XXXIX – A Matter of Patience
A sigh escaped her mouth and blurred the window for a moment. Her hand was playing mindlessly with his hair, as she glanced outside aimlessly. "Light…" Caterina mumbled, keeping her head over his shoulder and their chests trembling together. It was so quiet, she could hear the blood pulsing through the veins underneath the thin skin of his neck. "What have we done…?"
Holding in a sigh, he rested his hands on her behind as he held her on his lap. The glass was cold against his back, but her hand was warm. He had been staring at the round lamp on the ceiling for so long, that now there was a white flash of fog behind his eyelids. "Which part of it? We've done many things today…"
"Padre's fortune… How do we get it back?" she asked. The agent was still following them, but they had greater problems now. Caterina got used to the idea of a stalker, checking every now and then to see if the man was still freezing behind some corner or tree, taking notes of them. She grinned bitterly when she spotted him again. "…Sometimes I wonder what he's writing in that note pad. Say, 'Suspect and girlfriend sitting on windowsill for this many minutes now, no change in behavior.' It'd be fun to read."
Light sighed. "He'll be dead soon enough…" After a moment, he sat her aside. "I'm not so sure about the empire, but I have an idea. However, I'm not sure it will work." Sitting up, he went to their improvised desk and picked up the Death Note. He skimmed through the rules, then took a pen and went to sit on the bed.
"Are you going to test it?" she asked, following him with her eyes. "What are you thinking about?"
"I want to see how far the Death Note can go." Light picked six criminals and began writing different scenarios for their deaths. "If I'm right, we should be able to use the rules of the Death Note to our advantage and if this is a success, then… Vitto will be lying in his coffin while we will be holding the nails and the hammer."
Quickly making the connection, she thought of the rules of the Death Note. "…The 6:40 rule. That's what you're going to use. So if it works, it means you can control the victim, right? Not just write how they're going to die specifically, but also what they do right before they die. You could make person A commit suicide, while killing person B as well… Right, Ryuk?"
The shinigami flew through the wall separating the room from the kitchen, carrying the last of his apples in one hand. 'Yeah… Why?' he asked, as he bit into the apple and devoured it.
Light grinned. "That was exactly what I was hoping to hear." Looking at the reports, he chose six criminals and tried to come up with six different scenarios for them, each with a different degree of realism. "Let's see how powerful the Death Note is."
"Wait…!" Caterina suddenly jumped. "Maybe there's something we haven't considered yet."
Surprised, Light stopped mid-name. "What could it possibly be? My plan is perfect!"
"That's not the problem – L is." Her phrase also caught Ryuk's attention. "You'd be offering him another clue by performing these experiments. L already knows you can kill from a distance, that you can control the time of death and that you need the name and the face of the victim. He also knows you have connections to the police and that you are in high school. It sounds a bit much to me, to be honest. If you let him know that you can control the details of a death as well, we lose another element of surprise, or… well, at least it will take him longer to figure it out."
Frowning, Kira took a deep breath in and sat up from his desk, pacing the room. "So then… I can change the cause of death. Suicide is an option… Poison? No, overdose rather. And… let's say a fight between inmates. It will take longer, though. But I want three difficult scenarios, to really push the limits of the Death Note. One will break out, but run into the electric fence. Let's add cancer as a cause of death and another… Say he breaks out and flies to Europe. That's impossible if I give him a short deadline."
Caterina sat on the bed. "You shouldn't perform the last two experiments on inmates. If it's impossible, the Death Note might kill them with a heart attack, which will instantly lead the authorities to you. I know two who betrayed my father – I'll let you have them."
'What about the overdose scenario? A little difficult to believe they will get drugs in prison,' Ryuk pointed out.
"Right. Caterina, give me three names and pictures." Light sat back at his desk and began writing the believable scenarios for three inmates. He quickly wrote their names, then began to fill in the details.
'Suicide. 11:11 PM - Bites his fingers off. Draws pentagram in blood and 'HAIL SATAN'. Scratches his veins open on both arms and laughs maniacally. Death by exsanguination.'
'Electrocuted. 5:51 AM - Breaks out of prison. Beats two guards. Twists the neck of one. Chased, does not see the electric wire. Screams "Kira won't get me! I'm sick of waiting to be killed! I'm saving my own fucking life, assholes!" right before running into electric fence.'
'Brain injury. 2:54 PM – Starts fight with another convict at lunch. The conflict degenerates and five others get involved. At 2:50 he receives a heavy blow over the head with a chair, falls unconscious. Severe bleeding of the brain causes his death before receiving medical attention.'
He then looked at the pictures on his monitor and the names, those showed to him by Caterina. Just as before, he wrote down three names and then began writing the details.
'Cancer. 4:40 PM'
'Drowning. 8:14 PM – Leaves the hotel room at 8:10. Takes the stairs to the ground floor. Goes to the hotel's pool and slips down the stairs. Falls face-down and drowns.'
'Heart attack. 11:45 PM – Goes to bed at 10:30 PM. Wakes up at 11:00 from a horrible nightmare. Feels compelled to fly back to Italy and gets on the first plane. Mumbles about having to visit the graves of his family. Threatens that he has a bomb and hijacks the plane by 11:45 PM.'
Caterina walked behind him and looked over Kira's shoulder. "Don't you think you're going a bit far with that last one?"
He looked up, smiling and a little confused. "Why would you say that…?"
"First, was it necessary to give the man a nightmare and have him talking nonsense? They might not even allow the man into the airport and send him to a mental asylum instead. Then, isn't the timing a bit too tight? There's no chance he'd be in the air by 11:45 and if the plane is still on the ground, he'll be taken off immediately."
His eyebrows rose with surprise and he chuckled. "That's the point, remember? It's the most unbelievable scenario, only beaten by the cancer one perhaps… So, we're going to see if anything at all is going to happen, and if so, then what part will happen."
She sighed, resting her elbows on his shoulders. "…What if nothing happens? He's not known to suffer from any heart condition. It could be linked back to you in a matter of seconds if L looks into it."
Frowning slightly, Light's smile began to fade. "Let's just hope that won't happen. As for Vitto… We need to prepare taking over his fortune and connections before he leaves the scene. If my idea works and we get rid of the FBI agents so smoothly, we'll use the same method on him and he can take out Ross and Frost as well."
She began to laugh and covered his eyes with one hand, then moving it over to his forehead. "You're so naïve, Kira… Do you honestly believe he knows their names? Their real names, that not even their right-hand-men know?"
Suddenly, Light stood up. "Then, we'll find something else! We just need this creep out of the way! If we get him down, we'll be in control of not only your dad's fortune, but his own too; and right now – not in another year." He sighed and held his face in his hands. "…I'm not patient enough! I want to know if the Death Note can work the way I want it to, and if the stalker can be tricked to kill his teammates, and this creep's real identity so we can battle the other two left with full force and actually stand a chance! What happened earlier was humiliating – he pushed us into a corner and we didn't even know it before it was too damn late to do anything… I don't want that happening ever again."
Frowning, Caterina crossed her arms over her chest. "Then quit your self-proclaimed god-like image and get back to earth, Kira!" When he turned to glare at her with shock, a cold chill ran through her body like electricity, but she chose to deny it. "You know I'm right! Stop imagining you rule anything and start thinking like the guy I met three years ago, who took me out on a 'non-date' and talked about the political system and the lies and distractions promoted by the media. Start talking like the teen with a revolution in his mind, constantly planning, calculating five years ahead. You said you wanted to get into the system and beat them at their own game – you never mentioned ruling over anyone."
"What do you want me to do?!" he raised his voice. "I'm trying to get both of us out of this mess, while keeping up with school and family and doing Kira's work, because someone just won't write one goddamn name!"
"…It's disgusting." She wrinkled her nose for a moment, then walked right past him and towards the door. "You're starting to talk like the Snake."
Confused and angry, Light stood in the doorway of their bedroom. "What do you mean?"
Ignoring him, she took her boots and her coat. "I mean you're losing your sanity and your integrity and starting to talk like a maniac, like a real criminal just about to slaughter half of a country just because someone looked at you the wrong fucking way! That's what I mean! You make such stupid mistakes – it's like you're not even trying! You're supposed to be the man here, 'smartest student in Japan', like you always brag in front of me – yet you wanna think you can solve any shitty situation by killing someone. What the hell happened to that idealist I fell in love with?!"
He held the bridge of his nose. Ryuk was intrigued, watching their first serious fight with interest, but he was a little scared to draw their attention on himself. Kira though – he seemed more than a little lost in his thoughts, desperately trying to find the right words to say and destined to be wrong. "Where are you going? Hang back your coat and leave your boots. You're ridiculous."
"What does it matter? You could kill me even if I ran to the other end of the world!" she snapped back.
Sighing, Light caught up with her just as she was opening the door and leaned against it with one hand. "You're not going anywhere." He quickly stopped her hand from crushing his cheek and pulled her closer, trying to hold her wrist and take off her coat at once. "I won't allow you. I'm the new god of this world, and you… you are mine."
But her other hand turned his head around, slapping his cheek so hard, he felt his hopes of holding her there shuttering like broken glass. Light touched his face, feeling the skin getting hotter by the second and pushing his cheek away from between his teeth with his tongue. The door slammed so hard, the noise made his ears ring. What was that just now…?
'Do you hear me? Light!' Startled, he looked up at Ruyk as if he had no idea who the shinigami was. 'Are you just gonna let her go?'
Kira looked around, trying to make sense of what had happened. Did she really leave? Part of him almost expected to see her somewhere in the apartment, pouting and with her arms crossed, but still by his side.
Panicked, he shoved his feet into his boots and ran outside. She couldn't have gotten far, could she? But he had no idea in which direction she went. He took the elevator to the ground floor, walked out of the building, but couldn't tell which way she went. "Ryuk? Do you see her? Do you?!"
The shinigami just laughed. 'Too late.'
Glaring, he turned to Ryuk and pointed an angry finger at him. "You useless bastard! Would it kill you to help me once in a lifetime?" But Ryuk was having the time of his life, laughing constantly. All that mockery was only making it worse for Light, who felt his anger and frustration reach some unprecedented level. Did she just dump him? And Ryuk was laughing at it. No… Caterina couldn't have dumped him just like that. She was going to come back any moment now, or so he tried to tell himself over and over. The Italian needed him, right? She had to return, eventually…
He mumbled and went back upstairs, looking over the Death Note again. He went to the kitchen in search of something – he wasn't really hungry, or rather he was too angry to eat, but he looked through the kitchen anyway. The fridge was empty, except for the leftovers from last night.
He returned into the room and looked at Caterina's blouse that had been in a corner by the bed since last night. There was something so infuriating about it, he had to look away. Her backpack was carefully set to lean against one wall, right next to his school bag. Throwing himself on the bed, Light eventually found himself staring at the phone before realizing it and turning on his other side.
Caterina was breathing into her fists, trying to warm her hands at least for a few seconds. It was a horribly cold night, and the fresh air was starting to get to her brain. She wanted to see if Light was going to come after her, but the more she looked back towards the other end of the street, the worse she began to feel.
When it came down to the principles by which they both lived, she realized their wants and needs were different… If Light cared more about what he did than how he lived, she valued the quality of her life more than that of mankind in general. Her father knew that… so perhaps she could trust his judgment and follow one of his wishes. She began to walk towards the center of the city, looking for a certain address. Caterina stopped to ask a cab driver for directions, but didn't get into the car – she didn't have any money on her.
Instead, she kept wondering the streets, trying to avoid any strange-looking person that didn't seem trustworthy enough. The city was a scary place when she knew she was alone and vulnerable – it was a horrible place, filled with strange people staring at her. There were homeless drunks leaning against walls or breathing into dusty bags filled with something. 'Drugs,' she immediately thought. Prostitutes were waiting for their clients just outside the bar where they worked and men were eyeing her suspiciously.
Her heart was trembling in anticipation and an irrational fear was twisting and turning in her stomach. Caterina stopped the first cab and got in. She could not tolerate to be on the streets alone anymore. "Drive, please!"
"Where to?" the driver asked as he sucked the smoke from his cigarette, only to hang it outside the window.
Caterina searched her pockets for the visit card she had purposefully forgotten into that coat. On the back there was an address written by her father in ink. Once she found it, she showed it to the driver. Although in his mid fifties, the man threw her a smirk. "Is that so…? Hmm… He's got some taste, this Reiji – it's not easy to get to him, huh?"
The Italian frowned, trying to make sense of the man's words. "What do you mean?"
Taking another smoke, he shrugged. "I just haven't heard of any girl having him as a client, that's all. But he pays well, right?"
"What kind of insult is this?!" she snapped. "My father and his are old business partners. Don't you dare speak so lowly of us!"
The driver shrugged. "Arranged marriage, then?"
Caterina looked away. "Not exactly… Well, in a way. I turned it down."
"I see. So now, you're going there to try and get back on his good side. Well, good luck with that. Should I wait, in case… you know, it won't take you long?"
Caterina sighed heavily. "…Probably, yes. Wait for a couple of minutes. I'll send someone with the money."
The driver nodded as he finished his cigarette and threw it out the window, only to light another one. Caterina looked into her phone as she ran one hand through her hair, trying to tame a few wild curls. She didn't need anyone to tell her they were there. The cab stopped in front of a beautiful house in a residential area. Breathing in deeply, she got off the car and walked towards the door. It wasn't too late to turn back.
She thought about Light. He had a great deal of power on his hands – it would be a mistake to get on his bad side, but even so, she could see him changing for the worst. Should she tell Namikawa about it? Or even about living with another? He could label her as a whore, considering her mother's reputation. The only reason people didn't openly call Anastasia a whore was because her father was there to make sure they were respected as a family.
There was one light on at the top floor. Good news – he wasn't asleep yet. Bad news? He could be in bed with some woman, or in the bath tub, or in his pajamas reading in bed. Taking one more breath and holding it in her lungs, Caterina eventually rang the bell. It seemed like forever until she finally heard the door lock turning and the young woman was ready to leave, turning on her heels once she heard her name.
"Caterina…? What happened?" he asked in a kind voice, sounding a little tired and more than surprised to see her there.
"Hi, um, I-I just, ah…" She felt a giant wave of shame and self-irony swallowing her. She coughed a little and looked down at her feet. He looked tired and his shirt was wrinkled, probably buttoned in a hurry. "I-I just thought I could make it on my own, but I messed up. I messed up bad, and I-I'm just…" Trying hard to keep her self control, she swallowed her sobs and tried to blink away a tear. Caterina could easily imagine her father standing where Namikawa was standing, watching her coldly and ready to disown her. "I apologize for this hour, I should probably go."
"Yes," he almost chuckled, "You should probably go inside." It was a little amusing to watch her trying to hold back from crying for such a insignificant event. He took his wallet from his briefcase in the hallway and went to pay for the taxi. "I don't want rumors about this. Know I will remember your plate, sir. Good evening."
The driver looked at the extra cash and grinned. "Not a word, sir. If you ever need me, or if the lady does, it'll be my pleasure." The man could only pray for such generosity every now and then – it would lift him up from the verge of poverty.
Caterina, on the other hand, was hoping she would never be in such a humiliating situation again. She walked inside and took off her boots, hung her coat and waited for Namikawa to return. If he wouldn't have been close enough to hear it, she would have slapped herself over the face for breaking down like that. "I'm so sorry, but I don't know who to turn to…!"
He shook his head with a small smile. "Don't bother. I was waiting for you to come to me, actually." Namikawa walked inside and left his shoes, locking the door again and setting his wallet back into the briefcase. When he saw how surprised she was to hear his words, he knew he had to clarify. "This boy that you preferred in my place may be a few years younger and he probably gives you a thrill of excitement, has a more fun-oriented lifestyle. However, this kind of momentary attraction never lasts long, so I was waiting for you to come to the same conclusion. He may have a sharp mind now, but without the right corrections through education and example, this boy's chances to achieve success in any field are close to none."
Nodding, she began to calm down a little bit. She felt like a teenager busted while playing with toys – she had to stop acting like daddy's girl and start acting like the Dragon's heir. "I see… How far had you calculated this situation? I suppose you found out about Ooi."
The man nodded and led her into the living room. Caterina saw the Japanese style combined with the American one into a huge library occupying an entire wall and an electric fireplace. Lower than the floor stood a traditional low table, surrounded by three couches united to form a square U shape.
"I did. A foolish move, but predictable. Just like now you've rebelled against that boy… what was his name? The chief's son. With Mr. Ooi, it was only natural. I warned him about it – being so strict and rigid after the way you've been used to being treated by your father was simply turning you against him." The man invited her to take a seat. "Would you like some tea?"
Caterina descended the two small steps and sat like she usually did – with her legs crossed, leaning back and resting her arms on the back of the couch. "Thank you, but don't bother about it. Please, tell me more about this. How did Mr. Ooi react? He didn't seem to believe me when I last saw him."
Namikawa chuckled when he saw how comfortable she was and took a seat across from her, resting his elbows on his knees. "He certainly believes you know, in case it wasn't obvious. However, he won't be holding a grudge for long."
If that was a joke or just a reassurance, Caterina couldn't tell. Either way, she smiled. "That's some good news… And here I go, ruining your evening further with my bad news." When he decided to remain silent and return a small smile, she went on. "Well… let's start with the worst, shall we? Vitto is here. He's after Yagami and me, or rather, I'm the one who dragged him into this mess, just like I'm about to do with you. He asks for 60% payment for him protecting me from Ross, who I think is my greatest threat at this time. Frost seems uninterested in this conflict, but that doesn't mean I hadn't been keeping an eye on him. On top of that, Light Yagami – the guy I…"
Namikawa knew she was searching for a fitting word and decided to help her. "Yes, the chief's son – Yagami. Go on, please."
"He's suspected by L to be Kira, and there's the FBI following him. Now, since we've been rather close lately, I'm being watched too – naturally. I… can't say for certain, but there is a possibility I might have been followed here. I doubt it, but I must admit that it's possible."
Reiji was listening patiently. "Is Yagami really Kira?" he asked after a few moments of silence.
"…I don't know," Caterina hesitated in giving a clear answer.
"There's no need to protect him. I understand he is your first love and even if you do leave him, he will always have a bit of your sympathy and maybe some of your loyalty, too. If he is indeed Kira though, that complicates our situation greatly. I've been thinking Kira must be a single individual, most probably around your age. You see, the way he fell into L's trap during that challenge on TV shows he has a childish, impulsive character – most frequent in teenagers and young adults." Namikawa sighed and leaned back.
Caterina seemed a little fearful. "Kira follows an ideal. Earlier, you said about Light that without a few corrections, he can't achieve success, but then it means that with those few corrections, he has a real chance of-!"
The man was chuckling. "If you believe I will help your crush become the man you want to see in him, please allow me to laugh. This can only be a joke."
"That's… not what I meant. Not entirely, actually. What I'm saying is that he is already involved in this conflict with Vitto, so maybe we could help each other… someway," but her enthusiasm was fading every time she saw the amusement on his face.
"I will help you, there's no need to feel ashamed for asking me for anything. I will gladly substitute your caretaker and hopefully, with time, the pillar of your home, but I can't possibly help your crush surpass me. I won't advise you doing that, either. If Yagami is indeed Kira, he must walk this path alone and seek to keep his mind sane and his conscience clear. If he is not, then his father will help him clean his hands – as soon as that happens, Vitto and Ross will lose all possible interest in him and the boy will go back to his ordinary life."
Sighing, Caterina lowered her eyes again. She could catch sight of his body through that white, wrinkled shirt. She watched his large, long hands for a few moments, as fine as those of a woman and in such contrast to the hands of her father. Namikawa was a refined man, protected by his family – he never had to do any hard, physical work, he's been sent to prestigious schools, and sheltered from the ugly side of the world that her father had unwillingly dragged her through during the past few years. Namikawa could detach himself easily from his subordinates, labeling them useful or useless – to him, they were as good as robots. As long as the work was done, he couldn't care less of each employee's personal life or hardships. For a moment, she remembered Shin… He died in order to ensure the future of his younger brothers. Light would probably do the same. But what about the man in front of her, waiting for a response?
"Can I… take a little longer before I respond? I'm grateful for your kindness, but I can't leave Light all of a sudden. What I mean is even if I'm here now, I can't just decide that I won't care if he's alive or dead by tomorrow."
Namikawa smiled. "Of course. I don't expect you to detach yourself from him in an hour or a day, just like I don't expect you to feel anything towards me overnight. With time though, I may start to expect these two things from you, Caterina. However, that is a subject for another time. Before I show you to your room, let me ask about your luggage. I don't see you carrying as much as a handbag."
She nodded bitterly. "I rented an apartment that I shared with Light. I don't have too many things, but I left them there. I… wasn't thinking straight, I just wanted out. I didn't take the time to plan this, otherwise I would have called, asked you for permission instead of forcing you to take me in like this."
"I'll be expecting an important client tomorrow and he couldn't give me a certain hour, so tomorrow I'll have to be at the office by eight. I'd like you to stay inside and wait for me before going to pack your things. You'll have some time to think about your decision, but I trust your judgment. Regardless of your answer, it's best to keep everything as discreet as possible." The man stood up and offered her his hand, which she took. "I have a maid coming every day during my working hours to clean the house and cook. If there's anything you'd like, you can ask her."
"Sorry to keep you up so late, then." Caterina followed him upstairs and tried to smile in gratitude. "Good night."
Namikawa returned the smile, appreciating her effort to be civil. "Sweet dreams, my dear. I promise to hurry tomorrow."
"There's no need for that. Business is more important than my notes and a few clothes," she said as she held the door knob in her palm.
"Perhaps, if you choose to see it this way, but no client is more important than you." Caterina stood there for a moment or two, staring after him. Namikawa entered the room across from hers, leaving her to question everything she's been thinking about in the past months.
Light was left to reflect as well. He was caught between Caterina's problems and his own, trying to not only survive, but to thrive as well. It was three in the morning already and with no sign he'll be blessed with even an hour of sleep anytime soon, Light got up and sat at the table, opening the Death Note again. The TV was repeating the same news from earlier that day about a robber.
'What are you doing, Light?' the shinigami asked as soon as he noticed the human.
"I can't sit around and wait for a woman all my life. She'll come back, eventually – but I have something more urgent to do."
'Oh? And what's that?' Ryuk asked again. Light was amusing again, interesting – the creature couldn't wait to see what he had in mind.
"First, I need to get rid of the FBI agents." He turned on the laptop and checked the time table of several busses, then looked through his phone for the number of a girl he knew from school. He tore a piece of paper from the Death Note and crumbled it in his fist, then took an ordinary page and began to calculate the timing of events.
Author's Notes:
Chapter proofread by AbandonedSock, as usual.
I'm really glad to see new followers every now and then and I read and appreciate every review, even if sometimes I might not reply to each individually. As for the plot, EmeraldHeart1203, I haven't read the manga, but I do follow the manga timeline from the wiki. I find it very useful in keeping track of the canon events, since in the anime, everything seems to happen much faster. This way, I can exploit those little timeskips in the canon version of events and build a believable scenario.
The series is really good as it is (at least until L's passing), so I don't see any reason to bring huge changes in the canon order of events. I'd rather stop upon the most relevant scenes, and perhaps, at times, I will change the order of small happenings (like the lines and the moment when Ryuk tells Light about the eye deal, for example). Other than that, there won't be any major plot twists - at least until L's passing.
I agree that Caterina is going to change. It's a huge responsibility she has to handle, which always changes the way people behave. It's what happens to Light, as well as the Dragon and the Snake (if you remember his past). However, I'll let you decide if she is going to change for the better or for the worse. It would be a good time to remember Anastasia's character, and maybe Bianca.
