As the sun shone brightly while youngsters played football nearby and dog owners walked their pets, you could have been forgiven for thinking it was just a normal day just yards from Cornhill Terrace.
But as police officers and forensic investigators gathered evidence, a dark mood cast across the scene.
In this quiet Aberdeen neighbourhood, Willie and Karen Flett were found dead in their home.
Just yards from the front door, where a large blue tent was in place as forensic work was being carried out, is the green that Mr Flett was regularly seen by neighbours enjoying a kick-about with his grandchildren.
An area described as “friendly and quiet” was swarmed by police on Wednesday night as the discovery was made.
A large police cordon remained in place throughout the day covering a large section of the road.
A forensic van and several police cars were at the home, while at least 10 officers stood guard to make sure the area was preserved as investigators combed the scene for evidence.
People living in Cornhill Terrace and nearby streets were horrified to wake up to the news.
Neighbour Jean McDonald said: “It’s awful, I feel so sorry for their family. It doesn’t bear thinking about. It makes you thankful for what you have.
“I was working late last night and the police were here when I got back. They did everything very quietly and I haven’t seen them knocking on doors asking questions. Most people here have lived here since the houses were built 30 or 40 years ago.”
A man living nearby who asked not to be named told of his shock.
He said: “We just got back from holiday last night at about 10.45pm and were confronted by all these barriers. No one has told us what’s happened yet, just that two people have been found.
“They seemed like a sound couple. We didn’t know them that well but we’d see them around and say hello. It’s a friendly neighbourhood.”
Mr Flett’s taxi colleagues paid tribute to him. One said: “I knew him for a good few years. He was a really down to earth guy, and I won’t think you would find any of the guys here who would say anything bad about him.
“He was a really top man.”
Another said: “I think he worked here for about 16 years or so. He was a bit quiet, he usually kept himself to himself.
“I used to speak to him a bit in the queue, he was really well known by a lot of the drivers.
“It’s a bit of a shock to find out about happened to him. He’ll be missed.”
A woman who said she was a friend of the couple left a bouquet of flowers at the scene. She was too upset to speak when approached by the P&J.