Chapter Text
Mello knew before he picked up the call it was going to be bad.
Near wouldn't call him otherwise.
"Mello. Halle Lidner was found dead this morning."
Didn't mean the news didn't make his half-smoked cigarette fall out of his mouth.
"What?" he said, disbelieving
"Halle Lidner was found in a hotel bathroom, with slit wrists, at nine am this morning."
Suicide...? Halle had never exhibited suicidal ideation. Not privately, and not on any of her psychological evaluations. Near was many things, but he was not naive about death. Especially when it came to unconventional death. He leaned over to pick his cigarette back up, and took a pointedly longer drag of it.
"You suspect foul play, don't you."
"Ah, I thought you'd be competent enough to agree."
Mello could hear the smile in his voice. He had just told him that a mutual colleague they had known for a decade and a half was found dead and he was teasing. In an immense show of self-development, Mello simply ground his teeth, (snapping his poor cigarette that truly never stood a chance surviving this scenario), instead of planning a murder.
"Near I know that in your stunted mind that's the closest you get to humor, so I'll make the note of telling you that's in exceptionally bad taste."
"Please refrain from insulting me until we can meet in person. As one of the only remaining people who was involved in the Light Yagami case, and someone who knew Halle, we need to work on this together, and there are things I need to say in person.
"Still working out of the same place I remember?" Near was not a sentimental man, but his tendency to grow attached to a workplace was a sort of strategic concern for Mello. Near could be linked to the place by anyone with enough skill at hacking their contacts.
"Same one. I'll have one of the agents wait for you by the security entrance. Tonight, seven pm."
And then the son of a bitch hung up.
'Are you free then Mello?' 'Does that suit your schedule Mello?'
In a pigs eye.
The security of the place hadn't changed since the Kira case, noted Mello, with grudging approval.
Better too much than too little. Though, the tongue pattern machine seemed a little overkill. Only one person living knew his true name, but his finger, eye, and tongue prints were all very possible to access for the better data hackers out there.
He was greeted at the door by one of the inner circle members of Near's, Gevanni he thinks his name is. He was involved with the Kira case too.
The man's tear troughs were puffy, and there was a consistent tremor in his hands despite the fact he was clutching them behind his back so tightly. Mello assumed he and Halle were together.
The room the man leads him to is surprisingly empty of monitors and equipment.
Mello fought down even more surprise at the civilised tea table Near seems to have put together between two couches. He sat down opposite Near, slinging his arms behind the back of the couch and examining Near, who was 'busy reading a report of some sort'. Definitely not purposely keeping him waiting or anything. Bastard.
Every time Mello saw Near, his hair seemed more and more ridiculous. It was easily testing 3 feet nowadays, and Near apparently didn't have the energy to move any of it out of his face. He looked like an overgrown mop dog.
Mello was himself more practical in hair styles nowadays. Ever since the lighter incident of 2014, he kept his hair tied back.
After ten minutes with lack of initiative (how typical) on Near's part, Mello moved forward and started preparing his drink. Near had provided hot chocolate, and Mello noted that he had remembered his favourite brand from Wammy days.
What a show off.
Attentive show-off, but still. If Mello wasn't so weirdly touched Near bothered to get the brand even though Mello hadn't visited in person in ages, Mello would've ribbed him for it.
Only when his cup was poured and being mixed did Near look up.
"Thank you for meeting me."
"All in the name of investigation bureau co-operation, right?"
Their fragile civility had only been achieved after Mello had succeeded in being granted control of a legal investigation task force. The power had actually calmed him down, rather than the old story of making him go nuts. Possibly because he had already reached his maximum on that quota. The FBI acknowledged them both as specialist, giving Near the seasoned detectives who wanted to do paperwork that mattered, while Mello received the justice-drunk upstarts who the FBI sought to nurse the potential of, and simultaneously knock down a peg.
"Would you like me to skip formalities? The sooner you're up to speed on the matter, the better."
"Bold talk. What are you so sure that you know?"
Near stirred his own cup of tea absent-mindedly, with a concentrated glaze in his eyes.
"Does the name Taro Kagami mean anything to you?"
Mello sat back and squinted slightly in thought.
"Ahhh, that's the kid who was part of the example Wammy's used for police cover-ups, wasn't it?"
"Exactly. The reason I bring it up is because that kid, though not a kid anymore, is a murderer and a current holder of a death note." he said calmly, still stirring.
And you know what? Mello quite honestly was getting used to this monotone delivery every time he and Near consulted. But he sat up in attention despite Near's monotone.
"A death note? Jesus Near, skip the chase. What'd'ya need me for."
Near looked up then, through the thick strands of white hair, and smiled.
"Bait."