16 HOURS BEFORE (4 P.M.)
When Daisy came back to the farm, uncle Jesse, Bo and Luke noticed her worrysome.
The three men looked each other, silently, then uncle Jesse tried to distract her, "How's your day with Lulu?"
Daisy didn't know what to say, but after a brief pause she answered to her uncle, "Not a very good day. Lulu remembered she had an appointment, so I had lunch with Enos. But, unfortunately, Enos didn't seem in the mood for talking". Daisy avoided to explain that probably Lulu's appointment was only an excuse to let her and Enos alone; she knew that she had to thank Lulu for giving her a chance to talk with Enos, but unfortunately she wasted this chance.
After her words she was expecting some funny comment, some sniggering from Bo and Luke, but they remained silent, looking away. They knew their cousin enough to understand if she wanted to joke or not; and after Daisy left the farm with Lulu ignoring them and their words 'bout Enos, they perfectly understood she didn't want to joke about it. They didn't know why, but they could feel that something was wrong between their cousin and their best friend.
Bo looked at Luke; since Luke was older than him, he usually let Luke face touchy affairs.
But Luke too didn't know how to face such a delicate argument, so they left Daisy and uncle Jesse alone.
Daisy sank into the living room's couch, near uncle Jesse, whowaited patiently Daisy was ready to talk; Silence filled the living room, but after several minutes Daisy's voice broke that silence.
"Enos is strange. He doesn't talk to me as he usually did. He avoids me. I tried to talk to him, but I failed. During lunch he didn't even listen to me, he didn't talk to me, then he left. When he met me and Lulu, he was smiling, and he accepted to lunch with me, but when we were alone…. We aren't able to stay alone anymore. I don't know exactly when his behaviour's changed, after our wedding was postponed… or maybe more recently. I know Enos better than anyone else in Hazzard, and now I'm pretty sure that there's something wrong with him; but, usually, when I felt there's something wrong, I was able to understand what's the problem 'cause he talked to me. Maybe this time I failed 'cause his problem is ME. What's happening, uncle Jesse? I wanted to tell him I love him…" Daisy stopped, surprised by her own words.
"I wanted to tell him I love him".
She never said it so explicitly to anyone, she never said it so explicitly to herself. She never used that word, "love", whereas she always talked 'bout "affection", "caring", "friendship". But, in effect, what's love if not a strong affection and a desire to take care of someone along your life? to have someone by your side along your life, taking care of him and let him taking care of you? What's the difference between friendship and love? Probably, her friendship turned to love in the moment she felt that desire: the willing to take care of him, being by his side in the more closest way, as a wife. Cooter was a close and dear friend, but, sincerly, she wouldn't have ever asked Cooter to marry her for saving him from going to jail, she would have found another way, whereas the idea of marry Enos was so immediate, and strong, and... natural: she thought she had that idea 'cause Enos loved her, and he would have accepted to marry her, but now she was finally understanding the real reason why she had that idea.
This revelation exploded in her mind.
"Do you LOVE him?", uncle Jesse looked into her eyes.
She swallowed against the lump in her throat, assimilating that revelation, "Yeah. I love him", and after these words she felt happy, relieved, so she repeated "Yeah, I love him" many times, louder and louder, 'till Bo and Luke came in the living room, looking astonished at her and at their uncle hugging.
That evening,in her bedroom, Daisy was eager to talk again to Enos. She was waiting for the next morning, repeating in her mind the words to say to him. Three only words, in effect: I.. LOVE.. YOU.
In his apartment Enos was trying to eat something, but his stomach rejected any food because of his anxiety and worrisome.
He was waiting for next morning, reading that letter, again and again, trying to control his breath and trying to think of a plan of action, in order to survive. Finally he threw that letter into the basket, it was pointless to keep on reading it: he knew every line of that letter.
He was completely alone, blackmailed, without possibility to call for help. And, anyway, he didn't want to put in danger anyone, especially Daisy and the Dukes.
If he called for help, his friends could die.
It was HIS fight.
The man was eager for next morning.
He had an appointment with the man he hated the most.
This time Enos Strate had to die. Nobody could help him.
The man knew him, and in particular he knew his weak point: Daisy Duke and her family.