The Dry

The next morning, Falk shows Raco the receipt. Falk cannot figure out why Karen wrote his phone number with Grant's name, especially because he had never received a call from her. The officers take Grant into the station for questioning, excited about this new lead. Grant insists he was digging ditches with coworkers the day of the murders, and claims this is “a witch hunt” to pin the murders on him and Deacon. Falk asks Grant about inheriting the farm when Deacon dies, and Grant suggests there is a deeper reason Deacon is leaving it to him but does not clarify why. They discuss the financial appeal of the Deacon and Hadler properties next to each other, and Grant ultimately asserts he had no relationship with Karen and believes Falk is not confident enough to frame him for the murders.

On Monday afternoon in Whitlam's office, Falk and Raco look through the school's security footage from the day the Hadlers died. They notice that after buckling the children in, Karen paused by her car, possibly crying. The caretaker left the parking lot at 4:30 p.m., and Whitlam left after 7 o’clock in the evening, at which point he had been informed about Karen and Billy’s deaths. Falk, Raco, and Constable Barnes spend the rest of the day in the station meticulously combing through the footage from the school and from the three security cameras in town. Constable Barnes notices Jamie driving through the alley by the pharmacy at 4:41 p.m. on Thursday, about an hour before Karen and Billy were found dead. The officers decide to interrogate Jamie tomorrow to find out why he lied about his alibi.

Falk stops by the convenience store where Ellie used to work to pick up some food. When the shop owner recognizes Falk, he refuses to help him, because of the rumors Mandy Vaser has spread about Falk in the park. Sympathizing with Falk, Raco invites him over for dinner.

Falk enjoys a pleasant meal with Raco and his wife, Rita. They avoid talking about the case, and Rita confides in Falk, sharing that she has temporarily given up her career so that Raco could become a sergeant in Kiewarra and impress his father. Rita had heard some rumors about Falk's past, and asks, “[T]hat’s partly why you’re here yourself, isn’t it? For your father” (208). Falk has a flashback to the day he and Erik left town, when Deacon followed them for more than 100 kilometers before finally turning around. Erik then pulled over and demanded Falk tell him the truth, unsure of his own son's innocence. Hurt and defensive, Falk asked his father why his name was on it, then insists he was with Luke. They began a new life in Melbourne, pretending that the events in Kiewarra never happened.

Back in his room, Falk's shower is interrupted by McMurdo, urgently telling him to come to the bar. Jamie and Grant had started fighting because Grant accused Jamie of killing the Hadlers, and Whitlam had mistakenly gotten in the way, leaving him with a broken nose. Raco arrives on the scene, mentioning he has Dr. Leigh on standby if needed. Jamie looks worried at the mention of the doctor.

Falk reminds Grant of the library receipt, but Grant is still convinced Falk wants to frame him. Falk confiscates Grant's car keys, sending him home on foot. Jamie has nothing to say, so Falk tells him to come to the station for questioning the next morning and Raco drives him home. Whitlam rode his bicycle to the bar, so Falk drives him home. During the ride they talk about how affected everyone in Kiewarra is by the deaths, and Whitlam stresses how uncontrollable “the ripple effect of something like this” is (219). After dropping Whitlam off, Falk receives a text from Raco about Jamie’s reason for being in the alley.

Dr. Leigh, Kiewarra's doctor, is waiting for Falk and Raco at the station Tuesday morning. They ask him his whereabouts on February 22nd, and he tells him he was either in the office with patients or resting in the flat above the office. The conversation is interrupted by a flashback of Jamie cautiously and secretly meeting Leigh at the flat after Luke had left Jamie's farm. Leigh finally admits he was with Jamie that afternoon, and guiltily explains that they lied to the police because they panicked about their relationship becoming public. When Leigh got the call about the shootings and left for the Hadlers', Jamie drove home and saw the fire trucks. Frustrated by this unnecessary complication, the officers ultimately must let Leigh go. As he leaves, Falk confirms with Leigh that Deacon experiences unreliable memories and is not expected to live much longer. Needing a new lead, Falk compiles a list of 109 light-colored trucks registered in Kiewarra the year Ellie died, and sees many familiar names.