The Alibi of the Man With No Alibi

by DoctorH

A teleplay of a Murdoch Mysteries episode, involving a "locked room" mystery. A murder occurs in a house, with Murdoch and Crabtree in the house at the time. Everybody in the house has an alibi, except for one man; and Murdoch finds that this man actually has an alibi as well! So whodunit? The solution appears in the the teleplay, which is like watching an actual episode on TV.

1. ACT 1

"THE ALIBI OF THE MAN WITH NO ALIBI"

This story is dedicated with deepest affection to M.L.S.H.

(PRODUCTION NOTES: This mystery assumes a particular floor layout of a house, with particular rooms in particular locations. It is not absolutely essential that the house be laid out in this particular way, however, and it may be possible to adjust the mystery to a different floor plan. It will be evident from the story that certain physical features, such as the office having two doors, must be accommodated; but floor plan and character locations may be adjusted— along with the accompanying dialog— to suit a particular chosen set, while still achieving the effects outlined in the mystery.)

ACT I

(FADE IN. Outside the gate of a luxurious house— one might almost call it a small mansion. The house is surrounded by a formidable fence or wall. MURDOCH and CRABTREE, dressed in civilian business attire, approach the gate. WHITBY, a muscular servant, stands in their way.)

WHITBY
Gentlemen. May I please see your invitations?

MURDOCH
Of course.

(MURDOCH and CRABTREE show documents to WHITBY, who examines the documents, then opens the gate for MURDOCH and CRABTREE.)

WHITBY
Thank you, gentlemen, and welcome.

MURDOCH and CRABTREE
Thank you.

(MURDOCH and CRABTREE approach the front door of the house, MURDOCH taking a quick backward glance at WHITBY as WHITBY closes the gate and resumes his formidable pose. BRIGGS, acting as doorman, stands at the door of the house. BRIGGS has a few words with MURDOCH and CRABTREE before opening the door.)

BRIGGS
Ah, officers. So glad you are here. I trust you're going to be comfortable posing as— well, as something other than policemen?

MURDOCH
We won't tell anyone that we are with the constabulary unless it becomes necessary. We have decided to take your suggestion, and if asked, we will say we are "interested in Mr. Tate's art."

CRABTREE
We just plan to look at the paintings and stroke our chins a lot.

MURDOCH
Meanwhile, we'll be keeping an eye on the other guests.

BRIGGS
Good. And thank you. All of the other guests have arrived.

MURDOCH
Hmm, they were early, then. Have there been any more threats?

BRIGGS
Yes, this one came this morning. Here. (BRIGGS hands MURDOCH an envelope.) Sorry, I forgot what you said about handling papers to preserve finger imprints.

MURDOCH (politely correcting)
Finger marks.

(MURDOCH extracts a note from the envelope, opens the note and reads. The lettering is block letters.)

MURDOCH
"Those who lack compassion do not deserve compassion."

BRIGGS
A little less threatening than the other notes, but it certainly isn't friendly.

(MURDOCH offers no more than a noncommittal shrug, and pockets the note.)

BRIGGS (gesturing toward the house)
I believe the people here today are harmless. They don't know each other, and will probably keep to themselves. Mr. Tate has allowed them to wander on the main floor pretty much where they wish. He'll address them in the drawing room in about ten minutes. (Gesturing to the man at the gate) I've asked Whitby out there to make sure no troublemakers try to get in.

(MURDOCH nods, understanding the precaution. BRIGGS opens the front door to the house. MURDOCH and CRABTREE enter the house and proceed through an entryway down a hallway toward a large main room. The hallway is poorly illuminated; any hallway lighting fixtures are off. Framed paintings line the hallway, though they are hard to see. MURDOCH notices a closed door to the left, which is hard to see in the darkness; there is, however, some light streaming from underneath that door and significantly fainter light around its vertical edges. MURDOCH also sees a partially open door to the right. MURDOCH notices Mr. & Mrs. OLIVER exiting that door and walking away from the front door down the hall toward the main room. The partially open door leads to a drawing room, in which there seems to be a considerable amount of artwork, along with a fireplace and furniture, and in which the lighting is better. MURDOCH sees Mr. PASCAL in the drawing room, staring at a painting.)

CRABTREE
Quite the place, eh?

MURDOCH
It's like a museum, just as we were told. Mr. Tate is obviously quite wealthy.

(MURDOCH and CRABTREE enter the main room at the end of the hallway. This room is well-illuminated. There is a door leading from the main room to a veranda outdoors. Only part of the veranda can be seen, but it seems to have a waist-high railing around it. A few other people are standing or milling about, but they don't seem to be interacting with each other: Mrs. WEST, Mr. LAWRENCE, Mr. SMITHSON, and Mr. & Mrs. OLIVER can be seen, some of them in the main room, others in adjoining areas. Nobody seems to be truly at ease. WEST is rather short in stature; SMITHSON is rather tall; PASCAL has a large moustache. Mr. & Mrs. OLIVER, an older couple, find seats in a corner of the main room; their chairs seem to be the only ones in the room. All of the men are wearing dark clothing. PASCAL saunters past MURDOCH and CRABTREE toward what appears to be an entrance to a dining room. The other guests may be examining the artwork, or may simply be waiting. Mr. & Mrs. OLIVER are conversing, apparently wondering who MURDOCH and CRABTREE are. Otherwise, nobody seems to notice or care that MURDOCH and CRABTREE have entered. CRABTREE sees a tray of cheeses and tea, all of which seem to be untouched. None of the other people has any tea or cheese. CRABTREE quickly helps himself to a piece of cheese, and uses this as a pretense to gain a position to see into other rooms. MURDOCH carefully scans the area, seeing one or two other people in other rooms or hallways. A dark figure walking down the hallway emerges into the light; it turns out to be BRIGGS. There is doorway to a library adjacent to the main room, but MURDOCH cannot see much of the library through the doorway. Deciding to check out the library adjacent to the main room, MURDOCH enters the library, and beckons CRABTREE to follow; CRABTREE follows, finishing the last bite of cheese as he goes, and carefully yet thoroughly surveying the people and surroundings. The library has a respectable amount of artwork in it, along with several bookshelves. MURDOCH and CRABTREE notice Mr. CRAWFORD examining a small sculpture; CRAWFORD was not seen until the MURDOCH and CRABTREE entered the library. CRAWFORD looks up and sees MURDOCH and CRABTREE, then ambles away from them and into the drawing room, where he disappears from view. MURDOCH walks over to the sculpture that CRAWFORD was studying. CRABTREE joins MURDOCH. MURDOCH sees an open doorway leading from the library to the drawing room, but he cannot see much of what is in the drawing room. Turning in a different direction, MURDOCH notices that SMITHSON, still in the main room, can see MURDOCH and CRABTREE. SMITHSON notices MURDOCH and CRABTREE and starts to walk generally toward the library, but pauses as if to look at a painting. MURDOCH looks around and sees no one other than CRABTREE and SMITHSON. MURDOCH judges that there is sufficient privacy to talk to CRABTREE without being overheard.)

MURDOCH
How many people do you see here, George?

CRABTREE (strokes his chin, thinks a moment)
Seven. No, eight. Not including the man at the gate, or ourselves.

MURDOCH
Mr. Tate is a heavyset, grey-haired man, I understand. I haven't seen him yet. Have you?

(As CRABTREE shakes his head, there is a noticeable but not very loud thud sound like a door closing [SFX]. MURDOCH hears the sound and turns his head, but dismisses it as unimportant. CRABTREE freezes momentarily.)

MURDOCH
With all these rooms, it is going to be difficult to keep an eye on everyone. Let's go where the most of the guests are and we'll have a better chance to observe—

(A woman's scream is heard. MURDOCH and CRABTREE rush into the main room, in the direction of the scream. People begin shouting confused and frightened exclamations (such as "Oh, my word!" or "What in the— ?"); it is not clear who is shouting. As this is happening, MURDOCH and CRABTREE see BRIGGS in the main room with a horrified look on his face. MURDOCH, CRABTREE and BRIGGS rush through from the main room, go past a kitchen, through a dining room, and into an office. WEST, LAWRENCE and PASCAL are already in the office; Mr. & Mrs. OLIVER, SMITHSON, BRIGGS and CRAWFORD arrive quickly afterward. Everyone except MURDOCH and CRABTREE is emotional: shocked, anxious, and frightened. A moment later, Mr. ROSS appears. ROSS is not dressed as well as the other men, and has a heavily bandaged left hand. TATE, a heavyset and grey-haired man, is bent over his desk, a bloody wound in the back of his head. The desk has several papers on it, and some are spattered with blood. A small yet formidable-looking and perhaps still-smoking pistol is on the desk, next to a small but well-stuffed pillow with a scorched bullet hole in it. Behind the desk are a bookcase and table, but there is enough room for an assailant to have stood behind TATE. MURDOCH is momentarily stunned, and out of habit, quickly crosses himself. There is another door leading from the library. CRAWFORD points to this door and begins to rush toward it.)

CRAWFORD
The killer! He's getting away!

(CRAWFORD charges to the door, turns the knob and pulls it to open the door— the door swings into the office— and CRAWFORD exits.)

MURDOCH (indicating that CRABTREE follow CRAWFORD)
George!

(With no further prompting, CRABTREE races to the door through which CRAWFORD had exited.)

MURDOCH (lifting his lapel, showing his badge to the others)
Detective William Murdoch, Toronto Constabulary!

(CRABTREE rushes through the door, and as it closes behind him, he hears MURDOCH issuing instructions.)

MURDOCH'S VOICE
Everyone: Stay where you are, do not touch anything!

(The door closes behind CRABTREE, who finds himself in the hallway. As the door closes, the hallway becomes much darker, and as he pulls the door closed completely, there is a soft, almost unnoticeable, sound of a lock latch engaging [SFX]. CRAWFORD is in the hallway, toward the main room, looking about, then shaking his head and gesturing that he sees no one. CRAWFORD seems to be mostly in silhouette. CRAWFORD suddenly charges toward CRABTREE and the front door.)

CRAWFORD (passing CRABTREE)
He must have escaped through the front door! Come on!

(CRAWFORD exits through the front door, and CRABTREE— still unsure what to make of CRAWFORD— follows. When he gets outside, CRABTREE sees WHITBY still standing at the front gate.)

CRABTREE
You! At the gate!

(WHITBY turns toward CRABTREE, and CRAWFORD stops in his tracks momentarily, to see what CRABTREE is doing.)

WHITBY
Yes, sir?

CRABTREE
Has anyone exited through that gate in the past minute?

WHITBY (puzzled)
No, sir.

CRABTREE
Do not let anyone pass through that gate, but when the police arrive, show them in!

WHITBY (stunned)
Yes, sir.

(CRABTREE and CRAWFORD hurry around the perimeter of the house. They see no one. CRABTREE keeps his eye on CRAWFORD the whole time, but CRAWFORD makes no move to escape. Instead, CRAWFORD seems determined to capture the elusive perpetrator. CRABTREE sees a back door and sees it securely bolted and locked. CRABTREE scans the ground for footprints, but sees none, other than those made by himself and CRAWFORD. As CRABTREE and CRAWFORD near the veranda, CRAWFORD approaches a section of the wall around the house.)

CRAWFORD
He might've climbed the wall.

CRABTREE (noticing that CRAWFORD leaves footprints)
There's soft ground near the wall. Have you seen anyone else's footprints near the wall?

CRAWFORD (coming closer to the house and away from the wall)
No.

CRABTREE
Neither have I. And there seems to be no other gate.

(CRABTREE and CRAWFORD complete their run around the house and find themselves back near the front door. They see WHITBY standing formidably at the front gate. Near WHITBY, outside the gate, are some curious passers-by.)

CRABTREE
You at the gate! Did you see anyone out here?

WHITBY (shakes his head)
Just the two of you gentlemen.

CRAWFORD
I didn't see any footprints out here at all.

CRABTREE
Neither did I, except for the ones that we made ourselves, Mister—

CRAWFORD
Crawford.

CRABTREE
Mr. Crawford. My name is Constable George Crabtree of the Toronto Constabulary.

CRAWFORD
Con— Constable? You're a POLICEMAN?

CRABTREE
Yes. Let's wait inside.

(CRABTREE and CRAWFORD enter the house through the front door. CRABTREE tries to enter the office through the door he recently passed through, but finds it locked.)

CRABTREE (quietly)
Locked.

(CRABTREE and CRAWFORD proceed down the hall, through the main room and dining room toward the office; they see BRIGGS completing a phone call and entering the office.)

BRIGGS'S VOICE
I've summoned the police.

CRAWFORD
Constable: If the killer didn't escape from the house, wouldn't that mean—

CRABTREE
It may mean that the person who committed the crime is in the house.

(CRABTREE and CRAWFORD enter the office. Everyone else is there. MURDOCH stands in the centre, with his notebook in one hand and his pencil in the other.)

CRABTREE (to MURDOCH)
Sir: we saw no one.

(CRAWFORD realizes that MURDOCH is probably a policeman as well.)

CRABTREE
There is no sign that anyone has left the property.

MURDOCH
The man at the gate?

CRABTREE
He was at his post. He saw no one and he also says no one has passed through the gate; and he will not let anyone pass until the police arrive.

MURDOCH
Good; they should arrive shortly. They will want to search the rest of the house. Mr. Briggs tells me that the door to the upstairs is locked.

BRIGGS (producing a keyring of keys from his pocket)
It is. But I'll unlock it for them. (Pockets the keys.)

MURDOCH (facing CRAWFORD)
You must be Mr. Crawford.

CRAWFORD (Cautious)
Yes. You, another policeman? How did you know my—

BRIGGS
I told Detective Murdoch who you are.

MURDOCH
If you please, would you tell me, sir, where you were when the lady screamed?

(CRAWFORD looks around the room at the others. MURDOCH glances briefly at the others, to see what CRAWFORD is looking at, then stares back at CRAWFORD. Mr. & Mrs. OLIVER and SMITHSON scowl at CRAWFORD, and BRIGGS rubs his left forearm while staring accusingly at CRAWFORD. ROSS stands slack-jawed. Some avert their gazes or try to avoid looking CRAWFORD in the face.)

CRAWFORD (Gesturing, nervously)
I— I was in the drawing room.

(MURDOCH looks at the other guests. All remain silent. Most lower their eyes but some can be seen shaking their heads slightly. No one speaks up in CRAWFORD's defence.)

MURDOCH
Mr. Crawford, you are under arrest for the murder of Archibald Tate.

(CRAWFORD stands stunned, but does not lower his head. CRABTREE moves in to seize CRAWFORD, but CRAWFORD stands there, seemingly shocked. FADE OUT.)