The Mousetrap

CARBERY. Warned her?

SARAH. Oh—of the state of her health. I—I didn’t think she took it seriously enough.

CARBERY. It was serious, then?

SARAH. Yes.

CARBERY. So you weren’t surprised when she died?

SARAH. (Slowly) No, I wasn’t surprised—not really.

CARBERY. Excuse me, Doctor King, but what do you mean by “not really?”

SARAH. I just meant—that it came so soon after my warning her.

CARBERY. What did you warn her about—tell her not to overdo it—that sort of thing?

SARAH. (After a pause) Not quite. (With a rush) I told her I didn’t think she had very long to live.

(CARBERY whistles.)

CARBERY. Do you modern doctors usually say that sort of thing?

SARAH. No. It was—quite unprofessional.

CARBERY. But you had a reason, eh?

SARAH. I thought—she ought to know.

CARBERY. Well, of course, I’m no judge of medical etiquette, but . . .

(GERARD enters quickly Right. He is upset.)

GERARD. (Moving Right Centre) Colonel Carbery, can I speak to you?

CARBERY. (Rising; toSARAHandRAYMOND) Would you mind?

(SARAH rises and exits with RAYMOND to the marquee.)

(He moves to Left of GERARD.) Well, Doctor Gerard, what is it?

GERARD. It is my duty, clearly my duty, to put certain facts before you. (He pauses.) I have with me a small travelling medicine case containing certain drugs.

CARBERY. Yes?

GERARD. This morning, on looking into it, I have discovered that one of the drugs is missing.

CARBERY. (Sharply) What drug is it?

GERARD. Digitoxin.

CARBERY. Digitoxin is a heart poison, isn’t it?

GERARD. Yes, it is obtained from Digitalis purpurea, the common foxglove. It is official in France—though not in your British Pharmacopocia.

CARBERY. I see. (He moves Left.) What would be the effect, Doctor Gerard, of digitoxin administered to a human being? (He moves to the table.)

GERARD. If a large dose—a lethal, not a therapeutic dose—if digitoxin were thrown suddenly on the circulation, say by intravenous injection—it would cause sudden death by palsy of the heart.

CARBERY. And Mrs. Boynton had a weak heart?

GERARD. Yes, as a matter of fact, she was actually taking medicine containing digitalis.

CARBERY. Then in that case the digitoxin wouldn’t hurt her.

GERARD. Oh, my dear sir, that is the layman speaking. There is a difference, as I have said, between a lethal dose and a therapeutic dose. Besides, digitalis may be considered a cumulative drug.

CARBERY. That’s interesting. (He moves above the table.) What about post-mortem appearance?

GERARD. (Significantly) The active principles of the digitalis may destroy life and leave no appreciable sign.

CARBERY. Then she may have died of the cumulative effects of digitalis legitimately given to her. By using the same drug, it means that it would be almost impossible to prove anything satisfactorily to a jury. Yes, somebody’s been rather clever.

GERARD. You think that?

CARBERY. It’s very possible. Rich old woman whom nobody loves. (He pauses.) When did you last see this stuff of yours?

GERARD. Yesterday afternoon. I had my case here. (He moves to Right of the table.) I got out some quinine for one of the natives.

CARBERY. And you can swear that the digitoxin was there then?

GERARD. Yes. There were no gaps.

CARBERY. And this morning it was gone.

GERARD. Yes. You must have a search made. If it has been thrown away . . .

CARBERY. (Taking a small phial from his pocket) Is this it?

GERARD. (Astonished) Yes. Where did you find it?

(CARBERY shakes his head at GERARD, goes to the marquee and calls.)

CARBERY. (Calling) Mr. Boynton. (He moves below the table.)

(RAYMOND and SARAH enter from the marquee and move to Left of CARBERY.)

(He hands the phial to RAYMOND.) Have you ever seen this before?

RAYMOND. (Wonderingly) No.

CARBERY. And yet one of my Arab fellows found it in the pocket of the clothes you were wearing yesterday.

RAYMOND. (Utterly taken aback) In my pocket?

CARBERY. (His manner now quite different; no longer vague) That’s what I said.

RAYMOND. I simply don’t understand what you are talking about. What is this thing?

CARBERY. It’s got a label on it.

RAYMOND. (Reading) “Digitoxin.”