Cloudy with a Chance of Ghosts (Destiny Bay Cozy Mysteries Book 4) by J.D. Winters

was the only way I was going to get any sleep. But he sailed right past me and went to the back door, meowing frantically, as if he wouldn’t live until dawn if he didn’t get outside.  
    “Okay, okay.” I opened the door to let him out, and then I saw something moving in the back yard. My heart started to thump until I realized it was Roy. I quickly went out to where he was standing, near his patrol car.  
    “What are you doing here?” I whispered as I met him beyond the morning glory vine.  
    “Checking on you.” He grinned at me, his hands in his pockets. “I was down in Santa Barbara for most of the day and I heard you had some excitement, so I thought I’d come by and see if you were up.”
    “I wasn’t,” I noted dryly.  
    He shrugged. “You are now.” He looked me up and down. “Cute pajamas,” he said, trying to hold back another grin.  
    I looked down at the fabric. “Little Scotty dogs,” I told him. “My favorites.”
    “Uh huh.”
    “Jill’s here,” I added. “She’s sleeping in the guest room.” I frowned at him, hoping he wouldn’t notice how happy I was to see him. “So what did you do, send the cat in to wake me up?”
    He nodded, humor in his eyes. “Cats love me,” he said. “I’m like—king of the cats sometimes. They’ll do anything for me.”
    “Liar.” But I smiled at him
    He raised one dark eyebrow. “You going to tell me what you were doing at the latest murder scene?”
    I stared at him. He was beginning to sound like the Captain. “Why?” I asked him. “Am I a suspect?”
    “Hey.” He laughed softly, shaking his head. “No, you’re not a suspect.” Reaching out, he pulled me close. “I’m just worried about you, that’s all. You seem to have a knack for hanging out where death shows up. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
    I raised my face to his and he kissed me—sweet and warm, sending quivery little shivers into mad confusion all over my susceptible places. I drew back, reluctant but firm. I wasn’t going to give in to those delightfully human urges. Been there, done that, and lost a round or two. I wasn’t going there again.  
    But I did like this man, and I wanted him to know it. So I told him everything—all about our suspicions, about Celinda’s visit, about our trip to see Marilee that ended in tragedy.  
    “Who do you think that was who turned out the lights and knocked you down?” he asked.
    “I’m pretty sure it was a man,” I told him. “But more than that, I have no clue.”
    “Jagger?”
    “Oh, I hope not.”
    “Do you think it was the same person who killed Keri?”
    I hesitated. “Don’t you?”
    He shook his head. “Hard to say.” He looked at me, his gaze a bit veiled. “We’re looking to pick up Jagger again, you know.”
    That gave me a chill. “Do you think he’s the one?”
    He shrugged. “Too soon to tell.”
    “Wow, you’re just full of meaningless phrases tonight.”
    He laughed softly. “You know I can’t tell you the inner secrets of our little group. I already tell you much too much.”
    “Okay. Wink two times if I’m close. Let’s say Jagger killed Keri. Why would he do it?”
    He just shook his head, but I noticed he very carefully didn’t wink even once.
    “No motive,” I said.  
    “That you know of,” he amended, making me frown.  
    “I can see why he might have killed Marilee,” I went on. “After she turned him in and all.”
    “So you heard about that?”
    I winked at him twice and he laughed out loud and pulled me close again.  
    “Hey, chew on this one,” he said softly. “What if Marilee was the one who killed Keri? Where does that leave your theory?”
    That nearly sent me into orbit. “Marilee?”
    He nodded. “Hey junior detective lady, you ponder that, why don’t you?” He smiled at me, teasing and looking like a man preparing to leave the premises. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
    I watched him go to his car and drive off, still stunned by what