OK, I think it's time to reveal the solution I had in mind.
These are the clues that point to the answer:
With that in mind, here is my scenario:
Perhaps this is not what really happened, but it's plausible enough to put my mind at rest, in any case.
These are the clues that point to the answer:
Spoiler
- The last time I remember having the ear buds, it was to take them out and put them in their case, just as I entered the office.
- Both cases were identical.
- There are only a few steps (10 m) from the entrance to the closet, and I was in a hurry.
- At the end of the day, I expected to find the ear buds in my jacket pocket. (It was the first place I checked.)
- My jacket was then hanging in a closet shared with others.
- There were many people already in the office when I arrived. (Since all the desks were taken.) It can therefore be inferred that the closet was full of coats and jackets.
- By the time I left, most of the others in the office were already gone.
- I usually stuff things I won't need during the day in my jacket pockets and hang up my jacket after dropping off stuff I will need at my desk.
- On this day, all the desks in my usual seating area were already claimed, though some were currently unoccupied.
- I believe I hung up my jacket before going to an unoccupied desk to sort out my things.
- After arriving, I headed for a meeting room.
- The meeting rooms are between the entrance and my seating area, so past the closet.
- Both cases were identical.
- There are only a few steps (10 m) from the entrance to the closet, and I was in a hurry.
- At the end of the day, I expected to find the ear buds in my jacket pocket. (It was the first place I checked.)
- My jacket was then hanging in a closet shared with others.
- There were many people already in the office when I arrived. (Since all the desks were taken.) It can therefore be inferred that the closet was full of coats and jackets.
- By the time I left, most of the others in the office were already gone.
- I usually stuff things I won't need during the day in my jacket pockets and hang up my jacket after dropping off stuff I will need at my desk.
- On this day, all the desks in my usual seating area were already claimed, though some were currently unoccupied.
- I believe I hung up my jacket before going to an unoccupied desk to sort out my things.
- After arriving, I headed for a meeting room.
- The meeting rooms are between the entrance and my seating area, so past the closet.
[close]
With that in mind, here is my scenario:
Spoiler
I came in to the office, and took out my ear buds to put them in their case. Because the two cases were identical, I had to take out both to find the one to put them in. So I didn't finish fiddling with this and returning them to the pockets by the time I reached the closet.
I took off my jacket and hung it in the closet. I took all my other stuff, including the cases, over to a currently unoccupied desk in order to sort everything out (mainly to retrieve my laptop from my backpack). Since the desk was claimed, I couldn't leave my stuff there. On my way to the meeting room, passing by the closet, I therefore stuffed the ear bud cases into what I thought was my jacket pocket.
However, since the closet was full of jackets, I put them in the pocket of the wrong jacket, and another colleague brought them home unwittingly, with no clue where they came from when they found them.
I took off my jacket and hung it in the closet. I took all my other stuff, including the cases, over to a currently unoccupied desk in order to sort everything out (mainly to retrieve my laptop from my backpack). Since the desk was claimed, I couldn't leave my stuff there. On my way to the meeting room, passing by the closet, I therefore stuffed the ear bud cases into what I thought was my jacket pocket.
However, since the closet was full of jackets, I put them in the pocket of the wrong jacket, and another colleague brought them home unwittingly, with no clue where they came from when they found them.
[close]
Perhaps this is not what really happened, but it's plausible enough to put my mind at rest, in any case.