"Light! Did you find anything?" Matsuda opened the door to Ryuzaki's room. I jumped at the unexpected visit -- it couldn't be helped, I was rooting through someone else's private stuff.

"No, not yet," I sighed. "Besides the huge hole in this magazine." Matsuda's eyes widened as I flipped open to the page with the gaping cavity in it. 

"That's definitely a clue! Whatever's in there could've been what he used to kill people! Should we take this magazine as evidence?"

"No. First, I want to see if he'll put anything back in it. I've still got the cameras on."

"Oh, right, that makes sense-"

Matsuda was interrupted by the sound of my phone ringing. I picked it up.

"We've got trouble." It was Aizawa. "In the middle of their date, these two kids sitting across the cafe collapsed on the floor. They're being transported to the hospital now."

"That's not good... did you catch what happened?"

"No. They just collapsed. Ryuzaki knew them, though. Their names were... Mello and Matt."

Two kids that Ryuzaki knows just happened to die within close range of him? I mean, that's pretty suspicious, but how would he have done it?

"He seems pretty upset," Aizawa continued. "Do you think it was him?"

"I don't know."

"Oh, and another thing. Right before the blonde kid collapsed, he was yelling at Ryuzaki about something. I could be imagining things, but I'm fairly sure I saw a notebook..."

"A notebook...?" I paused to think. "What happened to the notebook?"

"It just... disappeared."

I thought that was completely mad. Aizawa never had any kind of hallucinations before, he typically rested well and got enough to eat and drink...

"I got a picture," he said.

"A picture? Send it to me as soon as possible. And could you put Ryuzaki on the phone?"

"Alright." There was a moment of silence.

"Light- I have no idea what just happened. Maybe Kira got to them... oh, dear, Mr. Wammy will be devastated." Ryuzaki's voice quivered slightly. He paused to swallow. "Perhaps they've done something heinous, and Kira decided to go after them..."

"Hey. Take a deep breath. It's gonna be okay."

"What's happening?" Matsuda sat next to me with his head cocked toward the phone. Ryuzaki took a couple breaths, and his voice became calmer.

"I'm aware that this is going to make me seem suspicious," Ryuzaki said. "But I promise you, Light, with every bone in my body. I would never kill anyone, much less my own family."

"Don't worry about that right now. I know it wasn't you. Are you okay?"

"...yes, I'm alright. Thank you, Light," he said. I nodded in response before I remembered he couldn't see me.

"We'll find out what happened to them. When you get back, I'm going to have to ask you some questions."

"Alright."

*******************************

"Rem, you've been a great help. You don't have to stay."

"Well, actually I do. It is written in the rules."

"Right."

"You know that what you have done could be very upsetting to Lawliet."

"I know. But I just saved his life. You informed me that he does not have his notebook right now, correct? I'm doing him a favor."

"Whatever you say."

This one is conceited, Rem thought. But it is for Misa's sake. He will be able to save her from the likes of Lawliet. That is the deal we have made, after all.

"This is excellent. I am starting to see why Lawliet liked using this so much... it is almost as fun as some of my other toys."

Oh, dear. Humans are despicable, are they not?...