Original subtitles

[ Birds chirping ]

An Inca tern.

The scoundrel abruptly takes up bird-watching,

and within a month, he spots the first Inca tern

in all of North America.

I wouldn't have believed it had I not been there myself.

And you just know he's going to wring every last drop

out of this discovery.

He'll wring everything out of it.

Lectures, books, guided tours.

You name it, he will wring it.

He claims Josephine Dawson suddenly agreed

to a bird-watching date.

Josephine Dawson, with him?

[ Both laugh]

Rose-breasted grosbeak.

Oh, a fine example, Plumlee.

I daresay I caught a glimpse of it a hair before you even.

Nonsense.

I'm putting it in my life list.

June 17th, 7:45 a.m.

Rose-breasted grosbeak.

We can both put it in our life lists, my good man.

Only I'll mark my sighting down for 7:44 a.m.

You are a devil.

[ Gasps ] Oh. What is this fellow?

- [ Gun cocks ] - HARRISON: Oh, dear.

[ Gunshot, thud ]

[ Gunshot, bird screeches ]

DR. OGDEN: Well, this was no hunting accident.

This is Alistair Plumlee and Gilford Harrison.

The two were set to testify against Rex Gray next week.

These are the men who witnessed Mr. Gray

shoot his business partner last month?

Well, two of the three witnesses.

I daresay their timely deaths are no accident.

Sir, we've been unable to find anything.

The gunman hasn't left so much as a footprint behind.

Thank you, George.

And apparently we don't have much to go on.

Once I get the bodies to the morgue,

hopefully I can provide more specifics.

Sir, the Rex Gray case, doesn't that belong to Station Three?

Crown Prosecutor Daniels turned it over to me.

Unfortunately, I've had no more luck than they did.

We best do our darndest

to keep the last witness safe, I suppose.

That's precisely what I was thinking, George.

And I can think of no one better suited

for this important task than you.

Thank you, sir.

I'll do whatever I can

to keep our prize witness safe over the weekend.

Who is he, exactly?

Roger Newsome?

Of the Mimico Newsomes.

George Crabtree.

An entire weekend together... at last.

I trust somebody will transport these for me?

Right there.

Sir, I am begging you to assign another constable.

Surely you can set aside

your history with Mr. Newsome for the weekend.

Sir, too much history has accrued.

While investigating his auto club,

he ignored my pleas for help as I was being strangled.

I was having the life throttled out of me,

and he ran off in abject cowardice.

Not to mention the grief he caused

while we were investigating his golf club and his puzzle club.

MURDOCH: George, you have overcome far greater challenges

during your time here.

Sir, I honestly don't believe that I have.

I really think my hatred for Mr. Newsome is such

that should the killer try to kill him,

my subconscious could overtake my ability

to prevent such an incident.

I would be complicit in his murder against my will.

Sir, you would have to arrest me.

The concession I've made is this.

Henry will assist you to help ease the burden.

CRABTREE: Higgins, sir?

You're taking me out of the pot and putting me in the fire.

I might as well watch Newsome on my own.

Crown Prosecutor Daniels has authorized the three of you

to stay at the Windsor House Hotel ahead of the trial.

I will be nearby

to make sure your subconscious doesn't get the best of you.

Sir.

ROGER: The air was still damp with mist,

my shaded spectacles shielding me from the morning sun.

We had been out for an hour already

and observed nothing more

than a decrepit old blue jay with a crooked beak.

I forged ahead toward the marsh,

where, ever so faintly, I heard a cat-like meow.

Harrison and Plumlee missed it,

as though it were meant for me alone.

I raised my binoculars, and there she was.

The Inca tern in all her glory, mustache and all.

Wow. Must have been beautiful.

I got as near as I could to take photographs.

Photographs that prove I spotted the only known Inca tern

in all of North America.

I shall be renowned in ornithology circles.

Revered, even.

I only wish I had more time with the great beauty.

Yes, but you were interrupted by a murder.

Oh, yes, that.

Of all mornings for Rex Gray to act upon his murderous impulses.

I'm surprised you're so dismissive, Newsome.

All the reasons why your fellow bird watchers were killed,

they're equally as applicable to you.

I suppose I am in danger, aren't I?

You'll be safe with us. Let's get to the hotel.

But if the constabulary had more evidence,

you wouldn't require my testimony?

Well, we don't.

We don't have so much as the murder weapon,

so... so don't think

you're going to weasel your way out of testifying.

-What if I... -FABER: You liar!

- You bloody liar, you! - Hey, hey, hey. Get back, sir!

Shame on you, Mr. Newsome! Shame, shame, shame!

The shame is all yours for those dreadful trousers.

I'll get the better of you, Roger.

ROGER: Off you go, little Stanley Faber!

What's that all about?

Oh, nothing, not even worth the breath.

Did you see those trousers?

[ Laughs ]

MURDOCH: Dr. Ogden, Miss James.

What have you?

Given the caliber of the bullets used,

I believe these men were shot from some distance

using a precision rifle.

A45-caliber?

Indeed, Detective.

Both bullets were in almost the exact same spot in their chests,

suggesting they were shot in quick succession.

The second victim hardly had time to move

after the first one was shot.

Which is in line with my suspicion.

Rex Gray has hired a trained killer

to eliminate the witnesses.

Not up to my usual standards, to be sure,

but I suppose I can endure.

It's not a vacation, Mr. Newsome.

Oh, please, call me Roger.

Are we not well enough acquainted by now, George?

No, we aren't, and I don't think we ever will be.

You can call me Henry. I don't mind.

Why, thank you, Henry.

I shall, Henry.

[ Sighs ]

So, what are we going to do this evening?

We're going to ensure

that Mr. Newsome doesn't come to any harm.

Yes, but what do we do while we do that?

Nothing, I suppose.

Nothing?

Roger Newsome does not do nothing on a Friday evening.

If we are confined to this room,

we might at least host a dinner party.

Absolutely not.

Nobody's supposed to know where you are, Roger.

That's the whole point.

You called me Roger.

Have you told anybody that you're here?

[ Knock on door ]

ROGER: Well, I could hardly just disappear.

- Ruthie! - Oh, Roger!

[ Door closes ]

May I present my sister, Ruth Newsome, of the esteemed...

Of the Mimico Newsomes.

Roger is so thrilled to be joining the constabulary.

So I just... Well, I had to come and see what it was all about.

He hasn't joined the constabulary, Miss Newsome.

Ruth, this is Constable Crabtree,

the bright, young, unmarried constable

I was telling you about.

And what about this one?

ROGER: Yes, that's Constable Higgins,

but Constable Crabtree is my dear friend.

A top chum.

Miss Newsome, you have to leave.

And I implore that you not tell anybody your brother's location.

Unhand me, you brute!

Ruth, Constable Crabtree is merely doing his job.

I'm sure if I arrange for the two of you

to socialize in a more casual setting,

you will see what a fine gentleman he is.

Newsome, that's enough, thank you.

Oh, heavens, Roger. No, no, no.

You must promise me you'll get a haircut

before your presentation this weekend.

You really look a fright.

ROGER: Yes, I know.

I promise.

[ Both smooch ]

Goodbye, Constable Higgins.

- Miss Newsome. - [ Chuckles ]

Miss Newsome.

What presentation?

Well, I'm to present my Inca tern findings

to the ornithology community this weekend.

You are not to leave this room until the trial, Mr. Newsome.

But I've already booked the hall and sent invitations.

All the top birders will be there.

All the top birders will have to wait.

I know what you're trying to do, Mr. Gray.

You have a trained killer on the outside

trying to eliminate all of the witnesses

that agree to testify against you.

That's news to me.

I'm going to find this gunman,

and when I do, I'll establish a link to you.

And you'll be held responsible for not one murder, but three.

And if you don't find him?

MURDOCH: Is that an admission that you hired the gunman?

[ Laughs ] No.

Of course it isn't.

But if you let me out of here, I'll ask around for you,

make your job a little easier.

I know you've had trouble with my case, Detective.

You're never going to see the streets of Toronto again.

I have an idea.

What's that?

Let me borrow your uniform.

Why?

So I can go for a haircut in disguise.

The killer would never shoot a constable.

You'll not be giving your bird presentation, Newsome,

so you needn't worry about your hair.

Well, I can no sooner go to court looking like this.

CRABTREE: As soon as Rex Gray is in a penitentiary,

you can have all the haircuts you want.

Until then, nobody cares about you or your hair,

just your testimony.

[ Higgins snoring ]

I'm hungry.

[ Sighs ]

I suppose it is that time. I'll get our dinner.

Thank you, George.

Oi, Higgins, I'm off to get our supper.

All right.

Well, make sure he doesn't leave.

All right.

- [ Clears throat ] - [ Door opens ]

- [ Snoring ] - [ Door closes ]

Henry, I'm going for a haircut.

Bye.

[ Snoring continues ]

[ Door opens ]

MURDOCH: Henry?

HIGGINS: Yes, Detective?

Where's George?

He went to get supper, sir.

And took Mr. Newsome with him?

Yes. No.

Uh, Roger must have gone out for a haircut, sir.

He's left the building?

[ Indistinct conversations ]

Sir, there he is.

Henry, the balcony.

- The shooter. - HIGGINS: Sir.

Mr. Newsome, get down!

Mr. Newsome, get down!

[ Gunshot ]

[ People screaming ]

Get up, get up.

[ Gunshot ]

[ Indistinct shouting ]

[ Breathing heavily ]

Mr. Newsome, are you hit?

No, I'm all right, thank heavens.

I merely wanted a haircut.

Yes, well...

-Ruth said my hair... -Oh.

I merely wanted a haircut before my presentation.

Inca tern.

Meow.

Tell George...

I had a bird's-eye view.

Bird's-eye...

- MURDOCH: No. - ...view.

MURDOCH: No, no. Mr. Newsome!

Ohh.

CRABTREE: Bird's-eye view?

That's right. He said, "Tell George I had a bird's-eye view."

Sir, I can't imagine what that means.

Well, he was dying.

Perhaps it was simply a delusion.

Tell me we have something, Detective.

I am terribly sorry, Mr. Daniels,

but the shooter got away without a trace.

Again?

You're telling me he left nothing behind for us?

Sir, he is meticulous, a professional, if you will.

It's going to be difficult enough

to prosecute Mr. Gray without the murder weapon.

Now I don't have any witnesses, either.

Mr. Newsome was a pain in the neck, but I wish he'd survived.

What if he had?

Had what?

Survived. What if he was still alive?

What in heavens are you talking about?

You just told me the man died in your arms.

But at this point, no one else knows that.

What if we created the illusion

that Mr. Newsome survived the shooting

and was still determined to testify against Mr. Gray?

How does that help me?

I can't put a corpse on the stand.

No, but if we present him all about town

as if he is still alive,

perhaps the killer will try to kill him again.

MURDOCH: Exactly.

If we can catch the killer

in the process of trying to re-kill Mr. Newsome,

then perhaps we can force him to testify against Mr. Gray.

You want to parade a dead man around town

in hopes that his murderer tries to murder him again?

Yes.

Well, it's mad,

but if you can get permission from his next of kin,

give it a try.

George, perhaps you can get permission from his next of kin.

Sir, might I suggest that request come from Henry Higgins.

Newsome's sister took quite a liking to him.

Very well.

Perhaps Henry will embrace the opportunity to redeem himself.

Let me begin by saying how very sorry I am

for your loss, Miss Newsome.

I will miss him dearly.

But I am glad he got to fulfill his desire to be a constable

in his last days.

Uh, yes.

Actually there is more he can do to help the constabulary.

How do you mean?

Well, Miss Newsome, with your permission,

we would like to try to bring Roger back to life,

resurrect him, if you will,

so he may continue to help us with our case against Rex Gray.

The plan would be to try to fool...

Oh, thank heavens!

Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, of course I permit!

I most certainly permit.

- That was easy. - I get my beloved Roger back!

You can revive him! When may I see him?

- Wait now, Miss Newsome. - My darling brother!

Roger and I will grow old together after all.

- Hold on, Miss Newsome. - And you.

I can't thank you enough for this great gift, Henry Higgins.

The gift of life.

Oh, I think you must have misunderstood

what I'm trying to ask you, Miss Newsome.

You see, Ro...

You see, Roger is indeed dead.

We cannot literally bring him back to life.

No?

No. That's impossible.

We would merely like to pretend he's alive

in order to catch his killer.

Pretend?

Oh.

So, may we have your permission

to present Roger around town as if he were alive?

It really is our best hope to catch his killer.

You're going to take Roger out in public?

Yes.

I have one condition.

DR. OGDEN: I don't believe I've given anyone a haircut before.

It's quite fun.

And I've never applied makeup to a corpse.

DR. OGDEN: You could moonlight as a mortician, Miss James.

Between this and my studies,

I'm doing more than enough moonlighting, I should think.

Ah, I can almost see the life

returning to his cheeks, Miss James.

William, where do you get your hair cut?

I don't believe you've ever mentioned going to the barber.

Oh, it's nowhere special.

Surely the barbershop has a name.

Mm, I can't recall.

You, William Murdoch, the man who remembers everything,

cannot recall where he has his hair cut?

No, I don't.

I prefer to use my mind for more important things.

All right.

I was just curious.

Well, I feel as though I'm being interrogated, Julia.

And I feel as if I'm being lied to.

REBECCA: Dr. Ogden, is that enough rouge?

Ah. A touch more, Miss James.

Perhaps you cut your own hair. Is that it?

No.

It is, isn't it?

No, it isn't.

It would be tremendously difficult to get the back even.

Perhaps your hair simply doesn't grow.

You've never been to the barber.

Mrs. Kitchen.

Mrs. Kitchen, the landlady?

I return to my boarding house every other Wednesday at lunch

to have my hair cut.

Well, now that I'm an expert,

perhaps you'll allow me next time?

Oh, no, thank you.

Then I would be without an excuse to have her beef stew.

The truth emerges.

[ Clears throat ] There.

This wheeled chair

will allow Mr. Newsome some natural movements,

such as waving his hand.

I've opted for the royal wave.

The person pushing the wheelchair

controls the movements very discreetly

by adjusting these knobs.

[ Chuckles ]

And he's fresh from the barber.

Now that rigor has passed...

...he's ready for the town.

Unfortunately, Mr. Newsome lost the use of his legs

after the shooting.

We hope it's only temporary, and in the meantime,

Detective Murdoch has outfitted him

with a special wheeled chair.

And he's still willing to testify against Mr. Gray?

Yes, he's more determined now than ever, Miss Cherry.

How can you be sure that the man who shot Mr. Newsome

is, in fact, working for Mr. Gray?

Well, we can't prove it yet,

but the three witnesses set to testify against him

being shot just prior to the trial,

it's a difficult coincidence to overlook.

You mentioned that Mr. Newsome had been placed in seclusion

at the Windsor House Hotel under your supervision.

How did he come to be shot in the street?

Yes, that... Well, he had some very important matters to see to

vital to the preparation of the trial.

It, sadly, couldn't be avoided.

Forgive me for asking, but does Mr. Newsome fault you

or the constabulary for his current predicament?

He hasn't said so.

Well, keep me abreast, Constable.

Miss Cherry. Will do.

HIGGINS: Well done, George. Heck of a yarn you wove for her.

Yes, I suppose so.

What's the matter?

It's all a big lie, isn't it?

Yes, I know. It's great.

Yes, but the truth will come out eventually.

What will she think of me then?

What does she think of you now?

I don't know.

Well, if it helps us catch two killers, is it not worth it?

Gentlemen, say hello to Roger Newsome.

HIGGINS: Hello.

CRABTREE: Oh, my goodness.

You can't make him talk, can you, sir?

No, Henry.

As you can see, I have customized this wheeled chair

so that its operator

can manipulate Mr. Newsome's movements.

Sir, that's nothing short of remarkable.

Very inventive.

But how exactly are we going to lure out Rex Gray's man?

Actually, I've given that considerable thought.

As a result of the newspaper article,

the gunman likely knows

Mr. Newsome is staying at the Windsor House.

And we know the gunman's modus operandi

is to shoot his targets from a distance like a sniper.

We can use that to our advantage.

We will roll Mr. Newsome all the way to the Windsor House,

allowing everyone a good look at him

to see that he is indeed alive.

Once there, Dr. Ogden and I

will set him up for dinner in our suite,

conveniently seating him in front of the window,

thus allowing the gunman a clean shot

from the building next door.

...help you with your hat?

Meanwhile, you two will have discreetly secured

the building next door.

When the gunman tries to make his escape,

he should run right into your arms.

Now, don't forget, he is armed,

so you must make a stop at the armory yourselves.

Well, let's hope it works.

Oh, I'm quite confident it will.

So you'll make a new plan. You always do.

But I liked this plan, Julia.

Perhaps the shooter realized

that the building next door had been secured.

Or he realized Mr. Newsome was, in fact, already dead.

A sobering thought.

You barely touched your roast chicken, Mr. Newsome.

Something the matter?

I suppose I lacked an appetite,

knowing I was going to be shot any moment.

Or rather he mistakenly thought you'd prepared it.

[ Telephone ringing ]

Detective Murdoch.

Yes, George, please come and collect Mr. Newsome

and bring him to the morgue's cold storage for the night.

- George! - Higgins, catch him!

Oh, Higgins, his hand went in my mouth!

Come on, George. Okay.

- Okay. - All right.

- Here we go. - Okay.

Higgins, try... Try to move his feet.

His feet, like this.

HIGGINS: Mr. Newsome, I wager the detective

would make some interesting dinner conversation.

I've never dined with him myself, you see.

Higgins, why are you talking to him?

George, we have to pretend he's alive.

I imagine the doctor would have been in her evening wear.

All right, Higgins, that's enough.

Let's just get him in the chair.

Okay.

[ Gunshot ]

Roger? Mr. Newsome, are you okay?!

Higgins, go after the gunman!

[ Dog barks in distance ]

[ Indistinct conversations ]

Another .45-caliber, Detective.

Pierced his heart.

Surely would have been fatal

if he were not already dead, of course.

Thank you.

Once again, this is all the gunman's left behind for us.

It would appear the ruse is up, William.

The gunman must be convinced of Mr. Newsome's death by now.

Not necessarily.

My bullet-resistant vest.

Gun, please.

Ears.

[ Gun cocks ]

[ Gunshot ]

So if Mr. Newsome had have been wearing this,

last night's shooting would not have been fatal.

Hypothetically.

Hypothetically.

So should Miss James and I revive him once again?

MURDOCH: If you would, please.

How do we convince the killer that Newsome was wearing this?

Have your newspaper friend write another article

about how Mr. Newsome survived yet again.

Obviously the shooter took notice of the first article.

Right.

And here it is.

Goodness, the constabulary surely thought of everything.

CRABTREE: It's an original invention

of Detective Murdoch's, made out of metal and silk.

[ Clicks ]

And now it's saved Mr. Newsome's life.

That's right.

And even after this latest brush with death,

you still believe he'll testify?

He insists.

I would surely like to interview him.

A couple of quotes would spruce up my story.

That will not be possible.

You see, Miss Cherry, the vest,

while it did save the man's life,

the sheer impact of the bullet broke one of his ribs,

and... and speaking is very painful.

Even his breathing is... Is not noticeable.

CHERRY: Very well.

Why are you bringing these stories to me, of all reporters?

You wouldn't be finding excuses to see me more often,

would you, Constable?

No, that's not the reason.

I mean, I very much enjoy your company,

but I'm under direct orders from Detective Murdoch.

Shoot, George, if we had thought to put this on Roger Newsome,

he might still be alive.

Oh, Henry!

So he wasn't wearing this last night?

No.

CHERRY: Constable Crabtree?

He was not.

So he's dead.

And has been this entire time.

Uh-oh.

Yes, but... Wait, Miss Cherry!

Miss Cherry, wait. Please, wait.

I unwittingly lied to my readers thanks to you.

I know. I'm sorry. I didn't want to do it.

Perhaps I'll write a story

of how the constabulary deceived the public.

- How would you like that? - I would not like that.

But I have a proposition.

If you print the story of Mr. Newsome surviving again,

then when the trial is over,

I will give you and only you the whole true story,

the story of how the constabulary

brought a corpse back to life

to catch a killer and bring Rex Gray to justice.

I've covered Mr. Gray before,

and I know full well how evil he is.

If this will help send him to the gallows,

then I suppose I should do my part.

But you do owe me, Constable Crabtree.

Miss Cherry.

[ Sighs ]

MURDOCH: We need to get Mr. Newsome out into the open

but in an enclosed space so that we can catch the killer.

I wonder if we can create some sort of event

for Mr. Newsome to attend.

Sir, we may not have to create one.

Just prior to his death,

Mr. Newsome was determined to follow through

with this presentation he was to give tonight

on the fancy bird that he discovered.

- Right. - Why don't we let him?

Is it too late to get a mention of it

in the latest newspaper article?

I shouldn't think so, sir.

However, if the killer was too cautious

to take a shot at the hotel,

why would he tonight at the presentation?

Just as it may very well be our last chance to trap the gunman,

it's also the gunman's last chance to kill Mr. Newsome.

Right.

And Gray must be leaning on his man to finish the job

with the trial right around the corner.

Oh, but how is Mr. Newsome going to present?

He remains, after all, a corpse.

Perhaps I'll present for him, sir.

I'll wheel the sitting duck out there

and then explain to the audience

that Newsome can't speak due to a broken rib.

I'll be his voice.

Very good, George. Very good.

I suppose you'd better brush up on your ornithology before then.

Oh, I rather look forward to it.

I do hope Mr. Newsome's hair is satisfactory

after my little trim.

Yes, Julia, I've been meaning to speak to you about something.

What is it?

If it means that much to you,

the next time I need a haircut...

[ Gasps ]

What about Mrs. Kitchen's beef stew?

Well...

I could request her recipe.

Ah. Uh...

We really should be off.

On our date.

We are there to catch a killer.

We must be mindful of our surroundings.

Well, we'll have be lovebirds after work, then.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

Henry, I need you along with the other constables

to station yourselves out here,

ready to apprehend the gunman should he escape.

Yes, sir.

Now, I have sealed off the back,

so you need only be mindful of the front and side entrances.

That's good thinking, sir.

It's an interesting bird, this Inca tern.

If he shoots, you will be able to hear it from outside,

so ready yourself along with the other constables

to apprehend the gunman.

Me-Me-Meow. Meow. Meow.

George?

Sir, I'm trying to perfect

the Inca tern's unusual cat-like call.

Oh!

All right, let's position ourselves inside and get ready.

Henry, don't let him escape.

The air was still, damp with mist.

I'm sorry. The air was still damp with mist.

Mr. Newsome had been out for more than an hour

and seen nothing but a crooked-beaked blue jay.

But something compelled him to push on, a calling, if you will.

Excuse me.

Nay, not a calling.

Something more powerful.

And so Mr. Newsome bravely forged on.

It was then he heard a faint, cat-like meow

coming from a tree.

Meow.

[ Light laughter ]

He approached the tree quietly, and he saw this!

[ Crowd gasps ]

The Inca tern!

The first ever observed in North America.

A momentous ornithological discovery,

calling into question all we thought we knew

about migratory patterns.

[ Applause ]

Nonsense! Nonsense!

What you are claiming, Mr. Newsome, is a lie.

It's impossible!

Mr. Faber, how can you argue against this photograph?

Clearly taken in Toronto.

I don't know, but it can't be real!

Well, I assure you, sir, it is.

[ Faber stammering ]

I want to hear from Mr. Newsome himself, not his mouthpiece.

[ Gunshot ]

- [ People screaming ] - MURDOCH: Stop!

[ Gunshot ]

Sir! Sir, I got him!

I stopped him, just like you said.

He's dead.

We needed him alive, Henry.

I'm sorry, sir.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

The same caliber as the bullets

taken from the other two witnesses.

Leaving little doubt their killer is the same man.

And even less doubt that he's working for Rex Gray.

Yet we can't establish a definitive link.

Sir, without witnesses to testify,

is he just going to walk free?

Unfortunately, I see no choice

but to telephone Crown Prosecutor Daniels

and tell him that the charade is over.

I solved the case! I solved the case!

To which case are you referring, Mr. Faber?

FABER: This is Roger's grand discovery.

A dead Inca tern.

I told you he was lying.

How can you be sure this is the bird

that Mr. Newsome photographed?

Because I got it from his house.

Ruth Newsome gave you this?

No.

MURDOCH: You broke in, then?

No, I-I-I-I would never do such thing.

I-I found an open window.

So it's a stuffed bird.

Why are you so intent on ruining the reputation of a dead man?

Because I knew that the Inca tern

couldn't possibly be in Toronto,

yet everyone chose to believe Roger instead.

How can you be sure?

Because the Inca tern is native to South America

and restricted by the Humboldt Current.

Making its way to Canada would be an impossibility.

[ Laughs ] The fool.

If he knew anything about birds,

he would have at least chosen one

that could conceivably make it here.

[ Chuckles ]

So you believe Mr. Newsome had the bird shipped

from South America so he could discover it in Canada.

Yes, and it likely died en route.

Making him a bird killer, too.

So he then stuffed the bird, placed it up a tree,

and discovered it anyway.

Yes, yes! Exactly!

For him to place the bird in the tree, he would have to climb it.

I had a bird's-eye view.

Bird's-eye...

view.

"Bird's-eye view."

- Sir? - Mr. Newsome's dying words.

At first I wasn't sure what he meant,

but he may have been trying to tell us

that he saw something more

from atop the tree where he placed this bird.

CRABTREE: Sir, he did at one point hint to me

that he knew something more about the case.

I thought he was trying to weasel his way

out of testifying.

- We have to find that tree. - How will we do that?

Bring along Mr. Newsome's photographs.

Yes, yes, let's do that.

And you, Mr. Faber, will be staying here

and being booked for breaking in and stealing Mr. Newsome's bird.

But... But I solved the case.

Give me that bird.

MURDOCH: So, Mr. Newsome saw the bird

and photographed it early in the morning?

That's right, sir.

The air was still damp with mist.

So...

The sun would have been coming from that direction,

which means that could be our tree.

Sir, I'm surprised Newsome would climb a tree in the first place.

He seemed so particular about his trousers.

MURDOCH: Hmm.

What I don't understand is if Mr. Newsome did see something,

why not simply tell us instead of risking his life to testify?

Yes, but, sir, this is a man who at the puzzle club

had us all believing that he was a killer

just so we would also think

he was the first one to solve the puzzle.

MURDOCH: A prideful man, I suppose.

Hmm.

Could this feather be from our bird?

Sir, that white tip, that's as unmistakable

as the Inca tern's red beak and white mustache.

MURDOCH: Ah, yes.

Yes, this is it, George.

This is where Mr. Newsome planted his bird...

...in the tree...

...before leading his fellow bird watchers back here

to witness him making his false discovery.

Having no idea they would be about to see Rex Gray

murder his business partner in the distance.

At which time they immediately fled,

leaving his precious bird behind.

Newsome perhaps retrieved it later that day, sir,

when the police were gone.

And when he did, he would have had the same vantage point

of the murder scene that I do now.

Would have been roughly the same time of day.

George, I believe we may have what we need

to convict Mr. Gray.

Without any witness testimony or evidence to speak of,

I see no choice but to release Mr. Gray.

[ Chuckles ] Thank you, Your Honor.

I am not happy about this.

[ Knock on door, door opens ]

Mr. Daniels, your office said we might find you here.

Detective Murdoch.

Did you come to see off Mr. Gray

now that he's about to be released?

Quite the opposite, actually.

The murder weapon, found near the scene of the crime,

complete with Mr. Gray's fingermarks on it.

And the bullets matched the one found in his partner.

Your Honor, I do believe we should proceed with the trial.

JUDGE: See you bright and early, Mr. Gray.

Why the bird?

I was going to try to explain how we came to find the gun.

This bird had a hand in it,

but it's perhaps too long a story now.

Then save it for the stand, Constable.

You want me to testify?

Why, yes. And bring your bird.

You can thank Mr. Newsome for this, Mr. Gray.

That's Roger Newsome, of the Mimico Newsomes.

I've had my share of run-ins with Mr. Newsome

over the recent years, and I have to say,

only now in death have I grown to admire the man,

for with his dying words,

he helped the constabulary catch a killer.

And so, now, I hope that Mr. Newsome

is looking down on us with pride

from his newly found bird's-eye view.

And now, for some closing remarks,

I would like to call on Detective William Murdoch.

Go ahead, William.

I hardly knew the man.

You spent the whole weekend with him.

Th...

I... [ Clears throat ]

I recently had occasion to dine with Mr. Newsome.

And I can say that his table manners were exemplary.

Bravo, Detective! Bravo!

I truly am sorry

we weren't able to bring Roger back for you, Miss Newsome.

Oh? And just how sorry are you, Henry?

Miss Cherry, I didn't even see you back here.

CHERRY: A good reporter knows how to go unnoticed.

I suppose I owe you a story.

I have the time if you have the inclination.

All right, then.

[ Birds chirping ]

I told you this would be fun.

This is a hobby for people

with entirely too much time on their hands.

Not a city coroner or a police detective.

DR. OGDEN: One must strike a balance

between work and leisure, William.

MURDOCH: It's a bit too leisurely.

DR. OGDEN: Now, if only we could find a bird to watch.

MURDOCH: Birds are everywhere.

You see them walking to your grocer.

I don't understand traveling all this way

to see something that's all around.

Yes, but here we can observe them in their natural habitat.

But why?

Birds behave the same here as they do in the city.

They will fly. They'll perch, sing.

Surely you can appreciate the tranquility

of the setting at least.

Yes, well, it is quiet.

And secluded.

William.

Someone might see us.

[ Gasps ] Look, William!

It's a North American goldfinch!

Or is it merely a yellow warbler?

Regardless, it's magnificent.

Oh, what a thrill.

William?