and she tells him to leave. The next morning, Falk steals some of the funding applications and realises Karen wrote 'GRANT?' in reference to finances. Aaron figures out that Whitlam has been embezzling from the school and murdered Karen and her family to cover up his crime. Falk and Raco go to question Whitlam at the school, only to find he has fled to the bush with a jerry can of petrol and a lighter. As they search his house, they find the shotgun shells that match the shells used in the murder. When they catch up to him, Whitlam admits to his gambling addiction, stealing money from the school to pay his debts, and murdering the Hadler family to cover up his fraud. He then drenches himself in the petrol and sets himself on fire. Falk and Raco tackle him to the ground and put out the fire. Whitlam and Raco are badly burnt and hospitalised, although Falk's injuries are not as severe. The investigation is closed with Whitlam's confession, and Luke's parents thank Falk for proving Luke's innocence. Before leaving town, Falk meets with Gretchen and apologises for accusing her; she forgives him. She reveals she was always in love with Luke but that he chose Karen. Falk visits the rocky area that he and Ellie used to frequently go to; he finds her old backpack, which contains a journal noting that she intended to run away because Mal was physically and sexually abusing her. He had also been similarly abusive of her mother which caused her to abandon the family. A flashback reveals that when Mal discovered she was leaving, he pursued her and drowned her in a rage. Falk says goodbye to Ellie, and then walks back into town with the backpack as evidence to clear his name along the riverbed, which is now completely dry. Cast Jane Harper, on whose novel the film is based, has a cameo as a funeral attendee. Production The film rights for the novel were optioned by producers Bruna Papandrea and Reese Witherspoon in 2015 and was produced by Papandrea's production company, Made Up Stories. Eric Bana starred in the lead role of Aaron Falk, with Genevieve O'Reilly as Gretchen and Keir O'Donnell as Raco. Principal photography began in March 2019 in the Australian state of Victoria, including the Wimmera Mallee region. Release The film was due for release on