The Mousetrap

BLORE. I say, Captain Lombard, what about a nice bottle of beer?

LOMBARD. Do stop thinking about your stomach, Blore. This craving for food and drink will be your undoing.

BLORE. But there’s plenty of beer in the kitchen.

LOMBARD. Yes, and if anyone wanted to get rid of you, the first place they’d think of putting a lethal dose would be in a nice bottle of beer.

(From outside comes the sound of a motorboat hooter.)

BLORE. What’s that? A boat! A boat!

(ALL rush to balcony to Left. BLORE rushes out into balcony. There is a scream, then a crash and thud.)

VERA. Oh, God! (Puts hands over eyes.)

(LOMBARD, revolver in hand, rushes to window, looks out, then returns slowly to room. VERA sits down Left.)

LOMBARD. Blore’s got his.

VERA. How?

LOMBARD. A booby trap—all set—a wire across the door attached to something above.

VERA. Is he . . . ?

LOMBARD. Yes. Crushed. Head stove in. That great bronze bear holding a clock, from the landing.

VERA. A bear? Oh, how ghastly! It’s this awful childishness!

LOMBARD. I know. God, what a fool Blore was!

VERA. And now there are two.

LOMBARD. (To down Left) Yes, and we’ll have to be very careful of ourselves.

VERA. We shan’t do it. He’ll get us. We’ll never get away from this island!

LOMBARD. Oh, yes, we will. I’ve never been beaten yet.

VERA. Don’t you feel—that there’s someone—now—in this room—watching us, watching and waiting?

LOMBARD. That’s just nerves.

VERA. Then you do feel it?

LOMBARD. (Fiercely) No, I don’t.

VERA. (Rises, to Centre) Please, Philip, let’s get out of this house—anywhere. Perhaps if that was a boat, they’ll see us.

LOMBARD. All right. We’ll go to the top of the island and wait for relief to come. It’s sheer cliff on the far side and we can see if anyone approaches from the house.

VERA. Anything is better than staying here.

LOMBARD. Won’t you be rather cold in that dress?

VERA. I’d be colder if I were dead.

LOMBARD. Perhaps you’re right. (Goes to window) A quick reconnaissance.

VERA. Be careful, Philip—please! (Follows him to window.)

LOMBARD. I’m not Blore. There’s no window directly above. (He goes out on balcony and looks down. He is arrested by what he sees.) Hullo, there’s something washed up on the rocks.

VERA. What? (She joins him) It looks like a body.

LOMBARD. (In a strange new voice) You’d better wait in there. I’m going to have a look.

(He exits to Left on balcony. VERA back into room. Her face is full of conflicting emotions.)

VERA. Armstrong—Armstrong’s body—

LOMBARD. (Comes in very slowly) It’s Armstrong drowned—Washed up at high-water mark.

VERA. So there’s no one on the island—no one at all, except us two.

LOMBARD. Yes, Vera. Now we know where we are.

VERA. Now we know where we are?

LOMBARD. A very pretty trick of yours, with that wire. Quite neat. Old Wargrave always knew you were dangerous.

VERA. You—

LOMBARD. So you did drown that kid after all.

VERA. I didn’t! That’s where you’re wrong. Please believe me. Please listen to me!

LOMBARD. (Crossing down Left) I’m listening. You’d better make it a good story.

VERA. (Above Right sofa) It isn’t a story. It’s the truth. I didn’t kill that child. It was someone else.

LOMBARD. Who?

VERA. A man. Peter’s uncle. I was in love with him.

LOMBARD. This is getting quite interesting.

VERA. Don’t sneer. It was hell. Absolute hell. Peter was born after his father’s death. If he’d been a girl, Hugh would have got everything.

LOMBARD. Well-known tale of the wicked uncle.

VERA. Yes—he was wicked—and I didn’t know. He said he loved me, but that he was too poor to marry. There was a rock far out that Peter was always wanting to swim to. Of course, I wouldn’t let him. It was dangerous. One day we were on the beach and I had to go back to the house for something I’d forgotten. When I got back to the rock, I looked down and saw Peter swimming out to the rock. I knew he hadn’t a chance, the current had got him already. I flew towards the beach and Hugh tried to stop me. “Don’t be a fool,” he said. “I told the little ass he could do it.”

LOMBARD. Go on. This is interesting.

VERA. I pushed past him—he tried to stop me, but I got away and rushed down. I plunged into the sea and swam after Peter. He’d gone before I could get to him.