The Mousetrap and Other Plays (96 page)

NEVILE
. (
Quickly and eagerly.
) Did you see Audrey?

TREVES
. Yes, I've just left her.

NEVILE
. How is she? Has she got everything she wants? I tried to see her this afternoon, but they wouldn't let me.

TREVES
. (
Sitting in the armchair
L
.
C
.) She doesn't wish to see anybody at present.

NEVILE
. Poor darling. She must be feeling awful. We've got to get her out of it.

TREVES
. I am doing everything that's possible, Nevile.

NEVILE
. (
Moving down
R
.) The whole thing's an appalling mistake. Nobody in their right senses would ever believe that
Audrey
would be capable—(
He moves
R
.
of the chaise, then stands up
R
.
C
.) of killing anyone—like
that.

TREVES
. (
Warningly.
) The evidence is very strong against her.

NEVILE
. I don't care a damn for the evidence.

TREVES
. I'm afraid the police are more practical.

NEVILE
.
You
don't believe it, do you? You don't believe . . .

TREVES
. I don't know
what
to believe. Audrey has always been—an enigma.

NEVILE
. (
Sitting on the chaise.
) Oh, nonsense! She's always been sweet and
gentle.

TREVES
. She has always appeared so, certainly.

NEVILE
. Appeared so? She
is.
Audrey and—and violence of any sort just don't go together. Only a muddle-headed fool like Battle would believe otherwise.

TREVES
. Battle is far from being a muddle-headed fool, Nevile. I have always found him particularly shrewd.

NEVILE
. Well, he hasn't proved himself very shrewd over this. (
He rises and moves up
R
.) Good God, you don't
agree
with
him, do you? You can't believe this utterly stupid and fantastic story—that Audrey planned all this to—to get back on me for marrying Kay. It's too absurd.

TREVES
. Is it? Love turns to hate very easily, you know, Nevile.

NEVILE
. But she had no
reason
to hate me. (
He moves
R
.
C
.) That motive was exploded when I told them about—about Adrian.

TREVES
. I must confess that
that
was a surprise to me. I was always under the impression that
you
left Audrey.

NEVILE
. I let everybody think
so
, of course. What else could I do? It's always so much worse for the woman—she'd have had to face the whole wretched business alone—with all the gossip and—and mud-slinging. I couldn't let her do that.

TREVES
. It was very—generous of you, Nevile.

NEVILE
. (
Sitting on the chaise.
) Anybody would have done the same. Besides, in a way, it was my fault.

TREVES
. Why?

NEVILE
. Well—I'd met Kay, you see—while we were at Cannes—and I—I admit I was attracted. I flirted with her—in a harmless sort of way, and Audrey got annoyed.

TREVES
. You mean she was jealous?

NEVILE
. Well—yes, I think so.

TREVES
. (
Rising.
) If that was the case she couldn't have been—really—in love with Adrian.

NEVILE
. I don't think she was.

TREVES
. Then she left you for Adrian in a fit of pique—because she resented your—er—attentions to Kay?

NEVILE
. Something like that.

TREVES
. (
Moving to
L
.
of Nevile.
) If that was the case, the original motive
still
holds good.

NEVILE
. What do you mean?

TREVES
. If Audrey was in love with you—if she only ran away with Adrian in a fit of pique—then she might still have
hated
you for marrying Kay.

NEVILE
. (
Sharply.
) No! She never hated me. She was very understanding about the whole thing.

TREVES
. Outwardly—perhaps. What was she like
underneath?

NEVILE
. (
Rising, almost in a whisper.
) You believe she did it, don't you? You believe she killed Camilla—in that horrible way? (
He pauses and crosses to the armchair
L
.
C
.) It wasn't Audrey. I'll swear it wasn't Audrey. I know her, I tell you. I lived with her for four years—you can't do that and be mistaken in a person. But if
you
think she's guilty, what hope is there?

TREVES
. I'll give you my candid opinion, Nevile. I don't think there is
any
hope. I shall brief the best possible counsel, of course, but there's very little case for the defence. Except insanity. I doubt if we'll get very far with that. (
Nevile drops into the armchair
L
.
C
.
and covers his face with his hands.
)

NEVILE
. (
Almost inaudibly.
) Oh, God! (
Mary enters
L
.
She is very quiet and clearly under strain.
)

MARY
. (
Not realizing that Nevile is there.
) Mr. Treves! (
She sees Nevile.
) Er—there are sandwiches in the dining room when anyone wants them. (
She moves to
L
.
of Nevile.
)

NEVILE
. (
Turning away.
) Sandwiches!

TREVES
. (
Moving up
R
.
C
.;
mildly.
) Life has to go on, Nevile.

NEVILE
. (
To Mary.
) Do
you
think she did it, Mary?

MARY
. (
After a definite pause.
) No. (
She takes Nevile's hand.
)

NEVILE
. Thank God somebody besides me believes in her. (
Kay enters by the French windows.
)

KAY
. (
Moving to
R
.
of the chaise.
) Ted's just coming. He's running the car round into the drive. I came up through the garden.

NEVILE
. (
Rising and moving above the chaise.
) What's Latimer coming here for? Can't he keep away for five minutes?

TREVES
. I sent for him, Nevile. Kay very kindly took the message. I also asked Battle to come. I would prefer not to explain in detail. Let us say, Nevile, that I am trying out a last forlorn hope.

NEVILE
. To save Audrey?

TREVES
. Yes.

KAY
. (
To Nevile.
) Can't you think of anything else but Audrey?

NEVILE
. No, I can't. (
Kay moves to the easy chair down
R
.
Latimer enters by the French windows and crosses to
R
.
of Treves.
)

LATIMER
. I came as quickly as I could, Mr. Treves. Kay didn't say what you wanted me for, only that it was urgent.

KAY
. (
Sitting in the easy chair down
R
.) I said what I was told to say. I haven't the faintest idea what it's all about.

MARY
. (
Crossing to the chaise and sitting.
) We're all in the dark, Kay. As you heard, Mr. Treves is trying to help Audrey.

KAY
. Audrey, Audrey, Audrey. It's
always
Audrey. I suppose she'll haunt us for the rest of our lives.

NEVILE
. (
Moving down
R
.
of the chaise.
) That's a beastly thing to say, Kay.

LATIMER
. (
Angrily.
) Can't you see that her nerves are all in shreds?

NEVILE
. So are everybody's. (
Latimer moves and stands above Kay. Royde enters
L
.)

ROYDE
. Superintendent Battle is here. (
To Treves.
) He says he's expected.

TREVES
. Bring him in. (
Royde turns and beckons off. Battle enters
L
.)

BATTLE
. Good evening. (
He looks enquiringly at Treves.
)

TREVES
. (
Moving down
C
.) Thank you for coming, Superintendent. It is good of you to spare the time.

NEVILE
. (
Bitterly.
) Especially when you've got your victim.

TREVES
. I don't think that kind of remark is going to get us anywhere, Nevile. Battle has only done his duty as a police officer.

NEVILE
. (
Moving up
R
.) I'm—I'm sorry, Battle.

BATTLE
. That's all right, sir.

TREVES
. (
Indicating the easy chair
L
.
C
.) Sit down, Battle.

BATTLE
. (
Sitting in the easy chair
L
.
C
.) Thank you, sir.

TREVES
. Mr. Royde said something to me the other day, Battle, that I've thought about a great deal since.

ROYDE
. (
Surprised.
) I did?

TREVES
. Yes, Thomas. You were talking about a detective story you were reading. You said that they all begin in the
wrong
place. The murder should not be the
beginning
of the story but the end. And, of course, you were right. A murder
is
the culmination of a lot of different circumstances, all converging at a given moment at a given point. Rather fancifully you called it
Zero Hour.

ROYDE
. I remember.

NEVILE
. (
Impatiently.
) What's this got to do with Audrey?

TREVES
. A great deal—
it's Zero Hour now.
(
There is a rather uncomfortable pause.
)

MARY
. But Lady Tressilian was murdered three days ago.

TREVES
. It is not exactly Lady Tressilian's murder that I am talking about now. There are different kinds of murder. Superintendent Battle, when I put it to you, will you allow that all the evidence against Audrey Strange
could
have been faked? The weapon taken from her fender.
Her
gloves, stained with blood, and hidden in the ivy outside her window.
Her
face powder, dusted on the inside of Nevile's dinner jacket. Hairs from
her
brush placed there as well?

BATTLE
. (
Stirring uncomfortably.
) I suppose it
could
have been done, but . . .

KAY
. But she admitted she was guilty—herself—when you arrested her.

ROYDE
. (
Moving down
L
.) No, she didn't.

KAY
. She said that she couldn't escape.

MARY
. She said that she was glad it was all over.

KAY
. What more do you want? (
Treves holds up a hand. They subside. Nevile crosses slowly and stands on the
L
.
end of the rostrum.
)

TREVES
. (
Moving to
C
.
of the rostrum.
) Do you remember, Thomas, that when the Superintendent here was questioning you as to what you had heard on the night of the murder, you mentioned rats? Rats in the attic—over your head?

ROYDE
. (
Sitting in the easy chair down
L
.) Yes.

TREVES
. That remark of yours interested me. I went up to the attic floor—I will admit, with no very clear idea in my head. The attic directly over your bedroom, Thomas, is used as a lumber room. It is full of what may be termed junk. Unwanted junk. There was heavy dust over everything except one thing. (
He crosses to the bureau.
) But there was one thing that was
not
covered with dust. (
He takes out a long coil of thin rope which has been concealed in the corner
R
.
of the bureau.
) This. (
He crosses to
R
.
of Battle. Battle takes the rope. His eyebrows rise in surprise.
)

BATTLE
. It's damp.

TREVES
. Yes, it's still damp. No dust on it—and damp. Thrown into the lumber room where someone thought it would never be noticed.

BATTLE
. Are you going to tell us, sir, what it means? (
He returns the rope to Treves.
)

TREVES
. (
Moving on to the rostrum
) It means that during the storm on the night of the murder, that rope was hanging from one of the windows of this house. Hanging from a window down to the water below. (
He tosses the rope on to the coffee table.
) You said, Superintendent, that no one could have entered this house to commit murder from outside that night. That isn't quite true. Someone could have entered from outside—(
Latimer moves very slowly above the chaise.
) if this rope was hanging ready for them to climb up from the estuary.