Howard Rookwood, wealthy industrialist and philanthropist, co-owner of the Rookwood and Watt Glue Factory and Tannery, is hosting a fundraising event for the Baker House Children's Charity, which specialises in settling waifs from England's most deprived districts in new homes in Canada. After his speech, Rookwood says he must be off, which gives Peter Watt, his business partner, an opportunity for some barbed comments. As he is preparing to leave, Rookwood is seen in animated discussion with Calvin Baker, the Director of Baker House.
Back at his office in the factory late at night, Rookwood notices a disturbance in the stables and goes to investigate. He recognises the person who has disturbed the horses, and this person strikes him on the back of the head.
Next morning, Murdoch is demonstrating his latest invention, which he calls a circumscope, to Constable Crabtree; it is a set of field glasses incorporating an extension tube which enables the user to see over walls and round corners. During the demonstration, Constable Higgins arrives with a message from Dr Ogden, asking him to attend the glue factory, where she shows Murdoch the body of Mr Rookwood, and tells him that death was caused by a blow to the back of the head, after which he was trampled by horses.
Murdoch interviews Watt, who says nobody has a bad word to say about Rookwood, though he does recall an argument that Rookwood was having with Baker at the fund raiser. When Murdoch interviews Baker, he explains that it was just a discussion about the plans for a children's dormitory. He can't imagine who would want to harm Rookwood. When pressed, Baker recalls that a servant, Miles Gorman, was dismissed a while ago at the Rookwood residence.
Constable Crabtree has found a spade in an alley near the factory. Upon inspection, blood and hair are found on the back of it. At the morgue, Dr Ogden says that if the spade is the murder weapon, then an overhead swing would seem to be the way Rookwood was killed, though Murdoch notes that the blow is rather low down, suggesting a short attacker. Dr Ogden acquires a number of watermelons, which Murdoch kills during an experiment to find a likely height for the killer, and they conclude that the killer is about 5ft 4in tall.
Constable Higgins has been collecting shoe prints at the crime scene, and many of them have a strange characteristic in that the heel impression is deep, relative to the sole. Murdoch deduces that children, wearing hand-me-down adult shoes would leave such shoe prints. He goes to the factory with Constable Crabtree to interview the children but they all run off, apart from the one who steals Murdoch's bike to make his getaway. Murdoch makes an Identikit image of the boy who seemed to be the ringleader and, believing him to be a factory worker, goes to see Peter Watt. Under pressure, Watt admits that boys do work in the glue factory, but says Rookwood made all the arrangements, but in the end, refers him to Calvin Baker, who runs a boys home in Peterborough.
Murdoch goes to question Miles Gorman, who turns out to be of short stature. When challenged over the reason he was sacked after four years service, he denies any involvement in a series of thefts, saying that there was a boy loitering, and confirming that he looked like the boy in Murdoch's image. At the Rookwood residence Mrs Rookwood identifies the image as Charlie, and her daughter Eva recognises him as her brother Charlie Dunlap. Mrs Rookwood explains that Eva is her daughter by adoption, and her real name is Polly Dunlop. After the tragic accidental death of their first daughter Eva, who fell down the stairs in her house, Howard suggested taking Polly in from the Baker House Girls' Home, and when they adopted her, they renamed her Eva. Mrs Rookwood has only seen Charlie in pictures. After crossing the Atlantic to Canada, Polly and Charlie were split up and sent to different homes. Eva/Polly says she hasn't seen Charlie since they were split up.
Crabtree finds out that Charlie spent eight months at the Baker House Boys' Home before being placed on a farm, from which he absconded about six months previously, at roughly the same time as the thefts started at the Rookwood residence.
Murdoch decides that another visit to the crime scene is required, to make sure they have collected all the shoe prints. He returns to Police Station 4 with the print of a horse shoe, which he wouldn't expect to see on a horse due for rendering at the glue factory. It seems that the factory was rendering healthy, stolen horses. Watt again says the plan was Rookwood's idea. Crabtree has been collating reports of horse theft and found 16 within a couple of miles of the factory, each occurring 10 nights apart. As it is 10 days since the last theft, Crabtree suggests a stake out to catch the thieves in the act. This gives Murdoch an opportunity to use his circumscope, and they catch children bringing horses to the factory.
So who killed Rookwood and why? Was it to do with the horse stealing racket, or something else? Will Murdoch ever see his bike again?
This episode features a mystery that unfolds very slowly, with so many people telling so many lies. But it is also notable for the way the relationships between the four principal characters move forward: Crabtree shows he has learned something of detective work from Murdoch, Brackenreid does something that really impresses Murdoch and Dr Ogden is quite unashamedly flirting with him. And, despite what another reviewer has written, there is nothing preachy at all on the subject of child abuse in this episode, though some positive suggestions are made to Calvin Baker about the charity's responsibility to those in its care.
Back at his office in the factory late at night, Rookwood notices a disturbance in the stables and goes to investigate. He recognises the person who has disturbed the horses, and this person strikes him on the back of the head.
Next morning, Murdoch is demonstrating his latest invention, which he calls a circumscope, to Constable Crabtree; it is a set of field glasses incorporating an extension tube which enables the user to see over walls and round corners. During the demonstration, Constable Higgins arrives with a message from Dr Ogden, asking him to attend the glue factory, where she shows Murdoch the body of Mr Rookwood, and tells him that death was caused by a blow to the back of the head, after which he was trampled by horses.
Murdoch interviews Watt, who says nobody has a bad word to say about Rookwood, though he does recall an argument that Rookwood was having with Baker at the fund raiser. When Murdoch interviews Baker, he explains that it was just a discussion about the plans for a children's dormitory. He can't imagine who would want to harm Rookwood. When pressed, Baker recalls that a servant, Miles Gorman, was dismissed a while ago at the Rookwood residence.
Constable Crabtree has found a spade in an alley near the factory. Upon inspection, blood and hair are found on the back of it. At the morgue, Dr Ogden says that if the spade is the murder weapon, then an overhead swing would seem to be the way Rookwood was killed, though Murdoch notes that the blow is rather low down, suggesting a short attacker. Dr Ogden acquires a number of watermelons, which Murdoch kills during an experiment to find a likely height for the killer, and they conclude that the killer is about 5ft 4in tall.
Constable Higgins has been collecting shoe prints at the crime scene, and many of them have a strange characteristic in that the heel impression is deep, relative to the sole. Murdoch deduces that children, wearing hand-me-down adult shoes would leave such shoe prints. He goes to the factory with Constable Crabtree to interview the children but they all run off, apart from the one who steals Murdoch's bike to make his getaway. Murdoch makes an Identikit image of the boy who seemed to be the ringleader and, believing him to be a factory worker, goes to see Peter Watt. Under pressure, Watt admits that boys do work in the glue factory, but says Rookwood made all the arrangements, but in the end, refers him to Calvin Baker, who runs a boys home in Peterborough.
Murdoch goes to question Miles Gorman, who turns out to be of short stature. When challenged over the reason he was sacked after four years service, he denies any involvement in a series of thefts, saying that there was a boy loitering, and confirming that he looked like the boy in Murdoch's image. At the Rookwood residence Mrs Rookwood identifies the image as Charlie, and her daughter Eva recognises him as her brother Charlie Dunlap. Mrs Rookwood explains that Eva is her daughter by adoption, and her real name is Polly Dunlop. After the tragic accidental death of their first daughter Eva, who fell down the stairs in her house, Howard suggested taking Polly in from the Baker House Girls' Home, and when they adopted her, they renamed her Eva. Mrs Rookwood has only seen Charlie in pictures. After crossing the Atlantic to Canada, Polly and Charlie were split up and sent to different homes. Eva/Polly says she hasn't seen Charlie since they were split up.
Crabtree finds out that Charlie spent eight months at the Baker House Boys' Home before being placed on a farm, from which he absconded about six months previously, at roughly the same time as the thefts started at the Rookwood residence.
Murdoch decides that another visit to the crime scene is required, to make sure they have collected all the shoe prints. He returns to Police Station 4 with the print of a horse shoe, which he wouldn't expect to see on a horse due for rendering at the glue factory. It seems that the factory was rendering healthy, stolen horses. Watt again says the plan was Rookwood's idea. Crabtree has been collating reports of horse theft and found 16 within a couple of miles of the factory, each occurring 10 nights apart. As it is 10 days since the last theft, Crabtree suggests a stake out to catch the thieves in the act. This gives Murdoch an opportunity to use his circumscope, and they catch children bringing horses to the factory.
So who killed Rookwood and why? Was it to do with the horse stealing racket, or something else? Will Murdoch ever see his bike again?
This episode features a mystery that unfolds very slowly, with so many people telling so many lies. But it is also notable for the way the relationships between the four principal characters move forward: Crabtree shows he has learned something of detective work from Murdoch, Brackenreid does something that really impresses Murdoch and Dr Ogden is quite unashamedly flirting with him. And, despite what another reviewer has written, there is nothing preachy at all on the subject of child abuse in this episode, though some positive suggestions are made to Calvin Baker about the charity's responsibility to those in its care.
