The Mousetrap

JUSTIN. Yes. Would she have made a dead set at your father if he hadn’t been a celebrated painter? Look at her subsequent husbands. Always attracted by a somebody—a big noise in the world—never the man himself. But Caroline, your mother, would have recognized quality in a—(he pauses and self-consciously gives a boyish smile) well—even in a solicitor.

(CARLA picks up Justin’s brief-case and looks at him with interest)

CARLA. I believe you’re still in love with my mother. (She holds out the brief-case)

JUSTIN. Oh, no. (He takes the brief-case and smiles) I move with the times, you know.

(CARLA is taken aback, but is pleased and smiles)

Good-bye.

(JUSTIN exits. CARLA looks after him, taking in what he has said. The telephone rings. CARLA lifts the receiver. The light starts to dim as twilight falls)

CARLA. (into the telephone) Hullo? . . . Yes . . . Oh, it’s you, Jeff . . . (She takes the whole instrument and sits in the armchair with it, tucking one leg under her) It may be a silly waste of time, but it’s my time and if I . . . (She straightens the seam of her stocking) What? . . . (Crossly) You’re quite wrong about Justin. He’s a good friend—which is more than you are . . . All right, so I’m quarrelling . . . No, I don’t want to dine with you . . . I don’t want to dine with you anywhere.

(ELSA MELKSHAM enters the hall from L, quietly closes the door and stands in the hall, looking at Carla. ELSA is tall, beautiful, very made-up and extremely smart. She wears hat and gloves, and a red velvet coat over a black dress, and carries her handbag)

At the moment your stock is pretty low with me. (She bangs the receiver down, rises and puts the instrument on the table R)

ELSA. Miss Le Marchant—or do I say “Miss Crale”?

(CARLA, startled, turns quickly)

CARLA. So you’ve come after all?

ELSA. I always meant to come. I just waited until your legal adviser had faded.

CARLA. You don’t like lawyers?

ELSA. I prefer, occasionally, to talk woman to woman. Let’s have some light. (She switches on the wall-brackets by the switch L of the arch then moves down C and looks hard at Carla) Well, you don’t look very much like the child I remember.

CARLA. (simply) I’m like my mother.

ELSA. (coldly) Yes. That doesn’t particularly prejudice me in your favour. Your mother was one of the most loathsome women I’ve ever known.

CARLA. (hotly) I’ve no doubt she felt the same about you.

ELSA. (smiling) Oh, yes, the feeling was mutual. (She sits on the settee at the upstage end) The trouble with Caroline was that she wasn’t a very good loser.

CARLA. Did you expect her to be?

ELSA. (removing her gloves; amused) Really, you know, I believe I did. I must have been incredibly young, and naïve. Because I myself couldn’t understand clinging on to a man who didn’t want me, I was quite shocked that she didn’t feel the same. But I never dreamt that she’d kill Amyas rather than let me have him.

CARLA. She didn’t kill him.

ELSA. (without interest) She killed him all right. She poisoned him more or less in front of my eyes—in a glass of iced beer. And I never dreamed—never guessed . . . (With a complete change of manner) You think at the time that you will never forget—that the pain will always be there. And then—it’s all gone—gone—like that. (She snaps her fingers)

CARLA. (sitting in the armchair) How old were you?

ELSA. Nineteen. But I was no injured innocent. Amyas Crale didn’t seduce a trusting young girl. It wasn’t like that at all. I met him at a party and I fell for him right away. I knew he was the only man in the world for me. (She smiles) I think he felt the same.

CARLA. Yes.