Chapter 4: Snow White pt. 4

Merida sipped on her coffee as she watched the news, waiting for instructions. By now the story of the missing cheer captain had hit the news scrolling in the monitor in the back of the room. Images of the Snow's locker and the cheer house, decked in flowers, cards, and stuffed animals shone on the screen before it cut to a reporter talking to the cheer coach.

"...well, I don't even know what to say. I guess it's the ones you'd never expect to go missing who disappear."

The image swapped to a couple of teenage girls crying and sniffling as they spoke to the camera.

"We just want Snow back! We just want her back!"

The reporter turned to the camera. "If anyone has any information about Snow White's location, please contact the authorities, who are searching desperately to bring this young girl home safely."

Merida huffed to herself as she watched the news go by. "Only we've already declared her dead."

"It's okay to be upset," Astrid called from the other side of the aisle. "It's tough, investigating your first homicide."

Suddenly Elsa appeared. "Morning lazy heads, let's get to business now that you've all rested. We've got both suspects in custody. Today I want answers. I don't care how you get them; confessions, incriminating text messages, a murder weapon, a body, but I want something! Jack, take the stepmom. Kristoff, the boyfriend. I want you to get the killer, whom ever it may be to break. Snow is dead, but don't tell them how she was killed. See if one of them will slip up and say it."

Jack and Kristoff stood up and down lakes towards the hall with the interrogation rooms. Jack gave Elsa a flirty wink as he walked by, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Eugene, observe Kristoff's interrogation. I'll watch Jack's."

Eugene walked off, loudly slurping on a bowl of cereal as he did so, causing Elsa to scowl and sigh in annoyance.

"Astrid," she sighed as she watched Eugene saunter off. "See if you can get a confirmation on what weapon was used. Get one of the lab gals to help you if you can."

"On it," Astrid sighed as she headed below to the lab area, taking a large travel mug of coffee with her.

"Merida, Hiccup, Rapunzel is waiting outside with the dogs, go back to the crime scene, see if you can track down a body."

Merida stood up and followed Hiccup into the parking lot. Rapunzel pulled up in a dog carrying car. Several German Shepards: a silver sable, a black, a white, steel blue, and a liver, were wagging and barking in the back at the sight of the two agents.

"Meet our furbabies, Merida!" Rapunzel called as she stepped out. She handed Hiccup a leash and then opened the black shepard's cage. Hiccup clip the leash to his collar and let the dog hop out. It growled suspiciously at Merida, and eyed her with piercing green eyes.

"Whoa, boy, it's alright," Hiccup said, before turning to Merida. "This is Toothless. He's the alpha, so if you want any of the dogs to do what you tell them to, you gotta get Toothless' 'ok.'"

"Um, how do I do that?" Merida asked a she could see under Toothless' curled lip, a set of metal teeth. She gulped. She guessed that's how the dog got his name.

"Hold out your hand," Hiccup instructed.

Merida did so and stepped forward, but Toothless barked menacingly at her.

"No, no!" Hiccup called as he yanked the dog back. "Let him come to you."

Merida took a step back and stood still, but Toothless continued to growl at her.

"Try looking away," Hiccup suggested.

"Are you crazy?"

"Don't worry, I won't let him bite you."

Merida sighed, unsatisfied, but turned away. She could feel the hot breath as Toothless sniffed her, then the warm, wet, tickling feeling of dog kisses.

"There, see," Hiccup said. "Now he'all be your best friend. C'mon boy, back up," Hiccup clicked his tongue as he guided Toothless back into his cage.

"Okay, so now you know Toothless," Rapunzel said as she popped up next to Merida out of seemingly nowhere, and set her arm over her shoulder. "The steel blue one is Stormfly, she's our only female. The liver one is Sven, he's the puppy of the bunch. The white one is Maximus, he thinks he's the alpha. And the sable is Angus, he's our gentle giant, so you'll probably be with him today. He's easy to manage. The other four, not so much."

Merida peeked through the cage at Angus and stuck her fingers in. Angus began licking them, and she grinned.

"Hello, Angus."

"Okay, let's go," Hiccup called. "We got a missing person to find."

Merida pulled her fingers out of the cage and hopped into the truck.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Kristoff busted into the interrogation room, causing Florian to jump.

"Wh-where's Agent Haddock?"

"Agent Haddock is off on some other business," Kristoff answered, as he swirled his chair around, slamming it on the ground with a loud thud. Florian flinched as he plopped onto the chair, leaning menacingly on the back, staring dead on at Florian.

"And you're going to want to be straight with me."

From behind the screen, Eugene was watching while eating a bowl of cereal. "Hm, a bit of a strong start."

"So, you got anything you want to tell me?" Kristoff asked.

"Course he doesn't," Eugene mumbled behind the screen, "who wants to tell the bodybuilding agent 'hey, I murdered my girlfriend.'"

Florian shook his head.

"You sure?"

Florian nodded.

"Well, that's interesting," Kristoff sighed.

"Why?" Florian asked.

"Snow's dead." Kristoff answered.

Florian stared blankly at Kristoff, then slowly broke down crying. "Oh, Snow."

"Tell me what you know, kid."

"I don't know anything!" Florian sobbed.

"You were the last one to see her alive, you have to know something."

"I don't know anything! She was fine when I saw her! Oh, Snow! Snow!"

"Fine, except she was heartbroken because you were leaving her because she wouldn't sleep with you," Kristoff reminded Florian.

"I didn't do it! I didn't kill-oh my gosh! Snow!" Florian blubbered.

"Really? Because you told us you've hit her before just because you were upset at losing a football game."

"That was a one time thing! I was upset!"

"And you weren't last night?" Kristoff challenged in a lowly, intimidating voice.

From behind the screen, Eugene sighed. "No good cop today, I see."

"Look at you," Kristoff continued. "Hot guy on campus. Football star. Homecoming court regular. Always on the front page of the school paper. You could any girl you wanted to go to bed with you, except your girlfriend. Here you were, all alone, you'd walked all the way from your house to see her, and she wouldn't even give you a little sex! Even when no one would ever know. How do I know you didn't snap again? Only this time-"

"I didn't kill her!

"Where's her body, Florian?"

"I don't know!"

"You were the only one there the night she died, it had to be you!"

"Maybe someone broke in after I left! The back door doesn't lock right, and there's no security camera set up watching in! Someone could have come in through there!"

"And how do you know that?"

"Snow told me."

"Who else did she tell?"

"I don't kn-"

"Ah-ha! Maybe you slipped back in through the back door to get even. Maybe...just maybe...you didn't want to kill her, maybe you just wanted what you came for in the first place, and while taking it from her things got out of hand!"

"Are you saying I'm a rapist?"

"I'm saying you know something you're not telling us!"

"We had a fight, I left, she was fine, that's all I know!"

Kristoff leapt across the table, knocking his chair over, and slamming his fist on the table.

"No it's not!"

"Well," Eugene commented after he'd jumped from the outburst. "Someone is feeling dramatic today."

"Someone wanted her dead," Kristoff continued. "And you know who it was. If it wasn't you, who was it?"

"I don't know, man, maybe her stepmom?"

Kristoff picked his chair back up and sat down, suddenly interested.

"Go on," he said.

"Yesh," Eugene mumbled through a mouthful of Cheerios. "Go awn."

"I know Snow had to call the police twice cuz her stepmom attacked her. And they thought she might have killed her dad, but it turned out to be suicide. I just...Snow…"

Florian leaned his head on the table and cried. Kristoff pondered for a while longer, the stood up and walked out. He met up with Eugene in the other room.

"What do you think?" He asked.

"He's either innocent, or a good actor," Eugene answered.

"Or remorseful," Kristoff added.

"Possibly. Still, stepmom was checked out for dad's death? Now that's juicy!"

"Shall we check out?"

"Oh, yes, let's."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Grimhilda sat motionless as Jack entered in and sat across from her.

"Mrs. White, I'm Special Agent Overland," he shook her hand.

"A pleasure. I'm assuming the reason you brought me here is because you have new?"

"I'm afraid so," Jack answered sympathetically. "Snow is dead."

Grimhilda hung her head, but no tear fell, no sniffle or sob rang out.

"I...excuse me," Grimhilda hid her face with one hand and cleared her throat. She looked up presently, dry faced, fanning herself with her hand. "Oh my, that. My poor Snow."

Elsa tapped her chin and arched an eyebrow from behind the screen.

"It was the boyfriend, wasn't it?" Grimhilda asked in a cold voice. "I knew he was no good. But she just wouldn't listen."

"We're still investigating, but he is one of our suspects, yes," Jack answered.

Grimhilda gave a sly smile. "Let me guess, I'm the other suspect?"

"You are the only family she has, and the statistics for family murders are shockingly high," Jack replied in a cool, calm voice. "But tell me, why do you think Florian did it?"

"He's the only one who's ever hurt her," Grimhilda answered in a manner that said 'isn't it obvious.' "He was the only one who'd ever wished her harm. He's the closest thing she's got to an enemy."

"Except for you," Jack corrected in a monotone voice that caught Grimhilda off guard.

"What?"

"Didn't you have the cops called on you twice by Snow because you were attacking her?" Jack asked.

Grimhilda hung her head and straightened herself up. "Everyone has their demons, Agent Overland. Mine happens to be alcohol and I am a mean drunk, I'm ashamed to admit. But what harm I caused my Snow was not intentional, I would never harm her. Not while I'm sober at least."

"What time did you say you got home on the morning of the crime?"

"9 o'clock."

"But you didn't call the authorities until 9:30, why did it take you 30 minutes to realize something was wrong?"

"I spent the first thirty minutes in the kitchen. You saw how my kitchen was, it was perfectly intact. Nothing to tip off that something was wrong."

"But Snow wasn't there. You didn't find it odd that she didn't come greet you on a nice Sunday morning after you'd been gone for two days?"

"I assumed she was with friends that morning."

"But you told her to stay home and not go out with anyone while you were away."

Grimhilda smiled slightly as a short awkward pause followed. From behind the screen, Elsa let out a small "hm."

"Well, when did a parent's orders ever stop a teenager?" Grimhilda finally answered.

"True," Jack agreed, although he arched a brow questionably. "You really think Florian Grim is capable of murder?"

"Aren't we all?" Grimhilda asked. "Let's be honest. I'm sure you of all people would agree with me on that."

"But a fifteen year old boy would kill his own girlfriend? You really think Florian is that twisted?"

"Yes!" Grimhilda seemed to be getting irritated.

"Why?"

"He hit her!"

"That doesn't automatically make him a killer," Jack tilted back in his chair, relaxed and at ease, which put Grimhilda even more on edge.

"He's the only one who ever harmed her!"

"You hurt her. Twice. You've got one more that he does."

"I was drunk!"

"Were you drunk the night of the murder?" Jack asked in a calm voice. "Did you really make it home at 9 o'clock, or is that just when you came to and realized what you'd done, and then it took you thirty minutes to hide the body, clean up the blood, and stage a robbery."

"I would never!" Grimhilda shouted, deeply offended.

"Not even when you're wasted?" Jack asked.

"Never!"

Jack leaned his elbows on the table and rested his chin on top of his hands. "How do I know you didn't?"

"Look at me, Agent Overland! I'm a 5'1 115 pound woman! Snow weighs more than I do? How could I possibly overtake her long enough the club her to death, and then carry her body somewhere to h-"

"Wait," Jack held up his hand. "I didn't tell you she was clubbed to death."

Grimhilda's eyes widened slightly. Jack smirked.

"How did you know she was clubbed to death?"

"I don't have any weapons in my house," Grimhilda answered. "How else could he kill her?"

"He could have strangled her. Or he could have brought a weapon from home. And I seem to remember a lovely set of steak knives from when we investigate your house. Clubbing doesn't seem to be the first answer."

"It's just the first thing that came to mind."

"Why?"

"I don't know! Look, I don't know how she died, all I know is Florian is the only one who'd have any reason to kill her!"

Jack tapped his fingers on the table, then stood up, and walked out. After he'd left, Grimhilda just sat there, looking more ticked off about being questioned for murder than devastated at the loss of her child.

Jack came into the other room with Elsa.

"I don't like her," Elsa said as he closed the door.

"I don't either," Jack said. "But we have no motive and now way to pinpoint her at the location at the time of the murder, and she's got a good alibi."

"Maybe she didn't do it," Elsa thought outloud. "Maybe she just masterminded it."

"A hitman?" Jack asked.

"Just a theory."

The door behind them opened, and Eugene and Kristoff came in.

"Get anything interesting?" Eugene asked.

"She slipped up," Jack answered. "She knew Snow was clubbed to death."

"Really?" Kristoff asked. "That's interesting, because we just found out about this."

Kristoff handed a file to Elsa. She opened it as Jack read over her shoulder.

"Hm," Elsa pondered before closing the file and handing it back to Kristoff. "Find out more about this."