School Ties, School Lies

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THANK YOU.

- Ahem!

Which is the other reason I work hand-in-hand with the coroner.

Look at that!

- (girl): Ew!

Is that an eyeball?

- Post-mortem exams serve the dual purpose of benefiting the bereaved... Look at this.

This is a heart.

...while providing City Hall with answers...

Listen, ladies.

I'm gonna level with you: medicine is a boys' club.

Men don't want us in the operating rooms... ...or their mortuaries.

But befriend your maths and sciences... (grunting with effort) ...and one day, they won't be able to keep us out.

- Hello.

Question.

Do yourself or the coroner ever make mistakes in your... post-mortem exams?

- Mistakes?

- Errors, inaccuracies, oversights.

- Yes.

- You do?

- No.

I mean, yes, I understand the question.

- Oh, so you never make mistakes?

- I never said that.

- A yes then.

Which leads me to ask how mistakes get corrected.

Does-- - Thank you, Roya, for demonstrating just how inquisitive Briarlane pupils are to Miss Chakowitz.

A round of applause for our guest speaker.

- Ha ha!

- Miss Chakowitz!

Excuse me.

I petitioned you to speak today, but none of my questions were answered.

- Oh, so you're the reason I missed a half day of work.

Not that I'm complaining.

No bones about it.

Hahaha!

My name's Flo.

What's on your mind?

Oh!

Dame in a lab coat, my kind of gal.

- Her name is... was Miss Henning.

She was my science teacher.

She died two days ago here at Briarlane.

- I'm sorry.

Seems like she meant a lot to you.

- She meant the world.

They said her death was an accident.

- Who did?

- Everyone!

The police, Principal Mayfair, but, most concerning, your boss, Dr. Thomson.

He stated, "Death due to advanced state of inebriation" and "a steep stair fall."

- Seems like she drank a little too much alcohol and fell down the stairs.

- Impossible!

- If I had a dollar for every "impossible" that ended up on my slab, I'd have enough money to send myself to this fancy school.

- But Miss Henning never drank, said the taste didn't agree with her.

Something else happened.

The coroner won't return any calls, nor the police.

Principal Mayfair said it's best to just carry on.

But I can't.

Will you help me?

- I have an even better idea, kid.

Let's go!

More holes in this coroner's report than Swiss cheese.

- What were you saying about the alcohol level in her system, Flo?

- Negligible.

She was sober.

Blood doesn't lie.

- There's wine stains on her blouse and her pants.

- Maybe someone wanted it to look like she was drinking.

- (Frankie): She wasn't alone when she died.

This looks like a head wound or a bruise.

- But what about all the other bruises?

Didn't she fall down the stairs?

- That's what the police report says.

- Well, how do you fall down a staircase and not have bruises all over?

- The only way you can: she was already dead when she "fell."

- (Flo): Seems that way.

Dead bodies don't bruise the same way the living do.

- Our murderer didn't know that when they staged this cover-up.

- A murder cover-up at Briarlane?

- Someone wanted this woman dead, we need to find out why.

- (girl): I knew it!

- I told her to wait in the car.

- (Trudy): How?

Who?

How'd she get in here?

♪ - So you're taking the case, Miss Drake?

Shall we start immediately?

Oh, I just can't wait!

(theme music) (woman scat singing) ♪ I've never been a part of a detective investigation before.

Pardon me: a murder investigation.

- It's not exactly something to be excited about.

- What do we do first?

- We?!

- Why don't you tell us about Briarlane?

- Founded in 1886 as a Church of England Ladies' College.

- OK, we can jump ahead a little bit.

You mentioned that Miss Henning was new?

- Yes.

She's from British Columbia.

Said the only thing she missed from home was the mountains.

- When you said everyone adored her, is there anyone that didn't like her?

- No.

She was perfect.

She wanted us to fall in love with science.

- Girls, the important thing is to never stop questioning.

Somewhere, something incredible is just waiting for you to discover it.

Might be on a faraway continent or right under your fingertips.

- (Roya): I used to think that spiders were icky, but under the microscope, Miss Henning showed us how beautiful they were.

So, I stopped killing spiders.

- Oh, that's a lovely story, Roya.

But can you tell us who has access to the school grounds?

- Only teachers.

Our gates are locked at night.

- So, I'll need to question the staff.

- Mm-hm.

- I know!

We should go talk to Miss Spring.

She was Miss Henning's best friend.

- OK. Well, that's a great tip, but why don't you let Trudy and I do a little digging and you can... go back to class and be our "inside woman."

- You know, that's a good idea.

Briar girls will open up to you more than to two strangers, so then maybe you could tell us if they know anything about what happened.

- Would that most help the case?

- Yes.

- Then I suppose, bye for now.

- Looks like it's gonna take more than busy work to keep her out of our hair.

- Her death was a tragedy, indeed.

- Yet, you told the students to just carry on.

- There is enough gloom in the world.

Students deserve a reprieve while at school.

- Of course.

How benevolent.

- What I don't understand is why the... the two of you are investigating an accident.

- Because we believe that it was a murder.

- Murder?

But why?

Miss Henning was adored, our most progressive thinker.

It was a... it was a real catch to get her here at Briarlane.

- Was there anyone who wasn't a fan of her progressive thinking?

- That... would be Ebenezer Black.

- I'm sorry I haven't the time for your questions.

I'm far too behind with my lesson.

- Ebenezer, that's in the Bible.

"Stone of help"?

First Samuel, Chapter 7.

- Verse 12.

(bell ringing) You're a churchgoer, Miss...?

- Clarke.

Yes, I am.

Every Sunday.

It'll only be a few questions, truly.

- I detested Henning.

Loathed actually.

- Well, you don't mince words.

- Georgia was not a God-fearing woman.

Filth she taught was poisoning our students' minds and... souls.

- What kind of filth?

- Teaching evolutionary theory... ...disrupts Briarlane's religious values.

Man was made in God's image -- not this natural selection balderdash!

- Well, now that she's gone, you've taken over her classes; is that correct?

- Yes.

It's about time someone steered these pupils back to God's single truth.

- No one ever likes this next question, but where were you two nights ago?

- You think I....?

Murder is a sin, Miss Drake.

- As I know your "Good Book" states, yet murder still happens.

Were you on school grounds?

- No.

I was with my church group, leading prayer.

- Well, we'd appreciate a name and address.

- If it was anyone here, it was Mayfair.

Man spent hours on the telephone persuading other schools to hire her.

He wanted her out of Briarlane.

(impact of book on floor) - Georgia was like my sister.

- Our deepest sympathies, Miss Spring.

- Thank you.

It's such a relief that you two are here.

This was no accident.

Briarlane's teacher code of conduct forbids alcohol.

If Georgia would have been breaking the rules, I'd have known about it.

- What else does the conduct ban?

- Oh.

Men, marriage, perfume, cigarettes... wearing bright colours, hair dye, loitering in ice cream parlours.

- Pfft.

Tight ship.

- Yeah.

- Anything else that makes you think this wasn't an accident?

- Georgia didn't really fit in.

She was determined to be a great teacher, and other teachers punished her for that.

- Punished her how?

- Quarrels, stolen lunches... One of her microscopes was smashed.

This is the staircase where her body was found.

- We're gonna need to see inside her room.

- Where did you learn to pick locks?

- Not in school.

- Alright.

Well, no sign of a struggle.

Oh.... she has expensive taste.

- A fan.

Cosmetics.

Gloves.

- Nothing out of the ordinary.

- Except for this: a gala ticket to the King Eddy.

Cost her $60.

- That's two months' wages.

- If she couldn't afford that, who would buy it for her?

- I wouldn't know.

- This drawer's locked.

- There's a key around here somewhere.

Georgia kept her mark books: grades went out a month ago.

- "Academic Excellence Award 1919."

- Look at this.

Doesn't that kind of look like the marking we saw from the coroner's photos?

- Hmm... You think this could be the murder weapon?

(jazz music) - Let's get it to Flo.

- Two wine glasses: one with lipstick and one without.

- Was Georgia dating anyone?

- Boyfriends are forbidden.

- So are cosmetics and galas, but... - None of this makes any sense.

- Well, sometimes, best friends have secrets.

- Georgia seemed to have a lot of them.

Just need to find out which one killed her.

- Brr!

Never saw that pierced before.

Roya!

Shouldn't you be in class?

Help me out with this body.

- Really?

- As long as you have a strong stomach.

Oof!

Or you can tell me what's bothering you and I can help you out.

- You can't.

- Try me.

- Frankie asked me to talk to Briar girls to help her solve the case.

Thing is, they're not gonna talk to me.

- Why is that?

- Because they don't like me.

They call me names and laugh, especially the popular girls.

- So you're worried about letting down Frankie and your late teacher?

Being as I'm the only adult in the room -- living adult -- I suppose it's my job to impart some wholesome wisdom.

- Be kind, practice forgiveness.

- Ah, forget about that.

Kindness is wasted on sour people.

But you know what isn't?

- What?

- Flattery.

Compliment them and they'll tell you anything you need.

All popular people want is to be told how wonderful they are.

Tell them that and they'll tell you everything.

Promise.

Us bearcats need to stick together.

- What's a bearcat?

- The only thing you're ever gonna want to be called.

It means you're a tough gal who doesn't take no for an answer.

♪ - Mr. Jacott, as I've now thrice mentioned, it is against the law to delay maintenance payments to your wife and children.

- Ex-wife.

No woman's getting my money.

- If... if you refuse Miss Shaw's request-- - What are you gonna do about it, doughboy?

(woman screaming) - (woman): Stop him!

Stop him!

- (man): Thief!

- (Shaw): Arnie, get him!

♪ - Ah!

(people gasping) - Thought you'd get away with it, didn't you?

- Looks like this young man didn't count on us being here.

- I'd say it's a good thing I showed up.

- (Flo): I'll let you gals know if the trophy's measurements align with the wound in the photo.

- I would be lost without you, Flo.

- I can't argue with that.

I've seen you poke yourself with a protractor.

(Frankie chuckling) - Right, I was thinking, "If Mayfair couldn't get another school to hire "Miss Henning, why not just fire her?

Why resort to murder?"

- To save his reputation?

His status?

♪ - (Roya): Ladies!

I must say, I've rather taken a liking to detective-ing.

- Oh, yeah?

What have you found out?

- I spoke to Virg, who talked to Maria, who heard from B, who knew from Viv-- - Sounds like private school broken telephone.

- Except this message isn't broken.

Viv saw Leona Wallace at evening prayers Monday night.

- And this is news because...?

- Leona spends Monday evenings being tutored by Miss Henning, but halfway through prayers, she showed up scared.

- OK. Well, we need to find this Leona and have a chat with her.

- She boards at the school; I can take you to her dorm.

- Good job, little bearcat.

- Great!

So while you two track down Leona, I'll get to the bottom of the King Eddy gala ticket.

- Ooh!

King Eddy's by me, split a taxicab?

- Mm-hm.

- Oh, wait, wait, no, no, no.

I...

I'm sorry.

You're... you're not leaving me alone with her, are you?

- You'll be fine, kids are easy.

- You're great with my younger siblings.

- That's different!

That's your family.

She's... - Headstrong, unruly and pops up uninvited?

- Ooh!

Sounds like someone else we know.

(Flo laughing) - Toodleloo.

(door opening and closing) (indistinct chatter) - (man): If you laid off the sweets, Arnie, you'd be fit enough to do your job.

- Sorry, sir.

- Lucky for me, Scarrow was on patrol, caught the heister before he got away.

- Thank you, Chief.

Just trying to be a valuable part of the team.

- Actually, Mary was pretty valuable.

- (Chief): What were you saying, Arnie?

- Nothing, sir.

Nothing.

♪ - (Frankie): Alright, let's see which one of these is her room.

204!

Maybe she's at the library.

- Leona in a library?

Never.

Sometimes I do this when I forget my own key.

(clinking) Do you want me to show you how I did that?

- Maybe another time.

- What a mess!

Her clothes are all over the place.

- Looks like she started packing a suitcase but didn't finish.

Look.

It's a short jump to the ground.

She must have ran away in a hurry.

- Ran away?

From what?

- Some kind of trouble.

We have to tell Principal Mayfair that Leona's missing.

- Good thinking!

I'm just going to hide behind this potted palm.

If Mayfair sees me, he'll make me go back to class.

♪ - You told me you were on lunch.

- Miss Drake?

We didn't have an appointment.

- Am I interrupting?

- Love the pants.

- This is the private investigator I was telling you about, Edith.

- Oh!

Georgia was formidable.

If foul play had anything to do with her death, you must find the perpetrator.

- Miss Paltry is head of Parent-Teacher Association.

She and I were just discussing the details of Miss Henning's school wake.

- I thought you wanted to protect the children.

- The children deserve a proper goodbye.

My Gwendoline took the news hard.

- I'm afraid that I have some news of my own.

Seems that Leona Wallace has run away.

She was with Miss Henning the night that she died.

It's possible that she saw something.

- Oh, good Lord!

- Let's all just stay calm.

I-I have the, uh, the attendance records... ...right here.

- Oh, my!

She has indeed been missing since Tuesday morning.

We've all been so... distracted.

I'll call the police.

- If Leona's missing, I can find her.

- You?

Not a chance.

- By the time the police get here, Leona could be hurt or worse.

And you've already had one death at your school.

- I agree with Miss Drake.

She can work quickly and be discreet.

We don't want to cause panic at Briarlane.

- I can give you 'til end of day.

- It's more than enough time.

Roya?

(sniffling noises) Roya!

What's wrong?

- Nothing.

I'm just...

I'm scared, alright?

I heard you tell Principal Mayfair Leona could be hurt, or worse.

Worse always means dead!

- I'm sorry you had to hear that.

You know, when I was a kid, I was scared of quicksand.

I was terrified of it.

A few years ago, I found myself in the Sahara and...

I ended up stepping in it.

Do you know what I discovered?

- What?

- It's just mud.

Regular old mud.

Sometimes, the things that we think are the most scary really aren't scary at all.

Now, we have a job to do and I need you to help me as my partner.

So, do you have any idea where Leona could be?

- Afraid not.

I didn't really know her.

- Hmm... Do... do you know any upper levels?

- No, I... Oh!

My old tutor.

She would meet friends at Quon's Diner.

Do you know it?

- I do.

Come on.

- (Arnie) "Fitness test"?

- Chief went a little overboard.

It ain't nothing you can't handle, Arnie.

'Course if you handled yourself this morning as well as you handled the piece of cake... ...then we wouldn't be in this mess right now.

Hey, Arnie, you remember how to do a push-up, don't you?

Or am I gonna have to stop and save your sorry self again?

- It's best just to ignore Scarrow.

- The way he ignored you this morning?

Sorry, Mary.

You're lucky you're just a morality officer.

Chief's not subjecting you to push-ups in public.

- Right.

Lucky me.

- (man): Hello, there, Tommy!

How ya doing?

- I don't see Leona anywhere.

But I see Flo!

- Good news.

The trophy is a definite match to the wound in the photo.

Miss Henning died of a nasty head wound, no doubt about it.

- Nice work, Flo!

We're here looking for a potential suspect.

A runaway who apparently likes to come here.

- I saw some Briar girls at that table over there... ...giggling a short while ago.

- Roya's age or older?

- Older, definitely.

- So now what?

We just wait?

- Take the break when it comes, kid.

Let Frankie think.

I spent half of my school days at a table like this with my girlfriends.

- Let me guess: one soda, three straws?

- Did nothing but boy talk.

- How on Earth is soda enough for three girls?

- You guys do this as well?

- Oh, of course.

For every beau.

- Frankie, look!

"L.W."

That could be Leona Wallace!

- (Frankie): Hm.

- So who's H.C. the third?

- Leona's smitten with Howard Clifton the third.

Smells like vinegar.

- Hey, Bearcats don't judge another gal's choices, sweetheart.

- Sorry, Flo.

Frankie, if Leona's with Howard, I know where she might be!

- Well, let's go!

♪ - Howard's the only person I know who likes to show off by the...

There!

- OK. You better let me do the talking.

- (Roya): Leona!

We wanna talk to you!

- (Frankie): Leona!

- (man): Easy now!

There, there.

Hey!

- I'm a private detective.

I need to ask you some questions about Miss Henning.

- I'm not talking to anyone.

Howie?

- Come on, Leona, let's scram.

- You keep running because you're scared, but sometimes what seems scary truly isn't in the end.

Please, you owe it to Miss Henning.

- I went to tutoring as usual.

- Where?

- In Miss Henning's apartment.

We needed a microscope.

- Now, Leona: notice how these cells are much larger... - (Leona): All of a sudden, a man was banging on Miss Henning's door.

- (man): Georgia!

(loud banging) I know you're in there!

- Leona, I think it's best you head to prayers now.

- Miss Henning, I'll go get help!

- No, no, dear.

I know him.

It's... personal.

Uh, let me help you with this window.

- (Roya): You went through a window?

- I did.

I lingered a bit to listen to the argument, but I couldn't hear what they were saying.

The next morning, Miss Henning was dead.

- Did you recognize the voice?

- No.

But I worried if the man had heard me or seen me.

I was so scared, I couldn't stay at Briarlane.

I've been staying with Howard since.

- We didn't know who to trust.

- Well, you can trust me.

(lively jazz music) (indistinct chatter) - That's him.

The one in the concierge uniform.

- Yep!

- Mr. Yao.

- Hello!

- Thanks for coming.

- Much appreciated How may I help?

- This woman, she was at the King Eddy.

The gala tickets were $60.

- It was for St. Michael's Hospital.

A fundraiser.

Yes, I recognize her.

She has the most piercing grey eyes.

Matched Mr. Clyde's cravat.

- Mr. Clyde?

- Chester Clyde, eldest son and heir to the Clyde mink furrier fortune.

- Ooh, you kill enough helpless animals, you build a fortune.

This world sometimes.

- Those two were very much in love.

Arm in arm all night.

- Looks like teacher has a not-so-secret boyfriend.

- And now we know his not-so-secret name: Chester Clyde.

Thanks.

- If Miss Henning and Mr. Clyde were in a secret relationship, it would explain the expensive gifts.

- Which also explains why Leona was excused from tutoring.

- A boyfriend would get her fired.

- So what happened that night after they looked so in love at the gala?

- I think it's time to pay Mr. Clyde a visit.

- Stole the words right out of my mouth.

- Goodie!

Let's go!

- No.

You are going back to school.

You've missed enough class.

- Hey there, stranger.

- Oh, we worried about you.

- I'm sorry for my absence, ladies.

I've been having a heck of a time at work.

- What's going on?

- Well... ...yesterday, I stopped a criminal - all by myself, me - and he was a quick one too!

- Let me guess: you did all the hard work and a man took the praise?

- Afraid so.

Officer Scarrow, he made the arrest, so he takes the credit.

- But that's not fair.

- Well, I suppose I should look for the silver lining.

Kudos or not, one more criminal is off the streets.

- The silver lining is you getting your due, Mary.

- Hm.

That makes two of us.

- Three.

But right now, we have to talk to a mink heir.

- Yes, absolutely!

Go!

Case comes first.

When I whacked him, Flo, I felt this incredible rush.

- Oh, yeah, that'd be the adrenaline.

- Yes!

It was like I was just a regular police officer doing my everyday job.

- If you want to do everyday police work, then go be a police officer.

- Hmm.

If only.

Regulation doesn't allow it -- being a woman and all.

At least not in this country.

- You remind me of James Stuart Barry.

Miss Henning told us about him.

He was in the army.

A surgeon too.

- Mm-hm.

Is he single?

- He's dead.

- Hm.

All the best ones are.

- Well, he sounds like quite the accomplished man.

- No.

Quite the accomplished woman.

Barry is really a lady named Margaret Ann Bulkley who dressed as a man so she could do the work she wanted to.

- Hm.

♪ - The floor manager will be back any minute.

- It's all I need.

- So what do you think?

- Floor manager has no reason to lie.

If he says Chester wasn't here Monday morning, I believe him.

- It's the same night Henning was murdered.

♪ - (Frankie): You have to see this.

- Wait, that's Mabel with them.

So, she did know Chester.

- Let's find out why she was lying.

- All I'm saying is she better have a good reason for withholding from us.

- You're really upset about this.

People lie all the time.

- Her best friend just got buried; what could be more important than that?

♪ - Looks like we have our answer.

- I've searched the drawers.

Nothing.

- Same with the nightstand.

Nothing.

- Your idea of "nothing" sure looks like a lot of "something."

- Miss Drake, I can explain.

- Did Georgia know about you two?

Is that what you were guys arguing about the night that she died?

- I wasn't here that night.

And you couldn't be more wrong.

I'm not with either woman, not in the way you think at least.

- You don't have to.

- No, I want to.

Georgia and I knew each other since childhood.

We had an arrangement.

- What kind of arrangement?

- One where I appeared with her in public to satisfy my parents, so in private I could be with whom I liked.

If I could love a woman, there's no better than Georgia, but it's not women I love.

- You can't be out in public with who you really do love because it's illegal.

- I'm so sorry for lying to you earlier.

Surely, now you understand?

I snuck Chester in, so that we could collect some of the letters that he'd written to Georgia.

- But instead, we found these letters.

- Frankie, these are death threats.

And the penmanship looks familiar.

- It's because we've seen it before.

Where's Ebenezer?

♪ - He doesn't board on campus, but tomorrow morning he's leading the prayers at the school's wake for Georgia.

- So, we'll meet him there.

- Are you sure about this?

- Absolutely.

Maybe.

I don't know.

- Forget I asked.

On your mark!

- Mm-hm.

- And... go!

(ticking) (Mary grunting) - Let me try it one more time.

- Fifth time's the charm.

- Right.

Ohhh... - That's Arnie from the station.

Looks like he's already started training.

- So you're not the only one doing this?

- Perhaps it was rash coming out here.

- I already gave my inspiring pep talk to the kid, but I can go through it once more if want me to.

- Got anything short and sweet?

- Be.

A. Bearcat.

- A what?!

- A bearcat!

- A bearcat!

BEARCAAAT!

Ah!

(grunting) - Yes!

Yes!

Yes!

Yes!

Yes!

Ha ha!

- Leona, we would never put you in danger.

- How come I can't stop shaking?

- Don't worry, we'd never put you in harm's way.

- That's why we have our friend Flo here.

- Flo won't let anything happen.

- If anyone tries to come near you, I'm gonna give 'em a shiner that's gonna last the rest of this year.

- Let's go over the plan once more time.

You two are gonna stick with Flo.

Now, as soon as Ebenezer starts his prayers, you really need to listen, OK?

- And if you hear the man that was arguing with Miss Henning... - You let me know and I'll signal Frankie and Trudy.

- And we'll apprehend him.

(bell ringing) They're starting.

Let's go.

- Students, family, friends, colleagues, please, be seated.

Let us pray for the life Briarlane has lost.

"Know that my redeemer liveth, "that he shall stand last upon the Earth.

We brought nothing into this world and we can carry nothing out."

- Still no signal from Flo.

- (Ebenezer): "Naked I came from my mother's womb.

"Naked I shall return to my Lord's kingdom.

"Lord giveth, Lord taketh.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Amen."

- (most people): Amen.

- Amen.

(soft music) (sighing) - Any thoughts on a plan B?

- We scan the crowd.

Maybe our mystery man is playing the part of grieving mourner.

- I'll take the girls around.

If Leona recognizes a voice, I'll get your attention one way or the other.

- Great.

♪ - Miss Clarke, so nice of you to come.

Appropriately dressed this time, Miss Drake.

Well done.

- Wow, you certainly have a lot of opinions on how women should act, dress and teach.

- Hmm.

- Now, I read the letters that you sent Miss Henning.

You threatened death.

- So what if I did?

It's not a crime.

What she was exposing those children to, that's the real crime.

- Men like you thrive on repressing a women's intellect!

- What you are teaching these girls is a sin!

- I'm teaching them the truth!

- She didn't listen to reason.

Seems someone put an end to that.

(indistinct chatter) - Do you think it's him or him?

- I already told you: No and no.

- What about that man?

- I'm sure Leona would tell us if she hears him, Roya.

- Face it, Miss Drake: you have no case.

- Ebenezer?

- Mm?

- Principal Mayfair has something urgent to discuss with you.

- Oh.

God bless.

- Mm-hm.

- Looked like you needed an out.

- Thank you.

This is my partner Trudy.

- (Trudy): Hi.

- Oh!

You're both working then?

I'm just bursting with excitement inside.

My daughter, Gwendoline, got early acceptance to Wellesley College.

- That's wonderful!

- Congratulations!

- Thank you.

We've made so many sacrifices over the years, my husband and I.

Seems like it all paid off.

Oh!

And there's Gwendoline in the Honour's row.

Haha!

- Let me guess: you were on the Honour roll every single year?

- Mildred would have it no other way.

- I've got to take Leona to the washroom.

You stay put.

♪ - That's got to be him!

Sir!

I saw that scowl you made at Miss Henning's portrait.

Who would ever scowl at Miss Henning?

Except the mystery man.

You're the bad guy!

Where were you the night of the 18th?

- Roya!

Roya!

What are you doing?

- Questioning our suspect.

What have you been doing?

- Did you see that he has a cane?

- Uh-huh.

- Our mystery man would have needed two hands.

He's not our suspect.

- I...

I didn't see the cane.

I just saw him scowling.

- We know you want to help, Roya, and you have been, but being a good P.I.

means observing the entire scene before jumping on one detail.

- Where's Leona?

- Flo took her to the washroom.

Are you mad?

I'm so sorry.

- (man): Ladies and gentlemen... ...my family and I are happy to announce the new Georgia Henning Science Bursary.

- Frankie!

- Thank you.

- It's him!

That's him!

- (speaker): A bursary to be awarded annually right here at Briarlane.

- That's Wilbur Paltry, Gwen's father.

- Edith's husband.

- That's the man I heard arguing with Miss Henning.

I swear it.

- Who kills a teacher and then honours their memory with a scholarship?

- Somebody with a guilty conscience.

- Wilbur Paltry visited Miss Henning the night that she was murdered.

Why would he kill her?

- Maybe Gwendoline is the connection.

We saw her sitting in the Honour row at the wake.

Honour row?

Gwendoline?

No, no, no.

I have an idea!

Follow me.

This is Gwendoline's locker.

Did you teach her that?

This one picks lock faster than I do.

This paper has a C... ...this exam an F. But according to her report card, she's an A student.

What if Wilbur was buying Gwendoline's grades?

Possible.

Maybe Henning changed her mind and that's what they were arguing about?

It would shame his wife, exile his daughter.

We need to talk to him.

Mr.

Paltry!

It's very generous of you to start a science scholarship.

A man who supports female education is a rarity in our modern society.

We all have to do our part.

How will did you know Miss Henning?

Not well.

Who are you?

Frankie Drake.

We're investigating her murder.

You know anything about that?

- No.

Good day, ladies.

We know that you were with her the night that she died.

And we know about your daughter's false grades.

Is that what you were arguing about?

No.

The argument we had that night was because I wanted her to fail Gwendoline.

You wanted Miss Henning to hold her back?

Yes.

And she had agreed.

But when I saw her report card, Gwen had an A in science: a grade she didn't earn.

So she backed out on a deal.

That's why you went to go see her?

Yes.

Curious thing is, she was as surprised about the A as I had been.

She told me she gave Gwen the C. Does sound curious.

I swear she was alive when I left.

Please, I beg of you some discretion: my family knows nothing of this.

Well, if she didn't change the grades, who did?

Spend much time in the Principal's office?

(applause) And our last... set of contenders!

(whistles) Move out of my way!

Who is that kid?

- Who's the rookie?

Hey, that rookie's got some skill!

Looking' pretty good, rookie!

Finish up, Scarrow.

You're making us look bad!

48... 49... [Mary]: 50!

What the heck!

Is that a rookie?

Great time, boys!

Good job, officers.

Only one medal, chief.

How about you let me and the rookie hit the rope climb?

Before you ask: No, we do not have an appointment.

We know you changed the grades of failing students.

How much did you get paid?

- Paid?

What are you talking about?

We know Miss Henning gave Gwendoline Paltry a C, yet her report card is full of As.

She confronted you.

Is that why you killed her?

(breathing heavily) I don't think this is an act.

Here -- breathe!

I have never changed a grade in my life.

I saw students receive only As in her science class.

Well, someone changed those bad grades into good grades.

- Impossible.

They would have had to have access to Henning's original mark books.

Rope climb!

First to the top wins.

And if you break 15 seconds, you set a new department record.

I'm gonna mop the floor with you.

(whistles) (crowd cheering) Go, rookie!

Come on, rookie!

(bell ringing) Yeah-ah-ah!

And a new time for the rookie!

Chief Madden?

My name is Mary Shaw.

My father was Officer Matthew Shaw.

I want you to know that today your officers were beat by a woman and even though that probably won't change anything tomorrow, maybe you knowing will be enough of a start for change another day.

And I'm gonna keep this medal.

If that's...?

OK. [Frankie]: You lied to us, Mabel.

[Mabel]: I'm so sorry.

I'll never forgive myself for all the trouble I started.

Why did you change the students' grades?

Teachers don't earn a decent wage.

I didn't see the harm.

Whether Briargirls earned their marks or not, their wealth guaranteed them a golden future.

So what happened that night?

Wilbur paid a visit and then left.

Georgia came over.

Mabel, I'm telling you: check your mark books!

Some sort of grade fixing is occurring here at Briarlane.

All of my failing students now have A's!

What are you gonna do about it?

I'm gonna Principal Mayfair tomorrow morning to expose what I believe is happening.

No, you can't!

You mustn't!

It was me.

I've been changing your students' grades.

Please, please don't go to Mayfair.

She said she needed the night to sleep on it.

So you made her choose between her morals and her friendship.

She didn't get the chance to choose.

In the morning she was dead.

Excuse me.

I need to go tend to my students.

Well, if Mabel didn't kill her, who did?

Let's go find Roya.

She's not gonna want to miss this next part.

[Girls]: Nine, ten.

I'm so happy you brought me.

I'm hoping Trudy and I can handle this, but if not you can do the one part that we asked?

Yes!

Promise.

I don't want to let you, or Miss Henning down.

Gwendoline!

Gwen!

Hope this works.

Detectives.

What are you doing here?

Edith, we'll let you say goodbye to your family and then we will escort you to the police station.

We know you killed Miss Henning.

Poppycock.

That's absurd.

You knew that your daughter's academic future was at stake, so you acted.

- I'm calling the police.

As head of the PTA, you had a key to the school grounds.

You even reasoned with Miss Henning.

You bought wine.

We saw the glasses.

You know, at first we thought that she was with a man.

Then we realized that lipstick on the other glass?

It wasn't hers: it was yours.

(scoffs) Kind of like the one you're wearing right now.

A smudged wine glass is hardly enough evidence for a murder arrest.

- Maybe.

But I don't think an arrest is what you're really afraid of here.

I think it's your daughter finding out the truth.

Darling, what -- what's going on?

- Mum, I'm gonna tutor Roya over the summer.

Isn't that marvellous?

She wants to make honours next year.

You don't say.

I want to be as prepared as I can.

Like Gwendoline was.

- I'll make it fun.

I promise.

See Mom?

And you were worried about me wasting the summer lollygagging in the sun.

Now I can do both.

What are the four phases of mitosis?

I can never remember.

- Uhm.

My-a-what?

Mitosis.

The four basic stages.

Oh, right.

I knew that.

I'm sure there's many things that Gwen could teach Roya, but academics is not one of them.

Whether it's Roya, or someone else, Gwendoline's gonna find out eventually that she's not the honour student she thinks she is.

Don't you think it's up to her mother to explain why?

The police are on their way, Miss Drake.

Your accusations are wild.

No one kills a woman over grades!

Except a mother.

It was an accident.

I -- I went there to talk, but Georgia was incensed.

She told me that Gwen would be expelled: that Wellesley would rescind her offer.

What mother would accept that?

What... - I grabbed the trophy and I...

I'm so sorry.

I'm so sorry for what I've done to our family.

Twelve years old and you're already writing cheques.

Eleven-and-a-half, actually.

I guess this is goodbye.

Thank you so much for solving the case, Frankie.

I know I was in the way at times.

You did a wonderful job.

Miss Henning would be proud.

So are we.

Actually, this is for you, Roya.

For inspiring me to take a chance like Dr. Barry.

Thank you Mary.

Thanks all of you.

I have no doubt you're gonna make a wonderful investigator one day, if that's what you want.

- Investigator?

No.

I'll be going to medical school, thanks to Flo and everything Miss Henning taught me.

A true Briargirl success story!

We can be a team, Flo!

Use both our brains to spot the murders before the detectives even need to be hired.

Oh, that would mean that Drake Detective Agency would go out of business.

- Oh.

I guess so.

Sorry Frankie.

(laughing) - Know what?

I look forward to it, kid.

(all laughing) ♪ Closed Captioning by SETTE inc