The Captain I Married by Chance novel Chapter 146

“Want some?”

When Nathan saw that Nora wasn't opening the food container, he offered to help.

Nora snapped out of her daze. She didn't turn him down, but instead asked about the case.

“So it's confirmed?”

“Yes. Based on the trace evidence from the scene and the fire department's assessment, we've determined the fire started on the victims themselves.”

“So, you're saying the fire in apartment 502 started with the residents themselves, and the flames from their bodies then ignited everything else?”

Nathan handed Nora a fork.

“What makes you so sure?”

Nora said, “The autopsy results.”

“The victims were all burned to death. There’s no question about that.”

“But the problem is the severity of their burns.”

“Normally, the body of someone who burns to death will have a natural protective reaction. For instance, some people curl up in pain, which leaves some areas of the body with tissue remaining, not completely carbonized.”

“But these five bodies were charred beyond recognition. Their skulls were scorched and fractured, with only a small amount of brain tissue left. The organs in their abdominal cavities were completely incinerated. Only the little girl had a tiny portion of her liver remaining.”

“If this had been an accidental house fire, they would have likely died from asphyxiation as the fire grew, not from the burns themselves.”

“Also, tests found traces of a flammable substance on the bodies. The initial assessment is some kind of oil.”

Nathan's eyes narrowed slowly.

“Are you saying that the victims had oil poured on them and were set on fire, which in turn ignited the house? That they were burned alive as the fire spread and turned 502 into an inferno?”

“It's highly probable.”

“The killer is definitely brazen.”

So brazen they burned an entire family of five to death. What kind of grudge could drive someone to kill them in such a brutal, horrific way?

“Just eat.”

Seeing Nora's eyes keep darting back to the laptop screen, Nathan simply took it away.

“The special task force is already on this case. Don't put too much pressure on yourself.”

“Finish your meal, get some rest, and then you'll come to the briefing with me.”

“I don't need to rest,” Nora said immediately.

Nathan's dark eyes locked onto her face. “No, you do.”

“Nora, that's an order from your captain. You have to follow it.”