Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

Pairing: KaitoxShinichi

Rating: M

Genre: Romance/Mystery (not too sure about genres for this)

Warnings: Adult themes and graphic content in later chapters

Summary: Shinichi has been assigned to investigate a restaurant called The Love Potion that helps couples get together. It started when a woman came to the police with a strange story.

The Love Potion Mystery

Chapter 1 - The Case

She came dressed in a conservative black dress that did not at all detract from her stunning beauty. Everyone in the police station couldn't help but stop and gape. It wasn't just that she had beautiful features and a nice figure. It was the stately way she carried herself and the grace of her movements.

Her name was Akiyama Koyuki, and she had called before her visit to say that she needed help.

Having just closed his last case, Shinichi had been told that—if this turned out to be a case—he would be in charge of it. Not knowing what kind of issue she might have and feeling that the woman would probably be more comfortable speaking to another woman though, he had asked Satou-keiji to speak to her while he, Takagi, and Kaito listened from the other room.

"Why are you here?" he asked Kaito as the two women took their seats in the other room.

The magician shrugged, folding his arms behind his head. "I'm free all day today, so I thought I'd lend you a hand. I could've sworn I told you that last night."

"Oh." Kaito hadn't gotten home until after Shinichi had fallen asleep the previous night, but he supposed there was no point in pointing this out. He was sure Kaito knew. He was equally sure that the magician had told him while he slept anyway and decided that that was enough. Kaito could be very helpful on cases when he wanted to be anyway, so it wasn't a problem. Shinichi just hoped there would be enough happening to keep Kaito from getting bored.

All attention returned to the other room as Koyuki had started to tell her story.

"I'm not sure where to start exactly," she was saying to Satou-keiji. "But I guess the first thing you need to know is that I live alone. I was married, but my husband was taken by illness two and a half years ago. We never had children. I haven't…" She paused, face flushing as she picked at her sleeves. "I haven't been with anyone since my husband passed away." A look of deep sadness passed over her face before she shook herself and continued, not meeting Satou's eyes. "I have considered looking for someone else to share my life with, but I still…I just can't. Not yet. But my boss retired some four months ago. The man who has taken his place sort of…took a liking to me, I suppose. He approached me many times, and he had a tendency to act much too familiar. I told him I wasn't looking to start seeing anyone right now, but he always brushed it off—like he didn't believe I could be serious. I had the feeling that he thought I couldn't possibly not fall for him eventually." The woman's lips pursed in disapproval. "He is a handsome man, and one of those who knows it, if you know what I mean. And then last week he asked if I would have dinner with him. It wasn't the first time he'd asked, but it was the first time he was really polite about it."

"I was going to say no, but I felt it might be a good time to straighten out matters between us without making a public scene of it at work, especially since he seemed more willing to listen than he usually was. So I agreed, though I was sure to let him know that I had no intentions of dating him. It was to be a meeting to talk things out and settle our tensions. He agreed. Now that I think back, I suppose he did so quite quickly—perhaps too much so. At the time, however, I was just glad he finally seemed to be behaving more reasonably."

"I had my doubts when we arrived at the restaurant he'd chosen though. It was called the Love Potion. Clearly it was meant for couples. The place only took reservations though, so I didn't feel right just walking out." Her face twisted in recollection. "I wish I had. You see, that's the last thing I remember. I have no memories at all of what happened during or after the meal. All I know is that I woke up the following morning in one of the rooms in the upstairs of the establishment where they allow guests to stay if they have drunk too much to get home or something of the sort. I hadn't had any alcohol though—or at least I don't think I did. I guess I can't be certain since I can't remember, but I've never been very fond of those kinds of drinks. I asked one of the attendants what had happened, but she told me she was only starting her shift and so had no idea. I…had the feeling that she was lying, but I don't know why I felt that way. She seemed very kind. I didn't want to make a scene though, so I went home." She stopped abruptly.

Satou waited for almost a full minute before prompting her. "So what happened then?"

"I found…I found…" Her pale cheeks flushed with color.

The dark-haired policewoman waited patiently. Finally, the lady leaned forward and mumbled something with her lips barely moving. The three occupants of the other room couldn't hear her words, but they could see Satou's eyes widen then narrow and harden into chips of stone. It was a look that generally meant that heads would soon be rolling.

"Did you bring it with you?" she asked.

A slow nod. "I—I did."

"Good." Satou paused, lips pursed. "And you're sure you can remember nothing from that night?"

"Nothing. And…to be honest…" Her voice grew small again. "I'm not sure if I want to."

Satou's expression softened. "I understand. I promise that we will get to the bottom of this."

"Thank you."

Before she left, Koyuki handed a small, wrapped package to Satou. Once she had gone, the policewoman joined her colleagues in the observation room. The grim expression on her face set Shinichi on high alert. Whatever the lady had whispered to Satou, it had greatly angered her.

"What did she give you?" Takagi asked, handing his partner a cup of water.

Satou flashed him a grateful smile but it fell quickly from her face. "The evidence."

"Evidence?" Shinichi repeated.

"Yesterday morning when she returned to her home from the restaurant, she discovered traces of what appeared to be semen in her underwear. I'm sure I don't have to spell it out for you."

There was a moment of horrified silence before Takagi stammered, "Is she sure?"

"That's what we're finding out. I'm sending this to the lab. If she's right then this should also be all the evidence we need to arrest her boss for rape."

"But what about that restaurant?" Shinichi asked, eyes narrowing. "If that's where it happened…"

"It seems unlikely that they were unaware," Satou finished for him. "The events she described do make them seem pretty suspicious too. Kudo-kun, do you think you could look into them? Takagi and I can handle Miss Akiyama's side of this."

-0-

"So what are you thinking?" Kaito asked as he opened the car door for Shinichi before moving to the other side to get in himself. Shinichi had already pulled out a notebook as the magician started the car.

"I'm not sure what to think yet," the detective replied, frowning. "First we need to look this place up. Then I'd like to talk to some other people who've visited it."

"Well, it sounds like they probably have a website. We can start there."

"Yeah." Shinichi paused then blinked, glancing up at Kaito. "We?"

"Yes, we. I have time, and besides, you'll need me. If you're going to investigate a restaurant for couples, you're going to need a partner."

"Oh." Shinichi blushed. "Fine."

-0-

The website wasn't as easy to find as they'd thought it would be, but an hour of digging eventually dragged it up out of the tangled depths of the internet.

It was an elegant website with beautiful images and very little in the way of definitive information. They were, however, able to learn that the place only took reservations for couples. In addition, it appeared that there were different types of reservations for couples with different relationship issues ranging from lack of communication to infidelity. The restaurant staff helped couples figure out which package was for them when they called in to make reservations.

"Man, just look at some of these names!" Kaito laughed, scrolling down the list of 'packages'. "Rekindling Passion? The Heart to Heart? Fleeting Fires? I think they went a little overboard on these."

"They are a bit…dramatic," Shinichi agreed. "Any idea what they might mean?"

"I could take some wild stabs at it, but these are the kinds of names you slap on things to make them look impressive without saying anything at all."

"I guess we really will have to go see it for ourselves," the detective sighed, worrying at his lower lip as he thought. "I would like to talk to some other people who've been there first though."

-0-

Their first interview was with a woman who had written the restaurant a glowing review. They had sent her an email asking if she'd be willing to talk to them about her experience with the place, and she'd agreed immediately.

"My husband and I ate there last month on our anniversary," she gushed over cups of coffee, eyes bright. "It was a wonderful restaurant. Very romantic."

"Can you tell me how you found your way to it?" Shinichi asked. "It's not exactly close to your residence."

"I found it online, actually. My husband and I had been having a bit of… Well, let's just say we'd been having difficulties. We just didn't seem to talk anymore. We spent so much time apart at work, and it was starting to seem like we didn't have anything in common anymore. It was after an argument we had. I…had thought he might be cheating on me. We both said some pretty nasty things. Afterward, I went online to look for advice. That was when I found out about this restaurant that helped couples like us reconnect. So I called to make a reservation. They asked me a lot of questions and then set us up for a nice dinner for two."

"Did anything strange happen while you were there?"

"Strange?" She blinked at him in bafflement. "No, I wouldn't say so. It was quite wonderful. The food was amazing and the ambience was truly inspiring. It was like all our troubles just fell away and so we were free to really get to know each other again." She winked and giggled. "It was like being on our honeymoon again. We took the following week off for a trip to the hot springs and really talked things through, and now everything's back to the way it used to be. We owe it all to the Love Potion."

-0-

"That was…not what I expected," Shinichi said after they'd left.

"And I'm sure she meant every word," said Kaito. "Now I really want a look inside this place."

"Let's talk to some more people before we do that."

-0-

"Oh, the Love Potion. I remember that place." The young man they had located through a blog post beamed. "I proposed to my wife there. They were great. Helped me set everything up just the way I wanted. They really were encouraging too."

"Is that so?" Kaito leaned forward slightly, the picture of an eager listener. "They must really be something special if you chose them to help you with something that important."

"It's an interesting story, that. You see, I was actually a bit afraid of the whole thing. You know, the whole not knowing if it'll work out, wondering if I should wait, and all that other stuff everyone worries about at times like that. That was when one of my friends told me they'd heard of this restaurant that specialized in creating just the right atmosphere for romance. I felt it was worth a try, so I went to talk to them, and they promised that they'd make everything work out. And they did. It was pretty incredible actually. Something about the atmosphere that night… I wasn't nervous at all, and it all just sort of—unfolded. Right into place."

-0-

They got more of the same from the next several people they interviewed. Shinichi was just starting to wonder if they were barking up the wrong tree when they found their tenth interviewee.

"The where?"

"The Love Potion," Shinichi said again.

The man across from him frowned. "And you're saying this is a restaurant?"

"Yes. One of your coworkers mentioned that you'd been to it before."

"Really? When? I would've thought I'd remember a place with such a peculiar name."

"I…think it was supposed to have been eight or nine months ago."

"Eight or nine months, huh? Let me see… Oh, wait I did go to this one place with a woman who used to work in my department. I guess that could have been the place."

Kaito traded glances with Shinichi before asking, "Were you dating then?"

The man stared at him then burst out laughing. "Oh, no, of course not. She was actually a friend of my girlfriend's. They had a falling out a few years ago though. But she wanted to set things right, and so we met up to talk about what she could do." He paused then laughed sheepishly. "Problem was, I had a bit too much to drink. Can't remember a thing about what we actually discussed or even what I ate. We ended up having to meet again just so she could tell me what we'd decided. But this time we did it over coffee and sandwiches. Everything worked out though, so I guess it was worth the embarrassment."

"Can we speak to her?"

"Afraid not. She moved away a few months ago. I'm not sure where to. I think she might've gone out of the country."

-0-

"So what do you think?"

Shinichi let his breath out in a puff. "I don't know what to think. They sound… I don't know. There's definitely something strange going on, but I just can't see what the point is."

"You mean how almost everyone seems happy with whatever it is while the rest just don't remember anything?"

"That's part of it." He bit his lip, running back over the interviews in his mind.

"I'm guessing it has to do with which package they got," Kaito said. "If they require you to detail your situation for them before you make a reservation so they can help you pick the service best suited for you then they could easily have helped Miss Koyuki's boss drug her."

"But why would they do that? What could they possibly gain from it? It's not like they don't have plenty of happy customers from what we've heard. They don't need to risk their business by committing crimes on the side."

"Then maybe it's not only those customers they're doing something illegal to," the thief suggested. "A lot of the people we spoke to mentioned how they felt differently while they were at the restaurant. Or maybe it's for some more personal reason. I can imagine some crazy thinking they're giving people chances at happiness or something of the sort. Just look at the name they chose."

Shinichi nodded slowly. "I guess that's true."

"I presume our next step is to actually visit this place?"

"Yeah."

"You realize that means subjecting ourselves to whatever it is they're doing."

Shinichi hesitated. He'd been thinking so much about collecting possible evidence that he'd overlooked that part. "Um…" He turned hopeful eyes on his partner. "Do you have a better idea?"

Kaito shrugged. "Actually I think this idea's fine. None of the proper couples had any trouble remembering anything. We go in as a troubled couple, gather all the evidence you want, and have ourselves a nice night out while we're at it."

"…" Shinichi still didn't really like the idea, but it was the easiest way to investigate the place's operations. He just hoped he didn't regret it later.

-0-

"Why do I have to make the reservation?" Shinichi complained, glaring at the phone in his hands.

"Because it's your case."

"But what if they ask me something weird and I don't know what to say?"

"That'll make it more realistic."

Shinichi huffed. "You just think this is going to be funny!"

The jerk had the audacity to laugh. "Well, I can't deny that. But really Shin-chan, I'll be here if you need me. Just put it on speaker, and if you really can't handle it then I'll help."

"How generous of you," the detective said sarcastically. "I can't believe I agreed to letting you tag along for this."

"Oh? So you want to go with someone else?" Kaito's tone was light but his eyes flashed dangerously.

"No, that's not what I meant," the detective said hastily. The last thing he needed right now was a jealous Kaito. "I'm going to do the call now before I have too much time to think about it."

He glanced at the number he'd scribbled on the notepad beside the phone in his library. He tapped the number in and put the phone on speaker as it rang. Three rings later, a woman picked up the phone.

"Hello? You've reached The Love Potion."

"Hi," Shinichi replied. "I, um, heard you help couples who are having trouble…"

"We certainly try our best," the woman replied, voice warm. "So are you married?"

"Er, no. I have a boyfriend who lives with me."

Aforementioned boyfriend moved to sit on one of the library couches as he listened in on the call.

"And how long have you been together?"

"About six, almost seven years now."

She hummed thoughtfully. "Okay. So what seems to be the trouble?"

Shinichi hesitated, thinking hard. "Well, he…flirts a lot with other people." Which was true.

"Oh? And does he do this even when he knows you're watching?"

"…Yes."

"And how does that make you feel?"

What was this, a psychiatrist session? "It…bothers me…?" Although he tried not to let it. He knew Kaito never meant anything when he did it.

"Does it make you feel insecure?"

"…A little bit." This was getting awkward. He shot a sidelong look at the thief but turned away hurriedly when he caught Kaito's intent stare. Why had he agreed to let Kaito listen in? This was so embarrassing…

"Have you talked to him about how you feel?"

"I'm not very…I'm not good at talking about—about that sort of thing." That at least was completely true. Actually, most of this was true. That fact was not making him feel any less awkward.

The lady on the other end of the line made a sympathetic noise. "And what about him? Does he tell you how he feels?"

"He does. He's kind of a showy person," he added by way of explanation. "He likes to be dramatic."

"Does that mean you're not sure if he's sincere?"

Shinichi blinked. "Um…no—yes—no, I mean, it's not…uh…"

"That's alright," the woman said soothingly before he could babble any further. "Let's see. Do you know how much time you spend together on a daily basis?"

"It changes a lot." Both he and Kaito had volatile schedules that changed at the drop of a hat.

"What about dates? Do you go out together often? It doesn't count if work is involved."

"We…do when we can, but we're both very busy."

"Have you been out together recently?"

"I…I'm not really sure."

"I see, I see. But you share the same bed?"

Shinichi flushed and spluttered. Why the hell did she want to know that?! "Y—yes."

"And how would you describe your sex life?"

Shinichi opened his mouth then closed it again, face a bright red to rival any apple. On the other side of the library, Kaito had fallen out of his chair and was rolling around on the ground in fits of silent laughter. Shinichi gave him the evil eye. Not that it helped.

"Well?" the woman prompted again. "No need to be shy. I won't tell anyone."

Shinichi coughed to buy himself some time. If he really had to describe that part of his and Kaito's life together, he would have to say that it was…unpredictable. Just yesterday, the magician had ambushed him while he'd been organizing the library. They'd migrated from there to the bedroom then the bathroom and back to the bedroom again. Shinichi was still pleasantly sore from their activities. His cheeks turned pink just thinking about it. Of course that wasn't exactly normal, since Kaito knew he'd be kicked out onto the couch if he tried that sort of thing when Shinichi's case load was too heavy (which was unfortunately quite often), but that just meant that the thief made sure they took advantage of the opportunities.

But even if he wanted to tell the woman this—which he didn't, he didn't think it was what someone asking for their services should be saying. Well, unless that was precisely their problem, having too much of one thing and not enough of the rest, but that…wasn't the kind of façade he wanted to create either. He settled for a mumbled, "It's okay."

And the questions continued.

By the time the call was over and he had secured a reservation, Shinichi felt like he'd just been put through a ringer. Wandering to the nearest armchair, he collapsed into it with a groan. He could hear Kaito still laughing—though by now the stupid magician had laughed so hard that he was out of breath.

"I thought you said you were going to help me if it got uncomfortable," Shinichi grumbled, shooting his partner another glare.

Kaito had to struggle for several seconds before he managed to get his laughter under control enough to speak. "Oh, but I thought you did wonderfully. It was very authentic."

Shinichi threw a couch cushion at the thief's head. "Go get me some coffee. It's the least you can do after making me go through that."

-TBC-

Notes: This is kind of a weird idea that popped into my head one day. It'll probably be a three-parter, and could conceivably be set in the distant future of the Lure universe.