A software glitch caused the warehouse to vanish, not from physical view, but from the watchful eyes of a well-known retailer's automated distribution system.

Goods destined for the warehouse were rerouted elsewhere while goods at the warehouse languished, yet employees said nothing because the company was in financial trouble and had been shuttering other warehouses to save money.

"For three years, nothing arrived or left," Charette wrote. "Employees were still getting their paychecks, however, because a different computer system handled the payroll. When the software glitch finally came to light, the merchandise in the warehouse was sold off, and upper management told employees to say nothing about the episode."