The Mousetrap

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.

BATTLE. You mean someone came from the other side? The Easterhead side?

TREVES. Yes. (He turns to Nevile.) You went over on the ten-thirty-five ferry. You must have got to the Easterhead Bay Hotel at about a quarter to eleven—but you weren’t able to find Mr. Latimer for some time, were you? (Latimer makes a move as though to speak, then stops himself.)

NEVILE. No, that’s true. I looked all around, too. He wasn’t in his room—they telephoned up.

LATIMER. Actually, I was sitting out on the glass-enclosed terrace with a fat, talkative body from Lancashire. (Easily.) She wanted to dance—but I stalled her off. Too painful on the feet.

TREVES. (MovingC.) Strange wasn’t able to find you until half past eleven. Three-quarters of an hour. Plenty of time. . . .

LATIMER. Look here, what do you mean?

NEVILE. Do you mean that he . . . ? (Kay shows every sign of violent agitation, rises and moves to Latimer.)

TREVES. Plenty of time to strip, swim across the estuary—it’s narrow just here—swarm up the rope—do what you had to do—swim back, get into your clothes and meet Nevile in the lounge of the hotel.

LATIMER. Leaving the rope hanging from the window? You’re crazy—the whole thing’s crazy.

TREVES. (With a slight glance towards Kay.) The same person who arranged the rope for you could have drawn it up again and put it in the attic.

LATIMER. (Frenzied.) You can’t do this to me. You can’t frame me—and don’t you try. I couldn’t climb up a rope all that way—and anyway, I can’t swim. I tell you, I can’t swim.

KAY. No, Ted can’t swim. It’s true, I tell you, he can’t swim.

TREVES. (Gently.) No, you can’t swim. I have ascertained that fact. (He moves on to the rostrum. Kay moves down. To Nevile.) But you’re a very fine swimmer, aren’t you, Nevile? And you’re an expert climber. It would be child’s play to you to swim across, climb up the rope you’d left ready—(Latimer moves R. of the chaise.) go along to Lady Tressilian’s room, kill her, and go back the way you came. Plenty of time to dispose of the rope when you got back at two-thirty. You didn’t see Latimer at the hotel between ten-forty-five and eleven-thirty—but he didn’t see you either. It cuts both ways. (Battle rises and stands in front of the door L.)

NEVILE. I never heard such rubbish! Swim across—kill Camilla. Why ever should I do such a fantastic thing?

TREVES. Because you wanted to hang the woman who had left you for another man. (Kay collapses in the easy chair downR. Mary rises, moves to Kay and comforts her. Royde rises and moves toL. of the armchairL. C.) She had to be punished—your ego has been swelling for a long time—nobody must dare to oppose you.

NEVILE. Is it likely I’d fake all those clues against myself?