The Sherlock and Lucy Mystery 12: The Case of the Stolen Painting

Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James were sitting in their living room, enjoying a cup of tea and discussing their latest case. They had just solved the mystery of the missing jewels, and they were both feeling quite satisfied with themselves.

A Fancy-Dress Death: A Sherlock and Lucy Short Story (The Sherlock and Lucy Mystery Series Book 12)

by Charles Veley

4.3 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1800 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	56 pages

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"I must say, Lucy," said Holmes, "you are becoming quite the detective yourself. You have a keen eye for detail, and you are very good at putting the pieces together."

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Holmes," said Lucy, blushing. "I'm still learning, but I'm always eager to help you with your cases."

"Well, I'm sure you'll be a great detective one day," said Holmes. "Now, tell me, what do you think of this?" He handed Lucy a newspaper article.

Lucy read the article, which reported that a valuable painting had been stolen from the National Gallery. The painting was a masterpiece by the renowned artist Vincent van Gogh, and it was worth millions of dollars.

"This is terrible!" exclaimed Lucy. "Who would steal such a valuable work of art?"

"That's what we're going to find out," said Holmes. "Come on, let's go to the National Gallery and see if we can find any clues."

Holmes and Lucy arrived at the National Gallery and spoke to the curator, who showed them the empty space where the painting had once hung.

"We've searched everywhere," said the curator, "but we can't find any trace of the painting."

Holmes examined the empty space carefully. He looked at the walls, the floor, and the ceiling. He even looked at the other paintings that were hanging nearby.

"I don't see any obvious signs of forced entry," said Holmes. "It's almost as if the painting simply vanished into thin air."

"But that's impossible," said Lucy. "A painting can't just disappear."

"Not unless someone helped it," said Holmes. "Let's take a closer look at these other paintings."

Holmes and Lucy examined the other paintings carefully. They looked at the frames, the canvases, and the brushstrokes.

"I think I've found something," said Lucy. "Look at this."

Lucy pointed to a small, almost invisible mark on one of the paintings. It was a tiny scratch, as if something had been dragged across the canvas.

"Good eye, Lucy," said Holmes. "That scratch could be the key to solving this case."

Holmes and Lucy followed the scratch to the next painting, and then to the next. They realized that the scratch continued across several paintings, all the way to the empty space where the stolen painting had once hung.

"It's clear that something was dragged across these paintings," said Holmes. "And that something was probably the stolen painting."

"But why would someone drag the painting across the other paintings?" asked Lucy.

"I don't know," said Holmes. "But I'm sure we'll find out. Let's go back to my flat and see if we can put the pieces together."

Holmes and Lucy returned to Holmes' flat and sat down in the living room. They spent the next few hours discussing the case and trying to figure out what had happened to the stolen painting.

"I think I have it," said Holmes finally. "The thief must have used the other paintings to create a diversion. While everyone was looking at the empty space where the stolen painting had once hung, the thief was sneaking out of the gallery with the painting hidden under his coat."

"But why would the thief drag the painting across the other paintings?" asked Lucy.

"To create the illusion that the painting had been stolen," said Holmes. "The thief wanted everyone to think that the painting had been taken by force, when in reality it was taken with the help of an inside man."

"But who would help a thief steal a painting?" asked Lucy.

"That's what we're going to find out," said Holmes. "Come on, let's go back to the National Gallery and see if we can find any more clues."

Holmes and Lucy returned to the National Gallery and spoke to the curator again. They told him about their theory that the painting had been stolen with the help of an inside man.

"I don't know who would do such a thing," said the curator. "But I'll certainly keep my eyes open for anything suspicious."

Holmes and Lucy left the National Gallery and walked down the street. They were both deep in thought, trying to figure out who could have helped the thief steal the painting.

"I think I know who it is," said Holmes suddenly. "It's the security guard."

"The security guard?" asked Lucy. "But why would he help a thief steal a painting?"

"Because he's in debt," said Holmes. "And he knows that the painting is worth a lot of money. He probably figured that he could sell the painting and use the money to pay off his debts."

"But how do you know he's in debt?" asked Lucy.

"I saw a letter in his pocket when we were talking to him at the gallery," said Holmes. "The letter was from a loan shark, and it said that he owed them a lot of money."

"So, what are we going to do?" asked Lucy.

"We're going to catch him," said Holmes. "Come on."

Holmes and Lucy went back to the National Gallery and found the security guard. They told him that they knew he had helped the thief steal the painting, and they ordered him to turn himself in.

The security guard was shocked. He tried to run away, but Holmes and Lucy were too quick for him. They caught him and took him to the police station.

The police were grateful to Holmes and Lucy for solving the case. They arrested the security guard and charged him with theft. The stolen painting was recovered and returned to the National Gallery.

Holmes and Lucy were both proud of themselves for solving the case. They had worked together as a team, and they had used their skills to catch a criminal. They knew that they would continue to work together on many more cases in the future.

A Fancy-Dress Death: A Sherlock and Lucy Short Story (The Sherlock and Lucy Mystery Series Book 12)

by Charles Veley

4.3 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1800 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	56 pages

FREE