Exiles

Falk goes for a run and comes across a football oval where Shane is playing. Falk then sees an entrance to the reservoir he didn’t know about and follows the trail. At Dean’s memorial plaque, he sees Joel cleaning graffiti. Falk tells Joel about losing his father a few years prior and offers to help. As they clean, Joel voices his frustrations about Dwyer and asks about Zara. Falk can tell that Joel has an unrequited crush on Zara. Gemma arrives. Joel thanks Falk and heads home. Gemma invites Falk for a drink at the festival.

Falk sits with Gemma at the festival. He tells her he uses the planner she bought him and compliments the festival. He shares memories about a festival he and his father went to in Kiewarra and memories about watching Shane play football. Gemma gets a call, but before she leaves, she explains to Falk that she didn’t give him her number because she didn’t want a long-distance relationship. She assures him that she is attracted to him, and he thanks her for telling him.

Falk, Rita, and Raco have wine outside his guesthouse. Falk tells them what Dwyer mentioned: although many people saw Kim the night she disappeared, no one testified to talking to her. Raco says that after the disappearance he followed up on everyone’s alibi, and there are only a few minutes unaccounted for. He remained suspicious, however, because Zoe was left alone, which was completely out of character for Kim.

The next day, Falk walks to the festival. He meets Raco, Rita, and their children, Henry and Eva. Rita and Henry go off to find baby rides while Eva stays with Raco and Falk. They see Dwyer and his wife collecting money for a charity that helps families of people who misuse alcohol. Raco says that Dwyer’s loss of his daughter might motivate him to solve Kim and Dean’s cases. Falk and Raco consider how Kim might have exited the festival, but they remain uncertain. Raco says he and Dwyer watched the available security footage but didn’t see her.

They follow the fence around the festival grounds. Raco doesn’t think Kim could have climbed the fence just six weeks after giving birth to Zoe. Falk says someone would have noticed if she did. Raco confirms that there was no gap in the fence last year where she could have slipped through. Near the Ferris wheel, they reconnect with Rita and Henry. Eva asks to ride it, and they climb aboard, discussing where Falk saw Kim waving from last year. From the top of the Ferris wheel, they can see the whole festival and the land beyond.

Falk walks back to the vineyard, where Charlie, Naomi, Rohan, and Zara are setting up the barn for Henry’s christening. Charlie has Falk taste a wine, which he likes but doesn’t know how to describe (not being a wine connoisseur). Naomi, who is friendly with Charlie, also tries it and compliments it. They talk about Shane not drinking for the past few years, and Charlie thanks Falk for helping Shane with the spreadsheets. They reiterate that Shane is unhappy with the accountant. Rohan complains that Dwyer is incompetent as he is unable to solve either Dean or Kim’s case.

Raco, Rita, and their kids arrive from the festival. Rohan says Dwyer had him come to the police station to go over his statement from the night Kim disappeared. Dwyer asked why Kim didn’t go to dinner with Rohan and his parents. Rohan said Kim and his mother didn’t get along, but he regrets not insisting that she come. Charlie mentions that Kim avoided the reservoir after the party where she was apparently assaulted almost 20 years ago. He says he told the police about her avoiding the place. Rohan leaves.

After Charlie goes into his office, Raco tells Falk that Charlie is correct about Kim avoiding the reservoir. However, Raco and Falk feel like they are “missing something” (205). Raco goes to help Rita with Henry and Eva. Falk takes paint thinner to clean Dean’s memorial plaque, and Zara joins him and invites Joel. As they walk to the reservoir, they talk about Charlie still being in love with Kim and Naomi having a crush on Charlie. Falk thinks about Joel’s crush on Zara.

As they clean the plaque, Joel asks Falk if Dean might have been killed over a financial matter. Falk says it is difficult to fake a car accident. Joel shows Falk a video on his phone of the crash site just after the accident. Gemma is in the video, and Falk feels bad watching it without her consent. Something looks off to him, and he asks Joel to send him the video. Gemma texts Joel and invites Zara and Falk for dinner.

At dinner, Falk tells the others about an entertaining case. After dinner, Gemma invites Falk for a beer on the veranda. She thanks him for helping clean the plaque, and he tells her about the video. They discuss Joel’s ideas about his father’s death and the rumors that Dean ran off with a client’s money before the accident. They discuss Falk’s lack of a work-life balance and how he finds “cracking the case” very fulfilling (219). She discusses the process of leaving her job in California.

Falk and Gemma hold hands until Zara comes out and says she needs to get back to the vineyard for christening preparations. Falk says goodbye to Gemma and leaves with Zara. As they walk along the reservoir trail, they talk about Joel’s unrequited crush on Zara. Zara also hints at the chemistry between Falk and Gemma.