Dead to Rights

“Knew they were screwing around? Of course I knew. You’ve probably already figured out that she wasn’t the first. She is the last, though. I’m just surprised he let her get pregnant. He usually insisted on using protection.”

“How long has it been going on?” Joa

Terry shrugged. “Bebe’s worked here for the better part of two years, so I suppose it’s been about that long. When it came to assistants, Bucky never could keep his pants up.”

“Why didn’t you put a stop to it?” Joa

“What good would it do? He’d just find another one,” Terry answered. “He always did.”

“Why didn’t you leave then?”

“You mean why did I put up with it? You have to understand that what I had with Bucky was a hell of a lot better than what I came from.”

“How could this be better?” The words were out of her mouth before Joa

“For one thing, for the first time in my life, I had a real home. And a certain amount of respect, from other people, if not necessarily from Bucky. Later on, when I realized I’d traded one set of problems for another, I couldn’t see any alternative. With no formal education beyond my sophomore year in high school, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to make it on my own. So that’s what I did-put up with things. Ignored them.

“The last couple years, though, I stayed because I wanted to-because it was convenient. After all, I was finally getting a chance to do something for me. I used to play te

Joa

“Damned right. And it’s been worth it, too,” Terry Buckwalter declared. “I’m going to make it, Joa

For Joa

Abruptly, Terry pushed the chair back from the desk. “I just made some coffee. Do you want some?”

Detouring around a collection of packing boxes, Terry led Joa

“No, thanks,” Joa

Terry opened a drawer beneath the counter and pawed through the contents. She plucked out a set of keys, a pocket knife, several matchbooks, and a selection of refrigerator magnets. After tossing those into one of the boxes, she slammed that drawer shut and went on to examine the next one.

“You’re moving, then?” Joa

“As soon as I can,” Terry returned. “All I’m doing today, though, is clearing out a few personal things-pictures, knickknacks, personal junk. The kinds of things the new vet won’t have any use for.”

“A new vet. It sounds as though you’ve sold the practice.

“Pretty much,” Terry said. “It’s not all finalized yet, but it will be before long.”

“Aren’t you worried about moving too fast?” Joa

Terry smiled for the first time. “I’ve been taken advantage of by an expert,” she said. “Compared to that, this is fine. Besides, it was all set up long ago. Bucky and Reggie made all the arrangements late last fall, shortly after Bucky got out of treatment. The valuations were all set then. Nobody’s cheating. Reggie Wade is buying the practice under that pre-set formula, less the money we already owe him. If something had happened to Reggie, Bucky would have done the same thing-bought him out. Actually, setting that whole process up in advance is probably the nicest thing Bucky Buckwalter ever did for me.”

“Less what money?” Joa

“Reggie Wade lent Bucky and me money last year when things went so sour. After the accident, we had to post a bond, pay for lawyers and all kinds of other expenses that weren’t exactly expected. We tried the bank first, but I guess they figured if Bucky went to jail, there’d be no way for us to pay it off. We were right up against it when Reggie came to the rescue. He and Bucky worked out a deal. Reggie lent us what we needed, using the practice as collateral.”

“Sounds like a nice guy.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Terry said. “If it hadn’t been for him, I don’t know what I would have done. By the time we’d paid oft the defense attorneys and it was time for Bucky to go for treatment, we were tapped out completely. I knew I needed a substitute vet while Bucky was gone, but there wasn’t a dime to pay for it. Reggie came to the rescue again. Reggie and Bucky had covered calls for one another on occasion. This time, he subbed for Bucky on top of keeping up with his own practice. When I told him about the money situation, he told me not to worry. He was nice enough to add his bill for professional services rendered to the other loan. That’s the only reason we made it through.”

“What you’re saying is that Dr. Wade has what amounts to a mortgage on the practice.”

Terry nodded. “For right now. When the sale closes, he’ll give me the difference between the valuation formula and what he’s already paid. And as for moving fast, we pretty much have to. The valuation formula is based on selling the practice as a going concern. If there’s too much of a break, then customers end up going elsewhere.”

“And this is a regular buy/sell arrangement?”

“Maybe not regular,” Terry allowed. “When Milo Davis set it up, he said it was a little unusual. Still, though, it worked.”

“Milo set it up?”

“It wasn’t all finalized until Bucky got out of treatment in mid-December.”

That was why Joa

“You’re saying that Reggie Wade is paying full value without any haggling?”

“No haggling at all. He’s following the buy/sell agreement right down to the letter.”

Joa

“That reminds me,” Terry said. “What about the insurance?”

“What about it?”

“How long will it take to pay off? I know I’ll have to sign claim forms and all that, but I’m trying to get some idea of how long it will take to pull all of this together so I can leave town.”

Somehow, Terry Buckwalter’s desire to put Bisbee behind her no longer seemed nearly as sinister as it had earlier. Considering the situation with Bebe Noonan, Terry’s wanting to leave town was entirely understandable. Nonetheless, when it came to insurance proceeds, desire and reality were on a collision course.

“With a death like this,” Joa

“Months!” Terry echoed. “But why an investigation? Bucky’s dead, isn’t he? We owned the policies, we paid all the premiums, and I’m the beneficiary. What’s there to investigate?”

Lots, Joa