“To lose a friend is always a hard thing, but to lose a friend to death is the hardest thing of all, this is something that I know to be all too true as I lost my best friend to death, and my life will never be the same again. He was my best friend, he was my brother, he was my cousin Bo.”
I stop talking to take a deep breath, trying hard to hold back the tears that burn in my eyes, to even think of what happened then still hurts deeply. It has been months and those months have felt like years, but the pain is as fresh as though it happened yesterday.
     “I should’ve seen it coming sooner . . . but I failed to notice all the signs, that led to the . . . tragic event, that I see so clearly now. It all start on a mild spring day . . .”

     “Hey Bo.”
     “Yeah what?”
     “Phone’s for you.”
I stepped off the porch and approach, the General Lee, which Bo was working on. Bo wipes his hands off an old red rag.
     “Who is it?” Bo asked.
     “Vicki.”
A wide smile spread across Bo’s face.
     “Could you finish tightening this . . .this could take a while.”
     “Yeah, whatever.”
Bo practically runs into the house, and I can’t help but frown as he disappears inside.
    ‘I don’t like Vicki, I don’t really know why I dislike her so but I just can’t help but feel that she can not be trusted. I have never said anything about it Bo, as I don’t wish to start a fight, because I hate fighting with Bo, and besides that I have no proof that she is being deceitful about anything. So, I just choose to remain silent until I have proof . . . even then Bo might not listen to me. Perhaps I am wrong though, maybe I just think this way because I am so protective of my younger cousin, and I just want whoever he is with to be perfect. I know it all sounds silly to think that way but . . . I just don’t want to see Bo ending up getting hurt, he is more like a younger brother then a cousin.’
    Nearly an hour later, long after I finished tuning up the car, Bo came back outside.
    “I’m going to the Boar’s Nest to met Vicki, wantta come along?” Bo asked.
I shook my head. “No, with Uncle Jesse and Daisy being gone for the week there is a lot to get done.”
     “Oh.” Bo said, and I could clearly read the question in his eyes.
     “You can go, I can handle things on my own.”
     “Okay thanks. See ya later cuz.” Bo said, and jumped into the car, and sped away in a cloud of dust.
 
    “There really was nothing I had to do, I just didn’t feel like going to the Boar’s Nest and being anywhere near Vicki. The hours pass and darkness settled across the land. It started to grow cold once the sun set so I started a small fire in the fireplace. I was sitting in the chair by the fire, reading through some old NASCAR magazines, when I heard the old screen door swing open and bang shut. I set the magazine I was reading down, and I looked up to see Bo standing, in the doorway between the kitchen and the front room. There is a small cut on his forehead, that has long since stopped bleeding . . .”
 
    “What happened to you?”
    “I got into a fight at the Boar’s Nest.” Bo said.
    “Did you win or lose?”
    “I think I won.” Bo said, and I can’t help but laugh.
    “Who were you fighting with?”
    “I don’t know . . . just some guy, he was harassing Vicki, and he wouldn’t leave her alone so . . .” Bo said.
    “So you started a fight. Big surprise.”
Bo smiled, knowing I was joking. “Not like you’ve never started a bar fight or two.”
     “I guess since you “think” you won I taught you enough about fighting to actually win a bar fight.”
     “Yeah I guess so.” Bo said bringing his fingers up to the cut on his head.
     “You just gotta learn to be a littler quicker.”
     “The fight wisdom of Sergeant Duke.” Bo said, his tone was light.

     “The rest of the night passed much the same as any night, though if I knew what was going to happen the next day I would’ve done things differently . . .”
I pause for a moment as the memory of that day flows through me.
    “It was the day that changed my life forever, the day I lost my best friend.”
Tears close my throat, threatening to spill from the corners of my eyes, it still pains me to think of what happen.
     “The day started like any other day, me and Bo were sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast when the phone rang. Bo had got up and answered it . . .”

     After a couple moments of talking on the phone Bo hung up and stepped back out into the kitchen, with an upset look on his face.
     “Who was that?”
     “Vicki.” Bo said, his voice sounded distant.
     “Is something wrong?”
     “Yeah . . . she really wouldn’t tell me what was wrong though, only that she needs help.” Bo said. “She said it had something to do with that guy I fought with at the Boar’s Nest last night . . . I guess she used to know him.”
     “She didn’t say at all what kind of trouble she’s in?”
     “No, just to meet her out by Sunset Pond.” Bo said. “Look I know I haven’t done my share of the chores but, do you mind if I leave now? I can do the chores later.”
     “Yeah go ahead but tomorrow you are doing all the chores.”
Bo gave a small smile that never really touched his eyes.
     “You be careful.”
     “I will, talk to you later.” Bo said, and left the house.

     “I should have made him stay and not allowed him leave . . . make him call Vicki back and tell her if she had a problem that was so serious to call Rosco . . . I don’t know if Bo would’ve done that but . . . I should have at least gone with him. If I had gone with him I would’ve been there to protect him when he needed me . . .”
I wipe the tears away, and take a deep breath.
     “That was the last time I ever saw Bo alive.”
This is still something that I find very hard to talk about, the memory still haunts my dreams.
     “Bo had left several hours ago, and it wasn’t long after that I started to get the feeling that something was wrong. I tried to tell myself that I was just over reacting and busied myself with the chores. Yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that Bo is in some kind of danger. I tried to call Vicki . . . but there was no answer. Daisy’s jeep was parked in the barn, so I took the keys and headed out to Sunset Pond . . . the last place I knew that Bo had been heading.”

     The General wasn’t parked anywhere around, at least that I could see, but something told me that I should go down to the pond. The woods seem to be abnormally quiet, which only seems to add to my already anxious, nervous mood. As I neared the water’s edge, I spotted my younger cousin, and ran towards him, panic grabbing at my heart. Bo was laying, face down at the edge of the pond, his face in the water. I dropped down beside him and rolled him unto his back, praying that I am in time. As I roll him over I notice his head roll limply.
     “No . . .”
My voice barely comes out above a whisper, I know what happened, someone snapped Bo’s neck. My whole body trembles, and tears water in my eyes. I pick up Bo’s lifeless body and hold him in my arms, close to me, allowing my tears to streak my cheeks.
     ‘This can’t be happening . . . Bo can’t be dead . . . this all has to be bad dream.’
My thoughts are muddled, as the reality of the situations sinks in, Bo is dead, I failed to protect my younger cousin, I was not there for him when he needed me the most. I just sit and hold Bo until I have expended my tears, then not knowing what else to do I got up to call Rosco on the CB.
     “Luke Duke calling Sheriff Coltrane.”
A moment later Rosco responded.
     “What do you want Luke? I got important things I got to be doing.”
     “There is a problem . . .”
     “What’s wrong Luke?”
     “I don’t even know how to say this . . .”
My bottom lip trembles, and I can hear my voice trembling as well.
     “Where are you at Luke? What wrong?” Rosco asked, and I can hear genuine concern in his voice.
     “I am at Sunset Pond . . . it is a really long story but . . . someone killed Bo.”
     “WHAT?” Rosco questioned loudly.
     “Someone killed Bo . . . someone snapped his neck.”
     “I’ll be right there, I call an ambulance.” Rosco said.
     “Not that it will do any good.”

     “I just stay by the jeep and wait for Rosco to come, I can’t bring myself to go back down to the pond . . . it all just seems like some kind of horrible nightmare that I just can’t wake from, but alas it is all too real. Rosco arrived about ten minutes later along with the ambulance . . .”

     “Are you okay Luke?” Rosco asked as he approached.
I only shrugged my shoulders, not really knowing how else to respond.
     “Where is he?” Rosco asked.
     “I’ll show you.”
I don’t really want to go back down and see the sight of Bo’s dead body lying at the edge of the pond again, but I know it is something that I have to do. We walked through the woods that still are consumed by the silence, I hesitate at the edge of the tree line, and Rosco walks past me.
     “Oh . . . oh.” Rosco says, and I can see his face pale.
I just stand unmoving, my eyes cast to the ground, I can’t get any closer then I am already, even though I want to and know I should, I can’t bring myself to be any closer to Bo. The two ambulance attendants walk past me with a stretcher, and I watch with tear filled eyes as they lift my younger cousin’s life body on to it, and cover him with a simple white cotton sheet. I follow them back to where the cars are parked, and stand beside Rosco and watch the ambulance leave.
     “Can you call Uncle Jesse and tell him and Daisy to come home . . .don’t tell them what happened . . .”
     “Yeah sure Luke . . . but what are going to be doing?” Rosco asked.
     “I am going to find Vicki . . . Bo was meeting her here so . . . she has to know something about . . . what happened to Bo.”
     “I could go find her for you.” Rosco said.
     “No, this is something I have to do.”
     “I understand. Where’s the General Lee?”
     “I don’t know. Bo had him . . .”
     “Just be careful Luke.”
I only nod in way of response then give Rosco the number to reach Uncle Jesse and leave, driving towards Vicki’s house.
 
    “It only took me fifteen minutes to reach the house where Vicki lives. A black car is parked out front, and Vicki walks out, along with a man, I never seen before, she was carrying a small black briefcase. I stopped the jeep and get out and approach them, they looked up at me with startled expressions, and I can tell she was shocked to see me . . .”
 
    “Luke . . . what are you doing here?” Vicki asked.
    “What do you think I am doing here?”
     “It wasn’t suppose to happen like that . . . I never meant for anything to happen to Bo . . .” Vicki said, her voice trailing off.
     “Why Vicki?”
     “It just happened.” Vicki said.
     “The kid got in the way.” The man I don’t know said.
     “Be quiet Kevin.” Vicki said.
     “You aren’t going to get away with what you did.”
     “Just leave things be Luke, if you don’t . . .”
     “You’ll be joining your cousin.” Kevin said, finishing Vicki’s sentence.
I hear another car pull to a stop behind me but I don’t even turn to look, I don’t take my eyes off of Vicki and Kevin, fearing if I do that they will somehow escape.
     “Alright you two freeze it right there, you’re under arrest.” Rosco said, stepping up beside me, his gun drawn and pointed in Vicki and Kevin’s direction.
     “On what charge?” Kevin asked.
     “Murdering Bo.”

     “Neither of them tried to make a get away . . . I wish they had, if they did I would’ve had an excuse to pound ‘em into mush but . . . I somehow managed to control my temper at that point even though I want to kill them both for what they had done. Rosco had them cuffed and stuffed, and I was there while he questioned Vicki . . . it is at times like this that Rosco is a good sheriff. The briefcase had been filled with gemstones, all of which had been stolen several months prior in Atlanta. Uncle Jesse and Daisy wouldn’t arrive back in Hazzard for another hour and I wanted to have all the answers before they got back . . . I just had to know what she had to say . . .”

     “I really never meant to get Bo involved Luke . . . things just kind of turned out that way.” Vicki said.
     “What happened? Why did . . . Bo die?”
     “I thought that Bo would go along with what was happening but . . . he wouldn’t and threatened to turn me and Kevin into the authorities . . . Kevin said that he wouldn’t allow that to happen and he snapped Bo’s neck.” Vicki said.
I can’t even find the words to express my rage, and can only stare coldly at Vicki.
     “So Kevin killed Bo?” Rosco said.
Vicki nodded, not saying anything.
     “Was Kevin the guy Bo had a fight with at the Boar’s Nest last night?”
     “Yeah Kevin is an old friend of mine, actually he is my ex-husband.” Vicki said.
     “Ex-husband?” Rosco questioned.
Vicki nodded. “We are still friends . . . though when he saw me with Bo he got jealous.”
     “He intentionally killed my cousin, didn’t he? And you lured Bo into the trap.”
     “You wouldn’t understand Luke. It wasn’t like that, sure Kevin was jealous but I didn’t lure Bo into any trap.” Vicki said.
     “What exactly were you involved in?”
     “Other then them stolen jewels you had?” Rosco asked.
     “Just stole those . . . and some other stuff.” Vicki said.
     “Shows how little you actually knew Bo if you thought he’d get involved with that kind of thing.”
     “If he had he’d still be alive.” Vicki said.

     “I just stood up and left the room after that, I didn’t want to hear anything more she had to say. I wanted to confront the man who murdered Bo though, I just wanted one minute alone in the same room as his so I could make him pay for his crime. Rosco questioned him next, though he told me I could only stay in the room if I behaved myself . . . it actually took a lot for me to control my temper.”

     “It was an easy kill to snap that kid’s neck, just one quick movement.” Kevin said.
I know that he is just trying to get me riled and I refrain from saying anything.
     “Why’d you do it?” Rosco asked.
     “Because he was in the way and mouthing off about going to the authorities. I figured he would do that and not go along . . . but Vicki for some reason had the hots for him . . . even though I am ten times the man that boy was.” Kevin said.
     “You planned on killing Bo since last night at the Boar’s Nest and just set him up . . . didn’t you?”
     “What if I were to yes?” Kevin questioned.
     “Then it would be the last thing you ever said.”
     “Luke, control your temper, don’t do something you might be sorry for.” Rosco said.
     “Yeah boy, or you’ll be getting the same thing your cousin got.” Kevin said, a large, nasty smile on his face.
I get up to lunge at him, wanting to inflict some serious bodily harm on the man that killed my cousin, but Rosco puts a hand on my arm and stops me.
     “Just step outside, okay Luke?” Rosco says, though his voice is understanding.
I say nothing and leave the room, I go outside to wait for my Uncle Jesse and cousin Daisy.

     “It isn’t very long after that they arrive, and stop in front of the court house . . .”

     “What’s wrong Luke?” Jesse asked.
     “Where’s Bo?” Daisy asked.
I don’t even know how to tell them, the words not coming easy to me.
     “I think you both had better sit down.”
They sit down next to me on the court house stairs, I can see the anticipation of bad news on their faces, knowing they have no idea of just how bad the news truly is.
     “I really don’t even know how to tell you this . . .”
     “Whatever it is just tell us.” Jesse said.
     “Bo was . . . murdered.”
     “What?” Jesse questioned, they both paled visibly.
     “It is a long story Uncle Jesse.”
Daisy said nothing, only cried, leaning against Jesse for comfort.
     “How . . . Why?” Jesse asked.

     “I told them everything that I knew about what had happened, after which the three of us were all either crying or trying hard to hold back the tears. Even though I was starting to feel that I had no tears left . . . though I still had many shed, and still shed tears over his death.”
I stop talking and take a deep breath to collect my thoughts.
     “Things happened quickly after that, friends and neighbors called the farm to express their sympathies and condolences. Vicki and Kevin were given life sentences for grand theft and second degree murder, that is the last I heard of either of them. We never found the General Lee, at the trial Vicki said they had got rid of the car . . . but never said where. I guess it don’t matter too much, I doubt I would’ve ever been able to drive the General again . . . too many memories.”
I run my hands down along my face, and swallow the tears that burn in my eyes, it is a moment before I can even speak again.
     “The day of Bo’s funeral was cold and rainy. It was hard to even make it through that day, as it seemed to finalize everything. I know it was hard on Jesse and Daisy as well . . . all of us spent our tears that day. A lot of the funeral is a blur to me now. . . I tried hard to tune it out, I still had trouble really admitting that Bo was dead, even though I knew it to be true. I actually managed to say a few words at the service . . .”
 
     “Bo was a lot more then just a cousin . . . he was my best friend and my brother. Losing a friend to death is one of hardest things in life. I feel as though a part of me died along with Bo. He was the person that I was closest to . . . he had always been there for me, even at times when I though I didn’t need him, he was always there. He was the kind of person you could always depend on, a true friend that would never leave you . . .”
 
    “That is all I could say, the words seemed to lock in my throat as tears burned in my eyes. Standing at the graveside, watching Bo’s casket being lowered into the ground, and seeing the gravestone, gave everything an eerie finalization . . . and it all seemed to kill something else within me . . .another part of me, other then what had already died along with Bo. I stayed there by Bo’s grave long after his funeral was over, remaining unmoving until long into the night, when I finally went home.”
A couple tears streak my cheek, but I don’t bother to wipe them away, or even try to hide them.
     “Bo and I shared a room . . . that room seemed so empty that night . . . and still does, everything reminding me of Bo . . . all his things, sitting there, never to be used by him again. It was two weeks before I could even pack away any of his things . . . and there are certain things that I will never pack away . . . things that hold the most meaning. I will never forget Bo . . . my life will never be the same without him and I find it harder everyday to carry on. I miss him more then words can even begin to express.”
I take a few steps into the cemetery, stopping before Bo’s grave, laying a single red rose, down on the soft dirt of he grave.
     “Bo . . .”
My voice is barely above a whisper, as I run my fingers over the face of the gravestone. Tears slip from the corners of my eyes, streaking my cheeks. I don’t know what to say, but I long to believe that Bo can actually still hear me . . . I don’t really have anyone else I can talk to, not the same a I could talk to Bo. I take a deep breath and slowly release it hoping as I begin to speak that the words will come to me.
 
     I return to Bo’s grave many times over the years that slowly drag pass, and the pain is still just as fresh as it was that day. My life seems hallow and empty, yet some how I manage to keep going, perhaps because it is what I know Bo would want. Over the years, when I visit Bo’s grave, to bring a single red rose, I sometimes talk for hours and sometimes say nothing at all.
     “I said it once before and I will say it again, to lose a friend to death is the hardest thing of all.”