A Year of Jubilee [The Death Note Fanfic]

Chapter 54

They still didn't have a plan.

Not a clear plan, at least. The successors spent the whole night before debriefing L and Jubilee on their respective observations throughout the day, before the conversation began to disintegrate into an argument between Mello and Near. L, having quickly mastered the fine art of breaking up fights via diversion, had interrupted before it could escalate.

"The only way I see around avoiding your deaths," Near had said, the robotic filter masking any hint of feeling from his voice, "Is to apprehend the weapon that Kira plans on using to kill you, before he has a chance to do so. In other words, we need to find the Death Note that Teru Mikami is using."

"What do you think we've been doing, genius?" snapped Mello.

"Thank you, Mello," returned Near calmly, "For your long delayed acknowledgment of my intellect."

L spoke up before Mello could reply with an inevitable outburst of fury.

"There are two things to note," the detective announced, sticking two pale fingers in the air that only Jubilee could see. "One...if we were to apprehend the notebook that is currently in Mikami's possession, we may well be able to prevent both our own deaths and that of criminals—but we would lose our current lead on finding Kira. In which case, I believe that we'd only be stalling those deaths. And two...Mello has pointed out in his recent report that Light is likely in possession of a third notebook. True, he may be reluctant to surrender it over to Mikami, as he would lose his memories again...but it serves as an effective back-up, and I have no doubt that he would do so as a last resort. Near, I imagine you have already formed similar suspicions."

"Yes," responded the younger successor tonelessly. "As I said, I was merely stating what would prevent yours and Miss Julie's immediate deaths, and the rest of the Task Force."

Something about that statement finally clicked in Jubilee's brain, and she gave a gasp of realization. L glanced at her.

"What is it, J?" he asked.

"The Chief..." she whispered, staring ahead in horror. "Mr. Yagami is part of the nine that is supposed to be there at the warehouse. Light couldn't—he wouldn't...!" She turned to L with wide eyes. "Would he kill his own father?"

"Yes," answered L and his three successors simultaneously.

"Finally got the memo, J?" said Mello dryly. "The guy is a blackhearted killer. He won't hold back, so neither should we."

"You're so innocent, Jules," added Matt with a sigh.

Jubilee bristled slightly and was about to point out that she was a decade older than him, when L cut in once more.

"Back to the point," said the detective. "I do agree that we should find the notebook that Mikami is using. J, as you have reported based on Wedy's surveillance, we have yet to even witness him writing in it. That leaves a lot of holes in our physical evidence, and as you already know we cannot apprehend either him or Light based solely on the hazes you see over them. If we can discover the location of where he is hiding the notebook, as well as the times when he writes in it, then we will have the upper hand and can form a clearer plan."

"But how do we do that?" she asked despairingly. "I've watched hours of footage of him and haven't caught him pulling out a notebook or writing. Wedy's got his apartment bugged pretty well, and it doesn't look like he's doing it there. She's installed cams in his cubicle at work too, and she follows him and watches him when he's on the train or at the gym...but still, neither of us have seen anything. It's got to be another time that he writes in the notebook, but I don't know when."