Dangerous Wishes (Death Note)

疑い - Suspicion

"It's Near!"

The N in fancy script lit up the computer monitors in front of the task force. Temari yawned as she put on her headset. It was four in the morning and she had gotten an average of two hours of sleep during the week. She wasn't used to constant all-nighters like the rest of the task force.

"L, I thought you should know that we caught Mello."

Temari perked up and listened closely. They caught him? She was sure that he had died in the fire at the mafia hideout.

"But he escaped soon afterwards."

The rest of the task force groaned

"He didn't really escape, did he?" Light questioned, "You let him get away."

"No." Near responded insistently, "We tried to restrain him but he was too quick. However, we were able to interrogate him. Mello mention that there was some sort of shinigami attached to the notebook. Have you been able to confirm the existence of such a creature?"

Ryuk stepped up from the back of the room and stood close to Light

"Yes." Light answered, "We can confirm that shinigami do exist."

"I would like to ask the shinigami a few questions."

Ryuk grumbled, "Forget it. I'm not up for that." Temari chuckled quietly and tossed him an apple.

"The thing that is bothering me the most is those rules in the notebook." Near continued, "I have reason to believe that one of them is fake."

A fake rule? Temari bit her lip as she thought it over. There was no doubt that the notebook could cause heart attacks and that the user could control their victim to a certain extent, so the entire first page checked out. It was just the rules in the back. The 13 day rule and the one that stated the notebook couldn't be destroyed without consequences.

"L, which rule do you think is the fake? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the matter."

Light covered his hand over the microphone to his headset, "Tema, I think I should hear your opinion on his one too. Which rule do you think is fake?"

"The thirteen day rule." Temari answered, "If Kira had written a false rule in the notebook, it would most likely be that one. He could use that rule to prove his innocence if he was under surveillance."

Light nodded, "I was thinking the same thing." He uncovered the microphone, "By a process of elimination, the obvious choice would be the one stating, 'The owner of a notebook will die if they don't write a new name in every 13 days'
I think that would be the one most likely to be false."

"I thought you might say so. I have reached the same conclusion myself."

"Shinigami!" Light commanded, "You know the rules of notebook quite well. Are any of them fake?"

"No." Ryuk replied, "They are all real."

"I think I'm beginning to get a picture. In other words, Kira is there in the room and he is making the Shinigami lie on his behalf." Temari could almost hear the smirk spreading across Near's face.

The girl looked around the room. There was no way that any member of the task force could be Kira. They were all good police officers, committed to their families and fighting Kira to the very end. The only person that Temari could even slightly suspect was Light.

Temari didn't want to believe it was Light. He had always been so nice to her and Saya. But then again, Ryuzaki had always heavily suspected him. And Ryuzaki was hardly ever wrong. No, he couldn't be. She refused to believe it. Kira wasn't in the task force.