The Killings at Parrish Station (2026) s01e02 Episode Script

1
So it's been 37 years
since the Parrish killings.
Mick?
This happened
while he was alive.
The more time
you spend with it
and the deeper you go,
the weirder it becomes.
And you have these two cops
at the centre of it,
Georgia Cooke
and Michael Thorne.
Four dead, one survivor
found. Kate Reynolds.
Mum, don't.
It sleepeth
in the darkness dead,
with hunger of unended years.
What's Callum Parrish
doing funding a radio telescope?
This is my facility.
This is my crime scene.
She's in a mental asylum, guys.
She went fuckin' crazy
and she's been in
a mental asylum for 37 years.
Someone's re-creating
the murders out at the station,
here in the city.
How about you help me
and I help you?
Hey, I wasn't too harsh about
Georgia Cooke and Kate Reynolds,
was I?
You were fine.
He's not, um
He's not gonna
take notes or anything.
And he's not gonna speak.
-What happened, Mum?
-Hmm?
Why is he here?
Oh, he's observing.
Because there was
another incident?
I wanted to access some files.
About the Parrish case?
Yes, about the Parrish case.
But there's no reason
they should be denying me.
You seemed to be doing better
the last time I came.
I am. I still am, Frank.
How are you? Are you still going
to your meetings with, um
-NA?
-Mm-hm.
Yes. It's good.
Do you have a sponsor? I hear
it's good to have a sponsor.
Not yet. I'm looking.
I spoke to a social worker
the other day.
And, uh, there's an option.
If you look at this.
Petition for Transfer
of Custody? What is this?
A magistrate
would have to agree,
but there's a chance they would,
and then I could be,
like the form says, transferred
into your custody.
What? What is it?
I just thought
we were gonna, you know,
celebrate my birthday.
Not this.
We are. We are, Frank.
I just thought that
while you were here,
I might just mention it.
It's just
I mean, we don't have to make
any decisions now. We
This is not great timing.
I'm getting so close.
I know I am.
What are you talking about, Mum?
There was more than one killer.
I'm sure of it.
And if I can
just get access to
Mum.
I
I can't.
I just can't do this.
Not anymore.
Frankie.
Frank!
Frank.
Have you seen Frankie?
Where did Frankie go?
Is she over here?
Oh!
Is she here?
No.
-Hey, Poppy?
-Yeah?
Have you seen Frankie?
No. No idea.
You know you've got
a possum on your back, though.
What? A possum?
Get it off!
You still OK to mind her today?
Yeah.
June and I are
going out to lunch,
but she can come with us.
You know she gets anxious
with people she doesn't know
very well.
Well, she's met June.
OK, righto. I'll cancel.
Hey, have you ever had anything
to do with Peter Carrick?
Yeah.
Piss-Your-Pants Pete.
Worked with him in the '60s.
Pissed his pants once.
-Mum.
-Oh, one second.
I had a conversation
with him yesterday.
God, how he got to be Deputy
Commissioner, God only knows.
Can we build
my Christmas present?
Yes, but not right now.
I'm on my way out.
Hey, what were you
talking to him about, love?
Oh, I had an altercation
with Callum Parrish.
-Callum Parrish?
-When, though?
-The son?
-Maybe tonight, sweetie.
Yeah, the son.
Not doing anything stupid,
are you, love?
I mean, these people,
they don't muck around.
Why can't we do it now?
Because I've got to
go to work, sweetie.
You ever dealt with
the Parrishes?
No.
No, but, hey, just be careful
whose nose you're getting up.
-Always.
-Mum.
Frankie, we're going
to make that tonight.
Are you going to talk
to the lady today?
Maybe. Is that OK?
There's something
wrong with her.
What's wrong with her?
She's got a dead thing in her.
It's dead, but it's growing.
Kate, I'm Dr Machen.
If you prefer,
you can call me Bob.
Can I call you Kate,
or or would you prefer
Dr Reynolds?
K Kate's fine.
This belonged to my father.
Would you like to see it?
The police think I killed them,
don't they?
I'm not from the police.
I'm a clinical psychologist.
You're here to assess me?
I'm here to talk to you.
Georgia, that thing that
sleeps in the darkness,
what Kate Reynolds said,
you thought it was a quote?
I found it.
I called some booksellers.
A lot of booksellers.
About 20 booksellers.
-It's from a book?
-Yeah. Old.
'Llangnall Tower'. About 1880s
or so. This guy has it.
I'm on the task force.
Did you know that?
Yeah,
I put you up for it.
Really? Thank you.
That means a lot, both
professionally and personally.
Don't make it weird.
Until we know more,
I don't want anyone
talking to the press, yeah?
And when I say that,
I do worry that you haven't
heard me correctly,
so let me rephrase it -
don't talk to the fucking press.
It's from a book.
I've had already
four of the major news outlets
from around the country
call me this morning.
It's been a real who's who
of who's a cock.
What the fuck are you
talking about?
Something you want to
share with the class?
We can press on? Alright.
Time for good news, bad news
with Forensics.
Over to you, Wendy.
OK. Um
So we're doing some tox screens
to see if there's
any evidence of poisoning
from the old
uranium mine tailings.
No results yet.
But we have located
Paul Edgars's fingers.
So that is all body parts
of all victims accounted for.
No applause?
Alright.
They were in the stomach
of Simon Lim,
our autopsied man.
Kate Reynolds made him
eat Paul Edgars's fingers?
I'm sorry, are we
ruling out any other suspects?
I mean, are we entirely
convinced it was Reynolds?
We remain suspicious
of the blood-covered woman
that attacked you with
a hammer yesterday, yeah.
Call it an old copper's hunch.
She's with the shrink now.
Until we get
that psych report back,
Reynolds is off-limits.
So, meantime, I want background.
Both parents are dead,
no siblings.
So that leaves ex-boyfriends,
uni mates, third cousins.
I don't care. We're building
a picture of this woman.
Now, Cooke, Mick,
I've got the fella from
the university coming out today.
I want you two to talk to him
about Reynolds.
Just see what you can see.
-Wend, you done?
-Yep.
Alright, you've got a lot
to get on with.
That's me telling you
to fuck off and do it.
So yesterday, you you had
what we call a panic attack.
-Is that right?
-It wasn't a panic attack.
Y-yes, I was panicked,
but that's because I
I feel better now.
Hmm.
I'm gonna say something
that might sound obvious. Um
Our brains are very good
at alerting us to danger.
What they're not so great at is
knowing when the danger
has passed.
It lingers,
that feeling.
So what I want to say to you is,
you're safe now.
This place is safe.
It's just you and me,
four walls and a door.
No, it's not safe here?
It's not just you and me here.
So what I want to know is
if there's an order
to these deaths.
We've got Clayton Wallace,
throat gouged, teeth removed.
That's our Gary Boyd.
And then Todd Finch,
face smashed, fingers cut off.
That's our Paul Edgars.
But do these new murders match
the order of deaths in '87?
I mean, there's nothing
in the Parrish case files
about the time of death.
I just realised I haven't
prepared a meal for myself
in 37 years.
Hmm.
Would you like me to
make you some toast?
No, that's OK.
Sorry, what were you saying?
The order of deaths in '87.
Oh, I don't know. I don't think
Forensics ever nailed it down.
You know this is, um,
quite important for me, yeah?
We've got
an active serial killer.
I want to see Frankie.
I know.
Now.
You don't want to maybe
work up to that?
Why?
Oh, I don't know.
You haven't seen each other
in nearly two decades.
Have you you worked out
what you're gonna say?
Have you found her or not?
Yes, I know where she is.
You're going to love this.
"For now we see through a glass
darkly, but then face to face."
"Now I know in part,
but then shall I know."
"Even as also I am known."
I don't mind telling you that
I have always struggled
with this one.
The Apostle Paul is saying here,
we can never really know God.
And there are days where
I feel that divine distance.
And to be honest with you,
it terrifies me.
It's a free service,
not a free-for-all.
-Can I take one of these?
-Oh, yes, here.
There you are.
Now, one dessert.
You get one dessert, then
there's enough for everyone.
You're the devil.
The devil!
You've come to me as a scarecrow
in the night,
but I know who you are,
you're the devil.
It's very good to know, Rosie.
Would you like the pasta salad
or the potato?
Give us a bit of both.
-Put that back.
-Oh
You waiting for something?
Oh, this is
a fucking terrible idea.
Georgia, we're here.
-No, I'm going.
-Excuse me?
Excuse me.
The line starts over here.
Mum?
Hey, poss.
Millie?
Mum, what are you doing here?
Give me the keys.
Give me the fucking keys now!
G'day, Frankie.
Millie, what is she doing here?
She's helping me with something.
What do you mean helping you
with something?
What can she be
helping you with?
It's a case. Don't worry
about it. It'll be good for her.
Good for her?
Millie, she can't
cope with this.
I don't know about that.
I guess we'll find out.
Hey. Oi!
Would you say
that went to plan or no?
So, listen.
We're still looking for
connections
between the victims.
And something will connect them.
I'm done. Take me back.
No. No, no.
That that's not
what we agreed.
I don't care what we agreed.
Take me back to Havenbrook now.
I pulled your record.
You've petitioned to
get out of that place
six times in the past decade.
The board has knocked you back
every time.
I worked my arse off
to get you out of there.
Now you're telling me you
wanna go back. Is that right?
-Can I see those for a minute?
-No.
Just give me a day.
One day, then decide.
There's something
I haven't told you about.
-Something I think
-Oh, well
Something I think
you should know.
Go on. Tell me now.
Look, it's much better
with slides and all that.
-Oh!
-Just come to the station.
Hear me out.
Then you can go back to licking
the windows at the funny farm.
You used to be nice.
Yeah?
You never were.
What the fuck?
Hello?
Fucking hell.
Oh.
Hello?
What the hell?
Hey.
Hey!
Why am I here?
Hey!
Fuck!
I'm not anybody. I'm nobody.
I am a fucking podcaster.
That's one rung below
cruise ship magician.
I'm nothing.
What the fuck is
Your colleague called ahead.
May I ask why the police
are interested
in a Welsh novel from the 1880s?
No.
Hmm.
'Llangnall Tower'.
The quote she mentioned.
"Blackthorne read it himself,
"and I was reminded of a man
"preparing to leap
into a frozen lake.
"Then, eyes still fixed on
the fire, he began to quote.
"'It sleepeth
in the darkness, dead.
"'With hunger of unended years,"
"'it bideth those
who dare to hear,"
"'and in this world
be born as flesh.'"
Does that sound right?
Yes.
Now, Blackthorne,
in this section,
is of course quoting
from another book.
'The Bone Gospel'.
'The Bone Gospel'?
Maybe you've heard of it?
No. Do you have a copy?
It doesn't exist.
But it's quoted in this book.
Writers like to pretend
it exists.
A mythic artefact,
scribed by a mad monk
in the 15th century.
He prayed to God
for divine inspiration.
Something else answers.
Spooky.
It's a literary game.
Poe, Chambers, Bierce.
They all ascribe quotes to it.
They make them up.
But it is interesting
where the idea sticks around.
Every now and again, a rumour
crops up that it's surfaced.
Found in a farmhouse in Lyon.
Bottom of a well in Baghdad.
It's all a fiction.
I'd like to take that.
Do you have $800?
It is a first edition.
I can come back with an order
from a magistrate.
You're welcome to do that.
Thank you for your time.
Judges 13:22.
What's that all about?
Excuse me?
You have an Old Testament verse
written in your notebook.
"We are doomed to die,"
Manoah said to his wife.
"For we have seen God."
Can you explain
what you mentioned earlier
when you said that
we're not alone here?
No.
Can't explain it.
Mm.
What are you writing?
You think I'm crazy.
What would that look like?
What would that
What would you know?
I don't think
you're crazy, Kate.
I think you're
a very intelligent woman,
who's experienced
something traumatic.
And not for the first time.
I saw in your files that you
had a near-death experience
when when you were younger.
So you'll know already
that when we suffer trauma,
uh, things can feel, um
Inexplicable.
This is inexplicable.
Why don't you try to explain?
There are things beneath.
Beneath what?
Everything.
And that's how you feel?
That's what I know.
I know that now.
Alright.
And I'm changing.
I can feel it.
Sorry, sorry, I know.
The uni guy, he still here?
Yeah, but listen.
Just got back from
the book dealer.
Fucking kook.
Did you find the quote?
I don't know, maybe.
It's complicated.
But this is a Bible verse
about dying because you saw God?
What the fuck is that doing in
a logbook at a research station?
Listen,
there's something that's
gonna piss you right off.
I just wanna get ahead of it.
Callum Parrish is here.
Owen here is utterly brilliant,
but I thought I might be able
to fill in some gaps.
Thank you for coming in today,
Dr Faine.
We understand that you run
the research project
from here in the city.
We wanted to get
a better understanding
of the personnel out there.
Specifically Kate Reynolds.
And we wanted to get
an understanding
of what it was
they were researching.
Do you have a scientific
background, Miss Cooke?
I don't.
Do you have a law enforcement
background, Mr Parrish?
Pulsars.
And what are they?
Uh, they're rotating
neutron stars.
Sort of, if you like,
cosmic lighthouses.
Does this symbol mean
something to you, Callum?
I beg your pardon?
I saw you looking at it just now
and I was wondering
if it means something to you.
Can it wait, Farah?
What is it?
I think I found something.
I've placed you.
You're Mick Thorne.
The cop from the business
out at Moorland.
Yeah, that's right.
Well
Well, how about that, Owen?
We're in the presence
of a celebrity.
Listen.
I understand that
I've upset your partner,
but this doesn't feel
particularly productive,
does it?
Seems to me like we're not
really getting anywhere.
I think she's
We're in early stages, just
getting a lay of the land.
Mm.
Do you like Scotch?
Good Scotch, I mean.
Uh
-Sure.
-Well, we should have a drink.
And a chat. About Kate Reynolds.
Why don't you come to
the house tonight?
How about we just
talk about it now?
Show them what you showed me.
So these are, um
Reports from the station.
That's right. The ones
you sent over yesterday.
There's a lot of,
you know, science stuff
that I don't understand.
But you see here,
in this column?
That's the transmission code.
And the letters
are the initials.
See? KR, PE, AS.
Kate Reynolds, Paul Edgars,
Anton Surkov.
But then there's 'RT' on about
a half a dozen of these
that doesn't match
any of the names.
So who's RT?
That would be Ray Tolliver.
Who's Ray Tolliver?
He's, uh
He's Uh
I'm asking him.
Ray Tolliver is an independent
researcher in the field.
He reached out to the Trust,
asking if he could use
the telescope, just for a month.
We assessed him as a serious
person and made arrangements.
And when was that?
Oh, it has no bearing
on this case.
He was extracted a week ago.
Why was he extracted?
Reading between the lines
I'd say he wasn't handling
the isolation very well.
It's not for everyone, is it?
Evidently.
Can you prove that
he wasn't there?
Oh, yeah.
We'd have flight logs,
wouldn't we, Owen?
Yes.
Of course.
Well, there we are.
There we are.
This is bullshit,
is what it is.
They covered it up.
They didn't mention it.
It's not the same thing.
There was a sixth scientist
out there, Mick.
Does that mean nothing?
It's not nothing, but
we don't even have an address
for this Tolliver guy, George.
That's not true.
What's not true?
We have an address.
He's in the system.
Possession of a controlled
substance in 1981.
Can't be too many
Raymond Tollivers.
Then we go and see Tolliver.
Now.
You got somewhere else to be?
I do, actually, yeah.
I've gotta follow up a lead
on Kate Reynolds.
Remember her? The woman
who almost killed you?
Our prime suspect?
Your prime suspect.
You coming?
Why do you do that?
Uh, with the pen.
I I noticed you also did that
with your breakfast.
You pull things apart.
Is that new?
Makes a kind of sense.
To see things this way.
In parts.
It's all anything really is.
Just parts.
Pretending to be whole.
Look, I I I don't know
if you can appreciate
I am trying, uh, to help you,
but I can't do that
if I don't understand.
Here. I think I can show you.
Can you see?
Oh!
I've got money. I've got, um
I've got c I've got cash.
I can get you money.
I can get you, um,
a hundred a hundred grand.
Fuck.
200
$200,000.
I can get you $200,000.
I just, um
I just need a computer
and 24 hours
and I can crowdfund for you
$200,000
any bank account you want, huh?
250 as a stretch goal.
What do you think?
Please. Just let me out.
Just let me out!
Please!
Oh, fuck.
Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck!
Oh, fuck.
No, no, no, no. Hey, listen!
Alright, so, uh
Layout's
basically the same.
Break room's through there.
Toilet's that way.
I mean, they still clog up
if you punish them.
Word to the wise.
Anyway, through here.
Ahh!
Georgia, this is Detective
Senior Constable Elle Hardy.
Elle, this is Georgia Cooke.
For the record,
I don't think
you should be here.
Hey, we both agree on that.
Off you go.
Alright. Tox screens came back
on Clayton Wallace.
Same as the first victim -
Propofol and siloxane.
Propofol?
-Propofol is an
-Anaesthetic.
Siloxane's a paralytic.
Why both?
Why paralysed and numbed?
Easier. Simpler.
The fingers, the teeth,
you wouldn't need to
restrain the victims.
Well, just paralyse them.
Why numb them as well?
It takes a bit of the fun
out of it, doesn't it?
No. Feels rote. Feels ritual.
Reluctant, maybe.
What were you gonna show me?
You want to do the honours?
Right, this is
Gary Boyd's mouth, 1987.
One tooth left.
And this is Clayton Wallace.
Three days ago.
All teeth removed, except
a third upper-right-hand molar.
Same as '87.
Yeah, well, I know what this is.
It's a copycat.
That's what copycats do.
You know how much publicly
available information
Go on.
This wasn't made public, was it?
The one tooth.
Never made it to press.
-Are you sure?
-Yeah.
So it's only
in our internal docs, yeah?
Which is why
I wanted to show you.
This isn't just anyone.
This is someone who was very
close to the '87 investigation.
What?
What?
What?!
You want me to open this box?
OK.
Just
Uh
Oh.
Oh.
Uh, Mick Thorne to see Callum
Parrish.
Michael Thorne.
Is he, uh
OK, we keep going for
another 30 k's and take a left.
I brought snacks.
You brought snacks?
Well, yeah. Do you want a chip?
No, thanks, Farah.
Actually, can I see those
for a sec?
I, uh, thought
if we went through one bottle,
couldn't hurt to have another.
I don't drink.
But I'm sure Brandy
can find you a glass.
Nah, all good.
All good.
So, Brandy
can she speak or what?
You know, it's never come up.
Don't sit down.
You wanted to tell me something
about Kate Reynolds?
No.
I'm troubled, Michael.
This whole thing,
this horrible business.
I think Owen
is troubled as well.
Owen Faine. You met him today.
OK.
The fact of it is
he's got a grudge.
And I think he wants to hurt me.
I've offered him money
for a research grant,
but I got the sense today
that he's unsteady.
Unstable, maybe.
And I need you
to set him straight.
Frankie's a cute kid.
You know, if Charlie does end up
getting the shits about this,
you can always say
I made you come, yeah?
I wanted to come.
Yeah, well, you've got
more stones than Mick.
What the fuck was he playing at?
My private line is on here.
Do you have a pager?
I'll need the number.
You know
I gotta admit, Callum,
this is all a little strange.
You invite me out here
for a Scotch,
then you tell me
you don't drink.
Now you're talking to me
like I work for you.
I think what we may have here,
as they say in the pictures,
is a failure to communicate.
I don't work for you.
Now,
I don't know how you got
that impression
You know,
I have a confession to make.
I told a fib earlier today
when I said I'd only just
recognised you from Moorland.
Uh-huh?
Truth is
I knew who you were before that.
I mean, it's such
an incredible story,
I expect
you're sick of telling it.
So do you mind if I do?
Go ahead.
A domestic abuse situation
escalates into a hostage crisis.
Michael Thorne,
the only one on the scene.
The man has a rifle.
Things go sour.
You charge in under fire
and shoot him.
But not before he shoots you.
Did you have a question?
Well, I do, Michael.
I do.
How many people,
besides you and I,
know that story
to be complete bullshit?
Shouldn't we call
for backup?
Mr Tolliver?
Ray?
It's the police.
All I'm asking you to do
is speak to Owen Faine.
The offer I made him
is generous.
What's he got on you?
I don't see how that's
any of your concern.
Is it to do with the killings?
He just needs to take the money.
Or you'll ruin my career.
Michael
I won't ruin your career.
I'll ruin your entire life.
Do you understand
how small you are?
Can you even comprehend
your place in all this?
I don't think you can.
'Cause if you could,
you'd go insane.
What I'm asking is not a lot.
But if even that's too much
for you to do, just let me know.
And I'll get on with
the business of burning
your life to the ground.
Mr Tolliver?
Dr Machen,
I thought you were gone.
You've got to be
shitting me. 'Llangnall Tower'.
Georgia?
Millie?
-Let her go!
-Fuck!
Let her go!
Millie, don't!
Let her go!