Mindgame by Anthony Horowitz

Author:Anthony Horowitz
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: OBERON BOOKS Ltd

Act Two

The second act picks up the last moments of the first. The alarm is still ringing. NURSE PLIMPTON (Carol Ennis) has just been killed. DR FARQUHAR (Easterman) is talking on the telephone.

FARQUHAR: My security clearance is twenty-nine. My labrador’s name is Reginald.

Even here there are subtle differences. The security clearance number has changed. And as the alarm stops ringing and the flashing lights stop, we can see (but might not notice) that more changes have been made to the set and to the costumes of both FARQUHAR and STYLER.

It’s time to start work on Chapter Two.

STYLER: (Total panic.) Jesus Christ! Oh Jesus…

STYLER — impeded by the strait-jacket — lurches to his feet and runs over to the door through which PLIMPTON made her entrances. He tries to open it, turning round and scrabbling with his hands. FARQUHAR watches him. Then…

FARQUHAR: I don’t think you’re thinking this quite through.

STYLER twists round to protect himself as FARQUHAR approaches slowly.

STYLER: Get away from me! Just get away from me! Get away!

FARQUHAR: Even assuming you could get that door open, which I very much doubt, you wouldn’t get very far. It’s a cupboard.

STYLER runs over to the other door.

STYLER: (Shouting.) Help me somebody! Help me somebody, please.

FARQUHAR: There’s nobody in the building who can help you. There’s nobody in the building you’d want to help you. How about Borson? Why don’t you ask Borson for help? I’m sure he’ll be happy to supply you with a little mouth-to-mouth.

STYLER: Oh God!

STYLER sinks to his knees and tries to get out of the straitjacket.

FARQUHAR: What are you doing?

STYLER: Let me go, please. Please, let me go.

FARQUHAR: You want to go?

STYLER: Yes!

FARQUHAR: But you’ve come all this way. You drove three and a half hours up the motorway just to see me.

STYLER: I came to see Dr Farquhar.

FARQUHAR: (Pointing at the skeleton.) There he is.

STYLER: (Slumps to the floor, moaning.) No…

FARQUHAR: This is very sad.

STYLER: Please don’t hurt me!

FARQUHAR: (Angry.) Stop saying that! What do you think I am?

STYLER: I know what you are. I know what you are. You’re…

FARQUHAR: Go on.

STYLER: You’re Easterman.

FARQUHAR: Yes.

STYLER: You’re going to kill me.

FARQUHAR: How do you know?

STYLER: You killed Nurse…Dr Ennis.

FARQUHAR: That was self-defence.

STYLER: (Hysterical.) Self-defence? How can it…? What do you mean? Self-defence?

FARQUHAR: She hit me first. Do you want me to help you into a chair?

STYLER: No.

FARQUHAR: (Approaching him.) You’d be more comfortable…

STYLER: Keep away from me!

FARQUHAR: I didn’t mean to kill her. But then of course, if I were responsible for my actions, I wouldn’t be here, would I?

STYLER: Easterman…

FARQUHAR: Yes.

STYLER: Listen to me.

FARQUHAR: I’m all ears.

STYLER: (Getting up.) Take this off. Please. Take off this strait-jacket and let me go. I promise you, I won’t tell anyone. Nobody needs to know I was ever here. Let me go and I’ll go home and leave you to whatever it is you want to do. I promise.

FARQUHAR: You want me to let you go?

STYLER: Please.

FARQUHAR: And you won’t tell anyone?

STYLER: I promise.

FARQUHAR: Do you think I’m mad?

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