Speculation has swirled in recent weeks that the underlying real estate value in a Home Depot transaction might present the same type of appeal to Lampert that it did in the Sears deal.
At present the British papers are full of stories about an estate in Rotherhithe in south-east London, where the police have been unable to investigate a gang murder because local tenants are terrified to testify.
"At present we are in the early stages of working with the Thomas Estate looking at the various possibilities for the return of the statue, " she said.