William's Diary

**William's Diary** is the previous journal containing the recorded thoughts of William Birchwood. This book came into the possession of Joseph Rose-Price after his awakening from torpor and remains in his care as he reads it, piece by piece, in an attempt to uncover some of the secrets of his past.

## Entries

### June 23rd 1939 - Friday

I am only now sitting down to write this entry at 23:19! What an evening we all had! Bethany arranged for a sitter and the two of us met up with Joseph at a movie premiere!! I had never once thought myself to be so successful until tonight. Being treated as a guest of honor and led down the red carpet... It was simply magnificent. To most at the premiere, the stars were Chester Morris and Lucille Ball, but I was captivated much more by Joseph! His dress sense is more than impeccable and the charm he displayed tonight… I could have sworn Bethany nearly caught me staring! Tonight I am even thankful for that Greek bastard’s shenanigans, distracting her like that, though I am not sure why Joseph felt the need to bring him along. I have conferences tomorrow in the morning so for now I must depart to my bed with these feelings of lingering excitement, some of which I am sure are too childish to even admit to in my own journal! What a ridiculous man I have become.

Good night from me,

W. B.

### June 26th 1939 - Monday

It’s been a busy weekend and I haven’t had much of a chance to see anyone who isn’t a shareholder. Bethany’s been looking after Will and Joseph is off chasing mystery men with that Greek dandy. It would be nice to be included in stuff like that though perhaps I’m just pouting since I’ve been busy. Though without a doubt that Spiros would have affirmed that it’s “too dangerous” for someone like me. I’m not sure what quality he believes he possesses that prevents him from all worldly dangers or why Joseph can come yet all of a sudden it’s too much for William to tag along. Regardless, I hope that they make some progress in solving those theatre murders if only to stop them from bounding about like vigilantes every night and using our family kitchen to posit theories as to why the victims have all been found without a trace of blood in or around them. Bethany keeps asking to do something just us and Will soon too. Confound it all, this life which leaves me just enough time to pursue only happiness or success, never both.

We’ll have to see,

W. B.

### June 29th 1939 - Thursday

A wonderful evening with Bethany and Will! After a day of laborious tribulations at work, it was just what I needed. The only thing that could have delighted me more would have been if Joseph had been able to come along with us. I saw him briefly yesterday, finally away from that Greek wastrel for more than five minutes. It pains me so that our schedules cannot align lately. I just caught myself in the middle of writing that sentence. This entry was supposed to be about my trip along the promenade and to dinner with Beth and Will and yet I find myself drifting onto the topic of him once again. Is there something wrong with me as a man? Surely if everyone is happy then there can be no misgivings…? There is love enough in my heart for all of them, of course.

Patience is key,

W. B.

### July 1st 1939 - Saturday

Surprisingly, the meeting I had been dreading with executives and investors went much more smoothly than I expected it to yesterday! I spent all day worrying so much that I never even got the chance to write it in, but the weekend came right on time and Joseph suggested that we go out and celebrate. I found myself most indecisive this morning and was unable to agree with myself on where precisely to spend the day and Spiros said that whenever he doesn’t know what he wants to do he’ll simply wander around the town until something worthwhile or interesting strikes his fancy. What a novel idea I thought to myself, I feel as though I lose so much excitement and spontaneity in my life by having everything planned out every day that just getting lost on the high streets and taking shelter from the rain at a bus stop is thrilling! I suppose life can be too ordered, and a measure of chaos does good for my soul. I hope things stay this way forever.

I can’t even think of a silly rhyme here,

W. B.

### July 3rd 1939 - Monday

A little cloud of sadness brought some rain into my life today when Joseph was forced to break arrangements with me when that good-for-nothing Greek got it into his head that they have more mysteries to investigate. Who do they think they are, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson? It’s absurd if you ask me, two grown men skulking around theatres after hours with their magnifying glasses searching for clues. Although, I suppose I only have such harsh words for it because I was not allowed to come along and accompany them. They seem to think as though it would be too dangerous for me when to the best of my knowledge I’m in better shape than either of them, it’s preposterous frankly! I don’t like to be so negative but I suppose this is the place to put those thoughts, if anywhere. I just hope that this doesn’t become a regular occurrence, I quite enjoy spending time with such a good friend of mine and I don’t have enough simple pleasures in my life too much of the time. It might be rude of me to say this but if that fool Spiros would disappear and never come back I would seldom care!

But that’s just me,

W. B.

### July 4th 1939 - Tuesday

I have been thinking today, since yesterday’s disappointment, of things that I should enjoy doing with Joseph in the future when we all have some more free time and perhaps Bethany and Will can come along as well. I hear there’s some wonderful new attractions being opened up at the Santa Monica pier and it seems like just the thing for our little group who love the nightlife so much! We briefly all had dinner together tonight, Bethany and I made gazpacho which received wonderful compliments from everyone in attendance. It really delighted me to be able to spend time together with everyone. I hope that these headaches plaguing me recently will subside too, the doctor says they’re only temporary as long as I get enough rest but it’s so difficult when my friends are such night owls! I should take better care of myself really, but seeing everyone together like this makes the pain worth it sometimes.

Whatever will be,

Will B.

### July 5th 1939 - Wednesday

Bethany has agreed to our little Santa Monica outing next weekend! A shame that it couldn’t be sooner but I must learn to balance things out. I’ll at least have something to look forward to in these coming days, a goal in sight to keep me motivated through all the meetings and workplace events I must attend. I do so look forward to telling Joseph when I see him next though I hope he doesn’t bring that Greek along with him -- I had enough to do with explaining his choice in friends to my wife and colleagues for God’s sake. It’ll be an early night for me tonight, I think, I’ve been on my feet all day and it’ll be just what I need to lay down and catch up on some much-needed rest.

C’est la vie,

W. B.

### July 6th 1939 - Thursday

Taking it easy today has been the right choice, I’ve a lot on my mind having not seen any of my friends the last few days. It can be hard to be so consumed by one’s work as I am, I know others I am acquainted with have much more time to pursue pleasures and flights of folly. Not-so-secretly I long to indulge in such childish masquerades as this city is known to acclimate but it is not as though all this work I do is for nothing. I am building a life for Bethany, for little Will, and for myself too lest I forget. This is the hard part of the job, but I put the work in now to reap what I have sown later down the line. I shall live a comfortable and luxurious life long into my twilight years and take pleasure in whichever method suits my fancy as I awaken. Thinking about it this way truly does make things much easier, I know the future is bright.

The one and only,

W. B.

### July 8th 1939 - Saturday

Perhaps it is childish or even laughable for me to think something like this, but I am beginning to feel worried. I have not seen Joseph OR Spiros since we dined together on Tuesday, and that was now three or four days ago! I am sure that if I mentioned these feelings to someone other than myself they would chide me for this tangled mess of anxiety I feel in the pit of my stomach and say that it is normal for two men to not see each other for a few days and that they needn’t notify one another of everything they are doing at all times. This feels different to me, though. Those things Spiros got them into, the business at the theatres, was it something that they would have been better off to have left alone? I’m sure that I am being hysterical. I must sleep soon before these thoughts keep me awake any longer and I ruin my schedule.

W. B.

### July 13th 1939 - Thursday

I have not touched my diary in so many days I am consumed by my dread. I know not what to say anymore. I have had to leave work early too many times. This isn’t nothing, but I don’t know what it is.

W. B.

### July 15th 1939 - Saturday

I came across Spiros in town about an hour ago. Joseph was nowhere to be seen and he looked like a lost child. I only saw him from across the street and was not able to interact with him before I lost sight of him, but the situation is beginning to consume me completely. Nothing seems right about this. Thankfully he didn’t notice me as I don’t know what I would have done if he came to speak to me out of nowhere, I’m so afraid of learning the truth yet also fearful of being left in the dark. Something truly terrible has happened, I know it in me.

W. B.

### July 16th 1939 - Sunday

My worst fears are being realized. Something most awful has happened and I may never know what truly it was. I hired someone to look into Joseph’s finances and other personal circumstances and not a single thread of activity has been found since twelve days ago, when last I saw him. It’s unfathomable that he could unknowingly avoid leaving behind evidence for so long and from deep within me I don’t want to believe he would purposefully do something like this without saying something. How long must I wait to find something out? Would I even want to know anything if it was in front of me to know?

*(A large and messy scribble so violent the page is torn and stained with ink has been scrawled into the journal after that question. It appears that after doing this he tried to sign off with his typical “W. B.” but the pen had been damaged somehow and little ink was coming out to write with.)*

### July 18th 1939 - Tuesday

Spiros was here. He came over to the house. I had a million questions I wanted to ask him but I couldn’t get any of them out. I now know something has happened, even though he said nothing of Joseph. Perhaps because he said nothing of Joseph. In truth he barely said a word. He clearly wanted to talk about something but was struggling as much as I was. He seemed worried and left in a hurry. I can’t

### July 19th 1939 - Wednesday

I feel so alone. I know I have others around me, is it selfish that I continue to feel this way despite it all? Is it even worth the self-analysis to discover the source of my feelings towards Joseph when it is unclear if ever I shall see him again? It pains me to even put these thoughts to paper but they must reside somewhere besides my head. And that Greek… That Greek. What does he know? I almost blamed him, once, but seeing in his face I know he must feel as I do. Is he sparing me an even worse fate by keeping me in the dark? I feel so conflicted this indecision could cleave me in two. It is as though I have lost everything and yet I still have so much. Was it all really meaningless before him?

### July 21st 1939 - Friday

He arrived and tried to explain everything to me again, but it was so hard for him the words seemed like razors in his throat and that forlorn Greek could hardly manage more than a handful. I am still no further enlightened to what really happened. All I could properly make out was him saying “I’m trying”. I wanted to scream, to curse him, to vent all my frustrations at the one man I could but how unfair it would be. I know how hard he must be trying, it would have been all too easy for him to have never seen me again. But it is precisely because he is trying and I still know nothing that I feel so rageful. Is there nothing I can do? What have I become? It has been almost three weeks.