Run: 2026-09-10-01M25DRJE9FRH6VFTAZ0GH6ENS

The cold rain fell hard against the old mansion's windows. Inside, a grandfather clock ticked slowly in the silent hallway. Ashcroft's dinner guests gathered nervously near the locked library doors. No one had seen him since the argument at dusk. Suddenly, a maid screamed from behind the heavy oak door. The guests rushed forward while the butler fought the lock. It swung open to reveal a body on the floor. Ashcroft lay crumpled beside his desk, letter opener buried deep. Blood pooled across the polished floor beneath his pale hand. No one had heard a single cry or nearby struggle. Detective Mara Voss arrived just as lightning split the sky.