An incident worthy of a detective novel recently unfolded in a residential complex in northern Madrid. An elderly concierge, who had worked at the building on Paseo de Pío XII for many years, unexpectedly found herself at the center of a high-profile investigation after mistaking a Picasso painting worth hundreds of thousands of euros for an ordinary delivery.
It all started when the woman discovered a small, unremarkable package at the entrance. Without a second thought, she placed it in the storage room for deliveries, where it sat, overlooked among boxes and newspapers, for several days. Nobody could have guessed that inside was an early cubist work by Picasso, intended for an exhibition in Granada.
While staff at the cultural center in Granada were trying to figure out what had happened to one of the 57 announced works, police launched a large-scale search. They questioned drivers, reviewed security cameras, and even checked hotels along the transport route. But the answer was much closer — the painting had been just steps away from its intended destination the entire time.
Days of anxiety and suspicion
When it was discovered that the missing work of art was with the concierge, police descended on the building. The woman and her husband faced hours of questioning, and the storage area where the parcel had been kept was thoroughly examined by specialists in protective suits. The elderly couple was stunned by what was happening; they could hardly believe they had become suspects in a possible art theft.
The situation was worsened by unfortunate coincidences: during the same days, there was a daring museum heist in Paris, and the woman’s mother passed away, adding stress and distraction. In the end, once everything was resolved, the couple felt relieved, but the anxiety lingered. Their names appeared in headlines, and now the concierge refuses to accept any parcels from residents, fearing new misunderstandings.
Ordinary lives changed by a twist of fate
Before this incident, the couple led a quiet life: they combined their work as concierges with running a newspaper kiosk, kept up with the latest issues, and knew all their neighbors. Now, even a simple request to open the door for a repairman makes the woman anxious. She admits she no longer wants the responsibility of handling other people’s belongings.
The artwork that triggered the whole commotion turned out to be a small but valuable piece—gouache and graphite on paper, reflecting the artist’s early exploration of cubism. Despite its modest size, its value and artistic significance put it under close scrutiny from both the police and the press.
The story of this discovery became a reminder of how chance can upend an ordinary routine and put the reputations of everyday people at risk. For the concierge from Madrid, this episode became a lesson in caution and distrust of seemingly harmless things.
