The next two days passed uneventfully by Hazzard standards. Jesse continued to recover and finally came home, relieved to be free of Emma Tizdale. Daisy decided to take a few days off from the Boar's Nest until Uncle Jesse got back on his feet. Cooter went back to work at the garage, and Bo and Luke continued to search for the General Lee with no luck. During that time, the mobile museum rolled out of Hazzard- along with the decoy General and the Ford Roadster that Teddy miraculously restored- with Bo never having the chance to speak with Billy Kay again. And the General? Well, Clint called Boss the next day and told him it was hidden in the old Choctaw Indian Mine # 2, under a tarp. Boss thought it best to leave it there until things cooled down a little more.
"Luke, what are we going to do next time Jesse asks about the General Lee? I hate to keep lying and telling him it's at Cooter's."
"We'll have to tell him the truth eventually, since Boss is going to have the General even if we do find it. I was hoping to give him a few more days to recuperate, but it'll have to come out before Rosco shows up and carts us off to jail."
"You know he's gonna be mad, don't you? He'll tell us we should have just had him moved to the clinic, least we'd stayed out of jail that way."
"I trust you're right about that. But I wouldn't have changed a thing concernin' his care.We don't have to cross that bridge yet. Let's go home, check on Jesse, and have breakfast. Then we'll keep looking."
Soon the boys rolled up to the farm in Jesse's pickup truck and went into the house. Jesse was sitting there in the living room, a hot cup of coffee in his hand and his feet propped up on an ottoman as Daisy fried bacon in the kitchen.
"Hey ya'll. Talk about perfect timing." Daisy said, as she used tongs to remove the bacon from the oil to drain on paper towels. She motioned them to sit at the table where eggs, gravy, biscuits and grits were already spread. Uncle Jesse got up from his chair with only a slight amount of effort to join the family at the table.
"So, boys, did Cooter get the General fixed up yet?" Jesse asked, placing a red and white checkered cloth in his lap.
"Not…..exactly." Luke replied, folding his hands for the prayer that was about to take place.
Daisy quickly placed the bacon on the table and sat in her seat. The prayer was said and the family began to pass the dishes about.
"What do you mean 'not exactly'? It usually don't take Cooter this long to work on the General. You boys have wrecked it so many times he out to know it up down and sideways."
"Well Jesse…." Luke began, being interrupted by the phone much to his relief.
"It never fails. Try to sit down to a meal……see who that is and get rid of 'em, Bo." Jesse commanded.
"Yes sir." Bo replied, getting up to answer the phone.
"Can I speak to Bo Duke please?" The voice on the other end said.
"At your service." Bo replied, straining to hear the caller who sounded like he was near a busy highway.
"Bo this is Billy…..Billy Kay."
"Billy Kay!" Bo grinned, looking at his family who showed surprised that he was on the line.
"Listen, Bo. I called for a couple of reasons. First off, I wanted to make sure that you got your money."
"Umm…, what money would that be, Billy?"
"The money that Mr. Hogg was supposed to give to you. I know he's a friend of your family and all but I don't quite trust him, and I won't feel good until I know you have your money for sure."
"Well Billy, I'm a little lost to tell you the truth. Nobody owes me any money as far as I know."
"It's the money I owed you for your car, the General Lee!"
"General Lee!" Bo exclaimed in surprise. This brought Luke up from the table in a hurry, where he listened in on the line as well.
Billy Kay then laid out the events of his purchase of the car, along with the story Boss had given him concerning the check. "I tell ya Bo, he's a handsome devil, the General Lee. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, I could not get that place for him in the Daytona 500 that I promised."
Billy stopped to wait for a reply. Bo and Luke stood silent, still processing the information, so he continued.
"However it did come up that one of the drivers had to drop out of the race in Atlanta today, and they offered the spot to me. I pulled the General over here on my trailer andI's hoping you be willing to race him for me hereinstead. Bo, I just wouldn't feel right about anyone other than you driving the General in a race, not 'till I see what he can really do. And you're the one who knows him best. If you'll accept the switch, I'll split the prize money with you. If you win even 5th place that would be $2500.00 comin' your way, more if you finish before that"
"As much as, say, $10000.00?" Bo asked.
"Oh yes. Slightly higher than that, actually." Billy replied..
"$10000.00 Luke!" Bo exclaimed. "I'll be there, Mr. Kay."
"That's fantastic Bo! Listen, the race starts at 3:00 P.M. You'll need to be here by 2 at the latest. You know where the Atlanta Motor Speedway is, don't you?"
"Like the back of my hand. See you at 2." Bo replied before hanging up. "Hot dang Luke, I'm gonna get to race General Lee at the Atlanta Motor Speedway!" He exclaimed, giving Luke an impromptu hug which was enthusiastically returned.
"All you gotta do is win $9000.00 in that race and the General Lee is ours again!" Luke exclaimed.
"Piece of cake!" Bo laughed.
"Hold it you two." Jesse said in a stern tone. They looked toward the table to see their Uncle pointing to them, an act that swiftly erased the smiles from their faces. "Now I don't know exactly what's going on here, but I heard enough to know that you two haven't been honest with me concerning your car. Now what's up?"
"Uncle Jesse, please understand that we don't mean to cut you off, but if I'm gonna get to Atlanta by 2, I have to leave now. It's very important!" Bo replied.
"Oh I got the gist of that from your conversation, but I don't feel comfortable with you bein' in no Nascar race. You know that."
Jesse looked at his youngest nephew's crestfallen face and sighed. "But I know it's your dream I can see how excited you are. Now if it really IS important, you can go with my blessing and my prayer. Luke?"
"Yes Uncle Jesse?"
"Is it important? Important as in 'I've always wanted to be in a Nascar Race' important or 'I need a lot of money and my cousin Luke is gonna stay behind and explain things to my Uncle Jesse because there's no reason for both of us to risk our lives' important? 'Cause theirs just one correct answerthat is gonna get Bo past that door."
Luke sighed with dread. "Wanna have a talk after breakfast, Jesse?"
"That's Uncle Jesse to you, and yes I would. Now Bo, I'm gonna be watchin' that race on the TV and if I see you perform even one crazy, unnecessary stunt, I'm gonna tan your hide when you git back fer scarin' me to death. You understand?"
"Yes sir." Bo replied, grinning with excitement.
"Well git goin' then 'fore I change my mind."
"Jesse, do you think it's such a good idea to be out and about yet? I mean you just got out of the hospital yesterday." Luke stated a little while later as he drove Jesse to town in his Uncle's pickup truck and parked in front of the jail.
"No not really, but J.D.'s got some explainin' to do and he's gonna do it. Besides, we've got to legally get Bo excused for leaving Hazzard County before they arrest him for probation violation. And I dare J.D. to start somethin' over that." Jesse stated as Luke mentally calculated that Bo should almost be to the Speedway in Daisy's jeep.
"Why Jesse! It sure is nice to see you out and about!" Boss greeted his old rival as Luke and Jesse walked into his office. "What brings you here today?"
"You know darn well what brings me here, J.D. You got my boys runnin' around like chickens with their heads cut off looking for the General Lee so they wouldn't have to be throwed in jail over owin' you some money. And come to find out you sold it to Billy Kay days ago!"
"Now wait a minute, Jesse. That wasn't their car. You see, I had Teddy over at the junkyard make up one just like it to sell to Mr. Kay because he had such an interest in it. So you see, your boys still owe me that car or my money back."
"Well that's a good story, J.D., but when Billy Kay himself called Bo earlier today and asked him if he got his money yet, he seemed pretty certain that the money he paid out belonged to the boys here."
Boss leaned forward. "So what you're telling me is that you don't believe what I'm sayin'?"
"How could he not believe you, Boss? I mean, you have such an impeccable tract record for honesty." Luke mocked.
Boss slammed his hand down on his desk. "Well, if you don't believe me, go ask Teddy yourself. But you'd be wastin time you could be spendin' to look for that clunker car, cause if I don't have it or $7500.00 by tomorrow, I'm placing your boys under arrest!"
Jesse was still too weak for a good argument, and in all the years he'd known Boss, he knew this time he seemed sincere. So he turned and motioned for his eldest nephew to follow him outside.
They were just walking downstairs when it so happened that Teddy was walking up, on his way to pick up his weekly check from Boss.
"Hey Teddy, you got a second?" Luke asked.
"Sure Luke. What's going on?"
"Well, we were wonderin' if Boss hired you out to build a replica of the General Lee."
"Oh. Sorry, Luke, but I'm not supposed to tell anybody about that." Teddy replied in his slow southern drawl.
Luke almost laughed. "Teddy, Ithink you just did."
Teddy thought for a minute before a pained look of realization came to his face. "Well, if Boss finds out, you didn't hear it from me!"
"Don't worry, Teddy, your secret's safe with us." Jesse assured him, wondering, of all situations, why Boss had to turn out honest in this one.
"Well Teddy, it'll probably make you feel good to know that your work is going to come to national attention. Bo's gonna be racing that car today at the Atlanta Motor Speedway." Luke announced.
"Bo's gonna be racing that car?" Teddy repeated.
"Yeah. Billy Kay asked him to come down and race for him."
"Oh no!" Teddy exclaimed.
"What do you mean, oh no?" Luke asked.
"Well Luke, Jesse, I don't know how to tell ya'll this."
"Spittin' it out sounds good ta me." Jesse replied, a growing sense of dread beginning to envelope him.
"Well, that car, it wasn't no good. Boss was more interested in the paint job that the mechanics. He had me fix it up long enough to get Billy out of town, but there was some parts that needed replacin' real bad. I just didn't have time. None at all."
"Parts such as?" Luke asked.
"Well, I test drove it one time, and noticed that the catalytic converter overheated real bad. Now that wouldn't be a terrible thing for the short hall, but for the kind of driving you're talkin' about, there's a good chance it could catch fire- and cause the gas tank to explode!"
I betcha ole' Jesse there's kinda sorry he insisted on knowing what's goin' on, don't you?