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“So you have to fight this.”

I stare at her for a moment, thrown by her total lack of doubt. Most folk would at least have asked if I did it.

“How?”

“Well, someone put that ring in your locker.” She leans forwards. “If it wasn’t you, who might it have been? Is there anyone who has it in for you?”

I scoff. “Where do I start? I’ve made a lot of enemies over the years.”

She sets her mug down. “C’mon, consider the question properly. Surely the easiest way to clear your name is to come up with another name, the name of the person who actually did it. So give me some names!”

“Where did this Sherlock Holmes act come from?”

She grins. “I’m a fan of a good whodunnit. They’re a great break from the more high-brow literature I had to study at university. Now, suspects. Go!”

I consider her question. “Well . . . one person who’s never liked me is Ally McIntyre.”

Cat rolls her eyes. “Right. My brother framed you. Sure.”

“Why not?” I say, warming to the idea, if only to wind her up. “He’s always around the resort these days, thanks to his adventure business. He and Aidan are constantly there to pick up customers for outdoor activities, or to drop them off. He’s got the motive—he and I have never got along—and considering all the time he spends at the resort, he’s had the opportunity too. Aye, I think there’s a strong possibility it was him.”

Cat fixes me with a flat stare. “Right. Ally, who’s married to a woman he loves, who’s running his dream business with his best mate, and who’s just become a father to a second wee boy. Oh, and who lives with his family in a gorgeous house, where I know for a fact they’re all very happy. You’re saying Ally decided to risk all that, and potentially end up in prison, by nicking some items and framing you? Just to settle some ancient grudge against a guy who drove him up the wall when he was a lad? Aye, that sounds dead logical.” Her words drip with sarcasm.

“All right, well . . . let’s put him down as a maybe.” I wink at her, enjoying the way her cheeks flush with indignation. Truthfully, I don’t for a second think Ally’s behind this, but ruffling Cat’s feathers is too tempting to resist.

She sighs. “Who else?”

I give it some proper thought. “Well, there is Samantha, who works at the resort and has never particularly liked me. She’s tried to report me to my da a few times in the past, and I reckon she’s frustrated I’ve never been disciplined to the extent she’d like.”

The memory of my departure from the resort flashes back to me. “Oh, and here’s a funny thing. When Johnny was leading me to my bike, after I told Da I’d quit, we passed Samantha and she had this strange smile on her face, like she was pleased I was finally getting my comeuppance. She even asked me if I was having a bad day in this really smug, unpleasant way.”

“Samantha . . . Drummond?” Cat says. “I don’t know her well, but I know who she is. She’s the head of housekeeping, right? So it’d have been easy for her to access the guests’ rooms?”

“Aye,” I agree. “She had the means, and the motive. Shit. It might actually have been her.”

“See?” Cat sits up straighter. “We’re getting somewhere already! Although . . .” She frowns and taps her finger against her mug. “Would she really risk jail just to see you properly punished? Nah, she’d need another motive too. Like needing the money.”

“Well, she got divorced last year.”

“Oh!” Cat bounces in her chair. “That fits! The divorce could’ve hit her hard—legal fees, splitting assets, maybe even alimony payments. If the opportunity came along to pocket some valuable items from guests and frame you in the process, that might’ve been too tempting for her to resist.”

I nod, scratching my jaw. “Maybe. And . . . I don’t know if this is relevant, but for all her disapproval of me, she did try it on with me once, last year. I reckon she wanted a rebound fling or something, but I turned her down pretty firmly. Let’s just say she didn’t take it well.”

“Ohhhh, that’s absolutely relevant! Haven’t you heard the saying Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned?”

I huff out a laugh despite myself. “Aye, well, it does seem like something she’d hold against me.”

“So”—Cat ticks off points on her fingers—“money trouble, possibly. Bruised ego from your rejection, definitely. And access to guest rooms, yep. I reckon she fits the profile!”

I can’t help but give a small smile at her enthusiasm. “All right, let’s say it was her. How do I prove it and clear my name? Especially when I’m not exactly welcome at the resort.”

“Hmm.” Cat purses her lips thoughtfully. “Well, right now we’re just guessing that Samantha might be having money problems. Truthfully, we’ve no idea. So how about, as a next step, I try to dig into that? Bannock being the way it is, if she’s been struggling financially, someone around town will have heard of it. I could have a few conversations, see if anything interesting comes to light?”

“Why you?”

She blinks, then a smirk tugs at her lips. “Robbie, most folk around Bannock can’t resist a good chinwag, but you? You aren’t exactly known for your small talk or your sunny disposition. If you start chatting with people and asking questions, they’ll think something dodgy is going on and clam up. Me, on the other hand? Folk won’t bat an eye if I poke around.”

Hmm, she’s got a point there. “Well . . . if you think playing Miss Marple will help figure this out, go ahead.”