Chapter 14 — Female Lawyer and Torn Will

Duy Bach's investigation team spent a whole week reviewing everyone who had contact with the scene of Quoc Viet's accident twenty-five years ago - from rescue workers, people living near the accident area, to former colleagues who worked at the corporation at that time. Most of the clues have gone cold over time, but one name suddenly emerged from the group's old personnel files — a mechanic named Dinh Van Sang, who was in charge of car maintenance for the Dam family, quit his job just two weeks after Quoc Viet's death, and moved to live in a remote province without leaving much of a trace.

"We have found the current address of Mr. Sang, who is currently living in a rural area in Lam Dong," Duy Bach informed Tue Minh. "He is now in his sixties and lives quite a private life. I plan to personally meet him to take his testimony. Do you want to go with me?"

Tue Minh agreed immediately, and they left for Lam Dong the next morning. After a long journey on winding mountain passes, they found a small house in the middle of a green coffee garden, where Mr. Dinh Van Sang was living a simple life, far away from the noise of the city.

When Duy Bach explained the reason for his visit, Mr. Sang appeared confused and visibly worried, his hands shaking as he poured water for the guests. “I thought no one would ever ask about it again,” he said, his voice shaking. "I've lived in torment for the past twenty-five years because of what I did, even though at the time I didn't really understand how serious the consequences would be."

"Can you tell me exactly what happened, Mr. Sang?" Duy Bach asked, his voice was gentle but full of the necessary determination of an investigator.

Mr. Sang took a deep breath, his eyes looked far away as if he were going back in time to the past. "That night, Mr. Hung - who was still a young owner at that time - called me urgently, told me to check and adjust Mr. Viet's car's brake system, saying that the car had signs of a strange noise and needed to be handled immediately before he drove away on a business trip the next morning," he said, his voice shaking heavily. "He gave me a large sum of money and told me to do it very discreetly, not to tell anyone, including Mr. Viet, because it was a surprise gift. He wanted to ensure his brother's safety and not want Mr. Viet to worry too much."

"Did you comply with that request?" Tue Minh asked, her voice tense.

"I checked the brake system, and it's completely normal, no problem at all," Mr. Sang replied, a hint of relief in his voice. "But Mr. Hung, after seeing me finish, asked me to leave first, saying he would check it himself one last time before locking the garage. I didn't think much about it at the time, I just thought he was too worried and careful for his younger brother."

This testimony left both Tue Minh and Duy Bach speechless. If it is as Mr. Sang describes, Quoc Hung had the opportunity — and possibly the motive — to intervene with the car after the mechanic had left, during a period of time no one else witnessed.

"Why are you telling this story now?" Duy Bach asked, trying to understand the motive for Mr. Sang's silence that lasted for twenty-five years.

"After Mr. Viet passed away, I received another large sum of money from Mr. Hung, along with advice that I should find a new job somewhere else, away from the city," Mr. Sang confessed, his voice filled with regret. "At that time I was young, poor, with a family to feed, so I turned a blind eye, telling myself that perhaps I was over-interpreting, that it was just an unfortunate accident that had nothing to do with me. But in my heart, I always knew, there was something wrong with the whole thing, and my silence may have contributed to concealing a serious crime."

Mr. Sang agreed to record a formal statement, along with a willingness to testify in court if necessary, an act he said was to "relieve the burden of conscience that had been suppressed for a quarter of a century." On the way back to the city, Tue Minh and Duy Bach almost did not talk, both were immersed in heavy thoughts about the meaning of the testimony they had just collected.

"This testimony is still not enough to convict Quoc Hung of murder," Duy Bach said finally, breaking the silence. "It only shows that he had the opportunity, but there is no direct evidence that he actually tampered with the car's brakes after Mr. Sang left."

"But it is enough to reopen an official criminal investigation into Quoc Viet's death, based on reasonable suspicion," Tue Minh added. "And combined with the obvious financial motive — the fear of exposure for embezzlement — the full picture of what may have really happened that night becomes clearer and clearer, no matter how heartbreaking."

When they arrived back in the city late in the afternoon, Duy Bach invited Tue Minh to have dinner with him before going home, a simple but warm gesture amid all the stress of a long and heavy day. During meals, they talked less about work and spent time getting to know each other more as two people, not just colleagues on a complicated case.

"I never asked you," Duy Bach said, his eyes gently looking at her through the flickering candlelight on the dining table. "What made you choose to become a lawyer specializing in inheritance? It is not the most common legal field that many young people pursue."

Tue Minh smiled slightly, her eyes distant for a moment. "Maybe because I grew up without a true family, I'm always curious about how other families come together, or fall apart, around seemingly simple issues like property and inheritance," she replied. "I think, deep down, I always hope to help fractured families find justice, truth, and sometimes, even healing that I never had the chance to fully experience for myself."

Duy Bach listened with attentiveness and deep sympathy, gently holding her hand across the dining table. “I think it's precisely for that reason that you make such an excellent lawyer,” he said, his voice sincere. "She not only fought for justice in the purely legal sense, but also for a genuine desire to mend what was broken. That is something rare, and extremely precious."

"What about you?" Tue Minh asked again, wanting to understand more about the man who had accompanied her throughout the past turbulent weeks. "What brought you to criminal investigation?"

Duy Bach pondered for a moment before answering. "My father was a police officer and died in a crime when I was twelve years old," he said, his voice low. "At that time, I only remember the terrible feeling of helplessness when I learned that the person responsible for my father's death took many years to be brought to light, due to lack of evidence, and complicated legal barriers. I grew up determined that, if possible, I would become the person who ensures that justice is served more quickly and completely for other families, so that no one has to endure the agonizing wait like my mother did."

Tue Minh looked at him with eyes full of deep sympathy, realizing that both of them, even though they came from different circumstances, had a common desire - to seek justice and completeness for what had been broken. "Maybe that's why we work so well together," she said softly, a gentle smile on her lips.

"I believe so," Duy Bach replied, gently squeezing her hand. "And I hope, after this case closes, we will continue to work together, not only at work."

Those words made Tue Minh blush, but she did not withdraw her hand, letting the rare warm moment between the two last a little longer, amidst all the tension and gloom of the case that was gradually coming to an end. Outside, the streets at night were still bustling with lights, but in that small corner of the shop, time seemed to slow down, there were only two people left and a connection that was quietly growing with each passing day as they stood side by side to search for the truth among the countless secrets of the Dam family.