Author's Notes: New chapter added 07/11/05

"What do you think we're going to find?" Starsky asked as he crept through the shadows behind Hutch.

"For their sakes, I hope we don't find a thing."

It was nearly three in the morning and the detectives were sneaking through the dark motel parking lot, towards the General Lee. After the fire had been put out, all of the motel's occupants were relocated to a motel further down the street, at the business owner's expense. The burns on Hutch's back were beginning to throb and the worst areas were blistering, but Hutch refused going to the hospital on the grounds that prior experience had given him the knowledge to care for the injuries himself. So, after downing some pain killers and applying aloe to the burns, he and Starsky had simply waited until the Dukes fell asleep.

"I can't help feeling a little bad about this," Starsky confessed as they approached the orange Charger. "I mean, they seem to innocent and all. I was kinda starting to like them."

Hutch leaned inside the car through the driver's window and popped the trunk. When he straightened, he laid a hand on Starsky's shoulder. "Let's just see what's in that cookie jar first, okay?"

Starsky sighed as Hutch moved away. "What do you think they got in there, huh?"

Hutch pushed open the trunk and peered downwards. "A spare tire, a jack, a chain," he listed, moving items aside as he spoke. "Here it is."

Hutch held up the cookie jar and the smooth ceramic reflected the light of a nearby streetlamp. Starsky moved closer, glancing around as he did so.

After glancing at Starsky, Hutch took the pig's head off, promptly handing it to his partner. Then, holding the pig's body over the General's trunk, he turned it over.

Nothing came out.

Hutch gave the cookie jar a shake.

"You don't think that there might not be anything for us to find, do you?" Starsky asked, tossing the pig's head straight up and catching it when it came down. "I mean, maybe that story about just delivering this thing is true."

Hutch shook the cookie jar one more time then stuck his hand inside. "I don't feel anything," Hutch said after a moment. He sighed and withdrew his hand. "I'd hate to think that you were right."

Starsky glared at Hutch. "Hey, I resent that. I think the problem is really that you can't admit when you're wrong." He threw the ceramic pig head up in the air.

"I can too," Hutch huffed, turning his gaze back to the trunk. "Maybe it's not in the cookie jar, maybe it's-"

An ominous crash had Hutch shutting his eyes in denial. "Tell me I did not just hear that."

There was a pause, then, "Oops."

Hutch opened his eyes, sending quick prayer towards the heavens before turning to view the damage. Starsky was grinning at him sheepishly, tiny fragments of pink ceramic littering the blacktop at his feet.

Hutch pulled a stick of gum from his back pocket and handed it to his partner. "You better get to work."

Starsky laughed nervously. "You're kidding, right?"

Hutch surveyed the mess. "Well, unless you got a better idea… what's that?"

"What?" Starsky watched Hutch kneel upon the parking lot. The blond reached out and Starsky was about to chide his partner for handling broken glass when Hutch held up a small, glittering diamond.

Hutch lifted his gaze to meet Starsky's. "Looks like our hillbillies have something to hide after all."

Starsky's spirits dropped. "Yeah."

o0O0o

The pink rays of a gentle Oklahoma sunrise filtered through the motel windows, squeezing it's way in between the heavy drapes and the wall. Songbirds chirped happily as they searched for breakfast. The only sounds inside the room were those of even breathing. Suddenly, there was a click and a loud rumble shattered the peacefulness of the motel room when the air conditioning kicked on.

Luke started awake, raising his head off the pillow and blinking owlishly as he looked around the dimly lit room.

Hutch tossed the bag of jewels at the brunet. "I think an explanation is in order," he stated flatly from his seat on an over-stuffed chair next to the window. Starsky was sitting on the second bed, watching the Duke with a sort of sad curiosity.

Luke picked up the bag and sat up, then rubbed his eyes as he turned the bag over in his hands. Bo was waking up also, and became confused to find that everyone else was already awake and looking like they were in the middle of an important conversation.

"What's goin' on?" Bo asked, looking to his cousin.

Luke stared at the tiny polished jewels with wide eyes. "Where'd these come from?" he asked, looking up at Hutch.

"Come on, cut the act," Hutch replied. "They were in your cookie jar, the one you've been so careful to avoid breaking this whole time. Did you really think we didn't notice?" he asked, seeing the Duke's bewildered faces. "We're detectives for crying out loud."

"I haven't seen these before in my life," Luke stated simply, suddenly handling the jewels like they were a rattlesnake. "I don't know what you got in your heads-"

"Now wait a minute," Bo interrupted. "We told you, we were only taking that thing back to Boss Hogg for him to give to Lulu! We ain't no jewel thieves or anything else!"

A spark of enlightenment flashed in Luke's eyes. "Of course. Boss Hogg set us up once again," he mumbled, looking to Bo.

Hutch narrowed his eyes. "Don't go placing this on somebody else," he started. "You knew about those rocks the whole time."

"We didn't, honest!" Bo argued, raising his voice as he got to his feet. "We don't know a thing about those diamonds and if you think otherwise, then you're no better than Boss!"

"Maybe you better start from the beginning," Starsky said quietly, but firmly from his place on the bed.

The cousins looked at each other and Luke took a deep breath. "We told you 'bout Rosco and how he was a good cop till he lost his pension, right?" When the detectives nodded, he continued, "Well he's working for Boss Hogg now, and helping out on every scheme Boss can cook up for a cut of the profit. They're always looking for ways to steal money from innocent townsfolk-"

"Like me and Luke," Bo interjected.

"…Like me and Bo," Luke continued, "and one way they do that is by settin' up all sorts of fake traffic signs and such."

Hutch was not impressed so far. "Go on."

Luke tried to hurry up. "Well, before we left, Rosco caught us on one of his speed traps and we didn't have the money to pay the ticket."

"And they knew that, too," Bo added.

"So Boss tells us that if we go out to California and pick up his wife's priceless family heirloom, and return it without any damage-"

"Without one scratch-"

"Then he's drop the charges against us," Luke finished.

"What, don't you guys get UPS service out in Hazzard County?" Hutch asked sarcastically.

"Boss said the cookie jar was too fragile to ship," Luke replied instantly.

"So the thing with your cousin was a lie?" Starsky asked.

"No, we saw him. We stayed with Jeb to save money."

"And he really was sick!" Bo added.

"Okay," Hutch sighed, hating to admit that their story did hold water, even if just a little. "Suppose we believe you. You didn't think there was anything strange about this whole little endeavor?"

Bo and Luke looked at each other. "Well, we are talking about Boss Hogg here."

Hutch turned to Starsky. They were in a predicament now, weren't they? The pain in his back flared with his indecisiveness. He wanted to believe the cousins, especially after Luke's show of selfless courage last night, but there was still the problem of the 'hot' rocks and a greedy little Hazzard commissioner. He searched Starsky for help.

Starsky shifted his weight. "Alright, look. We came this far, we might as well finish. We'll continue on to Hazzard like planned." He checked his watch. "If we leave now, we might make it there by tonight. Put the diamonds back for now. Me and Hutch'll think of something."

Hutch looked skeptical as the Dukes breathed a sigh of relief. "We will?"

"Yeah," Starsky replied, standing. "We will. Right after breakfast."