The body lay in the darkened foyer, illuminated only by moonlight seeping through stained glass windows. Crimson blood pooled beneath the corpse, an ominous crimson sea surrounding the still figure. Detective Lila Novak crouched beside the victim, studying the scene with a keen eye. The man was dressed impeccably - a tailored suit, polished shoes, an expensive watch glinting on one wrist. Yet his eyes stared sightlessly at the ornate ceiling, glassy and unseeing. A single gunshot wound marred the center of his forehead, a perfect circle of black amidst the spreading scarlet. Lila reached out to check for a pulse, even though it was clear no one could survive such a wound. She needed to confirm her initial assessment before proceeding. As her fingers brushed the cool skin of his throat, she felt the faintest flutter, barely perceptible but unmistakable. Against all odds, he was still clinging to life, even as his blood soaked into the marble tiles. With a sharp gesture, Lila signaled to the paramedics to transport him to the hospital. They lifted the wounded man onto a stretcher, moving quickly to save a life that hovered precariously between this world and the next. Lila watched them go, her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to piece together the clues of what had transpired in this once grand foyer. The mansion loomed behind her, a shadowy silhouette against the night sky. Its secrets would have to wait until the injured man could be questioned. For now, the scene was hers to examine and document. With a deep breath, Lila turned back to the body, ready to begin the painstaking process of reconstructing the final moments before death claimed its victim.<|end_of_text|> <|end_of_text|>