Read Online Grave Doubts (A Paranormal Mystery Novel) by LYNN BOHART - Free Book Online
Authors: LYNN BOHART
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noticed a bruise on her neck, and I think she hides others with heavy
make-up.”
“You mean he’s
abusing her?”
“I don’t know
for sure, but she’s nervous about this, and they’re having financial trouble.”
“Well, that
could be what’s causing the marital problems.”
“It also gives
him a reason to want Diane dead. They’re the beneficiaries of Diane’s life
insurance policy.”
Robin was
clearly shocked. “That’s a terrible thing to say, Lee. Don’t start jumping to
conclusions. You don’t know that this is murder.”
“I feel awful
saying it, but Carey said herself they’re in financial trouble, and he
obviously doesn’t want her talking about a possible murder.”
Robin inhaled. “Wow.
So, you think he may have killed Diane for the money?”
“I don’t know,”
Lee said shaking her head. “The policy was only for $25,000.”
“Should I say
anything to Alan?”
“No. I don’t
want to get Carey in trouble. I don’t think her husband knows she said anything
to me. Let’s just wait a while. You can answer a question, though. I thought
you couldn’t collect on an insurance policy if the person committed suicide.”
“Most policies
have a waiting period before they’ll pay anything. I’m pretty sure that after
the waiting period, they’ll even pay on a suicide. But I can check it out to
make sure. Do you really think he would kill Diane?” Robin’s expression
betrayed her doubts.
“I don’t know. I’ve
only met him one other time. He’s pretty distant, and Carey is certainly afraid
of something.”
Robin cocked
her head, looking at Lee. “You’re not going to be able to live with this, are
you?”
Lee bit her lip
as she considered how she would respond. With a sigh, she made a decision.
“When my mother
left my father,” she began, “she convicted me to a life with a man who showed
his affection by buying me a United States Treasury Bond each year for my
birthday. I only got to see my real father and my brother for a week every
summer. When I was a teenager, my father died, and I began to drift away from
Patrick, too. So, I focused all of my energies on my gymnastics. I was good,
and I had a real shot at the Nationals. But in my first year of college, an
accident destroyed any chance I had at that. Then, I met Brad.”
She swallowed
as tears filled her eyes.
“Our marriage
was a sham. I’ve never said that before, but it’s true. The only good thing
that came out of it was Amy. When he disappeared over a decade ago, I didn’t
care. I never lifted a finger to find out what really happened. I think I’d
already shut myself into a protective box and threw away the key.”
A tear plopped
onto her wrist and she raised a hand to wipe her eyes.
“I’m sorry,
Lee,” Robin said, placing a comforting hand on her arm.
But Lee wasn’t
done yet.
“My friendship
with Diane was different than what I have with you, or even Marion, my friend
from the University. You guys are colleagues, professionals, peers. Diane was…I
don’t know…more like a pal. When I met her, she was as scarred and broken as I was.
She told me she’d been abused by a neighbor boy when she was in middle school. Something
she’d never told anyone. Her father also died when she was very young, and her
mother never re-married. Everyone knows she had her idiosyncrasies. But it was
more than that. She had full-blown OCD. She knew she was different. She knew
people didn’t like her. How could she not? Throughout her entire life people
had made fun of her, criticized her, or even hated her for it. But, you know,
she couldn’t help herself.”
Lee leaned back
against the car.
“Then, she went
through a bitter divorce and her husband walked away with almost everything. By
the time she came to work for me, she was barely holding on. And somehow, over
the course of four years, we kind of rescued each other. What most people
didn’t know was that Diane had a wicked sense of humor. She could
make-up.”
“You mean he’s
abusing her?”
“I don’t know
for sure, but she’s nervous about this, and they’re having financial trouble.”
“Well, that
could be what’s causing the marital problems.”
“It also gives
him a reason to want Diane dead. They’re the beneficiaries of Diane’s life
insurance policy.”
Robin was
clearly shocked. “That’s a terrible thing to say, Lee. Don’t start jumping to
conclusions. You don’t know that this is murder.”
“I feel awful
saying it, but Carey said herself they’re in financial trouble, and he
obviously doesn’t want her talking about a possible murder.”
Robin inhaled. “Wow.
So, you think he may have killed Diane for the money?”
“I don’t know,”
Lee said shaking her head. “The policy was only for $25,000.”
“Should I say
anything to Alan?”
“No. I don’t
want to get Carey in trouble. I don’t think her husband knows she said anything
to me. Let’s just wait a while. You can answer a question, though. I thought
you couldn’t collect on an insurance policy if the person committed suicide.”
“Most policies
have a waiting period before they’ll pay anything. I’m pretty sure that after
the waiting period, they’ll even pay on a suicide. But I can check it out to
make sure. Do you really think he would kill Diane?” Robin’s expression
betrayed her doubts.
“I don’t know. I’ve
only met him one other time. He’s pretty distant, and Carey is certainly afraid
of something.”
Robin cocked
her head, looking at Lee. “You’re not going to be able to live with this, are
you?”
Lee bit her lip
as she considered how she would respond. With a sigh, she made a decision.
“When my mother
left my father,” she began, “she convicted me to a life with a man who showed
his affection by buying me a United States Treasury Bond each year for my
birthday. I only got to see my real father and my brother for a week every
summer. When I was a teenager, my father died, and I began to drift away from
Patrick, too. So, I focused all of my energies on my gymnastics. I was good,
and I had a real shot at the Nationals. But in my first year of college, an
accident destroyed any chance I had at that. Then, I met Brad.”
She swallowed
as tears filled her eyes.
“Our marriage
was a sham. I’ve never said that before, but it’s true. The only good thing
that came out of it was Amy. When he disappeared over a decade ago, I didn’t
care. I never lifted a finger to find out what really happened. I think I’d
already shut myself into a protective box and threw away the key.”
A tear plopped
onto her wrist and she raised a hand to wipe her eyes.
“I’m sorry,
Lee,” Robin said, placing a comforting hand on her arm.
But Lee wasn’t
done yet.
“My friendship
with Diane was different than what I have with you, or even Marion, my friend
from the University. You guys are colleagues, professionals, peers. Diane was…I
don’t know…more like a pal. When I met her, she was as scarred and broken as I was.
She told me she’d been abused by a neighbor boy when she was in middle school. Something
she’d never told anyone. Her father also died when she was very young, and her
mother never re-married. Everyone knows she had her idiosyncrasies. But it was
more than that. She had full-blown OCD. She knew she was different. She knew
people didn’t like her. How could she not? Throughout her entire life people
had made fun of her, criticized her, or even hated her for it. But, you know,
she couldn’t help herself.”
Lee leaned back
against the car.
“Then, she went
through a bitter divorce and her husband walked away with almost everything. By
the time she came to work for me, she was barely holding on. And somehow, over
the course of four years, we kind of rescued each other. What most people
didn’t know was that Diane had a wicked sense of humor. She could
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