Complete Works, Volume I (13 page)

ROSE
. It must be a bit of a job.

MR KIDD
. Oh, I used to count them, once. Never got tired of it. I used to keep a tack on everything in this house. I had a lot to keep my eye on, then. I was able for it too. That was
when my sister was alive. But I lost track a bit, after she died. She's been dead some time now, my sister. It was a good house then. She was a capable woman. Yes. Fine size of a woman too. I think she took after my mum. Yes, I think she took after my old mum, from what I can recollect. I think my mum was a Jewess. Yes, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that she was a Jewess. She didn't have many babies.

ROSE
. What about your sister, Mr Kidd?

MR KIDD
. What about her?

ROSE
. Did she have any babies?

MR KIDD
. Yes, she had a resemblance to my old mum, I think. Taller, of course.

ROSE
. When did she die then, your sister?

MR KIDD
. Yes, that's right, it was after she died that I must have stopped counting. She used to keep things in very good trim. And I gave her a helping hand. She was very grateful, right until her last. She always used to tell me how much she appreciated all the – little things – that I used to do for her. Then she copped it. I was her senior. Yes, I was her senior. She had a lovely boudoir. A beautiful boudoir.

ROSE
. What did she die of?

MR KIDD
. Who?

ROSE
. Your sister.

Pause.

MR KIDD
. I've made ends meet.

Pause.

ROSE
. You full at the moment, Mr Kidd?

MR KIDD
. Packed out.

ROSE
. All sorts, I suppose?

MR KIDD
. Oh yes, I make ends meet.

ROSE
. We do, too, don't we, Bert?

Pause.

Where's your bedroom now then, Mr Kidd?

MR KIDD
. Me? I can take my pick. (
Rising.
) You'll be going out soon then, Mr Hudd? Well, be careful how you go. Those roads'll be no joke. Still, you know how to manipulate your van all right, don't you? Where you going? Far? Be long?

ROSE
. He won't be long.

MR KIDD
. No, of course not. Shouldn't take him long.

ROSE
. No.

MR KIDD
. Well then, I'll pop off. Have a good run, Mr Hudd. Mind how you go. It'll be dark soon too. But not for a good while yet. Arivederci.

He exits.

ROSE
. I don't believe he had a sister, ever.

She takes the plate and cup to the sink.
BERT
pushes his chair back and rises.

All right. Wait a minute. Where's your jersey?

She brings the jersey from the bed.

Here you are. Take your coat off. Get into it.

She helps him into his jersey.

Right. Where's your muffler?

She brings a muffler from the bed.

Here you are. Wrap it round. That's it. Don't go too fast, Bert, will you? I'll have some cocoa on when you get back. You won't be long. Wait a minute. Where's your overcoat? You'd better put on your overcoat.

He fixes his muffler, goes to the door and exits. She stands, watching the door, then turns slowly to the table, picks up the magazine, and puts it down. She stands and listens, goes to the fire, bends, lights the fire and warms her hands. She stands and looks about the room. She looks at the window
and listens, goes quickly to the window, stops and straightens the curtain. She comes to the centre of the room, and looks towards the door. She goes to the bed, puts on a shawl, goes to the sink, takes a bin from under the sink, goes to the door and opens it.

ROSE
. Oh!

MR
and
MRS SANDS
are disclosed on the landing.

MRS SANDS
. So sorry. We didn't mean to be standing here, like. Didn't mean to give you a fright. We've just come up the stairs.

ROSE
. That's all right.

MRS SANDS
. This is Mr Sands. I'm Mrs Sands.

ROSE
. How do you do?

MR SANDS
grunts acknowledgement.

MRS SANDS
. We were just going up the stairs. But you can't see a thing in this place. Can you, Toddy?

MR SANDS
. Not a thing.

ROSE
. What were you looking for?

MRS SANDS
. The man who runs the house.

MR SANDS
. The landlord. We're trying to get hold of the landlord.

MRS SANDS
. What's his name, Toddy?

ROSE
. His name's Mr Kidd.

MRS SANDS
. Kidd, Was that the name, Toddy?

MR SANDS
. Kidd? No, that's not it.

ROSE
. Mr Kidd. That's his name.

MR SANDS
. Well, that's not the bloke we're looking for.

ROSE
. Well, you must be looking for someone else.

Pause.

MR SANDS
. I suppose we must be.

ROSE
. You look cold.

MRS SANDS
. It's murder out. Have you been out?

ROSE
. No.

MRS SANDS
. We've not long come in.

ROSE
. Well, come inside, if you like, and have a warm.

They come into the centre of the room.

(
Bringing the chair from the table to the fire
). Sit down here. You can get a good warm.

MRS SANDS
. Thanks. (
She sits.
)

ROSE
. Come over by the fire, Mr. Sands.

MR SANDS
. No, it's all right. I’ll just stretch my legs.

MRS SANDS
. Why? You haven't been sitting down.

MR SANDS
. What about it?

MRS SANDS
. Well, why don't you sit down?

MR SANDS
. Why should I?

MRS SANDS
. You must be cold.

MR SANDS
. I'm not.

MRS SANDS
. You must be. Bring over a chair and sit down.

MR SANDS
. I'm all right standing up, thanks.

MRS SANDS
. You don't look one thing or the other standing up.

MR SANDS
. I'm quite all right, Clarissa.

ROSE
. Clarissa? What a pretty name.

MRS SANDS
. Yes, it is nice, isn't it? My father and mother gave it to me.

Pause.

You know, this is a room you can sit down and feel cosy in.

MR SANDS
(
looking at the room
). It's a fair size, all right.

MRS SANDS
. Why don't you sit down, Mrs –

ROSE
. Hudd. No thanks.

MR SANDS
. What did you say?

ROSE
. When?

MR SANDS
. What did you say the name was?

ROSE
. Hudd.

MR SANDS
. That's it. You're the wife of the bloke you mentioned then?

MRS SANDS
. No, she isn't. That was Mr Kidd.

MR SANDS
. Was it? I thought it was Hudd.

MRS SANDS
. No, it was Kidd. Wasn't it, Mrs Hudd?

ROSE
. That's right. The landlord.

MRS SANDS
. No, not the landlord. The other man.

ROSE
. Well, that's his name. He's the landlord.

MR SANDS
. Who?

ROSE
. Mr Kidd.

Pause.

MR SANDS
. Is he?

MRS SANDS
. Maybe there are two landlords.

Pause.

MR SANDS
. That'll be the day.

MRS SANDS
. What did you say?

MR SANDS
. I said that'll be the day.

Pause.

ROSE
. What's it like out?

MRS SANDS
. It's very dark out.

MR SANDS
. No darker than in.

MRS SANDS
. He's right there.

MR SANDS
. It's darker in than out, for my money.

MRS SANDS
. There's not much light in this place, is there, Mrs Hudd? Do you know, this is the first bit of light we've seen since we came in?

MR SANDS
. The first crack.

ROSE
. I never go out at night. We stay in.

MRS SANDS
. Now I come to think of it, I saw a star.

MR SANDS
. You saw what?

MRS SANDS
. Well, I think I did.

MR SANDS
. You think you saw what?

MRS SANDS
. A star.

MR SANDS
. Where?

MRS SANDS
. In the sky.

MR SANDS
. When?

MRS SANDS
. As we were coming along.

MR SANDS
. Go home.

MRS SANDS
. What do you mean?

MR SANDS
. You didn't see a star.

MRS SANDS
. Why not?

MR SANDS
. Because I'm telling you. I’m telling you you didn't see a star.

Pause.

ROSE
. I hope it's not too dark out. I hope it's not too icy. My husband's in his van. He doesn't drive slow either. He never drives slow.

MR SANDS
(
guffawing
). Well, he's taking a big chance tonight then.

ROSE
. What?

MR SANDS
. No – I mean, it'd be a bit dodgy driving tonight.

ROSE
. He's a very good driver.

Pause
.

How long have you been here?

MRS SANDS
. I don't know. How long have we been here, Toddy?

MR SANDS
. About half an hour.

MRS SANDS
. Longer than that, much longer.

MRS SANDS
. About thirty-five minutes.

ROSE
. Well, I think you'll find Mr Kidd about somewhere. He's not long gone to make his tea.

MR SANDS
. He lives here, does he?

ROSE
. Of course he lives here.

MR SANDS
. And you say he's the landlord, is he?

ROSE
. Of course he is.

MR SANDS
. Well, say I wanted to get hold of him, where would I find him?

ROSE
. Well – I’m not sure.

MR SANDS
. He lives here, does he?

ROSE
. Yes, but I don't know –

MR SANDS
. You don't know exactly where he hangs out?

ROSE
. No, not exactly.

MR SANDS
. But he does live here, doesn't he?

Pause
.

MRS SANDS
. This is a very big house, Toddy.

MR SANDS
. Yes, I know it is. But Mrs Hudd seems to know Mr Kidd very well.

ROSE
. No, I wouldn't say that. As a matter of fact, I don't know him at all. We're very quiet. We keep ourselves to ourselves. I never interfere. I mean, why should I? We've got our room. We don't bother anyone else. That's the way it should be.

MRS SANDS
. It's a nice house, isn't it? Roomy.

ROSE
. I don't know about the house. We're all right, but I wouldn't mind betting there's a lot wrong with this house. (
She sits in the rocking-chair
.) I think there's a lot of damp.

MRS SANDS
. Yes, I felt a bit of damp when we were in the basement just now.

ROSE
. You were in the basement?

MRS SANDS
. Yes, we went down there when we came in.

ROSE
. Why?

MRS SANDS
. We were looking for the landlord.

ROSE
. What was it like down there?

MR SANDS
. Couldn't see a thing.

ROSE
. Why not?

MR SANDS
. There wasn't any light.

ROSE
. But what was – you said it was damp?

MRS SANDS
. I felt a bit, didn't you, Tod?

MR SANDS
. Why? Haven't you ever been down there, Mrs Hudd?

ROSE
. Oh yes, once, a long time ago.

MR SANDS
. Well, you know what it's like then, don't you?

ROSE
. It was a long time ago.

MR SANDS
. You haven't been here all that long, have you?

ROSE
. I was just wondering whether anyone was living down there now.

MRS SANDS
. Yes. A man.

ROSE
. A man?

MRS SANDS
. Yes.

ROSE
. One man?

MR SANDS
. Yes, there was a bloke down there, all right.

He perches on the table.

MRS SANDS
. You're sitting down!

MR SANDS
(
jumping up
). Who is?

MRS SANDS
. You were.

MR SANDS
. Don't be silly. I perched.

MRS SANDS
. I saw you sit down.

MR SANDS
. You did not see me sit down because I did not sit bloody well down. I perched!

MRS SANDS
. Do you think I can't perceive when someone's sitting down?

MR SANDS
. Perceive! That's all you do. Perceive.

MRS SANDS
. You could do with a bit more of that instead of all that tripe you get up to.