- Mike. - Oh, good Lord. Mike. My father, in his will, left this farm, the bank accounts, everything, to 10 people in the form of what is called a tontine. So, a tontine is named after a bloke by the name of Lorenzo de Tonti in the 1600s as a kind of insurance/investment thingy. When one of them dies The surviving members divvy up the share between them. Gina? Lester Nyman had extreme levels of caffeine in his blood. We need to look into that. The gear Lester was wearing - His MAMIL outfit? Middle-Aged Man in Lycra. [Door closes.] Lester's plans for the family farm. - Reverend? The church is very accepting these days. Karl and Magnus? According to Reverend Greene, Karl Nyman didn't believe in God. Everyone did. Science was very much his thing. By who? MADISON: Oh, more or less. And this was strapped to his abdomen. Sure. [Engine starts.] No, it was actual suicide, - and Lester's dead. - And? In fact, you should, as his lawyer. But I think he wants to. Must have been quite a shock Get to the top of the hill and see your dead brother. Okay, it was It was me. Seems fair enough. - Relatively recently. No. Why not? Now make death your friend and work for it. Madison Mathers doesn't stand to benefit financially from the tontine, it being a joint tenancy. But she once told me, amidst all her suffering it was the best time of her life. SIMS: And although a tontine is a joint tenancy, if only one member is left and let's say that that's Trevor if you were married to him and he should accidentally die, then the farm has nowhere go but to you.
Plan: A: Cycling; Q: What is very de rigueur around the globe? A: Brokenwood; Q: Where is cycling very popular? A: a local mountain; Q: Where did Lester Nyman reach the top of? A: a gruelling ride; Q: What did Lester Nyman suffer a massive coronary after? A: Gina; Q: Who reveals Lester Nyman's toxicology showed astronomical levels of caffeine in his system? A: Mike; Q: Who starts to look more closely at Lester Nyman's death? A: ten people; Q: How many people were inheriting shares in a farm? A: a substantial local farm; Q: What did Lester inherit shares in? A: a tontine; Q: What is the will left by Lester's father called? A: four members; Q: How many members of the tontine have died? A: the remaining members; Q: Who absorbs the shares of the four members who have died? A: Lester's brother; Q: Who is Trevor Nyman? A: their enquiries; Q: What is Trevor helpful in? A: Madison Mathers; Q: Who is Lester's lawyer? A: her ability; Q: What does Madison Mathers believe she has a responsibility to execute the will to the best of what? A: their fair share; Q: What does Madison Mathers want to make sure everyone gets? A: the church; Q: What did Karl Nyman not believe in? A: capitalist values; Q: What did Karl want Reverend Greene to put above his service to the Lord? Summary: Cycling is very de rigueur around the globe and no less in Brokenwood. When one such MAMIL, (Middle Aged Man In Lycra), Lester Nyman, reaches the top of a local mountain after a gruelling ride and suffers a massive coronary, it doesn't seem suspicious. But then Gina reveals his toxicology showed astronomical levels of caffeine in his system and Mike starts to look more closely. It transpires Lester was one of ten people inheriting shares in a substantial local farm. The will, left by Lester's father Karl, is legally known as a tontine. Curiously, four members of this tontine have recently died from natural causes or unfortunate accidents and as such their shares are absorbed by the remaining members. Lester's brother Trevor is helpful in their enquiries but not so much his lawyer Madison Mathers. She sees it as her professional responsibility to execute the will to the best of her ability, making sure everyone gets their fair share. And why is Reverend Greene part of the tontine? It was no secret Karl didn't believe in the church. Was it simply that he wanted to goad the good Reverend into putting capitalist values above his service to the Lord? The further Mike and his team delve it appears this was all a grand and malevolent plan by Karl Nyman to let his friends and family tear themselves apart in a feeding frenzy of greed and avarice.