Chapter 2

I couldn't help watching him wolf down his cake. It was his third so far, but God knows how many he previously had that day before I arrived. He had worked his way through a strawberry shortcake, and two ForĂȘt Noire. I stared at Ryuzaki intently. Nothing fazed him, as always.

When he picked up the menu to order a fourth cake, I placed my hand on top of his. "I don't mind you ordering whatever you want," I began, "but I need to know what the hell is going on."

He looked up at me, eyes wide. It was his neutral face, which, to other people, might appear to be a "crazy, psycho, rape face."

"One more cake," he told me, almost pleadingly. "Ryuzaki..." I sighed. He signaled the waitress over, and asked for an Angel's Food Cake. "Ugh... How can you eat that?" I asked disgustedly. "I know you prefer Devil's Food cake," he smiled. The fourth dessert arrived, and he dug into it. Sometimes, I wondered if his stomach was a bottomless pit... In a few minutes, the plate had been polished clean. Only minute crumbs indicated that anything had been on it.

"Can we please leave now?" I asked, nearly begging. Ryuzaki stared at me. I so wanted to whack him on the head. "How about some cake for the journey?" He asked, thumb in mouth. "Come along boy," I snapped. I dragged him out by his shirt sleeve. If I was any more annoyed, I would have reached for his ear.

We got into the car. "Ryuzaki, if you don't start explaining this crap to me, I'm gonna drive so fast, you'll throw up, ok? I don't care if I get a fine, as long as you tell me what's going on," I said, buckling my seatbelt. "Keep your hair on, Lumie," he said. He was joking, but his voice was monotone. Yeah, good old L.

"If I recall, you don't own a television, correct?" He asked. I nodded. "Nor do you read the newspapers, or keep up to date with events?"

"No... I'm an LA based detective, so I have no need to know what's happening anywhere else," I shrugged, "if I want to know something, I can always ask the guys back home."

L... Ryuzaki nodded slowly. "So I'll jump right in. It's all going to sound completely ridiculous though..." He muttered. "Hit me with all you've got. I've seen and heard worse in LA," I said.

"Very well... Three months ago, certain deaths occurred here in Japan. Prisoners sentenced for death began dying one by one in their cells. The cause of death was always the same," he said. "Stabbing? Strangling? Trauma by blunt force?" I tried to guess. "No... Heart attacks."

I slammed down on the brakes. "All of them?" I cried. Ryuzaki nodded seriously.

"You weren't kidding when you said it would sound ridiculous," I said, laughing nervously. "The crimes continued for a few weeks before we decided to step in," he said.

I paused. "If so many people were getting killed... Why didn't you step in sooner?" I asked. L... Ryuzaki looked at me blankly. "Don't tell me you... You didn't want to?!" I cried. "You know the way I work..." He shrugged. "But surely more than a hundred people had been murdered!"

Ryuzaki sighed deeply... "I love what I do, Lumie... But sometimes... Even the best need a break," he said. I looked at him oddly. "That's the first time you've said something that makes sense," I smiled. Slowly, I reached my hand across to him, stroking his cheek. He purred like a kitten. Then I asked him to continue.

"Interpol decided to interfere when the deaths reached 52 in just a week. They were all just as confused about the cause of death. So I decided to step in. But I needed help from the police."

"I sent Watari to Interpol to tell them that I had already involved myself in the case. Apparently, they were thinking of contacting me. I requested the immediate help of all police, all over the world."

"And they agreed?" I asked. "Of course... It was a monstrous crime... And they all acknowledged that,' he said. "Wow, L... You seriously are as awesome as they say," I grinned. "So are you in a bind now? Is that why you called me?"

"Clever Lumie... Actually, I was able to locate the killer's location," he said. "Are you bloody serious?! That's brilliant! So what're you waiting for? Let's get 'em!" I cried, raising my fist into the air. "Calm yourself Lumie," Ryuzaki said. "If I knew his exact location, you wouldn't be here now. No, I only know that's he's here in Japan... Where exactly, I don't know..."

I looked at him for the millionth time that day, with a mixture of envy and amazement. "Careful... You'll turn green," he teased, chucking me under the chin. "How the heck were you able to find that out...?" I asked.

"It was simple really... A pure and simple guess about the killer being in Japan," he said. Slowly, he lifted his knees up onto the seat. "Ryuzaki..." I began.

"I asked for an announcement by a fake L to be played on a television channel in the Kanto Region here... The killer's first victim was that famous Shinjuku killer..."

"All this was based on a guess... You're a moronic genius," I laughed, turning the car to the left. "But that case could have been reported worldwide," I pointed out. "And that's where it stops being a guess. The Shinjuku case was only reported in Japan... I taunted the killer and told him to kill me, but he couldn't." He said it quite proudly.

My jaw dropped in amazement. "When you die, I want to preserve your brain," I said. "Am I to assume you want to kill me?" He asked. "Never," I laughed, patting his head. Something Ryuzaki said caught my attention. "L, Ryuzaki, you said... He couldn't kill you, right?" I asked. He stared at me again. "Such a clever detective..."

"Ok, wait. Let me get all my thoughts in order. A killer, in Japan. Killing spree of criminals. About three months now. Police on a current hiatus. Cause of death is cardiac arrest. Weapon, or whatever, is currently unknown... So how do I fit into the picture?" I asked. "As you know, I'm an armchair detective. I never go out in public, not if I can help it. But it seems that this case will push me to my limit. Which is why I need you. If I'm going to show my face to the world, I need yout o be there with me," he said, "no one will know who I am... You're the only one I can depend on now."

Silly boy... He knew I would do anything for him. "Tell me one more thing... Does this famous killer have a name?" I asked. Ryuzaki nodded. "Kira," he told me.

A shiver ran down my spine. Kira...?