The old mansion loomed silently beneath a sky heavy with clouds, shadows creeping along its timeworn, ivy-clad walls. Detective Harper stepped cautiously inside, her flashlight piercing the darkness, revealing dust particles dancing in the stale, cold air. A sudden creak echoed softly, alerting her senses to unseen movements lurking somewhere deep within the mansion’s endless, twisting corridors. On the grand, polished floor lay a shattered vase, surrounded by crimson stains pooling near the lifeless body of Mr. Blackwood. Her breath caught briefly as she examined the scene, noting the peculiar arrangement of objects and the absence of obvious weapons. Footsteps approached from upstairs, hurried and uneven, while the distant clock chimed midnight, marking the ominous beginning of a deadly investigation.