The old mansion loomed ominously against the stormy sky, its windows dark and shuttered against the howling wind outside. Detective Sarah Morgan pulled her coat tighter as she approached the front door, her breath visible in the chilly air. She rang the doorbell, hearing its echoes reverberate through the vast, empty halls of the once-grand Victorian house. Moments passed before the door creaked open, revealing a pale-faced butler who seemed more ghost than living person. "I'm here about the murder," Sarah stated flatly, flashing her badge at the man's sunken, haunted eyes. The butler nodded silently and stepped aside, allowing the detective to enter the dimly lit, musty-smelling foyer. As Sarah crossed the threshold, she felt an immediate sense of unease, as if the house itself harbored dark secrets. "The body is in the study," the butler whispered, his voice barely audible above the wind's mournful wail outside. Sarah followed him down a long hallway, her footsteps muffled by the thick carpet that had seen better days. At the end of the corridor, a door stood ajar, spilling a thin sliver of light into the gloomy passage.