Run: 2026-02-20-01KHY815Y9XPYV2KK9HDA2JQAH

The fog clung to the cobblestone streets of Victorian London like a shroud on All Hallows' Eve. Inspector Hargrove stepped from his hansom cab, his lantern cutting through the misty veil ahead. Gaslights flickered weakly along the alley, casting long shadows that danced with unseen threats nearby. A scream pierced the night from the old manor house, sharp and filled with raw terror. Hargrove quickened his pace, boots echoing against the damp stones as urgency gripped him tightly. He reached the wrought-iron gate, its creak announcing his arrival to the silent estate within. Pushing open the heavy oak door, he entered the dimly lit foyer where candles burned low. The air was thick with the scent of pipe smoke and something metallic, disturbingly familiar now. Footsteps hurried from the parlor, revealing the butler's pale face twisted in abject fear. "Sir, it's the master," the man gasped, leading Hargrove to the study's crimson-stained threshold. There, slumped in his leather armchair, lay Lord Ashford with a dagger plunged deep into his chest. Blood pooled on the Persian rug, staining it dark as the inspector surveyed the gruesome scene. Bookshelves loomed like silent witnesses, their volumes undisturbed except for one fallen volume nearby. No signs of forced entry appeared, suggesting the killer was someone trusted in this household. Hargrove's mind raced with questions as the first clues began to weave their tangled web.