Page 78 of The Billionaire's Son

Trey collapsed into his chair. “I can’t believe this.”

“Focus on the fact that with Maria’s help, Jason’s kidnappers should be off the street soon.”

“What if she doesn’t help?”

“She will. Especially when she can’t get her meds in jail. She’ll do anything to help herself.”

Trey shook his head. “I never doubted her loyalty for a second. She had a black eye, for God’s sake.”

“No doubt they slugged her to make it look good,” Kelly said. “Jason might be a child, but he could tell what happened.”

“Jason.” Trey closed his eyes and sat back in his chair. Losing Maria would be another blow to his son. On top of Kelly leaving tomorrow.

“I know,” she said softly.

“What can we tell him?”

Kelly bit her bottom lip. “Maybe we can ask the new shrink how to handle it.”

“Good idea.”

“Do you want to be present for the questioning?” Kelly asked.

“Yes,” Trey said, staring at the photo again. “I want to hear her explanation.”

He looked up at a knock on the door. Agent Ballard entered the office and went directly to Kelly to shake her hand. “Good work, Officer Jenkins.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Ballard turned to Trey. “Wentworth.”

Trey nodded at the agent.

“Is that the photograph?” Ballard asked, his gaze falling to the frame on the desk.

Trey handed the photograph to the agent who studied it.

“No question that’s one of the kidnappers,” Kelly told him.

Ballard nodded. “Where is our suspect?”

Trey called Hans’s cell. “I need to speak with Ms. Navarre. Escort her to my office.”

“Will she come willingly?” Ballard asked in the silence that followed.

“She doesn’t know anything is wrong,” Trey said.

When Maria entered his office, Trey could hardly stand to look at her. Where he’d once seen a trusted member of his household, he now saw a snake in the grass waiting to lunge with a fatal strike. Even the black eye, supposed proof of her loyalty, had faded.

“Yes, Mr. Wentworth?” she said, casting nervous glances to each of the people in the room.

“Maria, this is Agent Ballard from the FBI. He wants to ask you some questions.”

Maria turned to Ballard. When her gaze zeroed in on the frame in the agent’s hand, her eyes went wide and she raised a hand to her mouth as if to stifle a scream.

She bolted for the door.

Trey jumped to his feet, but Hans blocked her exit, and Kelly quickly moved to assist.

“No! Please.” Wild-eyed, trapped, Maria turned back to the center of the room, tears streaming down a face distorted with the agony of knowing she was caught. Her shoulders heaved with silent sobs.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry.”

Ballard pulled her arms behind her and snapped plastic restraints around her wrists. “You have the right to remain silent.”

Maria closed her eyes as if trying to block out the world. Trey tried to muster sympathy but couldn’t. She’d forfeited any right to his pity by endangering an innocent child.

“Do you understand these rights?” Ballard asked when finished.

“Yes,” Maria whispered. “I understand.”

Head down, shoulders slumped, Maria looked like a stranger to Trey as Ballard led her to a chair before his desk.

When she was seated, Ballard placed Adam’s photo on the desk and slid it toward her. “We want to know the location of this man.”

She raised her head from the photo and met Trey’s gaze with a pleading look.

“Why, Maria?” Trey demanded. “For God’s sake, why?”

“I never meant for Jasonito to be hurt.”

“I trusted you with my son.”

She looked away. “I needed money.”

“Why didn’t you ask me for it?” Trey said.

“I was afraid. Adam told me…” She shook her head as she trailed off.

“What did he tell you?” Ballard demanded.

“He told me a lot of lies,” she whispered.

“Where is he, Maria?” Ballard demanded again, tapping the photograph.

Maria took a deep breath and nodded. “I will tell you everything.”

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