Couch Detective 3: Book 3

By James Glass

Are you a crime show junkie? A law and order fanatic? A real-life who done did it grand master who uncovers the clues and solves the case before any of your family or friends? Then take the challenge and solve each of the thirteen cases before the end of every chapter. Become one of the elite and earn the title of a professional couch detective.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gritty Crime Thrillers
• Release date: May 11, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224380176

James Glass

James Glass retired from the United States Navy after 22 years of service. After retiring, he exchanged his rifle for a pen. He and his family moved back to the Florida Panhandle. He’s married and has two children. James is also the President of the Panhandle Writer's Group.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Stop and Gogh

Detective Corey Hart arrived at the city’s museum of art located on Wilshire Drive. There were several patrol cars parked next to the curb—a beefy looking patrolman standing at the main entrance to the museum. The police officers’ orders had been to make sure no one left the bank.

Has anyone tried to leave? Hart asked Beefy standing at the front door.

Beefy nodded. We had three who tried.

They give you any grief?

That’s like asking, does a bear shit in the woods.

Hart chuckled. Touche.

The detective walked into the spacious lobby of the museum. Inside, he saw three adults, two men and one woman sitting in chairs along one wall. Another police officer stood with his arms crossed along his chest.  

Hart started to make his way toward the patrolman when a tall woman with long, black hair approached. She wore a charcoal suit that hugged her slim figure. He noticed the huge diamond ring on her left hand.

Are you the detective? she asked.

Hart flashed his badge and introduced himself. And you are? he asked, placing his credentials in the inside pocket of his sport coat.

I’m Cindy Lou, the manager.

Is there a place we can talk? he asked.

Yes. My office.

He followed her down a long hallway lined with closed doors on either side. At the end of the hall was an office surrounded by glass windows on three sides.

Hart remained standing as Mrs. Lou sat behind an oak desk, free of any clutter. The only wall in the room was decorated with awards and achievements. What he didn’t see were any photos of a husband or kids. It didn’t mean anything. Hart knew some people kept their professional lives and personal lives separate.

He pulled out a small notepad and pen from the breast pocket of his sport coat. I received a report that an expensive painting was stolen this morning. Can you provide any details?

We received the famous painting Starry Night.

Van Gogh, right?

Yes. You know him?

I have a copy of Starry Night in my house.

She produced a thin smile. It’s probably his most famous painting. Her smile faded. The painting was on loan to us from the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

He scribbled some notes then looked up at her. How long?

Her nose scrunched. How long for what?

Sorry. I wasn’t clear. How long was Starry Night on loan to you?

Thirty days.

And how long has it been here?

We received it last Tuesday.

He jotted this down. How many staff do you have working here?

Twenty-four.

What about security? How many guards are on hand?

She glanced up and to the left. He knew people did this when they were trying to remember something. We have one at the reception desk and two roving the museum.

Do they work twenty-four hours a day?

No. The three are here 9 to 5, six days a week. The museum is open during those hours Monday through Saturday. We’re closed on Sundays.

Any overnight security?

"Two roving security guards. One comes in at five and stays until one a.m. The second works from one a.m. until nine a.m.

What about security cameras. Do you have any?

Oh yes. I don’t know of any museum that doesn’t.

How many?

I’m not sure, but a lot.

Were any watching the painting from Van Gogh?

She let out a long sigh. It went down yesterday for about three hours. We had a technician come out and he ended up having to replace the camera.

Did you have a guard there while the camera was down?

Um, well, sort of.

What does that mean? he asked.

The guards are allowed a lunch break, but I don’t allow them to eat near the displays. Looks unprofessional.

How long was the guard gone to lunch?

Thirty minutes, but I requested they take fifteen minutes yesterday.

He noted this, not knowing if it would lead to anything or not. In an investigation, details mattered. Can I take a look at the camera footage?

Yes. If you want, I can pull it up on my desktop and you can view it from here.

It may take a few hours.

She tapped several keys on her keyboard. That’s not a problem. I have a meeting with the board of directors from the Museum in New York in about twenty minutes. She tapped her index finger on the desk. I’m hoping you will find out who did this so I can update them on the situation.

I can’t make any promises, but if I uncover the thief, you’ll be the first to know.

Thank you, detective. She stood. I’ll leave you to it.

After she left, Hart started viewing the camera footage. The one recording Starry Night had a black screen for the three hours Mrs. Lou said it was down and the technician had been called to replace it. He believed this was his best lead to discover who the thief was. But without any suspects to interrogate and no hard evidence, he needed to rethink his strategy.

After several minutes of tinkering with the various other cameras, he found there were two in the general vicinity of where the crime took place. One of the cameras recorded people walking down the west hallway. The other, the east hallway. They wouldn’t capture who stole Starry Night, but maybe the video footage would give him a clue.

He spent the next twenty minutes watching everyone who walked down the hallways. There were only around twenty he could see, a variety of men, women, and several families, but nothing captured his attention. Then he noticed the cameras also showed those individuals walking in and out of the male and female restrooms. Maybe his thief used the restroom. The only problem here was he knew cameras were not allowed in restrooms for privacy reasons. Still, he might see something that caught his attention. He rewound the footage from both