similar thing happend to me at a strip club on a tuesday night. Me and my friend were the only 2 left in the place and I left my cell phone on the table, got in cab, realized it, and went back.
The bartender and the bouncer claimed they didnt have my phone which was a nextel. My friend who also had a nextel used the alert feature (direct connect) and we could hear the phone beeping behind the bar.
needless to say I got my phone back...
fuckers