Missing Scene from Starsky’s Brother
“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?”