Sally was standing at the scene, surrounded by a gaggle of passers by and the press who were staring down the alleyway trying to get a look at the carpet of blood on the ground. She was using her arms as a barricade, holding them out wide in an attempt to hold back the onslaught.
"If all of you can please back away, this area is a crime scene!" she yelled at the stop of her voice.
"What happened to that woman? I'm hearing rumours she's a cop?" asked one of the press officials, pointing a Dictaphone at her mouth.
"I'm sorry, I can't tell you anything until I have all the facts." She replied, the easiest way to reflect questions from the press.
"But its clear that someone was stabbed, why don't you just fill us in, give us the rest otherwise we will have to assume." Replied the press official, smirking,
Sally was about to reply when a black car pulled up behind crowds, and out stepped three members of CID: Neil Manson, Grace Dasari and Max Carter. Manson cleared his throat and spoke through a loudspeaker.
"If you lot don't move now you will all be arrested and charged with obstruction of justice! This is a Police matter move along!" He shouted.
It took all of thirty seconds for the crowds to be ushered away from the threatening presence by the car. All three of them hurried over to Sally.
"Sally, I heard it was Rachel who was attacked, is that true?" Asked Grace, concern etched onto her face.
"Yes. Millie is with her in the ambulance. She was beaten and the asshole slashed her stomach with a knife." Replied sally, brow furrowed.
"Where was she when you found her?" Asked Max, surveying the scene with a grim look on his face.
"Behind that bin. She was curled up into a ball there when we found her." Sally said, gesturing towards a bin with a bloody handprint on it.
Max walked over and knelt down, staring at the handprint that the sergeant had left.
"When do we reckon this happened?" Asked Neil, looking at the CCTV cameras on several lampposts nearby.
"Well she was freezing to the touch and was wearing the same clothes as last night." Replied Sally, "I think she's been there all night."
"Last night?" queried the detective inspector.
"Yeah, we were all in there" Replied Sally heavily, pointing at the pub, "we had a tough day, and I invited Rachel to join us, she accepted."
Sally looked down as she said this; Max had walked back over and caught her expression.
"Hey, Sally, this is not your fault, you didn't tell some nut job to attack one of our sergeants." Max quipped, "Now can you go and talk to the owner, we will need to CCTV and a statement."
Sally nodded and ran into the bar. Max turned to Neil.
"So, what do you reckon?" He asked quietly as Grace surveyed the scene.
"I honestly have no idea, but I don't think this was a random attack. I think this person wanted to hurt Rachel." He replied, looking solemn.
"What makes you say that?"
"Nothing, call it a copper's instinct. I've been doing this job too long." He said wearily, rubbing his forehead with one hand.
"Grace? You got something?" Asked Max, catching her eye.
"Yeah, looks like a scrap of someone's coat." She replied, holding it in a gloved hand "Is someone going to interview Rachel?"
"We've got Jo on that." Replied Max.