L stared at the screen as a message flashed across it. All data deleted. His mouth opened slightly. "Watari?" he whispered. "Watari!" he grabbed the sides of the computer and shouted again, eyes widening, "Watari!" A hand on his shoulder pulled L back. He took a deep breath and looked around. "Shinigami. Where's the Shinigami?" his mind was racing. Why Watari? Who's next? Then it clicked. "Wait! This is about Misa, yes?" Up in the rafters, Rem froze. The pen in his hand remained poised above the page. Light frowned and glanced around, looking for Rem.
"What do you mean, is this about Misa?" L's large eyes turned to focus on Light.
"He's trying to save her. This confirms my idea. Misa is or was definitely the Second Kira. If I test the notebook, it will be shown that the rule is a fake." He dropped eye contact with Light and peered into the darkness. "Rem. You cleared Misa's memory before. Could you do it again?"
"Yes," came a low growl from above them. All the officers and Light stared up into the darkness, but L's eyes had come to rest on the blank computer screen.
"If you do that," he said quietly, "I could let her go. Now, with this new information I have come to a solid conclusion." He took a deep breath, and faced the task force.
"Light Yagami is Kira. During his confinement his memory was cleared similarly to Misa. He made this decision consciously because Misa has regained possession of the Second notebook and therefore this was part of a plan. I assume that her memories returned due to her coming in contact with the notebook. This would fit my theory that Lights memories were returned when we retrieved the original notebook from Higuchi. Kira and Second Kira, or Light and Misa, have been working together since the notebook was returned." Light's mouth dropped open a little.
"Are we back to that? I'm not Kira!" he shouted, but L ignored him.
"Rem, will you leave me and the rest of the task force alone if I agree to let Misa go after you've cleared her memories?" The Shinigami hesitated, and then nodded.
"She'll be safe from the police, and from Light?"
"Yes."
"Should I do it now?" Light interrupted,
"This is ridiculous!" L brought his thumb to his lips, but his back stayed facing the task force. "Misa can't be the Second Kira, and I'm not Kira! You have no proof!" L sighed.
"One of the notebooks is here. You can't be using that one. That means that Misa has it, based on Rem's reaction to me testing the false rule. If we were to search her apartment now, would we find it?"
"Yes," replied Rem calmly. Light's face lit up with fury.
"You can't believe a word he says! He's a Shinigami. He killed Watari, and he almost killed you!" L shrugged, his back was hunched, and his eyes fell to the floor, leaden and weary.
"We can always just search the apartment and if it's not there, then I was wrong. Right . . . Kira." Light ran forward and shoved L, sending him flying forward into the computer screen.
"I . . . am not, Kira!" he screamed. L lay on the desk, glass from the broken screen surrounding him. His eyes gazed blankly at the ceiling.
"We'll see." Light made to hit him again, when Matsuda and Aisawa grabbed his arms.
"Come on Light." Aisawa snapped the cuffs onto Light's wrists. "I'll take these off if we don't find the notebook in Misa's house."
"Are you alright, Ryuzaki?" L nodded to Matsuda and sat up. He climbed off the desk.
"Rem. You may clear her mind after we find it." Rem looked away from the small task force.
"Okay." Light snarled at the Shinigami and pulled against the cuffs.
"I'm not Kira! I can't be. You read the rules!" He was ignored, and the two detectives dragged him away from L.
"Matsuda?"
"Yes!"
"Where is Chief Yagami?" Matsuda's brows furrowed.
"Um . . . I thought he was here." L's eyes darted to the only working computer, and watched through the security cameras as Chief Yagami ran from the building and climbed hastily into his car.
"He's going to go get the notebook before we do. Aisawa, call Mogi. Tell him not to let Chief Yagami into the apartment."
"Right away." As his hand dropped Light's arm to grab the phone, the boy lunged forward knocking Matsuda off balance. He hurled himself into L, and the two tumbled to the floor. Light reached for L's throat, but a heel slammed hard into his face, and he reeled backwards. Light tried to catch his balance with his arms, but the handcuffs restricted his movement and he crashed to the ground. L stood and walked to the door.
"Did you reach Mogi?" Aisawa nodded. "Good. Then the both of you can keep track of Kira. I'm going to get the notebook. Rem, you can come with me." Matsuda and Aisawa restrained Light as L and the Shinigami slipped out of the room.