The Mousetrap

PARAVICINI. (Moving down Right) I left Major Metcalf in the dining room. (He opens the door down Right and looks in.) Major Metcalf! He’s not there now.

GILES. I’ll try and find him.

(GILES exits up Right. MOLLIE and MISS CASEWELL enter from the stairs. MOLLIE moves to Right of the refectory table and MISS CASEWELL to Left of it. MAJOR METCALF enters up Left from the library.)

MAJORMETCALF. Hullo, wanting me?

TROTTER. It’s a question of my skis.

MAJORMETCALF. Skis? (He moves to Left of the sofa.)

PARAVICINI. (Moving to the archway up Right and calling) Mr. Ralston!

(GILES enters up Right and stands below the arch. PARAVICINI returns and sits in the small armchair down Right.)

TROTTER. Did either of you two remove a pair of skis from the cupboard near the kitchen door?

MISSCASEWELL. Good Lord, no. Why should I?

MAJORMETCALF. And I didn’t touch ’em.

TROTTER. Nevertheless, they are gone. (ToMISSCASEWELL) Which way did you go to your room?

MISSCASEWELL. By the back stairs.

TROTTER. Then you passed the cupboard door.

MISSCASEWELL. If you say so—I’ve no idea where your skis are.

TROTTER. (ToMAJORMETCALF) You were actually in that cupboard today.

MAJORMETCALF. Yes, I was.

TROTTER. At the time Mrs. Boyle was killed.

MAJORMETCALF. At the time Mrs. Boyle was killed I’d gone down to the cellar.

TROTTER. Were the skis in the cupboard when you passed through?

MAJORMETCALF. I haven’t the least idea.

TROTTER. Didn’t you see them there?

MAJORMETCALF. Can’t remember.

TROTTER. You must remember if those skis were there then?

MAJORMETCALF. No good shouting at me, young fellow. I wasn’t thinking about any damned skis. I was interested in the cellars. (He moves to the sofa and sits.) Architecture of this place is very interesting. I opened the other door and I went on down. So I can’t tell you whether the skis were there or not.

TROTTER. (Moving down to Left of the sofa) You realize that you, yourself, had an excellent opportunity of taking them?

MAJORMETCALF. Yes, yes, I grant you that. If I wanted to, that is.

TROTTER. The question is, where are they now?

MAJORMETCALF. Ought to be able to find them if we all set to. Not a case of “Hunt the Thimble.” Whacking great things, skis. Supposing we all set to. (He rises and crosses Right towards the door.)

TROTTER. Not quite so fast, Major Metcalf. That may be, you know, what we are meant to do.

MAJORMETCALF. Eh? I don’t get you.

TROTTER. I’m in the position now where I’ve got to put myself in the place of a crazy cunning brain. I’ve got to ask myself what he wants us to do and what he, himself, is planning to do next. I’ve got to try and keep just one step ahead of him. Because if I don’t, there’s going to be another death.

MISSCASEWELL. You still don’t believe that?

TROTTER. Yes, Miss Casewell. I do. Three blind mice. Two mice cancelled out—a third mouse still to be dealt with. (Moving down Centre, with his back to the audience) There are six of you here listening to me. One of you’s a killer!

(There is a pause. They are all affected and look uneasily at one another.)

One of you’s a killer. (He moves to the fire.) I don’t know which yet, but I shall. And another of you is the killer’s prospective victim. That’s the person I’m speaking to. (He crosses to MOLLIE.) Mrs. Boyle held out on me—Mrs. Boyle is dead. (He moves up Centre.) You—whoever you are—are holding out on me. Well—don’t. Because you’re in danger. Nobody who’s killed twice is going to hesitate to kill a third time. (He moves to Right of MAJOR METCALF.) And as it is, I don’t know which of you it is who needs protection.

(There is a pause.)

(Crossing down Centre and turning his back to the audience) Come on, now, anybody here who has anything, however slight, to reproach themselves for in that bygone business, had better come out with it.

(There is a pause.)