Murdoch Mysteries (2004) s19e08 Episode Script

1
It's a high-profile case.
Crimes against the wealthy
often degrade the courtroom
with public spectacle.
It's essential that we convict
the suspect expediently.
I will apply the full measure
of my abilities toward that goal.
You're familiar with the circumstances
of Marco Seraphim's murder?
Of course. It's in all the papers.
It occurred during some
sort of fashion parade?
Yes. An event to promote
Angelic Raiments' new line.
According to Valeria Seraphim,
all the top fashion buyers were there.
(APPLAUSE)
(LILIBETH): Angelic
Raiments' exquisite new line
is available in many shades and sizes.
(ROMAN): Angelic Raiments has become
Canada's most successful
clothing company,
thanks to our father's
creation, the Sewmatron.
Gone are the days when you had
to wait for a custom fitting.
Father believes that fashion
should be ready-to-wear,
right off the rack at
your local mercantile.
(APPLAUSE)
Where is he?
- No idea.
- I'll find him.
Just stand here and keep smiling.
Thank you for coming. Lovely to see you.
(BURKE): And that's when
the victim's daughter
caught the accused standing
over her father's body
with the murder weapon in her hand.
The accused is his housekeeper?
It is hard to find good help these days.
Allow me to introduce the city's newest
Deputy Crown Attorney, Roy Davenport.
Deputy Crown Attorney?
I thought I was next in
line for that position.
You were in line, just not first.
Mr. Davenport is quite the prodigy.
Roy, this is Effie Newsome.
Assistant Crown Attorney Effie Newsome.
Charmed, I'm sure.
Mr. Davenport will be
prosecuting the case.
- Oh. I assumed that I
- Well, the accused, Joan Lewis,
could not afford a defence lawyer.
You have been assigned to
provide her that service.
Your task is to guide Mrs. Lewis
through the process of
gracious capitulation.
My job is to lose.
Well, your client was
literally caught red-handed.
Yes. Mrs. Lewis had clear motive.
She had been fired for
stealing earlier that day.
But, by pleading guilty,
Mrs. Lewis may be spared
the death sentence.
We've spoken to her about this.
You just need to offer your reassurance.
Don't worry.
It shouldn't be terribly difficult.
(SOFT INTRIGUING MUSIC)
(HORSE NEIGHING)
Joan Lewis,
it is charged that on the
tenth day of this month,
in the city of Toronto, you
willfully and with malice aforethought
did murder Marco Seraphim.
Please rise.
How do you plead?
It's all right. Just do as we discussed.
I'm innocent.
- (CROWD GASPING)
- I didn't kill anyone!
(TENSE MUSIC)
(THEME MUSIC)
- Anything of interest?
- Uh,
just the usual litany
of scandal and disaster.
But there is this.
"Joan Lewis pleads not guilty."
- Interesting.
- Why's that?
Look who's defending her, Effie Newsome.
Miss Newsome. Doesn't
she work for the Crown?
It's not an unusual practice.
If a defendant cannot afford a lawyer,
the court appoints one.
From the office that's prosecuting her?
- Is-is that fair?
- I never said it was fair.
I said it was usual. They
are not the same thing.
Detective!
Welcome home! How was England?
- Wet.
- I should have been more specific.
- How was your family?
- Oh. Wonderful, wonderful.
Both Julia and Susanna
are doing so well.
- Oh, good to know.
- What's been happening here?
As the Detective says,
the usual litany of
scandal and disaster.
And it appears that Effie
Newsome has a trick up her sleeve.
(SOFT TENSE MUSIC)
(BELL CHIMING)
Apologies, Mr. Burke. I
had no reason to believe
my client would change her plea.
You didn't counsel her to do so?
What are you suggesting?
Simply that this was
attempt as brinkmanship,
- driven by jealousy.
- Jealousy?
- Over ?
- The fact I got a job you wanted.
I resent this accusation.
Resent all you want.
I saw what happened.
Enough. Stop bickering, you two.
Miss Newsome, persuade your
client to change her plea.
Respectfully, sir,
perhaps Miss Newsome
isn't up to the task.
I know very well what my task is.
It's to work in my
client's best interests.
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
(KNOCKING)
(DISTANT DOG BARKING)
Mr. Charles Vadney?
Yes?
I'm Miss Violet Hart.
- I run the Starbright Club.
- Huh.
I know who you are.
- Hm.
- What can I do for you?
It's more about what I can do for you.
I run a local group of business owners
and we were very sorry
to hear about the fire
that destroyed your stationery shop.
Do you intend to rebuild?
- Why?
- We have a fund
that assists local businesses
in times of hardship.
We'd like to offer you a loan.
- Is that so?
- Mm-hmm.
Well, I would prefer
to decline that offer.
Oh, there's no interest on the loan.
There's no cost to you.(LAUGHING)
No cost?
I doubt that very much.
Good day, Miss Hart.
Are you-are you sure?
I told you I want nothing to do with you
or your so-called community group.
Good day!
(DOOR SLAMS)
I couldn't bring myself to lie.
Then why did you agree to plead guilty?
They told me it would
save me from the noose,
made it seem like
there was no other way.
But I'd rather tell the
truth and take my chances.
Well, your chances are slim.
The case against you is damning.
You had motive for killing Mr. Seraphim.
You were fired earlier that day.
I was snooping, I admit.
But I wasn't stealing.
Mr. Seraphim caught me in his office
and fired me right there.
And then several hours later,
you were found standing
over his dead body.
I found him lying on the floor.
Those scissors were jammed in
his chest. I pulled them out.
Why?
I thought
I don't know what I
thought. I could save him?
But his arms were stiff,
his eyes were clouded over,
and his face was ghostly white.
And then Miss Valeria walked in.
What were you doing in his office?
I came to beg for my job back.
Miss, I know that people like me
don't win against people
like the Seraphims,
but I want to try.
Will you help me?
Please.
Station Three post-mortem
is rather light on details.
Time of death: "night."
It's as if they weren't even trying.
My client's guilt was
presumed from the start.
Your client was found
with the murder weapon.
She claims she pulled the scissors
from his chest in a state of panic.
There isn't much blood.
If there was a lapse of time
between death and the
extraction of the weapon,
there'd be coagulation.
How much time?
At least two hours.
Did your client note the
condition of the body?
She described cloudy eyes,
pale skin and the rigidity of his limbs.
Corneal clouding and rigor mortis
takes at least two to
three hours to develop.
Could Mrs. Lewis be
fabricating these details?
Possibly.
But I doubt she's well-versed
in the intricacies of
post-mortem analysis.
- Hmm.
- (TENSE MUSIC)
Both the coroner and the police reports
lack the stringency one would expect.
My client's guilt was
a foregone conclusion.
Because she was standing in
his office over his dead body
with the murder weapon in her hand.
Still, I feel as though Mrs.
Lewis is telling me the truth.
In my years of police
work, I've learned that
criminals can be cunning liars.
And although these
reports are substandard,
there is no evidence yet
that your client, Mrs.
Lewis, is anything but guilty.
And my intuition tells me that
things are not as they seem.
Perhaps this time we shouldn't let
our emotions cloud our judgement.
Detective
when a man trusts a hunch,
nobody accuses him of letting
emotion cloud his judgement.
Why is it any different when
a woman trusts her intuition?
Hunch and intuition are just
different words for the same thing.
You have a point.
But you don't have a case.
(INTRIGUING MUSIC)
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
I have evidence that
Marco Seraphim was dead
for at least two hours before
Joan Lewis discovered his body.
That makes sense.
Joan isn't capable of murder.
Or theft.
Can you pinpoint
Joan Lewis's whereabouts
in the hours before your
father's body was found?
Normally at that time,
she's tending the laundry.
I recall I told her she needn't bother,
considering how she'd
been so cruelly dismissed,
but she insisted.
That's odd.
Mrs. Lewis said she was packing
her belongings at that time.
She could have done both.
She's a very diligent worker.
Miss Newsome,
there is no way on earth
that Joan could have
murdered my father-in-law.
She wouldn't kill anyone.
Are there others who had
grievances against Mr. Seraphim?
Our family has been plagued by
various scandals over the years.
- What sorts of scandals?
- Private matters
which were exposed
for public consumption
by gloating vultures who profit off
the misfortunes of the upper class.
Who are these vultures?
I'll have you know that vultures
are extremely intelligent
and resilient birds.
I'm not sure calling you
a vulture was a compliment.
Life's all about perspective, Effie.
Yes, and what is your perspective
regarding the Seraphim family?
Living proof that money
can't buy you happiness.
They have so much money
and so many problems,
which anonymous tipsters have
eagerly disclosed to yours truly.
Care to elaborate?
I already have. In
numerous published exposés.
Let's see:
I've amassed a collection of
stories about the Seraphims,
starting with their
first-born son, David,
the boy on the logo.
Oh, with the wings and the halo?
- Adorable.
- And dead at six.
A tragic accident.
Seraphim made him the
face of the company.
Oh. Well, anything else?
Well, there was the near bankruptcy
before the company transitioned
from couture to ready-to-wear.
"Seraphim narrowly avoids receivership."
By the skin of his teeth he did.
Add in some financial malfeasance
and a sartorial plagiarism lawsuit
against Valeria
Seraphim's clothing line.
Sartorial plagiarism?
Valeria was sued for
the copying of the design
of the hobble skirt, a garment which,
true to its name, hindered the
ability of the wearer to walk.
This led to a subsequent spate of
trip-and-fall injury lawsuits.
Valeria's company went under
and her father
refused to bail her out.
Something's odd.
That sheath.
It's missing.
The scissors had been on display
on the wall in Seraphim's office?
The murder weapon wasn't just
an average pair of scissors.
It was presented as the
Sterling Fashion Award.
Solid silver and housed
in a jeweled sheath.
And yet this sheath wasn't in evidence
in any of the crime scene photographs.
Nor mentioned in the police report.
Wasn't it on Mrs. Lewis?
It has completely disappeared.
- And you have a theory.
- I do.
After stabbing Mr. Seraphim,
the real killer fled
the scene in a panic
not realizing they'd taken
the jeweled sheath with them.
Do you have any other suspects?
Numerous people had motive
against Marco Seraphim.
As did your client.
Joan Lewis is simply the scapegoat.
And this sheath didn't
simply vanish into thin air.
Mrs. Lewis's life is in my hands.
But I can't save her without your help.
Right. First let's
narrow it down to everyone
who had both motive and opportunity.
Yes. Top of mind would be
Mr. Seraphim's disgruntled
daughter, Valeria Seraphim.
Right. With numerous
lawsuits against her company,
she was forced into bankruptcy.
She was publicly humiliated
and apparently her wealthy father
refused to aid her in her
time of financial need.
And she was likely due an
inheritance upon his death.
Yes, the Seraphim children
were to divide his fortune.
I am due in court. Can I
leave this with you for now?
Yes, go and defend
your client, Mrs. Lewis,
and I will have a word
with Valeria Seraphim.
In conclusion,
I'll speak plainly:
the facts of this case are simple.
Joan Lewis killed Marco Seraphim
in an act of cold-blooded murder.
You must convict her.
(JUDGE TEWKSBURY): Miss
Newsome, your opening statement.
The rush to judgment
is a vulgar instinct,
common in indolent minds.
Gentlemen of the jury, I
sense no such vulgarity in you.
Joan Lewis is a woman with
no history of violence,
who has not a single enemy,
who has never broken a law.
We owe Joan Lewis our
stringent scrutiny of the facts.
It is, quite simply, a
matter of life and death.
Joan's life.
(SOFT MUSIC)
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
I'm glad you're casting
a wider net of suspects
for my father's murderer,
but what does it have to do
with that dreadful
sartorial plagiarism lawsuit?
This is the hobble skirt
design that was in dispute?
Yes. And it was of my own design,
but the judge ruled against me.
I take it there were also injury
lawsuits against your company?
Yes, quite a few.
Really, was it my fault that a few women
didn't know how to wear the garment?
One cannot stride in a hobble skirt.
(VALERIA SCOFFS)
What did your father think?
Oh, he insisted my boutique
shoulder the cost of the lawsuit.
He said he helped me begin my business,
and he wouldn't give me a penny more.
This must have angered you.
I was made a laughingstock.
My own fashion line,
something I dreamed of
and worked hard for, went bankrupt.
I take it Marco Seraphim
wasn't the ideal father figure.
Not to Roman and I.
He was infinitely fonder
of my late brother David.
But, of course, dead children demand
nothing of their parents, so
Um
What about yourself, Miss Seraphim?
Where were you in the hours leading up
to the discovery of your father's body?
Really? (SCOFFS)
My father was a selfish cad
who flaunted his wealth and
never gave a dime to charity,
but is that any reason to kill a man?
I-I suppose some people may think so.
But if you're here accusing
me of murdering him,
I most certainly did not.
Everyone here can tell you I was
nowhere near my father's study.
Valeria Seraphim's whereabouts
have been confirmed.
She was overseeing final preparations
for the evening's festivities
at the time in question.
That could be a lie.
It could also be the truth.
Valeria is just one of
a number of suspects.
(PHONE RINGING)
Effie Newsome's office.
(SIGHS)
Just so you're aware,
I'm certainly under
no obligation to tell you this.
- Louise?
- Yes. Hello.
As I was saying, I'm under no
obligation to tell you this,
but as a matter of
professional courtesy,
I thought I should.
- Tell me what?
- I received another anonymous tip
that could impact your case.
It'll be on the front page tomorrow.
But I'm offering you a
chance to look at it first.
(UPBEAT JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING)
- You're not listening to me.
- I don't owe you money.
Jack is rotting in the Don Jail
and I have children to
feed. I want my money!
Is there a problem here?
Just a misunderstanding.
I was busy and couldn't make
the withdrawal until today.
There you go, Mrs. Pritchett.
Twenty dollars. See, I keep my word.
You'd better. We have a deal.
(JAZZ MUSIC CONTINUES)
What was that about?
I promised Jack Pritchett
I'd look after his family
till he gets out of jail.
That means sacrificing a
bit of my pay, so be it.
That's very charitable of you.
Gotta support the community, right?
(CHEERING, APPLAUSE)
(INTRIGUING MUSIC)
Here's the handwritten schematic.
You see, it was drawn on stationery
from the Lancaster Tool and Dye company.
Which shut down in 1905.
Veritable walking calendar
you are, Detective.
This seems to indicate that
somebody other than Marco
Seraphim designed the Sewmatron.
Two years before Seraphim
registered the patent.
Look. Seems as though part of the page
has been torn away
and there are hints of handwriting.
- I think perhaps
- A signature?
Someone sought to remove it.
What else can you tell us
about this, Miss Cherry?
Apparently, it arrived two weeks ago,
but my dim-witted assistant failed
to give it to me until last night.
Appears to be a blueprint
for a stitching device.
Marco Seraphim built his
empire using this machine.
But this schematic is hand-drawn
and predates Mr. Seraphim's
patent by two years.
Patent theft is not within
the criminal court's purview.
How does this support your petition
- for a seven-day stay of trial?
- It doesn't.
Miss Newsome is grasping at straws,
wasting the court's precious time.
The court's precious time is best spent
in pursuit of the truth,
especially when the
outcome of these proceedings
could result in a woman's execution.
Any suggestion that this process
be rushed is frankly offensive.
I agree.
So, in answer to your earlier question,
if Marco Seraphim stole the
Sewmatron design, then
You're suggesting that his murder
was retaliation for this theft.
It's a longshot, but
not an impossible one.
I'll give you a day.
One day?
Your Honour, the
investigation of this crime
was clearly insufficient and
Don't push me, Miss Newsome.
(TENSE MUSIC)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
(PHONES RINGING)
Llewellyn, a moment?
Absolutely. What can I do for you?
There's a man, Jack Pritchett,
who's currently in custody.
- And?
- I was wondering if you could find out
why he's being held.
Of course.
Anything else you would care to share?
Not at this time.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Now, let me see here.
Yep. This was Lancaster
Tool & Dye stationery.
Did you draw this?
Nope, but I know who did.
Xander Bach.
- Xander Bach?
- Oh, that's definitely Xander's work.
The fellow was a hard worker.
He he kept that
factory spic and span,
but his mind was always elsewhere.
Inventing things.
The man who drew this
was your custodian?
Wasn't educated, but he
had some interesting ideas.
Kept saying that his ship
would come in some day.
It never did.
Do you know where Mr.
Bach lives currently?
He doesn't live.
Took his own life back
in, uh, what was it? 1907.
That's the year Marco Seraphim
patented the Sewmatron.
Xander used to talk about
that Seraphim fellow.
Said he was gonna sell
him one of his inventions.
Uh, do you know if Mr. Bach
has any surviving family?
I recall he had a daughter.
Doted on her.
Her name was
- You wanted to see me.
- Thank you, Lilibeth.
This is Detective William Murdoch.
Toronto Constabulary.
Do you know why we're here?
To talk about my father-in-law.
Not your father-in-law. Your father.
(GENTLE MUSIC)
I don't understand.
- My father?
- Yes.
Xander Bach.
The man whose life's work
was stolen by Marco Seraphim.
Your father committed suicide
right around the time
that Marco Seraphim,
your father-in-law, began manufacturing
with his newly patented
Sewmatron machine.
My father had no connection
to the Seraphim family.
Did you not know that
- Mr. Seraphim stole your father's design?
- No.
If I did,
I doubt I would have ever
married into his family.
Are you insinuating that I'm responsible
for my father-in-law's murder?
We're just asking questions.
I'm sorry, but
those are lovely earrings?
Where did you get them?
These?
They're from Digby and
Fontaine, near Yonge.
I'm sorry. Would you, uh,
write that down for me?
Dainty.
Very good, Miss Newsome.
We can now compare
Mrs. Seraphim's handwriting
to the envelope. Oh!
- What's the verdict?
- Uh
Note they both have non-ovoid O's.
And this matching
extended cross on the T's,
very distinct. It's a match.
Lilibeth was the anonymous
source of the information
- leaked about the Seraphims.
- She lied to us.
She knew her father's design
had been stolen by Seraphim.
Looks like we've got
ourselves a new prime suspect.
And I have an exclusive scoop.
I do, right?
Tit for tat.
Tit for tat!
(SCOFFS)
Jack Pritchett.
Convicted of arson in the fire
that destroyed Vadney Paper Goods.
What is it?
I met with the proprietor of that shop
as part of my work
with local businesses.
Mr. Vadney seemed oddly hostile
at our offer to assist in rebuilding.
In fact, he said he wanted
nothing to do with us at all.
Is there something else, Violet?
Saw my bar manager, Ephraim Currant,
give money to Mr. Pritchett's wife.
He said it was a loan
to help the family out.
And you don't believe him?
Ephraim is not the charitable type.
Do you think Ephraim could have
something to do with that fire?
I hope not, but it is possible.
Well, I could arrange a
meeting with Mr. Pritchett.
Thank you.
(TENSE MUSIC)
This will have a huge impact
on the case against Joan Lewis.
And the fact that Lilibeth Seraphim
has actively been trying
to sully the reputation
of Marco Seraphim is quite damning.
Especially in tandem with the
fact that her father's suicide
provides a very strong
motive for murder.
Detective Murdoch?
Yes. And you are?
Roman Seraphim.
Why are you questioning Lilibeth
regarding my father's murder?
And what is she doing here?
Are you in collusion with
Joan Lewis's attorney?
There is no collusion, Mr. Seraphim.
But Miss Newsome has uncovered
a considerable amount of evidence
that redirects our suspicions
away from Mrs. Lewis
- and onto your wife.
- That's impossible.
Why on earth would Lilibeth
want to kill my father?
Have a seat, Mr. Seraphim.
Did you know that
your father stole the original
design for the Sewmatron machine?
No.
What proof do you have of that?
We found an earlier blueprint.
Did you also know that
the person who made
the original design for
the Sewmatron machine
was your wife's father, Xander Bach?
He committed suicide not long after
your father stole from him.
My wife's father?
I don't believe you.
She confirmed it herself.
There's also strong evidence
that she is the one who has been leaking
sensitive information about
your family to the press.
- That's a lie!
- Sir, is there a problem?
Roberts, please escort Mr. Seraphim
to a seat out in the bullpen.
There is something I'd like to continue
to discuss with Miss Newsome.
Right this way, sir.
I'll see to it that you get
some tea so you can calm down.
I think we need more
evidence to convince him.
And a jury.
Perhaps it's time to take a closer look
for that missing scissor sheath.
Lilibeth Seraphim will be
out for the rest of the day.
We can have a look around her room.
If she really killed her father-in-law,
why would she keep any evidence?
Perhaps she still had it in her hand
when she ran out of the room,
forgot to place it back on the wall.
Seems sloppy.
Yes, well, I've known killers
who've used the murder weapon
to carve up their family's Sunday roast.
Oh!
(DRAWER RATTLING)
Locked.
Would you pass me one of those hatpins?
Thank you.
(INTRIGUING MUSIC)
(CLEARS THROAT)
Well
seems like I may be defending
an innocent woman after all.
Exhibit A is the weapon
used in his murder, correct?
Yes.
That lady there was
found with it in her hand.
Exhibit B is a photograph
which I ask the jurors to examine.
Study it carefully.
You spot the scissors?
They may not be immediately apparent.
They're covered in a jeweled,
sterling silver sheath
displayed on the wall
behind Marco Seraphim.
Now, Constable O'Malley,
it is your contention that
the accused removed the
scissors from the wall,
drove them into Marco Seraphim's chest
and was apprehended
immediately afterwards
still holding the weapon.
- That's right.
- So, where's the sheath?
She had to have removed it
when she took the
scissors from the wall.
(MURMURING)
I
We never located it.
Did you search for it?
Well, didn't need to.
We found the murderer
holding the murder weapon.
Is that so?
Well, then why was this
sheath found in the possessions
of Lilibeth and Roman Seraphim?
This is highly irregular!
The prosecution demands a recess.
(MURMURING)
I think that might be a very good idea.
(TENSE MUSIC)
(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
You've got your hands full this evening.
- Hm.
- Where's your bar manager?
That's what I would like to know.
Ephraim was supposed to
be here half an hour ago.
So, what are you ladies
celebrating this evening?
Oh, Effie's merciless thrashing of
an insufferably smug deputy attorney.
Oh, merciless thrashing, I see.
Well, I pity the man and
congratulate the woman.
Thank you, Violet.
I wasn't seeking to
humiliate Mr. Davenport.
I was just trying to
save an innocent woman.
Of course.
So, on the record, Miss Newsome,
do you anticipate your
client's full exoneration?
Given the preponderance of evidence,
I expect that tomorrow,
Joan Lewis will be acquitted
and Lilibeth Seraphim will be indicted.
Effie, you've got a telephone call.
(TENSE MUSIC)
I don't understand.
You'll likely be
released in the morning.
This evidence exonerates you.
No, it doesn't.
Miss Lilibeth didn't
kill Mr. Seraphim. I did.
And I'm ready to accept my fate.
Earlier you insisted on your innocence.
Why are you reversing your stance now?
Miss Lilibeth has
always been kind to me.
Can't bear to see her
punished for my crime.
Then tell me what really happened,
starting with the incident in Mr.
Seraphim's office earlier that day.
I was cleaning the office
and I saw an envelope full
of money, a lot of money.
Mr. Seraphim walked in and caught me
trying to hide it amongst
my cleaning supplies.
And then?
Then he fired me on the spot
and, well, I knew I deserved it.
But I was stewing all day,
worrying about how I was going
to keep a roof over my head.
I came back and I begged him for my job.
He said no.
I picked up the scissors
and I stabbed him.
And then Miss Valeria walked in.
- You said you picked up the scissors?
- That's right.
Weren't they displayed on the wall?
I took them down to dust them.
Oh. What happened to the sheath?
Sheath?
They were housed in a sheath.
Made of silver? Covered in jewels?
I must have dropped it.
It was found in Lilibeth's room.
I must have dropped it
in the laundry basket.
And somebody took it
to her room by mistake.
Joan,
I think you're hiding something.
You can think what you like.
Miss Lilibeth is innocent.
(SOFT TENSE MUSIC)
Mrs. Lewis was about to be released.
Why would she sacrifice herself
to protect Lilibeth Seraphim?
It's as though she values Mrs.
Seraphim's life more than her own.
She has remarked upon
Lilibeth's kindness toward her
and I sense Mrs. Lewis hasn't seen
- much of that in her life.
- Oh, still,
that is tenuous motivation
to volunteer oneself for the noose.
Are we sure these two don't
have a connection of some sort?
It's possible.
We need to speak with Lilibeth.
Let me, woman to woman.
I have nothing to say to you.
You all but accused me of murder.
The murder weapon was
found in your bedroom.
I didn't put it there.
Well, it's all water
under the bridge now.
Joan Lewis has confessed to the murder.
She pled innocent, did she not?
It appears she's had a change of heart.
She now admits to
killing Marco Seraphim.
You look troubled.
Just doesn't seem possible.
Joan Lewis is kind, she's gentle.
She's not capable of such a heinous act.
You don't know that.
She was a maid. She was
released from her job.
- She was desperate
- She wouldn't kill anyone.
How do you know that?
- She's a good woman, she's
- A murderer.
A woman who deserves to be hanged.
She does not.
She's trying to protect me.
She's my mother.
(SOFT TENSE MUSIC)
Lilibeth Seraphim admitted that
she is Joan Lewis's daughter.
They always knew that Marco Seraphim
had stolen the Sewmatron design,
so Lilibeth married
into the Seraphim family,
brought her mother
into the house as a maid
so that they could destroy
the Seraphims from the inside.
- Did Roman Seraphim have any idea?
- None at all.
Though I do think that Lilibeth
did fall in love with him.
But the mother and daughter
still wanted revenge.
- That's strong motive.
- The timelines don't add up.
Both Joan and Lilibeth have
alibis for the time of the murder.
Does Crown Counsel know this?
Yes, but all they want is a conviction.
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)
Jack Pritchett? You have a visitor.
- Who's she?
- This is Miss Violet Hart.
She'd like a few words with you.
I'll return in five minutes.
Heard a lot about you, Miss Hart.
- You have?
- Oh yeah.
When Ephraim's bringing the
hammer down, he tells folks,
"Miss Hart won't be happy
if she don't get her money."
Bad things happen when you ain't happy,
so they pay up.
I beg your pardon?
You don't gotta play innocent with me.
I admire your gumption.
But I didn't take the fall for
this out of love for Ephraim.
I did it to support my
family. We have a deal.
He promised to pay well and pay on time.
Ephraim burned the Vadney Paper shop.
After Vadney refused
to pay for protection.
Don't play dumb.
You know exactly what's going on.
And if Ephraim don't
make good on his promise,
I'll tell every cop in the
city that you're scamming folks
while claiming you're protecting them.
(TENSE MUSIC)
Gentlemen of the jury,
you see before you
an envelope containing
50 Canadian dollars.
Marco Seraphim was murdered
after he caught his servant,
Joan Lewis, trying to steal
this generous donation,
which he had intended
for Sister Bernadette
of the Sisters of Faith
Home for the Infirm.
My father was a selfish
cad who flaunted his wealth
and never gave a dime to charity,
but is that any reason to kill a man?
Thank you.
The prosecution rests.
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
(ENGINES RUMBLING)
Hello. Pardon me.
I'm looking for Sister Bernadette.
Yes. Hello. What can I do for you?
Oh, I'm Detective William Murdoch
of the Toronto Constabulary
and I was hoping to ask you some
questions about Marco Seraphim.
Yes. I heard of his death.
A shame.
I'm curious how long Mr. Seraphim
has been donating to your organization.
Donating.
I don't understand.
Oh. I was of the impression
that Mr. Seraphim had been
donating to your cause regularly.
Marco Seraphim didn't
donate any money to our home.
I had to twist his arm in order
to make him do what was right.
Which was?
Do you believe that Joan Lewis
could have committed this heinous act
against the man that employed
her for the past three years?
I find it hard to believe Mrs.
Lewis killed my father, but
yes, I do.
There's no other explanation.
Thank you.
The prosecution rests.
(JUDGE TEWKSBURY): Miss Newsome?
Mr. Seraphim,
on the day of your father's murder,
you made a telephone call.
Would you please tell the
jury who the recipient was?
I telephoned The Sisters of
Faith Home for the Infirm.
The very institution
for which your father's
envelope of money was intended.
The defence contends
that what you learned during
that phone call enraged you.
So much so that you erupted
into a fit of violence
- and murdered your father.
- Objection!
This accusation is
completely without merit
and should be retracted from the record.
Miss Newsome, can you
give me one good reason
why I shouldn't allow
the prosecution's request?
Of course.
If the court clerk could
open the doors, please.
(CROWD MURMURING)
Let the record show
that Sister Bernadette
of the Sisters of Faith Home for
the Infirm is entering the courtroom
- accompanied by David
- David.
David Seraphim,
Marco Seraphim's
allegedly deceased heir.
Roman, my brother?
Is it really you?
Order. Order. Order!
Return to the witness
stand, Mr. Seraphim.
Your reunion will have to wait
until after you finish testifying.
- The sooner we get to the truth
- When my father
accused Joan of stealing, I
spotted the address on the envelope.
I was suspicious.
My father was not a generous man.
I called the home.
I found out my brother
has been alive
all this time.
My father told us that David died
in that carriage accident.
Forgive me, David.
I didn't know.
Marco Seraphim hid his
son away from the world
and capitalized on his family's grief
by making David the face of the company.
Sister Bernadette had
to coerce my father
just to get enough money to
give David a comfortable life.
I'm so sorry.
I'm so sorry. I've missed you so much.
I thought you didn't want me anymore.
I thought you'd forgotten about me.
Not for a second.
I was coming to get you
as soon as this was over.
Is it over?
Can we go home?
Of course.
This ends now.
My father was a monster.
I killed him.
(ALL GASPING)
I regret nothing.
(SOFT TENSE MUSIC)
I owe you my deepest
apologies, Miss Newsome.
I should have trusted your instincts.
You single-handedly saved an
innocent woman from hanging.
Not quite single-handedly.
I had some help from Detective Murdoch,
but your apology is
appreciated and accepted.
Mr. Davenport, you have anything to add?
Only that I wish I was
assigned the defence
rather than the prosecution.
If you had been,
Mrs. Lewis would likely
have been convicted.
No, I would have seen that the
Grace is a virtue.
Indeed. Congratulations, Miss Newsome.
Now I suspect you'll
proceed to skewer me.
Mm. I won the case.
That's enough.
No, no. Go on. I
insist. Twist the knife.
Oh, I will.
When the time is right.
(SOFT PIANO MUSIC)
I don't understand your objections.
Jack Pritchett is being
well paid for his sacrifice.
You're taking advantage of the
very people we should be helping.
And you burned a local
business to the ground!
How is this helping the community?
Mr. Vadney refused to pay.
He was being disrespectful towards you.
Towards me?
These acts are yours alone, Ephraim.
- I had nothing to do with this.
- Wrong.
Ask any one of our clients.
You're the head of this whole operation.
- That's a lie.
- Eh.
It depends on how you frame it.
And you've been expertly
framed, Violet Hart.
Now that you've gone and
meddled with the Pritchetts,
you've dug your grave even deeper.
Watch yourself, Violet.
If I go down,
so will you.
(SCOFFS) And, by the way,
Daphne Pritchett is expecting
another payment this weekend.
You can deliver it yourself this time.
(TENSE MUSIC)
Your victory in this
case was hard-earned.
You must be quite pleased.
I admit, this case was
especially gratifying.
David Seraphim is finally home.
And realizing that much
of her family's wealth
was built on Xander Bach's
sewing machine design,
Valeria Seraphim is finally seeing to it
that Joan and Lilibeth reap the
financial rewards he was owed.
But instead of being
reunited with his brother,
Roman now has to go to jail for murder.
Perhaps he won't serve a long sentence.
Valeria did say he will have
the best defence attorney money can buy.
Oh, I'm not so sure the
best lawyer can be bought.
Oh?
Because she's currently serving
as the Assistant Crown Attorney.
Oh, you flatter me.
(CHUCKLING) Perhaps.
But just how did you know
that Lilibeth was Joan's daughter?
Call it women's intuition.
- Ah.
- And how did you realize
the importance of the
address on that envelope?
Call it a hunch.
(SOFT INTRIGUING MUSIC)
(THEME MUSIC)