I posted this to the Chinese Ops talk page on the Fallout wiki (I was going to edit the wiki myself but I don't know how). Can anybody confirm this that it happens besides just to me?

I think I've discovered a new Chinese Army book. After I talked to Malcolm Holmes (the Sarsparilla Star bottlecap guy) I attempted to pickpocket him but he caught me. Then I bartered with him and the book was available in his inventory for sale. The book does NOT appear in his inventory if you barter with him without getting caught pickpocketing.

Is this something new? Is it unique to Holmes or does it happen the first time you're caught pickpocketing with anybody you can trade with as a kind of lesson for new players? I tested this out by loading an earlier save and getting caught pickpocketing a couple of other traders but the book does not appear in their inventory for sale.

Did you happen to have the stolen copy from Goodsprings in your inventory at the time you pickpocketed him? He may have taken it back as a stolen item after catching you, and it's simply the copy you already had.

Rats! That's exactly what happened. Never mind then ...

When you get caught pick pocketing people take every single flagged item in your inventory, not just ones that belonged to them. Pretty annoying when you are carrying around things like

You do know that you can just sell the 'stolen' items, and buy them back, to be immune from this, right?