Swamped

Well, the easiest way is to look for money that won't be missed. You head to the front, and quickly check the cushions. Nobody's around to stop you.

You find a few coins. Probably not enough.

More interestingly, you also find a page torn out of a book. You don't recognize the language, but the format makes you think of a recipe.

You wonder if this has anything to do with the thief you spotted earlier. This is actually taken from a book, though - it's not a separate sheet. It still might be related, but it wouldn't be the page that was actually stolen.

But you can't really look into it right now. There's one last chair. You lift up the cushion, and find five more coins - that's more likely to pay your way. If not, maybe you can bargain for the rest somehow.

You scoop up the coins, and then you realize there's something else there.