The rain fell all night. Detective Mars arrived at dawn. Blood stained the marble floor. Nobody heard a single scream. The mansion felt unnervingly quiet. One window had been shattered. Glass covered the velvet chair. A body lay face down. Her pearls were completely missing. The butler stood nearby trembling. He claimed total complete ignorance. Mars pulled out his notebook. Something here felt terribly wrong. The fireplace still held embers. A half drunk glass remained. She had expected her killer. The door lock showed damage. Muddy footprints led toward stairs. Mars knelt beside the corpse. This case would prove difficult.