START. Sidney: _(He stands watching for...

START. Sidney: (He stands watching for a moment, and then he closes the door and turns. He comes slowly into the study and stands looking at Clifford’s side of the desk; picks up something on it, examines it, puts it down; drums on the desktop; frowns. He gets his keys out, chooses the likely one, and tries it; it won’t go in. He chooses another and tries again, more carefully; same result. He pockets the keys, frowning--and then smiles. Going up around the desk, he takes a key from a drawer on his side and continues down and around to Clifford’s side. He puts the key in; it won’t turn.) Shit. (He tries again, without luck. Taking the key out, he goes back to his side and replaces it; thinks a second and moves U. to the wall of weapons. He takes down a flat-beaded stiletto; back to the desk. Sitting in Clifford’s chair, he sets to work with the stiletto; inserts it above the drawer and pokes and levers.) Come on, you bastard.

[... … …]

END. Clifford: (Rolling a sheet of paper into his typewriter) We’ll bring in a detective, of course--the fifth character. I was thinking of a Connecticut version of the one in Dial “M”.

Sidney: Inspector Hubbard.

Clifford: Yeh. And Inga Van Bronk ought to come in again. A good comic character like that, it would be foolish not to make the most of her.

Sidney: You go on drafting Act One. Let me do a little thinking about Act Two… (Clifford smiles at him, glances at his finished page, and begins typing. Sidney smiles at him, glances at his finished page, and begins typing. Sidney looks sorrowfully at him for a moment, then picks up his beer, leans back in his chair, and thinks, thinks, thinks as the lights fade to darkness.)

Levin, Ira, Deathtrap, Dramatists Play Service, 1978, pp. 46-55.