Detective Lena Novak arrived at the crime scene, a sprawling mansion on the outskirts of a sleepy suburban town. Yellow police tape fluttered in the gentle morning breeze that carried the sweet scent of blooming lilacs through the air. The setting sun cast long shadows across the immaculately manicured lawn, intertwining them with the fallen body's dark silhouette. A uniformed officer approached Novak, his face grim and pinched from years of dealing with violent crime and death. Novak stepped under the police tape and joined the officer, her eyes scanning the scene with practiced professionalism. A lifeless hand, once manicured and pampered, now clutched a blood-soaked gold earring, its sparkle obscured by drying crimson.