A Case of Spoliation

by DoctorH

A teleplay, like watching a Murdoch Mysteries episode. A murder occurs in a public park. Crabtree is first on the scene, and he comes to think that he handled his duties badly. Meanwhile, there is confusion about what actually happened: two suspects both admit they had means and motive and opportunity, but deny their guilt. It's up to Murdoch to sort it all out. Solution included.

1. ACT 1

"A CASE OF SPOLIATION"

ACT I

(FADE IN. ESTABLISHING SHOT OF EXTERIOR OF STATION HOUSE NUMBER FOUR. It is dawn but the sun is not up. CUT TO: INTERIOR OF STATION HOUSE NUMBER FOUR, INTERROGATION ROOM. The Interrogation Room looks different from how it usually appears. First, the table is moved to the side of the room and no chairs are visible. Second, there is a standalone blackboard at the front of the room. On the blackboard are a chalk drawing of a house and neighboring streets. Affixed to the blackboard, below the drawing, are the mug shots of four men. Third, the room is crowded. There are at least fifteen men in the room, all standing, all wearing civilian clothing. Among these men are MURDOCH, CRABTREE, HIGGINS and JACKSON. Also present is Detective Michael PENDRAGON; PENDRAGON is wearing civilian attire and there is nothing about his appearance to suggest that he is a detective. The men are all standing at ease and talking among themselves. BRACKENREID, dressed in his usual suit, enters the Interrogation Room and moves toward the front. Following BRACKENREID is Inspector Freddy WINTHORPE from Station House Number Two. BRACKENREID knocks on the blackboard to get attention.)

BRACKENREID
All right, lads! Settle down! I need your attention!

(The room goes quiet.)

BRACKENREID
Good morning! For those of you from Station House Number Two who haven't met me, I'm Inspector Thomas Brackenreid. For those of you from Station House Number FOUR who don't know him, this is Inspector Freddy Winthorpe.

(WINTHORPE nods.)

BRACKENREID
The house that you'll be raiding today is in the jurisdiction of Station House Four, but the men to be apprehended have committed most of their offenses in the jurisdiction of Station House Two. Inspector Winthorpe and his boys have been after these criminals for months. Therefore, Inspector Winthorpe will be leading this raid, and all you men from Station House Four will be taking your orders from him.

(BRACKENREID steps aside to hand the floor to WINTHORPE.)

BRACKENREID
Freddy?

WINTHORPE
Thank you, Inspector Brackenreid.

(WINTHORPE points to the mugshots. Close-ups show each photograph in detail. The first photograph shows a clean-shaven man with spectacles; the name at the bottom of the photograph is "CLARE." The second photograph shows a man with a short beard and dark hair; the name at the bottom of the photograph is "HUXLEY." The third photograph shows another man, also with a short beard and dark hair; the name at the bottom of the photograph is "IVES." The fourth photograph shows a man with a much longer beard and dark frizzy hair; the name at the bottom of the photograph is "TALBOT." All of the men appear to be in their mid-twenties.

WINTHORPE
These are the men we want to arrest: Ray Clare! Roger Huxley! Rodney Ives! And Joseph Talbot! Memorize their faces! These photographs are recent, and we expect the men to look like this, although we think Talbot's hair might be longer than is shown here. These four men are racketeers; they have extorted thousands of dollars from citizens and businesses, and we plan to put a stop to it.

(WINTHORPE moves to the blackboard diagram, and points to it as he talks. The diagram shows a small house, with a front door facing west, with streets, alleys and fences.)

WINTHORPE
We believe all four of these men are in this house on Bathurst. We have long had warrants to arrest them all, and today we intend to do just that. Gentlemen: we hope to take them by surprise. My men from Station House Number Two will lead the raid, approaching the house from this direction and this direction, surrounding the house here, and entering through the front door. You men from Station House Number Four, you will be deployed here, away from the house, to keep innocent citizens away and to render assistance if called.

(WINTHORPE turns back to the photographs.)

WINTHORPE
These men are dangerous! They will no doubt be armed! Therefore, WE will be armed. If everything goes right, we will capture these four men before they know what is happening, and there will be no exchange of gunfire. But if everything does NOT go right, and if any one of these criminals shows a gun in his hand, you are authorized to discharge your weapons at any and all of them. This is not a "Wanted: dead or alive" situation; we want to take these men alive. But if they decide to start shooting, then we shoot back. If they start it, we end it. Is that CLEAR!? (pause) All right, if anyone's got any questions before we go get these jokers, now's the time.

(No one has any questions.)

WINTHORPE
Right! Let's go get them!

(The men begin leaving the Interrogation Room, with enthusiasm.)

BRACKENREID
Happy hunting, lads!

(The men, including MURDOCH, CRABTREE, HIGGINS, JACKSON, and PENDRAGON, leave the Interrogation Room, with WINTHORPE joining them. BRACKENREID is the last one to leave the room. CUT TO: BRACKENREID's office. BRACKENREID enters and sits at his desk and begins to review a report. A close-up of a clock shows that the time is 6:10. DISSOLVE: the clock now shows 7:35. BRACKENREID is still in his office, hard at work. There is a hubbub [SFX], causing BRACKENREID to look up. BRACKENREID sees MURDOCH, CRABTREE, HIGGINS and JACKSON returning to the office. None of them looks happy. MURDOCH is giving instructions to CRABTREE, HIGGINS and JACKSON, who listen and nod. BRACKENREID rises and goes to his office door. BRACKENREID calls to MURDOCH.)

BRACKENREID
Murdoch!

(MURDOCH breaks away from CRABTREE, HIGGINS and JACKSON, and goes to the office. BRACKENREID remains standing. MURDOCH closes the office door.)

BRACKENREID
How did it go?

MURDOCH
Poorly, sir. Three constables received gunshot wounds.

(BRACKENREID is stunned.)

MURDOCH
The wounds were not serious, and the men will likely recover.

BRACKENREID
Any of our people hurt?

MURDOCH
No, sir. We were some distance away from the house, where the gunfire occurred. We heard gunshots, but none of us saw what happened.

BRACKENREID
And the men who were to be taken into custody?

(MURDOCH takes a breath before answering.)

MURDOCH
They got away.

BRACKENREID (dreading asking)
How many got away?

MURDOCH
All of them got away, sir.

BRACKENREID (stunned)
Bloody hell! What went wrong?

MURDOCH
I do not know. I have told George and the other constables to familiarize themselves with the photographs of the four men, so that we can recognize them if they hide out in our territory.

(BRACKENREID nods blankly, and plops himself into his chair. BRACKENREID shakes his head in disbelief. FADE OUT.)