Page 43 of Stone Coast

The noise of the office faded as we stepped outside and walked back to the Porsche. I climbed inside, and Tyson cranked up the engine.

“Are you sure you don't want to come back to Coconut Key with me?” Tyson said. “You can stay on the boat. I'm gonna be out of town. You'll have the place all to yourself.”

"That's a generous offer, and I appreciate everything you've done for me.”

He pulled out of the lot and headed back to the marina.

"Are you sure you’re gonna be okay?”

I nodded. “I've gotta pick up the pieces and move on. You can't babysit me forever. I've enjoyed the company. But you've got a life.”

My phone buzzed with a call from Ross. I looked at the device for a moment before answering. I finally swiped the screen and held the phone to my ear. Ross's voice crackled through the speaker. "How are you feeling today?”

"I feel great," I said. It was a lie, but I figured if I told it to myself over and over again, it might start to become true. I didn't feel physically ill. I just felt lost. Like I was falling into a void, and there was nothing to grab onto.

"How about we do that debrief?”

I hesitated for a moment and looked at Tyson. "How about we do that debrief on my boat?”

"I wouldn't exactly call your boat secure.” Ross paused. "But if that's where you're most comfortable, I can bring the polygraph tech with me. When’s good for you?”

"I’m on my way back to the marina now," I said.

There was a part of me that just wanted to get it over with.

"We'll see you in half an hour."

I told him that was acceptable and ended the call.

"I'll stick around until they finish," Tyson said. "Then I've got to get back to Coconut Key.”

I gave a subtle nod of appreciation.

We pulled into the parking lot and walked the dock back to theIntrepid. We boarded the boat and climbed into the cabin. I paced around with nervous energy.

"Relax," Tyson said. "You’ve taken a poly dozens of times before. Just tell the truth. Don't sweat it. You’ve got nothing to worry about. It's just an intimidation tactic anyway.”

I nodded and tried to center myself.

Ross and his crew showed up right on time. He banged on the stern, and I poked my head through the hatch and invited him aboard. He was with the same two officers from the previous night, as well as a polygraph technician who carried a small briefcase and a laptop.

Ross boarded the boat and greeted me in the cockpit with a smile while his officers stood guard on the dock.

"You remember Tyson," I said.

"Indeed.” Ross flashed a smile and shook Tyson's hand. "If you don't mind, I'll have to conduct this interview in private. Gavin and Silas will keep you company.”

Tyson nodded, then said to me, "I'll be on the dock if you need anything."

I invited Ross and the polygraph tech below deck, and he set up the device on the table in the galley.

"This is just a standard debrief,” Ross said. “I'm going to ask all the normal questions. Try to relax and answer everythingtruthfully. If you don't know the answer to something, just say you don't know."

I nodded.

"If you're ready, Jared will get you hooked up."

Ross introduced us, and we shook hands before he started wiring me up with sensors. I took a seat at the table. The device was connected to his laptop, which would display the results in real time. Jared set up a microphone on the table. The software would also analyze the stress patterns in my voice. Combined with my blood pressure, heart rate, sweat, and other vital statistics, it would give an accurate picture of any changes in my metabolic rates. Elevations of any of the key metrics could be indicators of deception. These things were far from foolproof, but you could tell when a question made someone uncomfortable.