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When Things Go Missing
Paul Thompson, a policeman, used his specially honed skills to track down his wife's missing jewellery ... three years after it had gone missing.
Let's put it this way, Liz's jewellery wasn't so much missing, as hidden, very very carefully - by her husband. Like a squirrel with more than the usual dose of amnesia, Paul was totally unable to recall where he'd hidden the sparklers. "In the end we were turning out cupboards, whole rooms, even looking under floorboards..." Paul had the grace to admit to being highly embarrassed by his inability to find the gems, "I was asked why I didn't do what I was trained to do as a police officer and try cognitive interviewing. You put yourself back to the time of the incident and think about what you could smell, what were you wearing, what were you thinking of. I completely failed to apply this to myself!"
Month after month, amid fantasies that a cunning, light-footed burglar must have entered the house, found the hiding place and made off with the box of treasure, the jewels failed to turn up. Paul clung to his 'instinct' that the jewels would "hone back in somehow" . "I was thinking of employing a water-diviner to see if they could track them down with a couple of hazel sticks," he said
Spool on, not one, not two, but three whole years. Paul recalled that he was ironing ("Yes", he said, "we do it") when he heard Liz's shrieks and screams of "I've found them!" "They were at the back of a cupboard, which I swear I'd searched," he said, "I obviously didn't use particularly good police techniques to get to the bottom of this." But general rejoicing ensued anyway.
Have you lost something you treasure, only to be reunited in unexpected circumstances?
Why was it precious to you, and for how long was it missing?
How did you feel after you'd found it?
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