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You know, her head was smashed in the same manner,

with a blunt solid object.

Don’t you find this similarity strange, Yakov Platonovich?

By the way, I wouldn’t be surprised if the weapon were the same.

The caretaker found her, but he couldn’t tell us anything.

He didn’t see anything.

Oh God. That’s horrible!

She spent all evening working at the kitchen.

Did she go outside?

Yes, to take out the garbage. And she didn’t come back.

- I thought she went to her room. - Where were you at that time?

- In my room. - Did you go out?

Milady called for me three times, and then I went to bed early.

Then they called me.

Yakov Platonovich, she has been dead for a couple hours.

Which makes it... yes, 8 PM.

Oh my God.

Vikentiy Andrianovich, when was the last time you saw Pakhomovna?

I... I didn’t see her all day.

Are you sure?

Are you implying that this murder is also on me?

But why? Tell me, why would I kill Pakhomovna?

Calm down. Nobody is saying you’re guilty. Show them out.

Come with me. Come on, my dear.

Hey! Bring the caretaker.

Well, brother, try to recall what happened.

There’s nothing to recall. I was making rounds, and then I found her.

Yes, tell me about that. Did you see someone? Some strangers?

There was this guy snooping around earlier.

Well?

Looked like a shop assistant or a petty merchant.

I’ve never seen him before.

Did Pakhomovna have friends among the locals?

Maybe the clerk from the haberdashery. She used to drink tea with him.

Thank you, brother. You may go.

Yakov Platonovich, shall we talk to the lady of the house?

No. No need to disturb a sick woman.

We’ll talk to her tomorrow. The clerk, too.

One,

two,

three,

four, five.

Ready or not, here I come.

DETECTIVE ANNA

THE NIGHT GUEST EPISODE 18

Yakov Platonovich, maybe you’ll talk to the haberdashery,

and I’ll stay here.

On second thought...

HABERDASHERY

Of course, my dear. Come in.

Anton Andreyevich.

I’m here on business.

We are investigating the murder of your friend.

Yes. It’s horrible. So horrible.

Why should it happen to Pakhomovna? She was so nice, feeding beggars and all.

- This is Detective Yakov Platonovich. - They say she used to visit you often.

- She did come for a chat once in a while. - When was the last time?

Yesterday. She complained at Susanna, the maid.

Pakhomovna used to give food to that orphan boy,

and Susanna told him not to come close to the house.

- Pakhomovna was mad at her. - What did Susanna have against the boy?

I don’t know. They had a big fight, Susanna and her.

- I’ve never seen her like this before. - You mean they fought in front of you?

Pakhomovna bought needles from me and forgot to take them.

So I decided to bring them to her and saw them fighting in the backyard.

- Did you see the boy after that? - I didn’t see him today.

If he comes, keep him here and call a constable.

Did he do something wrong?

No, we just want to send him to an orphanage.

That’s good.

Goodbye.

- I might come back. - When, Anton Andreyevich?

Excuse me?

There are some unpaid bills.

A couple of handkerchiefs, a dozen of socks.

I remember. Don’t worry. I’ll pay you as soon as I get my salary.

- I have all the bills ready. - Thanks a lot.

Why would Pakhomovna fight with the maid over a boy?

She might be plotting something involving him. Or Susanna was.

Or maybe Susanna was in cahoots with Tatarinov,

and they killed first Kseniya and then Pakhomovna.

Talk again to the neighbors and the clerk. Maybe they saw that stranger.

- I’ll see you at the precinct. - Neighbors and the clerk.

Anna Viktorovna?

Anna Viktorovna.

Excuse me. Vikenty Tatarinov. I’ve been looking for you.

I’m not hiding.

I do. They think I’m a murderer after what happened last night.

Last night?

You didn’t hear? Pakhomovna, my aunt’s servant, was killed.

That’s horrible.

That’s not why I’m here. I need your expert advice.

What do you mean?

Spirits. I heard my aunt, Bentsianova,

talking to a child in her bedroom last night.

She was talking to him gently, and he answered her.

Did you hear his voice?

Yes. I have a good hearing. I think it was Petrusha, her late son.

- That’s why she was being so gentle. - What were they talking about?

I didn’t catch it. I should have stayed there and wait,

but I was so worried I went right inside the bedroom, and it was empty.

Except for my aunt. And the windows were locked.

And your aunt? What did she have to say?

Nothing. She was very unhappy with me.

If it were a spirit, you wouldn’t be able to hear him.

That’s why I came to you.

Who else can explain it to me about these spirits?

So, will you help me?

Piotr Bentsianov’s spirit, come.

Piotr Bentsianov’s spirit, come.

Petrusha, do you hear me?

Please answer me.

Come!

Petrusha.

Did you visit your mom? What were you talking about?

He’s playing with my toys.

Who?

He comes to my room and plays with my toys.

Interesting. Who’s visiting the old lady, if it’s not Petrusha?

An impostor. We need to set an ambush at Bentsianova’s house.

How can we do this?

She won’t let us anywhere close to her house.

We don’t need her.

Come in, please.

Well?

Looks like they’ve settled down.

I greased the hinges with oil. Just in case.

That was very thoughtful of you.

Still, we need to be very careful. If Auntie finds out, it will be a scandal.

This is your one and only chance to clear yourself and find the real culprit.

You can go. We’ve got it.

Uncle, he’ll definitely come to Bentsianova’s bedroom.

I’ll go and stay at her door, and you wait for me here.

- Leave you there alone? - Don’t worry about me.

Uncle!

Stop!

Here is our ghost. Stop! I said stop! Stop!

This way.

Did he escape?

Our spirit has a knack for fine arts.

Yes. He’s also quite palpable, and he stomps a lot.

- The spry devil. - He’s definitely very much alive.

Who’s that?

Who is here? How dare you?

This is my house!

I’ll call the police!

Calm down. Calm down, Auntie! I invited them.

I wanted them to find out who’s roaming the house at night.

Who are you to give orders here? Who do you think you are?

We wanted to know who was visiting you at nights.

We almost caught him.

He’ll never come again. It was my son Petrusha.

It’s your fault! It’s all your fault! You!

Wait. Maybe it wasn’t Petrusha but some other boy.

No! No! He’s my son Petrusha!

It was the only joy I had left, talking to my beloved son.

I was waiting for him every night!

And now you spooked him.

Benetsianova thinks that she sees the ghost of her late son.

But in fact she sees a living boy.

Why do you think so? Did you set up an ambush?

To tell you the truth, yes. But he escaped.

Your amateurish efforts, Anna Viktorovna! Too bad you’ve spooked him.

With proper surveillance he’d have led us to his adult accomplices.

Adult accomplices?

If it’s a fraud, there are some grownups behind it.

It’s too complicated for a child.

Here. The boy lost it when running away.

Yakov Platonovich. Telegrams from Penza and Saratov.

Susanna actually worked for the doctor and the merchant.

The local police have nothing on her. There’s no proof she’s a scam artist.

No clues at all. It’s a dead end.

No, why? Anna Viktorovna brought us something.

Find out where this kind of wire can be used.

Manufacturers, warehouses, workshops.

The ghost haunting Benetsianova had to get it from somewhere.

- It’s copper. - Will it help to find the boy?

Anyway, it’s a clue.

Anton Andreyevich, don’t waste your time.

Goodbye.

I don’t understand. What was this show for?

To manipulate Benetsianova, I believe. To lead her to some thought or action.

If we find the motive, we might find the culprit.

I’ll talk to Benetsianova again.

I don’t think it’ll be easy... after my visit to her house.

You and your amateur investigation!

Anyway, good job with the boy and the wire.

He’s not a spirit, you understand. He’s alive.

He’s alive! My Petrusha is alive. Alive!

For the sake of your son’s memory, don’t let them deceive you.

I know your son wouldn’t like it if some other boy pretended he was him.

Another boy? What do you mean?

He looks so much like him! So much... like him.

- Isn’t he Petrusha? - He’s not.

Not my son?

Tell me who killed you.

Who killed you? Answer me.

Tell me what you were talking about with that boy. He’s in trouble.

In trouble?

He’s in the hands of criminals. Help me find him.

It’s important to know what you were talking about.

He... was jealous of my nephew and his wife.

Tatarinov and Kseniya?

Yes. He used to say they were bad people, that they don’t love me.

He wanted them to leave.

Is that why you turned against your nephew?

Here, take these letters. Please take them.

The letters... They also say bad things about him.

He doesn’t care about me, he only cares about my money.

My nephew, I mean.

Right. The letter says your nephew is an evil man and a swindler.

Somebody didn’t want him to get his inheritance.

I don’t have any other heirs. It’s just him and me.

Maybe you were thinking about someone else.

No, there’s nobody.

Maybe Pakhomovna had had some hopes,

and when your nephew came, she started writing these letters.

Pakhomovna? No. She was illiterate.

Antonina Markovna, do you keep any valuables at home?

It’s none of your business where I keep them.

Yakov Platonovich, the murderer has a cough.

- What? - He probably suffers from consumption.

What did you say?

- I say the suspect has a consumption. - Who told you that?

- The caretaker. - Strange. He didn’t tell me that.

Wait. Good that I caught you.

Only the Kurilin and Sons store sells this kind of wire.

Good job, Anton Andreyevich. One more thing.

Someone was sending anonymous letters on behalf of Pakhomovna. Find the author.

How?

Handwriting, distinctive mistakes. Also, talk to people who knew her.

- Yakov Platonovich. - Yes?

I don’t need to question one to tell you what kind of man he is.

Look. Judging by the number of mistakes, he’s not very educated and, consequently,

is of a low position in the society.

Here. These curlicues tell us about his foul attitude.

The slanting letters indicate that he is...

a short man with a receding hairline.

Is he your haberdasher?

Did you recognize his hand from the bills?

Yakov Platonovich, you... You spoiled it all.

It was my joke, my punchline.

- I was supposed to say it in the end. - We are impressed anyway. May I?

Yes, of course.

Anton Andreyevich, don’t be upset. You really are very witty.

Here, look at this.

You’re right. It’s the same hand. Let’s go.

Go!

She didn’t know how to write, Pakhomovna. So she asked me to help.

I... I didn’t mind it.

Didn’t you realize what you were righting? It’s slander against an innocent man.

I didn’t try to hurt him.

Why did you and Pakhomovna send the boy to Bentsianova?

- I don’t know any boy. - What do you mean? You told us about him.

Well, I saw some beggar from a distance a couple times.

Pakhomovna used to make a fuss around him. That’s all I know.

He’s lying. He is, Yakov Platonovich. I can see it in the movement of his fingers.

Yes, Anton Andreyevich, your study of body language brings its fruit.

Look into his eyes. Let’s see what else he’s plotting.

What am I plotting, for God’s sake?

What did Pakhomovna say about her mistress?

She complained to her.

This Benetsianova has lost her mind over her money.

She suspects everyone in scheming against her.

She kicked out Yeroshka when the master was still alive.

Who is Yeroshka?

Yeroshka was their servant. Yerofey Kalachiov.

A valet, a coachman - a jack-of-all-trades.

Where does he live?

I don’t know. All I know he’s always at the pub near the marketplace.

All right. And stay away from libel. It’s a police offence.

I’m sure he and Pakhomovna came up with this haunting business.

I don’t think so. This is about something else.

Go to the pub and find this Yerosha. He must know something.

Will do. Are you going to the precinct?

No, to the Kurilin’s warehouse. Will you help me, Anna Viktorovna?

Of course.

Go to the pub and see what you can shake out of this Yerofey Kalachev.

Yes.

They must have had some reason to fire him.

I’ll shake him all right. Don’t worry.

Let’s go, Anna Viktorovna.

Vania, where are you?

Vania? Do you hear me?

Vania.

Vania, it’s me.

Vania.

Vania. I brought you some food. Do you hear me? Where are you?

Vania. Do you hear me?

Vania.

Vania.

I brought you food. Do you hear me?

Vania. Vania, where are you?

Vania.

The boy, our self-proclaimed ghost,

probably lives here, in the warehouse loft.

How do you know?

I believe he hides the wire here.

Also, they wouldn’t let a boy into the warehouse,

and the loft is a good hiding place.

Well? Shall we?

I’m afraid I might scare him. He’ll run or hide.

But he might let you come close.

Just tell him that Benetsianova sent for him,

that she wants him to stay with her.

But it’s not true.

We’ll have to resort to deceit. Otherwise, he won’t come out.

Someone is using him for this fraud.

I think this is how he gets to the loft.

But we’ll go through the door.

Aren’t we going to call the owners?

No time. I’ll explain it to them if I have to.

Yakov Platonovich.

Son, my name is Anna.

Antonina Markovna sent me to you.

She wants me to bring you to her.

She wants you to stay with her.

Forever, you understand? Forever.

Please don’t be afraid, sweetheart. I just want to help.

Baby, please don’t be afraid. Come out.

I really want to help.

He’s not here.

Yakov Platonovich! Look.

You were right. This is his hiding place.

Stop!

Stop!

It was him! The hectic killer! It was him!

He came for the boy.

Thank you, Anna Viktorovna. I’m sorry about this incident.

- Don’t be. You can always count on me. - I’ll send you home in a cab.

You ask for my help and send me away when I'm not needed.

- I won’t let you get away that easy. - Well, whatever you say.

- Anton Andreyevich. - Yakov Platonovich,

I was going to the warehouse.

This Yeroshka is telling weird tales.

Mr. Benetsianov allegedly had done some redecoration in the house

just before he died.

With his own two hands, in spite of being ill.

Yeroshka only carried bricks for him and made the mortar.

Even Pakhomovna wasn’t allowed in the house,

except for the kitchen.

And Yeroshka was fired right after that.

What’s his explanation?

After the third round of drinks he shared a secret:

the old lady made her husband build a hiding place in the house.

And he probably tells this story to all his drinking buddies who would listen.

Of course. A drunk’s secret is like wind in a cage.

I asked him about his buddies and wrote down their names and descriptions.

Is there a consumption patient among them?

- Actually, there is. - What did I tell you?

Cabbie!

We only know his name. Leonid.

To Bentsianova.

Razguliayevskaya St.

Here you are. I was looking for you everywhere.

- Is something wrong? - No, why?

Something happened.

I went to Vania’s loft, and there were cops.

They almost caught me. I barely ran away.

God. Why did you go there?

- Leonid, what are you going to do? - He’ll rat us out. Vania. I have a hunch.

What are you... What?!

Nothing! I wanted to send him to the village.

You know, we need to do it today. We can’t wait any longer.

What if the cops get us there?

No. They aren’t looking for us. They don’t know you.

They think Pakhomovna did all this because of the will.

Don’t worry, darling.

We’ll get our money today. Everything will be fine.

- Where is your maid? - She asked permission to go to town.

- With baggage? - No, why? She said she had some chores.

You keep bothering me in my own house. You’ve turned everything upside down.

Anton Andreyevich, open it.

Will you tell us what’s in it?

Money. My money. And all my precious stones.

Why didn’t you tell me before when I asked you?

Why would I?

Someone is interested in your treasure.

- Did you tell the boy about this place? - Yes.

Petrusha said once,

“Mom, you became so poor!

I remember you used to have many pretty stones.”

I laughed and said,

“They are all hidden in the stove in your room.”

Anton Andreyevich, bring the tool. Let’s pry it open.

Thank you.

- It’s clear. Everybody’s asleep. - Are they?

They are. I gave them sleeping pills. Come on.

Come on.

- Freeze! - You’re under arrest.

On the floor! Drop it on the floor.

Don’t you see he's sick? He needs foreign doctors!

What use does the old nag have for this money?

Of course. You need it more.

How long did it take you to find out where the hiding place was?

Yes... The time was running out, I kept toiling,

but I couldn’t find out anything.

Is that why you needed the boy?

The Tatarinovs’ visit was a nuisance, of course.

It’s one thing to break into a house with two old women and another,

when there is a big strong man in it.

So you decided not to wait anymore, gave them sleeping pills, and let him in.

But Kseniya didn’t take the pills. She was planning to run away that night.

- That’s why she saw us. - We should have waited.

- Who killed her? You? - Yes. I was scared.

We didn’t plan to kill anyone. It was an accident.

Was it an accident with Pakhomovna, too?

I don’t know anything about that. I swear it wasn’t me.

Bring him in.

Vania... are these the people who sent you here

and told you to call the old lady Mom?

But then you started coming on your own. Did you like it here?

- The lady is nice. - And Pakhomovna?

- Pakhomovna is nice, too. Was nice. - What did you tell Pakhomovna?

- That they made me come to the lady. - What else did you see?

Leonid hit Pakhomovna on the head.

- He’s lying. - Shut up!

Why did he come to your loft yesterday?

He had a knife. I saw him.

What? He’s a child! How could you?

Take him away.

I’ll die soon! Do you know that?

Thank you. Thank you, Yakov Platonovich. I will always remember this.

No, thank you. Take good care of Vania.

He’s still a bit wild and easily scared. An orphan, in a word.

It’s all right. We’ll cherish him here.

More tea? We have jam.

- No. - No?

I need to go. Thank you.

Vania.

Vania, take it easy. Easy.

Yes, like this. Good lad.

Good lad.

Hello.

Yakov Platonovich.

Glad to see you, Anna Viktorovna.

I came to visit Benetsianova, our ghost-seer, after all her ordeals.

She’s a new woman now, surprising as it is.

You’re right. A miraculous transformation.

I’m going to Vania.

I’m teaching him grammar, preparing him for school.

It’s a noble deed.

As you see, this spirit is material enough.

Yes. It’s a rare case of a spirit manifesting itself

with the help of the criminal police.

Yakov Platonovich, I’m starting to get used to your permanent crabbiness.

And I’m starting to get used to you visiting my office.

What I can’t get used to is that you bring a new spirit with you every time you come.

And it helps you not to avoid a blunder.

- Your advice sometimes is quite timely. - Your skepticism sometimes is limitless.

I’m a materialist.

I only believe in things I can see or touch.

How about attachment, devotion, love? Do you believe in them?

They exist, even if you can’t touch them.

No, why?

I think your hands are freezing.

Well... I... should go, I guess. Vania is waiting for his lesson.

Yes. Of course.

Anna Viktorovna.

- Goodbye. - Goodbye.

Go ahead.

THE NIGHT GUEST