Ryan felt a knot tighten in his stomach as he stood outside the church, knowing he wasn’t prepared to bid farewell to his father. “We couldn’t even give Dad a proper funeral,” he thought miserably. Bella, his loyal dog, interrupted his thoughts with a sharp bark. He turned to see her agitated and restless in the car.
“Bella!” Ryan gestured for her to lie down, and she obeyed, though she seemed uneasy. He gave her a reassuring pat on the head through the open car window. “Stay, Bella.”
He walked away, trying to disregard Bella’s whines, and stepped into the church. His father Arnold’s casket was solemnly placed at the front, surrounded by mourners. The area surrounding the casket was cordoned off discreetly, given that Arnold had died from an infectious disease. His father was to be cremated, not buried.
As the mass drew to a close and the final hymn began, Bella’s bark echoed through the church. To everyone’s astonishment, she had jumped onto the casket, knocking over the flower arrangement, and barked incessantly. Bella then sat in an alert position, staring fixedly at Ryan.
Alarmed, Ryan shouted, “Open the casket!” Gasps swept through the congregation. He approached the casket and opened it hurriedly, only to find it empty. His uncle looked questioningly at the funeral director, while Ryan’s mother fainted, overwhelmed by the shock. Ryan caught her just in time and rushed her to the hospital.
Back at his mother’s house, Ryan contacted the police. Detective Bradshaw informed him that the coroner had confirmed the cause of death before releasing the body to the funeral home. “Was your father involved in any activities I should be aware of?” the detective asked.
Ryan hadn’t been involved in his father’s business since starting his dog training center, but he knew his father would never jeopardize his or the company’s reputation.
With no solid leads, Detective Bradshaw left, promising to stay in touch. But Ryan didn’t want to wait. The hospital decided to keep his mother overnight, so he left Bella at home and headed to the morgue for answers. To his disbelief, he learned that the coroner had resigned, and no new coroner had been appointed yet. When he asked to see his father’s file, the nurse refused, citing policies.
Undeterred, Ryan offered her $1000, and she turned a blind eye as he slipped into the coroner’s office. After a futile search for his father’s file, Ryan was frustrated. His phone buzzed—it was his father’s lawyer, Mr. Stevens, who informed him that Ryan was now the new CEO of Arnold’s company and needed to meet him urgently.
At his father’s office, Ryan discovered the emails had been deleted. Mr. Stevens explained the company was in severe debt and investors were threatening to pull out. “It all started with his new secretary. I believe he was having a romantic relationship with her,” Stevens revealed.
Ryan was fuming at the thought of his mother’s distress. He wanted to confront his father’s secretary, Miss Pearson, but Stevens advised against it, fearing it would tarnish Arnold’s reputation. Ryan worked on addressing the debt issues and later followed Miss Pearson to her modest suburban home.
He found a way into her house and searched it, discovering a life insurance policy worth $7 million with Miss Pearson as the beneficiary. Ryan took the document to the police. Detective Bradshaw noted it was compelling evidence and decided to dig deeper into Miss Pearson’s background.
While waiting at the police station, Ryan saw Detective Bradshaw approach with officers, informing him that Miss Pearson was about to board a flight to Morocco. The officers rushed to the airport, and Ryan, despite being warned, followed.
At the airport, the police identified a woman fitting Miss Pearson’s description but found it was someone else. Miss Pearson had vanished, leaving Ryan without leads. However, he was convinced his father was alive and that the figurines in his father’s collection held a clue. Ryan traced the collector who had the third figurine and negotiated a purchase for $750,000.
Using the funds from selling his shares, Ryan bought the figurine and set a trap. He advertised an auction, hoping his father would show up. Ryan watched the bidding nervously until he heard his father’s unmistakable voice bid $1 million. Arnold had revealed himself, and Detective Bradshaw moved in to arrest him.
“Ryan?” Arnold looked betrayed. “You tricked me! This was a trap!”
“You’re the one who betrayed us, Dad!” Ryan retorted. “You faked your death to run off with your mistress!”
Arnold admitted he was tired of his old life and wanted a fresh start with Miss Pearson. Ryan explained how Arnold’s selfish actions had led to his downfall. As Arnold was taken away, Detective Bradshaw assured Ryan that Miss Pearson would be caught soon, too.
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