The Accusing Corpse (A Story from The Sealed Book)

The Accusing Corpse begins with wealthy stockbroker, Philip Drake, pacing the floor of his country mansion. He has only been married three months and his wife Vivian is already packed and ready to leave him. Philip has called her brother Roger, hoping that he will be able to talk some sense into her, but Vivian has no intention of waiting to hear what her brother has to say and asks to borrow Philip’s car.

Philip tries to reason with his wife, but it is no use, so he warns her she will not receive a single cent if she leaves. Vivian does not care and asks him, “Did you ever stop to think Philip, that there might be another man; one with more money than you?”

Philip is shocked to hear this and, telling her that if he cannot have her nobody else will, he finds his gun and shoots her. Vivian’s body has barely hit the floor when Roger arrives. One would expect that Roger would be filled with rage, but he tells Philip that he always thought he was too good for Vivian, and that he does not want him to throw his life away, so he will get rid of the body by burying it in the woods.

Roger does indeed carry Vivian into the woods, but things are not what they seem. Vivian is not dead at all because the gun was loaded with blanks, and Roger is not her brother, he is her partner in crime and the name of that crime is blackmail.

The following morning Roger visits Philip at his office and asks to borrow $20, 000 for a business deal. He owes him a favour, after all.

When Roger arrives at the apartment where Vivian is hiding, and shows her the money, she is surprised because she expected to see $100,000, but Roger tells her that the money in his hand is only the first of many payments. He intends to make Philip pay and pay. Vivian is not pleased about this turn of events and does not want to hide in the apartment indefinitely, but Roger makes it clear that he will not allow her to ruin his plans.

A week later, Roger visits Philip again. This time he demands $40,000, but when he returns to the apartment he discovers that Vivian has spent the morning shopping. and fully intends to go shopping every day, so his plans may be compromised.

Another week passes and Roger returns to Philip yet again and his price has risen to $60, 000. Philip is not as stupid as Roger thinks he is, however. He has realized that his wife may not be dead at all and that he only has Roger’s word for it that she is buried in the woods, so he forces his blackmailer to accompany him into the woods and show him the grave. And this is where it gets interesting because Roger not only finds the grave; he successfully unearths Vivian’s body.

The Sealed Book: The Accusing Corpse

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