Vector 426 Thanks for the review and faithful reading. As for Luke's hitch in the Marines, it will come along later but I don't think so in this story. A bit more things (in my world) have to happen first. If you read some of my other storys the timing of his enlisting was due to an event in his life but not this one.
Chapter 27
Ralph butted in, "Judge Hardcastle, just hang on here! Luke Duke hit ME! I ain't done anything to warrant stayin' here!"
Judge Hardcastle banged his gavel again, "Order! Mr. Green you have already determined that women aren't wrong. Well there is enough in these here reports, besides Mr. Dukes account to warrant you both staying under the jail for some time. NOW, if you BOTH don't want that, I'd suggest you hold your sas!"
Luke gritted his teeth seeing his summer being longer and longer.
Ralph shook his head. "Judge!" he began, only to be cut off by yet another good bang of the gavel.
Hardcastle raised his voice slightly, "ONE more word, Mr. Green and you'll be held in comtempt and I will throw the book at YOU."
That was enough to get through to Luke that no matter what happened, he'd keep his mouth shut and be respectful. No matter how much he didn't like what was being said.
Ralph glared at the judge, but managed to hold his peace from there on out.
Hardcastle continued, "As I was saying, you two ain't going home right now, for the next two days, forty-eight hours you two will be held in 'solitary confinement'. No phone calls, no visitors, just you two looking right at each other. IF you can't work out your differences, then you'll just have to learn to tolerate each other. If EITHER of you push the others buttons, the one who leaps will be here a spell, while the one who pushed the buttons will be here a spell longer. Think I'm telling one, try me. Think I can't do it, again, try me." Hardcastle turned to Peggy, "You tell these two what you need done. I'll see to it that it gets done."
Peggy shrugged her shoulders. The way things were done when she had worked at the State penitentury was, "First off I'll need them searched. Deputy Petticord can do that downstairs."
Deputy Petticord motioned for Luke to head back downstairs.
Rosco took Ralph's arm to move him out.
Ralph pulled his arm out of Rosco's hand with a jerk, but made no move to try getting away. Just a very disrespectful show of arrogance.
Rosco quickly took Ralph's arm back in his hand, "Don't you threaten me! You just move."
Deputy Petticord had stepped back to Ralph's side. Letting Peggy take Luke out of the courtroom.
Luke's eyes met Jesse's for a brief second.
Jesse gave Luke a nod, that Luke read correctly as a promise of more severe punishment as soon as Luke's rear was in reaching distance from Jesse's belt, grown man or not.
Luke knew that look. He was in deep. He figured it was for putting them through all this to begin with, though as far as he figured, most of this hadn't been his fault from the beginning, though he knew Jesse would tell him in no uncertain terms that if he hadn't been racin' to begin with none of this would have happened.
Luke and Ralph were taken downstairs. Luke had been in front so he was the first to be taken to the shower area by Deputy Petticord.
The Deputy instructed, "Alright Luke stripe down to your birthday suit while Peggy gets you a clean set of coveralls."
Luke swore to himself and reached for the zipper of the coveralls.
Tossing his coveralls aside, Luke leaned against the wall, trying to cover himself to some extent. What a mess he was in. He followed the Deputy's instructions for the most in depth search Luke had ever had the displeasure of being put through. After dressing, he stepped back into the officer area of the jail to see Peggy searching and packing up his things from the cell. He could only pray that Peggy did NOT see the added pages to the Mopar book under his mattress.
As Peggy got closer and closer to the mattress, Luke got more and more nervous. And that's when she put her hands under and lifted it up to give it a quick look-see.
Luke bit the inside of his jaw to keep from showing his worry.
Peggy of course seen the Mopar book and picked it up. Orders from the Judge were that they were to have nothing but time, a mattress, pillow and blanket. She started to look through the magazine, but due to fact the men were waiting for her to finish searching the cells she put it in the bag with the rest of Luke's property from the cell.
Luke couldn't help letting out a sigh of relief. He hoped no one was watching him.
Ralph grinned, noticing Luke's relief. "Peggy, you see that souped up Charger in Luke's book there. If you flip through real good, you oughtta be able to find it."
Luke tensed, hoping she wouldn't listen to Ralph.
Peggy kept on bagging things up not being distracted from her task by Ralph, but did reply, "I'm not that concerned about a car right now."
Luke could only hope that she wasn't that interested later either. He shot Ralph a 'jump off a cliff' look.
Ralph smirked, looking very satisfied with himself, but Peggy tucked the book under her arm as she finished up in Luke's cell.
Luke bit the inside of his jaw to keep from letting out the sigh of relief that tried to escape.
Deputy Petticord gathered Luke's things to look through better later, then told Ralph, "Step over here and stripe down to your birthday suit I've got ya a clean set of coveralls."
Ralph stepped over to the shower area. He wasn't happy but had been through this when he'd been booked in or so he thought.
Deputy Petticord waited. One Ralph was a naked as a jay bird he quietly instructed him through the same progess he had Luke moments before. "Run your fingers through your hair... Open your mouth... Lift your tougne."
Ralph looked at the deputy angrily. "I ain't no dang horse!" he exclaimed. "What would I have in my mouth? I been in jail for how long now?"
Peggy turned from her task for a brief second, "Mr. Green I've seen more stuff try to be taken to segregation than I've ever seen come off an inmate fresh from the streets. Besides, you didn't have that pornograghic magazine when you came in here. Did you?"
Luke hoped Ralph would shut up before his own book became the center of attention again.
As if reading Luke's mind, Ralph said, "Ol' Luke here didn't have that Mopar book, neither." Shaking his head as if he were actually concerned, he added, "Ain' no telling what kinda dangerous stuff he could be hidin' in there."
Luke glared at the man.
Peggy seen the look but chalked it up to Ralph trying to push Luke's buttons. She made a mental note to check everything that came out of both cells later after the two were back in their respective cells. "I know my job Mr. Green. For one it is to see that you comply with the Deputy."
Ralph was more than a little frustrated that his attempts at getting Luke into trouble still had yielded no results.
Luke, however, was thrilled with Peggy's response, but wasn't ready to celebrate too much just yet.
The Deputy was still waiting for Ralph to comply, which he gave a half hearted attempt. After several minutes the Deputy had gotten enough of a look to proceed with the search.
Peggy had gotten Luke back in his cell in anticipation of trouble to come.
He said in the most professional manner. "Mr. Green, lift and separate your privates."
Ralph turned around, "What the HE - - would I need to do THAT for?"
The deputy shook his head. This was going to be a long search.
Peggy said from Luke's cell door, "Mr. Green you can proceed for the Deputy or I'll call the Sheriff and the Judge."
Luke said, "Surely you've touched them enough in the past. Why should it bother you that you're being watched?"
Ralph was seriously contemplating killing Luke then and there, but managed somehow to restrain himself. There would be time for that later.
Luke was rather pleased with himself, and showed it with a satisfied grin. Which lasted right up until Peggy turned and glared at him. It managed to have the same effect it would have had it came from his Uncle Jesse. Luke grimaced and wisely set down on his nearly bare bunk.
Ralph finally complied with the Deputy, though he did so reluctantly.
Not being deterred from his training, Deputy Petticord then said, "Turn around, squat, spead your cheeks and couch."
Now, Ralph had a mouth on him in general, but this was just plain humiliating. "Deputy, I'll do no such thing!" he exclaimed.
Peggy replied, "Yes, you will. Now, ... or, ... later. For the Deputy or for a bigger audience."
Ralph sighed but did as told.
Before long Ralph was joining Luke in the cell beside Luke's.
Luke was on the bunk with his feet on the edge of the bunk and his arms wrapped around his knees. He was looking straight ahead as Ralph came into the cell.
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Sorry this was so long in coming and that it is so short, but with work, EMT testing, and being sick I wanted to get this much posted. Hope to post more soon.
Reviews help.