Velario put down the banknote he had been inspecting. No doubt about it, Enzi had found counterfeits. But how had they gone from High Street to Dewra to Persdale so quickly? He had never found them spread across such a wide area before.
“I have been doing my job, Sablon. It is not my place to inspect every note that comes through the banks. Now that I am aware of the problem, have no doubt I will track down the origin of these counterfeits.”
“It is your job to see to it that the bank does not fail. To make sure that the Elector Families’ investments are safeguarded, and the kingdom’s economy is growing. If you can’t even notice counterfeiting that has spread throughout the city, then how can I believe you are giving any of the bank’s concerns proper oversight?”
“The issue has now been brought to my attention. I will not take the blame for sabotage aimed at destabilizing the economy, but I will do my part in addressing the issue and limiting the effects. You can judge me after you have seen how I tackle the problem, and not until then.”
“Don’t think that I won’t. If you don’t fix the problem soon, Iwillbring this to the attention of the Cabinet, Ferrini.”
“If I can’t solve the problem soon, I will bring it to the Cabinet and Assembly myself. Now, if you’ll pardon me, I have work to see to.” Velario held up the banknotes Enzi had brought.
The Sablon heir grumbled a bit more about Velario’s incompetence and left. Once the door shut, Velario threw the banknotes down on the desk.
“Five hells!” He looked at the proof that he was out of time. If Enzi had found counterfeit money in so many places, there was no containing the spread of rumors. Someone else had undoubtedly made the same discovery and rather than confront Velario, they were probably telling their friends about the trouble the bank was in.
When a knock interrupted his brooding, Velario didn’t bother to hide his mood. He shouted through the closed door. “What do you want?”
The door opened a crack, and a blond head peeked in. “Is it a bad time?”
“Reyn!” Velario stood up and moved around his desk. “Come in. Now is a wonderful time for you to visit.”
She slipped into the room, but stood with her back to the door, regarding Velario. Her head cocked to the side. “What’s wrong?”
Velario shrugged. “What isn’t wrong? The counterfeiter is framing my Family, rumors are going to get out any day now and ruin people’s confidence in the banks, and Enzi is threatening me.”
Reyn stepped forward and rested her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. I wish I could help more.”
Velario put his own hand over hers, gladder than he cared to admit that he could touch her like this without fear of her pulling away. Even if she thought it was part of their ploy, in case someone else barged into his office, he’d take it. “You’ve done plenty. It’s time I admit that the problem is not something I can solve in secret, though.”
Reyn murmured sympathetically. Then she glanced over at his desk. “Why are you giving up now? It looks like you’ve finally gotten close to the origin of the counterfeits.”
Velario glanced over at the banknotes Enzi had thrown at him. “What do you mean?”
“Those notes were cut from the same sheet. They’ve barely been handled, and they haven’t gotten separated. Surely wherever they came from was only a step or two removed from the counterfeiter.”
Reyn walked over to the desk and held up two of the banknotes, aligning the edges to show how perfectly they matched.
She was right about how little handling they had received. He should have noticed that. Velario went back around his desk and pulled out the loupe he kept in the top left drawer. “They’re all from the same sheet?”
Reyn placed the two notes she held down in front of him, adding a third below them. “These three are one sheet, and these three another.”
She lined up the other banknotes in the correct order.
Velario looked at them under the magnifying lens. He didn’t doubt her, but he wanted to see it for himself. Because that meant Enzi had lied.
