Chapter 52

"Tony, you really need to think this through. We haven't met before, and honestly, we don't have much of a relationship. But I can't ignore the bond between you and Alan. I'm just trying to help you out here."

Tony thanked me but didn't seem moved.

"Let me ask you again, I promised to help you with the Sand Village demolition case, so why didn't you reach out to me?"

Tony replied, "It's been a long time, I didn't have much hope, and... you can't blame Zack for this. Don't listen to what Anna told you. When I got into trouble, I didn't even know her."

Tony gave a bitter smile, but from that point on, I didn't want to believe a single word.

"So you're saying, after you got into trouble, Zack stopped coming home, and you two basically lost contact?" I followed his line of thought.

"My mom only has two kids. Even though we're not biological brothers, we naturally have feelings for each other," Tony said with a bitter smile. "How could real brothers not stay in touch? We call each other during holidays, but other than that, there's nothing. Otherwise, Anna would make a fuss."

It was another lie. The breakfast stall owner clearly said that George and Tammy later adopted another child.

What was he hiding? But here, I didn't plan to expose him.

I took out the copies of Zack and Tony's insurance policies from my bag and pushed them in front of him without saying a word.

In his previous words, he seemed to be talking about how good the relationship between the two brothers was, but in reality, he was trying to push Zack away and draw all the attention to himself.

From Tony's perspective, if the Sand Village demolition brawl case and the Entertainment Club case were linked together, then Zack seemed to be the most important person hidden from my attention.

"I'm not lying to you... Mrs. Smith."

Tony took out his phone and showed a photo of a hospital test report, lymphoma, and test date of April 2020. It had been four years until now.

He had cancer?

"After the incident in 2019, I didn't answer any of Zack's calls. If I said I wasn't angry or resentful, that would be a lie. He didn't dare to come into the village; the villagers wouldn't let him off. Even though he got me a large compensation, as a man, no amount of money can compensate for the most basic dignity. But... when I went to the hospital for a check-up, I found out about this, late-stage cancer; even going abroad wouldn't give me much hope."

Tony put away his phone and picked up the insurance policy copies, looking at them and said, "That night, I didn't sleep at all. Early in the morning, I called Zack and said we shouldn't treat it; living in pain is worse than living a few more years. My mom only has two sons; the older one can't come home, and the younger one is useless, so let's buy insurance for our mom. When I'm gone, she can use the money to live without hardship. Toby knows about this too."

This was the first time tonight he mentioned Alan on his own.

"What did he say? Do you guys stay in touch?" I asked lightly. Alan never mentioned them to me.

"Mrs. Smith, don't be angry. Toby probably never told you about his childhood, don't blame him." Tony sighed deeply and continued, "After Toby got married, we rarely contacted him. Even before you got married, Toby came to Sand Village and invited us to the wedding. We didn't go. He had a new life, and the past days were better left unremembered. So, we chose not to disturb him."

"His four close friends from college came," I mentioned casually.

Tony was stunned for a moment and responded, "Toby mentioned them. Zack is familiar with them since they came from the same orphanage. I don't know them."

When I mentioned Laura earlier, his expression wasn't as calm as it is now.

"Yeah, there's an age gap between you two," I said, trying to keep the conversation going. "Tell me about Alan. He wanted to stay in Sand Village after graduation, but I stopped him. Now that I think about it, I might've ruined your reunion."

Talking about Alan, Tony's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but smile. "Mrs. Smith, you did the right thing. Sand Village is dirty and poor. Why would he want to live there? When he first started working after graduation, he called and said he couldn't find a place to stay. I told him to stay upstairs at my place. The next morning, he rushed down and said he had to move out. I asked why, and Toby, a bit embarrassed, said you told him to move out, or you'd come to Sand Village to deal with him."

Tony chuckled. "Haha, Toby is usually gentle and quiet. It was the first time I saw him act so efficiently. In less than half an hour, he packed everything and ran out the door with big bags. My mom told him to have breakfast before leaving, but he said no. It was the first time I saw him so scared. I wondered what kind of fierce girlfriend he had, and it turned out I didn't meet you until ten years later."

I couldn't help but smile too. Tony's vivid description made it seem like Alan's awkwardness happened just yesterday.

I apologized slightly, "Sorry, if I had known he had such good friends in Sand Village, I wouldn't have rushed him over. But that noon, when he was sweating and running downstairs at my place, it was indeed funny."

Tony's eyes were full of smiles, and he waved his hand repeatedly. "Mrs. Smith, no need for polite words. A top university graduate living in Sand Village-does that make any sense? If he didn't leave, I would have had to charge him rent!"

Talking about Alan, Tony couldn't stop. "Toby is really a good person. In my heart, he's like my real brother. You know, it's not easy for a teenager to live in Sand Village. The village thugs bullied him because he had no parents. Later, my dad found out and let Toby move next door to us, and he finally settled down."

"Toby is eight years older than me. My most vivid memory from childhood is him studying late at night in the hot summer and cold winter. He was afraid of the cold, wrapped in a blanket studying. When he saw me, he would hold me and teach me to read. He was actually my first teacher. He lived on school scholarships without money, but still took me to the store to buy snacks. The rest of the money was spent on books. He read to me, and I learned from him... Unfortunately, I'm not as smart as Toby."

"Like a father, like a brother," I said lightly.

Tony was immersed in his memories and didn't notice the subtle change in my expression. "Yes, like a father, like a brother. It feels like he's still with us, doesn't it?"

"Yes." I sighed, not wanting to listen to his memories any longer. "Your answer is perfect. I believe you wrote Ms. Martinez and Lally's testimonies. But with such deep feelings, when your closest loved one dies, there's no trace of sadness on your face."

"If it's heartless, then you and Lally wouldn't talk so much about him. But if there's another hidden truth?" I gently turned the coffee cup in my hand and said lightly, "Tony, my patience is limited. Tell me. Do you know anything about the orphanage and Tom? This is the last time I'm helping you. Don't make me investigate. If I find out anything, and discover you are involved in the case, I won't hesitate for a second."

Tony was silent for a moment, then said sadly, "Mrs. Smith, I've come to terms with life and death. I'm very sorry about Toby's death, but I'll soon join him, won't I?"

What about Lally and Tammy? Such a powerless explanation!

"Do you still have contact with Lally?" I suddenly asked.

Tony looked up sharply, seemingly realizing something, and slowly shook his head.

"Lally is missing."

Tony's face changed dramatically!