If the police found out Kira had contacted an individual, it would have been easily discovered and hushed up about immediately. If the police found out Kira had contacted a select group, it might have been slightly harder to find out about and slightly harder to keep quiet, but it was possible.

If Kira contacted the whole country, however, obviously it would be easily discovered. And obviously, it would be impossible to keep quiet about. Which is why when a message sent from "Kira" was played on Sakura TV, the small team working to find Kira was so frantic about contacting the television station to tell them to stop playing the tape.

It was only a split-second after seeing the message that Matsuda and Aizawa had whipped out their cell phones. L didn't say anything against it; so long as they weren't doing anything rash, like running out and getting themselves killed, it was fine... with...

Actually, that was a good idea. Not for Matsuda or Aizawa, but for another person.

"Ne, Ukita-san, can I talk to you for a moment?" L asked while Matsuda and Aizawa frantically tried reaching the person they were trying to get a hold of. Ukita nodded, a puzzled look on his face again.

"I didn't want to say this in front of the others, but I have received a message that Matsuda-san's family are being held hostage," L lied, staring intently at Ukita.

"By Kira?" Ukita asked, eyes wide. L did not reply, knowing Ukita would assume it was by Kira.

"We can't wait then! I'll stop him!" Ukita exclaimed, running out of the room, oblivious to Matsuda and Aizawa's cries for him to stop. L smiled; this was going just as planned.

When they saw on TV that Ukita had fallen in front of the station, never to rise against, L was a bit surprised that it was Aizawa who started yelling. Matsuda had remained silent, his eyes never leaving the TV. Hearing a choked gasp to his left, L turned, about to say something to Matsuda but faltering when he saw the tears trailing down Matsuda's cheeks. Curling up tighter in his chair, L wondered if it was the right action to lie to Ukita like he did.

Feeling Aizawa's grip on his shoulder, L gripped his own legs tighter and began trembling. What if that was a bad move, what if that only led to more problems for the team? What if Matsuda began depressed and quit?

For once, L felt like he didn't do quite the right thing. This wasn't the time to angst about it, he told himself. He had a crisis to solve.

And so he picked up a phone and did what he did best: organize from the sidelines.