The clock struck midnight, and the old mansion echoed with an unsettling silence that crept through its dimly lit halls. Rain battered the windows, casting watery shadows over the grand staircase lined with portraits of grim-faced ancestors. Detective Claire Morgan stepped inside, her boots leaving wet prints on the ancient hardwood floor that creaked as she moved. A crystal chandelier hung precariously above, swaying, casting shimmering reflections that danced like ghostly apparitions across the room.