"So I'm not ruined," said Lavinia. "The cash and IOUs here should be enough to pay off those back taxes and start getting my estate back in order. But it'll be a rough year. Hopefully my aunt and uncle will be able to offer some aid; I have the Jade Ravens traveling to Cauldron to entreat them as we speak."
"We still get paid, yes?" demanded Snickers.
"Yes, of course," Lavinia said. "Your service has once again been excellent. I suppose since we're in the vault already, I can offer each of you 20 platinum pieces right now." Snickers was already digging in a chest counting coins before she finished her sentence.
"But what happened to the rest of the treasure?" I asked. "Did your parents spend it all and not say anything?"
Lavinia shook her head. "That's not like them. I can only think it must have been stolen. But no one else had access to the vault."
"Maybe they used magic to get in," said Kala. "If they were working with a teleportation spell, it would explain why they left some of the treasure—the spell might not have allowed them to carry it all."
"This whole floor is warded against teleportation for exactly that reason," Lavinia responded.
"You said before that your mother lost her signet ring," I said slowly. "What if someone found it?"
Her eyes widened. "Of course," she said, drawing a sharp breath. "They could walk right in!"
"And it explains why there's still some left! If they only took a little at a time, they could come and go without raising suspicion," said Liona.
"But then there should be a record," I continued. "The clerk at the desk wrote our names down when we came in. So if they came in through the front door..."
"...Then their name should be written down, too! Brilliant!" Liona finished. "Let's head up now and ask!"
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