Original subtitles

Okay, everyone.

Looks like we're all here, so gather around people.

Hi!

For anyone that I haven't met yet, I'm Julianne.

This is Andrea.

Hi, everyone.

First up, we're gonna work on the name game.

The object of this is name recognition

so that anytime you call your dog, they'll come to you.

And then when they do come to you,

you reward them,

which cements their behavior.

And before you know it,

they'll be coming to you every time you call

instead of running away.

Okay, shall we get started?

Does everyone have their treats?

You've got a problem with your tortoise running away?

Yeah, sure do.

Sally, isn't it?

Okay, off you go.

Good boy.

Come on, Cosmo, come on!

Okay, you need to try to make eye contact

before you call him.

Mel, your turn.

You look worried, Frodo.

I've got a problem.

What is it?

My tortoise doesn't have a name.

Is it a boy or a girl?

I have no idea.

Well, let me have a look.

Let's see.

It's a boy.

How can you tell?

Well you see, with tortoises,

it can be really hard to spot the genitalia,

but if you look closely, you can see the penis.

Well, it's way too much info.

How about Thomas?

Thomas the tortoise. Doubt it.

Torty Trevor. - Trevor?

Toby? - I've got it.

Hercules.

Okay. Why Hercules?

I had a great uncle called that.

He was famous.

He's Brokenwood's slowest ever cross country runner.

One Easter race, he started on Good Friday,

didn't finish till Sunday.

Well, Hercules it is.

Ron, it's really good to see you here.

Hey!

Hi!

Don't do that.

He's a cutie.

Did I ask your opinion?

I used to go to these every year when I was a kid.

Something epic about horses racing across the sand.

Well, I have childhood trauma caused by horse racing.

Of course you do.

I went with my brother once, bet on a couple of races,

lost all of my pocket money and never went back

Well, proceeds of the beach race go to charity,

so you should go and feel good about losing again.

Seem to know a lot about this.

I have a friend who's an inside source.

You don't have friends.

Hot favorite is Wanderlust

to be ridden by Missy Tohoroa.

Still just friends are we?

Dear.

We need some bloody help here!

Hi, sorry.

What seems to be the problem?

My wife's missing. Something's happened to her.

When you say missing...

Gone, mate.

Can I be any clearer?

You guys cops or what?

I'm Detective Kristin Sims.

This is DC Chalmers.

And you are?

Craig Tillman.

I'm a vet at the Brokenwood Vet Clinic.

Andrea's a vet nurse.

Last night, she was running, well,

helping to run a puppy party down at the reserve.

Sorry, a puppy party?

It's a training session for owners of young dogs.

And after that she didn't come home?

I drove down to the reserve last night

to check if anything had gone wrong,

but there was no sign of her.

Something's happened. I know it.

All right, Mr. Tillman.

We'll check it out of course,

but let's just get a few details and let's...

Bugger that.

I'll meet you at the reserve.

Or, yep, we could do that.

Is this your wife's car?

That wasn't here.

What do you mean?

When I came down last night, her car wasn't here.

Now, Mr. Tillman, please don't.

What?

Please don't touch the car.

Engine's cold. Hasn't been driven recently.

Mr. Tillman!

No, no, no, no, no, no!

No! No!

God!

No! No!

Still no word from the elusive Tabatha?

Like I said, she's not a person governed

by the conventional notions of time.

But you would tell me though, wouldn't you?

I mean, whatever she says,

even if it's not good.

You have my word.

Well, not that divorces are ever good.

I assume.

I wouldn't be one who has experience.

And I'm sure you never will.

I think a chance would be a fine thing though.

I mean, I still can't even get married.

Things will get sorted.

Sorry.

Daniel.

We're down at Brokenwood Reserve.

Got a homicide.

I'm on my way.

What do we know about the bridle and the reins?

Not hers.

According to her husband, and neither of them own a horse.

Hi, Andrea.

I promise I won't keep you sitting here much longer.

We just have a few more things to check

before we can get underway

and locate the person responsible for this.

The reins haven't left any sign of ligature marking.

We jumping to conclusions?

Gina won't be happy.

Craig Tillman.

DSS Mike Shepherd.

My condolences.

Thank you.

I need to ask you a couple of questions.

Sure.

When was the last time you spoke to Andrea?

Yesterday afternoon.

She called me to remind me

it was her day to assist Julianne's puppy party and

would I be okay to cook dinner?

Julianne?

Julianne Seymour, the dog whisperer.

And you came down here last night to look for Andrea?

When she didn't come home,

I became concerned.

But there was no sign of her.

Sims!

You didn't raise the alarm until this morning?

Well, I went home.

I tried her mobile a couple of times

and then I fell asleep on the couch.

I thought maybe she'd gone back to the clinic.

She often worked late.

Mr. Tillman.

Craig. Please.

Did this belong to your wife?

Yeah. Yeah, it looks like hers.

I dunno the password though.

Look, I'm happy to answer all your questions,

but I'd like to get to the clinic

and tell the staff about this.

You know, I want them to hear from me,

not some random social media post.

Of course. We'll be in touch.

Thank you.

This looks interesting.

Glad you think so.

Very, very interesting.

Tell me Mike, what is your experience with bondage?

You're asking me this because?

Because of the reins, the bridle

it has a strong resemblance to bondage imagery.

I'll take your word for that.

Don't ask me how I know.

I won't.

But it's an European thing.

Particularly with the Austrians.

I did not know that.

About Austrians.

Me neither.

I thought it was all castles and cakes

and the Vienna Boys' Choir.

There are footprints everywhere,

but it was a puppy party with a number of owners.

The victim's vehicle's headed for forensics.

While they're at that,

forensics might wanna give the car an oil change.

Pass that on.

Shepherd Special and Chalmers Supreme.

Thanks, Frodo. - Thanks, Frodo.

Freeze, police.

Sorry, it came out wrong.

I meant hey, police person, please don't move.

We are not moving, but we wanna know why.

You nearly stood on him.

Who?

Hercules.

No, that's a turtle.

Tortoise.

Turtles live in the sea.

And you have a tortoise because...

Well, this old lady was in last week

and she left him behind.

She never came back to claim him.

You should take him to the SPCA.

What if the lady does come back?

What would I tell her?

And you don't know how to contact her?

It's kinda nice having him around, actually.

Except...

He moves too fast for you?

Yeah, you'd be surprised.

He is always wandering off.

I took him to that puppy party

'cause I figured it might gimme some clues

on how to stop him,

but it hasn't helped much.

You were at the puppy party last night?

Yeah. Yeah, buddy?

Okay, Frodo, we need to have a chat.

You're kidding me, right?

What have I done now?

She was a really nice person.

Apparently so.

Take a seat.

Why would somebody want to hurt her?

Well, anything you can tell me

might help us figure that out.

Well, she and me, we got on fine, man.

I swear.

Frodo, you are only here

because we need to talk to everyone

that was present last night.

What time did you get to the puppy party?

Start time was 5:30.

I was pretty much on time.

Did you see anything outta the ordinary?

No. Nothing.

You're sure?

Not a thing.

Apart from this old guy that turned up late.

Ron, it's really good to see you here.

Hey!

He had a pup with him.

Don't do that!

He was packing some attitude.

He's a cutie.

Did I ask your opinion?

Hi.

It's Ron, isn't it?

Welcome to the puppy party.

And welcome to you too.

Is everything okay here?

Just having trouble getting the new one here to see sense.

Sometimes we find that it's difficult to bond

with a new companion after the loss of an old friend.

Okay, next up is lead training.

So buckle your pups up and let's get into it!

And you've never seen this man before?

No, never.

All I know is he was called Ron

and he talked in riddles a bit.

I really am sorry, Ron.

Let's sleeping dogs lie.

Is that what I'm supposed to do?

That was weird

because like none of the dogs there were even sleeping.

They were all running around all over the place.

How well do you know Julianne Seymour?

I don't.

Seriously. I don't know much.

I never have.

Look, can I go?

I left Hercules in the coffee cart.

I'm pretty sure he is figured out how to open the fridge.

So the obedience classes haven't helped much?

Nah.

Well, see, the thing about tortoises is

they're a lot less like dogs than you might think.

So what do we know?

Well the Brokenwood Vet Clinic

is co-owned by Craig Tillman and a Bonnie Seymour.

Related to Julianne Seymour?

Possibly.

Bonnie is held in high regard and is very experienced.

She seems to be the star attraction of the clinic.

Andrea was equally as experienced

and social media indicates the two were close.

Frodo mentioned an elderly gentleman

by the name of Ron who attended the puppy party

and caused some tension.

And these reins?

Why were they so carefully placed at the scene?

A message, perhaps.

Or a distraction.

Ask around equine places, see what you can dig up.

On it.

And see if you can track down Julianne Seymour.

She might know who this Ron is.

You and I are off to the vets!

Dad!

Are we getting a puppy?

Gina.

We're on our way with a little detour first.

But you promised!

Afternoon. So what have we got?

In this case, the cause of death,

it's almost certainly drug related.

Have toxicology confirmed that?

Not yet. But they will confirm what I know to be true.

They always do.

See? A puncture wound.

Could it have been self-administered?

She would have to have held a syringe like this,

mainlining into the spinal cord.

So it's possible?

If she work as a burlesque dancer

with a background in circus performance, perhaps.

She was a vet nurse.

Then unlikely.

And a scenario where she injected herself

with a fatal drug

and then popped on some decorative riding gear

doesn't seem likely either.

Do we have time of death?

Between 20:00 and 22:00 hours last night.

No other signs of physical trauma?

None.

And her stomach contents provided no sign

of an evening meal.

But she did drink tea.

Earl Grey, I think no sugar.

So how does someone administer a lethal injection

without the victim resisting?

Was she constrained by the reins?

If there were any resistance against the reins,

there will be secondary bruising.

There is none.

So they were purely decorative.

Indeed.

Did you know that in the bondage world,

some people like to be the horse, some like to be the rider.

While they're being murdered?

It takes all types, but perhaps not Austrian after all.

Maybe more Norwegian.

So maybe a Norwegian burlesque dancer then.

Thank you, Gina.

You guys are the cops, right?

Yes.

DSS Mike Shepherd and.

Detective Kristin Sims.

Prisha Bannerjee. New vet.

I'm Brianna, the receptionist.

I know you from somewhere.

We met in relation

to the drum and bass festival last year.

Yeah, that's right.

I was so off my...

You guys must be here about Andrea?

Or about the break-in?

The break-in?

This happened last night?

Probably teenagers.

They know we keep party drugs on the premises.

Ketamine's become the drug of choice, hasn't it?

Totally.

I wouldn't know.

No we wouldn't. No way.

Have you established if anything was taken?

With everything that's been happening,

we haven't had time to have a good look.

I'll get fingerprints in here.

This room will need to stay locked

until our burglary team arrive

and they'll most likely ask all staff for fingerprints.

Why?

To eliminate you from the scene.

And we'll need to see your drugs register.

Good luck with that.

What do you mean?

Nothing.

Brianna, I have a client waiting.

I'll get the keys.

Yeah. ASAP.

Okay, thanks.

Do you believe it?

That there was a break in here last night?

Sure.

Or at least someone wants us to think there was.

Brianna, can you make an appointment

from a fortnight's time?

Same time?

Detectives.

You are back at work.

A couple of emergency clients I have to take care of.

We'd like to speak to Bonnie Seymour

if that's at all possible.

Sure thing.

Brianna, can you check to see if she's got anyone with her?

My God.

Tell isn't true?

Afraid so!

She was murdered.

How is that even possible?

It's crazy, I know.

It's so crazy.

Hello, DSS Mike Shepherd.

Detective Kristin Sims.

Sorry, I just can't get my head around this.

Andrea was an angel with the most beautiful heart.

What the hell are you doing in here?

I'm just here about poor Andrea.

Yes, and we are all reeling with the news,

but regardless, you know that you're not welcome in here.

Bonnie, under the circumstances,

please could you just let me stay?

Detectives, would it be possible

to take this somewhere else?

Ms. Seymour, this is a murder investigation.

I'm very aware that our vet nurse is dead,

but having my sister here is in no way helpful.

Craig, Andrea's car is booked in with the mechanic

to get that oil-

Brianna, are you serious?

Should I?

My wife's just been found dead.

I couldn't care less about the damn car!

Okay. Of course.

Got it.

Ms. Seymour? - Yes.

Sorry, Julianne, would you mind stepping outside with me

so we can talk?

Sure. - Thank you.

How long did the puppy party go for?

5:30 till 6:30, more or less.

And did you see anything suspicious during that time?

Anyone hanging around?

No.

Although when Ron Abbot turned up,

there was some negative energy between him and Andrea.

You mean there was an argument?

Not as such. Well, just tension.

I could sense it.

Look, I didn't really know Andrea that well.

She helped me with the puppy parties,

but apart from that we weren't close.

Okay, thanks, Julianne.

We will need to follow this up

and get a formal witness statement

and we're fingerprinting everyone that was at the party.

Of course, anything I can do to help.

Thanks.

But if you really wanna know what happened to Andrea,

it's my sister that you should be speaking to.

Why do you say that?

Talk to her.

God knows I can't.

Andrea was the best vet nurse I've ever worked with.

She was great with her clients, but with the animals,

she was intuitive to a degree I've never experienced before.

It's almost like she could sense what was wrong with them.

Are you aware of anyone that might want to harm her?

God no.

Our clients come to us with their sick animals

and sometimes the outcome isn't what they hoped for.

They can get emotional, very emotional.

But everyone liked Andrea.

Were you friends outside of your work?

Yes. I think I could say that.

We go back a long way.

What about Julianne?

What about her?

How would you describe your relationship?

Honestly?

Volatile.

Unusual for twins.

Not really.

The whole idea that twins think the same, speak the same,

wanna wear similar clothes.

It's mostly a myth.

To the point that you've banned her from these premises?

My sister has an alternative view of animal welfare.

She refers to herself as a naturopath for animals.

Those are views that you don't share?

Her ideas are whimsical at best.

At the worst, they are downright dangerous.

How did you feel about Andrea

and Julianne working together?

I was fine with it.

I was happy that Andrea

could mitigate the worst of Julianne's excesses.

Okay, thank you.

We might need to come back to you at some point.

Of course. This come as a terrible shock

so if we can be of any help, we will.

If you wanna know what happened to Andrea,

perhaps you should speak to my sister.

Because?

Talk to her.

God knows I can't.

And how long have you worked here?

About 18 months.

And in that time,

did you notice any underlying tensions between the staff?

Here? No.

Maybe the person you should be talking to

is a Mr. Ron Abbot.

Why?

He held a grudge against Andrea.

What you're feeling is totally understandable-

You've got no bloody idea what I'm feeling.

Your incompetence killed my dog!

Mr. Abbot, please.

Why?

Why are you still working here?

You're a danger to every animal that comes into this place.

You're a cold-blooded menace!

You witnessed this?

I heard about it.

It caused quite a stir.

Was there any truth to his accusations

about the death of his dog?

I can't say.

So that's a yes?

He wasn't a client of mine.

Maybe you can talk to Craig or Bonnie, but...

But what, Prisha?

Maybe you didn't hear it from me.

Can I help you?

DSS Mike Shepherd.

I'm looking into the death of Andrea Tillman.

Well, that doesn't explain why you're here.

Witnesses have reported

that you had a dispute with her professionally.

Well, if that was true,

I wouldn't be going to the puppy party thing now, would I?

One witness says you were abusive to her

at the vet clinic.

Well, whoever told you that was mistaken.

That never happened.

So you have never had words

with Andrea Tillman accusing her of killing your dog?

Not that I recall

We're looking for any other information

that might help us with our investigation.

Fishing, you mean?

You gotta do better than that, detective.

As I said, I can't help you.

Now if you'd be so kind as to leave my property.

You're upsetting my dog.

All right, I would like to have a chat.

Yeah, and I'd like to win the bloody lotto.

Shut it!

Sick of your yapping! Shut it!

Kia ora, Daniel.

Kia ora, Manaia.

Carry on over this side.

You after my girl?

I am.

It's a busy time getting ready for the race.

Yeah. I won't keep her long.

Don't want any trouble.

Something I keep telling you

as a member of police, it's our aim

to sort trouble, not to make it.

If you say so.

Last I saw, she was in there.

Kia ora.

Just passing by, were you?

In a manner of speaking.

Things shaping up well for the big race?

Aye.

Wanderlust, she's in perfect condition.

Her training's gone really good.

The Tohoroas are in with a fighting chance.

Fine old tradition then.

Well, Dad's been trying to win it for years

and he's never had the right horse.

So this year I'm riding for him.

It'd mean a lot to Mum.

So I should be betting big on her?

Well, it is for charity

so you better empty your pockets.

Have you seen anything like these before?

So this isn't just the social call then?

I don't think so.

Missy, hi.

Julianne Seymour, this is Daniel.

I'm with the Brokenwood CIB.

All right.

I believe you spoke with my colleagues already today

regarding Andrea Tillman.

Yes. I told them everything I know.

I'm sure.

You have a horse here?

Winsome Spring.

We're racing her in the Classic.

Asking around to see if anyone recognizes these.

Can't say I do.

Is it something to do with Andrea's death?

Possibly.

Such a terrible thing.

Unbelievable.

Well, thanks for your time.

See you at the race. - Yep.

Mr. Tillman.

Detective.

How you holding up?

It's tough but, you know?

Good to keep busy, I guess.

Well, I'm treating a horse here.

As a vet, that's what I do.

I won't hold you up then.

There's some kind of relationship with these two.

Professional or personal?

Hard to tell.

She keeps a horse at Missy's mother's stables

and he arrived just as I left.

Anything on the reins?

Not yet, but I've got a couple of other places to check.

So Julianne Seymour was with the victim

on the night of the murder,

was possibly in some kind of relationship with the husband,

and was at loggerheads with the victim's employer.

Who happens to be her twin sister.

Twins? - Yeah.

But it seems they can't stand each other.

Kristin Sims.

And we're yet to find out what happened

between Andrea and Ron Abbot.

The old guy wouldn't talk?

He ordered me off his property.

I reckon he'll come around.

Thanks.

Forensics have come back with results

from Andrea's cell phone.

Her last message was to Craig saying,

"I can't take this anymore."

He didn't mention that?

No he didn't.

Boss.

Gina. What a pleasant surprise!

I know.

I have some preliminary toxicology test results.

They indicate the cause of death

was a lethal dose of blue juice.

Blue juice being...

Pentobarbital.

The drug usually employed in euthanizing animals.

It is colored a distinctive blue during manufacturer

to prevent it being administered by accident.

And they were traces of another drug found, a sedative.

Which would explain how the offender subdued Andrea

prior to administering the blue juice.

Nice work. Thanks, Gina.

Of course.

Tell me, will you and Beth be attending

the beach horse race tomorrow?

I wasn't planning to.

Mike's not really a horse person. Are you, Mike?

No, I find 'em very obstinate.

I don't think you were a horsey person either, Gina.

Please, I love them.

Beasts of burden, draped in sturdy leather.

Magnificent creatures with their powerful haunches pumping

as they gallop through space and time,

glistening with sweat and steam.

Well, enjoy.

Gina, I'll be at the races.

Might see you there.

Good one.

Any news?

The pathologist has established a likely cause of death.

And?

Who amongst your clinic staff had access to pentobarbital?

My God.

Is that what killed her?

It's our preliminary finding at the moment.

Well, we keep any lethal drugs in a locked cabinet

in the back room.

Bonnie, myself, Andrea, Prisha, we all had a key.

What about Brianna?

Well, technically no,

but she knows where the keys are kept.

Why are you focusing on clinic staff?

Surely whoever broke in stole the drug that killed my wife.

That's certainly a possibility.

There's no direct link as yet.

Could be a coincidence.

You're not serious?

At this stage,

we need to keep all avenues of investigation open.

What is that? Cop talk for we have no idea?

We've asked to see your drug register.

So far it hasn't been forthcoming.

We'd appreciate your cooperation.

I'll have Prisha chase it up.

Mr. Tillman, Andrea sent you a text message

the night of her death.

It read, "I can't take it anymore."

Why didn't you mention it to us?

I didn't see the message 'til the morning.

That's part of the reason I came into your station.

I knew something was wrong.

That message, it made no sense.

I don't believe she sent it.

Was there something going on in your marriage?

You're working on the assumption in these situations

it's always the partner?

I have to ask.

Did I kill my wife because she was gonna leave me?

Absolutely not.

Our marriage was fine, thanks for asking.

Ron's been a client of mine for a long time.

Not the easiest personality.

Well, we've had reports

of conflict between him and Andrea.

Is there anything you can tell me about that?

Ron's previous dog was named Evie.

After his wife passed, Evie became his only companion.

About a year ago, he brought her in

for a routine vaccination.

Hello, Mr. Abbot. - Hi.

We're ready for her.

The dogs were very similar

and somehow Andrea got them mixed up.

The other dog was booked in for surgery

on an intestinal lump.

And without knowing, I operated on Ron's dog

who had an undiagnosed heart condition.

Despite my best efforts to revive her,

she died on the operating table.

Ron was understandably devastated

and especially when he discovered

that Andrea was the one responsible.

How did he find out?

Being the head of the clinic,

I had the unenviable task of telling him.

How did he take it?

Not well.

We thought that with a new puppy, things would improve.

But it appears that that's not the case.

You've spoken to him?

He's been approached.

What did he say?

As I said, he's been approached.

I've seen him hanging around the clinic.

Sometimes he'd pretend to be walking his puppy.

Other times he was just sitting in the car, watching.

Has anyone else seen him?

Andrea did.

I haven't been here that long.

There's not much I can tell you.

Can't be easy having to come

into a situation where everybody else

has known each other for ages.

People have been distant.

It's almost as if they haven't decided to keep me on or not.

The bosses given me menial tasks to do,

like vaccinations and blood samples,

as if they don't trust me with anything more complicated.

How'd you get on with Andrea?

She was civil,

but it's not like she stuck up for me either.

Can you give me an example?

Sorry to interrupt.

Your 10:30 is waiting

and his goat just ate the new pot plant.

I've put him in consult room two.

Great, thank you.

If that's all.

The drug register.

What?

Mr. Tillman said you would get the drug register.

Did he?

Never mentioned that to me.

Thanks. - You're welcome.

Can you gimme two minutes with Craig?

Of course. When?

Now.

Sure. But he just left.

Of course he did.

Can I help?

I need access to the drug register.

Totally, but I think Bonnie has it.

Okay.

I'll talk to her then.

Except...

She's not here either?

Yeah. Sorry.

What about Andrea Tillman's laptop?

Any progress with that?

That I can do.

One out of three ain't bad.

Um...

Yes.

Can you tell your boss that I'm not a party girl anymore?

I used to be, for sure, but I've given it all away.

The drugs and stuff.

It was really messing me up.

But I so don't do them anymore. Not even coffee.

Although I did have three this morning,

but that's because of the stress.

And why do you want me to tell him this?

So that he'll know I'm a reliable witness.

A witness to what?

Nothing.

But in case I was, which I wouldn't be

because it'd be way too stressful.

Brianna, how do you get on with the other staff here?

They're okay.

As long as I do my job, they leave me alone.

And Andrea Tillman?

She was a really nice lady.

I mean, wow.

That poor woman had no idea what was going on.

What do you mean?

I'm sorry. I've gotta get this to Prisha.

Morning, Mr. Shepherd.

How nice to see you.

Hi.

Can we talk?

Sure.

It's dandelion and dock leaf tea.

Make it myself.

Good on you.

Go on. Try some.

It's a bit hot for me.

I understand you're a dog whisperer.

No, hardly.

I like to think of myself

as an alternative animal naturopath.

We as humans are finely learning

that so much of what we put in our bodies is bad for us,

yet we don't give animals the same consideration.

And they're so much better than we are.

So much nobler.

Have you been doing this long?

I worked in the conventional vet arena when I was younger.

The conflict with my personal values became too great.

So I set myself up as an alternative

to the mainstream vet madness.

How did that sit with Bonnie?

My sister.

Classic older child scenario.

Bonnie was born 90 seconds before me

and she still wants to control everything

and everyone around her.

And she hates the fact that she can't control me.

The night of Andrea's murder,

you didn't see anything unusual?

Well, Ron Abbot and Andrea had words,

but he and everyone else left when we were finished.

I was the last to leave.

Are you sure about that?

Yes.

Although as I was walking back to my car,

Andrea did get a message.

You don't know who the message was from?

Sorry.

My colleague tells me

that you don't recognize the reins

that were found at the scene.

No, sorry.

But you do own a horse

that you keep at the Tohoroa Stables.

Winsome Spring.

She'll be racing tomorrow.

You should come.

Horses are not really my thing.

If I win, I'm gonna dedicate it to Andrea.

It's a small gesture, I know, but she was a good soul.

You back here to arrest me?

Any reason why I should?

Not that I can think of.

Good. That's all I want, Ron.

Your side of the story.

Well, I suppose the polite thing to do

is offer you a cup of tea.

Well, as long as it's not dandelion.

What?

Go on, get away.

He's okay.

He's a pain in the ass.

I know this might not be easy for you,

but I'd like to know your side of what happened with Evie.

Should never have bloody happened.

Stupid idiot of a nurse.

You sure she was responsible?

Yeah. The vet lady explained it all to me.

The nurse got the dogs mixed up.

She operated on Evie

without the slightest idea she had a heart problem.

Vet said that the nurse had been disciplined.

And that's why you weren't pleased

to see her at the puppy party?

Yeah, that'd be right.

And what about threatening her at the clinic?

I don't know where you're getting your information from,

but I told you before that never happened.

You were angry with her?

Yeah, well, I'm pissed off with you.

Doesn't mean to say I'm gonna kill you.

Look, in the last year,

I've had the two most important things ripped away from me.

My wife of 42 years died

after a miserable bloody illness.

I don't have the words to describe how that made me feel.

And Evie, she was the best dog a man could ever ask for.

I can see it's been a rough ride.

See.

You'll excuse me if I don't want to sit here

and chat to you about the lies people

are spreading about me.

You'd best bugger off again.

Thanks for the tea.

This was at Ron's on the driveway.

It's similar to the one

from Andrea's car left at the reserve.

Could it have been his own car?

Except his is an old EV.

All of these people had access to the blue juice.

A drug register is yet to materialize.

Who's stalling?

All of them, passing the buck.

But we've got Andrea's laptop.

Techies are working on it.

And for the record, Brianna the receptionist

was keen to assure you she is not a party girl anymore.

Meaning?

No more late night clubbing for you two.

Meaning she could be a reliable witness if need be.

Senior.

To be so sweet

Well, plenty to get on with.

10 bucks says those are his divorce papers.

And love's only ours to revere

'Cause you

Never believed it

And you never could

Couldn't make it simple, could you?

When you guard your secret

It's understood

'Cause you're just like the sea

Hey, I'm off so night.

Night.

That's what you've been waiting for, I take it?

Not exactly.

When a storm goes without a port

And I'm just one more stone who was left on your shore

Morena. - Kia ora.

One good thing about him showing up,

if anyone else wins, we'll have him arrested, right?

No, I don't think that'll be an issue today.

Though he might only back winners.

What do you reckon, Manaia?

Think Mum's gonna be a winner today.

Every day.

Ooh, good answer.

Morning.

She's looking great,

but I hope you guys will be okay with a minor placing.

Yeah. Like that's gonna happen.

Well, let's get this show on the road?

Good luck.

I'll see you after.

Hello, everyone.

Gina.

Kristin.

I made Kristin come.

We are so excited.

She did.

She even offered me a hat like hers, but I said no.

What a great morning for a race.

Did you know that in races in Vladivostok,

only the men are allowed to ride the horses?

Because the women are obviously off doing other things

like the cooking, the cleaning, and the ironing.

The men ride the horses completely naked,

apart from a bearskin hat.

You're not picturing it, are you?

I'm trying not to.

Is she for real?

She's from Russia.

That explains it.

My love come down, sit beside me

Tell me anything that you know

Such a shame you couldn't get Mike to change his mind.

Well, you know,

I'm pretty sure he's busy.

And tells me

Which way is this spitting blood

An olive branch is a peace offering.

Which can only be seen as positive.

You never said you two were at war.

More of a ceasefire.

She said the original documents

were accidentally composted.

I mean, surely that's a hostile act.

She takes the whole off the grid thing very seriously,

that's all.

And then she said,

"Will call you next time I'm near a phone."

And that was six weeks ago.

She'll call.

There's one thing I know about Tabatha,

when she says she'll do something,

she will do it.

Eventually.

And I know ceasefire suggests a lot of stored ammo.

I'm not really in the mood

to play footsies right now, Mike.

I'm not playing footsies.

Hercules!

Hercules, come on!

You bad boy!

Sorry, guys. I've told him not to harass the customers.

He's very cute.

Thanks.

Hey, could you keep an eye on him for just two minutes?

I've got a bunch of coffees to make.

With salad, he'll stay put for ages.

Of course, Frodo.

Not too late to put your pocket money on the race.

Wouldn't that be illegal?

Not if it's for charity.

Well, I can waste my money

in a millions in different ways

without having to resort to betting

on which poor horse can run faster than the other horse.

There's a lotta guys here that would disagree with you.

Ton of money gets put down on this race. Always is.

Not all of it goes to charity.

All right, folks!

The moment you've been waiting all year for!

The Brokenwood Beach Classic is all set to go.

Hold onto your hats!

We're under starter's orders!

Getting drunk in the early morn'

And the kettle don't know where you gone

Go!

And putting it all up at the end of the day

On a Saturday night there's a fire in the barn

Dancing with the girls down on the farm

I'll pitch in and that's his way

Everybody do the roll in the hay

Hey, hey, hey

It's gonna be rough on a summer's night

I have to find a hundred waiting for my bet

Branches broken on the apple tree

Get blue open and the countdown free

Tough luck.

Luck's got nothing to do with it.

That's not right.

What do you mean?

Well, look at those clowns.

They're not exactly subtle are they?

Look at the poor animal.

Julianne, what have you done?

Bonnie, what are you doing?

Why are you always trying to cause trouble?

I'm a vet and I'm telling you you need

to take a swab from that horse.

What on earth are you talking about?

I'm talking about the fact

that your horse is obviously doped up on God knows what.

It's showing no signs of perspiration. It's calm.

It's like he hasn't even run a race.

You're insane.

If you have nothing to hide

then you have nothing to fear from agreeing to a test.

Bonnie, I will not be bullied.

Excuse me.

Hi, is there a problem here?

Detective, please, this is none your business.

Julianne, this is a fundraising event.

People have spent money.

If the winning horse is placing as a result of doping,

it will very quickly become my business.

So as your sister says, if you've got nothing to hide.

Whatever, just do whatever you want,

as long as she's not the one that does it.

You can't help yourself, can you?

Any chance you have to ruin things for me.

You can't have me winning for once, can you?

Come with me.

I've got swabs in the car.

My colleagues tell me the beach race

was quite action packed yesterday.

I assume you're referring

to the allegations my sister made.

Those allegations have proven true.

We were sent through the preliminary results.

Winsome Spring tested positive

to a large amount of anabolic steroid.

A dangerous amount.

Wow.

I'm appalled and ashamed.

Winning the beach race has long been a dream of mine,

but I would never resort to mistreating my horse

to achieve that.

Ever.

The doping of the horse will be reported

to the appropriate authorities.

But I'm more interested in whether there's any connection

between that and Andrea's death.

In what way?

We've had confirmation

that Andrea was administered a lethal drug,

the kind usually found in a veterinary clinic.

The same place one might find anabolic steroids.

You think the steroids came from the clinic?

Was Craig Tillman the only vet you allowed

to attend your horse?

Yes. But that would be against

any kind of veterinary ethic.

I'm sure it would be.

Well, maybe you need to ask him then.

One more thing.

The reins that were found at the crime scene,

draped around Andrea's neck,

you told my colleague you'd never seen them before.

Yes.

Yet the fingerprint branch told me this morning

that your prints were on them.

Can you explain how that might be?

No.

I mean I work with horses all the time.

I handle gear all the time. Lots of gear.

It's just a coincidence.

Is everything in order?

I'm gonna have to take these back to the station.

There's a lot to get through.

Of course.

Are these all the dispensing records?

Doing their notes and keeping records

is not most vets' favorite part of the job.

Well, the way I read this is

there's one bottle of pentobarbital that's unaccounted for.

That was noted after the break in.

Have you spoken to Ron Abbot yet?

DSS Shepherd's talked to him.

And?

He seemed appreciative of the support you showed him

regarding the death of his dog.

That's all he said?

I believe so.

How's it going?

Well, these are a mess.

Some of the recent entries

have question marks alongside them,

seemingly in the same hand,

and others have been crossed out.

Any mention of the steroids?

Not in here, but in the bank statements,

there are payments to a U.S. company

that's a major supplier of steroids internationally.

So the steroids were definitely ordered?

Yeah. And shipped here.

And then it just disappeared.

And Bonnie seems keen for me to know

that a bottle of pentobarbital was stolen.

But again, with records as chaotic as this,

how could she know for sure?

I've been looking into the horse's recent race history.

It's done well in the last four races.

Hardly surprising.

What's most interesting is the owners

of the horse, plural.

Julianne Seymour and...

Craig Tillman.

Who told you that neither he nor Andrea owned a horse.

Is it time for another sit down with Craig?

Not yet.

If Craig was doping the horse,

we need to know who else at the clinic knew about it.

His wife, for instance.

Exactly. That would land us motive.

Chalmers, can I see you for a minute?

Have you been naughty?

I think I know what this conversation is about.

You do?

Because of my friendship with Missy

and to prevent any suggestion of impropriety,

you want me to step back from the case?

Missy is not a suspect.

Unless that changes,

I want you to keep doing what you're doing.

That works for me.

What I wanted to say was if you want to step away

from the investigation, I will understand.

Brianna, thanks for agreeing to meet.

I told Craig I was at the dentist.

It was actually a lie 'cause I'm here.

Well, your secret is safe with us.

But I've got this in case he checks my breath later.

I'll have a quick brush.

Wow, you've really thought things through.

Am I a target of your investigation?

No. You are speaking to us as a witness.

A witness to what?

In your capacity as the receptionist,

did you see any unusual courier packages come

into the clinic?

God.

This is about the steroids, isn't it?

Yes, it is.

Craig told me I had to intercept the shipments

before anyone else saw them.

I had no idea what they were. Honest.

I did it a couple of times.

And then after I did ask him what they were,

he told me I was implicated

and so I had to carry on doing it

even though I didn't want to.

Did anyone else realize what was going on?

Yeah.

Who?

Andrea.

They argued about it.

Just in here. - Thank you.

He's a bit temperamental.

I just need more time.

How long has this been going on?

Well, how long have you been doing this?

Stop overreacting, okay?

I didn't take any of them.

Any what?

The drugs. I don't do them anymore.

Good on you.

It's really tempting though.

There's this one called blue juice

and blue is my favorite color.

Yeah, I would probably stay away from that one.

Hey.

Hi.

Definitely not a social call this time?

No, sorry.

I hate talking about cop stuff with you. Feels wrong.

Yeah, I get that.

If I don't tell you stuff, it'll affect our friendship.

And even if I do,

you'll get stood down because we know each other.

No, my boss is cool.

That's not gonna happen.

But I do have to ask...

About the doping.

Did I see anything?

No, I didn't.

There might be someone who did.

Who?

You opened your big mouth, didn't you?

Okay.

I'll admit there was something dodgy going on

with Julianne's horse.

Craig was here a lot. Way more than a vet would usually be.

Were you aware Craig was a co-owner of Winsome Spring?

Yeah, of course.

How much do you think Julianne knew

about what was going on?

It's all wet. Something like clay.

Hey, back again!

Time for a tetanus shot.

Another one?

Better safe than sorry.

Just think, my sister haven't screwed me over,

be doing this myself.

Well, lucky you've got me then.

You're saying Julianne was present

when Craig was injecting the horse with steroids?

All I'm saying is what I saw.

It could have been tetanus,

it could have been something else.

What I do know is I don't need any

of this black market business coming back on my stables.

Last thing I need is to be tarred with that brush.

What else do you know, Tangimai?

Did she ever talk about how her sister screwed her over?

When Julianne was younger,

apparently she desperate wanted to be a vet,

but Bonnie sabotaged her training.

My sister believed that I was too biased towards dogs

to be a balanced objective dispassionate vet.

What business was it or hers?

Bonnie meddles in my life anyway that she can.

She contacted my tutors,

told them I cheated in my exams.

That laid waste to her dreams,

leaving Julianne feeling very bitter.

And this information comes via Missy's mother?

Yeah, she's a reluctant witness.

Worried it'll come back on her business.

Yeah, well even so,

Mike's gonna want a way to verify this.

These are copies of orders from your vet clinic

for quantities of steroids from various suppliers

in the United States.

The orders have your name attached.

We also have documentation from courier companies showing

their arrival into New Zealand

and their delivery to your clinic.

But then after that, nothing,

which begs the question

how and where were the steroids prescribed?

We know you are a part owner of the horse.

A fact that you lied to my colleague here about

and we know that the horse tested positive

for steroids after the race.

We also have a witness

who said you were directly involved.

Bloody Brianna.

She's a party girl.

You can't believe a word she says!

We have several witnesses.

Also of interest, bank statements

showing that you are carrying a considerable amount of debt.

Look, there have been times in the past,

I'll admit, where my vision

has outstripped my immediate financial resources.

That's one way of putting it.

Being successful in business requires taking risks.

Well, from what we can make out,

when you bought into your practice,

you took on more debt than you could service

and then you decided to dabble in the stock market

and made a lot more bad choices.

So then you tried some old fashioned gambling.

Yes. All right.

I was responsible for the doping.

I needed the horse to start winning.

A vet doping horses.

How would the vet council regard that?

If word got out, your career would be over.

So I think we can assume that you did everything

in your power to keep it a secret.

Did Andrea find out?

Is that what happened?

Somewhere along the line,

she must have realized the level

of financial trouble you dragged her into.

Was there a confrontation between you?

No! I made sure she didn't find out.

Look, I know what this looks like.

Really? Do you?

I loved my wife.

I would never have hurt her.

All I needed was two or three more wins

and I would've been back on my feet.

There's something else.

Your fingerprints, along with some others,

are on the reins that were found at the crime scene.

Okay, that's impossible.

I've never seen those reins, let alone touched them.

I want to lodge a complaint.

What sort of complaint?

Frodo?

Hi.

What's going on?

Well, I've got this bunch of kids harassing me

at the coffee cart

and they're giving Hercules a hard time.

Bro, look at him!

Bro, you reckon he could do a flip?

Hey, get the hell away from from him!

We're just joking around.

I know they're just dumb-ass kids

who don't know any better,

but they're scaring off my customers

and I'm pretty sure Hercules is developing anxiety issues.

Have you got a unit free that could take a look?

See what I can do.

Thanks heaps.

Hi. Come on through.

Mike's waiting.

Hey, Julianne.

Hey, I've just got a couple of questions

about obedience after the class the other day.

I think you've mistaken me for my sister.

You're not her?

I'm her sister, Bonnie.

That's amazing.

Has has anyone ever told you

you guys look pretty much identical?

What just happened?

Everyone knew what Craig was doing with Julianne's horse.

You're sure about that?

Ask them.

And in her role as vet nurse,

Andrea was keenly aware of all the drugs coming in

and out of the clinic.

It wouldn't have been possible for Craig

to hide that from her.

So she knew?

I heard them arguing about it.

Did you know that they had a trial separation

about six months ago?

They only got back together because Craig begged her.

She was at her wit's end.

She told me that she was leaving him for good this time.

She was sick of the lies and

violent temper.

Between Craig and Ron Abbot lurking around,

Andrea spent a lot of her time in fear.

When did you become aware of Craig and the steroids?

Only recently.

I did contemplate going to the police or the vet council.

But in the end, I decided to let Craig try

and sort it out himself.

Why would you give him another chance?

For Andrea's sake.

Do you recognize these?

Yes, I've seen those.

Where?

In the back of Craig's car.

When was that?

About a week ago.

Hey, thanks for coming.

No problem.

I ordered you a coffee.

Hope that's okay.

It's a flat white, right?

Nice. Thanks.

Your mum, she has a certain attitude to police.

She had a few interactions in her youth.

Bit of blame on both sides I'd say.

I need to verify what she told me.

You don't trust her?

I just need to verify.

And that's why you asked me to come here.

Not just that.

Are you sure? Because that's what it feels like.

Could Tangimai have any kind of score

to settle with Craig Tillman?

No. Look, the guy's a creep

and she's rightly concerned his shenanigans

will bounce back on her stables.

That's it.

You know I actually came here

because I wanted to have a coffee with you,

not to go through all this third-degree stuff.

I'm sorry.

Mike?

Get out to Ron Abbot's place.

Bring him in for an interview.

Don't take no for an answer.

Sure, will do.

Missy!

Is it too hard for us to just have a coffee?

A witness has placed these in your car prior

to Andrea's death.

Which witness?

That's not the issue here.

Well it is if someone's trying to frame me.

Were they in your car or not?

Yes.

All right, they were on the back seat for a couple of days,

but then they disappeared.

They just disappeared? That's convenient.

Well, Julianne left them there.

One day the horse was in the paddock.

She had to restrain the beast while I gave the injection.

Then I drove her back to the stables.

But I swear to God,

when I went to return them, they were gone.

You've got no idea where they went between then

when they ended up around your wife's neck?

No!

I'm really sorry,

but Mrs. Petri's French bulldog

has swallowed the head of her daughter's Barbie doll.

Can I get on with my day or what?

Whatever you're selling, I'm not buying.

DC Chalmers.

We'd like you to come down to the station

to answer a few more questions.

I've already spoken to your boss.

I've got nothing else to say.

Is that right?

You could start by explaining

how an electric car could leave an oil stain

on the driveway.

Look, I can't leave the dog alone in my house.

He'll rip it apart.

He can come with you.

He might piss in your car.

I'll get it cleaned.

Right.

Good choice.

After you.

Let me get its lead.

Fingerprints have had a look.

We're waiting on a match.

Hey, thanks.

My dog all right?

He's being looked after.

Better be.

Ron, you need to tell us what you know

about Andrea Tillman's death.

Don't know anything.

The oil stain on your driveway,

would we be right in thinking

that that came from Andrea's car?

Yes. Bloody inconsiderate when people do that.

They should look after their cars properly.

So it did come from Andrea's car?

She came to see me.

The night she died?

Well, you two weren't exactly friends.

Why would she come to see you?

That's what I wanted to know.

What the hell do you want?

Something wrong with your puppy?

You better come in.

And then we tried to figure out the confusion.

I got a message from the clinic that you called,

that it was an emergency.

No, news to me.

Hey!

Hey.

The thing is, I never rang the clinic.

We couldn't figure out what happened.

So then she got into her car and left.

You're telling us a woman who you didn't like,

who you thought was responsible

for the death of your previous dog,

just turned up outta the blue,

had a quick chat, and then left?

Looks on your faces is the reason

why I didn't want to talk about this earlier.

That's why I wanted to get rid of the oil stain.

I knew you'd jump to conclusions.

Then help us to understand,

is it true you resented Andrea?

You believed she killed your dog?

We actually talked about that.

You have to believe me.

Evie's death wasn't my fault.

So who was it then?

I can't say.

Yeah, right.

Ron, it wasn't me.

I promise you.

And did you believe her?

It makes no difference now, does it?

Do you recognize that?

No.

Well then can you explain why our colleague found it

on your property about an hour ago?

Like I told him, I've never seen that bloody thing before.

So we won't find your fingerprints on it?

No, you won't.

This is a set up.

Don't you get it?

If Ron's telling the truth

that someone messaged Andrea

telling her to go out to Ron's place,

that has to be someone from the clinic.

And is that the same someone who took the reins

that went missing out of Craig's car?

Tomorrow, I wanna get Brianna Kutz

and Prisha Bannerjee

in here for some straight answers.

Frodo!

Cool. They've sent the big guns.

You opening up or what?

What? No.

How can you want a coffee at a time like this?

What are you talking about?

I just put a call through to the station.

That's why you're here, right?

Hercules is gone. I need your help to get him back.

Missing pets isn't really police business, Frodo.

No, he's not missing.

He's been kidnapped by those loser kids

that I laid a complaint about yesterday.

Where did you see him last?

Here.

Well, he can't have got far.

You don't know him.

I know he's a tortoise.

It's not like he's gonna cover hundreds of kilometers a day.

You're not hearing me.

He's been kidnapped.

He could be on a plane to some collector

in Saudi Arabia by now.

Where's Liam Neeson and his special set of skills

when you need him?

So we're looking for him or what?

Hercules?

Hercules?

Yeah, solid effort, man.

I'm a target, aren't I?

Is that why I'm here?

You are not a target, Brianna.

You are here to help me understand the relationships

between the staff at the clinic.

I'm just the receptionist.

I don't know most of what goes on.

Yet you said something to my colleague,

Detective Chalmers, about Andrea.

You said that poor woman had no idea what was going on.

What did you mean by that?

Nothing much.

Did you mean Andrea had no idea about Craig

and the horse doping?

Sort of. 'Cause I don't think she did know.

Was there more that Andrea didn't know about?

Yeah.

Like how Bonnie would talk about her behind her back,

always putting her down and stuff,

saying how Andrea was no good at her job.

Anything else?

This is the worst bit.

She told me that if you asked,

I had to tell you that I'd seen Craig and Andrea arguing

and that if I didn't,

she'd tell you that I was involved with the horse thing.

So when you told us the other day you'd seen Craig

and Andrea arguing that wasn't true?

Yeah.

Well, they did argue sometimes.

They're married.

It's compulsory, right?

But I don't totally know what they argued about.

Was Bonnie ever critical of Andrea in your presence?

Prisha, a woman is dead. These are important questions.

Yes.

And initially I believed Bonnie

until I started to see through what she said.

Because?

Because sometimes she makes mistakes in surgery.

Can you give me an example?

About three months ago,

a cat came in for a dental cleaning.

And with cats, it's different.

They need to be anesthetized.

Bonnie got distracted,

left the cat under for too long and the cat died.

When the owner confronted her, she blamed other staff.

Did you ever confront Bonnie about that?

Once.

She didn't really wanna talk about it.

Later that day, she made a reference

to my parents' immigration status.

And that was the end of it?

Perhaps I could've done more.

But my parents, they're my parents, you know?

They sacrificed a lot for my education.

I just want them to live here so badly.

Did Bonnie tell you to tell us you'd seen Ron

and Andrea arguing?

Hercules. - Hercules.

Hercules. - Hercules.

Okay, that's them.

Are you gonna talk to them?

Yes.

You've gotta find out what they've done with him.

Relax, Frodo. Let me handle this.

Hello, boys.

Nice bikes you got there.

Frodo's pet is missing.

I wondered if you'd seen anything.

We ain't seen nothing.

You sure about that?

What sort of pet is it?

Is it like a rat or something?

He's a tortoise!

What have you guys done with him?

Have you forgot your meds today?

I told you, we ain't seen nothing.

There he is!

Took him long enough.

I'll give you a hand.

No, I got this.

Yeah.

Oi, they're handcuffed!

What the hell?

Bro, handcuffs? Really?

Bro, cops.

I have an idea how you can keep track

of this little fella.

I don't understand why you're happy

to take these lies at face value.

I've helped you uncover a doping scandal being run out

of my clinic,

but you'd rather listen to the perpetrators

of that than myself.

So Craig's lying?

Well, obviously.

And when Andrea realized the scale of his deception,

she confronted him and he killed her.

But he forgot about the reins in the back of his car.

So you definitely saw them there?

Definitely.

And Brianna?

She's implicated in Craig's illegal activity.

Perhaps more than you realize.

What about Prisha?

Prisha is an isolated individual

and she's having trouble coming to terms with the fact

that she's not a very good vet.

She's constantly distracted

by her parents' ongoing immigration issues,

to the point where I wondered

if she might have organized the break-in

to cover up some mistake that she'd made.

That's a serious allegation

to make against one of your own staff.

I know.

I don't have any proof,

but I have a strong suspicion.

My point is I go out of my way to help my staff

and these allegations are nothing more than gossip

and rumors and I don't mind saying it's hurtful.

Did you contact Andrea the night she was murdered?

Yes. I called her after the puppy party

to make sure she was okay

and make sure that Ron Abbot hadn't caused any problems.

And that was the only contact you had

with her that night?

Yes.

Now look, with all this disruption,

the vet clinic is understaffed and I really need to help.

So if you don't have any further questions,

I would really like to go now.

What are you doing here?

I believe the phrase is helping the police

with their inquiries.

Well, there's no point asking her anything

because she's in no way a credible witness.

Are you worried about what I might tell them?

She's a narcissist who wouldn't know the truth

if it ran her over.

And she's never gotten over the fact

that I've made a success of my life and she never could.

Whatever you say, sis.

Julianne, come through.

Just down this way.

Wow, with sisters like that, who needs enemies?

What is this?

It's Frodo's latest method to keep track of Hercules.

And whose idea was that?

It's my da Vinci moment.

You missed your true vocation, tortoise whisperer.

How much of what your sister says is true?

Do you see her as more successful than you?

Well, it depends on your definition of success.

What's important to me are my friendships

and the level of contentment.

In that area, I'm way ahead of her.

You don't think Bonnie

has any of those things in her life?

My sister has no friends.

She says that she and Andrea were close.

To begin with, yes.

She burned through that friendship,

the way she burns through all friendships

throughout her life.

Bonnie botched an operation

and she begged Andrea to keep it a secret

for the sake of the clinic.

And her own career?

Absolutely.

She's so desperate to prove herself to the world

that she can't deal with one hint of failure.

But over the years,

Andrea witnessed other incidents of incompetence.

The latest of which was Ron Abbot's dog?

It was Bonnie's mistake.

She ignored Andrea and operated on the wrong dog.

For Andrea, that was the final straw.

She told Bonnie that she had to resign.

So then Bonnie started spreading the rumor

that Andrea was responsible?

And Andrea couldn't leave her job at the clinic

because of Craig's financial situation.

And then when Bonnie got wind of Craig and the steroids,

she thought that she could hold that over Andrea forever.

But Andrea didn't wanna go on working

with someone who was hurting animals.

So she gave Bonnie an ultimatum via email,

resign or I go to the vet council.

And what about the reins? How did they fit in?

They came from me.

I left them in Craig's car after one

of his visits at the stables.

So you lied to us?

Once I realized they were found at the crime scene,

I didn't wanna implicate him anymore than he already was.

Why didn't you tell us all this earlier?

Until I talked to Craig, I couldn't be sure.

What did he want?

He was asking me about my reins!

What'd you say?

Nothing.

Craig, what the hell is going on?

I don't know!

Seriously, I don't.

All I know is they were in my car and then they were gone!

Really?

Yes!

I take it you knew about the doping of Winsome Spring.

By the time I found out, it was too late.

Excuse me.

Fingerprints on the bottle

came back negative for Ron Abbot.

Craig Tillman?

No, but there was a hit on Bonnie Seymour.

Hey, Ron.

DSS Shepherd would like you to know that,

as far as we're concerned, you're in the clear.

There's no evidence that you touched the bottle we found.

Well, that's good to know.

Considering I didn't do anything.

She left it here, didn't she?

Who did?

Bonnie.

She paid me a visit yesterday.

Hello, Ron.

It's a terrible time

for all of us with the loss of Andrea

and we'd like to offer you free vet care for the next year.

Anything to help put this dreadful incident behind us.

That's very kind.

You've been through a lot.

I'm so very, very sorry.

There I was thinking better late than never.

Deflead, wormed, and vaccinated.

I'll see you two in 12 months.

Thank you. - No worries.

We need to speak to Bonnie.

I'll check if she's here.

Hey, is Bonnie here?

No, but she did call about 20 minutes ago.

She said she wasn't feeling very well.

Excuse me.

Hey, we're on route to Bonnie Seymour's place.

Might be an idea to start heading this way.

Copy that.

Tech has found an email on Andrea's laptop.

The last one sent.

She was about to blow the whistle on Bonnie.

I'll go round the back.

Bonnie!

Mike Shepherd.

We need to talk further.

I was hoping we could go over a few details

so that we can clear up-

Well, that went quite badly.

Yeah.

I hate golf.

Suspect's heading north on Kocullen Road.

What's your 20?

Kocullen Road heading south.

Okay, well if you see a black BMW,

Hotel Kilo Juliet 171,

make yourself useful, will you?

I'm on it.

Cutting through Connemara Road.

I'm in pain.

You in pain?

Hercules?

Hercules!

Are you okay, buddy?

Geez, what are you trying to do to me?

Hey, watch where you're going, lady!

I don't know, checking.

Jesus, Frodo!

Whoa!

Tell me he's okay!

He's...

Yeah, he's fine.

It's a Merlin '71 versus 2020.

Mike, we're never gonna catch her in this thing.

Well, I'm sorry,

but sometimes you just have to speak truth to power.

Out of the car!

Just making myself useful.

Be careful,

that's an original paint job.

Here's what we now know.

Andrea was so concerned with your failures as a vet

that she was determined to go public

to stop you harming anymore animals.

She'd been threatening this for some time.

Time enough for you to formulate a plan to kill her.

That's ridiculous.

That she wanted to go public?

No.

We have a copy of the email she drafted

the day she was killed containing a statement

about your incompetence

that she was about to send to the vet council.

Her big mistake was giving you the courtesy

to see it first.

Come.

After the puppy party,

you sent her a message from the clinic computer

telling her to go out to Ron's place.

A ploy to implicate him in her death.

You then rang her and invited her to your house.

You told her you were willing to front up to your failures

and resign, as she demanded that you do.

You have no proof of this.

That you rang her?

You told us you did, just not what it was about.

And Andrea's car has a tendency

to leave a telltale trail at each port of call.

You gave her a cup of tea, Earl Grey, no sugar,

but with a sedative in it.

Diazepam, which corresponds to a missing dose

from your drug register.

Once she became drowsy, you administered the pentobarbital

and watched her die.

Then you sent a message to her husband

stating she, "Couldn't take this anymore."

Then you drove her out to the reserve in her car,

using the reins to implicate her husband

and to further direct attention away from yourself.

Interesting theory.

I presume this stems from a series of lies propagated

by my embittered sister.

None of this actually connects me to Andrea's death.

We have statements from clinic staff confirming

that you pressured them into lying to police.

Did Bonnie tell you to tell us

you'd seen Ron and Andrea arguing?

Will you go on record?

Yes.

Prisha's a liar.

Your fingerprint is on this pentobarbital bottle.

It was recovered from Ron Abbot's property.

The serial number indicates that came from your clinic.

So how did it get there?

If it wasn't Prisha, then Ron must have broken in.

I told you he was sizing up the place.

There was no break in, Bonnie.

That was staged.

Did you plant this bottle on Ron's property

to incriminate him?

No.

But of course my prints are on it. It's from my clinic.

Yes, it is.

You see, so it would be surprising

if my prints weren't on it.

But that doesn't explain why your prints are also

on the leaf that was used to partially obscure the bottle.

You lifted the horse reins

from the back of Craig Tillman's car.

I wanted to be a vet from when I was a child.

That's the only dream I had.

I was nothing without it.

I wasn't gonna let Andrea take that away from me.

Everything I worked for my whole life,

who was she to take that away from me?

She was just a nurse.

Bonnie, Detective Sims here

will now take a full statement from you.

You can tell her all about it.

Here you are, two flat whites.

Thanks, Frodo.

Where's Hercules?

I don't wanna stomp on him.

Reunited. Cute.

Yeah. Apparently the old girl has a few memory issues.

One of the rest home nurses asked

where her little friend was.

That's when she remembered she'd forgotten to remember him.

Gonna miss having him around?

Be honest, nah.

He's high maintenance.

As far as having an assistant goes,

you know, the bottom line has gotta be opposable thumbs.

Bye, Frodo.

Day off, is it?

Yeah, it is.

They actually exist, do they?

Thanks.

But you know I have pressing business.

That right?

Yep. Gotta take the horses down to the beach.

Pity you can't ride.

Where did you hear that?

When was the last time you were on a horse?

A while ago now.

Principle's the same though, isn't it?

Hold on tight.

Try not to fall off.

Am I going to fast?

You want me to slow down?

Nah, I'm good!

Slowpoke!