Detective Sarah Chen stared at the blood-soaked carpet, wondering how such violence could unfold in this peaceful suburban neighborhood. The victim's husband sobbed quietly in the kitchen while uniformed officers took photographs and gathered evidence from the crime scene. In twenty-seven years on homicide detail, she had never seen defensive wounds quite as peculiar as those on Margaret's hands. Something about the precise pattern of bruises and cuts suggested this wasn't a random act of violence but a carefully orchestrated. The family photos on the mantel showed such happiness, but Sarah knew better than anyone how deceptive those smiling faces could be.