Rec of the day

[astridv]

Art Theft for Beginners by wontquitmydayjob (Leverage)
Gen; Sophie&Nate; pre-series; heist/friendship/UST; 5025 words
Summary: In the summer of 2002, Sophie Devereaux was on a roll.

“Why do people steal art, Nathan?”
“You tell me.”
She rolled her eyes. “Come on, this is catching criminals 101. Why?”
He shrugged. “Ransom. Or to finance something else- paintings can act like untraceable cash, good for collateral. Or to sell on the black market.”
“Very good. So if you’re going to sell a painting on the black market, how do you let interested parties know it’s available?”
He understood then what she meant. “By stealing it in the most headline-grabbing way possible.”
She smiled. “But mostly, people steal art because it’s ridiculously easy. It’s a wonder there’s anything left to hang in museums.”