Murdoch Mysteries opens as a young woman (Alex Paxton-Beesley) stumbles out from a storefront. She looks pale and tired. As she stops to collect herself, she dabs at her eyes. Looking down at her handkerchief, it is dabbed with blood. Her eyes are bleeding.
Meanwhile at Station House 4, Dr. Ogden (Helene Joy) enters Detective Murdoch’s (Yannick Bisson) office. Before the police officer can say anything, she throws her arms around his neck, planting a passionate kiss on his lips. It turns out, she has a present for him. Murdoch is practically giddy as he opens the box and finds a new bullet extractor. It’s the latest model. Dr. Ogden knows him too well. However, the moment is ruined by the appearance of Constable Higgins (Lachlan Murdoch). They’re needed.
They climb out of a carriage down by the river. Dr. Ogden immediately sets to work on the body of a young woman who was found floating in the water.
Later, as the team huddles at the Station House, an older woman (Vickie Papavs) arrives. It turns out, the body is that of her daughter Lily. While the girl’s cause of death is apparently inconclusive, it is clear that Lily did not die of natural causes.
Finally receiving a lead, the team sets to interviewing their persons of interest. In fact, they discover that on the day of her death, Lily had lost her job. While leaving the Bixby Assurance Corporation, she mentioned that she was going to visit her family physician, Dr. Tash (Steven McCarthy). However, upon speaking with the man, they discover that she never made it. Furthermore, she didn’t even have an appointment.
Later, Dr. Ogden arrives with more post-mortem results. Upon further examination, she learned that Lily was eight weeks pregnant at the time of her death. Suddenly, a new line of questioning opens to them. Could her death have resulted from an abortion, or perhaps a jealous boyfriend?
Upon visiting Lily’s house once again, Murdoch and Constable Crabtree (Jonny Harris) discover a tin of “female regulators” hidden in her room. The pills point them to Countess Fousta or “Sally Smoot” (Mary Walsh) as Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig) addresses her when she arrives for questioning.
Sally directs them to Dr. Fitch (Ian D. Clark). Rumors circulate that the man is actually a local abortionist. While Dr. Fitch pleads his innocence, he recommends they should return to question Dr. Tash. However, this is not what Detective Murdoch wanted to hear. It turns out, Dr. Tash is a close friend of Dr. Ogden, who insists the doctor is above reproach. As Murdoch arrives to speak with Dr. Tash, he’s surprised to see Dr. Ogden leaving the office.
Returning to the Station, Constable Crabtree has an update. It turns out, Lily wore a bracelet at the time of her death. While further investigating the bracelet, it leads straight back to Lily’s employer, Mr. Bixby (Anthony Lemke). As a matter of fact, the insurance executive had given identical bracelets to each of his secretaries. Could he be the father of Lily’s baby?
Meanwhile, Dr. Ogden visits Sally in the jail cells. While the two women talk, Smoot informs Dr. Ogden about some of the chemicals used to induce an abortion. It turns out, there are certain oils which cause massive hemorrhaging when consumed. Could Lily have tried one of these old fashioned remedies?
After questioning Fitch further, Murdoch learns that Lily collapsed on his doorstep on the verge of death. There was little the Doctor could do, short of simply holding her hand as she passed. However, when Lily died, it was Fitch who disposed of her nude body in the river, not even bothering to report her death.
Not satisfied with the easy solution, Murdoch pays another visit to Dr. Tash. With Detective Murdoch forcing him, Tash tells him everything. Tash admits to performing abortions. He adds that he refuses to turn away a woman in need. The Doctor sits down, having made his admission. The next move is up to Detective Murdoch.
As the episode comes to a close, Dr. Ogden and Murdoch sit together on a park bench. Faced with everything, Julia tells William more about her relationship with Dr. Tash. It turns out, she underwent an abortion when she found herself pregnant while in medical school. Tash initially declined to help her, and a desperate Julia went somewhere else. However, the nightmarish abortion left her on the verge of death. It was Dr. Tash who saved her life. Julia makes one thing clear as the emotion builds in William’s face, she doesn’t regret the abortion. Unable to comprehend this, William is rendered silent as Julia leaves him alone with his thoughts.
Murdoch Mysteries airs Monday nights on CBC. Viewers in the United States can watch new episodes on Ovation as The Artful Detective. Previous seasons are available on Netflix.
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