REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- The massage therapist who was Scott Peterson's mistress has finished her testimony Tuesday at his California murder trial.

LACI PETERSON Agree With Sentence? Case Timeline Share Your Thoughts Laci Peterson.com Info On Peterson's Arrest California V. Peterson

Fact Sheet: Case Summary

The defense is trying to portray Amber Frey as a compulsive liar who was more obsessed with Peterson than he was with her, while prosecutors have alleged Peterson's love for Frey was part of the motivation for killing his pregnant wife on Christmas Eve 2002.

In cross-examination, Frey acknowledged Peterson never told her he loved her "in those words." She also testified that Peterson never tried to stop her from going to police about their affair.

At the request of police, Frey recorded hundreds of phone conversations with Peterson. The jury has heard 40.

But she testified he initially lied to her about being married and later said he'd "lost" his wife. That was before Laci Peterson disappeared.

Defense attorney Mark Geragos suggested Peterson never said anything incriminating in the recorded calls.

Frey answered by saying there were times Peterson said there were some things he couldn't talk about.

Geragos played more taped telephone conversations to suggest that Peterson was being evasive in his answers on the advice of his attorneys. In one call, Peterson is heard repeating advice from his attorney that he shouldn't be talking to Frey -- saying he was warned that prosecutors were trying to build a case against him.

The most anticipated testimony of the trial was delayed last week for an unexplained reason. And on Monday, it was delayed again as an out-of-town witness testified for most of the morning.

By the time Frey was back on the stand, the entire courtroom was watching to see what approach Geragos would take. It began on a lighthearted note after Geragos announced he had "no questions" for Frey, then said "just kidding" after a short pause.

Geragos started in almost immediately with the red flags Frey could have seen before she even met Peterson. A mutual friend of Peterson and Frey had told her he seemed like a man in search of sex. But Frey testified that their friend also described Peterson as a man in search of his soul mate.

Frey's answers were direct, and she held her composure, even as Geragos asked about the sex and drinking during her few dates with Peterson.

Frey also admitted that on Dec. 26, 2002, she called Peterson 14 times, sometimes leaving messages. She said it was to thank him for a Christmas gift.

Geragos has taken a middle-of-the-road approach with Frey -- not confrontational, but asking some touchy questions.

Many defense questions centered on a friend of Frey's -- Fresno police Detective Richard Byrd, who was suspicious of Peterson weeks before Laci disappeared. He gave Frey the number for Modesto police.

Geragos appeared to hint that Frey might have known more about Peterson's marriage than she had revealed. But in the tapes she recorded, Peterson admitted to many of his lies.

But what's not on the tapes could be an issue. Geragos asked Frey repeatedly if she had withheld any tapes or conversations with Peterson from Modesto police. In reports, investigators question her compliance, but Frey insisted she taped and turned over all such calls once she was told to do so.

Jurors have heard 40 wiretapped calls between the couple in which Peterson continues to romance Frey as the search continued for his wife, Laci.

Geragos used a Power Point presentation to show the jury the timing of Frey's calls with Peterson and Modesto police. He ran out of time Monday before he finished.

Geragos downplayed the prosecution theory that Peterson's obsession with Frey was his motive for murder, implying instead Peterson just wanted one-night stands with her.

Frey's attorney, Gloria Allred, said she is not impressed so far.

"The problem was, there was no power and there was no point in the Power Point presentation," Allred said.