The empty coffin: A son’s hunt for the truth

Ryan began to suspect something was wrong when his dog, Bella, burst into the church and started barking desperately in front of his father’s coffin. Seeing Bella on high alert, Ryan decided to open the casket… and discovered it was empty.

Ryan got out of the car and stood outside the church, knowing he wasn’t ready to say goodbye to his father.

“We didn’t even get to give Dad a proper funeral,” he thought. But Bella’s sharp barking distracted him.

He turned back to the car, where Bella was more restless than usual.

“Bella!” he signaled her to lie down, and she obeyed. He petted her head through the open window. “Stay here, Bella.”

Ignoring Bella’s whines, Ryan went inside the church. Arnold’s coffin was already in place, closed, and the funeral director had cordoned off the area because Arnold had died from an infectious disease.

He sat next to his mother. Given how Arnold had died, he would be cremated, not buried.

When the mass ended and the attendees stood to sing the final hymn, Bella’s barking echoed through the church. She jumped on the coffin, knocking over the floral arrangement, and barked nonstop.

Bella sat firmly on the floor, staring at him. Ryan felt something was wrong.

“Open the coffin!” he demanded.

The crowd gasped. Ryan didn’t care. He approached the coffin and opened it. It was empty.

“W-where is my father?” his uncle asked the funeral director, confused.

His mother couldn’t handle what was happening. She fainted. Ryan caught her just in time before her head hit the marble floor. He rushed her to the hospital.

Back home, Ryan called the police.

“So far, we know the coroner certified the death and handed the body over to the funeral home,” Detective Bradshaw said. “Was your father involved in anything suspicious?”

Ryan hadn’t been involved in his father’s business since opening his dog training and rehabilitation center. But he was sure Arnold would never risk his reputation.

The detective promised to stay in touch, but Ryan didn’t want to wait. With his mother hospitalized for observation, he left Bella at home and went to the morgue.

There, he learned the coroner had resigned and hadn’t been replaced yet. He tried to get his father’s file, but the nurse refused. Ryan left a thousand dollars on the counter, and that was enough. He entered the coroner’s office—but Arnold’s file was missing.

Frustrated, Ryan got a call from his father’s lawyer, Mr. Stevens, who said Ryan was now the new CEO of Arnold’s company and that they needed to talk.

Ryan went to the office and checked his father’s email. It was empty. Someone had deleted everything.

“Ryan, good to see you,” Mr. Stevens said, entering and closing the door.

“Who’s been using this computer?” Ryan asked.

“No one,” Mr. Stevens replied.

“Wait, where are the figurines?” Ryan noticed two figurines were missing from his father’s office.

“Oh, he took them home. Poor Arnold… he never managed to get the third figurine in the set. Can you believe the guy who owns it won’t accept less than half a million?” Mr. Stevens said.

Ryan was sure Arnold hadn’t taken them home. He’d searched the whole house since the funeral and hadn’t seen those figurines anywhere.

“Well, we have bigger problems to discuss…” Mr. Stevens informed Ryan they were heavily in debt and several investors were threatening to pull out because Arnold had been missing from meetings for months before his death.

“…and it all started when his new secretary began working here. With all due respect to Arnold and his family, I think he was having an affair with her,” Mr. Stevens revealed.

Ryan lost his composure imagining his mother’s sad face. He would have confronted his father’s secretary if Mr. Stevens hadn’t stopped him, warning it would only tarnish Arnold’s reputation.

Ryan spent the day resolving the debt problem and sent gift baskets to the most important investors. After work, he followed his father’s secretary, Miss Pearson, and saw her enter the garage of a modest house on the outskirts. It was his only lead so far, so he waited in his car outside her house.

Later, the garage door noise woke him. He saw her driving off toward town and wanted to follow, but had a better idea. He jumped out and managed to slip into the garage just before the door closed. Inside, he found a door leading into the house.

First, he found the kitchen and searched the drawers, finding a flashlight. He didn’t want to turn on the lights in case Miss Pearson returned suddenly. His heart sank when he entered her bedroom and saw a framed photo of her kissing Arnold on the nightstand.

Ryan stayed calm, reminding himself he was there to find clues about what happened to his father. He searched the house but found nothing. Disappointed, he was about to leave when he noticed a drawer slightly open on the coffee table.

A manila envelope caught his eye. Inside was Arnold’s \$7 million life insurance policy—and the sole beneficiary was… Miss Pearson! Ryan grabbed the document and headed to the police station.

“This is pretty damning…” Detective Bradshaw said, seeing the document. “Let me dig a bit more on this woman, Pearson.”

Ryan sat near the counter when she returned with a team of officers. It turned out Miss Pearson had a flight booked to Morocco in half an hour.

“Since the U.S. has no extradition treaty with Morocco, it’s crucial we detain her for questioning before she boards.”

Ryan wanted to go with the officers, but Detective Bradshaw refused because he was a civilian. Ryan ignored her and followed.

“Police!” Detective Bradshaw shouted, approaching the boarding gate with her team. “Let us through!”

Ryan blended with the crowd and slipped past airport security. The officers spread out and started checking passengers.

“You! Dark-haired woman in a white shirt! Step out of line and raise your hands!” Detective Bradshaw ordered.

Ryan sighed with relief when they detained a woman—but his smile faded when she turned around. It wasn’t Pearson. The search continued for hours, but Miss Pearson vanished.

Ryan had to start over. But deep down he knew Arnold was alive. The figurines weren’t at his mother’s house. Wherever his father was, he’d surely taken the figurines with him. Ryan searched online for the collector who owned the third figurine and paid him a visit.

“So… how much are you asking for it?” Ryan asked, pointing to the figurine.

“\$750,000,” the collector, Mr. Frederick, replied.

“That’s way above market value for this artist’s work, sir.”

“Then don’t buy it. The price is non-negotiable, young man.”

Ryan had to get it, so he asked for time to gather the money. Back in his car, he called Mr. Stevens and said he wanted to sell \$750,000 worth of company shares.

“But then you won’t control the company, Ryan!” Mr. Stevens protested.

“I know, but it’s urgent,” Ryan explained. “I need the money immediately, but if I’m right, I can buy back those shares within a week.”

“Ryan,” Mr. Stevens finally said calmly, “as the major shareholder and legal advisor, I feel it’s best not to ask why you need that much cash so fast. But as a lifelong family friend, I need to know if this is connected to the suspicion I told you about Pearson.”

“In a way, yes,” Ryan answered.

Mr. Stevens sighed. “She’s disappeared too, you know? Didn’t show up at work today, and her number is disconnected. I’ll get you the money… better not ask for details… I’ll send it as soon as possible.”

When Ryan received the notification the money was in his account, he quickly met Mr. Frederick. The older man muttered something about the figurine being worth more because it was the only piece available, but Ryan interrupted.

“You asked for \$750,000, sir, and that’s what I’m paying, immediately. Aren’t you a man of your word, Mr. Frederick?”

Mr. Frederick finally agreed to sell the figurine. Ryan was ready for the next step. He called several people from his car and made a quick stop before heading back to his mother’s house.

“Where the hell have you been, Ryan?” his mother asked. “I get back from the hospital, find the house empty, and poor Bella bored out of her mind. Your dog misses you; I can barely keep her busy, and I’ve hardly seen you since the funeral…”

“Sorry, Mom,” Ryan murmured. “Please trust me, what I’ve been doing is very important. And soon, it will all be over.”

Ryan stood behind a column near the main auction area, studying the crowd. The figurine he’d bought was next up for bidding. He looked at the podium as they brought it forward.

As the price climbed, the bidders narrowed to two. One was a burly man with a prominent nose, the other a tall man with white hair in a navy suit. Neither was his father.

Ryan insisted on anonymity and paid for several ads to make sure his father—wherever he was—knew the figurine would be auctioned that day.

“\$600,000, any offers?” the auctioneer called.

Ryan’s heart sank. He feared not only losing his bait and chance to find his father but also losing the figurine.

“Any other offers?…”

“One million dollars!”

Ryan shivered hearing his father’s voice. He stared in shock as Arnold rose from a seat in the back of the room, removing his wide-brimmed hat.

“One million dollars, any offers? … Sold to the man in the beige coat!” the auctioneer struck his gavel.

Arnold immediately put his hat back on and headed toward the door. Ryan ran along the edge of the room and blocked his path. Then Detective Bradshaw stepped forward and handcuffed Arnold.

“Ryan?” Arnold frowned. “You tricked me! This was a trap!”

“Don’t act like I betrayed you terribly, Dad! You were the one having an affair and faking your death to run off with your lover! How could you?”

Arnold lowered his head and admitted he was tired of his old life and wanted to start fresh with his new love, Miss Pearson.

“So you took out a huge life insurance policy for your new life, bribed the coroner to fake your death certificate and cause of death, and made us gather around an empty coffin to mourn you,” Ryan hissed.

“‘A man must do what’s right, not what’s selfishly convenient.’ That’s what you taught me, Dad. I’m sorry you couldn’t follow your own principles, but I hope you understand your failure led to your downfall.”

Detective Bradshaw assured Ryan they would soon catch Miss Pearson too. Arnold was then taken to the police car.