The first clip came from the restaurant camera on checkout morning. Her husband sat alone at their table for four minutes while she walked the dog. He opened her handbag, removed a small velvet pouch, and slipped it into his jacket. The ring had never been on the nightstand. The second clip was from 5:52 a.m. in the lobby. The woman entered alone, without the dog, and handed Desmond a sealed envelope with my name misspelled.

That was what she left for me. I wanted to scream because she already knew. She had known for hours, while I had spent the night crying as my girls slept. Inside was a handwritten letter and an insurance claim. She had found the ring in her husband’s suitcase, along with his $7,500 claim accusing a housekeeper of stealing it. Celeste admitted she had been cruel because blaming a stranger was easier than suspecting him.