[instrumental music]
[Joan]Bleh. It's raining here in London.
Of course. So dreary.
Unlike Spain. Lucky you.
Are you enjoying yourself, darling?
I'm at our favourite tapas bar.
[intense music]
Too many bloody tourists, though, in Barcelona.
You know what it's like this time of year.
[Joan]Oh, come on, Ian. You love it.
[chuckles]
Oh, I miss you, Joan. But I'll be home soon.
Just one more thing I gotta do.
-Can't wait to see you. -Bye, sweetheart.
[Joan] Bye. Mwah.
[call disconnects]
[ominous music]
[stretcher rattling]
[female #1]Are you okay to identify him?
Yeah.
[music continues]
Yeah. That's Ian Kirkhope.
My husband.
[Joan]He was supposed to be in Spain.
I love Spain.
Tapas, sangria.
I should have gone with him.
[upbeat music]
-It's madness. -It's not madness.
It's simply what I need to do.
What, drive across an empty country
looking for heaven knows what?
I can't sit around here
wondering whatever happened to him.
So what do you intend to do?
We have some information about where he might have been going.
Perhaps I can piece together his whereabouts,
and maybe even find somebody he met.
Face it, mum, we are never going to know
why dad lied about being in Australia.
Oh, yes, we will, if I have anything to do with it.
[Blondie singing "Heart Of Glass"]
♪ Once I had a love it was a gas ♪
♪ Soon turned out had a heart of glass ♪
♪ Seemed like the real thing only to find ♪
♪ Mucho mistrust love's gone behind ♪♪
[GPS]In five kilometres, turn right.
I was enjoying that.
As for your kilo-what's-it's, nobody understands you.
[sighs]
[humming]
[instrumental music]
[engine revving]
[GPS]In 100 metres, turn right.
It's easy for you to say. You're on a satellite.
[GPS]Turn right.
Turn right.
[ominous music]
Turn right.
[sighs]
Alright, then.
[instrumental music]
[engine revving]
[GPS]In 56 kilometres, you will reach your destination.
Alright now. Sod off, you.
[engine revving]
[scatting]
[humming]
[Joan]Hey! Are you gonna let me through?
[engine revving]
What the hell?
Hey! Watch out!
[engines revving]
[thudding]
[engine revving]
Oh.
[sighs]
Oh, no.
Hello?
Hello? Can you hear me?
Hello? Is anyone home?
Are you trying to finish me off?
I see your manners are as bad as your driving.
-Are you in any pain? -Not until you came along.
-Take Diesel. -That's it. Gently now.
Careful. Don't let his paws get on the glass.
-Alright. Don't get up. -Ah!
-Stop the fussing. Oh! -Oh. Fair enough.
Diesel. Here, boy. Diesel! Come here, boy.
Come here. Come here, let's have a look. You alright, hey?
-Is he alright? -Yeah, yeah.
-Good boy. -He's alright.
More than I can say for my car. Look what you've done to it.
Me? You were driving too fast.
-Well, if you knew how to drive. -You nearly ran me off the road.
Well, it's that tank you're driving. That's your problem.
You were driving too fast.
Well, I was in a hurry! I've got stuff to do.
Well, I take that as an admission of guilt.
Jack. Jack Darby.
Joan Kirkhope.
-Diesel. -Yeah. We've met. He's lovely.
Okay, I'm gonna need a tow.
And there's a service station back there aways.
That's three hours away. I'm going that way.
I've got to meet friends. Um, Rawson Ridge.
-I expect you know it? -Never heard of it.
But I have got important things that I have--
Well, there's no point getting in a snit.
I'm not in a snit. What is a snit?
It means being a right shit.
Oh.
Look, I can give you a lift to Rawson Ridge,
and I'm sure you'll find someone there you can bully
into taking you to the petrol station.
-That's not gonna work for me. -No?
Probably not.
Where are you going?
I've got important stuff here I need to take.
Oh...
I thought you said it was something important.
-It is. It's my fishing gear. -Oh.
[instrumental music]
Who's that?
Out here on your own, are you?
Not anymore.
[Joan]Glad someone's smiling.
[instrumental music]
[engine revving]
I've got some cold water in the fridge if you like.
No, I'm good, thank you.
Something to eat? There's, uh, nothing fancy.
Just some cheese and--
Not hungry. Thank you.
So how far is this Rawson Ridge?
I don't know, she can tell you,
but she always talks in those kilo thingies,
and I don't know how far that is.
Oh, no, don't mess with it.
Honestly, it took me ages to program that.
[GPS]In 19 miles, you will reach your destination.
Very la-di-da.
-I can change it back. -Oh, no, no, it's fine.
I might need to take the stick out of her ass.
[instrumental music]
Alright.
[engine revving]
[Jack]"Leave your ego at the gate."
Well, that rules you out.
[engine revving]
Uh...
[engine running]
These friends of yours, they don't know
you're coming, do they?
What are you looking for out here?
I don't need your help.
Fair enough.
I just need to talk to them,
and then I'll drop you wherever you want to go.
Understood?
Understood.
[door shuts]
Flash car.
How do you turn on the air-conditioning?
[birds chirping]
[humming]
Well, nice setup. But where is everyone?
Let's find out.
[humming]
Oh, wow!
[Ascher] I don't what you're getting so worked up about.
[Summer] Ascher, you can't just change your mind.
[Chris] You can go to hell, Ascher.
[Heidi] Ugh, don't be such a shit.
-You said you'd sign. -I might sell, I might not.
[Heidi]This is so typical of you, Ascher.
[Summer] It's always you first, everyone else second.
-Uh, we have company. -Hi.
-Hi there. Can we help you? -Hi.
-Hello. -Um...
A friend of mine was here many years ago.
Uh, for Fire Day.
He told me it was really marvellous
and, uh, he begged me to see if it's still a thing.
Is it still a thing?
It's tomorrow, actually.
We do it every year, like clockwork.
-But maybe not after today. -Why is that?
You'd be welcome to join us. Our last hurrah.
You dropped your watch, mate.
Nice. Vintage?
You got a good eye.
Ascher, given the significance, perhaps this calls
for a discussion among the group.
I'd love to stay, if it's at all possible.
My friend did think it was absolutely marvellous.
What did you say your friend's name was again?
I don't think she did, did you?
Ian. A geologist.
[Joan]Do you remember him?
-Ah, no. -No?
Well, you'd be welcome to stay at any rate.
That's unless there are any objections.
Chris? Summer?
I'd love to. Thank you.
[birds chirping]
Welcome to our home away from home.
-You are so lucky. -Yeah, we really are.
And that pyre is very impressive.
[Chris]Can't have Fire Day without a pyre.
And this is my amazing daughter, Laurel.
-Hi. -I'm Heidi, by the way.
-Hello. -Our amazing daughter.
Yeah, okay, boomer.
-I'm Cinta. I'm Heidi's wife. -Very pleased to meet you.
[Heidi]And this is Summer.
Yeah, back in the day we used to get hundreds up here.
Beautiful souls from all over the world.
It was the time of our lives.
For the men, women had to run around having heaps of sex,
otherwise they hadn't thrown off the chains of the establishment.
And now, alas, it's just us, the founding fathers.
-Hey! -Founding identities, perhaps?
Let's just say we were the gang of four.
Love is all you need, right?
A Beatles man. Excellent.
I haven't introduced myself. I'm Ascher Leonard.
-Hi. -Self-proclaimed big deal.
-Alright, Cinta. -Welcome aboard.
-Ooh! -Ooh.
Hey, mate.
Oh.
Jack Darby.
My wife, Joan.
Married? I nearly died.
Yeah, well, you know, how he was rubbing himself
all up against you. Yeah.
I don't need rescuing. Alright?
Yeah, well, I don't like that sort of thing.
Alright!
So this Ian the geologist, what's his story?
I thought you were going fishing.
I don't have a car, remember?
Fire Day. You reckon it'll include a decent feed?
Fine.
We'll find out.
And you can buy me a drink...
husband.
[instrumental music]
Bush TV, you look closely enough,
you'll see your whole life in the flames.
You make it sound as though the show's almost over.
I have plenty of fuel in the tank.
[Chris] Has Ascher told you that Fire Day is the anniversary
of when we first found this place?
Long before we bought it.
And still the most blissful place on the planet.
[Chris]Word got out, more and more people found us each year.
We were quite the community.
Including your friend.
Including Ian.
You don't look the, um, alternative lifestyle type.
It's, uh... But your friend Ian was?
Well, I think we're all of us all kinds of things, aren't we?
Well said.
Refill?
Wow, you're trying to get me drunk.
-That's very classy. -Repaying the compliment.
Um...
-Quite a scene. -But you don't approve.
Well, flower power was, you know, never my thing.
Is that because you're too straighty-180
or 'cause you're a cop?
Perceptive.
For an old hippie, sure.
We may have gone our separate ways over the years,
but we started something really special here.
Ah, those blissful anything-goes summers.
-Mm. -Eh?
Full free-love catastrophe, was it?
It was a different time. We were all about testing boundaries.
Mm. Testing bullshit.
[Summer]Well, actually, we were just all
running away from something.
Chris? Tax department.
[laughter]
I was destroying the system from within.
[laughing]
Did you succeed?
To a degree.
At least I didn't sell out to the multinationals.
So you'd be the owner of the flash car?
I do a bit on tele.
Travel shows, that kind of thing.
Sucking the populist tit.
Well, I'm just amazed you've all managed
to hang on to this place.
Now it's brought you to us, Joan.
Indeed, it has.
[Joan]Mm, it's amazing. So bright.
[Chris] So the nearest one is
four light-years away. That's six trillion miles.
That's about as far away as I feel from home.
♪ Baby baby ♪
What brings you all this way?
I needed a getaway.
I couldn't get away much further than this. Mm...
♪ Baby ♪
Do you remember...
my friend Ian?
♪ I've been waiting for so long ♪
I'm afraid not. Um...
So many, uh, odd bods come through here over the years.
[Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons singing "Shape I'm In"]
Oh, I love this one.
[scatting]
Come on. Dance with me.
-I don't dance. -Oh, no, of course you don't.
-This might help. -No, I don't do that either.
♪ Got me in the shape I'm in ♪
Laurel, come.
One dance. One dance. Just one.
Dad, really.
♪ Baby you got me in the shape I'm in ♪
-Cinta, dance with me. -No.
♪ Oh Jennifer you're such a killer ♪
♪ You had me up all night but I could not get a look in ♪♪
[waves crashing]
[Jack]Got yourself a good spot up here. Not into parties?
You hate them, too.
Oh, hate's a pretty strong word.
They talk peace and love, but they despise each other.
There is no love.
They're all about themselves. They always have been.
They care about you, their amazing daughter.
Try being farmed off to shit relatives
while your perfect mother pursues more worthy causes.
Dad was a saint by comparison...
when he was around.
It's all a show with them.
Thankfully, this is the last time I have to do this.
It all ends tomorrow.
Joan, Joan, come and slow-dance with me.
No, I don't slow-dance with anyone but my husband.
Oh, lucky Jack.
Yeah, he's not the anything-goes type.
No, he really isn't.
Don't take any of this too seriously.
Laurel says you're selling up.
No! You can't sell the stars. It's paradise.
Chris found an eco-developer
who made us an offer we couldn't refuse.
[Summer]Yeah, and besides, it's time.
We're all leading different lives.
We...grew up.
Life doesn't work out how you think it will.
No, it doesn't.
Tomorrow is the twilight of the gods.
-Yeah. -Doesn't have to be.
-Ascher-- -We don't have to sell.
-We do. -We could just go on as we are.
In fact, that's exactly what we'll do.
Asch, we are selling.
We made a deal, all of us, together.
Don't worry, he's only playing with you. Stop.
The sale falls over if it's not unanimous, Asch.
I don't wanna sell. I can't.
-Why? -Oh, come on. Be serious.
-I am. I want to be buried here. -That can be arranged.
You're not ruining this for us. I won't let you.
[Summer]Yeah, just because you made a ton of money.
Heidi wants a home.
Chris, for God's sake, he's got medical bills.
And I wouldn't mind some security.
I think we better go.
-No, you can't! -You're right.
-Goodnight. Sleep well. -Goodnight.
Oh, come on, what is the bloody problem, Chris? Come on.
-No, what... -Did you see how many stars?
-Yeah. Lot of stars. -Ooh.
[chuckles]
[waves crashing]
Well, ha-ha, that escalated pretty fast.
I don't think those people like each other at all, do you?
-Doesn't seem like it, does it? -Whoops!
Don't think I'm very practiced at smoking the funny stuff.
-Time for bed. Come on. -Oh, wait, watch that, mister.
No funny stuff from you. I'm a married woman.
I know, to Ian. Come on, down you get.
Oh, who's a little clever clogs?
Ah! Don't touch.
The accident. You've hurt yourself.
-No, I'm fine. -Why didn't you tell me? I've...
-Let me have a look at it. -I'm fine.
Just take your shirt off.
Don't be daft. Just take your shirt off.
Oh, are we a little coy?
Now, this is probably going to sting.
It's quite nasty. Let me see.
That's it.
[sighs]
[instrumental music]
[cell phone ringing]
Oh.
You wanna take that?
[cell phone ringing]
Uh...
Hm, yes. It's...
It's my daughter, Rebecca.
-I think I'd better take it. -Yeah.
Thanks for that.
[cell phone ringing]
I'll be in my swag.
[sighs]
[instrumental music]
[music continues]
[sighs]
[birds chirping]
Ooh.
Ah.
[instrumental music]
[waves crashing]
Help!
[vocalization]
Ascher. Ascher.
[grunts]
[Jack] He's gone.
I'll get the others.
Oh-ho, Ascher.
[sighs]
[vocalization]
I can't believe he's dead.
Who was the last to see him?
He said he was going for one of his late-night dips.
-He'd had a bit to drink. -And smoke.
What time was that?
-About-- -Just before midnight.
[Laurel] Dad! Dad!
Uh...
I'll call this in.
Best to leave the police out of this.
There's been a fatality.
He's gone. They can't bring him back.
-That's not the point. -It's none of your concern.
[Laurel sobbing]
I'll give you a moment.
I'm really sorry for your loss.
[sobbing]
[birds chirping]
[Jack sighs]
I don't think Ascher's death was an accident.
Yeah?
I think his hyoid bone was broken.
What bone's that?
-Here. That. -Yeah, okay. Okay.
-You know that because? -Clinical nurse manager.
Retired.
-He was strangled to death. -Mm-hmm.
Detective sergeant. Retired.
-You look like a cop. -You look like a nurse.
So I'm right?
Middle of nowhere,
and somebody's been bloody murdered.
[grunting]
Our last words were spoken in anger.
-Didn't patch things up? -Ah...
Ascher was a lead-from-the-front type.
[scoffs] To hell with what anybody else thought.
But you two were the best of mates, yeah?
[grunts]
He and I were the guardians of everything that this place,
that this group stands for.
Guess you were the last person to see him alive.
I was in bed well before everyone else.
Perhaps 11:00.
What if I'd stayed up, Jack?
My best friend might still be alive.
What happens with the sale now that he's gone?
It's too soon for that.
[coughs]
Look, you didn't sign up for this.
I think everyone would understand
if you and Joan wanna move on.
The death has to be reported to the police, and then the coro--
The ghouls will move in.
The funeral industry. Big death.
They'll take Ascher away and they'll pump his body
full of chemicals.
That's just the start of it.
We'll look after Ascher our way.
[Chris]Fire Day.
Return Ascher's spirit to the earth.
[instrumental music]
Losing someone that you love in such circumstances
is, is the hardest thing.
It's funny, the Ascher I knew, he was,
he was much more vulnerable than he made out.
-You cared about him. -Yeah.
I loved him for him, but Heidi poisoned that well.
Were Ascher and Heidi together?
No. She only ever wanted his baby.
Did that make you jealous?
Ascher's death was an accident.
Oh, I wasn't... I'm sorry.
I shouldn't have said that. What about--
Heidi and I were sitting by the fire for the entire evening
and we went to bed around midnight.
What about Chris? How does he fit into the group?
Poor Chris. Chris is always the consolation prize, he's...
I don't know, I was with him for a while.
Ascher and Heidi should never have had a child.
Laurel has serious issues.
One thing, does the name Melanie mean anything to you?
Is she a friend of your friend Ian's?
I'm not sure.
Anyway, thanks for the tea.
That far off? Well, get here as soon as you can.
Will ya? Police are hours away.
Don't they have helicopters or something?
So which one of them is lying?
Well, Summer and Heidi claim to have stayed up until midnight.
And if Chris turns in at 11:00, that leaves
Cinta and Laurel unaccounted for.
Neither of them fans of Ascher.
Well, I don't think Laurel would've wanted her father dead,
however troubled Summer says she is.
Me either.
Hey. Look at his wrist.
He was wearing a watch when we found him this morning.
But he'd taken it off for a swim when we first met him.
So w-why didn't he take it off last night?
Didn't have a chance.
He was dead before he went in the water.
Why would somebody wanna take it off now?
Cover their tracks.
Heidi, what are you doing? What are you doing?
You lied to us, Mrs. Kirkhope.
You two aren't married.
What the hell are you doing in here?
Well, the question is what are you doing here?
Why would you deceive us after we made you so welcome?
[sighs] It wasn't something we planned. Was it, Jack?
[Heidi]Well, this is what's gonna happen, you're gonna turn
this thing around and drive away.
[Chris] We're gonna lock the gate behind you,
then we're gonna put a torch to Ascher's funeral pyre
at the falling of the sun, just as he would have wished.
Don't you want to know who did it?
Someone murdered your friend.
You're right. We'll go. We'll go now.
-What? No! -Come on. Everyone out.
We're going.
[Jack]Bit angry, aren't you?
Anger doesn't even come close.
We were about to get somewhere.
And that's why we had to leave,
because we were getting somewhere.
How are we gonna get back through the gate, you plonker?
We're not. Trust me.
[instrumental music]
-This is madness! -Come on.
If you don't think you're up to it, we'll give it a miss.
Of course, I'm up to it.
-Yeah, alright. Put this on. -Oh, no, I can't wear that.
-It's yellow. It washes me out. -Come on. Get it on.
Arm through. There you go.
Chris hated playing second fiddle to Ascher.
Chris has a big chip on his shoulder.
Yup, and in organizing the sale of this place,
he becomes a hero.
Until Ascher makes a U-turn.
Then there's Cinta, now, she hated Ascher
because of the hold he had over Heidi.
And Heidi hated everything that Ascher stood for.
Yeah, but Heidi's strong enough, you know, mentally.
And then there's Summer. She's desperate for a payday.
-She didn't do it. -Oh, just 'cause you fancy her.
Okay, let's go!
-Trust me. -I don't even know you.
Bloody pissing hell!
You know those moments in life when you think,
"How did I get here?"
Well, this is one of them.
[laughs]
-Whoo-hoo! Hee-hee! -Hey, careful.
[laughs] Whoo!
[instrumental music]
[Joan]So what now?
I don't know.
I'm just making it up as I go along.
Oh, so there's a murderer on the loose,
and you haven't a clue what to do.
"Trust me," he says.
I thought they told you to piss off.
Laurel, we just wanna help sort this out.
I'm sure you wanna sort it out, too.
-You shouldn't be here. -Look.
I know how hard it must have been for you, you know,
seeing your dad like that after he died.
Do you have kids?
Yeah, I got a daughter.
Do you spend much time with her?
Not as much as I should.
Sometimes it feels like your kids are...
better off without you.
Hey. Is that your dad's watch?
I took it to have something of his.
Can I have a look?
It stopped working.
2:20.
That's when he went into the water.
[Laurel]When he was murdered?
It's just not possible that one of us did this.
Not after everything we've shared.
-Mum. -No.
Just please listen.
[sighs]
[instrumental music]
See, when I found Ascher's body,
there was bruising right here.
See, and I could feel the hyoid bone was broken right here.
Heidi, catch.
-Left-handed. -Yes. So?
-You're left-handed, too. -Yeah, how do you know that?
Wear your watch on the right.
The hyoid was broken on the right side of the neck.
That's where the bruising was.
Now, when a person's strangled,
the thumbs do the most damage,
especially from the dominant hand.
So the killer was right-handed.
Now, if you burn the body,
the killer's gonna get away with murder.
[Jack]I would have thought you'd want the truth.
What do you need us to do?
[birds chirping]
Do you realize Laurel is right-handed?
I was hoping you hadn't noticed.
-Well, it's not her. -Mm.
Ah. You know who it is.
[Chris] There you are. I was getting worried.
-Hold on. -Everyone grab a torch.
It's almost sunset.
What's wrong?
[instrumental music]
[Chris] What are you doing here?
Why did you kill Ascher?
This is ridiculous.
Now go. Anyway, I'm not listening to these idiots.
[Jack] Answer the question.
Ascher got drunk and drowned.
I-I know it's an ignoble end,
but not even the great Ascher can control death
when it calls your name.
Where were you at 2:20 a.m.?
That's when dad was murdered.
[Chris] Laurel, sweetheart,
I know it's been a rough day for you.
You probably don't wanna hear this,
but, but your father was no saint.
Why are you avoiding the question?
Because Ascher was lying to us.
All that talk about loving this place was bullshit.
And I got him drunk last night and he let it slip.
Ascher had made his own deal
with some bourgeois resort company.
He knew that we were desperate to sell.
He planned to buy us out, one by one, rock-bottom prices,
and make a fortune for himself.
Where were you at 2:20 a.m.?
-Where were you, Heidi? -Asleep in our tent, together.
It's true.
If anyone got up, I would have heard them.
That leaves just you, Chris.
And Summer.
Th-this is absurd.
[Chris] That's where I was.
I spent the rest of the night...
in bed with Summer, like old times.
Right? Summer?
-Chris, don't. -Summer, we...
[Chris] It's no secret that you and I have had
an open relationship over the years.
That can't be true.
Summer was with me.
But you're injured. Your ribs, I-I fixed--
What? Goddamn you...
[Jack]You argued about his betrayal, didn't you?
[Chris]You've never respected me.
Because you're all wind and no sail.
D-do not walk away from me, Ascher.
Or what?
-Ascher! -Oh! Oh, get off, Chris!
[grunting]
[Jack]You snapped.
And then you strangled him.
[vocalization]
You killed your best mate.
[instrumental music]
[vocalization]
[sobbing] What...
[Laurel]But how could you? Why did you?
[Jack]I'm so sorry, Laurel.
[sobbing] Oh, God.
[vocalization]
We had such hopes for this place...
for each other.
[fire crackling]
[instrumental music]
[waves crashing]
[indistinct radio chatter]
The coroner's taken the body away.
We'll call with any follow-up.
Darby? Familiar name.
Like the detective inspector.
Common name.
Mm.
I can always run you to the service station.
Yeah, thanks, but, uh,
I've already said yes to a lift from Summer.
Fair enough.
But are you sure you're up to it?
I mean, the ribs and everything.
Ah, as a nurse, I still have a duty of care.
Yup. Well, um...
-Thanks. -For what?
Well, you know. Thanks.
Diesel!
Don't you take any nonsense from him, will ya? Hm?
[Jack] Diesel! Come on.
[engine revving]
[car honks]
[Diesel barking]
[sighs]
[instrumental music]
[sighs]
Where were you going...
you silly bugger?
Right. Let's go.
[instrumental music]
[engine revving]
[brakes squeaking]
[music continues]
[sighs]
[engine revving]
Any chance of that lift?
Trouble in paradise?
Didn't like the wind in my hair.
Go on, Diesel.
[Diesel panting]
What about Summer?
Why did she kick you out on your bum?
Who said she did?
You're only here because I feel sorry for him.
Not exactly who she makes out to be.
Who, Summer?
Mm. Real name's Melanie.
[dramatic music]
She lied to me.
This is all of them. way back when.
Where'd you get that?
Got it from her glovebox while
she was getting petrol.
Didn't pick her for the sentimental type.
That's Heidi, Chris, Summer and Ascher.
This is your Ian, right?
You never did answer me about Ian.
-No, I didn't. -Think I'll tag along.
And just make sure you don't get into anymore scrapes.
What, like, more murder investigations?
[GPS]Osprey Falls in 450 kilometres.
-You changed it back. -Yeah. I got used to it.
So Osprey Falls.
Good barramundi there. That's a--
I know what barramundi is. I'm not completely stupid.
It's a fish, isn't it?
I knew it was a fish or a disease.
I don't want to catch either of them.
So what did your Ian get up to in Osprey Falls? Hm?
I've no idea.
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