The Mousetrap and Other Plays (71 page)

SIR
WILFRID
. (
Flustered.
) Yes, I think so. Definitely I think so. I think that could be regarded as quite natural, quite normal under the circumstances.

ROMAINE
. What hypocrites you are in this country.

(
MAYHEW
sits on the chair
L
.
of the fireplace.
)

SIR
WILFRID
. My dear Mrs. Vole!

ROMAINE
. I shock you? I am so sorry.

SIR
WILFRID
. Of course, of course. You have a continental way of looking at these things. But I assure you, dear Mrs. Vole, that is
not
the line to take. It would be most unwise to suggest in any way that Miss French had—er—any—er—feelings for Leonard Vole other than those of a—of a mother or—shall we say—an aunt.

ROMAINE
. Oh, by all means let us say an aunt, if you think it best.

SIR
WILFRID
. One has to think of the effect on the jury of all these things, Mrs. Vole.

ROMAINE
. Yes. I also wish to do that. I have been thinking of that a good deal.

SIR
WILFRID
. Quite so. We must work together. Now we come to the evening of October fourteenth. That is just over a week ago. You remember that evening?

ROMAINE
. I remember it very well.

SIR
WILFRID
. Leonard Vole called on Miss French that evening. The housekeeper, Janet MacKenzie, was out. Mr. Vole played a game of Double Demon with Miss French and finally took leave of her about nine o'clock. He returned home on foot, he tells me, arriving at approximately twenty-five minutes past nine. (
He looks interrogatively at her.
)

(
ROMAINE
rises and moves to the fireplace.
SIR
WILFRID
and
MAYHEW
rise.
)

ROMAINE
. (
Without expression; thoughtfully.
) Twenty-five past nine.

SIR
WILFRID
. At half past nine the housekeeper returned to the house to get something she had forgotten. Passing the sitting-room door she heard Miss French's voice in conversation with a man. She assumed that the man with Miss French was Leonard Vole, and Inspector Hearne says that it is this statement of hers which has led to your husband's arrest. Mr. Vole, however, tells me that he has an absolute alibi for that time, since he was at home with you at nine-thirty.

(
There is a pause.
ROMAINE
does not speak although
SIR
WILFRID
looks at her.
)

That is so, is it not? He was with you at nine-thirty?

(
SIR
WILFRID
and
MAYHEW
look at
ROMAINE
.)

ROMAINE
. That is what Leonard says? That he was home with me at nine-thirty?

SIR
WILFRID
. (
Sharply
) Isn't it true?

(
There is a long silence.
)

ROMAINE
. (
Moving to the chair
L
.
of the desk; presently.
) But of course. (
She sits.
)

SIR
WILFRID
. (
Sighs with relief and resumes his seat
R
.
of the desk.
) Possibly the police have already questioned you on that point?

ROMAINE
. Oh yes, they came to see me yesterday evening.

SIR
WILFRID
. And you said . . . ?

ROMAINE
. (
As though repeating something that she has learned by rote
) I
said
Leonard came in at nine-twenty-five that night and did not go out again.

MAYHEW
. (
A little uneasily.
) You said . . . ? Oh! (
He sits on the chair
L
.
of the fireplace.
)

ROMAINE
. That was right, was it not?

SIR
WILFRID
. What do you mean by that, Mrs. Vole?

ROMAINE
. (
Sweetly.
) That is what Leonard wants me to say, is it not?

SIR
WILFRID
. It's the truth. You said so just now.

ROMAINE
. I have to understand—to be sure. If I say yes, it is so, Leonard was with me in the flat at nine-thirty—will they acquit him?

(
SIR
WILFRID
and
MAYHEW
are puzzled by
ROMAINE
's manner.
)

Will they let him go?

MAYHEW
. (
Rising and crossing to
L
.
of her
) If you are both speaking the truth then they will—er—have to acquit him.

ROMAINE
. But when I said—that—to the police, I do not think they believed me. (
She is not distressed; instead she seems faintly satisfied.
)

SIR
WILFRID
. What makes you think they did not believe you?

ROMAINE
. (
With sudden malice.
) Perhaps I did not say it very well?

(
SIR
WILFRID
and
MAYHEW
exchange glances.
MAYHEW
resumes his seat.
ROMAINE
's cool, impudent glance meets
SIR
WILFRID
's. There is a definite antagonism between them.
)

SIR
WILFRID
. (
Changing his manner
) You know, Mrs. Vole, I don't quite understand your attitude in all this.

ROMAINE
. So you don't understand? Well, perhaps it is difficult.

SIR
WILFRID
. Perhaps your husband's position is not quite clear to you?

ROMAINE
. I have already said that I want to understand fully just how black the case against—my husband is. I say to the police, Leonard was at home with me at nine-thirty—and they do not believe me. But perhaps there is someone who saw him leave Miss French's house, or who saw him in the street on his way home? (
She looks sharply and rather slyly from one to the other.
)

(
SIR
WILFRID
looks enquiringly at
MAYHEW
.)

MAYHEW
. (
Rising and moving
C
.;
reluctantly
) Your husband cannot think of, or remember, anything helpful of that kind.

ROMAINE
. So it will be only his word—and mine. (
With intensity.
) And mine. (
She rises abruptly.
) Thank you, that is what I wanted to know. (
She crosses to
L
.)

MAYHEW
. But, Mrs. Vole, please don't go. There is a lot more to be discussed.

ROMAINE
. Not by me.

SIR
WILFRID
. Why not, Mrs. Vole?

ROMAINE
. I shall have to swear, shall I not, to speak the truth and all the truth and nothing but the truth? (
She seems amused.
)

SIR
WILFRID
. That is the oath you take.

ROMAINE
. (
Crossing and standing above the chair
L
.
of the desk; now openly mocking
) And suppose that then, when you ask me—(
She imitates a man's voice.
) “When did Leonard Vole come that night?” I should say . . .

SIR
WILFRID
. Well?

ROMAINE
. There are so many things I could say.

SIR
WILFRID
. Mrs. Vole, do you love your husband?

ROMAINE
. (
Shifting her mocking glance to
MAYHEW
) Leonard says I do.

MAYHEW
. Leonard Vole believes so.

ROMAINE
. But Leonard is not very clever.

SIR
WILFRID
. You are aware, Mrs. Vole, that you cannot by law be called to give testimony damaging to your husband?

ROMAINE
. How very convenient.

SIR
WILFRID
. And your husband can . . .

ROMAINE
. (
Interrupting
) He is not my husband.

SIR
WILFRID
. What?

ROMAINE
. Leonard Vole is not my husband. He went through a form of marriage with me in Berlin. He got me out of the Russian zone and brought me to this country. I did not tell him, but I had a husband living at the time.

SIR
WILFRID
. He got you out of the Russian sector and safely to this country? You should be very grateful to him. (
Sharply.
) Are you?

ROMAINE
. One can get tired of gratitude.

SIR
WILFRID
. Has Leonard Vole ever injured you in any way?

ROMAINE
. (
Scornfully
) Leonard? Injured me? He worships the ground I walk on.

SIR
WILFRID
. And you?

(
Again there is a duel of eyes between them, then she laughs and turns away.
)

ROMAINE
. You want to know too much. (
She crosses to the door.
)

MAYHEW
. I think we must be quite clear about this. Your statements have been somewhat ambiguous. What exactly happened on the evening of October fourteenth?

ROMAINE
. (
In a monotonous voice
) Leonard came in at twenty-five minutes past nine and did not go out again. I have given him an alibi, have I not?

SIR
WILFRID
. (
Rising
) You have. (
He crosses to her.
) Mrs. Vole. . . (
He catches her eye and pauses.
)

ROMAINE
. Yes?

SIR
WILFRID
. You're a very remarkable woman, Mrs. Vole.

ROMAINE
. And you are satisfied, I hope? (
ROMAINE
exits.
)

SIR
WILFRID
. I'm damned if I'm satisfied.

MAYHEW
. Nor I.

SIR
WILFRID
. She's up to something, that woman—but what? I don't like it, John.

MAYHEW
. She certainly hasn't had hysterics all over the place.

SIR
WILFRID
. Cool as a cucumber.

MAYHEW
. (
Sitting on the chair
L
.
of the desk
) What's going to happen if we put her into the witness box?

SIR
WILFRID
. (
Crossing to
C
.) God knows!

MAYHEW
. The prosecution would break her down in no time, especially if it were Myers.

SIR
WILFRID
. If it's not the Attorney-General, it probably will be.

MAYHEW
. Then what's your line of attack?

SIR
WILFRID
. The usual. Keep interrupting—as many objections as possible.

MAYHEW
. What beats me is that young Vole is convinced of her devotion.

SIR
WILFRID
. Don't put your trust in that. Any woman can fool a man if she wants to and if he's in love with her.

MAYHEW
. He's in love with her all right. And trusts her completely.

SIR
WILFRID
. More fool he. Never trust a woman.

CURTAIN

ACT TWO

SCENE
:
The Central Criminal Court, London—better known as the Old Bailey. Six weeks later. Morning.

The section of the Court Room seen has a tall rostrum, the bench, running from down
R
.
to up
C
.
On it are the armchairs and desks for the Judge, his Clerk and the Alderman. Access to the bench is by a door in the up
R
.
from the floor of the court. On the wall over the Judge's chair are the Royal Arms and the Sword of Justice. Below the bench are small desks and chairs for the Clerk of the Court and the Court Stenographer. There is a small stool
R
.
of the desks for the Usher. The witness box is immediately below the up
C
.
end of the bench. Up
C
.
is a door leading to the Barristers' robing room and up
L
.
C
.
are glass-panelled double doors leading to a corridor and other parts of the building. Up
L
.
C
.
, between the doors, are two pews for the Barristers. Below the pews is a table with three chairs and a stool. The dock is
L
.
and is entered by a door in the
L
.
wall and a gate in the upstage rail. There are chairs in the dock for Leonard and the Warder. The jury box is down
R
.
, only the back of the three end seats being visible to the audience.

When the Curtain rises, the Court has opened. The Judge
,
MR
.
JUSTICE
WAINWRIGHT
, is seated
R
.
of him and the
ALDERMAN
is seated
L
.
of the Judge. The
CLERK
OF
THE
COURT
and the
STENOGRAPHER
are in their seats below the bench.
MR
.
MYERS
,
Q
.
C
.
, for the Prosecution, is seated
R
.
of the front row of Barristers with his
ASSISTANT
L
.
of him.
SIR
WILFRID
, for the Defence, is seated
L
.
of the front row of Barristers with his
ASSISTANT
R
.
of him. Four
BARRISTERS
, one a woman, are seated in the back row of the Barristers' seats.
LEONARD
is standing in the dock with the
WARDER
beside him.
DR
.
WYATT
is seated on the stool
R
.
of the table. The
INSPECTOR
is seated on the chair above the
R
.
end of the table.
MAYHEW
is seated
L
.
of the table. A
POLICEMAN
stands at the double doors. Three
MEMBERS
of the
JURY
are seen, the first a man, the
FOREMAN
, the second a
WOMAN
and the third a
MAN
.
The
USHER
is administering the oath to the
WOMAN
JUROR
who is standing.