Dog Barks at Coffin during Funeral, Suspicious Son Opens It and Finds It Empty – Story of the Day

Ryan’s suspicions were piqued when his dog, Bella, suddenly bolted into the church and began barking at his father’s casket. Seeing Bella’s alert stance, Ryan decided to open the casket, only to discover that his father’s body was missing.

As Ryan stepped out of the car in front of the church, a heavy sense of unpreparedness weighed on him. Saying goodbye to his father wasn’t something he felt ready for. “We couldn’t even give Dad a proper funeral,” he thought sadly. But before he could dwell on it further, Bella’s sharp bark interrupted his thoughts.

Turning towards his car, Ryan noticed that Bella was unusually agitated.

“Bella!” he called, giving her a hand signal to lie down. She obeyed, but continued to whine softly. Ryan patted her head through the open car window. “Stay, Bella,” he instructed gently.

With a heavy heart, Ryan turned and walked into the church, leaving Bella behind. Inside, the atmosphere was somber. His father Arnold’s casket was already in place, closed tightly, as the funeral director had cordoned off the area due to the infectious nature of Arnold’s illness.

Ryan sat beside his mother, feeling the weight of the moment. Arnold was to be cremated, not buried, given the circumstances of his death.

As the mass ended and the mourners rose to sing the final hymn, Bella’s barking suddenly echoed through the church. She had leapt onto the casket, knocking over the flower arrangement, and was barking incessantly.

Bella’s intense stare at Ryan, combined with her alert posture, made him uneasy.

“Open the casket!” Ryan demanded, his voice cutting through the stunned silence.

Gasps filled the room as the mourners looked on in shock. Ignoring the murmurs, Ryan marched over to the casket and opened it—only to find it empty.

“Wh-Where’s my brother?” Ryan’s uncle stammered, turning to the funeral director with a look of disbelief.

Ryan’s mother, overwhelmed by the situation, fainted. Ryan caught her just in time, preventing her from hitting the marble floor, and rushed her to the hospital.

At his mother’s house later, Ryan contacted the police.

“We know your father’s death was confirmed by the coroner, and the remains were released to the funeral home,” Detective Bradshaw informed him. “Was your father involved in any activities I should know about?”

Ryan had distanced himself from his father’s business ever since he opened his dog training and rehabilitation center. Still, he knew Arnold wouldn’t have jeopardized his or the company’s reputation.

With no leads, Detective Bradshaw promised to keep Ryan updated and left. But Ryan wasn’t willing to wait. After ensuring his mother was stable at the hospital, he left Bella at home and headed to the morgue to get answers.

“The coroner resigned? And there’s no new coroner yet?” Ryan was baffled by the nurse’s explanation at the morgue’s reception. When he requested to see his father’s file, the nurse refused, citing hospital policy.

Ryan wasn’t deterred. He discreetly placed $1,000 on the counter, and the nurse turned a blind eye as he slipped into the coroner’s office. He searched every shelf for Arnold’s file, but it was nowhere to be found.

Frustrated, Ryan’s phone buzzed, snapping him out of his thoughts. It was his father’s lawyer, Mr. Stevens, requesting an urgent meeting to discuss important matters.

At his father’s office, Ryan accessed Arnold’s email on the office computer, only to find the inbox empty—someone had deleted all the messages.

“Ryan! Good to see you,” Mr. Stevens greeted him, shutting the door behind him.

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

“No one,” Mr. Stevens replied, a bit puzzled.

Ryan’s attention shifted to the room. “Where are the figurines?” he noticed two were missing from his father’s collection.

“Oh, he took them home,” Mr. Stevens explained. “Poor Arnold… He was always trying to complete that set, but the man who owns the third figurine won’t sell it for anything less than half a million.”

Ryan was certain the figurines weren’t at his parents’ house; he’d searched every corner since arriving for the funeral.

Mr. Stevens then informed Ryan that the company was in severe debt, with investors threatening to pull out due to Arnold’s erratic behavior in the months leading up to his death. He hinted at a possible romantic affair between Arnold and his new secretary, Miss Pearson.

The thought of his father’s betrayal enraged Ryan. He wanted to confront Miss Pearson immediately, but Mr. Stevens advised against it to avoid tarnishing Arnold’s reputation.

After spending the day addressing the company’s financial issues and appeasing investors, Ryan decided to follow Miss Pearson. She was his only lead. He trailed her to a modest suburban home and waited outside in his car.

Hours later, Ryan watched as Miss Pearson left her house. Instead of following her, he decided to investigate her home. Sneaking into her garage, Ryan found a doorway leading inside. The house was quiet, and Ryan searched every room, finding nothing until he spotted a slightly open drawer in the living room coffee table.

Inside the drawer was a Manila envelope containing Arnold’s life insurance policy for $7 million, with Miss Pearson listed as the sole beneficiary. Ryan immediately took the document to the police.

“This is compelling evidence,” Detective Bradshaw acknowledged. “We’ll investigate further and bring Miss Pearson in for questioning.”

Just as Ryan was about to leave, Detective Bradshaw approached him with urgent news: Miss Pearson had booked a flight to Morocco, a country with no extradition treaty with the U.S., and the plane was set to depart in half an hour.

Ryan insisted on joining the police at the airport, despite Detective Bradshaw’s protests. He followed them anyway, slipping through airport security unnoticed.

At the boarding gate, Detective Bradshaw called out, “You there! The dark-haired woman in the white shirt! Step out of the line and raise your hands!”

Ryan felt a surge of relief—until the woman turned around. It wasn’t Miss Pearson. After hours of searching, it became clear that Miss Pearson had already vanished.

Frustrated but undeterred, Ryan knew his father was still alive. He recalled the missing figurines and decided to track down the collector who owned the third piece.

“So, how much will you take for it?” Ryan asked the collector, Mr. Frederick.

“$750,000,” Mr. Frederick replied firmly.

“That’s well above the market value,” Ryan noted.

“Then don’t buy it. The price is non-negotiable,” Mr. Frederick retorted.

Determined, Ryan agreed to the price and quickly arranged for the funds by selling $750,000 worth of his shares in his father’s company.

“Ryan,” Mr. Stevens cautioned, “you’ll lose your controlling stake in the company.”

“I’m aware,” Ryan replied, “but this is urgent.”

With the money in hand, Ryan secured the figurine. He then organized an auction, hoping to lure his father out of hiding.

The day of the auction arrived, and Ryan watched from the back of the room as bidders vied for the figurine. Just as the bidding reached its peak, a voice called out, “One million dollars!”

Ryan froze—it was his father’s voice.

Arnold stood, removing his hat, and the room fell silent. The auctioneer declared the sale, and Arnold headed for the exit. But before he could leave, Ryan and Detective Bradshaw intercepted him.

“Ryan? You tricked me!” Arnold spat, realizing the setup.

“Don’t act like I’ve betrayed you, Dad. You faked your death, leaving us to mourn an empty casket, all for the sake of running off with your mistress!” Ryan confronted him, seething with anger.

Arnold hung his head, admitting that he wanted to escape his old life and start anew with Miss Pearson. He had bribed the coroner, faked his death, and taken out a massive life insurance policy to fund his new life.

“‘A man should do what is right, not follow his selfish desires.’ You taught me that, Dad. I’m sorry you couldn’t follow your own principles, but your betrayal led to your downfall,” Ryan said, his voice filled with disappointment.

Detective Bradshaw assured Ryan that Miss Pearson would be caught soon. As Arnold was led away in handcuffs, Ryan couldn’t help but feel a sense of bitter justice.

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