I'm going to preface this by saying "No, I don't believe Datu is one of the Mallers."

A post by 'loydmilligan' in Chapter 28 Part 1 discussion thread prompted me to consider something about Datu and Kalani that I hadn't put together, even after hearing the episode and making the discovery that Kalani was, in fact, The Rat. I found myself asking questions, and for the first time in a long time, felt genuinely involved in the story.

The question that has me most perplexed is: Why didn't Datu come forward about Kalani's absence during the time that the armoury's alarm went off?

I know Datu was 'distracted' by his favourite CD, but that doesn't excuse his lack of attention to the tiny, insignificant detail of Kalani NOT being in the car beside him and the two of them NOT driving away from The Tower. Did he completely and totally gap out and think that the two of them were whipping down the freeway, wind blowing in his hair, waving at hot bitches in sports cars as they went? Was he dropped on his head as a child and is now mildly retarded?

No, I can't get behind either of those theories. I have to believe that Datu knew who Kalani really was. Now, that isn't to say that Datu is one of the Mallers or a cohort of either Scratch or Durai. No, what I'm saying is that Kalani got to Datu, either during or shortly after their time together at The Stadium, begging him to help get his daughter back. Or at the very least, not to turn him in until he can 'figure this whole thing out... could you do that for me, man?' Datu being the kind of guy he seems to be--a half-wit with a soft heart--may very well have said he would help.

Granted, I can't track all of Datu's movements during the previous season, but I'm almost certain there will be moments in the story which find Datu in unexplained absences during or before pivotal moments in the story. I'm really going to have to sit down and marathon the series to 'confirm' any of that.

Thoughts?