The Ability to Fall (Death Note)

11 ♚ Façade

“Light!” she exclaimed in sheer joy, running only a few steps and resting her head on his shoulder.

Light looked as though he wanted to shrug her off, but was forced not to do so for some reason. Whatever that reason was, I bet he was dreading it right now.

Several hours had passed, making the sky pitch black; it was nine o’clock, according to Watari’s watch.

Fortunately, Lawliet did come back. He walked through the door minutes later, looking just slightly more exhausted than I’ve seen him be lately. 

“Ryuzaki,” I said, exhaling in relief. “You alright?”

“Are all of you alright?” he asked.

All of us nodded, and then Watari spoke. “So what is it that you’re planning on doing with those two?”

“Well, Light has been taken in for questioning, and placed in solitary confinement,” he stated in a matter-of-factly tone of voice, as if it were nothing.

Watari, after saying his usual ‘very well’ in response to another one of Lawliet’s decisions, flipped a single switch in the opposite direction. Out of many large rows of small television screens, five lit up. I assumed that there were five cameras, all in the same room, except at different angles. Certain ones had slightly higher quality than the others, and some had just a bit higher amount of lighting. One thing was for sure, though. They all pointed to a man, blindfolded, sitting down on the floor with his knees in his chest. Anyone could notice that chestnut-colored hair and stance anywhere (even despite his current position). 

I was more intrigued than shocked at the fact that they’d put Light in such a place. But before I was able to open my mouth, though, Watari asked a question about the other suspect on their hands. “And for Miss Amane?”

“I let her go for the night; she’ll be returning tomorrow.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “Misa is still under suspicion, correct?”

“She still won’t be able to contact Light. I’ve made sure of that, as you can see,” Lawliet replied, peering over at the screen where nothing but silence was coming from the man inside of that room.

I was itching to say something about his decision as he sat down with ease on the sofa in front of the screens. If he was the detective he claimed to be, he certainly would have known better than to let Misa Amane off the hook this easily. I knew that I didn’t really have any business in solving the case, but maybe one suggestion wouldn’t hurt.

“Ryuzaki,” I said, nervously shuffling my feet.

“I’m sorry about your flight, Kyou. We’ll make sure you get another one tomorrow morning.”

“No, it isn’t that,” I said.

He peered over at me. “What’s the matter?”

“Could I point something out?”

There wasn’t a real reply; he merely turned towards his tea, or sugar with tea in it, and began to gulp it down. I took it as a yes. Sometimes when he merely kept silent, it signified approval. So I proceeded.

“Misa isn’t the brightest, and we could tell by merely observing her words and actions for only five minutes.”

“Which is why we’re leaving her be for tonight.”

“Wait, I wasn’t finished. Hypothetically speaking, if she was the second Kira, there’s no way she could carry out the plans and executions on her own. Unless, of course, Light has given her instructions ahead of time.”