City Homicide

Oh, my God!

Look, please...

Don't... Don't hurt my...

Just... Just take whatever you want.

Please, don't... Don't hurt my family.

I'm begging you. Please don't...

G'day, Sarge.

Thought you might want to see this one up-front.

A multiple.

You ever seen "In Cold Blood'?

Single-barrel shotty.

Heavy-duty load.

This just doesn't make sense.

Why kill everyone?

They obviously got what they came for.

There has to have been more than one of them.

It'd be impossible to keep a whole family at gunpoint

while you tie them up.

What if they were forced to tie each other up?

Mmm. Yeah, maybe.

The boy's wrists -

they were tied in front of him, not behind.

And placed where he could see the TV.

A considerate killer.

The Deerborne family. What do we know about them?

The dad's a CEO

of a major stockbroking firm.

The mother's one of your socialiate types,

charity stuff and that kind of thing.

The daughter was a law student.

The boy was just...

...a kid.

The housekeeper?

Lived in. New.

Who found them?

The day maid and the gardener when they arrived for work.

There's one family member missing.

The eldest son.

And heir?

Let's not jump to any conclusions just yet.

He might've just got lucky. Where is he?

When did Duncan get back from Perth?

I don't know. He's not answering his phone.

Poor bugger.

Mr Deerborne? John Deerborne?

John, you're wanted.

What can I do for you?

Sir, step out on the dock, please.

What's happening? What's the problem?

Mr Deerborne, I'm Detective Mapplethorpe.

Sergeant Hatzic.

Yes?

You should brace yourself, sir.

I'm afraid we have some very bad news for you.

Yes, that's... That's my father.

This way, sir.

And... And my mother.

Jessica.

Will.

Will... William.

Mr Deerborne, we're very sorry,

but we're going to have to ask you to...

Are you alright?

Keep breathing.

Inhaler.

Alright, now.

Ambulance.

It's OK, sweetheart. It's going to be OK.

You can't talk to him now. Look at him.

I'm sorry, Mrs Deerborne, but I do have to ask some questions.

You heard what the doctor said. He's in shock.

No, no, Frances, it's, um...

I'll be alright.

We need to talk to her so that whoever did this can be found now.

What do you need? Thank you, sir.

I'll be as brief as I can.

The house.

Did you ever stay there?

Down on the Peninsula? Not often.

We've... we've got our own place. Places.

We've got a... a place in town,

a place in the Dandenongs and an apartment in Sydney.

Can you tell me about the exterior alarm system at your parents' place?

It doesn't seem to have been on.

Oh, um...

Dad, he... he didn't usually put it on until he went to bed.

There's a safe in the study. Who would've known about that?

A safe?

Nobody.

Uh, Dad had a safety deposit box at the bank

that he sometimes put stuff in, but a safe?

A combination safe. It had been opened.

Well, they must've forced him to tell them the numbers, then.

They? The robbers.

You said the house had been burgled. Yeah.

I told John's father not to do that article.

Oh, this magazine was doing a series

on, um, Victoria's grand homes

and the house was featured.

They might as well have put out an ad,

"Please Rob Us'.

This was more than just a robbery, Mrs Deerborne.

Does your family have any enemies, sir?

My family or my father?

I suppose in the boardroom he has enemies, yes, but...

To do something like this is... I think that's enough, OK?

Do you have any idea what was in that safe?

We didn't even know it was there.

Bruce.

Bruce would. He's... he's been with the family for years.

Oh, Bruce Schofield. He's the family lawyer.

Thank you.

Some jewellery...

...company records...

...emergency cash.

How much cash?

Oh, generally about 5,000 or 6,000.

Are you OK?

Yes, I'll be... I'll be fine.

There's a lot I have to do.

Call the board members, talk to John and Frances.

Now, you've been with the family for a long time.

Oh, nearly 20 years.

How well do you know John Deerborne?

Oh, John? Oh, very well.

Did he get on well with his family?

Look, it's... it's no secret.

He's always been a bit of a... a dilettante, I suppose.

Didn't want to get into the family business.

Tried a few ventures of his own.

How'd they go? Oh, moderately well.

He never wanted for money.

There was always support from the family.

Without question.

John loved them and they loved him.

He's had his moments

but he was more a grey sheep than a black one.

He did stand to inherit the family money, though.

Yes, but John would never be involved in anything like this.

Besides, how could he?

He was on his boat.

We were out on the bay last night. Partying.

All four of you? Yeah, that's right.

So you and your husband slept out here?

Yes.

So you all slept on the boat last night?

Yep. Motored down at first light this morning.

Ah, don't touch that.

How's John doing?

He's not that good.

Can you tell us exactly where you were moored last night?

I can show you if you'd like. On the charts.

Right.

We were moored... here.

Three nights.

Good fishing, good swimming, great views.

Nice and private. Away from the crowds.

Good partying.

Yeah, a bit too good, actually.

Um... we partied on deck till about 10:00

and then John and Frances went to bed.

What about you guys?

Oh, we had a couple more drinks, then went below ourselves.

The hatch. It's padlocked.

Yes. John couldn't find the key.

He wasn't happy.

It gets stuffy down there.

Rubber duckie. Could anyone have used that during the night?

No. We'd have heard it.

No-one left the boat. Are you sure?

Even when you're asleep?

We... didn't get that much sleep, did we, darling?

Look, John and Frances were definitely here all night.

How do you know that?

Frances... she's a bit of a screamer.

Kept us awake.

Yeah, they were at it forever.

Preliminary list of what was taken according to the insurance assessors.

Preliminary?

They'll be there for at least a week.

The artworks they took were well-chosen -

the more expensive ones.

Ah, then there's quite a bit of silverware,

some pricey ceramics and personal valuables...

All portable stuff.

Mmm, not exactly easy to fence.

Have we listed it with all traders?

Yes, along with the wife's jewellery, valued at around 300 grand.

Along with maybe 5,000 or 6,000 from the safe.

A fair night's work.

Yeah, still doesn't answer the question.

Why kill the family? No.

Now, we're sure the son is not an option?

I can't see it.

He was up until quite late partying with his friends.

Then he was busy getting it on with his wife for the rest of the night -

so noisily, in fact, that the Furlongs couldn't get any sleep.

So according to them, everyone stayed on the boat all day and night.

Then got up the next morning for a champagne brekkie.

Bollinger, no less. Hair of the expensive dog.