The Sheriff's Mail-Order Bride (The Watson Brothers #2)(41)

“Long enough for our purposes then. I don’t care what you did before that.” She made a note on her legal pad before looking back at Gina.





Chapter Fifteen





“So just to clarify things, the drug test isn’t going to give me any surprises then, you’re sure about that?”

Gina shook her head and he noticed the fire rising in her eyes. This had to be hard for her as well as embarrassing to air her history in front of people she hardly really knew and he could tell she was getting ready to snap at someone. When Layla had started asking questions her face had gone pale and Rory hoped she didn’t pass out. He’d never seen anyone as frightened as she was.

“I need a hair sample. Luckily yours is so long. It’s more than we need which makes things so much easier. It will show us what you’ve taken in the way of substances over the last few years. It’ll get tested in an independent facility that is approved by the courts.” She made another note on her pad.

“They’re hinting at you supplying their son as well as getting him addicted. How did you meet Aden? Can you tell me that?”

“I worked as a waitress. He came in one day with some friends to the diner where I worked and then he kept coming back.” She glanced quickly at Rory who couldn’t help but watch her. “We hit it off really well and started dating soon after that.”

“So you didn’t know who he was?”

“No. He looked the same as most of the crowd that came in. College-type kids who never really had much money.”

“When did you notice he was doing drugs?”

*

Gina sighed and thought back. “I think it was after he’d moved in with me. I never had much of value but one day I noticed things missing. When I asked him about it, he snapped and said I was crazy and asked if I was I accusing him of something.” She looked around the table. “I had no one to turn to, not a soul since my father died and I was lonely. I’m not proud of the fact that I rolled over and gave in, alright? It was nice to have someone who came home at night and I could talk to.” She swallowed, and tampered down her temper. It wasn’t their fault so she really needed to keep control of her emotions. “Sorry. I tried not to upset him because I didn’t want to make him leave. More and more went missing including the money I used to stash away for rent. After a while, I decided it was too late to stand up for myself against him.”

“So he stole from you to support his drug habit?”

“Yes, at least that’s what I believe. We were the only two in the apartment. Who knows what happened while I was at work.”

“How did he die?” Layla looked at papers from her file. “From all accounts, he wasn’t formally identified at the time of his death.”

“I knew very little about him really. I know it might sound strange to you, he didn’t like to talk about himself and at the time I didn’t care. I was happy he was with me.”

“So, he died how?” Layla looked pointedly at her waiting for an answer.

“I woke up one morning to go to work and found him dead next to me. He’d overdosed. I freaked out and didn’t know what to do.”

“So, help me out here, Gina. Just give me the whole damned story. It would be helpful in this instance if you could elaborate and I didn’t have to drag every sentence from you like this.”

“Hey, go easy on her. Can’t you see she’s upset?” Rory turned on the lawyer and growled in warning before turning to Gina again. His face softened, the big protective deputy who only moments ago doubted her, now turned in the blink of an eye into the soft-hearted man she loved. When he reached out to touch her, Gina tried to smile and reassure him she was okay. Layla was right, this had to be done.

“Settle down, Deputy. If they get her on the stand, what I’m doing now will seem like child’s play. Sit down and behave yourself.”

“Gina?”

“I didn’t know what to do. He still had the needle in his arm and he was cold. So very cold.” She shuddered and rubbed her arms even though the house was warm. “I don’t know how long I sat there watching him. Eventually I called the police and they came.”

“They didn’t ask for identification?”

“Yes they did. I couldn’t find his wallet at first. I discovered it later when I got over the shock and I gave it to them. He didn’t have much of anything else apart from a few clothes. Everything in the apartment was mine.”

“What was he like, his personality?” Layla leaned back in her chair and tapped the pen on her lips.

“He could be very sweet. Then he would change and be erratic and snappy. I never knew when he was going to erupt.”

“And you never found any evidence of drug use in the house?”

“No. I guess I never tried to find any. It’s not like I knew for sure he used drugs, more of a guess, I suppose. The erratic behavior should have alerted me, but it was easier to pretend it wasn’t there. I didn’t want to upset him and get into an argument. I’d had enough of that growing up.”

“Fair enough. So when the police questioned you, what did you tell them?”

“Exactly what I’ve told you.” Gina licked her lips and glanced at Rory. “They came back again the next day and grilled me again. I let them search the apartment for drugs but there weren’t any. There was nothing that gave any clue as to who he really was and they said he’d be classed as just another poor person unless someone came forward. His wallet was under the seat of my car, although that didn’t give them much to go on anyway.”