chapter word count: 774 (I'm a very naughty boy)

noir heart: one hundred and three

As it turns out, the reason Belle has been out of the city is due to her father experiencing a heart attack a week before Aurora's murder. So naturally, she dropped everything to be with and care for him, and has been in Virginia ever since - and to Jack's eternal and respectfully silent gratitude, Ariel had made her aware of her her best friend's death as soon as news broke out.

No cop wants to be the one to break the news.

She's helpful, though. Even from the other end of a video call the day after he visited Aurora's house, she's been able to confirm Jack's assessment of Aurora's personality, plus Phillip's too.

And there are questions you can ask the best friend that you can't ask the parents, like-

"What were Aurora's attitudes to sex?"

Belle blinks, and discomfort flashes across her face as she awkwardly looks away. Immediately, Jack feels the burn of guilt and shame in his chest, and internally berates himself for his directness. "Sorry," he says in a self-reproachful voice, holding up a hand, "I don't mean to be blunt. I mean - how did she feel about it in a relationship?"

"Ah," she says, nodding slowly though the unsettled expression remains, "well, Aurora was very old-fashioned in that regard. She said she wanted to wait for the right time, and was saving herself until then."

Jack frowns slightly, and crosses his arms on the desk, facing the brunette filling his computer screen. "So there's no chance she would have given into temptation?"

"Non." Belle shook her head with as much conviction as her voice. "She was quite adamant in her belief that wilfully giving one's virginity to the person you love is one of the deepest expressions of love possible."

Jack's stomach sinks; he was afraid of that. Hiccup's report had indicated Phillip was the guy she gave herself to, and examination of the relevant area had suggested it was consensual, but everything he knows about the two young people doesn't support that in the slightest. Aurora would not have slept with Phillip until they were both ready, and even then, it was far too well-timed with their disappearance to be coincidental.

So now it's a definite pattern, as every double murder involved the victims having sex during their disappearance and recently enough for the fluids to still be present.

Yet, being held captive by a murderous, batshit crazy, psychopathic fruitcake is one hell of a dampener on the ol' libido.

"Thanks for your time, Miss Laurent," Jack says, forcing a grateful smile on his face to hide the nausea creeping into his stomach, "Is it okay if I contact you should I have further questions?"

"Certainly," she says in a voice cracked and quiet as the sound of fresh snow underfoot, "any time. Please, promise me you'll catch the person who did this."

Rule number...he forgets: never promise anything. It'll come back to bite you on the ass. "I will do my best, Miss Laurent. Goodbye."

She bids him farewell, and the screen returns to the idle calling list a second later. Relaxing back into his chair, Jack curls an arm around his chest, to support the elbow of the other one as he rests a finger under his chin in thought. He stares at the keyboard, mind ticking over while he speaks his thoughts out loud.

"Victims disappear on a Friday. Killed as early as Sunday night, and dumped in the city on a Monday morning, with no IDs or clothing. Multiple stab wounds to the men, efficient single strike to the women, and presence of sexual fluids on both. Possible intercourse under duress. Postmortem carving of matching halves of a love heart onto torso. Presence of…"

Scopolamine. It's another thing that bugs him, the presence of seasickness medication in their systems. It's important to Cupid somehow, and it gives Jack not only the feeling of something sinister creeping down his spine, but the sense that once he ascertains its importance, the profile will fall into place.

He surges over to the computer and brings up Google, hurriedly typing the name in, but just before he can hit the enter key…

"Detective Frost," the auburn-haired, sideburn-rocking blast from the past says in a voice dripping with faux-politeness, stood inches away from him in a flagrant disregard for personal space, "would you kindly accompany me into Interview Room A, please?"

Hans.

And the day was going so well.

holy crap nearly 900 reviews. what is this. this is madness. y u like so much, this is sequence of annoyingly short updates. *blinks*

also, one of you readers is a very naughty person. Especially when it comes to Jack's...inaccuracy...in the previous chapter. *waggles finger*

Elsa's up next.

special thanks to: oninoko, little miss saigon, doomstone, stefalove, last future of embryo, maravillakatana, colormeaya, hornedgoddess, hugs and puppies all around, jpbake, guest and guest for the reviews!