The phone saga continues

Last week was pretty awful for me regarding my phone. I know one might say aaarghh this is South Africa, peoples possessions get stolen daily and sometimes these crimes happen in really cruel and vile ways. However by Friday I was ready to make peace with it and move on. And than another curve ball struck.

Last year while T was away overseas and our only mode of communication was sms I bought an SMS bundle from an overseas site called MobiSms. It was brilliant. I purchased the credits online, paid in Euros and all I needed was a wap enabled phone and voila I could send sms's to anywhere in the world including SA for a mere 28c. When I got my new phone, I downloaded the application and I still have a few credits left so now and than I make use of it. On Friday morning it's like this force that propelled me to log on to this site as you can track sms's sent via the internet. Something told me that maybe these people had sent texts via this programme. And boy was I surprised. There was one sms that was sent on Tuesday night to a certain number. I dialled it from the phone that i am using currently and hid my number. I was so nervous, as I was dialling I was totally edgy as to what I was going to say. But I wanted to know who this number belonged to. I pretended to call from an employment agency and proceeded to headhunt this lady. I didn't have a name nothing - so I just said that I am calling from an agency in Jhb, we are trying to build up a database of people in the industry, are you in the job market. She very quickly answered yes and I asked her for her name. But by than I already knew who the person on the other end was. I was going hot and cold. When she gave me her name I mustered all my strength to end the call in a professional manner and trying to change my voice for fear of her recognising my voice. Turns out the number that the sms was sent to belongs to a lady that works in my department. She is new and started with the company about a month ago. The content of the message: EIO

I was shell-shocked and totally dumbstruck. Luckily for me she was away in meetings for the day and wasnt just outside my office cos that is where she sits. I immediately printed out the delivery report and went to security. They immediately took me up to the investigations department and I told the guy my story. They proceeded to arrange an interrogation session with me present and I was told to call him as soon as she came back from her meetings. The interrogation happened at at about 15:30 on Friday afternoon. She denied everything, tried to change the subject, became bitchy and cocky and eventually started crying. She wanted to see the delivery report and wanted to know what the message was. When the investigator showed her the report she immediately said oh the message says HELLO - ELO as in short for Hello. I was totally shocked. She didnt give anything away. He made her pretty scared and told her that this is going to become a police matter and will probably end up going to court etc. He than said that I was going to lay a charge of theft. That is when she started crying.

I can't believe what happend. This lady is an Indian girl, who has a nice car, a really state of the art phone and looks like she comes from a good home. She is new to Jhb and I felt so sorry for her. I would take her with me to lunch everyday and proceeded to help her find her feet. I can't believe that someone would do something like that. It is insane, what motive would she have. I wonder if she will even come back to work. I don't really know what is going to come out of the investigation that is being conducted at work. As for the case that I opened - the police officer was very bored by my story on Friday. There were calls that were made from my phone but the service provider needed a case to be opened before they could give me the details. If nothing comes of this - it will mean that this girl will remain employed with the company and get away with what she has done. I know maybe its wrong of me to just accuse her - but she acted very guilty on Friday and it can't be coincidence that an sms was sent to her number only on Tuesday night. She could have come in on Wednesday morning and said something about the sms.

I still can't get over the fact that this someone whom I work with, who joined us for lunch every single day. Someone who I trusted and took under me as she is knew and not from Jhb and shame she seems so lonely. Is my judgement really so screwed up and what happens to me now. Do I doubt every single person who I meet. This is a working environement for crying out loud. I know one thing though that I will not talk to her. Yes I have to work with the girl but that is why there is something called email. I don't want to have anything to do with her. Whether she gets caught or not - she will always be the thief who took my phone.