All language subtitles for The-Brokenwood-Mysteries-s03e01 V

Hold on tight, folks. It gets a bit
bumpy up ahead in Brokenwood Forest,

one of the main locations
used for filming the trilogy.

And coming up on your right, a great
photo opportunity for Rivendella.

It's very small. That's
the magic of the movies.

Too small to be Rivendell.

In the movies, they film things small

because they get blown up
bigger for the big screen, right?

If this was actual size, it
wouldn't fit in the cinema.

This is insulting.

Oh, you speak English.

Ja, of course. And I think
rings is not spelt with a 'Z'.

Well, Kiwi is an evolving language.

In NZ, the use of a 'Z' is commonplace.

Maybe go closer? Oh,
no. No, no. No, no, no.

You wouldn't wanna do that. Yes.

Not with possible landslides,
orcs. Orcs are not real.

If that's your attitude,
why'd you come on the tour?

For the lunch.

Mm. Yeah, all right. And giant spiders!

Giant spiders! Right,
then. Back in the van.

Next stop
- an excerpt from Helmet's Deep.

Yah! Yah! Yah!

Yah!

Ah!

Ah!

Ah!

Ah!

Yah!

Thanks, folks. Feel free
to come and take photos.

Helm's Deep was not in a glade.

It was a big battle
across varied terrain.

I want my lunch. All in good time.

Satisfied customers -

you should try it sometime.

Next stop
- Mirklewood.

Whoa!

Gifford, ya mad bastard!

Gotcha. You've blown
it this time, fella!

Nothing to worry about,
folks. Just a Black Rider.

Mein Gott.

Mirklewood? This is simply not correct.

Calm down. This is the best bit.

And it was about here -
well, over there actually -

that Bilbo Baggins
encountered the giant spider.

Can I have a volunteer
to see if, in fact,

that spider still lurks
here in Mirklewood?

Great. Step forward. Come.

Don't be nervous
- it won't kill you.

Well, it might.

And that's the end of the show, folks.

Gets them every time.

Pretty scary, huh?
Please tell your friends -

Ray's Tours, a full 3D experience.
This is my wife, Debbie.

Debbie, say hello. Debbie's
the brains of the organisation.

I'm the looks.

Ray.

OK, Debbie, that's enough.

Debbie?

Debbie?

Oh my God. Sweet Jesus!

Debbie, I don't know what you saw,
but it was obviously unexpected.

Something very very frightening?

You'll be out of here soon. I promise.

You nodded. What?

As if she answered your question.

Did I? That's weird. It was rhetorical.

Isn't it always? No.

Thanks.

Given the amount of web,...

maybe it's possible there
is actually a giant spider

of some kind living in here.

Are you serious?

Science has only scratched the surface

of known species on the planet.

Have you got a thing about spiders?
Ew. What? No. No, not at all.

She was a diabetic.

I see.

She would have gone into a diabetic coma

and not made it to her insulin on time.

I guess that's one possibility.
That's the only one I can see.

It was always the sword of
Damocles hanging over her.

We used to joke about it
- the sword of Diabetes.

Do you remember her taking
her insulin this morning?

I wouldn't know. Wasn't
something we did together.

Um, we get lunch now?

Hey, Ray's just lost his wife -

serving lunch isn't really
a high priority at this time.

It was part of the
outrageous ticket price.

I know. Then, uh, maybe you do it.

Um...

It's OK, boys. Take them
back to the Frog & Cheetah

and get them some burgers and chips.

No, not burger and chips -

what you say.

We do a great London pride sausage.
Please. I'll meet you there.

Everybody, come on.

You needn't go out of your way.

I'm a businessman
- word of mouth is everything.

Still, this is an
extraordinary situation.

Well, I can't risk bad
reviews on Trip Advisor.

Ray, I'll need a statement.

After I've dealt with these clients.
I'll meet you at the station.

Ray seems to be holding
it together very well

for a man who just found his wife dead.

Shepherd. Mike.

Simon. Thanks for calling
me back. How's the vintage?

Uh, we'll know soon.

That case of rose went
down well last year.

It was Merlot.

Oh. Sorry. Am I still
on your Christmas list?

We'll see. Your wife, Linda...

Oi, keep your hands off.

Don't you think you've had enough
wives to last several lifetimes?

She's a diabetic? She is. Why?

Has she ever fallen into a coma?

Uh, once. Messy business.
She forgot her shot.

Went quite la-la before I
realised and managed to jab her.

And if you hadn't?

I'd be a widower. And
pretty bloody sad about it.

Where are you going with this?

An unexplained death.

Just getting some background.
Give my love to Linda.

Like hell.

Are we treating this as a
homicide? An unexplained death.

Coffee's made.

I'm good, thanks.

Here's the thing
- I spoke to Nigel Medlock and Billy Franks.

It was a doubly whammy -

not only did they get
freaked out by the spider...

..but then they'd be confronted
by a web-bound corpse,

and it would really tip them over.

Like, it would totally freak them out.

It worked every time.

Well, that is, until today.

It wasn't meant to be a real
corpse, and not, like, Debbie.

Debbie was a great boss.
Yeah, totally the best.

Debbie was always planted
ahead of the group.

Planted?

Put in her cocoon of spiders web.
Fake. Notable by its Velcro seam.

But she's trapped, right? Waiting
for the tour group to arrive.

She slips into a diabetic coma
and can't reach her insulin.

Which surely makes it
a workplace accident.

Yeah, which means that the
only actual crime committed

was the fleecing of
non-English-speaking

tourists with the ruse
that the Lord of the Rings

was actually filmed in Brokenwood.

Pretty much.

Except that Ray Neilson's
response was very matter-of-fact.

Grief hits people in
different ways.

Gina. Mike. Ready when you are.

On my way. Take Ray's
statement when he comes in.

Roger that. And I'll type up my notes...

on a workplace accident.

This insulin pen,
this was in her pocket?

Right-side trouser.

Hm.

Is there anything at a glance
to suggest a diabetic coma?

I won't know that until I get inside,

but the pronounced rigidity is unusual.

Well, isn't that rigor mortis?

Maybe, but there are
the oedematous eyelids.

Edema what?

Swollen, Mike
- they are unusually swollen.

This is more like latrodectism.

Which is? Usually caused by venom.

Perhaps snake, stonefish or
the poisonous golden dart frog.

None of those live in NZ.

Or a spider.

I think we have found the
culprit. It is a black widow.

No, that would be a katipo.

I can't find any site of a bite mark.

Well, what about these?

The thigh, a common site
for an insulin injection.

Evident here too, the abdomen.

You checked the mouth?

In soft tissue like the mouth,
there would be noticeable swelling.

What I can tell you is the time of
death was less than six hours ago.

Which puts it close to
the time of discovery.

The level of rigor mortis is perhaps
enhanced by the spider venom, but...

But you can't locate the bite mark.

I will keep searching while I
wait for Toxicology to report.

Until then, I can't attribute
the death to the spider.

What about a diabetic coma?
We will know more soon.

Thank you, Gina.

Mike. What do you know about the katipo?

The katipo spider?

One was in Debbie Neilson's mouth. Wow.

Um, it's venomous, right?

Black with red hourglass markings.
NZ's deadliest spider, I believe.

That's what I thought.
As a matter of interest,

there's a research project
based out at Brokenwood Beach,

a PhD student studying katipo.

Good. Find out everything we can.
Yeah. I'll, uh, get Breen on to it.

Did Ray Neilson have
anything useful to say?

No, he hasn't shown up.

I'm just about to head down
to the Frog & Cheetah.

I'll meet you there.

Chandra Singh, arachnologist.
Meaning someone who loves spiders?

Mm. Do you have a problem?

No. Not at all. I'll give
them a call. No problem.

Best to visit. Scientists are
usually useless over the phone.

Sure.

Do you guys want
another round? Oh, yeah.

Same again?

Hi. Is, uh, Ray about?

You the cops? DSS Mike
Shepherd; Detective Sims.

Trudy, Ray's sister. Got the news
and drove over from Riverstone.

That's good of you to step in.

Family
- you do what you have to.

You might wanna leave Ray
alone for a bit. He's a bit sad.

Yeah, that's understandable.

I gave him a Valium
to take the edge off.

Is he sleeping? No.

Well, then a quick
word would be helpful.

For him or you?

Perhaps both.

The idea was they weren't supposed
to be able to speak English.

Well, there was a German bloke
whose English was better than mine!

Yeah, thanks.

No, no. Business as usual.

Ray, it's the cops.

Oh. Right.

Ray. G'day.

Yeah, alright, Trude. You sure?

Sister. Bit overprotective.

Well, it's good of her to step
in. Yeah, well, needs must.

I'm sorry I didn't come by earlier
- things went a bit mad.

Mixing whisky and
Valium may not help that.

It's just the one. Surely, you
wouldn't deny a man a drink.

It's not every day your wife dies.

I'm sorry. That didn't come out right.

It's OK, Ray. Look, the
post-mortem has suggested thatP

Diabetes?

It's inconclusive, but
there's the possibility

that Debbie's fatality may be
the result of a spider bite.

What, a katipo? No way.

A katipo was found on her person,

but as of yet there's no
evidence of an actual bite.

Well if there was no bite,
then it wasn't a spider.

Well, we're still waiting
to hear back from Toxicology.

Obviously, we'll keep you updated.

You, uh, been burning
the midnight? What?

Oh yeah. Busy times.

Uh, when was the last
time you saw Debbie alive?

This morning.

Why? What time exactly?

What does it matter? Why,
did Billy say something?

About what? Billy, Billy, Billy.

Look, we had words.
It was nothing serious.

What, you and Debbie?

Well, how much bloody
longer? I've spoken to Damo,

and there should be another
van by the end of the week.

End of the week? Well it's
better late than never.

I could strangle you
sometimes, Ray Neilson!

Hi.

Uh, you know what? I'll
just, um, wait in the van.

We're missing out on
serious cash. I know.

We could be doing three times
what we're putting through now -

I know! And if we don't take it,

Gifford and Davis will be
rubbing their hands with glee.

Damo is? From Real
Cheap Cars on Teeling St.

I was after another van,
to expand the business.

And Gifford and Davis are?
They're other tour operators.

Sounds like Debbie
was quite competitive.

Don't get the wrong idea.

She rubbed people up the wrong way,
but she had a bloody good heart.

It's always the way
- you fight,

they die.

Oh, hell, evening rush soon.

Ray, you should take it
easy. Yeah, well life goes on.

I mean, it has to.

We need that statement, Ray.

Not now. I should help Trudy.
First thing tomorrow, then?

First thing.

The mattress
- do you think that Ray and Debbie were sleeping apart?

Looks that way.

And what do you think Ray meant
when he said, 'You fight, they die'?

Well, it's not uncommon -

when people lose a loved one,

they beat themselves up that the
last time they spoke was in anger.

Is that what happened to
you, when your wife drowned?

Me? No.

I was lucky.

Hey, dude. Chandra Singh?

Do I look like a Singh? Or
a Chandra? It's a girl's name, bro.

Sorry. DC Breen, Brokenwood CIB.

I'm after some expert
information on spiders.

Arachnids. Yes, arachnids.

Yeah. You're after my fiancee, bro.

Right. I left a bunch of messages,
but she never returned my calls.

Don't take it personally, bro.
She never answers her phone.

Too busy out in the field
with her eight-legged friends -

that's her jag.

You're a spider expert too?

Oh, no. No way, man. No.
Elasmobranchology's my thing.

OK.

I'm a shark scientist. Dr
Byron Cotter at your service.

So, Chandra? Oh right. Yeah. Follow me.

Living out here suits us both.
My subjects are out there;

Chandra's are right here amongst
the driftwood and tussock.

You must go out pretty
deep with your work.

No. My research is the study
of sharks in shallow water,

so everything I do is
within 100m of shore.

Really, they come in that close?

Yeah. Right now, I'd say
there'd be 35 out there.

Wow.

Yeah, I know them all
by name. Cool job, huh?

If you like sharks.
Like? I love them, dude.

Ah, there she is.

Hey, babe! Sh!

Dammit. Lost her. Sorry,
babe. Hey, this is, um...

Detective Constable Breen.
Hello. Chandra Singh.

What did you lose?

A female katipo... ripe with venom.

Oh cool. Uh, that's
actually why I'm here.

There's a possibility there's been

a fatality from one
in Brokenwood Forest.

Whoa. Heavy. I doubt it's true.

Katipo aren't forest
dwellers. Yeah, true.

Well, as part of a workplace
accident investigation,

we need to understand more about them.

Get out of here, you
monster! Didn't see you there!

You have no right! I will
report you to the authorities!

You have to understand, she's
very passionate about her work.

Horses have no place in this
fragile habitat, no place.

Nobody understands.

Hey, I do, babe. You know that.

So, you think you can
help the detective?

Yep.

Sweet. Surf's pumping. I
might get one in before dark.

You really like to get
amongst your subjects, huh?

They're not my subjects, dude;
they're my friends. Catch ya!

Would you like to meetmyfriends?

This is where I work.

OK. Do you know Delena cancerides?

Delena. Does she run the
Greek restaurant in town?

The Latin name for the Avondale spider.

Whoa! That's...

a big one. And completely harmless.

This is where we do
the milking. Milking?

Of the venom. I send it away to a
company that produces an antivenom.

It funds my research.

You can milk something that small?

Mm. With the help of a microscope.
I have Esther here ready and waiting.

Take a look. No, I'm OK.

It's perfectly safe.

Whoa. That's really...

I hadn't eaten, OK? It'd been a
long day. The blood sugar dropped.

And you saw a spider.

Yes, I saw a spider
- I was in a spider lab.

It wasn't the spider; the
lab was very warm and...

And what did you learn?
Before the ambulance came.

There was no ambulance.

Chandra's adamant a katipo
couldn't have killed Debbie.

They're demonised, but
pretty harmless really.

But they are venomous.

Yes, but their potency is overestimated.

You could say that their
bark's worse than their bite.

So their venom isn't lethal?

It is, but they only
bite if they're startled,

agitated or trapped against your skin.

And even if Debbie was bitten,
it's unlikely to have killed her.

There hasn't been a fatality
from a katipo since 1901.

But more importantly,
katipo don't live in forests.

Their habitat is strictly
coastal. You feeling better?

But there was a katipo.
It was in her mouth.

Whoa. So, then, how did it get there?

Senior, a Mr Zeigler to have a word.

Hans, isn't it? Ja. I
wish to make a complaint.

Against?

The Lord of the Ringz
Tours. It was ridiculous.

That is your complaint?

I have watched the DVD
- none of this was filmed here. None!

And there were motorbikes
driving through the scenery,

silly people with wooden
shields, a dead woman.

This is not fun.

The lunch was not what was
promised. They gave us burgers.

You don't like burgers?

Why would I travel halfway
around the world to eat burgers?

They were invented in Germany.

Not America? Nein. Hamburg, of course.

But this is not important.

I want it recorded that this Ray
Neilson is a rip-off merchant.

Who has just lost his wife.

This is sad, yes. But
this is not my fault.

You said there were motorbikes?

Ja. And there were no
motorbikes in Lord of the Rings.

Why is this there? Nonsense.
So I wish to lay a complaint.

DC Breen will take your
details and follow up.

I hope he does.

Zeigler reckons there
was a motorbike up there.

Ray never mentioned a motorbike.

Maybe he would have if he'd given
us a proper witness statement.

I've tried all his numbers.
He's still not answering.

What about Billy or Nigel?

It wasn't a trail bike
- a quad bike, a red one.

It was Lance Gifford
blatting down the track.

Woah!

He almost took out the
van. Ray was pissed off.

Gifford can't accept he's
got no permit to be in here.

Then he goes and pulls
a stunt like that.

It's our exclusive right for
health and safety reasons.

I mean, we're running a blimmin'
professional operation here!

Lance was always giving Ray
the finger any chance he could.

Oh, come on.

Come on

Lance?

Yeah. DSS Mike Shepherd. Detective Sims.

Nah, I won't shake. What do you want?

You run tour groups with these?

Yeah, when I can.

Were you riding through Brokenwood
Forest yesterday around 11:15?

What do you mean riding?

Well, riding, racing,
going fast on one of these.

Nah.

Yeah, we have a witness
who believes you were.

You just about took out
Ray Neilson's tour van.

Is that right? Well,

I would love to have been
blatting through the forest

while Ray was poncing
around with his tours,

but I wasn't
- I'm not allowed.

'Cause you have no permit?

That's right. Even though
I have every right to.

Despite what Debbie Neilson believes,

that forest is not theirs to
colonise with their fake film sets.

Are you aware that Debbie
Neilson passed away yesterday?

Right. That's too bad. But, you
know, it couldn't have been me.

That caused her death?

No, it couldn't have been
me riding in the forest.

My bikes weren't working.

All of them?

Yeah, they all had sugar
in their petrol tank.

Sabotage? Ray bloody Neilson, no less.

Well if you're so certain,
why didn't you lay a complaint?

No proof.

Excuse me.

Which doesn't mean he
didn't do it.

Hello? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Um, well,...

the bikes are off road
- literally.

Uh, maybe they'll be good
to go in a couple of days,

so then we could... Yeah, righto.

That's bloody typical.

The calls come in when
the bikes are broke.

Did any other tour operators feel
the same way about Ray's Tours?

No, I stick to myself, mainly.

Are you sure about that?

Oh, Nicole Davis?

Maybe. I don't know.

OK. Thanks.

I'll track down Ray,

get him to verify that it was
Lance Gifford on that bike.

Happy horse riding.

I tell you
- me, horses and happy don't belong in the same sentence.

Hey, um,

if you don't mind me
asking, why were you lucky?

Hm?

You said you were lucky the
day that your wife drowned.

Ah, yes. She contacted me.

You mean, after she was dead?

Yeah. So I felt lucky.

Right. Better go.

Jared. Mike.

This is where you get to
when the grapes are picked.

Well, I've always had
a soft spot for horses.

I moonlight for Nicole whenever I can.

And where might I find her?

Follow me. You after some lessons?

Uh, no. Um,...

I prefer Holdens to horses.

Yeah, well, can't go wrong with Nicole.

She's the best in the business.

And she's a horse whisperer.

Mm-hm.

Nicole, this is Mike Shepherd.

Hello. Hello.

Detective Senior Sergeant Shepherd. Yes?

I have a couple of questions
about Debbie Neilson.

Oh, well, I'll leave you to it.

I don't really know Debbie.

Debbie was found dead yesterday.

That's a shame.

I've gotta exercise these
two. I hope you can ride.

It's a shame about Debbie.
She was a nice person.

Some people say she gave
local tourism a bad name.

If that were the case, her tours
wouldn't have been so popular.

Popular at the expense of yours?

Well, people who wanna ride horses

aren't necessarily interested
in tacky Hobbit tours.

You, uh, got on alright, then?

Well, I admit when her
and Ray got into the game,

things were a bit tense.
But we're still in business.

Lance Gifford feels a bit
more passionate about it.

Why, what did he say?

Very little. That's
why I'm talking to you.

Everything OK?

Something urgent's come up. Excuse me.

Uh, Nicole?

Giddy up.

Go that way?

Brokenwood CIB, Detective Sims speaking.

This is Mike's phone.

Gina, hi. He's not here.
Can I take a message?

But it is important. I
prefer to speak to Mike.

Gina, I can pass it on.

It's urgent. Got it. Shoot.

What? What is the message?

Whoo-hoo!

Yo. You're a sight for sore eyes.

Looks like you left the handbrake on.

I've never really
related well to horses.

Yeah, well, horse riding's
a great way to get fit, Mike.

You think I'm unfit?

Well, there's fit, and
then there's fitter.

Oh.

Is that Lance Gifford?

Yeah. Must've got his bike
working. He's had troubles.

So he said.

Why did Nicole take off? Yeah, sorry
- we got a tour booking.

There's a group of
people wanna go for a trek

up the forest the day after tomorrow.

It takes a bit of organising
with the float transport.

Nicole rides in the forest?

Yeah. Used to be a popular trek

before the Lord of the Rings thing
cut them out and had them banned.

I guess Ray's shutting down, so
Nicole's allowed back in there.

Kristin. Mike, the toxicology report

confirms that Debbie's death
was a result of spider venom.

Right. But 10 times the lethal dose.

We're dealing with a homicide. Got it.

Oh my God.

They're stunning.

I'm glad you think so. Most
people have an irrational response.

I've always thought they were beautiful.

The thing I like most is, unlike
birds, in arachnids, the female -

The female is the bigger and more
beautiful of the sexes, right?

Right. You've done your homework.

Chandra, you told DC Breen that
one bite was unlikely to be fatal.

Unless the person has a
pre-existing condition,

such as asthma, heart problems.

But 10 bites could be?

Yes, but one spider couldn't do
it. They don't carry enough venom.

So, Chandra, you collect venom.

Yes. To make antidote.

Mm. And I presume you store
it in vials somewhere safe.

Well,... yes. Any gone missing?

When you say any, you
imply that there are many.

Well, how many do you have?

One. There's only ever one,
and it is barely half full,

and it is right here.

You need to understand
that to collect 1cc of venom

takes thousands of milkings.

It's a laborious process. This...

is eight weeks' hard work.

So it's all there? Yes.

And no break-ins or
unusual activities recently?

No.

There's no conspiracy, detective.
Everything is where it should be.

Do you, uh, make the antidote here?

No, I send it off to a lab,
which finishes the process.

They like my venom because
I harvest most of it

from outdoor-raised spiders.

I farm them in their natural habitat.

Free range.

It's better quality. But I
bring them in to milk them.

You said there were 15 in here?

Yes. I know them all by name.
How many out there free ranging?

Currently 142. I run
a breeding programme.

Is, uh... Is this one familiar?

Oh, is she the one in question?

I can't tell by a photo. I identify
most of them by personality.

You said their, uh, natural
habitat is the coast.

Yes.

Have you ever known one to migrate?

As in wander 2km into the forest? No.

There are 14 in here. What?

You said there were 15 in
here, but I can only count 14.

That'll be Amber. Sometimes
her and Tara go walkabout.

They just return to the wild.

After all, it's where they belong.

Are you sure this isn't Amber?

Like I said, I can't tell from a photo.

Rather than walkabout,

is it possible someone
could have taken her?

No one comes here.

OK. Uh, thanks for your time.

A spider gone AWOL. Are you
thinking what I'm thinking?

Yep. But with 142 out there in the wild,

the katipo on Debbie's body

could just as easily
have come from out here.

Mm. And who would have thought
that the dairy farming model

could be applied to spiders?

It's kind of curious.

As is the fact that she's a diabetic.

The insulin pen on her desk.
Oh. How did I miss that?

You were too busy
flirting with the spiders.

G'day. How's it going?

Nice day for it.

Oh, yeah, it's beautiful
out there. 4.5ft, offshore.

You the other detectives, eh?
Mike Shepherd. Kristin Sims.

Hi. Pleased to meet you both.

I'm Byron Cotter, Chandra's partner.

So, Byron, you, uh,
share a love of arachnids?

Oh, no way, dude.

No, I, uh, actually have a
bit of a thing about spiders.

But don't tell anyone.

Much happier swimming with
sharks. Oh, look at this girl.

3.5m bronze whaler.

Just off the beach here. Eh?

Impressive. Yeah, her name's Kitty.

Chandra wasn't too down, was
she? No, she was very helpful.

She just worries the katipo will
be demonised through the publicity.

The cause of death hasn't
been confirmed or released.

Sweet. Let's just hope people
don't get the wrong idea.

As they do with sharks?

Exactly, dude.

You, uh, take care out there,
Byron. Yeah, you too, dude.

What do we know?

Debbie Neilson was murdered,

but how the venom was administered
and by whom is still unclear.

Lance Gifford
- had a genuine problem with Debbie,...

was seen in the vicinity, but denies it.

Nicole Davis also felt aggrieved by
Debbie's dealings with the council,

used that portion of
the forest for trekking.

She was familiar with the crime scene.

Chandra Singh certainly
has access to the venom,

but has no known connection
to the deceased. But...

Ray does.

And Ray and Debbie argued that morning

about expanding their
business. But was that all?

I mean, was this whole thing
an elaborate plan by Ray

to kill his wife? We
have to ask the question.

Where are we at with Ray?
He's still being elusive.

He's a witness, for God's sake.

I've left him half a dozen messages.

Perhaps there's something
he doesn't wanna say.

Keep calling him.

Meanwhile, I'll have a
meeting with a giant arachnid.

We'd come by after the LARPing
while Ray had them over at Mt Doomed,

and we'd make sure
the spider was rigged,

and then put Debbie
in place as the corpse.

Why didn't you use a dummy?

Well, Debbie wanted maximum effect,
and a dummy would just sit there.

Which is a little bit scary.

But with her as the corpse, she could...

..give a little lunge
and really ramp things up.

She really went that extra
mile to give value for money.

Yeah, well, she believed
in word of mouth.

Show them a good time,
they'll tell two people -

they'll tell two people.

The ticket price was high,
though? Well, it included lunch.

Gold-plated sausage rolls?

Maybe. We don't know.

Well, that was Debbie's department.

She took them off to a
glade further down the track,

and she wined and dined them.

We were left to pack up.

Although, apparently, what
she did serve them was crap.

Debs, we can't do this!
They've already paid for it!

We can't serve them
that crap. It's wrong!

Would you mind trussing
me up in that suit?

Yeah. Why?

I like to play the victim.

She always perched here.

Hm.

Once Debbie was trussed
up, she was a sitting duck.

So the killer could
have easily stepped up

and administered the venom?

Yes. But how,... we still don't know.

At that dosage, only would have taken

a few minutes for her
to lose consciousness.

Whoever it was, they must have
known the timeline she worked on,

to be ready to take advantage
of that window of opportunity.

Lance knew.

And he was supposedly
there during the timeframe.

Nicole Davis?

Hm. Possibly.

Ray, of course, and Billy and
Nigel were the last to see her.

Not on this day.

So you'd, um, set up the rig

and help Debbie in and
out of this each tour?

Yep.

So on the morning of her
death, you would have been

the last to see her alive.

Normally, yeah.

But not that morning. Something came up.

We're running late.

We need to head across and
rig up the spider and Debbie.

Don't worry
- it's all been done. Oh.

Debbie was a bit antsy
about the schedule.

She wanted to get away
early for a hair appointment.

Right.

I've just been up
there. It's all sorted.

So Ray was actually the
last to see her alive.

It seems that way.

Not something he's
mentioned up until now.

Then again, he hasn't really
mentioned anything much at all.

Nice set of wheels.

Business must be booming. It was.

You're a hard man to track down, Ray.

Got a lot going on. You get
that when your wife dies.

Yeah, about that
- you forgot to mention

that you were probably the
last person to see her alive.

Sorry?

You were the one who
put her in the web suit.

I was.

Which was not the usual
way of doing things.

We were behind schedule. Sorry
- my mind was fuddled.

Which is why it would be good
to get that statement from you,

before anything else gets
fuddled or, even worse, forgotten.

I will. Now would be good.

I've gotta get down to council
to sort the permit issue.

I'll be down straight after.

Ray, don't fob me off. I'll be there.

What is the permit issue?

Lance Gifford wants to buy my
permitting rights to the forest.

He doesn't waste any time.

Well, he was never one
to pussyfoot around.

And you're being very accommodating.
He's a fellow businessman.

Or are you trying to make amends for
putting sugar in his petrol tanks?

What? He said that?!

He seemed pretty clear.
That's bloody libellous.

So you didn't do it?

No! Why would I? He had no
permit. He wasn't a threat.

Any idea who might've?

No. But it wasn't me.

Anyway, what does it matter?
They've got what they want now.

'They' being?

Lance and Nicole. Peas in a bloody pod.

But I'm shutting down.
The forest is theirs.

He wouldn't have done
it. Ray's not like that.

Right. Well, thanks.

But Debbie might've. She wasn't
above that kind of nonsense.

She could be a ruthless cow at times.

This insulin needle that
was found on the deceased -

did you test it for venom?
Of course. It was negative.

But she could have been
injected with the venom

via one of these or something similar?

It's possible, but unlikely.

Why? That needle, it's 8mm, 30/31 gauge.

Around the abdomen, the scar tissue

is consistent with regular injections.

As you can see, many sites,

and all the holes consistent with
the size of the insulin needle.

But if one was
penetrated with the venom,

wouldn't the tissue swell
and harden, like a bee sting?

The insulin scarring makes it
impossible to differentiate.

Wait.

OK. There is one which is slightly
bigger than the others, maybe a 16?

18 gauge.

I will need to re-examine the body.

You do that.

Katipo delivers a fatal bite
- front page.

How the hell did that get out?

Cushla at the Brokenwood
Courier won't reveal her source.

Chandra won't be pleased.

Especially as it's not technically true.

Debbie was injected, if not
with something like this,

then with a needle of some kind.

Someone planted the spider to hide

the fact that the venom
had been administered.

They must have known she was a diabetic.

And had access to needles.

Perhaps a fellow diabetic.

But also someone who
had access to spiders.

Chandra Singh, of course.
What about her partner, Byron?

Unlikely. He's a
kindred spirit of yours.

Meaning?

Byron has a thing about spiders.

I don't have a thing. He has a thing.

You didn't do it. Lance.

You said you'd sign over the
permit. Yes, I did say that.

But you didn't. I've got
a group booked for 3pm.

But then as I was
driving to the council,

with the words of Detective
Sims ringing in my ears

of you accusing me of tampering
with your precious bloody bikes,

I thought, 'Bugger you'.

I'm not handing you anything on a plate.

Well, didn't you?

No, I did not. But you know who did.

Do I?

Sign the bloody form.

When you retract your accusation.

Call Detective Sims and
tell her you had it wrong.

Kristin Sims. Yeah,
this is Lance Gifford.

Lance.

I just wanted to say
that I'm not 100% sure

it was Ray Neilson
who buggered my bikes.

Right. Well, you did
say you had no proof.

Yeah, that's right
- I didn't. But all I know is someone did.

Well, if you do find out anything
more substantial and want to -

OK. Thanks.

Happy?

Having just lost my wife, 'happy'
isn't a word that springs to mind.

Vindicated will do.

Do they know what really killed her?

What do you mean?

The mean-spirited
attitude you both had.

What the hell are you talking about?

How many people have you pissed
off in recent months, Ray?

That forest was for everyone,
and she had to block us all.

Shut it, Gifford. You can't come
in here and talk crap like that.

What, say what I think? Why not?

It's a free country. You're
an arsehole. You know that?

Takes one to know one, Ray.

Get the hell out before
I take your face off.

Alright. Just take it easy, lady.

This is just a little disagreement.

We're all done?

We're done.

So, what are we focusing on?

Ray Neilson said that Lance
or someone on a quad bike

was seen racing away from
this area of the forest

just prior to the
discovery of Debbie's body.

So if they were involved, there
should be tyre tracks nearby.

Yeah, well, given that this area
has been out of bounds for months,

any tracks should tie
back to that quad bike.

Match the tread to the tyres, tyres to the bike
- bingo.

Mike.

Good work. Get the SOCO
team up here to take a cast.

What have you found?

Not what I was expecting -

horse hooves.

They lead in here...

and out the same way.

Get me a specimen bag?

Oh. It'll need to be bigger.

Given that the forest is
strictly off limits to horses,

that dung could tell a story.

Woah!

Kinda glad that was in plastic.

OK, and this is apparently
where they filmed Mirkwood.

And you can see the
big spider over there.

Lance seems to be back in business.

And pretty pleased about it.

So, this place is nice.

And the coffee's very good.

Mm. I thought we should meet off-site,

because I've got something to give you

that may not be
appropriate at the mortuary.

Something? For me?

What is this? Manure. Uh, from a horse.

Mike, this is horse shit. Probably
best referred to as manure.

Why have you brought me
this? Is this a message?

I think so.

That you think my work
is like horse manure.

No, Gina, on the contrary,

I think you're so good at your job

that you should be able
to tell me how old this is.

You know how to age human
remains. Of course. That is my job.

So surely, you could tell me
whether this is one day old,

two days or more.

So this is a compliment?

I could send it to ESR, but
that might take too long.

Well, then, why did you not say that?

Kiwi men, you are strangely romantic.

Romantic?

I'll get to work.

Chandra, hi.

Look at what they've
written. It's not true!

I know. Did you tell them this?

No. We're not sure how they found
out, but it's not altogether untrue.

Spider venom was the cause of death.

No Latrodectus katipo is capable
of 10 times the lethal dose -

I told you that.

Well, the how is still unclear.

Now there'll be a witch hunt going on,

people out on the dunes wreaking
vengeance on innocent spiders.

Have you seen evidence of this?

It's only a matter of time.
I demand police protection.

Of the spiders? Well, why not?

I don't think that's actually possible.

Unless DC Breen was free to stand guard.

Should any unusual activity
take place, you let us know.

But until then it's only a perceived
concern, not an actual threat.

They will come. You mark my words.

Keep in touch. This is so unfair.

You know the other
thing that will happen?

Spider bites will increase.

Big day at the office.
Yep, happy customers.

You don't think your, uh, hijinks
in the forest are a bit insensitive?

To who?

Ray Neilson. Exploiting his props.

It's fair game. If he wants to leave
his rubbish out there, I'll use it.

Given his circumstances, he's hardly
had time to pack up his business.

Look, I'm just trying
to make an honest buck.

He and Debbie had that place
to themselves for too long.

I'm just reclaiming what's
rightfully mine to use.

Was that Nicole Davis riding away? Yep.

Just passing by?

She just dropped off some more
brochures 'cause I was running low.

On the morning that
Debbie was found dead,

are you sure you weren't riding
through Brokenwood Forest?

I told you
- my bikes were stuffed.

Ray's adamant he saw you,
backed up by his offsider Nigel.

Well, they're mistaken, end of story.

You wouldn't happen to know
who owns one of these close by?

Every farmer, orcharder,
surf lifesaver has one.

It was a red quad bike,
if that's of any help.

Mate, they're just about all red.

Do you mind?

Where'd you get that? Mirklewood.

It's trail pattern.
Cross-ply 25-by-10-12s.

This is pretty standard issue for
every quad bike off the shop floor,

so good luck with that.

Happy cleaning.

I want to see the ginger man.
He's very busy right now, sir.

This is of the utmost importance.

Can I help?

This gentleman wants to
follow up on his complaint.

I do not understand why you
will not take me seriously.

Mr Zeigler, come through.

The tour you went on
actually broke no laws.

Nonsense.

We've spoken with the lawyer
who set up the company,

and due to the spelling of
the word Ringz with a 'Z',

it meant you were partaking
in a tour of a film

that didn't really exist.

Oh, I agree
- Lord of the Rings

with an 'S' was never
filmed around Brokenwood.

So it's illegal? No.

Because a trilogy of films called

Lord of the Ringz with
a 'Z' may have been.

Possibly an obscure
franchise, straight to DVD.

People pay you to come up with this?

Ah, as much as I'd like to
claim it as my own, I can't.

Mirklewood, Rivendella, Mt Doomed,...

Helmets Deep.

All in all, seems pretty legal to me.

This is technical.

Technically legal,
according to his lawyer.

But misleading.

It could be seen that way,
I agree. And dangerous.

One minute, we are taking photos;

the next, we are almost killed
by a madman on a motorbike.

We're aware of that.
And what about the lunch?

He said there would be
soup, and I got burgers.

Soup, burgers
- the point is you were fed.

The point is, I was misled,

and you won't do anything
about it. I can't.

What do you call this
Mickey Mouse House of a town?

Brokenwood. It's called
Brokenwood. Exactly.

Trudy,
hi. You looking for Ray?

Yes. He's not here.

OK. Well, he's obviously not asleep.

He's at church.

Making a confession?

I wouldn't know.

Which church? St Judas on Dunphy's Rise.

Thanks.

Um, did many people know
that Debbie was a diabetic?

Was she? You mean, you
weren't aware of that?

Should I have been?

I just thought that as Ray's
sister, you might have...

Debbie and I weren't close.

If she had medical issues, I
guess she kept them to herself.

Right. Well, I'll head up to St Judas.

Um, you hold the liquor licence
for the Frog and Cheetah?

I do. What happened to Ray's?

It's been temporarily suspended.

Oh, so that's why you're here. I
thought it was because of Debbie.

Two birds with one stone.
So, why was it suspended?

Ray got himself into an altercation
with the licencing inspector.

He flies off the handle sometimes.

But he'll be cleared.

He wasn't in the wrong
- the inspector's an uptight moron.

There's nothing to see here,
detective. Ray's a good man.

Poor taste in women, but a good man.

Ray. Oh boy.

Reverend Greene. Kristin.

Nice to see you. You
stood me up again, Ray.

Sorry. Have a lot going on
- funeral arrangements.

On that note, when will
Debbie be made available

for us to do what we do?

As soon as the coroner
releases the body.

A spider bite, I
believe. A terrible thing.

Rubbish. It was a diabetic coma.

Spider venom was found
in her system, Ray.

The scientists don't
always get it right.

I see.

There may yet be further
toxicology tests to be done.

To tell them what I already know.

Well, what you know, Ray,
we'd like to know too.

So your witness statement
would be incredibly helpful.

Yes, yes. Now? Would that be OK?

I'll meet you at the station.
Thanks again, reverend.

You're most welcome, Ray.

Such a tragedy, losing his wife.

Indeed.

Especially with the tours going so well.

The Lord of the Ringz?

Enterprise is good
for the local economy.

But somewhat dishonest.

There's nothing wrong with a
little suspension of disbelief

and role playing,

especially with such a marvellous story.

Regardless, the movie wasn't
actually filmed in Brokenwood.

Christ wasn't born on
the 25th of December,

but that doesn't stop
us calling it Christmas.

Swings and roundabouts,
detective. God bless.

Mike, Ray Neilson is on
his way through the door.

Coffee? Tea?

It won't hurt a bit.

I wasn't avoiding you
- it's just a hell of a thing.

It's all a bit much really.

We appreciate that.
Thanks for coming in, Ray.

Sorry, Ray
- uh, one more question.

Uh, you said you saw Lance
Gifford on his quad bike.

Like I said, he nearly
took us out in the van.

Yeah, Lance denies it.

Well, he would
- he shouldn't have been there.

Gifford, ya mad bastard!

I have him on my phone.

Gotcha.

I don't see anything
resembling what you describe.

Give it here.

At 11:12am, there are
a few photos of you.

Bloody hell. The camera's bung.

You must have had it on selfie
mode. It was him, I tell you.

Ray, did Debbie have life insurance?

No. We didn't believe in it.

The Frog & Cheetah is my
life's work and my life's insurance.

Which is in Debbie's name.
For accountancy purposes.

So the ownership of
the Frog & Cheetah

reverts to you once Debbie is dead?

Of course. Because she's my wife.

Who has been murdered.

What are you saying?

Debbie was murdered, Ray.

How? The effects of spider venom.

Nonsense. She was a diabetic.

It's all there in the toxicology report.

For Debbie to have received 10 times
the lethal dose of a spider bite,

it can only have happened deliberately.

Well, who would do that?

That's what we're trying to find out.

She was a bloody good woman
just trying to get us ahead.

Everyone loved Debbie.

Come on, Ray.

Your tourism business rubbed
a few people up the wrong way -

I mean, Nicole Davis, Lance Gifford.

And jealousy is ugly. What can I say?

Have you talked to him
about the threatening notes?

What notes?

Here's another one -

'What you are doing in the forest
is immoral. Cease and desist.

'You have been warned.'
Bloody Lance.

Why didn't you report it?

We thought it was just a bit
of business rough and tumble.

Have you still got the notes?
We have cleaners, you know.

And you're sure it was Lance?

No.

Because? Because Debbie wasn't
universally liked, was she, Ray?

So it could've been a number of people.

That's your opinion,

just like it's your opinion
that it wasn't a diabetic coma.

It's not opinion
- it's fact. The pathologist is clear.

Debbie was injected with spider venom,

and you need to be more forthcoming

with reasons why someone
might have done that.

Or what?

Or we might start thinking
you're hiding something.

If I have to accept that
she died from a spider bite,

I will, but not that she was murdered.

It makes no sense.

Strange. He's in total denial.

Well, if Debbie was murdered,
that would mean there's a murderer.

And maybe that's something
Ray doesn't wanna face.

Lance Gifford is adamant he
didn't send any of the notes.

You saw him?

As I say, it wasn't me.

I mean, what they were doing
up there wasn't immoral;

it was just plain rude.

Innocent by turn of phrase?
Interesting.

Gina is in your office.
She's brought you a present.

What?

I'm guessing it's a
Russian cultural thing.

Gina. Mike.

Look at that.

I have the results.

48 to 72 hours.

Plus now 35 minutes.

You were late.

So up to three days, more or
less. Yes. I hope you are happy.

Very.

Is there anything else
you would like from me?

What? I enjoyed this
task. It was unusual.

You challenged me.

I like that. Good.

Uh, well, no
- that's all for now.

OK. You know where to find me.

I do.

Thanks, Gina.

You obviously liked your gift.

Just what I always wanted (!)

Boss.

Get this
- Chandra Singh

earns US$1500 per cc of spider venom.

How much is 1cc? 1 mil.
One-fifth of a teaspoon.

There's money in arachnids.

Check this out
- Ray's Trip Advisor feedback.

Most of it's in various Asian languages,

but the few compliments that are
in English are signed RN or DN.

Ray Neilson. Debbie Neilson.

Not exactly subtle about stacking
the deck in their favour, right?

Mm. I'll get the rest translated.

Smells like horse crap in here.

Nice day for a ride. Every day is.

Do you, uh, have a
trek? Yep, busy morning.

I won't hold you up -

I just wondered when the last
time you rode in the forest was.

A while ago.

Can you be specific?

Well, the place is off limits
unless you're a permit holder.

No one's allowed up there.

So you haven't been up
there in the last three days.

Like I said, the place is off limits.

Have you ever been to
the giant spider site

that Debbie and Ray Neilson
had up there for their tour?

Why would I? I'm not into hobbits.

Do you mind? I'm on a
really tight timeline.

Of course.

Do other people ride up there?

I told you
- the place is off limits.

Debbie Neilson had a special
deal with the council.

And other horse people adhere to that?

Well, better than paying
a thousand-dollar fine.

You, uh, obviously don't
have a problem with spiders.

What?

Well, some people get a bit,
you know, thingy about spiders.

Well, I have no feelings either way.
There's plenty around these parts.

Oh. Have you ever encountered a katipo?

No.

Not even the polythene
one in Mirklewood?

Oh, that thing is pathetic.

I thought you'd never been up there.

Oh, I've heard about it. Everyone's
heard about it. It's a joke.

Oh.

These look interesting.
What are they for?

Control of ticks and
intramuscular issues. That's all.

I'll, uh, let you get on.

I just wanted to be clear
that this didn't belong to you.

Me? Well, one of your horses.

You brought me a bag of dung.

Manure. We found it at the spider site.

I wasn't sure what to do with it.

Well, keep it. Put it on
your garden. I got plenty.

I might just do that.

Have a good ride.

You know, I'm not the only person
with a horse in the district.

Gruss Gott! Good morning.

Mr Zeigler.

Welcome. Thank you.

Come this way.

You after those lessons, Mike?

Three days ago, Wednesday morning
- were you working here?

Uh, yeah.

With Nicole? Yeah, I
was holding the fort.

So she wasn't here then?

Is this, like, one of
those official questions?

Nicole's a good lady, Mike.

It seems that way.
Yeah, she was out riding.

Do you know where?

She didn't say. Oh.

Hey, what time you wanna
go for that run tomorrow?

What run?

Well, you said you wanted to get fitter.

Did I?

Yeah, I'm pretty positive
you did. What do you reckon?

Mrs Marlowe. You shouldn't have.

Sam. Nice to see you. No,
these are for Ray Neilson.

I always believe that flowers

are the best on the
third day of mourning.

The adrenalin's gone,
and those left grieving

need a bit of a pick up about then.

They're red and black.

Yes, nice and masculine,
don't you think?

They're, um... They're
the same colour as the...

katipo. Yes.

Could be a little insensitive.

Oh, no, no, no, no.

It's best to talk about these
things, get them out into the open.

It's like vaccination
- a little bit of what hurts does you good.

Well, that's one way to
look at it. Have a nice day.

It's especially tragic,...

uh, given that Ray's first
wife went the same way.

Breen.

Ray Neilson's first wife, Lara, was
killed by a spider bite in Brazil.

Get me all the background you
can on it, and get Ray back in.

Yep.

Why didn't you mention Lara's death?

Perhaps because it's
none of your business.

Trude. Look,...

Lara was the love of my life.

This was 30 years ago. Do we
need to drag up bad memories?

It's OK. We were on our big OE,

seeing the world as Kiwis
do in their early 20s.

He wanted to go to Rio; she
wanted to go to the Amazon.

Trude, I've got this.
We argued about it.

She stormed off into the jungle
near where we were staying,

Straight into the web of a
Brazilian wandering spider.

It bit her in the face.
She was dead in two hours,

two excruciating hours.

The Brazilian wandering spider is
10 times more deadly than the katipo.

10 times? Yes.

Well, you seem to know
a fair bit about it.

When you go through something
like that, you learn a lot,

whether you want to or not.

It makes sense why you
weren't keen to accept

that Debbie was bitten by a spider.

What are the odds, eh? Debbie's
death is karma for Lara.

Don't think that, Ray. Lara's
death was not your fault.

Interesting. Trudy didn't say that
Debbie's death wasn't Ray's fault.

We're going back out to Chandra Singh's.

Wanna come?

I should probably translate
the rest of the Trip Advisor.

Yeah.

Are you here to stop the
thugs out on the dunes?

Have there been some? Not
yet, but I know it will happen.

Well, let's hope not.

Hope's not enough. Latrodectus
katipo are an endangered species,

less than 2,000 left in the world.

Once they're gone, they're gone.

Do you really want
that on your conscience?

We'll let our staff know
to keep an eye on the area.

A police presence should be a deterrent.

Thank you. Now, how can I help?

Do you know Ray Neilson?

The fisherman.

No, he's a publican. He
owns the Frog & Cheetah.

Well, he's also a fisherman.

We met on the beach.

He's a nice man.

He told me he'd had a bad
experience with a spider once.

They're shy. They're polite, sensitive.

This one's Phoebe.

Phoebe, meet Ray.

The weird thing is I was never
afraid of spiders, still aren't.

You've gotta admire those webs.

Mm. They're artists.

Others might be tempted
to seek vengeance

on an innocent soul
like Phoebe, but not Ray.

Chandra, it's happened again!
It's still goddamn happening.

Oh, no, baby.

Can't you do something?

You've gotta do something!

You can't just cut off the
fins and throw it back to die!

I've alerted the Ministry
for Primary Industries

about the shark incident.

Noel Cleland? Yeah.

Man, if he catches the culprit,

they'll be roasted in the fires
of hell with extra brimstone.

Well it's over to them. It's
more Fisheries domain than ours.

Uh, Ray's waiting.

Is Buchanan with him?
Mm-hm. You coming?

No. Let them think they
can divide and conquer.

Gentlemen. Detective.

Let's keep this brief, shall we?
My client's under a lot of strain,

and he's fully cooperated
with his witness statement.

There really must be little to discuss.

Chandra Singh.

What about her?

You know her. I met her once or twice.

And you're aware of what
she does? Yes, I know.

That depends entirely
on what 'does' means -

she breathes, she eats, she may
collect stamps in her spare time.

Be specific, detective.

Alright. She's a spider
scientist, Dennis.

An arachnologist. So?

And a nice girl. I met
her when I went fishing.

Can't a man go bloody fishing
without being accused of murder?

Whoa, slow down, Ray. Right? No
one's accusing anyone of murder.

Aren't they? Isn't that
what this is all about?

Is it, detective?

Because if it is, it's a game
changer on how we must proceed.

You think I killed Debbie. But
I didn't do it. It wasn't me.

But someone did,

and we need to clarify a few things

to help us focus on who that might be.

Such as? So, you met
Chandra at the beach.

And? Anywhere else?

I took some photos of her spiders.

Phoebe and Cindy and
Anushka, if I can recall.

And this was inside her laboratory?

Come on, girls. Show me some leg
- all eight of them.

The shots were for the model maker

to construct the giant
spider in Mirklewood.

Which is why it looks so accurate.
Please. It's polythene and foam.

From which many tourists have
been delighted through terror.

I'm sorry, detective,

are you maligning my client
for being an entrepreneur?

For getting off his chuff and
creating one of the most successful

tourist operations in the country?

Alright, Dennis, now you're
really sounding like a lawyer.

Which is what I am, protecting my client

from leading questions and insinuation.

I know where you're going with this.

I did nothing to harm Debbie.

Nothing.

Which is probably all
that needs to be said.

Long black, two sugars. Ta.

Business meeting?

Is there a problem with that?
I wouldn't have thought so.

Unlike other operators, we can see
the benefit in working together.

I guess there's only a certain
amount of money to go around.

Exactly. You know,
we're happy to share it.

I need another coffee.

Unfortunately, others weren't,

or they may still have
been in business today.

Meaning? Well it makes
you wonder, right?

How a crappy, poxy
business like Ray's Tours

could do such a great trade.

I mean, what else was going on up there?

What's the soup today?

Oh, it's seafood
chowder. It's pretty good.

But you're too late,
'cause I got the last serve.

Fair enough.

Good luck, Lance.

Nice car.

Thanks. Then why aren't you driving it?

Anywhere in particular?

No, I prefer to be moving.

That horse dung
- it's from my horse Milly.

I had a hunch.

So you went to the spider
site. To sabotage it?

I thought it was Lance I heard on
the bike, but it didn't make sense.

I panicked.

So, why didn't you report it?

I was going to, but
by the time I got back,

the news had already broken.

And I just didn't want to get involved.

And risk a thousand-dollar fine?
Horses are expensive to keep.

I know it was the wrong
thing to do. It was.

Did Lance know? It was his idea.

So it was him on the quad bike, then?

No, I don't know who it was.

His bikes were stuffed, uh, thanks
to Debbie and her packet of sugar.

That's why you were on horseback, then.

Yeah.

I presume I'll be charged with
something, but it's a load off.

I knew you'd find out.

Why's that?

Well, word is you're good at your job.

I figured you'd take that
dung and have it tested

for DNA on my horse or something.

I'm flattered.

Actually, I was gonna put it
on my garden like you suggested.

After I got it back from the lab.

I'm gonna need your statement.

And you're gonna need a lawyer.

Boss, translations of
Ray's Trip Advisor fans.

Almost unanimous in
praise for the experience,

but mostly about the special lunch.

Ray's Tours would have to be
the first NZ tour operation

famous for its cuisine.

Debbie and Ray must've really mastered

the filled roll and custard square.

Their MO was more than
sharing the love of Hobbiton.

Ray visited Chandra's lab.

So, if Ray wanted to knock off
his wife with spider venom,...

..he had clear access to
source it. Better than that.

You're a diabetic?

It's such a pain.

My wife's diabetic. Hm.

Which means Chandra knew
about Debbie's condition.

And according to a friend who works

in the university research department,

Chandra's funding was
cut off three months ago.

So selling the venom to
the antidote producers

was all that was funding
her own precious research.

But demand is small now,

supplies are replete because
no one is getting bitten.

So she wouldn't be adverse to a
little hysteria to create demand.

You could argue that Chandra
needed the katipo to make headlines.

Not a bad effort, Mike.

How long was that?
Six and a half minutes.

Which given there's 23 hours
and 54 minutes left in a day,

leaving time for improvement, eh?

I'll take your word for it.

You seen this? Yeah. Sick.

Ooh. You know, I think might
take up horse riding after all.

At least you get to sit down
while you're getting fit.

And lunch. Lunch?

Yeah. Nicole's thinking of providing
lunch for the punters. Big spread.

Seems it's the way to go.

Why? Well, market pressure.

This vanload turned up
yesterday, gave her a hard time.

They want the special lunch,
like the Lord of the Ringz tours.

Maybe it would be good for business.

Special lunch?

No, not burger and chips
- what you say.

Well, it makes you wonder
all right, how a crappy, poxy

business like Ray's Tours
could do such a great trade.

So, coffee at mine?

No, I'll get one at the station.

Oh, Jared, hey, uh, thanks
for the pain and suffering.

Mike. Have you seen the paper? Yeah.

If Chandra is after headlines,
her boyfriend is upstaging her.

He sure is. Get Ray Neilson back
in. I'll be there in 20 minutes.

What were you serving your
tourists for lunch, Ray?

Detective, menus now? Please.
How is any of that relevant?

It's completely relevant. I
never served them; Debbie did.

There you go. Not relevant.

Then what did Debbie serve?

He might not know what Debbie served.

It's OK.

Maybe it's not OK, Ray.
I advise you to stop -

On occasion when it was up to me,

they got fish and chips, nothing more.

Nothing more from the sea?

No.

Then they weren't happy
about it, were they?

No.

Not when they expected
and have paid handsomely

for shark fin soup, right?

I request some time
alone with my client.

No, it's not necessary.

My client was unaware of any
- Stop it, Dennis. I've got this.

Alright, I knew about it.

But believe me, I detested
it. I refused to serve it.

Debs, we can't do this.
They've already paid for it.

We can't serve them
that crap! It's wrong!

But Debbie was stubborn.

She believed the customer was
always right. I felt it was wrong.

It should be noted here that serving
shark fin soup is not illegal.

True. Which is not to say that
it's not completely immoral.

Yes, but it is not a crime unless

Ray finned the shark
himself in NZ waters.

Which I take it you didn't do?
'Course I didn't bloody do that.

I flat-out refused to have
anything to do with it.

I took the bookings, I drove the van,

but there was no way I'd do the lunches.

Why didn't you mention this before?

Because she was my wife.

And even though she's passed
on, you don't wanna be disloyal.

And any association with murder

would count against me
getting my liquor licence back.

The Frog & Cheetah
is everything to me.

Thanks, Ray.

Tuesday mornings.

At daybreak.

I believe she met a
boat down at the wharf.

That's where she got the damn stuff.

Ray's off the hook? Saddle up, Tonto.

Where are we going? To
sample some spider venom.

Now, that just sounds plain foolish.

Actually, you probably don't need
all three of us. I'll scout around.

For? Important stuff.

Test the vial? Why?

To be sure there is venom in there.

Of course there is
- I put it there. Well, we need to be certain.

You don't understand
- there are thousands of milkings in there.

Even so -

To test the vial will
destroy all of my hard work.

Even with Byron's help it'll
take months to catch up.

The thing is, it may
already have been destroyed.

Do I have a choice?

Hello?

H2O and sodium chloride.

It's nothing but saline.

How could this happen?

That's a question better asked of Byron.

Another one!

When will it end?

How do you stop this?

I don't know.

But killing people is never a
great solution to anything, Byron.

What do you mean?

When Ray Neilson mentioned
his wife was a diabetic,

it all fell into place, didn't it?

You're a diabetic?

) It's such a pain.

Mm. My wife's diabetic. Mm.

After you'd warned Debbie several times,

you decided to take it
further, much further.

Far from having a fear of spiders,

Chandra explained that you were
a great help around the lab.

What was your theory?

Cut off demand to stop supply.

Who the hell are you?

Are you with Lance?

I warned you, but you wouldn't listen.

No, please. I didn't know. I
thought it was about the bikes!

You're lying.

No! What are
you doing

How could you?

I'm sorry, babe.

How could you? You monster!
You selfish monster!

OK, it's OK, Chandra.
Come on. Come with me.

Dr Byron Cotter, you're under arrest
for the murder of Debbie Neilson.

You have the right to remain silent.

The people who did that
- they're the real criminals, right?

It's just another terrible
way to die, Dr Cotter,

no different to latrodectism.

Let's go.

You have the right
to consult a lawyer...

You don't need to tell me, but, um,

how did your wife contact
you after she died?

She gave me a shopping list...

before she died.

It was the last thing she
said before I left for work.

She gave me the list,...

said, 'Don't forget this'.

Well, of course, with
everything that happened, I did,

completely forgot.

Till a couple days later when
I pulled it out of my pocket.

And it wasn't actually a shopping list.

What was it? It was a
note saying, 'I love you'.

Like I said,...

I felt lucky.

We may have thwarted something
even more sinister, you know?

What's that?

Two scientists, one laboratory -

what's to have stopped them trying
to cross a katipo with a shark,

creating a poisonous,
eight-finned, 10-eyed great white?

You should worry about
more tangible things,

like the spider that just
crawled under your lapel.

Seriously? It's just there.

Lucky he doesn't have a
thing about spiders, though.

Did I get it? Is it gone?
'Cause I can't see anything.

No, no, no, it's on your head.