Labyrinthine Secrets: A Detective Charlotte Everson Mystery

Chapter 1: Arcane Summons

Detective Charlotte Everson was not one to be easily disturbed. His years on the force had exposed him to some of the most gruesome criminal scenes, but when the call came to him on a stormy Friday evening, even he could not prepare.

The voice of the other boy in the row was shaky and insistent. It belonged to the head of a distinguished Wexford family, owners of a mansion always shrouded in rumor and superstition.

Charlotte reached the iron gate of Wexford Manor just as it began to rain. The mansion was a formidable structure, a towering Gothic masterpiece that was remarkable for defying both time and nature.

The wrought iron door opened to the entrance, and Barry's path crunched beneath his shoes as he walked toward the entrance.

The Wexford family lived in this mansion from the remains, but they rarely went out. Rumors of extravagance and interdependence had haunted him for decades.

Now, the family's last child, member Olivia Wexford, was rushed to help. The mansion was said to be a labyrinth, and inside its alleyways and friends' rooms, a series of gruesome murders took place.

Olivia met Charlotte at the Wexford entrance, her demeanor a mixture of concern and relief. She was a woman in her mid-thirties, tired of the burden of a dark family secret.

He led Charlotte into the grand lobby, where a huge blanket hung from the ceiling, casting eerie shadows on the ornate wallpaper.

"I don't know what it's going to mean," Olivia said shakily. "We always knew there were secrets in this house, but these... these murders, are beyond our imagination."

Charlotte listened carefully as Olivia explained the situation. Three bodies were discovered in several Ukrainian houses, each in the center of a different room of the mansion.

The studios unrelated to Wexford had no obvious connection to each other. Each room was designed as a unique maze, containing a complex network of showrooms, supermarkets and closed rooms.

The first victim, a visiting historian, was found in the mirrored room, captured by a myriad of his own personal devices. Another, a local journalist, had his final slide in a room with floors where the ground seemed to be slipping away from beneath his pilgrims.

The latest victim, a curious paranormal investigator, was found in a room marked with mysterious symbols, his body pockmarked with strange markings.

Olivia added, "Sure, the police were here, but they didn't find any evidence of a break-in or a struggle. And the doors to In the Sky were locked from the inside. It looks like the house itself was in a fight."

Charlotte's curiosity and greed increased with each passing moment. This case was unlike any he had seen before. She's determined to uncover the truth, unravel the riddles of Wexford Manor, and bring the elusive killer to justice.

As the storm raged outside, Charlotte followed Olivia inside the mansion. With each step, the labyrinthine secrets of Wexford Manor unravel, and the detective's journey into the darkness has just begun.