Night Must Fall : a Play in Three Acts Part 25

BELSIZE: We haven't scared you all out of the house yet, I see!

DAN: No chance!

BELSIZE: All these blood-curdlers, eh?

DAN: I should say so!

BELSIZE: No more news for me, I suppose?

DAN: No chance!

BELSIZE: Ah ... too bad! Mind if I sit down?

DAN: (_pointing to the sofa_): Well, this is the nearest you get to comfort in this house, sir.

BELSIZE: No, thanks, this'll do.... (_Sitting on a chair at the table, and indicating the cuttings_) I see you keep apace of the news?

DAN: I should say so! They can't hardly wait for the latest on the case in this house, sir.

BELSIZE: Ah, well, it's only natural.... I got a bit of a funny feeling bottom of my spine myself crossing by the rubbish-heap.

DAN: Well, will you have a cigarette, sir?... (_His hand to his jacket pocket_) Only a Woodbine----

BELSIZE: No, thanks.

DAN (_after a pause_): Would you like to see Mrs. Bramson, sir?

BELSIZE: Oh, plenty of time. How's she bearing up?

DAN: Well, it's been a bit of a shock for her, them finding the remains of the lady at the bottom of her garden, you know.

BELSIZE: The remains of the lady! I wish you wouldn't talk like that.

I've seen 'em.

DAN (_looking over his shoulder at the cuttings_): Well, you see, I haven't.

BELSIZE: You know, I don't mind telling you, they reckon the fellow that did this job was a bloodstained clever chap.

DAN (_smiling_): You don't say?

BELSIZE (_casually_): He was blackmailing her, you know.

DAN: Tch! tch! Was he?

BELSIZE: Whoever he was.

DAN: She had a lot of fellows on a string, though, didn't she?

BELSIZE (_guardedly_): That's true.

DAN: Though this one seems to have made a bit more stir than any of the others, don't he?

BELSIZE: Yes. (_Indicating the cuttings_) Regular film star. Made his name.

DAN (_abstractedly_): If you _can_ make your name withou n.o.body knowin' what it is, o' course.

BELSIZE (_slightly piqued_): Yes, of course.... But I don't reckon he's been as bright as all that.

DAN (_after a slight pause_): Oh, you don't?

BELSIZE: No! They'll nab him in no time.

DAN: Oh ... Mrs. Bramson'll be that relieved. And the whole country besides....

BELSIZE: Look here, Dan, any self-respecting murderer would have taken care to mutilate the body to such a degree that n.o.body could recognise it--and here we come and identify it first go! (DAN _folds his arms and looks thoughtful_.) Call that clever?... What d'you think?

DAN _catches his eye and crosses to the sofa._

DAN: Well, sir, I'm a slow thinker, I am, but though it might be clever to leave the lady unide--unide----

BELSIZE: Unidentified.

DAN (_sitting on the edge of the sofa_): Thank you, sir....

(_Laboriously_) Well, though it be clever to leave the lady unidentified and not be caught ... hasn't it been more clever to leave her _i_dentified ... and still not be caught?

BELSIZE: Why didn't you sleep in your bed on the night of the tenth?

_A pause._ DAN _stiffens almost imperceptibly._

DAN: What you say?

BELSIZE: Why didn't you sleep in your bed on the night of the murder?

DAN: I did.

BELSIZE (_lighting his pipe_): You didn't.

DAN: Yes I did. Oh--except for about half an hour--that's right. I couldn't sleep for toffee and I went up the fire-escape--I remember thinkin' about it next day when the woman was missing, and trying to remember if I could think of anything funny----

BELSIZE: What time was that? (_He rises, crosses to the fireplace, and throws his match into it._)

DAN: Oh, about ... oh, you know how you wake up in the night and don't know what time it is....

BELSIZE (_staring at him doubtfully_): Mmm ...

DAN: I could never sleep when I was at sea, neither, sir.

BELSIZE: Mmm. (_Suddenly_) Are you feeling hot?