Murdoch Mysteries

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is something wrong?

Nothing new, I'm afraid.

Must we have this discussion each and every week?

At 30 years of age, your time to discuss has nearly run out.

Thank you, Dean.

You certainly know how to charm a lady.

I'm sorry you're so discontented.

Wanting to try for a son is hardly a crime.

Let's get you into bed.

Come on, turn around. Let's go.

Is Father angry with me?

Not at all.

He's simply tired.

Lie back.

Go to sleep, Veronica.

Veronica, time to get up.

Veronica, get up, sleepy.

Veronica?

Dean!

Dean!

It doesn't make any sense, Detective.

Why would someone abduct our daughter

and leave behind a doll in her place?

Could she have left of her own accord?

Was she unhappy in any way?

Had she been scolded recently?

No.

That doll does not belong to Veronica.

Someone deliberately left it in her bed.

Do either of you know of anyone

who would want to target your daughter for abduction?

Target? No, not at all.

You mean for the purposes of extortion?

It is a possibility.

No, stop talking.

Please, stop talking, and find her.

Looks to be fine craftsmanship.

Barely out of its package, I would say.

What's that?

It's a version of Edison's talking doll.

There's a recorded cylinder inside.

Hello, Detective Murdoch.

Will you play with me?

Hello, Detective Murdoch.

Will you play with me?

Why would you be named personally in this matter?

Have you in some way put our daughter in jeopardy?

Certainly not on purpose.

I admit, I'm as baffled as you are

that the kidnapper has mentioned me by name.

So who did this?

I have no idea.

There's no sign of forced entry,

no finger marks on the doors or windowsills,

not even the girl's.

Her name is Veronica.

Yes, of course.

MY apologies.

Yes.

Mr. and Mrs. Bowden,

this was a professional operation.

The kidnapper was careful, and they took their time.

How did the kidnapper get Veronica out of the house

without her making a noise?

Surely we would have heard something.

Perhaps she knew her abductor,

someone in the neighborhood.

Whereabouts do you live, Mr. Carson?

In the rooming house across the street,

second floor.

When did you last see Veronica?

Yesterday, in the park.

There was a boy about her age.

He often wanted to play with her,

but she was too shy.

It was rather sweet, actually.

Hmm.

Did you see anyone loitering about,

anything suspicious?

No, I didn't.

Thank you for your time.

If you see Veronica or anything unusual,

please contact me directly.

Of course.

Anything, George?

Sir, various sightings

but none more recent than yesterday.

Ms. Balfour here, this spinster,

hadn't seen the girl in days.

But Ms. James, this blonde lady, a seamstress,

saw her last night walking with her parents.

This young lad, Gregory,

used to play hide-and-seek with Veronica.

And then Ms. Rosevear, the lady I was just speaking with,

used to mind Veronica from time to time.

So Veronica would be familiar with her,

and she would know the layout of the house.

Exactly, and she just asked me if you were William Murdoch.

Oh'?

Ms. Rosevear?

Yes.

I understand you minded Veronica from time to time?

Oh, I did.

She was like a younger sister to me.

Hmm.

Are you going on a trip?

Oh, I just returned from Winnipeg.

Visiting relatives.

I see.

How is it you know who I am?

Doesn't everyone know who you are, sir?

Ah, I doubt that.

Well, I do.

I follow all of your cases in the Gazette.

You are an extremely accomplished man.

Do you have any idea who could have taken young Veronica?

Uh... no.

Do you know of anyone who may have wished the family harm?

No one at all.

Thank you.

George, verify her alibi.

Sir.

I know it's supposed to be adorable,

but to me, it just looks bloody creepy.

I have to agree,

especially considering the circumstances.

There's still no word on any ransom demands?

None, which may rule out financial motive

for the girl's abduction.

Well, judging from what the doll has to say,

we know there's at least one personal angle.

Any idea who'd bother taunting you like this?

No.

And what's the connection

between myself and the missing girl

or her family?

Seems to me there's one clue staring you in the face.

There were no finger marks on the doll

or the internal recording cylinder.

Do we know where it came from, who made it?

It was manufactured in France, at no small cost.

Someone with means, then.

Sirs, I looked into Ms. Rosevear's alibi.

At least three people confirmed she was in Winnipeg.

I see.

I think it's time you two went and did a bit of shopping.

Sir!

Sir, I spoke with the people

at the gifts and novelty shop down on the corner, and they-

Excuse me, sir.

They have these miniature tractors,

cast iron, all with movable parts.

I feel like I was born too soon, sir.

Talking dolls, George.

Did they sell any dolls?

One and only one - it was bought and shipped

to Montreal about two months ago.

Right, we'll have to follow up on that.

As for this shop,

the owner recalls selling two talking dolls

but doesn't remember the customers' names.

Society women, apparently.

Hmm.

So where does that leave us?

On the trail of the dolls.

We have to go to the source,

and I've obtained the name of the distributor.

Oh, excellent.

Toronto Constabulary. A moment of your time?

Hello again, Detective.

Mr. Carson.

What brings you here?

Veronica Bowden was abducted from her home.

You knew her, knew where she lived.

A talking doll was left on her bed.

A doll that was distributed from this warehouse.

No, no, no, no, just a minute.

I had nothing to do with that girl's disappearance.

And I'm not the distributor. I'm a stock boy.

We have dozens of imports.

The talking doll is just one of them.

I'd like to see your records,

especially those pertaining to the talking dolls.

Certainly.

As you can see, the dolls are a specialty item.

Only a handful of shops have carried them,

two or three orders at most.

What about this one,

an order for five of the talking dolls

three weeks ago?

That's right.

Can you describe the customer?

From what I remember,

it was a rather tall blonde woman

in her 20s, maybe 30s.

She wore too much rouge for my liking.

Hmm. And that's it?

She walked out of here carrying five dolls?