Margaret Martin was settling into her home at an assisted-living facility with a hefty balance in her bank account. Then she started writing large checks to a part-time children’s-party performer, Sharon Kingsford, and Kingsford’s nephew, James Lambard.

Martin gave Lambard more than $70,000 to help launch his investment in an Amante Pizza and Pasta franchise in Magnolia. Records don’t indicate why Kingsford was getting checks, but they totaled more than $20,000. Katie Lambard, an in-law of Kingsford and James Lambard, says James and his aunt met Martin through their church about 14 years ago and brought her into their family as a grandmother figure; she adds that in the past, they had borrowed money but promptly paid it back. But this time, even after she sent them letters, Martin claims that didn’t happen—and in mid-March, Martin filed suit against the pair.

The 29-year-old Lambard is now living with his parents in Shoreline, and declined to comment when reached by phone. The state Department of Licensing lists Lambard as the owner of the Magnolia Amante’s, but a manager there says Lambard stopped working at the restaurant a couple of years ago. (Lambard says on his MySpace profile that he’s now working at Pronto Pizza & Pasta in Seattle.)

Kingsford performs at parties with her husband, Daniel Wallin (also a defendant in Martin’s suit), who entertains children as Wild Will Hick-Up and Wahoo the Clown. Kingsford gets into the act as Professor R. Snick, a witch with a talent for lethal potions, according to a booking profile of Wallin. Wallin and Kingsford’s answering machine greets callers to “the home of Daniel, Sharon, their lizard, and Wahoo the Clown—honk, honk!”

Neither Kingsford, Wallin, the lizard, nor Wahoo responded to a request for comment on the suit.