The Murdoch Mysteries (2004) s11e02 Episode Script
Merlot Mysteries
1 (THEME MUSIC) (VIOLIN MUSIC) I'm sorry, sir.
If you don't have an invitation, I cannot let you in.
- It must be an oversight.
- I am afraid not.
Mr.
Firenzo and I are life-long friends.
That may be, but it does not change the fact - that you are not invited to this wedding.
- But And even if you were, you are too late.
Mr.
Firenzo's son is now married.
Good day.
- (INDISTINCT SPEAKING) - (CLINKING) Today is a special day, for it is the day that a son takes a wife.
It may have taken my son a long time to find her, but it was worth it.
Carissima Karina, it is my honour to welcome you to our family.
And now, to the wine! Now Enrico, you are not working today! - Si, si, amore.
- (LAUGHING) Today, we toast with a very special bottle.
If you bought it with money, it would have been a pittance.
Almost free.
It's the age and the vintage that have given this bottle its special character.
Its colour the blood of noblemen.
Its bouquet the scent of the earth.
And its legs that of the finest ballerina.
What about the taste, Papa? When are we gonna have that? Va bene, allow me the honour of the first taste, no? Hm.
(LAUGHING) Che cavalo! - What's wrong, Papa? - This wine it (EXCLAMATIONS OF SHOCK) - Enrico! Oh! - Papa! Enrico! He intended to pour everyone at the head table a glass from the same bottle.
(JULIA): So someone wanted the entire wedding party dead.
If the poisoning was by design.
There is plenty of wine left in the bottle.
Oh, good! I'll take that.
For testing, of course.
Was it a heart attack? I'm afraid not.
Then what? We suspect your brother may have been poisoned.
By the wine? But that is too cruel! Wine was his life! Please, sir, we'll be with you in a moment.
And his death, it would seem.
And what side of the family are you with? I think we can take them one at a time, Detective Watts.
No, that was an attempt at a witticism.
It certainly was that.
George.
Sir.
Once you've finished questioning the remaining guests, - you can let them go.
- Sir, I've already started.
Terrible shame, sir.
I mean, this happening on his son's wedding day.
It is, indeed.
I imagine, sir, it might put a bit of a damper on the honeymoon.
- The guests, George.
- Sir.
I have no idea where it came from.
Enrico was the expert.
Papa was always going on about wine.
None of it meant a thing to me.
It was all rather a bore until this.
He never told me a thing about that wine.
Oh, Enrico you were so I'm terribly sorry for your loss.
At least he got to see Ricardo wed before God took him.
I suspect God may have had help.
We believe the wine was poisoned.
But we were all to drink it.
Someone wanted to kill all of us? It's possible.
Does your family have enemies? Don't all families? This was supposed to be a blessed day, not a cursed one.
You have my sympathies.
Is it really possible that some fiend wanted us all dead? I think only your father.
Do you know where the wine came from? I would imagine his cellar.
Could you show me? His cellar is under lock and key.
I don't have access to it.
Who does? Mr.
Hatch.
My father's butler.
He shared more of his life with him than he did his own son.
Criminy! This is amazing! Please, - don't touch.
- Oh.
Oh, is that a Le Corton? Ooh.
Exceptional.
Mr.
Firenzo has bottles from over 50 châteaux, registered in the Appellation of 1855.
Good lord.
May I look around? Detective Watts? Are you sure now is a good time? Of course.
This place is sacred.
Mr.
Firenzo thought so as well.
No one other than he was permitted entrance.
No one? Are you sure? Well Mr.
Firenzo's supplier comes here from time to time, but only under strict supervision.
- Perhaps they shared a taste.
- Hm.
And his name? James Merchant.
He's the finest wine provisioner in all of Ontario.
In fact, all of Canada, I'd wager.
And how long has he been providing this service? Ever since I have been in Mr.
Firenzo's employ, at least 45 years.
Please, Detective Watts, do not touch.
Arsenic.
A poison that keeps its efficacy for generations.
So it could have been added any time? Yes, but if it was meant to kill Mr.
Firenzo, I imagine it was added more recently.
After it was opened.
That's for the detective.
Dr.
Ogden? Julia.
Since I finished my schooling, I You're looking for another job.
Only if you approve.
Of course I approve.
Thank you.
Professor Ferguson has been making inquiries on my behalf.
He seems to think that there might be a position for me at Queen of Mercy Hospital.
That's wonderful, Rebecca! Although I can't say I won't miss you.
- I haven't got it yet.
- But you will.
Don't be talking yourself down, Rebecca.
Mr.
Desmond.
My girl is gonna be a doctor.
- She already is one.
- A real one, workin' on live people.
No offence.
None taken.
It would appear Enrico was unfaithful.
You aren't familiar with this wine? Angolino.
No.
It is unfamiliar, and certainly not something I stock.
(SIGHING) Can you tell me anything about it? (SIGHING) It is an old bottle.
The label would suggest Italian, not French.
I could tell you more if it was the latter.
Why is that? Sadly, to understand the lineage of Italian wine, you have only your nose as a guide.
Now, the French, at least with regard to the wines of Bordeaux, are much easier to identify.
You are familiar with the Grand Appellation of 1855? I can't say that I am.
If this were French, the label would tell you exactly where and when the wine was bottled.
Oh.
All I can tell from a bottle of Italian wine is that it is well, Italian wine.
Well, it must be special.
If you say so.
Why do you say so? It was opened on the occasion of his only son's wedding.
It may not be special.
It may only have sentimental value, which is worthless.
Also, Detective Murdoch, if this wine had been of note, he certainly would have written about it.
That Mr.
Firenzo wrote regularly about wine in The Vine.
He was The Good Gentleman.
Certainly you have heard of him.
I'm afraid not.
The Vine is a quarterly dedicated to the appreciation of fine wine.
Mr.
Firenzo, under the guise of The Good Gentleman, would pen a column which was both entertaining and edifying.
If this wine had been of note, he certainly would have mentioned it.
Hm.
George, I need you to find out where this came from.
Oh, that should be easy enough, sir.
I think there are only three wine merchants in the city.
No, I mean the winery.
This label is obviously a painting of what I believe to be a winery in Italy, but there is no other information, save for the name Angolino.
Get yourself to the library and see if you can find a winery matching that name.
Sir! Right away! George, I must say, you seem in rather high spirits lately.
- I am.
- You think this is a democracy? Now, don't say a word! In fact, one more word out of the pair of you, I'll fire you quicker than Fred Spiksley scored against the Wolves back in '96.
Now, bugger off and make me a cup of tea.
Three sugars.
I think things are getting back to normal, sir.
The world is in her usual orbit.
(SIGHING) Save for Constable Jackson.
Well, I've been thinking about that, sir, and I think he died doing something that he loved, serving a cause that he believed in, a cause that you and I continue to serve.
I think he would have wanted that.
Indeed.
I'll be in touch upon my return from Italy.
(SNAPPING) This is interesting.
What's that? Enrico Firenzo was promising the unveiling of a scandal.
"The Revealing of a Charlatan of the Highest Order.
" A bit flowery.
You're familiar with this journal? Well, I would guess that any well-bred and informed I have many other interests that don't include imbibing.
Of course.
Now, who is this charlatan that the Good Gentleman was preparing to unmask? A man by the name of Baron Trotter.
- Interesting.
- Oh, he's not a real baron.
No.
Mr.
Hatch, the butler, said that a Mr.
Trotter was denied access to the wedding.
Well, that makes sense, especially if Mr.
Firenzo had accused him of creating illegitimate wine.
Illegitimate? Counterfeit wine, Detective Murdoch, and according to Firenzo, Mr.
Trotter has been doing it for years.
Right here, in Ontario.
Oh.
Wine is proof that God loves us and wants to see us happy.
I highly doubt that.
Oh, you reject the words of Benjamin Franklin? Even a clever man is capable of a bad idea.
No.
Wine, like any alcohol, is a depressant.
It hinders the mind.
But, "in wine there is truth.
" Pliny the Elder.
Writers and philosophers are seldom the best of judges, especially when it comes to alcohol.
Well, no one less than Louis Pasteur called wine "the most healthful and most hygienic of beverages.
" Is it that you don't enjoy the taste? Ah.
There he is.
(BIRDS CHIRPING) Oh, I was aware of the article, everyone was, and it was going to ruin me.
He was telling the truth? Of course not, but once declared a fraud by The Good Gentleman, I would've been powerless to fight the accusation.
I'd already had a number of orders cancelled.
(HORSE WHINNYING) Being a Canadian winemaker is not an easy business, and Mr.
Firenzo is intent on destroying me.
I don't think you can speak of him in the present tense any longer.
Mr.
Firenzo is dead.
Murdered, we believe.
He's dead? Yes.
Really? Dead? Oh, that is the most wonderful news.
Oh, thank you! Will his article still be coming out? (DRAMATIC SOUND INDICATION) I had nothing to do with the man's death.
Then why were you at the Firenzo estate? Mr.
Hatch, the Firenzo's butler, told us he escorted you off the property.
He did no such thing.
I left of my own accord.
Then why were you there? I was there to ask him to reconsider publishing his column.
Oh.
So, you are not a fraud? I didn't say that.
I can create a wine of as high a quality as any European.
And put it in fraudulent bottles.
No one would buy a wine created in Ontario! I created a fine wine at a fraction of the cost.
And do you charge a fraction of the price? I charged what the market would bear.
But on my word, I did not kill the man.
No matter how happy I might be that he's dead.
Detective Watts, why wasn't I asked to help with this? Oh, are you an aficionado of the grape, Inspector? Well, I don't mind the odd tipple if there's no scotch around.
French.
- Produced right here in Ontario, I'm afraid.
- Mm! Some time ago, I'd wager.
That's what we are about to find out.
I'll keep hold of this.
These labels are all new.
They've simply been bathed in tea to create the illusion of age.
It's a common forger's technique.
Now, this label was aged by time alone.
Also, unlike the labels from the bottles we obtained from Mr.
Trotter, this label was affixed with an adhesive no longer in use.
Current adhesives are all rubber-based.
This one is fish glue.
So the wine is as old as Mr.
Firenzo said it was.
So it would appear.
Well, then it follows that the arsenic was added at the time of its bottling.
Not necessarily.
This evening? I most certainly can.
Thank you! That was the hospital.
They want to interview me in person.
- Well, that is the normal course of events.
- Of course.
I'm just so excited! Well, perhaps you should try not to be.
Most patients don't want an excited doctor; they'd much prefer one that's calm and professional.
That is exactly what I will be.
Calm and professional.
(SINGING): I'm gonna be a doctor! (BOTH GIGGLING) Now, it would be possible to inject the arsenic through a new cork, but the old cork is completely dried out.
It would have been very difficult.
But not impossible.
No, although I believe your initial assessment to be correct.
The poison was added prior to bottling.
So this was a lottery? Years ago, someone poisoned a bottle of wine without ever knowing who would purchase it, but knowing they had just given someone a death sentence.
An unsolvable crime.
Well, no crime is unsolvable.
Some simply take longer than others.
(WATTS SIGHING) Though there is one thing that still confounds me.
And what's that? The idea that counterfeit wine exists at all.
After all, I doubt them to be that much different, one from the other.
They all use the same base ingredients.
Oof.
You can't be serious? I am.
Wait right there.
I'm going to show you how wrong you are.
(INDISTINCT SPEAKING) Well this certainly is a progressive hospital.
- That's one word for it.
- (SCOFFING) Thank you for your patience.
I wonder if I could have a word with Miss Rebecca James.
Of course.
Oh I see.
You see, that is a Right Bank Bordeaux.
Its component grape is the merlot, as opposed to the Cabernet Sauvignon found on the Left Bank that you drank earlier.
Do you notice the difference in sweetness? I think so, but - can I try the Left Bank one again? - Mm.
Oh, yes.
The difference is apparent, yes.
Now, this one is trickier.
A pinot noir versus a merlot.
Is that gooseberry? - More like red cherry.
- Oh.
"Wine can of their wits the wise beguile, the sage frolic and the serious smile.
" Oh! I can see it is doing just that.
Oh, my.
There we go.
(FURNITURE RATTLING) Shh! Julia! - William.
- You're still awake.
That's nice.
What are you reading? Oh, it's a new journal about kinesiology.
Fascinating.
Where have you been? At work.
William have you been drinking? I've been conducting a number of scientific experiments on alcohol.
And these experiments involved consuming the liquid? The results could only be judged orally.
Julia, do you know that there are several different varieties of wine? Each with its own characteristics! I did.
But it's not just red and white.
Although all wine is made from the grape, some retains notes of tobacco and prunes and mushrooms! Mushrooms, if you could believe that! Julia, do we have any here? Oh, ah I think you may have had enough for this evening.
No, just a tipple.
I think it's time for bed.
Bed! - Oh, I very much like that idea! - (GIGGLING) William! Oh! William William? (SNORING) A drop of tomato juice, one egg Ah.
Maybe two eggs.
(PHONE RINGING) A splash of hot sauce.
Well stirred and Bob's your uncle.
Right, then.
Get that down you and you'll be as right as rain within half an hour.
Trust me.
I've been there.
(SIGHING) So, did last night's investigations produce anything other than a throbbing headache? No.
Ah, I mean yes.
Ahh.
We determined that the wine was poisoned before it was bottled, but we may have been wrong.
Could someone remove the cork and replace it without damaging it? - Corkscrew leaves a hole.
- Yes, it does.
But when I got on the trolley, or maybe it was Doesn't matter.
- I started thinking.
- Of course you did.
What if someone were able to remove and replace the cork without damaging it? Could there be a device that would enable you to do such a thing? Of course there is.
Have a look.
(EXHALING SLOWLY) (CHUCKLING) Two prongs slide down either side of the cork enabling someone to remove the cork - without damaging it.
- Ah, so The same device could then be used to replace the cork, leaving little or no trace at all.
So, the arsenic was recently - added to the wine.
- Sirs.
- What's this? - Another of Murdoch's inventions.
I just came up with it.
- I've seen something just like it.
- What? - Where? - Mr.
Hatch, the butler.
I saw him using one.
A new invention, eh? Looks like someone beat you to it, me ol' mucker.
You told us you kept this place under lock and key.
We can see very well what you are doing.
What do you want? We'd like you to accompany us to the station house.
We have some things we'd like to discuss.
What things? We believe you to have been in possession of a device crucial in the poisoning of your employer.
He was more than an employer.
He was a lifelong friend.
Well, that may be, Mr.
Hatch, but we still have questions.
What are you doing with him? - Make way, Mr.
Firenzo.
- He did it? He killed my father? After all he did for you? - This is how you repay him? - That's enough, Mr.
Firenzo.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC) Yes? Yes, it's mine.
That concerns us, Mr.
Hatch.
As does the fact that we found you in the selfsame cellar you claim never to set foot in.
I know how it looks.
I sneak down there and pop some poison into that bottle, yes? That is how it looks.
The thing is, I didn't.
Then why do you own one of these devices? To steal wine.
That's why the thing's invented.
You expect us to believe that? In the words of Diogenes, "What I like to drink most is wine that belongs to others.
" Ahem.
How long have you been stealing Mr.
Firenzo's wine? Since the beginning.
The man was kind to me but he paid me a pittance.
So, I helped myself to the occasional mouthful.
And, what? Replaced it with some malmsey? Surely he would notice.
Firenzo thought himself an expert but his palette was hardly without flaw.
One time, he said an 1870 Lafite - had notes of saffron.
- Hah! So, you lied to the police.
A man has been murdered and you lied to us.
It was only a little lie.
I didn't want to tell you I'd been, uh naughty.
So, you know Firenzo's cellar.
What can you tell us about this bottle? Yes, I recognize it.
- He'd had it for some time.
- How long? I don't know precisely.
You see, the current house is only 40 years old.
Before that, Mr.
Firenzo's cellar was only a few crates stacked up on a dirt floor.
But it's at least 40 years old.
Yes.
It was there from the beginning.
You know, I'd, ah I'd considered tasting it myself many times, but I could never discern its provenance.
Imagine if I had! (LAUGHING) (RAPID FOOTSTEPS) Professor Ferguson said he told them about me.
Well, you should've seen the man's face when he saw what colour I was.
Rebecca, I'm so sorry.
The man had the gall to tell me that my presence might upset the other patients.
What was his name? I know people at Queen of Mercy, I'll talk to someone.
You know that won't change a thing.
The doctors there are more likely to share his view than yours.
You can stay here.
I'll bring you on full time.
I suppose our patients won't mind my presence.
But no.
Thank you all the same, Dr.
Ogden.
It's important work we do here, Rebecca.
Even though our patients may be dead, - our work saves lives.
- I know but it's my dream to work with people face to face; to help ordinary people, people who need me, people I'll know for the rest of our lives.
(FOOTSTEPS) Once more, the inebriated mind proves its worth.
"Wine makes a man mistake words for thoughts.
" Who said that? Samuel Johnson.
Johnson, really? I swear Boswell labelled him a drinker.
Perhaps he was more of an ale man.
At any rate, we are no further ahead than we were last night.
Now, hold on, Murdoch.
Just because that butler says he didn't do it, doesn't mean he didn't do it.
Yes, but we have no proof.
At least the butler confirmed the age of the bottle.
But we still don't know its provenance, nor can we say with any certainty when it was poisoned.
Sirs, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm not convinced this wine is what it pretends to be.
Why do you say that, George? Sir, I've been through the catalogue of every wine enthusiast in this city.
I've examined thousands of bottles of wine.
I've read through lists of hundreds of wineries.
- I've even telegraphed with experts in Italy.
- Alright, Crabtree.
No need to relive every heart-stopping moment.
Sir, my point is as far as I can tell, Angolino wine doesn't exist.
So, it's a fake.
I believe so.
A new wine masquerading in an old bottle makes sense for the murder, but But the butler claimed that it's been in his cellar at least 40 years.
Could he be lying? I don't see what he could stand to gain from it.
He's lied to us before.
Perhaps he's hiding something.
I have an idea.
I believe there is a way to determine the age of the liquid inside the bottle.
I had the identical thought, Detective, - and I know just the man.
- Man? Someone who can unlock the truths that lurk in the depths of the bottle.
I don't believe that will be necessary, nor will it be reliable.
I intend to prove it scientifically.
What? How? Spectroscopic analysis.
Ah, yes.
Not reliable in my experience.
How's it meant to help us? By comparing the wine in question to the light profile of other wines of varying ages, we'll be able to discern precisely how old it is.
The older the wine, presumably the lighter the colour, thanks to the blanching effect of sunlight.
But it was kept in a cellar.
Depending on conditions, two bottles of the same provenance could be wildly different.
There's absolutely no way to determine Thank you, Detective.
- Please.
- Alright.
Ready? Yes.
(FAST-PACED PIANO MUSIC) It's a four point three.
It's a five point two.
Eight point five.
Well they are all different.
Really - Every grape, every year, every bottle.
- You don't say.
It compares to an 1880 merlot, a 1902 tempranillo and - several others.
- Well! I suppose you told us so, Detective.
Alright.
- Call in your expert.
- Ah, not my expert.
My sommelier.
"Sommelier"! Detective, may I introduce Jean Michel LaRoche Couture III.
Le vin, s'il vous plaît.
Mon temps est précieux.
Ainsi que le mien, Monsieur Couture.
Ne le gaspillons pas.
I see you know the language, but not the wine.
How do we know you'll be able to determine the vintage? Were you the same at 13 as you were at 30? Just as a man changes over time, so too does a wine.
And you can see these changes at a mere glance? Well, this eye has decades of training, Detective.
This is the finest eye in North America; one of the finest in the world.
This is the wine in question.
Oh, my.
It's quite old.
45 years if it's a day.
45? So 1860 then? If only an eye test could establish provenance.
That's not a problem.
I can tell you what it is from a small taste.
No.
No.
No.
This wine has been laced with arsenic.
Oh, my.
That will make it difficult.
Some of the subtleties may be overshadowed by the adulterant.
This is a fox grape.
Catawba, I would venture, but as I say, the subtleties may be obscured.
So where is Catawba grown? Catawba is from right here.
This wine is not from Italy, it's from Ontario.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC) There are over 35 wineries active at present in Ontario, but only one of them goes back as far as 1860.
Barker Family Wines and Spirits.
"Barker Wine.
" Lacks a certain je ne sais quoi.
Does Barker use fox grapes? Well, sir, as I understand it, nearly all indigenous grapes are fox grapes, but the variety in question, Catawba, only grow in certain soil conditions, such as the area around the Firenzo estate.
So the vintner could be local, then.
Well, that makes sense.
A neighbour, a friend.
Someone he knew who had intended to kill him back in 1860.
Except none of the Catawba-growing wineries go back that far.
Well, perhaps it's one that existed then but doesn't now.
I'll go to City Records and get any files that might be of interest.
But we can comb through them back here, Constable.
No.
Let's meet halfway.
Café Lorraine.
This is work to be done over a glass of fine red.
Ah I'd invite you to join us, Detective, but well, perhaps it's best you stay on the watercart.
I love you for not giving up, Rebecca.
But? I'm just wonderin' how long you're plannin' on not givin' up for.
- You don't think I'll succeed? - I know you will! But even Rebecca James can't change the world overnight.
Well, I don't care how long it takes! I'll be a doctor even if I have to wait for the whole world to catch up.
Alright then.
In the meantime, I'll stay on at the morgue.
No, you won't.
We can make do on my wage.
I want you spending every waking hour going after what you're going after.
Now, what we really need is for all them white doctors to disappear, just for one day.
Once people give Doctor Rebecca James a try, they'd never let another doctor see them the rest of their lives.
How would you know? You won't even let me take a look at that cut you got on your elbow.
This little scratch? Oh, come on, girl.
(BIRDS CHIRPING) Murdoch, we found it! - Murdoch! - We oh! Sorry, sir.
I'm not drunk.
- Oh, really? - We had a few.
- Just speak for yourself.
- I had half a glass.
Well, two half a glasses.
May I ask exactly what it is you two have found? Look here.
Business license application for a winery.
Filed in 1859.
All the details line up, sir.
It's the right region for Catawba.
- Who is the owner? - Unfortunately, the form is incomplete.
- It's blank.
- Yeah.
There's one intriguing detail, though, sir.
Have a look at where the address is.
Avalon Road.
Where is that? Steady, Crabtree! The Avalon Road, sir, is now known as Rural Road 2, and it intersects with this laneway.
On which sits the Firenzo estate.
So the winery is right around the corner.
A neighbour.
Shall we? Oy, Crabtree! Where do you think you're going? Well, sir, we're off to This is my favourite part.
We're off to catch the culprit.
I mean, there might be a chase or a a tearful, heartfelt confession.
- You're not going anywhere.
- What? Sir, perhaps I deserve to be punished for drinking on the job, but I hope you will consider that it was Detective Watts' idea.
You're not about to be punished.
Sit down.
I need someone to help me kill this bottle.
Awful business, drinking alone.
Oh! From here, you can see the neighbouring lot.
There is nothing here, - certainly no winery.
- What about in 1860? - Do you recall? - I married Enrico in 1864.
There was nothing here back then.
The map.
Did you bring the map? In the carriage.
Mrs.
Firenzo, if this is Avalon Road, what's this building here? Our home, surely.
This is our estate.
Begging your pardon, but your home is located much further west along Avalon Road.
Here.
Oh, of course.
This map was made before the new house was built.
The old house was in the east end of the property.
- So none of this was here.
- No.
(DRAMATIC SOUND INDICATION) This is it.
The label.
The image on the bottle.
What? Impossible.
Look.
In 1860, the home was located much further along Avalon Road.
When he built the new house, the address changed.
The Firenzo estate is the vineyard.
The wine was made here! So, it was special because he made it himself.
But what can that mean? He made a batch of wine, forgot he poisoned a bottle, and drank it? Not something you'd be likely to forget.
This doesn't make any sense.
My husband never made any wine.
No.
You didn't know him then.
This was four years before you married.
Who knew him back then? Likely someone who was close to him.
Someone close to the wine.
Detective, I believe we have the identical thought.
I told you, I didn't kill the old boy.
Well, someone did, and that someone knew him in 1860.
If not you, who? 1860? Most of the people who knew him back then are probably dead by now.
Except (BIRDS CHIRPING) Oh! Good afternoon, gentlemen.
I suppose you're here to take me away? You know why we're here? - Of course.
- You poisoned your brother.
Why? He and I were partners but it was me who poured my heart and soul into our business, into our wine.
Enrico took one sip and he spat it out.
He said, "No one would ever drink this!" You were going to pass it off as Italian.
I tried to tell him that we could use the profits to make a better wine the next year.
But he wouldn't listen.
He drained every single cask.
I was left with nothing! Well, not quite nothing.
You had a bottle.
Mr.
Firenzo, you realize we are going to have to arrest you.
Of course but allow me a drink? No! Wait! Don't worry, Detective.
The second bottle was never poisoned.
In fact, it has aged quite nicely.
Would you like a taste? That's quite enough, Mr.
Firenzo.
You're coming with us.
(SWISHING) Mm! You see? All we needed was time.
Not half bad.
As I'm sure you've guessed, I have good news to announce.
I've taken a position as a physician.
That's so wonderful! What hospital? No hospital.
In fact, Nate and I are leaving the city altogether.
Oh.
I'm sorry to hear that, Miss James.
Doctor James! Quite right.
Doctor James.
Where will you be going? Well, it was Nate's idea.
If the city of Toronto doesn't need a doctor, I'll go somewhere that does.
I have cousins in Chatham.
They're always short of physicians.
When she telephoned to suggest it, they all almost lost their heads! Congratulations, Doctor.
Thank you, Constable.
I have to admit my disappointment.
It felt like things were just getting back to normal, and now we're losing a colleague.
You've acquitted yourself admirably these last two years.
The morgue won't be the same without you.
The inspector is quite right.
Perhaps we'll call on you if we ever find ourselves short of an investigator.
There's always a place for you here.
I couldn't have done any of this without you, Julia.
That's not true.
It may have taken you longer without my help, but you were always going to be a doctor, Rebecca.
Thank you.
- To Doctor James.
- Here, here.
- Here, here.
- Cheers.
I must admit, I'm happy to have another wine drinker in the house.
Oh, no! You've gone off it already? In the words of Shelley, "I have drunken deep of joy and will taste no other wine tonight.
" What is that supposed to mean? I believe it means, who needs wine when you have joy in your life? Shelley killed himself before the age of 30, or so it's been said! It was also said that he was a great lover.
William, the wine! The wine! Oh, I don't mind.
If you don't have an invitation, I cannot let you in.
- It must be an oversight.
- I am afraid not.
Mr.
Firenzo and I are life-long friends.
That may be, but it does not change the fact - that you are not invited to this wedding.
- But And even if you were, you are too late.
Mr.
Firenzo's son is now married.
Good day.
- (INDISTINCT SPEAKING) - (CLINKING) Today is a special day, for it is the day that a son takes a wife.
It may have taken my son a long time to find her, but it was worth it.
Carissima Karina, it is my honour to welcome you to our family.
And now, to the wine! Now Enrico, you are not working today! - Si, si, amore.
- (LAUGHING) Today, we toast with a very special bottle.
If you bought it with money, it would have been a pittance.
Almost free.
It's the age and the vintage that have given this bottle its special character.
Its colour the blood of noblemen.
Its bouquet the scent of the earth.
And its legs that of the finest ballerina.
What about the taste, Papa? When are we gonna have that? Va bene, allow me the honour of the first taste, no? Hm.
(LAUGHING) Che cavalo! - What's wrong, Papa? - This wine it (EXCLAMATIONS OF SHOCK) - Enrico! Oh! - Papa! Enrico! He intended to pour everyone at the head table a glass from the same bottle.
(JULIA): So someone wanted the entire wedding party dead.
If the poisoning was by design.
There is plenty of wine left in the bottle.
Oh, good! I'll take that.
For testing, of course.
Was it a heart attack? I'm afraid not.
Then what? We suspect your brother may have been poisoned.
By the wine? But that is too cruel! Wine was his life! Please, sir, we'll be with you in a moment.
And his death, it would seem.
And what side of the family are you with? I think we can take them one at a time, Detective Watts.
No, that was an attempt at a witticism.
It certainly was that.
George.
Sir.
Once you've finished questioning the remaining guests, - you can let them go.
- Sir, I've already started.
Terrible shame, sir.
I mean, this happening on his son's wedding day.
It is, indeed.
I imagine, sir, it might put a bit of a damper on the honeymoon.
- The guests, George.
- Sir.
I have no idea where it came from.
Enrico was the expert.
Papa was always going on about wine.
None of it meant a thing to me.
It was all rather a bore until this.
He never told me a thing about that wine.
Oh, Enrico you were so I'm terribly sorry for your loss.
At least he got to see Ricardo wed before God took him.
I suspect God may have had help.
We believe the wine was poisoned.
But we were all to drink it.
Someone wanted to kill all of us? It's possible.
Does your family have enemies? Don't all families? This was supposed to be a blessed day, not a cursed one.
You have my sympathies.
Is it really possible that some fiend wanted us all dead? I think only your father.
Do you know where the wine came from? I would imagine his cellar.
Could you show me? His cellar is under lock and key.
I don't have access to it.
Who does? Mr.
Hatch.
My father's butler.
He shared more of his life with him than he did his own son.
Criminy! This is amazing! Please, - don't touch.
- Oh.
Oh, is that a Le Corton? Ooh.
Exceptional.
Mr.
Firenzo has bottles from over 50 châteaux, registered in the Appellation of 1855.
Good lord.
May I look around? Detective Watts? Are you sure now is a good time? Of course.
This place is sacred.
Mr.
Firenzo thought so as well.
No one other than he was permitted entrance.
No one? Are you sure? Well Mr.
Firenzo's supplier comes here from time to time, but only under strict supervision.
- Perhaps they shared a taste.
- Hm.
And his name? James Merchant.
He's the finest wine provisioner in all of Ontario.
In fact, all of Canada, I'd wager.
And how long has he been providing this service? Ever since I have been in Mr.
Firenzo's employ, at least 45 years.
Please, Detective Watts, do not touch.
Arsenic.
A poison that keeps its efficacy for generations.
So it could have been added any time? Yes, but if it was meant to kill Mr.
Firenzo, I imagine it was added more recently.
After it was opened.
That's for the detective.
Dr.
Ogden? Julia.
Since I finished my schooling, I You're looking for another job.
Only if you approve.
Of course I approve.
Thank you.
Professor Ferguson has been making inquiries on my behalf.
He seems to think that there might be a position for me at Queen of Mercy Hospital.
That's wonderful, Rebecca! Although I can't say I won't miss you.
- I haven't got it yet.
- But you will.
Don't be talking yourself down, Rebecca.
Mr.
Desmond.
My girl is gonna be a doctor.
- She already is one.
- A real one, workin' on live people.
No offence.
None taken.
It would appear Enrico was unfaithful.
You aren't familiar with this wine? Angolino.
No.
It is unfamiliar, and certainly not something I stock.
(SIGHING) Can you tell me anything about it? (SIGHING) It is an old bottle.
The label would suggest Italian, not French.
I could tell you more if it was the latter.
Why is that? Sadly, to understand the lineage of Italian wine, you have only your nose as a guide.
Now, the French, at least with regard to the wines of Bordeaux, are much easier to identify.
You are familiar with the Grand Appellation of 1855? I can't say that I am.
If this were French, the label would tell you exactly where and when the wine was bottled.
Oh.
All I can tell from a bottle of Italian wine is that it is well, Italian wine.
Well, it must be special.
If you say so.
Why do you say so? It was opened on the occasion of his only son's wedding.
It may not be special.
It may only have sentimental value, which is worthless.
Also, Detective Murdoch, if this wine had been of note, he certainly would have written about it.
That Mr.
Firenzo wrote regularly about wine in The Vine.
He was The Good Gentleman.
Certainly you have heard of him.
I'm afraid not.
The Vine is a quarterly dedicated to the appreciation of fine wine.
Mr.
Firenzo, under the guise of The Good Gentleman, would pen a column which was both entertaining and edifying.
If this wine had been of note, he certainly would have mentioned it.
Hm.
George, I need you to find out where this came from.
Oh, that should be easy enough, sir.
I think there are only three wine merchants in the city.
No, I mean the winery.
This label is obviously a painting of what I believe to be a winery in Italy, but there is no other information, save for the name Angolino.
Get yourself to the library and see if you can find a winery matching that name.
Sir! Right away! George, I must say, you seem in rather high spirits lately.
- I am.
- You think this is a democracy? Now, don't say a word! In fact, one more word out of the pair of you, I'll fire you quicker than Fred Spiksley scored against the Wolves back in '96.
Now, bugger off and make me a cup of tea.
Three sugars.
I think things are getting back to normal, sir.
The world is in her usual orbit.
(SIGHING) Save for Constable Jackson.
Well, I've been thinking about that, sir, and I think he died doing something that he loved, serving a cause that he believed in, a cause that you and I continue to serve.
I think he would have wanted that.
Indeed.
I'll be in touch upon my return from Italy.
(SNAPPING) This is interesting.
What's that? Enrico Firenzo was promising the unveiling of a scandal.
"The Revealing of a Charlatan of the Highest Order.
" A bit flowery.
You're familiar with this journal? Well, I would guess that any well-bred and informed I have many other interests that don't include imbibing.
Of course.
Now, who is this charlatan that the Good Gentleman was preparing to unmask? A man by the name of Baron Trotter.
- Interesting.
- Oh, he's not a real baron.
No.
Mr.
Hatch, the butler, said that a Mr.
Trotter was denied access to the wedding.
Well, that makes sense, especially if Mr.
Firenzo had accused him of creating illegitimate wine.
Illegitimate? Counterfeit wine, Detective Murdoch, and according to Firenzo, Mr.
Trotter has been doing it for years.
Right here, in Ontario.
Oh.
Wine is proof that God loves us and wants to see us happy.
I highly doubt that.
Oh, you reject the words of Benjamin Franklin? Even a clever man is capable of a bad idea.
No.
Wine, like any alcohol, is a depressant.
It hinders the mind.
But, "in wine there is truth.
" Pliny the Elder.
Writers and philosophers are seldom the best of judges, especially when it comes to alcohol.
Well, no one less than Louis Pasteur called wine "the most healthful and most hygienic of beverages.
" Is it that you don't enjoy the taste? Ah.
There he is.
(BIRDS CHIRPING) Oh, I was aware of the article, everyone was, and it was going to ruin me.
He was telling the truth? Of course not, but once declared a fraud by The Good Gentleman, I would've been powerless to fight the accusation.
I'd already had a number of orders cancelled.
(HORSE WHINNYING) Being a Canadian winemaker is not an easy business, and Mr.
Firenzo is intent on destroying me.
I don't think you can speak of him in the present tense any longer.
Mr.
Firenzo is dead.
Murdered, we believe.
He's dead? Yes.
Really? Dead? Oh, that is the most wonderful news.
Oh, thank you! Will his article still be coming out? (DRAMATIC SOUND INDICATION) I had nothing to do with the man's death.
Then why were you at the Firenzo estate? Mr.
Hatch, the Firenzo's butler, told us he escorted you off the property.
He did no such thing.
I left of my own accord.
Then why were you there? I was there to ask him to reconsider publishing his column.
Oh.
So, you are not a fraud? I didn't say that.
I can create a wine of as high a quality as any European.
And put it in fraudulent bottles.
No one would buy a wine created in Ontario! I created a fine wine at a fraction of the cost.
And do you charge a fraction of the price? I charged what the market would bear.
But on my word, I did not kill the man.
No matter how happy I might be that he's dead.
Detective Watts, why wasn't I asked to help with this? Oh, are you an aficionado of the grape, Inspector? Well, I don't mind the odd tipple if there's no scotch around.
French.
- Produced right here in Ontario, I'm afraid.
- Mm! Some time ago, I'd wager.
That's what we are about to find out.
I'll keep hold of this.
These labels are all new.
They've simply been bathed in tea to create the illusion of age.
It's a common forger's technique.
Now, this label was aged by time alone.
Also, unlike the labels from the bottles we obtained from Mr.
Trotter, this label was affixed with an adhesive no longer in use.
Current adhesives are all rubber-based.
This one is fish glue.
So the wine is as old as Mr.
Firenzo said it was.
So it would appear.
Well, then it follows that the arsenic was added at the time of its bottling.
Not necessarily.
This evening? I most certainly can.
Thank you! That was the hospital.
They want to interview me in person.
- Well, that is the normal course of events.
- Of course.
I'm just so excited! Well, perhaps you should try not to be.
Most patients don't want an excited doctor; they'd much prefer one that's calm and professional.
That is exactly what I will be.
Calm and professional.
(SINGING): I'm gonna be a doctor! (BOTH GIGGLING) Now, it would be possible to inject the arsenic through a new cork, but the old cork is completely dried out.
It would have been very difficult.
But not impossible.
No, although I believe your initial assessment to be correct.
The poison was added prior to bottling.
So this was a lottery? Years ago, someone poisoned a bottle of wine without ever knowing who would purchase it, but knowing they had just given someone a death sentence.
An unsolvable crime.
Well, no crime is unsolvable.
Some simply take longer than others.
(WATTS SIGHING) Though there is one thing that still confounds me.
And what's that? The idea that counterfeit wine exists at all.
After all, I doubt them to be that much different, one from the other.
They all use the same base ingredients.
Oof.
You can't be serious? I am.
Wait right there.
I'm going to show you how wrong you are.
(INDISTINCT SPEAKING) Well this certainly is a progressive hospital.
- That's one word for it.
- (SCOFFING) Thank you for your patience.
I wonder if I could have a word with Miss Rebecca James.
Of course.
Oh I see.
You see, that is a Right Bank Bordeaux.
Its component grape is the merlot, as opposed to the Cabernet Sauvignon found on the Left Bank that you drank earlier.
Do you notice the difference in sweetness? I think so, but - can I try the Left Bank one again? - Mm.
Oh, yes.
The difference is apparent, yes.
Now, this one is trickier.
A pinot noir versus a merlot.
Is that gooseberry? - More like red cherry.
- Oh.
"Wine can of their wits the wise beguile, the sage frolic and the serious smile.
" Oh! I can see it is doing just that.
Oh, my.
There we go.
(FURNITURE RATTLING) Shh! Julia! - William.
- You're still awake.
That's nice.
What are you reading? Oh, it's a new journal about kinesiology.
Fascinating.
Where have you been? At work.
William have you been drinking? I've been conducting a number of scientific experiments on alcohol.
And these experiments involved consuming the liquid? The results could only be judged orally.
Julia, do you know that there are several different varieties of wine? Each with its own characteristics! I did.
But it's not just red and white.
Although all wine is made from the grape, some retains notes of tobacco and prunes and mushrooms! Mushrooms, if you could believe that! Julia, do we have any here? Oh, ah I think you may have had enough for this evening.
No, just a tipple.
I think it's time for bed.
Bed! - Oh, I very much like that idea! - (GIGGLING) William! Oh! William William? (SNORING) A drop of tomato juice, one egg Ah.
Maybe two eggs.
(PHONE RINGING) A splash of hot sauce.
Well stirred and Bob's your uncle.
Right, then.
Get that down you and you'll be as right as rain within half an hour.
Trust me.
I've been there.
(SIGHING) So, did last night's investigations produce anything other than a throbbing headache? No.
Ah, I mean yes.
Ahh.
We determined that the wine was poisoned before it was bottled, but we may have been wrong.
Could someone remove the cork and replace it without damaging it? - Corkscrew leaves a hole.
- Yes, it does.
But when I got on the trolley, or maybe it was Doesn't matter.
- I started thinking.
- Of course you did.
What if someone were able to remove and replace the cork without damaging it? Could there be a device that would enable you to do such a thing? Of course there is.
Have a look.
(EXHALING SLOWLY) (CHUCKLING) Two prongs slide down either side of the cork enabling someone to remove the cork - without damaging it.
- Ah, so The same device could then be used to replace the cork, leaving little or no trace at all.
So, the arsenic was recently - added to the wine.
- Sirs.
- What's this? - Another of Murdoch's inventions.
I just came up with it.
- I've seen something just like it.
- What? - Where? - Mr.
Hatch, the butler.
I saw him using one.
A new invention, eh? Looks like someone beat you to it, me ol' mucker.
You told us you kept this place under lock and key.
We can see very well what you are doing.
What do you want? We'd like you to accompany us to the station house.
We have some things we'd like to discuss.
What things? We believe you to have been in possession of a device crucial in the poisoning of your employer.
He was more than an employer.
He was a lifelong friend.
Well, that may be, Mr.
Hatch, but we still have questions.
What are you doing with him? - Make way, Mr.
Firenzo.
- He did it? He killed my father? After all he did for you? - This is how you repay him? - That's enough, Mr.
Firenzo.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC) Yes? Yes, it's mine.
That concerns us, Mr.
Hatch.
As does the fact that we found you in the selfsame cellar you claim never to set foot in.
I know how it looks.
I sneak down there and pop some poison into that bottle, yes? That is how it looks.
The thing is, I didn't.
Then why do you own one of these devices? To steal wine.
That's why the thing's invented.
You expect us to believe that? In the words of Diogenes, "What I like to drink most is wine that belongs to others.
" Ahem.
How long have you been stealing Mr.
Firenzo's wine? Since the beginning.
The man was kind to me but he paid me a pittance.
So, I helped myself to the occasional mouthful.
And, what? Replaced it with some malmsey? Surely he would notice.
Firenzo thought himself an expert but his palette was hardly without flaw.
One time, he said an 1870 Lafite - had notes of saffron.
- Hah! So, you lied to the police.
A man has been murdered and you lied to us.
It was only a little lie.
I didn't want to tell you I'd been, uh naughty.
So, you know Firenzo's cellar.
What can you tell us about this bottle? Yes, I recognize it.
- He'd had it for some time.
- How long? I don't know precisely.
You see, the current house is only 40 years old.
Before that, Mr.
Firenzo's cellar was only a few crates stacked up on a dirt floor.
But it's at least 40 years old.
Yes.
It was there from the beginning.
You know, I'd, ah I'd considered tasting it myself many times, but I could never discern its provenance.
Imagine if I had! (LAUGHING) (RAPID FOOTSTEPS) Professor Ferguson said he told them about me.
Well, you should've seen the man's face when he saw what colour I was.
Rebecca, I'm so sorry.
The man had the gall to tell me that my presence might upset the other patients.
What was his name? I know people at Queen of Mercy, I'll talk to someone.
You know that won't change a thing.
The doctors there are more likely to share his view than yours.
You can stay here.
I'll bring you on full time.
I suppose our patients won't mind my presence.
But no.
Thank you all the same, Dr.
Ogden.
It's important work we do here, Rebecca.
Even though our patients may be dead, - our work saves lives.
- I know but it's my dream to work with people face to face; to help ordinary people, people who need me, people I'll know for the rest of our lives.
(FOOTSTEPS) Once more, the inebriated mind proves its worth.
"Wine makes a man mistake words for thoughts.
" Who said that? Samuel Johnson.
Johnson, really? I swear Boswell labelled him a drinker.
Perhaps he was more of an ale man.
At any rate, we are no further ahead than we were last night.
Now, hold on, Murdoch.
Just because that butler says he didn't do it, doesn't mean he didn't do it.
Yes, but we have no proof.
At least the butler confirmed the age of the bottle.
But we still don't know its provenance, nor can we say with any certainty when it was poisoned.
Sirs, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm not convinced this wine is what it pretends to be.
Why do you say that, George? Sir, I've been through the catalogue of every wine enthusiast in this city.
I've examined thousands of bottles of wine.
I've read through lists of hundreds of wineries.
- I've even telegraphed with experts in Italy.
- Alright, Crabtree.
No need to relive every heart-stopping moment.
Sir, my point is as far as I can tell, Angolino wine doesn't exist.
So, it's a fake.
I believe so.
A new wine masquerading in an old bottle makes sense for the murder, but But the butler claimed that it's been in his cellar at least 40 years.
Could he be lying? I don't see what he could stand to gain from it.
He's lied to us before.
Perhaps he's hiding something.
I have an idea.
I believe there is a way to determine the age of the liquid inside the bottle.
I had the identical thought, Detective, - and I know just the man.
- Man? Someone who can unlock the truths that lurk in the depths of the bottle.
I don't believe that will be necessary, nor will it be reliable.
I intend to prove it scientifically.
What? How? Spectroscopic analysis.
Ah, yes.
Not reliable in my experience.
How's it meant to help us? By comparing the wine in question to the light profile of other wines of varying ages, we'll be able to discern precisely how old it is.
The older the wine, presumably the lighter the colour, thanks to the blanching effect of sunlight.
But it was kept in a cellar.
Depending on conditions, two bottles of the same provenance could be wildly different.
There's absolutely no way to determine Thank you, Detective.
- Please.
- Alright.
Ready? Yes.
(FAST-PACED PIANO MUSIC) It's a four point three.
It's a five point two.
Eight point five.
Well they are all different.
Really - Every grape, every year, every bottle.
- You don't say.
It compares to an 1880 merlot, a 1902 tempranillo and - several others.
- Well! I suppose you told us so, Detective.
Alright.
- Call in your expert.
- Ah, not my expert.
My sommelier.
"Sommelier"! Detective, may I introduce Jean Michel LaRoche Couture III.
Le vin, s'il vous plaît.
Mon temps est précieux.
Ainsi que le mien, Monsieur Couture.
Ne le gaspillons pas.
I see you know the language, but not the wine.
How do we know you'll be able to determine the vintage? Were you the same at 13 as you were at 30? Just as a man changes over time, so too does a wine.
And you can see these changes at a mere glance? Well, this eye has decades of training, Detective.
This is the finest eye in North America; one of the finest in the world.
This is the wine in question.
Oh, my.
It's quite old.
45 years if it's a day.
45? So 1860 then? If only an eye test could establish provenance.
That's not a problem.
I can tell you what it is from a small taste.
No.
No.
No.
This wine has been laced with arsenic.
Oh, my.
That will make it difficult.
Some of the subtleties may be overshadowed by the adulterant.
This is a fox grape.
Catawba, I would venture, but as I say, the subtleties may be obscured.
So where is Catawba grown? Catawba is from right here.
This wine is not from Italy, it's from Ontario.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC) There are over 35 wineries active at present in Ontario, but only one of them goes back as far as 1860.
Barker Family Wines and Spirits.
"Barker Wine.
" Lacks a certain je ne sais quoi.
Does Barker use fox grapes? Well, sir, as I understand it, nearly all indigenous grapes are fox grapes, but the variety in question, Catawba, only grow in certain soil conditions, such as the area around the Firenzo estate.
So the vintner could be local, then.
Well, that makes sense.
A neighbour, a friend.
Someone he knew who had intended to kill him back in 1860.
Except none of the Catawba-growing wineries go back that far.
Well, perhaps it's one that existed then but doesn't now.
I'll go to City Records and get any files that might be of interest.
But we can comb through them back here, Constable.
No.
Let's meet halfway.
Café Lorraine.
This is work to be done over a glass of fine red.
Ah I'd invite you to join us, Detective, but well, perhaps it's best you stay on the watercart.
I love you for not giving up, Rebecca.
But? I'm just wonderin' how long you're plannin' on not givin' up for.
- You don't think I'll succeed? - I know you will! But even Rebecca James can't change the world overnight.
Well, I don't care how long it takes! I'll be a doctor even if I have to wait for the whole world to catch up.
Alright then.
In the meantime, I'll stay on at the morgue.
No, you won't.
We can make do on my wage.
I want you spending every waking hour going after what you're going after.
Now, what we really need is for all them white doctors to disappear, just for one day.
Once people give Doctor Rebecca James a try, they'd never let another doctor see them the rest of their lives.
How would you know? You won't even let me take a look at that cut you got on your elbow.
This little scratch? Oh, come on, girl.
(BIRDS CHIRPING) Murdoch, we found it! - Murdoch! - We oh! Sorry, sir.
I'm not drunk.
- Oh, really? - We had a few.
- Just speak for yourself.
- I had half a glass.
Well, two half a glasses.
May I ask exactly what it is you two have found? Look here.
Business license application for a winery.
Filed in 1859.
All the details line up, sir.
It's the right region for Catawba.
- Who is the owner? - Unfortunately, the form is incomplete.
- It's blank.
- Yeah.
There's one intriguing detail, though, sir.
Have a look at where the address is.
Avalon Road.
Where is that? Steady, Crabtree! The Avalon Road, sir, is now known as Rural Road 2, and it intersects with this laneway.
On which sits the Firenzo estate.
So the winery is right around the corner.
A neighbour.
Shall we? Oy, Crabtree! Where do you think you're going? Well, sir, we're off to This is my favourite part.
We're off to catch the culprit.
I mean, there might be a chase or a a tearful, heartfelt confession.
- You're not going anywhere.
- What? Sir, perhaps I deserve to be punished for drinking on the job, but I hope you will consider that it was Detective Watts' idea.
You're not about to be punished.
Sit down.
I need someone to help me kill this bottle.
Awful business, drinking alone.
Oh! From here, you can see the neighbouring lot.
There is nothing here, - certainly no winery.
- What about in 1860? - Do you recall? - I married Enrico in 1864.
There was nothing here back then.
The map.
Did you bring the map? In the carriage.
Mrs.
Firenzo, if this is Avalon Road, what's this building here? Our home, surely.
This is our estate.
Begging your pardon, but your home is located much further west along Avalon Road.
Here.
Oh, of course.
This map was made before the new house was built.
The old house was in the east end of the property.
- So none of this was here.
- No.
(DRAMATIC SOUND INDICATION) This is it.
The label.
The image on the bottle.
What? Impossible.
Look.
In 1860, the home was located much further along Avalon Road.
When he built the new house, the address changed.
The Firenzo estate is the vineyard.
The wine was made here! So, it was special because he made it himself.
But what can that mean? He made a batch of wine, forgot he poisoned a bottle, and drank it? Not something you'd be likely to forget.
This doesn't make any sense.
My husband never made any wine.
No.
You didn't know him then.
This was four years before you married.
Who knew him back then? Likely someone who was close to him.
Someone close to the wine.
Detective, I believe we have the identical thought.
I told you, I didn't kill the old boy.
Well, someone did, and that someone knew him in 1860.
If not you, who? 1860? Most of the people who knew him back then are probably dead by now.
Except (BIRDS CHIRPING) Oh! Good afternoon, gentlemen.
I suppose you're here to take me away? You know why we're here? - Of course.
- You poisoned your brother.
Why? He and I were partners but it was me who poured my heart and soul into our business, into our wine.
Enrico took one sip and he spat it out.
He said, "No one would ever drink this!" You were going to pass it off as Italian.
I tried to tell him that we could use the profits to make a better wine the next year.
But he wouldn't listen.
He drained every single cask.
I was left with nothing! Well, not quite nothing.
You had a bottle.
Mr.
Firenzo, you realize we are going to have to arrest you.
Of course but allow me a drink? No! Wait! Don't worry, Detective.
The second bottle was never poisoned.
In fact, it has aged quite nicely.
Would you like a taste? That's quite enough, Mr.
Firenzo.
You're coming with us.
(SWISHING) Mm! You see? All we needed was time.
Not half bad.
As I'm sure you've guessed, I have good news to announce.
I've taken a position as a physician.
That's so wonderful! What hospital? No hospital.
In fact, Nate and I are leaving the city altogether.
Oh.
I'm sorry to hear that, Miss James.
Doctor James! Quite right.
Doctor James.
Where will you be going? Well, it was Nate's idea.
If the city of Toronto doesn't need a doctor, I'll go somewhere that does.
I have cousins in Chatham.
They're always short of physicians.
When she telephoned to suggest it, they all almost lost their heads! Congratulations, Doctor.
Thank you, Constable.
I have to admit my disappointment.
It felt like things were just getting back to normal, and now we're losing a colleague.
You've acquitted yourself admirably these last two years.
The morgue won't be the same without you.
The inspector is quite right.
Perhaps we'll call on you if we ever find ourselves short of an investigator.
There's always a place for you here.
I couldn't have done any of this without you, Julia.
That's not true.
It may have taken you longer without my help, but you were always going to be a doctor, Rebecca.
Thank you.
- To Doctor James.
- Here, here.
- Here, here.
- Cheers.
I must admit, I'm happy to have another wine drinker in the house.
Oh, no! You've gone off it already? In the words of Shelley, "I have drunken deep of joy and will taste no other wine tonight.
" What is that supposed to mean? I believe it means, who needs wine when you have joy in your life? Shelley killed himself before the age of 30, or so it's been said! It was also said that he was a great lover.
William, the wine! The wine! Oh, I don't mind.