The Mousetrap and Other Plays (28 page)

SARAH
. I thought—she ought to know.

CARBERY
. Well, of course, I'm no judge of medical etiquette, but . . .

(
GERARD
enters quickly Right. He is upset.
)

GERARD
. (
Moving Right Centre
) Colonel Carbery, can I speak to you?

CARBERY
. (
Rising; to
SARAH
and
RAYMOND
) Would you mind?

(
SARAH
rises and exits with
RAYMOND
to the marquee.
)

(
He moves to Left of
GERARD
.) Well, Doctor Gerard, what is it?

GERARD
. It is my duty, clearly my duty, to put certain facts before you. (
He pauses.
) I have with me a small travelling medicine case containing certain drugs.

CARBERY
. Yes?

GERARD
. This morning, on looking into it, I have discovered that one of the drugs is missing.

CARBERY
. (
Sharply
) What drug is it?

GERARD
. Digitoxin.

CARBERY
. Digitoxin is a heart poison, isn't it?

GERARD
. Yes, it is obtained from
Digitalis purpurea
, the common foxglove. It is official in France—though not in your British Pharmacopocia.

CARBERY
. I see. (
He moves Left.
) What would be the effect, Doctor Gerard, of digitoxin administered to a human being? (
He moves to the table.
)

GERARD
. If a large dose—a lethal, not a therapeutic dose—if digitoxin were thrown suddenly on the circulation, say by intravenous injection—it would cause sudden death by palsy of the heart.

CARBERY
. And Mrs. Boynton had a weak heart?

GERARD
. Yes, as a matter of fact, she was actually taking medicine containing digitalis.

CARBERY
. Then in that case the digitoxin wouldn't hurt her.

GERARD
. Oh, my dear sir, that is the layman speaking. There is a difference, as I have said, between a lethal dose and a therapeutic dose. Besides, digitalis may be considered a cumulative drug.

CARBERY
. That's interesting. (
He moves above the table.
) What about post-mortem appearance?

GERARD
. (
Significantly
) The active principles of the digitalis may destroy life and leave no appreciable sign.

CARBERY
. Then she may have died of the cumulative effects of digitalis legitimately given to her. By using the same drug, it means that it would be almost impossible to prove anything satisfactorily to a jury. Yes, somebody's been rather clever.

GERARD
. You think that?

CARBERY
. It's very possible. Rich old woman whom nobody loves. (
He pauses.
) When did you last see this stuff of yours?

GERARD
. Yesterday afternoon. I had my case here. (
He moves to Right of the table.
) I got out some quinine for one of the natives.

CARBERY
. And you can swear that the digitoxin was there then?

GERARD
. Yes. There were no gaps.

CARBERY
. And this morning it was gone.

GERARD
. Yes. You must have a search made. If it has been thrown away . . .

CARBERY
. (
Taking a small phial from his pocket
) Is this it?

GERARD
. (
Astonished
) Yes. Where did you find it?

(
CARBERY
shakes his head at
GERARD
,
goes to the marquee and calls.
)

CARBERY
. (
Calling
) Mr. Boynton. (
He moves below the table.
)

(
RAYMOND
and
SARAH
enter from the marquee and move to Left of
CARBERY
.)

(
He hands the phial to
RAYMOND
.) Have you ever seen this before?

RAYMOND
. (
Wonderingly
) No.

CARBERY
. And yet one of my Arab fellows found it in the pocket of the clothes you were wearing yesterday.

RAYMOND
. (
Utterly taken aback
) In my pocket?

CARBERY
. (
His manner now quite different; no longer vague
) That's what I said.

RAYMOND
. I simply don't understand what you are talking about. What is this thing?

CARBERY
. It's got a label on it.

RAYMOND
. (
Reading
) “Digitoxin.”

CARBERY
. Digitoxin is a heart poison.

SARAH
. What are you driving at, Colonel Carbery?

CARBERY
. I'm just anxious to know how that phial of digitoxin got from Doctor Gerard's case into Mr. Boynton's pocket.

RAYMOND
. I know nothing about it.

CARBERY
. You deny taking it from Doctor Gerard's case?

RAYMOND
. Certainly I do. I've never seen it before. (
He tips the phial.
) Anyway, it's nearly empty.

GERARD
. It was quite full—yesterday afternoon. (
He takes the phial from
RAYMOND
and moves Centre.
)

RAYMOND
. (
Turning a startled face on
GERARD
) You mean . . .?

CARBERY
. (
Quickly
) Doctor King. Do you own a hypodermic syringe?

SARAH
. Yes.

CARBERY
. Where is it?

SARAH
. In my tent. Shall I get it?

CARBERY
. If you please.

(
SARAH
crosses and exits Right.
)

RAYMOND
. What you're suggesting is impossible—quite impossible.

CARBERY
. I'm not aware that I've suggested anything.

RAYMOND
. What sort of a fool do you take me for? The inference is perfectly plain. You think my mother was—(
He swallows
) poisoned?

CARBERY
. I haven't said so.

RAYMOND
. Then what do you mean?

CARBERY
. I just want to know why Doctor Gerard's phial was in your pocket.

RAYMOND
. It wasn't.

CARBERY
. One of my fellows found it there.

RAYMOND
. I tell you I never touched the . . . (
He stops, suddenly assailed by a sudden memory.
)

CARBERY
. Sure about that?

(
SARAH
enters Right and crosses to
CARBERY
.
She carries her hypodermic case.
)

SARAH
. Here you are. (
She hands the case to
CARBERY
.)

CARBERY
. Thank you, Doctor King. (
He opens the case, looks at
RAYMOND
,
then at
SARAH
.)

SARAH
. What . . . ?

(
CARBERY
holds the case out.
)

(
She sees the case is empty.
) Empty?

CARBERY
. Empty.

SARAH
. But—how extraordinary. I'm sure I never . . . (
She stops, beginning to be frightened.
)

GERARD
. That is the hypodermic case you offered to me yesterday afternoon. You are sure it was in the case then?

SARAH
. Yes.

CARBERY
. (
Crossing to
GERARD
) Any idea when it was taken out, Gerard?

GERARD
. (
Upset
) I do not believe . . . (
He breaks off.
)

CARBERY
. Now what don't you believe?

GERARD
. (
Moving Right Centre
)
C'est impossible. C'est impossible.

SARAH
. Jinny?

CARBERY
. Jinny? Is that your sister, Mr. Boynton?

(
RAYMOND
does not answer.
)

Perhaps you would ask her to come here.

GERARD
. (
Sharply
) No.

CARBERY
. (
Turning a mildly surprised eye at him
) She may be able to clear up the matter. If you'd just fetch her, Mr. Boynton.

(
RAYMOND
crosses and exits Right.
CARBERY
crosses above the table to Left of it.
)

GERARD
. You do not understand. You do not understand the very first principles. Listen, my dear sir, this girl will not be able to clear anything up.

CARBERY
. But she handled this case—yesterday afternoon. (
He puts the case on the table.
) That's right, isn't it? That's what's worrying you?

GERARD
. Jinny couldn't possibly have used that hypodermic. It would be entirely out of character. I—ah,
mon Dieu
, how am I to make you understand?

CARBERY
. (
Sitting Left of the table
) Just go on telling me.

GERARD
. (
Crossing and standing up Right of the table
) Ginevra Boynton is at the moment in a highly abnormal mental condition. Doctor King will bear me out.

SARAH
. (
Moving Right
) Doctor Gerard is one of the greatest living authorities on this subject.

CARBERY
. (
Amiably
) I know. I know all about him.

(
SARAH
moves to the deckchair down Right and sits.
)

GERARD
. If Ginevra Boynton took that syringe from Doctor King's case, she certainly did not take it for the reason you are suggesting.

CARBERY
. (
Plaintively
) But I'm not suggesting anything. It's
you
people who are doing all the suggesting.

(
RAYMOND
and
GINEVRA
enter Right.
GINEVRA
crosses to Left Centre.
CARBERY
rises and indicates the chair Right of the table.
GINEVRA
thanks him with a little royal inclination of her head and sits Right of the table.
)

(
He resumes his seat.
) Just want to ask you something, Miss Boynton. There's a hypodermic syringe missing from this case. Do you know anything about it?

GINEVRA
. (
Shaking her head
) No—oh, no.

CARBERY
. Are you sure you didn't take it?

GINEVRA
. Why should I take it?

CARBERY
. Well—(
He smiles at her
) I'm asking
you.

GINEVRA
. (
Leaning forward
) Are you on my side?

CARBERY
. (
Startled
) Eh, what's that?

GINEVRA
. Or are you one of them?

(
GERARD
makes a gesture of frustration.
)

(
She turns swiftly and looks at
GERARD
.) Ask him.
He
knows. He came here—he followed me from Jerusalem—to protect me. To keep me safe from my enemies.

CARBERY
. What enemies, Miss Boynton?

GINEVRA
. I mustn't say. No, I mustn't say. It isn't safe.

CARBERY
. What do you know about this hypodermic?

GINEVRA
. I know who took it. (
She nods.
)

CARBERY
. Who?

GINEVRA
. It was meant for
me.
They were going to kill me. After dark. I should have been asleep. I shouldn't have cried out. They knew, you see, that I'd not got the knife.

CARBERY
. What knife?

GINEVRA
. I stole a knife.
He
—(
She looks at
GERARD
) took it away from me. I ought to have had it—to protect myself with. They were plotting to kill me.

GERARD
. (
Moving behind
GINEVRA
and shaking her by the shoulders
) You must stop this playacting—none of that that you please yourself by imagining is real. You know in your heart that it is not real.

GINEVRA
. It's true—it's all true.

GERARD
. (
Kneeling by her
) No, it is not true. Listen, Ginevra, your mother is dead and you will lead now a new life. You must come out of this world of shadows and fancies. You are free now—free.

GINEVRA
. (
Rising
) Mother is dead—I'm free—free. (
She crosses to Right Centre.
) Mother is dead. (
She turns suddenly to
CARBERY
.) Did I kill her?

GERARD
. (
Rising and moving up Centre.
) Ah!
Mon Dieu!

SARAH
. (
Rising, fiercely
) Of course you didn't kill her.

GINEVRA
. (
Turning a mad lovely smile on
SARAH
) How do you know?