Trapped by my Father’s Killer

Diana Ratlidge has not been able to recover emotionally from the double murders of her wealthy businessman father Max Ratlidge and her fiancé Brian Turner – Max’s protégé – five years ago in the garage of the family home. In addition to other evidence, it was largely Diana’s testimony that convicted Louis Allen, the groundskeeper, who is serving a prison sentence for the murders. Diana still lives in the isolated and expansive house on her own in needing that connection to her father and Brian. Although she is the logical person to take over Max’s business, she has taken a leave of absence from work in her inability to cope. Her biggest supports have been her nightclub owning brother Chris Ratlidge, Chris’ wife Trudy Ratlidge, and the family lawyer Martin Loring, who she started dating after the murders. To help her move on with life, Martin and Chris, who is half owner, are trying to convince Diana now to sell the house. Diana has to relive the murders all over again when Louis escapes from prison, although all indications are that he is heading in the opposite direction. Those indications are incorrect as Louis is able to sneak into the house undetected and hold Diana hostage. However, he doesn’t seem to want to kill her or exact some sort of revenge against her, but rather have her help him find the real killer, as unlike she testified and truly believed at the time, she would realize that she didn’t actually see him pull the trigger if she really remembers back to what she saw. If Louis is able to convince her both that he means her no harm and did not commit the murders, they will have to go through the evidence, some of which still sits at the house, while eluding those that are after him, like the police, and the actual murderer who may be someone closer to the Ratlidge family and who would have had greater motive.—Huggo