Murdoch Mysteries

She has multiple injuries.

Her head. Leg.

Attendants say she fell from a balcony.

Nurse Sullivan, are you all right?

I know her. Jane Cooper.

We volunteer together at The Haven.

- The women's home? - Yes.

I saw her just last week.

We'll do our best for her, Kate.

Are you able?

Yes.

- We need to relieve the bleeding in her brain right away. - Let's go.

Jane! Jane!

Is she all right? Tell me, I'm her father.

We'll do everything we can.

She's alive.

- But unconscious. - Oh thank goodness.

These marks are inconsistent with a fall.

They look like hand prints.

As though she were grabbed by both arms.

Yes. And I found skin under her fingernails.

You don't believe she fell off that balcony.

I think she was pushed.

No-one would hurt Miss Jane.

There's no kinder lady. Loved by everyone who met her.

Ma'am, were you at the home when she fell?

Sunday is my night off. I leave a cold meal for the family.

Do you believe it more likely that she jumped of her own accord?

Never. It had to be an accident.

Miss Jane liked to go to the balcony on warm evenings to read.

Her foot must have slipped.

That railing is fairly high.

There was no book found on the scene, Detective.

Ma'am, fairly violent bruises

were found on Miss Cooper's upper arms.

If she wasn't pushed,

do you have any idea how those may have gotten there?

Mr Vickers has nowhere else to turn, George.

Effie, if I start investigating a case in your building,

your neighbours are going to start to recognise me

and your superintendent might put an end to our visits.

When people are in need, we can't refuse them help

out of fear of being inconvenienced.

Alright. Fine. Tell me about this "case".

Mr Vickers deposited his rent packet

into the lockbox three days ago.

But the superintendent never got the money.

Mr Vickers maintains it must have been stolen.

Oh, well I've heard that one before.

George, a letter from Watson-Cook publishing.

An offer on your manuscript!

They've had a book withdrawn and they need a replacement.

They want to publish right away.

Watson-Cook.

That's awfully prestigious.

I knew they'd love it.

But right away?

Why not?

I'm not entirely sure it's ready.

George.

Isn't Mr Vickers the one who brought you brownies last week,

- who's sweet on you? - Don't be ridiculous.

He's a kindly old man who enjoys baking.

That's a likely explanation.

He'll be evicted if he can't find the money.

He can't afford to pay his rent twice.

Are you really worried about helping people in need,

or are you worried about losing these brownies?

Well,

both actually.

For your lunch.

I hope you'll come back again.

- If anyone were to find out... - I know.

But some things are worth the risk.

Detective Watts! Small world.

- George. - I didn't know you lived in this building.

Oh. I don't.

Oh! Have a lady friend, do ya?

Nothing to hide from me, Detective. We are in the same boat.

Your housekeeper stated she overheard an argument

between you and your daughter yesterday, Mr Cooper.

You bring me down here from the hospital to question me?

I assumed you would be most anxious of anyone

to learn the circumstances behind your daughter's accident, sir.

Jane and I didn't argue.

I inquired about a small matter with the household accounts

and Jane lost her temper.

Your housekeeper described Miss Cooper as an amiable young lady.

Was it common for her to lose her temper with you?

No, it was entirely out of the ordinary

and I was caught quite off guard as a matter of fact.

She appears to have bruises from the encounter, Mr Cooper.

She flew at me. I held her off.

That's the extent of it.

And you were not on the roof at the time of her fall?

Our argument was hours prior to the accident.

Yes, Father told me they had a small set-to, but

I wasn't there. I had an appointment with Juliette.

The Dressmaker.

Is it a common occurrence for them to quarrel, Miss Cooper?

Father can test anyone's patience.

He expects Jane to take care of everything, and then

complains about how she does it.

Your father mentioned the disagreement was over household accounts.

What was the issue?

Jane has Father on a budget.

He likely overspent again.

But he would never hurt her.

No. Poor Jane, she did this to herself.

Why would your sister do this to herself, Miss Cooper?

She had been declining for months, Detective.

Complaining of all sorts of ailments.

And you believe her melancholy was great enough

that it would cause her to harm herself?

Well, didn't that chimney cleaner tell you as much?

That she was alone on the balcony?

The fellow who was there when we found her.

He said he saw everything from the Neville's roof.

There was no statement from a chimney cleaner, sir.

- Find out what you can about this, Mr Parker? - Alright.

Silas! Thank goodness you're here.

How did this happen?

That is what we are attempting to determine.

Detective William Murdoch, Toronto Constabulary. And you are?

I beg your pardon, Detective. This is Dr Gettler.

Doctor, is Jane Cooper your patient?

No.

I am posted at Belleville General Hospital.

Jane is my fiancee.

Jane is a lovely, proper woman from a good family.

Dr Gettler, do you believe

she would attempt to take her own life?

She had everything to look forward to.

We were to marry in September.

Her sister said that she had been suffering from melancholy.

She complained of some illness in her letters to me,

but that was simply excitement over our upcoming wedding.

- What was the illness? - Oh, there were a range of complaints.

One day it would be a terrible headache,

the next she was too cold, the next she would come over tired.

But you didn't believe her symptoms were real, Dr Gettler?

None could be confirmed, you see.

I assured her that they would abate after the wedding.

Did her family physician agree with your assessment?

I told her it wasn't necessary to see him.

I advised her to rest

and spend less time on her volunteer work.

Is this all, Detective? I really must see Jane.

Well, that man is an arrogant nitwit.

You don't agree with his diagnosis?

Assuming his fiancee's symptoms were hysterical,

brought on by the excitement of marrying him is not a diagnosis.

Her family has stated that she had been more temperamental of late.

She was ill and being told it was all in her head.

That would be upsetting.

What illness would explain the symptoms, Julia?

I need more information.

Unfortunately, Miss Cooper can't speak for herself.

Jane Cooper has congestion on her lungs.

From before her injuries?

Most likely.

It suggests that when she complained of chills,

she was genuinely experiencing a drop in body temperature.

Did you find anything in her letters?

Yes. She described episodes of blurred vision.

And pain in her ankles.

There was definitely something wrong with her,

and it wasn't hysterical.

Domestic bliss.

Yes, I suppose it is.

The girl's father may have had motive to harm her.

There was conflict over the family finances.

And the fiancee failed to diagnose her properly.

Did either of them have opportunity to throw her off the balcony?

No. I tracked down the chimney sweep

who was working across the way.

He swears Miss Cooper was on the balcony alone.

He saw her jump.

- Case closed then. - Not quite.

What have you, Julia?

Once I had an idea what to look for, I tested her urine.

It showed high levels of chloral hydrate.

Jane Cooper was being poisoned.

Chloral hydrate is sometimes used as a sedative,

but her symptoms suggest excessive and chronic use.

She began complaining of ailments approximately six months ago.

The poisoning likely began then.

What if she was a regular user?

Nurse Sullivan believes Miss Cooper

knew the dangers and wouldn't have taken chloral voluntarily.

This woman jumped off a balcony. She wasn't mentally fit.

I believe that came after the chloral.

She was experiencing real symptoms,

which her own fiancee dismissed.

That could make anyone feel hopeless.

How often do you think she was getting chloral?

She had to be ingesting it regularly and in small doses.

Suggesting someone in the household was responsible.

I had hoped that when the cerebral swelling reduced,

we would see some brain response.