III - Webs

### 1. *A Clipped Pisces*

In 1973, Cara Searle, a young girl from Nowra, begins school. There, she meets her best-friend, Nick Broker. Meanwhile, her father, Tom Searle, a reporter, - is writing a crime novel. He explains to Cara that her mother has flown up into the sky, and that Cara will too, one day.

In 1978, Tom decides to move he and Cara into his father's newly bought home in Shoalhaven Heads. This upsets Cara greatly; feeling isolated from Nick and Nowra. Around this time, Tom begins spending time with a policeman called Derrick, who begins helping him with his next book.

On Cara's tenth birthday, Nick rides to Shoalhaven Heads from Nowra just to say happy birthday. Cara never forgets this gesture. By 1981, Tom desires his old job back in Nowra as he struggles with his second book.

Shortly after moving back, Tom's book is released to huge success. Meanwhile, Cara is adapting to grade five at school, where new students have joined since she left. Nick takes a fancy to one in particular, a girl called Isabella. Nick eventually approaches her and asks to go see a movie. She accepts, much to Cara's confusion. When the weekend arrives, Cara realizes she is feeling strong jealousy towards the two, and decides she will go to the movies by herself in a sort of protest. However, on the way, she runs into her friend, Stella, who takes her to see her brother's play. Cara and Stella become closer in this time; even encouraging Cara to begin photography when she starts fiddling with Stella's Polaroid camera. Tom soon buys her a Polaroid, too.

Cara excels in her English class as she distances herself from Nick for a time. Just before the summer holidays, however, Nick gets back in touch with her, asking for things to return to normal. After briefly teasing him about Isabella, she accepts, and a group is merged, consisting of her, Isabella, Nick and Stella. They spend 1982's New Year's Eve on the riverbank, watching the fireworks.

### 2. *Royalties*

In 2006, Cara awakes to a phone-call at her partner's side of the bed. She drowsily associates the call with a past case of her partner's; involving an out of control band front-man, Red Lyndon, reaching out to her partner, Jed Moylan, a private investigator. Cara reflects on how the agreement of Jed and Cara receiving 'royalties' from the band's music *if* Jed found his stolen equipment was a broken deal from the beginning. As the phone call by Jed's side rings in the present day, she remembers how Red worsened the situation by taking matters into his own hands, and soon vanishing.

In the morning, she asks Jed about the call in the middle of the night. He tells her the contact was Mace Lorraine; a real estate agent from Jed's past. She remembers the name from a notorious crime years ago, and tries to gently prod further into the reason of his call. Jed reveals the ex-husband of Mace's wife has disappeared, and he now has the child to look after. He drops the conversation there, leading Cara to believe Jed is hiding elements of the case from her, as well his relationship with Lorraine. As he drops off at work later, she reminds him that she's still 'his partner', to which she gauges his response as counterfeit, believing that if he wouldn't tell her about Lorraine *now,* then he never would.

### 3. *Gone Fishin'*

Kurt awakes at the Lorraine's, desperate to personally help find his father. He talks to Grace on the phone, telling her there is no way he could go to school in his current state. He soon decides that he will try and speak to Mike Danton himself, as he may have lied to Mace, but 'would not lie to Alexei's son'.

Meanwhile, Mace is planning out his day; trying to decide on a work-related decision - whether to give a house up for sale to a young couple, the Irvings, or a retired old entrepreneur, Frank Fisher, buying the home for his daughter. He decides he will put the decision in his assistant, Meg Slater's hands, once she overlooks both Irving and Fisher documents and references. Before leaving, Mace wakes Luke up and tells him he needs him to watch over Kurt for a few hours. Kurt then asks Mace directly when he can speak to Mike, which Mace assures him that the police will do that *for* him, and Kurt will be able to contribute to the investigation in his own way, in time. This gives Kurt some comfort.

On his way to the office, Mace decides that Jed can never meet Kurt, *or* his wife, as she 'would never understand.'