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Except, again, it's not just that Gosho's put the brakes on the plot since those days—he's pulled the emergency break, with the past 9 years.

If Rum's eye was gouged by Koji, the blood was probably wiped off (by Rum, or by BO agent Asaka, if Asaka was a BO agent who wasn't Rum). Sorry, I just don't see it. Until further notice, that's that. Yeah, kinda figured that—I'm probably, eventually, gonna get that response for always mentioning the file numbers/episode numbers of cases, all the time, too. Well, you've stated your curiosity—if they'd like to fill you (and me) in, here's their opportunity. Hence why I wrote: About that File 343/Episode 278 scene—before Heiji leaves, he says, "If any other suspicious people appear, let me know!" Shinichi/Conan then thinks, "Jodie isn't the only one... there are others... two others." Sorry, I just can't help but think of James—even after knowing how the Vermouth arc ends, when I first read/saw this scene, I thought he meant that Shuichi and James were the two others (Jodie's 1st appearance: File 277/Episode 227; Shuichi's 1st appearance: File 287/Episode 231; James' 1st appearance: File 325/Episode 258... Tomoaki's 1st appearance: File 234/Episode 170). I know Gosho, in all probability, meant Tomoaki/Vermouth, but that wasn't my initial thought. Like you doubt Sakurako will have any bearing on the plot, there were those who must've doubted that Tomoaki would have any bearing on the plot, back then.

If Rumi was going by "Asaka," and Koji heard "Rum," somehow, before he died, then perhaps it was a double message—again, Gosho really tailored stuff, here, with the words on the mirror—Rumi's name (minus the W and I), and, her alias and the name of the killer. If the code is a double message, then he'd want the reader to know the name of the killer (Rum), the alias of the witness (Asaka), and the real name of the witness (Rumi Wakasa). For one reason or another (maybe she fled the scene because she thought she'd be implicated, arrested and convicted), Rumi didn't tell the police about what she'd seen (else it'd be in the news, she wouldn't be the prime suspect, and there'd be no need to try and get someone to solve it, if she's the one uploading the case details), but I'd say she knows more than a little about Rum. Evidently, though, she needs someone who'd know more about underworld things (about the BO). She likely saw that Kogoro Mouri had become involved in the investigation (at least, he was going to be), and, for some reason, decided to become a teacher at Teitan Elementary. This would be because she, likely, looked at all of Kogoro's cases, found out about Shinichi/Conan, and went to investigate him, to see if he really was the true Sleeping Kogoro and if he could help her track down Rum. The skills she displayed in 968 were why she was hired as Amanda's bodyguard, to begin with—considering Amanda was a big fan of Koji, this would've been ideal, if Rumi was Koji's girlfriend, hence the personal investment in tracking down Rum. The ponytail would just be how she did her hair in her 20s. At this point, there are three theories about Asaka's identity: 1) Asaka is Rum. Shinichi/Conan read Koji's dying message correctly; Rum became Amanda Hughes' bodyguard in order to kill her; Koji walked in during the murder, heard "Rum" (either some time before or just before), and tried to intervene (or was seen before he could get the police); Koji is killed by APTX 4869; perhaps, Rum's eye is gouged by Koji with the scissors found gripped in his hand, hence why pictures were taken of the mirror (the struggle between Rum and Koji could've led to the police being called by someone else); after the pictures are taken of the mirror, Rum returns and takes it, and is seen by a witness, leaving, with the mirror in his hand. 2) Asaka is Rumi. Shinichi/Conan read the first part of Koji's dying message incorrectly, mainly because he hasn't realized the second part; Rumi, perhaps Koji's girlfriend, was hired by Amanda Hughes as a bodyguard; Rumi was overpowered by Rum, but not killed, and Amanda was then killed; Koji walks in during the murder, hears "Rum" (either some time before or just before), and tries to intervene (or is seen before he can get the police); Koji is killed by APTX 4869; perhaps, Rum's eye is gouged by Koji with the scissors found gripped in his hand, hence why pictures were taken of the mirror (the struggle between Rum and Koji could've led to the police being called by someone else); after the pictures are taken of the mirror, Rumi (perhaps awakening from unconsciousness), grabs the mirror and flees, fearing she'll be suspected, arrested, and convicted, and is seen by a witness, leaving, with the mirror in her hand; Rumi goes into hiding and lays low for years (perhaps she's running from the BO as well as the authorities); Rumi sporadically uploads details of the case, hoping someone will solve it; Eventually, she learns of Kogoro Mouri's involvement, investigates, and discovers Conan Edogawa; Rumi applies to become a teacher at Teitan High, and is hired; Rumi, on her first day, tests Shinichi's/Conan's intelligence in order to see if he's the true Sleeping Kogoro, so she can then approach him about the case, and see if he can lead her to Rum, and get revenge for what he did to her. 3) Asaka is neither Rum nor Rumi, but someone else. Shinichi/Conan read Koji's dying message incorrectly (in terms of Asaka not being Rum); either a BO agent (not Rum) became Amanda's bodyguard to make it easier for Rum to kill her, or someone like Mary was brought in as Amanda's bodyguard; either Koji walked in during the murder, heard "Rum" (either some time before or just before, likely from Asaka), and tried to intervene (or was seen before he could get the police), or Mary (or whoever was brought in as the bodyguard) was overpowered by Rum, but not killed, and Amanda was then killed; either Koji is killed by APTX 4869 administered to him by Rum, or Koji is killed by APTX 4869 administered to him by Rum or by Asaka; perhaps, Rum's eye is gouged by Koji with the scissors found gripped in his hand, hence why pictures were taken of the mirror (the struggle between Rum and Koji could've led to the police being called by someone else)—in this case, if Asaka is a BO agent, they'd be the one to administer APTX to Koji; either Rum flees the scene (especially if his eye is gouged), and after the pictures are taken of the mirror, Asaka and takes it, and is seen by a witness, leaving, with the mirror in his hand, or after the pictures are taken of the mirror, Mary (or whoever the bodyguard brought in is, perhaps awakening from unconsciousness), grabs the mirror and flees, and is seen by a witness, leaving, with the mirror in their hand (in either scenario, Rumi could still have been Koji's girlfriend, and still could be one uploading the case's details). For that instant, we see the "........." on Page 17 of File 330—he never thinks about it, after that moment (at least, we're not shown him thinking about it... or about the behavioral inconsistencies (355–357/274–275)). Vermouth could've been Jodie, as Gosho wanted us to think, at the time. Only those who noted certain hints (File 340, Page 18/File 343, Page 18) and recalled Gosho's tendencies to make the least suspicious/harmless character the culprit realized that Vermouth was Tomoaki. http://bato.to/reader#1a9d982780e85db0_16 http://bato.to/reader#1a9d982780e85db0_17 Plus, if Shinichi/Conan thought that Shuichi's presence during that case was due to James, he'd associate James with Shuichi, who he, for some time, thought was a BO agent. He wasn't bothered by Shinichi/Conan to the degree of Shuichi, Jodie and Tomoaki/Vermouth, yes, but that was because after his intro case (325–327/258–259), he didn't appear until the Vermouth arc was over. Gosho could've had him appear even more suspicious.

The Rum question has a lot of vague parts—at this point, there's plenty to look into, until more info comes (and the same goes, to an even greater degree, with the Anokata question).

Yes, that's true—however, Gosho put the brakes on the plot, after the Vermouth arc arc, and then pulled the emergency brake with the Bourbon arc. It's no surprise to me that Sakurako's backstory, besides her childhood friendship with Naeko and Kazunobu, still hasn't been looked into. Neither she nor Hyoue have appeared in a while... I'm going to be looking at a bunch of stuff (especially the observations of others on this site and DCTP) when either one of them or both of them appear, next. That is correct. When Gosho decided to have that mirror read, "Put on Mascara," he must've done it because "Rum" could be read off it. After that, he picked a name that could also be read off it, which was "Asaka," and named Amanda's bodyguard that. Rumi's name (minus the W and I, of course) was tailored by Gosho for this... as was the name Asaka (or, really Akasa, if Rumi was Amanda's bodyguard). We also don't know what Shuichi knows about the case. Would he know about his mother being "Asaka" (if she was)? Would he know who the bodyguard was (if his mother wasn't Asaka)? What will he do when he meets Rumi (if he does meet her)? Because he couldn't—no "W" and "I" in "Put on Mascara." I know there's probably a counter-argument against him referring to Rumi since he made his dying message with the letters in the mirror, and thus, couldn't put her full name in, and because he's not referring to kanji or something that would point people to her... but I'd like to hear it, rather than—perhaps—characterize the counter argument incorrectly. I completely agree that Mary isn't Rum and that it's a patented Gosho mislead/misdirect. But the third person he was referring to never appeared in Shinichi's/Conan's mind (by that, I mean appeared in the backdrop of the panel). Remember—James was introduced within the past 20 files (325) of this scene (in 343). Back then, I'm sure people thought that the "third person" Shinichi/Conan was referring to, in that scene, was James Black. After all, at the time, Gosho was misleading/misdirecting us, wanting us to think that Jodie, Shuichi and James were all BO. It's just a question of when. We don't know where they lived, but given that Masumi was wandering around in Japan, at age 13, that Shukichi's seemed to have lived there his whole life, and that both Mary and Masumi moved to America, 2-3 years before current events, the implication seems to be that Mary and all her children lived in Japan (until Shuichi went to join the FBI, and then when Mary and Masumi left Japan), and, perhaps, a beach in Japan is where they met Shinichi and Ran. Yeah, if Mary retired from MI6, I'd get it if she got back into that field because of Elena (if they are, indeed, sisters). But I think she's more likely to be involved in the "accident" that killed Elena and Atsushi, as Chekhov has suggested, rather than in the double murder of Amanda and Koji—I think the former scenario if what ultimately led to the (apparent) death of Mr. Akai, caused the surname changes for Masumi and Shukichi, led later on, to Masumi and Mary moving to the U.S., and, finally, led to Mary being shrunk, which is why Masumi (who knows if Mary came with her or was already there) came to Japan. Or James. When we get to the point of explanation (in terms of who Asaka is), I'm sure I'll be fine with the explanation if Mary turns out to be Asaka... it's just that, right now, I can't see it.

Ultimately, for me, she just doesn't have the presence that Tomoaki had or even the presence Sakurako had—that's why I doubt that she's Asaka. She appears to be a one-case character that people took notice of, and theorized about, because she's a bartender at Konosuke Jii's bar from Magic Kaito, and I guess because Shinichi/Conan got the hints to solve that case from her (even though plenty of times he gets hints, it's clear that the character he gets the hint from gave it to him by accident—and characters that may potentially be hinting him appear more than once, after their debut). Mary couldn't have been shrunk 17 years ago—in 969, she's clearly an adult. More likely, she was shrunk just before Masumi appeared in 768–770/646–647 (and her shrinking is the reason Masumi came to Japan in the first place). You misunderstand. If Post-Coma Hyoue is Rum, he'd be posing as Hyoue. Thus, if Jimmy's right, and Hyoue is Sakurako's uncle or father, then Rum would be playing that role and doing his best not to blow his cover... thus, Sakurako would be (unknowingly) connected to Rum... perhaps, she remembers the accident, back when she was 12, that put Hyoue in a coma... and, maybe, the accident that cost Rum his eye. Until Shinichi/Conan starts thinking about this, and questioning his assumption that Asaka is Rum, I'm going to go with Rumi being Amanda's bodyguard, and, probably, Koji's lover or some other close relation, Koji's dying message being her name (minus the W and I), and that Shinichi/Conan and Shuichi/Subaru misread the message. So Shuichi/Subaru and Shinichi/Conan reading Koji's dying message as "Asaka Rum" is not "too obvious," either? As with Shinichi's/Conan's theory that Mary is Rum, it could be an initial theory made at a point where information was lacking (think Shinichi's/Conan's initial thoughts on Hidemi's/Rena's/Kir's identity—before learning about Eisuke's leukemia, he thought she was a BO agent who had plastic surgery to look like Ethan's daughter). Theories made by Shinichi/Conan that early on are suspect, and should be constantly looked at, as the story progresses (also think of how Tomoaki never really came up in Shinichi's/Conan's thoughts during the Vermouth arc, when he thought about Vermouth—like how he wondered if Jodie's face was actually hers—who knows when and if he'll think about Rumi's name?). If Mary was Asaka (and why that name, anyway?... how convenient that the fake name she chose features letters that can be used to create a dying message with the mirror), then why did she fail to protect Amanda, and Koji (yes, it's true that the same can be asked if Rumi was Amanda's bodyguard)? Ultimately, I'm just not sure about Mary being there. At this point, she's either heavily pregnant with—or has just given birth to—Masumi, and she already has a 13-16 year old son and an 11 year old son. Who knows if she still was in MI6 at this point—she could've easily retired because of Mr. Akai, and the family they started, and resigned herself to the private sector, or a life that had much financial support, given Shukichi being described as "a mooching stay-at-home freeloader," and living in a Condo. I just don't see, right now, her (willingly or not) becoming Amanda's bodyguard, going to America, failing to protect Amanda from a less-experienced (and likely lower-ranked) Rum, somehow having and leaving this mirror where Koji could make a dying message with it, and then not being found until 17 years later. Instead, it could easily be the case that her husband got involved, was killed, and this was what led to the surname changing, the moving, and, eventually, Mary being shrunk. If Mary was Asaka, Rum would have to remember her to a point that, 17 years later, he could recognize her without her disguise, overpower her, and force APTX 4869 down her throat—and this is assuming that Rum is responsible for her now being a 12-15 year old. One last thing—we still don't know how Mr. Akai got involved in the double murder of Koji Haneda and Amanda Hughes, so we don't know if he got involved on his own, or because he knew his wife was involved—I'm waiting eagerly for that revelation... it should answer a few questions, including questions about how Mary was involved in all this. So you believe Asaka is Rum, not that Asaka is Mary or Rumi (in Rumi's case, she'd actually be Akasa)?

Last time they held back on doing a case this long was with Kaitou Kid and the Blush Mermaid (828–830), which should've had only one case precede it (825–827)—instead, the three cases that came after it (831–833; 834–840; 841–843) aired first. In this case, the Zombie case will be the third manga case that should've followed it, but is now preceding it. So maybe on September 24th and October 1st, we'll finally get it. If not then, then the two subsequent weeks—I'd say Neo Balthazar is on the mark with his guess, either way, since it's looking at least one episode will air in October. I'd say the story holds more significance than The Fugitive (File 594)—that one file case is the only time the anime staff skipped a manga case, and the Shinichi/Ran first meeting flashback is four files, and, in terms of how it's told, is quite unique—so I don't think they'd skip it and just have Closing 51 act as some kind of substitute.

Miriam-Webster definition of "Several": General: "more than two but not very many" More Specific: a ) more than one b ) more than two but fewer than many And as for "many:" 1) consisting of or amounting to a large but indefinite number 2) being one of a large but indefinite number So "several months" means more than 1-2 months, but less than a large but indefinite number. At the very least, it can be said that File 599/Episode 497 (when Jodie says how long it's been since Akemi's death) takes place 3 months or more since File 16/Episode 128. By my calculations, Clash of Red and Black takes place 6 months after File 1/Episode 1, which definitely could be described as a period of "several months" since Akemi's death, considering how close her death is to the start of DC.

Her AND the rest of the FBI, besides Shuichi, for that matter... this was a case of "make the antagonists look threatening and intimidating by making the protagonists stupid, rather than by making the antagonists smart," right? Did it start with Black Impact or Clash of Red and Black, you think?

Why would she have that condition? You tell me. I'll agree with you on the bolded part. Still, the thought of any of these characters being de-aged is not going to be the first thought that will occur to me, in relation to them. No—hence why I just re-used what I wrote, earlier. Interesting... it then leads back to, is Post-Coma Hyoue Rum, or isn't he? If so, there's the connection to Rum I was talking about. Maybe there's a flashback to the accident, and maybe Sakurako remembers something about Rum, if Rum lost his eye in that accident, whether he's Post-Coma Hyoue or not. No, Post-Coma Hyoue could still be Rum and still be connected to Sakurako like Jimmy suggested. As for Mr. Akai... that's... more complicated, I think, but I wouldn't dismiss it. But doesn't that become "too obvious," as well? Gosho has given equal time and weight to Rumi's name, and the fact that Elena had a mirror like Koji's dying message one, as I see it. Gosho just told us these things in a single panel, and left it at that. Mary would have to be in disguise to be Amanda's bodyguard—Rumi? Nope. And what of the hint? What does "Asaka Rum" mean, if Mary was Asaka?

First, Serinox's point: Second—since you seem to be taking a look at the Kogoro is Anokata/The Boss of the BO theory, let me re-post something I posted on the DCTP forums, last year (covering both Kogoro, James Black, and just general thoughts on Anokata's identity): "I won't say its impossible [that Kogoro is the boss], but my line of thinking is this—anyone in a position to know Shinichi/Conan and Shiho/Ai could discover their secrets fairly easily—this is the Boss we're talking about, here... there's no reason to doubt their intellect. If Kogoro was the boss, he would've figured it out by now... and well before the Conan arc (Files 1–175/Episodes 1–128) had even gotten anywhere close to ending. Plus, it would make all his character development irrelevant (the cases he solved on his own, his attempts to get back together with Eri), his moral statements at certain points would make no sense, and he'd have all those moments of foolishness—for the Boss of the Black Organization to act like that... to be comedy relief... that'd really be something. If the boss knows Shinichi/Conan, and especially if he/she had met/known him as a young adult, there's no way he/she wouldn't have figured it out—that's why Yukiko can't be the boss, either. If she—or any friend or family member of his—was, why is Shinichi/Conan still alive (especially with her knowing the truth about him being shrunk by APTX 4869)? (Read this next, hidden, part once you've gotten up to File 898/Episode 783): Gosho said in a January 13th, 2006 interview, during which Files 550–552 (Episode 462 and Episode 463) were being published, that the full name of the boss had appeared in the manga. Any character who has been introduced, either by mention or by appearance, after this interview can be ruled out. Essentially, we're looking for a name that appeared in the first 550 chapters. If Gosho's left any clues, he's been real subtle about it—but I can't imagine that he'd leave absolutely no clue." Point is this—Kogoro's not the boss.

Once again... With that out of the way... Any reason Rumi couldn't be Asaka? And by that, I mean Koji's dying message was actually "Rum(i) (W)akasa." Mary must've shrunk around the time Shinichi/Conan, Ran, Kogoro and Hiroshi were in London (generally, I mean any time after Red Shirts, but before Masumi appears—between 704 and 767/581 and 645, and I mention the London case because it's pretty close to Masumi's debut... I'd say Mary was shrunk from the 740s to the 760s). If Mary had been shrunk before that, Masumi would've come to Japan earlier. Of course, anything related to Mary before her debut in 875/756 and 876–878/759–760 is hard to comment on. I think Masumi taking a photo of Shinichi/Conan in 856/740 was per Mary's instructions, and her showing Shinichi/Conan the picture of her and Mary was the follow-up to that. I couldn't tell you if Mary's been with Masumi since 768–770/646–647, or if she started living with Masumi sometime after Mystery Train (818–824/701–704). Does the middle brother know about what's happened to their mother? Was the phone call Masumi received at the end of Detectives' Nocturne (796–800/671–674) from him about that particular subject? Was Mary shrunk in the U.S., or did it happen to her in Japan? If the former is true, then the middle brother may have sheltered her for a time. There's just so much we don't know about Mary's actions and whereabouts, pre-875/756 (though I do think that she was living with Masumi by 856–858/740–741). For the possibility that he's Rum... If he's not Rum, but he's also not the real Hyoue Kuroda, then the only character I think he could be is Mr. Akai. Else, this whole amnesia thing was a red herring, and the only important thing about it is the accident that caused it (the accident is important, I think, regardless of whether Hyoue is the real Hyoue, Rum, or Mr. Akai). While him being of American descent, like Ethan Hondo, would explain the family ties to America, he could've been 100% Japanese, and the America connections existed because of Mary being connected to James Black, and those connections got Shuichi into the FBI (and in a position to go to Japan and undertake the BO case). Gosho's comment about Mr. Akai—suggesting he wasn't dead—plays into the Mr Akai = Post-Coma Hyoue theory, regardless of whether Post-Coma Hyoue is Rum or not. Yuzuki is 26. Assuming she's not lying about her age, she'd be 9 at the time of the Amanda Hughes/Koji Haneda double murder. She'd have to actually be around Rumi's age, now, to have been in a position, 17 years ago, to become a bodyguard.

Shinichi/Conan is the hero who believes that all life is precious, and he is determined to save everyone. The Moonlight Sonata case and the Golden Apple case are the most impactful and indicative, in terms of his attitude on this. Yeah, since the site got updated, quoting people has been a pain (especially when you're trying to quote the quote of a quote of a quote... ゜◇゜) (Emoticons aren't working for me, so I had to go find the one I wanted)

http://meitanteisonoko.tumblr.com/post/125249019197/meitantei-conan-vs-mobile-suit-gundam-a-lot#notes It's been awhile since I read this, but in terms of DC and Mobile Suit Gundam, it was the first thing I thought of. I think this has both actual connections and theorizing, so be prepared for the latter.

Right now, the manga has 280 cases (there have been 4 more since I made that post in April), and the anime has covered 266 of those cases. Separate cases within a single episode are counted as separate (Episode 585), and flashback cases are included. The movies, OVAs and Live-action dramas do not count. Ran thinks, in File 882/Episode 772, "Not even a year has passed" since a case that took place (at least, by my reckoning) just a few weeks (it could be even less) before the events of File 1/Episode 1. This case came out in the manga from December 2013 to January 2014—in other words, it was the 20th year anniversary case, so Gosho wanted to establish that, after nearly 900 files, less than a year had passed between File 1/Episode 1 and File 882–File 884/Episode 772–Episode 773. My takeaway from this case is this—by the time File 882–File 884/Episode 772–Episode 773 rolls around, it has been 8-11 months since File 1/Episode 1. The way I count months in DC is this: 50 manga episodes in the anime = 1 month. Here's how far along we are in DC, by that way of counting months: 1 Month After File 1/Episode 1 = Volume 14, File 139–File 140 and Volume 15, File 141–File 143/Season 4, Episode 84–Episode 85 2 Months After File 1/Episode 1 = Volume 25, File 243–File 245/Season 7, Episode 172–Episode 173 3 Months After File 1/Episode 1 = Volume 32, File 325–File 327/Season 10, Episode 258–Episode 259 4 Months After File 1/Episode 1 = Volume 40, File 413–File 415 and Volume 41, File 416/Season 12, Episode 333–Episode 334 5 Months After File 1/Episode 1 = Volume 48, File 499–File 500 and Volume 49, File 501–File 504/Season 14, Episode 425 6 Months After File 1/Episode 1 = Volume 57, File 595–File 597 and Volume 58, File 598/Season 17, Episode 495–Episode 497 7 Months After File 1/Episode 1 = Volume 65, File 682–File 685 and Volume 66, File 686/Season 18, Episode 558–Episode 561 8 Months After File 1/Episode 1 = Volume 72, File 762 and Volume 73, File 763–File 764/Season 20, Episode 632–Episode 633 9 Months After File 1/Episode 1 = Volume 79, File 834–File 839 and Volume 80, File 840/Season 22, Episode 712–Episode 715 10 Months After File 1/Episode 1 = Volume 87, File 925–File 926 and Volume 88, File 927/Season 26, Episode 822–Episode 823 11 Months After File 1/Episode 1 = Not yet reached 12 Months/1 Year After File 1/Episode 1 = Not yet reached So the pattern is this (again, going by the 50 manga episodes in the anime = 1 month principle)—around every 90 or so Files/around every 90 or so Episodes, a month passes in DC (though in some cases it could be 70 manga files, or 63 or even 110 episodes, between months). I did count the number of cases myself... only to find they'd already been counted... http://www.detectiveconanworld.com/wiki/Manga_Listed_By_Case#Detective_Conan_Case_List If you're going to check this link out, don't go past Case #142—else, you'll be spoiled.

Why is she taken notice of? Because she's a character who, at the time of her debut, we all thought was going to only appear in that case (781–786/652–655)—even then, it was strange that such a character would just straight-up approach Shinichi/Conan and point out his act. The ones who realize his intellect are mainly the culprits, who are either arrested, or (in Seiji's case (62–67/11)) die, and even then, they don't march up to him, before the case is solved, and say that his childishness is an act, and that he's actually quite smart. Sumiko and the DBs are Shinichi's/Conan's teacher and classmates—of course they'd realize, with all this time they spent with him, how smart he is. Sakurako recognized his intelligence upon their initial meeting. I don't think she's Rum, but I do think she has the potential to be the Tomoaki Ariade of the Rum arc—not in the sense that she's a disguise for a BO member, but in the sense that she's an overlooked character who will play an important role in the arc. If she's nothing more than a housekeeper who happens to be Kazunobu's and Naeko's childhood friend, whose voice actress Gosho likes, then its a wasted opportunity. I see no point in her continued appearances if she doesn't have a role to play in this arc... or the rest of the series (who knows... maybe she's won't turn out to be connected to Rum, but, rather, to the BO boss). It's certainly possible, but I think she would've cracked a smile by now, or let slip something she shouldn't know (as she did in her last appearance (954–957)... in fact, even during the Vermouth arc, she was letting hints slip about her identity), or triggered Shiho's/Ai's BO sense. Yes, it wasn't triggered in the Cherry Blossom Pickpocket case (850–852/734), but she wasn't there for long, and Shiho/Ai wasn't her focus (she can't really be, again, I think, until the fake death in Mystery Train is uncovered by the BO)—there's no way, with this kind of sustained proximity, that Shiho/Ai would have no idea. What about her being an agent (NPA, PSB, FBI, CIA), Koji Haneda's sister or girlfriend (and the one he was really referring to, in his dying message), or being a long-absent character in disguise (Eisuke or Akemi)? (Yes, I know the second choice of the third option is absurd—the second somewhat less so, but still an extreme long shot—but I heard the idea floated around, so I put in in there as another option for her identity). I take it you think this because that Asaca being Rum is too obvious? So Rum hasn't yet appeared—so Rum isn't Taka'aki/Koumei or Heizo?... and why in the next ten chapters? If this arc turns out to be as long as the Kir arc (122 Files), then perhaps... assuming, of course, Rum hasn't yet been introduced.

I think she was assuming that, as well as... The only explanation I can think of is that Shinichi's/Conan's memory is effectively distorting Shukichi. Even with shrunken Mary being the only character in DC (and that Shinichi/Conan has seen) whose hair is a match to the woman he sees, and even with Shinichi/Conan theorizing that Mary, indeed, was, like him, shrunk, he still hasn't made the connection—thus, I'd say Shinichi/Conan isn't that trustworthy when it comes to, at least, Mary and the middle brother... until he has his revelation moment, of course.

Can't say that it does...

Shinichi's/Conan's thoughts from 969 have so little context—clearly, he's not at the revelation point (and neither is Ran—I wonder if she and Shinichi/Conan will have a simultaneous revelation, given that they're both keen on remembering meeting Masumi). Maybe his memory is fuzzy enough (probably not the most apt word choice, on my part) that he isn't remembering Shukichi right. He didn't immediately connect Mary to the woman, even though that's the first person that should've jumped to his mind, so who knows how accurate his memories are, before his revelation point? We probably will have to wait until 972 (presuming this case ends at 971) to get confirmation on whether this character is Shukichi or not.

Not that strange—it's not like he wore those clothes for a week, straight...

If the protagonists (Shinichi/Conan and whoever he's with) were to come across a murder attempt/murder plan being carried out, the culprit would have to escape, regardless of the success of their attempt/plan, or there'd be no mystery, and they'd have to be sufficiently disguised, lest the victim immediately ID them (and quite a lot of the murders in DC feature the culprit ending the victim's life in private, with no disguise... so that would have to be changed). Plus, it would require Shinichi/Conan and co. to assume that, everywhere they go, someone's gonna be murdered, and that someone will be from any person or group of people they might meet. The world is a big place—too big to possibly check every person and location before someone inevitably dies. Even with an idea of people's attitudes towards each other (however limited an understanding it may be, due to Shinichi/Conan and co. meeting people for the first time), and a knowledge of surroundings, there's no telling when the killer would strike... and you know what? If Shinichi/Conan and co. planned an insane amount and were somehow able to predict so many murders, then they'd stop them. Thus, the culprit would somehow have to escape what I think would be an elaborate trap—if they didn't, they'd be caught and jailed... no mystery. Additionally, for there to be suspense, all the culprits would have to think on Shinichi's/Conan's level and on the level of other detectives for them to have a chance at getting past the detectives and succeeding in killing their target... and for some, that'd get repetitive after awhile. I certainly wouldn't mind murders being thwarted, but you'd have to balance it with murders that no one wades into until it's too late, so the thwarting wouldn't get repetitive to the readers, after awhile.

I'll believe it when I see the title. If what you say is true, it's even more unprecedented. I don't recall a symbol ever being part of a file's title.