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“I don’t like this, not at all,” the eccentric detective said.
The look of trepidation on L’s face spoke volumes. And there was a collective share of emotion from each one of the task force members.
On the large screen just above the main hub of the Kira Task Force Headquarters, the headline to a major news outlet read: “BAD SANTA STRIKES AGAIN!”
Why would anyone even conceive of such an evil plan?
Light’s fingers worked fast over his keyboard. He brought up every article on the so-called “Bad Santa” robberies. In recent weeks up to Christmas, a criminal dressed as Santa Claus and his band of elves helpers, participated in a series of smash and grab thefts in the Kanto Region. Mostly jewelry stores. And not only were they getting away with it, a lot of people were asking: Where Is Kira?
Social forums were exploding with anger and frustration that Kira wasn’t doing anything about them. The criminals and the lovable icon reputation that is Santa Claus.
Santa Claus brought good little kids presents and spread joy and happiness. When Light was a kid, that’s what his parents told him.
Now department stories, store fronts, charities, and advertising agencies were banning the Santa Claus image because of these robberies. And this angered Light to a massive degree.
Of course, the media were all on the same wavelength assuring this was not the real Santa. But to the kids, this obviously was a blow.
“The police have very few leads to go on,” Soichiro Yagami said. He stood next to Light at his work station, starring up at the large view screen. In his hand was a computer tablet with a news article open. “These robberies have become the NPA’s top priority.”
“As it should be,” L said, sitting crouched in his chair. Before him on the counter next to a keyboard was an untouched chocolate sundae that was partially melting. “I want this ‘Bad Santa’ caught! I will not stand for this blatant destruction of Old Saint Nick’s reputation!” He slammed a fist down. Unfortunately, he slammed it directly into the dessert. Ice cream and chocolate spattered everywhere.
Everyone was stunned. L never expressed heavy emotion. He was always calm and collected.
L typed something into his work station. The effort brought up a map of where the ‘Bad Santa’ robberies had taken place. There had been a robbery every day since the beginning of December, like removing a piece of chocolate from an advent calendar. “Every year, the children at the orphanage I resided, would receive gifts from Santa. They weren’t much, we were orphans, but it was enough to say, Santa hasn’t forgotten about you. Christmas has always been a joyous occasion and I have fond memories. I won’t let it be ruined by this—this charlatan! The Kira Case is on hold until we catch this @#$%er!”
Once again, L surprised everyone. L never swore.
“Obviously this means a lot to you, Ryuzaki,” Light said. “Believe me when I say, we’ll catch him. You have my word.”
L turned and looked at Light. “Your word,” L said. “And how can you promise that? If Kira can’t catch this 'Bad Santa' and his band of naughty elves, how will your efforts bare better fruit?”
Light didn’t have an immediate answer. “I—er—“ He looked up at the map displayed on the main view screen. And suddenly, he saw a pattern. He turned to his keyboard and began typing something. His efforts brought up a side screen of each location hit by the robberies. “I think I may have an idea.” He pointed at the map. “Look at each of the locations. If we connect the dots, we find the robberies each, to a degree, correspond to a point of a star—a traditional Christmas symbol. However, instead of five points, the robbers are using the inside points. Hence ten points. They’ve already hit eight high-class stories, they have two left.”
L looked at the map and the lines that now connected the points of the outer and inner star.
“Wow, Light…” Matsuda said, stepping into the fray from the couch. “You’re amazing!”
L nodded, dabbing his finger into the spattered ice cream on the counter. He licking it. “Yes, quite remarkable that you saw that and I didn’t. You really are quite smart, Light.”
Light smiled modestly. “I’m sure you would’ve seen it too, Ryuzaki, if…”
“If I wasn’t so caught up in my emotions?” L countered back.
Light didn’t respond, but L was essentially correct.
Ryuzaki took a larger lick of the ice cream on the counter. He was getting his appetite back. “Okay. Now that a pattern has been established, where will they strike next?”
Light had already anticipated that question. He brought up the nearest locations of potential targets within the next targeted area that the thieves could strike. There were two. A jewelry store and a fine arts gallery. Both would have suitable surveillance systems.
“I think we need to get into the mindset of these thieves,” Soichiro Yagami suggested.
Light had already done so. After he saw the pattern, he figured this was a direct challenge to Kira. Catch me if you can, but you can’t kill Santa or you’re make all the little boys and girls cry. He had to find a way to separate these thieves from the image of Santa before Kira had an opportunity to kill them.
They had to be unmasked and exposed for the fraudsters they are to re-establish Santa’s reputation first.
“I think we need to expose one of the secondary players—one of the elves,” Light said.
His fingers danced furiously over his keyboard. He implemented tactics and used programs of wide surveillance to establish a possible link to one of them. He even used face recognition software and body language protocols. And after a minute or so, he had what he needed.
“Got it!”
Light brought his efforts onto the main screen. “This is a 99% match to one of the ‘elves’, thanks to police surveillance of videos and eye witness accounts. I also used social media. The police should pick him up and question him.”
“Once again, Light…this is remarkable,” L said, with a thin smile. L turned to Soichiro. “Let’s see if this bares fruit. Mr. Yagami?”
Soichiro Yagami picked up his cell phone and made a call to his contacts at the NPA. He relayed the information. They asked where the information came from. And after he looked at Light, with a proud smile, he said, “My son figured it out. Have some men pick him up and question him.”
After he ended the call, he returned to the task at hand.
“Which one of the locations would you choose if being a criminal was your forte, Light?” L asked.
“I don’t like how you phrased that question, Ryuzaki,” Light rebuked.
L produced an amused smile. “It was just a question, Light. Don’t get offended. I was asking for your honest opinion. You brought up two possible locations Bad Santa and his naughty elves would strike. A jewelry store or a fine arts gallery.”
Light paused. He still didn’t like how L asked him. However, after thinking about it, he said, “The fine arts gallery,” he said.
This seemed to catch L and every one off guard.
“Why not the jewelry store?” His father wondered. “The pattern would suggest…”
Light turned in his chair to his father. “That’s the thing, Dad. The thieves have already hit a number of jewelry stores, so naturally that would be the next logical target. But something about these thieves tell me, they want to trip us up. The police will place all their readied forces next to already established hot spots this Bad Santa and his naughty elves have struck, so a fine arts gallery would be an unlikely target. But I think it’s the perfect target. And, as we’re talking, I had the computer compile a list of expositions at the gallery.”
Light brought up the list on a side screen, then clicked on one link. It was an image of a painting with a nativity scene with an angel hovering in the air above a newborn Jesus Christ with other figures. It was dark in colour with a heavy religious theme.
“It’s called the "Nativity with Saint Francis and Saint Lawrence", by Italian painter Caravaggio in 1609. It’s a reproduction, since the original painting was stolen by thieves in 1969 from the Oratory of Saint Lawrence in Palermo, Italy. Market value of the original painting is estimated at around $20 million U.S. dollars. This reproduction is on loan to this particular fine arts gallery for exhibition until next week. There was much fanfare when it arrived. Regardless of its lesser production, it’s still quite valuable.”
“So, you think the thieves will try to steal it tonight?” Matsuda said.
Light paused for a moment. For a moment, he had doubting thoughts. What if he was wrong about the theory? But then he he knew he was right. It was the perfect bait-and-switch. Get everyone thinking Bad Santa and his elves will knock off another jewelry store while the fine arts gallery was a wide open target.
“Yes,” Light said confidently. “I think it’s too valuable of an target not to chance.”
“Very well,” his father said, taking out his cell again. “I’ll inform the NPA of your theory and—“
“No,” L said. “I want to catch this Bad Santa and expose him. Contact the gallery. I’m taking a personal interest here. We’ll wait for the thieves inside gallery and catch them in the act.”
“Do you think that’s wise, Ryuzaki?” Light said. “Your identity could be exposed.”
“I’ll wear a mask,” L said. “Make the call.”
The fine arts gallery director was thrilled that L and the Kira Task Force was taking a personal interest in the Bad Santa robberies. But he wasn’t happy that the gallery was the next potential target.
During the initial contact, L insisted the police not be informed. L wanted to keep things low key.
L wore a plastic Santa mask when he met the director. It was odd, but he wanted to keep his identity hidden, despite Light, his father, and Matsuda wore none. L was eccentric that way. The mask was of an jolly, Old Saint Nick, not the grungy-looking fabrication of the Bad Santa.
“I assure you, Director,” L said. “This imposter will be caught and punished. The last thing the world needs is for Santa’s reputation to be ruined by the evil of a charlatan.”
“Thank you,” the Director said, bowing. “But I’m a little confused. You said this has nothing to do with your case regarding the nefarious Kira.”
“That’s correct. But evil comes in different forms, Director. And each one must be stamped out. My people will monitor the security camera while your people continue with their duties as normal.”
“Very well,” the Director said.
On special provision, Light was let off the leash, so to speak. The handcuffs that normally connected he and L were taken off, so not to appear offish. And Light was put under his father’s strict supervision.
Besides, Light had no intention of running away. He was on the side of truth and justice. He wanted to catch this “Bad Santa” as much as anyone else.
They settled in. The security office was sizeable, despite a two-man security crew. Both were out on patrol at the moment, since the cameras were currently manned by L and the task force. They had a radio to inform the security guard of any suspicious activity.
But for nearly five hours, everything appeared normal. L remained awake the entire time, but every one of the other members had dosed off.
Both members of the security patrol were again patrolling the gallery as L watched the cameras. Radio contact was reported every couple of minutes and announced when an officer entered a new wing.
“This is Security One, nothing to report,” a call over the radio came in. “Request permission to take a five minute break. I haven’t had a cigarette in hours.”
“This is Security Two,” a response from from a secondary call. “That’s not something you should be asking for over the radio.”
L could hear the disgruntled nature of the second security officer. This was no time to be frustrated.
He took a radio from its holder and pressed a button. “Security One, you have permission. And Security Two, be nice. You two have been working hard tonight without suitable breaks. And I thank you for all your hard work. I have the cameras.” L put the radio back in its holder.
L watched the first security officer walk down a hall. He swiped a fob and exited an exterior door. It then shut behind him. There was no camera outside that door.
Light snorted and startled awake. He had been leaning back in his chair. He rubbed his eyes. “I’m sorry, Ryuzaki,” he said. “I must’ve fallen asleep.”
“That’s fine, you don’t have the practice I have in staying awake.”
Light stretched his arms above his head, then leaned forward. He yawned. “How is everything?”
“No issues,” L said, crouching on his chair. “We may have been wrong about this.”
“You mean, I was wrong about this. It was my theory.”
L didn’t reply to that.
Light found L staring intently at one camera screen. There were a series of screens in box monitors, each with night vision but with average lighting. L tilted his head in a curious manner.
“What is it, Ryuzaki?”
“The security guard hasn’t come back from his smoke break yet. He asked for five minutes, it’s been five minutes and twenty seconds.”
Light yawned again. “He’s probably enjoying the break. Maybe he’s having two cigarettes?”
L then turned his head and surveyed each monitor. “Do you see what I see?”
Light blinked to focus. He looked at each screen in turn. “Everything looks fine. No activity.”
“Exactly. Absolutely no activity. Not even from the security guards. And there has not been a call-in for over five, now six minutes. I think we have company.”
The revelation woke Light up fully. His eyes widened with shock. “Do you mean…but I don’t see anything.” Light looked at all the cameras. All looked quiet. Then he thought, things looked too quiet.
Just then, one of the guards showed up on camera. “Which guard is that one?” Light said.
L picked up the radio and called out. “Security One, Security Two…respond, please,” he said. However, the guard didn’t even make a move for his radio that was seen hooked on his belt.
Light leaned in closer at the monitor. “Why is the guard walking like that? Like he’s half-asleep?”
L learned in as close as he possibly could, eye-ball to monitor.
“Ryuzaki! Get your face away from the monitor.”
“The old saying if you sit too close to the television is bad for your eyes is an old wives tale,” L said. “Besides, I’m trying to see something, and I think I have it. But I want to see it for myself.”
L hoped down from his chair and ran for the door. Light chased him. Leaving his father and Mastuda in the security office still asleep.
“Ryuzaki, what are you doing? Where are you going?” Light asked in pursuit. They ran down a hallway to one of the main galleries.
Suddenly L stopped just before he reached a conjunction. Light stopped swiftly behind him. “Ryuzaki—“
L silenced Light with a Shh and a finger to his mouth. L peaked behind the corner and saw the wandering guard. He was swaying from side to side as if he was either half-sleep or…
“I never would have believed it if I didn’t see it for myself,” L said. “Necromancy.”
Light peaked around the corner when L turned back. He focused in on the wandering guard who seemed discombobulated and confused. Light looked back to L and kept his voice low. “Necromancy? Black magic that controls the dead? But that’s only the movies, Ryuzaki. How is that even possible?”
“I’ve learned to keep an open mind,” L said. “You can’t imagine the things I’ve seen. Case in point, the Death Note and Shinigami. Necromancy isn’t fiction. The idea goes all the way back to ancient times. The ancient Babylonians were the first to practice it, followed by the Greeks and the Romans.”
“But that’s just superstition. Are you saying the guard is dead?”
“I don’t know, but he’s being controlled,” L said. “Maybe there is some connection to Kira here. We know Kira can control people before they die. What we don’t know yet is how long. Perhaps this is Kira’s newest method of control. I really don’t like how this Third Kira operates.”
“Do you think this ‘Bad Santa’ is really Kira?”
“It’s a possibility. And he’s trying to drum up capital for a new plan. We need to stop him.”
L pushed pass Light and stood out in the open. Light tried to stop him, but was too late.
“Hey, you!” L shouted.
The guard appeared to stop and then turn around from the sound. His face was an alabaster white and his eyes had rolled back into his head. The guard made a sound much like a moan and then began to walk towards L, but with slow almost stumbling steps.
It was the first guard, the one that asked for a cigarette break.
Just then, from behind them—their enemy appeared. Light noticed him first. The “Bad Santa” was dressed in red and white, exactly like Santa Claus from the pom-pom hat, to the white (but somewhat dirty) beard, all the way down to the black boots. He even looked the part, size-wise, with a large pot-belly. He was also very tall, monstrous, in fact. With his height, he almost reached the ceiling, which was good ten feet.
“Greetings, gentlemen,” said their enemy. “I wouldn’t get too close to him. One touch, a break of the skin, and you’ll become just like him—dead and brainless.”
“That’s not Kira,” L said.
“You’re quite perceptive, my impertinent friend,” the ‘Bad Santa’ said. “You must be the infamous L that everyone has been talking about. And is this your oafish sidekick, a Watson to your Sherlock Holmes?” He laughed buoyantly. His round stomach even shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.
Oafish? Light thought. It meant clumsy or stupid. He immediately took offence. And the fact that he would be compared to Watson or be L’s sidekick.
The dead guard kept approaching them, but at a very slow pace. The second guard then appeared next to “Bad Santa” as if acting like a guard. He appeared to be controlled too. And dead.
Light looked back at the first guard, then turned back. L kept his focus on “Bad Santa”, as if leaving Light to watch out for the secondary threat.
Light was about to call out this thing that called itself “Bad Santa”, but L spoke up first.
“You’re not human, are you?” L said.
Bad Santa smiled broadly. “Correct,” he said. “I’m not of this world. I discovered your world by accident. I enjoyed it so much, I decided to stay. You humans are so entertaining.”
Something in Light’s mind sparked. He had heard that line before. Something, he didn’t know what, had said something along those lines about humans to him. But it felt like a long distant memory.
Light turned. “It’s getting closer, Ryuzaki,” he said.
The first guard was approaching ever closer. L looked.
But with one snap of his fingers, the “Bad Santa” halted the Zombie in his tracks. He even silenced his moan.
L looked back to “Bad Santa”. “You’re one of ‘them’, aren’t you?”
Bad Santa lifted a hand and suddenly all went quiet. It was like the entire world around Light stopped. Light turned and saw the zombie guard was frozen in mid-stride, so was the other one next to his enemy. He also saw L with a hand out and one finger poised to point also frozen in place.
“What in the world is going on here?” Light said.
Bad Santa shrunk. His size deflated like air being let out of a ballon in rapid succession. And suddenly, he was—still tall—thin and wiry. He looked similar to that cartoon character Light once saw in a movie once. The one about the dancing Christmas skeleton. His face was pale and his eyes were sunken. He still wore the Santa costume, but without the girth.
Bad Santa quickly approached Light and clutched his right hand, shaking it. “Oh, it’s you…it’s really you! I’ve wanted to meet you since I heard about you. You’re the one who started it all. The revolutionary! It’s very nice to meet you, Light Yagami. My name is Nightmare.”
Light was taken aback. He pulled away.
Nightmare said, “What’s the matter? Don’t you know what I am?”
Light felt his throat dry up, he didn’t even have enough moisture to shout out for help.
Nightmare tilted his head. “Oh, that’s right…” Nightmare reached into his Santa costume and pulled out a black book. He then thrust it into Light’s hands. “Hold this, and keep holding it. Your memories will return soon afterwards.”
And like a lightning flash to his cerebral cortex, all his memories of the Death Note returned. It felt like a thousand sharp knives penetrated his skull all at once. It hurt, but only for a few moments.
Light held the Death Note. He now remembered everything. He looked at this newest Shinigami. “Your name is Nightmare, you say,” he said.
The ghostly pale god of death nodded. Nightmare smiled broadly with a mouth of perfect teeth. “You’re a legend, Light Yagami. I was already in the Human World before the events of Kira. The Shinigami King allows us to take the lifespan of humans to add to our own life cycle. And since ‘Kira’ arose, more and more Shinigami wish to visit the Human World. News about you is all over the Shinigami Realm. Should I call you Kira?”
Light took a moment to process things before him he spoke. The Shinigami spoke like a dimwit, but obviously there were all types of them. “Not here,” he said, looking around. There were several cameras in this section. He waved a hand over L’s face.
“I have the ability to freeze time,” Nightmare said. “None of the cameras function and everything around us is frozen in time. But I can only keep it up for three minutes.”
“So I can only converse with you for three minutes. Fine. Then I’ll be quick.” Light frowned. He sent a penetrating stare at the Shinigami. “How dare you use the image of Santa Claus to commit robberies. Your actions are inextinguishable and reprehensible. You’ve placed Kira into a corner.”
Nightmare looked shocked. “W-what do you mean?”
“Kira is the embodiment of truth and justice in my new world order, but if Kira kills Santa Claus—everything up to now would be moot. It would be like Kira shooting himself in the foot.” Light took a deep breath. “You’ve used a beloved children’s icon to commit crimes. You must redeem yourself.”
Nightmare cocked his head. “You’re not like I imagined,” he said. “Why would ‘Kira’ care about Santa Claus? Kira is notorious for the sadistic killings of his fellow human beings.”
Light sighed annoyed. “The media label me as a murderous psychopath, but that misrepresents me.” He pressed the Death Note to his chest as if it were a life preserver. “My intentions are honourable. When I discovered what the Death Note could do, I decided to sacrifice my heart and soul to a noble cause. I’m cleaning up the world one criminal at a time. Order and justice must be maintained in Kira’s New World. I’m not sadistic, I’m pragmatic. I know exactly what needs to be done and do it. And everyone will see that Kira is righteous. When I become the god of this new world, people will praise Kira for years. The two-thousand year rule of the ancient Romans will be seen only as a footnote in human history. Kira will rule for even longer!”
“You talk too much,” Nightmare said.
Light looked at him with an icy stare. He ignored the Shinigami’s pseudo-contentious remark.
“I have no issue with you in the Human World, but Kira must be the one to expose this ‘Bad Santa’ and restore the image of Santa Claus,” Light said. “Kira must come out as a hero.”
Nightmare tilted his head. “And how are you going to that? And you can’t kill me. I’m already dead.”
Light’s eyes appeared to gleam with insight. “Listen up, and I’ll tell you…”
A few days later, media was abuzz with the “Bad Santa” story.
Kira had somehow exposed the criminal behind all the robberies dressed as Santa Claus. His elves were also all identified and arrested. There had been some causalities, however. Two security guards at a fine arts gallery had been killed. Charges of grand-theft and now manslaughter.
Light Yagami sat at his work-station in the central hub of the Kira Task Force. He stared dumbfounded at news reports he read and wondered how Kira had done it without restoring to murdering the criminals. It was not his standard modus operandi.
Apparently, an anonymous tip had been placed to the police where to find the fake Kris Kringle.
L read a screen next to Light, the handcuffs back on attaching the two. “It would appear in this case Kira is hero,” L said, crouched on his sat at his work station. “But I don’t like it. Too many missing pieces.”
He licked his fingers of chocolate sauce after scooping his fingers into an empty dish that once contained a sundae.
“You freely admit that, Ryuzaki?” Light said bewildered. “And what do you mean?”
L pressed a key on his keyboard and a media story popped up on the main view screen. “I mean, look at the method Kira caught this ‘Bad Santa’. I almost feels staged. And quite anti-climatic. It was like Kira found out who this criminal was and told him enough was enough.”
“Kira would never do that,” Light said.
L looked at Light. “And why would you say that? How would you know what Kira is thinking?” L rolled his chair over to Light and stared directly into his eyes. His face was almost touching.
Light pulled back his head. “Ryuzaki, you’re too close. And all I meant was, Kira’s normal method of elimination was exempt in this case. The criminals were exposed and caught. Kira revealed the ‘real’ Santa Claus didn’t commit the murders.”
L pulled back his chair. Then appeared contemplative. “You’re right, Light. And in this case, Kira is a hero. People are praising Kira everywhere. Kira seems to have more likability than he did before. The media headline: “KIRA SAVES CHRISTMAS” is spreading much like a virus.”
“I would’ve thought you’d happy that the criminals were caught and will serve justice,” Matsuda chimed in. He had been listening on the couch. Now he got into the conversation. “I, for one, praise Kira for his actions this time. But don’t get me wrong, Kira does need to be caught.”
The rest of the Kira Task Force were out on leads.
L rolled back to his work-station, almost despondent. “You don’t understand, neither of you do,” he said. “And the culprit that was caught wasn’t the one that committed the crimes.”
That achieved a gasp from both Light and Mastuda.
“Ryuzaki, what are you saying?” Light said with awe and shock.
L left the revelation hanging in the air for a moment. “It’s a bait and switch,” he then said. “Kira found a stand-in for the real criminal. And I believe sooner than later Kira will act against him to hide his tracks. Once Kira achieves all the praise from his ‘kind act’, the man will be subject to Kira’s ‘justice’.”
Light looked up at the media report L had put on on the main screen. He shook his head. He couldn’t see the logic behind L’s thinking. The man had confessed. He was exposed as the man behind the “Bad Santa” robberies without a doubt. And all his elf helpers had been rounded up.
“I think this case is closed,” Matsuda said firmly. “I think you’re wrong about this one, Ryuzaki. I still have to do some Christmas shopping, so I’ll be leaving a little early.”
Light acknowledged Matsuda, then he left.
Light looked at L with a curious stare. “You know, Ryuzaki…you may be right.” Light turned in his chair and stared blankly at his keyboard. “I have this odd feeling that I’ve forgotten something. Something strangely important..”
L turned to him. “Like you’re Kira?”
Light looked back at L irked. “Don’t start that again,” Light said. He turned in his chair and went back to searching through the internet for any social media notations of Kira. “By the way, Ryuzaki, for what it’s worth to you in your grinch-like mood. Merry Christmas.”
L grumbled under his breath. “Bah humbug,” he said.
END