Page 5 - mona lisat

The lone hitch in the thief’s plan came when he tried

to exit the stairwell into a courtyard. Finding the

door locked, he placed the Mona Lisa—now wrapped
in a white sheet—on the floor and tried to take apart

the doorknob.

He made little progress before one of the Louvre’s
plumbers appeared on the stairwell. Rather than

apprehending him, however, the plumber took the

man for a trapped co-worker and assisted him in
opening the door.

With a friendly thank you, the thief made his
getaway. Just a few moments later, he waltzed out

of the Louvre with one of the world’s most valuable

paintings tucked beneath his apron.