I have heist story I like. I sold a similar story. As written the thief gets away clean. I'm having second thoughts. I'm thinking I should have him get caught or create justification, such as the victim had it coming.
Thoughts?
I also think that a bittersweet ending like this can work. However, I agree with Prophecies’ comment about making the thief likable: I believe it would be better for the readership. It’s just that, well, most (I think) people read for escapism. They would sympathize with, say, a charming, affable rogue who steals priceless jewels from aristocrats (such as Chesterton’s Flambeau, pre-redemption, or Leighton from Jacques Futrelle’s “The Missing Necklace”). They wouldn’t be glad to see, for example, a low-rank corrupt official deprive a working-class family of their apartment and get away with it.
In one of the stories I’ve sold, too, there is an elaborate con that goes on uninterrupted in the end, because the only outsider who is aware of it firmly decides to keep his mouth shut. (For some reason,
everyone except for me thinks it’s a comedy). But the conmen are sympathetic (at various levels) and honestly think their little bit of fraud is a necessary small evil to let everybody (their victims included) win.