Bob Ballard is a businessman in upstate Florida, who in 1987 met Caroline Crockett, ex-wife of Metro-Dade Detective James "Sonny" Crockett and mother of Billy Crockett, and they began a relationship, and wanted to adopt Billy. Crockett, who hadn't been to see Caroline or Billy since the hitman Ludovici Armstrong tried to kill him, returned for a visit after shooting Jeffrey McAllister, a boy slightly older than Billy, wanting to rekindle his relationship with his son. Bob, knowing Crockett's profession, began considering adopting Billy so he would have a full-time father figure, but Crockett refused to allow it, and made plans to spend more time with his son. Later in 1987 Ballard and Caroline married, as did Crockett and Caitlin Davies, a rock singer he met on assignment. In 1989 Caroline