Dark clouds loomed, foreboding rain, over the mansion's eerie silhouette outside. Inside, candlelight flickered, casting ominous shadows on ancient, peeling wallpaper. A scream shattered midnight's silence, echoing through countless, empty corridors. Venerable portraits watched, silent witnesses, their glassy eyes seeming judgmental. Family, friends, and staff gathered, each a suspect, caught in tragedy. Detective Holmes arrived, hat in hand, observing, assessing the disturbed scene. His keen eyes missed nothing, noting every subtle, incriminating detail present. Tension hung thick, everyone's breath visible in the chilling, stagnant air. A body lay sprawled, lifeless, in the dimly lit, grand foyer area. Blood, a stark, sinister contrast, marred the pristine, white marble floor.