Character List
Mr. George Smith:
Fifty year old professor.
Mrs. Emily Smith:
Wife to Mr. Smith
Lola Lovelace:
Young and beautiful. Mistress to Mr. Sith
Jeffrey Stout:
Butler and long term friend of Mr. Stout. He has worked in the house for years.
Martha Stout:
Wife to Jeffrey, works as a maid in the Smith home.
Detective wallace Walters:
Smart detective with somewhat strange methods.
Sheriff Dawson:
Police officer who always seems to get in the way of investigations.
 

Act 1
Scene 1
Setting:
The play takes place in a large mansion belonging to the Smith family. The majority of the play takes place in the large living area. Near the back of the room is a balcony with two staircases leading to the top. (a Backdrop will work best for this set) The room is elegantly furnished, and it is very obvious that the Smith family is a wealthy family.
At Rise:
The stage is set to the living room, and only a moment after the curtains rise, a crack of lightning sounds, and the stage goes black. The audience hears Mr. Smith run onto the stage in the darkness.
Mr. Smith
(Screaming)
No! Not you!
(the audience hears Mr. Smith grunting and struggling against his attacker, until Mr. Smith falls to the ground. There is a brief silence, and the lights slowly turn on. Mr. Smith’s body is laying motionless center stage with rope wrapped around his neck.)
    
     Martha Stout
   (Enters from down stage right, screams, and faints at the sight of the body)
     Jeffrey Stout
   (Frantically enters from upstage left)
Martha? Martha where are you?
   (Jeffrey sees Matha and Mr. Smith on the ground, and rushes to his wife. He then grabs her and shakes her awake)
     Martha Stout
   (Stuttering)
Mmmaaa-Mmaa- Mr. Smith is...Mr. Smith i..i..i.. He’s just..
     Jeffrey Stout
   (Interrupting)
I’m going to call 911. You stay here with Mr. Smith.
   (Jeffrey exits)
     Martha Stout
   (Crying)
Oh Mr. Smith. How could this happen to you.
   (Martha moves closer to the body and checks for pulse.)
     Mrs. Smith
   (Crying as the enters from upstage left)
Martha! Oh Martha! Jeffrey just told me! My poor husband! Oh How could this happen to you?
(Sits next to Martha and cries into her shoulder.)
How could this be. My loving husband. Oh he’s gone. He’s gone.
     Martha Stout
I don’t know Ma’am. He was such a good man. I can’t imagine why someone would do this to him. Oh you poor girl. Why don’t we go to the kitchen and get you some tea.
   (Mrs. Stout stands up and beckens Mrs. Smith into the kitchen. The two exit together down stage left)
       (the stage fades to black)
        (End of Scene)
Scene 2
Setting:
The Smith’s kitchen
At Rise:
The stage is lit with a warm yellow glow. Center stage is a small table with three chairs, and down stage right is a door. Martha and Mrs. Smith are already seated at the table with cups of tea.
     Martha Stout
Are you feeling a little bit better Ma’am? I understand this is hard, but the police will be here soon, and they’ll want to talk with us.
     Mrs. Smith
I don’t want to talk.
     Martha Stout
I understand. I’ll try my best to have the police let you be.
   (Two men appear behind door and knock. Martha moves to let them in)
Hello?
     Sheriff Dawson
   (walking through door.)
Hello Ma’am I’m Scheriff Dawson, and this is my colleague detective Wallace Walters. With whom do we have the pleasure speaking?
     Martha Stout
I’m Martha, and this is Mrs. Smith
     Sheriff Dawson
Alright ma’am thank you very much, I think I’ll just ask some questions in here, and Mr. Walters will investigate the body.
     Martha Stout
Oh. Um Mr. Smith is just through that door. My husband should be there.
     Detective Wallace Walters
   (While Exiting)
Thank you.
     Sheriff Dawson
   (sitting down on the table and turning to Mrs. Smith)
Alright Ma’am, why’d you do it?
     Mrs. Smith
Pardon me?
     Sheriff Dawson
Why’d you kill your husband? Was it for money? Was it jealousy? Why’d you do it?
     Martha Stout
You sir need to leave. She just lost her husband, and you’re acting like a jerk.
   (Martha rushes the sheriff out the door and slams it in his face)
     Mrs. Smith
Thank you Martha. It means a lot to have a friend like you.
     Martha Stout
Don’t worry about it ma’am. But maybe we should keep an eye on that detective to make sure that he’s not as awful as that sheriff.
     Mrs. Smith
Good idea.
   (the pair exit stage right)
        (stage fades to black)
        (End of Scene)
Scene 3
Setting:
The living room (same as scene 1)
At Rise:
Detective Wallace Walters is laying on his stomach next to Mr. Smith Examining the body. Nearby Mr. Stout is observing and answering questions. Martha and Mrs. Smith walk into the room together
     Detective Wallace Walters
   (mumbling)
Hmm...interesting. Yes, yess, good good! Mr. Stout, has Mr. Smith taken any meals recently.
     Jeffrey Stout
I haven’t served him any. Perhaps he had something to eat in his bedroom or maybe...
     Detective Wallace Walters
   (interrupting)
It’s fine it’s fine. Show me his quarters please so I can investigate.
     Jeffrey Stout
Of course. Just this way, follow me.
   (The pair exists upstage left)
     Mrs. Smith
That was rather strange. Martha do you think...
   (Mrs. Smith is interrupted by a woman screaming, and the two men come running into the room)
     Detective Wallace Walters
   (While running)
Very sorry ma’am. I didn’t think anyone would be in there. My apologies.
     Lola Lovelace
   (Running into the room in a bathrobe)
You better be sorry! Somebody better be dead!
   (Lola catches sight of Mr. Smith)
Oh! Oh my gosh! George! Georgie! Oh George! How could this happen.
   (Lola breaks down crying)
     Mrs. Smith
Lola, I didn’t realize you were here. I’m sorry you had to find out this way.
     Lola Lovelace
   (angrily)
You! You did this! You killed George because you were jealous he loved me more.
     Mrs. Smith
Oh get over yourself. You’re just the newest toy. I would never kill my husband! I love him!
     Detective Wallace walters
   (Stepping between the two women to separate them.)
Ladies, Ladies break it up or I’m calling the Police!
     Martha Stout
You are the Police!
     Detective Wallace Walters
Oh Yes. I forgot. Um. Well. Let’s get on with this investigation. I need to pull you all aside for questioning. Mrs. Smith, May I speak with you first?
     Mrs. Smith
Yes, of course.
   (all other characters exist upstage right)
     Detective Wallace Walters
So Mrs. Smith, How long have you and Mr. Smith had marital issues?
     Mrs. Smith
Probably since before we were even married. We were constantly fighting and arguing. Everything was an argument. I wanted children, he didn’t. I wanted to live in the city, so he bought a house in the middle of nowhere. I wanted to save money, and he wanted to gamble it all away.
     Detective Wallace Walters
Did Mr. Smith have any enemies?
     Mrs. Smith
Surprisingly not. He always paid his debts, he was a good man. Even I can’t be angry with him for anything that he had done.
     Detective Wallace Walters
And How long has he had a relationship with miss Lola?
     Mrs. Smith
About two months.
     Detective Wallace Walters
And how long was Miss Lola here today?
     Mrs. Smith
In all honesty, I have no idea. I try my best to ignore her coming and going in the house. She could have been here since yesterday for all I know.
     Detective Wallace Walters
How long have you been here today?
  
     Mrs. Smith
I haven’t left the house all day. I’ve been in my study working on my next novel. I haven’t left that study in almost a week actually. I’ve been taking all of my meals in there as well.
     Detective Wallace Walters
That’s all I have for now. Could you please send in Miss Lola when you leave.
     Mrs. Smith
Yes of course.
   (Mrs. smith exits stage upstage left and Lola enters.)
     Lola Lovelace
Hello Mr. Detective.
     Detective Wallace Walters
Hello Miss Lola. My apologies for our meeting earlier. I did not mean to disturb you
     Lola Lovelace
Oh no Mr. Detective. It’s alright you were just doing your job
     Detective Wallace Walters
Alright well is it okay if I ask you a few questions?
     Lola Lovelace
Yes of course. Anything you need

     Detective Wallace Walters
Ok So to begin with, how did you meet Mr. Smith?
     Lola Lovelace
He was my chemistry professor. I stayed after class a lot for tutoring sessions and well, the rest is history.
     Detective Wallace Walters
And did you know that he was married?
     Lola Lovelace
Yes, but it didn’t seem to bother him too much. He was having a lot of trouble with his wife. She’s a bit crazy. She’d throw glasses and plate when they fought. Once he even showed up to class with a black eye.
     Detective Wallace Walters
What time did you arrive here today?
     Lola Lovelace
Maybe around five. We ate dinner in George’s bedroom, and then I fell asleep until you waltzed into the room a few moments ago.
     Detective Wallace Walters
And you ate the same food Mr. Smith ate?
     Lola Lovelace
Of course I did! I made it myself. I’m quite the chef.
     Detective Wallace Walters
Do you know if anyone would have benefit from Mr. Smith’s death?
     Lola Lovelace
Obviously his wife would. He had a million dollar insurance policy, and everything in the will would be left to her.
     Detective Wallace Walters
Thank you Miss Lovelace. Will you be able to send in the Stouts when you leave?
     Lola Lovelace
Of course, Mr. Detective.
   (Lola Exits upstage left and both Jeffrey and Martha Stout enter)
     Detective Wallace Walters
Hello Mr. and Mrs. Stout. I have a few questions for you.
     Martha Stout
Anything you need sir
     Detective Wallace Walters
How close were the two of you with the Smith family?
     Jeffrey Stout
I’ve known George my whole life. We grew up here together. My father worked for his father and we played together as kids.
     Martha Stout
And I’ve known Emily since she and George started dating. She’s a wonderful woman, and would never do anything wrong. She simply adored her husband even though he was always cheating and gambling. Emmy stood by him, she saw a good man behind all of that.
     Detective Wallace Walters
And did Mrs. Smith know about her husband’s insurance policy?
     Jeffrey Stout
George never told me if she did. I don’t think so.
     Martha Stout
If she knew, she didn’t tell me. She was more worried about writing her latest novel than any insurance policy her husband took out.
     Detective Wallace Walters
Martha where were you around six o’clock today
     Martha Stout
I was with Emmy. She was reading me her newest chapter, and I was helping her with a bit of writer’s block.
     Detective Wallace Walters
Did either of you serve any food to Mr. Smith today?
     Martha Stout
I usually do the cooking around here, but I didn’t do much today. I made breakfast, but most of my time was spent with Emily today. I saw Lola in the kitchen though.
     Jeffrey Stout
I haven’t served much food today wither. I was here for breakfast, but I spent most of the day in town grocery shopping. I had only just finished putting the food away when I heard Martha scream.
     Detective Wallace Walters
Speaking of that. Martha, did you see or hear anything when you found the body?
     Martha Stout
No sir. I never heard anything. After I listened to Emily’s chapter, I went to clean the bathrooms. When I walked out, I found George on the floor.
     Detective Wallace Walters
Thank you for answering my questions. Could you please bring Miss Lola and Mrs. Smith back into the room? I think I know exactly what happened.
   (Martha exit upstage left)
         (End of Scene)
         (End of Act 1)
Act 2
Scene 1
Setting:
Living room.
At Rise:
Detective Wallace Walters is pacing back and forth throughout the living room. Jeffrey, Martha, Lola, and Mrs. Smith are lined up shoulder to shoulder.
    
     Detective Wallace Walters
You all are a smart bunch. And this murder was a plot written for the books. A loving wife, a jealous mistress, and two devoted workers. But this isn’t just one Murder, it’s two. Or at least one attempt and one murder. When I first arrived, I immediately thought that Mr. Smith had been strangled to death, the rope an obvious clue. However, through examination of the body, I found that he was actually poisoned! Now I will begin with the attempted murder, a scheme created by a wealthy man, and his wife. Mr. Smith has a gambling problem, and everyone knows it, but what most of you don’t know is that his debts finally caught up with them. He couldn’t pay what he owed, and his wife came up with an amazing plan.
     Mrs. Smith
I did nothing of the sort.
     Detective Wallace Walters
Oh don’t lie. Why don’t you tell everyone about what you and your husband did to pay his debts.
     Mrs. Smith
We faked his death for the insurance money. I strangled him, and we were going to pin the blame on Lola. He was only supposed to fake his death, and go into hiding, then we’d move away once we could.

     Detective Wallace Walters
But Lola found out didn’t she?

     Lola Lovelace
I knew nothing! How could you accuse me of anything! Obviously Mrs. Smith wanted all of the money, and she actually murdered her husband.
     Detective Wallace Walters
Are you so sure Lola? Because I think you knew about the plan. I think you wanted to put a stop to their plan and you put a little something into the food you cooked for him.
     Lola Lovelace
I never put anything into his food! I’m being framed!
     Martha Stout
Actually, I may know what happened.
     Detective Wallace Walters
What?
     Martha Stout
I never meant to hurt George. Just Lola. Her presence hurts Emily so. I just put a little bit of poison into the food so she would no longer be a problem. Then he and Emily would be happy again.
    
Jeffrey Stout
Oh Martha what have you done!
     Martha Stout
I’m so sorry. I just wanted to help. You haven’t been truly happy in so long, and George is always hurting you with his gambling and cheating.

     Detective Wallace Walters
Well that was an unexpected turn of events. I guess you and Mrs. Smith are coming with me. Lola and Jeffrey, you’re free to go. Martha, Emily, you two are going to jail for  long time.
   (The detective handcuffs Mrs. Smith and Martha. The three exit downstage right, and Lola and Jeffrey are left onstage as the lights fade black.)
(End of Scene)
End Of Act 2