The rain fell hard against the Victorian mansion's stained glass. Inside, Detective Mara Voss studied the body on the carpet. Blood pooled beneath the mahogany desk like spilled red wine. The victim clutched a photograph in his stiff pale fingers. Someone had erased the face with angry red jagged scratches. Footsteps echoed from the library where the candles flickered weakly. Mara knelt, her gloved hands avoiding the growing crimson puddle. A single pearl lay loose beside the dead victim's ear. Outside, thunder masked the retreating sound of black high heels. The killer had vanished, leaving only questions and cold rain.