Lost phone

I had an interesting note in my mail today. A single sheet from the neighbor. It stated they lost their iPhone.

I found the phone the other day. I want to get it back to them but I don't have it. But I don't have it. Right now I am not even sure where it is.

I found the phone this weekend. It was on the steps that lead into my backyard. Seemed strange to find it baking in the sun. I thought it might belong to my tenants so I grabbed it and put it inside the back stairwell on the window sill. I figured if it was their they would take it. If not, they would leave it there.

I was wrong about that. When I came home the phone was gone. I assumed it was theirs so I didn't think anything of it. Until I got the note today.

I went upstairs to ask for the phone. That is where things get fishy. I talked with the young mother up there. She acknowledge she had the phone but "didn't know where it was". Huh? How do you not know where it is? My bullshit detector was going off the charts but I gave her the benefit of the doubt. I told her to look for the phone and find it. She could either knock on my door or put it back on the sill where she found it.

Now I am trying to decide what to do next if they do not return the phone. I am settling on two directions:

1. Call the neighbor and let them know I found their phone, but my tenants have it. I could give them their number and I don't have to deal with this issue any more, or
2. Run a bluff. Tell my tenants during the day tomorrow that I called the neighbor (though I haven't) and she'll come by to pick up the phone. Then call the neighbor based on their reaction.

I am hoping I won't have to do either but something isn't right here. I am upset that they took something that wasn't theirs in the first place. I'm also wondering what they've done with the phone. Did they sell it? Do they just not want to give it back?

I guess we'll see what happens overnight. Hopefully they'll come through and do the right thing.