I would seek to get the property back to the individual who last rented the car. My communication with the rental agency would be:
“I may — or may not — have found something neat that the last renter left in the car. Please give them my phone number.”
If the agency asked me what it was, I would decline to identify it, but I would hint it was only a minor little personal trinket. “”Nothing too special. Just something personal they might like to have back.”
Then when the person called, I would ask him to identify the item. Then I would return it to him or her. This is a very expensive piece of machinery — I would sure like it back if I lost one.
This^
You have the right of it, sir.
Then when the person called,....I’d be out of the city, area or county, because I feel that weapon has been used for something nefarious, left in order to dispose of it and probably no one knows who rented the car prior.
Laz,
Let’s consider for a moment who might have left it behind, and under what circumstances it was left behind.
Keep in mind this car was rented AT AN AIRPORT!!!!!!
The soft case itself is a bit indiscreet in that environment.
I’m betting the owner already weighed the risks of retrieval and would not respond to any outreach.
And, if he did, you wouldn’t want to be there to present it to him.