Chapter 4: Investigation

Word Count: 7,559

"Ivan." Ravis, who barely came out of the lab said, coming up to him. He was shaking like he always was of course.

"Ah, yes Ravis? What brings you up here?" The other had a lad report, and Ivan knew it was probably all the hair samples and comparisons.

"Well, do you know the hair you brought me late last night even though I was packing up to leave." He said, just as open with his complaints as usual.

"Da, I remember, why?"

"W-Well it's a complete match." Ivan blinked. Really? Just like that, it was over?

"Toris, I need somebody brought in for interrogation." Ivan said, standing up and taking the papers offered to him by Ravis, looking over them. Ravis never messed up, he was one of the best forensic scientists, so he didn't ask the other if he was sure or to run it again.

"Alright, what's the name?" Toris asked, already picking up his office phone to dial the number of a judge.

"Alfred F. Jones."

Alfred watched in the dim light as the man woke up for a second time. A whole day had gone by since he had kidnapped the man, which was so much easier then he thought it would be. He always liked waiting until night for this, it seemed to panic his victims the darker it was. The man was chained tightly, Alfred had to find hooks in order to screw them into the wall, which had taken some time of course, but it made it so the man couldn't move around at all and make noise in case he woke up without Alfred there to greet him. And of course a gag for the same reason.

He smiled as the man tried fighting against the restraints a bit, just realizing they were there. The reactions were always the same. The eyes locked with Alfred's figure and the other let out a muffled scream that even Alfred's could barely hear, eyes widening and horror making his skin paler, "Well good morning! Really it's night, but who's keeping track?" Alfred asked, standing up, letting the chainsaw hang by his side for now, letting the man eye it.

But the others eyes moved to something behind Alfred, above his head, he already knew what it was, "Now I know what you're thinking - other then fearing for your life, of course. That somebody will be watching that video camera and come save you. Untrue, they only pull up the video feed if there's been a robbery or say a murder. So you'll die before they even know I was here." Alfred moved closer to the man, "Oh but surely I'll be caught after right? Nope. Those camera's are cheap, they have bad quality and don't pick up sound, isn't that nice? Hardly even pick up clear images. The only reason they're really there is to keep honest people honest, that's the only reason." Alfred put a hand to his mask, where his chin was and giggled, "Then again, no. You're doomed. So, why not put on a show?"

Ivan frowned at the bloody mess of a body before him. It was in one of the hallways in the toy factory. It had been closed down for a couple days for repairs. He shook his head, watching people pack up the pieces of the body. They had apparently found a wallet belonging to the victim, which was good. Ivan didn't bother looking to see who it was. He hardly talked to the families anymore anyway and there were so many victims that were different from each other that not much investigation was done on the victims anymore either, not anything serious anyway. They still followed up on all leads. But the chances of it leading anywhere was slim. "Ah Ivan, the manager wants to talk to you..." Toris said to him. Ivan sighed, nodding in understanding as he headed to the outside of the building and past the yellow tape over the door.

Ivan walked over to the manager who was waving him over. The man had come after some of the repair men had found the body. It was probably all over the news by now too considering how many reporters were there. "Yes?" Ivan asked curiously.

"Hey, I'm wondering how long this investigation is going to take. We already had to shut down for several days you see." Ah, a business man. Funny how they were all so similar.

"When we are done looking around. The faster we catch this killer the better it will be for everyone." Ivan sighed, "And we would like to ask for your complete cooperation."

"I understand, but how long exactly will it take? That's all I'm asking."

"Maybe a day or two." It was a decent sized factory.

"Two days?"

"And that is a very generous estimation." The manager looked away, clearly angry before looking back and frowning a bit.

"I don't understand what takes you so long. You haven't been able to catch this guy so far, and it's been a long time with a lot of bodies." It was Ivan's turn to glare.

"We're working as fast as we can and as thoroughly as we can."

"Look okay, I just want my factory back, take the camera footage if you want!"

"Camera footage?" Ivan asked, perking a bit. He had seen camera's in the factory, "They were on?"

"We left all the security on, so yes that includes the cameras."

"That would certainly speed up the process, yes. Thank you for the information." Ivan said. They finally had a witness, and one to the entire crime. They would finally see what the killer looked like and how they were so good at avoiding getting caught. Though considering the match on the hair, it was clear that Alfred was the person they needed. He would be getting that warrant soon. Still, to have a video footage of Alfred murdering somebody in cold blood with such hard evidence was just too good to even imagine.

Ivan, as well as several others on the case watched the video of the figure covered in bright colored clothes that seemed to mask their entire figure, a large chainsaw in hand. They had watched it from the beginning. The suspect coming in, carrying the man who would be killed and putting them in a room different from the one they had found the body in. He seemed to have also brought chains, which he used to chain the other to the wall. Ivan looked at the severed hooks they had found in the room. They had been cut jaggedly in half obviously by the killer's trademark weapon.

It was clear that he was chaining the man right where those had been found. It took quite awhile. After that, he got up and left. After fast forwarding, the sun showing through the window to mark the passage of time. But before noon even, the murdered was back, but with a baseball bat. He stood there for maybe an hour until he brought it down on the victims head. Ivan had to wonder if it killed the man as the phantom lurked off again through the warehouse, leaving just as he came in, through a hole in the bricks that he had created by pulling the bricks away one by one with the help of a few choose tools.

When the sun started falling, he was back with a chainsaw, going inside the bricks and turning before he walled up the exit carefully, which took quite awhile before walking back to where the victim was still unconscious and chained. They sat up on a small object, chainsaw resting in his lap. It was clear exactly when the man woke up when he started and moved around quite a bit. The suspect stood up and walked towards the chained man, pausing for a couple seconds. Then he walked to stand over the struggling form. He moved the chainsaw down, still not turned on, but it met the others skin and the struggling increased.

Ivan could see it clearly. The sharp blades catching and tearing up skin, only a little, enough to created an uneven cut but not enough to bleed out. The monster above him lifting the chainsaw up only to start it, loud whirling noise filling the area that was nearly deafening. It came down, but it didn't hit him surprisingly enough. Instead there was the sound of metal grinding roughly against metal. Then the chains loosened their imprisonment.

Rolling away quickly, just avoiding the sideways slash of the chainsaw. The chains came off of him when he rolled away, leaving a small trail on the ground. Looking up, there were marks in the concrete from where the chainsaw had caught the edges, that stalled the instrument for the moment, it must have shorted out. The hooks that had held him firmly to the wall were now cut roughly in half.

The chainsaw roared loudly to life again, and he stood up. He hesitated, entertaining the thought of defending himself, but he didn't stand much of a chance against a chainsaw. He turned and fled, down the strange building he'd never seen, the chainsaw behind him telling him where the monster was. There were pieces of dolls in boxes here and there, machine belts used for strange and unknown purposes around him in a large room.

He ran towards one and hid under the machine, stilling his movements and trying to calm his breathing, heart pumping hard in adrenaline rush that was suppose to aid in his escape. The chainsaw's whine grew closer and closer to the hiding spot, almost as if they knew where he was. It was slow, almost calm or relaxed. When they came closer, they stopped right in front of the hiding spot. Scrambling back quickly, uncaring of the noise it created, he ran out of the back of it and sprinted away from the maniac. He ran through the hallways again, finding a door and running to it. He tried the handle, but it was locked tight. He slammed his body against the fortified door in desperation, but nothing happened. He stopped, looking behind him at the shadows of the hall, the menacing sound of the weapon had stopped. He looked around, trying to pick up the sounds of breathing or footsteps. Then he noticed the moonlight shining through a window. He ran towards it and put his fingers on the frame, having to stand on his tip toes to even do that. He lifted his leg up and put his foot against the wall to try and get up.

Suddenly a glint of something shiny caught his attention out of the corner of his eye right before pain tore through his leg, he fell to the ground, screaming out. Looking down at the chainsaw imbedded in his leg before looking back up in horror to see the masked face. It had been close by, but it must have been quick, the chainsaw was torn out of his leg and he screamed again, glad that at least it wasn't on. He moved his hands to try and grab and punch the man above him, struggling. The monster pulled back, pulling the chainsaw to life before putting the weapon to his hand, pinning it to the floor as he cut harshly through the flesh and bone.

Another agonizing scream spilled from his lips, trying to institutionally tear his hand away from the pain, but that only made it worst. His hand was completely mutilated, extreme pain still shooting through him, not caring about how many fingers he had lost, but just for the pain to stop. Tears fell down his face and he screamed, sometimes begged for some sort of end to it as the pain started tearing up his arm. The chainsaw had moved from his hand and was destroying his arm now, slowly working up in such excruciating pain that he blacked out a moment before surfacing back up, unable to escape even into dreams.

One of the men fast forwarded the tape much to the relief of everybody, including Ivan. He looked up to watch the time. Three hours went by and the suspect did a very...thorough job of mutilating the body completely and utterly. Finally, they stopped and the man controlling the tape speed rewound to the part where the colorful figure stood up and turned the chainsaw off. Reaching into a pocket, he pulled out a small plastic bag probably no larger then ones hand, emptying it out onto the large pool of crimson liquid, two dice rolling a bit in the liquid. He put the plastic bag back into the pocket before he went to the bricks he had put back in place earlier and took it apart again.

The figure paused once the wall had the large hole in it that was still there at the factory today. It turned to one of the camera, seeming to look right at it and waved up at them before leaving. Ivan leaned back in his chair, frowning deeply. He had thought that he would have some hints as to catching the man. But it wasn't like that, he was messing with them. Teasing that he could get away with such messy murder. It meant that he was getting cocky too, but Ivan couldn't find it in him to linger on the small good point in the horror they had just watched. At least they knew what the murderer looked like while he killed. But that was also little comfort. Nothing had really changed, other then Ivan's anger level.

Alfred frowned, "Is this really necessary?"

"Yes." Ivan said, sitting across from the other on the interrogation table.

"You know, I'm starting to suspect you're not just a normal cop." Alfred said, "Look, can you at least tell me how in the hell you can even think of charging me with murder? I didn't do it so there's no way you could have gotten anything on me."

"Well as you know we found a hair at the crime scene and it matches yours one hundred percent." Alfred shook his head.

"Not possible."

"Forensics don't lie." People do, "You were at the crime scene. Not only that but you own the murder weapon as well."

"Seriously? That's what you have on me? Look, I didn't kill anybody, okay? So I was at this 'crime scene' so what? I get around, so what if I happened to at one point be in the area or what if like the wind blew a strand of my hair."

"I do not think I have to tell you how improbable it is that a strand of hair would blow into a sheltered crime scene." Ivan said. Alfred glared at him, well he was losing ground quite quickly after all.

"Well maybe I was framed! You tell me, but I did not kill anybody, okay?" Alfred growled in frustration. Ivan hummed in response, looking Alfred over for a moment before asking another question.

"You have rings around your eyes, didn't get much sleep last night?"

"No, see funny thing about insomnia, I usually don't." Ivan frowned a bit, that actually was a good cover and Ivan couldn't say how Alfred had slept so deeply without his boss and team members wondering at their relationship. If they thought he was too close to a suspect they would cut him off from the case in a blink of an eye. Especially if they knew that Alfred and he had slept together only a few days ago. But Alfred must not have known that they had searched his house. Hopefully they wouldn't find any evidence there that Ivan had slept with him.

"That's interesting, because we found quite the stash of your medication for your... Insomnia in the bathroom drawer. Quite a bit, especially if you are taking it regularly."

"Yeah, I don't want to become addicted to it, okay? So I don't take it 'regularly'."

"I did not know they were addicting."

"Any sort of pill can be addicting." Alfred said, rolling his eyes before changing the subject, "At least tell me where you think I killed somebody."

"The caves just out of town." Alfred gave Ivan a blank stare.

"Seriously? Do you know how many teens and college students hang out there? Hell, I went a little over a week ago! You can't charge me for something that happened there just cause I was there at one point or the other."

"I admit that normally you would be right." Ivan agreed, "However the murder happened right after the flash flood a few weeks ago. Any evidence of your stay would have washed away unless you were there during or right after the murder."

"Or I was there before the murder and after the flood." Alfred spat, "Unless the murder was right after the flood?" Ivan stayed silent a moment, so that was the excuse the other was using was it?

"Well, do you have an alibi that can confirm that you were in the caves between March 24 and March 27?" Ivan asked doubtfully. Three days was a very small window.

"Well somebody was with me the time after the storm, yeah." Alfred said, crossing his arms.

"Alright, who?"

"What? Dude, it's not like we did totally legal things there, I'm not ratting my friend out!"

"If you do not have an alibi then we cannot prove that you weren't there. We won't charge you for anything illegal you did."

"Dude, seriously? It wasn't like I was doing anything that illegal!" Alfred said, furrowing his eyebrows. Ivan stared blankly, "I'm serious!"

"Then why were you at the caves? It is known for being the place one goes to do illegal stuff. At least for teenagers mostly. Or are you just trying to avoid being in jail?"

"No! Look, I was in the caves but I don't go down there to like drink or do drugs or shit like that! Look okay, I've told you I was there and that I had a friend with me, isn't that enough?"

"Yes, if you do not wish to testify against yourself, that is fine, you do not have to. But without an alibi I doubt very much you can get out of this one."

"Hey, I told you, I didn't do anything that would need to be testified for or against."

"Well you certainly are being quiet about something that isn't illegal."

"Alright fine! I was... With somebody down at the caves... Like sex and all that." Alfred said, looking away for the firsr time and rubbing his arm awkwardly. Ivan blinked a couple times. But he was pretty sure Alfred had said when they were at his house that he was a virgin, so he was either lying now or he lied then. But it also made sense why he wouldn't say too much. And now Alfred seemed determine not to meet his eye when a moment ago he had been seeming to try staring Ivan down.

"... Then why would you not have us check the alibi? If there was nothing illegal as you said, after all."

"It's just... He's kind of not out of the closet. I'm like the only one who knows. And sex in a public place is kind of a violation against some law or another I know." Ivan hummed, supposing that would be a very good excuse if he didn't wonder at the honesty of the sentence. After a moment of silence he added, "B-besides I've never bought a chainsaw."

"But you tried registering one a couple years ago." Ivan said, glad to have caught the other in a provable lie.

"Yeah, I found it okay? Tried getting a job with it to make some sort of money, but the government were dicks and said no." More like Alfred had been denied because he had lied about his age and was too young to be working with a chainsaw, "So I sold it."

"You sold it?"

"Yeah, advertised among people I knew, and some guy wanted it, so I gave it up for a nice sum of money. Bought the latest video games, end of story."

"Just like that?"

"Yeah, if I couldn't make money working with it then I sold it. It wasn't exactly new either. I didn't want it. What would I do with a chainsaw?" Hack people up was an option.

"Who did you sell it to?" Ivan asked.

"You know, I didn't even ask. I didn't care either, and I still don't." Ivan frowned a bit around this information. Alfred looked at him, he wasn't smiling or anything, but something in those blue eyes gave Ivan the idea that the other was smirking, "You can search my house as long and as hard as you like, you'll never find that weapon because it's not there." Alfred said before standing up, "Now, if that's all the accusations you have, this is just an interrogation right? And I would like to go home now. And if you took my medication, I want that back too."

"They are still there." Ivan said, they had only taken a couple to test as evidence. He hesitated a moment then stood up and walking past Alfred to open the door. Nobody had ever just up and asked to leave before. Then again, most would break down even when Ivan asked only a few questions, but it was clear in Alfred's acts that he wasn't intimidated or afraid, not of Ivan and not of being found guilty or sentenced to death. Alfred gave him one last look as he passed before he was escorted by somebody else who Ivan didn't know the name of.

Watching the other being escorted out of the building, Ivan leaned on the door frame, thinking over everything that they had talked about. If Alfred said he had an alibi he needed to check that out to see if it was true. Still, he felt that he should remember something else. Well, he would think on it later. Maybe he should find that one Asian with black hair he had seen at Alfred's house that one day.

Ivan rang the doorbell in front of him, waiting for the door to open, it hadn't taken too long to find the person he was looking for. He waited outside the house that looked similar to the ones around it, slightly away from the main area of the city, more quiet it seemed. Finally the door opened and the Asian, Kiku Honda, peaking out of a small crack, "Hello." He said, "Can I help you?"

"Yes, you are Kiku right?" They nodded, "Well Alfred is a suspect in the Vegas Seven investigation and I was wondering if you could answer a few question?"

"Alfred a murderer?" Kiku questioned, shaking his head, "No, that is impossible."

"That is what I am trying to find out." Ivan said. Kiku hesitated a moment before nodding.

"Alright, come in, I will make some tea." Ivan tilted his head a bit in thanks as the door was opened for him and the shorter left to go into the kitchen. Closing the door, Ivan decided he would wait in the living room. Sitting down on the couch, he looked around the room. Some books on a shelf that looked like manga, one self that had some sort of collectables, there were a couple pictures on the wall, though most were of scenery of Japan, such as Mt. Fuji as well as other. There was one picture that looked like a family photo, and there were quite a lot of people all cramped into the frame.

There was a cat curled up comfortably on a pillow, a white and black one from what Ivan could tell. Ivan felt something nudging his hand. Looking down he saw another cat, this one was white except for it's bushy brown scruff. It's paw batting at Ivan's hand a bit, claws retracted so that it wasn't hurting him. Ivan smiled a bit and lifted his hand and reaching to pet the cat. It jumped a bit, as if shocked that the hand had a mind of it's own. However, when Ivan started scratching behind it's ear it purred, leaning into the touch.

Kiku walked into the living room, carrying two cups of steaming tea on a small tray, putting it before Ivan. Leaving the cat back to it's own, Ivan took one of the cups, giving a slight thanks before taking a sip of the drink, "So, what questions do you have for me?" Kiku asked.

"How long have you known Alfred?"

"I met Alfred-san in the junior year of high school... I was his foreign exchange student, though he was only a freshman. We have been friends ever since." So not too horribly long, only four or so years.

"And you two are close?"

"I would hope so."

"Have you two ever been to the caves out of town?" Kiku shifted a bit, looking suspicious. He took a sip of his tea, stalling a moment. He put it back down, emitting a small sigh.

"Yes." He muttered finally. Ivan couldn't help but feeling upset.

"And did you go there before March 28?"

"I believe so... It was soon after the flood anyway." Ivan frowned. So that meant that Alfred's alibi checked out... And that Alfred was sleeping with him. Because Alfred had said that he had been to the caves quite frequently and once just a little while ago. His thoughts were interrupted as the fat cat crawled into his lap, "He seems to like you."

"Yes, he certainly is friendly, do you like cats? You have only two?" Ivan asked, starting the pet the cat again that seemed to be demanding attention.

"Only one actually. That is Alfred's cat that you are petting."

"Oh? I did not know Alfred owned a cat."

"There is a lot about Alfred you do not know." Ivan was tempted to glare at the man for the comment, but refrained. It wasn't really the comment... Not entirely, part of it was well... That there was just something about this guy that bothered Ivan.

"Well I have only met him for interrogation really."

"Yes, of the Vegas Sevens. Which is still ridiculous. Alfred has a hero complex, he wouldn't ever be able to kill anybody." A hero complex? The blond had a funny way of showing it then.

"Well, if we clear him then he has nothing to worry about." Ivan said, "And I was wondering if I can have a strand of your hair?"

"Why?" Kiku asked.

"Alfred needs an alibi for being at the caves, since you admitted to being there, I need to verify it. We found a black hair in the cave along with Alfred's." After a moment Kiku nodded.

"Alright, that is fine." Ivan nodded, glad that this would be easy.

Ivan sat in the record room, his cell phone open and on speaker, connected to his desk phone that was also on speaker. A nice way to hear what his co-workers were talking about since for some reason they were less open about what they thought when he was around, "I still think that this Alfred is a bit young. I mean he just seems like a teenager who's a bit rebellious. I don't think he'd be able to be such an effective serial killer." Eduard said.

"Yes, but Ivan seems to think so and he is rarely wrong." Toris put in, seeming forever loyal.

"He is wrong sometimes, everybody is. Besides, Alfred's alibi checked out, his friend, Kiku's hair matched, and he would testify to say he was there."

"Well maybe they're both in on it together?" Toris suggested weakly.

"Remember the video?" Ivan could practically hear both of them shudder slightly. He had to be in agreement as he continued quietly set up the DVD player in the small room usually used for briefing, "It was pretty clear this is one person..."

"Well... That was staged."

"Why are you always protecting his views? It seems pretty clear that Ivan is wrong. It happens. He just has to learn to cut his losses." Ivan stood up from playing with the electronic and ended the call. He finally got it so that it would play a regular video. He could have asked Eduard, who was good at all things electronic, or even anyone of the tech people who worked here. But seeing as most probably thought that there was no way that a teenager like Alfred could be a serial killer it was best not to bother them. Still, there was something about the blond. And something told him that he was forgetting something that Alfred had said in the interview.

Eating some food that he had bought for something in between lunch and dinner. Only half watching and listening to the video for the deration of their conversation. After awhile, he paused when he heard something, looking up at it.

"I gave it up for a nice sum of money. Bought the latest video game, end of story."

"Just like that?" Ivan grabbed the remote, rewinding it.

"I don't even own a chainsaw." Further.

"Not only that but you own the murder weapon as well."

Ivan furrowed his brows, rewinding it completely and playing it, listening to any mentions of what weapon had been used. There wasn't until Alfred said it. It wouldn't have been so suspicious if Alfred hadn't said himself that he didn't know anything about there even being a serial killer on the loose, let alone the murder weapon used. Ivan knew he mentioned a slasher, but he was pretty sure he never once said anything to do with a chainsaw. It was barely anything at all, but it was at least something that told Ivan he might not be completely wrong.

"I'm sorry, why are you following me?" Alfred asked, sounding highly annoyed.

"I wasn't. I just saw you and decided to talk a little." Ivan explained again, sighing.

"What? Have more questions for me?" Alfred was walking out of the grocery store, bags in his hands as he followed the sidewalk, probably to find his car. Ivan hesitated a moment.

"Not really, I'm sure you'd be able to dismiss anything I brought up anyway. But no new evidence has been discovered to lead to you, no."

"Yeah, cause I didn't do it. And aren't you like suppose to be pretending you have stuff on me to make me nervous or something?"

"No, by law I must tell you all new evidence that comes up against you so you can defend yourself."

"... Wow, really? Why doesn't that happen in movies?"

"It would ruin the suspense." Alfred nodded, seeming to accept that. Ivan recognized the car that Alfred owned, stopping a couple feet away as Alfred opened the passenger door, putting the bags there. Closing the door heavily, Alfred sighed, rubbing the back of his neck before looking at Ivan.

"Whatever, you want to get a coffee?"

"What?" Ivan asked, blinking in confusion.

"Well, I have some questions of my own, but if you have to go be a jackass somewhere else, I understand."

"That is the strangest way anybody has ever asked me out." Ivan commented.

"Hey, if you-"

"I'll come."

"-want to be a- Oh... Okay." Alfred said, blinking in a bit of surprise, "Seriously? Even though you think I killed people and stuff?"

"Well as long as I do not go into any dark isolated alleys with you I think I will be fine. Besides I have some questions for you as well." Ivan said.

"Right, of course you do." The blond sighed, rolling his eyes before he started walking across the street, "Though finding an isolated place in Las Vegas is like impossible."

"What about your groceries?" Ivan questioned as he followed the other again.

"I don't have anything that needs to be in the freezer or anything, so I'm good. Come on."

"So you're like an FBI agent thing?"

"Da." Though he didn't know how Alfred had missed that if he had seen his identification.

"And you don't have a cop car?"

"For the final time, no."

"But you have like cuffs?"

"Yes."

"And a gun?"

"Usually, if I am on duty." Ivan sighed, taking a sip of the coffee. Alfred certainly seemed to ask some weird questions.

"That's weird. What about like pepper spray or tazers and like night sticks?"

"Is it surprising that there are differences between cops and FBI agents?"

"Well I don't get what decides what's for one or the other. Weapons are weapons. But why would you just tell me you're an FBI agent, isn't it usually hush hush and stuff?"

"No, I am not under cover or anything. Secrets are more for the CIA anyway."

"Weird..." Alfred muttered, furrowing his eyebrows, thinking on it. He sat opposite of Ivan, legs crossed and sipping up the frosted drink through the straw. He seemed to think of another question, pulling away from the straw, "And the only evidence against me is the hair right?" Taking a breath, Ivan looked down at his coffee.

"No actually... Your alibi checked out."

"What alibi?"

"Kiku Honda." Ivan said, looking up, the blonds eyes widened in shock.

"How did you..." The younger trailed off.

"It wasn't too hard to find him actually." Ivan said, hiding the fact he was pleased at catching Alfred so off guard.

"Oh, seriously? That's... Creepy. Um well, I told you so." He finished weakly, "So you met Kiku?"

"Yes... Honestly I would not have expected your lover to be... Well it was not what I was expecting." Ivan said, watching as Alfred's eyes narrowed.

"He's not my lover."

"You know the definition of lover, right?"

"Don't be smart with me, we're friends... With benefits. We screw around, and it's sort of complicated. It's not serious and he kind of likes this other guy but is like too... Like I said, complicated."

"So you just sleep with him anyway?"

"Yeah, why the hell not?" Alfred shrugged.

"You know I recall you saying something about being a virgin." Alfred tilted his head to the side, looking very confused and lost and also like Ivan was crazy, "To you're brother the day we met."

"Oh that, dude I don't want Matthew thinking I sleep around. I don't either, my morals aren't that low." Ivan raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Because as I recall from what I gather you slept with him recently."

"What, you mean after I slept with you?" Alfred asked bluntly. Ivan nodded, causing Alfred to snort, "Look, I asked you if us sleeping together was going to be a normal thing, and you brushed it off. So you can't blame me for not putting anything into a relationship that might not even be going on." Alfred paused as the waitress came up asking if they were okay and giving them the bill, though assuring that they didn't have to rush out, it was just for them to have it. The blond nodded, grinning pleasantly at her and thanking her before she left. The blond looked back at Ivan, blinking a couple times, "What was I talking about again?"

"Your relationship issues."

"Oh right," Alfred said, seeming to miss the slight accusation, "you really can't blame me for not taking you seriously if you're just going to fuck me twice and be like all 'whatever murdered'. That's like the biggest turn off ever in the history of turn offs... Unless of course you were using sort of a cop kink, but that's completely different."

"You seem very open about talking about these things in public."

"Hell, I don't care." He waved off, "If they listen then they're perverts, and they have the option to ignore us. Not like I'm being loud." Ivan thought he was, but didn't say anything about it, "Anyway, what were you going to ask?"

"Well I was wondering if you had learned more of this serial killer going around since we last spoke?"

"Yeah, I did. Found out some things anyway, some slasher person been hacking away at people with chainsaws. I'd rather not remember that." Alfred said, making a face of disgust.

"I suppose it is not the best conversation over coffee."

"But just to be clear there's like no evidence on me then?"

"No Alfred, there's not."

"Good, cause there shouldn't be." The blond said, nodding in approval.

"Unless something else turns up." Alfred rolled his eyes.

"That attitude of yours needs some serious fixing. Now do you want to split the bill or am I paying?"

"I'll pay my half." Ivan confirmed, taking the recite from Alfred to look at it and see how much his drink cost. The blond stood up, stretching his arms over his head.

"Cool, we pay up front." He said, putting down a couple dollars tip, generous considering his drink wasn't much more then that. He headed for the front and after a moment Ivan stood up and followed the blond. Alfred talked to the cashier, them getting into a short and friendly conversation even though it was clear they had never met before. The blond certainly was charismatic wasn't he?

Alfred payed the bill, giving a friendly wave before walking back over to Ivan, who went to pay himself before he walked to Alfred again and they walked outside of the shop onto the busy street, "Why do you suspect me so much of being a serial killer anyway? All you found was a hair because I was there before the murder."

"I like to be thorough is all." Ivan said, "And I want to make absolutely sure that you aren't the murderer before I lower my suspicion."

"Oh lower your suspicion, not get ride of it, just lower it when your absolutely sure it's not me. What the hell kind of system is that?"

"Investigation. Best get used to it."

"So I'll be seeing you around a lot then?" Alfred sighed.

"That you will." Ivan smiled at the younger, "At least until the murderer is caught."

"Well I do hope you catch them soon, not just cause of that either, I mean I think there's enough crime in this city without somebody going around whacking people out of some sort of sadistic pleasure or whatever."

"We do not actually know what their motives are."

"Does it matter? They deserve the death penalty no matter what." Alfred crossed his arms, looking pissed.

"Hm, you seem to think strongly of something you just learned about." Ivan hummed, "Besides, if we know their motives, it may be easier to catch them."

"If you say so, I guess you're the expert here."

"Hardly." Ivan chuckled, "I don't think anybody can get used to psychopathic serial killers." Alfred hummed in what seemed to be an agreement or just a non-communal noise. Ivan took a cigarette out and lit it, breathing in the calming fumes, "Hope you don't mind." He said, gesturing to the cigarette.

"Eh, smoke all the cancer sticks you want, you've already smoked in my house anyway remember?"

"Still, one cannot be too sure." Ivan muttered.

"So why were you so jealous about me sleeping with Kiku anyway?"

"Hm? I never said I was jealous, just questioned your morals."

"Thanks. Dude, you can't just question my morals okay? Man, you're such a pain."

"I do have a question for you though. Where were you going in such a hurry the last time I came over? It was the night of the murder." Well, the night that the victim was kidnapped, which was in Ivan's opinion the start of the murder.

"Work. I co-own a little bar in town, nothing big. But I needed to talk to the other owner about some things, business stuff and things like that. You can check it out. I'm sure you have access to all my records." Ivan nodded, "My question, why did you sleep with me if you thought I was a killer?" Ivan looked away from those curious blue eyes.

"I was not sure that you were. Of course after the hair came through and everything I am more suspicious of you."

"Dude, and people tell me that I have paranoia issues."

"I am only paranoid about things that I should be."

"Whatever dude." Alfred shrugged, yawning slightly and rubbing the back of his neck before grabbing Ivan's hand, before the taller questioned it, pulled him into an alley a bit.

"I thought I told you I was not going to follow you into any alleys." Ivan sighed, but let the other drag into it, though not too far before the other stopped and turned to look at him. Ivan raised his eyebrow before Alfred leaned up and pressed his mouth against Ivan's. Pausing only a moment at the unexpected action, he pressed back into the warm and welcoming lips, arms wrapping around Alfred's waist on instinct, though careful of his still burning end of the cigarette. Alfred lapped at his lips in great impatience that Ivan found it hard to keep his lips shut, so he opened them, moving his tongue to push back against Alfred's.

Ivan pushed back into Alfred's mouth easily, where the other sucked gently on it as he rubbed his tongue against it. Part of Ivan couldn't help but wonder how good the mouth felt on other parts of his body, mainly the most important. Gripping blond hair, he pulled the other back, opening his eyes to see Alfred panting slightly, cheeks read and eyes half-closed, "This kid...he shouldn't excite me this much from just a kiss." But with the expression that Alfred was making, it was somewhat arousing, but more then what it should have been. Ivan smiled down at the other, "That was quite random."

"Not really, I wanted to see if you would still kiss me back." Alfred said, smiling back at him.

"You could be a murderer, Alfred."

"And you could be for all I know." Ivan furrowed his eyebrows, opening his mouth to protest, but then closed it, slowly contemplated that.

"I suppose... In a way. But I am sure even you know that I could be removed from the case for being in any relationship, let alone an intimate one if that is what you are implying." Ivan said, releasing Alfred completely and taking a drag of his cigarette.

"Oh yeah huh? Well that would suck, considering I think it's the only real reason you ever see me, because you're an asshole like that. But I mean it's not likely that they'll find out anyway."

"Alfred. You are under investigation."

"Dude, do you know how long I've been keeping a relationship under the radar?"

"Ah, another reason not to get involved in you, considering you are with somebody else."

"Bastard, it's not like I sleep around!" Alfred hissed angrily, "Whatever, I'm not going to try convincing you to be involved with me because only a complete idiot would actually put a ton of effort into a bastard like you."

"No need to be so insulted, I just said the truth." Ivan smiled pleasantly, growing agitated.

"In a dickish fashion!" Alfred glared, "I don't sleep around. After fucking twice, and not just because I'm screwing around with a friend I do consider it more seriously. You know what, fine! I guess I'll see you when you have another accusation for me." He said, starting away. Ivan watched the other starting back towards the busy street.

"Alfred." He said, the other stopped seeming hesitantly before looking back at him, "How do I know you're not just trying to get me off this case?" Alfred blinked, as if confused as he looked back.

"Because your a really good lay, and I know you'd stop coming around if youwere. But that attitude of yours pisses me off a lot." Alfred said, smiling a bit, waving before continuing to walk away, and this time Ivan didn't say anything.