Speak No Evil Chapter Five
Final chapter. I hope you have all liked my story. Just so you know, the quote at the beginning is from a Claude Reins film called "The Unsuspected"
5. Unsuspected
“Tonight, I bring you from the files of the nation’s unsolved crimes,
a story of a murder of rare delicacy and wondrous ease that was called
‘Suicide’.
Yes, ‘suicide’, the police called it,
yet the murderer walks among us free.
I might unknowingly have passed him on the street today.
He could even have been sitting next to you on the train,
or in a café, hiding his evil behind a mask,
the calm and often smiling mask of
The Unsuspected.”
As soon as Rem was nothing more than a pile of bone dust, Light sprang into action. He grabbed her Death Note and quickly hid it between two cabinets in the corridor.
Trying to look as distressed as possible, Light ran back into the room where the investigation team were waiting.
“What’s happened? Is everyone alright?”
The team turned to him as he entered, faces pale with fear. The only person who didn’t look at him was L, who was shouting at his computer screen.
“Watari! WATARI!”
“Oh God,” Light whispered. “I thought I stopped her in time…”
L flew across the room at him, grabbing him by his shirt collar. Light had never seen the detective so angry, not even over the past few weeks. “What?! WHAT DID YOU DO?!”
“I-I didn’t do anything!” Light protested, eyes shining with tears. “I tried to stop her! The Shinigami, she was going to write all our names in the Death Note! She said that she was following instructions from Kira!”
Everyone gasped in horror. Even L took an unconscious step back.
“But…” Matsuda breathed, “but I thought Rem wasn’t on anybody’s side…”
“Clearly not,” L said, his voice blank. He turned back to Light. “You did well to stop her, Light. We would all be dead if you hadn’t.”
“I’m… I’m sorry I wasn’t faster, L.”
L didn’t look at him. “Don’t. You tried.” L sighed, and regained a little of his composure. “Where is the Shinigami now?”
“She crumbled away, along with her Death Note. We don’t need to worry any more.”
There was a long pause before L said anything. “Very well. I suppose we should get back to work. When Watari- when he was killed, he triggered an emergency program that deleted the majority of our files. We’re going to have to work hard to recover the data.”
Light nodded as L shakily headed back to his computer station. Light was surprised at how badly the detective had been affected by Watari’s death. L hadn’t even questioned Light’s story, hadn’t suspected at all that he may have had a hand in all of this.
Perfect.
Now all Light had to do was wait until nightfall, and he would finally bring the Great L to his knees.
-x-
When everyone left, Light stayed behind, explaining that he didn’t want to leave L alone after what had happened. The team all thought this was a very kind thing to do, and Soichiro even embraced his son, telling him what a caring man he was.
If only they knew.
Still keeping up his pretence, Light took a slice of cheesecake and a cup of coffee over to the detective, who was sat staring at his blank computer screen. He had been sat there for a while, numb with shock. He didn’t even seem to notice Light.
“Ryuzaki…”
No response.
“L?”
L slowly roamed his eyes over to where Light was standing. Light wasn’t sure if the detective actually saw him or was just responding automatically.
“L, wherever you’ve gone, you have to come back.”
L remained as he was, removed from the world.
Needing to coax a reaction, Light bent down and turned L’s face up towards him, capturing his lips. At first, L stayed a marble statue, but then he began to melt into the kiss, leaning up and taking Light’s face in his hands.
“Light…” he breathed.
That’s the first time you’ve said my name like that. You really are mine now.
Light stood back up. “I want to talk to you about something.”
Now fully roused from his stupor, L tilted his head inquisitively. His eyes were still tinged with sadness. “What is it, Light?”
Light smirked inwardly at the detective. So fragile, so unsuspecting... I will break you, L.
“I know you probably don’t want to think about the investigation right now, but I was wondering - that plan you came up with to test the 13 Day rule…”
L looked away. “Light, I-”
“Don’t interrupt me,” Light snapped, and L’s eyes widened slightly at the tone. “It was because of what I said the other night, wasn’t it? But L, I have to know… did you come up with that plan to finally prove I was Kira, or to prove that I wasn’t?”
Say it. Say it, so that I will truly have defeated you.
L was silent for some time, staring at the floor. It seemed that he hadn’t quite realised why he had done it himself. After a while, he responded quietly, “To prove that you weren’t.”
Yes! YES! I have WON, L! I, Kira, made you question yourself, made the World’s Greatest Detective think he was wrong! Soon, you will be dead, and I shall be unstoppable.
On the outside, Light only smiled, taking L’s hand and kissing it gently. “You have no idea how much that means to me.”
L continued to study the tiling. “I assume that your statement from the other night still stands, however. I have yet to actually test the rule, and therefore still cannot be entirely sure you aren’t Kira.”
Light answered this by placing a tender kiss on L’s forehead. “That doesn’t matter anymore. Your intention is enough.”
L hesitated, drawing back. “It may be for you, but not for me, Light. I haven’t even started setting up the test - Watari’s deletion of the database changed my priorities slightly.”
Light knew how to handle this - his time with Misa had perfected his ‘caring boyfriend’ side to a tee. “Look, I understand, ok? I know that you can’t… you can’t commit to anything if you still suspect me. But couldn’t we be like a proper couple, just for tonight? I can see that you’re grieving over Watari, and it hurts me that I can’t hold you, can’t comfort you, without you worrying if I’m Kira.”
L wavered, his emotions vying with his logical side. “Maybe… maybe just tonight. But I’m setting up that test first thing in the morning.”
Light smiled, taking L’s hand and leading him to the sofa. He pulled the man into a loving embrace, gently stroking his hair. L sighed, finally dropping his guard and letting himself lean into Light.
“Thank you,” L whispered breathlessly.
No, thank you, L. I hold your heart in my hands.
And now I will break it.
He did not feel any guilt. None at all.
“Do you know why this is so perfect?” Light asked.
“Why?”
A dark chuckle built in Light’s chest and he smirked. “Because I am Kira.”
L sprang away, pressing his back against the sofa. He looked scared.
Good.
“What? You…”
“Are Kira, yes. And I have beaten you. Look at you, cowering there like vermin. You thought you were so high and mighty, this pinnacle of justice, but do you know what you really are, L? Human. And I am a God.”
L’s face contorted in anger. “So you’re saying that, all this time, I was right?!”
“Tragic, isn’t it? I even convinced you, in the end. And that is how I killed you.”
“What is that supposed to - wait, killed? Past tense?” L paled further.
Laughing, Light pulled out the Death Note. He had retrieved it earlier, hiding it under his shirt to torment the detective with. “You were so determined to prove I wasn’t Kira that you very nearly proved I was. Rem couldn’t have you incriminating me or Misa, so she wrote you and Watari’s names down. It was only by my good graces that you didn’t die with him.
“Would you like to see how you die, L?”
Light went to open the notebook.
L was consumed with rage. He could not bear this betrayal; could not bear to see Kira show him his defeat.
He launched off the sofa at Kira, tackling the man to the ground, knocking the Death Note away before it could be opened. Slender fingers wrapped themselves around Kira’s neck and began to squeeze.
L felt strangely disconnected, like someone else had taken over his body and was acting for him. It wasn’t his hands choking Kira, it wasn’t his body pressing down on the younger man with enough strength to crack bone. It felt almost like a dream.
He was sure he shouted something at Kira, but he could not hear the words.
Something - a flash of Light in those eyes - stunned him temporarily. But then it was gone, Kira glaring up at him once more, taking advantage of the momentary pause to try and tear the hands away from his neck.
L’s hand moved to grab Kira’s hair, slamming the evil mastermind’s head down onto the tile flooring, hard.
Crack.
Kira’s eyelids fluttered and his grip loosened. L slammed Kira’s head down again.
Crack.
Kira’s eyes unfocussed, his grip now slack. L slammed it again.
Crack.
Kira made a strange gurgling sound at the back of his throat. L’s hands were wet. He slammed it again.
Crack.
And again.
Crack.
L fell back, breathing heavily. Whatever spell had been holding him broke, and he screamed in wretched horror at what he had done. He reached out, crimson-spattered fingers stopping just short of touching Light’s face, as if afraid the man would wake up and take his revenge. Tears fell freely down his cheeks and he began to whimper.
The logical part of his brain took over, shutting down emotional response. The Death Note… it must be…
He scrabbled across the floor for the notebook, nearly tearing the pages as he hastily flipped to find the relevant entry.
When he saw what was written there, the last remnants of his mind snapped. He sat in a pool of dark blood, staring at the page, giggling insanely to himself.
He stayed there until his eyes glazed over and his mind was filled with only one thought: Find a knife.
-x-
The first body that the Investigation Team found was L’s.
He was lying in the hallway, his wrists cut to ribbons. The stench of blood and death was unbearable, and more than one member of the team was violently sick.
“Kira…” Aizawa breathed, wiping cold sweat from his brow. “Kira must have killed him, just like he killed Watari. Light wasn’t fast enough to stop th-”
“Oh God, Light!” Soichiro cried. “Light never came home last night! He stayed with L, and…”
The man ran through the building, the rest of the team closely behind. They stopped short when they found the second body. Soichiro fell to his knees, sobbing.
Light’s head was a bloody mess, his skull smashed on the tiles.
Matsuda noticed the Death Note first, gingerly stepping around the congealed liquid to reach it. Retching, he picked up the slim black notebook. “This must be the Shinigami’s,” he said, his voice shaky. “She must have written their names before Light interrupted.”
Aizawa snatched the Death Note, quickly flicking to find the last entries in the book. He stared for a moment in confusion.
“What? Why isn’t - no, no, it can’t be!”
Soichiro whirled around to face Aizawa, eyes wild and desperate. “What is it?” When the younger man failed to respond, he took the Death Note himself. He, too, stared in confusion before his face paled with realisation. He showed the rest of the team what was written there.
There were two names in English, followed by a description in Japanese.
Quillsh Wammy
L Lawliet. Suicide. 3am, November 6th. Slits wrists after an angry conversation with the youngest member of the Kira Investigation Team.
Light’s name was not written in the Death Note.
L had murdered him of his own volition.
-x- End