A Year of Jubilee [The Death Note Fanfic]

Chapter 32

To see the shinigami in the flesh, rather than simply through a monitor, was like the difference between watching a storm on television and actually being caught in one in real life. The sound of thunder playing over a speaker was nothing in comparison to the shock of a thunderclap directly over one's head. Cold washed over Jubilee like a wave and terror gripped her heart like a vice as she gave a little shriek.

L turned to look at her with big gray eyes. "Miss Amachi?"

"It's there," she whispered, eyes wide and full of fear, but unable to look away from the scene. "It got out of the car."

"Ryuzaki?" Mogi's voice crackled from the headset again.

L faced front again to stare at what was unfolding, but said nothing for a moment.

Light spoke up for him. "Mogi," he said into his mic. "I want you to put a headset on Higuchi, as planned."

"Roger that."

Mogi stepped forward and placed a microphoned headset over Higuchi's ears. With that, L seemed to come back to life and he leaned forward.

"Higuchi," he began without any preamble. "How are you able to kill people?" There was a short pause. "Tell me!" he demanded, voice broaching no protest. Jubilee saw dark colors spike aggressively around his frame.

Before them, Higuchi's shoulders sagged in defeat but he hesitated in answering.

L reached over to grab a thermos and began pouring himself a cup of coffee. "If you're not going to talk," he said slowly, with deceptive casualness, "I will have to use whatever means necessary to get it out of you."

Beside Jubilee, Watari was reloading his rifle.

Higuchi clenched his jaw, then lowered his head. "The notebook," he said at last, his voice drifting as easily into Jubilee's mind as everyone else's had.

"...Notebook?" repeated L.

Jubilee stiffened. Notebook. The ghost of an image flitted through her brain. A black notebook. A name. A demon.

"You probably won't believe me—but I've got a special notebook. If I write someone's name in it while thinking of that person's face...that person dies."

A moment of silence followed this absurd claim. Then, "Mr. Yagami—" L began slowly.

"Yes." The former Chief had already retrieved a bag out of the passenger seat of Higuchi's car and was fishing a dark-covered book out of it. "I found it, here in his bag." He riffled through its pages. "There are a lot of names written in it, but there doesn't seem to be anything else unusual about—" At that moment, he glanced up, gave a sudden yelp, and dropped the book to the ground. His body followed shortly after as he fell down on his rump in a state of shock and horror.

"What is it, Mr. Yagami?" asked L, leaning forward.

Jubilee stared at the direction Soichiro was staring in. It was where the demon stood. Was it possible that he now could see...?

"It's—" Soichiro's voice was tight with panic. "It's...a monster!"

Jubilee sucked in a breath. "He sees it," she said, stunned.

"Please calm down," L was saying, at the same time that Mogi ran over to the fallen man. "Chief, hang in there," Mogi said, kneeling down and putting a hand on Soichiro's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Mogi." Soichiro pointed a shaking finger at the being that only he and Jubilee could see. "Can't you see that...that thing over there?"