Better Man (2013) s01e02 Episode Script

1
You want to help your family?
This is the way.
Now get your arse to the airport.
Welcome to Cambodia.
Anytime I call, you answer.
You're taking a shit, you answer.
You open!
- Do you trust him?
- What's he done?
He's working with a cop.
Where
the fuck are you?
I should never have agreed to it.
OK? It was just.
It was a mistake.
From here, it's yours.
I'm going to do this.
You need to know that
it's not for you.
It was never for you.
Sir, I need to pat you down.
Spread your arms
against the wall!
Take off your jacket!
Hey! Take off your jacket!
I said take off your jacket!
Take off your shirt.
I said take off your shirt.
You think Australia?
Doesn't look like it.
Has Interpol notified
the Australians?
They will.
You think he'll talk?
Hard to say.
- Find out what he knows.
- Yes, sir.
Anyspecial instructions?
The usual.
OK.
Nguyen Tuong Van,
you are charged that
on 12 December 2002,
you had in your possession
for the purpose of trafficking
two packets of a substance
weighing approximately 762.02 grams
believed to contain diamorphine.
Thereby, you have
committed an offence
under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
If convicted,
you may face the death penalty.
Do you understand the charge
and its consequences?
You sign that you acknowledge
receipt of this written notice.
Here.
Now, if there is any fact
on which you intend to rely
for your defence in court,
you are advised to mention it now.
If you hold it back
until you get to court,
your evidence may be less likely
to be believed,
and that may have a bad effect
on your case in general.
So, do you wish to say anything
in answer to the charge?
Huh.
'Sing When You're Winning'.
My favourite is number seven.
'Singing for the Lonely'.
But you weren't alone, were you?
Hmm?
Who sent you?
Who are you working for?
Do you know what you've done?
No idea.
No idea.
You even know where you are?
Do you know the penalty for
drug-trafficking in this country?
You give me lies,
and it will not end well
for you here.
Butyou tell me the truth
Hmm? The truth.
..and I help you.
So
who sent you?
Who's that kid?
I used to like the name Van.
Yeah?
It brings back memories.
Right here.
When I was a boy,
my uncle had a van.
And he would sit me in the back seat
on top of the wheel.
Every time we would go over
a speed hump,
I would fly up and nearly hit
the fucking roof.
I loved it, man.
Fucking loved it.
I haven't seen you
around here much, Van.
- Yeah, I only started coming.
- You've been missing out.
Yeah, I know.
Your girl here? She here tonight?
No, no. Wewe broke up.
You broke up?
Hey.
Lucky for you, huh?
Just cruising, huh?
Yeah, something like that. Yeah.
Wellif you're ever
looking for work, Van,
feel free to give me a call.
I'll throw some work over your way.
Alright?
Yeah. Yeah, sure.
Come on. Give me a name.
Who sent you?
You didn't get me no-one, man,
so it's on you now.
But nothing's going
to fucking happen
if you do what I say
and keep your mouth shut.
But
if anything does
then you don't know me.
We never met.
Got it?
If anyone asks you anything,
you tell them
a guy called Sun sent you.
Got it?
Sun.
Sun.
- Sun.
- Yes.
Sun.
So, you were meant
to find him someone?
Yes or no - you were meant
to find him someone to carry it?
Yes.
You were not going
to do it yourself?
No.
It was never meant to be me.
Where the fuck is he?
- Where the fuck is he?
- He's not coming.
What the fuck you mean
he's not coming?
He's not coming 'cause
I've organised for
this shit to come in.
Justjust wait.
You fucking promised me.
Now, who the fuck's
going to bring it in?
Just stop.
Alright? Just stop.
He's not coming 'cause
'cause I'm doing it.
I didn't want my friends
to have to do it.
Did he tell you
what you had to bring in?
Hey, I'm trying to help you here.
Yes.
So he did?
Now, what did he say it was?
Trang.
Say again.
Trang.
It means
white.
White.
And did you know
what he meant by that?
Hmm?
Did you know what he meant by that?
Did you know?!
- Yes.
- Good. So, you did.
And what does it mean?
- Heroin.
- Heroin.
So you knew.
You knew you were bringing heroin
from Phnom Penh to Singapore.
Hmm?
Did you know you were bringing
heroin from Phnom Penh to Singapore?
Come.
Sir.
- What's wrong?
- The name of his contact is Sun.
He knew he was carrying heroin
and he agreed to carry it to Changi.
Trafficking.
- You've cautioned him appropriately?
- Yes, sir, I have.
So, how would you like me
to proceed?
Well, then, proceed
to a signed statement.
A signed statement on trafficking?
Follow the usual process.
Sir, with how much he was carrying,
if he signs on trafficking
he's as good as dead.
What's happening?
I need you to make a statement.
Um, a statement?
How much was Sun paying you
to carry heroin?
- How much?
- I don't know.
Say it again.
I don't know.
You don't know?
We never spoke about it.
You were carrying
two packets of heroin,
and you don't know how much
you were going to get paid?
- No.
- Why?
Because I trusted him.
He said he'd look after me.
He'd look after you?
This is the truth?
Yes.
Why did you need the money so bad?
Hmm?
Drugs? You are a drug addict?
- No.
- Then gambling?
- No.
- Then what?
Hey, Khoa!
Where the hell have you been?
What's this?
- Van!
- Ma. You're home.
He's been working.
- Yeah, we need the money.
- Let him work, Mum. He's happy.
I can do both. I promise.
We're always late on our rent.
And electricity and school fees.
I can quit.
Ma.
We can keep these?
Ma, look.
Beautiful.
Beautiful.
So you did it for your family.
- You did it for your family.
- I don't want to talk anymore.
Answer my question.
I've said enough.
Jie Jie.
Who is Jie Jie?
I don't know.
Who is Jie Jie?
No-one.
OK. So, if I call this number
613 987
- Fucking hell!
- Who is Jie Jie?
Hmm?
Who?
Kelly!
Uh, it's lunchtime, not bedtime.
What the hell are you doing?
We have chem prac next period.
Why aren't you revising?
I mean, what the hell are you doing
wasting a perfectly good sandwich?
Hey!
This is good.
Mmm.
It's not sis.
It's Jie Jie.
What's that? Spanish?
What,
I look Spanish to you?
It's Mandarin.
"Jie Jie" is Big Sister.
Sounds a lot more
like "G-string" to me.
Joey told me you're flipping
burgers all night.
Doing the graveyard shift.
Why?
Don't you know - year 11,
it's the time where
Hear that?
You'd better run to class, G-string.
Teacher can't start a lesson
without her pet.
Last I heard, a pet's the one
who eats leftovers.
Ooh, she's good.
Hey.
Your pet might be
hungry again tomorrow.
Same time, same place?
Rabbit.
Who is Rabbit?
What is the point of this?
The point -
answering me truthfully.
Or do I need to go through
every letter, every word,
call every phone number?
Who is Rabbit?
Put me down!
Oh, my God! You got me all wet!
- Do you know how cold it is?
- Cold? Who's cold?
You freaking polar bear.
Look at you.
If I'm a polar bear,
you know what you are?
You be careful.
A rabbit.
Don't you dare!
Whatare you doing?
It's the latest craze.
The polar bear shuffle.
Polar bear mental.
Want to see a rabbit bite a bear?
Hey, what is it?
Mum always said never go home
with strangers.
My mum always said
to live each day
as though it was your last.
Is that so?
Does Rabbit know about the heroin?
What do you want from me?
What I always want. The truth.
- I'm giving you the truth.
- No, no, no.
Your family. You said
you did it for your family. Why?
Forever young
I want to be forever young
Do you really want
to live forever? ♪
The fuck?
You can't do this.
What the fuck are you doing?
What the fuck are YOU doing?
Pretending you're going
to leave school and shit.
- I'm not pretending.
- You are. I know you.
You don't know shit, Van.
I know it's hard,
but you've got to stick it out
because it's going to
work out for us.
- Gonna work out?
- Yeah.
Have you seen us lately?
There's nothing to eat
in the fridge.
Mum's never home. You're never home.
That's 'cause we're working.
Alright? She's doing double shifts.
I'm doing nights.
Why?
For the family.
When's the last time
we did anything as a family?
Khoa.
Khoa, come back.
Khoa!
Why?
Because my brother needed the money.
Fuck.
Your brother.
When?
Three years ago.
Why? Hmm?
Sorry?
Where?
Yes. OK, OK.
Van, Van! Van!
What?
What the fuck
were you thinking, man?
A gang fight?
He fucking wanted it.
Dude, you could have killed him.
- You could have fucking killed him.
- But I didn't.
- But you nearly did.
- It just happened.
OK? It just happened so fast.
You'd spend the rest of your life
in a jail cell. Do you realise that?
How did this happen, man?
Khoa, look at me.
I'm going to get you out of this.
Alright?
I'm going to get you out.
And that is why you
needed the money? Hmm?
I borrowed the money to pay
for his lawyers, and
andand it's just
and I had to pay it back.
So, you carried heroin
for your brother
to keep him out of prison.
Tell me, how does he feel about it?
Hmm?
How does he feel about it?
He doesn't know.
Say again.
He doesn't know.
Why?
I never told him.
I never told him.
25,000 hits here, in two packets.
Has he signed yet?
- Not yet.
- What's wrong?
I don't know if he understands
the seriousness of his situation.
I think he's just a mule.
25,000 doses of heroin
is an enormous amount.
Yes - in his possession.
That he was trafficking.
Sir, I understand
our usual protocol.
I know you do.
But if the boy has admitted
to trafficking
we need his signature.
Even if he is Australian?
Have you seen the colour
of his skin, Ramesh?
I don't think the Australians
would care much for an Asian boy
trying to pollute the country
with this.
I want
no stone unturned.
- Hello?
- Ms Kim Nguyen?
Ms Kim Nguyen,
Australian Federal Police.
We have a warrant to search
your premises for narcotics.
Who?
Sorry.
So what have we got?
Nothing. Just a Vietnamese mother
looking shell-shocked.
- Nothing on the database either.
- No hits?
No criminal record,
just a couple of parking fines.
Doesn't look like
a major importation racket to me.
No, look, I'll get onto Interpol now
and find out what else they know
about this Van Nguyen.
Meanwhile, find out what the High
Commissioner in Singapore knows,
if anything.
Sure.
You don't think
they'll already know?
Some countries
don't need to tell us anything.
So that means
that kid could be all alone,
talking himself into
a death sentence?
Get onto our High Commission now.
You want me to sign this?
Down the bottom.
What is it?
It's a summary from the tape.
It confirms what you told me -
that you trafficked heroin
on behalf of Sun
to pay off your brother's debt.
If I sign this, then
that's it?
This interview's over?
Wait. Wait.
- How much was the debt?
- Sorry?
The debt. The debt.
How much was the debt?
$20,000.
- $20,000?
- Yeah.
You're throwing your life
YOUR LIFE away for $20,000?
Huh?
What about work?
You couldn't find a fucking job?!
- Justjust lazy, huh?
- I'm not lazy!
Six months, Van.
You get a decent, normal job,
you could have paid it back
in six months.
I tried! I fucking tried!
Not enough!
Look at where you are!
Nowopen.
So, what do you think?
Ah, what about our romantic lunch?
It's our new business.
I don't understand.
You've got to have vision.
Alright, look - here, we're going
to have the CDs and the accessories,
and we'll put the cash registers
here - ka-ching, ka-ching!
We'll put the monitors up the back
near the IT services.
What?!
Rach, me and the boys,
we really need to work now.
But what about uni and TAFE,
all of your studies?
No, we've got rent, bills and debts.
I mean, come on, you know my debts.
We need the cash.
Selling computers?
Didn't work out.
Why?
No advertising.
Bad location.
Everyone got their CDs off the net.
Khoa's court case
just kept getting worse.
Bills were mounting up.
So
I took out the loan.
$20,000?
Tell me, from who?
Don't lie. From who?
Just this guy.
William Tan.
A loan. How were you
going to pay it back?
At first, I figured I'd get a job,
another job, you know, work
double shifts, triple shifts.
So what happened?
It was taking me forever
to pay off the debts.
Andrew Wallace,
it's Nicole Cleary here
from the Australian High Commission.
I understand
that you wanted to speak with me.
Yeah, hi. Thanks for calling back,
Nicole.
I'm not sure if you're aware,
but a young Australian boy,
Van Tuong Nguyen,
was arrested in Singapore
for potential drug trafficking.
What? When?
The first you've heard of it?
Yes. What else do you know?
Not much more at the moment. I was
hoping you guys could help us.
So you met Sun, got involved with
drugs and the rest is history, huh?
No, that's not it.
I I tried to do
everything I could
to pay back the loans,
thethe bills
- Why? Why did you?
- Because it's my role!
It's my duty, can't you see?
Can't you fucking see?
No. I can't.
It's always been that way.
Since when?
Since Mum remarried.
Remarried?
My parents divorced in Vietnam
before I was born.
So you have a stepfather?
Had.
Good boy.
So I look after my family now.
I look after them.
You're processing him.
What does that mean?
Miss Cleary,
we're questioning him.
You're questioning him?
So he's been cautioned?
Of course.
But has he provided you
with a statement yet?
Miss Cleary, I'm sure
you understand our protocol.
But has he provided you
with a signed statement yet?
No. We're still interviewing him.
Superintendent,
I'm on my way to you now.
When I get there,
I will require immediate access
to the Australian citizen
Van Nguyen.
Goodbye, sir.
Listen to me.
I want to help you.
But I need to know more about Sun.
Tell me about Sun.
What do you want to know?
Everything.
Start with the deal.
I need you to find someone
to bring it in.
You find me someone,
you'll get a cut.
They'll get a cut.
Got you.
Think you can do that?
Get one of your boys?
Yeah. Yeah, sure.
Then I'll set it up.
Once I set it up, it's done.
No turning back.
You get me my guy,
I'll get you your money. Got it?
- You don't look convinced.
- No, no, I'm up for it.
You said you needed quick cash.
- I do.
- Well, then, this is it. Got it?
Yeah.
Yeah, I got you.
So we've got a deal?
What club?
The one beside Chinook's Cafe.
- Chinook - spell it.
- C-H-I
C-H
Ramesh.
- Sir.
- Has he signed yet?
Not yet.
Sir, we're almost there.
- Bring him to my office!
- Sir!
Sir, please.
We need to talk about this. Please!
Sir!
Andrew, I'm nearly there.
Tell me what you've got.
Who's he linked with?
Well, at the moment,
it's impossible to tell.
So, then, what do you have?
Background stuff, mainly.
We know he was an SRC rep
at high school.
Student council?
Yeah, and he was employed
by a mobile phone company,
worked for a burger franchise,
was MC at his school formal.
So he's not your everyday
trafficker, then.
Doesn't seem like it.
But, Andrew, I really need
to find out what's going on.
Good luck, Nicole.
Move!
Alright.
When did Sun give you the order?
When did Sun
give you the order?
I don't want to talk
anymore.
You don't want to talk anymore?
I've said everything already.
Let me remind you -
this is on record.
If you leave anything out,
your omission will be used
against you in court.
Do you understand me?
Now, when did Sun
give you the order?
I just want to go home.
- I don't care how busy he is.
- I'm sorry. He is not available.
He has an Australian citizen
in there.
Under the Vienna Convention,
I have every right to see him.
Inspector Ramesh,
there's a lady at reception
from the Australian High Commission.
Can you please come down?
Miss, take a seat.
When did Sun give you the order?
- After.
- After what?
After he showed up.
After who showed up?
My father.
I'd never met him before in my life.
He just turned up out of nowhere.
What the fuck?
After all these fucking years?
No!
What's he doing here, Mum?
Of all people, him?
Van, please calm down.
No, I take care of this family!
I take care of us!
Van
Alan, it's me.
You said for me to call you
if I needed any work.
So that's when you agreed
to carry the drugs for Sun?
From Cambodia to Melbourne?
You wish.
- Inspector!
- Miss!
No, it's OK. Can I help you?
I'm Nicole Cleary from
the Australian High Commission.
I understand you have an Australian
citizen in there?
Yes, yes, Van Nguyen.
Young boy. He came in last night.
I need to see him, now.
Van is in serious trouble.
Serious? How serious?
You're not aware of the magnitude
of his charge?
Inspector, there is much
I need to catch up on,
but I need to hear it from him,
so, please, I need to see him now.
Come, follow me. Follow me.
- Sign here.
- Sign here?
Yes.
What's it for?
It's a statement confirming that
what you've told us is the truth
and that you understand
the consequences of your crime.
I'm sorry. What?
You told us that you agreed
on behalf of Sun
to bring the heroin from Cambodia
through Singapore.
You called him, you agreed to do it,
he didn't force you.
No
You called him
and you agreed to do it.
If that is true, sign here!
Thank you.
Can I go home now?
Sir!
This is Miss Cleary from
the Australian High Commission.
She is here to see the boy.
Of course. We're finished here.
Superintendent,
when was this boy arrested?
Last night, at around eight.
That was 20 hours ago.
You could have informed us
of his arrest much earlier.
We are under no obligation
to inform you
of when we have arrested
one of your nationals.
Let's dance in style
Let's dance for a while
Heaven can wait,
we're only watching the skies
Hoping for the best
but expecting the worst
Are you gonna drop the bomb
or not?
Let us die young
or let us live forever
We don't have the power
but we never say never
Just sitting in a sandpit
Life is a short trip
And music's for the sad man
Can you imagine
when the race is won?
Turn our golden faces to the sun
Praising our leaders,
we're getting in tune
The music's played by the
the mad man ♪
I just want to say, bro
..man, I never say this
..but I fucking love you.
I fucking love you too, man.
Forever young
I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live
forever?
Forever
Forever young
I want to be forever young ♪