Failure (A Death Note/L Love Story)

Chapter 21

I think L could tell something happened to me in Los Angeles. It was slight, but he could see it. He knew I would never tell him about the letter, so he never brought it up. He probably thought it was just me grieving, which was a majority of the change. The real difference was my need to capture Kira.

It was a little less than four months after Beyond's death. We didn't have any leads. No clues. No breakthroughs. Just dead criminals. I have to hand it to him, Kira knew how to cover his tracks well. It frustrating beyond words and a bit intriguing at the same time. Who was able to do something like that?

Mogi was taking his shift at the NPA. Yagami was still out due to his heart problems, but we suspected he'd be back with us soon. The others were in L's room. We were sitting around the coffee table. There wasn't much to discuss, so Ukita brought up, "Regarding Naomi Misora's disappearance, shouldn't we open up an investigation into this matter?"

L was quick to respond, "If we do, it should be coordinated separately from the Kira case. Also, we'll have to use police sketches instead of real photos."

"We should have done that when she first disappeared," I denied.

"Chances are she's probably dead," Aizawa agreed.

"If you're right about that, I find it odd we haven't found her body, yet. If we did, it might provide us with some much needed physical evidence," L stated. I nodded. It would be helpful if we found her, alive or dead.

We were interrupted by Watari walking into the room. "Ryuzaki, something seems to be happening on Sakura TV," he informed us with urgency in his tone. I grabbed the remote and turned on the TV in the room, quickly changing it to channel forty-eight.

There were three reporters on the screen. The man in the middle was saying, "In other words, all of our reporters and staff here are Kira's hostages." Hostages? Kira didn't take hostages.... "Aside from that, we have a professional obligation to share this message with you. I assure you that this is not a hoax, and that Sakura TV is not airing this tape for the purposes of sensationalism."

"Kira's hostages?" Aizawa repeated.

"What is this?" Matsuda said.

The man on the right continued, "Four days ago, our program director here at Sakura TV received four tapes. After a thorough examination, there could be no doubt that they were from Kira himself." They showed us a tape with a one on it. "The first tape we received contained a prediction regarding the time of deaths of two suspected criminals who'd recently been arrested. And as predicted, at the exact time that Kira had specified, both men died suddenly of heart attacks yesterday."

I muttered without realizing it, "This just doesn't seem right." It wasn't Kira's style. He wasn't so much of a show off as to do something as bold as that. He made subtle moves that couldn't be retraced so easily. What would have made him change a tactic that was working so well? He was a serial killer, and that wasn't what serial killers did.

"If what they're saying is true, it's clearly something only Kira could do," L responded.

They showed us a picture of a tape marked with a "2." "Kira has instructed us to air this second tape at exactly five-fifty-nine p.m., and we do intend to comply with his demands. This tape should offer proof of his powers by predicting yet another death. Beyond that, we understand that it contains a message to all the people of the world from Kira." The three detectives gasped.

"This has to be another fake, don't you think?" Ukita asked.

Matsuda declined, "I doubt it. I'm pretty sure even Sakura TV wouldn't stoop that low." I saw the clock change to five-fifty-nine.