Chapter 75 Fake Account Books
Heather had been stuck in bed for three days straight. Every evening after work, Rachel would drop by to check on her, share a meal, and chat.
Meanwhile, Gavin had been trying to track down the person who made the anonymous report but hadn't made any headway.
Rachel wasn't too worried that he'd actually find anything, but she still felt a wave of relief every time she heard Heather complain.
On the fourth day, Heather finally got out of bed and left her room. She still looked pale and weak, clearly rattled by the whole ordeal.
Rachel helped her to the couch in the living room, taking the chicken soup a maid had brought over. "Mom, try this."
"It tastes pretty good, quite delicate. Did you buy this?" Heather asked softly after taking a couple of sips.
"I wouldn't dare take the credit. Steven got it just for you."
Heather's smile deepened. "Why not take the credit? You've been busy with work and still come to take care of me every day. Thanks, Rachel."
"I'm just here for the food. It's no trouble at all. But Hestia has been really worried about you. She's lost weight over it. She's been so busy with the Stargaze Gallery that she couldn't find the time to visit."
"Hestia is too honest and kind. Tell her I'm fine and she should focus on her work."
"I'll tell her tomorrow."
As they were talking, the light in the room dimmed significantly.
Heather looked up at the living room light and frowned. "It's getting dark. Why aren't the lights on?"
A maid stepped forward. "Ms. Wilson, there was a short circuit in the main building around four in the afternoon. Floyd has already called someone to fix it. It should be done in about half an hour."
Heather frowned even more.
Has the house's electrical system been this unstable lately?
Just then, Floyd walked briskly through the side building's door, nodding slightly to the two women.
Finally, he spoke directly to Heather. "Ms. Wilson, I heard you came downstairs. Mrs. Martinez asked you to go to the main building."
Heather paused, impatience flickering across her face, but she said gently, "I haven't been feeling well these past few days. Just tell me what Mrs. Martinez needs."
"I'm not sure. Mrs. Martinez asked for you a couple of days ago, but given that you were unwell, she didn't want to disturb you."
Heather's frown deepened.
Despite his respectful words, his tone was clearly firm.
Floyd was Maeve's person, and his attitude represented Maeve's attitude.
She didn't need to guess to know that Maeve was upset about Gavin's constant attention to her and wanted to vent her frustration by calling her over.
It was bound to happen sooner or later. Gavin would be back in less than half an hour.
After weighing her options, she slowly got up and spoke weakly, "In that case, I'll go over."
"Mom, do you want me to come with you?" Rachel stood up as well.
"No need," Heather said gently, sighing. "Do you really think Maeve called me over for something good? Why drag you into it? Just wait for me here."
Rachel watched Heather walk away, her initial worry slowly giving way to a calm determination.
After a couple of minutes, she found an excuse to go upstairs and slipped into Heather's small study, heading straight for the safe.
She crouched down and punched in the code.
The safe clicked open.
Everything was arranged as before. But on the fourth shelf, the project proposal was missing; only an account book was left.
Time was tight. Maeve had said she could only keep Heather occupied for about ten minutes, so Rachel didn't waste time worrying about the missing proposal. She quickly flipped through the account book, snapping photos with her phone.
The account book wasn't very thick, but it still had over twenty pages.
Rachel took clear photos of each page, then put everything back in order. Just as she was about to close the safe door, her phone buzzed with a text message.
The message read: [This account book is new. Heather copied it after checking with the tax department, and half of it has been altered to confuse. The real account book is on the top shelf of the bookcase, in a book cover.]
Rachel froze, her brow furrowing.
Fake?
It was fake.
She walked over to the bookcase, her eyes scanning the top shelf.
It was filled with literature books, and nothing seemed out of place.
The bookcase was six feet seven inches tall. She was looking around for a chair to stand on when her phone buzzed again.
It was a WhatsApp message from Maeve.
[Gavin is back and heading towards the side building with Heather.]
Heather had only been gone for seven or eight minutes.
They were back so soon!
She gritted her teeth and decided to give up for now, stepping out of the study and closing the door quietly. She grabbed her bag from Heather's room and calmly walked downstairs.
Her phone buzzed again with another message.
[The account book for Heather's and Dorothy's and Maya's profit-sharing is in the cabinet on the right side of the desk at Radiant Beauty Spa. The lock is fingerprint-activated. The 20th was their profit-sharing day, but it was postponed because Radiant Beauty Spa is currently closed.]
She paused again, her eyes narrowing.
The profit-sharing account book.
Of course.
Since Heather co-owned the underground business with others, there had to be a profit-sharing account book.
But how to get it?
A fingerprint lock would be tough to bypass without Heather noticing.
Before she could think further, Gavin and Heather appeared in the living room.
Heather looked up at Rachel on the stairs, her soft voice carrying a hint of a smile and a touch of scrutiny. "Rachel, what are you doing standing there?"