Chapter Twenty-Four

'We got 'em!' Mr Matsuda announces victoriously, 'both Yoshida productions and NHN are practically begging us now. The great Misa-Misa comeback is a huge success.'

'These days it's nearly impossible for anyone to get into NHN, but this will get us full access,' Mr Ide agrees.

With Misa as our go-to and Mr Mogi as her manager, we can easily infiltrate NHN and more importantly, Kiyomi Takada. Light, however, is the only one of us who has personal access to the woman. It's a set up allowing us to make our slow move on Kira. At least, it is for me. Even if the others don't, I think the safest move from this point on is to treat almost every move Light makes with suspicion. I'm sure Mr Aizawa, who hasn't been settled since the phone call with Near, feels the same. I'll bet he expects at least two of us to watch him but how much control will that leave him? He's incredibly talented at leaving traces that won't compromise him. All the more reason for me to be vigilant.

Beep. Beep. 'This is Near. I want to speak to L.'

'This is L. What do you want from us?'

'I'm following through with my goal to arrest Kira. That's why, I'm in Japan now.'

The water slips from my lips before I can drink it. He's here?

'L,' Near continues, 'I presume you've already contacted Takada for the purposes of your own investigation?'

'That's right. In fact, I'm investigating her myself at the moment.'

'I see. For the time being, it's a given that, if we want to get any closer to capturing Kira, we'll have to keep an eye on Kiyomi Takada and NHN. I want you to pass on a message. Inform her that, as of now, several SPK members have entered Japan in order to catch and arrest Kira.'

'But, why do that?'

'To lure Kira our of hiding. I also want you to mention the following to her so she'll relay it to Kira. In total, there are only four active members of the SPK; that includes myself. Kira won't be able to resist such an opportunity. Knowing him, he won't run. Instead he'll try to kill us before we get too close. That's where I'll beat him at his own game.'

With the SPK in Japan that could mean Martha is here too. I have to reach her, tell her to be careful.

'I'm in Japan as we speak,' Near says.

'I'm in Japan as well.'

'Then we'll be quite close to each other. Who knows? We might have the chance to meet face to face.'

'I hope so.'

'When that time comes, we'll finish this Kira matter once and for all.'

'Definitely.'

This has to be played out carefully if we're all going to beat Kira. I'll have to contact Martha, warn her about the Shinigami eye-deal and how it might give her away. Suppose Takada and this New Kira have the eyes, Martha will be spotted from a mile away. She needs to know to tread cautiously. Near has to know about this as well. Even if he's not entirely like L, I hope he can think of a way to protect her while she's out on the field. Whatever happens next depends on Kira's next move and our intercepting it. I'll have to resort to other means of communicating with Martha so Light can always be within watching distance. If he sees me talking by him, he'll have less chance of suspecting me of foul play, if he doesn't already.

The next night, Mr Aizawa and Light head to a hotel room for Light and Takada's next date. I stay behind to make sure that all audio feed can be heard clearly. But I have to admit that I find the fact that we're only using audio is a little suspicious. It's probably to avoid the situation that happened last time. It was strange seeing that note that Light wrote about Kira asking for the bugs to be removed. Even the posture as he was writing, almost like it was under duress; but, could the New Kira have really asked that the bugs be removed? Takada never implied to speaker that Light was part of the police. Light must have tipped the New Kira off somehow, when he started speaking to him. Heh. My theory sounds far-fetched in comparison to 'accepting' that Light was told to remove the bugs, but then again, this is Kira we're talking about. Still, I make a note of this in my notepad. If I'm right, and Light did tip off the New Kira about the bugs, he'd be able to freely converse with Takada, even admit to her that he's been Kira all along and get her on his side. He probably has her pretending to work with the police. So until that point he never had contact with either Takada or the New Kira, at least not directly. So now, he's either getting sloppy or using the trust the Task Force has on him to his advantage. Following all this, it almost makes sense why he'd only have us supply audio surveillance. If we were to watch without audio, we'd be able to see everything and I can lip-read very well, so there won't be any secrets to escape me. Light must have taken that into consideration to settle with just audio. He's counting on both my perception and the Task Force's blind trust to do this. So the question is: what method of communication can they use off camera effectively?

Three taps against my notepad and I already have my answer.

Ingenious.

'Okay,' Mr Matsuda says, 'we're ready.'

I put on my headphones. In the first few moments, they seem to have small talk about each other's jobs.

'Man, this is kind of boring listening to audio feed,' Mr Matsuda complains.

I lightly punch his shoulder.

'Ow!'

'Shh!'

'I think you should look through them,' Light says over the radio, 'even if they are just letters from fans.'

'You're right,' she responds.

Pause.

'The SPK has started to make its move. You have to start thinking about your safety. Instead of accepting messages from Kira, maybe you should consider making demands of your own.'

'He's getting down to business,' Mr Ide notes.

'You shouldn't only be a spokesperson,' Light continues, 'your voice should be heard as well. Reach out to Kira. Tell him what you think he needs to know.'

Some sort of clank sounds, like dishes are rattling on a shaking table or something. A chair moves, like it's being pushed or maybe even falling. What's going on in there?

'It's alright Kiyomi,' Light comforts, 'I have faith in you. It's going to be okay. If you can do this, I'm sure that you'll be able to send Kira information that you don't want the SPK to know about.'

'Alright,' she says, 'I'll do it.'

'We nailed it!' Mr Ide declares.

I hope so. But if all that was a play so that the real conversation was in note-passing, then everything we just heard may have been a waste of our time. I really need to keep a closer eye on Light and I need to contact Martha and Near to give them my warning. As we wait for Light to return, I replay the conversation he just had with Takada. Note-passing or not, there has to have been something in there for me to trail; it can't have all been just nonsense to trick us with the notes. 'Mr Ide?' I call.

'Yes?'

'The conversation just now, is it on record?'

'It is. Why?'

'Can I listen to it again?'

'Sure.'

Pulling the tape over into another stereo, he provides me with headphones, which I take as I sit by him to listen. As far as the Task Force is concerned, Takada is working with us to catch Kira, but if Kira were to meet her, how would he hide the coded message in a normal conversation? Even if there is note-passing, then there has to be something he mentioned for me to go by. For the most part, it looks like nothing can be hidden before and after the first pause. Perhaps the pause is because Takada's reading a note from Light. What did he say before giving it to her though? 'I think you should look through them, even if they are letters from fans.'

Out of the remaining pause segments in the small talk, this one sounds the most suspicious. It's as if he's suggesting something should come in her fan mail. What if her method of talking to the New Kira isn't through the phone? Regular fan mail can carry anything in it, including things important to Kira. Merde, it's the perfect hideout! Takada will get constant fan mail concerning her relationship with Kira as his spokesperson, what's to stop one slipping in from Kira himself? Her team wouldn't discard it. I could suggest searching through the fan mail but that kind of thinking could get me and the others into a lot of trouble, especially our credibility. There has to be another way I can verify this. Some way to catch Kira before he could do any more damage. Of course with the careful planning and execution all this took to set up on his part, I'm stuck.

Light returns later in the evening. Slow progress and the monotony of Kira's kills slow us down for a couple of days. To move this investigation somewhere, I start pursuing the identity of the New Kira. Given that the killings follow closely with the original Kira, he's a lot harder to track down. He doesn't want to even get his own style with the way he kills and he could be anywhere in the world; but because Kira is not an omnipotent god, he had to have chosen this person by some sort of communication or access. I think a good place to start is to look at all the video footage that allow his followers to address Kira directly. I begin with surveillances that show followers holding posters or create some sort of open-mike opportunity to address Kira. A lot try to get his attention, some yelling while others get to make a comment or two because the reporter allows them too. This is going to take a while. If I were Kira, and I was overwhelmed by all these personalities throwing themselves at me, I would look for someone who appears to genuinely hold my beliefs. While that throws out a lot of the poster holders and the ones shouting, it doesn't mean that everyone who spoke with the microphone is eradicated. Kira would look for someone as sacrificial as he perceives himself to be; someone who will have nothing to gain from this other than being named honourably by their god. Focusing on people who display this personality should help narrow down the list a little. As a bonus, I consider the possibility that this person may either know or has run into Kiyomi Takada at some point. I know Light and the New Kira use her to communicate with one another; it has to be the message hidden in the note-passing, so it makes sense that whoever New Kira is has to know Takada too.

Pop-promotional music distracts me twenty minutes into my research. The TV displays Kiyomi Takada's face, three times from three different angles on one screen, joined by the title both in English and Japanese: Today's Miss Takada.

'What the Hell is this?' I demand.

'It's a replacement for Kira's Kingdom,' Mr Matsuda answers.

'What's wrong with these people?' Mr Ide grumbles.

At least it's not as theatrical as Kira's Kingdom, although Takada clearly uses her former status as a model for the opening act. Aside from that, Takada does need a platform to speak on Kira's behalf. As opposed to this as I am, this is a necessity for both us and the public.

'Welcome to the show,' a man announces, 'Today, Ms Takada will introduce her four new female bodyguards, who were selected after a rigorous screening process.'

The screen cuts to four profile pictures, all of them women, three of them Japanese, one of them a foreigner. Merde!

'The first is the winner of the 22nd World Karate Championship, Miss Tatsumi Oyama. The second is a former agent of the Directoire-General for External Security, Miss Martha Abdul.'

Merde! Merde! Merde!

'I had no idea the French agency would send someone to work with Takada,' Mr Matsuda says.

'I wager she's with the SPK,' Mr Aizawa says. 'Isn't that right, Frejda?'

'Yes,' I nod. There's no point in hiding this. 'In fact she and I grew up together. I know her well.'

'Really?' Light asks, surprised.

'Near separated us for the purposes of the investigation. We came to the U.S. together.'

'That's kind-of sad,' Mr Matsuda says.

'The previous L did the same thing,' I remind him.

I have to warn her now. Hell, I might already be too late but still! Using my computer, I track her cell phone number and pass on the message about the Shinigami Eyes, stressing her to let Near and the others know to protect her. If she's lucky, Takada doesn't have the Shinigami Eyes, and won't notice the lack of numbers atop Martha's head. Hopefully this will be to their advantage. I don't know if the New Kira has the Eyes, but if he does, I hope he didn't feel the need to see this announcement. I remain calm for the sake of the Task Force, especially Light. Who knows if giving away my attachment to Martha has already done me a disservice. I re-focus my attention to the identity of the New Kira. Who, among all these attention seekers, appears to have the same class and charisma as the original and has direct access to Takada? I redirect my attention to Takada's archived television appearances. It's not just the news channel apparently, she's been involved in debates as both host and participant, opened charity houses dedicated to Kira or someone else, been part of a political talk show as a guest star numerous times, and any one of these has an opening for the New Kira to get to know her.

'L, this is Near.'

I turn my attention to the large screen.

'I have a small request. If Mr Aizawa is there, would it be possible for me to speak to him for a moment?'

Mr Aizawa doesn't wait for permission from Light; he charges to the speaker, 'Near, this is Aizawa. What is it?'

'I have a question regarding the surveillance of L and Takada's meetings. Are you recording both audio and video feed?'

I don't know if it's convenient timing or the audacity of the question that causes me to land my hand on Light's for less than a second. If he notices, he doesn't show it.

'Uh, no,' Mr Aizawa answers, 'only audio feed right now.'

'I see,' Near says, 'only wiretaps at the moment. How interesting. Thank you very much.'

As the call closes, I get an email notification form Martha. However, when I open the email, the contents of the note, I realise, are from Near.

Ms Sofer,

Are you sure about the eyes? They will not see the either your or Ms Abdul's

Ms Abdul's lifespan?

I respond.

Yes. This isn't a hunch. I've confirmed it with more than one Shinigami.

I return to the task at hand. Later that night, as Light and I are the ones awake and alert, my break from research forces its way to me with the ringing of my phone. Light glances at it then at me. 'Sorry,' I apologise.

'It's fine. You haven't gotten up to stretch.'

'This may be business and not pleasure, but thanks.'

'Sure.'

I press the phone against my ear, walking away from the computer. 'Hello?'

'Frejda, it's Martha.'

'What's up?'

'I just came from a very interesting dinner.'

'Oh?'

'Kiyomi Takada and Misa Amane met tonight, mostly talking about Light Yagami.'

'A contest, I take it.'

'Yes, over which of them was his lover. And, it seems as if Misa has no idea that Light is Kira.'

'Really?'

'Yes. I waited for any reaction from her, anything even subtle that gives away about the eyes. Based on what you told me, she should have been disturbed by my presence or approached me about the Notebook. She didn't do either.'

'I see.'

'I've already informed Near but I thought you should know too.'

'Alright. Thank you.'

'Sure.'

'Take care.'

'You too.'

'Bye.'

'Bye.'

Hanging up, I return to my seat, giving it a thought. I warned Light against this, which means that the two set this up without his knowledge. A small chuckle escapes my lips.

'Everything alright?'

'Yeah.'

I hope.

Light's having another meeting with Takada and for the first time, I've been asked by both Light and Mr Aizawa to accompany them in setting up for the meeting. My job is simply to help Mr Aizawa set up the bugs in the room while Light searches for cameras or wiretapping from the SPK. The fact that Light's checking for the possibility of cameras outside the Task Force confirms my suspicions that Light and Takada are passing notes. It won't take long before the 9:00 News is over. Between us listening to whatever nonsense they say to each other, which unfortunately includes Light's play on words in order to have Takada pretend like she's working with the police, there's only so much a window to check for sure. Mr Aizawa, I notice, remains still by the large mirror against the wall, his hand clenched in deep thought as he looks about the room. He's probably processed that Light and Takada may be passing notes after Near's call earlier. I can't think about the way they're passing each other notes; either they are using the notepads available in the room or they have their own pieces of paper with them to communicate with. It won't take long before the 9:00 news is over. Takada will be here soon. Between listening to whatever nonsense they say to one another and figuring out Light's play of words as Takada plays along to trick us, I wonder if there is even time to investigate this part of the puzzle. Mr Aizawa, I notice, remains still by the large mirror against the wall in deep thought. His eyes follow Light who continues to search the room for cameras belonging to the SPK. I'm sure he's probably thinking about the possibility of the two passing notes, and I wonder if he can find a way to verify that. Even if there's a chance that they are using their own pieces of paper, there would have to be some sort of residue to trace such as surface scratches on the tables or even ink splotches, especially if they are using pens. However, if they are using the notepads provided by the hotel, there may be a way to pick it up before the hotel comes to clean it up. Of course, that's assuming I'll be able to stick around after Light's done with the meeting.

'Everything's clear,' Light says, 'I've gone over the room and there's nothing in it. Just our wiretaps.'

'Right,' Mr Aizawa says, 'then all that's left is the bathroom.'

Light follows it up.

'Don't you find it strange that Light cares so much for checking for wiretaps and cameras?' Mr Aizawa whispers.

'Honestly, I've found this strange ever since he asked only to have wiretaps and no cameras.'

'Even so, why is Kira allowing these meetings in the first place?'

Good question.

As I watch Light search for cameras in the bathroom, I notice Mr Aizawa pulling out a notepad then setting it back down. Once we feel everything is prepared, Mr Aizawa and I turn to leave but Light uses this opportunity to hold me back. I turn to face him with a questioning look.

'Can you stick around? Even if it's just outside?'

'Why?' I ask, then mentally slap myself. It's a bloody opportunity!

'Just in case anything goes wrong with this meeting. And I know that you'll all feel better if at least one of you stuck around here.'

Of course, this means I may also run into Takada. If she does have the Eyes, I'll be able to see for myself. Even if Misa may give herself away, Takada is calm under pressure, a lot subtler with her reactions. It may be to my advantage to try and profile her. 'Sure,' I agree. 'Mr Aizawa?'

'Fine with me. do you have your own access to their conversation?'

'Yep.'

'Alright. See you both later.'

Light and I sit quietly, waiting for Takada to arrive while Mr Aizawa returns to HQ. Finally, the knock sounds and when I open the door to escort Takada into the room, she follows me with a glare. Seeing Martha behind her, I smile. Takada turns to look at her bodyguard and then back at me, at which point her face relaxes. I catch up with the picture she creates of me and Martha and decide to endure the misunderstanding for the sake of the investigation. With everything set, I leave the room with Martha, tuning up my radio. Martha notices and gives me a questioning look. 'I'll explain later,' I mouth.

'Did you make it here okay?' Light asks.

'Just fine, thanks.'

'Good.'

'Who was that woman with you?'

'She's a colleague. I asked her to stick around in case of an emergency. Why do you ask?'

'She reserved her smile for my bodyguard. I hope neither of them is distracted by each other on the job.'

A pause. 'Oh? Well…I guess.'

Oy. Just get to the point Light!

'Light,' Kiyomi begins, 'I thought you should know, I had a private chat with Ms Misa Amane yesterday.'

'About what?'

'She told me that she's planning to announce her engagement to you during her appearance at the pop music festival.'

'No. She thinks we're together because I haven't been able to break it to her yet, but she means nothing to me.'

Oh, here we go.

'"Nothing", you say?' Takada asks after a pause. 'Why should I believe you?'

'Believe me, she's nothing.'

Light's voice sounds dangerously serious right now. If they are passing notes, he's probably told her about Misa's involvement, revealing that she was the Second Kira.

'You're the only woman for me,' Light says.

'"The only woman for me"? Is that supposed to be serious? I expected better from you Light. You're going to have to prove yourself from now on, but I will trust you. Of course, if I find out you're lying, you'll pay dearly. In fact, I'll tell Kira about it.'

'Kira, huh?' Light scoffs. 'You known, I understand that the world really needs Kira right now, but I just can't help but wonder. Will the day ever come when you and I can be together?'

Where the Hell is he going with this?

'I can't help but hate Kira for choosing you as a spokesperson, because it keeps us apart,' he continues. 'I don't mind if he kills criminals, but we've done nothing wrong. We have the right to lead happy lives, don't we?'

'Yes. I want to be happy together with you. But that could only happen if Kira wasn't around.'

'You're right. If Kira wasn't around.'

'Kira should be arrested.'

Kira should be…

'It's true,' Takada continues. 'If you and I are ever going to have a chance at being happy together, Kira should be caught.'

'W—wait a minute, Kiyomi. Do you really mean that?'

What in the name of the Saint is happening in there?

'Yes,' she answers.

'Alright, but if I'm going to arrest him, I'll need your help. You'll be putting yourself in danger. After all, I'll be defying the police, and you'll be going against Kira and the entire world as well. Are you sure that's okay?'

Silence.

Too long a silence.

'Alright,' she says, finally. 'If cooperating with you means that we can be together, then I'm prepared to make that sacrifice, Light.'

As of now, someone has fallen into Kira's trap. I'm just not sure it's Takada or the Task Force. The outcome of this is not going to be pretty, even if it means we catch Kira. The meeting ends though; Martha stands at the door to escort Ms Takada out, and I, standing by the wall, wait for Light to clear up. As Takada leaves, I catch her saying: 'Abdul, if you wish to take some time off to spend with her, I wouldn't mind.'

At that, Martha turns to me an eyebrow raised.

'Later,' I sign, and she walks away.

My phone vibrates, a message from Mr Aizawa. He wants to check the hotel room after Light leaves.

I let him know Light and I are getting ready to leave.

Light comes out of the room after I slip my phone in my pocket. 'Ready to go?' he asks.

'Yes.'

'Okay.'

Light doesn't say a word to me until wwe reach the cab waiting for us outside. He opens the door for me, and I slip in first, and he afterwards. The silence lasts a few seconds before he asks: 'So what was Takada talking about?'

'What do you mean?'

'She said something about your relations with her bodyguard. And you admitted to knowing her.'

'So?'

'I assumed that you two were just friends. Not that—you…'

'Yes?' I don't think I've ever seen him struggle with words.

'Not that—there was—something more between you two.'

Oh. Oy! Good thing all wiretaps are off. 'Light, if I were a lesbian, do you really think I would have let you kiss me? For any reason?'

'Good point.'

'Besides, I'd rather have Takada believe that I'm in a relationship with Martha. That way you won't have to sit through a repeat of tonight. I told you not to let Misa and Takada meet, didn't I?'

'You told me to make sure they'd never meet but I didn't think there would be an opportunity without my knowing.'

'Right.'

'Why are women like that?'

'Like what?'

'They are always fighting like cats in a ring! They both had to set up a scene to argue over something like this.'

'It's no different from men treating chivalry like it's a contenst of measuring—'

The look Light gives me halts me from fininshing the sentence.

'Well, you do,' I shrug. 'Besides, when they both fall in love with your charm like that, they want you all to themselves. Any person in love with someone can get territorial, male and female alike. If you and another man fell in love with a two-timing woman, would you behave any differently? Chances are you'll use your brute strength on one another to prove something. Women find it about as annoying.'

'Would you?'

'Very.'

He seems to let that sink in.

Back at HQ, I notice Mr Aizawa's still missing. Mr Matsuda congratulates him on his performance tonight. I step closer to Mr Ide who gives Light a suspicious glare. 'You heard everything tonight?'

'Yeah, I did. Aizawa's not back yet though.'

'How much of tonight's meeting was recorded?'

'All of it. Do you want to transcribe it?'

'Yeah.'

'Alright. I'll make you a copy.'

'Merçi.'

Everything that leads up to the NHN Pop Music Festival remains monotonous and I'm still no closer to finding out the identity of the New Kira. I ignore the TV Images while I listen to the recordings of Takada and Light's latest date, trying to find any useful hints, coming up shorter than the rest. Fed up with the useless information, I turn my attention to the TV expecting to see Misa and Mr Mogi prepare for the opening act. Moments in however, Takada reveals that Misa's yet to arrive in the hall. As the Task Force panics, I suspect Near is the reason she's missing. With Mr Mogi around, there's no way some non-official power could stop her from entering the venue. Still, it's good to be certain so I don't say anything. Mr Aizawa, sensing my calm reserve, looks to me for help. I nod my head, agreeing that it may be the SPK behind this. After all, since Mr Aizawa confirmed the Notepads were used as a communication between Light and Takada, he, Mr Ide and Mr Mogi have been on the edge. He might have even told Near about them which may have led to this.

I glance at Light who apparently has been looking at me as well. No longer hesitating, he makes the call: 'Near!'

'Yes, what is it, L?' he responds.

'We have a problem. Mogi and Misa Amane have gone missing.'

'I'm already aware of that. I was the one who took them into custody.'