Richard Dawkins has invited several businessmen from around the Toronto docks, where he himself runs a chandlery, to a meal at the Queen's Hotel. It seems that he has an important announcement to make, but just as he is about to speak, two men dressed in black with masks burst into the hotel dining room and beat him to death with cudgels in front of the dinner guests, who are too shocked to intervene. Inspector Slorach, the replacement for Inspector Brackenreid, arrives at the scene and Murdoch diplomatically helps him avoid creating a poor impression when he helps himself to a bread roll from the dinner table.
Margaret Hale, a leading light in the movement for women's suffrage, has visited Dr Julia Ogden to persuade her to join in, because she is a prominent figure in Toronto society. Dr Ogden points out that she may not be an asset to the movement, given that many folk are likely to think of her as notorious, rather than famous.
The widow, Mrs Dawkins, is rather unforthcoming when interviewed by Detective Murdoch, though she does suggest that her late husband had been intending to sell his chandlery business to Lionel Jefferies, one of the dinner guests. When Detective Murdoch visits Mr Jefferies, he, too, has little to say about why Mr Dawkins may have wanted to sell his chandlery.
When Murdoch calls on The harbour master, Mrs Cecily McKinnon, another of the dinner guests, she is much more talkative. She begins by commiserating with Murdoch about what happened to Inspector Brackenreid, giving Murdoch the chance to ask her if she knew what he had been investigating at the docks, but she thought it was only a spate of petty vandalism. Mrs McKinnon tells Murdoch that Dawkins was anything but a saint, and had been involved in prostitution at the docks, which might be a clue in solving his slaying. In response, Murdoch arranges for Constable Slugger Jackson to walk his beat in the docks, but he, too, is set upon and is badly beaten by two thugs. This seems to support Murdoch's hypothesis that the men who beat Inspector Brackenreid are the same ones who killed Dawkins. Inspector Slorach visits Constable Jackson in hospital, bearing as a get well gift a jar of Káposzta, but Slugger has clearly never seen anything like it before, and looks unlikely to eat it.
When a dead woman is found at the high tide mark, snagged in fishing nets, on the shore, Murdoch learns from Mrs McKinnon that Richard Dawkins had a reputation for being rough with some of his doxies. Mrs Dawkins is continuing with her late husband's business, and does not take kindly to Detective Murdoch suggesting that he had been involved with loose women.
Margaret Hale, Kathleen King, and Drs Ogden and Grace visit provincial parliamentarian Eldon Foster, asking that he will present their petition to the Premier, asking that women be given the vote in the forthcoming provincial election, but after considering the matter for the briefest moment, he tears the petition up. Disgusted by this treatment, the women contemplate staging a protest in front of the Legislature.
Dr. Grace determines that the woman snagged in the fishing nets was killed the night before Dawkins and had been manacled before she died.
How will all these strands be brought together? When will William and Julia tie the knot? What did Slugger do with the Káposzta?
Margaret Hale, a leading light in the movement for women's suffrage, has visited Dr Julia Ogden to persuade her to join in, because she is a prominent figure in Toronto society. Dr Ogden points out that she may not be an asset to the movement, given that many folk are likely to think of her as notorious, rather than famous.
The widow, Mrs Dawkins, is rather unforthcoming when interviewed by Detective Murdoch, though she does suggest that her late husband had been intending to sell his chandlery business to Lionel Jefferies, one of the dinner guests. When Detective Murdoch visits Mr Jefferies, he, too, has little to say about why Mr Dawkins may have wanted to sell his chandlery.
When Murdoch calls on The harbour master, Mrs Cecily McKinnon, another of the dinner guests, she is much more talkative. She begins by commiserating with Murdoch about what happened to Inspector Brackenreid, giving Murdoch the chance to ask her if she knew what he had been investigating at the docks, but she thought it was only a spate of petty vandalism. Mrs McKinnon tells Murdoch that Dawkins was anything but a saint, and had been involved in prostitution at the docks, which might be a clue in solving his slaying. In response, Murdoch arranges for Constable Slugger Jackson to walk his beat in the docks, but he, too, is set upon and is badly beaten by two thugs. This seems to support Murdoch's hypothesis that the men who beat Inspector Brackenreid are the same ones who killed Dawkins. Inspector Slorach visits Constable Jackson in hospital, bearing as a get well gift a jar of Káposzta, but Slugger has clearly never seen anything like it before, and looks unlikely to eat it.
When a dead woman is found at the high tide mark, snagged in fishing nets, on the shore, Murdoch learns from Mrs McKinnon that Richard Dawkins had a reputation for being rough with some of his doxies. Mrs Dawkins is continuing with her late husband's business, and does not take kindly to Detective Murdoch suggesting that he had been involved with loose women.
Margaret Hale, Kathleen King, and Drs Ogden and Grace visit provincial parliamentarian Eldon Foster, asking that he will present their petition to the Premier, asking that women be given the vote in the forthcoming provincial election, but after considering the matter for the briefest moment, he tears the petition up. Disgusted by this treatment, the women contemplate staging a protest in front of the Legislature.
Dr. Grace determines that the woman snagged in the fishing nets was killed the night before Dawkins and had been manacled before she died.
How will all these strands be brought together? When will William and Julia tie the knot? What did Slugger do with the Káposzta?
