Don't Look Twice. (4)
Ada: Don’t trust to miracles too much. They rarely happen and never in cases like this. (Turns and looks intensely at Monty.)You can wait for all eternity for all I care. I won’t give you a different answer. I love Ben too much for that. Monty: Love? Love is a fiction, Ada. You don’t think it’s love that makes the world go round do you? No, no, it’s not love, Ada; it’s the total fulfilment of one’s destiny that drives a person on. If that person feels fulfilled by their destiny then they are happy people. Nothing to do with love, morality, or such nonsense. Fulfilment of one’s destiny, Ada that’s the thing. The only thing. Ada: How sad that sounds. How sad. (Walks upstage without looking at Monty and disappears inside the door into the kitchen. Monty smiles and shakes his head.) Monty: We will see, Ada my dear. We will see. We will see. (Light fades.) End of Scene Two. Act Two. Scene Three. Midday. An old sofa with an armchair each side lower stage centre in a semi circle. Joe is in the armchair stage right reading a newspaper. Winnie is sitting on the right side of the sofa knitting.) Joe: Been a murder. Winnie: Where’s that, Joe? (Carries on knitting.) Joe: Some club off Leicester square. Yesterday. Winnie: What’s the world coming to, Joe? Can’t read a newspaper without there being someone being murdered or some blooming robbery. That’s why I don’t read the newspaper anymore. Always something in it to upset you. Joe :( Looks over the newspaper at Winnie. Sighs.)I wonder if he was involved? Winnie: Who you talking about? Joe: Monty. I wonder if he was involved in this murder somehow? Winnie: Course he wasn’t. Our Monty’s no murderer. What’s got into you? You’re talking nonsense. Our Monty’d not to anything like that. Joe: You don’t know him like I do. Nothing’s far from his reach. He’d murder his own grandmother for a good deal. Winnie: That’s not true. He adored his nans. Both of them. Wouldn’t have harmed a hair of their heads. Joe :( Puts down the newspaper and stares at Winnie.)He’s no boy scout, you know. He’s trouble. Winnie: Give it a rest, Joe. Our Monty’s not the monster you make him out to be. Just because he never knuckled down to what you wanted him to do. He’s got a mind of his own. Joe: I know what he’s got. I know him inside out. Winnie: Oh, course you do. You know everything don’t you. You’re the big know it all. Joe :( Lifts the newspaper so he can’t see Winnie.)I know him. I know him better than you do. You only know the little boy who you treated like some bloody prince. He’s trouble. Always has been. Winnie: He’s got his own business now. Got a nice car. But still you run him down. You’re jealous of him. Just because he’s made something of himself. Joe: Don’t talk rot. Me jealous of him? I’ve never been jealous of anyone let alone him. (Turns the page.)Wouldn’t put it passed him to do a murder. Winnie :( Puts her knitting down on the sofa and glares at Joe.)My Monty’s no murderer. I won’t have you saying such things. (Pause. Door opens and Monty enters upstage. He looks downstage at Joe and Winnie. Uneasy silence. Monty walks down to the sofa and sits in the other armchair.)Hello, Monty. Monty: Hello, Mum. How’s tricks? Winnie: Tricks are fine, Monty. What you doing? Monty: Having a little rest from business. Winnie: That’s good. You need to relax, Monty. You’re always rushing about with one thing or another. Monty: That’s how it is, Mum. You’ve got to keep one step ahead of your competitor. If you don’t he’ll have the upper hand and then you’re on the downward slide. (Pause. Looks at Joe.)Anything interesting in the paper, then, Dad? Joe :( Lowers his newspaper and looks at Monty.)There’s a murder of some bloke up West. Monty: Oh, yeah. (Looks at the newspaper in Joe’s hands.)Don’t know what the world’s coming to these days. Joe: He was shot. In the head. Monty: Nasty. Winnie: Do you have to read it out loud, Joe? Joe: He wanted to know what was in the paper, so I told him. Winnie: Maybe, but did you have to give the details? Monty: The world’s going mad, Mum. You don’t know who to trust anymore. Joe: That’s the truth. Can’t trust any bugger these days. Winnie: I don’t read the papers anymore. They upset me too much. All that murder, violence, rape and what have you. I can’t be doing with it anymore. Joe: No one’s asking you to read the newspapers. But it doesn’t pay to hide your head in the sand. The world’s still there whether you want to know about it or not. Monty: I was going for a drive later, how’s about I take you both down to Brighton? Winnie: Brighton? I’ve not been there in years. Joe: I don’t want to go anywhere with you. Monty: What now? What have I done wrong, now? Winnie: Come on, Joe, a nice trip to Brighton will make a nice change from round here. Joe: If you think by driving us about all over the place will change things it won’t. Monty: I’m trying to make things all right between us and you aren’t helping are you? Winnie: I love Brighton. Joe: Make things all right? How do you expect to do that? Monty: Letting what’s past stay past. Letting bygones be bygones. Joe: Oh, yeah, of course. Just a few trips about spending your money and all should be well is that what you think? Monty: What is it you want from me? What can I do to convince you? Joe: Don’t bother. I don’t want to know. Winnie: Joe! I want things to be settled between us. I hate all this nonsense. What’s past is past. This is now. Joe: Maybe you can be taken in by his talk and money, but not me. I don’t want anything to do with him or his money. Monty: Why did I bother to come back here? It’s a waste of time talking to you. You’re never going to forgive me are you? You’re just going to go on about things stuck in the past. (Pause. Joe sighs. Winnie looks at Joe and Monty looks at his hands.)Just you and me, Mum. Just us. Joe: Don’t think you should go off with him, Winnie. He’ll upset you again. It’s what he’s best at. Winnie: I want to go even if you don’t, Joe. You can’t expect me to be like you. Monty’s my son. I can’t be like you with him. I love him. Joe: Go then for all I care. But you’ve been warned. Can’t say I didn’t tell you. Monty: Go get ready then, Mum and I’ll take you for a nice trip to Brighton. Have a nice meal in a restaurant I know. Winnie: All right, Monty. Give me a few minutes. (Winnie rises up slowly and walks slowly upstage and out of the door.) Joe: You’d better not cause her any upsets. I don’t want any of your nonsense where she’s concerned. Monty :( Moves to the sofa and sits next to Joe.)It doesn’t have to be like this. Joe: Maybe is does. Maybe it’s the only way. Monty: You’ve always given me the roughest ride. Benny Boy can do anything and he’s the apple of your eye, but me, I’m the black sheep. I’m the loser in your eyes. Joe: If the cap fits then wear it. You always were your own worst enemy. Monty: I’ve changed. I’m a man now. Joe: Still a criminal though. I know you are. I can tell. Monty: You weren’t a saint yourself. You had connections. You weren’t no scoutmaster. Joe: You weren’t like me. You had no loyalties. You didn’t care who you crossed. You made enemies. Monty: That’s all sorted now. Joe: I expect it is. You and your business are stained with other men’s blood and money. Monty: I’m legit. There’s nothing wrong with my business. Joe: There was a murder up West. Nothing to do with you, I suppose? Monty :( Laughs.)No. No, Dad that’s not my style. I don’t go in for that sort of thing. Joe: And you expect me to swallow that? Expect me to lie down like a blooming dog and lap up that nonsense? Monty: Do what you like. Believe what you like. I’m off out with Mum. Joe: People like you should be drowned at birth. And to think you’re my son. My son the murderer. Monty :( Grabs Joe’s arm, but Joe shrugs Monty’s hand away.)I don’t have a dad anymore. I don’t need one. I can manage without one like you. (Rises suddenly and after a few seconds glaring at Joe he walks upstage to the door and goes out.) Joe: Good riddance to you. (Sighs deeply.)Go and lose yourself! (Throws the newspaper onto the floor. He sits breathing deeply staring at the floor. Then after a few moments, he rises and walks to the window. Then says whispers.)Be careful of him, Winnie. Be careful of him. (Light fades.) End of Scene Three. Act Two. Scene Four. Early evening of the same day. Joe, Winnie and Monty are sitting on the sofa. Ada is sitting on the armchair stage left and Ben is sitting on armchair stage right. The room is dim except over the sofa and armchairs. Ada: Two men came enquiring about you today, Monty. Monty: What two men? What did they look like? Ada: Well dressed. Large men with a kind of menacing appearance. Joe: Friends of yours? Monty: What did they want? Ada: Asked if you were still living here. Monty: What did you say? Ada: Said you were out. Monty: What did they say? Ada: Said they’d be back. Joe: Not trouble I hope. Had enough of that when you were here before. Monty: Did they say what it was they wanted me about? Ada: No. They weren’t particularly talkative apart from asking if you were here. Monty: You should have said you hadn’t seen me for years. Joe: Why should she lie for you? What you been up to now? Monty :( To Joe.) Nothing to do with you. Joe: It is if it involves my family and in my house. Ben: Who is it, then? Monty: Could be people who disapprove of my recent business dealings. Always someone who gets upset if you move into their area. But that’s business. Winnie: They won’t cause you any harm will they, Monty? I don’t want anything to happen to you. I’ve only got you back. I don’t want you to be hurt or…Killed. Monty: Don’t be daft, Mum. I’ll be all right. I’m a big boy now. I can take care of myself. Ada: I don’t lie for people and I don’t lie to people. It becomes to complex and makes people untrustworthy. Ben: You did what you thought was right, Ada. Monty: I’ll have to move on sooner than I wanted to. Not to worry I’ll be gone by tonight. Joe: Well who the bloody hell are these men? What might they do if you’ve scarpered? What about us? Monty: It’s me they want to see, not you. So you needn’t get all uptight and miserable. Joe: I’m not worried about me. I’m worried about your mother. And Ada and Ben of course. That type has a horrible habit of taking their grievance out on next to kin. Monty: It’s me they’re after. So no need for the drama. Ben: Look, Monty, you must have some idea what this is about? Are these two blokes likely to get heavy if you’re not here? Monty: Where’s your bottle gone? Got soft in your middle age? Ada: You’ve got a nerve you have. You come back her after ten years and after a day or so you bring trouble and expect us to bail you out. Monty: Oh, dear, I seem to have stepped on a few feet since I came back here. Not to worry I’ll soon be gone. I’ll soon be out of your lives again. You get back to your boring safe lives. Winnie: Where you going, Monty? Monty: Best you don’t know, Mum. What you don’t know you can’t tell. Joe: We don’t want to know. We don’t want to know anymore about you than we have to. And the sooner you’ve gone the better. Monty: Thanks, Dad. I always knew I could count on you to be there for me. Ben: What is the problem with these blokes? You done some dodgy business with them? Monty :( Laughs.)No, Benny Boy, no dodgy business. Real business. Real world business. None of your backstreet deals with petty criminals. This is big stuff. Big rewards. Big problems occasionally. But it all comes with the game plan. One of the risks you have to take. Joe: You’re just a crook with a posh suit. Ada: I think it best you leave as soon as possible. Winnie: No, no, don’t go Monty. (Pause.)I can’t lose you again. Can’t have all that worry and sleepless nights again. Monty: I won’t be far away, Mum. Just need to lay low for a period of time until this blows over and I can get the situation sorted. Ben: Where you going, then? Out of London? Monty: I’ve got somewhere I can go for a while where I can arrange things in peace. Best you don’t know, Benny. (Pause. Silence for a few moments.)Go and look out side, Benny and see if there’s anyone watching the house. Ben: All right. What am I looking for? Monty: What do you think? Fairies? A bloody car with men watching the place of course. Look up the street and down. Take a walk round the block they might be around the corner. Ben: All right, all right, keep your hair on. I’ll have a good look. (Gets up from the armchair, walks upstage to the door, and goes out.) Joe: He shouldn’t have to do your dirty work for you. You ought to go your blooming self and look. Monty: Listen to him. My father the concerned man. The man who I knew I could always rely on. Joe: Why should we risk our lives for the likes of you? You’ve never been worth much. You’re worth even less now. Winnie: Joe! Don’t say such things about our son. Whatever he’s done, he’s still our son and our flesh and blood. Flesh and blood should always stick together no matter what. Ada: You ought not to have come here, Monty. Your parents don’t deserve this trouble and worry. Monty: When the going gets rough, it’s nice to know who’s with you and who isn’t. Makes you realize just who you can trust and who you can’t. Joe: If you were bloody honest with us maybe we’d be willing to stick our necks out a bit, but seeing you’re still the same lying bugger as you’ve always been there’s no point us doing so. Monty: When have you ever stuck your neck out for me? You’ve never ever stuck your neck out for me. You’ve always seen me as a kind of threat. Some kind of demon figure. Joe: You don’t know what I’ve done for you. You’ve no idea what I’ve done to keep you in one piece over the years. Monty: Where were you when I was in prison, then? Where were you when I came out and had nowhere to go and no one to help me out? Joe: You remember Jack Pondon inside? Monty: Yeah, what about him? Joe: He was your minder. He watched your back. He owed me so he did me that favour. Monty: You’re lying. Joe: No, I don’t lie about such things. And that Mrs Tush who Jack introduced you to for lodgings and contacts. She was doing me a favour too. Monty: Now I know you’re lying. You’re just saying that to make yourself important. Winnie: Not Molly Tush? Joe: Yeah, Molly Tush. Monty: You both know her? Winnie: Yes. We’ve known Molly for years. Ada: Not as neglected as you thought are you, Monty? Monty: You had Jack Pondon minding me? Joe: Yeah. I knew no one would touch you with Jack watching you. I wanted you in one piece for your mother’s sake. Monty :( Laughs softly to himself.)So I was wrong about you. You had me watched all the time. Molly Tush got me connected in Spain. Got me my passport and papers. Joe: Yeah. My suggestion. I wanted you out of the way for while. I didn’t want you hurting your mother anymore than you had. I thought you’d never come home. I thought you’d rot away out there. Winnie: You never said, Joe. You never said a word. Joe: No. No I didn’t. I didn’t want you to know about him. Ada: And so you came back? Why? Monty: Someone was double-crossing me over here. I had to sort it out. Joe: The murder? Monty: Yeah. Had to be done. Reputations have to be kept. One’s word has to mean something. Winnie: You killed a man? Monty: Yeah, sorry, Mum. Ada: How could you kill someone? Joe: I knew it was you. I just knew you were involved. Monty: You always were a know all. But I’ve got to hand it to you, Dad, you’re a bigger man that I gave you credit for. Jack Pondon paid you back well. My thanks. Winnie: Why, Monty? Why kill someone over business deals? Monty: Ask Dad. He knows why. Ada: You killed a man in cold blood? Monty: Yeah. One bullet in the head. No pain. All done. (Pause.)Now I’ve got to get back to Spain and the sunshine and business. Joe: The sooner the better. Ada: I don’t want Ben involved in any of this. Winnie: How could you, Monty? We never bought you up to kill people. Monty: Dad’ll tell you, Mum. Ask him about what needs doing. Joe: I think it’s best you left. Monty: Ask him, Mum. Ask him about what he knew and never told you. Joe: I want you out of here. (Rises up from the sofa.)Out of here right now. Monty :( Rises up and stands face to face with Joe.)What do you see when you look at me, eh, Dad? Do you see yourself at my age? Joe: I see nothing worth worrying over anymore. I see a mistake made the worse by prolonging it. Ada: Go Monty. Leave Mum and Dad to their peace. Monty :( Looks at Ada and smiles.)Benny Boy doesn’t know how lucky he is to have a girl like you beside him. I hope he’s worth you, Ada. I hope he’s worth your life. Remember what I said the other night. Joe: Get out! (Grabs Monty and they wrestle around the furniture for a short time until Ada stands between them.) Ada: Stop it, now! (Monty walks downstage. Joe sits down and breathes deeply. Winnie looks at Monty.)I love Ben, Monty. Monty: Shame. You and I would have made a good team.(Pause.)I’m going, Mum. I’ll write to you. (Looks at Winnie.)And when this blows over I’ll come and get you for a holiday in sunny Spain. Just you and me, Mum. Show you where I live. Let you see my villas. Winnie: But Monty how could you kill this man? Joe: Leave it Winnie. He’s not worth the trouble. Ada: Go Monty. (Pause. Ben enters the room. And walks to where Monty stands.) Monty: Well? Did you see anyone? Ben: No sign of anyone. I couldn’t see anyone sitting in any car. Monty: Right. I’m off. Winnie :( Gets up, goes to Monty, and puts her arms around him.)No, no, Monty. Don’t leave me again. I couldn’t bear not to see you again. Monty: Won’t be for long, Mum. I’ll be back for you in a short while. Ada :( Goes to Ada and pulls her off of Monty.)Let him go, Mum. If he stays, there’ll be trouble. He’s got to go. Winnie: Monty, I want you to come back this time. Promise me you will. Monty: I promise, Mum. Before you can count say Jack Pondon I’ll be back. (Kisses Winnie. Looks around at the others.)Thanks Dad for what you did even if it was for Mum and not for me. Joe: What’s done is done, now go. Ben: You’d best go. Monty :( Nods. Moves upstage with Ben beside him.) Take care of Mum, Ada. Joe: Just go. Winnie: Monty you will come back won’t you? Monty: Yeah, I’ll be back. Ben: I’ll walk you to your car up the road. Ada: Be careful, Ben. Monty: Aren’t you going to see me off, Ada? Joe: Just go for Christ’s sake. Winnie: Write to me. Monty. Monty :( Moves up to the door and looks back at the others.)See you sometime as the chorus girl said to the bishop. (They go out and the door closes behind them.) Winnie: What if them men are waiting for him, Joe? Joe: He has to take his chances like all of us. Risky business being alive. Ada: What about Ben? Joe: Benny Boy’ll be all right. He’s got you. He’s got all he needs. Winnie: And Monty? What about Monty, Joe? Joe: He’ll be all right. He’s my son, God damn him. (Silence. One by one starting with Joe, they leave the room. The room darkens.) End of Act Two and Scene Four.
Copyright © 2005 Terry Collett |