XLI – Trash


It was the 23rd of December and her third morning in Reiji's house. Because in her country, Christmas was an important holiday, and because it became familiar to him during his college years in the United States of Advertising, the maid received clear instructions from the master of the house to help bring a little bit of the festive atmosphere in. There were oversized red socks taped to the upper edge of the electric fireplace and the railway had a long red tinsel wrapped around it. A plastic Christmas tree found its place in the living room, and when Caterina said she wanted to hang a string of colorful lights in her bedroom, the man ordered the largest available online.

If it wasn't her first Christmas without her family, Caterina would have probably been overjoyed. However, she had been contacted by Vitto and was to meet him at his café at twelve. Getting dressed, her mind kept going back to the past few weeks. Light seemed happy that one day when he broke into his father's computer and found out the progress made in his case. He was relaxed, calm, tapping his fingers to his knee a couple of times when he heard a catchier song. They sat together in a café and it felt like the world was finally going to be theirs… right before it slipped through their fingers like a fish, slapping them both in the face and giving them a splash of cold water.

Reiji was waiting for her downstairs. He offered to drive her there and wait for her in a parking lot nearby, which made her feel a little less insecure. There was something reassuring in knowing someone will be keeping track of the minutes passing by while she will be inside. Caterina tried to tell herself that even if she died, or worse – got abused in some way, Namikawa would eventually be alerted and either intervene himself, or call the police, or Ooi, or… well, it didn't really matter, as long as someone was going to come after her.

Caterina wore one of her favorite shirts – a two-year-old burgundy one, matched with dark dress pants and a fake fur coat in black and gray. That was her last high fashion option for the cold weather after she kept moving and scattering her things everywhere. It was also one of the last things her father had bought her, which now held emotional value as well. Sighing, she walked out by the man's side.

"You look stunning," he complimented her as they walked to his car. It was quite obvious for Namikawa that she was nervous, even if she was acting calm on the outside.

"Thank you… Vitto can't find out how broke I am," she tried to pass a joke.

"Nonsense. All you have to do is ask – you know money never was a problem for me." He started the engine, but Caterina didn't reply. She seemed deep in thought. "Do you know what you should be saying?"

Caterina nodded. "I learned that sheet you wrote me by heart. Still, I have a bad feeling…"

"Any reason for your bad feeling?" he asked, trying to make her feel more at ease and think more logically than intuitively.

"Not really… It's more of a guess." Suddenly, she brought up a topic the man thought closed since the day before. "I'm taking my gun with me. I don't want to hear any arguments anymore – if only to make me feel more secure, I want to keep it near."

A heavy sigh escaped his mouth. "Please, don't stain your hands. It'd be unnecessary. If you think you can't negotiate, I can come with you."

"I'm seventeen, not seven. Thank you, but I think I can at least speak for myself." The second it rolled out her tongue was the second she regretted snapping at him so harshly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. Please…"

He gave her a cold and disappointed look, but didn't say a word. The entire time until they reached the café owned by Vitto, both had been silent. Once they did, Caterina took off. He didn't even bother to look at her and it kind of bothered her – over the past three days, she began to get used to his much warmer and optimistic approach. He didn't seem bothered by anything she might have said or done, even if she thought it might have – up until now, that is.

Caterina looked after him as he drove around the corner, searching for a free parking lot. The sooner she was done with Vitto, the sooner she could focus on more important matters. The young woman had been telling herself she cared about Reiji solely because he was much more reliable than Kira or Ooi, but she was starting to feel more than a little guilty for her reaction from a few minutes earlier.

"Caterina?"

She jumped when she heard that voice. "Light?! What on earth are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question. And where have you been?" Kira tried to act mad, picking on her already. "I've been looking everywhere for you! What's gotten into you, running off like that? Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

Ryuk was intrigued. So, they meet again! Perhaps today was not going to be so boring, after all.

Caterina crossed her arms over her breasts. "I've seen how 'worried' you've been. Who's that whore you were taking to my apartment?"

"That 'whore' happens to be my alibi when it comes to the agents, just in case you forgot about it!" he spat back, clutching his fists tightly.

She clicked her tongue. "Of course she is. Just like Vitto, I suppose!"

"What?!" He frowned. "I'd never shake hands with a criminal! Heavens – are you listening to yourself?! It's nonsense!"

"Then why are you here, pray tell? Oh, you, all-powerful god?"

"Perhaps it would be a better idea to come inside, don't you think?" Vitto spoke in his usual relaxed voice, a little ironic and definitely amused. Both Caterina and Light glared at each other for a short moment, then attempted to walk through the door at once.

"Ladies first, Mr. Manners."

"I'm sorry, since when are you a lady?" he returned the burn.

"Caterina, please," Vitto bowed and offered her his hand, which she took only out of pride. The Italian man didn't know yet if they were the greatest number of spontaneous comedy he had seen since he moved to Japan, or if they were the most annoying pair of spoiled brats in all of Asia. Suddenly, he pulled the young woman towards him and attempted to wrap his arms around her, only to find himself face to face with a gun.

"As much as I appreciate politeness, please – let's keep this meeting a decent one."

'I missed her!' Ryuk laughed as he saw the man raise his hands and taking a step back. Light rolled his eyes and leaned on her shoulder. "Careful, love," he whispered in a low voice, grabbing her behind and giving it a rub.

"Wanna bet I can pull the trigger before you can write my full name?" she growled in return.

"If this would have led to sex, probably." Light walked casually to the only table in the café meant for more than two people. It was an oval one placed in front of a sofa in the far back. One could easily supervise the entire café from there, while keeping themselves relatively sheltered.

"I like him," Vitto grinned, showing two teeth longer than the rest. They had been surgically modified to resemble the fangs of a vampire.

Cringing, Caterina eventually followed Light. That didn't mean they were on better terms though – she sat at the opposite end of the couch, glaring arrows at both Light and Vitto. "I couldn't care less who you like. All I care about is how open would you be to renegotiate."

The moment he heard her, Light turned pale. He wasn't expecting that from her, which only made him more curious about what Caterina has been doing for the past three days. Vitto seemed just as surprised – Caterina managed to catch both off guard.

"Well?" she smiled. "Drinks would help ease the tension, wouldn't you agree?"

Tense but still smiling, Vitto shrugged. "Of course. What would you like? And please, do tell what you have to offer."

Chuckling, Caterina was playing with the gun in her right hand. "Me? Oh, I can offer you at least two things. One would feed your passion, the other would bloom your business. Question is… which should I offer?"

Light was boiling with rage. "Is that how low you've fallen, love?"

"I wouldn't push my luck if I were you, amore. Which reminds me, I think I've made up my mind. One Amore*, please!" Though she knew both Light and Vitto had seen her sweaty palms, Caterina kept playing her role as good as she could. "Well, Vittorio, let's go straight to business. Because by revealing the second part of the deal would involve Light more than I'd like, let's stick to the first half, shall we? For now, at least."

The man grinned and walked behind the bar to prepare her requested drink. "Is that so? What will feed my passion, then?"

Light was leaning towards Caterina. "What are you planning? We haven't discussed this."

"My plan, love, is to stay alive – whatever the price! You didn't even bother to come after me. You're a self-absorbed, egocentric, impulsive fraud who just happened to stumble over a gold mine of power. If you think I'm going to come crawling back to you, don't hold your breath waiting!"

Ryuk was hanging upside-down in between the two. 'See? I told you so!' he grinned towards Light. 'So what now?'

As Light was trying to ignore the shinigami and think of a clever way to make Caterina return to his side, Vitto returned with her drink served in a fancy Y-shaped glass and garnished with freshly grounded coffee and three coffee beans. "Amore, mi amore!"

Caterina smiled and sipped from her drink. "A little strong, but excellent taste and texture. Have you ever considered focusing your attention on drinks and cocktails instead of prostitutes and fake paintings?"

Vitto leaned against the metal frame of the table. "Who knows what the Lord has in plan for me? I wouldn't mind being the devil's barman, for all I care!" he laughed. "But you still haven't answered."

"I won't bring you the treasure physically, but if you cooperate with me, I will give you clear and precise instructions on where to find it – the address and name of the bank, the account under which it's being kept and the password that will grant you access. All of this, perfectly legal and without any additional risk. Does it sound fair enough?"

Although he still didn't have all the pieces of the puzzles, Light was pretty close to guessing the bigger picture – somebody must have taken Caterina under his protection, which is exactly why she was so confident again and threatening him. How dare she?! After everything he's done for her! But more importantly, who was this mysterious figure messing up his plans? "Caterina, love… Won't you give me at least the chance to explain myself for earlier?" but the only response he received was a straight pointer signing him to be quiet. Kira felt the blood boiling in his veins, but did everything in his power to hide it.

Noticing, Vitto began to smirk. "Well, well – looks like the kitty has found a drop of the Dragon's blood! How very thrilling! Please go on, my sweet. What is this treasure you're willing to offer me?"

"A priceless offer, let me assure you. I can give you the key to an original wooden box from the Ming Dynasty. It's said to be a puzzle, unsolved for all of these years. The legend says the one who solves the puzzle and unlocks the box will find the most precious of jewels…" Caterina grinned, as Vitto's eyes widened and began to shine like those of a drunkard.

"The most precious of jewels, the likes of which had never been seen by man. I want it!" he leaned forward and took Caterina's hands into his own, making her drop her gun. "I want it, I want it, I want it, I want it! It's every collector's dream!" He stood up and began to spin in a chaotic waltz. "Oh, dear Lord, I knew you'd turn your face towards me!" He returned to their table and took Caterina by her left hand, leading her to the music he began to sing. "The jewel of jewels, the most precious stone~! I'd never imagine such a wonderful offer!"

"Wait a minute," Light interrupted the man's manifestation of joy, "How can you possibly have access to such an artifact?"

Suspicious, Vitto stopped to wait for an explanation. He should have asked that earlier.

"You'll simply have to trust the heir of the Dragon with this. If I gave you access to my resources, I'd become vulnerable again," Caterina smirked as she returned to the table and shamelessly gulped about half of her drink.

"Which means now, you're no longer vulnerable," Vitto concluded. "Very well, then! Dragonette, let's toast to a new beginning!" The man took a dark glass bottle from under the bar and raised it up. After Caterina raised her glass as well, he opened it and took a few generous mouthfuls of wine.

"Caterina, in all honesty, how could you leave me out of such an important deal?" Light tried to get under her skin. "Come now, you can't still be mad at me for being a little oblivious." He was watching her from his seat, widening his eyes and feeling them drying with every passing moment. "Cat? Come on, won't you even look at me now?"

But just as Caterina was about to give in and turn towards him, her phone rang. She immediately answered it and her face lit up. "Yes? Sure, I'll be there in two minutes. It went perfectly. I'll tell you more as soon as we meet." Even if Namikawa's tone wasn't the friendliest at the time, she pretended it was – if only to catch a glimpse of Light's heartbroken face. Light, with his big brown eyes, always playing innocent and sweet-talking her back into his arms, now left alone for the first time in his life.

'Looks like she really did leave you, huh? Your sister was right, then. Not even she wants to put up with your attitude,' Ryuk commented just as Caterina was waving goodbye and walking out the door without a second of hesitation. She just threw her fur coat over her shoulders in a rush and off she was, into the cold.

"Well, damn me if I understand her…" Kira mumbled, still staring after her.

"Women are not supposed to be understood. They're supposed to be loved, or used – depends on who you ask," Vitto sighed in the same note of nostalgia. "By the way, here's the check."

Shocked, Light refused to take the paper in his hand. "I didn't order anything!"

"No, but your woman did. Or… Whatever she is to you. Looks to me like she just threw you into the trash, young man."

Throwing him a glare, Light took out his wallet and paid for Caterina. "Shut up…"

'Heh. He's right, though,' Ryuk laughed along.

"Truth hurts, huh?" Vitto continued to turn the knife and drive it deeper into Light's heart. "Don't worry. You can always find another – prettier, easier, maybe even younger."

Standing up, Kira took his coat and walked towards the door. "If you're done wasting my time, I hope she screws you over, too."

"Too bad," the man smirked. "I was just about to make you an offer, but if you're not interested in 'shaking hands with a criminal', I'll just find another who will."

"What kind of offer?" Light glanced over his shoulder back at the strange man leaning against the bar.

"An irresistible offer," he smirked. "If you have the time, let's discuss the details now – but I want an immediate answer, otherwise I'll have to kill you."

'Oh? What will you do now, Light?' the shinigami asked with the voice of pure enthusiasm.

In the meantime, Caterina was still feeling bad about her impulsive outburst from earlier. "Namikawa, I'm sorry. It came out the wrong way – I swear I didn't mean it like that!"

"What happened in there?" he asked in a cold and very unusual tone. He kept avoiding her eyes, even when they returned to his house. "It took you long enough."

"Vitto called Light too. I don't know why he did it – Light didn't seem to know I was going to be there. I made him the offer and he accepted, right before you called. Vitto toasted with wine and I, with coffee." She kept looking away as well, giving up trying to apologize and simply waiting to see a change of mood in him.

"I doubt that was wine you saw him drinking," he commented briefly.

She wanted to ask what was in the bottle if it wasn't wine, but the girl was too afraid she will use the wrong words and come off with a bad attitude. "Then… what was it?"

"What's his trade mark kill? Do you know?" The moment he was done speaking, Caterina realized what the answer was. She turned pale and felt her stomach turning. Her head was spinning and her legs weakened just as she was about to take off from the car.

"What a sick bastard!" she cried in a single breath, opening the door so the cold air could help her feel a little better. "I can't believe it… All this time, I thought he'd thrown it away – I never imagine he'd actually drink it!"

With a sigh, Namikawa walked over to her side and helped her out of the car. "Stop thinking about it, or you're going to upset your liver for no reason at all."

Yet, like most women, Caterina saw a chance to make him forgive her and forget about her earlier mistake. She leaned on his shoulder, trembling and rolling her eyes backwards. She was close to throwing up – this time, she was really feeling sick, but exaggerating it a little bit won't hurt, right?

If he noticed it or not, she couldn't be sure. Either way, Reiji carried her inside and laid her on one of the sofas in his living room. "I shouldn't have told you. If only I'd known how you were going to react…"

"I'm sorry, I just honestly believed that was wine! It looked so much like some very dark wine…" she nearly cried, trying to explain herself. "Oh, my! Now I understand what he meant that day!"

"When?" He brought her a glass of water with some freshly squeezed lemon juice still diffusing in it. "Did he threaten you?"

Caterina shook her head and took a few sips from the water. It was sour and it helped her, somewhat. "The first time I met him I went downstairs into the basement with Light. Vitto asked one of the guards, 'can she deliver another one?' or something like that, and the man went into a different room to fill his glass. And I think… before that, when we were still in the café, he told me I looked very pale, even if he hadn't 'tasted' me. I'm sure that's the word he used!" A cold chill of horror went down her spine.

The more she explored those feelings of weakness and vulnerability, the closer she felt to the man's warm and loving side – the one she met the first time she turned to him for help. Sick as she felt, it wasn't difficult for Caterina to notice his weakness – Namikawa was good on his own, but he seemed to want to be needed. It fed his ego whenever he could see her as some poor, fragile creature in need of protection, and that made him soften his stone hard exterior. Just like her father, he preferred others to depend on him and took great pride in this kind of hierarchy.

This time, he sat beside her and put a reassuring hand on her back. When Caterina leaned against his shoulder, he finally welcomed her into his arms – but there was no trace of possessiveness. Instead, he was calm and in complete control, waiting to see her reaction and trying to look like it didn't have any effect on him.

"He scares me…" Caterina said when the silence became too hard to tolerate. "The Snake didn't scare me. Not even Ross can, but Vitto certainly has something… evil about him. He gives me the wrong kind of chills."

"There's no reason why he should intimidate you so," he finally spoke in his usual voice and Caterina looked up with hopeful eyes and a little pout. "Vitto is crazier than the rest, but none of them are sane anyway. No sane man could ever live with himself knowing he's done half the things Vitto and those like him are proud to have done. You should stop thinking about him for now."

Caterina nodded, but remained in his arms. It reminded her of the times her father would hold her when she was scared – just enough to calm her down, but not tight enough to make her feel any kind of restraint. She was just as free in his arms as she was three meters away from him, and if she wanted to leave, she knew Namikawa wouldn't force her to stay. In a way, he seemed to understand her better than Light.

"I'll call in the morning and take three days off. Unless there is some kind of emergency requesting my immediate presence, I won't go to the office. I'll let you think about what you want to do during these three days, what do you say?"

The girl turned to face him and answered him with a small smile and a nod. "I'll think of something. Though I still don't know what you like, or how should I thank you for everything you've done so far…"

He shook his head slowly. "You don't have to do anything for me. Simply being here is enough." But his face seemed to light up with a little amusement when he heard her stomach grumbling. "I'm sorry, I'll go make something. Is there anything you'd prefer?"

"Oh, dear! I forgot about you," she chuckled in embarrassment and set her hand over her stomach. "Nothing in particular. I didn't know you cook, too."

"Only occasionally, when I don't have the time or the necessary disposition to go to a restaurant." The man stood and held out his hand for her. "Do you think you feel well enough to keep me company?"

"It's the least I can do." She stood up taking his hand.

"But I don't want you to do anything out of some made-up sense of debt or anything of that sort…"

Caterina laughed to herself. "Well, you don't seem so arrogant now. I'm starting to think this whole thing might actually work, in the end…"

"Arrogant? Really?" he asked, smiling in amusement as well. "Is that how I usually seem, or just your first impression of me?"

"How would I know?" she raised an eyebrow at him. Perhaps she should at least give him a chance. There didn't seem to be any downside to this possible partnership – what could possibly go wrong? Sure, he was a little arrogant and wanted her to constantly praise him as her protector, but it wouldn't be such a novelty to her. After all, she has been almost worshipping her father and perhaps if Light wouldn't have been so busy being Kira, she would have done that for him too.

In another part of the city, Light was lying in the bath tub in his family's house. It was the only way to escape his sister's constant mocking and Ryuk's uncomfortable questions. Although he tried, he couldn't get his mind off that half an hour with Caterina and Vitto. "Something to bloom his business…" he mumbled to himself. He wanted to crack the code that he was almost certain Vitto had understood without any problem, but couldn't conclude his long reasoning.

She could be talking about money, but Vitto was a greedy man who couldn't be pleased with as much as half of the Dragon's wealth – Light couldn't even imagine how that sum would look like on paper. Then, perhaps she meant 'selling' him a relationship – maybe a hitman? Or a hacker? Caterina said those were absolutely vital in this kind of 'business'.

But there was something else – she mentioned it would involve him. Did that mean she would reveal his identity as Kira to a sick and twisted man like him, whose name Light could probably never find? It would be like sending him on the electric chair. Could she possibly be working with L now?

His head was spinning and pain washed over his brain in waves. Light sunk to the bottom of the bath tub, trying to clear his mind. As if dealing with L on his own wasn't already stressful enough! He sat up once he felt his lungs aching for air and pushed his hair back.

There was no way Caterina would betray him in such an obvious way. No… She'd rather watch him suffer. But then again, Vitto wouldn't want to kill him. If the man found out he was Kira, he'd most likely hire him under the threat of death or torture and ask him to kill on demand. The thought of that scenario made his skin crawl. It would have been his greatest downfall…

Suddenly, he heard his phone ring in the pocket of his pants. Sighing, Light reached out for a towel, dried his hands and picked up. "Yes?"

To his surprise, it was Midori. 'Hi… I hope I'm not bothering you. Um… I-I want to, uh… Would you mind going to the lake this evening? We need to talk!'

Light rolled his eyes. What were they going to talk about this time? Ducks? "Don't take it the wrong way, but I've had a rough day. I'm kind of tired. Is it urgent?"

'Ah-um. I'm so sorry, Light! I should have said it earlier, but I wasn't allowed to and I… Well, I'm not entirely sure I should say it now, but… I-I mean, it should be fine, but I still don't want to say it on the phone. If you get mad at me, it's fine, I deserve it, but please, can we meet first?'

"Fine. Look, why don't you take some time to calm down? I'll pick you up in an hour, if you say it's so important…" He didn't want to have her on his mind too, but the girl sounded like she was about to cry. As horrible as Caterina said he was, Light wasn't completely heartless.

As soon as he heard her confirmation, he hung up and let his phone fall over his clothes again. That girl had no idea what she was getting herself into… And she was too weak to last in the middle of such conflicts. Yagami made up his mind on the spot – he will distance himself from her as soon as the agents are out.

Actually, it would probably be best to get used to the idea of being on his own. A weak mind by his side would break down – to drag an innocent girl like Midori into his mess would be too cruel, even for him. A strong mind, on the other hand – that could easily turn into a threat, something that he didn't need. There were too many dangerous variables involved already.

Light rinsed, then dried himself. He checked his phone to see the hour of Midori's call and realized he was about ten minutes behind schedule. He got dressed in a rush and left.

On his way, he took the time to notice the beauty of the city in the evening. It was cold and the leaves on the ground were starting to freeze, as well as the windows of the cars parked alongside of the road. Whenever he exhaled, he could see his breath clearly in front of him. It was… relaxing. He breathed deeply and tried to let his worries go, focusing on the present moment. He sure needed it…

Perhaps he should thank Midori for almost forcing him to go on a walk. By the time he reached her home, he noticed his head ache was almost gone and he was much calmer than before.

Midori opened the door a few seconds later. She was just buttoning her mint green coat and had wrapped a large scarf around her neck, hiding almost half of her face in it. "Aren't you cold without a scarf or a hat?" was the first thing she asked.

Light shook his head. "I'm alright. What did you want to talk about?"

Because of the cold, he thought it acceptable for them both to keep their hands in their pockets, but as soon as they began to walk towards the park, Midori reached for his arm again. "I'm so sorry… I don't even know how I should say this! But he convinced me it was the right thing to do!"

"Go on," he encouraged her.

"Well, I… After I left the scene of the accident, the FBI agent who sat behind us on the bus caught up with me. He asked if I could assist him, since he had been under cover until he revealed his ID. At first, I was scared… But then he said no one should know about this." Midori was clutching his arm a little tighter.

"So he asked you to get close to me, right? Or did he straight up ask you to keep watch over me?" Even though Light didn't sound mad at her, he noticed the girl getting even more nervous. "Don't worry – I knew about it. I had no proof, of course, but I'd noticed him following me for the past few days. When we went out, he was nowhere to be seen – so I figured he must have found a substitute."

"But… the FBI, Light? Do you have any idea why?" The girl suddenly stopped, forcing him to do the same and face her. "Please tell me it was just a mistake!"

"Midori… Don't bother thinking about it. My father works on the Kira case and normally I shouldn't tell you this, but he said that L asked the FBI to supervise around two hundred possible suspects – even if the said person only matches half of the profile they've already created for Kira. It was just to check one of L's theories, which means it has nothing to do with me as an individual. Alright?"

This time, his smile came naturally. It was a small, tired smile – maybe even a little bitter, but it was honest. He was pitying Midori, so he wanted to set her mind at rest and convince her to go on with her ordinary life. There was no use for her to worry over him.

"So, then… does it mean you've been ruled out?"

Light nodded. "It was obviously a waste of their time. You should just forget about him. For all I know, that agent might even be out of Japan by now and off to another case."

'There you were! I've been looking for you,' Ryuk floated from inside a building. 'What are you doing with her again?'

Midori smiled and walked into his arms. Light could tell that she was smiling brightly because of her puffy cheeks and the way her eyes had lit up instantly. "I knew there must have been some sort of mistake or misunderstanding. I never doubted you!"

For once, she actually made him feel a little better. Kira relaxed and set one hand over her back. "Thank you." Still, when it came to trust, one question remained – what did Vitto want from him? By declining the offer, he could leave the café in one piece, but this sense of insecurity was constantly somewhere in the back of his mind, nagging him whenever he tried to lower his guard.


Author's Notes:

Chapter proofread by AbandonedSock.

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