File 818-824: Mystery Train (NO SPOILER)

[Black Demon 466]

Made a new poll for voting the identity of people and stuffs... The culprit section allows multiple votes because there may be more than one culprit.

[kuro.shiro 0]

here goes my theory

sealed room trick

this trick was done by threads to seal lock from inside.the chain has a loop at the end which can be used to carry it with threads.there are lots of places which can be used for passing through threads and making it easy for it.

the only problem is moving threads to place chain lock, as culprit can't see from outside

this problem can be tackled in a cave where windows will act as mirror allowing culprit to see the chainlock from outside through a small opening allowing door to be locked.

hence it can be done only when train is in a tunnel.

alibi trick

the above trick was utilised by andou.

first idenami uses a fake excuse to bring conductor and then stalls him.

during this period andou is in murobashi's room and he kills murobashi.

he comes out opens his cabin door so conductor can't see him.

andou then seals the room. komino and her maid come from cabin D pass through andou and goes to entrance of cabin where they meet conan.

meanwhile andou finishes the sealing and closes his door and pretends to have come out from it and goes towards idenami.

thus by komino's and her maid's lies andou's alibi is created

[leokiko 2]

I voted for Andou.

[primrose 3]

Something's still bugging me. Why did Vermouth even bother to tell Gin about Shiho? If she didn't want him to interfere with the train's incidents, wouldn't it be better to NOT tell him anything? Since I don't think he'd have found out that info from any other sources.

[AJ M. 204]

Just for the hell of it, I'll post my theory about Fusae Campbell here as well.

Note: This theory was made after the File 820 spoilers were out.

Ok, after doing some deep (and I mean DEEP) research about the mysterious woman, I found something VERY interesting. But before I show you all that, I will tell you my whole theory about the lady: FUSAE CAMPBELL.

-First, we were introduced to Fusae Campbell in File 412 (File 410 as child). We find out that Fusae, a purse fashion designer, is the main love interest of Professor Agasa. We also realize that she is half-American wearing a black hat over her blonde hair (but I will elaborate more about her appearance later). By the end of the chapter, Fusae decides that her usual routine of visiting every 10 years will come to an end, but there is a little bit of foreshadowing from her step-father/driver, Billy:

-A few chapters later (File 417-419 to be exact), we find out that a black car (with the steering wheel on the left side which would insinuate a foreign car) seems to be stalking the Detective Boys in the "Secret of the Tohto Film Development Studio" case. There is a lot of speculation about who the mysterious man and woman are inside the car, but like I had shown before, there is a striking resemblance between Fusae and the mysterious woman, and also, Billy and the mysterious man. Here are the pictures once again:

-As to why they would be stalking the Detective Boys, I will explain what I think the reason for that is. The speculation that Akai has connections with Fusae Campbell is likely true from the assumption that there was a three-person meal inside the car in File 412 and the assumption that Fusae Campbells and Billy are FBI members/acquaintances due to their American names and/or heritage. With this in mind, I deduced that some time after meeting with Agasa and the DB in File 412, Fusae and Billy were ordered by Akai to investigate the child with the reddish hair. Fusae was probably hesitant at first, but didn't mind the fact that she may have the chance to see Agasa again. The first time they drove passed Agasa's house, they noticed that an unknown car was parked outside (Yukiko's car) and that the DB were entering it. Billy waited patiently for them to leave and started following them whilst trying to remain unnoticed. They followed the DB and Yukiko all the way to the studio where they took this photo:

ADDED NOTE: This picture is seen inside Akai's car in File 420.11.

-One of the two sent the picture to Akai so he can investigate further on Haibara. Akai probably ordered them to continue keeping an out on her until told not to. As their investigation continued, Fusae and Billy overheard that the kids will be spending the night at Akira Hojima's apartment. So later that night, they arrived at the apartment complex (by sneakily following Akira all the way there), but they realized that an incident occured and that the police had arrived. Additionally, I wouldn't be surprised if Fusae noticed Agasa's arrival and was pretty happy about it. But anyways, they waited outside under Akai's order until something came up. Meanwhile, Akai probably discovered the resemblance between Haibara and Shiho, and thus, he told Billy and Fusae that they are able to leave (which is when they passed by Agasa's car with the kids inside).

-After that day, she probably continued her fashion designing career (for the next hundreds of chapters). It wasn't until she heard news of Akai's death that she decided to take a break from her job for a little while. So after the Raiha's Pass incident, Akai (who is still alive) called Fusae for assistance (it's even possible that Akai called Fusae before hand to help him set up the fake death). As a result, Fusae has been secretly staying with him (or at least has been visiting him) in order to help disguise him as Okiya or for some other unknown reasons (it also wouldn't hurt to be living next to her love interest, Agasa). I'm also speculating that Fusae and Akai are relatives of some sort, but I have no proof for that yet.

-That's why I believe Fusae is the mysterious woman who has been assisting Akai/Okiya. As for what I believe is decisive evidence, I found something EXTREMELY interesting that I hope isn't some fluke or some misinterpretation. As I said before, I will continue elaborating Fusae's appearance, and there is one decisive thing she wears that will determine if Fusae IS the mysterious woman in File 820 or not: the ginkgo leaf necklace.

HERE IS WHAT I HAVE FOUND:

Fusae, Chapter 412:

Mysterious Woman, Chapter 820:

Fun Fact: Fusae was first seen in File 410. The mysterious woman is seen in person for the first time in File 820. (410 is half of 820, coincidence or not?)

THE END

But after seeing the duo-necklace worn by the mysterious woman in File 821, the hunch in my head about the ginkgo leaf necklace being a fluke turned out to be true...

HOWEVER, that does not rule Fusae Campbell out of the question (although her chances of being the mysterious woman in Files 820 and 821 are much slimmer). After having yet another run through of the chapters, I decided to think of three different hypothetical situations in which Fusae, Yukiko, and Jodie play the role of the mysterious woman who has been assisting Okiya. I will also describe the pros and cons of each situation.

SITUATION #1: Fusae as the Mysterious Woman

Fusae and her stepfather/driver Billy were initially Akai's assistants who helped him retrieve a picture of Haibara. Utilizing this picture, Akai was able to see the striking resemblance between Haibara and former B.O. scientist, Shiho. After this short-lived mission under Akai's order, Fusae and Billy return to their normal lives for several months. It is not until Akai has another predicament that Fusae is needed of assistance again. She helps with Akai's disguise as Okiya (and possibly helps set up his fake death). Fusae visits from time to time in order to facilitate Akai's needs or to collaborate with him about future endeavors. Now that Okiya knows that Haibara will be attending the Mystery Train (upon seeing the video with Shiho in it), he got a boarding pass and brought along Fusae as well.

Pros:

-If the mysterious woman assisting Akai from Files 418 and 419 is Fusae, then the speculation that Fusae is also the mysterious woman in Files 820 and 821 would be a consistent follow-up.

-Major plot-holes from long ago would finally come to a close.

Cons:

-It would be a long-shot of a twist by Gosho.

-Fusae's last appearance was about 410 files ago (about half of the amount of files we have today!).

-There is no legitimate reason for Fusae's involvement with Akai (speculation that Fusae is a relative of Akai remains a possibility).

-If we assume Scar Akai is Vermouth in File 821, Fusae would not have anything significant to say to her besides "I know your secret" or "you seem like a whole different person to me" as they pass each other in the hallway.

SITUATION #2: Yukiko as the Mysterious Woman

Yukiko decided to check the condition of her home and realized that Okiya was living there. Okiya probably explained the whole situation to her (the fake death, his alias, and so on), and due to Yukiko's habit of taking on any role without her son's acknowledgement, she decided to become Okiya's apprentice. With Yukiko's disguising abilities, she would be able to perfect Akai's disguise as Okiya. Now that they have an alliance established, they both board the Mystery Train to disclose certain things.

Pros:

-It wouldn't be a surprise that there would be evidence of Yukiko being in the house recently.

-It also wouldn't be a surprise that Yukiko played the role of a "mysterious woman" given that she has done this several times before.

-Yukiko is a professional disguiser who is able to create the Okiya alias for Akai.

-If we assume Scar Akai is Vermouth in File 821, Yukiko would tell her something along the lines of "hello there, my old friend" as they pass each other in the hallway.

Cons:

-When Okiya was first seen, he didn't have a place to live; it wasn't until Conan offered him to live in the Kudo residence that Okiya found a home, so there would really be no reason for Yukiko to assist him with anything (since Okiya already made his disguise). If Yukiko met with Akai before the alias Okiya was even made, why wouldn't she have offered Akai to live in her house then? For what other reason would she need to assist Akai other than to disguise him? In short, the collaboration between the two should have only been a one-time ordeal.

-Yukiko as the mysterious woman would be too predictable and repetitive.

-WHERE IS YUSAKU THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE RENDEZVOUS?!

SITUATION #3: Jodie as the Mysterious Woman

After Jodie bumps into Okiya in File 581 (the red T-shirt case), she has a hunch that she knows the person. She asks herself: "Is this the man that sent me the warning message? Is he the real Akai?" After Akai (as Okiya) realizes that the B.O. has confirmed his death (after Scar Akai tested the reactions of other FBI agents), he tells Jodie everything about the fake death and what he intends to do in the future. As a result, Jodie frequently collaborates with Akai in the Kudo residence (hence, the evidence of a woman being in the house). Now that they know the B.O. will be boarding the Mystery Train, they also receive train passes and will try to diffuse the situation there.

Pros:

-It supports the fact that we do not see Jodie as often.

-It would be a great plot twist by Gosho because before, he made it seem like Vermouth was Jodie in disguise, but now he makes it seem like Vermouth is the mysterious woman when in reality, it would now be Jodie "disguising" as Vermouth "disguising" as the mysterious woman (if that makes sense).

-When we see Jodie in Files 779 and 780 (deduction battle between Heiji and Conan), she doesn't seem to be upset about Akai's death nor does ponder about Scar Akai anymore (perhaps because Okiya told her everything).

-It makes sense that Okiya would ask Jodie to assist him. After all, they are fellow FBI agents, Akai would want to comfort Jodie by substantiating that he is still alive, and she would be of good use on the Mystery Train.

-If we assume Scar Akai is Vermouth in File 821, Jodie would tell her something along the lines of "I know that face" or "you can't fool me this time" as they pass each other in the hallway.

Cons:

-There is still a pretty good chance that Jodie doesn't know Akai is still alive.

-Jodie's phone from Files 779 and 780 is different from that of the mysterious woman.

Added: SITUATION #4: Might as well do Kir as well:

Kir had already planned with Akai ahead of time the fake death at Raiha Falls, so it's possible that they were still meeting with each other. Kir manages to sneak away from the organization and enters the Kudo residence to consult with Okiya. Now that they have an alliance built up, they plan a way to track down Bourbon and Vermouth on the Mystery train to diffuse the situation there and protect everyone aboard.

Pros:

-We rarely see Kir anymore, so it's not a surprise that she might be meeting up with Okiya.

-Since it appears she has blonde hair as the mysterious woman, it supports the fact that Sera found a hair from a wig in Kudo's house.

-If we assume Scar Akai is Vermouth in File 821, Kir would tell her something along the lines of "you can't deceive me with that face" as they pass each other in the hallway.

Cons:

-It would be extremely hard for her to meet up with Okiya with Gin all up on her a**.

-We don't what she has been doing, so Kir being the mysterious woman is a long shot.

EDITED: With all of the pros and cons for each situation in mind, here are the probabilities for the true identity of the mysterious woman (in my opinion):

40% Yukiko

30% Jodie

15% Fusae (not too confident anymore...)

10% Kir

5% Other

ADDED NOTE: I'm also speculating that it was the mysterious woman who sent the message (supposedly sent by Vermouth) to Haibara. The woman's phone IS SEEN in her File 820 appearance. Just another hunch though.

[leokiko 2]

I thought the mysterious woman was sending the message to Conan at the time.

[AJ M. 204]

I thought the mysterious woman was sending the message to Conan at the time.

That doesn't mean she can't send one to Haibara later on though, no?

[Chekhov MacGuffin 1089]

I was all excited about revealing the solution to everyone in one big dramatic swoop, but it seems someone else in the dctp spoiler cbox noticed the same thing I did, so here is part of the solution now. I want to post before I get scooped!

Basically there is a big mirror that was placed in the hall to trick the conductor and hide the person doing the shooting (like one of the ace attorney games!) The conductor was really seeing himself. The darkness caused by going through the tunnel makes the trick harder to notice. Who has a luggage case big enough to fit a large mirror and whose room is in the right position? Dude in room C!

I am still deciding on the timing of working everything out and exactly how many people must have collaborated to make this plan work. The timing is pretty tight, which makes multiple suspects collaborating to create the illusion that there is no way someone could set up a giant mirror and maneuver a strong option. Someone has to hold the mirror in place for one (Room C). D's wheelchair lady and assistant passed by just before the mirror went up so they should have seen it, yet they failed to report it. They might be the shooter then. C put it away after they passed.

I assume Conan was comparing runs to see who might be the masked culprit from the fake death earlier that the DB chased. The wheelchair pusher run was the only one we were allowed to see, and it does match the DB culprit's run. She also has the right stature and face shape for the job. I suppose this means the wheel chair pusher was responsible for the initial set up to get the guy in room 8B.

So C and D working together seems likely.

Also, I think the suspect was shot through the small opening of his already chained door by gunner rather than the person going in to make a locked room trick. There was no locked room trick at all; the victim chained his own door. The entry and exit wound direction (819.16) seems to fit the angle appropriate for a shot taken from the door based on the image of Sera and Conan finding the body.(819.15)

When the shooter opened the door while the victim was holding the pistol he was told to hold, he turned to look at who opened it. The shot on the sofa was to draw the victim's attention to the sofa. This was so that when the second killing headshot happened, he would be facing forwards which is the right direction for the second shot to make it look like a suicide.

Maybe you all can figure out the rest before I can. Cheers.

Can't be unseen.

[AJ M. 204]

Nice deduction so far! I just have a couple of things that I want to confirm.

Basically there is a big mirror that was placed in the hall to trick the conductor and hide the person doing the shooting (like one of the ace attorney games!) The conductor was really seeing himself. The darkness caused by going through the tunnel makes the trick harder to notice. Who has a luggage case big enough to fit a large mirror and whose room is in the right position? Dude in room C!

The only way I can imagine a mirror the size of a door fitting inside Andou's luggage case is if the mirror can be folded in half. So does that mean the mirror was behind the painting when Mouri checked his luggage or was the mirror thrown out of a window? Also, is there a possibility that Andou used the "glass with a black background" trick for a mirror?

Also, I think the suspect was shot through the small opening of his already chained door by gunner rather than the person going in to make a locked room trick. There was no locked room trick at all; the victim chained his own door. The entry and exit wound direction (819.16) seems to fit the angle appropriate for a shot taken from the door based on the image of Sera and Conan finding the body.(819.15)

When the shooter opened the door while the victim was holding the pistol he was told to hold, he turned to look at who opened it. The shot on the sofa was to draw the victim's attention to the sofa. This was so that when the second shot happened, he would be facing forwards which is the right direction for the second shot to make it look like a suicide.

It makes sense that Murobashi was ordered via phone call from the culprit (this culprit being Andou) to hold a gun with a silencer. The culprit's gun (this culprit being Hiroka) was most likely thrown out a window. But if neither shot was triggered by Murobashi, then wouldn't investigators notice the lack of gun powder residue on Murobashi's hands? (I wish we new the heading of the sofa gunshot) It's also possible that Murobashi was asked to shoot at the sofa in front of him, and afterwards, Hiroka shot him while he was distracted. That would also explain why the gun with the silencer was in Murobashi's hands in the first place and how gun residue got on him.

[Chekhov MacGuffin 1089]

The only way I can imagine a mirror the size of a door fitting inside Andou's luggage case is if the mirror can be folded in half. So does that mean the mirror was behind the painting when Mouri checked his luggage or was the mirror thrown out of the window? Also, is there a possibility that Andou used the "glass with a black background" trick for a mirror?

I really like the idea of a folding mirror. The frame being solid gold could easily be a lie to hide the excess weight of the mirror. The non reflective side of the mirror could be disguised as something else. Glass with a black background I don't think would be reflective enough. The image would be too fuzzy/distorted. That said it's possible a roll up something reflective, but I don't think it went that way.

It makes sense that Murobashi was ordered via phone call from the culprit (this culprit being Andou) to hold a gun with a silencer. The culprit's gun (this culprit being Hiroka) was most likely thrown out a window. But if neither shot was triggered by Murobashi, then wouldn't investigators notice the lack of gun powder residue on Murobashi's hands? (I wish we new the heading of the sofa gunshot) It's also possible that Murobashi was asked to shoot at the sofa in front of him, and afterwards, Hiroka shot him while he was distracted. That would also explain why the gun with the silencer was in Murobashi's hands in the first place and how gun residue got on him.

Also an excellent point, even though we don't know whether the residue is there or not. When I get around to making a full-assed solution instead of a half-assed one, I will be sure to credit you for your ideas.

[kuro.shiro 0]

I was all excited about revealing the solution to everyone in one big dramatic swoop, but it seems someone else in the dctp spoiler cbox noticed the same thing I did, so here is part of the solution now. I want to post before I get scooped!

Basically there is a big mirror that was placed in the hall to trick the conductor and hide the person doing the shooting (like one of the ace attorney games!) The conductor was really seeing himself. The darkness caused by going through the tunnel makes the trick harder to notice. Who has a luggage case big enough to fit a large mirror and whose room is in the right position? Dude in room C!

i knew the door was looking funny and murderer will not bump out .

but i failed to see the mirror outline until i saw this

isn't it strange that the door lacks an emblem notifying cab letter?

*reads file 819-821 again*

[User 4869 100]

Just asking. I believe Scar Akai this time is Vermouth and the hat lady speak with her. If the hat lady is Yukiko and what she said with Vermouth is highly likely "Long time no see, Sharon" or something that will let Vermouth know her cover is blow . Would her reaction make sense. Vermouth's reaction is not that strong. And after one's cover is blow of, would you go on and try to use that cover to deceive a sharp detective a panel afterward?

[AJ M. 204]

i knew the door was looking funny and murderer will not bump out .

but i failed to see the mirror outline until i saw this

isn't it strange that the door lacks an emblem notifying cab letter?

*reads file 819-821 again*

If Gosho drew the "E" emblem outside of the door, then the mirror trick would be revealed. But logic-wise, it is indeed strange.

Just asking. I believe Scar Akai this time is Vermouth and the hat lady speak with her. If the hat lady is Yukiko and what she said with Vermouth is highly likely "Long time no see, Sharon" or something that will let Vermouth know her cover is blow . Would her reaction make sense. Vermouth's reaction is not that strong. And after one's cover is blow of, would you go on and try to use that cover to deceive a sharp detective a panel afterward?

If Yukiko is the mysterious lady, I think she said something more along the lines of "long time no see, old friend." It's effective enough to get a reaction out of Vermouth, but it's subtle enough to ensure Vermouth that her cover is not fully blown yet.

[Chekhov MacGuffin 1089]

Here is a more complete shot at the solution to the case:

Murderer: Room D’s Komino Natsue (most likely) or Sumitomo Hiroka

Accomplice: Room C’s Andou Satoru

Basic trick description:

The victim, Murobashi Etsuto unknowingly collaborated with his soon to be murderers who created a false locked room and alibis for themselves by using an illusion to fool the attendant. Using several unique quirks of the first class car and some items planted beforehand, the culprits drew the carriage attendant to room E. While the attendant was distracted, room C’s Andou placed a large mirror previously disguised as an expensive gold framed picture in the hallway to hide the hallway behind room C. Unseen by the attendant, room D’s Komino and Sumitomo went to the door of room B and shot the victim through the chained door gap. While this was going on, the attendant glanced over at the mirror and saw the reflection of himself at the door of room E and thought it was someone at the door of room A which messed up his witness testimony later. Andou rehid the mirror after the completion of the shooting.

Plot of the crime:

A staff uniform was stolen in advance so one of the culprits could plant and remove several items in carriage 8 without being suspected. This allowed the culprit to remove the spare bulbs for the call buttons so that room A’s could not be changed. The fake attendant also left the watch in room E’s seat. Finally they added an extra link to the chain lock of 8B's door so that the crack made by opening the unlocked but chained door would be wider than normal.

The culprits rectified the problem of their would-be victim being in the wrong room 7B by giving the members of Kogoro’s 8B room and the Detective Boys a fake mystery that would move the victim to 8B, thus enabling the original trick to go forward. This is explained by Conan so I will not repeat him. Because Kogoro taking over 8B was unanticipated, chances are that the culprits had to go to the staff supply and steal some stationary to create the mystery.

The culprits made sure room A’s light was intentionally kept blown out to create a situation where if the carriage 8 attendant heard a bell sound without a corresponding light, he would go to room A by default. The culprits can make the attendant go to room A by a. playing a recording of the call button noise or b. disabling the light for their own room in advance without the conductor knowing, which allows them to make an identical sound by pressing their own call button. Calling the attendant to room A is necessary so the culprits can have the attendant verify that the victim is still alive and in his room before the confusion, thus creating their alibis.

At this time, the victim is in communication with one of the culprits, and is prompted by him/her to look outside his door where he verifies over his cellphone that the attendant indeed went to room A. It seems that the victim is unaware of the modifications made by the culprits to room A’s light. The victim goes closes the door to his room B, chains it shut, sits on the left side, and waits while holding a silenced handgun in his right hand, all by the orders of the culprit on the phone.

The man from room A shuts his door after the call button confusion is resolved. At nearly the same time, the watch hidden in room E goes off, prompting Idenami Mari to punch her call button and berate the attendant when he arrives. Her noisy arguing that would cover the sounds of the silenced gunshots and other actions could presumably be predicted by the culprits from past experience.

While Idenami is yelling at the conductor, Room D’s Komino and Sumitomo use noise as their cue to quickly wheel out of their room towards Room B.

Right after they pass, Andou from Room C who also hears the arguing as his signal, leaves his room, quickly unfolds his mirror disguised as the backing for the painting (folding mirror idea credit to AJ M), and holds it up in the hallway at some point midway after the wheelchair passes. This hides from the conductor what is happening at room B in the blind spot behind the mirror and gives the conductor the illusion that the hallway is empty save for someone opening what appears to be the furthest door A. In reality, the conductor is looking at his own reflection and the door of room E. The darkness from the tunnel is necessary for this trick in order to hide the mirror, shroud critical detail contradictions like reversed room numbers, and weaken depth perception.

The ladies go to 8B, open the door which is chained shut, and either Komino or Sumitomo shoot the sofa in front of Murobashi using a silenced handgun to draw his attention from the door to the sofa so his face is in profile. The shooter fires a second shot into Murobashi’s temple, giving the impression of a suicide. The angle of the two shots is such that they could both be taken from the door, meaning the only thing the shooter had to do was open the unlocked but chained door and fire through the crack. A line drawn through the victim’s entry wound and blood spattered exit wound aligns with the crack of the door of the room. In addition Conan commented that the shot in the couch could be seen from the crack in the door, meaning the shot could be taken from the crack in the door as well.

With the shooting complete, the ladies close the door and hide the silenced gun and continue down the hallway. Andou quickly returns the mirror to his room. He then leaves his room and approaches room E pretending to be interested in the arguing commotion between Idenami and the attendant.

After the murder is discovered, the suspects return to their rooms before they are questioned or investigated which gives them time to clean up, change clothes, hide certain things, or dispose of others out the window, or whatever needs to be done.

Evidence:

(Picture) The edges of the mirror and the mirroring of the doors is visible.

(Picture) The running gait of Sumitomo is similar to that of the masked culprit the detective boys chased earlier.

(Added Later) There is an extra link in 8B's door chain making 6 links not counting end rings, while 8E has only five links. This widens the opening of the door and gives a greater angle of possible shots through the gap, especially if the shooter must be slightly back from the door. (aka in wheelchair)

The victim should not have gunpowder burn on his head wound if shot from the door, which Conan confirmed to be the case.

Komino and Sumitomo disappeared from the hallway quicker than they would be expected to. If the door to A was really open, so they should have been blocked by it and slowed down. The reason they disappeared was because they were hidden behind the mirror.

Other potential clues:

Andou’s painting and frame, if investigated, should unfold into a large mirror.

There should be gunpowder residue on the door indicating the shots were taken from there and not inside the room.

The attendant should feel that the hallway is longer than normal or different.

The last call on the victim’s phone should be from a culprit; however, if the culprit contacted the victim using a spare phone, that person could have thrown it out of the train to avoid implicating themselves.

There could possibly be fingerprints on door of 8B because neither woman from room D is wearing gloves, but this could be defeated by removable gloves or handkerchiefs.

Notes:

A simple watch on a timer is risky. If the watch is timed rather than triggered, there is a possibility it would go off at an unfortunate time when the trick would be impossible, perhaps when other people are in the corridor. Although Suzuki Jirokichi would not stand for it, it is possible for the train to be delayed a few minutes, so it would go off when the train wasn’t in the tunnel. A triggerable mic making watch sounds would be better, and may have been what was used since the woman commented the watch stopped making noise.

Why is the victim in communication with the culprits? Perhaps he thinks he is part of a mystery setup, or that something related to the deadly estate fire, either for personal gain or blackmail is prompting him to do it.

If one member of the culprits was impersonating staff, it is possible that they could have found out in advance than Kogoro would be in 8B instead of Murobashi. In that case the stationary could be stolen and prepared ahead of time and some more thought put into the mystery.

It is possible that the shooting culprit asked Murobashi to fire a shot with his silenced pistol into the sofa in front of him, which would have had the same head turning affect as the distraction version. (idea credit to AJ M.)

[dcfan4869 18]

Great deduction!!

I still want to know the significance behind what the car 8 conductor said about how the first class rooms are larger than the other ones. Is it because they take up more space which makes the corridor narrower than those of other cars, which makes the mirror fill up most of the hall space? Idk...

[Chekhov MacGuffin 1089]

Great deduction!!

I still want to know the significance behind what the car 8 conductor said about how the first class rooms are larger than the other ones. Is it because they take up more space which makes the corridor narrower than those of other cars, which makes the mirror fill up most of the hall space? Idk...

It's hard to judge between non-identical-perspective panels, but the hallway may be skinnier in first class versus others.

[AJ M. 204]

Now that Chekhov has posted her terrific solution of the case, I would like to focus more on the different rooms and movements of important characters. There honestly has been little to no discussion about whose room is whose, so I will try my best to elaborate on it. Basically, I will say what room fits best with what character and why. But I will warn you, it will be difficult to follow what I'm saying if you don't know what's going on.

NOTE: When I say something like 821.12.8, I'm referring to FILE#.PAGE#.PANEL#

Scar Akai's Room: <7B

In File 818, the Detective Boys try to chase down the "pretend culprit" by heading away from Car 7 (towards a Car # that is less than 7). After realizing that the Deduction Quiz hasn't started yet, Conan heads back towards Car 7 while Haibara sees Scar Akai exiting the second room from the back, (818.13.6 & 818.14.1). Therefore, Scar Akai's room is <7B. The room is most likely not 6B since Conan didn't feel like he miscounted the number of CARS (818.15.5), which would suggest that he passed through more than one car when getting from the car SA was seen in to Car 7. So SA's room could be 5B, 4B, or 3B as well.

Okiya & Mysterious Lady's Room: 6E

In File 820 after Conan tells the DB, Ran, and Sonoko to stay in their room (820.3.7 & 820.4.1), they follow Conan's order and head towards Car 7. However, it gets a little tricky on the next page because we do not know whether the gang is in Car 7 or Car 6, nor do we know if they're heading towards Ran and Sonoko's room in 7B or the DB's room in 6D (820.5). I will assume they are in Car 6 for now and I will explain why later. So after Scar Akai passes the gang by walking towards Car 7, we see Amuro talking with Ran outside of Room 6E (820.6). Since we see Okiya peeking behind the door, we can assume that Okiya and the mysterious woman's room is 6E. But why 6E and not 7E you ask? If the gang were in Car 7 while talking to Amuro, that means Scar Akai would be heading towards Car 8. That wouldn't make sense because Conan, Sera, and Kogoro are still investigating the case in Car 8. So it's safe to assume that the gang is heading towards the DB's room in 6D (there is a contradiction about this that I will explain later) and that Okiya and the mysterious woman's room is 6E.

Amuro's Room: 7A

In File 821 after Conan appears to have solved the case in Car 8, Sera heads towards Car 6 to confirm things with the DB (821.14.2). In Panels 4 and 5, we can assume that Sera is running through Car 7 since Kogoro and Conan are no longer seen behind her. As Sera passes through the corridor, we can see Amuro peeking out of either Room 7A or 7B, but it's obviously not 7B since that would be Ran & Sonoko's "new" room (previously Murobashi's room before the switch-up). Therefore, Amuro's room is 7A.

Random Man's Room: <7C

In File 819, the DB try to inform the conductor (that was seen in the same car as Scar Akai) about the missing Car 7. After he tells them that they are mistaken, the light signal and bell above Room C go off and a man with glasses and a moustache (maybe a person in disguise?) is seen opening the door (819.3.6). So like Scar Akai, the random man is staying in a Car # that is less than 7, or in other words, Room <7C. As for the man's identity, I would like to speculate that he is Yusaku in disguise (which would confirm the speculation that Yukiko is the mysterious woman in disguise), but the man is probably not significant in the plot at all. Just in case he turns out to be an important character later on, I wanted to toss around the idea.

Other Justifications

-In File 821 before Sera enters Car 6 to confirm things with the DB, Scar Akai and the mysterious woman pass by each other in Car 6 (821.15). By looking at the positions where they were standing in Panel 1, it justifies that Scar Akai exited his room and that the woman exited her room before they crossed paths (assuming that Scar Akai's room is 6B).

-In both 820.6 and 821.15, Scar Akai is seen walking towards Car 7. This not only justifies that his room is <7B, but it also justifies that Amuro's room is 7A (if we assume that Amuro's room is where Scar Akai intended to go to both times).

A Gosho Mistake?

In File 821, the Detective Boys, Agasa, Ran, and Sonoko are in what should have been Room 6D (since Conan specifically ordered the DB to "return to your room with Ran"). However, after Haibara receives a text message from Vermouth and exits the room, Ran goes after Haibara and during which, we are able to see the "B" emblem outside the door (821.6.7). But wait, isn't the DB's room supposed to be 6D? The snacks from before behind Agasa are still inside the room (821.5.5), so did Gosho make a mistake? The room that they're in cannot be 7B for many reasons. Like I mentioned before, the gang was hanging out in the Car 6 corridor when they first saw Amuro because it wouldn't make sense if Scar Akai was heading towards Car 8 when there was an investigation occuring (that's why it makes sense that Scar Akai was actually heading towards Amuro's room in 7A). Additionally, after Haibara saw Okiya opening the door that led from one car to another (821.9), she entered through the door, so it would only make sense that she went from Car 6 to Car 7, not from Car 7 to Car 8, because the investigation in Car 8 was still going on. Therefore, the gang was actually in Room 6B in File 821, which totally contradicts several things that I have noted. That's why I think it's possible that Gosho had made a huge mistake and had forgotten that the DB's room is 6D instead of 6B.

CHEK, I NEED YOUR TAKE ON ALL OF THIS

Looks good and logical to me. Scar Akai's room could be lower than 6B, but chances are he would want to be close to everyone else, so 6B isn't a bad guess. Today's mod power abuse is brought to you by Chekhov

EDIT: I changed Scar Akai's room from 6B to <7B and the random man's room from 6C to <7C (the number of cars the DB ran through wasn't ever clarified).

Edited June 19, 2012 by AJ M.

[Miss Smiles 105]

After reading the case, Kogoro's moustache is funny. I don't remember seeing Kogoro touching mustache all time time, this few case caught me interest whenever he touch his mustache. Since when he has mustache twitch up? Throughout manga we watch his mustache is well trimmed for his confidence. Only person in disguise will do that touching here and there.

[User 4869 100]

You aware of the fact that he try to imitate Poirot's moustache right. He actually announce it out many time.

[Stopwatch 36]

XD Chekhov.

...also, random-glasses-guy could be Billy! He does look kinda similar, right? *flees*

Hmm, y'know it looks a bit like Haibara is looking at random-glasses-guy when she does her "..." thing. Fits with both the Billy and Yuusaku suggestions too imo.

[xSherry 27]

That's what I thought too,since he said he is able to read all her moves,so it wouldn't be surpriseing if it was Okiya.

Anayway I really hope Ai will take the antidote,that will spice up the things even more,and it's better for her,in order to not involve her friends and to hide the de-aging effects of APTX.I can't wait to see Gin hunting Sherry with Okiya around^^ I wonder if the BO will find Okiya's real identity...if that's the case Kir will be in danger.

Concerning Elena's tapes,I have to say I'm a bit disappointed,I was hoping something bigger...after reading the file I had a hope that Ai's mom could be alive and hidden somewhere in order to achieve the drug,but I don't think that would happen.

Now we only know that the drug is called Silver bullet,maybe that will be useful in the future.

oh and seeing Ai crying makes me sad I really feel bad for her...

I also thought of Okiya to be the one who sent the message to Haibara! Well about the tapes, I'm pretty sure they will be very important in the future... anyways, I think now that she even thought of doing so, it's pretty obvious that Ai will take the antidote!

[Detective Kudo 28]

Alright so here is what I think.

Since this is kinda late I want to assure anyone reading this I didn't read anybody's deductions or any spoilers (that would ruin the fun.)

File 818:

Andou Satou introduces himself to one of the conductors by establishing the weight of his bag. He declares it is the solid gold frame that makes it heavy and that the picture itself was fake. Establishing weight can be an illusion for the conductor and those around understand its hard to carry and move around without notice as well as establishing it did not belong to him adds to the illusion. Its kinda like when a magician emphasizes the impossibility of a magic trick in reality. For instance, if someone was to make a car disappear they would rave on about how heavy it is, how hard it is to lift, the solid concreate underneath, etc. All just to fool the audience into believing they never moved the car.

Next, everyone establishes the trust of the conductor by refering to how many times they boarded the train before. * random thought, why does Komino Natsue look like she is dressed for a funeral.

File 819:

It is discovered how the missing car trick worked. Surprisingly , it was done so well to everyone was willing to collaborate without knowing it was a trick on all of them. Remember, no one should have expected mouri to be on the train and take the victims cabin. It probably foiled the culprits plans. First thing first, get rid of him and what better way to do that but to have him think that by participating in the quiz he was needed in the dinning car. They even used legitimate cards till even the conductor was thrown. It still seems rather planned out even if some of the guests were unexpected. Meaning the culprit had to know about most of this somewhat ahead of time(maybe on short notice) and made the proper adjustments, but didnt realize they were going to be hosting Mouri. They did know however everyone on should be there for the mystery and be most willing to help.

The victim still had his old fake bullet wounds so he didnt change clothes. We also didn't see the fake culprit put their gun away. It is also known that the victim played along and was the one to tell kogoro to go to the dining car so the trick wouldn't be revealed. It seems he made himself right at home by having some tea while he probably was waiting to be contacted by his partner. It wouldn't suprise me if he thought he was going to pull some other prank as the victim, only this time he was really killed. This was judged by there being no sign of a struggle or the body being moved, only tampered with. The tea was only set for one with no pot. The room seemed clean and peaceful. And since the gun looks like the same one used earlier it would be likely he wouldn't fear it. As a result was killed in an instant. The closed room trick never truly closed. We never say Sonoko unlock the door but that the chain was on. This could have been sabotaged by the victim themselves. The middle chain was probably weakened somehow (maybe the gun was used). Maybe that would explain why there was gunpowder residue on the couch to see where the blanks stopped. The cellphone call the victim had before his death was probably used just to allow the culprit in. Where the conductor couldn't see.

Here is the evidence:

The first displays the victims suspicious behavior (could he be the reason why the bell wasn't working properly)

Second, reveals the mirror trick. If you look closely you can see the outline. The mirror made it seem like the door was opened down the hall, however, it was probably room c. The mirror was placed on the door. The culprit used this window of opportunity to probably cover up killing the victim.

Third, watch the hand placement. It is incredibly unnatural for someone to do that leaving their own cabin. He was closing it suddenly and got the conductors attention so he wouldn't notice anything unusual.

Fourth, it is clearly an extra lock there

This was an interesting murder because everyone played an important role in making this scheme play out. The culprit had to play on everyone's habits, willingness to play along, and illusion tricks. It probably all links back to that fire somehow and thirst of revenge or jealousy. I wouldn't be surprised if they revealed their intentions to the victim before his death and the victim took it somewhat lightly. The culprit who actually killed the victim was

Satoru Andou.

[Chekhov MacGuffin 1089]

I read your deduction Detective Kudo and I am a bit confused how the locked room trick works. Does the culprit break into and then exit the room, or was he there from the start and then only came back to his room after the shooting and someone else opened his door first?

By "Fourth, it is clearly an extra lock there", do you mean there is clearly an extra link in 8B's door chain which has six links (not counting end rings) while 8E has only five?

Reference for my earlier attempted solution

Earlier I postulated that the shooter never entered the room and instead shot from the door. The extra link in the chain widens the opening of the door and gives a greater angle of possible shots through the gap, especially if the shooter must be slightly back from the door. (aka in wheelchair)

[Miss Smiles 105]

I'm outta deduction and reason. I'll sit aside and read, entertained, and wish every detectives best for showdown at last file. I don't want to guess anymore with weird arm I feeling now, it will stop on second week.

[Detective Kudo 28]

Sorry for the confusion Chek

Just to clarify

I think that the culprit killed the victim outside the room. If you look at the bullet wound on the victim, the angle of the bullet in his head, and the blood spatter on the seat its pretty clear that the victim was shot from a distance and at an angle with the door.

The two probably smelled the gunpowder near the door. The culprit probably shot on his knee. However at some point before the victims death met with him. Assuming he played along with the setup, thinking it was the quiz or a prank and was actually killed.

As for the lock, notice there is an extra link in the center that is smaller and holds the other two links very closely.

Its abnormal and means it was setup like that. I wouldn't be surprised if the cards for the deduction quiz was switched and used.

Side note: I wonder who made the deduction quiz up?...

I think the bulb above above room a was sabotaged so that it would cause confusion and time to set up the trick as well as gave a witness of the victim being alive minutes before his death.

The watch was probably planted by the culprit. I believe it was said that a conductors uniform was misplaced earlier which could explain how it was done

The lady in the wheelchair's nurse probably helped in the earlier trick, and the lady in the wheelchair is hiding something. maybe thought it up on her own and was used, even if, unknowingly by the culprit to help pull this off. Just like how Conan and company were.

edited to make this more clear