Chapter 2

Dr. Hannah Sullivan, the forensic examiner, jerked her head up, her gaze cutting through me like a knife: "What did you say?"

"These remains belong to Captain Lee," I repeated with difficulty. "You and Captain Lee are married, right?"

Hannah pulled down her mask, revealing a pale face, her lips twisting into a sarcastic arc.

"Are you mocking me? The whole city knows my ex-husband was Liam Reed, but he was a deserter."

"Ma'am, he wasn't a deserter—he was a hero!" I urgently pointed at the animals around us. "They all saw it. If you just compare Captain Lee's DNA, you'll definitely be able to—"

Before I could finish, Hannah cut me off sharply.

"Enough! Liam left his post without authorization before the second explosion, causing the water pressure to fail and triggering a bigger fire that killed 36 firefighters!"

"That's 36 lives, 36 broken families. He was too cowardly to take responsibility and fled abroad. How could such a coward possibly save people!"

Her eyes were full of disappointment and sarcasm. "Most importantly, there was an eyewitness to the fire who saw him run away with their own eyes."

"If Liam dares to show his face, he won't die by my hand, but someone will definitely tear him apart!"

Hearing this, I stood frozen in place like I'd been struck by lightning.

There was actually an eyewitness to the fire who saw Captain Lee flee.

Could the information the animals conveyed have been wrong?

The body was taken back to the police station, and I had no authority to inquire further.

But I was worried that the deceased really was Captain Lee. For several days, I visited old residents near the ruins and animal witnesses.

The old residents hated Captain Lee to the bone, so I didn't dare to push them. But from the animal witnesses, I pieced together a rough version of the truth.

This made me even more sad and distressed.

That afternoon, I found the hero's daughter, Lily Reed, at the gate of East Elementary School.

I wanted to bring the child to do a DNA match with the deceased.

Lily was holding hands with a man wearing glasses, smiling sweetly.

The guard dog at the school gate complained in a low voice.

"Glasses Man is the worst! Last time I was sleeping and he kicked me hard! All our friends around here have been bullied by him!"

"Liam was so good. He'd pat our heads and give us food and water. We all liked him. Too bad we'll never see him again."

I frowned and walked forward, looking at the young girl.

"You're Lily, right? I'm your father's friend."

The girl looked at me timidly, and Kevin Harrison immediately pulled her protectively behind him.

"I know all of Liam's friends. Who are you?"

I stared into his eyes. "Someone I met on the day of the fire seven years ago. A few days ago, we dug up unidentified remains from under the fire ruins. Do you know about this?"

"He's a deserter, so you must be the same kind of trash if you met him that day! Get away from us!" Kevin's face suddenly darkened, and he pulled Lily away quickly.

I didn't chase them. Instead, the next day, with the help of the guard dog, I snuck into the school.

By the playground, Lily sat alone on a swing.

She hung her head. "My dad is a deserter. That's what all my classmates say. They all hate me and won't play with me."

I crouched down, looking directly into her eyes.

"Lily, do you believe I can understand what small animals say?"

"The swallows under the eaves remember that your dad left water for them on the windowsill every spring. The stray cats on the street corner remember that he always kept cat food in his pockets. Even the guard dog next to the fire station says Captain Lee was the bravest person it ever met."

The little girl's eyes slowly brightened.

"All the animals say your dad wasn't a deserter, but a real hero. To rescue the children in the nursery, he rushed into the terrible fire without hesitation. It's just that... he didn't make it out in the end."

"I knew Daddy wasn't bad!" The little girl looked up with teary eyes and grabbed my sleeve.

"When Daddy came home before, he'd always pat my head and say, 'Don't worry, Daddy's a fire captain. The fire will go around me.'"

"He saved so many, so many people. He never ran away. He couldn't be a deserter. But nobody believes me..."