Chapter 6: Living Proof

Word Count: 4,996

"Yeah, I remember him," The man named Ludwig grunted, looking at the picture Ivan showed him, "He was here a few days ago with a couple of friends." The blond certainly didn't look pleased with that either.

"When did they leave?" Ivan asked, putting the picture away and ignoring the chatter of people around him, it seemed like a well off bar, though obviously not as popular as others.

"I kicked them out when we closed. Why?"

"It is suspected this is the last place this man came to before he died. Did he leave with the group he came in with?"

"Ja."

"Could you describe them for me?"

"I do not remember everybody who comes in here." Ludwig shook his head, "But you could ask my Brother, he might know. He was hanging out with them. Gilbert, he will probably show up soon."

"And can I ask you a few questions about Alfred?" The German man nodded, "Alright, was Alfred here the night that these people were here?"

"Ja, he usually doesn't come in often but I needed to...talk to him about a few things. Mostly his method of 'advertising' as he calls it," Ivan had to repress a knowing smile at that, "But he left before any of those people showed up. He didn't stay too long."

"Do you know where he went?"

"No."

"Alright, thank you." Ivan muttered.

Talking to Gilbert had certainly been... Interesting to say the least, but he had gotten the names of the friends, which is what he had been looking for. Of course talking to them was more unhelpful then he had thought. They didn't remember anything from that night, they had made it home, woke up with a hangover and not remembering much of anything from the night before. Which was irritating to say the least.

He knocked on Alfred's clear door, planning on talking to the other to see what else he did that night and if he knew the victim, of course he did, but he wanted to see Alfred's reaction. He looked down to see the mud stains, but there was fresh ones there. Now nearly completely dried dirt, but the centers were still slightly damp and cracking. This again. Perhaps he would also ask Alfred about that as well.

There was no answer though. Ivan knocked again. Still nothing. Frowning a bit, he stepped closer to the door and looked through the glass door. He saw a head of blond hair and figured that the other was ignoring him. After a moment, Ivan opened the door and stepped inside the cool house. Closing the door behind him, he walked over to where Alfred was laying down in front of the television to see that the other was fast asleep. A controller still in his hands and glasses on his face. There was a bit of drool making it's way out of Alfred's mouth onto the pillow he had been using probably as support for his elbows. Ivan looked at the television that showed a bloody 'game over' screen and was making some haunting noises. Ivan turned off the TV, it was annoying.

Looking back at Alfred, he supposed that the other hadn't been avoiding him. There were dark circles under the younger's eyes and he was lacking of any clothes other then his boxers. Ivan debated waking Alfred up, but went against the thought. It was actually interesting to watch Alfred sleep as his facial expressions changed from peaceful to paranoid and suspicious to confusion and anger then bliss. It was funny actually. Though perhaps he was paranoid because he could sense somebody close to him as he slept.

Kneeling down and reaching out, Ivan held the edges of each of Alfred's glasses, trying to take them off without the other waking. It failed quite quickly as Alfred startled awake, staring up at Ivan in shocked confusion, "Sorry." Ivan said as he released the glasses. Alfred blinked a couple times before sitting up and readjusting his glasses, yawning widely before looking groggily up at Ivan, rubbing his eyes.

"Why were you takin my glasses?" Alfred muttered quieter then Ivan had ever heard, still seeming very sleepy.

"They looked to be very uncomfortable sleeping in them." Ivan explained, sitting down on the carpet in front of Alfred, "It is nearly ten anyway."

"Fuck you, do you know when I finally fell asleep?"

"No, I do not."

"Six something, okay? Meaning I've only gotten..."

"Four hours."

"Yeah, four fucking hours." Alfred grumbled.

"Alfred, I know this might not be a good time, but I do have some things that I would like to talk to you about."

"Fine, just..." Alfred yawned, waving his hand, "what is it?"

"First I wanted to know where all you went after talking to Ludwig just a couple weeks ago?"

"Hm? Went out and had fun at a couple bars."

"I suppose there is nobody to give you an alibi?"

"I don't even remember everywhere I went. I go to different ones so that... Because I want to."

"Alfred, I already know you steal on a regular basis. You do not need to hide that." Alfred shrugged, looking up at Ivan as if to ask if that was all, "And I also wanted to ask if you knew this man." Ivan said as he pulled out a photo and handed it to Alfred.

"Dude, where do you keep that stuff?" Alfred questioned as he took the photo. He looked at it for a long moment, facial expression not really giving anything away. Then Alfred licked his lips and swallowed heavily, eyebrows turning down, "He-he's dead isn't he?"

Ivan was silent a moment before nodding, "Yes."

Alfred stared at the picture for a moment before handing it back. Ivan took it as Alfred put a hand to his forehead, "Yeah... I knew him... Good person." Ivan decided not to mention that some hadn't really said the same, then again Alfred probably drank with him at times. The other had talked somewhat highly of Alfred even though he stole from the victim. The family was saddened by the news but the family friend seemed quite pleased by it. Which showed something going on below the surface.

"You... Did not sleep with him did you?"

"What?" Alfred questioned, head snapping to look at Ivan in disbelief.

"I was just wondering..." A homosexual affair would certainly get quite a few people pissed off at the man, and perhaps the wife didn't know. She didn't seem to be begrudging towards her husband anyway.

"What? No- I- Fuck, you can really piss me off. I say a guy is a good person and that means I'm sleeping with the guy? No, it means he was an alright guy I sort of knew. At the moment I'm sleeping with an asshole, so how does that follow?"

"Calm down, it was not what you said," Alfred huffed at him, still looking pissed, "it is just how the family was acting that I wondered if he had a secret affair, maybe homosexual or otherwise. Just a theory."

"... Well I wasn't sleeping with him. Ensue that again and I might just kill you! I don't sleep with married men, that is wrong."

"You are getting more worked up about this then when I actually accused you of murder. It was just a question Alfred."

"It was a stupid question."

"Alright, it was just a stupid question Alfred."

"Thank you. Don't ever ask something like that again. He was a drinking buddy sometimes. That's it."

"Did you learn about his family life? Perhaps somebody else he was seeing?"

"Ah, wife and kid I think, ah... Worked...as a electioneer or something. That's about all I got. Why are you so set on him having an affair?"

"Like I said, it is just a theory."

"Gut feeling or something?"

"Something like that. Mostly this neighbor who was said he would basically throw a party for the killer."

"What, you don't suspect that guy?"

"No, he has no other connections to the other murders. Only thing we have is one motive for one murder. That is not much to go off of."

"Neither is one guys grudge or whatever."

"Well he did seem to be of an alternate sexual orientation."

"Technical enough for you?"

Ivan shrugged, "I cannot offend people by such simple things. I would get nowhere."

"Right. Well the dude loved his family, so you don't have to worry about an affair."

Ivan was silent for a moment, watching as Alfred looked at the carpet in between his feet, picking at the strains there. He opened his mouth to say something when his phone rang. Ivan sighed and pulled it out and put it to his ear. "Hello?" Alfred watched the other, oblivious to the other side of the conversation, "Yes, what is it?" Alfred watched the other as Ivan's eyes widened slightly and his eyebrows raised, "You found what?" Ivan looked towards Alfred a moment before looking back another way, "Yes yes, I will be right there." Ivan assured before hanging up, "I have to go." He stood up quickly.

"What? Just like that? What did you find?"

"If it is anything to do with you then you will hear of it." Ivan assured as he walked out of the house, closing the door behind him. Alfred frowned heavily as he heard the car leave the driveway a couple minutes later. It couldn't be that they found his latest target, right? Oh fuck now he was really pissed off.

"How is he?" Ivan asked.

"Alive." Toris smiled, "Other then a few bruises he's fine."

"What happened?"

"An employee showed up at his work, usually it's closed for the weekend but the boiler had broken the day before so she volunteered to come in the weekend just to let the mechanic in. Noticed the place was broken into and called the police. Who found him inside."

"How fortunate. Come nightfall he would have been dead... He is alright, yes?" Ivan asked. Toris nodded again.

"He let us take some blood to see if there was anything still in his system, we'll need to get it back to the lab but he's fine. He doesn't have a concussion luckily, but he was hit to the back of the head with some sort of blunt object." Ivan nodded, looking into the hospital room that the man was still checked into, head bandaged and perhaps bleeding. He was smiling broadly, holding his small son on his lap and rubbing his wife's arm, relief clear.

"Does he remember anything?" Ivan asked.

"He didn't see his attacker at all."

"Smell anything unique?"

"He said he didn't smell anything abnormal it seemed. No cologne or anything. Then again, according to him it happened very fast and without warning while he was walking back home from work." Toris said, explaining the route the other had taken and where he had been attacked.

"Still, he lived and that is enough for me. I want two federal agents, whoever is free and capable to watch him and make sure that he is not attacked again." They didn't get absolutely nothing out of it. They actually had the chains that Ivan could only assume and hope had been used in all the crimes. Ivan considered questioning the man, but watching him talking to his family he thought different. He doubted that the other wouldn't be intimidated by him. Everybody was. It seemed that the only person he'd been able to just talk to as of late was Alfred who seemed to be perfectly fine with saying anything, including insulting him. And that one blond, Feliks. Other then the rare occurrence, Ivan stuck with what he could do. He didn't question victims. He interrogated suspects.

The chains, and blood and urine sample went to the lab for analysis, which would take a couple days at least. Ivan did a background check on the family. They were all very clean of any real record. They had a teenage daughter that had committed suicide a couple years ago. Ivan looked into it, though her facebook page was enough. Kids at her school had insulted her for being a slut and ragging on her for getting an abortion, calling her a murderer and all sorts of devastating things that made even Ivan's heart sink slightly. Whether somebody was for or against abortion, it was no reason at all to say such despicable things. Then again, like most people he had a soft spot for any child or young adult. It was at a younger age of victims that one really paused to think 'this was somebody's baby'.

So done with looking through that, Ivan went to the place that the man had been attacked, looking around. He knew it was the right place when he saw some blood along the ground. Ivan knelt down, looking at it. The injury wasn't too deep, but head injuries did tend to bleed a lot. He followed it as far as he could, though it didn't go far sadly. It ended in the alley right near where he had been attacked. There wasn't much disturbance in anything. there was some trash along the ground, and going by the blood drops if they had been dragged then the things would have been scrapped aside by the dead weight eventually, not sitting flat and nearly completely crumpled in the blood's path. It could have been that it had happened there in the last day or so after the kidnap, but more then two scraps of garbage was unlikely.

If the man was not dragged along the ground then he was carried on something or by someone. Since there was a trail the back of his head was most likely facing the ground, especially since there wasn't much blood on the back of the shirt the man was wearing. Not enough for him to have been being carried on the suspects back. Which honestly would have been the easiest with such dead weight, that or a fireman's carry. But neither seemed to have happened in this scenario. The only other two ways would be if somebody was strong enough to carry the victim around his stomach and dangle him above the ground or bridal style.

If this person was as smart as he probably was with being able to get away with so many bloody murders then they would hold the person in a way that got the least blood on them. So that would be that they were held around the waist or stomach. That would be very difficult though. Still. If they were carried like that, there would be some sort of evidence on the shirt the man wore. Whether skin cells or some sort of shirt fabric, it would help. They never found much on other victims, but that was after the killer had had time with the body and could probably tamper with whatever was there. This time they hadn't had that time.

Alfred balled his fist by his head, feeling very pissed off. Actually, more enraged really. He buried his head in his pillow. "Alfred, you should have known better. Picking a fight with a group of people, some of them twice your size? Even you have your limits." Matthew sighed.

Alfred grumbled, taking the arm back that Matthew was trying to wrap up, "Not my fault they had weapons."

"You could have gotten really hurt, okay? You're just lucky they thought you were drunk." Alfred didn't say anything, not looking at his twin. The younger sighed slightly, "Do you want to talk about whatever is bugging you?"

"Not really." He could tell Matthew was there despite his unwillingness to answer. Matthew usually was good with helping him with his problems, he always had been. They always were close and Alfred always told Matthew everything. But not with any of this. Even if it meant shutting his brother out, he wouldn't say anything.

"Is it about Ivan?"

"...a bit. Not really." It wasn't Ivan's fault. He had messed up. He did something idiotic and somehow screwed up. He grabbed the pillow and pulled it over his head, ignoring the pain in his wrist.

"Well...promise me that whatever it is that you won't go around trying to pick fights."

"I know."

"You should go to the hospital."

"No thanks." Matthew let out another soft sigh and stood up after a moment.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me Alfred." Matthew waited for a response, but when he didn't get one he frowned, worried for his brother as he opened the door and closed it behind him, walking back downstairs into his room. Alfred sighed, rolling over and pushing the pillow off of him. He did need a healthier way to vent his anger. He really needed to kill somebody "No, I don't need to kill, that's ridiculous. It's just like a hobby... yeah totally sounds less psycho." But damn was he angry, still getting into fights wasn't the best idea. They probably would have killed him regardless of them being drunk or not, but Alfred could hold his own. It was just an unfair fight. He could handle six guys, but when most of them had weapons and he didn't...

Alfred shifted and hissed at the pain in his body. At least it wasn't a gun, he wouldn't have been able to talk Matthew out of not going to the hospital. Still, the fact that the police had 'saved' that guy pissed him off to no end and he needed to vent somehow. Nearly made him see red, or so he imagined. "He needs to die." But he had to wait. He wanted the man dead now and killed brutally. Just thinking about tearing the chainsaw through him, ripping into the abdomen and tearing into the intestines, up into the stomach. Even if it did smell, the sound of complete and unmatchable agony would be worth it, then the hitch the chainsaw would give when it hit the spinal cord, wanting to rip out of his grip, but he was always careful with that whip back. If tearing through flesh created the sound of beautiful agony, the bones and nerves in the spine being harmed was even better and the very thought made a pleasant shiver down his own spine.

"Stop. What the fuck are you thinking?" He closed his eyes. He had to get a hold of himself. Maybe he could just take a break for a little just to get away from it for a moment "No, you can't just stop. You need to kill." Just a small break couldn't hurt, right? "You're already so angry. Aren't you suppose to be the hero? You can't let them live." A hero, what a joke. A hero wouldn't enjoy... god, how long had he been enjoying it without realizing it? The second time had been kind of an accident, not his typical chainsaw murder that he did all the time now. Before it had been sort of seeing red moment. If Arthur hadn't been on the police force and covered for him... he would have been dead. But it wasn't his fault that time... okay yeah it was. But the man was going to hurt Mattie, and badly so to fuck with what others said. In fact, that's the only reason that Arthur let him off the hook. Mattie didn't remember thankfully, he had blocked if from his memory. But had that really been the start?

He hadn't enjoyed it then, then again he was so pissed off and angry that he wasn't really thinking or feeling at all. Had he enjoyed it after that? Maybe it was okay to enjoy it? "No. Don't even start thinking that. Monster." He supposed he was a monster, still hurt to think it though. Really it did. But he knew it was true. Why was everything so complicated? "Just focus." That's right, he had bigger issues at the moment. The cops had a man that he had come so very close to killing. He already knew the man hadn't seen him, or else they would have been everywhere to arrest him today. But they took his chains, so he'd have to get new ones. He couldn't buy them. Wouldn't Ivan just fucking love that? But he was sure he could get them pretty easily without Ivan knowing.

But it would take a little, so he'd have to wait. /Really? I'm going to start lying to myself? I can't put off killing people. Get back in the ball game." Like fuck he was going to be killing anybody with his wrist hurting him. Even if that sort of made him weak. "Get over your feelings. You knew you would die when you started this, you knew that you would eventually get caught and be sentenced to death. How is anything worse?" He wished that he could convince himself of that. He wasn't done, he needed- not needed, he just... there was more people to kill.

What if the killing was just because he was angry? What if it was just for enjoyment? And that he was just making excuses to himself, trying to play hero in a twisted fantasy that he provided himself? The very thought sounded crazy and like he was insane just thinking about it, but what if it was true?

He heard a knock at his door, but ignored it. Even if it was Matthew coming back, he didn't really want to talk to even his brother. After a moment, he heard the door open and close, some footsteps sounding. Well seemed like Mattie was going to talk to him regardless. He didn't move from facing the back of the couch, hoping that the other didn't really want to talk or at least not for long. The other wasn't very talkative on a regular basis usually. He felt a hand lay gently on his shoulder. A bit shocked, he turned to look up at Ivan. "No way, the world doesn't hate me that much." But apparently it did, "Ivan, what are you doing here?" Alfred asked, sitting up a bit on the couch.

"I wanted to apologize about leaving so suddenly... I did want to talk to you longer." The older looked him up and down, "What happened to you?"

"Just a small scuffle. It's nothing."

"A scuffle?" Ivan hummed, brushing his thumb lightly under a cut across Alfred's cheek. Alfred moved away from the touch. Ivan knelt down on the floor, "Some scuffle." He took Alfred's injured and half-wrapped wrist. The blond didn't object as he continued Matie's work to start wrapping it, a bit tighter then his brother had been but not painful... well not in comparison to how it was already hurt. "Most the time when I see you you are usually smiling... unless you are insulting me of course."

Alfred gave a small half-hearted smile at that, "Yeah... I guess I just don't really feel like smiling today."

"Something happen?"

"You mean other then getting my ass kicked?"

"Yes, other then that... your brother glared at me and said some things to me."

"Sorry, he's a bit over protective of me. We both are."

"You two are close."

"...yeah." Alfred said, looking down into his lap. He should just come up with some excuse, maybe say that he was just upset about his broken pride or some shit like that. Obviously, he knew if Ivan ever found out that he was the person the FBI was trying to find he would be in prison before he could say damn it. "Hey Ivan? Do you think... that this murderer... do you think he'll go after Matthew ever? And don't give me some shitty lie to make me feel better. I want to know if you think there's a chance."

Ivan didn't say anything for a moment, maybe hesitating. "Why do you think I know?"

Alfred thought for a moment. He looked down at Ivan, "Because you're smart. And I think you'll be the one who'll be able to catch this killer." /"You're the only one who's suspected me. Not even your co-workers really suspected me. I could tell with just meeting them once. So of course you'll catch me if anybody."/

Ivan sighed, moving to sit by Alfred on the couch once Alfred's wrist was completely bandaged. "I am glad to see you at least have some faith in me." Ivan wrapped his arm loosely around Alfred's shoulder and played with his hair. Alfred leaned into the others shoulder, nuzzling lightly into it. "No, I do not think so. I cannot say for sure obviously, but I highly doubt it."

"Why?"

"Well, most of the people who have been killed were alcoholics, probably leaving the bars and met in such places. You would be more at risk of being killed then your brother."

"I'm more worried about Matthew... I mean what if he has met the murderer? I mean he doesn't have much friends but they could be anybody and... like...k-kill him with a chainsaw and I wouldn't know what I would do anymore."

"Alfred," Ivan wrapped his hand around the back of his neck lightly, not enough to cause pain against any bruises and lifted his chin to meet the violet gaze he had been avoiding in the conversation revolving around whether he would end up killing his own brother. "Listen alright, I promise that your brother will be safe from such things. I cannot tell you how. It is like a gut feeling I suppose, I know it is not much. Besides, can you see anybody trying to hurt your brother? I do not even think that a murderer would kill your soft-spoken brother. I think that your brother would even be able to convince the killer into a confession even." Ivan smiled, maybe laying it on a little thick, but seeing Alfred so upset actually rattled him for some reason.

Alfred let out a small, short lived laugh. "Yeah...I guess you're right." Alfred muttered softly, leaning into the comforting man. He did feel a lot better with the other here even if Ivan provided more problems then he helped most of the time. And really Ivan had been kind of right he supposed. He doubt he could ever get angry enough that he would ever hurt Matthew. He didn't know if Matthew would be able to convince him to confess, but if anybody could do it, it would definitely be his twin. "Thanks." Alfred said, leaning away from the other, rubbing at his wet eye.

"... Alfred, I do not want you to be hanging around bars anymore."

"Hm? Why not? Afraid I'll get caught stealing or something?" Alfred asked, finishing with rubbing his eyes dry. Ivan hadn't answered and it hit him. He looked up at the taller sitting next to him, smile growing a bit, "Or are you worried I'll be targeted?"

"Well I mean, if you are worrying about your brother of all people I think somebody should worry about you considering how much you are out getting into trouble."

"Ah, you're so sweet Ivan~" Alfred smiled, hugging the other around the neck and pulling him close and nuzzling into the soft silverish hair. "But I thought you suspected me?"

"I am not saying I am ruling you out. But, I suppose I can give you the benefit of the doubt for the time being and while I am doing that yes, I suppose I will worry for you."

"Uh-huh. You act like you just decided 'oh, I think I'll worry about Alfred.' Come on Ivan, that's not how emotions work." Ivan smiled, not saying anything. Alfred kissed those smiling lips briefly. "Hey Ivan, have you ever told a lie? Like even a small one, like even stealing a cookie and lying about it when you were little."

"Alfred, I do not think you will find a single person who has never told a lie. And yes, I have lied before. Why?"

"Because you're so cute and innocent, like a baby."

"I do not know if I should feel insulted or not."

"Don't worry, you are sexy too." Alfred smiled, nipping the others ear a bit. "Thanks for cheering me up." Because really, having Ivan worry about him being murdered, while kind of ironic and sad in it's own way, amused him to no end. And really, that was just about the fastest way to cheer him up. Though he was still upset of course, at least it wasn't a present concern anymore.

"Yes, I also wanted to tell you yesterday that I was alright with... going with whatever relationship we are having."

"That sounds wonderful." Alfred nuzzled into the others scarf. Yes, he was quite cheered up. He sort of felt ecstatic now actually. "Does that mean you're up to having sex tonight? I mean, why else would you come so late?"

"You are quite blunt." Ivan informed, but didn't get to say anything else as lips sealed over his own.