Sorry it has been so long since the last post, I have a big update and may have to split it into a couple posts!
I guess I will start with an event in Dallas that happened right before we left. We were shopping for some winter jackets in a thrift store and Rheann's wallet was stolen! She set it down to try on a jacket, and forgot to pick it up before going to the counter, when she returned about 30 seconds later, it was gone! I immediately rushed to see a manger about reviewing the security tapes, she stalled for a bit and then informed me that she didn't have access to it, so I called the police. While waiting for them to arrive, I searched the entire store, because I knew that who ever took it most likely emptied it and then dumped it somewhere. The police arrived about an hour later, and the manager magically had the keys to the door! The police officer took a look. We were then informed that most of the cameras in the store didn't work (surprise!). The camera only saw us in the shoe section, and that was it. So we filed a report, and I continued to search the store for another hour to see if the purse had been dumped, I checked inside of book sacks, behind clothes, on shelves, and everywhere else I could think of with no luck. We were going to have to cancel all of our credit cards, and replace Rheann's I.D.
The next morning, the store called. They found Rheann's wallet while "cleaning up". They showed me where they found it, and it was in an area that I had checked multiple times before I left. It was also near the section where the video camera was working and saw us earlier, but apparently they couldn't see anyone dump the wallet. This means that the wallet must have been dumped after we left, 2 hours later. This also means the entire time I was checking the store for the wallet, the person who stole it remained in the store with it. You wouldn't steal a wallet, leave the store, then return to the store with the wallet to dump it! The way the manager handled the situation points to either her taking it, or knowing who did it. There is no possible way I somehow missed the wallet in 2 hours of searching, and she was not able to help us for an hour until the police arrived.
Of course, all of the cash in the wallet was gone, a grand total of 21 bucks, but there was something else that was very suspicious. All of Rheann's loose change was gone as well. She had about 20 dollars, mostly pennies, in the wallet! I don't know if you have ever handled a bunch of loose change, but it tends to make noise when you mess around with it. This means that the crook had time to search the wallet, empty it of its cash, silently handle 20 dollars in loose coins, then hide it in a conspicuous place that I was in, that also happens to be a hole in the camera coverage, all while avoiding detection while I'm actively searching the store for over 2 hours! The gift cards in the wallet were also selectively stolen, so the crook only took ones that they wanted! That means that the wallet was taken to a location that they would not be seen or heard by me, which is only two places, the restrooms or the back room of the store. This theft could only have been done by an employee, who had access to the back room, because the bathrooms were locked. You had to get a key from an employee to gain access to them, and no one went to the restrooms during this time.
I don't have any proof of one person doing it, so they are going to get away with the crime, but life has a way of paying people back for their actions. If you are ever in Lewisville, Texas, stay away from Thrift City!
