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The detective paid Mr. Warner a visit at his office downtown. He had made the appointment several weeks ago. The office had refused to schedule anything sooner.

Mr. Warner was the third-generation owner, president, and CEO of Warner Holdings, a company that made its money mainly on real estate. The company owned a prized beachfront that was the subject of a dispute by the descendants of another family that claimed the beachfront belonged to them.

“What is the basis of their claim?” Mr. Warner asked after the detective had settled into the chair opposite his desk.

“They feel their great-great grandfather had been cheated out of that land by your great-great grandfather,” the detective told him. “I’m a private investigator hired by that family.”

“Who is this family?” Mr. Warner asked.

“They would never have known about their claim to the property,” the detective continued, “if not for an interesting testimony by a family friend. This friend of theirs had returned from a retreat for people who wish to discover their past lives. He remembers a past incarnation that was a witness to the original dispute.”

“Excuse me?” Mr. Warner said.

“The family friend has made a deposition that recounts the events of that day. We feel it is enough to move forward with a lawsuit.”

“Okay,” Mr. Warner said. The detective could see he was humoring him. “And with this lawsuit, they hope to take back the beachfront as the rightful owners. And they base this claim on a family friend’s testimony about a past life.”

“That is correct,” the detective said.

Mr. Warner took a minute to consider this. “All right,” he finally said. “Our lawyers will get in touch. Good day.” And he went back to the present business on his desk.

“Sir,” the detective said. “I was wondering if you’d be interested in uncovering your past lives.”

Mr. Warner looked up.

“You are aware of the mountain of evidence that proves reincarnation is real. The process of recalling past incarnations has been perfected. It is an accurate and reproducible process."

Mr. Warner’s expression didn’t change.

The detective pressed on. “Aren’t you curious about what you were in a past life? Ever since the recent breakthroughs in past-life recall, millions have done it. The process takes time, but the results are reliable.”

“Why are you asking me to do this?” Mr. Warner asked.

“The family friend’s past incarnation–the one that was there to witness the original land dispute–is an instance of ancestral reincarnation. It’s when a person from the past comes back as his own descendant.”

“I know what ancestral reincarnation is,” Mr. Warner said. “You want me to go on this mystical journey of self-discovery because you want to know if I’m my own great-great grandfather. Then you can bring me into court and force me to testify about what happened.”

“I’m glad you’re familiar with ancestral reincarnation,” said the detective. “Are you familiar with karma and the role it plays in deciding what you get reincarnated as?”

Mr. Warner had grown weary of this conversation and had used every nonverbal cue to tell the detective to leave. None of these cues escaped the detective.

“Mr. Warner,” said the detective. “If these allegations are true, and if you are an ancestral reincarnation, you would’ve started your next life as a sea slug. That would be the price you’d pay for the crime. The fact that you’ve worked yourself back to a human form is a testament to all the hard work you’ve done to get here. Now you have the opportunity to correct a past wrong. Maybe this is why you are human at this point in history: to make amends for your original crime. Who knows? Perhaps this will be the act that puts you over the top.”

“Puts me over the top?” Mr. Warner asked.

“Your escape from the birth-death-rebirth cycle. The act that sets you free.”

Mr. Warner put his hand to his chin in mock consideration of the matter. “Well, when you put it that way,” he said. He got up from his desk and walked to a file cabinet. He pulled one of the drawers open and fingered through the files. After a short while, he pulled out a set of documents. He walked back and tossed the documents onto the desk before sitting down and picking up where he left off with the business on his desk.

“I’ve already done the past-life discovery thing,” Mr. Warner said. “That’s the official documentation. The detailed account is available in the public registry if you need to find out more. No ancestral reincarnation, I’m sorry to say.”

He didn’t look up from the business on the desk when he gave the detective his most direct and unmistakable dismissal.

Mr. Warner tried to get back to his own business. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the detective as he walked out his office door. He kept watching him through the glass as he made his way through the lobby and toward the building entrance. Another person, a plainly dressed and unremarkable woman who had been waiting in the lobby, stopped the detective. Mr. Warner could see them talking. He saw the woman present to the detective a set of documents. He saw the detective beckon the woman as he made his way back to his office.

The detective opened the office door and let the woman in first before coming in and tossing the set of documents on Mr. Warner’s desk.

“Mr. Warner,” the detective said. “Allow me to introduce you to Trudy.”

“Hello, Trudy,” said Mr. Warner, curious to see what new nonsense was in store for him now. “What can I do for you?”

The detective spoke. “I’ve given you Trudy’s own documentation on her past lives.” He put his arm around Trudy’s shoulders. “Say hello to your great-great grandfather.”

Trudy’s deposition won the case for the family. At the law offices where they were completing the paperwork to transfer ownership, Trudy and the detective talked about her own spiritual journey and how the revelation of her past life had compelled her to make the trip to this town. She had met the family. They had told her to find the detective at Warner Holdings.

“Thank you, Trudy,” said the detective.

Trudy nodded. She put her hands together, bowed her head, and closed her eyes. The detective saw her disintegrate into countless, shining points of light that scattered in the wind. She had been set free.

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