A/N: Bahh~! A Sorry for the long hiatus! I just had a lot of work right after exams... x_x and I had writer's block.
So this is a short chapter, but tonight I'm going to buckle down and get something done. Next one will be longer, I promise!
'till then, enjoy!
On July 22nd, 2002, Backup made his move.
It was small, and undetectable by L at the time, but his peers knew where to look--some of them, anyway. Dwindle and Fa had been watching them. The number he had given them before leaving was, in fact, a zip code for the United States, and it led them to the police station in Los Angeles--where B would send a crossword puzzle leading police to the first murder scene.
It is likely that Dwindle had already solved the puzzle by the time B committed his first murder, meaning that Dwindle and Fa knew where he would be and therefore had the ability to stop him. Why they did not is not a particularly difficult mystery--perhaps they were still in England and were unable to make it to Los Angeles in time to save Believe Bridesmaid. I speculate, however, that it was instead some sort of misguided sense of respect on the part of Dwindle. It was Backup's decision to attempt to defeat L, and how he went about that was his business--even if it meant killing someone.
---
"Dwindle."
He didn't turn around from his chair. Fa didn't look up--she carefully cut off the corners of the paper, until it was a perfect oval shape. She stared at the crossword puzzle and noted that it was indeed very difficult. It was no wonder that the police hadn't solved it yet--and why should they? They had no idea what B was planning.
"Dwindle..."
A lock of sandy blonde hair portruded from the back of the chair. Fa still couldn't see his face, but he was likely deep in thought. The computer screen showed maps of Los Angeles and images of the police station. Dwindle was planning their next step.
"This is the puzzle, Dwindle. It looks fairly difficult, but I do not doubt that you can solve it." She stepped forward and laid it down on the desk.
Dwindle looked up at her, and his eyes were wide with thought, as if he was looking deep into the future. They stared at each other for a second, and then Dwindle put his ball in his lap and began to work on the puzzle.
Fa turned and left the room. He was making plans now, and he would not want to be bothered. It was a good time for a cup of tea.
