They had been studying Takada's movements for a week. Every phone call she made, everything she studied in class, every student she tutored. They checked her purchase history, compared it to what Mello, Near, L, or…Light remembered from the alternate timeline.

Not that Mello took anything Light said with any once of truth.

Nevertheless, the only odd thing that the found was that Takada had missed a day off school – the day after Mello and Light woke up with their memories – and had been going about her normal routine ever since. Local police had been shocked when L had requested all documentation on the case (well, Near was actually the one that requested. Not that the police were aware of that,) and every person the police had questioned had said that Takada seemed like her normal self before the incident.

The 'incident' in question being that Takada Kiyomi had been brutally killed on her way home from cram school the previous day. The man who killed her had walked into the police station, confessed, and then died of a heart attack in the middle of the lobby.

The man, Tanaka Daichi, had no connection to Takada. Mello and Matt had been placed in charge of getting the background information on the man and, truthfully, Mello was irritated and furious. Tanaka Daichi was nothing. This was the first time that Mello had ever heard his name, he had absolutely no connection to their previous timeline. He was a father of a daughter the same age as Mello, a teacher at a school across town from Takada's, he and his wife had separated a year ago. He did not teach at the cram school Takada attended, his daughter and Takada were not acquainted, there wasn't even any proof that they shopped at the same places. Tanaka had no record of any kind, everyone stated how he was a great teacher and a great father, they were all completely shocked by the crime.

Mello had absolutely no idea why this person would have been targeted.

And he had absolutely no doubt that whoever had the Death Note was aware of their alternate timeline.

That would have been a bit of a comfort. But now, now that he had met Penber and found proof that Yagami had been lying to them, it made him even more nervous. He had absolutely no idea who had used that Death Note. Who else had been given a random page and been told to write names down? Who else had woken up on that morning with years worth of memories that hadn't happened?

Was there someone else that knew his name? Or Matt's? Or Near's?

It was infuriating.

The entire thing made Mello's blood boil. He had put the whole thing with Penber and Naomi on the backburner as they all locked themselves in the hotel room, putting Takada's case in the forefront. But as more time went on and it became clear that they were coming to a standstill, Mello was ready to focus on other matters.

"I don't know, Mells," Matt sighed on night, pushing his goggles up and rubbing his eyes. "I mean, yeah, it's suspicious. But you've seen L with Light. I would rather try to take away his candy than confront him about Light. Hell, I'd rather try to get chocolate away from you."

Mello scowled as his hand tightened around the chocolate bar he was holding. "Try it," he growled.

Matt chuckled but he didn't sound particularly happy. "Yeah, that's kind of my point. When are you going to speak to Penber again?"

"Two days," Mello grunted, eyeing Matt warily as he snapped off a piece of his chocolate. He took threats like that very seriously. If Matt tried to take his chocolate, he would throw that damn game system out the nearest window.

"I'm going with you."

"What?" Mello blinked. "Why?"

"Because I want to meet them."

"You should sta-"

"Matt will go with Mello," Near cut Mello off. Mello turned toward the younger boy, sighing when he saw his dark eyes focused on the toy robot he had in his hand. "I will stay here."

"Near-"

"Matt will go with Mello," Near said once again, his voice holding a bit more steel and his eyes straying from the robot to focus on Mello. "Mello needs time out of the hotel. Matt will go with him. L will understand the reasoning and will not question it when Mello leaves."

"Fine."

"Whipped," Matt coughed. Mello tensed, his head turning slowly toward his best friend. Matt sent him a cheeky grin.

"Something to say?"

"Nope! Nothing at all!"

Near gently tugged on Mello's shirt. "I do not understand. What did Matt mean by that comment?"

Mello tried to fight back the blush on his face as Matt laughed obnoxiously behind him.