Mystery Road: Origin (2022) s01e03 Episode Script

My own blood. Family.
Police officer.
- Why not?
- 'Cause it's too easy.
What are you working on?
Oh, it was in the archives.
So, someone just left that here?
But he wasn't just
a footnote in a file to us.
He was my little boy.
Witnesses saw Ziggy argue with the
deceased the night of the murder.
Ziggy had no alibi for the
time and confessed to it.
Geraldine wanted me to make sure that
you're coming to the ball tonight.
Yeah.
Let's give it up for Jack Swan!
Our dads are designed to let us down.
Don't be too hard on him.
You mob got any respect?
This is a crime scene. Get out.
Sorry.
Easy, young fella. I'm
trying this shirt on.
Country, get out.
Come on.
You let these people do this?
Hmm.
Sputty!
Oi.
Snap out of it.
Alright? Old man, he topped himself.
He don't need it. I'll
split the proceeds 70/30.
Oh, for 60/40.
Put it back.
All of it.
Don't don't don't play
this this grieving son, huh?
I know what that is. That's not grief.
That's control, because
you got none of it.
Inside you, brother. Inside here.
I've got enough control not
to steal from my dead family.
Stealing?
No, no, no, no. That's inheritance.
Put it down.
Put it down.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, look.
Hey, hey.
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Cut it out! Stop this! Stop it, stop it!
Stop it!
Take this for me.
I got my chair, that's all I want.
Huh?! HEY?
Hey?! We done?!
Yeah, we're done.
Get out.
Get out.
Out.
OK?
I wanted to ask about an old client.
Ziggy Wells.
Right.
What'd you think of the confession?
Unsafe at best.
Police interviews in Jardine weren't
always recorded back then, so
- You think they WERE innocent?
- Not sure.
She was definitely involved.
What happened at trial?
Counsel ran on her statement
and mental capacity.
Said basically she was innocent,
but due to certain factors, she,
uh, convinced herself she was guilty.
What factors?
Anousha, right?
Where'd you work before this?
- I was at a firm in the city.
- Good firm?
- Really good.
- Good money?
Could you go back there?
Yeah, they'd have me back.
You might wanna think about that.
Shit.
Hey.
Sorry, I can come back. I just, um
I was looking for Xavier and, um
How's it looking?
Yeah, give her a go now.
Hey. Out.
Jack?
Jack?
I'm his son, Jay.
Who are you?
Ziggy?
You're not Jack. Why
are you wearing his hat?!
You remember me.
Your family used to
live on the corner house,
near the basketball courts.
- Jack come out here?
- Yeah.
Where's Jack? I'm hungry.
We can go back to town and get a feed.
Would you like that?
Who are you, really?
You don't have to worry about me, Ziggy.
You here to take his ganja?
Too late.
I couldn't stop 'em.
Who?
Shiny fellas with the icy eyes.
- Shiny fellas came here?
- They stole the ganja.
Light this place up.
Was Jack here when they came?
- Did they threaten him?
- You're not Jack!
Did someone say they
were gonna hurt Jack?
Hey
I got desert magic. You wanna see?
If I do, you come back
with me to town, hey?
- Talk about what happened.
- Yeah.
Wait here. It's a magic show.
No peeking.
Desert magic!
Morning.
I'm from Legal Aid.
I'd like to talk to you about Jo
Have you got my bloody
compo sorted out yet?
We can talk about that.
I wanted to ask you about Josh Allen.
Did you see anything?
Sir?
Did you know Jack was growing ganja?
Yeah. Yeah, a bit for his personal use.
But nothing I had to act on.
Oh, it was a bit more than personal use.
He had his own plantation.
Somebody stole the crop and burnt
it to the ground the other day.
A witness saw men with blue eyes and
shaved heads. Remind you of anyone?
Who was the witness?
Ziggy Wells.
Thought she was dead.
She's been hiding out on the salt lake.
I think it's enough to
open an investigation.
Into what?
Jack.
Hang on, you want to open
a murder investigation
because of something
Ziggy Wells told you?
She's not right in the head.
And what are you thinking - that
the Sons of the Soil killed Jack
for treading on their turf?
Is that your theory?
They were in jail last night.
Jack didn't kill himself.
Well
..he tried it once before.
It was around Christmas last year.
I found him on his kitchen floor,
and he swore to me
he'd never do it again.
And, you know, like a dickhead, I
I believed him.
Listen, I I know you want answers.
Of course you do.
But a murder investigation?
It's it's not the place to get 'em.
Go home, mate.
You're officially on leave, OK?
After the autopsy and forensic results.
If they're clear, I'll drop this.
There's not gonna be an autopsy.
At the request of the executor.
I'm the executor.
No, you're not.
Now, I know you said you didn't
want one, but I couldn't help myself.
Patrick around?
No, he went camping out on the clay pan.
It's this blokes' thing.
Who are they?
It's a scheme called, um
..Sentenced to a Job.
It's for low-security prisoners.
They do yard work, mainly.
- Convicts?
- Mm.
I don't think we use that word anymore.
Anyway, the money goes to the
Victims of Crime Unit, so
How are you holding up?
You're my dad's executor.
The role's just admin.
I did it when my own father died, so
You contested the autopsy.
Well, I don't think we want it
getting out into the community
that he killed himself.
Surely it's better if people believe
he died, at home, in bed, peacefully.
And I know it's a white lie,
but I think it's very
important for our community
that it doesn't get out.
"Our community".
Suicide is a real problem here,
and you would know that if you'd
spent more time here recently.
We don't even know for
certain it WAS a suicide.
Jay
He was my father.
I want an autopsy.
Right.
And where were you all these years?
I was more family to
him than his own sons.
Family?
Your dad looked at Jack
and the other blackfellas on his station
as his stock.
Youse weren't family.
You should go.
Mm.
Hi.
I'm Anousha, from Legal Aid.
Nah, fuck off.
Hey, brother.
Your sister said you were out camping.
You alright?
It's Jack.
He's dead.
What?
Yesterday.
What happened?
Gun.
- To the head.
- Oh, fuck.
I just saw him last
week, mate, he was, um
He was sitting there on the porch,
just having a yarn with Gerry.
What do you think about it?
You think he was capable of it?
He was Jack, mate. He was
He was Jack. He was just, you know
He seemed himself to me.
Um
Oh, fuck.
I don't know, I mean, what?
How do you know what's going on
in another person's head, you know?
I'm so sorry, mate.
Do you want to just come and have
a sit, mate, just by the fire?
We don't have to talk. We can just
We can just sit.
- I'm good.
- Really?
Geraldine Southwell's
removed her objection.
She had no right to begin with.
I don't know if you remember this,
but when you were a young smart-arse
..we were having a chat
in the lock-up one night
about you becoming a cop.
And I said, "Alright, yeah,
you've got some choices to make.
"It's either us or jail."
I remember.
Well, I lied to ya,
over all of these years.
I tried to get you
accepted into the Academy,
but I couldn't swing it.
You had too many juvenile arrests.
What'd you do?
Well, the Southwell family.
Geraldine told her dad
and her dad rang the Minister of Police,
for you.
Mm.
Righto.
Crime scene forensics.
Your dad.
Jack had been drinking heavily.
There was no sign of a struggle.
Nothing missing from the house.
So, how does that say murder to you?
I've booked you in to see a psych.
And I'm not fuckin' around.
It's compulsory.
Yeah.
Be good for you.
'Night, Peter.
Now, you should know,
everything you say here
remains completely confidential.
I'm sorry, how long's this gonna take?
About an hour. We We
can take longer if you need.
Mm.
Look, I know this is your job.
And your time.
But this stuff, it doesn't, um
..it doesn't work for me.
Suits me.
I'm getting paid.
Your dad, Jack, used to order
beers for me down the pub.
He was a good fella.
Is that what makes a good fella?
Someone who shouts you beers?
Actually, I was paying.
Yeah, that sounds like Jack.
He talked about you a lot.
Hello, Legal Aid?
Anousha?
It's for you.
Hello?
- Hey.
- Mary.
Hey.
You busy now?
No. Why?
Do you wanna come pick me up from work?
Sure. On my way.
You know no-one's gonna
want to talk to you.
I saw Ziggy's old lawyer.
What, that Tony fella?
- Yeah.
- He 'nother kind of bloke, that one.
He thought she was probably involved
Yeah, of course she was.
I don't care about that bitch.
She should be in jail for what she did.
She could be a fuckin' psycho.
She was always flipping
out over something,
getting herself into trouble.
And when she did, it was
Joshy there, backing her up.
No-one mucked around with him.
She was there that night.
And whatever happened, it
ended up with him in this dump.
Dead.
And she never paid for it.
What if it wasn't her?
He called me.
He wanted to be picked up.
Why didn't you pick him up?
I forgot.
Do you drink a lot,
Mary? You ever black out?
No.
Well, we have a witness who says
Josh told her you were
on your way to get him.
She's lying. I never did.
Mary
..what happened to Josh?
I hardly recognise my own voice.
You know what I hear?
A 17-year-old girl in shock, on
her own, surrounded by police,
without a lawyer present.
Not only has she been
told her brother is dead,
but that she's responsible.
They shouldn't have done that to you.
Who wrote this?
I know how scared you must have been.
You think I DID lie.
I'm not here to judge you.
Fuck you!
Mary
Jay.
Um, you should know that I have
planned a ceremony for Monday.
Right.
How would you like us to refer to him?
Mr Swan.
Um, would you consider
giving the eulogy?
For the community.
I'm not gonna say he
died in his sleep
That's up to you.
- I'll think about it.
- Of course.
I'm gonna cremate him.
I'd, uh I'd planned a church
burial, but whatever you want.
I, um
I met your dad when we were 16 and
You can think what you like,
Jay, but we remained friends.
And as a friend, I miss him.
You ready to drink
with your big brother?
Mm.
Ahh!
Mm.
Remember when he left Mum,
we used to come here on the weekends?
We'd swing around on
that old clothes line.
Mm. It's still bent.
That was your chubby arse.
Remember when Dad
..he used to chase us
around with that big wire?
He couldn't catch you.
You know why?
- 'Cause I was
- Too quick.
Mm.
Remember when he got him?
Yeah, Dad stole him.
Lucky that farmer never found out.
He's a dog.
You coming?
Look at you.
Wearing dead man's clothes.
Hmm?
Who do you think you are?
You got no shame.
Oi.
Come here.
You're the spitting image.
Jack would be cursing us if he knew
we were sending him off in a church.
Where would have been better?
The pub.
A few days ago, we all gathered together
to pay tribute to our friend,
Mr Swan.
Today, we gather again
to mark his passing.
He was a good man.
He was a good friend.
We learnt a lot from each other's
..backgrounds.
Oh, God
He lived a big life and he died
Tell 'em the truth.
..in peace,
knowing that his legacy will live on.
You
You killed yourself, hmm?
You left us alone, you bastard!
Hmm?
- Oh, my God.
- Yeah.
I, uh I think I've said enough.
Come on, brother. Come on.
You're right, come on.
Sit down, eh?
My father was born on
Patterson Inland Mission.
Wongi country.
When he was 12 years old, his
mother, Roslan, passed away,
and he ran away to this
little town called Jardine.
Got some work at a local station.
By 18, he was the gun
horse-breaker and overseer.
But in 1968, him and the rest of
the black workforce were let go,
so he had a little bit of spare time.
That's when he discovered
rodeo and became a champion.
Then he met my mum.
Not long after, he was working
for the Shire, hunting wild dogs,
and his rifle skills got the attention
of the National Shooting Association.
And in 1976, he was selected
for the Montreal Olympics.
But going there meant
missing half the rodeo season.
And Olympics never put
food on our table, so
..Jack didn't go.
He stayed.
He chose family.
He kicked me up the arse
when I deserved it
..and plenty of times when I didn't.
He taught me to shoot.
"Don't pull the trigger. Squeeze it.
"Line up your target.
"Don't rush.
"And don't you bloody miss."
Just like chasing a women, he reckoned.
He was a hard man to love.
But I miss you, Dad.
- He did Jack proud.
- Mm.
Sorry for your loss, son.
Old bastard get a good send-off?
Dead or alive, he'd
hate being in a church.
You'd think looking like him was enough,
now you gotta dress like him too?
I thought you'd be a fan, Mum.
I thought you might have
come round for dinner.
You gonna grill me now?
Today of all days?
Yeah, well, just don't like
hearing my son's in town
from my next-door neighbours.
How's tomorrow sound?
I'd like that.
Bring your brother.
Fiona?
Pete.
Can I borrow your son, please?
I'm sorry I didn't make
it to the service, but
..something came up at the station.
Something big.
We've had a confession.
To murdering your father.
Who?
My house, my rules.
And if you don't like
it, you can get out!
A million dollars, cash, to
keep our little family's secret.
My advice is that she's fit for trial.
She's delusional.
20-kilometre stretch
of road, never got made.
It's a fake company.
Jack was caught up in something.
Come on, cowboy.
You asked me if I was lying
to the police in my statement.
I was.
Captions by Red Bee Media
Copyright Australian
Broadcasting Corporation
END OF FILE