Murdoch Mysteries

I've got 7.2

I've got 6.6.

Well, I'm closer, Henry. Come towards me.

I have 7.2.

I've got 7.8. We're getting closer, Henry.

I just got 8.

Well, Higgins,

I do believe we have located our quarry.

It's more accurate to say that I've located you.

Well, sir, given that we started four blocks apart...

Then I'd say this has been a success, gentlemen.

Sir, if you don't mind my asking...

How does the trackizer work?

Well, it isn't called a trackizer, Henry,

because here's no such word as "trackize." Right?

Hmm...

As the wearer walks,

a magnet slides back and forth

inside of a wire coil

inducing an electrical current.

That current is then converted to voltage.

You know what voltage is, right, Henry?

Yes. It's about... volts.

Right. Now, as the voltage increases

on either side of this gap,

the pressure builds and builds

and builds until...

a tiny spark! Sir,

I was wondering, what happens when our quarry stops moving?

Well then, the transmission ends until movement resumes.

Right. So, what happens

if they've arrived, but we're still a block away?

Hmm.

That-that could be a problem.

Well, that would necessitate

a third receiver unit

in order to triangulate the...

Oh, Henry!

Detective Murdoch.

The caller didn't actually find the body, sir.

Why are we calling this a murder?

There's evidence at the crime scene apparently.

"Crime scene"? That's what she called it.

She? She? Who is this she?

Sir, she wouldn't say. But she knows you.

Freddie Pink. Hello, William.

I understand

you believe this to be the scene of a crime.

I do.

I was hired to deliver a letter to the occupant

of this apartment. A man named James Smith.

Do you know this Mr. Smith? I've never met him.

I don't even know what he looks like.

Then how is it you come to be inside of his apartment?

I suspected that he was at home,

but not answering his door.

You broke in?

If I hadn't, I wouldn't have found this.

It's blood.

And from that, you inferred murder?

No.

From this.

And it's not just there. It's under the table

and over there by the chair.

George, may I have my ultraviolet light, please?

Thank you.

Looks like a murder to me.

Alright, George, speak with the neighbours.

See if anyone saw or heard anything suspicious.

Sir.

Body appears to have been dragged...

And dumped out?

: He did so rather unceremoniously.

: Or she.

They moved in about a month ago. Maybe six weeks.

Who's "they"? James and JJ.

Who's JJ?

James Junior.

How old is he? Around 5.

I look after him when his dad goes out.

And where is JJ now?

I don't know. What's going on?

We're not exactly sure yet.

Ma'am, did you see anything unusual last night?

He had a visitor. Quite late, as I recall.

Is that right? Can you describe him?

It was a her.

I received a request to locate

James Robert Smith and deliver a letter.

Who made this request? A man named Kenneth Spokes.

How well did you know Mr. Spokes?

I've never met him. But this is what I was to deliver.

It's blank!

A ruse, it would seem.

You think Mr. Spokes wanted me

to locate James Smith so that he could kill him.

Did you inform him where Mr. Smith lived?

No. But he could have followed me.

: Detective.

George, what have you?

Sir, I spoke to several of the neighbours.

None of them remember hearing anything unusual.

Mr. Smith went to O'Donnell's pub at 8 o'clock.

Returned about 8:30, which I thought was strange.

Hardly enough time to throw back a pint.

Agreed.

Uh, beyond that, then he collected his son...

His son? Afraid so. James Junior. Aged 5.

We're looking, but no sign of him yet.

Did anyone see them after that?

Apparently, sir, he had a visitor at about 10 o'clock.

A woman apparently. That would have been me.

I knocked but he wasn't home, so I left.

My witness... my witness says that the woman entered the apartment.

I entered briefly, just long enough to ascertain

that he wasn't home. You broke in.

Is this going to be a problem?

George, were there any fingermarks on the doorknob? Yes, sir.

Higgins is analyzing them now. Anything else?

I did find this. Uh, his birth certificate.

All right. See what you can find out about him.

Sir.

No.

I wonder what's become of him.

Sir. Henry,

what have you? We've identified a set of fingermarks from the doorknob.

And to whom do they belong? Just Miss Pink, sir.

What about Smith's? We only found one set.

The killer must have wiped down the fingermarks on his way out.

Then when I returned this morning...

Anything else, Henry? Turns out we were keeping

a file on a James Smith, sir. Only one item.

It's an incident report from a couple of months ago.

Who took that report? Well...

Mr. Smith's mother came in looking for him, sir.

She was wondering if we'd put him in jail.

In jail?! It was the only explanation

she would accept as to why he didn't send her

flowers on her birthday.

And you started a file for him?

Well, sir, I figured if his mother considered him

the jailbird type, he might well be.

All right. Bring her in.

Sir, that woman's not the victim's mother.

How do you know that?

Because

the James Robert Smith for whom this birth certificate

was issued died 30 years ago at the age of 8 months.

Whoever was living in that apartment wasn't him.

He must have assumed a false identity for a reason.

Perhaps that reason caught up with him.

Now you say he was at the tavern last night?

Yes, sir. O'Donnell's on Queen Street.

Find out why he only stayed for half an hour.

Sir.

Round back and down the stairs.

James Smith? Yeah, he drinks here.

Are you sure we're talking about the same James Smith?

It's not an uncommon name. Lives up on Sackville Street?

That's right. It's the guy.

Did he drink here last night? Is he in some kind of trouble?

Just answer the question, sir. A woman came in here.

Made eyeballs at him. He didn't welcome the attention.

A dollymop? No, no. Nothing like that.

She was some kind of private investigator.

So is this what you do all day?

Sit in your office and let your constables

do your work for you? One of the benefits

Sir.

There you go. What have you, George?

Uh, it's something I have to show you, sir.

Sir, The man who refers to himself

as James Smith was at O'Donnell's last night.

Yes and...? Actually, sir,

can we establish a convention right here whereby we refer

to the "man who referred to himself as James Smith"

simply as James Smith? Yes, of course, George.

Right. And then if we ever have cause to refer

to the original James Smith, we'll call him...

"The original James Smith."

Excellent, sir. Right.

George, what is it you needed to show me?

Sir, I wanted to speak to you privately.

James Smith

was at O'Donnell's last night.

Sir, Miss Pink was there at the same time. She was?

Did they speak to one another? No, sir,

but apparently she made eyeballs at him. I remember her

saying unequivocally that she'd never met the man.

Yes, she did say that.

Anyway, I wasn't sure she should know that we know.

No, you did the right thing.

George, go to her office

and see if you can find anything that pertains to James Smith.

Sir. I wasn't lying

if that's what you're thinking. You said you'd never seen him.

I didn't know that man was James Smith.

The bartender said you were staring at him.

I wasn't...

I don't stare.