Daisy shook her head. "Bo must really be out of it."

"Yes, REALLY out of it." Luke said knowingly as he dropped the boots on the couch. "Jesse, I know you done been outside today, but look around one more time. Daisy, you go climb in the hay loft and see if he's up there. I'll look around here in the house. I got a pretty good feelin' he ain't here, but we'll be absolutely certain before we involve Rosco."

Each member investigated their assigned areas. Luke took extra care in searching every potential place in the house where Bo could be, but wasn't surprised he didn't find him. As his uncleand cousin finished up outside, he concentrated on the window area, looking for clues other than the ripped piece of shirt. However, he couldn't seem to find any.

Once Jesse and Daisy verified that Bo wasn't on the property, they grabbed the keys to the pickup and piled inside.

"Enos, Deputy Enos Strait, come in please." Daisy spoke into the C.B.

"Hey Daisy." Enos replied, the smile on his face evident in his voice. "I know I said I'd come over for breakfast this morning but Mr. Hogg told me to get out to the Boar's Nest post haste."

"This ain't about breakfast, Enos. Bo was missing when we got up this morning and we need your help to find him."

"Possum on a gumbush, how long's he been gone?"

"We're not real sure, honey. He was passed out last night and we left him on the couch. And he wasn't there when we got up."

"I'll do what I can to find him, I just need to call Mr. Hogg and tell him somethin' important came up."

The family rode in silence a few minutes, searching for anywhere Bo could have been when the C.B. cracked to life.

"Deputy Enos Strait callin' Daisy."

"This is Daisy, sugar."

"Honey, I'm sorry to tell ya this but Mr. Hogg and the sheriff told me I can't look for Bo, said I had to come to the Boar's Nest. I gotta do what they say, darlin', it means my badge."

"Don't worry, Enos." Luke replied, taking the C.B. from Daisy. "I'll talk to 'em."

Luke switched the C.B. over to the police channel where he knew he could find Boss and Rosco. "This here's Luke Duke calling Sheriff Rosco."

When Luke got no response, he hit the button again. "Rosco, I know you're out there 'cause Enos just talked to you."

A moment later, Boss's voice came on the line. "I'm sorry, I thought I heard someone callin'." He said in a sarcastic voice. "Sounded like Luke Duke, but I know it couldn't be him, 'cause he knows the police ain't got time to look for a grown man who's only been missin' a few hours."

"But Boss….."

"Now, if whoever that is will excuse me, my sheriff has more important issues to attend to, here at the Boar's Nest. Over and out."

"But Boss……" Luke began, waiting for a response. He called him several more times with no luck. "He mustave turned the dang thing off." Luke muttered, slamming the receiver down.

"Well I ain't takin' no for an answer that easy." Jesse announced. "Head over to the Boar's Nest and let's have a talk with Rosco."

Daisy steered in the direction of the Boar's Nest. Moments later, the truck came to a screeching halt in front of the establishment and the occupants climbed out.

"Boss, we need to talk to you." Daisy began, being the first one inside.

"Well well well, if it ain't the Dukes." Boss replied sarcastically, wearing a red and white checkered apron as Rosco and Enos worked in the background cleaning up busted glass and furniture. "What in the world brings you out here? No no no let me guess. I know it ain't to bother Rosco or Enos, 'cause you've already been told that we ain't gonna look for that no account cousin of yours. And I know it ain't to pick up yer paycheck, 'cause the fight he started here last night did enough damage to cancel out anything I owe ya. Only other thing I can figure is you're here extra early to help start workin' off his remaining debt on this mess."

"I don't know what happened here last night, J.D." Jesse began. "But whatever it was wadn't started by Bo, 'cause I raised him better than ta throw tha first punch."

"Oh you did, did you?" Boss replied. "Well I got me a contraption known as a VCR in my office. And that VCR holds a tape that come outta that new fangled camera up there that tells different."

Boss finished by jutting a pinkie up toward a deer head at the far end of the seating area. On the wall next to it was a brand new security camera.

"When did you put that thang in J.D.?" Jesse asked.

"Just in time, apparently." Boss replied. "Got all the evidence I need to put that boy of yours in jail soon as he shows his face."

"I'd like to see this tape, Boss." Luke insisted.

Boss looked up toward the ceiling and thought a minute. "Sure, why not? Maybe if you see it for yourself you'll act all peaceful like when I send Rosco out to make the arrest, and he won't have to drag you in as well. And I sure would hate to see anyone in you're condition doin' jailtime." He ended in a mock sorrowful tone.

"Save the acting for the Christmas play tryout." Luke insisted. "Just show us the way."

Boss frowned and jutted a fresh cigar in his mouth. Turning quickly, he led the group into his office.

"It'll take me just a minute to git to the right spot here." Boss announced, rewinding the tape. As the group watched the television screen, the mess in the Boar's Nest slowly disappeared as broken chairs and glasses rearranged themselves on screen. After a few moments, they could see the back of Bo and Dr. Settles as they sat at the bar.

"Okay, here it is. Just watch this and then tell me Bo didn't start that fight." Boss smirked.

As they watched the screen, everything seemed to be fine between Bo and Settles at first. Bo was eating peanuts while Settles talked to him.

After a few moments, Bo's expression turned quite serious. He shook his head a couple of times and Settles seemed to become insistent. Bo finally frowned and shook his head one last time. Getting up, he scanned the tables and decided to sit with Jenny Sue, a girl he knew.

"Jesse, look at that!" Luke exclaimed, pointing toward the screen.

As they continued to watch, the tape showed Dr. Settles order two beers. After they were set in front of him, he reached into his pocket and pulled something out. Whatever the object, it was too small to be seen. But the fact that his hand went near a beer mug and he commenced to stirring the beer was enough to know that something had been put in it.

He then picked up the two beers and walked over to the table where Bo sat. At first Bo looked annoyed, but the doctor smiled at him and seemed to be attempting an apology for whatever wrongdoing he had inflicted. After a few moments, Bo smiled and accepted the beer from him, tipping his glass in a cheer before downing the whole thing without stopping.

It wasn't long after that that Bo turned back to Jenny Sue. The fact that the girl looked at her watch indicated that Bo had most likely inquired about the time. He stood up to leave but was stopped by the doctor. He attempted to leave again, quite agitated. Finally fed up, he shoved the doctor away and walked out the door. The doctor, caught off guard, splashed the contents of his mug onto Bo's shirt before he fell against a barstool on which a burly local sat. To say that the local was easily ticked off was an understatement. Although he verbally concentrated his anger toward Settles, he physically demonstrated it against the unfortunate soul who dared to step in on the doctor's behalf. Before the brawl had fully begun, the doctor snuck out the door, suffering nary a scratch.

"See, I told you Bo done started the whole thing!" Boss argued.

"We ain't got time to argue with you Boss." Luke shot out quickly. "Jesse, considerin' what we just saw in that video and the fact that Settles insisted Bo stay on the sofa last night, I think it's pretty safe to say he's the one responsible for Bo's disappearance. We gotta git down to that Veteran's Hospital as soon as we can."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It wasn't long before the trio found themselves in the lobby of the Atlanta Veteran's Hospital, looking at the directory. Spotting Settles' name beside the number 418, they went to the elevator and pushed button 4.

Once the doors opened, no two people were more surprised to be staring at each other than Luke and Dr. Kilmer, who had been waiting to go down.

"Mr. Duke! What are you doing here?" Kilmer asked.

"Which way's Settles' office?" Luke insisted.

"Mr. Duke, we've been over this. I know you're hopeful for a transplant but….."

He didn't get to finish as Luke pushed past him, followed by Jesse and Daisy. The family turned and walked to the left, searching madly for number 418.

"Mr. Duke!" Dr. Kilmer exclaimed, jogging a bit to catch up. "Mr. Duke!"

The Dukes continued to ignore him as the room numbers continued to climb until they finally found themselves in front of 418. Luke first tried the handle to find it locked. With that in mind, he began pounding on the door.

"Mr. Duke, we have patients on this floor!" Dr. Kilmer insisted after he caught up, trying to quieten Luke. "Now suppose you tell me what this is all about?"

"I'm not sure." Luke began, jumping right in. "All I know is that Settles was seen putting something in my cousin's drink last night. He came home and passed out cold and when we woke up this morning, he was gone. Some evidence and coincidences point to the possibility that Settles took him."

Dr. Kilmer was a bit taken aback. "Why do you suppose he wanted with him exactly?"

"That's what we're hopin' to find out." Luke replied, trying the knob again.

"Mr. Duke, I don't quite know how to tell you this." Dr. Kilmer began, shaking his head. He took out a skeleton key and opened the office door. All that could be seen was a few pieces of paper on the floor of the empty room.

"But two days ago, Dr. Settles was officially discharged from this hospital, and stripped of his medical license!"

Ya know, them soap operas ain't got nothin' on Hazzard County livin'.