TROUBLES IN TOWN

SOMEWHERE, IN THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS

"I think Sarah and Gus will be really happy for their fence," Daisy walked to Enos, a basket full of eggs in her arms and her hair tied in a long pigtail. She stared at Enos' dark brown hair turning into a bright brown because of the sunlight, and at his forearms, his shirt's sleeves rolled on, bathed with sun. She smiled, "You are doin' a great job, sugar."

Knelt down, he was absorbed in painting the farm's fence, his moves calm and accurate as he applied the white paint on the wood. He turned his head to her, smiling, "This fence needs new paint."

Daisy nodded and looked around, "And that rose garden needs a good trimming." She turned round and walked to the farm, "I'm goin' to work on that roses, after placing these eggs in a safe place."

Enos looked at the rose garden, white roses: purity, secrecy, friendship, and reverence. He recalled Mrs Russell talking to him about the meaning of roses and why he chose white roses for Daisy's birthday. He jumped, that small memory hitting him like a sudden slap, a new memory back from the two months swallowed into the darkness of his comatose days.

Mrs Russell, the Florist Shop, flowers, Mrs Russell's mother being ill…

Something knocked at his conscience, but he shrugged that strange and pesky feeling away, his eyes still on the fence.

HAZZARD

Ellen's car entered Hazzard's square.

"So, this is Hazzard. This is really a small town." Ellen glanced at her friend by her side, "Are you OK?"

Her eyes on the red delivery van parked in front of the Florist Shop, Jo swallowed against the lump in her throat and nodded, "I am fine. I am here for Enos Strate, not for Nick." Answering more to herself than to Ellen, she averted her eyes from the Shop and looked at the white building at the other side of the square: the Hazzard Police Department.

Ellen parked the car, "OK. I hope your deputy is inside the Police Department and not patrolling along these dusty roads. I don't want to wait for him for hours." Her eyes on the entrance of the building, she had a surprised smile at the sight of two uniformed men coming out, "Hey look! Your deputy and the Sheriff." She half closed her eyes, her smile fading, "I have never seen the sheriff, but I know your deputy, and none of those men is the man I met in the E.R."

Jo nodded, "It's Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane with Deputy Cletus Hogg."

Ellen turned to Jo, "You said Hazzard has just one sheriff and one deputy."

Jo shrugged, "Time ago we had one sheriff and two deputies, for a while. Cletus Hogg was hired when Enos Strate left for LAPD, and then he kept on being the second deputy after Enos came back, so we had two deputies for a while. I guess that, since Enos is injured because of a fire – " she turned to Ellen " – it's what Dolly said, yesterday – " she turned again to the Police Department, " – I guess Cletus Hogg has taken Enos' place while Enos is in convalescence because of his burns." She opened the car's door and came out, "Come on, I have to ask them about Enos before they start their patrolling."

Ellen sighed and came out the car, walking by Jo's side.

"Sheriff!"

His hand already on his patrol car's door, Rosco turned to the women walking to him.

On the other side of the street, Cooter wiped his greasy hands with a greasy cloth and turned to the two uniformed men and the two women coming closer.

SOMEWHERE, IN THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS

Knelt down in front of the rose garden, Daisy trimmed the wild shrubs. She finally rested the shears on the ground andstood up, gently removing the soil from her knees. She turned to Enos and smiled.

Enos stared at her smile and at her freckles giving her a carefree look, while the sun gave her long brown hair a honey nuance. He felt a strange mix of sweetness and nausea. He had a deep breath and washed the nausea away, "You are beautiful, Daisy."

Daisy opened her arms wide and observed her outfit: long sleeves shirt, large overall and boots. She rested her hands on her hips, she bent her head toward her right shoulder and smiled, "You are such a gentleman, sugar, but I don't think I am so good, right now."

"You are always beautiful."

She laughed and walked to him, "Oh Enos. You are so sweet."

When she came closer him, he hugged her tight, catching her breath away.

"Enos!" A surprised whisper came out her mouth, her face pressed against his chest and his strong arms around her waist. He was holding her tight but he wasn't hurting her.

"I love you, Daisy," just a whisper in her ear, making her shiver.

HAZZARD

Rosco stared at Jo, "Mrs Russell! Welcome back home."

Cletus smiled and touched his hat's brim, "Hope your mother is fine."

Jo glanced at Ellen, meaningful look, and nodded at Cletus, "My mother is fine, thanks. I need to talk with Enos Strate."

Rosco and Cletus started, then stiffened, while Cooter, his eyes on the scene, raised his hat's visor.

Rosco glanced at Cletus, in discomfort, then turned to Jo, his voice low and rude because of that painful talk, salt on a burning wound, "I am sorry, Mrs Russell. You probably haven't known it 'cause you were stayin' by your mother's side, but Enos is …" Rosco had a deep sigh and his voice cracked, "… dead."

"DEAD?" Jo looked at Ellen, pure terror in her eyes; she turned again to Rosco, trying to control her voice and terror, "Dead? When? How?"

Rosco put his hat off, disappointed and angry gesture, "Two weeks ago, because of a fire at Dukes' farm. Daisy Duke too died. Both Enos and Daisy died in the fire. A tragedy."

The terror on Jo's face faded, surprise and confusion taking its place, "Two weeks ago?" She repeated in her mind what Dolly told her the previous evening, "Impossible. I am pretty sure Enos Strate and Daisy Duke were at the Atlanta Medical Center's E.R., just one week ago. Alive. They had some burns because of a fire, in effect, but they were fine."

Cooter held his breath.

Ellen had a step forward, "I don't know what's happening here, but I can say for sure that Enos Strate and Daisy Duke are alive. I saw them at the Atlanta Medical Center. My name is Ellen March. I am a nurse, and I work there." She stared at Rosco, his shocked eyes on her, "I didn't talk with your deputy, but a friend of mine, Dolly – she works in the I.C.U., where she took care of deputy Strate when he was there – talked to him. She heard him asking for a friend who was having an heart attack." She turned to Jo, "I don't remember the name Dolly told us."

"Gus McCormick. Enos and Daisy were at the E.R. with Sarah McCormick because of Gus."

Ellen nodded at Jo's words, "Right. Deputy Strate and his girlfriend Daisy were there for Gus McCormick, one week ago, I am sure of it. I saw them. He had white bandages on his hands and his girlfriend on her forearm; he told my friend Dolly it was because of a fire."

"That nurse is right: Gus McCormick has had a heart attack last week, and he's still at the Atlanta Medical Center." Woman's voice behind them.

Everybody turned to the voice.

Mrs Rhuebottom blushed and looked down at the ground, keeping on speaking, "Hannah, Sarah's sister, told me 'bout it."

"So, it's true! Enos Strate and Daisy Duke are alive!" Mr Rhuebottom walked closer his wife and circled her shoulders with his arm, "I don't trust the Beaudrys, but it looks like the rumor is true." He smiled, "If Daisy and Enos were with Sarah and Gus at the Atlanta Medical Center, last week, it means they're stayin' at Gus' farm, or maybe in Atlanta."

Mrs Rhuebottom looked at her husband, "Thinking 'bout it… I remember Gus leaving the town, early in the morning, the day of the fire at Dukes' farm."

In front of the Police Department, several people were staring amazed at what's happening.

SOMEWHERE, IN THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS

Daisy's hands slid from Enos' shoulders down to his belly, freeing his shirt from his trousers and slipping under his shirt, her fingers exploring his skin and his muscles' tensing.

He had a step back and parted from her, "Daisy! Not this! Not here and not now. Please!"

The bitter taste of rejection in her mouth, Daisy looked down at the ground.

"Daisy," he walked closer her, resting his hands on her shoulders, "I want it. You can't even know how much I want it, how much I have wanted it along the years. But this isn't the right place and time. I want to become your husband. I want to go back to Hazzard, stop all the lies goin' on, and marry you." He had a deep breath and smiled, his hands gently squeezing her shoulders, "Hey, what 'bout having a pause and goin' to the town? I need more paint for the fence. The town is 30 minutes by foot from here; we can have a walk to the town, having lunch there, buy the paint and whatever else you need, and come back."

Daisy smiled and nodded, "It's a great idea. But I have to dress something different than…" she looked at her overalls, "… this. Wait for me. And remember, if someone in town talks to us, we are Sonny and Catherine, we are from Valdosta, we are friends of Gus and Sarah and we are helping them with the farm while they are in Atlanta."

Enos had a deep sigh, "I hope this thing is goin' to end. I hate lies."

Daisy caressed his cheek, "I know, sugar. Be patient. I guess uncle Jesse, Bo and Luke are goin' to find the man who's threatening you very soon."

HAZZARD

Rosco looked at the small crowd around them, then he turned to Jo and Ellen, "Mrs Russell, Mrs March. Come with me. I need to talk to you," he pointed at the white building behind him, "inside. Please."

Jo nodded and looked around, her heart beating furiously in her chest until she realized Nick wasn't among the people staring at her; she had a deep sigh of relief and walked to the Police Department.

Rosco turned to Cooter and pointed his finger at him, "And you! Call Jesse Duke and tell him to come here. I want to understand what's goin' on! Them Dukes!" He forgot of Cooter and walked behind Jo, Ellen and Cletus, still ranting, "Them Dukes! If they lied 'bout Enos and Daisy, I am goin' to arrest them for… false report… or whatever else it is." His rant turned into a chocked laugh, "kew-kew-kew-kwe! My dipstick is alive." And then again a rant, "Them Dukes! So disrespectful to a sensitive man like me! I am goin' to arrest them!"

Cooter put his hat off and scratched his hair. He shook his head and walked to the phone. He grabbed the receiver and dialed the Dukes' farm, waiting for an answer, the receiver pressed against his ear, "Jesse. This is Cooter speakin'. Troubles in town." He forgot of Maybelle and any prudence about talking by phone (no prudence was required, at that point), "Enos and Daisy's cover-up is gone. You should come here, something strange is goin' on at the Police Department."

Listening carefully to uncle Jesse, Cooter nodded. He put the receiver down and walked to the Police Department, piercing the human wall forming in the street, around him just a phrase, again and again.

"Hey, do you know? Enos Strate and Daisy Duke are alive. Really! The Beaudrys were right 'bout them bein' alive. They aren't in the hills but at Gus' place!"

Cooter shook his head and sighed.

Big troubles in town.

The book Daisy is reading in the previous chapter is "Love at the time of cholera", by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, though my favorite book by this great author is "One hundred years of solitude" (OK, it doesn't matter, LOL).

Stay tuned for the final chapters. Thanks.