In a plot twist that would make even the most cynical art heist movie screenwriter roll their eyes, a Picasso print stolen from a Milwaukee gallery in 2018 has been found - not by a dashing detective, but by a landlord cleaning out a vacant apartment. Because of course.

Bill DeLind, who owns DeLind Fine Art Appraisals, had long since written off the Torero print as a casualty of the art world's seedy underbelly. But then the police called last week, asking him to look at a piece found by one Tim Dertz, a Milwaukee landlord with a nose for dusty wall hangings.

“I was overwhelmed,” DeLind said Friday, proving that even art dealers can have genuine human moments. “I was at a loss for words. It was an overwhelming moment for me.”

The framed print still had the sticker from DeLind's shop on its back - a little beacon of provenance, like a lost dog's tag. “It was indeed mine,” DeLind said. “It came back full circle.”

Dertz, who deserves a medal or at least a free latte, told WISN-TV he found the print while evicting someone. “It was kind of in a weird spot hanging on a wall,” he said, demonstrating his keen eye for interior design. “It looked like it had been there for a long, long time because it had tons of dust across the top of it.”

Not one to let a dusty Picasso go unnoticed, Dertz consulted an antique dealer friend, who confirmed it was the real deal and matched the 2018 theft report. Dertz promptly handed it over to police, who then reached out to DeLind, who was, in his own words, “in disbelief.”

Milwaukee police, ever thorough, noted that the statute of limitations for theft is generally six years, but the case remains under investigation. The FBI, in classic bureaucratic fashion, had “no comment.”

The print was appraised at $35,000 - $50,000 when it was lifted, and DeLind guesses it's worth about the same now - though given its newfound story, it might fetch closer to the higher end. The masterpiece currently sits in police custody while the original owner's client sorts things out with their insurance company. Because nothing says closure like paperwork.

DeLind also shared a poignant note: his former business partner, who died in February, had called police every year on the anniversary of the theft, hoping to reignite public interest. “He would have been over the moon about this,” DeLind said. “It was special to him.”

So here's to Tim Dertz, the patron saint of dust-covered art finds, and to the print that finally came home - a little dusty, but otherwise none the worse for wear.