Original subtitles

[ Mid-tempo music plays ]

DR. OGDEN: Kreotoxismus.

REBECCA: Meat poisoning.

DR. OGDEN: Two types of brain contusions.

REBECCA: Circumcised and diffused.

DR. OGDEN: Ptomaines.

REBECCA: You're off the subject.

DR. OGDEN: Answer the question!

They are chemical salts formed during putrefaction.

Last one. Hypospadias.

Malformation of the penis.

[ Laughs] That's very good, Miss James.

This really is the most tremendous exercise.

And it's so much easier to go through the city.

And unlike bicycling, one can go hands-free.

- Oh! - [ Laughter ]

REBECCA: Hey! Watch where you're going!

WOMAN: Are you two all right?

Dr. Ogden.

Nina Bloom.

Of course. Nina.

This is my associate, Miss Rebecca James.

And this is my friend Miss Lydia Hall.

Charmed. Those girls have some nerve.

They nearly knocked us over, too.

You should watch where you're going!

[ Woman laughs ]

May we skate with you?

Yes. Of course.

It's great for the legs.

And what's good for the legs is good for business.

REBECCA: And what is it you do?

We're dancers. Performers.

Really? I should come see you sometime.

Well, I'm... I'm not sure it would be your cup of tea,

but, um, if you have a gentleman friend...

WOMAN: Help!

Over here!

I think we may be needed.

Excuse me, sir.

[ Crowd murmuring ]

What happened to her?

Her neck has been broken.

It's been a terrible day.

- It's been an unfortunate one. - CRABTREE: Excuse me, ladies.

Uh, you there. Stop. Please.

Uh...

Miss Bloom. I didn't realize it was you.

Well, she does look different with her clothes on.

Are you well?

Yes.

Um...

Uh, William, Miss Bloom and her friend

arrived about the same time as we did.

She could probably leave.

Right. Uh, thank you, ladies.

[ Bird cawing ]

Miss James.

Her name was Lea Palmer.

Julia, is there anything

that requires our immediate attention?

It appears to be a tragic accident,

which is why I do wish you would change hobbies.

Well, I'll give it up the moment you give up your bicycle.

This gentlemen says he saw something.

I'll let you know if the postmortem reveals

anything else.

Hello. Sir?

Your name, sir?

Edwin Thornburg. Man about town.

I understand you saw something.

I see a lot of things, especially after dark.

You can't imagine some of them.

Specific to the fate of this woman, please.

Uh, I saw her skating, down here by herself.

That's all I see down here these days.

Foolishness.

Uh, and then?

Well, I turned away, heard a scream,

and she was gone as far as I could tell.

Did you not go look for her to see if she was all right?

I thought she'd just skated away.

Ah.

Anything else?

I saw another skater down there.

- Male or female? - Couldn't tell.

Didn't see them so much as I heard someone skating away.

So someone else was with her.

Well, I never saw them together.

Right. Thank you.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

Sir.

Ah. Find anything, George?

I'll say. Have a look at this.

A roller-skating competition.

Anything pertaining to this case, George?

Uh, no, sir.

However, I'll wager Miss Cherry would love to see this.

Yes. That's Mother.

What happened?

She appears to have fallen and broken her neck.

Roller skating.

That's impossible.

She was a very experienced skater.

She was known for her dance skating.

Few were better in the world.

She didn't fall.

Miss Palmer, a witness claims he may have seen someone

with your mother.

Is it possible someone pushed her?

Well, that's it. She was killed.

Why does she keep going on about Mother being a terrible skater?

Well, usually when someone is approached by an assailant,

there are indications on the body that they fought back.

In this case, there were none.

Well, perhaps she was taken by surprise.

Do you know of anyone who may have wished your mother harm?

No. She was a very quiet woman. Well liked.

No one she would have known

would've wanted to cause her any harm.

No one?

[ Door opens ]

I don't know. You'll have to ask my father.

- That is if you can find him. - You're estranged.

No. I adore him. But he's a drunkard.

Oh, my God. Sophie.

I just heard. What happened?

These people think that Mother fell and broke her neck.

But that's not the case. She was murdered.

Let us get out of this awful place.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

So that's the fiancé.

She does not like him.

Oh, you noticed.

A roller-skating race.

Not just any race.

The Buffalo Queens are going to be there.

That hardly changes things, George.

But I have a previous engagement,

and I was hoping you would accompany me.

Oh?

It's a lecture on entrepreneurship

about how the books written by Horatio Alger

need not be seen as a myth.

From all reports, it's incredibly inspiring.

Yes. It sounds it.

And it would be of great benefit to a man like yourself,

a man who needs to learn to pull himself up by his bootstraps.

I suppose it would be informative.

So you'll come, then?

Yes. Of course.

That's wonderful, George. Thank you.

Also, I just remembered.

The roller skating actually takes place over two nights.

So does the lecture.

And we'll be attending both nights?

Of course.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

Admirable display of backbone there, buggerlugs.

Sir?

Not even man and wife,

and she's already wearing the trousers.

Did you see these?

Those are the ones that nearly knocked us over.

Oh, yes. I believe they are.

Nothing but a bunch of big shots from Buffalo

skating around like they own the place.

- Oh. Well, they... - You know what I'm gonna do?

I'm gonna show them. I'm gonna enter that race.

Rebecca, revenge is never a good idea.

I don't care.

I'm gonna run them into the ground.

Well, they are professional, Rebecca.

Are you sure you're good enough?

Oh, I am good enough.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

Mr. Palmer. I'm Detective William...

I know who you are.

I'm terribly sorry for your loss.

You know who I'm sorry for?

Sophie.

Going through her life without her mother.

What happened?

Well, that's what I'm endeavoring to find out.

Then why are you wasting your time talking to me?

Is it possible someone who held a grudge against you

took it out on your wife?

My wife went roller skating, and she fell down.

Nothing more.

Your daughter Sophie said she was much too fine a skater

for that to have occurred.

She was no longer a young woman, Detective.

She could have easily stumbled and fell.

It is a risky business, this skating.

Hmm.

You and your family recently moved here from Buffalo?

Yes.

I understand you left behind several creditors.

I'm endeavoring to repay them.

And you've picked up a few here since you've arrived.

[ Glass thuds ]

No one killed my wife to get back at me, sir.

Were you home yesterday evening when your wife set out?

I was.

- You know where she was going? - No.

She said there was some kind of skating exhibition

down by Cherry Street.

Maybe she was on her way there.

[ Mid-tempo music plays ]

[ Women shouting indistinctly ]

Rolling around with wheels on your feet.

Bloody ridiculous.

MURDOCH: A passing fad, I'm sure.

Nothing but a menace to the roads if you ask me.

- Worse than the automobile. - Or the bicycle.

- Don't be smart, Murdoch. - Couldn't help it.

WOMAN: Looking good! Yes!

Keep that form!

Toronto's finest, no doubt.

I beg your pardon.

I hope you're accustomed to losing.

Oh. But of course you would be.

You are Canadian, after all.

[ Laughter]

Don't let her bother you, Rebecca.

Oh, are you going to race too?

Oh. No. That would be silly.

You're far too frail to compete against real women.

- Rebecca. - Doctor.

You need to trounce these women.

[ Up-tempo music plays ]

I must say, Murdoch. Maybe I was wrong.

It's actually quite impressive

when you sit down and watch it in person.

Detective.

Oh. Miss Palmer.

Uh, Inspector Brackenreid, Miss Palmer.

Nice to meet you. This is my fiancé, Herschel.

Gentlemen.

What are you doing here?

Signing up for the race, of course.

You skate as well?

It's something that she's always loved.

Hard to keep her away from it,

even in difficult times such as these.

I have something that might be of interest to you.

I was going through my mother's things,

and I found something truly awful.

A letter?

From when we were still living in Buffalo.

Whoever wrote it said that they'd kill her

if she didn't leave town.

So you don't know who wrote it?

From the content, it seems to be one of her former students.

She was a teacher?

She taught skate dancing back in Buffalo.

And who were her students?

Some of them are right here.

The Buffalo Queens.

[ Music continues ]

[ Indistinct conversations ]

BRACKENREID: I must say, Murdoch.

I'm starting to see the appeal.

MURDOCH: Sir?

They're real competitors, these ladies.

They're not just beautiful women on wheels.

One of them may be a killer.

What about the daughter?

Back on skates before her mother's body is even cold.

She is of interest.

But one of these skaters may have threatened

our victim's life.

Whoever wrote this letter Is our prime suspect.

"We're in control.

You'll never be able to stop us."

What's that about?

That's what I intend to find out.

Ladies.

Mrs. Palmer was a hideous old shrew.

And yet you took skating lessons from her for years.

We all did.

She made us better, no matter how cruel

and controlling she was.

Did Mrs. Palmer ever compete?

She was a skate dancer.

She only taught agility and footwork.

She thought racing was grotesque, unladylike.

She disapproved.

Yeah. She was stuck in the 19th century.

She didn't like that we dressed the way we wanted,

that we did what we wanted.

And all of the skaters felt this way?

Well, Laura was always fond of her.

Why was that?

Because she was the weakest skater,

so naturally she was the teacher's pet.

She was just so desperate to make it on the tour.

And yet she is now on the tour.

That's only because Sophie left.

Sophie Palmer?

She was once a Buffalo Queen?

Of course.

And then, when she left, Laura took her spot.

Miss Howard, is it not true

that Sophie Palmer's departure allowed you to join the Queens?

Yes, but I would have become a Queen eventually,

Sophie Palmer or not.

But you forced Sophie Palmer to leave the team.

Sorry. What do you mean?

This letter was written to Mrs. Palmer

warning her to leave Buffalo and threatens her life.

Well, who would do such a thing?

Miss Howard, as you were the one with something to gain,

I am suggesting that you would do such a thing.

Me? Write this?

Well, I never wrote so many words in my life.

Miss Dalton...

Let me guess. You're already married.

- Pardon? - I'm sorry.

Please excuse my rudeness.

Uh, this letter would indicate...

How is a woman expected to marry

when every man that she encounters is spoken for?

Yes.

Uh, this threatening letter was found

amongst Mrs. Palmer's personal effects,

and I believe it was written by a Buffalo Queen.

Why are you talking to me? I never met Mrs. Palmer.

- She taught all of you. - Not me.

My mother could never afford the lessons.

I had no ill will towards Mrs. Palmer.

Ah.

Thank you, Miss Dalton.

Happily married?

Look, I'd think I did it too if I were you.

You probably heard about the time

I slapped Mrs. Palmer in the face for looking at me funny.

- MURDOCH: No. - Oh.

Well, one time I slapped Mrs. Palmer in the face

for looking at me funny.

You certainly aren't helping your case here, Miss Preston.

What do you want me to say... That I wrote the letter?

Fine. I wrote the letter.

You threatened to kill Mrs. Palmer?

Sure.

But I wouldn't be saying all of this if I'd killed her, right?

I don't know.

Why would you be bothered to utter empty threats?

Well, she said exactly the same thing to me.

She said she was going to kill you?

Surely did.

Sophie and I were always close,

so her mother decided that I was to blame

for ruining her life and morals.

Told me to leave town or she'd kill me.

Did anyone witness her uttering this threat?

Well, she didn't utter it. She wrote it.

A letter. Do you have it?

Sure. I carry it around with me everywhere I go.

Please answer my questions directly, Miss Preston,

and you can keep your sarcasm to yourself.

Or what? I'll get a spanking?

What did you mean when you wrote,

"You'll never be able to stop us"?

Mrs. Palmer always acted like she was in control

of everything...

Every one of us, every bit of our whole lives.

But she couldn't stop us from skating,

not even her own daughter.

But she did, by moving her family to Toronto.

Mm. For a while.

Until Sophie did what she had to do.

Did what she had to do?

Sophie might come across as innocent,

but she always gets what she wants.

If she wanted to skate, she'd stop at nothing.

Could someone really Kill their own mother

simply to be able to go roller skating?

BRACKENREID: Roller racing. Something she's good at.

What if someone stopped you from being a detective?

I wouldn't kill them, sir.

A few weeks of idleness sitting around with the missus

and you might change your tune.

Sirs, I've been informed.

Miss Palmer is back at the roller rink.

Thank you, George.

Do you need any help at the rink, sir?

Oh, I think the Inspector and I can handle it.

- Thanks. - Oh.

[ Sighs]

All right, Crabtree. Out with it. What's wrong?

Oh, nothing.

I'm just about to miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

That's all.

What? This roller racing?

Sir, it's not just roller racing.

It's the Buffalo Queens, the finest, fastest,

fittest group of women on wheels the world has ever seen.

Tickets are only 25 cents for two nights.

I've got mine.

Yes. Well, I'm otherwise spoken for.

I've told Miss Cherry

that I'll attend a lecture on Horatio Alger

and self-achievement in the new century.

Oh, that sounds interesting.

Sir, they're roller racing.

Women flying at high speeds, danger, thrills.

I'm sure I've never seen anything like it

and may never have the chance again.

Listen, Crabtree. I've met Miss Cherry.

In fact, Murdoch and I have had a word about it.

Sir?

We all know you've had your fair share of heartbreak,

some of it not entirely of your own making.

Women who have left you to follow their dreams,

careers, passions.

Women who have left you for other women.

Inspector.

But now you have the perfect woman

staring you in the face, ready to take the next step.

I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to say, sir.

If you let this one get away, Crabtree, you're a damn fool.

Right. Well, I'll attend the lecture, then, I suppose.

Of course you'll attend the bloody lecture.

You'll watch paint dry all night if she asks you to.

Keep her happy until you're married.

Then you can do whatever you like.

Isn't that right, Murdoch?

Well, Julia and I take a more egalitarian approach

to decision-making, but...

Miss Cherry does seem a fine choice, George.

Try not to fumble this one, buggerlugs.

[ Up-tempo music plays ]

She has wonderful technique.

It's just roller skating, Doctor.

You can either do it or you can't.

Isn't that...

Sophie Palmer. Our victim's daughter.

Not one for mourning.

She's incredibly fast.

REBECCA: I'm gonna be faster.

Julia. Miss James.

You two ladies playing truant?

Just watching the skating, Inspector.

[ Grunting ]

Hey!

BRACKENREID: That girl's got some guts.

Indeed.

It's true. Mother and I didn't exactly see eye to eye.

- What of it? - She wouldn't let you race.

And so I killed her?

That's mad.

MURDOCH: You re-entered the racing world

the very day you found out your mother was dead.

She didn't approve of me racing.

I don't need her approval anymore.

Where were you the night your mother was killed?

You really think I'm the one who did it.

You kept your true feelings about your mother

concealed from us.

And what was I meant to do, speak ill of the dead?

Proclaim to the world that she was awful and overbearing

and that I hated her?

And even if that's true, she was still my mother.

Maybe you should focus

on finding out who wrote that letter.

We did.

Then what are you doing speaking with me?

The Queens detested Mother. Now if you'll excuse me.

Where were you that night?

I was at home with my father.

He'll tell you the same.

Do you believe her?

Well, her father did say they were home together last night.

Still.

There's a hatred in her. You can feel it.

I say that we should...

[ Woman screaming ]

[ Crowd murmuring ]

SOPHIE: [ Sobs ] Help me!

- I'm could've died! Help! - Miss Palmer?

What's happened?

I was attacked!

By who?

Who do you think?! The Queens!

I told you they're out of their minds!

Why?!

Why?!

Why?!

Why?! [ Sobs ]

BRACKENREID: Was it a man or a woman?

Like I said, I couldn't see a thing.

They came in. They turned out the lights.

Everything was black.

Next thing I know, I could... I could feel someone near me.

And then I heard the most awful, horrible sound,

then the most awful, horrible pain.

And you believe it was one of the Queens.

Who else? They knew they couldn't beat me.

Now they don't have to worry.

The doctor says I'll never skate again.

[ Grunts ]

Would somebody help me?!

- McNabb. - McNabb.

Do you think the attacker and the killer

are one and the same?

Difficult to say with any certainty, sir.

But even if they aren't,

perhaps finding one will lead to the other.

How could you?

She'll never skate again!

I didn't do a thing.

- Liar! - [ Chuckles ]

Listen, old man.

If I did it, I'd be boasting about it all over town.

- Aah! - [ Grunts ]

[ Laughter]

The girl made short work of you there.

[ Groans ]

They're vicious.

You saw what they did to my Sophie.

How can you be sure it was them?

Who else would have done it?

That's what your daughter said,

but I'm afraid circumstance is not the same as evidence.

All she ever wanted was to skate.

And now that's been taken from her.

Forever.

Sir, shall we speak with the skaters?

WOMAN: One more lap! Good! Let's go!

Sir.

Ladies? A word?

BRACKENREID: Hold it, Murdoch.

Sir, we need to establish where they all were

at the time of Miss Palmer's attack.

In a minute.

Watch.

Bloody good, aren't they?

Yes, and very fast.

They're more than just fast.

Be that as it may.

- Stop. - WOMAN: Come on, girls!

[ Laughter]

Don't stop for him.

BRACKENREID: [ Laughs]

[ Typewriter clicking ]

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

[ Door opens ]

[ Footsteps approaching ]

Constable, a bite to eat before our lecture?

Louise, I...

I... [ Coughing ]

I was about to come talk to you.

Are you all right, George?

I think it's just a common cold.

But it's... it's uncommon in that it's so bad.

It's... I have...

I have a really bad cold.

I see.

Well, you can't be attending the lecture.

I don't think I can.

I'm terribly disappointed. [ Sniffs ]

Head straight home.

And telephone me if it gets any worse.

I can pop right over.

You'll be at the lecture.

I'm not going without you, George.

If I went alone, some aspiring businessman

might think I'm there looking for a husband.

I'm sorry, Louise.

I didn't mean to ruin your night as well.

Miss Cherry, I couldn't help but overhear.

If you're without plans this evening,

you're welcome to join me at the roller races.

Uh...

Oh, George.

It appears the whole city is swept up in roller fever.

I'm afraid I should decline.

I'm not much good at sporting events.

I can never get past the "why" of it.

Who cares who's the fastest?

I suppose it's nice for them,

but what does it matter to anyone else?

I don't know.

I find it hard to turn away

from the pursuit of human excellence in any form,

no matter how trivial.

Hm. I never thought of it that way.

Well, no. Nor should you.

I mean, w-we can't all be fanatics.

I'll talk to you tomorrow, Louise.

Indeed.

And I just wanted to say I'm very much looking forward

to our dinner on Sunday.

Oh, as am I... And the detective.

We'll be glad to have you.

Goodbye, George. Rest up.

I like her.

She's strong, opinionated, kind.

She's certainly beautiful.

She's lovely, George.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

I know.

[ Exhales deeply ]

Well, depending who you ask, none of them could have done it.

And... any of them could have done it.

I don't understand, sir.

If they're all lying anyway,

why not at least get their stories straight?

They all travel together but competed against one another.

Friends and rivals.

Now, some of them have been trying to help

while some have been lying to make the others look guilty.

Right.

Perhaps, sir, the answer lies with the victim's loved ones.

Ah, yes.

Mrs. Palmer's husband and daughter provided alibis

that are impossible to prove one way or the other.

Just as suspicious as the Queens, then.

I suppose, sir, the skater with the most immediate motive

would be Sophie Palmer.

Well, yes. Her mother was controlling.

But I remain skeptical

that merely keeping her daughter from skating

could be motive for murder.

[ Up-tempo music plays ]

Good luck out there.

I don't need luck.

No, I suppose not. You'll lose all the same.

[ Laughter]

I've found something, Murdoch.

- About the killer? - About the Buffalo Queens.

Which one?

All of them.

They're a team, Murdoch.

They pretend to race against one another,

but they're always working together.

MURDOCH: Still, one of them has to win.

They take turns.

I got Jackson to pull newspapers from all the cities

where they've been on tour and put together the results.

They don't win every race. That would be too obvious.

But when they do win,

it's already settled which one of them will take the trophy.

This time it will be Mildred Preston.

Mark my words.

So they're cheating.

They work together to ensure they win

the bulk of the prize money and then divide it evenly.

It's not about the prize money. Don't you see?

They decide ahead of time who wins.

- They're placing bets. - Exactly.

And hitting blackjack every time.

Thank you, my good man.

- [ Gasps ] - Hiya, George.

George. [ Laughs ]

This is so funny.

This happens to me all the time.

I have a twin brother named George.

- He rarely mentions... - Oh, can it.

You're not very good at faking a cough.

I'm sorry, Louise.

It's just that I so badly didn't want to disappoint you that...

George, I don't care.

- You don't care? - No.

You did what you had to do to get what you wanted.

Next time, save yourself the trouble and just tell me.

MAN: Ladies and gentlemen...

So you're not upset that I lied?

How nave do you think I am?

Everyone lies.

So, who do we have money on?

Well, I just...

Come on. It's starting. We don't want to miss it.

MAN: ...get set, go!

WOMAN: Go, go, go, go! Let's go, ladies!

[ Crowd cheering ]

[ Chuckles ]

WOMAN: Coming around!

The letter.

The one written by Mildred Preston to Mrs. Palmer.

It said, "We're in control.

You'll never be able to stop us."

They were talking about gambling.

The victim knew what they were up to.

Yes, and they killed her to keep her from exposing them.

[ Up-tempo music plays ]

DR. OGDEN: William. Inspector.

[ Crowd shouting ]

- [ Grunts ] - Careful!

Aah!

WOMAN: Faster, Rebecca!

- MAN: Here we go! - WOMAN: Go, Rebecca!

Go on, Miss James. Well done.

All right, Miss James. All right.

[ Music continues ]

[ Grunts ]

[ Crowd groans ]

MAN: Miss James!

WOMAN: That's not fair!

I hope she's all right.

- [ Crowd cheering I. - BRACKENREID: You see?

Once they fix the race, they ensure they get the win.

It's always about the money, Murdoch.

MILDRED: Oh. Did you take a fall?

Are you all right?

- REBECCA: I'm okay. - Julia.

- You did that on purpose! - Hey!

All of you should be ashamed of yourselves.

Julia, that's it.

Did you see what they did to her?

- WOMAN: Throw her in jail. - WOMAN #2: Aw! Poor thing.

[ Laughter]

[ Mid-tempo music plays ]

MURDOCH: I'm aware that your races involve betting.

You are a clever man.

Who cares? Anyone can see that.

Please put that down.

[ Thud ]

I suspect that you all bet

on the eventual winner of the races...

In this case Mildred...

And then all work together to ensure that result.

Is that against the law, Detective?

No, but it does provide you with sufficient motivation

to have injured Sophie Palmer prior to the race.

We were all in the arena at the time that Sophie was attacked.

Even our bookie will tell you that.

Well, I hope so, for your sake.

My constable is speaking with him now.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

BRACKENREID: Miss James.

I want to throttle each one of them.

Composure, young lady.

I want satisfaction.

My ankle is well enough to skate tonight.

But not well enough to win.

If you want to win, we need to play them at their own game.

We?

Well, I am an Olympic- gold-medal-winning coach.

I might just be able to help, Miss James.

Very well. What do we need to do?

We need to assemble a team

that are willing to mix it up even more than the Queens.

- I can play dirty. - Good. Good.

But we need a team.

Do you know anyone else who can skate?

I just might.

Sir, I spoke to the bookie.

He says that the Queens were indeed with him

at the time Sophie Palmer was attacked.

That's if he can be trusted. He is a bookie, after all.

Although I hope he can be.

I've placed some hard-earned money with him.

A bookmaker's living

necessitates his trustworthiness, George.

I'm sure he'll be fine.

- Thank you. - One other thing of note, sir.

He said that Herschel Humphries, the fiancé,

placed the largest single bet of the day.

Oh?

More interestingly,

he bet on the field to beat Sophie Palmer.

He bet against his own fiancée,

who recently became unable to skate?

Almost as if he knew it was going to happen to her.

Lace 'em up, Doctor.

[ Knock on door ]

Come in.

Oh. [ Chuckles ]

Ah.

Duty calls, Miss Bloom.

Where would I find your friend?

[ Mid-tempo music plays ]

Gentlemen.

I'm afraid you'll have to finish your painting later.

Young lady, you're coming with me.

[ Men murmuring ]

[ Inhales deeply, clears throat ]

I apologize for your disappointment.

BRACKENREID: No, no, no, no.

We are going to pursue what I've invented...

A diamond formation that I used at the Olympics

called the diamond formation.

Diamond.

Your two wide players block from the wings,

while your back player zooms through.

That makes no sense!

This is a football formation. We are on roller skates.

BRACKENREID: It's the same principle.

We wouldn't be able to do it until the third cycle.

- The third cycle? - The third way around.

- There's no point in starting... - Miss James... Miss James...

SOPHIE: [ Clears throat]

It looks like you could use my help.

Unfortunately, I have to work this evening.

I was looking forward to a quiet night in with you.

Oh. Well, that's fine, William.

I may be meeting with some lady friends this evening anyhow.

Mm.

Well, I hope you have a wonderful time, then.

We will.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

Mr. Humphries.

What is it?

It's come to my attention

that you've placed a significant bet on the race.

And what of it?

And that you have effectively bet against your own fiancée,

Miss Sophie Palmer.

Congratulations, Detective.

- You admit to this? - I do.

Well, then that provides you with enough motivation

to have injured Miss Palmer prior to the race.

Do you as readily admit to that?

She deserved it.

Well, then you are under arrest, Mr. Humphries.

Would you care to explain yourself?

She's not my fiancée anymore.

She's broken off the engagement?

Apparently her mother

was the only reason we were together in the first place.

Sophie and her father both hate me.

Do they?

The moment her mother was dead,

Sophie dropped me like a sack of coal.

If I didn't know any better, I would think Sophie herself

killed her mother just to get out of the engagement.

If you didn't know any better?

I was with Sophie the night her mother was murdered.

It couldn't have been her.

You were with Sophie that night?

Mr. Palmer, you and your daughter

both told me that you were together

the night of your wife's death.

But I've since learned otherwise from Mr. Humphries.

In fact, he told me he and Sophie were together that night.

Your daughter covered for you.

[ Exhales deeply ]

It wasn't supposed to happen this way.

How so?

Lea and I were out skating the boardwalk.

As usual, she began planning out her daughter's life.

I had to stand up for Sophie and myself.

What happened?

We began arguing.

I wanted her to let Sophie pursue her passion again.

The roller racing?

But most of all,

I wanted her to stop being so domineering with the both of us.

She was forcing Sophie to marry Herschel.

She didn't want to.

So you pushed your wife off the boardwalk

to free your daughter.

We began to struggle.

...pushed her,

but I didn't think she would fall and die.

Did Sophie have a hand in it as well?

No. Absolutely not.

I told her the next day what happened,

after you'd already spoken with her.

She insisted on providing my alibi.

I was prepared to turn myself in.

I still am so long as Herschel gets his due

for crippling Sophie.

He will.

Mr. Palmer, you are under arrest for the murder of Lea Palmer.

May I watch one last race, Detective?

Julia?

BRACKENREID: Right, ladies. Remember.

Don't let them get under your skin,

but don't hesitate to get under theirs.

And remember to get out early and block the Queens

before they can block you.

And, ladies,

if you bet a chance to knock one of them off the track,

that will really throw the cat amongst the pigeons

and bollix their plan up.

Cat amongst...

I'll relish it, Inspector.

Are you sure this is going to work?

If everyone does their job, it will.

- Good luck, ladies. - Good luck, ladies.

[ Mid-tempo music plays ]

One more thing, ladies.

One... two... three!

[ Cheers and applause ]

MAN: Ladies and gentlemen, attention, please!

Get ready for the main race!

All betting is closed!

On your mark.

Get set!

Go!

[ Crowd cheering ]

Watch it!

[ Crowd shouting, cheering ]

[ Music continues ]

Oh!

[ Crowd groans ]

Let go of me!

Get your hands off of me!

Follow the leader! [ Laughs]

WOMAN: That's it!

Oh!

[ Crowd shouting ]

WOMAN: Coming up behind you!

[ Grunts ]

[ Music continues ]

You ready?

Yes. Rebecca.

This is it! Last lap!

[ Crowd cheering ]

Yes! [ Laughs ]

[ Cheers and applause ]

Yes! [ Laughs ]

[ Cheers and applause ]

We did it!

- Huh? - [ Laughs ]

Julia, you did it!

[ Laughs ]

You did it!

[ Laughter]

MAN: Hyah!

Well, I was left with little choice

but to appeal directly to the city for the necessary funding.

You did so in person?

Face to face is the only way of convincing

these dastardly bureaucrats to give you anything.

[ Chuckles ] Oh, Julia, you do make me laugh.

MURDOCH: They're not all bureaucrats, Julia.

Philip Nemeth, for instance, Is quite considerate.

Certainly not dastardly.

Oh, shush, William. You're ruining my story.

- Thank you, sir. - Ah, ah!

No "sirs" here, George.

It's "William" when you and Louise are our guests.

LOUISE: Please do continue your story, Julia.

Did you manage to secure your funding?

I certainly did.

And to this day, my morgue boasts

one of the finest collections of postmortem texts

in all of Canada.

Yes.

I should love to see your morgue one day, Julia.

Although I lent the previous coroner one of my finer texts,

and I never saw it again!

I do love that you've chosen to live in a hotel.

How romantic.

Well, we did consider building.

Oh. What prevented you?

- Well... - Well...

We found several corpses on the property.

- Three of them. - [ Laughs]

Uh, sir?

Ah. George, that is a tea bag.

A tea bag?

A recent invention of a New York City merchant.

He originally intended for the tea to be removed

and brewed traditionally,

but I have discovered that it is far more efficient

to steep the tea inside the perforated bag.

[ Chuckles ]

A tea bag. Now I've seen everything.

[ Chuckles ]

You're so knowledgeable, Detective.

Oh, I assure you I'm not.

I understand you also know a great deal about batteries.

Mm. The detective is a veritable expert on the matter.

Well, then I shall love to hear what he has to say.

Battery stories.

Mostly positive, actually.

[ Laughs ]

CRABTREE: Look at those stars.

What a wonderful night.

Wonderful indeed.

Certainly more illuminating than those awful bores.

Bores?

The Murdochs.

The Murdochs?

They spent all night prattling on

about medical textbooks, tea sacks, and batteries.

And to live in a hotel.

What a sad little existence.

[ Engine starts ]

I thought you quite enjoyed yourself.

Good heavens, no.

Promise me that however old we grow together,

we will never become like them.

I promise.

But he is your boss.

We did our duty.

I look forward to introducing you

to more appropriate friends, George.

[ Mid-tempo music plays ]

I suppose we can now find out who truly is the better skater.

Are you sure your ankle is healed sufficiently, Rebecca?

You think you can win without my help?

I do believe that this trophy shall remain mine.

Only one way to find out.

[ Music continues ]

Ready.

Set.

- Go! - Go!