Dog Barks at Coffin during Funeral, Suspicious Son Opens It and Discovers It Empty – Story of the Day(2/3)

Mr. Stevens cleared his throat. “In fact, the sooner we can devise a strategy for damage control, the better,” he continued.

“Can you meet me at your father’s office in fifteen minutes?”

Ryan rubbed at his temple. It felt like his life had become a sequence of disasters and impossible questions. “Sure, I’ll head there right away,” he said.

If nothing else, this gave him an ideal opportunity to search Dad’s office for clues about his disappearance. During the drive to Dad’s office, Ryan mentally sorted through his fears and suspicions. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Dad was alive and somebody had tried to cover it up.

The only reason he could think of for anybody to do that was if they intended to demand a ransom for his return. But even though that seemed the most likely conclusion, it didn’t sit well with Ryan. He was sure he was missing something and hoped he might come across information in Dad’s office that set him on the right track.

An overwhelming sense of nostalgia washed over Ryan as he entered Dad’s office. He ran his fingers across the mahogany desk and felt a great weight settle in his heart. This mystery about Dad and Mr.

Stevens’s implication that the company was in trouble…it all seemed too much to bear. All Ryan had ever wanted was a quiet life helping dogs through proper training for puppies and rehabilitation for as many strays and mistreated animals as he could afford to take in. At that moment, all he wanted was to turn his back on this impossible situation and return home.

‘A man should do what is right, not follow his own selfish interests.’ Dad’s words echoed through Ryan’s memory like he was standing beside him. “You’re right, Dad,” Ryan whispered. “And I won’t rest until I figure out what happened to you.”

He rounded the desk and sat in Dad’s chair as the computer booted.

He opened Dad’s email—it seemed like the most likely place to start looking for answers—and steepled his hands in front of his face when he was confronted with an empty inbox. Somebody had deleted every last message. “Ryan!

It’s good to see you again, although I wish the circumstances were more fortuitous.”

Ryan glanced up at Mr. Stevens as he shut the office door. “Who’s been using this computer?”

Mr.

Stevens frowned. “Nobody. This office has been locked up since we got the sad news of your father’s passing.”

Ryan put his head in his hands.

All he wanted was answers; instead, he kept encountering more mysteries. He glanced at the family photos on Dad’s desk and noticed something was missing. “Where are the dancers?

Those figurines my dad was so in love with.” Ryan pointed at the space where the two colorful post-modern figurines should’ve been. “He took those home a few weeks before his death,” Mr. Stevens replied.

“Poor Arnold…he never was able to procure the third figurine in the set. Can you believe the man who owns the third dancer wouldn’t accept anything less than half a million for it?”

But Ryan was barely listening. He’d been all through his parents’ house since he arrived for the funeral and hadn’t seen those figurines anywhere.

Dad definitely hadn’t taken them home. “Anyhow, we have important matters to discuss, Ryan.” Mr. Stevens took a seat opposite Ryan.

“I’m sorry to tell you that the company has incurred some serious debt over the past few months. In addition, our investors need an earnest show of faith if we’re to win back their confidence.”

“Why would we need to win it back?” Ryan asked. Mr.

Stevens softly cleared his throat. “Your father missed several important meetings with investors in the months leading up to his death. Several smaller players pulled out entirely and some of the larger contributors have been threatening to do so.”

“That doesn’t sound like Dad.

What…why would he miss such important meetings?”

“It all started when his new secretary began working here.” Mr. Stevens avoided Ryan’s gaze. “Please don’t repeat what I’m about to tell you to Emily.

I’d hate to smear your father’s memory over something that is, admittedly, just a suspicion.”

“Please, just tell me, Mr. Stevens. I swear I won’t tell my mother.”

Mr.

Stevens gave a curt nod. “As you know, I worked closely with your father to manage this company. As such, I had many opportunities to observe him in this office, and I believe…with all due respect to him and your family, I believe he was having a romantic relationship with his secretary, Miss Pearson.”

Ryan’s gaze turned to the wide section of glass wall to the right of the office door and locked onto the attractive brunette woman seated at the secretary’s desk outside.

He rose from his chair and marched toward the door. “You can’t confront her.” Mr. Stevens stepped in front of Ryan.

“This company can’t weather yet another blemish on your father’s reputation.”

Ryan ground his teeth and stared at Miss Pearson through the glass. She looked up and frowned at him. “Ryan…” Mr.

Stevens placed a hand on his arm. “I understand how shocking this revelation must be, but please remember it’s only a suspicion. I have no proof they were having an affair.”

“Fine.” Ryan whirled away and returned to Dad’s desk.

For the rest of the day, Ryan worked hard to solve the company’s debt problem. He arranged to send gift baskets to the most vital investors and ended the day feeling like he’d been through the wringer. He went down to the parking lot, climbed into his car, and waited.

Almost an hour later, he spotted Miss Pearson exiting the elevator. She climbed into her car and headed for the exit. Ryan followed.

She pulled into the garage of a modest suburban home. Ryan parked nearby and settled down to wait. He didn’t know exactly what he was waiting for, but Miss Pearson was the first solid lead he’d gotten, and he felt in his bones that she would eventually lead him to answers.

Sometime later, the whir of a garage door and an engine revving startled Ryan awake. Night had settled over the suburbs, and most houses lining the street were dark. It seemed like everyone was asleep except Miss Pearson.

Ryan ducked down in his seat and watched her reverse out of the garage. She turned in the street and headed in the direction of the city. Ryan started his car to follow her, but a better idea came to mind as he glanced at her garage.

He cut the engine and leaped from his car. The garage door was still closing. His eyes never left it as he raced across the lawn and onto the smooth driveway.

He dived for the narrowing gap between the bottom of the garage door and the cement. Ryan rolled through the small opening just in time. The garage door shut behind him, leaving him in total darkness.

He leaned his forehead against the cold cement and breathed a sigh of relief. A moment later, the smell of old car oil drove him to his feet. He felt his way along the wall until he found the doorway leading into the house.

Ryan tiptoed into Miss Pearson’s home. He found the kitchen first and searched the drawers until he found a flashlight. He didn’t want to turn on any lights in case she came home suddenly.

He then headed down the hall. A spark of anger ignited in Ryan’s chest as he panned his flashlight over Miss Pearson’s bedroom. There was a framed photo on the nightstand of Dad with his arms wrapped around Miss Pearson’s waist as they smiled at the camera.

Another showed them dancing together at a party. The worst picture of all showed Dad and Miss Pearson kissing on the beach in front of the family’s timeshare in Barbados. Ryan’s heart sank like a lump of lead.

There was no doubt that Dad and Miss Pearson had been having an affair. All Ryan could think of was the sadness on Mom’s face at the funeral. How could Dad have betrayed her with another woman?

And as for Miss Pearson…Ryan snatched the photo from the nightstand and drew back his arm to throw it against the wall. But this was not the time or place to vent his anger. He set the photo down and opened the nightstand drawer.

There was nothing useful there, so he continued his search. As time ticked on, Ryan’s nerves started to get the best of him. Each creak and groan of the house settling startled him, and his heart kicked into overdrive every time he heard a car passing by on the street.

Every time a curtain flapped in the breeze, it was transformed into a shadowy figure. Ryan searched the entire house and found nothing. He was about ready to give up and get out of there before Miss Pearson returned when he noticed a slightly recessed drawer in the coffee table.

He pulled it open. A grin spread over his face as he realized the drawer was filled with documents. Ryan found exactly what he needed in a manila envelope.

He sat on the sofa and read through the life insurance documents in the envelope with a frown. It was a policy for Dad! He’d insured his life for $7 million, and the sole beneficiary was…Miss Pearson!

Ryan jumped to his feet, folded the A4 envelope, and tucked it into his pocket. It was time to get out of here. He returned the flashlight to the kitchen drawer and then ducked into the garage.

He fled the house and drove to the police station. An hour later, Ryan strode into Detective Bradshaw’s office and set the insurance documents down on her desk. “My father was having an affair with his secretary,” he said.

“And he took out a life insurance policy for a sizeable sum and named her the sole beneficiary.”

Detective Bradshaw scanned the documents and nodded. “This is quite compelling…let me see what else I can find out about this Pearson woman.”

Ryan haunted the police station while he waited for Detective Bradshaw to discover something useful about Miss Pearson. The detective tried to get him to go home, but Ryan couldn’t escape the feeling that something big was about to happen.

And he was right. He was seated near the front desk watching an officer deal with a minor complaint when he noticed Detective Bradshaw stride into the room with several other cops in her wake. “Did you find something?” Ryan stood and joined the detective.

“Miss Pearson is booked on a flight to Morocco that leaves in an hour and a half,” Detective Bradshaw replied as she continued walking. “Since the US has no extradition treaty with the Moroccan government, it’s vital we bring her in for questioning before she boards that plane. We’re headed to the airport now to stop her.”

The group burst out into the lot, and cops started heading to their cars.

“I’m coming with you,” Ryan said. Detective Bradshaw glanced at him over her shoulder as she tugged open the driver’s door of her dark, unmarked sedan. “I understand your concern, but you’re a civilian and I simply can’t allow that.”

But there was too much at stake for Ryan to blindly obey the detective.

He hurried to his car and followed the cops to the airport. Ryan brought up the rear as the small group of cops ran through the airport, leaving startled travelers in their wake. “Police!” Detective Bradshaw yelled as they approached a boarding gate.

“Let us through!”

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. “You there!

The dark-haired woman in the white shirt! Step out of the line and raise your hands in the air,” Detective Bradshaw yelled. The rest of the cops turned as one and trained their firearms on the woman just about to enter the passenger boarding bridge.

The other passengers in the queue shied away, leaving her standing alone. Her long brown hair slid across her back as she turned to glance behind her. Ryan was so relieved they’d caught Miss Pearson in time that he started laughing.