Thanks a bunch Formula! In terms of the card box, I almost never work with one unless I have decided to use an effect that specifically utilizes the card box. It just takes up space for me and it inevitably gets crushed in my pocket. I think card guards are ridiculous and I'd never use one of those to keep the box in good condition, so I pretty much just leave the box stashed away and work with deck in hand. Since the spectator hasn't seen a card box at that point, they of course don't have reason to believe I have a box, but they also don't have reason not to believe that I do. When I 'go searching for it' I believe it makes logical sense that I just don't have it, as nobody has seen it to begin with. I hope that makes sense.
That said, I admittedly haven't been able to road test this particular idea yet... it's still a baby, created only a few days before I filmed it. I'll see how it goes once I get the opportunity to do it.
As for PurpleMustache's comment, I agree and I noticed that flub immediately. That's simply due to my lack of scripting... I forgot to mention the card box BEFORE going into my pockets, so of course the viewer automatically jumps to strong suspicion, which I obviously don't want because that's the most 'heated' moment of the handling.