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the sound of her voice and he had not been able to make out what she was saying, but this was not something she could afford to believe,

“Yes... I’m also a detective,” Misora said, feeling like she had no other choice. If she had not been on a leave of absence, she would have claimed to be an FBI agent, but since she was, she did not want to

risk him asking to see her badge. It seemed safer to lie—after all, there was a distinct possibility he was

lying too. She did not need to feel at all guilty.

“I can’t tell you who I’m working for, but I’ve been asked to investigate in secret. To find out who killed Believe Bridesmaid, Quarter Queen, and Backyard Bottomslash...”

“Have you? Then we can cooperate!” he said instantly. Nerve on this level became oddly refreshing.

“So, Ryuzaki. Did you find anything under the bed that might prove useful in solving this case? I

assume you were looking for anything the killer might have left behind, but...”

“No, nothing of the sort. I heard someone come into the house, so I decided to hide and monitor the situation. After a while it became clear that you were not a dangerous character, so I emerged.”

“A dangerous character?”

“Yes. For example, the killer himself, coming back to get something he forgot. If that were the case, then what a chance! But apparently my hopes were in vain.”

Liar.

She could smell that lie coming.

Misora was now almost completely convinced that he’d been hiding down there to listen to her conversation with L. In any other situation, this would simply be paranoia, but this Ryuzaki character was no ordinary man.

There was nothing about him that wasn’t suspicious.

“However, instead I have been lucky enough to meet you, so it was not a total write off. This is not a novel or a comic book, so there is no reason for fellow detectives to despise each other. What do you say, Misora? Will you agree to an exchange of information?”

“No. Thank you for the offer, but I must refuse. I have a duty to keep things secret,” Misora replied. L had given her everything about the case anyone could have obtained—it did not seem likely she would be able to get any information from an inexperienced private detective. And of course, she had no intention of giving him anything. “I’m sure you have your secrets too.”

“I don’t.”

“Of course you do. You’re a detective.” “Oh? Then I do.”

Flexible.

Either way seemed to be fine with him.

“But it seems to me that solving this case must take precedence... Very well, Misora. How about this: I

will provide you with all the information I have in return for nothing.” “Eh...? Uh, I couldn’t possibly...”

“Please. Ultimately, it does not matter if I solve the case or if you do. My client’s wishes are to see the case solved, and only to see it solved. If you possess a sharper mind than my own, then telling you everything will be more effective.”

All that sounded nice, but he could hardly be thinking that for real, so Misora’s wariness of Ryuzaki grew even more pronounced. What was he after? A few minutes ago he had improvised a lie, claiming he thought she might be the killer returning to the scene of the crime, but that theory seemed to fit the man hiding under the bed far better than it did her.

“You may decide if you wish to give any of your information to me afterward. So, first, there’s this,” Ryuzaki said, pulling a folded piece of paper out of his jeans pocket. He held it out to her, without bothering to unfold it first. Misora took it, and unfolded it dubiously. . it was a crossword puzzle. A grid, and clues in a tiny font. Misora had a hunch what this was.

“This is…”

“Oh? You knew about it?”

“No... not directly.” she stammered, unsure how to react. It seemed obvious that this was the same crossword that had been sent to the LAPD on July 22nd, but L had said the original puzzle had been thrown away, so was this a copy? How had this man... how had Ryuzaki been walking around with it

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