"Tell me, then. What do you make of this?"
L has chosen both Near and Mello as his successors. Despite competition all but bred into them by virtue of the race for the position, they have managed to work impressively well together on the project he gave them.
He didn't tell them everything; they deduced a great deal on their own.
He made it clear that they are to share the role and that if something were to happen to one, the other would lose his place, as well; this is proof, Mello thinks, that he doesn't trust them entirely to work together throughout.
"The purpose of these notebooks," Near says quietly, "is to allow for new shinigami to come about."
L thought of this, as well.
"But the reason that shinigami exist – who knows."
"So there is a third book," Mello interjects, "and if we were to find it—wherever it is—that might be a way to talk to a shinigami."
He likes that he managed to impress L. He likes that L specifically asked them to come to Japan to meet with him. That he asked their opinion on the Kira matter, no less.
He doesn't like that he has to share the position with Near. It almost makes the position as L's successor somewhat of a punishment – having to work with Near for the rest of his life.
"Come with me, please," L says as he unfolds his long legs from his chair and steps down to the floor, and the boys follow.
Where are we going? Mello thinks to ask, but he already knows.
It's the control room, the one with all the television monitors, and L directs their attention to one.
Near remains expressionless, but Mello's eyes go big.
"This is Kira," L says quietly.
Light is almost angelic as he sleeps, all but oblivious to the shackles securing him in place, freshly washed hair scattering across the sheets beneath.
This is Kira, Mello thinks in astonishment, he's got Kira right there in that room. He's not killing him because he needs him to find the third notebook.
"Kira is wet," he finds himself murmuring, and, suddenly charged with strange envy, he also finds that he loathes him from the very bottom of his heart.
"He doesn't remember everything," L says, and Near nods, "this is because he relinquished ownership of the notebook—but he kept parts."
"That's right," L replies, "there was a small note in his watch that belonged to one of the books and powder under his nails that is probably from the third notebook."
"It's specifically from the third one because he mentioned a name that probably belongs to a death god—and not the death god you saw before," says Near, and, unbeknownst to himself, Mello grits his teeth.
"Two names," comes L's voice, "Rem and Ryuk. Specificlaly, not Rem; Ryuk."
"Three notebooks, three names," says Mello, but L comments that it isn't quite that simple. Misa, he remembers, had two notebooks of her own: one that she had while she was alive, plus a second one she gained upon becoming a death Goddess.
"But if it was under his nails up until now, then he was touching it. Then how is it that he doesn't remember everything?"
"Maybe he does," L replies, "or maybe it's not concentrated enough. Maybe it was mixed with something else; either way, he remembers some things."
And Light – oh, Light is not innocent. Of course, he doesn't like being bound and at the mercy of L and whoever else might be watching through the cameras that undoubtedly jut out from every crevice in the foundation.
L has found the powder; L knows it's from the third book. He's going to ask Light to help him find it, but even after he does, Light can't use the notebook to kill L. He doesn't want to; what he wants is to get the notebook for himself and make L forget.
That is, to give the notebook to someone else.
This isn't about my personal feelings, he remembers hearing someplace in the forgotten passageways of his mind, and indeed, it isn't; he must do this for the sake of justice.
"He's going down so fast," Mello hisses, and L raises his eyebrows. "Oh, we're not going to kill him."
"Yeah, I know, I mean—I mean after we destroy the third book."
"You seem quite intent on the matter, Mello-Kun."
Mello blushes anxiously. "W—what do you mean? You weren't going to kill him?"
L's black eyes roll up and to the left and suddenly he seems deep in thought. "It's like Mello said," he replies, "the real issue lies in the notebooks. What we need to do is to destroy them and make him forget."
And all it takes to push Mello just right over the top is a smug little smile from Near following L's comment.
To be continued…