Run: 2026-02-20-01KHY9K24AGBHGFMQHHHCX7G5W

The rain drummed against the old Victorian’s peeling paint as dawn broke. A single candle flickered on the hall table, casting long, wavering shadows. Detective Mara Voss adjusted her coat, her breath fogging in the cold air. The front door stood ajar, its hinges groaning softly in the morning breeze. A bloodstained letter opener lay near the threshold, its blade still glinting. Footsteps echoed faintly from upstairs, though no one else remained inside. The butler’s stiff posture suggested he’d seen something far too disturbing. A half-empty glass of whiskey sat on the marble mantel, untouched. Mara’s gloved fingers tightened around her revolver, her pulse racing wildly. The victim’s body lay sprawled across the grand piano, fingers curled tight. A single playing card—ace of spades—rested on the victim’s chest. The housekeeper’s trembling voice whispered, *"He didn’t do it, Detective."* Mara’s sharp gaze swept the room, searching for hidden, guilty secrets. The grandfather clock’s pendulum swung silently, marking time like a judge. A scent of lavender and gunpowder lingered, clinging to the air. The victim’s pocket watch had stopped at exactly three-thirty in the morning. Mara knelt beside the body, her mind racing through possible motives. The butler’s nervous laugh felt forced, his hands shaking uncontrollably. A shadow moved in the hallway, though no one else was present. Mara’s instincts screamed danger, her body tensing for an unseen threat. The house felt alive with secrets, each corner whispering of betrayal. A key turned in the lock, though no one had entered the room. Mara spun around, her revolver raised, ready to face whatever stood there.