Peterson fawned over Frey's daughter

"For Amber's little one, Happy Birthday," read an enclosed card from Peterson.

He also sent Frey a necklace, silver box and wildflower seeds for her birthday on Feb. 10 - also the same day his unborn son was due to be born.

The fifth day of taped phone calls played for the jury continued to paint the Modesto fertilizer salesman as uncaring and evasive about his missing pregnant wife and the search that caught the nation's attention. Laci Peterson, 27, was reported missing Dec. 24, 2002 after Peterson allegedly returned from a solo fishing trip to the Berkeley Marina. At the time, Frey believed Peterson was in Europe on a month-long business trip. A week later, Frey learned about his wife and on Jan. 6, Peterson confessed he was married. The truth did little to quell his wooing of Frey, though, and he continually begged for a second chance.

In a Feb. 8 call, Frey tells Peterson she is bothered by him expressing feelings for her with "so many things going on."

He continued hinting his marriage was not the perfect union portrayed by family members and the media but stopped short of offering details.

He also implied knowledge that the calls were taped although it is unclear if he thought it was by Frey or police. On Feb. 7, he told Frey he can only tell her certain things from a Sacramento pay phone and also asked to meet her in person. Frey declined because of the media attention and she did not want Peterson near her daughter.

By that point, Frey had gone public with the couple's affair, a move that Peterson lauded as brave even as he admitted vomiting while watching her press conference.

"I wanted to say how brave you are and I am really glad you did that. It just shows what amazing character you have," Peterson said of the Jan. 24, 2003 announcement.

Days later, Peterson implied that the future he told Frey he wanted was never a concrete reality.

Frey: So are you telling me none of this was gonna ever happen for you and I?

Peterson: No, I don't ... you know, I don't know. And you thought of them as definitely going to happen then, huh?"

A week later, Peterson was back to telling Frey he wanted to be with her for "the rest of our lives."

On Feb. 15, Frey told Peterson in an early morning phone call she doesn't think she should speak with him until the case of his missing wife is resolved. Peterson doesn't argue the suggestion and simply ends the call with "good-bye for now."

The exchange caps more than 300 phone calls recorded by Frey for the Modesto police beginning Dec. 30, 2002. The final call also brought Frey's time as the prosecution's star witness to a close after five days testifying on the witness stand and listening to the surreptitious calls.

Prosecutors finished questioning Frey shortly before 2 p.m. yesterday and the jury was dismissed for the day. Judge Al Delucchi and the attorneys retired to his chambers for hearings about what part of Frey's history will be related to the jury.

Now, the trial moves into what might be the most anticipated section - defense attorney Mark Geragos cross-examining Frey. During opening statements, Geragos hinted Frey might be involved in Laci Peterson's disappearance. He also dismissed the prosecution's theory that Peterson killed his wife to maintain his short affair with Frey.

Michelle Durand can be reached by e-mail: michelle@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 104. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.