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left vice?” Charlie asked.
    â€œNo, we got to be almost friends. I managed to help her get a job at one of those call centers and she enrolled in some community college classes. Wanted to get into retail management and sell something besides her body.”
    â€œThink maybe she slipped back out onto the streets?” Gina asked.
    â€œI hope not, but perhaps CNM has a phone number or address that’ll help track her down,” Nancy said.
    Charlie nodded, having taken a business seminar at the College of New Mexico once he and Gordon bought the pawnshop. “Did Lola have a boyfriend back then?” Charlie asked.
    â€œSome of the girls did, but not Lola. At least if she did, she never mentioned anyone. She usually shared more of her personal life than the others,” Nancy said. “I think I would have known about it.”
    â€œDuPree should be close to getting an ID on this guy claiming to be her boyfriend. The police department has an image from our surveillance, both days, plus our own descriptions and what was recorded on the sidewalk. And ‘boyfriend’ wasn’t the one who got shot,” Charlie pointed out.
    â€œWhen DuPree gets a name, he said he’d text me,” Nancy replied.
    â€œAnd?” Gordon asked with raised eyebrows.
    â€œYeah, and I’ll pass that along to you two. You don’t plan on getting involved in this, do you?” Nancy asked, looking from face to face.
    Charlie nodded toward the front of the store. “I’d say we’re already involved. Someone tried to rob and kill us, and if they’re the kind of guys who take things personal—we’re on their to-do-in list. We hurt them more than they hurt us.”
    â€œFrom what they did to the dead silversmith, if they were actually the ones who offed the guy, I’d say these boys have issues. Charlie’s right,” Gina added, speaking to Nancy. “Not that I want him or Gordon to put themselves in any more danger. But they need to be ready to defend themselves.”
    â€œI’m willing to help out Al, who seems to be getting his career back in order, but it looks like there are already a lot of officers on this and we’re not cops. Once things are back in shape here and I know Jake and Ruth will be safe, maybe I can do more without getting in the way,” Charlie said.
    Gordon stood and reached for the coffeepot. “I’m not that concerned about your brother, Charlie, but I don’t like being a target. I’ve got your back,” he said.
    â€œA word of advice, guys,” Nancy said, holding her cup out for Gordon to refill. “Stay in touch with Detective DuPree. He’s given you two a lot of slack, so don’t go all vigilante against these … killers.”
    Neither of them said a word, but Gina sighed loudly, shaking her head. She knew they weren’t going to let this go.
    â€œSo, Nancy, if we wanted to help out, where do you think we should start? Find Lola?” Charlie asked. “That leads back to whoever she got the necklace from—the killer or someone who dealt with him.”
    â€œNot a bad idea. You don’t look and act like cops, and I certainly can’t approach her outright. She found out what I do for a living,” Nancy replied.
    â€œHer last known apartment is under surveillance. Any place else you recall she used to hang out?” Gordon asked.
    â€œWhen she was hooking, her favorite hangout was the Firehouse Tavern on East Central. She had a pimp for a while who was part owner of the place—Mike something. You might want to try there first. Lola used to show up early, maybe five thirty, trying to catch men just off work, hoping they’d choose sex over beer. She hated working late at night, I recall. Too dangerous.”
    â€œSo, if she was working the streets again, she wouldn’t be looking to hook up this time of day,” Charlie asked. “No sense in us going