"So, are you trying to say that the driver held a grudge and chose to take revenge on the Acrees using such a method?" Sonia spoke.
Tom shook his head slightly. "After our men learned about the conflict between the driver and the Acrees from the Acrees' butler, they immediately contacted the driver's family and friends and tried to understand what kind of a person he was. They learned that the driver did not intend to retaliate against the Acrees in the first place. Since his attempt to ask for reasonable compensation failed, the families of the dead fishermen who worked under him began to vent their frustration on him, blaming him for accepting the job and bringing those fishermen to sea. They blamed him for their family member's death and the compensation they did not receive. Over time, the guilt toward the deceased and the resentment toward the Acrees intensified, and he began to devise a revenge plot."
"I see," Sonia sighed. "Oh, the poor man."
"Don't you find anything strange in this situation?" Toby crossed his legs and inquired out of the blue.
"What do you mean?" She blinked in puzzlement.
"It's understandable that the driver wanted to seek revenge. Anyone would not let the Acrees off the hook after what they did. Regardless, the meaning behind my words was, how did the driver know their itinerary? How did he know they would attend the banquet tonight and the precise time of their departure? Do you think an ordinary man like him could have access to the information so easily?" Toby picked up the wine glass in front of him and shook it lightly. His gaze was incomprehensible as he glanced at the red liquid swirling in the glass.
Sonia was taken aback for a moment before coming to her senses. "Yeah, you're right. He was an ordinary man, so it would be hard for him to obtain such information unless he bribed the Acrees' butler or maids. But that would be an impossible feat because he doesn't have the money."
"So, the problem here is self-explanatory." Toby narrowed his eyes. "Most importantly, who tampered with the Acrees' car, and when did they do it?"
"You're saying that this is not a simple revenge plot. Someone else is involved behind the scenes." She immediately grasped what he was implying.
Toby declined to comment but simply continued, "The driver did seek revenge, but it would not be easy for an ordinary man like him to succeed. Although the Acrees are not doing so well now, the driver could not get in touch with them easily, let alone bring them down like this. So, how did he obtain such accurate information as when they would leave and where they were? It meant that someone else was behind this. The mastermind should be the Acrees' competitor, and he was helping the driver. The mastermind is powerful and resourceful too, which explains why they knew about the Acrees' precise itinerary and how they could easily tamper with their car. Then, all they needed to do was contact the driver and ask him to wait on the route that the Acrees would pass through. Well, we know how the rest turned out."
"That makes sense!" Sonia clicked her tongue in awe at his sharp deduction." From how the Acrees handled the maritime disaster, we can tell they have crossed the line several times, so it is not surprising that they have other enemies. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. These people worked together to retaliate against the Acrees. It serves them right!"
Toby didn't say anything in response. "But it's just a pity that the driver died without taking any of the Acrees with him. What's the point of such revenge?" Sonia sighed sadly.
"Actually." He raised his chin and quipped, "His revenge has been successful."
"Oh?" She looked at him in astonishment. "What do you mean?"
"The driver is burdened by guilt and death. His wife's death and the fishermen's death were the last straws. These had long crushed him and made him lose his will to live. His choice to retaliate against the Acrees by dying together shows just exactly that. It also meant that he was willing to work with the mastermind even though they wanted him to die."
"He wanted a way out," Sonia bit her lips and mumbled.
"Yes." Toby sipped his wine. "It would be the best of both worlds if he could drag the Acrees with him as he died. Even if he couldn't kill any of them, his death, as well as the Acrees' heinous crime, would be circulated on the Internet. Ordinary people worldwide would empathize with the driver, especially when he was forced to such an end because of the Acrees. Once they discovered the driver's side of the story, the Internet would be in an uproar, and the news would spread like wildfire."
"I know. I've experienced this before." Sonia felt a bit of a headache building.
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