The Mousetrap and Other Plays (46 page)

INSPECTOR
. It must be. Very sudden and unexpected.

VERONICA
. I know. Almost unbelievable. But it's possible, you know, never to forget—to wait and hope and plan. There are men like that.

INSPECTOR
. (
Watching her closely and moving above the armchair to Right of it
) And women.

VERONICA
. Yes—yes—I suppose so. Well, that's how he was. I pretended at first not to take him seriously. I told him he was mad. He'd said something of the kind last night. That's why I sent him that note. I couldn't leave things like that. I came over to make him realize that what he suggested was impossible. But he wouldn't listen to what I had to say. And now—he's dead. I feel dreadful.

(
The
SERGEANT
clears his throat.
)

INSPECTOR
. Yes, Sergeant?

SERGEANT
. (
Easing above the sofa
;
to
VERONICA
) I understand from information received that as you left by that window you were heard to say—(
He refers to his notebook
) “I hate you more than I ever thought it possible to hate anyone.”

VERONICA
. I'm sure I
never
said that. What have you been listening to? Servants' talk?

SERGEANT
. One of your fans, Miss Craye, was hanging around hoping to get your autograph. (
Significantly
) She heard a great deal of what went on in this room.

VERONICA
. (
Rising; angrily
) All a pack of lies. (
To the
INSPECTOR
) Can I have my bag, please?

INSPECTOR
. (
Crossing to the fireplace
) Certainly, Miss Craye. (
He picks up the bag.
) But I'm afraid I shall have to keep the gun.

VERONICA
. Gun?

(
The
INSPECTOR
takes a handkerchief from his pocket, puts it round his hand, opens the bag and takes out a revolver.
)

INSPECTOR
. Didn't you know there was a gun in your bag?

SERGEANT
. (
With a step towards the
INSPECTOR
) But . . .

(
The
INSPECTOR
quells the
SERGEANT
with a glance.
)

VERONICA
. There wasn't a gun. It's not mine. I don't know anything about a gun.

INSPECTOR
. (
Examining the revolver
) Thirty-eight Smith and Wesson the same calibre as the bullet that killed John Cristow.

VERONICA
. (
Angrily
) Don't you think you can frame me! (
She moves to the
INSPECTOR
.) I'll see my attorney. I'll . . . How dare you!

INSPECTOR
. (
Holding out the bag
) Here's your bag, Miss Craye.

(
VERONICA
snatches the bag from him. She looks both angry and frightened.
)

VERONICA
. I won't say another word.

INSPECTOR
. Very wise.

(
VERONICA
turns, glares at the
SERGEANT
,
then exits hurriedly up Centre to Left. The
INSPECTOR
looks after her, twisting the revolver which he holds carefully in the handkerchief.
)

SERGEANT
. (
Easing to Right of the armchair Left Centre.
) But, sir, I . . .

INSPECTOR
. But me no buts, Penny. Things are not what they seem, and all the rest of it. (
He moves to the armchair Left Centre and sits slowly in it.
)

(
The
SERGEANT
opens his mouth to protest.
)

(
He silences the
SERGEANT
with a gesture.
) I know—I know. Now I wonder . . . ?

CURTAIN

ACT THREE

SCENE
:
The same. The following Monday morning.

When Curtain rises, it is a fine morning, the French windows are open and a small fire burns in the grate.
GUDGEON
ushers in the
INSPECTOR
and the
SERGEANT
Left.

GUDGEON
. I will inform Sir Henry you are here, sir.

(
He exits Left.
)

SERGEANT
. (
Glancing at the drinks table
) Nice flowers. (
He moves to the fireplace.
)

INSPECTOR
. (
Moving up Centre and standing in the French windows
) Yes.

SERGEANT
. (
Turning and looking at the picture over the mantelpiece
) I rather like this picture. Nice house. I wonder whose it is?

INSPECTOR
. That's Lady Angkatell's old home.

SERGEANT
. Is it now? All sold up like everything else nowadays?

INSPECTOR
. No, it belongs to Edward Angkatell. Entailed, you see.

SERGEANT
. (
Turning
) Why not to Sir Henry? He's got the title.

INSPECTOR
. No. He's a KCB. He was only a second cousin.

SERGEANT
. You seem to know all about the family.

INSPECTOR
. (
Moving down Right
) I've taken the trouble to find out all I could. I thought it might have a bearing on the case.

SERGEANT
. I don't quite see how. (
He eases Left Centre.
) Anyway, we're getting places at last—or aren't we?

INSPECTOR
. Aren't we is probably right.

(
DORIS
enters up Centre from Left.
)

DORIS
. (
Standing in the French windows
) Ssh!

SERGEANT
. Hullo.

DORIS
. (
Moving Centre; conspiratorially
) I come round this way because I didn't want Mr. Gudgeon to spot me. They say out there it's common to have anything to do with the police, but what I say is let justice be done.

SERGEANT
. That's the spirit, my girl. And who says it's common to have anything to do with the police?

DORIS
. (
Turning to the
SERGEANT
) Mrs. Medway—the cook. She said it was bad enough anyway to have police in the house and a thing that had never happened to her before and she was afraid she wasn't going to have a light hand with her pastry. (
She pauses for breath.
) And if it wasn't for her ladyship she'd give in her notice, but she couldn't leave her ladyship in the lurch. (
She crosses to Left of the sofa. To the
INSPECTOR
) All potty about her ladyship they are.

SERGEANT
. Well, come to the part about justice being done.

DORIS
. (
Turning and crossing to Right of the
SERGEANT
) It's what I seen with my own eyes.

SERGEANT
. And very nice eyes they are, too.

DORIS
. (
Nudging the
SERGEANT
) Oh, go on! Well, Saturday afternoon it was—the very day of the murder. I went to shut the bedroom windows because it looked like rain, and I happened to glance over the banisters, and what did I see?

SERGEANT
. Well—what did you see?

DORIS
. I saw Mr. Gudgeon standing in the front hall with a revolver in his hand and he looked ever so peculiar. Gave me quite a turn it did.

INSPECTOR
. Gudgeon?

DORIS
. (
Moving to Left of the sofa
) Yes, sir. And it come to me as perhaps
he
was the murderer.

INSPECTOR
. Gudgeon!

DORIS
. (
Crossing below the sofa to Left of the
INSPECTOR
) And I hope I've done right in coming to you, but what they'll say to me in the servants' hall I don't know, but what I felt was—let—

SERGEANT
. You did quite right, my girl.

DORIS
. And what I feel is . . . (
She breaks off and listens.
) Someone's coming. (
She moves quickly up Centre.
) I must hop it. I'm supposed to be counting the laundry.

(
She exits up Centre to Left.
)

SERGEANT
. (
Moving up Centre and looking after
DORIS
) That's a useful girl. She's the one who was hanging about for Miss Craye's autograph.

(
SIR
HENRY
enters Left.
)

INSPECTOR
. Good morning, Sir Henry.

SIR
HENRY
. (
Crossing to Left of the sofa
) Good morning, Inspector.

SERGEANT
. Good morning, sir.

(
SIR
HENRY
nods to the
SERGEANT
.)

SIR
HENRY
. (
To the
INSPECTOR
) You wanted to see me?

INSPECTOR
. (
Crossing to Left Centre
) Yes, Sir Henry. We wanted some further information.

SIR
HENRY
. Yes?

INSPECTOR
. Sir Henry, you have a considerable collection of firearms, mostly pistols and revolvers. I wanted to know if any of them are missing.

SIR
HENRY
. (
Sitting on the sofa at the Left end of it
) I don't quite understand. I have already told you that I took two revolvers and one pistol down to the target alley on Saturday morning, and that I subsequently found that one of them, a thirty-eight Smith and Wesson, was missing. I identified this missing revolver as the one that Mrs. Cristow was holding just after the murder.

INSPECTOR
. That is quite correct, Sir Henry. According to Mrs. Cristow's statement, she picked it up from the floor by her husband's body. We assumed, perhaps naturally, that
that
was the gun with which Doctor Cristow was shot.

SIR
HENRY
. Do you mean—it
wasn't
?

INSPECTOR
. We have now received the report of our ballistics expert. Sir Henry, the bullet that killed Doctor Cristow was
not
fired from that gun.

SIR
HENRY
. You astound me.

INSPECTOR
. Yes, it's extremely odd. The bullet was of the right calibre, but that was definitely not the gun used.

SIR
HENRY
. But may I ask, Inspector, why you should assume that the murder weapon came from my collection?

INSPECTOR
. I don't assume it, Sir Henry—but I must check up before looking elsewhere.

SIR
HENRY
. (
Rising and crossing to Left
) Yes, I see that. Well, I can tell you what you want to know in a very few moments.

(
He exits Left.
)

SERGEANT
. He doesn't know anything.

INSPECTOR
. (
Moving up Centre
) So it seems. (
He goes on to the terrace and stands looking off Left.
)

SERGEANT
. What time's the inquest?

INSPECTOR
. Twelve o'clock. There's plenty of time.

SERGEANT
. Just routine evidence and an adjournment. It's all fixed up with the Coroner, I suppose?

(
MIDGE
enters Left. She wears her hat and coat, and carries her handbag, gloves and suitcase.
)

INSPECTOR
. (
Turning
) Are you leaving, Miss Harvey?

MIDGE
. (
Crossing to Centre
) I have to get up to town immediately after the inquest.

INSPECTOR
. (
Moving to Right of
MIDGE
) I'm afraid I must ask you not to leave here today.

MIDGE
. But that's very awkward. You see, I work in a dress shop. And if I'm not back by two thirty there'll be an awful to-do.

INSPECTOR
. I'm sorry, Miss Harvey. You can say you are acting on police instructions.

MIDGE
. That won't go down very well, I can tell you. (
She crosses below the sofa to the writing table, puts her handbag and gloves on it and stands the case on the floor above the writing table.
) Oh well, I suppose I'd better ring up now and get it over. (
She lifts the telephone receiver. Into the telephone.
) Hullo . . .