Ryan’s world turned upside down when his dog, Bella, raced into the church and started barking at his father’s casket. Her frantic behavior made Ryan’s heart race. He knew something was wrong and decided to open the casket—only to find that his father’s body was gone.
Ryan had just stepped out of the car in front of the church when he was hit by a wave of dread. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye to his father. “We couldn’t even give Dad a proper funeral,” he thought, feeling the weight of the moment. Before he could think more about it, Bella’s sharp, urgent bark interrupted his thoughts.
He looked at Bella, who was unusually agitated. “Bella!” he called, signaling her to lie down. Bella obeyed but continued to whine. Ryan patted her head through the open car window. “Stay, Bella,” he instructed gently.
With a heavy heart, Ryan walked into the church, leaving Bella behind. Inside, the atmosphere was somber. His father Arnold’s casket was placed in front, tightly closed because of the infectious nature of his illness. Ryan sat next to his mother, feeling the weight of the occasion. Arnold was supposed to be cremated, not buried.
As the mass ended and everyone rose to sing the final hymn, Bella’s barking cut through the silence. She had jumped onto the casket, knocking over the flowers and barking non-stop. Bella’s intense stare and alert stance made Ryan uneasy.
“Open the casket!” Ryan’s voice rang out, breaking the stunned silence. Gasps filled the room as mourners looked on in shock. Ignoring the murmurs, Ryan marched over to the casket and opened it—only to find it empty.
“Wh-Where’s my brother?” Ryan’s uncle stuttered, his face filled with disbelief as he turned to the funeral director.
Ryan’s mother, overwhelmed by the chaos, fainted. Ryan caught her just in time, preventing her from hitting the marble floor, and rushed her to the hospital.
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 distanced himself from his father’s business when he opened his dog training center. Still, he knew Arnold wouldn’t have risked his or the company’s reputation.
With no leads, Detective Bradshaw promised to keep Ryan informed and left. But Ryan wasn’t going to sit idly by. After ensuring his mother was stable at the hospital, he left Bella at home and went to the morgue for answers.
“The coroner resigned? And there’s no new coroner yet?” Ryan was confused by the nurse’s explanation. When he asked to see his father’s file, the nurse refused, citing hospital policy.
Ryan wasn’t deterred. He slipped $1,000 onto the counter, and the nurse, turning a blind eye, let him slip into the coroner’s office. He searched every shelf for Arnold’s file but found nothing.
Frustrated, Ryan’s phone buzzed, pulling him out of his thoughts. It was Mr. Stevens, his father’s lawyer, asking for an urgent meeting.
At his father’s office, Ryan accessed Arnold’s email on the computer and discovered the inbox was empty—someone had deleted everything.
“Ryan! Good to see you,” Mr. Stevens greeted, closing the door behind him.
“Who’s been using this computer?” Ryan asked sharply.
“No one,” Mr. Stevens replied, looking puzzled.
Ryan noticed two figurines missing from Arnold’s collection. Mr. Stevens explained, “Oh, he took them home. Poor Arnold was always trying to complete that set, but the man who owns the third figurine won’t sell it for less than half a million.”
Ryan was sure the figurines weren’t at his parents’ house; he had already searched everywhere. Mr. Stevens also mentioned that the company was in deep debt, with investors threatening to pull out because of Arnold’s erratic behavior before his death. He hinted at a possible affair between Arnold and his new secretary, Miss Pearson.
Ryan was furious at the thought of his father’s betrayal. He wanted to confront Miss Pearson immediately, but Mr. Stevens advised against it to protect Arnold’s reputation.
After dealing with the company’s financial troubles and calming investors, Ryan decided to follow Miss Pearson. She was his only lead. He trailed her to a modest suburban home and waited outside in his car.
Hours later, Ryan watched as Miss Pearson left her house. Instead of following her, he decided to investigate her home. Sneaking into her garage, he found a doorway leading inside. The house was quiet, and Ryan searched every room until he spotted a slightly open drawer in the coffee table.
Inside the drawer was a Manila envelope containing Arnold’s $7 million life insurance policy, with Miss Pearson listed as the sole beneficiary. Ryan took the document straight to the police.
“This is compelling evidence,” Detective Bradshaw acknowledged. “We’ll investigate further and bring Miss Pearson in for questioning.”
Just as Ryan was about to leave, Detective Bradshaw approached him with urgent news: Miss Pearson had booked a flight to Morocco, a country with no 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 protests. He followed them, slipping through security unnoticed.
At the boarding gate, Detective Bradshaw shouted, “You there! The dark-haired woman in the white shirt! Step out of the line and raise your hands!”
Ryan felt a surge of relief—until the woman turned around. It wasn’t Miss Pearson. After hours of searching, it became clear that Miss Pearson had already vanished.
Frustrated but undeterred, Ryan knew his father was still alive. He remembered 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 Mr. Frederick, the collector.
“$750,000,” Mr. Frederick said 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 sold $750,000 worth of 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 in hand, Ryan bought the figurine and organized an auction, hoping to lure his father out of hiding.
On the day of the auction, Ryan watched from the back of the room as bidders vied 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 up, removing his hat. 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, seething with anger.
Arnold hung his head, admitting that he wanted to escape his old life and start fresh with Miss Pearson. He had bribed the coroner, faked his death, and taken out a massive insurance policy to fund his new life.
“A man should do what is right, not follow his selfish desires,” Ryan said, quoting his father’s own principle. “I’m sorry you couldn’t follow your own principles, but your betrayal led to your downfall.”
Detective Bradshaw assured Ryan that Miss Pearson would be caught soon. As Arnold was led away in handcuffs, Ryan felt a bitter sense of justice.
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