\nRyan gets suspicious when his dog races into the church and starts barking at his father\u2019s coffin. Seeing the dog in an alert position, Ryan opens the casket, only to find his father\u2019s body missing.\n
Ryan climbed out of the car and stood outside the church, knowing he wasn\u2019t ready to say goodbye to his father. \u201cWe couldn\u2019t even give Dad a proper funeral,\u201d he thought. Suddenly, Bella\u2019s sharp bark distracted him.\n
Ryan turned to his car, where Bella was more agitated than usual.\n
\n
\u201cBella!\u201d He gave her a hand signal to lie down, and she obeyed. He patted her head through the open car window. \u201cNow, stay, Bella.\u201d\n
Ryan then walked away, ignoring Bella\u2019s whine, and entered the church. His father Arnold\u2019s 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.\n
Ryan sat beside his mother. Arnold would be cremated, not buried, given the circumstances of his death.\n
Just as the mass ended and mourners rose to sing the final hymn, Bella\u2019s bark echoed through the church. She jumped on the casket, knocking the flower arrangement to the floor, and began barking loudly.\n
When Bella sat in her alert position on the floor and stared at him, Ryan sensed something was off.\n
\u201cOpen the casket!\u201d he demanded.\n
A gasp rang out in the gathering. Ryan didn\u2019t care. He walked over to the casket and opened it, only to find it empty.\n
\n
\u201cWh-Where\u2019s my brother?\u201d His uncle stared at the funeral director.\n
Ryan\u2019s mother couldn\u2019t 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.\n
At his mother\u2019s house, Ryan called the police.\n
\u201cAt this point, all we know is that the coroner confirmed the cause of death and released the remains to the funeral home,\u201d Detective Bradshaw told him. \u201cWas your father involved in any activities I should be aware of?\u201d\n
Ryan hadn\u2019t been involved in his father\u2019s business since he opened his dog training and rehabilitation center. But he knew Arnold would never put his or the company\u2019s reputation at stake.\n
Since there was no vital lead yet, Detective Bradshaw left, promising to be in touch with updates. But Ryan didn\u2019t want to wait. The hospital was keeping his mom overnight. He left Bella at home and went to the morgue to find answers.\n
\u201cThe coroner resigned? What about the new coroner?\u201d Ryan was baffled when the nurse at the reception informed him there was no new coroner yet. He asked to see his father\u2019s file, but the nurse refused, saying it was against policies.\n
Ryan knew how to convince her. He set $1000 on the counter, and she turned a blind eye when he slipped inside the coroner\u2019s office. He started searching the shelves for his father\u2019s file, but it was futile. Arnold\u2019s file was missing.\n
Ryan was frustrated. Suddenly, his buzzing phone distracted him. It was his father\u2019s lawyer, Mr. Stevens. The older man informed Ryan that he was the new CEO of Arnold\u2019s company and wanted to see him urgently.\n
As Ryan arrived at his father\u2019s office, he opened Arnold\u2019s Gmail on the office computer, only to find the inbox empty. Someone had deleted the messages.\n
\n
\u201cRyan! Good to see you,\u201d Mr. Stevens entered the room and shut the door behind him.\n
\u201cWho\u2019s been using this computer?\u201d Ryan asked him.\n
\u201cNobody,\u201d Mr. Stevens replied.\n
\u201cWait, where are the dancers?\u201d Ryan noticed two figurines were missing from his father\u2019s office.\n
\u201cOh, he took them home. Poor Arnold\u2026he could never get the third figurine in the set. Can you believe the man who owns it won\u2019t accept anything less than half a million?\u201d Mr. Stevens said.\n
Ryan was sure Arnold hadn\u2019t taken them home. He\u2019d been all through his parents\u2019 house since he arrived for the funeral, and he hadn\u2019t seen those dancers anywhere.\n
\u201cBut anyway, we have more important matters to discuss\u2026\u201d 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.\n
\u201c\u2026and 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,\u201d Mr. Stevens revealed.\n
Ryan lost his cool as the thought of his mother\u2019s sad face crossed his mind. He would\u2019ve confronted his father\u2019s secretary if Mr. Stevens hadn\u2019t stopped him\u2014It would only tarnish Arnold\u2019s reputation.\n
\n
Ryan spent the day sorting out the debt problem and sent gift baskets to the most vital investors. After work, he followed his father\u2019s 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.\n
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.\n
He found the kitchen first, searched the drawers, and found a flashlight. He didn\u2019t 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.\n
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 Pearson\u2019s house but couldn\u2019t find anything. Dejected, he was about to leave when he noticed a slightly open drawer in the coffee table.\n
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
\nA Manila envelope there interested him. Inside it was Arnold\u2019s life insurance policy for $7 million, and the sole beneficiary was\u2026Miss Pearson! Ryan took the document and drove to the police station.\n
\u201cThis is quite compelling\u2026\u201d Detective Bradshaw said, looking at the document. \u201cLet me see what else I can find out about this Pearson woman.\u201d\n
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.\n
\u201cSince the US has no extradition treaty with the Moroccan government, it\u2019s vital we bring her in for questioning before she boards the plane!\u201d\n
Ryan wanted to accompany the officers, but Detective Bradshaw refused because he was a civilian. Ryan didn\u2019t listen to her and followed her.\n
\u201cPolice!\u201d Detective Bradshaw yelled as she and her team approached a boarding gate. \u201cLet us through!\u201d\n
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.\n
\u201cYou there! The dark-haired woman in the white shirt! Step out of the line and raise your hands in the air,\u201d Detective Bradshaw yelled.\n
Ryan was relieved they\u2019d 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.\n
Ryan was back to square one. But somewhere in his heart, he knew Arnold was alive. Ryan knew the figurines weren\u2019t at his mother\u2019s house. Wherever his father was, he must\u2019ve taken the figurines with him. Ryan looked up the collector who had the third figurine online and visited him.\n
\u201cSo\u2026how much will you take for it?\u201d he asked, pointing to the figurine.\n
\n
\u201c$750,000,\u201d the collector, Mr. Frederick, replied.\n
\u201cThat\u2019s far above the market value for the artist\u2019s work, sir.\u201d\n
\u201cThen don\u2019t buy it. The price is non-negotiable, young man!\u201d\n
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.\n
\u201cBut then you won\u2019t have a controlling stake in the company, Ryan!\u201d Mr. Stevens said.\n
\u201cI\u2019m aware, Mr. Stevens, but this is urgent,\u201d Ryan explained. \u201cI need the cash immediately, but if I\u2019m right, I should be able to buy back those shares within the week.\u201d\n
\u201cRyan,\u201d Mr. Stevens eventually replied in a measured tone, \u201cas 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.\u201d\n
\u201cAs a longtime family friend, however,\u201d Mr. Stevens continued, \u201cI must know if this is related to the suspicion I shared with you about Miss Pearson.\u201d\n
\u201cIn a manner of speaking, yes,\u201d Ryan replied.\n
Mr. Stevens sighed. \u201cShe\u2019s also disappeared, you know\u2026didn\u2019t turn up for work today, and her phone number no longer exists. I\u2019ll get you the money\u2026best you not ask me the details\u2026and wire it to you ASAP.\u201d\n
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.\n
\u201cYou asked for $750 000, sir, and that\u2019s what I\u2019m giving you, effective immediately. Are you not a man of your word, Mr. Frederick?\u201d\n
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 mother\u2019s house.\n
\u201cWhere on earth have you been, Ryan?\u201d his mother asked. \u201cI return from the hospital to find the house empty, and poor Bella bored out of her mind. Your dog misses you; I really can\u2019t keep her busy enough, and I\u2019ve barely seen you since the funeral\u2026\u201d\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Mom,\u201d he muttered. \u201cPlease just trust that what I\u2019ve been doing is very important. It will also be over very soon.\u201d\n
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
\nRyan stood behind a pillar near the back of the auction house\u2019s main bidding area and studied the crowd. The figurine he\u2019d bought was the next lot up for bid. He glanced toward the podium as it was brought to the front.\n
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.\n
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.\n
\u201c$600,000 going once,\u201d the auctioneer declared.\n
Ryan\u2019s 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.\n
\u201c\u2026going twice\u2026\u201d\n
\u201c$1 million!\u201d\n
Ryan got goosebumps at the sound of his father\u2019s voice. He stared in shock as Arnold rose from a seat near the back of the auction room and removed his wide-brimmed hat.\n
\u201c$1 million going once\u2026going twice\u2026sold to the man in the beige coat!\u201d The auctioneer banged his gavel.\n
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.\n
\u201cRyan?\u201d Arnold frowned at Ryan. \u201cYou tricked me! This was a trap!\u201d\n
\u201cDon\u2019t act like I\u2019ve committed some terrible betrayal, Dad! You\u2019re the one who had an affair and faked your own death so you could run off with your mistress! How could you?\u201d\n
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.\n
\u201cSo 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!\u201d Ryan hissed.\n
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
\n\u201c\u2018A man should do what is right, not follow his own selfish interests.\u2019 You taught me that, Dad. I\u2019m sorry you couldn\u2019t follow your own principles, but I hope you realize that your failure to do so led to your downfall.\u201d\n
Detective Bradshaw assured Ryan that Miss Pearson would be caught soon, too. Then Arnold was taken away to the police car.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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