The road is paved with good intentions…this story is by no means done yet…it's just finding the time to do it! I am in the process of moving right now so it is taking a while…I will keep at it though I promise. I dedicate this chapter to my faithful readers who are sticking with me and still adding the story as a favorite even though updates have been slow….thank you. Hopefully the next one won't be so long in coming….Jordyn
A few hours later, Cooter pulled up to a two-story farmhouse, the remains of a barn in a charred pile some distance from the driveway. "Here we are. This is the property they found ya at…an yer right…there's the barn…" he nodded at the pastures of white blurs beyond the house. "An' I'm guessin' them's yer sheep."
Bo only nodded. "Let's go," he said much braver than he felt. Getting out of the car, he made his way up the old, creaking steps, knocking on the door. Cooter stood beside him, thumbs hooked in his jeans. If it was true that the owners of this place had been the ones to kill one friend and traumatize another, the mechanic was bound and determined to make them pay.
The door opened slowly, a woman about the size of Emma Tisdale and about her age answering it. "Can I help you young men?"
Bo swallowed. "I…I'm lookin' for the owners of this place…."
"You found 'em…well…me and my husband...he's takin' a nap don'tcha know…" She stood tip toe to whisper in Bo's ear, though Bo still had to bend over near double to make out what she was about to say. "He ain't as young as he used t' be."
"Ma'am…I…I wanted to talk to you…about the barn fire…"
The woman nodded sadly. "Horrible thing…but it's a wonder we didn't lose all the sheep…the house even…"
Cooter put a supportive hand on Bo's shoulder.
"Yes ma'am…see I wanted…t' talk to you about that…I…"
"Apparently there was some vagrant in the barn…Lord knows what he was doing…but Jimmy saved his life… found him by the brook an' took him to the hospital…Jimmy says he probably was the one t' start the fire…but I guess we'll never know for sure..."
Bo exchanged glances with Cooter. It was evident that he himself was the "vagrant" she spoke of, but who was this Jimmy? This person that just happened to show up out of nowhere, just in time?
"Jimmy?" he asked.
The woman nodded, coming out onto the porch to sweep as she talked. "Nice young man…hadn't even been hired on for more than three weeks…why…if it weren't for him putting the sheep out earlier than normal that morning…we'd likely not have any left…"
Bo swallowed hard, as did Cooter. "Where can we find this Jimmy?"
She looked at him. "Are you looking for a farm hand too?"
"Yes ma'am…you might say that…"
"Well, I'm not sure exactly where he is right this moment…. He had been visiting a friend in the hospital and…well apparently the friend didn't make it…so he's had some affairs to help settle."
Cooter bit his lip. "Will he be coming back here?"
The woman nodded. "Most likely though…he sometimes don't get back 'til real early in the morning…"
"Is there any other place we might find him? It's real important…" persisted Bo, giving her his best puppy-dog eyes that younger women never could resist…with any luck it would work on the older ones too.
"You might try Cheap Charlie's over on Cottondale Road. He likes to stop by and have a drink every so often and…between you and me…," she began, once more standing tip-toe to whisper in Bo's ear. "I think he's smitten with little Mary Sue Tippen….she works there ya know…"
Bo nodded, his mind racing. "Y-yes ma'am…we best be going…thank-you."
"If you see Jimmy, tell him I've got dinner keeping warm in the drawer for him!"
Bo was already half-way across the yard. Cooter, gentleman that he was, tipped his greasy hat to the lady and smiled. "We'll do that, ma'am. Bye now" With that he left her to her sweeping, hurrying to join Bo who had already started the tow truck and was waiting anything but patiently.
"Hurry up Cooter!"
"I'm hurryin' Buddyroe…" he said as he started the truck taking off towards Cottondale Road. "Rome weren't built in a day ya know," he said in the hopes of some light-hearted humor to take some of the anxiety he knew Bo was feeling away.
"If Rome waited on you it'd never get built at all," muttered Bo with a sigh before he turned apologetically to his friend. "Sorry…weren't no call to be like that."
Cooter only chuckled. Having been friends with Bo and Luke as long as he had he could banter with the best of them and, being of an easy-going nature, it took a lot to ruffle his feathers. "Don't worry bout it."
Bo nodded looking out the window, his jaw set in anticipation. Maybe once he found this Jimmy he could put an end to it all… and dish out some good old-fashioned justice, Bo Duke style. He owed it to himself, but more than anything, he owed it to Luke.