Murdoch introduces himself to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who is visiting Toronto. Doyle is in a hurry to get to a séance, as he is developing an interest in Spiritualism. A medium called Sarah Pensell is leading, and she starts by trying to contact the deceased son of Conrad Hunt, who is there, in hope. Murdoch looks uncomfortable, skeptical about the whole affair. Instead of young James Hunt, Sarah says she has been contacted by a young woman, who says she was murdered and buried in a shallow grave. Doyle goes to investigate the place of burial, accompanied by Murdoch, who seems astonished that a man of science like Doyle would be taken in. Doyle says that as a man of science, he believes such claims should be tested scientifically, which is why he is there. They find a body, more or less where Sarah said.
Dr Ogden arrives at the scene, rather overdressed for pathology, having been at the theatre when called. She determines that the young woman, Ida Winston, has probably been killed in the past 24 hours, shot dead. There are two entry wounds, but just one exit wound.
Back at Sarah Pensell's premises, Murdoch looks around for any explanation of the effects he witnessed at the séance, but finds nothing. When he tells Sarah that the victim was Ida Winston, Sarah is shocked, as she knew Ida, a member of the Toronto Paranormal Society, well.
At the morgue, Dr Ogden has found one of the bullets which killed Ida. She, Murdoch and Doyle are all surprised when Crabtree arrives with news that Ida's husband Hubert is too distraught to come to identify the body and has sent a photograph instead. Doyle, who is shadowing Murdoch with Inspector Brackenreid's permission, visits Dr Hubert Winston who appears very uncooperative and resentful of his wife's involvement with the Toronto Paranormal Society. Murdoch and Doyle meet Frederick Waters, the head of the TPS, who is sad at Ida's death, but recalls her as one of the less convinced members of the TPS.
Doyle suggests holding a séance, either to glean more information from Ida about her killer, or to prove Sarah a fraud. Brackenreid likes the idea, but Murdoch has misgivings. At the séance, Sarah fails to contact Ida, but instead sees a vision of a woman in red in a park, and a silver horse, and says she has a message from Liza, for Murdoch. Liza is the name of Murdoch's fiancée, who died a year before. Murdoch is outraged, and starts looking again for what is causing the effects. He finds a cord, and follows it to a closet, in which he discovers a young man Lisgar Gall, hiding. Gall confesses to being Sarah's confederate, who investigates people who come to her séances, in order to provide her with information she can use during them. He found out about the body through eavesdropping at the TPS, during which he saw a man emerge carrying a heavy object wrapped in a carpet. He followed and later saw the man burying the object in a wood, and discovered that it was a body. Murdoch understands how Sarah operates, and says she should be ashamed of profiting from the grief of others. She retorts that she is no fraud, as he, of all people, should know.
Murdoch and Doyle visit the TPS headquarters, late that night, and discover the crime scene. Murdoch tries to identify the place the shooter was standing, and thus finds the missing bullet, lodged in a book. Later the two of them meet Conrad Hunt at the TPS, and tell him Ida was killed there. He is astonished.
Murdoch is troubled by the memories of Liza that Sarah has stirred, especially as he has a strong memory of Liza in a red dress in a park, and goes back to speak to her. In a private séance, Sarah channels Liza, who tells William the time has come for him to release her. As someone whose Christian convictions and scientific understanding do not permit him to accept the revelations about his dead fiancée at face value, Murdoch is so troubled that he makes an excuse to visit Dr Ogden, so that he can run things by her. She listens, and offers a few possible ways in which Sarah might have misdirected him.
Murdoch goes to question Gall again, to ask him if he has left anything out, and he confides that he overheard something that revealed Ida Winston had been having an affair with Frederick Waters. Waters admits it when quizzed by Murdoch. Murdoch calls in on Ida's widower, Hubert, who says he knew of the affair, but Ida had said it was over, and she was returning to him.
So, can Murdoch see through the tissue of lies to the truth about the killing of Ida Winston? Is Sarah a fraud, and if so, what can Murdoch do about her? Can Murdoch find a way to be at peace with his memories of Liza? And, tantalisingly, can Inspector Brackenreid inspire Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to resurrect his hero Sherlock Holmes in a new tale about the Hell Hound of the Highlands?
This episode features a good mystery, overlaid with sub plots about Conan Doyle feeling a prisoner of his own creation, Sherlock Holmes, about Murdoch's lost love, Liza, about the ways in which so-called clairvoyants ply their trade, and about the boundaries between the normal and the paranormal. All of these elements are deftly combined to tell a good story. And like some other episodes in the series, there is one unsolved mystery left at the end. I shan't reveal it here, but see if you guess before the end.
Dr Ogden arrives at the scene, rather overdressed for pathology, having been at the theatre when called. She determines that the young woman, Ida Winston, has probably been killed in the past 24 hours, shot dead. There are two entry wounds, but just one exit wound.
Back at Sarah Pensell's premises, Murdoch looks around for any explanation of the effects he witnessed at the séance, but finds nothing. When he tells Sarah that the victim was Ida Winston, Sarah is shocked, as she knew Ida, a member of the Toronto Paranormal Society, well.
At the morgue, Dr Ogden has found one of the bullets which killed Ida. She, Murdoch and Doyle are all surprised when Crabtree arrives with news that Ida's husband Hubert is too distraught to come to identify the body and has sent a photograph instead. Doyle, who is shadowing Murdoch with Inspector Brackenreid's permission, visits Dr Hubert Winston who appears very uncooperative and resentful of his wife's involvement with the Toronto Paranormal Society. Murdoch and Doyle meet Frederick Waters, the head of the TPS, who is sad at Ida's death, but recalls her as one of the less convinced members of the TPS.
Doyle suggests holding a séance, either to glean more information from Ida about her killer, or to prove Sarah a fraud. Brackenreid likes the idea, but Murdoch has misgivings. At the séance, Sarah fails to contact Ida, but instead sees a vision of a woman in red in a park, and a silver horse, and says she has a message from Liza, for Murdoch. Liza is the name of Murdoch's fiancée, who died a year before. Murdoch is outraged, and starts looking again for what is causing the effects. He finds a cord, and follows it to a closet, in which he discovers a young man Lisgar Gall, hiding. Gall confesses to being Sarah's confederate, who investigates people who come to her séances, in order to provide her with information she can use during them. He found out about the body through eavesdropping at the TPS, during which he saw a man emerge carrying a heavy object wrapped in a carpet. He followed and later saw the man burying the object in a wood, and discovered that it was a body. Murdoch understands how Sarah operates, and says she should be ashamed of profiting from the grief of others. She retorts that she is no fraud, as he, of all people, should know.
Murdoch and Doyle visit the TPS headquarters, late that night, and discover the crime scene. Murdoch tries to identify the place the shooter was standing, and thus finds the missing bullet, lodged in a book. Later the two of them meet Conrad Hunt at the TPS, and tell him Ida was killed there. He is astonished.
Murdoch is troubled by the memories of Liza that Sarah has stirred, especially as he has a strong memory of Liza in a red dress in a park, and goes back to speak to her. In a private séance, Sarah channels Liza, who tells William the time has come for him to release her. As someone whose Christian convictions and scientific understanding do not permit him to accept the revelations about his dead fiancée at face value, Murdoch is so troubled that he makes an excuse to visit Dr Ogden, so that he can run things by her. She listens, and offers a few possible ways in which Sarah might have misdirected him.
Murdoch goes to question Gall again, to ask him if he has left anything out, and he confides that he overheard something that revealed Ida Winston had been having an affair with Frederick Waters. Waters admits it when quizzed by Murdoch. Murdoch calls in on Ida's widower, Hubert, who says he knew of the affair, but Ida had said it was over, and she was returning to him.
So, can Murdoch see through the tissue of lies to the truth about the killing of Ida Winston? Is Sarah a fraud, and if so, what can Murdoch do about her? Can Murdoch find a way to be at peace with his memories of Liza? And, tantalisingly, can Inspector Brackenreid inspire Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to resurrect his hero Sherlock Holmes in a new tale about the Hell Hound of the Highlands?
This episode features a good mystery, overlaid with sub plots about Conan Doyle feeling a prisoner of his own creation, Sherlock Holmes, about Murdoch's lost love, Liza, about the ways in which so-called clairvoyants ply their trade, and about the boundaries between the normal and the paranormal. All of these elements are deftly combined to tell a good story. And like some other episodes in the series, there is one unsolved mystery left at the end. I shan't reveal it here, but see if you guess before the end.
