The Mousetrap

MRS. ROPER. (startled) Oh, I didn’t hear you come in, miss. (She moves up R)

LISA. (putting the bottle down with a bang; startled byMRS. ROPER’s sudden appearance) I didn’t know you were here, Mrs. Roper.

MRS. ROPER. Is anything wrong?

LISA. Mrs. Hendryk—I think Mrs. Hendryk is dead. (She moves to the telephone, lifts the receiver and dials)

MRS. ROPERmoves slowly upLofANYA, sees the bottle, then turns slowly round to stare atLISA, who is waiting impatiently for someone to answer her call. She has her back toMRS. ROPERand does not see the look. The lights BLACK-OUT as—

theCURTAINfalls.

ACT TWO

Scene I

SCENE: The same. Four days later. About midday.

When the CURTAIN rises, the lights come up. The room is empty. It is much the same as before except thatANYA’S wheelchair has gone. The doors are all closed. After a moment, KARL enters up C, moves down C, pauses for a moment and looks where the wheelchair used to be, then sits in the armchair. LISA enters up C and goes to the desk. She wears outdoor clothes. The DOCTOR enters up C, looks at the others, then moves below the sofa. LESTER enters up C and stands rather awkwardly up C. They all enter very slowly and are very depressed.

DOCTOR. (rather uncomfortably) Well, that’s over.

LISA. (removing her gloves and hat) I have never been to an inquest in this country before. Are they always like that?

DOCTOR. (still a little ill at ease) Well, they vary, you know, they vary. (He sits on the sofa at the right end)

LISA. (after a pause) It seems so business-like, so unemotional.

DOCTOR. Well, of course, we don’t go in for emotion much. It’s just a routine business enquiry, that’s all.

LESTER. (moving upLof the sofa; to theDOCTOR) Wasn’t it rather an odd sort of verdict? They said she died from an overdose of stropanthin but they didn’t say how it was administered. I should have thought they’d have said suicide while the balance of the mind was disturbed and have done with it.

LISAsits at the desk.

KARL. (rousing himself) I cannot believe that Anya committed suicide.

LISA. (thoughtfully) I should not have said so, either.

LESTER. (movingLC) All the same, the evidence was pretty clear. Her fingerprints on the bottle and on the glass.

KARL. It must have been some kind of accident. Her hand shook a great deal, you know. She must have poured in far more than she realized. The curious thing is that I can’t remember putting the bottle and glass beside her, yet I suppose I must have done.

LISArises and moves toLofKARL. LESTERsits on the left arm of the sofa.

LISA. It was my fault. I should have given her the drops before I went out.

DOCTOR. It was nobody’s fault. Nothing is more unprofitable than accusing oneself of having left undone something one should have done or the opposite. These things happen and they’re very sad. Let’s leave it at that—(Under his breath and not to the others) if we can.

KARL. You don’t think Anya took an overdose, deliberately, Doctor?

DOCTOR. (slowly) I shouldn’t have said so.

LESTER. (rising and movingLC) She did talk about it, you know. I mean, when she got depressed.

LISAmoves to the desk.

DOCTOR. Yes, yes, nearly all chronic invalids talk about suicide. They seldom commit it.

LESTER. (after a pause; embarrassed) I say, I do hope I’m not butting in, coming here. (He moves C) I expect you want to be alone. I shouldn’t . . .

KARL. No, no, my dear boy, it was kind of you.