ACT IV
(FADE IN. INTERIOR OF STATION HOUSE NUMBER FOUR, INTERROGATION ROOM. MUIR sits in the hot seat, his face still bruised, but his hands are no longer manacled. JACKSON stands behind MUIR, as before. BRACKENREID and MURDOCH are seated opposite. CARBTREE stands, taking notes.)
MUIR
I'm not going to repeat what I've told you already.
MURDOCH
I'm glad to hear it. I am not interested in hearing the same lies all over again.
MUIR (offended)
Eh? What do you mean, lies?
MURDOCH (harshly)
Mrs. Radcliffe did not support your alibi.
MUIR
She was sleeping at the time, eh?
(MURDOCH lets the question hang in the air for a moment.)
MURDOCH
I did not say she was sleeping.
(MUIR realizes he may have made a mistake.)
MURDOCH
What I said was that Mrs. Radcliffe did not support your alibi. The more natural assumption was that she had flatly contradicted you.
MUIR (uneasy)
She— she was awake?
MURDOCH
No. Your first assumption was correct. She was sleeping. Just as you thought she would be. You knew that Mrs. Radcliffe would not back up your story, didn't you?
MUIR (uneasy)
I thought it was possible she would!
MURDOCH
For a person in your circumstances, Mr. Muir, "possible" is not good enough.
(MURDOCH leans forward. BRACKENREID notices and does the same.)
MURDOCH
You knew that Weston and Sykes were going to attack Donnan that night. You knew all the details. You knew when the attack would take place, you knew where the attack would take place, you knew how the attack would take place. But you want us to believe that you decided to have no part of it.
MUIR
That is right!
MURDOCH
But Mr. Sykes and Mr. Weston were known associates of yours. So even if you were innocent, you knew that you would be accused of participating. Now, Mr. Muir, if you really were innocent, you would want to be ABSOLUTELY sure that you had an alibi for the crucial time.
(MUIR is getting nervous. He sees where this might be going.)
MURDOCH
You were not in the same circumstances as other innocent people who get accused of crimes, and who didn't know ahead of time that they'd need a plausible alibi. You knew! You knew you'd need an alibi that is more than just plausible, but rock-solid!
(MUIR is more nervous.)
MURDOCH
And yet, you gave me an alibi that you knew wouldn't be corroborated. An innocent man in the circumstances you describe— a TRULY innocent man— would be absolutely CERTAIN that one or more witnesses would support his alibi. But you did NOT make certain that you had a supportable alibi—
(MUIR is frightened, nervous.)
MURDOCH
— Which indicates that your alibi is a fraud, and that you were actually a participant in the crime! Q.E.D.!
MUIR (feeling trapped, very nervous)
What? Q.E.D., what?
MURDOCH (pressing)
If you were innocent, you'd KNOW you'd need a reliable alibi, and you'd GET one! You did NOT get a reliable alibi; therefore, you are NOT innocent!
MUIR (near panic)
But it was Sykes who planned the whole thing!
MURDOCH
And you and Weston went along with it!
MUIR (losing it)
It was Sykes! His idea! I didn't touch Donnan! (adamant) I never touched him!
BRACKENREID (like a tiger)
But you were there, though, weren't you? You were there, in the alley!
MUIR (losing it)
It was Sykes! Sykes!
BRACKENREID
You helped corner Donnan, didn't you!?
MUIR (losing it)
But I didn't touch him!
BRACKENREID
You were in that alley, trapping Donnan, while your friends beat the life out of him! Weren't you!?
MUIR (suddenly going limp)
Yes! But I didn't touch—
(MUIR starts to sob. BRACKENREID backs off, and BRACKENREID, MURDOCH and CRABTREE all exchange glances. MUIR tries to get a hold of himself. CUT TO: BRACKENREID'S OFFICE. BRACKENREID sits, while MURDOCH, OGDEN and CRABTREE stand.)
BRACKENREID
Muir's story— his most current story, that is— seems to be consistent with the physical evidence. Would you agree, Doctor?
OGDEN
I would. We have the club that was used by one of the men—
CRABTREE (helpfully)
— a club with Mr. Weston's finger marks on it—
OGDEN
— and the truncheon used by Mr. Sykes. (to CRABTREE) With Mr. Sykes's finger marks on it?
(CRABTREE nods.)
CRABTREE
And we have no weapon of any kind with Mr. Muir's finger marks on it.
OGDEN
Furthermore, the wounds suffered by Mr. Donnan are all consistent with the two recovered weapons. There is no clear physical evidence of a third person striking the victim.
MURDOCH
These facts suggest that Mr. Muir did not strike any blows to Donnan, but acted only to cut off Donnan's escape route.
BRACKENREID
Which is also what Weston and Sykes said. They said Muir did not strike the victim.
MURDOCH
Yes. Legally, Mr. Muir is as culpable as the other two men, who actually shed the victim's blood. I have, therefore, charged him with murder; but in spite of his confession, I would not be surprised if a jury spares him from the gallows.
BRACKENREID
And Murdoch?
MURDOCH
Yes, sir?
BRACKENREID (grinning)
Where'd you get that idea about how to make Muir confess? It was bloody brilliant! Unlike other criminals, Muir couldn't get by with just a POSSIBLE alibi. You got him to see that if he really were innocent, he'd need more than just a possible alibi; he'd need a ROCK-SOLID alibi, which he didn't have. And he had no excuse for NOT having a rock-solid alibi. So he confessed. Bloody brilliant!
MURDOCH (uneasily)
Thank you, sir. Although—
BRACKENREID
Yes?
MURDOCH
I think thanks may also be due to someone else.
(CUT TO: INTERIOR OF A RESTAURANT. It is evidently evening. MURDOCH and OGDEN, both dressed nicely, have a semi-private table to themselves. Candlelight illuminates their faces. The dishes seem to be elegant and are partially consumed. MURDOCH and OGDEN are both in a good mood.)
OGDEN
George told me all about your conversation with Mrs. Radcliffe. She sounds like quite a remarkable lady.
MURDOCH
Yes, yes she is. Quite insightful! She spotted things in Mr. Muir's story that everyone else had overlooked. As a detective, I thought my ability to do this was fairly good, though I had to work very hard to develop it. Mrs. Radcliffe, however, may be naturally gifted.
OGDEN (smiling somewhat devilishly)
George said that her analysis confounded you, at first.
MURDOCH (good-naturedly)
"Confounded" is not the right word. I was— off-balance for a while.
OGDEN (amused)
Off-balance?
MURDOCH
She surprised me with her insight.
OGDEN (amused, teasing a little)
Perhaps you could discuss some of your most difficult cases with her. She might surprise you with her insight again.
MURDOCH (laughing)
I think that is unlikely. Yes, she astonished me with her shrewd analysis of Mr. Muir's story, I admit. But I sincerely doubt that she could do something so astonishing again.
OGDEN (smiling)
You know, William, I would like to meet her.
(MURDOCH sticks out his jaw and nods; sounds like a fine idea to him.)
MURDOCH
I was planning to go see her tomorrow to say thank you for her assistance. What do you say, we both pay her a call tomorrow!
(FADE OUT.)
