Murdoch Solves a Murder in the 21st Century

by DoctorH

A complete teleplay, just like an actual Murdoch episode. Murdoch's detective skills help break open a case that occurs over a hundred years later. No time travel is involved, there are no departures from the canon; it's a mystery with a touch of humour. Solution(s) included. I'd love it if they actually made an episode like this!

5. ACT 5

ACT V

(FADE IN. Exterior of the PRESENT-DAY POLICE STATION. It is still dark. CUT TO: Interior of the POLICE STATION. SIMS is at her desk, reading the book and making a few notes on a pad. FINNEY approaches with a cup of coffee. SIMS looks up.)

FINNEY
Almost done? Looks like you've only got a page or two left.

SIMS
Almost done. You weren't kidding about the similarities. THEY (indicating the book) had "Ted" Wallace and "Teddy" Wallis, and WE have "Rick" Porter and "Rich" Porter. The prime suspect gives the alibi where he says he was with a police officer, and gives a physical description of the officer, as if he'd actually met him. And the officer confirms the alibi!

FINNEY
Yeah, I thought you'd find those things interesting; pretty spooky coincidences.

SIMS
Yeah. But there's one thing THEY (indicating the book) have, that we don't. THEY had a witness to the effect that the two Teds knew each other, and the suspect was able to find out through that witness about the other Ted's meeting with the officer, so he could plan to commit the crime at the time the meeting was taking place.

FINNEY (wincing)
Oooh. That's a pretty big missing piece to the puzzle. We also don't know how was Porter was able to know what Constable Cross looked like. In that story (pointing to the book), the suspect probably saw the Inspector's picture in the newspaper.

SIMS
Yeah. (realizing something) But maybe WE have something that THEY don't! What's the 21st Century version of a newspaper? In the 21st Century, if you want to find out about someone in your town who might have the same name as you, what might you do?

(SIMS looks at the computer on her desk.)

FINNEY (catching on, pointing to the book)
I think you better finish that chapter. There's one more thing that they did, that we'll have to do.

(CUT TO: Exterior of WALLACE'S HOUSE. MURDOCH and CRABTREE approach the house with the assistance of Constable HIGGINS and three other constables. MURDOCH gives a wave. HIGGINS nods, and he and CONSTABLE ONE head to the back of the house. MURDOCH approaches the front door with CRABTREE, flanked by CONSTABLE TWO and CONSTABLE THREE. MURDOCH knocks on the door.)

MURDOCH (loudly)
Mr. Wallace? Toronto Constabulary! (knocks again) Mr. Wallace?

(There is a sound of a distant struggle off-screen [SFX], with a faint shout of "You are under arrest!" MURDOCH, CRABTREE, and CONSTABLE TWO rush to the back of the house. With a gesture, MURDOCH commands CONSTABLE THREE to stay near the front of the house, and he does. MURDOCH, CRABTREE, and CONSTABLE TWO get to the back of the house and find HIGGINS and CONSTABLE ONE wrestling with WALLACE. WALLACE strikes HIGGINS, who loses his grip on WALLACE. CONSTABLE TWO jumps in to assist CONSTABLE ONE, and these two CONSTABLES restrain WALLACE. CRABTREE rushes to help HIGGINS.)

CRABTREE
Are you all right, Henry?

HIGGINS (rubbing the place where he was struck)
I think so.

MURDOCH
Mr. Ted Wallace, you are under the arrest for the murder of William O'Casey. (to CRABTREE and HIGGINS) George, you and Henry get started on the search. Check these woods here. Look for any sign of recently disturbed earth.

(WALLACE frantically begins to struggle, and nearly breaks free, but the CONSTABLES manage to retake WALLACE and restrain him. MURDOCH sees all this.)

MURDOCH
Check the woods, George, Henry.

(CRABTREE and HIGGINS go off to do just that. WALLACE is worried. CUT TO: STATION HOUSE NO. 4. CUT TO: INTERROGATION ROOM. WALLACE is in the chair, with CONSTABLE ONE standing behind him. MURDOCH and CRABTREE are there. WALLACE is poker-faced.)

MURDOCH
As I'm sure you know, Mr. Wallace, we have got over twenty witnesses who will testify that you planned to cause harm to Mr. O'Casey, and some of them will swear that they personally witnessed you threaten to kill him.

(WALLACE says nothing, won't look directly at MURDOCH.)

MURDOCH
When we came to arrest you, you tried to flee. Flight implies guilt, Mr. Wallace.

(WALLACE says nothing, but takes a deep breath.)

MURDOCH
It may interest you to know what our officers found buried in the ground when they searched the woods near your house.

(WALLACE says nothing.)

MURDOCH
We found buried a hunting knife wrapped in a bloody shirt. Our medical examiner is making a determination as we speak as to whether this hunting knife could have been the knife used to kill Mr. O'Casey.

(WALLACE says nothing but he seems to be breaking down emotionally.)

MURDOCH
The truth, this time. Where were you two days ago, at nine in the morning?

WALLACE
I told you already.

MURDOCH
What you told us was that you were with Inspector Brackenreid. Is that the truth?

WALLACE
I've got nothing more to say.

(The door to the INTERROGATION ROOM opens and BRACKENREID enters the INTERROGATION ROOM. BRACKENREID saunters over to WALLACE, and nods to CONSTABLE ONE to stay on his guard; CONSTABLE ONE nods in acknowledgement and puts a hand on WALLACE's shoulder. BRACKENREID holds in one hand a photograph of WALLACE with a mustache, same as the one in his criminal file.)

BRACKENREID
I've met Teddy Wallis. Teddy Wallis is clean-shaven. And so are you. (showing WALLACE the photo) But a couple o' months ago, you had a really fine mustache. When did you shave it off, eh? (pause) You must've guessed that there was a pretty good chance that I'd say Teddy Wallis was clean-shaven. If we questioned you, and if you had a mustache, that would give the game away, wouldn't it? Eh?

(WALLACE says nothing; he won't look at BRACKENREID. BRACKENREID looks at WALLACE from all angles.)

BRACKENREID
That mustache: must've taken you months to grow it. Why'd you shave it off, eh?

(WALLACE still won't look at BRACKENREID.)

BRACKENREID (barking)
You better look at me, boy, I'm talking to you!

(WALLACE looks up at BRACKENREID, briefly, and then lowers his gaze.)

BRACKENREID
I've never seen you before in my life.

(BRACKENREID "gets in WALLACE's face"; BRACKENREID moves in close enough to strike WALLACE; though BRACKENREID does nothing more than nudge WALLACE annoyingly.)

BRACKENREID
What do you think of your alibi, now, eh? (nudges WALLACE) EH? Not so iron-clad, now, is it? Who's gonna testify in your defence now, eh?

(BRACKENREID steps away from WALLACE.)

BRACKENREID (to MURDOCH)
Lock him up.

(BRACKENREID exits the INTERROGATION ROOM. CUT TO: PRESENT-DAY POLICE STATION in Toronto. CUT TO: Interior of PRESENT-DAY POLICE STATION, an INTERROGATION ROOM. The INTERROGATION ROOM is well-lit, and the door is open. A table in the centre of the room has a stack of photographs on it. SIMS and FINNEY are there, with Constable CROSS in uniform. CROSS has a very distinctive appearance. SIMS carries some sheets of paper.)

CROSS
You're going to ask me about Rich Porter, again, aren't you?

SIMS
Yup. First, Constable, (showing one piece of paper to CROSS), do you know what this is?

(The piece of paper is a printout from an Internet web site for a local newspaper. The headline is "Toronto Constable Wins Raffle." There is a photograph of CROSS in his uniform, an official police department photo.)

CROSS
Huh. It's a story in one of the local newspapers about how I won first prize in the charity raffle. Huh. Never saw this before. Where'd you get it?

SIMS
We searched the Internet for recent local news stories involving anyone named "Richard Porter." As you can see, the story mentions that you are a constable in Toronto. It has your photo.

CROSS
You think that Porter was able to describe to you what I looked like because he saw my photograph, don't you?

SIMS
If he hasn't deleted his computer's search history, we might be able to find that out. The story says nothing about Richard Porter, except that he won the third prize, his age, and that he's from Toronto. The story also says when and where the prizes would be awarded.

CROSS (looking at the paper)
Yeah.

SIMS
And you got to meet this third-prize winner, Richard Porter?

CROSS
As I've told you before, yes, I got to meet Rich Porter. Also, as I've already told you, we all had to bring some photo ID to claim our prizes; and I recall distinctly that Rich brought along his passport. He was who he said he was.

SIMS
And do you recall distinctly what Mr. Porter looked like?

CROSS
Dark hair, average height, in his 30s, built like a football player. I'd know him if I saw him again.

SIMS
Okay. (spreading out photographs stacked on the table) Is Richard Porter in one of these photographs?

(CROSS looks at the photographs carefully. The photographs all show men, all about the same age all having dark hair. After CROSS examines some of the photographs, he lays them aside on the table. SIMS and FINNEY watch, unmoving, not wanting to give any hint to CROSS as to what he should or should not do.)

CROSS
No. None of these appears to be the Richard Porter I've met.

SIMS
You know what I need to ask next.

CROSS (smiling)
Yeah, you need to ask me: Am I certain? (dead serious) As far as I know, I've never seen any of these guys before in my life. BUT— to be really certain, I'd rather not make an identification based on photographs.

(One of the photographs tossed aside by CROSS is facing the audience right-side up. It is the face of PORTER. CUT TO: An apartment door— with no peephole— opening, and PORTER, whose unshaven face matches the picture very closely, sticks out his head. PORTER might be a little intoxicated.)

SIMS
Richard "Rick" Porter?

(SIMS is accompanied by several large and armed OFFICERS. Although it is not immediately apparent, CROSS is part of the group. SIMS holds legal documents in her hand for PORTER to see. He gets little chance to examine them carefully, because the OFFICERS immediately take control of PORTER and the premises.)

SIMS
We have a warrant for your arrest, and a warrant for search of the premises.

(With a flurry of activity, the OFFICERS remove PORTER and begin to move through the premises. In the background is a laptop computer, which the OFFICERS secure.)

PORTER
What the fuh—?

(CROSS steps out and looks at PORTER in the face. PORTER is still disoriented.)

CROSS
This is not the man who won third prize in the raffle.

SIMS
Thought we'd be satisfied when you told us to check with that police officer, did you? Well, Murdoch wasn't satisfied, and neither are we.

PORTER
Who the hell is Murdoch?

(PORTER gets taken away, with SIMS and CROSS following. FADE OUT.)

THE END