What Would Murdoch Do?

by DoctorH

Murdoch is out of the country, and it is up to Inspector Brackenreid to try to solve a case involving murder of a loan shark, in addition to all of his other duties. The murder case has its twists; and Brackenreid (who is in every scene!) finds himself wondering what Murdoch would do. This is a teleplay, just like watching a TV episode, and a solution to the mystery is included.

2. ACT 2

ACT II

(FADE IN. ESTABLISHING SHOT OF DOWNTOWN TORONTO, morning, a few minutes later. CUT TO: EXT. OF THE PUB, which has its front door held open. BRACKENREID stands near the door, next to Constable RILEY; BRACKENREID is giving RILEY instructions, and RILEY nods his head. RILEY is holding a small wooden case. JACKSON emerges, with ANGEL. ANGEL's hands shake slightly. JACKSON courteously escorts ANGEL away. They move slowly; when ANGEL tries to veer in a direction she shouldn't, JACKSON firmly directs her back to where she ought to go; ANGEL is clearly in JACKSON's custody. While this is going on, RILEY enters the pub and disappears. BRACKENREID turns his attention as two ASSISTANTS carry the body out through the door on a carrier or litter. The body is covered by a shroud. The hands of the body are visible, indicating the body is lying face-down. There is a bulge in the shroud where the knife would be protruding from the back. HIGGINS is directing the removal and transport of the body. Following HIGGINS are OGDEN and the PHOTOGRAPHER.)

BRACKENREID
(to ASSISTANTS) Be careful, lads!

HIGGINS
(to ASSISTANTS) Yes, be careful!

BRACKENREID
(less loudly, to HIGGINS) That goes for you as well, Higgins! If that knife has finger marks on it, I don't want them spoiled!

HIGGINS
Yes, sir. I took precautions, sir.

BRACKENREID
Good man.

(The ASSISTANTS carefully load the body into a covered cart, under the watchful eyes of HIGGINS. OGDEN pauses near BRACKENREID.)

BRACKENREID
(to OGDEN) Did you make any further observations, Doctor?

OGDEN
Just that the victim was stabbed multiple times and likely suffered massive internal hemorrhage. He has been dead for about two hours. I'll know more after my post-mortem.

BRACKENREID
Right.

(OGDEN goes, and BRACKENREID tips his hat courteously to her. BRACKENREID watches the cart roll away, then he enters the pub. CUT TO: INT. MAIN ROOM OF THE PUB, moments later. The place is empty except for ALEC, the bartender. The dining room door is closed. BRACKENREID strolls up to the bar and takes a seat, pulling out a notebook and pencil as he does so.)

ALEC
(awkwardly) Can I offer you anything, Officer, I mean, Inspector?

BRACKENREID
Just a few answers to questions. First, (pointing to the door to the dining room) can you lock that door? I have an officer in there collecting finger mark evidence, and I don't want him disturbed until he's finished.

ALEC
Uh, that door does not lock. We don't use that room until evening, only for evening meals and private functions; so no one should be going in.

BRACKENREID
Keep an eye on it, will you, to make sure no one goes in.

(ALEC nods.)

BRACKENREID
What do you know about what happened in that room?

ALEC
I know a dead man was found there, because I saw his body being carried out. Other than that, I know nothing at all. When I came into work just after ten-thirty, a constable was already here, a tall man he was. He told me to stay out of that room. I didn't see or hear anything, I'm sorry.

BRACKENREID
Did you talk to Mrs. Sutton?

ALEC
I asked her what was going on. Angel waved me away, didn't want to talk.

BRACKENREID
How long have you worked here?

ALEC
Angel hired me, oh, twelve years ago, now. Is Angel under arrest? Is she going to be—

BRACKENREID
(interrupting) Your boss said that the dead man was named "Doc." Do you know anybody by that name?

ALEC
Yes, I know "Doc"; that is, I know who he is. I don't know his real name, though. It might be Miller or Muller, but I'm not sure.

BRACKENREID
(making a note) Is he a regular customer here?

ALEC
No, he's not a customer, regular or otherwise. He comes here from time to time to talk to people. He usually uses that room (nodding in the direction of the dining room) when he talks to people, so that they can have a little privacy when they talk, I guess.

BRACKENREID
What do they talk about?

ALEC
(uncomfortably) Money, probably.

BRACKENREID
What makes you think they were talking about money?

ALEC
Because "Doc," uh, lends money to people.

BRACKENREID
(making some notes, after a moment) Are you saying this "Doc" is a Shylock, a usurer— a moneylender who preys upon those in dire need?

ALEC
(sighs) That is— that was his reputation.

BRACKENREID
(making a note, after a moment) Did Mrs. Sutton owe any money to "Doc?"

ALEC
I don't know if Angel owes him any money; but probably, her boy owed "Doc" some money.

BRACKENREID
Did Mrs. Sutton ever express any— any— any hostility toward this "Doc?"

ALEC
If you mean, did she threaten to hurt him, or murder him? Not that I ever heard. And I don't think she could've murdered anyone.

BRACKENREID
You don't? Why not?

ALEC
(exasperated) Hell's thunder, sir!— I beg your pardon— but you've seen her! She's in no condition to kill anyone! (calming himself) It used to be that Angel was the one who kept order in this pub, after her husband died. If someone got out of line, she'd throw the bum out. (laughs a little) She wouldn't have a man do it for her; she'd throw the bum out HERSELF. That's how tough she was. (sadly) But then she— had an accident, fell down some stairs, and she hasn't manhandled anyone since then.

BRACKENREID
Hmm.

(CUT TO: EXT. STATION HOUSE NUMBER FOUR, mid-day, less than an hour later. CUT TO: INT. STATION HOUSE NUMBER FOUR, CONSTABLES' AREA. JACKSON is working on a report. BRACKENREID approaches JACKSON.)

BRACKENREID
Jackson, the knifing victim might have a criminal record. His name might be Miller or Muller or something similar: Mueller, Mahler, Mailer— check all of those names and any others that are like that. He might be known as "Doc"; and he might have been involved in usurious moneylending. See if you can find anything.

JACKSON
(enthusiastic, but not really) Yes, sir!

(JACKSON rises and goes to check the files. BRACKENREID scans the room and sees it mostly empty. JACKSON opens the files and looks through the files; JACKSON becomes a little worried when he sees some of the names.)

JACKSON
(to himself) Mahler; Mailer; Melier; Miller; Moeller; Mueller. Malin; Mellon; Miler; Mulder—

(JACKSON rolls his eyes and sighs, then starts to sort through the records. CUT TO: BRACKENREID'S OFFICE. BRACKENREID is in his chair, jacket off, making notes. There is a stack of about ten sheets of handwritten notes on his desk. The handwriting is a scrawl. BRACKENREID notices HIGGINS returning to the Constables' area outside his office. BRACKENREID calls to HIGGINS.)

BRACKENREID
Higgins!

(HIGGINS, slightly scared, enters BRACKENREID's office.)

HIGGINS
Yes, sir?

BRACKENREID
(handing HIGGINS the notes) Here! Here are my notes from the stabbing this morning. They can't go into an official police report looking like this. Type them up for me in a formal report for my signature, would you?

(HIGGINS takes the notes and looks them over. Some parts are legible, and some parts are less so.)

HIGGINS
(unenthusiastic) Yes, sir. Oh, sir! A reporter from the newspaper has inquired about the pub stabbing and would like you to telephone him. And Heffner just left a report on your desk. And he wants to speak to you after you've reviewed it.

(BRACKENREID rolls his eyes and enters his office. HIGGINS returns to his desk, with the notes. CUT TO: BRACKENREID'S OFFICE. There is a multi-page report on his desk. BRACKENREID sees the report on his desk and sighs. CUT TO: EXT. CITY MORGUE, afternoon. CUT TO: INT. CITY MORGUE. On the slab is the body of a man, naked but for a cloth for purposes of modesty. The chest of the body shows a Y-incision that has been roughly stitched shut, indicative of the completion of an autopsy. Various organs and samples are on a nearby table. Also on the table is a small dog-eared notebook. The fingers of the body are stained with black ink; someone has taken finger marks. OGDEN and JAMES are standing nearby. OGDEN is making notes, and JAMES is labeling certain samples and organizing them. BRACKENREID enters and approaches OGDEN and JAMES, who both look up as he approaches.)

BRACKENREID
Doctor. Miss James.

JAMES
Good afternoon, Inspector.

OGDEN
Good afternoon, Inspector; excuse me just a moment, I need to finish this note.

BRACKENREID
Of course, take your time.

(BRACKENREID readies his notebook and pencil, then notices that JAMES is giving her attention to BRACKENREID.)

BRACKENREID
(courteously, smiling) Miss James, feel free to return to what you were doing as well.

(JAMES smiles and resumes what she was doing. BRACKENREID notices JAMES making marks on some glass flasks with a grease pencil. OGDEN finishes making her notes and turns her attention to BRACKENREID.)

OGDEN
Have we identified this victim yet?

BRACKENREID
No. Not conclusively. Witnesses agree he was known as "Doc," but nobody knows his real name. The bartender at the pub Mrs. Sutton owns says he thinks the fellow's name is Miller or something similar. Jackson is checking that out right now.

(OGDEN makes a brief note, then looks at BRACKENREID.)

OGDEN
Well! Inspector: I expect you are interested in what I've found so far?

BRACKENREID
I am.

OGDEN
Keep in mind that I still want to do some tests on some of these samples, and that I still need to—

BRACKENREID
(raising a hand) I understand. Your findings are preliminary. What have you found?

OGDEN
The man was stabbed multiple times in his back; these stab wounds caused his death.

BRACKENREID
(wryly sarcastic) I never would have guessed.

OGDEN
He was stabbed at least six times. The final stab, that is, the wound caused by the knife left in his body, was likely the one that killed him. The blade cut a major vein and plunged into the right lung. The victim bled internally, which resulted in his death. The blade was about this long (indicating eight to nine inches). The knife appeared to be a boning knife, such as might be used by a butcher.

BRACKENREID
(to himself) Used by a butcher, but available to anyone. (to OGDEN) Not exactly the weapon of choice of an experienced killer, though, is it? From the nature of the wound, could you determine anything about the attacker, height, for example?

OGDEN
I'm afraid the attacker may have been almost any height at all; there are simply too many unknowns.

BRACKENREID
How about the strength of the attacker? I mean, we have multiple stab wounds here, the last of which buried the blade of the knife completely in the victim's back. That would require considerable strength, wouldn't it?

OGDEN
(slyly) You mean, more strength than a woman can muster?

(JAMES suppresses a small smile.)

BRACKENREID
(not taking the bait) No, I mean more strength than the suspect sitting in our jail cell can muster. I'm told Mrs. Sutton used to be a— a robust woman in her younger days; but she's older now, and not as healthy. If you saw her, Doctor, you'd wonder whether she'd be capable of doing something like this.

OGDEN
Well, I haven't observed Mrs. Sutton; but I can say that the number and nature of the wounds suggests an attacker of above average strength. It could be a woman, but a man is more likely.

BRACKENREID
Would you expect the attacker to have hands that shake?

(BRACKENREID demonstrates by holding up his hands and letting them shake.)

OGDEN
(cautiously) No, I wouldn't. Do Mrs. Sutton's hands shake like that?

BRACKENREID
Yes. What could cause that?

OGDEN
Any number of things. A degenerative condition of the nerves, that comes with old age—

(OGDEN glances at JAMES, who picks up the thought.)

JAMES
Or delerium tremens, secondary to withdrawal from alcohol—

OGDEN
Or a pharmacological side effect—

JAMES
Some people get shaky hands from drinking too much coffee—

OGDEN
Or it might simply be nervousness, the shock of being involved in a murder case.

BRACKENREID
(resigned) Right. Well. (makes a note) Let me know when your opinions are finalized, will you?

OGDEN
Certainly.

BRACKENREID
Right. (remembering something) Oh! (makes a note) Time of death?

OGDEN
Between nine-fifteen and ten o'clock this morning, I should say.

BRACKENREID
(making a note) At least half an hour before the body was discovered. Maybe longer. Anything found on the body?

OGDEN
(picking up the little notebook) This notebook was found in his trouser pocket.

(BRACKENREID takes the notebook from OGDEN and leafs through it. The pages are numbered and dated, but everything written is gibberish.)

BRACKENREID
"Doc" was up to something, all right. He recorded all his transactions in code. (looking around) I don't see the knife. Where is the knife?

JAMES
I can answer that, Inspector. I witnessed Constable Higgins as the knife was checked for finger marks and removed from the body. Dr. Ogden made a brief examination of the knife; I turned the body onto its back so that the autopsy could be conducted; and Constable Higgins then took the knife, sir.

(While BRACKENREID makes a note, HIGGINS enters and walks up to the others.)

BRACKENREID
(in a low voice) Speak of the devil. (in a normal voice) What is it, Higgins?

HIGGINS
(uneasy) Sir, I have looked at the finger marks Constable Riley collected from the scene of the crime, and there are quite a lot of them and they are far from where the body was found—

BRACKENREID
What about finger marks from the knife, Higgins? Those are the ones I'm interested in! Did you recover any?

HIGGINS
(smiling a little) Yes, sir, I did. The handle of the knife appears to have been hastily wiped; nevertheless, I have recovered one clear finger mark and one clear partial finger mark from the handle. I have compared them to the finger marks of Mrs. Sutton.

BRACKENREID
And?

HIGGINS
(confidently) There is no match, sir. None of her fingers even comes close to a match.

BRACKENREID
So she didn't do it.

(BRACKENREID shoots a look to OGDEN, as if to say, "I suspected as much.")

BRACKENREID
All right, Higgins, I want you to compare those finger marks to any other suspects in our files that have been involved in stabbings.

HIGGINS
(uncomfortably) That— that may take quite some time.

BRACKENREID
Which is why you'd better get started on it straightaway. If you can, check whether any of the stabbings involved ordinary butchers' knives, rather than knives that use retractable blades or that are carried in scabbards.

HIGGINS
(unenthusiastic) Yes, sir.

BRACKENREID
Right. Higgins— and Doctor, and Miss James, this goes for you as well— let's not let anyone, especially the newspapers, know that we have recovered any finger marks, from anywhere, right? Let's let our killer think that he successfully wiped the knife clean, right? Right. I'm going to have a talk with that— innocent lady who is currently sitting in our jail cell.

(CUT TO: EXT. STATION HOUSE NUMBER FOUR, minutes later. CUT TO: INT. STATION HOUSE NUMBER FOUR. INTERVIEW ROOM. ANGEL is in the hot seat, with a Constable RILEY behind her. ANGEL's hands are shaking. BRACKENREID enters the room, holding his notebook and a pencil; before he sits in the chair opposite ANGEL, BRACKENREID nods to RILEY.)

BRACKENREID
That'll be all, Riley. Go back to your regular duties.

(RILEY acknowledges the dismissal and leaves. BRACKENREID seats himself opposite ANGEL and readies his notebook. Throughout the interrogation, ANGEL behaves as though she is not understanding everything, or that she is detached from reality, and her hands shake.)

BRACKENREID
Mrs. Sutton. You confessed to a crime that you did not commit.

ANGEL
(blandly) I stabbed him.

BRACKENREID
(calmly) No, you didn't. We know you didn't. The doctor says that whoever did stab him was stronger than you are, and had steady hands.

ANGEL
Take me back to my cell.

BRACKENREID
I won't. You didn't do it. But maybe you can help me catch the criminal who did do it. (gently) Tell me what happened. That's all I want. Start by telling me how you discovered "Doc's" body.

ANGEL
I own my own pub.

BRACKENREID
Yes—?

ANGEL
I went into the dining room and saw "Doc" on the floor.

BRACKENREID
And you recognized him as "Doc" right away, did you?

ANGEL
I did, because I had stabbed him. I stabbed "Doc."

BRACKENREID
(adamantly, but not angrily) I KNOW you did not stab him. Let's get that fact out in the open right now. I KNOW you did not stab him. I want to find who did stab him.

ANGEL
I'm guilty. I did it, and then I telephoned the Constabulary.

BRACKENREID
(firmly, but not angrily) I KNOW that is not true.

ANGEL
It is true.

BRACKENREID
(kindly) You're protecting someone, aren't you? You're trying to confess to a crime you didn't commit, so that the person who is really responsible won't hang; isn't that right?

(ANGEL says nothing.)

BRACKENREID
(gently) Is it your son? Did your son kill this "Doc?"

(ANGEL says nothing, but is holding back tears.)

BRACKENREID
(gently) Your barman told me that your son owed this "Doc" a considerable amount of money. Is that true?

(ANGEL is still holding back tears.)

ANGEL
(blankly) I stabbed "Doc."

BRACKENREID
No, you didn't. What's your son's name? Where can I find him?

(ANGEL says nothing. BRACKENREID sighs and decides to take a different approach.)

BRACKENREID
Who was in your establishment this morning, other than you?

ANGEL
"Doc" was there.

BRACKENREID
Did you see anyone, other than you and "Doc?"

ANGEL
No.

BRACKENREID
Not even your barman?

ANGEL
(absently) Alec wasn't there. Doesn't come in until half past ten. Our cook comes in after ten-thirty as well. I came in at ten.

(BRACKENREID makes some hasty notes.)

BRACKENREID
(reassuringly, encouragingly) All right, good. Now we're getting somewhere. Knowing when people arrived at the pub, that's helping me, do you see? Now. Before you found his body, did you see "Doc" come into your pub?

ANGEL
No.

BRACKENREID
So "Doc" arrived at your pub before you arrived at ten o'clock. Were the doors to your business locked?

ANGEL
Yes.

BRACKENREID
Did "Doc" have a key?

(ANGEL says nothing.)

BRACKENREID
How did "Doc" get into your pub, if it was locked? Do you have any idea?

(ANGEL says nothing. BRACKENREID is becoming annoyed, but he presses on.)

BRACKENREID
At some point, you went into what you called "the dining room." Can you tell me what prompted YOU to go into the dine—

ANGEL
To find "Doc."

BRACKENREID
To find "Doc?" But how did you know that "Doc" was there?

ANGEL
Because I killed him there.

(BRACKENREID looks ill. CUT TO: BRACKENREID'S OFFICE. The office door is open. HIGGINS is standing still while BRACKENREID paces and rants. While BRACKENREID rants, CRABTREE quietly walk up to the door and unobtrusively stands by the door, as if waiting his turn to see the Inspector.)

BRACKENREID
Balmy! That woman is totally around the bend! I just wasted half an hour listening to— to nonsense!

HIGGINS
Sir—

BRACKENREID
(interrupting, still ranting) She is trying to confess to a crime we know she didn't commit! I tell her we know she didn't do it, and she keeps trying to confess anyway!

HIGGINS
Sir—

BRACKENREID
I had to release her, of course! We know she didn't do it, her finger marks aren't on the knife, and there's no way her confession could be reliable. But the worst part is this: I don't know if ANYTHING she said can be trusted!

(BRACKENREID puts his hand to his forehead like he has a headache.)

BRACKENREID
What would Murdoch do with a witness like that? Why'd Murdoch have to pick THIS week to be gone?

HIGGINS
Because the Boston conference is this week, sir.

BRACKENREID
I bloody well know that! (a little cooler, to himself) We need some help. I'm going to see whether Station House Three can send over a detective to help out with this case. (to HIGGINS) Any luck on finding matching finger marks on the knife, Higgins?

HIGGINS
No, sir.

BRACKENREID
(bitterly sarcastic) This day is certainly going well. Keep at it. Any idea where Crabtree is?

(CRABTREE pokes his head into BRACKENREID'S OFFICE.)

CRABTREE
I'm right here, sir.

BRACKENREID
Are you done getting those statements of those witnesses to the fire on Dundas?

CRABTREE
I have talked to almost all of them, sir; I was just about to begin typing up my notes, which I will turn into a formal report and witness statements for signature. The Fire Chief tells me that the blaze was arson to a certainty.

BRACKENREID
(harried) All right, you've got a lot to do. Get back to it. The quicker you can get it done, the better; we're short-handed here.

CRABTREE
Right, sir.

(MARGARET Brackenreid suddenly appears in the Station House, deliberately striding toward the office. HIGGINS notices this first, and gets ready to make a hasty exit.)

HIGGINS
(quickly) I'll get back to those finger marks, sir.

(HIGGINS makes a hasty exit, taking CRABTREE with him. The two constables momentarily block the entrance to the office. BRACKENREID sees MARGARET is coming to see him, and he rolls his eyes. HIGGINS and CRABTREE nod in greeting to MARGARET, then get out of her way. MARGARET strides into the office. MARGARET is business-like.)

BRACKENREID
(trying to keep his voice even) Hello, Margaret. I'm rather busy at the mo—

MARGARET
I was just at Eaton's, and I thought I would stop in on my way home and remind you that we have dinner tonight at the Chapmans.

BRACKENREID
(putting his hand to his forehead) Oh, bloody—

MARGARET
You haven't forgotten, have you?

BRACKENREID
No, I haven't forgotten. But dinner isn't until six, and it's not even three o'clock yet.

MARGARET
You ARE going to wash and change your clothes before we go to the Chapmans' home, aren't you?

BRACKENREID
Yes, but— Margaret, I think I may have to cancel dinner for tonight.

MARGARET
(disappointed) What? But, Thomas; we've been planning this for weeks.

BRACKENREID
I know. But duty calls, Margaret; and I am very short-handed right now!

MARGARET
(disappointed, not angry) Oh, Thomas! What am I to do—

(The telephone on the desk rings [SFX]. BRACKENREID holds up a finger to signal to MARGARET that he needs to answer it, then picks up the receiver and holds it to his ear, then moves the mouthpiece next to his mouth.)

BRACKENREID
Inspector Thomas Brackenreid. (pause, listening) Ah, Artie, I was hoping to hear back from you. Say, we've got our hands full here, with two of our detectives being unavailable, and— (pause, listening) I know, but do you think you could spare one of your boys who could come and take on one of our cases? (pause, listening) Well, it's a homicide, a stabbing case. (pause, listening) Just this morning. (pause, listening) Well, we did make an arrest, and she confessed to it, yes. (pause) No, we had to let the suspect go; we know she didn't do it.

(MARGARET is listening to this; what she hears strikes her as very strange).

BRACKENREID
We're quite sure. (pause, listening) Well, no. (pause, listening) No, it wouldn't be for that long. I just need some assistance questioning witnesses and following some leads. (pause, listening) Oh, Artie, you know I can't make a guarantee like that! (pause, listening, then resigned) All right, all right. I understand. Good-bye.

(BRACKENREID hangs up, and slumps for a moment. BRACKENREID mouths the word "Bollocks!" but says nothing. Then BRACKENREID looks at MARGARET.)

BRACKENREID
I have to cancel dinner for tonight.

(MARGARET is hurt, disappointed.)

BRACKENREID
(continuing) I have no choice in the matter. I have to follow up on this stabbing case. In fact, I have to leave the office this afternoon to question some witnesses.

(BRACKENREID stands, and he comes over to MARGARET, who is still visibly disappointed.)

BRACKENREID
I'm terribly sorry, Margaret. I didn't plan things to be this way; it just happened. Dale and Arlene Chapman are wonderful people, dear; they'll understand.

MARGARET
(disappointed, but understanding) I realize sometimes your service to the citizenry comes first. I was just— well, I was so looking forward to tonight!

(BRACKENREID kisses MARGARET.)

BRACKENREID
I know. We'll do it another day. And now I must be off.

(BRACKENREID gets his coat and gets ready to go. MARGARET turns away and it is evident from her expression that she is very disappointed. BRACKENREID exits, and MARGARET watches him go. BRACKENREID and the DESK SERGEANT acknowledge one another as BRACKENREID leaves. FADE OUT.)