It was October 16, 1931, Susannah Murdoch was attending the University of Toronto. She was earning her degree of becoming an engineer.
She was sitting in her last class, before the weekend; beside her on both sides were her friends, Elaine or Lanie, and Peter or Pete for short.
As they were finishing up the lesson, the University bell rang, "that's all today, class, have a good weekend."
The gang gets up and grabs their stuff, and walk down the steps when 2 male students, Joe and Paul bump into them and the girls, along with their stuff fell onto the floor.
As they begin leaving the students turned to them, "watch where you're going…ladies"
Pete comes to their aid, "you ok, Hannie, Lanie?"
"Were fine" said Susannah and Lanie as the girls grabbed their stuff.
"We need to stop those guys. Teach them a lesson" Pete said as he headed to the door, when Susannah grabbed him, "no, Pete, there's no use. It's our word against theirs"
"It just makes me mad, that both have to suffer this bullying and the teacher says nothing"
"Pete, you know why. Lanie and I are the only females in engineering and the professor doesn't like it. As for Joe and Paul, both their fathers are politicians and on the school board, so they will get away with it" Susannah said as the gang walk out the door
Lanie stops and turns and grabs Susannah's arms, "see, Hannie this is why we should change majors"
Susannah pushes Lanie away, "no, bullying and humiliation didn't stop my mother of becoming a doctor, and it's not going to stop me of becoming an engineer. Now, come on, let's just stop this and enjoy our weekend"
"Let's" said both Peter and Lanie as the gang went to their dorms.
It was past 1:00 am in the morning as Susannah and Peter, try helping drunk Lanie walk to their doors. As they walk to the doors they see a crowd outside along with the staff, and police, telling everyone to stand back. As the gang get closer, and see a dead body on the ground, "oh my…" Lanie says as she begins throwing up, as Susannah and Peter help her aim for the ground and not their shoes.
"Miss Murdoch, control Miss Jerkins"
"Yes, professor. I'm sorry. What happened?"
"Mr. Jamieson, committed suicide"
"Paul, committed suicide?" Pete asked
"Did I stutter, Mr. Davis. Suicide. He killed himself"
"Yes, professor Franklin, I understand. Just a bit shocked is all" Pete said with a speechless look
"It's a shock to us all. He seemed like his self, last time we saw him" Susannah said
"When was that Miss Murdoch?" Professor Franklin gave her a suspicious look
"It right after class, at 4:01, he was laughing and walked out of the class with Paul. Why?"
"Did any of you seen him after that?"
"Before you get suspicious of us teach, just remember, my father is Detective William Murdoch. And with one phone call, he would be here in an hour"
The Professor raises his hands, "no, sorry, miss Murdoch. It was just a question…and before you ask…like we said it was suicide, so we don't need your father involved. Now all students back to your dorm rooms"
"Come on, Lanie. One arm over me, the other on Pete" Susannah said as they make their way back to the dorms.
As they get Susannah and Lanie's dorm room, she asks Pete, "can you help me to bed?"
"Hannie…uh…I don't think…"
"Come on, please" she said with puppy dog eyes
"Fine"
As they enter into the room, they place Lanie on her bed, as Susannah helps her out of her clothes, and Pete gets her a wet cough to clean up her face, "Hannie, do you believe, Paul committed suicide?"
"Not one bit. Especially after Franklin, stopped being suspicious when I mentioned my dad."
"Which is your secret weapon, eh?" he said as he put the cloth in the laundry bin
"I'll always be my Detective William Murdoch's princess. Come near me, or his queen, and you will be sorry" she said as she covered Lanie up with her blanket
"Who's the queen?"
"My mother."
"Make sense. Need anything, else?"
"Uh…no…that is fine, thanks. Have a good night"
"Your welcome, good night" and reaches for the doorknob, when Susannah says, "actually, Pete, there is something else"
The Next Day
"Hannie, were going to get in so much trouble for this" Lanie said in a panic voice
"More like, expelled" Pete said as he and Lanie kept watched
"Can you both, shut up, while, I try opening the door" she says with a struggle
"Hannie, where did you learn to do that?" Lanie said
"I have known to pick locks since I was 3"
"3!" Pete said with a loud voice
"SHHH" The girls said
"Yes, 3, my dad taught me."
Just then they were a click and the infirmary door was unlocked, "there, now come on" as the gang walked through the door and closed it and pulled down the blinds, "what are we looking for Hannie?"
"Pete, you look through the file, and see what it says. Lanie, you and I examine the body."
"Great…I get to see Paul's dead body again…" she said sarcastically
Susannah opens the freezer door and sees Paul's body on a table and pulls it into the room, "Lanie close the door"
As she closes the door, Susannah pulls back the sheet and examines Paul's body, "anything in the folder, Pete?"
"Suicide, some stuff of words I don't understand, that was in his system, and head injury."
"Head injury?" she lifts his head and sees a huge bloody gash on his head, "ok, I see head injury, and what was in his system?"
"Contents of his dinner, paper, and something else…"
"Paper?" Susannah grabs the folder, when Pete looks at Lanie, who was green in the face, "you ok?"
She shakes her head, "can I wait outside?"
"Yes, Lanie, go ahead. We'll be right out. Just keep watch."
"Ok, but what if someone, comes along, we need a signal?"
"Right, how about a clapping" Susannah said
"Ok, got it clapping" Lanie said and walked outside
"So, what paper? Look around, Pete"
"Ok, and what else, was in his system?"
"It seemed it was mixed in with his dinner, but never heard of this either I can't even pronounce the word, diphen…"
Pete cuts her off, "Hannie, let's be real."
"Paul was murdered"
They both agreed, when they heard a loud clapping, "oh, hello, nurse Samson, how are you today?" Lanie said with a loud voice
While keeping her distracted, Susannah and Pete, put back Paul's body in the freezer, and place the folder back on the desk, and hide.
"No, I'm not feeling the best…I swear." Lanie said as she pulled at her arm, but Hannie and Pete were nowhere to be found, when she felt something pull at her leg, "ahh"
"Something, wrong miss North?" asked the nurse
"Just a tickle in my throat. But I need something for my headache"
"Did you go out drinking for your friends, again?"
"Yes"
"Do you know, if miss Murdoch's father is available? I heard rumors, there was some trouble in paradise, between him and his wife, Dr. Ogden" she said with an annoyed voice as she gets Lanie a glass of water and Advil
All Susannah could do is gasp, when Pete told her to keep crawling to the door.
"Uhh" Lanie was speechless, "I don't know the details, just their still married"
"I bet by Christmas, we'll here, their divorce. Then maybe, I'll be Mrs. Murdoch"
"Over my dead body" Susannah whispered as she and Pete got out the door.
"There you go, miss North. Have a good day"
"Thank you, nurse Samson, good day" as she leaves and closes the door, and gasped it relief, "never put me in a situation like that ever again."
Susannah was still grossing out, "uh, can't believe, nurse Samson, has the hots for my dad"
"Hannie is it true?"
"What your parents are having marriage problems?"
"I don't want to talk about it. Let's focus on the case"
"What case?" Pete and Lanie asked
"Paul, he was murdered. We need to find his killer."
"Ok, but we?" Lanie asked
"Lanie, Pete?"
"Hannie, what has Joe and Paul been doing to us for that last year…hmmm?"
"Bullying us"
"Yes, so we know it wasn't suicide. He was murdered and he probably deserved it so let's go" Lanie said
"Right behind you." Pete said
"Guys, please" Susannah stopped them, "yes, he bullied us Lanie, but I can't let it go. I need to know, who killed him and why. But I can't do this without your help."
They look at each other than back to her, "fine, under one condition"
"What, Pete, anything"
"We need your father's help"
Murdoch Home
The phone is ringing "Detective Murdoch"
"Daddy, it's me"
"Sus…is everything all right?"
"I need your help. There's been a murder"