Sorry, long one, 3.45am post due to jet lag!
Just returned from a trip to New York with DH, DS1 (13) DS2 (11) DD (6). All had a fab time.
On our final day (2 days ago), we had quite a long gap from checking out of our hotel and needing to get a cab to the airport. We just mooched about. I needed to take an item back to a shop close by, DH and children waited in a Starbucks nearby. I returned to Starbucks, and they were just finishing. We still had some time to kill so we went for a walk before returning to hotel to get our bags and leave. Just as we arrived at hotel, I checked my phone and I received a message from a stranger saying he (or his wife had) seen my husband and children leave Starbucks but they thought that one of the boys had left a rucksack. It also said they would be there for a short time. Sure enough, DS1 did not have his bag on him. The rucksack contained both his and his brothers Beats headphones, his sisters IPad (which doesn’t have a pass key, so I assume this is how the stranger got my email address), and a couple of chargers. DS and I quickly ran back to Starbucks whilst DH and I both emailed the stranger back. When we arrived, nobody was there, and the rucksack had not been handed in. At this point we thought either the stranger had taken it with them or had left it there and somebody else had taken it. DS was visibly upset in Starbucks and another stranger from the UK offered to send it back to us if it was found before his return. He gave me his number.
By this point we had to leave to catch the flight. DS 1 sobbed the entire way to the airport. At check in, my husband received an email from the person who found it saying that he didn’t want to hand it in to Starbucks as the bag contained high value items. He gave us the exact address of a police station it was taken to, very close to the area it was lost. Obviously we thanked him, and knowing that another person was willing to collect it (and the hotel we stayed in had offered to help as well), we thought there was a reasonable chance of seeing the bag again.
After we arrived home earlier today, we called the police office to determine that they had the bag and to arrange for it to be handed over. They were adamant it had not been handed in. They said it was likely to have been handed in to another station, which was closer, but I thought this was unlikely as the exact address had been given, and google maps shows me there is virtually no difference at all between the two stations in terms of distance. Checked with the other station anyway and it is not there.
DH contacted the stranger again, who was pretty surprised. He gave more details about the physical appearance of who he handed the bag to, which were fairly specific - but did not include a name. He also was not given a receipt. However, he was able to give the time, the appearance of the officer who took the bag, the appearance of another officer who was on the same desk, and also said that the captain of the department was on the stairs saying goodbye to a reporter, and they caught each other’s eye, which I think are quite specific details. I called the police again, but they are adamant that the person would have been given a receipt, and they don’t have it....however, why would the stranger be so helpful if it had not been handed in. He emailed my husband again last night saying that he was staying close by so could return to the police station, and suggested we call them again at that particular time (24 hours after it was handed in, as the same officers might be on shift and therefore more likely to be able to shed some light). The stranger always responds quickly to my husband, is very willing to help and is incredulous that the police don’t have the item. However, we are very aware that this person is probably on holiday and we don’t want to keep harassing him.
Other details not mentioned are that the stranger only responds to my husbands emails (perhaps mine go to his junk?) and I think he is not American as he uses the word “rucksack” - which the Americans don’t use. Also, when I gave the specific details of what the officer looked like, (sex, hair length and colour, accent, tattoos), it was very clear that the officer on the phone had an idea of who this officer could be but was not able to give me any further help...
So......either the police have made a mistake and have not logged the item properly, the police have taken the bag (I think this is unlikely, but they are adamant it wasn’t handed in, or, we are being led on a wild goose chase by an apparently extremely helpful Good Samaritan....what do you reckon?