"Phase 1 of the plan is finished. Now is the time to move on to Phase 2," L began.
"Wait. Am I the only one who is confused at this point?" Lidner asked.
Mello regarded her levelly as he crumpled up the wrapper of the chocolate bar he had just finished and began to unwrap another. Near dropped a few more stones into his mancola set and picked more up. He didn't even look at Lidner. L took the opportunity to take another sip of shake.
"Of course, I am. The rest of you are genuises," Lidner muttered.
"What is the problem?" L asked.
"The problem is that you spent all that effort convincing Kira you were a ghost then you sent that note to headquarters, something a ghost couldn't do it. You practically told him you were alive," Lidner said.
L nodded. "If Light didn't entertain the possibility that I might still be alive then he would never have checked the other death note and led us to the second Kira. It was necessary."
"But now if you show up, he won't give anything away," Lidner pointed out.
"It was never my intention for Kira to confess everything to my 'ghost'. Light is much too intelligent for that one to work. Besides, we need him to know that I am alive," L said. "Right now, Kira is scrambling. He doesn't know where I have been for a year or so and what I might have done in that period. Then there is the whole 'ghost' tactic we have been pursuing up to this point. Was I trying to get him to confess as you thought or did I have another reason for it? What Kira knows for certain though is that he can't afford to leave me be. So he will be coming for Near and Mello."
"What? I thought you said Kira would be after you," Lidner said.
"Part of phase 1 was setting up a link between Near and Mello. Near's reluctance to pursue Mello followed by the SPK's inability to detain him after the situation with Misa has established that quite well. Kira will know it is no coincidence that they appeared shortly before my 'ghost' began to show up and haunt him. Therefore there has to be a link between Near, Mello, and I. The way to find me is to find them," L explained.
Lidner blinked and L watched as the meaning sunk in to her brain.
"Phase 2 will be focused on Near and Mello. Kira doesn't yet know if the entire task force knows I am alive. So far the only one suspect in his eyes will be Matsuda. I need to talk with Wammi's about possibily borrowing a graduate for this part."
"You need to go there," Near said.
"Unneccessary, I just have to ask over the phone_" L began.
"No. You need to go there," Near repeated.
L frowned. "I don't get your meaning."
"I think I understand what Near means. For once we are on the same page," Mello said.
L looked from one to the other of his successors. "I really don't like not being in the loop."
Lidner snorted. "So now he knows how it feels."
"You know exactly what we mean, L," Near said. "Don't pretend."
L sighed.
"So you really think that I am that suicidal. That the reason I haven't gotten busy reconnecting to my base of power is because I don't intend to survive this investigation. You think guilt over Watari might get to me at a bad moment and tempt me. So you want a reason for me to stick around," He said.
Mello chopped loudly on his chocolate bar.
"Exactly," He said around a mouthful of chocolate.
"Have either of you considered that my second chance might not extend beyond the capture of Kira? I know nothing about the way I was brought back nor how long I will stay living. Maybe I just want everyone to be prepared for the worst," L said.
"And if you decide to end your second chance before the Shinigami King has a chance then you might feel that you at least thumbed your nose at him. Go to Wammi's house. If for no other reason then that you owe it to Watari. Phase 2 of the plan doesn't require your participation. Your absence won't compromise the plan," Near replied.
L slurped the last of his shake then grimaced.
"Wonder if there any ice cream stands on the way to the air-port," He muttered.
L looked out the window of the plane at the twinkling lights far below.
London. We are nearly there, L thought.
Going back to Wammi's house, L couldn't help, but think of its founder, Quillish Wammi also known as Watari.
It was at Wammi's house that he and Wammi had first met. L's thoughts drifted back to that time, remembering.
L suspected that the orphanage staff didn't know what to do with him. He was the kid who was always by himself, watching the others like a shadow during playtime. During school time, he proved he was smarter then any curriculum they gave him. A true genius. Then there was night time.
L sat before a huge upstairs window that looked out over the rest of the estate. In front of him sat a bowl of little white round sweet-tart pieces. L had found himself unable to sleep since the death of his parents a few days before he arrived at Wammi's. The orphanage staff found him sitting at this window every night. The first few nights they had tried to get him to sleep. Eventually they just gave up and let L be L.
That night, however, L's peaceful night was interrupted by someone new.
"Hello there, mind if I sit down?" A voice asked.
L didn't bother to look up from his sweet-tart bowl as he answered. "It is your house. You can do what you want."
There was a brief silence.
L picked up a sweet-tart piece and rolled it in between his fingers before dropping it into his mouth. He wished he hadn't eaten all the blue ones already. They were his favorite.
"How did you know?"
L shrugged. "Your tread is different from any orphanage staff member I have heard. No parent looking to adopt a child would arrive this late and alone. Put that together with the fact that the founder of this place is still alive and has private rooms here and it wasn't hard to figure out, Mr. Wammi."
"I see," Mr. Wammi said.
Another silence, this one longer as Wammi studied L.
"What is your name?"
"Lawliet," L said.
"Lawliet, where is your room?"
L sighed.
Here it comes again, he thought.
Obediently, L picked up his sweet-tart bowl and showed Wammi to his little room. It was spare with only a bed, desk, nightstand, and a lamp.
L decided not to delay the inevitable. He set the bowl of sweet-tarts on the nightstand and lay down on the bed with the covers on top of him. He closed his eyes and wait Wammi to leave just as all the other orphanage staff workers did at this point.
The next sound he heard was the rustling of paper. At first, L thought Wammi was going to read him a bedtime story. He braced himself for at least thirty minutes of some stupid story that most likely involved talking animals.
Instead, Wammi tossed something on to L's bed.
"Sit up. We both know that you are only pretending to sleep and will get up as soon as I have gone."
So Wammi was a perceptive one then.
L sat up and looked down at the foot of his bed to see a newspaper sitting there. He met Wammi's eyes as he grabbed it.
"I haven't meet a child yet who wasn't bored by the newspaper. Either this will help get you to sleep or help you learn something. Your night will be more productive this way. I will call on you again tomorrow and we can discuss it over tea," Wammi said.
L held the newspaper between his thumb and forefinger. He looked down at, frowning.
"Good night, Lawliet," Wammi said as he left, shutting the door behind him.
"Excuse me, sir. Could you sit properly in your chair? We are about to land."
L blinked and looked up to see an airline stewardess standing next to him.
He pointed to his seat-belt, "My seat-belt is on, the seat is in the proper position, and my tray table is stowed. What is the problem?"
The stewardess frowned, but she left him and continued down the aisle to sit down in her seat.
When the plane landed, L waited until all the other passengers were gone before leaving himself. He preferred not to get caught in a crowd if he could help it.
With no luggage to claim, L headed down a staircase to the ground floor of the air-port where a uniformed chauffer stood holding a card with the name Hideki Ryugga on it.
L showed the chauffer the fake I.D. he had created to go with the name and the driver led him to a waiting black lexus. L then gave the driver the address for a house not far from Wammi's. He didn't dare ask to go to Wammi's. He owed it to his old home to not attract Kira's attention to it.