Death Note: Blood Ties

Chapter 4: ASSASSINATION

Jack:

"I missed a meeting with Tony, is that what you're saying?" he narrowed his eyes, it looked like he knew I was playing dumb.

"Tony may have been slim, but he was a black belt in karate. I don't like the idea that someone like him was overpowered and murdered by a punk that still goes to school, either. Martinez is pretty desperate to find out if Tony was killed. They were good friends before he died."

"It's quite sad that Tony died but I'm telling you man, I had nothing to do with it. I saw Tony leave with his bag of drugs and the money I gave him." I pulled off my bag and unzipped it, I started fishing around with my hand for the death note. "And the reason I didn't make it to our meeting, I had my cousin's birthday party. I actually told Tony that on our last meeting, and to not bother meeting up that week cause I was going to see other sellers anyway." My hand closed around the death note in my bag.

"What are you doing?" Vincent demanded. I realised he was staring anxiously at my hidden arm, maybe he thought I might be concealing a weapon?

"Just getting my diary." I told him.

"You have a diary that you bring to school?"

"It's a school diary. It has dates on it that I use to record due days on assignments and homework. I also put down meetings I had with Tony in here. I always wrote 'library' and then the time I was meeting him next to it, in case anyone saw."

I pulled a pen out of my pencil case while my arm was still hidden. Vincent didn't say anything but kept watching me cautiously. I pulled out the death note and flicked through to the page I used last. Making sure Vincent didn't see that none of the pages had dates on it, I went to the space directly below where I'd written Tony's name a week ago.

I tried to fight back the grin that was trying to break free on my face "I'd still like to buy from Martinez, even if I'd be buying from someone other than Tony. The same time next week would be cool. I'll just pencil it in for next Wednesday, if that's okay with you?"

I wrote in the notebook: 'Vincent Lawry'.

"Why does your school diary have 'Death Note' written on it?" In my attempt to keep Vincent from seeing the pages he'd been staring at the cover instead. I allowed the grin to spread across my face.

"I didn't buy it from school, I bought it in a book store cause I thought it looked cool. It's still a diary."

He stared searchingly into my face. He didn't understand the sudden manic look of anticipation on it. I realised I probably looked like a killer now more than ever.

"Say, Vincent?" I asked and his eyes narrowed at the smug tone of my voice. "Do you know what the time is?"

I didn't keep a watch on me but I could see a rather expensive-looking one on the wrist of Vincent's left hand. He paused for a moment but then looked at his watch.

"3:04."

My eyes were wide as I tried to see any sign of an oncoming heart attack on Vincent's face. If I were nice I would've at least wrote 'dies painlessly' as the cause of death, but I didn't give a shit.

Surely at any moment now, Vincent would drop dead. "I've got an idea of how we can both leave here satisfied."

My eyes widened again but not in anticipation this time. Vincent spoke "You are after all just a kid, even if you're big for your age. I really don't think you could've killed someone like Tony by forcing him to overdose on drugs. He always seemed against using them, but I guess you never know anyone completely except for yourself. If you show me where you've written down 'birthday party' instead of 'library' on the day you didn't go to meet with Tony I'll tell Martinez it wasn't you who killed him. I don't think anyone could act as well as you did when I said you were suspected for killing one of our sellers. I also don't think you would have written 'birthday party' anticipating this conversation. If I can see that written down on the proper date I'll let you go, otherwise you're going to have to come with me for a little while, I'll take you to Martinez so he can talk to you. My car is parked a few streets ahead. So can I see that diary?"