HAYDEN - Someone was pounding on the door at 1:40 a.m. Wednesday, and a family member inside the Bybee home thought they might have heard gunshots.

Kim Bybee rushed upstairs, husband Travis right behind, gun in hand. Two teenage daughters and a son also hurried from their slumber to the frantic scene.

At their door was a calm Kootenai County Sheriff's deputy. He apologized for waking up the family so early, but two phone calls had gone unanswered and he thought they might want to hear what he had to say.

"I'm the one who had the car stolen yesterday," Kim Bybee said.

"I know. I have it," the deputy said with a smile. "It's parked down at Honeysuckle Beach parking lot."

An elated Bybee had but a few questions.

"Was it horrible? Was it bad," she asked.

It's good, it's fine, the deputy said.

A few minutes later, Bybee was inspecting her 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe. Other than a mess inside the SUV, it was indeed perfectly fine after being stolen from the Bybee property on Lancaster Road Tuesday morning.

"All my stuff was rummaged through," she said.

Even her purse was still there, missing some credit cards.

"I was so happy they didn't trash it. It's fine and it's just the way it was before and I'm so grateful," she said.

Whoever took the vehicle left a few clues behind.

Kim Bybee said she found a small key ring and a card that had been placed inside her billfold that had a picture and name of a man, which she gave to police. Turns out, that man's car was recently stolen and recovered with a broken window near Hayden Creek. The thief was also a smoker, leaving ashes and cigarette butts behind.

The theft is under investigation, but Bybee said she was told that sometimes, drug runners will steal cars, then ditch them later once the transaction is complete. That way, if the criminals have to flee on foot, they don't leave any identification behind.

Regardless, Bybee is just glad to have her beloved Tahoe again. It's paid for, she said, and she didn't want to have to replace it. She said she won't be leaving her purse and keys inside her unlocked car anymore. Even though it was on gated, fenced property, someone still swiped it. Those days of not locking anything are long gone, Bybee said.

There was still, at least, a happy ending this time.

"I took my son to school this morning. I was so happy," she said.