Montresor's Undoing, By:Stanley Suter

1st Option

          The man called me into a room as two guards followed close behind me. I was brought into the station because they had found new evidence on the death of Fortunato. I don't even know why they brought me in, there's no way they can catch me now. 

          After carnival, Fortunato's wife started to get worried. She no longer believed that he had gotten drunk and lost when he didn't come in for the night. The story had given me a chance to cover up what would have been detected. I unclipped him from the ground, where he died of dehydration. So as not to be suspected, I moved him, setting the bottles of wine on his lap deep within the catacombs. The police, if they found the body, which they did, would have thought he got lost and couldn't survive without water.

          "Sit" the man said. 
          
          "I'm officer Berkley, and we've recently visited the site of the murder of your dear friend Mr.Fortunato." 
        
          "Murder? How dare you accuse me of such a thing?" I said. "You have no proof!"

          "But on the contrary!" He accused. "We know your motive, the reason you would want him dead."

           It's true. I once had a wife and son. While they where with me I was the happiest a man could be. You know, Fortunato's drinking problems where not from birth. He owned a trading business, the one that brought his family such a noble name. On account of the approaching winter, my family and I where to go on a trip to Italy, as a way to get away from the cold as well as view the varieties of wine. My wife and son had boarded the ship, a small barge, and I was to steer the ship with supplies and the rest of the Wardrobe. Thats when Fortunato came into the bay. 

          "See, the job is all about training." Berkley explained."It isn't about being able to see, it's what to look for."

          "In the long run, you really think that if I did it, you could catch me?" said Montresor.

          "I didn't need to, you told me." Berkley said.

          It was a mistake to have thought we could leave without the march fleet, especially not while merchants felt safe enough to cross the sea's unharmed. Fortunato, the fool. He incautiously allowed himself to be trailed by two pirate slave ships. They easily took over his ship, and kept him hostage. I yelled at they top of my lungs, "TURN AROUND! PIRATES!", but this was in vain for the ship had caught fire. As the Pirates unloaded to the docks, they raided our town, pillaging, abusing, and killing, everyone or thing in sight. Fortunato's wife was killed in the raid, but this was no excuse for what he had done to me.

          "When you think about it, it was quite simple really." Berkley said. "Draw him in with an object, bring him to his grave, and get your satisfaction."

          "So where was I wrong?" Questioned Montresor as the men behind him handcuffed and pulled him back.

          "The Amontillado" Berkley said. "Fortunato died with it in his arms. Another thing that tipped us off where the holes in the ground, with the staples next to them" 

          "The marks on his arms?" Montresor said.

          "You bet-cha" said Berkley. "Even a man of Fortunato's stature couldn't get his hands on a bottle of finely aged Amontillado, so we knew it had to be you. When we put the pieces together under your name, it all made sense"

          "And I would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for you meddling full grown, certified police officers!" Exclaimed Montresor.