Chapter 59

Tom let out a heavy sigh, glanced around, and looked a bit lost.

He grabbed the coffee on the table, downed it in one gulp, steadied himself, and said in a serious tone, "It's done. The suspect's been caught, and we've got witnesses and evidence. Justice is served, and that should be enough to give the victim some peace."

Tom went on, "I know you, but I don't want to think about that night. There was a power outage, and I have claustrophobia. My mental state was all over the place. Why would I want to remember that? As a witness, I've done my duty. My conscience is clear, so Ms. Johnson, stop bothering me! This ends here. I hope you... stop digging!"

After that, he patted Howard on the shoulder and sneered, "Howard, you should really get that insurance today. Maybe bankruptcy insurance. If you need help, call me. I can recommend a few options."

Howard didn't respond, "Tom, are you leaving? Aren't you staying for a meal? Don't be so distant."

Tom snorted and walked out without looking back.

Howard watched him go and chuckled, "Young folks are so impatient. He got mad so fast. Looks like this case really hits close to home for him."

I was going to comfort Howard, who was ready to back me up, but seeing his smug look, it seemed pointless. Howard was right; Tom's reaction today was definitely off.

"Looks like Tony and Zack already filled him in," Howard said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"You need a deerstalker hat and a pipe now," I joked, feeling in a lighter mood.

"Yeah, Mrs. Smith, and maybe an Ulster coat too. The company won't cover it," Howard said smugly, clearly realizing he was on the right track.

"Enough joking, you're half right," I said.

From talking to the security guard to seeing Tom greet us, I had a hunch. If I was right, the mystery of Tony, Zack, and Tom's relationship over the past few days could be solved.

"Half?" Howard asked.

"Yeah, only Tony told Tom, but Zack didn't. Now I just need to confirm one thing," I said.

With that, I headed straight to the VIP room Tom had just left, with Howard right behind me, "What do you mean?"

I knocked on the door, and the manager who had just spoken with Tom was sitting at the desk drinking coffee. Seeing me, he immediately stood up and smiled, "Hello, may I help you?"

"Hi, we're colleagues of the guy who just left. You saw us picking him up at the door. I'm his secretary, and we just realized he lost his phone. We came to see if it might be here," I improvised.

"Colleagues of Mr. Garcia? Please wait a moment, I'll check." The manager hurriedly went to search the sofa.

My heart raced. It seemed my guess was right; Tom was Zack! Tom and Zack were the same person!

High-end insurance companies here were all membership-based, and the security guard at the door must recognize the members. When I told the guard I was looking for Tom, he said there was no such person here. Then Tom showed up. So from that moment, I had a strong suspicion.

Howard's eyes widened, looking at me in disbelief.

"Yes, please check carefully. It's Zack Garcia. He was pretty anxious, saying the phone had the insurance policy details with Tony. He came here to handle some business, right?" I asked, trying to see if Tony had been in touch with him recently.

"Yes, he came to discuss the insurance coverage. A Mr. Thomas also wants to insure. Please wait, it might not be on the sofa..." The manager carefully checked the sofa cushions, answering my questions seriously.

"Is the Mr. Thomas you mentioned Frank Thomas? Mr. Garcia specifically asked me to call Mr. Thomas to follow up on this matter. How did the discussion go? I didn't see Mr. Thomas today. Do you need help pushing this forward?" I said.

"Thank you so much. Mr. Garcia was supposed to come with Mr. Thomas, but Mr. Thomas had something come up last minute. They just confirmed the insurance amount." The manager thanked me repeatedly and apologized, "I've checked everywhere. Maybe you should ask Mr. Garcia again. It's not here."

After thanking him, I quickly pulled Howard out of the insurance company.

I got it now. After all this running around, Tom was Zack. Zack, Tammy, Tony, and Lally had all conspired to give false testimony in court.

What exactly happened that made this group harbor such hatred towards Laura? Could it be related to the demolition case?

It shouldn't be to the extent of hating her so much that they wished she were dead. Besides, Frank was also involved in this matter.

This meant that Tony's mention of Lally, himself, and Duke being young and only familiar with Alan was a lie. They must have significant connections with Frank and others I haven't met yet, like Bob and Mike.

At the same time, Lally didn't fully tell me about the past, cleverly hiding Frank and the others. But I believed she didn't do it intentionally; she probably didn't know at the time.

Wait! A few days ago, I asked Tony how he recognized me, and Tony said he knew my name!

That meant Lally must have known my name from the beginning!

I suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. This meant Tony must have informed Lally in advance, but coincidentally, Lally was assaulted by Duke that day, and I saved her.

If she didn't know I was Alan's wife, why would Lally seriously tell me her past story?

If she didn't know I was Alan's wife, why would Lally tell me about Alan's past, about Alan being in an orphanage?

Wait! She could have completely hidden Alan's story, just like Tony did, keeping it tightly under wraps. Why did she tell me about Alan being in an orphanage?

From the current investigation, only Lally seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally telling me about Alan's background. And after Lally spoke, Tony also revealed some information.

This girl, along with Tony, was deliberately guiding me to uncover the truth behind this matter. But at the same time, they had significant reasons for not wanting to reveal more.

Especially, why did Lally disappear suddenly after telling me about the orphanage, and when I told Tony about her disappearance, Tony seemed completely unaware?

Now, the previously overlooked Frank reappeared in my mind. This case was not just about the grudges in Sand Village. The root cause lied with Frank. He must know about the orphanage, and he might be the real mastermind behind this whole affair!