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Trey nodded. “Good question.”
“Either a resident put their names on the ferry list or they came by private boat to the marina,” Kelly said.
“We’ve combed through the ferry rosters from that day looking for discrepancies,” Ballard said. “There are none.”
“And I didn’t recognize any names on the list,” Trey offered. “What about the marina?”
“We’ve double-checked there, too,” Ballard said. “Impossible for someone to motor in or out without the staff noticing. Everyone had clearance.”
“What about a sailboat?” Kelly asked. “A landing on the beach or against the seawall?”
“The island’s security team has excellent coverage with surveillance cameras,” Ballard said. “We’ve been through everything the day of the abduction. No unauthorized boats landed or docked anywhere around the island.”
“So they had to get Jason off via the ferry,” Kelly said. “I checked with security. Guests aren’t followed to make sure they end up where they say they’re going.”
“I understand the playground is seldom used,” Ballard said.
“There aren’t many kids on this island,” Trey agreed.
“Yeah, mostly rich old guys,” Kelly muttered.
“As a result, there’s no surveillance video of the playground,” Ballard said.
“What are you getting at?” Trey asked.
“Because your housekeeper and son were in a rather isolated area, no one heard any screams for help,” Ballard said.
“But Maria was knocked unconscious,” Trey protested, looking from Ballard to Kelly. “You’ve seen her black eye. She fought for Jason.”
“We’re trying to reconstruct a possible chain of events so you’ll understand our thinking. You know that Jason’s tox screen showed he was drugged,” Ballard said.
Trey nodded. He’d allowed Carico to draw blood, even though he’d hated that his son had to go through a needle stick so soon after returning home.
“After drugging him, it’s likely they placed him in a large container, maybe a duffel bag, and then possibly in the trunk of a car to smuggle him on and off the ferry,” Ballard said.
Trey closed his eyes.
“Someone had to give Adam, and most likely Caleb, clearance for the ferry that day,” Kelly said.
“Without clearance, the car wouldn’t be allowed on the island,” Ballard agreed.
“I checked,” Kelly said. “Three members of your staff can put a name on the list.”
His appetite gone, Trey shoved away his own food. “I thought you’d already cleared everyone on my payroll.”
“They all passed an initial background check,” Ballard said. “Now I’d like them to take a polygraph.”
“A lie detector test,” Trey said. “I thought that wasn’t admissible as evidence.”
“It’s a tool,” Ballard said.
“I can’t force anyone to take a polygraph,” Trey said.
“But if a staff member refuses, it’ll give us someone to focus on,” Kelly said.
“We’re also looking at the personnel from the private firm that runs security on the island,” Ballard said. “Protection Alliance.”
“Great,” Trey said. “I just hired them to provide another layer of protection for Jason.”
“How well do you know your attorney?” Kelly asked.
Trey stared at her. “Brian Howell has been my friend since prep school.”
“Check him out, too,” Kelly suggested to Ballard. “Maybe he’s got money problems no one knows about.”
Her words were like a punch to his gut. If Kelly and Ballard were correct, then someone he trusted was willing to hurt his son. But it couldn’t be Brian. Not Hans, Greta. Not Maria. They’d been with him for years. But he had other maids, groundskeepers, temporary staff of maybe a dozen people to run the house while he was on Collins Island.
He might not know all of their names, but they were always well treated and paid an excellent wage. And they’d all passed his security check, the one that had so pissed off Kelly.
“You’re way out of line here,” Trey ground out. This was too much.
