The Mousetrap and Other Plays (75 page)

SIR
WILFRID
. Exactly. Who else could it have been? That was the way your mind worked. Now tell me, Miss MacKenzie, was Miss French sometimes lonely all by herself in the evening?

JANET
. No, she was not lonely. She had books from the library.

SIR
WILFRID
. She listened to the wireless, perhaps?

JANET
. Aye, she listened to the wireless.

SIR
WILFRID
. She was fond of a talk on it, perhaps, or of a good play?

JANET
. Yes, she liked a good play.

SIR
WILFRID
. Wasn't it possible that on that evening when you returned home and passed the door, that what you really heard was the wireless switched on and a man and woman's voice, and laughter? There was a play called
Lover's Leap
on the wireless that night.

JANET
. It was not the wireless.

SIR
WILFRID
. Oh, why not?

JANET
. The wireless was away being repaired that week.

SIR
WILFRID
. (
Slightly taken aback.
) It must have upset you very much, Miss MacKenzie, if you really thought Miss French intended to marry the prisoner.

JANET
. Naturally it would upset me. It was a
daft
thing to do.

SIR
WILFRID
. For one thing,
if
Miss French had married the prisoner it's quite possible, isn't it, that he might have persuaded her to dismiss you.

JANET
. She'd never have done that, after all these years.

SIR
WILFRID
. But you never know what anyone will do, do you? Not if they're strongly influenced by anyone.

JANET
. He would have used his influence, oh yes, he would have done his best to make her get rid of me.

SIR
WILFRID
. I see. You felt the prisoner was a very real menace to your present way of life at the time.

JANET
. He'd have changed everything.

SIR
WILFRID
. Yes, very upsetting. No wonder you feel so bitterly against the prisoner. (
He sits.
)

MYERS
. (
Rising
) My learned friend has been at great pains to extract from you an admission of vindictiveness towards the prisoner . . .

SIR
WILFRID
. (
Without rising, and audibly for the benefit of the Jury
) A painless extraction—quite painless.

MYERS
. (
Ignoring him
) Did you really believe your mistress might have married the prisoner?

JANET
. Indeed I did. I've just said so.

MYERS
. Yes, indeed you have. In your view had the prisoner such an influence over Miss French that he could have persuaded her to dismiss you?

JANET
. I'd like to have seen him try. He'd not have succeeded.

MYERS
. Had the prisoner ever shown any dislike of you in any way?

JANET
. No, he had his manners.

MYERS
. Just one more question. You say you recognized Leonard Vole's voice through that closed door. Will you tell the Jury how you knew it was his?

JANET
. You know a person's voice without hearing exactly what they are saying.

MYERS
. Thank you, Miss MacKenzie.

JANET
. (
To the
JUDGE
) Good morning. (
She stands down and crosses to the door up
L
.)

MYERS
. Call Thomas Clegg.

(
The
POLICEMAN
opens the door.
)

USHER
. (
Rising and crossing to
C
.) Thomas Clegg.

POLICEMAN
. (
Calling
) Thomas Clegg.

(
JANET
exits.
THOMAS
CLEGG
enters up
L
.
He carries a notebook. The
POLICEMAN
closes the door. The
USHER
moves to the witness box and picks up the Bible and oath card.
CLEGG
crosses and enters the witness box and takes the Bible from the
USHER
.)

CLEGG
. (
Saying the oath by heart
) I swear by Almighty God that the evidence that I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. (
He puts the Bible on the ledge of the witness box.
)

(
The
USHER
puts the oath card on the ledge of the witness box, crosses and resumes his seat.
)

MYERS
. You are Thomas Clegg?

CLEGG
. Yes, sir.

MYERS
. You are an assistant in the forensic laboratory at New Scotland Yard?

CLEGG
. I am.

MYERS
. (
Indicating the jacket on the table
) Do you recognize that coat?

(
The
USHER
rises, crosses to the table and picks up the jacket.
)

CLEGG
. Yes. It was given to me by Inspector Hearne and tested by me for traces of blood.

(
The
USHER
hands the coat up to
CLEGG
,
who brushes it aside. The
USHER
replaces the jacket on the table, crosses and resumes his seat.
)

MYERS
. Will you tell me your findings?

CLEGG
. The coat sleeves had been washed, though not properly pressed afterwards, but by certain tests I am able to state that there are traces of blood on the cuffs.

MYERS
. Is this blood of a special group or type?

CLEGG
. Yes. (
He refers to his notebook.
) It is of the type O.

MYERS
. Were you also given a sample of blood to test?

CLEGG
. I was given a sample labelled “Blood of Miss Emily French.” The blood group was of the same type—O.

(
MYERS
resumes his seat.
)

SIR
WILFRID
. (
Rising
) You say there were traces of blood on both cuffs?

CLEGG
. That is right.

SIR
WILFRID
. I suggest that there were traces of blood on only one cuff—the left one.

CLEGG
. (
Looking at his notebook
) Yes. I am sorry, I made a mistake. It was only the left cuff.

SIR
WILFRID
. And it was only the left sleeve that had been washed?

CLEGG
. Yes, that is so.

SIR
WILFRID
. Are you aware that the prisoner had told the police that he had cut his wrist, and that that blood was on the cuff of this coat?

CLEGG
. So I understand.

(
SIR
WILFRID
takes a certificate from his
ASSISTANT
.)

SIR
WILFRID
. I have here a certificate stating that Leonard Vole is a blood donor at the North London Hospital, and that his blood group is O. That is the same blood group, is it not?

CLEGG
. Yes.

SIR
WILFRID
. So the blood might equally well have come from a cut on the prisoner's wrist?

CLEGG
. That is so.

(
SIR
WILFRID
resumes his seat.
)

MYERS
. (
Rising
) Blood group O is a very common one, is it not?

CLEGG
. O? Oh, yes. At least forty-two per cent of people are in blood group O.

MYERS
. Call Romaine Heilger.

(
CLEGG
stands down and crosses to the door up
L
.)

USHER
. (
Rising and crossing to
C
.) Romaine Heilger.

POLICEMAN
. (
Opens the door. Calling
) Romaine Heilger.

(
CLEGG
exits.
ROMAINE
enters up
L
.
There is a general buzz of conversation in the Court as she crosses to the witness box. The
POLICEMAN
closes the door. The
USHER
moves to the witness box and picks up the Bible and oath card.
)

USHER
. Silence! (
He hands the Bible to
ROMAINE
and holds up the card.
)

ROMAINE
. I swear by Almighty God that the evidence that I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

(
The
USHER
replaces the Bible and oath card on the ledge of the witness box, crosses and resumes his seat.
)

MYERS
. Your name is Romaine Heilger?

ROMAINE
. Yes.

MYERS
. You have been living as the wife of the prisoner, Leonard Vole?

ROMAINE
. Yes.

MYERS
. Are you actually his wife?

ROMAINE
. I went through a form of marriage with him in Berlin. My former husband is still alive, so the marriage
is
not . . . (
She breaks off.
)

MYERS
. Not valid.

SIR
WILFRID
. (
Rising
) My lord, I have the most serious objection to this witness giving evidence at all. We have the undeniable fact of marriage between this witness and the prisoner, and no proof whatsoever of this so-called previous marriage.

MYERS
. If my friend had not abandoned his customary patience, and had waited for one more question, your lordship would have been spared this further interruption.

(
SIR
WILFRID
resumes his seat.
)

(
He picks up a document.
) Mrs. Heilger, is this a certificate of a marriage between yourself and Otto Gerthe Heilger on the eighteenth of April, nineteen forty-six, in Leipzig?

(
The
USHER
rises, takes the certificate from
MYERS
and takes it to
ROMAINE
.)

ROMAINE
. It is.

JUDGE
. I should like to see that certificate.

(
The
USHER
gives the certificate to the
CLERK
, who hands it to the
JUDGE
.)

It will be exhibit number four, I think.

MYERS
. I believe it will be, my lord.

JUDGE
. (
After examining the document.
) I think, Sir Wilfrid, this witness is competent to give evidence. (
He hands the certificate to the
CLERK
.)

(
The
CLERK
gives the certificate to the
USHER
, who hands it to
MAYHEW
.
The
USHER
then crosses and resumes his seat.
MAYHEW
shows the certificate to
SIR
WILFRID
.)

MYERS
. In any event, Mrs. Heilger, are you willing to give evidence against the man you have been calling your husband?

ROMAINE
. I'm quite willing.

(
LEONARD
rises, followed by the
WARDER
.)

LEONARD
. Romaine! What are you doing here?—what are you saying?

JUDGE
. I must have silence. As your counsel will tell you, Vole, you will very shortly have an opportunity of speaking in your own defence.

(
LEONARD
and the
WARDER
resume their seats.
)

MYERS
. (
To
ROMAINE
.) Will you tell me in your own words what happened on the evening of October the fourteenth.

ROMAINE
. I was at home all the evening.

MYERS
. And Leonard Vole?

ROMAINE
. Leonard went out at half past seven.

MYERS
. When did he return?

ROMAINE
. At ten minutes past ten.

(
LEONARD
rises, followed by the
WARDER
.)

LEONARD
. That's not true. You know it's not true. It was about twenty-five past nine when I came home.

(
MAYHEW
rises, turns to
LEONARD
and whispers to him to be quiet.
)

Who's been making you say this? I don't understand. (
He shrinks back and puts his hands to his face. Half whispering.
) I—I don't understand. (
He resumes his seat.
)

(
MAYHEW
and the
WARDER
sit.
)

MYERS
. Leonard Vole returned, you say, at ten minutes past ten? And what happened next?

ROMAINE
. He was breathing hard, very excited. He threw off his coat and examined the sleeves. Then he told me to wash the cuffs. They had blood on them.