Marion nced up, his eyesnding on a folding chair tucked inside a box. A smirk yed on his lips. "What''s with the chair?" Debra grinned, pulling out the chair and setting it down beside him. "Just a little preparation. I figured I might get tired waiting." She paused and continued, "Do your best."


    Marion chuckled, giving her cheek a gentle pinch. "Alright, I won''t keep your waiting too long."


    He turned his attention to the tile beneath the column, giving it a firm tap. It crumbled, revealing the hollow space beneath.


    Heughed, "Looks like this ce really hasn''t seen repairs in a century."


    "Huh?" Debra leaned in, her eyes widening at the sight of the broken tile. "This tile must be worth a pretty penny."


    "I''ll cover the damage," Marion said, already digging into the dirt bricks next to the column.


    His efforts unearthed a sealed redwood box, its antique appearance hinting at a history spanning a hundred years. "This box is exquisite. Must be worth a fortune."


    "It''s practically an antique."


    Debra''s fingers traced the delicate lock. Her brow furrowed. "I don''t think even Ralph would have the key to this."


    She had never seen her father with such a small key, and judging by the dust on the box, it hadn''t been touched in ages. "Leave it to me," Marion said, taking the box.


    He examined the lock and pulled a thin wire from the ne around his neck, a tool Debra had never noticed before.


    He twisted a little, and the lock clicked open. Debra''s eyes widened in surprise.


    "You can pick locks?"N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    "A little."


    "Then why didn''t you try the lock on the door?"


    "That door lock was tooplex for me. Besides, you had questions to ask Ralph."


    Inside the boxy old ount books, their covers yellowed with age. The handwriting was elegant and masterful,


    "These are the ount books of my family" Debra''s eyes scanned the titles. And there are books from the Potter, Houston, and Osborne families too."


    "It seems your family managed all the books for the four families."


    "But what use are these old books now?"


    Marion was puzzled. While ount books were important, they didn''t seem to need such careful preservation.


    "These books are ancient. They need to be preserved carefully. Let''s take them back for examination."


    "Okay."


    Debra ced the books back in the box, and the two of them headed to the room to investigate further. Debra opened the books, her eyes poring over the entries. They seemed to


    date back to the time when the four families first allied.