[Files 775-777] Target on Tape

[GinRei]

But yeah, I'd be creeped out if a stranger started asking me questions about a 7 year old girl's daily routine. Yet not only did Agasa not find it suspicious in the least, he even forgot who asked. He really dropped the ball on that one.

Hey now, to be fair he has to worry about a deadly, secret organization that wants her and everyone she knows dead.  What's a little child-stalking compared to that?  After all, said organization wouldn't care about her daily routine, her friends, and where she might be at any given time.

[PT]

So basically, they were after the rug (obviously), made the switch while they let Ayumi have water, and wrapped her back up in the fake. Easy enough switch, and the lack of coffee stains on the new rug make it incredibly obvious. Only thing that bothers me about that (and I may need to go back and re-read 775) is why they let coffee spill on the original in the first place if it's worth so much that they were willing to break in and steal it.

Also: the set-up about the cat bothers me. Why go through all that? They could've come up with a much easier plot for returning Ayumi.

Also also: My money's on the culprits being the middle-aged couple.

(And I agree about that one sister looking like Chianti)

[redangelran]

Also also: My money's on the culprits being the middle-aged couple.

(And I agree about that one sister looking like Chianti)

haha..i agree with that XD

[sonoci]

Only thing that bothers me about that (and I may need to go back and re-read 775) is why they let coffee spill on the original in the first place if it's worth so much that they were willing to break in and steal it.

Also: the set-up about the cat bothers me. Why go through all that? They could've come up with a much easier plot for returning Ayumi.

This is basically where I stand right now. If not for the coffee that's on the real one (or at least should be) the carpet thing would make sense for the switch. ...Minus the cat thing.

I still don't know why they didn't knock her out. I mean, it could help to have her overhear the stuff on the cat, but they already sent a mail to the phone with a picture. That should've been enough :/

[Vonikay]

This case is crazy!! Oh my gosh. >,> I really hope that this leads on to a bigger case... (BO? )

But now we know that Okiya is totally super sneaky and has bugged the professor's house. I think the possibility of him being a normal grad student has disappeared completely now...

But I have no idea what's going on with this strange case-but-not-a-case. I think I'll refrain from making any more predictions until the next file comes out.

[ssjup81]

And Mitsuhiko said "that high-school detective he knew", so Mitsuhiko forgot Kudo Shinichi already?

I doubt it, but how many times have the Detective Boys even met Shinichi.  Off the top of my head, I can only think of two.

Two? I can only remember during Desperate Revival, when was the other time?

The very first case.  Shinich met those three there, but I guess knowingly, only once.

that's anime-only... in the manga they don't meet until the desperate revival case and then not anymore afterwards and non-canon wise kaito kuroba with kudo's hairstyle in the newest ova or something

Got rid of unnecessary spoiler box - Abs.

My mistake.  I do mix up the manga-based anime eps with the manga-based cases sometimes.

[ssjup81]

I'm pretty sold on the whole rug thing. They didn't knock Ayumi out because they wanted to further cement the whole missing cat story by showing her the pet carrier and talking about it. On the other hand, it was pretty stupid to use a cat photo with such an obvious source.

The entire cat story was just meant to keep them busy during the rug switch. It's a whole lot like an old episode of a show called Monk.

I've been mulling it over, but I'm not really sure who the culprit is. The two younger sisters didn't seem to know anything about appraisal (I'm pretty sure knocking on the object is frowned upon), which means they would have no idea what the rug is worth. But that may have just been them playing dumb to avoid suspicion.

The middle aged couple made a point of telling him not to let many other people see the vase. This could have been an attempt to keep anybody from noticing the rug before they had a chance to steal it.

The last two were jerks. This is relevant because I can't really imagine a conversation with them naturally flowing toward questions about Haibara. Also, Gosho tends to try to surprise people as much as possible. Generally the person who seems the most likely to commit a crime is not the culprit.

Actually, now that I've formulated my thoughts, I'm kinda leaning toward the middle aged couple being the culprits.

On another note, hey, I'm new. Nice to meet you all.

Hm, I think it's the middle-aged couple due to the fact that they never touched the vase and were examining it thoroughly with a magnifying lens.  They could've been pretending to examine the vase when they were actually examining the rug.

[pofa]

Anyone still think Okiya is just some "ordinary graduate student"? 

ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe he's just a creeper.

[JohnTitor]

Anyone still think Okiya is just some "ordinary graduate student"? 

ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe he's just a creeper.

A high-tech, serious, devoted creeper. 

[xpon]

Anyone still think Okiya is just some "ordinary graduate student"? 

ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe he's just a creeper.

A high-tech, serious, devoted creeper. 

the same breed as conia then.

[leokiko]

The one that was asking questions was actually Scar akai(bourbon) but he hipnotized Professor Agasa not to remember it.

[Mr_Useless]

I think the middle-aged couple is the most suspicious: they are described as experts but they don't even care to to examine the bottom of the vase, maybe looking for some mark left by the builder?

Also, with all the non-case related stuff in these two chapters i have my hopes high for some kind of plot development at the end of the next one.

[xpon]

BTW.. how can they know Ayumi mail address on her phone in that short of time?

why not taking ayumi phone and leave professors one.....

why they sure that the professor can use Ayumi's phone?

and agasa phone still on the culprit hand's right?

[FanOfShinichi]

I hope this will lead to a bigger case, since this is only "series part 2".

Wonder what Sera is up to right now.... 

[Tanaka Taro]

Yea, probably at the end of this series, there will be a crazy suspense scene