Yes I also ship Akemi x Akai... even if there's an off chance they were cousins... ._. but I feel that Jodie just feels like an obsessive girlfriend that just can't get over a breakup after so long and to be truthful, Akai deserves someone like Akemi xD
Anyways yeah I agree that Shuukichi is freaking damn smart. Other than James (FBI head) and Conan (and his parents), I doubt Akai would let anyone else know that he was alive, if it would risk them being targeted by BO (like Sera). So it's more likely Shuukichi figured it out himself. I think this case pretty much shows this and how Shuukichi's mind can match up to Akai's if he wants to. But for only Shuukichi to not know about his mother's whereabouts is strange :/ Even Sera knows.. Did Sera never tell Shuukichi after how much they get in contact?