No Loose Ends

Chapter 6

“Whaddayu two mean you didn’t get the part?” Uncle Jesse raged.  “I sent ya in plenty of time!” he yelled.

“Listen, Uncle Jesse.  It ain’t our fault the dang guy didn’t open the store today!”

“Don’t you cuss at me!” Uncle Jesse demanded.

“Yes sir”, Bo agreed, looking down sheepishly.

“Well then, maybe you boys can tell me where you’ve been for the past two hours”, Roscoe spoke up.

“Well, we picked up Mary Lou.  She’s a girl we used to go to school with.  Her family moved to Chickasaw County just a few years ago and we ain’t seen her since”, Luke offered.

“And how can I get in touch with this Mary Lou”, Roscoe asked.

Both boys looked at each other confusedly.  They wouldn’t know.  “Uh, maybe her Mom and Dad are in the phone book?” Bo suggested.

“I’ll check it out”, Roscoe offered.  “But in the meantime, don’t either of you boys leave your Uncle Jesse’s sight.  I’m a leavin’ ya in his custody.  But if anything else comes up, I’m gonna have to arrest ya.”

“Roscoe, you can’t let those Duke boys go”, Boss Hogg intervened.  “I say they look just like the two criminals that held up the bank.  They met Daisy out here on the road and took her off somewhere to put her out of sight to make us think she’s been kidnapped.  There ain’t been no kidnappin’ and these two are just tryin’ to keep us guessin’”, Boss went on.

“Now, just you listen here, J.D. Hogg”, began Uncle Jesse.

“Wait Jesse, let me talk”, Roscoe interrupted.  “Now Boss”, Roscoe stuttered just a little.  He wasn’t accustomed to arguing with the Boss, but he had something to say, “look here, there’s something really wrong here.  I’ll stake my badge that this here blood is real, and that at least some of it belongs to Daisy Duke.  If that’s the case, even I cain’t believe that Bo or Luke either one would hurt Daisy”.

Boss would not be dissuaded, “Most likely that ain’t even real blood.  But even IF it turns out to be real and even IF it’s Daisy Duke’s, that don’t mean she didn’t stick herself with a pin to make it look real.  The wrestlers on TV do it all the time.  It don’t leave much of a mark and they stick themselves enough times to get enough blood to make it look like they’re really hurt”. 

Roscoe did not look convinced.  “So you’re sayin’ that all of this here blood comes from Daisy stickin’ herself with a pin!” 

“Well, maybe not ALL of it”, Boss began.  “Maybe Bo and Luke stuck themselves too”, Boss was losing the argument and he knew it.  Even he was less convinced that he had been.

“Boss that’s stupid”, Luke began.  “Here we’ll roll up our shirtsleeves and you can look for yourself.  We ain’t been stickin’ ourselves with no pins”, he stated firmly.

“J.D., why in the Sam Hill would either of these boys want to incriminate their own selves by puttin’ their own blood at the scene.”

“Well, it don’t make no difference anyhow”, Boss stated.  “I’m the county commissioner and I say that Bo and Luke are under arrest pending the investigation”.

“J.D.!!!!” Uncle Jesse yelled, reaching around Bo and Luke for Boss’ coat collar.

“Now Uncle Jesse”, Roscoe stepped in between them.  “I’m the Sheriff and I’ll do the arrestin’, but I want you both to know there’s gonna be a compromise”.

Bo and Luke neither one had ever heard Roscoe use such a word before. 

To Boss, Roscoe said, “I will arrest Bo and Luke pending the investigation into the Bank Robbery and the disappearance of Daisy Duke”.  Uncle Jesse looked away in disgust as Boss sucked happily on his cigar with a self-satisfied look on his face. “BUT!” Roscoe added,  catching Uncle Jesse’s eye, “IF the evidence suggests that ANY of the blood found in or around the General belongs to Daisy Duke, and IF the other blood proves NOT to belong to any member of the Duke family, then the Duke boys go free”, he looked firmly at Boss when he said it.

“You act like you’re the one in charge here”, Boss stated angrily.  “Don’t forget who MADE you Sheriff.”

Roscoe stepped over close enough to Boss to make him back up a step or two.  “I may be a ‘bought’ Sheriff and I may have seen my day”, he said, pointing to his badge.  “But I’m still Sheriff of Hazzard County and we run this here investigation MY way”.  Boss stared hard at Roscoe letting the words sink in.  Then he stuck his cigar back in his mouth and looked away quickly.

“All right Roscoe.  You the Sheriff”, he agreed.

“Enos, cuff and st--- er, just put the Duke boys in your car.  Read ‘em their rights and lock ‘em up pending the investigation.  As soon as you hear from the lab, I want a report.  Got it?”

“Got it Sheriff.  Come on boys.  Hopefully you won’t be arrested for too long”.

Bo and Luke went along peacefully albeit unwillingly.

“Uncle Jesse”, Roscoe stated somewhat more kindly, “If’n you wouldn’t mind drivin’ the General back to town, I won’t have to call a tow truck.  I hereby release it from evidence”.

“Thanks Roscoe”, Jesse thanked him appreciatively.

Meanwhile, Daisy was watching as the pavement changed from asphalt to whiterock to dirt again as she stared through the crack at the bottom of the tack-room door of the trailer.  Finally, she saw grass again and heard the pickup slowing as they passed over a cattle guard indicating that they had just left the road and entered private property. 

“Pull up around by the kitchen Earl and we’ll get our guest into the house”, Edna Mae ordered.

Earl did as he was told, then pulled up to a stop by the steps around back, got out and opened the tack room door.

Daisy squinted as the light poured in.  She had been in the dark for about two hours now, “Mmmmmmmmmph”, she spoke into her gag.

Earl reached into his pocket and withdrew a knife, which he opened in front of Daisy.  Her eyes grew wide as he reached for the rope around her ankles and pulled her toward him. 

“Don’t cut those ropes, Earl”, Edna suggested.  “They’ve got knots, just untie them.  We may need those ropes again later”, she told him.

Earl folded the knife back up and put it back in his pocket.  It took him a little longer to work the knots out with his big fingers, but he eventually got Daisy’s legs free.  He pulled her up, arms still bound behind her back.  She wobbled a little as the stiffness began to leave her legs and blood began to flow down to her feet again.  Black spots danced before her eyes as she staggered for a step or two.  Then she regained her balance and let Earl lead her up the steps and into the kitchen.  “Sit down right here”, he told her, pulling out a kitchen chair.

Edna brought the money in and told Earl to stash it in their safe.  “You mean the one in th-“ Earl began. 
            “Shut up, stupid!” Edna yelled.  “You and I know the one.  You don’t hafta spell it out.  Just go put the money in the safe.”

Earl left and a few moments later, Daisy heard footsteps going up the stairs around by the front door.  She looked over at Edna, who smiled tightly at her.  “Ready to be free for a little while?” Edna asked her.  Daisy nodded.  Edna reached around and began to work out the knots to the ropes binding Daisy’s arms and wrists.  Finally, Daisy pulled her arms out from behind her back for the first time in over two hours.  She rubbed her wrists and arms, then her legs and finally her ankles.  The rope marks on her limbs were still very pronounced.

“This sink is full of dirty dishes”, Edna informed her.  “Get to washing them, then dry them and stack them in the cabinets.  Remember, I’ll be watching you”, she said, holding up the riding whip Daisy had seen in the trailer.  She pulled a chair out from the table and sat down a few feet from the sink where she could watch Daisy work, holding the riding crop menacingly over one knee.

Daisy’s hands trembled a little as she began to pick up the dishes and wash them.  “Remember sweet cheeks”, Edna called, “one dropped dish, one wrong move, and you’re gonna wish your backside had a little more covering!!”.  She slapped the whip against the palm of her hand for emphasis. 

Daisy closed her eyes a little.  Something about Edna’s demeanor and the way she was watching her made her incredibly nervous.  Edna looked at her almost like…..a man might!  She really hoped Earl would return soon.  A glass slipped when Daisy picked it up…..Oh no!!!