Scene 1

Question 1

Margot: For a moment I thought it was Tony. I’m sorry I interrupted you. What were we talking about?

Answer 1

I was just telling you that I murdered exactly 52 people since I saw you last

Question 2

Margot: Oh yes- one a week. How did you do it?

Answer 2

Every way I could think of. I electrocuted some in their baths, locked others in the car with the motor running, or pushed them through windows and over cliffs. Others I prefered to poison, shoot, strangle, slug, or suffocate.

Question 3

Margot: Just according to how you felt?

Answer 3

When you write for that kind of television, you don’t have time to feel anything

Question 4

Margot: Where do you get all your ideas from?

Answer 4

Oh- newspaper stories, police files- bad dreams- other writers…

Question 5

Margot: You once told me you’d never write anything that wasn’t original

Answer 5

Huh, you try being original 52 times a year

Question 6

Margot: Suppose you just dry up and can’t think of anything?

Answer 6

If it comes to that, I just use my three hats

Question 7

Margot: What do you mean?

Answer 7

I’ve got three old hats marked: Who kills how, How, and Why.

Question 8

Margot: Whis is what? I mean what’s why?

Answer 8

Why is the motive for killing. You’ve got to have a motive you know. There are only five important ones. Fear- jealousy- money- revenge- and, protecting someone you love. I just wrote them down on pieces of paper and pick one out of the why hat.

Question 9

Margot: Sounds rather like sorting the week’s washing

Answer 9

It’s about as artistic as that, but better paid. It’s no more frustrating that writing plays that aren’t produced or novels that aren’t published. And don’t forget this: It all goes to prove that WITO makes teeth bright, white and bite.

Question 10

Margot: (Laughs) Let’s have your glass Max

Answer 10

No… I’m all right, thanks.

Question 11

Margot: I could hardly believe it was you when I heard your voice. At first, I thought you were phoning from New York

Answer 11

Yes, I thought you were shouting a little louder than necessary. As a matter of fact, I was just around the corner. (Pause) Was it all right… my phoning like that

Question 12

Margot: Yes, of course

Answer 12

Was that Tony who answered?

Question 13

Margot: Yes, it was. I do hope he isn’t going to be too late. Poor darling. He always gets caught when we’re going to the theatre. So you’re not here on a holiday- this time?

Answer 13

No, not this time. I came over to write some short TV films. After that I think I’ll knock off and write that novel. I’ve got to write it some day.

Question 14

Margot: Another crime story?

Answer 14

I’ve got to stick to crime, it’s my stock in trade. But there’s no reason a murder story can’t be as good as anything else. And I think I could write a good one if I took the time. I thought of a pretty fair gimmick on the plane coming over. There’s a pair of twins, identical, one lives in Paris, the other in New York. All of a sudden, they both decide to…

Question 15

Margot: Max, before Tony comes I ought to explain something

Answer 15

Yes?

Question 16

Margot: I didn’t tell him anything about us

Answer 16

Oh

Question 17

Margot: When you rang up yesterday, I just said you were a television writer I met when he was in America

Answer 17

Well, that’s true enough

Question 18

Margot: I said I’d met you again just before you went back to New York, and you promised to look us up if you ever came back

Answer 18

I see

Question 19

Margot: Max, I know you think it’s silly, but when you get to know Tony, you’ll understand why.

Answer 19

Margot, I’d like to get one thing straight. Things are ok between you and Tony?

Question 20

Margot: They couldn’t be better. And I want to keep them that way

Answer 20

I’m very glad- at least I will be when I get used to the idea

Question 21

Margot: There’s something else Max

Answer 21

Yes

Question 22

Margot: I wasn’t going to tell you but…

Answer 22

Come on, let’s have it

Question 23

Margot: Well, you remember those letters you wrote me?

Answer 23

Of course

Question 24

Margot: After I read them I burnt them. I thought it best. All except one. You probably know the one I mean

Answer 24

I can guess. I never should have written it.

Question 25

Margot: I know. But I loved it just the same. I used to carry it round wherever I went. Then one day Tony and I were going to spend the week end with some friends in the country. While we were waiting on the platform, I noticed my handbag was missing… and the letter was inside.

Answer 25

I see… Where was this?

Question 26

Margot: Victoria Station. I thought I must have left it in the restaurant but when I went to look for it, it was gone

Answer 26

You never found it?

Question 27

Margot: I recovered the handbag about two weeks later from the lost and found. But the letter wasn’t there. Then a week after I received a note. It told me what I had to do to get the letter back.

Answer 27

Go on

Question 28

Margot: I was to draw fifty pounds from my bank in five-pound notes, then change them for used one-pound notes. It said that if I went to the police or told anyone else- he would show the letter to my husband.

Answer 28

May I see it? … Printed- all capitals. Anyone could have done this.

Question 29

Margot: Then- two days later- I got this one.

Answer 29

Both mailed in Brixton. “Tie up money in a package and mail to John S. King, 23 Newport Street, Brixton, SW9. You’ll get your letter by return.” Well, of all the…

Question 30

Margot: That’s a little shop. People use it as a forwarding address

Answer 30

Did you mail the money?

Question 31

Margot: Yes, but the letter was never returned… So after waiting two weeks I went there. They said they’d never heard of a man by that name, and the parcel was still there. It had never been opened.

Answer 31

Well, I suppose that’s something… May I keep these?

Question 32

Margot: Yes… If you’d like

Answer 32

You didn’t tell Tony?

Question 33

Margot: No, I didn’t tell anyone. I can’t understand why the man didn’t collect the money

Answer 33

He was probably in jail by that time… You never heard from him again?

Question 34

Margot: No

Answer 34

Well, let me know if you do. I’ll find him and fix him so he can’t read, let alone write… Is that why you asked me to stop writing?

Question 35

Margot: Yes, I was in an awful panic. I imagined that every letter you wrote would be opened and read by someone

Answer 35

Why didn’t you tell me?

Question 36

Margot: You couldn’t have done anything. You probably would have made me tell Tony and the police. As it was only fifty pounds I thought I’d pay up and have done with it.

Answer 36

Margo, are you ever going to tell Tony about us?

Question 37

Margot: No, I couldn’t possibly tell him, Not now

Answer 37

Why not? Don’t you think we’d all get along better in the end if…

Question 38

Margot: Max, please. I know Tony, you don’t.

Answer 38

You don’t have to tell me. Just the thought of meeting him makes me, shall we say, uncomfortable

Question 39

Margot: Oh, you’ll get one fine. He’s changed a lot this last year… Now he’s a model husband. In fact, it was exactly a year ago that it happened.

Answer 39

What happened?

Question 40

Margot: Tony suddenly grew up. He seemed to change over-night from a rather selfish little person into a perfectly reasonable grown-up. You remember that night- I came to say goodbye.

Answer 40

How could I forget? Tony had just gone off to play in a tennis tournament

Question 41

Margot: He did- but he came back. I’m not much good at writing about things like this, so I didn’t try. But when I left you that night I came back here. I sat down on the sofa and had a good cry. Then I fell asleep. When I woke up he was standing in the hall with all his bags and tennis rackets. He just said that he had decided to give up tennis for good and settle down.

Answer 41

Just like that?

Question 42

Margot: Just like that. Of course I didn’t believe him at first. I’d got so used to tagging around after him wherever he went, I could see no end to it. But he meant it all right. He went out the very next day and got himself a job. (Chruch bells) What were we doing- exactly a year ago?

Answer 42

I was putting the mushrooms into the spaghetti. I nearly turned round and said “I can’t go through with this. Let’s find Tony and have it out with him.”

Question 43

Margot: I felt that way too. I wanted so much to say something- and all I could do was stand there- quite uselessly- with a drip on the end of my nose. What did you do when I’d gone?

Answer 43

I walked along the embankment and stared out at the Chelsea Gas Works.

Question 44

Margot: Were you thinking about the gas works- or me?

Answer 44

Neither, I was writing a story. I always do when I’m miserable.

Question 45

Margot: A sad story?

Answer 45

A triumphant story. My hero was an eminent writer coming from America with his pockets full of money, ready to snatch his lady love from the arms of her jealous husband.

Question 46

Margot: Only to find that husband and wife were very happy, thank you

Answer 46

And that, he has very glad to know

Question 47

Margot: Max, let’s have a drink- to the way things turn out

Answer 47

To the way things turn….