Table of Contents
For Susan...
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book is an offshoot of an hour I produced for the CBS newsmagazine 48 Hours, where Im still employed as a producer. I must thank the following people for their ideas and encouragement and general help along the way: Susan Zirinsky, Katie Boyle, Bill Lagattuta, Shoshanah Wolfson, Fred Hawthorne, Gregory McLaughlin, Bill Hitchcock, Larry Warner and Glenn Aust. In Tacoma, I received invaluable help from the Judson family (and their spokesman Mark Firmani), the Brame family, Sylvia Boskovich, and John Hathaway. Kudos also to my agent, Scott Miller of the Trident Media Group, and my editor at NAL, Martha Bushko. Finally, all the time on the road and working on this book would not have been possible without the enduring support of my wife, Susan, and my children, Alexandra and Peter.
BOOK I
MARRIED LIFE
1
I Love Me
It was the night of February 15, 2003, and David Brame and Crystal, his wife of eleven years, were fighting again. Their house on Eagle Creek Lane in Gig Harbor, Washington, sits in a cul-de-sac, and because Gig Harbor is so quiet, it was easy for the neighbors to hear what was going on. But not one of them called the police. There were a couple of reasons for that: theyd heard the ugly words a hundred times before and they knew who lived in the house. David Brame was the police, the chief of police in Tacoma, the city that sits just north of Gig Harbor. Calling the cops, well, what good would that do?
I told you before and Im going to tell you again. Im not going with you, Crystal told her husband, David.
Brame sat on the bed, barely looking up. He was putting on his best dress shoes and he was concentrating on them, having noticed a small spot. Yes, you are.
No, David, Im not.
The couples children, Haley, eight, and David Jr., five, were just a few feet away, over in the living room watching television, but it hardly mattered to either parent. There had been years of fighting and yelling and screaming. It was normal to them. The kids couldnt help but notice and it certainly upset them but there was little they could do. They processed what was happening and put it away for another time. David and Crystal Brame argued so often that they didnt try to hide it anymore. It had become a way of life, Crystal later said when she retold the story of this night. A neighbor disagreed; he said he once saw little Haley after one such fight and could see that she was not used to the fighting, not at all. After one such fight, he said, he noticed that Haley had the saddest eyes Ive ever seen.
As for David Brame, well, everyone agreed that he loved his kids but he was nothing if not self-absorbed. His administrative assistant recalled a time when he called her at nearly eleven p.m. and asked what she was doing. Im driving my daughter to the emergency room, she told Brame. Without hesitation, he said, Well, let me tell you whats going on with me. She couldnt believe it, but that was David Brame. He was Number One and the rest of the human race was a distant second.
David Brame wiped the spot on his shoe to his satisfaction and stood up. He walked over to the mirror above the sink and brushed his hair. Standing straight, he smoothed his good pants and smiled at his reflection. As he often did, he folded his arms across his chest, admired his reflection and whispered, I love me. It was a weird little habit but Crystal had seen it before. She was shocked the first time but now it was just another strange little thing that David did, and he did plenty of them. At least this one was harmless. He was a narcissist, handsome and proud of it. For a person who liked to keep secrets, he had a remarkably open and friendly face; a small lock of hair that fell onto his forehead only accentuated his boyish charm. David Brame had charisma; he was a born leader. That, there was no denying.
He smiled at his reflection a second time. He had come a long way from his upbringing in East Tacoma, the perennial poor side of town. And now here he was: hed achieved his lifelong dream, becoming chief in his hometown of Tacoma, Washington. And it felt good. He was forty-four years old and looked like a man in his prime, a powerful man. He was just over six feet tall and had put on a few pounds, but so what? He had power and he looked great when he wore that police uniform. If you were making a movie and looking to cast someone in the role of David Brame, police chief, you would pick someone imposing but with all-American good looks, perhaps Kevin Costner in his prime. Thats how handsome David Brame was. And he knew that plenty of women would do whatever he wanted.
Plenty of women, but not Crystal. And thats what galled him more than anything. For the first time, he let sink in what shed been telling him for the better part of an hour: she didnt feel well and wasnt going to accompany him and his cop buddies over to Anthonys, a terrific seafood restaurant that sits on the Gig Harbor waterfront. It has views to die for; there are no bad tables at Anthonys. Brame enjoyed going there and this was a special night. They were celebrating the appointments of Brames new assistant chiefs. He looked over at Crystal. She was just barely five feet tall and he towered over her. And he knew for a fact that she didnt weigh more than 105 pounds. He saw to that. Each morning after her shower, he made her stand on the scale while he watched. Still, she looked heavier than she used to. Must be gravity, he thought. Happens to every woman and, after all, Crystal had borne him two children. But so what? Was that an excuse? There were plenty of female cops older than Crystal who looked a lot better and, truth be told, hed already picked out one he especially liked. If only Crystal would do some exercise. He took a step toward her.
Crystal, youre going to make us late. Im the chief. I cant be late. Now get dressed.
She bristled: Get this right. I am not going with you.
Crystals voice was an octave higher than usual and had a slightly hysterical edge. He wasnt even sure he wanted her to come but he wasnt going to give in that easily. Shed been challenging his authority much too much lately. He had to try to reassert his control over her.
I think I need to change this shirt. Have you seen my blue turtleneck?
Its in the closet.
Brame took a step into the bedrooms walk-in closet but then had a better idea. Can you at least show me where it is?
Crystal slithered past him in her usual, scared-shit way. As soon as she did, he took a step and blocked the doorway, the only way out.
Then Brame reached out, clamped one hand hard onto her throat and pushed her to the very back of the closet. He pulled the door closed behind him. You fucking bitch, he snarled. Youll do what I tell you to do. Now get dressed before I dress you myself.
No, she gasped.
Her voice reflected the strain of having Brames hand around her neck.
Why do you have to be such a bitch? Do you want to spend another two hours in here?
Her eyes jumped, registering fear. Hed locked her in herethis six-by-nine-foot closetonce before and, when he went to get her, she was lying on the floor crying like a whipped dog. Hed picked her up that time, thrown her into the bathroom and told her to clean herself up. Brame knew she didnt want to go through that again.
