Thanks again for the reviews everyone. Sorry for the delay for this chapter - mutter mutter real life mutter mutter!!!
Chapter 7 – Strate by name.....
Folks, that there police cruiser is bein driven by one Deputy Enos Strate. As his name implies, he's one of the good guys, that's despite that badge he's wearin. Thing about Enos is he cares about folks and he takes his job seriously. The Dukes they respect that about ol' Enos and always take time to pass the day with him, except of course when he is speakin to them in a professional capacity – durin those occasions, Enos is busy havin a conversation with the General's exhaust pipe. That bein the only thing he can see......
Enos parked his cruiser in the lot at TriCounty Memorial Hospital and sighed before getting out. He had a great deal to think about right now and not being the sharpest tool in the shed, it took him a while to make sense of things sometimes. Still, when Enos got round to reaching his conclusions, he was invariably bang on the money. Problem was finding a solution to the problem he found himself in at this moment in time.
He hoped he'd done the right thing.
He found Jesse and Daisy right where Luke said they'd be. Jesse was laid out on the couch sleeping and Daisy was pacing the floor. She looked mighty glad to see the Deputy and in normal circumstances Enos would have been plumb delighted.
"Enos! Oh honey thanks for coming by!" she exclaimed quietly as she rushed over and gave him a hug.
"Well Daisy, I promised Luke that I'd drop in on ya while ye was waitin for Bo 'n all. Is there any news yet?"
She shook her head.
"Three hours Enos and we ain't heard a thing. But they did say that it might take a long time." She hesitated before continuing. "How was Luke when you saw him?"
Enos shook his head as they sat down together in the corner away from her uncle and spoke in hushed tones.
"I don't know Daisy, I ain't never seen Luke like that before. He looks fit to bust somebody."
"Yeah. That Pete Sharp feller that's who" agreed Daisy. "I hope he catches that guy."
"Now Daisy, you shouldn't be talkin like that. Its up to the law to apprehend him and see that justice is done. And I won't hear of Luke takin it into his own hands, I just won't"
Lets talk about normal circumstances as they've come up before now. Under normal circumstances, Daisy Duke would have humoured the straight laced Enos Strate, just to keep him on side. Daisy is a smart girl and she knows how to manipulate Enos into givin her what she wants and if she wanted she could have him eating out of her hands in no time. Besides, that was all part of the fun of living in Hazzard County. Under normal circumstances that is, which we ain't in right now. Normally Bo isn't fighting for his life in hospital, normally Uncle Jesse is standing up and bein strong as an ox ready to fight the world, and normally Luke isn't out trying to catch the man who tried to kill his cousin. So Daisy ain't in the mood to humour Enos right now.....
"Enos honey, I know you mean well an' all. But the law didn't do a good job of lookin after Bo this morning. Strikes me that Luke is entitled to feel the way he does, in fact all us Dukes feel that way."
"Don't get me wrong Daisy, I understand how y'all feel. Man I feel it maself. But – I guess I just don't want Luke doin something crazy and getting himself in trouble is all."
Daisy could only nod in response as she agreed with him there.
They sat in awkward silence for a moment or two as each worked out what to say to the other. Then all of a sudden Daisy looked up at her friend.
"Enos" she said quietly. "Did Luke ask you what happened this morning? Can you tell me what you told him? If there's some way I can help Luke while he's searching then I can only do that if I know what he knows."
Enos hesitated a while, wondering at the wisdom of dragging up all the images again. Then he looked into the gorgeous eyes of Daisy Luke and once again found himself lost. He couldn't deny her the answers she craved.
OK so maybe Daisy can still have Enos eatin out of her hands – with her looks and personality I guess it ain't hard!
"OK Daisy. I'll tell you what I told Luke and Cooter this morning. I'm sorry though ya ain't gonna like what I'm gonna say."
See thing is Luke asked me to tell him right from the very beginning, when Rosco first heard word about Pete Sharp escaping from the State Police. Well I don't know too much about that, seein as how I was out patrolling the highways when they brought Bo in. I was still out when Rosco came on the radio and announced that we was gonna catch ourselves an escaped convict and that I had to be on my guard. So I asked him to tell me a bit more but he just said "Now don't you worry 'bout that none Enos. I am your superior officer and that means that you just do as I tell ya, and I'm tellin' ya to head up towards Chickasaw County line and wait there by the turnoff to Hawkes Gully. This feller will be drivin a dark grey sedan." Then he gave me the licence number and signed off.
Now I don't know how Rosco knew he would turn up there, how he knew the licence number, make of car or nothing. I just did ma duty and I headed off to where he told me and I waited. Stayed there until past dark. You know that road Daisy, ain't nothing travels on that road after dark and I was sittin there all lonesome when Sheriff plum scares me outta ma boots by stickin his face in the window.
"Enos ya dipstick" he says "where's that feller, ain't ya caught 'im yet?" Sheriff must've ghosted up to me with no lights on, I never seen nor heard him. So Sheriff mumbled something about needin to find the feller and a reward money. Now I know that we law folk aint supposed to be claiming no reward money and I said so to the Sheriff, but he hushed me and told me it weren't none of my business.
But while he was hushin me I was sure I heard something movin in the dark, and I knew it was a car driving the road up to Hawkes Gully. Car must've coasted past, but couldn't get up that hill without engaging gears. So we took off after 'im and managed to catch him when he wrapped himself round a tree at the top. No no it weren't brave or clever Daisy, we are police officers after all. Anyhows he was a might dazed when we pulled 'im out so he came along nice and quiet at first. It was only when we got to the jail that he got ornery and started hissin and cussin. Its a good job he was cuffed, it took both of us to manhaul him down to the cells. I reckon Bo must've woken up with all the commotion an all, but he didn't show no signs of it. Think I woulda done the same thing maself and pretended to sleep. But that feller he was cussin and yellin fit to wake the whole town. Well I can't rightly say the words he was usin' not in your company Daisy. But he was spoutin' all sorts of threats against the Sheriff and Boss.
That's funny that's the same question Luke asked. I don't know how this feller knew Boss Daisy, I just don't know.
Anyhow, I was fixin to settle in for the night when Sheriff did the strangest thing. He patted me on the back, said good job Enos and sent me home for the night sayin he would guard the prisoners. He ain't never done that before. Made me right curious, but thankful though, I hadn't been looking forward to watchin over Pete Sharp. So I went home to bed and got a couple of hours before startin ma shift at seven when I had to see to the prisoners.
First thing I took breakfast down to the cells for Bo and Sharp to find 'em quarrelling. They was actually squarin up to each other despite the bars that lay between 'em. I don't know what it was about Daisy, and neither of 'em would tell me. Funny I'da thought that Bo woulda told me but he clammed up tighter than Boss Hoggs wallet when he saw me.....look I don't know if I should tell you this Daisy, but I could have sworn that I heard mention of yer Uncle Jesse's name as I came in. But I can't be certain. Huh? Yes I did tell Luke that.
Anyways Boss and Rosco came through soon after and told me to go and look out for the State Troopers arrivin' and I left them all. But before I closed that door I could hear Bo pleadin with Boss to let him out before the Troopers came. And he sounded funny. I don't know like he was scared or something.
I wonder if he knew what was coming?
I'm sorry Daisy. I didn't mean to upset ya. The rest of it ya all know by now I guess. I never saw no more until the Troopers arrived and then well Bo – you know.
"Oh Enos! I wish I knew what Bo went through in that cell."
"I don't know Daisy, Sheriff might have an idea, but he ain't said a word to nobody since it happened. I'm thinking he's in shock or something. Ain't never seen him speechless before."
"How'd Luke take your story?"
Enos Strate shook his head.
"Bad Daisy, I ain't never seen him like this. I hope I done the right thing tellin him about what I thought I heard this morning between Bo and that feller. But when I told him that he took on the strangest look, I can't describe it. I said to him not to do nothing foolish and Cooter said he would keep an eye on him. When I told him that I was coming out here to pay ma respects to you and Uncle Jesse, he told me to tell ya that he loved y'all and that he would take care of everything. Whatever that means."
"I don't know Enos. I don't know what's happening to my family right now." Daisy put her head in her hands and bit back the ever present tears.
Tentatively Enos put an arm on her shoulder and patted her gently as she rested her head on his.
"Hush now Daisy, it'll be alright you'll see. Bo now, ain't no-one tougher than he is, except Luke maybe, he'll fight through this. And Luke, well he'll make it right. Cos that's what he's best at. And Uncle Jesse, he'll see y'all through this I know he will. C'mon Daisy, lets go and get a cup o' coffee or somethin' and I'll wait with you a while."
As Daisy and Enos left the relatives room, Jesse Duke opened his eyes and sighed as a silent tear fell onto the cushion he was lying on.
Ah well, maybe sweet Daisy isn't handlin' Enos at all. Well lets leave the Dukes at the hospital with Enos for now and find out how ol' Luke is doin'.
