Run: 2026-09-23-01M37PRS6TP9NAQHH8DHT0SDYT

The storm had raged for three days before anyone died. Lady Margaret Ashford was found at dawn in the library. Her body lay slumped across the desk beside the window. A single candle still burned, though the wick was short. The butler screamed once, then fell silent in the doorway. Within minutes, every guest had gathered in the cold hallway. Inspector Thomas Reed pushed through the crowd without saying anything. He knelt beside the body and studied her pale hands. Her fingers were clenched tightly around a small brass key. Reed glanced up at the six faces watching him closely. The butler whispered that the door had been locked inside. No one could have entered, and no one could leave. Outside, the bridge to the village had washed away overnight. Reed stood slowly and brushed the dust from his knees. The killer, he realized, was standing in this very room.