Chapter 91

Over in Placid County, Pauline Duke was fit to be tied! She just couldn't believe what she'd seen her sixteen year old baby boy doing as she rounded the corner of the barn. Alright, it may not have been exactly what Jeb was doing, but more what he was letting that, ... that, ... girl do. Pauline was shaking as she poured a cup of coffee and sat down at the table as she tried to calm herself down. She should have known by the way the girl was dressed in those skin tight jeans and tub top that she wasn't a proper 'lady'.

Pauline knew that Jeb wouldn't be happy being cooped up this summer and thought that inviting the new banker's daughter over for dinner might have started a nice friendship for her son and daughter with the right sort of people. Now, she knew she had been very wrong.

As Karen walked into the room she could tell her mother was more than pissed. In fact it looked as if she had steam coming out of her ears. "What's wrong Momma?" She asked innocently. It was always good to have dirt on her younger brother and she'd heard her mother yelling at Jeb about something from her room.

"Nothing Dear." Pauline said not wanting to get into this with her daughter.

Karen frowned, "Are you sure? I heard you yelling at Jeb all the way in my room and now you look really upset."

"That's because I am upset, but it is nothing you need to worry about. In fact, I just don't think I could even voice it." Pauline said.

'Wow! It was that good? After the motorcycle thing, I wonder what Jeb did to get her that upset?' Karen thought to herself. She'd have to dig deeper to try to find out what went on outside. It just may be too good to let pass her by, but at least it got the heat from her arrest, her night out and weekend in jail off her for a little while anyway.

Before Karen could inquire further the phone on the wall rang. Karen turned to answer the phone which earned her a hard glare from her mother since she was still grounded. "Hello." Karen had already said. She heard the recording coming on signaling that it was her father calling and accepted the call. "Hi Daddy, I know I'm still grounded but I wanted to say Hi before I handed the phone to Momma." Karen said quickly.

John couldn't help but smile and reply, "That's fine Honey." then in a lower voice he asked, "Are you alright?" He knew the ears of everyone in the cell could hear him if they choose to be listening.

"I'm fine Daddy and glad to be home." Karen she stressed.

John looked at the steel and cement surrounding him as he mentally kicked himself for being in the situation that he had put himself into, then replied, "I can sure understand that." In all his years, even in his wilder days, when he'd gotten himself in a bind he usually only paid a fine or maybe spent a night or three in jail, but this thirty days at his age had gotten his attention.

"Here's Momma. I love you Daddy." Karen said.

"I love you too." John said as he heard the phone being passed to Pauline.

Karen then exited the kitchen, but didn't go to far hoping to hear what Jeb had done to get their mother so upset.

Pauline said flatly, "John David."

John flinched at the cold reception from his wife silently wondering what he'd done to deserve the cold shoulder since he hadn't been home in over a week. "Pauline what's wrong?"

Taking a deep breath and letting it out Pauline replied, "I'm trying to get myself calmed down and right now, I'm to mad to tell you or to talk to OUR son! John David Duke when you get home you just might have to handle this. I'm not sure that I can bring myself to even discuss it with him."

John grimaced. He knew how upset Pauline had been about Jeb not only riding, but racing motorcycles and that wasn't even mentioning the fact that Jeb had gotten hurt on one. If what ever Jeb had done topped that, he wasn't sure he wanted to know about it but he had to ask, "Alright, so what did he do now?"

Pauline began, "Well, I thought with everything that has been going on and with both Jeb and Karen grounded that asking the new banker's daughter over foe dinner might just open the door for both of them to meet some of the right people."

John heard Pauline go silent. He rubbed the back of his neck. He hated when Pauline tried to find the 'right people' for their kids to be friends with. She had tried this since before they went to school and nothing good had come of it yet. "So, what happened?"

"Well, that little tramp showed up dressed in skin tight jeans and a tub top, which I didn't like from the start." Pauline continued.

John was picturing what his wife was describing to him and felt a horrible headache coming on.

She added, "After dinner Karen, Jeb and the girl went into the living room. After checking on the twins and getting them fed I noticed that Jeb and the girl were missing. Karen said they had walked outside. Now, John David I just didn't think it was good for Jeb to be outside with his injuries. He could trip or slip and re-hurt himself. So, I thought it best if I went out looking for them. As I got to the barn I called out to Jeb as I stepped around the barn and, ... and, ..." Pauline felt her face turn purple in embarrassment.

John had followed Pauline so far but when she stuttered to a stop he couldn't imagine what could have been going on for her to be at a lose for words. "And?"

"John David I can't, I just can't even speak of it!" Pauline said. She was mortified. Then added, "I'm sure that there are still laws on the books against things like that! And if they aren't there should be! Besides, Jeb is only sixteen!"

John scratched his head trying to figure out just what his son was doing when they heard the 'one minute warning'. "Pauline I'm still not clear on what Jeb was doing so if you are going to tell me, now is the time. I'm not running this phone bill outrageous to call back."

"I'm still to mad, not to mention mortified because I SAW what was going on! Let me calm down and I'll try to tell you the next time you call. I'm sorry Honey, but I just can't." Pauline said.

John shook his head. He'd been married to this woman for years and had given her four kids, yet she couldn't talk to him. "Alright, but if it's THAT bad, talk to me before you blow your stack on Jeb."

"I can't promise, but I'll try. I love you John." Pauline said.

John barely got out, "I love you all too." before the phone disconnected.

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With the fake birth certificate in hand that Boss Davis had gotten made up showing that Beverly was fifteen not seventeen, Beverly's father had went to see the local Judge after Boss Davis had explained the situation to his good friend, the Judge.

An immediate Annulment Order was issued for the marriage of Beverly LeeAnn (Hibbs) Davenport and Cooter Davenport; along with a "HOLD" being placed on one Cooter Davenport who would be held for 'questioning' in regards to fake documentation, taking an under age female across state lines, illegal marriage and relations with a fifteen year old minor.

For what seemed like hours, Beverly was brainwashed into believing that she and Cooter could be in serious trouble for car theft of the car she knew belonged to Cooter and that Cooter would be sent to prison for making love to her, his wife. Deep down she knew what they did was legal, but her father and the man they referred to as Boss Davis, had a way of turning what she knew into things that she hadn't even imagined. At this point she was scared to death about what could happen to Cooter and her nerves were more than shot. She couldn't help but thinking how a day that had started out so right could end up so very wrong as she wiped another tear from her face with her shaking hand.

Mr. Hibbs spelled it out for her, "I have one more order of business here, then I'm coming back to get you out of here. You will then do exactly as I say, ... or your former husband," he spat, "won't see the light of day until he's older than I am - I promise you that." He said matter of factly as he turned and walked away from the barred door that his daughter was behind outside the female cells of the Moore County Jail.

Once in the office area of the Moore County Jail, Mr. Hibbs told Boss Davis, "I'm ready to see that, ... that, ... grease monkey - for the last time."

Boss Davis and the brawny deputy took Mr. Hibbs upstairs through the locked barred door at the top of the stairs and showed him to the only occupied cell of the jail.

There Cooter Davenport had paced, cursed, sat, stood and paced some more in the hours since he'd placed in the cell. Cooter heard footsteps on the cement stairs leading up to where he was locked in the cell. He turned and went to the front of the cell as Beverly's father, Mr. Hibbs stepped into his view along with the deputy that had booked him in and another well dressed man Cooter had only seen when he had come by the garage for gas. Even though Mr. Hibbs was a bit shorter than Cooter he felt the man looking down on him. Cooter sent the man a glare and if looks could kill, the man would have dropped dead right where he stood.

Mr. Hibbs couldn't help but to step back from the cells a step before he began to speak, "I warned MY girl not to see you. She didn't take stock in that warning, like you didn't, but maybe, just maybe, by the time you two walk out of here you will both be believers. I don't like having my hand forced but you two think that you can do as you please - so, ... I have done what I had to do to insure that you two will listen to me in the future."

In Mr. Hibb's rant, he had given Cooter a vital piece of information, "Bev is here? Where? Why?"

"Never mind that." Mr. Hibbs said and he held out a piece of paper toward the cell.

With the cell door made out of the flat steel with only small squares openings the deputy knew that the man in the cell couldn't easily get the offered paper. He stepped forward took the paper and rolled it up small enough to pass through the cell door.

Cooter took the paper and unrolled it. He wasn't the smartest guy ever to come out of Hazzard High School but even he knew a court order when he saw one. Cooter quickly skimmed the court order until he got to the part that caught his eyes, ... 'marriage of Beverly LeeAnn (Hibbs) Davenport and Cooter Davenport nullified. ... Also, returning Beverly LeeAnn (Hibbs) Davenport's name to Beverly LeeAnn Hibbs.' Cooter hadn't been happy since the officers came into the garage earlier, but now he'd had it. "You can't do this! We were legally married and have consummated it many times over!" Cooter said purposely rubbing it in the man's face that he'd been with his daughter.

Boss Davis was on his game, "Well, Deputy you heard the man. Record that admission of his relations with the young lady."

The deputy couldn't believe the man would actually brag about being with such a young girl. He shook his head, took out a notebook from his pocket and began to write.

"I should just kill you and get it over with, but killing is too good for YOU." Mr. Hibbs said with hatred in a low tone of voice. He nodded his head up and down, "You just remember the name, James Hibbs. Nobody defies me without paying for it through the nose. Since my daughter saw her error in judgment and contacted me to come clean up her mess, I'll just be taking her with me." Mr. Hibbs implied that Beverly had changed her mind about marrying Cooter.

Standing alone in the small cell behind the locked door, Cooter was trying to process all the information that Mr. Hibbs had just thrown at him. The main thing that stood out was that Beverly had changed her mind. "Bev called you? To come here?"

Mr. Hibbs just smiled proud as punch.

"You said she is here." Cooter turned to the Deputy, "Can I see her?"

Boss Davis spoke up, "We don't allow minors or females up here."

"Good. This is no place for MY daughter." Mr. Hibbs added. "I hope you like your new home there in that cage it's befitting to a man of your standards." said as he turned to walk back to the barred door that led back downstairs.

"Wait!" Cooter called to the men. "I demand to at least see my wife!"

Boss Davis raised his eyebrows at the prisoner, "You are in no position to demand anything." he said flatly as the men continued down the stairs.

Cooter called out louder, "Bev, ... Beverly!"

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Bo finished his beer and rootbeer then headed home for dinner. He couldn't help but wonder what was up with Cooter if no one including his father had seen him in days. Bo went into the kitchen of the old farmhouse and washed up just as Daisy and Jesse were setting dinner on the table.

Jesse was talking to no one in-particular as he put things on the table, "Now, I'm not used to cooking just for the three of us so I hope everyone is extra hungry from all the added chores we've been doing."

"Don't you worry Uncle Jesse, won't none of this go to waste. If there's any beans left over I'll just turn it into chili for tomorrow night." Daisy offered.

Bo added as he took his seat, "Well I could eat a horse right now." What he didn't say was, 'because I ended up with most of Luke and Jeb's chores along with my own.'

After Grace was said everyone dug in to fill their dishes of cranberry beans, fresh out of the oven cornbread, and garden fresh green onions and greens seasoned up just right.

Jesse asked, "Did you see Luke?"

Bo swallowed his drink of iced tea before replying, "Yes, Sir. I was there with him about and hour. Uncle Jesse, Luke was asleep when I got there and by the time I left he looked like he was ready to doze off again."

"Well, now I wouldn't let that worry you to much there Bo. I'm sure Doc is making real sure that Luke rests while he's there. It's likely the medicine he's giving Luke." Jesse said knowingly.

Bo frowned a bit but after thinking about what Uncle Jesse had said, it did make sense to want Luke to rest but he didn't like the idea of Luke being made to sleep with medicines.

"Was anything else going on in town?" Jesse asked since they had been out of town, then busy trying to play catch up at the farm, so about the only time he'd been into town was to check on Luke.

Bo again frowned, "Well, Luke was telling me that Cooter hadn't been by to see him so I was asking around at the Boar's Nest and it seems no one has seen him in days, even his father."

Jesse wrinkled his eyebrows. At first he'd have just thought it was Cooter being Cooter - wild, irresponsible and crazy, until Bo said that even Luther hadn't seen him. "How long is days?"

Bo replied, "Well, he was supposed to be at the races in Placid. He was per-registered and everything. I know because we all registered together, but he didn't show up."

Jesse knew that certainly was not like any of the boys to not just not show up at a race, but to not show up at a race they were already registered in. He rubbed his chin in thought before asking, "A girl?"

Bo thought about that shook his head 'no' then replied, "I don't think so. Sure he and Beverly have dated awhile and all but I just don't think she'd be the type stay out with him like that."

Jesse nodded. He'd take Bo's opinion of the relationship since he hadn't been around Cooter and Beverly enough when they were together to form an opinion for himself. He thought for a long minute before asking, "Do you know if Luther has checked to see if he might have been in an accident?"

Bo frowned with concern. He hadn't even thought of that possibility. "I don't know, Uncle Jesse. I hadn't even thought of that. I'll call him just as soon as dinner is over to see."

Daisy had been listening and thinking also, "Bo how much competition would Cooter have been in that race? Could some one have kept him from getting there?"

"Shoot Daisy there was twelve of us there, Cooter would have made thirteen. At least half of us have raced each other regularly up at the lake and most any given night it's anyone's race." Bo looked up to see Jesse giving him a hard look. He'd just admitted that Luke and himself had raced more up at the lake than they would have liked Jesse to have known about, especially since Luke had been arrested for racing up there. "Umm, ... anyway, I wouldn't have thought that Cooter would have had the sort of reputation to make anyone want to keep him out of the race." Bo was suddenly very interested in his plate.

Daisy seen the exchange between Bo and Jesse about the racing at the lake. She couldn't help but to feel bad for causing Bo to disclose so much information to their Uncle.

For about two cents, Jesse Duke would have grounded Bo (and Luke) for racing up at the lake, but he figured that Bo was being punished enough just by having all the chores this summer and Luke, though he'd brought on a large part of his part of illness himself certainly wasn't having an enjoyable summer either. Jesse would just have to pay closer attention to where they were once Luke was back on his feet.

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Yeah! Computer fixed its self again and I'm back up. Sorry for delays - I hope you enjoy!