 Blair of the Mounties, the story of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. We present episode 26 in the dramatic series Blair of the Mounties. Since our last episode, Marshall, now an Inspector, has been transferred to Vancouver. Our scene opens in Inspector Marshall's office. You wanted me, sir? Oh, how's that for you, Barney? Sit down a minute. Thank you. I have to run after the country by car. I thought you'd like to go along. Oh, that's very kind of you, Inspector. Are you going far? Oh, a couple of hours drive. It's in connection with that case of Sir John Carswell. You mean the old gentleman that committed suicide the other day? That's it. But what's that to do with us? It's outside our jurisdiction, of course. There's been an order for a special inquiry from Ottawa. I'm not satisfied with that verdict. But it was just a suicide, according to the papers. No any of the details? Well, no. I didn't pay much attention. All right. Better get these facts. You see, old Sir John was a very important man in Canada. Sure, I know that. One of the biggest lumbermen in the West, they say. And used to be a big man in Parliament. That's the man. Of course, he's been retired for years and lives with his son-in-law, Dean Parker, who manages the old man's interest. It's him that lives in the big house at Point Gray. It's right to the edge of the cliff. Yes. It was the night before last they found him in a little summer house at the foot of the garden, looking out over Point Gray. Was he dead when they found him? Dead at the doornail with a bullet through his head. Hmm. He was sitting in a chair, his right hand hanging down, and his revolver within a few inches of his fingers on the floor. To all appearances, a plain case of suicide. And where do we come in, then? Why, it seems that some of his friends are not satisfied. The old man was in fine health, not the slightest motive. And, well, he wasn't the sort of man who would commit suicide. There's been a big fuss about it. And the Attorney General has consented to make a further investigation. You mean they think it might be murder? I suppose that's it. Any holes in that suicide theory? Not one that I know of. The city police and the provincial police. Where, up and down, there's not a chance of any other theory. Nobody was near him at the time, and nobody could have got to him. How's that, sir? You see, the cliffs are too steep to climb, and there are high walls on both sides of the garden. Couldn't somebody here sneak through the garden? No chance. The Sunning Law had a bridge party going on. The windows were open. He even heard the shot. There's only one funny thing. And what's that? Why, you see, Dean Parker, the Sunning Law, was sitting with his guest at the bridge table. They heard the shot plainly. But no one went out to the summer house until some time later. Hold on. You mean they paid no attention? That's just what I do mean. Hmm. It seems the old fellow always took his revolver with him. He used to sit there every evening for hours, all alone. What did he have to go for? Well, it appears that occasionally the rats run along the rocks from an old warehouse nearby. And Sir John amused himself taking pot shots at them. Well, begor, that's a funny one. So that's why they took no notice in the house, eh? But what's this trip in the country you were talking about? Oh, yes. I've got to run out to Langley. Langley, you see? Doesn't that suggest anything, Barney? Well, no. Only that Inspector Blair lives a couple of miles from Langley. That's where his farm is. Sure. That's who we're going to see. Ah, I'll bet that, Inspector. Let's find out. Sure I haven't set eyes on him for years. Yes. Colonel Manoring has instructions to try and get Blair to look over the case. He has a great reputation in these parts. Reputation, did you say? You're no Inspector. There's given a man in all the world to match him. No, I'm telling you. They say he keeps himself a good deal. He's married a girl from Calgary in the, think the world of each other. Man, Inspector, I'm hoping we'll get him to come. Yes, I hope so too. That's why I suggested taking you along with me. He thinks a lot of the men who served in the old division. And what about yourself, sir? What, it's mighty nice of you to say it. Well, I'll be getting the car out then. All right, see you at the gate. Here's the place, sir. Through this gate. Hello, Marshal. You know it seems funny for you and me to be working together again. Feels mighty good to me, sir. All right, let's get out of business. I haven't much time to spend on this case. I've got a lot of hay to put up. And I have some errands to do for the wife. That's a joke. Oh, nothing. You always did have a curious sense of humor, Marshal. Well, let's have the layout. Just the high spot. Yes, sir. Mr. Parker was sitting here on the veranda with three guests, playing bridge when the shot was heard. What time is that? It's ten, as close as we can determine. It was just getting dark. One thing at a time. Now, this bridge party, was it peer-ranged affair? Well, no. Or rather, it was a regular thing. Every Wednesday night at 7.30. Who were the guests? Judge McBrady, who lives next door, and the two other neighbors. All right, go ahead. Now, there at the foot of the garden, you can see the little summer house in which Sir John was found. How long had Sir John been sitting in the summer house? Since about 7 o'clock. It was his custom to sit out there till quite a late hour. Another regular habit. That's interesting. What do you mean, sir? Nothing much. Carry on. I'll tell you later. The evidence in support of suicide is logically perfect. Nobody could have been near Sir John when the shot was heard, without being seen by the four men on the veranda. And, of course, they all had a perfect alibi. Hello? Who's this? What? Oh, that's the man from the provincial investigation department. I asked them to send round the revolver. Yeah, that's not a bad idea. Morning, gentlemen. Good morning. My name's Perfield from the ballistics office. You are Inspector Marshall? Yes. You got that gun? Yes. I have the package containing the weapon in question. I also have two certificates. Certificate A, which it will sign to the effect that the weapon has not been in any way damaged, defaced, or otherwise... Look here, Marshall. What is this? Oh, yes. Excuse me. Perfield, let me introduce to Chief Inspector Blair. Oh, I'm delighted to meet you, sir. Let me explain how the Department of Scientific Criminology is very highly organized. Evidently. Yes, indeed. And you see, we have our regulations. Now, Certificate B will be signed when the package has been re-sealed in your presence, after which we... Oh, look here, Perfield, just let me have that gun like a good fellow. Well, all in good time, sir. I must point out that the science of criminal detection has made considerable advances in shortly. Now, I'm glad to hear it. Give me that gun, Marshall. All right. Thanks. Yes, 38 coats. Side action. Yes. What about that bullet, Perfield? Did it correspond? Well, sir, we made a series of scientific tests. The projectile, I may say, was found to have only a difference of 0.005 millimeters. Oh, my dear chap, was the bullet that killed Sir John fired from this gun? I think I may venture to answer you in the affirmative. Well, thank God for that. Hello. Anybody got a magnifying glass? I have one here, sir. Thanks. Somehow I thought you would have. There's a very tiny scratch at the back of the sight block. Did you see it, Perfield? Oh, of course. We classed that as incidental markings or abrasions, having no connection with the operation of the weapon. That's all. Ever hear of a Bartley silencer? Well, no. Can't say I ever did. Look it up sometime. It's new and a good one. These are fine ring scratch like this. I'm willing to bet somebody used a Bartley silencer on this gun quite recently. It reduces the report to a faint click. Most interesting, sir. May I point out, though, that the shot which killed Sir John was heard by four people? Then did my boy. So my little theory falls to the ground. See what it is to be a scientific detective. Well, that's all I want. Better flash this business of sealed arts with Perfield, Marshall, then come back. We've got to get on. Where's Barney? Here I am, sir. Right, come on, Barney. I need a man with a good old-fashioned mind to help me figure this out. I am with you, sir. Barney, I don't know what the world's coming to. This catching criminals with a test tube and a filing system gives me dyspepsia. Sure, it's a good head business, sir. Yes, well, I didn't want to know them into this business, but now I'm in. We've got to make good, eh, Barney? You see, I've just got two hours to find a murderer. What's that? What's that, sir? Did you say murder? Yes. Think I'm jumping to conclusions, Marshall? Well, no. But the evidence points unmistakably to suicide. Does it? All right. I say it's murder. I don't know who did it. I don't know how it was done. But I think we'll find out inside two hours. Well, sir, I don't know. See here, Marshall, I know you think I'm giving a sort of Sherlock Holmes exhibition, and I detest that sort of thing, but don't you see? This place is like a book. The man was trying to be smart, and he left clues all over the place. That makes it simple. You mean to say that when the shot was heard, there was a murderer in that summer house? No, I didn't say that. And that shot was fired, so John was all alone. And yet you say it's simple. Oh, let's get to work. First I want to make sure how this was done, then we'll look for the murderer. Just like that, Peter. Yes, let's see. This is the summer house, eh? Hmm, I see. Just roughly built, eh? Two before frame, and slabs. All right, start from the door. Go over the walls, Marshall. I'll take the floor. Look for something unusual. What do you expect to find? I don't know exactly. Might be a small hole. Wait a minute. This might be it. You have good eyes, Marshall. Take a look at these little marks near the wall. Looks like burns. There's someone that dropped a couple of matches. There's no hole here, though. That's too bad. Hold on. Yes, there is. Yes, there is. A little hole filled with potty. Yes. Go through the wall to the outside. Come on, Marshall. Where now? Outside, of course. Here we are. This is where the hole comes through. See if the grass in the lawn has been disturbed. Sure. There's a little raised line here. Looks as if a mole had been working. Yes, it runs over to the garden wall. Take a look over by the wall, Marshall. Sure. There. It's here, too. Runs along the wall. Behind the rose bushes, back toward the house. All right, keep going. What's that you've got? It's an old piece of coal or something. Well, that's nothing. Here, let's look. Why, it's a piece of old fuse. See that blackened center? Just what I want. All right, follow up that line. It stops here, sir, by this big rose bush. 20 feet from the house. Oh, but it can't be. Either you haven't given me all the facts, or my idea is no good. Hold on. Now, if Parker or somebody had been dummy just about the time the shot was fired or a little before, somebody must have left that table. My job. That's funny. What is it? I don't know how you guessed it, but Parker was dummy just before the shot was fired. He left the veranda for a few seconds to turn off the lawn sprinklers. The shot off is just by this big rose bush. Exactly. That's got it. But he was in full view of his friends all the time. He didn't go near the summer house. Of course not. Why should he? Anyhow, there's a case, Marshall. Need a little working out, but there's enough evidence for the local police to arrest Dean Parker. Oh, but see here, sir, I've got something more than that. Some explanation, at least. Yes, all right. Don't be patient. Let's sit down a minute. Hmm. There we are. If you just give me an outline of your theory. Theory nothing. It's a case, I tell you. Well, anyway, here we go. This man Parker's in trouble. He's been using the firm's money, I imagine. Anyhow, he's hard-pressed. Old Sajana's lived too long. Parker's wife inherits the fortune. Yes, we practically had that already. Hmm, well, now the crime. Parker has this bridge game all stayed. It's just before 7.30. His guests will be here in a minute. He goes out to the summer house. Old Sajana's asleep. Parker shoots him with the silencer of the gun. On the gun. Leave the gun there. Walks back and meets his guests. Nice as you please. That's a second shot. Yes, that's Parker's big idea. A little while later, Parker raises his partner's bid very heavily. That's a guess, of course. Funny. It really happened. Of course, Parker's dummy. He walks across to that rose bush to turn off the sprinklers. He has a fuse laid to that hole in the summer house wall. It has a blasting detonator on the end. Number one, I should say, that makes quite a nice report. Well, it's getting dark. The others are playing bridge. Parker touches off the fuse. They hear the report. So, and because they're used to Sajana occasionally shooting at rats, nobody pays any attention. That was the only clever touch in this affair. Otherwise, it's childish. So, dummy played the hand after all. Yes, dummy played the hand. Well, I must be going. Let me know how this comes out. I've got a hurry. Got some sewing cotton to match. That'd be the devil to pay if it isn't right. Oh, that's all right. Don't follow. You win. You're married. Ladies and gentlemen, you have heard episode 26 in the dramatic series Blair of the Mounties. Don't miss the next episode in the series entitled The Feminine Touch.