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23. Fresh paint

Mr Bennett gives Laura and Peter the key to the warehouse where the painting had been kept prior to being transported to the museum. The small room is a cube about three metres squared with a metal door, and it’s completely empty.

Peter: Great, now all we have to do is find every man in London with an average look, between twenty and thirty-five years old, called Thomas Brown…

Laura: I’m pretty sure that Thomas Brown isn’t the real name of the person who brought the painting to the warehouse.

Peter: I’m joking, Smith. Of course, it’s a fake name. And even if it were his real name, it wouldn’t help us… Well, it looks like this storage room is empty.

Laura: It isn’t empty. Look!

Peter: What is it? Blood?

Laura: No, it’s red paint, like the writing in the picture. Do you know what this means?

Peter: Does it mean I can’t tell the difference between blood and paint?

Laura: No, it means that this paint was fresh when they brought the painting here…