Page 31 of The Protégé

“Like how your brain shuts off when you see a stunning man?”

“That’s different.”

“Semantics, my friend. Don’t worry. I’ll be careful. This story means too much to me.” I grabbed my purse from the couch. “How did you get the info?”

“Mrs. Benedict—one of my favorite clients—called me for an urgent coloring with two of her friends. She just bought a house in Martha’s Vineyard. Anyway, the women started talking about some guy selling affordable life insurance. The company doesn’t require a physical exam or blood work. Not only that,he’s helping them invest in digital currency. You know, stuff like bitcoin.”

“Sounds too good to be true.”

“That’s what I said. But these women have financial advisors guiding them. I’m not too worried about them. Personally, I’d wait to see how everything plays out before putting my life savings into them.”

For the past few months, I’d been investigating the deaths of Emmanuel Lopez and his two friends, Bryson Cruz and Mary Chen. They were dedicated church members who often volunteered with my mom at Wild Roots. They were hardworking minorities whose deaths had been ruled as suicide. Bryson had jumped from the top floor of his apartment, and Mary had overdosed on sleeping pills, leaving a cryptic note to her family. Their deaths appeared suspicious to me. I’d met Bryson and Mary before, and they didn’t seem depressed. My mom was shocked because she didn’t see it either.

“You always get the juicy details. Thanks for letting me know.”

“What are best friends for? The insurance guy invited them to his office. When I told them I know someone who’s interested in buying life insurance, they gave me an address. Thought it might help you.”

“You’re the best. Thanks.”

“Anytime. I know you love to play detective. Like I said, just be careful.”

“I thought you were attending a party with Jake?”

“The party is going on all night. We can be a bit late. Besides, she’s one of my favorite clients.”

“Thanks again!”

Curiosity was my weakness. This was the case I’d been working on for Uncover the Truth. It could be dangerous, but if I didn’t reveal the truth, who would? I didn’t play by the rulesat work. Therefore, I wasn’t a star reporter who got invited to all the fancy parties. I didn’t twist things to suit someone’s needs or leave out part of the truth because my superiors feared the backlash from those who supported the news station. Leaving details out was distorting the story.

I slid into my car and turned the key. The engine choked and stalled.

Patting the steering wheel, I spoke to it as though it could understand me. “Please be strong for another year until I can afford to fix you up.Please.You’ve been so good to me. Don’t let me down now when I need you the most, okay?” I turned the key again. The engine hiccupped once and roared to life. “Yes! I love you!”

I pulled into a parking spot on the street in front of a coffee shop, got out, and walked toward Apex Insurance and Financial Investments. Something about that name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t remember where I’d heard it. The business was closed, but the dry-cleaning place next door was still open. I entered and walked up to the counter to an old woman with her silver hair twisted into a bun.

Smiling, she pushed up her glasses. “Hello. Are you here to pick up something?”

Her warm greeting reminded me of my grandmother with sharp eyes that had seen too much of the world.

“Sorry, no. I’m actually here for Apex Insurance, but it’s closed.” I gestured to her neighbor. “Maybe you can help me. My mom’s friend referred her to Samuel Donatello. But I’m wary about life insurance companies, so I’m trying to gather info before she purchases it. Do you know anything about Mr. Donatello or his business?”

She pushed a pad of paper to the side and considered me with warm eyes. “Your mom’s lucky to have you. There are so many scams out there these days.”

I nodded. “I want to protect her.”

The woman’s eyes hardened. “If I were you, I’d stay away from Samuel and his business. He tried selling me life insurance too. When I told him I already have a policy, he kept pushing, saying he’d give me a great discount. I didn’t like his aggressiveness or the creepy way he looked at women. Last week I called the cops because he was being aggressive toward a woman in front of my shop. She was crying, calling him a fraud, saying her husband didn’t commit suicide. She threatened to tell everyone about his fraudulent company.”

Hope sparked in me. “Do you know her name?”

“Sorry, I don’t. I only saw her that day.”

When a customer entered, I thanked her and headed back to Apex Insurance. The hours on the door said they were open till five in the evening. I was only a few minutes late. Who was the woman? How could I reach her?

I still had a lot to do for Musepaper, so I headed back home. As I drove, my mind wandered. There was definitely a life insurance scam going on. And it involved several companies. Apex Insurance and Financial Investments was the fifth name I’d encountered. How many more were involved?

A pop sounded and a metal noise scraped against the road.

“Shit.” I pulled over, got out, and my heart sank at the flat tire. I crouched to see a part of my muffler—or whatever that metal pipe was—hanging on for dear life. “No, not now.” I stood up, glanced around at the unfamiliar area.

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