The Scene

The year is 1892.  Queen Victoria sits on the British throne, and an era of enormous prosperity reigns on both sides of the Atlantic.  In America, post-Civil War Reconstruction has given way to Western expansion and the industrialized Gilded Age.  For England, colonization in India and Hong Kong gives rise to the phrase that “the sun never sets on the British Empire.” Wealthy people from both nations celebrate with extravagant parties and elegant country retreats.  The only dark spot in this glamour is at nighttime in London, when Jack the Ripper stalks the darkened streets. 

Three days ago, to escape the city’s dangers, Mr. and Mrs. White invited a mixed party of English and American guests to spend a long weekend at their remote Devonshire estate.  The visit ended both in irony and in tragedy.  Last night, just after the clock struck twelve, a maid’s scream pierced the darkness.  Mr. White had been discovered dead in the parlor, his head soaked in a gradually spreading pool of blood. 

Now Inspector Tweed summons all who were present to return to the house and clear themselves of the crime. It is not an easy trip to take.  Should you refuse, it will be taken as an admission of guilt.  To attend means a night in the house with a murderer -- or even the possibility of being accused of the murder yourself. 

There is only one way to discover the truth… or to conceal it.  All that remains is to find out which you hope it will be... 
 

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