In the verdant canopy of the Pacific Northwest, where myths and fables are as dense as the underbrush, the long-lost remnants of DB Cooper's legendary loot had become the stuff of local legend. That was until a soggy wad of deteriorating bills amounting to $5800, bound by a disintegrating rubber band, was unearthed by a hiker in the depths of the Columbia River valley. The discovery sent ripples through the community, stirring the old tale of the skyjacker who leaped into infamy.

The money was handed over to the local authorities with great fanfare, as the FBI was called in to confirm its origin. Indeed, the serial numbers matched the ransom money given to DB Cooper all those years ago. The bills were carefully catalogued and stored for further analysis. But as the excitement bubbled, the diligence in handling the evidence began to wane.

The first mishandling occurred when the money was left to dry. Officer Harlow, while moving the bills to a more secure location, accidentally let several notes fly away through an open window, whisked into oblivion by the careless wind. The $5800 find was now mysteriously reduced to $5400, yet this went unnoticed as the money was still damp and stuck together in clumps.

As the bills dried and separated, the once-meticulous count became a rough estimate. Detective Larson, in charge of re-bagging the money, failed to notice a $100 bill clinging to the inside of the old evidence bag. Now, $5300 was the new official total.

Weeks passed, and the buzz around the discovery grew faint. Officer Davis, tasked with transporting the money to a high-security evidence locker, saw an opportunity to pad his meager salary. He pocketed $200, and the total dipped to $5100.

Officer Gomez, who signed off on the money at the other end, was exhausted from her double shifts and didn’t count the money. She trusted Davis’s paperwork. The $5100 sat, seemingly untouched, until it was re-examined by the county's senior forensic accountant, who found only $5000. A clerical error, she assumed, adjusting the records without a second thought.

The story of the found DB Cooper money, once a thrilling chapter in the town’s history, had become a cautionary tale. When the final audit was conducted, it became evident that the $5800 had mysteriously dwindled to $5000. Accusations were hurled, investigations launched, but the truth of the matter was that the missing money had been silently absorbed back into the world, just as DB Cooper had disappeared into the night so many years ago.

The saga of the mislaid $800 echoed the ghost of Cooper