Lupin III Fan Fiction ❯ Love Potion Fujiko Mine ❯ Serendipity ( Chapter 13 )

Love Potion Fujiko Mine

By Bekka Mouri-Hibiki

(Lupin isn't mine. Lupin, Jigen and Goemon solidify their theory about the kidnappings, potion and the murders all being connected.)

Part Thirteen: Serendipity

" This is one boring little village, " Jigen muttered as he walked next to Lupin.

" Does peace and quiet bore you that much? " Goemon asked from where he followed behind them.

" Not when I'm napping but this is too much. We've been walking around for two hours and no one can answer any of our questions, " Jigen glanced back at the samurai.

" They are frightened because of what is happening at Ggantija, " Goemon replied.

" They shouldn't be scared until bodies start turning up here, " Jigen noticed that Lupin was staring at something they were approaching. " What's up? "

" That group of men across the street. I haven't seen that many people since we got into this town, " Lupin said. " We should check it out. "

" They're probably waiting for a bus, " Jigen shook his head.

" But the bus stop is back by the restaurant, " Goemon motioned over his shoulder in the general direction of where he was talking about.

" Yeah. That's why it's so strange to see all those people there and they're all men. They don't look like tourist types to me, " Lupin stepped into the street. He looked both ways out of habit as Jigen and Goemon followed him.

" Didn't they say something like two o'clock sharp, James? " One of the men asked another. " I know it's only one thirty but I want to be sure. "

The other man took out his wallet and pulled something out of it, " Let me see, Roger. The back of the card says two o'clock. They also said there would be thirteen men here. "

" Doesn't matter. It just means there will be an extra girl " Roger smirked.

" Ooops! " Lupin said as he faked tripping, slamming into James and making him drop it in the street. Lupin grabbed onto the man to stop falling, finding the card had fallen face down but he couldn't see anything except a typewritten time on the back and the name of the town they were in.

" Watch where you're going, you punk! " James shouted as he pushed Lupin back and into Jigen.

" Give him a break! It was an accident and he couldn't help it, " Jigen stepped back once Lupin was steady on his feet.

" He should be more careful! This suit cost me nearly ten thousand dollars and I don't want it soiled by the likes of his kind, " James looked at Lupin. " I should make you pay me for touching the suit. "

" Ten thousand dollars? " Lupin looked the man over. " For that? "

" It's made from the finest wool and specifically tailored to fit me, " James straightened his jacket.

" I'd say you were cheated, " Lupin smirked.

The man doubled up his fist but Roger stopped him. " Don't do it, James. You might get blood on your suit. By the looks of him, he's probably got some weird disease. "

James stepped back, " He's not worth my time anyway. Where's my card? "

" Do you mean this? " Goemon held the card out to James at an angle where Lupin and Jigen could clearly see what was on the front.

" Give me that, " James snarled and snatched the card away.

Lupin looked at Jigen and Goemon, " Let's get out of here. This sidewalk is a little too stuffy. "

" You can say that again, " Jigen said.

" Indeed, " Goemon muttered.

The three of them walked a good distance away before ducking between two buildings. " Did you see what I saw? " Jigen asked as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a cigarette.

" If it was the nymph then that's what I saw, " Lupin smirked. " Is this kismet or what? "

" I believe it was undeniably an act of fate, " Goemon concurred as he pulled out the card he had found among Fujiko's things. He flipped it over and found it had the same kind of type on the backside as the one in James' possession. " It matches. "

" Great. We have to work quickly now, " Lupin looked at his watch. " Let's head back to the car. We've got twenty-five minutes until whatever they are waiting for arrives. "

" Which one of us is going? " Jigen asked as he lit his cigarette.

Lupin walked out of the alley, " That's a no brainer. You have to monitor the equipment; I have to set it up so that only leaves one person. "

" You mean to say you are sending me into that den of death alone? " Goemon arched an eyebrow.

" Not alone but you won't be going at all if you don't hurry up, " Lupin motioned for them to follow him.

" We wouldn't do that to you, " Jigen slapped Goemon on the back. " Besides, you can handle it. "

" I'm going to put a tracking device on you, " Lupin glanced over his shoulder to make sure they were following him. " And I'll give you a second one to put with the money when you find it. "

" I see. How do you propose I go back there since those men have seen us now? " Goemon tucked the card back into his kimono.

" Just say you were scoping it out because you didn't know who to ask, " Lupin shrugged.

" That may work, " Goemon muttered.

**

Fujiko glanced around at the walls to see if there were any clocks but couldn't find one. It seemed liked she had been in the room with the other women for several hours and there was not sign of Fabian. ~If only they hadn't taken my things. I would be out of this place by now, ~ She thought as she tried to fight the urge to climb the walls to stay amused.

Annalisa, Barbra and Katrina had left her to go talk to some of the other women but didn't appear they were sharing their fears with them. She sighed, wondering if she should try to make friends with the others. ~At least then I'll have someone to talk to, ~ She looked around the room for what felt like the thousandth time. She glanced towards the ceiling and something caught her eye.

There was a slight change in color towards one wall and it made her wonder. She also noticed one of the bookcases was stained a little darker than the others and a few other things that screamed 'secret passage' to her. She shut her eyes for ten seconds in case they were playing tricks on her. She found they weren't when she reopened them, relocating each suspicious spot again.

She threw herself back onto the chaise, trying not to laugh out loud. ~ I believe I will go exploring in a bit, ~ She mused. ~I'll find where the money is and then get all of us out of here. ~

" Are you okay, Megumi? " Annalisa's voice startled Fujiko.

" I'm fine, " Fujiko sat up. " What's wrong? "

" I noticed you were laying down and I wanted to make sure you weren't sick, " Annalisa looked over at Barbra and Katrina. " They were worried as well. "

" Don't worry about me, " Fujiko smiled. " I feel fine. "

Annalisa grabbed Fujiko's right hand, " Come meet my friends. Since we're going to be here a while, you might want someone to talk to. Not only that, we can have a good time before the men show up. After that, we probably won't see each other again until morning. "

" Probably, " Fujiko stood up and let Annalisa lead her over to where Barbra and Kat were. ~Then again, we may see each other again tonight… ~

**

Goemon walked back to the corner where the group of men was, Roger and James giving him dirty looks as he approached. " I thought you left with your friends, " Roger's tone was very snobbish.

" You'll have to excuse them. I needed to ask about the card your friend had but the one in red is a bit clumsy, " Goemon explained, knowing Lupin was back in the car listening.

(Back in the car)

" Clumsy? Who is he calling clumsy? " Lupin shouted.

" You now shut up, " Jigen turned the volume up.

(Back at the corner)

" What about the card? " James looked Goemon over once. " You don't look like you could even afford to ask about it much less know what it is for. "

" Do not judge a book by its cover, " Goemon intoned evenly.

(Back at the car)

" Is it me or did he just sound like a fortune cookie? " Lupin glanced at Jigen.

" Yeah. A little bit, " Jigen nodded.

(Back at the corner)

" Whatever you say, " James said and turned away to talk to Roger.

Goemon remained silent as he listened to the idle chatter of the others around him. Most of them were talking about the kind of girl they hoped they would get. Someone nudged him and asked, " What kind of chick are you looking for? "

Goemon didn't look behind him but responded, " Hopefully there will be a pretty one with large breasts and a cute rear. "

(Back at the car)

" I told him to say nice titties and a cute ass, " Lupin rolled his eyes. " I wanted a good laugh today. "

" Hell will freeze over before Goemon would say anything like that, " Jigen took a cigarette out of his jacket and lit it.

(Back at the corner)

" You sure know what you want! " The man behind Goemon chuckled.

" I bet they all have big breasts and cute rears, " Another man piped up. " We aren't paying for ugly chicks. "

Roger laughed, " If there are any ugly ones, I'm demanding my money back. "

There was a low rumble of agreement from the other men as a large white van pulled up to the corner. An Italian looking man in a black suit stepped out of the passenger side and looked the crowd over. " Very good. You are all on time. Are you ready to go? "

All of the men said yes or something akin to it and the Italian smiled. He opened the side door of the van, " I hope you remembered your cards. "

The men all pulled out their cards except for Roger. He searched his pockets and his wallet to no avail. " I swear I had it yesterday on the ferry, " He looked at James.

" Are you sure you didn't drop it? " James said. " I remember you took it out to show that the big breasted blonde. You remember, right? "

" Yeah. She was bugging me about Calypso's Cave, " Roger felt through his pockets again. " Do you think she stole it? "

(Back at the car)

" I figured if Fujiko had that it was because she stole it, " Jigen said.

" Maybe that jerk dropped it and she picked it up so she could give it back to him when she saw him again, " Lupin said defensively.

Jigen looked at Lupin and he looked back. About one second passed before they were both laughing. " Nah! " They said in unison.

(Back at the corner)

" Is there a problem? " The Italian asked, impatience tainting his voice.

" I'm so sorry but I seemed to have lost my card, " Roger started.

" Then you cannot get into the van, " The Italian said.

" That's not fair! " James nearly shouted. " He paid so he should get on. "

Goemon cleared his throat, " May I please get through? You are blocking the way. "

" You have a card? " James and Roger said together.

Goemon pulled it out from his kimono and handed it to the Italian, " Yes. "

" You stole it from me! " Roger shouted.

Goemon turned around. " I never saw your card. The only other card I have seen is your friend's when I returned it to him. "

" Then yours is fake! " Roger started to sound frantic.

The Italian looked the card over carefully. " It is real. "

" Then count everyone, " Roger was starting to shake.

The Italian started counting then turned back to Roger. " There are fourteen people here. You are extra, sir. Now, please step aside. "

" I can't believe this! I'm going to the police! " Roger said and started to walk away.

" Perhaps we can talk somewhere more private and I can make you a deal? " The Italian said.

" Will I still get what I paid for? " Roger asked.

" If you agree to the terms, " The Italian put his arm around Roger. " Let's go over to that alley and talk about this. It won't take long. "

Goemon got in the van and watched the two men walk away. A few moments later, he heard the faint sound of a silenced gunshot, a sound too faint to be picked up by the wire. The Italian returned but Roger was not with him. James looked puzzled, " Where's Roger? " He asked the Italian as he came close to the van.

" He did not agree to the terms so he left. Please get in, sir. We are going to be late, " The Italian got back in the passenger seat and shut his door.

James looked towards the alley then at the van. " Oh well. I'll just go find him once I get back. "

Goemon moved over in the seat so there was room for James to get in. James shut the door and gave Goemon a dirty look. " Is there something wrong? " The samurai queried.

" I can't believe someone like you had a card, " He muttered.

" And I can't believe someone would be stupid enough to lose something so valuable, " Goemon countered.

" I bet it was stolen by that stacked woman on the ferry, " James shook his head. " I knew she was trouble. "

Goemon didn't reply. He was too busy watching the scenery and fighting back the ever-worsening visions of Fujiko his mind was conjuring up. They had escalated to the two of them naked and groping one another on a bed. ~Where are these impure thoughts coming from? ~ He wondered.

**

" I guess he's on his way there now, " Lupin pulled the headphones from his ears. " You keep listening though. "

" Yeah. I'll let you know if I hear anything interesting, " Jigen waved his hand.

Lupin started the car, " Let's go check to see if that Roger guy is still wandering around. I have some questions for him. "

" Are you sure you want to talk to him? " Jigen asked, pulling off his headphones.

" Yeah, " Lupin looked over. " Why did you take those off? "

" There's nothing going on at the moment except Goemon breathing and useless background noise. I'll put them back on in a bit, " Jigen said. " What if that guy hauls off and punches you? He sounded pretty pissed. "

" I would be too if I forked over a ton of money for some powerful love drug and an all nighter with a hot chick then didn't get it. If he hits me, I'll just hit him back. It's no biggie, " Lupin shrugged.

" There's the alley, " Jigen pointed. He looked around, " That guy couldn't have gotten far. "

Lupin pulled up to the curb just outside of the alley and shut the engine off. He turned to say something to Jigen but stopped. " I hate to say this but you're right that he didn't get far. "

" Do you see him? " Jigen looked for Roger but didn't see him.

" Yeah, " Lupin pointed into the alley. " He's right there. "

Jigen turned to look. " Fucking shit. Please tell me he's not dead. "

Lupin unlocked his door, " There's only one way to find out. You stay here and monitor the transmitter. "

Lupin got out of the car and walked cautiously into the alley, his Walther in his hand. He couldn't hear nor could he see anyone else except for Roger so he lowered his gun but not his guard. He got closer to Roger and he heard him cough. " Hey, are you okay? " Lupin called out, knowing he probably wasn't.

" Punk, " Roger gasped then coughed again. " Come here, punk. "

Lupin knelt down and saw that Roger had been shot in the chest, crimson staining his white silk shirt. From the looks, the man who had shot him was just a little off from shooting Roger directly in the heart. " Who did this? " Lupin asked.

" An Italian in a van, " Roger grabbed Lupin by the tie. " Your friend got in that van. "

" Yeah I know he did, " Lupin nodded. " Do you know whom the Italian works for? "

Roger gasped and coughed again. His breathing was becoming more labored as his grip on Lupin tightened. " Potion, " He whispered then took one last breath before falling limp, his hand falling away from Lupin's tie.

Lupin closed Roger's eyes then stood up. " Thanks, " He whispered and walked out of the alley. He walked up to Jigen's side of the car but remained silent.

" Is he dead? " Jigen asked quietly.

" Yeah but he did say one word before he died, " Lupin sighed.

" What was it? " Jigen looked up at Lupin.

" Potion. "

" You were right, " Jigen muttered and offered Lupin a cigarette.

" Put the headphones back on, " Lupin muttered as Jigen lit the cigarette. " I don't want you to take your ears off of Goemon for a moment. "

" Understood, " Jigen said and slid the earphones back onto his ears as Lupin walked around the car and got back in.

Lupin reached under the backseat and pulled out the computer. " You listen and keep an eye on this too, " He said as he plugged the computer into the cigarette lighter.

" Will do, " Jigen nodded as Lupin turned on the computer and started the tracking program. " Remind me. Which dot is supposed to be Goemon? "

" The red one and the green is the money transmitter so they should be together right now, " Lupin glanced at the screen. " We better get moving before he gets out of range. "