VI - In The Dark, See It Smiling

### 1. *85'*

In 1985, during the early hours of the morning, Cara and Tom await a police response to a home-invasion. Tom tries to convince his daughter the assailants were just 'punks', but she remembers them as demonic. One officer arrives after half an hour, claiming Derrick Thompson couldn't make the call. The officer tries to be friendly to the two as he takes questions, eventually kneeling down and speaking to Cara, who's photography has made the paper. The officer praises her, then reminds the two of them that nothing like this will happen to them again. He claims to be a big fan of Tom's books, and introduces himself as Officer Moylan.

21 years later, Cara receives a call from Laura Baker, the manager of a popular inn in Terara. She tells Cara that her guests were discussing a big crime scene near the property - catching Cara's attention. She thinks of Jed's secrecy around Glazkov and Lorraine, and intuitively believes the crime scene may be related.

Arriving at the scene, Cara soon realizes what appeared to be a simple car collision with a tree, instead appears to have the attention of homicide police. She searches for her police contact, Dean Ellis, but instead encounters a new patrolman, Officer Goering - who gives her little new information, other than that the driver appeared to flee on foot, severely injured.

She soon gets in contact with Ellis, who meets her down the road in secrecy. She records a brief conversation, in which Ellis simply states the facts. When Cara asks him, on record, if he believes the crime scene has any link to the Glazkov case, Ellis tells her it's too early to tell, and to speak to Detective Surrey for any details regarding that matter. Once Cara clicks her recorder off, Ellis tells her the two suspects in the Glazkov case are Michael Danton and James Kafkis, the previous owner of the crashed vehicle. She asks again, if the cases are connected - to which Ellis confirms they are, as Alexei's blood was found on the vehicle's dashboard.

### 2. *The Dive*

Jed sits out the front of Mike Danton's home, impatiently waiting for a response from Cara, who has failed to call him back. He begins to regret keeping her in the dark, but knows that it's necessary at this point. He sends her a text revealing where he is if anything were to happen. With an approximate two hour window, Jed proceeds to to meet and interview Mike. The man appears paranoid and unwell - initially suspecting Jed of being in-genuine until Jed reveals his identity. Mike recalls Jed's expulsion from the police force's circles in 1992, leading to him becoming a complete pariah and enemy of the force. This somehow makes Mike, who is an ex-cop, more comfortable with revealing his story with Jed.

The first condition of the interview is that Jed may not under any circumstance record it. Danton, however, will have his own private recording. Moylan points out the flaws in this, however, as the police may find Danton's recording and expose Jed. Mike tells him they won't find it. As Danton's recording begins, he then goes to heavily imply that Jed is connected to several figures of the underworld, which rubs Moylan the wrong way, and he becomes increasingly defensive. Danton then implies that the police force is both Jed's and his own enemy. Mike explains his doubt within he and Alexei's Sergeant, a Will Dresden - which Jed remembers from years ago.

Danton goes on, heavily implicating Dresden in corruption and deception. Tim White, an old criminal informant working as a police officer, is brought up - with Mike claiming Dresden held the band of officers together like a regime, and when White was implicated in a crime, Dresden did everything in his power to make sure the other officers defended him too. He tells Jed he was always afraid of Will Dresden.

Upon asking about Glazkov's visit to Danton the day he disappeared, Mike tells him that Alexei had bought a car, and had plans to quit his job and take a road trip. He begins to insinuate Alexei was deeply troubled, even haunted by something - before bringing up that all the officers from their old crew are being picked off, one by one. This is the most substantial surprise to Jed, who knew nothing of any other disappearances. Mike claims Tim White, Henry Kafkis, and now Alexei are all missing - with White vanishing out on a call into the Currambene Forest. This leads Jed to suspect Frank may even be involved.

In a matter of minutes, Mike brings up that Henry Kafkis has not returned from a holiday in Fiji. It is then that Arthur Surrey knocks on Mike's door. Jed quickly gets up, grabs the recorder as Mike delays Surrey, then leaves out the backdoor, tripping on a covered sandpit. Jed jumps a fence, then makes his way back onto the street, where he turns Danton's recorder off.

### 3. *Dawncall*

Luke sleeps in on his third day in Nowra, frustrated with the cards he's been dealt. He drowsily gets up and ponders how he can create an independent life for himself - one where he doesn't need Sarah or Mace.

Drying off after the shower, Luke sees Mace and Kurt enter through the front door. He has an awkward exchange with a disorientated, aloof Mace before having some small chit-chat with Kurt. He then goes and speaks with Mace alone, and asks what has happened to him. Mace almost breaks, admitting he doesn't know what he's doing - but that Luke wouldn't understand. Luke criticizes Mace for not reaching out to him at all, and tells him he's going to get a cellphone and a job, without Mace's help. As he leaves him alone, Luke asks Kurt where the two of them had been, and if Mace seemed okay. Kurt tells him they went back to his house, but that Mace became very strange as they left. Suddenly, Mace emerges from his study and asks the boys if they want to go see a movie. Luke is baffled.

At the Roxy Cinema, Luke notices Mace is hardly paying any attention to the film, and instead leaves to go to the bathroom multiple times, which Luke sees as suspicious.

Mace is, in fact, erratically trying to get in touch with Jed. When all the calls ring out, Mace throws his phone in rage at the wall, practically destroying it. He realizes he'll need a phone to get in contact with Grace - so he tells the boys that he'll be back to pick them up later, then heads to Lana's cafe. Luke, meanwhile, is furious with Mace, believing the whole story to be a lie.

Arriving at The Jamaica Blue, Mace learns from an employee that Lana is not rostered on today. He quickly drives back home, where he sees her walking out of his neighbour's driveway. He loses his temper at her, to which she becomes very defensive, telling him she took the day off work, and has been hanging out with her neighbor, Elliot Short. After taking Lana's phone to call Grace, and failing, Mace has a sort of breakdown, falling asleep under his desk.

At the Roxy, Kurt and Luke wait for twenty minutes for Mace to pick them up. Luke tries to contain his fury.