[Peace] Missing beloved hat at New Year's Eve party!!!!?????

[Susan Parenti]

Hi friends—this message is from Kord Russell about his son Leo’s missing hat:

Dear Party-goers of New Year's Eve….
My son Leo reads detective fiction (Encyclopedia Brown, etc.), and has stumbled upon a troubling case of his own in real life…
THE CASE:
MISSING ON NEW YEAR'S EVE: GREY GENTLEMAN'S HAT WITH BLACK STRIPE
My son Leo wore his newly acquired Christmas hat to the New Year's Eve Party at Susan's house.  He dressed up special for the party in tie and hat.  The hat is a very nice gentleman's hat, rather expensive new.  He was taking great care with this hat and prized it.  He asked me to hold it for him, because he was getting so much attention for how nice it looked, and he was a embarrassed.  I placed it in the middle of a table in front of an elephant piece, (table otherwise empty).  I went home to get my camera to capture Leo in his splendid outfit with new hat, which had yet to be photographed.  When I returned, the table was bare.  I had a dozen people searching for the hat throughout the party.
Either the hat was hid in a nook for play by a passing kid and will turn up eventually, or a strong gust of wind stole away with it, or… something more nefarious?
Befuddled and sad, we are still hoping someone can account for this hat -- a clue, or, in a certain scenario -- return it anonymously to Susan's house if necessary…?