Burke went all through school together with Amy and me. He was a good-looking guy, and he knew it. He dazzled the women with his crystal blue eyes and expensive taste. I was the one girl in high school that showed no interest in him so naturally he had to show interest in me. To this day, he still tries to get me to go out with him, though not so much since Ian and I started seeing each other. He could be a jerk at times, but he wasn’t a bad guy, though he was a shark when it came to business.
“Though I did hear a rumor that surprised me… your mom is going to run for mayor?” he asked, his brow arching in question. “She’s got my vote if she does.”
“She won’t grant you any favors,” I warned.
“Of course, she will. She loves me,” Burke boasted with a wink.
“Have you heard about the dead bodies being discovered?” I asked.
His eyes flashed with concern. “What bodies? Dead bodies are bad for the real estate business.”
“For the dead people as well,” I said.
“Of course, of course,” Burke said, trying to cover his faux pas.
I explained about what had been found.
“Two dead bodies on your property this time, Pepper, really! At least it’s a thirty-five-year-old murder which shouldn’t be a problem when you develop part of that land. You should really get on that. I could easily sell condos in that area. The pristine woods are exactly what many are looking to escape to.”
Something occurred to me. “Do you bring in a sales force to sell condos you develop?”
“Depends on where they are, and we try to keep it to the local real estate people. But then we don’t go beyond PA borders, too much of a hassle with other state’s rules and regulations. Some big-name companies sometimes bring in heavy hitters, salesmen that can close a deal with little problem. I’ve seen salesmen talk people into buying things they never had any intention of buying. Why, thinking of getting a heavy hitter to deal with me?” Burke joked.
“If I did, where would I find him?” I teased.
“There’s a database for almost everything. You can search state by state for real estate salespeople and brokers. But like I said, don’t think you or any shark salesperson is going to drive a hard bargain on this one,” Burke reiterated, steering the conversation back to business.
“Did I say I was buying the property?” I asked, finally getting down to business. “Give me the particulars on the sale.”
“It’s ten acres, a good piece of land for a small development.”
“No, it’s not,” I argued, though he was probably right, and the negotiations began.
“You’re low-balling it, Pepper,” Burke argued thirty minutes later.
“See what the owner says and get back to me,” I said, walking to the door.
“Have you been to Yesterday’s Treasures?” Burke asked, stopping me in my tracks.
I turned. “I have.”
“My granddad tells me the owner is attractive and quite a nice woman says we’re doing some business with her.”
“Kate Meadows, and are you asking me if she’s your type?”
“I don’t have a type. I love all women.”
“Well, don’t waste your time on this one. Josh already has his eye on her,” I said with a smile and walked out the door, wondering how long it would take for the war to start between the two men, then feeling contrite for turning the two men loose on Kate.
I drove around to the building in the back, an unimposing structure that was the start of Strathmore Builders. William was seventy-five but still worked part-time in the carpentry section housed in the older building.
Snow was beginning to fall when I stepped out of my truck and entered the place.
“More changes to the room in the attic?” William asked when I stepped into his office.
“Actually, I wanted to ask you about work you did at the lodge around the time Rita Carson was found murdered.”
William’s brow shot up with curiosity. “Helping your dad with the case?”
“Doing my own digging,” I said, not wanting to link my investigation with my dad’s.
William nodded. “I understand. The mayor is causing a lot of unnecessary waves in town about your dad. It’s not sitting well with folks. I don’t know anyone who wants to lose your dad as sheriff.” He smiled. “Is it true your mom is going to run for mayor? Sally would make a wonderful and honest mayor. I’d vote for her, nearly the whole town would.”
I couldn’t keep from chuckling. “To my dad’s dismay.”
“I suppose that could prove a bit difficult for him.” This time William chuckled. “And I bet Willow Lake will be a curse-free zone while your mom is mayor.”
I had to laugh since he was right.
“My memory is not what it used to be, but oddly enough I can recall different jobs I worked on. I especially remember work I did at the lodge and, of course, all the men hoped to get a peek at your aunt, the famous model, the years unable to rob her of her beauty.” He shook his head. “I still have a crush on her to this day. Anyway, I had a crew of about four men out there around that time. We were replacing windows and doors in some of the cabins that needed updating, also some plumbing repair.”