(airdate: 20 Oct 95) Meet the Beetles sound files

"So when some man doesn't come home to his little wife, he must have been with me, is that right?"
"In a world of possibilities, it's a short reach."
"Well, the next time the mood strikes I suggest you reach for yourself."

"Who am I Floyd."
"Well, you're Lucas Buck, Lucas."
"Have you ever doubted that?"
"Never dared to, Sheriff."

"But still enough to cause a jealous boyfriend to kill him."
"I hate that word."
"Kill?"
"Boyfriend."

Caleb and Boone discover a skeleton in the ruins of Caleb's old house. Caleb tells Dr. Matt and Gail and the three of them go get the skeleton and take it to the coroner.

Selena is swimming in the pool when Coach Bender makes a pass at her. Lucas appears, grabs the Coach by the whistle around his neck, and sends him away. He begins talking to Selena about Hack Weller, who is missing. He's surprised when Selena doesn't treat him any better than she treated Coach Bender.

As Gail and Dr. Matt are talking to the coroner, Lucas Buck walks in. The coroner tells all of them the skeleton is Hack Weller's and that, even though the bones are "clean as a whistle", Hack has been dead only two or three days. In the course of the conversation, we also learn that Lucas had a lien on the old Temple place and, with Caleb's father dead, it is now the "new Buck place."

When Lucas returns to his office, he finds Lt. Drey, a state police officer. His sister, Betty Weller, called him when Hack turned up missing and he's here to investigate. Betty Weller has told him of her suspicion that Hack was having an affair with Selena Coombs. Because of Lucas' relationship with Selena, he considers Lucas a suspect. Later, Drey meets Selena in a bar and questions her about Hack Weller. While they are talking, Ossie, another of Selena's admirers, walks up to them but Selena brushes him off.

Gail has been doing her own investigating and she goes to the museum to talk to Mrs. Constantine. She tells her about Hack Weller and Mrs. C tells her about the beetles they use to clean carcasses at the museum.

When Selena goes for a swim at the gym, Coach Bender again makes a pass at her. He tells her he can fill the void now that she and Lucas Buck aren't so close. Selena brushes him off and leaves. While he is taking a shower, someone comes up behind him and stabs him.

While the murder investigation continues, Caleb has his own problems. When he goes to put the doll he found at his old house on Merlyn's grave, he sees his own grave. He's upset by this and later asks Gail about any other relatives they might have but she doesn't know of any. Later, as Caleb is looking through a book, Merlyn appears and asks him what he's looking for. He tells her he has seen his own grave and wants to know what is wrong with his family because everyone is dead. After he has a nightmare about digging up his own grave he goes to the cemetery and does just that. Before he can open the casket, Lucas appears . When Caleb opens the coffin he sees money. Lucas tells him the $30,000 is a little present from him to Caleb. They go out to Caleb's old house and Lucas begins describing what it could look like if Caleb used the money. When Lucas returns to his office, Lt. Drey and Selena are there. Selena tells him that Coach Bender is missing and Drey tells Lucas he is a suspect.

Gail goes to Selena's house to talk to her about Hack Weller. When no one answers the door, she walks in and finds the kitchen full of flower arrangements, all of them from Ossie. Drey arrives to pick up Selena as Gail leaves.

When Coach Bender's body is found, Lucas shows Drey the beetles. Drey goes to the museum and talks to Mrs. Constantine who directs him to the flensing room.

When Gail goes to the sheriff's office to find Lucas, Floyd tells her he's out in the field with Drey and that Drey went to the museum. Gail can't find Drey when she arrives at the museum so she goes downstairs to the flensing room. She sees pictures of Selena on the wall of Ossie's office and then finds Drey's badge on the floor. When she looks in the flensing box she sees Drey covered with beetles. Ossie appears and apologizes to Gail for Drey being in the box. He tells her he just couldn't stand the thought of him, or the other two men, touching Selena. As he grabs for Gail, Lucas appears and grabs him. Lucas sends Gail away.

When we next see Lucas he's at the pool with Selena. He apologizes to Selena and bends down to kiss her but she swims away.

Lucas goes to congratulate Gail on pursuing the truth. As they are talking, Betty Weller knocks on the door. She hugs him and thanks him for the money he gave her and Coach Bender's widow. She tells him he doesn't know what it means to her but Lucas knows exactly what it means.

We see Caleb in his room saying his prayers. He starts talking to Merlyn and tells her that he thought if he gave the money away everything would be okay and he apologizes for doubting her and trusting Lucas.

1. August 2002