators at Yale.
Ah, yes. Thank you. That's come through right now.
Thanks.
Turns out Chad was accepted under a lacrosse scholarship
alongside a sizable donation,
which is remarkable
because Brokenwood doesn't have any lacrosse teams.
He played out of town.
The application also states that Chad is half-Chinese.
You haven't met his mother.
Of Bulgarian heritage, I believe.
I may have fudged it a little.
This is a serious criminal offense, Wayne.
Especially if a bribe is included.
Look. I just wanted the best start for him in life.
Who wouldn't want that for their own son?
Right. Your precious son.
And this is how he repays you.
By extorting you.
It was him, wasn't it?
He never owned up to it.
But, yeah, it was him.
This is-- Because I won't give you
any more damn pocket money!
You're acting crazy, old man.
This is for your education, you little prick!
If you haven't got such abysmal grades!
You think I give a crap about what uni I go to?
I'm never going to amount to anything.
Remember? Your words.
But if you don't want to ruin your rep...
I'd pay up.
I knew he wasn't bluffing.
He'd burn it all to the ground just for fun.
**
So, for a while, we went through
this ridiculous charade.
**
I tried to find where he'd hidden at all, but...
**
Never found a cent.
And then I found this on the car the day after he...
Part of me thought if I turned up last night, he'd be there.
Look, if you want to do some real police work,
catch the sick puppy who's doing this.
Well, actually, we did.
**
That entitled little tart. Should've bloody known.
I want to go in there. I'll get her to talk.
That won't be necessary.
Lena has already admitted to everything.
It was never Chad's idea, sending the notes.
It was mine.
Chad was always complaining about
his dad not giving him money,
even though he was loaded.
It didn't seem fair.
So when he told me about his dad lying
to get him into uni...
just seemed too easy.
♪ You let me in when I had no place to go ♪
**
♪ Fed and watered me ♪
♪ Never let me go ♪
**
♪ Blocked out the sun ♪
♪ With your beautiful shadow ♪
**
♪ And took me to a place ♪
♪ No one can ever know ♪
That's a lot of money for two young people.
Cheers, old person.
What was your plan when Chad left the country?
Was he gonna split the money with you?
Of course.
Hm. Doesn't seem like the Chad we know.
Well, you didn't know him like I did.
And where is all this money now?
You'll never find it.
Now, are you gonna let me out?
There's a school formal tomorrow,
and I need to pick up my dress.
I'm afraid that depends on
if Mr. Feldman wants to press charges.
You're damn right I want to press charges.
Needs to be some justice around here.
Of course.
Pressing charges will probably mean
that the whole business with the admissions fraud
will need to come out.
But worth it-- for the pursuit of justice.
Surely.
**
Lena Branston felt betrayed by Chad for cheating on her
then dumping her, and presumably she wanted
to keep the money they had been extorting from his father.
Ariel Milgrove held Chad responsible
for the death of her friend, among other things.
We also know that she wished him harm
because she placed an actual death curse on him.
It's not an actual death curse, though, is it?
Well, you tell me. Because he's dead, isn't he?
She also knows the House of Screams better than anyone.
Anyone except maybe John Milgrove,
who, by his own admission, wanted to strangle Chad
after he gloated about John's business being torn down.
Except that John has a fear of blood. Supposedly.
Which he could have been planting the seeds for.
Very public place to faint, though-- Croc and Panther.
Yeah, but voluntarily putting your face on those carpets?
There is no amount of money on Earth!
Chad seemed to enjoy torturing Finn,
his supposed best friend.
Except Finn was upside down in a ditch
after leaving the House of Screams drunk.
And Finn's absence meant that Chad
didn't have his usual muscle to protect him.
Chad was supposedly cheating on Lena with Minnie Wylie,
who, by her own admission, can't verify where she was.
But why would she kill the boy she had a crush on?
Well, you've clearly never been a teenage girl,
but Minnie is new to Brokenwood and she barely even knew Chad.
Everyone else had a deep animosity towards him.
I mean, he was even blackmailing his own father.
Which leaves Kyle. It was his weapon.
It was his area of the building.
And he had plenty of motive to harm Chad.
Yeah, but would Kyle really risk losing his own sister
just to settle a grudge?
Well, what are you both doing tonight?
Uh, something unexpected.
Mm. Brokenwood High has their school formal tonight.
Everyone's going, apparently, and I thought,
given everything that's happened,
it'd be good to have a police presence there.
I cannot think of anything worse.
Hello, hello!
Ah! Gina. Oh, you are working.
I'm not here. Kristin, may I have the key?
I finished early, and I want to get unpacking.
Sure.
Uh, do you mind if I pin up my pendant collection
of Baltic beach resorts?
It stops me feeling homesick.
Of course. Yeah. You-- You must.
Um, Gina is moving in with me for a bit.
- Oh! That's nice - Isn't it?
Kristin, we should have a house-heating tonight.
A what?
Mike, Daniel, you should join.
House warming?
Yes.
Uh, I'm afraid we're all working tonight.
Yes, we are. Sadly.
We've got a school dance to go to.
Not to worry, as I'll be staying for some time.
Thank you again for the kind offer.
No worries.
Kind offer?
Was really less of an offer and more of an ambush.
Kristin! Oh, my God.
You didn't let me knock.
Um--
I, uh-- I didn't know you were there.
That is because I was behind the door.
I am aware of that now.
Your spare room.
I know someone who might want to rent it.
Uh, well, I'm-- I'm actually happy alone.
Nobody's happy alone. Alone is death.
Uh, well, I-I don't want a stranger.
They are not a stranger.
Okay. Who are "they"?
They are me.
I'm having some work done on my house,
and I could use somewhere to crash.
In Russia, I would happily sleep in a mortuary,
but here there are all these rules.
Um, yeah. A-A couple of days should be fine.
I genuinely have no idea how long she's staying.
Hm. You might have to move out.
And you know what they say.
Possession is 9/10 of the law.
**
Well, I clearly did something bad
in a past life to deserve this shift.
I don't know. It could be worse.
Could be assigned to a...
- No. You're right. It's bad. - Yeah.
**
You! You killed him!
What are you doing here, you psycho?
You killed my boy!
Okay. Not appropriate, Mr. Feldman!
You poisoned him, and you turned him against me!
He hated you just fine without me!
Let's take this somewhere else, Wayne.
I gave him everything.
I even wrote those lies to get him into Yale.
It was never enough!
Yeah. Probably shouldn't have said that.
Lena, why don't you go inside with your friends?
Okay? Have a good night.
That was hilarious.
**
Ugh!
The smell of dry ice and Lynx Africa
is incredibly triggering.
It reminds me of spewing on my dress in a bush.
I borrowed my dad's pants for my formal,
and they were way too tight.
Next thing, I was on the dance floor busting some MJ.
No. No.
Hm. Split right up the bum.
Well, that has made my night. Thank you for sharing.
Oh! Are you guys gonna come in and dance or what?
Unlikely.
A-Are you alright, Lena?
I just want you to know that I didn't keep the money.
I gave it away.
Who did you give it to?
I'm gonna go and find the toilets for grown-ups.
**
Hello, Minnie. I think that you and I should have
a little chat down at the station.
Oh? No, thanks.
Actually, it wasn't a question.
Well, you're welcome to drag me out of here
in front of everybody.
**
Sorry for keeping you waiting.
This is a photo of the high-school chess team
from two years ago.
I found it in the hall.
See, there's Finn, Kyle, Ariel.
The whole gang, but before your time, obviously.
So?
Do you recognize this girl sitting next to Ariel?
Her name is Selene Holt.
She died in a swimming accident.
Are you sure you don't recognize her?
Because...
she is your sister, isn't she?
I recognize this necklace. It's very pretty.
It's also very similar to the one
that you were wearing at the Croc and Panther,
the one that you said that you stole from your sister.
I don't have a sister.
Yes, you do. We checked.
Uh, Selene is your half-sister.
She lived here with her mum.
After she died, her father-- your father--
moved to Brokenwood.
You lived together as children.
It must have been really hard when your mum and dad split.
Were you two close?
Is this a therapy session now?
Uh, you and Selene have different last names.
You don't look that similar.
It would be easy for people to miss the connection.
- A fresh start. - Or a chance to find out
what actually happened that night, who to blame.
You would have also learned that Chad was gonna face
no consequences for his actions.
His dad made sure of that.
There was gonna be no justice for your sister's death.
Unless you sought that justice.
**
We had a falling-out, Selene and I.
**
I didn't speak to her for ages.
The last time we spoke was on the phone,
and I told her I was glad that she didn't live with us anymore.
Can you imagine?
**
I wanted to hear it from Chad.
I wanted him to tell me that he did it.
So I pretended to like him...
which came with its own problems.
And all of a sudden, I was out of time.
He was gonna leave the country.
He was gonna get away with it.
Until he turned up at your work.
It was my last chance.
You're such a pig.
Later, I heard them arguing.
So I followed him.
**
But I didn't have a plan or anything.
I just wanted to give him a fright.
**
That you, babe?
Hey. Me and Lena are done-skis.
So we're all good, yeah?
The more I thought about how he got away with it,
the more angry I got.
**
Admit it.
Admit what?
Admit you killed my sister.
What are you talking about? Who's your sister?
Selene Holt. Admit it.
Selene Holt?
It's not my fault she was a crap swimmer.
Piss off.
**
Well, that's a bit pathetic.
I just lashed out.
But it wasn't enough.
**
I couldn't stop myself.
**
It's some kid.
**
And that's it.
I'd say I'm remorseful, but that'd be another lie.
Is that all that happened?
I killed him.
Not Kyle. Not Lena. Me.
What more do you want to know?
**
Actually, let's take her via the hall.
Less chance of her escaping.
Is that really necessary? Everyone will see.
It is.
And, Chalmers, please get your cuffs.
♪ See the clouds are ganging up ♪
♪ Mean across the sky ♪
♪ And it's rolling, turning over so it can die ♪
♪ I knew that there were better times ♪
♪ Somewhere in the past ♪
♪ I tell you, friends, I've been looking for ♪
♪ Better times won't ever last ♪
**
So, what was all that about?
Can I speak to you guys?
**
I, um-- I had a huge crush on Selene since forever.
Hm. Mmm.
- Oh. Oh. - Oh.
- Oh! - Ooh!
No. Stop that.
But it was, like, not meant to be.
Uh, what's wrong with you?
**
I made the mistake of telling Chad.
Selene!
Dude.
Bloody stupid.
Come here.
Hey. What do you reckon, Selene?
Does Finn have cauliflower ears?
What's that? Oh, like, um, like messed-up ears
from banging heads with other guys too much.
I think he has nice ears.
Aww.
Shame there's not really much between them.
Too many concussions, hey, bro?
Yeah, bro.
Who's up for a night swim?
- Yes! - Yeah!
Whoo! Go, baby!
Let's go. Come on, Selene! Let's go!
♪ Far out to sea ♪
Gotta get in to win!
♪ Where the winds blow strong ♪
- Where's Selene? - She's behind me.
**
- She was behind me. - Selene!
- I can't see her.
No. She-- She was right there, I swear.
N-o-o-o-o!
I always thought Chad was rotten,
but after that night, I hated him!
♪ ...was gone ♪
She was just trying to fit in. I see that now.
♪ Waves would roll on ♪
I didn't have the guts to do anything.
♪ Waves would roll on ♪
I felt so horrible about it.
**
But I couldn't seem to get away.
- Aah! - Rah!
He liked keeping me around--
to protect him and to mess with.
What do you think of my costume?
Hmm? It's Teen Wolf.
You're such a prick!
Like that night.
Wait. So you don't like it?
Oi! Give me the keys.
Only I didn't get far.
And then I decided to return the car to Chad.
He was gonna be so pissed.
In that moment, I hated how weak he'd made me.
I was his little dog.
I did chase Chad into the woods...
and I did try to stab him.
I just missed.
**
Stop it!
You're so dead!
I didn't think.
I ran back to the car.
I didn't even feel drunk anymore.
But I guess I was
'cause I panicked and misjudged a turn.
And, yeah, I woke up in hospital.
The crash provided a pretty good alibi.
Hey. Do you think Minnie will get off?
I mean, she didn't actually do it.
But she did try to kill someone.
Can you tell her I'm sorry?
Sorry I didn't stand up to Chad earlier.
And that I'm sorry about her sister.
I'll tell her.
**
What's that?
I don't know.
Oh, my God. We're rich!
**
- Trick or treat! - Trick or treat!
No. No, no, no. Gina, don't. Don't do it.
Hello, my little girl!
I demand you do a trick!
Little girl, I have Russian toffees!
♪ Stolen kisses ♪
**
♪ Is my only crime ♪
**
♪ Stolen kisses ♪
**
♪ I'm still doing time ♪
**