The Mousetrap

BATTLE. (To Leach.) Get Mr. Strange. (Leach crosses and exits by the French windows. Mary takes the glass from Treves and sips the water. He sits on the chairL. of the card table.) What did Lady Tressilian say exactly?

MARY. She said——(She thinks.) Oh, dear, what did she say? She said, “Did I ring for you? I can’t remember doing so. Nevile has behaved very badly—losing his temper—shouting at me. I feel most upset.” I gave her some aspirin and some hot milk from the thermos and she settled down. Then I went back to bed. I was desperately sleepy. Dr. Lazenby asked me if I’d taken any sleeping pills . . .

BATTLE. Yes, we know . . . (Nevile and Leach enter by the French windows. Kay follows them on and stands down R. of the card table. Leach stands up R. He rises and moves L. C.) You are a very lucky man, Mr. Strange.

NEVILE. (Moving above the card table.) Lucky? Why?

BATTLE. Miss Aldin saw Lady Tressilian alive after you left the house, and we’ve already established you were on the ten-thirty-five ferry.

NEVILE. (Bewildered.) Then—that lets me out? But the bloodstained jacket—(He moves to R. of the chaise.) The niblick with my fingerprints on it . . . ? (Kay sits in the easy chair down R.)

BATTLE. (Moving toL. of the chaise.) Planted. Very ingeniously planted. Blood and hair smeared on the niblick head. Someone put on your jacket to commit the crime and then stuffed it away in your wardrobe to incriminate you.

NEVILE. (Moving behind the chairL. of the card table.) But why? I can’t believe it.

BATTLE. (Impressively.) Who hates you, Mr. Strange? Hates you so much that they wanted you to be hanged for a murder you didn’t commit?

NEVILE. (After a pause; shaken.) Nobody—nobody . . . (Royde enters by the French windows and moves slowly towards the card table as—)

THE CURTAIN FALLS

ACT THREE

Scene I

SCENE: The same. The next morning.

Most of the furniture has been replaced in its original position, but the coffee table is now on the rostrum upC. and the workbasket has been removed.

When the curtain rises it is about eleven o’clock. The sun is shining brightly and the bay and French windows are open. Royde is standing on the rostrum, gazing out of the window. Mary enters by the French windows. She looks a little pale and worried. She moves above the chaise and sees Royde.

MARY. Oh, dear!

ROYDE. (Closing the window and turning.) Anything the matter?

MARY. (Laughing with a slight note of hysteria.) Nobody but you could say a thing like that, Thomas. A murder in the house and you just say “Is anything the matter?” (She sits on the chaise, at the upstage end.)

ROYDE. I meant anything fresh.

MARY. Oh, I know what you meant. It’s really a wonderful relief to find anyone so gloriously just-the-same-as-usual as you are.

ROYDE. Not much good, is it, getting all het up over things?

MARY. No, you’re very sensible, of course. It’s how you manage to do it, beats me.

ROYDE. (Moving downL. C.) I’m not so—close to things as you are.

MARY. That’s true. I don’t know what we should have done without you. You’ve been a tower of strength.

ROYDE. The human buffer, eh?

MARY. The house is still full of policemen.

ROYDE. Yes, I know. Found one in the bathroom this morning. I had to turf him out before I could shave. (He sits in the armchairL. C.)

MARY. I know—you come across them in the most unexpected places. (She rises.) They’re looking for something. (She shivers and moves up R.) It was a very near thing for poor Nevile, wasn’t it?

ROYDE. Yes, very near. (Grimly.) I can’t help feeling pleased he’s had a bit of a kick in the pants. He’s always so damned complacent.

MARY. It’s just his manner.