Killing is the Smell of Wine note with the English title of Diamonds and Minx. Released by Geneon on Volume 9: Scent of Murder.
Lupin and Jigen infiltrate the casino of the crime boss Mulligan, aiming for his collection of priceless gemstones. After flirting with a pretty lady, Lupin gets to work, and soon enough he and Jigen manages to get their hands on the gems, but are discovered by the camera system and forced to run away. While driving, Lupin explains that he plans to give some of the jewels to the beautiful woman he just met, then decides to give some to Fujiko as well. Soon enough, Zenigata appears in hot pursuit. Despite the inspector’s latest model of multiple handcuffs, once again he ends up failing. In his hideout, Lupin is trying to choose which diamond to offer Fujiko and which one to give the lady from the casino, while Jigen, who is not a big fan of romance and jewels, couldn't care less and enjoys some fine wine. Meanwhile, Mulligan claims that actually nothing was stolen, and when Zenigata expresses his skepticism, he tells him to leave at once.
On his way out, Zenigata notices a strange, corpse-like man, smelling of carrion, who then enters Mulligan’s office. The man, Hangman, is a professional killer, and Mulligans pays him to recover his stolen gems and kill Lupin. However he makes the mistake of doubting Hangman’s skills, which causes the killer to open fire on the boss, killing his pet cat. While Jigen and Goemon are training outside, Lupin has a date with Fujiko who, predictably enough, sprays him with a sleeping perfume bottle and steals all the gems. The following day, Lupin and Jigen are dining outside of a restaurant, when Jigen informs Lupin that they are being watched. Lupin soon receives a phone call from Hangman, demanding that he return the jewels. When Lupin refuses, Hangman open fires on him. When he and Jigen duck behind a table, Hangman throws down a tarot card, Death. Later, while driving, they’re attacked by Hangman again. Since they cannot persuade the ghoulish killer, Lupin and Jigen have no choice but to fight back, and eventually manage to force him to retreat, though Lupin’s Walther P38 is made unusable. Back into their mountain hideout, a slightly injured Jigen is furious that Lupin is having them risk their lives to protect Fujiko considering that she stole the jewels from them. Lupin, however, refuses to tell Hangman that Fujiko is the one who has the jewels, knowing that would put her in danger. Goemon interrupts by telling his comrades that they really should be spending their time planning their next move against Hangman instead of arguing. Just then...Hangman returns.
As the assassin mercilessly fires at the cabin, wrecking it in the process, Lupin eventually has an idea. Thanks to everyone’s efforts, Lupin manages to build a makeshift catapult and use it to bombard Hangman with wine bottles, eventually soaking him in alcohol. Lupin then throws his lighter, and the killer is set ablaze, running away in a nearby river where he disappears. Lupin doubts they have killed Hangman, but he won't be after them again any time soon. Before he can do anything else, Jigen puts Lupin to sleep with the sleeping perfume bottle and, along with Goemon, decides to go after Fujiko, eager to pay back the treacherous woman. Later that night, Fujiko is relaxing in a pool when Goemon opens the draining pipe. Jigen grabs a hold of Fujiko and threatens to let her go if she doesn't tell where the jewels are. Naturally, Fujiko gives in. Lupin, still bound up, reaches them but is attacked by Zenigata, who tries to arrest him with jumbo-sized handcuffs. Having recovered the stones, Jigen and Goemon free Lupin and the trio escape in the night once again.
This episode contains examples of:
- Ambiguously Human: Hangman. Looks more like a Technically-Living Zombie than a human, smells like a corpse, and the ending implies that not even setting him ablaze is enough to kill him, river or not.
- Ax-Crazy: Technically, Hangman's objective is to retrieve the diamonds from Lupin. Even after being told that he no longer has them, he still tries to kill him and his companions for shit and giggles.
- Berserk Button: Do not question Hangman's abilities.
- Calling Card: Hangman has one in the form of the tarot card of Death note .
- Chekhov's Gun: The wine bottles under Lupin's house. Also, Fujiko's sleeping powder.
- Concealment Equals Cover: Jigen lampshades this by being grateful for "all these bulletproof tables they got everywhere."
- Gatling Good: Hangman's weapon of choice is a machinegun, which he uses to demolish Lupin's house.
- Improbable Aiming Skills: Hangman, despite shooting veritable streams of projectiles at time, is pretty accurate if he wants to, shooting dead Mulligan's cat without harming his owner or stucking a bullet insite Lupin's Walther P-38's barrel without him noticing.
- Kick the Dog: Hangman killing Mulligan's beloved Right-Hand Cat when the latter asks him if he still got it.
- Kill It with Fire: Lupin defeats Hangman by soaking him with wine and setting him on fire.
- Laser-Guided Karma: This time, Jigen and Goemon make sure Fujiko won't get away with her betrayal.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Hangman. You know, just in case you didn't already know he is dangerous.
- The Pigpen: Hangman smells of corpse, as noted by pretty much anyone.
- Psycho for Hire: Hangman is clearly not sane, and works as a professional killer.
