An Alternate Note
Chapter 6
Light flashed her bright, albeit fake, smile as she approached the man waving at her. "Hello Ryuga."
"Good morning. Thank you for agreeing to meet me today." L scratched the back of his head as Light stopped in front of him.
Light set her bag down on the bench beside them, "Of course, but did you realize I was a tennis champ before challenging me to this game?" I suppose this works in my favor. It could turn out better than anything I'd plan. If I can befriend L, maybe I'll be able to get him to reveal his true identity to me.
He waited until she'd taken out her equipment before he lead them onto the court. "I did actually, but I was a British junior champion myself." They paused on the court.
"Oh? Are you from England then?" Light pulled her hair up into a high pony tail and smiled at L again.
You won't figure me out that easily Light Yagami. "I lived in England for a period of time, yes. But that won't give away L's identity." His flat tone held a finality to it so Light didn't press the matter.
Her smile smile didn't falter though. Very well then, he definitely thinks I'm Kira but the fact that he's trying to get closer to me means that he still has nothing on me. Alright, two can play this game. "Should we start then?"
"Yes, why don't we play one set since its our first game? I won't go easy on you just because you're a woman." L said while bouncing a ball off the ground.
Was that comment intended for Kira or Light? "Sounds fair." Light got into position and L served immediately. The hit was so hard and fast that Light just stood stock still and blinked. "Wow, I guess you weren't kidding."
After a longer game than anticipated L found he was not actually entirely disappointed at the outcome.
"As expected, you won." Feet shuffling, he watched Light from the corner of his eye as she wiped sweat from her brow. They'd left the tennis courts immediately as somehow an entire crowd appeared without either of them really noticing.
"Hah, well, I haven't had to play that hard in a really long time. It was a lot of fun." The brunette shifted her bag back up on her shoulder, "Actually, there is something I'd like to ask you before we go our separate ways. Would you mind joining me for a drink? I'm actually pretty thirsty."
"Since you've humored me with a game of tennis, yes, I'll answer your questions but you should know," L stopped walking so Light also paused and looked up at his dark rimmed eyes. "I suspect that you, Light Yagami, are Kira."
"Are you kidding? Me, Kira?" Light laughed slightly. Damn, now I can't ask to meet with someone on the task force to confirm his identity.
"Don't worry it's only by about ten percent." The detective watched her face closely for anything that might give her away. He found nothing there.
"Right... Let's just go get that drink." Light walked on just a bit ahead so he'd have to follow.
Now seated in Light's preferred, secluded area of the cafe she found she really needed a new way to get that confirmation of his identity.
"Here are your drinks. Enjoy." The server set down her unsweetened iced tea and a hot coffee for L. He gave them a brief, strange look, almost as if he didn't understand why the two of them were sitting together. Light fought the urge to roll her eyes and tell him to get lost before he finally stepped away.
"What was it you wanted to ask me?" L tapped his fingers on his knee with one hand as he started dropping several cubes of sugar into his cup.
Light picked up her glass and took a sip, slightly disturbed with the ridiculous amount of sugar that the man perched across from her was adding to his small cup of coffee. "My question can wait until you no longer suspect me of being Kira. Is there anything you'd like to talk about instead?"
L looked up from his coffee and held out a sugar cube. "Sugar?"
Light shook her head no.
"Oh well," he stuffed the cube into his mouth, "would you mind if I tested your deductive abilities then?" He spoke around the melting sugar cube, words coming out just a tiny bit slurred due to it.
"Alright, that could be interesting." Light adjusted her tennis skirt, disliking how it stuck to her skin due to the drying sweat. Her first priority upon leaving here would be a nice long shower.
L slid a few photographs he had in his back pocket across the table towards her. "Take a look at these and tell me what you make of them. They're notes written by inmates under Kira's control. It's evidence that was never revealed to the public so I ask that you not discuss this with anyone else."
Her slender fingers reached out and grasped the edge of the photos before he'd let go of them. "Very well."
Upon seeing what the photos were Light made sure to school her features carefully. Being that she was in fact Kira she knew exactly what these were and what the message in them read. She made sure to pretend to ponder it for a few moments before responding.
"It's frightening to think that Kira may be able to control a persons actions before death... there seems to be some kind of message here for you. It seems to read, 'L, do you know, Shinigami love apples' but..." Light set the pictures down. "That makes no sense. Were there any more messages like these? Something that may be missing?"
L stared at Light more wide eyed than usual, "Very good. Your deduction was perfect. As a matter of fact, here." He slid a fourth picture towards her. "With this it reads, 'L, do you know, Shinigami who have red hands love apples.'"
Light's eyes narrowed, A fake! I knew it was a trap and I just barely dodged it. "Well, it still makes no sense does it? Everyone knows shinigami aren't real. Besides, this looks like something Kira made up to distract you. It's very unlikely this will lead you to him."
"If you were in my position and you needed to confirm without a doubt if someone were Kira, how would you do it?" He bit at the edge of his thumb. Her responses were intriguing if not incriminating.
"Well, I'd probably do what you were just doing here with me. I'd try to bait them into revealing something only Kira would know." Light shrugged and sipped at her drink again.
L sat up just a little bit more straight, eyes boring into Light. "Amazing... absolutely incredible. You were able to immediately think of a scenario where the detective was speaking directly to the suspect and you saw right through my tactic. I've asked several detectives the same thing and they took several minutes to come up with different approaches. You'll make an excellent detective Light."
"Well, I guess that works against me too. The better my responses, the more suspicious I look." She quirked a half smile which neither confirmed or denied said suspicion.
Beautiful, athletic and a brilliant mind. A lethal combination; at this rate the cards could fall either way. L narrowed his eyes, "Yes, it's increased the probability that you are Kira by another three percent. Of course, it only makes me that much more determined to work with you on this case. Do you know why?"
Light crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back. "Well, if I were Kira then it'd make it easier for you to investigate me, plus there is always the chance that I would give myself away. And even if I'm not Kira I can still help resolve the case. It's a win-win situation for you. But if you want me to work with you I'd like some confirmation from a task force member that you really are L. After all, you could be anyone as far as I know. Who knows, you might be Kira yourself. Unless you allow me to meet with someone who can confirm you are who you say you are I can't work with you."
L found himself watching Light's pale pink lips move with each word. You sure like to talk, don't you Light? Typical for someone who hates to lose. There were a couple of ways he could think of to stop her monologue but shrugged them off. "Of course you can meet someone from task force headquarters if that's what it'll take to have you work with us. In fact, I am working alongside your father and other members of the NPA."
Light's looked a bit surprised, "Really? That's-" Her cell phone began to ring, "excuse me."
She picked it up. "Hello?"
L's phone was also ringing and he picked up a second later, "Ryuzaki."
Their eyes widened simultaneously.
"It's my father!"
"Light, your father!"
They'd ended their respective phone calls and raced outside to where Watari was pulling up to drive them over to the hospital.
Once in the car L's mind was fast at work again. Could it really be that this girl is Kira? Would Kira kill her own father to 'prove' her innocence? Or is it possible that my theory is wrong? He needed more evidence. Or rather, he needed evidence period. This situation was growing ever more frustrating for the world's greatest detective.
After seeing her father and being assured he would be well after a few days rest Light had kissed his forehead and promised to find Kira. "I won't let you down Dad. Now get some rest."
L stood and shuffled to the door, "Take care Mr. Yagami. I will see you when you return to headquarters." He stepped out, shutting the door behind him.
"Light," Soichiro began, looking much older than he had even just a few days ago. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you that Ryuzaki was considering you a suspect. Please know that I don't believe for a moment that you could be that cold-hearted killer."
That struck something deep in Light's being. A cold hearted killer... "Don't worry Dad, I know you don't. Just get some sleep. I'm going to head home now to rest too, can't be missing classes if I expect to graduate at the top of my class again."
Soichiro smiled at his daughter, "Of course not. Good night."
Light almost bumped right into a white mass as she stepped out of her fathers hospital room. "Oh! Ryuga -er, Ryuzaki, I didn't think you would still be here."
The 'white mass' turned and looked down at his prime Kira suspect. He'd been listening in on the conversation between father and daughter but what he'd heard only left him more frustrated because she sounded genuinely innocent yet his mind refused to believe that. "Ah yes Light. Since I brought you here I figured I should bring you back so I waited."
"Oh." Light didn't believe him for a second. You were spying on my conversation, weren't you L? Nice try but I'm not that stupid. "It's OK. The train station is only a couple minutes walk from here, I'll be fine on my own. I'm sure you have more important things do do."
His large, panda-like eyes looked away almost glossed over as he thought of the shortcake that awaited him once he got back. He was starving. "Very well then. I'll see you soon so we can begin working together."
"Yes, as soon as my father is well I'll join you both. Good night." Light walked off, eager to get to the station and be alone to think. It'd been far too long of a day and interacting directly with her nemesis was draining.
L watched her walk away, eyes lingering on her smooth legs, "Mmm..." He really wanted that cake. Hopefully Watari was already waiting outside.
