Murdoch Mysteries

- Hurry up, John! - I'm trying!

Constables! What took you so long?

We got here as quickly as we could.

- You said there was a robbery? - I think so.

- You think so? - There is an open window, a broken vase...

- Nothing else? - No.

Well, where are the owners?

We don't know. We called out for them, but they didn't answer.

- The mistress is usually up by now. - Right. We best take a look.

I've always wondered what this house was like on the inside.

- Why so? - Well, this house belongs to Franklin Westerbrook.

- The Carpet King? - The one and only.

- Any sign of them? - Not upstairs.

Well, look. Someone's been through here.

Look at this.

They've jimmied open the window.

John...

come with me.

Ladies, please. Stay put.

My goodness.

Ladies, please.

Carefully, now.

Any first impressions, Miss Hart?

They appear to have drowned.

I won't know much more until after a post-mortem.

Very good.

Who found them?

- Constable Crabtree and I. - I see.

Sir? One of the maids found this inside.

It seems to be a suicide note.

"To our darling daughters, we are sorry.

Your mother and I have become exhausted

by our constant dissatisfaction,

and can take no more."

Signed by both Franklin and Louise Westerbrook.

A double suicide, then.

Let's not jump to conclusions too quickly.

Did you notice anything...

different about the couple? I mean, any...

- excess of melancholy? - No, not at all.

But then, you only started working

a couple of weeks prior to today?

Well, yes. I've heard that Mrs. Westerbrook was a difficult woman,

but I simply think she had high standards.

So, you enjoyed working for them?

I did.

Do you think anyone had animosity towards them?

Oh, I'm not one to know that.

I do know that they were very extravagant in their wealth.

That must ruffle some feathers.

So, you believe the burglar might have known the Westerbrooks?

Everyone knew that they had money.

It certainly appears something was taken.

Hmm. We'll have to check this area

and the butler's pantry for fingermarks.

I've instructed the constables.

Do you think this burglar killed the Westerbrooks?

Even if there was an altercation,

wouldn't he simply kill them and flee?

Why go all the way out to the pool and stage a double suicide?

Perhaps it truly was suicide.

Unusual, but not completely without precedent.

- And this burglary was just an unlucky coincidence? - Mm-hmm.

Extremely unlucky, if you ask me.

What can you tell us?

Mr and Mrs Franklin and Louise Westerbrook

were found deceased in their home this morning.

Now, that's all the information we have.

Good day, gentlemen. Ladies.

Inspector Brackenreid, a word?

- Harvey Leech. - Who?

I'm a reporter with Toronto's premiere society journal,

the Toronto Tattle.

One of the city's more high minded periodicals, I take it.

My source tells me the Westerbrooks drowned themselves.

- Was it a double suicide? - Listen.

- We have no further information... - Or did one of them

murder the other, and then kill themselves?

- My money's on Louise. - That's enough!

Now, get lost.

Bloody reporter just ambushed me,

wanting all the gory details. He heard it was a suicide.

How did he know that?

- Said he had a "source." - One of the maids?

I don't care who it is, now

we've got the press breathing down our necks.

All right. Detective Watts, you chase down this burglar lead.

The older maid, Sarah, told me a considerable amount of silverware

was stolen, all monogrammed.

- I'll visit some pawn shops. - Higgins! What's that?

It's a black arm band, sir.

I heard the terrible news about Frank and Louise.

- You knew them? - From the club.

Ruth told me about them. They're immensely wealthy, sir.

The club? Higgins, you're always going on

about how you and Ruth are destitute.

Well, we're paid up to the end of the year.

They were known as the 'Wisterias', sir.

Aggressively climbing.

- Now, they're members of the British aristocracy. - Oh? How so?

Their daughter Diana just married the Earl of Lincoln.

Frank and Louise thought they were royalty, sir,

but you don't enter that sphere just by marrying into it.

- Of course not. - All right, that's enough.

Has the family been informed?

Yes, sir. Diana, and the Earl, and his parents,

the Duke and Duchess, were in Muskoka.

But they're on their way in today.

They took a suite at the Carlyle.

I'm about to start the internal examination.

What can you tell me thus far?

There are no lesions, no bruises,

no signs of violence anywhere on the bodies.

Anything under the fingernails?

Nothing that would suggest a struggle.

My preliminary theory is hypoxemia

caused by drowning.

Curious.

Is there something troubling you?

Well, they were found at the bottom of a pool,

which would indicate drowning.

But there was nothing weighing them down.

Bodies do sink when they drown.

It takes about a day before they float.

Oh, I mean prior to the drowning itself.

Suicide cases will often weigh themselves down

with rocks, anchors, cannonballs...

They must have very much wanted to take their own lives.

Or they were coerced.

Please notify me when you've completed the post mortem, Miss Hart.

Of course, sir.

Mr Crabtree.

Effie Newsome?

We met at Ruth's wedding.

- Yes, it's Constable, actually. - Ah, yes.

It's a lovely day today.

- Right, if you're looking for Henry, he... - No, I'm not.

It's you I'm looking for in my official capacity

as lawyer to Mr Martin Erskine.

You're a lawyer already? I thought you were still in school.

Yes, well. I'm almost a lawyer.

- So, this Mr Erskine is a friend of yours? - My cousin.

He sustained grievous injuries in a motor car accident,

and he is seeking recompense.

He's had to miss a family reunion in Kingston.

He wanted to sue you, but I said

- that as we were already acquainted, I could... - So, he had his brakes

- repaired in my shop? - He says they were ruined.

Miss Newsome. I stand behind all the work done at Bloom and Crabtree.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but

doesn't Henry work there now?

We offer our condolences at this very difficult time.

We are doing all we can to apprehend the burglar,

- and when we do... - Do you believe he is responsible?

That's unknown at this time.

And they were found in their swimming pool?

I'm afraid so.

There, there, darling.

How could they do this?

They had everything they wanted.

Diana's tired. I'll go settle her in her room.

What do you say to this frightful business?

We're here to ask questions regarding the Westerbrooks.

To be honest, we're investigating whether it was murder or suicide.

A damn shame.

Though being the soul of honesty, I must say

I won't miss them too much.

Why do you say that?

Well, they weren't the best sort of people.

I wouldn't be surprised either way;

they couldn't stick life anymore, or

they angered the wrong person.

Now Richard, these men are only trying

to make sense of what happened.

Do you think they were the type to commit suicide?

Grafters and strivers... I'd hardly think so.

They finally got what they were craving:

a family member with a title.

So, they had that to live for?

It certainly seemed that was all they wanted.

I was just talking with Mrs Westerbrook

about the Governor General's Ball,

before we went to Muskoka. It's next Saturday.

They were very much looking forward to us going too.

I think they rather wanted to show us off,

like trick ponies.

So, which is it? Murder or suicide?

Evidence of a break-in does tell me

that the burglar had something to do with their deaths.

How does one drown two unwilling victims?

At gunpoint?

I agree it is odd.

Why stage two suicides?

Perhaps he was covering his tracks.

Then why not clean up the broken vase, or close the window?

What did Miss Hart have to say about the bodies?

Just that she saw no evidence of violence.

I'm still awaiting the post-mortem.

It did seem like they had everything to live for...

wealth, status, success.