# The Body on the Library Floor Detective Sarah Chen arrived at Ashworth Manor just as the rain began falling heavily on the ancient grounds. Lord Ashworth lay sprawled across the Persian rug, a letter opener protruding from between his shoulder blades. His face was frozen in an expression of shock and surprise, suggesting the attack had been swift and totally unexpected. The butler, Mr. Graves, stood trembling in the doorway, wringing his hands as tears streamed down his weathered face. "He was alive just thirty minutes ago," Graves whispered hoarsely, his voice barely audible above the sound of the storm. Sarah knelt beside the body, careful not to disturb the crime scene with her coat or her steady hands. The letter opener bore the Ashworth family crest, suggesting the murderer had intimate knowledge of this house and its secrets. Through the library's tall windows, lightning illuminated the faces of three suspects who had all been present tonight. Lady Ashworth stood near the fireplace, her expression unreadable, while her nephew paced nervously near the bookshelf. The victim's business partner, Mr. Blackwood, sat rigidly in a leather chair, his knuckles white from gripping its wooden arms.