chapter word count: 288

noir heart: twenty-one

"All things being equal," Jack sighs, reciting a common phrase, "the simplest solution is the best solution."

Her lips quirk into half a smile. "Ockham's Razor."

"Bingo." he says, gesturing towards her with his coffee cup, which he places upon the table before rising to his feet, moving to the lean against the wall behind her, and folding his arms as he burns his eyes into the back of her head. "You see, I could go round and round in my head, figuring out different ways this could have gone down. It could be the Ripper. It could be a Ripper copycat…"

"But you don't subscribe to that hypothesis, do you?" she prompts him softly.

"No, 'cause here's the thing." He says, and there's a strange flicker of invigoration within him as he continues, "we know there's no sign of forced entry, no defensive wounds on the deceased, the murder weapon is there but there's no prints, and we also know the only other person in the house," he pauses, taking the time to re-seat himself across her and regard her interestedly, "was you, so the 'simplest solution' to this little puzzle, is that you killed your husband."

"Fascinating theory, Jack. How did you arrive at such a conclusion?" she asks as she laces her fingers around her cup, frowning curiously in a way that Jack has a feeling is feigned.

"Other than the rather convenient presence of the Ashley Madison Ripper's methods – there's no evidence of an intruder."

"Ah, but the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, is it?" she points out, and Jack has the sneaking suspicion that she knows she has checkmated him there.

k j mcdaniel: haha, she is very calm isn't she.
jpbake: Well, we'll have to find out, won't we?
e-teens: haha, yeah.
kira: Oh really?
oninoko: hai! Not a Ripper case, a different one. You haven't missed anything, but answers to those questions will be revealed along the storyline...I think...*dives into plot bin* Oh hey, I thought I lost that lollipop...
lovingit: Maybe she does...maybe she doesn't. All shall be revealed under this black cloth I conveniently have nearby...oh wait, that's my lunch.

Thank all of you for the reviews, and for reading this bite-sized dark fic!