There is some weird shit going down at my house.
My mom is missing 68 dollars from her purse. I’m not taking it, my sister is not, and my dad is not. That leaves my 11 year old sister. While I’m sure she is capable of it, why would she need 68 dollars in 3 days? And if she didn’t spend it, where did she hide it? I just don’t know.
As if that wasn’t weird enough, bizarre things are appearing on top of the fridge, where mom used to keep her purse. Someone playing a joke? Well, it’s not funny anymore. My mom is not amused. I am not amused.
Alibies for people in the house:
Pepper: I have my own money, and I’m not so stupid that I would get caught. If I was stealing money, she wouldn’t even notice. That’s how smooth I am.
Pepper’s BF: Is incapable for stealing from anybody. Also, he has his own money, and doesn’t need any of mom’s.
Pepper’s 16 y.o sister: Not only is she too honest for her own good, she also has money missing. Her money disappeared when mom’s did.
Pepper’s Father: Wouldn’t steal the money. He would announce to the world that he was taking it. Also, my parents have seperate accounts from each other, and their own money. If he needed cash (and he never needs that much in 3 days) he could get his own, easily.
Pepper’s 11 y.o. sister: has been known to steal from us and lie about it. She always has enough money for ice cream, yet we never give her any. She also can afford to buy other things, claiming her friends got it for her. Her friends are poorer than us. I personally think she did it, but she denies it, of course.
So, what do y’all think?
Sounds like the 11 year-old. A lot of kids go through a “stealing phase” when they want stuff they can’t have. Eventually (at least in my case, lol) the guilt overcomes them and they quit. $68 is an awful lot of money though, I’m wondering if you should be worried about it going towards something unsavory. 
Hmm…I suppose I can’t really accuse anyone, as I don’t know any of them. But if I had to point the blame at anyone, it’d be your eleven year old sister. Not that I’m placing blame or anything. 
The maid did it. In the family room. With a tire iron.
And just exactly what are these bizarre items that are appearing on top of the refrigerator.
Yeah, it was probably the 11 year old. I think the adults in the household should ransack the room. With her present. If the money is found, demand to know where she got it. If she says someone gave it to her, mom and dad should call that person and ask if they gave her the money. Ditto for any items found that weren’t given to her by a family member.
If the answer is no, they didn’t give it to her, repeat the question.
Seems to me that mom and dad have accepted her “explanations” for her aquisitions to the point that she thinks she can get away with just about anything.
And what the hell does an eleven year old need sixty-eight dollars for, anyway?
See, I agree that 11 yo did it. Mom and Dad let her get away with her lies, for the most part. And she DOES think she can get away with anything she wants. And when she denies doing anything wrong, my parents accept it.
Of course I don’t buy it, and neither does my other sister or my BF. We are all very suspicious of her, mainly because we have seen her do this before, but not to this extent.
Mom thinks someone may have more than a mean ice cream addiction.
I want to either catch her in the act, or trick her into confessing. But she is VERY smart, too smart to pull any fast ones on her. I’ve tried.
Regarding items that her “friends gave her”. Do not assume she is actually paying for these things. “My friend gave it to me” is a very good excuse for “I went to the mall and used my five finger discount”. I’ve used it, it works. Until you steal money from family and they grow suspicious. I never did that.
I agree that the maid did it in the family room. But a tire iron is too kinky and just a scandalous rumor started by her ex-husband. It was actually with a AAA tow-truck driver called to change her tire.
Here’s what I suggest you do. Tonight, when she is sleeping sneak into her room and cut off all of her hair. In the morning say:
“That is what we do to thieves when we only suspect. You better make damn sure we don’t actually catch you.”
See if the thieving stops.
I went through a phase where I would steal quarters out of my parents clothes after their evening baths (hey, I had a $5-a-day Super Mario Brothers/Double Dragon habit to support). My sister suspected it was me, planted a trap and set me up (and she must have only been 9 or 10 at the time). When she told our mom about it I was rewarded for my entrepreneurial behavior with a hairbrush broken on my butt.
Never stole another thing.
As a change of pace (though I don’t actually believe it) I am going to finger your 16 year old sister. Never trust anybody who is “too honest for their own good.” Plus, if I was going to steal that much money, having my own money “stolen” would be just the kind of red herring I might employ. Plus a 16-year-old is much more likely to have a use for $68 than an 11-year-old. Does the 16yo have a boyfriend or other friends who have been at the house a lot?
Could it be - pepperlandgirl? Methinks she is too eager to point the finger at her innocent 11-year-old sister…
Of course, the 16-year-old sister was smart to have her money disappear at the same time. That seems to, very conveniently, put her in the clear.
Pepperlandgirl’s boyfriend - incapable of stealing from someone? It’s always the person you least suspect. Is pepperlandgirl’s birthday coming up?
The father - how much money does he have in his account? Could all the accounts be empty? Gambling debts?
Finally, the eleven-year-old - if there’s one thing I’ve learned from mystery novels, it is NEVER the obvious suspect that has done it.
I could solve the case for you in a minute, but everyone has been walking all over the house and put their hands on the fridge, so most of the physical evidence is gone. I will have to work a little harder this time.
Pepperlandgirl, what is the answer to the following questions.
- Was the money in cash or bearer bonds?
- What colour is the refrigerator?
- Are the objects appearing on the refrigerator all round in shape? I am betting they are. (I have my theory.)
- Does the butler sleep on the premises?
- And finally, is the ceiling of the kitchen smooth or rough?
I disagree…after you cut off the hair, pile it prominently somewhere in your room. When asked, claim “a friend gave it to me!” 
Barring that, you could go totally “Brady” and set up some elaborate trap using bills laced with itching powder or something. Heh! 
I think…
PEPPER DID IT!
This whole thread is to just throw off any suspicion.
Its alway the person you least expect…
I think it’s the mother…has noone considered her?
Does your mom enjoy video gambling?
ummm…Kelli… you didn’t change back to my name when you used my computer!!!
Sorry! :eek:
So wait Pepper… you live at the Circle K?
Most of the more serious posts seem to suspect the 11-year-old, perhaps because the OP was slanted that way, as Pepper already believes it to be so?
In any case, my main concern (after laughing at voguevixen’s post) is that you give the girl a safe way out. If she is feeling hunted, she will NOT return the money, it WILL happen again, and she will start to view herself as the role she’s been put into - a thief.
On the other hand, if someone she trusts (whichever member of the family, or even extended family, she is closest to) sits down to talk to her, not in an accusing way, but just about the event itself as an outsider … for example, “It’s really upsetting that your mom’s money was stolen. I can’t imagine how I would feel if that happened to me.” … then start talking about theft, etc, perhaps eventually (gently!) turn the conversation to how stolen money isn’t really very fun to spend, I’m sure you get the idea.
I don’t know if your sister is already hardened to the point where this won’t work on her, but I am fairly confident that any kind of confrontation/accusation will NOT go well. Try to find a way for her to get out of this predicament (if it is her) without feeling that she will lose the ove and support of her family.
What kind of weird stuff is showing up on the fridge? Fingers? Coconuts? Peppers? Vials of 1,1,1 dichloroethane?
It was the butler, in the library, with a candlestick!
(some people are -so- kinky!)
16yo has no real friends, except me, and does not have a BF. Also, after spending 16 years with her, I have a feeling of what she is like. IF she was stealing the money, she wouldn’t make it so obvious.Like me, she can be smooth.
Pepper already had her b-day. He has no real motive.
Accounts are not dry, my father doesn’t drink, gamble, bet, or anything else. Like I said before, he would announce it if he was taking it. He wouldn’t let the suspicion fall onto my lil sister.
Cash
white
yes
no
smooth
Why would she steal from herself?
This might work if she was a normal lil girl, but she is not. I fear she is Satan’s Spawn.
On a more serious note though, IF she is lying, she has convinced herself that she is not. She would never admit to it now, because enough time has gone by that she would honestly believe she has done nothing wrong.
She has a had a history before. She has stolen from 16yo, from both my grandparents, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The plot thickens…my mother has now convinced herself that it either the neighbors or a ghost. I shit you not.
Weird stuff top of the fridge, where the purse goes:
Snack crackers
Cookies
A cute story about how important giving is
junk
Amateur shrink checking in.
If it was just disappearing money, it could be for a lot of reasons. Motive for anyone - 68 dollars!
So how come the odd things are appearing? Crackers? Cookies? Are these single items, or packages? A cute story about giving? Did you check the handwriting, or was it typed? Check her computer memory?
Also the 11 yr old has a history of theft. It sure sounds to me like she’s acting out to get attention - especially the part about leaving the note.
Of course I have no idea how to deal with it. I can understand the desire to catch her in the act. Or just punish her outright. Barring actually catching her (and even if you did), should you handle it?
If there wasn’t a history, I’d say try the conversation method. The non-confrontational confrontation works wonders on someone who wants attention but has a conscience. But if she doesn’t have a conscience…
But what do I know, I’m an engineer.
Not to pretend to be an Psychologist or anything, but when a kid is that age don’t assume they are guilty just becuase its obvious they did it. From personal experience, giving them the benefit of the doubt may have a much greater beneficial effect than the problem of losing the money. I’m not explaining this well, but if a kid stole money, and even if you know for sure they did, pretending that you have no doubt that they wouldn’t take the money can do wonders for giving them the self-confidence for creating an honest persona that they will try to live up to. While accusing them may just give them the proof that everybody thinks they worthless, so why not steal anyway.
I think your 11 year old sister is my daughter.
BTW: Pepper’s smooth!!!
Why not have your mom give the “I trust my daughters so much and I know they’d never let me down” lecture and then announce that if the $68 reappears on top of the fridge in 48hrs no questions will be asked. It makes for a damn good guilt trip. Trust me on this.
If the money doesn’t show up in time then your mom can announce a “surprise inspection” of everyone’s rooms. ( you don’t have anything to hide, do you Pepper ) That way the 11yr old (if it is her) has a chance to make right and your mom has justification for searching.
Tally