"May I please have my clothes?" Lily requested, backing away from Light.

Light gave her a slow, libidinous visual examination. His eyes traveled the length of her body, giving her long legs exposed beneath the tail of his shirt extra attention.

"Such a waste of a good opportunity." He clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "However, I suppose it would be advisable for you to be dressed when that annoying chauffeur gets here."

That man is much more than a chauffeur, Lily wanted to correct him. She stayed quiet, waiting for him to leave. Once she believed him to have vacated the second floor, she ran to the bedroom door to check the hall to be sure. Coast clear, she crossed the hall to the bathroom, closing the door behind her and locking it. Turning on the shower tempted her to get in to wash off how dirty she felt after being violated with a look.

Lily tossed her purse onto the counter by the sink, pulling out the notebook and her phone. Finding the page listing the FBI agents names, she took a picture. After capturing photos of a few other pages of names, she included a snapshot of the front cover and the list of rules inside to send them to L. Two seconds after pressing the green call button on her phone screen, she tapped her foot nervously, impatient to hear his voice.

"Lily? I'm kind of in the middle of some- "

"L, I need you to shut up and listen," she interrupted him. This time she would not allow him to put her off. He needed to hear her out. "I've got your harpoon, Captain Ahab. I just sent you a few pictures."

Lily paused, allowing L a minute or two to look at the photos. The short span of time felt like an eternity to her.

"It looks like names written in a notebook," he said sounding confused and a tad annoyed. "Are you sure Light wasn't conducting his own investigation? Making a list of names to keep up with the criminals killed, to cross reference at a later date?"

"I'm sure it's not an investigator's notes. It's a hit list of the people he murdered. Compare names, dates, circumstances...there's a few where the exact cause of death is listed in detail," she informed him. "I've got his diary as well for you to compare the handwriting if you still don't believe Light wrote it."

"Lily - "

"It's not just any notebook," she prattled, her voice rising, giving her a slightly hysterical sound. "It's called a Death Note. This notebook is how Light has been killing people. There's even rules written inside the cover," she continued, her voice breaking with emotion. There was too much silence on the other end of her call. She was desperate for him to believe. "Misa has a Death Note as well. Did your investigators find it among her belongings?"

"How did you - "

"Light told me she was arrested. You have to find her notebook so you, and your investigators, will be safe."

"Watari will be there soon," he declared, his voice toneless as ever. He acted as if he had not heard a word she had said.

"All right," she sighed. She could not help but wonder if he thought she was crazy and dismissed her words as a madwoman's drivel.

Stay calm. He heard you, and he believes you. He has a reason for acting like this. He always has a reason for everything he does - or doesn't do, Lily reminded herself before she could slide headfirst into full blown delirium.

"Lily?" L called.

Her body tensed. She was afraid she had spaced out again and missed something important.

"Yeah?"

"Be careful. If Light knows that you know, you are in danger," he warned her.

Oh, Light knows I know. Closing her eyes, she exhaled in relief. L believes me.

"L, if anything happens to me, Light or Misa is responsible."

"I understand. I'll see you soon."

Lily waited to hear the click and beep of him ending the call. When it did not come, she said, "L, I love you."

"Yeah, I know," he responded. "Come back to me safely."

"Lily?" Light called, knocking softly on the bathroom door.

Lily ended the call and shoved the phone along with the notebook into her purse. Throwing off the shirt, she hurried into the shower.

"I'll be out in a minute!"

"I'll leave your clothes by the door. Watari is here. We'll be getting my suitcases down to the car," he told her.

"Oh, thank god," she murmured, shutting off the water. Surely Light would not try something stupid since Watari was present.

After toweling off swiftly, Lily opened the door a crack to scout the hall for the presence of men. Upon seeing no one, she opened the door a little wider to seize the neatly folded pile of her freshly laundered clothing. Once dressed she ran downstairs, passing Light and Watari who were standing at the front door waiting for her.

On the way to the car, her eyes scanned the yard and sidewalk in hopes of finding her shoes. Unfortunately, the storm had washed them away. Oh well. Considering they were the only casualty of last night, she was not too upset by losing them.

Light opened the back door of the limousine for her. Regrettably for him, his chivalry was unceremoniously shunned when she opened the front door for herself and sat down in the passenger's seat.

"Sir, If you will," Watari proclaimed, holding the door and motioning for Light to get into the backseat by himself.

When they were about ten minutes into the drive back to the hotel, Lily tapped on the glass divider behind the front seat separating them from the back seat.

"Is this soundproof?" she asked.

"Yes, Miss," Watari answered. "I would caution you not to tap on the glass. It could upset the animal inside the enclosure."

Lily nearly missed the dry sarcastic British wit delivered in a voice as devoid of emotion as L's. She smiled but could not allow herself to laugh all things considered.

"You know what's going on?" she questioned him, holding onto her purse containing the ever so important notebook.

"Not the specific facts, but I am privy to the crucial details," he replied vaguely. "Miss, I should warn you that Detective Yagami and Aizawa are part of the investigative team and they will be present at the hotel. They have been made aware of your involvement in the case."

"I suppose that's good. No uncomfortable surprise reunions for anyone involved," she murmured, glimpsing out of the window.

Her fingers twiddled with the zipper on her purse. She carried the power of life and death with her. Death had come to all of those whose names had been written inside. Once this notebook was turned over to L, no more lives would be taken. At least not by using this notebook. Hopefully, the officers had found Misa's Death Note when collecting evidence from her apartment. But there were two more notebooks, and the Death gods who owned them. What did Misa's Shinigami look like?

Lily inhaled sharply unaware that she had been holding her breath. The penetrating cold of fear trickled down her back like ice cubes tossed down her shirt, permeating her body and soaking straight into her veins to chill her through and through.

"The hard part is over, Miss," Watari said as if he could sense her apprehension.

Lily gave him a smile on quivering lips. She believed the hard part had not yet begun.

~~~\\/~~~

"Chief Yagami, I strongly advise against your presence here," L announced as they waited in the garage for the arrival of the limousine.

"Until I see unequivocal evidence for myself, I will continue to believe in my son's innocence," Soichiro Yagami stubbornly argued.

"But Chief, you saw the pictures of the notebook, the names," countered Touta Matsuda. The rookie detective acted like a rookie adult who did not to know when to be quiet.

"Shut up, Matsuda," growled Detective Aizawa, his eyebrows separating into two from the troubled unibrow over his nose.

The other three detectives, Kanzo Mogi, Hideki Ide, and Hirokazu Ukita remained silent in the name of self-preservation and common sense. They stood at attention when the black Rolls Royce glided to a stop in front of them.

Detective Aizawa opened the door for Light to get out. The young man cautiously unfolded from the backseat of the car, glancing at each of them. His brown eyes registered bewilderment, then fear before becoming blank brown canvases registering no emotion at all.

"Dad, what's going on?" Light asked, catching his Father's eyes.

Soichiro Yagami turned his back to avoid having to watch what happened next.

"Light Yagami, you're under arrest for murder," L revealed. "You are Kira."

"What?" he scoffed in return. He stepped back as if he were going to sit back down in the car or possibly turn and run.

The big wall of a man named Kanzo Mogi stepped to his right to close the gap between himself and the car that could be a possible escape route for Light. Although smaller built, the pencil thin Hideki Ide and the short Hirokazu Ukita appeared no less menacing especially considering the expressions of anger pinching their already strained faces. They flanked Shuichi Aizawa who stepped forward with a pair of handcuffs in his hand.

"Wh-what is th-this?" Light stammered, his eyes bouncing from face to face on the men surrounding him.

"Light Yagami, you're under arrest," Detective Aizawa reiterated, gripping Light's wrist so he could put the handcuffs on him.

"Dad! Why aren't you stopping this?!" Light exclaimed, pulling his wrist away from the detective. "This isn't funny!"

The other three detectives immediately drew their guns, aiming them at Light's head.

"Son, this is no joke. I suggest you come along without resisting," Soichiro Yagami advised him, keeping his back to his son. He visibly flinched when the handcuffs were snapped onto Light's wrists.

"You are wrong," Light disputed hotly, scowling furiously at L. "I am not Kira."

"I am never wrong, Light Yagami."

~~~\\/~~~

"Are you okay?" L asked Lily, opening the car door for her.

Lily took his offered hand, allowing him to pull her out of the car. She did not trust her jellied knees to hold her upright at this moment. Falling forward, leaning heavily into his body, she put her arms around his slim waist while his arms encompassed her shoulders.

"I'm so glad you're all right," she sighed, embracing him.

"Did you do anything last night we'll both regret?" L questioned her in a sedate manner.

Lily pulled back from him causing his arms to loosen from around her but he would not allow them to fall away from her sides completely.

"Are you asking me if I had sex with Light?" she inquired, annoyed but not surprised by his blunt question. When he neither confirmed no denied his meaning, she answered, "No. Nothing happened."

"I didn't think so. He only wanted me to think so," he murmured, gathering her into his arms to hug her.

"What?"

Lily was momentarily stunned by his unsolicited show of affection toward her. She sank into the warmth of his embrace, burying her face into the folds of his t-shirt.

"So you have the evidence?" he asked her in a businesslike tone without letting her go.

"It's in my bag," she replied wishing she could stay in his arms. If only this investigation, all of the madness, could be paused, just for an hour, so she could take comfort in his arms uninterrupted with no distractions.

"Although the notebook is hard evidence, this case will require further investigation to bring it to a conclusion."

"What are you saying?" She leaned her head back so she could see his face.

"This is not over yet." His dark eyes met hers. Serious, detached emotionally, he was all private investigator at the moment.

A heavy boulder of uneasiness formed in the depths of her belly. She already knew that this case was not exactly, but almost, wrapped up. Hearing it out loud made that fact even more worrisome and ominous. Her arms unwound from his body, and she stepped back from him.

"We need to talk," L stated solemnly, brushing his fingertips across her cheek in a gesture to offer her comfort. "But not now. When we get upstairs, I need you to go straight to your room so I can speak with the members of the Task Force."

"I understand," she responded, The gravity of the situation kept her rebellious tongue still without reacting to his authoritative tone that made him sound as if he was issuing orders to an underling.

"Let's go to the suite," he said, keeping his arm around her shoulders as he led her to the service elevator.

Lily did not realize the only people left in the parking garage were herself and L. Watari had pulled the car away upon her exit and gone upstairs to help the officers who had vacated the scene to deal with the incredibly uncomfortable situation of Light's arrest while in the presence of his father.

They did not speak on the elevator ride up to their floor. There was too much too say in such a short amount of time so they said nothing at all. L held her hand as they walked into the room to find the six men of the investigative team and Watari waiting for them in the sitting area.

"I'll see you later," Lily murmured, rising on her tiptoes to kiss L's cheek before turning to walk away. When his fingers clasped her hand tighter instead of letting go, she looked back at him.

"Lily, before you go, I'd like to introduce you to the Japanese Task Force," he said, leading her over to the men occupying the two couches and chairs.

Lily glimpsed at each man in turn. Two of the men she recognized: Soichiro Yagami and Shuichi Aizawa. The last time she met these two men the circumstances had been equally awful. She had just killed her uncle, and they were conducting the investigation. Of course they were part of the Kira case. Murder investigations seemed to be their forte; or maybe their curse.

A lot more gray had appeared in Chief Yagami's dark hair since she had seen him last. Detective Aizawa looked angry, resentful even, to be here. His eyebrows met over his nose and his lips formed a thin white line.

"Hello again, Chief Yagami, Detective Aizawa," she greeted them, bowing in respect and to hide her embarrassment. She had been a different person, literally and figuratively, the first time she met them. Seeing them again proved to be disconcerting and humiliating for her, possibly for them as well.

"Sachiko?" Chief Yagami murmured. "Is that really you? Ryuzaki told us about you, but I never expected..." His words trailed off when he became unsure of what to say, fearing he had already said too much.

Not wanting to make him feel more ill at ease, she did not bother correcting him about her name. Light was right. She was still the same person no matter what she called herself. Once again she was reminded the hard way that there was no escaping her past.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, not knowing what else to say to him. He looked pale, his facial muscles tight with worry. What must he be thinking and feeling having witnessed his son's arrest for the crime of being Kira? "I'm sorry about everything, Chief Yagami."

"Me too," he mumbled under his breath, picking up his tea cup. The cup shuddered, spilling the greenish tinted liquid into the saucer. He decided to put the cup down instead of attempting to bring it to his mouth to drink.

L introduced her to the other men staring at her with open curiosity. Kanzo Mogi, a big muscular man who nodded and grunted in acknowledgement. Hideki Ide, a thin, grumpy man who looked extremely irritated nodded when acquainted with her. Hirokazu Ukita, one of the younger members of the group with black hair shaved almost down to his scalp and black eyes full of suspicion as they studied Lily. The youngest member of the task force, Touta Matsuda gaped at her, his cheeks reddening when she bowed to him.

"I'll be leaving now," she announced to them. She could not very well say 'nice to meet you' because under the circumstances it was not.

A faint buzz invaded her ears warning her she might faint if she did not have food soon. On the way to her bedroom, Lily went through the kitchen to grab a bottle of water and an orange. Her headache was worsening.

Closing the door behind her, she locked it before tossing her purse on the bed. Digging her fingers into the orange, she peeled it, piling the discarded peels onto a tissue on the nightstand. The fresh, clean scent of the orange filled her nose and cleared a little of the fuzziness from her head. Opening the water, she took several sips to re-hydrate herself. Another bottle of water or two after this one and a decent dinner should counteract the lingering side effects of the powerful drug Light had given her.

After finishing her snack, Lily scooted to the middle of the bed, opening her purse. She took out the notebooks. Laying the Death Note on top of the diary, her trembling fingers traced each silver letter. How could mere paper hold the power of death? The face of Itachi Okada came to mind followed by a flash of the terrifying Ryuk's visage. How could she disbelieve the power it contained after other unexplainable events she had experienced?

"Are you going to write Light's name in the Death Note?" Ryuk asked her, appearing at the foot of her bed. "You can you know."

"No," she answered pointedly, sliding it under the other notebook. Light's Diary. She had a sneaking suspicion more gut wrenching horror awaited her in these pages. Setting the notebooks on the bed beside her, she reclined on her pillows to stare at the ceiling to avoid seeing the leering Shinigami with the Glasgow smile.

"Aren't you tempted at all?" he taunted her, emitting a raspy chuckle. "I know you want to write his name. To get it over with. If you killed Light, so many of your problems would be solved. Just think, the biggest threat to your beloved detective's life would be gone. It would be so easy. All you have to do is write Light's name in that notebook."

"What do you want, Ryuk?" she inquired, growing weary of his enticement to get her to use the Death Note. The worst part was that she found herself wanting to write Light's name in the notebook.

"Do you have any apples?"

"What?" She sat up, propping herself on her elbows to stare at him in disbelief of his simple request. "Apples?"

"I love apples. Give me two apples, and I'll leave you alone," he bargained.

"Fine," she sighed, getting out of the bed.

Lily opened the door, craning her neck around the door jamb to see the men in the sitting room. They were locked in intense conversation. Chief Yagami was no longer pale and forlorn. His bulging eyes along with his reddened skin stretched over the contours of his skull transforming his face into a terrifying mask of anger. The way he looked reminded her of the Oni mask L had bought the night of the festival.

Ducking down as if making herself shorter would also make her invisible, she moved as fast as she could in a waddle-walk to traverse the small open space between her door and the raised kitchen area. Shielded by the counters, she waddled to the refrigerator, opening it to take two apples out for the Shinigami. On her way back to her room, she could make out a few angry statements yelled by Soichiro Yagami.

"Arrest me if you have to! Charge me with hindering an investigation! I don't care! I can't stand idly by while - "

Lily closed the door to block out the sound of his enraged and equally distraught voice. She wondered how he could still believe in his son's innocence. Perhaps L had not shared the new information. Or maybe a parent's unconditional love was blinding him to the horrible truth.

"Did you get them?" Ryuk asked, hopping from one booted foot to the other like an excited but impatient child.

"Yeah. Here," she said, tossing one to him the way a dog owner tosses a ball to his loyal companion in the park.

Ryuk caught the first one in his massive mouth and the second in his hand when she lobbed it at him soon after. He chewed only twice before swallowing the first apple with an audible gulp. Tossing the second into his huge oral cavity lined by a single row of shark like teeth, he savored it only slightly more before swallowing.

"Why are you still here?" she demanded when he turned his vermilion irises on her.

"See ya later, Sassypants," he snickered, gradually fading away.

Lily slumped against the door taking several deep breaths to reduce her rapid heartbeat. Sometimes she could really be full of bullshit and bluster. She did not want to see him again anytime soon. Everything about him terrified her.

Her heart had slowed a bit but thumped against her sternum with almost painful force. She could hear her pulse booming in her ears which intensified her throbbing headache. Perhaps a long nap was in order to soothe her frazzled nerves.

Lily slid the Death Note and diary into the drawer of the table beside her bed before laying her aching head down into the fluffy softness of her pillows. Her brain ached, pulsating until she thought her skull might split.

Lily curled into the fetal position, squeezing her eyes closed and covering her ears with her hands as if that would shut out the tumult inside her head. A burning sensation started in the center of her chest radiating to her left arm. Her left arm ached like a toothache in response to the steady electric jolts of pain from her heart. Her teeth ground against each other as if a screw had been twisted to draw the upper and lower jaw bones together.

The fire in her chest grew as if gasoline had been thrown on it. Must be an increase in stomach acid from mixing with the citric acid of the orange. The heat seared her soft internal organs making her feel as if her guts were catching on fire. Never before had she experienced such an epic case of heartburn. This called for antacid and lots of it; a handful of chalky, chewable tablets or a half a bottle of the equally gross liquid. Surely there must be something the bathroom cabinet.

Lily stood up, stumbling toward the bathroom. Her constricted chest prevented her from inhaling a cleansing breath. Dizziness brought on by her rapid, shallow breathing forced her to her knees. Her upper body fell forward, crashing face first into the carpet at the threshold leading into the bathroom. Her forehead barely missed smacking the tile floor.

Then she realized something was incredibly wrong. Indigestion was not her problem. Her problem was much, much worse. She was having a heart attack.