Chris told him to make sure to go have a mechanic check it all out before or after he bought it. You just never know what you are getting and that would be the safe and smart thing to do. Mark was already on the downhill spiral at this point. He never had the car checked out.
Mark called me around 11:30 AM on the 14th which was the day I went to meet my attorney for the very first time. He said he was coming in to the shop and would I like him to bring lunch. I told him no I had an appointment. He said he was going to call Chris to ask him if he wanted anything. It turns out he never showed up.
It seems Mark was actually driving in to town to meet with the Maroone Chevrolet to apply for a new Corvette. On his way his radiator over heated. He drove the car off the side of the road about 30 feet. He called Chris to tell him he needed help, but Chris was at the shop all alone. I had not returned yet. Chris told me what was going on when I finally walked in. It was now 4 P.M. Chris and I had to leave because that was the day he was picking his mother up at the airport. I would be watching Matthew for them. There was no one that could go help him.
As I started to walk to get my purse to leave the phone rang. A man on the phone said, "There is a crazy man running up and down the Beeline Highway trying to stop cars to use a phone." I told him, "So, call 911?" He said, "No, I don't want to bother the police with this guy. Plus he has a dog in the car." It seems Mark brought Jet along for the ride and now they were both stranded.
We have roadside assistance. Mark's phone broke a few weeks ago. But, even if he had a phone I doubt he would understand how to contact them with the state of mind he is in. As Chris and I were driving to his house he suggested I call roadside assistance for Mark. My gut was telling me this is NOT a good thing to do. I had no way to contact Mark to tell him I was doing this. Plus, it usually takes 45 minutes for them to show up. I just couldn't see Mark sitting there that long while in a manic state. I decided it was probably best that I at least tried, so i made the call. It turned out to be a mistake.
When we walked into Chris's house the phone was ringing. It was Mark calling from the shop. He had flagged down some 84 year old black man, told him he was a plain clothes police officer and told him he needed help. He also told him he would compensate him several hundred dollars for his trouble. The man drove him to our shop and dropped him off. Mark couldn't pay him because I had hidden all of the company checks.
I told Mark that the tow truck was already there at his car, but they couldn't do anything because he wasn't there and they had no keys. He e didn't seem to care at this point. He had invited in the tenants from next door to 'party' in our shop. He kept calling Chris's house and I ignored most of the calls. I wanted to unplug the phone so he wouldn't wake up Matthew, but I was afraid to in case the kids had to call from the airport.
At 9:39 he left this message on their machine:
I ignored this call too.
The next time he called at 11:00 PM I did pick it up. I told him to please stop calling because he was going to wake up Matthew. I further explained that the kids should be home any minute and I didn't want Chris's mom to walk in to turmoil on her first night there. Mark was not happy about me saying that. He started going on about how they are all more important to me then he is. Then he hung up on me. Fortunately, the kids arrived shortly after. I unplugged the phone and went to my motel room for my first night there.
The next morning, Tuesday, January 15th, when I got to the shop the guys showed me there were beer bottles everywhere all over the shop. I noticed some had been spilled even in my office. Chris found a "joint" in one of the guys vans where Mark had obviously left it from the night before. I was SO furious. I know he is sick, but he is just being downright stupid.
When i got to my office and started my computer I realized I couldn't open any of my files. I have all of the work files I have made for the past 12 years on a flash drive to save space. Mark took it. I couldn't do payroll, or anything related to All-Safe. I called him up and he told me that yes, he had taken it. He said he was trying to find a picture of his drivers license because he still cannot find his. I wanted to go and get the flash drive, but I was the only one in the office.
Very later that night he left this message on my phone:
The next day, the 16th, I still couldn't do payroll. The more the day wore on the angrier I became. I called him again and he assured me he had the flash drive. He told me it was in his "bag" (the huge black duffle bag that he drags around with him everywhere he goes now). I finally drove out there at 4 PM to get it. The duffel bag was sitting outside on the patio table. I reached in to look for it and cut my finger. There was broken glass inside, but no flash drive. I finally gave up and decided it was just best if I left.
Mark asked me to give him a ride to his car. He said if he put radiator fluid he could probably drive it home. I know it is stupid, but I thought it was worth a shot. The car had now been there for three days now and it would be towed and impounded soon. I would have to pay for that as well. So, I took him to NAPA, got radiator fluid and a radiator cap. Then I drove him to his car. Fortunately, the car did start and he was able to drive it home.
However, since that time the engine has now completely seized. Mark called our insurance company and told them the engine froze when he had an 'accident.' The insurance adjuster denied his claim as there was no damage. He now tells me the car is at an auto mechanic and that he has convinced All-State to pay for it. I have no doubts he called them yelling and screaming. I am not about to call them to find out. I do think eventually we will end up paying for a brand new engine. Mark says I shouldn't worry about it because he is still convinced he is getting a new Corvette.
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