Underbelly Files: The Man Who Got Away (2011) Movie Script
1
? Wild thing
You make my heart sing...
And now here's David with
Channel 9's Junior News buetin.
Space-mad kids round the country
stayed in and w atched their TV sets today
as the first broadcast
from. Apollo 7' went to air.
What a lot of kids don't
know about the mission
is Walter Schirra. Its commander.
Was a keen pilot even as a boy
and was already able to
fly his father's aeroplane
at the age of 15.
That's him
- David McMillan.
His daddy a w ar hero.
His mum a glamorous socialite.
It's a pity they didn't
bother to pu his pants down
and take a strap to the cheeky bugger.
The lesson from Captain Schirra is
if you want to achieve something,
start young.
He coud've been anything.
B y his 22nd birthday.
He'd made a million.
But it wasn't through honest sweat.
It was the white stuff
- heroin.
That's how come he wound up here.
The notorious Bangkok Hilton.
Facing a firing squad.
Beats me why Australia ever did
aw ay with the death penalty.
Woud've saved us all a hell of a lot
of trouble if we'd just strung him up.
Mind you. it woud have
meant catching him first.
And when it came to our David.
That turned out easier said than done.
It's a jungle out there.
What have we got here?
An Admiral bakelite radio.
1947. I collect them.
Hmm. Never known bakelite
to smell like that.
Resinous.
You're living in Caufield?
Where did you go to school?
Caufield Grammar.
It's just round the corner from my mum's.
Yeah, my nephew's just
started there. Good school?
Brilliant.
It's a good choice.
But I don't wanna be the
bloke who ruins your life.
Now, you get outta
here, and you remember -
this sort of nonsense, you
don't usually get second chances.
You think this little smart
- arse learned his lesson?
Bushit he did.
And get a bloody haircut.
It took more than a soft Customs officer
to transform David McMillan from golden boy to heroin
- dealing kingpin.
What you got on tonight, Clel? Ragin' out?
Yeah, maybe. Couple of guys from
Boys Next Door are having a party.
Oh, they've got that lead singer. Um...
Oh, what's his name again? Nick Cave.
Oh, God, he's so rootable.
Good luck to ya, love.
So, David, what are we thinking?
Layer it a bit? Maybe
short around the ears?
What do you think?
Well, 1972 was a great
year, but let's move on, eh?
Harsh words.
If I were you, I'd cut the
lot off and start from scratch.
Clelia!
Alright, let's go short.
Suit yourself.
Clelia, right?
Beautifu name.
So I've heard.
I was wondering if I coud buy you a
drink, say thank you for the advice.
You know, just 'cause you cut your hair,
doesn't mean I'm gonna let you fuck me.
So what woud it take?
Might see you around, then.
Rosie, where are ya?
Hi.
Reggie's left me.
Ah.
Well, I'm sorry.
You don't care. You never liked him.
Did like him. Just didn't trust him.
I shoud have seen it coming.
I asked him to buy me a car last week.
Mmm. He said yes far too quickly.
Come on, Mum. You did do quite
nicely out of poor old Reg.
Much better than
the other bloke you were shacked up with.
And I earned every cent of it.
That man had the most dreadfu halitosis.
Poor Rosie.
David...
I really do need a new car.
The Rover's blowing so much
smoke it's embarrassing.
That shoud cover a deposit.
So, how did you crack
an invite to this place?
I know these guys from school.
Oh, yeah? And you just
stayed in touch, huh?
Oh, not quite. You know, old school tie.
Let me get this straight
- we're crashing their party
and we're attempting to sell them drugs.
Yeah. You think that's gonna be a problem?
No. No, I don't. I'll see ya later.
Hey!
Clelia. Hey.
Oh, what a coincidence
- seeing you here.
Coincidence. Right.
So I hear you're a drug dealer.
I don't know whether to be
pleased that you asked after me
or annoyed that someone told you that.
Have you got any speed?
I'm a drug dealer, aren't I?
It's Dexedrine. 500mg.
I was about to say
- one's probably enough.
Do you have more of this stuff?
Yeah, as much as you want.
You can be...
...Carol McCoy.
Scripts! Mm-hm. With three repeats.
Carol suffers from narcolepsy,
in case the chemist asks.
So the real Carol
- is she your girlfriend?
There is no real Carol. Er,
and that's not a radio either.
Well, what is it? A police scanner.
You listen in to the cops?
Where do you get these?
This one I made myself.
It's just a hobby.
What are you, an evil criminal genius?
I don't know about the "evil' part.
Yeah, well, turn it on.
Any other units in the vicinity?
Approach with caution.
Offenders may be armed.
Far out!
Caufield 206. We can attend.
We're only a minute aw ay.
Maybe I'll let you fuck me after all.
Shocking resolution, Pete.
You really need a new
lens on that thing. David.
This is my friend Brian.
Just got out of Pentridge. Armed robbery.
Pete's gonna put it on a T-shirt,
aren't ya? "My mate the stick-up man. "
It's hitting the capitalist
pigs where it hurts.
So, Pete, are you still looking for
three? I can do the lot for an even 1,500.
If it's the Ambassador, man, we're buying.
Wait, that's, what,
1,500 for three ounces?
1,800 for three, but I'm
doing you a special price.
600 Australian dollars
for one ounce of choof?
Man, I'm not about profit.
If you wanna turn on, I'm here to
help, but I've gotta cover costs.
You think 'cause I've been
inside I don't what shit's worth?
You think I'm a mug?
No, but if you're not interested,
there's plenty of people who are.
Yeah, smart-arse? What if
I put a bulet in your face?
No, Brian! Brian, no!
Cool it. Cool it, man.
Brian, alright, it's expensive, the
Ambassador, 'cause it's the shit, man.
Have a look.
Check it out
- it's fuly imported. From Nepal.
It's true. Yeah. David's hash
did come from the Far East -
the far-east Melbourne
suburb of Mooroolbark.
Where it was cooked up by
a dentist called Neville.
And those Sherpas do
come a bloody long way.
Sherpas.
Alright, fuck it.
I'll take the lot.
Patrick!
Hey! Hey!
What's happened?
Pricks have changed my locks.
They've locked me out of my
place. They've dumped all my stuff.
Who? The owner.
I was behind on my rent.
They said they put my cat out.
But Patrick never goes
out. He's an inside cat.
Now he's gone!
Hey...
I got you these.
Look, finding a cat's really easy.
You've just gotta think positive thoughts.
And, you know, wait till they get hungry.
Here, puss, puss!
Here, puss, puss, puss!
I've been late on my
rent before, but a year?
That's impressive!
Yeah, my dad used to pay it.
Then he decided he
wanted me living at home.
I told him to piss off, so he stopped.
Dads.
Mine's a Nazi too.
I mean, Mum left him when I
was a kid, but... thank Christ!
So, what, you never see him? Nuh.
Oh, Patrick, I presume!
Oh, my baby!
Patrick!
See? Positive thoughts, and the
universe gives you something good back.
Now, if you want, I can pick that
lock for you, lug your stuff back in.
Or just grab what you
need and move in with me.
Your choice.
Patrick's all I need.
I figured out who Carol McCoy is.
"The Getaway'. Ali MacGraw's character.
You guessed it!
Which makes you Steve McQueen.
I'll settle for that.
Smoking the Ambassador
at 500 bucks an ounce
meant that Brian Robards soon
needed to go back to work.
So he hooked up with his old prison buddy.
Benny O'Connell...
...notorious armed robber. Standover man and all
- round scumbag.
Together. These geniuses
knocked over Guthrie's Trading.
A major firearms importer.
Lifting nearly 300 shooters.
Whatever you want. They're going cheap.
Shit!
They're top bloody quality too.
I don't know, I'm still kinda stuck on
the whole "Make love, not war" thing.
Bulshit. Dealers need to tool up, mate.
Look, how about we do a
deal? What do they call it?
Contra. Do a contra.
Give us an ounce of smack, we'll
give you your choice of the shooters.
I didn't know you guys were dealing.
It's hard to make a living as a
counter-hopper these days, Dave.
Security screens, cameras.
Dye bombs in the cash bag.
Lot of guys we know are
checking out of the armed robs
and getting into your game instead.
Point is, you give us the
hammer, we can move it,
quick smart.
C'mon, Dave. The lady
likes the bang-bangs.
Don't ya, love?
Ohh, Clel!
Yeah!
So, what do you think?
I think that getting the
guns was an inspired idea.
You know what I mean.
Clel, are you aware... Yeah, more of that.
...that in most South-East Asian
countries, they hang drug smugglers?
They'd never catch us.
We're too smart. You're too smart.
Is that right?
You know it is.
We coud get out of this dump.
We coud have some real fun.
We have fun now.
Yeah.
There's ordinary fun
and there's super fun.
And I thought you were
a super fun kinda guy.
Michael's cousin's worked
in Manila for years.
I guess he coud give us
some contacts over there.
If we're buying smack, we shoud
buy big and make it worthwhile.
Oh, fuck! Ohh!
OK.
But we'll need money to do a run,
and if we buy big, even more money.
Then we'll have to get money, hey?
I coud never figure out if she
destroyed him or he destroyed her.
Either w ay. Bonnie and Clyde
were going to hell in a handcart.
David's in antiques, Dad.
Oh, yes?
A lot of the boys from the
auction houses eat here.
Who are you with?
I have my own business.
We're small. Boutique stuff.
Still, I might have heard of it.
Kilo Imports.
Like I said, it's boutique.
So, Dad, David's business
is doing really well.
And he's got a great
opportunity to expand into Asia.
The problem is he needs some
capital to make it happen.
Oh, "capital'.
You mean money.
I know it's forward, Mr Vigano,
but Clelia said you were looking
for business opportunities.
Sorry. No.
I'm in the food business,
not whatever it is that you are into.
But if you want to open a
restaurant, then give me a yell.
Jesus, I shoud have known it.
Clel, just wait. That's a
very generous offer, Mr Vigano.
I've always been interested
in hospitality. What?
Are you insane? Bella, please...
No, if you don't wanna
help me, Dad, it's fine,
because we don't need your fucking money.
Clel, cool it.
And, you know, six months from now,
I'm gonna walk into your
shitty little restaurant
wearing diamonds that
we paid for ourselves.
And I'm going to tell you to
shove your money up your arse.
Come on.
One thing I'd say about David
- the bastard loved a challenge.
If at first you don't succeed.
Try. try and try again.
Which is how he came to meet the biggest prick in South
- East Asia.
So, that guy used to be
in the House of Lords?
Yeah. He's also meant to
be a very fine bongo player.
Yes?
Lord Tony, David McMillan.
And this is Clelia Vigano.
Ah, look, I'm terribly sorry, but
we already have plenty of strippers.
Oh, unless she can do that
thing with the ping pong ball.
No, you see
- we're friends of Vanessa Sulivan's, from the embassy.
I think she mentioned me to you. Her
cousin, Michael, is my business partner.
Uh... I have no memory of it,
but if you must talk business,
then come into my office.
Oh, um... not the stripper.
Oh, righto. We're fucking outta here.
No, Clel. Come on.
We've sunk too much money into this.
Come on. Just have a drink.
One drink. I'll be a minute, OK?
Cannabis? Heroin.
I've got orders for 5kg.
I coud put down 50% of the price up front.
50%? Mm-hm.
So, you expect someone else
to give you the rest on credit?
I was hoping you might be
able to recommend someone
who was, you know, agreeable.
So, essentially, you're asking me
to act as guarantor on the balance.
Even though I've never met you.
Well, that's what the
introduction from Vanessa Sulivan
was supposed to be about.
Alright.
Well, I think you need to know something.
David,
I'm a law-abiding supporter
of the Marcos regime.
And everything that you've
just said has been recorded.
Alright. Look, I'm sorry, I got it wrong.
I also have a very good relationship
with the Australian police.
Now, I want the names of
your accomplices in Australia.
They hang drug smugglers
here, don't you know?
Fine. Turn me in. Do whatever you
fucking want. I'm denying everything.
Are you refusing to give me names, boy?
Yeah, I am.
That's the spirit!
The look on your face is priceless!
I do hope you won't
need a change of pants!
You fucking prick! Yes,
I certainly am that.
Chin-chin.
It's not what you know that matters.
It's whose arse you're willing to kiss.
Anyw ay. that's how David and the little
princess stepped up to the big time.
Within a few months. they'd built a mutimillion
- dollar heroin empire.
And you know what they say
- nothing ex ceeds like ex cess.
Look what I found!
House is in the name
of David Clyde Westlake.
Hmm. He got form?
He doesn't exist.
Hmm.
I wrote down the regos
of the cars he drives.
All different names.
All bulshit, if you ask me.
It doesn't make him a drug dealer.
They're off their heads half the time.
They were out the back this
morning, 5am, semi-naked.
You're watching the place at 5am?
Boss, maybe you shoud ask Grace for a Bex.
He's bringing in cars, furniture, a boat.
Maybe he's got a rich daddy.
Maybe he won the lottery.
No, no, no, no.
There's something smells
about that bastard.
Alright, boss. If it makes you
happy, I'll see what we can turn up.
Good.
And that's how I came into the story.
You know what? I wish I'd
taken a sickie that day.
Anyw ay. We knew what this rooster
looked like. Where he lived.
Even what he had for tea.
But we didn't know his name.
God. Ignorance is bliss.
Did you go to the footy on Saturday?
Uh, no. No, I didn't.
Yeah, me and the fella
went. Blues vs Demons.
What an absolute ripper.
We were well behind in the third quarter,
and then Jesauenko just
takes this bloody screamer.
Turned the game around and...
Um, I'm from Brisbane, so...
...I don't really follow it.
Yeah, right.
Sure he's in there?
Been quiet for a fair while.
Patience, sweetheart. Alright?
You wanna get anywhere as a
detective, patience is everything.
Sorry I was gone so long.
But I got you something to eat,
tide you over till knock-off.
I hope you both wanted tomato sauce.
Yeah. No, thanks.
Oh, well. I'll see you tomorrow, eh?
Jesus, I'm really hungry now.
No!
That good, is it? Yeah.
Happy for ya. No. Ta.
More for me.
So, he's a man of mystery, is he?
Well, we're still working on an ID,
but there's no direct
evidence of villainy as yet.
Mostly because we keep losing him.
I put you on a two-bit
suburban dope dealer
and you can't even tail the bastard.
Well, he's slippery, boss.
So you've been sitting there
a week, blowing my budget,
and got bugger all
- is that what you're telling me?
No, we, uh... know that
he lives with this one.
So far no luck ID'ing her yet either.
He's also got two reguar visitors.
That joker there, that's Michael Sulivan.
He actually rents a flat in his own name.
Convictions? Uh, possession. Marijuana.
Four years ago. Piddling otherwise.
Preliminary enquiries among
St Kilda-based informants
have so far come up blank.
It's a bunch of nobodies.
Do we forget it?
We coud turn the house over,
take a punt, see what we find.
If he's even got half a brain,
I doubt very much he's gonna
leave incriminating merchandise
just lying around the house.
Honey, I'm home!
Got dinner for the cat
- coq au vin.
Hold the garlic.
Pussy, yum-yum!
Looks like our copper mates have gone.
Good. I hope so.
It's been freaking me out having the
man sitting out the front all day.
I like it. Makes me feel
safe from the baddies.
So, David, we're all wondering -
what is this thing?
It's a canning machine.
I picked it up cheap.
What are we gonna do
with a canning machine?
Can stuff. Eh, makes sense.
Since detectives Plod and
Flatfoot have pissed off,
I might do the deliveries.
Oh! Oh!
Deliveries?
My favourite!
No, it's on hold.
Eh?
They picked Bri up for the
Guthrie's fucking Trade job.
Puts us all in the shit.
But we didn't have anything
to do with Guthrie's.
You ever heard of
receiving stolen firearms?
Brian's solid. He's done time before.
Yeah, he's also put a whole lot
of smack in his arm since then,
and the thing about junkies
is once they start yapping,
it's hard to make them fucking stop.
Where is he? He's in the
City Watch House right now.
After that I got no idea.
Why don't we bust him out?
Jesus, this ain't Tombstone, love.
Well, why not, eh?
We're smart and the police are dumb.
Right? He's in the City Watch House.
There's more coppers in there
than in a knock shop on pay day.
What if he wasn't in the
Watch House? What do you mean?
What did I say about
David and a challenge?
He had money. He had a
whole bunch of crazy ideas.
And Benny O'Connell had
the criminal contacts.
So anything was possible.
Have a guess what that is.
No. Not drugs.
Industrial
- strength cleaning product.
Enough to make Brian vomit blood.
And vomiting blood
- well. it's enough to get you transferred to a hospital.
Hands on your head, now!
Now, or I shoot.
You too. On your head.
Look out!
Hey, you! Stop there!
Fuck. I cannot believe
you talked me into this.
You know we're all
gonna go to jail. Relax.
Clel knows what she's
doing. Hah! Yeah, Clel.
"Clel knows what she's doing. "
Drive. Drive! Drive!
Where's Brian? He got his face blown off.
And they're after me. Go, go, go!
Is he dead? Who?
Brian! No.
Oh, he coud be. He didn't look real good.
Fuck, you shoud've heard
the sound he was making.
At least if he's dead
he can't talk, eh, Dave?
Whoo! Ohh!
Clel, you alright? Oh. Oh, my God!
I've never had a buzz like
that in my entire life.
Mad, mad bitch.
Told you it was a bloody stupid idea.
Here we are, no worse
for wear. Oh, so far!
Oh, come inside and have a
beer. Don't touch me, alright?
Hey, hey, hey, hey. Don't think I won't.
You need to fucking man up,
that's what you need to fucking do.
Just get inside, please. Tart!
Jack didn't know David from Adam.
But he sure as hell knew Benny O'Connell.
And that gave us the in we needed.
Our fizz confirms that Benny O'Connell's
been dealing heroin in a big way.
Now, Benny's supplier
goes by the name Westlake,
sometimes Reyne and a
bunch of other things,
but his real name's David Peter McMillan.
This fizz of yours
- he ever deal directly with McMillan?
Well, he's not my fizz, boss. He's...
No direct contact as yet, boss.
My informant reckons McMillan's
pretty carefu who he mixes with.
David McMillan.
I know that name. Do I know that name?
Channel 9 News. Late '60s.
They had a kids' segment.
The smarmy little prick
with a plum in his mouth?
Yeah.
Jesus!
Yeah, up until a year ago,
he was strictly small-time -
moved a bit of hash, passed
the occasional dodgy cheque,
conned the occasional old
lady out of her savings,
but from what we're hearing,
he's now one of the biggest
heroin importers in the state.
And until a couple of weeks ago,
we'd never even heard of him.
Well, we've heard of him now.
Eh?
Look at the cocky little bugger-
man of a thousand faces.
See. The thing was he had no record.
He wasn't part of the criminal mainstream.
So from a copper's point
of view. He was invisible.
He coud come and go to Bangkok
whenever he bloody well liked.
Without raising a flag.
G'day. Hello, mate.
Thought you might like a burger.
Actually, maybe not. You'll
probably eat on the plane, yeah?
But with my blokes
breathing down his neck...
Hooroo. Bon voyage, mate.
...well. He had to do a
bit of a rethink. Didn't he?
So I ended up working for
this slum landlord.
Now, he had trained this
enormous fucking Alsatian
to soil the beds of defauting tenants.
You know, it was all well and good
until one day, the hound was
inadvertently given the command
while we were still in my Roller!
And he shat all over the shammy!
And I resolved in that moment
never to take paid employment again.
You're so rude, Tony!
I absolutely love it.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm
just going to powder my nose.
Looks like I need to pee too.
My lovely ladies, you shall be missed!
David, I heard some rather
disquieting news while I was in Sydney.
Apparently I'm to be named by the
royal commission into drug trafficking
as a person of interest.
I've always been discreet. Oh, really?
I heard the police have started
an entire fucking task force
for the sole purpose of catching you.
You can't take that seriously.
They're a bunch of knuckle-walkers.
Well, I'm sorry, David, but I intend
to warn off my contacts in Bangkok.
Well, they're not your contacts, Tony.
I'm the one who pays them.
You just take a fat commission.
Fine.
Then I shall simply appraise them of
your situation vis-a-vis the police
and allow them to make their own decision.
You pompous prick.
Ah, here come the girls.
Let's forget this nasty
little incident, shall we,
and enjoy the remainder of our evening?
Clellie says that she and
David will need an early night,
but if you'd like an
after-dinner drink, Tony,
you're welcome to come back to my place.
Do you know, that is an
absolutely tip-top suggestion.
But sadly, I have a very
early flight to catch.
And I'm afraid I'm
going to have to decline.
The drinks are on me.
No, no. Really, I insist.
I'm paying for the fucking bill, alright?
Let's go. Good.
Come on, Mum.
What a joke.
What are you doing?
Where's the big stash?
Sold it.
What?
You sold my drugs? I gave
you a bag this morning.
Yeah, but that's fucking gone.
Then you've had too much!
What?
You expect me to sit through
dinner with Lord fucking Monotone
and I can't even get
whacked at the end of it?
Moynihan is our best contact, OK?
And now I have to build
our whole set-up again!
Yeah, well, maybe dinner
woud have gone better
if you'd backed off on pimping
your geriatric mum to him.
Oh, get a bloody grip!
Fuck this!
Calm down, you. Get off me!
No. Calm down. I fucking hate you!
No, you don't. You've
bloody done this to me.
Calm down, OK? Fuck you!
I hate you! You don't hate me!
Hey. Hey. You don't hate me.
Do you?
Hey? I'll go and get you
something in a minute.
I'm always gonna look after you.
You know that, right?
Right?
This is a turn-around, man,
you scoring from me.
Things have been a bit
tight, you know? Supply-wise.
And you need someone who delivers.
Do you know someone who delivers?
Well, he's a a friend
of a friend, but, uh...
...I hear he's the best.
Great! Can you... can you hook me up?
But... Mate, you'll never get mentioned.
I promise you. You know you're safe.
What, not even to David?
I trust him and that, but you and me,
we've always been more simpatico, yeah?
Yeah. No, mate, of course.
You have my word.
You heard the name "Chowdury'?
He's your man.
And... welcome to Melbourne.
You've got a big rep, Chowder.
If we working together,
you call me "Hassan'.
Uh, Chowder, do you
want snags or just steak?
"Snags'?
Sausages.
Er, charred bags of fat and offal.
Fat and offal? He'll have a steak, Mike.
OK. We'll make an Aussie
out of you yet, Chowder.
Uh, I want to find one person here
to take my whole delivery.
Well, yeah, OK. How much?
Uh, six kilograms.
Man I go to now, he taking two month to sell
- too long.
Well, if you come to me, I'll move it all.
In one go. If the quality's high.
95% pure.
I bring for you sample. For present.
I think we can do business, Hassan.
Peter Howard. Small-time dope
dealer, recently graduated to heroin.
Selling Mr McMillan's wares, we think?
Maybe yes, maybe no,
but either way, a guy like that -
no record, nice family, good house...
We pick him up, he's gonna spill his guts.
Mr Howard?
Peter How ard gave up
everyone he coud think of.
He sang like a canary.
Chowdury. He's known to us, yes.
"Known to'
- as in, he's a priority?
We've got an informant
who links Chowdury to a bloke
by the name of David McMillan.
And you think if we get on
board with this McMillan thing,
there's a good chance
of us pinching Chowdury?
An excellent chance.
But we're gonna need resources.
The question for you is how
much do you want Chowdury?
McMillan on toast
- I coud smell a promotion in the air.
Can't believe she's so small,
so, sort of, serene!
Yeah, that's why we're calling her Clelia.
You're not! Yeah!
It's the loveliest name.
You wanna hold her? Oh, no.
Come on. No.
Come on, hold Clelia.
Aunty Clellie, come on.
You're more like family
than my family, so...
Just had confirmation -
Hassan's coming in tomorrow
night with our first delivery.
Oh, shit, David, I...
I am so, so sorry. I've really
dropped the ball on this one.
Oh, it's just business.
You've had a baby.
That's... transcendent, man.
Yeah.
Well, hey, listen, um...
Why don't I go and meet him at the
airport tomorrow? That way I can...
No, I think it's best we let him sit
in the hotel, just for a couple of days.
And just see what bobs up.
OK.
Word from Customs is that
his suitcase is clear,
but he's carrying two large cutlery cases
that didn't X-ray cleanly.
Cutlery cases, my arse!
Hello?
Uh, I'm here, but I
get trouble at airport.
It's better we
talk face-to-face.
Do you remember the place
where I taught you about snags?
Sure.
There. In one hour.
And no need to bring the steaks.
OK.
He's just organised a
rendezvous. I think with McMillan.
OK, he's out. He's
leaving in a taxi. Over.
Alright, get that phone off.
Everyone else,
we're gonna find those cutlery boxes, OK?
But remember, we want these
pricks to keep playing, OK?
So everything stays exactly
as Chowdury left it, alright?
The first step was to locate the heroin.
That was only half the job.
To catch David. We had to w
ait until he took possession.
Six runs.
I assume you can, er, seal that stuff up.
Unless he uses a magnifying
glass, he'll never pick it.
Then we've got him.
Something funny at the airport.
They pretend it's nothing,
but I know Customs.
It'll be Aries
- the task force that's on me.
Seems they've got Customs on board.
Task force? Why you not tell me this?
Look, it's all under control.
Do you understand?
The place where we're rendezvousing,
not even the trigger-happy
Vic Police will open fire.
OK?
OK.
There. There.
Nice wheels, David.
Aries 1. We have McMillan
driving a yellow Vee Dub Beetle.
He's parking outside the hospital.
Naughty, naughty.
You'll get a parking ticket there, mate.
Hello, Aries 1. Do you read me?
Aries 1, do you read me? Hello?
What's wrong with this thing?
Aries 1? Hello, Aries 1? Shit.
Try getting out of that one, you prick.
You know. I've asked
myself a million times -
if McMillan knew it was an ambush.
Why the hell did he w alk into it?
We're surrounded by
spooks, outside and in here.
Don't look.
Stand by, mate. Stand by.
Do you copy?
What we do?
Well, on the horn honk,
you hand me the bag.
Horn?
On the beep-beep, Hassan.
OK, er, beep-beep. And then?
You run like hell.
Run!
Move! Move, move!
Move, move!
My baby!
Holster that fucking weapon! Holster it.
Go that way!
Move, move!
Yeah, it is moving...
Go, Michael. Go!
Ah, shit. There go the drugs. Drive!
Use your horn, Tim. Use your bloody horn!
Go, go, go!
I was waiting for the word to
move, but I think my radio's dead.
No reception? Fuck.
Fuck, fuck!
I need you to find that
bitch with the pram.
Move it! Go!
Bonnie and Clyde 1. Task Force Aries 0.
Slow down, Hassan.
The way to go unnoticed is to
avoid doing anything noteworthy.
Anyway, the goodies have gone now.
Go, go, go, go!
No go, go, go.
We're waiting for Clel. What?
We can't let a lady walk while we drive.
Out, Chowder. You're in the back.
Out!
It turns out that Melbourne
Maternity's a radio black spot.
There's no reception except
at utra-low frequencies.
And no-one knew this.
McMillan did, obviously.
And the pursuit on the Yank tank?
Well, we were parked
blocking McMillan's Vee Dub,
but then a green car
came around the corner
and they threw the bags in...
You lost him.
That's all I need to
hear. The rest is bulshit.
Boss... Shut up.
Anything at McMillan's
Brighton house? Anything?
Well, we had the house under
surveillance the whole time,
but no-one's gone back there as yet.
By the time they do, the drugs
and Chowdury will be long gone.
So all you've got is a drill bit with a smear of smack on it
- is that right?
We coud pick up Chowdury at
Departures. We've got a flag up on him.
Well, maybe accidentally he's
packed a bloody banana, huh?
And we can get him on quarantine breaches.
Useless.
Right. Up until now, this
was about enforcing the law.
But after that bloody debacle, it's
about our pride as police officers.
Now, no-one makes me look stupid
and gets away with it. No-one, ever.
And as my team, I expect you
to take the same attitude.
Am I making myself clear?
Yes. Yes, boss.
Good.
Do you wanna taste this?
Nah, nah. Forget that.
I want you to fuck me.
No, wait. I wanna ask you something.
Clelia...
...woud you marry me?
Will you fuck me if I say yes?
Take this seriously.
Yeah, I will.
Yeah, I'll marry ya.
This represents the feminine
- water.
Ah, so you get to be fire.
Put your caudron on top of mine.
I put your fire out.
No
- together we created steam,
the union of fire and water.
"At this time, the couple may
speak of their journey in the Tao. "
Or just exchange rings.
I don't have a ring.
Oh, that's OK. I do.
Oh.
Wow!
Hey!
Babe, don't cry!
Hey!
I love you.
That's good. I love you too.
I heard you made a whole lot of
coppers look pretty fucking stupid.
I can't take all the credit.
You know, they're naturals.
You make an enemy of a
cop, they hold the grudge.
You're making more money than you
coud ever have dreamed of, Benny.
I'm sorry... what's the problem?
You're smart. You're a smart operator.
But you do take some stupid fucking risks.
You can't do what we
do without taking risks.
Yeah, but you enjoy 'em.
And those pussies you hang around with -
that fucking beanpole.
Michael's my friend. He's my best friend.
He's a junkie.
And chicks! I mean...
For Christ's sake, David.
Chicks, you can never trust.
I disagree.
Alright.
But just remember this.
If you fuck up, that affects
a whole lot of other people too
in all sorts of ways,
ways you can't even imagine.
I'll see you in a month.
Most blokes woud have pued their
heads in. but not our bloke.
He just started planning
Mr Chowdury's next drug run.
?? Oh. there is a place in my head
?? Where I go and no
- one knows
?? What I do when I'm there
?? And I think that they don't care
?? If I go. If I stay
Makes no difference...
Mr Singh woud fly from
Bangkok to Amsterdam...
...Mr Manni from Amsterdam to Perth...
So I say sound off! One. Two...
...Mr Khan from Perth to Sydney.
Sound off! Three. Four...
Thank you very much.
? Yes. I say sound off! ?? Five. Six!
Oh. You're gonna get your kicks...
And Mr Sy an woud take
a flight on to Canberra.
Then. finally. a bus to Melbourne.
Simple but brilliant. Right?
Wrong.
'Cause we'd been tracking the
bugger every step of the w ay.
We got him cold with 2 million
bucks worth of heroin in his bags.
Some days. You just w anna sing.
?? So I say sound off! ?? One. Two!
?? These boys are gonna come for you
Sound off...
Three. Four...
We'll be OK. Say absolutely
nothing and we'll be OK.
On your knees! On your knees.
Hands on your head, shitbag!
Get out of bed, now!
David McMillan and Clelia Vigano,
you are both under arrest on suspicion
of conspiracy to import and distribute
a prohibited narcotic, namely heroin.
What do you make of him, Kate?
Biggest smart-arse I've ever met.
Tickets on himself, obviously, but...
...I actually kinda like him.
Not like that.
We found this in Marie
Catilo's photo album.
Oh! Who's that, David?
Oh, that'd be me.
Mmm. My hair's a little longer.
Can you tell me who that is?
It's a familiar face.
But I'm not great with names.
Never heard of him. How about
you take a look at the photo?
Nuh.
So you're saying you don't know him?
I'm not saying anything. You get it?
Supahaus Chowdury.
According to Interpol, he's the number
one heroin smuggler in the world.
We picked him up today in Melbourne,
carrying six kilograms of pure heroin.
What a shock for Mr and Mrs Chowdury.
He looks like such a respectable lad.
You are going to face a
number of serious charges
related to this importation,
carrying a prison
sentence of up to 20 years.
Please... I just want my baby.
We understand that, Marie, and
the sooner you're finished here,
the sooner you'll get to see her, OK?
I feel sick.
Let's take a look at the
photo again, shall we?
What, just 'cause you've got
a snapshot of us with this Chowdury
guy, you're gonna lump us in with him?
The photo's just corroboration, Michael.
We've also had listening devices in all
your homes for a matter of months now.
And to make it nice and easy for
you, once you've listened to them,
then we can take a statement.
Things might go a bit easier for you.
My baby.
But we will only deal with one of you.
So it's first in, best dressed.
You understand that, Marie?
Naturally. I opposed bail.
So all four of them began a
long. Hard. Nasty stay in remand.
So, David, how do you like Pentridge?
Well, I always thought bluestone a
very underrated building material.
Mmm.
A lot of fellas who wind up
in here, it's easy to see why.
But that's not you.
Is it, David?
Your church, Father, has lots
of rues, lots of prohibitions.
I'm more about letting
people decide for themselves.
That's why I'm in here
- because I believe in freedom of choice.
I've also heard that you landed
your girlfriend in prison.
Now, that takes a rare form of stupidity.
Or is it worse than that?
Greed?
My father worked 12 hours a
day. Never saw the arsehole.
And so, in the end, my mother
left him, and rightfuly so.
Me, I look after my wife.
I walk around with a bag ful of money
- buy her whatever she wants.
If I work more than two hours a day,
it's because I'm stuck in traffic.
Hmm. Funny.
You don't seem the lazy type to me.
Quite the opposite.
It's not about lazy,
Father. It's about smart.
If you're done, er, I think I'm done.
David... Mm-hm.
...just remember -
you skid further on bulshit
than you do on gravel.
Hey! Hey, I need to talk to someone now!
I wanna fucking talk to someone!
What's the problem, Vigano?
This place is a disgrace.
It fucking stinks.
The dunny doesn't even work at all!
It's freezing cold, our blankets are wet.
My friend is sick. She
needs medical attention.
Oh, so you don't like your
accommodation, princess?
Don't you fucking
"princess' me, you bitch!
I have important friends.
When they hear about the
conditions in this shithole,
you are rooted!
You stuck-up little bitch!
You can forget your friends.
You can forget your job! Listen here.
You listen to me.
I'm the only one that
can help you in here,
and you just went to
the top of my shit list.
So shut it.
Do you understand what I'm saying?
You are dead, bitch!
For a spoilt little rich kid like Clelia.
Prison time was tough.
But for a nursing mother.
Well. it was a living nightmare.
So, what's the news?
Speak.
Man, the look on your
face is giving me an ucer.
Um...
Marie's giving a statement to the cops.
Against us.
We need to get a message to her.
No. No, David.
I'm the one who told her to do it.
I sent a message through my lawyer
telling her to say whatever she needed to.
Why woud you do that, Michael?
They offered her bail,
maybe even a reduced sentence.
Listen to me. Listen to me.
Their case against her, against all of us,
is the conspiracy to import.
Now, that doesn't stick unless
they can connect us to Chowdury.
The fucking photo isn't enough,
and that's all they've got right now.
Um, no, it's not.
What else have they got, Michael?
Well, do you remember
how they pinched Peter
Howard a few weeks back?
Yeah.
He's the one who put me
in touch with Chowdury.
Peter Howard knows our fucking business?
He'll sell us faster than
that shit dope he peddles.
Why didn't you tell me?
I'm sorry. Oh, fuck!
David, I'm... I'm sorry!
Mate, I... I got an
eight-week-old child.
Do you know what they do to babies
when their mothers go to prison?
I can't think about anything else.
I'm sorry.
It's alright, mate.
It's alright. It's OK.
We'll figure something out.
When am I getting outta here?
Well, I heard from your mate, Lord Tony.
Seems he wants to lend a hand.
He lives in the Philippines. What can
fucking Tony Moynihan do for me here?
He has contacts through
his old army regiment.
Seems some of them are guns for hire now,
and they have considerable
experience in, um...
...extricating people from
difficut circumstances.
How much does Moynihan want?
50 grand to get it rolling,
and then whatever it takes
to cover costs after that.
He offers himself as a consutant for free.
Oh.
Have you still got the
keys to my Brighton place?
Yeah.
Check the pantry.
And take a can opener.
FEEL' B Y LOVETONES)
?? It tears me up so much inside
?? These strange feelings I can't hide
What am I gonna do
What am I gonna do
Hmm!
Enter Captain Perciv
al Hole. Ex- S AS -
Lord Tony's old drinking buddy and.
More recently. commando for hire.
Help me up to the
penthouse suite, old man.
Company's picking up the
tab, so no need to scrimp.
Even David McMillan must have known
his chances of a helicopter
escape from Pentridge were slim.
But he still told Clelia to save
herself by dropping him in it.
"You must now give them a
statement implicating me.
"Go to town. Whatever it
takes to get your bail.
"Remember. We're smart and they're dumb.
"And the smart will alw ays win.
"All my love. Alw ays.
"David. "
Now, the prison tennis
court is, um... here. Right?
Out of range of the guard towers.
Plenty of room to land a helicopter.
"Plenty of room" is a tad rich, but
I agree the right man coud manage it.
I've located a drop-off
point well out of town.
There'll be a semi waiting
for you out the front.
He's dropping off some whitegoods
to Sydney. Yeah, it's totally legit.
And from there it's
onto the boat and away.
Alright, I like the plan.
Right. In terms of personnel...
I oughta be able to sort
some blokes for us, yeah.
Criminals, correct?
I'll use my military
contacts to recruit personnel.
I will also locate my own equipment.
The only thing I require is money.
Smart-arse prick.
Yeah, well, he's charging enough,
so I guess we have to follow his lead, eh?
This bust-out - what's
the go with them girls?
Well, they're in another prison, Benny.
Yeah, but McMillan's hardly gonna
leave his little darling in Fairlea
while he shoots off to Manila, is he?
Look, my understanding is that if
the girls get refused bail again,
that they'll be brokering a deal.
Wait - so those bitches have
been given the go-ahead to dog me?
There's no reason for
them to even mention you.
What if they do? Anyone
thought about that?
Is your army man gonna
come and rescue me too?
I don't know, alright?
It's not in the plan.
You tell McMillan if he fucks me,
I will fuck him harder
than he's ever been fucked.
And those two bitches,
they're gone and all.
You tell him!
You know what it is? It's persecution.
They're trying to break you down.
When I first got into this shithole,
they did the same bloody thing.
Don't worry, baby. I'm gonna
get you out of here, OK?
We gotta do something.
We need to force them to pay attention.
The girls' second bail hearing
was only a few days aw ay.
Now all they had to do was
sit tight. Play it cool.
Fairlea Women's Prison.
Described by Police
Association chief Tom Rippon
as a prisoner of w ar camp.
Last night. At 8: 19.
The remand dormitory. one of the
oldest buildings within the complex.
was alight end to end. And
women were trapped inside.
The funerals of two of the fire victims.
Marie Catilo and Clelia Vigano.
Are due to be held tomorrow.
Their de facto husbands are
both Pentridge prisoners.
They have applied for permission
to attend the burial service.
The minister has refused
on the grounds of security.
No
- one ever figured out ex actly what happened at Fairlea that day.
The theory was that Clelia started
the fire as some kind of protest.
But because it was suspicious.
David and Michael were transferred to the high
- security Jik a Jik a unit
for their own protection.
With the tomato-can
cash supply running low.
The old villain known as Lord Tony
managed to wring one last pay day
out of his mate. David McMillan.
For a fee, I coud give
you some information
about David McMillan's...
activities since being arrested.
That's well worth a flutter, I assure you.
Lord Tony's tip
- off about the escape plan
meant extra prison time
for David and Michael
on top of their conspiracy
to import sentences.
Now. Michael was soft. He did it hard.
And David?
Now that Bonnie was gone. Nothing
really mattered to Clyde anymore.
You were right.
I've wasted my life.
And worse, I've hurt all
these people that love me.
And what do you intend to do about it?
I wanna change.
I was hoping that you
might be able to help me.
All up. David got 17 years.
Pretty harsh by today's standards.
But I gotta hand it to him
- he took it on the chin.
In fact. He was a model prisoner.
So we're endorsing your
application for day leave.
I hope this is the first
step toward a new life.
They gave him day leave. Didn't mean
he got out of prison any earlier.
But it did mean he coud
go home on the weekends.
The first step to becoming
a usefu member of society.
You know, I've been calling round.
You woudn't believe the amount
of support you've been getting.
Tell them to send cash, not cheques.
You remember Daniel?
Property developer I had the fling with?
Well, he's selling
apartments off the plan.
Badly needs salesmen.
Real estate? Jeez, is
it really that desperate?
Don't be a choosy beggar, David.
Now, come and sit.
I'm terribly proud I've managed
to make this damn thing work.
First day at Channel 9.
Oh, my God, you were so handsome.
"Were"?
There's also that fella you were
in the hi-fi club with at school.
You know, the skinny redhead. Spot.
Yeah. Can't remember his real name.
Well, he's an editor
now at the "Fin Review'.
Said he'd take an article from you.
You know, your impressions
of how Melbourne's changed
in the last 10 years.
Rosie, you haven't had a
fling with Spot, I hope.
Your first radio licence.
The others were mostly five years
older, and you were smarter than the lot.
Oh... It's jammed.
Infernal thing!
Want me to fix it?
No.
Think I'll just get myself another drink.
"Summers of sparkly
grit on fumy sidew alks
"and the bright. Chill slap of winter
"were my 10-year-old memories
of Melbourne's inner core. "
"Fumy sidewalks"?
I thought it sounded poetic.
Real estate?
I don't know. Maybe something else.
Is that what you wanna do?
Hey, Mike!
Hey.
Oh, yeah. Hi.
Jesus Christ, David.
Are you crazy? I mean, they
coud be watching you, man.
Oh, come on, man. I
haven't slipped that much.
It's alright, mate.
There's no-one following me.
Hey!
Look, I'm getting things
going again like before.
But I need your help.
Inspector?
Inspector, sorry to bother you,
but I've got something here
that might interest you.
We pinched O'Connell a couple of weeks ago
holding an ounce of
speed already divvied up.
Open-and-shut traffic
amphetamine. And you let him run?
Yeah, he gave us names, mid-level
distributors, so we went with it.
Anyway, he comes in this morning
saying he's got something even better,
but he'll only talk to you.
Right.
Oh, g'day, Geoff.
Long time no see, eh?
The inspector's a busy man, so if
you've got something to say, spit it out.
This charge young
Katie's got me on here -
that's gonna be a third
offence for me, Inspector.
And there's no way I'm
doing a long stretch. No way.
What do you expect me
to do about it, Benny?
Well, a bloke like you
- a mover and a shaker.
I reckon you coud do a bloody lot.
If you wanted to.
Try me.
You remember David McMillan?
He's not your favourite bloke, is he?
What if I coud hand you McMillan -
get the prick on a big one?
I'd say you're tripping, Benny.
McMillan's already in prison.
Nah. Day release.
In fact, he's on a three-dayer right now.
And believe you me,
he is not spending his long
weekends going waterskiing.
So I can give you the
ful story, but firstly,
what are you gonna do for me?
Benny O'Connell
- heard he cut a deal.
That's not true. Well,
maybe yes, maybe no.
I mean, the smart move here
woud be to call things off.
Benny woudn't do it. He
and I go too far back.
What planet are you on, David?
Benny O'Connell hates your guts.
Mike, listen.
OK, 10 years ago, you trusted me to run
things and I put you all in the shit.
I think about that every
day, man, and I'm so sorry.
But believe me, I've learned my lesson.
And I'm never gonna let that happen again.
It's fine
- just, please, David,
let's just put the Bangkok run
on ice and pul our heads in a bit.
There's no need, man, alright?
Yeah, mate.
Alright, gentlemen.
Firstly, I wanna thank you for your
quick work on the McMillan investigation.
Seems that everything
O'Connell gave us checks out.
McMillan has been flying out
to Bangkok on a Friday night,
buying heroin, then making
it back to Melbourne in time
to cut the gear, distribute it,
and then check back into prison
first thing on a Monday morning.
Well, how is that possible?
See this?
Picked up on a raid on a well-known,
St Kilda-based heroin dealer.
Told us his supplier was a
bloke named Donald Westlake.
AKA David McMillan.
So far, McMillan's done small runs.
The word is he's got a big
one planned for this weekend.
We have him in custody right now, but
the problem is if we re-arrest him,
we can only get him on parole breaches.
Well, we coud let him run,
grab him on the way back into
the country, holding the gear.
No.
The decision we've taken
is that as the substantive offence
will take place on Thai soil,
the safest move is to alert our Thai
colleagues that McMillan's coming
and let them take it from there.
I'm sorry, boss, but they shoot
drug traffickers over there.
When you were in uniform,
did you ever have to attend
an underage heroin overdose?
Did you ever have to tell some parents
that their little girl had
killed herself on smack?
No. No, I didn't.
Right, then shut your
mouth. Any more questions?
Good. Back to work.
If you want me, just call
Michael. I'll be at his place.
Why?
He's had a container of
Scandinavian furniture come in -
it's lovely stuff
- and he needs it catalogued by Monday.
This parole thing... I mean, I thought
we'd be spending more time together.
We will spend more time
together, when I get back.
David... Mmm?
Why don't you stop?
What, give up show business?
Now, I'm gonna see you on Sunday night.
OK?
Mmm.
I love you.
My lovely Rose.
Airport, thanks, mate.
International alright,
mate? That's the one.
I've known a lot of crooks in my time.
The most dangerous are the ones who
don't give a damn if they live or die.
They generally wipe themselves out early.
But that wasn't our David.
So. What the hell was
he thinking that day.
W alking through a Thai
airport with a bag fu of drugs.
Knowing the cops were all over him?
Was he doing it for kicks?
Trying to prove a point?
Was it. I don't know. a death wish?
I'll leave that one to the head shrinkers.
Is there a problem?
Passport! I've already
shown my documents...
Let me guess
- caught smuggling drugs.
Only they weren't yours, huh?
So someone must have planted them on you.
Yeah, something like that.
Death sentence, then. 99% conviction rate.
You know, here,
they... they cane you
before they shoot you.
Talk about bloody overkill, huh?
My lawyer suggests I
confess, plead for clemency.
Then you get life instead.
You done time before?
A little.
Here's different.
It's better, if you can ignore
the filth and the disease
and the irrational violence.
Yes, I haven't seen much that I like.
Well, here, money talks, OK?
But don't get any ideas. No Westerner's
ever gotten out of here, man. Not one.
Christ on a bike!
Ohh, I've gotta shit!
Ohh!
That's the other thing that'll get you
- the food.
Oh, don't.
Don't do that. Don't!
I'II... I'll pay you!
Court case looming. A death
sentence at the end of it.
David knew the clock was ticking.
Hello?
Mum?
David?
I didn't expect to hear from you.
Rosie, I'm sorry I didn't call earlier.
So. Why are you calling now?
I know you don't have very
much, but I need money.
A little bit woud go a long way here.
Well. I'm broke. David.
) You know better than most.
OK. I understand.
And I really am sorry...
...that I've disappointed you so much.
You didn't disappoint me
- that's the thing.
You've done ex actly what I expected.
That's the awfu part.
I'll send whatever I can.
Thank you.
Sure enough. the old girl's money
soon arrived in his bank account
and Rosie's golden boy set about
improving his standard of living.
Got himself transferred to a better cell.
Ate better. Dressed better.
Even hired himself a manserv ant.
Hey, this one! It's got something.
And big bonus
- he was allowed to take up painting.
Which. of course. Involved
building picture frames.
In time. He received interesting
pack ages from old friends back home.
With David McMillan. Nothing
was ever ex actly what it seemed.
And he w aited until the
perfect night arrived.
When the conditions were just right...
...for a night when he launched
his most audacious plan of all.
Oh!
I know it's tempting to sound
the alarm, but believe me,
it'll be hard to enjoy your
reward with a bulet in your head.
It's too loud.
I paid a small fortune in radio privileges,
so I can have it as loud as I like.
Anyway, Pornvid's on night
duty. He's deaf as a post.
You gotta give him 10
outta 10 for ingenuity.
The boy from Caufield Grammar
had designed his picture frames
to bolt together into a ladder.
You alright? OK.
You're unbelievable.
Believe, Calvin.
Believe.
Uh...
Getting out of the cell was one thing.
But then he had to gamble on the guards.
He calcuated some woud be on meal
breaks. Some sleeping through their shift.
Others busy w atching Aussie porn
that he had thoughtfuy provided.
But still. all it woud take to
finish him was one pair of sharp eyes.
Shh, shh, shh.
Shh, shh.
Shh, shh.
David McMillan had a theory -
no escaping prisoner strolls
down the street under an umbrella.
And it seems the guards
thought the same thing.
Because in the end. He
simply w alked aw ay...
...becoming the first and only Westerner
ever to escape from the Bangkok Hilton.
Inspector, this just arrived addressed
to you, care of the Drug Squad.
It's a prison envelope. Klong Prem.
"Dear Inspector Leyland.
"I'd like to apologise for
all the trouble. Expense.
"And particuarly the embarrassment
"I've caused the Victoria
Police over the years.
"I trust that I won't trouble you again
"and I hope that your w ar
against drugs is soon won.
"Yours. David McMillan. "
McMillan eventually fled to Pakistan.
Where he set up a new
drug smuggling operation.
Once again he was caught.
Jailed. And once again he escaped.
Next he went to Europe. And guess what -
yep. He was convicted of drug trafficking.
Once in Denmark. Later in the UK.
Now he lives in London a free man.
Earning his living as a second
- hand furniture dealer.
He's safe from the Thai firing squad
because the Poms won't extradite people
to countries where they
face the death penalty.
And Australia?
Well. all he's done
here is breach parole...
...and break a few hearts.
Michael Suiv an stayed in
touch with David until 2001
when he died of leuk aemia.
Best mates to the end.
You coud say David McMillan
got aw ay with it all.
But that depends on how you look at it.
This has been my last night presenting
the Channel 9 Junior News buetin.
But I trust I'll see you all again soon
in some other great Channel 9 program.
Till then, cheerio and goodnight.
It's a jungle out there.
? Wild thing
You make my heart sing...
And now here's David with
Channel 9's Junior News buetin.
Space-mad kids round the country
stayed in and w atched their TV sets today
as the first broadcast
from. Apollo 7' went to air.
What a lot of kids don't
know about the mission
is Walter Schirra. Its commander.
Was a keen pilot even as a boy
and was already able to
fly his father's aeroplane
at the age of 15.
That's him
- David McMillan.
His daddy a w ar hero.
His mum a glamorous socialite.
It's a pity they didn't
bother to pu his pants down
and take a strap to the cheeky bugger.
The lesson from Captain Schirra is
if you want to achieve something,
start young.
He coud've been anything.
B y his 22nd birthday.
He'd made a million.
But it wasn't through honest sweat.
It was the white stuff
- heroin.
That's how come he wound up here.
The notorious Bangkok Hilton.
Facing a firing squad.
Beats me why Australia ever did
aw ay with the death penalty.
Woud've saved us all a hell of a lot
of trouble if we'd just strung him up.
Mind you. it woud have
meant catching him first.
And when it came to our David.
That turned out easier said than done.
It's a jungle out there.
What have we got here?
An Admiral bakelite radio.
1947. I collect them.
Hmm. Never known bakelite
to smell like that.
Resinous.
You're living in Caufield?
Where did you go to school?
Caufield Grammar.
It's just round the corner from my mum's.
Yeah, my nephew's just
started there. Good school?
Brilliant.
It's a good choice.
But I don't wanna be the
bloke who ruins your life.
Now, you get outta
here, and you remember -
this sort of nonsense, you
don't usually get second chances.
You think this little smart
- arse learned his lesson?
Bushit he did.
And get a bloody haircut.
It took more than a soft Customs officer
to transform David McMillan from golden boy to heroin
- dealing kingpin.
What you got on tonight, Clel? Ragin' out?
Yeah, maybe. Couple of guys from
Boys Next Door are having a party.
Oh, they've got that lead singer. Um...
Oh, what's his name again? Nick Cave.
Oh, God, he's so rootable.
Good luck to ya, love.
So, David, what are we thinking?
Layer it a bit? Maybe
short around the ears?
What do you think?
Well, 1972 was a great
year, but let's move on, eh?
Harsh words.
If I were you, I'd cut the
lot off and start from scratch.
Clelia!
Alright, let's go short.
Suit yourself.
Clelia, right?
Beautifu name.
So I've heard.
I was wondering if I coud buy you a
drink, say thank you for the advice.
You know, just 'cause you cut your hair,
doesn't mean I'm gonna let you fuck me.
So what woud it take?
Might see you around, then.
Rosie, where are ya?
Hi.
Reggie's left me.
Ah.
Well, I'm sorry.
You don't care. You never liked him.
Did like him. Just didn't trust him.
I shoud have seen it coming.
I asked him to buy me a car last week.
Mmm. He said yes far too quickly.
Come on, Mum. You did do quite
nicely out of poor old Reg.
Much better than
the other bloke you were shacked up with.
And I earned every cent of it.
That man had the most dreadfu halitosis.
Poor Rosie.
David...
I really do need a new car.
The Rover's blowing so much
smoke it's embarrassing.
That shoud cover a deposit.
So, how did you crack
an invite to this place?
I know these guys from school.
Oh, yeah? And you just
stayed in touch, huh?
Oh, not quite. You know, old school tie.
Let me get this straight
- we're crashing their party
and we're attempting to sell them drugs.
Yeah. You think that's gonna be a problem?
No. No, I don't. I'll see ya later.
Hey!
Clelia. Hey.
Oh, what a coincidence
- seeing you here.
Coincidence. Right.
So I hear you're a drug dealer.
I don't know whether to be
pleased that you asked after me
or annoyed that someone told you that.
Have you got any speed?
I'm a drug dealer, aren't I?
It's Dexedrine. 500mg.
I was about to say
- one's probably enough.
Do you have more of this stuff?
Yeah, as much as you want.
You can be...
...Carol McCoy.
Scripts! Mm-hm. With three repeats.
Carol suffers from narcolepsy,
in case the chemist asks.
So the real Carol
- is she your girlfriend?
There is no real Carol. Er,
and that's not a radio either.
Well, what is it? A police scanner.
You listen in to the cops?
Where do you get these?
This one I made myself.
It's just a hobby.
What are you, an evil criminal genius?
I don't know about the "evil' part.
Yeah, well, turn it on.
Any other units in the vicinity?
Approach with caution.
Offenders may be armed.
Far out!
Caufield 206. We can attend.
We're only a minute aw ay.
Maybe I'll let you fuck me after all.
Shocking resolution, Pete.
You really need a new
lens on that thing. David.
This is my friend Brian.
Just got out of Pentridge. Armed robbery.
Pete's gonna put it on a T-shirt,
aren't ya? "My mate the stick-up man. "
It's hitting the capitalist
pigs where it hurts.
So, Pete, are you still looking for
three? I can do the lot for an even 1,500.
If it's the Ambassador, man, we're buying.
Wait, that's, what,
1,500 for three ounces?
1,800 for three, but I'm
doing you a special price.
600 Australian dollars
for one ounce of choof?
Man, I'm not about profit.
If you wanna turn on, I'm here to
help, but I've gotta cover costs.
You think 'cause I've been
inside I don't what shit's worth?
You think I'm a mug?
No, but if you're not interested,
there's plenty of people who are.
Yeah, smart-arse? What if
I put a bulet in your face?
No, Brian! Brian, no!
Cool it. Cool it, man.
Brian, alright, it's expensive, the
Ambassador, 'cause it's the shit, man.
Have a look.
Check it out
- it's fuly imported. From Nepal.
It's true. Yeah. David's hash
did come from the Far East -
the far-east Melbourne
suburb of Mooroolbark.
Where it was cooked up by
a dentist called Neville.
And those Sherpas do
come a bloody long way.
Sherpas.
Alright, fuck it.
I'll take the lot.
Patrick!
Hey! Hey!
What's happened?
Pricks have changed my locks.
They've locked me out of my
place. They've dumped all my stuff.
Who? The owner.
I was behind on my rent.
They said they put my cat out.
But Patrick never goes
out. He's an inside cat.
Now he's gone!
Hey...
I got you these.
Look, finding a cat's really easy.
You've just gotta think positive thoughts.
And, you know, wait till they get hungry.
Here, puss, puss!
Here, puss, puss, puss!
I've been late on my
rent before, but a year?
That's impressive!
Yeah, my dad used to pay it.
Then he decided he
wanted me living at home.
I told him to piss off, so he stopped.
Dads.
Mine's a Nazi too.
I mean, Mum left him when I
was a kid, but... thank Christ!
So, what, you never see him? Nuh.
Oh, Patrick, I presume!
Oh, my baby!
Patrick!
See? Positive thoughts, and the
universe gives you something good back.
Now, if you want, I can pick that
lock for you, lug your stuff back in.
Or just grab what you
need and move in with me.
Your choice.
Patrick's all I need.
I figured out who Carol McCoy is.
"The Getaway'. Ali MacGraw's character.
You guessed it!
Which makes you Steve McQueen.
I'll settle for that.
Smoking the Ambassador
at 500 bucks an ounce
meant that Brian Robards soon
needed to go back to work.
So he hooked up with his old prison buddy.
Benny O'Connell...
...notorious armed robber. Standover man and all
- round scumbag.
Together. These geniuses
knocked over Guthrie's Trading.
A major firearms importer.
Lifting nearly 300 shooters.
Whatever you want. They're going cheap.
Shit!
They're top bloody quality too.
I don't know, I'm still kinda stuck on
the whole "Make love, not war" thing.
Bulshit. Dealers need to tool up, mate.
Look, how about we do a
deal? What do they call it?
Contra. Do a contra.
Give us an ounce of smack, we'll
give you your choice of the shooters.
I didn't know you guys were dealing.
It's hard to make a living as a
counter-hopper these days, Dave.
Security screens, cameras.
Dye bombs in the cash bag.
Lot of guys we know are
checking out of the armed robs
and getting into your game instead.
Point is, you give us the
hammer, we can move it,
quick smart.
C'mon, Dave. The lady
likes the bang-bangs.
Don't ya, love?
Ohh, Clel!
Yeah!
So, what do you think?
I think that getting the
guns was an inspired idea.
You know what I mean.
Clel, are you aware... Yeah, more of that.
...that in most South-East Asian
countries, they hang drug smugglers?
They'd never catch us.
We're too smart. You're too smart.
Is that right?
You know it is.
We coud get out of this dump.
We coud have some real fun.
We have fun now.
Yeah.
There's ordinary fun
and there's super fun.
And I thought you were
a super fun kinda guy.
Michael's cousin's worked
in Manila for years.
I guess he coud give us
some contacts over there.
If we're buying smack, we shoud
buy big and make it worthwhile.
Oh, fuck! Ohh!
OK.
But we'll need money to do a run,
and if we buy big, even more money.
Then we'll have to get money, hey?
I coud never figure out if she
destroyed him or he destroyed her.
Either w ay. Bonnie and Clyde
were going to hell in a handcart.
David's in antiques, Dad.
Oh, yes?
A lot of the boys from the
auction houses eat here.
Who are you with?
I have my own business.
We're small. Boutique stuff.
Still, I might have heard of it.
Kilo Imports.
Like I said, it's boutique.
So, Dad, David's business
is doing really well.
And he's got a great
opportunity to expand into Asia.
The problem is he needs some
capital to make it happen.
Oh, "capital'.
You mean money.
I know it's forward, Mr Vigano,
but Clelia said you were looking
for business opportunities.
Sorry. No.
I'm in the food business,
not whatever it is that you are into.
But if you want to open a
restaurant, then give me a yell.
Jesus, I shoud have known it.
Clel, just wait. That's a
very generous offer, Mr Vigano.
I've always been interested
in hospitality. What?
Are you insane? Bella, please...
No, if you don't wanna
help me, Dad, it's fine,
because we don't need your fucking money.
Clel, cool it.
And, you know, six months from now,
I'm gonna walk into your
shitty little restaurant
wearing diamonds that
we paid for ourselves.
And I'm going to tell you to
shove your money up your arse.
Come on.
One thing I'd say about David
- the bastard loved a challenge.
If at first you don't succeed.
Try. try and try again.
Which is how he came to meet the biggest prick in South
- East Asia.
So, that guy used to be
in the House of Lords?
Yeah. He's also meant to
be a very fine bongo player.
Yes?
Lord Tony, David McMillan.
And this is Clelia Vigano.
Ah, look, I'm terribly sorry, but
we already have plenty of strippers.
Oh, unless she can do that
thing with the ping pong ball.
No, you see
- we're friends of Vanessa Sulivan's, from the embassy.
I think she mentioned me to you. Her
cousin, Michael, is my business partner.
Uh... I have no memory of it,
but if you must talk business,
then come into my office.
Oh, um... not the stripper.
Oh, righto. We're fucking outta here.
No, Clel. Come on.
We've sunk too much money into this.
Come on. Just have a drink.
One drink. I'll be a minute, OK?
Cannabis? Heroin.
I've got orders for 5kg.
I coud put down 50% of the price up front.
50%? Mm-hm.
So, you expect someone else
to give you the rest on credit?
I was hoping you might be
able to recommend someone
who was, you know, agreeable.
So, essentially, you're asking me
to act as guarantor on the balance.
Even though I've never met you.
Well, that's what the
introduction from Vanessa Sulivan
was supposed to be about.
Alright.
Well, I think you need to know something.
David,
I'm a law-abiding supporter
of the Marcos regime.
And everything that you've
just said has been recorded.
Alright. Look, I'm sorry, I got it wrong.
I also have a very good relationship
with the Australian police.
Now, I want the names of
your accomplices in Australia.
They hang drug smugglers
here, don't you know?
Fine. Turn me in. Do whatever you
fucking want. I'm denying everything.
Are you refusing to give me names, boy?
Yeah, I am.
That's the spirit!
The look on your face is priceless!
I do hope you won't
need a change of pants!
You fucking prick! Yes,
I certainly am that.
Chin-chin.
It's not what you know that matters.
It's whose arse you're willing to kiss.
Anyw ay. that's how David and the little
princess stepped up to the big time.
Within a few months. they'd built a mutimillion
- dollar heroin empire.
And you know what they say
- nothing ex ceeds like ex cess.
Look what I found!
House is in the name
of David Clyde Westlake.
Hmm. He got form?
He doesn't exist.
Hmm.
I wrote down the regos
of the cars he drives.
All different names.
All bulshit, if you ask me.
It doesn't make him a drug dealer.
They're off their heads half the time.
They were out the back this
morning, 5am, semi-naked.
You're watching the place at 5am?
Boss, maybe you shoud ask Grace for a Bex.
He's bringing in cars, furniture, a boat.
Maybe he's got a rich daddy.
Maybe he won the lottery.
No, no, no, no.
There's something smells
about that bastard.
Alright, boss. If it makes you
happy, I'll see what we can turn up.
Good.
And that's how I came into the story.
You know what? I wish I'd
taken a sickie that day.
Anyw ay. We knew what this rooster
looked like. Where he lived.
Even what he had for tea.
But we didn't know his name.
God. Ignorance is bliss.
Did you go to the footy on Saturday?
Uh, no. No, I didn't.
Yeah, me and the fella
went. Blues vs Demons.
What an absolute ripper.
We were well behind in the third quarter,
and then Jesauenko just
takes this bloody screamer.
Turned the game around and...
Um, I'm from Brisbane, so...
...I don't really follow it.
Yeah, right.
Sure he's in there?
Been quiet for a fair while.
Patience, sweetheart. Alright?
You wanna get anywhere as a
detective, patience is everything.
Sorry I was gone so long.
But I got you something to eat,
tide you over till knock-off.
I hope you both wanted tomato sauce.
Yeah. No, thanks.
Oh, well. I'll see you tomorrow, eh?
Jesus, I'm really hungry now.
No!
That good, is it? Yeah.
Happy for ya. No. Ta.
More for me.
So, he's a man of mystery, is he?
Well, we're still working on an ID,
but there's no direct
evidence of villainy as yet.
Mostly because we keep losing him.
I put you on a two-bit
suburban dope dealer
and you can't even tail the bastard.
Well, he's slippery, boss.
So you've been sitting there
a week, blowing my budget,
and got bugger all
- is that what you're telling me?
No, we, uh... know that
he lives with this one.
So far no luck ID'ing her yet either.
He's also got two reguar visitors.
That joker there, that's Michael Sulivan.
He actually rents a flat in his own name.
Convictions? Uh, possession. Marijuana.
Four years ago. Piddling otherwise.
Preliminary enquiries among
St Kilda-based informants
have so far come up blank.
It's a bunch of nobodies.
Do we forget it?
We coud turn the house over,
take a punt, see what we find.
If he's even got half a brain,
I doubt very much he's gonna
leave incriminating merchandise
just lying around the house.
Honey, I'm home!
Got dinner for the cat
- coq au vin.
Hold the garlic.
Pussy, yum-yum!
Looks like our copper mates have gone.
Good. I hope so.
It's been freaking me out having the
man sitting out the front all day.
I like it. Makes me feel
safe from the baddies.
So, David, we're all wondering -
what is this thing?
It's a canning machine.
I picked it up cheap.
What are we gonna do
with a canning machine?
Can stuff. Eh, makes sense.
Since detectives Plod and
Flatfoot have pissed off,
I might do the deliveries.
Oh! Oh!
Deliveries?
My favourite!
No, it's on hold.
Eh?
They picked Bri up for the
Guthrie's fucking Trade job.
Puts us all in the shit.
But we didn't have anything
to do with Guthrie's.
You ever heard of
receiving stolen firearms?
Brian's solid. He's done time before.
Yeah, he's also put a whole lot
of smack in his arm since then,
and the thing about junkies
is once they start yapping,
it's hard to make them fucking stop.
Where is he? He's in the
City Watch House right now.
After that I got no idea.
Why don't we bust him out?
Jesus, this ain't Tombstone, love.
Well, why not, eh?
We're smart and the police are dumb.
Right? He's in the City Watch House.
There's more coppers in there
than in a knock shop on pay day.
What if he wasn't in the
Watch House? What do you mean?
What did I say about
David and a challenge?
He had money. He had a
whole bunch of crazy ideas.
And Benny O'Connell had
the criminal contacts.
So anything was possible.
Have a guess what that is.
No. Not drugs.
Industrial
- strength cleaning product.
Enough to make Brian vomit blood.
And vomiting blood
- well. it's enough to get you transferred to a hospital.
Hands on your head, now!
Now, or I shoot.
You too. On your head.
Look out!
Hey, you! Stop there!
Fuck. I cannot believe
you talked me into this.
You know we're all
gonna go to jail. Relax.
Clel knows what she's
doing. Hah! Yeah, Clel.
"Clel knows what she's doing. "
Drive. Drive! Drive!
Where's Brian? He got his face blown off.
And they're after me. Go, go, go!
Is he dead? Who?
Brian! No.
Oh, he coud be. He didn't look real good.
Fuck, you shoud've heard
the sound he was making.
At least if he's dead
he can't talk, eh, Dave?
Whoo! Ohh!
Clel, you alright? Oh. Oh, my God!
I've never had a buzz like
that in my entire life.
Mad, mad bitch.
Told you it was a bloody stupid idea.
Here we are, no worse
for wear. Oh, so far!
Oh, come inside and have a
beer. Don't touch me, alright?
Hey, hey, hey, hey. Don't think I won't.
You need to fucking man up,
that's what you need to fucking do.
Just get inside, please. Tart!
Jack didn't know David from Adam.
But he sure as hell knew Benny O'Connell.
And that gave us the in we needed.
Our fizz confirms that Benny O'Connell's
been dealing heroin in a big way.
Now, Benny's supplier
goes by the name Westlake,
sometimes Reyne and a
bunch of other things,
but his real name's David Peter McMillan.
This fizz of yours
- he ever deal directly with McMillan?
Well, he's not my fizz, boss. He's...
No direct contact as yet, boss.
My informant reckons McMillan's
pretty carefu who he mixes with.
David McMillan.
I know that name. Do I know that name?
Channel 9 News. Late '60s.
They had a kids' segment.
The smarmy little prick
with a plum in his mouth?
Yeah.
Jesus!
Yeah, up until a year ago,
he was strictly small-time -
moved a bit of hash, passed
the occasional dodgy cheque,
conned the occasional old
lady out of her savings,
but from what we're hearing,
he's now one of the biggest
heroin importers in the state.
And until a couple of weeks ago,
we'd never even heard of him.
Well, we've heard of him now.
Eh?
Look at the cocky little bugger-
man of a thousand faces.
See. The thing was he had no record.
He wasn't part of the criminal mainstream.
So from a copper's point
of view. He was invisible.
He coud come and go to Bangkok
whenever he bloody well liked.
Without raising a flag.
G'day. Hello, mate.
Thought you might like a burger.
Actually, maybe not. You'll
probably eat on the plane, yeah?
But with my blokes
breathing down his neck...
Hooroo. Bon voyage, mate.
...well. He had to do a
bit of a rethink. Didn't he?
So I ended up working for
this slum landlord.
Now, he had trained this
enormous fucking Alsatian
to soil the beds of defauting tenants.
You know, it was all well and good
until one day, the hound was
inadvertently given the command
while we were still in my Roller!
And he shat all over the shammy!
And I resolved in that moment
never to take paid employment again.
You're so rude, Tony!
I absolutely love it.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm
just going to powder my nose.
Looks like I need to pee too.
My lovely ladies, you shall be missed!
David, I heard some rather
disquieting news while I was in Sydney.
Apparently I'm to be named by the
royal commission into drug trafficking
as a person of interest.
I've always been discreet. Oh, really?
I heard the police have started
an entire fucking task force
for the sole purpose of catching you.
You can't take that seriously.
They're a bunch of knuckle-walkers.
Well, I'm sorry, David, but I intend
to warn off my contacts in Bangkok.
Well, they're not your contacts, Tony.
I'm the one who pays them.
You just take a fat commission.
Fine.
Then I shall simply appraise them of
your situation vis-a-vis the police
and allow them to make their own decision.
You pompous prick.
Ah, here come the girls.
Let's forget this nasty
little incident, shall we,
and enjoy the remainder of our evening?
Clellie says that she and
David will need an early night,
but if you'd like an
after-dinner drink, Tony,
you're welcome to come back to my place.
Do you know, that is an
absolutely tip-top suggestion.
But sadly, I have a very
early flight to catch.
And I'm afraid I'm
going to have to decline.
The drinks are on me.
No, no. Really, I insist.
I'm paying for the fucking bill, alright?
Let's go. Good.
Come on, Mum.
What a joke.
What are you doing?
Where's the big stash?
Sold it.
What?
You sold my drugs? I gave
you a bag this morning.
Yeah, but that's fucking gone.
Then you've had too much!
What?
You expect me to sit through
dinner with Lord fucking Monotone
and I can't even get
whacked at the end of it?
Moynihan is our best contact, OK?
And now I have to build
our whole set-up again!
Yeah, well, maybe dinner
woud have gone better
if you'd backed off on pimping
your geriatric mum to him.
Oh, get a bloody grip!
Fuck this!
Calm down, you. Get off me!
No. Calm down. I fucking hate you!
No, you don't. You've
bloody done this to me.
Calm down, OK? Fuck you!
I hate you! You don't hate me!
Hey. Hey. You don't hate me.
Do you?
Hey? I'll go and get you
something in a minute.
I'm always gonna look after you.
You know that, right?
Right?
This is a turn-around, man,
you scoring from me.
Things have been a bit
tight, you know? Supply-wise.
And you need someone who delivers.
Do you know someone who delivers?
Well, he's a a friend
of a friend, but, uh...
...I hear he's the best.
Great! Can you... can you hook me up?
But... Mate, you'll never get mentioned.
I promise you. You know you're safe.
What, not even to David?
I trust him and that, but you and me,
we've always been more simpatico, yeah?
Yeah. No, mate, of course.
You have my word.
You heard the name "Chowdury'?
He's your man.
And... welcome to Melbourne.
You've got a big rep, Chowder.
If we working together,
you call me "Hassan'.
Uh, Chowder, do you
want snags or just steak?
"Snags'?
Sausages.
Er, charred bags of fat and offal.
Fat and offal? He'll have a steak, Mike.
OK. We'll make an Aussie
out of you yet, Chowder.
Uh, I want to find one person here
to take my whole delivery.
Well, yeah, OK. How much?
Uh, six kilograms.
Man I go to now, he taking two month to sell
- too long.
Well, if you come to me, I'll move it all.
In one go. If the quality's high.
95% pure.
I bring for you sample. For present.
I think we can do business, Hassan.
Peter Howard. Small-time dope
dealer, recently graduated to heroin.
Selling Mr McMillan's wares, we think?
Maybe yes, maybe no,
but either way, a guy like that -
no record, nice family, good house...
We pick him up, he's gonna spill his guts.
Mr Howard?
Peter How ard gave up
everyone he coud think of.
He sang like a canary.
Chowdury. He's known to us, yes.
"Known to'
- as in, he's a priority?
We've got an informant
who links Chowdury to a bloke
by the name of David McMillan.
And you think if we get on
board with this McMillan thing,
there's a good chance
of us pinching Chowdury?
An excellent chance.
But we're gonna need resources.
The question for you is how
much do you want Chowdury?
McMillan on toast
- I coud smell a promotion in the air.
Can't believe she's so small,
so, sort of, serene!
Yeah, that's why we're calling her Clelia.
You're not! Yeah!
It's the loveliest name.
You wanna hold her? Oh, no.
Come on. No.
Come on, hold Clelia.
Aunty Clellie, come on.
You're more like family
than my family, so...
Just had confirmation -
Hassan's coming in tomorrow
night with our first delivery.
Oh, shit, David, I...
I am so, so sorry. I've really
dropped the ball on this one.
Oh, it's just business.
You've had a baby.
That's... transcendent, man.
Yeah.
Well, hey, listen, um...
Why don't I go and meet him at the
airport tomorrow? That way I can...
No, I think it's best we let him sit
in the hotel, just for a couple of days.
And just see what bobs up.
OK.
Word from Customs is that
his suitcase is clear,
but he's carrying two large cutlery cases
that didn't X-ray cleanly.
Cutlery cases, my arse!
Hello?
Uh, I'm here, but I
get trouble at airport.
It's better we
talk face-to-face.
Do you remember the place
where I taught you about snags?
Sure.
There. In one hour.
And no need to bring the steaks.
OK.
He's just organised a
rendezvous. I think with McMillan.
OK, he's out. He's
leaving in a taxi. Over.
Alright, get that phone off.
Everyone else,
we're gonna find those cutlery boxes, OK?
But remember, we want these
pricks to keep playing, OK?
So everything stays exactly
as Chowdury left it, alright?
The first step was to locate the heroin.
That was only half the job.
To catch David. We had to w
ait until he took possession.
Six runs.
I assume you can, er, seal that stuff up.
Unless he uses a magnifying
glass, he'll never pick it.
Then we've got him.
Something funny at the airport.
They pretend it's nothing,
but I know Customs.
It'll be Aries
- the task force that's on me.
Seems they've got Customs on board.
Task force? Why you not tell me this?
Look, it's all under control.
Do you understand?
The place where we're rendezvousing,
not even the trigger-happy
Vic Police will open fire.
OK?
OK.
There. There.
Nice wheels, David.
Aries 1. We have McMillan
driving a yellow Vee Dub Beetle.
He's parking outside the hospital.
Naughty, naughty.
You'll get a parking ticket there, mate.
Hello, Aries 1. Do you read me?
Aries 1, do you read me? Hello?
What's wrong with this thing?
Aries 1? Hello, Aries 1? Shit.
Try getting out of that one, you prick.
You know. I've asked
myself a million times -
if McMillan knew it was an ambush.
Why the hell did he w alk into it?
We're surrounded by
spooks, outside and in here.
Don't look.
Stand by, mate. Stand by.
Do you copy?
What we do?
Well, on the horn honk,
you hand me the bag.
Horn?
On the beep-beep, Hassan.
OK, er, beep-beep. And then?
You run like hell.
Run!
Move! Move, move!
Move, move!
My baby!
Holster that fucking weapon! Holster it.
Go that way!
Move, move!
Yeah, it is moving...
Go, Michael. Go!
Ah, shit. There go the drugs. Drive!
Use your horn, Tim. Use your bloody horn!
Go, go, go!
I was waiting for the word to
move, but I think my radio's dead.
No reception? Fuck.
Fuck, fuck!
I need you to find that
bitch with the pram.
Move it! Go!
Bonnie and Clyde 1. Task Force Aries 0.
Slow down, Hassan.
The way to go unnoticed is to
avoid doing anything noteworthy.
Anyway, the goodies have gone now.
Go, go, go, go!
No go, go, go.
We're waiting for Clel. What?
We can't let a lady walk while we drive.
Out, Chowder. You're in the back.
Out!
It turns out that Melbourne
Maternity's a radio black spot.
There's no reception except
at utra-low frequencies.
And no-one knew this.
McMillan did, obviously.
And the pursuit on the Yank tank?
Well, we were parked
blocking McMillan's Vee Dub,
but then a green car
came around the corner
and they threw the bags in...
You lost him.
That's all I need to
hear. The rest is bulshit.
Boss... Shut up.
Anything at McMillan's
Brighton house? Anything?
Well, we had the house under
surveillance the whole time,
but no-one's gone back there as yet.
By the time they do, the drugs
and Chowdury will be long gone.
So all you've got is a drill bit with a smear of smack on it
- is that right?
We coud pick up Chowdury at
Departures. We've got a flag up on him.
Well, maybe accidentally he's
packed a bloody banana, huh?
And we can get him on quarantine breaches.
Useless.
Right. Up until now, this
was about enforcing the law.
But after that bloody debacle, it's
about our pride as police officers.
Now, no-one makes me look stupid
and gets away with it. No-one, ever.
And as my team, I expect you
to take the same attitude.
Am I making myself clear?
Yes. Yes, boss.
Good.
Do you wanna taste this?
Nah, nah. Forget that.
I want you to fuck me.
No, wait. I wanna ask you something.
Clelia...
...woud you marry me?
Will you fuck me if I say yes?
Take this seriously.
Yeah, I will.
Yeah, I'll marry ya.
This represents the feminine
- water.
Ah, so you get to be fire.
Put your caudron on top of mine.
I put your fire out.
No
- together we created steam,
the union of fire and water.
"At this time, the couple may
speak of their journey in the Tao. "
Or just exchange rings.
I don't have a ring.
Oh, that's OK. I do.
Oh.
Wow!
Hey!
Babe, don't cry!
Hey!
I love you.
That's good. I love you too.
I heard you made a whole lot of
coppers look pretty fucking stupid.
I can't take all the credit.
You know, they're naturals.
You make an enemy of a
cop, they hold the grudge.
You're making more money than you
coud ever have dreamed of, Benny.
I'm sorry... what's the problem?
You're smart. You're a smart operator.
But you do take some stupid fucking risks.
You can't do what we
do without taking risks.
Yeah, but you enjoy 'em.
And those pussies you hang around with -
that fucking beanpole.
Michael's my friend. He's my best friend.
He's a junkie.
And chicks! I mean...
For Christ's sake, David.
Chicks, you can never trust.
I disagree.
Alright.
But just remember this.
If you fuck up, that affects
a whole lot of other people too
in all sorts of ways,
ways you can't even imagine.
I'll see you in a month.
Most blokes woud have pued their
heads in. but not our bloke.
He just started planning
Mr Chowdury's next drug run.
?? Oh. there is a place in my head
?? Where I go and no
- one knows
?? What I do when I'm there
?? And I think that they don't care
?? If I go. If I stay
Makes no difference...
Mr Singh woud fly from
Bangkok to Amsterdam...
...Mr Manni from Amsterdam to Perth...
So I say sound off! One. Two...
...Mr Khan from Perth to Sydney.
Sound off! Three. Four...
Thank you very much.
? Yes. I say sound off! ?? Five. Six!
Oh. You're gonna get your kicks...
And Mr Sy an woud take
a flight on to Canberra.
Then. finally. a bus to Melbourne.
Simple but brilliant. Right?
Wrong.
'Cause we'd been tracking the
bugger every step of the w ay.
We got him cold with 2 million
bucks worth of heroin in his bags.
Some days. You just w anna sing.
?? So I say sound off! ?? One. Two!
?? These boys are gonna come for you
Sound off...
Three. Four...
We'll be OK. Say absolutely
nothing and we'll be OK.
On your knees! On your knees.
Hands on your head, shitbag!
Get out of bed, now!
David McMillan and Clelia Vigano,
you are both under arrest on suspicion
of conspiracy to import and distribute
a prohibited narcotic, namely heroin.
What do you make of him, Kate?
Biggest smart-arse I've ever met.
Tickets on himself, obviously, but...
...I actually kinda like him.
Not like that.
We found this in Marie
Catilo's photo album.
Oh! Who's that, David?
Oh, that'd be me.
Mmm. My hair's a little longer.
Can you tell me who that is?
It's a familiar face.
But I'm not great with names.
Never heard of him. How about
you take a look at the photo?
Nuh.
So you're saying you don't know him?
I'm not saying anything. You get it?
Supahaus Chowdury.
According to Interpol, he's the number
one heroin smuggler in the world.
We picked him up today in Melbourne,
carrying six kilograms of pure heroin.
What a shock for Mr and Mrs Chowdury.
He looks like such a respectable lad.
You are going to face a
number of serious charges
related to this importation,
carrying a prison
sentence of up to 20 years.
Please... I just want my baby.
We understand that, Marie, and
the sooner you're finished here,
the sooner you'll get to see her, OK?
I feel sick.
Let's take a look at the
photo again, shall we?
What, just 'cause you've got
a snapshot of us with this Chowdury
guy, you're gonna lump us in with him?
The photo's just corroboration, Michael.
We've also had listening devices in all
your homes for a matter of months now.
And to make it nice and easy for
you, once you've listened to them,
then we can take a statement.
Things might go a bit easier for you.
My baby.
But we will only deal with one of you.
So it's first in, best dressed.
You understand that, Marie?
Naturally. I opposed bail.
So all four of them began a
long. Hard. Nasty stay in remand.
So, David, how do you like Pentridge?
Well, I always thought bluestone a
very underrated building material.
Mmm.
A lot of fellas who wind up
in here, it's easy to see why.
But that's not you.
Is it, David?
Your church, Father, has lots
of rues, lots of prohibitions.
I'm more about letting
people decide for themselves.
That's why I'm in here
- because I believe in freedom of choice.
I've also heard that you landed
your girlfriend in prison.
Now, that takes a rare form of stupidity.
Or is it worse than that?
Greed?
My father worked 12 hours a
day. Never saw the arsehole.
And so, in the end, my mother
left him, and rightfuly so.
Me, I look after my wife.
I walk around with a bag ful of money
- buy her whatever she wants.
If I work more than two hours a day,
it's because I'm stuck in traffic.
Hmm. Funny.
You don't seem the lazy type to me.
Quite the opposite.
It's not about lazy,
Father. It's about smart.
If you're done, er, I think I'm done.
David... Mm-hm.
...just remember -
you skid further on bulshit
than you do on gravel.
Hey! Hey, I need to talk to someone now!
I wanna fucking talk to someone!
What's the problem, Vigano?
This place is a disgrace.
It fucking stinks.
The dunny doesn't even work at all!
It's freezing cold, our blankets are wet.
My friend is sick. She
needs medical attention.
Oh, so you don't like your
accommodation, princess?
Don't you fucking
"princess' me, you bitch!
I have important friends.
When they hear about the
conditions in this shithole,
you are rooted!
You stuck-up little bitch!
You can forget your friends.
You can forget your job! Listen here.
You listen to me.
I'm the only one that
can help you in here,
and you just went to
the top of my shit list.
So shut it.
Do you understand what I'm saying?
You are dead, bitch!
For a spoilt little rich kid like Clelia.
Prison time was tough.
But for a nursing mother.
Well. it was a living nightmare.
So, what's the news?
Speak.
Man, the look on your
face is giving me an ucer.
Um...
Marie's giving a statement to the cops.
Against us.
We need to get a message to her.
No. No, David.
I'm the one who told her to do it.
I sent a message through my lawyer
telling her to say whatever she needed to.
Why woud you do that, Michael?
They offered her bail,
maybe even a reduced sentence.
Listen to me. Listen to me.
Their case against her, against all of us,
is the conspiracy to import.
Now, that doesn't stick unless
they can connect us to Chowdury.
The fucking photo isn't enough,
and that's all they've got right now.
Um, no, it's not.
What else have they got, Michael?
Well, do you remember
how they pinched Peter
Howard a few weeks back?
Yeah.
He's the one who put me
in touch with Chowdury.
Peter Howard knows our fucking business?
He'll sell us faster than
that shit dope he peddles.
Why didn't you tell me?
I'm sorry. Oh, fuck!
David, I'm... I'm sorry!
Mate, I... I got an
eight-week-old child.
Do you know what they do to babies
when their mothers go to prison?
I can't think about anything else.
I'm sorry.
It's alright, mate.
It's alright. It's OK.
We'll figure something out.
When am I getting outta here?
Well, I heard from your mate, Lord Tony.
Seems he wants to lend a hand.
He lives in the Philippines. What can
fucking Tony Moynihan do for me here?
He has contacts through
his old army regiment.
Seems some of them are guns for hire now,
and they have considerable
experience in, um...
...extricating people from
difficut circumstances.
How much does Moynihan want?
50 grand to get it rolling,
and then whatever it takes
to cover costs after that.
He offers himself as a consutant for free.
Oh.
Have you still got the
keys to my Brighton place?
Yeah.
Check the pantry.
And take a can opener.
FEEL' B Y LOVETONES)
?? It tears me up so much inside
?? These strange feelings I can't hide
What am I gonna do
What am I gonna do
Hmm!
Enter Captain Perciv
al Hole. Ex- S AS -
Lord Tony's old drinking buddy and.
More recently. commando for hire.
Help me up to the
penthouse suite, old man.
Company's picking up the
tab, so no need to scrimp.
Even David McMillan must have known
his chances of a helicopter
escape from Pentridge were slim.
But he still told Clelia to save
herself by dropping him in it.
"You must now give them a
statement implicating me.
"Go to town. Whatever it
takes to get your bail.
"Remember. We're smart and they're dumb.
"And the smart will alw ays win.
"All my love. Alw ays.
"David. "
Now, the prison tennis
court is, um... here. Right?
Out of range of the guard towers.
Plenty of room to land a helicopter.
"Plenty of room" is a tad rich, but
I agree the right man coud manage it.
I've located a drop-off
point well out of town.
There'll be a semi waiting
for you out the front.
He's dropping off some whitegoods
to Sydney. Yeah, it's totally legit.
And from there it's
onto the boat and away.
Alright, I like the plan.
Right. In terms of personnel...
I oughta be able to sort
some blokes for us, yeah.
Criminals, correct?
I'll use my military
contacts to recruit personnel.
I will also locate my own equipment.
The only thing I require is money.
Smart-arse prick.
Yeah, well, he's charging enough,
so I guess we have to follow his lead, eh?
This bust-out - what's
the go with them girls?
Well, they're in another prison, Benny.
Yeah, but McMillan's hardly gonna
leave his little darling in Fairlea
while he shoots off to Manila, is he?
Look, my understanding is that if
the girls get refused bail again,
that they'll be brokering a deal.
Wait - so those bitches have
been given the go-ahead to dog me?
There's no reason for
them to even mention you.
What if they do? Anyone
thought about that?
Is your army man gonna
come and rescue me too?
I don't know, alright?
It's not in the plan.
You tell McMillan if he fucks me,
I will fuck him harder
than he's ever been fucked.
And those two bitches,
they're gone and all.
You tell him!
You know what it is? It's persecution.
They're trying to break you down.
When I first got into this shithole,
they did the same bloody thing.
Don't worry, baby. I'm gonna
get you out of here, OK?
We gotta do something.
We need to force them to pay attention.
The girls' second bail hearing
was only a few days aw ay.
Now all they had to do was
sit tight. Play it cool.
Fairlea Women's Prison.
Described by Police
Association chief Tom Rippon
as a prisoner of w ar camp.
Last night. At 8: 19.
The remand dormitory. one of the
oldest buildings within the complex.
was alight end to end. And
women were trapped inside.
The funerals of two of the fire victims.
Marie Catilo and Clelia Vigano.
Are due to be held tomorrow.
Their de facto husbands are
both Pentridge prisoners.
They have applied for permission
to attend the burial service.
The minister has refused
on the grounds of security.
No
- one ever figured out ex actly what happened at Fairlea that day.
The theory was that Clelia started
the fire as some kind of protest.
But because it was suspicious.
David and Michael were transferred to the high
- security Jik a Jik a unit
for their own protection.
With the tomato-can
cash supply running low.
The old villain known as Lord Tony
managed to wring one last pay day
out of his mate. David McMillan.
For a fee, I coud give
you some information
about David McMillan's...
activities since being arrested.
That's well worth a flutter, I assure you.
Lord Tony's tip
- off about the escape plan
meant extra prison time
for David and Michael
on top of their conspiracy
to import sentences.
Now. Michael was soft. He did it hard.
And David?
Now that Bonnie was gone. Nothing
really mattered to Clyde anymore.
You were right.
I've wasted my life.
And worse, I've hurt all
these people that love me.
And what do you intend to do about it?
I wanna change.
I was hoping that you
might be able to help me.
All up. David got 17 years.
Pretty harsh by today's standards.
But I gotta hand it to him
- he took it on the chin.
In fact. He was a model prisoner.
So we're endorsing your
application for day leave.
I hope this is the first
step toward a new life.
They gave him day leave. Didn't mean
he got out of prison any earlier.
But it did mean he coud
go home on the weekends.
The first step to becoming
a usefu member of society.
You know, I've been calling round.
You woudn't believe the amount
of support you've been getting.
Tell them to send cash, not cheques.
You remember Daniel?
Property developer I had the fling with?
Well, he's selling
apartments off the plan.
Badly needs salesmen.
Real estate? Jeez, is
it really that desperate?
Don't be a choosy beggar, David.
Now, come and sit.
I'm terribly proud I've managed
to make this damn thing work.
First day at Channel 9.
Oh, my God, you were so handsome.
"Were"?
There's also that fella you were
in the hi-fi club with at school.
You know, the skinny redhead. Spot.
Yeah. Can't remember his real name.
Well, he's an editor
now at the "Fin Review'.
Said he'd take an article from you.
You know, your impressions
of how Melbourne's changed
in the last 10 years.
Rosie, you haven't had a
fling with Spot, I hope.
Your first radio licence.
The others were mostly five years
older, and you were smarter than the lot.
Oh... It's jammed.
Infernal thing!
Want me to fix it?
No.
Think I'll just get myself another drink.
"Summers of sparkly
grit on fumy sidew alks
"and the bright. Chill slap of winter
"were my 10-year-old memories
of Melbourne's inner core. "
"Fumy sidewalks"?
I thought it sounded poetic.
Real estate?
I don't know. Maybe something else.
Is that what you wanna do?
Hey, Mike!
Hey.
Oh, yeah. Hi.
Jesus Christ, David.
Are you crazy? I mean, they
coud be watching you, man.
Oh, come on, man. I
haven't slipped that much.
It's alright, mate.
There's no-one following me.
Hey!
Look, I'm getting things
going again like before.
But I need your help.
Inspector?
Inspector, sorry to bother you,
but I've got something here
that might interest you.
We pinched O'Connell a couple of weeks ago
holding an ounce of
speed already divvied up.
Open-and-shut traffic
amphetamine. And you let him run?
Yeah, he gave us names, mid-level
distributors, so we went with it.
Anyway, he comes in this morning
saying he's got something even better,
but he'll only talk to you.
Right.
Oh, g'day, Geoff.
Long time no see, eh?
The inspector's a busy man, so if
you've got something to say, spit it out.
This charge young
Katie's got me on here -
that's gonna be a third
offence for me, Inspector.
And there's no way I'm
doing a long stretch. No way.
What do you expect me
to do about it, Benny?
Well, a bloke like you
- a mover and a shaker.
I reckon you coud do a bloody lot.
If you wanted to.
Try me.
You remember David McMillan?
He's not your favourite bloke, is he?
What if I coud hand you McMillan -
get the prick on a big one?
I'd say you're tripping, Benny.
McMillan's already in prison.
Nah. Day release.
In fact, he's on a three-dayer right now.
And believe you me,
he is not spending his long
weekends going waterskiing.
So I can give you the
ful story, but firstly,
what are you gonna do for me?
Benny O'Connell
- heard he cut a deal.
That's not true. Well,
maybe yes, maybe no.
I mean, the smart move here
woud be to call things off.
Benny woudn't do it. He
and I go too far back.
What planet are you on, David?
Benny O'Connell hates your guts.
Mike, listen.
OK, 10 years ago, you trusted me to run
things and I put you all in the shit.
I think about that every
day, man, and I'm so sorry.
But believe me, I've learned my lesson.
And I'm never gonna let that happen again.
It's fine
- just, please, David,
let's just put the Bangkok run
on ice and pul our heads in a bit.
There's no need, man, alright?
Yeah, mate.
Alright, gentlemen.
Firstly, I wanna thank you for your
quick work on the McMillan investigation.
Seems that everything
O'Connell gave us checks out.
McMillan has been flying out
to Bangkok on a Friday night,
buying heroin, then making
it back to Melbourne in time
to cut the gear, distribute it,
and then check back into prison
first thing on a Monday morning.
Well, how is that possible?
See this?
Picked up on a raid on a well-known,
St Kilda-based heroin dealer.
Told us his supplier was a
bloke named Donald Westlake.
AKA David McMillan.
So far, McMillan's done small runs.
The word is he's got a big
one planned for this weekend.
We have him in custody right now, but
the problem is if we re-arrest him,
we can only get him on parole breaches.
Well, we coud let him run,
grab him on the way back into
the country, holding the gear.
No.
The decision we've taken
is that as the substantive offence
will take place on Thai soil,
the safest move is to alert our Thai
colleagues that McMillan's coming
and let them take it from there.
I'm sorry, boss, but they shoot
drug traffickers over there.
When you were in uniform,
did you ever have to attend
an underage heroin overdose?
Did you ever have to tell some parents
that their little girl had
killed herself on smack?
No. No, I didn't.
Right, then shut your
mouth. Any more questions?
Good. Back to work.
If you want me, just call
Michael. I'll be at his place.
Why?
He's had a container of
Scandinavian furniture come in -
it's lovely stuff
- and he needs it catalogued by Monday.
This parole thing... I mean, I thought
we'd be spending more time together.
We will spend more time
together, when I get back.
David... Mmm?
Why don't you stop?
What, give up show business?
Now, I'm gonna see you on Sunday night.
OK?
Mmm.
I love you.
My lovely Rose.
Airport, thanks, mate.
International alright,
mate? That's the one.
I've known a lot of crooks in my time.
The most dangerous are the ones who
don't give a damn if they live or die.
They generally wipe themselves out early.
But that wasn't our David.
So. What the hell was
he thinking that day.
W alking through a Thai
airport with a bag fu of drugs.
Knowing the cops were all over him?
Was he doing it for kicks?
Trying to prove a point?
Was it. I don't know. a death wish?
I'll leave that one to the head shrinkers.
Is there a problem?
Passport! I've already
shown my documents...
Let me guess
- caught smuggling drugs.
Only they weren't yours, huh?
So someone must have planted them on you.
Yeah, something like that.
Death sentence, then. 99% conviction rate.
You know, here,
they... they cane you
before they shoot you.
Talk about bloody overkill, huh?
My lawyer suggests I
confess, plead for clemency.
Then you get life instead.
You done time before?
A little.
Here's different.
It's better, if you can ignore
the filth and the disease
and the irrational violence.
Yes, I haven't seen much that I like.
Well, here, money talks, OK?
But don't get any ideas. No Westerner's
ever gotten out of here, man. Not one.
Christ on a bike!
Ohh, I've gotta shit!
Ohh!
That's the other thing that'll get you
- the food.
Oh, don't.
Don't do that. Don't!
I'II... I'll pay you!
Court case looming. A death
sentence at the end of it.
David knew the clock was ticking.
Hello?
Mum?
David?
I didn't expect to hear from you.
Rosie, I'm sorry I didn't call earlier.
So. Why are you calling now?
I know you don't have very
much, but I need money.
A little bit woud go a long way here.
Well. I'm broke. David.
) You know better than most.
OK. I understand.
And I really am sorry...
...that I've disappointed you so much.
You didn't disappoint me
- that's the thing.
You've done ex actly what I expected.
That's the awfu part.
I'll send whatever I can.
Thank you.
Sure enough. the old girl's money
soon arrived in his bank account
and Rosie's golden boy set about
improving his standard of living.
Got himself transferred to a better cell.
Ate better. Dressed better.
Even hired himself a manserv ant.
Hey, this one! It's got something.
And big bonus
- he was allowed to take up painting.
Which. of course. Involved
building picture frames.
In time. He received interesting
pack ages from old friends back home.
With David McMillan. Nothing
was ever ex actly what it seemed.
And he w aited until the
perfect night arrived.
When the conditions were just right...
...for a night when he launched
his most audacious plan of all.
Oh!
I know it's tempting to sound
the alarm, but believe me,
it'll be hard to enjoy your
reward with a bulet in your head.
It's too loud.
I paid a small fortune in radio privileges,
so I can have it as loud as I like.
Anyway, Pornvid's on night
duty. He's deaf as a post.
You gotta give him 10
outta 10 for ingenuity.
The boy from Caufield Grammar
had designed his picture frames
to bolt together into a ladder.
You alright? OK.
You're unbelievable.
Believe, Calvin.
Believe.
Uh...
Getting out of the cell was one thing.
But then he had to gamble on the guards.
He calcuated some woud be on meal
breaks. Some sleeping through their shift.
Others busy w atching Aussie porn
that he had thoughtfuy provided.
But still. all it woud take to
finish him was one pair of sharp eyes.
Shh, shh, shh.
Shh, shh.
Shh, shh.
David McMillan had a theory -
no escaping prisoner strolls
down the street under an umbrella.
And it seems the guards
thought the same thing.
Because in the end. He
simply w alked aw ay...
...becoming the first and only Westerner
ever to escape from the Bangkok Hilton.
Inspector, this just arrived addressed
to you, care of the Drug Squad.
It's a prison envelope. Klong Prem.
"Dear Inspector Leyland.
"I'd like to apologise for
all the trouble. Expense.
"And particuarly the embarrassment
"I've caused the Victoria
Police over the years.
"I trust that I won't trouble you again
"and I hope that your w ar
against drugs is soon won.
"Yours. David McMillan. "
McMillan eventually fled to Pakistan.
Where he set up a new
drug smuggling operation.
Once again he was caught.
Jailed. And once again he escaped.
Next he went to Europe. And guess what -
yep. He was convicted of drug trafficking.
Once in Denmark. Later in the UK.
Now he lives in London a free man.
Earning his living as a second
- hand furniture dealer.
He's safe from the Thai firing squad
because the Poms won't extradite people
to countries where they
face the death penalty.
And Australia?
Well. all he's done
here is breach parole...
...and break a few hearts.
Michael Suiv an stayed in
touch with David until 2001
when he died of leuk aemia.
Best mates to the end.
You coud say David McMillan
got aw ay with it all.
But that depends on how you look at it.
This has been my last night presenting
the Channel 9 Junior News buetin.
But I trust I'll see you all again soon
in some other great Channel 9 program.
Till then, cheerio and goodnight.
It's a jungle out there.