It was clear that he only wanted to let Ellie know that he was also interested in that particular line of inquiry, and thus had no reason other than that to make eye contact with her at all, so that he wouldn't be seen to be muscling in. Jade was the focus here, and if nothing else Sephiroth still felt a certain duty towards the man even if they didn't work together anymore.

Jade had gone that much further than just as far as honor might once have bound them together as comrades.

Silently, Sephiroth nodded along as Jade answered and then Ellie proceeded down her line of questioning. It all made very much more sense than her -he thought- patchy theories on Downapolis at that time. Intriguing, if more than a little concerning, to think that the murderer would go to the trouble of slaughtering two innocent passers-by in the wake of Jade's murder; to remove witnesses? To add a personal thorn in the side of the general populace and so make the crime impossible to be ignored?

Of course, it could easily have been an escalation the culprit felt was needed.

"Hm," Was the only noise made, in support of Ellie and waiting for Jade's response.