Chapter Six
"Ah, Sachiko, Yagami-san, come in. Sayu and Light are already here," I said. The receptionist gave me a wink as he pressed the button for the lobby and the elevator doors closed. Soichiro and Sachiko walked in, presents in their arms, their gazes drawn to the large windows that framed their children with the lights of nighttime Tokyo.
"Thank you, Minerva-san," said Soichiro as I took his coat. Sachiko thanked me also and immediately inspected the kitchen. A roast chicken was in the oven, surrounded by potatoes and pumpkin. Mince pies were cooling on the stovetop and a basket of freshly made buns waited on the dining table. Sayu and Quinn were gaming together as Light flicked through my sketchbook of last year. To my dismay, I hadn't been able to find a tree in time and the room felt bare of decoration. I only hoped the stack of presents by the windows, small though it was, was enough to give the festive air I'd enjoyed in Canada.
For once Ryuk wasn't there. Light must have bribed him with a year's supply of apples to get him to stay away.
Sayu, upon seeing her parents, jumped up. "Mum! Dad! Isn't Quinn's house cool?"
"It's lovely, Minerva-chan," Sachiko complimented. "How long have you two been here?"
"Little over a month. Sayu, why don't you give your parents a tour while the boys help me set the table?" Sayu nodded happily and beckoned her parents further into the apartment, towards the bedrooms, bathroom and the large open space we had yet to find a use for at the end of the corridor.
"Here, I'll get it." Suddenly Light was there, bending down and taking the dish towel out of my hands to remove the chicken. I stepped back quickly and set the rest of the table, keeping as far away from him as I could. I still couldn't find the will to be in his presence alone after my revelation of L's imminent discovery of my being in Japan. It caused a resentment for the boy who'd triggered all this to well within my stomach. Though in some ways unfair on him (though definitely not uncalled for in others), I had not spoken a word to him beyond 'hello, how are you?' since Saturday.
"Minerva-san, what do you have planned for that back area?" asked Soichiro. And like that the tension in me was broken and Christmas dinner commenced. We discussed the opera and school grades and conversation stayed pleasantly Kira-free.
Presents came next, with a comment of, "We've hardly ever had a Christmas like this!" from Sayu as she eagerly ripped apart the wrapping on a new scarf from Quinn, who had heard her sighing over it a few days ago. She squealed and tackled him with a hug, much to the mixed amusement and consternation of her parents. I just laughed along with Light. Quinn looked terrified yet pleased. She received another portrait from me, painted to the best of my ability in the short timeframe I had. It was a snapshot of her spinning in the rain last week. She gasped, her mouth hanging open.
"When was this?" she asked.
"Last Wednesday, after school."
"Did you take a picture?"
"Don't need to," I said, tapping my temple. Light's gaze immediately sharpened. Damn.
Other than that, she got a box set of her favourite Hideki Ryuga show from Light, a new drawing set from Sachiko – "maybe Minerva-chan can teach you" – and a comfortable, expensive coat from her father that matched the new scarf. To all of them she gave a large hug in return and her presents. A pen for Light, a sketchbook for me, hats for her parents and, finally, a new iPod for Quinn.
"Yours is the older model," she said shyly. "This one has more space and it . . . I thought you might like the colour." It was blue, bright blue, the exact shade of his eyes. A blush started to curl up his neck. To save Quinn from embarrassment I hastily handed around our presents to the rest Yagami family.
For Sachiko, more wool and knitting patterns and a large sketched portrait of her family on the table. For Soichiro, a new pair of gloves and a moustache comb. At his raised eyebrow I pointed at Quinn who pretended to be very invested in his new iPod. And then it was Light's turn.
Quinn had made him a playlist of all the songs he determined suited Light's new 'rhythm'. Apparently we found muses in the same places. I handed over the compilation of all my in-class doodles I'd made of him. Which included the Kettle Head flip-art. His laugh was undercut with a sense of interest that I knew only I heard.
The rest of the presents were passed around, Quinn and I explaining we saved the ones for each other for later, and then the obligatory conversation that lasted until late was over. Soichiro and Sachiko left, taking Sayu with them while Light said he would hang around a little while longer.
"Light, I think Minerva-chan has had quite enough of us by now," Sachiko scolded. Light turned to me. I swallowed.
"It's alright, Sachiko-san. We need to discuss a project at school," I said easily. "Light here has been so busy that we haven't been able to yet." I punched him in the shoulder, slightly harder than was necessary.
"Well, alright. If you're sure," she said slowly.
"It's fine! You better get Sayu home. She looks dead on her feet." The fifteen-year-old was swathed in her coat and scarf, clutching her other presents to her chest like they were lifelines. She smiled sleepily and snuggled a little further into her father's shoulder.
"Night, Quinn, Minerva-chan." She waved.
"Good night," said Quinn, standing at my shoulder.
"We'll see you sometime soon," I promised.
"I'll be home shortly."
Sachiko gave Light one last searching look before joining her family in the elevator and pressing the button for the lobby.
"Bye!" Sayu called just as the door shut. A few seconds passed. Then I grabbed Quinn around the shoulders.
"She likes you, you know?" I grinned, ruffling his hair. He squirmed out of my grip like an eel.
"So? You and . . ." he trailed off, glancing from Light to me. Then he turned on his heel and disappeared into his room with barely a "g'night".
And then only two remained. The kitchen felt much to crowded all of a sudden.
I don't want to die.
"How long have you had photographic memory?" he asked abruptly.
"It comes and goes," I hedged.
"Then when did it last start?"
"Well . . ." His stare turned piercing. "On the 28th. The very first day I was at Daikoku." I couldn't help but mutter, "More of a curse than a blessing really."
He heard "Why?"
"Nothing I will tell you." That just made his expression turn darker. Desperate for intervention, I glanced around. "So . . ." I started, edging my way out of the kitchen. His gaze followed me like a hawk. "Why am I lying to your mother for you?"
Suddenly he was there, pulling me onto the couch. He loomed above me. "Why have you been avoiding me?"
"I'm sick of being stuck in the middle of your game of God. I refused to be a part of it and next thing I know I'm watching a man shooting at Ryuk and getting hit by a car. That does not sound like leaving me out of it."
A cold smirk flickered over his mouth, Kira replacing the warm façade of Light that had been there for the evening so far. "I never promised you I would."
I stared into his face and found nothing there. No hope of my pleas ever getting through, no chance of him reconsidering his actions. He was Kira and he was Light and they were quickly merging into one and the same and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Something in me twinged painfully at the thought of never seeing Light's smile again without the shadow of Kira in the depths of his eyes.
When did I get this attached? I wondered, still not dropping his gaze. What will I do if my new muse disappears?
"Minerva?" he said, leaning closer. On instinct I reached up and placed my hands on his face, framing it; capturing that second of Light Yagami that had appeared. Surprised, he knelt down, allowing me easier access to him.
I traced the tilt of his jaw, the line of his nose, the depth of his eyes, the curve of his mouth. Eyebrows raised in question, breath slightly faster than normal.
"Say something."
He hesitated for a fraction of an instant. "That drawing of the kettle? Did you draw that the first day you came to school?" My eyes fluttered closed, listening to that sound of velvet I'd been enthralled by what seemed an age ago. It was colder than what I remembered but still him. Still the boy I had been fascinated with. He was in there somewhere, and I imagined he was waiting for a different calling to come his way, something that led to a path with the sun shining down from above rather than into the depths of the shadowy realm of immorality.
A sob caught in my chest and I leaned forwards, pressing my forehead against his.
"What has happened to you, Light Yagami?" I whispered. He inhaled sharply but didn't move. Gently, slowly, I felt his hands come up to hold me about my waist. I don't remember how long we stayed like that but I do remember the heartache of a lost soul stabbing me in the heart with every pulse.
When he left that night I slipped into Quinn's room and slept on his bed as we had for every Christmas we'd known each other. He curled into my side. Our present to each other. A reminder that even if the world was falling apart, we still had each other.
Winter vacation started and with it came more rain, more wind and freezing temperatures. Quinn hid in his room with no desire to leave, composing even more intensely than before. I smiled as I walked past and heard what was definitely a love song weaving through the crack in his open door. Maybe more than one Yagami sibling would receive a playlist made by my brother.
"I'm going to see Light. Do you want to come?" I asked. I heard a grunt of dissent and left, taking naught but my phone and spare notebook and pencil. My adventure with the biker gang had shown me how annoying it was to run for your life while carrying bag. I wasn't taking any chances anymore.
The walk to his house helped clear my head. Ryuk had been visiting more often of late, bringing no news but being an overall pest. All I could get out of him was that Light wasn't spending any time studying lately; all his focus was devoted to the Death Note and how to cover his tracks. Other than that the Shinigami was silent.
Sachiko told me that Light had just gone out to bring a change of clothes to his father who had been working very long hours more often recently. I nodded and ruffled Sayu's hair like she was Quinn on my way out.
It has started snowing, a change from the freezing yet dry weather we'd had since Christmas. From what I heard it hardly snowed at all in Tokyo so this was a rare treat for the holiday. Only seven days of winter break left. A wave of depression hit me that I'd never experienced. Was this what normal students felt when thinking about the inevitability of school?
It wasn't long until I reached my destination at the police station. The most obvious thing was the hulking creature hovering at the front desk, unseen by all but one other. Light was talking to a woman dressed all in black. I caught him mid-speech.
"Besides, I feel like I can trust her. You can almost see it in her eyes. She's a wise and careful person." At this I had to walk back outside, hand slapped across my mouth to keep the laughter from bubbling over. Was he serious? Did he actually talk to people this way or was this a result of dramatism brought on by the notebook?
"Wait, excuse me!" I turned around in surprise and saw the woman leaving the building, Light close on her heels. He looked just as confused as I felt and more than a little suspicious.
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry, you're probably busy, but I was wondering if you could answer a few questions." Without waiting for a reply, she barrelled on. "You were on the bus to Space Land on Saturday the twentieth of December, right? When Kiichiro Osoreda died?"
Western naming structure, I noted. And an American accent. Oh no. Raye Penber. I glanced down at her hands and saw the bulge of a ring under her glove on her fourth finger. Of all the luck in the world –
"I'm sorry, what's this about?" I said politely, trying not to glare very pointedly at Light. His expression was a blank slate.
"I was wondering if you could tell me who else was on the bus?"
"What's this for?" Light interjected, stepping up.
"Oh, well," she looked between us hesitantly. Something in her face was changing into an expression I really didn't like. It was too close to Light's when he worked out yet another trick of the Death Note. "I'm just investigating . . ."
"You said you had information about the Kira case, right?"
"Yes, I may have discovered something." She bit her lip. I decided to save myself and her.
"Well, I'm sorry but I can't help you. I wasn't on that bus. You must have me confused with someone else. Have a good day." I nodded to her and to Light, acting as though I had never seen him in my life, and walked away. I brutally tried to shove down the part of me that was cheering for Light to deal with her Kira-style. I really, really did not want to be involved on a police-scale level in this fiasco.
I wondered what she'd discovered though, and how she'd managed to link me to the bus incident. She must have talked to the bus driver who would have recalled me from the few seconds of interaction between us. Maybe he'd managed to remember Light too by association, which would mean Light would have a lot harder time getting her to give out her name than he would like. Any woman who had decided to investigate Kira and started with something as insignificant as the bus-jacking had to be on high alert.
Mind in the clouds, I almost didn't notice when I was centimetres away from crashing into a parked black Mercedes. Jumping back, I looked around and found that I was in some part of Tokyo I hadn't been before. Massively tall businesses towered above, backed by a gunmetal sky.
"Miss Minerva, if you'd like to step inside."
Oh so slowly, I rotated on the spot and saw a man who I had hoped I'd left far behind standing at the open passenger door of the Mercedes. An elderly man in a suit and tie who I would bet my right hand had been the one to buy my Mr Pinstripe Man.
"Miss Minerva, I must insist," he said. British accent too.
"And what if I don't?"
"I'm sure neither of us wants to consider that possibility."
"I don't know," I mused, looking down the road where I could see an afro-sporting man with an umbrella walking towards us. "Do you think he would help me if I screamed rape?"
Watari sighed. "Miss Minerva, please. He's waiting to speak with you."
"I'll bet he is." I sat in the offered seat. Watari started the car just as the man with the umbrella levelled with the automobile.
"This way, Miss Minerva," said Watari, showing me through the entrance and into a side-room off the main sitting room. I barely caught a glimpse of a group of men seated around a low wooden table. One of them was Soichiro, and another . . .
"Wait here, if you please." Watari nodded and walked out, shutting the door quietly behind him. In his absence I examined the room. It was what appeared to be an office, but stripped of all furniture so on the wooden floor sat only two speakers, a microphone and a laptop. Floor to ceiling windows took up the far wall, giving a panoramic view of Tokyo in the snow. It was in the wallpaper that I saw the true value of the hotel suite; pale cream curlicues wound their way up the walls, delicate and fine and expensive. In the subtlety the five star opulence of the hotel was boasted.
"Only the best for you, L," I murmured in English. "Never could deal with having less than what you could afford, could you?"
"This is my holiday." The person spoke in English too.
I whirled around and stepped back. That messy black hair, bruised eyes, dark pupils so dilated the iris was only a rim of grey. Even the white shirt and jeans. None of it had changed, only now one person wore the outfit instead of two. I suppressed a shudder.
"Pretty dangerous place for a holiday," I commented. He took a step further into the room. If I wasn't mistaken, his slouch had gotten worse.
"You have grown, Valerie."
I flinched. "That's not my name anymore. And I thought you didn't have time for such inane comments."
"I'm trying to put you at ease."
"You failed from the moment you came here."
"I see."
Frustration built up within me. His face was just like Light's was becoming: a near perfect blank slate that was so hard for me to read. Only L's was even better; he'd had a few more years to perfect it.
"Why am I here, L? We ran, we left, we never wanted to go back. I still don't. So why bring me here?" I demanded. L cocked his head, something in the gesture suggesting that I should have found the reason obvious. He sighed and walked further into the room, me backing up until there was nowhere to go but on top of his computer. The door was shut. How had I not noticed it opening?
"Why are you in Japan, Valerie?"
"Don't I at least deserve a chair for an interrogation?" He gestured to the floor. I gracefully declined by crossing my arms over my chest. The stareoff lasted thirteen seconds before I was completely unnerved by those eyes and had to look away. A lack of exposure had made me weak to them again.
"Granny Hiro died. We needed a fresh start."
"You started school here on the exact day Kira killed his first victim." I pushed down the urge to correct him. Victims. There had been two that day, but of course Takuo Shibuimaru had not been killed by a heart attack, and therefore did not count. Not that anyone cared about the biker anyway, apart from his group of thugs.
"Not my idea. How was I to know a mass murderer would soon be on the loose? It's not something that they advertise in travel brochures," I shot back. L started to chew on a thumbnail.
"How do you know Light Yagami?"
I swallowed. "He's a classmate. How do you know him?" Damn it, Raye Penber must have said something after all. Surely. There was no way anything else could have alerted L to him.
"You painted a picture of him. Watari bought it." Except that.
"Thank him for me, will you? Now I need to go and I ask that you leave me alone after this." I tried not to think about what had happened the last time I'd asked such a request of someone.
"I can't, Valerie. Kira is no longer killing just criminals. You and Quinn need to go back to the House. There is a high chance you could be in danger."
"Really? How do you figure?"
He hummed, chewing his thumbnail with more vigour. Then, just as he opened his mouth, the door swung open.
"Ryuzaki," said a deep, familiar, Japanese-speaking voice. "Why are my family on the . . ."
I looked over L's shoulder and saw Soichiro standing there, shock written all over his face. I gave a slight wave.
"Yagami-san, save me."
TOWRTA: Woot. New chapter. If you haven't noticed by now, I'm not an intensive editor when it comes to fanfiction. I plan something, write it out, go 'sure thing' and post it. More fun that way.
Thanks to everyone who favourited, followed and reviewed. It's you guys who keep this story going (22 followers? Already?)
Next time: Soichiro-L-Minerva confrontation? And more Light/Minerva fun. Depending on the word count you guys might be in for a massive surprise.
Ehehe. See you soon.
Yours Truly
TOWRTA
