Thanks for the suggestions. I think I will go with the "valuables" story, and the de-humidifier if asked about the humming and vents. My father-in-law is pretty nosy. Hopefully he won't ask to see how I have it set up!
SecondNut Reviewed by SecondNut on . need a good cover story ASAP So the wife has decided to have a Thanksgiving party, and I need some kind of convincing/believable explanation of why there's a padlock on one of our closets, with visible vent covers at head and feet level, and a slight humming noise coming from inside... Here's one I thought of: We found black mold in the closet, and the Inspector said we have to pad-lock it so no one is accidentally exposed, and we have to run a de-humidifier 24/7 inside the closet with ventilation (hence the vents and Rating: 5