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It took a second to realize he was teasing her, because it wasn’t something many people did. “Maybe. The jury’s out on that for now.”
“Well, while the jury’s debating my worth, I’d better make sure the evidence is on my side. I’ll get a proper description of the ring and see if she has any photos, that way I can circulate it around the Glasgow pawnshops. Or see if it’s turned up online. If you have details on the other jewelry that’s been stolen, send it through to me, and I’ll add it to the search.”
“There’s no point in hunting down the other pieces. They weren’t worth anything. The ring is the most expensive thing that’s gone missing.”
They stopped outside her office on the building’s ground floor. “I’ll also run some background checks on the staff, make sure no one has a record for theft.”
“That’s a good idea.” Agnes fought the urge to place her hand on her roiling stomach. “Will you run a search on me too?” Had that sounded casual enough? She hoped so.
“No, because I’m pretty sure Lake will have already done it. He has a habit of checking out the love interests of the people close to him, which means Isobel would have got the treatment when she met Callum. I expect he covered you and your sisters as well. And, seeing as he was the person to talk to Dougal about giving you this job, I’d say I can strike you off my list.”
Relief made her knees go weak, but she locked them in place. “Good to know.” Although, Lake couldn’t have delved that far into her history. Otherwise, he would never have helped her get the job.
“I think the best course of action in the short term,” Logan said, “is to put up cameras and try to catch the culprit in action. Or at least prevent them from taking anything more.”
Like she wouldn’t have already done just that if she’d been able. “Dougal doesn’t want cameras. He says it interferes with the guests’ experience while they’re here, makes them feel like they’re under surveillance.”
“Which they would be.” Logan leaned against the doorjamb, the image of a man at ease. But the look he gave her was anything but casual—he was assessing everything she did and said. “How do you feel about cameras?”
“If this was my hotel, I’d put them up, but I’d make sure they were unobtrusive, then I’d post notices saying they were there—in places that weren’t easy to spot.”
Amusement flashed in his eyes. “In other words, you’d skirt the law.”
She shrugged. It was what she did best. “I wouldn’t break it though.” She wanted to make that clear. Her reputation and her future depended on it. As he considered her, she calmly stared him straight in the eye. She refused to shift uncomfortably, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to look away. “Why are you asking about this anyway?”
His eyes turned from hazel to dark brown. And just like that, she was back to being aware of him as a man instead of as an obstacle in her way. “I thought we could meet up at the Benson Security office and pick out some cameras.”
Oh, that was such a tempting offer. But she was trying to be good. Which meant doing as her boss told her, no matter how wrong that boss might be. “Not without Dougal’s permission.”
“Strange, I didn’t have you pegged as a woman who liked to follow the rules.” When she didn’t rise to the bait, he carried on. “How about I take responsibility for the cameras? We can tell Dougal it was a strong recommendation from your security consultant.”
That wicked panty-melting smile of his was back, and she definitely wasn’t immune to it. Not even a little.
“Well, he did say we should work together to get this done.”
“He wouldn’t call in a security specialist and not expect them to do their job.”
Honestly, the man was the embodiment of temptation. A sensual devil coaxing her into sin.
“There’s no need for him to know about the cameras,” Logan said. “As soon as we find the thief, we’ll remove them. What do you say, Agnes, do you want to live a little dangerously?”
Oh, he had no idea how much. “Okay, I’ll meet you when I’m finished for the day. It won’t be until late. I have guests coming in mid-evening and no receptionist to greet them, so I’m covering.”
“I’ll be in the office behind the shop, come when you’re ready.” Logan pushed away from the doorjamb and headed down the corridor toward the main entrance. But before he disappeared, he glanced over his shoulder and called to her, “Wear something pretty.”
Arrogant sod. “This is not a date,” she shouted after him.
All she heard was a deep chuckle that vibrated right through her. With a huff and a strange dancing sensation in her stomach, she turned to her office, only to find Dougal’s dog peeing on the leg of her desk.
Chapter 3
Against her better judgment, Agnes found herself walking up the high street to the security shop as soon as she’d settled her last two guests for the night. She was tired. Her feet hurt. And she’d had to deal with another complaint of missing jewelry, this time from a very whiny woman who wanted instant compensation for the item. Agnes had forced a smile, replying in a polite and professional manner—exactly as she’d been trained. Each word had stuck in her throat, reminding her that there were days when she just hated people in general.
The sky loomed black overhead, heavy with dark clouds that threatened snow. A chill wind rushed up the high street from the loch, and even though she wore several layers under her padded coat, Agnes still imagined she felt the wind go right through her. Tugging her woolen hat down over her ears, she wondered again why she was making this trip. It wasn’t like Dougal was going to thank her for the initiative anyway. And she was self-aware enough to know she should probably have kept her current mood away from the public. She wasn’t exactly a bundle of seasonal cheer. But still, she carried on, dragging her feet toward the Benson Security shop.
Despite her morose mood, she had to admit the town had done a half-decent job of decorating for Christmas. Large red tartan bows adorned lampposts, while twinkling lights zigzagged between them, back and forth over the cobblestoned street. Their colored lights bounced off the facing rows of whitewashed buildings, old houses renovated to turn them int
o shops.
