Chapter 20
Chapter
Twenty
Dan was up early to check the headlines. The story about the Ballard family was front and center on the Islander home page with a headline that read Ballard Family Drama Is Nothing New and a subhead that said, With two sons charged with murder, the family faces its most difficult challenge yet.
Bar Harbor — Shannon’s Sunrise Café in town was doing a bustling business early Monday morning as the usual cast of locals gathered for coffee, eggs and news after a weekend that saw the area’s first murder in four years. The body of 21-year-old summer resident Tanya Sorenson was found by a fisherman on Saturday on the Bar Harbor Shore Path, shortly after her companions reported her missing following a night out. In town for her future sister-in-law’s bachelorette party weekend, Sorenson was seen at several local establishments during Friday night’s festivities, ending the evening at the Barnacle Lounge.
Later on Saturday, police had arrested local brothers Keith and Kirby Ballard, who were seen with Sorenson by an eyewitness shortly before the time of death established by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
“It’s unbelievable,” said one patron at Shannon’s who asked not to be identified due to his employment at Ballard Boat Works. “The whole town is reeling since the news broke of their arrest.”
When asked if he suspected the brothers had committed the murder, he would only say, “I have no idea.”
Other patrons defended Kirby Ballard, in particular, known around town as a genuinely nice guy.
“The thing is, despite his rough reputation,” one man said, “Keith is a good guy, too. If something breaks in my house, he’s my first call. There’s nothing he can’t fix, and he charges next to nothing for a house call. A lot of people appreciate him for that around here.”
Numerous witnesses placed the victim with Keith Ballard during the evening, in which they were seen drinking, dancing and kissing at the Barnacle Lounge. Witnesses reported they disappeared together for a time before returning for last call. Security cameras in town show the pair leaving the Barnacle shortly after the bar closed, walking hand in hand down Main Street toward the waterfront. According to an eyewitness report, Kirby was seen with Keith and Tanya by the water.
Sorenson, a senior at the University of Connecticut, was the daughter of Mitchell and Deborah Sorenson. She was celebrating her brother August’s fiancée, Jessa Kaul, with a weekend of festivities planned at the family’s Bar Harbor residence. Police would only say that Sorenson had died from a blow to the head and that Keith Ballard’s DNA was found on the body. Other tests, including toxicology, are pending.
Keith Ballard, 37, is well known to local law enforcement after a string of bar fights and DUIs. His brother Kirby, 31, has no previous criminal record. Both brothers are employed by their family business, Keith as a laborer and Kirby as a master craftsman specializing in the wood accents that distinguish Ballard Boats from all other brands.
The arrest of the brothers sent shockwaves through Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island and Hancock County. Their parents, Chuck and Judith Ballard, called in their son-in-law Daniel Torrington, a nationally renowned defense attorney known for his work with a Los Angeles-based Innocence Project, which has helped to free more than 60 wrongly incarcerated individuals over the last 15 years.
Torrington is married to Kara Ballard, who runs the BBW’s Gansett Island launch service. She left Bar Harbor almost four years ago after her sister Kelly married Kara’s ex-boyfriend, local attorney Matt Gallagher.
“Motherfucker,” Dan muttered as he read that last paragraph. “They couldn’t resist including that salacious tidbit.”
The Ballards are one of the region’s largest employers and own one of its longest-standing businesses, making their name synonymous with Downeast Maine. You’ll rarely meet a local resident who doesn’t know one of the 11 Ballard siblings. Most know someone who works for Ballard Boat Works. The family and its business are baked into the DNA of this area, and with two of the family’s sons now accused of murder, the family—and the business—faces yet another perilous phase in its long history.
Founded in 1942 by Horace Ballard, Ballard Boat Works has withstood the test of time, producing a wide range of vessels that includes luxury yachts, work boats and everything in between. The family’s Downeaster picnic-style boat has become a fixture in harbors throughout New England and around the world. Ballard Boats are known for quality workmanship and one-of-a-kind designs, and it’s easy to spot one due to the distinctive markings and burgundy canvas that identify it as having been designed and built right here in Maine.
Recent estimates put the current workforce at roughly 1,000 employees, covering design, woodworking, sales and marketing, diesel engine mechanics and fiberglass experts.
Chief Executive Officer and President Charles “Chuck” Ballard is a grandson of Horace, who, along with his brother Horace the third, inherited the business from their father, Horace Jr. But the partnership between the brothers encountered rough waters 18 years ago, leading to a contentious breakup that resulted in a permanent rift between their two families.
By all accounts, the brothers haven’t spoken since Horace forced Chuck to either buy him out or sell the company to outsiders. Chuck Ballard has been quoted as saying the thought of the company belonging to anyone other than a member of Horace Ballard Sr.’s family was unthinkable to him—but apparently not to his brother, who harbored no such sentiment toward the company that’d employed three generations of their family.
“I mortgaged everything I owned to buy out my brother,” Chuck said at the time. “I hope he enjoys his retirement. I’ve got work to do.”
The company has grown exponentially under Chuck’s leadership, expanding from a $20 million-dollar-a-year business to upward of $200 million annually. In addition to its luxury boat lines, BBW holds contracts to build boats for the U.S. federal government as well as the governments of Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany.
Now in its third generation, BBW has continued to be a family affair. Seven of Chuck and Judith’s children work for the company in capacities that range from the C-suite to the paint shop to the fiberglass team to business development.
Kellen Ballard, 39, the company’s chief strategy officer, issued a statement on Sunday on behalf of the family and the company that said, in part, “On behalf of my parents, siblings and the entire Ballard Boat Works team, we expect my brothers to be proven innocent of this heinous crime and to be fully exonerated. In the meantime, Ballard Boat Works will continue to fulfill its many obligations to our employees, customers and the Downeast Maine community. The Ballard family will have no further comment on the case pending against Keith and Kirby, and we ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this difficult time. Questions about the case can be directed to our attorney, Daniel Torrington.”
Dan wondered how Kara would feel about being included as one of the siblings attached to the statement. As far as he knew, no one had consulted her about whether she approved of it.
“I feel for that poor girl who came to celebrate such a wonderful event and lost her life,” said local resident Darcy Warner, a waitress at Shannon’s. “No one deserves what happened to her.”
Dan sent a text to Elias Young that said, Have you looked into the eyewitness who said he saw the Ballard brothers with the victim shortly before her death? He definitely has his own agenda in this situation, and I’m not seeing much being said about that aspect of the story.
He’d sent the message when Kara wrapped herself around him from behind. “How’s it going?”
“Just ducky.”
“How bad is the Islander story?”
“Not terrible, but Kellen released a statement on behalf of his parents, siblings and the company.”
“It said that? Siblings?”
“Yep.”
“Nice of him to speak for all of us,” Kara said.
“I wondered if you’d say that. It mentioned that your sister married your ex-boyfriend.”
“Okay…”
“And also went into the beef between your dad and uncle.”
“Of course. Any time something happens with the company or the family, all that is resurfaced. The local media never tires of the rifts in the Ballard family.”
Kara’s phone buzzed with a text that she stood up to read. “My brother Kingston, the lobster fisherman who has nothing to do with the company, feels the same way I do. He said he’s going to text Kellen and tell him not to speak for all of us.”
“You should do the same if you feel strongly about it.”
“It just would’ve been nice to be asked or even given a heads-up that they were issuing a statement on our behalf. I get that it’s all PR to protect the company, but it’s kind of nervy not to even tell us they’re speaking for us.”
“Sure is.”
“I’m going to text my dad, Kendra and Kellen and tell them that.”
“I don’t blame you.”
Kara stood to the side of him and typed up her message.
Dan couldn’t resist slipping an arm around her or resting his head on the baby bump. He was greeted with a sound thump to the cheek. “Dylan is busy this morning.”
“He had a rager all night long. He gets that from your people.”
“Um, my people are not all-night partiers like some of the Ballards are.”
“Don’t use the current situation against me. That wouldn’t be wise.”
Dan grunted out a laugh.
“How does this sound: ‘I don’t appreciate being included as one of the siblings in a statement I was neither consulted on nor warned about before it went public. I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling this way. Please don’t speak for me without my knowledge or consent. Thank you.’”
“I’m extremely turned on by assertive, no-bullshit Kara.”
“Shut up. I’m being serious.”
“As am I.”
“Do you agree with the statement?”
“It’s your statement to make. Doesn’t matter if I agree, but on a scale of one flame to five, I give it ten.”
“Your scale is skewed where I’m concerned.”
“That’s right. You’re ten flames every day, all day for me.”
“Since you’re of no help to me whatsoever, I’m going to send this message and get on with my day.”
Dan let his hand fall to cup her ass. “The fisher-people are long gone for the day. You know what that means?”
“I can’t imagine.”
“We have the house all to ourselves for hours and hours. What do you say we take a day off and spend some time together?”
“We spend every day together.”
“But we’re not naked on those days like we could be today due to the aforementioned aloneness.”
“You’re shameless, Torrington.”
“Point of order, you knew that about me before you said, ‘I do.’”
“Indeed I did, and don’t legal-speak me.”
“Can’t help it. It’s in my DNA, and you love my DNA. You regularly wallow in my DNA, in fact.”
“Now you’re just being gross.”
“Nothing gross about it, babe. What say you? Shall we declare this a naked day in the land?”
“How about a naked half day? I’ve got a few things I want to do today.”
“I can live with a half day as long as it’s the first half. In fact, I’ve already gotten things started just thinking about it.”
Her laughter was his favorite thing in the whole world.
“You’re nothing if not predictable.”
“Which is one of the many reasons you love me.” Dan moved her gently to the side so he could stand, wrap his arms around her and direct her backward into the bedroom. If they’d been at home on Gansett, the closest horizontal surface would’ve sufficed, but here, in her grandmother’s home, he wanted a door they could close.
As soon as they were both inside the tiny bedroom, he kicked the door closed and reached back to lock it, just to be safe.
“I love being here with Bertha and Buster and seeing more of your life here, but I really miss being completely alone with you at home.”
“Me, too. I miss that a lot, but it’s been nice to have some time with Bertha and Buster. I love this house as much as I love our place on the island.”
“I can see why.”
“It’s funny when you think about it. I grew up in a freaking palace that had every amenity, but this ramshackle house by the shore… This is my home.”
“That’s because Bertha lives here. She’s your person.”
“She was my first person. I have another one now.”
“Who is he? I’ll freaking run him through the heart with the longest sword?—”
Kara kissed him. “Shut it.”
“Yes, dear.” Never one to talk his way out of a sure thing, Dan kissed her and helped her out of her clothes while she did the same for him. “I love naked day.” He kissed her neck and nuzzled her soft skin. “It’s my favorite day of the whole week.”
“Mmm, it’s usually a good day.”
Dan pulled back, frowning, and said, “Usually?”
Once again, she laughed. “Less talk. More action.”
“Mmm, I like how you think.” He eased her back onto the bed and came down next to her, propping his head on one hand while he used his other hand to touch every soft inch of her curvy body.
“I can’t believe you still want me like you do when I’m bigger than a house.”
Dan froze, shocked to his core that she’d say such a thing. “You can’t believe I still want you this way when you’re gorgeous and sexy and pregnant with our baby? Really?”
“I just feel ridiculous, with my big belly and disgustingly huge boobs.”
Dan cupped one of them and teased her nipple into standing up straight as she shivered from the sensations. “Don’t you let me hear you say anything mean about my favorite boobs ever.”
“Reminder that they’ll go back to normal after this.”
“Not that there’s anything at all wrong with your version of normal, but I plan to fully enjoy these beauties while they last.”
“Would you tell me if you thought I was kinda… I don’t know… ungainly or whatever?”
“Kara, sweetheart, love of my life, there’s nothing about you that isn’t beautiful and desirable to me.”
“And you’re not just saying that because you did this to me?”
“God no. I thought you were the most beautiful girl in the world before you were pregnant, and now…” He closed his eyes and rested his forehead on her chest. “Now I think you’re a fucking goddess.”
“You were already going to get very lucky.”
“I mean it. In fact, the goddesses have nothing on my wife.”
“Kara? Are you here? Kara?”
They froze.
“Oh my God. My mother.”
“No,” Dan said with a groan. “Way to kill a perfectly good boner.”
“Let me up. I wouldn’t put it past her to come in here looking for me.”
He moved to let her up. “And you wondered why I locked the door?”
“I didn’t wonder.” Kara put on a robe she’d stolen from Buster and tied it tight around her waist. “Hold that thought.”
“Mmm, sure. No problem.”
After she left the room, closing the door behind her, Dan buried his face in a pillow and groaned.