▁the ▁crime ▁arose ▁sole ly ▁because ▁of ▁an ▁autom obile ▁accident ▁— ▁a ▁completely ▁random ▁tw ist ▁of ▁fate ▁that ▁had ▁nothing ▁to ▁do ▁with ▁either ▁how ▁clever ly ▁the ▁perpet r ator ▁committed ▁the ▁crime ▁or ▁any ▁lack ▁of ▁compet ence ▁on ▁the ▁part ▁of ▁Matth ä i ▁as ▁an ▁investig ator . ▁ ▁In ▁fact , ▁Dr . ▁H . ▁describes ▁Matth ä i ▁as ▁having ▁been ▁an ▁investig ative ▁genius ▁at ▁a ▁level ▁un match ed ▁even ▁by ▁fict ional ▁detect ives . ▁According ▁to ▁Dr . ▁H ., ▁the ▁sad ▁story ▁of ▁Matth ä i ▁demonstr ates ▁that ▁contrary ▁to ▁the ▁mathematical ▁precision ▁usually ▁presented ▁in ▁a ▁detect ive ▁novel , ▁the ▁outcome ▁of ▁true ▁police ▁detect ive ▁work ▁finds ▁itself ▁far ▁more ▁subject ▁to ▁random ▁chance , ▁coinc idence ▁and ▁events ▁entirely ▁outside ▁of ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁either ▁the ▁criminal ▁or ▁the ▁investig ator . ▁ ▁Ed itions ▁in ▁English ▁▁ ▁The ▁P ledge ▁London : ▁Jonathan ▁Cape , ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁ ▁The ▁P ledge ▁New ▁York : ▁Alfred ▁A . ▁Kn opf , ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁ ▁The ▁P ledge ▁New ▁York : ▁New ▁American ▁Library , ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁ ▁The ▁P ledge ▁Harm ond sw orth ▁( UK ): ▁P engu in , ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁ ▁The ▁P ledge ▁New ▁York : ▁Ber keley , ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁ ▁The ▁P ledge ▁translated ▁by ▁Jo el ▁Age e . ▁Chicago : ▁The ▁University