Thursday morning when shops have just begun opening throughout the city, Alton and Cook meet outside the Permanent Savings Bank of Two Rivers. The building is tall, with thick marble columns lining the porch. Alton spots a familiar ratkin among the clients in line, and surreptitiously points her out to Cook. It’s the only savings and loan bank within the city, and is run by necropolitans with a headquarters in Contingency.
They watch from outside as Helen Emerald makes a withdrawal from an account inside. As she brushes past them on her way out, they notice her eat a louse from her fur. Alton is disgusted. Cook doesn’t think that’s normal for ratkin, and marks it in his notebook for further study. He suspects a thrall.
Pressed for time, they choose not to pursue the ratkin at this time. Instead they head inside, and find a banker to speak to. A little construct leads them into an office in the back to meet with a banker named Richard Wolf, so says the sign on the door.
The banker is a pristinely preserved necropolitan, whose only evidence of his state of unlife is a dark stain of bruising around his neck. His eyes are clear, his skin warm with a semblance of life, and his thick and healthy hair brushed neatly.
Alton and Cook introduce themselves as detectives for the Two Rivers police. Cook notices immediately that the banker doesn’t ask what they need, and simply introduces himself. He decides to just jump right in without preamble.
“We’re looking into a person’s background, and would like to check their credit background. What can you do to help?”
“What is their name?” Wolf stands, and leads the detectives through the hallway to a room with floor to ceiling filing cabinets. Alton gives Cook a sideways glance.
“Marion Durandal,” Cook answers, providing no other detail.
“Durandal, Marion,” the banker mutters, heading directly to the correct cabinet and pulling a file. “Yes, Miss Durandal does have two accounts with us. I can’t say to her status elsewhere.”
“May we see the file?” Cook asks, politely.
“You are police?” Wolf squints as Alton displays her badge. “Certainly.” He hands Cook the folder and waits expectantly.
“May I take this to our documents examiner?” Cook asks, barely hoping.
“Oh no, of course not,” the banker is quick to correct him, “we have a reading area, but the files may not leave the building. There is an alarm spell.”
“Can you show us to the reading area?” Cook keeps a straight face while Alton signals her disbelief from behind the banker’s back.
“Certainly!” Wolf responds with his favorite word. “Please note that inside the room you will not be able to write. It is only a mild area geas to prevent edits to our documents, and is only in effect in that room.” They head to a small glass-windowed room connected to the records room. Wolf sits politely on a stool just outside. Inside the room, the detectives note that soundproofing spells protect their spoken privacy, but the furniture is arranged that records on the table are always in view of the banker outside.
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Cook stealthily tests the writing geas in his notebook, and finds that each attempt leaves the pencil simply unable to touch the paper. It’s well crafted, with no adverse effect. He’s impressed.
“What’s his deal?” Alton grumbles, aware that the banker can see her, she keeps her expression as bland as she’s able while hiding frustration.
“Zero common sense?” Cook suggests with a tiny shrug.
He pulls open the folder to find it meticulously organized. The first page is a summary of accounts. The following pages include a transactional log of credit and debits to accounts. At the very back of the stack of papers are two envelopes stuffed with legal agreements. Each is labeled in thick bold text, “Loan Application: Durandal, Marion” and an amount.
“What’s a kid without a home of her own or a job doing taking out multiple loans?” Cook asks, passing one of the envelopes to Alton while opening the other for himself.
“This one says it’s a student loan for attending Sacred Dark.” Alton leafs through the pages slowly.
“Wasn’t she supposed to be applying for City College? I thought she was a secular student. Was she even accepted to Sacred Dark?” Cook finds the purpose statement on the pack he holds. “This one is a for buying... huh, apparently it’s for her coffin.”
“How much do those things cost anyway?” Alton peers over Cook’s shoulder.
“Apparently they charge extra for something that opens easily from within.” Cook wonders why he never thought about that aspect of actually returning from a grave. “Would someone take out a loan for a coffin they don’t intend to walk right out of? Would someone do so for a coffin with extra features they don’t plan to use?”
“This does seem to point toward her having a change of heart and actually planning for undeath.” Alton flips through additional pages. “Is there anything in there about how she plans to pay back these loans?”
“Not here.” Cook stuffs the loan agreement back in its envelope. He begins flipping through the rest of the papers. “I’m seeing lots of withdrawals, and it looks like both loans have a delayed repayment structure.”
“That does make sense,” Alton suggests, “she’s without a job. Maybe she expected Bellemare to hire her? Could that have been her real reason for deciding to turn vampire? How desperate was she financially?”
“That’ll be something to ask her friends.” Cook taps the ledger. “But from here, the only accounts increasing are her debts.”
“Probably a poor long term plan unless she has prospects further in the future than we expect.” Alton expects something quite far in the future. She is an elf, after all.
“Digging a hole she can’t climb out of isn’t a good plan for someone not even accepted to a school yet.” Cook keeps looking at journal entries.
And he finds one that catches his eye.
“Look here,” he points at the tidy text, “this is particularly odd.”
Alton leans over to study the line. It catches her eye as well: the transaction details list none other than their ratkin friend, Helen Emerald.
“Now that’s a coincidence.” Alton sounds surprised. “Or is it? We know that they’re both connected to Bellemare. Could they have been friends?”
“Something to ask when we interview her.” Cook pauses. “Assuming we get that chance. If she’s seen us here Adrien may already know that we’re investigating Marion for more than just her own cessation.”
“You have a point. If he is a vampire master, then he may already be on the move to clean up evidence. We’ll need to work fast.” Alton puts away the loan documents, and hands the packet to Cook.
Cook puts the papers back in order before they leave the room. Wolf is still waiting for them on the other side of the glass. He doesn’t ask what they needed from the documents, but he does ask that they sign a slip glued to the back of the folder to mark it returned. Both detectives do so, with the beginning of an idea of how an unemployed and technically homeless individual was able to take out two large unsecured loans within a week.
They’re met by a runner on the steps outside who urges them to hurry back to the station.