Rain lashed against the windowpanes, blurring the city lights. A single candle flickered on the mahogany desk, casting long shadows. A crumpled note lay upon the antique parchment, attracting her gaze. The words, scrawled in hurried handwriting, sent a shiver down her spine. He screamed her name, filled with a terror she'd never heard before. His face, contorted in pain, was a haunting tableau frozen in time. Beneath him, a pool of crimson spread, staining the once-pristine carpet. The air hung heavy with the metallic scent of death, suffocatingly thick. She knew, with chilling certainty, this was no ordinary crime scene. A murderer walked among them, hidden in plain sight, waiting.