Chapter 10 — Fire Behind the Line

The fifth fire occurred in an old two-story house used as a charity classroom for poor children in the neighborhood, maintained by a retired teacher couple with their own money for the past fifteen years. This is the first time a series of fires has targeted a non-commercial location, making the entire Dong Kieu neighborhood more shaken than ever.

Fortunately, the fire happened early in the morning, before school, when only the husband - an elderly teacher - was in the house preparing lessons. But he was trapped on the second floor when the staircase caught fire, and by the time the fire department arrived, his condition was critical because he had inhaled too much toxic smoke.

Thien Ly was the one who directly took him out and performed artificial respiration right at the scene while waiting for the ambulance. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition and had to be on a ventilator for three days before gradually recovering.

The whole neighborhood flocked to the hospital to visit when they heard the news that the teacher was in critical condition, bringing porridge, fruit, and sincere words of encouragement from former students who had now grown up. His wife sat beside the hospital bed, holding her husband's hand tightly, telling Thien Ly with tears in her eyes about the years they both devoted their hearts to the love class, teaching free literacy to children whose parents could not afford to send them to private tutoring.

"That house is not worth much money, son, but it is our whole life." She said, her voice choked. "Why would anyone burn a place like that?"

Thien Ly had no answer that could comfort her at that time. She could only hold her hand tightly and promise that she would do everything she could to find the person who caused this. Leaving the hospital, she felt a new anger, deeper than any time before — no longer just personal pain over her father's death, but anger on behalf of an entire community threatened by the greed of a group of faceless people.

This incident immediately attracted the attention of the local press. Doan Thuy Van, a reporter for a provincial newspaper, who had been silently following the series of fires since the first one, decided to write a long report, publicly questioning the connection between the fires and real estate projects being implemented in the area.

She came to Thien Ly right after the article was published, meeting her at a familiar cafe opposite the fire station.

"I know this is the first time we've met in person, but I've been watching how you handle each fire over the past few weeks." Thuy Van said, placing a small notebook on the table. "My article received a lot of feedback, but there was also a lot of pressure for me to remove it, or at least soften the tone."

"Pressure from whom?" Thien Ly asked, alert.

"I can't say for sure, but there was a call from an unknown number, a man's voice, advising me to 'be careful with what I write, because not all truths should be revealed immediately'." Thuy Van shrugged, trying to appear calm, but Thien Ly noticed a slight tremble in her voice. "I'm not afraid, but I want to be careful. I hope to be able to cooperate with you and Mr. Khiem, not to grab headlines, but to bring the truth to light in a responsible way."

Thien Ly looked at the young journalist for a moment, considering. She understands that the press can be a double-edged sword - it can both create pressure on the authorities to take a more serious action, and can also reveal investigation information before the appropriate time, jeopardizing both the investigation and those involved.

"I will discuss with Mr. Khiem." She said finally. "But whatever information we share with you, you must promise not to release it until we give permission. This is not a joke, Thuy Van. If what we suspect is true, then the person behind it has enough power and money to do things more dangerous than a threatening phone call."

"I understand, and I agree." Thuy Van nodded firmly.

That afternoon, Trong Khiem came to meet Thien Ly at the fire station, bringing the latest news about the love classroom fire. "I have finished examining the scene. Same type of unusual fire spread, same signs of catalyst. But there is one worrying difference."

"What is that?" Thien Ly asked.

"Love class is not on the list of places that have transactions with Prosperity Land." Trong Khiem said, his face tense. "That house is owned by the city, lent to the teacher and his wife for free use. It is not a target because of the real estate value."

"So why was it burned?" Thien Ly asked, confused.

"I think this is a warning." Trong Khiem spoke slowly, as if he was considering each word. "That house is located right in the middle of the project area, almost the central point. Burning such a community location not only causes physical damage, but also spreads fear among all residents. That could be a way to accelerate the pressure to force the remaining households to sell their land, because they fear that their house will be the next target, regardless of whether it is in the planning area or not."

Thien Ly felt anger rising in her chest. "It's psychological terror to an entire community, not just insurance fraud or simple land price forcing."

"I agree." Trong Khiem nodded, his eyes harder than ever. "And that makes me even more determined to stop this as soon as possible, before someone else has to pay with their life, like the teacher who almost lost his life this morning, like your father eight years ago."

He sat down opposite her, opened the file he was holding in his hand, and placed it on the table. "I have decided. I will officially reopen the file on the Vinh Thinh warehouse fire, put it under additional investigation, as a relevant part of the current case. Procedurally, I have enough grounds to do this, because both cases are directly related to the same individual and the same area."

Thien Ly sat silently, unable to believe what she had just heard. After eight years of waiting, after countless times of being rejected and advised to give up, finally someone with enough authority to officially reopen her father's case.

"Are...are you sure?" She asked, her voice shaking with emotion. "This could get you into trouble with your superiors, especially if Mr. Tho is actually involved."

"I have considered carefully." Trong Khiem looked straight into her eyes, his voice firm without any hesitation. "I got into this profession to find the truth, not to please anyone. If I have to face trouble for doing my job properly, I'm willing to accept that."

Thien Ly felt her eyes sting, a feeling of deep gratitude overflowed that could not be expressed in words. She reached out and grabbed his hand in a sudden moment, without any prior calculation. "Thank you, Trong Khiem. Thank you very much."

He looked down at her hand holding his, then looked up at her, his eyes had something warmer than his usual stern look. "I don't do this just because of work responsibility, Thien Ly. I do it because I believe you deserve to know the truth, and your father deserves to be exonerated."

That moment lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough for both of them to realize that something had changed in their relationship, beyond the boundaries of colleagues working on the same case.

Thien Ly withdrew her hand, a bit embarrassed, but the smile on her lips could not be hidden. "So where do we start?"

"From Mr. Tam Rang, as you suggested." Trong Khiem said, his voice had returned to its usual professionalism, although his eyes still had a hint of warmth. "I will arrange an informal meeting, not in the name of an investigator, so that he feels comfortable sharing what he knows."

"I will go with you." Thien Ly said immediately, without any hesitation.

"I hope so." Trong Khiem nodded and closed the file. "Because he would definitely trust his former captain's daughter more than a strange investigator."

That evening, when Thien Ly returned home, she stood in front of her father's altar, lit a stick of incense, and looked at a photo of him smiling in a firefighter uniform. "Dad, finally someone believes me. We will find out the truth, I promise you."

Outside the window, the moonlight at the end of the month shines a faint streak of light onto the tiled roofs of the ancient Dong Kieu houses, where the whole neighborhood is still trembling in fear of the next fire that could strike at any time. But for the first time in eight years, Thien Ly felt she no longer had to face that darkness alone.

Her younger brother, Viet Cuong, saw his sister coming home late, walked out of the room, leaned against the doorframe and watched her standing in front of the altar. "Did you just talk to dad?"

"YES." Thien Ly turned to look at her, the corners of her eyes were still wet. "I told dad I'm about to find out the truth."

Cuong was silent for a moment, then walked to stand next to his sister, also lit a stick of incense, and placed it in the incense bowl in front of his father's portrait. "I hope so too, Ly. Even though I'm still afraid you're in danger, I don't want to see you stop anymore. Dad probably doesn't want to see you give up either."

The two sisters stood side by side in front of their father's altar for a long time, no one said anything, only the thin incense smoke rose up, blending into the quiet air of the late night. Thien Ly feels that, for the first time in many years, her entire small family is moving in the same direction, no one has to bear the pain and doubt alone that has weighed heavily for the past eight years.