You stood up from your chair in the funeral hall, walking slowly towards the altar where Mrs. Touta lay. The incense irritated your already watery eyes, and as you reached the altar, the tears threatened to overwhelm you. You stood to attention, placed your hands together and then bowed deeply to show your respect for the deceased. Taking a pinch of incense, you brought it to your forehead before releasing it into the smouldering urn. Your head dropped, the memories weighing you down. You stood again at attention before bowing, bringing your head up to reconfirm her death. Her name was scribed onto the wooden tablet, and you found no way to deny the truth. 'Thank you, Mrs. Touta…you'll never know how happy I am to have known you these past few days…' Turning, you walked slowly back to your seat in the 2nd row, directly behind Matsuda. Matsuda, dressed all in black, looked more somber and serious than you had ever seen him. Feeling sympathy for your pained friend, you lightly placed your hand on his stiff shoulder. Half turning his head, he nodded to show that he was okay. Your joined hands fell to your lap, clenched tightly to take your mind off the lifeless body on the altar. The entire hall rose in their seats, standing solemnly as Mrs. Touta's coffin was carried to the waiting hearse. '…Farewell, Mum.'
"Are you alright, Ahiru-chan?" Aizawa asked, watching you with concern as you entered the main room.
Looking up in surprise, you replied, "If anyone is worried, it should be for Matsuda."
"Matsuda is a trained professional. As a police officer, he was aware that it was likely that he would lose people close to him over the course of his career-" Aizawa said, exchanging a glance with Yagami.
"Oh, and that makes it okay? Because he was told to expect it? I thought you at least would try and understand how he must be feeling," you burst out, feeling betrayed by your trusted friends.
You glared around at the investigators, watching their shocked faces. Across the room, your eyes locked with L's. His steady gaze held your furious expression, his feelings completely hidden behind his emotionless eyes. You blinked and averted your eyes, feeling invaded. "I…apologise. I should not have said those things. Please forgive me," you said to the investigators, bowing deeply.
Feeling a hand on your shoulder, you looked up to see the smiling face of Light's father. "There is no need to say sorry, Ahiru-chan. We should be the ones apologising for disregarding your feelings."
You straightened up, a tiny smile lightening your features. "Thank you, Yagami-san, Aizawa-san."
A hand pulled you back as you tried to walk through the doorway to your room. "Ryu-kun? I-"
"No. It's Matsuda," corrected the investigator, giving you a crooked smile.
"Oh," you said, surprise sparking through you as you realised that your voice was tinged with disappointment.
The smile slid off his face, and he took his hand off your shoulder. Immediately feeling guilty, you smiled brightly at him, hoping to reverse the damage. "It's just I wanted to ask you a question."
Your eyes widened, your mind racing a mile a minute. 'I, what? A question?'
"A question about what?" you asked, blinking in confusion.
"I wanted to ask-"
"Ahiru-chan, please come to the investigative headquarters. Now," a voice interrupted over the speakers.
You nearly stomped your foot in irritation. "He always does this to me! What's so important that I need to come at this exact moment?!"
Matsuda grinned anxiously and rubbed the back of his head. "I guess I could always ask you later…"
"Yeah, sure," you grumbled, stomping away towards the main room.
"Yes, oh great master?"
He looked at you incredulously, raising an eyebrow at your greeting. You heard a stifled chuckle to L's right and you glared as Light covered his mouth to hide his smile. "Quite. Yes, well Ahiru-chan, I wanted to ask you about your progress on the computer," L said, looking over to your cluttered workbench.
Your eyebrows furrowed in agitation, and you replied, "It couldn't wait?"
"It is important that I am informed of every investigator's progress, no matter their current project," L countered, watching you from behind his long bangs.
You sighed in equal frustration and defeat. "Fine," you said, "Under normal circumstances I would have finished…but due to the recent events…I'm really far back. It'll be at least another month until it's done."
"I see…that's fine. You may now leave, Ahiru-chan," L dismissed, turning back to his computer.
"That's it? You just wanted to ask a question which could have waited until tomorrow?" you asked, surprised.
"All of my questions are important," L responded, sounding slightly defensive.
You raised an eyebrow in disbelief and stalked out of the room, only stopping to bid goodnight to Light.
"Matsuda? You're still here?" you asked, shocked to find the investigator sitting outside your door.
"Yeah, I didn't think you'd be that long" Matsuda laughed, rubbing the nape of his neck as he straightened up.
"Ryu-kun was just being his usual self," you grinned.
"So, can I talk to you now? Or is something else going to interrupt us?" Matsuda questioned, smiling.
Laughingly, you grabbed his wrist and said, "I know a good place."
"What did you want to ask me?" you queried, pulling him onto the roof of the building.
"I actually wanted to ask you about my mother's medical bills," Matsuda said, moving over to the railing to look out over the city.
"Medical bills? Why, do you need my help in paying for them?" you inquired, moving to lean against the railing next to him.
He twisted to face you, surprise written across his features. "You mean…you're not the one who paid them?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I went to pay for the expenses this morning at the hospital. Only, I was told that the account had already been settled," Matsuda said, his eyes showing his worry.
"You thought I had paid them?" you asked, watching a lone bird flying through the navy blue sky towards the horizon.
"Well…I couldn't think of anyone else who would…" Matsuda admitted, looking slightly embarrassed.
"I wonder…if it has anything to do with the person your mother said came and visited her…" you mused, eyes clouding over as your mind considered the possibilities.
"I don't know anyone from my family who would be so generous and not boast about it to the rest of us," Matsuda said, propping his elbow on the railing.
"Well, who else is there to consider…who else would give that much money and not care-"
You stopped halfway through your sentence, your mind coming to the most likely conclusion. "Ahiru-chan?" Matsuda questioned, wondering why you had cut off.
"Matsuda-kun, I'm sorry but I have to go. I have to talk to someone who might know the identity of this mystery donor. I'll let you know as soon as I find something," you called over your shoulder, walking through the doorway into the building.
"Oh…ok," Matsuda said, blinking as he realised he was talking to a closed door.
"I thought you were going to sleep, Ahiru-chan," Light said, as you entered the room.
"I have some business with our in-house genius," you replied, looking pointedly in L's direction.
Light half-smiled, "Does this mean I'm going to be sitting outside a door again?"
You laughed, "It depends on Ryu-kun."
"What business do you have with me?" L questioned, swiveling around in his chair to face you.
"It's regarding certain hospital bills which were magically paid by some anonymous well-wisher," you said, checking his face for the slightest reaction.
He disappointed you by keeping the same blank expression, "I don't see how that has any relation to me."
You frowned, annoyed at being brushed off. "Mrs. Touta, heart attack followed by ventricular fibrillation, admitted to Tokyo Hospital? Ring any bells?"
"I'm afraid I don't understand anything you are saying, Ahiru-chan," L said, talking around his current lollipop.
"Ryuuzaki…" Light whispered, furrowing his eyebrows at the detective.
You felt suspicious, but with him adamantly denying involvement, you had nothing else to go on. Sighing in defeat, you apologised for interrupting their investigation, and excused yourself.
'Dammit…I almost thought it was going to be that easy…' you thought to yourself, collapsing on your bed to finally end the day.