Ryan becomes suspicious when his dog, Bella, unexpectedly bursts into the church and begins barking at his father’s coffin. Noticing Bella’s alert stance, Ryan opens the casket, only to discover that his father’s body is missing.
Ryan steps out of the car and stands outside the church, dreading the moment he will have to say goodbye to his father. “We couldn’t even give Dad a proper funeral,” he reflects, but is suddenly distracted by Bella’s sharp bark.
Turning to his car, Ryan sees that Bella is unusually restless.
“Bella!” he commands, signaling for her to lie down, and she complies. He pats her head through the open window. “Now, stay, Bella.”
Ignoring Bella’s whines, Ryan walks into the church, where his father Arnold’s casket is already in place. The funeral director had cordoned off the area because Arnold had died from an infectious disease. Ryan sits next to his mother, knowing that his father will be cremated due to the circumstances surrounding his death.
As the mass concludes and the mourners rise to sing the final hymn, Bella’s loud bark suddenly echoes through the church. She leaps onto the casket, knocking the flower arrangement off, and continues barking loudly.
When Bella sits back down in her alert position, staring at Ryan, he feels a sense of unease.
“Open the casket!” he demands.
Gasps fill the room, but Ryan doesn’t care. He walks over to the casket, opens it, and finds it empty.
“Wh-Where’s my brother?” his uncle asks the funeral director, his voice trembling.
Ryan’s mother, overcome by shock, loses consciousness and collapses. Ryan catches her just in time to prevent her head from hitting the marble floor. He rushes her to the hospital.
Back at his mother’s house, Ryan contacts the police.
“Right now, all we know is that the coroner confirmed the cause of death and released the body to the funeral home,” Detective Bradshaw tells him. “Did your father have any connections or activities that might be relevant?”
Ryan hadn’t been involved in his father’s business since starting his dog training and rehabilitation center, but he knew Arnold would never jeopardize his reputation or the company’s integrity.
With no solid leads, Detective Bradshaw leaves, promising to update Ryan soon. However, Ryan is determined to uncover the truth. Since his mother is staying overnight at the hospital, he leaves Bella at home and heads to the morgue for answers.
“The coroner resigned?” Ryan asks, confused, when the nurse at the reception informs him there’s no new coroner yet. He asks to see his father’s file, but the nurse denies the request, citing policy.
Knowing how to handle the situation, Ryan slips \$1,000 onto the counter. The nurse, turning a blind eye, allows him access to the coroner’s office. However, after searching the shelves, he discovers that his father’s file is missing.
Frustrated, Ryan’s phone buzzes. It’s his father’s lawyer, Mr. Stevens, informing him that he’s now the CEO of Arnold’s company and needs to meet with Ryan urgently.
Arriving at his father’s office, Ryan opens Arnold’s Gmail on the office computer but finds the inbox empty—someone has deleted the messages.
“Ryan! Good to see you,” Mr. Stevens says as he enters the room, closing the door behind him.
“Who’s been using this computer?” Ryan asks.
“No one,” Mr. Stevens replies.
Ryan notices two figurines missing from the office shelf. “Where are the dancers?” he asks.
“Oh, Arnold took them home. He could never get the third one in the set. The man who owns it won’t sell for anything less than half a million,” Mr. Stevens explains.
Ryan is certain Arnold didn’t take the figurines home—he’s searched the house since arriving for the funeral, and they weren’t there.
Mr. Stevens continues, explaining that Arnold’s company is deeply in debt, with investors threatening to pull out because Arnold missed critical meetings in the months before his death.
“It all started when his new secretary came on board,” Mr. Stevens adds. “I believe Arnold was having a romantic relationship with her.”
Ryan, filled with rage at the thought of his mother’s pain, wants to confront the secretary, Miss Pearson, but Mr. Stevens advises against it, warning that doing so would only harm Arnold’s reputation.
After spending the day dealing with the company’s debts and sending gift baskets to key investors, Ryan follows Miss Pearson to a modest suburban home. She’s his only lead.
Ryan waits outside her house in his car, then sees her leave in a car heading toward the city. Instead of following, he comes up with another idea—he sneaks into her garage just as the door is closing. Inside, he finds a door leading into the house.
After searching the house, he stumbles upon a framed photo of Miss Pearson kissing Arnold on the nightstand. Ryan remains focused on his mission and searches further but finds nothing useful until he notices a slightly open drawer in the coffee table. Inside is a Manila envelope containing Arnold’s life insurance policy for \$7 million, with Miss Pearson listed as the sole beneficiary.
Ryan rushes to the police station with the document.
“This is quite compelling,” Detective Bradshaw says after reviewing it. “Let me see what else I can find out about Miss Pearson.”
Ryan waits near the front desk when suddenly, Miss Pearson walks in with a team of officers. She’s booked a flight to Morocco, leaving in 30 minutes.
“Since there’s no extradition treaty with Morocco, we need to bring her in before she leaves,” Detective Bradshaw explains.
Ryan insists on joining the officers, but Detective Bradshaw refuses, saying he’s a civilian. Ryan ignores her and follows anyway.
At the airport, Detective Bradshaw calls out to Miss Pearson, but the woman she addresses isn’t her. Miss Pearson has already slipped away, and after hours of searching, she’s gone.
Back at square one, Ryan is still convinced that his father is alive. He remembers the figurines and knows that wherever Arnold is, he must have taken them with him. He tracks down the collector who owns the missing piece of the set and visits him.
“How much will you take for it?” Ryan asks, eyeing the figurine.
“\$750,000,” the collector replies.
“That’s well above market value,” Ryan comments.
“Then don’t buy it,” the collector retorts. “The price is non-negotiable.”
Ryan knows he needs it, so he asks for time to arrange the money. He calls Mr. Stevens, asking to sell \$750,000 worth of his shares in the company.
“But you’ll lose control of the company, Ryan!” Mr. Stevens protests.
“I’m aware, but this is urgent,” Ryan explains. “I’ll buy the shares back soon.”
Mr. Stevens reluctantly agrees, warning Ryan that he feels the situation may be connected to Miss Pearson’s disappearance.
After getting the money, Ryan buys the figurine. He then heads back to his mother’s house, where she asks why he’s been gone so long. Ryan apologizes, promising that whatever he’s doing will be over soon.
At the auction house, Ryan stands behind a pillar, watching as his father’s figurine is brought to the front for bidding. As the price climbs, the competition narrows down to two bidders: a man with a prominent nose and another with white hair in a navy suit. Neither is his father.
Ryan has paid for several ads in the hopes that Arnold will see the figurine is up for auction.
“\$600,000 going once,” the auctioneer calls out.
Ryan’s heart sinks—he fears not only losing the figurine but also making a huge loss.
“Going twice…”
“\$1 million!” a familiar voice calls out from the back of the room.
Ryan’s heart skips a beat. His father, Arnold, rises from a seat, revealing himself under a wide-brimmed hat.
The auctioneer bangs the gavel. “Sold to the man in the beige coat!”
Arnold quickly puts his hat back on and heads for the door, but Ryan blocks his path. Detective Bradshaw steps forward and cuffs Arnold.
“Ryan?” Arnold says, looking shocked. “You tricked me! This is a trap!”
“You faked your own death, Dad, and ran off with your mistress!” Ryan retorts. “How could you do that to us?”
Arnold hangs his head, admitting that he was tired of his old life and wanted to start fresh with Miss Pearson. He reveals he took out a large life insurance policy, bribed the coroner, and staged his death.
Ryan confronts him, quoting his own lesson: “A man should do what is right, not follow his own selfish interests.” He expresses his disappointment in Arnold’s actions and the damage they’ve caused.
Detective Bradshaw assures Ryan that Miss Pearson will be caught soon. Arnold is taken into custody, and Ryan watches as his father is led away.