The Bitter Truffle

The cold open

A choking gasp cut through the muted jazz of the tasting salon mezzanine shortly past midnight, silenced before the brass wall clock struck one. Cassian Vane collapsed backward against the plum velvet banquette, cyanotic and clutching his throat beside a half-drained porcelain demitasse of spiced sipping chocolate. The rich scent of roasted Venezuelan cacao hung heavy in the room, undercut by the sharp, lethal sting of aconitine.

The victim

Cassian Vane, 53, master chocolatier and luxury confectionery salon owner

The lineup

• Mireille Danjou
• Harlan Preece
• Ondine Castille
• Soren Calder