First They Steal, Then They Rob

Well, what was a great road trip to the Michael Burks concert in Charlotte turned into a big pile of doo on Saturday afternoon when I finally crawled out of bed.
I woke up about 12:30, with one hell of a headache, to the sound of a friend of mine mowing the yard. He's been mowing it for about a month now since someone decided they needed my riding mower more than I did. I figured I'd let him do it the rest of this year and buy me a new one next spring along with a building to put it in instead of the carport.
Anyway I get dressed and go out to talk to him and there it wasn't! I mean it wasn't where I thought I had seen it when we came home last night. My Dodge was in the carport but my 1977 GMC 4wd pick up that me and Jr use in the snow, to haul junk, and for a back up in case the other vehicles break down, was gone. I wasn't too worried then because I knew my ex-wife was moving that Saturday and I figured Jr had come and got it to help her move. Well Jr comes home at 4:00 to get ready for work and I ask him if he got his mom moved. He says "Yeah" and I ask "Where's the truck?" He says "I don't know."

Time to get worried!

I called the Guilford County Sheriff's Dept. to file a stolen vehicle report and was informed that mine was not the only vehicle stolen in my area that night. There was one stolen about 3/4 mile from where I live but was abandoned after a chase and the car was run into a ditch. I was also informed that they felt like they knew who had my truck so it should not be too hard to find. Seems like they used my truck as the getaway vehicle to get away from the sheriff's dept.
I get two messages on my answering machine from the sheriff's dept. on Monday wanting me to call them. I work from 5:30 am to 5:30 pm and they have my work number, why the hell can't they call me there. I get home at 6:00 and try to call the number they left, guess what-----our hours are from 8 to 5 blah, blah, blah. I take the number to work on Tuesday and call four times. The officer I need to talk to is ALWAYS out of the offic so I leave a message. I Finally hear from him at 7:45 on Tuesday night. They have found my truck and he explains how I go about getting it back. Go by sheriff's dept. uptown, pick up release form, go by towing co. etc., etc., etc.
So now I have to take a couple of hours off of work on Wednesday to pick up the truck. I go to sheriff's dept. to get release form from them and while I am there I get a copy of the police report. I figure I am going to have to pay some money in this thing and I want a police report to file with my auto or homeowner's insurance to try to recoup some of the money. I get my release forms and head home to pick up Jr so he can drive the truck home. Get him and head to the towing service that the Guilford County Sheriff's Dept. so graciously called in service on my behalf, walked in and found out I owed them $240.00. I said WHAT!!! They said $240.00 CASH. No checks. No credit cards.

Brokedown like this:

• $115.00 towing 13 miles (cost me $65.00 to have Dakota towed 9 miles about 2 months ago)
• $50.00 dolly (didn't need a dolly on the Dakota, why on the GMC)
• $75.00 storage (2 nights on the lot--sounds like Motel6 rates during the furniture market)

Didn't have that much cash so we head out to find an ATM. While driving Jr is looking at the police report and lo and behold there is a suspects name listed on the report and he reads it to me. Doesn't register. He reads it again. Doesn't register. He says first name about 4 times in a row. DAMN!! That SOB used to date my stepdaughter about 5 years ago. Been at my house several times. Mother lives about TWO MILES from where they found my truck. And he hasn't been arrested. So much for justice and helping the little man.

Well took the cash back to my friendly towing service and got my truck and it's home now. Sounds like something fishy going on between them and the sheriff's dept.

I'd almost bet my house that the SOB that stole my truck is also the SOB that stole my lawnmower too. What you think??