Now that the heartrate is (semi) back to normal and things have calmed down... got a great one to tell.
Last Wednesday afternoon while at work, I heard a dog bark outside. I work on the second floor of a two story building with a door at either end of the building. We use the front one and keep the back one locked. Never use it. It's at the other end of the bldg from where I sit. There is a stairwell that goes straight down and then you either go outside or to another door to access the first floor. Occasionally the office downstairs opens the back door to let some air in. So hearing the dog bark meant nothing to me. Figured someone was walking by the building and they had the door open so it was louder.
Couple minutes later phone rings and I answer it.
"This is ____ from downstairs. We have a situation down here. There is a police officer with a dog at your back door. You need to go open it slowly. I am not joking".
Umm... okay. First thing that pops in my head is who here's doing drugs. LOL I mean, the officer did bring his dog.
Go to get up and get the door and the phone rings again. Thinking okay.. now's where I get the "ha-ha".
It's not. It's some headhunter for one of our CPAs. Trying to get us new clients. Can't get him off the phone. Finally end up hanging up on him.
I head towards the back door and asked a co-worker (male) to go with me. I'm not sure what I'm heading into. He wouldn't!!!! He heard the dog bark and when I asked him to go with me, he said no and walked quickly the other direction. (told my boss later we need to hire some real "men")
I go unlock the back door and open it and stand face to face with a HUGE police dog. Thinking greyhound possibly.
Officer: "step back. Don't approach my dog ma'am"
Officer: "who's here with you?"
I list the names of my co-workers that are here at the time and me.
Officer: "here's the situation... the bank across the street was just robbed and the dog tracked the scent up this stairwell. Can we come in?"
Certainly, certainly! Come on in. As my heart starts racing even faster. In comes the first officer with the dog. Followed by a second officer. Gun in hand ready to go. YIKES!!!!!
They checked the place out and left. I locked the back door once again and the front one too.
I mention to the officer that I heard a dog bark and he's like "you heard my dog bark? Why didn't you open the door?". Umm... duh! This was before I knew he knocked too though. I didn't hear the knock from where I sit. But... even if I did hear a knock, I wouldn't answer it. a.) we don't use that door and can't see who's on the other side, b.) I heard a big dog on the other side. I wouldn't think police and they didn't identify themselves.
I check various windows and see that the building is totally surrounded and the police are stopping cars heading out of the complex (there's about 10 buildings here. We're the first one off the main road).
Apparently the robber(s) came here and went up the stairs because there's a nice dark cubbyhole landing. And he either stayed there for a bit and left or tried getting in the door and found it was locked and left.
Right after the officers left, the phone rings again. It is ____ from downstairs. Asking what was going on. I said don't you know? and he said no... the officers only told him to sit down. And as I'm telling him the story, I realize that I've never met this man before. How do I know it's really him??? Could be the robber(s). Hmmm... so I ask him who he is and he tells me he's the cousin of a guy that works here. And I knew that the guys family worked downstairs so it was legit.
No idea if the robber was ever caught or not but I was on edge the rest of the afternoon. Had to call the boss at a client's and tell him the story. Starting to joke and laugh about it now but wasn't then. I mean c'mon... I work for a CPA office... who'd want anything here? (I also kept all doors locked the rest of that day).