Melissa heard the sound of L's voice through the door, making plans to meet up with that Elaine woman. She knew they were somewhat…involved…but this wouldn't cause any problems, and if it did, she could snap her fingers and the girl would have an accident. The best thing was, she didn't have to use the Death Note to kill anyone or make them go away for a while, no, that was easily handled by her GATA sisters.

Ah, the wonderful powers of sisterhood.

The door opened and Melissa finally laid eyes on the Death Note characters.

"Hello," she said professionally. "I am your replacement tour guide. My name is Emma Vasquez."

The characters each introduced themselves, all staring at her, no doubt wondering if she had something to do with Elaine's absence.

"I need you all to fill out these forms," Melissa said. "It is the last formal act of my job this year. After that, you are registered sophomores in next year's class."

They were all very quiet. Mello was glaring at her. Did he know something he shouldn't?

Melissa quietly took the paperwork and left. Getting in her car, she pursed her lips as she thought. Elaine just needed to really…vanish. Not dead…just silenced. And she knew just how to do it.

I woke up early, washed my face, and made myself look pretty. After all, I was going on a date with L. I needed to look good, right.

Okay, so I won't bore you with the girly details. I was on my way to meet him when I ran into her.

Melissa, I thought. But I didn't say her name. If I backed off, maybe she wouldn't kill me here.

"I don't want to hurt you," she said. "But L is so close to you. I need to see how far he'll go for you."

"Look," I said. "I'm backing off. What more do you want? I didn't ask for this, it just happened!"

"Well, I want my cut," she snapped.

"What is it that you want?" I asked, but a second later I was hit across the head.

I don't really know what happened next.

L sat at the table. She wasn't late to anything. Elaine was usually exceptionally early.

It had been two hours. He got up, on his way to leave, when his phone rang.

"Hello?" he answered, hoping to hear Elaine's voice.

"L?" came the new tour guide's voice. "It's Emma. I found your friend Elaine. She looks pretty beaten up, so we took her to the hospital."

L hung up the phone. He sat in silence a moment, thinking. That girl…had been there when Elaine got hurt. She was baiting him.

Or maybe even threatening him.

The only person in his life he had ever been able to love and now…she was being threatened.

"What happened?" Light snapped at someone.

"We'll know when she wakes up," responded the doctor.

"Which is when?" Mello said, annoyed.

"Could take hours…could take days…" the doctor said. "Her mind is active enough…she can probably hear us."

"That's weird…" Misa said.

"Give me a moment with her," L ordered the others.

He made them leave because...he didn't want anyone to see him cry.

I woke up. I realized that someone was holding my hand.

I looked up, and L was there. "L…but how…?"

"Misa called me," he said. "And from there it went back Light, Mello, Matt, and finally Tiffany. She's the one who found you passed out in a back alley. Who hurt you?"

I groaned slightly. Tell them and you pay. That's what she said. She'll kill me if I tell L. He'll find out anyway. But…what if she's Pro-Kira and kills L? She could know his name! Damn it…I have to take care of this myself. Mello knows about Melissa. Maybe…I can get his help.

"Ella-san?" L said. "Are you alright? Tell me what happened. You have severe internal injuries, so I believe that you were attacked. I will find out, even if you feel too threatened to tell me."

"L…" I said weakly. "Someone wants me to disappear. If you keep hanging around me…you might disappear, too."

"I am not leaving, Elaine," he said firmly. "She is trying to make you afraid to trust us. Afraid to trust even yourself. Where are you going to go? She will only find you again. Just tell me what happened."

"Melissa," I hissed the name. "She had the GATAs try to kill me. Well…I don't think it was aiming to kill…but…she has a Death Note, L. Look in the lining of my hat. It has a flash drive with surveillance."

"Well…that didn't go as planned," Melissa said to the other girls. "It only made them all closer to her. I just want…to meet them. Hm…Cora? Get me Mello's cell number. I think I just had an idea."

Cora looked up. Good. An opening at last.