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“Titanic big.”
CHAPTER 28
Washington, D.C. Thursday, April 13, 2023 10:32 p.m.
LAURA MCALLISTER SAT ALONE IN THE SMALL RECORDING STUDIO on the campus of McCormack University, pulled the headphones off her ears, and pushed the microphone away from her. Besides the glimmer of her laptop and the few lights glowing on the dashboard of the control panel, the studio was dark. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves now that she had finished the recording, but still her hand shook when she pulled the USB flash drive from her computer. The memory stick contained the final edits of the episode she had been working on for the past month. Now, with her voice-over completed and testimonials polished, the episode was nearly ready to drop. Last month, when she appeared on Wake Up America, Dante Campbell had asked her what she would be working on next. At the time, Laura had no idea. A month later, she believed she had a story that would send shock waves throughout the university.
Stored on the flash stick was a wide-ranging episode that covered her monthlong investigation into allegations of rape at McCormack University, and the blatant cover-up by faculty and administrators who hoped they could bury the story deep in the ground, where it would die and decay before anyone knew it existed. The episode was the most far-reaching and legitimate piece of investigative reporting she’d done. It contained interviews with students who knew the facts, faculty who were brave enough to talk, scientists who explained how date-rape drugs work, and psychiatrists who clarified why rape victims don’t always or immediately come forward to tell their stories. The episode named the offenders and confirmed the accusations with timelines and photos. Laura had even gone quasi-undercover to a fraternity party to prove that its members were spiking drinks with gamma hydroxybutyrate, a date-rape drug commonly referred to as Liquid G.
Laura McAllister was about to prove again that small outlets like her little university radio show could break huge stories. Her ex-posé was poised to make a huge splash. It not only tackled campus rape at McCormack University, date-rape drugs, and university cover-ups, but also poignantly examined the debate about consent and dove deeply into the choices students make about sex.
The episode was sure to have the university and those in charge scrambling. It had the power to ruin lives and end careers, which was why Laura was starting to have reservations about airing it. The story was so volatile that Laura worried about the fallout it would cause. She’d done her homework, confirmed every accusation, and collected proof of each bombshell she would drop, yet some part of her psyche questioned whether she should go through with it. For one of the accused, in particular, things would go haywire in a way Laura knew she could not predict. She imagined having to testify in front of Congress about the legitimacy of her findings, and she worried about the powerful people who would do anything to thwart the story and discredit her as nothing more than a college kid with dreams of being the next Jodi Kantor, Megan Twohey, or Ronan Farrow. She wondered whether the scrutiny would be worth it.
Then she thought of the victims. The girls whose stories she would tell had already had their lives ruined, and somehow Laura had become their voice. Laura had become the only one who would shine light on their tragedy because the people in charge wanted the story to go away. Laura and her little radio show had become the only avenue to get their stories out, and she felt obligated to use her platform to help. If the lives of those who perpetrated the crimes and then tried to cover them up were destroyed in the process, so be it. And if powerful people came after her and tried to smear her reputation, she would push back. She had Dante Campbell’s information stored on her phone and an offer from one of the most powerful and well-known journalists in the country to help if Laura ever needed advice.
Her cell phone buzzed and pulled Laura from her thoughts. When she looked at the caller ID, she saw Duncan Chadwick’s name. His father had been all over the news lately as the president’s likely nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy. As Laura stared at her phone, two things dawned on her. The first was that, despite her efforts at secrecy, her story had leaked. The second was that she was now in a race against time.
CHAPTER 29
Washington, D.C. Friday, April 14, 2023 6:45 p.m.
ANNETTE PACKARD SAT IN THE BACK OF THE SUV AND READ THROUGH her notes. During her career, she’d overseen the vetting of dozens of judges, scores of senators, and countless congressional candidates. Nearly a third of America’s sitting governors had had their lives picked apart by Annette Packard before starting their campaigns and making their runs. Smooth sailing was never expected when rooting through the private affairs of political hopefuls. Yet, until recently, Annette had found exactly that in the last three months of picking through Larry Chadwick’s life—clear skies and calm winds. The man was a choirboy. It had been a refreshing change, but now the other shoe had dropped. It usually did. This time, it was Chadwick’s son who threatened to derail the process.
As the SUV pulled up to the Chadwick residence Annette contemplated that up until this latest development the worst she’d found during her forensic review of the judge’s life and career were a couple of favors called in to get his delinquent son out of trouble. They were nothing most parents wouldn’t have done if they had the power and influence to do it. At least, that was how she and her team had presented the information to the president. There was no denying that Larry Chadwick could be accused of abusing his position to bail his son out of trouble, but in the grand scheme of things the transgressions were minor. The biggest had been Larry skirting his son around a DUI charge when Duncan Chadwick was seventeen. Sketchy, but not bad enough to sink Larry’s nomination. At most, the incident would lead to a few uncomfortable questions and accusations of privilege from particularly nasty senators out for blood. And this would happen only if the events were discovered. The DUI, in particular, had been so well concealed that Annette and her team had barely managed to uncover it, and she had the power of the entire Justice Department behind her.
In the event that an eager senator was able to unearth the DUI and other minor incidents, Larry could handle the questions. They would coach him on how to respond. Going after a nominee’s kid was dangerous. If the tactic got classified as a cheap assault on the candidate’s child, it would backfire. Bottom line, attacking Larry Chadwick for his son’s nonviolent offenses would be an unwise approach by the opposition. Going after Larry Chadwick for his son’s role in a series of rapes on McCormack University’s campus, however, would not only be fair game, but lethal to Larry’s chances.
When the driver pulled to the curb, Annette climbed out of the SUV and headed toward the Chadwicks’ brownstone. Dark thunderstorms were forming on the horizon, threatening to ruin months of blue skies and clear sailing.
CHAPTER 30
Washington, D.C. Friday, April 14, 2023 7:00 p.m.
THE FBI’S PRESENCE IN HIS CHAMBERS NO LONGER SURPRISED HIM. IT was when they showed up unannounced at his home that Larry Chadwick became uncomfortable. Annette Packard and her team had taken a wrecking ball to his past, knocking down everything that was questionable and picking through the rubble for suspicious or nefarious remains. He resigned himself to the fact that in order to be handed a lifetime appointment on the highest court in the country his life was going to be dismantled ahead of time to make sure there was nothing rotting behind the walls. The demolition, however, never seemed to end.
As Larry pulled up to his DC brownstone, he saw the black government-issued SUV parked out front, hazards blinking and an agent behind the wheel. House calls always meant a “development” had come up, on which Annette needed Larry’s immediate attention. They were nearing the end of the vetting period. Larry had been through his life’s history with Annette on a number of occasions and could think of nothing more he could offer about himself. In recent weeks, Annette had moved away from his academic years and had started concentrating on his adult life and career. But his finances were in order with no blemishes of bribes or corruption. Larry was confident in his professional choices throughout his career. He’d offered the right opinions and decisions from the bench, and they were all grounded in logical legal analysis. His hires and appointees had been diverse and without controversy. Everything to this point had been deemed squeaky clean. So he wondered what new development had brought the FBI to his home at seven in the evening.
Larry pushed through his front door, hung his coat in the closet, and walked into the kitchen to find Annette Packard sitting at the table across from his wife.
“Annette,” Larry said. “I didn’t expect to see you tonight.”
“Sorry to barge in unannounced,” Annette said. “Something’s come up.”
She wore dark slacks and a blazer and looked professional as always. The woman was the very definition of no nonsense.
Larry walked over and gave his wife a kiss. “Hey, babe, everything okay?”
“Yes,” Renee Chadwick said. “Annette and I were just catching up until you got home. She has something she needs to discuss with both of us.”
“Okay,” Larry said in a casual tone. “I’m having a drink. Can I get you something?”
“No,” Annette said. “I’m fine, thank you.”
“Glass of wine?” Larry asked his wife.
“Maybe in a moment. I’m anxious to hear what Annette has to tell us.”
Larry walked to the kitchen bar and scooped ice into a glass tumbler. “What’s so urgent? This couldn’t wait until morning?”
