The Mousetrap

(She looks up at Caroline) You’ve killed him. You said you’d kill him, and you’ve done it. Sooner than let me have him, you’ve killed him. (She jumps up and goes to throw herself at Caroline)

(PHILIP moves quickly, stops Elsa and propels her round to Miss Williams. ELSA is hysterical and screams. ANGELA enters up C and stands beside the sofa)

MISSWILLIAMS. Be quiet. Control yourself.

ELSA. (in a frenzy) She killed him. She killed him.

PHILIP. Take her inside—get her to lie down.

(MEREDITH takes Elsa into the room)

CAROLINE. Miss Williams, don’t let Angela come—don’t let her see.

(MEREDITH takes ELSA off up C. MISS WILLIAMS looks at Caroline for a moment, then sets her lips firmly and goes into the room. PHILIP kneels beside Amyas and feels his pulse)

ANGELA. Miss Williams, what is it? What’s happened?

MISSWILLIAMS. Come to your room, Angela. There’s been an accident.

(MISS WILLIAMS and ANGELA exit up C)

PHILIP. (looking up at Caroline) It’s murder.

CAROLINE. (shrinking back; suddenly indecisive) No. No—he did it himself.

PHILIP. (quietly) You can tell that story—to the police.

(The LIGHTS slowly dim to BLACK-OUT. A spotlight comes up on Justin down L)

JUSTIN. In due course the police arrived. They found the missing phial of conine in a drawer in Caroline’s room. It was empty. She admitted taking it—but denied using it and swore she had no idea why it should be empty. No fingerprints but Meredith’s and her own were found on it. On the terrace, a small eye-dropper was found crushed underfoot. It contained traces of conine and shows how the poison was introduced into the beer. Angela Warren told how she got a fresh bottle of beer from the refrigerator. Miss Williams took it from her and Caroline took it from Miss Williams, opened it and gave it to Amyas, as you have just heard. Neither Meredith nor Philip Blake touched it or went near it. A week later Caroline Crale was arrested on a charge of murder.

(The spotlight fades. After a moment, the LIGHTS come up showing the scene as it was at the beginning of the Act. The coffee, lemonade, trolley, easel, etc., have been removed. The picture on the wall is again that of Elsa. PHILIP stands R of the sofa. MEREDITH is seated on the sofa at the left end. ANGELA is seated on the left arm of the sofa. ELSA stands in front of the door up C. MISS WILLIAMS is seated on the right end of the stool. CARLA is seated in the armchair R. JUSTIN is just inside the french windows with a notebook in his hand. They are all dressed for outdoors with coats and hats. ELSA is in mink. She appears excited. MEREDITH is crushed and miserable. PHILIP is aggressive. MISS WILLIAMS sits with lips set firm. ANGELA is upright, interested and thoughtful)

PHILIP. (irritably) Well, we’ve been through this extraordinary performance which must have been most painful to some of us. (He crosses above the stool to R of Justin) And what have we learnt? Nothing that we did not know before. (He glares at Justin)

(JUSTIN smiles. PHILIP goes on to the terrace, stands by the bench and lights a cigarette. MISS WILLIAMS rises and moves R)

JUSTIN. (thoughtfully) I wouldn’t say that.

MEREDITH. It’s brought it all back—just as though it happened yesterday. Most painful.

ELSA. (crossing to the sofa and sitting on it,Rof Meredith) Yes, it brought it all back. It brought him back.

ANGELA. (to Justin) What have you learned that you did not know before?