Last Stop Larrimah: Murder Down Under (2023) Movie Script

1
CREW MEMBER: All right.
Standing by three.
DIRECTOR: All right, cool.
- So, we're rolling all around?
- CREW MEMBER: Think we're good.
All right, great.
- CREW MEMBER: Karen and Mark,
one-one, A marker.
- (CLAPPERBOARD CLAPS)
- CREW MEMBER: B marker.
- (CLAPPERBOARD CLAPS)
DIRECTOR: Great. (CLEARS THROAT)
My name is Karen Rayner
and this is my hubby,
Mark Rayner.
And we've lived in Larrimah
for four years this November.
DIRECTOR:
We were stunned.
- Good God. In Larrimah.
- Hmm.
("THIS TOWN" AND
"TROUBLE IS A LONESOME TOWN"
PLAY TOGETHER)
(COW MOOS)
(BIRDS TWITTERING)
LEE HAZLEWOOD:
Trouble's little
And it's lonesome
You won't find it on any map
But you can take three steps
In any direction
And you're there
(KANGAROO GRUNTS)
KRISTY O'BRIEN: Larrimah
is in the middle of nowhere.
It's on the Stuart Highway
in the Northern Territory,
kind of in the middle
of Australia.
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
Now, Trouble like most
All little towns
Has some people
Who are bad all the time
And it has some people
Who are good all the time
But most of the people
Are good and bad
Most of the time
KRISTY: Larrimah
is one of those outposts
that would have been
really important at one point
during the war particularly,
but it's one of those towns
that really started to die away
after people's fuel tanks
got longer,
people had less reason to stop.
And I guess
it's one of those towns
that risks falling off the map,
like so many in Australia.
There's no cell phone reception.
There's no police station.
And a handful of residents.
It's a town called Trouble
And Trouble
Is a lonesome town
(MUSIC STOPS)
(BIRDS CHIRPING, SQUEALING)
COOKIE: We used to have
some good fun down here.
Used to have some real good fun.
The good old days.
Yep, the good old days.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
COOKIE:
He bought it
for a carton of beer.
When I moved in here,
this place was excellent.
You'd crack a few tinnies
and have a barbeque,
that's what it was like here.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
COOKIE:
That used to be
the police station.
He's... he's done a couple
of nights in there.
BILLY:
(LAUGHS)
(CHUCKLES)
FRAN: So,
I was the first one ever
in the Northern Territory,
to make homemade famous pies.
When we moved here
back in '85, it was lovely.
COOKIE:
KARL: Used to get
about 20 cricket teams here,
and have a day
and a half of cricket.
- Mostly booze, but cricket.
- (BOTH LAUGH)
KARL: It was just a busy place
and it was a good place to live.
COOKIE:
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- Hello, excuse me.
We're English, we're lost.
We're trying to find
the Larrimah Roadside Inn?
Oh, why don't you go
and fuck yourself,
you Pommy bastards!
Thank you.
("G'DAY G'DAY"
BY SLIM DUSTY PLAYING)
COOKIE:
...It was pretty good.
BARRY: I was
just travelling around
and I had stopped
at the Larrimah
and had a few beers,
and didn't move that day,
and didn't move on the next day.
And... (CHUCKLES)
BOBBIE:
BILLY:
KAREN: It's not only a pub.
It's also a hotel,
caravan park, a shop,
where everybody picks up
their mail.
MARK: It's also
a Greyhound Freight Depot.
DES BARRITT: And Barry
just built a beautiful zoo,
thousands of birds,
snakes, and wallabies.
Had a big crocodile there.
LENNY: Well, I came here
when Barry
first took over the pub.
Yeah, it was good, you know,
everybody was friendly.
Just like a little country town.
RICHARD SIMPSON: There used
to be like a dozen people there,
all working at the pub,
all helping out.
It was just hell good, man,
it was literally like
a whole hippy thing going on.
My sort of place, you know.
DIRECTOR: What made you
fall in love with Larrimah?
The best question would be,
why are you still in Larrimah?
- Everyone else has stayed.
- No. We won't get onto that one.
G'day g'day, how ya goin'
What d'ya know
COOKIE:
I'd love to go back
to those days, really, yeah.
BILLY:
DIRECTOR:
Well, there's only ten of us.
Just say g'day g'day g'day
And she'll be right
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
COOKIE: If you look straight
across here,
you'll see that sign
down there...
That's where Paddy used to live.
That's where he went missing
from there.
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
(ENGINE RUMBLING)
Rover, we're coming into town.
Eh? We're coming in
for a beer. Good boy.
MARK: Paddy was one of
the friendliest people we met
when we came to town.
He was kinda like
the store greeter.
(CHUCKLING) You know,
at Walmart.
His greeting to us was,
"How you goin', folks?"
How we goin', folks?
- Want a can?
- PADDY MORIARTY: A can please.
Thanks, mate.
Jeez, you're a darling. (LAUGHS)
Nineteen, 19. Yeah.
- I'm Paddy, yeah, from Ireland.
- INTERVIEWER: Are you?
Yeah, came out in '66.
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
- (SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
KAREN: He could crack
two whips at once.
RICHARD: Oh, you're a bit close.
- I'm pulling it.
- (ALL CHUCKLE)
RICHARD: He's pulling down
the pub.
He's always been a bit of a...
well, how do I say it?
A celebrity in amongst
his... his peers.
- He was an icon here.
- Yeah, because he, you know...
And, you know, the whole place
is cattle area, so...
BILLY:
- (CHUCKLES) Right-o, Bill.
- All righty, Bill.
- (WHIP LASHING)
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
MARK: You could always rely
on Paddy for a laugh.
His laugh
just brightened your day.
- Yeah.
- And it did.
Sure is a good day
for an ale, eh?
KAREN: It's just that knowing
he's not here.
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER ON TV)
BARRY: The last time I saw Paddy
was on the night
of the December the 16th.
RICHARD:
A little bit. But I'm talking
like he stood up,
and he might've taken a half
a step and that's it.
Like, "Oh, okay then, folks...
That's my fill,
I've had my last supper."
Which is his last beer,
his last supper, you know.
And, "See youse later folks!"
And off he went.
BARRY:
And he never showed up.
The next day,
I did go looking for him...
and... that's when I discovered
that he wasn't there.
- (SOFT SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING)
- (BIRDS CHIRPING)
BILLY:
KARL: Old Bill came across and
said, "You haven't seen Paddy?"
"No, I haven't seen him."
And that's the first
I'd heard of it.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER ON TV)
COOKIE: I went over
to give Lenny a hand.
He said something to me
about Paddy.
"Paddy went missing,
they can't find him."
And I said, "Oh, yeah, yeah?"
KAREN:
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- Excuse me. See you, Barry!
- (WIND WHISTLING)
- (BIRDS CHIRPING)
(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
JAMEY BELLICANTA: This week is
National Missing Person's Week,
which is acknowledged across
Australia, Australia-wide.
Thirty-eight thousand people
go missing
or are reported missing
in Australia each year.
Lorrin Whitehead, left home
and went to the supermarket.
She hasn't been seen since.
COOKIE: That young German girl
got off her bike and walked
into the bush
then she was dehydrated
and died.
You only have to go off the road
a couple of hundred meters,
especially if it's a hot day.
You finish up going around
like this.
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
KAREN:
Easily. And so could you.
We took the car out...
checked all around his property.
He wasn't there.
MARK: We entered in
the back door,
'cause that's always unlocked,
and you could just tell
there was something not right.
I mean, everything was there.
KAREN: His keys were there,
his key card, his hat.
MARK: And I go, "Well,
if he'd gone for a walk,
he would have had his hat."
COOKIE: 'Cause that's when
they knew something was wrong,
because Paddy
never used to go anywhere
- without his hat and his wallet.
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
BILLY:
- (CROWS CAWING)
- (WHIP LASHING)
TOURIST: Wow, that's cool.
KAREN: One guy
who knew him ten years,
didn't know he was bald.
MARK: 'Cause he always had a hat.
KAREN: 'Cause he always
had a hat.
That's how significant
that hat was.
(PENSIVE ROCK MUSIC PLAYING)
All of a sudden, there was
just an overwhelming feeling
of dread that something
had happened to him.
- (TELEPHONE RINGING)
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- We'll just let that ring.
- DIRECTOR: Okay.
- (TELEPHONE CONTINUES RINGING)
- (CLEARS THROAT)
DIRECTOR:
Not a lot. Larrimah,
as you're aware,
is a very small little town.
Um... pretty much Larrimah goes
about its daily life
without too much intervention
from police at all.
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
Hello?
Mataranka Police, Chalkie.
(CRICKETS CHIRPING)
CHALKIE: The first day
that we arrived in Larrimah,
and we made some
initial inquiries at the pub.
It was well-known that
Paddy was always... not always...
(CHUCKLES) ...but most
of the times when I met him,
he'd be at the pub
on the veranda there,
having a beer type thing.
BILLY:
BILLY: Yeah.
BILLY:
At that stage, we were aware
that it had been
a number of days
since anyone had seen him.
His dog was missing as well.
(PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING)
(COWS MOOING)
Yeah, I'm Des Barritt,
Captain of Mataranka.
Fire and Emergency
Response group.
And I still do
a bit of teaching.
I used to be principal
of the local school.
Being a principal's
quite interesting.
I didn't quite fit the mold,
so... (CHUCKLES)
...as you can probably imagine.
DIRECTOR:
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- I might just grab a quick beer.
DIRECTOR: Yeah.
(CAN HISSES)
DES BARRITT:
Yeah, Chalkie phoned me up
and said, "Look, we're gonna do
a search in the morning,
would you be able to get
a couple of people to come
give us a hand?"
I knew Paddy fairly well,
'cause he was probably
one of the most regular ones
there at the pub.
My memories of him was
just a really nice, gentle man.
He would just always smile
and always a really happy bloke,
yeah.
("POP IMPRESSIONS"
BY JANKO NILOVIC PLAYING)
DES: We had the assumption
that he'd had
some sort of medical episode.
His routine every morning was,
he'd get up,
take his dog for a walk
down to the dump,
which is on the road
directly beside his house.
So, we searched
each side of that road...
and looking for
any sort of evidence,
like a cigarette butt,
anything at all.
LUKE CABAN:
I'm pretty adamant
that this would be over.
You know, my first time,
so I didn't really know
what to expect,
but we had our senior guys
in our team going,
"Shouldn't be a problem.
He's probably forgot
his medication,
had a bit of a walk about.
We'll find him, no issue."
(HELICOPTER BLADES WHIRRING)
FRAN: Owen, my gardener,
comes out, and he says,
"Fran! Fran!
Have a look over the road."
And all the detectives,
everybody was there with guns
and quad bikes, everything.
All were surrounding
Paddy's place.
- (POLICE SIREN WAILING)
- BOBBIE: Couldn't move.
KARL: Horses, friggin' dogs,
helicopters.
- (MOTORCYCLE ENGINES REVVING)
- BOBBIE: Motorbikes.
KARL:
(BOTH LAUGH)
DES: We went down to the dump
and looked through everything.
Even the washing machine,
you could get a body in there.
So, you'd sorta open that up.
And see, that's interesting.
- (CLANGS)
- (SONG STOPS)
If you found that,
you'd probably get...
I wouldn't have picked it up.
But you'd probably get
the police to check that out
before you touch it.
- (SONG CONTINUES)
- Kristy O'Brien traveled
to Larrimah to investigate.
KRISTY: The minute
we rolled into town,
there was a phone call
at the pub from Fran.
Nothing goes on in that town
without everyone
knowing about it.
KAREN: Then of course, you have
the mix of the police and...
Welcome to Larrimah.
KAREN: ...reporters coming
to town.
Flashing every five minutes
in town, just to make a story.
KRISTY:
- And it was. Yeah.
- It was just ridiculous.
Northern Territory police are
concerned for a 70-year-old man.
Pensioner, Paddy Moriarty...
The disappearance
of Paddy Moriarty...
Everyone is looking for a clue
and an answer.
DES: More areas we searched,
it became more and more
of a mystery.
REPORTER:
No, at this stage,
there's no signs at all,
nothing's been found in the area
where we've been searching.
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- DES: And I talked
to Chalkie then
and Chalkie said,
"Do you reckon there's
something funny about this?"
And I said, "Yeah."
(WIND CHIMES TINKLING)
LUKE: We didn't find
any evidence of anything,
at all.
So, your mindset starts going
maybe he's not just... just
a walk about,
he's actually gone.
- (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
- (CROW CAWS)
LUKE: In the small communities,
townspeople will get out
and help.
But that wasn't the case
at Larrimah.
People were suspicious
of us being there.
There was curtain peeping
to see what's going on.
We were being watched
the whole time
we were searching.
It was... just goosebumps.
Is this what its always like?
Quiet and eerie
and no one wants to talk to you.
It's like people almost
didn't want us there
even though we were trying
to help.
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
LUKE: We started talking about
our own theories
about what's actually
going on here.
No struggle,
no break-in entries,
no sign of anything.
Discussion was
about people in the town.
It's... Yeah...
That's the easiest way
to put it.
There was a very eerie feeling.
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- (TAPE CLICKS)
- (BIRDS CHIRPING)
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
INTERVIEWER: So, Paddy,
it's Paddy Moriarty?
INTERVIEWER: How do you spell
that one?
- INTERVIEWER: Good.
- Yeah.
KRISTY: My former boss,
Murray McLaughlin
had done a series of interviews
with residents of Larrimah
and we found those.
He trusted us
with these tapes because...
he knew we were working
on the story
and they contained
interesting material.
- (TAPE WINDS FORWARD)
- KRISTY: We were trawling
through them,
and we could see Paddy Moriarty.
- (TAPE CLICKS)
- INTERVIEWER: What do you like
about living here,
in this place?
Good, yeah.
INTERVIEWER:
- (TAPE CLICKS)
- Those tapes...
really are just so sinister now,
in hindsight, looking back,
- knowing that
Paddy's gone missing.
- (TAPE WINDS FORWARD)
INTERVIEWER:
(LAUGHS)
-How can I answer truly?
(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)
-(TAPE WINDS FORWARD)
INTERVIEWER:
- (TAPE WINDS FORWARD)
- Yeah, I've got differences
with one or two people in town.
(TAPE WINDS FORWARD)
- (TAPE CLICKS)
- (SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING)
It really started to...
become obvious
that there was utter hatred
in this town.
(TAPE WINDS FORWARD)
(TAPE WINDS FORWARD)
Excuse me for a minute.
The toilet's not working
at the moment,
doll, the septic's full,
and I'm waiting for my husband
to come back and fix it up.
- (CHUCKLES) What a thing to say.
- (TAPE CLICKS)
Fran was speaking
about the relationship
that she had with Paddy.
- (TAPE CLICKS)
- This fella from Daly Waters,
Paddy Moriarty,
he moved over there.
I have big, big,
big trouble. Big trouble.
(TAPE WINDS FORWARD)
- (LAUGHS)
- (TAPE CLICKS)
KRISTY: To hear, so candidly,
where there was no reason
to not tell the truth.
Where everyone
just kinda laid it on the line
in terms of
what they thought of each other.
Fascinating material
to have access to,
in a case like this.
- (TAPE WINDS FORWARD)
- Most of us get on
reasonably well, you know.
There hasn't been a...
a murder or anything here yet.
- (LAUGHS)
- (TAPE CLICKS)
(WIND CHIMES TINKLING)
(POLICE SIREN WAILING)
KAREN: On Christmas day,
detectives from
the serious crime squad
in Darwin all came down.
Two first and then another two
and another three and...
Until there was about 12
of them here.
So, there was
more detectives here
than there were residents
of Larrimah.
(PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING)
MATT ALLEN:
My name is Matt Allen,
I'm a detective sergeant
with the NT police.
My team travelled down to
Larrimah to conduct inquiries.
KITCHEN: We door-knocked,
we visited every house,
every dwelling...
and every person
in the community was spoken to.
RICHARD:
The in-fighting in Larrimah
really became apparent
from the first day we physically
touched down in Larrimah,
when we had those
face-to-face conversations
with the residents.
- (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
- NEWS ANCHOR 1: This is a town
where animosities run deep.
Police have to sift through
fact and fiction...
NEWS ANCHOR 2:
...decade-long feud
in the town
is a part of
their investigation.
DES: To be honest,
I think the police were looking
into everyone down there.
I would say everyone in Larrimah
was... was a suspect. Yeah.
INTERVIEWER:
INTERVIEWER: Did you have
anything to do
-with his disappearance?
-Did I... No, not at all.
Why would I? (CHUCKLES)
We were getting
a little bit irate
at one stage there,
when they told us
our stories didn't add up.
(POLICE SIREN WAILING)
I had a rotten Christmas.
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
RICHARD:
(YELLS) "Who's Dave?"
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
DAVID MURRAY GRAHAM:
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
DAVID:
(LAUGHS)
(LAUGHS)
- (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
- MATT: As investigators,
we've gotta ask
all the tough questions,
to all the residents.
"Do you get on with Paddy?
Do you know what happened
to him? Are you involved?"
Ten minutes
into the interview, yeah,
"Why did you kill your mate,
Paddy?" Fuck you, copper!
COOKIE: The copper's
from Darwin, and he said to me,
"Did you knock Paddy off?"
(CHUCKLES) And I said, "No."
I said, "But I'll tell you
what, mate, eh,
it started looking a bit easy."
I've threatened to smack him
in the mouth a few times.
I said,
"And I'm not the only one."
NEWS REPORTER: Paddy was
a happy-go-lucky Larrican.
He was liked by most.
FRAN: "Everybody in Larrimah
loved Paddy."
- Ah! What?
- (LAUGHS)
Oh, come on. I said
you've gotta be fucking joking.
No, no, everybody hates him.
MATT: Paddy was a bit
of a storyteller...
but he was also
a bit of a stirrer.
If he didn't like you,
he'd let you know about it.
BILLY:
It's nice to come in
and meet some good people.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
COOKIE: Look,
what happened with Paddy,
that's been on the agenda
for a long time.
Because Paddy's...
But like I said here before,
Paddy's been around
and Paddy's caused
a lot of trouble.
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
FRAN:
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
(SOFT PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING)
FRAN: So, I get in the car
in the morning,
get outside of Katherine...
(POLICE SIREN WAILING)
FRAN: The police pulled me over.
"Are you Fran?" I said, "Yes."
They said, "We want you to go up
to the detectives' office
and do a...
I said, "I didn't murder him."
Like that, as a joke.
I said, "I didn't murder him."
And he looked at me
and grinned, the copper.
He said, "Nah, we want you
to go up and do a statement."
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
He said, "I'll ring me boss up
in Katherine and see
if it's all right, you go up,
get your hair done first."
Anyway,
he rang him up in the car
and he came back and he said,
"Yeah, the boss said, go and get
your hair done, Fran."
Since Paddy's been gone,
oh, it's wonderful.
Not putting no bad wishes
on him.
As much as I hated the man,
I can swear to God, I don't know
what happened to him.
DIRECTOR:
(INHALES SHARPLY)
We're just... Sorry...
we're just trying to think
how to best respond to that.
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
(CRICKETS CHIRPING)
MATT: As you're travelling south
from Mataranka,
as you come in to Larrimah,
on the northern side of town,
- there's a phone booth.
- (SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
MATT: On the night
Paddy went missing...
there were two attempts to make
a phone call, around dusk.
Paddy was last seen...
when he left
the Larrimah pub with his dog,
on his quad bike at dusk.
Police are confident
that Paddy did go home
after the pub that night.
Ponderosa is what Paddy used
to call his house.
Used to say, "I'm going back
to the ranch."
Paddy's quad bike,
as you can see,
is parked in his driveway.
Everything was in place.
He was quite a neat individual.
All had his kitchen in order,
his mozzie repellent.
There was no sign
of any disturbance.
The other thing
which is of relevance,
is that the phone booth
is virtually across the road
from Paddy's residence.
And then you've got
Fran's tea house.
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
(BIRDS SQUAWKING)
FRAN:
- (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
- And he said, "Fran..."
He said, "Fran," he said,
"You know where
Paddy's body is, don't you?"
"No, I don't, Matt."
And he got up and he turned
the air conditioner off.
He said, "Where's Paddy's body?"
And I looked at him,
I said, "Huh? What?"
"You know
where's Paddy's body is."
"What? I don't know nothing."
"Don't lie, you know
where Paddy's body is."
"No, I don't.
I don't know nothing."
I was there four and a half
hours in that office.
Nobody was in there
but him and I.
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
And I thought, "Fuck you."
I thought, "You've pushed
my buttons now, boy,
you're gonna get it."
(CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)
FRAN: Here we are, everybody!
You can grab it all yourself.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
FRAN: And what you can't eat,
you can take away, all right?
Yeah, settle down.
(LAUGHTER)
DIRECTOR:
Fifty years. 5-0.
I'm the longest resident here...
and not bragging or anything,
I put Larrimah on the map.
Who would like a pie?
VISITOR:
Yeah, okay, guaranteed to put
a hump on your back.
My pies,
the famous Larrimah pies
in the Northern Territory.
People come in here
because it's friendly, homely,
I give 'em everything.
- Here's your other camel pie.
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
And don't bloody leave
without paying,
'cause this is killing me!
Her behavior's...
Eccentric's a...
a... probably a nice way
of putting it.
Yeah, you get a little soft toy
when you're leaving.
Complimentary for your car.
- VISITOR 1: Ah, thank you.
- VISITOR 2: Thank you.
- You can have the penguin.
- VISITOR 3: Thank you.
So, it's pretty bizarre.
This used to be really rundown,
and I've put it together
and everybody comes to me,
it's "Oh, Fran, it's lovely."
INTERVIEWER: How was
your experience?
(CHUCKLES) That was classic.
Well, that's me.
They come to visit with Fran,
you know.
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- That's me pies.
My child life was very reserved,
I was very homely.
I started work when I was 15,
and my first job
was with Joy Toys.
We made teddy bears
for Elvis Presley's movie,
Loving You.
- ("PLEDGING MY LOVE"
BY ELVIS PRESELY PLAYING)
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
I had loving parents,
but they drank a lot
and I didn't drink.
I couldn't stand
the arguments...
and it made me very tough,
you know, I'm a tough person.
I met Bill back in 1972.
He was a happy-go-lucky fella,
and we used to have
a lot of laughs
and I thought that was great.
I said to Bill one day,
"We'd better start looking
around for a house,
we're getting on now."
And he said, "Oh, we'll go
to Larrimah."
And I said, "Oh, my God,
a one-horse town, ya know?"
And we came over the hill
and we saw
this police station for sale.
It was an omen, it was like
it was put there for us,
you know.
PADDY:
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
BILLY:
FRAN: Yeah,
I'd do a roast dinner,
or make some lamb shanks.
So, I used to take the food
across to him,
being neighborly,
friendly as... as I am.
(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING)
COOKIE:
(LAUGHS, FALTERS)
Yeah.
(LAUGHS)
FRAN: My grandson got
the internet,
and he showed me
on the internet,
Paddy saying, "Oh, I bought
a pie over at Fran's place
and I spat it out, and my dog
wouldn't even eat it!"
He'd never bought a pie
from here.
I wouldn't sell him one.
True, I used to go over there
and the dog wouldn't eat me pie,
Fran's pies. Yeah.
KRISTY: The meat pie
- is an essential dietary item
to Australians.
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
To attack someone's
meat pie credentials
is pretty low brow,
I would suggest.
I think you're not gonna get
away with that. (LAUGHS)
("THE AUSTRALIAN HOT MEAT PIE"
BY REX DALLAS PLAYING)
America's got their burgers
And England, Fish and Chips
Different foods
The whole world over
But it all gives me the...
ALAN JONES: It doesn't get
any better than this.
Victoria's Country Cob Bakery
has taken home, what I think,
is one of the prestigious awards
in the country,
the Pie of the Year,
we love our pies.
How pleased I'll be
If you just bring me
An Australian hot meat pie
INTERVIEWER:
Oh, yeah.
So, I have to mention that.
That's, um.
That is very, very, very weird,
because I'm known
all over Australia,
all over the world
for my Larrimah's famous pies.
Anyhow, have a meat pie
- (SONG CONCLUDES)
- It's a peculiarly
Australian tale
about a tiny town riven
with tensions,
including a bitter feud
over meat pies.
(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
DES: Fran was quite upset
because the pub
started selling pies.
I used to call it a pie war.
RICHARD: Many, many years ago,
Barry got talking about pies.
My missus comes out
with some pies.
So, yeah, let's do it,
we're in the market.
DES: Right, she said,
"I don't sell alcohol,
so you shouldn't be
selling pies."
And Paddy became
really involved,
because he was sort
of a follower of the pub.
FRAN: They've got a sign up
on their pie warmer,
"Larrimah's Famous Pies."
People come and say to me,
"What are they trying
to do, Fran?" You know.
KAREN: It has been known
that Paddy would tell 'em
that she mixes her pie meat up
with her feet.
PADDY:
Yeah.
DIRECTOR:
Yeah, just to spite...
Well, the sign over there
proves the point.
CHALKIE: So, he put
a sign up saying,
"Best pies in town
are at the pub."
And that was the signs
right across the road
from Fran's house.
PADDY: All she has to,
come over and say is "Sorry."
We'll come in for a cup of tea
and everything like that.
That's all we've gotta do.
But, no.
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- (TIRES SCREECHING)
- (CRASHES)
- (GLASS SHATTERING)
("I'D RATHER BE YOUR ENEMY"
BY LEE HAZLEWOOD PLAYING)
And one day, I'll turn around
And she'll be standing there
And I think I'll write a song
About it someday
Love's a game
And it's a shame
But sometimes you don't win
FRAN: I went shopping,
I came back...
Others do when I...
...wow, the smell,
the stink was vile.
Rather be your enemy than...
FRAN: I looked, and I saw Paddy
on the middle of the road,
and there was a dead kangaroo.
And I thought, "Oh, fuck!"
Excuse me, but that's
what I said.
- (LAUGHS)
- KAREN: We loved him,
but he was definitely
not an angel.
MARK:
(LAUGHS)
DIRECTOR:
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- (CLEARS THROAT)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
RICHARD:
And why do they call him
Billy Light Can?
He used to drink light beer
at work.
But all day, everyday,
drinking cans,
driving that water truck,
Billy Light Can.
(PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING)
RICHARD: Tormenting himself,
sitting there in that caravan,
staring across
at his ex-wife everyday.
(INHALES SHARPLY, LAUGHS)
Some people will never learn.
(LAUGHS) When it's done, mate,
it's done, innit?
Get the fuck out of it.
DIRECTOR:
BILLY:
(CHUCKLES)
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER ON TV)
- All right.
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- (CROW CAWING)
(PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING)
FRAN: When Paddy was giving me
a hard time across the road,
Bill wouldn't do anything.
He never stood up for me.
BILLY:
CHALKIE: Fran would ring up and,
you know, complain about Billy.
At the end of the day,
it was still his property,
they were still joint owners.
FRAN: They said to me
they couldn't do anything.
But they said, "Once Bill goes
off the property,
go up to the house,
change the lock on the door
and put all his gear out,
but don't break anything."
So, I said, "Right, Charlie...
you're gone."
BILLY:
FRAN: He went across the pub
and told them
that I kicked him
out of the house.
So, everybody in the town
turned against me.
KARL: We never went up
when they split up,
'cause we sort of took
Billy's side.
KRISTY: I can't imagine
how hard it is to be in a town,
and feel like
everyone dislikes you there.
I mean, that must be
really isolating and lonely,
and feeling like an outsider
in a town of 11 people.
BILLY:
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
I'm thinking,
"What can be done to stop them?"
You can't... you can sue them.
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)
FRAN: I bought
a brand-new umbrella.
I had a beautiful, big,
bright red umbrella.
I heard a noise one night,
and me umbrella was gone.
She blamed me for taking
a red umbrella.
Fran would sometimes come
to the police station here,
and wanna report
that sort of stuff.
FRAN: We know who took it,
'cause it was just seen
over the road.
I've got security cameras
up now.
Paddy cut
my security cameras down.
He's damaged my property that
many times now, it's ridiculous.
- (TIRES SCREECHING)
- (THUDDING)
DES: A road train hit a donkey,
and he cut the penis off it,
and he threw it up her driveway,
allegedly. Ha-ha.
(LAUGHS) True? I don't know.
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
(PADDY'S LAUGH ECHOING)
FRAN: I just want this
to bloody stop.
I can't handle much more.
I've got this fucking monkey
on me back.
He has to go.
(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING)
FRAN: I put an ad in the paper.
"Caretaker/gardener wanted,
free accommodation and meals."
Because my property
was getting damaged
all the time.
And Owen rang me up
and asked me,
and he came out here.
He didn't know Paddy,
he'd never seen Paddy,
and I told him
what has been happening to me,
and I told him I wanted
to keep a... an eye on the place.
DIRECTOR:
Owen? No, I don't think so.
I don't even know
what he looks like.
DIRECTOR:
Never.
Linda and I spoke
with Owen Laurie
on several occasions.
KITCHEN:
Owen Laurie lived with Fran
opposite Patrick Moriarty.
We're led to believe
based on witness accounts,
that they had had
an interaction at one point.
And other than that,
they didn't know each other.
FRAN: He won't take any money,
he looks after me garden,
you can see I've got
a beautiful garden.
He's got his dog, a big dog...
and he's just a good man,
and he's as honest
and as truthful as
the day is long.
He would not do it.
I wouldn't have him here!
You could imagine, if I thought
he'd done any... I...
he'd be gone.
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- (EPIC MUSIC PLAYING)
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
(GASPS) A customer!
So, you heard
about, um, Sweeney Todd pies?
Did you come in
For a pie, sir?
After Paddy goes missing,
somebody goes and puts up a big.
"Sweeney Todd pies available
at Fran's." (CHUCKLES)
CHALKIE: Yeah,
the Paddy Pie idea
has been mentioned.
Perhaps Paddy was murdered
in some way,
and put into some pies.
I've noticed something weird
Lately all the neighbors cats
Have disappeared
I said, "You've gotta be
fucking joking."
I said, "Oh, that's sick!"
It was not me! (LAUGHS)
(CHUCKLES)
(LAUGHS)
I mean, even Paddy
would've laughed at that, man,
that was good. (LAUGHS)
That's humorous.
They're coming in asking
for Paddy Pies.
Yeah. Yeah. (LAUGHS)
Oh, Fran,
you're killing me. Just joking.
Now seriously, if you have any
information that could help...
BOBBIE: I've known Fran
ever since we came here,
and I used to go up there
when she was busy.
She'd ring up and ask me
to come and wash up her dishes
in her tea house and help her.
And I'd sort of go up there
and give her a hand.
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
I've got fairly good friends
in Bobbie and Karl,
they're lovely people.
I met Bobbie
when they first moved
to Larrimah.
(UNSETTLING MUSIC PLAYING)
I'd often ring her up and say,
"Oh, I'm coming over tonight,
I'll bring your dinner over."
"Okay, Fran."
We're the best of friends.
BOBBIE: And the detectives came
and said,
"Look we think you know more
than what you're saying,
you'd better say it..."
I didn't wanna say it,
I didn't wanna have to say it.
I just feel awful.
What if it's wrong?
FRAN: When I was told
what Bobbie said,
I couldn't believe it!
How could they do
such a terrible thing,
when you were so good
to them? Why?
BOBBIE: I told the detectives
that she used to say
in front of me,
quite often I heard her say it.
She'd say, "Oh, I'll kill him,
I'll have him killed."
BRETT HACKSHAW:
Based on that information,
a decision was made to send
the forensics team
to Larrimah from Darwin.
I got notified the detectives
were requiring forensics
- to attend at Larrimah.
- (POLICE SIREN WAILING)
BRETT: And we went
to Fran's property.
FRAN: They had a warrant
for this,
they had a warrant for that.
- (DOOR CREAKS OPEN)
- FRAN: The forensic mob went
through the house
and my heart... was going.
And I'm thinking,
"What if they plant something?"
"What if somebody's put
something somewhere
and I don't know."
Somebody at the pub
could've come over
and planted something,
'cause I knew
they were against me.
BRETT:
Because of the potential nature
of what could've happened...
Yeah, basically we didn't leave
a room untouched.
FRAN: They took things away.
They went through
my incinerators.
They'd done the barbecue out,
they even done my septic out
which made me sick!
Because I'm thinking,
"Oh, my God,
what if they found him
down there, and we didn't do it,
what would we do?"
Then they come and picked up
a hacksaw with blood on it.
- (BIRDS CHIRPING)
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
DIRECTOR:
No! No! There's nothing.
Nothing. Not a thing!
Why would I jeopardize
what I've got here, at 75?
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
Somebody has done
something here,
to make it look like
that I've done it.
Because... no way,
no way in a million years
I would hurt anybody.
Normally, it's the last people
that see somebody
who's nine times out of ten,
are the ones that done it.
I know they've done it,
the pub done it.
Barry done it.
Barry didn't report
Paddy missing for 72 hours,
and he's supposed to be
a good mate, right?
I mean,
he could've been done in,
dumped away somewhere.
I said to the detectives,
and they will tell you this.
"Look further into the pub."
There was a lot
of lies over there...
and I reckon
them over there know
what happened to Paddy.
The pub knows what happened.
They know... They have to know,
he was there all the time.
He left there.
They have to know.
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- (TAPE ROLLING)
- (CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)
NARRATOR: Australia ahead.
Your journey to
this distant land of promise,
culminates as your ship ports
on the coastline of Australia.
PADDY:
INTERVIEWER: Are you?
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- (ADVENTUROUS MUSIC PLAYING)
- (THUNDER RUMBLING)
NARRATOR:
The Northern Territory.
Once deemed a land
where promises never came true.
The Great North now needs men.
Industrious, diligent men.
RICHARD: This is the story
that Paddy told me essentially.
They picked him up off the wharf
straight off the boat,
and they got put
in this motor car,
and he's driving down
the Stuart Highway.
He says to the bloody driver,
he says,
"Are we nearly there yet?"
And the guy says,
"Oh, fuck off, Paddy,
we're not even a quarter
of the way, son."
PADDY: Came out in '66.
I went
to Brunette Downs Station.
NARRATOR: Cattle herding
is a job for men. Real men.
KAREN:
Hiya, fellas.
RICHARD: He'd buy a beautiful
brand new white cowboy hat,
take it back, put it on
that kid's head.
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
NARRATOR: All willing to work,
we'll prosper. You can too.
FRAN: Then he got a job
at the Heartbreak Hotel.
KAREN: He was involved
with a shoot-out.
(GUNSHOTS)
- (BOTH CHUCKLE)
- Yeah, that was Paddy.
RICHARD:
(GUNSHOT)
(LAUGHS)
PADDY: Well,
I was at Daly Waters.
NARRATOR: The settlers
of the Territory,
through vigor and hard work,
are making the promise
of this great land come true.
INTERVIEWER:
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I came here, uh... 2005.
- (GUNSHOT)
- (INSECTS CHIRPING)
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
CHALKIE: On the night
of the disappearance,
we received reports
of what sounded like a gunshot.
KARL: Bobbie had asked me
if I heard a shot.
And I said,
"No, I don't recall one."
And she said
she thinks she did, and...
MATT: Barry had a shotgun,
Richard would've had access
to that gun.
Barry and Richard
traveled down...
ANNOUNCER: (OVER RADIO)
Attention ladies and gentlemen.
Attention ladies and gentlemen.
The following is a test
on the warning systems.
This is a test only
and no action
is required from your side.
I repeat. This is a test only.
Where was I?
RICHARD: They said like,
"Did you know
that Barry had a gun?"
And I said, "Yeah, man."
The last person to fire a gun
in Larrimah would've been me,
when I shot a hawk.
BARRY: Yeah, I had to make
a statement,
and then got fingerprinted.
They wanted our DNA.
LUKE: When we were there,
something was off-putting
about Barry, like,
you're acting
just a little bit weird.
My theory isn't exact,
but I think Barry may have had
something to do with it.
RICHARD:
The coppers were your enemy.
No way.
DIRECTOR:
(INHALES)
ANNOUNCER: (OVER RADIO)
Attention, ladies and gentlemen.
Attention, ladies and gentlemen.
Testing of all warning systems
are now complete.
Please respond
to any further alarms as normal.
Thank you.
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- (INHALES) Yeah.
- (CROCODILE ROARING)
- STEVE IRWIN: Crikey!
This is an Australian
saltwater crocodile,
and you've gotta be
really careful
when you're dealing around
these huge predators.
They've got volatile speed
and very, very powerful.
(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
STEVE: He's very territorial,
gotta be really careful
when you've entered
into his territory,
gotta play by his rules.
- (CROCODILE GRUMBLES)
- STEVE: And right now,
he's hungry.
Watch him slip
into an ambush position.
I've got no idea of knowing
where he'll strike from.
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
(WATER SPLASHING)
BARRY:
- (CROCODILE GRUMBLING)
- (BARRY LAUGHING)
(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING)
MARK: Barry is just
one those people
that you've gotta appreciate
for what he's done
over his time.
Yeah... yeah,
Steve Irwin's father.
KAREN:
(BIRDS SQUAWKING)
I always had animals...
since I was a kid.
When I first came here,
I used to go off every day
just to see all the birds.
When Paddy decided
he was going to leave.
Daly Waters, and he bought
this place up here,
that's when I got
to know Paddy pretty well.
And we had a lot
in common I think.
DIRECTOR: What do you say
to the people who say,
you had something to do
with this?
- He was a friend, a mate.
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
I miss Paddy a lot.
I do.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
FRAN: It was 72 hours before
Barry reported him missing.
Why didn't he ring him up
on the Sunday
when he didn't pick up
the mower and say,
"Paddy, are you all right,
why didn't you pick up
the mower?"
Why didn't he go back
that night?
MATT: When police start
investigating something,
if it's happened
three days prior,
obviously, if
foul play's involved,
then the person responsible
has an opportunity
to cover their tracks.
KRISTY: If my best friend
wasn't at their house...
It really defies belief.
I don't know
why it took so long.
Did a murderer get away
with something,
because there was a lag,
and because police weren't able
to get onto it
as quickly as they could've
if it was reported straightaway?
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- (WIND CHIMES TINKLING)
- (BIRDS CHIRPING)
(KARL GRUNTS)
(COUGHS)
Don't you bite.
He has a habit of biting.
Go on, snap it, go on. (LAUGHS)
NEWS ANCHOR:
Detectives have admitted
a long-standing feud is part
of their investigation.
Kristy O'Brien reporting there
on the mystery in Larrimah
in the Northern Territory...
DIRECTOR:
It's a long story,
and it's probably illegal
- to tell it on TV. (LAUGHS)
- (GENTLE MUSIC PLAYING)
BOBBIE:
She had a little girl and a son.
And Sharmane,
the other daughter,
she was also here.
KARL: This place came
on the market.
It was sort of half-finished,
and we said, "Yeah, that'll do."
BOBBIE:
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
BOBBIE:
(DIANE CRIES)
- Have a look here.
- (SOBS)
- (LAUGHS)
- (LAUGHS)
(SNIFFLES) Aw!
I missed ya. (LAUGHS)
(GENTLE MUSIC PLAYING)
REPORTER:
Northern Territory Police
are again appealing
for information
about the disappearance
of Patrick Moriarty.
DIANE: The first time I heard
about it was on the news.
And my comment was,
"What a shame." (TUTS)
(LAUGHS) You know.
Well, when they said
he's mysteriously disappeared...
I didn't think someone just
randomly went in and got him,
that someone in town
had to have done it.
I think maybe he was drunk
and obnoxious as usual,
and a fight started.
One of 'em's hit him...
they've accidentally killed him.
"Shit! What are we gonna do?"
Barry,
he's got a massive crocodile
out the back for a start.
What's stopping him
from chopping him up
and feeding him
to the crocodile?
- I reckon he was fed
to the crocodile.
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
That's why the crocodile's fat.
(LAUGHS)
Yeah.
DIANE:
(MELLOW MUSIC PLAYING)
DIRECTOR:
Barry was here
probably six months before me.
And then, I found out
that Barry Sharpe
was whole time behind my back,
secretly trying
to take over the pub.
Blah, blah, blah, blah.
PADDY:
Yeah.
DIANE:
It was a roadhouse.
BARRY: Oh, it was a little shop,
a caf, fuel stop.
Had a swimming pool...
crocodile. (LAUGHING)
DIANE:
And it was really going well.
It was a great time there
until the end. Well...
the certain people
have to ruin everything, yeah.
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
BARRY:
Everything was good until...
(CHUCKLES)
We did in a way, yeah,
I... I don't deny that.
But only took over
for a purpose though,
to try to solve the problems.
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)
RICHARD:
JOURNALIST: We found
that Barry Sharpe
was lending government money
to himself.
KARL:
RICHARD:
COOKIE:
Of all the shit
that's gone down.
RICHARD:
COOKIE:
I just felt like
ripping my shirt off
and ripping them bastards
to pieces, eh?
We were barred immediately.
The whole town got barred.
It was...
I think it was six months
or something.
I thought, "If I'm barred
for six months,
I might as well make it
six years."
"No, fuck it. I'll make it 16."
- (LAUGHS)
- (CHUCKLES)
PADDY:
We got Karl and Bobbie, right?
They don't drink here.
It's only us.
So, as far as we could see it,
Karl and Bobbie
were at war with Barry,
had been for years.
And then, Paddy took it
to another level.
PADDY:
Yep.
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
KARL: I first met Paddy
35 years ago.
I used to drop in and see him
every now and then,
and have a beer with him, and...
And...
PADDY:
That I know.
BOBBIE:
(SIREN WAILING)
KARL:
DIANE: He used to stalk
all of the girls,
my niece and my daughter.
BOBBIE:
The girls were only little,
little six, seven-year-olds.
They came home crying
'cause Paddy had chased them.
KARL: Well, I didn't actually
know about it
till well after the incident.
I said
this is not gonna continue,
you know? (LAUGHS)
(GUNSHOT)
DIRECTOR:
Yeah.
Yes, we talked to him about it.
BOBBIE: Gee whiz,
there were detectives here
every second day, you know?
KARL: Yeah, so,
they said, "Were you here
when he disappeared?"
And I said, "I don't even know
what day it is today," you know?
But we haven't heard
from the police
for... six months, I suppose.
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
(SWING CREAKING)
(WIND WHOOSHING)
(SOBS) I put so much work
into this place...
("WALK WITH ME"
BY THE SEEKERS PLAYING)
...and look at it.
It's just... nothing!
It's just wrecked.
Walk with me
Through the long
And lonely night
Walk with me and my world...
DIRECTOR:
Yeah.
DIANE: It, uh,
mysteriously burned down...
and that would happen to be
the one time Mum and Karl...
weren't here.
RICHARD:
PADDY:
And it just happened
to be the day
that Mum and Dad weren't in town
and they had the firetruck.
I went bankrupt over it.
I... I got nothing.
FRAN: It's funny
how Green Park burned down
about four years ago
or three years ago.
Barry at the pub.
I can say it was Barry,
'cause I know somebody
that knows him
told us that he said it.
DIANE: Forensics, police,
everybody rang me and said,
"Well, we know
it was deliberate,
but we just can't prove it."
And I seriously think
Barry had something to do
with that one too.
(SONG CONCLUDES)
(FOOTSTEPS)
(DIANE SNIFFLES)
(SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING)
Just some people
have just destroyed
some beautiful things,
that's all.
And I warned 'em all
about these people,
but nobody wanted to listen
to me.
I told them
that they're all bloody evil,
and they're just gonna
destroy the place.
I don't like to say
I hate someone.
I think "hate" is a very,
very harsh word.
But, genuinely,
he's one person I hate.
I hate him with what everything
he's done to my family...
with a passion.
(LAUGHS) Honestly.
And now,
with this thing with Paddy,
it's like... (SIGHS)
...you know, who's responsible?
Who's not telling the truth.
And I know that
in my heart, really,
I feel it so strongly
that they all know
- what happened to him.
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
(CRICKETS CHIRPING)
KAREN: Now, we don't know
what happened.
Everybody can guess
what happened,
but nobody really knows.
Well, none of us know.
They probably need to remain
those thoughts.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
DIRECTOR:
We don't know.
It's just a theory
and we don't know,
so we're not about to speculate.
That's, um...
(PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING)
KAREN: It's not as simple as...
Paddy's gone missing.
NEWSREADER 1:
A missing red kelpie
could be the critical clue
in solving the disappearance
of Northern Territory man,
Paddy Moriarty.
NEWSREADER 2:
Extensive searches have failed
to uncover any trace
of Mr. Moriarty
or his dog, Kellie.
RICHARD: It's fucking amazing
how many stories there are
about people
who've gone missing over dogs.
How many people
have been murdered over dogs,
killed over dogs,
had their houses
burned down over dogs.
It's crazy, man. Yeah.
It's quite possibly over a dog.
CHALKIE: Where's the dog?
And why's the dog not at home?
Has something happened
to both of them,
or did something happen
to one of them?
And then, as a result of that,
something happened to the other.
That's what we don't know.
KAREN: A kelpie
is not an easy dog to catch.
(CROWD CHEERING)
There's only three people
in town
that really could've gone up
and just petted her.
I don't know how a stranger
would have got anywhere
near her.
That's a part that confused us.
Barry could have petted her
or Richard Simpson.
And that was about it.
DIRECTOR:
How'd you get the dog?
PADDY: Move that dog, Bobbie.
We're coming into town,
and they're all barking at us.
DIRECTOR:
Yeah, course.
DIRECTOR:
(LAUGHS)
(LAUGHS) Fuck me.
There's three sides
to every story.
There's yours, there's mine,
and then there's the truth.
Yeah.
(LAUGHS)
DIRECTOR:
(GRUNTS)
(CHUCKLES)
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
(MELLOW MUSIC PLAYING)
INTERVIEWER: Richard Simpson
was working here,
and he isn't anymore.
What happened there?
Oh, look, it was just a thing
that he was starting
to drink too much.
And some days,
he would be fairly drunk
by about lunchtime,
and I had to put a stop to it.
KAREN: Richard didn't get along
with anybody
for any length of time.
He's a bit like Fran.
He would fight with himself,
given enough time.
In fact, he was asked
to remove himself from the pub.
And I think
one of the police officers
helped him along the way.
COOKIE:
And I don't know
where he is now.
I wouldn't have a clue.
But I know he's an idiot.
I know that much.
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING)
RICHARD:
- (ANIMALS BLEATING)
- RICHARD:
Boo. Mm.
So...
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- (ANIMALS BLEATING IN DISTANCE)
DIRECTOR:
(LIGHTER CLICKS)
(INHALES)
- (SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
- Well, there's a theory
that you can time travel
by having liquid sodium, right,
and... and... 'cause, um, time,
light... light slows down,
going through liquid sodium.
NARRATOR: At Harvard,
a Danish scientist had the idea
of using a condensate
to slow down light.
The speed of light is around
186,000 miles per second.
But when the pulse
hits the condensate,
it slows down
to the speed of a bicycle.
RICHARD: I kinda
picture Larrimah as a big
liquid sodium pond. (CHUCKLES)
And everything just...
(ECHOING) And it does, it does,
it does for months and months,
months and months,
months and months and months.
Bang, all of a sudden,
you get a couple of dickheads in
and everything explodes
for five minutes,
and then it's back to...
(LAUGHS) So, yeah,
where was I? (LAUGHS)
So, Larrimah, yeah,
I know Larrimah. Mm.
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
RICHARD:
(INHALES SHARPLY)
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)
REPORTER: Much of the, uh,
evidence has centered around
some tension in the town,
in particular a man
by the name of Richard Simpson.
(CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING)
JOURNALIST: Simpson
was a barman at the hotel,
and some thought
he was jealous of Paddy.
I certainly
didn't have anything to do
with Paddy's disappearance
whatsoever.
And they're all saying
that me and Paddy
have had arguments about this
and that and the other thing.
NEWS REPORTER: Mark Rayner,
he said that on one occasion
we heard that Simpson
had told Paddy
he was keeping
the tourists away.
He was costing Barry money.
KAREN:
RICHARD:
COOKIE:
But, then again, with Richard,
that would be easy
to start him off,
because he was always pissed
and off his head with drugs.
MARK:
"Why does Barry keep bringing
these druggie losers
back to Larrimah?"
RICHARD:
(LAUGHING)
...the duke and the duchess,
Paddy calls 'em.
NEWS REPORTER:
Simpson said he'd fallen out
with Karen Rayner
after accusing her
of stealing money
from the till at the pub.
KAREN:
RICHARD: No,
they all went and done
their own,
little individual things,
made up their own,
little stories.
Hell, we might get famous
out of this.
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
RICHARD: I mean,
a lot of them people up there
are just doing it
for their own fucking glory.
(WHIP CRACKING)
RICHARD:
I hope it was quick. (EXHALES)
I hope it didn't fucking hurt.
(EXHALES)
DAVE:
You know, I just think...
(MUTTERS INDISTINCTLY)
You know?
(CHUCKLING)
DIRECTOR:
Hmm.
RICHARD: Come here.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Here, quick. Circle up. Quick.
Come on. Come on.
That's old Mallory. Both of them
are getting old. (CHUCKLES)
This is Chewbacca.
Hello, big fella.
Hey, mate. Good boy, aren't ya?
Hey, good dog.
Oh yeah, apparently,
I'm some sort of psychotic,
crazy motherfucker, man.
Yeah, just all the time, just...
just randomly walk up to people
and just start abusing them,
for no reason at all. Hm.
Okay. When? When did I do this?
You know? (CHUCKLES)
Where's this story going, guys?
You know,
give me something to work with,
fuck it,
and I'll put my hand up.
(LAUGHS)
-DIRECTOR:
-Yeah. Mm-hmm.
DIRECTOR: Can you tell... just...
DIRECTOR:
I had all three dogs there.
Both my bitches had puppies.
I had eight pups.
So, they had four each. So...
DIRECTOR:
Those puppies
got sold from there.
I sold five in Mataranka...
I sold one in Catherine.
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
Why, what do you think
happens to puppies?
(LAUGHS) What have you heard?
DIRECTOR:
Yeah, tell me who said it.
KAREN: The day Richard left,
Mark and I went to the dump.
There was a terrible smell
came from down there,
and I actually made the comment
to Mark.
And I looked down,
and here were these puppies.
Richard's puppies.
There was five or six, I guess.
Um...
Who... who else would have been
near those puppies? (CHUCKLES)
I don't think they died
of natural causes.
RICHARD: What a bunch of lying,
motherfucking cunts, mate. Mm.
Straight up. Mm. The fuck...
killed my puppies? Fuck off.
(LAUGHS) You serious, man?
(LAUGHS)
MATT: I've heard this story
from Mark and Karen Rayner,
but it's just mere speculation,
so I just need
to leave it as... as that.
So, who's this lying
motherfucking dog
who's saying this?
Now, now, come on Richard,
calm down.
Now, the whole way
through this process
this is what you got
to deal with,
people saying
absolute fucking shit about ya.
So. All right.
I very nearly didn't even come.
I nearly just was gonna
ring youse up and say,
"Look, you know, fuck it,
I ain't gonna do it, man."
So, 'cause
if you want the truth,
then I'm gonna tell you
the fucking truth,
as far as I know the truth.
So... mm.
(GENTLE MUSIC PLAYING)
RICHARD: Couple of days
before Paddy went missing,
I seen Paddy out down the road.
Where I'm sitting,
having my morning coffee.
Later on that day,
I was talking to Paddy and said,
"What the fuck
went on out there, old mate?"
So... hmm.
That was a couple of days
before Paddy went missing,
two days, three days.
KAREN:
I believe Owen had an argument
with Paddy.
DIRECTOR:
"Get rid of that effing dog,
or I'll get rid of it for you."
Paddy put both his hands
on the guy's fence and said...
"You touch that dog,
and I'm gonna kneecap you."
I know that was him.
FRAN: I can be honest with you.
Owen's very isolated.
He keeps to himself.
I don't talk to him,
because we clash,
because he's got...
he... he's got...
he has got a temper!
I'll be honest. He's very...
He's a bushie.
And I let him do his own thing,
and I do my thing
and he wouldn't do it.
DIRECTOR:
Fuckin' oath. Absolutely.
(CHUCKLES)
Absolutely, mate, he's bushie,
that's what I'm saying,
you know?
A bloke like Blowen...
uh, a bloke like Lowen...
(CLICKS TONGUE) ...fucking...
Owen Laurie could do
something like that. So...
Fran wouldn't be able
to do it on her own.
Owen, do you know
what happened to Paddy?
- (CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING)
- There's no comment, ma'am.
BARRY:
("SOLID ROCK"
BY GOANNA PLAYING)
FRED BROPHY:
Ladies and gentlemen...
Out here nothin' changes
Not in a hurry anyway
BOXER:
Standin' on sacred ground
Livin' on...
BARRY:
(SONG CONCLUDES)
POLICE OFFICER: Can I have
your full name for the record?
OWEN LAURIE:
POLICE OFFICER: Now, um,
I'm gonna ask you
a few questions.
(READS PROMPT)
You said... (READS PROMPT)
He said, "Shut your mouth,
or I'll take your knees out."
You said... (READS PROMPT)
(DOG BARKS)
KRISTY: We don't know
what happened
to Paddy that night.
What we do know is that
Paddy left the pub at dusk,
with his dog, Kellie.
We know he got home,
because of the evidence
that was left there.
At the same time, around 6:30,
someone goes to the phone booth
right near Paddy's house
to make a phone call.
(TAPE CLICKS)
POLICE OFFICER: You know, um...
Paddy left the pub
on Saturday the 16th.
The evidence is...
from the phone box,
at 6:30 and 6:31,
you made two phone calls.
KRISTY:
KAREN:
(DOG BARKS)
RICHARD:
(APPLAUSE)
KAREN: He could have
just hit him...
not meaning to kill him
or whatever,
and it just happened.
It could have happened that way.
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- (BIRDS CHIRPING)
(POLICE SIREN WAILING)
FRAN: They had two police cars
on my lawn.
I got up, and I went to Owen,
I said,
"They've got bloody cars
out there."
(PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING)
FRAN:
"You know where you and Owen
put Paddy's body."
No, I don't.
He said, "Yes, you do." He said,
"I'll tell you what, Fran..."
He said, "If you help me,"
he said, "I promise you
I'll make you a hero."
And I said, "I don't wanna be
a fucking hero."
I said, "You're the detective."
I said, "This is what
you get paid for."
I said, "I should have
your fucking job,"
I said, "And you're the one
that should be here
making pies."
They're telling me
it's human blood.
Owen said, "How could it be?"
He said, "No."
He said, "It's rubbish."
He said,
"I'd done a rubbish run."
"No, no, no, it's human blood.
We know human blood
when we see it."
And I said,
"Oh, fuck, here we go again."
They said, "Fran..."
(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS)
BRETT: I'm looking
for fingerprints on his vehicle.
We've got the biologist
looking for DNA, hair, blood.
So, we're definitely keeping
an open mind
on what the possibilities are.
I've been through hell and back.
And I was a nervous wreck.
I was crying all the time.
I didn't eat.
I can... can't believe
th... this is happening.
I'm an innocent party, you know,
but I can't believe it.
I just wanted the fucking thing
to stop, you know?
I just wanted them
to find Paddy.
But they put us through hell.
They put us through hell.
- (MUSIC CONCLUDES)
- (BIRDS CHIRPING)
(PEPPY MUSIC PLAYING)
FRAN: Two weeks later,
we got a letter
saying that it was all clear,
there was no involvement
with the car.
No evidence! Nothing!
We're sort of...
We don't know exactly
what's happened.
They know what's happened.
They've just got to find
the evidence to support it.
I'm pretty sure they know
what happened.
FRAN: The funny thing
about it is,
nobody comes here now,
because they think him and I
have murdered Paddy.
Because they're
bloody frightened.
RICHARD: After the forensic
had gone through,
and they couldn't
actually find anything
and sent the cars back,
somebody said, "Oh, Fran
was partying up last night
with Owen,
and they're all drunk up there,"
and seems a bit strange
you have a big party
about something like that.
Owen's car came back,
and he promptly sold it, so...
(BOTH CHUCKLE)
FRAN: The only thing they've got
is me having arguments
with Paddy.
They wanted to close the case.
Trying so hard
to get something on me,
and it didn't work.
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
("DON'T YOU (FORGET ABOUT ME)"
BY MOYR PLAYING)
A 250,000-dollar reward
has now been offered
for information
in relation to the death
of Paddy Moriarty.
The investigation
remains active.
Detectives believe
the death of Paddy is a murder.
Don't you forget...
MATT: The reward
is for information
that leads to locating
Paddy's body
and convicting
who is responsible.
Don't you forget about me...
MATT: Someone out there
has information
about what happened to Paddy
and we want them
to come forward.
Will you call my name?
MATT:
When you walk on by
MATT: We continue to speak
to the people of Larrimah,
including those who have left,
as well as those who knew Paddy.
Pick up the phone.
We want to hear from you.
It is hard to keep a secret.
There are obviously
still persons of interest
in relation to this murder.
They know who they are.
(SONG CONCLUDES)
Help us solve a murder.
BARRY: Fell down in the pocket
somewhere.
CREW MEMBER:
Oh yeah? Try in there.
BARRY: Yeah. (SIGHS)
CREW MEMBER: Of course not.
Thank you.
- (DOG BARKING)
- Yeah.
BARRY:
I've got incurable cancer...
(INHALES) I'm now...
AUCTIONEER:
It is my pleasure to conduct
the auction sale today.
The Pink Panther Park
is being sold.
Walk in, walk out.
What you see is what you get,
ladies and gentlemen.
INTERVIEWER: Now, how unusual
is it for you to sell
a piece of real estate
with a crocodile thrown in?
Well this'll be the first.
(MELLOW MUSIC PLAYING)
BARRY:
KAREN: I do believe
it was the end of an era
when Barry left the pub.
It's probably taken a bit
out of him I think.
Yeah. He really misses his mate.
BARRY:
DIRECTOR:
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
So it just needs...
a slip of the tongue
or something.
Yeah.
FRAN: Last time I saw Paddy
was on the 12th of December.
He threw a kangaroo
over me fe... onto me house,
on me property.
It was on the road,
and, uh,
Paddy didn't know I was home...
SUE: She can't get it
out of her head.
She's got to say something
about it every day to someone.
I'll go, "Mum, please."
And she'll have the tears
in her eyes, you know.
She goes,
"Suzy, I can't help it.
I can't help it."
She goes, "You don't understand
what they've done to me."
DIRECTOR:
FRAN: I had enough
of everything, you know,
people driving past,
singing out,
"Murderer, murderer!
Where's Paddy?" You know.
SUE: And when I heard
I actually laughed.
I thought it was funny.
I thought, "Mum?
Mum, a murderer?"
You know? I thought,
"Oh, my God."
FRAN: It was so bad
because knowing I'm such
a good person, I am, you know,
and knowing that I was
going through this for nothing.
It's put a life sentence
on me...
because I've got the...
I got the cancer through it.
I got the cancer through it.
SUE:
...And I said "To me, she seemed
a bit worried about, um, Owen."
FRAN:
I don't like to blame somebody
for something they didn't do,
but...
And also, he said to me,
when they had a search going
across the road, he said...
And I didn't say nothing to him.
I thought,
"Oh, my God," you know.
Why would he say
he thought they'd come for him?
I think he might have known
something about it
and how he was with Paddy,
you know, it just put
two and two together.
(TAPE CLICKS)
(CROCKERY CLATTERS)
FRAN:
FRAN: Yeah.
RICHARD: Fran is a fascinating
character who,
has, quite simply,
created a legend
out of a little pie shop,
which nobody's ever
actually heard of.
She comes across as one thing
but then,
when you sit down with Fran,
'cause, like I say, you know,
I've known Fran
and I've... I've talked to her.
You know, she wants
something done then she will,
heaven on earth, mate,
she will move to get that done.
This fella from Daly Wood
is Paddy Moriarty.
He moved over there. I had big,
big, big trouble. Big trouble.
Though anyway, not to worry,
every dog has his day.
RICHARD:
To us, it's like,
if someone's landing on ya
and the coppers can't help you,
'cause they can't get
the evidence, what do you do?
You got to do something
to stop 'em affecting your life.
What goes around comes around.
I'm a very strong believer
of that.
DIRECTOR: Do you think
she's capable of murder?
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
Yes.
Absolutely.
(SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING)
I don't think Fran, at this time
and stage in her life,
fifteen years ago, fucking oath,
she coulda murdered
half of that town,
she wouldn't even
have turned a hair, mate.
(TAPE WINDS FORWARDS)
But it doesn't matter.
It comes to those who wait.
You know, I'm a very,
very strong believer.
RICHARD: You got to remember,
these are isolated people.
When you're isolated and alone,
some people can't really deal
with it,
so they get with people
like Fran
and stronger personalities,
and they can...
get inside your head and
make you start to think things
- and wanna do things.
- (TAPE WINDS FORWARDS)
I love it, I love it,
I love it here, I love Larrimah.
It will only take a...
bit of time
before things may work out.
Somebody'll probably move
or disappear or go somewhere.
(TAPE REWINDS)
Disappear or go somewhere.
I don't know.
But, you know, time, patience.
Got plenty of it,
plenty of time.
RICHARD: If Owen
was in with her, doing this...
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
MATTHEW LITTLEJOHN:
I represented Owen Laurie,
who was the gardener of Fran.
DIRECTOR:
Well, I can't talk about that,
that's confidential
client information.
DIRECTOR:
It's a matter for Owen.
His instructions remain
that he doesn't want to comment.
(PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING)
DIRECTOR:
Again, I can't add anything
to the evidence
that's been given. No comment.
That's something
I can't comment on. (CHUCKLES)
DIRECTOR:
I can't talk about that.
Again, that's not something
I can comment,
can or should comment on.
DIRECTOR:
I can't comment on that.
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
(GENTLE MUSIC PLAYING)
COOKIE:
Oh, I go over there.
I just go in there and see Barry
and just see if he's all right.
You know?
From day to day he changes
and you do with cancer,
you change.
One minute you're all right,
the next minute you're down.
So, that's the way it goes.
BARRY:
So...
COOKIE:
You can fricking hate somebody
and... and I've got...
I've got enemies.
I've always had enemies.
But, still,
you don't wish something
like that on
even your worst enemy
because it's one of the most
cruelest fucking deaths
you can ever...
you can ever go through.
(CHUCKLES)
BOBBIE:
If I come across him
in an accident,
don't you ever expect me
to give him life support.
I'll stand on his throat
and kill him. (CHUCKLES)
DIRECTOR:
(SIGHS) I would like to.
It's...
It's terrible
when you just don't know.
And... And...
And you hear that so often.
People will say,
"Well, it's the not knowing."
But it really is.
They're quite right.
You just don't understand it
until it's happened to you.
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
(GUITAR STRUMS)
MALE VOICE:
- (GUITAR STRUM)
- (MALE VOICE SINGING)
FRAN: Oh, my God.
Oh, my God. I'm glad it's...
Oh, my God.
I'm glad it's not me.
You know, him.
You know what I mean?
DIRECTOR: I'm gonna read you
some of what was recorded, okay?
Yeah.
DIRECTOR: This is all
from around two months
after it happened.
They have recordings
of him saying...
"Yeah, tell 'em what I've done,
hit with the fucking hammer,
struck him on the head..."
Yeah, and the nose.
DIRECTOR: "Hit ya
with the fucking hammer."
Yeah, a claw hammer, yeah.
(SIGHS)
DIRECTOR: "Well, they didn't
fucking find the hammer
so they can't get me
for anything.
I tell you fucking repeatedly,
you are not finding out.
You are not finding out."
Oh, he's gone for sure now.
Oh, my God.
Knowing that...
my head is spinning now.
(GROANS)
So, it hasn't finished yet?
REPORTER:
...alleging Owen Laurie
murdered Paddy Moriarty.
Roxanne Fitzgerald reports
from Catherine.
ROXANNE FITZGERALD:
On Wednesday,
the coroner heard police
had bugged Mr. Laurie's home,
not long after
Paddy disappeared.
They allege secret
audio recordings
captured the gardener saying,
"I killerated old Paddy,
f... ing killerated him.
I struck him on the f... ing head
and killerated the bastard."
REPORTER: Hello, sir.
Do you have anything to say
after today's allegations?
Do you have anything to say
after today's allegations?
(SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING)
This hugely damning,
strange information is dropped
and then nothing,
and... he's allowed to go.
Mr. Laurie denied
it was his voice,
telling the court,
"That wasn't me."
And had nothing to say
as he left.
DIRECTOR:
KRISTY: Mm-hmm.
DIRECTOR:
KRISTY: Mm.
DIRECTOR:
Yeah. So, as damning
as that information was,
you know, excruciating as that
information was to listen to,
are those recordings enough
to go on for police?
Or are we still
in the same position
we were four years ago
with no body, no weapon.
It... There is still
a lot of questions.
SUE:
Eh?
SUE:
- No!
- (CHUCKLES)
Course I fucking didn't!
Don't be stupid. I swear to God!
(SUE SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY
OVER PHONE)
I swear to God, I never done it!
I never done nothing!
KRISTY
This is still a hard case.
It's still
a really unresolved case,
and I can't help but think
that the residents of Larrimah
must feel like that too,
you know.
They must... want this
to be over at some point.
REPORTER:
Believing criminal offenses...
So, we're back to square one.
(CHUCKLES)
REPORTER: Those left
in Larrimah, missing their mate,
hope the findings
will bring some closure.
(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS)
REPORTER:
REPORTER:
Um...
KRISTY: What can't be forgotten
is that
that's someone's friend
that they're hearing about.
Like everyone,
I think we want it resolved.
But the cynic in me
doesn't think it's gonna happen.
I think someone has got away
with murder.
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
So, where's that leave Larrimah?
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
(MELLOW MUSIC PLAYING)
RICHARD:
Hey. Hey Bobbie.
(SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)
RICHARD: We're his whole family.
We're everything to him,
you know.
We don't call ourselves family
or anything like that
but that's what we are. So...
COOKIE: I wanted to live here
for the rest of me life
but I've had enough.
I've had enough of the conflict
and the bullshit,
and I just wanna sell the place.
KAREN:
So, um...
Yeah,
try and move on a little bit.
Cookie, once he sells his house
he's going back to Tasmania.
So, that'll be
another person less.
I don't know
what Bill's gonna do.
I might finish up
the only one here.
DAVID:
This town dies.
There's not gonna be
anyone here.
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)
("I STILL CALL AUSTRALIA HOME"
BY PETER ALLEN PLAYING)
I've been to cities
That never close down
From New York
To Rio and old London town
But no matter how far
Or how wide I roam
I still call Australia home
I'm always travelin'
BILLY:
So I keep leavin' the sun...
DIRECTOR:
Ah. The freedom,
the open spaces.
Over the foam
RICHARD:
I realized something
I've always known
I still call Australia home
COOKIE:
No matter how far
MARK:
I still call Australia
I still call Australia
I still call Australia home
No matter how far
Or wide I roam
Oh I still call Australia
I still call Australia
I still call Australia home
(SONG CONCLUDES)
("CHRISTMAS ROSES"
BY JANKO NILOVIC PLAYING)
(MUSIC CONCLUDES)