The Sydney Spider Mystery Cache

Matisse Museum
Nice, France

In the predawn hours of a Cote d’Azur morning, a woman in a stolen Citroen parks in a back alley near the Matisse Museum. She leaves the car running and makes her way quietly across the quad. Spying an open window on the second floor, she retrieves the satchel of gear that she had placed in the bushes the night before. Silently she uncoils the rope and makes her throw. The grappling hook finds its mark, briefly scraping along the terracotta roof tiles. No need for concern though, the lone elderly guard is sound asleep by now, a victim of a laced treat delivered earlier in the evening by an attractive woman in a floral print dress. Quietly the dark clothed figure makes her ascent to the open window. Seeing her intended target, she cautiously makes her way across the room, watching for motion detectors and other anti-theft devices. Thankfully all that she finds is a gentle Mediterranean breeze blowing through the room. A wry smile and an envelope soon take the place of the masterpiece. As dawn begins to break, the taillights of the stolen car disappear in the distance as they make their way down the hill of Cimiez.

INTERPOL Headquarters
Office of Inspector Cezard
Lyon, France

Letting out a large [Sigh], Inspector Cezard spins his chair around to face his desk. Looking through the blinds of his office, he can see his team, some of the greatest minds in criminology, feverishly working on the case of the Sydney Spider. It was not two days ago that he had presented them with the information regarding her latest heist. The Inspector’s stomach turns as he read the headline tacked on the far wall of the conference room, glorifying the Sydney Spider's latest theft from the Matisse Museum. After all, it was the newspapers that gave her life; labeling her “The Sydney Spider” due to her physical/mental adeptness to infiltrate museums and steal masterpieces of artwork while not leaving so much as a speck of fiber evidence behind. And it is with each subsequent headline, that she has become more brazen in her thefts. Her psychological profile has also changed. No longer does she simply steal works of art but she has also begun to taunt law enforcement; goading them into trying to catch her. Has the Sydney Spider’s bravado gotten the better of her? Or does she simply want to be caught? The art team is not going to wait for an answer. All of their resources and talents have been channeled into finding her.

You as an internationally known Cryptologist who is on loan from NSA to assist with this joint venture art theft team. Your expertise in cryptology will play a key role in decrypting the Sydney Spider's note. You have been provided with the following computer with access to the Sydney Spider's information database. Simply click on the the red numbered buttons to review the detailed accounts of her previous heists. Also included is a psychological as well as physical evidence profile of the Sydney Spider. Simply click the green button to access this information. Other resources that are at your disposal are the picture postcards contained in the same envelope as the note found at the Matisse Museum. The young woman appearing on the pictures postcards has yet to be identified. However, examination of the background imagery would place her, somewhere, in the Australian outback. Unfortunately, there are no decernable natural landmarks to ascertain her exact location. The note and picture postcards have been grouped in the following exhibits:

1. Exhibit A - Note.
2. Exhibit B - Picture Postcards.
3. Exhibit C - Picture Postcards.
4. Exhibit D - Picture Postcards.
5. Exhibit E - Picture Postcards.
6. Exhibit F - Picture Postcards.
7. Exhibit G - Picture Postcards.
8. Exhibit H - Picture Postcards.

Cache coordinates: N 38° 5A.B90 W 077° 2C.D28

Congratulations to Sue of Vinny and Sue Team on FTF.

Team Status Report: Inspector Cezard has been reassigned to a remote duty station for his failure to apprehend the Sydney Spider. The team is under new leadership and has begun analyzing evidence found at the latest crime scene. They will not rest until the Sydney Spider is apprehended.