The body lay twisted on the old wooden floor beneath him. Blood pooled around her head, creating a dark crimson halo. Detective Morgan kneeled down to examine the gruesome crime scene. He checked his watch—three hours since the call came in. The victim wore expensive clothes, jewelry still on her wrists. This wasn't a robbery gone wrong; something else happened here. Morgan noticed small marks circling the woman's pale slender neck. A camera flash illuminated the room as evidence was documented. The medical examiner pointed to bruises forming on her arms. "Time of death: approximately midnight," she said with certainty. Rain tapped against the windows like impatient, restless little fingers. Somewhere in the mansion, a grandfather clock chimed four times. The detective stood, surveying the opulent room with narrow eyes. Someone wanted her dead, and they'd planned it meticulously. Now it was his job to unravel their careful work.