January 6, 2004, 4:25 am
I stood leaning against the convenience store wall, fishing for a sweet from my kangaroo pouch. I had been quick to make my way to the aforementioned place to grab candies, cookies, and a few energy drinks. As I rustled in my pouch for a fizzy candy, a black, nondescript car pulled up to me. The driver window rolled down, and I saw the elderly face of Watari staring at me. "I assume you are waiting for a ride?" He asked.
"I assume you are the ride?" I returned. He smiled.
"Passenger door is open." He spoke as his window rolled up. I was quick to enter the vehicle. After I pulled my seat belt on, I continued to fish for my sweet prize. I grinned when my hand closed around a wrapped candy that definitely felt like a fizzy candy, only for it to be erased when I pulled out a strawberry Hi-Chew. I loved candies, but I was looking for a certain kind right then. I stuffed it back in my pocket, to try again. This time bringing out a melon flavored fizzy candy. I was quick to unwrap it, and pop it in my mouth. I was aware of the cameras hidden in the car. I looked straight into a cameras lens as I waited to make it to the hotel.
My plastic bag full of energy drinks and sodas were on the floorboard as my leg shook.
"Is everything alright, miss?" Watari asked, seemingly in concern.
"Yes. Just thinking." I answered dully.
"I see." Was the enigmatic response.
We continued to move smoothly through traffic, getting closer and closer to our destination. "You moved from the U.S. recently?" He broke the silence.
"I did." I answered shortly. "I suppose you are trying to get information for your employer." I looked out of the window, at the passing city lights. The older gentleman stiffened minutely. "Don't be alarmed. Aside from my name, I am happy to tell you what you need to know."
"Very well, then. Where from America are you from?"
I remembered my ID from the wallet being from the states, but it wasn't my actual home town. "Dallas Texas."
"I see. How old are you?" So we started with the bland questions first.
"Twenty three."
"Birth date?"
"September 19th." I was grateful for my near perfect eidetic memory.
"Reason for moving to Japan?"
"Fresh start." I answered.
"Why would you need a fresh start?"
An image from "Midori's" past flashed in my mind. "Case gone wrong." My voice sounded so robotic.
"Gone wrong?" I could detect a hint of interest.
"My family was slaughtered by a serial killer I had been pursuing. As careful as I had been, he still found them. I had been staying in a hotel at the time, and only got the call a few hours after it happened. My parents and little sister were still used against me."
"Were you able to apprehend him?" Came the quiet inquiry.
"Yes." I could feel such a strange finality in my tone.
"Then I commend you for not letting your emotions get in the way of your investigation." It was meant as a consolation.
"I would have if I could turn my mind off." I murmured.
"You were aware of being monitored today, I am told. Out of curiosity, and you do not need to answer if I have over stepped my boundaries, are your analytic skills to blame for your inability to be intimate?" I stiffened. I couls hear the discomfort in his voice. "Pardon. I was being very rude."
"No. It is only part of my problem. Maybe it is because it takes a lot of skill get me to feel anything. Most people don't want to work that hard for something so trivial. Instead of a partner, I become a tool for someone else's release. That's not interesting. the others who would put in the effort don't know what to do due to inexperience. It's really just a pain." I tilted my head up, to stare at the car ceiling.
"Oh. I apologize for breaching such a sensitive subject." I could see his discomfort mounting.
"It wasn't you asking though. Your employer seems to be socially inept, to ask such a personal question, but I will not hold it against them." I could see his stiffness fade.
"I appreciate your kindness." We had arrived at the hotel. He handed me a card with a room number on it, as he parked in front. "Please go to this room, I will be parking the car." I nodded my consent.
"Thank you." I murmured, grabbing my bag of drinks. As I turned to exit the car, I paused. I turned back around and handed him a few pieces of candy from my pouch. I quickly left the vehicle, and as I started making my way through the lobby, I noted the cameras trained on me, as I progressed through the hotel. I only gave them brief glances, never looking at them for long, to avoid unnecessary questions from passersby. The ride in the elevator was a solitary one, so I was free to stare blankly at the camera trained on my person. Making quick work of the hallway, I stood before the door matching the card I was given. I took a steadying breath. Let's do this, then.
L's Hotel Room
Ryuzaki and the others watched as the young woman fished for a particular sweet in her hoody pouch, and listened as she answered the questions Ryuzaki fed to Watari. The last question had been to sate his curiosity, to be honest. It had caused an uproar of protest from the others, and many red faces. The fact that she answered had surprised him. Aren't most women more reserved about such topics? He watched in bemusement as she proclaimed to have already let the personal question slide. She thanked Watari with a few candies, and had hopped out to begin her monitored trek through the hotel. He noticed that she seemed to be pausing in front of the door, as if preparing herself for a taxing meeting. He moved to welcome the newest room occupant.
Midori
I opened the door to see a figure waiting for me. Male, mid twenties, messy black hair, looks clean and untangled, dark circles under eyes that have extremely dilated pupils, hunched form clad in plain white long sleeved shirt, plain jeans, barefoot, almost bored expression... "Hello. I am L." Speaks with little to no inflection, voice is pleasant: this is indeed L.
"You may call me Reiko." I watched him study me.
"Very well. Right this way, Reiko." He turned and padded back to his chair to continue monitoring the screens.
"How come she gave a fake name, chief?" I heard Matsuda whisper.
"She's a detective, Matsui. She probably is used to these kinds of risks for different reasons. It looks like a trait most detectives have." Soichiro answered quietly.
"Tell me, miss Reiko, what all do you know of the Kira case?" Ryuzaki inquired.
"From what I've gleaned from online searches and the media, this killer only needs a name and face. Honestly, it looks supernatural. Probably a power derived from the reason back in ancient times in Europe, people never gave their real names, or not their full names at least. By the fact that the majority of the victims were criminals, he has a childish sense of justice. Almost a black and white kind of thing. The good guys should live, and the bad guys should die. But, considering the twelve FBI deaths, which I am only assuming are related due to the circumstances of death, he also has the mindset that anyone who would get in his way is also bad. Which means they are deserving of death. He is a formidable force to be reckoned with. You'll have your work cut out for you, but I have no doubt you'll be able to catch him. He's bound to slip up sometime."
"You are well informed. I assume you do your homework." He looked into my eyes. His eyes were a light grey blue, if one actually looked into them and payed attention.
"It looked interesting. Though I know when I am out of my depth." I admitted freely.
"How would you feel to be working with us on this investigation?" It was a mild question.
"I don't think I could do that, as well as live with the Yagami's. I would have to wait about another month before I can do much." I leaned against the back of his chair, resting on my forearms after grabbing a sweet. With the hand hanging near his head, I offered the strawberry Hi-Chew to the sweet addict.
He took the offered candy, and continued. "Well, I anticipated that answer, so I made a few arrangements, and you are now required to stay by me." I showed no surprise at this information.
"Then I will have to grab my things, won't I?" I chuckled. You can send a tail with me, but I am going to pack my things." I moved to leave.
"Oh, and Reiko." I turned to look at the slouched detective. "Please refer to me as Ryuzaki from now on."
"Of course, Ryuzaki." I smirked, as I left. Matsuda was the one charged to follow me.
Watari was kind enough to bring us close to the house and park for us to bring my things to the trunk.
As we entered the yard, I moved to the back, where my window was. I had put a few things up for me to climb on, so that I didn't have to always go through the front door. I carefully opened my window, pulled off my shoes and set them on he sill, and began quietly packing. After getting my suitcase back in order, I hissed for Matsuda to catch it on the way down. I then packed up my easel, canvases, paints, and such into a special case and handed that down. My pack was on my back, and I had my laptop in one hand as I wrote a quick note, leaving my key behind. "Move." I hissed, as I made sure my shoes were on tight and my laptop was handed down. If I fell, I didn't want to hit him on the way down. I carefully maneuvered myself onto the closest obstacle, so that I could shut the window.
Done with my task, I checked the other windows for any kind of movement. No one was awake it seemed. I jumped down, Noting Matsuda had already gotten everything in the car, and made sure to book it out of there.
It wasn't long before I had made it back to the hotel room, and had been given one of the bedrooms in the suite. I didn't even think to check my surroundings before unzipping my suitcase and grabbing my overlarge teddy bear. I was sure they had cameras in here anyway. I changed quickly into pajamas and snuggled under the covers. I drifted off into sleep quicker than I had in over a month.