Ryan’s day took a shocking turn when his dog, Bella, suddenly dashed into the church and started barking furiously at his father’s casket. Her frantic behavior made Ryan’s heart race. Instinctively, he knew he had to check what was inside. To his horror, when he opened the casket, his father’s body was missing.
Stepping out of his car in front of the church, Ryan felt overwhelmed. “I’m not ready to say goodbye to Dad,” he thought. The weight of the moment was heavy. Just as he was lost in his sorrow, Bella’s urgent barking snapped him back to reality.
“Bella!” Ryan called, trying to calm her with a hand signal. She lay down but continued to whine softly. “Stay, Bella,” he said, patting her head through the open car window.
With a heavy heart, Ryan left Bella behind and walked into the church. The atmosphere inside was somber. Arnold’s casket was in place, tightly sealed. The funeral director had kept the area off-limits because of Arnold’s contagious illness.
Sitting beside his mother, Ryan felt the enormity of the moment. Arnold was supposed to be cremated, not buried, given the nature of his death.
As the mass ended and the mourners stood to sing the final hymn, Bella’s barking erupted again. She had jumped onto the casket, knocking over the flower arrangement, and barked nonstop. Her piercing gaze at Ryan made him uneasy.
“Open the casket!” Ryan shouted, his voice cutting through the shocked silence.
The room gasped as Ryan flung open the casket, only to find it empty.
“Wh-Where’s my brother?” Ryan’s uncle stammered, turning to the funeral director with disbelief.
Overwhelmed, Ryan’s mother fainted. Ryan caught her just in time and rushed her to the hospital.
Later, back at his mother’s house, Ryan contacted the police. Detective Bradshaw told him, “We know your father’s death was confirmed by the coroner, and the remains were released to the funeral home. Was your father involved in any activities I should know about?”
Ryan had been focused on his dog training center and had distanced himself from his father’s business. Still, he knew Arnold wouldn’t have jeopardized his or the company’s reputation.
With no new leads, Detective Bradshaw promised to keep Ryan informed and left. Ryan wasn’t about to wait idly. After making sure his mother was stable at the hospital, he left Bella at home and headed to the morgue for answers.
At the morgue, Ryan was stunned when the nurse said, “The coroner resigned? And there’s no new coroner yet?” When Ryan asked to see his father’s file, the nurse refused due to hospital policy.
Undeterred, Ryan discreetly placed $1,000 on the counter. The nurse looked away as he slipped into the coroner’s office. He searched every shelf for Arnold’s file, but it was nowhere to be found.
Just then, Ryan’s phone buzzed with a message from his father’s lawyer, Mr. Stevens, asking for an urgent meeting.
At Arnold’s office, Ryan accessed Arnold’s email but found it empty—someone had deleted all the messages.
“Ryan! Good to see you,” Mr. Stevens greeted, shutting the door behind him.
“Who’s been using this computer?” Ryan asked sharply.
“No one,” Mr. Stevens replied, looking puzzled.
Ryan noticed two figurines were missing from Arnold’s collection. “Where are the figurines?” he asked.
“Oh, he took them home,” Mr. Stevens said. “Poor Arnold… He was always trying to complete that set, but the man who owns the third figurine won’t sell it for anything less than half a million.”
Ryan was sure the figurines weren’t at his parents’ house; he’d already searched every corner since arriving for the funeral.
Mr. Stevens then revealed that the company was in serious debt, with investors threatening to withdraw due to Arnold’s erratic behavior. He hinted at a possible affair between Arnold and his new secretary, Miss Pearson.
The thought of his father’s betrayal filled Ryan with rage. He wanted to confront Miss Pearson immediately, but Mr. Stevens advised against it to avoid further damaging Arnold’s reputation.
After spending the day managing the company’s financial crisis and calming investors, Ryan decided to follow Miss Pearson. She was his only lead. He tracked her to a modest suburban home and waited outside in his car.
Hours later, Ryan saw Miss Pearson leave her house. Instead of following her, he decided to investigate her home. Sneaking into her garage, Ryan found a doorway leading inside. He searched every room quietly, finding nothing until he noticed a slightly open drawer in the living room coffee table.
Inside was a Manila envelope containing Arnold’s life insurance policy for $7 million, with Miss Pearson listed as the sole beneficiary.
Ryan took the document to the police.
“This is compelling evidence,” Detective Bradshaw said. “We’ll investigate further and bring Miss Pearson in for questioning.”
As Ryan was about to leave, Detective Bradshaw urgently informed him that Miss Pearson had booked a flight to Morocco, a country without an extradition treaty with the U.S., and the plane was set to depart in half an hour.
Ryan insisted on joining the police at the airport, despite Detective Bradshaw’s objections. He followed them, slipping through airport security unnoticed.
At the boarding gate, Detective Bradshaw called out, “You there! The dark-haired woman in the white shirt! Step out of the line and raise your hands!”
Ryan felt a wave of relief—until the woman turned around. It wasn’t Miss Pearson. After hours of searching, it was clear that Miss Pearson had already vanished.
Determined, Ryan knew his father was still alive. He recalled the missing figurines and decided to track down the collector who owned the third piece.
“So, how much will you take for it?” Ryan asked the collector, Mr. Frederick.
“$750,000,” Mr. Frederick replied firmly.
“That’s well above market value,” Ryan noted.
“Then don’t buy it. The price is non-negotiable,” Mr. Frederick retorted.
Determined, Ryan agreed to the price and quickly arranged the funds by selling $750,000 worth of his shares in his father’s company.
“Ryan,” Mr. Stevens warned, “you’ll lose your controlling stake in the company.”
“I’m aware,” Ryan replied. “But this is urgent.”
With the money secured, Ryan bought the figurine and organized an auction to lure his father out of hiding.
On the day of the auction, Ryan watched from the back of the room as bidders competed for the figurine. Just as the bidding reached its peak, a voice called out, “One million dollars!”
Ryan froze—it was his father’s voice.
Arnold stood, removing his hat, and the room fell silent. The auctioneer declared the sale, and Arnold headed for the exit. But before he could leave, Ryan and Detective Bradshaw intercepted him.
“Ryan? You tricked me!” Arnold spat, realizing the setup.
“Don’t act like I’ve betrayed you, Dad. You faked your death, leaving us to mourn an empty casket, all to run off with your mistress!” Ryan confronted him, furious.
Arnold hung his head, confessing that he wanted to escape his old life and start anew with Miss Pearson. He had bribed the coroner, faked his death, and taken out a huge life insurance policy to fund his new life.
“‘A man should do what is right, not follow his selfish desires.’ You taught me that, Dad. I’m sorry you couldn’t follow your own principles, but your betrayal led to your downfall,” Ryan said, his voice filled with disappointment.
Detective Bradshaw assured Ryan that Miss Pearson would be caught soon. As Arnold was led away in handcuffs, Ryan felt a mix of anger and bittersweet justice.