The Color of Greed (Raja Williams 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

home.”
    “I drove here, damn it.”
    “Yes, you did. But you’re not driving
home.” Raja waved for a waiter and arranged for a ride. “I
have more to do. Go with … ” He paused and looked at the waiter.
    “Max.”
    “Go with Max. He’ll take care of you.
I’ll call you tomorrow.”
    “Not too early,” said Clarice, taking
the waiter’s hand. The waiter led her to the coatroom to get
her wrap.
    Raja returned his attention to the other guests. “Am
I going to run out of film in these cameras?” he asked into his
headset.
    “They are digital, and they automatically
upload to my computer and then clear for more pictures. You can’t
run out,” said Vinny.
    “How about the batteries?”
    “Are you looking for an excuse to leave, Raj?”
    “You got one?”
    “Have you taken a shot of everyone at the
party?”
    “Everyone but the caterers and the valets.”
    “Sounds good, but what about your little
girlfriends?”
    Raja noticed the two twenty-somethings who were
shadowing him around the party. “Perfect. I knew you’d
come up with a reason for me to leave. I’m out of here.”
Raja headed to the oversized double front door that stood open.
Clarice was gone, already on her way home in a limousine. Once
outside, Raja handed his ticket to the valet and waited, taking in
the view. The clear moonlit night over Los Angeles showcased
thousands of glistening lights that covered the city like Christmas
decorations. The vista had an almost fairy-tale quality. LA was a
wicked temptress who could steal your soul and make you forget who
you were. It was one reason Raja never stayed there too long.

Chapter Four: Leonardo
    The smooth rev of a familiar engine brought him back
to where he stood. The valet braked hard in front of Raja, enjoying
the opportunity to drive the classic car. Raja smiled. He drove many
hot cars, but the customized 1966 Alpha Romeo Duetto was one of his
favorites.
    “Nice car, sir,” said the valet.
    “Thanks,” said Raja, never taking his
eyes off the car. The red Duetto glistened in the spotlights, purring
like a cat. Raja climbed behind the wheel.
    The round headlights swept left and right as the
low-slung red sports car wound along Mulholland Drive high over the
city. With the top down, the wind blew the driver’s wavy hair
straight back, and the pale moon highlighted his high cheekbones and
strong jaw. The narrow mountain road was as dark as it was
treacherous, with sudden hairpin turns and steep embankments that
dropped off into thin air. Raja loved it. The Alpha Romeo hugged the
asphalt like a slot car as it slalomed along the winding road.
Halfway down the mountain Raja tried to brake going into a sharp turn
and felt the brake pedal sink uselessly to the floor of the tiny
sports car. Only his cat-like reflexes and a quick downshift kept the
car from sliding over the edge as it careened painfully around the
curve in the road. The emergency brake proved just as useless as the
car hurtled downward faster and faster. Twice he scraped the car into
the left side embankment slowing it down enough to screech around
another hairpin curve. The next turn would be the worst, where the
narrow edge dropped one hundred feet below the road at the spot the
locals called Deadman’s Bluff. Raja knew he would never make
the turn at sixty miles per hour. He steered into the turn and then
spun the leather wheel the other way, turning the car sideways to its
forward momentum. For a brief millisecond the car paused as the tires
dug into the road. In that instant Raja opened the driver’s
door and threw his body out. Then the tires bit hard and the car
flipped sideways, tumbling and bouncing several times before
disappearing over the edge. Raja slid along the dirt and came to a
stop just as a loud explosion echoed off the canyon walls below.
Dusting himself off, he walked to the edge and stared down at the
burning wreckage. Someone was threatened by his presence in LA.
Whoever it was they were desperate