Scene of the Crime
A calm began to settle once again as police milled back and forth questioning the guards on duty and filling out the necessary paperwork. A young red head with quick intelligent green eyes scanned the room with a questioning intensity of thought before turning to the detective from the NYPD and asking,
"The security guards said Carmen was in here?"
"Well, they didn't actually see her in this room. She was spotted in the other section where your brother is. But she did it, no doubt about it. No one else could have pulled a heist of this scale off without the money and equipment. Besides, if you need anymore proof, I can get statements from over two dozen officers who pursued her through the city." She nodded and the look of genuine bewilderment was apparent on her face.
"Her clue pointed to the impressionist painting by Monet, not the Assyrian winged lion sculptures. It makes very little sense." He shrugged and offered,
"Maybe she decided to add to her shopping list since she was already here? Not sure what to tell you, Carmen Sandiego is a little above our league of usual suspects." Ivy smiled as she shook his hand and thanked him before heading down the corridor where Zack caught sight of her and grinned.
"Typical Carmen clue all right. Obscure historical reference with her trademark logo and calling card. She's simply not cutting us any slack on this case. So, what did you find out?"
Ivy shrugged her shoulders and looked at the paper Zack handed her.
"Absolutely nothing. It's done very similair to Carmen's style, minimal damage easily repaired in a day through the ceiling, but that's it. No fingerprints, not a shred of forensic evidence on the scene, but no hint as to why she took it." Zack raised and eyebrow and replied,
"That is odd. I've never known Carmen to not take credit for a theft, especially one we're invited to. It doesn't fit at all into the theme of impressionist exhibits she's taken a liking to this crime spree either. Maybe we are way off on the clue, or she just meant this location. Or maybe the winged lions matched her new livingroom set? "
"Yeah, but she took the painting. The theft just doesn't fit in with the others. I've got a strange feeling maybe someone else was here last night." Zack shook his head,
"No one else was seen except for Carmen, sis. Besides, no one else has the capacity, the clean efficiency to get away with something like that except the lady in red. Maybe it's a prelude to her next theft...we should concentrate on the clue if we're going to get anywhere."
Ivy sighed and nodded,
"You're right. Okay, this doesn't make any sense to me.
On a starry night it's just a short trip
From here to the Hague
As the crow flies"
Zack snapped his fingers with a sudden insight as he looked toward his sister and interjected,
"The Hague is the seat of government in Amsterdam in the Netherlands! She's been on this impressionist kick for a week now, but which one? Many famous artists came from that region."
The two of them paced momentarily as Ivy's eyes fell to the blank spot on the wall where the Monet had once been, racking her brain for some sort of correlation. She paused in revelation and asked,
"This painting she took from here, what was it called again?"
"Sunflowers. You feeling okay?" He looked to her with a quizzical expression and then it hit him, "Of course! There is also another famous painting of sunflowers by another impressionist artist out of Amsterdam! Vincent Van Gogh! Duh, I'm surprised I didn't see that."
"The starry night reference makes perfect sense now. What I don't get is this "as the crow flies" part." Zack smiled and added,
"That's why you have me. There's a painting in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam called, "A Wheatfield with Crows". What do you want to bet that's where Carmen's heading to next?"
That's a bet I will probably lose. Let's get there and get back all all the stuff she's stolen this week. Maybe then we'll figure out what's she's really up to."
A calm began to settle once again as police milled back and forth questioning the guards on duty and filling out the necessary paperwork. A young red head with quick intelligent green eyes scanned the room with a questioning intensity of thought before turning to the detective from the NYPD and asking,
"The security guards said Carmen was in here?"
"Well, they didn't actually see her in this room. She was spotted in the other section where your brother is. But she did it, no doubt about it. No one else could have pulled a heist of this scale off without the money and equipment. Besides, if you need anymore proof, I can get statements from over two dozen officers who pursued her through the city." She nodded and the look of genuine bewilderment was apparent on her face.
"Her clue pointed to the impressionist painting by Monet, not the Assyrian winged lion sculptures. It makes very little sense." He shrugged and offered,
"Maybe she decided to add to her shopping list since she was already here? Not sure what to tell you, Carmen Sandiego is a little above our league of usual suspects." Ivy smiled as she shook his hand and thanked him before heading down the corridor where Zack caught sight of her and grinned.
"Typical Carmen clue all right. Obscure historical reference with her trademark logo and calling card. She's simply not cutting us any slack on this case. So, what did you find out?"
Ivy shrugged her shoulders and looked at the paper Zack handed her.
"Absolutely nothing. It's done very similair to Carmen's style, minimal damage easily repaired in a day through the ceiling, but that's it. No fingerprints, not a shred of forensic evidence on the scene, but no hint as to why she took it." Zack raised and eyebrow and replied,
"That is odd. I've never known Carmen to not take credit for a theft, especially one we're invited to. It doesn't fit at all into the theme of impressionist exhibits she's taken a liking to this crime spree either. Maybe we are way off on the clue, or she just meant this location. Or maybe the winged lions matched her new livingroom set? "
"Yeah, but she took the painting. The theft just doesn't fit in with the others. I've got a strange feeling maybe someone else was here last night." Zack shook his head,
"No one else was seen except for Carmen, sis. Besides, no one else has the capacity, the clean efficiency to get away with something like that except the lady in red. Maybe it's a prelude to her next theft...we should concentrate on the clue if we're going to get anywhere."
Ivy sighed and nodded,
"You're right. Okay, this doesn't make any sense to me.
On a starry night it's just a short trip
From here to the Hague
As the crow flies"
Zack snapped his fingers with a sudden insight as he looked toward his sister and interjected,
"The Hague is the seat of government in Amsterdam in the Netherlands! She's been on this impressionist kick for a week now, but which one? Many famous artists came from that region."
The two of them paced momentarily as Ivy's eyes fell to the blank spot on the wall where the Monet had once been, racking her brain for some sort of correlation. She paused in revelation and asked,
"This painting she took from here, what was it called again?"
"Sunflowers. You feeling okay?" He looked to her with a quizzical expression and then it hit him, "Of course! There is also another famous painting of sunflowers by another impressionist artist out of Amsterdam! Vincent Van Gogh! Duh, I'm surprised I didn't see that."
"The starry night reference makes perfect sense now. What I don't get is this "as the crow flies" part." Zack smiled and added,
"That's why you have me. There's a painting in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam called, "A Wheatfield with Crows". What do you want to bet that's where Carmen's heading to next?"
That's a bet I will probably lose. Let's get there and get back all all the stuff she's stolen this week. Maybe then we'll figure out what's she's really up to."
