I didn't scream when I saw it, and I didn't think I shook in place when the creature introduced itself as Rem, but with God, as my witness, I had problems with control when the conversation turned to how Higuchi died. Some thought it was a wrapped suicide, and others yelled out a heart attack, but I knew it was anything like that since I was staring at the Death Note in Light's hand at the time.

This wasn't what we should be talking about.

"Did you kill Higuchi?" I asked, looking up at the towering monster behind the couch.

"No, I didn't."

Its voice was as raspy as its appearance, with its ghastly white frame of looked like bones. The gleam of their gold-colored earrings caught my attention, making me wonder if where ever shinigami Rem was from had things like gold and silver.

"Can we go over the rules again? Just for my sake." I asked, moving my eyes away from Rem.

The damn thing gave me the creeps with the possibility of being so close to death.

The buzz of Higuchi's death calmed down, as Aizawa picked up the black notebook. I understood the gist of everything, you think of a person and write down their name. If you write the cause within forty seconds and it's plausible, it will happen. No named cause means a simple heart attack. It was the last few rules on the back of the death note that I wanted to hear again.

"If the user of this notebook fails to write names within thirteen days of each other. The user dies."

The whole room got heavy as the last rule was being read out.

"If this notebook becomes unusable, then all humans who touched the note shall die."

There it was, the gleam of light at the end of the tunnel. Before I spoke up, L's cold sideways stare tried to steal my voice but he wasn't anything I couldn't handle later. Without me having to start the conversation, Mr. Yagami pointed out.

"Then we agree, we should lock it up."

"I do not agree with that."

Eyes fell on me, and I could not care less.

"Violet, what are you saying?"

I didn't look at Matsuda or answer his question directly.

"It's out of the question, Miss. Petrillo."

"No, it isnt, Mr. Yagami. Everything would end tonight."

I still didn't understand the lack of support behind this ideal. We all had sworn our lives to this case in the beginning, why were we backing down now that death was holding out his hand?

"Hasn't there been enough death already?"

"That's my point."

How could these police officers not see it was part of our duty to finish it? Anger was bubbling up inside as L did nothing but slip tea, his eyes never moving from his stare. I knew he wanted me to hush, but at every turn, this group had fought us even when L was right.

"I will not agree to destroy the book, not while my son has touched it!"

There was the root of the problem, I had the impression that he was a great police officer at one point, but fatherly love controls him. A pang of guilt stings my insides, as for the first time today my mind went to my children. Maybe if I was in his position I'd fight like hell for my child, but deep down I think part of my reasoning to die tonight was for the kids.

Nonetheless, I wouldn't let myself use them to back down.

"Light's an adult! He agreed to put his life on the line just like the rest of us!"

"Enough, both of you, please."

L finally said, standing up to walk over to the glass coffee table normally filled with snacks and drinks now had lab reports and the death note right in the middle of it. He picked it up with his thumb and forefinger, looking at the cover before handing it to Mr. Yagami.

"We'll lock it up, but Watari will carry the key."

It was easy to read that I was more than angry and I was about to object until a familiar voice filled the room as the large screens illuminated with that cursive W. Watari butted in to inform L that Misa Amane was done packing. Before the conversion of the last rule and Higuchi, the task force brought up the fact that Misa and Light were cleared of being Kira.

They argued that since Light and Misa were in confinement for more than thirteen days after the killings stop, It couldn't be them. While I wholeheartedly understood the leap of logic, it was a lot of work undone in a few seconds.

I would have fought tooth and nail but without anything as proof to back up my point, I was dead on arrival.

"I wish Light would go, he could be with Misa without any problems."

I ignored Matsuda's outlandish comment on the subject, telling L that I was going to say goodbye. I mean, after all, we were BFFs and now that's ending.

"Fine, control yourself."

Shaking it off, I thought it funny since I would behave when the notebook was in ashes. I took the elevator up to the lobby, finding Misa standing by the glass doors. Her body was facing the view of the setting sun, giving the whole place a gold tint. It had been a while since I'd seen the sun.

"Oh, Violet."

Misa turned around, maybe from the clacking of my heels, and gives me a tiny smile. Just from that movement, I knew her heart had clouded over me.

"I just wanted to say goodbye, since I doubt we'll see each other again."

"Oh, don't say that, you never know what might happen."

She said it with the same excitement she happily said everything, but the words were cold. I slipped on a pout, playing the sad friend asking for one more hug for the road. Misa hesitated but I went in for the kill anyway, wrapping my arms around her tiny torso.

"Oh my, it's like you've changed Misa."

I noted just softly enough to bury inside her head.

"Sorry to interrupt,"

I turned to look at Light Yagami, standing beside us with his hands in his jacket pocket. Misa quickly pulled away to crawl over to Light's side and I cursed internally.

"No, it's fine. I-"

The beeper clipped to the waistband of my stacks buzzed alive, tickling my hip bone. I didn't need to look at the number since it could only be Watari acting for L. No one but a few know that the lobby is huge, big enough to hide Watari's set up in a separate closed-off area. Most likely he saw what I was doing and reported me to L.

I explained about going, walking off in a puff. L hasn't been talking to me when we're alone and he won't face me when everyone else was near. So, why the hell was he ordering me around now? We both know all the months of work couldn't be for nothing, if Light and Misa weren't Kira they had to be involved somehow.

Once I slipped back inside the office, seeing people working on their own. I checked around and saw Rem standing in the same place, and a chill ran down my back. I sat beside him on the leather couch, saying nothing about the pager and watching the ice cream cone in his left-hand drip.

I wasn't sure what to say, because if I acted inappropriately maybe Rem would tell the real Kira. After puffing out a mouthful of air, I asked L if he was okay but he wouldn't respond. I had to fight the retort of frustration on my cheeks, and maybe even accept the fact that I was watching in real-time the door being closed in my face.