Another clue had turned up in the case to the Sudoku Killer. The dog that the man had left behind in order to escape the Trancy boy was wearing a collar, and on that collar, where tags. Putting tags on your pets can be useful in finding them when they are lost, but when they are lost and you are a suspected murderer, not so much. Locating the suspect was as easy as pretending to return a lost dog, or was it? When Detective Bailey called the number on the tag to do this, the man on the other end said he hadn't the slightest clue what Bailey was talking about.

This was an easy fix, however, since the police are able to find your address with just your phone number. Even if you deny it, your neighbours know if you have a dog. You can't tell them otherwise.

The man's name was Miller, Peter Miller. He was a shy man who never socialized much, but a hard worker, and was well-respected at his workplace. But here he was, sitting in the police station for suspected murder. Although he refused to answer the investigator's questions, upon further inspection of his residence, there was a map marked residences he would potentially strike, a Sudoku key, plans to break into one of these homes, and various knives and such. This man was obviously the killer.

"No..." The Phantomhive boy sat on the sofa in the living room, rubbing his temples in frustration. He was watching a breaking news report on the latest murder that happened over that weekend. It was committed by none other than the Sudoku Killer.

"But he should be in jail!" Shouted Alois angrily at the magical talking box. "We caught the bastard! It's over!"

But it wasn't. Another body was found. This time, it was a man in his late thirties. He died by strangulation, his ankles and wrists had marks on them as though he had been bound, and a number "nine" was drawn on his corpse. With his body, a small suitcase with a children's puzzle book and a peice of paper with the number "seven" written on it as it's contents was found. Same tactic, same calling card. It was the work of the killer.

Ciel got up and walked to his office. He had to start again at square one. With no other leads, it was uncertain how this madman was going to be caught. He sat down at his desk and let out and exasperated sigh.

"Ciel?" The boy's blonde companion entered the room. He sat down on the boy's desk and just looked at him, trying to think of something to say.

"I thought I told you not to sit on my desk." said the annoyed bluenette.

"Yeah, I know." said the flaxen boy seated on the desk. "But I was afraid you where coming in here to sulk."

Ciel simply did not have the energy to argue with the outrageous, short-short wearing boy seated in front of him. Nor did he have the time. He had to think of a way to find this bastard, and fast. He was making a mockery of the Watchdog! Ciel picked up the most case file of the most recent victim, and started from there.

"What are you doing?"

"Reviewing these files." That was it. Another short and to-the-point answer from Sir Phantomhive. Alois knew at this point there was not much he could do to help his friend feel better, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't try.

"Is that the body?" He asked, pointing to a picture of the victim's lifeless corpse. "Huh. Whoever the guy we're looking for is, he must be pretty strong. He took down a grown man without much of fight."

A light-bulb went off in Ciel's head. Once again, one of Trancy lad's off-handed comments had set a spark off inside him. "Alois, that's it!"

"Huh?"

"Don't you see? No single person could wrestle a man that size to the ground on his own! Evidence supported Miller being the killer, and at the same time the deaths continue because there's more than one killer!" Ciel was emitting an unusually excitable tone. The rarity of this intrigued, amused, frightened, and excited Alois as well.

"Oh my god! That has to be it!" the fair-haired boy exclaimed. But his smile faded. "But how do we catch all of them?"

Ciel made his way around the desk and put his arm around the shoulders of the blonde. "Don't worry, I have a plan." he said. "Come with me."

"Where?" Alois asked, his cheeks slightly flushing at the unexpected physical gesture.

"I need to have a word with Mr. Miller." said Ciel, leading the the other boy out the office door.

A/N: Another short chapter. Funny, they seem so much longer while I'm writing them. Ah, I still need to write an ending to this arc... I mean, I totally know how this arc is going to end, definitely.

Who am I kidding? I have a ideas. That's a start, yes. I'll be glad after posting it for the simple fact that I hate Sudoku! I agree with Alois on the subject of the game. It's too difficult to be fun. But it's such a neat plot-point, ain't it? Real smart. Oh, and it won't end after this, oh no. There is still so much adventure and fluff I have in store for you all. Yes, quite, indeed...

I do want to write more fluff, but I can't seem to find an appropriate place for it. Then again, there was that rubber duck thing in the previous chapter...

So sorry, I'm rambling again. I often tend to do that, you see. So I shall leave you to your devices, then. May we meet again in the next chapter!