“Pepper.”
I turned to see Burke standing there again.
“I remembered where I saw Lola.”
All our ears perked up.
“Where?” I asked.
“North Carolina. About two years ago. I was visiting a friend. He was looking at houses and dragged me along to some investment seminar while I was there.”
“An investment seminar?” Beau asked.
Burke nodded. “One of those things where people promise to show you how to make a fortune in real estate.”
“And Lola was there?” I asked.
“I’m pretty sure it was her, though she wore less make up and she didn’t have blonde hair. It was a raging red color, probably why it took me a while to place her,” Burke said. “She was handing out pamphlets, making sure the coffee and pastries stayed stocked.”
“Did you talk with her?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No, she was more in the background, like extra help for the day. And I was busy paying attention to the talk. I didn’t want my friend to get scammed. Something felt off about the whole thing, so I warned him not to invest a dime in it.” Burke smiled. “It turned out to be wise advice. A few months later it was discovered to be a scam.”
Scam.
Amy and I exchanged looks that said it all.
CHAPTER 28
If Lola had been part of a scam, then what was she doing in Willow Lake now?
The thought was one that Amy and I shared last night, and it followed me into my office the next morning and refused to leave.
Mo lay stretched across the floor beside my desk like a large furry rug that thankfully had never tried to knock me unconscious. Roxie occupied the windowsill, her tail flicking lazily as she supervised the backyard.
I picked up my phone and dialed.
Sherman answered on the third ring.
“Morning, Pepper. What kind of trouble are you digging into today?”
“Why does everyone assume I’m digging into trouble?” I asked.
There was a pause, then he said, “Experience.”
I sighed. “Fair enough.”
“So,” Sherman continued, “what do you need?”
“I’d like you to see what you can find out about someone for me. A woman named Lola. She’s been living in Willow Lake for a while now, but I’d like to know where she was before she came here.”
“You think she’s hiding something?”
“Let’s just say I’d like to know if she has a history of… questionable financial ventures.”
Sherman chuckled softly. “That sounds promising already.”
“I don’t have much to go on,” I admitted. “But someone recognized her from an investing seminar in North Carolina that turned out to be a scam.”
