Ring-ring! The shrill of the telephone ringing was the only thing that could be heard in Detective William Murdoch's home. Piercing through the silence of the early morning and startling the detective as it brought him back to consciousness.

It was nearly 4:30 in the morning, the sky was still pitch black outside with no hints of moon or sunlight within the darkness. Who could be calling this early? Murdoch wondered to himself, somewhat annoyed, as he sat up and turned on the lamp by his bedside.

Part of him wanted to ignore the call and go back to sleep, but he knew anyone calling this early must have done so for a good reason. Still, as he walked down the dimly lit hall he felt a strange feeling within him.

He didn't know what it was, but he felt uneasy, something wasn't right. Ignore the call, ignore the call... A voice inside him begged. But after more than fifteen years of policing he had gotten used to ignoring the voice in his head that warned him when danger was near, and curiosity took over as he picked up the telephone. Besides, what possible danger came from a phone call?

"Hello?" He answered, and in return a young ladies voice pierced into his ear.

"Detective Murdoch!" She exclaimed frantically, Murdoch recognized the voice immediately.

"Ms. Hall, are you alright?" He asked, Lydia Hall had become convinced her life was in danger after she apparently overheard Frank Williams and Robert Graham in an argument recently.

"Detective, I think someone was here." She said, she had lowered her voice as if scared someone may be listening. Murdoch could detect the fear she was obviously trying to hide.

"Why, did you see someone?" He asked.

"No, I woke up to what I thought sounded like footsteps. I turned on the light in my bedroom and asked if anyone was there when I heard something crash to the floor. That was when I called you." She explained in a shaky voice.

"Did you hear them leave? Did you check the rest of your home to see if they are gone?" The detective asked her.

"No, I was... too scared." She told him, he could have sworn she almost sounded embarrassed by this. He was just about to start asking another round of questions when Lydia's sudden shrieking interrupted him.

"Ms. Hall, Ms. Hall!" He yelled, hoping she was alright, when just as suddenly as the screams started they stopped. Murdoch could here her sigh of relief before she said,

"Don't worry Detective, it seems it was just my cat."

William closed his eyes and let out the breath he had been holding, then he rolled his eyes. A cat. Woken up at 4:30 for a cat. Still, with the recent events, he couldn't blame her for assuming the worst.

"Well, I'm glad you're alright. I take it you no longer need me?" He asked.

"No, thank you Detective, I'm sorry for awakening you." She said before hanging up.

Murdoch placed the telephone back and rubbed his eyes, he could have gone back to sleep and tried to get some extra rest before he would be needed at the station house. However after the shock of thinking he was about to witness a murder on the telephone, he no longer felt like sleeping.

Trying to make some good use of his extra time he walked back to his room and began getting ready for the day. Even as he did so, the strange feeling he had awoken with never left him.

Once he was dressed he decided to get some breakfast, but his plan was delayed by someone knocking on his door. As he approached the door he had a feeling he knew who it was, and his suspicions were confirmed when he opened the door and saw Lydia Hall standing there. She looked just as terrified as she had first sounded on the telephone.

"Ms. Hall, what are you doing here?" He asked.

"I'm here for the same reason I called you earlier," she answered, Murdoch only raised an eyebrow at her.

"I thought the cause of your alarm was just your cat?" He asked her.

"That is what I thought Detective, but my cat certainly didn't leave my front door open and neither did I."

X X X

Murdoch was just in the next room from Lydia Hall, after he had let her in and tried asking her questions he could tell she was in no state to answer them. The poor woman seemed to be in shock, so Murdoch suggested she wait and calm down while he got her something to drink. Then she would be able to tell him everything she knew.

She didn't seem too happy about telling the Detective what she knew even though it really would be for her own good.

Nevertheless, she agreed.

However, while Murdoch was in the kitchen he realized that even if he was lucky enough to get information out of her once, she may not be willing to offer it again. Sharing valuable information in his living room was much different than sharing information in a court room, and Murdoch wasn't sure she would be willing to do that. But as always, William Murdoch had a solution.

As quickly and quietly as he could, he made his way to the place in his home where he kept various inventions. This time he was looking for a specific one, the same one he used to record the confession of a dying man in a hospital a few years ago. He pulled it off the shelf, extremely thankful he chose to bring this home instead of leaving it in his office at the station. He had carried it over and set it up next to the living room where Lydia waited, the recording may not sound perfect but it was enough to capture any important information she gave him.

A small pang of guilt hit him when he entered the room and saw Lydia sitting there. She was scared, who wouldn't be? There was that feeling again. But he pushed those feelings away and sat down on the couch, determined to get the full truth from Ms. Hall.

"My life is in danger." She said.

X X X

He wasn't awake, but he also wasn't fully unconscious. He could here something, voices? Yes, voices! They sounded familiar, he wanted to open his eyes but he was too exhausted and weak.

He had a horrible headache, his head was pounding and he felt as if someone was hitting him with a hammer. For all he knew maybe someone had.

The people must have been nearing him for their voices sounded clearer. There were two men, he was sure of that, and he could make out some of their conversation as well.

"The girl... dead... Detective... machine... recording... take... police... leave... now..." It wasn't everything but it was enough for Murdoch to know what was going on.

Finally when he found the strength to open his eyes and somewhat sit up, was also when he saw her there. Lying beside him. Dead. He should have listened to her, the minute she told him she wanted to get out of the city he should have believed her.

But there was no going back now.

There it was, the distinctive sound of someone banging on his front door. "Open up, Murdoch!"

No, that sounded like Williams, and Murdoch knew the moment Williams saw the mess he had gotten himself into- all that would be left to do would be to wait for the noose. He wouldn't let that happen.

Jumping out of bed, Murdoch sprinted to the same location he had placed the recording device only hours before. Of course it wasn't there, there was no way they would leave the biggest piece of evidence behind for Murdoch to find. It if it wasn't in his home than there was only one place it could be: with Williams and Graham. Murdoch weighed the options in his mind; turn himself in and get hanged for a crime he didn't commit- or find the evidence he needed to be exonerated himself.

Option two it is, he thought as he raced to the back door.