The rain pelted the cobblestone street, casting long shadows across the dimly lit alleyway where a lifeless body lay crumpled. Detective Sarah Reyes approached the crime scene, her weathered leather boots leaving faint imprints near the victim's outstretched, bloodstained hand. A single brass casing glinted beneath the streetlamp, reflecting a cold, metallic sheen against the wet pavement's glistening, dark surface. The victim's expensive silk scarf had been meticulously arranged, suggesting this was not a random act but a carefully planned, deliberate execution. Forensic technicians moved silently around the body, their white protective suits creating ghostly shapes against the stark, monochromatic urban landscape.