On an early October morning, Psyekoff, the right hand-man to Lieutenant Marcus Ivanovitch Klausoff, informs the inspector of police that he suspects Klausoff has been murdered. Immediately, the inspector and his team head to Klausoff’s home to investigate the matter. After examining the outside of the house, the inspector sends word to the magistrate, asking him to come investigate the case. When the magistrate and his assistant arrive, they check Klausoff's room, only to find that he is not in there. His door is locked, but his window is clearly open. As the magistrate and his assistant look for and find clues, the assistant begins to piece together a story explaining what happened. Based on the evidence, he believes Klausoff was strangled, taken out through the window, hit on the head, and then disposed of somewhere. He also believes three people were involved in the murder. The magistrate is not convinced of that particular theory, but he begins questioning Klausoff’s staff. Soon, he and his assistant believe they find two of the three people involved. One of the clues, a safety match found in Klausoff’s room, the assistant believes will lead them to the third murderer.

Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a Russian writer best known for his plays and short stories. During his life-time, he wrote hundreds of short stories, which utilize simple prose and limited literary techniques to get to the heart of the characters.