01x14 - Endings and Beginnings

[bunniefuu]

[dog barking]

[somber music playing]

[door opens]

[footsteps approaching slowly]

[Vuyo] I'm going past
the hospital tomorrow

and then the police station
if your mom is not released by then.

If you wanna come, you have to be strong.

But no one will hold it against you
if you don't wanna come.

And if my dad dies?

[Vuyo] The doctor said
he's critical but stable.

We'll get through this.

[dramatic music playing]

[camera clicks]

I swear to God,
if he was here, I would sh**t him...

- Get away from me, please!
- Someone is making me crazy. Listen to me.

Get away from my mom!

Oh no!

[screaming]

[shrieking]

[Nandi] You didn't do this, okay?

I did this.

[camera clicking]

[Nandi] You didn't do this.

My bail hearing is this afternoon.

Can't wait to get home,

take a shower.

[in Zulu] How is Zinhle?

Tell her that none of this is her fault.

[in English] She was just trying
to protect me.

I've told her 1,000 times.

[Nandi in Zulu] Tell her
she mustn't worry about me.

[in English] I'll get bail
and probably won't even go to court.

[in Zulu] How's Leonard?

- [in English] Hasn't woken up.
- Do you think he'll survive?

That's not the only thing
f*cking Zinhle up.

There's you, Jacob, Leonard.

I just don't think Zinhle's heart
can take any more secrets coming out.

You're being weird.

Is there anything,
anything going back to Jiba?

Even before that,
anything going back to the dawn of time?

Anything at all?

I stole your daughter.

Zinhle is not my daughter. She is yours.

No, no, no. No more secrets. No.

This is your last time to come clean.

g*dd*mn it, I'm the f*cking victim here.

Are you?

What's that supposed to mean?

Vuyo, you know,
I am sick and tired of you male shits.

You, Leonard, every f*cking one of you.

f*ck it. What have I done to you?
Have I done something to you? Huh?

f*ck you, man.

Just f*ck off, Vuyo.

- [lawyer] This is bullshit.
- Mrs. Mahlati is a flight risk.

The only thing that is bullshit
is your client's false narrative.

It looks to me
like you were planning to k*ll him

and enjoy your inheritance
with your toy boy.

- What do you know about Jacob?
- You were having an affair, right?

[lawyer] Mrs. Mahlati declines to answer.

He packed up his auto shop
and left right after this happened.

- Were you supposed to meet up somewhere?
- Mrs. Mahlati declines to answer.

I think that your plan went wrong
because you got caught red-handed.

But it wouldn't have worked anyway.
You sure there's nothing you want to say?

- Mrs. Mahlati declines...
- Fine!

Remain silent. See how much that helps.

Your transport should be here soon.

Let's see if you get bail.

[in Zulu] Please tell me
I'm going home tonight.

[in English] Of course.

[in Xhosa] She's bluffing.
First of all, it isn't m*rder.

Because the victim is still alive.

Secondly, we've got an eyewitness,
your daughter.

Don't worry, the judge would have to have
a good reason to deny you bail.

There's nothing to suggest
that you might try to run away.

[somber music playing]

[in English] Your Worship, Nandi Mahlati
is a pillar of the community,

a lecturer, a mother.

She has a home here.

She has a daughter.

[prosecutor] Your Worship,
the police found flight tickets

with Mrs. Mahlati at the crime scene,
as well as fake passports.

- She is a flight risk.
- What? No.

[prosecutor] We believe that
she was planning to elope with her lover,

a student of hers, Jacob Tau.

He's already left the city.

We believe they conspired
to m*rder Judge Mahlati.

No, that's a lie!

That's a complete lie. No!

[judge] Mrs. Mahlati,

I am denying your bail.

[people gasping]

[judge] Court adjourned!

[bailiff] All rise!

You never told me about your travel plans.

I didn't know about the fake passports.

[camera clicks]

I didn't know anything about this,
but we'll get to the bottom of this, okay?

[somber music playing]

[music continues]

[music fades out]

[sirens wailing]

Thanks for doing the right thing.

[Vuyo] Yeah, well...

If that b*tch comes by

to m*rder my brother
with her f*cking lover, then...

She will face justice.

Just, um... [whispering] Just remember...

Your whistleblowing will remain anonymous.

I know how important
your relationship is with your niece.

No one will know.

[in Zulu] Uncle...

[Vuyo in English] What is it?

I wanna tell the truth.

[Roxanne] Okay,
so let me get this straight.

You stabbed your dad with your sword.

[inhales sharply] My katana, yes.

[Roxanne] You? Not your mother?

Even though you both gave that
as a statement on the night?

[sighs] You know
making false statements is a crime?

I'm not making anything up.

I'll take whatever punishment there is.
My mom can't go to jail.

When your parents claimed
that Jacob Tau kidnapped you...

It was a misunderstanding.
We were seeing each other.

You were seeing Tau

while he was sleeping with your mother?

No.

Well, yes, but it was... It is complicated.

Complicated how?

He was pretending...

[inhales] Okay. He was pretending
to be PokébOi, and... [sniffs]

And I got a friend in university
to track him down.

And then... and then my dad got into...
He had a heart attack.

And then everyone started saying
that... that he k*lled Auntie Brenda.

I can't... I can't believe...

Maybe he... he framed Jacob's father. But...

[crying] I... I...

Zinhle, I'm... I'm struggling to follow.

It's simple.

I...

I stabbed him.

Not her.

Please let her go.

I appreciate what you're trying to do.

[cries in anguish] I'm...
I'm not lying, okay? I'm not lying.

[Vuyo] Zee...

Let me talk to the detective, okay?

Roxanne.

Yeah.

It's okay. It's okay.

[ominous music playing]

- [guard 1] Come, let's go.
- [guard 2] Come on. Walk!

- [guard 1] Single file!
- [guard 2] Go! Walk! Come. Quick!

Come on. Move! Move!

[guards shouting indistinctly]

[guard 2] Come on. Move!

[guard 1] Mrs. Mahlati.

This is not good.

Sorry about that.

It's okay.
You... you did say that would happen.

She's very brave.

[Vuyo] It's her mom, you know.
How could she not?

How do you wanna handle this?

Leave her to me.

[buzzer sounding]

[inmates clamoring]

[dramatic music playing]

[inmates shouting]

[shouting continues]

[Vuyo] Zee.

It's okay.

[Zinhle whimpers]

[doctor] There's a high level of sodium
in Mr. Mahlati's blood.

It's five times what's normal.

[door clanking, slams shut]

That receipt was found in your drawer
amongst other personal effects of yours.

It's a receipt for sodium chloride,
which was poisoning your husband.

No... Someone must have put it in there. I...

I'm being framed.

That's what I thought too, Mrs. Mahlati.

I mean, surely you would destroy
such incriminating evidence.

But it turns out you're just
really not that good at doing crime.

This is a report from our IT forensics.

You were researching
sodium chloride poisoning on the Internet

after your husband had a heart attack.

[keyboard clacking]

No, someone... someone is doing this to me.
I promise you, I'm being framed here.

Can you explain to me
how your fingerprints are on that syringe?

[Nandi] I didn't do any of this.
I didn't do...

- Phumla, please.
- What about motive?

I mean, why would Mrs. Mahlati
want to poison her husband?

- Exactly! I loved my husband.
- [Roxanne] Really?

We were fixing our marriage.

Even though you found out
he was sleeping with your best friend?

First you took your rage out on Brenda,
and your husband was next.

Everything you're saying here is a lie.

You give me my day in court,
and I will prove my innocence.

Remember the weekend Brenda died?

You told us
that it was just you and Brenda there.

But Jacob Tau's semen was found
in a condom with your DNA on it!

You lied!

And then we came home.

Just the two of you?

Yes.

What judge is going to take you seriously
when you blatantly lied to the police?

We will ask
for independent forensic testing.

- My client would not lie to the...
- No. No, Phumla.

She's right.

I lied.

[sighs heavily]

[somber music playing]

[Vuyo] I'm going to see her tomorrow.
You wanna come with?

[phone ringing and vibrating]

[phone clicks, ringing stops]

[reporter] ...who is now deceased,
was allegedly m*rder*d six weeks ago.

Some say by the judge himself,

while others say by her best friend,
Nandi Mahlati.

[door opens]

[door shuts]

[Nandi] Someone's framing me.

[scoffs] Why didn't you give
the security footage to... to the cops?

The footage was stolen.

Probably by the same person
who k*lled Charlie.

[Vuyo clears throat]

I know you didn't k*ll Brenda.

Leonard didn't k*ll Brenda.

And neither did Jacob.

Brenda called me that night
and left a voice mail.

As you know,
I never listen to my voice mails anymore,

so I only got it much later.

[Brenda] Hey, Vuyo.

[in Xhosa] Leonard was just here.

We just made love, but he's gone now.

[in English] And I feel so empty.

He's made me do so many terrible things.

[in Xhosa] I lied about Benjamin Jiba,
and I'll never forgive myself for that.

I know you say you love me,

but I'll never love you like I love him.

[in English] You're crazy about Nandi.

[crying] You f*cking coward.
You f*cking coward.

[in Xhosa] With all this anniversary stuff
that he's doing for Nandi,

I now realize
that there's no future for me.

[in English] I've had it. Goodbye.

Goodbye forever.

[phone disconnects]

She k*lled herself, and you knew.

I only got it after I found out
that Jacob was Jiba's son.

Can't be.

I saw him in the footage
without his belt and thought...

[Charlie] Cut the vein on her left arm,
used a belt as a tourniquet.

[Vuyo] Then I discovered that he didn't,
that Jacob was innocent.

[scoffs]

And that Leonard

had Jiba framed and had me shot

and was f*cking Brenda.

That self-involved prick
pushed her over the edge.

So if you knew all of this all along,
why didn't...

I was playing you.

I was playing him.
I was playing Jacob, the cops, everyone.

It was time for the perfect f*cking judge,

the great Leonard Mahlati,
to pay for what he did.

He had everything,

the success, the woman I loved, the child.

And he didn't deserve any of it,
so I poisoned him.

I paid a hit man to frame him.

I was hired by Judge Mahlati.

I did it for me, I did it for Jiba,
and I did it for Brenda.

Why would you do it to me?

[ethereal music playing]

Is it revenge
for what happened 20 years ago?

Just because I chose Leonard over you?

Nandi,

the love I had for you is gone.

You k*lled it. You made sure of that.

I gave you a chance to come clean,

but you didn't.

Anything at all?

No, no, no. No more secrets. No.

Imagine my brother
being more honorable than you.

At least he owned up to it.

Zinhle.

I'm tired of you rich f*ck
doing whatever the f*ck you want.

You steal my child,

and I'll make sure

that she never wants
to f*cking see you again.

Go on, tell the cops.

No one will believe you.

I won.

[music intensifying]

[music swells, fades out]

[news intro music playing]

[reporter] And now for some breaking news
from Cape Town City Hospital.

Judge Leonard Mahlati
was attacked in his own home

by an unknown assailant wielding
a Japanese sword called a katana.

Although he's believed to be in a coma,

sources say his condition
is critical but stable.

A full statement from the minister...

[minister] Precious, there better not be
any more loose ends.

[reporter] Ten years ago,
Jacob Tau's father was convicted

by the arguments of Judge Mahlati,
then a prosecutor,

after the testimony of Brenda Grootboom.

Grootboom, who is now deceased,
was allegedly m*rder*d six weeks ago.

[Vuyo] Your mom's already been transferred
to Joburg's top retirement village.

I'm going to text you the details
of an offshore bank account.

Five million waiting for you.

[Jacob] Meanwhile, I'm on the run,

wanted in connection with
the attempted m*rder of Leonard Mahlati.

[reporter] ...with Jacob Tau,

and Brenda was the key witness
in the arrest against Jacob Tau's father.

One thing's certain,

connecting all of this
is a ten-year-old case,

which, at its heart,

was about the r*pe and m*rder
of Minister Vilakazi's daughter.

[crying]

[Vuyo sighs] They don't know
when he'll come out of the coma.

[Zinhle sobbing]

I hope he forgives me. [sobs]

[somber music playing]

Thank you so much for coming.

Thank you so much for coming to see me.

[sobbing] Zee, I'm so sorry. I'm...

[sniffs] Okay, um...

I just want you to know
that none of this is your fault.

[in Zulu] You hear me, Zinhle?
[in English] None of it.

Everything that's happening here,
everything, it's your uncle.

- [scoffs]
- [Nandi] He poisoned your father.

That's why your father
was going crazy that night. That's...

Zee.

He's always been jealous of your father
because he loved me.

And I only loved Leonard.
I only loved your father.

And he hates us for that.

No, Zinhle, I promise you there's more.

Listen, there's more.

Vuyo despises your father
because he framed Benjamin Jiba,

because he got him shot in the leg.
He doesn't know about the minister.

He doesn't know that your father
was forced, forced to do what he did.

That's what your father
was trying to tell me that night.

The night he lost his mind.

[Nandi] Yes.

Everything that's happening,
everything is your uncle.

It's Vuyo and his... his revenge on us.

H-how can I believe you?

You're... you're always lying.

Zee, I have to tell you something.

[exhales deeply] Please.

I didn't wanna tell you this
in this place, in this... [sniffs]

...in this way, and I...

[sniffs, exhales]

It's about Vuyo. It's about your uncle.

Another lie.

I... No, thanks.

I can't listen to you anymore.

[crying] You are a liar and...

You and him both.

And it's finally caught up with you.

[sobbing] Zinhle, I'm not lying.

Zee!

[sobbing]

[somber music playing]

[Zinhle sighs]

[sniffling]

[engine starts]

[music swells]

[music crescendos]

[Vuyo sighs]

[sniffs, chuckles]

[phone ringing]

[phone beeps]

Hello.

You've been digging up things
that need to stay buried.

Your brother's fighting for his life.

Brenda Grootboom is dead.

Benjamin Jiba, dead.
The minister's daughter is dead.

- The minister?
- [chuckles] Now he starts to understand.

Your brother was given a choice.

Comply or suffer the consequences.

You now have the same choice to make.

[in Zulu] Tell your police friends
to back off.

[in English] The Jiba case is closed.

Zinhle looks so cute
in those expensive sunglasses.

[in Zulu] Do you get my point?

[in English] Let the dead be dead,
Mahlati,

or you will bury all those you love.

[phone beeps]

[line beeping]

[Vuyo] Zee, let's go inside.

[dramatic music playing]

[stifling moan]

[whip cracks]

[dramatic music playing]

[music ends]