by: Tara

Ale Brighton was startled to find Jesse Duke, Levi Haggard and Maze Hammersmith seated at an editing table. “Jesse,” he said. Cursing himself silently for not following the figure that had gone into the theatre. “Mornin’,” Jesse paused. “Maze was just straightenin’ some facts out.”

“Hello Whisk,” Maze’s deep accent drawled out a polite greeting of the man who had once been on his side. Blue green hazel eyes stared at the form back stepping toward the entrance. “Join us.” He gestured to an empty chair across from him. Jesse on the east, Levi on the west of the round table.

“I was just looking for a phone,” Ale replied.

Levi shook his head. “Sit.” He snarled. He had been willing to try this for Jesse’s sake. Not just Jesse but Grant, Kaleb, his own brothers.

“Alright,” Ale gulped hard and moved slowly to the table. “What were you discussin’?”

“Business,” Maze answered.

“Thought you had an agreement with the government,” Ale inquired.

Jesse nodded. “I do but you don’t…” He stared hard at the man he had been led to believe was behind his whole life being changed, and the rest of his family. “Wouldn’t bother me to turn you in.”

“Think they’d do much after all this time?” Ale glanced around the table.

“Possible,” Maze shrugged. “I think we should stick together on this.” He took a deep breath. “It’d be a mistake to drag it all out again.”

“Would change things too much,” Levi added. “What did you need the phone for?”

“Call Rosco.” Ale watched the three men’s expressions turn from casual to pensive. “How’s come?” Jesse asked.

“A gun was pointed at me.” Ale started to tell the others of the incident. He was interrupted by a female voice. “You mean like this?” Charity stood in the doorway.

Ale turned toward his niece. “Uh,” He gasped. “Put that down, someone could get hurt.”

The young woman smiled and stepped quickly toward her uncle. “I know just the person.” She laughed, the gun’s barrel aimed at the floor. Jesse and Levi burst into a chuckle as Ale realized that the weapon was missing an essential mechanism.

* * *

There are seemed to be four versions to a story, the two participants, folks assumptions and what really happened. And while it was considerate of Payne’s sisters, the Duke boys to try and protect folks. Truth was somewhere in the middle. Rosco rubbed his right index finger along his forehead.

“What about the gun?” Ale asked.

Daney silently placed a gun permit on Rosco’s desk.

Ale snatched the paper. “Outdated,” he smirked.

Rosco took the paper and handed it over to Hope. “Expired today.” He exchanged a nervous glance with Enos.

“Valid at time of incident,” Hope said matter of factly. She looked at her brother. “You really want to punish someone?” She paused. Legally, she was obliged to only include evidence presented. “Then the envelope found on your dash needs to be dusted for prints.”

“I don’t think that is necessary,” Ale replied quickly.

“I do,” Hope challenged. She looked at Enos. “Could you please bring me the cards for everyone in this room?”

Enos looked to Rosco, who nodded. “Yes, Ma’am. Be alright if the Sheriff goes with me?” He asked.

“Of course,” She smiled. Green eyes glanced to Jesse, Bo, Luke, Payne, Daisy, Cooter, Boss, Charity, Grace and Levi. “Anyone not have their finger prints on file?”

“No,” it took a few seconds for each voice to be recognized as having answered. The room was silent while Enos and Rosco accomplished the task of getting the records and dusting kit. The envelope would be destroyed in the process but it had to be done.

Rosco observed a variety of expression upon taking the seat behind the desk again. Nervousness. Anger. Empathy. Mirth. Heartbreak. No two faces held the exact same emotion. He wasn’t sure whose prints would be on the decades old paper. The possibilities were endless. “Payne, how are far would things have gone?”

Payne gulped as everyone turned to him. “Honestly, Sheriff. Whatever it took.”

“Includin’ murder?” Rosco queried with a stern look.

“Sheriff, my nephew isn’t on trial!” Ale interrupted.

Payne walked over to the desk. He stared at the man he’d known his whole life. Someone he had trusted and confided in when he couldn’t talk to his mother. “I was all for burnin’ down your establishment-” He paused. “but your truck was more assessable.”

“And easier to pay restitution on,” Boss added. The county commissioner was quite amused. Jesse and Levi Haggard had tried to find Daney and Payne before they took off but they had arrived too late. Dark eyes looked at the people around the desk. “So where did you go?”

Daney assumed the question was for her and Payne. She glanced toward the dark blue eyed blond before speaking. “Horseback ridin’ near the mountains.” She smiled. “By the time we made it into town, we were exhausted.”

“Oh,” Daisy exclaimed. “Did you get some pictures?”

“Yeah,” Daney looked at the Haggard sisters. “Found the camera in the glove compartment?”

“Sure did,” the younger one replied. “Dependin’ on how the pictures come out, I might just enter one in a magazine contest.”

“Mom!” Payne quipped. “Is that legal?”

“Ahem,” Rosco cleared his throat. “Y’all mind hushing for a moment. Enos might have a match.” He had been working while the idle chatter had taken place.

The deputy’s cheeks turned almost the same shade as the elderly Duke man’s red cap that was clutched in weathered hands. “Boss, will you be filin’ charges for trespassing?” He blinked nervously.

“Am I the county commissioner?” Boss pursed his lips. Pudgy hands rubbed together, out of habit not nervousness.

“Enos,” Rosco said quietly. He glanced at the card. “You checked ‘em all?”

Enos shook his head. “No, there is still a few more in the file.”

“Bet the only one that matches is him,” Bo gestured to Ale. If someone had been taking bets, the blond Duke would’ve placed one. His dark haired cousin looked less certain of that. Luke was debating between there being no matching prints to present day citizens, or half the room’s occupants getting implicated. “Jesse,” he whispered over his shoulder.

“Not now,” Jesse hissed, watching Enos place another finger print record next to the one that had already been laid aside. He had been hoping that only Ale’s prints were found. Wasn’t looking that way, the pile grew with two more cards.

“Is it alright if I am excused?” Grace asked. She smiled as the Sheriff turned in her direction. “I have to go to work.”

“Sure.” Rosco replied. “Anyone else wanna leave?”

“I should probably get back to the garage,” Cooter surmised.

“Thanks for bein’ here,” Daisy waved goodbye to Grace and Cooter.

* * *

“Partial matches,” Boss exclaimed. “No two sets are alike.”

“That good or bad?” Bo asked.

“Both,” Enos said. “Means their prints,” he pointed toward Daney and Payne. “weren’t found. Others were lost.”

“So it didn’t help?” Luke guessed.

“Yep,” Hope answered the young man. “Didn’t hinder anything either.” She paused. “Ale, there’s a detail that doesn’t fit.”

Ale’s bushy eyebrows rose. “What?”

Hope smiled. “You’d have seen the sidewalk figure get in the vehicle.”

“Uh,” Ale retorted. “It all happened so fast.”

“Made a big deal of nothing,” Daisy said.

“I don’t know about that,” A raspy older male voice sounded from in back of the group around the desk. Everyone peered toward the figure.

“Mr. Hammersmith,” Payne greeted. “What are you doin’ here?”

“In the area,” Maze replied. Hazel eyes darted from one person to the next.

“Well,” Rosco cleared his throat. “I was just about to send Enos out for ya.” He paused. “The only set of viable prints were yours.”

“How’s that?” Hope asked, echoing gasps in her ears. She hadn’t realized that Maze’s record was among the pile. “And why would you check his?” She noticed the glances being exchanged between various people.

“Was in the stack,” Enos offered. He had only done what he had been asked… to check each card. Jesse reached a hand up and patted the younger man’s blue clad shoulder. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I know,” Enos replied quietly. “Mr. Hammersmith, did you have something to do with the boys’ parents untimely passing?” He fidgeted with a file on the desk.

Maze blinked in surprised. Not having been here until a few moments ago, he didn’t know how much anyone had told anyone. “I was at the theatre that evening.”

“Which evening?” Rosco asked. The answer was too vague.

“Night Elle died,” He whispered. “About the same moment she looked up to the balcony, the catwalk came down.”

* * *

Did I kiss all the cowboys? Did I shoot out the lights? Did I dance on the bar? Did I start any fights? Daisy smiled as the song finished playing on the jukebox. It had been a slow night at the Boar’s Nest with the boys only stopping to drop a post card off. Las Vegas nightlife. The Haggards had moved across the country. The brunette waitress still found it peculiar that Ale and Maze died of natural causes while being transported to the state prison.

Her thoughts drifted to the theatre experience, connecting with previous time in the same place. Witnessed the ordeal as if it was a movie playing on a drive in screen. Daisy wondered if that would ever happen to her again. It had been a little scary but Jesse assured there was nothing to worry about. If it did, would it be a present or future event? Her head tilted down to left shoulder, hazel eyes studied the post card again.

She shook her head and placed the postcard in a purse on the shelf below the register, then went to the phone. She lifted the receiver to an ear with her right hand. Her left index finger pressed a button. “Mabel, could you connect me to 555 – 0409, collect please.” She tapped a foot patiently on the floor waiting to a voice on the other end, and the telephone operator to find out if the charge would be accepted by the other party. “Hi Charity, is Payne there?” She paused, lips pressed together for a moment. “Alright, y’all take it easy.”

* * *

“Would you mind repeating that?” Bo said with a bewildered expression.

“What did you think he did, cousin?” Luke asked mischievously. “Expectin’ something more tantalizing?”

“Well,” Bo shrugged. “Thought maybe he was a private investigator.”

Luke chuckled. “Nope. And I really didn’t think about it until seeing the For Sale in the window.”

“Ain’t nothing wrong with a fella owning a raiment boutique,” Jesse stepped onto the porch and looked at his nephews. “It’s good honest work.”

“Didn’t mean-” the boys started to say. Jesse smiled at them. “I know. Maybe it’ll inspire you to reach for something different.” He winked, turned around. “Ya’ll be home by chore time in the morning.” Jesse heard the musical clock in the living room chime, as Bo and Luke strolled to Dixie, whatever the night had in store for them.

Started: November 2002
Completed: February -March 2005