CHAPTER 7: Talking about the Fate

July 3rd, 2008

A few days later, it was 7.30 o'clock p.m in Fanny's apartment. She had just stuffed herself with some Thai take-away left-overs.

She took her significant other out of the freezer, then she grabbed a tea spoon and finally jumped on her couch.

She was getting ready for her special night: gulping down Haagen-Dazs midnight cookies & cream flavoured ice cream while watching Grey's anatomy online. She pretended to be Izzie. I mean, until the 4th season.

Anyway, she checked her mail before watching her favourite TV series. She had got no mail, but she had two messages on facebook.

She clicked on the first. It was from her best friend, Liz.

.

Hey mi chica! I'm leaving tomorrow, so tonight we're gonna go out togheter, ok? Let me repeat myself: we're gonna go OUT, away from ur couch where u spend most of ur time... got it? Well, I don't accept a 'No' as an answer, so come to terms with that, ok?

See u tonight!

^.^ I'm gonna introduce you to Nic's cousin... eheh... he's cool- you definitely HAVE to know him!

Bye sweeetie!

.

'No, not Nic's cousin once again.' She thought. 'Please, my Lord. Gimme frogs, lice, flies, gimme boils or hail or locusts, my Lord, but please, not Nic's cousin.'

She checked the second message, it was from Liz too.

.

Well, I guess you haven't read my message-nothing new! Anyway... don't think to escape our meeting, I'm coming to pick you up at... 7.45 or 8 maybe... ok? Put on something decent- I mean no jeans, no t-shirts, no sneakers- got it? NOOO sneakers!

Bye, see you later! XD

.

'Oh, shit.'

Now she had to find an excuse not to go out with Liz. She was tired, her hair was a mess, and she couldn't stand Nic's cousin. Ok, maybe she was a bit too picky about guys, but Nic's cousin... no. He was out of the question.

She was looking upon different options, such as: 'I'm sorry! I can't come, I caught the bubbonic plague' or: 'I'm very sorry, I wish I could come, but unfotunately...I'm... I'm dead!' or : 'No... oh gosh, I'd really like to come but... aliens kidnapped me, you know... see you next month, ok?'

She was pondering which one could be the most suitable, assuming that she had already used the 'I'm sorry, I've been kidnapped by aliens' one the last time Liz called.

While she was unleashing her imagination, the phone rang.

.

- Hello?

- Hello...

A familiar voice...

- Hi Fanny, this is L speaking...

She couldn't hold back a smile, she did not understand why.

- Hi... hi L... what... what's up?

- I need to talk to you.

- Uhm, why?

- I'll tell you that if you come.

- Oook, but... when? Where?

- Now. At the usual restaurant would be fine for you?

- Uhm... now?

- Yeah, now.

- Can't we... meet tomorrow morning?

- I'm very busy at the moment... I know, you're busy too. But... you're sure you can't come now? It would be perfect for me, I'm having dinner right now.

…..

- Uhm, o-ok then, I'm... I'm coming.

- Great, thank you very much for your time. I'll wait you here.

- Ok... it... it takes fifteen minutes for me to get there, and I need to put my clothes on before, so... I'll be there in about... 20-25 minutes... ok?

- Perfect. I'm sorry if I'm bothering you.

- Don't worry, you're not... see you later, then... detective.

- See you later... doctor.

.

She jumped up from the couch and rushed towards her bedroom, grabbing some clothes from her wardrobe. She put them on and checked her hair. It was... well, it was... as if she put her head in a washing machine.

'Oh, who cares. He has probably never used a brush, he won't care' She thought.

Then she washed her face and put on some mascara and a touch of blusher on her cheeks. She didn't know why she did it. It's not unusual for her too put on some make up, I mean, but she was in a hurry now. She shouldn't be wasting time for that.

She was looking for her iPod when the door-bell rang. She loooked through the peephole.

'Shit, Liz' She thought.

She opened the door letting her friend come in.

.

- Hi sweetie!

- Hi, Liz... uhm...

- Good, you're ready to go out! Well, I told you not to wear sneakers, and you're wearing flats, great!

She told her looking disappointed.

- Well, t-they aren't sneak-

- Oh honey, I meant heels, wear some high heels once in a while!

- I... I can't walk in high heels, you know it...

- Ok, nevermind... flats will do for tonight! I'm so happy you're coming!

- Well, actually...

Fanny wasn't looking at her while speaking, pretending to be looking for her iPod.

- Actually, I'm... I'm really sorry Liz, I mean it, I know we never spend much time togheter, but...

- But... Yeah, here you go.

Liz now looked really disappointed.

- There's always a 'but' with you, Fanny. 'I'd reeeally like to come with you, BUT...' or 'Oh, tonight? Yes, yeah it's great idea, BUT...'

- I'm... sorry, Liz, really, but... you're not leaving for one year, you'll be back on Sunday! We can just go out next week...

- Yeah, yes. Next week. Like usual, you know? It's always 'next week' with you.

- I'm sorry Liz. I'm... I'm busy tonight.

- Busy?

Fanny considered her options. If she told Liz that it was a work matter or something that involved even remotely her job, her friend would have killed her.

Same if she told her that the Butcher case could be involved.

- Yeah, I'm... I'm... it's... it's a guy, actual-

- Oh Fanny! Great! But who's this? Where did you meet him? When did you meet him?

- It's-uhm- we're not getting married Liz, chill out.

- Mhm, yeah, sorry. But tell me, how do you meet him?

- Uhm...

'Don't say at work' She told herself.

- Oh, in a restaurant... after work... you know, all the tables were taken, and he was sitting alone, so...

- Great girl! And... what's his name?

…...

- Uhm... it's... it's L... Luke.

- Luke? Nice. And how old is him?

- He's 24.

- Cool! Does he study or work?

- Work... he's... he's in the police.

- Well that's cool! And... have you two already made out?

- Oh Liz, I've been knowing him for... a few days...

- Well you don't need to get married for that!

- Yeah, but, I mean... this is the firts time we're actually... dating, you know.

They weren't 'dating' but, who cared. That was the right thing to tell Liz.

- And you're going to date him dressed up like that?

- Uhm, what's wrong with my-

….

- Liiiz, just let me go, I'm late!

.

Ten minutes after, she was driving towards the restaurant, and it was really, really late.

She couldn't drive with those fucking shoes, damn Liz and her silly ideas.

Plus, her iPod wasn't working. 'Great' She thought.

Then she switched on the radio, and suddenly Leona Lewis's voice filled the car.

She pressed the accelerator heavier.

She was excited, craving to know what did L need to talk to her about.

'My heart's crippled by the veins that I keep on closing... you cut me open and I..'

She hummed.

.

L was waiting for her at the restaurant, he had already finished his dinner, of course. She was almost twenty minutes late.

- Hey, hi... I'm sorry for being late! I was... I was planning to go out with a friend, and I had to explain her...

- Oh, I'm... sorry, I didn't mean to ruin your plans for the night.

- No! No, I mean... I didn't want to go, you know, it's... they're trying to make me date a... well, a friend of a friend, but he's... oh, nevermind. Just... tell me whatever you want to tell me... I'm here for that.

- Of course. But please, have a sit.

- Oh, yeah... sure.

- You look very... uhm... dressy.

- Oh... ehm, yeah...

She blushed.

- I... it has been my friend's idea, you know... She always wants me to wear heels and those stuff... and I... maybe I told her I was going on a date... just so she left...but... anyway, who cares about my shoes! Let's talk about something more important.

- I wonder how can you manage to walk in them.

- I wonder that too, trust me.

- Anyway... talking about business.

- Talking about business...

- There's... there's something I... thought it would have been right to tell you.

- What?

She was really curious right now.

.

- I start working on a new case.

- Ah. Uhm... well, good...

- It's... it's a one you might find... interesting.

- What does it mean?

- I'm... leaving tomorrow.

- Oh. Good luck then... Where are you going?

- In Japan.

- Japan? Really?

- Yeah. I'm not planning to stay much time, just a few weeks.

- Uhm, that's... interesting. What's the matter? A murderer again?

- Yes, it's a murderer again.

- God, how many monsters are there in this world.

He looked at her without speaking for a few moments.

- I usually work alone. I have only a co-worker, a very reliable man. Anyway, I don't work... in team, you know.

- Aha...

- Anyway, I... this case is going to be a very important one. Maybe this time I should rely on the help of other skilled persons around me. I wanted to ask you if... if you'd like to come with me.

She just stared at him for a few seconds, blinking.

- I-I? But... I... how could I...

- You're a reliable person, quite wise for your age. You could be my assistant. It's not needed any specific train or knwoledge, I just need someone trustworthy and not completely dull. You could be a suitable person for the job.

- Oh, thank you for considering me 'not completely dull', but, anyway... I... I've got a job! I've got... my studies... I can't... leave everything and come to japan for a few weeks!

- You might stay maximun two weeks if you want, I thought that it wasn't impossible for you to ask two weeks off.

- But... I'm on a scholarship by merit, I can't ask... not even A DAY off... not definitely two weeks!

- I understand. Mine it's a weird demand, after all. Anyway, altough you can't come... there's another reason why I called you, out of all.

She stared at him.

- Which reason?

- You told me you were thankful to the Fate because it had killed the Butcher before he could kill Stephanie.

- Of course I was...

- Well...

She didn't move her eyes from his.

.

- Oh, wait... one thing, before I forget it. I brought you this.

- What is it?

She asked, taking the envelope he was handing her.

- It's a letter from Stephanie. She thanks anybody who helped her.

- Oh... poor thing. She's such a sweetheart.

- Ok... now, I was telling you... the Fate...

- The Fate...what?

.

He stared deeply at her.

- The Fate hadn't... hadn't killed the Butcher.

.

Her heart stopped beating for a second. What the hell did that mean?

L, in the meanwhile, was handing her a file about the new case he was going to work on.

- 'The Kira case'

She read.

- And... what is that? What does it has to do with the Butcher?

- I think...

He paused, snd she held her breath.

.

- I think that he killed the Butcher...