“I’m right here.” Evie walked over to Odessa’s desk. “Hey, Doc! I didn’t expect to see you today.”
“Mm-hmm,” Odessa murmured. “You ready to tell them?”
“Tell us what?” It had taken Evie a few moments longer to recognize the situation, but Bryson could tell she saw it now.
“What’s going on, Doc?” Bryson asked.
“Odessa’s right. It’s time I give you the whole story.” His mentor settled his backside against Odessa’s desk and folded his hands in front of him. “You both know the mentorship program was partially funded by the endowment left by Marsha Lawrence, right?”
“I still have the stethoscope with her name etched into it that we received that summer we volunteered,” Evie said.
“Well, before Mrs. Lawrence became a benefactor, Dr. Stanley Shepard had already made a huge contribution. In fact, The Sanctuary would not have a home if not for him.”
“You need to give them the abridged version,” Odessa said.
“I’m getting there,” Doc said. “Stanley owned this building. He’s rented it to The Sanctuary for a dollar per year.”
“I didn’t know that,” Bryson said.
Evie shook her head. “Neither did I.”
“It’s how we’ve been able to operate even in lean years, when there were hardly any donations. He kept it in his company’s name for tax purposes but always meant to gift it to the rescue.” Doc blew out a deep breath. “Stanley suffered a stroke last year and passed away just before Thanksgiving.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Evie said. “Were you two close friends?”
“Not really. Stanley was a hard-ass. We were more competitors than friends.” He hunched his shoulders. “Anyway, I discovered about a month ago that Stanley never got around to changing his will. Everything is still tangled up in the succession and probate process, but as soon as his estate is done making its way through the courts, his grandson plans to sell the building.”
Evie gasped.
“Sell it?” Bryson asked. “Even though he knows his grandfather wanted to gift it to The Sanctuary?”
“Stanley’s grandson doesn’t care about The Sanctuary, or his grandfather’s wishes. Stanley cut him out of nearly everything he owned, but he forgot about this building.”
“Shit,” Bryson cursed under his breath. This was even worse than he’d imagined.
“What about the rest of his family?”
“There is no one else. The grandson is an only child. Stanley’s daughter, the boy’s mother, was killed in an auto-mobile accident years ago.”
“Is there a way to fight him in court?” Evie asked.
“As far as I know, there isn’t anything stating that Stanley planned to leave the building to The Sanctuary. It’s justsomething we talked about while trying to best each other on the golf course. Based on Louisiana’s estate laws, any assets that were not assigned in the will are automatically inherited by the legal heirs. That’s Stanley’s grandson. Besides,” Doc said, “the money that would be spent on lawyer fees trying to fight it in court would be better put to use on the animals.”
“Or buying the building,” Bryson said.
“Or that,” Doc said.
“Do you know his selling price?” Evie asked.
“The market value is just over one-point-eight million,” Doc said. He let out a gruff laugh. “Stanley bought this place for a hundred thousand dollars back in the eighties.”
“Times change,” Odessa remarked.
“I guess they do,” Doc said. “I considered buying it—even putting up my house as collateral—but the purchase price is more than I can afford.”
“Well, this definitely changes the ball game,” Evie said.
As far as Bryson was concerned, this ended the ball game.
