The Color of Greed (Raja Williams 1) (21 page)

“The most damning evidence is the links to the
computer found in the apartment where Fernando was holding Vinny. It
is pretty clear Bryce knew Fernando Lopez and played a role in the
kidnapping.”

Rafferty’s phone rang. “Yes ... Yes,
sir. On my way, sir.”

“That was the captain. Seems he just got a
call from the mayor who got a personal call from the governor. It’s
about Stanley Bryce. I’ve got to go.”

“Do you want the files?” asked Vinny.
“We have a lot more data.”

“Yes, yes. Hang on to it all. I’m sure
we will need it later. Right now the governor says jump, so we jump.
See ya.”

Chapter Forty-two: Top of the World

Stanley Bryce wasn’t a particularly brave man.
He didn’t command respect the way a leader like the governor
could. That didn’t bother him. He reveled in his role as a
subordinate, a man Friday. He accepted his place in the scheme of
things. He wasn’t a bad man, really. But he made one terrible
miscalculation. He fell in love. He let that love blind him to
reality, as many had done before him. And in that blindness he did
terrible things.

Now he knew that it had all been a lie. A horrible
joke played on him for no reason. Stanley Bryce slowly undressed as
he contemplated the acts he had committed in pursuit of an imaginary
relationship with the governor. He couldn’t remember specifics,
but he knew there were many. He folded each garment and laid it
neatly on the bed. When he was completely naked, he walked into the
bathroom and drew a bath, testing the temperature until it was just
right. He added bubble bath and then walked calmly through his
bedroom into the kitchen. After carefully examining several knives,
he chose a large chef’s knife and calmly stuck just the tip of
it into the palm of his left hand. He watched curiously as the blood
trickled down his arm. Again he poked himself gently, this time on
his left thigh. Nothing deep, just a nick. He cut himself several
more times until he felt satisfied. Eventually, he walked slowly into
the bathroom, carrying the knife by his side.

The bathtub was now half full, and bubbles foamed up
nearly to the top. Bryce set the knife down on the edge of the tub.
After sliding gently into the water, he washed the blood off his arms
and legs and wet his hair, slicking it back.

A smile appeared on his face as he dared to dream of
a future he could not have. He stood in front of the press, holding
hands with the governor and answering questions as his significant
other. “Yes, we are happy,” he said. “Yes, Robert
and I have been together many years.” He remembered a favorite
old black and white movie he had seen. “I made it, Ma. Top of
the world.”

First Bryce heard a single snicker from somewhere
out in the crowd. Then a laugh. He strained to see who it was but
couldn’t because the media camera lights were in his eyes. The
laughter spread and grew louder until it roared unbearably inside his
head. That’s when he grabbed the knife and with one fast
motion, drew it across his throat.

Chapter Forty-three: Cut and Print It

When the police found Stanley Bryce he had been dead
for a day and a half. For two days the shredders at the governor’s
home and office had run until they overheated in the effort to make
sure the governor could distance himself from Bryce.

Now Governor Black stood on the capitol steps in
Sacramento surrounded by reporters and cameras. His wife stood next
to him. Both wore black. He was ready for the inevitable questions
about his knowledge or involvement in the recent killings. Wisely
ignoring specific questions, he made a prepared statement.

“If what I’m being told is correct,
Stanley Bryce must have been overwhelmed with guilt,” said the
governor. “Some people aren’t built to withstand the
pressures of politics. The things he did were obviously the work of a
tortured and broken mind. Even now, I don’t have all the
details. I only wish we had seen it coming sooner.” The camera
focused on the sad look on the governor’s face.

“Can you say crocodile?” said Vinny, as
she and Raja watched the press conference unfold on the wide screen
in the loft.

“You doubt his sincerity?”

“I need another shower. I’m betting the
governor had Bryce killed, just like the rest.”

The phone rang and Raja answered. “Hey, Tommy
... Yeah, we are watching it now ... Sure. We can be there in a half
hour.”

“Okay, Vinny. We are going to find out soon
enough. Rafferty wants us to meet him at the coroner’s office.
Sharon has completed her autopsy on Stanley Bryce.”

At the governor’s request, the attorney
general announced that the case including the autopsy would be
handled by the LAPD, despite local law enforcement protest. He cited
the ties to an ongoing investigation of murders there as well as the
superior forensics division. The governor’s press secretary
announced that the governor wanted to ensure there be no favoritism
on behalf of himself during the investigation, and full transparency.
What he didn’t say was that getting the case moved to Los
Angeles put more distance between Bryce and the governor, something
the governor desperately needed. Thus it was that body, evidence and
all had arrived in LA two days earlier.

Rafferty, with the shortest drive from Parker Center
to Mission Road, was the first one to arrive at the coroner’s
office. When he walked in, Sharon was talking to her assistant.

“Joey—”

“Yes, sir.”

“Could you—”

“Take these samples to the chem lab? Yes sir,
right away.”

Sharon winced, and handed the package to Joey, who
hurried out of the lab.

“He’s the eager beaver,” said
Rafferty.

“A little too propitiative for my taste,”
said Sharon. “He’s been that way since the Randall Hope
fiasco, trying to make up for what wasn’t even his fault. In
fact, we put a whole new set of evidence handling protocols into the
office, beginning with no longer using outside couriers for sample
transport. Eventually we will have all the science under one roof.
But enough of my world. You probably want to hear about the autopsy.”

Rafferty considered any extra time he got to spend
with Sharon as a bonus. However, he said, “Of course, the
autopsy.”

Just then, Raja and Vinny walked into the outer lab
area.

“Perfect timing,” said Sharon. “Glad
you could make it. Tommy said it was only right that you be here. I
agree. Will the reporter be attending?”

“Sue Storm? Doubtful. I’m not sure the
finality of this mess has quite sunk in for her.”

“Finality, my ass,” said a female voice
in the hallway. In walked Sue Storm, still blond but groomed to look
good on camera, like any self-respecting TV reporter. “I’m
hoping to make hay with this story for the rest of the year, at
least. I’m thinking Pulitzer.”

The others laughed.

“Sue Storm, I presume,” said Sharon.
“This is a pleasant surprise.”

“Pleasant,” said Sue, smiling. “Yes,
it is pleasant to be out in public as myself. What did I miss?”

“We are just getting started,” said
Sharon. “I completed my preliminary examination of the body
yesterday, and then had the lab complete the tests I needed to
confirm my initial conclusions. This morning I did a complete
reexamination, looking for any latent signs of foul play. We have
been over every inch of Stanley Bryce’s body with every
possible instrument. Short of finding an invisible alien growing
inside of him, I can safely say the cause of death was exsanguination
precipitated by one self-inflicted laceration to his neck, severing
the left carotid artery.”

“Suicide?” said Vinny, unconvinced.

“Are you sure?” said Raja.

“If the doc says it’s suicide, then it
is,” said Rafferty, coming to Sharon’s defense.

“It’s okay, Tommy. They have a right to
ask. There have already been three murders rigged to look otherwise
on this case. And I already made one wrong call.”

“We aren’t doubting your skill,”
said Raja. “You know that. We just have to be sure.”

“Yes. I’m hoping I didn’t come out
of hiding too soon,” said Sue.

“Granted, it is important. That’s why I
wouldn’t make the call lightly. Without getting too technical,
let’s just say there are certain markers that would make
suicide probable. I found all of them in this case.”

“I hear probable, not definite,” said
Vinny, still holding out for her theory.

“Yes, from my examination alone, that is the
best I can do. Suicide is one of the hardest determinations to make.
It often requires corroborating evidence. And, there is just such
evidence in this case.” Sharon cued up a video on the computer
screen on the wall of the lab.

The picture showed a home video of Bryce sitting in
front of his laptop naked. There was blood on both forearms and his
chest. His face was expressionless. “I have been a fool. I have
done terrible things that I cannot bear. I am sorry.” The
numbness in his voice was palpable. When he reached forward for the
camera button, the large chef’s knife showed in his hand. The
screen went blank.

“The cuts you saw were fresh and had been made
only minutes before his death. It’s not uncommon for suicides
to prep for the final act by testing, probably to screw up their
courage. I can therefore say with certainty, Stanley Bryce took his
own life.”

There was an audible exhale that followed that
statement, especially from Detective Rafferty. No one wanted more
than he to close this mess of a case.

“That makes sense,” said Rafferty.
“Bryce was desperate to cover for the governor. We found plenty
of incriminating data on his personal laptop, including some of his
journal entries. It looks like he had a thing for the governor.”

“Do we know the governor wasn’t
involved?” asked Vinny.

“There was nothing to indicate he is anything
more than a sleazeball. In fact, he was the one who alerted us to
Bryce.”

“How convenient,” said Vinny.

“Not really,” said Rafferty. “He
even told us about his affair with the girl Jennifer Gowan, and about
the sex video.”

“I don’t know how I missed that juice,”
said Sue. “I guess I was too intent chasing my story on
business fraud.”

“The business fraud angle came out through
another so-called victim in this tale, Judge Griggsby. He was up to
his ears in bribes and insider investment data that he had gotten
from a white collar defendant who traded information for a light
sentence. He gave that information to Bryce who promised to help the
judge satisfy his miscreant desires. Bryce then traded the man-boy
connection to the judge for a promise to see that the Prop 8 appeal
overturned the law. Then Bryce used that to get campaign money from
the LGBT community for the governor.”

“Bryce certainly didn’t lack ambition,”
said Sharon.

“Like I said, he was in love with the
governor,” said Rafferty. “He wanted to help the governor
eventually reach the White House. I think he thought he would be the
first lady, or mate, or whatever.”

“That’s just sad,” said Vinny.

“Sad? The dude was nuts,” said Rafferty.
“Like most slimeballs, Judge Griggsby and Stanley Bryce never
trusted each other. Each tried to blackmail the other. Judge Griggsby
may have worn his man-boy love badge proudly, but pedophilia is still
a crime. Bryce had video and affidavits from a boy and his
mother—plus documented proof money had changed hands, all on
his computer. He used it to squeeze the judge on rescinding anti-gay
legislation. And the judge had the video compromising the governor.
That is likely what was in that locker at the Hillcrest Country
Club.”

“Who were the guys posing as feds at the
club?” asked Raja.

“Probably goons Bryce hired. Same with the hit
man from Detroit. We may never know exactly, now that Bryce is dead.
It all started to unravel when the judge’s wife overheard the
judge talking. Bryce must have thought the judge was betraying him
and he started having people killed.”

“What about the fraud that Sue uncovered?”

“I think Bryce was using that information to
garner more money for the governor to launch his national political
career. He must have promised to grease the lines and help get
government grants pushed through for the energy companies in exchange
for campaign money. There will be more investigation in that area,
don’t you think, Ms. Storm?”

“I’m sure of it,” said Sue. “With
the collapse of Solyndra and other energy companies like it, and the
information Vinny and I uncovered, there will be a long hard look at
the whole area of government funding.”

“And Fernando Lopez?” asked Raja.

“Turns out he passed through the judge’s
courtroom years back on pandering charges. Ironically, Bryce may have
found Fernando through the judge, and then used him to eliminate the
judge and his wife.” Detective Rafferty relished the
opportunity to talk about the case now that it was closed.

Raja fed him more softball questions and let him
bask in the glory. Tommy deserved it. After all, he had saved Vinny.
When the questions and answers wound down, the conversation turned to
Sue Storm.

“I really appreciate your persistence in
pursuing your story,” said Raja. “It took a lot of guts.
I don’t think we could have solved our case without your help.”

“Thanks, Raja. I’m looking forward to a
couple puff pieces next, if you don’t mind.” Despite the
protest, it was clear Sue felt at home in the middle of danger and
controversy.

“Blond is a good look for you. Going to keep
it?” asked Vinny.

“I might have to, as a reminder of what it
takes to do my job.”

Chapter Forty-four: The Fat Lady Sings

Whenever a case was wrapped, Raja liked to celebrate
by tasting the local culture of the city. Sometimes he would find a
venue unique to that city, sometimes it would be a museum, a ballet,
or even a sporting event to attend. Tonight he felt like opera. Le
Damnation de Faust was playing at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and
after this case, the story of a man who sold himself to the devil
seemed apropos. He always invited Vinny, she always declined, and
Raja would take the opportunity to cleanse himself with an aesthetic
bath, as he called the experience.