The Mousetrap and Other Plays (64 page)

(
TROTTER
,
startled, moves to Right of the sofa.
CHRISTOPHER
enters from the door down Left.
)

CHRISTOPHER
. (
Coming Left of the sofa
) I always thought the police weren't allowed to give people the third degree.

TROTTER
. I have merely been interrogating Miss Casewell.

CHRISTOPHER
. You seem to have upset her. (
To
MISS
CASEWELL
) What did he do?

MISS
CASEWELL
. No, it's nothing. It's just—all this—murder—it's so horrible. (
She rises and faces
TROTTER
.) It came over me suddenly. I'll go up to my room.

(
MISS
CASEWELL
exits up the stairs Left.
)

TROTTER
. (
Moving to the stairs and looking up after her
) It's impossible . . . I can't believe it . . .

CHRISTOPHER
. (
Moving up and leaning over the desk chair
) What can't you believe? Six impossible things before breakfast, like the Red Queen?

TROTTER
. Oh yes. It's rather like that.

CHRISTOPHER
. Dear me—you look as though you'd seen a ghost.

TROTTER
. (
Resuming his usual manner
) I've seen something I ought to have seen before. (
He moves Centre.
) Blind as a bat, I've been. But I think now we may be able to get somewhere.

CHRISTOPHER
. (
Impertinently
) The police have a clue.

TROTTER
. (
Moving Right of the sofa table; with a hint of menace
) Yes, Mr. Wren—at last the police
have
a clue. I want everyone assembled in here again. Do you know where they are?

CHRISTOPHER
. (
Moving to Left of
TROTTER
) Giles and Mollie are in the kitchen. I have been helping Major Metcalf to look for your skis. We've looked in the most entertaining places—but all to no avail. I don't know where Paravicini is.

TROTTER
. I'll get him. (
He moves down Left to the door.
) You get the others.

(
CHRISTOPHER
exits up Right.
)

(
Opening the door
) Mr. Paravicini. (
Moving below the sofa
) Mr. Paravicini. (
Returning to the door and shouting
) Paravicini! (
He moves up to Centre of the refectory table.
)

(
PARAVICINI
enters gaily down Left.
)

PARAVICINI
. Yes, Sergeant? (
He moves to the desk chair.
) What can I do for you? Little Bo Policeman has lost his skis and doesn't know where to find them. Leave them alone, and they'll come home, dragging a murderer behind them. (
He moves down Left.
)

(
MAJOR
METCALF
enters through the arch up Right.
GILES
and
MOLLIE
enter up Right, with
CHRISTOPHER
.)

MAJOR
METCALF
. What is all this? (
He moves down to the fire.
)

TROTTER
. Sit down, Major, Mrs. Ralston . . .

(
No one sits.
MOLLIE
moves above the armchair Centre,
GILES
moves to Right of the refectory table and
CHRISTOPHER
stands between them.
)

MOLLIE
.
Must
I come now? It's very inconvenient.

TROTTER
. There are more important things than meals, Mrs. Ralston. Mrs. Boyle, for instance, won't want another meal.

MAJOR
METCALF
. That's a very tactless way of putting things, Sergeant.

TROTTER
. I'm sorry, but I want cooperation and I intend to get it. Mr. Ralston, will you go and ask Miss Casewell to come down again? She went up in her room. Tell her it will only be for a few minutes.

(
GILES
exits to the stairs Left.
)

MOLLIE
. (
Moving to Right of the refectory table
) Have your skis been found, Sergeant?

TROTTER
. No, Mrs. Ralston, but I may say I have a very shrewd suspicion of who took them, and of why they were taken. I won't say any more at the present moment.

PARAVICINI
. Please don't. (
He moves up to the desk chair.
) I always think explanations should be kept to the very end. That exciting last chapter, you know.

TROTTER
. (
Reprovingly
) This isn't a game, sir.

CHRISTOPHER
. Isn't it? Now there I think you are wrong. I think it
is
a game—to somebody.

PARAVICINI
. You think the murderer is enjoying himself. Maybe—maybe. (
He sits in the desk chair.
)

(
GILES
and
MISS
CASEWELL
,
now quite composed, enter from the stairs Left.
)

MISS
CASEWELL
. What is happening?

TROTTER
. Sit down, Miss Casewell, Mrs. Ralston . . .

(
MISS
CASEWELL
sits on the Right arm of the sofa
,
MOLLIE
moves down and sits in the armchair Centre.
GILES
remains standing at the bottom of the stairs.
)

(
Officially
) Will you all pay attention, please? (
He sits Centre on the refectory table.
) You may remember that after the murder of Mrs. Boyle, I took statements from you all. Those statements related to your positions at the time the murder was committed. These statements were as follows: (
He consults his notebook.
) Mrs. Ralston in the kitchen, Mr. Paravicini playing the piano in the drawing room, Mr. Ralston in his bedroom. Mr. Wren ditto. Miss Casewell in the library. Major Metcalf (
He pauses and looks at
MAJOR
METCALF
) in the cellar.

MAJOR
METCALF
. Correct.

TROTTER
. Those were the statements you made. I had no means of checking these statements. They may be true—they may not. To put it quite clearly, five of those statements are true, but one is false—which one? (
He pauses while he looks from one to the other.
) Five of you were speaking the truth, one of you was lying. I have a plan that may help me to discover the liar. And if I discover that one of you lied to me—then I know who the murderer is.

MISS
CASEWELL
. Not necessarily. Someone may have lied—for some other reason.

TROTTER
. I rather doubt that.

GILES
. But what's the idea? You've just said you had no means of checking these statements.

TROTTER
. No, but supposing everyone was to go through these actions a second time.

PARAVICINI
. (
Sighing
) Ah, that old chestnut. Reconstruction of the crime.

GILES
. That's a foreign idea.

TROTTER
. Not a reconstruction of the
crime
, Mr. Paravicini. A reconstruction of the movements of apparently innocent persons.

MAJOR
METCALF
. And what do you expect to learn from that?

TROTTER
. You will forgive me if I don't make that clear just at the moment.

GILES
. You want—a repeat performance?

TROTTER
. Yes, Mr. Ralston, I do.

MOLLIE
. It's a trap.

TROTTER
. What do you mean, it's a trap?

MOLLIE
. It is a trap. I know it is.

TROTTER
. I only want people to do exactly what they did before.

CHRISTOPHER
. (
Also suspicious
) But I don't see—I simply can't see—what you can possibly hope to find out by just making people do the things they did before. I think it's just nonsense.

TROTTER
. Do you, Mr. Wren?

MOLLIE
. Well, you can count me out. I'm too busy in the kitchen. (
She rises and moves up Right.
)

TROTTER
. I can't count anybody out. (
He rises and looks round at them.
) One might almost believe that you're
all
guilty by the looks of you. Why are you all so unwilling?

GILES
. Of course, what you say goes, Sergeant. We'll all cooperate. Eh, Mollie?

MOLLIE
. (
Unwilling
) Very well.

GILES
. Wren?

(
CHRISTOPHER
nods.
)

Miss Casewell?

MISS
CASEWELL
. Yes.

GILES
. Paravicini?

PARAVICINI
. (
Throwing up his hands
) Oh yes, I consent.

GILES
. Metcalf?

MAJOR
METCALF
. (
Slowly
) Yes.

GILES
. Are we all to do exactly what we did before?

TROTTER
. The same actions will be performed, yes.

PARAVICINI
. (
Rising
) Then I will return to the piano in the drawing room. Once again I will pick out with one finger the signature tune of a murderer. (
He sings, gesturing with his finger.
) Tum, dum, dum—dum dum dum . . . (
He moves down Left.
)

TROTTER
. (
Moving down Centre
) Not quite so fast, Mr. Paravicini. (
To
MOLLIE
) Do you play the piano, Mrs. Ralston?

MOLLIE
. Yes, I do.

TROTTER
. And you know the tune of
Three Blind Mice?

MOLLIE
. Don't we all know it?

TROTTER
. Then you could pick it out on the piano with one finger just as Mr. Paravicini did.

(
MOLLIE
nods.
)

Good. Please go into the drawing room, sit at the piano, and be ready to play when I give you the signal.

(
MOLLIE
crosses Left below the sofa.
)

PARAVICINI
. But, Sergeant, I understood that we were each to repeat our former roles.

TROTTER
. The same actions will be performed,
but not necessarily by the same people.
Thank you, Mrs. Ralston.

(
PARAVICINI
opens the door down Left.
MOLLIE
exits.
)

GILES
. I don't see the point.

TROTTER
. (
Moving up to Centre of the refectory table
) There is a point. It is a means of checking up on the original statements, and maybe
one
statement in particular. Now then, will you all pay attention, please. I will assign each of you your new stations. Mr. Wren, will you kindly go to the kitchen. Just keep an eye on Mrs. Ralston's dinner for her. You're very fond of cooking, I believe.

(
CHRISTOPHER
exits up Right.
)

Mr. Paravicini, will you go up to Mr. Wren's room. By the back stairs is the most convenient way. Major Metcalf, will you go up to Mr. Ralston's room and examine the telephone there. Miss Casewell, would you mind going down to the cellars? Mr. Wren will show you the way. Unfortunately, I need someone to reproduce my own actions. I am sorry to ask it of you, Mr. Ralston, but would you go out by that window and follow the telephone wire round to near the front door. Rather a chilly job—but you're probably the toughest person here.

MAJOR
METCALF
. And what are you going to do?

TROTTER
. (
Crossing to the radio and switching it on and off
) I am enacting the part of Mrs. Boyle.

MAJOR
METCALF
. Taking a bit of a risk, aren't you?

TROTTER
. (
Reeling against the desk
) You will all stay in your places and remain there until you hear me call you.

(
MISS
CASEWELL
rises and exits up Right.
GILES
moves behind the refectory table and opens the Right curtain.
MAJOR
METCALF
exits up Left.
TROTTER
nods to
PARAVICINI
to leave.
)

PARAVICINI
. (
Shrugging his shoulders
) Parlour games!

(
PARAVICINI
exits up Right.
)

GILES
. No objection to my wearing a coat?

TROTTER
. I should advise it, sir.

(
GILES
fetches his overcoat from the front hall, puts it on and returns to the window.
TROTTER
moves Centre below the refectory table and writes in his notebook.
)

Take my torch, sir. It's behind the curtain.

(
GILES
climbs out through the window and exits.
TROTTER
crosses to the library door up Left and exits. After a short pause he reenters, switches off the library light, goes up to the window, shuts it and closes the curtain. He crosses to the fire and sinks into the large armchair. After a pause he rises and goes to the door down Left.
)