NO SUSPECTS? OR TOO MANY?
(PRODUCTION NOTES: This mystery assumes a crime scene having a particular layout of houses, hedges, pond, and so forth. It is not absolutely essential that the crime scene be laid out in this particular way, however, and it may be possible to adjust the mystery to a different location, while still achieving the effects outlined in the mystery. The roles of the Akers brothers should be played by the same actor.)
ACT I
(FADE IN. THE SCENE OF THE CRIME. It is the morning of the fifth day of the month. Outdoors, a walkway has on one side a pond with a few hedges; and on the other side, some more hedges. The terrain slopes on the pond side of the walkway and inclines down to the pond; the terrain on the other side of the walkway is even with or higher than the walkway. A man's body lies face down in the water at the edge of the pond. The man is dressed in business attire. There is a bloody wound on the right rear side of the man's head. There is blood on the walkway and at some places on the slope down to the pond. There are a few oddly spaced footprints on the slope, along with strange markings in the soil leading down to the body, but no footsteps leading all the way to the body. Constable CRABTREE is speaking to a woman, Mrs. MAXWELL, on the walkway but away from the blood and the body. A PHOTOGRAPHER is recording the crime scene. Other officers, including Constable HIGGINS, are investigating the area nearby. Detective MURDOCH and Dr. OGDEN enter the scene. The PHOTOGRAPHER nods to them, indicating he has all the photos he needs. CRABTREE gestures to MAXWELL to remain where she is, and approaches MURDOCH, who looks at the man's body and crosses himself. OGDEN goes to examine the body. As she moves down the slope, she leaves a clear trail of footprints in the soft soil.)
CRABTREE (to MURDOCH)
Mrs. Eleanor Maxwell found the body and contacted the police. She did not witness the crime.
MURDOCH (examining the scene, indicating a blood spatter)
It would seem that the victim was struck while he was about here, on the walkway.
CRABTREE (indicating)
Yes. And he stumbled and fell and rolled down the slope to the pond. There are other patches of blood there and there, that indicate he fell and rolled.
MURDOCH
And he ended up in the water, face down. If the blow itself did not kill him, then perhaps he died from drowning. (Pointing) There are no footprints in the soil, except those of Dr. Ogden and these, which seem to be the victim's. Have you found a weapon, George?
CRABTREE
Not yet.
(MURDOCH looks around to see whether he can spot anything that might have been a weapon.)
OGDEN
William—?
(MURDOCH turns his attention to Ogden.)
OGDEN
The victim suffered severe head trauma, from a serious blow. He has been dead for less than two hours, I should think. But I cannot say much else without a post-mortem examination.
(MURDOCH carefully walks down the slope to the pond. OGDEN stands and moves away from the victim so that MURDOCH can approach. OGDEN continues to observe MURDOCH. MURDOCH notices that the hem of OGDEN's attire has become dirty. MURDOCH examines the victim. MURDOCH reaches into the victim's jacket and pulls out a wallet. He opens the wallet and finds identification and a modest sum of cash. HIGGINS joins CRABTREE on the walk and they both observe MURDOCH. MURDOCH and OGDEN move away from the victim and OGDEN motions to two men, who proceed to remove the victim's body from the pond. MURDOCH shows the wallet and cash to CRABTREE and HIGGINS.)
MURDOCH
It would appear that this was not a robbery. (Reading the identification) "Timothy Akers." He lived in this neighbourhood. Number eleven. Henry, find out which of these houses is number eleven.
HIGGINS
Yes, sir.
(HIGGINS walks in the direction of a house that overlooks the scene. MURDOCH examines the walkway and the blood stains. MURDOCH looks at the hedges. In his mind's eye, MURDOCH sees Mr. Akers walking along the walkway and a mysterious person peering at him from behind a hedge.)
MURDOCH
Our victim, Mr. Akers, was apparently walking in a southerly direction, along this path. Our assailant was in hiding behind this hedge, watching him. When Mr. Akers got to here, the assailant came out from behind the hedge and struck Mr. Akers in the head with an object of some kind. If that is indeed what happened, Mr. Akers might not have seen who assaulted him. He might have been taken completely by surprise.
CRABTREE
That makes sense to me, sir. Would you care to question Mrs. Maxwell, sir?
MURDOCH
Did she say anything helpful?
CRABTREE
She said she was walking—
(A scream is heard, and all turn to look for the source of it. MARY Akers is running toward the scene, with HIGGINS trying to slow and calm MARY, but HIGGINS is not doing a good job. MARY is frightened and highly emotional.)
MARY
Timothy! Timothy! No! Is that Timothy? I'm his wife! Timothy!
MURDOCH (taking hold of MARY)
We think that is Timothy Akers, yes. I am very sorry.
MARY watches in severe distress as the victim's body is removed from the scene. For several seconds, the victim's face is plainly visible. MARY falls to her knees and breaks down and tears flow. She wails. FADE OUT.)