My Life is Murder

[ Cassette clicking ] -Hello and welcome to our show.

My name is Alexa Crowe.

-And I'm Miranda Lee.

-And this is our TV special.

Let's show them some of our talents.

Okay.

[ Both laughing ] -Amazing.

-Thank you very much.

[ The Swingers' "Counting the Beat" plays ] [ Camera shutter clicking ] - Thinkin' about you - Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh - And thinkin' about me - Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh - I'm thinkin' about you and me La-da-da-dee There ain't no place I'd rather be La-da-dee-da La-da-dee-da La-da-dee-da La-da-dee-da Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh - Whoo-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh Whoo-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh Whoo-ooh-ooh-ooh -Can't wait to get my runners back on.

Show-off.

-I've been thinking about your old headmistress, Imelda Beecroft.

-She was my English teacher.

-Sure, but she was headmistress when she died.

-Back in March, yeah.

-Did you end up going to the funeral?

-No.

God, no.

Too hard.

Why?

-Everyone adored her, right?

-Yeah, I did.

She, uh, changed my life.

Y-You don't think that was an accident?

Oh, my God.

-I've been going back over the details, and something's just been niggling at me.

Can't shake it.

So she leaves her office to go home at 5: 30 p.m. and drops by the school rowing shed.

[ Down-tempo music plays ] The place was deserted.

No one saw her go in.

Apparently, she climbed up on a boat rack to grab a high poster.

-"Access All Areas"?

-Some student group that got banned.

Privileged kids wanting more privileges.

[ Rattling ] Ms. Beecroft's extra weight on the boat rack was enough to pull it from the wall.

[ Metal clattering ] The boats came down on top of her.

-Tell me she didn't suffer.

-She was there about half an hour.

-Oh, God.

-The school board wanted it all done very quietly.

Boxes got ticked.

Case closed.

-But who would have a motive to kill her?

-Deputy head got her job.

And she was the one that found the body.

Might be a coincidence, might not.

But who better to find out than a Pemberton old girl?

-Who's the new headmistress?

-She's an old girl, too, actually.

Around your vintage.

Miranda Lee.

Oh, you know her?

-Yeah, I do.

[ Down-tempo music plays, women singing ] -In fact, we've had this conversation.

That is not regulation length.

I want you to speak to you mother.

I don't want an argument about it.

I want it adjusted by Monday.

Now, in you go, Angelina.

Come on, you girls!

Quick sticks!

Morning, Eileen, Sarah.

In you go.

Good morning.

Come on!

Quick sticks!

And don't give me any of the...malarkey excuses about the tram being late.

In you go.

Can I help you?

-Yeah.

I reckon you probably can.

-Alexa?

Is that you?

-Yeah, Miranda.

-Oh!

[ Laughs ] Oh, wow!

Oh, wow.

Thirty-five years?

It's -- -Ah.

Well, I'm not counting.

-You -- You should have come to some of the reunions.

-Come on.

Did you really expect me to?

-Didn't you want to join the police?

-Yeah.

-Ah!

-Yeah.

-That was a bit ironic.

What did you do in the end?

-I joined the police.

[ Mid-tempo music plays ] -Excuse me.

Just a bit of a big day today.

Uh, Jean, did you send for Gemma?

I've lost the grant files again.

Ah.

Great.

Thanks.

So, as you can see, nothing much has changed around here.

Except for, uh, the computers.

-I see the Chairs of Death are still where they always were.

-I remember seeing you sitting there.

Quite a lot.

-Oh.

I don't remember seeing you.

-Well...I was a good girl.

-You just didn't get caught.

-Mrs. Lee?

-Oh.

Alexa, this is Gemma.

She helped us with our new I.T.

system last year.

I'm still a bit at sea.

-Yeah.

Well, the interface isn't very intuitive.

-Oh, my God.

Hate that.

-Gemma is one of our star pupils.

Actually, she's a scholarship girl, like you were.

-Oh.

Well, good for you.

You'll go far.

-How far did you go?

-I am, let's say, a work in progress.

-My office is this way.

[ Bell tolling ] [ Clock ticking ] -How long you been teaching here?

-Twenty years.

-Hm.

Well, your desk now.

-Yeah.

I wish I'd got it another way.

Alexa...what are you doing here?

-I'm just helping out the police.

Tying up loose ends, you know, about Ms. Beecroft.

-You think it wasn't an accident.

-Always question the obvious.

-Did you learn that in the police?

-No.

Right here.

With Ms. Beecroft.

[ Down-tempo music plays ] [ Indistinct conversations ] -One, two, three.

And hold.

-Ms. Beecroft always had a soft spot for you scholarship girls.

-It was smart kids that she liked.

-Didn't see you at the funeral.

Careful, girls, please.

Just careful with those.

[ Beeping ] -So, is this door code kept secret?

-No.

Uh, all the rowers have it.

Most of the teachers.

-How often is it used?

-Constantly.

I mean, people are in and out all day.

Practice starts at 5: 00 a.m.

The double and single sculls sometimes go out at lunchtime, and then the top eights practice after school till about 4:30.

I was doing my 6: 00 p.m. rounds before going home, and then I saw that the shed door was left open.

And...this is where I found her.

I could barely breathe.

-So, what the heck was she doing in here, anyway?

-Well, they found the remnants of a poster, so I assume -- -But how did she know it was in here?

-I don't know.

-So, high poster.

Stepped up on rack.

Reaches up.

I mean -- Oh.

Seems pretty damn solid.

What the heck went wrong on the day?

-Not sure.

-Well, was there rot?

Did they replace the wall frame?

-No.

They said that it was fine.

The maintenance men put it to rights as soon as the police had finished with it.

-Who ordered that?

-I did.

-Really?

-Are you in the police or not?

Do they even know that you're here?

-You seem nervous.

Are you nervous?

-No.

-Tell me about these posters.

Who is the Access All Areas group?

[ Indistinct conversations ] -Girls?

Girls.

Uh, this is Alexa, one of our old girls.

This is Blanche and Edith and Juliana.

-Hi, girls.

I was hoping I could just ask you a few questions -- -Oh, for the love of God!

After everything that's happened?

How dare you!

-The civil rights movement didn't stop after they shot Martin Luther King.

-Are you comparing your petty rebellion to the civil rights movement?

-Can I look at that?

You know, this could be evidence.

-Right.

I'll be in my office.

-Thanks.

-Are you a cop?

-Just wanted to ask you about this.

-It's pretty basic.

Boarders just want to be allowed out at night.

-Oh.

Yeah.

In my day, you, uh, had to fill in a form and give three days' notice.

-Yeah.

It's still the same.

-Yeah.

It's... School's stuck in the Stone Age.

-Ms. Beecroft wouldn't allow it?

-No, but Spike's the enforcer.

-Spike?

-Lee.

Mrs. Lee ripped down all the posters.

Gave us all detention and put us all in her black book.

-Wait.

She has an actual black book?

-It's a full-on...file.

She threatens us with expulsion if we don't stay in line.

-Ah.

Voice of experience, huh?

-She'd have a whole chapter on me.

-So, March 12th.

There was one of these posters in the boat shed.

-It wasn't us.

-Were you rowing that afternoon?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Normal day.

Packed up by 4: 30.

– And what were you doing between then and 5: 30?

-In the dorms.

-Together.

-Yep.

-All three of you?

-Yep.

-Yeah.

-Anyone see you?

-No.

-Right.

-Oi.

Give us the poster back.

-Thanks.

[ Mid-tempo music plays ] -Hi, Georgeous.

-Hey.

-Hey.

-We're not putting up shelves in your bathroom, are we?

-Not even close.

-How good is it, you going back to your own school?

I mean, apart from the murder.

-Alleged.

It smells the same.

That's all I'm saying.

Okay.

An eight-mil pilot hole right here, please.

-All right.

-Oi!

It's after 5:00.

Tradesmen aren't allowed to use power tools on the property after 5:00.

-Oh.

Yeah.

Well, it's lucky we're not tradesmen, then, eh?

-Well, legally you're in locum as tradespersons, so... -Legally, is a cordless drill even a power tool?

-It's a tool that uses power.

-Not much.

-Is a curling wand a power tool?

-It's about the noise, Alexa.

You know it's about the noise.

-Oh, I thought it was about being a tool.

-Ha!

-Let's not fight a test case over your little renovations, shall we?

But...you know.

-Righto.

Thanks, Dawn.

-Can I drill some more holes, please?

-Sadly, we don't need them.

But have you got a ratchet to drive this in?

-Oh, it's so rusty.

-Yeah.

One-fifty mils.

Same as the boat shed.

That's it.

All right.

Ready?

All right.

That's good.

That's good.

I want you to put your back into this.

We're gonna try to rip this sucker out, all right?

-Okay.

On three?

-You push.

-Three!

[ Wood creaking ] -[ Grunts ] -Harder!

[ Both grunting ] -[ Breathing heavily ] -All right.

There is no way that four of those failed at once, rusty or not.

-Not an accident, then?

-Definitely not a bloody accident.

[ Mid-tempo music plays ] Phew!

It's chilly today.

-Oh, hello.

-Okay.

I have got here sourdough, obviously, multigrain, and I threw in a rye, 'cause I'm experimenting.

-You're in luck.

I'm experimenting with coffee.

Turmeric latte?

-No, thanks.

I want to, but I can't.

-Hey.

-Hey!

Uh, you're Alexa?

-Yeah.

-I love your ciabatta.

I'm Hannah.

-Hi, Hannah.

You working here?

-Just helping out.

-Cool.

Nice meeting you.

-Same.

-So...girlfriend?

-Uh...yeah.

-But not the one I saw you with yesterday?

-That was, uh, Sophia.

She's, uh, she's not my girlfriend.

-Well, if you're honest, nobody gets hurt, right?

Okay.

Have a good one.

Bye, Hannah.

-Bye!

[ Mid-tempo music plays ] -I dug up what I could on Ms. Beecroft's funeral.

[ Sneezes, sniffs ] Uh, photos I found online.

There were a lot of tears.

Not just the students.

-Yeah.

I bet there were.

-You really liked her?

-Yeah, I did.

-Why didn't you go?

-'Cause I hate the funerals of people I love.

-Who are you thinking killed her?

Your old school friend?

-Oh, there was a time when I, uh, would've liked to have been her friend.

But...funny.

Miranda always thought she owned the school.

Now she kind of does.

Oh, are these the rowing eights?

-Uh, yes.

The gods who walk among us.

-They're angry 'cause they can't skip out of school and hook up with boys.

-Well, fair enough.

A girl's got to live.

Oh, I e-mailed you the link to the eulogy.

Someone recorded it and posted it online.

-Oh, who gave it?

Anyone I know?

-A student.

Gemma something.

-Hm.

[ Bell tolling ] -Ms. Beecroft knew us, every one of us... by name before the end of term one.

And more than our names, she understood what kind of people we are.

Somehow she knew when we were lost, drowning a bit at school, and she held out her hand.

Ms. Beecroft gave her time to me and others who needed that hand.

She showed me I had a place at the school and in the world.

And she helped us recognize ourselves and what we could become.

-Hurry up.

I want you in the water in five minutes.

If you drop it, you pay for it.

-You wanted to see me?

-Yeah.

Hi.

I was just listening to your eulogy for Ms. Beecroft.

It's really beautiful.

-Thanks.

-We've only got 90 minutes on the water.

-Hardest thing I've ever done.

-Yeah, I bet.

-Hopeless.

Absolutely hopeless.

-You know, when I was here, she used to call me into the staff room all the time for coffee and a nice little chat.

-Did she put brandy in it then?

-[ Laughing ] Yes, always.

She was still doing that, huh?

-Yeah.

-God.

-Come on!

Boats in the water!

-Yeah.

-You said that she really understood people and that she could look inside them.

-It was her superpower.

-Bridget, hurry up!

-Did she get you?

-Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

Much better than I did at 15 years old.

That's for sure.

But, of course, not everybody likes feeling that exposed.

Did she ever put people's noses out of joint?

[ Julia shouting indistinctly ] -Ms. Beecroft and Lee used to fight.

Hard core.

-Yeah.

-Mrs. Lee can screech.

-What did they fight about?

-All sorts of stuff.

Ms. Beecroft ignoring Mrs. Lee, mostly.

-Well... -Yeah.

-So, when was the last time you'd remember?

-The day Ms. Beecroft died.

-But she didn't mention that to the police.

-Spike's a vindictive bitch.

-Hurry up!

-Hey, Spike.

[ Door closes ] You fought with Beecroft the day she died.

-Who told you that?

-Is it true?

-I may have raised my voice a bit.

I mean, she could be very stubborn.

-What did you fight about?

-Well, our history teacher was off sick, and Ms. Beecroft insisted on taking all the classes herself.

It was typical.

-Are these paper records?

-She hated computers.

It's all there.

Every student she ever taught.

-Oh, my God.

-Her "life's work."

-Do you mind?

-Are -- Are you kicking me out of my own office?

-Yep.

Hop it.

Come on.

-All right.

Well, I was going to get a coffee, anyway.

You've got five minutes.

-[ Gasps ] [ Down-tempo music plays ] -"Alexa Crowe is clever, but she needs to be honest with herself."

"I watched Alexa light up a maths class today.

She can be sharp.

But it doesn't happen enough.

I'm concerned that this scholarship will be wasted on her."

-[ Sighs ] -"I'm not losing this one.

The police believed my story.

It's time for a serious talk with Miss Crowe.

She needs to make a choice."

[ Music continues ] "Gemma Shaw is the smartest child I've met.

Scholarship girls have trouble, but Gemma is a chess champion.

So proud of her."

[ Shutter clicks ] "We've given Juliana Lloyd more than enough rope to hang herself.

Miranda is much more afraid of her parents' influence than she needs to be.

We can get by without their money."

[ Shutter clicks ] -Katie, you've got to match Harriet's recovery.

Watch her shoulders.

Watch!

[ Birds chirping ] -Have you got a sec?

-Yeah.

If I stop yelling, they'll just row around in circles anyway.

-I've seen your school records.

You've got a lot of black marks.

-So what?

-So I was just wondering how you survived.

Seems like they're on the point of expelling you at any moment.

-Come on.

Keep it flat!

Give me a power 10!

Yeah.

Well, that's Spike's game.

Hold expulsion over our heads and make a deal.

Behave.

Coach the juniors.

-Does anyone ever get expelled?

-Yeah.

A couple each year.

Spike's a psycho.

-But it was Ms. Beecroft who wanted you gone.

-Yeah.

My family paid for these boats.

We don't get expelled.

Beecroft didn't get it, but Lee knows it deep down.

-And Beecroft's not around anymore.

-Mm.

Sad face.

[ Mid-tempo music plays ] [ Indistinct conversations, birds chirping ] -Hey!

-Hi.

-What did you think of Juliana?

-Oh, she's like a lot of girls I used to know.

-She got me into her quad sculls team in year 10, then unfriended me.

-Five minutes of friendship.

I get it.

-Oh, I was her pet.

-Well, you have done very well.

You know, a lot of girls can go nuts when they find themselves on the outer.

They can flame out.

-Is that what happened to you?

-Well, I find that success is the best revenge.

So tell me how the expulsions work.

Mrs. Lee handed out the discipline?

-Well, Ms. B loaded the gun.

Spike pulled the trigger.

-Did they ever argue about that?

-I don't know.

Expulsions are pretty rare.

-Oh.

-See ya.

-See ya.

[ Bell rings ] [ Indistinct conversations ] Sweetheart, detention's been canceled.

You're off the hook.

-Just leave the files on my desk, Jean.

Jean?

Never mind.

You know, you have really got my mind whirling.

I mean, there are just so many "if onlys," you know?

If only she hadn't gone to the shed.

If only she hadn't taken the history class.

-What's history got to do with it?

-Well, she stayed back to mark test papers for year 11.

Otherwise she would have gone home earlier.

-Whereas you like to stay late.

-Mm.

I can get more things done when it's quiet.

-Things like your black book?

-It's more of a memory aid.

-You use it to blackmail difficult students into submission.

-Who told you that?

[ Sighs ] Juliana Lloyd.

-I need to see that black book.

[ Chair creaks ] [ Indistinct conversations ] -I've never sat in one of these chairs.

[ Clicks tongue ] -Yes.

These chairs are mighty hard on the old arse after the first hour.

Let me tell you.

Ooh!

Alphabetical.

You have been a busy little bee.

-Check out Genevieve Tan's condom collection.

It's quite the highlight.

It's under "T." -Wait a minute.

You had a marijuana garden?

-Oh, yeah.

It was on the roof.

-Which dorm?

-Henty.

-Oh, I used to smoke up there.

-Yeah.

-Got any photos of that operation?

-No.

I deleted them.

[ Mid-tempo music plays ] -I thought you were concentrating on Miranda Lee.

-Okay.

Fear of expulsion could be a motive.

All of the girls who made that poster were on warning.

-Miranda keeps a...file.

How classy.

This Gemma Shaw?

-Yeah.

Dux of the college and hydroponic dope farmer.

-I'm impressed.

-Yeah.

She's talented.

She grew it in the roof and used the cash to keep up with her rich mates.

-How did you keep up with your rich mates?

Hmm.

-I did what I had to do.

-And no police record to show for it.

It's like magic.

-No.

I had a guardian angel.

-Did Ms. Beecroft keep Gemma from getting expelled, too?

-No, I don't think so.

That was Miranda's system.

She kept the girls in line by threatening them with expulsion.

-And the school doesn't have the embarrassment of drug-squad raids.

-Nope.

It's smart, and it's cunning.

-But why kill the adorable old Ms. B when it wasn't even her system?

[ Down-tempo music plays ] -Talk soon.

-Thanks for this.

-Thank you!

[ Horn honks ] [ Music continues ] [ Window whirring ] -Will this take long?

-Relax.

School's done for the day.

-It's never done for the day.

I have to get back by 6: 00 to do my rounds.

-So you do your rounds every day at this time?

-Every evening before I go home.

Look.

What are you -- What's this about?

-You know, the girls use that rowing shed until about 4:30.

I've seen them climbing all over the racks.

-So?

-So it means that the rack must have been tampered with after the girls left at 4:30 but before Beecroft showed up.

-Tampered with?

What... -What time did you say Beecroft normally went home?

-4:30, like clockwork.

-Hm.

But on this day, she stayed late to do the marking.

-Yeah.

-Who else knew she was there?

-I'm not sure.

-Well, you did.

-I had nothing to do with what happened to her.

You can't possibly -- -Miranda -- -I didn't -- -I do believe you.

I do.

Look.

Ms. Beecroft wasn't supposed to tear down that poster.

Someone was expecting you doing your rounds.

Beecroft wasn't supposed to die.

You were.

[ Down-tempo music plays ] [ Birds chirping ] -[ Sniffs ] Ungrateful little...

I've given my life to that school.

-Hey, it's not all of them.

It's just one sad kid.

Maybe a couple.

-Who?

-Well, I made a list of all the kids who were in trouble by last March.

Juliana and her friends, Jasmine Liu, the Trenton twins, uh, Kirsten Oldfield, and Gemma Shaw.

You really should have called the police on that one, mate.

-I couldn't.

It'd have broken Ms. Beecroft's heart.

[ Sniffs ] -It was a lot of dope.

-I gave Gemma a good fright.

You know, I made her stay while I photographed the whole lot of it.

Then we made an arrangement, and I deleted the photos.

She's been good as gold ever since.

[ Down-tempo music plays ] I miss her.

-Yeah.

I'm really sorry that I didn't go to her funeral.

[ Music continues ] -There's something I want to show you.

-How long have you been carrying this around?

-Just since you turned up.

I had it copied from Video8.

[ Static crackling ] -Hello and welcome to our show.

My name is Alexa Crowe.

-Oh, is this that tape?

-Mm-hmm.

Look at us.

We were babies!

-With booze.

-Mm.

-You know what else I've got?

-What?

-I've got Beecroft's keys.

[ Hinges squeak ] [ Both laughing ] Oh, I was such a little... -You're an even bigger...now.

- Ahh Oh, don't do it.

Don't do it -- Oh.

[ Engine starts ] -Oh.

But you did it.

-Yes!

Thinkin' about you and thinkin' about me Thinkin' about you and countin' the beat - La-da-dee-da, la-da-dee-da - La-da-dee-da, la-da-dee-da - La-da-dee-da, la-da-dee-da - La-da-dee-da, la-da-dee-da - La-da-dee-da, la-da-dee-da - La-da-dee-da, la-da-dee-da - La-da-dee-da, la-da-dee-da - La-da-dee-da, la-da-dee-da Thinkin' about you And thinkin' about me Unh, unh... There ain't no place I'd rather be -Thank you for watching our show.

-That was good music.

-Yeah, it was.

-I'll be the driver.

You be the looker-outer, okay?

-We really shouldn't be doing this.

-Oh.

That's nice shaky cam.

-Thank you.

-Oh, my God!

[ Crash, static ] Is that it?

-Well, I had to make sure that you weren't dead.

-Oh, here we go.

-What have you done?

-What have I done?

You didn't even help me, Miranda!

Oh, that is so messed up.

-Yes, you were.

For the record, this has nothing to do with me.

-Well, you were filming it.

-This was all Alexa.

-You know what, you are like one of those documentary makers who films the lemmings going off the cliff and doesn't stop them.

-I don't think lemmings actually do that.

And B, number two, you were the one who crashed the car.

-[ Groans ] -I was sure that I was gonna get blamed.

-Is that why you gave this video to Ms. Beecroft?

-How did you not get expelled?

-Ms. Beecroft told the police that she was driving.

She was just so good.

She, like, took me in her arms, gave me a big hug, and told me to start being honest with myself or I was gonna end up in jail.

And honestly, that was a turning point.

-You punched me in the face after that.

-Well, snitches get stitches.

-You were a bully.

-And you were a dobber.

-Ding.

-Ding.

-You know... Gemma's like you were.

Smart.

Strong.

Stubborn.

-Great left hook.

-No, but she does grow really great dope.

-And you destroyed it all.

-Most of it.

Want to destroy some more?

[ Down-tempo reggae plays ] [ Bell clangs, horn honks ] -There she is.

[ Chuckles ] What the hell?

-I had a very big night.

That's all you get.

-Double shot for you, then.

-To go, please.

-Double espresso to go, please.

-How's the double dipping going?

-[ Sighs ] What are you, a -- a life coach and a bread maker now?

-Come on, Georgie.

Truth hurts sometimes.

Just lay it on me.

-Hannah's staking me for the renovations, okay?

We're gonna expand upstairs.

-Yeah.

Well, I'm not your mother.

But are you crazy?

Your girlfriend's gonna be your business partner at the same time you want to doink someone else?

-Double shot to go.

-Thanks, babe.

-Oh, thank God.

Have a nice day.

-Thank you.

[ Up-tempo music plays ] [ Indistinct conversations, laughter ] [ Music continues ] -Alexa!

Hey!

How you going?

-Oh, hi, Gemma.

Oh.

Hello.

-Oh, sorry.

-Um, Alexa, this is my mum, Kate.

She's here for the parents' morning tea.

-Hello, Kate.

You must be very proud of your daughter.

-School dux.

But I always knew she'd do that.

-Mum.

-What did I always say -- ever since you were a kid?

-I'm special.

-Oh.

-Gemma's going to do law.

Maybe go into politics.

We need another smart woman in the Lodge.

-No doubt.

-Are you Gemma's teacher?

Is she needed?

-No.

I'm just an old girl looking in on muck-up day.

So I'll leave you to it.

She's a credit to you.

[ Music continues ] Hey, Mads.

What up?

-I've checked your expulsion-brigade girls against the school records.

It's all very discreet.

Nothing in writing to anyone.

-Yeah.

Nothing to dent the school image, I bet.

-Jasmine Liu was off sick that day.

Three of the girls had extra classes, and Gemma Shaw was in extension maths from 5:00 until 6:00.

-Where was that?

-Uh, Building C, Room 9.

-Oh, I know it well.

-Um, and there's another girl from the list you can cross off.

Kirsten Oldfield.

She was expelled at the start of the year.

-Also year 12?

-She was.

Gemma Shaw's roommate, too.

So if she had a deal with Mrs. Lee, something went wrong.

-That is interesting.

[ Down-tempo music plays ] The truth comes at a price.

[ Courtney Barnett's "Pedestrian At Best" plays ] - Put me on your pedestal and I'll only disappoint you [ Girls shouting, laughing ] Tell me I'm exceptional I promise to exploit you Give me all your money And I'll make some origami, honey I think you're a joke, but I don't find you very funny -Hey, have you seen Mrs. Lee anywhere?

Oh!

[ Screams ] -A reminder that our OHS guidelines expressly forbid the use of flour and water bombs today.

Thank you.

[ Indistinct conversations ] -Miranda.

-Are they behaving themselves?

-No.

-I hate this day.

-Listen, Miranda.

One or more of those kids out there tried to kill you.

We've got to get on top of this.

Look.

See this?

Now, the remnants of the poster that were taped to the boat do not match the tears on the poster trapped with Ms. Beecroft.

I mean, they're close, but they're not a match.

-So?

-It means there was more than one poster in the boat shed and that the murderer came back to collect them before you found Ms. Beecroft's body.

But they missed one.

-Ms. Beecroft would not want this.

The school's reputation is just gonna -- -A woman is dead, Miranda!

-Shh!

-Schools don't get to cover...up anymore.

-Ms. Beecroft dedicated her life to this school -- -Nope.

-You do not walk in here -- -Ms. Beecroft dedicated herself to us, the girls, all right?

And if you had channeled her instead of playing these power games, then -- -What?

None of this would have happened?

-Look.

The girls said you ripped down all the posters.

So where did the ones in the boat shed come from?

-Filing cabinet.

Bottom drawer.

Ms. Beecroft didn't want them all destroyed.

-Are you kidding me?

-She kept a stash of them.

-They're not there.

-Oh, no.

That can't be right.

There were at least half a dozen.

Oh, no.

That's weird.

-No, that's good.

Thanks, Miranda.

[ Up-tempo music plays ] All right.

You want a piece of me?

Huh?

[ Laughs ] Doughnut, doughnut, doughnut, doughnut -- -Aah!

-It's a clich.

-It's not meant for you.

It's a teacher trap.

-Well, good luck with that.

-It's just like catching rats.

Got to have the right bait.

-You're not wrong there.

-Yeah.

Course I'm not.

Otherwise I wouldn't have said it.

[ Down-tempo music plays ] -Aah!

[ Laughs ] -Oh, my God.

You nearly game me a heart attack.

-[ Laughing ] Sorry.

Um, what are you doing?

-I'm just trying to figure out some stuff.

-Cool.

Anything I can help you with?

-Maybe.

On March 12th, did you see anyone walking around when you were on your way to maths class?

-Uh...I don't know.

It was a long time ago.

-Huh.

Well, where were you before class?

-I was in my dorm.

-During the maths class, your teacher remembers that you left for about 10 minutes.

Did you see anything suspicious then?

-No.

I just went to the toilet.

-Thanks, Gemma.

That's a big help.

Well, I'm trying to make some kind of headway.

Oh, Mads.

I am in the very room where I first learned about Fibonacci's numbers.

-Oh, they're so cool.

I still count the pointy bits on pine cones when I get a chance.

-Ha.

I just like knowing that zero is a real number.

-Hey, I've checked out Gemma's hydroponic rig.

-How'd you do that?

-From Miranda's phone.

People sometimes don't know their iPhone is saving everything to the cloud automatically.

-Oh, I see.

You retrieved them from the cloud.

-Yeah.

"Retrieved" is a great way to put it.

-I am in Room C9, looking out the window.

-I'm sure this is important.

-I've got a lovely view of the path to the boat shed.

I can see the rat take the cheese.

-I'll send them through.

-Okay.

I'll take a look at them.

[ Indistinct conversations, laughter ] [ Down-tempo music plays ] [ Telephone ringing ] Mads, can you run down the hardware store for me?

I need you to get something.

[ Music continues ] [ Indistinct conversations, laughter ] -Hello?

-Reach for it, Gemma.

-Lee said you wanted to see me.

-Well, that's everything you've always wanted.

-What?

-Just step up on the boat rack and grab it.

You're not going to, are you?

You think I loosened the screws, like you did?

[ Down-tempo music plays ] -I'm sorry.

I don't know what you're talking about.

-You knew where the posters were hidden in Ms. Beecroft's office.

You'd been in there enough times with her.

You laid out the bait.

All those Access All Areas posters leading to the boat shed.

You knew Mrs. Lee would be doing her rounds at 6:00 p.m., and you knew she hated that group.

[ Music continues ] So you took one and stuck it to the top boat.

And then you used a wrench to loosen the coach screws that hold the rack to the wall.

It was the same wrench that you used for the dope garden under the roof space.

I saw it in a picture that Mrs. Lee took last year.

-She said she wiped those photos.

-Yeah, but -- pfft -- I found them.

So you went back to your maths class...and you waited.

You probably thought Ms. Beecroft had gone home at her normal time, so what a shock when you saw her taking the bait instead.

[ Music continues ] And you race out of the maths class... and you try to get here -- but too late.

[ Metal clattering ] So what do you do... when you see that nice old lady on the ground?

Do you panic?

No.

'Cause you're nothing if not resilient.

You go on with the plan, and you collect up the posters to make the plan not seem so obvious.

But you missed one.

-That's a fantasy.

You've got nothing.

-I've got motive.

A conviction for growing dope would mean no legal career, no politics, no power.

And you couldn't trust Mrs. Lee to stick with the bargain, could you?

Not after she'd expelled Kirsten.

No, 'cause Kirsten was on the same deal as you.

-We both know Lee's a liar.

-Really?

-You know, you really needed to dispose of the, uh, wrench more carefully.

[ Music continues ] Gemma, I've seen you with your mother.

Disappointing her is not an option, is it?

-Gemma.

-I'm s-- -Gemma, what have you done?

-I'm sorry.

-What have you done?

-No.

-Come here.

Come here.

Come here.

-[ Sobs ] -Come here.

Come here.

Come here.

Come -- Come here.

Come here.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

[ Down-tempo music plays ] -Sorry.

[ Sobs ] [ Music continues ] [ Birds squawking ] [ Indistinct conversations, laughter ] [ Door closes ] -Hey.

-Hi.

Sorry.

[ Exhales deeply ] -So young Gemma's confessed to the whole thing.

She's a bit of a mess.

-Yeah.

Gemma's a kid.

Borderline genius, maybe, but still just a kid under pressure.

-It's lucky you found that wrench.

-Or a picture of the wrench.

You know, Madison found an exact replica.

-Mm.

Are you gonna eat something?

I could murder a gnocchi.

-Yeah.

-You know, if that wrench turns up in court, we -- -All I know is I do things my own way, and I think Ms. Beecroft would approve.

That's all I care about tonight.

Hey, George.

How's things?

-Hey.

You were right, and, uh, I don't want to talk about it.

-What was I right about?

-No renovations.

Just honesty.

-Oh, the price of truth.

-Yeah.

-But, uh... ...usually worth paying, right?

-Yeah.

-Two gnocchi, please.

-Cheers.

-I think Ms. Beecroft had another win tonight.

[ Jazz music playing ] - Your little secret I will put it in the vault and throw away the key Oh, baby I'll put it in the vault and throw away the key