This is an ABC podcast.

This series contains occasional course language.

I was the MC at my brother's wedding.

I did all the usual stuff, housekeeping, toasts. I tried to crack a few jokes.

But inside I had a nagging sense of unease about my brother's charismatic Californian bride.

It was a feeling that some things just didn't add up.

I didn't tell anyone how I felt. Probably couldn't have explained it anyway. My brother was happy. That's what matters, right?

But maybe I should have paid more attention to that feeling, because within a few months,

she had taken off to the US. It wasn't just my brother's marriage that fell apart. My whole family went down with

it and none of us ever saw her again.

This woman's a bit kind of like, you know, not what she claims to be.

She had this dark vivacious, a surface skin and look to her.

I guess when you... I see if his skin and look to here.

I guess when you marry someone you feel like you really know them.

And that was her allure.

You just followed her. She's a manipulative con artist.

Stand by.

We call her the Black Widow.

The Snowball is about to hit you.

When my mom and dad found out that they had lost everything, it was during the Sunday

lunchtime rush in a country New Zealand cafe. They had ended up running that cafe and that day dad was serving behind the counter.

Taking orders, passing them back to the chefs at the back next order,

...