Art theft mystery

The actor Max Nail had a party in his house in Hollywood last night. During the party, someone stole a picture in a large frame, but nobody saw anything. The painting was in a locked room and the door was still locked in the morning when Max went to get the painting. He was going to lend it to the Museum for a special exhibition next week.

Crime scene:

- room on first floor; all windows locked except one small one ( if the door was still locked in the morning then someone must have used that window to get in the room).

- small pieces of wood found near the window .

- muddy footprints (shoe size 36) between window and wall where the painting was standing ( size 36 shoes can fit children and the mud means that someone must have come from the garden and go to the room through the window).

Garden

- frame of the painting found in pieces at the bottom of the garden (perhaps the thief tried to get the painting out of that small window and therefore the frame broke)

- small, sharp knife found by dustbin

- footprints (shoe sizes 36 and 44) lead from lawn to road via dustbin ( so there were 2 thieves, the shoe sizes match a child and an adult).

Visitors in past week:

- Jake Silversmith, art expert, looked at the painting last week and offered to buy it - It can't be him because if he's an expert that means he has bought many other painting and has a lot of money to buy the picture.

- Justina Goodman, cousin and poor relation. Asked Max for money. - It is a little possible for her to be the one of the thieves but she is Max' cousin so there is no reason to steal a valuable painting just to get a few bucks.

- Frank Constance, neighbour, mid 60s, short and heavy (shoe size 41). Max owes him money. - There is no way an old man could have gone through the small window and the shoe size doesn't match so it can't be him.

- Dave Thorman, window cleaner and art enthusiast, came with daughter(14) - They must be the thieves! The girl could wear shoes size 36 and go through the window. Her father must have unlocked the window and since he likes painting he must have stolen the picture plus the 44 size shoes could fit him. Also Dave could've used the small knife to get the painting out of the frame. Everything matches!

Martin Uzunov