I am very sad. Angry. Afraid. So very many emotions, half the time I'm not even sure exactly what I am feeling. Yesterday was the first day I cried about it. I've scared Rick. He asked if I wanted to move. Bad part is it didn't have anything to do with home, and we just moved here June 1!!!
Moving wouldn't help, anyhow. I don't feel safe anywhere. This is the first time in over 10 years that I don't even feel 100% safe with Rick in the house. When we first moved in together we lived just a block off of Troost, a pretty bad area of Kansas City. Our apartment was broken into once. We knew who did that because they just wanted to scare us. Things were moved, and moved gently as so not to break anything. Nothing was missing.
A week before we moved from that place, a guy broke into my car and passed out in the passenger seat. When the police woke him up he tried to get me to say that he was OK being there. He was severely messed up on drugs or something.
Neither of these things affected me the way I am being affected now. I suppose it's time to say what has happened. Stay tuned, because I do have pictures also. I will post them at the end.
Thursday I was returning to work after I finished my later than usual lunch. It was close to 12:45. When I got back to the building, I went right for the break room for my afternoon Diet Dr. Pepper. I was pretty aggravated, because the price has just gone up to $1.25 so I had to dig for a quarter out of my little coin purse. I got my soda and was walking out of the break room. Right across from the exit is the elevators.
The janitor was struggling to get his trash cart off the elevator, so I just stood out watching him, planning on catching his elevator once he was finally free. I had to stick my arm in to get the door to reopen and the janitor apologized. I smiled and told him it was OK. While waiting for the janitor to clear the elevator, a casually dressed black man in his 50s walked up and pushed the button for the elevator. As if he did not even see anyone standing there, or even what I was waiting for.
I got on the elevator and pushed 2 and the door close button, hoping the black man would not get on the elevator with me. No such luck. For those of you who may not realize yet, wanting to ride on the elevator alone is very normal for me. I am very uneasy in social situations and hate being around people I don't know.
This man absolutely freaked me out! When I press the floor, I then move back into the corner and stand as far in the corner as humanly possible wanting to avoid anyone who may enter the elevator. This man came extremely close to me, close enough for me to think to myself "If you don't get the f*ck away from me, I'm going to hit you.". After coming so close, he finally hit the button for the 3rd floor.
OK, I've explained how I don't like being around other people, especially in tight spaces. The weird part is... I was panicked to be in that elevator. I was terrified. I had no idea what this man was going to do and I just wanted off. Thankfully the doors opened and I left the elevator on the 2nd floor. I walked down to my office and set down my Dr. Pepper and put my purse under my desk, as I have for about 15 months now, and I went to the restroom, most of the way back towards the elevator.
I walked back to the office rather shocked to see the same shirt standing in the doorway of my office, and he was quite shocked when he finally turned around to leave. I thought it was quite strange that he left the 2nd floor by way of the stairs right outside our office. I worked there for 3 weeks before I had a clue where the stairs were!!
Chris (my boss) said that he had felt the vibrations of someone walking around behind my desk and he came out to talk to me to find that man standing behind my desk looking at things on my desk. He asked him "What do you want?" and the man ran over by the door and began asking about structural construction. Chris told him we only design we do no construction. With that, the man left. Chris and I both felt the entire situation was quite weird. But we didn't think too much of it and went on with our day.
Chris had purchased some furniture at Nebraska Furniture Mart and I had scheduled Two Men and a Truck to deliver it for him Thursday afternoon. While I was out running other errands, Chris called that the movers were headed to the furniture store and I needed to meet them there. Once they got back to the docks, I walked over and was talking of the logistics with the driver, he checked with his office and they said they did not have a credit card on file. I was surprised because I thought I had given one. I started to dig for my company credit card but was unable to find it. The driver said that the office would call my boss directly to get a credit card number from him once the job was completed.
I walked back to my car, going over my day and where anything could be. Once I got to my car, I dumped my purse and found that not only was my wallet gone, but so was my coin purse that I had used just before I returned to the office from lunch!
I called Chris and left a voicemail and sped all the way back to the office. I was so freaked. I didn't know what I was going to do. I didn't even know what I should think. You know, I get pretty good at losing stuff, maybe somehow I lost it. When I was putting everything back into my purse, I also did a quick inventory of what was in my car, but was unable to find the missing items.
Chris called me back as soon as I was pulling into the parking lot. Of course, he said he didn't see anything at my desk, and that he had a feeling that man was 'evil'. I got off the phone and ran upstairs. I dumped my purse on my desk to show Chris I didn't have the missing items. He said, "No offense, but how would he be able to pick those two items out?" That was a very good question. I had a bank envelope in my purse with about $75 in it and he didn't take that. It's a black purse with a black wallet and black coin purse in the shadow of my desk. How in the world did he do it? Maybe I was wrong.
I couldn't take any chances, I called my bank and canceled my debit card immediately. I then called the building management and they were sending someone over. I only said my name is Paula and they knew who it was. Gee, I'm afraid I'm too known!!
Then, I called the police, at every one's urging. They were sending someone over to take down my report. Finally, I was able to call the credit card company that held the company credit card. Well, the last purchase made was that same day at a Phillips 66 in Roeland Park. Ummm, no way Jose'! I don't ever use the company card for gas. The good news was that we would not be charged for this purchase.
I feel so much better knowing that one of the cards was used. That way I know I wasn't jumping to conclusions and unfairly accusing someone of something. I am still very upset. But after writing this all out, I see that there is really no reason to be upset, and this has provided me with some comfort.
In order to replace my license and my social security card (which will go directly into our safe once I get the replacement and I will NEVER carry with me again!!), I have to prove who I am and that I exist. Do you have any idea how hard that is when all of your identity has just been stolen? So very frustrating. Mom brought over my birth certificate yesterday, so hopefully I will be able to get my licensed replaced this week and start rebuilding my life.
If you are in the KC area and if you see anyone looking a bit suspicious or similar to this man, BEWARE!! Oh yes, we may think these photos basically suck, but when I took them to the Police Department Friday night, the Lieutenant said he looked very much like a person who was doing this across the city and that he needed to get with the detective handling those cases. I hope you are all having a good weekend and that you all take that extra time to make sure you are just a bit more secure with the things that really count. Your life and your identity.
