The Mousetrap and Other Plays (50 page)

EDWARD
. The inquest, yes, of course. I forgot.

MIDGE
. (
With a step towards him
) Edward—what is it? (
She moves in to Right of him.
) My God! (
She snatches the gun from him, crosses to the mantelpiece.
) Give me that revolver—you must be mad. (
She puts the revolver on the up-stage end of the mantelpiece.
)

(
EDWARD
sits in the armchair Left Centre.
)

(
She turns.
) How could you? (
She kneels down Left of
EDWARD
.) But why, Edward, but why? Because of Henrietta?

EDWARD
. (
Surprised
) Henrietta? No. That's all over now.

MIDGE
. Why—tell me why?

EDWARD
. It's all so hopeless.

MIDGE
. Tell me, darling. Make me understand.

EDWARD
. I'm no good, Midge. Never any good. It's men like Cristow—they're successful—women admire them. But I . . . Even for Ainswick you couldn't bring yourself to marry me.

MIDGE
. You thought I was marrying you for Ainswick?

EDWARD
. Heaven on a plate—but you couldn't face the prospect of having me thrown in.

MIDGE
. That's not true, that's not true. Oh, you fool! Don't you understand? It was you I wanted, not Ainswick. I adore you—I've always adored you. I've loved you ever since I can remember. I've been sick with love for you sometimes.

EDWARD
. You love
me
?

MIDGE
. Of course I love you, you darling idiot. When you asked me to marry you I was in heaven.

EDWARD
. But then why . . . ?

MIDGE
. I was a fool. I got it into my head you were doing it because of the police.

EDWARD
. The police?

MIDGE
. I thought—perhaps—you'd killed John Cristow.

EDWARD
. I . . . ?

MIDGE
. For Henrietta—and I thought you'd got engaged to me to throw them off the scent. Oh, I must have been crazy. (
She rises.
)

EDWARD
. (
Rising
) I can't say I'm sorry that Cristow is dead—(
He crosses to the fireplace
) but I should never have dreamed of killing him.

MIDGE
. (
Moving in to Right of him
) I know. I'm a fool. (
She lays her head on his chest.
) But I was so jealous of Henrietta

EDWARD
. (
Putting his arms around her
) You needn't be, Midge. It was Henrietta, the girl, I loved. But that day you lit the fire for me, I realized Henrietta the woman was a stranger I didn't know. When you asked me to look at you, I saw you for the first time, not Midge the little girl, but Midge the woman—warm and alive.

MIDGE
. Oh, Edward.

EDWARD
. Midge, don't ever leave me again.

MIDGE
. Never. I promise you—never.

(
The sound of a motor horn is heard up Centre.
)

Heavens, Edward, we must go. They're waiting. What did I come back for? Gloves!

(
EDWARD
takes
MIDGE
's gloves from his pocket and holds them out to her.
)

Oh, darling!

(
She takes the gloves from him, turns and exits up Centre to Left.
EDWARD
follows her off. The LIGHTS fade to a blackout, during which the alcove curtain is closed. There is a pause of six seconds, then the lights come up. One hour is presumed to have elapsed, during which the weather has turned stormy and the sky is overcast.
GERDA
and
HENRIETTA
enter up Centre from Left.
HENRIETTA
is supporting
GERDA
.
They both carry handbags.
)

HENRIETTA
. (
As she enters
) We've beaten the storm. Good heavens, it's as dark as night in here. (
As she passes the drinks table she switches on the lamp.
) Are you all right? Sure? (
She leads
GERDA
to the sofa.
) Come over here and put your feet up. (
She puts her handbag on the writing table.
)

(
GERDA
sits on the sofa at the Left end of it.
HENRIETTA
moves to the drinks table.
)

GERDA
. I'm sorry to give so much trouble. I can't think why I felt faint.

HENRIETTA
. (
Pouring out a brandy and water
) Anyone might; it was very stuffy in that place.

GERDA
. I hope I gave my evidence all right. I get so confused.

HENRIETTA
. You did very well indeed.

GERDA
. The Coroner was so very kind. Oh dear, I'm so glad it's all over. If only my head didn't ache so.

HENRIETTA
. (
Picking up the drink and moving below the sofa
) You need a drink. (
She holds out the glass to
GERDA
.)

GERDA
. Oh no, thank you, not for me.

HENRIETTA
. Well,
I
need one. You'd much better have one too.

GERDA
. No—really.

(
HENRIETTA
moves to the drinks table, takes a sip from the glass, then stands it on the table.
)

What I would love—but perhaps it would be giving a lot of trouble . . .

HENRIETTA
. (
Moving to Right of the sofa
) Get the idea of giving trouble out of your head, Gerda. What would you like so much?

GERDA
. I'd love some tea—a nice cup of hot tea.

HENRIETTA
. (
Crossing to Left Centre
) Of course.

GERDA
. But it is a trouble. The servants . . .

HENRIETTA
. (
Crossing to the fireplace
) That's all right. (
She stretches out a hand towards the bellpush, then stops.
) Oh, I forgot, Gudgeon's at the inquest.

GERDA
. It doesn't matter.

HENRIETTA
. I'll go down to the kitchen and ask Mrs. Medway.

GERDA
. She might not like being asked.

HENRIETTA
. She won't mind. She mightn't have liked answering a bell.

GERDA
. You're very good to me.

HENRIETTA
exits Left
.
There is a flash of lightning, followed by a peal of thunder.
GERDA
rises, startled, crosses to the windows Right, glances out, moves up Centre, then turns, moves Left Centre and looks horror-struck at the spot where
JOHN
died. She catches her breath, crosses to the sofa, sits and starts to cry quietly.
)

(
HENRIETTA
enters Left.
)

Oh, John—John—I can't bear it.

HENRIETTA
. The kettle's on—only be a moment. (
She crosses to Left of the sofa. Gently
) Oh—Gerda, don't cry. It's all over now.

GERDA
. But what shall I do? What can I do without John?

HENRIETTA
. There are the children.

GERDA
. I know, I know. But John always decided everything.

HENRIETTA
. I know. (
She hesitates a moment, then moves above the sofa, puts her hands on
GERDA
's shoulders, and draws her back on the sofa.
) There's just one thing, Gerda. (
She pauses.
) What did you do with the holster?

GERDA
. (
Staring front
) Holster?

HENRIETTA
. The second revolver, the one you took from Henry's study, was in a holster. What have you done with the holster?

GERDA
. (
Repeating the word with an appearance of stupidity
) Holster?

HENRIETTA
. (
Urgently
) You must tell me. Apart from that everything's all right. There's nothing else that can possibly give you away. They may suspect—but they can't prove anything. But that holster's dangerous. Have you still got it?

(
GERDA
slowly nods her head.
)

Where is it?

GERDA
. I cut it up in pieces and put it in my leathercraft bag.

HENRIETTA
. (
Moving to the drinks table and picking up the leathercraft bag
) In this?

(
GERDA
turns and nods.
)

(
She moves to the writing table, switches on the table lamp, then takes some pieces of brown leather out of the leathercraft bag.
) Quite a clever idea of yours.

(
GERDA
,
for the first time, speaks in a high, excited voice and shows that she is not quite sane.
)

GERDA
. I'm not so stupid as people think. When did you know that I shot John?

HENRIETTA
. (
Putting the bag on the writing table
) I've always known. (
She moves to Right of the sofa.
) When John said “Henrietta” to me just before he died, I knew what he meant. I always knew what John wanted. He wanted me to protect you—to keep you out of it somehow. He loved you very much. He loved you better than he knew.

GERDA
. (
Weeping
) Oh, John—John.

HENRIETTA
. (
Sitting Right of
GERDA
on the sofa
) I know, my dear. I know. (
She puts her arm around
GERDA
.)

GERDA
. But you can't know. It was all a lie—everything. I
had
to kill him. I'd adored him so. I worshipped him. I thought he was everything that was noble and fine. He wasn't any of those things.

HENRIETTA
. He was a man—not a god.

GERDA
. (
Fiercely
) It was all a lie. The night when that woman came here—that film woman. I saw his face as he looked at her. And after dinner he went over to see her. He didn't come back. I went up to bed, but I couldn't sleep. Hour after hour—he didn't come. At last I got up and put on a coat and my shoes and I crept downstairs and through the side door. I went along the lane to her cottage. The curtains were drawn at the front but I went round to the back. They weren't drawn there because I crept up to the window and looked in. (
Her voice rises hysterically.
) I looked in.

(
There is a flash of lightning and a distant peal of thunder.
)

HENRIETTA
. (
Rising
) Gerda!

GERDA
. I saw them—that woman and John. (
She pauses.
) I saw them. (
She pauses.
) I'd believed in John—completely—utterly—and it was all a lie. I was left with nothing—nothing. (
She suddenly resumes a quiet conversational tone.
) You do see, don't you, Henrietta, that I had to kill him? (
She pauses.
) Is that tea coming? I do so want a cup of tea.

HENRIETTA
. (
Moving above the Right end of the sofa
) In a moment. Go on telling me, Gerda.

GERDA
. (
Cunningly
) They always said I was stupid when I was a child—stupid and slow. They used to say, “Don't let Gerda do it, Gerda will take all day.” And sometimes, “Gerda never seems to take in anything you say to her.” Didn't they see, all of them, that that made me more stupid and slower still? And then you know—I found a way. I used to pretend to be stupider than I was. I'd stare as though I didn't understand. But inside, sometimes, I laughed. Because often I knew more than they thought.

HENRIETTA
. (
Moving to Left of the sofa
) I see—yes, I see.

GERDA
. John didn't mind my being stupid—not at first. He used to tell me not to worry—to leave everything to him. Only when he was very busy he got impatient. And sometimes I used to think I couldn't do anything right. Then I'd remember how clever he was—and how good. Only—after all, he wasn't—so I had to kill him.

HENRIETTA
. Go on.

GERDA
. I knew I must be careful because the police are very clever. I read in a detective story that they could tell which revolver a bullet had been fired from. So I took a second revolver from Henry's study and I shot John with that, and dropped the other by him. Then I ran round the house, in at the front door and through that door and over to John and picked the revolver up. I thought, you see, that first they'd think I had done it, and then they'd find that it wasn't the right revolver and so I'd be cleared. And then I meant to put the revolver that had shot him into that film woman's house and they'd think that
she'd
done it. Only she left her bag—so it was easier still. I slipped it into that later in the day. I can't think why they haven't arrested her. (
Her voice rises.
) They should have. (
Hysterically
) It was because of her I had to kill John.

HENRIETTA
. (
Moving below the Left end of the sofa
) You wiped your fingerprints off the second revolver you shot him with?

GERDA
. Of course. I'm cleverer than people think. I got rid of the revolver. (
She frowns.
) But I did forget about the holster.