Well I was very happy with all the reviews I received and I would just like to say thank you! Please continue to give me reviews and if you have any constructive criticism I would appreciate it. Enjoy.


Chapter Two: Brutus

L knocked on the door to Brutus' room. There was no answer. He waited a moment but there was still no answer. Finally, L opened the door to find an empty room. He walked in, observing the outline of the room. Now, where would he hide a locket if he were Brutus?

Mary Jane and Estelle stayed behind, as though there was an invisible force that would not allow them to pass. L noticed this but did not mind. He simply looked around, hoping to spot a good hiding place for a locket.

"Keep watch," L finally said, their stillness annoying him. The two girls nodded and walked down the hall.

L began to search the room once more. At the same time the machines in his head began to turn. Why would Brutus want to steal something of such little value to him? What could he possibly gain? There simply was no motive.

L made his way towards the beds. He wasn't sure which one was Brutus' so he began to lift up the mattresses to each one. Mattresses were one of the main hiding places in a household. L lifted one of the mattresses to find a small gold object lying next to about two pounds.

Just as L was about to grab the locket, he heard footsteps from down the hall. He paused for a moment and decided to leave the locket where it was. After putting the mattress down, L sped for the door to Brutus' room but he was too late. Brutus, along with two of his companions, was blocking the exit.

"Oy, what the bloody hell are you doing in my room?" Brutus asked as he towered over L. L looked up at the tall fifteen year old showing no fear.

"I'm looking for the locket you stole from Mary Jane," L answered simply. Brutus' almond eyes immediately flashed with anger. His two companions, Chester and Charlie, grinned slightly just to rub it in their leader's face.

"I didn't steal any locket," Brutus snapped.

"I'm ninety nine percent sure you did," L replied coolly.

"What did you say shrimp!" Brutus yelled furiously as he grabbed L's shirt by the collar. L made no motion to break free from Brutus' grip.

"That's jumbo shrimp to you!" L yelled back. He was surprised at himself for raising his voice so loudly.

"L is an oxymoron?" Charlie said as he turned to Chester who just simply shrugged off the question.

"Why you!" Brutus shouted, his face turning bright red with anger. L remained as still as possible, awaiting his fate. Brutus dragged L out of his room and down the hall. He stopped in front of one of the cupboards that were located all over the Wammy House. Brutus opened the door and he, along with his two comrades, hoisted L to one of the upper shelves. Before L had any time to get down, Brutus slammed the cupboard door shut leaving him in complete darkness. He heard Brutus place something in front of the door so he could not escape followed by footsteps as they left him in his predicament.

L placed his knees close to his body so they would not dangle in mid air. So much for Mary Jane and Estelle keeping watch for him. He wondered where they had wandered off to anyway. Now he would have to try and figure out where Brutus would re-hide the locket. There was no doubt he would move it to a new location now that he knew L was onto him. But where was the question.

L began to suck his thumb in the darkness of the cupboard just as he used to before the other children at the orphanage began to criticize him for it. It pacified him as well as helped him to think. However, he had to change his methods of thinking by simply placing his finger close to his lips in order to avoid ridicule. But now there was no one to mock him of his thinking methods so he did as he pleased.

As L continued to think about where this locket would be moved to he wondered what time it was. To the best of his abilities, he figured about ten o' clock in the evening maybe even eleven. L used the top of his knees as a pillow and began to rest his head. He did not think it would be this tiring sitting up in a cupboard for about three hours. The boy wondered if anyone would soon come to find him. Perhaps Mary Jane and Estelle would realize that he had been gone for a long time and think to check his room but he highly doubted that. It looked like he would be spending the night in the dark cupboard.

"He must be in here, there's a chair against the door!" L suddenly heard someone say from just outside the door. He opened his eyes to see tiny bits of light seeping through the cracks of the door. He must have fallen asleep at some point but when? The last thing L remembered was thinking about the little mouse that had made its way into the cupboard for shelter sometime around one in the morning.

The cupboard door opened to reveal Mr. Wammy along with Mary Jane, Estelle, Carlisle, and a few other children staring at him. For a moment, L enjoyed the fact that he had to look down at everyone instead of looking up.

"L, what are you doing in here?" Mr. Wammy asked. L just looked down at everyone, his eyes still adjusting to the light. He continued to hold his legs close to his body just as he had done all night.

After giving L a few moments to answer his question (which L still had failed to do), Mr. Wammy reached his arms out to bring the boy down. L hesitated a moment before he allowed Mr. Wammy to bring him back down to ground level. Mary Jane and Estelle were about to speak until Mr. Wammy began to lead L down the corridor. They probably wanted to explain why they had left L in his predicament in the first place.

"This way L," Mr. Wammy said as he took a hold of L's small hand. The two walked silently down the corridors as children ran by. L looked down at the floor, not wanting to look up at Mr. Wammy's occasional glances. He wondered if he was in any sort of trouble for sneaking into Brutus' room. After all, he didn't possess a search warrant at the time. What if this "breaking and entering" incident meant that L would be forced to leave the Wammy House? But Mr. Wammy would never do that. Still, where would he go if he was forced to leave? Questions of paranoia about leaving the Wammy House soon engulfed the little detective's mind.

Mr. Wammy soon led L towards his office. The office. L remembered the first time he had entered Mr. Wammy's office. It was snowing and the air had been bitter cold. He remembered Mr. Wammy leading him down the hall, both of their shoes squeaking from the snow. The memory was a projection flashing in his head. He could remember exactly what he was wearing along with what Mr. Wammy was wearing and even some of the children they met as they passed by. Now he was re-entering the very same room.

Mr. Wammy motioned for L to be seated. It was strange how the first time he had entered this office it felt warm and comforting. Now it felt cold and distant. L looked around and noticed the similarities between the first time he had visited the room and now. He recognized the same picture of Mr. Wammy that rested on his desk.

Mr. Wammy took a seat at his desk. L lifted his legs up and rested them on the edge of the chair just as he had done that night. Mr. Wammy noticed this sudden change of posture but made no notion to ask.

"L do you know why I brought you here?" Mr. Wammy asked.

"Because I broke into Brutus' room without a proper search warrant," L answered.

"No," Mr. Wammy answered though he could not help but to smirk slightly at L's comment, "I am going to be frank L. I am concerned about you and your interaction with the other children at the orphanage. You spent an entire evening in a cupboard."

"I can explain the cupboard incident. Brutus put me in the cupboard because I found the locket that he stole from Mary Jane under his mattress," L said. Mr. Wammy raised an eyebrow at this remark.

"Why would he take Mary Jane's locket?" Mr. Wammy asked.

"I don't know yet but I'm working out the possibilities," L replied and he frowned, "But now I have to find more evidence because Brutus probably moved the locket to a different location."

"I see..." Mr. Wammy said, folding his hands in front of him as he listened to the child's accusations, "How did you arise to this conclusion in the first place?"

"Simple observation similar to what Sherlock Holmes does," L said. He had read all of the Sherlock Holmes stories at least twice. To L, Sherlock Holmes was what most children call an idol or role model. The little detective most likely picked up some of his observant skills from the world famous fictional detective. Mr. Wammy stared down at the boy for a moment only to sigh.

"Alright then, you may leave to get ready for breakfast this morning," Mr. Wammy said. Just as L was about to leave, Mr. Wammy rose from his seat and patted the little boys head. L gave a small smile before leaving Mr. Wammy's office. Mr. Wammy waited a moment before departing from his office as well.


The line "that's jumbo shrimp to you" is my original line and is in the process of getting copyrighted XD. You can see Vic Mignogna saying it in my profile or on youtube.