“She changed the suite numbers the day before she took the rings,” I said.

Tuesday morning I drove to the Lakeview Hotel.

The historic brick building sat at the edge of the water in Newport, surrounded by perfectly kept green lawns.

The lobby smelled strongly of ocean salt and expensive perfume.

I walked across the patterned carpet to the dark mahogany front desk.

The wall behind it held rows of heavy brass room keys hanging on numbered wooden hooks.

Thomas Gable stepped out of the back office.