A Matter of Choice

by DoctorH

A Murdoch Mysteries teleplay, just like a TV episode. Following a brutal murder, Murdoch formulates a plan by which the premeditated crime could have been committed. But the plan seems to require the cooperation of someone whose ethics are beyond reproach; otherwise the plan had to account for choices that could not possibly have been known in advance. Solution included.

1. ACT 1

"A Matter of Choice"

This story is dedicated with great love to PEBH:
"Loss of an educator is always a great loss." — Wm. Murdoch

(PRODUCTION NOTES: The setting at the University of Toronto is a matter of convenience. It is possible that another college or university of the time period would serve. Some historical background would be in order to be certain that buildings are called by proper names— instead of generic names like "Building A"— as well as the areas of study offered and the degrees available. The historical details can be added without compromising the nature of the mystery. Further, it is recommended that the staging of Acts I, IV and V be done with the assistance of a professional magician as a consultant.)

ACT I

(FADE IN. ESTABLISHING SHOT OF A UNIVERSITY OR COLLEGE CAMPUS, a sunny morning. CUT TO: GROUND-LEVEL SHOT of the campus. Assembled in an open area are several people. One is Reverend Paul SPENCER, a very distinguished and well-dressed gentleman, confined to a wheelchair. Next to SPENCER is Professor Marcus NEWELL, a middle-aged man, small and slight, using a curved-end wooden cane, dressed in a suit befitting his profession. NEWELL holds his cane in one hand, a clipboard in the other. Standing in an arc around SPENCER and NEWELL are ten STUDENTS: CLAY, DALY, BERGER, AVLON, SCHNEIDER, LEWIS, MARCEAU, UMFORTH, SHERMAN and TRAVIS. They are all college-age and physically fit, and dressed in work attire. Most are men, but some may be women. Robert CLAY is a man, quite tall, and obviously in very good physical shape; CLAY is considerably more athletic in appearance than the others. UMFORTH, the only other tall man, is as tall as or taller than CLAY, but of much slighter build.)

SPENCER
Thank you all for coming. I see that you are all dressed for a day of hard work. Good! You will be working today, doing some things that are not very pleasant to do, but very necessary. Professor Newell, here, has a list of tasks that must be completed before we begin our school year next week. The tasks involve such things a moving waste material, doing some simple maintenance, cleaning up rubbish, and so forth. Are you all up to it?

(The STUDENTS show enthusiasm. SPENCER is delighted.)

SPENCER
Good show! I am pleased to say that all of these tasks ought to be completed before noon; and if you will join us at the dining hall at noon in the commons, you will all be my guests at lunch! Now, Professor Newell will select you for your assignments.

(NEWELL holds up his clipboard, so the STUDENTS can see it. The writing on the paper on the clipboard is too small to read.)

NEWELL
I have here a list of jobs that we will be doing today. Only—

(NEWELL lowers his clipboard and bows deferentially to SPENCER.)

NEWELL
I would like to ask that Reverend Spencer select the students for the jobs, as he has done for many years past.

SPENCER (waving it off)
Oh, good heavens.

NEWELL (smiling)
Please, Reverend. For old times' sake.

SPENCER
Oh, very well. What do we need?

NEWELL (checking his clipboard)
Well, would you please, sir, divide these ten students into two groups of five?

(SPENCER waves to the five rightmost students: LEWIS, MARCEAU, UMFORTH, SHERMAN and TRAVIS.)

SPENCER
All right, you five are one group—

NEWELL (interrupting)
— And I will need this group (pointing to the five identified by SPENCER) to go to Building B and report to a Mr. Atherton. (for emphasis) That's Mr. Atherton. You will be doing some moving of materials out of the building. It should be easy work, but there is a lot of it to do; so, off you go!

(NEWELL points LEWIS, MARCEAU, UMFORTH, SHERMAN and TRAVIS in the direction of Building B, and they turn and begin walking in that direction. NEWELL consults his clipboard.)

NEWELL
Very good. Now, Reverend, from these five students, I would like you to select three, for some tasks that are somewhat more engaging.

(SPENCER points at CLAY, DALY and BERGER).

SPENCER
All right, you, you and you. There's your group of three.

NEWELL
Thank you, Reverend.

(NEWELL checks his clipboard, briefly, and then addresses AVLON and SCHNEIDER.)

NEWELL
As it happens, I have a job that requires just two people: doing some clean-up in Building A. Would the two of you please report to Mr. Hopper in Building A? He will tell you what to do. That's Mr. Hopper. Off you go.

(NEWELL points AVLON and SCHNEIDER in the direction of Building A, and they head off in that direction.)

NEWELL
And the remaining three tasks are for just one person each. (To SPENCER) If you would, please, Reverend, select someone who you think would be trustworthy?

SPENCER (pointing at BERGER)
This seems like a trustworthy fellow!

NEWELL
(to BERGER) Would you please report to Mr. Burlington in Building B? He needs someone trustworthy and will tell you what needs to be done. Mr. Burlington.

(NEWELL points BERGER in the direction of Building B, and off BERGER goes. NEWELL briefly glances at his clipboard again.)

NEWELL
(To SPENCER) Now, Reverend, I need someone would you think would be helpful.

SPENCER (pointing at CLAY)
This looks like a helpful young man!

NEWELL
Well, I certainly hope so; (to CLAY) for you will be helping me as I prepare a maintenance list in Building C. (To SPENCER) I take it, Reverend, that you deem this last person to be a persistent student?

SPENCER (good-naturedly)
Well, he certainly looks persistent, I suppose!

NEWELL
I agree, sir, an excellent choice. (to DALY) An excellent choice to assist Professor Bottoms in Building B. Professor Bottoms needs the help of a persistent student to arrange his library, and I am certain you will be able to help him! So— off you go—

(NEWELL points DALY in the direction of Building B, and off DALY goes.)

NEWELL (continuing)
— (to CLAY) and you will be assisting me, Mister—?

CLAY
Clay, sir. Robert Clay.

NEWELL (continuing)
— Mr. Clay, and—

(NEWELL bows to SPENCER.)

NEWELL (continuing)
— Many thanks to you, Reverend Spencer, for your excellent eye in selecting students for the respective tasks.

(SPENCER is flattered, and smiles. NEWELL hangs his can from his wrist and gets behind SPENCER's wheelchair and begins to push it, using the wheelchair rather than the cane for support.)

NEWELL
Mr. Clay, we will take Reverend Spencer back to the commons, and then we will proceed to Building C.

CLAY
Very good, sir.

(NEWELL pushes SPENCER along, CLAY trailing. CUT TO: ESTABLISHING SHOT OF THE COLLEGE CAMPUS, same time. DISSOLVE TO: ESTABLISHING SHOT OF THE SAME COLLEGE CAMPUS, except it is no longer a sunny morning, but it is a cloudy late morning or early midday on the same day. CUT TO: GROUND-LEVEL SHOT of one of the buildings on the campus. A sign shows it to be "BUILDING D." CUT TO: INTERIOR OF BUILDING D, a hallway. Walking in the hallway is Professor Edmund BARNES. BARNES notices that one of the doorways, one marked "Chemistry Laboratory," is partly open. BARNES takes the knob of the door and pushes open the door. CUT TO: INTERIOR OF THE LAB, with several lab tables. There are no windows. The lab seems to be deserted. All of the tables are bare, except one, which has a weighing scale and a sample bottle and some notes. BARNES heads toward the table that seems to be in use.)

BARNES
Hello?

(Presently, BARNES sees a hand and arm of a body lying on the floor. BARNES gasps. BARNES quickly moves to get a better look, and sees the body of Professor Marion Trenton lying on the floor, the body's mouth open in an odd expression. One of Trenton's arms seems to be twisted bizarrely behind his back, and there seems to be a thin red but not bloody line crossing his throat. Blood is pooling near the body's mouth. The body is that of a man of relatively short stature, though this is not evident from the body lying on the floor. BARNES is horrified and runs from the lab. FADE OUT.)