My 5th Edition Books Stolen

Most of my 5th edition books were stolen last night. 3x player handbooks, 1-2x DMGs, 1x Monster Manual.

My son borrowed them. Set the pack down in front of Merlyn's store (17 W. Main St. Spokane), and forgot. 

That was around 9:00 pm Saturday night.

I filed a report with the police at 10:04 pm. In the backpack was his higher-end iPad, headphones, books, and the pack itself (Swiss Army), all together about $1,300 to replace.

I drove around town in a circling grid pattern.

Saw scores of backpacks, but none of them Swiss Army.

At approximately 11:00 pm I saw a male and female on 2nd Avenue and Pine, walking south on Pine, the male had the backpack.

When asked he said someone at Chili's gave it to him. He handed it back to me and left.

The female gave a supposed phone number of the person that gave them the pack (may or may not be true, I called it but no one answered (though it did keep ringing).

At Chili's, the waiter said someone had been sitting at the bar with the pack, ordered a burrito, went to the bathroom and left without paying, shortly before I arrived (maybe the other guy called to warn him I was coming?).

Unfortunately the restaurant has not yet installed video cameras. At this point I am assuming he threw out the books. I began driving, walking, searching every bush, nook, cranny, alley way, garbage can/dumpster, spiraling out from the Merlyns toward where I found the pack.

I spoke with a few dozen homeless people and let them know I'll pay a reward of $50 for the books.

I covered about 20 or so square blocks thoroughly.

Finally at 4:00 am I gave up.

The books all have my name and phone number on the edge of them (pretty much every page looking at the book sideways).

I am assuming they are lost in a dumpster somewhere, but in case someone tries to sell them at a local game store, I will be spreading the word to gamers and game stores around.

This is lousy timing with WorldCon starting Wednesday, and my running tables.

My son feels terrible about it. I won't hold my breath on the books turning up, but maybe some luck could still happen if someone sees them in the daylight Sunday, and turns them in.

The books will have "Hawke Robinson" and phone number on them (and some even have email). Sigh.