Sugar Freaks
Or, the one in which Light watches as L meets D.
L entered the shop first, to the tinkle of a small bell. Light followed a step behind.
The outside looked a little disreputable, but the inside was surprisingly spacious and clean for a pet shop. In fact, it looked like a boudoir rather than a normal pet shop. There were no pet cages to be seen yet. There was a smell of incense in the air; however, it was not unpleasant.
The two detectives shared a glance. Looks suspicious already.
Then a willowy figure glided out from an open doorway. "Welcome. How may I help you?"
"Are you the owner?" L asked.
The dark-haired man nodded. "My name is Count D. Are you here to buy a pet?" Although he looked quite feminine, he was most definitely a man, with broad shoulders and narrow hips. His hair was black and blunt-cut in a bob that ended just below his sharp chin, and his different colored eyes were very distinctive. Heterochromia iridium, the detectives noted absently. He wore a black silk cheongsam with white and purple peonies, and black silk pants.
"No, we're detectives. My name is Rue Ryuuzaki."
"Kita Hikaru." Light introduced himself.
"We're here to ask you some questions about a case. But first, I've brought some cake!" L held up his bag of cake boxes. L bought them with the intention to 'break the ice' but Light knew he just wanted an excuse to eat more cake.
D's calm expression flickered into something like glee when he noticed the expensive brand. "Oh, let's do. Please have a seat while I bring out some plates."
L and Light looked around the room curiously while D went into the kitchen. He soon came out pushing a little trolley.
"A full English tea!" L said with pleasure, admiring the delicate china.
D smiled as he laid out the tea cups. "You are British, are you not?"
Light opened the boxes and served the cakes, for L was completely useless that way. Meanwhile, the other two men were looking at the cakes in greedy anticipation.
"By the way, you seem strangely calm and unsuspicious," L remarked. "You didn't even ask to see our IDs."
Count D smiled. "I am familiar with the local enforcement officials. And you two seem like honest and trustworthy men. Kita-san, in particular, has the bearing of a stereotypical officer of law." He winked at Light, who smiled back warmly.
When Count D turned to reach for the tea pot, Light smirked at L, who ignored him.
"But what if we aren't who we say?"
"Oh, I can protect myself, I assure you," Count D said. Even though he looked as delicate as a doll, L and Light somehow didn't doubt that statement.
And thus began a strange tea party. L sat hunched like a gargoyle in his chair. Beside him, Light was seated primly, his legs crossed. D was as equally elegant and pretty as Light. Taking center stage on the round table was a huge three-tiered cake stand with an impressive amount of cake.
Count D served tea. Then Light watched, astonished, as both Count D and L stirred in about ten cubes of sugar each into their tiny tea cups.
"I see we would have no problems finishing the cakes," Light remarked dryly. He never thought he would find another sugar freak like L.
Conversation was interesting. To their surprise, the two detectives found Count D to be quite intelligent and subtle. He was certainly very knowledgeable and passionate about animals. When questioned about the case, he readily admitted that he had sold the two men, on separate occasions, pets. One bought a small dog, and the other a kitten.
"I have the receipts, and I'm sure you can find witnesses. Mr Tavez came to my shop around lunch time - I remember he interrupted my meal quite rudely - and that's always a busy time in Chinatown. Mr Smith came late in the afternoon… In fact, I think I had another customer at that time. Mrs Bird, who comes every week to buy seeds for her birds."
"Mrs Bird," L repeated with a straight face.
"Yes, she's about eighty years old and she has six birds," Count D replied.
Throughout it all, L and D ate cake. A lot of cake. Light felt ill just thinking about the sheer amount of sugar being consumed in front of him. In contrast, Light had a small slice, and lots of unsweetened tea.
"So, I'm assuming that something happened to Mr Tavez and Mr Smith? That's why the police are involved?"
"They were murdered. Quite brutally in fact," Light said, watching Count D's face carefully. "Mauled, it seems, by large animals."
"Goodness." Count D raised a hand to cover his lips. His eyes widened slightly, but remained calm, unshocked.
"Yes. And it was interesting. Upon investigation by the police, records of illegal animal smuggling was discovered in their homes," L added.
This statement drew a stronger reaction from the petshop owner. His eyes flashed and his tone sharpened. "The poor animals."
"Yes. One might say they deserved it," Light remarked, baiting Count D.
"They certainly do," Count D sniffed. "I make no apologies for that statement; it's my opinion."
Light raised a brow. Privately, he agreed with Count D. Even though he had been cleared of suspicion as Kira, he often found himself in private agreement with some of Kira's judgements and methods.
"Perhaps it was fortunate the case turned out this way. Their deaths and subsequent investigations in fact led us to uncover the animal smuggling," Light continued.
Count D looked slyly pleased. "So, a silver lining amidst this misfortune."
Light and Count D shared a small smirk.
"Nonetheless, while the smuggling ring is a big deal, we still have to find the murderer, or murderers," L said, looking a little displeased at being out of the loop.
"It sounds to me like those men were killed by animals," Count D noted.
"This is LA; animals large or lethal enough to kill humans won't suddenly appear. Someone must have facilitated the killing," L replied, looking at Count D intently.
"Well, good luck to you then, detectives. As I said, I would be glad to show you the receipts that I have only sold them pets. This is, after all, a pet shop." Count D looked unflappable. "We simply do not have the size to house large animals."
Count D began clearing their cups. Taking their cue to leave, Light stood up. "Well then, we thank you for your time, Count D." He gave a warm smile, turning his full charm upon the shopkeeper.
"My pleasure." Count D gave a slight bow. He smiled at L."Thank you so much for your cake."
When he turned to Light, his smile became slightly flirtatious. "It was lovely meeting you."
The two detectives left the petshop with no answers and more suspicions than before. L turned to Light accusingly. "Stop flirting with the suspects!"
Light raised a brow. "What are you on about?"
"It was lovely meeting you?" L repeated.
"He meant the two of us, you twit." Light rolled his eyes.
L scoffed. He stuck his hands in his baggy pockets, frowning. "He's connected to those murders. Definitely."
Light hummed. In all honesty, he thought the two men deserved their comeuppance. And if Count D was the one who delivered it…
"You're just mad because he ate so much of your cake," Light teased.
L scowled. That was true.
L pulled out his phone, which had buzzed, and read the message. "LA chief of police. Says we are to work with a local officer here on this case." His frown deepened; L always hated working with the local officials.
"Oh?" Light, on the other hand, didn't find the task onerous. Probably because he could almost always charm the local officials into helping. Before he started working with L, the local police tended to regard L with a mixture of awe and suspicion, particularly since L preferred to communicate with them from a laptop and a gothic letter. However, unless they suspected that the local police was compromised, Light preferred to show up in person. He had better results that way.
"What's the name?" Light asked interestedly. After a few years, he had gotten to know quite a number of people in law enforcement agencies all over the world.
"Some detective called Leon Orcot."
"Huh."
~ End ~