A Place to Call Home (2013) s05e06 Episode Script

It is a work of fiction.
It is also steamy and vacuous, without any semblance of discretion.
- ED: What have you done? - ANNA: I've reworked it.
- You've destroyed it.
- I haven't destroyed it.
There's a contract.
I will be publishing the manuscript as it is.
- You can't.
- Watch me.
There is no excuse for leaving patients in the dark about the gravity of their illness.
- It's immoral.
- Oh, don't talk to me about morality.
Your sort wouldn't know the meaning of the world.
Am I dying? I didn't want to say.
[GLASS BREAKING.]
Bang! Up she goes.
[LAUGHS.]
JACK: Doesn't take much guessing to figure out what happened.
Stan O'Rourke and his scaly mates.
I'm feeding Sir Richard information.
I'm on your side.
- Please, George, you're a fool! - Leave us alone! Leave us alone! GERDA: [GERMAN ACCENT.]
I hate to fly.
It makes me very sick.
Really, I thought we would never get here.
What is it? They told me there are kangaroos.
SARAH: That woman.
She was a guard.
At Ravensbrück.
It's her.
I know it's her.
- Sarah - What if - Sarah, listen.
- What if she saw me? Listen to me.
You're safe.
You are safe.
She'll kill me.
You're here with me now in Canberra.
And you have a very happy little boy.
David.
You don't believe me.
If you think she was the guard She was.
Frieda Neudeck.
The worst.
No, I won't hide.
Wait.
Wait! We made a promise to each other.
All the women.
If we ever saw one of them.
That was 13 years ago.
Are you absolutely sure? 13 years is a heartbeat.
It's her.
I believe you.
In there drinking champagne as if nothing happened.
Sarah, wait! Stop.
Stop.
I need you to listen to me.
We have to be clever about this.
You going in there and accusing her, she'll deny it.
More than likely, they'll believe her.
The wife of an American diplomat.
You're worried about what they'll think.
No.
I only care for you.
And we will work out what to do.
But first things first.
You need to be sure.
Now, can you go in there again? [INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS, CHAMBER MUSIC PLAYING.]
Perhaps I was wrong.
I I don't think it's her.
- You were so certain.
- I'm sorry.
I know.
You're not just saying this? It's the stress.
All this, Regina, and that woman's voice.
The accent, it threw me.
I'm sorry.
What would you like to do? Leave.
[TRAIN HORN BLOWS.]
Elizabeth said you had some questions.
How long have I got? Don't tell me it's in God's hands.
I'm in yours for the time being.
I think attitude's got a lot to do with it.
Oh, give me the best number, based on the best attitude, of years.
Months? Weeks? Months.
Will I make Christmas? Darling, I'd like to speak to Jack for a few moments.
Alone.
Would you mind? Of course not.
I'll organize some tea.
Okay, no bull now, Jack.
I want you to tell me what happens at the end.
How bad does it get? Huh? We have drugs that'll make you comfortable.
And we'll manage the pain.
Don't make promises you can't keep.
I need your help.
I've seen men die terrible deaths.
I'm not afraid of that.
But poor Lizzie.
I can't put her through it.
If you're asking what I think you're asking, I I can't.
I took an oath.
Oh, I'm not asking you to be my dispatcher! I just need the wherewithal.
I'm sorry.
Just trust us, hmm? Douglas knows the truth.
Good.
He asked me to hurry things along.
Somewhere along the line you must have given one of your patients a gentle nudge into the beyond.
Of course not.
You have? Doing no harm can also mean alleviating extreme suffering.
So you approve of euthanasia? - In some cases.
- It's a crime.
You've seen people die with lung cancer, Jack.
Douglas will be on high doses of morphine.
His moments of lucidity will be fraught with excruciating pain.
In his final stages, he'll feel like he's drowning.
His organs will start to break down, his family will watch and wait for his last breath, wishing that it would happen sooner so that everyone can be put out of their misery.
It's a cruel and unnecessary end.
We all die, Jack.
And when we die and how we die is out of our hands.
You know, medicine evolves.
Should Douglas die in my care, to reassure you, I'll be ordering an autopsy.
I spoke out of turn earlier.
Duly noted.
If you'll excuse me, I have work to do.
Stop it.
Ohh.
Stop it.
[SOBBING.]
Stop.
- SARAH: Aah! - GERDA: [SPEAKING GERMAN.]
Oh! - Aah! - [SPEAKING GERMAN.]
[BOOTS STOMPING RHYTHMICALLY.]
[DOG SNARLING.]
[BARKING.]
[GASPING.]
[LINE RINGING.]
Sir Richard.
Anna Bligh.
Anna! George yesterday arvo, you this morning.
Never can get enough of the Blighs.
Where've you been hiding away? I haven't seen your pretty face about the past few months.
I've been keeping my head down.
Society's the worse for it.
What can I do for you? I need some legal advice on getting out of a tight contract, and I thought you might be able to help.
Well, you rang the right man.
I'll put you onto my secretary.
She takes care of my diary.
It is rather urgent.
Well, you are keen, aren't you? How about we have lunch? - Today? - Why not? Give Bunny your address, and I'll pick you up about 1:00.
I'll bring my legal eagle with me.
He's a Houdini with watertight contracts.
That would be lovely.
Thank you so much.
Well, don't you worry about it now.
I look forward to seeing you.
Get Miss Bligh's details and cancel all my engagements after lunch.
DAVID: [LAUGHING.]
[BARKS.]
[GUNSHOT.]
GEORGE: It's not too cold out there for him? No, he's rugged up.
He's so happy playing with Douglas's plane, he wouldn't notice the ice age.
[HORN HONKS.]
My driver.
You have the car.
Why don't the three of you go for a bit of a pootle? See what there is to see.
Sorry.
What was that? I was just suggesting you get out of the house.
Pack yourself a picnic lunch and enjoy the sights.
Yes, that's a good idea.
Are you dwelling on last night still? No, of course not.
It was a case of mistaken identity.
I'm relieved, for your sake.
DAVID: Over here! Over here! LEAH: I see you.
George? DAVID: [IMITATES AIRPLANE ENGINE BUZZING.]
David wants to go down to those swings.
Oh, good.
Why don't you take him? Come here, darling.
[LAUGHS.]
You know how much Mummy loves you.
- All right, off you go.
- Come on.
- I'll race you! - You can't catch me! Hilda Schmidt, Rosa Karvan, Rosa Abravenel, Olive Scheinman, Esther van Els, Vera Leduc, Veronica Blumfield.
Colette Charron.
Carmel Dubsky.
Helena Martin, Elise Beauchere.
Lotte Lotte [VEHICLE DOOR SLAMS.]
Right, you.
Out.
You can't just kidnap me.
It's against the law.
So is burning down a man's house, particularly when that man fought for this country.
Yeah, well, you got no proof.
You were seen driving out of town with Stan O'Rourke.
So what? You don't think the cops'll work out where you went? I'd be taking you down there right now if I didn't think there was a good kid in there somewhere.
What are you gonna do, then? Get in.
- G'day.
- G'day.
This lot ought to get you started.
What's this? Place burns down, people chip in.
There's a lot more where this comes from.
I was just gonna send Tommo a letter and let him know and just head off.
Well, it's up to you.
Who's the young fella? Out you get.
Cat got your tongue? Uh, you're getting a new place.
Uh, we're gonna help build it for you.
I reckon you should stay.
Do you? You're that young fella that was at the petrol station with Stan O'Rourke.
Well, Stan can be pretty persuasive.
This lot's not gonna lift itself.
You done this a lot? What, build houses? No, burn 'em down.
Seen a lot of young blokes go to jail for a lot less.
100 over 70, sir.
Is that good? Oh, it's perfect.
As is your heart.
I have a favor to ask, Henry.
Ah.
You know what I'm gonna say? I think I do, yes.
I'm worried about Lizzie.
I mean, it's it's not as if I'm gonna recover, is it? I just want to cut out the best way I can.
And you're not afraid of dying? I think I would be.
Don't think so.
Mind you, I've never died before.
No, it's the getting to the end bit that's the problem.
You know we will do our best to make you comfortable.
You know there'll come a time when I won't be able to tell you, anyone, how I'm feeling.
I want to go before it gets to that.
Just to know I've got something I could take.
You just have to point me to the medicine cabinet.
For what it's worth, Douglas, I agree with you 100%.
If I could help you, I would.
But you can't? One can't ask a person, doctor or not, intentionally to kill another person.
How about unintentionally? [CHUCKLES.]
Just kidding.
[COUGHS.]
We will do our best for you, Douglas.
[TELEPHONE RINGING.]
[DIAL TONE.]
Oh, damn.
[TELEPHONE RINGS.]
I thought we said 11:00 every day.
I'm sorry.
It took longer than I expected to walk here.
Oh, get the ruddy phone on.
I'm on a very long list.
I'll be prompt tomorrow.
I hope the Jew didn't cause any trouble in Canberra.
Well, she hoodwinked Pattie.
The PM wasn't too chirpy.
I gave George an earful.
Now, tell me, what's the good oil on Anna from your end? Anna? I haven't heard anything except she spent time here writing another book.
Why? Oh, so that's it.
Out of the blue she rings me and asks me out to lunch.
Oh.
When? Today.
I hear around the traps I'm just the age she likes her men.
You still there? You're not her type, Dickie.
Oh, once, maybe.
She's turned into a slut.
Just like her mother.
This could cause all sorts of complications.
Well, only if I don't play my cards right.
- I just mean - Oh, what do you care? After the way she treated you? I'll let you know how I go.
[LINE CLICKS, DIAL TONE.]
[TELEPHONE RINGS.]
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS.]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS.]
[BELL DINGS.]
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS.]
GERDA: Slow down, girls.
You'll hurt yourselves.
BETTY: Can we go to the park now, Miss Pierce? AMY: I want to see a movie too.
Can we? Now, come, girls.
You must be good for Miss Pierce.
We've got lots of lovely things to do first.
Perhaps another one of those milkshakes.
First a kiss for Mommy.
Behave yourselves.
Come on.
Can I help you? You're very good.
I'm sorry? You remember me, don't you? No.
Please, you're frightening me.
- Ah! - [SPEAKS GERMAN.]
[DOOR OPENS.]
[DOOR CLOSES.]
[DOOR LOCKS.]
Read it.
Now! Out loud so I can hear.
Hilda S Schmidt.
Rosa Karvan.
Rosa Abravenel.
Olive Scheinman.
Colette Charron.
Elise Beauchere.
Helena Martin.
- Please, what are you doing? - Esther van Els.
Vera Leduc, Veronica Blumfield, Carmel Dubsky.
What have I done to you? You are insane.
Your name is Frieda Neudeck.
You were a guard at Ravensbrück concentration camp from 1944 to 1945.
These are the names of some of the women you killed.
I am I am Gerda Davis.
What do you know of these things? You were there.
You and your dog, Greif.
No, no, you are wrong.
I've had this once before.
You poor thing.
Do you remember little Rosa Karvan? - Greif ripped her throat out.
- There's some confusion.
- You kept our scraps of food - I know what you are thinking.
and you fed them to your dog.
I had nothing to do with the Nazis! You are Frieda Neudeck.
And you know who I am.
I'm going to tell you something.
You must stay calm.
I know the camp.
My family has lived with this since the war.
My sister was a guard at Ravensbrück.
She is the one that you remember.
Yes, Frieda, my older sister.
I've never even told my husband this.
We only knew that she found a job near Berlin.
Then she was killed when the Russians came.
Your story is terrible, but I promise you, I am not her.
My sister is dead.
Her body was sent back to us.
[FOOTSTEPS.]
Oh, no.
- You have to eat something.
- I'm too busy.
I'm making sure we can set this up as a proper hospital room.
And we can.
Now something more cheerful.
We're going to have a party.
Are we? On the 15th of next month.
Thank you.
It's always a big day at the refuge, VP Day.
Victory in the Pacific.
Douglas won't be well enough to go to them, so I'll invite them here.
Last year they dressed up in silly grass skirts.
What do you think? It's a brilliant idea.
We'll do it together.
[KNOCK ON DOOR.]
Someone to see you, Mrs.
Duncan.
Who is it? She's at the front door.
She won't come in.
She looks so different.
Leave it to me.
What the hell are you doing here? I have something important to tell You can't possibly have anything useful to say to any of us, so please go.
I'm trying to help.
If you don't leave this instant, I will have you physically removed.
Mother.
I've been waiting for the right moment to see you.
- Go! - This isn't how I wanted it.
Oh, well, it's how it is.
I'm trying to help.
I'm worried - Now! Get out of here! - Mother.
Mother.
Come inside.
Never come here again! I'm worried for Anna.
Please, I [TELEPHONE RINGING.]
Anna Bligh speaking.
Anna, it's Regina.
Why are you calling me? You're seeing Sir Richard today.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Anna, I know you're seeing him for lunch.
You have to be careful.
- [KNOCK ON DOOR.]
- I have to go.
Don't go.
Please listen.
I'm hanging up now.
Sir Richard means you harm.
Keep pepper to hand.
[LINE CLICKS, DIAL TONE.]
Coming! Anna.
Looking ravishing, as ever.
Oh, Sir Richard.
Ah, weren't you bringing your solicitor? Oh, he's making his own way.
Aren't you gonna invite me in? Oh, yes.
Of course.
We Germans are so ashamed.
But me, my family, it's even worse.
We didn't know.
We didn't know.
Please believe me.
There has been too much death, too much hatred.
You ran.
You escaped before the Russians came.
Why do you Jews never believe us? Why do you think I'm a Jew? We were everything there, not just Jews.
[CLATTERING IN HALLWAY.]
In here! In here! [GASPS.]
Aah! Du dumme Judensau.
See what happens when you do not let go of the past? Oh, the trouble you will be in.
Mind you, I have been expecting one of you.
One we didn't finish off.
And now it's you.
My favorite.
I kept some sugar for you, Sarah.
What do you say? Danke.
I saved your life, you know? The last July the Reichsführer was making a visit.
"No Jews still alive.
" That was the order.
You owe me.
Me, for not sending you to the gassing vans that day.
- Why didn't you? - "Why didn't you, Frau Neudeck?" Why? You weren't a real Jew.
You were an Aryan shaming your race but still an Aryan.
Lass es, du Judensau.
You haven't the guts, Jew.
Judensau.
Coward.
How wrong you are.
I was a Jew then, and I'm a Jew now.
- Here we are.
- Ta.
- You're not having anything? - I'll wait until lunch.
Cheers.
So let me get this straight.
You want to get out of the publishing contract because you, the author, want to cut sections from the book, but your publisher refuses to countenance it.
I know it sounds crazy.
If my journalists had that attitude, I'd have an easier job but a duller one.
[LAUGHS.]
Yes.
Can I ask why? I was far too risqué in parts, and I don't want to embarrass my family like that, especially now Douglas is ill.
What on earth have you written? "Peyton Place"? No! And I don't want it to be.
I think the book's actually helped by the cuts I've made.
Your solicitor's rather late, and I'm famished.
- Oh.
- Might he meet us there? I'll give him five and then I'll ring him.
Of course.
[ICE CUBES CLINKING.]
And this morning's crossword.
Here.
Come sit with me.
Oh, no, you only say that when you're going to tell me something I won't like.
Oh, dear, you are.
It's you.
You I'm worried about, my darling.
My dying.
- Don't say that.
- But I am.
I won't have it drive you to the grave before me.
Oh, Douglas.
Oh, darling.
Please don't think I'm weak.
Heh.
I know you're not.
Neither am I.
There's no easy way to say this.
I want to go at a time of my own choosing.
Absolutely not.
N no.
- Please - No.
Hear me out.
I wouldn't dream of getting you to do anything.
You know that.
It's just At the moment, I've got my marbles.
We can have a laugh.
But that won't last.
Jack and Henry can promise what they like, but the end won't be good.
And getting there'll be even worse.
I'd like to go before then.
On one of our sweet, perfect days.
I will farewell you just as if I were going off to the land of Nod and you will wave me goodbye.
But I don't want you to go.
Oh, nor do I.
But the good Lord has other plans.
[GASPS.]
What's the matter? What is it? [EXHALES SHARPLY.]
Call the nurse, Lizzie.
I've had an accident.
Oh, darling, I'm here.
I can fix it.
No, no.
Get the nurse, Lizzie.
I don't want you to see me like this.
Please.
Please.
[SOBS.]
God.
"With one hand, he held her against the laundry tub and the other bolted the wooden door.
He shoved her hard, bundling her skirt up her back as her tore her slip from her.
" I think that's enough.
Very nice.
Why? You wrote it.
I know, but hearing it read aloud like that, I know I'm right.
Look what it's done to me.
Should we ring your solicitor now? What do we need him for, eh? My God, you're gorgeous.
You really are.
Please, stop it.
Your mother's taught you her tricks, has she? Go all virginal, then moaning at the end.
"He bundled her skirt up her back," eh? "Pulled her panties to the knees.
" You had that page in red for a reason.
Be a little prick teaser.
Mother's girl.
I hear your publisher had a lot more than the rights to your book, hmm? Time to share 'em 'round.
[SOBS.]
You monster.
Oh! Jesus Christ! [GROANING.]
JACK: Here to give us a hand, are you? STAN: No, I'm not.
You sure you don't want to chip in? We could do with a roofer.
Not for a boong, thanks all the same.
- Come on, mate.
- It's just a word.
So, what are you doing here, Buddy Holly? He's helping.
Each to his own.
You know right now I'm keeping you out of jail.
She's clumsy.
Right? You want to stop going on about it.
No, not for wife bashing.
Burning down your neighbor's house.
- STAN: Bullshit.
- We made a mistake.
Got no idea what you're talking about.
Look, if the cops ask, I'm gonna tell them we did it.
Well, front-page news, sunshine Cops don't worry about blackfellas.
He saw your tire tracks.
That proves nothing.
And your footprints.
Who asked you? Two of them.
One in your size, the other one smaller.
Right near where the fire started.
Could be anybody's.
Well, we made plaster casts.
We'll get the cops to check them against your boots, and that'll clear that up.
If I see so much as a scratch on Sheila again, you'll see that charge of arson.
Understood? And if I hear your missus screaming, I'm gonna run across this paddock.
I'm gonna jump the fence.
Oh, piss off.
The lot of youse.
What are you doing out here? Aren't you cold? No.
Where's David? He's in his room with Leah.
What's happened? There's something I need to tell you.
Say it.
"I took the lives of these women and many, many more.
" Say the words.
We were all young.
Following orders.
I I think of them every night in my prayers.
So when you gave birth to your two pretty girls Don't bring them into this, please.
did you remember drowning newborn babies in buckets? Those babies would never have lived.
This is the past.
Your girls will know who you are.
- No.
- Your husband - Please, no.
- will divorce you - You and I can work this out.
- and take them with him.
One day they will know the truth.
I admit.
I admit.
Yes, whatever you say.
Yes, I did it.
"I took the lives of these women and many, many more.
" I took away the lives of these women and many more.
But they don't need to know any of it! It's already under way, I'm afraid.
Did you know that there are small bands of Jews traveling the earth? They call themselves Nokmim.
The Nokmim.
Do you know what it means? - No.
- The Avengers.
Hunting down Nazi murderers in their smug little lives.
I'm not sure when they'll come for you.
But they will.
- Oh! - And that is my gift to you.
[DOOR OPENS.]
There was a woman whose whose last name I can't remember.
Lotte.
She was in the hospital.
She was part of the experiments.
They'd insert glass and wood into her to see what would happen.
Frieda forced her to roll call, and she was in terrible pain.
I saw Lotte look at the electric fence.
Women used to throw themselves at it when they couldn't bear it anymore.
But on this particular day, we'd heard strong rumors that we were to be liberated, so everyone was holding on.
I saw Lotte one minute just walking around in circles.
And the next, she ran.
Frieda shot her before she even made it.
My poor darling.
Frieda Neudeck will be brought to trial.
If an assassin doesn't find her first.
Darling! You've only just gone.
I didn't expect you back for days.
I know.
I just suddenly needed to be here.
I'm glad you are.
What's happened? Hmm? What is it? You have enough to worry about.
Anna, tell me.
Hey, can I ask you something, Mr.
Briggs? Depends on what it is.
Did you, uh, really make them plaster casts? [LAUGHING.]
No! Quick on your feet for an old duffer.
You'll be one yourself one day.
[LAUGHING.]
And I didn't see any footprints, either.
[LAUGHTER.]
But you keep that under your hat.
Oh, you put the wind up him, all right.
Hey, how come you never put the cops on me? If you asked them, they would have.
Well, Tommo, the bloke that owns this place, he gave me a break.
I'm passing it on.
All right.
Every weekend till we're done, then.
Sounds about right.
- Did he hurt you? - No.
No, he, um I gave him a faceful of pepper, and I He He fell to the bottom of the stairs.
But did he - No.
No.
- Anna, please.
Please tell me the truth.
He tried, but I fought him off.
[SIGHS.]
Thank God.
[INHALES SHARPLY.]
Oh, that bastard! - [EXHALES SHARPLY.]
- Mama? He said that he You.
He said Did he? Yes.
ANNA: [EXHALES SHARPLY.]
I still wish he was at the bottom of those stairs with a broken neck.
Yes, so do I.
Regina telephoned to warn me.
I owe her.
She came here earlier today wanting to talk.
We sent her away.
Regina I wanted to thank you.
For warning me.
I didn't think you'd heard.
I almost didn't.
Are you all right? Did as you suggested.
It worked.
Thank God.
I keep trying to tell George.
Sir Richard is out to ruin the family, to wreak havoc on all of you, particularly through your finances somehow.
Go through your accounts with a fine-tooth comb.
Investments, loans, everything.
How do you know? He's hinted at it in his bragging.
It's why I'm keeping close to him.
To try to get details.
The woman you're suspicious of she no longer exists.
After all that has happened.
I want to believe you.
I am different now.
I am.
[ENGINE STARTS.]
There are three accounts on one statement.
Do you know whose money you've actually borrowed? They're private lenders who lend via the Solicitor's Mortgage Fund.
Frederick Stern is completely reputable.
They wouldn't put us in any danger.
Yes, but do they know? We should find out.
That might not be so easy.
Well, it can't hurt to do some searching.
So you're saying there's cause to trust Regina? And not trust him? Yes.
Then dig.
Deep.
Let's make sure we're safe.
ELIZABETH: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
[SIGHS.]
Judgment is yours, I know.
But, dear Lord, how can you judge a man as decent as Douglas? As loving.
As good.
Do not reject him if this is his choice.
I wanted to kill her.
To take justice into your own hands? Yes.
We have an obligation to the dead.
What about the living? I had to choose.
I chose us.
I think I heard an elephant, a real one.
Goodness! You come snuggle in here.
Lotte Geschmay.
Lotte Geschmay.