Lightning flickered above the old, desolate Victorian manor house. From inside, a scream shattered the eerie, oppressive night silence. The door flew open; a figure stumbled out, breathless. “He's dead!” she screamed, terror etched across her pale face. Guests inside dropped their glasses, their laughter turning to horror. A man lay in the study, cold and definitely lifeless. Blood stained the rich mahogany desk and soaked antique papers. "Murder," the detective declared, examining the chaotic, grim crime scene. Tonight, secrets would unravel, masked by the thunderstorm's relentless wrath.