Run: 2026-07-25-01KYCR3FHJY4M5C86KV1863MQM

Rain hammered the windows of Ashcroft Manor all night long. Inspector Vale arrived at dawn, coat soaked, patience already thin. The butler waited beneath the portico, holding a black umbrella. He said nothing useful, only pointed toward the library door. Inside, Lord Ashcroft lay facedown across a Persian rug, dead. A silver letter opener protruded from between his shoulder blades. No blood stained the carpet, which struck Vale as odd. Someone had moved the body here after the killing occurred. Three cups of cold tea sat waiting on the desk. Only one bore lipstick, faint coral, pressed against the rim. Above the fireplace, a stopped clock read exactly four o'clock. Vale checked his pocket watch and frowned at the discrepancy. Behind him, footsteps halted abruptly in the corridor's deep shadow. He turned slowly, and the whole house held its breath.