Free Grave Secrets by Linda Trout Page B

was no longer the peaceful place it had once been. The gaping hole in the ground served as a silent testament to the turmoil she was going through. She had a suspicion it would no longer be her quiet refuge, regardless of the outcome of the police investigation. Despite everything, the urge to press her cheek to Jason’s cool headstone once again tugged at her. Except it lay on the ground...up the hill...next to the empty grave.
    ****
    A pang of regret assaulted Morgan as Sara talked about her family. The longing in her eyes drove a spear directly into his gut. What would it feel like to have someone love you so deeply she only found solace at your gravesite? Outside of his parents, and except for two or three people, he’d never meant that much to anyone and doubted he ever would. Which was the way he preferred it. Or thought he did. He deliberately never saw the same woman more than a few times before breaking it off. He didn’t do commitment. He’d seen his parents’ so called commitment, which equated to his dad ignoring his mother’s problems.
    Her fatal problems.
    Shoving the emotions aside, he refocused on Sara. He wanted to see her expression, to see her eyes when he asked the next question.
    “Did you see Andy Ford outside of the office?” He paused a moment, then added, “On a personal level?”
    “Excuse, me?”
    “Will you answer the question?” He tried to keep his tone neutral, but where Andy was concerned, Morgan’s emotions got the best of him.
    “Yes, I saw him. We attended the same company functions.”
    “Any other times? Like after your husband died?”
    “He belonged to the country club, so I’d see him there, too.”
    Morgan watched for signs that she was lying, but she held his gaze, unblinking. She appeared to be open and honest. Experience had taught him looks could be deceiving.
    “Why are you asking about Andrew?”
    “Don’t you think it’s a little suspicious that two men, tied closely together and both in executive positions within the same company, died of heart attacks?”
    “Of course not. Being a corporate executive is stressful and people die from heart attacks all the time. I just hadn’t realized how much Jason had internalized the demands of the company until he was gone. If he’d confided in me more, maybe I could’ve helped him. I don’t know.”
    “He hadn’t told you about his heart condition?” He moved closer to her.
    She backed up a step, putting some space between them. “No. I’m sure he wanted to protect me, though. I was pretty far into the pregnancy when his problem developed. At least that’s what the doctor told me. Then we had the stress of dealing with a newborn in the house. I know he didn’t sleep well. I tried to be quiet with the baby, but he stirred every time I got up with her.” She gripped the huge purse and pulled it close to her chest.
    “You didn’t have a nanny? You could’ve afforded one.”
    She gave him a sharp look before her features softened.
    “Money wasn’t an issue. I didn’t want a nanny. She was my child, my responsibility. Jason had an enormous responsibility to the company, and my job was to take care of our child.”
    “So you spent your days with the baby and he spent his at the office.”
    She waited a heartbeat too long before answering, then looked away. “Yes.”
    “Do I hear a bit of hesitancy in there somewhere?”
    “I miss my husband terribly, but life goes on.” She returned her focus to him.
    “Have you?” Now he was just being perverse.
    “I beg your pardon?”
    “Have you gone on with your life? It’s been over six months since your husband died. Have you put your life with him behind you? Or do you sit in your big house and wish for the days when he was here and you were a part of the social scene? All the fancy parties, being part of the country club set. Have you started living for the future or are you still living in the past?”
    She reached for her car door, but he blocked her by