chapter word count: 548

noir heart: eighty-six

As it turns out, Captain Moors had designated the empty office to the right of hers specifically for Jack and Aster's investigation. As he walks in front of Aster into the well-lit space, he notices its windows to the right of the door are blocked by two large whiteboards on which dozens of crime scene photographs and identity pictures are taped. It's a timeline, with the D.M.V pictures of the first two victims on the top left, and the newest victims Aurora and Philip on the top right, and everything related to each pair of victims descending from those pictures.

It's a little ordered for his tastes, but he's nonetheless appreciative - or is that appreciation for the third cup of coffee he's on? Who knows.

There's a rickety wooden clatter as Aster closes the door behind him and closes the blinds, though Jack barely notices as his mind is already ticking. Stepping back to lean his butt on the table behind him, he sips from his coffee. "I've missed this," Aster says nostalgically.

Jack scoffs. "No, you haven't."

Chuckling, Aster places the mug on the table and loosens his emerald tie. "Suppose not. I mean, times were simpler without you pretending to hear struggling so you could bust down a door without a warrant."

Jack curls a half-smirk, before returning to the topic at hand and gesturing to the board. "Yeah, well - I wanna get on with this so I can retire. What do we know about the victims?"

"I thought you read all this?" Aster frowns.

Rolling his eyes, Jack sighs, "Shut up and answer the question."

"Alright, alright." Aster holds up his hands, and then reels off a list, "Six victims - two Caucasian, two African-American, one Asian-American and one Hispanic, in a range of careers and social statuses. All found in dumpsters, stripped of their clothes and accessories. No IDs found at the scene."

"So the unsub's not bothered about race or class," Jack says.

"Nope," Aster snarks, "Equal-opportunity killer."

Jack grunts, and takes a sip of his coffee. "Don't tell Tumblr."

Chuckling again, Aster continues, "I promise I'll keep mum. Anyway, what's your take on it? Victimology's random."

"Except it isn't." Jack says, twisting round to place his mug behind him so he can push off the table and have his hands free, "Serial killers have a reason behind everything they do. It's what drives them. This unsub's no different…"

Jack pulls his right arm across his chest and rests his left elbow on it, so his fingers can cup his chin. He utters a quiet hunh, which apparently is all Aster needs. "I know that sound," his partner drawls. "You've got a vibe, haven't you?"

"Maybe," Jack murmurs, "it's just something that got me thinking last night. What if the victimology looks random, because these people aren't victims?"

The slightly sarcastic incredulity drips from every word that Aster next speaks, "...but they are?"

"To us, yeah - but not to the unsub. I think they're just casualties. I think love is the victim to this guy, and he's trying to kill it over and over again."

shot through the heart, and you're to blame...

special thanks to: failwhale, littlemiss-rozaann, ghost angel14, jpbake, doomstone, hornedgoddess, oninoko, vrupd.1992, deadbreath, guest, heartonfire, lunasnoir, stefalove and kira for the reviews!