Here's part three! You might notice that I've changed Scott Avery's name to Sam. I don't really like the name Scott (apologies to all the Scotts out there) ;) and I had just pulled the name out of my head randomly when I started writing the story. So because I'm the author (and because I'm female), it's my prerogative to change my mind. :) So I did. (Ha!)

And if anybody has been missing Luke, don't worry…he's back.

-Flynne

Chapter Three

"Two's Company"

Bo made it back to the motel without incident. His stomach and ribs were pretty sore where those five men had pounded him and he could tell a bruise was starting to form on his jaw, but other than that he was all right if you didn't count his rumpled and dusty clothes; bar fights at the Boar's Nest tended to make men from Hazzard a little tougher than the rest of Georgia. People still stared at him if he passed them on the street, but he could tell they were satisfied that the nosy stranger had gotten what he deserved. True, Bo was hurting, but he couldn't help feeling a little bit satisfied himself—he'd lost the fight, but he knew he'd given as good as he got.

He knocked on the motel room door for Daisy to let him in. As soon as she swung the door open, her pretty face darkened with concern.

"Bo! What the heck happened to you?" She took him by the arm and led him inside, steering him toward one of the beds.

"Some of the fine citizens of this town took exception to me wanderin' around," he answered, flopping back onto the mattress. "We discussed it in a civil manner and then beat the tar out of each other."

"How many of them were there?"

"Five."

Daisy grimaced. "I suppose that means you couldn't convince 'em to see things your way."

"You could say that." Bo winced as he gingerly prodded the spot on his side where Red Hat had kicked him.

"Are you gonna be ok?"

"Yeah. I'll be feelin' it even more tomorrow, but they didn't hurt me too bad."

"Did you ever manage to find that garage?"

"I think I did, but I never got to look inside it. Guess we'll have to try and talk to Luke again."

Daisy sat down slowly on the edge of the bed beside him, shaking her head. "I was gonna tell you when you came in…I already tried callin' the jail. Parker told me that he couldn't talk to anybody until the trial."

"Until the trial? That don't sound right. When'll that be?"

"Soon as they can manage it, I guess." Daisy wet her lips. "Parker said that they've got another man in custody...Sam Avery. He said he knows Avery is behind it and he's sure that Luke's an accomplice. He did a background check on him and found out he was in the Marines...said that means clear as day that he's capable of killing. Now instead of just being a suspect, he's all ready to declare Luke guilty! He hung up on me. I called him right back, but he just said if I called again he'd have me arrested too."

"I'm thinkin' it's about time we called Uncle Jesse."

"I already tried that, too," Daisy sighed. "You know we're way out of CB range. Long distance don't work from the room phone. I didn't see a pay phone when we were drivin' around, and I don't think anyone would let me use their phone if I asked."

Bo snorted. "You're right about that one. Sam Avery, huh?" He folded his arms behind his head. "Funny…one of the guys who beat me up mentioned him, too." He shot his cousin a grim look. "From what it sounds like, this town is ready to hang that man, trial or no trial."

Daisy blanched. "And now Luke."

"Seems that way."

"Oh, Bo…I'm—I'm starting to really get scared."

Bo reached out and took her hand, wrapping her slender fingers in his rough palm. "I know, me too. But don't you worry. I'm not about to give up on Luke yet."

Bo and Daisy eventually decided that he should make one last try to check out the garage later that night. Daisy didn't like it, but she knew it was the only way to figure out what was going on without talking to Luke—and both of them knew there was a snowball's chance of that happening. They each went to their beds and tried to sleep until midnight or so, but it took them a long time to drop off and they slept fitfully.

XXXXX

Luke swallowed hard against the rising feeling of panic that kept threatening to overwhelm him. He knew he was innocent and sooner or later they'd have to let him go, but it wasn't every day a man was thrown behind bars for murder. He fidgeted on the low cot he was sitting on, wishing that he'd worn his watch that day. He had no idea how long he'd been shut in, and even though he felt exhausted, he couldn't sleep. There weren't any windows in the cell block—just a strip of fluorescent lighting above his head. He'd never been afraid of small spaces, but being closed in like he was could drive a man to claustrophobia. He closed his eyes and buried his face in his hands, vainly trying to rub the headache out of his temples.

"If you're wondering, it's a little after one AM." The voice startled him and he jerked violently, looking around for the source. "Back here, in the corner." Luke looked through the forest of iron bars and for the first time he noticed the man in the furthest cell, sitting back against the wall. There were only three cells in all and the empty cell was between Luke and the other man. He and Bo had seen the other prisoner when they were escorted back, but the man had been lying down and hadn't moved at all for hours. Luke had forgotten about him.

"So you're my look-alike that got caught up in this mess, are you?" The other man rose and stretched, walking forward into the light. He was perhaps ten years older than Luke, dark-haired and broad-shouldered.

Luke looked at the other man warily. "You're here for the same reason I am?"

"Yep. I didn't do it either."

"Don't all suspects say that?"

The other man smirked. "Maybe, but we're both telling the truth. Name's Sam Avery. I'd shake your hand, but I can't quite reach from here. Heard your name was Luke."

"Yeah."

He suddenly lowered his voice and spoke quietly; just loud enough for Luke to catch his words. "Well, Luke, I'll tell you something…you weren't the only guy walking around Washburn at all hours last night. I was, too. And we're not here because we fit some description and got caught in a dragnet. We're here because we both saw the same thing."

Luke's face was marred by a puzzled frown. "What do you mean? The still in the garage? Moonshine ain't no big deal…it's everywhere."

"Not a still, and it wasn't moonshine. You stumbled into a meth lab, my friend."

"A what?"

"Methamphetamines. Illegal drugs," Sam clarified. "You were smelling ammonia and antifreeze, not corn liquor."

Luke rose from the cot and stepped to the edge of his cell, as close to the other man as he could get. "How do you know?"

Sam gave a half smile. "It's my job to know. More than that, I can't tell you right now. But I was out in the same part of town that you were."

"I know. You were the other guy I saw."

Sam blinked in surprise. "You knew that?"

"I didn't know for sure until now, but I wondered if you were him. Tell the truth, you're the whole reason I went that way. I saw you sneakin' around and wondered if you were gonna cause trouble, so I followed you."

"You didn't say that to the deputy when he questioned you earlier."

"I don't trust him. Who knows what he'll say or who he'll say it to when he's gone?" He shrugged. "I never saw you go in the garage, though, and last I saw you, you were heading back the way you came. From what you say, I don't think you killed those men either."

Sam's voice grew deadly serious. "Be careful what you say, Luke. If you're not sure a man's telling the truth, never show him all your cards. Exactly how long did you stay and watch that garage? Don't you realize that now you're doubly a witness?"

Oh, no. Luke went suddenly cold and his pulse raced in his ears. Luke, you complete and total jackass! You have no idea if this man is telling the truth or not. If he really is the killer, you just told him you know enough to convict him. You just painted a big bull's-eye on your chest. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

But Sam relaxed, sighed, and shook his head. "Don't worry, Luke. You're right about me, whether you believe it or not. You tipped your hand; I'll tip mine. I haven't lived in Washburn too long—just over a year. I work for the Drug Enforcement Administration. I've been spending my time in this part of Georgia trying to crack a meth ring. Caught a lot of shine-runners, but it's only lately that I've actually found a lab. Right in the town I live in, ironically enough. They hide their labs pretty well."

"So you were framed?"

Sam frowned. "Now, that I'm not sure about. Four men were killed…They were favorite sons of the community, but I know they were also involved in the meth ring. What I don't know is who killed them. My best guess is that it was a rival drug gang: eliminate the competition and heighten the risk that the competing lab will be found and destroyed. Gives the other guy a chance at a monopoly, you see," he said dryly. "But the murders weren't committed in that garage, so there's no reason for the local law to investigate it. I'm at a dead end right now as to who really killed them."

"Does the rest of the DEA know about this?"

"No, not yet." Sam looked frustrated. "They knew I suspected there was a lab here, but I was arrested before I had a chance to confirm and tell them where it is, and before I could get a search warrant. For all they know, I'm still looking."

Luke's brow furrowed as he thought. "So either we're in jail 'cause someone saw the killer and we look enough like him to get arrested; or you were recognized last night, so they framed you to get you out of the way." He looked up to meet Sam's eyes. "And if that's what happened, it means I'm here because someone saw me, too."

"Bingo. I think that's what happened, Luke. There are plenty of other men in town who match the description the police were given, so why are we the only two arrested? Because someone could tell the law that they saw us."

"The others may have had an alibi…"

"Some could maybe, but not all. Someone planned this, and I'm willing to bet the meth dealers had something to do with it. And if that's the case…I'll be honest with you; I think our lives are on the line." Luke felt his chest grow tight. There was a heavy silence.

Then Luke's eyes widened as a sudden thought occurred to him. He dropped his voice even lower and said, "Where do you think Parker and Cook figure into all this?"

"Carl Cook is a good man. You don't need to worry about him. He's been helping me for the past few months even though he doesn't know about the meth ring yet…but he knows who I am and why I can't tell him more about what I do. As for Parker, I don't know. He could be in on it or he could know nothing. Either way, he's the one with the authority here, and once he's made up his mind about something, it's mighty hard to get him to change it."

"And he'd love to give his town the justice they're yellin' for." Luke sighed heavily. "Boy, we've sure put our foot in it, haven't we?"