The Dry

Tell me a story.

Aaron, Gerry Hadler.

It's been a while.

You need to be here.

For the funeral.

Luke's funeral.

We're expecting you.

Weather forecast.

Once again, there is no rain in sight,

with continuing drought conditions

and ongoing fire danger across the state.

In related news...

almost 70% is now drought-declared.

Regional areas are receiving drought assistance

from the State Government, although with limited impact,

as farming communities struggle with the worst...

communities across the country

are bracing for another dangerous

bush fire season this summer.

The Bushfire and Natural Hazards Research Centre

says a hot winter and...

You're not one of them TV journalists, are you?

No, I'm an old mate of Luke's, actually.

Bloody tragic.

We gather this morning in sadness

in this time of trouble and devastating drought.

We come to honour the lives of Karen and Billy...

and Luke.

This is yet another hardship

through which our community must bond together.

We do so with sadness, but with a sense of promise.

As we pray together

in the name of the Father and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit...

- Move! - Come on, come on!

- Catch, Gretchen. - Oh, thanks.

This is bloody beautiful. Hurry up.

Jealous?

As if, Gretchen.

- Ellie's jealous! - Oh!

You look like shit.

How are you, Gretchen?

I still can't believe it.

I was wondering if you'd be here.

Yeah, well, where else would I be?

Come on. Barb and Gerry have booked the hall.

Everyone's been making sandwiches.

Hey, Lachie! Gentle!

Yeah, Luke said you had a kid.

Did he?

Poor little thing. He's in the same class as Billy.

I don't know how you're meant to explain to a kid how...

Did Luke say anything to you?

No.

You know, I was meant to give him a call,

but, you know, just never, you know...

You don't need to make excuses. We all feel guilty.

I'll just put these over here.

We just wanted to thank you all

for coming here today

to... to pay your respects to Karen and to Billy.

What's happened has been a terrible thing,

but we hope that eventually

you'll be able to remember Luke the way he was before.

He was a friend to many of you

and he loved that family of his.

Yeah, till he butchered 'em.

Oh, not today.

Hey, I came here to drink for the kid and Karen, alright?

Not celebrate a murderer.

- Oh! - Shut up, Grant.

Not now, not fuckin' never.

- Oi! - Call that running?!

- Come on! - Aaron!

Whoo-hoo! - Whoo-hoo! Come on, Luke!

Whoo! Hey, Gretchen.

What took you so long?

Ellie.

Stay back, Mal.

Ellie?

This is Charlotte.

Oh, she's struggling with the formula.

And she's so restless, aren't you, darling?

There we are. Oh...

Gerry says I waste water on the roses.

Oh, it's just a bucket after a shower.

They're still hanging on.

- Hey, Gerry. - Aaron.

Sit down.

How are you both coping?

Well, thank you for asking.

Most people who come here

can't even look us in the eye, can they, Gerry?

Obviously, Luke didn't do it.

He wouldn't, and you know that.

He wouldn't do it to himself

and he certainly wouldn't do it to that beautiful family.

And that's why we've...

we've been wondering if you would help us.

Barb's got a theory.

When we let Luke have the farm,

obviously, we thought we were helping him.

But over the last couple of weeks, I've been thinking.

You know, with the drought so bad

and everybody's desperate,

there's the wheat crop failing and...

Now, if he had to borrow from someone

and... and then he couldn't pay them back,

now, they might have come to the farm...

Barb, if you're worried about how the investigation ran,

um, I could possibly put you in touch

with some people I know in Melbourne.

No, no. We... we saw you on the news.

- The Pemberley case. - Right.

And we were all following that, and you got the money back.

And Luke was so proud that you were his friend.

You'll look at the books before you head home?

Well, legally, I'm not actually allowed to interfere in an...

You look.

For Barb's sake.

You lied back then, Aaron.

Luke lied as well. I've always known.

The day that... that poor girl drowned, I...

I saw Luke coming back from the river,

nowhere near the field you boys said you were in.

- We were shooting rabbits. - Bullshit!

I loved my son.

But you tell me,

if he did this now...

could he have done it then?

To Ellie?

Maybe if...

if either of us had told the truth back then, then maybe...

I'll take a look at the books, OK?

But then I'm gone.

Ellie!

Luke...

Don't!

Luke! Let go of her!

What are you doing? Luke, she can't breathe!

Let go!

- The fuck is wrong with you?! - I'm sorry, Ellie!

We have a two-night minimum.

Right, I'm just staying the one night, so...

Right.

Thank you.

Alright, I've got full-strength or mid.

- Um... - I'm out of mid.

Oh, you beauty!

I'm on a roll!

How are you goin'?

You haven't changed at all, have you? Hmm?

'Cause I've been seeing your face in my dreams for...

fuck knows how long.

Isn't that right, Uncle Mal?

- Look who's here. - Why are you back, Falk?

I thought you got the message.

You bring the kid with ya?

That son of yours, that bloody son,

is he back here as well with you?

Sit down. He is the son. Just sit down.

It's alright.

You've gone and upset him now.

You see, he thinks you're your prick of a father.

It's OK, Mr Deacon.

OK, is it? Just like that, Falk?

All OK? Hmm?

I never got a chance to say back in the day, but I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for your loss.

I'm sorry about Ellie.

You fuck off right now.

What, do you want me to fuckin' help you with that, do you?

Well, that's the thing, Grant, about being a public bar.

Anyone can drink here

and now that includes him and you.

Yeah, the problem's not with him being in the bar.

It's a problem with him being in Kiewarra at all.

Now, you understand this, and you tell your boy.

There's nothing here for you at all

other than a whole load of people

who remember what your son...

did to my daughter.

Oh, chill out, Gretch. I was just muckin' around.

I wasn't gonna bloody drown her.

You could have killed her.

OK. Alright. I'm fuckin' sorry!

Sorry, Ellie! Sorry!

Far out. Chill the fuck out.

Yeah, alright. Settle. Settle.

- Funny? - Alright.

You think it's funny? Yeah?

- Yes. - Funny? Really funny.

I'm sorry.

Idiot.

Ellie, let's get away from this.

- Stop it! - Come on!

It was pretty funny!

What's wrong with you?

Where is the dirty fuckin' pig, eh?!

You're fucked! Where are ya?