The Alias

L-Twenty Four

I slammed my phone on the desk in frustration as my call went straight to voicemail for the 150th time. I had been calling Matsuda three times a day for the past fifty days, trying to warn him about Hito's potential reason for collecting apple seeds, but his phone had been off the entire time. If it weren't for this fucking quarantine I would have gone straight to his apartment, knocked in the door, and slapped those seeds from her hands myself. But I couldn't, and I felt completely helpless. But I supposed no news was good news.

"Mr. Yagami are you alright? There's no reason for you to keep doing this to yourself," I said through the microphone connected to his cell.

"It's been over a month since Kira started killing criminals again. And as far as I'm concerned, that's all the proof I need to be sure that my son isn't Kira. So then all that's left is for you to be sure. One way or another, when I get out of here, it will be with my son." He looked tired. I wasn't sure how much longer he would last cooped up in that cell.

"Wow the chief can be really stubborn," Ide observed from behind me. I ignored him and pressed the button to the microphone connected to Light's cell.

"Light, how're you feeling right now?"

"I'm okay. Ryuzaki, I know that in the time I've been imprisoned no new criminals have died, however that suggests to me that Kira must be someone who's intimately familiar with my situation and as-"

"No, Light, the reason criminals have stopped dying is because you are Kira."

"No, I'm not Kira! How many times do I have to say it?"

If Light were Kira, he'd know that I was bluffing, so why is he getting so upset? He honestly seems clueless.

"This is just cruel. I don't care if he is a suspect, Light still has a right to know that criminals are being killed again," Aizawa growled. I ignored him like I had ignored Ide a few minutes prior. I focused my gaze on Misa Amane's surveillance screen and sighed.

"Amane."

"Yes?"

"Are you okay? You seem tired," I faked a concerned tone.

"Is that supposed to be funny? How are you expecting me to look after being tied up and questioned for this many days?"

"Hm. That's true."

"Please just let me go. I want to see Light. Please, Light... Let me... "

"I'm not sure how much more of this the three of them can take," Ide acknowledged. I had to admit that this was getting more tedious than it was worth, however I still couldn't shake the feeling that I was right about Light and Amane. They seemed to fit the mold too well.

Aizawa spoke up again, obviously getting annoyed, "Ryuzaki, you have no reason to keep Light locked up anymore. Do the right thing and let Light go and then we can get the chief out too. Criminals have still been killed even though Misa and Light haven't had access to any of that information. We know that much already, so what are you waiting for?"

"Not true. All we really know at this point is that Amane harbors an unnaturally strong devotion for Light Yagami," I replied dryly. Perhaps she and I are alike after all. I, too, harbor an unnaturally strong devotion to a Yagami.

"Ryuzaki, I'm sorry, but with all due respect from where I'm standing, it's starting to look like you're only doing this because you don't want to admit that you were wrong about Light," he replied impatiently, I was getting tired of Aizawa's temper. It seemed I would have to enact plan B, though I was not entirely sure how Mr. Yagami would react. It would put him, as well as Light and Amane, under an immense amount of stress, which I was not sure that he would be okay with. But I was running out of options.

"Yes, I figured you'd say that," I answered, expecting him to lash out.

"Okay fine, but we do know that Kira killed Lind L. Tailor and..." I completely tuned Aizawa out. Seeing as he had an annoying habit of telling me things that I already knew, I felt safe ignoring him most of the time. Since this confinement is coming to an end, I will be free to leave this hotel and check up on Hito. Although, I will have to keep constant surveillance on Light... We will have to be together 24/7, which will certainly pose a problem if I wish to physically go see her. She will most likely not let Light anywhere near her, and by extension me. I suppose I could send Watari to her. I could write her a note asking her to return to the team, though I don't know if she'd agree to return... I need a hook.

"... Ryuzaki, it's time to start looking for the real Kira." It seemed I tuned back into Aizawa's rambling at just the right moment.

I paused for a long while, collecting my thoughts, and finally responded, "Yes, I understand." I suppose it's time for plan B.

"Mr. Yagami."

"Yes? What is it?"

"Would you be willing to come to headquarters just once? I'd like to discuss my thoughts with you but it must be done in person. However, above all else I need to talk to you as Light's father."

"Alright, I'll come."

I turned off the microphone and sent Aizawa and Ide to fetch Mr. Yagami while I opened my email for the first time since his, Light's, and Amane's confinement. I sifted through 50 days of junk mail, ready to send my entire inbox to the trash when a subject line caught my eye. 'I Know Who You Are' appeared near the bottom of my unread messages, sent by a user called 'mklune@yahoo.com'. I furrowed my brow and opened the message, it was blank except for an mp3 attachment. I looked around the room, making sure I was alone, and pressed play.

I think I just found my hook.