Chapter Ten:
"Fowl Play"
One week later, the Kira Task Force got the toxicology report of the driver of the monster truck, and it positively indicated that the man was under a heavy influence of LCD.
Meanwhile, Light received some troubling news after Raito visited the bank with the laptop in Geneva, Switzerland—the information had been taken and the laptop wiped.
He knew only Valtros had the ability to do so, apart from the future Shinigami that originally gave him the location of the laptop. But he didn't suspect PreVost. Why would PreVost tell him where to find the information, but then destroy it? He suspected Valtros. Yet why would she do such a thing?
Alone with Ryuk and Raito—the task force had left for the evening—Light slammed a fist on his computer desk in a moment of outrage. "How dare that bitch betray me by taking the valuable information and then destroying the laptop!"
"Maybe you didn't spread on enough of the Yagami charm when you slept with her?" Ryuk chuckled. "I still can't believe you slept with a god of death? Was Valtros that good?"
Light sneered. "Oh, shut up! But why—why—would she do this?" The question was meant to be more rhetorical than answerable.
"This isn't the end of the world," Raito said. "When I went to get the information, I also saw someone else asking for the same security deposit box, but they couldn't provide the correct identification to see it. He was a younger man with a thin frame, and he left upset. I overheard him when he was speaking with the bank clerk,that a woman had come in a few days before to access the box. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary and no one knew the woman had sabotaged the laptops' contents. I am betting that it was Valtros that stole the information."
"Valtros and I left on good terms when we departed Cameron Cross's yacht. There's no reason I think of she would do such a thing? Unless she was fearful someone else was after the information and took it for safe keeping? I was hoping to use the information to lure the Evangelist out. Money and the power interests everyone."
"Here's another question, Light," Ryuk chimed in. "What happened to Dragoon? I thought he was supposed to locate Valtros?"
"I've been calling him for the last week, but he hasn't been answering," Light said. "He did say that he had booked a week's vacation with his girlfriend, but he would not have gone completely dark like this."
"Do you have his address?" Raito asked. "Perhaps we can pay him a visit? Or Ryuk can go?"
"No," Light said, "I would rather go myself."
"Hey, you're a god of the Astral Plane, right? Can't you just see into the future?" Ryuk said.
"Since I am human at the moment, my powers are limited. I purposely did so to avoid any unwanted attention by others of my kind. Remember when I mentioned the other two books The Book of the First Dawn and The Book of the Second Sight? Well, we, the three owners, don't exactly seen eye-to-eye, and we've had our conflicts. If they knew I was in the human realm like this, they would no doubt attempt to take The Book of the Third Eye away form me. All three books were one at one time, but they were separated a long time ago to prevent absolute power and handed down to three guardians—I'm not the first to hold The Book of the Third Eye. Suffice it to say, if all three books became whole again, the owner would have unlimited power over the universe. I've been accused of not taking the book seriously. But honestly, I think the others are just jealous of me because The Book of the Third Eye is the more powerful. My stunt with the monster truck driver was a risk, but I believe I managed to handle the situation under the radar of the others."
"Then we do it the old fashioned way," Light said. "We go to Dragoon's apartment and knock on his door. Our cover will be simply we are asking for further information on a case, if asked. Ryuk, I need another favour."
Ryuk signed heavily. "Another one? It almost seems like you don't want me around? What is it this time?"
Light and Raito arrived at Hansel Dragoon's condo apartment building in a taxi. Neither one had a driver's license, which embarrassed Light. With all his schooling and work on the Kira Task Force, there was no time to get his driver's license.
Walking into the lobby of the luxurious condo building, which was a nice place for an Internal Affairs Special Agent, they showed the security guard at the main desk their badges. They asked to be granted to the building to speak with a tenant.
The security guard called up to Dragoon's condo apartment. With no answer, Light then asked if the fob system could be checked for activity for the past week since he saw one was implemented in the condo.
The security guard did and was surprised that there had been no activity since last Friday, six days ago. When asked by Light, the security guard searched for and brought up camera footage for that day and time. It showed Dragoon and Gretel together, happy and pleasant, and there was nothing suspicious. Dragoon used his fob to get through to the inner glass lobby doors to the elevator, which Light then looked at right after he saw the footage as if to trace the Special Agent's steps.
But the fact that there had been no activity with his fob for six days was cause for concern. He gave Raito a sideways glance. Raito shared his trepidation. Since they could communication mindfully, they could also sense the other's emotions to a point.
"Can we go up to Hansel Dragoon's unit?" Light requested, but he it said it in such a way that it left to leeway to say no. "He's helping us on an important case and he may have valuable information."
The security guard gave them access, writing down their badge numbers in a small notebook for his own documentation reports.
Light and Raito passed through the inner glass lobby doors and then stepped into the middle elevator, one of three elevators, and pressed the button to the Seventieth Floor. The condo had Thirty-Four floors. One minute later, they arrived and stepped out. Dragoon's condo number was 1704.
Light saw a CCTV camera at the end of the hall and it pointed at them, but it was far enough for he and Raito could talk freely. Most CCTV cameras in buildings only had picture and no audio and he suspected the security guard was watching them if only for curiosity sake. They arrived at Dragoon's condo. Light turned his back to the camera and went to speak to Raito.
"You suspect something is wrong, don't you?" Raito asked.
"Please don't read my mind unless I give you permission," Light chided the Astral Plane god.
"I didn't, I see it in your face. Plus, it was self-intuition. I may be from another plane of existence, but I can think for myself."
Light nodded. "Considering Dragoon was eager to help us to thank you for reviving Gretel, I suspicious fowl play. It's not like Dragoon to go dead silent. His office told me when I called that he had booked and left on vacation for one week. They were not expecting him to return until tomorrow. So, it's a good thing we came here first to get a jump on things."
"In case of what? That he's dead? Ryuk could've done this on his own, or even myself. You coming out into the open is like putting a target on your back. You've already been spearheaded twice with Dragoon going after you and then the monster truck incident. You need to take precautions. You have no idea what lurks around the corner, where your enemy will be coming from, and allies are—except for me, of course."
"That's why you're here to protect me. We do have a contract for that specific reason. But I can't be afraid to live my life. I'm also a police officer and dangerous situations is part territory. I didn't tell the rest of the task force where we were going because I didn't want them to get involved in this personal matter."
Aizawa suspects you in being Kira, Raito mentally projected, but it's only intuition from before L died.
Let him, Light thought back. The Death Note is safely locked up and away from me, supposedly. But the one I picked up from Rem's ashes after she murdered L in the Main Server Room in the old Kira Task Force building was given Misa to use. The Task Force believes there is only one in existence, so I'm safe. Besides, Ryuk can keep an eye on them with his Portable Hole, that small surveillance device he has that looks like a small bowling ball.
Raito agreed. Is the reason you keep sending Ryuk on errands because you can't move?
Mostly, Light replied. And it's mainly to locate Demmy. I want to know where he is!
Are you worried about him because the Evangelist or the League of Darkness may be after him?
Light didn't answer. But Raito smiled, knowing the truth.
Light wrapped his knuckled against the door of Dragoon's condo. "Hansel Dragoon, this is Light Yagami. Are you there?" Moments passed without a response. Standard police procedure was to repeat and announce oneself again. Light did.
When Light didn't receive a response, he looked at Raito.
Raito then hid a quick snap of his fingers which froze the live feed of the CCTV in the hallway for Light to quickly pick the lock with a set of tools he brought with him preparing for the eventuality.
Within moments, Light had the door unlocked.
Raito then said, "I'm going to place the CCTV on a one minute loop, so stand still, and don't make any sudden movements for the footage to record." Light agreed. Raito began the live feed again and they remained at the door for one minute. Once the time had elapsed, Raito worked his godly power, and they were able to enter the condo apartment as the looped footage played for the security guard that for all intended purposes was probably watching them.
Immediately entering the apartment, they stumbled upon a murder scene.
Gretel Grimm lay on the floor, shot in the head with blood oozing out from the left side of her skull from a bullet wound.
To be continued...
