The Strategist (32 page)

CHAPTER 56

T
here were eight people inside Mayor Sonya Richmond’s office. Aside from the mayor, none of them were public figures. They could drive down any street, shop in any grocery store or walk into any office building and blend in perfectly with anyone other ordinary person there.

But the people in this office were far from ordinary. They were part of an unseen conglomerate that powered the economic, political, media, and social machine for the state and points far beyond it. Theirs was a circle of influence so secret and so powerful that no one except for its members even knew of its existence. And today they assembled to discuss a matter of the upmost importance.

The circle was in danger of being compromised.

It seemed that one of their own had managed to get himself into a situation that he could not get himself out of, and instead of calling upon those members of the circle with the resources and expertise to help him, he decided to resolve the situation on his own. The result was not only a personal crisis for the member, but a professional crisis for his wife – herself a highly valued member of the circle.

With a firestorm brewing that involved large-scale financial and political wrongdoing, as well as rampant marital infidelity, the people in this room were charged with finding a swift resolution.

For Sonya Richmond, resolution didn’t mean finding a way to save her marriage. It meant finding a way to cut herself loose from a man she had stopped loving years ago; a man whose only real value to her decreased exponentially with each new report that surface
d about his various misdeeds.

His behavior had always been a potential liability for her. Before now she had always found a way to manage it. But with the existence of the disk and its impending release to the public, he had finally created a situation that went beyond her ability to manage.

Even though she first learned of the disk days ago, Elliott had waited until the story broke on the ten p.m. news to tell her. She didn’t act surprised, but also refrained from telling him that she had already seen it. Instead she half-listened as he insisted that they could find a way through the situation as long as they stuck together. But Sonya already knew there would be no getting through the situation together.

The election was two weeks away, and her twelve-point lead in the polls virtually assured that she would become the next United States Senator from the state of Colorado. Certain members of the circle had aspirations for her that were far greater, and with their help she would eventually get there too. But the senate was a necessary first step.

Now, one flash disk threatened to destroy everything. The fact that Elliott had such a gross inability to keep his dick in his pants was bad enough. But the fact that that shortcoming was on full display in a video that was dangerously close to become a part of the public record was something she simply could not tolerate. She had to act quickly to mitigate the damage. And holding a press conference where she tearfully stood by her man while he declared his innocence was simply not going to do.

The result was this meeting. The group discussed various scenarios for the better part of four hours before finally coming to a consensus. The ultimate decision was not an easy one to make. But Sonya knew it was the only one that could be made for the best interests of all involved, Elliott included.

She requested that the other members be present when she called him into her office. They agreed, with the stipulation that Sonya would be the only one to speak. The decision may have been a collective one. But the responsibility to hand it down was strictly hers.

Sonya understood, and with a heart that was surprisingly heavy, she summoned Elliott to the meeting.

He was silent as entered. Meetings with this many members at once were rare. He knew everyone in this room, but had never met with all of them at the same time. He swallowed hard as he sat.

“Hello Elliott,” Sonya said. Her tone was formal.

“Hi honey,” he answered nervously, his eyes shifting from one member to the next. Finally he looked at her. “What’s going on?”

Sonya fanned a stack of papers on her desk. “We… I have to tell you something.”

Elliott sat upright in his chair. He looked at the group again. Every one of them held his glance. “Okay.”

Sonya sighed, then looked at her husband with an unwavering stare. “We have to feed you to the wolves.”

Elliott chuckled. “Feed me to the wolves? What the hell does that mean?”

“It means that I can’t stand by you on this.”

Elliott’s smile went away and he leaned forward in his chair. “What?”

“I have a news conference scheduled for two-thirty today. I’m basically going to look into the camera and tell the entire nation that I’m completely disassociating myself from you. Call it a pre-emptive strike.”

Elliott’s mouth quivered. “You can’t do that. You’re my wife. I didn’t do what they’re accusing me of. I didn’t kill anybody. Why would you even say…”

“Elliott, please.”

“Look Sonya, can we at least talk about this?”

“I’m sorry, but there’s nothing to talk about. If the world thinks you murdered that girl, then I’m not going to say or do a single thing that dissuades them of that notion. You can swear up and down that you’re not guilty of this. And at the end of it all, you might even convince some jury of that. But in the meantime, you’re going to drown. And I’m not about to drown with you.”

Elliott’s mouth no longer quivered. In fact, he didn’t move at all. He simply stared at the Colorado state seal that was etched into the wall behind his wife.

“I’m as much a victim in this whole thing as Julia Leeds is,” she continued. “By the time I’m finished, the voters of this state will think I’m more of a v
ictim. I know it’s a terrible situation, Elliott. But what’s going on here is much bigger than you. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good. If you truly believe in what we’re doing, you’ll understand why the sacrifice has to be you.”

Elliott shook his head and looked at the group of stoic men sitting in front of him. “So that’s it? You’re not even going to try to make this better?”

Not a single one of them flinched.

Elliott turned back to his wife. “Anything that I did, I did it for you. For us. For our future.”

“I wish I could believe that. I really do. But the reality is that you were only trying to save your own ass. If you were really thinking about me, you would have ended the affair and that bullshit Ace Project a long time ago.”

Elliott buried his face in his hands. “What about our children?”

“Considering everything that you’re accused of, they’ll be better off without you,” she answered with a coldness that was not entirely consistent with how she felt. But right now it didn’t matter how she felt. Right now, all that mattered was that the circle would remain unbroken.

Once she took her rightful place in the senate and began the journey to even bigger and better things, she would look back on this meeting and realize how correct her decision was.

But for the time being it left a hole in Sonya’s heart so big, she wondered if anything she ever achieved would fill it again.

CHAPTER 57

T
he press conference was being carried live by every major news network in the country, and as Camille sat next to Chloe Sullivan’s hospital bed, she hung on every single word. Mayor Richmond began by addressing the shootings of Camille and Detectives Sullivan and Graham and assured the public that the man arrested for those shootings would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But she never once mentioned Joseph Solomon’s name, his affiliation with the Denver police department, or his involvement in Julia’s murder. She did, however, go to great lengths to assure the voters of the state that her campaign was being run with the upmost honesty and integrity, and challenged anyone to argue otherwise. Every time she used the word honesty - and Camille’s latest count had the number at thirty-five - Mayor Richmond looked directly into the camera; her look of earnestness so practiced that it almost looked authentic. When she spoke of her husband, however, the mayor did not look into the camera once.

She chose to address the charges against him by not addressing them at all. Camille hadn’t expected a mea culpa, but she did expect the mayor to vehemently refute the accusations of voter fraud and financial malfeasance. Instead she vowed a full commitment to her campaign and its supporters while due process was allowed to play itself out.

“I cannot let the alleged actions of my husband, whether they are true or not, destroy a campaign that I’ve fought so vigorously to win. I expect that Elliott will fight these charges to the best of his ability, but I do not condone his actions, nor can I stand by him as he mounts a defense. My family has been embarrassed, I have been personally devastated, and the citizens whose lives have been most affected by these accusations have been betrayed. I will maintain the transparency that you’ve grown accustomed to during the remainder of this campaign, but I ask that you please respect my privacy, as well as that of my two children, when it comes to these very personal matters. Thank you.” Before Mayor Richmond could take a step away from the podium, she was bombarded with a series of rapid-fire questions.

A young man in a black suit stepped up to the microphone. “I’m sorry ladies and gentlemen, but the mayor will not be taking questions at this time.”

The inquiries continued, however. One question stood above the others and immediately commanded the attention of all those in attendance. “Mayor Richmond, what about the accusations that your husband was romantically involved with Julia Leeds? And the assertions that she was murdered because of it?”

Mayor Richmond made her way back to the microphone over the feeble protests of the kid in the suit. “I’m aware of those accusations, but seeing as I have no knowledge of this supposed disk that the media is talking about, I have no comment except that I fully expect the criminal justice system to do its job. The truth will come out one way or another, and I will do everything in my power to see that the right person is prosecuted for Julia Leeds’ murder,
whomever that person turns out to be.”

Another barrage of questions followed. “What do you say to the members of Julia’s family who claim that you know more than you’re leading us to believe?”

Mayor Richmond took a deep breath and looked into the camera once last time. “First and foremost, I offer my deepest condolences for their indescribable loss. Second, I want to see the person or persons who killed her brought to justice just as much as anyone else does. While the accusations against Elliott are shocking, I cannot let personal feelings deter me from discovering the truth. And discovering the truth is exactly what I plan to do.”

She made her way off the podium under the continuous flare of camera bulbs and a torrent of questions that would never be answered.

When the press conference was over, Detective Sullivan looked at Camille and shook her head. “So much for standing by your man.”

“I’ve never seen anything quite like that,” Camille said.

“Does she honestly think that she can hold one press conference where she throws her husband under the bus then go back to business as usual?”

“That’s exactly what she thinks.”

“Then she’s crazier than I thought.”

“I think she knows full well what she will be able to get away with and what she won’t. And she knows she’s going to get away with this.”

“Even if she has to destroy her family in the process?”

“Her husband already beat her to the punch on that one. She’s simply putting the final nail in the coffin.”

A solemn look suddenly came over Sullivan’s face. “I’m so sorry, Camille.”

“Sorry for what?”

“Sorry that your best friend was killed. Sorry about the resistance you got from Graham when you confronted us with the truth of what happened. Sorry for all the time that was wasted because of it. Mostly I’m sorry that I didn’t stand up for you sooner.”

Camille’s chest felt heavy. “I appreciate all of that, Detective Sullivan. But you don’t have anything to be sorry for. I’ve dealt with enough sorrow and regret to last three lifetimes, and I know it never leads to anything healthy or productive. It only eats at you until there is nothing left. I don’t want that to happen to you in any way, shape, or form. Is that understood?”

“Loud and clear,” Sullivan answered with a mild look of surprise. “Thank you for understanding.”

“I understand much more than you realize.”

“I imagine you do.” Sullivan strained as she propped herself up in her hospital bed.

Camille saw her struggling and stood up to help.

“Thank you,” Sullivan said with a sigh as she settled in. “I swear if I don’t get out of this bed soon I’m going to strangle somebody.”

Camille smiled. “Just don’t let it be me.”

Sullivan smiled back. “Don’t worry. You’re safe.”

She was due to be released from the hospital in the morning. The surgeries to remove her spleen and the bullet fragments in her upper thigh and torso were successful, and physically she was expected to recover. The emotional recovery, as Camille knew all too well, would be another story.

“So what’s the plan when you get out of here?” Camille asked.

“Conventional wisdom says I should take some time to recover, go on an extended vacation somewhere. But I don’t know if the quiet would be a blessing or a curse at this point. Every time I close my eyes I see Graham. I can hear his voice as if he’s standing next to me. I need to keep my mind active. And if the only way I can do that is by getting back on the street, then that’s what I have to do.”

Paul, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, interjected for the first time. “I know from personal experience how easy it is to think that way. But I also know from personal experience that if you don’t take some time for yourself right now, you’re going to regret it down the road. At the very least you want to talk to someone.”

“As long as they’re not affiliated with the department,” Sullivan said.

“Why do you say that?” Paul asked.

“Because after everything that’s happened, I don’t know who I can trust there and who I can’t. I’m sure there are worse things that can happen to a police officer than getting shot and nearly killed by a fellow police officer, but I don’t know what those things are.”

“He wasn’t a fellow officer,” Camille reminded her. “He was nothing more than a contract killer who wore a costume.”

“And that makes it so much worse, Camille. The fact that someone like that can infiltrate our department so brazenly means that the institution is fundamentally broken. And if the allegations that Commander Brandt was responsible for recruiting Joseph Solomon are true, then I fear that what happened with
Solomon wasn’t an aberration.”

“It was merely the tip of the iceberg,” Paul asserted.

“If that is the case, then it’s all the more reason for you to stay,” Camille said. “The only way to fix what’s wrong with the department is by having more people like you on the inside.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Paul said with a light smile.

Sullivan shook her head. “I appreciate that you both think so highly of me. But the issues this department has go way beyond my ability to fix. This investigation has only just begun. Who knows what else is going to surface that the public has yet to learn about. If there are more corrupt cops out there, particularly in the detective bureau, the department will open itself to lawsuits, the possibility of cases being retried and even overturned, and a public who has lost all confidence in the system. When morale within the rank and file starts to deteriorate, and it will, more officers will opt for early retirement or will decide to quit altogether. Less police presence in the streets means more crime in the streets. As a result, public confidence erodes even further. What you’re left with is a department that is left in complete disarray. I’m sorry, but I’m not so sure I want to be a part of that.”

Camille and Paul both nodded their understanding. Camille was just about to speak when she was interrupted by her cell phone. When she saw that the incoming number had a 202 area code, she sighed and buried the phone in her pocket.

“Another one?” Paul asked.

“Yep.”

“What do you mean by another one?” Sullivan asked.

“Ever since my name landed back in the news, my phone has been ringing nonstop with calls from peo
ple I used to work with at the Bureau. They were mostly calls of concern, which I appreciated. But then I started getting calls asking me to reconsider my resignation.”

“And what was your response?” a wide-eyed Sullivan asked.

“I didn’t respond.”

“Not to a single call?”

“Not even when the Director himself asked for a meeting.”

Paul sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. “I told him that he couldn’t have her back, no matter how much he begged.” He could barely contain his smile.

“Did you at least consider it?” Sullivan asked.

“Not for a second.”

Sullivan nodded. “With everything you went through there, I guess that’s understandable. So then I guess I should ask you the same question that you asked me. What’s the plan now?”

Camille waited a long time before answering. By the time she was ready, the tears were already pooling under her eyelids. “First and foremost, there are two very important women whose gravesites I need to visit. After that, I’m not really sure. But I’ve gotten assurances from my dear father that he’ll help me figure out what that path should be.”

“I’ve already told you, I could always use a caddie,” he said with a sly smile.

Sullivan laughed. “Whatever it is you decide to do, just make sure you don’t go too far away. I realize we’ve only just met, but I kind of like having you around.”

“You saved my life, Detective Sullivan. I’d say the feeling is more than mutual.” Camille was silent for a moment as she let the gravity of the statement sink in. Detective Sullivan did save her life. There was a time when such an act would have meant nothing to her. But now that she realized hers was a life worth saving, her gratitude to Sullivan was boundless. As Stephen Clemmons had rightly put it, there were a lot of wounds to heal, and she was finally ready to begin.

“So you’re promising not to go too far
away?” Sullivan reiterated.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Camille answered with a self-assuredness that had completely eluded her up to this poin
t. “I’ve finally made it home.”