So where did I put that $4,000?

Reminds me of ages ago when in NYC, I bought two rather expensive round trip tickets by train, with sleeper car, to Chicago for Christmas.

Two days before trip, could not find tickets anywhere.
Eventually figured out I had put them on pile of newspapers and junk mail that Mr. Clean roommate had thrown down the garbage shoot several days prior.
Had to buy new tickets.

Tokyo, you sure you didn’t already pay that bill, or deposit it? Had a scare over Christmas when I couldn’t find the watch I’d bought for my husband, because I’d outsmarted myself by 1. Wrapping early and 2. Put it into a HUGE box filled with other stuff so he wouldn’t know it was a watch. Spent half a day tearing the place apart before I finally started tearing open gifts.

So…maybe you were just too efficient? :stuck_out_tongue:

A serious update.

Unfortunately we don’t have proof, but it looks like the cleaning lady may be the culprit. My wife is also missing some jewelry. :mad:

The woman had worked for one of our friends for more than 3 years, and so we hadn’t worried about her. She only comes 3 or 4 times a month, but she did straightening up in the room where I had put the money as well as where my wife has her jewelry.

She was the only person who had access to both rooms during the period in question.

Since we don’t have proof, then the police won’t be of any help.

Damn.

Oh well. At least it wasn’t my wife, daughter, baby or the neighbor’s fictitious cat.

TokyoPlayer, sounds like it is time for a small safe. It keeps the honest honist, and slows down the dishonest.

Aw maaaan. That’s sad to hear. Is there some way you can get someone to ask the cleaner or put some pressure on her or something?

Do you need us to PayPal you anything?

Ya, I think so. . .

We talked to the friend who just to hire her. the cleaner had lived with the friend’s mother for several years, so this wasn’t just a random stranger. The friend thinks that if we confront her, she could likely fess up. (Assuming it is her.)

The woman is from the Philippines, and her work in Japan supports a lot of relatives there. With the number of expats in Tokyo disappearing since the nuclear “event”, her work has significantly dropped off and she may be headed back.

I’m fine for money, thank you for the kind offer, though.

It’s just that $4000 would be a huge amount of riches to me right now, and I was afraid that without it you’d be seriously struggling, in a “what bill do I not pay this month” way…

Well, you could always install a nanny-cam and leave $50 or something in an envelope and watch what happens.
If you catch her in the act, it might be easier to get her to confess (and pay you back).

I doubt that she could pay him back. She’s probably already sent the money home.

That’s what I think. I suspect that I’ve involuntarily contributed to the PI’s GDP.

My condolences - and apologies, I hadn’t realised this wasn’t a joke thread.

If it makes you feel any better, I had thought that the money would turn up at some stage. That’s why I wrote things in a light vein.

The money doesn’t matter, it’s the gifts from Grandma which can’t be replaced. We were stupid for trusting a friend of a friend, but in the end, you have to remember that locks keep some people honest.

I’ve done things I’ve regretted in live, so I’m not in any place to point fingers, but has she simply stole the cash, and not the gifts from Grandma to the kids, I would be less likely to wish harm on her and her progeny, but she stole memories which can’t be replaced.

I’m so sorry.

I’m very sorry this happened to you, though I congratulate your lighthearted thread approach. It kept me fooled.

For the future, may I recommend both a safe and some inexpensive hidden cameras? Even if any future help doesn’t have theft issues, you can learn a lot about people by observing them when they don’t think they are being watched, and anyone you have in your home unobserved who has been hired for a job is fair game in my book.

I am fairly certain that this is illegal in many jurisdictions.

I certainly can’t speak for Japan but in your own home is usually fair game. Any jurisdiction that has a problem with it, Maryland for example, has a problem with audio recording, which it considers ‘wiretap’. Video with no audio is acceptable in most places I know of.

We’re going to get a safe. It’s a good idea, anyway. You can only let sometime take advantage of you to the extent you let them.

Just tell people it’s part of the baby monitor.

nevermind

This sucks. It’s bad enough misplacing something yourself or inadvertently throwing it out with the rubbish but to discover that someone you trusted has stolen from you is much worse.