Chapter 4


Despite having been introduced to the fairly neutral Jesse Duke, Jim waited outside of the hospital while MaryAnne went into the emergency area. After what he had heard one of the Duke boys say over the CB earlier, he didn’t want to get into a
confrontation in the middle of the waiting room. So he sat on a bench, smoking a cigarette, occasionally looking towards the doors when they would open.

Inside, the boys explained to MaryAnne how they found Rosco.

“I don’t understand it,” she said as she took a seat in one of the chairs in the waiting room. “He was fine when he left the Boar’s Nest. You’re tellin’ me he wasn’t even two miles away and he suddenly blacked out?”

“That’s about all we can make of it,” Luke said. “If Bo and I hadn’t happened along he might have rolled into Stillson Canyon.”

MaryAnne closed her eyes and cringed at the thought.

“We saw a white sedan near him too,” Bo said. “We’re not sure, but it might be the same two who tried to get Enos.”

MaryAnne looked at the boys. Before she could ask more about it, the ER doctor came out from the ER.

“Is one of you a relative of Sheriff Coltrane?”

MaryAnne stood. “I am.”

“Will you come with me please?”

MaryAnne’s heart jumped as she took a step to follow the doctor back into the ER. Oh God, she thought, he’s dead.... The lump in ther throat was forcing her eyes to sting with tears, when the doctor turned back toward her. He could see she had some to the worst conclusion and gave her arm a pat.

“He’s allright,” he said.

MaryAnne gasped. “Oh, praise the Lord!” she exclaimed. She then suddenly brought her hand to her mouth and looked around the ER, realizing she spoke a little louder than she probably should have. She giggled with relief. “Yay.”

The doctor smiled. “Sorry I scared you by bringing you back here, but I’m concerned about how he became unconcious.”

“How’s that?”

“From the tests we’ve run so far, it looks like he was...drugged.”

“Drugged?!” MaryAnne hissed. “With what? How?”

“We’re not sure yet, only that it was slipped into something he drank.”

MaryAnne paused. “Well, the last time he had something to drink was at the Boar’s Nest. That was about an hour ago.”

“That’s what he told us too.”

“He’s awake now?”

“Yes.”

“Can I see him?”

“Of course.” The doctor led MaryAnne to the room where Rosco was. “I’ll be back in a little bit,” he said.

Rosco looked up as MaryAnne came in. He was sitting up on the hospital bed in his white T-shirt and black pants. His uniform shirt and hat were on the chair near the bed along with some hospital papers.

MaryAnne rushed up to her pale cousin. “Rosco, are you okay?” she asked giving him a hug.

“I’m allright,” he replied. “A little queasy, but I’m allright.” He looked at her. “You ain’t lookin’ so good.”

“You’re dang right I ain’t lookin’ so good. Somebody cut both brake lines on Maverick, which nearly landed him in a truck of fresh eggs and me and Jim in here, and then I hear on the radio that you’re here because the Duke boys found ya and couldn’t
wake ya up. What did you expect me to look like?”

“Somebody cut the brake lines?”

“Yeah.”

“Somebody really is tryin’ to get Jim ain’t they?”

MaryAnne nodded. “I’ve the feelin’ the stuff that knocked you out was meant for Jim. The boys also said there was a white sedan near you when they found you coasting along Highway 7, headin’ toward Stillson Canyon.”

Rosco paused a moment. “Where’s Jim now?”

“He’s outside. He didn’t wasnt to have a confrontation with the boys in the waiting room. With the way they’ve been acting lately, they’d probably accuse him of tampering with Maverick and slippin’ something into your drink with both you and me
sittin’ right next to him.”

“MaryAnne, this is startin’ to get serious. There’s a piece of paper in the pocket of my shirt there I wanna show ya.”

MaryAnne turned and picked the shirt up off the chair. She handed it to Rosco and he slipped his fingers into the already unbuttoned pocket.

“I wasn’t sure if I should show this to you, ‘cuz I didn’t want you to think that I didn’t trust Jim, but I thought we could show it to the Duke boys to prove once and for all that Jim is who and what he says he is.” He handed the paper to MaryAnne. “Plus,
technically I had to do this.”

“You ran a check on him.”

“Yeah.”

MaryAnne unfolded the paper and looked at it. When she finished reading through it she said, “Well, that proves it then. Right here in black and white what Jim’s been tellin’ us all along.”

“You think if we show it to the boys they’ll let us have Enos back?”

“They better. Somebody doesn’t want Jim solving the case he’s working on, and considering they tried to get Enos too, I think whatever Enos knew or believed at the time it happened might be the key to this whole thing.”

“Yeah.” Rosco paused. “You ain’t mad at me?”

“Oh, heck no,” she said and chuckled. “I’m more mad at myself I guess. If we had thought to do this before, maybe some of this wouldn’t have happened. Jim could have talked to Enos and that would’ve been the end of it.”

Rosco studied his young cousin as she looked at the paper again.

“You’re a little fond of him ain’t ya?” he asked with a smile.

“What?”

“Oh, don’t give me that. You have this look on your face everytime you’re near him. Somethin’ I ain’t seen in years.” Rosco almost added ‘since Mark’ but he knew better.

“Well, I don’t know.” She shrugged. “He’s nice. Quite charming.”

“You like him.”

“Yeah, I guess I do.” She smiled.

“Just a word to the wise for ya. Be careful. A fella like that with the face he’s got, you probably ain’t the first woman to be smitten by his big city charm.”

MaryAnne nodded. “Yeah, I thought of that. So what? I doubt he’s ever met a country girl like me.”

Rosco chuckled. “No. No, I reckon he ain’t.”

* * *

When MaryAnne returned to the waiting room, the boys and Jesse rushed over to her.

“He’s fine,” she replied to their questioning faces. “He apparently was drugged. Probably somebody slipped something into his drink at the Boar’s Nest.”

“Drugged?” Luke repeated.

“Right. Now, before you two start accusing Mr. Rockford, I want you to know that somebody also tampered with the brakes on Maverick, which I’ve been allowing Jim to drive while he’s here. And I want you to look at this.” She handed the paper to Luke. “Rosco did this just a little while ago.”

Luke unfolded the paper and looked at it, along with Bo. After a moment, there came a look over their faces that basically said, ‘Jackass.’

“Feel kinda stupid now, don’t ya?” MaryAnne said.

“Yeah,” Luke said. “MaryAnne, we’re sorry, it’s just--”

“It’s not me you should be apologizing to. It’s Jim. If y’all wait a moment, I’ll go get him.” She turned and left the waiting room.

“Oh boy,” Bo said. “I feel like a real...” He looked at Luke, who nodded.

“Yeah, I feel like that too.”

“What are we gonna say?” Bo asked.

“The truth, I guess. I only hope he’s willing to accept our apology because I don’t think MaryAnne is as easily.”

"Yeah."

After a moment, MaryAnne returned to the waiting room with Jim. Everyone paused a moment, the boys looking at Jim a bit embarassed.

"Uh," Luke finally started. "Mr. Rockford, look we're sorry for how we've been treatin' ya and all. It's just that we were concerned for our friend, Enos."

"Yeah," Bo said. "When we found you were lookin' for him and was from LA, well, we sorta came to a premature conclusion. We know now we were wrong about you."

Jim gave a thoughtful nod. "I guess you realized it just in time didn't you?" He looked toward the doorway leading to the ER.

Luke sighed. "Yeah, we did. Do you have any idea of who it could be who's after you?"

"Considering what little I know about the case, I can only guess one person at this point. But there's no proof that these two guys are connected to him."

"Are you fellas gonna let Jim talk to Enos now?" MaryAnne asked.

"Sure," Luke said. "Although, we still think Enos should stay with us at the farm."

"Yeah, that might be a good idea for now," MaryAnne said. "As soon as Rosco's released, we'll give ya a call on the CB and let you know when we're coming."

"Okay." Luke looked at Jim and put his hand out. "I want to apologize again for me and my cousin."

Jim looked at Luke and Bo for a moment. He then nodded and shook Luke's hand, flahsing a sincere smile. "Apology accepted."

"Alright," Bo said and shook Jim's hand as well.

MaryAnne was glad that the boys finally accepted Jim for who he really was and it couldn't have been a moment sooner. Cuz MaryAnne knew that if things continued to get serious, she, Jim and Rosco were going to need all the help they could get.

Jim Rockford, however, felt he had imposed enough on the Hazzard folk especially after Rosco landed in the hospital. After the Dukes left to return to the farm, he told MaryAnne what he planned to do.

"Go back to LA," he said. He and MaryAnne were seated in the waiting room.

"What?!"

"After I talk to Deputy Strate I'm going back in LA. I've brought enough trouble for you and your cousin. If I go back to LA, those two dudes will follow me back."

"I doubt that. You may not make it back to LA at all, Jim, except maybe in a pine box. No way, we gotta figure a way to catch these guys here."

"MaryAnne--"

"Jim, listen to me. Now them two are trying to kill you and they nearly took out the entire Hazzard County Sheriff's Department in the process. It may be a four-year-old murder case, but it's still fresh on somebody's mind enough so that they want you taken out before you find out who did it. You know what that means, don't you? It means you're a lot closer to the answer then you probably realize."

"Yeah, I do realize that and that's why as soon as I get what information I can from Enos, I'm going back to LA. I don't like putting other people at risk, MaryAnne."

MaryAnne rolled her eyes. "Oh Jim, Rosco and I have been through worse than this. We wanna help ya and besides, them two will have charges to answer to here in Hazzard. I'd rather they were caught here and not later in LA after you've been pulled out of the waters below the Santa Monica Pier or whatever. I hate to break it to ya, Jim, but Rosco himself could keep you here. Legally."

Jim looked at her. Sure as sure can be, she wasn't bluffing.

"You mean arrest me?"

"Not exactly, but that is an option. More like order you not to leave town."

"That'd be a switch," Jim said. "A Sheriff ordering me to STAY in town."

"Why? Are you usually ordered to leave?"

Jim looked at her. "All the time."

MaryAnne giggled.

"If I were to stay," he continued, "how would we catch these guys?"

"Haven't figured that part out yet, but we will, don't worry." She winked at him and he smiled.

"Alright, I'll stay," he said. "But only if we figure a way to catch these guys after I talk to Enos."

"Deal."

After Rosco was released from the hospital, he, Jim and MaryAnne returned to town, just before Russ and Murray came into town to try to find out if they had been successful or not.

Boss Hogg was in his office when the Coltrane cousins and Jim came into the booking room. Rosco had not told Boss about the visitor from LA, and Boss came out of his office to find out who the stranger was.

"Rosco, where the devil have you been? And who's this?"

"Oh, uh Boss, this is Jim Rockford," Rosco said. "He's a private investigator from Los Angeles."

"And as for where Rosco's been, he's been in the hospital," MaryAnne said.

Boss's eyes went wide. "My goodness, are you alright, Rosco?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Somebody slipped a mickey or something in my drink at the Boar's Nest and I almost ended up entombed in Stillson Canyon."

"Yeah, you've missed quite a lot of excitement, Boss," MaryAnne said. She then looked at Rosco. "I suppose we should tell him what's been happening."

Well, while MaryAnne and Rosco were tellin' Boss Hogg about why Jim was in town, them two that have been followin' him around were makin' a phone call to their boss.

"Did you get Rockford and the deputy?" the voice on the other end of line asked.

"The deputy's disappeared," Russ said. "As for Rockford, the car we tampered with is at the garage here in town, but we haven't been able to find out if we were successful."

"Well, you better find out," the man said. "You make sure either Rockford or the deputy or both are finished off or don't bother coming back."

"Yes, sir." Russ hung up the pay phone and looked at Murray. He shook his head. "If we don't get Rockford, we don't go home."

"Great," Murray muttered. "You have a blueprint as to how we're going to find him?"

"All I can think to do is keep an eye on the police station. If he's alive, he'll most likely show up there at some point."

* * *

Angel Martin looked at the map in his hand and then at the sign on the side of the paved road as he drove past.

Welcome to Hazzard County.

Uh-oh. As if Jim didn't have enough trouble already.

A few minutes later Angel pulled up infront of the county building. Across the street, Russ and Murray watched as Angel went up the stairs.

"Hey, isn't that the pipsqueak we pumped for information in LA?" Murray asked.

"It is." Russ paused, still looking toward the door of the county building. "Wonder what he's doing here?"

Boss Hogg was still trying to comprehend what Rosco and MaryAnne had told him, even though he lost most interest when he learned there was no reward for the apprehension of the killer, when Angel came into the booking room.

"Jimmy!" Angel greeted.

Jim had his back to the door and MaryAnne saw him roll his eyes. "Tell me that's not who I think it is," he muttered as he turned around.

"Angel, what the hell are you doing here?"

"What? Oh sure, I'm here to help a frind in need, spending my time and my own money to fly here, and this is the reception I get?"

Jim stepped towards him. "Angel, I oughta strangle you. It's your 'help' that's got me into this whole mess. If you hadn't opened your big mouth, I wouldn't have two guys following me."

"But that's why I'm here--" He stopped and glanced at Rosco and MaryAnne. "Uh, can I talk to you alone, Jimmy?"

"No. The Sheriff and MaryAnne here have just as much right to hear whatever you have to say, considering the Sheriff landed in the hospital and MaryAnne's car was wrecked as a result of them two trying to get to me."

"Yeah, but Jimmy I can't just give this information out to anybody."

"You better start talking now, Angel, or you're going to end up talking through your--"

"Alright, alright," Angel said. "The two guys who jumped me; I recognized one of them. His name's Russ Elliot, he's a heavy for 'Tiny Moses' Murdoch."

MaryAnne watched as Jim's anger softened into realization and thought. "Wait a minute, didn't Murdoch have the market on stolen jewels a few years ago?"

"Still does and has an 'interest' in rare coins as well. Don't you remember his brother had that pawn shop on Sampson Street? That was one of the places I went to when I was..." he eyed Rosco and MaryAnne. "Scoping around, you know? Anyways, old Beenie Murdoch died a couple of years ago and left the shop to Joey McGinnis, who I've known for awhile. Somewhere in there there's a connection, Jimmy."

"I doubt Murdoch had Carlton Lloyd killed just for rare coins. It's not his style."

"No, but he may have helped fence those coins for whoever did."

"Well, let's assume it was Gerald Coyle. If he killed Lloyd, stole the coins and had Murdoch fence them for him, it doesn't make sense that Murdoch would put a couple of guys on me. I mean, he must've taken a very nice percentage when he fenced the coins, what does he care if Coyle gets caught?"

"Maybe Murdoch is just protecting his investment?" MaryAnne chimed in. "Uh, Jim are you going to introduce us to...your friend here?"

"Oh." Jim didn't seem to particular to introduce Angel, but he did anyway. "Angel Martin, this is Sheriff Rosco Coltrane, Deputy MaryAnne Coltrane and County Commissioner--"

"Hogg's the name," Boss interupted, approaching Angel. "J.D. Hogg. I'm the County Commissioner of Hazzard." He shook Angel's hand, although Angel hadn't offered it.

Now ol' Boss had been listening to what Angel told Jim and immediately could figure what kind of business Angel was in, which, to Boss, smelled like an opportunity for him to extend some of his enterprises.

"Um, tell me," Boss continued. "Just exactly what kind of business are you in?" The look Boss was giving Angle made MaryAnne chuckle.

Angel, however, took the big man's question more as a confirmation that the two were in similar kinds of business. He smiled.

"Well, Mr. Hogg, I have several different enterprises that I'm proud of."

"Oh great," Jim muttered.

"Oh you do? Are you by any chance lookin' for some new opportunities?"

"All the time."

"Well alright." Boss took Angel by the arm and led him towards his office. "I know Hazzard is just a small town, but there's advantages to being a small town..."

Rosco, MaryAnne and Jim watched the two as they disappeared into the office. MaryAnne shook her head. "I'm not sure it's a good idea for Boss to have an LA connection," she said.

"Not with Angel Martin," Jim said. He then paused. "What he said about Murdoch though makes sense."

"Yeah, that was the point I was trying to make. Maybe Murdoch is protecting his investment. Maybe he didn't know Coyle or whoever killed this guy until after he fenced the coins. He may not want you to uncover that connection but, by sending two of his goons after ya he's already exposed that." She paused. "I think it's time you finally talked to Enos. Maybe what he remembers will help fill in the blanks."

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