James Benedict is one of four golfers playing a round. He hits his ball into the woods and sets off in search of it. The alarm is raised after he fails to return, and soon the golf course is festooned with members of the Toronto Constabulary. Murdoch and Crabtree go into the woods, and discover the top of the shaft of a golf club sticking up out of the ground. Pulling the club out brings with it a man's arm. Benedict has been swallowed by quicksand.
Back at the clubhouse, the other three men who were playing the round with James Benedict (Roger Newsome, Devin Sanders and Alan Driscoll) were there, and nobody has a bad word to say about Benedict, but neither do they allow much to keep them from their golf. George Lyon, the club champion with Olympic ambitions, introduces himself to Detective Murdoch on his way to starting a new round.
At the morgue, Dr Ogden has found that the victim was beaten around the head by a blunt instrument, quite likely a golf club, before being consigned to the quicksand, still breathing.
George Lyon invites Detective Murdoch to join him for a round of golf, hoping to introduce him to the joys of the game, and also to sell him an insurance policy, as he has done for many of the club members, including James Benedict, whose brother Wilbur stands to benefit from his death. Wilbur, however, tells Murdoch that his brother cancelled the policy, though during his next round with Mr Lyon, he discovers the Mr Lyon talked him out of cancelling the policy.
Dr Ogden and her assistant, Rebecca James, test Benedict's golf club, and determine that it was not the murder weapon; that club had a much flatter face, like a putter. Roger Newsome's putter is missing, and he claims to have thrown it into a water hazard on the course. Constable Crabtree gets the job of wading into the pond in search of the implement. He finds so many clubs that he gets the same job at a different hazard. This time, he does find quite an odd-looking club which does tally with the description Dr Ogden gave for the murder weapon. There is also a pattern of puncture wounds on the victim, which might be cleats from a golf shoe.
Back at Police Station 4, Murdoch has taken up inventing again, this time a frame to constrain a golf swing. Inspector Brackenreid, who is finding his own relaxation at the painting easel is not impressed.
The owner of the discarded golf club, a Scot called McIver, who loves his golfing gadgets, is located, but says he sold the strange putter to Wilbur Benedict, who, when questioned says the club he bought from McIver is in his locker with the rest of his clubs, though on doctor's advice, he has not played a round in weeks. A search reveals the club is not there.
Inspector Brackenreid leaves his painting to pursue enquiries. He catches up with Murdoch on the course with Mr Lyon, and compares Lyon's cleats against the pattern furnished by Dr Ogden. They match, and the Inspector instructs Constable Crabtree to arrest George Lyon.
Back in his lounge, Murdoch is practicing putting in front of baby Roland and discovers a ball that doesn't roll true, and sees how the victim could have been made to hit it off course. He tracks down the golf ball maker, and learns who had the balls made. As soon as he confronts Roger Newsome, he confesses to the murder.
So has Murdoch solved the crime? Has the Inspector solved the crime? Was it Wilbur all along? Is it someone else? If so, why would Roger Newsome confess? And will Dr Ogden end up a golf widow?
I suspect that fans of golf will find plenty of interest in this story, though as someone who is easily bored by the game, I wasn't that captivated. Even so, there was an absorbing murder mystery here.
Back at the clubhouse, the other three men who were playing the round with James Benedict (Roger Newsome, Devin Sanders and Alan Driscoll) were there, and nobody has a bad word to say about Benedict, but neither do they allow much to keep them from their golf. George Lyon, the club champion with Olympic ambitions, introduces himself to Detective Murdoch on his way to starting a new round.
At the morgue, Dr Ogden has found that the victim was beaten around the head by a blunt instrument, quite likely a golf club, before being consigned to the quicksand, still breathing.
George Lyon invites Detective Murdoch to join him for a round of golf, hoping to introduce him to the joys of the game, and also to sell him an insurance policy, as he has done for many of the club members, including James Benedict, whose brother Wilbur stands to benefit from his death. Wilbur, however, tells Murdoch that his brother cancelled the policy, though during his next round with Mr Lyon, he discovers the Mr Lyon talked him out of cancelling the policy.
Dr Ogden and her assistant, Rebecca James, test Benedict's golf club, and determine that it was not the murder weapon; that club had a much flatter face, like a putter. Roger Newsome's putter is missing, and he claims to have thrown it into a water hazard on the course. Constable Crabtree gets the job of wading into the pond in search of the implement. He finds so many clubs that he gets the same job at a different hazard. This time, he does find quite an odd-looking club which does tally with the description Dr Ogden gave for the murder weapon. There is also a pattern of puncture wounds on the victim, which might be cleats from a golf shoe.
Back at Police Station 4, Murdoch has taken up inventing again, this time a frame to constrain a golf swing. Inspector Brackenreid, who is finding his own relaxation at the painting easel is not impressed.
The owner of the discarded golf club, a Scot called McIver, who loves his golfing gadgets, is located, but says he sold the strange putter to Wilbur Benedict, who, when questioned says the club he bought from McIver is in his locker with the rest of his clubs, though on doctor's advice, he has not played a round in weeks. A search reveals the club is not there.
Inspector Brackenreid leaves his painting to pursue enquiries. He catches up with Murdoch on the course with Mr Lyon, and compares Lyon's cleats against the pattern furnished by Dr Ogden. They match, and the Inspector instructs Constable Crabtree to arrest George Lyon.
Back in his lounge, Murdoch is practicing putting in front of baby Roland and discovers a ball that doesn't roll true, and sees how the victim could have been made to hit it off course. He tracks down the golf ball maker, and learns who had the balls made. As soon as he confronts Roger Newsome, he confesses to the murder.
So has Murdoch solved the crime? Has the Inspector solved the crime? Was it Wilbur all along? Is it someone else? If so, why would Roger Newsome confess? And will Dr Ogden end up a golf widow?
I suspect that fans of golf will find plenty of interest in this story, though as someone who is easily bored by the game, I wasn't that captivated. Even so, there was an absorbing murder mystery here.
