The Brokenwood Mysteries

Thanks again for doing this.

I had nothing better to do on a Sunday morning.

What's Missy up to?

Working.

Tough life for some.

I know you don't have any friends, so happy to help.

Hey, I have friends, all right.

They're all busy today and they told me they'd text me,

if their plans changed, so.

Why am I walking backwards? You go up first.

Here we go.

You do have a friend.

Shut up.

That can't be a coincidence, can it? Please, no.

Damn.

Damn.

This better be good, Aiken, I'm moving house today.

Sorry, something just didn't seem right.

I really hope this isn't just a heart attack.

Thanks, bye.

If I was to hazard a guess, which I never do,

I would say a heart attack.

Do you want me to give Aiken a bit of a slap?

No, no, allow me.

But what about the blood though?

The source of the heart attack?

How does that work?

Wouldn't you like to know?

Yes.

Two likely causes, firstly, I deduce that he stumbled,

falls heavily into the upturned chair leg

hitting his perineum, causing a sudden,

but violent shockwave up his artery

straight to his heart, bursting his atrium.

And what's your second theory?

That he was repeatedly kicked in the private parts

by a prostitute wearing steel-tipped cowboy boots.

This could cause the same injury.

That's a lot of deducing there, Gina.

If Mike was here, he would understand.

Where is Mike?

He's heading south on a road trip with Beth.

Why?

It's the weekend.

Somewhere nice, I hope.

Well, don't know about that, he's getting a divorce.

From Beth?

I didn't know they were married yet.

No, not from Beth, from his ex-wife.

My God, Mike is a bigamist?

No.

He's a Mormon?

No, no, he's just complicated.

Wait, Beth is going with Mike

to see his ex-wife for a divorce?

Is that a good idea?

Well, I bet she's asking herself

the same thing right about now.

Thankfully, I gave her my lucky charm,

it will keep her safe.

I can't believe I'm doing this.

Granted, it's not the most conventional arrangement.

After this is done, this whole idea of going back

to Tiraha Bay, have you thought about it?

It's a great opportunity.

Yeah, but you have to want it too.

I do, I actually do, change your pace, it's gonna be good.

You're absolutely sure that she wanted me to come?

I told you, she insisted.

Mike Shepherd.

Well, hello, stranger.

Tabatha.

Guess where I am.

You're, on the phone?

Yes, I'm on the phone, up a tree.

You're up a tree? - Well, it's the only place

I can get one of these God awful things to work around here.

Borrowed it off a neighbor.

You know how much I hate phones.

Well, at least you called.

I got your letter, eventually, thanks.

So you'll come?

Come where?

Well, here, silly, where else?

I can't drive all that way.

Why, work? Still always work, work, work, is it, Michael?

No, it's just- - Just come

and bring a copy of that stupid, bureaucratic thing

and I'll sign it for you and your new special friend.

Tabatha, it's an eight-hour drive,

why don't you just post it?

Just come and see me, Michael, one last time.

I'm with Beth now.

Well, bring her too.

What?

Bring her, I want to meet her

and I won't take no for an answer.

God, my ear is hot, is that normal?

How do you people live with these satanic things?

I'm going now, Michael.

I'll see you soon.

Michael.

Don't even think about it.

She sounds-

Eccentric?

I was gonna say interesting.

Ever so slightly scary.

She's not scary, she's just very principled.

Yeah, well, she's right about one thing, work, work, work.

I feel like we're off to slay the dragon.

It'll be fine.

Nancy Jacks?

Yes.

Detective Kristin Sims, Brokenwood C.I.B.

Would you mind if I came inside?

Yeah.

That's my husband.

I'll give you a moment.

You see what I see?

Well, no one sees things quite like you do, Gina.

Thank you, that is true.

I see she's wearing cowboy boots.

You think that-

Maybe a bit of marital hanky panky went too far?

And she left her husband to die?

You can have that one for free.

I'll keep it in a special place.

While we're on the surface

Let's swim away from this

My lover's ghost still exists

I know I can't go, but what else can I do

When all our love still persists

Mike bloody Shepherd, I don't believe this.

It's Marcus, isn't it?

Marcus Donovan, yeah.

Yes and this is Beth.

Hello.

Hello.

Marcus used to run several establishments in Brokenwood.

Indeed I did,

had a run of bad luck, you know,

so thought I'd up sticks and move eight hours south

to get away from it all, change of pace and all that

and look who shows up, Mike bloody Shepherd.

How the hell are you, buddy?

We're fine, thanks, Marcus.

No one died, did they?

That's not why we're here, no.

Good, well, you're number three, it's just down this way.

God, it's so good to see a familiar face down here.

Anyway, welcome to Lost Valley,

a great place to come to lose yourselves,

lose your troubles, or lose your mind.

No, seriously, I'll, um, I'll leave you to settle in.

If you did wanna hang out later,

do you know where to find me?

As I said, it can get a bit quiet around here.

Thanks, mate.

Very generous. - Thank you.

Could you give us directions to Fortitude Gully?

Why would you wanna head up there?

We're just visiting a friend.

Not Tabatha?

You know her?

Everyone knows Tabatha.

After the next valley, there's an access road

off to the left, cuts right through.

Good luck with that.

I'll get the bags.

Mike, I thought you'd still be on the road.

Left at four a.m., just arrived.

I want this to be a very quick visit.

I saw an alert on my phone about a call out

to the Brokenwood Motel.

Well, it's all in hand, unexplained death,

probably just a freak accident.

We're still waiting on the postmortem.

Well, keep me posted.

Mike, don't you have far more delicate matters

to attend to rather than to be worrying

about some unlucky bloke falling off his chair?

Still, if you need anything.

Which I'm sure we won't.

Happy divorce or whatever it is they say.

Huh, thanks.

Do you think it's a little weird that a man is found dead

in a motel less than 40 minutes from his home?

Yes, I do, which is why I broached it with his widow,

when I dropped her home.

We were just taking some time out,

been getting on each other's nerves.

About?

God, nothing, everything.

Money, bills,

life, kids.

How old are your kids?

Nine and 11.

Mum's just taken them for some ice cream.

Haven't told them yet.

So yeah, we argued and then he said he was heading over