Ryan struggled to explain to everyone that Bella’s strange behavior was a clear sign that something was wrong. When words failed, he knew he had no choice but to show them himself. Pushing past the funeral director, Ryan opened the casket and turned away from his stunned family.
His mother, standing behind him, screamed out his name. Others called after him too, but Ryan was fixated on the white satin lining of his father’s empty coffin. The voices around him faded into a dull background noise. Then, a heavy hand rested on his shoulder.
It was Uncle Thomas, stepping back from Ryan and the coffin while making the sign of the cross. “Ryan, have you lost your—oh my God?” he muttered, his gaze shifting to the funeral director.
“What’s going on? Why is my brother’s coffin empty?”
The funeral director hurried forward, his mouth hanging open in shock. As if his eyes could not believe what they saw, he reached into the coffin. Chaos erupted in the chapel. Family members rushed forward, distressed, trying to understand what was happening. Ryan’s younger cousin burst into loud screams.
“Where is Arnold?” his mother shrieked frantically, her voice trembling with grief.
Suddenly, her knees gave out, and her eyes rolled back. Ryan watched helplessly, but before her head hit the marble floor, he caught her.
Cradling her carefully in his arms, Ryan carried his mother away from the confusion in the church. Bella stayed close, running alongside him as he shouldered his way through the doors. Once outside, the dog dashed forward and leapt through the open window into Ryan’s car.
At that moment, Ryan’s concern was not for Bella’s odd behavior but for his mother’s fragile condition. After settling her in the passenger seat, he quickly drove to the hospital.
Later, as they sat in the living room of his mother’s home, Ryan looked at Detective Bradshaw and said, “You heard me right—the coffin was empty. Something illegal has to be happening here, right?”
Detective Bradshaw flipped through her notebook before replying, “I can’t say much at this time, sir, but this definitely warrants further investigation. After speaking with the funeral director, we currently have no evidence that your father’s remains were mishandled.”
Ryan hesitated, then asked, “Do you think—I know it sounds crazy—that my dad might still be alive and that all of this is some terrible mistake?”
Detective Bradshaw responded cautiously, “Right now, all we know is that the coroner released the remains to the funeral home and confirmed the cause of death. As I continue my investigation, could you tell me if your father was involved in any unusual activities?”
Ryan stopped in his tracks, surprised by the question. He wondered if the detective knew something she wasn’t sharing.
“No,” he answered. “Since I started my own dog training and rehabilitation center, I haven’t been involved much in the family business, but I don’t believe my father would do anything to damage either the company’s or his own reputation. Why do you ask?”
Detective Bradshaw smiled politely. “It’s always best to be thorough.”
She handed him her business card as she stood. “If you remember anything that might help the investigation, please don’t hesitate to call me. I’ll be in touch if I uncover anything new.”
Ryan nodded and led her to the door. Although the detective seemed confident in the coroner’s report, Ryan felt certain something was very wrong.
He had personally seen the funeral director’s shocked reaction to the empty coffin and was convinced the man was just as bewildered as he was.
Collapsing onto the couch, Ryan tried to piece together what had happened, trying to form a clear timeline in his mind. Bella, after rising from where she had been lying and chewing on one of her toys, rested her head gently on his lap.
As he scratched behind her ears, Ryan looked down into Bella’s deep brown, curious eyes. Her tail thumped softly against the ground.
“Bella, you’re a good girl,” he whispered to the dog. “How did you know? It doesn’t make sense for you to be so alert over an empty coffin.”
Of course, Bella couldn’t answer even if she wanted to. With a tired sigh, Ryan pushed those questions aside. Wondering about Bella’s unusual behavior was pointless when he had a much more urgent problem—his father’s disappearance.
Ryan was going crazy sitting on the couch with his swirling thoughts. He fed Bella and let her play outside with some of her favorite toys while his mother stayed overnight in the hospital. Then he began searching for answers.
“What do you mean the coroner resigned?” Ryan asked, leaning over the counter to speak with the nurse on the other side.
The nurse lost her patience. “Sir, what part don’t you understand? Dr. Jeffries was here one day complaining about his wife’s ‘shopping addiction,’ as he called it, and then he was gone the next day. They told us to close early.” She sighed quietly.
“And what about the new coroner?” Ryan pressed.
“There isn’t a new coroner yet, and it’s causing a huge backlog,” she replied. “Okay, sir, tell me what you’re looking for, and I’ll see if I can help.”
Ryan sighed. “I want to see my father’s file.” “He was pronounced dead on—”
The nurse held up her hand to stop him. “Releasing files of deceased patients without proper authorization is against hospital policy.”
“Are you serious? I’m his son! I have the right to see those files!”
The nurse looked him over the top of her glasses. “No, not without the right authorization. Now, I have a lot to do, so if you want to see the hospital administrator, come back afterward.”
Ryan pulled out his wallet. He slipped fifty dollars between his fingers and said, “I don’t want to cause trouble, but I can tell you’re stressed. Maybe take a vacation? This is on me.”
The nurse raised an eyebrow at the bill. “Sir, sandwiches in the hospital cafeteria cost twenty dollars, and I’m already under more than fifty dollars worth of stress. You’ll have to try harder.”
Surprised by her attitude, Ryan said nothing. Instead, after counting it out, he placed one thousand dollars on the counter.
The nurse smiled as she took the money. “I think I will take that break now.”
After the nurse left, Ryan followed the signs to the coroner’s office. The door wasn’t locked. After making sure the hallway was empty, he slipped inside.
Quietly, he walked across the worn linoleum floor to the filing cabinets along one wall. He began searching the “K-L” cabinet, soon finding the spot where his father’s file should be—but there was nothing.
He double-checked the names, then looked under his father’s first name in case the file had been misplaced. Still nothing. His father’s file was missing.
Frustrated, Ryan groaned and ran his hands through his hair. Instead of finding clues, he only had more questions. His wallet felt lighter, but he had no answers.
He remembered the nurse’s comment about the sudden absence of the coroner. He had a strong feeling that his father’s missing body, the lost paperwork, and the coroner’s disappearance were connected. It all felt too strange to be a coincidence.
Then Ryan’s phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, he quickly pulled it out, almost ready to ignore the call.
“Mr. Stevens! Thank you for calling,” he said. “I really need a lawyer’s advice.”
“I’m happy to help,” Mr. Stevens replied, “but Ryan, you have bigger problems unless this is an emergency. You’re now in charge of your father’s business, and I’m sorry to say it won’t be easy.”
He cleared his throat and continued, “The sooner we come up with a plan to control the damage, the better. Can we meet in fifteen minutes at your father’s office?”
Ryan rubbed his temple, feeling overwhelmed by a flood of disasters and unanswered questions.
“Yes, I’ll be there right away,” he said. At least this gave him a chance to look through his dad’s office for anything related to his disappearance.
While driving to his father’s workplace, Ryan’s mind was a whirlwind of suspicions and anxiety. He kept circling the thought that someone was deliberately trying to conceal the fact that his father was still alive. The only reason Ryan could imagine for such deception was a planned ransom—someone trying to demand money in exchange for his father’s safe return.
Yet, despite how plausible that scenario seemed, it didn’t sit right with Ryan. He was determined to find something in his father’s office that could help him make sense of it all. He was certain he was missing an important piece of the puzzle.
As Ryan stepped into his father’s office, a sudden wave of nostalgia hit him hard. A heavy weight settled over his chest as he ran his fingertips over the polished mahogany desk. The whole situation felt overwhelming—the mystery around his father, and Mr. Stevens’s warning that the business was already in trouble.
Ryan had always dreamed of a peaceful life, dedicating himself to helping dogs—training puppies properly and rehabilitating as many abused or stray animals as he could take in. But in that moment, all he wanted was to turn away from this unbearable reality and go home.
Then his father’s voice echoed clearly in his mind, as if standing right beside him: “A man should do what is right, not follow his own selfish interests.”
“You’re right, Dad,” Ryan whispered. “Until I find out what happened to you, I’m not giving up.”
The computer hummed to life as Ryan circled the desk and sat down in his father’s chair. He glanced at the inbox—empty. He steepled his fingers and opened his father’s email, reasoning it was the most logical place to start looking for answers. But every single message had been deleted by someone.
Suddenly, a voice startled him.
“Hey Ryan! Although I wish the circumstances were better, it’s good to see you again.”
Ryan closed the office door and looked up to see Mr. Stevens standing there.
“Who’s been using this computer?” Ryan asked.
Mr. Stevens frowned, eyeing the screen. “No one. Since your father’s tragic death was announced, this office has been locked.”
Ryan buried his face in his hands. Every step seemed to bring more questions, but all he wanted were answers. His eyes then caught the empty space on his father’s desk.
“Where are the dancers?” Ryan gestured toward the spot where two vibrant post-modern figurines should have stood. “Those figurines Dad loved so much.”
Mr. Stevens sighed. “He brought those home just a few weeks before he passed.” He paused. “Unfortunately, Arnold never managed to get the third figurine in the set. And it’s almost unbelievable—the owner of that third dancer demands at least half a million dollars for it.”