Episode 5 of Professor T's thrilling third season kicks off with Jasper Tempest ascending the podium, his gaze sweeping across a hall brimming with anticipation. In a bold proclamation, he announces that among the assembled crowd, a murderer lurks, their heinous act committed within the past twenty hours. By the climax of his address, the veil of secrecy will be lifted, revealing the culprit's true identity.
The narrative then elegantly weaves back in time, showcasing Jasper in a heart-to-heart with his mother, Ade, over the upcoming keynote address he had envisioned delivering at the university. Ade's gentle yet firm revelation shatters his plans: he's no longer a part of the academic fold, and Wilfred, the esteemed dean, has already anointed Haiden as his successor for the prestigious speech.
Wilfred, with a calculated offer, hints at a possible redemption for Jasper—a reinstatement contingent upon Haiden's departure to Oxford. The stage, it seems, is set for Haiden to steal the spotlight.
Undeterred, Jasper checks into Haiden's hotel, an act of strategic proximity. He confronts Haiden, his critique of Haiden's script blunt yet sincere, warning that mediocrity could jeopardize his newfound career. Tempest extends a helping hand, but Haiden, proud and stubborn, refuses the assistance.
As the evening deepens, Jasper finds solace at dinner with Tina and her spouse, Alex. The intimacy of the moment prompts Tina to confess a long-held secret: her adolescent infatuation with Jasper, her once-revered professor.
The evening takes a sinister turn when Gisele, Haiden's beloved wife, stumbles upon a horrifying sight—her husband, lifeless on the floor, a gaping wound at the nape of his neck, a testament to a violent end.
Detective Lisa and Winters spring into action, their investigation weaving through the tapestry of hotel guests, a melange of criminologists gathered for a conference. Among them, they cross paths with Vinette Lawson, a prostitute whose night entwined with Haiden's in a way that promises to unravel secrets darker than any academic theory.
Initially, she vehemently denied any involvement in his demise, yet later, her confession unravelled a fragment of truth: she had revisited Haiden's chamber, only to find the door unresponsive to her knocks. Lisa and Winters delved deeper, interviewing Alex and Tina, who were entwined in a dinner engagement with Tempest at the fateful hour. Gisele, too, was swiftly summoned for questioning, her turn following swiftly.
With Haiden's name cleared from suspicion, Tempest devised a cunning ruse—to deliver Haiden's speech as a bait, hoping to lure the true perpetrator into the open. Despite Gisele's initial hesitance, Tempest's persuasive charm won her over, recognizing that none could match his strategic prowess.
The stage was now set with two prime suspects: Gisele Haiden and Vinette Lawson, both harboring the means, motive, and opportunity to commit the heinous act. Tempest, having pinpointed the culprit, chose to withhold the revelation until the climax of his keynote address, entrusting Lisa to ensure the presence of all suspects.
The scene thus unfolds, with Tempest's solemn promise echoing—by the speech's conclusion, the killer's mask would be stripped away. He elucidated the killer's flawed genius, anticipating a crack under pressure and thus orchestrating a diversion. The watch was tampered with, a phony call staged from Haiden's phone, all part of a twisted plot.
And then, the dramatic unmasking: Alex Morley, revealed as the perpetrator. Fueled by jealousy over Tina's missed opportunity due to Haiden, Alex embarked on a vendetta, first attempting to sabotage Haiden's career with evidence of betrayal. When that failed, rage consumed him, leading to Haiden's tragic end.
As the episode drew to a poignant close, Tempest was met with heartbreaking news—his mother's accidental fall, leaving her hospitalized with a hip injury. Though the prognosis held promise of full recovery, Tempest's mind was plagued by the mystery of his mother's attic search, a puzzle that refused to yield its secrets.
