The neighbor heard the scream and called the police on (541:3). This made him admit his crime to the police from nervousness. If the neighbors had not been there, the police would not have come. The narrator would’ve gotten off with a clean slate, and nobody would ever find out about the murder. A third important element is man-made geography. The house had floor boards that were easy to take out, making it easy for the narrator to hide his murder on (541:2). Also, on (541:3), the police walked around the house in search of anything suspicious, but find nothing because the floor boards easily fit back in place. This is considered man-made geography because the house was built by men. Without man-made geography, the narrator would have additional trouble hiding his murder. A fourth and final element of setting is elapsed time. On (538:1), the narrator takes an hour to stick his head through the door, which is important, not because it took an hour, but it was a step in the process of the murder. Also, on (538:3) it says “A watch’s minute hand moves more quickly than did mine.” This means he was extra cautious on sneaking in the man’s room. A final example is on (539:1). It says that he stood still for an hour, not moving a muscle. All of the elapsed time is important because the narrators caution is the reason for his success in murdering the old