Chapter 5 — The Man Behind the Rain in Old Street

Returning to the editorial office, Bao Ngoc spent two full days synthesizing everything he had collected - old news about the disappearance, Nhat Lan's diary, Ms. Huynh Thi Yen's testimony, and the garden diagram of the Ton family mansion. She presented the entire file to Phan Duc Long, who listened with an increasingly serious expression.

"This is remarkable evidence," Mr. Long said after looking through the entire document, "but it is still not enough to announce such a serious allegation. We need to find physical evidence, or at least an official statement that can stand up to the law."

"I know," Bao Ngoc replied. "I'm trying to find the retired police lieutenant colonel who was in charge of this case. If he still has any documents from the original investigation, it would be an important breakthrough."

"You go ahead," Mr. Long said, his voice somewhat cautious. "But I must repeat, be careful how you approach this issue. Bao Long Group is not a small opponent."

After the meeting, Bao Ngoc immediately began searching for information about the police lieutenant colonel who was in charge of the case. Through several relationships in the industry, she found out his name - Ly Cong Tuan, currently retired and living in a small house in the suburbs, far from the city center.

***

Bao Ngoc and Nhat Quang went to see Mr. Tuan together on a weekend afternoon. Even though he is over seventy, he still maintains the stern demeanor of a veteran police officer, his sharp eyes observing the two strangers as they entered his yard.

"What do you want to see me about?" he asked, his voice straightforward, without beating around the bush.

"We are learning about the disappearance of Ms. Vuong Thi Nhat Lan, thirty years ago," Bao Ngoc said, carefully observing his reaction. "We know you used to be in charge of this case file."

Mr. Tuan's face suddenly changed color, a complex mixture of ancient memories and an emotion that was difficult to name - perhaps the torment that had followed him for many years. “Come inside,” he said, his voice low. "This shouldn't be talked about on the field."

In the simple small house, Mr. Tuan poured tea for guests, then sat down, his eyes looking far away as if searching for long-buried memories. "I've been waiting for someone to ask about this case for a long time," he said, his voice filled with complicated emotions. "But I don't think that day will come."

"Can you tell us about the original investigation?" Bao Ngoc asked, trying to keep his voice calm even though he was filled with excitement.

Mr. Tuan sighed, his hands clasped the teacup tightly. "When the disappearance was reported, I was the assigned lead investigator," he said. "Initially, I conducted a serious investigation, collecting testimonies from the family and people working in the Ton family mansion where Ms. Nhat Lan worked. But just a few days later, I received instructions from my superiors, asking me to conclude the case was a case of voluntary leaving and close the file quickly."

"Who's the direction from?" Nhat Quang asked, his voice shaking with suppressed anger.

"From my immediate superior at that time," Mr. Tuan replied, his voice heavy. "He did not explain the specific reason, just said that this was an instruction from a higher level, and I had no right to question it. As a young new officer at that time, I did not have the courage to protest, even though in my heart I knew clearly that something was wrong."

"Do you have any evidence showing that abnormality?" Bao Ngoc asked, her pen quickly scrolling across the notebook page.

Mr. Tuan stood up, walked into the inner room, and returned a moment later with an old file, carefully wrapped in a plastic bag. "This is a copy of the original investigation file that I secretly kept before the official file was destroyed according to archival regulations," he said, placing the file on the table. "I've kept it for the past thirty years, always hoping that one day someone will need it to find the truth."

Bao Ngoc carefully opened the file, inside were the initial investigation notes, including an important note: "The witness (unnamed) said he heard a loud argument from the boss's office on the night the victim disappeared. Further investigation is needed into the relationship between the victim and Mr. Ton Bao Long." That note, along with Ms. Yen's testimony, forms a close connection that cannot be denied.

"This is the proof we need," Bao Ngoc said, her voice shaking with excitement and emotion. "Uncle Tuan, are you willing to officially testify if the incident comes to light?"

Mr. Tuan was silent for a long time, his eyes filled with tension between the fear of old age and the professional responsibility that had been buried for thirty years. “I will testify,” he said finally, his voice determined. "I have carried this burden of conscience for too long. It is time for the truth to be told, no matter what the cost."

Leaving Mr. Tuan's house, Bao Ngoc and Nhat Quang sat quietly in the car, both overwhelmed by the amount of evidence they had just collected. "We have enough to start writing," Bao Ngoc said, her voice filled with determination. "But I need a little more time to verify everything thoroughly before submitting it to the editor."

"I believe you," Nhat Quang said, looking at her with eyes full of trust and a deeper feeling slowly growing in his heart. "After thirty years of waiting, my family finally has the opportunity to know the full truth about what happened to Nhat Lan."

Bao Ngoc looked out the car window, toward the ancient street that was gradually sinking into the late afternoon darkness, her heart filled with a mixture of determination and anxiety. They have come a long way on their journey to find the truth, but she knows that there is still a difficult road ahead, especially when they are about to face directly the huge power and influence of Bao Long Group.

***

That evening, when Bao Ngoc returned to her small apartment, she spread all the documents she had collected on the table — a copy of Mr. Tuan's investigation file, Nhat Lan's diary, a diagram of the mansion garden drawn by Mrs. Yen, along with interview notes from all the witnesses. She sat quietly, watching the overall picture gradually appear clearly, a story of power, silence, and a truth buried for thirty years.

Her phone vibrated, a text message from Thanh Son: "I just found interesting information. Bao Long Group is expected to start demolishing the old mansion area within the next six weeks, much earlier than the originally announced schedule." Bao Ngoc read the message and felt a heavy time pressure on her shoulders — if the physical evidence was really in that garden, they only had less than two months to find it before all traces were erased forever.

She immediately called Nhat Quang and shared this worrying information. "Six weeks," he repeated, his voice filled with tension. "We need to act faster."

"I agree," Bao Ngoc replied. "But we also need to be careful. If we act too hastily without solid evidence, we could lose our only chance to bring the truth to light."

They agreed on a plan for the next steps — Bao Ngoc would continue to verify and consolidate the evidence file, while seeking legal access to the mansion garden before demolition work began, possibly through obtaining survey permission in the name of architectural heritage research.

Before ending the call, Nhat Quang hesitated for a moment before speaking further. "Bao Ngoc, I want to thank you again," he said, his voice filled with emotion. "Not only because of what you're doing to find the truth, but also because of the way you've treated me throughout — always patient, always understanding, even when I reacted coldly the first time we met."

"I understand why you reacted like that," Bao Ngoc replied, her voice gentle. "I've had to protect my sister's memory for the past twenty years, alone, with no one to share it with. Anyone in that situation would become wary of strangers."

"But you're no longer a stranger," Nhat Quang said softly, his voice sincere. "She has been an important part of this journey, and of my life."

Bao Ngoc felt a warmth spreading in her heart at that sincere confession, realizing that their relationship had gone beyond the simple boundary between journalist and source, becoming a much deeper connection, built from trust, understanding, and a common goal — to find the truth, and bring justice to a young girl who had been lying silently somewhere for thirty long years, waiting to be heard.