The rain fell hard against the mansion's tall glass windows. Inside the room, Marlow found the body lying quite still. Blood had pooled darkly beneath the antique mahogany writing desk. A crystal vase lay shattered near the victim's pale hand. The clock had stopped at exactly midnight last night, frozen. Someone had already turned off all the electric lights upstairs. Marlow knelt down to examine the fatal wound quite carefully. The butler stood silent in the doorway right behind him. "I found her like this," the butler whispered very softly. A silver letter opener glinted on the thick carpet nearby. Death had visited this room only three short hours ago. The mystery would not solve itself here tonight at all.