When they reached the bank, she stroked his arm while he introduced her to Larteo, the man in charge of the Palace Square Bank. When they entered Velario’s office, she sat on the arm of his chair and draped her upper body over him in order to look over his shoulder at the various banknotes he needed sorted between real and fake.
“We are alone,” he growled.
It must have been such a strain for him to maintain his pleasant facade throughout the introductions. He vibrated with tension.
Reyn positioned her mouth so that her breath stirred the hairs over his ear when she spoke. “You want the only rumors coming out of the bank to be about our courtship, don’t you? Then we can’t afford to let the act slip. Only performing when you know there are watchers is the fastest way to get caught.”
He went so still when she spoke, she could almost believe he had turned to stone. All his lovely muscles stood out, giving him an air of strength that he usually downplayed with his carefully tailored suits. Reyn leaned into him a little more.
Well, that wouldn’t do. She was supposed to drive him mad, not get caught in her own trap. “The top one is real. This will go faster if you spread the banknotes out across your desk.”
“Yes, let’s make this as fast as possible.”
Careful to maintain the strict organization of the collection of banknotes, Velario fanned them out over his desk.
“There.” Reyn rested a hand on Velario’s shoulder to support herself, leaned over, and pointed. “The counterfeits start here.”
Velario continued to lay the notes out on his desk. “How many?”
“Three fake, then two more real, another fake, another real, and then four more counterfeits. After that, they are all genuine.”
Velario inspected the scrap of paper that had been bundled with this batch of banknotes and counted. “Five hells. That’s two different locations on opposite sides of Tryn.”
“Why are they all mixed together, then?”
“We rarely keep deposits separated once they reach this bank. If anyone noticed Larteo dividing them by origin, they’d start to wonder. The only reason to do that is if you suspect something bad is happening. It is less likely to draw attention if he bundles them as normal—though being careful not to mix them—and then writes down the counts of how many came from where.”
“I take it doing this in private would also attract attention?”
“If Larteo did, yes. He’s made it a habit to handle money while others are nearby over the years to ensure he isn’t accused of doing anything he shouldn’t. Luckily, I’m new enough in my position that I can start new habits like inspecting deposits personally without it raising too many questions.”
“What reason could you have—besides the real one—to want to inspect the deposits?”
Velario turned to look at Reyn for the first time since they sat down. Because she was still hanging off him, this put their faces perilously close. She refused to jerk back. A small part of her, that feminine spark that had blossomed when she first left Moial, wanted to lean closer and press her lips against his.
“Do you realize how much money this is, Reyn? This is a single sample, pulled at random. If people think no one is looking, the temptation to misplace a note or two, to make a mistake in a ledger, is high. Even when they know there is oversight, dishonesty is always a risk.”
Reyn eased back, no part of her interested in such closeness with Velario any longer. He didn’t have to sound like he was scolding a child. She knew nothing of banking, or what Velario’s job really entailed. He could have told her he was checking the books without condescending. She stood up. “Where is our next stop?”
“We need to make it look like we are courting, so we had best go to Decca Street next. We can stop at one of the confectioneries that are in the area.”
