Death in the family: Frankenstein episode 3

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Frankenstein. Episode three. Viktor Frankenstein's brother is murdered, and a suspect is on trial.

Hello, I'm scientist Viktor Frankenstein  – well, I used to be a scientist,  

but I came to hate everything about my job. I was back in the town where I was born, Geneva,  

after six years at university in Germany. I was brought back by bad news in my father's letter.

I found him, and my sweet Elizabeth,  very upset. My young brother William had been  

killed! How? By whom? The police were there too.

We're doing everything we can to find who killed your son, Mr Alphonse Frankenstein.

Thank you, detective. 

Miss Elizabeth, we're sorry about what happened to the boy: we know you're very close to the family. 

Yes.

The marks of the killer's fingers that we found on the boy's neck were still fresh. The body was in the woods. 

That's horrible!

Calm down, my dear Elizabeth. Sir, we were having a family day out and my son William disappeared.

Very unfortunate, Mr Frankenstein. But we've just arrested a suspect.

A suspect?! Who killed my boy? 

Well, we found a valuable locket with the boy's mother's picture in the pocket of one of the nanny's dresses.

Justine?! It's not possible! 

I'm sorry, Miss Elizabeth. Justine hasn't  explained yet how it got there! Was it stolen? 

But I know she's innocent!

Elizabeth my dear, I want to  believe that she's innocent, but what about the locket?

Everyone believes Justine is  guilty. I don't. She loved William very much.

Yes, everyone believed Justine had killed  William - everyone except Elizabeth and I. 

Why? Because I knew who the murderer was.  

On my journey back to Geneva, I saw a very large figure run over the hills and disappear. It was  

the Creature! It was the murderer! And now, what would happen to poor Justine? She went to trial. 

Justine, you were out the whole night in which the child was killed, weren't you?

I've already told the police and everybody else. I paid a visit to my auntie in the village. On my way back I heard  

people talking about a boy who went missing. It was William. I spent hours looking for him. 

A woman from the market saw you near the place where the child's body was  

found. What were you doing there?

I didn't know I was near the place. 

The woman asked you what you were doing there. She said you sounded confused. 

Yes. I was tired and worried about William.

You went back to the Frankenstein family home in the morning and asked to be told any news about the boy. 

Yes! I've just told you, I was worried about him!

Or maybe you felt guilty. When shown the body you started to scream!

Yes. It was horrible! Horrible! 

And you stayed in your bed for several  days. That's when someone found this:  

the boy's locket with a picture of his  mother - yes, this very locket - in your  

dress pocket. How do you explain that?

I... I... I can't explain! 

Poor Justine! But I knew the monster  had done something to make her look  

guilty... Our family was very rich and  powerful. The crime was shocking. They  

had to find someone to blame, quickly.

Silence! For the murder of the child, William Frankenstein, on May the seventh, I sentence Justine Moritz to death! 

Justine was innocent, but she was executed anyway. I felt that I was guilty of two  

deaths because I had created the  monster! I couldn't eat. I couldn't  

sleep. So I decided to take long walks  in the mountains. That's when I had an  

unexpected meeting. I'm going to  tell you all about it next time.