City Homicide (2007) s02e04 Episode Script
Taniwha
(ANIKA MOA SINGS GENTLY) * He tangi wai Ko wai tenei Whakarongo kit e ata Come here, Kate, darling.
Mum! Here, put some on there.
It's alright.
It'll stop you getting burnt.
It's not that bad.
Tama.
There you are, sweetheart.
Alright, off you go, guys.
Stay safe and stay where I can see you, please! Ko rangi tenei (METAL CLINKS) Whakarongo kit e tangi He mokimoki au kia koe Ka whakahuia ano (DULL THUD) Ka whakahuia ano Ka whakahuia ano Ka whakahuia ano (SIREN WAILS) (POLICE RADIO CHATTER) Pathologist says it was one bullet, straight to the heart, very likely a.
38.
Nobody saw or heard anything? Not a lot of noise from a.
38 if it's muzzled.
A silencer? That'd suggest a professional.
Yeah, not necessarily - a noisy beach.
A plastic drinks bottle would do the trick.
Or a thick towel.
Contractors are here for the body.
We're done.
Any sign of the kids' dad? No.
Not in the picture, apparently.
We've contacted Human Services.
They'll meet us at the station.
How are they doing, the kids? The little girl's not talking.
We got a bit out of the boy.
His name's Tama, his sister's Kate.
The mother? Melanie Steadman.
Not recorded.
No licence details under Pol-search.
'Tama', what's that? Maori for 'T homas'.
Mmm, Kiwis.
Did you get an address? Not yet.
It's new.
But the boy might remember it once he calms down.
Holiday rental, is it? No.
Permanent, but they've only just moved here.
Poor little things.
Did she have a bag with her? They've both got lots of sun-block on.
She must've had a beach bag or something.
Keep looking for it.
Yes, senior sergeant.
And you might wanna talk to that bloke.
MATT: Mr Rankin.
(CLEARS THROAT) Mr Rankin.
Are you sure this was the spot? Absolutely.
We parked at the same time.
The mother and the two kids got out of the car in this space.
Tight little cossie, long legs.
Very easy on the eye.
How about a description of the car, Mr Rankin? It was a brand-new Beemer.
Black.
Nearly as pretty as she was.
What about a rego number? Can you remember any letters or numbers? I wasn't looking at the rego, mate.
No idea? See, if we can get a rego, we can get an address for the victim.
Sorry.
I was looking at the mum.
She was a serious MILF, mate.
In the uniform, Bernice? Command wants a presence.
A shooting on a public beach in front of kids and families, we need to wave the flag.
This person doesn't give a damn about anyone or anything.
So, I'll handle the PR, you deal with the case.
We'll throw everything we can at it.
That's fine.
Anything you can give me.
Yep.
I'll keep the press off your back for a start.
And the Commissioner wants half-hourly situation reports on this one, so keep me updated at all times, alright? Definitely.
BOTH: Ma'am.
What have you got? We're thinking a car-jacking.
The kind where they watch them park, then mug them for the keys.
The killer waited for her to settle in, then he went for her bag.
She put up a fight.
Bang.
Alright.
I'll get Simon and Duncan onto the car-jacking angle.
You two follow the kids back to the office, see if we can find out where they're living.
RADIO: This is Airborne 90, no sign of suspect on outbound road.
Mrs Toffler, we need to talk to these children.
They need psychological and medical assessment.
My department has got responsibility for them now.
Look, we don't even know where they live.
We need to find that out, at least, then you can take them to the hospital.
Understand something.
At this precise moment those children are at their most vulnerable.
If you tell me you just want to know where they live, and then start asking questions about what happened to their mother So, let's just start with their address, OK? Hey! Detective Senior Constables Ryan and Mapplethorpe.
Are you the caretaker? Body Corporate Manager.
What do you want? Wow.
She looks dead.
Do you recognise her? Apartment 2.
She just moved in with her two kids.
It's a bit sparse.
They've not been here long? Two months, that's all.
She's Aussie.
Came back over from New Zealand.
The Shaky Isles.
(LAUGHS) The kids share a room.
Mum's room's just Mum.
What about the husband? Not here.
He's back in New Zealand, I think.
Divorce papers.
Mmm-hmm.
Dad's address across the ditch.
Passports.
Both kids are New Zealanders.
And hello.
The Beemer, it's leased.
It's not black, it's dark blue.
That sleaze couldn't even give us the right colour? Too busy checking out Mum's bum.
Yep.
Yep, OK, we'll meet him there.
Thanks.
'Bye.
Our Kiwi brethren have got in touch with the husband.
They're gonna try and have him on a plane first thing in the morning.
What's the flight time from New Zealand? What, you 're thinking he could've already made a round trip and killed his ex-wife? Nah, I checked.
Not in the time frame.
So who is this guy? He is Richard Steadman.
He's a Kiwi in his 40s.
He's an architect.
And that's all we know.
So, anything on the car yet? Nothing, Sarge.
It's probably already in pieces.
The way the Armed Offenders Squad see it, car-jacking's a major crime.
Commodores are top of the hit parade, but Beemers, they're pretty popular.
Any suggestions on who we might look at? Only a few hundred.
So what about the children? Have we got anything there? Did either of them see anything? We don't know.
We haven't been able to speak to them, apart from getting an address.
Miriam Toffler's a bit of a stumbling block.
Social worker.
She's like a mother hen on steroids.
OK, I'll work it out with her, then.
Duncan, you and Simon meet the ex-husband off the flight tomorrow.
You want him here before seeing the kids? We need to rule him out before we put them together.
Simon, any Court Orders? I've got a formal check under way, Sarge.
OK, let's wait for the results.
That should give you some time, Jennifer, to talk to the children, and find out what you can while you can.
Are the kids close to him? Let's hope so.
They're gonna need as much closeness as they can get.
Oh, isn't that your wife? No.
No, I don't think so.
JENNIFER: She may have seen her mother's killer.
I'd say that's very likely.
You can see why we need to talk to her, then.
The longer we leave it, the harder it gets, Mrs Toffler.
For you, not her.
She's deeply traumatised.
What is the psych assessment? They think it's avoidance syndrome.
Whatever she saw, she doesn't want to talk about it or face it in any way.
She'd be terrified of you two.
That's why we gave them the toys.
Not that easy, Detective.
Look, I can tell you what I've managed to glean from the boy.
His grandfather is Maori.
His name is Tama, as well.
They know about the divorce.
No details.
Do they understand what's happened to their mother? Children see and understand things more quickly than most adults.
They know what's happened.
But how much do they know? We really need to find out.
It's my job to look after their interests, Detective.
Ours too.
That's what we're trying to do.
Mrs Toffler, they'll need closure.
If not right now, certainly when they're older.
How do you think they're gonna feel if the person who murdered their mother is never caught? JENNIFER: Tama, that's a great name.
It's Maori, isn't it? But your mum isn't Maori, right? I know you 're feeling really sad right now, Tama.
But your dad is on his way and he's gonna be here really soon.
As soon as he found out, he got on a plane.
OK.
Except, we can't tell him exactly what happened.
Did you see anything? Anything that might help us find out? Are you sure? Did you see anyone sitting next to your mum? We were playing in the water.
What about your sister, did she see anything? Kate? They were playing in the water.
So, the kids wouldn't have seen what happened? We haven't been able to establish that as yet, but it is possible one or both of them saw something, Mr Steadman.
And Melanie, did she suffer? I mean was it quick? We think so.
Still waiting on the autopsy results, but in all probability very quick, yeah.
You say it was a car-jacking? That's just one of the possibilities we're considering, sir.
I can't believe someone would shoot somebody to steal their car.
We're not talking just a joy-ride here, Mr Steadman.
It's big business.
The car has probably been broken down into parts already or else it's on the first leg of a trip to Dubai.
What was she driving, for God's sake? A BMW.
Leased.
That figures.
Melanie likes the good things.
DUNCAN: You 're divorced? In the process of, yeah.
We were sorting it out.
Can we ask what happened? Oh, usual run of things.
You know, me working too hard, Mel playing too hard.
It all fell apart.
But you were sorting it out? Yes.
Now, if it's alright, I wanna see my kids.
They've finished their assessment at the hospital.
Detective Freeman will take you there.
Mummy got hurt.
It's OK, kiddo.
Daddy's here.
She doesn't wanna let go of that doll, does she? Security blanket.
Any luck talking to them? No.
The uniforms are still canvassing the beach area, but it's not looking promising.
So unless Armed-Offenders come up with something on the car-jacking angle, we're basically stuffed.
Alright, I've organised a place for them to stay.
I'll take them there now.
Do you mind if I drive them? Why? Haven't you questioned them enough? Hey.
She's just doing her job.
Same here, Detective.
There's a possibility that they might open up to their dad on the way there and I can keep an ear on things.
Only you then.
No more questions.
Clear? I'm just the chauffeur, Mrs Toffler.
(REVS MOTORBIKE) Why can't we stay at Melanie's place? Being around familiar things might help.
I'm sorry.
It's a secondary crime scene.
Right.
I'm not thinking.
Just over here.
(CAR BEEPS) (MOTORBIKE APPROACHES) (GUNFIRE) Get down! (YELLS) (GUNSHOT) Get her down! Get her down! Get her down! TOFFLER: Oh, my God! Is everyone alright? (GROANS) Their dad's been hurt! He's been shot! Dad! Dad! DUNCAN: Sounds like a bad day in L.
A.
MATT: We should've gone with her.
A full escort wouldn't have stopped this lunatic.
Steadman OK? Still waiting to hear from the hospital.
We've got every car and foot patrol available waiting on whatever we can give them on the shooter.
Now, is this it? Best description we've got so far is definitely male, approximate height around 175.
Black helmet with clear visor and dark sunnies.
Black jacket and black jeans.
What about the bike? Nothing on the bike, Sarge, except that it was red, Japanese model, but nothing specific.
Jen couldn't get the rego, either.
The plate was obscured.
The bike was probably stolen, anyway.
The helmet too.
I mean, idiots just leave their helmets hanging on their handlebars.
So, we're not thinking bikies, then? Nah.
Bikies, they don't go for Jap crap.
Witnesses? Everyone was ducking for cover, Sarge.
Still nothing from anyone at the beach, either? No, Sarge.
So, murdered in broad daylight on a crowded beach, and nothing? It's his style, Sarge.
He had a go at Steadman in the middle of a busy car park.
It wasn't Steadman he was after.
Jennifer, you 're not supposed to be here.
Go home, please.
I'm fine.
Yeah, well, that's good.
But I won't be if the Association find out I let you come back to work the day you were shot at.
So, you 've done your statement, please go.
Steadman wasn't the target, Sarge.
He only got hit because he was trying to shield his daughter.
But why target the kids? Not the kids plural.
The little girl.
We all know how traumatised she is.
Maybe she saw something.
Maybe that's why she can't even speak.
Maybe the killer saw her looking at him? Could be.
Yeah, but why freak about that? A little kid's not necessarily gonna give a clear description, is she? Unless she recognised them from somewhere else.
SIMON: And the killer knows she did.
Well, then he'd be running scared.
And going after her.
Makes sense.
Alright, if she did recognise her mother's killer, then we need to find out where she might've seen him before.
Check out both parents? Find out about the divorce, see what they've been up to since the split.
Maybe we should find out what the kids have been up to since they've been back - who they've met, who they might recognise.
Get hold of the mother's phone records.
See who she's been talking to lately.
Just heard back from the hospital.
Steadman's come through OK.
We'll get over there and talk to him.
Senior Constable, Mr Steadman's sister has been contacted by Miriam Toffler, the social worker.
She's coming here to be with the kids.
She's arriving first thing.
You want me to meet her? Yes, please.
That's the flight.
Bring her straight here, thank you.
The airlines are doing alright here.
Maybe we should look into them.
I need to be with my kids.
Your kids are safe.
They're here.
We've got uniforms watching them and the social worker's insisted on staying on too.
It's not just about their safety.
They're upset, scared.
We understand and we want to get you back with them as soon as possible.
If you can get your daughter to talk, that might help.
Why? We think she may have seen your wife's killer.
After this attack, we're no longer treating this as a car-jacking.
And you want her to help you? No way, that's not gonna happen.
She's only eight years old.
Fine.
Maybe you can help us, then.
Why do you think someone wants to kill your ex-wife, Mr Steadman? I've got no idea.
You were getting a divorce.
Amicable, was it? Are divorces ever amicable? Like I told your sergeant, there were still things under dispute but we were resolving them through lawyers.
We have a copy of her papers.
MATT: Messy divorce.
And you have two properties under dispute in Auckland.
What are they worth? Upwards of $2 million.
You think it was me? That's ridiculous.
I was in New Zealand.
You met me off the plane.
You don't You don't think I hired someone to kill my wife? Did you? She's the mother of my children! It's happened before, husbands having their wives killed.
Look, Melanie was not a model wife, and as far as I know, she continued along that merry way.
This is probably some no-hoper she hooked up with here, and two-timed or something.
You should be looking into that, into her.
We are - until we get somewhere, we want you and your kids to remain in Melbourne.
You can't force us to do that.
I'll talk to my consulate.
If you 're smart, Mr Steadman, you 'll talk to your daughter because that guy on the bike, he wasn't aiming for you, he was aiming for her.
Until we put him away, she remains in grave danger.
(KNOCK AT DOOR) Yeah.
Sarge.
Uniforms found the Beemer.
Where? Not in Dubai.
They located it while they were looking into a report of a stolen motorbike at a swimming pool.
The Beemer was right there.
Now, the bike was a red Honda, so our guy must've dumped the Beemer and nicked the bike.
And no-one saw anything? Nuh.
What are we dealing with here, the invisible man? I've got Crime Scene doing a thorough search of the car - hair, prints, fibres, DNA, the works.
Ma'am.
I've had a couple of irate phone calls.
The New Zealand Consulate and Human Services.
Human Services questioning our handling of the children, and the New Zealand Consulate here expressing their concerns over our handling of their father.
Yeah.
Apparently, Mr Steadman's complained he's being treated like a criminal.
He could well be a person of interest.
He certainly isn't telling us everything he knows.
And the kids? Are being dealt with by the book.
We didn't commission this maniac to come after them, Bernice.
No.
Alright, I'll have a chat to the New Zealand police and the Customs liaison office here, before it gets fired off to the High Commission in Canberra.
We do not want this to turn into an international bunfight.
The victim is an Australian citizen, murdered in Australia.
Nice sound bite, Stanley, I'll use that one with the Commissioner.
One other thing.
Joss McGovern.
Your access code came up in a search through VicRoads, credit records, the electoral roll.
Shall I go on? No.
This man has no criminal record.
Two speeding tickets.
It's a personal matter.
What makes you interested enough to risk your job accessing information for personal reasons? It's not likely to stay personal, Stanley.
If I can pick up these entries, so can somebody else.
You think very carefully about what you 're doing.
Because believe me, in this job there's always someone who will enjoy seeing you stumble.
Sarge, nothing on a boyfriend for Melanie Steadman.
I've checked with everyone in the unit block.
No-one remembers seeing her with anyone but the kids.
Do we have anything useful? There's two versions on the divorce.
Both lawyers are tight-lipped about their clients but they're happy to dump it on the other party.
What a surprise.
Yeah.
According to his lawyer, she's a promiscuous spendthrift who's trying to screw Steadman of everything he's got.
And as far as hers is concerned? She's a loving mother, trying to get herself and her kids away from a control freak with a nasty temper.
So who do we believe? Neither of them.
They're lawyers.
This is the area we need to be interested in.
Did she become the target for another boyfriend? Or did the husband have her taken off the books before she could bleed him dry? She was hitting the credit cards pretty hard.
Cash withdrawals.
MATT: According to her lawyer, that's probably because she wasn't getting any maintenance.
Not yet.
So, she had to live, didn't she? Quite so well? She's got kids, can't blame her for not wanting them living in a hovel.
Maybe that's what this whole thing's about - access, custody.
Like, she skips with the kids and he wants them back.
She doesn't play ball.
Bang.
MATT: They're talking to lawyers about property.
There's been no suggestion of custody issues.
Not to say they don't exist.
Plus, she's still pumping money out while the lawyers are still kicking it round.
Maybe she's squirrelling it away.
Maybe she wanted to make sure she and the kids had enough to survive on.
Ooh, we are in touch with our feminine side today, Matthew.
Alright.
Anything else? In terms of the little girl recognising the shooter, she'd had new teachers and a swimming instructor.
What about parents of new friends at school? I'm still checking, but it doesn't seem likely any of them is moonlighting as a hit man.
What about the BMW? Nothing so far.
It's been wiped clean, Sarge.
Mmm, of course not.
Morning.
Shirley Steadman's here.
The aunt.
Thank you.
Matt, you 're with me.
We'll keep working on the father's background, Sarge.
Odds on, if he did pay to have his wife killed, the deal was done in New Zealand.
Already got feelers out with Auckland CIB, Sarge.
That social worker, Mrs Toffler, she was very insistent that the children needed a familiar face, so why am I here instead of with them? Because we have a request, Miss Steadman.
We believe whoever murdered your ex-sister-in-law was seen and recognised by your niece, which is why they tried to kill her.
But I thought it was Richard who was shot.
Protecting Kate, we think.
Are you close to your brother, Miss Steadman? He's my half-brother, actually.
But, yeah, yeah, we're close.
Mmm.
What about your ex-sister-in-law? Melanie and I got on well.
She was married to Richard for 12 years.
Any idea why someone would want her dead? No, none.
Richard called me before he left, told me what happened.
I couldn't believe it.
What can you tell us about their divorce? Um well, it was out of the blue.
I thought everything was OK and then next thing they're hiring lawyers.
Your brother was unhappy about the outcome, is that right? Yeah, he was.
Richard's a really successful architect.
He's worked his way up from nothing.
He could have lost half of it and custody of his kids, yeah, yeah, he was upset, especially when Melanie brought the kids over here.
If you think my brother had anything to do with this, you 're way off track.
It's an avenue that we have to pursue.
Yeah, but Richard loves those kids.
And he loved Melanie until she started Started what? Sleeping around.
Look, that's what he's told me, since, but that's a motive for divorce, not assassination.
Nonetheless, he is a person of interest and he will remain so until we have reason to think otherwise.
What about associates? Anyone he might be involved with? Richard's Richard's an architect, he's not a mafia don.
I'm sorry but I don't think I can help you with this.
We think your niece can, hence the request.
We'd like you to try and get her to open up to us.
Sorry, Sarge, I've just had that social worker on the phone from the hospital.
She took the kids to visit their dad but he wasn't in his bed.
Where is he? Looks like he might've done a runner.
(SIRENS WAIL) Over here.
This bloke found the body.
He's the caretaker.
Body Corporate Manager.
We've met.
I heard shouting, a fight.
The bins go over, then bang.
It sounded like a gun.
About 20 minutes ago.
I come out, take a look and find him.
Witnesses? No-one saw anything.
The body corporate guy said that he heard an argument and a shot.
He came down and then he found him.
What's the story on the knife? Looks like something that Steadman got from the hospital.
Yeah, that's my brother, Richard Steadman.
So we're thinking that Steadman hired someone to kill his wife, then the kid saw the killer and then the killer went after her? Steadman has to stop him.
Arranges a meeting at his ex-wife's apartment, good a place as any.
And that's when it turned ugly.
Knife versus a gun - Steadman had no chance.
He must have made contact with the killer to arrange the meeting.
Alright, I'll try and find out what calls he made.
We get a number, we're halfway there.
I wanna see the kids.
Of course.
We've moved them to a safe place, they're under police guard.
Do they know about their dad? Not yet.
I don't understand this.
If Richard hired someone to kill Melanie, why is he dead? Possibly because he tried to stop the killer from going after Kate.
This is speculation.
That's the job - come up with theories, prove or disprove them.
It doesn't make sense.
These things seldom do.
The poor kids.
First their mum and Detective Ryan will take you to the safe house.
It may be better not to say anything to the children about their father.
They have to know sometime.
Mmm, yeah, I know.
But if you could hold out for a while, Kate may still talk, she may tell us what she saw.
She hasn't said anything to you guys? Not spoken a word.
MATT: We haven't pushed her.
The psych people reckon she's deeply traumatised by all of this.
STANLE Y: So, anything you can do to help there would be appreciated.
I'll try.
Thank you.
.
38.
I'll bet money on it it's from the same gun.
Not with me, you won't.
JENNIFER: What are you drawing? I like drawing but I'm not as good as you are.
I bet you 're really good at drawing people too, right? See, I can only draw stick figures.
I'm terrible, see? But what I do is sometimes I put something on them that makes them look like the person I'm trying to draw.
See? Do you do that sometimes? (KNOCK AT DOOR) Dad! Tama.
Remember what I said about opening the door to strangers? (TENSE MUSIC PLAYS) Jen, this is Shirley Steadman.
Detective Mapplethorpe.
Jennifer.
Good to meet you.
I'm so sorry about the circumstances.
Thanks.
Are my niece and nephew in there? Yeah.
Go through.
They're looking forward to seeing you.
SHIRLE Y: Hey, kids.
Any progress? Could be.
We're trying to find out if Steadman called the killer.
Anything from the little girl? Not yet.
I'm a bit wary about pressing her too hard.
She's so fragile.
She keeps drawing these.
(UNFOLDS PAPER) He's a scary dude.
Sarge reckons she could open up now her aunty's here.
Mmm, I hope so.
I'll keep you in the loop.
DUNCAN: We checked Steadman's mobile and phone by his hospital bed.
He made a couple of calls - one to his sister in New Zealand, his consulate, and then this.
He made this phone call just after midnight.
He went four floors up to do it.
It was to a mobile, also on international roaming.
The account's in NZ.
The techs are chasing it up now.
I'll give them a hurry-up.
What have we got here? The little girl keeps drawing it, same thing over and over again.
By the look of the eyes, the killer could be Asian, perhaps? Good thought.
I'll speak to Auckland CIB, see if that rings any bells.
We making any progress on the kid? Not according to Jen.
It's not gonna happen.
Well, what do we know, then? That Steadman knew the killer, no question.
In fact, most probably hired him.
Then had to try to persuade him to lay off his little girl.
And got himself killed in the process.
Kinda like Frankenstein, eh? Created a monster and it ran amok.
So fire up your torches, break out the pitchforks and find it.
(ANIKA MOA SINGS GENTLY) * He tangi wai Ko wai tenei Whakarongo kit e ata Karanga o nga tui (CARTOONS PLAY ON TV) She's exhausted.
Do they mean anything to you? Taniwha - a monster.
She hasn't said anything to you? No.
I've tried talking to her but she just just shuts down.
Kate's always been a quiet kid, but I've never seen her like this.
Do you really think she saw Melanie killed? She definitely saw more than just the end result.
Poor kid.
Do they have any other family in New Zealand, or is it just you? A big whanau.
Extended family.
So what'll happen to the children? Oh, whanau, they'll all pitch in.
(LAUGHS) Maori.
It's a group thing.
The kids will be fine.
Tama looks like he could be a handful.
Yeah.
Just like his old man.
(CHOKES) Fast forward all the way.
Sorry, it's probably the last thing you wanna talk about.
I'm fine.
(BREATHES DEEPLY) Just a bit teary.
I'm not normally like this.
I need some fresh air, a walk.
Today's been Well, we're not going anywhere.
They're safe.
I won't be long.
Get in.
Get in the car now.
Come in.
Good morning, Stanley.
Morning.
(SIGHS) You 're looking tired.
The Joss McGovern matter.
You and I both saw him a few weeks ago when he was with my wife.
They're seeing each other.
I needed to find out about him.
I'll speak to Ethical Standards.
That won't be necessary.
I've sent them a memo advising it was me who authorised the search.
The Steadman case.
Melanie Steadman was in the middle of a messy divorce.
McGovern's name came up as a possible boyfriend.
Turned out that he wasn't.
You didn't have to do that, Bernice.
I like my senior sergeants unblemished, Stanley.
If it reflects on you, it reflects on me.
Have a seat.
You need to tell Linda what you know, get everything on the table.
Sitting around wondering what to do and doing nothing isn't gonna help anybody.
No.
But I do have the children to consider, Bernice.
Absolutely.
Yes, you do.
And take it from me, don't ever underestimate the effect these things have on them.
I have an update on the Steadman phone account.
This is the man that Steadman phoned - Rawiri Shanklin.
MATT: He's well-known to Auckland police.
Serious gang affiliations.
No official record, but he's a building industry hard man.
And Steadman is a busy architect, so it explains how they could've come across each other.
Shanklin entered this country more than enough time to suss out Melanie Steadman's routine.
Auckland CIB are getting together everything they can for us on this guy.
They reckon he's a real heavy-hitter.
He certainly looks the part.
Let's get that photo out there and put out a KALOF on him as well.
And give me everything you 've got too.
Once I wave that bit of work under their noses, it might stop the consulate bleating.
(CAR BEEPS) (ENGINE STARTS) Morning.
Hi.
Going out somewhere? To see your boss.
Something wrong? No.
I've just been lying awake all night thinking about it.
I wanna take the kids home.
I don't think it's good for them here.
I don't think that's the way to go.
We need access to Kate for a bit longer.
No.
I need to see your boss.
OK.
At least wait till Miriam gets back and then you two can discuss it.
The only person I need to speak to is Wolfe! OK.
I'll make a call and get someone to come and pick you up.
It's alright.
I'll grab a cab on the main road.
(PHONE RINGS) Yep.
I've left.
She's by herself.
Go now? No! Wait till I'm with the cops.
They're my alibi, for God's sake.
Calm down.
You know we got no choice, here.
I know we don't.
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
I told you.
I didn't wanna kill him.
I did what I had to do.
Everything'll be ka pai.
She's still sleeping, right? Yes! Alright.
Half an hour.
Miss Steadman, I thought you 'd be spending the day with the children.
Yeah, that's why I'm here.
I'm worried about them.
I think they need to come home and be with family.
Do you think that's wise until we've apprehended their mother's killer? I appreciate everything you 've done, I really do, but I've made up my mind - I'm taking the kids back to New Zealand.
There's nothing to talk about.
I've already made up my mind.
This is Superintendent Waverley.
Look, a higher rank isn't gonna change anything.
I'm taking my niece and nephew home.
I don't think so.
I'm sorry? Look, I've already told him, I've spoken to my consulate, you can't keep us here.
We can keep you here as long as we need to.
I've been speaking to your consulate as well.
In fact, we can probably save them quite a lot of paperwork when it comes to extradition orders.
Now, I'm going to give you one chance to answer this question.
Where's Rawiri Shanklin? Good on ya, Shirl.
Freeze! Kia ora! DUNCAN: Drop the gun, Shanklin! Drop the gun and get down on the ground, facedown now! Drop the gun now! Do it! Now! Drop the gun! Slowly! Facedown! Get down on the ground! Slowly! Get on the ground! Matty! She's just a little girl and you shot her without blinking! You shot her without blinking an eye! At least you thought you did, you bastard! A little girl! MATT: You OK? Kate was trying to tell me all along - the taniwha, the tattoo.
All her drawings.
Poking her tongue out.
I thought you were gonna pop him there for a moment.
Why not? He was happy enough to kill a child without a second thought.
Still, he was caught.
Sometimes, it doesn't feel like enough.
Listen, guys, I think we might have a problem.
The social worker's on the missing list.
Mrs Toffler? Yeah.
But she'd just left before I got the call from Wolfie.
Oh, my God, that's her car.
Mmm! Miriam, are you OK? Hang on, hang on.
Let's get this off you.
He came up behind me.
I didn't see him behind me.
Lucky you didn't, it probably saved your life.
The children.
Are the children OK? The kids are fine.
They're fine.
Let's get you out.
You unlocked the window so he could get a clean shot.
Is this the interview or are you just trying to make conversation? I just wanna understand.
When you were looking at her, did you whisper goodbye? Anything? Careful.
You have to wait for the tape to start.
Or don't they teach you that here? Your own flesh and blood.
You 've been cautioned, Miss Steadman? Yes.
And you have waived your right to a lawyer.
I don't need one.
I think you do.
Do you wanna know how we put it all together? JENNIFER: When Auckland CIB sent us what they had on Shanklin, your involvement with him came up.
You neglected to tell us that you were a police officer.
Ex now, I resigned.
No, you were fired for your relationship with Shanklin.
That's not true.
STANLE Y: Yes, it is.
You met during an investigation into gang-related crimes in Auckland.
JENNIFER: You gave up a lot for him, Shirley.
Still see any friends from the old squad? No, I didn't think so.
But they had a lot to say about you.
And Shanklin.
You 're still an item, long-term.
It doesn't prove a thing.
So, what are you saying, Shirley, that it's just a coincidence that you 're romantically involved with the hit-man that your brother hired to kill his wife? Whose idea was it to kill Melanie Steadman, yours or Richard's? Or did you and Shanklin go to him with the idea? JENNIFER: Richard had a lot to lose.
What did you do, Shirl, point out just how much? Pressure him into agreeing? And you get a cut of whatever he ends up with! (LAUGHS) It's pure speculation again.
You 're good at that on this side of the ditch, aren't you? It's not speculation.
Kate recognised Shanklin.
JENNIFER: She'd met him, right? A barbecue, something.
Your brother's place.
And that's how Kate saw this, isn't it? You should have taken Superintendent Waverley's offer, Shirley, giving up Shanklin.
If you 'd done that, you could have had a shot at convincing a court he was the one driving it and not you.
I don't have to convince anybody of anything.
I didn't know he killed Melanie or Richard.
Yeah, right.
Or that he'd go after Kate.
That's not what he's saying.
He says that you knew everything.
It was all your idea.
Kate included.
And we believe him.
Crap.
So how did Shanklin find out about the safe house? Because we'd taken you there, that's how.
You set me up.
You knew what was going down before I left the house.
Bait was in the trap.
All we had to do was wait for your boyfriend.
You put my niece in danger.
Keep working the angles, Shirl.
Dig yourself deeper.
Now that he's caught, Shanklin's told us everything.
He's selling you out, scoring as many points as he can.
Family reunion.
Hey.
You set me up, Rawiri.
What?! What've they been saying to you? I didn't want him to kill her.
Shirl.
It got out of control.
Shut up! He said there wasn't a choice.
Shut your mouth, woman.
An 8-year-old's life is a price you 're prepared to pay to save yourselves? Spare me.
We are done.
And so are you, both of you.
Choice, eh, bro? (SPARKADIA SING) * I know when something's just not right I know the way you lie to me I've seen it before (PHONE RINGS) The way you let them get to you (PHONE IS ANSWERED) Ah, Linda, it's me.
Hi.
Um, we need to talk.
Well, we can talk, Stanley, whenever you want.
Ah, well, no, not now.
Not on the phone.
When you get back from the film festival.
It's a book festival, Stanley.
But I will.
Enjoy it.
'Bye.
You think they'll wait around for you Books.
Stanley.
He wants to talk.
What are you going to tell him? I don't know.
We stopped talking years ago.
They'll suck you dry until you bleed Bleed from all sides It's the last thing you need Oh, it's the last thing you need.
Mum! Here, put some on there.
It's alright.
It'll stop you getting burnt.
It's not that bad.
Tama.
There you are, sweetheart.
Alright, off you go, guys.
Stay safe and stay where I can see you, please! Ko rangi tenei (METAL CLINKS) Whakarongo kit e tangi He mokimoki au kia koe Ka whakahuia ano (DULL THUD) Ka whakahuia ano Ka whakahuia ano Ka whakahuia ano (SIREN WAILS) (POLICE RADIO CHATTER) Pathologist says it was one bullet, straight to the heart, very likely a.
38.
Nobody saw or heard anything? Not a lot of noise from a.
38 if it's muzzled.
A silencer? That'd suggest a professional.
Yeah, not necessarily - a noisy beach.
A plastic drinks bottle would do the trick.
Or a thick towel.
Contractors are here for the body.
We're done.
Any sign of the kids' dad? No.
Not in the picture, apparently.
We've contacted Human Services.
They'll meet us at the station.
How are they doing, the kids? The little girl's not talking.
We got a bit out of the boy.
His name's Tama, his sister's Kate.
The mother? Melanie Steadman.
Not recorded.
No licence details under Pol-search.
'Tama', what's that? Maori for 'T homas'.
Mmm, Kiwis.
Did you get an address? Not yet.
It's new.
But the boy might remember it once he calms down.
Holiday rental, is it? No.
Permanent, but they've only just moved here.
Poor little things.
Did she have a bag with her? They've both got lots of sun-block on.
She must've had a beach bag or something.
Keep looking for it.
Yes, senior sergeant.
And you might wanna talk to that bloke.
MATT: Mr Rankin.
(CLEARS THROAT) Mr Rankin.
Are you sure this was the spot? Absolutely.
We parked at the same time.
The mother and the two kids got out of the car in this space.
Tight little cossie, long legs.
Very easy on the eye.
How about a description of the car, Mr Rankin? It was a brand-new Beemer.
Black.
Nearly as pretty as she was.
What about a rego number? Can you remember any letters or numbers? I wasn't looking at the rego, mate.
No idea? See, if we can get a rego, we can get an address for the victim.
Sorry.
I was looking at the mum.
She was a serious MILF, mate.
In the uniform, Bernice? Command wants a presence.
A shooting on a public beach in front of kids and families, we need to wave the flag.
This person doesn't give a damn about anyone or anything.
So, I'll handle the PR, you deal with the case.
We'll throw everything we can at it.
That's fine.
Anything you can give me.
Yep.
I'll keep the press off your back for a start.
And the Commissioner wants half-hourly situation reports on this one, so keep me updated at all times, alright? Definitely.
BOTH: Ma'am.
What have you got? We're thinking a car-jacking.
The kind where they watch them park, then mug them for the keys.
The killer waited for her to settle in, then he went for her bag.
She put up a fight.
Bang.
Alright.
I'll get Simon and Duncan onto the car-jacking angle.
You two follow the kids back to the office, see if we can find out where they're living.
RADIO: This is Airborne 90, no sign of suspect on outbound road.
Mrs Toffler, we need to talk to these children.
They need psychological and medical assessment.
My department has got responsibility for them now.
Look, we don't even know where they live.
We need to find that out, at least, then you can take them to the hospital.
Understand something.
At this precise moment those children are at their most vulnerable.
If you tell me you just want to know where they live, and then start asking questions about what happened to their mother So, let's just start with their address, OK? Hey! Detective Senior Constables Ryan and Mapplethorpe.
Are you the caretaker? Body Corporate Manager.
What do you want? Wow.
She looks dead.
Do you recognise her? Apartment 2.
She just moved in with her two kids.
It's a bit sparse.
They've not been here long? Two months, that's all.
She's Aussie.
Came back over from New Zealand.
The Shaky Isles.
(LAUGHS) The kids share a room.
Mum's room's just Mum.
What about the husband? Not here.
He's back in New Zealand, I think.
Divorce papers.
Mmm-hmm.
Dad's address across the ditch.
Passports.
Both kids are New Zealanders.
And hello.
The Beemer, it's leased.
It's not black, it's dark blue.
That sleaze couldn't even give us the right colour? Too busy checking out Mum's bum.
Yep.
Yep, OK, we'll meet him there.
Thanks.
'Bye.
Our Kiwi brethren have got in touch with the husband.
They're gonna try and have him on a plane first thing in the morning.
What's the flight time from New Zealand? What, you 're thinking he could've already made a round trip and killed his ex-wife? Nah, I checked.
Not in the time frame.
So who is this guy? He is Richard Steadman.
He's a Kiwi in his 40s.
He's an architect.
And that's all we know.
So, anything on the car yet? Nothing, Sarge.
It's probably already in pieces.
The way the Armed Offenders Squad see it, car-jacking's a major crime.
Commodores are top of the hit parade, but Beemers, they're pretty popular.
Any suggestions on who we might look at? Only a few hundred.
So what about the children? Have we got anything there? Did either of them see anything? We don't know.
We haven't been able to speak to them, apart from getting an address.
Miriam Toffler's a bit of a stumbling block.
Social worker.
She's like a mother hen on steroids.
OK, I'll work it out with her, then.
Duncan, you and Simon meet the ex-husband off the flight tomorrow.
You want him here before seeing the kids? We need to rule him out before we put them together.
Simon, any Court Orders? I've got a formal check under way, Sarge.
OK, let's wait for the results.
That should give you some time, Jennifer, to talk to the children, and find out what you can while you can.
Are the kids close to him? Let's hope so.
They're gonna need as much closeness as they can get.
Oh, isn't that your wife? No.
No, I don't think so.
JENNIFER: She may have seen her mother's killer.
I'd say that's very likely.
You can see why we need to talk to her, then.
The longer we leave it, the harder it gets, Mrs Toffler.
For you, not her.
She's deeply traumatised.
What is the psych assessment? They think it's avoidance syndrome.
Whatever she saw, she doesn't want to talk about it or face it in any way.
She'd be terrified of you two.
That's why we gave them the toys.
Not that easy, Detective.
Look, I can tell you what I've managed to glean from the boy.
His grandfather is Maori.
His name is Tama, as well.
They know about the divorce.
No details.
Do they understand what's happened to their mother? Children see and understand things more quickly than most adults.
They know what's happened.
But how much do they know? We really need to find out.
It's my job to look after their interests, Detective.
Ours too.
That's what we're trying to do.
Mrs Toffler, they'll need closure.
If not right now, certainly when they're older.
How do you think they're gonna feel if the person who murdered their mother is never caught? JENNIFER: Tama, that's a great name.
It's Maori, isn't it? But your mum isn't Maori, right? I know you 're feeling really sad right now, Tama.
But your dad is on his way and he's gonna be here really soon.
As soon as he found out, he got on a plane.
OK.
Except, we can't tell him exactly what happened.
Did you see anything? Anything that might help us find out? Are you sure? Did you see anyone sitting next to your mum? We were playing in the water.
What about your sister, did she see anything? Kate? They were playing in the water.
So, the kids wouldn't have seen what happened? We haven't been able to establish that as yet, but it is possible one or both of them saw something, Mr Steadman.
And Melanie, did she suffer? I mean was it quick? We think so.
Still waiting on the autopsy results, but in all probability very quick, yeah.
You say it was a car-jacking? That's just one of the possibilities we're considering, sir.
I can't believe someone would shoot somebody to steal their car.
We're not talking just a joy-ride here, Mr Steadman.
It's big business.
The car has probably been broken down into parts already or else it's on the first leg of a trip to Dubai.
What was she driving, for God's sake? A BMW.
Leased.
That figures.
Melanie likes the good things.
DUNCAN: You 're divorced? In the process of, yeah.
We were sorting it out.
Can we ask what happened? Oh, usual run of things.
You know, me working too hard, Mel playing too hard.
It all fell apart.
But you were sorting it out? Yes.
Now, if it's alright, I wanna see my kids.
They've finished their assessment at the hospital.
Detective Freeman will take you there.
Mummy got hurt.
It's OK, kiddo.
Daddy's here.
She doesn't wanna let go of that doll, does she? Security blanket.
Any luck talking to them? No.
The uniforms are still canvassing the beach area, but it's not looking promising.
So unless Armed-Offenders come up with something on the car-jacking angle, we're basically stuffed.
Alright, I've organised a place for them to stay.
I'll take them there now.
Do you mind if I drive them? Why? Haven't you questioned them enough? Hey.
She's just doing her job.
Same here, Detective.
There's a possibility that they might open up to their dad on the way there and I can keep an ear on things.
Only you then.
No more questions.
Clear? I'm just the chauffeur, Mrs Toffler.
(REVS MOTORBIKE) Why can't we stay at Melanie's place? Being around familiar things might help.
I'm sorry.
It's a secondary crime scene.
Right.
I'm not thinking.
Just over here.
(CAR BEEPS) (MOTORBIKE APPROACHES) (GUNFIRE) Get down! (YELLS) (GUNSHOT) Get her down! Get her down! Get her down! TOFFLER: Oh, my God! Is everyone alright? (GROANS) Their dad's been hurt! He's been shot! Dad! Dad! DUNCAN: Sounds like a bad day in L.
A.
MATT: We should've gone with her.
A full escort wouldn't have stopped this lunatic.
Steadman OK? Still waiting to hear from the hospital.
We've got every car and foot patrol available waiting on whatever we can give them on the shooter.
Now, is this it? Best description we've got so far is definitely male, approximate height around 175.
Black helmet with clear visor and dark sunnies.
Black jacket and black jeans.
What about the bike? Nothing on the bike, Sarge, except that it was red, Japanese model, but nothing specific.
Jen couldn't get the rego, either.
The plate was obscured.
The bike was probably stolen, anyway.
The helmet too.
I mean, idiots just leave their helmets hanging on their handlebars.
So, we're not thinking bikies, then? Nah.
Bikies, they don't go for Jap crap.
Witnesses? Everyone was ducking for cover, Sarge.
Still nothing from anyone at the beach, either? No, Sarge.
So, murdered in broad daylight on a crowded beach, and nothing? It's his style, Sarge.
He had a go at Steadman in the middle of a busy car park.
It wasn't Steadman he was after.
Jennifer, you 're not supposed to be here.
Go home, please.
I'm fine.
Yeah, well, that's good.
But I won't be if the Association find out I let you come back to work the day you were shot at.
So, you 've done your statement, please go.
Steadman wasn't the target, Sarge.
He only got hit because he was trying to shield his daughter.
But why target the kids? Not the kids plural.
The little girl.
We all know how traumatised she is.
Maybe she saw something.
Maybe that's why she can't even speak.
Maybe the killer saw her looking at him? Could be.
Yeah, but why freak about that? A little kid's not necessarily gonna give a clear description, is she? Unless she recognised them from somewhere else.
SIMON: And the killer knows she did.
Well, then he'd be running scared.
And going after her.
Makes sense.
Alright, if she did recognise her mother's killer, then we need to find out where she might've seen him before.
Check out both parents? Find out about the divorce, see what they've been up to since the split.
Maybe we should find out what the kids have been up to since they've been back - who they've met, who they might recognise.
Get hold of the mother's phone records.
See who she's been talking to lately.
Just heard back from the hospital.
Steadman's come through OK.
We'll get over there and talk to him.
Senior Constable, Mr Steadman's sister has been contacted by Miriam Toffler, the social worker.
She's coming here to be with the kids.
She's arriving first thing.
You want me to meet her? Yes, please.
That's the flight.
Bring her straight here, thank you.
The airlines are doing alright here.
Maybe we should look into them.
I need to be with my kids.
Your kids are safe.
They're here.
We've got uniforms watching them and the social worker's insisted on staying on too.
It's not just about their safety.
They're upset, scared.
We understand and we want to get you back with them as soon as possible.
If you can get your daughter to talk, that might help.
Why? We think she may have seen your wife's killer.
After this attack, we're no longer treating this as a car-jacking.
And you want her to help you? No way, that's not gonna happen.
She's only eight years old.
Fine.
Maybe you can help us, then.
Why do you think someone wants to kill your ex-wife, Mr Steadman? I've got no idea.
You were getting a divorce.
Amicable, was it? Are divorces ever amicable? Like I told your sergeant, there were still things under dispute but we were resolving them through lawyers.
We have a copy of her papers.
MATT: Messy divorce.
And you have two properties under dispute in Auckland.
What are they worth? Upwards of $2 million.
You think it was me? That's ridiculous.
I was in New Zealand.
You met me off the plane.
You don't You don't think I hired someone to kill my wife? Did you? She's the mother of my children! It's happened before, husbands having their wives killed.
Look, Melanie was not a model wife, and as far as I know, she continued along that merry way.
This is probably some no-hoper she hooked up with here, and two-timed or something.
You should be looking into that, into her.
We are - until we get somewhere, we want you and your kids to remain in Melbourne.
You can't force us to do that.
I'll talk to my consulate.
If you 're smart, Mr Steadman, you 'll talk to your daughter because that guy on the bike, he wasn't aiming for you, he was aiming for her.
Until we put him away, she remains in grave danger.
(KNOCK AT DOOR) Yeah.
Sarge.
Uniforms found the Beemer.
Where? Not in Dubai.
They located it while they were looking into a report of a stolen motorbike at a swimming pool.
The Beemer was right there.
Now, the bike was a red Honda, so our guy must've dumped the Beemer and nicked the bike.
And no-one saw anything? Nuh.
What are we dealing with here, the invisible man? I've got Crime Scene doing a thorough search of the car - hair, prints, fibres, DNA, the works.
Ma'am.
I've had a couple of irate phone calls.
The New Zealand Consulate and Human Services.
Human Services questioning our handling of the children, and the New Zealand Consulate here expressing their concerns over our handling of their father.
Yeah.
Apparently, Mr Steadman's complained he's being treated like a criminal.
He could well be a person of interest.
He certainly isn't telling us everything he knows.
And the kids? Are being dealt with by the book.
We didn't commission this maniac to come after them, Bernice.
No.
Alright, I'll have a chat to the New Zealand police and the Customs liaison office here, before it gets fired off to the High Commission in Canberra.
We do not want this to turn into an international bunfight.
The victim is an Australian citizen, murdered in Australia.
Nice sound bite, Stanley, I'll use that one with the Commissioner.
One other thing.
Joss McGovern.
Your access code came up in a search through VicRoads, credit records, the electoral roll.
Shall I go on? No.
This man has no criminal record.
Two speeding tickets.
It's a personal matter.
What makes you interested enough to risk your job accessing information for personal reasons? It's not likely to stay personal, Stanley.
If I can pick up these entries, so can somebody else.
You think very carefully about what you 're doing.
Because believe me, in this job there's always someone who will enjoy seeing you stumble.
Sarge, nothing on a boyfriend for Melanie Steadman.
I've checked with everyone in the unit block.
No-one remembers seeing her with anyone but the kids.
Do we have anything useful? There's two versions on the divorce.
Both lawyers are tight-lipped about their clients but they're happy to dump it on the other party.
What a surprise.
Yeah.
According to his lawyer, she's a promiscuous spendthrift who's trying to screw Steadman of everything he's got.
And as far as hers is concerned? She's a loving mother, trying to get herself and her kids away from a control freak with a nasty temper.
So who do we believe? Neither of them.
They're lawyers.
This is the area we need to be interested in.
Did she become the target for another boyfriend? Or did the husband have her taken off the books before she could bleed him dry? She was hitting the credit cards pretty hard.
Cash withdrawals.
MATT: According to her lawyer, that's probably because she wasn't getting any maintenance.
Not yet.
So, she had to live, didn't she? Quite so well? She's got kids, can't blame her for not wanting them living in a hovel.
Maybe that's what this whole thing's about - access, custody.
Like, she skips with the kids and he wants them back.
She doesn't play ball.
Bang.
MATT: They're talking to lawyers about property.
There's been no suggestion of custody issues.
Not to say they don't exist.
Plus, she's still pumping money out while the lawyers are still kicking it round.
Maybe she's squirrelling it away.
Maybe she wanted to make sure she and the kids had enough to survive on.
Ooh, we are in touch with our feminine side today, Matthew.
Alright.
Anything else? In terms of the little girl recognising the shooter, she'd had new teachers and a swimming instructor.
What about parents of new friends at school? I'm still checking, but it doesn't seem likely any of them is moonlighting as a hit man.
What about the BMW? Nothing so far.
It's been wiped clean, Sarge.
Mmm, of course not.
Morning.
Shirley Steadman's here.
The aunt.
Thank you.
Matt, you 're with me.
We'll keep working on the father's background, Sarge.
Odds on, if he did pay to have his wife killed, the deal was done in New Zealand.
Already got feelers out with Auckland CIB, Sarge.
That social worker, Mrs Toffler, she was very insistent that the children needed a familiar face, so why am I here instead of with them? Because we have a request, Miss Steadman.
We believe whoever murdered your ex-sister-in-law was seen and recognised by your niece, which is why they tried to kill her.
But I thought it was Richard who was shot.
Protecting Kate, we think.
Are you close to your brother, Miss Steadman? He's my half-brother, actually.
But, yeah, yeah, we're close.
Mmm.
What about your ex-sister-in-law? Melanie and I got on well.
She was married to Richard for 12 years.
Any idea why someone would want her dead? No, none.
Richard called me before he left, told me what happened.
I couldn't believe it.
What can you tell us about their divorce? Um well, it was out of the blue.
I thought everything was OK and then next thing they're hiring lawyers.
Your brother was unhappy about the outcome, is that right? Yeah, he was.
Richard's a really successful architect.
He's worked his way up from nothing.
He could have lost half of it and custody of his kids, yeah, yeah, he was upset, especially when Melanie brought the kids over here.
If you think my brother had anything to do with this, you 're way off track.
It's an avenue that we have to pursue.
Yeah, but Richard loves those kids.
And he loved Melanie until she started Started what? Sleeping around.
Look, that's what he's told me, since, but that's a motive for divorce, not assassination.
Nonetheless, he is a person of interest and he will remain so until we have reason to think otherwise.
What about associates? Anyone he might be involved with? Richard's Richard's an architect, he's not a mafia don.
I'm sorry but I don't think I can help you with this.
We think your niece can, hence the request.
We'd like you to try and get her to open up to us.
Sorry, Sarge, I've just had that social worker on the phone from the hospital.
She took the kids to visit their dad but he wasn't in his bed.
Where is he? Looks like he might've done a runner.
(SIRENS WAIL) Over here.
This bloke found the body.
He's the caretaker.
Body Corporate Manager.
We've met.
I heard shouting, a fight.
The bins go over, then bang.
It sounded like a gun.
About 20 minutes ago.
I come out, take a look and find him.
Witnesses? No-one saw anything.
The body corporate guy said that he heard an argument and a shot.
He came down and then he found him.
What's the story on the knife? Looks like something that Steadman got from the hospital.
Yeah, that's my brother, Richard Steadman.
So we're thinking that Steadman hired someone to kill his wife, then the kid saw the killer and then the killer went after her? Steadman has to stop him.
Arranges a meeting at his ex-wife's apartment, good a place as any.
And that's when it turned ugly.
Knife versus a gun - Steadman had no chance.
He must have made contact with the killer to arrange the meeting.
Alright, I'll try and find out what calls he made.
We get a number, we're halfway there.
I wanna see the kids.
Of course.
We've moved them to a safe place, they're under police guard.
Do they know about their dad? Not yet.
I don't understand this.
If Richard hired someone to kill Melanie, why is he dead? Possibly because he tried to stop the killer from going after Kate.
This is speculation.
That's the job - come up with theories, prove or disprove them.
It doesn't make sense.
These things seldom do.
The poor kids.
First their mum and Detective Ryan will take you to the safe house.
It may be better not to say anything to the children about their father.
They have to know sometime.
Mmm, yeah, I know.
But if you could hold out for a while, Kate may still talk, she may tell us what she saw.
She hasn't said anything to you guys? Not spoken a word.
MATT: We haven't pushed her.
The psych people reckon she's deeply traumatised by all of this.
STANLE Y: So, anything you can do to help there would be appreciated.
I'll try.
Thank you.
.
38.
I'll bet money on it it's from the same gun.
Not with me, you won't.
JENNIFER: What are you drawing? I like drawing but I'm not as good as you are.
I bet you 're really good at drawing people too, right? See, I can only draw stick figures.
I'm terrible, see? But what I do is sometimes I put something on them that makes them look like the person I'm trying to draw.
See? Do you do that sometimes? (KNOCK AT DOOR) Dad! Tama.
Remember what I said about opening the door to strangers? (TENSE MUSIC PLAYS) Jen, this is Shirley Steadman.
Detective Mapplethorpe.
Jennifer.
Good to meet you.
I'm so sorry about the circumstances.
Thanks.
Are my niece and nephew in there? Yeah.
Go through.
They're looking forward to seeing you.
SHIRLE Y: Hey, kids.
Any progress? Could be.
We're trying to find out if Steadman called the killer.
Anything from the little girl? Not yet.
I'm a bit wary about pressing her too hard.
She's so fragile.
She keeps drawing these.
(UNFOLDS PAPER) He's a scary dude.
Sarge reckons she could open up now her aunty's here.
Mmm, I hope so.
I'll keep you in the loop.
DUNCAN: We checked Steadman's mobile and phone by his hospital bed.
He made a couple of calls - one to his sister in New Zealand, his consulate, and then this.
He made this phone call just after midnight.
He went four floors up to do it.
It was to a mobile, also on international roaming.
The account's in NZ.
The techs are chasing it up now.
I'll give them a hurry-up.
What have we got here? The little girl keeps drawing it, same thing over and over again.
By the look of the eyes, the killer could be Asian, perhaps? Good thought.
I'll speak to Auckland CIB, see if that rings any bells.
We making any progress on the kid? Not according to Jen.
It's not gonna happen.
Well, what do we know, then? That Steadman knew the killer, no question.
In fact, most probably hired him.
Then had to try to persuade him to lay off his little girl.
And got himself killed in the process.
Kinda like Frankenstein, eh? Created a monster and it ran amok.
So fire up your torches, break out the pitchforks and find it.
(ANIKA MOA SINGS GENTLY) * He tangi wai Ko wai tenei Whakarongo kit e ata Karanga o nga tui (CARTOONS PLAY ON TV) She's exhausted.
Do they mean anything to you? Taniwha - a monster.
She hasn't said anything to you? No.
I've tried talking to her but she just just shuts down.
Kate's always been a quiet kid, but I've never seen her like this.
Do you really think she saw Melanie killed? She definitely saw more than just the end result.
Poor kid.
Do they have any other family in New Zealand, or is it just you? A big whanau.
Extended family.
So what'll happen to the children? Oh, whanau, they'll all pitch in.
(LAUGHS) Maori.
It's a group thing.
The kids will be fine.
Tama looks like he could be a handful.
Yeah.
Just like his old man.
(CHOKES) Fast forward all the way.
Sorry, it's probably the last thing you wanna talk about.
I'm fine.
(BREATHES DEEPLY) Just a bit teary.
I'm not normally like this.
I need some fresh air, a walk.
Today's been Well, we're not going anywhere.
They're safe.
I won't be long.
Get in.
Get in the car now.
Come in.
Good morning, Stanley.
Morning.
(SIGHS) You 're looking tired.
The Joss McGovern matter.
You and I both saw him a few weeks ago when he was with my wife.
They're seeing each other.
I needed to find out about him.
I'll speak to Ethical Standards.
That won't be necessary.
I've sent them a memo advising it was me who authorised the search.
The Steadman case.
Melanie Steadman was in the middle of a messy divorce.
McGovern's name came up as a possible boyfriend.
Turned out that he wasn't.
You didn't have to do that, Bernice.
I like my senior sergeants unblemished, Stanley.
If it reflects on you, it reflects on me.
Have a seat.
You need to tell Linda what you know, get everything on the table.
Sitting around wondering what to do and doing nothing isn't gonna help anybody.
No.
But I do have the children to consider, Bernice.
Absolutely.
Yes, you do.
And take it from me, don't ever underestimate the effect these things have on them.
I have an update on the Steadman phone account.
This is the man that Steadman phoned - Rawiri Shanklin.
MATT: He's well-known to Auckland police.
Serious gang affiliations.
No official record, but he's a building industry hard man.
And Steadman is a busy architect, so it explains how they could've come across each other.
Shanklin entered this country more than enough time to suss out Melanie Steadman's routine.
Auckland CIB are getting together everything they can for us on this guy.
They reckon he's a real heavy-hitter.
He certainly looks the part.
Let's get that photo out there and put out a KALOF on him as well.
And give me everything you 've got too.
Once I wave that bit of work under their noses, it might stop the consulate bleating.
(CAR BEEPS) (ENGINE STARTS) Morning.
Hi.
Going out somewhere? To see your boss.
Something wrong? No.
I've just been lying awake all night thinking about it.
I wanna take the kids home.
I don't think it's good for them here.
I don't think that's the way to go.
We need access to Kate for a bit longer.
No.
I need to see your boss.
OK.
At least wait till Miriam gets back and then you two can discuss it.
The only person I need to speak to is Wolfe! OK.
I'll make a call and get someone to come and pick you up.
It's alright.
I'll grab a cab on the main road.
(PHONE RINGS) Yep.
I've left.
She's by herself.
Go now? No! Wait till I'm with the cops.
They're my alibi, for God's sake.
Calm down.
You know we got no choice, here.
I know we don't.
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
I told you.
I didn't wanna kill him.
I did what I had to do.
Everything'll be ka pai.
She's still sleeping, right? Yes! Alright.
Half an hour.
Miss Steadman, I thought you 'd be spending the day with the children.
Yeah, that's why I'm here.
I'm worried about them.
I think they need to come home and be with family.
Do you think that's wise until we've apprehended their mother's killer? I appreciate everything you 've done, I really do, but I've made up my mind - I'm taking the kids back to New Zealand.
There's nothing to talk about.
I've already made up my mind.
This is Superintendent Waverley.
Look, a higher rank isn't gonna change anything.
I'm taking my niece and nephew home.
I don't think so.
I'm sorry? Look, I've already told him, I've spoken to my consulate, you can't keep us here.
We can keep you here as long as we need to.
I've been speaking to your consulate as well.
In fact, we can probably save them quite a lot of paperwork when it comes to extradition orders.
Now, I'm going to give you one chance to answer this question.
Where's Rawiri Shanklin? Good on ya, Shirl.
Freeze! Kia ora! DUNCAN: Drop the gun, Shanklin! Drop the gun and get down on the ground, facedown now! Drop the gun now! Do it! Now! Drop the gun! Slowly! Facedown! Get down on the ground! Slowly! Get on the ground! Matty! She's just a little girl and you shot her without blinking! You shot her without blinking an eye! At least you thought you did, you bastard! A little girl! MATT: You OK? Kate was trying to tell me all along - the taniwha, the tattoo.
All her drawings.
Poking her tongue out.
I thought you were gonna pop him there for a moment.
Why not? He was happy enough to kill a child without a second thought.
Still, he was caught.
Sometimes, it doesn't feel like enough.
Listen, guys, I think we might have a problem.
The social worker's on the missing list.
Mrs Toffler? Yeah.
But she'd just left before I got the call from Wolfie.
Oh, my God, that's her car.
Mmm! Miriam, are you OK? Hang on, hang on.
Let's get this off you.
He came up behind me.
I didn't see him behind me.
Lucky you didn't, it probably saved your life.
The children.
Are the children OK? The kids are fine.
They're fine.
Let's get you out.
You unlocked the window so he could get a clean shot.
Is this the interview or are you just trying to make conversation? I just wanna understand.
When you were looking at her, did you whisper goodbye? Anything? Careful.
You have to wait for the tape to start.
Or don't they teach you that here? Your own flesh and blood.
You 've been cautioned, Miss Steadman? Yes.
And you have waived your right to a lawyer.
I don't need one.
I think you do.
Do you wanna know how we put it all together? JENNIFER: When Auckland CIB sent us what they had on Shanklin, your involvement with him came up.
You neglected to tell us that you were a police officer.
Ex now, I resigned.
No, you were fired for your relationship with Shanklin.
That's not true.
STANLE Y: Yes, it is.
You met during an investigation into gang-related crimes in Auckland.
JENNIFER: You gave up a lot for him, Shirley.
Still see any friends from the old squad? No, I didn't think so.
But they had a lot to say about you.
And Shanklin.
You 're still an item, long-term.
It doesn't prove a thing.
So, what are you saying, Shirley, that it's just a coincidence that you 're romantically involved with the hit-man that your brother hired to kill his wife? Whose idea was it to kill Melanie Steadman, yours or Richard's? Or did you and Shanklin go to him with the idea? JENNIFER: Richard had a lot to lose.
What did you do, Shirl, point out just how much? Pressure him into agreeing? And you get a cut of whatever he ends up with! (LAUGHS) It's pure speculation again.
You 're good at that on this side of the ditch, aren't you? It's not speculation.
Kate recognised Shanklin.
JENNIFER: She'd met him, right? A barbecue, something.
Your brother's place.
And that's how Kate saw this, isn't it? You should have taken Superintendent Waverley's offer, Shirley, giving up Shanklin.
If you 'd done that, you could have had a shot at convincing a court he was the one driving it and not you.
I don't have to convince anybody of anything.
I didn't know he killed Melanie or Richard.
Yeah, right.
Or that he'd go after Kate.
That's not what he's saying.
He says that you knew everything.
It was all your idea.
Kate included.
And we believe him.
Crap.
So how did Shanklin find out about the safe house? Because we'd taken you there, that's how.
You set me up.
You knew what was going down before I left the house.
Bait was in the trap.
All we had to do was wait for your boyfriend.
You put my niece in danger.
Keep working the angles, Shirl.
Dig yourself deeper.
Now that he's caught, Shanklin's told us everything.
He's selling you out, scoring as many points as he can.
Family reunion.
Hey.
You set me up, Rawiri.
What?! What've they been saying to you? I didn't want him to kill her.
Shirl.
It got out of control.
Shut up! He said there wasn't a choice.
Shut your mouth, woman.
An 8-year-old's life is a price you 're prepared to pay to save yourselves? Spare me.
We are done.
And so are you, both of you.
Choice, eh, bro? (SPARKADIA SING) * I know when something's just not right I know the way you lie to me I've seen it before (PHONE RINGS) The way you let them get to you (PHONE IS ANSWERED) Ah, Linda, it's me.
Hi.
Um, we need to talk.
Well, we can talk, Stanley, whenever you want.
Ah, well, no, not now.
Not on the phone.
When you get back from the film festival.
It's a book festival, Stanley.
But I will.
Enjoy it.
'Bye.
You think they'll wait around for you Books.
Stanley.
He wants to talk.
What are you going to tell him? I don't know.
We stopped talking years ago.
They'll suck you dry until you bleed Bleed from all sides It's the last thing you need Oh, it's the last thing you need.