This story is a collaboration between ProvencePuss and Sparkle731.

Sparkle wrote Hutch's POV and I wrote Starsky's POV

the other narrative is written by whoever had the hand (chapter) at the time

Introduction

Ok, here we go.
“Come on sweetie; mommy get you out of the car; oh you are a heavy little thing – it was easier carrying you inside me than it is now. OK diaper bag? Check. Bottle? Check.
Let’s go and see if your daddy’s here.”

Wow this place hasn’t changed much. Oh good Huggy’s on duty tonight, if they aren’t here he’ll know where they are. Thought they could fool me going off that night with their arms around each other. I know them both too well to fall for that. In fact I know them both intimately.

“Hi Huggy, remember me?
...
oh yes, isn’t he cute? He’s three months old now
…
yes time does fly. Have you seen Starsky and Hutch today?
...
oh they are?
....
well I don’t know that I really want to stay too long here, I mean no offense but the air in here isn’t too good for his little lungs
….
Look don’t tell them I came by; I’ll find them later.”

Well I hope that worked. This little cap kept his hair covered nicely; even if Huggy does tell them, they’ll both be guessing.

Chapter One

(Starsky’s POV)

We’d been in The Pits about ten minutes when Huggy dropped the bomb. You should have seen Hutch’s face. It was written all over “is it mine?” Does that mean he slept with her more than once, the bastard? Over a year ago and I still don’t know how far I can trust him any more.

It started out so sweetly. She was transferred to our precinct and our eyes met over the coffee machine. She was beautiful that day. Her hair was so thick and kind of wavy and she had that big smile. I couldn’t help myself. She was flirty and funny and when I asked her if she wanted to meet for a drink after work she didn’t hesitate.
We went back to my place. She admired my ship, asked me if I’d made it myself and I think she meant it when she said that she was impressed.
She was even more impressed in the bedroom. I gave her the full works. Started slowly and gently; lots of kissing and sucking at that pretty mouth. Her nipples looked like candy kisses, those little chocolate candies, and they tasted nearly as sweet. She gave me all she had to give too. She took me in her mouth and made me wish that it could go on forever. Then she let me into the gates of paradise. Wow it was good. It felt like we kept going for hours. We changed positions and tried out a few ideas that she had, and they were good ones, believe me.
The next morning I was chafed and sore and to be honest she was walking a little the way I do. But it was worth it.

We saw each other every day…well every night. We fucked until we couldn’t move anymore.

Then Dobey assigned us to that night club. The blonde dancers were being killed and some nut was leaving messages. The crazy French woman who ran the place didn’t really like it that we put a pretty cop into the ring. I mean she was a whole lot prettier than any of the other women in that clip-joint.
Hutch and I had to pretend to be clients. Oh you should have seen him. He started dressing up different each night. One night he looked like a cross between an off-duty sailor and a Dylan impersonation. That was the first time I noticed the way he was coming on to her. I thought she was just stringing him along. You know, taking her undercover role really seriously and not showing that they were working together.

I tried to let it ride, but then he went too far. He told her that we’d swapped assignments and that he was taking her home.
The next day I blew my top. I stormed over to his place and told him exactly what I thought. I told him to do his job properly or we’d end up with another dead blonde – and it might not be one of the dancers! I mean he was so blatantly hanging around with her even the dumbest customer would be suspicious. He called me a ‘stuffed shirt’ and I stormed out.

I spent that night with her. Doing dumb things like holding her on my shoulders while she hung plates on the wall above the opening in the wall that made the room seem bigger. I can still remember that soft sweet smell that wafted from behind my head every time she reached up.
We sat by the fire and talked of nothing and everything; and we spent a long and happy night together. I forgot how mad I’d been with Hutch.

The French woman was going nuts. Anyone would think she was the only clip-joint owner in town who had ever had a little trouble because her girls were ready to finish the tango horizontally.

As soon as Dobey let us go I went to find her a gift. I’d decided that I was ready. I never thought I’d get there again; not after Terri. I honestly believed that my one chance had been taken away when that bullet finally slipped and killed her. But then I was given another chance, and I guess that doesn’t happen to everyone. I chose the gift carefully. We didn’t really have many tastes in common – in fact I reckoned we’d both have to sell all our stuff and start from scratch in a new house. The woman in the store made a really pretty package for me. And I set out to ask this lovely lady to marry me.

Hutch’s car was outside her house so I double parked it. I remember some fool demonstrating that he knew how to make the horn work on his car; but I didn’t give a damn. I was so amazed to see that tatty heap that Hutch calls a car in front of her house. To be honest I was scared too. I thought maybe something terrible had happened and that Hutch had got there first.

It had; but not what I expected. Oh he’d got there first all right the low-down two-timing bastard. When she opened the door I was so relieved that she was OK; and then I smelled it; her own sweet scent –and something else. You don’t work with someone as long as I’ve worked with him without knowing all the intimate details. I could smell it; a distinct mix of blond sweat and WASP rut.

He came out of the bedroom still buttoning his shirt. Oh he tried to look embarrassed – he just looked like he was annoyed that I’d caught them. I slammed into him like he was the last linebacker on the field trying to stop me from getting through. I hit him and I could feel his breath leave his lungs as I gave him a solid left and right in the gut. She started screaming at us. She was yelling something about us having no right to fight over her.

That’s when I really understood what being betrayed means. My best friend had just been screwing the woman I had hoped to marry. And she was screaming that she didn’t belong to either of us. I understood that she didn’t really love me after all.
I don’t remember what I did with the gift; I stormed out of the house and drove off.
I was ready to radio in to Dobey and ask for a transfer to anywhere; even back to New York. But Mildred got there first. Another dancer had been murdered.

We hardly spoke at the crime scene. In fact we hardly spoke for a couple of days; and then it was all over. The killer was a Vet who had lost the use of a leg (poor bastard, I felt sorry for him about that) and lost part of his mind too. He was convinced that the blondes in the clip-joint were Cong spies. I guess that’s how he was injured. I lost a few friends in those attacks. The women seemed so friendly; the music was slow and sexy and then just as the GIs were dancing close and slow…bam! A couple of grenades and the Congs had a few less enemy forces to deal with. Anyway the big surprise was her reaction. Hutch and I managed to pull off our usual non-verbal communication bit and I flung that grenade like it was the punt that would win the Superbowl. The killer was down and there she was sobbing over him and comforting him while he died.

That got me and Hutch back together enough to at least talk about it; and we decided that if she thought she wanted both of us, that’s what she would have. All or nothing.
We got it all worked out – even Huggy was fooled. She didn’t want to play, so we left arm in arm, laughing like kids.

And now Huggy tells us that she dropped by today; with a baby. Three months old she told Huggy. Now I’m better at math than Blondie for all his college education and I know where we all were a year ago.
Huggy said that the kid’s eyes were blue – well that doesn’t exactly narrow the field! He also said that she’d put a cute little knitted cap on his head so none of his hair showed…..

Chapter Two

(Hutch’s POV)

When Huggy told us about Kira’s visit and her ‘surprise package’, I could see the expression on Starsky’s face. He was as shaken by the news as I was. We both knew that either one of us could be the father, but then half the men in the precinct could be for all we knew.

Kira was the one woman who had come close to destroying the close friendship between me and Starsky. And, she had almost succeeded. She shook her ass, batted her eyelashes and flirted outrageously and we both fell under her spell. I thought we were just having a fling, another one night stand. That’s all Kira ever meant to me. But, she meant more than that to my partner. I just didn’t realize it at the time. Or, maybe I did and I just didn’t care.

Even before Kira came into the picture, things had been rocky between me and Starsky. I’ll be the first to admit that it was my fault. I was tired and burned out on the job. I took it out on Starsky. I put him down, called him names, and treated him like crap. Starsky just took it in stride and stuck by my side. That’s the kind of friend he is, loyal to a fault. He gives and gives, and I take and take. The more I tried to push him away, the closer he stayed.

Hell, I didn’t even know he’d been dating Kira at first. He hadn’t told me and that’s not like Starsky. Usually, he spends the next day boasting to me about his new conquests. But not with Kira. That should have told me something right there if I’d been paying attention.

When we got assigned to work undercover on the dancehall murders, that’s when I started really noticing Kira for the first time. Oh, I’d seen her around the precinct before that and did my share of flirting with her just like every other man in the building but working together at the dancehall gave me the opportunity to really let loose and come on to her. And, believe me, Kira didn’t mind. She came on to me just as strong as I did to her. The signals were all there, loud and clear.

By then, I knew that Starsky had dated her a couple of times but I had no idea how serious the relationship was, at least as far as Starsky was concerned. There’s always been a friendly competitiveness between me and Starsk, especially when it came to women. It wouldn’t be the first time we’d both dated the same woman or even slept with her for that matter. So, I didn’t have any guilty conscience when I went after Kira; that came later after I found out how she’d manipulated and used us both.

Then I told Kira that Starsky and I had switched assignments for the night and that I would be taking her home instead of him. She didn’t object or seem to mind very much. She just slipped me the key to her house. The signals she kept sending me seemed to say go for it, Hutch, so I did.

I found out that night just how wild she could be in bed. I mean, she had moves that even surprised me and I’ve been around the block a time or two. She was a great fuck and she liked to leave her mark. I had scratches all over my back and shoulders from those long fingernails. I was dragging my ass and sore as hell the next morning, but it was worth it.

Then, out of the blue, Starsky confronted me about Kira. When he told me that he loved her and that she loved him, all I could do was stare at him like he’d grown a second head or something. And, being the pompous ass that I can be at times, I didn’t believe him for a minute. The Kira I knew wasn’t Starsky’s type, at least not the type he got seriously involved with. She sure as hell was no Terri. I was stunned when Starsky stormed out of my apartment muttering under his breath about me getting my act together and doing my job right,

I’ve always hated arguing with Starsky. Things usually blow over once we both vented, but not this time. I kept thinking about what he said about Kira feeling the same way he did, so I did something really stupid. I decided to ask Kira about her relationship with Starsky. When I asked her if she loved Starsky and she said yes, I was ready to walk out of that door and never look back. Then, she floored me by saying that she loved me too. Something wasn’t adding up. When she started rambling on about loving us both but in different ways and asking if I’d ever had a relationship with more than one woman at a time, her logic made some kind of twisted sense.

I still don’t know how it happened but we ended up in her bedroom. I was so wrapped up in making love to her that the thought of what I was doing to Starsky never crossed my mind. When we finished, Kira climbed out of bed and went into the living room while I finished getting dressed. My heart almost stopped when I heard the doorbell. Somehow, I just knew it was Starsky. I was tucking my partially buttoned shirt into my jeans when I stepped out of Kira’s bedroom.

I’ll never forget the look on Starsky’s face, so much hurt and betrayal shimmered in those sapphire eyes. I felt like crap knowing that I had put that expression in those eyes. I had hurt the one person that meant more to me than anybody else in the world and I had done it deliberately. I didn’t even try to defend myself when my outraged partner attacked, backing me up against the wall and slamming several well aimed punches into my stomach. I knew I deserved it.

I’m not sure what would have happened if Kira hadn’t started screaming at both of us and ordering us out of her house. With a final glare at me that broke my heart, Starsky turned and left the house. I was right on his heels but he was already in his car and speeding away without a backward glance. Dejected, I climbed into my car, not sure if I should cry or find someone to take my anger out on. With a sinking feeling in my gut, I realized that I may have just destroyed our partnership and our friendship beyond repair.

Starsky and I barely spoke to each other for the next few days, except when we had to. I wanted to apologize but my stubborn pride wouldn’t let me do that. Then it was over, the dancehall case was solved. The murderer turned out to be a disabled Viet Nam Vet who had convinced himself that the blondes at the club were really Viet Cong spies. I found myself wondering if I’d find myself without a partner now that the case was resolved.

Kira had called me a couple of times since the confrontation between me and Starsky at her place, but I refused to talk to her. I finally saw her for what she really was and I guess Starsky did too because as far as I knew, he had called it quits with her too. Anyway, Starsky and I finally talked about what happened and we came to the same conclusion. Our partnership and our friendship meant more to both of us than any woman ever would. I think that’s when both of us realized that Kira had played us both for fools, playing one against the other for her own enjoyment.

We turned the tables on Kira when she called each of us individually and asked us to meet her at the Pits. We dressed alike and arrived within a few minutes of each other. Poor Huggy wasn’t sure what was going on that night. When Kira showed up, Starsky and I both approached her, implying that if she wanted us both, then she could have us both. But, the fun of the game for Kira was fucking each of us behind the other one’s back. It wasn’t as much fun when we each knew about it. When she rejected our offer, Starsky and I just shrugged, smiled, and threw our arms around each other’s shoulders as we walked out of the bar together.

That was the last time either one of us saw Kira. She transferred to another precinct the next day, moving on to new conquests. Things were rocky between me and Starsky for several months but we finally got our relationship back on solid ground. But, sometimes, just for a minute, I could still see that look of betrayal reflected in Starsky’s eyes. Kira’s name was never mentioned by either one of us again.

Now the manipulative bitch was back and with a baby no less. A baby that could easily be either mine, or Starsky’s. I didn’t trust her for a second and wondered what her game was this time. If the baby turned out to be mine, I would do the right thing and accept financial responsibility for the child but Kira had better not expect more than that from me.

And if the baby turned out to be Starsky’s, I knew my tender hearted partner and the way he felt about kids. He would want to be a part of his child’s life, a full time father. It didn’t matter if he didn’t love Kira; he would still feel obligated to do the right thing. I found myself praying that the baby wasn’t his. I didn’t think he could survive getting involved with that man-eater again.

Chapter Three

(Starsky’s POV)

I was watching him closely, trying to figure out what was going on behind that cool Nordic face of his. I could see it in his eyes. He can’t hide anything from me – even when he puts on his dark glasses. He was weighing up the pride against the anger.
I knew exactly what he was thinking. If the baby was his he’d ‘do the right thing’, and finance the kid from the cradle to grad school. He’d probably marry her in some big schmaltzy ceremony and square it with the preacher by asking him to christen the little tyke at the same time. He’d be making the big pitch at pleasing mommy and daddy; he’d probably stiff his old man for a trust-fund for the kid and maybe even quit the force and go back to Duluth to finish med-school.
It was written all over his face. Hutch has made his mark. He finally got to do something I hadn’t…well as far as I know I haven’t!

There was something else there too. I could see him worrying that I’d be hurt if it turned out to be mine. That’s Hutch all over, always worrying that I can’t handle things emotionally. I’m the one who had the big childhood trauma and he thinks I can’t handle things!

I was still trying to work out how I’d feel if it turned out to be mine when Huggy said he had a call for us.

We had to go see a snitch about a possible cocaine deal going down. During the next couple of hours neither of us had much chance to think about Kira and her baby. We had enough trouble concentrating on staying alive.

It was a set-up. The snitch was nowhere to be seen and as soon as we got out of the car someone on a roof started using us for target practice.
I watched Hutch run out from his cover and started firing in the general direction of our would-be killer. There I was crouched behind a mailbox firing a whole clip of bullets into the air…and Hutch was trying to work out how to get up onto the roof.

That’s when I realized that it would be best for that kid if neither of us was the father. I was crouched there trying not to think of my dad lying on the ground with blood seeping out of the back of his head.

I shouted out to Hutch to see if he was ready to cover me so I could join him. He yelled ‘OK’ and I slipped a new clip into my gun and made my move.

Hutch says I scuttle like a crab trying to be a quarterback. Whatever, I get where I need to be and I keep my head down. And for his information I was a fucking good quarterback…and there are a few ex-cheerleaders who I’m sure would back me up on that statement.

So I arrived alongside him and asked him if he had a plan. He likes that. He likes to think that he’s the brains of our duo; what was it he once called me? Oh yeah, ‘the not inconsiderable brawn’; that tickled me. I mean he’s as strong as I am after all. And I’m not as dumb as I like to play.

He had a plan all right. He figured that if he drew the guy’s fire long enough I’d manage to see where the shots were coming from. I gently pointed out that we’d already done that; and that it was pretty bloody obvious that the guy was on the roof over the diner on the corner of the alley.
“Hey,” I asked him, “are you sure you have your mind on the job here?”
He gave me one of those ‘Oh Starsk!’ looks he does; I’ll bet his dad did that to him and said something like ‘Oh you disappoint me Kenneth.’ I couldn’t let it drop.
“At the risk of being accused of being a stuffed shirt,” I said as lightly as I could, “I just wanted to point out that if one of us isn’t concentrating here, both of us could end up dead.”

That was what it took; I watched him pull his act together and then off we went. We snuck along the wall of the alley and I spotted the fire-escape. As usual I hoisted him up to get a grip on the platform and pull himself up so he could drop the ladder to me. It works best that way, the one time when his extra couple of inches are of use to both of us.
Oh-oh, there goes my mind again…according to Kira that’s not the only extra length he had; but she said I used mine better. Kind of like the guns we carry. Well maybe we both fired blanks!

Hutch and I were up on the fire escape and we could hear someone walking along the roof above us. We slipped into our usual non-verbal communication and I signaled that I’d go up first. I went up the ladder trying to keep as close to the wall as I could, and making sure not to look down. I peeked up over the edge of the roof and saw him standing about a foot away. He had his back turned so I made my move.
I can move very quietly when I have to. I learned that in the jungle. I kept low and I had my gun ready. He was standing in a very distinctive position and I thought for a horrible moment that the wind might be against me. At least I knew that he couldn’t be holding a gun. I stood up and stepped right up behind him. I put the barrel of my pistol up against the small of his back, right by his kidneys, and said “when you’ve finished my partner and I would like to talk to you.” He pissed all over his shoes!

I had him cuffed before he had a chance to zip it up again. I guess I was just feeling mean after hearing about Kira. We turned to go back to the fire escape and I could see that Hutch was trying not to laugh at my captive’s predicament.
“Be nice, Starsk,” he said, “let him zip it up.”
“Ok.” I said. I undid the cuffs but kept a firm hold on his right hand; I kind of twisted it a little so that if he tried anything it would hurt like hell. He dressed himself and I pulled his hand back to the cuffs.
“I need both hands to get down the ladder,” he whined. I thought about it for a second and decided to play it for all we could get. If I was tough on him he might just spill out who sent him to play shooting arcade with our heads. I looked at Hutch. He grinned at me. He knew what I was thinking. “I tell you what Starsk, why don’t we do what the mountain climbers do?”
Now I knew what he meant. We’d been to see a movie a couple of nights ago and had to sit through a documentary about mountaineering before the big feature came on. Now as neither of us has a head for heights, this was not our idea of a good time. We really got the horrors when they showed this string of guys all inching along a path about three inches wide, above what looked like the Grand Canyon. They were all attached to some kind of guide rail by loops around their wrists – at least that’s how it looked from between my fingers! I undid one of the cuffs; then closed it again – wrong side, I’d noticed when he was fumbling his zipper that he was a leftie like me - I knew that would make it a bit more scary. I slipped the open cuff around the rail of the ladder and down we went. By the time he’d got to the bottom the hard way he was ready to tell us everything.

And guess who was behind this little adventure?

It wasn’t until after I’d dropped Hutch off at his place and driven home that I started to really think about Kira’s baby and it troubled me. I put it to the back of my mind and settled down to finishing my newest project. I’m working on a scale model of a schooner. I’d love to have the real thing….maybe one day, if I’m lucky and Hutch is dumb enough to put his money where his mouth is when we’re playing pool!

Chapter Four

(Hutch’s POV)

I knew Starsky was watching me, probably trying to figure out what I was thinking. I had a bad feeling about this whole thing. Kira being back was bound to cause nothing but problems. Silently, I cursed myself for not wearing a condom when I was with her. Then a sudden thought hit me. Kira wasn’t the kind of woman to just let herself get pregnant by accident. She would have taken precautions. Having a kid would cramp her style too much. So, what gives? What exactly was the little bitch up to this time? Did she want money? Revenge? Or was she after something more sinister? Was the baby just another way to come between me and Starsky and break us up? I wish I knew.

All of my protective instincts towards Starsky kicked into high gear. No matter what the outcome, he was going to get hurt. I could feel it. He had been kicked around so much in his life and been handed so many heartaches by the women he had loved, he didn’t deserve anymore pain. Not from Kira. I vowed to make sure that didn’t happen to him, not this time. I had almost lost his friendship and his trust because of her the last time; it wasn’t going to happen again.

If I knew where to find her, I’d give her a call to try and get to the bottom of this little farce, but I had no idea where she was staying. My thoughts were interrupted when Huggy told us that he had a call for us. It was about a meet with a snitch about a possible cocaine deal going down. The call turned out to be a hoax, a set-up. When we arrived at the scene, there was no snitch, just somebody on top of building who decided to use our heads to take pot shots at.

Starsky and I both managed to stay under cover and avoid getting hit. That’s one thing about me and Starsky, no matter how mad we are at each other, we know the other one always has our back in a dangerous situation. I was annoyed when Starsky finally crouched down beside me and asked me if I had my mind on the job and pointed out that if one of us wasn’t concentrating, both of us could end up dead. I know he was referring to both of us being preoccupied with our thoughts about Kira and the baby.

After gruffly reassuring him that I was fine, we snuck along the wall of the alley we had darted into until we spotted the fire-escape. Starsky gave me a boost up so I could get a grip on the platform and pull myself up, then I dropped the ladder back down to him. That’s just how we work. We know each others strengths and each other’s weakness and how to make the best use of them in any given situation. I snorted as I realized that it hadn’t taken Kira long to figure out our weaknesses when it came to woman and use those against us.

Starsky signaled that he would climb the ladder to roof first with me right behind him. I know how much Starsky hates heights but he never lets that interfere with what needs to be done. I watched him slip over the edge of the roof and slowly advance towards our suspect, moving as silently and gracefully as a cat. I’ve always admired that feline grace in my partner. It’s a skill he learned in the jungles of Viet Nam while I was in college protesting the same war he was busy trying to survive.

I grinned in satisfaction as Starsky got the drop on the gunman and the poor guy pissed all over his shoes. Starsky had him cuffed before the guy got a chance to even zip it up. “Come on, Starsk,” I said with a chuckle “Be nice and let him zip it up.”
Starsky smiled thinly as he undid one bracelet just long enough for the man to zip his pants and then snapped the cuff back in place.

By the time we finally got the suspect to the ground, he was more than willing to tell us everything he knew. Starsky and I neither one could believe it when he told us that the person behind setting us up as clay pigeons on a shooting range was a man that we both used to consider a friend until he changed sides and became one of the bad guys, our old Academy classmate, John Colby.

We had both met John at the Academy and the three of us used to hang out together. John left before graduation to join the Army and neither of us heard from again until several years later when he blew into Bay City. He claimed to have been a guest of the Viet Cong for five years and said he was back in town trying to find his wife and baby. Starsky and I were more than willing to help him do that. We found out later that he was just using us. Old Johnny boy had become a very well paid hit-man and was looking to kill a man who was scheduled to testify against some very bad people. He used me and Starsky to help him find his target by claiming the man’s wife was his ex-wife. Luckily, we found out in time to stop him from killing the guy and John was arrested and sent to prison. Apparently, he didn’t take too kindly to us arresting him and decided to get even in his own way.

The guy he hired to take potshots at us didn’t know where John was holed up. He didn’t really know much of anything other than the fact that he was paid good money to use us for target practice. Good thing for us he was such a lousy shot. We had to find Colby before he decided to come after us again.

After booking our suspect, Starsky and I spent a couple of hours trying to track down Colby. The only thing we found out was that he had been released from prison over a year ago and he had dropped out of sight. Something sounded fishy about that whole scenario to me. If he wanted me and Starsky, why did Colby wait so long to make his move against us? And why hire some bumbling idiot like the guy we had arrested when John was a crack shot and could have easily taken us out himself if he had been on that roof? Something didn’t add up.

Calling it a day, Starsky drove me back to my apartment and dropped me off. I invited him up for a couple of beers but Starsky declined, stating that he was just going to go home and crash. I knew he was going home and rack his brains over the events of the day, not just the fact that Colby was back in town and out for our blood but the situation with Kira and the baby. I could already feel the tension mounting between us and I didn’t like it one bit.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, a lone figure slipped into a deserted phone booth and picked up the receiver. Depositing the correct amount of change, they dialed a memorized phone number. After three rings, the phone was answered as expected. “So far everything is going according to the plan. By the time we’re through with them, Starsky and Hutch will be finished.” The caller said with a satisfied chuckle. “Their careers as cops will be over and their reputations will be in the sewer.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chapter Five
(Starsky’s POV)

Working on a model helps me concentrate my mind. Hutch sits cross-legged on a table looking like an anemic Buddha in PJs a size too small and goes Om for about ten minutes – I make models; or sometimes I run.
I sat and stared at the model for a while but this time the trick didn’t work; so I went for a run instead.

I love running. When I was a kid at school I was good footballer because I loved to run. I was on the track squad too; the only one who did the one hundred dash or the mile and was capable of getting a place in both. I slowed down a bit after I got hit in ‘Nam but I can still make old Blondie look like a schoolgirl if I have to. I don’t do it too often though; he loves to think that he’s the superior athlete with his workouts at the gym and his daily run around a couple of blocks. I’ll bet he’s never just let himself go running through the woods and feeling the wind whistle in his ears.
I go up into the canyon and just run. Sometimes I have to walk home because I’ve gone too far. I was running along the track that goes up to the ridge with the view out over the cantilever houses and the city below when I got the feeling I was being watched. Not followed, watched. Someone was watching me.
I set off back home and managed a quick scan of the neighborhood from the top of my steps before going into the house.

Someone had been watching me so that they could give the signal if I turned back sooner than expected. Someone who knew where, and how far, I run; IF I run. Which means that it was someone who knows I don’t have a regular pattern. But that was a question I’d think about later. Right now I had to deal with the problem in front of me.
I stepped over the upturned table and was about to use my T-shirt to cover my hand to pick up the ‘phone when I remembered that my prints would be everywhere anyhow! Shows how even the best cop can have a dumb moment!
I called Hutch first.
“My apartment’s been broken into.”
“What? But where were you?”
“I was running.”
“But Starsk it’s after ten pm. It’s dark out there, you could have fallen or…”
Typical Hutch, he’s worse than my mom or Aunt Rosa when it comes to looking out for Dave Starsky’s welfare. I think maybe my mom has a deal with him.
“Yeah; well I go out and run at all times. Look, the problem isn’t what time I run, the problem is that someone knew I might go running….I guess you’d better get over here; we need to talk.”

I called Metro and arranged for the crime lab people to get over here and check for other prints. They stood a pretty good chance of finding them because I’d done all my housework the day before; and when I do my housework the place is as neat as a new pin when I’ve finished. Not like Hutch, who is willing to accept Fifi’s quick run with the vacuum and a flick of a duster between mooching over his laundry!
Anyway, I knew that if there were any prints they’d find them.

I decided to take the photos myself. I love photography but this wasn’t exactly a pleasure. I took the table from two or three different angles; then I focused on the smashed schooner. Looking at it through the shutter it seemed even more fragile. I took a couple of shots and then the shock hit me. Whoever did this wanted to make me feel bad; and they knew exactly which button to push. I put down the camera and felt the hot tears running down my face as I tried to work out who could hate me so much.

Hutch got to my house first. The expression on his face when he walked in must have been much the same as mine had been. He did that thing that drives me nuts – kind of dry washes his face with his hand and then…yes…there it was, the tips of the fingers tapped against his forehead to signal that he was trying to work this out.
“Shit Starsk!”
“My feelings, entirely.” I said. “You may as well sit down; your prints will be in this place anyhow.”
He sat on the sofa and looked at me carefully. I could tell that he was trying to judge how upset I was.

“I was being watched while I was running” I told him. He thought I was imagining it. He reasoned that as I went running at crazy hours, no-one could have known to watch me. I told him that I thought the same at first. That I’d figured that I was imagining it and there was no-one watching me…but the fact that my apartment had an uninvited guest while I was out running kind of indicated that we were trying to kid ourselves.

We were interrupted by the crime lab team. I told them to take the film out of my camera. One of them dusted it for prints first. I didn’t really think about that until later…much later.
Hutch said that we both needed to rest and to get our minds clear so why didn’t we go to his place and get out of the crime team’s way. I nodded and followed him. We both keep a change of clothes in each other’s apartments in case of emergencies; and it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve cleaned my teeth with my finger.

I was following him back to his place.
I glanced up into the rearview and saw the tail. I dipped my lights a couple of times to signal to Hutch that something was wrong and he came onto the radio.
“What’s up?”
“We have company. You go home; I’ll turn into an alley and see if he’s following you or me.”
He agreed and picked up speed again. I spotted a filling station and ducked in there instead and used the pumps as cover. One car picked up enough speed to sit at just the right distance from Hutch’s heap; the other car stopped and waited to see what I was doing. I looked at the gauge and figured that I might as well make it seem for real.

I put in just over five bucks worth and sauntered into the store to pay. While the kid was making my change (I gave him a twenty to stall things) I checked out the parked car. It looked familiar; but then we see so many cars in our working day. But something about this one was making bells ring in my head. I couldn’t see the driver; I had no idea if it was a man or a woman – and that made the hair on the back of my neck tingle.

I went back to the Torino and started her up; I’m like a kid sometimes with this car, I admit it. It’s my pride and joy. I spent hours with Merle figuring all the things he could do to improve the engine and then he said “best thing would be to take it out and put in a V8.” I love to hear that baby growl when I turn the key. And no-one expects a Torino to take off the way this one does.

I slid away from the pumps and turned up the street away from the direction of Hutch’s place. Let my tail think I just came out to fill the tank. Sure enough he (she?) pulled away from the curb and had to wait for a couple of cars to pass before being able to do a one eighty to follow me. I slowed a little and watched to see what he did.
Perfect, by the manual, tailing technique. He kept a steady distance. Now that’s what the book tells you to do and to be honest it’s dumb. Most people when they’re driving slow down and speed up all the time. You try it sometime. Watch the speedo and try to keep to the limit. The needle flickers doesn’t it? Normal drivers don’t keep a steady distance; they catch up with you a little because you braked first at the lights; you get away from them because your engine has more zip; it’s a constant cat and mouse out there in real-life traffic. I guess that’s why I’m one of the best drivers in BCPD. I don’t keep that steady distance. I play with them; I’ve even been know to wind up in front of the car I’m tailing with Hutch watching it in the side mirror; Then I slow down and let it pass me and off we go again. Like that the mark doesn’t always catch on to being tailed.
Well this one was doing it by the book; which meant that whoever it was knew the book.
I took a sharp turn into an alley that didn’t look wide enough for one of those new Japanese cars that look like something out of a cereal packet. My tail hesitated.
“He who hesitates is lost.” That wasn’t my grandmother…I think it might have been Shakespeare (now that would surprise Blondie!) Anyway, whoever said it was right. I drove on down the alley and turned out into Ocean and drove the scenic route to Venice Place.

I parked around the block from Hutch’s place – near that disused store that gets used as a dance hall now and then. I walked back to Hutch’s place and spotted the other tail. Very discreet! He was parked across the street and about fifty yards away. Most people wouldn’t have taken any notice; but I know every car that belongs on this block…and where the owners park them. I can always spot an intruder…it’s part of our mutual protection thing. Hutch knows all my neighbors’ cars too.

Hutch was waiting for me and he was jittery. I was bothering him that someone knew enough about my erratic habits to have been in the right place at the right time.
Tell the truth it wasn’t bothering him half as much as it was bothering me!

I slept on the couch. Not that I slept much. I had the old nightmare…except this time it wasn’t my dad in the alley….it was me; and the kid looking down at me was a tiny baby in his mother’s arms. And she was smiling.

Chapter Six

(Hutch’s POV)

I wandered around my apartment trying to shake the uneasy feeling that something was going to happen. Starsky and I have a sixth sense when it comes to each other and right now mine was going off big time, warning me that Starsky needed me. I was just about to grab my keys to head to his place when the phone rang and it was Starsky on the other end of the line.

“My apartment’s been broken into.” Starsky said, getting right to the point. That’s my partner. He doesn’t beat around the bush.

“What?” I said in a startled voice “Where were you?”

“I was running.”

“But Starsk it’s after ten pm. It’s dark out there, you could have fallen or…” I said, imaging all kinds of scenarios in my head. I knew Starsky could take care of himself but it bothered me when he did stuff like this.

“Yeah; well I go out and run at all times.” Starsky said, a trace of annoyance in his voice at my mother-henning him. “Look, the problem isn’t what time I run, the problem is that someone knew I might go running….I guess you’d better get over here; we need to talk.”

“I’ll be right there.” I told him, hanging up and grabbing my jacket on the way out the door. I broke every speed limit on the way from my apartment to his. I got there in less than twenty minutes.

My eyes widened in alarm when I walked in and took note of the condition of Starsky’s apartment. It had been trashed. A model ship he had been working on lay on the floor, smashed into pieces. Most of the damage seemed to be confined to the living room. Pictures had been torn down off the wall and lay on the floor with the glass broken and several pieces of his Mexican pottery were smashed. It didn’t look like anything had been stolen. It looked like somebody just wanted to trash Starsky’s things and they had known which things to break to hurt him the most.
“Shit Starsk!”

“My feelings, entirely.” Starsky said with a grim smile. “You may as well sit down; your prints will be in this place anyhow.”

I sat down on the sofa and looked at my partner carefully. I could tell he was upset but he was holding it together as best he could. I thought back to the time that Diana Harmon had broken into my apartment and trashed it, killing half my plants and smashing my guitar, things she knew meant a lot to me. I remembered how much that had hurt.

“I was being watched while I was running” Starsky said with a heavy sigh.

“Come on, Starsk…you run at such crazy hours. You don’t follow a set routine. How could anybody possibly know you’d pick tonight to take a run?” I asked doubtfully. “Maybe you just imagined it.”

“I thought the same thing at first.” Starsky replied “Until I came home and found that somebody had decided to redecorate my apartment while I was gone.”

“That means they had to be watching your apartment before you even left.”

“Yeah, and somebody could have been watching you too.” He reminded me.

“Great.” I grumbled. “I hope they didn’t decide to rearrange my furniture while I’m gone.”

We were interrupted by the crime lab team. Starsky told them to take the film out of his camera. He had already taken pictures of the damage. One of the techs took the camera and dusted it for prints first before removing the film. Standard procedure.

“Look,” I told Starsky as the lab boys started to do their thing. “We both need to get some rest and get our heads clear, Why don’t we go back to my place and you can crash there for the night?” Starsky nodded and followed me out the door.

Starsky was behind me on the way back to my place when I saw him hit the brights on his headlights and then the dims, signaling me that something was up. I picked up my radio and said, “What’s up?”

“We have company.” Starsky said “You go on home. I’ll turn into an alley and see if he’s following you or me.”

“Gotcha. Be careful.” I said. Hanging up the mike, I watched in the rear view mirror as Starsky pulled off into a gas station on his left and stopped in front of the pumps. I saw a car stop and pull over to the curb. Obviously, the tail was on Starsky and they weren’t being very subtle.

As I headed back to my place, it didn’t take me long to spot my own tail. A non-descript dark colored sedan that stayed behind me at just the right distance. Too far away for me to get a closer look at the car or the license plate, not to mention the driver. Somebody was definitely playing games with us, I just didn’t know why. Not yet anyway.

When I reached my apartment, I parked in my usual spot and climbed out of my car. I nonchalantly strolled over to the doorway that led to my apartment and went inside, but not before I saw my tail parking across the street about fifty yards from my building. It looked like they were settling in for the night.

I grabbed the key from its usual spot above the doorframe and unlocked my door. Starsky was always ragging on me about keeping my key in such an obvious place, especially since Diana wasn’t the only crazy who’d used it to gain access to my apartment, but old habits die hard and I still hadn’t moved it somewhere else.

I was relieved to see that my apartment looked the same as it had when I left. At least I hadn’t had any unexpected visitors. I turned on the lamp next to the sofa and started a pot of coffee while I waited impatiently for Starsky to arrive.

It bothered me that somebody knew my partner’s erratic habits enough to have been in the right place at the right time tonight to trash his apartment. Maybe it was just coincidence, maybe not. Somehow, I didn’t think so. I had a gut feeling that it was someone who knew Starsky almost as well as I did.

Starsky finally arrived fifteen minutes later. As soon as he came into the apartment, he said, “I lost my tail but yours is still parked out front.”

“Yeah, I know. I spotted them.” I told him.

“Whoever they are, they were following procedure tailing us, doing it strictly by the book.” Starsky said as he slumped down on the sofa and pulled off his tennis shoes.

“Cops?”

“Or maybe one certain ex-Police Academy cadet.” Starsky said. I knew he was referring to Colby.

“Or maybe a certain female cop that blew back into town.” I pointed out. I could see from the expression on his face that Starsky hadn’t thought about that possibility.

“Well, whoever it was…there were two of them, so they’ve got somebody helping them.”

“Yeah. Something tells me that you and I had better stick together until we get to the bottom of this.” I suggested. This whole scene was making me uneasy. My protective mode was on high. I didn’t want to let Starsky out of my sight even though I knew he didn’t like to be coddled. I waited for the explosion that wasn’t long in coming.

“I don’t need a babysitter, Hutch!” Starsky snapped, weariness making his voice sharper than he intended. “If they’re after either one of us, they’d find a way to get us even if we are together!” he grinned to soften his words. “But I guess it wouldn’t hurt to spend a couple of nights together.”

I smiled. Apology accepted. “You hungry?” I asked, knowing my partner’s hearty appetite.

“No, I just wanna get some sleep.” Starsky said, a yawn punctuating his words. He shoved himself to his feet and got an extra pillow and sheet out of the closet to make up the sofa.

I took a quick shower before going to bed myself. I lay there in the darkness, listening to Starsky tossing and turning on the sofa.

Chapter Seven

(Starsky’s POV)

I guess I did get some sleep but it didn’t feel like it. One thing was for certain I still needed to clear my head of all the things fighting around in there. Hutch was groping his way to the bathroom to splash a bit of water on his face; he had his jogging pants on, but he hadn’t got much further in dressing. I heaved myself up from the floor where apparently I’d finished the night and reached for my clothes.
“You going running?” I asked him.
“Yes, but I guess you want to get a shower and…” I could see he was getting protective again and I snapped.
“No, I’m coming with you – if you can stand the pace.” He grinned and went into his bedroom to finish dressing. I hauled on my tennis shoes and folded up my bedding. Leave it to Hutch and the whole kit and kedoozle would be left on the couch until tonight.
We went down onto the street. The dark sedan was still in place and so was the car that had been following me. I nudged Hutch and we set off in the opposite direction.
We hit our rhythm, or at least I kept to his, and started on our way.
“I wonder why they are both there.” He said.
“I guess they decided to stick to the one of us they could find.” I tried to sound convinced of what I was saying.
“Why don’t we go see who they are?” he said. He was beginning to puff a little and the words came out a bit strange.
“Ok.” I said and I set off to turn the corner. “Last one at the tail is a …”
“Starsk! Wait!”
I slowed down again and let him catch up. It’s not that Hutch can’t keep up with me, but he doesn’t have my acceleration. He came alongside of me and finished what he wanted to say.
“I don’t think we should give them an easy target – stick together, OK?”
“OK mom.”
We continued on around the block and started along the street coming up behind the two cars. As far as we could see there was no-one in the second car. I slowed to a jog and Hutch did the same. I didn’t need to speak, he knew what I was thinking.
If it was Colby in there, he knew a few techniques that you don’t learn at the Police Academy. Hutch left me to exercise my special knowledge and he hung back; ready to…to what? He didn’t have his gun so he couldn’t cover me. I knew that he and John were pretty well-matched when it came to hand-to-hand. Hutch took a few Karate courses at the Academy while I was fine-tuning the driving skills I’d learned in the back streets and alleys when I was a kid in the parts of this city that still worry him after dark.
I crouched down like I was tying my laces and when I was sure that no-one was watching me in the side mirror I started to sneak alongside the car keeping as low as possible to avoid being picked up in the wing mirror. It was a four-door sedan and I was about to check the back seat when…WHAM! It was just like in the comic books I used to love when I was a kid…I saw stars.

When I woke up in the hospital I only had Hutch’s word for what happened. As far as I was concerned it was just a big black blank.

According to the doctor the concussion wasn’t too bad. At least I haven’t lost my memory; I know who I am and everything and I remember right up to going for the door handle.

According to Hutch the door opened fast and I got it smack on the side of the head. Then the car started and the door closed and whoever was in it drove away. The other car stayed put. Hutch noted the license and as soon as I was safe in the ambulance he’d used their radio to call Dobey with the number

Dobey was checking it out while Hutch sat waiting for me to come back to the land of the living.

I sat in bed and tried to focus my brain on what I’d seen. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t bring back the slightest memory.
I turned to Hutch. He was sitting there waiting for me to come out with some tiny clue. “Did you manage to see if there was someone in the back, Hutch?”
He shook his head. “No. Are you sure you can’t remember?”
“Nothing…hey, wait a minute…not something I saw; but something I heard: just as I was coming alongside the car…I could have sworn I heard a baby crying.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Do you think he saw the baby?”
“He didn’t see anything – he didn’t even know what hit him.”
“Good.”
“What’s the next step?”
“The next step is to start making Hutch look like a fool.”
“That shouldn’t be too difficult; especially with Starsky out cold in a hospital bed for as long as we want him to be.”
They both laughed and she took the baby onto her lap and stroked its head.
“Who does he remind you of?”
“His mother!”

“Shouldn’t we go get your car?”
“No. We’ll see how long it takes Hutch to trace it to me. It will be our bait.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When the doc said I had to stay in the bloody hospital for forty eight hours ‘under observation’ I exploded. I started to yell that I didn’t need to stay there etc. And then my head told me I was wrong. The pain started behind my left eye and soon I couldn’t keep my head straight. I could feel the pain pouring through my head and I knew I was about to throw up. I guess Hutch has seen it enough times to read the danger signs and he grabbed the nearest thing he could find to hold under my mouth.
I know I’m a great shot but I guess I deserved some congratulations for throwing up into a flower vase without spilling anything. Hutch was holding me against him and stroking the strap muscles at the back of my neck to try to get them to relax and ease the misery a little. Through the buzzing in my brain I heard the doctor ask Hutch something and Blondie answered; the next thing I knew was the needle going into my arm.

I woke up. I still couldn’t remember anything. Dobey was sitting by my bed.
“Where’s Hutch?”
“He’s uh…uh…”

Now most people think that Dobey is some kind of gruff type who treats all his cops with the same amount of impatience. But Hutch and I know better than that. Oh we tease him enough about it, but we appreciate his concern about us. Edith, that’s his long-suffering wife (she puts up with us!) once told me that he sees us like older versions of Cal and Rosie; he worries about us when we are in trouble just like he does about his own kids. So when he started with the “uh…uh…” I knew something had gone wrong somewhere.

I sat up, and regretted it because the aftermath of the migraine was still there. I waited for the room to come out of orbit.
“Captain, where’s Hutch?” I asked him again. Dobey’s face crumpled. “He’s in the Sheriff’s jail over in Ventura County.”
I was about to ask him to explain when I saw that I had another question to ask first. Dobey had been reading the newspaper while he was waiting for me to wake up. It was the LA Times – Sunday edition! My apartment was wrecked on Thursday!
“How long have I been out?”
“The doctor thought it best to keep you sedated, when you began to wake up your head was still bad, so he ordered an IV instead of shots. The nurse came in now and then and did some kind of check on you and put another dose in the drip.”
“Didn’t the doctor come and check me?”
Dobey wiped the sweat off his face. “No. Oh good god; do you think that the nurse…”
“Yes. And I think it was too keep me out of the way while they set Hutch up. I didn’t ask, what’s he accused of?”

“Rape.”

I nearly fell out of the bed. Hutch is pretty proud of his sexual prowess; but not to that extent. If a woman says ‘no’ we both respect that. I asked Dobey to fill me in and started to get out of bed. My head was still spinning – my brain felt like it had come loose – but I knew that this was because of some kind of drug, not a migraine. I poured myself a glass of water and drank it then drained the jug direct. I opened the closet and was relieved to see that at least this time Hutch had thought of bringing me some decent clothes for the day I left the hospital. I guess he’ll never forget how mad I was the day I had to leave wearing a hospital gown that flapped in the wind as I walked.

I was dressing and listening to Dobey.

“Hutch noticed that the car was still outside his house when he got back from the hospital. It hadn’t followed him and that didn’t add up.”
Too right it didn’t. Why stake us both out and then not follow Hutch while I was out of the action?
“He ran a trace on the owner and went over to see her.”
Her! I was all ready for him to tell me that the car was Kira’s. But I was wrong.
“The car belonged to a lady living out beyond Malibu. He called her and arranged to go and see her. That’s the last I heard from him. The next thing I knew was the Ventura county sheriff called me to say that he had one of my men in his cell and that there was an eye-witness to back up the rape charge.”

“Drive me over there. We need to find out Hutch’s side of the story.”
Dobey hesitated. He didn’t want me to leave the hospital without seeing the doctor.
“Captain,” I said, “If what I’m thinking is right, the last person I should see is that doctor.”
We started down the hallway. A nurse tried to block us at the elevator. Dobey grabbed her and called over a security officer. He showed his ID and told the security guy to escort her to Metro.
“Ok sir, what’s the charge?”
“Assaulting a Police Officer.”
I swear she tried to spit at him as the security guard led her away.

Dobey drove steadily, he radioed in an order to arrest the doctor that had prescribed whatever it was kept me in the clouds. I knew he wanted to get to Hutch as quickly as I did, but I could tell that he was being careful not to make my head feel worse. I felt in the inside pocket of my leather jacket and found the pills I always carry for emergencies and swallowed a couple. “It’s OK Captain; you can put your foot down.”
He hit the siren and we sped over the County Line.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As soon as she’d been booked the nurse used her one ‘phone call.
“Starsky’s out again.”
She hung up knowing that the person she’d spoken to would arrange for her to be out of the joint as soon as possible.
She was right; but she didn’t leave the way she expected to.
At least it wasn’t necessary to call out the coroner’s wagon; they took the body straight down to the morgue in the elevator.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kira was still breast-feeding the baby. She smiled over his head at her friend and partner.
“I really did begin to love both of them a little bit.”
“They were my best friends.”
“I guess that’s why he hired you to finish the job.”
“Well I don’t regret that he did for one moment.”
“Neither do I. Thanks to him I’ve got what I’ve always wanted. A baby; enough money to keep me in this extremely pleasant style for the rest of my life; and you to make it happen and to share it all with.
She carried the baby over to the big window that opened onto the deck and stepped outside into the warm night air. “The view is beautiful from here.”
“It’s pretty good from where I’m standing too.”
He kissed the nape of her neck. “Why don’t you put Junior to bed and then we can enjoy the rest of the evening.”
She took the baby to his crib and returned to join her lover on the deck. They made love under the stars.
When they’d finished she went to take a shower.
He ran over the past few months in his mind. There had been errors and although Starsky had nearly died Hutch was unharmed and he’d managed to arrest Gunther. What neither of them understood was that even Gunther was not the ultimate head of the organization. And it was that person who was giving the orders now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chapter Eight

(Hutch’s POV)

When I saw the car door slam open and hit Starsky in the side of the head, my heart skipped a beat. As he crumpled to the ground, the car engine roared to life and the vehicle sped away. I noticed that the second car appeared to be empty as I ran to check on my fallen partner.

Starsky was unconscious and didn’t respond to me so I immediately yelled at a woman going into the restaurant on the ground floor of my building to call an ambulance. I saw the nasty looking knot at Starsky’s temple that was swelling and turning black and blue. I knew Starsky had a hard head so I prayed it wasn’t too serious.

At the hospital I was relieved when the doctor said Starsky had a mild concussion. He wanted to keep him there for a couple of days just to be on the safe side and had ordered him sedated for the rest of the day so he would stay quiet and rest. I went back to Starsky’s place to get him some clothes and dropped them back off at the hospital. Starsky was out of it so I didn’t stay long.

I had the license number from the second car at the scene and wanted to find out who the vehicle was registered to. Maybe that would tell us who was behind whatever was going on. I had spoken to Starsky briefly before the doctor sedated him and he didn’t really get a chance to see anyone in the car that had left the scene but he did say that he thought he had heard a baby crying. Could Kira have been in that car? I needed to find her and find out what the hell she had to do with this whole mess.

I was surprised when the car I checked out came back as being registered to a woman who lived out past Malibu named Janet Webb. I placed a call to Ms. Webb who told me that she had reported her car stolen the day before. She agreed to talk to me in person and I immediately headed for Malibu.

Ms. Webb lived in a secluded beach front property outside of Malibu with no close neighbors. She was an attractive woman in her late thirties with long black hair and big brown eyes. I listened as she explained that she had been visiting her sister in Ventura and had come home the day before to find her car missing. She had immediately reported it as stolen. Since she had been gone for a few days, she had no idea when it was stolen.

She was very cooperative and polite. When she offered me a glass of lemonade, I didn’t want to appear to be rude, so I accepted. That was a mistake. I had only taken a few sips when I started feeling dizzy and lightheaded. Next thing I knew, the floor was coming up to smack me in the face.

I woke up in jail cell in Ventura County with a burly cop with an attitude telling me that I was charged with rape and assault. My alleged victim was Janet Webb, who was in the hospital in serious condition. I knew then that I had been set up. The only problem was how was I going to prove it?

I was sitting in my cell, feeling like an idiot, when I heard loud voices coming from the upstairs office. Voices I knew intimately. Starsky and Captain Dobey. I bounced to my feet as the two of them came down the steps to my cell and peered at me through the bars. I was overjoyed to see them and hoped they could get me the hell out of this place. It wasn’t any fun being on the opposite side of those bars.

“Hutchinson, what the hell is going on here?” Dobey demanded gruffly

“I wish the hell I knew, Cap.” I told him. “I went to question the woman that one of the cars in front of my apartment was registered to and I woke up in here.”

“Janet Webb.” Starsky said, filling in the name. “The same woman who is in the hospital in serious condition. The woman you supposedly raped.”

“I was set up!” I snapped defensively. “She gave me a glass of lemonade that knocked me out! I don’t know what happened and Barney Fife upstairs wasn’t very anxious to tell me anything. I had to threaten him to let me have a phone call.” I sighed heavily. I knew that neither Starsky nor Captain Dobey believed that I had actually raped somebody. I needed to know what evidence the local police had against me. “What kind of evidence do they have?”

“The woman for one. Apparently, she gave the officers a statement at the hospital.” Dobey said. “She claims you attacked her when she told you to leave her house because you made unwanted advances towards her while questioning her about her stolen vehicle.”

“There’s also a witness. A boyfriend who claims he was in the bedroom and heard her screaming. He says he ran out and found you raping her. He said he hit you over the head with a statuette to stop you.” Starsky said, his voice tightly controlled, his anger barely held in check. “His name is Tony Marcellie, pretty young boy toy if you catch my drift. I’m gonna run a check on him for any previous wants or warrants.”

“You gotta get me outta here.” I said anxiously. I locked eyes with Starsky. I couldn’t watch his back from behind bars and he couldn’t watch mine. Somebody was trying to separate us so they could go after us one at a time.

“I’m working on it.” Dobey said gruffly. “But it’s gonna take some time and a sympathetic judge who will be willing to listen to our side of the story. So far, the only evidence they have against you is the boyfriend’s statement and the woman’s version of what happened. But, apparently, Ms. Webb is a very influential citizen with some very powerful friends.”

I sank down on the edge of my bunk and buried my face in my hands. I got the distinct feeling that I was really being screwed. I took a deep breath and looked back at Starsky and the Captain. “Do what you have to do but get me out of here…please.” I looked at Starsky “And you be careful. They could try to set you up next.”

“Ain’t gonna happen.” Starsky said with that cocky confidence of his. “But, if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll lay low somewhere else besides my place for a while.”

“I think you both better lay low someplace else once we get Hutch out of here.” Dobey said ominously.

Their conversation was interrupted by the deputy sheriff that Hutch had dubbed Barney Fife. Strutting up to Starsky and Dobey, he said, “Okay, it’s time for you two to leave now.”

“We’ll be back.” Dobey said, ignoring the Deputy’s order. “And we will get you out of here.”

“Count on it.” Starsky said, glaring at the Deputy sullenly. I could tell that Starsky was on a short fuse and I hoped the Deputy wasn’t stupid enough to light it.

“Come on! I said out!” the Deputy said, making the mistake of reaching out to grab Starsky’s arm to move him along. Two seconds later, he was on the floor, looking up into the outraged eyes of my partner. Dobey quickly took Starsky’s arm and led him towards the stairway that led to the office before the situation escalated any further.

“Come on, Dave. Let’s go talk to the judge.” Dobey said, ignoring the deputy sitting awkwardly on the floor.

The Deputy pushed himself to his feet with a scowl. “You’re gonna pay for that, boy!” he yelled at Starsky’s retreating back, but he was smart enough not to follow my hot headed partner up the stairs to confront him. I tried unsuccessfully to hide a smirk as the Deputy turned to glare at me. “Your friends ain’t gonna get you outta here that easy, scumbag.” A thin smile crawled across his scrawny face. “And I’m gonna make sure you remember your little stay with us.” He turned and stomped up the steps, nursing his wounded pride and his bruised backside.

Hurrying to the front door, he looked out in time to see Starsky and Captain Dobey leaving the building. Walking over to a desk in the corner, he picked up the phone and dialed a familiar number.

“Starsky and his Captain just left. They’re looking for a judge to spring Hutchinson.”

“That’ll take them a while. In the meantime, make sure ‘our guest’ enjoys his stay. And make sure they don’t find Marcellie.” A gravely voice ordered from the other end of the line.

“What are we gonna do if they find out the woman in the hospital isn’t Janet Webb?”

“You better make sure they don’t find that out…at least not just yet. The real Janet Webb isn’t due back in the states for another week, so we’re safe until then.”

Chapter Nine
(Starsky’s POV)

Hutch looked so defeated sitting in that cell but he perked up as soon as he saw me and Dobey. I had to keep back a giggle when he referred to the deputy as Barney Fife. Hutch explained that he’d been to this Ms Webb’s house and it was pretty secluded. She said that she’d reported the car stolen when she’d got back from a trip and the she’d given him a spiked lemonade. I made a mental note to check out whether the lady was in the habit of taking the kind of trips that don’t actually mean leaving the house.
The Deputy was a swaggering ass-hole who seemed to think he was running a jail house in Hicksville. I was edgy enough and when he started implying that Hutch was lying I lashed out. Dobey had to get me out of there before I gave him a second dose for calling me ‘boy’.

I hated leaving Hutch there but even Dobey had no authority over Barney Bear; we were out of our jurisdiction and that my friends, as the man used to say, is that.

Dobey and I headed back for his car; I could tell something wasn’t right; the crowd was whistling and I wasn’t the guy running to the line with the ball. I turned to take one last look at the Deputy and saw that he was making a call. It was the look on his face that set my thumbs a-pricking; either he was calling a girlfriend that his wife didn’t know about…or he was in on it. Trouble was I still didn’t know what ‘it’ was.

“Captain; we didn’t ask for a copy of Marcellie’s statement.” I said as we were opening the car doors. “I’ll go back and ask for it; I promise to be polite.”
“Get in the car Dave. We don’t really even have the right to ask for that; I’ll get the union lawyer on to it as soon as we get back.”
I knew he was right.
“OK. But could we just swing by the hospital again; I’d like to ask Ms Webb something.”
“Starsky, you know the law as well as I do. You have no jurisdiction in Ventura County and without the Sheriff’s agreement you can’t question a witness; let alone a victim! And after you decked his deputy, I don’t think the Sheriff is going to look too kindly on your request.”

I was thinking while he drove us back to town. I had an idea and I asked him to drop me off at my place.
As soon as he was out of sight I set off back to Malibu.

I stopped at the little shopping center where the post office is situated and I couldn’t help remembering the last time Hutch and I had been there. The day Colby tricked us into delivering him straight to his prey. I looked up Ms Webb’s name in the ‘phone book and asked the clerk for directions.

I turned off the road and I heard that whistle again. Hutch and I have had two cases in the past few years where we had to come to this part of Malibu. Once when the original nutty professor was killing his ex-students to prove his thesis and once when we came after John.
The track was lined with eucalyptus trees and the whistle turned into a roaring crowd.
It’s amazing. Hutch is a really good cop but sometimes he can be really unobservant! I mean you’d think that he’d remember a place where an ex-friend had nearly killed him. But obviously he didn’t; because Ms Webb’s house was the same house that Warren Karpel was living in when the FBI had him under wraps.

I checked to make sure that there was no-one around. This was a crime scene after all, and as Dobey had told me twice, I was out of my jurisdiction. The kitchen was all mussed up and it was plain that someone had put up a fight. I went around to the next window and looked in. No sign of any lemonade glasses; but there were two dirty wine glasses and someone had used the fireplace. I remembered that the toy boy was supposed to have been a witness.
I was going back to the car when I noticed that the trash can had been knocked over – probably a dog scavenging for the left-overs. I picked it up and was about to put the lid back when I saw what was inside. I knew that Marcellie was a lot younger than Ms Webb; but I didn’t think he still needed diapers!

I drove back to the city keeping a close check on the rear view. I didn’t have a tail this time.

All the way back up the track it was needling me; why would there be diapers in the lady’s trashcan? I decided to find out more about Ms Webb and to hell with the book, I headed for the hospital.
The doctor who had been on duty when they brought her in wasn’t there, but big surprise…the doc in charge of her case had a problem. He led me into his office.
“I don’t know who this woman is, Officer Starsky,” he said, “but she isn’t Janet Webb.”
Well a baby could have floored me.
“Put that past me again, please Doc. I had a bad bang on the head the other day and I’m maybe not reacting as fast as I should.”
He smiled. “I’m sure your reactions are just fine detective. I’ve known Janet Webb for a long time, ever since she semi-retired here to Malibu.”

“Semi-retired?!” I don’t know if I said it as loud as it was ringing around my head; but that was one hell of a revelation.

He went on to tell me that Ms Webb was a highly respected lady in the world of anthropology. She had tenure at Berkeley before she moved down to this end of the state. She is always going off to lecture some big-shot conference about the pre-Columbian natives of America and she was away, doing just that in Copenhagen, Denmark. When she isn’t traveling the world she’s a member of just about every local committee and group you can think of. In other words she’s a model citizen.
I asked him if he knew when Ms Webb would be back…he told me that she would be away for another week at least.

I was still digesting all this when he hit me with the second revelation. Our mystery imposter had not been raped!

Now I was flying against all the winds. Hutch was in a Sheriff’s jail accused of rape and this doc is telling me that not only is his victim and imposter but she wasn’t raped either. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry to be honest. I mean I’ve seen all the procedures they go through when a woman is brought in for rape. God knows I’ve held enough victims’ hands – including poor little Leslie Slate. They check for all kinds of things…so how could they say that a woman had been raped when she wasn’t?
“Who did the examination? What were the results?” I asked the doc. He looked in the file and stared at me. “There’s no record in here.”
“That’s not possible. She was in this hospital and apparently in a shocked state after being attacked and raped and there’s no record of an examination!”
He agreed to see what he could find out; he made a couple of calls there and then and after the second one he looked really worried. “I just have to check something out.” He made a third call and he hit the loudspeaker button so I could hear what was going on.

“Personnel department, how can I help you?”
“This is Doctor Morrison; I’ve just got back from a vacation and I need to know when a certain Doctor Colbin was hired.”
“One moment….we have no record of any Dr Colbin. . Which department is he working in?
“Emergency.”
“No Doctor Morrison I’ve rechecked all files. We have no Dr. Colbin here. I’ve run through all the interns too – no-one of that name works in this hospital.”
He put the ‘phone down and looked really worried – and he had reason. A fake doctor had made a fake diagnosis in his hospital and a cop was accused of rape…the lawyers were going to be busy for a long time.

Colbin; of course! I asked him if anyone could give a description of Dr. Colbin. He called down to emergency and one of the orderlies came up with a perfect match…for John Colby.
I thanked the doc and set off back to the office to tell Dobey what I’d found out.
I was just leaving the building when the receptionist called me to her desk and handed me a ‘phone. “It’s Dr. Morrison here, Detective; the woman calling herself Ms Webb has disappeared.”

Inside my head the crowd was yelling and screaming because the other team had got another touchdown! But I’d got the ball again and I was running.

Chapter Ten

(Hutch’s POV)

After Starsky and Dobey left, I paced the confines of the tiny cell restlessly. I had to get out of here. I had a bad feeling about Starsky being out there without me to watch his back. I was so lost in my own thoughts that I didn’t notice that ‘Barney’ had come back downstairs and was standing in front of the cell staring at me. Then I noticed, the gun he was holding in his hand.

“Stand right where you are and don’t try nothing funny.” He said as he fumbled with the keys and unlocked my cell. He motioned with the gun for me to step outside. “You and me are going for a little walk.” he sneered.

I tensed up but didn’t try anything as I felt him jam the barrel of the gun in the middle of my back. I had a feeling that things were going to get real bad, real quick. “Where are we going?” I demanded, not really expecting an answer.

“Out back to the alley…you’re going to have a little accident trying to escape from custody.” He replied with a snicker.

“You’re crazy. You’ll never get away with it.” I sputtered, gasping in pain as he slammed his fist into my kidneys. I balled my hands into fists, determined not to fall into this lunatic’s trap. Gritting my teeth against the throbbing ache in my flank, I straightened up to my full height. “What if I refuse to go?”

“Then I’ll shoot you right here.” ‘Barney” snarled in my ear “Makes no difference to me one way or the other.” He jammed me in the back with the gun none too gently. “Now move, boy!”

I decided to play it by ear. Hopefully once we were out of the building, I’d be able to overpower him and escape. Raising my hands in surrender, I slowly started climbing the steps to the upper floor. The main office was deserted, no other cops in sight. I followed ‘Barney’s’ order to cross the room and exit the building through the back door that opened into the alley.

A black and white cruiser was parked just outside the door. Keeping me covered with his gun, ‘Barney’ reached out to open the rear door on the passenger’s side of the vehicle, motioning for me to get into the car.

Suddenly, the sound of gunshot rang out. Instinctively, I dropped to the ground at the sound and rolled underneath the cruiser for cover. My heart was pounding in my chest as I wiggled around to stare out from beneath the vehicle. ‘Barney’ was lying on the ground beside the car, either unconscious or dead. I held my breath when I saw a man’s legs moving towards his body. From my hiding place all I could see was his shoes, a pair of black cowboy boots, and worn denim jeans. I lay as quietly as possible, wondering if I was going to be the next one to be shot. I had no place to run and I knew that the gunman had to have seen me duck under the car. .

I watched as the man fired another shot at close range, blowing ‘Barney’s’ head apart. Calmly, without bothering to look for me, the man turned and walked away. I closed my eyes for a minute to calm my jagged nerves and waited until I was sure the shooter was gone. My guts told me that this was all part of some elaborate setup and whoever was behind it didn’t want me dead, at least not yet.

Scooting out from beneath the cruiser, I jerked open the driver’s side door and slid behind the wheel. I didn’t have any keys but, luckily, Starsky had taught me how to hotwire a car. I quickly twisted the right wires together and the engine roared to life. Without a second thought, I tromped on the accelerator and raced away from the alley. I had a sinking feeling that I was going to get ‘Barney’s’ murder pinned on me too. I had to find a safe place to hide out until I could get in touch with Starsky. It was who do we trust time and there was only one answer to that. Me and Thee.

Taking the back roads and avoiding the main highway, I drove back to Bay City and ditched the cruiser on a side street in a rundown neighborhood. Sticking to the alleys and back streets, I made my way to an apartment complex a few blocks away. Going around to the back of the building, I tapped on a set of sliding glass doors that opened onto the back patio area. After a few minutes, the heavy curtains covering the glass pulled back a little and then I heard a soft click as the occupant unlocked the doors.

“Handsome Hutch.” Sweet Alice drawled in pleasure as she opened the door and let me into her apartment. “This is a surprise. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?”

“I need your help, Alice.” I said, “I can’t explain right now but I need you to find Starsky for me and tell him I’m here.”

“You know I will, sugar.” Alice said with a smile. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”

“You could say that and the less you know about it, the better. Just find Starsky for me, okay?”

“Of course I will.” Alice said. She blushed slightly as she gestured at the way she was dressed, a long silk robe, and a revealing negligee. “I guess I better change first.”

“Not that I’m complaining about your attire but yeah, you better.” I said with a soft chuckle. Alice smiled again as she turned and disappeared into her bedroom.

Alice was a hooker that Starsky and I had known for years. She often provided us with helpful information and we looked the other way when it came to Alice’s profession. Unlike most of the other women in her profession, Alice had retained a gentle, almost childlike innocence about her combined with a southern charm that her regular customers found appealing. I genuinely liked Alice and I knew that she had a thing for me. I had never taken advantage of her and I never would. She knew that and accepted it. I think she appreciated it. She didn’t meet many gentlemen in her line of work. Starsky and I had both always treated her with respect and with dignity in spite of what she did for a living.

Alice came back out a few minutes later dressed in a simple blue tank top and a pair of blue jeans. With her long blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail, she looked like a young mother heading for the store until you looked into those blue eyes that were much too old and wise from her years on the streets.

“Make yourself at home, Handsome Hutch.” She said, using her pet name for me. “There’s food in the kitchen if you’re hungry. I’ll find Starsky for you. I promise.”

“Thanks, Alice.” I said, giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek. “Be careful. Don’t tell anybody I’m here except Starsky.”

“I won’t. You can count on me.”

I followed her to the door, securely closing and locking it behind her. Now all I could do was wait for my partner to show up. I turned off all the lights in the apartment except for a lamp sitting by the sofa. Taking Alice up on her offer, I went into the kitchen to make some coffee and see what I could find to eat.

Chapter Eleven

He was on a ‘phone booth near the Sheriff’s Office. He listened as the voice on the other end of the line spoke.
“….he’s out of the way…No, Hutchinson did exactly what I knew he’d do…No, I think we should let him get a little closer; then we can bring him down my way….You forget how well I know these two, and the little lady knows all the extra details that I don’t….I’ll be in touch after we’ve made the next move.”
He replaced the receiver and put in another dime before dialing a local code.
“It all went like clockwork. He is so predictable…oh really? What about Starsk, I’ll bet he took you by surprise more than once.” He laughed and hung up again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Starsky’s POV)

When I radioed in to Dobey he was surprised that John had chosen a name so close to his own to play doctor; but I knew different. It was a deliberate signal to me and Hutch (if we found out) that he was there. The lady remained a mystery though. She didn’t fit the description of Kira – not even if she had been wearing a wig, our ‘rape victim’ had dark hair and she was taller and heavier than Kira. So who was she and why was she involved?
I didn’t have much time to think about that one.
I parked in the Metro parking lot and ran up the steps; I was halfway up to the squad room when I remembered that I hadn’t locked the car. Well I figured that it would be OK in a police parking area. On the other hand; I’d come down there one time to find enough plastic explosive in it to blow up the entire building…so I tossed the keys to Minnie and asked her to go and lock it for me. I watched her ass sway in that tight uniform skirt she wears when she walked away – I think she does it especially for me!

Dobey and I nearly collided; he was coming out of his office faster than I think I’ve ever seen him move. Now you have to see that; I mean our beloved Captain is not exactly sylph-like.
“Starsky, I was trying to contact you!”
“I just got here Cap’n.” I tried to keep it straight-faced.
He was lumbering along the hallway and I skipped alongside him and slowed to keep with his pace – I walk faster than he can run!
“Where’s your car?” He said; he was already panting.
“In the parking lot.” Right on cue Minnie came back with the keys; she grinned and handed them to me. “I bet you just did that to watch me go down the stairs, trashy boy.”
I winked at her. I love the way she calls me that!

Dobey and I were in the car; he got his breath back and started to explain.
“Hutch has escaped. It looks like he killed that Deputy on the way out.”
I was so distracted by that I put the car in drive by accident and nearly slammed us into the wall. I flipped her into reverse and off we went.

We were about to turn onto the freeway to get us out of the city traffic when Mildred’s voice cut through our thoughts.
“Starsky where are you?”
I glanced out of the window and told her our position.
“I just had a call from Huggy; he says Alice is looking for you and it’s important.”
Dobey looked at me. He knew who Alice was and I guess he was thinking what I was thinking. I checked the mirrors then whipped the car round in a neat one-eighty. Dobey’s breath whistled between his teeth.

I parked in the alley behind The Pits and Dobey followed me in.
Huggy indicated a booth. We don’t often get to see Alice when she’s off-duty, so to speak, and I almost didn’t recognize her. She looked like a suburban housewife who had dropped in to get a coffee before getting the kids from school. Except no self-respecting housewife would be in The Pits and the nearest school is twenty blocks away.
“Hutch is at my place.” She said in that breathy whisper of hers. “He needs you Starsky. He wouldn’t tell me what trouble he’s in, but I could tell it’s bad. He just looks awful”

I tossed a few coins on the bar in passing to pay for Alice’s coffee and the three of us made our way to our cars. As I pulled out of the alley I saw that she was already on her way and that she had company.
I don’t think Dobey had noticed at first but when the car between us took the third turn behind Alice he glanced at me.
“I already spotted it Captain. The next intersection is a two-lane left turn and Alice is going to turn – I can get alongside and see who’s in the car.”
Sure enough at the next intersection the lights obliged. Alice was to my left and I slid past her tail to take up position alongside her. I tried to see the driver of the other car, but the windows were up and they were tinted. Alice looked over to me and I made a slight gesture with my head to tell her to look in her rear-view. She did and understood. She may come over like little Miss Innocence; but Alice wasn’t born yesterday and she’s been through the mill enough to know when there’s trouble behind her. The guy behind me honked because the light had changed while we were exchanged meaningful looks. We both took the left turn and I pulled over to force the tail to stay behind me. The impatient driver was up alongside me straight off and for a moment I thought he was going to do something dumb but he held speed for a second before pulling away. Without knowing it this boy-racer had helped me block the tail.

We pulled up outside Alice’s building and the tail drove on past and around the corner.
“You go in with Alice, Captain.” I said. “I’m going to see what happens next.”

The guy from the pool service was working on the filters. I ducked down between his truck and the hedge and waited.

It wasn’t John. I couldn’t make out who she was but I had a pretty good idea; the fake Ms Webb. She went over to my car and I saw her put something under the wheel arch. My blood ran cold. I waited until I heard her car door close and walked as calmly as I could to see what my little gift could be.

I ran my fingers under the wheel arch; careful to only use the tips to touch anything I made contact with in case I detonated something. No wires; that was a relief. I knelt down and had a good look. It was a simple tracking device. I know it’s an old cliché, the kind of thing they do in those dumb cop shows on the TV; but we really do some of those things now and then. I put the bug on the pool maintenance truck and hurried in to Alice’s door.

Hutch looked awful. He obviously hadn’t slept much; he was haggard and not for the first time I thought that most people would be amazed to know that I’m six months up on him…right now he looked about ten years older than me. He’d shaved at least. Hutch with a two day growth looks like a wino!

He told us what had happened. How Barney Bear was going to set it up to look like Hutch had tried to escape but someone else had changed the script without telling him.
“It doesn’t matter.” I said gently. He was nearly hysterical; somehow he was convinced that this attempt to frame him was going to work.

“It does matter Starsk! I’m accused of rape and now they’ll add shooting a deputy. And I have blood on my shirt. Don’t tell me it doesn’t matter. If you don’t get this sorted out, I’m dead…sentenced or not!”

I noticed the blood for the first time.

I put a hand on his arm and grinned. “Shirt? What shirt? I don’t see a shirt. Do you see a shirt, Captain?”
Dobey frowned and then he got it. “No; seems to me Hutch didn’t get a chance to finish dressing when he was taken out if his cell.”
Hutch caught on. When he’s panicky he can be a bit slow. He took off the shirt and handed it to Alice. I grabbed it. “It’s not worth cleaning Hutch; you’ve been wearing it for years.” I looked out of the window. It was pool day for this building but next door it was garden day and the little Mexican who was clearing the shrubs had started a small bonfire. I slipped out of the sliding door and strolled out to my car. I ducked down and snuck into the next-door garden and pushed the shirt deep into the pile of leaves and twigs and stuff.

When I got back Dobey and Hutch were in deep conversation. Hutch hadn’t seen the gunman but we both had a pretty good idea who it was.

“You can’t stay here.” I said. “Alice had company coming over here; someone figured you’d come to her. They put a bug on my car; but I’ve taken care of that.”

Hutch stared at me with those limpid pale blue eyes. “What do you mean ‘someone figured I’d come to her’? Colby knows us well enough…but he doesn’t know about all our snitches.”

“Colby doesn’t; but Kira does.” He took a while to digest it. “Remember,” I said,” when we were working the dance hall you suggested that if all else failed we could ask Alice to take a job there too.”
He nodded.

“The best way to get you out of here safely is to make it look like we believe the story so far.” I fished my cuffs out of my back pocket.
Hutch looked at me balefully and put his hands behind his back.

I eased Hutch into the back of the Torino and released his wrists. I drove like a grandmother back to the station…I didn’t want to make things more uncomfortable for him than I had to.

We went down to the locker room so that Hutch could change into the clean clothes he kept down there for emergencies.

When we got back upstairs Dobey was waiting in the squad room. The Chief was alongside him and Dobey did not look happy. Chief Patterson is a bastard; sorry but he is. He never did like us and he seems to take a delight in seeing one of us in trouble. “If you won’t do it Dobey, I will.”

He walked over to Hutch and nodded to Baker who was looking kind of sheepish. Before I could do anything Baker had put the cuffs on Hutch and Patterson was saying.
“Kenneth Hutchinson, you are under arrest for rape, attempted prison evasion and the murder of a police officer; you have the right to remain silent. If you give up that right anything you say can and will be used in evidence against you….”

Dobey put a hand on my arm and shook his head. “I couldn’t do anything to warn you. Patterson was already here when I came up to my office. He showed me the warrant. It’s up to you now Starsky.”

I watched helplessly as Baker took Hutch down to be booked.
But it wasn’t over yet. Patterson turned to me and Dobey. “I want you two in my office NOW.” He left the room.

Dobey and I followed him up to the eighth floor.

“Close the door.” He said
Dobey and I stood in front of his desk – a sixth sense told us both that we were not invited to take a seat. I realized that I had assumed “attention” and Dobey was standing straight too.
“You two are both suspended. I want your guns and badges on my desk now.
You are lucky that I haven’t had you arrested for aiding and abetting a fugitive.” As he spoke he picked up a plastic sack from the floor beside him. “I think you recognize this, Starsky.” He pulled out the half-burned shirt. The blood stain was still there.

Now I have to tell you about Patterson. I said just now he’s a bastard; but that’s not all. He’s an asshole too. Most Police Chiefs get there because they are good cops. They worked through promotion to be Captains and then got to be eligible for Chief of Police. Most of them have come up through the ranks of the department that they end up running. Not Patterson, oh no! Everyone in the city knows how Patterson got to be Chief of Police of Bay City. And I don’t think many of the cops in the city have much respect for him. We all know that he never went out into the streets. He went from one desk job to another and then he hit pay dirt. He married the daughter of an ambitious state politician. And the politician took Patterson up the ladder on his coat-tails. When his father-in-law got to be a representative in Sacramento, Patterson got to be a lieutenant. He got his Captain’s badge when pa-in-law made state senate…and when the old man swapped a state senate seat for one in Washington guess who got to be chief when Ryan dropped dead unexpectedly.
Hutch and I though maybe we’d killed Ryan – we’d just pulled off one of our craziest assignments and when he saw a photo of Mr. Marlene with his sexy blond curls the chief laughed so much he went redder than a boiled beetroot.
Patterson wouldn’t laugh if a joke dropped in front of him. He saw that photo and he’d heard how we are closer than most cops…so he jumped to his own dirty-minded conclusion and he’s been after our asses ever since. Hey that was funny, I’d laugh if I wasn’t so goddamn mad about what happened.

So there he was holding up the shirt and looking at me like if he could he’d pull the switch in person he’d do it with pleasure. He bared his teeth (I think maybe he was smiling) and said “perhaps you can explain what you thought you were doing Starsky.”

Well I guess most people know that I was never one to suffer fools gladly – and that was proof of what a fool this man was. I counted to ten (fast) and took a deep breath.
I cleared my throat and stood to attention. “I was hoping to destroy the false evidence, sir.”
That threw him.
“What do you mean ‘false evidence’? This is Hutchinson’s shirt, isn’t it?”
Dobey cleared his throat too and Patterson must have forgotten that he was still there.
“You can go, Dobey.” I’ll give the Captain all the credit. He left the room immediately. As he passed me he whispered, “come straight over to my house when he’s finished with you.”
I looked Patterson in the eye. “I meant what I said, sir. That is false evidence; it’s going to be used as false-witness against Hutch.”

“Starsky I know that you and Hutchinson are very good friends…”
Jeez; you should have heard the way he said those three words…made it sound like we made out in the back of Torino in the police garage! I kept staring straight ahead…good soldier Starsky!
“…but you must realize that Hutchinson escaped, a deputy is dead and his blood is on Hutchinson’s shirt. As a cop; and you are apparently a good and efficient cop, what would you say if this shirt had been given to you as evidence? Forget that we are talking about your friend and answer my question.”
He did it again; I’ve never heard the word ‘friend’ made to sound dirty before.
“Well sir the first thing I’d so is have the shirt checked to be sure that it is Barney…I mean the deputy’s blood on that shirt.”
“Then why didn’t you do so instead of trying to burn it?”
Good question; why didn’t I. Another alarm whistle ran across the stadium.
“I…uh…I guess I wasn’t thinking straight sir.” I regretted that saying ‘straight’ as soon as I saw the sneer on his face.
“And,” I said slowly, “I also remembered that Hutch is innocent until proved guilty.”
He looked at me carefully. “Yes. Very well, I’ll have the blood analyzed. But that doesn’t let you off the hook Starsky. You may go. Oh and by the way; I’ve given orders that you are not to be allowed access to Hutchinson until he comes to trial.”

That was it! I was dismissed. I stopped by the squad room to take a couple things out of my desk and went down to my car and drove over to Dobey’s place.

Dobey is the perfect Captain. He sticks by his men whatever goes down. I’ve seen him stick his neck out for me and Hutch a couple of times – and for other guys in the precinct – but this time he was as far up shit creek as Hutch and I were – and none of us had a paddle in the canoe.
He led me into his den and offered me a drink; I don’t really drink much other than beer and wine but right now a whisky seemed like a good idea. He poured generous slugs and we sat down to see if we could get some sense into the day’s events.

I filled him in about Kira and Colby. As soon as I mentioned her name his face froze in an expression as near to hatred as I’ve seen.
“What bugs me Captain is that someone is pulling strings from very high up and right now I can’t figure out who, or why.”
“Neither can I Dave; but suspended or not; you and I are going to clear Hutch. Do you keep a spare gun at home?”
I could see he was surprised when I said ‘no’. “But I guess I forgot to hand over the rifle in the Torino!”
He grinned and went over to his desk. He unlocked a drawer and took out a small pistol (a lady’s special) and a .45. He handed me the .45. “It will be easier to hide under your jacket than a rifle.” He then made a call and twenty minutes later Judge Larsson was making out our permits. He listened to what I had to say and asked me the obvious question. “How did Patterson get a hold of that shirt?”
That’s when I knew that my tail hadn’t left…she’d been watching us all the time. Alice! Larsson arranged to have her put under twenty-four hour guard. I prayed that it wasn’t too late.

Chapter Twelve

(Hutch’s POV)

I paced the floor in Alice’s living room as I waited for her to return. I smiled broadly when I heard the familiar roar of the Torino’s engine out front. Thank God! She had found Starsky. Alice came into the apartment, followed by Captain Dobey. Before I could ask where Starsky was, he came in with that cocky strut of his. We exchanged a silent glance.

What’s going on, Hutch?

I wish I knew, pal.

We better find out quick. Things are starting to get complicated.

“What happened at the jail, Hutch?” Dobey asked, getting right to the point. “How did the deputy end up dead?”

“He was going to make it look like I tried to escape so he could shoot me but before he could, somebody shot him.” I explained.

“Where were you?”

“I crawled under the car as soon as I heard the shot, so I never saw the shooter. Just his feet. He was wearing black cowboy boots and blue jeans. He came up beside the car to finish the job. I thought for sure I was next. I know he saw me duck under the car but he finished off the deputy and then took off. So, I hotwired the cruiser and got out of there as quick as I could. Then I came here and asked Alice to find Starsky for me.” I tried to calm down but my anxiety leaked out like a sieve. “Whoever is trying to frame me is going all out to make it stick! I’m gonna end up in prison for something I didn’t do!”

“I doesn’t matter.” Starsky said gently, trying to soothe my ragged nerves but I was having none of it.

“It does matter Starsk! I’m accused of rape and now they’ll add shooting a deputy to that charge.” I argued, my voice raising loudly. “And I have blood on my shirt. Don’t tell me it doesn’t matter. If you don’t get this sorted out, I’m dead…sentenced or not!”

Starsky smiled and put his hand on my arm. “Shirt? What shirt? I don’t see a shirt. Do you see a shirt, Captain?”

Dobey frowned and then he understood what Starsky was getting at. “No; seems to me Hutch didn’t get a chance to finish dressing before he was taken out if his cell.”
Trying to control my rising panic, I took off my shit and handed it to Alice without thinking. Starsky grabbed it. “It’s not worth cleaning Hutch; you’ve been wearing it for years.” He turned and slipped out the sliding door onto the patio with the shirt in his hand.

“Hutch,” Dobey said gruffly “Do you have any idea who the gunman was?”

“John Colby. Who else?” I said with a snort. “That son of a bitch is arrogant enough to think he can get away with this.”

“Starsky and I did find out that the doctor who signed off on the victim’s alleged rape was an imposter.” Dobey said “And it seems like she’s disappeared from the hospital.” After a moment, he added, “By the way, she was an imposter too. The real Ms. Webb is out of the country.”

“Fuck!” I exclaimed in a frustrated voice. “What the hell is going on here, Cap?”

“Don’t worry, we’ll get to the bottom of this.” Starsky said as he came back into the living room in time to hear the end of our conversation. “But, you can’t stay here. Alice had company coming over here; someone figured you’d come to her. They put a bug on my car; but I’ve taken care of that.”

I stared at my partner in disbelief. “What do you mean ‘someone figured I’d come to her’? Colby knows us well enough…but he doesn’t know about all our snitches.”

“Colby doesn’t; but Kira does.” Starsky reminded me solemnly. Remember, when we were working the dance hall you suggested that if all else failed we could ask Alice to take a job there too.” I nodded. I had forgotten about that. When Kira had asked me later who Alice was, I had told her. “The best way to get you out of here safely is to make it look like we believe the story so far.” Starsky said, fishing his cuffs out of his back pocket.

I looked at Starsky balefully and then turned around, putting my hands behind my back. I knew he was right. If Alice’s apartment was being watched, we had to make it look realistic. Starsky locked the cuffs around my wrists, then took my arm to gently guide me from the apartment and out to the Torino. As soon as I was settled into the backseat, he leaned into the back to unlock the cuffs, freeing my wrists.

Starsky used his ‘compromise speed’ on the ride back to the station. Any other time I would have teased him about it, but at the moment I was too distracted by my own fears. When we reached headquarters, we went down to the locker room so I could change into the extra set of clothes I kept in my locker for emergencies.

When we got back upstairs, Dobey was waiting in the squad room. The Chief was alongside him and Dobey did not look happy. Chief Patterson is a real prick. He’d had it in for me and Starsky from day one. He never did like us and he always seems to be trying to find a way to get rid of us. So far, he hasn’t succeeded but the way things were going, he just might get his wish this time. He glared at me and Starsky like a sharp circling its prey. “If you won’t do it Dobey, I will.” He said smugly.

He walked over to me and nodded to another officer in the room, Jim Baker, who was looking like he wanted to be anywhere else but here. Before I knew what was happening, Baker was putting cuffs on me and Patterson was saying in a satisfied voice, “Kenneth Hutchinson, you are under arrest for rape, attempted prison evasion and the murder of a police officer; you have the right to remain silent. If you give up that right anything you say can and will be used in evidence against you….”

I listened numbly as Patterson finished reciting the Miranda Rights. A part of my mind wanted to shut down, while another part of me instantly sought my partner’s eyes. I could see that Starsky was ready to lose it. I hoped that he didn’t do anything stupid or he would end up in the cell next to me. I gave a barely noticeable nod, telling him silently that it was okay. I would be okay. We exchanged one last look as Baker took my arm and led me out of the Captain’s office.

As the door shut behind us, Baker said softly, “I’m sorry, Hutch. I’m just following the Chief’s orders. For what it’s worth, most of the guys in the department are on your side. “

“Thanks, Jim.” I said. I was grateful for his words of support but I still felt self- conscious as I was led out of the squad room and through the hallway to the elevator in cuffs, walking past the same people I had worked with for years. I saw some of them looking at me with looks of pity, an emotion that I hate, especially when it’s directed at me.

We took the elevator down to the basement holding cells where I was officially booked, fingerprinted, and forced to change from my regular clothes into an orange jail uniform. I knew I would be held here until my arraignment where a judge would decide if I would be granted bail or not until I went to trial on the charges against me.
Somehow, I didn’t think my chance of getting bail was very likely.

I was put into a cell by myself, standard procedure in cases like mine. My life expectancy would be cut short if I was put in with the other prisoners. I knew if I was convicted and sent to prison, I would be a target for every con in the place. In prison, a cop is on the same level as a child molester. Depending on the guards, I could end up spending my entire sentence in solitary confinement for my own safety or I could be thrown into the general population and left to take my chances.

As the cell door slammed closed behind me, I slumped down on the narrow bunk and buried my face in my hands. How had things gotten so out of control so fast? Why were Colby and Kira out to get me and Starsky? Colby’s motives I could understand. We’d busted him and sent him to prison. But, Kira’s motives were more elusive. Was she so bitter because we finally saw through her little game and called her on it, or because one of us had gotten her pregnant, that she wanted to destroy us?

I had a feeling that Colby and Kira were just the tip of the iceberg. Somebody with both power and money was pulling the strings and giving them their orders. I hoped that Starsky could get to the bottom of this and get me out of here before it was too late. But, I was worried too. I was terrified because he was out there on his own without me to watch his back and, this time, there was nothing I could do about it.

Chapter Thirteen

Colby was smiling as he poured the wine. Kira was looking particularly beautiful that evening; it was a pity that he was going to have to do what he had to do one of these days.

The baby cried and she sighed and went to see what he needed. Colby followed softly. He was getting quite fond of the kid although he hadn’t believed her for one minute when she’d told him who the father was. It was all too convenient to be true; but it suited them both right now. And more to the point it suited San Francisco.

This was the first time he’d taken a job for this particular organization. He knew that they only took the best. Their last attempt to get rid of Starsky and Hutch had failed. As soon as the old man was out of jail they contacted him.
“Mr. Colby we have a job for you. You know those two detectives very well; I believe”
“Better than most people. What do you want me to do?”
“Destroy them; make sure that they are not heroes and then eliminate them.”
He’d seen the news a few years back. He had to admit that it came as a shock to learn that Starsky was fighting for his life after an attack in the police garage; but any sympathy he might have had for the other two musketeers had gone the day they’d arrested him for trying to take out Karpel.
So now the same people were asking him to finish the job. It would be a pleasure.
“There’s another little matter you can deal with at the same time, Colby: kill three birds with one stone as it were.” He’d listened attentively to the story of the female cop who was only too willing to open her legs to further the organization’s cause; but she’d blown it too. She had been employed to split them up, make them vulnerable, so that it would be easy to kill first one and then the other; but she had failed in her mission. Now there was a further complication; Kira was pregnant and the father of her child wanted her out of the way.
“Let me put it like this, Mr. Colby; the child will be properly taken care of… but his mother is an embarrassment.”

It had been easy enough to seduce Kira. He had all the good looks and charm necessary and as soon as he’d let a finger wander along her inner thigh he knew that she’d give him everything he wanted. He was able to play on her fury against Starsky and Hutch. He pretended to believe her when she said that one of them was the father of the child that was making her belly swell. He promised to stay with her; to give the child a good home and be a father to the baby. “After all, I’m kind of like an honorary uncle anyway.” They’d laughed. “I wonder if they’d see it that way,” she said. “Who cares?”

He’d taken his time. He watched them carefully as Starsky made what seemed like a miraculous recovery and was back on the streets as if nothing had happened only five months after the shooting.
He’d learned everything he could. He knew which snitches they used regularly. He already knew about Huggy, Alice was an added bonus. He followed them and kept an eye on their every move. He started to see how he was going to bring them down. Since Starsky had come so close to his appointment with the Grim Reaper Colby decided to destroy Hutch first; and bring Starsky down as he ran around trying to save his partner’s reputation - and his life.
The baby was born and Colby slipped happily into the role of loving father. Some people think that all hookers have a heart of gold; few expect a cold hit-man to have one too. But the baby won Colby over, lock stock and barrel. In fact he was beginning to have to remind himself that it was just a pawn in the greater game, and the baby’s mother was the queen there to trap the two knights and send them flying off the board. Once she had served her purpose the child could be handed over to its paternal family to be brought up in the lap of luxury.
So he waited, bided his time, until the day he was ready to move.
“I think it’s time to let our friends know that junior exists.” And Kira had gone to The Pits.

Now the plan was beginning to move along nicely. Hutch was in jail and his life was at risk in more ways than one. A cop doesn’t stand much chance if he’s behind bars with people he put there. So far he was in solitary for his own protection….but moves were being made to put an end to that. The organization had people everywhere they were needed; and they had someone waiting for the day Hutch was sent to share his cell.

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(Starsky’s POV)

There was something else bugging me; Kira had turned up at The Pits but since then – nothing, nada, not a word. No call telling us where to find her, no more visits to see Huggy. If one of us was the father why didn’t she confront us? Things were beginning to fall into place in my mind…Colby was using her too. And that meant that ultimately she could be in danger – unless of course he was the baby’s father and anything seemed possible to me right now.

I put that to one side and went back to giving the situation Hutch was in my full attention.
Dobey was sipping his whisky and looking worried. I was just about to mention another thing that I’d been wondering when Edith called us to the supper table.

Edith Dobey is a wonderful cook. She makes all those good things that my Aunt Rosa messes up by trying to make them exotic. Today she’d made us fried chicken and sweet potatoes and everything else to go with it.
She served us all with chicken and then told the kids to hand the other dishes around. I guess I served myself, but I couldn’t help thinking of what Hutch was probably going through right now.
Rosie was sitting next to me “Mommy, Uncle Dave is playing with his food.” Rosie’s little voice brought me back to where I was
“David are you sick?” Edith asked with mock concern.
I looked at my plate. I must have been fidgeting the food around with my fork because just about everything was piled up on the edge.
“I’m sorry Edith, I guess I’m not really very hungry right now.”
Dobey and I excused ourselves – he hadn’t eaten much either – and went back to the den.

“Someone is pulling the strings, Captain, and we need to find out who before Hutch ends up in jail for life…or worse.”
He looked at me carefully.
“What are you thinking Starsky?”
“Unfinished business.”
“You’re going to have to explain that to me.”

I outlined what I’d been thinking. How it was odd that Kira hadn’t tried to contact me or Hutch since she turned up in The Pits; how Colby seemed to know our every move even before we made them and how someone with enough influence was pulling strings way up above our heads. “And I’m beginning to think I know who it might be.”
“Who”
“Suppose I take a little trip to San Francisco, Captain.”
“Why not? You’re suspended, no reason why you shouldn’t take a little break.” He smiled. I went to the kitchen and helped Edith with the dishes to make up for not eating her good food. I had to go and read Miss Rosie-Posie a story before I could finally escape; but the sentence was an easy one compared with what Hutch was doing.

I didn’t book a flight, I just turned up at the airport with my cash and an overnight bag and caught the first flight available. Just to play safe I registered in a false name…it wasn’t very original but I’d done it before to good effect. Mike Durniak took the ten fifteen flight to San Francisco – he didn’t buy a return ticket.

Dobey had contacted the local cops and told them what was going on. We had a good relationship with one of the Captains and Dobey went straight to him. He’d helped Hutch get to Gunther the last time; and they’d given us co-operation years ago when Hutch and I had brought the woman we thought was a local hood’s daughter to LA the scenic route. I took a taxi to the police headquarters and they set me up with a gun and a shield; I kept the alias in case someone in the state administration was looking out for me. They story was that I was on loan from New York if any one asked. As far as I know no-one asked.
Captain Phelps was a nice guy; a white Dobey (and just about as fat). I wonder if I’ll live long enough to end up a Captain; and whether getting fat goes with the job.
Phelps had a few interesting bits of information for me; a couple of routine identifications – replacements for those who had been dismissed or eliminated by Gunther. But the real goodie was that Gunther himself was not the big chief just another Indian.

“Do you have any idea who is at the top of the tree?”
“We are pretty certain; and if we are right I’m not surprised that your partner is in jail.”
The crowd hooted and whistled.
“A Senator?”
“Higher up than that.”
I whistled. “The only place higher than the Senate is the White House.” Phelps must have followed my reasoning.
“Yes; but don’t worry, our enemy only goes into the Oval Office when asked to.”
All the same, I just learned that I was up against someone very, very powerful.

“I don’t get it. I mean what have Hutch and I ever done to get someone in Washington after our tails?”
Phelps pushed a file over to me and I opened it. “Holy Shit!”

A few years back Hutch and I had dismantled a cocaine operation that had bases in Hawaii, the Caribbean and Mexico. We’d probably traveled more in those few weeks than in the rest of our lives put together. I’d gotten to the stage where I couldn’t even work out what time of day it was because we kept changing time zones. We took the set-up apart; but we had always had that nagging doubt that the piranhas were in the tank but the bigger shark was still out there swimming free.

When I got shot, Hutch had looked at every operation Gunther was involved in.
Heh heh; I can still see him sitting by my hospital bed rattling off the lists of stuff from the sheets of computer paper; good old klutz, he got himself all wrapped up in it at one point and that hatchet-faced nurse (who was actually a sweetheart) had to untangle him before she threw him out so as I could get some sleep. Anyway, Gunther was linked to that same cocaine operation and when Hutch brought him in and he went down for attempted murder of a Police Officer not to mention about a hundred other counts of distortion and embezzlement and currency fraud and I don’t know what else, he also took a ten-to-twenty for drug dealing. Once again we thought we’d wrapped it up. But oh no! The difference between the law and justice is that the law is clearly defined and justice is subject to it. Gunther’s lawyers were the best…the very best! They appealed and they found enough points of law to throw out all the cases against him and within two years the bastard was out again.

I asked Phelps exactly what he knew about Gunther. He gave me another file.
“It’s a family business Starsky.”
The first photo was of our powerful enemy. The White House Chief of Staff himself!.
I looked up at Phelps who said “brother-in-law.”
There were a few photos of a family wedding and Gunther was obviously the proud father of the bride. The bride-groom looked kind of familiar; I’d seen his photo someplace and it wasn’t in the magazines at the dentist.
“The son-in-law; is he famous?”
“No. He’s taken over as Gunther’s right hand man; he’s an accountant just like Bates. He’s probably even more of a snake than his predecessor.”
“I know I’ve seen a photo of him someplace…”
Then it came to me. “Oh fuck! Sorry Captain; but I’ve just remembered where I saw that photo and some things are beginning to fall into place.”

Chapter 14

Minnie Kaplin frowned as she thought about the mysterious late night phone call she had received from Starsky the night before. She listened carefully and agreed to deliver his message as soon as she could. It was the next afternoon before she found an excuse to go down to the basement holding cells.

The officer in charge accepted the plateful of treats she offered him with a happy smile and agreed to let her talk to Hutch for a few minutes in exchange for her generous offering. He promised to keep her visit to himself and not tell anyone she had talked to the blond detective.

Hutch immediately stood up and moved closer to the bars of his cell as the petite dark haired woman approached him. In a soft voice, pitched low enough that he was the only one who could hear her, she said,

“I’ve got a message for you from Starsky.”

“Is he okay?” Hutch asked his concern for his partner’s safety showing clearly on his face.

“Yes, but Patterson suspended him and Dobey both, so they’re on their own without the backing of the department.”

“Suspended? That prick! How could Chief Patterson do that?” Hutch said, anger making his voice raise slightly.

“Starsky said to tell you to watch your back. The person behind this whole thing is very powerful and very dangerous. He has connections to both Gunther and Chief Patterson.”

“Patterson?” Hutch exclaimed, some of the pieces slowly falling into place. “I knew that bastard was dirty!” He looked at Minnie expectantly. “Is that all he said?”

“No, he also said to tell you to remember the speaker at the Academy when you graduated and to take his advice. He said it was definitely me and thee this time.”

Hutch smiled faintly and reached through the bars to grasp Minnie’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “Thanks, Minnie.” He said gratefully. “If you talk to Starsky again, tell I said to tell him the same thing.”

Minnie nodded and turned to return to her other duties. She hoped that her two favorite detectives could get to the bottom of this and clear their names. She was curious but knew she was better off not knowing anymore than she already did. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to talk to some trusted colleagues who would be interested in knowing what was happening to Starsky and Hutch. They needed all the support they could get right now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Hutch’s POV)

As I watched Minnie walk away, I mulled over what she had told me. I wasn’t surprised to discover that Patterson was involved in this whole mess somehow. I had never liked or trusted the man. I didn’t know where Starsky was or what he was up to but that was where the second part of his message came in.

Ironically, the speaker Starsky had mentioned from the Academy was Captain Dobey. He had been the guest speaker at our graduation and his advice to all the new recruits had been to find a partner that you could trust with your life, someone who would never let you down. And when things got bad, depend on that partner to be by your side no matter what.

I knew that Starsky was trying to tell me that he would get me out of this, even if it meant risking his own life to do it. Colby, Kira, Gunther, Patterson, and god only knows how many other people were involved in this whole scam. I knew I couldn’t trust anyone, except a select few like Dobey and Minnie who were on our side unconditionally. I hoped we could live up to their expectations of us and our ability to bring down whoever was behind this.

I still hated the fact that Starsky was out there alone. That put him in a dangerous position, going up against an organization that had already tried to kill him once and almost succeeded. And this time, they were using people like Colby and Kira who knew some of our secrets and our weaknesses. I paced the confines of my cell restlessly. I knew now that I would never live long enough to go to prison. I’d be lucky to live long enough to even go to trial if it came down to that.

The attack on Starsky had proven that we weren’t safe anywhere, not from this enemy, not even at Police headquarters. Not in our apartments. Not even on the moon. Who knew how many of our fellow officers were on this organizations payroll or in their debt? Given the right set of circumstances, everyone could be corrupted or have their virtue comprised. Starsky and I had learned that lesson the hard way over the years, betrayed by people we thought we could trust. People we once considered our friends and our colleagues.

I barely noticed as Charlie, the officer in charge of the lockup, slid my dinner tray through the slot in the door. The food in here was even worse than it was in the hospital if possible. Lunch that day consisted of a bowl of watery tomato soup, a few crackers and a bologna and cheese sandwich served on stale bread. The drink accompanying the meal could barely be called coffee. It tasted more like thick sludge. It was even worse than the coffee in the squad room.

Even though I didn’t have much of an appetite, I ate some of the soup and half of the sandwich. I needed to keep up my strength and be on my guard until this mess was resolved.

“Hey, cop!” a prisoner yelled from one of the other cells. “I bet they’re gonna really love you in the pen!” His mocking laughter filled the air, sending a cold chill down my back. “Too bad they got you over there by yourself. I could show you a real good time.”

I did my best to ignore his taunts, as I shoved away my tray and slumped down on my bunk. I wondered how long I’d have to wait for our adversary to make his next move. I had a sinking feeling that question was about to be answered when I looked up and saw Chief Patterson walking through the doorway. He was accompanied by another officer from Vice that I had met but didn’t know very well. His name was Malcolm Strait. He was an older man with salt and pepper hair, a crooked nose, and a bad attitude, the type of attitude that gave other cops a bad name. He had been suspended twice that I knew of for roughing up a suspect in his custody.
“Well, Hutchinson,” Patterson said with a smug smile. “Are you enjoying your accommodation?”

“Fuck you, Chief.” I snarled unpleasantly. I was already in enough trouble. Mouthing off to the Chief gave me a certain amount of satisfaction under the circumstances. I leveled the cold, deadly stare on the Chief that I used on the roughest meanest scum on the streets.

Patterson ignored my verbal sparring, eyeing me as if I was dirt beneath his feet. In a cold, unfeeling tone, he said, “You went to too far this time, Hutchinson…you and that Jew boy partner of yours. And this time you’re gonna pay for it. You’re going to rot in hell right alongside those other scumbags you put there.” A thin smile tugged at his mouth. “That is if you live long enough.”

“You’re counting on that, aren’t you?” I growled, daring him to tell me I was wrong. I refused to acknowledge him by using his proper title. This man had done nothing to deserve that title or my respect. If Starksy’s message was correct, Patterson was part of the organization that was trying to destroy us.

“Everyone gets what they deserve sooner or later.” Patterson said smugly. He turned to Charlie, the officer in charge, and said, “You’re relieved, officer. Sergeant Strait will be taking over for you.”

Charlie looked puzzled but didn’t argue with the superior officer. He quickly left the room. With one last look at me, Patterson said, “Good day, Detective Hutchinson. Try not to have any accidents before your arraignment tomorrow.” With a mocking laugh, Patterson left the room. I watched cautiously, as the door swung shut behind the Chief and Strait moved towards my cell with a cold smile on his face.

Chapter Fifteen

“Starsky has disappeared.”
Steven Rheinbach covered the mouthpiece of the ‘phone and turned to the silver-haired old man sitting in the wing-chair on the other side of the room.
Gunther had aged, a year in prison had taken its toll, even if he had spent it in a degree of luxury that no other prisoner enjoyed. He shook his head and smiled.
“He can’t disappear, Steven. Contact Colby and tell him that it is time to make the next move.”
Gunther leaned back in his chair. So Starsky had disappeared, that meant he was probably getting too close. Gunther knew what the penalty would be if he failed this time…he was an old man; his life had been good and if it was to come to an end he didn’t worry too much; but his main concern was for his daughter and his son-in-law. They had their lives ahead of them; their marriage had come close to failure when it was discovered that they could not have a child; but Steven’s indiscretions had finally borne fruit and the baby would be adopted and Katherine would be happy. No, he had to make sure that Starsky didn’t ruin their future.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
(Starsky’s POV)

I needed to contact Minnie to make sure that she had got the message to Hutch. I glanced at my watch; she would still be at home. I took the risk and placed the call.
At first I was reassured, she’d got to Hutch and given him the message; but then she said something that made my blood freeze. “Dave, just before I went off duty I saw Patterson going down to the cells with Strait and from what I heard them saying they have something in store for Hutch.”
I thanked her and hung up. Strait…he’s worse than Patterson. He’s the kind of cop who still regrets allowing Blacks and Jews onto the force. He’s never missed an opportunity to insult me and although he’s in Vice he’s never made any attempt to cover his indignation that our Captain is Black. Hutch was in trouble and there was nothing I could do from where I was. I filled Phelps in as best I could and he said he’d see what he could do. Frankly I didn’t see how he, a Captain in San Francisco, could stop a cop being mistreated in the holding cells in Bay City, and I said so. He told me not to worry and go to my hotel and wait for his call.

Phelps called me couple of hours later. I’d been jogging, trying to clear my head, up by the Golden Gate and I’d just come out of the shower. The news wasn’t good. Hutch had had ‘an accident’ and was being transferred to the County Jail Hospital. “Then they are going to keep him in the prison…Starsky, I don’t think they intend to put him in solitary!”

I sat on the bed and stared at the wall. A cop in jail stands about as much chance of survival as a snowball in hell!

Phelps asked me if I was still on the line…I replied.
“Be ready in about twenty minutes; I’ve got a lead for us to follow.”
I agreed and put down the ‘phone. While I was dressing I couldn’t help picturing what Hutch risked in jail. He’s a good looking guy and there are plenty of people who like to believe what Patterson believes about us. Plus the men in prison have been away from their women for a long time…new prisoners are the first to be used and abused. And then there was the possibility that Gunther had someone planted in the jail, either to make sure Hutch had a bad time or to turn a blind eye when he did. That’s what was bugging me, was Gunther’s man a prisoner or ‘one of us’ the ‘good guys’?

When Phelps arrived I was dressed and ready to go. In the car he explained that he’s found someone with information that might be useful to us. We were heading for Haight Ashbury; the hippies and freaks were still around but recently the gays were coming out of the woodwork and they were having some kind of parade. If I’d been in a better mood I’d have laughed at the sight of leather clad muscle-cops with chains and oversized nightsticks dancing with nuns; but my sense of humor had stayed in the hotel room.
“Shit, can’t we get around these freaks?” I said and Phelps cast me a quick glance. “Hey maybe we are more tolerant in San Francisco;”
“I grinned. “It’s not that; I don’t care who they sleep with; I just want to get on with the job before Hutch ends up dead.”

He parked outside a bar that could have been in any big city in the country the usual mix of down and outs, alcoholics, and people having a quick drink before after or during work hours. Phelps led me to a booth and we sat down; we were immediately joined by a pretty young woman somewhere in her twenties. Phelps introduced her as Mimi and we nodded greetings across the table. Mimi had an interesting opening question.
“Does the name Kira mean anything to you?”
I missed a beat. “Yes.” I tried to keep any emotion out of my voice.
“I thought so. Next question; have you seen her baby?”
“No.” Where was this leading?
Phelps was obviously having trouble following the conversation. He asked her to explain what she was talking about. She gave us the whole story.

“I went to school with Kira. She was always ambitious, I lost track of her because she went down to live in LA; She was around about eighteen months ago; really on the up. She was sleeping with a rich man and she said that when she’d finished a little job for him in LA she’d be back and living in luxury for the rest of her life. The next time I saw her she was pregnant and the rich boyfriend was now saying that he couldn’t leave his wife. She was furious but then along came this big blond guy and he was willing to take on the kid.”
I breathed a sigh of relief for me and for Hutch.
Mimi hadn’t finished.
“The thing is Captain Phelps, I think Kira is in bigger trouble than she realized. Just before she went away again we were having a drink in a bar; the boyfriend came to take her home and after they’d left one of my friends said she recognized him; she lives with Johnny Puzo…”
Phelps nodded. “Puzo is a local Mafia name around here Starsky; we’ve never been able to pin anything on him, but he’s the one who arranges for sudden disappearances.”
“And your friend recognized a hit-man.”
“Yes.”
“His name is Colby, John Colby. We were at Police Academy until he joined the Army.”
I turned to Mimi. “Do you have any idea who the rich man was?”
“Sure I do sweetie. Steven Rheinbach.”
The same name as the White House Chief of Staff! I had to ask. “And what is his connection here?”
Phelps gave me the answer. “He’s James Gunther’s son-in-law.”

The crowd stopped whistling and I focused on the ball as it came down; I caught it and started running. I had to get to the line before the other team noticed I had the ball.

Sometimes things fall into place. I don’t know why but the TV screen in the bar caught my attention. I nudged Phelps.
The reported was outside the White House and there were a lot of agitated looking official running around. I went over and asked the guy behind the bar to turn up the volume
“…of Staff Gordon Rheinbach was arrested this morning for his involvement in a drugs-for-guns deal with …” Frankly I didn’t give a fuck which country it was. I listened to the rest. “Also arrested were Senator Thompson of California and Vice Governor Hayes, also of California.”
I tapped Phelps on the arm. “It looks like Chief Patterson just lost his job!”
We went back to Phelps’ office and I rang Dobey’s home number.

“Oh David thank god you called.” I didn’t know whether Edith was hysterical with joy or grief. “Harold has been reinstated but…” she was sobbing; “Oh Starsky….”
The other ‘phone on Phelps’ desk rang and he signaled to me to hang up.
“Edith, the Captain’s on the other line.” I heard her sigh and the line went dead.
Phelps handed me the ‘phone.
“Starsky, get back here straight away. Hutch is in Intensive Care.”

Phelps was amazing; he called a friend of his who held a private pilot’s license and within a half hour I was being flying home.

Chapter 16

(Hutch’s POV)

Instinctively, I fell into a fighting stance, prepared to defend myself, as Strait unlocked the door and stepped into my cell. We were evenly matched in size and weight but I had the advantage of being younger and in better physical condition. I hoped those advantages would work in my favor.

Without any warning, other than a sudden narrowing of his eyes, Strait lunged at me, grabbing me by my shoulders and throwing me across the room and against the wall of my cell. I hit the bars so hard, the wind was knocked out of me. I struggled to catch my breath and to stay on my feet. I knew if I fell to the ground, I’d be at Strait’s mercy.
As Strait closed in again, I managed to take a swing at him, connecting solidly with his jaw.

The blow didn’t even seem to faze him. That’s when I realized I could be in a lot of trouble. I could hear the prisoner in the other cell, yelling and egging Strait on. I hoped the bastard enjoyed the show because I wasn’t going to go down easy. I landed two more lucky blows, both to Strait’s abdomen. The other man grunted in pain as he smashed a big fist into my face.

I felt an agonizing burst of pain as blood began to pour from my nose. I knew it was broken. Using the pain as a focal point for my anger, I lunged at Strait, grabbing him around the waist and taking him down. Straddling his waist, I began pounding his face and torso with my fists.

Strait smiled through the blood that was pouring from his mouth and reached down with one beefy hand, grabbing my nuts in a crushing embrace. I screamed in pain and lost my focus long enough for Strait to get the upper hand. Slamming me onto my back, he shifted his weight so he was sitting on my hips and began punching me in the face and stomach. It was as if he had completely lost his mind. He just kept hitting and hitting. I could feel the blood running down my face from my mouth and nose as he continued his assault. I felt myself slipping into the darkness and I welcomed it.

When I came too, I was still lying on the floor. I could feel my broken ribs throbbing as I tried to move. “Where do you think you’re going, Blondie? We’re just starting to have fun.” Strait’s icy voice said, as he slammed his foot down hard on my right arm.
I screamed in pain as I felt the bone snap. I heard him laugh as he aimed a vicious kick at my unprotected groin.

I screamed hoarsely as the pain surged through my body, curling up in a fetal position and cradling my cock and balls protectively. My entire lower body felt as if it was full of ground glass. Too weak to fight back any longer, all I could do was lay there as the vicious beating continued. Each time I passed out, as soon as I regained consciousness the beating began again. I knew I would lucky to survive the attack. Strait’s favorite targets seemed to be my ribs, my face, and my groin.

Finally, the comforting darkness pulled me back into its gentle embrace, away from the agonizing pain that had become my constant reality. This time, I went willingly as I prayed for my ordeal to be over.

Sometime later, I began vaguely aware of loud voices and hands on my body, touching me and then the sensation of being lifted off the floor. The pain was merciless, clouding my mind and making me whimper in fear. Starsky? Where was Starsky? I needed Starsky.

Silently, I screamed my partner’s name in my mind. I knew he wasn’t there and I needed him. I needed him to be able to survive this agony that was washing over my entire body. Why wasn’t he here? Was he okay? Starsky, where are you? I barely felt the prick of the needle in my skin as the darkness claimed me once more.

Chapter Seventeen

(Starsky’s POV)

Dobey was waiting for me at Van Nuys airfield and we sped to the prison hospital with everything flashing and screaming – and a black and white doing the same, front and back.
“What happened?”
“You remember a guy called Strait?”
“Hoy fucking shit! Sorry Captain.” I didn’t want to upset Dobey who is truly a good Christian; not just one of those go-to-church-for-the social-clout types.
He looked at me out of the corner of his eye. “To be honest, Starsky that was went through my mind too.” But I knew he was just trying to reassure me.
“I thought that fascist bastard had been kicked out of the force years ago.”
“No, he was transferred out of the precinct after his run-in with you; but Patterson brought him back about six months ago.”
I sat back in my seat and closed my eyes. Strait had been a little too rough with a suspect that I had taken in. He went in behind my back and beat the guy to a pulp and then tried to pin it on me. The usual routine ‘We all know how upfront Starsky is.’ And ‘It’s like all his people, got to show their emotions.’ I remember Hutch had to pull me off him.
“But how? I mean Hutch was in a holding cell;” I paused as a horrible thought ran through my mind, “Wasn’t he? There must have been a witness.”
Dobey sighed. “The only witness was Julio Cesarez and as it was you two who took him down I don’t suppose he showed too much sympathy for Hutch.”
Dobey explained that he’d arrived at Metro in time to see Hutch being taken out on a gurney with the paramedics doing a whole number on him. Minnie had seen Patterson and Strait going downstairs and overheard the Chief saying something about getting him out of the way and she’d called the Commissioner himself. When Strait came up and she saw that his knuckles were grazed she went down to the cells and found Hutch out cold.

Dobey pulled up in front of the emergency entrance at Memorial. I was out of the car before he’d really stopped and running to the desk to find out where Hutch was. Of course at first they didn’t want to tell me; I guess even a blind nurse can see we ain’t next of kin. But Dobey arrived puffing and panting and throwing his considerable weight about and hey presto I was sitting by Blondie’s bed trying to believe that he’d make it.
Our old friend Dr. Franklin arrived. He took me to one side to reassure me that Hutch was out cold because of the painkillers and a tranquilizer. He reeled off his injuries; Hutch had a broken arm (and there was a clear print of a shoe sole on the flesh) broken ribs and a broken collarbone. He had severe bruising where no guy wants to be bruised and although there had been internal bleeding, Franklin hadn’t found any serious damage. All in all the truth was that both of us have been in a worse mess; but that didn’t make things better right now.
I went out to Dobey. “He should have a twenty four-hour guard Captain. Colby’s still out there and who knows who else.” He went to deal with it.
I went back to sit by Hutch’s side. I guess I dozed off because when I opened my eyes he was trying to smile at me…his face was pretty banged up so it was even more lop-sided than my Starsky Special.
“Hi, Blondie,” I said “fancy meeting you here.”
“Don’t make me laugh.” It came out like the air escaping a tire.
“Don’t try to talk. Things are falling together.” I told him the story so far.
“Kira?” He whispered.
“No sign of either of them yet; but I guess they can’t be far.” Franklin came in and said I had to leave; but he promised to move Hutch to a double room so I could have a bed next to him. I went back out to Dobey.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kira was watching the television. When she saw Gunther being led away by a police officer she knew that things were going wrong. She didn’t know where Colby was. She watched in silence, rocking the baby absent-mindedly on her lap.
Where’s Steven?

Colby was in a hotel in Malibu. He had made all the arrangements; by tomorrow afternoon he’d be safely out of the country. All he had to do now was carry out Rheinbach’s final orders. He checked the clip in the Biretta and slipped down to his car.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Starsky’s POV)

I went back to my place and picked up my car. I had a very good idea where to look for the missing links in the chain. That diaper in the trashcan….

I called into Dobey to warn him where I was going and he gave me the news that good old Dr. Colbin wanted to check the patient; but he slipped away while the cop on guard checked his authorization. He had disappeared again. I had a pretty good idea where he was going.

I resisted the temptation to break the limits after I crossed into Ventura. I kept to code ten – proceed with caution; no sirens or lights. Another car had just turned into the track ahead of me…I could see the dust trail as it settled. I slowed right down. If I could see his dust, he could see mine. I pulled off the track and parked the car under the cover of some big oleanders and finished the trip on foot.

I arrived just as Colby slipped into the house.

Chapter Eighteen

(Hutch’s POV)

I don’t remember the trip to the hospital. All I remember is the terrible pain that washed over my whole body. It was easier to slip back into the darkness than to let myself wake up enough to feel the pain.

I’m not sure how long I was out but sometime later, I slowly forced my eyes open and found myself in a hospital bed. Starsky was sitting beside the bed, his head resting against his crossed arms on the edge of the mattress. I felt a surge of relief. At least he was alright. That was more than I could say for myself. Everything hurt, including intimate places I’d rather not think about hurting. I couldn’t see my face but it felt like I’d been worked over pretty good there too.

As he sensed that I was awake, Starsky raised his head and opened his eyes. I tried to smile but I think it came out more like a grimace than a smile.

“Hi, Blondie,” Starsky said “Fancy meeting you here.”

Don’t make me laugh.” I said, hissing through my teeth at the pain in my chest and abdomen.

“Don’t try to talk.” He told me reassuring “Things are falling together.”
I listened in silence as he brought me up to date on what had been going on. I was stunned to find out just how high up the conspiracy against us went and who all had been connected to it so far.

“What about Kira?” I whispered, thinking about her part in all of this and the innocent baby she had put in the middle. I still wasn’t sure where the baby fit into the scheme of things but I was more and more convinced that the child wasn’t mine or Starsky’s. I was relieved but at the same time, I couldn’t help feeling a pang of disappointment for both of us.

“No sign of Kira or Colby.” Starsky said “But I guess they can’t be far.”

We both glanced up as Doctor Franklin came into the room. After examining me, he told Starsky that he had to leave. I didn’t want him to go but I had to smile when Doctor Franklin promised to move me to a double room so Starsky could come back later and share my room until I was released. I always felt better knowing that he was close by when I was hurt.

I watched my cocky partner strut out of the room, suddenly feeling alarmed for his safety. He was still out there on his own without me to watch his back and Colby was out there somewhere on the loose. Don’t get me wrong, I know Starsky can handle himself. He’d learned his lessons well from the back streets of New York and the jungles of Viet Nam, but Colby was good too, good enough to be a hired assassin. I didn’t want Starsky walking into danger without some backup. I knew that I would worry myself to death until he came back safely and told me that Colby and Kira were in custody.

Chapter Nineteen

(Starsky’s POV)

I ran as close to the house as I could and slipped onto the terrace. I’d found my way around this place the last time and I knew that there was a door from the deck that led into the kitchen. I ducked down and crawled on my belly to get past the big sliding glass window. Colby was sitting on the sofa cool as anything. He’d poured himself a glass of wine and there was another on the table waiting for Kira. Before I could do anything she came into the room.
I slipped into the kitchen and listened carefully.
I heard her voice. The last time I’d heard it she was saying ‘no’ and refusing the possibility of a threesome. That time she’d sounded confident and even amused. Not now. Now I could hear the fear in her voice.
The baby cried and I heard her footsteps as she went to the bedroom to tend to it.
My mom always said I had a different cry for whether I’d wet or shit…I don’t know which cry this was; but it might have saved Kira’s life.
I peeked around the kitchen door and drew back fast. Colby was coming out of the room and on his way to the bedroom. He’d fitted a silencer on the gun and he was carrying a pillow.
I had to make a quick decision; and believe it or not it wasn’t an easy one!
I’m a cop; my job is to protect and to serve…but right now I wasn’t sure I wanted to protect a probable victim. After all this time I was still mad with her. Hurt and angry and confused. She’d come between me and Hutch; I now knew that she had been sent to tear us apart – and she’d failed. And because she’d failed then and failed again now; her life was in my hands.
The baby cried again and I heard her start to sing a lullaby. I couldn’t deprive that baby of his mom.

I stepped back out onto the deck and checked my gun. I slipped off the safety and made my way inching along the wall to the bedroom window. I leaned forward enough to see that Kira had her back to the door. I calculated the odds that I could warn her before Colby came in behind her. Lousy odds; I wouldn’t have bet them at the track!
I stepped back and checked the window to the room next to the kid’s bedroom. The screen opened easily and I crossed my fingers that the window wasn’t locked. It slid up without a sound and I climbed in.
Jungle drill. Take a step and listen. I stepped into the middle of the room. Colby had hesitated. Did he hear me? I froze and held my breath. He took a couple of steps and stopped again. He was listening at the door. I stayed as still as I could and stared at the door willing it to stay shut. The handle moved and then I heard him move on again.
I drew a breath and turned the handle as slowly as I could. The door opened inwards and I silently thanked the architect for that. I looked into the hallway. He was about to step into the room.
Hutch says I move like a cat…maybe he’s right. Anyway for all his training and experience Colby didn’t hear me until it was too late.
He opened the door and I saw the look of horror on Kira’s face. She picked up the baby and held him close to her breast. That was all I needed. I held a finger to my lips and caught her eye. She stared at us and I guess Colby thought she was watching him.
“Put the baby down, Kira. I don’t want to hurt him.”
She stood wide-eyed like a rabbit caught in the headlamps on a country road.
He asked her again. She shook her head and went on staring at him…at me?
I gestured with my eyes and hoped she got the message to step to one side.

She held the baby up to her face and whispered “Let’s go look at the sea, sweetheart” she stepped over to the window. Colby raised the gun – I guess he was aiming for her head; but I didn’t give him the chance. I couldn’t risk a stray bullet so I hit him hard with the barrel of my gun. I knew exactly where to hit him to make him drop without a chance to pull the trigger. He fell to his knees and collapsed forwards.
I cuffed him and went over to Kira. The baby was cute…
She turned and looked at me. “He could have been yours.”
“Or Hutch’s or who else’s Kira?” I must have sounded pretty bitter because she looked like I’d slapped her in the face.
“I loved you Dave.”
“In your way, yeah I guess maybe you did. And I loved you – but the difference was that I meant it.”
I put my gun back into the holster and held out my arms for the baby. She handed him to me and I lay him down in his crib where he started gurgling and playing with a tacky plastic mobile that was hanging above it. If it had been my kid that would have been a wooden toy that his daddy had made!
I fished out a spare pair of cuffs. “You have the right to remain silent….”
I led her to the main bedroom and linked her to the bed-head. She made a very suggestive remark; too bad I didn’t care any more. I went back and dragged Colby to his feet and attached him to the pipe behind the toilet. Then I called Dobey.
I walked back to the Torino and ran it down to the house. I found the carrying crib and fixed it onto the front seat of the car, using the seatbelt to keep it in place. The baby seemed to trust me. He nuzzled up to me as I carried him out to the car and I could smell that sweet mixture of baby powder and milk. I tucked him up beside me and waited for the cavalry to arrive. A black and white appeared along the track and I started the engine; I turned carefully and pulled up alongside the other car. I let down the window.
“Two prisoners. I’ve read them their rights but you might like to….”
I didn’t finish. We heard a shot and then as the uniformed cop started to get out of the car we heard a second one. I looked at him and then at the baby.
“You deal with it; I have to get to the hospital.”

I handed the baby over to the daycare team and went to see how Hutch was doing.
He looked a little better but still pretty groggy. I sat on the bed and held his hand for a moment. “It’s all over.”
He smiled. We sat in silence… there are times when Hutch and I don’t need to talk and this was one of them. We were both relieved to see our partner safe and sound.

Dobey arrived about an hour later. He figured that I must have forgotten to lock the cuffs on Kira; she’d managed to free herself and she’d taken a second gun from Colby’s bureau. They reckon she shot him first and then decided not to spend the rest of her life in jail.
Hutch looked at me.
You forgot to lock the cuffs?
I shrugged.

EPILOGUE

(Hutch’s POV)

I watched as Starsky turned the key and started the engine. After almost a week in the hospital, I was finally free to go home. And it had been quite a week, dealing with the fallout from all the arrests in this case, including Chief Patterson and his flunky, Malcolm Strait. It took a while to sort out all the various pieces but eventually, all the charges against me were dropped. An unidentified female body had been found in the Hollywood hills that fit the description of the fake Ms. Webb and more arrests where planned as the investigation continued.

I glanced at Starsky from the corner of my eye as he drove through the busy mid-day traffic, thinking about how it had ended with Colby and Kira. Although he hadn’t admitted it, I knew Starsky had deliberately left Kira’s cuffs unlocked, knowing that she would never be able to face going to prison for her part in this little scenario. I don’t think he really expected her to kill Colby and then herself, but since he had taken the baby away with him, she had apparently decided to take the ‘easy’ way out. Easy for her anyway. I knew my partner had just added another demon to his list of regrets.

I wasn’t sorry that Colby and Kira were both dead. They both made their own choices, bad choices that led to their demise. But, I did feel sorry for an innocent child that would grow up an orphan. I just hoped that some good family would adopt him and give him a good home. If he was lucky, maybe he would never find out his true parentage. His real father, Gunther’s son-in-law, had disappeared into the sewers of San Francisco and may never be found. His wife, Gunther’s daughter, was in the hospital under a doctor’s care after suffering a breakdown when her father was arrested again, along with her father-in-law, and her husband had disappeared, abandoning her to the wolves. The way I saw it, she was as innocent a victim in this whole mess as that baby was. I knew from bitter experience that you can’t choose your parents, you can only live with the hand you’re dealt in life to the best of your ability.

I looked at Starsky in surprise when he pulled up to a neat little house on the east side of the city. Some children were playing in the front yard and a woman was sitting on the porch, rocking a baby gently. Starsky looked at me shyly with a crooked smile and said,

“I just wanted to see him one more time, ya know? I mean…he could have been mine.”

“Or mine.” I said, easing myself out of the car. Side by side, we walked up the sidewalk to the porch. The woman on the porch smiled warmly. She obviously knew who Starsky was because she said, “Hello, David.”

I found myself wondering how many times he had been here to visit the baby since Kira died. The woman gently turned so that we could see the baby’s face and I caught my breath sharply. He was beautiful. He had the same coloring as his mother and he had her eyes. And a headful of dark brown curls. I had seen pictures of Steven Rheinbach and I knew that he had dark curly hair which probably explained why Kira thought she could succeed in passing the baby off as belonging to one of us.

Starsky grinned as he reached out and let the baby wrap his tiny fingers around his index finger. “Hi, little guy.” He said, a hint of sadness coloring his voice. “I guess this is the last time I’ll be seeing you.”

“His new mama and daddy will be picking him up at the end of the week.” The woman on the porch told him. “Would you like to know what they decided to name him?”

“What?” Starsky asked in a curious voice, his attention focused on the child.

“They want to name him David if you have no objections.”

“No…I have no objections.” Starsky said, a choked sound in his voice. He drew back his finger and whispered, “Bye, David.”

He turned and slowly walked back to the car with me following close behind. I felt a little choked up myself at the thoughtful gesture of little David’s new family. We got into the car and Starsky drove on towards my apartment in silence. Finally, I reached over and gently rubbed his thigh.

“Hey, buddy…he’s gonna be okay. He’s the lucky one here.”

“Yeah, I know.” Starsky said softly. “But I still wish he could have been mine.”

“I know you do, babe. I know.” I said quietly. I knew Starsky would be hurting over this case for a long time but I would be there to help him through it, just like always, because that’s what I did.

THE END

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