December 10th, 2003

The questioning is finished. I could not provide any useful information, of course. I am now waiting for Dad to drive me home. Sayu had the forethought to bring this for me. I don't know how she found it, but I don't worry that she's read it.

He was in my room last night. He broke into our house again. He was in my room. He left another rotten apple.

He might have touched me. God, he might have touched me. I sound like a fucking girl but God I feel so dirty and I want a shower and God he might have

No.

Okay, thinking rationally (as if I can think rationally right now, but I'll do my best)... The alarm went off at 10:27 pm. The police arrived at 10: 41. Within that space of fourteen minutes, my stalker entered the house, made his way into my room, and was presumably startled into leaving the house.

It takes less than a minute to climb the stairs and enter my room. Even if the culprit tip-toed slowly through the house to prevent making any noise, that still leaves about 12 minutes in which he could have been in my room. Then again, he could very well have left before then, but it looks like he left in a hurry.

He was probably startled by the sirens.

So what did he do in those 12 minutes? It doesn't look like he did anything... he didn't disturb my sleep at all, and it doesn't look like anything was changed in my room except for that damn apple on my floor.

The apple is curious. The last time he was in my room, he left the apple on the bed with a letter. There was no letter this time, and the apple seemed to have been dropped carelessly in the middle of the floor.

Did he simply drop it in his rush? Did he intend to leave another letter, but didn't have time to leave it? Or did he intend to wake me, but decided against it once he heard sirens approaching?

It's difficult to tell.

When I woke, I still had the NPA database up—I had wondered if this might have been what sparked his exit, but there is no file on him in there. Dad hadn't reported this before now. I hadn't even been looking at stalkers at the time, but the Kira case... The computer hadn't been disturbed since I fell asleep, either.

Maybe the thought of Kira punishing him for his crimes scares the bastard. I hope he's fucking scared.

Like I am.

Light stopped writing as his father entered the waiting area. Light stood, both anxious to go home and dreading his return. When Soichiro opened his mouth to speak, he was cut off as the door slammed open and another officer ran in.

"Chief!" He said loudly, then, realizing there were civilians in the room, checked his volume. "You're needed in, uh," The man—Light remembered his name was Matsuda—glanced at Light before finishing lamely, "upstairs."

Soichiro glanced at Light as well. Light wondered if they thought they were being discrete. "Can't it wait, Matsuda?"

"No, sir, there's been a development, and it's really quite urgent." Matsuda looked proud that he was sufficiently vague, as though Light hadn't already figured out precisely what they were talking about. "E- I've been told to take Light home. If that's okay with you."

"Go, Dad," Light said pleasantly before his father could speak. Soichiro frowned at his son. Probably wondering if it's normal for me to be acting so normal, Light thought. "I'll be okay." I'll squeeze Matsuda for information on the way home.

Soichiro looked reluctant, but he didn't really have a choice. He nodded, squeezed Light's shoulder briefly, and left. Matsuda smiled at Light and beckoned him out the door, jingling the keys of the police cruiser.

"You look a lot better than you did last night," Matsuda said brightly. He seemed to replay the words in his head, because he promptly blushed and said, "I didn't mean that—umm..."

"Thank you, Matsuda," said Light, opening the passenger door of the car. "I feel better."

"Oh. Good." He started the car and began driving. After a few minutes, he said sheepishly, "Ah, I don't know where you live."

"Keep driving in this direction. I'll let you know where to turn," Light said. He let the silence continue for a few moments, making sure to glance conspicuously at Matsuda a few times before he pretended to let curiosity overwhelm him. "What is Dad working on that had him called away so early?"

"What? Oh, it's the-" Matsuda began, then smiled. "Light. You know I'm not supposed to release information like that, even if you are the Chief's son."

Light smiled as well. "Yes, you're right. Then again, I figure it can only involve one of two things."

Matsuda's curiosity really did get the best of him. "What two things?"

"It's either something to do with the person who's stalking me..." Light said, watching Matsuda's reaction carefully, "...or the Kira investigation."

Matsuda twitched noticably and said, "What makes you say that?"

"I'm not an idiot, Matsuda. The beginning of the Kira investigation directly coincides with my Dad being gone more and more often. Plus, he's the Chief—of course he's going to be involved."

"Ummm... Well, I'm really not supposed to say anything," Matsuda said again, then added playfully, "Even if you did manage to figure it out all by yourself."

"Matsuda," Light wheedled, feeling the officer's resolve wavering, "you know that if you don't tell me, I'll figure out some other way to get the information."

Matsuda grimaced. "I bet you will." He frowned for a moment in thought, and Light silently gloated over his victory. He had won. "You have to promise not to tell anyone about this, and especially not that I told you, okay?"

"I swear," Light vowed.

"Well... I suppose you saw the broadcast on TV and know that L is heading the investigation?"

"Yes?" Light pressed.

"Well, from the times when the murders occured, L figured that the culprit could be a student."

Light frowned. "Figured?"

"Yeah, figured. The thing is, last night, criminals started being killed at completely random times. It looks like that whole theory has been completely blown out of the water..." Matsuda sighed, sounding defeated. "Right when we thought we were making progress, our only lead becomes useless."

Light stared out the window, thinking. Right after that lead became known, the murders immediately started occuring at random times?... "I don't think so."

"What?" Matsuda asked incredulously. "But the times completely-"

"Don't you think it's weird," Light said slowly, "that as soon as the police started suspecting a student, the times of the murders immediately become random?"

Matsuda was quiet for a moment. Light gestured for him to turn left. "You think there might be a leak in the police?"

"It certainly seems like it. I think that Kira found out about this theory—whether from a police officer's slip of the tongue, a rat in the investigation team, breaking into the computer system, or some other means—and reacted. It's difficult to say whether Kira is very smart, or very stupid."

"Now you've completely lost me." Matsuda admitted.

"The police already suspected a student. By varying the times of the killings, Kira has effectively confirmed that he is a student. He has either panicked and switched up his schedule when he realized that the police are on to him, giving the police a useful hint... or he has access to police information and is taunting the investigation team. As if to say, 'You think I'm a student? Well, what are you going to do about it?'" Light paused. "I'm leaning towards the former."

"You don't think Kira's that smart?"

"I think what he's doing is completely stupid, but that's beside the point. If the timing was more deliberate, I would say that Kira was taunting the police. But you said it was random- probably desperately random. Kira probably acted in panic." Light trailed off, watching the neighborhood pass by. "Then again, that might just be my hope coming through; I'd prefer that Kira be less intelligent... I want him caught. Second turn on your right."

"Right. Which house is it?"

"This one coming up, right here." Matsuda stopped the car and Light climbed out of the car. He paused before closing the door. "You have confidence in my reasoning, right, Matsuda?"

"Right," Matsuda said cautiously, sensing a trap. "You've helped us with cases before."

"I'm sure that someone will bring up at least part of that theory, and L will probably realize it, too, but if no one brings up what I've pointed out to you today, please do your best to steer the investigation team in the right direction," Light requested. He touched the pocket of his coat, then his pants, making sure he had his journal and his pepper spray.

"Sure, Light," Matsuda agreed. He did not drive away until he saw Light enter the house, and contemplated the young man as he drove back to headquarters.

He had often considered Light Yagami very lucky. He was a handsome kid, with the best of each parent's features, and a lighter complexion than either. If his father was a little absent in his life, he certainly made up for it with the love and dedication that he had for his family, and he had a loving mother and sister. Light was smart, too, incredibly smart. Matsuda often suspected that not even Light's family knew exactly how smart he was, and they were the ones who saw his perfect test scores. In short, he was a beautiful boy from a beautiful family with a beautiful mind.

But this stalker threatened all of that, and that worried Matsuda. Light's hair was lackluster, his cheeks slightly hollowed, and dark bags were under his eyes. His father was falling to the stress of being unable to help his son and the Kira case, and his mother and sister couldn't help him at all. And, if all of this continued... well, Matsuda had almost worried that Light's mind had cracked just last night, when he had been nearly catatonic. If someone like Light, with all of those brilliant resources, really did lose their mind...

Matsuda didn't want to think about the consequences.