The Doppelgänger’s Funeral: How a Small-Town Land Appraiser Uncovered His Own Staged Death and Business Partner’s $4.2 Million Scheme
👉 Previous Decision: You chose to drive a forgotten farm tractor through back roads to his estranged sister’s property outside town.
The old farm tractor sputtered and coughed, its rusted engine protesting as I navigated the muddy, overgrown back roads. Hours later, the familiar outline of my estranged sister’s farmhouse emerged through the twilight.
Two deputy cruisers sat in the driveway, their silent forms casting long shadows.
My heart sank. Derrick had been thorough. He had anticipated my moves.
I killed the tractor’s engine and approached the front door. My sister, Mary, appeared behind the screen, her face tight with anger and fear.
“Arthur?” she called through the mesh, her voice trembling. “What are you doing here? They said you… you stole from the memorial fund.”
“Mary, please,” I pleaded, my voice hoarse. “You have to listen. It’s a setup. Derrick—”
“No!” she cried, pressing her hand against the screen door. “I saw the news. You’re a disgrace to the family name. Go away. Now!”
The porch light flickered on, illuminating my desperate face. Behind her, a deputy’s shadow moved inside the house. Siren lights flashed in the distance as I turned, melting back into the dense forest, just another fugitive in the night.
➡️ Read CHAPTER 12 to continue the story.
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