A/N: What's this? Two chapters in one week? I know right? But anywho, enjoy! Thanks for all the support everyone!
Chapter XI: Surprise
"The trouble with trouble is, it starts out as fun." - Anonymous
~}(1){~
The other end of the line was silent for so long that Ren wondered if she had accidentally hung up in her haste to tell him about this new development. Or perhaps he already knew something, or maybe he really was behind it... There were several possibilities she had considered while waiting for his email earlier, but most were ruled out after a moment. 'I don't think he'd go this far just to test me, or at least, not after he already did test me... It wouldn't make any sense.'
She would be lying if she said it hadn't shaken her up. How could it not? But more than that, it filled her with determination. If L only gave her the go-ahead, she could pursue this full out. Patience... She just needed patience. Though really, she'd been patient all day. She'd visited Sumi, taken care of her business with Matsuda... All the while keeping this little tid-bit to herself... She didn't want to ruin it by letting anyone else know, but it really had been difficult to put it out of her mind at all..
However, his voice finally came through, "Hm.. I suppose this was always a possibility – though are you certain it's actually WIK? Perhaps you should start from the beginning."
"Yes, of course," she agreed, falling back on her bed with a vague weariness. "I found his email after I woke up this afternoon..."
Pouring herself a cup of herbal coffee in order to help herself wake up, Ren repressed the urge to yawn. Since she hadn't made it back to her apartment until half-past seven that morning, she only let herself sleep in until two before dragging herself out of bed, showering, and heading out to grab some takeout from a nearby restaurant. After returning home and eating, she'd then spent the next few hours flipping through the files Matsuda had compiled like L had suggested, highlighting anything that peeked her curiosity and circling the names of those who fit the profile. However, she couldn't force herself to focus on it.
All those faces still floated in her mind, distracting her from her work.
While Ren slept earlier, she'd seen them then as well, their faces accusatory, like they knew it was her fault they died. Every so often, she had glimpsed another presence among them, whispering in their ears, pointing at her before giving this eerie little chuckle. This one gave her an uneasy feeling, and in her head, she knew it was supposed to be WIK. However, they always stood in the shadows, and she could never make out any of their features. She'd awoken drenched in sweat after that.
So, since she hadn't been focusing on work anyways, she'd flipped on the TV ... Her stomach had dropped when she realized all the stations were talking about the same thing. 'How did this happen?' 'Bumbling detective-' 'Failure of the police departme-' They'd been discussing WIK's latest spree and her incompetency.
With nothing left to do, Ren decided to get something to wake herself up and then try her best to get some work done on the case, which led her to the present. She stilled owed Sumi a chat, but that could be dealt with later. She just wanted to get something done.
Once she took a drink of her coffee, Ren made her way over to the answering machine that had been blinking red all day. The first message was Matsuda, who wanted to discuss L and how her meeting with him went. The second came from Sumi asking when she was coming over that evening. Remembering her attitude earlier, Ren ran a hand through her hair. She definitely needed to apologize for that. She had actually snapped at her... Ren couldn't believe it. The last time they fought was … Well, she didn't even remember when they had a real fight last. Later. She would fix it later. She owed WIK's victims more than an apology, and there was only one way to fix this for them.
Feeling morose, she settled down at her computer and pulled up the one email she had received that day. Since it came from an unknown address, she figured it was indeed from L. However, when she opened it, there was nothing in the email besides a link. Clicking the link, she frowned as a blank screen popped up. Then after a moment, it redirected her to a blank chat room. When nothing happened after a moment, Ren slowly clicked the chat box, and the notification that 'user 010100100110010101101110 is online' popped up. Then a message appeared.
Good Evening, Ms. Gushike.
Who is this?
She typed back.
I'm someone you have waited to hear from for quite some time now. For obvious reasons, I cannot disclose my true identity. However, the masses have taken to calling me WIK.
Ren rolled her eyes. When L said he would contact her, Ren thought he'd just give her an email to use, but this was going above and beyond in the way of privacy. When she began typing, she noticed that the first two messages had disappeared.
Nice try, Ryuzaki, but I'm not fooled. Really though, isn't this a bit much?
A moment passed.
Ryuzaki ... Ryuzaki ... The name is a familiar one, but I confess that I'm unable to place it.
Well, it should be, seeing as you were the one who told me to call you that.
Ren frowned ... Something felt very off about this. Although she didn't know him well – then again, who did? - the way the other user wrote didn't feel like L's speech pattern. And they hadn't insulted her once so far. But it could still be him. L was one of the most intelligent people to ever live, according to legend. Surely, he could change a speech pattern and hold in an insult for the sake of a … What was this exactly? A joke? It felt very off.
I see ... An alias for one of your colleagues then? I think that sounds most likely, don't you agree?
Alright, this isn't funny, Ryuzaki.
She was careful to use the alias again in case this wasn't him. Alarm bells were ringing through her head, but the next messages silenced them all and sent a shiver down her spine.
Did you enjoy the message I wrote for you?
At that, Ren froze. Were they referring to the message left at the block murder? She didn't know what else they could be talking about. Especially when they claimed to be WIK... Still though. Was she just projecting her worries on to this anonymous sender? Thinking carefully, she typed slower now.
I need you to be very clear here. Are you confessing to committing the acts of murder, along with burglary and vandalism, that took place at 27 Otoryuku Avenue early this morning?
Good to see that criminal justice degree of yours paying off, but in answer to your question, I wouldn't say I'm confessing exactly. You see, confession carries with it the connotations of admitting defeat, and that's hardly the case... I have no desire to turn myself in. No ... Rather, I wish to extend an offer to you.
Ren ran a hand through her hair as she read the message several times. This had to be a prank of some sort. But then ... they hadn't released any information about the two messages to the public, so if this was WIK – which she was still fairly sure it wasn't – then he would be able to tell her what they said right?
I'll hear your offer, but first, prove to me that you're WIK. What did your message say?
Hm? Which do you refer to, I wonder? Well, I suppose it doesn't make much of a difference since I've seen neither of them reported on. PARADISE LOST was the latest though.
Well, shit. There were only a handful of people who knew that, and she seriously doubted any of them would do something like this to her. What should she do? Call for back up? Try and trace the signal? Before she could do anything, however, another message from them popped up.
Please, Ms. Gushike, if I were you, I would listen to my offer and my terms before I acted rashly. Let's not waste an opportunity.
Swallowing thickly, Ren wondered just how he knew what she was thinking, feeling more than a little unnerved, and the worst part was that she realized if she wanted to pursue this avenue at all, she was going to have to play by his rules for the moment. She didn't have a choice in the matter. She wouldn't keep this to herself. At least, not completely, but there was no time to figure out exactly who she could trust with this info, whether or not it was really him. But she had to at least pursue it as if it was... At the moment, their case was more or less at a stand still. If this would break that...
I'm all ears then.
Quite. Well then, now that we've verified my identity and gotten past that pesky part where you try to call for backup, I'll explain. My offer is a simple one. I offer you conversation, much like the one we're enjoying now. Perhaps, if you're having too much trouble scurrying after my "trail," I could even advise you on your next course of action. However, it would be entirely up to you whether or not you really wanted to believe me, and of course, these talks are quite the opportunity to analyze me – if you're competent enough.
Not for the first time in their interactions did Ren need to re-read the message over and over again before it truly registered. The situation was just too surreal. Even though she still wanted to believe it was somehow a prank, the detective knew she couldn't afford to disregard it as such. Shifting in her seat, Ren felt the odd sensation of being watched.
What's in it for you then? From what you've said, I only see the positives for me.
Why, only the simple pleasure of speaking with you, Ren. May I call you Ren? After all, we'll be getting to know one another quite thoroughly.
A shiver crawled up her spine, and she squeezed her eyes shut. What should she say? She'd never prepared for a situation like this because it was too bizarre. This kind of thing didn't happen. Once again, the victims from her dream and the shadowy figure flitted through her mind. However, this time the shadows seemed to recede for a moment, and she came to a decision. She had to do it. Later, she could worry about the consequences and next steps, but if she didn't take this first step, then the choice would be lost entirely. Finally, she responded.
If that's what you want. However, it hardly seems polite for only one of us to refer to the other by their first name.
Unfortunately, that is how it must be. Surely, you agree that it is better than the alternative, which is to say no contact at all.
Of course. I'm assuming this is part of those terms you mentioned earlier.
Indeed. One of several, as it is, and while we're on the subject, I suppose I should go over the rest. First and foremost, these talks will remain between you and I. If I get even the slightest hint that you've discussed them with anyone else, I will cease and desist speaking with you. Is that clear?
Crystal.
No, of course not, but it's not like she was going to tell him that. She refused to repeat past mistakes. She would not do this on her own. There had to be at least one other person that knew, and even though he made her want to shoot him on a good day, Ren knew L had to be the one. Then she would tell her team, if L thought that was a good idea... After what happened with the Block Massacre, Ren was – though ashamed to even think it – hesitant to make a move without consulting him.
Good. I would also ask that you restrict our conversations to your computer so I can have a small amount of insurance that you're not showing this to anyone – inadvertently or not. Now, you may have noticed our messages erase themselves after a short time. This is intentional as well.
Ren nodded to herself since she had been wondering about that. Under her breath, she counted to twenty before the message erased itself. A self-erasing server? That wasn't something she'd ever heard of before, but apparently, it was possible.. How much tech knowledge would one have to have to set something like that up? Could he have gotten help for it? She made a note to contact a few people and see who all would be able to create a server like that.
Is that all?
Hm... Yes, I think that's it. My apologies for cutting this short, but it seems I have a meeting... So, for now, Ren, I bid you goodbye. We'll be in contact very soon, I believe...
After that, the notification that they went offline came up. Though she wasn't sure how much time passed, Ren sat there staring long after the last message deleted itself. Part of her still couldn't believe WIK had just contacted her – that she'd just spoken civilly with a serial killer. In fact, if it wasn't for the blank chat room on her screen, she would've thought she was crazy. With that in mind, she bookmarked the site for future use.
However, just as she was about to exit out of the browser, another message popped up.
Oh, and if you would, tell "Ryuzaki" hello for me. I'll make an exception for him.
Reading that, she pressed her face into her hands and took a deep, shuddering breath. How could he know? Even when she had thought it was L, she was careful to refrain from giving anything too telling away. L had been missing for nearly a decade. The Kira riots hadn't brought him out, nor had anything else all that time. How could WIK possibly predict just who Ryuzaki was? Furthermore, why had WIK even contacted her of all people? Was it because she was leading the case? That had to be it didn't it? But then ... The press conference. Everything seemed to loop back to that, and that's when it had all began really. Had it actually only been a week ago? Less that actually... So much had happened. Since then, WIK had been very active. Surely that was how she caught his attention.
Regardless of whether or not the answer should've been obvious for a police officer, the question now was: did she want it?
"That was about four and a half hours ago, and I've been trying to get in contact with you ever since," Ren finished, running a hand through her hair. Well, waiting for him to contact her was more accurate, but he already knew that. When she told him what happened, she'd done her best to give him a rundown of what was said without weighing it down with her own thoughts and opinions. She wanted to give him a clean slate to work with.
"That's quite the story ... It seems WIK poses a greater threat than I first thought.."
"How could he possibly know that Ryuzaki is you? Maybe it's just a way to rattle me ... What do you think?"
"They just contacted the lead investigator on a case related to the Kira Case in a more or less untraceable way. It only makes sense that he would come to the conclusion that the person you expected to contact you was myself."
Though he couldn't see it, Ren nodded in agreement. "I suppose you're right."
"I believe," L continued, voice oddly muffled in a way that made Ren suspect he had shoved some food into his mouth, "that WIK's end goal is to kill me. So perhaps that also affected his prediction... He's certainly been trying to draw me out for a while." He paused for a moment. "Tell me, why do you believe WIK would choose to contact you over anyone else?"
Ren tapped a finger against her knee. Even though that had been the question she'd been pondering all day, it surprised her that question was the first he chose to ask after hearing what she'd told him. Regardless, Ren was past questioning his methods for the most part. "Two possible reasons are that I'm the one who's leading the case and that I'm the one who held the press conference about his targets ... Though the two are closely related."
"Perhaps ..."
"You have a different thought?"
"I have many different thoughts than you, I would imagine."
She frowned, and they were silent for a moment. Though she couldn't be sure, she thought that was an insult to her intelligence in some form. "Well, what do you think I should do with this?" she asked.
Ryuzaki sighed, a sound that was becoming sadly familiar. Was it bad she was getting used to it? "These messages fall under the same course of action as the ones found at the crime scenes. Even though you shouldn't disregard them completely, don't rely on them as a means of finding WIK. Of course, any of this only applies if we are actually dealing with WIK."
"Who else could it be?"
"Anyone with a fair amount of hacking skill could access police records to get that information. How did you think I knew about them?" he asked, voice as even as ever.
"Yeah but ... you're L," she said as if it was the simplest idea in the world. Perhaps that wasn't the best argument to use, but it occurred to her that she actually hadn't thought about how he had known about the messages at the crime scenes.
"Hm, I suppose that's a compliment then."
"Of sorts," she admitted. "So, if these messages all follow the same plan, I should be trying to get a feel for what WIK's actually like."
"Indeed. Whenever he next contacts you, keep that in mind."
"Alright, I will. Should I tell my team about this? They need to know right?"
"For the time being, it would be better if you contained this information to as few people as possible. It's likely WIK has ways of keeping tabs on anyone you're close to."
"I... Alright." That sent another shiver down her spine, and she made a note to tell Sumi to keep an eye out for anyone acting suspicious around her.
"Was there anything else you needed?"
"No, that's it for now."
"Very well. You can contact me if you find anything significant."
"Sure thing," she agreed before she flipped her phone shut and sat up, a deep breath escaping her mouth in a rush.
She felt significantly calmer now about the whole deal. It was much less daunting knowing that, not only had she made the right decision in pursing this idea, but she also had filled L in on what was happening. That was the difference in her now. She wouldn't pursue decisions completely alone unless she absolutely had to.
Stifling a yawn, Ren realized that it was getting fairly late by now, but she had one more thing she wanted to do before going to sleep. Making her way to her dresser, she pulled out her journal. After something like this, she needed to document it – though she highly doubted she could forget. However, when she flipped to the latest page, she realized she'd already started the entry. It just said:
WIK contacted me today.
Ren rubbed at her eyes. God she was tired. It really had been a long day if she was forgetting little things like this. Shaking it off, Ren pulled out a pen and set to work on finishing the entry.
~}(2){~
Koji wrapped his fingers around his cup of coffee as he sat in the conference room across from Tsukino. Once again, as seemed to be the case more often than not, they were waiting for Ren to arrive. Though this time, it was only because they had both arrived a little earlier than strictly necessary.
After her reaction to the block murders the day before, both men were admittedly curious to see how she was fairing today. Well, Koji was curious. Tsukino still seemed upset with – perhaps concerned for he should say – her since she had snapped at him. In truth, Koji wasn't terribly worried for her. Ren had proven to be determined and able to bounce-back so to speak. She would be able to handle the massacre and move on. He had faith in that. However, it did make him wonder how much pressure it would take before she cracked ...
At that moment, the object of their thoughts walked into the room. After a day of rest, she seemed to be in better spirits. Her attire had reverted back to its usual state, and her hair was combed properly today. Though, she still looked tired, black smudges still ringing her eyes. Of course, that sort of thing was to be expected at this point in the case, stress weighing down on her as it was.
Sweeping into the room, Ren dropped her satchel and set her coffee on the table before taking her usual seat beside him. Though it was obvious in the tenseness of her shoulders that she could feel the curious stares on her, she was doing her best to avoid them and seemed rather .. embarrassed? Yes, that was the right word. What was she embarrassed about? Her behavior the morning previous? That was foolish if she was embarrassed for her attitude towards Tsukino. The man had pushed, and she pushed back. Really, he had hoped she wouldn't retract her words.
Just as he was certain Tsukino was going to speak up – because clearly someone had to speak at every opportunity, no need to enjoy the quiet – Ren cleared her throat and straightened. "Look... Before we get started, I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday – especially to you, Yuya," the detective explained, careful not to meet their eyes as she stared down the opposite wall. "It was unprofessional and not befitting of a task force leader. I hope you'll forgive such an occurrence. As you both know, it was a rough morning and -"
"Relax, Ren," Tsukino cut her off with a good-natured, if a little hesitant, grin before she began to ramble in earnest. "We get the picture, and apology accepted."
"It was hardly needed in the first place," Koji added.
Rolling his eyes at him, Tsukino continued, "I admit, I shouldn't have been so pushy about the whole thing."
Finally, she let her eyes wander over his face. "I ... It was still wrong to yell like that."
Shrugging, Yuya took a drink of his coffee. "Again, no harm done. Now, what do you say we get started on the actual problem here again?"
A small smile pulled at her mouth, relief practically tangible around her. "Sure thing ... Oh actually, I should tell you both something else first."
This time, Koji straightened in his seat, pushing his glasses back into place. Something in her expression told him this was important. He wasn't sure what though ... Quiet confidence, disbelief, and maybe another trace amount of embarrassment, though that could've lingered from earlier. Koji prided himself on his ability to read people even if he wasn't the best at interacting with them. Really, he supposed it was just a perk that came from living with someone like his father, the need to read someone's mood...
But now was not the time for such thoughts.
Scratching the back of her head sheepishly, Ren continued, "Remember the guy who kidnapped me?"
"The one claiming to be L," Tsukino filled in, raising an eyebrow.
"Assuming you didn't get kidnapped again in the span of three days," Koji added, narrowing his eyes. He was getting a little irritated with her stalling. If this was important, then she should just tell them.
"Right ... Well, and I know how this sounds, but as it turns out, he was the real L."
A beat of stunned silence passed before Tsukino burst out laughing. "Good one, Ren."
Koji, however, was not so quick to laugh. In fact, he hadn't been as skeptical as Tsukino when she'd first mentioned it. Of course, he had disregarded it rather quickly along with them, but it had been nagging at him. Though neither had discussed it with him directly, Koji had caught the tale end of enough conversations about L between Chief Aizawa and Matsuda over the years. From what he knew, L was a strange individual. Combine that in conjunction with Ren's own odd behavior yesterday about the person she had to meet with, and it actually made sense. He had been wondering about it since then, and it felt good to have his suspicions confirmed.
When he realized no one was laughing with him, Tsukino glanced around and scrubbed a hand through his hair, a frown creeping across his features. "Wait, you're not serious are you?"
Ren winced in sympathy. "Matsuda and the Chief explained it all to me after I told you guys about it."
"That means you knew yesterday for certain when you went to meet with him," Koji said, frowning.
When it dawned on him, Tsukino crossed his arms. "Yeah, that's true. Why didn't you tell us then?"
"I didn't know if he was okay with it," she defended herself. "He's nothing like you think he would be, and he did tell me I couldn't even bring you two with me. So what was I supposed to think?"
"Why aren't we allowed to meet him?" Koji asked, admittedly disappointed He had wanted to meet the great detective for some time now. In truth, he regretted not joining the Kira task force all those years ago, if only because he would've been able to meet such an important person to the world.
Ren shrugged, brushing her hair back. "I don't really know. He gave me some bullshit answer about not wanting to question you like he did me, but I'm not buying it."
"You're saying we don't get to meet L?" Tsukino asked, sounding put out as well.
In answer to the question, Ren shook her head. "Not unless he changes his mind. I'm not losing whatever trust I've gained" Running a hand across her forehead wearily, she added, "Besides, you don't want to meet him anyways. He's infuriating. Smart, but infuriating Mostly, he just insults me if that's any comfort to you two."
It wasn't really. If L was such a genius, wouldn't he agree that meeting with them would likely expedite the case? "What does L think we should do then?"
"Until we know more, we're on the right track with the Kira supporters. Specifically, we should look into people with -"
At that moment, the door opened, and Chief Aizawa poked his head in. "Just thought I'd let you know, a massive group of Kira supporters have gathered in a park near the massacre site. They're talking about WIK like he's some sort of prophet apparently. Thought you'd want to know."
Huffing a short laugh, Yuya said, "Speak of the devil..."
Well, this could prove to be interesting.
~}(3){~
The car ride to the park had been spent by Ren telling them the rest of what L said – though there was admittedly little they could use since he hadn't said much to begin with. For the most part, her two teammates remained silent, both wearing stony expressions. Apparently, it had upset them more than she was expecting that she withheld the information about L. She sort of understood their feelings, but it did surprise her that it was more of an issue than her own behavior the previous day.
How angry would they be to learn that she was also talking to WIK? That would cause more concern than L certainly.
Since they had opted to all ride in Koji's car, it wasn't difficult to find a parking space within walking distance of the park, and they made good time on the road considering the traffic.
Slamming the car door shut behind her, Ren glanced around until she spotted the crowd of people gathered around the stone fountain in the far corner of the park. From such great distance, it was impossible to get an accurate read on the exact number of them, but there were a lot of people. Enough that the main speaker was concealed within the mass at any rate. Surely, they weren't all Kira supporters? She had known that the murderer had a sizable following, but she didn't think there were this many. So surely, some others had come out just to watch the spectacle.
Yuya nudged her side them, snapping her out of her reverie, and with a gesture of her hand, they followed her towards the group of people. The closer they drew, the more the sounds became less of an indistinct droning, and they were able to discern a few phrases. When they finally reached the crowd, Koji suggested that they hang around the fringes and see what was being said, and Ren agreed with a curt nod.
The leader of this Kira rally was standing on the edge of the fountain so he could be seen by most of the crowd. The man was balding with a short, well-trimmed mustache and wore glasses along with khaki pants and a white button down shirt. With no microphone or any other kind of sound equipment, he was straining to speak louder than the din of the crowd.
"Do you know what this means?" he bellowed, eyes blazing. "Kira is coming back to finish his work. He sends WIK in his stead as a test to us all. If we show our god that we are willing to serve his hand, then he will return to redeem us all," the man announced, and he continued to spit out much of the same nonsense before someone spoke out against him.
"How can you say that WIK is doing his will?" a stern voice demanded. A woman with short dark hair, wearing a skirt and jacket stepped forward, eyes cold. It surprised Ren to see such a well known face their as Takada. The woman had been a popular news anchor several years prior until she was demoted to field reporter after allegations of her being a bit too sympathetic towards Kira, causing a stir of negative feedback against the station. However, her presence here seemed to give credence to them after all.
Now that she had garnered the crowd's attention, the gorgeous woman continued, "Kira never supported the killing of innocents. He would never have approved of the block massacre."
The original speaker made a few sputtering attempts to refute that, but more people shouted their agreement with Takada. In return, others spoke up for the original speaker's side until tempers blazed and the racket all blended into one monotonous sound.
Before the group's fighting became physical, a third party stepped forward. An attractive, well-dressed man with long black hair and deep green eyes behind simple square-framed glasses stepped on to the fountain edge and shouted, "Enough!" Though it took a moment, the commanding tone of his voice managed to catch the crowd's attention.
"For those of you denying that Kira would ever murder an innocent, you forget yourselves. Several died in his pursuit of an ideal world." A murmur of upset rippled through the crowd, and for a moment, Ren wondered if they had an actual voice of reason among them. "Don't misunderstand me. I, for one, do not even consider them victims of Kira because all Kira truly wanted was to get rid of criminals, and the only ones who died were those that wanted to prevent that from happening."
Ren shifted uncomfortably. She didn't like where this was going.
"It's the police who stopped Kira from fixing this bitter, corrupt world. Any innocents' deaths are on their heads!" So much for reason ... The crowd began making noises of approval.
Yuya leaned in and whispered, "Should we break this up now?"
Biting her lip, Ren thought on it, but ultimately decided against it. "That'll just add merit to their words if we step in right now. It might look like we're trying to cover something up."
The man with long hair began to get into his speech. "In that same way, WIK's hand was forced by the cops obstructing his goal. It's their fault those innocent people died. They're the criminals! WIK is continuing Kira's work and disposing of those criminals – those bullies. And if they are our protectors, where were they when all those innocent people died? Shouldn't they have been there? No, WIK revealed to us just where their true devotion lies. They did everything they could to stop Kira from killing murderers, yet not a single officers was there to lend aid to those that died."
"I say again: they are the criminals. They are the ones that our god would have protected us from." Turning his head to look at various people in the crowd, he closed, "So whether you believe WIK was sent by Kira or not, we can all unite under the knowledge that Kira's work is being done if nothing else."
The crowd was silent, and Ren was speechless. They weren't ... They didn't actually believe that crap did they? Admittedly, the long haired man possessed a measure of charisma that stemmed from his confidence in himself. However, saying the police were criminals was insane. The police were there to protect and serve the people, but he made it sound like they were only trying to preserve a corrupt way of living.
Someone in the crowd started clapping, and within moments, the rest followed, the sound deafening. Eyes wide with disbelief, she shared an unnerved look with Koji and Yuya, both of whom wore similar expressions.
That speech seemed to signal the end of this rally, and the people slowly began filtering out of the park. However, Ren suggested they stick around. She wanted to speak to the long haired man before she left. His words set her on edge, and she wanted his name so they could look into his back ground. Obviously, he was anti-police and pro-WIK and Kira. That, in and of itself, was enough to cast suspicion on him. But they needed more before they could question him properly.
Waiting until the man was unoccupied by people, Ren wandered over to him, Yuya and Koji not far behind. When they drew closer, he glanced up and swept an assessing gaze over them. Though he crossed his arms, his features remained impassive.
"Nice speech," Ren began casually, attempting to keep the note of steel from entering her voice. This man was not on her good side, but she didn't' want to scare him off. "You really know how to get a crowd going."
This man was a good six to eight inches taller than her, and he used the added height to look down his nose at her. Nodding swiftly in acknowledgment of her words, he answered, "They need a common enemy – the right enemy. However, I'm sure not everyone agreed with my sentiments, Officer Gushike."
So he recognized her. Suppressing a sigh, she supposed she should've expected this since he likely followed WIK on the news. It would've been a lot simpler if he didn't know who she was, but nothing could be done about it now. A change of tactics was in order.
Offering him her hand to shake, Ren nodded at him. "It's nice to meet you, Mr..." She let the question hang.
"Teru Mikami," he answered, grasping her hand. "I'm afraid I don't recognize your associates so easily." He looked over her shoulder.
Stepping back, Ren gestured to Koji and Yuya. "These are Officers Ogawa and Tsukino." The two both gave a perfunctory greeting.
"Well, you already know my opinions about WIK, Kira, the case in general. What is it you want?"
Yuya shrugged. "We were in the area and managed to catch your speech. That was impressive by the way." He laughed humorlessly. "Though I admit, it's a little awkward since you united them against us."
"Quite," Mikami said, his mouth quirking into a frown. "Still, I won't retract my words if that's your aim."
"We're not here to do that," Yuya placated, holding a hand up.
"That's not something we can do anyways," Koji added, a frown on his own face.
Mikami's mouth tightened into a line. "Hm, I wouldn't put it past you to try. I know what those given a little power are capable of."
"The same could be said of Kira, hm?" Yuya tossed out, crossing his arms.
Raising both hands in surrender before he could take any offense to that, Ren kept her tone calm. "Relax, Mr. Mikami. My partners meant what they said. All we wanted was to talk to you for a moment."
"You mean investigate me."
Ren nodded. "We would be remiss not to at least not look into it. If you're innocent, you should have nothing to worry about."
"Once more, I wouldn't put it past you to implicate me regardless. However, a word of warning, take care in your accusations. I too am a part of your criminal justice structure," he told her, voice calm and words deliberate. "It would not look good on the department."
Ren couldn't hide her surprise at the admission. Then Yuya snapped his fingers. "I knew I recognized your name. You're a prosecutor, a damn good one too."
Nodding, Mikami adjusted his glasses. "Yes, I am."
"Then why are you so against the department?" Koji asked, his brow furrowing.
Mikami glanced at them warily. "I wasn't always ... Until I realized what they'd become." Before they could ask him any more question, he checked his watch and said, "I'm afraid I must leave if I'm to make my next meeting ... unless you plan on detaining me?"
"No, you're free to do as you please, Mr. Mikami," Ren answered. With a nod of his head, the long haired prosecutor made his way toward the parking lot.
Watching him go, Ren spoke to Koji and Yuya. "That one merits looking into."
"No kidding," Yuya agreed. "He's a big batch of crazy, but he knows what he's doing too."
"Mrs. Takada and the other leader of the rally deserve our suspicion as well, I believe," Koji said.
Ren nodded, turning to face them. "Well, we should get to work on that. Back to the station?"
Glancing at his watch, Yuya protested, "We ought to grab something to eat first. I get the feeling this is going to be a long day."
Shrugging, Ren agreed, "If you want, I didn't bring anything today anyways."
As they began to head back to the car, Yuya clapped his hands together and slapped Ren on the shoulder encouragingly. "That's the spirit! I know this great noodle shop we should try."
Ren smiled and nodded, even gave a small laugh, but she wasn't really paying attention at that point. No, her mind was on Mikami and WIK and L and even Kira. Part of her wondered what would've happened if she had stayed on the Kira case. Would it have made it easier for her to understand WIK? And what was it about Kira that had drawn people to him? All those people at the rally were so dedicated to a mass murderer. Why?
Yes, Kira had been a genius, charismatic, and had hid behind the guise of being a savior, but he was also conniving, manipulative, and an egomaniac. What was his appeal?
She needed to look more into Kira.
~}(){~
