What is this? I asked myself as I scrolled through that day's Kira attacks on my laptop. I picked it up and raced to L's room across the hall, opening it with the spare key I had been given.
"If you're coming to tell me the pattern has changed, I already know," L stopped me. He was at a desk searching for information on his own laptop. I set my device on the coffee table and sat in the chair adjacent. "It is strange, though. He's killing one criminal every hour on the hour."
I argued, "It's not strange, it's strategy. It's too much of a coincidence for him to suddenly start killing like this on a weekday after you announced your suspicions. He's taunting us."
"By proving he can kill at any time?" he asked.
"Exactly. This also means he has access to police records. I believe he is either someone inside the investigation or a family member. If it had been hacked, we would be able to trace the I.P. address. I think he's smarter than to allow himself to be caught that way," I stated.
"Fair point. We'll keep an eye on it. We're meeting with the police force again in a few hours. I'm sure they'll have something to say about it," L said.
I frowned, "You had already figured out everything I just said, hadn't you?"
He turned in his chair and smiled a little at me, "Of course. Even here, I'm going to test you. You're getting quicker at this." I knew it was too weird that I had beat him at deduction, but I pouted anyways. I could still hope maybe I had.
Still, I said, "Thanks for the compliment." Not knowing what to do, he simply nodded and turned back to the computer. I might have been getting better at deduction, but he wasn't at social skills.
A few hours later, we were watching the police force realize the different times of the murders. "What?" Chief Yagami shouted. He stood up from his chair. "I... I don't believe this! Another twenty-three victims yesterday? Are these confirmed?"
A detective answered, "Y-Yes."
"The day before, there were another twenty-three victims. He's killing one off every hour on the hour," Yagami said.
"Considering this new pattern has been going on for two weekdays..." a man trailed off.
Another one continued, "... it does punch some holes in the theory that our suspect is a student."
A third interjected, "Maybe not. Anyone can skip two days of school."
L motioned to me and I interrupted them, "You're missing the point." There were audible gasps from many of the detectives. "It does appear less likely now that Kira's a student, but that's not the message he's sending by doing this. Ask yourselves, 'Why every hour? And why are all these victims in prisons where they're sure to be discovered immediately? Why not other criminals like before?' I believe Kira is telling us that not only can he kill from a distance, but he can also determine the time of death." There were more gasps.
I let L take over, "But something's not right. As soon as we began to suspect that Kira might be a student, the pacing of the killings changed, as if to contradict that theory. Coincidence? No. Too convenient. This can only mean that Kira has access to police information. It's obvious now. This is a direct challenge to me."
L stood up and looked out the hotel window, obviously in deep thought. I quickly took over, "Is there anything else, Chief Yagami?"
Shocked, he stumbled, "N-No. The rest of the evidence remains the same."
I told him, "Very well. I will check back in with you tomorrow." Then, I turned off the webcam and microphone. I turned to L in my swivel chair. I asked, "What are you thinking?"
"You're getting better at impersonating me. You did a good job today; I'm quite impressed," he complimented. I hated when he said that. Still, I tried not to show it. I was never sure if it worked or not.
"Thank you, but you know that wasn't what I meant," I frowned.
He sighed, "What is Kira getting out of this? He has narrowed down our options of who it could be tremendously with this stunt."
I agreed, "He doesn't seem like the type to want to be caught." L took a cookie off the tray on the table and sat in a chair adjacent to it in his weird position, which he claimed made him forty-percent better at deducting.
"He's too clever to be so indiscreet about this. He has a plan," he mumbled with his mouth full.
"What are we supposed to do the Task Force? Someone in there has to have something to do with Kira, whether they are him or relatives of him," I reminded him.
He finished off the cookie, "We need to keep tabs on them and their families in the Kanto region."
"So, you want someone tailing them?"
He nodded, "Exactly. I'll see if I can get the FBI to cooperate. If not, I can always try other agencies. I'm not too worried."
"You should be. No one wants to walk into their own suicide, which is basically what you're asking for. Kira has proven to be a major threat. I'm afraid even America might not comply," I fretted.
"But because he is a threat, every country wants to eliminate him quickly. That is why I'm not nervous about this, and you shouldn't be, either. Everything is going to work out eventually. Just because this isn't like anything we've ever seen before doesn't make him unstoppable. A case is just a case," L assured me. It was my turn to sigh. I tried to relax my stiff muscles as I slumped in my seat.
"I guess, you're right. Being nervous only means I care, though," I argued.
He shrugged, "Fair enough. Just remember: don't let emotions get in your way."
I closed my eyes, remembering all the other various times he had told me that. It might as well have been stitched on a pillow. "I wouldn't dream of it."
YOU ARE READING
Failure (A Death Note/L Love Story)
FanfictionH is the greatest detective's successor, who goes by L. She travels with L and helps solve cases. When they discover the case of criminals suddenly dying of heart attacks by what the public has named "Kira," they immediately set out to stop the mass...