Detective Stanley Howard didn’t know what to make of the crime scene. One dead white male, 20-30 years old. The body was sprawled in a short alley, next to a dumpster. Why not in the dumpster?

The victim had been cut up badly. The attacker must not have been terribly strong. The cuts were shallow. But all the cuts bled. The victim must have bled to death. Howard took a final look at the body and the blood that trickled to a storm drain.

Howard saw a bloodied Big Mac box near the drain, and realized he was hungry.