Chapter 20

Summary

• By early 1997, Anne-Catherine and Breitwieser have been stealing from museums on three out of every four weekends for close to two years, accumulating some two hundred works which are displayed in their attic.
• Despite the high-risk nature of their activities, their relationship remains strong and they are happy together.
• Anne-Catherine starts to worry when she reads a newspaper headline about a “raid on museums” in Ouest-France. The couple decide to cut short their stealing vacation in Normandy and return home, fearing police intervention.
• Breitwieser suggests that they use Anne-Catherine's impending vacation to mislead the police by stealing farther afield. They choose Belgium for their next mission, planning to scout the area for potential thefts and return for a longer stay later.
• The narrative also delves into the psychology of collecting, citing the work of Werner Muensterberger and Erin Thompson. Muensterberger, the author of Collecting: An Unruly Passion, defines unhealthy collecting as an obsession that takes over one's life, usually among people who feel out of place in society.
• Thompson, in her book Possession, clarifies that collectors who steal do not feel immoral about their actions. They believe that their emotional attachment to a piece is deeper than that of the museum or individual who legally owns it.
• The narrative continues to reflect on Breitwieser's luck and innate talent in stealing artworks, mentioning a close call in Switzerland where he remained uncaught despite dropping his belt buckle on the museum floor.
• The couple embarks on their initial trip to Belgium on a shoestring budget, preferring scenic backroads over highways, which they consider eyesores.
• They finally reach Brussels by lunchtime and park near the Art & History Museum, one of the largest museums in Europe. Breitwieser deems the heist from this museum as one of his most successful crimes.