My fingers pulled the crown on my watch four times and the compartment under the face popped out revealing a piece of lined paper and a sewing needle. The small square of paper was blank, waiting. Just begging me to use it. It was the only piece of the death note that I still had. And I had forgotten about it until my father had called. But now it loomed over me.
I itched with want. I almost wanted to risk it. I craved to feel that freedom that had come with the adrenaline. I wanted to feel that strength. I needed to reach out for that invitation. I missed it. I missed the puzzles and the games and the chase. I missed the secrets and the lies and the power. The life I had within my reach. I could choose their destiny with just a few letters. I could reign supreme over a world that I designed. A world where everyone-
"How are you feeling?" L's voice tore me from the watch and to the doorway that the detective was entering.
I swiftly shut the small compartment and sat up, but the dizziness of my migraine came flooding in and I lied back down. These migraines fucking sucked. They put me out of commission. All I wanted to do was finish my homework and continue playing chess with L.
I groaned, the palms of my hands digging into my eyes until I saw shapes. Maybe I was too stressed. I wasn't sure what else would be causing my migraines. I drank plenty of water and my eating habits hadn't changed. That would explain my nightmares. And my sleeping patterns may be the the cause of my migraines.
"I will take that as not good," L's voice said to me.
I removed my hands from my eyes and when my eyes could focus I was greeted with darkness. The only light in the room was the moon from the open french windows, where the lace curtains blew gently in the wind.
"Light, I..." L trailed off and I found him sitting at the end of the bed, feet pulled up and back to me. I gave a curious look. There was something on his mind. Granted, there was always something on his mind, but he was bothered. "I really, really need the truth from you. If there was ever a moment for you to tell me the absolute and perfect truth, it would be now."
My eyebrows furrowed together at the words. "Alright. What is it?" I had never heard him like this before. His voice was dripping with unwilling skepticism. What was it that he wanted from me? He had never asked me for much, but what if it was something that I didn't have? I did my best to give him everything I could under the stars, the truth was the least I could give him now.
"I love you."
I didn't like this. Those words were uncommon for L. It was much like his name. The words just weren't said. And I doubt he had ever heard them much before me. Not even from his parents. I didn't know much about his family, but the small amount that I did know was enough for me to understand that his parents weren't affectionate in the slightest.
"I love you too," I replied softly. "Is everything alright?" I forced myself to sit up, the crushing pain in my head coming and going in rapid waves. It made my eyes water, but I got to the edge of the bed where I could sit beside the detective. My detective.
His voice was muffled as he spoke. "You promise me you haven't been using the death notes to kill more people?" L didn't look over at me. He kept his face hidden in his knees. "Please promise me that you haven't killed anyone else."
Did he still not believe me? He had every reason not to believe me, but... I had no idea where the death notes were. All I had was this small little piece of paper in my watch, not that I would let him know. Maybe I should let him know. Maybe that would make him trust me a little bit more. And it would get rid of the temptation.
"I promise," I finally said. "I don't know where you put the death notes, and I haven't killed a person since your death."
"Thank you Light," he whispered, lifting his head up enough so he could glance at me through his charcoal hair.
Silence fell in around us. I needed to tell him. He needed to know. If I wanted this to work between us, I needed to give everything that I was and am over to him. I owed him that much. I gave a sigh, causing L to sit up a little bit more, his dark eyes calculating.
"I need to tell you something, and I beg you to understand what I am about to say," I muttered. I couldn't believe I was doing this. I wanted this scrap of paper. This scrap of paper would give me anything in the whole world that I wanted. All I needed was a name. L was quiet, looking over me carefully, thumb to his lips in thought. "I forgot that I had it until just a bit ago. And if you want complete honesty between us, then I need you to know."
I held out my wrist to him that had my watch upon it and once I was sure he could see, I pushed on the crown to release the small holder within the watch. From it I pulled the tattered paper and the needle, handing them to his now open hand.
He looked at the items with a sense of anger, though whether it was for me or not, I wasn't sure. But he closed his hand around the items and exhaled deeply.
"Thank you Light." His voice was tense. He got to his feet but placed a hand to my shoulder when I tried to follow. "I'll only be a moment. Let's make sure that this is out of reach."
With that L left the room. I rested back down on the bed, my feet hanging off the edge. I wanted to take it back. I should never have said anything.
I wanted that paper! Just one name and then maybe I would be ok. Just once. God, I just wanted to make the migraines and nightmares go away. If I could write one name, I was positive they would. And I would be careful. I would pick the perfect name. I would study and plan it out. I would make sure the name I picked counted for something.
"What did you do with it?" I asked at footsteps.
"Burned it," L replied, coming into view at the foot of the bed. "You don't need that around." L glanced around the room in silence before he turned back to me. "Did you want to go to sleep?" I gave a small shrug. The lights being out was making my migraine manageable. "Do you mind if I continue working?"
"No."
L left the room again and returned with his laptop and a small handful of folders. He took to his side of the bed, setting up the way he did when we were back in Japan.
I changed before climbing back into bed and taking my side. I rested on my chest, arms under my pillow for more support, watching L type while reaching to the bedside table where something sweet was. I moved a little closer, my hand reaching out to take the hem of his jeans. He abruptly stopped his typing, startled by the movement.
A blush came to his cheeks, somehow very visible in the computer screen brightness. He was always interesting to watch when I did small things like this. And I had two theories as to why he acted that way. Either he had completely forgotten that I was there and I had genuinely startled him. Or, he still wasn't used to the affection. I wanted to believe the latter.
He ran a hand through my hair before returning to his work. The sight of him made me almost miss the chains that used to hold us together. The cuffs had become a form of comfort and familiarity over time. They meant that L was always right beside me.
There was a comfortable silence between us. I breathed in the silence through every pore, soothed by its meditative quality and I am quickly drunk off of it, dowsing my mind in thick toxicity.
As the time passed, I notice that the usefulness of my thoughts had left long ago. Through the silence, I thought I could hear the light babbling of the brook out in the field, other than that only the typing of keys and our rhythmic breathing filled the air.
-It's a mental ward. I'm not sure how I know, but the way the walls and ceiling gleam with antiseptic white just give me an uneasy feeling. How did I get here? Did I finally snap? Had L put me here? Or had I finally been caught? Could L no longer protect me? Was this the best he could do? Claim insanity so that I could live?
I strain against the black polyester with every ounce of strength I have and still can't budge. Why am I trying to escape? I haven't even told my body to move yet. But I still try. I still push with all my might to be free.
My back hurts right from the the base of my neck and down to my tail bone. Saliva is polling in the back of my mouth despite how dry it feels.
The staff is gone. I am alone. My heart is pounding in my ears, ready to explode. My eyes scan left and right for signs of someone coming to help me. Help me do what, I'm not sure. But there's no one.
Worn green curtains hang limp on flaking chromes rings and through the gap, passers by pay me no attention at all. In the distance a cheap analogue clock ticks loudly on a nearby wall, each second marked.
I need to turn, I need to swallow and mindless squirming won't help- so I think. The solution comes easily. I turn in the thumb of my right hand, fold it in as flat as possible and pull, not caring if it dislocates. My hand comes right out. Then I do the same with the left. Even with two hands free it isn't enough, I can't turn. If I sit up I may be caught and re-tied too tight for this little trick to work a second time. I point my right foot so hard the muscles become painful and I twist it until it is free, but my left is bound too tight. I twist, some relief for my back and easier to swallow.
A nurse comes and says "Oh, I see they untied you." I agree and manage a staged smile, she unstraps my last leg and I turn to my side. I'm sure I should be out of here by now, but I'm scared of the "professional care" that leaves me scarred on the inside.
The bleach tinctured ward fades. No longer is the door open, no bright light comes from the hallway. Instead there is a single spiral staircase. A light bulb shines overhead, and it's the only light in the whole place. It's dim and only shows me the staircase in its flickering.
Is this a way out? There's nowhere else to go. I place a foot on the bottom step and immediately the light shuts off and I'm left in utter darkness. But the moment I take my foot from the step, the light returns to its flickering. I only have two choices, to get pack in my place or walk to the next floor in this darkness. Do I take the chance?
With a deep breath, I place my foot on the step and push myself up, climbing in the darkness. It feels like it takes a lifetime to reach the top, but when I do I greet the same flickering light, on the same landing, with the same chipping yellow painted spiral staircase.
This isn't right. There has to be a way out. But after thousands of attempts at escaping this place, I've finally chosen the wiser way - to stand still under that night and wait for this nightmare to be over. I don't know how I know this is a nightmare, but every time I have it, I know that it's not reality.
I take a few deep breaths trying to make myself comfortable in there while I wait to wake up. The light slowly moves from me to a door a few feet to my right. She steps out and slowly walks to me. She'd be just an ordinary woman if she hadn't shown up before in my other nightmares. I step on the stairs and the light goes out immediately, and I hope she can't get me either as long as that light doesn't get me.-
I inhaled deeply, my eyes fluttering open. Sweat held me to the bed as my heart danced madly in my chest. A soft glow filled the room from the open laptop beside me. I glanced over at L who was typing away in the same position he had been when I had fallen asleep. He didn't even seem to notice that I had woken.
His movements were robotic, programed. He reached for square of orange chocolate from a bag, placed it between his lips where his tongue pulled it in the rest of the way so that his hand could return to the keyboard. He had really taken to the candy here. They said they reminded him of when he was a child, but that none would compare to the cake in Japan.
With a sigh, I rolled over so I was slightly closer to L. I snatched his shirt and pulled myself closer to him, as if I needed his warmth. As if I needed his comfort. As if I needed his attention, which he so easily gave me once he knew I was awake.
Broken from programing, his hands left the keyboard and his eyes turned down to me. The dark irises were blank for a moment, still lost in his work, but soon the sun returned to them. His head tipped to the side and one of his hands reached out to me.
His fingertips brushed against my cheek and I nuzzled against him, his touch slowing my heart's trembling. His next movements were silent. The laptop closed and the files were discarded before he returned to me.
"Nightmare?" he whispered as he moved down to lay beside me.
"Yeah," I replied in as soft a voice. I pressed my face into his arm, both of my hands snatching up one of his.
"I'm sorry I didn't wake you. You weren't moving or making any noise." I shrugged and nestled my face as far as I could into his arm. "Do you want to talk about it?" he questioned, pulling his hand from mine. I gave a small grunt in protest, but he quickly wrapped his arm around me so I could move closer to him. I hid my face in his chest, inhaling deeply. His scent relaxed my muscles, but I still clutched to the fabric under my fingers. "Light?"
"It was the staircase again," I replied.
"I see." I knew what he was going to do. He was going to try to reason. It had to mean something if it was reoccurring. "A staircase could symbolize that-" he broke off at a yawn from me. He clutched me closer to him and I couldn't bring myself to fight. I was feeling heavy with sleep again. "Would you like to go downstairs? I'll play for you until-"
"Don't you fucking move," I found myself saying before I could stop myself. As much as I enjoyed his music after a nightmare, I just wanted him at the moment. His physical presence restrained me and kept me in this bed. It didn't let me return to that staircase and to that woman who I saw far more often than I would ever admit to L.
"Alright, alright." I didn't like the way he said that. It had a hint of annoyance in it, like all he wanted to do was get back to work and I was stopping him. But I was too tired to care. I was being dragged under. "Get some sleep, Light."
I woke to the light snoring of L, who was curled up around a pillow in as small a position as he could get in. The paleness of his skin made the dark bags under his eyes looked permanently etched on his face. I felt bad. Insomnia would always be his friend. Just like Ryuk would be mine. They weren't wanted, but they would be there in the end.
I glanced at the clock and sighed. It was pretty early. Maybe... I could make breakfast. Maybe that would make L happy. He had been down lately. It hadn't been hard to see. He was working, but he wasn't motivated. Maybe this would help.
I got from the bed and quietly left the room. The coldness of the floor burned through my socks, but soon I grew used to the feeling. I walked past the music room that was spotless despite the amount of work that L had been doing. It looked calm and peaceful again.
I moved into the kitchen and dug through the cupboards to see what there was to make. Something sweet. That was obvious. L would eat whatever I made, but he wouldn't like it. Not that he would say anything against it.
Watari had made pancakes once and L had eaten them with what must have been a full bottle of syrup. Maybe I could make them. It wouldn't be that difficult. I was a decent cook. I just needed to find a recipe.
I snatched my phone from my pocket and looked up one that looked easy enough, then went about finding the ingredients. The fridge was well stocked with food, as was the pantry. How was it always so full. I didn't go shopping very often. Maybe L had our driver, the only other person who knew that we lived here and was picked by Watari and L, go pick up groceries. I would have to ask.
Once I had gotten everything, I went to get a bowl, but came to a sudden stop. It was as if the world had quit turning. Everything was standing still. On the counter, resting against the bowl of fruit was a black leather note book with the English letters in white spelling Death Note.
It was my death note. It was the death note that I had possession of. The death note that I had used to kill so many people. My beloved death note.
Why was it here? L had hidden it. Had he left it out? No, that wouldn't make any sense. Why on earth would he leave this out in the open? Maybe it was a test? Maybe he was watching. Was this really what he wanted? Or... was it someone else?
"Ryuk?" I said, my voice no more than a whisper. It had to be him. Who else would do this? "Ryuk?" I called a little louder, glancing around the kitchen, but I was alone. My heart picked up it's pace as I raced from the kitchen and looked into the next closest room. Empty as well. "Ryuk!"
But whatever room I searched, he wasn't there. No where. Not even his airy laugh greeted me. With a deep sigh, a feeling of... disappointment filled my chest. Why did I want to see the shinigami? Maybe he was just something familiar. Something from my past that I needed to see to feel normal. To feel at home. Until now I hadn't realized that I felt so out of place. I felt so foreign.
I returned to the kitchen where the death note was still waiting for me. There was a strange feeling in my chest. I missed this notebook. I missed it so much, almost as much as I missed L when I went to school.
My hand reached out without my order and took the book into my grasp. A warmth filled my blood at just being able to touch it again. I felt strong. I felt like I was finally myself again. There wasn't some part of me missing. I was whole again.
I didn't realize it, but I had the strange feeling that I was not myself anymore. It was hard to put into words, but I guess it was like I was fast asleep, and someone came, disassembled me, and hurriedly put me back together again. But now I didn't feel that.
But I snapped back to myself fairly quickly. This wasn't right. I needed to hide this. L couldn't know that it was out here. Or maybe it was a test. Maybe he wanted me to hide it. But if he didn't, then what would he think when he saw it?
My best bet was for me to just put it back and leave it there. And then if it was there when L came down then I would just do my best to explain. I knew he wouldn't believe me. Not in the slightest. Especially since the killings had started again in Japan. I was on a thin sheet of ice and this wasn't helping.
I just had to ignore it and make breakfast like I had planned. And that's what I was going to do. I went about making the pancakes to the best of my abilities. And soon I had gotten the hang of it and was able to make a decent stack before I felt arms wrap around me.
L's grip was light as if he were trying not to make full contact with me. Had he seen it? He must have. He wouldn't do this if he hadn't seen it. "Did you have any more nightmares?" L questioned, releasing me so that I could continue cooking.
"No," I replied, nervousness clear in my voice.
"Are you ok?" L sounded worried. Truly worried.
"Yeah, I just-" I broke off as I turned to around to come up with an empty counter. The death note was gone. Where did it go? Had I just been hallucinating? What the fuck had happened to the death note? "Just-Just wasn't sure if I had- if I had made them right," I stuttered, unable to stop myself from glancing around the room. Had Ryuk taken it?
"I'm sure they're wonderful," L answered, glancing around as well. "What are you looking for?"
"Nothing," I said quickly. It must have been too quickly because L's eyes shot back to me and held a studying glare to them. He didn't believe me. I had to give him something, even if it was a lie. "I-I thought I saw Ryuk. But I guess I didn't." I turned back to the stove to flip the bubbling batter.
"Ryuk?" L muttered. There was something in his voice, but I couldn't place it. He was thinking though. Thinking hard.
"Have you seen him lately?"
"No," was my answer. "I'm not the owner of the death notes. So why would he come to me?"
That was a fair point. But why would he just disappear? It wasn't like him. But what did I know? Ryuk only did things that amused or benefited him. Maybe it wasn't a benefit for him to stick around. He had his own death note he could do whatever he wanted with that.
"Why aren't you at school?" L asked me as he went to go get plates, silverware and the syrup.
"My classes this morning were canceled." I turned off the stove and brought the plate of pancakes to the table, asking my seat beside the detective who had his feet up on the chair. He snatched a few of the pancakes and then took to drowning them in the golden maple liquid. "And you need help on your cases. I can take time off today. I thought I would go help search the plane today. I was going to call the police department and set up a search."
"No," L said harshly. "You need to finish your homework and you need to go to the rest of your classes."
"I can afford to miss a few classes. Besides, this is more important. This is real life, not a textbook word problem. You need to find who killed that man, because we both know it's not suicide. And the sooner we find that person, the sooner a murderer is off the streets. And you can't go do it. It's far too dangerous for you to be in public."
"Light, Your finals are in two weeks, your classes are reviews that you need to attend if you want to pass," L pushed. "I promise that the airplane will still be there tomorrow."
"We can't wait that long. What if something happens to it?" I demanded, causing L to stop his eating to look up at me.
"What could possibly happen to a plane?"
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He should be all over this. He should have had me call it in last night instead of sending me to bed. He knew how important this case was. He knew! So why was he pushing it aside? Searching the airplane could solve this case.
"Why are you fighting me on this?" I sighed and rested my head in my hands. "I try so hard to do everything I can for you. You realize that, right? And you know that time is ticking on this case. Not to mention you still haven't received the security footage yet on the other case you told me about. Time is not on our side. Please let me do this for you."
There was a silence, but I didn't dare look up. This silence wasn't like the one from last night. It wasn't calming. It gnawed at my insides and clung in the air like that suspended moment before a falling glass shatters on the ground.
I inhaled deeply, my eyes on the table top. I couldn't face him, even if I knew I was right. Just the thought of disappointment in his eyes made my stomach twist.
"Alright." That single word broke the air around us. My head rose from my hands, my courage strong enough to meet his gaze. He wasn't looking at me though. He was looking straight ahead. Was he avoiding me? "You're right. We can't wait."
L didn't say anything else. He simply rose from the table and left the room, leaving the rest of his food to get soggy on the plate.
That was it. The conversation was over. And the sound of the piano only reinforced the idea that he wouldn't talk about the subject any further.
I got to my feet and left the kitchen, passing by the music room where L's single foot was swinging in the air under the piano bench,the other tucked up against his chest as he played.
He was so like my sister in his taste if music that it sometimes weirded me out. A Time For Us from Romeo and Juliet. My sister watched that movie religiously after studying the play in middle school.
I couldn't help myself. My curiosity won out. "Have you ever seen that movie?"
"Once, long ago," L replied in a monotone whisper. "I find the plot unlikely and the minds of the children disturbing, but the music is something entirely different. It is worth the time it took to write."
"Did you learn the song after you watched the movie?"
I wanted to sit beside him, in that one chair. The one chair that was mine. But I couldn't make my feet move. Maybe it was for the best. He was already cross with me. There was no way he would want me near him at the moment.
I had found that when L was upset it was best to give him his space. This was pushing it. I could hear the strain in his voice to keep calm. Although I wished he would yell at me sometimes. I wished that he would show more emotion.
"No." His fingers paused for a brief moment and he glanced back at me over his shoulder before returning to the heartsick melody. "It just came to mind, so I played it."
"How do you do that?" I moved from the doorway, wanting to watch for myself. If only I could see the way his brain worked. I wanted to know how he did what he did.
I stopped myself from continuing forward when his fingers stumbled over the notes. He grumbled something about a flat needing to go there before he continued on.
"It's not hard. I taught myself to play. I didn't know how to read sheet music for a decent amount of time. I learned to play by ear."
"How does one accomplish that?" I questioned. He didn't sound as tense now. Maybe music was beneficial for the both of us.
"I listened to recordings of the music for a while and then messed around until I found what notes were being used. And then I found the chord progression and-"
"You just listened to the song and could play it?"
Why had I never hear of this before? I'm sure L wasn't the only one who could do this. There had to be a handful of blind musicians that also played by ear. But this was amazing. My brain would never be able to do something like that. Sure, I could play basic scales, but that was nothing compared to what L could do.
"It is much easier to do it now," he said with a small nod. "It takes time. You don't learn it overnight."
"That's..." I couldn't find the words. They wouldn't come to me. So I settled for: "Absolutely amazing, L."
"Don't you have an aircraft hanger to be getting to?" L's voice wasn't demanding or judgemental. It was calm and sweet. It was a slight push that brought me back to myself.
"Of course." I gave one last look at L who paid me no mind, and left the room to change.
I reached the top of the stairs and pushed open the door to our room. I had gotten most of the way dressed and was finishing up the buttons on my shirt when I saw it in the mirror, behind me and sitting happily in the bed.
My death note.
What the fuck? Why? Why was this here? If this kept up I was going to go crazy. I was only so strong a person. What was I supposed to do? I was still me. I still wanted the same things as before. I was just taking the longer route now.
I needed it to go away. The death note was just a temptation that I knew without a doubt I would start to use again. There was no way I wouldn't use it again. The high and the power was too great.
It had to be Ryuk. There was no other way that it could disappear and reappear like this. It wasn't physically possible. Unless I just didn't hear L and it was a test. But I didn't think that was the case.
"Relax," I whispered to myself as I noticed my fingers shaking. "Ignore it."
I did my best to put on my tie and eventually gave up and left the knot crooked. I dashed from the room and down the stairs.
This wasn't fair. Why would someone want to do this to me. It was putting crack in front of an addict. They would only be able to hold out for so long. Relapses were a normal thing to have occur surfing the rehab process. I would be no different.
I made my way into the music room and stopped behind L who still played, though had moved onto a piece that I didn't recognize.
I placed a hand on his shoulder and placed a kiss to his head. "I'll call you when I get there."
"Is something wrong? Your hand is trembling," L said, his fingers leaving the keys and using the piano to turn himself to face me. His eyes danced over me and came back to my face. "What happened?"
"What do you mean?" I asked as nonchalantly as I could manage.
"Your tie. You never leave your tie in a state less than perfect." L got to his feet and took my tie. He undid the knot and and began straightening the silk fabric. "What happened?"
"Nothing."
He didn't believe me. It was on his face. Carved into his skin. He knew something was wrong and he was going to push it until he got an answer. He always did. Always dug. But that's what made him such a great detective. He would just keep twisting the knife until he found what he was looking for.
"Nothing?" he asked softly.
"Yeah. I just got excited over the case. Wanted to get this done so you can finish it."
He paused in his work for a slight moment. It was just slight. No one would have noticed it unless they were paying attention. It was like when we were back in HQ and my typing rhythm changed. Subtle and small.
"Light, please don't lie to me."
He knew? How did he know? I wasn't like him i didn't rub my toes together when I lied. What was my tell? How did he know?
"Really L. It's nothing. I just remembered another assignment that I need to get done. But it won't be hard. I just have to describe the types of fingerprints."
He still didn't believe me, but he didn't push further. He just nodded and released my tie. "Alright. Please make sure you get it done when you get home."
His voice... Had I hurt him? I must have. There was no way I couldn't. Especially if he knew it was another lie. He thought that I couldn't trust him. But it wasn't that. How could I tell him? How in the world would he understand? He had been through so much. He had already lived through enough pain because if me, I couldn't tell him.
"Thank you for breakfast. I'm sorry I ran out. You worked so hard."
It was over again. The conversation was done. I was thankful that it was, but this was so unlike L.
This honestly worried me. There was something wrong. He had never given up. Not once in the time that I had known him had he ever given up. He went to that party that he knew would end in his death. Why was he letting these conversations go so easily? He knew I was lying. Why? What was going through his head?
"Come home soon, alright?" he asked softly. I gave a nod and leaned over to give him a kiss. His arms quickly wrapped around me and pulled me to him. It was as if he was trying to prove to himself that I was still real. He was trying to ground himself into reality. "I love you," he said when he finally let me go.
There it was again. What was happening? What was wrong? Could he see the begging in my eyes? The pleading to let me in, to let me know, to let me help. Please, L. Tell me what's going through your mind.
He waited patiently for my answer, arms still around my neck. "I love you too." L pressed his forehead to mine and pulled me close again but just stood there. I placed my hands on his hips and sighed. "I've got to go." I pushed against him and he reluctantly released me, making me feel like I had done something wrong.
"Talk to you soon."
I nodded and left the room to go get the car and the driver. Then I called the police chief at Scotland Yard that I had become an acquaintance with. I worked cases for L so often that he had come to know me and even called me for help on some of his own small cases.
But my thoughts were on L. My best guess was that we had avoided that one conversation for too long. It was eating him up. And Watari wasn't here for him to talk to. I was it. I was his person to come to. He needed me and I had been stubborn. We'd talk about it tonight if the topic arose. I wouldn't put it off any longer. It would just hurt us both in the long run.
Mr. Jones was more than happy to let us onto his property. He didn't look quite as young as he had sounded on the phone, but he still had to be in his early 70's. His hair was thin and powder white and although he walked rather slow, his stride was steady.
He showed me and several other officers to the hangar that had the aircraft that Jeffery had taken on his last flight. We set up the scene with lights to make sure that everything was as bright as we could get it, and then we began taking pictures of the hangar and the airplane.
I shifted slightly in the navy blue jumpsuit that they made everyone wear, camera around my neck and latex over my hands. I made my way into the plane on my knees. It was barely tall enough for me to stand while bending over. I snapped a few pictures, looking around.
That match was what was important to me at the moment. I needed to find that match. If I could, then that would prove that the dead man had been on the plane with the brother during the flight. Though I wasn't sure how two people could fit in here. It was so small.
I pushed around, and looked through the storage areas of the plane, taking pictures of each cubby I opened before I pushed through it. Each cabinet was fine. They all held items like emergency supplies, first aid kits, fire extinguishers and oxygen tanks.
"Find anything yet?" Adam called from behind me in a heavy Scottish accent. He said he had been from Wick which I guessed was the birthplace of the Scottish accent. It was the accent that I heard in movies. The accent that gave great speeches and battle cries.
He was the very epitome of authority with his baton hanging idly at his hip, against the crisp blue uniform and the hangar reflected in his over-large sunglasses. He looked almost comical in the way he held himself. And with no gun, he didn't scare me in the slightest.
Honestly he reminded me of Matsuda. I guessed that every police force needed a Matsuda. A man that was the embodiment of blondness, but full of strength and passion and able to make the call when it needed to be done. But I couldn't help imagine that Adam perhaps stood there planning nothing more than what donut he would have later and whether to have a latte or an Americano.
"Not yet. Well, not anything interesting," I answered, turning back to the inside. "Take off those glasses, you know they are against guidelines. I have to be able to see your eyes through the lenses."
"You're no fun, Light," Adam teased, patting my foot that was out of the plane. I glanced back darkly, but I don't think he was paying attention. I didn't care much for Adam, but he had stuck to me the moment I had first come to a crime scene to help L. "What is it you are looking for exactly?"
"The end of a match," I said, lowering myself to look under the seats. Nothing. Not even a single speck of trash. This airplane was as clean as could be.
"Like the head?"
"No the wooden part of it." I gave a sigh. "If you had read the case file, like you should have, then you should know that they were only able to find half of a match in the hand of the body."
"Yeah, but it's half of a match. You're never going to find it. It could be anywhere out in that field," Adam said, shoving his way into the opening of the plane, causing me to move all the way inside. I really hoped that it wasn't in the field. We couldn't afford to have it be missing.
"It's going to be like finding hay in a needle stack," I added. There was a laugh from Adam and I looked up at him, confused. "What? What did I say?"
"I believe that the term you are looking for is needle in a haystack," Adam answered, his smile bright and his eyes shining green now that he had removed his sunglasses.
I paused in thought. I would never be able to understand English fully. It was too hard. I made mistakes like this whenever I tried to speak in public. "Why would I want a stack of hay?" I asked, causing his smile to fall. "I could just burn it to find the needle. I couldn't very well burn a needle stack to find the hay."
Adam just gave another laugh. "Fair enough."
"Don't you have anything else you should be doing?" I raised the camera and took a picture of him, the flash bright enough to make him wince. I gave a slight smile. It was nice to have someone other than L to talk to. Someone that I could laugh with.
"The chief just said to help you, so what do you need done?"
I need you to start cataloging what is in each of the cabinets," I replied, pointing to where I had just been taking pictures. "Jones should have a list of everything that should be on this plane. Start going through it."
Adam gave a groan but left to go find Jones and I turned back to my work. I moved between the two seats and took pictures of the controls and then of each seat before I began digging through the creases in the seats to find just pieces of old candy wrappers and dirt.
Everything was clean. Other than that small amount of trash, I couldn't find anything. I crawled from the plane as Adam came back and stood by, marking everything on the supplies sheet that we had gotten from Jones.
"Two fire extinguishers," Adam called.
"Two?" I questioned, looking up from the list in my hands. "There should be three."
"I'll keep looking, but I only see two."
We reached the end of the checklist, but still couldn't come up with the missing fire extinguisher. And even Jones admitted that he didn't know where it was. He had inspected the aircraft when it had landed as per usual and couldn't find the extinguisher, but Jeffrey said he had no idea where is was.
"Adam, go do a one over, I need to make a call," I ordered, stepping away from Jones and Adam so that I could hear the voice on the other side of my phone.
"Yes, hello?" came L's voice. English? Why was he using English? He knew I hated it.
"I have a question," I said in Japanese, leaning up against the side of the plane. I rubbed the back of my neck, waiting for my answer.
"I see. What is it?" L asked, switching over to the language I was more comfortable in. There was the sound of crunching and I could only guess he had found the rather large box of sugar cubes in the kitchen.
"In any of the information of the case was there ever a mention of a missing fire extinguisher?"
There was a hum. "I do not believe so. Is there one missing from the plane?"
"Yes. You don't think that Jeffrey could have taken it, do you? The owner of the hangar said that he didn't see Jeffery leave with it."
"It is a possibility. I will reread the case file. That shouldn't take me to long. Stay on the line."
"Alright." I closed my eyes and rubbed them for a moment, listening to the footsteps on the line. There was a shuffling of paper and some mumbled words from L that I couldn't make out. I pushed myself from the plane and glanced back inside, my eyes just wandering. There was another hum from L. "Yes?"
"There is no report of anything missing from the aircraft, as Jones didn't report it. But the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. The X-rays show an indent in the skull that doesn't look like it could have been made by just hitting the ground. He would have had to have hit a rock of some sort, which was also not reported. It is possible that he was hit in the head before he fell."
"We need to find the fire extinguisher. I'll get a warrant to Jeffrey's house. I'm sure he won't let us in."
"Have you found anything else?"
"No." I gave a sigh and rubbed my eyes again, but stopped, my gloved hand dropping to where the seat belt met the floorboard. I picked up the small piece of wood and looked over it. "L, I found the other half of the match. There's blood on it."