Blackmoore Sisters 01-Dead Wrong by Leighann Dobbs

latte from Fiona’s hand replacing it with a cup of herbal tea.  
    Fiona opened her mouth to protest, but Morgan raised her hand.
    “Shush. This will help calm you. You can have the latte back later. Now tell me what you found out from Ed.”
    Fiona felt her stomach drop. She leaned against the counter while Morgan went back behind it and took a seat.  
    “I’m sorry, Morgan. I didn’t really get any good information from him. He chased me out of there. Almost shot me, for crying out loud!”
    “He did, why?” Morgan’s ice blue eyes were as big as plates.
    “Well, it might have been because I asked him where he was when Prudence was strangled.” Fiona said sheepishly.
    Morgan nodded. “Let me guess … you did that with your usual lack of tact?”
    Fiona grimaced. “Yeah. That’s when he chased me out with his shotgun. I literally ran into Jake on the way out.”  
    Morgan blew out a breath and pulled her long ebony hair back off her neck. “Well, if Jake was there after you, maybe he got something useful from Ed.”
    “Maybe. I still don’t know if I trust him. Why do you think he’ll be so helpful to us? Don’t tell me you have the hots for him?” Fiona stared at Morgan wondering why her stomach was twisted in knots waiting for her answer. Must be this tea, she thought, looking down into the cup.
    “No. I almost wish I was. But since Luke … well … I just haven’t felt …” Morgan turned and looked out the window. Fiona’s heart ripped apart at the sadness on her sister’s face.  
    Luke Hunter had been Morgan’s high school sweetheart. They’d been a perfect couple from high school through their mid-twenties. Everyone assume they would get married, but then Luke felt the need to join the military to fight in the Middle East and he’d left Morgan back here with a broken heart.  
    Fiona wished her sister could move on, but part of her was glad that it wasn’t going to be with Jake Cooper. Which she convinced herself was because she didn’t quite trust him yet.
    Morgan’s eyes narrowed in on something she saw out the window. “Hey, is that Belladonna?”
    Fiona came over to the window, looking in the direction of Morgan’s gaze. She saw a white blur streak by. “I don’t know. Is it? What would she be doing here?”
    “I have no idea. She does seem to keep turning up here, though. I’ll have to talk to Jolene about it. I’m worried Belladonna could get hurt coming all the way from our house with the traffic and all.”
    Fiona’s stomach clenched picturing Belladonna dodging traffic on the busy main road. Their house was about a mile away. Was that a long way for a cat to go?
    “Unless she comes down the Marginal Way,” Fiona said. The Marginal Way was a footpath that went along the ocean’s edge. The scenic route followed the cliffs from Perkins Cove where their house was to the center of Noquitt and was very popular with tourists. Belladonna could easily follow it to Sticks and Stones which was about midway on the path without ever seeing a car.
      “Maybe. I hope so.” Morgan opened the window wider, and stuck her head out. “Belladonna!   Bella!”
    “Meoooow.”
    “Oh, I guess that is her,” Fiona said opening the door. The cat shot inside, then looked at the sisters innocently.  
    “Mew.” She used a quiet, kitten like voice that would melt even the coldest heart. Fiona figured it was on purpose so as to avoid getting yelled at. She narrowed her eyes at the cat who proceeded to purr up at her and rub her head against her ankles.
    The girls looked at each other shaking their heads.
    “Well, at least she’s safe in here now.” Fiona watched Belladonna curl up in a sunny spot, marveling at how the cat could drop off to sleep in a second.  
    “Can I have my latte now?” She held out the teacup for a trade.
    Morgan laughed and handed over the latte which Fiona took over to the microwave.
    “Don’t forget tomorrow we are going to check out the scene of the