The old housekeeper entered the book-lined study, her sensible shoes making absolutely no sound on the Persian rug. Lord Ashworth was sitting perfectly still in his chair, facing the cold ashes within the room’s marble fireplace. She assumed the master had simply fallen asleep while reading one of his many valuable, leather-bound first editions. But a dark crimson stain had blossomed across the crisp white front of the wealthy man's very expensive shirt. A silver letter opener with a tarnished, ornate handle protruded from the center of his unmoving, silent chest. A half-empty whiskey tumbler lay on its side, its amber contents spilled across some very important legal documents. The housekeeper opened her mouth wide to scream, but only a dreadful, horrifying silence managed to escape her.