When he entered his house, William was laughing .
"What is so funny?" Julia asked from the stairs as she walked down.
"I was just thinking about the Inspector. I saw another side of his personality today, one that I would never have guessed." he said, kissing her as she joined him by the door.
"And what would that side be?"
"He is completely smitten by the opera singer." William laughed.
"What opera singer?"
William explained that they had been called to a crime scene in the morning during the dress rehearsal of the opera "La Bohême"
"As soon as he arrived and he saw her, he changed and became that … love stricken teenager." William said, laughing again at the memory as he followed Julia in the kitchen.
"Don't make fun of him William."
"I'm not making fun of him. I just find it so surprising I … I can't help myself."
"Well, we don't always know people as much as we think we do. Maybe the inspector would be interested to hear about one of your hidden talents." Julia said, stirring the soup she was heating on the stove. "And get that look off your face, I am not talking about something that would make you look extra manly to the rest of the station." she said, smiling when she saw the smug look fall from his face.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, suddenly scared.
"Let's just say that maybe your fellow police officers would be intersted in knowing that you sometimes spend an hour washing, combing and doing my hair and that you seem to really like it." she said, laughing when she saw him blush deeply.
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Oh, try me William, try me."
"I … I'm going to get changed." William said, walking out of the kitchen.
He heard Julia laugh when he walked up the stairs. He had to find something he could use against her. Something she would not want anyone else to know. As he got changed in his Home William outfit, he kept thinking but couldn't find anything. Julia was not ashamed of anything. Not anything he could think of anyway. He walked back into the kitchen, a resigned look on his face.
"What is it going to take to get your silence?" he asked.
"Are you bribing me Detective?" Julia laughed, taking the soup pot out of the stove and carrying it to the dining room where she had set the table.
"Well, I am definitely not ready to have the whole station house laugh at me so … what do you want? What would make you not share my secret activities?"
"Eat your soup William, you are going to need all your energy." Julia said, kissing his cheek before sitting down at the table next to him.
"Why did you say yes, again?" William asked Julia as he was trying to get his bow tie to stay straight.
"Because Margaret asked and it's been a very long time since we've been to the opera." she replied, putting her earings on.
"Well, there's a good reason we don't go." he mumbled.
"What did you say?"
"Oh, nothing." he said. "Can you help me with that? I can't … just help please."
"You're going to have to learn how to do it by yourself one day." Julia laughed.
"I don't need to, I like when you do it for me." he said, pulling her closer.
"Don't start William, we have somewhere to be very soon." Julia warned. "Here, it's done!" she said, kissing him quickly before moving away.
"Did I tell you that Margaret made a scene to the Inspector this afternoon?" William asked as they walked out of their bedroom to get their coats.
"What happened?"
"Well, Madame Hamilton had been receiving some disturbing notes at the theatre for a while now and this afternoon she received one giving her a time and place to meet in the park. We were waiting behind the bushes to see who had been threatening her and one of the other singers showed up. But then Margaret arrived and confronted her, asking her to leave the inspector alone."
"No! Why did she do that? Did something happen?" Julia asked
"I don't know, I don't think so."
"When did you become such a gossip William?" Julia asked, laughing as they walked out of the house and to the carriage that was waiting in the street.
"I'm not gossiping, I'm keeping you up to date with the latest development so that you understand if there are any … awkward moments tonight."
"I'll keep that in mind." Julia said, getting in the carriage.
When they arrived at the opera, the Brackenreids were waiting for them, not talking to each other.
"This is going to be fun." Julia said before William helped her out of the carriage.
"Murdoch, come with me." The inspector said as soon as the detective had closed the door.
William looked at his wife, smiled and followed his superior inside.
"So Margaret, William tells me you are not really an opera lover?"
"Not really no. Thomas insisted that I come to share his love for it." Margaret admitted.
"Well, let's get inside then, they will join us later."
William and Thomas never joined their wives. They figured out who the killer was and waited the end of the performance to arrest her but Madame Hamilton chose to die as the artist she was, on stage. At the end of the performance, the curtain didn't open for the singers. The audience was asked to leave the theatre. Julia and Margaret were next to the door when William appeared from behind the stage.
"Julia, could you come please? I'm sorry Mrs Brackenreid, that is only going to take a minute."
Julia followed her husband and saw Madame Hamilton's body lying lifeless on the bed on stage.
"Is she dead?" she asked.
"That's what we want you to comfirm, Doctor." the inspecor said. "There is little doubt on the question but we need an official medical statement."
Julia checked for pulse and other sign that the singer might still be alive before officialy declaring her dead. Thomas called some constables to take care of the body and joined his wife outside the theatre. William and Julia waited for the body to be removed before leaving.
"I'm sorry your evening was ruined." William said, taking Julia's hand as they walked away.
"It was not ruined William. I rather enjoyed the opera. It would have been better without the real death at the end and you sitting next to me but it was nice anyway." Julia said, smiling.
"Let me make up to you."
"What do you propose." Julia asked seductively.
"Dinner at your favourite restaurant?"
"But William they won't accept us without reservations."
"Who told you we don't have reservations?"
"Oh William, you're the best." she said before kissing him passionately.
"If you don't stop kissing me like that, we will not make it to dinner. That would be a shame."
"It would really be." Julia said, smiling. "Come on, I'm hungry." she continued, pulling him by the hand.