Chapter 90

Cooter thought that Wayne's comment was a bit off but right now he had other things to worry about like the metal cuffs digging into his wrists. Cooter was also a bit concerned that if memory served him right, he may have about twenty dollars in his wallet. The rest, which wasn't a lot, was back at the motel with Beverly. After a short ride up Main Street the Sheriff stopped the patrol car in front of a two story brick building that very well could have been a large home if it weren't for the sign on the porch that read, "Moore County Jail".

Being this far from home with only Beverly for support, not having any idea what he was being charged with and only about twenty bucks to his name, Cooter felt his stomach do somersaults when he saw the jail sign.

With the Sheriff and the deputies so heavily armed, Cooter didn't see any chance of getting away from the men. The unknown also held Cooter where he was. If it was something simple then any resistance could make the situation worse. Cooter knew that for now he'd be doing as he was told even if he didn't like it.

Cooter was directed out of the car and taken through the first floor office area, then he was taken upstairs. Even before they reached the top of the steps Cooter was able to see the iron bars. At the top of the stairs was a locked barred gate much like at the bottom of the stairs in Hazzard County's jail. Once beyond the gate with it relocked, Cooter was uncuffed and directed to empty his pockets, take off his belt and boots.

Cooter asked the deputy who was itemizing his belongings, "When exactly do I get to find out what I'm charged with?"

"Look Mister, I'm sort of what you call a part time deputy. I only get a call if there's a big football game, special events, there warrants to be served or the Sheriff thinks he needs extra muscle with a situation. Otherwise, I'm home tending my farm, so to be right truthful with ya, I really don't know why either of us are here. After you change into this jumpsuit I'll go see what I can find out for you." The all brawn, little brained part time deputy offered.

Cooter nodded. Changing out of his own clothes even if they were a bit on the greasy side was not something Cooter wanted to do. In his mind it meant he was staying and staying was the last thing Cooter wanted to think about right now. Seeing he had little choice in the matter Cooter complied and changed into the black and white striped jumpsuit.

The deputy then directed Cooter over to one of the cells. There were two bunks attached to the left side of the cell with a mattress folded on lower one and a wool blanket. The back of the cell was made of bars. The door to the cell was made out of flat steel bands welded and/or riveted together leaving only small squares about an inch square to look out of.

Soon after the cell door was closed, Cooter realized that there wasn't much to look at out the cell door but the bar enclosed inner hallway. The view from the back of the cell at least let in outside light from the barred windows across another inner hallway. Cooter paced, then cursed, then paced some more.

Just as Cooter was becoming very agitated the Sheriff came to the front cell door, "Now that we've got you all booked in, Mr. Davenport I'll answer your questions."

Cooter barely kept his voice contained to a civil matter, "Why am I here? What was I arrested for?"

The Sheriff calmly said, "Well, I thought most twenty-one year old men knew just how illegal it is to take a fifteen year old female across state lines."

It took a full minute for Cooter to register what the Sheriff was claiming, then he insisted, "Wait just a minute, there Sheriff. Beverly is seventeen, nearly eighteen."

The Sheriff grinned just a might, "That's not what the birth certificate that I have for Beverly LeeAnn Hibbs shows. Now I'm not sure what fake documentation you showed the Justice of the Peace to get him to perform a fraudulent wedding ceremony but I'm sure he will be filling his own charges. You should also know that a fifteen year old child can't be married here without parental permission. That means that your marriage is not legal..." He paused before voicing the clincher, "It is also illegal for a twenty-one year old to have, ... shall we say marital relations with a fifteen year old."

Cooter knew Beverly wasn't any fifteen, but if the Sheriff had a birth certificate saying that she was only fifteen. Cooter was smart enough to know he was in a world of crap!

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Beverly heard strange noises outside the motel room and stepped to the door to see a tow truck hooking up to Cooter's car. She knew that car was Cooter's pride and joy so without thinking she went out the door and began questioning the man at the tow truck, "What are you doing? That's my husband's car! Why are you towing our car? Where are you taking it?"

The man at the controls was just about to reply when the Sheriff and deputy stepped up on either side of Beverly, "I'll have to take that as an admission to car theft Ma'am. You are under arrest."

"Arrest!? What on Earth for? What do you mean car theft? That is my husband's car he's had it a long while now." Beverly ranted.

"It seems the Hazzard Garage, the registered owner of the car has reported it stolen." the Sheriff lied. "And with you claiming possession of it, I have no other choice but to arrest you. Now move along over to my car." he said before he began reading Beverly her rights.

"Wait you don't understand! My husband worked at the Hazzard Garage with his father, but the car is his. You can ask him yourself, he's working at the garage in town." Beverly tried her best to explain as she was being placed in the patrol car.

Once at the Moore County Jail, Beverly was taken into the back downstairs area where female inmates were housed and processed. There she was asked for any identification as well as her marriage license. Beverly handed over the documentation thinking that this would help her situation.

Once her identification was checked and it was verified that Beverly was a minor the Sheriff knew that he could not place her actually in a cell so he opted to only lock the barred gate that separated the processing area and the business offices.

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Having done his part the Sheriff called Boss Davis and reported that both Davenports were at the jail and that the car had been towed.

"Excellent! Excellent! Just hold what you have there. I'll make a phone call and be right over." Boss Davis said.

Boss Davis wasted no time in contacting Mr. Hibbs, "Mr. Hibbs, Sir. We have both your daughter and the young man detained. If you want to meet me at my office, I'll be more than happy to assist you."

"I'll check out and be right there. Thank you, Mr. Davis." Mr. Hibbs let out a relieved sigh before turning to get few items that he had in the hotel room.

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Bo Duke headed into the Boar's Nest. It was too early for the place to be very busy, but there was a few of the regulars who'd stopped in for an after work / pre-dinner beer. Bo headed to a secluded booth and smiled when he saw the waitress on duty. It was nearly a sure fired thing for him to be get a beer anytime he wanted from this waitress.

"Hey there Bo Honey." The waitress smiled.

Bo replied with his famous grin, "Hey there yourself."

The waitress asked just a bit too seductively, "What can I get for you?"

Bo hoped that she thought Luke would be joining him so he ordered, "We'll have a root beer and a beer."

The waitress looked around and didn't see anyone who'd raise a stink so she replied, "Ok, Honey. Just watch it."

"Always." Bo replied as he flashed her his million dollar Duke smile.

When the waitress brought the order back she purposely set the beer down on the other side of the table and the root beer in front of Bo.

"Thanks Sugar. Say you ain't seen Cooter around here today have you?" Bo asked.

"No, can't say that I have, but I know his old man has been looking everywhere for him for the past few days." The waitress said.

Bo frowned, "You mean that he hasn't been around in days?"

"He ain't been here this week while I've been here. I've got to run, Bo." The waitress said as she hurried off to get another table.

Bo reached passed his rootbeer and picked up the beer taking a long healthy sip. 'If Cooter wasn't in Placid for the race on Saturday and he's not been in here all week, ... where in the world could he be?' Bo thought to himself.

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Beverly had walked around the barred room wondering and worrying about what was going on. 'Had Cooter's father really reported the car stolen? But, that didn't make any sense either because she had seen the registration. The car was in Cooter's name.' Beverly thought.

'If some how the car had been reported stolen, was Cooter still at work. Would he also be arrested? Who was there to help them if they were both arrested?' Beverly was nearly at the point of chewing her fingernails when she heard a voice behind her.

"Beverly LeeAnn Hibbs!" Mr. Hibbs addressed his only daughter.

"Father? There has been a dreadful mistake." Beverly said as she stepped to the barred gate that separated her from her father.

Mr. Hibbs nodded his head 'yes', "Yes, my Dear there has been a dreadful mistake. It happened right after I forbid you to see that, ... that greasy monkey! You not only chose to see him but to run off with him and ruin yourself."

Beverly's eyes filled with tears, "But, Father I love him. We love each other. We were married!" She held out her hand to show off her wedding band.

"Girl, it's time you come to your senses and do as I say or I'm afraid that, ... that, ... husband of yours, ..." Mr. Hibbs nearly spit out the word like a bad taste, "Will do a lot of hard time at your expense. The cards are in place. It's up to you. You can walk out of here, do as I say and in a reasonable amount of time you and that grease monkey will have forgotten each other and moved on to more suitable company for the both of you."

Beverly crossed her arms, "Never! We did this right. We're husband and wife and you can't change that!"

"Mr. Davis?" Mr. Hibbs said and motioned the man forward.

Boss Davis began showing the young lady the paperwork that they had against her husband fresh of the printing press. "This is a birth certificate showing you to be a mere fifteen years old which makes your young man in a heap of trouble for bringing you across state lines with out your parents permission. It also makes illegal for you to marry without parental permission which makes your marriage illegal, ... so the marital relations that you and your husband have been practicing were also very illegal, ... why that alone is enough to send your husband up river for the next twenty odd years."

Beverly's head was swimming!

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Note of interested:

When I pulled Moore County out of the counties in Tennessee I had no idea that the jail had such a history! The links I found are located on my profile page that I used to get ideas about the lay out of the real Moore County Jail that was built in 1872 and updated in 1893. It held inmates up to 1990 so this should cover Cooter's stay there. Feel free to view the links if you want to see what I saw when writing the description of the jail.

Thanks for reading! Please review and let me know what you think of the story line.