A couple is sitting in a parked car with the young man trying unsuccessfully to get his date into an amorous mood, when a disguised man wearing green glasses tosses the fellow from the car (twice) and titillates the young lady with a kiss on her gloved hand then disappears.
The outraged young man reports the incident to the police, but the young woman doesn't appear upset. Murdoch has some mild concern because there has been a three-week hiatus and he had hoped the "Lurker" had just gone away. More important is the return of Inspector Brackenreid who has been off with Toronto's winning soccer team at the St. Louis 1904 World's Fair. Unfortunately, now that the Inspector has seen some of the world's cosmopolitan differences, he is feeling parochial and unsettled back in Toronto.
James Pendrick is back and chumming around with the Inspector making Murdoch feel like a third wheel. And Crabtree is having some differences with his burlesque performer girlfriend Nina Bloom; when one of the performers, Lydia claims she was attacked by the Lurker but that she drove him off by stabbing him with her hatpin. However, when the Lurker breaks into the Inspector's house things take a turn; Gerald Waldkirch is found murdered and the Lurker is suspected.
Ashmi, Pendrick's assistant, claims Waldkirch had complained a man was out to get him. And some swords that the Inspector was holding for Pendrick have been taken from the Inspector's house. More important some guarana was in the sword case and that truly upsets Pendrick.
The special guarana is being used by Pendrick to create a mind-altering drug, jumper, that is supposed to make the user smarter, a modern da Vinci. But it also makes his mind dart around from idea to idea: some brilliant (a helicopter) and others not so much (an automatic pancake maker). Regardless, the missing drug might also turn a man into a dangerous lunatic.
When the Lurker breaks into a burlesque performance, he is knocked out when Nina hits him over the head, it turns out he is James Pendrick. Could his drug be causing him to have a Jekyll-Hyde life?
Theft, harassment, murder—is Pendrick guilty? Pendrick admits the drug has side-effects and he does have what appears to be a prick from a hatpin; but Waldkirch fought back against his murderer, but there are no scratches on Pendrick. Murdoch needs more; and when he and the Inspector search Pendrick's laboratory, they find the missing swords.
Murdoch administers some jumper to Pendrick; but Pendrick is handcuffed to a heavy chair just in case, but this might provide and opportunity to interview the Lurker. However, the drug also seems to give the user greater strength; and Pendrick frees himself and escapes from the police station, taking his swords with him. But might there be two Lurkers? While the Inspector is engaged in a sword fight with Pendrick in the laboratory; Murdoch is battling another Lurker in a fight in an alley. Murdoch's Lurker turns out to be the murderer; more important, Pendrick's formula may be a potential fountain-of-youth. But the formula is stolen!
Not so much a Murdoch mystery this time as a set up for future episodes featuring the adventures of Pendrick and the Inspector as they leave together to retrieve the formula; and also, a journey for Crabtree. Nina overheard part of a conversation between George and Louise Cherry, and has jumped to a conclusion that has left poor George alone and confused. So, tune in tomorrow for . . ..
The outraged young man reports the incident to the police, but the young woman doesn't appear upset. Murdoch has some mild concern because there has been a three-week hiatus and he had hoped the "Lurker" had just gone away. More important is the return of Inspector Brackenreid who has been off with Toronto's winning soccer team at the St. Louis 1904 World's Fair. Unfortunately, now that the Inspector has seen some of the world's cosmopolitan differences, he is feeling parochial and unsettled back in Toronto.
James Pendrick is back and chumming around with the Inspector making Murdoch feel like a third wheel. And Crabtree is having some differences with his burlesque performer girlfriend Nina Bloom; when one of the performers, Lydia claims she was attacked by the Lurker but that she drove him off by stabbing him with her hatpin. However, when the Lurker breaks into the Inspector's house things take a turn; Gerald Waldkirch is found murdered and the Lurker is suspected.
Ashmi, Pendrick's assistant, claims Waldkirch had complained a man was out to get him. And some swords that the Inspector was holding for Pendrick have been taken from the Inspector's house. More important some guarana was in the sword case and that truly upsets Pendrick.
The special guarana is being used by Pendrick to create a mind-altering drug, jumper, that is supposed to make the user smarter, a modern da Vinci. But it also makes his mind dart around from idea to idea: some brilliant (a helicopter) and others not so much (an automatic pancake maker). Regardless, the missing drug might also turn a man into a dangerous lunatic.
When the Lurker breaks into a burlesque performance, he is knocked out when Nina hits him over the head, it turns out he is James Pendrick. Could his drug be causing him to have a Jekyll-Hyde life?
Theft, harassment, murder—is Pendrick guilty? Pendrick admits the drug has side-effects and he does have what appears to be a prick from a hatpin; but Waldkirch fought back against his murderer, but there are no scratches on Pendrick. Murdoch needs more; and when he and the Inspector search Pendrick's laboratory, they find the missing swords.
Murdoch administers some jumper to Pendrick; but Pendrick is handcuffed to a heavy chair just in case, but this might provide and opportunity to interview the Lurker. However, the drug also seems to give the user greater strength; and Pendrick frees himself and escapes from the police station, taking his swords with him. But might there be two Lurkers? While the Inspector is engaged in a sword fight with Pendrick in the laboratory; Murdoch is battling another Lurker in a fight in an alley. Murdoch's Lurker turns out to be the murderer; more important, Pendrick's formula may be a potential fountain-of-youth. But the formula is stolen!
Not so much a Murdoch mystery this time as a set up for future episodes featuring the adventures of Pendrick and the Inspector as they leave together to retrieve the formula; and also, a journey for Crabtree. Nina overheard part of a conversation between George and Louise Cherry, and has jumped to a conclusion that has left poor George alone and confused. So, tune in tomorrow for . . ..
