Chapter 15:
"Under Suspicion Again"
Startled, Light was awakened from a heavily induced slumber by a man dressed in a dark blue tactical uniform with the insignia of the JCG (Japanese Coast Guard) on the right breast of his jacket. Light found himself in the lower level lounge and felt extremely disorientated and confused. He had no idea how he got here.
He was asked his name, date of birth, and where he lived—standard questions. He had no problem answering them; they confirmed everything with a profile the JCG apparently had on him. He had no idea what was going on, asking several times, given a blanket, and taken to the main deck. Misa was also brought up, she was found in her cabin.
The boat seemed abandoned and adrift, but he later learned the entire crew were dead, including Cameron Cross by a gunshot wound to his chest. And Benjamin Lakes was found inside Light's private cabin. A suicide note was found written by the stewardess, Val, whom the yacht's manifest had as Valery Synth as her full name.
She had apparently killed Cross for trying to rape her on a previous occasion and also ravaged Lakes for something similar. He wasn't told the full details.
He was shocked. It was supposed to a simple vacation that he and Misa were invited on. L suggested they accept the offer by Cameron Cross, because it would beneficial for Misa's career.
Now…
Light knew as soon as the media heard about Cameron Cross's death, Misa involved, found on board his private yacht, the main stream media would go into a frenzy.
Then came the call he was regretting, a visual face-to-face satellite feed the JCG provided via a computer tablet with his father. The Captain of the JCG listened in as Light tried to explain what he remembered. It was very little.
Afterwards, the CROSSBOUND was taken back to port and secured in dock, where an investigation took place with forensics and police—all bodies removed.
Light and Misa were taken to a holding cell, spent another two hours being questioned, then Light's father arrived. With all their information taken, they were then freed under the supervision of Light's father.
Light spent the ride back to the building that housed the Kira Task Force headquarters in silence. He felt guilty, but he didn't have a clue why. He just felt that way.
He had been asleep and didn't remember much of anything, other than the parts of the vacation he was conscious for—namely the tour of the CROSSBOUND, the Jacuzzi, and the moment Cameron Cross came on to him. Although, he failed to reveal this last bit because it was too embarrassing. It had nothing to do with Cross's death.
Misa remembered just a little bit more, describing how nice Cameron Cross and Benjamin Lakes presented themselves, but shocked when she found out about their sexual depravity. It was theorized, if Valery Synth didn't get to them—would Kira? The other crew died of heart attacks according to medical reports L asked for.
She thanked Kira and Valery Synth for their respected justice upon them. It may have saved her life.
The mini-camera found in the hidden room on the yacht also confirmed Cross and Lakes sexual deviancy.
In the Kira Task Force headquarters, after arriving back, Misa was still shocked and was currently in her room, scouring media outlets for what the world was saying about her. People, even her fans, were shocked. But they mostly had posts of support for her. Even a talk show asked her to appear and tell her story about the truth of what truly happened on the CROSSBOUND. But L said no.
Later in the day, L crouched on a chair in the Kira Task Force's epicentre.
Light was back to wearing conjoining handcuffs with a lengthy chain with Ryuzaki. Light sat at his computer station, the rest of the task force also in attendance.
L said, "Once again, another baffling case with a series of mysterious killings with you involved, Light, and now with Misa, too. Yet, you claim to not remember a thing. I find that quite curious." He put up a hand to quiet Light from interrupting. "It takes me back to the Jasper Yuta case, even the Ken Kuzushi Affair, where you claim to have a vague remembrance of both—details of how you manage to survived both lacking. Only time will tell how this incident and Cameron Cross's death will affect Misa's acting career, but from media reports, people are now speaking out, how he was, to quote: 'The biggest scumbag in the world in secret', unquote. Stories are emerging how he used and abused people, and threatened them to get what he wanted. One woman even said, he would ruin her career if she didn't sleep with him."
Yes, Light thought, and that's the same thing Cross said to me about Misa if I didn't do what he wanted, asking me if I ever thought about crossing the line, namely sleeping with him—stepping out of his 'comfort zone'. I said, no.
L then turned, and picked up a piece of paper. It was a copy of Valery Synth's suicide note.
"Now, I've analyzed the hand writing on the suicide note, and I've come to two conclusions. Number One: This note is genuine and was written by the mysterious Valery Synth, whom we don't even have a picture of. Or, Number Two, it was written by someone who is ambidextrous. The broad strokes have an intelligent mannerism to them."
"Ryuzaki, what are you implying?" Soichiro said agitated, standing next to Light.
"Relax, Mr. Yagami. Your son's hand writing and this Valery Synth's don't match."
L suddenly sighed.
L continued, "We may never truly know what happened on the CROSSBOUND, but one thing is for sure, Light, I'm never releasing you from these cuffs again. I've given you latitude three times. The first, I was starting to trust you, and allowed you to wander this building unabated but under CCTV surveillance. Then Jasper Yuta and his gang invaded and everyone mysteriously died by heart attacks. Then we tried a different method with Ken Kuzushi and I gave you a GPS ankle bracelet and you discarded it, events of that case also ending in mystery. Now, finally this time—a third time—another GPS tracker. And the eldest son of a prominent movie studio mogul ends up dead. Each time you were there!"
Light clenched his fists, grit his teeth. He gave Ryuzaki a narrowed, hard stare. "I'll say this once more, so get it through your thick skull. I am not KIRA! How many times do I have to tell you that?"
L contemplated with a finger over his lips. "Once more, and another after that, until I'm convinced." L returned the stare. "Tell you what, when the day comes that you can get me a piece of chocolate cake without these handcuffs on, only then will I believe you," he said coldly. "Until then…"
END.