Top of the Lake (2013–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Searchers Search - full transcript

Unexpectedly, Tui has mysteriously disappeared, so Robin organises a thorough investigation focusing on possible suspects and someone with a rather dark history, while in the meantime, she pays a visit to Matt who is strangely indifferent.

Robin: Don't touch him!

All right.
Just bring him into shore.

Robin: We're going
to have to stay here.

(whispers) shit.

Have you got a mobile?

It's up with my shirt.

This is Detective Robin Griffin
with the Southern lakes police.

I have a body, male,
middle-aged.

5'10". Brown hair.

- It's Bob Platt.
- It's Bob Platt.

Right.



You know there's a,

Maori legend about this lake

that says there's a demon's
heart at the bottom of it.

It beats, it makes the lake rise
and fall every five minutes.

- Does it rise and fall?
- Yeah. Yeah, it does.

It was this, um, a warrior

that rescued a maiden from
a giant demon called Tipua.

And he set fire to the
demon's body while it slept

and burnt everything
but his heart.

And the fat melting
from the body formed a trough.

And the snow from the
mountains ran down to fill it

to form this lake.

My dad died in this lake.

Yeah.



I remember. Sorry.

Matt on recording machine: Uh,
this is the Mitcham's house.

Nobody's here. Call again.

(police siren blaring)

(officers talking indistinctly)

(dial tone)

- Man 1: You didn't hear him fall in?
- Man 2: No.

Man 3: We were cruising along.

- I was just going... (mimics engine)
- He didn't call out, he just fell off the back.

Man 2: I just swore I
didn't hear anything.

- Hey, Bobby, what's going on?
- Coke and kettles, please. Salt.

I didn't know Bob Platt,
you see.

But many people wanted to see
him drown. Not me.

Not me. Not me, no. Not me.

Did I, uh, did I just say me?

You drink on duty?

Hey...

Give these to someone else,
will you, mate?

The prefect's here.

Excuse me.
Are you Luke Mitcham?

Is Tui at home?

I've been trying to ring your
dad, but no one's picked up.

And...

Is he at home?

Oh, I don't know.

I have an appointment
to see Tui this afternoon.

If he lets you in.

If he's home.

Yeah, if he's home.

- (doorbell ringing)
- (Dogs barking)

Yeah?

Detective Robin Griffin.
Southern Lakes police.

Matt: So?

I'm wanting to chat with Tui,
if I may?

You could if she was here.

Is she at school?

I doubt she's at school. No.

Do you mind if
I come in and look around?

Yeah, I do.

Do you mind?

You're Jude and Ivan's
daughter, aren't you?

Yes.

And you're a Detective?

Okay. Let's see
who you look like.

(buzzer sounding)

Matt: Hey, girl.

- You like dogs?
- Yes.

Would you like an orphaned one?

No thanks.

I'm in a dilemma.

This is Bob Platt's dog.

I was hoping
she would settle in.

She's already bit my dog
and she's riled up the others.

Why have you got Platt's dog?

He drowned. Didn't you hear?

She was hungry so I took her in.

No dog should go hungry.

It's not right.

(dog whimpers)

You're going to shoot her?

If you don't want her.

(dogs barking in the distance)

Wasn't there anyone else
who could have taken her?

How about Platt's wife?

Platt didn't have a wife.

Truth is he was a dumb prick.
Nobody liked him.

Nobody liked his dog either,
except me.

Hey, Coco.

Hey, come here, girl.
Come here.

One of my rescues.

Said she was too aggressive.

Bit some kids.

So I taught her some manners
and give her to Tui.

So she's Tui's dog now.

But Tui's not here?

'Cause I see her dog,

- And her bike.
- No.

No, she's not here and if she is,
doesn't want to talk to you.

But you'd tell me.

Right?

You're the one
doing the talking.

Let me out.

It's good
what you're doing, you know?

Helping out my daughter.
She's in a tough spot.

Just understand one thing.

No one loves her more than me.

No one.

Robin: Whoa, boy.

Whoa.

Robin: Do you know
whose horse this is?

Woman 1: Yes, it belongs
to a girl called Tui Mitcham.

Robin: She's fallen off? Woman
2: Well, we don't know yet.

Woman 1: Well, that's what
I'm worried about.

I can't figure it out.

She, she stayed with us
up at the camp last night.

But she left early this morning
to go back home again.

- Robin: When was the last time you saw her?
- Well, when she left this morning.

Woman: She went up to feed
her chihuahua this morning.

Bunny: That was hours ago.

We've got all the women
looking out for her.

Woman: Hey, someone
to check the ditches.

Oh, well, what about
up the road?

(police siren blaring)

(people talking indistinctly)

Man: Not good.

(horn blaring)

(country music playing)

This is for a fuck.

Seven minutes,

not a minute more.

I'll be in...

Room 6.

(door closing)

(knocking)

Woman: Come in.

Take a shower.

When you finish,
the clock will start ticking.

I like to be undressed,
that should take two minutes.

That leaves five for the fuck.

Sarge: Why the seven minutes?

Please undress me.

- Um...
- Sarge.

Please undress me, sarge.
Time's running out.

Why the time limit?

Do you really wanna know?

Yeah.

I have these compulsions,
serious ones.

That my
teacher is helping me with.

If I spend more than
seven minutes with a man,

with any kind of a man,

I run the danger of growing
a romantic attachment

that could take seven weeks
or seven months to get over.

- Yeah, right.
- Slower.

The time thing's probably arbitrary,
but it's a restriction...

(gasps)

...That stops me
feeling too much.

(scoffs) Jesus, I don't

feel much about anybody, really.

Nothing?

Not even angry?

No. Oh, uh, pissed off maybe.

Hmm.

(sighs)

Leave it be.

How are we going for time?

- Well... (sighs)
- You want your tits done?

Don't talk.

Uh, just shove my hands and
my head where you want them.

Yeah, yeah. Here.

(both grunting)

(moaning)

Robin: Right.

Well, the most important
is immigration.

Good. Hospitals
and homeless shelters?

Right.

Great. Thank you.

Um, well, I'm off track
somewhere near Lake Sylvan.

Paula from the cafe thinks she
saw smoke out here this morning.

Okay. Thank you, Zena.

(mobile phone beeps)

(sighs)

(breath trembling)

(panting)

Are you early?

I hope so.

Did you sleep there?

I'll see you in an hour.

It's a bit of a turn off,
they're not gonna be gay.

I don't know. For who?

I don't have a boyfriend.

- Hello.
- Hey.

Take a look at this, then.

Name tags, mate.

- That's me. That's my seat.
- Yeah.

- No, yours is over here, isn't it?
- Use someone else's.

(mumbling)

Shh.

Okay.

Tui Angel Mitcham,
12 years of age.

Matt Mitcham and Kimmie
Wongsawat's only daughter.

Eurasian appearance and she is
at present five months pregnant.

She was last seen at
the paradise property.

The new residents, eight females, said she
arrived by horse and stayed one night.

And according to Matt Mitcham,
she never came home.

But her dog did.

And her horse was found here,
on the race river bridge.

- So, either she fell or... - Eh, how about
we start with the current situation?

I thought I was.

Al: The clear facts. How
long's she been missing for?

Thirty-six hours.

- Well, that's not a good sign already.
- Correct.

And let's also remember
we are looking at a crime.

Whoever did this to her might want
to hide her, or even eliminate her

to avoid the possibility
of a DNA match.

There was a case in Canada
and another in Australia

where young victims were found
with their wombs removed.

(groans)

So, who are the suspects?

So far,
it's the usual family members.

Matt Mitcham and his sons,

Mark, Luke and Johnno.

But there is one other
possible suspect.

A Wolfgang Zanic.

He's on the sexual crimes
register as a paedophile.

He's 55, Austrian, resident
of Eel Creek, Laketop.

Two previous arrests
and one conviction.

And he did time at MT Eden.

- Two years, reduced from five.
- Hmm. Is anyone aware of him?

Yeah, I know Wolfie. Does a couple
of shifts at the Laketop pub.

- Uh-huh. And? -Oh, you don't want to
go up there interviewing him, bud...

Yeah? Why not?

He's a deer stalker, Al. He's got he's
got a bunk bed piled high with rifles.

Has he got a cellar?

I suggest a search warrant
for Wolfgang Zanic, Al.

Um...

Pete, can you review
his weapons license?

Yep.

Right now, I want to search
the river flats first.

And then sections of the bush from the
routeburn saddle down to greenstone.

Robin. Hi. Uh, John. I'm
coordinating search and rescue.

- Hi. -Do you realize
you've nominated an area

of around 200,000 acres
of bush land?

No, I didn't know the acreage.

John: No one will be
found if they're hiding.

It's going to be very difficult.

John, I'm sorry it's difficult.

No, what I mean is,
even if we do find her.

- Won't she just run off again?
- Robin: No.

Even if Tui manages to stay out
in the bush and keep alive.

What will happen
when she has the baby?

The overwhelming likelihood
is that they'll both die.

Don't mumble, Joy, speak up.

(scoffs) What about
in primitive societies

where they get married early
and just

wander off lying
in the bush to give birth.

What about that?

What? Well, I just think you're exaggerating.
In any case though,

more than likely
she's already kicked.

Could I speak
to you in the hall?

Now.

Now?

(indistinct chatter)

What's this? About women
giving birth in the bush?

Oh, I saw it on a National
Geographic documentary.

Where did your wife give birth?

- In hospital, right? - What I'm
saying is that in Africa...

We're talking
about a 12-year-old,

whose pelvis may not be developed
enough to deliver a full-term baby.

- Thanks. I got to go. Sorry for the...
- Robin: What?

Um... Excuse me...

There's a couple more matters.

I've set up a file. Wildbird.

Please add to it whenever
you have relevant information.

And also, I've put in a c24 to DNA
test every male in the Laketop area.

Including teachers, coaches
etcetera in Queenstown.

What? Al.
Now, has that gone through?

Al: All right. Don't erupt mate. Or
we'll start with your DNA sample.

I don't want
officer Joy on the team.

- I think we got that.
- Good.

Why weren't they listening?
It was like...

Yeah, yeah.
Day two, she's dead.

Yeah. Maybe some of them.

This is nice.

Yeah, coffee's great.

Local business community
set it up.

It's um...

It's a youth support scheme,
really.

We teach, uh,

struggling kids
hospitality skills,

they get a barista certificate.

Then they can compete with the
Gabby kids who've got manners.

Uh, chase, the usual, thanks,
and for you?

Uh, skinny flat white.

- Anything else with it?
- There's a huh?

Mate? Mate, open your mouth
when you talk, okay?

People need to hear you.

- Anything else with it?
- No, thanks.

Oh, you could understand that?

"Anything else with it."

Yeah, these are some
of the graduates.

Hmm.

Tui.

- Yeah. She was headed for an old judge direction.
- What was she doing?

Shoplifting.

Hair clips, chemist stuff.

Hey, don't over-think it.
You did well today.

They're a bloody hard bunch
to win over.

Anyway, today did me good.
It was, um...

It was a good reminder.

You know, when you spoke, you spoke
with real heart. I like that.

I, um...

I didn't join the force
for the right reasons.

(smirks) No?

- Does anyone?
- Hmm.

- Thank you.
- When I was a teenager,

there was a murder in our apartment
block. A crime of passion.

These two detectives arrived.

Very, very smartly dressed.
They were full of flare.

My mother and her friends
couldn't do enough for them.

And my mother ended up dating
one of those two detectives.

When he cheated on her,
she dated the other one.

Look. So what's your story?

An avenging angel?

- Don't know about angel.
- Oh, I do.

So, uh...

Who's getting you
all to himself?

What?

Sparkler on your left hand.

Oh.

Steve.

He's a cop, too, so...

- He's a really good guy.
- Oh, yeah. But?

But what?

Oh, that's the thing with good guys.
Very boring.

He sets the bar high.

While I'm here, I'm gonna have
a bit of a think.

Oh, you're going
to have a bit of a fling?

- No. (chuckling) a bit of a think.
- Oh? (chuckles)

- A think.
- Oh.

Al, look. I need a budget.

I need helicopters.

I want to search the river banks
and the lake and up into the bush.

One helicopter a day.

Two.
We can cover the area quicker.

All right. But, um, the lake's another
thing, that's 77 kilometres long.

And it's uh, almost a
kilometre deep in some areas.

Well, what if she's in there?

Well, if she is, she's gone.

- Well, what about Bob Platt? - I'm
sorry, but if Tui was weighted,

what with the water pressure,
she might never come up.

And Bob Platt wasn't weighted,
his death was an accident.

You know what my bet is? Tui's gonna
come back into the house one night,

curl up in bed, very grateful.

Very grateful?

No, I don't think so.

(helicopter whirring)

How the fuck
could you leave her on her own

when you knew she wasn't well?

Melissa: Stop talking
about me, dad!

You arsehole!

I had to fly back from Beijing.

- I'm fine! I'm fucking fine! - The
hospital wouldn't release her, right,

without a parent to sign.

Where the fuck were you?

What are you doing here?

- Are you out of your mind?
- Shut up!

You've got 15 minutes
to pack a carry-on bag.

That's all we can fit
in the chopper.

No.

No, Jock.

(sighs)

Anita: You know, he had
the softest, softest fur.

Softer than, than, than
anything you could imagine.

And these,
these really big eyes.

You think it would be all
gristly, but it was really...

(clears throat)

What's the problem, Jock?

I don't have a problem.

Actually, I'm getting
married again.

Quite a young woman.

We're having a baby shortly
and I...

I know that's all
a bit cliche, but...

No, the problem
is Bunny's daughter.

Now, what sort of program
do you run here?

- No program.
- Anita: No program.

You must have some type of
timetable, a structure?

- No structure.
- No structure.

So what happens here?

Nothing.

We stop. We... We don't think.
We don't do.

(whispers) Don't do.

And you're the teacher?

No, no teacher.

She won't talk to me.
She swears at me.

She wouldn't sit next to me
on the plane.

How long have you got?

Oh, I have to get that
helicopter back in an hour.

- So I would say...
- Mmm.

- Five, 10 minutes.
- Mmm-mmm.

Mmm.

Not enough, Jock.

Shit, how long do you want?

I don't know.

But minimum, seven days.

And no guarantees.

Seven.

Listen,

I'm leaving Melissa with you
in your care

and if anything happens to her,

I'll come back in full force.

Big Mr Jock.

Can't look after your own
daughter, so you expect me to.

No. Don't accept.

Get him a chocolate.

(Melissa strumming guitar)

You all right?

(vocalising)

(mobile ringing)

Hello?

Can you take me over paradise?

That's where Tui was last seen.

Man 1 over radio:
Delta echo Charlie.

I'm in Laketop looking to go over
the double barrel to paradise.

Have you spotted any smoke?

Man 2 over radio:
No, nothing yet.

Man 1 over radio:
Welcome to paradise.

See this clearing,
they call it eden.

Oh, look, there's Eve as well.

Delta echo Charlie,
heading north up the dart now.

We'll go over the saddle and
come back down the rees, over.

(helicopter whirring)

(people talking indistinctly)

Why weren't you at the search?

There's no point.

There's no point
looking for your sister?

Here's her jacket.

Where was it?

Some kids found it down by the
lake edge where she went in.

Those kids didn't say anything
to you?

No.

For five minutes? Nothing?

(unzipping jacket)

What would she be wishing for?

You should never have
taken her back to Matt's.

I want to interview you.

Okay, well, what's your number?

Oh.

Mine's 021-967-4114.

You can call anytime.

(upbeat music playing)

(people talking indistinctly)

(men laughing)

I want to thank everyone
for coming here today.

You did the right thing.

Course, most of us knew we
weren't going to find anything,

'cause Tui's not stupid
enough to go camping

in the bottom of the riverbed.

But the powers that be

know better than us.

So we had us a search picnic.

Hope you all enjoyed yourselves.

Let's hear it
for the powers that be.

I still think
that Tui is out there.

That's what I think.

She's got the skills to survive

and she knows, my little one knows
that in her heart of hearts.

She can come home
whenever she feels like it.

No matter what she's done,
doesn't matter.

She can come home.

We're a small town

and we all know
no one can hide anything.

Someone here

knows something.

I look at the mountains
and the hills

and I like to think of my little
one shooting deer, hunting.

Doing whatever she needs to do
to survive.

What I can't bear

is the very idea

that someone has her chained up against
a wall holding my little one captive.

So she can suck his cock
whenever he feels like it...

Okay, Matt,
I think we get the picture.

You've had your little party.

So, if anyone wants
to come forward.

Not tomorrow, not next week,

not next month, not next year.

But right now,

It's your last chance.

If you are that person,

and you're holding something
back, then quite frankly,

You deserve to fucking die.

We'll fucking kill you.

Huh, Lukey?

Thanks, Matt.

Al: I think, um...

I think everybody here,
uh, understands

what you, er, must be
going through at the moment.

Okay, people,
Matt's been kind enough

to put some money behind the bar
so everyone can have a drink.

Mark: Yeah, but they're only
actually for people that were there.

Excuse me, the drinks
are only for the people

that were on the river flats
between 12 and 4.30 P.M., okay?

There's a few of you who
weren't here, like Penguin.

- Fuck, I was... -You weren't
there, mate. Pay up.

Boganville.

(upbeat music playing)

Putty: It is beautiful down there.
Just beautiful...

Tui should stay down there.

I'll tell her. I must tell Tui
all about this.

Buy me a vodka. Could you,
could you buy me a vodka?

(Putty muttering indistinctly)

You've got to
leave her down there, you see,

because it's so beautiful.
It's also slo-mo.

And just leave her down there.

And you can get fucked.

Yeah, go get fucked.

Mike: Yeah, fuck off, Terry.

You from Sydney?

Not now.

Oh, sounds like you are.

Are you the Detective?

- Sounds like you are.
- All: Ooh!

So, tell me, you a feminist?

Penguin: Are you a lesbian?

- You'd be better off being a lesbian.
- Why's that?

Well, it's pretty lonely
up here.

Because?

Well, no one likes a feminist,
except a lesbian.

Well, that makes sense.

So I get a lesbian.
What do you get?

Who would want you?

About 10,000 sheep.

They're up there in the cold
and dark waiting for us.

What? A sheep's vagina

is the closest thing
to a woman's vagina,

So I can get it whenever I want.

Anything with a pulse, eh?

- (laughter)
- Fuck you.

Not as good as
Thai pussy, though.

I mean, they make all other women irrelevant.
Not just talking about the sex, either.

It's the little fruit salads
they make you when you wake up.

Bonuses.

(man whistles)

You be careful.

Mitcham got himself a Thai lady.

Yeah, and we've got Tui,

our Thai poontang.

Excuse me?

Hey, what does it mean
when a girl gets around town

wearing tiny shorts?

I don't know.
What does it mean?

It means she's hot.

- Or a slut.
- (Men laughing)

(Penguin exclaims)

Jesus Christ!

(Penguin squeaking)

The girl was 12.

Yeah, she's a liar, okay?
She tells a lot of lies.

I don't care what she said. I'm going to
collect the DNA of every man in this town.

And when that baby is born, One
of you gentlemen will go to jail.

(men exclaim)

Shotover: Well, I'm ready, love.
You can collect mine now.

Putty doesn't come in cups.
No, no, no.

- Ah, she's just a kid.
- Putty: I don't come in cups.

- You wouldn't catch me.
- No, I don't serve you.

- Mike: Come on.
- No!

- Fuck!
- Terry: Good bloke, eh?

Except he's your main suspect,
according to that cop, Joy.

- That's the gingerbread man, Zanic.
- Robin: Zanic?

- That's him?
- Yeah.

Shotover reckons he heard a girl
crying at his place the other night.

(dog barking in distance)

(unchaining door)

Who are you feeding?

My old lady.

May I come in?

Why are you snooping
around the house here?

That's Tui.

Ja. Tui.

She's wearing lederhosen
because never enough boys.

I teach kids folk dancing.

Tui was a good dancer.

Pumpernickel?

I saw your charge sheet.

Ja, so...

I'm not supposed
to work with children.

But you have been.

I don't touch no one.

What happened in Auckland?

Long time ago now.

Uh, I was working at hotel.

Cook. Good job.

Everything going okay.

Then,

one evening,

The most beautiful person
I ever saw in my life

come into dining hall.

- That was a young boy?
- Yeah.

At first, he sit alone.

He ordered a hamburger.

Then his family come to dinner.

We get talking.

I realize

they don't understand him.

They don't know him.

And they don't love him.

How old was he?

Ja, so...

I'm sick, old man

who should be
looking for love of equals.

What you call real love.

But you don't realize,

something so pure,

so powerful.

You never have it.

I chuck up
on what people call real love.

I do big shit on real love.

I already sit in jail for him,
thinking about him.

I don't care if I tell you.

I love him.

And you can't do nothing.

Where were you last Thursday?

I am on medication.
No harm to anybody.

No danger to the people.
Not dangerous.

Someone said they heard crying.

I need to look
through the house.

Is there a basement?

Oh, ja.

The basement.

Zanic?

(Wolfgang panting)

I never hurt kid!

- (gunshot)
- (Robin grunts)

(dogs howling)

I never! Never hurt kid!

- They said I hurt kids!
- (Dogs barking)

Robin: Tui!

Tui!

Tui, if you're here, call out!

(gunshot)

Fuck.

(gunshot)

(dialling)

Hello, Johnno? It's Robin.

I've done something a bit silly

and I'm going
to need your help pretty fast.

- Where are you?
- Do you know Wolfie Zanic?

Yeah, yeah, Eel Creek.

- I'll be there in 10 minutes.
- No, no, no, wait.

He's outside and he has a gun.

Yeah, okay. Just lock the
doors, front and back,

Stay away from the windows.
I'll be there.

(Robin breathing heavily)

(upbeat music
playing on car stereo)

Johnno: Wolfie, where are you?

Wolfie, step out!

Wolfie, can you hear me?

(cocks gun)

You're okay.

(softly) It's okay.

I'm alone. It's all right.

It's okay. You're fine.

Wolfie, Wolfie, it's fine.

I didn't do nothing.

I know. I know.

I know.

I didn't do nothing.

I know.

It's okay, it's okay.
Put it down.

(Wolfgang crying)

Johnno: Robin!

I never hurt kid!

Do you want to come in
for some tea?

I'd like to, but I can't.
I've got someone waiting.

Okay.

Thanks.