Dimly lit streets, Julian entered 304 Minna Lane, investigator badge in hand. Silence bordered the Victorian mansion, obscured by decaying ivy. He climbed the creaking porcelain staircase leading to the second floor. In the gilded sitting room, he discovered the body: Chairman Theodore, dressed in silk, clutching a note. His blood smeared the rich red carpet, a shattered decanter beside him. An empty cocktail glass nearby, whiskey lost in the spill. An impeccably tailored suit, ripped collar, caught between stiff fingers. The door slightly ajar, signature whiskey untouched, offering secrets yet to be revealed.