The Mousetrap and Other Plays (89 page)

NEVILE
. (
Relieved.
) Well, that's that. I'm going to get some breakfast. (
He moves to the door
L
.) We might all go sailing later on. (
He goes on to the
L
.
end of the rostrum and glances out of the window.
) There's quite a good breeze. (
He looks at Treves.
) Would you like to come?

TREVES
. I'm afraid I'm a little too old for that sort of thing. (
He crosses towards the door
L
.)

NEVILE
. What about you, Kay?

KAY
. (
Moving
R
.
C
.) What about Ted? We promised him we'd go over this morning.

NEVILE
. There's no reason why he shouldn't come, too. I'll get hold of Royde and Audrey and see what they think of the idea. It should be lovely out in the bay. (
Audrey enters
L
.
She looks worried.
)

AUDREY
. (
Anxiously.
) Mr. Treves—what do you think we ought to do? We can't wake Mary. (
Kay moves down
R
.
of the chaise.
)

NEVILE
. Can't
wake
her? (
He moves off the rostrum to
C
.) What do you mean?

AUDREY
. Just that. When Mrs. Barrett came, she took up Mary's morning tea as usual. (
She moves slowly
L
.
C
.) Mary was fast asleep. Mrs. Barrett drew the curtains and called to her, but Mary didn't wake up, so she left the tea on the bedside table. She didn't bother much when Mary didn't come down, but when Mary didn't come down to fetch Camilla's tea, Mrs. Barrett went up again. Mary's tea was stone cold and she was still asleep.

TREVES
. (
Moving down
L
.
of the armchair
L
.
C
.) She was very tired last night, Audrey.

AUDREY
. But this isn't a
natural
sleep, Mr. Treves. It
can't
be. Mrs. Barrett shook her—hard—and she didn't wake. I went in to Mary and I tried to wake her, too. There's definitely something wrong with her.

NEVILE
. Do you mean she's unconscious?

AUDREY
. I don't know. She looks very pale and she just lies there—like a log.

KAY
. Perhaps she took some sleeping pills.

AUDREY
. (
Moving
C
.) That's what I thought, but it's so unlike Mary. (
She turns to Treves.
) What shall we do?

TREVES
. I think you should get a doctor. She may be ill.

NEVILE
. (
Crossing to the door
L
.) I'll go and phone Lazenby and get him to come at once. (
Nevile exits quickly
L
.)

TREVES
. (
Moving
L
.
C
.) Have you told Lady Tressilian, Audrey?

AUDREY
. (
Moving
R
.
C
.;
shaking her head.
) No, not yet. I didn't want to disturb her. They're making her some fresh tea in the kitchen. I'm going to take it up. I'll tell her then.

TREVES
. I sincerely hope it's nothing serious.

KAY
. She's probably taken an overdose of sleeping stuff. (
She sits in the easy chair down
R
.)

TREVES
. That
could
be extremely serious.

AUDREY
. I can't imagine Mary doing such a thing. (
Royde enters
L
.)

ROYDE
. (
Moving between Treves and Audrey.
) I heard Strange telephoning Dr. Lazenby. What's the matter?

AUDREY
. It's Mary. She's still asleep and we can't get her to wake up. Kay thinks she may have taken an overdose of some drug.

KAY
. Something like that must have happened or you'd be able to wake her.

ROYDE
. Sleeping stuff, do you mean? Shouldn't think she'd have needed anything like that last night. She was dog tired.

TREVES
. I'm sure she wouldn't take any sort of drug, you know—in case the bell rang.

KAY
. Bell?

ROYDE
. There's a bell in her room. Lady Tressilian always rings it if she wants anything in the night. (
To Audrey.
) Remember she was telling us about it last night.

AUDREY
. Mary wouldn't take anything that would stop her hearing the bell, in case it was urgent. (
Nevile enters quickly
L
.)

NEVILE
. Lazenby's coming round right away.

AUDREY
. (
Crossing to the door
L
.) Oh, good. Before he gets here I'd better go and see about Camilla's tea. She'll be wondering what's happened.

NEVILE
. Can I help?

AUDREY
. No, thank you. I can manage. (
Audrey exits
L
.
Kay rises and moves up
R
.
of the chaise.
)

ROYDE
. (
Moving to the chaise.
) I wonder if it could be some kind of heart attack. (
He sits on the chaise. Treves sits in the armchair
L
.
C
.)

NEVILE
. (
Crossing and standing on the right end of the rostrum.
) It's not much use conjecturing, is it? Lazenby'll be able to tell us. Poor old Mary. I don't know what will happen if she's really ill.

TREVES
. It would be disastrous. Lady Tressilian relies on Mary for everything.

KAY
. (
Moving to
R
.
of Nevile, hopefully.
) I suppose we should all have to pack up and go?

NEVILE
. (
Smiling at Kay.
) Perhaps it isn't anything serious after all. (
Kay moves down
R
.)

ROYDE
. Must be something pretty bad if she can't be wakened.

TREVES
. It can't take Dr. Lazenby very long to get here, and then we shall know. He lives a very short distance away.

NEVILE
. He ought to be here in about ten minutes, I should think.

TREVES
. Possibly he will be able to relieve all our minds. I trust so.

NEVILE
. (
With a determinedly cheerful air.
) No good looking on the black side of things, anyway.

KAY
. (
Moving to
R
.
of the chaise.
) Always the perfect optimist, aren't you, Nevile?

NEVILE
. Well, things usually work out all right.

ROYDE
. They certainly do for you.

NEVILE
. (
Moving to
L
.
of Royde.
) I don't quite know what you mean by that, Thomas.

ROYDE
. (
Rising.
) I should have thought it was obvious.

NEVILE
. What are you insinuating?

ROYDE
. I'm not insinuating anything. I'm stating facts.

TREVES
. (
Rising.
) Ssh! (
He moves
C
.
and hastily changes the subject.
) Do you think—er—we ought to see if there is anything we could do to—er—help. Lady Tressilian might wish . . . (
Royde crosses above the others and stands on the left end of the rostrum.
)

NEVILE
. If Camilla wants us to do anything she'll soon say so. I wouldn't interfere unless she does, if I were you. (
Audrey is heard to scream off
L
.
Royde exits hurriedly. There is a short pause. Audrey, supported by Royde, enters
L
.
She looks almost dazed.
)

AUDREY
. Camilla—Camilla . . .

TREVES
. (
Concerned.
) My dear! What's the matter?

AUDREY
. (
In a husky whisper.
) It's—Camilla.

NEVILE
. (
Surprised.
) Camilla? What's wrong with her?

AUDREY
. She's—she's dead.

KAY
. (
Sitting on the chaise.
) Oh, no, no.

NEVILE
. It must have been her heart.

AUDREY
. No—it—it wasn't her heart. (
She presses her hands to her eyes. They all stare at her. She shouts.
) There's blood—all over her head. (
She suddenly screams out hysterically.
) She's been murdered. Don't you understand? She's been murdered. (
Audrey sinks into the easy chair down
L
.
and the lights fade to Black-Out, as—the Curtain falls.
)

CURTAIN

Scene II

SCENE
—
The same. Two hours later. The furniture has been moved to make the room more suitable for the police interrogations. The coffee table has been moved into the alcove
R
.
, and the chaise on to the rostrum. A card table has been placed
R
.
C
.
with the upright chair from the alcove
L
.
of it. The armchair
L
.
C
.
is now above the card table and the easy chair down
L
.
is now
L
.
C
.
On the card table is a small tray with a jug of water and two glasses. Also on the card table are a box of cigarettes, an ashtray and a box of matches. A copy of “The Times” lies half open on the window-seat.

When the Curtain rises, Treves is standing
L
.
of the card table, looking around the room. After a moment he moves up
C
.
on the rostrum. Superintendent Battle enters
L
.
He is a big man, aged about fifty, and is quietly dressed. His face is heavy but intelligent.

TREVES
. Ah. Battle.

BATTLE
. That's fixed up, sir.

TREVES
. It was all right, was it, Battle?

BATTLE
. (
Crossing to
C
.) Yes, sir. The Chief Constable got through to the Yard. As I happened to be on the spot they've agreed to let me handle the case. (
He moves down
R
.
, turns and looks around the room.
)

TREVES
. (
Moving down
C
.) I'm very glad. It's going to make it easier having you instead of a stranger. Pity to have spoilt your holiday, though.

BATTLE
. Oh, I don't mind that, sir. I'll be able to give my nephew a hand. It'll be his first murder case, you see.

TREVES
. (
Moving to the bureau chair.
) Yes, yes—I've no doubt he will find your experience of great help. (
He moves the chair to
R
.
of the card table.
)

BATTLE
. (
Crossing to
R
.
C
.) It's a nasty business.

TREVES
. Shocking, shocking. (
He crosses and stands below the easy chair
L
.
C
.)

BATTLE
. I've seen the doctor. Two blows were struck. The first was sufficient to cause death. The murderer must have struck again to make sure, or in a blind rage.

TREVES
. Horrible. (
He sits in the easy chair
L
.
C
.) I can't believe it could have been anyone in the house.

BATTLE
. Afraid it was, sir. We've been into all that. No entry was forced. (
He moves in the direction of the French windows.
) All the doors and windows were fastened this morning as usual. And then there's the drugging of Miss Aldin—that must have been an inside job.

TREVES
. How is she?

BATTLE
. Still sleeping it off, but she was given a pretty heavy dose. It looks like careful planning on somebody's part. (
He crosses to
C
.) Lady Tressilian might have pulled that bell which rings in Miss Aldin's room, if she'd been alarmed. That had to be taken care of—so Miss Aldin was doped.

TREVES
. (
Troubled.
) It still seems to me quite incredible.

BATTLE
. We'll get to the bottom of it, sir, in the end. (
He moves to
L
.
of the card table.
) Death occurred, according to the doctor, between ten-thirty and midnight. Not earlier than ten-thirty, not later than midnight. That should be a help. (
He sits on the chair
L
.
of the card table.
)

TREVES
. Yes, yes. And the weapon used was a niblick?

BATTLE
. Yes, sir. Thrown down by the bed, blood-stained and with white hairs sticking to it. (
Treves makes a gesture of repulsion.
) I shouldn't have deduced a niblick from the appearance of the wound, but apparently the sharp edge of the club didn't touch the head. The doctor says it was the rounded part of the club hit her.