chapter word count: 291

noir heart: twenty-five

"You're free to go, Mrs Black."

He watches out of the corner of his eye as she rises from the chair and laces those dainty – murderous – fingers around the hooded sweater, and he notices she's not smiling any more. Perhaps the façade is back up.

At least, until she walks towards the door and stands in front of him – seven inches taller than her, he can easily look down into her eyes where that playful twinkle still holds sway.

"I enjoyed our chat." she says slyly.

"It was pretty fun, sure. Remember what I said though," He says, and leans his head closer in an attempt to appear threatening, "sooner or later, everyone makes mistakes. Every time."

She frowns—pouts and the murmuring words that escape her lips are almost pitying. "Surely that must be tedious for someone as…" she pauses, and there's an expression that leaves him convinced she is mocking him, "observant and clever as you?"

He says nothing, choosing instead to simply regard her with hard, uncompromising eyes – give someone like Elsa Black a way into your psyche, a way to manipulate and control you like a hapless marionette, and you're done for.

He's seen it before.

So, he doesn't intend to give her a single thing.

The platinum blonde utters a hum, whether it's vague or not Jack doesn't know – but there's a moment where her eyes narrow just a micron, and her lips curl just an inch at the same time as she makes the non-committal noise, and it leaves the snow-haired detective with the distinct feeling that whatever she was looking for within him?

Whether he allowed it or not, she just found it.

miki fubuki: Foreplay is win.
jpbake: Elsa's house is still a crime scene, but that might be his intent, yes.
lunasnoir: Yay! I try and go for unique (probably fail in most respects).
hornedgoddess: And thank YOU very much for reading my stories!
heartonfire: We'll find out soon enough.
k.j. mcdaniel: Dammit, there's a cliche :/ I hate it when that happens.
oninoko: Indeed! As for Bunny...maybe.
stefalove: bouncy bouncy bouncy bouncy - here it is!