07x16 - Kung Fu Crabtree

[bunniefuu]

♪ (traditional Chinese music)

I thought we were supposed to bring our wives.

Well, I certainly didn't want to come.

I hear they eat ducks' feet. And eyeballs.

Mrs. Brackenreid, I've actually eaten Chinese food twice.

It's very good.

I thought we were supposed to bring our wives.

Where is the Detective?

He's on holiday.

William Murdoch takes holidays?

I think he wanted to get out of town, what with the business with Dr. Ogden.

Well, you know my opinion on that.

Ah, here we go.

He waited too long is what happened. A woman's passion fades over time.

That's where marriage takes you.

But you don't want it to start out that way.

Where's the knives and forks?

Oh, sir, I believe we're supposed to use these, chopsticks.

Chopsticks? What can you chop with these?

Attention, please.

Members of the Toronto Constabulary, I thank you for coming this evening.

My name is Chow Wei.

I am here at the request of the Empress Dowager to ask your help in arresting the leaders of a violent uprising. Some of whom may be hiding in your city.

What uprising?

I believe he's talking about the Boxer Rebellion.

About bloody time. They're murdering Christians.

What do you care?

You don't even attend church.

I know which team I'm on.

Hello. I am Sun Yang, a detective from the city of Hong Kong.

You have before you photographs of Boxers who participated in the slaughtering of innocents.

These men...

Mm.

Are to be brought back to China and punished for their crimes.

Mm, Thomas, you simply must try this.

It's fishy, but it's very good.

Sir. Inspector.

I think you're supposed to use them like this.

For goodness sakes, you two. You use them like this.

Huh.

(choking)

Thomas, help him!

Nobody touch him!

He's dead.

Xia.

Xia? What does that mean?

It means that Chow Wei has been m*rder*d.

What do you mean, he's been m*rder*d?

Was he poisoned?

Yes, with xia. Shrimp.

I didn't think shrimp was poisonous.

It was to him.

He had a condition.

(speaking Chinese)

(speaking Chinese)

Sir, we've seen something like this before.

Do you remember? A man who had a hypersensitivity to peanuts.

If he was that bloody sensitive, why didn't you take precautions?

We travelled with a taster who was to taste every dish, but he was...

(door opening)

... upstairs, apparently.

(speaking Chinese)

(speaking Chinese)

You are both a disgrace.

So, he didn't taste it.

What about the cooks? Were they not told to avoid shrimp?

Of course. Wherever we go, the cooks are instructed not to use shrimp paste in any of their cooking. This dish was thick with it.

Bloody hell.

Trust Murdoch to pick today to go on holiday.

Right, Crabtree, bring all the kitchen staff and the food down to the station.

Sir.

Nobody touches a thing!

Thank you.

(Julia): Who is it?

It's me.

Oh, William.

Were you followed?

No. I took an early train to Mimico, then disembarked and took a hansom cab to Sunnyside and a streetcar back into town.

And you?

I took the train to Rockwood, and immediately took the train back to Toronto.

We can't live like this.

We won't have to.

We'll find James Gillies and then this will all be over For good this time.

We can't underestimate him, William.

Do you have the note?

"If you marry him, he will die.

If you inform him of this letter, you will both die."

You may have condemned yourself, my lady.

I believe I've condemned both of us.

It's quite romantic, isn't it?

(chuckling)

There was no shrimp in my restaurant.

I removed every jar myself.

What was supposed to be in the dish?

Bean paste, of course.

From which jar?

Shrimp.

Huh?

Impossible! I used this yesterday. It was bean paste.

So, if we're to believe the cook, someone swapped the bean paste for shrimp paste.

Obviously. The question is who.

Well, who had access?

Any one of them at any time.

Marvellous.

(speaking Chinese)

Chin Lau.

Chin Lau?

Are you sure your name is not Wu Chang?

Ooh!

(grunting and shouting)

Burns! Worseley!

Evans! Get after him!

(constable): Come on, move!

(Constable): Move, move!

I received both of these on August 30th.

This was taken...

In the alley behind the Grand Theatre.

The night of the opera.

Yes.

I went back to the alley and determined where the photograph was taken, and that's when I found these.

"If you continue, you will both die." My God.

He knew I would follow his trail. He left them for me.

James Gillies always prides himself on being one step ahead.

Do you think he knows we're here?

I'm not taking any chances.

This is Desaree Deneuve's dress.

Who?

Dr. Grace. She helped us to trap Eva Pearce.

James Gillies was in the station house.

Ms. Deneuve, you are to let us know your whereabouts at all times and under no circumstances are you to leave the city.

The eyes of the constabulary are upon you, Mademoiselle.

(Murdoch): There was an elderly man by the front desk And a blonde woman.

I remember, because I was worried they might disrupt the operation.

Do you think one of them could have been James Gillies in disguise?

Sir, I've been all over the ward, all the places he's been known to frequent. If people have seen him, they're not talking.

Right. Go back to the restaurant and see what else you can dig up.

Sir.

Oh, and Crabtree, the next one comes out of your pay packet.

Hey, George.

Jackson.

Sir, this is for you.

Queen's Hotel. Hmm.

(chickens clucking)

Wu Chang?

My nightstick.

Ah-choo!

Huh?

No more monkey business.

You're not getting away from me this time.

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

As an officer of the law I insist that you...

(constant grunting and shouting)

(groaning)

Who were those men?

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!

I have a key. I have a key.

I did not k*ll Chow Wei.

Maybe not. If I let you go...

I won't run.

I won't let you take me in.

You wish to trap me.

I don't wish to trap you; I wish to help you.

I don't think you k*lled Chow Wei.

Why?

Because if you did, you wouldn't still be here.

Who in God's name were they?

I don't know.

They were trying to k*ll you.

Maybe they were trying to k*ll you.

Your arm.

That looks serious.

I will tend to it.

I know a doctor.

Who is it?

Inspector Brackenreid, Toronto Constabulary.

Bloody hell.

What brings you to Toronto, Mr. Wu?

I am looking for my sister, Ling.

Does she live here?

I do not know where she is.

That is why I went back to the restaurant tonight.

I found this on the bulletin board of my rooming house.

What does it say?

It is a communication asking me to meet Yu Da there.

Who's Yu Da?

He was my master. He is in Toronto, though I've yet to locate him.

I hoped he might know where to find Ling.

I suspect now this was a ruse.

I must say, you speak excellent English.

My father taught me.

(George): Your father?

He believed the future of China lay to the west.

I thought Boxers hated all things foreign.

They do. I am not a Boxer.

But...

Are you ready?

Oh, uh... sorry.

Constable.

Mr. Garland.

I've just finished. Give me a moment to wash up?

Emily, if you could not mention this to anybody...

Of course, George.

"If you marry him, he will die.

If you inform him of this letter, you will both die."

So that's why you turned down his proposal.

Yes.

You should have told me sooner.

Sir, Gillies could have microphones in the police station.

He could be listening to our telephone conversations.

We're only telling you now because we need to bring you into the investigation.

This photograph was taken on August 30th at about 3pm.

August 30th?

Eva Pearce.

Right, yes.

What, Gillies was in the station when all that was going on?

Possibly. I recall an elderly man and a blonde woman speaking with Constable Hodge.

Gillies and his disguises.

Not to worry, Murdoch. I'll get to the bottom of this.

Inspector, your discretion is...

Rest assured, Doctor.

If Gillies knew I was part of this, he'd probably want me k*lled as well.

Well, this proves Gillies survived the fall from the bridge as well.

Right.

I'll contact Cobourg Constabulary Discreetly of course.

Sir, have them check the mouth of the river, question the nearby residents.

Gillies may have survived the fall, but he would have been injured.

He certainly would have needed his cuffs to be removed. Somebody saw him.

An elderly man and a blonde woman.

I'm on it, Murdoch.

(George): That was unbelievable.

How did you learn to fight like that?

It is kung fu.

Can you teach me this kung fu?

Kung fu is not a word for fighting.

It is any skill achieved through diligence and hard work.

I practiced wushu Martial arts every day for years under the watchful eye of my master.

Teach me one thing.

One move. It could really help with my police work.

When a man att*cks you with a w*apon, he is thinking only of your weakness.

That is his weakness.

Right. I was thinking, you know, a move.

Pretend you have a hostage.

Anticipate your opponent's strike, and then att*ck before he does.

The pain will so cloud his mind that you can easily...

Ah!

... disarm him.

Then quickly, and with great force, lift your foot to his solar plexus like so.

He will not be a bother to you anymore.

(George chuckling)

(man speaking Chinese)

(speaking Chinese)

We need to hide you.

Where?

Come with me.

You'll be safe here as long as you stay put.

I must find Yu Da.

Forget about Yu Da.

You're a wanted man. If you don't want to go to jail, just let me do my job. Agreed?

Agreed.

This Dr. Grace... she is your girl?

(sigh) She used to be.

But you still love her?

It doesn't matter how I feel now.

She's with somebody else.

Have you tried to win her back?

Not exactly.

It is a man's honour to fight for those he loves.

She... well...

I don't think she wants me to fight for her.

So... you sacrifice your happiness to allow for her happiness?

It sounds foolish when you put it like that.

You are a man of honour, Constable Crabtree.

Happiness is fleeting, but honour is immortal.

It'd be nice to have both.

Hodge. In my office. And bring your logbook.

Close the door.

Come in, come in.

Get your notes out from August 30th.

Why are we whispering?

Just do it. There was an elderly man and a young blonde lady in the station around 3pm.

Uh, yes. A... a Cleveland Morris with a noise complaint.

And the woman was a Janet Hogsworth.

Bring them in.

Under what pretext?

I don't... I don't bloody care. Just do it. Go that way.

Ah.

Greetings, Inspector.

Mr. Yang.

Do you have any news regarding Chow Wei's k*ller?

Not yet, I'm afraid. Please, take a seat.

We're in pursuit of a suspect.

Sir. Mr. Yang.

I don't think Wu Chang is our k*ller.

Why is that?

His fingermarks weren't on the shrimp paste.

Of course they were not. He was a dishwasher.

Fingermarks, as you call them, are made by the oils from the skin... oils that would have been washed away.

You know about fingermarks?

The Chinese have been using them as a means of identification since the ninth century.

Still, I don't think Wu Chang is our man.

Go on.

Sir, I encountered him when I went back to the Chinese restaurant.

I was about to arrest him when three men walked in dressed all in black with masks, and they att*cked us, sir, with knives!

And Wu fought them off.

I mean, I helped, but it's safe to say he did the most part.

What happened to Wu?

He escaped, sir He's very good at escaping.

But you should have seen him fight! Sir, he had all these moves.

He had flips and punches, and he took my nightstick and he did this sort of... well, I can't do it, but it was very impressive.

Yes, I imagine he was very good.

Boxers excel at the martial arts; hence the name.

But he's not a Boxer. He told me.

You had a conversation with him?

Just... a brief exchange, sir, before he escaped. Again, very good at escaping.

Wu Chang m*rder*d a man in China.

This is the w*apon he used to k*ll his victim.

I believe you will find the fingermark matches that of Mr. Wu.

Sir, he was so convincing.

I thought it was a brief exchange.

He's already gone.

He must have seen us coming.

Bloody hell, Crabtree!

Sir, I sincerely believed he...

I don't give toss what you believe!

You should have brought him to the station! That's your job!

Right. You're such good pals with the man, where did he go?

Sir, I don't know, but I know who he's looking for. If we...

Who? Who's he looking for?

His name is Yu Da.

Yu Da?

(Brackenreid): You know him?

Another Boxer. He is their spiritual leader.

Right. Get out there and find him.

Oh, and, Crabtree, you pull one more stroke like this, and that's you finished at Stationhouse n°4.

Is that understood?

Sir.

(knocking on door)

Inspector.

Thank you for coming in.

Excuse me, ladies. Have you seen this man.

This is ginseng, all the way from China.

Ooh.

It will make your husband like bull.

Oh! Well, I don't know about that.

Mrs. Brackenreid.

Constable Crabtree.

What are you doing here?

I'm making Chinese food for dinner.

Mr. Lee here has been giving me all sorts of tips.

Take a look at this.

This curd is made from soybeans, if you can imagine.

And ginger root. Honestly, these people will eat anything.

Oh, are you here about last night? Such a terrible thing.

Yes, yes, we're looking for this man.

Oh. Mr. Lee, have you seen him?

I... I don't want trouble.

You will have big trouble if you don't tell us.

I am the wife of a police inspector.

He lives on Chester Street.

That's all I know.

Thank you, Mr. Lee.

Mrs. Brackenreid.

Constable.

And I'll take some of that ginseng.

Sir. I've just received a telegram from the Cobourg police.

Shut the door.

They believe they've found the body of James Gillies.

Bloody hell.

They searched the swamp at the end of the creek, and found a body in the reeds.

How do they know it was James Gillies?

He was dressed in prison garb and handcuffed.

Did it look like him?

Apaprntly the face was unrecognizable.

He would be in an advanced state of decomposition.

It could be one of Gillies' tricks, find a man roughly his height and build.

We need to examine that body.

It's being shipped on the overnight train. It'll be here in the morning.

Toronto police.

Sir?

I'm George Crabtree. I'm with the...

Toronto Constabulary.

Sir.

I assure you I am quite blind.

I'm looking for Wu Chang.

I have not seen him.

Right.

Well, if he happens by, tell him he's a liar and a m*rder*r, and he probably shouldn't be leaving our truncheons around...

You call me a liar, but it is you who lied.

You tell me I am safe, then betray me.

You're a m*rder*r. I have the proof.

Silence!

Three men are approaching.

It's the men in black. They have knives.

I will fight for you, Master.

Fight for me?

It is you they are after!

Who are they?

Get behind that.

Master.

Do as I say and be silent!

Hai!

Three men.

With swords.

Why so afraid of an old blind man?

(man): Where is Wu Chang?

See for yourself.

(constant grunting and shouting)

(men groaning)

They will not be back tonight.

All right, who are they?

Assassins, of course.

Sent by whom? Why are they after Wu?

Why does any man desire another man's death?

Revenge. They think he k*lled Chow Wei. Did you k*ll Chow Wei?

No.

I have your fingerprints on a Kn*fe. You k*lled a man in China.

I k*lled him with his own Kn*fe in defence of my father.

He was a usurper!

What's a usurper?

It is time you learned about China.

Greetings, Inspector.

Oh, Mr. Yang.

Yes, yes, yes. Please, have a seat. Drink?

Yes, please.

Oh, good.

It is late. You take your work very seriously.

Actually, Mr. Yang, my wife has informed me that she is cooking Chinese food for dinner. Not to be disparaging, but I am strictly a roast beef and Yorkshire pudding kind of man.

Your honesty honours me, Inspector, as does your dedication to this case, and your commitment to tracking down these Boxers.

My knowledge of current affairs is limited, to say the least, but didn't your empress support the Boxers and their murderous rampage?

At first, yes, to her great shame. Thankfully, wise men like Chow Wei convinced her to fight against them.

With a little help from the British Imperial Army.

Of course. And what better way to show her fealty to the imperial powers than to track down and punish the criminals that rose up against them?

Hm. Margaret?

I couldn't let you work without supper, Thomas.

Oh, Mr. Yang. How nice to see you.

I do hope you'll partake. I've made enough for two.

We have congee with lean pork and century egg, stewed beef brisket, and steamed frogs legs on lotus leaf.

It looks delicious. Ni hao ma.

Ho-ho!

Ni hao ma.

Bloody hell.

Mr. Yang seemed to enjoy his supper.

What did you think, Thomas?

You know, I did have my reservations about Chinese food, but... actually that was very, very good, Margaret.

Oh, I'm glad you're satisfied.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but there was something different about it this time.

Well, I did use a herb Mr. Lee recommended.

I feel...

Invigorated?

I do feel invigorated, now that you mention it.

The boys happen to be at their aunt's for another hour.

I'd better get you home pretty quick.

Or... we could stay here a while longer.

Stay here?

Mm-hmm.

Oh.

Bloody hell.

What exactly are we looking for?

You will know when you find it.

Does he ever actually answer a question?

The photograph.

You have the photograph.

This is me. This is my sister, Ling.

Who are these two men?

The man on the right is my father.

The man in the middle is the emperor.

You knew the emperor?

We knew the true emperor.

He wanted to make China a constitutional monarchy, like Canada.

But the usurpers had other ideas.

They imprisoned the emperor in the Forbidden City and placed the empress dowager on the throne.

They then set about k*lling everybody associated with the reforms.

Your father...

Was one of those k*lled.

Our family was forced to flee.

The usurpers then blamed the Westerners for all of China's troubles.

Hordes of young men took to the streets attacking foreigners.

The Boxers.

The very men they accuse us of being.

So, they say they're looking for Boxers but they're looking for reformers?

Rather clever, don't you think?

Still... who k*lled Chow Wei?

Just let me speak with him.

You found him.

Sir, Wu Chang is not a Boxer.

He left China before the Boxer Rebellion even began.

I don't care. Lock him up.

Sir, he's innocent.

Well, then he has nothing to fear, does he?

Sir, we've been lied to. Sun Yang is not looking for Boxers; he's tracking down democratic reformers.

We've been helping the bad guys catch the good guys.

Where are you getting this from?

Yu Da.

You found him too?

Yes, sir, and he's not a Boxer either. He's a blind old man.

He left China the same time Wu did, and we can prove it.

Just stop, Crabtree.

I've not even had my first morning cup of tea yet.

Right. Let's have a conversation with Mr. Da. Bring him in.

Sir, he won't just come in.

Well, then arrest him.

He'll resist.

Bloody hell, Crabtree, you've just said he's blind!

Sir, he has fighting skills.

He has this great long staff that he spins, he spins, and then will suddenly...

Well, I can't do it, but it's very impressive.

Where does he live?

Just off Chester Street.

First things first.

Lock him up.

Sir...

I have a better idea.

Mr. Da?

Actually, sir, it would be Mr. Yu. "Da" is his given name.

It means "to aspire."

Yu Da! No.

(speaking Chinese)

Poor bugger.

Sir.

Wu, look.

What does it mean?

"Come alone or she dies."

Ling! They have Ling!

What? No, no, no!

Come on, Crabtree!

Sir, wait!

(door opening and closing)

I know where he's going.

Do you really think it's James Gillies?

We're about to find out.

(shouting and grunting)

Ling!

(speaking Chinese)

(g*nsh*t) Everybody freeze!

Oh!

Sir!

Hold it right there!

(Margaret gasps.)

My goodness. What is going on?

Margaret?! What the bloody hell are you doing here?

I wanted to ask the cook how he made the snow fungus soup.

(She gasps.)

(man): Drop your w*apon!

All right.

All right.

I can do it!

Very impressive. Crabtree!

Drop it!

Move a muscle and you're dead.

Sun Yang.

The body is in the third stage of decomposition.

That would typically take three to four months.

Gillies has been missing for two and a half months.

Well, it has been an unusually hot summer.

Dr. Ogden, if you could?

Five feet nine inches.

Gillies is five foot 10 inches.

Bodies have been known to shrink over time.

We can't afford to be wishful about this.

We have to be exact.

This is not an exact science, William.

Bodies change in death, in ways that we can't be predict.

The hair appears to be the same.

It exhibits the same curl. Unfortunately, of course, the left side of the face is crushed.

There were rocks in the river. He may have struck one in the fall.

Or Gillies found someone with similar features, k*lled him, and placed him in the river.

We can rebuild the face on the intact part of the skull.

Will that be definitive?

Not definitive, no, but possibly convincing, one way or the other.

If this isn't Gillies...

Then he is alive and he will k*ll us.

Look. Remember when Constable Crabtree sh*t him?

We never did take out the b*llet.

Detective Murdoch. You're back early.

Yes.

Did you have a good vacation?

Thank you.

Uh... hm.

Sir.

Thank you, Jackson.

Is he a Boxer?

No.

Is he?

No.

None of them are Boxers, Inspector.

You call yourself a policeman.

I never said I was a policeman.

I am a detective from Her Imperial Majesty's guard.

If you're such a good bloody detective, why did you need us?

I wear the queue, Inspector. It is a requirement of all subjects.

Chinese who have fled the country do not trust men who wear the queue.

So you've been using us to flush them out, and then you k*ll them.

They were enemies of the state.

You mean the enemies of the empress dowager.

She is the state.

What about Chow Wei? Was he an enemy of the empress?

No.

No?

He fought the Boxers when she supported them.

You told me that yourself.

It is true he had fallen out of favour.

That is why he agreed to do this for Her Imperial Majesty.

And once he expended his usefulness...

She did not desire the death of Chow Wei, and I am not one to disobey her.

So, what do you think? Is he lying?

Well, sir, he's confessed to k*lling Yu Da.

Exactly.

Why confess to one m*rder and not the other?

You know there's only one other person with motive, Crabtree.

Sir, let me interview Wu.

If he k*lled Chow Wei, I'll find the truth.

All right.

You think I k*lled Chow Wei?

You worked in the restaurant.

You found out that Chow Wei was hunting you down.

I was a dishwasher.

How would I know such a thing?

(Yang): You are both a disgrace.

You didn't. But you did.

You were here with Chow Wei's retinue. You knew what he was doing here.

And you knew about his sensitivity to shrimp paste.

(speaking Chinese)

What are you talking about?

That's why you went off upstairs with the taster. That was the only way you knew that Chow Wei would end up eating the shrimp paste.

Chang?

No. No, you're wrong.

It was I. I k*lled Chow Wei.

(speaking Chinese)

I wish to make a full confession.

What?

You were right, Constable.

I learned of his plans to k*ll me and Yu Da and the others.

We were told of his sensitivity to shrimp.

Wu...

I k*lled him.

The b*ll*ts match.

I know.

You do?

We took some liberties with the nose.

And the lips are always a bit of a guessing game.

He's dead, William.

He's really dead.

Ah. You can see yourselves out.

Dr. Grace, thank you.

All this time.

Since the rail bridge he's been lying there.

But the note, William, and the photographs.

Was it all some kind of terrible joke?

Could Gillies have planned this all in advance?

No. Someone took those photographs.

I know who did this.

It's premeditated m*rder, Wu. You will hang.

You would prefer my sister take my place?

No. I just don't think you should hang in her place. You're innocent. Am I?

I k*lled a man in China.

You were defending your father. You told me as much.

My father was already dead.

I k*lled the man that k*lled him.

That is the whole truth.

And in a year or two, when the Empress Dowager regains the favours of the imperial powers, she will come calling for me. Canada will send me back.

And I will face death by a thousand cuts.

Be happy for me, my friend.

This is for the best.

He's right.

He's right?

He just confessed to a crime he didn't commit!

Look, we could make a case against the sister, but if Wu sticks to his confession, we'll never get a conviction.

So, what, we let her go free and hang an innocent man?

That's his choice.

Forget it, Crabtree. It's...

It's what?

It's just the way it is.

(Murdoch): Sir.

(sigh)

Leslie Garland.

We'd like a word.

To what do I owe the pleasure?

You figured it out.

I thought you might.

It was you?

It was a joke.

William. A joke?

All right, you want the truth?

It wasn't a joke. Did you think me completely ignorant of what went on behind my brother's back?

While you were still married?

Or is it worse than that?

Did you think I'd actually forgive you?

You don't need to forgive me for anything; I did nothing wrong!

I watched you smile and be happy... you swore that to my brother.

If I've committed an offence, then charge me. If not...

You are hereby under arrest for making death threats against an officer of the law.

Inspector, please.

I don't want retribution for this.

I'm not feeling that forgiving.

I'm not forgiving.

I want you to remove your belongings from Darcy's house immediately.

Anything remaining past tomorrow will be sold along with his estate. Goodbye, Mr. Garland.

On your way, before I change my mind.

Are you all right?

(Julia takes a breath)

I've never been better.

We're free, William.

We're finally free!

Yes, we are.

Officer!

Announcer: All new Murdoch, next Monday.

The b*mb strapped to your chest may go off if the sound around it gets too loud.

Look at it now. It's bustling with the sounds of business and opportunity.

Mr. Mayor?

Could you do something?

Announcer: Murdoch Mysteries, next Monday at 8:00 on CBC.