Dead to Rights

Kiddo was no longer young enough for the racing circuit, but he was a good, line-looking horse. Joa

“Je

“I thought she might be,” Terry said. “Whenever she came here, she always seemed to have either a carrot or an apple in her pocket. That’s why I mentioned it.”

“Thanks,” Joa

Out in the Blazer, Joa

Joa

Half an hour later, three and a half miles east of Double Adobe, Joa

The house itself was a ramshackle clapboard affair seemingly held together by little more than multiple layers of peeling paint. A sagging front porch teetered drunkenly to one side. The remains of a screen door, permanently stuck open, sagged on a single hinge. A long-legged mongrel dog lay in front of the closed front door. He sat up, scratched himself deliberately, then came to the edge of the porch, barking without much enthusiasm or threat. That changed, though, once the faded front door opened and a middle-aged woman in worn jeans and a man’s fla

As soon as the woman appeared, the dog went through a sudden ominous transformation. His hackles came up. Now each deep-throated bark was accompanied by a threatening show of teeth.

Wary of the dog’s sudden change in personality, Joa

“Out back,” the woman answered. “Take this driveway and go on around to the back of the house. Her place is the trailer, not the bus. You go on ahead. I’ll keep Buddy here with me.”

Buddy, of course. That’s was exactly the name people like that would give to a vicious dog.

Following the directions, Joa

Bebe Noonan’s Honda was parked beside the door to the camper. Taking a deep breath, Joa

Bebe answered her knock. “What do you want?” she demanded, standing in the open door and barring Joa

“I need to talk to you,” Joa

Bebe shook her head. “I don’t want to talk to anyone. Leave me alone.”

“Do your parents know about the baby?” Joa

Bebe’s face registered shock, then dissolved into a torrent of anguished tears. “Oh, please. You didn’t tell my mom, did you?”

“No,” Joa

Wordlessly Bebe complied. Moving away from the door, she allowed Joa

Uninvited, Joa

“You didn’t see me at the clinic a little while ago?” Bebe shook her head.

“I’m not surprised,” Joa

Bebe nodded.

“And Bucky Buckwalter is the father?”

Instinctively, as if to protect her unborn child from Joa

“You’re pla

“Yes,” Bebe whispered. “Of course. I want this baby. So did Bucky.”

“He knew about it then?”

Bebe hesitated. “He was happy about it. Glad.”

“Wasn’t that awkward for him, having you turn up pregnant with his baby while he was still married to Terry?”

Bebe’s chin jutted out determinedly. “They were married, but he didn’t love her anymore. And she didn’t care about him, either. Ask her. She’ll tell you. She was always busy with other stuff, like golf every afternoon. Even when she was there at the clinic, she was mean to him. Sometimes she said such ugly things to him, I was surprised he didn’t hit her. And she wouldn’t have kids. He wanted to, but she wouldn’t. Did you know that?”

And there it was. As simple as that. Bucky Buckwalter had lied to this young woman, betraying her as well. “Terry Buckwalter couldn’t have children,” Joa

Dismay washed across Bebe’s face. “But…”

“That’s not what he told you, is it,” Joa

Bebe considered for a moment, then seemed to gather her resources. “It doesn’t matter what he said. Bucky wanted a baby, and now he’s going to have one.”

Expecting contrition, Joa

“You mean, am I sure I’m pregnant? Yes. I haven’t been to a doctor, but I know.”

“No,” Joa

Bebe’s tough facade crumpled. “No, I don’t know,” she wailed. “I was going to tell him, but I never got a chance. My appointment to see the doctor isn’t until next week. I was sure, but I wanted it to be official. But I know Bucky would have wanted it.”

“And you thought he’d divorce Terry to marry you?”

“Yes. He would have, too.”

“How many other people know about this?” Joa

“Other people? Terry and you, I guess.”