Elyon closed the door as he returned to the room and began to inspect the nearby plant. The potted flora resembled a cactus from Earth, growing in a large ceramic pot. He grabbed a handful of the soil – it was quite moist, as if it had recently been watered.
"Father, I can finish cleaning up myself. My friends should return to the party," Annie told Councillor Carter.
"One moment, Miss Annie. Your two companions have been with you all day, haven't they?" Elyon inquired as he dropped the soil.
"What are you implying? My friends have been with me since three o'clock. Are you questioning their integrity?" Annie replied, a hint of anger in her voice.
"No, since they have been with you all day, they can be eliminated as suspects. Miss Annie, please go and check for any missing valuables. Your companions may also leave the room. On your way out, could you please send the guards Fink and Gal up here?"
After positioning a chair in front of the wooden door, Elyon examined the wooden ceiling. He found a small hole near the door and another hole about a yard away, with no other damage to be seen.
"Annie, did you lose anything?" Councillor Carter asked.
After organizing the scattered jewels, Annie replied, fighting back tears, "Father, the ruby necklace you gifted me for my coming-of-age is gone."
Councillor Carter seemed taken aback before consoling her, "Although it was quite valuable, we'll give you another one for your birthday next year."
"Only the ruby necklace is missing? Did you lose any other jewelry or cash?"
"No. Are you hoping I lost more, Mr. Elyon?"
"Not at all, ma'am. Would you mind if I conducted a thorough search of your room?"
"Hmph, suit yourself."
Elyon meticulously searched every corner of the room, including the water tank of the toilet, but found no valuable leads.
When he returned to the main room, the two guards were waiting at the door.
"Miss Annie, may I ask you a few questions before you return to the party?" Elyon settled into a chair and began his questioning.
"What do you want to know?" Annie replied, clearly impatient.
"What time did you return to this room, what did you do, and then what time did you leave?"
"About six-fifty, I suppose. My companions and I felt tired, so we returned here to change into regular clothes and asked our personal maid to bring us some juice and ice because you know how hot it is in the summer. The tray with the small hammer was for breaking ice to add to the juice. After she brought the juice, we sent her back to the front hall to attend to the guests. We rested here for about half an hour before returning to the party."
"So you returned to the room around seven, and after a while, the maid went to the kitchen and cellar to bring back juice and ice. She left the mansion before seven-ten, and you all rested until about seven-thirty and then returned to the party, correct?"
"More or less, although there's a clock here, we didn't pay close attention to the time."
"Thank you. You may return to the party." Elyon concluded.
"Fink and Gal, please come in."
The two guards entered, looking slightly uneasy and tense.
"Sir, have we lost anything?" the taller Fink inquired.
"We're still checking. Don't be so nervous. Now, answer my questions," Elyon instructed.
"Of course, sir. We'll tell you everything we know."
"How long have you been working here? How did you come to work for Councillor Carter?"
"I've been here for eight years. My wife's distant relative is from the same village as I am, which led to my introduction to serve Mr. Carter," Fink, the taller one, answered.
"I've been working here for over ten years. My father used to be a subordinate of Councillor Carter in the military, and I was placed here through my father's connections," the shorter and plumper Gal replied.
Elyon glanced at Councillor Carter, who nodded his head in confirmation.
"Did other guests enter the mansion today besides Annie's companions, who arrived at around two or three in the afternoon?"
"They came after lunch, and no other guests entered the mansion today."
"You're sure about that?"
"Sir, we were tasked with preventing any overly drunk guests from wandering into the residential area or accidentally sleeping in the courtyard garden."
"Good. If Annie and her companions returned around seven, was anyone else present during that time?"
"Well, we had been on duty for half the day, and we were sitting on the stone benches by the courtyard passage when the young lady returned. She even asked us the time—around six-fifty-five. About three minutes later, the young lady's personal maid came with a tray carrying drinks and ice to the mansion and soon after went back to the front hall. About half an hour later, the young ladies came out, with the young lady now dressed in her everyday attire."
"When were you informed by the patrol team that there might be a thief?"
"About eight-ten, I think. Gal and I discussed it, and I decided to inform you first while he continued to watch the backyard. I met the young lady at the front hall entrance and informed her there might have been a theft. She asked me to take her and her companions back to the room to check and then report back to you, Councillor."
"You went into the room with them? What was the scene like?"
"When the young lady opened the room door and lit the gas lamps, it was a mess everywhere, with clothes from the wardrobe scattered about and jewelry on the floor leading to the balcony doors, which had a large hole in the glass."
"Didn't you search the scene?"
"The young lady said she wanted to handle it herself and asked me to inform you in the front hall."
"Mr. Gal, did you notice anyone fleeing the backyard during this time?"
"No, I didn't."
"Alright, I have some idea now. Could you two please call the patrol team and the young lady's maid here?"
"Sure, sir. We hope you catch the thief soon."
Gal and Fink left, and after about two minutes, a dark-haired young woman in a maid's uniform entered.
"Good evening, sir. I am Yula, the young lady's personal maid."
"Good evening, Miss Yula. I have some questions for you."
"Sure, sir."
"Did Miss Annie ask you to get juice and ice this afternoon when she returned to the room?"
"Yes, she said she was tired and wanted to change into regular clothes and rest. She asked me to get a bottle of juice from the kitchen and a block of ice."
"Are these the items?" Elyon pointed to the tray on the round table with a half-drunk bottle of juice.
"Yes."
"How much ice did the young lady ask for, and she also asked you to bring the silver hammer?"
"About two pounds. She said it was hot and wanted iced drinks. I fetched a two-pound block from the cellar, where we have half-pound, one-pound, and two-pound blocks. The silver hammer is specifically for breaking ice."
"How long did you stay?"
"After I brought her the ice and drinks, she told me to go back to the front hall to help serve the guests."
"Has the young lady purchased any large items recently, like picture frames or paintings?"
"Last week, the young lady brought back a picture frame. It's hanging over there, she said she would take a photo to put in it later," the maid explained, pointing to a large wooden frame on the wall beside the wardrobe.