Stolen (Mello X Reader)

Chapter 7: Control

You and Near sit across from each other, eating the cheesy takeout pizza over the coffee table. You can't help but glance up at the time. Mello, Matt, Halle, and Gevanni are already at the bar. You wonder what kind of night they're having.

You shake it off, opting to stare at Near instead. He grabs the pizza delicately, gray eyes flicking up to stare back at you.

"Is pizza your favorite?" He makes idle conversation. It's unsettling, in a way.

You swallow your bite of pizza, "No, I just... felt like pizza."

He nods, eating the pizza just as delicately as he holds it, "Have you been liking the headquarters? If there is anything you would like, just ask. It's really no problem."

You feel like he's prodding for something, but you don't know what. That's the unsettling about Mello, Matt, and Near, you always feel like you're being analyzed. 

"I've been just fine."

"I apologize to take our dinner into work talk, but I did wish to ask you some more questions regarding Beyond Birthday."

Ah, so you were right. He is prodding for something.

"Okay..."

"When we arrived in the tent at the fair, you and Beyond Birthday must have been inside for several minutes beforehand."

"What makes you assume that?" He's right, but you know better than to fold right away. 

Near's eyes slide to the side, as if debating what to tell you. Finally, he gives a reply, "On the day of the mission we placed a tracking device in your sweatshirt. Just in case anything went awry, of course. It's why we were able to get to you so fast. The tracker placed you inside the tent for several minutes before we arrived."

Ah, you should've suspected something like this.

"What did Beyond Birthday say to you?"

You swallow. Now is your chance to come clean about everything. After all, Beyond Birthday is a murderer, there's no doubt about that. There should be no reason for you to take his side. Yet, there is something nagging at the back of your brain. 

Why would he want you to get the inheritance? 

Perhaps he is merely lying. It wouldn't be out of the ordinary for a murderer to lie. Still, you can't help but feel like Near is hiding something from you.

 You'll play Near's game, even if you don't have the handbook. "He said the inheritance isn't money." It's not a lie, but it's not the entire truth.

Near's eyes flash with interest, a small smile perched upon his lips. "So Beyond Birthday knows what the inheritance is?"

You nod, "But he didn't tell me what."

Near leans back, absentmindedly grabbing for a toy robot. He moves it's arm up and down as he ponders this. 

"What do you think it is?" You ask him.

Near's eyes snap back to you, "I don't know." He speaks honestly now. "It's something I've wondered about for a long time. Before this, I was about 70 percent sure it was money."

"70 percent?"

"Now I would give around 50 percent for some sort of note or letter, around 20 percent for a piece of property, 15 percent for money, 13 percent for a personal object, and 2 percent for something else."

You're not sure you understand where he's getting these numbers from, but he seems pretty confident.

"You think he left me a note?" Perhaps there will be an explanation for everything. Why you never met him, why you're not a part of this great detective legacy, why this is all crashing down on you now.