The clock struck midnight as the grand manor loomed ominously, shadows dancing across its centuries-old, ivy-covered walls. Candles flickered in the drawing room, casting eerie shapes that seemed to whisper secrets from a haunting past. Rain tapped insistently against windows, an urgent rhythm mirroring the tension that hung in every opulent corner. A distant thud echoed through corridors, sending shivers down the spines of those gathered under the chandelier’s cold light. Lady Amelia gasped, clutching her pearls, as suspicion seeped into her thoughts like a thief in the night. Inspector Hughes arrived, his trench coat soaked, his eyes missing nothing amidst the mounting unease. Silence enveloped the room like a suffocating blanket, each heartbeat loud enough to betray intentions. The gramophone scratched to a halt, the sudden absence of music like a held breath waiting to explode. Each guest felt an unseen presence, a malignant shadow lurking just beyond the safety of perceived camaraderie. The butler entered, pale-faced, announcing with dread certainty there had been a dreadful, unspeakable incident in the library.