09x03 - Nun of the Above

[bunniefuu]

(choir sings in foreign language)
(bell dings)

Come along, sisters! Come along!

Ah

Ah ah ah ah

Sister Angelica?

Sister Angelica.

(Grace Marie gasps)

(dark brooding music)

(Mother Superior gasps)

(footsteps shuffle)

Oh no. Oh no!

(dark dramatic music)

(tense bluesy music)

I'm not a religious person, Angelica,

so forgive me for not being able

to honor your untimely passing in the way

which you'd most likely prefer.

Oh. Well, I can do that.

(person speaks indistinctly over radio)

Eternal rest grant unto you, Angelica,

and may perpetual light shine upon you.

(birds chirp)

Amen?

Amen.
Amen.

The rope around her neck
is the same as her belt.

Yeah, it's called a cincture, the belt.

Does that mean someone else is missing one?

Superfluity.
Sorry?

It's the collective noun
for a group of nuns.

I get the feeling this is
not your first superfluity.

No, I was taught by a
group of nuns for a short

but not entirely successful time,

and it wasn't because I
was not the holy terror.

- They.
- I'm so sorry to hear that,

but I can assure you all
nuns are not created equal.

Once again, Mother Superior,
our sincere condolences.

God has called this child home.

She's forever with the angels, but...

And we will do our best to find

whoever sent her there before her time.

And I'll pray your best is good enough.

Let me show you the chapel.

Sister Angelica was on her
way to choir practice when-

I might wait here for Gina.

(soft sad music)

(boots thud)

I was at the front conducting.

Angelica's usually in the back row,

but I didn't notice she was missing

until it was time for her solo, and then...

Who caught side of her outside?

Sister Grace Marie of all people.

She's the most fragile of all my sisters.

I shudder to think how
she'll recover from the shock.

Who was last to enter the chapel?

It's usually Angelica.

Punctuality was her cross the bear,

although, more often than
not, it was us bearing it.

However, on this occasion,

she was not the only one
running late for choir practice.

(bell dings)

Ah, for goodness sake, Eulalia.

Cleanliness is next to
godliness. That's not a joke.

All things should be done decently

and in order and on time, sister.

So you will last to enter the chapel.

Thou shall not k*ll, detective.

You'll understand that we
need to ask these questions

to find out what happened
to Sister Angelica.

Of course, but I am the
keeper of this convent.

These are my sisters, and my
love for them is unconditional.

I would die before I let
any one of them be hurt,

let alone hurt them myself.
Did someone hurt Angelica?

It wasn't one of us.

(soft tense music)

(speaks in foreign language)

The cincture around Angelica's neck,

she was wearing hers around her waist,

so the ligature came from someone else.

We need to talk to everyone in the choir.

If not the whole order.

That is going to be a problem.

(bottle clinks)

The Little Sisters St.
Monica take a vow of silence

when they enter the convent,
broken only for singing,

prayer, and the occasional essential Latin.

Can you make them talk to us?

You of all people should
understand the right

to remain silent.

That's a standard legal principle.

And this is a standard religious one.

If there's anything you need to know,
I can help you find it out.

What are they doing?
Making tinctures and salves

to distribute to those in need.

Such as?

Residents of hospices,
aged care facilities,

and nursing homes mainly,

anywhere where we can
alleviate unnecessary suffering.

Did Angelica work in here?
No.

(soft tense music)
(footsteps shuffle)

Can you think of anyone

that would've had a reason to harm her?

A nunnery is not in the
business of having enemies,

and even if it was, love thy
enemy is what we preach.

Look, police possibly have
a different outlook on that.

Of course. I'm sorry.

I, I know you have a job to do.

My priority now is to
gather my sisters and pray

for the soul of our
dearly departed Angelica.

So please.

We will need a full list of names

of everyone who lives
here as soon as possible.

Ask and you shall receive.

(footsteps shuffle)

Well, it's a start at least.

Hmm. You believe in all of this?

I believe in country
music, my good wine and,

(soft bright choral music)

yeah, but for the grace of
something go many of us.

(soft poignant music)

Lucky, lucky woman.
Gina, she was strangled.

Yeah, but she got to be a nun.

Do you know that after revolution,

nuns were not allowed in Russia?

They had to operate in
secret like angels or spies.

It was my greatest wish to be one.

I cannot imagine that.

But my personality is perfectly suited

to a life of quiet contemplation
and prayer, Kristin.

Right. So no other
obvious signs of a struggle.

Hard to say without further examination,

but it would appear that the victim

has suffered no other obvious injuries.

But see here?

She has clawed just in front,

most likely in attempt
to release the pressure

of the ligature,

scratching to the fabric of
her coif, desperate to breathe,

and the way she was found lying flat

on her back with the noose still in place.

So it's possible she never
even saw her attacker.

You know, I think these
dresses will look much better

if they were shorter and maybe sleeveless.

(gentle pleasant music)

(footsteps shuffle)

Good chats with the boss lady?

If nobody else. It's a silent order.

(Mike speaks in foreign language)

You mean (speaks in foreign language).

Do I?

In silence we live, not in peace.

Of course. You speak Latin.

Still can't play the "Fur Elise" though.

Never mind. (clears throat)

Yeah, according to the mother superior,

Angelica had no enemies.

Well, friends don't strangle friends.

Gina thinks it was a surprise att*ck.

There's no evidence of a struggle,

but she also said that the nuns in Russia
are more like spies,

and the nuns here would
look better in mini skirts, so.

Well, I'm pretty sure
the mother superior

would be having none of that.

Someone had to.

I'm gonna go check out Angelica's room.

(gentle pleasant music)

(clothes rustle)

Something with which you

are clearly familiar.

Hmm, I like the bits about justice.

Is there anywhere else Angelica

could've been keeping her things?

A locker maybe?
We don't really do things.

Oh, then (speaks in
foreign language) as well.

In poverty we live. Yes.

Detective Sims, don't let
whatever holy terror befell you

in the past lead you into looking

for trouble where there isn't any.

It's just something we need to do

in these sorts of situations.

Still, if you're finished here.

Ooh, let me clean that up.
Sorry. Could be evidence.

See myself out.

(soft tense music)

Yo, what's up?
Hi, sorry.

Who am I speaking to?

(line clicks and beeps)

Hello?

Sorry about the
circumstances, Sister Eulalia,

but we need to ask you some questions.

(birds chirp)

Did you notice anything
unusual outside the chapel

as you headed inside the
choir practice this morning?

All the same, if you're unable to speak,

you still need to answer us somehow.

Persecution or is it
evading police inquiries?

You were the last into the chapel

before Angelica was strangled.

(pen scribbles)
(soft tense music)

Grace Marie was?

Psst! Sister Grace Marie.

Come on, Eulalia! Chop chop!

Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah

Great.

I hope you've all brought your best voices.

Let's sing to the rock of our salvation.

You are suggesting Grace
Marie was the last to arrive.

Are you sure?

(birds chirp)

(pen scribbles)

Angelica and Grace Marie were very close.

How close?

(pen scribbles)

(footsteps shuffle)

"I've said too much already."

Sister Eulalia!

Saying too much is not
gonna be a problem here.

You know, for someone who's dyslexic,

she's very good at spelling it.

(soft tense music)
(Car whooshes past)

All right, I've found
three Angelica Perezes

and none of them are deceased.

Okay, that's odd.

What, that there are are three of them

or that they're alive?

That they're Angelica Perezes.

Traditional nuns don't usually
keep their original names.

How does that work?

Well, if I was a modern vesper-riding nun,

I'd be called Sister Kristin Sims,

but if I joined an order like the Monicas,

I'd take the name of the saint

like Sister Michael the Archangel,

patron saint to the police.

So the chances of Angelica Perez

being her real name are how high?

Hold that thought.

(computer keys clack)

Blessed Maria Angelica Perez, born ,

d*ed May , beatified June .

Hmm. So not that high at all.

What other names are on the list?

Eulalia Merida, Gertrude
Helster, Mary Magdalene.

Even I know her.

So the mother superior has
given us their chosen names.

Not helpful.
Well, whoever she is,

the number I found in Angelica's Bible

is for a burner phone.

It's been disconnected since I called.

Forensics are tracing the call,

so we'll find out where he
is or where he was at least.

We have a conflicting
account from Sister Eulalia

about who was lasting of the chapel.

She claims that Sister Grace Marie

was lurking around
outside when she entered,

so it's possible that Grace
Marie strangled Angelica,

but the mother superior claims
that Eulalia was the last in.

And Eulalia suggested that Angelica

and Grace Marie were
more than just friends,

or at least that's what I
think she was suggesting.

So perhaps we have a lover's tiff.

Oh, good luck asking the
mother superior about that.

At least the mother superior checked out.

Born Elizabetha Ahern
in Wellington in .

No record and no social media.
Well, as you'd hope.

But we certainly have
plenty to talk to her about.

(phone vibrates and rings)

Gina.
You know, Mike,

in Russia, nuns are much more traditional.

I'd say dressing head to toe in white

and devoting your life to silent prayer

is about as traditional as it gets.

Yes, but it's not that being
dressed what is so shocking.

It's what you see when she's not.

(tense music)

(soft tense music)

You're right. That is not traditional.

And I have to tell you,

I don't think they are particularly holy.

Is that-
An expletive? Yes.

And it's not the only one.

Well, I guess she didn't
get the memo from Leviticus

about non sizing any marks on your body.

If tattoos are a sin,

then statistically one in
five of us is going to hell.

Hmm.

There's certainly a lot
more to Sister Angelica

than initially meets the eye.

Oh, I have a tattoo,

a copy of one that archeologists identified

on the mummified body
of the Siberian Ice Maiden.

We'll take your word for it, Gina. Thanks.

Anything more you can tell us?

Yes, her tattoos faded
in the thawing process,

but then, (laughs) she was , years old.

About Angelica.
Oh yes, of course.

You see a knot in the belt here?

They are roughly millimeters apart,

which corresponds very clearly

with the bruising here
on the victim's neck.

(soft tense music)

What this tells us is
that the cincture went

around her neck, was quickly tightened,

and did not move
laterally until she was dead.

So you were right when you guessed

that she never saw her attacker.

I'm always right, Kristin.

And she didn't have time to fight them off.

No. Her death was at
least mercifully quick.

(soft downbeat music)

The Little Sisters St. Monica.

Yes, it's not my own
particular brand of faith,

but I do know of them, even though,

until recently, they kept
pretty much to themselves.

Until recently?

Well, they've been here about years,

I think, doing good works
mainly at Sunset Manor.

Retirement village.
Yes,

and although I'm not one to gossip,

we're all God's creatures, great and small,

there was talk of them being involved

in some unpleasantness there a while back.

Of what nature?
Don't know the details,

but the sisters subsequently switched

to providing musical entertainment

at the bowling club instead.

One mention on Facebook
that the Monicas were coming,

and I was right off
the Christmas card list.

Brimstone being an archaic
term synonymous with sulfur,

evoking the acrid odor of sulfur dioxide.

The nuns are here!

Crikey.
Thank goodness.

(people chatter indistinctly)
(footsteps shuffle)

Well, hang on.

I was just getting to the part
about Sodom and Gomorrah.

Did they have to book the
jolly nuns for the same day?

Any idea what the unpleasantness was

with the retirement village?
No, but I'll tell you this.

No one fell asleep for the choir.

In fact, the crowd got quite lively.

Hey. just give 'em some space.
Who d*ed and made you pope?

There's a story I know

We all live and let go

There is nothing to hold us

In a moment of time when the fruits becomes

She sounds like an angel.

Although, technically,

angel's from the Greek word
Angelas are bodiless messengers.

Sh!

Not singers.
Sh!

Maybe tomorrow

So would you say this particular bowler

was fixated on Sister Angelica?

Ernie Guthrie. Fixated might be pushing it.

If anything, it was the van driver

who seemed to capture his attention.

Your reputation precedes you.

(Angelica speaks in foreign language)

I'll see ya next time.
I've been looking for you!

Ready to take the green, my love?

Don't you "my love" me.
I dunno what he was up to,

but there was more than a
whiff of skullduggery about it.

You think his wife thought so, too?

Marina's a staunch member of my flock.

To be honest, I thought Ernie was, too,

but those nuns seemed to
have quite turned his head.

(footsteps shuffle)
(soft tense music)

No thank you,

although I liked the
musical "Book of Mormons."

Very funny.
Marina Guthrie, is it?

Yes.
DC Chalmers, Brokenwood CIB.

I'm looking for your husband Ernie.

He's been disappearing for hours at a time,

and when he is here,
he's off in a dream world.

Was he home late yesterday morning?

I don't know.

I was supposed to meet
him at the geriatricians just

to check his marbles, but he never showed.

So you don't know where he was?

I could not get a straight
story out of the great plonker.

Did any of your nuns have tattoos?

Well, as far as I knew,

they didn't even have
arms or legs, just hands,

which they used to t*rture the knuckles

of young girls trying to learn the piano.

Ah, the "Fur Elise" that never was.

Sister Raymond kept a box of tissues

and a steel-edged
ruler on top of the piano,

and even as a year old, I
could work out what that meant.

Your first detective work.
Yes, but when confronted

with her use of the steel
edged ruler, she denied it,

thus flouting any slavish commitment

of the ninth commandment.

- Thou shalt not
- Lie.

(soft tense music)
(door opens)

As it happens,
tattoos are not an impediment

to taking holy orders.

Did you know Angelica had them?

Modesty prevails, Detective Sims.

In case you hadn't noticed,
we're not exactly running around

in midriff hops and hot pants.

How long had Angelica been here?

About eight years.

And before you ask me anything
about where she came from,

all you have to do to be welcomed

into the Little Sisters St.
Monica is give yourself to God

and the greater good.

Everything else stays in the past.

Including the nuns' real names?

Little sisters choose their
own monikers, no pun intended,

when they choose their new lives.

It's nothing new.

In fact, it's been that way
since the Middle Ages.

Well, that may be the case,

but policing has moved on since then.

We are legally required
to identify Angelica

and notify her next of kin.
We are her next of kin.

Well, she must have other family

who'd want to be notified.
If she did,

I would know about it.
Regardless of that,

we're gonna need a list
of the nuns' real names.

I don't see the relevance.

With all due respect,
that's up to us to decide.

(soft tense music)

I will see to it. Now if that's all.

Not quite.

Before we go any further,

Sister Eulalia claims
that it was Grace Marie

who was last one in the chapel.

Eulalia!

And on time, sister.

(soft tense music)
Ah ah ah ah

(bell clangs)
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah

Is there any possibility that Angelica

and Grace Marie were
more than just friends?

Of course they were friends,

but if you're suggesting anything improper-

To be fair, it was Eulalia
that was suggesting it.

Sister Eulalia would seem

to be clocking up the abominations.

And all caused by one deadly sin, envy.

Ooh, she couldn't really understand it

But now I know that he demands it

Thank you, Eulalia! Great
enthusiasm, good effort.

Grace Marie,

can you show us your more
perhaps nuanced version?

(soft tense music)

A gift like your sister,

you honor a nobody
by keeping it to yourself.

Angelica had the voice of an angel,

but Grace Marie is in
another realm entirely,

although she is sadly
reluctant to sing in public

despite her greatest encouragement.

And I'm sorry to report
that Eulalia finds it difficult

to appreciate her
sister's God-given talent.

So Eulalia lied to get
Grace Marie in trouble.

Eulalia's knees will be quite worn out

by the time she's finished
praying for forgiveness.

Could it be that Eulalia att*cked Angelica?

This is not an inside job.

But did you actually see
Eulalia enter the chapel?

You are testing my patience.

Come on, Eulalia! Chop chop!

Ah ah ah ah ah ah
(soft tense music)

Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah

Ee ee ee ee ee ee ee

Ee ee ee ee ee

Eulalia is tricky, but
she's not a m*rder*r.

Look, were it Grace Marie,

and I can't believe I'm even saying this,

but were it dear Grace Marie
who had gone to meet our maker,

I might've, in the circumstances,
had a sliver of doubt,

but, God help me, only a sliver,

and in this case, I absolutely do not.

We'll still need to talk to Eulalia again.

I can see my word is not good enough

for the Brokenwood CIB.
Just doing our job.

Oh ye of little faith.

(soft tense music)

You go. I just need to take a look outside.

(hammer bangs)

Todd!
Whoa! Whoa!

Thought I spotted you out here.

Geez, you nearly gave me a heart att*ck.

Fall at any minutes.
You work here now.

Been doing odd jobs
since I lost my farm gig.

You like it here?
I do. (laughs)

I feel closer to a higher being.

Then again, maybe it's the ladder.

It's just the the quiet that creeps me out.

Can you imagine not talking
or talking in a funny language

that sounds like Ewokese?

Hey Todd, would you mind
coming down here for a second?

I've just got a few questions for ya.

Ah, yeah.

So did you know Sister Angelica?

The one who got?
Yeah. Yes.

Well, no. I mean, yes.

I saw this thing with her and
a dude in a Hendrix t-shirt.

What thing?

I was fixing the balustrade
up on the balcony,

and I saw Sister Angelica
deal to some scungy Pakeha.

So you just expect me to
go out there and rustle up?

Oh!

You're sure about that?
Yep.

Right in the family jewels.

(grunts)

Did you recognize this guy?

No, but I bet he's still walking funny.

So when was this?
About three weeks ago?

And you are sure you've
never seen this guy before

and it was definitely Sister Angelica?

Well, yeah. She was small but staunch.

Okay, thanks, Todd. You
have been very helpful.

(speaks indistinctly)

Oh, you should ask the
other nun about the dude.

She might know something.

What other nun?

The tall one.

(drill whirs)
(soft tense music)

(man grunts)
(footsteps shuffle)

(basket rustles)

And exactly how tall was this nun?

Like Detective Chalmers
but not so muscly, I don't think.

It's hard to say what's
under those freaky cloaks.

It's not right to think.

And this all happened in silence?

Apart from the dudes, I think so, yeah.

Well, the sisters aren't
allowed to talk, remember?

They're just duking it out. Nun Z. (laughs)

(Kristin speaks in foreign language)

Yeah! That's what the Ewoks say.

(soft twangy music)
(Kristin chuckles)

(door opens)

Bless me, mother, for I have sinned.

To be discussed. Open a window, Eulalia.

It's beyond stuffy in here.

Here. Oh, let me help.

(soft tense music)
(latches rattle)

Ah. You've done yourself an injury, I see.

The result of a burn,
grabbing a scalding pot handle

in the kitchen in a moment of haste.

Eulalia has a lot of
faults. Impatience is one.

Regardless, with those injuries,

she couldn't possibly have
committed that act on Angelica.

Ah, thanks for the tip.

Did you witness the accident?
I did not. Others did.

I did hear the scream

and the unholy utterances that followed.

(hands sizzle)
(pot clangs)

(speaks in foreign language) Holy f*ck!

A most painful event in many ways.

I'm sure. I'd like to talk to Grace Marie.

That I absolutely forbid.

She's in mourning for her
friend and simply not up for it.

You'll let me know as soon as she is.

Please, detective.

I am charged with
protecting these good women.

I've already let Angelica down
almost more than I can bear.

Can you not just leave us alone?

(tense brooding music)

(gentle pleasant music)
(birds chirp)

Thanks, Gina.

Gina's looking into
Angelica's dental records,

but apparently, you
can't rush that hedgehog.

And Mother Superior

is putting together a list of real names.

Somewhat reluctantly, it has to be said.

What did Riven Grain have to say?

That the nuns have been around for awhile

and the choir is very popular
now at the bowling club,

but something went wrong
earlier at the retirement village.

I was just on my way to check it out.

But do these seem like normal nuns to you?

(laughs) Well, according
to convent handyman

and our friend Todd Taylor
who witnessed one nun

kneeing a scungy Pakeha in the groin

and pushing another nun to the ground.

So no, definitely not.

So is that something you'd
expect at The Frog & Cheetah,

not a nunnery.

We've confirmed that Eulalia
was the last into the chapel,

but she's injured her
hand, so it'd be difficult,

if not impossible, for
her to strangle someone.

Ernie Guthrie,

according to the reverend
and his wife has been acting

outta character ever since
the choir started singing

at the bowling club.

Now his wife can't say where
he was yesterday morning or,

in fact, where is right now,

so we'll need to question him.

I'm wondering if this is
the nun Angelica pushed

to the ground.

Perhaps she knows something
about this scungy male.

The tall one sounds like the one

that drives the choir van.

Right then. Let's see
if she's none the wiser.

(soft bluesy guitar music)
(Kristin laughs)

Yeah, that's quite good.

What? So it's all right when he does it?

Sister Stella and a
man here at the convent?

No, no, no, no. That that can't be right.

It's not that men aren't welcome here,

it's just that there's no
reason for them to come.

This, this can't be true.

All the same, we'd like
to talk to Sister Stella.

(soft tense music)

We have an eyewitness who saw Angelica

and you with a man in the garden and says

that there was some sort of altercation.

(chalk taps)

Our witness says that Angelica
pushed you and you fell.

(board clatters)
(cloth swipes)

(chalk taps)

It was an accident. So
there was no altercation.

(cloth swipes)

(chalk taps)

"Different ideas about horticulture."

"Me chem fertilizer versus her organic."

Okay, so you argued about gardening.

(Stella sighs)
(cloth swipes)

(chalk taps)

You weren't at choir
practice yesterday morning,

Sister Stella.
(sighs) This is ridiculous.

I'm getting writer's cramp!

Forgive me Lord, for what I'm about to say

and the fact I am actually saying it.

It's good to hear it.
I'm banned from the choir

because I apparently have
a voice like a donkey in labor.

Well, if you weren't at
practice, where were you?

Look, Angelica and me,
we had our ups and downs,

but we were mates, and I
was nowhere near the chapel

when she left this mortal coil.

I was on gardening duty.

Now I'd like to go and pray for my sins

if it's all the same to you.

Oh, the belt. What do the knots mean?

One for every year of unblemished service.

(soft tense music)
(footsteps shuffle)

This one has five knots.

So whoever it belonged to
had five unblemished years

at the convent.

And Sister Angelica could only manage two.

And she'd been there eight,

so that's six years with blemishes.

I found something else on the cincture,

traces of garden fertilizer.

So the offender could have
been working in horticulture?

Among other things, yes.

Hmm.

Tell me, we know the
approximate time of death

and that it was swift,
but how swift exactly?

The oxygen levels in her lungs

at the time of death
indicate a little bit more

than two minutes.

This person, they knew
what they were doing,

and they were strong.
A less strong person?

They would take at least five minutes.

Also, there will be
more signs of a struggle.

She tried to claw away the cincture,

but she did not have time to wrestle

with her attacker before
she lost consciousness.

Any indication how tall
the attacker might've been?

Actually, yes.

See here how these are at an angle

that goes up from her throat,

behind her ears, to the back of her head?

This indicates the attacker was taller.

Were they shorter, the
marks would angle down.

Hmm. Thanks, Gina.

(soft tense music)

Sims, Gina thinks it's
likely that the offender

is taller than the victim.

Well, Stella's on the taller side.

I'm in her room now,
not there's much to see.

And there are traces of
fertilizer on the cincture.

Have a look at them while you're there.

Organic versus chemical. Yeah, will do.

(soft choral music)
(footsteps shuffle)

(glove snaps)

(heavy metal music)

(gentle pleasant music)

(bags rustle)

Angelica obviously won that battle.

(fertilizer clatters)

(item rattles)
(soft tense music)

(bottom slides)

(item clatters)

Hallelujah.

(soft music)

No one wanted the nuns'
choir when I first suggested it,

but after the first visit, crowd went wild,

and they're not that sort of crowd.

Left the Benny Hillary runs
in the dust, let me tell you.

So what went wrong?

(sighs) It's not a
police matter, detective.

Homicide of one of the choir singers is.

Sister Angelica. Yes, I
heard, and I'm really sorry.

Actually, it was she at the
heart of the unpleasantness,

a hastened word through
no fault of her own,

and our ex-employee developed
a rather unnatural attachment.

(leaves rustle)

Hey! Who's that?

(device thwacks)
(leaves rustle)

(person screams)

The hell do you think you're doing?

(Angelica speaks in foreign language)

"The devil finds work for
idle hands." I Googled that.

Do you know what this work was?

Let's not go there, detective.

I certainly didn't want to,

and neither did the mother superior,

when I asked if there'd be a bother,

any sort of bother, as a result.

If you were to press charges,

it would reflect very
poorly on the village.

That's the last thing anyone wants,

and Sister Angelica insist she
is, thank heavens, unharmed.

Tell me, the perpetrator
of this impropriety.

The orderly. Fired on the spot.

Good, but all the same,

I think it best the choir moves on.

(soft downbeat music)

It's a shame, really,
'cause the singing seemed

to really help the residents sleep better,

even if, and once again,
it's not a police matter,

there was some unscheduled
removal of clothing afterwards.

Any idea where I can find the orderly?

Yeah, I have his address
on record, I'm sure.

He's terrible at his job

but oddly popular with the residents.

(soft twangy music)

Dean Badgley, former
employee at the Sunset Manor,

sacked for fraternizing
was Sister Angelica.

No longer living his Brokenwood
Heights address on record,

so current whereabouts unknown.

Our scungy Pakeha.

Hmm, fraternizing. What
does that mean exactly?

Details remain sketchy,

but it's why the choir switched

from the retirement
village to the bowling club,

and your friend in the
gray veil knew about it.

Found in a statue of the Virgin Mary,

which is not a sin, but it is odd.

I also found a bag of fertilizer
in the nun's garden shed,

which I've sent to Gina for
analysis just in case it matches

what she found on the cincture.

Organic, according to the packaging,

so Angelica got her way
over Stella with that one.

But is a disagreement over
plant food a motive for m*rder?

Well, when you think
about how twitchy people get

when you don't recycle.

Dean Badgley, on the other hand.

Yeah, if Angelica caused him to get fired,

he'd at the very least have a grudge.

(soft tense music)

I'll look into it.

The nuns here are not allowed phones.

The aim is to keep the
outside world at bay.

But you called us when Angelica was found.

Yes, there's a landline.
It's for emergencies only.

Mobile phones are an unnecessary evil

and will not be tolerated.

So you don't know who it belongs to.

That you found it is a source
of great disappointment,

but I am a spiritual
leader, not a prison warden.

I don't do cavity searches.

Forensics will be able to unlock the phone

and tell us more, but it would be helpful

if you were to be more forthcoming.

I want to find the truth
about Sister Angelica just

as much as you do.

Yet you didn't think
the incident between her

and the retirement village
orderly was worth mentioning.

I, no, I didn't.

She swore no harm was done,
and, of course I believed her.

Oh, you don't think that
he? (sighs) Angelica.

It's too early to jump to any conclusions.

(water pours)

Getting back to the cincture,

I see that all the nuns have a spare habit

in their wardrobe but only one belt.

We, we make them ourselves.
That's very time consuming.

That's why there's just one per nun.

Does each nun still have one?

Well, they're not called habits

because you can pick or choose.

There are rules here,

and they must be obeyed or
there will be consequences.

Now why are you here instead
about looking for this man?

I would not want piano
lessons from that woman.

Well, the good news is
you can learn the "Fur Elise"

on YouTube without crying.

Excuse me. Sister Stella?

(footsteps shuffle)
(soft upbeat music)

Your department, I believe.
Oh my God. Hey!

(bodies thud)

Well, what do you think?
Let me guess.

You've done something to your hair.

Nah.
You bought a new shirt.

No, I never buy any clothes.

Wait, I know. Coffee cart is different.

Only completely, from the ground up.

What's wrong with the old one?

Oh, you know, it got nicked.

Yeah, but we got it back for you.

Yeah, big ups for that,
but it was never the same.

You know, I felt violated,
so I built this new one.

Wow, that's impressive,
Frodo. Congratulations.

I'll take a chocolate muffin to celebrate.

No you won't. Ernie's cleaned me out again.

Most of the old dudes
stick to the brand muffins.

Do you, you want a bran muffin?

I'll just have the coffee, Frodo.

Ernie Guthrie, DC Chalmers, Brokenwood CIB.

You. What are you doing harassing my wife?

Now you're following me around.

I'm just here for the chocolate muffins.

Are they the secret you're
keeping from Mrs. Guthrie?

(soft tense music)

Who says I've got a secret?
She says I've got a secret?

She says you're a hard
man to find at times.

Oh. Always somewhere.

And would that somewhere be

at the Little Sisters St. Monica
convent yesterday morning?

The convent?
Yes, where the nuns live.

I hear you're a big fan.
I like the singing.

(soft tense music)

Is there anything else you like?

Say, one nun in particular?

You're trying to trick me
into saying something.

What do I want you to say, Ernie?

Ah! You see?
Not entirely.

So let's try an easier one.

If you weren't at the
convent yesterday morning,

where were you?
I was...

Well, if it comes back
to you, you let me know.

It's important.

Care to unlock it?

(finger taps)

Sister Stella, you could
do yourself a favor right now

and starting a little bit more cooperative

'cause currently, you are in the hot seat.

Why?
You admit to having

an altercation with Sister Angelica,

but you can't tell us where
you were when she d*ed.

Plus you just tried to do a runner.

Look, I do not always
get on with with Angelica,

but in no way did I strangle
her, and I can prove it.

Oh good. We like proof.

(electronic beeps trill)

What can I say? It's my guilty pleasure.

This is what you were doing
when Angelica was k*lled?

Check the statistics.

(phone trills)

You played it for this many hours?

Yes, but please don't rat
me up to the mother superior.

She's already caught me once.

The Mother Superior already
knows about the phone?

(soft tense music)

Dean Badgley, the man
on the Jimi Hendrix t-shirt,

what was he doing there
the day our witness saw you?

There was no man.

(soft upbeat music)
(person giggles)

Thank you, officers.
I really appreciate it.

Excuse me.

I did not think police
resources stretched to this,

but then again, she is our
third streaker in as many weeks.

I'm not here about
that, but three streakers?

Yeah, things you can't
unsee. They get stuck in there.

I'm Jonah, new greensman come barning

come jack of all trades around here.

How can I help?
Were you here

when the Little Sisters
St. Monica Choir performed

about a month ago?
Yes. I had just arrived.

Not your usual bowling club fare,

but the vicar, he was a real yawn.

So you didn't notice anything unusual?

Unusual, no, although
it is quite a small choir,

and it's even smaller after
the tragic loss of Sister...

Angelica. So you remember her.

To be honest, they're all peas in a pod,

although, this has nothing
to do with the choir per se,

but we did have our first
nudie bowl the very next day.

(soft upbeat music)
(water sprays)

Put 'em away!

What are you doing?
You're gonna blow my cover!

Come on, ya idiot!

Oy! The hell are you doing here?

(soft tense music)
(Mr. Fletcher laughs)

Bloody hell!

Mr. Fletcher, don't you drop the pants!

This guy in the Jimi Hendrix
shirt, you seen him before?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, no,

dodgy-looking bloke and not a bowler.

I dunno what he was doing
here. I'd sprung him once before,

the first day when the
nuns were singing here.

(choir sings in background)
(soft tense music)

What are you doing in there?
None of your business.

You're stealing from nuns.

(audience applauds in background)

Nuns don't have anything to steal.

You didn't call the police?

Yeah, I know I probably should've,

but I was new to the job and all that,

and I called them today.

Well, you'll let me know
if you see him again?

Too right.

You knew about Sister
Stella's phone and you lied.

I said the finding of the phone

was a great disappointment,

a venial sin for which I have
already asked for forgiveness.

It's very convenient how you

can magically conjure up forgiveness.

Look, I found Sister
Stella playing a silly game

on her phone.

She told me she'd gotten
rid of the wretched thing,

and I believed her.

If you've got anything else to tell me,

now would be a good time.

(soft tense music)

(upbeat punk rock music)
(Gina speaks indistinctly)

Gina.

Moon me till my eyes are black.

(music clicks off)

Did you just say, "Moon
me till my eyes are black"?

Yes, but, you know, this
is not physically possible.

Mm-hmm.

You said you discovered
something about Angelica's tattoos?

Yes.

It's all tied up together.

They're all lyrics from
songs by The Brides of Christ.

What, the grunge band from Invercargill?

Do you like grunge?

No, I had a boyfriend once who...

Never mind.

They were a thing in the early s

but not what as I
would've thought with nuns.

"Bleep yourself to Bleepville."

Actually, think I've heard this one.

This one here, Ink Dz.

Maybe if you hum it, Inkdz.

No, I, I don't think it's a song lyric.

I think it's the name of the tattoo artist.

(soft tense music)
(keys jingle)

(tense music)

(footsteps shuffle)

(gasps) Bollocks!

Sister Grace Marie.
Oh, oh God.

Oh no, no, that's worse. I'm so sorry.

It's all right, I,

I'm sure some of our house
are meant to be broken.

(gasps) Get away from me! Get away!

(tense music)

I'm Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd

with Brokenwood CIB.

I'm investigating the
m*rder of Sister Angelica.

(apples thud)

She was my friend.

And we're doing everything we can

to find out what happened to her.

I, I would never hurt anyone, never, ever,

no matter what, and
especially not Angelica.

I'm not here to hurt you, Grace Marie,

but I would like to ask
you about your cincture.

It's not regulation, I, I know,

and I saw what was around her
neck, but you must believe me,

I, I would never harm a single
precious hair on her head.

(soft tense music)
(dog barks)

It was a silly accident.

I was distracted when I was cooking.

(liquid drips)

I managed to clean it, but
I knew I couldn't get it dry

in time before choir practice.

(bell dings)

Come along!

(footsteps shuffle)

Sister Angelica.

(Grace Marie gasps)
(tense brooding music)

I was in the choir. I
wouldn't, I, I couldn't...

She was my dearest friend,

and I of all people
know what it's like to...

(tense music)

(footsteps shuffle)

(upbeat punk rock music)

To what do I owe this horror?

Oh come on. It's The Brides of Christ.

You know, cult grunge band.

What, you didn't rock out
to some Brides of Christ

in your younger days?
Strangely, no.

Why are we listening to them?

Because the lyrics are tattooed all

over Angelica's body by
an artist known as Ink Dz,

last herd of in Queenstown.

I'm following up.

My ears are still ringing from talking

to Sister Grace Marie.

As in talking talking?
Hmm.

It was her cincture that was
used to strangle Angelica,

taken from the clothesline

after Grace Marie headed to the chapel.

So is she a nun of interest?

Mother Superior knew about Stella's phone,

so she has been less than
forthcoming with the truth,

but neither her nor Grace
Marie took the cincture

from the clothesline because
Angelica arrived after them.

Unless they're covering for each other.

Because of Elia's false witness,

it's hard to get a clear picture.

Or it's none of the above.

(soft tense music)

In other news, I think Eulalia

might be a sly (speaks indistinctly).

Ooh! Holy water it ain't.
Which might explain why she

doesn't have any knots on her cincture.

Well I found Ernie Guthrie,

although he can't remember where he was

at the time of Angelica's death.

Could be his memory,

but our scungy Pakeha
has been making a nuisance

of himself at the bowling club.

According to the manager, Jonah Fitzmartin,

he is an accessory to a
near streaking incident,

of which there have been a few.

Wow.
And he was allegedly seen

snooping around the nuns' van, too.

Okay, but just going back to the streaking.

Gina.

I've missed something but not entirely

because I'm here now to tell you about it.

To begin with, the tattoos.

They were quite a distraction.

You see here and here and between her toes?

Almost invisible to the
naked eye. Tiny scars.

This got me taking another
look elsewhere on the body.

They were disguised by tattoos,

but under the microscope,
there's no hiding it.

Needle marks.
Yes.

At some point in her life,

sister Angelica was an
intravenous drug user,

and then there's this,
the toxicology report.

At the time of her
death, testing reveals she

had the phytocannabinoid
tetrahydrocannabinol in her system.

TCH.
Correct.

She was smoking cannabis.

Within past days, it had
entered her system, yes,

although it's hard to
say when and how much.

THC levels are unpredictable postmortem,

and hers were quite high.
Wow.

Is there anything these nuns don't do?

(soft upbeat music)

Like what you've done with the place.

Thanks.

Sometimes in life you just
gotta get a makeover, you know?

Guess I'd feel the same
way if I've got a perm.

You're not thinking about
getting a perm, are you?

No. (laughs)
Oh. (laughs)

Do you think I should?

No.
No.

Hey, sorry to hear

about that whole blessed holy Mary mother

of sister nun thing, eh?
Indeed, Frodo. Thank you.

Yeah, nuns don't drink coffee.

The tall one liked a lot of orange juice,

and the tattooed one,
she likes a decaf mocha,

extra sprinkles.
The tattooed one?

Yeah, she was here the other day

with her drug cook boyfriend.

Sweet!
The mocha?

No, the ink.
Oh. They're stick on.

Stella, what does the Munta want?

New T-shirt?
Bless her.

She has such a sense of humor.

She actually said that to you out loud?

Yeah. She called him Munta.

That's what my girlfriends
always called me, Muntie.

It's a, it's a term of endearment, I think.

Flat white and detective Shepherd special.

Thanks. Extra sugar?

Surely you are sweet enough as it is.

Stop it, you. (laughs)

Woo hoo!

Are you kidding me?

Did you tell her we were gonna be here?

No. She must have some
kind of homing device.

Does she know about your
ex-wife who isn't quite so ex yet?

I'm keeping it on a need to know basis.

Mrs. Baker.
Hello.

Oh, Beth! Back from Aussie, I see.

Did you have a lovely time?

Oh, you know, just the usual,

caught up with the family

and threw in some crocodile
wrestling for good measure.

Crikey. (laughs)
Oh, she's a brave one.

I have got two words for you,

and you are going to love them both.

Are they no and thanks?

(laughs) Isn't he hilarious?

No. Are you ready?

Well, Mike might not
be, but I am, so please.

Edible sequins.

On the dress?
Oh no, Beth.

Well, that would work, but
on the cake, on the cake.

Sorry to interrupt you.

So you're the big cheese
at the police station,

is that right?
Oh, cheesecake.

That would work, too.

Sorry, would, would
edible sequins work on that?

Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd.

How can I help you?
Jonah,

manager at the bowling club.

I was just wondering if
you're getting anywhere

with the choir singer case.

The bowlers can't stop talking about it.

Are they saying anything I need to hear?

No. Mainly, they're just gutted.

They're worried the choir won't return.

They love that choir.

Well, you can tell them
we're making progress

with the inquiry.
Right, thanks.

Well, keep up the good
work. Sorry to interrupt you.

Oh, no problem at all.

Tell me, Jonah, when did you get married?

Oh, that was a long time ago now.

Best day of my life.
Ah. What made it so special?

The woman I vowed to
spend my entire life with.

(gentle pleasant music)

Once you get a good one,
you don't ever let her go.

We like you, Jonah. (laughs)

Oh, I better be heading back.

Oh.

Nice to see you, Mrs. Baker.

This list is as useless as the last list.

Mary Tyler Mitten, Jane Fondette.

Well it's not entirely
surprising that a bunch

of pot-smoking nuns
would wanna go incognito.

Well, as far as we know,
there's only one pot smoker,

and I don't want to generalize,

but the mother superior
doesn't strike me as a stoner.

And Eulalia prefers vodka.
Hmm. Sister Stella?

Knock knock.

Todd. How can we help?

Yeah, I've got something to tell you,

which I probably shouldn't.

In fact, I definitely shouldn't

because there's two sides to every story,

after all, and sometimes three.

Spit it out, Todd.

So the thing is I just popped

into The Snake & Tiger before.

I just used the (speaks
in foreign language).

A good handyman never drinks on the job,

even when it's really, really hot

and there's a lot of like
alta wine everywhere,

not to mention holy water,
and I did try that once,

but I'm pretty sure it gave me the squirts.

That's what you wanted to tell us?

Nah.

That guy, the one sister
Angelica kneed in the nuts,

he was there.

(soft twangy music)
(urine trickles)

(soft tense music)
(door opens)

Yo, what's up?

Nothing. I don't personally
indulge myself anymore.

It was just that one time, and
no one remembers that, eh?

(laughs) But yeah,

that was the thing I
wanted to tell you about,

the dude I saw at the convent

that I probably shouldn't tell you about.

Thanks, Todd. You've been very helpful.

Shall we?

Do you have to assume every two bit crim

in Brokenwood ends up
at The Snake & Tiger?

So you haven't seen him?
I'm no narc.

He's over there, playing darts.

(upbeat music plays on radio)
(people chatter indistinctly)

(dart thwacks)

Dean Badgley.
And you are?

(Dean cries out)
(footsteps shuffle)

Ha! Ah ha!

(Dean whimpers)
(footsteps shuffle)

Don't look at me. I've
already tackled a nun today.

(footsteps shuffle)

So is there anything you
can tell me about this guy?

Drinks creme de menthe and lemonade,

and he left his bag behind.

(soft music)

(bag thuds)

(footsteps shuffle)

(birds chirp)

(footsteps shuffle)

Put the pool cue down!
You're harassing me!

You, you don't even know

what we wanna talk to you about.

I don't wanna know!

(upbeat twangy music)

Ah! Stop!

Don't.

(cue clatters)

Looking for something?

(bag thuds)

We also have your name, your new address,

and about grams of cannabis.

Resisting arrest,
possession of a class C drug.

Coming with us.

But I was not in possession
at the time of the resistance.

Well, we can work out the finer details

back at the station.

(door opens)

Hey, Dean. What's up?

Mum.

What's that about?
Don't ask me.

(footsteps shuffle)
(door slams)

I dunno anything about no
nuns, especially the dead one.

I'm a Buddhist. We can't
even k*ll cockroaches.

We have a witness
placing you at the convent

with Sister Angelica
not long before she d*ed.

Wasn't there.

Well, here's a simpler question.

Where were you yesterday
morning between and ?

Hmm, I was-

We know you knew her, you
continue to evade questioning,

and you can't tell us what you

were were doing when she d*ed.
I was, I was gardening.

(bright cheery music)

Gardening?
A side hustle, you know?

You've been seen twice
in what could be construed

as separate violent altercations,

one with a woman who
is now dead and another

with a streaker from the bowling club.

Hey, that was just bad
timing. I'm a businessman.

(soft tense music)

Come on, guys, I'm a good Christian,
communing with the holy sisters.

Thought you were a
Buddhist who didn't know them.

What were you looking for in the nuns' van

when they first performed?
No, no, no.

I didn't go anywhere near
their van. Why would I?

You tell us.

Hey, you know, I did go near their van.

(door thuds)
(footsteps shuffle)

What are you doing here?

Me? You're the one trespassing.

You're a member of this bowling club.

Have you joined the convent?

Get outta here before I call the cops.

You're a load of scum!

So you found him in the van?
Why? What did he say?

Now you guys are really freaking me out.

Do I need a lawyer or what?
You're free to go,

but I don't want to hear your left town.

(soft tense music)

I checked out Jonah
Fitzmartin from the bowling club.

No record, no trouble,

doing a great job by all accounts.

Tightwad Tuesday is
apparently the hit of the century.

So Dean was lying about
Jonah being in the van.

Looks that way.

We know Dean was in possession of cannabis

and that Angelica had in her system

and that they did know each other.

A drug deal gone wrong?
Good afternoon.

So do we have a match?
No.

The nun's fertilizer, it's organic,

but traces on the cincture are chemical.

Chemical is cheaper, right?
And more common.

But that's not all I found.

There were also traces on the tassel

from the nightshade group, tomatoes.

Ah, the soup.

Grace Marie was telling the truth

about her belt dipping in it.

But the strangler who
took it off the clothesline

didn't work in the common garden.

But they did work in a garden.

Interesting forensics
on Sister Stella's phone.

Was only one number in the call history,

which pinged off a cell
tower in Brokenwood Heights.

Last known address for Dean Badgley.

With a pot planting side hustle.

(soft tense music)
(footsteps shuffle)

(knock thuds)
(door opens)

Yo, what's up?

Is this your side hustle?
Yeah.

I'll be back into it once
you lot stop pestering me.

Tell me, Dean, do you use fertilizer?

What if I do?

Perhaps you would
prefer that we got a warrant

to search your property.
A warrant?

On what grounds?
I'll make the call.

Look, can't we just, I
don't know, cut a deal?

There are no deals.

There's just a dead nun
with a connection to you,

a possible grudge, and no witnesses

to confirm that you were anywhere other

than strangling Angelica yesterday morning.

All right, all right. There are witnesses.

So that's just the gummy bears, yeah?

You want chill out cheddar
time or big time party time?

Party time.
Duh.

And keep it on the down low.
You're not really my market.

And if they say they've never heard of me,

tell them I've got surveillance cameras

watching every transaction.
Do you?

No, but it's a really good idea.

Anyway, they can prove I was nowhere

near the convent when Sister Ang d*ed.

Bloody hen parties.
So let me get this straight.

Your side hustle is
selling cannabis edibles.

And weed, but only old people
wanna smoke it these days.

And gummy bears. Give me a break.

Weed's not supposed to be cute.

Old people as in the retirement village

and the bowling club?

But you have to be able to bowl,

and they're catching onto the gummies.

What was the knee in the
groin at the convent about?

Hey, they look like
they'd be nice to orphans,

but those nuns could be mean.

It's not my fault you lost your stupid job.

I told you we needed to be more discreet.

Yeah, well that retirement
village was a gold mine,

and thanks to you, that
tap's just been turned off.

There are other taps.
So you just expect me

to go out there and rustle up?

(knee thuds)
(Dean groans)

(body thuds)

Just remember who the
boss is around here, Dean.

(foot thuds)
(basket rustles)

Who's the boss?
Exactly.

Look, just to be safe,

could we not mention the
hen party to Sister Stella

or that I told you any of this?

I just need you to
know I didn't k*ll anyone.

You're telling us the nuns
supply you with cannabis?

Yeah, plus they made the gummies.

They're really good at it.

(soft tense music)

(gentle pleasant music)
(birds chirp)

And God bless you, too.

(receiver slams)

Yep.

The bishop in the city.
Great, thank you.

As far as he's aware,

there's no such thing as the
Little Sisters of St. Monica.

And I've just talked to the
tattoo artist known as Ink Dz,

who, from the description
of the song lyrics,

believes that Angelica
is a Mikayla Plimpkin,

former hairdresser from Taihape.

Gina can make headway
with the dental records,

but she fits the description.

Sounds like we're getting somewhere.

Well, we think we have a name.

But we have doubts about the pedigree

of the Little Sisters of St. Monica.

Well, according to the council,

land the convent is on is far from sacred.

It belongs to one Elizabetha Ahern.

Paid for it in cash years ago.

Well, so much for the vow of poverty.

(choir sings in distance)
(footsteps shuffle)

Stand down, officer. No streakers as yet.

Ah, sorry to interrupt,

but we're here to see the mother superior.

Oh.

Sister Grace Marie, it's
your solo. We practiced this.

You can do it. I know you can.

(Grace Marie pants)

The choir's a bit off today.
A word, Miss Ahern?

Not here.
Our thoughts exactly.

Sister Gertrude, could
you kindly take over?

Ah

Let's start with who you really are.

You know who I really am.

But I was a nun,

a real one in the Sisters
of Clemency order.

I had a vocation.

I believed in what I was doing,

giving myself to God for the greater good.

So what happened?

Visiting priest from Australia happened.

(soft tense music)

I wasn't totally naive
when I entered the convent.

I had a life before when no meant no.

It still does.
Yes, well.

It was my word against his,

and my superiors chose to believe him,

and even if Me Too had
been invented back then,

what could I do?

Any public outcry would
embarrass the church,

and even though I felt let
down by them, I couldn't do that.

So you established your own order?

As you well know, Detective Sims,

within the existing hierarchy,
there can reign holy terror.

But the Little Sisters St.
Monica aren't like that.

We still live under the rigid tenets

of a female religious order,

just not beholden to the all-powerful,

judgmental, bloody patriarchy.

Sorry.

Which rigid religious tenet allows

for the growth and
distribution of Class C dr*gs?

Ah. The cannabis.

I don't remember reading
much about that in the Bible.

No. It concentrates more on strong drink.

But Jesus was definitely more forgiving

when it came to herbs.

Genesis chapter one, verse .

"And God said, behold,

I have given you every plant-yielding seed

that is on the face of the earth.

You shall have them for food."

So that's where the gummy bears come in?

Yeah, I realize I don't
deserve much of a defense,

but if there is one,

it's that it certainly wasn't
my idea in the first place.

(soft tense music)
(Sister Angelica inhales)

What in the name of God?

(Angelica coughs)

If what you are about to tell me is a lie,

hell hath no fury to match
what I will rain down on you!

Sister Stella?

(light jauntily tense music)

(footsteps shuffle)
(leaves rustle)

This is what you've been harvesting? Speak!

In Latin.
In whatever!

Yeah, so it turns out I've
got really green fingers,

and this stuff grows like actual weed.

By the time I found
out they were selling it,

certain wheels had been set in motion

that were gonna be very difficult to stop.

And which wheels might they be?

Have you heard of the Sullivan Islands?

(soft music)
(bag rustles)

I'll tether it to the internet.

Holy Mary mother of
God, pray for us sinners!

Ateate, the most remote
of the Sullivan Islands,

population about , , mostly school age.

And?
We built them that church.

Show her the school, Ang.

We get letters from them every week.

(drawer slides open)

They're learning to read
and write because of us.

Because of this?

(gentle pleasant music)

My holy sister's hearts
were in the right place.

They believed they were
doing the good Lord's work.

And what would the good Lord think

about Dean Badgley
selling your class C dr*gs?

I knew they had a contact,

but I'm sorry to say I turned a blind eye.

Everybody deserves a defense,
but that is not a good one.

No, but a whole island is
benefiting from our endeavor.

Futures are being secured,
children are being educated,

and the medicinal benefits of
cannabis are well documented.

The law is the law.
And Angelica

may have paid the ultimate price.

I will take what's
coming, and so will Stella

and anyone else who you
deem to have heard, but please,

will you let me break the
news to my sisters first?

I give you my word. I'm not a flight risk.

Your word hasn't exactly
been your bond up to now.

The other nuns' real names, for instance?

I can't tell you that
because I don't know them.

You'll need to come in first thing tomorrow

so that we can get a formal statement.

(soft tense music)

You know,

it's all very well busting
a nuns' gummy bear ring,

but we still know closer
to finding Angelica's k*ller,

although we can confirm
Angelica is Mikayla Plimpkin.

All the obvious suspects can explain

where they were except for Ernie Guthrie,

and I've checked with his geriatrician.

There are definitely
cognitive issues there.

But if he's a member of the bowling club,

his cognitive issues might
just come in a baggie.

Hmm, good point.

We know that the time
of death can't be wrong

because the choir
arrived at the chapel first

and then saw the body soon after.

And Gina says her body showed no signs

of having been moved,

so she must have been k*lled right there,

almost in front of them.

So whoever did it is someone
we haven't come across yet.

Rarely the case. Have we
missed someone from her past?

Well, Mikayla came to the
convent fresh out of rehab,

so I tracked down one of
her counselors who said she

never mentioned anyone
who she thought to be a thr*at,

and although she was
estranged from her family,

none of them were anywhere
near her when she d*ed.

Could the whole choir be lying?

Or sampling too much of the product?

(Kristin chuckles)
(phone rings)

Shepherd.

(soft tense music)

We're on our way.

Eulalia and Grace Marie have gone missing.

(tense music)

I, I got back from the station

to find Sister Stella in a terrible state.

It's taken me this long to
get any sense out of her.

Tell them, Stella.

Before we left, I was
distracted by the bowlers.

I don't even mind that.

Excuse my French,

but now it's not the
time to cover our butts.

I am the only one
waiting for you in the rain

The devil made me do it

And I just want to feel your pain

I leave your life in rubble

My middle name is trouble

(dark brooding music)

And neither of them were
there, and I didn't even notice.

Have you called the bowling club?

Yes, of course. They're not there.

Keep going, Stella. Tell
them what you told me.

I saw something the
day Angelica was k*lled.

(soft tense music)

(branch snaps)
(tense brooding music)

Yes.

Maybe it was nothing,
but now Angelica is gone

and Grace Marie is missing.

I'm not sure,

but I wonder was Sister
Eulalia spying on them?

So now you think Eulalia
has taken Grace Marie?

I pray that it's not the case, but yes.

Ah, it's been what, an hour?

I'll put outta - ,
get her on the lookout.

At least they're recognizable.

(footsteps shuffle)

There's something I need you to know.

The women here are not what they seem.

Well, they grow dope,
manufacture illegal edibles.

They're not real nuns.
I think we've got that.

No, no. You don't understand.

I told you about my Me Too moment,

but really, that was
just the beginning of it.

Every one of my charges here

has been the victim of horrible v*olence.

Angelica was abused by
her stepfather, long deceased,

so he's not responsible for her death,

but he is responsible for
a lot of misery in her life.

Eulalia was tortured by her
foster family, and Grace Marie,

I'll never forget the day she arrived here

after suffering so long at
the hands of her husband.

(pants echo)

(soft poignant music)

I had nowhere else to go.

If my husband finds me, he'll k*ll me.

It's a miracle he hasn't already.

If you're looking for miracles,

you've come to the right place.

Come on.

(door opens)

Get outta the Ute.

It's all I have left that's just mine.

He's taken everything else away. (cries)

Please come inside. You'll be safe with me.

I'm not safe anywhere but in here.

A Ford Falcon year
or thereabouts. I've seen it.

Oh, she won't let me get rid of it.

(soft tense music)
We'd known all this sooner,

it might've helped us find out
what happened to Angelica.

Our vow of silence is not
just religious, detective.

These nuns are seeking sanctuary

from perpetrators of unimaginable harm.

They trust me to keep them safe,

and now I, I've let them down.

Hopefully we'll find them.

First we need to know who they really are.

Eulalia, real name, Trixie Schneider.

She's had a tough life in
and out of foster homes

and did a stint in jail for
as*ault when she was .

If this was premeditated,

she might've already sh*t through.

Is there a place that
means something to Trixie

where she might've taken Grace Marie?

Hold that thought.

So the convent was
sort of a women's refuge.

Word got out it was a safe haven,

and Elizabetha took in anyone
who showed up and needed help.

She was doing more good than we thought.

Thanks, Trudy. We're on our way.

Bad news is Grace Marie's still missing.

Good news, Eulalia hasn't taken her.

Unshackle me! Heathens!

She had three rum and
cokes and then got in a fight

when some rando wouldn't pay the bill.

Thanks for calling us.

Hey, she's the one that wanted the police.

Because it's all my fault. (cries)

What's your fault, Trixie?

Trixie?

(soft tense music)

Grace Marie.

That's what's my fault.

Tell us what happened.

(Eulalia wretches and vomits)

Can we get a coffee over here?

Grace Marie had a beautiful voice.

I was sick of it, so I
played a trick on her,

but I didn't mean for
it to end up like this.

What was the trick?

I posted her profile on a dating app.

A profile. You mean as a nun?

Some guys just dig nuns.

But Grace Marie didn't
know anything about it

because you were posing
as her on the dating app.

Yeah, and I was popular.

Well, she was popular,

especially with this one
candidate @Pinacolada.

I just got carried away.

So you met up with @Pinacolada?

I invited him the first time
we sang at the bowling club,

but Grace Marie had
Strep throat and didn't show.

Hey, just give 'em some space.
Who d*ed and made you pope?

There's a story I know

We all leave and let go

There is nothing to hold us

You mean the manager at the bowling club

is @Pinacolada?
He wasn't the manager then.

I guess he got the job
and moved to Brokenwood.

On it.

I didn't know that when I
reached out to him again.

I just knew he was keen as mustard,

and then it all went so wrong.

Sister Gertrude, kindly take over.

Ah

It's him. Oh my God, it's him.

I know it's him. How do you know?

All these years, I
thought I was safe, but no.

I should've known
better. He's here to k*ll me.

You're not making any sense, Grace Marie.

Who is here to k*ll you?
My husband.

(dark brooding music)

He's your husband.

Angelica and I, we had a
plan for when this happened.

It's okay. I'll take care of it.

No, we had a plan.

(footsteps shuffle)

Grace Marie, wait!

(dark brooding music)
(Eulalia cries out)

One word and you're finished.

No, Jonah, please! Just let her go.

She's drunk! She won't
remember anything anyway.

I will come with you,
Jonah, if you just let her go.

(body thuds)
(Eulalia gags)

You say one word, when
I'm done with my wife,

I'll come back and I'll
k*ll you, Mother Superior,

and every one of those
good for nothing nuns.

Do you hear me?
She hears you, Jonah!

He means it! Not a word!

(Eulalia pants)
(dark dramatic music)

I forced Grace Marie right back

into the hands of her abuser.

(soft dramatic music)

This one has nothing to
do with the Brides of Christ,

and Grace Marie has the
same one in the same place.

I saw it when I met
her outside the convent.

So Angelica wasn't the
intended victim. Grace Marie was.

Grace Marie or should I say Holly Lindoff,

married in to Jonah Fitzmartin,

a good guy with no police record.

And I just got off the phone to her sister,

her actual sister.

She said Jonah was a coercive controller

who they thought was abusing her.

Eventually, he cut her off
from all her friends and family.

They haven't heard from her in eight years.

And take a look at
this. Eulalia's cell phone.

Do you know the song about Pina Coladas?

About getting caught in the rain?

Maybe not into health food. Yes.

So it'd be retrieved

from the messages from the dating app.

Jonah called himself @Pinacolada,

and a lot of the messaging
relates back to the song,

but in particular,

Jonah messaged multiple times
about a bar called O'Malley's

where he'll plan their escape.

Any idea where that could be?
A bar? No.

But there is an old barn
out at O'Malley's farm.

A bit of a hangout from my misspent youth.

Update the others. We'll keep you informed.

(soft tense music)

(doors slam)

(footsteps shuffle)

(footsteps shuffle)
(tense brooding music)

(muffled grunts)
(dramatic music)

It's okay, it's okay.

It's all right. It's all right.

That manager from the bowling club.

He's got one of the nuns,

and he said he's gonna
k*ll her and himself!

It's not what you think, me and Yvette.

That doesn't matter right now.

We just need to know
what happened with Jonah.

We were just here enjoying some quiet time.

Save it. We know the nuns
have been dealing dr*gs.

They just turned up.

(dramatic music)
(Ernie and Yvette laugh)

Just like behind the
old boxes at school, eh?

(laughs) You want some?

Actually, we just have
to have a little privacy,

isn't that right, hun?

Why do you think we are here? (laughs)

I can only imagine.

Oh, are you all right, love?

She's fine.
We should go.

Jonah, we should go.

And leave these two
potheads to ruin everything?

I don't think so.
It's all right, Jonah.

I, I know somewhere else.

You still hate me.

I thought we were done for then and there.

Then she led him away.
She led him away?

She said she had a plan.

(tense brooding music)
(ropes groan)

(Ernie grunts)

You realize no one's ever
gonna find you here, right?

(Ernie grunts)

Come on, babe. I know
somewhere safe, honest.

She's a keeper, this one.

(Kn*fe slides)
(dramatic music)

You sure that's what she said,

that she knew somewhere safe?

Yes.

I think I know where she's taken him.

(dramatic music)

Sims.

(door slams)

Okay, so they're both in there,

but she won't let anyone
get close, and she has a Kn*fe.

Does he have her?
No, I'm sorry.

You need to leave it to us.
But I know her.

I know what she's lived
through and how she survived it.

I need to deal with this.
Please.

You need to trust us.

Okay, keep everyone
back until I say otherwise.

Sims, you come with me.

Chalmers, you follow when I tell you.

Okay.

(soft tense music)
(footsteps shuffle)

Keep fire on them but started

and then head towards the Ute and Sims.

We planned.

(gasoline sploshes)

Sister Grace Marie.

Mike Shepard. We, we met at the convent.

I never hurt Angelica!
I know you didn't,

and I don't think you've
heard anyone in your life,

and I don't think you want to now.

Do you know what it's like
to wake up every morning

and think, "Is this the day that monster's

gonna find me and k*ll me?"

No, but that's why we're
here. Leave it to us now.

(gas can thuds)

You ruined me!

Holly, please. Put down the lighter.

Holly's dead! He k*lled Holly!

Holly, please. The lighter.

(dramatic music)

Not until he tells you what he did.

What are you doing, babe?

We had to be together
forever. Do you remember?

No!
Yeah, our vows!

When we married, I meant every word!

Till death to us part.
Holly, please.

Step away from the Ute
and give me the lighter.

I can't live without you, all right?

I've tried. I love you so much, Holly.

Do you hurt the people you love?

It's not the way it's supposed to go, no.

Tell him what you did to Angelica!

Tell me, Jonah.

I followed the nuns back to the convent,

and I found you, whore,
after all these years.

I'd been following her for weeks.

(branch snaps)
(tense music)

Yes.

(bell rings)
(footsteps shuffle)

(footsteps shuffle)

Psst! Sister Grace Marie!

Come on, Eulalia! Chop chop.

(dark dramatic music)
(Angelica gags)

(body thuds)

(dark brooding music)

(footsteps shuffle)
(leaves rustle)

She was my friend, my best, my only friend,

and you took her away
like you take everything!

You don't want the death of this man

on your conscience, Holly.

As long as he's alive, I
will always be in danger.

You won't.

He will go to jail for what he's done

for a very, very long time,

and you will continue
your life with Elizabetha

and the other women who
have protected you up to now.

(tense music)
(leaves rustle)

It's not enough.

Have a little faith.

(lighter clicks)

Thank you.

(soft poignant music)

(nuns whimper)

Love bears all things, Grace Marie.

It hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. We will keep you safe.

So anything?

(people chatter indistinctly)

Not yet.
Mike, did you reach out?

I did, and I'm sure we'll
hear something back soon,

but Tabitha was never big on the notion

of punctuality or deadlines.

Her sense of time is more
governed by the moon.

(Beth laughs)

Ladies.

Ah

Ah

Oh, I can feel her attitude

It's gotten more than in the mood

She couldn't really understand it

But now I know how he demands it

They pimped their handbook.

I thought I recognized this song.

To be your man with the diamond ring

Don't know if she can even handle this love

Bearing the things that he gave her

Caught inside a jail
with a curfew and I know

He took it away

Yes, I know

I do, I do, I do, I do

I know

He took it away

You see, I can make a change in an hour

And I know your past has gone sour

But I know, know, know

Oh, I know

I know that he can take control and devour

But you gotta take the reins with the power

Yes, I know, know, know

Yeah, I know

He'll take it away