The rain fell without mercy. Detective Shaw entered the room. Blood stained the white carpet. A woman lay there dead. Her eyes stared at nothing. The window was wide open. Cold wind moved the curtains. Shaw knelt beside the body. No weapon could be found. This case would be difficult. He pulled out his notebook. The victim wore expensive jewelry. Nothing appeared to be stolen. Someone had wanted her dead. A clock struck midnight loudly. Shaw examined her pale hands. Bruises circled her thin neck. She had struggled quite hard. A glass sat nearby empty. Poison could not be excluded. The room smelled of perfume. Something felt very deeply wrong. He noticed a torn photograph. Two faces had been removed. Only the frame still remained. Shaw called his young partner. They had work to do.