Brokenwood Mysteries
Leather and Lace
Season 2 Episode 1 | 1h 28m 18sVideo has Closed Captions
Breen and his rugby team find their coach's body at practice.
When DC Breen and his rugby team show up for practice, they are shocked to see their coach dead, stripped, and tied to a goalpost. Shepherd and Sims try to find out who would want to do that to a beloved pillar of the community. When a second body is found, the detectives believe the deaths are related. Could a serial killer be on the loose?
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Brokenwood Mysteries is presented by your local public television station.
Brokenwood Mysteries
Leather and Lace
Season 2 Episode 1 | 1h 28m 18sVideo has Closed Captions
When DC Breen and his rugby team show up for practice, they are shocked to see their coach dead, stripped, and tied to a goalpost. Shepherd and Sims try to find out who would want to do that to a beloved pillar of the community. When a second body is found, the detectives believe the deaths are related. Could a serial killer be on the loose?
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(ominous music) - Come on.
(vehicle approaching) (Dena gasps) (camera clicks) (tires skid) (ominous music continues) (engine revving) What?
(whimpering) (Dena whimpering) (ominous music continues) (car door clunks) Leave me alone, you freak!
Go away or I'll call the cops!
(Dena groans) (Dena panting) (ominous music continues) (Dena screams) ♪ And I made a promise ♪ ♪ That I would tear out my darling's sweet heart ♪ - Nothing like a 3K run to sort the hangover.
- Speak for yourself.
I'm mashed.
- That's why I gave up Sunday drinks.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
(disquieting music) It's bloody Arnie.
(dramatic music) (dramatic music continues) (somber music) - Breen's team, huh?
- Mm-hmm.
The infamous Brokenwood Cheetahs.
- Infamous because?
- They're truly dreadful.
- Ah.
Is that why they're forced to cheat?
- (chuckles) Cheetahs as in the animal.
- Ah.
The dead guy is their coach?
- Mm-hmm.
Arnie Langstone, 53.
Aside from coaching, he's involved in Rotary, Business Roundtable, Breakfast Club for Kids, the Fun Run.
- One of the good guys.
- Yeah.
Everyone loved Arnie.
- Perhaps not everyone.
Is that coffee?
- Oh, yeah.
You want some?
- Did you make it?
- I'd made a pot at the station when the call came through.
- Oh.
Nah, I'm good.
- [Kristin] Footprints?
Really?
- You never know.
- Two social rugby teams as well as the Cheetahs use this ground.
- Don't they say every bootprint paints a thousand words?
- No.
- Hmm.
Don't worry, Arnie, we'll get you out of here very soon and into a more, dignified position.
You knew them, didn't you?
He knew his killer.
- And you know this how?
- 'Cause he's staring at them.
And the retina of the eye acts like a camera.
The last image they see is imprinted on the eye.
- Are you serious?
- No.
But I've always thought if it did happen, it would make our job a hell of a lot easier.
- Are you okay?
- [Sam] Not my ideal way of mixing business with pleasure, but hey.
- [Mike] Bag that.
- I'll start with interviewing the lads.
- [Mike] Hey, uh, best you sit this one out.
- What?
- Uh, right now there are 15 suspects.
- You're joking.
- Head home, take a shower.
We'll be around later for a witness statement.
- You're standing me down?
- No.
- Come on, don't stand me down.
How will that look?
- Which is why I'm not standing you down.
You have leave owing, right?
- Yeah.
- I'm making you take that leave.
- Right.
- Breen, did Arnie have family?
Wife?
Kids?
- Oh, now you want me.
Separated.
Barbara Langstone.
Connemara Drive.
9, I think.
No kids that I know of.
(plodding music) (door clatters) - Barbara Langstone?
- Yes.
- Uh, DSS Mike Shepherd.
Brokenwood CIB.
- Yes?
- Uh, have you got a moment?
- Sorry.
No, I'm running late for an appointment.
- A quiet word.
It's important.
- Really, look, if I miss this appointment, it takes weeks to get another.
- Arnie Langstone is your ex-husband?
- (sighs) Yes.
- I'm afraid he's been found dead, at the rugby grounds.
- Oh.
- I'm sorry.
Would you like to sit down inside?
Is there someone I can call for you?
- No, no, no.
It's okay.
- How did he... - There'll be a postmortem, but it would appear he's been the victim of foul play.
- God.
Poor Arnie.
Uh, is there anything I need to do?
- Well, I'd appreciate a chat about Arnie, his background, friends, associates.
- Perhaps later.
This appointment, it's in Riverstone.
- The sooner the better, if that's okay?
- Yeah, of course.
I've got to go.
Sorry.
Thank you for letting me know.
(somber music) (engine turns over) - There is bruising about the head and abdomen.
I'd say he was attacked, probably punched.
- Fatal blows?
- No, that didn't kill him.
There are also traces of lipstick about his mouth, transferred, I think.
- So he was lucky before he got unlucky?
- Perhaps he lit a cigarette from a candle.
- He was a smoker?
- Not that I can tell.
But in Russia, if you light a cigarette from a candle, it is very bad luck.
- He's not Russian.
- Then for the most part, he was lucky, until this.
- Time of death?
- Between 11:00 PM and 1:00 AM.
- And the cause?
Setting aside candles, cigarettes, and bad luck.
- Suffocation.
- From having this taped over his face?
- No.
The ball did not make a perfect seal.
(somber music) Something lacy and black did.
- Talk about biting off more than he can chew.
- There is no sign of chewing.
They were forced down his trachea.
(pensive music) - (knocks) I'll come back later.
- No, no.
Come in.
- That looks intriguing.
- The murder weapon.
They were jammed down Arnie's throat.
- Hmm.
Okay, that's intriguing and also a little bit icky.
Are they ripped?
- Yes.
As you say, intriguing.
- Rugby's a rough game.
- Beaten and choked.
- [Kristin] Yeah, and put on display.
- Anything from the players?
- Uh, not a lot.
- Arnie trained us really hard, but he was always up for a beer and a laugh.
- Rubbish coach but nice enough guy.
- Worst coach, but the best at the same time.
- Seems kind of weird talking about him in the past tense.
And such a "now" guy, eh?
(player breathes deeply and sniffles) - Would you like a moment?
- You know how some people sponsor a child in Africa?
Arnie had three.
- Who'd want to do that to Arnie?
- (sighs) That's what I'm asking.
Um, did Arnie have any enemies?
Anyone with a grudge?
- No.
Got nothing.
- No.
- So, fairly unanimous love and undying loyalty.
- Why have you written "such a loser" on Gazza's statement?
- Did I?
'Cause I had thought it.
I didn't actually realize I'd written it down.
(dramatic music) Sorry.
It's nothing, it's not relevant to the case.
Oh, look, it's... (groans) (Kristin sighs) When I first moved to Brokenwood, I went on a few dates.
And Gazza, Gareth, was one of them.
- Romance blossomed?
- Not so much.
Hey, Gazza.
Oh, God.
What is that smell?
- Oh, that... That window doesn't work.
(laughs) - First date?
- And last.
- Hey, uh, why are there only 13 of them?
- Uh, well, Breen, obviously, and Steve Fanshaw, their number five and landscaper.
- The only player not to show up on the day that their coach is murdered.
- [Kristin] Indeed.
- Hey, take a look at this.
- [Kristin] "G.G.?"
- Is that a brand you're aware of?
- That's not the brand.
They're initials.
But, uh, whoever G.G.
is, they didn't skimp on quality.
Demi Prive?
The Rolls-Royce of women's lingerie?
- Interesting.
- Sorry, after however many ex-wives did you never buy a pair of... - G.G.?
Anyone spring to mind?
- Governor Grey.
- New Zealand's first premier?
Unlikely.
- I'll do a name check.
- Mm.
Do that, because... (dramatic music) That was the last thing on Arnie's phone.
- From a prepay?
- Nontraceable.
- [Kristin] Okay.
I'm thinking no to Governor Grey.
- And whoever G.G.
is, seems like she's missing her underwear.
(engine shuts off) - Hey.
- Busy, I see.
- I'd rather be at work.
- We need your statement.
Are you serious?
- [Sam] It's Roxy's.
She uses it for fitness.
- Fitness?
- She's in the fitness industry.
You're welcome to try it.
- Nah, I'm good.
(chuckles) So, um, what time did you get to the rugby grounds?
- [Sam] 6:30.
We always do an early Monday session.
Gets you warmed up for the working week.
Arnie's car was there when we arrived.
It's not like Arnie to be late.
- Well, his car's out the front.
He can't be far away.
- Maybe he slept in.
- Maybe he got lucky last night.
- Why would Davo think that Arnie got lucky?
- Oh, it was just locker-room banter, I guess.
Let's do our 3K while we wait.
- Bugger off.
(teammates groaning) - Can't hurt.
- Hasn't helped up till now.
- 50 straight losses, Breeno.
Gotta be some kind of world record.
- Hey, Arnie's our coach.
Respect.
- Yeah.
Remember what Arnie says, "Winning is easy, it's how you lose that makes you real winners."
- Yeah, I don't think that's quite it, Gazza.
- Fair call sticking up for Arnie back there.
He's still a lousy bloody coach.
- Come on, boys!
Get it, lads!
Let's go!
Dig it in.
When we got back from the run, that's when we found him.
- [Kristin] How would you describe him as a coach?
- [Sam] Traditional.
- Aggressive?
- Hell, no.
He had no time for that.
He had a zero-tolerance policy towards aggro.
- Aggression-free rugby?
(chuckles) Novel.
- Hmm.
- Arnie's mantra was, "Violence has no place on the rugby field."
(players shouting) - Get off!
- Oi!
Oi!
(whistle blowing) (fans cheering) (drum beating) (shouting continues) - Well, this is finally getting interesting.
Cheese roll?
- Oh.
Yes, please.
This is the real reason I come to the game, Mrs. M. ♪ Come on, you Cheetahs ♪ (drum beating) - Arnie chose to field 14 men on Saturday rather than condone Steve's actions from the week before.
- How'd the team feel about that?
- Everyone knew Arnie's rules.
- So Steve Fanshaw was a hothead, then?
- Well, he's got a short fuse.
But Arnie was helping him with that.
- By standing him down?
- Tough love, I guess.
(Mike clears throat) You know, I could be more help to you on the case.
- You've been helpful.
- So when can I come back to work?
Come on, I don't want to be on leave?
- We can't have the public crying "cover-ups" and all that sort of carry-on.
- Yeah.
Yeah, I know.
It's just, the longer I stick around here, Roxy is gonna find me stuff to do around the house.
- Which would eat into Xbox time.
- I need to find solace somehow.
- One last question.
Do the initials G.G.
mean anything?
Governor Grey?
(feel-good blues music) (Mike sighs) - (chuckles) That's what I said.
♪ Hey Mama don't cry, hey Mama don't cry ♪ - You know, it's one thing to kill a man, but to strip him naked, tape a rugby ball over his face, and ram some knickers down his throat, that's more than just murder.
- 'Tis indeed a statement.
- So, is G.G.
the initials of a jilted lover?
- Or the wife of a man that caught Arnie with his hand in the cookie jar?
(feel-good blues music continues) (car doors clunking) ♪ Hey, Daddy, don't weep ♪ - Hello again.
- Barbara, uh, this is Detective Sims.
- Hello.
- I'm really sorry about your ex-husband.
- Thank you.
- About before, I think I was in shock.
- I understand.
Uh, did you make your appointment?
- What?
- In Riverstone.
- Uh, yes.
Yes, I did.
Sorry, it's the news about Arnie, I'm still trying to take it in.
Would you like to come inside?
Uh, that's okay, we can talk here.
Cute house.
- [Mike] So you and Arnie were separated for three years?
- Four.
- Uh, do you mind me asking the reasons for the split?
- Just drifted apart.
- Yeah, that happens.
- You've been there?
- I'm something of an expert.
- Separation was the logical step.
No kids involved, wasn't that messy.
- That was a mutual decision?
- It was.
I mean, why live with someone who isn't present?
- Four years but no divorce?
- No.
- You said "not present."
Where was Arnie?
- (chuckles) The Arnie I married used to be a very aggressive rugby coach.
He'd push his players to be hard men on the field, brutal in pursuit of victory.
And about 10 years ago, during a game... (player grunts) (dramatic music) (players shouting) - [Barbara] Opposing player died right there on the field.
Arnie blamed himself, coaching style.
- But he didn't give up on the game?
- I think he thought redemption could only come by changing the culture from within.
- So Arnie changed, and that's why you split?
- He retreated.
- Into himself?
- Via his shed.
Look, I'll show you.
(calm music) This is where Arnie spent a lot of time.
(calm music continues) (Mike sniffs) - What was his beer like?
- [Barbara] I don't drink beer.
- But he must've been proud of his first brew, surely.
Did he wax lyrical about its hoppy taste?
- I don't remember.
(camera clicks) Like I said, I don't drink beer.
- What else did he do in here?
- (scoffs) I have no idea.
Oh, he made a key-ring hanger once.
It's by the back door.
(hinges squeaking) Arnie's handiwork.
I'd like to say he was a better rugby coach, but as you know, his record was dire.
- He left his tools behind.
- You mean, was there a screaming row and did I throw him out?
- Okay.
Did he leave in a hurry?
- Like I said, we just drifted apart.
(irksome music) - So that was four years ago, have you moved on?
- Sorry?
- Are you seeing anyone?
- I'm okay with being single.
- And what about Arnie?
Was he seeing anyone?
- Not that I know of.
- Oh, um, one last question, it's just a formality, really.
But, um, do you know if Arnie had life insurance?
- I have no idea.
(irksome music continues) (dramatic music) - Being single isn't the same as not seeing someone.
- Yeah, and not seeing someone is all well and good.
But some bloke is keeping their rugby boots by her front door.
- Perhaps they're hers.
- Fair point.
♪ A woman sleeps ♪ ♪ A shadow falls upon her ♪ ♪ He smiles down ♪ (Mike sniffs) - Beer.
Lipstick.
- Arnie loved his music.
- I've never understood the appeal of classical music.
- Not enough jangly guitars and lyrics about losing your dog down a coal mine for you?
- Oh, come on, you know you love it.
- You know I don't.
- (chuckles) You're still young.
He loved his rugby.
- He never properly unpacked.
- Maybe he was hoping he and Barbara would reconcile.
- Hey, take a look at this!
Two toothbrushes.
(chuckles) Arnie wasn't a bachelor after all.
- And whoever she was, she left in a hurry.
(pensive music) - Any luck?
- No one on that side remembers Arnie having a live-in lover, a flatmate, or a girlfriend.
- Likewise.
And those two, neither are home.
- Maybe she'll come back.
(birds chirping) (driving music) ♪ Far, far away ♪ ♪ Yes, so far away ♪ ♪ Far away ♪ ♪ I want it to stay that way ♪ ♪ Far, far away ♪ - Ta.
♪ On my mind ♪ ♪ Far, far away ♪ ♪ I thought I'd left you behind ♪ - (sighs) Missing-person report.
Dena Clarke, 19.
Came to Brokenwood from Riverstone on Sunday night and never came home.
- I'll take a look at that, shall I?
- Mm-hmm.
- See if there's a connection.
Oh, hey.
And, uh, women in the area with the initials G.G.
: Gillian Green, 35.
- She missing a red dress?
- Unlikely.
She is in a coma and has been in a special-care facility for two years.
Uh, Gemma Gordon, Georgia Gascoyne, and Grace Godber are 11, 9, and 7 years old respectively.
Gwynedd Griffiths.
- Gwynedd?
Is that even a real name?
- Mm, Welsh, I think.
- Because?
- Griffiths?
Plus she moved back to Wales three months ago.
- Did she take all her underwear?
- That's a rhetorical question, right?
- Mm.
- Uh, Glenda Gladwell is 93 and in a rest home.
I have a follow-up with Steve Fanshaw, the missing Cheetah.
You okay?
- Yeah.
Old friend.
(pensive music) (pensive music continues) (car door opens) (pensive music continues) (saw buzzing) - A bit far out for noise control, isn't it?
- (chuckles) I'm here about Arnie.
Detective Sims.
Do you want to sit down somewhere or... - No.
I'm in a bit of a hurry.
Is this gonna take long?
- Because you weren't working yesterday?
- I had to go over to Riverstone yesterday.
- Is that why you weren't at practice yesterday morning?
- Arnie stood me down for the game on Saturday.
I wasn't in the mood for practice.
- How did you feel about being stood down?
- Probably cost us the game.
- Were you upset with Arnie?
- He's the coach.
- Even if he was a useless one?
- You said it, not me.
- What, and you never have?
- In jest.
We used to give Arnie a hard time.
50 straight losses isn't exactly a mark of excellence, is it?
- That must be frustrating for you.
- Yeah, could be.
- You've had problems with violence in the past, haven't you, Steve?
- Oh, yeah.
That's your angle, is it?
- Well, didn't you once threaten to kill Arnie?
- That was a long time ago.
We were all going through a rough time.
Then Arnie got me enrolled in some anger-management classes and it helped, I'm different now.
- What about your meltdown in the game last week?
- First one in ages.
And Arnie was right to give me some time out.
Arnie's coaching didn't make for great rugby, but it made for better players.
- And your movements Sunday night?
- I was hanging at home, then I went to the Frog and Cheetah for a beer, then I went home again.
Ray Neilson was serving.
He'll tell you I was there.
- And home is?
- 29 Bushmill Terrace.
I flat with Dave and Gazza from the team.
I didn't hurt Arnie.
- Thanks for your help.
(pensive music) (unsettling music) (unsettling music continues) - Yeah, yeah.
Steve was in here.
- Any others from the team?
- They all were.
I give them cheap drinks on game night if they show up in their jerseys.
- Course, they all turn up in their jerseys, the cheap bastards.
(Mike chuckles) Here you are.
Cheers.
Best and worst thing I ever did sponsoring that damn team.
On the one hand, I get all the lads in here spending up large.
On the other hand, I've got my pub's name on the most local team in the country.
- Don't they say there's no such thing as bad publicity?
- Yeah, but, I mean, being associated with a pack of losers for five years?
It's not a good look for this place.
See, the Frog and Cheetah is an aspirational bar.
People come here to feel good about themselves.
Isn't that right, Len?
- What?
- [Ray] This place, where dreams come true.
- Oh.
Yep.
- Len's a house painter.
You know what they say, "Fast hands, slow mind."
Not to speak ill of the dead, but maybe now that Arnie's gone, they might start winning games again.
- You think it was down to the coaching, then?
- What do you think?
- I'm asking you.
- He was too soft on them, lacked the killer instinct.
- Yeah, there was a reason for that.
- Yeah, yeah.
There's a fine line between assertion and aggression.
He went all namby-pamby on them when he should've been kicking their butts.
- You were here all night?
- Yep.
- What about the other players?
Do you know what time they left?
- No.
- No idea?
- Mate, I run a busy pub.
I'm not like Arnie, holding their hands.
They come, they go.
Hey, Len, were you in here on Sunday night when Steve and the boys were drinking?
- Yeah.
- When did you leave?
- Mm, same time I always do, when you kick me out.
(chuckles) - Talk to Len.
- Len, is it?
DSS Mike Shepherd.
I'm making inquiries about Arnie Langstone.
- Yeah, I overheard.
Bloody sad.
- Um, can you remember if Steve Fanshaw was in here on Sunday night?
- Yeah.
Him and the others.
Well, no different from any other Sunday.
Team lost, drank here, went home.
- You don't play yourself?
- (chuckles) Nah.
My brother used to play, but I never had the speed.
- Hmm.
Just a loyal fan, then?
- Well, when we lose, there's always Mrs. Marlowe's cheese rolls.
(phone ringing) - Oh.
Excuse me.
What have you got?
- We've located Dena Clarke's car, about five K out of town on Riverstone Road.
(plodding music) (engine shuts off) (car door clunks) - Locked?
- Yeah.
Must've broken down.
- Bet you 10 bucks she ran out of gas.
- Based on?
- Hmm, the bonnet's not up.
I had an ex-wife that never checked the fuel gauge.
I swear she thought that the "E" stood for "extra full."
- This was ex-wife number... - So she's headed out of town, back to Riverstone.
She runs out of gas.
- Or breaks down.
- Decides to hitch.
(plodding music continues) (plodding music continues) (plodding music continues) Sims!
- Gibbs!
(intriguing music) Gibbs?
(intriguing music continues) Mike?
Maybe she was disorientated?
- I admire your optimism.
If she was, she was in a hell of a hurry.
Sims... (intriguing music continues) (intriguing music continues) Gibbs, take upstream.
- Hey, there's a wallet in that handbag.
Dena's ID's in there.
If she had followed this, she would've made it back to town.
- Eventually.
Or not.
(sighs) (intriguing music continues) Hey, Dena.
We've found you.
(dial pad beeping) (officers chattering) (gloomy music) - [Kristin] Dena's wallet still has cash inside it, and her car keys are there.
- Look at this.
She's in bare feet at this stage, right?
As she slid, she pushed the earth aside this way.
Feet are smooth, right?
- Yeah.
- But...
The other person followed a different line.
It's like they've clawed the ground.
- Or they're wearing... - Unusual shoes.
Okay, everyone stand still.
Please do not move until I say so.
- Mike?
Got it.
- Over here.
We need a cast taken.
(camera clicks) - [Gina] I can put the time of death between 11:00 PM and 1:00 AM Sunday night.
- Same time as Arnie Langstone.
- Coincidence?
I don't know.
Cause of death is strangulation.
- Whereas Arnie was suffocation.
- Yes.
This girl was strangled by hands.
You can see the bruising around here and here.
- Big hands?
Are we talking male hands?
- Not necessarily.
In Russia, some of the women's hands are very big.
(chuckles) Quite scary, actually.
- You should never apply for a job in Russian tourism.
- Why would I do that?
I'm a doctor.
There are several four-centimeter indentations on her head.
She was struck with something blunt.
- A rock, perhaps?
- The marks are not severe enough to be from something that hard.
- Anything else?
- Her underwear is on.
- So we can assume that the underwear that killed Arnie wasn't hers.
- But also, there is no sign of sexual interference.
(pensive music) (pensive music continues) - How'd you get on with Dena's parents?
- Does it ever get any easier?
- No.
- I did have a thought on the way over.
Something was missing from that handbag, one thing no woman would go without.
- Lipstick?
- How does she make calls, take selfies, update Facebook, check Twitter, and Instagram her food?
- You lost me after "make calls."
- Her parents confirmed she has one, so where is it?
Plus it gets better.
Her sister said that Dena had been dabbling with hook-up sites.
She'd come to Brokenwood for a good time.
- Which turned out to be a bad time.
- I'll get the SSG to do a wider search.
- Definitely.
(pensive music) I've got a serving, a, uh, DC Breen.
He's part of the local rugby team whose coach has been murdered.
- When will police officers realize they aren't supposed to have social lives?
- [Mike] Yeah.
Too late in this case.
- You've stood him down?
- [Mike] Put him on leave.
- Smart.
You need another team?
- I just need Breen back.
We've got a double feature up here.
- Should I send Wilmott up to calm the PR waters for this Preen?
- Uh, Breen.
And not Wilmott, please.
- (chuckles) I'm winding you up.
She's on holiday in Fiji, with her new man.
Well, how do you feel about that?
- Do I have to feel anything?
- [Hughes] Try.
- Relieved.
- (scoffs) I can see why she left you.
- I think I left her.
- You can't leave someone if you're never there.
Listen, I may have a more efficient way to ameliorate this issue and kick it into touch.
- So to speak.
(subdued music) - Tell me you want me back at work.
- Wanting you back and letting you back are different things.
- Come on.
Roxy's got me painting the spare room.
- Baby blue?
Is she... - No, she's not.
Although she is showing signs of wanting to go that way.
- And these signs are?
- Can we... Can we just pretend that I'm at work?
I hate painting.
- I'm working on that.
- Would you like a coffee, Boss?
- How did you make this?
- With a plunger.
- It's really good.
- It's just plunger.
- [Kristin] What sort of beans are they?
- Coffee.
Just add hot water, milk.
It's not rocket science.
- The family of the player who died in the on-field fight, could they have had cause to come after Arnie?
- I was still in Riverstone then.
Why would they blame Arnie?
- He was the coach of the player that killed their son.
- No.
They blamed the player.
Everyone blamed the player.
He cocked up.
- I can't find a record of his name anywhere.
- He got name suppression.
He was a real contender to go on to be a pro, so the lawyers argued to keep his name out of the papers.
- Did he end up going pro?
- No.
- How come?
- Topped himself, a few years later.
- How?
- Hung himself, rumor is from the goalposts.
The club keeps it on the down-low.
They don't want the younger players to know.
- North end or south?
- Well, don't know, it's just a rumor.
What, do you think it could have been the same end as where we found Arnie?
Is there something in that?
- Could just be a macabre coincidence.
- So if no one talks about it, how come you know about it?
- Oh, come on.
People know stuff, they just choose not to share it.
Though Arnie did open up once, after he'd tied on a few.
- You never get over something like that.
I mean, I was the one that found him.
Strung up.
- You got to leave that in the past, though, right?
- It haunts me.
You ever been haunted, Sammy?
- Can't say that I have.
- It's always there.
Ghosts on the sideline.
- What was the player's name?
- Brodie Carson.
- Related to Len Carson?
- Yeah.
You got to hand it to that guy.
He, um, really stuck with the team.
- That's a certain kind of loyalty.
- Misguided?
- You calling us losers?
- Is there a more accurate term?
You can't call us losers just 'cause we haven't won.
- Oh.
You should get a T-shirt with that on.
- G'day, Len.
- Mm.
G'day.
- You mentioned your brother used to play rugby.
- Yeah.
What about him?
- I understand he took his own life after killing an opposing player.
- People don't talk about that.
- Yeah.
Must've been a tough time.
It was a game that Arnie was coaching?
- I think it was, yeah.
So someone might blame him?
- Blame Arnie?
What for?
- For your brother doing what he did.
- Are you talking about the other player's family?
Well, they blamed Brodie.
- Not Arnie?
- Mm, don't reckon.
- Did they ever threaten Brodie?
- Not that I know of.
But there...
There must have been a lot of anger there.
- They were a strong Christian family from up north.
Brodie was forgiven.
- I see.
- I...
I appreciate you asking.
People don't want to talk about Brodie anymore.
Yeah.
Must've been a tough time.
- Which is why I play the drum.
- At the games?
- Well, got to keep his memory alive somehow, keep his spirit present whenever the Cheetahs play.
No one wants to talk about suicide, so I don't.
I just, uh... (tapping rhythm) Play the drum, for Brodie.
Used to annoy Arnie sometimes.
(Mike chuckles) (drum beating) (crowd groans) ♪ Come on, you Cheetahs ♪ - Len!
Just for once, give it a rest, Lenny.
Please?
- Aw, chin up, Arnie.
Could be worse.
Could be a vuvuzela.
- So you were at every rugby game, not so much for the rugby but for your brother?
- Well, and the cheese rolls.
- Oh.
(chuckles) That's dedication.
- They're really good cheese rolls.
- Len, if you hear anything, you'll let me know, yeah?
- Can do.
- I'll leave you to your lunch.
- Thanks very much.
Bye.
Get this.
Arnie's neighbor just made contact, a Mrs. Taylor.
- And?
- She said she heard a commotion outside Arnie's door the night in question.
Three men were heard yelling loudly around 10:30 PM.
She's sure they were local rugby lads.
- [Mike] Because?
- [Kristin] They were wearing Cheetahs shirts.
- [Mike] What were they yelling?
- Uh, something about coming out and facing the music.
(pensive music) - Time to get some straight answers.
(dramatic music) (saw buzzing) - [Kristin] Your movements Sunday night?
- I told you.
Went to the Frog and Cheetah, post celebration for our 50th straight loss.
- Yeah.
And then?
- Went home.
- Didn't go to Arnie's?
- Why would I go to Arnie's?
- You tell me.
- Arnie was at the pub.
Ask Davo.
He's out the back.
- [Davo] Yes.
Drinking, having a laugh about losing.
What else are we gonna do?
- You didn't go to visit Arnie?
- Arnie was at the pub.
- At his house.
- He wasn't at his house.
He was at the pub.
- Yeah, he was there.
I talked to Arnie, then he went home.
- And what did you do?
- I stayed at the Frog and Cheetah.
- And then went home?
- Well, it's not like we were gonna sleep there.
- What time was this?
- 11:30?
I don't know.
Yeah, about 11:30.
- Does the phrase, "Come out and face the music," mean anything to you?
- No.
Why?
- [Davo] "Come out and face the music?"
No, not really.
- No.
But then I'm no musician, eh?
- Actually, come to think of it, Steve left a bit early.
- Define "a bit early."
- 10:00.
(hammer banging in distance) (nail gun pops) - Yes, I was at the F&C.
- Even though you didn't actually play in the game?
- I'm still part of the team.
Ray throws on a tab.
Who's gonna say no to a free beer?
- What time did you leave?
- Tennish.
- And then where'd you go?
Did you go to Arnie Langstone's?
- Why would I do that?
- To get him to face the music?
- No, I... No, I didn't do that.
- Okay.
So where did you go?
Takeaways?
Midnight fishing?
Skateboarding?
Home?
(Steve sighs) - Why does it matter?
- Because you flat with Davo and Gazza, and they both said they went home around 11:30.
So, I need someone to verify that.
Can you verify that?
- No.
- Because they didn't come home or you were asleep?
- I was asleep, just not at home.
- Where?
- 9 Connemara Drive.
(dramatic music) (plodding music) (Kristin knocking) - Hello?
Barbara?
Barbara, it's Detective Sims, Brokenwood CIB.
We met the other day.
(latch clicks) Barbara?
(knocks) Barbara, I know you're in there.
- [Barbara] Please go away.
- Look, I just have a couple of questions.
- I don't have to talk to you.
- [Kristin] It won't take very long.
- I can't.
I just can't.
- Two minutes?
- [Barbara] Listen to me.
Just go away, please!
- Are you okay?
(Barbara whimpers) Look, I just...
I just need to know if Steve Fanshaw stayed here on Sunday night.
- God!
So what if he did?
- What time did Steve come around?
- [Barbara] I can't really remember.
- You couldn't get any more out of her?
- Pulled down the shades, literally.
- You worried about self-harm?
- Mm, people get bad news, they want to be left alone.
- Maybe her and Steve are kaput.
- No.
I would've gleaned that from Steve.
He wasn't in breakup mode.
He was in blood-from-a-stone mode.
- So, she neglected to tell us she was having a relationship with one of Arnie's players.
- [Kristin] A player with a history of violence who'd recently been banned from the field by her ex-husband.
- Hmm.
Whom she had been separated from for four years.
- Mm, but not divorced.
- She's either protecting him or... - Herself?
- Or both.
But why?
(Steve grunting) (Steve grunting) (Steve grunting) (brooding music) - What do you want?
- Did you do it?
- Do what?
I didn't lay a hand on Arnie.
- You would say that.
- What does that mean?
- Someone bloody well did.
Did you take matters into your own hands, Steve?
- No.
It's not like you haven't talked about it before.
- It wasn't me.
- Why should I believe you?
The whole anger-management course thing is a crock, fella.
You and I both know that!
- I didn't touch him.
- Then who did?
- Why don't you ask your mates?
- Davo and Gazza were with me.
The question is, where did you go?
- You were the one talking about stringing him up.
- That was pub talk, nothing more.
- Didn't seem like it.
- Have you talked to the cops?
- That lady cop came by.
- What did you say?
- Nothing.
- Then best you keep it that way.
You hear me?
Do you hear me, Steve?
Good.
(country rock music) ♪ Whoo ♪ ♪ Big fish swimmin' down low ♪ ♪ Down on the bottom where nobody go ♪ ♪ Never seen him before ♪ ♪ But I heard all about what my grandpa done saw ♪ ♪ He nearly caught him one day ♪ ♪ One look at his face and it made him turn away ♪ ♪ I got to find, I got to know ♪ - Sims, Arnie had a life policy.
(country rock music continues) (country rock music continues) ♪ Whoo ♪ - Didn't answer your phone.
- It's not working.
- Riverstone call?
- Yep.
More bad luck.
Two strikes and you're out.
- Well, we'll just pay for it.
- How?
How, Steve?
- Hemi's freaking out.
- (mutters) So he damn well should.
- Look, you got to tell the cops that I was with you.
- I did.
- [Steve] Properly tell them.
- Why don't you tell them, everything?
(dramatic music) (door thuds) (plodding music) - [Kristin] Thanks for coming in.
- I'm here for Barb.
If I talk, I want you guys to back off the pressure.
- Is she unwell?
- Well, she's got a lot going on, what with Arnie's death and all that.
- Okay.
Well, let's talk and take it from there.
- I would never hurt Arnie.
That's why Barb and I kept our thing on the down-low.
No one on the team would hurt Arnie.
At least not on purpose, anyway.
- [Kristin] Meaning?
- Meaning maybe what happened was an accident.
- [Mike] What makes you say that?
- It's just something that I overheard.
- Where?
- [Steve] Well, we were drinking at the pub, the whole team.
It was game night for Ray.
- I'll give you a ride home for a couple of your famous cheese rolls.
(group laughing) - Oh, you're a dime.
- He hasn't got a car, Mrs. Marlowe.
- Hey, how did you get here?
- On a bicycle.
(group laughs) - [Hemi] You piking, Coach?
- Oh, things to do, boys.
Take it easy.
- See ya.
- [Hemi] Here's to 50 straight losses.
- It must be some world record.
- To the New Zealand world record.
- Remember what Arnie said after we lost the 25th game?
- It's not losing 25 games that's important, it's not losing another 25.
If we lose 50 straight games, I'll eat this bloody ball.
And I say that because-- - You're really hungry?
(teammates laugh) - Nice one.
Thanks, Gaz.
No.
Because it's not going to happen.
- A pledge is a pledge.
Time for him to eat his own words.
- Serious?
- He should wear it, over his head.
- No.
He should wear nothing at all.
(teammates laugh) - Awesome.
- Naked with the football on his head.
(teammates laugh) - Tied up to the toilet.
- No.
To the goalposts.
- To the goalposts.
(teammates laugh) - Then take some pictures.
- [Davo] For the wall of shame.
- Time for someone to face the music.
- Face, the, music.
- [Both] Face the music.
Face the music.
Face the music.
Face the music!
Face the music!
- You in, bro?
- Nah.
Gotta shoot through.
Look, I'm sure it was just supposed to be a laugh and that's all.
- A laugh that ended up with a man dead.
- Are you sure that's what they said, "Face the music?"
You're suggesting this is just a prank gone wrong?
- Yeah, we were going to string Arnie up as a laugh.
But we weren't ever gonna hurt him.
It was just payback.
- He had to face the music, right?
So you took him to the rugby field-- - No.
He wouldn't come out.
- [Hemi] Come on, Arnie!
- Face the music, bro!
Face the music!
- Yeah, Arnie!
(Davo laughs) - Oh, he's got a chick in there.
(group laughs) - Arnie's getting some!
- Things to bloody do, eh?
- You saw a woman in his house?
- [Hemi] Yeah.
I figured he was busy.
I didn't want to ruin his night.
- What did this woman look like?
Old, young?
Hair color?
- It was dark.
I couldn't see much.
- [Mike] Is this her?
- I don't know.
Maybe.
- Well, which is it, yes or no?
- It was dark and we were pissed.
- So you saw her and then you went back to the Frog and Cheetah?
- Yeah.
Rolled back in about 20 minutes later.
Ray will back us up.
- Oh.
Well, that all makes perfect sense, doesn't it?
- Yeah, mm-hmm.
- Yeah, all except for the bit where Arnie shows up dead, killed in a way that you and your mates outlined earlier.
- Maybe someone did him in to make it look like we'd done it.
- [Kristin] Someone like?
- Someone like the guy that narced on us.
- [Kristin] Steve?
- All I'm saying is he was there.
He was part of our conversation, and he was banging Arnie's ex-missus.
- You knew about that?
- Everyone knew about that.
All except Arnie, I guess.
- It was a busy night.
I can't remember everyone's comings and goings.
- They said they left around 10:15 and returned 20 minutes later.
That's three of the team leaving and three returning.
You don't remember that?
- They probably shot out for a feed.
- Well, why would they do that when they could eat here?
- 'Cause they would've had to pay for it, the cheap bastards.
Hey, you'd be in for a bit of this, wouldn't you?
What do you think?
- Very aspirational.
(indie rock music) - We're going to need your CCTV footage.
(indie rock music continues) - We have a prank that supposedly didn't happen, but then it did.
- And a suspect whose alibi is he was spending the night with the victim's ex-wife.
Oh, and a mystery woman in Arnie's window.
G.G., you reckon?
- Most likely.
Could it be that G.G.
is Dena Clarke?
- She was 19, and he was 53.
- Perhaps she shared an interest in classical music.
♪ Well, he stood up tall, he stood up strong ♪ ♪ He worked your wrong ways too long ♪ - The records from the hook-up site will confirm who Dena was in Brokenwood to see.
God, I kind of hope it wasn't Arnie.
- Which would lead us back to square one on who the hell G.G.
is.
- Any news on the life policy?
- Oh, still waiting on the insurance company to cough up the details.
(mellow rock music) ♪ I drive away ♪ ♪ I drive away ♪ - We have a visit from royalty.
- Where is he?
(Mike chuckles) - That's an impressive replica of the Titanic on your roof.
- (chuckles) On my way to a SUP regatta.
25K paddle down the coast from Tahuna Point to Riverstone.
- Oh, I thought police officers weren't meant to have a social life.
- Oh, this isn't social.
It's competitive, full-scale combat.
Now, where's this Green?
- It's Breen.
- You been to a fancy dress?
- Eh?
- The blue paint.
You go as a Smurf?
- Oh, no.
Sorry, I-- - Superintendent Hughes present with D.C. Samuel Breen.
So let's start at the beginning.
Did you kill Arnie Langstone?
- Eh?
No.
- Convince me.
- It's like having a visit from the headmaster.
- Yeah, I'm sure that's how Breen's feeling right now.
- Coffee?
- Uh, no, I'm good.
I'm just heading out.
- Oh.
Okay.
Um, I'll get back to the CCTV footage.
- [Mike] Thanks!
(bluesy rock music) ♪ Every time I think of you, you get a little smaller ♪ ♪ Sun is getting lower and your shadow's gettin' taller ♪ - You shouldn't have.
- No, I should.
It's for the end of your fifth row.
You lost one to Elsino ampelina.
- Who?
- (chuckles) Black spot.
The roses pick it up before the vines.
- That's why the roses are there, not just to look pretty?
- Yeah, the rose took one for the team.
And we could nip it in the bud, so to speak.
- Like a canary in a coal mine.
- Yeah, I don't think they do that with canaries anymore, Mike.
At first I thought it was Phomopsis viticola or maybe Botryosphaeria dieback, but it was definitely Elsino ampelina.
- Good.
Well done.
- Hey, how's the Arnie thing?
- I'd like to say it's early days, but... - Sad, eh?
He was one of the good guys.
- So everyone says.
- He kept himself to himself, but the rest of the time he was out here, giving back to the community.
- Hi, Jared.
- Ooh!
Ghislaine de Feligonde?
- Close.
It's Rosa Crepuscule.
- Ooh.
Beautiful.
- It is.
You have a great day, Mrs. G!
- Mrs. G?
- Mrs. Ginsberg.
She's the new librarian.
Yeah, Gloria sorted me out this choice-as book on quantum physics in relation to companion planting.
- Gloria?
- Oh.
Has the dog seen the rabbit?
(Jared chuckles) - Gloria Ginsberg?
- Yeah, Gloria.
- Oh, you were just with Jared.
- Gloria, isn't it?
- Yes.
- Uh, Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd, Brokenwood CIB.
- Can I help you?
- I was wondering if you knew an Arnie Langstone.
- Arnie?
Yes, he came in here every now and then.
I was so sorry to hear he'd passed away.
- Uh, he was a regular?
- One of our rare few without an Internet connection.
He preferred to get his information the old-fashioned way.
- What did he usually check out?
- Books about rugby and classical music.
He was very into classical, could be an absolute bore on the subject.
(chuckles) - You're not big on the classics?
- Give me a glass of chardonnay and the latest Holly Collins any day.
- Did you know that Holly has a new album out soon?
- I did.
You're a country fan?
- What's not to like about three chords and the truth?
- Breakups and breakdowns, love, loss, and losing, country music covers a lot of territory, doesn't it?
- So your relationship with Arnie, it was just... - He had a library card and I lent him books.
- Would you have ever had reason to text Arnie?
- Oh, that would be a bit difficult.
- Why is that?
- I don't own a cellphone.
I'm a little old-fashioned, too.
(country rock music) ♪ Been a long time I've been waitin' to discover ♪ ♪ If I get the leftovers from your other lover ♪ - I've filed a report.
(clears throat) In my independent view, Breen here is no longer suffering any stress associated with the discovery of his murdered rugby coach.
I'm revoking his leave.
Nothing to stop him from getting back on the investigation team.
- Sorry, uh, I'm just really relieved.
- Time, gentlemen.
♪ Got ahold of you ♪ ♪ Hands of my heart got ahold of you ♪ ♪ Ooh, my heart's got ahold of you ♪ - Wow.
♪ And I won't let go, and it won't let go ♪ - Thanks for that.
- So, is a third gonna turn up?
- Third?
- Body.
Two in a week.
What are they putting in the water up here?
- We're getting close.
- I know that look.
You're nowhere near.
I'll be thinking of you out on the high seas.
(coworkers chattering indistinctly) - Gloria Ginsberg?
- The Brokenwood librarian.
How did we miss that?
- Uh, she must be new.
- And who reads books these days?
- Apparently Arnie did.
Is there a reason I got you back?
- Sorry.
- Finally, two things on this board that can actually be connected.
- [Sam] The underwear belongs to her?
- I'm not saying that.
But she knew Arnie.
And if the underwear did belong to her, we need to find out the reason it ended up down Arnie's throat.
- [Kristin] So we think that she sent the text message luring Arnie out there?
- She doesn't text.
- She told you that?
- Mm, she doesn't own a cellphone.
- Um, sorry.
What sort of a woman doesn't own a cellphone?
The message was from a disposable, so maybe she had one, disposed of it right after luring Arnie to his death.
- Easy to say you don't own a cellphone if you threw it away.
- Do me a background.
(birds chirping) (dog barks in distance) - [Mike] Hey!
I meant to ask-- - Yeah?
- What does quantum physics have to do with gardening?
- Well, everything.
(glasses clink) Quantum physics is the theory that logically leads to the conclusion that everything is interrelated, and that what we see with our eyes is only a shallow outer form of a much deeper reality.
- So what we see is... - What we see is what we think we see.
But what's really there is most likely something we haven't even seen yet.
- Well, that's as clear as this beautifully opaque merlot.
Hey, what can you tell me about Gloria Ginsberg?
- You sly dog.
I knew it, eh?
I knew it.
- No.
She's a suspect in Arnie's murder.
- Ah.
Not much.
She moved here about a year ago.
I was talking to her once about going to my uncle's tangi in Waipara.
She seemed to know the area really well.
(phone ringing) Maybe she's from down those ways.
- [Mike] Better be good.
- Better than good.
We have Dena Clarke's cellphone.
The tech lab has the phone.
They're seeing what they can retrieve from it, numbers, messages, photographs.
- Great.
- But we already know... - What?
- It caused the marks on Dena's head.
It was broken by way of her skull.
And we got the details back from the hook-up site.
The person Dena was here to see was a 13-year-old girl.
- What?
- It's not what you think.
- Dena was catfished.
- Catfished?
- Catfishing is when someone goes online and pretends to be someone they're not, usually to mess with lonely hearts.
- In this case, a 13-year-old girl called Carrie Moss was pretending to be a 25-year-old man named Eddie Ross.
- Why?
- Because teenagers do dumb things.
Her parents confirmed she's done it once before.
Dena came all the way out here for a booty call only to discover that Eddie and his address didn't exist.
- And then she turns around and heads back to Riverstone.
- Except she didn't go back straightaway.
She went to the Frog and Cheetah.
She moves around the bar for about half an hour but clearly doesn't know anyone and then leaves.
- Hmm.
What time?
- Mm, 9:58 PM.
- After Arnie?
- Yep.
He left at 9:45.
- What about the Three Musketeers?
Did they come and go as mentioned?
- Yeah.
Steve Fanshaw leaves at 10:05.
And then those three leave at 10:17.
(keyboard clacks) They come back at 10:49.
- Not long enough to get out to the rugby grounds and back.
- Well, we still only have Barbara's word that Steve went to hers.
- Yeah.
Chase that up again.
- I did a name search on librarians.
Sexy stuff.
No matches for a Gloria Ginsberg apart from the one here.
It's as if she came out of nowhere.
Found a Gloria Palmer, though.
Worked in Webersville for years.
She resigned last year.
(phone ringing) - Which is in Waipara.
- Detective Sims.
Barbara, hi.
- And why does anyone change their name?
(down-tempo music) ♪ Heavy heart ♪ ♪ My arms are tired ♪ ♪ From holding you ♪ - Come in.
- Thanks.
♪ For miles and miles ♪ ♪ Across the sea ♪ - Oh, hello again.
Is this business or pleasure?
- Well, it could be a bit of both, I suppose.
- Oh, like that Holly Collins song, "When you handcuff me, I feel like such a good girl gone so bad."
- Uh, no.
I wasn't, um... (clears throat) - I'm sorry.
That was so inappropriate.
(both chuckle) - Look, there's, uh, something I need to discuss.
I was wondering if you could pop by the station at your earliest convenience.
It's a delicate matter, really.
- Of course.
- Arnie and I tried having kids.
Never happened, but we had each other to get through that.
Then he found Brodie in the tunnel, and you know, as I said, things were never the same.
Thanks.
Then Arnie left, and suddenly there was this vacuum, this empty life.
And I was left thinking, you know, "Is that it?"
I woke up on my 43rd birthday and decided to do something about it.
The other day, I got the news that my second IVF failed and had a complete meltdown.
Sorry about that.
Now I have to start paying, 10-grand a time.
- I see.
- Really?
How old are you?
Mid-20s?
Call me when you're 46 and on the very last roll of the dice.
Then this came yesterday.
- [Steve] We thought it better that we show you rather than you find out.
- It's not a lot, but it all comes to me.
Arnie never changed his will.
- No points for guessing how you might spend it?
- So this is where it all happens?
- What's that?
- What you do.
It happens here, at the coal face.
- Well, I like to think it's not really a desk job.
The, um, coal face tends to be out there.
I'm gonna cut to the chase.
- Okay.
(drawer slides open) - Do these belong to you?
- No.
(chuckles) No, they don't.
- You can see why I asked, though?
- I'm sorry, I-I don't follow?
- They've got your initials on them.
- That doesn't mean that they're mine.
- I'm sorry, I had to ask.
They're connected with Arnie's case.
And, well, you knew him, so... - Oh, well, I can see how you'd think they're mine, but I can assure you they're not.
- Okay.
I'm extremely sorry, but, you know, we've got to cover all bases here at the coal face.
(chuckles) Hey, did you know that Holly Collins is coming to town on her next tour?
- I do, and I can't wait!
(giggles) - Might see you there.
- Oh, yeah.
Well, I hope so.
That would be, um... That would be really nice.
- Although I might see her in Webersville.
I hear their town hall is a better venue.
- Oh, no, no, no.
See her here.
The acoustics in that hall are terrible.
- You know a bit about Webersville, then?
- Um, not really.
- No?
But that's where you're from, isn't it?
(Gloria nervously chuckles) As a matter of interest, what brought you to Brokenwood?
Is it the same reason you changed your name?
Uh, is it possible that I could speak with a woman detective about this?
- So the life policy was for 100,000?
- Yeah.
Not an insignificant sum.
- Yeah, but enough to kill for?
- Well, she had reason to need that money.
On the other hand, she was up front about it.
- Eventually.
Maybe she got wind we were onto it.
- Mm.
- Be gentle.
(lock beeps) - He's very clever, isn't he?
Pretending to be into country music like that.
- Uh, no.
Actually, he's a big fan.
- Really?
I still feel tricked.
- My favorite part of country music is when I can change the station.
So, what is it you can't talk to Mike about?
- It's embarrassing, you see.
- What is?
- (sighs) Yes, I changed my name.
The truth is I've had a few last names.
I was Gloria Howard until my first husband left me for my best friend.
She's still my best friend, actually, which I know is weird, but... (clears throat) Not long after that, he was killed in a work accident.
Nothing to do with me, but people talked.
Then I was Gloria Palmer until my second husband died in my arms, literally.
- Another work-related incident?
- He died while we were making love.
Cardiac arrest.
Ironically, he was a doctor.
And in a small town, nothing spreads faster than bad news, except maybe salacious bad news.
I heard what they were saying about me, "Black Widow," "The Choker," "Doctor Killer," so I had to leave and make a new start.
I really don't want my past to follow me here.
- Mm.
Uh, Gloria, the underwear Mike showed you, you're sure they don't belong to you?
- Yes.
- And there was also a text on Arnie's phone, "Meet me at the club rooms.
G.G."
And it was signed with kisses.
- I explained to Mr. Shepherd that I don't own a cellphone and I've never been to the club rooms.
Oh.
- What?
- Oh, no.
I did go to a game once.
Arnie invited me.
(men shouting) (dramatic music) (drum beating) ♪ Come on, you Cheetahs ♪ - Len, give it a rest on the drum!
(player grunts) (crowd groans) (whistle blows) (Steve shouting) - Out, out.
- Not again.
- Would you like a cheese roll?
- Oh, thank you.
- Why did Arnie invite you to the game?
- He liked me.
But I didn't want another husband, not with my track record.
And I'm just not really into rugby.
You don't have to tell Mr. Shepherd about my past, do you?
- [Mike] Two dead husbands.
- I can see why she needed a new name, new town, new start.
- And Arnie was seeking her affections.
- And Arnie ended up dead.
- Hmm.
- I've been thinking I should revisit all the team members.
Someone must know something more.
- No, I've got something more important for you.
Go down to the library.
- Stake out Gloria Ginsberg?
Sure.
- No.
Get a book out on embroidery.
- (chuckles) Good one.
Right.
You're actually serious.
Good.
- Don't worry, there'll be lots of pictures.
- Speaking of pictures, the boffins have extracted the pics from Dena's phone.
- Oh, yeah?
Anything useful?
- Well, I've seen better photos of Bigfoot.
Yeah, no amount of enhancing helped that.
Taken at 11:50, the last thing on her phone.
Whoever is out in that darkness is not her friend.
- We can assume that Dena's killer saw her take this photo.
- And they didn't want that.
And... With the rugby ground here, and Dena's car there, and the killer heading this way, we can assume they were coming back from killing Arnie.
Right.
They saw her, freaked out.
- And she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
- And it also means that they were heading into Brokenwood, not away.
Probably local.
- Cast of the footprint from Dena's crime scene.
- Cinderella time, Detective.
- Do you want to play Prince Charming or shall I?
- Have fun.
- Library.
(pensive music) (Kristin knocks) - You okay?
- We have a deflated rugby ball, a pair of women's underwear, a woman in a red dress in Arnie's window, but also a dead woman in a red dress lying in a stream.
We have a text message from G.G., but the only G.G.
we know doesn't own a cellphone.
Nothing is connecting.
I almost forgot, Dena's car did run out of gas.
"Beginners Guide to Embroidery," "Stitched Up," "Sew Excited."
But it says they haven't been issued.
- Well, I've checked the shelves, they're not there.
- Perhaps they've been misfiled.
- I've had a really good look.
- Well, they can't just disappear.
- [Mike] There weren't any?
- Of course, there's always a possibility she's lying.
Like she could be lying about not having a cellphone.
- Or about fresh starts.
- (sighs) No match, not even close.
Although, interestingly, Steve Fanshaw's aren't here.
- We know where to find them.
- [Sam] You want me to talk to Steve?
- No.
I want you to pay a visit to the Brokenwood sewing circle.
- [Sam] Okay.
This time you're... - No.
- Again, you're actually serious?
- Such a terrible business with Arnie, wasn't it?
Oh, I'll be making an extra batch of cheese rolls for the wake.
- Nice.
- Difficult for you, too, Samuel, losing your coach like that, and in such sordid circumstances.
- Well, in my line of work, you learn not to be surprised by anything.
- Oh, it's true, then?
- What?
- The nature of his demise.
He was bound and naked.
He was a homosexualist, then?
- Uh, no.
Um, Arnie wasn't that.
This investigation is ongoing.
- Oh, of course.
- Um, there is actually something that I need your help with.
It's a bit, uh, awkward, actually.
I'm wondering what you can tell me about the embroidery on these.
- Oh.
Torn down the side.
Crime of passion?
- Uh, yeah.
It's the embroidery that we're interested in.
- May I?
- [Sam] Uh... - Oh, a fine piece of work.
You have to admire the technique.
Oh, there's one or two irregularities, there and there.
Self-taught beginner, I'd say, not one I've seen before.
They've got natural talent, though.
See, all embroiderers have an individual style, a signature or inconsistency that can reveal their identity.
Uh, like a fingerprint, Detective.
- It was easily one of the most embarrassing moments of my entire career.
It could only have been worse if I'd actually been wearing them.
- Mm!
In your dreams.
(Mike chuckles) (irksome music) Brilliant.
- Where's he going?
(door clatters) - Ah, here are all the titles Arnie has taken out since he joined.
- Okay.
So rugby, rugby, rugby, racing, home brewing.
A lot of books on classical music.
- He had a thing for Wagner, didn't he?
Then Mozart, then Rachmaninoff.
- Can I use one of those?
- Sure.
(bluesy country music) (keyboard clacking) (bluesy country music continues) ♪ Whatever kind of box you put me in ♪ ♪ I'll still be laughing, baby, sink or swim ♪ ♪ There's only one thing making me brand-new ♪ ♪ There's only one thing ♪ ♪ And that thing is you ♪ ♪ Pick up the pieces when the puzzle falls ♪ ♪ Rehearse your lines until the curtain call ♪ ♪ Plenty of lies, but I know one thing, too ♪ ♪ There's only one thing ♪ ♪ And that thing is you ♪ ♪ It's okay ♪ ♪ It's all right ♪ ♪ Don't you worry about a thing tonight ♪ - [Barbara] Satisfied?
- Thanks for coming in.
- So Steve isn't Cinderella, then?
- As I said, Detective, he was with me all that night.
- Hmm.
Seems that way.
- These are old-school boots.
Metal studs, worn down and burred, it's as if someone's been walking on concrete.
Arnie would never have allowed these on the field.
- I'll see you out.
- Goodbye, Detective.
- Goodbye.
Thanks.
(pensive music) (door thuds) (pensive music continues) - I'm in trouble again, aren't I?
- Not if you're honest with me.
When I showed you that underwear and you said it wasn't yours, you were telling the truth, weren't you?
- Yes.
- But that wasn't the first time you'd seen them, was it?
- No.
No, it wasn't.
(somber rock music) ♪ I tried to reach you ♪ ♪ Tried to work it out ♪ - Barousse lace.
Highest quality silk.
I...
I had them embroidered especially.
- Arnie...
I like you.
I mean, you're... You're very nice.
But, no.
I'm sorry.
(somber rock music continues) - What is it with men and first dates in this town?
- But it wasn't her first date with Arnie.
(Mrs. Marlowe chuckling) (men shouting) - They're usually a lot better than this.
(Gloria chuckles) - Gloria lied about the underwear to keep a low profile.
So what?
- Are you saying that if she lied about that, she could have lied about the phone too?
- It's not what Gloria did, it's what Arnie did.
- I'm not following.
- There was more to Arnie than just rugby.
Arnie had a secret passion he couldn't tell anyone about.
- That's one of the missing library books.
- He embroidered the underwear he offered to Gloria.
He couldn't tell her, particularly when she balked.
His reputation would have been in tatters.
But that was just on the surface.
The mystery woman in the window.
It wasn't Dena or Gloria or even Barbara, she never existed.
- Oh, he's got a chick in there.
(group laughs) - Arnie's getting some!
- Things to bloody do, eh?
- [Mike[ The boys assumed they saw a woman because we believe what we think we see.
- Arnie was a cross-dresser?
- Something he couldn't tell anyone about.
He enjoyed wearing women's undergarments, satins, silks, as did his hero, Wagner.
He, too, was a cross-dresser.
- Don't cross-dressers tend to like to express themselves in public?
Dame Edna, Eddie Izzard... - But in Brokenwood?
As coach of the local rugby team and community leader?
On the face of it, Arnie was a rugby, racing, and beer kind of guy.
He couldn't come out.
But what was the one feminine thing he could wear all the time?
- So are you saying... - Arnie wore women's underwear.
It was his own special private thing.
Okay, fact: Arnie's house contained women's clothing, but no sign of feminine hygiene products.
Men's shampoo, no conditioner.
Name me a woman that doesn't use conditioner.
- But what about the second toothbrush?
- One well worn, one new.
Same brand, same color.
Arnie simply hadn't thrown the old one away.
- Are you saying that my rugby coach was a panty-wearing dude who taught himself to embroider?
- Why are there no books on embroidery in the library?
'Cause he's too scared to check them out and he simply appropriated them.
What else was he doing in there if not making key hangers?
He wasn't making beer.
That kit had never been used.
- Okay, but wearing women's knickers isn't the same as choking on them.
- What would make Arnie get up and go to the club rooms at 11:00 PM?
A message from Gloria.
What was he expecting?
Romance?
Forgiveness?
Blackmail?
Who knows?
But he went.
And his killer was waiting for him.
(ominous music) (lock clatters) (Arnie groans) (Arnie groans) The underwear is ripped, torn off.
Passion, or anger?
(ominous music) - [Len] Your crap coaching killed my brother.
- (groans) Please.
Get hard, Brodie!
It's not bloody ballet, man!
What are you doing?
He's first in the breakdown every bloody time!
Now get in there!
If you have to play the man, you bloody well do it.
Harden up.
- Len?
But the CCTV footage places him at the bar.
- No, it doesn't.
- What?
- Bring it up.
Len was always in the pub, sitting in the same place, everyone always said.
- [Kristin] There he is.
10:15.
- [Mike] Fast-forward an hour.
- He's there.
- Look at the number on his back.
Len always wore the number 7.
He'd already gone.
Rewind it.
There he is, seeing Dena Clarke.
Scroll through.
There!
We were too busy looking at the boys to notice.
Len left at 10:23, and someone else took his place.
- Oh, my God.
Len got himself an alibi without even trying.
- As he left to deal with Arnie.
We believe what we think we see.
(Kristin sighs) - And... And you're a sick bloody pervert!
- Don't tell anyone.
I beg you.
- Arnie...
Your secret's safe with me.
(ominous music) (Len grunting) (Arnie groaning) (drum beats slowly) (Arnie gasping) (Arnie expires) (somber music) (drum beats slowly) (engine revving) - So it was revenge for his brother committing suicide?
- It was 10 years ago, but Len never let it go.
Banging his drum... - That's a long-term plan.
- Or it's opportunistic.
- [Hemi] Things to bloody do, eh?
(group laughs) - [Mike] He followed the boys, hoping to see Arnie disgraced.
- And when it didn't happen, he took matters into his own hands.
- Len catfished Arnie into thinking he was Gloria.
- Because he knew that Arnie was keen on Gloria.
And when Len saw Dena on the other side of the road, he knew that she could identify him.
(camera clicks) (tires skid) (plodding music) (chickens clucking) (dog barking in distance) (rooster crows) (unsettling music) - Len?
Len Carson?
Mike Shepherd.
Hello?
Len?
I bet they match your plaster cast.
♪ Come on, you Cheetahs ♪ (drum beating) (cleats tapping) - Oh, my God.
It's like a shrine to his brother.
(brooding music) (rooster crows) (brooding music continues) - They weren't just brothers.
- [Kristin] They were twins.
- So when Arnie said there was a ghost on the sidelines, he wasn't just using a colorful metaphor.
(car door clunks) (engine turns over) (engine revving) Oh, Christ!
Look what he's done to her.
- He's getting away, Mike!
- Yeah, yeah, I know where he's headed.
Call Breen, tell him to meet us there.
- Where?
- Goalposts.
Oh, God!
What a bloody mess!
(engine turns over) (Mike groans) - [Kristin] Come on.
(Mike groans) Breen, where are you?
(tires squeal) (suspenseful music) (tires screech) - What's this about?
What's that about?
- Don't go there.
Len's following in his brother's footsteps.
(suspenseful music continues) - Or not.
- Bugger!
- The tunnel.
- What?
- Barbara, she said everything changed when Arnie found Brodie in the tunnel.
He didn't do it from the goalposts!
- I'll go this way.
Len?
Len Carson?
Len, stop.
You don't have to do this.
(suspenseful music continues) Listen to me, Len.
- I'm sorry about the girl.
(Len grunts) (cooler clatters) (tense music) - [Mike] Cut him down!
Cut him down!
(all grunting) (tense music calms) (Len breathing heavily) - Len Carson, I'm arresting you for the murder of Arnie Langstone and Dena Clarke.
- If you move that fast in the game, you might start winning.
(Len grunts) (Sam breathing heavily) (police radio chattering) - Thanks, comms.
We're bringing him in.
(bluesy country music) - I've got a spare roller if you want to finish the job.
(Kristin chuckles) - So, you reckon you'll come and watch Breen's team play now they're a fan down?
- Maybe, if only to try these cheese rolls everyone keeps talking about.
(Kristin chuckles) ♪ I'm standing in a stranger's room ♪ - Looks like you've hit a Smurf.
♪ With stranger's things all around me ♪ ♪ She's turning the pages one by one ♪ ♪ I'm staring out the window ♪ ♪ I put some coins on the table ♪ ♪ And hope to pay back anything that I borrowed ♪ ♪ But I'm singing inside ♪ ♪ Here comes tomorrow ♪ ♪ Here comes tomorrow, here comes tomorrow ♪ (bluesy country music fades) (logo whooshing)
Brokenwood Mysteries is presented by your local public television station.