I apologize for the delay.

DAY 5

1:59 pm

Mogi had, in his mind, come up with the perfect plan. Everything was ready to go. All that was left to do now was to completely humiliate himself in front of the rest of the task force.

He could deal with that. It was a necessary sacrifice. He wasn't going to lose this contest just to save himself some wounded pride. After all, this was important.

"Hey, Mogi! Did you know that if you watch the clock change from one hour to the next, it's good luck?" Matsuda was saying, eyes fixated on the time displayed on the computer monitor.

Not paying much attention to Matsuda's words, Mogi mumbled disinterestedly, "Oh, that's great, Matsuda." Standing up, he announced, "Alright, everyone. I'm going to be busy with work for a while, so I'll be staying here overnight tonight. I'm just going to head home real quick to grab a few things. I'll be back soon."

"See you later, Mogi-san!" Matsuda said, waving.

Mogi assumed a solemn expression. "Matsuda…" he began in a low tone of voice that caused the younger man to fall silent. Mogi took an uncertain step toward him.

"Wh-what is it?" Matsuda felt a bit odd about the way Mogi was acting.

"I will…see you soon." Mogi stretched out his arms awkwardly, where they remained suspended in mid air for several moments before he hesitantly wrapped his arms around Matsuda in a loose embrace. The rest of the task force kinda stared at them awkwardly, save for L, who didn't even tear his eyes away from his computer screen. A few of the officers regarded Mogi with a "wtf" expression atop their faces. Before Matsuda could even figure out how to react to such an unexpected gesture from the man who was usually so stoic, Mogi had moved on to hugging Soichiro.

Soichiro gasped, in the way that he always does when he is surprised (Have you ever noticed how Mr. Yagami always seems to be in a perpetual state of shock? If you watch the series just looking for the many scenes where Soichiro overreacts to something, it would probably become progressively apparent to you that he is very amusing when he is freaked out). "Um…Mogi? I'm not sure this is entirely appropriate."

Ignoring him, Mogi moved on to victimize Aizawa with his affection next. "Fucking let go of me, Mogi," the afro man growled. Not wishing to anger him further, Mogi hugged Light.

"…Mogi, this is sexual assault. If you don't get off of me, I might just have to break your face with my fist," Light informed the man in that ever-so-pleasant tone of his.

Mogi blinked—a subtle acknowledgement to the teenager's threat. He meant to immedietly hug the next person in line, but, seeing as how it was L, Mogi hesitated a bit. If he touched L and L didn't like it, the detective had the authority to fire him from his job, take all the money in his bank account, tell the public that Kanzo Mogi is Kira, and potentially eat his future children (after dipping them in sugar, of course).

He just hoped that L would be a good sport about it and wouldn't do anything drastic.

Mind made up, Mogi slowly snaked his arms around the detective's body, mentally preparing himself for the man to protest angrily. L went stiff like a board, as if terrified by the very idea of physical touch.

Mogi released a relieved sigh when the expected kick to the face never came.

"…Kindly remove your arms from my person, Mr. Mogi," the detective ordered in a strained yet stern tone of voice. Frightened off, Mogi let go of him.

Everyone in the room continued to watch him tentatively. Finally, Light was the one to break the silence when he asked, "What the hell was that all about?"

Mogi tried to appear as pathetic as possible. "Well…recently my goldfish died, so I've been feeling sorta lonely, and I just got the urge to hug you all...sorry." His goldfish actually haddied the week before, so it was the perfect cover story. Mogi walked out of headquarters briskly, leaving them all feeling eternally grateful for being able to retain their own sanity throughout the course of their lives.

DAY 5

2:12 pm

Matsuda and Soichiro stood in front of the one-sided glass of the interrogation room, staring at Gaylord. The man had yet to remove his Barney costume.

Soichiro had been wanting to get Matsuda alone for some time now. He had a suspicion that Card 20 {Card 20: I once glomped Mickey Mouse in Disneyland, causing him to fall backwards and crack his head open} was written by Matsuda. Why?

Because it just sounded like something Matsuda would do. That's why.

That, and he was also probably the only one stupid enough to proceed to tell people about it, even in an embarrassing secrets contest.

Soichiro knew exactly what needed to be done in order to get his evidence. He would utilize the fact that fooling Matsuda was by far not a large feat.

"Matsuda," Soichiro said solemnly, catching the younger officer's attention.

Matsuda turned to him. "Yes, Chief?" Matsuda's round, innocent eyes watched his superior with curiosity.

"This past week, I have been performing psychological evaluations for each member of the task Force," Soichiro lied. "It's required every once in a while for police officers, after all, and even though we are no longer on the force, I still think it's a good idea. It obviously became a regulation for a good reason, after all."

Matsuda stared at his ex-commanding officer in awe. "That—that's a great idea, Chief! You really do think of everything, don't you?" Matsuda was always quick to shower a person with flattery.

Soichiro coughed politely, never having been very adept when it came to addressing any sort of adulation toward him. "Yes. Well. Let's go to a private room to do this. Please, come with me." With a nod, Matsuda followed the older man into one of the interrogation rooms.

DAY 5

2:18 pm

Mogi stood apprehensively at the front door of Aizawa's house, gripping the man's house keys firmly in his sweaty fist. Hugging the whole team in a false display of insane affection had given him the perfect opportunity to snatch the house keys from his coworker's back pocket.

He knew, of course, that what he had done (and what he was about to do) was technically illegal and could be classified as sexual harassment, theft, breaking-and-entering, searching without a search warrant, and just generally unethical, but screw the law. Screw ethics. This was necessary.

Mogi turned this knowledge over and over in his mind.

He was doing the right thing. He was.

It wasn't like Mogi planned to, say, kill Aizawa's family, or kidnap his daughter, or something drastic like that. No—he just needed to look around a bit, that's all. It would all turn out perfectly fine. Absolutely nothing to worry about.

Mogi jingled the copper-coloured key with nervousness.

…Aizawa was going to kill him.

Taking a deep breath, Mogi stuck the jagged edge of the key into the deadbolt on the front door. He hesitated before twisting it to the unlock position, although he knew no one would be home. Aizawa's wife, Eriko, was out at her half-time job, and his daughter, Yumi, would be with a sitter. Mogi had already taken all of this into consideration.

He turned the lock ever so slowly—almost tenderly, like one would a lover. There was an unmistakable clink! as the deadbolt unlatched.

Mogi carefully turned the door knob and gently prodded open the door.

¡WHOOSH!

The ex-cop hadn't the chance to take even more than a few steps past the threshold of Aizawa's house before he was met with a rush of wind and the angry glare of something metal, accompanied by a sharp, loud, "HIIIIIYAA!"

It was only by pure instinct that Mogi managed to duck in time for a very random, inflexible metal baseball bat to sail right over his head and collide with the space he had been occupying just moments previously. Mogi's hands automatically flew up to protect his head without even thinking.

He didn't have time to think. Whoever was swinging that baseball bat was still going at it.

He cowered, his back against the wall, as the weapon slammed against his side. He grunted in pain.

"I'm calling the cops!" a female voice announced loudly and shakily.

Wait! That voice!

"Sayu…?" Mogi tried, "Sayu Yagami…?"

He carefully raised his head to see Soichiro Yagami's daughter standing in a defensive position with the baseball bat. Yumi Aizawa was hiding behind her. Sayu's whole body was shaking in fear.

Mogi raised his arms slightly in a non-threatening position, and softly said, "My name is Kanichi Moji. We've met a few times before; I work with your father. Please lower your weapon."

The girl was hesitant at first, but finally relented. "Wh-what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm here to conduct an investigation," Mogi informed, "but…what are you doing here?"

Sayu sank to her knees and took a few deep, calming breaths. "Babysitting Yumi for Eriko-san. Geez, Moji-san, you really shouldn't do things that scare people so much."

"Ahh…I'm sorry, Sayu. I was…unaware that anyone was home."

"Huh. I find it hard to believe that Aizawa-san wouldn't have told you about it. Does he actually know that you're here?"

Damn, thought Mogi, I should have known better than to underestimate Light's sister.

"Erm…about that…" Mogi scratched the back of his head, much in the same way that Matsuda often did.

"I didn't think so." Sayu crossed her arms over her chest, causing Mogi to smile sheepishly. "So, what are you investigating?"

"Erm…Th-that's…confidential, I'm afraid…"

"Ah," Sayu said, nodding slightly in acknowledgment, "then I'm afraid I'll just have to call the police and let you explain to them why you broke into your coworker's house and assaulted his child and the child's babysitter." Her face twisted into a disturbing, devilish grin.

"A-assault? !" Mogi stammered, taken aback. "I didn't assault either of you!"

Sayu's expression immediately changed to one of obvious feigned innocence. "Oh, but of course you did!" she exclaimed, her voice holding a sense of dramatic fearfulness. "I'm just a poor and defenseless young girl!" She flung her arms forward, exposing them out from under the sleeve of her sky-blue knit sweater. "All of these bruises I got from playing extracurricular sports could easily be made to look like your doing." She smiled at him smugly.

Mogi's eyes widened. Screw Light, he decided, I bet Sayu is Kira!

Mogi briefly wonders what Soichiro would do if both of his children were accused of being Kira.

"Fine," Mogi finally agreed, groaning. "I'm just conducting a house search, after all."

DAY 5

2:25 pm

"Hey, Chief…no offense, but…this doesn't really seem like a valid psycho-evaluation…"

"What ever do you mean, Matsuda?"

"Well…"

Soichiro blinked curiously. He was holding up a pair of Mickey Mouse ears, on a Mickey Mouse hat. "Go on.."

"Well, erm, what does how I feel about a pair of Mickey Mouse ears have anything to do with my ability to do work as a police officer?" Matsuda blurted out.

Soichiro's eye twitched. He was not in the mood for Matsuda of all people to doubt his authority. "How dare you question my infinite knowledge?"

"…Chief?" faltered Matsuda timidly, afraid that Mr. Yagami might have fallen off his rocker. Matsuda was so confused.

"Just tell me what the hell you feel when you look at the goddamn mouse ears!" Soichiro was fed up with this. Matsuda has not been cooperating at all, and he kept staring at Soichiro as if he had become insane.

"But I don't understand!" Matsuda cried unhappily, a bit frightened.

"Well," Soichiro huffed, rising to his feet, "I guess you're too much of an idiot to understand the obvious." He stormed away, frustrated and fuming.

Matsuda just whimpered, having no idea what exactly had just happened.

DAY 5

2:31 pm

"What exactly are we looking for, anyway?" Sayu Yagami asked, as Mogi opened cabinet after cabinet and drawer after drawer.

"You'll see…" Mogi muttered, searching through all of the junk he could find.

Surely that card belongs to Aizawa, he thought. It would be so easy for it to be his! It would make perfect sense!

Mogi was struck with a sudden inspiration.

"Yumi…" he began slowly, catching the young child's attention, "do you own any Barney episodes…?"

The little girl nodded timidly. Mogi purposefully avoided Sayu's inquisitive stare.

"Please show me where they are…?"

Without a word, Yumi led them over to a small closet which was built into the wall, which she pointed at.

Mogi opened it cautiously, as if something might jump out of it at any given moment. He was shocked at what he found.

The inside of the tiny locker-like compartment looked like a Barney the Dinosaur shrine. Barney's picture was framed, surrounded by un-lit, ritualistic candles. Barney stickers covered the wall, causing Mogi to feel like he was being watched. The shrine was completed by stacks upon stacks of Barney the Purple Dinosaur disks.

Yes! thought Mogi, both excited and thoroughly disturbed at the same time. I knew Aizawa was the one obsessed with Barney! I was right! I was right!

It was Sayu's voice that ended up breaking the heavy silence.

"…What the hell?"

I'd like to thank Ed and Winry 4ever for giving me the idea to use Sayu.

Ever notice how I always seem to use the observation room as kinda the "go-to" room for everything (due to a complete lack of creativity, I know)? Well. Now there's another room of which I can (lazily) overuse and annoy thy readers with its repetition! :D And thus comes into existence the interrogation room. =]

Please review! :D Reviews make me so, so happy.

Thank you for reading. =]

~Ratt Kazamata

8/29/2011