Chapter 12

Summary

• Breitwieser, Anne-Catherine, and his mother return home after the Cranach theft at the Sotheby's auction.
• Breitwieser and Anne-Catherine retire to their attics rooms, where they keep their stolen art safe from everyone else. No one is allowed in their attic rooms; relatives and repair people included. If something breaks, they fix it themselves.
• They lead a secret life, finding absolution of their thefts in their private enjoyment of stolen art. Breitwieser enjoys being a loner, finding most people uninteresting or untrustworthy. He has fantasies of escaping society entirely with his girlfriend and their stolen art.
• His mother, Mireille Stengel, is largely kept oblivious of their criminal ways, though she suspects some of their activities. Nevertheless, she loves her son and forgives his 'stupidities'.
• On Christmas Day 1995, Breitwieser films his mother preparing for guests to arrive. He jokes with his girlfriend, Anne-Catherine, about his New Year's resolutions to steal more art worth millions.
• The mother, whilst initially silent to her son's provocative resolution announcement, eventually exhibits discomfort. She increases the volume of the Christmas music playing on the stereo, seemingly in an attempt to drown out her son's announcements.
• Despite his criminal ways, his mother refuses to sever ties with her only child. She is incapable of turning him in, showing that she is trapped between her affection for her son and her knowledge of the law.