Run: 2026-02-16-01KHKB2TX9PMBYBRMWG1XK46VZ

Night fog swallowed the manor's stone steps and iron gate. A single lamp guttered, casting long fingers across the hall. Detective Mallory stepped inside, shoes whispering on polished oak panels. Blood had dried like a dark roadmap toward the fireplace. A shattered vase marked the beginning of the night's violence. Portraits on the staircase watched with varnished indifference and accusation. Someone had washed the kitchen floor but missed one smear. The victim's watch lay stopped at exactly two minutes past. Neighbors whispered behind curtains; secrets pooled like water in drains. Mallory checked pockets and found lint, ticket, and crumpled receipt. Outside, rain began tapping like impatient fingers on the glass. A neighbor's dog howled once, then fell silent, listening intently. There was mud tracked across the hallway, small and erratic. In the study, an open ledger listed names and numbers. Mallory noticed a page turned down beside Mrs. Pembroke's signature.