The fog crept silently over the deserted docks as night fell, obscuring the view of the brooding ocean beyond. Detective Maria Delgado stepped out of her car, her breath forming a mist in the chilling autumn air, and sighed deeply. Somewhere in the gloom, a rogue streetlight flickered, its dim light casting eerie shadows that danced unsettlingly over the cobblestone alleyway. Crime scene tape fluttered in the wind, marking the spot where a lifeless body had been found earlier that evening. The victim, a once-prominent businessman, lay face down in a dark pool of blood beneath the old, creaky pier. Maria adjusted her scarf, her eyes narrowing as she noticed a peculiar pattern of footprints leading away from the scene. Nearby, Officer Jenkins was taking statements from a couple of dock workers who seemed overly eager to leave quickly. A seagull's distant cry echoed hauntingly, punctuating the silence with an unsettling reminder of the night’s grisly discovery and mystery.