Enos walked into the garage and toward the back spotted a man adjusting something in a car engine and talking on a cell phone. Cooter stood and turned to him. A little older, a little grayer, still in a greasy ball cap and coveralls, he looked Enos over for a minute and recognizing him, grinned , hung up his phone.
"Enos is that you standing there in that suit"? Cooter grinned and walked towards him wiping his hand on a rag.
" Yeah, I 'm back for good this time."
" Well come in back with me, Cooter said, putting an arm around Enos' shoulder. " Have a beer, we need to catch up."
They walked to the back of the garage into a small office and Enos looked around. An old oak desk stacked with papers sat in corner. Amid the papers was a computer and an old c.b. Radio and a stack of car magazines. Against the wall were several tall filing cabinets and on the other wall a small refrigerator where Cooter pulled out a couple of beers and they sat in a pair old but comfortable office chairs and opened them. Enos told Cooter about his decision to retire from the L.A.P. D. . How he worked his up to detective. He looked around and asked when Cooter needed an office. Cooter drained his beer, leaned back in his chair and answered. "Well, you know a few years back I got myself elected to congress, thought I could make a difference for the regular folk. A few years later I got unelected and came back here, like you just done. The folks here decided that since I had political experience they kind of drafted me into running Hazzard county for them."
Enos let out a little laugh and grinned "Dang Cooter, You're the county commissioner now?"
Cooter sighed, Yep, I,m just trying to right by these people. I want this town to be a place where you would want to raise a family. I still got a couple friends in Washington who helped me raise a little money for the new high school. Hell I got young uns myself. Five of them. Married a skinny little thing a met in Washington. Who knew that women would be so fertile . Hey I got a proposition for you. I'm having to build a new sheriff's office and jail since the state inspectors closed down the old one in the courthouse. I could make you sheriff and put you in charge of the whole thing. I think you're qualified for the job. "
"What happened to your last sheriff?" asked Enos.
" Not sure exactly.", replied Cooter leaning back in his chair. He had a little country band. They went to Nashville and I aint heard from him since.
"Yep the same thing happened with my second cousin George."sighed Enos."Speaking of sheriffs, whatever happened to sheriff Roscoe.
" He don' get out much anymore, old age I reckon. Maybe you should stop off and see him." Cooter answered. As Enos turned to leave he suddenly thought to ask " I drove by the Boars Nest. What the heck happened?"
Cooter let out a low chuckle. "Well now thats a story. A few years business at he place had dropped off a bit, so Lester, the old boy running the place got a idea in his head on how to drum up more. He set up a still in the back room were Boss's office used to be and started selling shine under the table as it were. He as making money hand over fist there for a while. He couldn't make enough supply for the demand after a while one night after closing I reckon he tried to make too much too fast and the boiler exploded. . Some say he died but no body was found in the rubble. My guess is he took off and left the state, and is still hiding from the revenuers to this day.
As Enos was leaving Cooters cellphone rang. Enos only heard his side of the conversation. "No I don't believe you do need a permit for your pet gator as long as you keep him penned up and walk him on a leash." and under his breath "People in this town are crazy."