The Mousetrap and Other Plays (65 page)

(
Calling
) Mrs. Ralston, count twenty and then begin to play.

(
TROTTER
shuts the door down Left, moves to the stairs and looks off. “Three Blind Mice” is heard being played on the piano. After a pause, he moves down Right and switches off the Right wall brackets, then moves up Right and switches off the Left wall brackets. He moves quickly down to the table lamp and switches it on, then crosses down Left to the door.
)

(
Calling
) Mrs. Ralston! Mrs. Ralston!

(
MOLLIE
enters down Left and moves below the sofa.
)

MOLLIE
. Yes, what is it?

(
TROTTER
shuts the door down Left and leans against the downstage side of the door reveal.
)

You're looking very pleased with yourself. Have you got what you wanted?

TROTTER
. I've got exactly what I wanted.

MOLLIE
. You know who the murderer is?

TROTTER
. Yes, I know.

MOLLIE
. Which of them?

TROTTER
.
You
ought to know, Mrs. Ralston.

MOLLIE
. I?

TROTTER
. Yes, you've been extraordinary foolish, you know. You've run a very good chance of being killed by holding out on me. As a result, you've been in serious danger more than once.

MOLLIE
. I don't know what you mean.

TROTTER
. (
Moving slowly above the sofa table to Right of the sofa; still quite natural and friendly
) Come now, Mrs. Ralston. We policemen aren't quite so dumb as you think. All along I've realized that you had first-hand knowledge of the Longridge Farm affair. You knew Mrs. Boyle was the magistrate concerned. In fact, you knew all about it. Why didn't you speak up and say so?

MOLLIE
. (
Very much affected
) I don't understand. I wanted to forget-forget. (
She sits at the Left end of the sofa.
)

TROTTER
. Your maiden name was Waring?

MOLLIE
. Yes.

TROTTER
. Miss Waring. You taught school—in the school where those children went.

MOLLIE
. Yes.

TROTTER
. It's true, isn't it, that Jimmy, the child who died, managed to get a letter posted to you? (
He sits at the Right end of the sofa.
) The letter begged for help—help from his kind young teacher. You never answered that letter.

MOLLIE
. I couldn't. I never got it.

TROTTER
. You just—didn't bother.

MOLLIE
. That's not true. I was ill. I went down with pneumonia that very day. The letter was put aside with others. It was weeks afterwards that I found it with a lot of other letters. And by then that poor child was dead . . . (
Her eyes close.
) Dead—dead . . . Waiting for me to do something—hoping—gradually losing hope . . . Oh, it's haunted me ever since . . . If only I hadn't been ill—if only I'd known . . . Oh, it's monstrous that such things should happen.

TROTTER
. (
His voice suddenly thick
) Yes, it's monstrous. (
He takes a revolver out of his pocket.
)

MOLLIE
. I thought the police didn't carry revolvers . . . (
She suddenly sees
TROTTER
's face, and gasps in horror.
)

TROTTER
. The police don't . . . I'm not a policeman, Mrs. Ralston. You thought I was a policeman because I rang up from a call box and said I was speaking from police headquarters and that Sergeant Trotter was on his way. I cut the telephone wires before I came to the front door. You know who I am, Mrs. Ralston? I'm Georgie—I'm Jimmy's brother, Georgie.

MOLLIE
. Oh. (
She looks round her wildly.
)

TROTTER
. (
Rising
) You'd better not scream, Mrs. Ralston—because if you do I shall fire this revolver . . . I'd like to talk to you a little. (
He turns away.
) I said I'd like to talk to you a little. Jimmy died. (
His manner becomes very simple and childlike.
) That nasty cruel woman killed him. They put her in prison. Prison wasn't bad enough for her. I said I'd kill her one day . . . I did, too. In the fog. It was great fun. I hope Jimmy knows. “I'll kill them all when I've grown up.” That's what I said to myself. Because grown-ups can do anything they like. (
Gaily
) I'm going to kill you in a minute.

MOLLIE
. You'd better not. (
She tries very hard to be persuasive.
) You'll never get safely away, you know.

TROTTER
. (
Pettishly
) Someone's hidden my skis! I can't find them. But it doesn't matter. I don't really mind if I get away or not. I'm tired. It's all been such fun. Watching you all. And pretending to be a policeman.

MOLLIE
. That revolver will make a lot of noise.

TROTTER
. It will rather. Much better to do it the usual way, and take you by the neck. (
He slowly approaches her, whistling “Three Blind Mice.”
) The last little mouse in the trap. (
He drops the revolver on the sofa, and leans over her with his left hand on her mouth and his right hand on her neck.
)

(
MISS
CASEWELL
and
MAJOR
METCALF
appear in the arch up Right.
)

MISS
CASEWELL
. Georgie, Georgie, you know me, don't you? Don't you remember the farm, Georgie? The animals, that fat old pig, and the day the bull chased us across the field. And the dogs. (
She crosses to Left of the sofa table.
)

TROTTER
. Dogs?

MISS
CASEWELL
. Yes, Spot and Plain.

TROTTER
. Kathy?

MISS
CASEWELL
. Yes, Kathy—you remember me now, don't you?

TROTTER
. Kathy, it is you. What are you doing here? (
He rises and moves to Right of the sofa table.
)

MISS
CASEWELL
. I came to England to find you. I didn't recognize you until you twirled your hair the way you always used to do.

(
TROTTER
twirls his hair.
)

Yes, you always did it. Georgie, come with me. (
Firmly
) You're coming with me.

TROTTER
. Where are we going?

MISS
CASEWELL
. (
Gently, as if to a child
) It's all right, Georgie. I'm taking you somewhere where they will look after you, and see that you won't do any more harm.

(
MISS
CASEWELL
exits up the stairs, leading
TROTTER
by the hand.
MAJOR
METCALF
switches on the lights, crosses to the stairs, and looks up.
)

MAJOR
METCALF
. (
Calling
) Ralston! Ralston!

(
MAJOR
METCALF
exits up the stairs.
GILES
enters from the arch up Right. He rushes over to
MOLLIE
on the sofa, sits and takes her in his arms, placing the revolver on the sofa table.
)

GILES
. Mollie, Mollie, are you all right? Darling, darling.

MOLLIE
. Oh, Giles.

GILES
. Whoever would have dreamt it was Trotter?

MOLLIE
. He's mad, quite mad.

GILES
. Yes, but you . . .

MOLLIE
. I was mixed up in it all, I taught in the school. It wasn't my fault—but he thought I could have saved that child.

GILES
. You should have told me.

MOLLIE
. I wanted to forget.

(
MAJOR
METCALF
enters from the stairs and comes to Centre.
)

MAJOR
METCALF
. Everything's under control. He will be unconscious soon with a sedative—his sister's looking after him. Poor fellow's as mad as a hatter, of course. I've had my suspicions of him all along.

MOLLIE
. You did? Didn't you believe he was a policeman?

MAJOR
METCALF
. I knew he wasn't a policeman. You see, Mrs. Ralston, I'm a policeman.

MOLLIE
. You?

MAJOR
METCALF
. As soon as we got hold of that notebook with “Monkswell Manor” written in it, we saw it was vital to have someone on the spot. When it was put to him, Major Metcalf agreed to let me take his place. I couldn't understand it when Trotter turned up. (
He sees the revolver on the sofa table and picks it up.
)

MOLLIE
. And Casewell is his sister?

MAJOR
METCALF
. Yes, it seems she recognized him just before this last business. Didn't know what to do, but fortunately came to me about it, just in time. Well, it's started to thaw, help should be here pretty soon. (
Moving up to the arch Right
) Oh, by the way, Mrs. Ralston, I'll remove those skis. I hid them on top of the fourposter.

(
MAJOR
METCALF
exits up Right.
)

MOLLIE
. And I thought it was Paravicini.

GILES
. I gather they'll examine that car of his rather carefully. I shouldn't be surprised if they found a thousand or so Swiss watches in the spare wheel. Yes, that's his line of business, nasty little bit of goods. Mollie, I believe you thought I was . . .

MOLLIE
. Giles, what were you doing in London yesterday?

GILES
. Darling, I was buying you an anniversary present. We've been married just a year today.

MOLLIE
. Oh. That's what I went to London for, and I didn't want you to know.

GILES
. No.

(
MOLLIE
rises, goes to the desk cupboard, and takes out the parcel.
GILES
rises and goes to Right of the sofa table.
)

MOLLIE
. (
Handing him the parcel
) They're cigars. I do hope they're all right.

GILES
. (
Unwrapping the parcel
) Oh, darling, how sweet of you. They're splendid.

MOLLIE
. You will smoke them?

GILES
. (
Heroically
) I'll smoke them.

MOLLIE
. What's my present?

GILES
. Oh yes, I forgot all about your present. (
He rushes up to the chest in the entrance hall, takes out the hatbox and returns. Proudly
) It's a hat.

MOLLIE
. (
Taken aback
) A hat? But I practically never wear one.

GILES
. Just for best.

MOLLIE
. (
Lifting out the hat
) Oh, how lovely, darling.

GILES
. Put it on.

MOLLIE
. Later, when my hair's done properly.

GILES
. It is all right, isn't it? The girl in the shop said it was the last thing in hats.

(
MOLLIE
puts the hat on.
GILES
moves below the desk.
MAJOR
METCALF
rushes in up Right.
)

MAJOR
METCALF
. Mrs. Ralston! Mrs. Ralston! There's a terrible smell of burning coming from the kitchen.

(
MOLLIE
rushes up Right towards the kitchen.
)

MOLLIE
. (
Wailing
) Oh, my pie!

QUICK CURTAIN

Witness for the Prosecution

Produced by Peter Saunders at The Winter Garden Theatre, London, on the 28th October 1953, with the following cast of characters:

(
in the order of their appearance
)