At 3:17 A.M., Police Told Me My Husband Was Dead—But He Was Sleeping Beside Me

Because his entire scheme depended on controlling identity.

And I was the person most capable of recognizing him.

Or so I thought.

PART 16 — THE BODY

The medical examiner confirmed the dead man was Nicolai through:

Fingerprint comparison.

Dental records.

Old fracture history.

Prior medical imaging.

The matching appendectomy scar was real.