The crowd erupted into a frenzy of whispers and gasps. The preacher, looking bewildered and concerned, stepped forward. “My son, this is highly unusual and disrespectful. We cannot—” But before he could finish, an authoritative voice rang out. “Do it,” commanded Chief Harrison, the head of the police department and an old friend of Jason’s father.
The room fell silent, all eyes on the chief as he approached the coffin. “If there’s a chance this could give us answers about Tom’s death, then we need to pursue it.” With a nod from the preacher, two officers stepped forward and carefully opened the coffin. The church held its breath as the lid was lifted, revealing the peaceful, yet hauntingly still, form of Jason’s father. But that was not all…