Dark clouds filled the sky, there was the sound of
distant thunder, as it threatened to storm. A light rain started to fall.
Bo stood oblivious to the rain, staring blankly at the gravestone in front
of him. He was trying hard not to think about what was happening and
what had happened. Two days ago things came crashing down around him. He
just stood staring at the tombstone: Luke Duke, it read in big black letters,
that seemed to haunt his very soul. He was dimly aware of Daisy coming
and standing beside him.
Daisy stood by Bo, and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
She understood his pain. She knew the boys had always been very close.
They had been more like brothers then cousins. She didn't know what to
say to him to ease his pain.
"Come-on Bo, it's starting to rain. Let's go back
to the farm now. Uncle Jesse is waiting for us in the General." Daisy said
softly.
Bo didn't respond, he just continued to stare blankly at the gravestone.
"Bo . . ."
Bo turned to face Daisy, unshed tears watered in his eyes. "Luke is
dead and it is all my fault. I should've seen what was gonna happen, I
should've protected him. It is my fault that he is dead." Bo said sadly,
as a couple tears slid down his cheek.
"That is not true." Daisy said softly. "You
can't blame yourself, it is not your fault." she added reassuringly.
The next couple of weeks passed slowly at the Duke
farm. Bo spent most the day and night by Luke's grave and when he wasn't
there he just sat around the farmhouse. Usually sitting in a chair by the
fireplace staring at the fire. Daisy and Jesse tried to occupy their minds
with work not to dwell on what had happened. Daisy went back to work at
the Boar's Nest and Jesse worked out in the field.
Jesse came in from working in the fields, he noticed Bo was sitting
in the chair by the fireplace watching the flame flickering. Jesse stood
quietly watching him for a moment, with deep concern in his eyes. Bo hadn't
spoke a word since the day of the funeral and both him and Daisy were starting
to grow worried about Bo. He hated to see Bo in so much pain. He could
tell that Bo was having a hard time dealing with Luke's death.
Bo was thinking about the night that Luke had been
killed. They had been to see a race in Atlanta and were heading back
to where the General was parked. They were walking down the road, on the
sidewalk, talking and laughing. Then suddenly out of nowhere a car came
speeding down the road, weaving across the road and on to the sidewalk.
Luke had seen the car first and realized it was headed straight for them.
He shoved Bo out of the way and the was struck by the car. The driver of
the car sped away.
Bo pulled out the memory, he held back the tears
that he could feel burning his eyes. Luke
had sacrificed his life so that Bo would not be killed.
Jesse walked over and stood in front of Bo,
"Bo . . ." he started to say.
Bo said nothing he just looked emotionlessly at him.
"Come-on Bo you have to get on with your life."
"Why. Luke is dead. Luke is dead because of ME!"
"That is not true. You have to carry on. You know
Luke wouldn't you to be this way."
"What way?"
"Just sitting around all depressed and blaming yourself."
Bo didn't respond.
"Luke is dead. I know it hurts but you have to accept
that and get on with your life."
Bo turned away from Jesse.
"Bo, Luke made a choice. He choose to save your
life. I don't think he did that just for you
to throw it away."
"Get off my case." Bo said angrily.
"Bo..."
"I said SHUT UP!" Bo said angrily, standing up and
staring at Jesse.
At three Daisy came home from work. She saw Bo sitting
at the kitchen table, his clothes
stained with dried blood.
"Bo . . . what happened?"
"Nothing."
"Then why is there blood on your clothes?"
Bo just shrugged, not responding to Daisy's question.
"Where's Uncle Jesse?"
"He left."
"Left?" Daisy asked.
"Yeah that is what I said."
"But... why?"
"Stop asking so many questions." Bo said, his voice
sounded irritated.
"Bo what is going on?"
"I said stop asking questions." Bo said then stood
and walked over
to Daisy.
Then without warning he hit her knocking her to the ground.
Two days passed and Daisy had not shown up for work
and there was no answer at the Duke farm. Cooter went to check out what
happened.
He found Bo sitting in the barn.
"Where are Daisy and Uncle Jesse?" Cooter asked.
"They left." Bo replied expressionlessly.
Cooter didn't know what Bo was talking about but decided that Bo didn't
seem much in the
mood to talk so he left.
The police that had been investigating the hit and
run found and eye witness. The witness
said there was no car and that Luke had been murdered. The witness
described the murderer to
the police who drew a sketch. The sketch turned out to look just like
Bo. They went to ask Bo
some more questions.
They went into the farm and noticed immediately
a most horrid stench filled the air in the
house. then they found Jesse and Daisy's slain bodies, in a closet.
They arrested Bo.
After hours of questioning he admitted to having killed them
because they were bothering him. They asked him about what happened to
Luke. He admitted there was no car and that he had killed Luke. After he
had killed Luke he had actually forced his mind to forget about it, and
actually did believe that Luke had been killed by a hit and run driver.
He also did believe that Jesse and Daisy had left the farm. Though after
the questioning he remembered killing all of them. Bo sat on the chair
in the questioning room smiling and laughing about what had really happened
and gloating that he had fooled everyone. He proceeded to tell the police
exactly how he had killed each of them.
"Things were fine after the race, then Luke started to annoy
me. He got on my case about something, I don't remember what, not that
it matters. I told him to shut up and he refused to listen. So I made him
for that. I hit him in the back of the head. He had no idea what was happening.
He tried to fight back, but I won" Bo said, then laughed, "Then I took
out my pocket knife and slit his throat." Bo smiled, "And the doctors's
thought that happened when the car hit him." then he laughed darkly.
Bo stopped to take a drink of water before proceeding to tell them
about Jesse and Daisy. It was much the same story he claimed they were
annoying him and he slit their throats. After he finished telling the police
they noticed a change in him. He went back to the way he was when he had
been first brought in for questioning, quiet with a look of pain and sadness
in his eyes. After a trial they found him guilty of three murders, by reason
of insanity. They decided that he had a split personalty, and that his
alter self was a cold heartless killer. He was sentenced
to life in the state mental institution in Atlanta.
As the closed the door, to the small white room Bo was shouting.
"YOU CANT KEEP ME HERE FOREVER! I'LL GET OUT WHEN
I DO YOU'LL BE
SORRY! YOU'LL SEE Y'ALL WILL SEE! I'LL GET OUT AND Y'ALL WILL BE DEAD!"
Then he started to laugh hysterically.