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A dog barks at a coffin during a funeral, prompting a suspicious son to open it, only to discover itâs empty
Ryan gets suspicious when his dog races into the church and starts barking at his fatherâs coffin. Seeing the dog in an alert position, Ryan opens the casket, only to find his fatherâs body missing.
Ryan climbed out of the car and stood outside the church, knowing he wasnât ready to say goodbye to his father. âWe couldnât even give Dad a proper funeral,â he thought. Suddenly, Bellaâs sharp bark distracted him.
Ryan turned to his car, where Bella was more agitated than usual.
âBella!â He gave her a hand signal to lie down, and she obeyed. He patted her head through the open car window. âNow, stay, Bella.â
Ryan then walked away, ignoring Bellaâs whine, and entered the church. His father Arnoldâs casket was already in place, closed, and the funeral director had discretely cordoned off the immediate area because Arnold had died of an infectious disease.
Ryan sat beside his mother. Arnold would be cremated, not buried, given the circumstances of his death.
Just as the mass ended and mourners rose to sing the final hymn, Bellaâs bark echoed through the church. She jumped on the casket, knocking the flower arrangement to the floor, and began barking loudly.
When Bella sat in her alert position on the floor and stared at him, Ryan sensed something was off.
âOpen the casket!â he demanded.
A gasp rang out in the gathering. Ryan didnât care. He walked over to the casket and opened it, only to find it empty.
âWh-Whereâs my brother?â His uncle stared at the funeral director.
Ryanâs mother couldnât stand what was happening. Her eyes rolled back in her skull, and her knees gave way. Ryan caught her just in time before her head hit the marble floor. He rushed her to the hospital.
At his motherâs house, Ryan called the police.
âAt this point, all we know is that the coroner confirmed the cause of death and released the remains to the funeral home,â Detective Bradshaw told him. âWas your father involved in any activities I should be aware of?â
Ryan hadnât been involved in his fatherâs business since he opened his dog training and rehabilitation center. But he knew Arnold would never put his or the companyâs reputation at stake.
Since there was no vital lead yet, Detective Bradshaw left, promising to be in touch with updates. But Ryan didnât want to wait. The hospital was keeping his mom overnight. He left Bella at home and went to the morgue to find answers.
âThe coroner resigned? What about the new coroner?â Ryan was baffled when the nurse at the reception informed him there was no new coroner yet. He asked to see his fatherâs file, but the nurse refused, saying it was against policies.
Ryan knew how to convince her. He set $1000 on the counter, and she turned a blind eye when he slipped inside the coronerâs office. He started searching the shelves for his fatherâs file, but it was futile. Arnoldâs file was missing.
Ryan was frustrated. Suddenly, his buzzing phone distracted him. It was his fatherâs lawyer, Mr. Stevens. The older man informed Ryan that he was the new CEO of Arnoldâs company and wanted to see him urgently.
As Ryan arrived at his fatherâs office, he opened Arnoldâs Gmail on the office computer, only to find the inbox empty. Someone had deleted the messages.
âRyan! Good to see you,â Mr. Stevens entered the room and shut the door behind him.
âWhoâs been using this computer?â Ryan asked him.
âNobody,â Mr. Stevens replied.
âWait, where are the dancers?â Ryan noticed two figurines were missing from his fatherâs office.
âOh, he took them home. Poor ArnoldâŠhe could never get the third figurine in the set. Can you believe the man who owns it wonât accept anything less than half a million?â Mr. Stevens said.
Ryan was sure Arnold hadnât taken them home. Heâd been all through his parentsâ house since he arrived for the funeral, and he hadnât seen those dancers anywhere.
âBut anyway, we have more important matters to discussâŠâ Mr. Stevens informed Ryan that they were in severe debt, and several investors were threatening to pull their investments because Arnold had been missing meetings with them for months before his death.
ââŠand it all started when his new secretary began working here. With all due respect to Arnold and his family, I believe he was having a romantic relationship with her,â Mr. Stevens revealed.
Ryan lost his cool as the thought of his motherâs sad face crossed his mind. He wouldâve confronted his fatherâs secretary if Mr. Stevens hadnât stopped himâIt would only tarnish Arnoldâs reputation.
Ryan spent the day sorting out the debt problem and sent gift baskets to the most vital investors. After work, he followed his fatherâs secretary, Miss Pearson, and saw her pull into the garage of a modest suburban home. She was his only lead until now, so he waited outside her house in his car.
Sometime later, the whirring noise of her garage door awoke him. He saw her head in the direction of the city in her car and wanted to follow her. But then he had a better idea. He leaped from his car and managed to get inside her garage just in time before the door closed. There, he found a doorway leading into her house.
He found the kitchen first, searched the drawers, and found a flashlight. He didnât want to turn on the lights in case Miss Pearson came home suddenly. His heart sank when he entered her bedroom and saw a framed photo of her kissing Arnold on the nightstand.
Ryan maintained his composure, reminding himself he was here to find a lead that would help him figure out what happened to his father. He searched Miss Pearsonâs house but couldnât find anything. Dejected, he was about to leave when he noticed a slightly open drawer in the coffee table.
A Manila envelope there interested him. Inside it was Arnoldâs life insurance policy for $7 million, and the sole beneficiary wasâŠMiss Pearson! Ryan took the document and drove to the police station.
âThis is quite compellingâŠâ Detective Bradshaw said, looking at the document. âLet me see what else I can find out about this Pearson woman.â
Ryan was seated near the front desk when she approached him with a team of officers. Turned out Miss Pearson was booked on a flight to Morocco, which would leave in half an hour.
âSince the US has no extradition treaty with the Moroccan government, itâs vital we bring her in for questioning before she boards the plane!â
Ryan wanted to accompany the officers, but Detective Bradshaw refused because he was a civilian. Ryan didnât listen to her and followed her.
âPolice!â Detective Bradshaw yelled as she and her team approached a boarding gate. âLet us through!â
Ryan slipped past the airport security officers by blending with the group, and they proceeded to the boarding area. The cops immediately spread out and started checking the passengers.
âYou there! The dark-haired woman in the white shirt! Step out of the line and raise your hands in the air,â Detective Bradshaw yelled.
Ryan was relieved theyâd caught Miss Pearson, but his smile faded when the woman turned around. She was not Miss Pearson. The cops continued the search for hours, but Miss Pearson was gone.
Ryan was back to square one. But somewhere in his heart, he knew Arnold was alive. Ryan knew the figurines werenât at his motherâs house. Wherever his father was, he mustâve taken the figurines with him. Ryan looked up the collector who had the third figurine online and visited him.
âSoâŠhow much will you take for it?â he asked, pointing to the figurine.
â$750,000,â the collector, Mr. Frederick, replied.
âThatâs far above the market value for the artistâs work, sir.â
âThen donât buy it. The price is non-negotiable, young man!â
Ryan had to have it, so he requested time to arrange the money. He returned to his car, dialed Mr. Stevens, and said he wanted to sell $750,000 worth of his shares in the company.
âBut then you wonât have a controlling stake in the company, Ryan!â Mr. Stevens said.
âIâm aware, Mr. Stevens, but this is urgent,â Ryan explained. âI need the cash immediately, but if Iâm right, I should be able to buy back those shares within the week.â
âRyan,â Mr. Stevens eventually replied in a measured tone, âas a major stakeholder and legal advisor for the company, I get the feeling it would behoove me not to ask questions about why you need such a large amount of money at such short notice.â
âAs a longtime family friend, however,â Mr. Stevens continued, âI must know if this is related to the suspicion I shared with you about Miss Pearson.â
âIn a manner of speaking, yes,â Ryan replied.
Mr. Stevens sighed. âSheâs also disappeared, you knowâŠdidnât turn up for work today, and her phone number no longer exists. Iâll get you the moneyâŠbest you not ask me the detailsâŠand wire it to you ASAP.â
When Ryan received the message that the money was in his account, he rushed inside to speak to Mr. Frederick. The older man muttered something about how the figurine was worth more than his asking price since it was the only available piece of the set, but Ryan cut him off.
âYou asked for $750 000, sir, and thatâs what Iâm giving you, effective immediately. Are you not a man of your word, Mr. Frederick?â
Mr. Frederick finally agreed to sell the figurine. Ryan was now ready for the next step. He called a few people from his car and made a quick stop before returning to his motherâs house.
âWhere on earth have you been, Ryan?â his mother asked. âI return from the hospital to find the house empty, and poor Bella bored out of her mind. Your dog misses you; I really canât keep her busy enough, and Iâve barely seen you since the funeralâŠâ
âIâm sorry, Mom,â he muttered. âPlease just trust that what Iâve been doing is very important. It will also be over very soon.â
Ryan stood behind a pillar near the back of the auction houseâs main bidding area and studied the crowd. The figurine heâd bought was the next lot up for bid. He glanced toward the podium as it was brought to the front.
As the price climbed, the number of participants whittled down to just two. One was an overweight man with a prominent nose, and the other was a tall, white-haired man in a navy suit. Neither of them was his father.
Ryan had insisted on anonymity and personally paid for several adverts to ensure his father, wherever he might be, would know that the figurine was on auction today.
â$600,000 going once,â the auctioneer declared.
Ryanâs heart sank. He feared that not only would he lose his bait and miss the chance to find his father, but he would also make a huge loss on the figurine.
ââŠgoing twiceâŠâ
â$1 million!â
Ryan got goosebumps at the sound of his fatherâs voice. He stared in shock as Arnold rose from a seat near the back of the auction room and removed his wide-brimmed hat.
â$1 million going onceâŠgoing twiceâŠsold to the man in the beige coat!â The auctioneer banged his gavel.
Immediately, Arnold put his hat back on and headed for the door. Ryan rushed around the edge of the room and blocked his path. Then Detective Bradshaw stepped forward and handcuffed Arnold.
âRyan?â Arnold frowned at Ryan. âYou tricked me! This was a trap!â
âDonât act like Iâve committed some terrible betrayal, Dad! Youâre the one who had an affair and faked your own death so you could run off with your mistress! How could you?â
Arnold hung his head as he confessed that he was tired of his old life and wanted to start a new one with his new love, Miss Pearson.
âSo you took out a huge amount in life insurance for your new life, bribed the coroner to falsify your death certificate and cause of death, and had all of us gather around an empty casket to mourn you!â Ryan hissed.
ââA man should do what is right, not follow his own selfish interests.â You taught me that, Dad. Iâm sorry you couldnât follow your own principles, but I hope you realize that your failure to do so led to your downfall.â
Detective Bradshaw assured Ryan that Miss Pearson would be caught soon, too. Then Arnold was taken away to the police car.
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