Author's Note: Here's a Murdoch Mysteries oneshot that's been cooking in my mind since Frankie Drake Mysteries started airing.
For Murdoch fans that don't know Frankie Drake Mysteries: Basically it's a spinoff of Murdoch Mysteries that began airing this past November in Canada and is also produced by Shaftesbury Films.
The series in question takes place in 1920s Toronto, which is about two decades after the late-Victorian-early-Edwardian setting of Toronto depicted in Murdoch Mysteries.
As a matter a fact, a handful of Murdoch characters have made guest appearances in Frankie Drake Mysteries, having had survived into the 1920s.
Which Murdoch characters have survived into the 1920s and made guest appearances in Frankie Drake Mysteries? That's something I'm not going to reveal for spoiler reasons.
Anyways, in the Frankie Drake Mysteries, one of the lead characters is Morality Officer Mary Shaw, whose father was a police officer, and this particular one-shot expands on that.
Oh, and this story also features spoilers from the Season 11 premiere.
I don't own Murdoch Mysteries. Shaftesbury Films and Maureen Jennings does.
April 19, 1906
It was another typical morning in Toronto as Constable George Crabtree and Constable Henry Higgins emerged from the station to walk their patrol beat.
"Did you read the paper about that massive earthquake that struck San Francisco yesterday, George?" Henry asked as the two constables emerged from the station.
"Oh yes I did, Henry." George nodded in agreement. "Last I read, they've got around 300 deaths."
"That's terrible." Henry shook his head. "No doubt there's going to be a need to rebuild the city, especially since the earthquake also caused a massive fire in the city."
"Yes indeed." George nodded. "Not like the fire here two years ago that only claimed one life."
"Yeah, and speaking of which." Henry said. "It was a relief knowing that I didn't cause the fire with my cigar."
"And yet you quit smoking cigars, Henry." George said.
"Oh, well." Henry shrugged. "Anyways, are you still planning on writing a new book, especially since you have travelled to Paris?"
"I'm still thinking on it, Henry." George nodded.
The two constables continued to chat about various topics after that remark, stopping occasionally to help a citizen or provide directions.
When it became clear that the remainder of their patrol was going to be uneventful like most days, George and Henry decided to take another closer look at the nearby alleyway as they reached the part of their beat where they make the turn that leads them back to the station.
Just as the two constables were about to make the turn, the familiar-sounding police whistle caught their attention, accompanied by running.
"Stop in the name of the law!" A voice shouted.
Turning towards the source of the voice, they saw another police constable chasing a shoplifter carrying a sack of goods down the street in the distance.
Looking at each other, George and Henry decided to step in when it became apparent that the shoplifter was gaining ground ahead of the pursuing police constable.
"Better give that lad a hand, George." Henry suggested.
"Yes, we should, Henry." George nodded as he and Henry took off running, preparing their batons as they went.
The two constables chased after the constable chasing the shoplifter, intending to help the lad catch the thief.
Some minutes went by before the shoplifter made a turn into a perpendicular alleyway after dodging an incoming streetcar, and the police constable quickly followed suit.
George and Henry were about to do the same when they heard a crash coming from the alleyway.
Pausing, the two constables shared a look before rushing into the alleyway.
The alleyway is one of those dead end alleyways that ends with a tall wooden fence. With some garbage piles and no streetlights, the place is a typical favourite hangout for the homeless population at night.
When George and Henry rushed into the alleyway, they saw that the top bit of one of the planks in the wooden fence was pulled off.
And below the wooden fence was a police constable holding his left leg and groaning in agony.
"Constable!" George exclaimed as he and Henry rushed over to the constable.
"Are you alright?" Henry asked as they crouched down to take a look at their comrade.
"I was...chasing...a shoplifter who stole...a ton...of goods from...the Eatons department store." The constable said as he held his leg. "He climbed over this fence, and I tried to follow suit."
"That probably wasn't a wise decision." Henry said as he and George saw the broken bits of the wooden fence, indicating that the constable fell off the fence while trying to climb over it.
"Higgins, you go get the telephone and call for help." George quickly said. "I'll try to see if I can tend to his injuries."
"Right away." Henry nodded before rushing off.
Turning his attention to the injured constable, George said to him, "Other than your left leg, are you alright, Constable?"
"Yes, yes." The constable nodded. "I'm fine, just the left leg. I think it's broken."
"Don't worry." George said. "My colleague is telephoning for help as we speak. The ambulance should be here in any minute."
"That's...good to hear." The constable said before eying the two 4 pins on George's collar before adding, "You're from Station House Four?"
"Yes I am." George nodded. "Both Higgins and I. We were about to return to the station when we saw you chasing the shoplifter in the distance, and given that he was far ahead of you, we thought we'd join in to help out."
Eying the two 2 pins on the constables collar, he then added, "Didn't realize we were in Station House Two's district until now."
"Oh, don't worry about that." The constable smiled. "It's always good to help out a fellow officer of the law."
"Yes indeed." George nodded. "Constable..."
"Shaw." Constable Shaw responded. "Constable Albert Shaw."
A short while later, George, Henry, Inspector Thomas Brackenreid, the chief constable and the inspector from Station House No. 2 were at the Toronto General Hospital with the former two giving the latter three an account of what transpired.
The new chief constable recently replaced Chief Constable Jeffery Davis following the fallout from a massive corruption scandal that reaches into the Board of Control the past year, a case that involved a massive conspiracy to put an end to Station House Four.
The new chief constable was known for his no-nonsense demeanor and while Brackenreid and Detective Murdoch never interacted much with the man, from what they've heard from headquarters, he seems like a reasonable chap.
"And that's what happened, sirs." George finished after five minutes of explanations.
"Good work, Crabtree, Higgins." Brackenreid commended them.
"Yes indeed." The chief constable nodded in agreement. "If it weren't for your fast thinking, Constable Albert Shaw likely wouldn't be discovered until much later, by which point his injuries would've been more severe."
"In the meantime, a warrant has been issued for the arrest of that shoplifter." The Station House Two inspector interjected. "My men are combing through the district to catch that bastard as we speak."
That night, Constable Shaw was resting on his hospital bed with a cast on his leg.
He has been given a two-week leave of absence while he recuperates from the broken leg, and right now he's been trying to sleep.
"You should've minded your own business, copper." A voice in the dark said.
The voice caused Shaw to open his eyes urgently and he got up, only to find a shadowed figure armed with a knife.
"You!" Shaw blurted out.
"Yes, that's me." The figure nodded as he approached the injured constable menacingly. "You think that after chasing me out of Eaton's I would've laid low."
"You should have." Shaw said. "After what had happened to me in the chase, my colleagues are looking all over for you."
"Sure." The figure sneered. "And yet, here I am. Soon, your detective is going to realize that he's got another homicide to investigate, this one involving the murder of a police constable."
The figure then made his way to Shaw, ready to use his knife on the injured constable.
However, just then, the lights switched on, surprising the two men inside the room.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A voice said as the lights switched on.
The two men looked towards the door, revealing none other than Constable George Crabtree, who had his service pistol ready.
"You should know that the murder of an officer of the law is going to carry a heavy penalty, Mr. Walker." George addressed the man armed with the knife. "And even if you don't succeed in your deed tonight, you're still very likely to face the noose."
"Not if I can help it, copper." Mr. Walker sneered before placing the blade of the knife by Shaw's neck and added, "One false move and this copper dies."
Silently cursing himself for not bringing Henry with him, George decided to put down his service pistol.
"Ah, you've did the right choice, copper." Mr. Walker said.
George nodded, his arms still in the lowered position they were since he had put down his service pistol.
However, before anyone could react, a small gun suddenly emerged from George's sleeve, and he quickly gripped the weapon and opened fire.
April 20, 1906
The next morning, the Toronto Gazette had the following headline:
"HERO COP SAVES INJURED COLLEAGUE
Seth Walker taken into police custody following failed attempt on police constable's life. Apparently taken down by 'rubber bullet'"
"It was rather clever of you to use one of my rubber bullets in your backup gun, George." Detective Murdoch said to George that morning. "Just when I thought no one was listening."
"Ah, it was an instinct, sir." George said. "You see, while paying a visit to Station House Two, I heard from the station house detective there that the shoplifter Constable Shaw was chasing was in fact a murder suspect in a case Detective Shatner was working on."
"Seth 'The Sharper' Walker: A professional killer who's wits is as sharp as a razor." Detective Murdoch nodded.
"Sure reminds me of Randolph the Razer, sir." George said. "Anyways, after asking the inspector to do a few inquiries, I decided to pay Shaw a visit last night when he received the confirmation that the Sharper was in fact the man Constable Shaw was after when he was injured and is back in Canada after applying his trade south of the border."
"And good thing you did, Crabtree." Brackenreid interjected. "If it weren't for you, the city would have one more dead copper."
Later that afternoon, George dropped by the Toronto General Hospital to check on Shaw.
When he got there, he saw that the constable was accompanied by a woman and two young girls.
"Ah, Constable Crabtree." Shaw smiled when he saw George. "You're just in time."
"Ah, I was just here to check on you." George smiled back. "How are you doing?"
"Never felt better, especially after you foiled The Sharper's attempt to dispatch his latest victim last night." Shaw said before turning to the woman and added, "By the way, this is my wife Nora."
"Nice meeting you, Constable." Nora smiled.
Turning to the two young girls, Shaw added, "And these are our daughters: Jennifer and Mary."
The older of the two girls walked to George and looked up at him.
"Oh, hello there." George smiled as he kneeled down to look at the girl.
"Hi." The young girl smiled. Seeing her sister still standing by her mother's side, she added, "Jenny's a bit shy."
"Don't worry." George smiled. "I was a bit shy myself when I was Jenny's age."
"Are you a police officer?" Mary asked.
"Yes I am." George nodded.
"I wanna be a police officer when I grow up." Mary smiled.
"Oh really?" George asked. "Why?"
"Because I think policemen are cool, just like my Daddy." Mary said as she nodded at her father.
George nodded thoughtfully.
"Well, I'm sure that someday, you'll make a good police officer, Mary." George smiled.
Watching George interacting with young Mary, Constable Shaw and his wife smiled as they looked on.
And that's it, folks! What do you think?
Please read and review!