The body lay in the study, illuminated by a single lamp. Blood pooled on the hardwood floor, reflecting the room in a dark sheen. The victim was a man, middle-aged and well-dressed, sprawled face-down near the ornate fireplace. His arms were splayed to the sides, fingers twitching reflexively as the last vestiges of life drained away. The study was opulent, with rich mahogany bookshelves lining the walls. A mahogany desk dominated one corner, strewn with papers and an overturned crystal decanter. The man's Rolex glinted on his wrist, a testament to his wealth even in death. Detective Lila Novak knelt beside the body, her keen eyes taking in every detail. The cause of death was clear - a single gunshot wound to the chest, the entry hole nearly perfect in its precision. The muzzle imprint was unmistakable. This was no spur-of-the-moment killing. Lila stood and surveyed the room, hands on her hips. The victim was Silas Blackwell, a powerful businessman with more enemies than friends. And the study door had been locked from the inside, with no signs of forced entry. Silas Blackwell had apparently invited his own killer for a nightcap, not knowing it would be his last drink. Lila frowned as she examined the overturned decanter. A splash of the expensive cognac had spilled on the papers. She reached for them, noting the top sheet bore a list of names and dollar amounts, a cryptic accounting of some sort. Before she could fully process what it might mean, Lila froze. Somewhere in the depths of the house, a floorboard creaked under a cautious footstep. The killer was still here somewhere, watching and waiting. Lila drew her weapon and moved swiftly to the doorway. She peered out into the darkened hallway, senses straining. There! A shadow detached from the wall and darted around a corner, too fast to identify but definitely human. The killer had made his move. Lila sprinted after the fleeing figure, feet pounding on the plush carpet. She rounded the corner just in time to see the back of the intruder vanish into a side room. Bursting through the door, Lila found herself in the Blackwell's opulent bedroom, empty except for the mussed covers on the king-sized bed. A floor-to-ceiling window gaped open, sheer curtains fluttering in the night