The Mousetrap and Other Plays (81 page)

JUDGE
. Usher, give the witness a chair.

(
ROMAINE
sinks on to the stool
R
.
of the table, sobs hysterically and buries her face in her hands. The
USHER
crosses and sits on the stool down
R
.)

Sir Wilfrid, will you now read the letter aloud so that the Jury can hear it.

SIR
WILFRID
. (
Reading
) “My beloved Max. An extraordinary thing has happened. I believe all our difficulties may be ended. I can come to you without any fear of endangering the valuable work you are doing in this country. The old lady I told you about has been murdered and I think Leonard is suspected. He was there earlier that night and his fingerprints will be all over the place. Nine-thirty seems to be the time. Leonard was home by then, but his alibi depends on me—on
me.
Supposing I say he came home much later and that he had blood on his clothes—he did have blood on his sleeve, because he cut his wrist at supper, so you see it would all fit in. I can even say he told me he killed her. Oh, Max, beloved! Tell me I can go ahead—it would be so wonderful to be free from playing the part of a loving, grateful wife. I know the Cause and the Party comes first, but if Leonard was convicted of murder, I could come to you safely and we could be together for always. Your adoring Romaine.”

JUDGE
. Romaine Heilger, will you go back into the witness box?

(
ROMAINE
rises and enters the witness box.
)

You have heard that letter read. What have you to say?

ROMAINE
. (
Frozen in defeat.
) Nothing.

LEONARD
. Romaine, tell him you didn't write it.
I
know you didn't write it.

ROMAINE
. (
Turning and fairly spitting out the words
) Of course I wrote it.

SIR
WILFRID
. That, my lord, concludes the case for the defence.

JUDGE
. Sir Wilfrid, have you any evidence as to whom these letters were addressed?

SIR
WILFRID
. My lord, they came into my possession anonymously, and there has been as yet no time to ascertain any further facts. It would seem likely that he came to this country illegally and is engaged on some subversive operations here . . .

ROMAINE
. You will never find out who he is—never. I don't care what you do to me. You shall never know.

JUDGE
. Do you wish to re-examine, Mr. Myers?

(
SIR
WILFRID
sits.
)

MYERS
. (
Rising rather unhappily
) Really, my lord, I find it somewhat difficult in view of these startling developments. (
To
ROMAINE
.) Mrs. Heilger, you are, I think, of a highly nervous temperament. Being a foreigner you may not quite realize the responsibilities that lie upon you when you take the oath in an English court of law. If you have been intimidated into admitting something that is not true, if you wrote a letter under stress or in some spirit of make-believe, do not hesitate to say so now.

ROMAINE
. Must you go on and on torturing me? I wrote the letter. Now let me go.

MYERS
. My lord, I submit that this witness is in such a state of agitation that she hardly knows what she is saying or admitting.

JUDGE
. You may remember, Mr. Myers, that Sir Wilfrid cautioned the witness at the time of her previous statement and impressed upon her the sacred nature of the oath she had taken.

(
MYERS
sits.
)

Mrs. Heilger, I wish to warn you that this is not the end of the matter. In this country you cannot commit perjury without being brought to account for it, and I may tell you that I have no doubt proceedings for perjury will shortly be taken against you. The sentence for perjury can be severe. You may stand down.

(
ROMAINE
stands down. The
POLICEMAN
opens the door.
ROMAINE
crosses and exits. The
POLICEMAN
closes the door.
)

Sir Wilfrid, will you now address the Jury on behalf of the defence?

SIR
WILFRID
. (
Rising
) Members of the Jury, when truth is clearly evident it speaks for itself. No words of mine I'm sure can add to the impression made upon you by the straightforward story which the prisoner has told, and by the very wicked attempt to incriminate him, evidence of which you have just witnessed . . .

(
As
SIR
WILFRID
speaks the LIGHTS dim to black-out. After a few seconds the LIGHTS come up. The
JURY
are out but are just re-entering the box.
)

CLERK
. (
Rising
) Vole, stand up.

(
LEONARD
rises.
)

Members of the Jury, are you all agreed upon your verdict?

FOREMAN
. (
Standing
) We are.

CLERK
. Do you find the prisoner, Leonard Vole, guilty or not guilty?

FOREMAN
. Not guilty, my lord.

(
A buzz of approbation goes round the court.
)

USHER
. (
Rising and moving down
C
.) Silence!

JUDGE
. Leonard Vole, you have been found not guilty of the murder of Emily French on October fourteenth. You are hereby discharged and are free to leave the Court. (
He rises.
)

(
ALL
rise. The
JUDGE
bows to the Court and exits up
R
.,
followed by the
ALDERMAN
and the
JUDGE
'
S
CLERK
.)

USHER
. All persons who have anything further to do before my lady the Queen's justices of Oyer and Terminer and general gaol delivery for the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court may depart hence and give your attendance here again tomorrow morning at ten-thirty o'clock. God Save The Queen.

(
The
USHER
,
the
JURY
and the
STENOGRAPHER
exit down
R
.
The
BARRISTERS
,
ASSISTANTS
and the
CLERK
OF
THE
COURT
exit up
C
.
The
WARDER
and the
POLICEMAN
exit up
L
.
LEONARD
leaves the dock and crosses to
MAYHEW
.)

MAYHEW
. Congratulations, my boy!

LEONARD
. I can't thank you enough.

MAYHEW
. (
Tactfully indicating
SIR
WILFRID
) This is the man you've got to thank.

(
LEONARD
crosses to
C
.
to meet
SIR
WILFRID
,
but comes face to face with
MYERS
,
who glares at him, and exits up
C
.
SIR
WILFRID
crosses to
R
.
of
LEONARD
.)

LEONARD
. (
Turning to
SIR
WILFRID
) Thank you, sir (
His tone is less spontaneous than it was to
MAYHEW
.
He dislikes
SIR
WILFRID
it seems.
) You—you've got me out of a very nasty mess.

SIR
WILFRID
. Nasty mess! Do you hear that, John? Your troubles are over now, my boy.

MAYHEW
. (
Moving to
L
.
of
LEONARD
) But it was a near thing, you know.

LEONARD
. (
Unwillingly
) Yes, I suppose it was.

SIR
WILFRID
. If we hadn't been able to break that woman down . . .

LEONARD
. Did you have to go for her the way you did? It was terrible the way she went to pieces. I can't believe . . .

SIR
WILFRID
. (
With all the force of his personality.
) Look here, Vole, you're not the first young man I've known who's been so crazy over a woman that he's been blinded to what she's really like. That woman did her level best to put a rope round your neck.

MAYHEW
. And don't you forget it.

LEONARD
. Yes, but why? I can't see why. She's always seemed so devoted. I could have sworn she loved me—and yet all the time she was going with this other fellow. (
He shakes his head.
) It's unbelievable—there's something there I don't understand.

WARDER
. (
Enters up
L
.
and moves to
L
.
of the table.
) Just two or three minutes more, sir. We'll slip you out to a car by the side entrance.

LEONARD
. Is there still a crowd?

(
ROMAINE
,
escorted by the
POLICEMAN
,
enters up
L
.)

POLICEMAN
. (
In the doorway.
) Better wait in here, ma'am. The crowd's in a nasty mood. I'd let them disperse before you try to leave.

ROMAINE
. (
Moving down
L
.
of the table
) Thank you.

(
The
POLICEMAN
and the
WARDER
exit up
L
.
ROMAINE
crosses towards
LEONARD
.)

SIR
WILFRID
. (
Intercepting
ROMAINE
) No, you don't.

ROMAINE
. (
Amused
) Are you protecting Leonard from me? Really, there's no need.

SIR
WILFRID
. You've done enough harm.

ROMAINE
. Mayn't I even congratulate Leonard on being free?

SIR
WILFRID
. No thanks to you.

ROMAINE
. And rich.

LEONARD
. (
Uncertainly.
) Rich?

MAYHEW
. Yes, I think, Mr. Vole, that you will certainly inherit a great deal of money.

LEONARD
. (
Boyishly
) Money doesn't seem to mean so much after what I've been through. Romaine, I can't understand . . .

ROMAINE
. (
Smoothly.
) Leonard, I can explain.

SIR
WILFRID
. No!

(
SIR
WILFRID
and
ROMAINE
look at each other like antagonists.
)

ROMAINE
. Tell me, do those words the Judge said mean that I shall—go to prison?

SIR
WILFRID
. You will quite certainly be charged with perjury and tried for it. You will probably go to prison.

LEONARD
. (
Awkwardly.
) I'm sure that—that everything will come right. Romaine, don't worry.

MAYHEW
. Will you never see sense, Vole? Now we must consider practicalities—this matter of probate.

(
MAYHEW
draws
LEONARD
down
R
.,
where they murmur together.
SIR
WILFRID
and
ROMAINE
remain, measuring each other.
)

SIR
WILFRID
. It may interest you to know that I took your measure the first time we met. I made up my mind then to beat you at your little game, and by God I've done it. I've got him off—in spite of you.

ROMAINE
. In
spite
—of me.

SIR
WILFRID
. You don't deny, do you, that you did your best to hang him?

ROMAINE
. Would they have believed me if I had said that he was at home with me that night, and did not go out? Would they?

SIR
WILFRID
. (
Slightly uncomfortable
) Why not?

ROMAINE
. Because they would have said to themselves: this woman loves this man—she would say or do anything for him. They would have had sympathy with me, yes. But they would not have
believed
me.

SIR
WILFRID
. If you'd been speaking the truth they would.

ROMAINE
. I wonder. (
She pauses.
) I did not want their sympathy—I wanted them to dislike me, to mistrust me, to be convinced that I was a liar. And then, when my lies were broken down—then they believed . . . (
In the Cockney accent of the
WOMAN
who visited
SIR
WILFRID
at his office.
) So now you know the whole story, mister—like to kiss me?