Help!
Ugh!
Christy!
- Ben! - God, where's the phone?
- Ben! - You alright?
Thanks, yeah.
So it was... Thom?
I'll talk to you later, OK?
- Do they know what happened? - Is it true?
- Dad, is it true? - Later.
There's someone here.
Mr. Gundelach.
Detective Sergeant lan Cornielle.
- Hey. - This won't take long.
H-have a seat.
- Want tea? - Are you having one?
- No. - Well, I'd love one.
I received your notes from officers at the scene.
Quite a shock.
Yeah.
He was...
God, um...
Thom lived across the road with his mum.
- And he used to come here? - Yeah.
Yeah, my daughter Tash babysat him,
like, two, three afternoons a week.
Jess, Thom's mum, works part-time, so it gives...
...gave her a break.
- You want milk? - Black.
Babysat here?
Yeah, yeah, here and there.
She has a key.
Couldn't sleep?
Beg your pardon?
You weren't going for a run this morning, your wife said.
Oh, no, no, I usually only run every second day, yeah.
- No, I couldn't sleep. - Why's that?
Well, I had a few drinks last night
so I wanted to run them off.
Dark at that time.
Well, I know the track pretty well, so...
Even after a few drinks?
Yeah.
Well, you're very lucky
you didn't break your neck when you came across him.
I don't feel particularly lucky.
Of course.
How did you know?
What?
How did you know he was dead?
It was dark, it was wet.
I felt the back of his head.
So you moved the body?
Yeah, I tried to resuscitate him.
And was that before or after you felt the back of his head?
Before.
Oh, it's OK, sweetie. That's my youngest daughter.
Eva!
It's OK.
- Honey, this is Detective Cor... - Cornielle.
Do you know what happened?
That what he's going to find out.
Jesus, take it easy down there!
You gave it enough trouble last night!
Dave!
Morning.
He needs reminding of the rules.
- Yeah. - And the rent.
- And the pool's a mess. - He's sorting himself out.
Well, he's your friend. You should sort him out.
Why do they have to take my clothes?
I'm sure it's just normal procedure.
That poor woman.
Are you OK?
Yeah.
We've gotta say something.
- Ben... - I found him.
Jess?
- Mr. Gundelach. - What? Jess.
Karen Ferber with the midday news update.
A four-year-old boy has been found dead in bushland
not far from the Brisbane River.
The body of Thomas Murnane was discovered
within walking distance of his home
by a jogger early this morning.
The boy's mother had been unaware
he'd gone missing in the early hours.
Cause of death has not been released,
but homicide detectives were on the scene.
Police appeal for anyone who may have seen the child
to come forward.
The Federal Opposition Leader...
You're kidding me.
There he is!
What are the police telling you?
Hey, over here!
- Ben! Talk to us. - No!
Can you believe it? Our street's, like, famous.
Don't talk to them.
Long-time resident and neighbour...
- I can't believe Thommy's dead. - Are you OK?
Police say the man has been assisting them
with their inquiries, but no charges have been laid.
Look, there's our house.
... no immediate details of the case
can be released at this stage
until the State Coroner determines the cause of death.
However, police are treating the death as suspicious.
- It's boiling! - We're not made of money.
Anyone with information to contact...
Right, I'll give them a bell right now.
Yeah, I'll call you and let you know how it goes. 'Bye.
Were you going to tell me? About the gauntlet out there?
I just got home myself.
- The girls OK? - I don't know.
I saw Eva fiddling with her window lock.
We should talk to them.
I'd rather you looked at the locks.
- We've got to say something. - What is there to say?
That there's someone out there killing kids?
- Heya. - Hey!
It's like a Bikini Kill concert out there.
Angry chicks, ponces in make-up.
Thanks for cleaning the pool, mate.
Well, I did get the hint
when Christy gave me the hairy eyeball.
About this morning, mate, we overslept.
Just try not to let the girls see it, will ya?
We're at least pretending to raise them right.
- Poor little kid, eh? - Hmm.
Whoever did that to him.
I don't know, maybe if I'd run faster,
I would have got there quicker, could have stopped it.
They'll catch the bastard.
Yeah.
- You alright? - No.
But thanks for asking.
OK, we'd better talk about Thom.
- Do we have to? He's dead. - Tash.
I don't want to talk about it. It's macabre, what happened.
I don't want to eat.
Listen...
They don't know who did it, do they?
No, not yet.
But whoever it is is probably a long way away by now.
Just don't go out by yourself, OK?
We are still gonna do the tree?
The Christmas tree and the Christmas lunch?
I don't think
we should be talking about Christmas right now.
Good talk.
Hey.
Bed.
It's OK.
What happened?
This morning?
Just like I said.
That's all?
Yeah. What do you mean?
Nothing.
I've always said you shouldn't go running on that track.
Oh, come on!
Someone else could have found...
Well, it was me!
Malcolm's fine for after Christmas.
I don't want to talk about your brother.
He's happy to take me and the girls next week.
No, Jesus! Let's...
Let's just have one last Christmas together.
We agreed on that.
Hi, this is Jess...
Mum's a jam-head!
...and Thom. Please leave...
- Mum's a bread-head! - Leave a message!
- Morning. - Mm-hm.
- Not running today? - You kidding?
Oh, shit, sorry, mate.
Hey, listen, I'm a little behind
on this house I'm painting today.
- You want to give me a hand? - Yeah, I'd love to, mate.
But I'm in the middle of rewriting a song.
Sony's pretty interested.
What's that about?
- Hello, Ben. - Vanessa.
How are you going, you poor man?
What's going on?
Oh, the police won't let them take our rubbish.
They want to go through our bins.
- Let them. - Really? Oh, I suppose so.
Uh, he's running late for work.
Come on, hurry up, you two.
- How do I look? - Like a slut.
Eva! It's too late to get changed now.
You guys coming with me or Mum?
- Mum. - I'll go with you.
You can both come with me. I'll drop you off.
- I can pick you guys up. - They can catch the bus.
I'm not catching the bus.
Jesus. Just ignore them.
Mr. Gundelach?
We'd like to ask you a few questions.
Of course. Do you want to...
Would you come with me, please?
Mr. Gundelach?
- Sure. - Is he under arrest?
- Sure. - Call me.
Thank you.
- How are you going, Ben? - Stuart.
Yeah, I'm good. What are you...
- Uh, well, Christy called me. - I don't need a lawyer.
Well, maybe not this lawyer, but you need a lawyer
who does more than divorces and conveyancing.
Now, there's a crim law specialist named Jutland.
I'm just here to answer questions.
They want a DNA sample.
Mine?
Do you wanna give one?
- Oh, I don't know. - Well, we can stall.
Was Thom...
Did someone interfere with Thom sexually?
- No, thank God. - Then why?
Why are they...
They know I found him. I tried to resuscitate him.
Look, Stuart, am I a suspect?
OK, tell me everything that you've told them.
I just wish you'd called me sooner
and I could have organised my day better.
- I could have caught a cab. - How would that have looked?
Like a guy catching a cab.
Hi, Mr. Pikia.
Yeah, it's Ben Gundelach.
Yeah, look, I'm sorry,
I couldn't finish painting the front room this morning.
I know. Look, absolutely.
It will be done tomorrow, I promise.
Sorry.
I had people ready to sign an offer on Highbrook Street.
Well, I could have caught a cab.
I didn't even know if you were coming back.
Why do they keep wanting to talk to you?
They wanted a DNA sample.
No, I didn't give them one.
Why should I? I didn't do anything.
- Jesus, Ben. - What?
Shitheads.
- Ben. - Malcolm.
I decided someone needed to look after the girls.
Tasha's nearly 17, for Christ's sake.
Tasha's upset.
- Hey, angel. - Go away.
What's up?
Did you...
Did you reply?
Responding to that shit's like throwing blood to sharks.
I'm fucked.
See, Tash, you must treat these cretins
like the bitches they are.
You slap them down. Isn't that right, Malcolm?
Little bitches, they love a good slapping.
That's not a nice word.
But that's what they are, Uncle Malcolm.
And now for some gravy.
Upload that little Rembrandt.
Thanks.
Hm.
Come on, let's get out of here.
Hmm?
A year from now
you'll look back and laugh at all this.
Well, not all of it.
Maybe none of it.
But it will blow over.
Christy wants the girls.
- When did that happen? - Night before last.
What, the night we went out?
- Before you... - Found Thom.
Oh, Christ, what a week!
You can tell me stuff, you know.
Mm-hm. Telling you now.
Yeah.
Homicide detectives today questioned Ben Gundelach,
the man who allegedly found the body
of murdered Brisbane boy Thom Murnane. The four-year-old...
Turn it off.
... was a regular visitor to the Gundelach household.
Police have yet to lay charges.
- Your mother said turn it off. - Don't. Don't answer it.
... support from neighbours and members of the public.
- Oh, Ben. - Vanessa.
Sorry, I wasn't expecting you to be here.
I thought the girls might be hungry.
Oh.
Thanks, we've already eaten.
Oh, well, it will freeze.
- Hi, Vanessa. - Hi, Christine.
So, um, any news from the police?
No.
Terrible business.
- Thank you. - Oh, you're welcome.
- Goodnight. - Goodnight.
Has anyone gone to see Jess yet?
- We used to look after him. - Jesus, Ben!
Have you hired a lawyer, Mr. Gundelach?
What did the police say?
Are you going to visit Miss Murnane?
Mr. Gundelach, please talk to us.
Have you spoken to Jessica?
Jess!
Jess.
Jess?
Jess, it's Ben.
Why doesn't she want to talk to you, Ben?
Ben!
Did Miss Murnane give you an indication...
And he was right there.
- Just here? - Yep.
Not there?
I don't know. It all looks kind of the same in the dark.
Did you have a torch?
- No. - No phone?
No.
You have fun looking through our bins?
You've called Jessica Murnane's number
twice in the last two days.
Of course I have.
- And you've been over to visit. - I have every right to.
Of course you do.
We're curious why you're not giving us a DNA sample.
You're serious, aren't you?
What the hell?
Excuse me.
You're back. I'm late for work.
We need milk.
Dad, what is going on?
Arrest me. You think I did it, arrest me.
How are we going over here?
Yeah, I know, Mr. Pikia, I'm sorry.
Yeah, I was...
Yeah, I'll have it tomorrow
and I'll start the undercoating in the bedrooms.
Yeah, tomorrow, I promise.
And we're a very close street,
so we're all going to help each other through
in this difficult time.
Jeez, Dad!
What, you got nothing better to do?
Oh, these fucking vampires!
What the hell is wrong with...
- Um, your Christmas tree.
Sorry.
Ooh, here.
Jingle bells, jingle bells...
- Iceblock? - Sure.
How are you, Nelson?
You open over Christmas?
Open every day. Hours are...
14.50.
Thank you.
Mr. Gundelach, over here!
Mr. Gundelach!
Have you heard from Miss Murnane's lawyers?
How are you coping with the allegations?
How's your family holding up?
Are you expecting to be arrested?
Did you kill Thom Murnane?
- My dad didn't do it! - Eva!
Have you got something to hide?
Are you a suspect?
Where are you taking her?
Where are you going?
Open your mouth.
Hey, chook, come on.
Our agency won't charge you to advertise your property
and we provide the signage free.
Jeez, Eva, could you make more noise?
I'm looking for something!
Eva?
I can't find the decorations.
- I'll get 'em. - Mm-hm.
Yep. OK. Absolutely.
Yep.
Because I have the recipe, and I saw Jamie Oliver do it
and I think I could do it, and Tasha could help if she wanted.
- No. - And it wouldn't be messy.
Sounds good, sweetheart.
What do you want to cook, Mum?
Whatever you want, sweetheart.
It's boiling. I'm going to have a swim.
Hey.
It's OK.
Here.
Ready? Alley-oop.
Nice!
I know you didn't do it.
Thanks, chook.
Here, let's light this sucker.
- Mr. Pikia. - Hi, Ben.
Hey.
Sorry about the, uh, false start this week.
Things have...
Anyway, I'll be able to start on the big room tomorrow.
Ben, how much do I owe you?
- Beg pardon? - For the work you've done.
How much do I owe you?
There's still half the house left.
Hell of a way to negotiate a discount.
We'll finish up today.
Well, why would they do that?
They wanted to settle before Christmas.
That's ridiculous! I'm perfectly capable of...
Saw what on the news?
He's cooperating with the police.
I know.
I'll give them a call first thing.
OK, 'bye.
Shit.
What happened at work?
Don't worry about it.
You need to worry more about your work right now.
I'll be able to tee up more clients.
If you don't work
you won't be able to make the mortgage payments.
Unless you want to list the house straightaway.
Look, I'm not selling our house.
You've got to stop thinking about it like that.
Chris!
Ben, do you realise how bad this all is?
Look, it'll blow over.
What are you doing?
Go back inside.
Elaine, what did you just leave in his letterbox?
Why don't you want to talk to him?
Elaine.
What does it say, Ben?
Hi, Mrs. Laidlaw. It's Ben Gundelach, the painter.
Yeah, listen, I was just calling to see
if you'd gotten around to getting your downstairs...
OK.
Hey, Mr. Barker, it's...
Oh. OK, when is he...
Hi, Mr. Kovic, Ben Gundelach, the painter.
Hello?
Arsehole!
I'm doing a special this month on interior house painting.
Well, exterior too.
Well, I don't mind. I can come quote.
Yeah, but if I leave you my number,
maybe that way you could still...
OK.
Yeah.
Shit.
- Hello, Ben's House Painting. - Mr. Gundelach?
- Arggh! - Lan Cornielle.
What do you want?
Just checking in to see how you are.
I didn't do anything!
- No-one said you did. - Yeah, fuck you!
Oh... fuck!
Eat it nicely.
It's all over her face.
Eat it nicely, Eva.
I'm saving this for later.
Who's this? Ohhh! Whoo-hoo!
- Alright. - No, thank you.
Come on! No? Alright, your loss.
And the iceblock is fine! It's fine!
- Hooray! - My turn!
- OK, Thom-Thom! - Alright, Thommy.
Jess.
- I... - I believe you.
- Why? - I know who did it.