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The Living Portrait
#18: Living Portrait
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Chapter 21: The Living Portrait - Summary
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Judy is right to be alarmed that Monica Gray is being watched and that the hardened criminal had entered her home.
William wrote: "It will be interesting to discover the identity of "The Eye" in subsequent chapters and see if Peter's theory is correct..."I was thinking how much I love the name "The Eye." Very creative of Margaret.
Except for the first line of the letter in question, it doesn’t make sense. Upon a second reading, Judy notices that the first letter of each word is written a little darker. Once those first letters are isolated, the sentence “Thirty thousand dollars hidden in portrait” is formed. Judy believes the portrait can be found. Peter calls in his report to the field office and plans a visit to the auctioneer.
The next day Peter receives a call from the F.B.I. The fingerprints have been identified! They belong to an underworld criminal known as “The Eye.” Judy can’t believe such a criminal would be so careless as to leave fingerprints. Peter believes it is because Judy surprised him. There weren’t other fingerprints, and Peter believes “The Eye” was working alone so he could keep the money himself. The experienced criminal chose an inexperienced accomplice so he could take his partner’s share. Peter declares him “the sort of prize every G-man dreams of capturing.”
Judy wonders if The Eye was the man who tried to buy the portrait. Peter doesn’t think so since he wouldn’t buy what he could easily steal. Judy agrees with Peter but believes they should get a more detailed description of the hopeful purchaser. However, there is one flaw. How would “The Eye” know that the portrait contained money? Peter believes Don’s mail to Monica was intercepted before the F.B.I received it. After that, Monica was scared into bringing the portrait out of hiding. Judy is alarmed to think a hardened criminal not only was watching Monica Gray but also entered her home.