Unsolved Mysteries

Ahhh, summer. Lots of time for reading, napping, and general laziness.  Which is why I'm bringing you another re-run of a previous post from last summer.  Although we've never had a recurrence, this mystery was never solved. Still gives me the creeps.

Ghoulies and Ghosties . . .

and long-leggedy beasties . . . and things that lock doors in the night? We had some mysterious happenings around here two weeks ago, before my vacation. Maybe you can help figure out the answer, because no one else has been able to so far.

I live in two apartments, one over the other. I live mostly downstairs, and the upstairs is used for storage and, of course, the "beer" fridge.  I usually leave the upstairs apartment unlocked - you can't get to it without going through the downstairs apartment or the main hall entrance, both of which are always locked. When I do lock the upstairs, I normally lock only the doorknob lock, leaving the deadbolt open. I have a set of keys, and so does my landlady who lives next door.

On Tuesday that week, I came home from work and went upstairs to retrieve something or other. The door was locked. I was a bit puzzled, knowing I hadn't done it, but figured it might have been the landlady. She has never entered my apartment(s) in 10 years without asking me first, but there's been some work being done around here lately and I figured maybe she had to let in an electrician or plumber or something. So I didn't think much of it. Retrieved my item and went back downstairs. Left the door unlocked but closed.

Wednesday we had a repeat of Tuesday. I went upstairs and was surprised when I found the door locked. I was a bit miffed, actually, still thinking it could only be the landlady and why hadn't she mentioned this to me if she'd gone in two days in a row? That evening, I closed the door and locked the doorknob only.

Thursday we had a repeat of Wednesday and Tuesday. I went upstairs - with keys in hand because I remembered I had locked the doorknob - and found BOTH the doorknob and the deadbolt locked. I was too afraid to go inside alone this time. I waited until I had company later that night and together we searched the upstairs high and low. No one in there, nothing missing, nothing disturbed. I said to him "You're my witness. I'm leaving this door wide open and unlocked." We went back downstairs and I guarantee you that door was wide open. Like ninety-degree angle to the doorframe. This was about 10:00 PM.

Next day I worked at home and was preparing for my vacation. I went upstairs at around 8:00 AM to get my suitcase and when I rounded the landing corner, I was dumbfounded to see the door closed. I caught my breath and gained a little nerve and took a few more steps and tested the door. It was locked. And from the way it felt, it was both the deadbolt and the doorknob.

Y'all know you can't lock a deadbolt unless you're inside the room and flip the lever, or you're outside with a key, right?

I ran back downstairs shaking at this point and locked myself inside the downstairs apartment. I called my landlady, who assured me that she knew nothing about it and that she still had the only extra key in her possession (and I do not doubt her). I called about 3 male-type friends to see if I could get anyone to come over here and go upstairs with me. The only one available and willing was 45 minutes away, at best. So I called 911. The dispatcher lady asked me what the "emergency" was and I couldn't exactly say. A locked door? I settled on a "possible trespassing." She asked if there was still someone in the building and I said something about it having happened during the night. And she said "so it's a possible previous trespassing, right?" I said "Whatever you want to call it. Can you send someone over?"

About 20 minutes later a huge Red Bank cop arrived. Huge but brainless. We went upstairs and he watched me unlock both locks. He told me to "STEP BACK, MA'AM" and he entered the apartment shouting "RED BANK POLICE! ANYONE HERE?" He searched the entire place, including the attic crawlspace door at which he commented "Not saying anything about your housekeeping Ma'am, but that thing's covered with cobwebs. No one's been through that in a long time." Oh well. Whatever. I'm short - I don't see stuff up that high.

The cop concluded his search with a brief lecture about how I should get the lock changed for my own peace of mind. But really, he didn't think anyone could have been in there. Nothing was taken. Nothing disturbed. Who would go trespassing through an open door, several times, and lock it each time when they were done not doing anything wrong? And then he suggested the wind might have done it. Um, OK. Yeah. Wind. Deadbolt? I don't think so . . .

So to sum up this story, the locks have been changed and I've bought alarms for the doors and we haven't had a recurrence. After talking with many people smarter than the cop, we've come up with only three options:

1. It was indeed a trespasser who just was a very good trespasser,

2. I was sleep-walking (which I have been known to do on occasion but I usually vaguely remember what I've done) and did this FOUR nights in a row and stopped doing it when the lock was replaced, or

3. I have a door-locking ghost.

I don't think I like any of those possibilities. Got any other ideas (besides the wind)?

Comments

[Jerry - Sparky]

How about: Someone else who had a key (LandLord / LandLady, Other?)was doing it and didn't tell you.

[Bekah]

Wouldn't it suck if your asleep self walked up there and locked it and so it's been you scaring you all the time?

[Kate]

Whoa - that's scary! I'd definitely get a new lock!

[Becky]

Not sure if you really like this option, but I had a friend who literally had a door-locking ghost. Every time she'd leave her bedroom, "George" (as she named him) would lock her door so she had to keep a key downstairs. HOwever, this ghost would even sit on her bed and she could even feel it. She would then yell at him to get off her and let her sleep, and she'd feel him get off. Spooky, huh?

[Lynne]

I always wondered if you ever found out what happened.

[rounakbhattrai]

it should be very intresting with picture and less theory and there should be a private web of this