The night air was crisp and cool, filled with secrets and shadows. Moonlight glinted off the blood pooling on the hardwood floorboards slowly. Detective Maria Rodriguez knelt beside the body, face etched with sadness. Forensics technicians moved silently, collecting evidence with practiced efficiency and care. "Victim's been dead for hours," the coroner muttered, her voice hoarse. Maria stood, scanning the room for a murder weapon in vain. Gloved fingers brushed hair from the victim's face, revealing a woman. "Any witnesses?" Maria asked, pen poised over her notepad expectantly. "A neighbor called it in. No one makes it past midnight," The detective sighed, weary from years of too many dead bodies. This case already felt different, troubling her instincts deeply somehow.