Убийство на улице Морг

           “Letusnowtransportourselves,infancy,tothischamber.Whatshallwefirstseekhere?Themeansofegressemployedbythemurderers.Itisnottoomuchtosaythatneitherofusbelieveinpraeternaturalevents.MadameandMademoiselleL’Espanayewerenotdestroyedbyspirits.Thedoersofthedeedwerematerial,andescapedmaterially.Thenhow?Fortunately,thereisbutonemodeofreasoninguponthepoint,andthatmodemustleadustoadefinitedecision.—Letusexamine,eachbyeach,thepossiblemeansofegress.ItisclearthattheassassinswereintheroomwhereMademoiselleL’Espanayewasfound,oratleastintheroomadjoining,whenthepartyascendedthestairs.Itisthenonlyfromthesetwoapartmentsthatwehavetoseekissues.Thepolicehavelaidbarethefloors,theceilings,andthemasonryofthewalls,ineverydirection.Nosecretissuescouldhaveescapedtheirvigilance.But,nottrustingtotheireyes,Iexaminedwithmyown.Therewere,then,nosecretissues.Bothdoorsleadingfromtheroomsintothepassageweresecurelylocked,withthekeysinside.Letusturntothechimneys.These,althoughofordinarywidthforsomeeightortenfeetabovethehearths,willnotadmit,throughouttheirextent,thebodyofalargecat.Theimpossibilityofegress,bymeansalreadystated,beingthusabsolute,wearereducedtothewindows.Throughthoseofthefrontroomnoonecouldhaveescapedwithoutnoticefromthecrowdinthestreet.Themurderersmusthavepassed,then,throughthoseofthebackroom.