Chapter 10 - The Hidden Ledger
Richard's eyes narrowed. "Sarah never hired Julian Vance for anything. She hated him."
"We know that, and you know that," Miller said grimly. "But in a court of law, we need paper trails. Vance's lawyers are producing signed receipts bearing Sarah's signature from four years ago. If they can prove she had a business relationship with him, it creates reasonable doubt about his motive for her murder."
Richard stood up from his desk, walking over to the high bay window that overlooked the estate's rear gardens.
Down on the lawn, Leo was playing with Elena, tossing a small red ball back and forth in the crisp morning air. The boy was laughing—a sweet, clear sound that carried through the glass.
"She kept a diary," Richard said quietly, his back turned to the detective.
Miller raised an eyebrow. "Sarah?"
"Yes," Richard turned around. "Sarah kept a small leather ledger where she recorded every financial transaction she made outside the family trust. She called it her 'quiet ledger.' She was paranoid about corporate espionage after her father died."
"Where is it?" Miller asked, standing up from his chair. "We searched the master bedroom and the vault during the initial investigation and didn't find anything matching that description."
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Richard walked over to the dark walnut bookshelf on the west wall. He reached out and pulled three volumes of encyclopedias forward, exposing a small, recessed brass keyhole built into the wood paneling behind them.
"She didn't keep it in the vault," Richard revealed, pulling a small silver key from his pocket—the same key Leo had been accused of taking on the night Victoria was arrested. "She kept it here."
