The Mousetrap and Other Plays (116 page)

CARLA
. How?

PHILIP
. My brother Meredith had a strange hobby. He used to fiddle about with herbs and hemlock and stuff and Caroline had stolen one of his patent brews.

CARLA
. How did you know that it was
she
who had taken it?

PHILIP
. (
grimly
) I knew all right. And I was fool enough to hang about waiting to talk it over with Meredith. Why I hadn't the sense to realize that
Caroline
wouldn't wait, I can't think. She'd pinched the stuff to use—and by God, she used it at the first opportunity.

CARLA
. You
can't
be sure it was she who took it.

PHILIP
. My dear girl, she
admitted
taking it. Said she'd taken it to do away with herself.

CARLA
. That's possible, isn't it?

PHILIP
. Is it? (
Caustically
) Well, she
didn't
do away with herself.

(
CARLA
shakes her head. There is a silence
)

(
He rises and makes an effort to resume a normal manner
) Have a glass of sherry? (
He moves below and
L
of the desk to the cupboard up
L
, takes out a decanter of sherry and a glass and puts them on the desk
) Now, I suppose I've upset you? (
He pours a glass of sherry
)

CARLA
. I've got to find out about things.

PHILIP
. (
crossing and handing the glass to Carla
) There was a lot of sympathy for her at the trial, of course. (
He moves behind the desk
) Amyas behaved badly, I'll admit, bringing the Greer girl down to Alderbury. (
He replaces the decanter in the cupboard
) And she
was
pretty insolent to Caroline.

CARLA
. Did you like her?

PHILIP
. (
guardedly
) Young Elsa? Not particularly. (
He turns to the cupboard, takes out a bottle of whisky and a glass and puts them on the desk
) She wasn't my type, damnably attractive, of course. Predatory. Grasping at everything she wanted. (
He pours whisky for himself
) All the same, I think she'd have suited Amyas better than Caroline did. (
He replaces the bottle in the cupboard
)

CARLA
. Weren't my mother and father happy together?

PHILIP
. (
with a laugh
) They never stopped having rows. His married life would have been one long
hell
if it hadn't been for the way of escape his painting gave him. (
He squirts soda into his drink and sits at the desk
)

CARLA
. How did he meet Elsa?

PHILIP
. (
vaguely
) Some Chelsea party or other. (
He smiles
) Came along to me—told me he'd met a marvellous girl—absolutely different from any girl he'd met before. Well, I'd heard
that
often enough. He'd fall for a girl like a ton of bricks, and a month later, when you mentioned her, he'd stare at you and wonder who the hell you were talking about. But it didn't turn out that way with Elsa. (
He raises his glass
) Good luck, m'dear. (
He drinks
)

(
CARLA
sips her sherry
)

CARLA
. She's married now, isn't she?

PHILIP
. (
dryly
) She's run through three husbands. A test pilot who crashed himself, some explorer chap whom she got bored with. She's married now to old Lord Melksham, a dreamy peer who writes mystical poetry. I should say she's about had
him
by now. (
He drinks
)

CARLA
. Would she have gotten tired of my father, I wonder?

PHILIP
. Who knows?

CARLA
. I must meet her.

PHILIP
. Can't you let things go?

CARLA
. (
rising and putting her glass on the desk
) No, I've got to understand.

PHILIP
. (
rising
) Determined, aren't you?

CARLA
. Yes, I'm a fighter. But my mother—wasn't.

(
The intercom buzzes.
CARLA
turns and picks up her bag
)

PHILIP
. Where did you get that idea? Caroline was a terrific fighter. (
He presses the switch. Into the intercom
) Yes?

VOICE
. (
through the intercom
) Mr. Foster's here, Mr. Blake.

PHILIP
. Tell him I won't keep him a moment.

VOICE
. Yes, sir.

(
PHILIP
releases the switch
)

CARLA
. (
struck
) Was she? Was she really? But—she didn't fight at her trial.

PHILIP
. No.

CARLA
. Why didn't she?

PHILIP
. Well, since she knew she was guilty . . . (
He rises
)

CARLA
. (
angrily
) She wasn't guilty!

PHILIP
. (
angrily
) You're obstinate, aren't you? After all I've told you!

CARLA
. You still hate her. Although she's been dead for years. Why?

PHILIP
. I've told you . . .

CARLA
. Not the real reason. There's something else.

PHILIP
. I don't think so.

CARLA
. You hate her—now why? I shall have to find out. Good-bye, Mr. Blake. Thank you.

PHILIP
. Good-bye.

(
CARLA
moves to the door and exits, leaving the door open
)

(
He stares after her for a moment, slightly perplexed, then he closes the door, sits at the desk and presses the intercom switch. Into the intercom
) Ask Mr. Foster to come in.

VOICE
. (
through the intercom
) Yes, sir.

PHILIP
sits back in his chair and picks up his drink as the lights dim to
BLACK
-
OUT

Scene III

SCENE
—
The sitting-room of an hotel suite.

There is an arch back
C
leading to a small entrance hall with a door
L
.
There is a long window
R
.
A french settee stands
L
with an armchair to match
R
.
In front of the settee there is a long stool, and a small table with a house telephone stands under the window. There are electric wall-brackets
R
and
L
of the arch. In the hall there is a console table and a row of coathooks on the wall
R
.

When the
LIGHTS
come up,
JUSTIN
is by the armchair, placing some files in his brief-case. His coat is on the settee.
CARLA
enters the hall from
L
, puts her gloves and handbag on the hall table, removes her coat and hangs it on the hooks.

CARLA
. Oh, I'm so glad you're here.

JUSTIN
. (
surprised and pleased
) Really? (
He puts his brief-case on the armchair and moves down
R
) Meredith Blake will be here at three o'clock.

CARLA
. Good! What about Lady Melksham?

JUSTIN
. She didn't answer my letter.

CARLA
. Perhaps she's away?

JUSTIN
. (
crossing to
L
of the arch
) No, she's not away. I took steps to ascertain that she's at home.

CARLA
. I suppose that means that she's going to ignore the whole thing.

JUSTIN
. Oh, I wouldn't say that. She'll come all right.

CARLA
. (
moving
C
) What makes you so sure?

JUSTIN
. Well, women usually . . .

CARLA
. (
with a touch of mischief
) I see—you're an authority on women.

JUSTIN
. (
stiffly
) Only in the legal sense.

CARLA
. And—strictly in the legal sense . . . ?

JUSTIN
. Women usually want to satisfy their curiosity.

(
CARLA
sees Justin's coat on the settee, crosses and picks it up
)

CARLA
. I really do like you—you make me feel much better. (
She moves towards the hooks
)

(
The telephone rings
)

(
She thrusts the coat at Justin, crosses and lifts the telephone receiver. Into the telephone
) Hello? . . .

(
JUSTIN
hangs his coat in the hall
)

Oh, ask him to come up, will you? (
She replaces the receiver and turns to Justin
) It's Meredith Blake. Is he like his hateful brother?

JUSTIN
. (
moving
C
) A very different temperament, I should say. Do you need to feel better?

CARLA
. What?

JUSTIN
. You said just now I made you feel better. Do you need to feel better?

CARLA
. Sometimes I do. (
She gestures to him to sit on the settee
)

(
JUSTIN
sits on the settee
)

I didn't realize what I was letting myself in for.

JUSTIN
. I was afraid of that.

CARLA
. I could still—give it all up—go back to Canada—forget. Shall I?

JUSTIN
. (
quickly
) No! No—er—not now. You've got to go on.

CARLA
. (
sitting in the armchair
) That's not what you advised in the first place.

JUSTIN
. You hadn't started then.

CARLA
. You still think—that my mother was guilty, don't you?

JUSTIN
. I can't see any other solution.

CARLA
. And yet you want me to go on?

JUSTIN
. I want you to go on until
you
are satisfied.

(
There is a knock on the hall door.
CARLA
and
JUSTIN
rise.
CARLA
goes to the hall, opens the door and steps back.
JUSTIN
crosses to
R
of the armchair and faces the hall.
MEREDITH
BLAKE
enters the hall from
L
.
He is a pleasant, rather vague man with a thatch of grey hair. He gives the impression of being rather ineffectual and irresolute. He wears country tweeds with hat, coat and muffler
)

MEREDITH
. Carla. My dear Carla. (
He takes her hands
) How time flies. May I? (
He kisses her
) It seems incredible that the little girl I knew should have grown up into a young lady. How like your mother you are, my dear. My word!

CARLA
. (
slightly embarrassed; gesturing to Justin
) Do you know Mr. Fogg?

MEREDITH
. My word, my word! (
He pulls himself together
) What? (
To Justin
) Ah, yes, I knew your father, didn't I? (
He steps into the room
)

(
CARLA
closes the door then moves into the room and stands
L
of the arch
)

JUSTIN
. (
moving to
R
of Meredith
) Yes, sir. (
He shakes hands
) May I take your coat?

MEREDITH
. (
unbuttoning his coat; to Carla
) And now—tell me all about yourself. You're over from the States—

(
JUSTIN
takes Meredith's hat
)

—thank you—no, Canada. For how long?

CARLA
. I'm not quite sure—yet.

(
JUSTIN
eyes Carla
)

MEREDITH
. But you are definitely making your home overseas?

CARLA
. Well—I'm thinking of getting married.

MEREDITH
. (
removing his coat
) Oh, to a Canadian?

CARLA
. Yes.

(
MEREDITH
hands his coat and muffler to
JUSTIN
who hangs them with the hat, in the hall
)

MEREDITH
. Well, I hope he's a nice fellow and good enough for you, my dear.

CARLA
. Naturally
I
think so. (
She gestures to Meredith to sit in the armchair
)

(
MEREDITH
goes to sit in the armchair, sees Justin's brief-case and picks it up.
JUSTIN
moves above the armchair
)

MEREDITH
. Good. If you're happy, then I'm very happy for you. And so would your mother have been.