Run: 2026-02-20-01KHY8AJZB5D5PEZHRA58BAS64

The old Victorian mansion loomed under the moon’s pale, eerie glow as rain tapped relentlessly. A single candle flickered in the grand foyer, casting long shadows where no one dared tread. Detective Mara Voss adjusted her coat, her breath fogging the cold, damp evening air outside. The butler’s stiff posture suggested he knew more than he was willing to confess. Footsteps echoed down the marble hallway, though no one else seemed to be present. A bloodstained handkerchief lay crumpled near the front door, its edges still damp. The victim’s name, *Eleanor Whitmore*, was scrawled in ink on a shattered teacup’s rim. Mara’s gloved fingers brushed the glass, leaving faint prints where none should remain. The housekeeper’s trembling voice whispered warnings about the late Mrs. Whitmore’s enemies. A locked study door stood ajar, its brass handle cold and uninviting to curious hands. The scent of lavender and something metallic clung to the air like a guilty secret. Mara’s pulse quickened as she spotted a single black rose on the mantelpiece. The rose’s petals were still fresh, though no gardener had visited in days. A faint scent of gunpowder lingered near the fireplace, though no weapon was in sight. The clock struck midnight, its chime echoing like a funeral knell through the empty halls. Mara’s flashlight beam cut through the darkness, revealing a figure slumped in the library chair.