Murdoch Mysteries

Ah!

Wait a...

New timepiece, sir?

Ah. It belonged to a friend of mine

from New York. Recently deceased.

- Ah, yes, I heard. - A private investigator?

- Yes. Johnny Moon. - I-If I may, what happened?

- The brakes on his automobile failed, middle of the night.

He went off the King’s Highway.

This clock was my wedding gift to him and his wife.

With Johnny gone, Vivian asked me if I wanted it.

It doesn’t appear to be working.

- It’s not about the function. - It’s a memento.

- Was there anything else? - Yes. We’ve received reports

of a murder in a public bathroom near Union Station.

I was going to accompany Detective Watts, but if you...?

- No, no, no. - I have a lunch date.

- With Johnny’s widow, in fact. - Oh!

She’s coming to visit Toronto.

He was stabbed several times.

No sign of the assailant. Or the attendant.

Who is he?

Whoever you want him to be.

Henry Clark. Albert Russo.

Oscar McCoy. Evelyn Malone.

Vincent Blackwell.

Two chequebooks, a business card,

a driving licence from Quebec, and a horse registration

from Pennsylvania, all in different names.

- Curious. - May have been

a confidence man.

The toilet cover is down.

The dead man was likely sitting on it.

- And these marks in blood. - Perhaps a cane?

There.

Something was stood there

blocking the blood spatter and the flow.

Ah, size of a... suitcase?

If it was, what was inside that would be worth killing for?

Sir, your attention please. You said a suitcase?

- Oh, yes, sir. - Ah, the-the dead man

had a suitcase, uh, tan-coloured.

Anything else?

Another man came in, uh, slipped me a dollar.

Uh, wanted me to make myself scarce. Not uncommon.

- It’s not uncommon for people to pay you to leave your post?

- I don’t feel right about it, sir. I don’t approve.

I’m afraid I don’t understand.

Oh. Public bathrooms are sometimes used by men

to have... liaisons.

I only get paid a quarter a day, sir.

I can’t get by but for my tips.

What did he look like?

- Regular height. - Uh, white man, mustache.

- Was he using a cane? - No, sir.

But he did have only the one leg.

Hm.

Albie!

- Mrs. Vivian Moon. - You look lovely.

- Oh, please. - Been on a train for ages.

I haven’t changed my clothes or freshened up.

- Hm. - I’m a sight.

How was your journey?

- Eventful. - Hm.

Let’s go to lunch, shall we?

- Oh, no. - Oh, no?

Vivian!

You must join us.

- What a lovely surprise. - And your charming companion?

- Albert’s an old friend. - Ah-ha.

- Albert, this is Cecil and Myrtle Winchester.

We ran into each other on the train.

They’re friends of Johnny’s from Manhattan.

Johnny boy and I were awfully close.

I’m sorry for your loss.

Terribly sad.

But time comes for all of us, doesn’t it?

Hm.

Waiter.

- There’ll be two more joining us. - Uh.

Of course.

You think he would have noticed earlier.

- Apparently, this is the best restaurant in town,

if you can believe it.

- Oh. - There you go, sir.

Yeah.

- What do you do for a living, Mr. Winchester?

- I did real estate for a while. - Now I let my money make money.

Still, nothing that won’t bore

the trousers off the entire restaurant.

- How do you two know each other? - Mmm.

- Albert caught me stealing. - That’s not true.

- Oh, yes it is. - Put the cuffs on me

and tossed me in the clink.

- How awful. - How did you end up friends?

- He made me pose as a gun moll to earn my freedom.

Together we brought down Lupo the Wolf.

- Our first meeting was hardly that colourful.

Vivian and I met while I was visiting New York.

We bumped into each other at an antique shop.

A couple of years later when I moved to the city,

I knew no one. So I looked up Vivian.

She and Johnny made me feel at home.

What a joy

- to move to New York City, right? - Hm.

Everywhere else pales in comparison.

- Mmm. - I wouldn’t say that.

- Well, Toronto doesn’t exactly have the Great White Way.

Fashions aren’t quite à la mode. And the hotel.

- The hotel. - What’s wrong with the hotel?

- Nothing at all. - Just there isn’t much of a view.

Hm. No bother.

There’s not much to see here. You know, not really.

Not really. This soup is cold.

- Listen to them. - You’d never know

they only moved to New York six months ago.

- It’s unbelievable. - Yes, I know.

- It was funny hearing you speak of Johnny that way.

How so?

With such kindness.

- He’s gone. - And he mattered to you.

- Thank you for lunch. - I’ll call on you later.

Ma’am.

- Chief Constable. - New lady in your life?

- An old friend. - Her husband just died.

Seems things are moving quickly.

- No, nothing like that. - It would be inappropriate.

Word of advice: steer clear.

A grieving woman doesn’t know what she wants.

Someone will end up getting hurt.

We checked all five of the victim’s aliases

with city hall and the other station houses.

All false. We have constables canvassing Union Station

for any witnesses.

It’s always the ones you least expect.

- Sir? - Well, that Albert Choi.

He doesn’t stand on ceremony

when he sees something that he wants.

- How do you mean? - Some men have a lust for life,

Murdoch. A fire that burns within.

You try to hide it away, but you never know

when it’s going to flare up again.

Sounds as though you’re speaking from experience.

- Mm. - Detective, Chief Constable.

We found a porter at Union Station

who recognizes the victim.

He remembered him because he was being followed

- by a man with a limp. - Oh, very good.

Did he by chance provide you with a description?

He’s speaking to Miss Leeming now.

- She’s working on a sketch. - Well done, Watts.

I also looked into all the incoming trains

around that time. I thought if he was at

Union Station, maybe he’d just arrived.

- And? - I had constables telephone

police stations in any city within a day’s train journey

and check the five names we have for our victim.

A precinct in Philadelphia recognized a name,

a known alias of a career criminal named...

Ancel Tuttle.

- Sir. We have a name for the victim

and a sketch of the killer.

Do you by chance know an Ancel Tuttle?

I do not.

I have a question for you.

Yes, sir.

- Is it true that your wife was married once before?

- Ah. Yes. - Hm.

So you met her when she was a widow?

We had known each other several years

before her husband died, in a professional capacity.

Hm. How long did you wait before you began courting her?

Oh! Uh, I don’t remember precisely.

Never mind. I apologize for prying in your personal affairs.

- But I will say, sir. - I did not wait long.

Suspect had only one leg.

Have any inquiries, report to any of us. Thank you.

- Any luck? - None so far.

- Have you heard anything from any of the other constables?

I have not. Sir?

Could I have the rest of the evening off?

Certainly. Why?

I was hoping to see this show tonight.

Aw. Sounds riveting.

I believe they use hammer and nails.

I’m just putting you on, sir.

But I do believe it would remind me of home.

- Oh! Plenty of song and scandal back home, is there?

- Oh, you should see Chatham on a Friday night.

Roberts. With me.

- Excuse me. - Uh, sorry.

Sir, look.

I don’t suppose we’ll be needing the posters anymore.

Come in, Albie. Good

to see you, but what are you doing here?

I’m glad you’re all right.

Why wouldn’t I be?

I was on my way over here

when we found a man dead behind your hotel.

Oh dear. What happened?