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B || 11

Taking a deep breath, I step inside and close the door behind me, standing before the mahogany desk.

I felt like I couldn't breathe.

"I assume you know why I have brought you in here." He states, resting his hands on the wooden surface as I feel my stomach turning a little.

"Is it...About A?" I ask, minding my tone incredibly carefully.

Watari sighs as he closes his eyes, taking a moment before he clears his throat.

"Yes. Things have become quite the mess, haven't they?" He asks, before sighing.

Allowing a moment of silence to tick by, he adjusts his glasses.

"A is gone. I assume you knew that based on our discovery this morning." He says, his normally stern and proper voice faltering an almost undetectable amount.

Hearing Watari say it made the situation set in much, much more.

I could be done for.

I anxiously swallow - calming my nerves before I answer.

"Yes..." I whisper, my voice shaking - but I try and make it out as sadness and not nerves.

This was it for me...Wasn't it?

"There is no easy way to tell you this, B..." He begins, while I feel my chest locking up.

"...A took his own life." He says, and I pause, truly and honestly in disbelief.

All I could manage is a short affirmative nod.

"We assume it was because he was struggling with the case you both were assigned...Did he ever speak to you about that?" Watari asks.

I take a shaky deep breath while I begin to realize I may have actually gotten away with this....Setback, on my part...But I wasn't out of the weeds yet.

"...No. He didn't."

"When is the last time you saw A?"

I consider that question.

I suppose the only thing to do was tell the truth.

"...Y-Yesterday, actually." I say, pausing as I pretend to be on the verge of tears.

"I had just finished my write up on the search of...o-of (y/n)'s bedroom. As....As soon as I was done, I-I gave that file to A. Copied it right onto his computer for him." I say, making sure I didn't technically lie.

"And you didn't see him after that?"

"...N-No." I mumble, looking down and sniffing.

My palms were getting clammy.

"Okay." Watari says, before falling silent for a second, thinking about what he was going to say next.

"We beleive the reasoning why he did it was because of the difficulties with finding leads on your current case, along with the pressure of potentially having to step up as L's next successor so suddenly. It must have been too much for him to handle all at once." He explains carefully, and I feel my knees shaking, my vision blurring due to tears.

"...His funeral is going to be next week. I will organize a suit for you to wear, and the investigation into L's whereabouts will be paused until then."

He says solemnly, looking down at his clasped hands on his desk.

"I can't believe it..." I almost whisper, and Watari nods in sympathy. But it wasn't due to the fact that A was dead...It was the fact I was actually in the clear.