The Locked Room Peter Viney The Locked Room 1 Where am 2 Wren’ 1 don't know: fm in beautiful room in an old house. There's bed, an expensive chai, anda beatiful table. leant see anything rom the window, only a green field. The sun i shining on the field. I can hear musi ‘qulet musi. I's Me ‘Why am There T don't know. My head is hurting. I can't open the oor, and T cant open the window. Tm wearing grey trousers and a grey shirt, Tm not wearing any shoes, Tm hungry and Tm thirsty. There isn't any food inthe oom. There isa drink ether. There's paper onthe table. There isn't anything onthe paper. Who am 2 and some Teant remember. cant remember my name. [can't remember anything. My head hurts alot. fm very ied Tm going to sleepTes morning. 'm on the bed. Tm wearing the grey clothes. tm very hungry and very thirsty. Tcan hear music again, ifs the Mozart again, My head doesn't hurt now, but T cant remember my name. 1 can remember anything. I can ear someone. ‘There's ‘someone outside the room. The doors opening He's in the room. He's wearing black trousers and a black shirt. dont know him, Man Hello. How's your head? Me Myhead? Its OK. It doesn't hurt now. ‘Man Good. ‘Me — Wheream I? ‘Man You don't know? Me No, ‘Man Are you thirsty? ‘Me Yes, I'm hungry and thirsty, Man Drink this. e's gota lass in his hand. Xda from the glass Tm very tre again. going to sleep What time i i My hea’s hurting again. fi on the bed, and the room is dark. I cant hear music now. Fi going to turn ‘on the igh Now Lean see. There's glass onthe table. fm thirsty again. Tm going to drink fom the glass... Slep! Fm song to st‘Man Wake up! Me Wha? My head Man Ti going to ask you some questions. Who are you? Me Idon't know. ‘Man What's your mame? Me — [don't know. ‘Man Ti going to ask you again. What's your name? ‘Me —Icattell you. don't know, ‘Man Where are you rom? Me — [don't know Man Drink’ Me No,!ean, there's Man You are going to drink it. Do you understand? “There's a gun in his hand. I drink ffom the glass The room is dark. 2 Questions ‘m awake again. I's quiet outside, The sun is shining ‘outside the window. There's food and water on the lable. Fm not tired now, and my head's OK. Someone's coming. The door opens. 1° the man in black clothes. Man Do you want total now? Me What about?Man OK, who are you? Me Whoareyou? Man I'm asking the questions, Why are you here? Me You tell me ‘Then he its me. He hits me across the face, ‘Man Were going to start again, Who ae you? Me Lean'tremember. Don't hit me But he does. Then he opens the door, and he goes ‘There's a bump on the back of my head. It doesnt hurt now, but my face hurts. A bump... Tean remember something can remember. Fm in afd. fm bing under a {ree ve got some binoculars in my hand. fm watching 2 house. sa beautiful ol house, Then theres a noise behind me. R's a man with 2 dog, ‘big dog. The man's holding a gun Then the ‘man's iting me. He's iting me onthe head with the gun. Then everythings gong dark. Ive got 2 ‘bump on my head now, Why? Why am I in that field? Who am I Am I a policeman? Am Ia spy? And who isthe man? Is he a policeman? Is he a spy? Or is he a eriminal? 1 don't know. But now I ean remember something. Tomorrow, Tomorrow I going o remember some more.3 No more time ie next day. The man with blak cathe en the room agai | Man il how are you ty? Me 1m0K yu remenser anything? Me Yesalile. Man Who are you working for? Me [dontknow Man Why ar you watching us? ‘Me Idont now. Who are you? Tell me. Then inaybeTean remember Man Very clever: ean tell you anything. He goes out, remember again... fm watching the house ts evening. Im wearing a blue coat. There are lights in the house. Aca’s gong to the house. tsa vite Jaguar. watching careful can see {wo people. They've got a box. Then .. then there's the noise bend me and the bump onthe Ws dark, Lean hear voices outside the room, 10 nWoman Wel ishe going to talk? ‘Man Maybe. He cant remember anything, Decauseof the bump on his head Woman What about the drinks? Man No, The drinks arent helping us. Woman OK Two days more. Then... that's, We havent got any more ime. How much does the know? Thats the important thing 4 Out of the locked room hear a key. Theyre putting a key into the lock ‘They're turning the key. Theyre locking the door ‘They/re walking away. But the key is in the lock! Two days more... and that's if What are they going todo? 1 ‘an stay here, The keys in the lock. Tve got some paper from the table, Now «put the paper on the floor: Push the paper under the door. The paper's under the door. Now tke the pen. Push the pen into the lock. Yes, there's the ke. It i in the lock. Push the Key with the pen, Yes! The key is fling fem the lock! sit on the paper? I dont know. Pull the paper ‘under the door, Pull it slowly and eareflly. Very slowly and very carefully. I's coming under the door, and there's the Key If onthe paper! Ive got the key. T ean ‘open the door. It's quit outside. I'm opening the door very quietly and carefull. There's a corridor. I's empty: 2 18Tm going out. Now, Tm going to lock the door again and take the key. 1m walking along the corridor. I's beautiful house. 1 ‘can hear the music again, the Mozart. There are alt of ‘doors. AL the end [can see stars [can hear people downstairs I cant go down I open some doors. There are bedrooms. I open four or five doors, then I open another door. The room is ull of paintings! Famous paintings, Picessos, Rembrandts, Van Goghs. They're ‘beautiful. Theyre on the flor. There are milions of ‘pounds in this room! Milions! I lok ata Picasso, I's ‘the famous stolen Pieaso from the London Art Gallery. ‘Who are they? They're art thiewes. But who am I? T close the door. How can I et out of this house? ‘They have got guns. remember! One of the bedrooms! ‘There's telephone. I can telephone the police. 1 walk ‘aickly along the corridor and open the door. The telephone is next to the bed, The number is on the telephone, Bradstreet 35972. 1 take the telephone carefully 999. Tm waiting. Operator Police, ire or ambulance? Me Police... quickly Police Police. What's your number? Me Bradstreet 35972... Quickiy! Tia prisoner haere. Ieant get out The house i full of stolen paintings. Come quickly! Police What's yourname? Me Come quickly. This Bradstreet 35972 ean “‘Then I hear people in the corridor. 1 pat down the phone. Ian hear them outside the locked room, Woman Well, open the door then. ‘Man I cant find the key Woman Come on Man Tean'tfind it, Woman There's another key in the kitchen, Getit. Man Right 5 Who am Fri mints later 1 cam hea hin agin He ‘coming with the key. He's opening the door, Man What? He ist here! Where... but the ddoor's locked, ‘Woman Find him... and take your gun. And this time, finish him. Do you understand? Man OK, Tm going Tan hear him. He's opening doors. Are the police going {o come or noi? He's in the next room. Then I heat them! Police ears, alot of police cars. They're outside the house. Woman 1s the police! What do they want? Don't take the gun with you! 6‘They're going downstairs can hear voices. Woman Good evening, Inspector, What ean [do for you? Inspector We want to look round the house, We're looking for some paintings, Woman But there's nothing here. Nothing. Inspector We ean look, then Woman But why? Inspector A telephone call A telephone call bout some paintings. Woman Who from? Inspector We don't know. Woman You don't know? Wel. Me Fromme, Inspector. The paintings are up here. ean show you Follow me Ts ten minutes later The man and the woman are in the police cars Inspector You can't remember me! ‘Me Tat remember my name. Fale... Eddie wha Inspector Fildie Hampton. What are you doing here, Eadie? 18tll hm, Ie him about the field and the binoculars. 1 tell him about the bump on my head, and the room. ell Jhim about the paper and the key. He's laughing at me. Me OK,Iim die Hampton. But who's Edie Hampton? He's laughing again Me You know me. Am Ia policeman? Inspector No, Ede, you aren‘ a policeman, Me Then whoam 2 And what am doing here? Inspector I don't know, but [can el you something. Me What? Inspector Ede Hampton's a criminal... thie Not big thie Those two people are big ‘hives, with their famous paintings. No, you're a smal thie, ide. You steal fom houses, Televisions rads, videos, hs a lithe money sometimes. You're a sl hil , Butthank you for your help. The end