Hello everyone. Have to say thank you to the several new readers that have joined us and hope they continue to enjoy! Also, I have to tell you that my good friend and awesome author, Dragonrider4000, has several stories out there that truly rock. Best of which in my opinion are "Death Note Alphabet", "The Thieving Moon", and the absolute epitome of LxLight stories, "Constant Temptation". If you haven't checked her out, please do so, she is my inspiration and deserves the read. Check her reviews for "Constant" if you don't believe me!
Chapter 44
The cards flipped through the air as Near took each one from the deck and flipped them into place in front of him. Mello had given him some priceless information and he couldn't wait to spring it on L2. Through process of elimination he had concluded that the fake rule had to be the 13 day one. If that were the case then that would be a very convenient alibi for someone. He already knew L2 was Kira, he had no doubt about that but he had to prove it and at the same time find out exactly which one he was. Time to shake things up.
"Gevanni, please set up a connection to L."
"Yes, sir". And immediately connected. Near could not control the small burn of hate that flared each time that fake L's insignia flashed across his screens, but he never let it show.
"Yes?" L2 answered the beep.
"I thought I should tell you that we caught Mello." Near began and they all heard the gasps from the other members of the task force, "but he escaped soon afterwards. But we were able to interrogate him for a while."
"He didn't escape, did he Near? You let him go." L2 nearly spat at him. "Am I right?"
"No,' Near answered playing with the cards, "He was just too quick for us. Anyway, Mello mentioned that there was a shinigami attached to the notebook. Have you been able to confirm the existence of such a creature?" Near smiled at the pause in the conversation.
"Yes," L2 finally answered, "I can confirm that shinigami do exist. I didn't share that information with you because I was certain you wouldn't believe me."
"I would like to ask that shinigami a few questions. The thing that's bothering me the most about this are the rules that are written in the notebook. I have reason to believe that one of them is fake. Now, I would like your opinion on this, out of all the rules, which one would you think is most likely to be fake?" Near waited, knowing he'd backed L2 into a corner, he had to answer and he had to answer truthfully. Near could almost see the task force huddled together staring at their leader incredulously.
"By process of elimination the obvious choice would be the one which states the owner of the notebook will die if he doesn't write in it ever 13 days. I don't believe that." Near couldn't stop the smile that was beginning.
"I thought you might say so, I came to the same conclusion myself." The L2 surprised him.
"Shinigami, you know the rules well, are any of them false?"
Near's eyes widened in excitement and his smile got larger.
"I see, you have a shinigami there with you?" he asked.
"Yes".
"Is that so." Near answered, "I think I'm beginning to get the picture. Kira is there in the room, and having the shinigami lie on his behalf." He listened to the silence on the other side and almost felt giddy. He proposed to L2 that if he had a problem they could always test the rule by his volunteering to write Mello's real name in the notebook. Of course he'll die and if he died 13 days later the rule is true. He told them he was willing to take the gamble. L then went off line to discuss it with the others, but Near knew he would find a way not to test it and he was right.
"Very well," he answered, " No matter., I had a feeling you would say something like that. I only have one question left for the members of the task force. Was there ever a time during the investigation where the 2nd L was suspected of being Kira, even if the suspicions were later dropped? If you've been listening to our conversations and wish to take down Kira by helping me in my investigations, then take down the number I am about to give you. I will answer day or night, the choice is up to you." Near closed the link and went back to his toys. All he had to do was wait; it wouldn't be long before one of them would call.
There was deafening silence in the office as Roger sat back in his chair and thought about Christine's new proposal. Not that he had any reason to deny her request to teach a class, he was sure she'd do a great job. It was her subject matter that concerned him. Wanting to teach a class about the first L could be interesting, but what good could it do? What was the ultimate goal of such a class? Why would anyone other than the new heirs even care?
"Dr. Thompson, do you truly believe there is a need for such a class in the current curriculum? Are you sure it's not just a personal desire to deify him or keep him alive for your own personal reasons. I had suspected that there was a, shall we say, "special" relationship between you two; he was much more eager to be on your side than I had ever seen him be with anyone before." Christine controlled her rising anger and took a deep breath.
"Roger, as usual, you've missed the point. L was so much more than the world's greatest detective, and it was partly because of who he was that made him unbeatable at what he did."
"Well, obviously Kira was able to beat him…? Roger began and then shrank back as Christine stood up.
"Don't go there, Roger it wouldn't be healthy for you. You know Kira used means that we don't understand to kill L, and probably every dirty trick he could come up with. Now as far as the class I'm suggesting is concerned, I did make a promise to myself that I would not allow L to be swept under a rug and forgotten, replaced like a worn light bulb and tossed away. He gave his life, Roger, his entire life from the age of 8 to this persona, this job, while the person underneath it was all but forgotten. I got to know both, the detective and the man, and the students who want to follow in his footsteps should too. I will go over his cases, select a few to use as tools and try to show how he thought, what he did to solve these cases which could definitely help them in their investigative abilities and I will also let them know who he was. Now tell me that you find a problem with that!"
Roger sat back up once he was sure he wasn't about to be attacked again and sighed, running a hand thru his thinning hair.
"Fine, I'll authorize the class. How often do you wish it to meet."
"Only once a week, that would be fine. I'm too busy with the rest of my responsibilities to do more than that. Thank you, Roger. My other question to you is the question of new heirs. Near will need them when he returns." Roger nodded and looked seriously at her.
"You are so sure he will return? What do you think he can do, at his young age, that L could not accomplish with all his experience?"
"Near's not alone, he has Matt and Mello and a special team with him. We believe that L made a fatal mistake which led Kira right to him, Near will not make that same mistake."
"Mello and Matt? Mello refused to work with Near.."
"Yes, he did. Try to remember the circumstances at the time. I believe that eventually they will get together; they're going to have to, even if Mello wants to beat him to Kira. Roger I watched Matt and Near put together a solid case good enough to get the FBI to put a group together for Near, out of practically no information at all. These boys are a major force
."
"Yes but now that the president has pulled out of searching for Kira, what will happen to Near's group?" Christine was quiet for a moment, she had been worried about that as well, but she knew Near.
"I have the feeling that backing or no back from the government, Near will keep that group together and he will continue hunting Kira until he finds him. I have no doubt about that." Roger shook his head.
"Sometimes I think this whole L business should have died with L."
"Oh yes, Roger that would have been so much easier wouldn't it? Just let everything L accomplished and worked for just dry up and blow away, or better yet, let this imposter continue to ride on L's work, pretending to be something he could never be and eventually destroying it because he can't live up to L. Thank God you weren't making the decision." She backed away from his desk and left his office.
As she walked back to her office she felt the vibration of her cell phone in her lab coat pocket. She pulled it out and smiled as she saw who it was.
"Hello, Near how are you?" she said getting back to her office and sitting down.
"Things are going very well, Dr. Thompson. I thought I would let you know I saw Mello the other day, he paid me a visit."
She felt her heartbeat speed up, thrilled at the thought they were finally working together.
"Really, Near? That sounds wonderful, how did it go?" she heard Near chuckle.
"Well he didn't shoot me although he had his gun pointing at me so I guess that's something."
"He what?" she almost shouted.
"Don't worry, Dr. Thompson I had made him angry and that was his answer. He didn't harm me, nor do I think he really meant to. We exchanged information, and the information he gave me was invaluable to my investigation."
"How did he look, how did his scars seem?" she asked.
"Ah, so you had a hand in his healing from the explosion then? He seemed well healed, not in any pain. How were you able to help him?" Christine explained what had happened and Near didn't seem surprised.
"L always said we could depend on you completely. I don't think even he realized just how much you would do for us. That was above and beyond the call of duty, I think."
"Well it was definitely a long distance house call, but it was something I had to do. There was no question. Is there anything you can share with me on the case?" she asked.
"I can tell you that I am almost positive I know the identity of Kira and L2. It is somewhat easier now that I have discovered that they are one and the same." Christine was sure she misheard what Near said.
"Did you just say that Kira and the fake L are the same person? How can that be, Near that's the most disgusting thing I've ever heard!"
I can't go into all the details but all information leads to that. It would explain why nothing has happened on the Kira case since our L died. Kira is running the task force."
Christine rubbed her forehead with hear hand. This was the worst thing that could happen to the L legacy. To have the man that killed him take over his title and abuse it in such a way, it was unthinkable.
"And the task force doesn't realize that Kira is among them? How can that be?" once again she heard Near laugh.
"The task force is a joke for one thing, and Kira is brilliant enough to be able to play them for fools for the past 5 years. Now that I know that he's there, I only need to identify him, and I will do that soon. Now…"
She heard strange noises from the phone suddenly when Near stopped speaking.
"Near….Near? Is something wrong?" she called into the phone, hoping to hear an answer.
"Dr. Thompson I have to go. It appears Kira supporters are attacking us. I will get back to you as soon as I can. Good-bye, Doctor." Then the connection was broken.
Christine put the phone away and tried not to worry. She wondered how Kira supporters would have found out where the SPK were, let alone be able to attack them. She knew Near would be fine, he had plenty of support and protection, but something was definitely wrong here.
Near watched the feed from outside, there was a helicopter circling around and a crowd of people carrying all sorts of weapons beginning to break through the glass windows and doors on floor level.
"They'll be dragging us out of here soon if we don't do something." Rester said, just as the L insignia flashed across the screens.
"What's the matter Near? Could this be some kind of plot of Mello's to try and finish off the SPK? Surely it couldn't be that the SPK's security was so lax that a normal citizen could find where they were located!" Near could hear the mirth in L2's voice, and without thinking he snapped the head off of one of his prized robots in anger.
"Near, you've got no choice, you'd better evacuate." L2 told him.
"You've got some nerve to say that since you are Kira." Near answered, lining his toys in front of him.
"What? You're still going on with that nonsense!"
"Think about it. With all the anti-Kira group around, why are we being targeted and right after I start suspecting you? It's pretty convenient if you ask me."
"Near, with all due respect you're jumping to conclusions!" L2 countered.
"Members of the task force, listen to me. Kira is likely amongst you; even as we speak he is in that room. I am simply asking you to think about this carefully." He broke the connection and studied the monitors.
"Near we have to evacuate immediately." Rester was telling him.
"Really. What pathetic people. I'm not surprised that there are ordinary people who support what Kira is trying to do. I'm talking about honest citizens who believe that by getting rid of evildoers Kira will make this place a better place to live. But as for this crowd outside, they are a completely different breed; they are truly despicable and stupid. They are truly selfish." As he spoke he knocked down each one of his robots.
"I know that but that still leaves us with the immediate problem." Rester pleaded.
"We'll use L's legacy that we have on hand." He said and began to pick up his robots again.
"We have only one shot with that plan." Rester warned.
"Yes, I know that. But I can't think of a better time to use it." Rester nodded and left the room. Near continued to get ready and watched to monitors to watch the reaction when it happened. Within a few minutes dollar bills began to float past the monitors and into the crowd. Slowly they crowd began to notice and began screaming, grabbing for the flurry of bills that were continuing to rain on them. Their cause easily forgotten for the falling money, they began to scramble and fight each other to try to get as much money as they could gather in their fists. Near watched in disgust and Gevanni came into the room with police riot gear uniforms.
They had planned in advance an emergency escape that would involve the police if they were attacked. Knowing the police would be sent out in case of any kind of disturbance they had planned to walk out amongst the police and escape that way. They had never practiced it and Rester was right, it was a one shot deal. With the diversion of the money flying around, Near was certain it would work. Once they were suited up, Near secreted his favorite robots and they were out of the door.
They quickly joined in with the police that were surrounding the building, no one noticing during the chaos outside. They made their way out of the crowd, into a waiting police van and to their new headquarters.
They arrived at the new building and the van went into the underground garage. They had removed the riot gear in the van and made their way into the back elevator and into the building and to their private floor.
It had already been set up in case of emergencies, and it took Gevanni very little time to get everything up and running. The first thing Near had to do was call L2, he certainly wouldn't want him to worry about his welfare now would he?
"This is Near.", he said into the microphone when the connection was made, "We've re-established a secure connection so I thought I should give you a call to let you know."
"You're safe, that's a relief." L2 answered, Near hearing the lie behind it.
"To the members of the task force, I'm sure that by now you're beginning to suspect that Kira may be one of you. Given the timing of today's attack on our headquarters, I don't think anyone would blame you for having doubts. If you don't suspect the second L of being Kira by now, you're in the wrong line of work. The number I gave you the day before has been reconnected, please feel free to call at any time. Well then, I'll be waiting for your call." He laughed, knowing they could all hear it and then broke the connection.
You're going down, Kira; it's just a matter of time now. And soon, I'll have proof of which one you are.
"
