Berried Secrets by Peg Cochran Read Free Book Online

to her mouth.
    Gina sighed with satisfaction and replaced the cup in its saucer. She leaned back in her chair, tucking an errant clumpof hair back into her French twist. “I hope you don’t mind me barging in on you like this.”
    Actually Monica minded quite a bit. Her head was throbbing and every fiber in her body ached to lie down for an hour or two. But obviously she would never say that. She’d been raised to be polite, accommodating, and to be seen and not heard.
    â€œI imagine you’re wondering what I’m doing here.” Gina twirled her five-carat diamond engagement ring around and around her finger. “It’s like this. Your father and I have decided to go our separate ways.” Gina traced a pattern on the coffee table with her finger. “Actually, your father decided to go
his
separate way.” She went back to twirling the enormous diamond. “And he’s not exactly going alone.”
    Her brows drew together, her lips clenched in a thin line and her nostrils flared. Her expression made Monica think of an approaching thunderstorm.
    â€œHe took off with some floozy who cuts his hair. Who ever heard of a female barber? Barbers are supposed to be old, bald and smoke cigars.” Gina frowned and tossed back a huge gulp of her tea.
    Monica was sorely tempted to mention to Gina that if taking off with someone else’s husband was the criteria for being considered a floozy, the term could be applied to her as well. Gina had been behind the counter in the cosmetics department of one of the stores at the mall when John Albertson had walked in to buy Monica’s mother her annual bottle of Valentine’s Day perfume. Gina had latched onto him like a terrier with a bone, and the next thing Monica knew, her parents were getting divorced and they were moving out of their house in Lake Forest to a smaller home just far enough away to mean changing schools.
    â€œIt’s just that it’s left me at loose ends. I didn’t want tomill around while John cleaned his things out of the condo. I hope you don’t mind me hanging around for a bit.”
    Monica shook her head. “No, not at all, I’m sure . . .” She searched for something positive to say. “Jeff will be glad to spend some time with you.”
    Gina polished off her cup of tea and leaned back in the chair, her arms crossed over her chest.
    â€œJust what was that all about this morning?”
    Monica explained about finding Sam Culbert’s body in the cranberry bog.
    Gina leaned forward. “Is Jeffie in trouble?”
    â€œNo . . .”
    â€œThere’s something you’re not telling me.” Gina tapped a long, manicured nail on the table.
    â€œCulbert was cheating Jeff. He’d embezzled thousands of dollars from the farm while Jeff was overseas. Jeff claims he didn’t know, but I’m not so sure. How could he not?”
    Gina’s eyes widened, and her hand flew to her mouth. “But Jeff would never . . .” She narrowed her eyes and looked at Monica. “Did you tell the police—”
    Monica was already shaking her head. “No, I didn’t say a thing. But that detective, Stevens, is smart. I don’t think it will take her long to put two and two together.” Monica was quiet for a moment. “And Jeff threatened to kill Culbert.”
    Gina’s indrawn breath was audible across the room. “He did?”
    Monica nodded. “But I’m sure it was just letting off steam. People say things like that when they’re mad. They don’t mean it. Jeff wouldn’t do something like that.”
    But he’d probably killed people in Afghanistan
, Monica thought.
    â€œThere was something else I didn’t mention to the police, and neither did Jeff. There’s this fellow who works for Jeff—Mauricio—who acted very oddly. He took off shortly after the body was