“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?”
“Inside a half hour.”
“Okay. If I’m late, wait for me. I have to go.”
She switched back to Diaz. “Alondra?”
“What’s going on?”
“Not on the phone. Now pay attention. I’ve tried to get you to be more careful and you haven’t listened. That’s my fault, not yours, I should have pushed harder. But I am pushing now. You got lucky at the park this morning and we can’t rely on that kind of luck again. Ditch your phone right now. I don’t care what you do with it, but you can’t keep it on your person. Go straight to a public place, stay there, borrow someone’s phone, and call me in an hour. You can’t have a phone right now, it’s too easy to track.”