WTH do I do now?

[wagegoth]

I posted a while back about personal items going missing at work. Not just from my desk, but other people have complained.

A week or so ago, I was helping out in another department and noticed a tote bag that was leaning against the wall. It was a Beatles tote that Borders sold a few months before they closed. I'm not a Beatles fan, but I bought the tote when it was marked down to $1 (yes, a dollar) to keep at work for quick shopping trips. I was busy, so I didn't check right away, but a few days later I looked around my desk and the tote bag was gone.

I mentioned something to the team lead in that department. She said that she was told it was an Ed Hardy bag and who it belonged to. Well, actually, she didn't say Ed Hardy, she said the CW had told her it was designed by a tattoo artist, and I said Ed Hardy. This CW is a sweet girl, and I can't see her taking things, so I thought that maybe I had been mistaken.

But I just saw the bag again today, and it is the Beatles bag, whoever designed it. The CW is, as I said, a sweet girl, but the kind of person who happily watches the Kardashians and probably hasn't read a book all the way through in her life. I just don't see her even being in Borders, much less buying a Beatles bag (I'm not sure she even knows who the Beatles are).

I'm going to go back to her team lead, but this just sucks. I can't prove anything, and it's going to make everyone uncomfortable. I'm working on coming up with a way of asking the CW innocuously about the bag.

Argh.

[bainsidhe]

Has HR been informed of the thefts? Because I'd comment to HR that coworker has an identical bag to the one that's missing and leave it up to them to hash it out. Unless you're comfortable asking this sweet girl directly, that is. I understand the impulse to protect your coworkers, I'd be the same way, but someone is a thief and it's likely someone you'd never suspect. Regardless of how you handle the bag issue, definitely keep your eyes peeled around her from now on. If she's the thief and is openly walking around with the evidence, she'll have evidence at work from other thefts too.

Does the bag have any features that would prove it's yours? A tear, a stain, loose threading?

[wagegoth]

I've worked with this girl (I would say woman, she's married with three kids, but she's really naive and clueless) for a few years, and it just seems unlikely, but you never know. My guess would be that one of the guys who works here is trying to score points with her; it frikkin' amazes me what guys will do for a hot girl, even when she's married with kids and shows absolutely no interest in them.

Unfortunately, there's nothing special about the bag that would make it mine. The only thing might be if I could check the two hidden pockets, there might be an old receipt or ticket in them.

[Sparky]

So we have three possibilities:
1. Coworker stole your bag
2. Sleazeball stole your bag and gave it to coworker as gift
3. You are not the only person who was impressed by the $1 pricetag at Borders; coworker bought the bag months ago and just recently brought it to work.

My opinion, and this is just my opinion, is that number 3 is plausible enough that even if your gut tells you it's 1 or 2, you shouldn't accuse anyone. Not saying you're wrong, but I don't think you'd be able to prove anything. You can ask her: "Cute bag! Where'd you get it?" Or, depending on how much you like her and whether you care if she gets mad: "Nice bag! Where'd you get it? Because I used to have one just like it but it went missing so I was kind of hoping to replace it."

So my advice, FWIW, is to give coworker the benefit of the doubt for now but keep your eyes open, buy yourself another bag, and write your name inside it with permanent marker.