Chapter 6: Dukes In Town
Jesse Duke worked through the farm's chores with the steady precision of experience, gently milking the overdue cow, feeding the hungry chickens, mucking out the mule's stall and laying down a bed of fresh sweet hay. He left the nonessential chores for later, and stopped for a break in the early afternoon to get a drink of water from the kitchen. A glance into the living room saw his young nephew fast asleep again, snoring softly, Luke's car magazine spread across his chest. Jesse's heart twinged at the thought of the boy's latest close shave with death, but he was proud of how both his nephews had acted when Daisy was in danger. Something about being a Duke did seem to invite trouble, but it was the sort of trouble that no honorable and just man would run from. It was hard now, in the bright, sunny afternoon on the quiet farm, to imagine some hidden danger waiting somewhere beyond the farm.
Satisfied that Bo was fine for the time being, Jesse finished his glass of water and headed back out the door. He wanted to work on the old tractor, which had barely made it through the spring plowing season. After gathering some tools, rags, and a can of oil from the shed, he made his way into the far end of the barn where the tractor stood, pushed there by his nephews in the first days of summer after the engine gave out entirely. Whistling a tune he half-remembered from the radio, Jesse opened up the tractor's hood and took a look inside.
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After dropping Jim Samuels off at his home, Cooter, Luke, and Daisy headed for Wyle's Lake. All three were quiet, searching the road ahead for signs of trouble or disturbance and thinking solemn thoughts. They reached the lake turnoff without incident, rumbling down the dirt road in the hefty tow truck. Luke recognized the tire tracks of freshly turned earth where the General had torn through the night before, overridden here and there by the tracks of other vehicles. Daisy scanned clusters of bushes and dark shadows beneath the trees, searching for a sign of the enemy. It was strange to think of what had happened in such a quiet, serene setting.
Before long, they arrived at the lake's perimeter road and turned right towards the beachfront. Ahead, they could see a black van, a late-model black pickup truck, and Enos' squad car, all blocking the access road. Daisy spotted the white frame of her Dixie just beyond. Cooter parked the truck next to the deputy sheriff's car, and the all climbed out.
"Can I help you kids?" a pale-skinned man in a gray suit asked, stepping out from between the other two vehicles. A pistol hung in a harness beneath his suit jacket, and his eyes were covered by a dark pair of sunglasses. Luke shifted his pace to put Daisy behind him.
Enos appeared behind him, stepping blithely. "Oh, that's Luke an' Daisy Duke, Agent Chalmers," the deputy exclaimed. "And Cooter! Y'all come for Daisy's car?" He brushed past the federal agent to greet his friends.
"Yeah, Enos, and we were hoping you might have found out more about who those men were," Luke replied, glancing past him to the federal agent who still stood next to the pickup. Chalmers was glowering at the young deputy, his annoyance and distaste clearly evident.
"Well, I'm sorry, Luke, but I don't know any more than you told me last night," Enos apologized. "The divers are still working out there, and I'll tell ya…" he lowered his voice. Luke, Daisy, and Cooter all leaned in a bit closer to hear him. "…These FBI guys are shut tighter than Boss Hogg's hand on a dollar. They won't tell me a thing, but I just know they know somethin'. When I called them last night, they were real quick to wake up the district supervisor, and I usually can't get much past ol' Nate Knowles' secretary. Makes me kinda nervous, you know?"
"Figures, it must be something big. Let us know what you find out, will ya' Enos?" Luke asked, glancing at Daisy. She took the cue.
"Keep tryin', sugah," Daisy encouraged the deputy, placing one hand on his cheek, "Even these federal boys have to talk some time - I know you won't let us down." She kissed his cheek, leaving poor Enos stammering.
"I..I…I will Daisy, I promise!" he grinned.
"Now," Luke said, clapping Cooter on the shoulder. "Let's go take care of Daisy's jeep."
Chalmers didn't twitch a muscle as the quartet approached.
"Deputy Strate, would you escort these…civilians…back up to the main road? This is a federal crime scene, and no one but an officer of the law has business being here," the agent stated flatly, barring their passage.
"Now hold on, Agent Chalmers sir," Enos began, "That white jeep over there belongs to Daisy, here. They've just come to collect it, and they'll be on their way. You told me you were done with your, ah, ferenzic work on it, right? Fingerprints and all?" he reminded the stoic federal official.
With an expression that would have curdled milk, Chalmers glared at the deputy, but stepped aside. "Hurry up, and don't go wandering all over the place - I'll be watching you," he growled, clearly suspicious of the trio.
Sidling between the federal vehicles, Luke and Daisy headed for the jeep while Cooter pulled a jack from his truck. Enos went down to the shore to watch the progress of the latest dive.
"Oh, no, Luke! Bo hit both tires, and I've only got one spare!" Daisy exclaimed, inspecting the damage. Luke looked around until Cooter joined them, noting half a dozen clods of dirt dislodged where Bo's arrows had hit the ground here and there. All the arrows were missing.
"Cooter, do you have any spare tires in your truck for Daisy's car? She's only got one, and both tires on the right side were hit."
The mechanic thought for a moment, and shook his head. "No, none the right size. We probably ought to tow 'er in town on the two good tires, an' I'll give you a real good price on a new pair."
Luke looked to Daisy for a moment, then back to the punctured tires. "Well, we'll take you up on the first part, but we can't afford new tires just now. Think you can fix these two?"
"It'll take me a little while, but sure, I'll have 'em just like new."
While Cooter replaced the punctured rear right tire with the good left front one, Luke approached Agent Chalmers again.
" 'Scuse me sir, but we were hopin' you might move the truck here, so we can get the tow truck past. We're gonna have to tow the jeep in town to get new tires," he explained.
With an expression on his face that clearly communicated that this was the part of his job he truly hated, Chalmers stalked past Luke without a word and climbed into the truck cab, slamming the door closed.
City people - and feds! Luke thought with a shrug, and rejoined his cousin.
As Cooter lowered the jack, Daisy leaned in the front passenger side and opened up the glovebox, remembering the previous night's conversation. She gasped. Her registration was gone!
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Cooter, Daisy, and Luke rode along in the tow truck, Dixie trailing behind. They all wore worried looks.
"Try the CB again, Luke," Daisy urged. Twice they'd tried to contact Uncle Jesse, with no response.
"Lost Sheep to Shepard, Lost Sheep to Shepard, you out there Uncle Jesse?" Luke spoke into the mike and paused, waiting. Nothing. "Daisy, he's probably outside somewhere, he just can't hear us. You know he's been wanting to work on that tractor."
"Then why don't Bo answer?" Cooter asked. Luke shot him a You're not helping! look.
"I don't know, he could have snuck off, he could have convinced Uncle Jesse to let him help, he could have fallen asleep! You know Bo, 'member the time he slept through that tornado? He's takin' a nap one afternoon after plowin' the north fields, he wakes up, and field's all torn up, with half the old north barn clean gone!" Luke attempted to make Daisy smile. She didn't look convinced.
"Let's just hurry. The sooner we get Dixie fixed, the sooner we can get back to the farm."
"Well, I'll lend y'all a new pair of tires so you can head home quick, while I fix those two up," Cooter offered.
"Thanks, Cooter. I owe you one," Luke sighed.
It was a long ride into town, although it only took half an hour. Luke mentally urged the heavy truck to go faster, as though sheer will would carry it along. Once they reached Cooter's garage, he jumped out to open up the garage doors while Cooter backed Dixie into the bay. A feminine voice caught his ear.
"Why there's young Cooter and that Luke Duke now! What nice boys, helping strangers like that!"
At first he ignored the comment and the response that followed, but something in the words struck him off-key. Luke turned to locate the speaker. Two elderly ladies sat on a bench across the road, chatting and throwing birdseed to a chubby trio of squirrels. Leaving Cooter and Daisy to take care of the tires, he checked for traffic and strode across the road.
"Afternoon, Miss Daniels, Miss Martin! How are you?" He forced a friendly smile.
"Very well, thank you Luke," one of the women replied warmly, "What brings you over here? You've been busy this morning!"
"Well, ma'am, I couldn't help but overhear what you said, about me an' Cooter helping strangers out, an'…well, I was wondering what you meant, 'cause that's my cousin Daisy, and I've been on the farm all morning!"
The second woman looked up at him. "Oh, you must be mistaken, dear. It wasn't an hour ago that we watched those two nice men drive up and go into young Cooter's shop - he never locks it, you know! - and come out with tires for their cars. We asked them what they were doing, because we don't want thieves in our town! They said someone had spilled a bucket of nails on a road outside of town, and that a couple of young fellows in an orange car with a big zero-one on the side had stopped and helped them change to their spares. They said you were in a hurry to get somewhere, but you told them to go on into town to Cooter's garage and pick up whatever they needed, on you. 'That Bo and Luke Duke!' Edith told them, 'Such generous boys! Their Uncle Jesse sure raised them right!'. 'Two young men, one blond and tall, the other dark-haired and a little shorter?' they asked her. 'That's them,' she says, 'Good lads both of them.' 'Well ma'am, you be sure to thank them again for us if you see them,' that one man said, and off they went! Are you alright, Luke? You look pale, dear."
Luke swallowed hard, his stomach a knot of fear. "I'm fine, Miss Daniels. An hour ago, you say? Did you see which road they took?"
"Why, they went north, right on the main road."
"Thank you ma'am - I've got to be going, you ladies take care!" He took off at a run for the garage, only to hear Cooter calling his name from inside. He skid to a stop next to Dixie as Cooter walked in from his back storeroom, carrying a pair of new tires on matching rims.
"Luke buddy! Did you move any of the tires from out back? There's like four or five missin', I don't know where they went!"
Luke snatched a tire from his hands and crouched next to the jeep, lifting it on a jack with a speed that would rival a NASCAR mechanic.
"According to those ladies outside, your tires were stolen by the men who're wantin' to kill their murder witness. They've got our names, and they headed off on the north road out of town!" The Duke farm lay off that northbound highway. He threw aside the punctured tire and slapped the new one in place. Cooter caught on and worked just as fast on the other side. "We've got to get home, fast!"
Tire securely in place, he lowered his jack, found the air pressure hose, and filled it up to pressure. Cooter lowered his jack and Luke handed him the hose across the hood. Daisy climbed into the passenger seat, purse in hand.
"Shepard calling Lost Sheep, Shepard calling Lost Sheep, answer me Luke, Daisy, someone!" Uncle Jesse's voice came across the CB.
Daisy snatched up the mike. "Daisy here, what's wrong Uncle Jesse?"
"Is Luke there with you?" Jesse sounded upset.
"He's right here, and Cooter too."
"Daisy, I need you and Luke back here, quick. I can't find Bo."
This is startin' to look bad. Y'all realize this started with Bo and Luke takin' Ann an' Helen out on a date?