Looking out my Backdoor: The Mystery of the Purloined Scarf

The episode began innocently enough. I had walked over to see Carol about something so mundane I don’t even remember. She came out of her door with a stunning pink scarf wrapped around her neck. I commented on the beauty. Scarf and woman — they enhanced one another.

“Do you know to whom this belongs?” Carol asked. (She really said, “Whose is it?” But I’m writing an adventure mystery based on a true story so I’ll tell it my way.)

“I found the scarf after the birthday gathering the other night. I set it out on a table meaning to ask around and forgot about it. John and I leave later today for Ch...