“This time I could kill him, I swear to God, Hutch I could fucking kill him.”
“Calm down and let’s work this out, OK?”
Starsky was driving like a man possessed heading for Stryker’s printing works. He was banging the wheel and his patience was at minus 100 with the rest of the drivers and road-users.
A car stopped suddenly in anticipation of a red light and the Torino swerved crazily as Starsky hit the brakes. He banged the wheel and cursed again; right now he was showing off a repertory that made Hutch’s hair stand on end – he hadn’t even imagined the combinations of words that Starsky was stringing together. Hutch put his hand on his partner’s arm. “Hey, we want to rescue Nick don’t we? I mean you weren’t thinking of putting us both in the hospital again were you?”
Starsky hissed his breath in through his teeth and stared out of the window.
Hutch heard some of the words that were escaping like steam from Starsky’s mouth – Hutch decided that maybe this was his buddy’s safety valve so he let it ride.
“Stupid little fuck! Half-witted little rats-ass! Arrogant little shit! I’ll fucking teach him…this time I swear he ain’t going to get away with it.”

“Starsk?”
“What now!” The reply was a bark.
“This isn’t the first time he’s got into bad trouble is it?”
“I wish to hell it was Hutch…stupid little bastard isn’t even capable of learning from his bloody experiences. Oh no; not Nicky! You remember that saying: ‘if at first you don’t succeed try again’? Yea with Nicky it’s more if at first you fuck it up, just do it again and again.”

“You want to talk about it?”
“Not now. Right now I want to work out how to deal with him. I sent him to his room once when we were kids….”

‘What I am now has nothing to do with what you are and you know why? Because you were never there for me!’

No I wasn’t there for him. I wanted to be…but it wasn’t possible was it? I wouldn’t have been much use as a big brother six feet under and lying by poppa’s side before my time.

“Starsk…hey Starsk the light’s green now.”
He came out of his reverie in time to hear Hutch - and the cars honking behind him.
“Ok Ok already” he yelled and stuck his arm out of the car…Hutch hoped that no-one took the gesture too badly. Starsky gunned the engine and all that was left for the other drivers was a stink of burning rubber.

He blames me for how he turned out. I tried; when I was still home, I really tried. And I tried every goddam fucking time I went home too. Hauled his sorry ass out of all kinds of trouble and what does he throw in my face? ‘You weren’t there for me’! All his friends – the low-life that Joe wouldn’t have anything to do with…Marcetto, McGinnis, Hays – two-bit crocks of shit every last one of them…and he’s proud of running round with them.
I told him if he had to run with that side of the law – do it with Joe – but oh no dumb-ass goes to those bastards who’d sell their own mothers for a candy bar. And who’ll drop him like a hot brick the day he’s of no use to them any more…and he thinks he’s important…

Hutch pointed to the turn and Starsky swung the car round the corner without even bothering to hit the brakes. Hutch braced himself against the dashboard and sent up a prayer to his guardian angel to get them out of the car alive. The Torino hit the curb as Starsky slowed down. Hutch gave his partner a wary side-long glance and saw that he had somehow overcome his anger – for now. But Hutch knew that all that volcanic fury was bubbling up under the too-calm surface.

“OK let’s get his sorry ass out of the shit…I thought I’d finished with that when I didn’t have to help mom with his diapers any more.” He snorted and Hutch was relieved to hear Starsky’s somewhat off-the-wall humor had returned.

The other Police vehicles slid into place and Starsky and Hutch entered the printers’ building. Stryker’s side-kick was fondling the notes as they came off the press when someone shouted ‘Cops!’ It took them a couple of minutes to deal with Stryker and his crew and when Hutch turned around he couldn’t see Starsky. He stepped into the hallway in time to see his friend running through an open door. Hutch drew his breath and held it, waiting for the explosion.

Starsky slid into the room and stopped in this tracks. Hutch could tell he was grinning…something in the set of his shoulders; Hutch couldn’t put his finger on it.
He listened to the exchange and he could tell that Starsky was having fun.

“You ok?”
“gnnng hmmm”
“Come again?”
“nnnng hmmmgrrg”
“Oh I’m sure of it. Let me ask you something?
“gnnnng”
“Who’s the older brother?”
“ynng errr”
“Who’s the younger brother?”
“mmmmm”
Who’s the home team?”
“ynng”
“Who’s the visiting team?”
“mmm”
“Who’s sitting there all tied up in knots?”
“Gnnnng”
“And who’s standing up here free as a bird?”
“ynnnng”

Hutch waited.

“OK, I’m going to untie you now…and then I’m going to take you back to my place…and then I’m probably going to beat the shit out of you!”

Nick threw a worried look at Hutch.

“I’m sure he doesn’t really mean that, do you Starsk?”
“No I guess it’s too late for that….” He patted his brother on the shoulder. “Come on dummy; if you play your cards right I’ll even let you eat dinner!”

“Not just a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?”
“Ho-ho; you remember that?”

They walked back to the car and Hutch started to climb into the back seat. Starsky stopped him. “Oh no, he doesn’t get off that easily.” He shoved Nick into the back of the Torino.

“Hey Dave; do you have to take the corners that fast.”
“Shut up and take your punishment like a man!”

“Starsk?”
“Yeah?”
“What’s that about the peanut butter sandwich?”
“Oh that. I shut him in his room and he missed dinner…then I let him out to apologize to mom; I told him he’d get the sandwich if he did. Then I ate the sandwich and he got his dinner! I didn’t think he’d remember.” He turned to look at their uncomfortable passenger. “See Nicky, I would have been there if I could; but it wasn’t safe.”
“I know.”
“Good.”
“Hey how about a game of pool at Huggy’s?”