Family Gathered for Old Businessman's Funeral Shocked as They Hear His Voice Emerge from the Coffin – Story of the Day

Detective Scott attends his friend Charles's funeral but is shocked to find that what seemed to be a peaceful death has unraveled into a complex murder motivated by wealth.

Scott arrived at the funeral home, his heart heavy with grief. The room was filled with a somber crowd of Charles's children, colleagues, and friends united in mourning.

As Scott offered condolences, a startling interruption came from Charles's coffin: a recording of Charles's voice, shocking the mourners into silence.

"If you are hearing this," the recorded voice began, "it means that I was right. I believed that my life was in danger, and now, it seems, I have been proven correct."

Scott opened the coffin with shaky hands and found a recorder playing Charles's voice. Charles's body was not inside the casket.

"I have reason to believe that I will be murdered soon," the recorded voice continued. "I suspect it'll be one of my heirs, motivated by greed and impatience. I've set this test with my lawyer's help to reveal the truth."

Charles's voice took on a solemn tone as he addressed Scott directly. "Scott, my old friend, I entrust you with this task. Find the one responsible for my death before my will is read. If you do, you will be rewarded. But if the killer is not found, all my estate will go to charity."

After the message ended, the room erupted into hushed conversations. Lydia, Charles's daughter and a board member of his company, approached Scott.

"I was always by my father's side," Lydia said tremblingly. "My father was always paranoid, suspecting people around him. But his death was sudden, a heart attack."

Scott sighed. "I will honor my friend's wish," he said. "Charles deserves a funeral, but now isn't the time. Take me to the place where his body was found."

The killer was one of Charles' heirs…but who?

***

Everything was in order in Charles's room, where his body was found in his bed. Charles was someone who liked to keep his space clean.

Lydia watched Scott with apprehension as he surveyed the space. "The police said it was a heart attack," she reminded him, a mix of sorrow and resignation in her voice.

"Yes, they did. But in cases like these, every detail matters," Scott said. Suddenly, his gaze fell on something that seemed out of place—a bottle of pills on the nightstand. The bottle was empty, which struck him as odd.

"These pills," Scott mused aloud, "if Charles was taking them as prescribed, then this bottle, based on its purchase date, should be at least half full. It's possible that someone might have emptied these intentionally."

"But why would anyone do that?" Lydia asked, shocked. "My father was well-loved."

"Sometimes, the motive isn't clear. It could be financial gain, personal vendettas, or something else," Scott replied, his tone serious.

As Scott further examined the room, he discovered a solitary pill under the bed. "This could be important. We'll need to have this analyzed," he said, collecting it for analysis. "Did anyone else have access to these pills?"

"My brother, Carl, was the one who handled it. Though, theoretically, anyone in the house could have accessed them."

"And... your brother and father were on good terms?"

"Not really," Lydia sighed. "Just before Dad passed away, they had a big fight. I overheard it. Dad was furious, threatening to cut Carl off financially. It was intense."

"We need to talk to Carl," Scott proposed.

Lydia agreed, though a look of worry crossed her face. "I'll see if I can find out where he might be," she said, reaching for her phone.

As Lydia made calls, Scott took one last look around the room.

Finally, Lydia hung up the phone, her expression grim. "He's at a local bar, the usual spot where he drowns his sorrows," she informed Scott. "Couldn't be bothered to come for Dad's funeral," she added, embarrassed. "Anyway, that's where you'll find him."

Scott didn't utter a word and left.

***

At the bar, Scott found Carl. Lydia had shown him a picture of the young man, so Scott knew what Carl looked like.

"Carl?" Scott approached him cautiously. "I'm Scott, a friend of your father. I'm looking into what happened to him. I'm a detective. Can we talk?"

"What's there to talk about?" Carl replied bitterly. "Dad's gone. Heart attack, they said."

"I know this is a tough time for you, but I need to ask you about your father's medication. Did you always pick it up on time?"

Carl's gaze drifted, lost in either thought or memory. "Most times, yeah. But I'd forget sometimes. When that happened, I'd ask Elizabeth, the maid, to pick it up for me," he admitted.

"Did you forget to pick up the medicine before your father's death?"

"Maybe once or twice," Carl shrugged, "but I didn't kill him if that's what you're thinking! It was just a heart attack."

Scott leaned in, revealing a startling discovery. "The pill I found in your father's room contained Sarin, a poison," he said, showing the pill analysis results. Scott had sent the sample for analysis right after he left the mansion and obtained the results a few hours later.

"Sarin? You think I poisoned my own father?" Carl asked in shock.

Before Scott could reply, cops burst into the establishment, arresting Carl as a suspect in his father's death. "I didn't do it. I swear," Carl yelled in despair as he was led away.

Scott, deep in thought, knew something didn't fit. He headed to the parking lot and found Carl's vehicle. He had casually asked a bartender who owned 'that lavish BMW in the parking lot,' and the man had pointed at Carl.

Scott examined the BMW from the outside first, his trained eyes scanning for any signs of irregularity. Surprisingly, the car was unlocked.

Scott began his search methodically, checking the glove compartment, under the seats, and in the side pockets. His hard work paid off when he found a bag of Sarin under a stack of old newspapers. Sarin was not something one came across accidentally.

Scott pulled out his phone and dialed the number he had obtained from the police records. It was Elizabeth's. A few rings went through before the call was answered.

"Hello, Elizabeth? This is Detective Scott. I'm investigating Charles's death, and I need to ask you a few questions," he said calmly.

"Yes, Detective. How can I help you?" she replied tremblingly.

"I understand you were responsible for picking up Charles's medication from the pharmacy. Did you pick up his most recent prescription?"

"Yes, I did. I always made sure to get Mr. Charles's medication on time. He depended on it."

"Do you still have the medication?"

"Yes, it's still here at the house. Mr. Charles... he... he didn't get a chance to take it," Elizabeth's voice cracked with emotion.

"Alright. Thank you," Scott said and ended the call. He then headed to the police station, where he was greeted by Officer Mills, a seasoned policeman who had been a part of the force for years.

"We heard about your work on Charles's case. Heard you found Sarin in his son's car. Great work."

Scott replied with unease. "Thanks, but the case feels too neat. Hidden evidence in Charles' room, and now Sarin in Carl's car. It's suspicious."

Mills nodded. "I see what you mean, but criminals slip up all the time. Carl seems like a perfect suspect."

Scott countered, "It's too perfect. Let's keep the Sarin details under wraps for now. I have a hunch there's more to this."

Mills agreed, giving Scott the time he needed.

Scott then revisited Lydia. She poured tea for both of them, her hands trembling slightly as she did so. "I can't believe Carl could use Sarin on our father," she said as she sat down.

Scott caught the slip. "How did you know about Sarin? That detail wasn't released."

"I... just... it came to my mind. I think one of your detectives must've called for some information and mentioned it," Lydia replied, flustered.

Scott probed further. "Carl insisted he didn't pick up the medicine, but Elizabeth, your father's maid, did."

"Carl's unreliable," said Lydia firmly. "He drinks all the time. He could've forgotten."

Scott understood but remained skeptical.

"Please find out the truth, Scott," Lydia pleaded, teary-eyed. "Is Carl really the one who…murdered our father? I need to know what really happened to Dad."

Scott reassured her he'd find the killer and left, his mind buzzing with theories and possibilities. And Scott did uncover the real killer. All he had to do now was announce Carl as the killer for the time being and wait for the will reading.

***

In the lawyer's office, Detective Scott and Lydia's younger brother Travis sat in a tense silence. Lydia rushed in, apologizing for being late.

The lawyer cleared his throat and began to read Charles's will.

"According to the last will and testament," he intoned, his voice echoing slightly in the solemn room, "half of the inheritance is to be bequeathed to Lydia." He paused, then turned his gaze to Travis. "And as Travis is a minor, Lydia will manage his share until he comes of age."

The reading was abruptly interrupted by Scott, who stood up, his voice firm and commanding attention. "I must point out that the real killer has not yet been caught."

The room fell into a stunned silence, the gravity of his statement hanging heavily in the air.

Lydia turned to Scott. "What do you mean, Scott?" she asked, her voice quivering slightly.

"Lydia, you knew about Sarin, the poison that killed your father. That information was not released by the police. How did you come to know about it?"

Lydia's face paled, her composure slipping. "I... I told you before it was one of the detectives," she stammered, avoiding Scott's penetrating gaze.

"That's a lie. I inquired and found out none of our detectives called you," Scott replied. "Also, I noticed BMW keys in your corridor, even though you drive a Ford. The BMW belongs to Carl. And upon further investigation, I discovered you had spare keys to Carl's car. Additionally, Elizabeth confirmed that you often drove Carl in his car due to his inebriation."

"So? Driving Carl does not make me a murderer. It shows I cared for my brother!"

"True. But it's also true that Charles's medication was prescribed and available in limited quantities. Carl often forgot to pick it up, and Elizabeth assisted him. However, Elizabeth confirmed she still had the medicine with her. Carl couldn't have poisoned Charles as he never received the medicine from her."

"That's absurd!" Lydia yelled. "Elizabeth is old and forgetful. She probably didn't pick up anything this month."

"Well," Scott said. "The medicine was indeed with Elizabeth, but that alone doesn't pinpoint who substituted them. If someone attempted to steal them from Elizabeth and hide them, it could point to guilt."

Without warning, Scott reached for Lydia's bag. "You were late today, Lydia. I believe you stopped by Elizabeth's place to take the medicine." He opened her bag and pulled out a bottle of pills.

Lydia's façade crumbled, her face contorted in a mix of fury and fear. "This is ridiculous!"

But the evidence was compelling, and at that moment, the police entered the room. Lydia was arrested and taken away.

After a moment of stunned silence, the lawyer resumed reading the will. The inheritance would now be divided between Travis and Carl. As per Charles' instructions, a reward of one million dollars would be awarded to Scott for his efforts in solving the case.

Well, Scott had solved the case, but the cost was high. A family was torn apart, a brother wrongly accused, and a daughter faced the consequences of her actions.

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