Chapter Text
L kneeled on the floor of his hotel room, looking through the files on his laptop. Another murder with no explanation. L searched for details about the victim but could only find an audio file. A file that he immediately opened to hear the voice of a desperate man.
“Please, you gotta help me!” the man begged. “It’s coming! It’s after me!”
Yet what was after him L had no idea. All he heard was a scream and the sound of a lamp breaking. He looked up connections, trying to find something, anything, to help him get on the right track. In the end, all he could find was the name of the ad executive the man’s family had employed, Darren Ross. L called the man only to end up with his machine. Great, he didn’t have time to leave a voice mail and wait for a call back. If Darren Ross was not available, L would find another way.
The great detective searched for relatives of Darren Ross, seeing some information about a wife who worked as a nurse, a daughter and son who lived in America, meaning that they were too far away from the crime, and one daughter who was currently in Japan getting her business degree at To-Oh University.
L turned his search to the daughter, finding the profile picture of a young woman with an oval shaped porcelain face besetting eyes the color of emeralds framed by long wavy golden brown hair with a jasmine flower resting in that very hair and wearing a shirt of cyan with the collar pushed down to show her bare shoulders. Low enough to show a tiny bit of her generous cleavage. L did a search on her, wanting to see exactly who he was calling. He saw pictures of the daughter at fancy galas, sometimes with her parents, other times with an elegant man of business who looked only slightly older than her. In every picture she wore fancy dresses that complimented her curvy figure, always with the straps pushed down, and a flower in her hair to match the dress.
Yet he found more than pictures in his search. The daughter also had her own profile on a website where she posted stories about mysteries and the paranormal. L put his thumb to his lips, searching up the daughter’s cell number.
“Jasmine Ross,” L read aloud.
* * *
Jasmine was at her computer, refreshing her profile page on her story account as she talked on her phone.
“Yeah, got it, Mom,” Jasmine said absentmindedly. “I’ll let Dad know.”
She hung up and gave a sigh as her attention went back to her computer screen. Two days and not one new review. Though she did get an impressive amount of hits. If only the hits would talk about whether they liked her stories or hated them.
“Come on, sugs,” Jasmine said in her smooth southern accent. “What’s keeping you?”
After a few minutes of staring and refreshing, Jasmine wondered if she should do something else to fill the void. The responsible part of her brain told her to work on her economics essay. The goof off part wanted to open that page she had bookmarked about L’s latest case and finally give it a thorough read through. The goof off part won as she opened the page, reading about how the mysterious L had thwarted a terrorist. Picturing L’s victory in her head as she read the article. Only the ringing of her phone pulling her back to reality.
“Moshi Moshi?” Jasmine answered.
“Jasmine Ross,” a distorted voice on the other end said in English. “I am L.”
Jasmine’s jaw dropped. Had she heard the voice right? Was it really the famous L? The brilliant detective who solved crimes all over the world without even showing his face? Jasmine’s heart started to pound until a voice that sounded a lot like her dad spoke up in her head.
“You really think the great L would call you?” the snide voice derided her.
Jasmine’s eyes narrowed. “Is this a prank?” she asked in English. “Ken, is that you?”
Ken was her half-brother back in America who was more interested in get rich quick schemes than actually working to make a living. He had two failed marriages and who knows how many kids behind him. Jasmine had only counted the legitimate ones. A prank like this would not be beneath him.
“Ms. Ross, I am not Ken,” the voice insisted.
Jasmine scoffed. “Come on, sug, you think I just off the back of a turnip truck?” she asked. “What did you do, blow your kid’s college fund on a voice modulator?”
It wouldn’t be the first time her brother had been stupid with money. Nor was it the first time he had tried to trick her but, if Ken thought she was this stupid, he was in for a big surprise.
“I believe that is an issue you will have to take up with your brother,” the distorted voice insisted. “I have called to ask for your assistance in a murder case.”
Jasmine felt her hand shake as she listened to the voice. One whose wording sounded elegant and sophisticated, just like the recorded voice that had been described in articles. Far too sophisticated to be her deadbeat brother.
“Now I know you ain’t Ken,” Jasmine joked. “He doesn’t know any words greater than two syllables.”
“Does that mean that you now believe I am L?”
“Hey, all I said was that I know you ain’t Ken,” Jasmine pointed out. “That doesn’t automatically make you the famous L.”
Yes, he sounded closer to the mysterious L than Ken did but someone who had followed L’s cases could imitate the great detective or at least make their own interpretation based on what little there was to go on. Yet Jasmine couldn’t deny that there was a small part of her hoping that it was L who called her. That this wasn’t some punk pulling a prank.
“Whether you believe me or not is irrelevant,” L told her. “Right now I need to talk to your father.”
So L, like many others, wanted her for her father. Jasmine’s heart sank but her head was telling her that it proved he was L. After all, why wouldn’t L want to make use of her father’s connections? Yet, if this was about her father, then why had he called his nobody daughter?
“Then why didn’t you call my dad?” Jasmine asked.
“I did attempt to call him earlier,” L explained. “However he failed to pick up the phone.”
Jasmine rolled her eyes. She wished that she could say she was surprised but, sadly, she wasn’t.
“Well, my dad’s not home right now,” Jasmine informed L. “If you want, I can take a message and—,”
It was then that the front door opened. Since Carrie, her mom, had called letting her know that she’d be late, it could only be one person at the door.
“I’m home!” Darren called from downstairs.
“Speak of the devil,” Jasmine said to L. “My dad just came home.”
“Really?” L asked. “Then now’s your chance.”
Jasmine’s eyes narrowed. She was afraid of this part.
“All right but I should warn you that this might not work out the way you want it,” Jasmine warned.
“Try, Ms. Ross,” L pleaded “There are lives at stake.”
L’s words awakened a strong determination in Jasmine. While she still had doubts that it was really the mysterious L on the phone, if it was the great detective, then she had to do her best to help him. Especially if lives really were at stake. Jasmine walked down the stairs, greeting a well-dressed and worn out blond man at the entrance.
“Hey, Dad,” she greeted putting her hand on the mouthpiece of her phone. “How was work?”
“Exhausting,” Darren insisted hanging his coat up in the closet. “There was this meeting that ran long. Would’ve gotten over a lot sooner but some spammer kept calling.”
A spammer kept calling? Could that be the phone call L had sworn that he had made to Darren before calling her? Either the man on the phone was actually L or he was pulling a long con.
“You sure it was a spammer?” Jasmine asked.
“Everytime my phone started ringing, the screen would say ‘blocked,’” Darren said collapsing on the couch. “Who else could it have been?”
Who else indeed? Jasmine lowered the top part of her phone, seeing the word “blocked” right on her screen. If it was a spammer, wouldn’t the screen at least show a number? Jasmine thought about how best to approach this. She couldn’t blurt out that it was L on the phone. So she needed to take a more delicate approach.
“Have you ever heard of L?” Jasmine asked.
“What like the letter L?” Darren asked as he picked up the remote.
“No, the great detective,” Jasmine said slightly lifting her hand off the mouth piece. “Travels around the world solving cases, never shows his face, answers only to the alias L.” Darren gave her a confused look. “Come on, Dad, I’ve talked about him like all the time.”
Darren turned on the TV to see a game show. “Nope, doesn’t ring a bell,” he admitted as he changed the channel to a baseball game.
Jasmine gave a frustrated sigh. “What about when we went to the Kanto Police Association Dinner?” she asked. “I’m sure one of the cops must’ve mentioned him.”
“What?” Darren said finally perking up. “Oh yeah, I remember. Isn’t he some mythical detective guy?”
“Actually he’s a real person.”
Darren gave a scoff. “And he never shows his face?” he asked. “If this guy’s so great, then why does he stay anonymous?”
Jasmine felt her grip on her phone tighten. “Maybe he likes his privacy. Maybe he wants to be judged for his mind instead of the way he looks,” she suggested. “Or maybe he’s scared that, if he reveals his face, he’ll get mobbed at the airport.”
Darren laughed. “Over a guy that only a hand full of people even know about?” he asked.
Jasmine fought the urge to throw her phone at Darren. “It doesn’t matter how big he is,” she insisted. “What matters is that he wants to talk to you.”
Darren yawned. “Yeah, sure,” he mocked not turning his eyes away from the screen. “So when’s your mom coming home?”
Jasmine paused. Her mind so focused on L that she had forgotten about Carrie’s call.
“Mom got stuck working the night shift. She said that it might be too late to pick up anything when she gets off,” Jasmine told Darren. “So we might have to order something.”
Needless to say Darren was not happy to hear this. “Typical,” he remarked watching the game. “I work my ass off and, instead of dinner waiting for me when I get home, I get a phone call telling me that my wife can’t be there to cook it.”
“Mom’s working late at a hospital,” Jasmine pointed out. “It ain’t like she went partying in Shinjuku.”
Yet Darren wasn’t even paying attention, too wrapped up in the game. Jasmine gave up and took her phone upstairs. “I’ve got some bad news, sug,” she told L. “My dad was a bust.”
“Yes, I heard,” L admitted. “Do you really believe that, if I were to reveal my face, a crowd of crazed fans would mob me at the airport?”
Jasmine’s cheeks turned bright red. “You heard that, huh?” she asked.
“I heard the entire conversation,” L admitted. “Perhaps you had forgotten to cover the mouthpiece when you went to talk to him.”
Jasmine froze. How had L known that she had let her hand off the mouthpiece? Was he watching them from a secret location? No, maybe he had just deduced it, which meant that he really was as great as they said he was. Of course he’d have to be if he was solving crimes without revealing his face.
“How did you know?” Jasmine asked.
“You paused our conversation in order to talk to your father,” L pointed out. “So I assume that, like most people, you covered the mouthpiece of your phone with your hand when you went to get him.” Well Jasmine had at first. “In only a few minutes, I managed to hear a private conversation that was clearly not meant for me.”
“Then you really are as great as they say you are.”
“Nevertheless, I am disappointed,” L told her. “I was hoping that your father would be more willing to cooperate.”
“I’m disappointed myself,” Jasmine said. “But not surprised.”
Jasmine wished that she could say that it wasn’t normal for Darren to blow people off but, sadly, it was. Darren Ross never cared about anything that didn’t benefit him in the most obvious way. When he had gotten the offer for a prestigious job in Japan, he had up and moved the entire family without even talking about it with her and Carrie.
“This is rather unfortunate,” L said. “I was hoping to make use of your father’s connections.”
Jasmine felt her heart sink. While she still had some doubt about whether or not it was actually L on the phone, she couldn’t stop herself from being sad about not being able to help him.
“Tell me, Ms. Ross,” L said breaking Jasmine out of her thoughts. “Are your father’s connections also your connections?”
“Yeah,” Jasmine told L proudly. “My dad has a lot of clients that give him free stuff in exchange for holding their accounts. All I gotta do is mention his name and I can get free wine, a free meal at a restaurant and even a penthouse suite.”
L stayed silent leaving Jasmine in a state of worry. Had she bragged a little too much?
“Then perhaps you can assist me in his place,” L suggested.
Once again, Jasmine froze. Her hand keeping the phone to her ear as she tried to register what had just happened. Was the great L actually asking for her help? She wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
“Ms. Ross?” L asked.
“Yeah, I’m here!” Jasmine said snapping back to reality. “Sure, I’d love to help you out” She gave a nervous smile. “Don’t know how much help I’ll be but I’ll give it a try.”
Okay, this was just crazy. The great L asking for her help? This had to be either a spam call or a dream that she was just about to wake up from.
“You said that you can get a penthouse suite in your father’s name,” L reminded her. “And Darren Ross currently holds the account to a five star hotel chain.”
“You mean the Yume no Yado,” Jasmine said. “It’s a five star resort in Kanto.”
Once again, L fell silent leaving Jasmine’s heart pounding. If this was L, then he really seemed to love leaving her in suspense.
“I need you to use your free room in the penthouse suite,” L told her. “The owner should be staying at the hotel at this very moment.”
The owner, as in Tadashi Takahara? Jasmine had met him at one of her dad’s business meetings. Though she and him had never really talked. Only thing they had in common was that she went to school with his son. Though how did L know exactly where Takahara was staying?
“How did you know that?” Jasmine asked.
“I have my ways.”
“Hopefully your ways ain’t the same as Big Brother’s ways,” Jasmine joked.
Jasmine also hoped that L wouldn’t be offended by her little joke. Yet a part of her was thinking that it might not be too hard to believe that L would be using espionage. How else would he know where Takahara was staying?
“Never mind that,” L told her. “I need you to stay at the hotel tonight.”
“Let me guess, you want me to talk to the owner.”
“Yes,” L informed her. “There are some things that need to be discussed with him.”
“Like what?”
“I will let you know when you arrive.”
“And how will you know when I arrive?”
“Big Brother is watching you,” L insisted and then hung up.
Jasmine stood with the phone in her hand, not knowing whether to be scared or amused. Yet, like it or not, she had agreed to go talk to Takahara. Jasmine turned off the laptop, packing it up and taking it downstairs to see Darren still focused on the game. “Dad, I’m going out,” she yelled. “When Mom comes back, tell her I’m at the Yume no Yado working on my Economics essay.”
“Have fun,” Darren said not even bothering to look her way.
(Don’t know why I bothered explaining,) Jasmine thought bitterly as she opened the door.
Jasmine left, shutting the door as she made her way to the nearest train station. She didn’t know whether she was being stupid or bold but L had given her a mission, assuming he was L, and she was going to see it through.