ACT III
(FADE IN. EXT. ANGEL'S PUB, late afternoon. CUT TO: INT. THE MAIN ROOM OF THE PUB. The door to the dining room is closed. ALEC is behind the bar, and there are three patrons, INGRAM, STRATTON, and WHATLEY, sitting at the bar, but sitting apart from one another. INGRAM, STRATTON and WHATLEY each has a beer, and each appears to be a middle-aged man from the lower social classes. The beer glass in front of INGRAM is mostly full; the other beer glasses less so. The tables in the main room of the pub are empty. BRACKENREID strides up to the bar between INGRAM and STRATTON. INGRAM watches with distrust.)
ALEC
Hello, Inspector.
INGRAM
(overhearing, disrespectful) Inspector?! Aw, sakes.
(INGRAM turns away in disgust. STRATTON listens but tries to appear disinterested. WHATLEY tries to mind his own business.)
BRACKENREID
Hello, Alec. Where's Mrs. Sutton?
ALEC
She's home. She's not well. You want me to telephone her?
BRACKENREID
That won't be necessary.
ALEC
(quietly) She told me you questioned her and let her go. She's very upset. Do you have more questions for her?
BRACKENREID
Actually—
ALEC
(quietly) Listen: I know you have a job to do, but speaking man-to-man, I'd appreciate it if you just left Angel alone.
(BRACKENREID listens respectfully, withdrawing a notebook as he does so.)
BRACKENREID
My questions are for you.
INGRAM
(under his breath) Aw, splud!
(BRACKENREID notices the mild exclamation from INGRAM, but addresses ALEC. ALEC speaks before BRACKENREID does.)
ALEC
Fine, but I'd appreciate it if you asked your questions of me and then— left. It's bad enough that the afternoon newspapers have reported that we had a suspicious death here, and that's unnerving to some of our customers.
BRACKENREID
(hard, but understanding) And having a copper nosing around isn't going to help matters.
ALEC
That's right.
STRATTON
Newspaper said Angel was your only suspect. That true? If you let Angel go, doesn't that mean that you have no suspects, and that the killer's still at large?
BRACKENREID
The Constabulary hasn't caught the killer yet. But we will.
STRATTON
Newspaper said somebody got stabbed, and there were no witnesses, and the killer wiped the finger markings off the knife with a napkin.
BRACKENREID
The killer wiped the handle of the knife, that's true.
STRATTON
(worried) Well, if you don't mind me asking, how are you gonna catch the killer?
BRACKENREID
One thing I'm going to do is ask you fellows some questions, if you don't mind.
(INGRAM starts to drink his beer; he drinks it fairly quickly and doesn't nurse it.)
BRACKENREID
I'll make this quick, then; just a couple of questions.
(INGRAM edges away, still trying to drink his beer.)
BRACKENREID
(to ALEC) The front door to this pub is locked when not open, isn't it? Who has a key to the pub?
ALEC
Angel has a key, I've got one, the other barman has one—
BRACKENREID
What's his name, the other barman?
ALEC
Terry Loftus. He's been out of town this week, in Kingston with his brother. He'll be back next week.
BRACKENREID
Mrs. Sutton says you have a cook; has he got a key?
ALEC
We have three cooks. None of them has a key.
(BRACKENREID pauses to make a quick note. INGRAM belches.)
BRACKENREID
Besides you and Loftus and Mrs. Sutton, does anyone el—
INGRAM
(interrupting quietly) You've asked your "couple of questions"; now leave.
(BRACKENREID hears and turns to INGRAM.)
BRACKENREID
Eh?
INGRAM
(a bit louder) Why don't you just leave him alone, copper.
(BRACKENREID turns fully to face INGRAM.)
BRACKENREID
All right, I will leave him alone. And instead, I'll put some questions to you, my friend.
(INGRAM becomes uncomfortable and acts like he is about to leave, even though his glass still has some beer in it.)
BRACKENREID
(forcefully) You stay right where you are! I'm talking to you!
(INGRAM stays put, but is very uncomfortable.)
BRACKENREID
You know anyone named "Doc?"
INGRAM
You mean a doctor? I don't know any doctors.
WHATLEY
(piping up) What about "Doc," Inspector?
(BRACKENREID turns to face WHATLEY. While BRACKENREID and WHATLEY are conversing, STRATTON finishes his beer and slips out from between them and disappears; at the same time, INGRAM finishes his beer and quietly slips away.)
BRACKENREID
You know "Doc?"
(WHATLEY shifts his gaze back-and-forth between BRACKENREID and ALEC.)
WHATLEY
I know who he is. What about him?
ALEC
(nodding in the direction of the dining room) That man who was found dead—
WHATLEY
(aghast) "Doc" killed him?
BRACKENREID
(mildly surprised) No—
WHATLEY
"Doc" had him killed?
BRACKENREID
No. "Doc" was the man who was killed.
WHATLEY
(flabbergasted) Is that a fact?
BRACKENREID
It is. Do you know "Doc's" real name?
WHATLEY
Mueller. I don't know his first name.
BRACKENREID
And do you know "Doc's" line of business?
WHATLEY
(sadly) Loans. People desperate for cash borrow from him. And he demands high interest. And if people don't pay him back, he has them killed, or he hurts them, or he hurts their families, or forces them to— "do things." But he's dead now?
BRACKENREID
Dead.
WHATLEY
(smiles a little) Somebody finally had enough of him, and killed him. You shouldn't arrest whoever did that, Inspector. You ought to give him a medal.
BRACKENREID
You seem to know something about this "Doc" Mueller. Did you ever borrow money from him?
WHATLEY
(the smile vanishes) Yes. I had no choice. (uncomfortably) He made me "do things" to pay him back. (bitterly) "Things."
BRACKENREID
What kind of "things?"
WHATLEY
(uncomfortably) Once he told me to deliver a package. I don't know it for a fact, but I think the package probably held something illegal. "Doc" reduced my debt by fifty dollars for making that delivery, though. Once he asked about a shipment of expensive lumber to a company I work with, and I told him, and he reduced my debt by a hundred dollars for that.
BRACKENREID
Let me guess: that shipment ended up being stolen.
WHATLEY
But I didn't know that was what was going to happen!
BRACKENREID
(diplomatically) I believe you. You didn't think you would be aiding and abetting a theft.
WHATLEY
(nodding, uncomfortably) "Doc" forced me to do some other "things" as well, and with all due respect, Inspector, I really don't want to tell you about those incidents.
BRACKENREID
(reassuringly) I won't ask you now what kind of "things" you had to do. That's not the focus of my investigation, understand?
(WHATLEY seems relieved. BRACKENREID starts to turn to where INGRAM had been.)
BRACKENREID
How about you? Did you ever have any dealings with—?
(BRACKENREID sees that INGRAM and STRATTON are gone. BRACKENREID looks back at WHATLEY, then BRACKENREID looks at ALEC as well.)
WHATLEY
(pointing to where INGRAM was) Normy borrowed from "Doc," too. He's very embarrassed about it; but he was hard pressed for money last year. I'll bet he hopes that whoever killed "Doc" gets away with it. I know that's what I'm hoping.
(ALEC nods in agreement.)
BRACKENREID
His full name is Norm—?
ALEC
Norman Ingram.
WHATLEY
My name's Eugene Whatley. (pointing to where STRATTON was) As for Kenny Stratton, I doubt he ever dealt with "Doc."
BRACKENREID
(making notes) So "Doc" had at least two, er, "clients" here.
ALEC
(nodding) Yeah.
BRACKENREID
(to WHATLEY) Anyone else you know, besides yourself and the other fellow, er, Ingram?
WHATLEY
(to ALEC) Nash, maybe?
ALEC
(nodding) Nash, almost certainly. Joseph Nash. Mark Hardwick, too.
(BRACKENREID makes notes.)
WHATLEY
Hardwick, yeah, definitely. He met with "Doc" in that room a time or two, didn't he? I can't think of anyone else.
BRACKENREID
(to ALEC) Did Mrs. Sutton borrow money from "Doc?"
ALEC
I don't believe she did. But I'm pretty sure her boy did. Quinn is his name.
BRACKENREID
And how can I find Quinn?
ALEC
I— I don't know. I don't think Angel knows how to find him. He just shows up when he wants something.
BRACKENREID
Right. You two— all of the people you mentioned— tell me where they work, where they live, if you know.
(BRACKENREID readies his pencil and glances at WHATLEY, who shrugs, then gets ready to speak. CUT TO: EXT. STATION HOUSE NUMBER FOUR, early evening. CUT TO: INT. STATION HOUSE NUMBER FOUR, BRACKENREID'S OFFICE. BRACKENREID is sitting at his desk, with his jacket off, talking on the telephone. Several sheets of notepaper on on the desk in front of him.)
BRACKENREID
Dale, I expect Margaret has already spoken to you. Yes, well, I wanted to telephone you myself and apologize for not being able to make dinner tonight. It was a disappointment to Margaret and I'm sure it was a disappointment to you as well. (pause) Yes, that's right. I'm short-handed here, and I am having to take the lead in one of our homicide investigations. (pause, laughing without mirth) That's true! I've supervised many, many investigations, but there is a big difference between supervising an investigation and being responsible for actually conducting the investigation. (pause) Well, thank you for being so understanding, and once again, my apologies. (pause) Very well, we will. Good night.
(BRACKENREID hangs up. BRACKENREID sets the telephone aside, and begins working on his notes. HIGGINS knocks and pokes his head into the office.)
HIGGINS
Sir?
BRACKENREID
What is it, Higgins?
HIGGINS
Jackson and I have checked the finger marks of all of our files having the name Mueller or anything close to Mueller. We found no match.
BRACKENREID
(sighing) Check with the other station houses tomorrow. Just ask about Mueller, don't ask them to check any other names. Tell them you're trying to identify a Shylock.
HIGGINS
Do you mean— a Jew, sir?
BRACKENREID
(a little angry) A usurer, Higgins! A moneylender who victimizes those who need money the most!
HIGGINS
I'll do that, sir. Am I excused for the evening, sir?
BRACKENREID
Yes. I have some more notes for you to work into a report, but that can wait until tomorrow. (having a change of heart) No, wait a minute, Higgins. Let's talk this out. We know this dead man is a criminal moneylender. Now, it can be difficult for one man to run a Shylocking operation on his own in Toronto. There are organized racketeers who loan money at high rates, and they don't like having competition from independent operators.
HIGGINS
If you say so, sir.
BRACKENREID
So, this Mueller may have been part of a larger racketeering operation.
HIGGINS
(agreeing) Yes, sir.
BRACKENREID
Or, he operated under a cooperative arrangement with a racketeering operation.
HIGGINS
(agreeing) Yes, sir.
BRACKENREID
Or he operated as an independent, and paid tribute to a racketeering operation for licence and protection.
HIGGINS
(agreeing) Yes, sir.
BRACKENREID
Which of those possibilities would you deem most likely, Higgins?
HIGGINS
I'm not sure, sir.
BRACKENREID
The name Mueller is a German name, isn't it?
HIGGINS
It could be, sir.
BRACKENREID
And it could be that Mueller was on good terms with a racketeer having a German name, couldn't it? Birds of a feather flocking together?
HIGGINS
It could be, sir.
BRACKENREID
Well. I'm glad we had this little talk, Higgins. You've helped me sort through some of my questions.
HIGGINS
(smiling) Glad I could be of help, sir!
BRACKENREID
Go home and get some rest.
(HIGGINS smiles even more broadly and exits. BRACKENREID remains at his desk, and looks over his notes, then stops looking and faces forward.)
BRACKENREID
What would Murdoch do?
(CUT TO: EXT. STATION HOUSE NUMBER FOUR, late evening, same night. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. STATION HOUSE NUMBER FOUR, early next morning [Wednesday]. CUT TO: INT. STATION HOUSE NUMBER FOUR, CONSTABLES' AREA. CRABTREE, HIGGINS and JACKSON are all at their desks.)
JACKSON
Station House Five said they'd send a runner to deliver the file here. I'm certainly hoping that that will answer that question.
HIGGINS
After you've solved that little mystery, can you help me put together a report based upon the Inspector's newest notes?
JACKSON
He asked YOU to do that, Henry.
HIGGINS
I know, but his handwriting is—
JACKSON
Besides, I have leads to follow up—
HIGGINS
All I'm saying is—
CRABTREE
(exasperated) Lads, will you please just shut it? I am trying to work here, and your bickering is making that difficult.
HIGGINS
(teasing) Oh, yes, your arson case is so much more important than our HOMICIDE case.
CRABTREE
(testy) In case you hadn't heard, one of the victims of that arson case died last night, and the doctor said she died due to burns and too much inhalation of smoke.
(BRACKENREID enters and comes by CRABTREE, HIGGINS and JACKSON.)
CRABTREE
(to JACKSON and HIGGINS) So my arson case IS a homicide case, now. And I'd like to get my reports in order.
(HIGGINS and JACKSON become more serious. BRACKENREID stops to question CRABTREE.)
BRACKENREID
Crabtree, did I hear right? One of the arson victims has died?
CRABTREE
Yes, sir. She never woke up in hospital, and the doctor there said that smoke had starved her brain of oxygen, leading to her death. Her burn injuries may have contributed to her death as well, sir.
BRACKENREID
Any other victims at risk of perishing?
CRABTREE
The doctor says no.
BRACKENREID
How about the arsonist? Do we know who did it?
CRABTREE
I think we do, sir. The evidence points to a tenant named Steven Allen Grant. The fire started near his room, and he had a grave and threatening dispute with the landlord. And he is the only occupant of the building who has gone into hiding.
BRACKENREID
Do you have any leads for catching him?
CRABTREE
I do, sir. I have set a trap for him that may bring him out of hiding tomorrow afternoon—
(JACKSON and HIGGINS are intrigued.)
CRABTREE
(continuing) — which I do not have time to explain at the moment.
BRACKENREID
Tomorrow?
CRABTREE
It HAS TO BE tomorrow, yes, sir.
BRACKENREID
All right, Crabtree. (to JACKSON) Jackson, in my office.
JACKSON
Yes, sir.
(JACKSON rises and follows BRACKENREID to his office. CUT TO: BRACKENREID'S OFFICE. BRACKENREID and JACKSON stand. The desk has several piles of reports on it.)
BRACKENREID
You remember that lady we arrested for the murder at the pub?
JACKSON
Mrs. Sutton, yes?
BRACKENREID
I want you to find her son. His name's Quinn. Bring him in for questioning.
JACKSON
Yes, sir. Uh, there's one thing I'd like to do before I undertake that task, sir.
BRACKENREID
And that is?
JACKSON
Station House Five has a file on a man named Hans Mueller, and their file has Mueller's finger marks. Hans Mueller had been arrested for assault in connection with racketeering; he might be our stabbing victim. The file from Station House Five should be arriving any minute, sir.
BRACKENREID
Right. Wait for that file. Do a finger mark comparison. If that's our victim, let me know. Get all the information about Mueller that Station Five has. But then, go find Quinn Sutton. He's our prime suspect.
JACKSON
Yes, sir!
(JACKSON exits the office, just as OGDEN seeks to enter.)
OGDEN
Is this a bad time, Inspector?
(BRACKENREID rises.)
BRACKENREID
No, it's a good time; (a little sarcastic) no worse than any other time. (politely) Please come in, Doctor, and have a seat.
(BRACKENREID moves to his office door and closes it. After OGDEN sits, BRACKENREID sits behind his desk.)
OGDEN
I just wanted to tell you that I will have a formal written report for you this afternoon. But I still don't know the decedent's name—
BRACKENREID
If we're lucky— and THAT'S a big "if"— we might have the decedent's name within the hour.
OGDEN
Oh! All right.
BRACKENREID
Are there any additional details that you were able to discover, anything that might help—?
OGDEN
I'm afraid my final report is in line with what I've told you already.
BRACKENREID
Nothing that can help me identify the killer, or narrow down the list of suspects?
OGDEN
I'm afraid not.
BRACKENREID
I have some other questions for you.
OGDEN
(puzzled) Oh? You mean, questions about my post-mortem examination?
BRACKENREID
No. Do you have a few minutes? I'm not keeping you from anything important, am I?
OGDEN
(still puzzled) What can I do for you, Inspector?
BRACKENREID
You can help me. I need someone to talk to. Right now we have five major investigations going. I am having to oversee all of them. Three of the cases are serious assaults and thefts during a small riot last weekend. We know who the guilty parties are, we just need to find them and arrest them. Heffner and Adams and Weaver are ably handling those cases; but I have to oversee their progress and that takes time. The other two cases are homicides, considerably more troubling. Crabtree is working on a case of arson that has resulted in at least one death. And I am taking the lead on this stabbing case.
OGDEN
You seem to have quite a few reports on your desk.
BRACKENREID
All of which I have to review this afternoon.
OGDEN
You're overburdened. I can see you are showing some signs of exhaustion. Have you asked for help from the other station houses?
BRACKENREID
Yes, yes, and they say they don't have a man to spare. So this stabbing case falls to me. And I don't just have to supervise the investigation, I have to CONDUCT the investigation. (sighs) And in conducting the investigation, I keep asking myself the same question: What would Murdoch do?
OGDEN
(slightly amused) Oh.
BRACKENREID
I mean, I know how to investigate crimes; but I've noticed that Murdoch always seems to be more efficient at it than I ever was. And one thing Murdoch does, as I have observed, is that he proposes ideas to others, to get their reactions. Murdoch would sometimes tell his ideas to me. Murdoch would tell his ideas to Crabtree, too. And I wonder, why can't I do that? Why can't I tell my ideas to others and get their reactions?
OGDEN
I suppose you could talk to George Crabtree.
BRACKENREID
Crabtree's got a pretty good head on his shoulders, but he has no time, what with that arson case. And Higgins, well, he's so eager to please that he'll simply agree with everything I say; Jackson's pretty much the same. If all they do is say, "Yes, sir! Yes, sir!"; they don't really help me evaluate my case. And it occurred to me, Doctor, that one other person who Murdoch talks to is you.
OGDEN
Of course, I'm not a policeman.
BRACKENREID
No, you aren't; but you have common sense! And right now, I am so harried about keeping all the facts straight from all these investigations, that I could use a dose of common sense! I need someone to help me understand whether the paths I'm pursuing in the stabbing case are, well, reasonable.
OGDEN
What can I do?
BRACKENREID
Just hear me out about this. A man is killed. He is a criminal usurer. He has killed some people, and hurt a lot more; he has MANY enemies, probably all over Toronto. He is stabbed to death in a pub. The owner of the pub confesses to the murder, but we know she didn't do it. So why should she confess to it?
OGDEN
She confesses because she's trying to take the blame for someone else?
BRACKENREID
My thoughts exactly. She's trying to protect someone.
OGDEN
Someone who matters to her.
BRACKENREID
Like her son, Quinn. Who apparently owes this dead man money, and presumably has a motive to kill him.
OGDEN
So Quinn Sutton is your prime suspect.
BRACKENREID
Yes, and Jackson is going to go searching for him shortly, after he—
(There is a knock on the door; it is JACKSON. BRACKENREID signals for JACKSON to enter. JACKSON is excited, he opens the door.)
JACKSON
We know the identity of the stabbing victim, sir. Henry and I agree, the finger marks are an exact match. The victim is Hans Mueller. He was a known associate of Joseph "The German" Werner, and is believed to operate illegal gambling and money-lending operations under the protection of Werner's criminal organization.
(OGDEN pulls out a notepad and makes a note to herself: "Hans Mueller.")
BRACKENREID
Known as "Doc," was Mueller?
JACKSON
Known by many aliases, sir, including "Doc."
BRACKENREID
That's our decedent, then. I suppose the file indicates that Mueller had quite a few "clients," eh?
JACKSON
Yes, sir. The file didn't give an exact number or very many names. But it's clearly in the hundreds.
(BRACKENREID's face falls.)
BRACKENREID
(to himself) Hundreds of people squeezed, threatened, hurt. That makes hundreds of enemies. (to JACKSON) Right. Good work, Jackson. Now, go find Quinn Sutton, and bring him in.
JACKSON
Right, sir.
(JACKSON leaves, closing the door as he does so. BRACKENREID turns to OGDEN.)
BRACKENREID
Hundreds of enemies. Hundreds! I don't know whether my investigation just got easier or more difficult. All I can do is hope that Jackson finds this Quinn Sutton, and that Quinn Sutton's finger marks match those we found on the knife.
(FADE OUT.)