Chapter 22

"I just noticed something, all the deaths that are beneficial to Yotsuba are concentrated around the weekends with the exception of the first few victims that times of death appear to be more random. More recently they take place between Friday night and Saturday afternoon."

"I'm amazed you even noticed that chief."

"Matsuda, I thought I told you to stop calling me chief."

"I'm sorry but you'll always be the chief to me."

"This is a really important clue dad, nice work."

"Well, you know how I can't let myself fall behind you and Ryuzaki. After all, the last thing I want is to be dead weight."

"Deadweight.."

"Is Kira someone from Yotsuba? Or is Kira simply using Yotsuba, I haven't figured that out yet but we will proceed under the assumption that this is Kira's doing. We will focus on Yotsuba." As I sit there on the stairs just out of sight I close my eyes. This was all taking too long in my opinion. Besides, there is another important matter... Should I forgive them? I want to forgive Light with every fiber of my being but... Why didn't he stop and think about what would happen since I was handcuffed to Ryuzaki, his target at the time? It's unlike him to let his emotions get in the way.

"This is all of the Yotsuba group's employees… here."

"Thank you very much"

"That's 300,000 people how did you put this together so quickly? That's amazing Mogi."

"He's been incredibly efficient from the start."

"Ryuzaki! Please tell me is there anything I can do to help with the investigation. Besides the manager thing?"

"So you... Really want to be useful?"

"Yes!"

"Then could you get me another cup of coffee?"

"Eh?"

"And for our guests over there as well?"

"Huh?… Who are they?"

"Hold on a second who let them in?"

"Those two are the newest members of the Taskforce." Standing I walk down the stairs to see them walking up to the others."

"The name's.." The blond male starts.

"Aiber a conman." I say causing them all to look at me. Yeah, I was bored so I decided to surprise everyone but Light. "And Weddy a thief by trade." Hooking my thumbs on the straps of my bag I walk past them and over to the screens. Ignoring the looks I was getting. I look at Matsuda with a smile. "I couldn't help but hear you as I was coming down the stairs. You're really sweet wanting to help out in other ways than being a manager. But, maybe you would like to come keep me some company? I've been alone for a while now and someone to talk to does sound nice."

"How did you…"

"Know?" I respond to Ryuzaki's question by finishing it for him before looking up at Matsuda. "Please."

"Oh, alright I guess it can't hurt. Heh." I smile grabbing hold of the arm of his jacket and tugging him to the elevator with me.

"Then let's go!" I smile back at the others waving my free hand. "Don't worry, he'll be back down safe and sound." We then disappear from them into the elevator as the doors close.

"Umm... Why did you want to talk to me? Of all people."

"Oh come on, don't sell yourself short."

"What do you mean?"

"You're honest, pure of heart, sweet, and fun. A lot better than most of them down there. I guess that's why I want to talk to you rather than them."

Walking onto my floor I look at the similar décor of Light's and Ryuzaki's floor along with Misa's, I had guessed that it was similar throughout the entire building. Walking to the couch I set down in Indian position as I pull off my backpack and set it on the floor. Matsuda seemed to look nervous before I motioned to either the other couch or the other half of the couch I'm on. "Come on don't be so nervous we are just going to talk."

"Oh okay." He says as he sets on the couch across from me. I lean against the arm of the couch I'm sitting next to with my right elbow on it and my head in my hand.

"You know, it's common."

"Uhh. I'm sorry, what's common?"

"To feel like dead weight. By now Misa feels like it too. As for me, I know I'm just here because Ryuzaki is still suspicious of me which I can't blame him. But, I've purposefully left myself out of the investigation."

"Oh... Yeah.." He looks down as if the reminder hurts him. I give him a soft smile.

"You know everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. You watching over Misa does help the investigation out. It makes sure she doesn't become the second Kira again so they only have to worry about one Kira. Also, they may say you're being an idiot but you help keep a light atmosphere which in turn helps them concentrate."

"Really? Thanks but.."

"But what?" I ask him as I brush my hair from my eyes.

"How do you know? You're never around us."

"Well, I do know your personality. But if you must know. I will only tell you this if you swear on your life you don't tell anyone."

"Huh? Uhh. Okay, I swear." I watch as he sets up straighter looking more serious which was kind of cute. Serious definitely doesn't suit him.

"I'm a hacker, I've been watching your investigation for a while."

"Really? But how?"

"How did I know where you guys were to watch?"

"Y. yeah, I mean we moved from hotel to hotel for a long time."

"Do you know about the niftiest thing with cell phones?"

"What do you mean?"

"They can be hacked into just like any computer or surveillance system. The governments have set it up so that the police can track the GPS location of them as well as listen in on conversations and receive copies of their texts." As he just looks at me with his mouth dropped open I giggle. "Once you hack into the phone company and the files for that phone it isn't hard to navigate through the service to the phone itself so you can track it just like the government can. I was able to track the GPS of the signals to your locations just prior to you guys shutting them off. Not to mention any calls the cell phone I chose to track or even the messages sent to and from it I was able to monitor."

"But that doesn't explain how you were able to watch us."

"Well, I was able to make a profile of the hotels that were used and make deductions of where Ryuzaki was going to move to next. It wasn't difficult. He usually chose suites close to the top floors of the hotels and they were always expensive ones at that. All I had to do was place taps and cameras in the rooms that fit the descriptions and wait to see which one got a hit. When it did I was able to go in and remove the devices from the unnecessary rooms in that particular hotel and do it again."

"But none of that was found on your computer. I mean how did you hide it so well?"

"It's easy to clear all traces of those things from a computer. It only takes about 20 minutes if I were to take my time at it to clear it. I've known from nearly the beginning that I was being suspected of being Kira so I was able to clear all of the traces off of my computer whenever I went out so that no one would know I was keeping track of the investigation to see how it was coming along. I was then able to put down my thoughts of which way the investigation should go and I guess run one of my own."

"Wow, you're amazing!"

"Thank you, I like to think I'm pretty simple."

"No, you truly are amazing, you've used resources not even we thought about to get more information about what you couldn't figure out on your own!"

"Thanks, now that I have your attention I would like to run through some of my thoughts with you."

"Me? But.."

Smiling I give him a giggle. "I have faith in you Matsuda."

"Wow"

"What?"

"No one has ever had this much faith in me before."

"Well, I'm glad I can be the first."

*L*

"They've been up there for quite some time"

"I know it's already been almost a full day. What could they be talking about up there?" Light asks looking towards the elevator.

"I don't know but it would be worth finding out from Matsuda when he finally comes down."

"I agree."

*Kira*

"So after all that we have talked about your thoughts as of right now, is that it's possible that Yotsuba is holding secret meetings because.."

"Because all of the deaths are in favor of Yotsuba. Plus the killings are too precise for one employee to figure out which one would be best to kill. I would say that the high ups but not the CEO of Yotsuba are discussing which ones would be best likely to be killed that would be under the radar and yet still help Yotsuba's success to climb. Let's put it this way. If it was just the decisions of one person they would pick and choose which ones to kill yes, but there is no saying how precise it would be. He could pick off the heads but he would be more likely to knock down someone who is either too low or too high changing the outcome. When conferring with others then you can sit back discuss the pros and cons and pick the correct people without accidentally messing up." Now leaning back against the back of the couch I twirl a tendril of hair in my finger. "Basically from a business way of speaking it would be advantageous to have other like-minded people of a similar position as you to help you decide what is best for the company to eliminate at least most of the risk of choosing the wrong person. Also as Dad said, in the beginning, the deaths were more at random meaning at first Kira was doing it on his own before seeking help. Plus with all of the deaths revolving around Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, it would also lead to suggest they will be meeting about it after hours on Friday. Most business people would not wish to come into work on their days off. It would be too much of a bother."

"I see. So why don't you tell Ryuzaki and the others this?"

"Because I want to see how long it takes them to figure it out. Besides, there is no proof that what I'm saying is true. Yes, I could hack into Yotsuba's security and get a viewing of these meetings if they are even held in the building itself but... That would be giving away that I am a hacker and I don't want Ryuzaki to know that. He already suspects me of being Kira, knowing that bit would just add fuel to the fire."

"I see your point. And you finally got him to remove the cuffs."

"Well, I sort of forced him into that decision. But yes, the information he is banking on that I am withholding is what he has based his entire deduction on. If he only knew the truth then that would cause a lot of problems. He himself should know how important secrecy is sometimes."

"True, never once were we even allowed to know his or Watari's real names."

"See, even he hides who he is. I at least use my real name. Everything he does really upsets me. Constantly testing others to get things to move towards what he wants. If he thinks I am Kira just from my missing past, and personality. Then he himself should have been held under suspicion since he thinks nearly exactly like Kira does and his information is kept hidden as well."

"I see your point. But if you were trying to catch Kira why aren't you helping out with the task force? Your insight would definitely be a lot of help."

"I was only interested in following the investigation and Kira's movements. To me it was like a puzzle I felt compelled to piece together. I never said I was interested in catching him. Besides I work best alone."

"Then why tell me all of this?"

"Because I believe you will use the knowledge I gave you as you see fit. As I said I have faith in you.." Placing my right hand on my head as I lean my head back I push my bangs up off of my eyes and hold them there. "Also, I've spent so much time alone growing up It's nice to talk to someone. You don't know how often I had used to talk to myself pretending there was someone there that could listen."

"So, you really did have no one growing up?"

"I never lied about that. My parents were always working, and since I wasn't even placed into schools or anything I was always in that huge house by myself. It's how I learned to hack. I needed something to do."

"I see... Well, I should be getting back."

"Yes... You should. Thank you for talking with me for so long. It has helped."

"Anytime."

I drop my hand and stand with him, walking him off of my floor with a smile. Once I return to my couch I lay down still smiling. With everything, I told him. It will give him an even bigger incentive to go into the Yotsuba company. I just wish I could get out of this building to go on with the plan. But, I guess I just have to be patient.

*L*

Hearing the elevator door open I turn in my chair to see Matsuda he looked tired but most of all something was obviously heavy on his mind. "What did you two talk about for so long up there?"

He stops and looks at us seeing Light was now turned in his chair and the others were looking at him as well. "Oh uh... Not much of anything important. She gave me a pep talk mainly because I've been feeling like I'm just a nuisance and dead weight."

"Clearly that couldn't have been all that you spoke about. You were up there for going on a full day."

"Oh, well she talked about having someone to talk to was nice rather than not talking to anyone. She did make comments that I've given her reason to believe I am someone worth talking to. And that she trusts me."

"I see, just don't withhold anything that may be of use to the case. And if she gives up anything about herself I expect you to relay the information. Having said that.. we also can't have you breaking her trust completely. Her openly saying she trusts you will be of great use."

"About that, she talked a little bit about the case with me. As well."

"Oh really, do tell." What could she have told him? He started rubbing the back of his head looking nervous. Whatever she told him got under his skin I can tell.

"Well, she did say she knows why she is under suspicion of being Kira and she gave me her thoughts on it. Like she knows she is mainly under suspicion because of the timeline of her entering the Kanto region and her blank background and forged birth certificate. And her personality But, she also said that with her being under suspicion for that then when you look at it. You yourself should have been locked up with the fact of you and Watari not letting anyone know your real names or backgrounds. No one knows anything about you so it would make you look equally suspicious especially since you also appeared in the Kanto region near the time of Kira's appearance. And for the simple fact that you think and act nearly identical to Kira."

"She does make a good point." Light comments on what Matsuda just said while smirking. Yes, she does make a very good point. But me being the investigator in this it is unlikely that I am Kira as she is trying to say, or was she really trying to say that, I am Kira, like she herself?

"Did she say anything else?"

"Well... N. No." He's lying.

"You know if you are lying I will find out soon enough what you are hiding. Plus, if you are withholding anything you might as well leave."

"I understand. But I'm not hiding anything so it's okay."

Shortly after that Matsuda leaves with Misa for her film shooting, leaving everyone to wonder what all Kiara told him. It's completely obvious that she told him more than what he's saying but I did tell him to not completely break her trust. She could have asked him not to tell anyone and it would be breaking her trust to tell us. But still, that leaves me to wonder. What she is hiding and more importantly what is she planning? And why would she talk to Matsuda? I thought we had gotten along quite well while we were handcuffed together.