Read Online Cut & Run by Traci Hohenstein - Free Book Online

carried them back to the bookshelf.
    Rachel reached for a glass of lemonade, while Red grabbed a bottle of water.
    “Thank you,” Rachel said. “It’s been really humid outside.”
    “The calendar says it’s fall, but we all know summer isn’t over yet,” Melinda said cheerfully. She took a seat beside her husband.
    “Are you and Erin close?” Red asked Melinda.
    “Yes. Of course. Erin and I have known each other since high school.” She looked over at her husband and smiled. “That’s how we all met.”
    “We always do things together,” Chris added. “Wednesdays were always our night to get together. We took turns having family dinner at each other’s houses.”
    “Matt,” Red said, continuing with his questions. “Did anyone know your schedule? Your daily routine?”
    Matt shook his head. “Just the people at the office. Our office manager and some of the employees. I always left early on Wednesdays to coach soccer practice. Everyone knew that.”
    “Did Erin ever mention going to a voodoo shop in New Orleans?” Rachel asked, changing the subject.
    Melinda laughed nervously. “Madame Verdene?”
    Rachel nodded.
    “I went with her a couple of times.”
    “Erin’s interested in voodoo?” Rachel asked.
    “She’s an artist and a bit of a free spirit. She’d been having trouble lately coming up with what she called her creative juices. Erin felt she was getting some bad juju or something. We went to see Madame Verdene for help. Erin got some white sage to burn in her studio and around the house. Verdene also got her to do a spiritual cleanse.”
    “What does that entail?” Rachel asked.
    “Verdene uses a combination of special herbs on the body and even does the purification herself. She had Erin strip down to her underwear and smeared her with this special potion. Then she burned white sage and did some weird chant while blowing the smoke from the sage all around Erin. Verdene believes that when you are stuck with negative forces and energies, you must cleanse the body to get rid of them. Erin thought it was great, even though I never understood why she felt like she needed it. She has a picture-perfect family.”Melinda gestured toward the photo albums she’d returned to the bookshelf.
    Rachel thought she caught a look of irritation that Chris tossed Melinda’s way.
    “After the cleanse, Erin said she could already tell a difference. She said she felt lighter and more free,” Melinda continued.
    Rachel turned her attention to Chris. “You don’t believe in spiritual cleansing?”
    “No. I think Madame Verdene sounds like a quack.”
    Melinda punched her husband in the arm. “Madame Verdene is well-known in New Orleans as the voodoo queen. She’s helped people from all over. There are celebrities in Hollywood who have her on speed dial.”
    “Did you know about the altar Erin had set up in her studio?” Rachel asked Melinda.
    “That was another part of the ritual. Madame Verdene suggested she set one up and do daily prayer and meditation to complement her cleanse.”
    “And Erin continued to believe it was helping her?”
    “I guess so. She was back to painting before she disappeared.”
    “Is there anyone you can think of that may have wanted to hurt Erin or her family?” Red asked.
    “No,” Chris answered. “Erin’s the sweetest person I know. She never made an enemy.”
    “That’s right,” Melinda agreed. “Erin is always the first person to volunteer at school functions and has a lot of friends. She also spends her time volunteering at local charities. It’s kind of hard to imagine anyone more perfect. And the kids, Mary Kate and Patrick, are just dolls. I love them just as if they were my own.”
    She gave a little laugh, and Rachel had the fleeting thought that it wasn’t the laugh of someone grieving. Rachel was beginning to think Melinda might be a little jealous of her sister-in-law.
    “Chris, what about the business? You must make some enemies,” Red