The Chaos Kind (John Rain #11)(33)

“Looks like you were right,” Nulty said, turning to Robinson. “Just hadn’t been entered yet.”

Robinson rolled his eyes. “I’m surprised they even had a copy of it. Half the time the left hand doesn’t have a clue what the right is up to.”

Nulty laughed. “Tell me about it.”

Something still felt . . . off to Dunlop. But if the chief was okay with it all, it wasn’t Dunlop’s problem. He printed out the release paperwork and slid it over to Robinson with a pen.

Robinson glanced at the other agent. “Look over the paperwork, will you? Make sure it’s in order.” He looked at Dunlop. “No offense. Just don’t want any more glitches.”

Dunlop shook his head. “None taken.” Which wasn’t exactly true. But whatever.

A few minutes later, a klaxon sounded, an electronic lock clacked, and the barred door to the prisoners’ area slid open with a mechanical whine. Two guards brought out Schrader, hands and ankles regulation-manacled.

Schrader looked at the two agents, then at Dunlop. “What’s going on?”

“Court order,” Robinson said, bending to sign the release paperwork. “Your presence is requested at the Seattle field office.”

“Why?”

Robinson didn’t even look up. “You’re asking the wrong people. We just drive the car.”

“Does my lawyer know?”

“You’ll have to ask her. Come on, guy, we’re already behind schedule. Let’s go.”

After they left, Dunlop still felt a little bothered—more than he had at the outset. He didn’t know why. He’d checked every box. Called the chief and everything.

A half hour had passed before he realized what was bugging him. Those agents—they were a couple of paper pushers, like him. Just there to pick up a prisoner, nothing more than that. Robinson had barely even remembered Schrader’s name.

So how had he known Schrader’s lawyer was a woman?





chapter

twenty-five





LIVIA


Livia was in the parking garage, about to jump into her Jeep, when the phone buzzed. Alondra. She picked up and said, “I was about to call you. The morning briefing—”

“He’s out!” Diaz said. “I just got a call from the desk officer at the FDC. He said there was a court order, but I called the court—”

Livia tried to control her shock. “What do you mean, out? Schrader? How?”

“That’s what I’m saying. They released him. The desk officer, Dunlop, he says there was a court order and they confirmed it with the court, but I just called the court myself and it’s bullshit, there’s no court order, the clerk spoke personally with Judge Ricardo and there’s no fucking court order! What is going on?”

“I don’t understand. He just walked out of the jail? Who did they release him to?”

“Two FBI special agents—Robinson and McBride.”

“Did you—”

“Of course. I called the local field office. There are two agents with those names, but I spoke to one of them, and he told me he didn’t know what I was talking about, he had no orders, he’d been nowhere near the FDC, he had nothing to do with Schrader. What the fuck is this?”

Livia tried to focus. “Does anybody know where Schrader is?”

“No one I’ve spoken to. I don’t know how someone could pull this off. Dunlop said the court order was totally legit—stamped and everything. Even Ricardo’s signature is a match!”

Think, Livia. Think. “Where are you now?”

“On my way to the courthouse to find out what the hell is going on. And listen. Not a half hour before this went down, I was at the FDC, interviewing Schrader.”

“What? Why?”

“That thing at the park. I just . . . I was spooked. I needed to confront him. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is, he told me he has video. Of all these powerful men having sex with kids. Raping them, though of course he didn’t put it that way. He said everyone knows if anything happens to him, the videos will be released.”

As Livia tried to process that, she heard an incoming call beep. She checked the screen—Caller Blocked.

“I have to take this,” she said.

“Wait, we need to figure out—”

“Listen to me, Alondra. Don’t go home, do you understand? Don’t go back to work. Don’t go anywhere you might be expected.”

“Livia, what the hell—”

“Just do as I say! And don’t go to the courthouse. Hold on, I have to take this call.”

“Wait, what—”

“I’ll be right back.” She switched over to the incoming call. “Yes.”

“Hey,” Carl said. “Can you talk?”

“It’s better if we meet. Are you around here? But don’t say where.”

“Yeah, way ahead of you. You know that beverage place I once told you I like? And you told me it was one of your favorites?”

He was talking about All City Coffee in Georgetown. But she got her coffee there routinely and they all knew her. “Yes.”

“Would that work?”

She thought for a second. “Make it the park northwest of there. When can you be there?”