Max's attempt to retrieve the report from Ausable ultimately leads to his own demise. What critical piece of information, entirely fabricated by Ausable, did Max fail to verify, leading to his fatal error?
Options
The authenticity of the report on new missiles.
The identity of the person knocking at the door.
The existence of a balcony attached to Ausable's room.
Ausable's claim that the police were involved.
Explanation
Max's fatal error was his failure to verify the existence of the balcony, a detail completely invented by Ausable. Ausable's elaborate story about the balcony being a common access point for the hotel staff and even a previous intruder was so convincing that Max believed it. When he heard the knock and believed it to be the police (another fabricated detail by Ausable), he jumped out of the window expecting to land on a balcony, only to fall to his death. While the police story created urgency, it was the belief in the balcony that directly caused his specific, fatal action. The authenticity of the report and the identity of the person knocking were not the direct causes of his fall.