Masked Ménage (Ménage Series: Book 1 of 6)

Chapter 4: Wanted - Journal

Journal

April 2, 1989

It's so hard to believe all that has transpired and how drastically my life has changed in just a few days. My hands are shaking so badly that I'm having a hard time writing this, but I need to get it all down while this information is fresh in my mind. It must be the medications he injected me with or the adrenaline pumping through my veins. Either way, I am not feeling physically right and I don't know what might happen to me next. This all needs to be documented to show what happened for my sanity and for those I love in case the worst happens to me in the end.

I'm a wanted man, on the run for my life, for murders that I did not commit. I've just left my home and I don't know when or if I'll ever be able to return. Gathering as many of my possessions that I could carry and some necessities, I got into my car and was on my way, running to the only place I have left for safety and seclusion. It's just until I figure this all out, but I'm not happy about the location.

I am being hunted for the murder of my boss and his wife, but I didn't do it. I couldn't kill anyone. Everyone says that, but physically I could not have done this terrible deed.

Mark Roth, president, and CEO of Roth Corporation was my boss, colleague, and, for a while, my friend. The day this all began, Mark brutalized his wife Eve, leaving her tied to my desk in the office, and she was unconscious for quite some time. When she awoke, we tried to escape, but he found us and knocked me out in our conference room with a baseball bat. He threw me into a shipping crate, drugged, and transported me to their house, the Roth Estate, like an animal. All I remember are bits and pieces from that night, but I woke up in a giant birdcage.

Why did he do this to me, to all of us? He killed her; how could he murder Eve in cold blood? Mark tried to kill me too, by caging me in his home and then starting his own house on fire, but I escaped and ran for my life. None of this makes any sense. And why would he commit suicide in the end? This can't be happening, because it's just not logical.

He believes Mark Roth killed his wife and then himself.

As I sit here, hiding in my vehicle, I find myself depressed, confused, and in serious pain. Being alive is a plus, but I've never been so fearful in all my life. This feeling reminds me of when I was told that my father had died. Suddenly, my perfect life was sent spiraling out of control. Even with my mother there holding on to me and telling me as a child that we would be alright, I was still quite traumatized as anyone would be when losing a parent. Right now, I feel like a lost child and nothing will ever be the same again.

Escaping Mark's burning house, I somehow made it back to my apartment, where I found incriminating evidence he planted. Mark set me up by leaving a note on my desk, in my home, with a fake confession to their murders.

Everything is all wrong and twisted. This never should have happened. My life was going so well. I had everything I'd ever wanted, except for her. He screwed me over and now I've lost everything except for this ridiculous car, the clothes on my back, and the few necessities I took with me from my apartment today.

This car is the only thing of value I have left that's tangible. I bought this brand-new Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante and was so proud of myself for paying cash for the stupid thing. I've always wanted one, a new one, and now that I have this beautiful machine, it's such a conspicuous vehicle, that I am completely screwed. Every police officer in a 100-mile radius, if not more, is probably looking for my pride-filled purchase.

Not knowing where to go, I hid out all day and wait to travel at night when it will be safer for me. It's not like I can go out and buy a different car right now, and I definitely can't use the company vehicle, which is probably still back at the office where I was abducted. I bought this car because of the prestige and symbol of stature, but it was such a terrible mistake. Now, it's like a noose around my neck, so looking back, this was the worst thing I could have ever spent my money on and it may also cost me my freedom as well. The only good thing about this car is that it's black. The tinted windows, black exterior, and interior make this car much easier to hide in the shadows of this decaying, old abandoned parking garage. It's so cold and damp in here, but I do not want to run the engine for fear of someone hearing it and coming to investigate.