Last night, in bed, I heard a noise. Strange noises are not that unusual, because sometimes the house just “settles” as it cools after the heating and hot water have gone off - it could have been a pipe creaking. Also I have a flock of starlings in the loft. Sometimes they get restive in the night, and squabble and fidget a bit, even though it’s not yet bird-wake-up-time.
So even though the noise did not sound exactly the same as usual, I thought: “OK, pipes or starlings - one or the other.”
I lay awake and listened for a while - I think I even switched the light on - but no more was heard, so I surfed the net for a bit, before going back to sleep.
Thought no more about it, until I came down this morning, and it was freezing, and the kitchen door was wide open! I don’t mean just unlocked - which I’ve done any number of times - It was actually open.
Yes, I did pop outside the back door to put some rubbish out last night, and I’m positive I must have forgotten to lock up.
BUT, I have never known, in years of living here, the door just to “pop open”, even if it was unlocked.
So obviously, I panicked - expected to find the laptop gone - or my purse and cards.
Nothing seems to have been taken, or even moved - though it was a great mess to begin with, so hard to be sure - but you know your own mess, don’t you, and if anyone’s been tampering with it, so I would say no.
So now I don’t understand what happened. Did somebody come in, see I’ve got nothing of great value (all the technology’s well outdated - the laptop’s the newest thing, but even that’s nearly three years old), and decide: “S*d it, it’s not worth it?” Were they scared off when my light went on, or they heard sounds of me stirring?
Or is it not a person at all? My cat, Daisy (long since gone) used to be able to open the kitchen door (if it was unlocked) by swinging on the handle! So is that what’s happened here? There are many local cats who show an interest, and often try to come in out of the cold. Could it have been one of them?
I don’t understand how the door could possibly just “pop open”, but I also don’t understand why an intruder - if human - would touch nothing and leave. My money’s here, my mobile phone’s here - all easy pickings.
Obviously it’s a lesson to me that I must be more careful - not only to lock the back door, but not to assume a noise in the night is birds or pipes. But equally, I must try not to upset myself when no harm appears to have been done. They must be very strange burglars if they didn’t even snatch my handbag - which was in plain view. I fully understand they wouldn’t bother with a 20-year-old CRT TV, and a stereo almost as old! They haven’t touched the CD collection either (not to everybody’s taste!)
So is the “cat” theory it? I’ve even checked the door keys: I wondered if the plan was simply to snatch those, so they could come back at their leisure (i.e. when I’m out) and take their time.
But the door keys are still in my handbag, with the phone & cards etc.
Really weird. Definitely nobody is hiding in here waiting to stab me - I’d have found them by now - or they me. I know it’s my own stupid fault I left the door unlocked - but that bit, at least, I understand. I don’t understand about it being opened, but nothing touched. Even my passport is still here (I only just thought of that), so that rules out it being ID they were after, more than valuables.
Tina