The body lay sprawled on the study floor, a pool of crimson slowly spreading out around the head and chest. The victim had clearly been struck with a heavy blunt object multiple times with great force, as evidenced by the shattered skull and caved-in face. Detective Reeves knelt beside the corpse, carefully examining the wounds with a gloved hand. "Multiple blows, probably with a heavy candlestick or fire poker," he muttered to his partner, who had just entered the room. "Victim's a man, late 40s, looks well-to-do. Clearly murdered." He glanced up at the bookshelves lining the walls, then the fireplace with its cold ashes. "No sign of forced entry. He likely knew his assailant." Rising to his feet, Reeves surveyed the scene with a critical eye, his mind already spinning possibilities. "This was personal," he stated grimly. "The killer was enraged. It wasn't robbery - wallet still here." Reeves pointed to the victim's bulging billfold peeking out of his breast pocket. "And no signs of a scuffle. He didn't expect it." Just then, the wail of a woman pierced the air, rising in volume until it reached a shrill, almost inhuman pitch. The two men exchanged glances as footsteps pounded up the stairs. The door burst open and a young woman in an elegant blue dress stumbled into the room, her face ashen and her eyes wild with horror. "It can't be! It can't be him!" she cried, her voice cracking with anguish. She stared down at the gruesome scene before her, trembling violently as if she might faint at any moment. Then, with a choked sob, she sank to her knees and buried her face in her hands. The detective approached her slowly, holding out a comforting hand. "I'm afraid it is, miss," he said gently. "May I ask your name and relation to the deceased?" "I...I'm Eliza Blackwell," she managed to stammer out between shuddering breaths. "His...his fiancée. We were to be married next week..." Her words dissolved into incoherent weeping as the horrible reality crashed over her. Reeves nodded solemnly, his expression one of sympathy mingled with keen interest. He had a sinking feeling this case was going to be far from simple or straightforward. With a fiancée, a violent murder, and a wealthy victim, the suspects would be numerous indeed. He'd