The security room was small and filled with glowing blue computer monitors along the wall.
Arthur Vance typed the administration password quickly into the main desk system.
The police officer leaned over the desk while Victoria stood near the doorway trembling.
Elena stood quietly near the back, holding her swollen cheek with her cold palm.
Arthur clicked on the camera log labeled 'Main Dressing Room' from earlier that morning.
The video feed popped up on the large screen, clear and perfectly sharp in color.
The timestamp showed ten o'clock in the morning, just four hours before the event.
On screen, Victoria could be seen walking into her private dressing room alone.
She checked behind her shoulders to ensure nobody was watching her from the hall.
Then she opened the velvet jewelry box and took out the large diamond necklace.
Instead of putting it on her neck, she slipped it inside a hidden leather coat pocket.
She carefully closed the empty box and left it sitting wide open on her table.
The officer froze the frame right when Victoria slid the shiny necklace inside her coat.
The crowd gathered outside the office door gasped loudly as they watched the screen.
"That is impossible! Someone modified that video file!" Victoria shouted in desperation.
"That is a secure live feed recorded directly to cloud storage," Arthur answered cold-faced.
"Nobody could have edited that clip in four hours, Victoria," Arthur stated firmly.
The officer turned around slowly and faced Victoria with a stern glare on his face.
"Where is that coat right now, Mrs. Montgomery?" the officer asked plainly.
Victoria stumbled over her words and clutched her gold purse tightly to her chest.
"I... I do not have to answer your questions!" Victoria stammered loudly.
The second officer stepped toward Victoria's black silk purse hanging from her arm.
"Ma'am, please open your bag for inspection immediately," the second officer commanded.
Victoria tried to pull away, but the leather bag slipped open during the brief struggle.
A thick bundle of cash and a clear plastic envelope fell onto the floor surface.
Inside the plastic envelope sat the glittering diamond necklace, catching the fluorescent light.
Elena let out a long breath that she had been holding for twenty minutes.
The truth was right there on the floor for every wealthy guest to see clearly.
Victoria had tried to frame her innocent employee just to cover up her own secret.
Elena looked straight into Victoria's eyes, feeling no fear left in her soul.
"Why would you do this to me?" Elena asked softly across the quiet room.