The Mousetrap and Other Plays (59 page)

TROTTER
. Now, Mrs. Ralston, try and think—
think
. . .

MOLLIE
. (
At breaking point
) I can't think. My head's numbed.

TROTTER
. Mrs. Boyle had only just been killed when you got to her. You came from the kitchen. Are you sure you didn't see or hear anybody as you came along the hallway?

MOLLIE
. No—no, I don't think so. Just the radio blaring out in here. I couldn't think who'd turned it on so loud. I wouldn't hear anything else with that, would I?

TROTTER
. That was clearly the murderer's idea—or (
Meaningly
) murderess.

MOLLIE
. How could I hear anything else?

TROTTER
. You might have done. If the murderer had left the hall that way (
he points Left
) he might have heard you coming from the kitchen. He might have slipped up the back stairs—or into the dining room . . .

MOLLIE
. I think—I'm not sure—I heard a door creak—and shut—just as I came out of the kitchen.

TROTTER
. Which door?

MOLLIE
. I don't know.

TROTTER
. Think, Mrs. Ralston—try and
think.
Upstairs? Downstairs? Close at hand? Right? Left?

MOLLIE
. (
Tearful
) I don't know, I tell you. I'm not even sure I heard anything. (
She moves down to the armchair Centre and sits.
)

GILES
. (
Rising and moving to Left of the refectory table; angrily
) Can't you stop bullying her? Can't you see she's all in?

TROTTER
. (
Sharply
) We're investigating a murder, Mr. Ralston. Up to now, nobody has taken this thing seriously. Mrs. Boyle didn't. She held out on me with information. You all held out on me. Well, Mrs. Boyle is dead. Unless we get to the bottom of this—and quickly, mind—there may be another death.

GILES
. Another? Nonsense. Why?

TROTTER
. (
Gravely
) Because there were
three
little blind mice.

GILES
. A death for each of them? But there would have to be some connection—I mean another connection—with the Longridge Farm business.

TROTTER
. Yes, there would have to be that.

GILES
. But why another death
here
?

TROTTER
. Because there were only two addresses in the notebook we found. Now, at twenty-four Culver Street there was only one possible victim. She's dead. But here at Monkswell Manor there is a wider field. (
He looks round the circle meaningly.
)

MISS
CASEWELL
. Nonsense. Surely it would be a most unlikely coincidence that there should be
two
people brought here by chance, both of them with a share in the Longridge Farm case?

TROTTER
. Given certain circumstances, it wouldn't be so much of a coincidence. Think it out, Miss Casewell. (
He rises.
) Now I want to get down quite clearly where everyone was when Mrs. Boyle was killed. I've already got Mrs. Ralston's statement. You were in the kitchen preparing vegetables. You came out of the kitchen, along the passage, through the swing door into the hall and in here. (
He points to the archway Right.
) The radio was blaring, but the light was switched off, and the hall was dark. You switched the light on, saw Mrs. Boyle, and screamed.

MOLLIE
. Yes. I screamed and screamed. And at last—people came.

TROTTER
. (
Moving down to Left of
MOLLIE
) Yes. As you say, people came—a lot of people from different directions—all arriving more or less at once. (
He pauses, moves down Centre and turns his back to the audience.
) Now then, when I got out of that window (
He points
) to trace the telephone wire,
you
, Mr. Ralston, went upstairs to the room you and Mrs. Ralston occupy, to try the extension telephone. (
Moving up Centre
) Where were you when Mrs. Ralston screamed?

GILES
. I was still up in the bedroom. The extension telephone was dead, too. I looked out of the window to see if I could see any sign of the wires being cut there, but I couldn't. Just after I closed the window again, I heard Mollie scream and I rushed down.

TROTTER
. (
Leaning on the refectory table
) Those simple actions took you rather a long time, didn't they, Mr. Ralston?

GILES
. I don't think so. (
He moves away to the stairs.
)

TROTTER
. I should say you definitely—took your time over them.

GILES
. I was thinking about something.

TROTTER
. Very well. Now then, Mr. Wren, I'll have your account of where you were.

CHRISTOPHER
. (
Rising and moving to Left of
TROTTER
) I'd been in the kitchen, seeing if there was anything I could do to help Mrs. Ralston. I adore cooking. After that I went upstairs to my bedroom.

TROTTER
. Why?

CHRISTOPHER
. It's quite a natural thing to go to one's bedroom, don't you think? I mean—one does want to be alone
sometimes.

TROTTER
. You went to your bedroom because you wanted to be alone?

CHRISTOPHER
. And I wanted to brush my hair—and—er—tidy up.

TROTTER
. (
Looking hard at
CHRISTOPHER
's dishevelled hair
) You wanted to brush your hair?

CHRISTOPHER
. Anyway, that's where I was!

(
GILES
moves down Left to the door.
)

TROTTER
. And you heard Mrs. Ralston scream?

CHRISTOPHER
. Yes.

TROTTER
. And you came down?

CHRISTOPHER
. Yes.

TROTTER
. Curious that you and Mr. Ralston didn't meet on the stairs.

(
CHRISTOPHER
and
GILES
look at each other.
)

CHRISTOPHER
. I came down by the back stairs. They're nearer to my room.

TROTTER
. Did you go to your room by the back stairs, or did you come through here?

CHRISTOPHER
. I went up by the back stairs, too. (
He moves to the desk chair and sits.
)

TROTTER
. I see. (
He moves to Right of the sofa table.
) Mr. Paravicini?

PARAVICINI
. I have told you. (
He rises and moves to Left of the sofa.
) I was playing the piano in the drawing room—through there, Inspector. (
He gestures Left.
)

TROTTER
. I'm not an Inspector—just a Sergeant, Mr. Paravicini. Did anybody hear you playing the piano?

PARAVICINI
. (
Smiling
) I do not expect so. I was playing very, very softly—with one finger—so.

MOLLIE
. You were playing
Three Blind Mice.

TROTTER
. (
Sharply
) Is that so?

PARAVICINI
. Yes. It is a very catchy little tune. It is—how shall I say?—a haunting little tune? Don't you all agree?

MOLLIE
. I think it's horrible.

PARAVICINI
. And yet—it runs in people's head. Someone was whistling it, too

TROTTER
. Whistling it? Where?

PARAVICINI
. I am not sure. Perhaps in the front hall—perhaps on the stairs—perhaps even upstairs in a bedroom.

TROTTER
. Who was whistling
Three Blind Mice
?

(
There is no answer.
)

Are you making this up, Mr. Paravicini?

PARAVICINI
. No, no, Inspector—I beg your pardon—Sergeant, I would not do a thing like that.

TROTTER
. Well, go on, you were playing the piano.

PARAVICINI
. (
Holding out a finger
) With one finger so . . . And then I hear the radio—playing very loud—someone is shouting on it. It offended my ears. And after that—suddenly—I hear Mrs. Ralston scream. (
He sits at the Left end of the sofa.
)

TROTTER
. (
Moving up to Centre of the refectory table; gesturing with his fingers
) Mr. Ralston upstairs. Mr. Wren upstairs. Mr. Paravicini in drawing room. Miss Casewell?

MISS
CASEWELL
. I was writing letters in the library.

TROTTER
. Could you hear what was going on in here?

MISS
CASEWELL
. No, I didn't hear anything until Mrs. Ralston screamed.

TROTTER
. And what did you do then?

MISS
CASEWELL
. I came in here.

TROTTER
. At once.

MISS
CASEWELL
. I—think so.

TROTTER
. You say you were writing letters when you heard Mrs. Ralston scream?

MISS
CASEWELL
. Yes.

TROTTER
. And got up from the writing table hurriedly and came in here?

MISS
CASEWELL
. Yes.

TROTTER
. And yet there doesn't seem to be any unfinished letter on the writing desk in the library.

MISS
CASEWELL
. (
Rising
) I brought it with me. (
She opens her handbag, takes out a letter, moves up to Left of
TROTTER
and hands it to him.
)

TROTTER
. (
Looking at it and handing it back
) Dearest Jessie—h'm—a friend of yours, or a relation?

MISS
CASEWELL
. That's none of your damned business. (
She turns away.
)

TROTTER
. Perhaps not. (
He moves round the Right end of the refectory table to behind it Centre.
) You know if I were to hear someone screaming blue murder when I was writing a letter, I don't believe I'd take the time to pick up my unfinished letter, fold it and put it in my handbag before going to see what was the matter.

MISS
CASEWELL
. You wouldn't? How interesting. (
She moves up the stairs and sits on the stool.
)

TROTTER
. (
Moving to left of
MAJOR
METCALF
) Now, Major Metcalf, what about you? You say you were in the cellar. Why?

MAJOR
METCALF
. (
Pleasantly
) Looking around. Just looking around. I looked into that cupboard place under the stairs near the kitchen. Lot of junk and sports tackle. And I noticed there was another door inside it, and I opened it and saw a flight of steps. I was curious and I went down. Nice cellars you've got.

MOLLIE
. Glad you like them.

MAJOR
METCALF
. Not at all. Crypt of an old monastery, I should say. Probably why this place is called “Monkswell.”

TROTTER
. We're not engaged in antiquarian research, Major Metcalf. We're investigating a murder. Mrs. Ralston has told us that she heard a door shut with a faint creak. (
He moves to Right of the sofa.
) That particular door shuts with a creak. It could be, you know, that after killing Mrs. Boyle, the murderer heard Mrs. Ralston (
Moving to Left of the armchair Centre
) coming from the kitchen and slipped into the cupboard pulling the door to after him.

MAJOR
METCALF
. A lot of things could be.

(
MOLLIE
rises, moves down to the small armchair and sits. There is a pause.
)

CHRISTOPHER
. (
Rising
) There would be fingerprints on the inside of the cupboard.

MAJOR
METCALF
. Mine are there all right. But most criminals are careful to wear gloves, aren't they?

TROTTER
. It's usual. But all criminals slip up sooner or later.

PARAVICINI
. I wonder, Sergeant, if that's really true?

GILES
. (
Moving to Left of
TROTTER
) Look here, aren't we wasting time? There's one person who . . .

TROTTER
. Please, Mr. Ralston, I'm in charge of this investigation.

GILES
. Oh, very well, but . . .

(
GILES
exits by the door down Left.
)

TROTTER
. (
Calling authoritatively
) Mr. Ralston!

(
GILES
reenters grudgingly and stands by the door.
)

Thank you. (
Moving behind the refectory table
) We've got to establish opportunity, you know, as well as motive. And now let me tell you this—you
all
had opportunity.

(
There are several murmured protests.
)

(
He holds up his hand.
) There are two staircases—anyone could go up by one and come down by the other. Anyone could go down to the cellars by the door near the kitchen and come up by a flight of steps that leads up through a trapdoor to the foot of the stairs over there. (
He points off Right.
) The vital fact was that every one of you was
alone
at the time the murder was committed.