SPYING AND ANALYZING
"Ok, it's time to go to the farm and talk to uncle Jesse about what's happening. Then, I think we should…" Luke suddenly stopped his talking, looking away from Bo and Daisy, and his cousins followed his eyes, turning to the direction Luke was looking at, "Look at who's coming, Mrs. Burns," he folded his arms and he smiled amused at the journalist, "I suppose she's looking for Rosco because of the bomber, she's walking to the Police Department. It's the only positive thing: that bomber caught Mrs. Burns' attention, so she isn't goin' to annoy Enos any more."
Vain hope: Mrs. Burns noticed them and walk to them instead of entering the Police Department, departing from her path as a metal object attracted by a magnet.
"Wrong supposition, cousin," Bo turned to Luke and then he looked again at the journalist, folding his arms as his older cousin.
"Good morning Luke," Catherine Burns smiled at Luke, then at Bo and Daisy, "and Bo, and Daisy. It seems strange things are happening in Hazzard. I hope your friend Cooter is OK; I suppose he's pretty shocked because of his garage."
"Pretty shocked but alive, and it's the most important thing," Bo smiled, politely, "and I suppose you're goin' to write an article about the bomber. Juicy news, for you."
Catherine Burns shrugged, "I wasn't here for the bomber but for your friend Enos. Now my priority is changed because my chief wants news about that bomber. It doesn't mean I'm not interested anymore in your friend," she sighed, "but actually I have to put aside my article about the Blue Wall of Silence inside LAPD."
A brief look of relief darted between Bo and Luke and then between Luke and Daisy, a quick look Catherine didn't even notice, her eyes pointed at the Police Department.
"Ok, it's time to talk to Sheriff Coltrane," she sighed again and she turned to the Dukes, her eyes opening wide as she noticed three men coming out Doc Appleby's house and walking to the Police Department, "Detective Colt and detective Molise? Are they here because of the bomber? I knew some detectives were arriving, but my colleague didn't tell me their names, and I didn't think they were…"
"Wait wait wait, Mrs Burns," Luke walked in front of Catherine Burns, blocking her view and so catching all her attention, "do you know those detectives?"
The journalist stared at Luke, surprised by his question, "Oh yeah, I know them."
Through their eyes, Bo, Luke and Daisy shared their surprise, then their mutual reproach in not having thought of the most obvious thing (a crime journalist from L.A. probably knew the detectives working on the bombing affecting L.A., and maybe on many other cases in the past the journalist wrote some articles about) and finally their realizing they just found a good source of information about those detectives.
Without any other question, Mrs. Burns kept on talking, "I saw them many times in the past. I'm a crime reporter, so it happened I interviewed them."
Luke, Bo and Daisy nodded, holding their breath and trying to find a good question in order to ask Mrs. Burns a possible role of those detective in the Blue Wall of Silence inside LAPD, but, beside their desire and their need to know, they didn't want to awake Mrs. Burns' attention on the topic they wanted she forgot about.
Again, Mrs. Burns kept on talking without any further request, "Last time I saw them I was in Hospital, looking for information about your friend. They're the detectives responsible of the ongoing investigation about your friend's beating. They talked to him, I think a couple of times, as he stayed in Hospital, whereas I couldn't talk to him nor to them but just to a LAPD's spokesman," she smiled slyly, "What a strange fate. Maybe it's a sort of sign telling me not to forget about the original reason of my staying here. OK, I have to go, now," her eyes following the detectives and Enos inside the Police Department, nearly forgetting the Dukes, she walked to the white building, "Bye."
The Dukes remained silent, their eyes on the journalist and she walked inside the Police Department.
"OK, now it's clear why Enos isn't very happy to see those detectives. They recall him his time in Hospital. And it's also a matter of pride: I know Enos enough to understand he doesn't like the idea those men think of him as a weak and aching cop after a beating," Daisy broke the silence, "I think it's also the reason why he didn't call us when he stayed in Hospital, he didn't want let us see him that way," her voice lowered and she shook her head, "poor Enos."
"You're right, Daisy," Luke nodded, his eyes still at the entrance of the Police Department though there was nobody there to attract his attention, being Mrs. Burns already inside the building, "it's for sure a good reason to explain Enos' reaction to his meeting with those men, but," he turned to Daisy and Bo, "remember what Mrs. Burns told us when we met her for the first time. She told us that, probably, the truth about Enos' beating has been covered up, so, just think of how Enos feels in meeting the detectives who covered up his deposition, blaming the protesters of his beating and protecting the real culprits."
"So, you're still thinking detective Molise and Colt are part of the covering up," Bo had a deep sigh, completing Luke's idea, "and, if they're part of the covering up, they could decide to shut Enos' mouth forever."
"Or maybe someone ABOVE those detectives covered everything up, and they are innocent. I don't know, Bo, I really don't know what to think," Luke shook his head in frustration, "I'm worried for Enos, but, since he doesn't talk about it, since he doesn't tell us exactly what happened, we can just wonder 'bout it."
"If only Enos opened up about what really happened…," Bo looked down at the ground.
"He was opening up," Daisy gently blushed, looking away from her cousins, "yesterday evening, at the Boarding House. He was goin' to confess me the truth about the beating. He said that there's something journalists don't know. I think he was goin' to tell me that protesters didn't beat him. But the blast stopped him," she looked into her cousins' eyes, fighting back her discomfort in that sort of betrayal of Enos' near confession, "He wants to open up. He needs to open up, but he's scared and confused."
Bo rested his hands on Daisy's shoulders, looking into her eyes, "Daisy, you're the only one who can convince Enos to open up. You're the only one who can find a way to know everything happened in L.A. Have a try. If Enos was goin' to open up before the blast, you should have another try."
"How? I'm trying to convince him to talk to me since he came back from L.A., but he's like an insurmountable wall."
Bo folded his arms, smiling, "Daisy. You're a woman, and you're Enos' fiancée. You've always been able to convince Enos to do or not to do something."
"I've always been able to convince Enos to do or not to do just what he already decided to do or not to do, Bo. I wasn't able to convince him to renounce to become a police officer, I wasn't able to convince him to marry me despite the hives, and I wasn't able to convince him not to go to L.A.," Daisy felt her cheeks burning for rage, again that stupid and pointless rage, and for embarrass (she didn't want to talk about it with Bo and Luke but she wasn't able to hide that sudden rage).
Bo looked at Luke, and Luke at Bo, and Daisy caught their discomfort, "Sorry, I talked too much. It's that… I'm worried for Enos, like you, and sometimes I feel like I'm powerless. And Enos can really drive me crazy."
"I didn't know you tried to prevent Enos from becoming a police officer," Luke looked down at the ground, his usual self-confidence fading away, "I suppose you didn't like to see me and Enos fighting because of his decision."
"I hated both you and Enos, yeah," Daisy shook her head," but it's pointless to talk 'bout it, now. Old times, and you and Enos are still close friends, fortunately."
Bo nodded and he tried to brush away that unwelcome talk about their past and their worst and only fight with Enos, going back to his original idea, "Daisy, I think you should go to Enos' place, this evening. I suppose poor Enos will be really tired after a night and a day spent after that bomber. He'll appreciate very much having you at the Boarding House, bringing him a delish dinner. Go and be his fiancée, do what a fiancée does, and he'll opened up," he winked.
"Beauregard Duke", Daisy blushed furiously, punching Bo's arm, "don't talk 'bout… such a thing…," she blushed even more, "… with me!"
"What thing? I'm just telling you to have dinner with Enos at the Boarding House, trying to relax him after a long day of work. Relax him with a good dinner and with a quiet talking, and, maybe, he'll open up. What do you think I was talking 'bout?," Bo smiled amused, "I just want you find a way to push Enos to open up, not to find a way to make him fainting or having again the hives."
Daisy answered Bo with another punch on his arm, "Bo, you're really…," then she burst out laughing, "OK, I think it could work, and, if it won't work, well, at least Enos and I will have a good dinner and some time to talk. And if I'll be only able to relax him," she turned serious, "I'll be satisfied. Some day or another he'll open up, and I want to show him I'm by his side, always. When he'll decide to talk, I'll be there."
Bo nodded, now serious, his amused smile gone, "Yesterday evening Enos called you and asked you to go to the Boarding House, just you. I think it's a signal of his need to talk, and he wants just you. I don't want to hear that tone in his voice, any more, and I don't want to see him like I saw him along the last month."
"Daisy, please," uncle Jesse took the sugar's cup from Daisy's hands, "don't use sugar for the soup," he winked, "or Enos is goin' to think you're trying to poison him. And Bo, Luke and I don't want to eat a sugared soup."
Daisy blushed a bit and then smiled, "I think I shouldn't cook when I'm worried," she sat down on a chair and she sighed, "It was already enough complicated without that bomber and those detectives," she folded her arms, looking down at the floor and sulking.
Uncle Jesse gently rested a hand on her shoulder, "Don't give up, Daisy. Enos needs you."
"You're right, uncle Jesse, I can't give up," Daisy stood up and she walked near the stove, "Let me help you, I'm OK, now."
"Everything's OK?" entering the kitchen, Luke tried to catch the reason of Daisy's tight features, "Is something wrong?"
Daisy turned to Luke, smiling, "I'm OK. YOU should tell me if something's wrong. You spent the day watching over Enos and those detectives."
Luke sat down, "Those detectives stayed in Rosco's patrol car as he was patrolling, whereas Enos was alone, patrolling different areas. As they talked by C.B. we checked their moves. They stopped their patrolling, now, since the sun is setting, and they're heading to the town."
"Did they find something about the bomber?" uncle Jesse forgot for a while about the dinner, and he stared at Luke.
Luke shook his head, "Too much abandoned barns and stills out there. If the bomber is hiding somewhere out there, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack."
"I hope that bomber simply left Hazzard the same way he left Marion County. Maybe he's already heading to another County. Maybe he left Hazzard soon after the bombing," Bo sat down by Luke's side.
"There's a road block in any road leaving Hazzard. Every Sheriff and Deputy of nearby Counties is stopping anybody who's leaving Hazzard," Luke stood up and he walked near the stove, smelling the dinner's scent, "and it seems that today no stranger left Hazzard, but maybe the bomber left during the night, before the road blocks' preparation, and he's already somewhere outside Hazzard. Or he's still somewhere out there, planning another bombing."
"And since that bomber can be still out there, Daisy, we're goin' to follow you to check you arrive at the Boarding House safe and sound, and then we're goin' to wait for you… and for your mission," Bo smiled.
"OK, the dinner is ready. Time to go to the Boarding House, for sure Enos is hungry," Daisy grabbed the bag containing Enos' dinner, eager to arrive at his apartment.
"Deputy Strate's fiancée," James Colt smiled slyly as he watched Daisy's jeep stopping in front of the Boarding House, "she's going to stay for the night. Lucky man, Strate."
Lying on the bed, a book in his hands, Rick Molise glanced at his colleague, "Stop spying Strate's woman from the window. Where she's going to stay for the night isn't your business," then he kept on reading the book.
"It's my work. Spy and analyze. I'm simply checking if something strange happens out there," James shrugged, "you're too much serious, Rick. Relax and have some fun."
"I'm relaxing, if you haven't noticed it, yet. I'm reading, and I'm trying to have some peace in MY room in this Hotel," Rick shook his head, resting the book on the night table, "but it seems it's impossible having some peace with you around."
"And with Daisy, her cousins in their orange car," without paying attention to his older colleague's words, James kept on looking outside the window, "you noticed their nosing around, today, didn't you? I don't understand what they're thinking, but I bet they don't like us," he turned to Rick, "do you think they don't like us 'cause they know everything? Did Strate tell them what happened to him? I mean… everything happened to him?"
Rick stared at the ceiling, thoughtful, "They're his best friends, and she's his fiancée, and, yeah, maybe they know everything. So, we should be really careful in order to get deputy Strate's trust despite his friends. Ok? So, stop acting like a jackass, please," he took again the book on the night table and he opened it, "and, now, let me relax a bit. Go to your room and do whatever you want. Thanks."
"Mr. Kindness, as usual. OK, good night," James walked to the door, he opened it and he looked outside, stealthy, "I hope that nosy journalist isn't around. She stays in this Hotel, and I don't want to meet her on the way of my room. Anyway," he turned to Rick, winking, "she's pretty cute, more or less the same age of you. What do you think of a good…" but a simple look from Rick blocked him, "OK, OK, stop acting like a jackass, there's no need to repeat it. Bye," and he left.
In his room, finally alone, Rick Molise got up and walked to the window, looking at Daisy Duke as she talked with her cousins before to enter the Boarding House with a bag in her hands.