Irish's thoughts became clear as she realized that Joseph had no involvement in her father's death.
She proceeded to enter William's study, which was relatively smaller in size compared to Henry's study. Inside, she noticed a collection of refined coffee cases and various ingredients prepared by Kelly, but they had not been taken away.
Irish recognized the material of the coffee table, which appeared to be quite valuable, possibly worth around $500,000. She speculated that William might have wanted to take it with him.
As she observed William's collection of books, she noticed that most of them were old, and some were even damaged. Irish was unaware that William possessed a wealth of knowledge and talent, particularly in geography and history.
However, upon flipping through the books, she didn't find anything particularly noteworthy. Irish wondered what else William could have come to retrieve from the study.
At the top corner of the study, a row of books caught Irish's attention. As she examined them closely, she realized they were Chinese medicine books. One of the books stood out—a thick volume that appeared relatively new, but the wear on the spine suggested it had been frequently used and referenced.
Curiosity piqued, and Irish decided to take a closer look at the book. To her surprise, she discovered that it contained information about various plants and their medicinal properties, as well as details about their culinary uses.
As Irish continued flipping through the book, she noticed that a few pages had been folded up. Intrigued, she opened them and discovered that they contained information about certain plants that could be used to enhance flavors and stimulate gastrointestinal absorption.
Chinese medicine has always been broad and profound; not expecting William to study these things.
There was nothing to find.
Irish couldn't quite comprehend the reason behind William's act of folding those specific pages. Moreover, she couldn't understand why those plants were being highlighted for their flavor-enhancing properties, as they were not particularly novel or uncommon. The purpose and significance behind these choices remained unclear to her.
She turned two more pages.
A picture slipped out from inside the book and fell to the ground.
Irish set the book aside and picked up the photo. It was an old picture, its edges tinged with a yellowish hue, indicating its age.
But it really startled Irish.
The photo depicted two young men, their youthful faces frozen in time.
Laughing happily.
She knew.
One of the young men in the photo was undoubtedly her father, Henry Lake, while the other was William.
However, what caught Irish's attention was the presence of a red cross drawn with a pen across her father's face!
The deep and forceful strokes of the red cross suggested that the person who defaced the photo held strong animosity towards her father.
As Irish continued to examine the image, a sudden chill ran down her spine, making her feel an overwhelming sense of unease.
A knock at the door interrupted Irish's thoughts.
Startled, she quickly gathered and tucked away the photos. It was the housekeeper who entered and asked respectfully, "Miss Irish, would you like to have your meal here?"
"No," she replied shortly.
The housekeeper nodded in understanding, about to leave, but Irish stopped him before he could depart.
"Who typically uses this study?" Irish inquired.
The housekeeper responded, "This is Mr. William Lake's study. Occasionally, his wife also comes in to make coffee."
"What about the others?" Irish asked further.
The housekeeper smiled and replied, "Each member of the family has their own designated study. They rarely venture into each other's spaces."
Irish pondered over this information, deep in thought.
"Anything wrong?" The housekeeper was curious.
Irish gently said, "Well, nothing."
However, the housekeeper appeared slightly uneasy and observed Irish carefully. Sensing the housekeeper's discomfort, Irish decided to inquire casually, "How was my father's appetite?"
Irish contemplated the possibility that William might have been interested in reading books related to her father's condition. She wondered if there was a connection between the book she had found in William's study and her father's health issues.
The housekeeper pondered for a moment before responding, "His appetite was generally fine, but he did mention feeling a lack of taste in his meals before. Mr. Lake tried various methods to address that."
Irish pointed to the book on the shelf and asked, "Is that book related to that issue?"
The housekeeper approached, took a look at the book, and shook his head gently. "I'm not sure," he replied.
Irish furrowed her brow and asked, "How did William try to help my father with his appetite?"
The housekeeper responded with a smile, "When Mr. Henry had a poor appetite, Mr. William would personally cook meals for him. And it seemed to have improved his appetite."
Irish was nervous.
"Indeed, despite their frequent quarrels, Mr. William was genuinely concerned about Mr. Henry's well-being. When Mr. Henry's health was not in good condition, Mr. William's anxiety surpassed that of anyone else. After all, blood is thicker than water," the housekeeper shared.
However, Irish's mind drifted away, and she didn't pay attention to the housekeeper's continued chatter. Eventually, she left the old house and sat in her car for a while, lost in her thoughts. As she started the car, she realized she had been driving without a clear destination in mind. Suddenly, she snapped back to reality, only to realize she didn't know where she was heading.
Irish decided to park the car on the side of the road, taking a moment to survey her surroundings. After some consideration, she changed her mind and decided to drive in a different direction when she restarted the car.
Irish retrieved the picture from her bag, holding it in her hands once again.
The bright red fork was unusually glaring.
It reminded Irish of the words said by the housekeeper. After considering it for a while, Irish gave a call to Jay.
The phone was connected soon. "Jay, I found something weird..." Irish came straight to the point.
"It is not convenient to talk," Jay interrupted her.
Shocked, Irish stopped.
"I will call you later," added Jay.
"Okay," replied Irish briefly and then hung up the phone.
As she tightly clenched the photo in her hands, Irish couldn't shake the feeling that the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Henry and Ruby had been oversimplified. Deep down, she sensed that there might be more to the story than what she had been led to believe.
Jay put down his cell phone and then looked back.
William and Kelly were sitting on the couch with Lilith, who was eating the cheesecake that Kelly brought for her. William was worried that Lilith had no money and insisted on giving his beloved daughter a bank card. Lilith declined her father's offer and told him that she didn't need the money.
Jay stepped forward and said, "Uncle William, you don't have to worry about her, and I will buy whatever she needs."
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