Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or its characters.
Author's note: Hi! I want to thank all of you who reviewed, followed or clicked the Favorite button, I'm humbled, really.
Enjoy!
Past
The next day found a refreshed and comfortably dressed Monica, ready to head to Malpensa's Airport and board the private jet she had arranged for previously. She would land in Tokyo the following day.
Taking a deep breath she grabbed the car's phone and dialed her Grandmother's number, waiting impatiently for her doom. This call would be essential to gather more informations about what was going on and to plant the seeds of a plan that could potentially get herself and Misa out of trouble.
"Oh so now you deign yourself to call your poor Grandmother, Monica? After all I've been through to raise you and to keep the police out of our business and now your business. Why are you involved in all of this? I would bet all my fortune that this is the work of that wretched girl, the spawn of that harlot you called mother."
What a nice greeting indeed, this would not be pleasant.
Not at all.
The brunette composed herself at the best of her abilities before answering with a calm, collected timber.
"Hello to you too Grandmother. How are you?"
She couldn't help the sarcasm that permeated through her voice.
"You insolent brat! The police has been camped out of the family's villa for three days now! They are looking for you, they want to take you back to that Asian place you decided to live in. I really don't understand you! Italy is the most beautiful country in the world! Why are you insisting on living in that savage land! You're just like your mother!"
So, yes, her grandmother was also a prejudiced hag.
"Why is the police looking for me? Did they tell you anything?" Monica continued, straight out ignoring the elder's racist rant, trying to steer the conversation where she wanted.
"You're even demanding my help now?" The older woman's haughty voice was really starting to get on Monica last nerves. She grounded herself by clenching the fist placed on her lap.
"Yes, Grandmother, if you would."
She drawled calmly, but inside her chest, ruby red flames were swirling with the need to burst out and just consume everything around her. That pretentious bitch didn't even have the slightest idea what deep shit she was swimming into, and was acting all highly and mighty, not being useful at all.
"They arrested that cheap prostitute you call sister and her agent or whatnot, for drugs. Drugs, Monica! Christ Almighty! Never has this family been related to such.. such lowly criminals! Scum.."
The brunette wanted to burst in a hysterical laugh at that comment.
Not in the open at least.
Still… Drugs?
So they didn't want the general public to know that her sister was suspected of being Kira junior…
This might come to be extremely useful.
"I'm sure this is all a misunderstanding Grandmother, I will just go there and fix the problem immediately." She replied with pose, longing to just press the little red button that would end this painful conversation but knowing that she had a huge favor to ask that despicable crone.
"Oh no Monica you don't!"
The roar that came through the receiver surprised the girl.
So sweet Granny was royally pissed, eh?
"I kept silent during you foolish crusade to stay by that little brat's side, living under her shadow, in another country! Now I will solve everything and to thank me you'll stay here and find yourself a rich and suitable man to marry and let him take care of your fortune so you can play your little games, translating silly things that nobody gives anything about!"
Monica snapped.
Like an old rope that had been pulled in too many directions in the span of its whole life.
She finally snapped.
"Shut up Rachele!" She roared like a lioness.
"W-What..How dare you!" The old woman stuttered out in shock at her granddaughter's tone.
"If you want to have a place to live and money to buy all your stupid jewels, clothes and trinkets after I soon reach twenty five, you will shut up!" She snarled like a beast, even more enraged now that she had been interrupted.
"You said it right. My fortune. As it is, in fact, all mine. You could never touch it, never change anything, uhm? Only allowed crumbs by father's will. Maybe he knew you very well then, I'll have to send more flowers to his grave."
She managed to smoother the red haze that had clouded her mind to regain her wits.
"Now listen, Rachele, and listen well. I will double the amount of what father allowed you and let you live in whatever Rizzo's propriety could manage to host your enormous ego. But first you have to call our major company and make them contact the best Japanese law firm that they can find in Tokyo. Money is not an issue, to be clear. Are you following me?"
"Yes" The older woman gritted out.
"Good. Now when I'll land in Japan I will be taken in and interrogated by the police. I do not know the local legal system, so they'll have me at disadvantage. If after three days following my arrival I do not call you, you must unleash the lawyers, and with them you must wreak havoc and demand explanations on why your precious, law-abiding granddaughter is kept away and imprisoned like a lowly criminal. Because I am really valuable to you, isn't it right Rachele? If something happens to me then all my mighty fortune will go to my father's buddy, yes, the one you thought I knew nothing about. His lover."
She heard the other woman gasp.
"Never knew daddy liked penis, must have been such a great scandal." She mused thoughtfully.
"Shut up you demon brat! I'll do as you ask!" Grandmother growled.
Monica felt the urge to giggle, she had never heard that woman so distressed.
Payback is a bitch, they say.
This shit was fun!
"Now I would appreciate it if you could manage do another small, little thing for me."
She paused contemplating her nails. She was in a dire need of a manicure, she would just had to do it herself on the flight then.
"The nerve of you.."
"Wanna make one less zero on your monthly allowance, Rachele? I said shut up!"
That woman had the power of transforming her into a savage beast.
"When the police will ask you about the reason of my trip here in Italy, you will tell them that you ordered my presence to sign some documents about your future allowance. Marco, my lawyer, has them. I took advantage of this trip to spend some time relaxing in Trentino. Is that clear?"
"Crystal." Rachele gritted out.
"You need to sound very convincing Gran, I know you can do it."
"Of course." The older woman answered, composing herself.
"Good-bye Monica, have a nice flight."
The brunette snorted.
"Oh, but thank you Granny! Always a pleasure! Good-bye."
She retorted cheerfully before hanging up.
She slumped back in her seat taking a huge breath and feeling drained after the call from hell that had just ended.
The twelve hours flight was spent between sleeping, preparing herself mentally for the task to come, trying not to freak out while doing so, and grooming herself at the best of her abilities.
She needed to put on a strong front, to look like the offspring of a powerful family so she made an effort on her appearance, taking a shower and putting on light make up, designed to enhance the sharpness and the color of her eyes.
At least she hoped so.
She added some discrete jewelry to the mix, aiming for a classy look.
Just before boarding off, she put on designer high heeled shoes, crossing her fingers and hoping to be able to walk normally and not as if she was stepping on eggshells.
Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Monica thought she looked good enough for her part.
With a sigh she descended the stairs of her private airplane and made her way into the crowded airport, cursing internally heels and whoever had the terrible idea of inventing them. Her feet were already asking for mercy.
She stopped to check in at customs before heading out of the airport to call for a taxi, a porter trailing after her with her light luggage.
Monica switched on her phone and widened her eyes at the sheer amount of messages in her inbox.
"Rizzo Monica?" A voice butchering her name startled her from the perusal of her phone.
After glancing up absentmindedly towards the source of the noise, the brunette did a double take, gaping unattractively at the sight of several men all dressed in black and with their faces somewhat obscured.
What the hell was going on?
Were they trying to snatch her from a crowded airport?
Were these people crazy?
"Is this some kind of half-arsed kidnapping attempt?"
She asked, putting the phone in her purse and raising her hands while the poor bellboy behind her gave out a frightened yelp.
The man closest to her made a try at catching her left arm while the others closed in when she succeeded in dodging the attack.
"We are the police ma'am. You need to come with us."
A deep voice coming from her right ordered her sternly.
She managed to battle various hands coming at her way, they probably didn't want to cause a major scene in front of an international airport but people were coming closer, some taking out cameras to record the show. Sure as hell the sight of a slip of a smartly dressed woman being surrounded by masked men was meant to cause a little commotion.
"Let me have a look at your badges and I'll come willingly."
She shouted in distress while glaring spitefully at the hooded man closest to her.
They all seemed to hesitate before the one on her left took out his police ID and the others followed.
The hesitancy looked suspicious, it could be blamed on the fear of her being Kira but it also could mean that somebody was giving them orders. This could imply that someone might be already watching her, perhaps that elusive detective, L.
Or maybe she was just being paranoid.
But why send seven burly and hooded agents to grab a 5.2 feet woman?
It was a little over the top in her opinion.
Or maybe a scare tactic? Better be as compliant as possible.
"All right gentlemen, I'll come with you."
She said agreeably keeping her hands raised as a sign of surrender but when one of the men made a move to grab her arm, she turned sharply to glare at him in disdain, all calmness gone from her eyes.
"Don't you dare touch me. I said I'm coming willingly. There is no need for restraint."
She snarled loud enough for the gathered crowd to hear.
It worked like a charm, the people began muttering and looking at the men in contempt.
Monica managed to catch a growl coming from the one who had attempted to take a hold of her as he graciously directed his hand to the middle of her back, guiding her towards a black van parked hazardously over the sidewalk.
"I hope that thing has seats, or else I'll leave a bad review for your services."
The agent growled louder and pushed her rather viciously inside the car after he opened the sliding door, ignoring the outraged gasps from the crowd.
Monica had the sudden urge to laugh hysterically.
God, what was she getting into again?
Once properly seated, squeezed between two of her captors, she was promptly handcuffed.
"Isn't this a little too much sir? What can I do, scratch you to death?"
She needed to tone down the snark coming out of her mouth but she was scared shitless in this moment. It was a sort of coping mechanism for Monica.
"Keep quiet!" The one on her right snarled in her face. She turned in his direction to give him a piece of her mind when suddenly a black hood was placed on her head from behind, obscuring her sight completely.
A wave of utter, unbridled panic submerged her and clouded her mind. She could feel the uncomfortable warmth and humidity of her breaths on her cheeks, she had no room to breathe despite the cotton texture of the cloth around her face.
Not this pitch darkness, no, never again shoved in a dark closet, never again, no.
She was strong now.
She had promised herself that a long time ago and Monica Rizzo never broke her promises.
Monica snapped and tried to pry the thing off her face only to be gripped harshly by her wrists. She began struggling with all her might, using her high heels to kick her captors, slamming shoulders against whoever she could catch. She even tried to bite the one in front of her.
They were shouting, groaning in pain after her hits, threatening to sedate her and at that she renewed her efforts with doubled ardor.
"Stop! Stop, damn it. We'll take it off if you keep still!"
Monica ceased her struggles almost immediately and kept still, closing her eyes and begging herself to just calm the fuck down, that she wasn't in the villa and she wouldn't be left alone in a stuffy closet for the night because she hadn't behaved like a good girl, but when she felt someone making a move to grab the cloth, she turned her head abruptly in his direction.
"Don't touch me!" She hissed fiercely and coughed pitifully after chocking on her saliva.
She took three deep, long, shacking breaths to calm her rattled nerves.
She should just keep quiet now, let them take her to wherever their base was and interrogate her.
The plan was in motion and the lawyers on stand-by, she only had to endure this a little longer.
But the fire that burned inside her wasn't going away anytime soon.
"Your puppeteer is very kind to allow you to remove the hood of the hysterical woman… Such a gentleman indeed…"
Monica drawled out, almost in a bored fashion, voice muffled by the black cloth.
The men around her tensed.
They couldn't see her so she allowed a triumphant smirk. She had been right all along it seemed.
Ok, she said her piece, now it was really the time to just shut up and take it all like a champi...
"Well you can go and tell that asshole to shove his kindness up where the sun doesn't shine!"
She heard a collective gasp and snorted.
So Japanese weren't used to rude and crass foreigners yet?
She crossed her slim legs and bounced her knee to make the sharp heel of her black shoe dance dangerously, like a threat.
She could have sworn she heard someone gulp at the sight. Monica knew she got one or two of them good with that impromptu weapon.
They were all silent for a while before somebody cleared his throat.
"Rizzo-san, you are under arrest, suspected of being the second Kira, we are.."
"Is this a joke?" Monica interrupted with an incredulous and indignant tone.
"What? N-no Rizzo-san." Good to know that this one was intimidated by her.
"What is the meaning of this? Second Kira? There is more than one? I'm a world renowned linguist, I work at To-oh, for Christ sake! I do not kill criminals between one translation and the other." She shouted out aggravated.
"Evidence was found at your house.." The one on her left, the backstabbing asshole who had put the hood on her, started before being viciously stopped.
"Yeah, drugs. I came back as soon as I got the news of my sister being arrested, this must be all a misunderstanding." Monica placed her bound hands on her lap after trying unsuccessfully to cross her arms.
"I'm afraid the evidence of you or your sister being Kira is quite incriminating." Another quipped in from the front seats, completely ignoring her words.
Monica clenched her jaw and closed her eyes to shot down her once more rising anger. It was imperative to keep a calm facade, faking shock or indignation accordingly.
"W-What kind of evidence? I-I don't know anything about Kira and my sister would never do something like that! And most of all, why in the name of God do I have to wear this thing on my head? I don't think this is standard procedure!"
"It is just a precaution Rizzo-san."
"For what exactly?! Where are you taking me? I want to call my lawyers." She added with a note of distress in her timbre.
The men kept silent and Monica huffed.
"I want to call my lawyers! This is all highly unorthodox, did you do the same to my sister? Where is she now?" She pressed on, showing more and more anxiety.
"All will be explained Rizzo-san, please bear with this." The meek one tried to pacify.
"The hell with this! I want to call my lawyers. Now. Give me my phone." She gritted out, now displaying anger.
"Just shut up Rizzo-san. We should have just sedated her…" The backstabbing one rebutted. That fucker.
"Sedate me? Are you out of your mind?"
She gave a humorless chuckle.
"Ah, my lawyers will have a field day with this, I just know it. You're all gonna be torn into shreds, starting from the mastermind who's hiding behind all of you. Hello? Do you hear me? You're gonna be trampled by the amount of the lawsuits they will throw at you."
She was starting to get real pissed at this situation. Sure she knew she would be interrogated by the police or this L, just not like this.
It looked illegal. Who was this guy?
"You are quite rude Rizzo-san." An older voice coming from the front seats reproached her sternly.
Was he for real?
She snorted.
"Yeah, try being polite to some guys who grabbed you from the streets, manhandled you into a van, cuffed and blindfolded you then proceeded to accuse you and your sister of being a mass murderer. Just try it, please."
She slumped back in her seat, now royally pissed.
They kept asking her questions and she kept silent, ignoring them ostentatiously.
Once the car stopped, the rude asshole on the left grabbed her arm with more force that it was strictly necessary and tore her away from the seat.
When her feet touched the ground her other arm was clutched in a hard grip and Monica was unceremoniously dragged away.
She felt disoriented without her sight and stumbled several times.
"Mind my shoes you pricks! They're Louboutins."
She growled playing the part of the rich spoiled brat that she had never been. They ignored her.
A few minutes into her forced trek, she heard a door being opened and was shoved inside a cold room and pushed down on an uncomfortable chair.
With her hands she hesitantly tried to feel the space in front of her and found what probably was a desk.
Suddenly the hood was removed from her head and she squinted her eyes, to accustom them to the light.
She looked around. The room was dark but there was a source of an irritating and bright light right in front of her.
After blinking few times to ease her discomfort, she stared at it.
It was a laptop with a big, black, gothic L right in the middle of a white monitor.
Dramatic.
She was almost certain that the detective was behind the screen, watching her with the computer's camera so she morphed her feature into a blank mask.
It was show time.
The best curse of action would be sticking to the truth as much as possible then skim over details, be vague, feign ignorance.
She had a lifetime experience of lying in her old household.
"Greetings Miss Rizzo. I am L."
An electronic modified voice came from the device, speaking an almost flawless Italian.
Still, as a linguist who had worked as a translator for almost a year, she could detect some slight oddities in his speech.
"I took the liberty of addressing you in your mother language to put you more at ease."
There it was.
The rolling of the R and the L hinted at someone more used at speaking the English language.
He was very good though. Very, very good.
She snorted loudly, rattling her handcuffs at the screen.
"You call this putting me at ease Mr L?"
She asked, raising a challenging brow.
"I am afraid such precautions were deemed necessary as a consequence of the circumstances we find ourselves in."
Yes, definitely English. Also very formal and somewhat… Detached.
Not that it was easy with the scrambled voice to detect any inflections of the speech.
"Well Mr L, if you would be so kind to explain why I was brought in this cold, dark room by a bunch of masked men while I was on my way to the police station to discover what happened to my sister, I would be extremely grateful."
She told the screen while glaring angrily at it.
"Of course Miss Rizzo. But first I would like to ask you a few questions, if I may."
Monica stared at the screen for a moment thinking about the best course of action.
"You may." She decided after a beat.
"What were the reasons of your trip to Italy?"
Straight to the point.
She assumed a bored pose, crossing her legs while smothering her skirt.
"I had to sign some documents." She responded vaguely.
"Your departure was very sudden Miss Rizzo."
He stated calmly.
"What Rachele Rizzo demands she usually gets. She wanted me to go back to Rome, the flight had been already arranged."
She explained bouncing her leg lazily.
"The thing is this, Miss Rizzo. It was you who called your Grandmother, not the other way round."
She stopped her movement in surprise but managed to keep up her bored mask.
Had her phone been under surveillance? Did he know what they had talked about?
She decided to lie.
"It was a mere coincidence Mr L, she was about to call me herself." She retorted back smoothly.
The room was silent for a moment and she used the time to steel her nerves.
No, they couldn't possibly know what they had talked about on the phone.
However, this would be an important lesson for the brunette, she had to purchase an untraceable phone for further uses.
"Why did you and your sister decide to move into the Kanto region, Miss Rizzo?"
The strange question broke the train of her thoughts as she blinked dumbly at the screen.
"I received a job offer from To-oh University for a research post. After consulting my sister, I accepted and we decided to move to Tokyo, since she can work from any city due to the nature of her job."
She answered with a slight frown.
Where was he getting at?
"It is eerily peculiar that you chose to do so after the broadcast in which I revealed Kira's location. After all you received the offer three months prior that distinctive event, Miss Rizzo."
Her eyes widened slightly at the realization.
That little… That was why Misa had brought that offer up after ignoring it for three months, to get closer to her 'beloved'.
'It would be good for Moni-chan to work again. Misa will follow her everywhere!' The nerve..
But now she had shown an emotion on her face and she had to roll with that.
"What are you exactly implying Mr L? That we followed this Kira like two mindless groupies? We have better things to do with our lives than that!"
She shouted indignantly.
"Then please Miss Rizzo, explain your motives."
Damn him.
"I was trying to reconnect to my sister in that period and did not wish to spend too much time away from her. But I missed working so Misa encouraged me to accept To-oh proposal, which wasn't the only one, only the most appealing."
"I am quite aware of your accomplishments in your field Miss Rizzo, To-oh Ancient Languages Head of department should count himself lucky to have you on his team."
The compliment sounded somewhat forced and slightly mocking. She didn't really know how to explain it but she found herself a bit insulted rather than praised.
Well, fuck him.
"Mr L, we both know we're not here to discuss about my academic prowess, so please, where is my sister?" Monica asked forcefully.
"Misa Amane is under strict surveillance on the premise of being the second Kira. Due to the alleged ability to kill just by knowing the face of her victims, she has been blindfolded and is monitored continuously." The voice described clinically.
Monica blanched.
What? Blindfolded? Under continuous surveillance? This was a nightmare.
And not legal.
Not fucking legal at all.
"This sounds like a violation of rights! I want to see her. Now!" She demanded angrily, slamming her fists on the desk and making the laptop bounce.
"Please calm yourself Miss Rizzo. The evidence discovered at you house was quite incriminating. The fibers found on the cassettes sent to Sakura TV perfectly mach the ones of your sister's duvet. Furthermore the tapes sent and the ones found in her room are precisely the same type."
Oh God, Misa…
"That still doesn't explain why she's imprisoned in such conditions and most of all why she doesn't have a lawyer!" She retorted back. That computerized monotone was starting to make her really mad.
"We were given a special permission by the ICPO to conduct this particular investigation Miss Rizzo. We must catch Kira by any means necessary."
Any means necessary? Even illegal means?
What the actual fuck?
She gaped silently at the monitor, blinking and trying to process this piece of information.
They gave him carte blanche.
She was starting to get really apprehensive, who was she to compete with someone like that?
Who had such powerful ties?
No, just no.
She had promised Rem they would make it out of this someway, she just needed to regain some form of clarity.
Monica closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"A question for you Mr L, if I may."
She started tilting her head to the side.
"Go on Miss Rizzo."
"Does the public know that their beloved starlet is being kept in such harsh conditions? And accused of these despicable charges?" She asked sweetly.
There was a pause before he answered.
"Not yet Miss Rizzo. Wha…"
She interrupted him, switching rapidly in English.
"You see Mr L, I'm not quite familiar with the Japanese law system so I may have asked R&F Inc. to contact Kobayashi and Ito Law Firm on my behalf."
She uncrossed her legs and propped her elbows on the desk, intertwining her fingers just under her chin.
"I may have also asked my Grandmother to contact them hastily if I fail to call her in the next three days.
I don't think the ICPO would appreciate a scandal of these proportion out in the open. A popular model and a rich, foreign heiress, two estranged sister who have just found each other again after years, who have never broken the law in any way, treated so brutally."
She scrunched up her nose in a mock grimace.
"Miss Rizzo." The voice now was deeper, almost annoyed. "The allegations on your sister are quite serious I'm afraid."
"Still the conditions of imprisonment and the lack of a lawyer will not be taken well by the general public, don't you think Mr L?" She pressed on, narrowing her eyes.
"We are pursuing a murderer who has killed hundreds of people, and not only criminals, innocent people and officers as well, Miss Rizzo. I do not quite care what the public thinks about me, my only aim is to catch the culprits." A tinge of fierceness could be detected by the end of his speech.
"You may think yourself above all of this Mr L, but what about the ICPO? Will they back you once your questionable methods of seeking justice are disclosed for everyone to see? They do care about the general opinion." She mused, blinking cutely.
"What exactly are you aiming for, Miss Rizzo?"
Good, she had him.
He must not trust the ICPO so much after all.
"I do understand the necessity of keeping my sister under arrest until you finally understand that she is innocent."
The voice interrupted her.
"The killings have stopped after we took her in, Miss Rizzo."
She paused and narrowed her eyes.
"What? Isn't there another Kira? You said she was suspected of being the second Kira."
Was Light trying to frame Misa? But that would be suicidal, Rem would just off him…
No, it was not that.. The Shinigami had said something about L suspecting him..
Shit!
They got him too. He's waiting for Rem to chose the next owner.
God, what a mess..
"We have another suspect in our custody." He confirmed, somewhat reluctantly.
"Well, maybe you're wrong and your other suspect is the one and only Kira. My sister is innocent."
At least now she was.
"I wish to see her and take note of her conditions."
She continued, clearing her throat.
"Not possible."
"I want to see her, even behind a screen or whatever. I want to assess her conditions and if I find them inhuman I want you to change them." She pushed forcefully, narrowing her gaze at the camera.
There was a minute of silence before he spoke again.
"I want you monitored and escorted by an agent at any time. You must also move out of your house and will stay in a hotel room of my choosing."
What the fuck?
She gaped in shock at his words.
"W-What? I.."
"You may not be Kira or the second Kira, Miss Rizzo, but you still lived together with a suspect, and I want you under surveillance every minute of the day."
"T-this is p-preposteous! I.." She sputtered indignantly before being interrupted once more.
"Take it or leave it, Miss Rizzo, though I will still have you followed."
She deflated, putting her hands on her lap and staring at them while biting her lower lip.
He evidently had the power to bend the legal system to his will. A bit of her freedom had to be sacrificed.
How come he knew she wasn't Kira?
"How do you know I'm not Kira or Kira junior or whatever you call it."
Monica asked in a small voice, suddenly tired of all this situation, longing for her bed and to just sleep for one or ten years.
"You were always at work Miss Rizzo. When the letters and the tapes were sent, you were in your office or in the library. Fortunately for you, the building that houses your department has an extensive amount of cameras, almost everywhere. Furthermore you do not fit the profile of neither suspect."
He explained, and only now she realized that they had switched to Japanese.
Monica chuckled.
"Lucky me."
"Indeed."
"I-I.. No cameras in the bathroom."
She pleaded, obscuring her blushing face from the camera's view.
"I'm afraid that would be quite impossible Miss.."
"Drop this 'Miss Rizzo' bullshit right now. No cameras that face the toilet or inside the shower!"
She ordered. Her face was burning red from embarrassment.
He paused, actually meditating about the proposition. The perv.
"You have a deal Miss Rizzo."
Monica let out a relieved breath.
"Good, let me see my sister now."
"Tomorrow."
That laptop was risking its life in that moment, as she had the strong urge to toss it against the wall.
"Now."
She growled narrowing her eyes, a green fire burning in them. The detective ignored her burst of anger and addressed her calmly.
"Tomorrow. I believe you must be tired from your trip. Also you must proceed with moving your belongings. My associates will lend you a hand.
Have a good day Miss Rizzo."
With that the screen and the room turned black.
"Asshole!"
Monica muttered under her breath as her heart kept beating madly.
