The Mousetrap and Other Plays (117 page)

CARLA
. (
sitting on the settee at the upstage end
) Do you know that my mother left a letter for me in which she said she was innocent?

MEREDITH
. (
turning and looking at Carla; sharply
) Your mother wrote
that?

CARLA
. Does it surprise you so much?

(
JUSTIN
sees Meredith is uncertain what to do with the briefcase and offers to take it
)

MEREDITH
. Well, I shouldn't have thought Caroline . . . (
He hands the brief-case to Justin
)

(
JUSTIN
puts the brief-case on the table
R
)

I don't know—I suppose she felt—(
he sits in the armchair
) it would distress you less . . .

CARLA
. (
passionately
) It doesn't occur to you that what she wrote me might be true?

MEREDITH
. Well, yes—of course. If she solemnly wrote that when she was dying—well, it stands to reason that it must be true—doesn't it? (
He looks up at Justin for support
)

(
There is a pause
)

CARLA
. What a rotten liar you are. (
She rises
)

MEREDITH
. (
shocked
) Carla!

(
CARLA
goes into the hall and picks up her handbag
)

CARLA
. Oh, I know it was meant to be kind. But kindness doesn't really help. I want you to tell me all about it. (
She steps into the room and searches in her bag
)

MEREDITH
. You know the facts—(
to Justin
) doesn't she?

JUSTIN
. (
crossing down
L
) Yes, sir, she does.

MEREDITH
. Going over them will be painful—and quite unprofitable. Better let the whole thing rest. You're young and pretty and engaged to be married and that's all that really matters.

(
JUSTIN
sees
CARLA
searching in her bag, takes out his cigarette case and offers it to her,
MEREDITH
takes a snuff-box from his waistcoat pocket
)

JUSTIN
. (
to Carla
) You looking for one of these?

MEREDITH
. (
offering the snuff-box to Carla
) Have a pinch of . . . No, I don't suppose you do, but I'll . . . (
He offers the box to Justin
) Oh, will you?

(
JUSTIN
declines.
CARLA
takes a cigarette from
JUSTIN
who also takes one
)

CARLA
. I've asked your brother Philip, you know. (
She puts her bag on the stool
)

(
JUSTIN
lights the cigarettes with his lighter
)

MEREDITH
. Oh—Philip! You wouldn't get much from him. Philip's a busy man. So busy making money, that he hasn't time for anything else. If he did remember anything, he'd remember it all wrong. (
He sniffs the snuff
)

CARLA
. (
sitting on the settee at the upstage end
) Then
you
tell me.

(
JUSTIN
sits on the settee at the downstage end
)

MEREDITH
. (
guardedly
) Well—you'd have to understand a bit about your father—first.

CARLA
. (
matter-of-fact
) He had affairs with other women and made my mother very unhappy.

MEREDITH
. Well—er—yes—(
he sniffs
) but these affairs of his weren't really important until Elsa came along.

CARLA
. He was painting her?

MEREDITH
. Yes, my word—(
he sniffs
) I can see her now. Sitting on the terrace where she posed. Dark—er—shorts and a yellow shirt. “Portrait of a girl in a yellow shirt”, that's what he was going to call it. It was one of the best things Amyas ever did. (
He puts his snuff-box in his pocket
)

CARLA
. What happened to the picture?

MEREDITH
. I've got it. I bought it with the furniture. I bought the house, too. Alderbury. It adjoins my property, you know. I didn't want it turned into a building estate. Everything was sold by the executors and the proceeds put in trust for you. But you know that, I expect.

CARLA
. I didn't know you'd bought the house.

MEREDITH
. Well, I did. It's let to a Youth Hostel. But I keep one wing just as it was, for myself. I sold off most of the furniture . . .

CARLA
. But you kept the picture. Why?

MEREDITH
. (
as though defending himself
) I tell you, it was the best thing Amyas ever did. My word, yes! It goes to the nation when I die. (
He pauses
)

(
CARLA
stares at Meredith
)

Well, I'll try to tell you what you want to know. Amyas brought Elsa down there—ostensibly because he was painting her. She hated the pretence. She—she was so wildly in love with him and wanted to have it out with Caroline then and there. She felt in a false position. I—I understood her point of view.

CARLA
. (
coldly
) You sound most sympathetic towards her.

MEREDITH
. (
horrified
) Not at all. My sympathies were all with Caroline. I'd always been—well, in love with Caroline. I asked her to marry me—but she married Amyas instead. Oh, I can understand it—he was a brilliant person and very attractive to women, but he didn't look after her the way
I'd
have looked after her. I remained her friend.

CARLA
. And yet you believe she committed murder?

MEREDITH
. She didn't really know what she was doing. There was a terrific scene—she was overwrought . . .

CARLA
. Yes?

MEREDITH
. And that same afternoon she took the conine from my laboratory. But I swear there was no thought of murder in her mind when she took it—she had some idea of—of—doing away with herself.

CARLA
. But as your brother Philip said, “She
didn't
do away with herself.”

MEREDITH
. Things always look better the next morning. And there was a lot of fuss going on, getting Angela's things ready for school—that was Angela Warren, Caroline's half-sister. She was a real little devil, always scrapping with someone, or playing tricks. She and Amyas were forever fighting, but he was very fond of her—and Caroline adored her.

CARLA
. (
quickly
) After once trying to kill her?

MEREDITH
. (
looking at Carla; quickly
) I've always been sure that that story was grossly exaggerated. Most children are jealous of the new baby.

CARLA
. (
after puffing at her cigarette
) My father was found dead—after lunch, wasn't he?

MEREDITH
. Yes. We left him on the terrace, painting. He often wouldn't go into lunch. The glass of beer that Caroline had brought him was there by his side—empty. I suppose the stuff was already beginning to work. There's no pain—just a slow—paralysis. Yes. When we came out after lunch—he was dead. The whole thing was a nightmare.

CARLA
. (
rising; upset
) A nightmare . . .

MEREDITH
. (
rising
) I'm sorry, my dear. I didn't want to talk about it to you. (
He looks at Justin
)

CARLA
. If I could go down there—to where it happened. Could I?

MEREDITH
. Of course, my dear. You're only to say the word.

CARLA
. (
moving
C
and turning to face Justin
) If we could go over it there—all of us . . .

MEREDITH
. What do you mean by all of us?

CARLA
. (
turning to face Meredith
) Your brother Philip and you, and the governess, and Angela Warren, and—yes—even Elsa.

MEREDITH
. I hardly think Elsa would come. She's married, you know.

CARLA
. (
wryly
) Several times, I hear.

MEREDITH
. She's changed very much. Philip saw her at a theatre one night.

CARLA
. Nothing lasts. You loved my mother once—but
that
didn't last, did it? (
She stubs out her cigarette in the ashtray on the stool
)

MEREDITH
. What?

CARLA
. (
crossing down
L
) Everything's different from what I thought it would be. I can't seem to find my way.

(
JUSTIN
rises
)

If I could go down to Alderbury . . .

MEREDITH
. You're welcome at any time, my dear. Now, I'm afraid I must . . .

(
CARLA
gazes out front
)

JUSTIN
. (
moving to the hall
) I'll get your coat, sir. (
He sees Carla is in a brown study
) Carla's most grateful to you, sir. (
He takes Meredith's coat, hat and muffler from the hooks
)

CARLA
. (
recollecting herself
) Oh, yes. Yes, thank you for coming.

(
MEREDITH
goes to the hall where Justin helps him on with his coat
)

MEREDITH
. Carla, the more I think of it all . . .

CARLA
. Yes?

MEREDITH
. (
moving
C
) I believe, you know, that it's quite possible Amyas did commit suicide. He may have felt more remorseful than we know. (
He looks hopefully at Carla
)

CARLA
. (
unconvinced
) It's a nice thought.

MEREDITH
. Yes, yes—well, good-bye, my dear.

CARLA
. Good-bye.

MEREDITH
. (
taking his hat from Justin
) Good-bye, Mr. Fogg.

JUSTIN
. (
opening the door
) Good-bye, sir.

MEREDITH
. (
mumbling
) Good-bye. Good-bye.

(
MEREDITH
exits.
JUSTIN
closes the door and moves
C
)

CARLA
. Well!

JUSTIN
. Well!

CARLA
. What a fool!

JUSTIN
. Quite a nice kindly fool.

(
The telephone rings
)

CARLA
. (
crossing to the telephone
) He doesn't believe anything of the sort. (
She lifts the receiver
) Why does he say so? (
Into the telephone
) Yes? . . . Yes. I see. (
She replaces the receiver. Disappointed
) She's not coming.

JUSTIN
. Lady Melksham?

CARLA
. Yes. Unavoidably prevented.

(
JUSTIN
goes into the hall and collects his coat
)

JUSTIN
. Don't worry, we'll think of something.

CARLA
. (
looking out of the window
) I've got to see her, she's the hub of it all.

JUSTIN
. (
moving
C
and putting on his coat
) You're going to take tea with Miss Williams, aren't you?

CARLA
. (
flatly
) Yes.

JUSTIN
. (
rather eagerly
) Want me to come with you?

CARLA
. (
without interest
) No, there's no need.

JUSTIN
. Maybe there'll be a letter from Angela Warren in tomorrow's post. I'll phone you if I may?

CARLA
. (
still looking through the window
) Please.

JUSTIN
. (
after a pause
) What a fool your father was.

(
CARLA
turns
)

Not to recognize quality when he had it.

CARLA
. What do you mean?

JUSTIN
. Elsa Greer was pretty brash, you know, crude allure, crude sex, crude hero worship.

CARLA
. Hero worship?

JUSTIN
. Yes. Would she have made a dead set at your father if he hadn't been a celebrated painter? Look at her subsequent husbands. Always attracted by a somebody—a big noise in the world—never the man himself. But Caroline, your mother, would have recognized quality in a—(
he pauses and self-consciously gives a boyish smile
) well—even in a solicitor.

(
CARLA
picks up Justin's brief-case and looks at him with interest
)

CARLA
. I believe you're still in love with my mother. (
She holds out the brief-case
)

JUSTIN
. Oh, no. (
He takes the brief-case and smiles
) I move with the times, you know.

(
CARLA
is taken aback, but is pleased and smiles
)

Good-bye.