The Mousetrap and Other Plays Read Online Free PDF

cooking, and a nice old-fashioned type of person. None of this nudity and gramophones half the night. I shall be very glad if you could see your way to spending your summer holiday on Indian Island—as my guest, of course. I suggest August 8th, 12:40 from Paddington to Oakbridge.
    Yours sincerely,
    U.N.”
    H’m, yes, the signature is slightly ambiguous.
    LOMBARD . ( Rises; crosses to VERA . Aside to her ) I like the nudity touch!
    WARGRAVE . ( To above sofas. Takes letter from pocket. ) Here is my own decoy letter. From an old friend of mine, Lady Constance Culmington. She writes in her usual vague, incoherent way, urges me to join her here and refers to her host and hostess in the vaguest of terms.
    ( ARMSTRONG Right of WARGRAVE , MARSTON to Right of ARMSTRONG to look at letter. MACKENZIE to Left of WARGRAVE .)
    LOMBARD . ( With sudden excitement, staring at BLORE ) Look here, I’ve just thought of something—
    WARGRAVE . In a minute.
    LOMBARD . But I—
    WARGRAVE . We will take one thing at a time, if you don’t mind, Captain Lombard. General MacKenzie?
    ( BLORE sits Right end of Left sofa. )
    MACKENZIE . ( Rather incoherently, pulling at moustache ) Got a letter—from this fellow Owen—thought I must have met sometime at the Club—mentioned some old cronies of mine who were to be here—hoped I’d excuse informal invitation. Haven’t kept the letter, I’m afraid. ( Sits up Left. )
    WARGRAVE . And you, Captain Lombard?
    LOMBARD . Same sort of thing. Invitation mentioning mutual friends. I haven’t kept the letter either.
    ( Pause. WARGRAVE turns his attention to BLORE . He looks at him for some minutes. When he speaks, his voice is silky and dangerous. )
    WARGRAVE . Just now we had a somewhat disturbing experience. An apparently disembodied voice spoke to us all by name, uttering certain definite accusations against us. We will deal with those accusations presently. At the moment I am interested in a minor point. Amongst the names received was that of William Henry Blore. But as far as we know, there is no one named Blore amongst us. The name of Davis was not mentioned. What have you to say about that, Mr. Davis?
    BLORE . ( Rises ) Cat’s out of the bag, it seems. I suppose I’d better admit my name isn’t Davis.
    WARGRAVE . You are William Henry Blore?
    BLORE . That’s right.
    LOMBARD . ( To Right of BLORE .) I will add something to that. Not only are you here under a false name, Mr. Blore, but in addition I’ve noticed this evening that you’re a first-class liar. You claim to have come from Natal, South Africa. I know South Africa and Natal well, and I’m prepared to swear that you’ve never set foot there in your life.
    ( ALL turn towards BLORE . ARMSTRONG goes up to Right window. )
    BLORE . You gentlemen have got me wrong. I’m an ex-CID man.
    LOMBARD . Oh, a copper!
    BLORE . I’ve got my credentials and I can prove it. I run a detective agency in Plymouth. I was put on to this job.
    WARGRAVE . By whom?
    BLORE . Why, Mr. Owen. Sent a very nice money order for expenses, and said I was to join the house party, posing as a guest. He also sent a list of all your names and said I was to keep an eye on you all.
    WARGRAVE . Any reason given?
    BLORE . Said Mrs. Owen had got some valuable jewels. ( Pause ) Mrs. Owen, my foot! I don’t believe there’s any such person. ( Goes down Right to cabinet. )
    WARGRAVE . ( Sits Left sofa. ) Your conclusions are, I think, justified. ( Looks down at letters. ) Ulick Norman Owen. Una Nancy Owen. Each time, that is to say, U.N. Owen. Or, by a slight stretch of fancy, Unknown.
    VERA . But it’s fantastic! Mad!
    WARGRAVE . ( Rises. Quietly ) Oh, yes, I’ve no doubt in my own mind that we have been invited here by a madman—probably a dangerous homicidal lunatic.
    ( There is an appalled silence. )
    ROGERS . Oh, my gawd!
    WARGRAVE . ( To back of Left sofa ) Whoever it is who has