Chapter 5



After calling the Dukes on the CB to tell them they were on the way, MaryAnne, Jim and Rosco got into Rosco's patrol car and drove out of town.

Russ and Murray couldn't believe their luck.

"There he is," Murray said. He put the car in drive and followed after Rosco.

"I don't care about the Sheriff and the deputy," Russ said. "We're taking Rockford as soon as we get out of town."

"Fine with me," Murray said.

Rosco was driving at a leisurely pace and was unaware that he was being followed until he glanced in the side mirror.

"Uh-oh," he said, seeing the white sedan about four car lengths behind. "I think we got company."

In the passenger seat, Jim looked at the side mirror on his door.

"Murdoch's goons?"

"Could be," Rosco replied.

MaryAnne, who was seated in the back seat, turned and looked out the back window.

"That looks like the car the Dukes described being near you when you almost went off the road, Rosco."

"Great," Jim muttered.

"Don't you worry, Jim," Rosco said. "I'll lose 'em!"

"Uh-oh, hang on, Jim," MaryAnne exclaimed and then giggled. Rosco pushed his foot down to the floor and the patrol car sped ahead.

"Get after them, Murray."

Murray responded by pushing the white sedan to catch up to the patrol car.

Rosco was hoping he could stay ahead of them long enough to cut across country, which would be in another mile and half. With woods lining both sides of the road now, he had no choice but to stay on the road.

Russ, however, wasn't going to let them get away. He picked up his gun off the front seat and leaned out the passenger window, taking aim at the back tires of the patrol car.

The Coltrane cousins and Jim all flinched when the shots rang out.

"Oh boy," MaryAnne said as she ducked below the back window.

More shots rang out one after the other. The back window exploded on the last one.

"Ah!" MaryAnne exclaimed as glass rained down on her back.

Rosco and Jim flinched again and crouched down, Rosco crouching as much as he could while still having to drive. He had the patrol car inching toward the 70 mile per hour mark and when they finally past the woods, he swung the patrol car off the road and charged across country with the sedan right behind him.

MaryAnne peeked over the front seat to see where they were headed now.

"Rosco, the creek!" she shrieked.

"Doh! Hang on, Jim!"

"Wait a minute--" Jim started, but grabbed a hold of the dashboard with one hand and the seat with the other as the Plymouth hit the embankment of the creek and soared into the air.

Ol' Jim's gettin' quite an education about how things are done in Hazzard County ain't he? Hang on, Jim!

The patrol car sailed over the creek and landed on all fours on the other side, it's passengers being bounced around a bit on impact.

Jim looked at Rosco with huge brown eyes. "I can't believe you jumped that!"

Rosco snickered.

"Oh heck, Jim, Rosco does that all the time," MaryAnne said. "Although this time, he actually cleared it."

"Well, I bet they didn't try to jump it," Rosco said.

Both MaryAnne and Jim looked back to the white sedan which was now on their side of the creek. They then looked at Rosco.

"They did," both said.

"Doh!"

Murray jumped the creek only because he didn't want to be the one to have to tell his boss that he let Jim get away, and then have to explain why.

Rosco swung the patrol car back on to open road. As he accelerated, he pulled his pearl handled pistol from his holster.

"Can you shoot?" he asked, turning the gun handle toward Jim.

Jim looked at the gun. "Yeah."

"Think you can hit their tires or maybe the radiator?"

Jim took the gun. "I'll certainly try." He then turned in the seat and leaned out the open passenger window and took aim.

Russ ducked when Jim pulled the trigger. Jim gave them no time recover and fired off two more shots. The last one ripped into the right front tire of the white sedan, sending it sliding across the road and to a sudden stop in the dusty dirt.

"Yeah!" MaryAnne exclaimed.

"Nice shootin'," Rosco said.

Russ and Murray were left to watch the patrol car disappear down the road, with Murray slamming his hand on the steering wheel in anger.

A mile or so down the road, Rosco pulled the patrol car off the road and eased it between the trees and out of view of the road. They would need a few moments to catch their breath and regroup, and to figure a way to stop being at the mercy of Russ and Murray.

Rosco and Jim got out of the patrol car. MaryAnne carefully brushed glass off the back seat so she could get to the door to get out. Rosco opened the door and reached his hand to her. She took it and stepped out of the car.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine, but I sure am tired of these guys getting the drop on us all the time."

"I know it," Rosco agreed.

MaryAnne reached into the driver window and grabbed the CB mike.

"Songbird to Lost Sheep."

It was a moment before Luke's voice came over the airwaves.

"Lost Sheep here, Songbird. Where the heck are you? We expected y'all to be here by now."

"Yeah, well we ran into a little trouble with our out-of-town visitors. Listen, keep Enos at the farm for now until you hear otherwise from us, okay?"

"Are you, Rosco and Jim okay?"

"We're fine, but I'm sick of being the target of two guys who I don't even know what they look like. Me, Rosco and Jim are hid out for a bit and we're gonna figure a way to catch these guys."

"Ten-four. If y'all need any help, you give us a hollar, ya hear?"

"That's a big ten-four, Luke. We'll talk to ya later. I'm gone." She placed the CB mike on the seat and turned to Jim and Rosco.

Jim was shaking his head. "You're not going to have to figure a way to catch these guys because I'm going back to LA."

MaryAnne sighed and rolled her eyes. "Here we go again."

"Look, I appreciate you all wanting to help, but it's only causing more problems the longer I stay here."

MaryAnne paused a moment looking at Jim. She then turned her head to look at Rosco, just enough so that when she winked, Jim didn't see it.

"Well then," she said with a sigh, "I guess we have no choice then, huh Rosco?"

"What? Oh! Yeah, I guess not. If he doesn't want to stay and wants to risk gettin' himself killed before he even gets to Atlanta, I guess there's not much we can do. I mean, we can't make him stay. Unless..."

Jim regarded the Coltrane cousins for a moment. "Unless what?"

Rosco pulled his handcuffs off his gun belt and waved them for Jim to see.

"Oh come on," Jim said. He looked at MaryAnne. "He's not serious, is he?"

"I'm afraid so, Jim," MaryAnne replied. "But," she smiled and stepped towards him and hooked her arm around his. "I do know how you can acquire a get out of jail free card."

Jim glanced at Rosco as MaryAnne led the detective off to talk to him alone. Rosco chuckled and shook his head, knowing exactly where she got her unique style of shucking and jiving and he glanced up at the sky, wondering if Eli was watching.

A few yards away, MaryAnne and Jim came to a stop and MaryAnne looked at him.

"All I ask is that you listen to what I have to say," she said. "I have an idea of how to catch those two and after I tell you what it is, and you don't want to take part in it and still want to go back to LA, then Rosco and I won't try to stop you."

Jim regarded her a moment.

"You look the type," MaryAnne continued, "that would enjoy being part of a good shuck and jive."

"Shuck and jive?"

"Yeah, kind of a...creative lying...or a very simple con game."

Jim smiled. "Yeah, I've done a little of that in my time."

"Well then," MaryAnne said and smiled, "this is what I had in mind....."

* * *

When Russ and Murray finished getting their tire changed, they went back to town, but not before swiping yet another car. Since both Rosco and MaryAnne had seen them in the white sedan, they had to get another car so they wouldn't be spotted while staking out the courthouse again, which was the only option they had.

They had been sitting in their now dark green four door for only fifteen minutes when they saw the white Firebird that Jim had rented in Atlanta, be driven over from the garage by Cooter to the courthouse. He parked it and got out and then walked back to the garage.

The square was too busy for Russ or Murray to attempt to tamper with the car without being spotted. So they waited and wondered.

A few minutes later they saw the patrol car with it's busted back window come into town. They watched as Rosco, MaryAnne and Jim all got out and then pause for a moment on the side walk.

Russ and Murray had parked directly across the street from the courthouse and they hid their faces as they listened to the conversation.

"I'm getting dang sick and tired of all this," Rosco said to Jim. "You ain't been here more than two days and because of you I ended up in the hospital, Enos's car got wrecked, her car got wrecked and now my patrol car's been scuffed." Rosco paused
looking at the busted back window of his cruiser. "For the fourth time this month."

Friends and neighbors, I do believe we're about to see a Coltrane shuck and jive. Y'all pay attention now.

"Oh Rosco, cars can be fixed," MaryAnne said. "And you're alive ain't ya?"

"That's my point. Everytime one of us is near him long enough we're practically killed. I'm leary just standing here on the sidewalk with him." Rosco looked around.

MaryAnne rolled her eyes.

"Frankly, I think it'd be best if he just went back to LA." Rosco looked at Jim. "I'm sorry we weren't able to help much with the case you're working on, but I don't think the answer's here anyway."

"The answer's gotta be here," Jim said. "Why else would we be being shot at all the time?"

"Yeah," MaryAnne agreed. "Rosco, all we gotta do is--"

"Nope. I want him out of Hazzard County. Now."

"Rosco!" MaryAnne exclaimed. "I can't believe your just gonna throw him out of town like this!"

"MaryAnne, we only got one patrol car left! Boss Hogg's gonna have our hides when Cooter gives him the repair bill for Enos's and mine."

"Rosco, a man's life is at stake here. A couple of repair bills for cars shouldn't even be considered."

"Well, I am considerin' 'em. Not only am I considerin' those I'm also considerin' the bill Boss and Lulu are gonna get from the Hazzard Coffin Works for our pine boxes."

"Rosco, we're police officers. We should be helping Jim, not sending him to his death. Where's your sense of duty?"

"I think he's used more than his fair share of the services of the Hazzard County Sheriff's Department. He should be lucky I don't have him pay for the repair bills."

"Rosco--" MaryAnne started.

"Hush! He's out, as of right now!" Rosco looked at Jim. "I am now officially throwing you out of Hazzard."

Jim threw his hands up in defeat. "Fine," he muttered. He turned and started to walk towards his Firebird. MaryAnne tried to go to him, but Rosco grabbed a hold of her preventing her from going anywhere.

"Jim!" she exclaimed.

The detective didn't even look back. He got into the white Firebird and started the car.

Russ and Murray watched Jim drive away from the curb. Rosco and MaryAnne remained on the side walk, MaryAnne demanding that Rosco let go of her arm, which he did when Jim disappeared around the corner.

Murray turned the engine of the green sedan and drove out of the square, following after the white Firebird.

Jim spotted the green sedan in his rearview mirror. However, he didn't know if it was Murdoch's flunkies or not, seeing it was not the white car that had been after him before.

Back in town, Rosco and MaryAnne saw the green car take off and Rosco scurried to his patrol car as MaryAnne ran around to the side of the courthouse, where her patrol car was still in one piece and parked. The two Fury's tore out of the square.

When Russ was satisfied that the only two cars on the road where the one he and Murray were in and the Firebird, he gave Murray the word.

Murray stepped on the accelerator and started coming up fast on the Firebird. Jim caught a glimpse of it in his mirror and before he could step on the accelerator of the Firebird, the little green car zoomed past him and cut infront of him.

Jim jerked the steering to avoid hitting the car head on and the Firebird slid to a stop.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Jim exclaimed as he got out of the Firebird. He then saw that Russ had a gun in his hand.

"We're making sure you return to LA. Although we'll be the only ones who know."

Jim made a face.

"Whoever hired you has made a very big mistake," Russ continued. "And it would appear that some lose lips have torpedoed your ship."

"Oh just what I need," Jim said. "A riddler. You mind telling me in plain English just exaclty what you're talking about?"

"I would mind very much." Russ waved the gun. "Get in the car."

Jim paused, but when Russ adjusted his grip on the gun, Jim took a step. He was about to take another when he heard a car coming up behind him.

He turned to see Rosco's patrol car.

Russ quickly tucked his gun back in his jacket as the Plymouth came to stop.

"You're just in time, Sheriff," Jim said as Rosco approached. "These two just tried to kidnap me and just threatened me with a gun."

"I couldn't care less," Rosco retorted. "How long is it gonna take you to get out of Hazzard?"

"Sheriff!" Jim exclaimed. "Aw, man..."

"Frankly, all I care about is you gettin' out of this county and keeping you away from my patrol car, what's left of it." Rosco looked at Russ and Murray. "And I coudn't care less about what you two are after him for either, but you might want to wait at the county line for him." He looked at Jim. "Cuz it appears that I'm gonna have to escort him there personally."

Before Rosco could continue another car could be heard coming down the road.

Rosco turned to look and saw it was MaryAnne in her patrol car. She brought the car to a stop, got out and approached.

"Rosco, you told me you were gonna do your patrol," she said.

Rosco narrowed his eyes. "And you told me you were gonna stay at the courthouse."

MaryAnne bit her lip. "Rosco, I'm sorry," she said and walked over to Jim. "But I want Jim to stay in Hazzard so we--or I can help him."

Rosco's eyes went wide. "Oh no, he ain't!"

"Oh yes, he is! And don't you try to stop this, cousin. I have made up my mind and there's nothing you can do to change it." She looked at Jim. "I'm gonna help ya with that case, and the Sheriff here can just take a hike."

"What?! Jit jit!!" Rosco exclaimed as he watched MaryAnne and Jim walk to the Firebird.

"Guess I'll be staying for a little while longer, huh Sheriff?" Jim called before he got into the car.

Rosco whipped his hat off in frustration. "Mark my words, MaryAnne!" he called as the car started to drive away. "I'm gonna make sure he's out of Hazzard County and the whole dang state by the time the sun goes down!"

Murray and Russ were just standing there, watching the whole overacted drama be played out. Murray snapped out of it enough to grab Russ by the arm and say, "We're not letting him get away are we?"

Rosco looked at the two. "I know I said I didn't give a hoot before, but what are you two after him for?"

"Uh..." Russ started. "Off the record, Sheriff?"

"Go ahead."

"Gambling debt. He owes our boss...uh...a considerable amount of money. We're supposed to bring him back to LA to settle the debt."

"Are you kiddin' me? He told me he was working on a case and had followed a lead here. That means he's been shucking and jiving me the whole dang time. Listen, if y'all forget that I'm wearing this badge, I'll forget the kind of 'business' you fellas are in
and I'll help you catch him so you can get him out of my county."

Russ thought for a moment looking at Rosco. The Sheriff appeared genuinely torked off that the young woman had gone with Rockford. He nodded.

"All right, Sheriff. We'll be more than happy to take him out of here for you."

"Awright. Let's get goin'," Rosco said and he ran back to his patrol car.

Rosco tore off down the road with gumballs flashing and siren a blaring. Russ and Murray were following right behind.

"You think this is such a good idea?" Murray asked.

"He's ticked at Rockford," Russ replied. "You heard what he said. He doesn't care why we're after Rockford, just so long as we get him out of Hazzard."

After a minute or so, the white Firebird came into view up ahead. Rosco glanced in the rearview mirror and saw that the green sedan was close behind him.

In the Firebird, MaryAnne looked out the back window.

"Well, there he is," she said.

"And here we go," Jim replied. He stepped on the accelerator as MaryAnne reached down and picked something up off the floor.

Rosco stayed as close as he could, even when Jim started putting on a show.

"Where the heck did he learn to drive like that in the city?" Rosco wondered aloud.

Now ol' Jim ain't likely to take the chase 'cross country, more or less because that ain't something he's ever done in LA. But, he sure can handle being on the road.

Any road.

The Firebird hit the small bump that was in the road and the car leap frogged into the air. Rosco and the green sedan followed.

Heading down Highway 7, the Firebird pulled away from Rosco by about six car lengths and went flying around the corner, disappearing around the hill. Rosco slowed down going into the turn and came around the corner, catching a glimpse of the Firebird that was now further up ahead. He watched as the Firebird kept on a steady course.

Heading straight for the cliff into Stillson Canyon.

"Jit jit!" he exclaimed. He stepped on the accelerator to try to catch up but it was in vain. The white 1984 Firebird never slowed down and shot off the edge of the cliff and nose dived down into Stillson Canyon.

Uh...this is part of the shuck and jive, ain't it?

Rosco brought the patrol car to a sliding stop and jumped out, running to the edge. He was in time to see the Firebird flip, for the second of several times, after the front fenders caught on the rock and ripped away from the car. The Firebird then
exploded and disappeared down into the canyon.

"Oh my God..." Rosco whispered as Russ and Murray came running up behind him. He took his hat off and brought his other hand to his face.

"Holy mackrel," Russ said. He looked at Rosco. "Sheriff, we're sorry --"

Rosco raised his hand to Russ and shook his head. "You better just leave," he said, still staring down into the canyon. "Go back to LA and tell your boss he won't be collecting anything from Jim Rockford."

Russ and Murray stood for a moment, and then decided they should leave while they could, before the Sheriff decided to take his frustrations and anger out on them. They turned and started to walk back to their car. They were gazing at the ground and
when they looked up they stopped suddenly.

There, standing by their car was MaryAnne with her gun pointed at them. Standing beside her was Jim. They were both covered with dirt.

"Nope," she said. "You're boss won't be collecting a thing."

Russ swung around to Rosco, who also had his gun pointed at them.

"Welcome to Hazzard County, gentlemen," he said and then smiled. "Y'all under arrest."

Hot dang, sending that car off the cliff was part of the shuck and jive! Of course, now I wonder how Jim's going to explain all this to the car rental agency in Atlanta.

When Rosco, Jim and MaryAnne returned to town with the two heavies, they called out to the Duke farm, saying it was safe now for Enos to return to town. Friends and neighbors , now we get to the bottom of all of this.

At long last, Enos was finally introduced to Jim and they exchanged what information they could regarding the case. Russ and Murray had chosen to exercise their right to remain silent, so it was up to Jim and the Hazzard folk to fill in the blanks.

From what Enos could recall, his suspicion that Carlton Lloyd's killer was his partner, Gerald Coyle, stemmed from the fact that Coyle's alibi was 'too convient.' Coyle claimed to be entertaining a lady friend that evening, at his home, with just the two of
them and of which no one else could vouch for. No more than a week after the murder, Coyle bought an expensive estate in Encino and never expressed much interest in recovering the coins, which were worth several hundred thousand dollars, despite the urgency expressed by the Smithsonian to find them.

Coyle was tagged by the police for awhile, but his activities didn't warrant enough suspicion to fullfill probable cause.

"They didn't notice who he was meeting with or hanging around with?" Jim asked.

Enos shook his head. "Not that I can recall."

"I doubt Coyle kept up much contact with Murdoch, if indeed Murdoch did fence the coins for Coyle," MaryAnne said. "You know, take the money and run. But Murdoch must've figured out what was going on at somepoint after, Coyle must've let something slip or flat out said something."

Jim was shaking his head. "No, there's got to be something more to it."

"Either way, them two are gonna be cooling their heels in jail for awhile," Rosco said. "I doubt they'll stay quiet for long."

"Rosco's right. It's all bound to come out eventually," MaryAnne said. "The main thing is they've been caught and things that they're being charged for here is bound to cause the case to be re-opened in LA. You're client should be relieved for that."

Jim nodded. "Yeah. Maybe I should give her a call, let her know what's going on."

MaryAnne nodded. She then smiled. "And you can use the phone on the booking desk there," she giggled.

Jim smiled and walked to the booking desk and picked up the phone.

* * *

Diane Lloyd was staring at the plain white envelope that she held her hand when the phone rang. She jumped a little and catching her breath, she got up off her couch and went to the phone that was on the desk.

"Hello?"

"Diane, this is Jim."

"Oh Jim, " Diane exclaimed. "Are you back in LA? Did you find out anything in Georgia?"

"No, I'm still in Georgia, and I didn't really find out anything here but there were two guys following me."

"Following you?"

"Yeah, they followed me all the way from LA. Somebody certainly got spooked at me asking about those coins. Anyways, they've been arrested but they're not talking."

"I've the feeling they may not have to," she said.

"What do you mean?"

Diane paused. "Jim, Gerald Coyle was found dead...this morning."

"What?"

"He's dead. He was murdered. And that's not all. I have this envelope in my hand that he left behind, Jim. It's addressed to me. I'm kinda leary to open it, you know? I mean, I don't know why he'd write something to me and why I'd get it now that he's dead too."

"Diane, open it up. Whatever he wrote may be the key to this whole thing."

Jim listened to Diane open up the envelope. Rosco and MaryAnne were watching him on the phone and he looked at them.

"Can you listen in on this extention?" he asked.

"Yeah," Rosco replied. He and MaryAnne went over to the phone on the desk near Boss's office and picked it up.

"Diane, I've got a couple of people listening to this as well, is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine," she said. She unfolded the piece of paper and looked at it for a moment.

Dear Diane,

I'm writing this because there is something you must know, and your reading
this means that I am dead. A terrible decision was made the night your husband was
killed. A decision that I should not have even considered, but I did for some reason.
Fear, I guess. Fear for my life. Fearful of the truth, but your reading this only means
that the lie was the more deadly than the truth.

I did not kill Carl. He was one of my best friends, and he was a brilliant man to
work with. He could tell you things about coins and other antiques just based on the
condition of the object. Everything he did had meaning and a purpose, and he always
enjoyed sharing what he found. That's why the Smithsonian project was so important to
him. It was a chance to showcase some of the finest Civil War era coins I've ever seen.
It was never the money he cared about, it was the recognition, even though he loved
buying things for you to make you happy.

I'm not sure what went wrong, Diane. We had the coins, we were ready to
negotiate with the Smithsonian and Carl was very excited about the whole thing. I had
gone over to see him that night when you were in San Fransisco, but he was already
dead when I got there. Diane, what I'm about to tell you truly happened, and it's
something I've been carrying with me ever since.

There is a man known about here in LA, named Thomas 'Tiny Moses' Murdoch.
He's a gangster, if that's the word they use now. He deals in mostly stolen merchandise,
a little gambling maybe. The one thing he's NEVER been known to do, is kill anyone in
order to make a deal. But he has an 'underling,' a young punk named Lance Torstenni.
Lance, somehow found out about the coins Carl and I had and that we were going to
loan them to the Smithsonian for exibition. Lance wanted them for himself, to sell on the
black market to people who would turn around and sell them again and again, risking
the possiblity of breaking up one of the most complete coin sets in existence. I had been
aware of Lance's offers to Carl, but I never thought it would come to this. When I went
to the house, Lance was there, Carl was dead and I had only two choices, one of which I
never would have been able to go through with because Torstenni most certainly would
have killed me right there on the spot. But Torstenni had one problem. He couldn't find
the coins. The stupid idiot killed Carl first and then decided to ask questions after. I
could've not told him where the coins were, but I was more concerned with getting out of
that house alive, which I was sure Torstenni was not going to allow me to do. So I struck
a deal with him. I would tell him where the coins were in exchange for him buying my
silence.

Blackmail only goes so far and last for so long, Diane. I couldn't sleep at night. I
kept looking over my shoulder. Torstenni certainly knew that someday I would probably
talk. But I never did.

That dectective you hired is on the right track even though he probably doesn't
know it. The two men following him are doing so under orders from Torstenni, not
Murdoch. He must be careful, Diane. I only hope that as you're reading this, he too has
not been sacraficed in order for some schmuck mobster to make a buck or two off 125
year old coins. The coins are gone, Carl is dead and I most certainly am as well. This is
the life we humans lead. Pathetic isn't it? I'd like to think that maybe, just maybe, your
reading this with me standing in the room with you, because a day finally came where it
was safe enough for me to say something. But I've the feeling that is not the case.

Diane, I apologize for the grief and sorrow I've caused you. I don't expect this
letter to make everything better, but I hope it offers some closure. You might want to
have that dectective you hired read this as well. He would be able to advise you on what
to do.

Take care, Diane.

Gerald

Everyone was silent for a moment after Diane finished reading. Rosco and MaryAnne looked at each other and then at Jim.

"Diane," Jim said. "I want you to go to the police with that letter. How soon do you think you can be there?"

"Twenty minutes, I think. Oh Jim..."

"It's okay, Diane. I have a friend on the LAPD, his name's Dennis Becker. I'm going to call him and tell him you're coming. If you're not there in half an hour, he better come looking for you."

"Alright," she said. "Oh Jim, all these years, I thought he did it....oh God..."

"I know, Diane," Jim said and sighed. "I know."


* * *

Jim got through to his police friend in LA, who watied for Diane to arrive at the police station there. When she did, Lt. Dennis Becker immediately took steps to get the case reopened. All that left for Jim was to say goodbye to the Hazzard folk.

"Sorry about your Firebird," MaryAnne said. She, Rosco and Jim were standing on the sidewalk infront of the courthouse, where Jim was waiting for Angel so they could get back to Atlanta in time for the plane out to LA.

Jim chuckled. "I'll just add it to my list."

"What did the rental agency say?" MaryAnne asked.

"They don't know yet."

"Oh man..."

"I'll tell them it was stolen. I don't know if they'll understand what REALLY happened to it."

"Yeah, I meant to ask you," Rosco said to MaryAnne. "How did that thing keep going so fast?"

"Glue."

"Glue?"

"Yup. I glued the accelerator to the floor just before we jumped out."

"Ah, I see." Rosco then looked at Jim. "Yeah, you better tell them it was stolen."

They all giggled.

After a moment, Angel finally came out of the courthouse, with Boss.

"Yes, sir, Mr. Martin," Boss was saying as he and Angel came down the steps of the courthouse, "you just leave it to me. I can get 'the merchandise' to LA with no problem. You can probably expect the first shipment to arrive by early next week."

"That'll be great. I can guanrantee I'll have buyers by the end of next week."

Boss laughed. "Oh that sure would be fine."

MaryAnne, Rosco and Jim watched Boss and Angel, who were more identical then either the Coltrane cousins or Jim realized. As Angel said goodbye to Boss, Jim turned to Rosco and MaryAnne.

"Well, I guess this is it."

"Darn," MaryAnne said.

Jim smiled.

MaryAnne smiled a little. "We've enjoyed havin' ya here, strange as that may sound considerin' what happened, but it's the truth."

"That's right," Rosco said.

"I don't suppose you'd consider comin' back?" MaryAnne asked. "You know, for a visit?"

Jim smiled. "I think that's possible."

"Oh good. Cuz that means we don't necessarily have to say goodbye."

Jim regarded her a moment. "No," he said. "We don't."

MaryAnne smiled. She then gave Jim a hug. "You take care of yourself, ya hear?"

"I will."

MaryAnne let go and Jim turned to Rosco.

Rosco put his hand out. "It's definetly been interesting," he said with a smile.

"It certainly has," Jim replied, shaking Rosco's hand. "I want to thank the both of you for your help."

"Just doin' our job," Rosco said. "Thankfully it all turned out for the best."

Jim nodded. "You two have got," he paused think of a word. "You've got--" He tried to think of something but couldn't. He looked at Rosco and MaryAnne and smiled. "Well, whatever it is, you've got a lot of it."

Rosco and MaryAnne smiled.

"Hey, Jimmy, come on," Angel called.

"Yeah, you better get goin'," MaryAnne said.

"Yeah." Jim picked up his bags off the sidewalk. "You two take care."

"We will," Rosco said.

Jim started to walk away when Rosco called out, "You stay out of trouble!"

Jim turned around, yet continued to step backwards. He smiled and said, "You keep your patrol car on the ground."

MaryAnne burst out laughing and looked at Rosco, who snickered.

Angel came up to Jim as he turned back around. "Jimmy, I've really done it this time. This deal I've got with J.D. Hogg is gonna be dynamite!"

"What about the Golden Peacock franchise?"

"Pidly stuff. THIS is even better. Moonshine, Jimmy. Real southern moonshine. I'm gonna have those honky tonks and bars in LA begging for this stuff."

"Moonshine?! Angel, are you nuts? You can't expect to transport moonshine from Georgia to California and expect to get away with it."

"Oh Jimmy, we got that all figured out already."

"I bet. Are you going to have Burt Reynolds run it for you?"

"Jimmy, believe me this is gonna be the big one. This is my best deal yet!"

Jim glanced back at MaryAnne and Rosco, who heard some of what Angel had said. His expression asked the question, "Tell me this isn't real?"

Well, them California folks are sure gonna be in for it when they get a nip of Boss's moonshine. But friends, I don't think this'll be the last time that we'll be seeing Jim Rockford.

~END~

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