The Diplomat

by DoctorH

A five-act Murdoch Mysteries teleplay, just like watching an episode on TV. Two Toronto families have a past history of violence, but they have been at peace for over a year and a half. Then a member of one family is shot, and a member of the other family is the prime suspect. Can Murdoch solve the case without jeopardizing the peace? The solution to the mystery is included.

5. ACT 5

ACT V

(FADE IN. EXTERIOR OF THE CAMERON HOUSE. CUT TO: INTERIOR OF THE HOUSE, a drawing room. As before, ROY sits in a comfortable chair, with WINTHORPE and MURDOCH seated on smaller and less comfortable chairs, facing ROY. One of the GUARDS stands unobtrusively, and ARTHUR and LEONARD, sit behind ROY, facing WINTHORPE and MURDOCH. ROY holds the framed photograph of Eric.)

ROY
Eric was such a troubled boy. He's at peace now. Will you be making an arrest of the person who killed him?

WINTHORPE
I do not think so. Our principal suspect was Eliot Stroud. We have eliminated all of the other members of the Stroud family as suspects. And based upon Detective Murdoch's investigation, we find no basis for laying charges against Eliot. And we have no further suspects.

ROY
Well, I'm sure that Eliot Stroud is innocent then. If you say so, Frederick.

WINTHORPE
I trust then, Roy, that you see no cause for any conflict between yourself and the Stroud family. The truce that we all worked so hard to achieve is still in place, yes?

ROY
Yes. It is.

(ROY looks at ARTHUR and LEONARD, who nod.)

ROY
It is.

(CUT TO: CITY STREET. WINTHORPE and MURDOCH are on a carriage stopped off the road.)

MURDOCH
I would say it appears that the Cameron officers in Station House Two DO keep the family informed.

WINTHORPE (smiling)
You were right. I didn't say a word to them about bringing Eliot Stroud in for questioning, but they knew it all the same. They WERE listening in to our interrogation. So they know that Eliot didn't act out of malice, and that the whole thing was the fault of Eric Cameron; and they passed that information along to Roy. Roy is smart enough to know that it is not worthwhile to press the dispute when Eric is the one whose irrational conduct created the conflict.

MURDOCH (bothered)
And so the case is ended, with a false official finding that it is unsolved. Nothing is made public. No one knows about Eric Cameron being mentally imbalanced. No one knows that Eliot Stroud fled a crime scene and brazenly lied to the police. No one is charged. No one is embarrassed. Everyone saves face.

WINTHORPE
And peace is maintained. I know that's not how you like to do business, Detective. But peace between these families is worth it.

MURDOCH
Is it, if the price is the integrity of the Constabulary? The Strouds now know that they can receive special treatment from the Toronto Constabulary. And if the Strouds get special treatment, the Camerons will want it as well.

WINTHORPE (mildly angry)
Now look here, Detective. I don't think you realize what kind of catastrophe we just avoided. If these families decided to break the peace, they wouldn't keep their disputes private! They'd wage war on each other and who knows how many innocent citizens would be hurt by that? You think I LIKE handling things this way? In secret, with things being spoken covertly and messages conveyed through spies? It goes against my grain, and I know it goes against yours. But it has to be that way. For now, at least.

(MURDOCH is silent but not convinced. CUT TO: EXTERIOR STATION HOUSE NO. 4. CUT TO: BRACKENREID'S OFFICE. MURDOCH and OGDEN are standing. BRACKENREID is in his chair.)

MURDOCH
I just want you to know, sir, that I tried to resolve this case as I would any other case; without granting special consideration to anyone.

BRACKENREID
I know that, Murdoch. And so does Freddy. But even though this death occurred on our territory, most of the families are in Freddy's territory. It has to be done his way. Freddy's a straight arrow, as straight as they come. He wants to give everybody a fair shake, he doesn't like to be seen as giving anybody anything that might be seen as special favours. But with the Strouds and the Camerons, he has to bend the rules a bit. As you said yourself, he has to act less like a policeman and more like a diplomat, to keep the peace.

OGDEN
Why does the official report have to say that the case is unsolved? Why COULDN'T the official report simply say that the evidence shows that no crime was committed, because Mr. Stroud acted in self-defence?

BRACKENREID
Because that would be like officially saying that a Stroud killed a Cameron, AND had good reason to do it!

MURDOCH
And the Crown prosecutor might want to submit the question of self-defence to a jury, and that would cause both families more public exposure than they'd like.

(CRABTREE knocks on the door, then opens the door and pokes his head into BRACKENREID'S OFFICE.)

BRACKENREID
What is it, Crabtree?

CRABTREE
A Mr. Eliot Stroud and a Mr. August Stroud wish to see you and Detective Murdoch, sir.

(MURDOCH is surprised, as is BRACKENREID. CUT TO: INTERROGATION ROOM. ELIOT and AUGUST are seated, and MURDOCH sits across from them. BRACKENREID stands in the background.)

AUGUST
I am Eliot's father. He has told me that you and Inspector Winthorpe have talked to him. He has described to me the manner in which you questioned him. And he has something he wishes to tell you. Eliot?

ELIOT (shyly at first)
I am sorry I was not truthful with you. I— did not know you, Detective Murdoch, and did not know whether I could trust you. What you described as happening, with Eric pulling a gun on me, that is what happened. It happened very fast. He and I were talking and I told him I didn't want to sell my land, and I thought he was handling my decision well enough, and suddenly— he— with no warning, he— (pause) I took the gun away from him and he lunged at me and I fired without thinking about it. (pause) But if I hadn't, he would've killed me.

(ELIOT stops there, but AUGUST prompts him.)

AUGUST
And what else, Eliot?

ELIOT (somewhat meekly)
If you wish to lay charges against me for homicide or for lying to you, I am here to let you place me under arrest.

(MURDOCH and BRACKENREID exchange glances.)

AUGUST
What Eliot is trying to say, (to MURDOCH) Detective, (to BRACKENREID) Inspector, is that we do not want you to treat this case in any way different from any other case. We do not want any special favours. If you believe Eliot ought to be charged, then he ought to be charged like any other citizen.

BRACKENREID (stepping forward)
We appreciate that. We feel especially gratified when citizens of Toronto trust the Constabulary to enforce the laws fairly. In this case, we feel that the evidence is more than sufficient to conclude that, as related to the shooting, no crime was committed; therefore, no charges will be laid against you, Eliot, for that.

(BRACKENREID comes closer to ELIOT.)

BRACKENREID
But as for being untruthful to the police, now, that is a different kettle of fish, isn't it? The constabulary can't enforce the laws fairly if the citizens withhold or falsify evidence, can it? Well, can it?

ELIOT
No, sir.

BRACKENREID
Right, then. There won't be any charges. We'll let you off with just a warning, this time. Just like we might do for any other citizen. And, just like any other citizen, we expect you to take this warning to heart. No more trouble out of you! If we hear that you're in trouble again, there won't be any more warnings. Is that clear?

ELIOT
Yes, sir.

BRACKENREID
All right, then. You're free to go. Thanks for paying us a call.

(AUGUST and ELIOT rise and leave the INTERROGATION ROOM. As AUGUST leaves, he nods respectfully to BRACKENREID. BRACKENREID and MURDOCH remain.)

MURDOCH (impressed)
There may be some hope for the Strouds and the Camerons yet. And if I may say, sir, you could have quite a career as a diplomat.

BRACKENREID (non-diplomatically)
Oh, bollocks, Murdoch!

(FADE OUT.)

THE END