# The Blackwood Manor Mystery The rain fell without mercy. Detective Mills arrived at midnight. Blackwood Manor loomed above her. Lightning revealed its broken windows. She climbed the stone steps. The door stood slightly open. Inside, darkness swallowed all light. Her flashlight cut through shadows. A grandfather clock ticked loudly. It had stopped at nine. She found him upstairs alone. Lord Blackwood lay quite still. Blood pooled on Persian carpet. His eyes stared at nothing. A knife protruded from chest. The window was wide open. Curtains danced in cold wind. Someone had fled this way. Muddy footprints crossed the floor. They led toward the garden. Mills knelt beside the body. His hand clutched something tightly. She pried his fingers open. A torn photograph fell out. Only half a face remained.