"Near, open the door."
Near ignored him, adding another pair of cards to his tower. Outside, Rester's knocking grew more insistent.
"Near. Please."
Go away. Near's hands shook as he reached for new cards, fighting back the urge to rock and moan. Go away and leave me alone. He had no idea how much time had passed since Matsuda's news, but it felt like an eternity—or no time at all. Near wasn't sure.
Near didn't care.
Leave me alone.
The door swung ajar with a crash, and Near jerked in surprise, covering his ears. His Watari stood in the doorway, his face lined with concern. "Near, are you all right?"
Near blinked at him, disoriented, then at the collapsed ruins of his tower. "You broke my door."
"I'm sorry."
"You broke my door."
"It was locked."
"Yes, it was. I assumed, as a detective, you could deduce what that meant."
"I did. That's why I'm here."
Sullen, Near reached for his hair. "I'm fine."
"You dropped the phone without a word and locked yourself in your room. Your team is worried about you, Near. Myself included."
"Leave me alone."
"No."
"That's an order."
"No. Libra's still out there, and they're frightened. You brought them into this. They need you to lead."
"Tell them nothing's changed. When Libra makes his next move, I'll deal with it. Until then..." He scooped up his fallen cards, neatening them into a pile to begin again. "Nothing's changed. Tell them that."
"You tell them. You're L. This investigation is your responsibility."
So was Light's safety. "I'll tell them in an hour. Now get out."
Rester let out a breath, seemingly at a loss. "I talked to Lidner after you left. She confirmed what Matsuda told us."
"You thought he was lying?"
"No. I thought you might want to know more about the circumstances."
"One Kira took out another. Those are the circumstances. I don't need any further information than that."
"No one wrote his name, Near. His body simply gave out. Lidner thought you should know that."
"I see." Near rolled a lock of hair between his fingers, reluctant to ask the question that weighed on him. "He was—he was afraid?"
"Matsuda didn't think so. Confused, yes, but not scared. Or in pain."
That's more than his victims could say. Near nodded absently and reached out for his stack of cards. "I see. If that's all—"
"Are you all right?"
"I told you, I'm fine."
"I don't believe you."
"He was my prisoner. Not my friend. He was clear about that. I won't disregard his wishes by pretending otherwise."
"Near—"
"He was always going to die in custody, Rester. If anything, it's overdue. No point in getting worked up over it now."
For a moment, Rester simply watched him. "He's with Roger, at least. A better place."
"Decomposition is a process, not a place."
"You know what I mean."
"I do. And it's nonsense. Even if I believed in a heaven, I wouldn't expect to find Light Yagami there." Near drew another pair of cards, refusing to acknowledge how much his hands were shaking. "Get out of my room."
"It wasn't your fault," Rester said quietly. "Light made a choice."
"He didn't want to die."
"No, he didn't, but he was willing to take the risk. The last thing he'd want now is you trying to take the credit."
Mello took a risk. Roger took a risk. L took a risk. Near's voice was bitter. "I'll keep that in mind."
"Near—"
"He deserved this, Rester. You know it as well as I do."
"Do you really believe that?"
No. Near studied his tower in guilty silence, all too conscious of Rester's eyes on him. "He's a mass-murderer. Was. Saving a few lives doesn't change that."
"More than a few. It took us five years to reconstruct L's case from scratch. How many people would have died while your successor got up to speed?"
Near bristled. "I was thirteen. It wasn't my fault."
"I wasn't blaming you."
"What were you doing, then? Lecturing me on ingratitude? He's dead, Rester. That's all. If you have something that needs my immediate attention, say so. If not, get the hell out of my room."
Rester sighed. "Lidner needs to know what to do with the body."
"Tell her to leave him alone. I'll figure it out when I get back."
"That could be months from now."
I know. "He's not going anywhere."
"He's also not going to keep. You said it yourself: decomposition—"
"Stuff him in the freezer. Once rigor mortis passes, he should be bendable enough to fit."
"Near, please."
With a hiss of irritation, Near knocked the card tower flying. Before Rester could respond, someone rapped on the door frame.
"Rester?" Aizawa called. "Lidner wants a word with you."
"Tell her it can wait."
"She says it can't."
"All right. Keep an eye on Near for me, will you?"
"Of course."
I don't need a babysitter. Seething, Near scooped the jumbled cards into a pile as Aizawa came to crouch nearby.
"Can I help?"
Near shook his head. "Just get out."
"It'll go faster if I help."
This time, Near didn't bother to answer. Grabbing as many of the cards as he could, he moved to the opposite corner of the room to rebuild in peace. Behind him, he heard Aizawa sigh.
"It's funny," the man said at last, softly. "When you first showed up claiming Light was Kira, I didn't believe you. He'd proven himself innocent, after all, and all the time I'd spent with him...he was his father's son. Warm, friendly, dutiful. Not as relatable as the Chief—he was too smart for that, talked right over our heads half the time—but we were colleagues. Partners. I came around to the truth faster than the others, and I'm proud of that, but it doesn't change the fact I was wrong. For five years, I was wrong. And you were right. After the warehouse, I promised myself I wouldn't make that mistake again, that I wouldn't let my own feelings interfere with a case. So when I came here and saw Light alive, I was determined not to trust him. Not to let him make a fool out of me again. You told me he'd changed, and I didn't believe you. I couldn't. But I misread him, again, and now—I trusted my emotions above your judgment, and I was wrong. Both times, I was wrong. And you were right. I don't know who that says more about, me or you."
It says more about Light. "I'm not your priest, Aizawa. If you need to make a confession, find someone else."
"He was your friend, wasn't he?"
"He wasn't my friend. He was my responsibility." Near tugged his hair. "Now he's dead."
"I'm sorry."
No, you aren't. "You told him to kill himself."
"Not like that."
"He told me otherwise."
"No. Light promised the Chief that if anything happened to him, he'd put Kira to death himself. He wanted to know what he could do to make me trust him. I told him he could start keeping his promises. I meant to hurt him, not—"
"Give him ideas?"
Aizawa let out a breath. "I'm not proud of how I reacted. But if that's what convinced him to do what he did—well, I can't really say I regret it."
"Of course not. He's dead. You got what you wanted. Now get the hell out of my room."
"Have Lidner cremate him."
Near looked up, indignant. "Excuse me?"
"Lidner wants to know what to do with him, and you don't have time to worry about it. Have him cremated. Once this case is over, we'll take care of the rest."
"The hell you will."
"You want to blame me for what happened. I get that. But if there's one thing I know about Light, it's that he wouldn't want to be buried here. Not when there are people ready and willing to take him home."
Home. Guilt gnawed at Near's stomach, and his eyes fell to the floor. I was going to send him home. Light had never told him his decision, but Near had little doubt what it would have been. Whatever their not-quite-friendship had meant, it hadn't escaped Near's notice that no art of himself had ever appeared on Light's walls. Aizawa's right. He belonged in Japan.
Not that it makes much difference now.
"You won't tell his family?" Near asked.
"No. No point in making them grieve twice. We were his team once. We'll see to it ourselves."
Near nodded slowly. "I'll pay for it."
"You don't have to—"
"He was my responsibility. I'll pay."
"All right. Thank you."
Don't say that. Near raised a dismissive hand, waving Aizawa away. "Full briefing in an hour. Close the door on the way out."
"That may be—the latch appears to be broken."
"I'm aware. Just do your best."
Aizawa's footsteps retreated, and the door creaked shut behind him. Biting back a whimper, Near clutched his head and rocked in place, all pretense of calm deserting him.
I failed.
I failed.
I failed.
"What am I looking at?" asked Near.
"You were right about how he would contact us," said Ide. "I monitored the email account you got Libra's video from. About half an hour ago, we received a message addressed to you. Ten minute mail."
"Can we trace it?"
"We can try, but I doubt it." said Rester. "He took precautions last time. I'm sure he did this time as well."
"What was the message?"
"A taunt," said Mogi.
Of course. "Show me."
Wordless, Ide turned the screen.
HELLO, L. I AM SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS.
LIBRA
"Ten minute mail," said Near quietly. "He'll be logged out by now, won't he?"
"If he had been, we'd have seen a new message by now," said Rester. "No point in emailing us if we can't reply."
Near stared at the words, unblinking, his nails digging into his sleeves. "Move over, Ide."
"Are you sure?"
"He's addressing me. Presumably he wants a response."
Reluctantly, Ide vacated the chair, allowing Near to sink down in his place. Drawing a knee up to his chest for comfort, Near began to type.
And I for yours. She was very young, wasn't she?
L
He hit the send button and waited, scarcely daring to breathe. A minute later, the computer beeped an alert. New message.
Near clicked on it.
IF YOU WANT TO PROVOKE ME, YOU'LL HAVE TO TRY HARDER THAN THAT.
Near gritted his teeth, and Aizawa whistled quietly. "He's awfully confident, isn't he?"
He is. "Arrogant, not confident, Mr. Aizawa. Confidence is a weapon. Arrogance is a weakness."
"Whichever it is, it's making me nervous," said Ide. "He just took a loss, didn't he?"
"He did. Undeniably." Near considered a moment, then typed out a response.
I'm not here to provoke you, merely to point out your situation. We've lost nothing I can't afford to lose. Meanwhile, you have no allies, no backup plan, and I know exactly who you are. Your life is in my hands now, Libra. If you have any self-preservation instinct, the one who should drop the provocation attempts is you.
Is your caps lock broken, by any chance?
He jabbed the mouse button harder than strictly necessary and sat back to wait.
He didn't wait long.
IT'S AN AESTHETIC CHOICE, BUT THANKS FOR YOUR CONCERN.
Aizawa snorted derision. "Well, if we didn't already know he's a teenager..."
"He's toying with us," Rester said. "I'm with Ide, Near. Something about this doesn't feel right."
The boy's confidence nagged at Near, too, but he shrugged the feeling off. "He's a mass-murderer. Of course it doesn't."
"The last time he acted like this—"
"I'm sure he has a plan in mind, Rester, but I need to know what it is. Given how much he loves condescension, I doubt it'll take much provocation to make him spit it out." Near tapped at the keyboard again, choosing his words with care before hitting send.
You have two options left, Libra. Either you surrender yourself without a fight, or I stop you by force. If you choose the latter, I'll reveal your identity to the world and leave you to the government to deal with. You'll be looking at a death sentence, your family will be dragged through the mud, and your father's political career goes down in flames.
That's option one.
Option two: you surrender of your own accord, and I protect you the way I did Kira. Your family is spared the knowledge of what you've done, your identity remains a secret from those who want you dead, and you can live out your remaining lifespan in peace. In secure custody, of course, but in peace.
The reply was nearly immediate.
I SEE. WHEN YOUR DOG DIES, JUST GET A NEW ONE, RIGHT?
He wasn't a dog. Near's fingers tightened painfully in his hair, his field of vision narrowing to a single word. Don't call him that. He wasn't a dog, he wasn't a dog...
"Near?"
Near looked up to find the Japanese agents staring at him and realized he'd been rocking in his seat. Embarrassed, he let his hand drop, dashing out a curt but measured reply.
You're a mass-murderer, Mr. Wolff, and a political assassin to boot. Given the enormity of your crimes, its as good a deal as you're going to get.
"Do you really think he'll go for that?" asked Ide.
No. "It's worth a try."
"No way this works," said Aizawa. "He's too cocky. There's no way."
"Probably not. But if he gives us more information in the process, it's worth it."
They fell silent again, watching the screen. At last, the response arrived.
OH, DEAR. YOU SEEM TO HAVE FUNDAMENTALLY MISUNDERSTOOD THE NATURE OF THESE NEGOTIATIONS. I HAVE ATTACHED SEVERAL CLARIFYING DOCUMENTS I RETRIEVED FROM THE PERSONNEL FILES OF THE NPA. SINCE I KNOW YOU MAY BE WARY OF OPENING THEM, I WILL SUMMARIZE: THEY CONTAIN THE NAMES AND PHOTOS OF FOUR MEMBERS OF YOUR TEAM, NAMELY TOUTA MATSUDA, SHUICHI AIZAWA, KANZO MOGI, AND HIDEKI IDE. THIS IS A HOSTAGE NEGOTIATION, L. UNLESS YOU WANT THEM DEAD, IT IS MY TERMS YOU SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT, NOT YOURS.
I PROPOSE A MEETING, FACE TO FACE. I HAVE RENTED A STORAGE UNIT WITHIN DRIVING DISTANCE OF US BOTH THAT SHOULD SUFFICE. IN TWO DAYS TIME, I WILL EMAIL YOU THE DETAILS, AND YOU WILL COME TO MEET ME THERE ALONE. YOUR TEAM WILL ASSEMBLE IN YOUR HEADQUARTERS, WITHIN VIEW OF THE SECURITY CAMERAS, TO MAKE CERTAIN NONE OF THEM ATTEMPT TO INTERVENE. ONCE THERE, YOU WILL GIVE ME YOUR NAME. ONCE I HAVE ESTABLISHED YOUR NAME IS ACCURATE, I WILL LEAVE THE REST OF YOUR TEAM IN PEACE, UNHARMED, PROVIDED THAT THEY IMMEDIATELY WITHDRAW FROM PURSUING MY CASE. IF YOU REFUSE TO AGREE TO THESE TERMS OR TRY TO CONTRAVENE THEM, I WILL ENSURE YOUR JAPANESE STOOGES DIE PAINFULLY, ONE BY ONE, WHILE YOU WATCH.
THE CHOICE IS YOURS.
Shit.
Near stared at the missive, speechless. Beside him, Aizawa cursed loudly.
"I suppose that explains the confidence," said Mogi.
Agitated, Ide shook his head. "I knew it. I knew he had a plan."
"Calm down," said Rester. "Let L think."
"Let L think?" Aizawa snarled. "He's not walking in there, and you know it. Not for us."
"Mr. Aizawa, please." Numbly, Near reached for his hair. "That isn't helpful."
"There's got to be an alternative," said Mogi. "Stall for time, at least."
Near nodded, setting his fingers to the keys.
Don't mince words, Libra. You don't want a meeting. You want my execution.
Again, the reply was swift.
IS THAT A PROBLEM?
Near threaded his fingers through his hair, but the stim brought him little comfort. He wants me to die like Light, terrified and helpless. He wants to mock me as I die. He could feel the eyes of his teammates on him, waiting for guidance, but his voice wouldn't respond. He wants to play a game.
Tense to the point of shaking, he replied.
I have no intention of laying down my life for nothing. What proof do I have you won't kill them anyway?
A minute ticked by, then two. At last, the message came.
WHY WOULD I? AGENTS OF THE LAW ARE MY NATURAL ALLIES, AND I HAVE NO DESIRE FOR UNNECESSARY LOSS OF LIFE. IT WOULD IRREPARABLY HARM MY PUBLIC IMAGE. YOUR TEAM IS NO REAL THREAT WITHOUT YOUR BACKING. FOLLOW MY DIRECTIVES, AND I WILL LEAVE THEM IN PEACE.
You aren't going against my instructions, there is no need for us to be enemies... Grim-faced, Near turned to the rest of his team. "Thoughts?"
"He's lying," said Ide. "If he meant to let any of us live, he wouldn't have asked Light to kill us all."
"I agree." Near plucked at his hair, pensive. "Most likely, he plans to pry the names of Gevanni, Lidner, and Rester out of me, and whatever other information he can get as well. He'd be foolish not to try."
"But if you don't go, Libra kills us all," said Mogi. "Those of us he listed, anyway."
"Yes."
Rester shook his head. "We can arrest him again. No need to worry about them finding Light anymore."
"If Senator Wolff makes a fuss, they'll still find Julia Nguyen. Light may be free of consequences now, but the rest of us aren't." Near's eyes narrowed. "Libra won't follow through on his threat unless I refuse to comply. If I send a message agreeing to his terms—"
"It buys us time," said Ide. "Two days."
"That isn't much," said Aizawa.
"You'd rather die now?"
"Quiet, both of you." Rester looked at Near, concerned. "What do you want to do?"
Two days. Near stared at the screen, his face a careful blank. Why leave me so much time? Confidence or not, it was an irrational risk to run without cause. He's not as prepared as he wants me to think. It's the only explanation that makes sense.
I have a chance.
He began to type.
There's a flaw in your arrangements. I can't drive. If I can bring one member of my team along as a driver, I'll accept your terms. Otherwise, I'll have to decline.
Aizawa frowned. "Is that true?"
"I was thirteen when I began chasing Kira. Believe me, driver's education wasn't exactly—"
Near's inbox pinged.
YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT?
Ignoring the murmurs around him, the detective dashed off another reply.
I'm disabled and rarely leave home, and when I do, one of my team can drive me. I've never had any reason or inclination to learn. Is that a problem? I can leave him in the car if you're concerned.
Near stared at the screen as he waited, tugging at his hair. At last, the reply came.
ONLY ONE PERSON, AND YOU'LL BRING HIM INTO THE UNIT WITH YOU. I DON'T WANT ANY OF YOUR TEAM WHERE I CAN'T SEE THEM. IS THAT ACCEPTABLE?
Thank God. He let out a breath, bending forward to compose his answer.
That's acceptable. One last question. My driver would like permission to retrieve my body afterwards. Is that acceptable to you, or do you have other plans?
This time, Libra didn't hesitate.
FEEL FREE. I HAVE NO USE FOR A CORPSE.
"Near," said Rester quietly. "May I have a word?"
"In a moment."
Very well. I'll wait for the directions. See you in two days.
With preternatural calm, Near shut the laptop and got up from his chair.
"Well, you've bought some time, at least," said Rester.
"Easy for you to say," snapped Aizawa. "You're not going to die if Near doesn't think up a plan."
"We knew there was a possibility Libra knew our names," said Mogi.
"Yeah, we knew. Big difference between a possibility and a threat, though, don't you think?"
You sound like Light. "No one is going to die," Near said firmly. "Print out those emails for reference, then shut the computer down—and not a word about the case or anyone working on it until you leave the room. He's sent us malware before. We have no guarantee those emails were clean."
Mogi nodded. "Understood."
"Good. Rester, come with me."
He walked away in silence, trusting the agent to follow suit. Only once they reached his room again did Rester finally speak.
"We need to call Lidner. Tell her to keep an eye on Matsuda."
"I don't disagree," said Near, "but hold off for now. She still has two patients to look after. If he panics, he won't be any use to her."
"He deserves to know he's been threatened, Near."
"Libra threatening the Task Force is unfortunate, but not that unexpected. Better to hold off on telling him until I have a plan of action to report."
Rester gave him a strange look. "You're being awfully calm about this."
"Would hysterics be more productive?"
"No, but—"
"We need to inform Lidner, but for now, I need your phone. There's someone I need to talk to first."
"You have a plan?"
"Most likely, yes."
"Thank God. You had me worried you really meant to meet with Libra."
"I do. That's the plan. Once I make this call—"
"Are you out of your mind?"
Near's fingers twitched at the sudden rise in volume. "I said I would meet with him. I have no intention of giving him my name."
"And if he knows about the eyes?"
"If he did, he would have no need to meet with me. He has footage of all our faces already." The detective wet his lip. "I'm not an idiot. I met Kira and Janus face-to-face as well, and I haven't died yet."
"You came damn close, both times."
"Close and dead are very different things. I'm not going in alone, Rester. I'll be fine."
"Going in there without a plan is suicide, Near. Plain and simple."
"I have a plan."
"Putting yourself in harm's way is not a plan! Gevanni was right. If we treat Libra like we did Mikami—"
"We have no proof. Even if we did, the notebook we have is ownerless now. If we let a civilian use it to kill Libra, they'll own both notebooks."
"Meaning Ryuk will come find them, for certain." Rester put his hands in his pockets, thoughtful. "One of us will have to do it, then."
"No."
"You'd rather gamble with the Task Force's lives? If he gets your name—"
"I'll die. And? I'm not a child, and I'm not a coward. I'm done letting other people run my risks for me."
"Even if it gets all of us killed? Our names, your contacts, Wammy's House—if he gets your name, he can have all of it, everything you know. No. I'm sorry, Near. Better to sacrifice a few memories than all of our lives."
"And what a noble sacrifice that would be." Near's voice cracked like a whip, his calm demeanor shattering. "Kira gives his life to stop Libra rather than use a Death Note again, and L uses it to murder a criminal. Not even a criminal, a mere unproven suspect. That's not who I am. That is not what we do. I have no intention of dying, but if I do—if there's even a chance that you're right, that this better place of yours exists, I'm going to go there as an L. Not a Kira."
"Near—"
"I will not do it, Rester, and I'll end the careers of anyone who does. You said this investigation was my responsibility, and now you're trying to wrest it away from me? I'm still L, like it or not, and I'll handle my cases as I damn well please. With or without you. Is that clear?"
Near forced himself to look his Watari in the eye, his hands clenched tight on the hem of his shirt. At last, Rester sighed and nodded, his voice softening in defeat. "Very clear, L."
"Good. Give me the goddamn phone and get out. I'll brief everyone together once I'm done."
Rester held it out to him, his face grim. "You're taking a hell of a risk. I hope you know what you're doing."
"Don't worry. Ryuk said he chose Libra for reminding him of Light." Near's lips quirked upward as he dialed, mirthless. "Time to find out how true that is."
