Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

My sister, brother and his 14 y.o. son are here for the entire Thanksgiving week. Last night I cashed out for $1,927.00. I got 3 $500 chips and the rest in cash which I stuck in my pocket. My money is usually rubberbanded with a small leather license/card holder but I just left that extra cash loose. Today when I took the loose money out to pay at Starbucks there was only $327. Of course it had to be the 14 y.o. but I can't prove it, if I bring it up the entire week will be totally screwed, my mother will be upset for the rest of her life and I'd pay way more than $100 to avoid either of those things. Plus, I've got to admit, there're are far too many things that I can remember doing at that age that make me cringe all these years later but, still, $100? Although, adjusting for inflation, and considering that he must've thought 'Well there's only one 20 and four 100's so I guess I've got a better shot at the 100.....'

So here's what I've done. I can't think of anything else to do but I'm open to suggestions.

I have a metal box with a lock that I keep my checkbook, extra credit cards and other sensitive stuff in when the cleaning people or other workers are in the house. My money will now be locked up. I put a piece of paper in my pocket with a note that says 'Put it back'. I'm shutting down my computer and won't give him the log-in password and am treating him coldly which is VERY much different from the way it normally would be. I can't think of anything else except to tell my brother when they leave but he's wound so tight that I don't want to even though I probably should.

So: Thoughts?

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

Howard (not your real name),

I think everyone here knows you are basically a social retard, so we will cut you some slack.

Why not just approach the kid directly and ask him? Why the dramatics? Just say you left some money out and now its missing and you wanted to know if he was playing a joke on you by hiding it. That way he can play along and return it w/o admitting to stealing.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

If you approach anyone, you better be damn sure it was stolen

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

[ QUOTE ]
I put a piece of paper in my pocket with a note that says 'Put it back'.

[/ QUOTE ]

awesome

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I put a piece of paper in my pocket with a note that says 'Put it back'.

[/ QUOTE ]

awesome

[/ QUOTE ]

He still won't though, so its not very effective.

It'd be more awesome if the kid took the money and replaced the note with one that said "Sorry Howard, I need it. No Massages for you this week"

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I put a piece of paper in my pocket with a note that says 'Put it back'.

[/ QUOTE ]

awesome

[/ QUOTE ]

He still won't though, so its not very effective.

It'd be more awesome if the kid took the money and replaced the note with one that said "No."

[/ QUOTE ]

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

He took the money to go to an Asian massage parlor obv. You should be proud.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

[ QUOTE ]
If you approach anyone, you better be damn sure it was stolen

[/ QUOTE ]

Of course, that's the hell of it. Did the cage short me? Did I drop it somewhere? The answer to both is 'I don't think so' but that isn't good enough. My mind (and I'm pretty sure I'm typical) starts to create doubts. So I'll keep my mouth shut.


(And not get that massage I was wanting on Friday)

Plus: Social retard? wtf, I'm more normal than most on here.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

[ QUOTE ]
Why not just approach the kid directly and ask him? Why the dramatics? Just say you left some money out and now its missing and you wanted to know if he was playing a joke on you by hiding it. That way he can play along and return it w/o admitting to stealing.

[/ QUOTE ]

this is such bad advice

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

HB,

I kid, I kid. Just make a comment at dinner like "yeah and i was playing poker, cashed out for $1900 but when I got home, I only had $1800 in my pocket. strange, huh?" then make not-so-obvious eye contact with the kid, and gauge his response.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

[ QUOTE ]
HB,

I kid, I kid. Just make a comment at dinner like "yeah and i was playing poker, cashed out for $1900 but when I got home, I only had $1800 in my pocket. strange, huh?" then make not-so-obvious eye contact with the kid, and gauge his response.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok, tx and tx for going along w/ my 'running gag' (I DO use it sparingly). That's decent advice and I'll see if I can slip it in.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

[ QUOTE ]
Plus: Social retard? wtf, I'm more normal than most on here.


[/ QUOTE ]

i dunno. i mean, how old are you? and you still live with moms?

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

[ QUOTE ]
I kid, I kid. Just make a comment at dinner like "yeah and i was playing poker, cashed out for $1900 but when I got home, I only had $1800 in my pocket. strange, huh?" then make not-so-obvious eye contact with the kid, and gauge his response.

[/ QUOTE ]

many people already think poker gains = funny money. if i were actually trying to recover my loss instead of lay blame, i think i would avoid directly mentioning poker. it's already hard enough to defend a position of need an alleged thief when money was taken from what they would probably consider a large roll of cash.

the kid avenue just doesn't sound like it would work, and i can't make any assumptions about your relationship with your brother or his disposition. the first idea that comes to mind is to openly search for the money in front of everyone, like after dinner. encourage people to see it as a problem that they can help you solve, and don't accuse anybody of anything. it must simply be lost, and you must have lost it. maybe your brother will approach you and say theft has been a problem in his household. it also gives the kid a chance to "find" it or get scared and confess to his father, etc. minimal risk to potentially open doors.

i'd also pitch the note. i think a thief might just get analysis paralysis and hope for the best when actually confronted, but only virtually.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Plus: Social retard? wtf, I'm more normal than most on here.


[/ QUOTE ]

i dunno. i mean, how old are you? and you still live with moms?

[/ QUOTE ]

In his defense, he takes care of his elderly mother.

In Noah's defense, HB might be one of the most socially awkward posters on 2p2. I think this is part act on HB's part though.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

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I'm shutting down my computer and won't give him the log-in password and am treating him coldly which is VERY much different from the way it normally would be.

[/ QUOTE ]

don't snub the kid.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'm shutting down my computer and won't give him the log-in password and am treating him coldly which is VERY much different from the way it normally would be.

[/ QUOTE ]

don't snub the kid.

[/ QUOTE ]

seriously, if you snub the kid, he's gonna be thinking, "well, I only stole from mean uncle Howard. He deserves it imo for being so mean to me." If you're nice to him, he'd be thinking "yuck, my uncle Howard is so nice, I feel guilty for stealing from him, and put the money back."

But then again, if he did steal it in the first place, he most likely has no morals in the first place.

Funny thing to do would be to say I'm missing 100 dollars in front of the whole family while looking only at the kid. Hopefully your brother can take a hint.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

lol the advice in this thread is patently horrible,
if this kid doesn't learn his lesson, it'll be $200
next time, and your whole roll the time after that

if you think the kid did it, you need to speak to his
parents and come up with a decisive course of action

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'm shutting down my computer and won't give him the log-in password and am treating him coldly which is VERY much different from the way it normally would be.

[/ QUOTE ]

don't snub the kid.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed. If you are not certain, you should not punish the kid. I mean, there is as much evidence against your brother stealing the money as there is against the kid (i.e. none).

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

astroglides advice is money imo.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

how close are you to the kid?

if close and you are 100% positive the cash is missing and you are 99% sure that he took it, confront him and tell him that you value your relationship and that if he is honest with you and admits to taking the cash, you can put this behind you and move on. throw in the 'i was a kid once too' bs also.

then if he admits it, tell him to tell you how much.

if he is honest again...let him keep the cash as proof of how much you value him and his honesty in the matter.



edit: forgot to mention...if he lies about it...beat him to a [censored] pulp behind closed doors

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

[ QUOTE ]
how close are you to the kid?

if close and you are 100% positive the cash is missing and you are 99% sure that he took it, confront him and tell him that you value your relationship and that if he is honest with you and admits to taking the cash, you can put this behind you and move on. throw in the 'i was a kid once too' bs also.

then if he admits it, tell him to tell you how much.

if he is honest again...let him keep the cash as proof of how much you value him and his honesty in the matter.



edit: forgot to mention...if he lies about it...beat him to a [censored] pulp behind closed doors

[/ QUOTE ]

Very good advice.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

[ QUOTE ]
how close are you to the kid?

if close and you are 100% positive the cash is missing and you are 99% sure that he took it, confront him and tell him that you value your relationship and that if he is honest with you and admits to taking the cash, you can put this behind you and move on. throw in the 'i was a kid once too' bs also.

then if he admits it, tell him to tell you how much.

if he is honest again...let him keep the cash as proof of how much you value him and his honesty in the matter.



edit: forgot to mention...if he lies about it...beat him to a [censored] pulp behind closed doors

[/ QUOTE ]

Winner.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

if OP is 99% sure it was the kid, LET HIM HAVE IT. Its just a hundred dollar bill and hes your nephew. if you just have to let him know that you know he took it, take him to the mall and act as though your going to buy him shoes or something then act stupid when its time to pay at the register. Tell him to use the money you gave him. he'll have learned not to mess with you and at the same time you were a good uncle.

if your a complete nit, insist on everyone helping you find it until one of them does "find" it.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

I don't agree with letting the kid keep the cash. The reward is you don't tell his parents. Other than that, I agree By-Tor's approach is far superior to any of the other ideas bandied about in this thread.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

Just let it slide, the kid will deny it, there is no way to actually prove it, it is just going to create awful tension around the holidays. Just keep the money hidden when he is around.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

You say you won $1,927, but how much did you lose?

I think this analysis will solve all problems.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

If he asks to use your computer, tell him he can rent it for $100. Then trust your read, if he genuinely looks confused, he doesn't have it. If he looks startled, beat him behind closed doors.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

OP,

You know your brother, we do not. Predict what his reaction would be if you revealed your suspicion.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

Also 9 times out of 10 these kinds of things turn out that the accuser did something with the $100 and forgot about it.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

Are you sure your mom hasn't gotten in deep with the bingo parlor?

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

Trust that your brother (in-law?)'s care for his son is strong er than whatever has gotten him wound up and speak with him frankly about it. Even if he is angered with the difficulty of what to do, or angered by his own ownership in the situation, and projects it onto you. Behind it all, it's for your nephew's benefit. You said it, "I probably should."

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

Tell him its coming out of Christmas.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

put a piece of paper in your pocket that says "it's never too late to do the right thing."

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

Myspace trainwreck him.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

If you are confident he took it, then straight up confront him. Obviously, don't resort to any type of violence. This should definitely not cause any stress between you and your sister/brother, unless they feel like your brothers kid has a right to steal from you for some reason.

Of course if you cannot prove he took it, you need to be ready to eat your words if proven otherwise.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

[ QUOTE ]
how close are you to the kid?

if close and you are 100% positive the cash is missing and you are 99% sure that he took it, confront him and tell him that you value your relationship and that if he is honest with you and admits to taking the cash, you can put this behind you and move on. throw in the 'i was a kid once too' bs also.

then if he admits it, tell him to tell you how much.

if he is honest again...let him keep the cash as proof of how much you value him and his honesty in the matter.



edit: forgot to mention...if he lies about it...beat him to a [censored] pulp behind closed doors

[/ QUOTE ]

This is pretty excellent advice I feel (apart from letting him keep it, like suzzer said, his reward is you dont tell his parents). If you arent sure enough about it to confront him, then I go with astros advice

snubbing him I think is pretty terrible, if you are positive enough about it to snub him, then you should confront him, and if you arent positive enough to do that then its not fair to treat him like [censored] for a week.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

[ QUOTE ]
Of course it had to be the 14 y.o. but I can't prove it…

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
Did the cage short me? Did I drop it somewhere? The answer to both is 'I don't think so' but that isn't good enough.

[/ QUOTE ]

What was the question?

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

I think you should confront the kid too. Judge his reaction etc. I think letting him keep it isn't such a bad idea if he tells the whole truth. He probably thinks you wouldn't notice. However, the way you tell the story i think its very very possible you actually were shorted or spent it on accident. I think you should probably be able to tell if the kid is lying, if you are sure he is lying to you, tell his parents.. if you aren't sure then let it pass, apologize etc.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

It seems to me that you will never be able to let it go until you talk to him about it. If you don't its like you will be at his wedding in ten years thinking "that is the little prick who stole my money". Deal with it.

Re: Got company. $100 missing. Here\'s what I\'ve done.
 

Bring it up with the kid and if he denies it, give him a long Larry David staredown and go about your business.