_
Oh, take a hint, Joe Burt.
You need to be realistic about what's still out there.
So we already hold the licences
for the initial wind monitoring,
and the measurements so far are very promising.
You thought I wouldn't be able to pay for dinner, didn't you?
_
What did she mean? Run - like, run away?
Or... Or...
Run... Ha-ha!
_
Joe, your phone.
So, how'd you go trusting Joe?
Good, I think.
Now when I start worrying,
I just tell myself...
everything's fine.
_
Are you playing me?
Would you prefer the downstairs study or the upstairs?
I want you to write.
To bloom.
I need to be alone.
I need to sit on my boat for a bit.
But I'm thinking of you.
We're all worried about you.
Call me back.
Anton says you're not answering your phone.
Why not?
I can see you're reading my messages.
Birdie, why are you playing games and not responding?
It's hurtful.
..hurtful.
_
Oh, I can't watch it.
Oh, it's embarrassing.
The child's unwell.
Leave her be.
Oh...
I really wanted to kiss you.
You're quite madcap, aren't you?
I love you.
_
We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves...
You're quite madcap, aren't you?
infinite expectation...
I love you.
- Ugh! - That's enough.
Oh, for God's sake.
I didn't wallow like this when your father died.
Come on.
You can get over a man. Come on.
*CREDITS*
There you go.
I did wonder.
I mean, who turns up at dinner in a crumpled shirt?
You know, some music will cheer you up.
Turn it off, Mum.
I don't remember it being so...
Seventh floor.
How are you doing?
Is this an investigation yet?
- Will you help me? - Yeah, of course.
I don't understand any of this.
Yeah. OK... land title searches.
Full name and birth date.
Uh, Joe Roland Burt.
The 2nd of the 5th, 1967.
Do you have an address? His house on the Yarra?
It's 14 Yarra Boulevard, Kew.
Documents will be back in an hour.
Why didn't I let you just do the search?
Hey, don't beat yourself up.
It's the social contract, we trust people.
Till we can't.
What the fuck has he done to me?
Land title documents are back.
Oh...
The house is in her name.
Of course. Mary.
- Who is she? - His ex-wife.
Maybe he transferred it to her for...
business or tax reasons?
Uh, no, it's been in her name for 20 years.
No sign of Mary.
She has health issues. Mary's being thrown out.
He called her crazy Mary.
If a guy tells you his ex is crazy, run.
Here is her phone number.
Call her. See what you can find out.
- What's this? - Broken collarbone.
- Mary. - Mary broke your collarbone?
Yeah, pushed me off a ladder.
Hello, Harry speaking.
Hello?
Oh, hi. Could I please speak with Mary Walsh?
Mum, it's for you!
Yeah?
Hello, my name's Birdie Bell.
I was hoping to ask you some questions
about... Joe Burt.
Listen, I'm sorry if he broke your heart.
We are no longer married. He doesn't live here anymore.
Please don't call again.
Oh, your millionaire boyfriend
is an undischarged fucking bankrupt.
- What does that mean? - He's still in it.
Oh, my God!
How's he getting away with it?
This is insane.
_
Yeah, the Defender's a collector's item.
I'm doing some soul searching,
and I've decided not to go through with...
..use your credit card. I don't have a credit card.
I refuse to pay the bloody bank fees.
Joe's been in bankruptcy for three times longer than normal
for refusing to work with a trustee.
I'm emailing you a credit list of everyone he owes money to.
Could you just enjoy this a little bit less?
Just a bit.
This is someone I was in love with.
_
- Is Shirley Burt a relation? - I don't know.
He's got a criminal record, Birdie.
What?
In, um, 2017, he went to court.
Represented himself.
_
Using a false instrument?
- What? - Usually a forgery-related charge.
Something to do with Eagle's Nest Architecture.
Responsible architect listed as Peter van Rotterdam.
My ex-business partner, Peter.
Stuck with him a bit too long, unfortunately.
You have to talk to the business partner.
I have a disgusting amount of money.
You must be Birdie.
- Hi. - Eliza Caldwell.
- Are you feeling better? - Yes, thank you.
Yeah, thanks for approving my leave.
If you've got a sec, I would love to chat through the next issue.
Pitch it.
Pitch this.
Expose him.
Peggy... N...
- No. - It's an amazing story.
No, I'm not going to do that.
Maybe it will help you understand it all, Birdie.
Virginia really talked you up.
Said I should get you on some longer-form features articles.
So, what do you want to write about?
Ah, well, there's a new food security report from the UN.
Lina Malik has a, um, new restaurant opening.
Oh, yeah, I follow her on Insta. Do her.
OK.
Birdie, if you have any other pitches, my door's always open.
Thank you.
_
Tessa. Tessa Rain.
Smartest woman I ever met.
You want to know about Joe?
He's a compulsive liar.
We spent 20 years at Eagles Nest,
and everything was over
before I even knew there was a problem.
He used a forged document on a planning application.
He'd hid the mail.
It wasn't until papers were served to my residential address
after two years that, um...
I discovered that I'd been found guilty
of professional misconduct.
Joe listed me as responsible architect.
He was like a brother to me.
I mean, I was best man at his wedding to Mary.
You know, he said Mary had mental health problems.
- Mary? - Episodes.
No.
She was a lovely woman. Even keel.
Great mother.
He said she broke his collarbone.
He was obsessed with her.
Mary thought an intruder was trying to break in
through a window.
She had to push the ladder off the wall.
She called the police,
found Joe in the garden.
I think you should file a police report.
What?
No.
What crime is there to report?
At the very least, fraud.
At the other end,
rape by deception.
Oh, Peggy.
Oh, no, no. No, no, no.
I was a very willing participant.
How can you consent
when he's lied about the most basic facts of his identity?
He misrepresented himself.
When a person lies to obtain money, we call it theft.
When someone lies to enter private property,
- we call it trespass. - I can't go there.
Sorry.
He misrepresented himself.
In court, when someone lies to get money...
when they lie to enter private property,
we call it trespass.
Should the law afford less protection
to a person's body...?
..violated you in every way...
- Birdie Bell? - What?
It's me, Allan.
- What are you doing here? - Where's Joe?
I don't know.
I need to find him. I'm in trouble.
Joe's not returning my calls.
I couldn't find his office upstairs.
He doesn't have an office upstairs.
My investors are running out of patience.
I need to know when the government
is announcing the new red zones.
You confirmed it at our meeting,
at Yakimono - the meeting Joe arranged for us?
That was the first time I'd met him.
It was a date.
He said...
He said you had access to confidential briefs
from the minister's office.
He said not to approach you directly about it
due to the sensitive nature of the information.
The writing's on the wall for coal, right?
Birdie Bell here says the writing's on the wall.
Right.
Allan, I don't have access to confidential ministerial briefs.
I'm sorry. I don't know... I...
None of this makes sense. I can't help you.
Birdie, don't do anything dangerous, OK?
I'm just down at the local pub with some of my farm mates.
We've, uh, fixed the fence.
My friend, Billy Bass.
What can I get you?
Uh, I'm... I'm looking for someone.
He's a regular here?
Well, the fish is.
Never seen the bloke.
Uh, he owns some land, south of the highway.
Only blockies down there. Weekenders.
You know, cartons of beer and weekend shooters,
that sort of thing.
If he told you he was living down there,
I reckon he's having you on, darl.
It's more like a shed, really, but it's mine.
A place to retreat to...
when the pressures of the world get a little bit too much.
_
You're the first woman I've brought out here.
Hope it's not too rough and ready for you.
Oi! No trespassing!
Didn't you see the sign?
It's more like a shed, really, but it's mine.
..but it's mine.
_
My day.
Thanks, babe, for the thought,
but save your pennies.
I'm doing some soul searching
and I've decided not to go through with Eldorado.
I don't want to go down the path of ego.
I need to get back to Walden, and the simple life.
Hi, Birdie. It's Susan.
I'm happy to pass on Kirsty's number,
but we don't really speak anymore.
Joe won't let her talk to me,
or any of her other friends.
Good luck!
Hi, you've called Tessa Rain. Please leave a message.
Tessa, it's Birdie Bell.
I got your message.
I'd love to meet.
I'm trying to understand my relationship with...
Joe Burt.
I'm thinking about writing a story, an article.
He talked about you a lot.
Oh, God.
Bleugh.
I met him on an app.
Yeah. Me too.
I went on a few dates with him, and, um...
then he started talking about
how he was going to buy a house for me.
He told me that...
you got in the shower, fully clothed, to embrace him.
No, I just knew something was off.
My guts just knew. It was all the lies.
It was a couple of months of being vaguely interested in him
and three years beating myself up
for ignoring all the blazing red flags.
I know.
Yeah, with people like Joe, it never ends.
There's never any closure.
You just decide to leave.
Oh.
He's still on there, you know?
I almost matched with him the other day.
_
You know, he's got to be this big, grandiose guy.
He gets off on it.
You think it's all about you, then, one day, you realise
he doesn't care about you at all.
You're just a prop in his fantasy play.
You're listed as the main creditor
to whom Joe owes money.
You'd do anything for your children.
And... it's not easy for Joe.
He has a hard time.
He lost your house.
You know this, Mum.
No.
Joe is the clever one.
And it was the bank that lost the payments.
- Mum... - I know, I know.
The bank says it's a lie.
And that if I see my son Joe,
I'm to tell the nurses immediately.
Well, I could never do that.
Uh... He told me that you lived in New Zealand.
Oh.
Oh, how lovely.
I honeymooned there.
I saw a volcano.
I want to go home now.
It's OK, Mum.
Look, please don't use our names in the article,
for Mum's sake.
Do you know where he might be living?
Someone saw him showering at the marina.
And down at the river near Mum's.
Well, thank you for coming.
It's really helpful.
Have you seen Joe?
Is he happy?
Yeah, I... I thought he was.
I have to confront him, if I'm going to publish.
- Where are you going? - I know where he is.
I'll text you when I get home.
Joe?
_
Can I help you?
Oh, hi. Sorry.
Do you know this boat? The Blue Loon?
Mm-hm.
I'm looking for the owner. Um...
He has a red kelpie. You might have seen him?
This is him.
He's not the owner.
He came to look a couple of times.
His kids crawled all over it.
Said he'd pay the deposit, never saw him again.
Right.
Well, if you...
if you do see him again,
would you mind giving me a call, 'cause I'm trying to find him?
Thank you.
You have one new message.
Good morning, Birdie.
I heard whispers you might be writing about me.
I'm flattered, really.
I always thought my life would make a good movie.
Anyhoo, Mercy's been learning some new tricks,
and, uh, spending lots of time on my boat.
Life's good these days.
Getting fit again. Yep.
Losing the little potbelly, pumping a little iron.
Mm. Looking at a few new properties.
Joe?
_
You know, I heard such a similar story
from a friend in New York.
Are you ready to publish?
I have all my evidence, and I've sent it to legal.
And you gave this guy a key?
- Yes. - Get your locks changed.
Hi, Kirsty.
My name's Birdie Bell.
I'm calling because
there's an article coming out this weekend.
It's about my experience with Joe Burt.
Hi, Mary. It's Birdie Bell.
There's an article coming out this weekend about Joe.
And I wanted to let you and your children know
so that it wasn't a shock.
New keys. Locks are all done.
Thanks.
I've read your article. Um...
It's certainly revealing.
It was quite brave, I suppose.
Babe, we've read it. Loved it.
You are amazing, brilliant, courageous...
Ah, speak later, yeah?
_
Dear Birdie, you don't know me,
but I wanted to thank you for your article.
Your story is my story.
My Joe moved fast. He told me he loved me.
He'll say anything to get...
- tells me it's MY fault... - Lies...
..he made me feel like I was crazy...
- My Joe just vanished... - ..then he tells me...
My Joe...
Dear Birdie,
I read your article this morning.
I must admit I was not aware
of just how obsessed you are with me.
A few corrections, if I may.
To be clear, I never said Mary was crazy.
I said she was having trouble with her medication.
And secondly...
Morning!
oh, my God, Birdie, your article!
The traffic has gone bananas.
So many Facebook reshares.
Women, men too - they're all warning each other.
I got 60 emails this morning.
Phenomenal response, Birdie.
ABC Radio have been in touch
and they want to get you on the show this morning to talk about Joe.
Oh, and we'll need a follow-up for online this afternoon.
No, I... I did this to be finished with him.
This is a good thing.
You've tapped into something big.
Birdie? Birdie, are you OK?
Yeah, I'm OK. I just need some air.
My Joe made me feel...
My Joe's excuses just don't make sense...
My Joe has a lot going on.
My Joe turned up right when I'd given up on...
- My Joe never felt anything. - He told me he loved me.
- My Joe... - My Joe...
- My Joe never... - My Joe...
- My Joe's...
My Joe is a fake.
_
We all carry a weight.
Look, it's interesting. I mean...
How can anyone really know
what someone else brings to the table?
Hm? How should I know that, you know,
I should have turned around and run?
New beginnings.
Eyes.
*CREDITS*