For One Brief Moment (continued)

By Pat. L

Chapter 4

Hutch reached into Starsky’s cupboard for a coffee cup, knocking over the sugar bowl nstead.

“Damn it!” He grabbed a towel and swiped the mess into the sink, and threw the towel back onto the rack. He turned and saw Starsky gazing at him steadily.

“Want to talk about it?” Starsky asked.

“It’s been three days, Starsk. Three days, and we’re still grabbing at straws. While we’re poking around in the dark, whoever killed Chris is out there, laughing at us.”

“We’re doing all we can, Hutch. This is old-fashioned detective work. You plow through the mess and ferret out the important stuff. We’ve got Huggy looking out on his end, and we’re following Chris’ trail as best we can. We’ll find him, Hutch, I promise. He won’t get away with this.”

“How can you be so sure? The longer it takes, the colder the trail gets. We’ve got to find something solid to go on, and soon.”

“We will. All you have to do is keep yourself together. The legwork will take care of the rest.”

On the way to the station, Starsky thought about what he had said. *Keep yourself together, Hutch. You seem like you’re doing that, but something’s not quite right. Of course he’s not quite right, you dummy. What he’s been through is not going to disappear in a few days. Maybe that’s what’s wrong. Maybe he’s a little too together. I don’t know how I’d react to this, but I know it would take more than a few days to get over it. Maybe it hasn’t really sunk in yet. God only knows what he’ll do when it does.*

They checked in briefly with the Captain, then went back to the phone books. Since Hutch had remembered a little more, they were sure she had checked into a hotel that day. If Chris had been murdered because of an article she had written, maybe they would find evidence of that in her hotel room. They used the same routine as before, making fast work of the rest of the pages. They had almost reached the end of the list when they found the right one. The Sheraton Inn, which was only a few blocks from the Dispatch’s main office, had checked a woman in matching Chris’ description at three in the afternoon on that day.

“She must have thrown her stuff in the room and called you right after she checked in.” Starsky said. “If someone was after her because of a story she wrote, maybe she had it with her. Hopefully, she didn’t have time to stash it anywhere else. I think what we need is a search warrant.”

The two detectives told Captain Dobey about what they had found and asked him to help them obtain a search warrant. He called Judge Shaw and talked to him, briefly. They would have the search warrant in a few hours, Shaw assured them.

“You know,” Dobey remarked, “it would save a lot of time if we had her key. Then you could go in legally, without a warrant.”

Starsky and Hutch exchanged looks. Hutch shrugged sheepishly.

Starsky said, “Why didn’t we think of that? All hotel keys have the name and address of the hotel on them, in case they’re lost or stolen. We’ve spent the last two days wearing out our fingers on the phone, when all we had to do was get her key from her personal effects.” He turned to Dobey. “Has Chris’ clothes been released to her family yet, Captain?”

“No. Her family lives in Seattle. They won't be here for a couple more days yet." His voice was stern. "I’d like to be able to tell her parents something concrete about this investigation when they do get here. Understand?”

“We understand, Captain,” Hutch answered. “We’d like to be able to tell them that we’ve made an arrest. We’re going to do our best to do just that.”

“Good. Let me know how things are going. Now, get back to it. I’ll call Property and let them know you’re on your way.”

Starsky was halfway out of the squad room before he realized what they were about to do. He turned to Hutch, blocking his path.

“Where do you think you’re going?” He asked.

“The same place you are, Starsk; to the property room downstairs.”

“Oh, no you’re not. Hutch, you don’t have any business going down there. You really don’t have any business going through Chris’ clothes. Let me go down and find the key, and I’ll meet you in the car.”

“No way! I can handle this, Starsky. I’m fine, really.” When Starsky didn’t move, his voice rose a notch. “Starsky, I’m going with you and that’s final.”

The look Starsky gave him was full of exasperation. “What am I going to do with you? OK, I give, but I still think it’s a mistake.”

Hutch smiled slightly. “Come on, we’re wasting time.”

Despite his optimistic manner, Hutch hung back when they got downstairs. He let Starsky handle the paperwork, then followed him into the Property room. The clerk on duty brought out the small box that held Chris’ clothes. Hutch watched as Starsky opened the box and took out the jacket Chris had worn. The room tilted sharply, and he swung around, clutching for the wall. He closed his eyes and hung on, waiting for the floor to go back to where it belonged. He felt Starsky’s hands, holding on to him so that he could keep his balance. Hutch’s breathing was labored as he fought the vertigo.

“I’m sorry. I can’t do it. You were right, this was a mistake. I just... I can’t do it.”

“It’s all right. Come on, sit down.” Starsky helped him to the small couch outside the examining room. He left him long enough to grab the bottle of Scotch that Bailey kept for “medicinal purposes”. He poured some in a paper cup and took it back to Hutch.

“Here,” he said, “drink it. All of it.”

Hutch coughed as the harsh liquor went down his throat. He kept his eyes closed and his head down as he fought the dizziness. Slowly, the room righted itself and he sat up.

“OK? Hutch, are you all right?”

Hutch nodded. “Yeah, I’m OK.”

“I want you to sit right here and wait for me. I’ll only be a few minutes. Don’t move, understand?”

Hutch nodded again. Starsky left him and went back into the other room. He went through Chris’ belongings quickly, earching her pockets for the hotel key. He cursed out loud as he fumbled for her purse, nearly dropping it. Forcing himself to slow down, he dumped the contents onto the table and carefully went through them. The key wasn’t there. Picking up her wallet, he searched all the compartments. Sliding his fingers in each of them, he finally found the key behind her credit card. On the key was the name, Sheraton Inn, and the number, 1404. He pocketed the key and returned the rest of the contents to the box. Taking the box back to Bailey, he signed for the key and went back to Hutch.

Hutch looked up as Starsky came toward him. “Did you find it?”

“Yes, let’s go.”

They showed their badges to the desk clerk and went up to Chris’ room. Starsky unlocked the door and went in first. He took three steps into the room, far enough to let Hutch enter, then stopped. The two men looked around the room, then at each other. The room was in shambles. Pillows were ripped open, sheets torn off the bed, chairs were overturned and drawers were pulled out of the credenza. Chris’ suitcase lay open on the bed, it’s contents strewn all over the floor. Her make-up case lay upside down on the carpet, and her make-up was scattered all over the mattress.

Hutch walked over to the bed and looked down at the mess. He picked up the bottle of make-up, juggling it in his hand as he looked at the chaos. Anger flashed across his face, and he threw the bottle against the wall.

“Damn it! We’re too damned late! Every time we think we’re getting ahead of this, we end up being a step behind! There’s no telling how long ago they were here. It could have been days!”

“I know that, Hutch, but we can’t do anything about it now. Well, there’s nothing for us to see here. Let’s go back to the station and try to figure out what to do next.”

Starsky headed for the door and waited for Hutch to join him. With a last disgusted look at the mess, he closed the door behind him.

They rode back to the station in silence. Neither spoke until they were back at their desks.

“I guess we’d better let the Captain know that someone beat us to Chris’ room.” Starsky said. “Why don’t you start on the report while I talk to Dobey?”

Hutch nodded. He sat for a moment, then snatched a piece of paper and jammed it into the typewriter. He pounded out the words, slapping the carriage back with an open hand. When he was finished, he yanked out the paper and grabbed for Chris’ file. When he opened the folder, pictures of the crime scene jumped out at him. He lifted the picture of Chris’ face from the pile and gazed at it. He sat there looking at it, and thought about how they would be viewed.

*They won’t know who you were. They won’t know how beautiful or how talented you were. They won’t care that you never got to write that one great story. They’ve never held you close, or watched your eyes light up with laughter. They won’t care.*

As he sat looking at her picture, he could see her as she was that night. In his mind, he could see her looking at him.

*“Why, Ken? Why did you let this happen to me?”

I tried, Chris. I honestly tried, but I didn’t know. You wouldn’t tell me. I did the best that I could; I swear I did.

“Did you? Did you really do everything you could? Wasn’t there anything you could have done?”*

His answer was soft, tortured. “No. Please, no.”

Suddenly, he couldn’t stand looking at her face any longer. He flung the folder away from him. The fury in him boiled over, and he stood, tossing his chair aside. With a tormented cry, he lashed out, not caring what he hit or destroyed. He swept everything off their desks with one arm. He ransacked the entire squad room, turning tables over, throwing chairs against the wall, and tipping filing cabinets over on their sides. The four other detectives in the squad room tried to restrain him, fearing he would injure himself. He threw them aside without effort or second thought.

Hearing the noise, Starsky rushed out of Dobey’s office to see what was happening. The first thing he saw was Don Baker flying across the room after grabbing Hutch’s arm. James Dayton was hanging valiantly onto his other arm. With a slight movement of his shoulder, Hutch threw him against the wall. Ignoring the other two detectives that were trying to stop him, Hutch turned and reached for the tall filing cabinet against the back wall. Effortlessly, he pulled it over with a resounding crash. As he moved again, his hand connected with the coffee maker and he lashed out at it. There was another crash as he encountered the pot. Broken glass and hot coffee flew as his hand shattered it.

Together, all five men went for Hutch. The four other detectives grabbed for Hutch’s arms and legs while Starsky went low, pinning Hutch against the wall by his waist. Hutch fought back, not caring whom it was that held him. Chris’ face hung before him, her eyes growing ever larger. He lashed out at his captors, struggling to free himself. Then, as abruptly as it had begun, the rage left him and he collapsed against the wall. Slowly, the four men released him. Only Starsky kept his hold on him, alert for another outburst.

Hutch slid down the wall. “I’m sorry. Dear God, I’m so sorry!”

Starsky half-carried him into Dobey’s office. He sat beside Hutch, offering what little comfort he could give. Minutes later, Dr. Massey appeared.

The doctor sat on couch and squeezed Hutch’s shoulder gently.

“Ken, this has gone far enough. Why don’t you let me give you something to help you rest, then Dave and I will take you to the hospital?”

Hutch shook his head. “No, I don’t want to go to the hospital. Please, I don’t want to go.”

“Hutch, the doc’s right. You’re hurting; you need help. You can’t handle this on your own.”

“Yes, I can. I’m all right now. Really. Please don’t make me go. I want to see this through. I have to. Please, Starsk, I just need a minute. I’ll be all right.”

Starsky looked at Dr. Massey, his eyes questioning him. Massey shrugged and shook his head.

“I’m against it, Ken. You need medical treatment. You can’t go on like this much longer. If you won’t check yourself into the hospital, I can’t force you. At least let me give you something to calm you down. I promise I won’t give you anything that will knock you out.”

Hutch nodded. He sat quietly as the doctor gave him another injection.

“There, just sit here for a little while and give it time to work. You’ll feel better in a few minutes.”

He helped Hutch sit back against the couch, then motioned for Dobey and Starsky to follow him. When they were far enough away that Hutch couldn’t hear them, he spoke.

“I’m going out on a limb, here. He doesn’t have any business staying on this case, but my hands are tied. I definitely don’t want him running around on his own.”

“Can’t you admit him, Doctor?” Dobey asked. “You said yourself that he needs medical attention. Isn’t there anything you can do?”

“I can walk into a judge’s chamber and try to have him committed. A judge might even go along with it. Is that what you want me to do, Captain?”

Dobey shook his head. “No, of course not. I wish there were something we could do to help him.”

“All we can do for the time being is watch him and make sure he doesn’t harm himself. I’m afraid most of that is going to fall on your shoulders, Dave. You’re the one who’s with him most of the time. I know how difficult your job is going to be. You’re going to have to solve this case and keep your partner together at the same time. He’s afraid that if I give him something strong enough to put him out, he’ll wake up in the hospital. That’s exactly what I’d like to do. The only hope I can offer is that he

pulled himself out of it once. Maybe he’ll do it again.”

Starsky answered, “Unless something else happens to knock him back down. What about his memory, Doc? What do you think he’s blocking out?”

“Oh, you mean besides having the woman he was making love to blown away?”

Starsky’s reply was tolerant. “He remembers that, Doc. Could he be blocking something else out? Something that he can’t handle right now?”

Massey sighed and shook his head. “I don’t know, Dave. It’s possible. What could be worse than seeing Christine shot?”

“I wish I knew. I just have the feeling there’s more to this than we know.”

“Well, whatever is bothering him, you’d better find out before he does.”

“You lost me, Doc. What do you mean?”

“He can’t handle any more right now. He needs professional help in dealing with this situation. He’s very close to the edge already. If he regains his memory before he’s capable of dealing with the trauma, it could send him over.”

“Well, that’s great. I’m supposed to solve this case and keep my partner from falling apart at the seams. If that isn’t enough, I’m supposed to make sure he doesn’t remember whatever it is that he can’t handle before he’s ready to handle it. There’s nothing to it, Doc. Is there anything else you want me to do? Why don’t I solve the energy crisis in my spare time?”

“I know it sounds impossible, Starsky. Until I can convince Hutch to check himself into a hospital, that’s all we can do. I’m sorry that the burden lies on you.”

Starsky sighed. “It’s not your fault, Doc. Well, I might as well get back to work. Do you think he’ll be all right now?”

“Yes, the medication should be working by now. It should help him for a while, at least. Do you know what you’re going to do next?”

“I haven’t got the slightest idea. We sent the lab boys over to the Sheraton. Maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll pick up some prints or something.”

Dobey snorted. “They haven’t so far. Do you still think something Chris was working on got her killed?”

“I’m sure of it, Cap. There isn’t any other logical explanation. Chris was a good reporter. She went after the hottest stories. This time she stepped on the wrong person’s toes. I think if we find her last article, we’ll find whoever’s responsible for her death.”

“So that means you’ve got to find that article.”

“Yeah. I’m going to try to find which airline she used. Maybe she rented a locker before she left the airport. Maybe she asked them to hold something for her, I don’t know. I doubt that it’s going to be that easy, but it’s worth a try. So, Captain, Doc, I’ll check with you later.”

He went over to sit beside Hutch. “Hey partner, how’s it goin’?”

Hutch rubbed his face and sat forward. “I’m all right, Starsk. Don’t worry about me.”

“OK, so, are you ready to get back to work?”

“Yeah, I think so. What do you have in mind?”

“I think we should try the airlines. We need to find out which one she used and when she got here. Maybe we can pick up her trail from the airport. That’s not exactly a brainstorm, but it’s all I can think of right now.”

An hour later, Starsky turned to Hutch.

“Well, she came in on the Delta Shuttle. Her plane landed at one o’clock that afternoon. That gives her plenty of time to stash the story before she went to the hotel. The clerk that I talked to said they don’t have a record of her renting a locker, or putting anything in their safe.”

“So there’s two hours between the time her plane landed and she went to the hotel. Then, another two hours before she called me. That’s four hours that we don’t know about. She could have done anything and gone anywhere during that time.”

“I know that, Hutch. It stands to reason that if she were afraid for her life, she’d stash that story where you could find it. We just have to keep digging.”

Downstairs, Dr. Massey continued working on Hutch’s case. He had requested copies of the reports from the crime lab and the autopsy report. After reading the autopsy, he called the county coroner’s office.

“Coroner’s office, Garner speaking.”

“This is Dr. Massey from the Metropolitan Precinct. I was reading the autopsy report on Christine Phelps and realized that this is only a preliminary report. Could you tell me if the final report has been finished and when it will be sent over?”

“Of course, Doctor, let me check and see. Could you hold for a minute, please?”

A minute later, the clerk was back. “Here it is, Doctor. It was due to be sent over there this afternoon. Would you like me to have a courier run it over to you now?”

“Yes, that would be helpful. I’m on the first floor. Thank-you.”

Dr. Massey was going over the final report when there was a soft knock on his door. Dr. Kevin Marshall was the physician in charge at County General Hospital. Dr. Massey had filled him in on Hutch’s condition, in the event he was needed.

Dr. Marshall noticed the look on Massey’s face as he read the report. “What’s wrong, Stewart?”

“This is the final autopsy report on Christine Phelps. I think we have the answer.”

“What answer is that?”

“Sergeant Starsky wanted to know if Hutch could be repressing something that happened before Chris was shot. I think I just found out what it is.” He handed the report to his colleague.

Dr. Marshall read the report silently. “Oh, my God. What are you going to do?”

Dr. Massey picked up the phone and dialed a number.

“Starsky.”

“This is Dr. Massey. I need to see you, right away. I don’t want Hutch to know we’re talking, so come alone.”

“Sure, whatever you say. I’ll be down in a minute.”

Starsky cursed under his breath. What now? He looked over at Hutch, who was watching him curiously.

Starsky shook his head. “It’s nothing important. There’s been a mix-up with the R&I file. I need to go straighten it out. Look, why don’t you start calling the bus stations? See if they keep records on who rents their lockers. It’s a long shot, but she had to stash her stuff someplace.”

“OK, I’ll try anything at this point.”

“I’ll be right back.”

He hurried down to Massey’s office, still muttering under his breath. Whatever the doctor was going to say, Starsky was sure he wasn’t going to like it.

Dr. Massey introduced him to Dr. Marshall and handed Starsky the report.

“I had a courier bring over the final autopsy report on Christine. I wanted to look it over before Hutch saw it. It’s a good thing I did.”

At first, the final report read the same as the preliminary one. As he turned the page, his eyes widened. He stared at the words, not believing them. He looked at Dr. Massey and echoed Dr. Marshall.

“Oh, my God.”

“I think we know now what Hutch is blocking out. It all fits, doesn’t it?”

Starsky closed his eyes and shook his head. “You think she told him and that’s what he can’t stand to remember.”

Dr. Massey nodded. Starsky paced the floor. A dozen thoughts ran through his mind. He spoke slowly in an effort to organize them.

“That’s what she came down to tell him that night. Hutch keeps saying he didn’t know that she was in trouble. She didn’t tell him, because she knew what he would do. If she had something damaging on somebody and told Hutch about it, he would have to act on it. She knew that he wouldn’t let up until she told him everything. She probably knew that someone was after her, so she picked the Broadway instead of going back to her own room. She wanted to talk to Hutch without having to look over her shoulder. Damn. Hutch is as much in the dark as we are. Even if he does remember more about that night, he’s not going to be able to tell us much.”

He stopped talking and shook his head again. He looked at both Doctors. “What’s this going to do to him, if he remembers?”

Dr. Massey spoke. “It will do what I told you it would. Right now, he’s insulating himself by treating this as a typical investigation. He’s letting his cop’s instincts lead him. As horrible as the shooting was, he’s coping with it by putting it into a professional perspective. This is different because it’s personal. There’s nothing for the cop to do. There’s no way to insulate the man from what he knows.”

“You’re making it sound like he’s two different people.”

“In a way, right now he is. It’s the only way he’s managed to stay on his feet.”

Starsky looked baffled. “You’ve lost me, Doc. I don’t understand.”

“Dave, Hutch isn’t coping with what happened. He’s simply going through the motions. He’s separated himself from the horror, by drawing from his experience as a cop. You two have had some gruesome cases in the past and he’s using those experiences to build a wall around himself. That way, he’s not really involved. As long as he keeps this on a purely professional

level, he remains in control. It’s only when he runs across something that he can’t divorce himself from, that reality intrudes. He told me about seeing Chris’ body under the sheet instead of your bed. This latest episode happened when he saw her pictures in the file. These things are too real for him to ignore. So is this.”

As Dr. Massey paused, Dr. Marshall continued.

“David, we’ve said this before, but it’s especially vital now. Ken needs professional help. This report answers a lot of questions. It explains why there is so much guilt and so much anger. If he remembers this before he’s ready, the results can be devastating.”

“So, what can we do to keep that from happening?”

“The same thing you’ve been doing all along. Watch him carefully and keep him from the personal aspects as best you can. All we can do is hope that nothing happens to trigger his memory.”

Starsky was angry. “This just keeps getting better and better! Now I’m supposed to censor everything he sees and hears. How the Hell am I supposed to do that?”

Dr. Massey was patient. “You can’t, unless you’re psychic. We don’t know exactly what happened that night, so we can’t predict what will bring those memories back.”

Starsky got up to leave. “So, what can I do?”

“Keep watching him and shield him as best you can. That’s all anyone can do right now.”

“What if he does hear something that triggers his memory?”

Dr. Massey’s voice was grim. “Then you hope there are some pieces left for us to pick up.”

Starsky was not in the best of moods when he returned to the squad room. He stood in the doorway, watching Hutch. There was a time bomb ticking away inside his partner’s head and it could go off at any time. Starsky looked up at the ceiling. How was he supposed to keep it from going off before Hutch was ready?

Hutch looked up as Starsky came toward him. “Well, so far, I’ve struck out. The bus stations all say the same thing. Whenever someone rents a locker from them, all they do is drop some coins and take the key. They don’t keep any paperwork on them. So what now? Do you want to go back down to Property and see if you can find another key?”

Starsky noticed that Hutch didn’t mention Chris’ name or offer to go with him. He shook his head.

“No, I went through everything thoroughly. I don’t see any reason to go through her things again, or to go back to the hotel. As usual, we’re stumped.”

The phone rang, putting an end to their brainstorming. Hutch got to it before Starsky did.

“Hutchinson. Hey, Hug, what’s up?” He listened for a minute, then continued. “You’re kidding. Really? We’re on our way.”

He hung up the phone and grabbed his jacket. “Huggy says he’s finally got something for us. Maybe this is the break we need. Are you coming?”

Hutch was almost to the door before Starsky stopped him. For a minute, they stood there, looking at each other. Then Starsky swore to himself. What was he supposed to say? Uh, excuse me Hutch, but you can’t go because you might hear something you shouldn’t? If you hear the wrong thing and you remember what really happened that night, it could kill you, too? Yeah, right.

Hutch looked at Starsky. “Starsk, come on! Huggy’s waiting. Let’s go!”

Starsky threw up his hands and shook his head, following Hutch out the door.

Chapter 5

When they arrived at the Pits, Huggy was waiting for them. He waved them over and had Diane pour them a beer.

“What’s up, Hug? You said you had something.”

“You got that right! I told you it wouldn’t take long before some punk started running his mouth.”

“OK, Huggy, spill it. What did you hear?” Starsky asked.

“I just heard from a reliable source that a certain two-bit junkie was in the Broken Bottle last night blowing his own horn. He was throwing cash around like confetti, to any one who would catch it. He was talking about going to work for a really heavy dude. He said the guy hired him to be his top mechanic and had already made his first hit.”

Starsky asked, “Did he say who it was that he took out?”

Huggy glanced at Hutch. “Yeah. Apparently his boss wanted to get rid of this chick that was getting too close to his business. He told this junkie that if he did a good job, he’d make him his main man. My source said he was really strutting around.”

“OK, he sounds like our boy. Did he say anything else?”

The look Huggy gave him was scathing. He glanced again at Hutch.

“He supposedly was bragging about how it went down. He said he wasted this chick while she was making it with a cop, that he blew her right out from under him.”

Hutch swung away from the other two, clutching the bar for support. Starsky squeezed his shoulder gently.

Neither man spoke while they waited for Hutch to pull himself together. Starsky had to wonder how much strength Hutch had left and how much more he could take.

Hutch stood motionless as he fought to regain control of his emotions. When he was sure he could speak, he turned back to Huggy.

“Does this “reliable source” have a name?”

“Joe Meyers.”

Hutch was incredulous. “Spooky Joe Meyers? Huggy, that scum is so far gone that he talks to himself and answers in a different voice. How can you possibly listen to anything that man has to say?”

To anyone on the street who knew “Spooky” Joe, what Hutch said made perfect sense. It was rumored that Joe could have been the top dealer on that side of the city except for one small problem. He couldn’t stay away from his own stuff. He couldn’t handle more than a few customers at a time without losing his shirt.

Huggy answered Hutch. “I know where you’re coming from, Hutch. Joe might not be an intellectual giant, but he does know his customers. If one of his steady marks has a sudden increase in income, Joe knows about it. It’s only good business. He doesn’t want to charge more than they can pay, but he sets his prices according to their income.”

Starsky quipped, “Oh, yeah, he doesn’t want to bleed them dry. He just takes them for everything he can get. He’s a real enterprising individual, Huggy, real trustworthy. So who’s this junkie turned hit-man?”

“His name’s Eddie Avery. He’s about twenty-four, five-eight or so, and weighs about a hundred and fifty pounds. He doesn’t have a real close relationship with water, if you know what I mean. He’s got straggly blonde hair and brown eyes. If I remember right, he’s got a scar down the left side of his face. From what I hear, one of his unsatisfied customers cut him during a brawl.”

Hutch shook his head. “Do you happen to know where we can find this sterling example of mankind?”

“He usually hangs out in an abandoned hotel on Eighth Street. Lately, he’s been spending his nights in the bar, throwing his money around.”

“What’s the name of the hotel?”

“It used to be the Biltmour. It’s been abandoned for over a year now.”

Hutch turned to Starsky. “Well, why are we still standing here? We’ve waited this long for a lead, we don’t want it to get cold. Let’s go!”

They said a quick good-bye to Huggy and took off for the hotel. Since it was still early, they had a small hope that they would catch him before he left. When they arrived, they went up the stairs cautiously. As they peeked through the front door, they could see four men sitting on a couch. One of them matched Huggy’s description of Avery. Starsky grabbed Hutch as he went past him. He swung him around to his side of the building.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m going in after him, what else? I don’t want him to get away, not when we’re so close.”

“Hutch, if you bust in there now, all you’re going to do is get us both killed. He’s not alone and I’d bet none of those boys are anxious to meet a couple of cops. What we’re going to do is call for back-up and sit tight ‘til it gets here.”

“What if they decide to take off? Are we supposed to watch them get away? After all we’ve been through? I’m not going to let them get away, Starsky.”

“Hutch, you listen to me! We are NOT going in without back-up! If you try to go in there before help arrives, I will personally handcuff you and put you in the car. Do you understand me?”

Hutch looked stunned. “You wouldn’t.”

Starsky met his eyes. “Try me.”

Hutch put his hands up and nodded. “Fine, whatever you say. We’ll wait.”

Ten minutes later, two patrol cars drove up silently and parked behind the Torino. Starsky directed the four officers around the building and waited for them to get into position. Starsky counted to ten, then made his move. He went through the front door with Hutch behind him. The uniformed officers came in through the other entrances and surrounded the men.

“OK, friends, it’s the heat! Stay where you are and no one will get hurt.”

The four suspects, including Avery, looked around them and decided not to resist. They put up their hands and walked quietly out of the hotel.

Starsky booked the four suspects and separated Avery from the others. He had one of the officer's take him to the interrogation room. Deciding to let him sweat for a while, they stopped by Captain Dobey’s office.

“So who are the other three?” Dobey asked.

Starsky answered. “They’re small time dealers for Spooky Joe. We wanted to make it look like a drug bust. No one will guess that we like Eddie Avery for Chris’ murder.”

“OK, I’ll go along with that. Do you actually think this punk is the one who shot Christine Phelps?”

Hutch replied, “We think he’s the one who pulled the trigger, Captain. There’s someone else pulling his strings; someone a Hell of a lot bigger.”

“So, why are you still here? Did you read him his rights?”

“Yeah. He say’s he didn’t do anything, so he doesn’t need a lawyer. Don’t worry, Cap, I’ll be careful. If he changes his mind, I’ll make sure he gets one.”

“I want this one by the book, Starsky. If he’s guilty of murder, I don’t want him going free on a legal technicality.”

“I hear you, Captain, loud and clear.”

As Starsky and Hutch headed for the interrogation room, Dobey stepped in front of Hutch.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Hutch stared at his Captain. “I’m going in there, Captain. It’s kind of hard to question a suspect through the door.”

“You got this wrong, Hutch. Starsky is going to question Avery. You’re not going anywhere near him. You can watch from the other room, but that’s as close as you get.”

“Now, wait just a minute, Captain. I’m as much a part of this investigation as Starsky is. I was in on the arrest, and I’m going to be in on the interrogation, too.”

“No, you’re not. This man is our prime suspect and I won’t have this case jeopardized by letting you anywhere near him. You were emotionally involved with the victim, and in the room with her when she was killed. If I let you question him, and he confesses, the judge will take one look at that and throw it out of court. Starsky is the officer in charge of the interrogation, and that’s final.”

Hutch started to protest again, but Dobey stopped him. “I gave you a direct order, Hutchinson. You can watch from the other room, or you can wait in my office. Which is it going to be?”

Hutch snarled an answer and stalked into the other room.

Starsky wasn’t thrilled with the Captain’s decision, either. *Terrific! He’s out of Avery’s sight, but he’s out of mine, too. How am I supposed to know if Avery says something to trigger his memory? Oh, well, I’ll just have to be careful.*

Starsky wasn’t in the best of moods when he got inside, and he let Avery know it right away.

“Look, punk, I really don’t feel like playing games, so I’m going to let you know exactly where you stand. I know you were paid an undetermined amount by an unknown individual, or individuals, to murder Christine Phelps. I know this because you have been running your mouth to anyone who will listen to your slimy story. So don’t waste my time by denying it. The only thing, and I mean the only thing, that you have to bargain with is the name of the person who hired you. That’s what you can do for me. Now, I’ll tell you what I can do for you. You’re going to take a fall, friend. It can be an easy fall, or a hard one. If you tell me what I want to know, I’ll see that you do your time in that new maximum security prison they just built up the coast. You’ll have a TV, three squares a day, and even a gym where you can work out. That’s a lot better than what you’ve got right now, right?”

“What if I don’t roll over for you, cop? What are you going to do, put me in jail?” Avery snickered.

“I’ll tell you what I’m going to do, scum. I’m going to make sure they send you to the State Pen, and you can forget the cushy digs. You’ll spend your days in filth, eating garbage and losing your tan. The only thing you’ll have to look forward to is a whole new dimension to your love life, if you get my drift. The inmates up there aren’t going to care how young you are, or how good-looking you are. The only thing they care about is whether you’re breathing or not, and sometimes they aren’t too particular about that! Do we understand each other?”

Starsky sat back and watched Avery. Avery turned pale as Starsky’s words hit home.

“You can’t send me there, man! I’ve heard about that place. I won’t last a week. You-you might as well cut my throat right now. It would be a whole lot better than that place.”

“Then tell me what I want to know, Eddie. That’s all you have to do. Tell me who hired you and you’re on easy street. If you don’t, you’re in a living Hell for the next twenty years, if you survive that long.”

Avery laughed hysterically. “That’s just it, cop. If I spill my guts to you, I won’t make it to trial, let alone the pen. So whether I go to the Taj Mahal or Death Valley doesn’t matter. I ain’t gonna live long enough to go to anywhere. These people are big and crossing them ain’t healthy.”

“Eddie, you’re not thinking clearly. If you turn these people, they’re going to be in the pen, too. They’re not going to hurt you. You’ll be the one on easy street, and they’ll be the ones in Hell. Think about it, Eddie. Which one sounds better? You can have a safe place to do your time, or it can be your worst nightmare. That, little man, is the only choice you have. Think about it.” Starsky got up and headed for the door.

“Wait! Give me a minute, I gotta think.”

Starsky leaned across the table. “Eddie, you don’t have anything to think ABOUT. All I want is a name. If you say anything else, you’re wasting my time.”

“OK, OK! I’ll tell you what you want to know. You have to give me your word that I’ll keep breathing, cop. If these people find out I ratted on them, my life ain’t going to be worth squat.”

“I already gave you my word, Eddie, so quit stalling. TALK!”

“OK, already, here goes. A couple of weeks ago, this guy comes into the Biltmour. Don’t ask me what day it was, ‘cause I don’t remember. He was a fancy looking prick, you know, really out of place. I asked him if he was slumming. He sort of turned his mouth up, like he wanted me to know how funny I wasn’t. He said he got my name from some mutual acquaintances. I thought that was really a gag, us running around in the same circles. He asked if I was interested in a job, and I asked what kind it was. That’s when he got real secretive. He made this big show out of making sure we were alone. He said he worked for someone real important and this guy would pay real good. He said it might lead to other jobs, if this dude like the way I worked. He said I’d be real important, like top dog. So I said sure and he laid it out for me. He said there was this reporter chick, and she was nosing around where she didn’t belong. He kinda let me know that it wasn’t healthy to get too close to the boss’ business, so I didn’t ask too many questions. I kept my mouth shut and let him tell me the when and where. He told me to hang loose, and be ready to move when he called. He said it would go down fast, when it happened. So I did as he said and hung loose.”

Avery stopped to light a cigarette, then continued. “A few nights ago, he called. I was supposed to go to this bar and tail this chick. I was to follow her, and when she was alone, waste her. I barely made it to the Regal Inn, when she walked in with this guy. They got a table and had a drink. They were sitting there, and talking. I looked around and spotted fancy pants sittin’ in the back. It didn’t take a genius to know he didn’t want to be noticed, so I played dumb. Things were going OK, until the broad headed for the john. I guess she spotted fancy pants on the way back. Next thing I know, she’s grabbing her boyfriend and flying out of there. Man, I really had to hustle to get to my car before they got out of sight.

“Well, I followed them for a while, hanging back so the boyfriend wouldn’t get hip to what I was doin’. They ended up on Skid Row, and went into the Broadway. I couldn’t figure a classy broad like that going in there, but it didn’t exactly break my heart. The only thing the desk clerks care about is gettin’ their money. They don’t pay attention to who goes in or out. I waited to make sure no one was nosing around, then I went in through the back. I put on a ski mask and gloves, and sneaked up the back stairs. I didn’t see anybody in the hall, so I made my move. I listened at the door and figured they was too busy to notice me, so I kicked in the door. Man, did I freak when the john she was makin’ it with rolled off her and pulled a piece! I didn’t wait around to see if she was dead. I lit out of there and went for my car. I didn’t find out until a couple days later that he was a cop.”

They sat in silence as Starsky tried to control his stomach. He knew Hutch had heard every word, and his soul cried out for him.

“All right, Eddie, so you did the job. How did you get paid? Did this fancy pants get in touch with you?”

Avery nodded. “The next day, he comes into the hotel with this envelope full of money. Man, I never saw so much green in my life! He told me that the boss was real pleased with the way I handled things. He even said it was OK that I didn’t waste the boyfriend. Fancy pants said the boss wanted him alive for now. He told me that I was going to be his top mechanic, and that he’d be in touch. That’s all I know, cop, I swear.”

“OK, Eddie. Does fancy pants have a name?”

“Yeah, and it was as fancy as the rest of him. I ain’t likely to forget it, either. His name’s Howard K. Hamilton.”

“What does he look like?”

“Well, he was kind of old, maybe fifty or so. He’s shorter than me, and soft lookin’, too. He wasn’t fat, just pudgy. He was losin’ his hair. It was dark brown, and thin at the top. He wore it in that short preppy cut like high class lawyers wear. The suit he was wearin’ had to cost at least two bills, with a fancy vest and tie to match. His shoes were so shiny that I could see myself in them. He had brown eyes. He was sportin’ this wimpy little mustache. There wasn’t a hair out of place. His eyes really got to me, you know? It was like settin’ up this dame was all in a day’s work for him. It really didn’t mean anything to him. You know?”

“Yeah, I know. Is there anything else you can tell me? Do you know the name of this big boss?”

“Are you jivin’ me? Fancy pants never said and I sure as Hell didn’t ask! Do you think I wanted to end up like that dame?”

“I get the message, Eddie. Did he tell you why he wanted her boyfriend left alive? That doesn’t seem too smart to me.”

“I had the same thought myself, considerin’ I was the one he could finger. Fancy pants said that the boss wanted him alive. He told me not to worry about it. After that, he clammed up. He said that he’d be in touch, then left. I haven’t heard squat from him since that day.”

“All right, Eddie, that’s enough for now. Sit tight while I work through this. I’ll post a guard outside, so you’ll be safe. They won’t let anyone in except me.”

“You’ve got the ball, cop. I can’t testify if I’m dead, so it’s up to you. Don’t forget our deal, got it?”

“Yeah, Eddie, I get it, loud and clear."

Chapter 6

John M. Clairmont, CEO and principal stockholder of ClairCo, wasn’t happy with his top attorney.

“I want that story, Hamilton! That’s why I left Hutchinson alive, so he would lead us to it. I’m getting tired of waiting.”

“Now, John, don’t get upset. We’ll find the story, don’t worry. Now that Phelps is dead, all we have to do is sit back and wait. Hutchinson doesn’t have a hint of what she was doing, so we’re not in any danger.”

“You’d better be right, Hamilton. If I go down, I’m taking a whole lot of people with me. Besides that, there’s a great deal of money to be made. I’m not going to let one nosy reporter ruin it for me. How much does this punk, Avery, know?”

“He doesn’t know anything, John. I’m the only one he’s seen, and when the time comes, I’ll take care of him. Even if he were busted for more than drugs, there isn’t anything he can tell them. He also knows the only way to stay alive is to keep his mouth shut.”

“I’m holding you responsible for him, Howard. Meanwhile, find that article! I won’t rest until it’s found and destroyed. Keep your eyes on the cop. If he makes a move, you’d better be right on his heels. What other leads have you got?”

“Phelps had a roommate here in San Francisco. I’m going to send some of my men over to their apartment tomorrow. I’ll wait until she leaves for work, so we’ll have plenty of time to look around. If we don’t find anything, I’ll have a little talk with her.”

“Good. Keep me posted, Howard. The sooner this threat is eliminated, the better we’ll all sleep.”

Ken Hutchinson sat on the bench outside the interrogation room. His rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes. He fought a silent war with his stomach, ordering it to behave. He felt Starsky’s hand on his arm.

“Well, I guess that does it. At least we know who pulled the trigger.”

“Yeah.”

“Hamilton’s the next step. He’s not the top man, but it’s a start.”

“Yeah.” Hutch took a deep breath and looked at Starsky. “Now what?”

“Now we go talk to the Captain.”

Dobey wasn’t pleased with his top detectives. He waited until Starsky finished his report, then pointed his finger at him.

“So far, all you’ve got to go on is the word of a junkie. That’s not going to stand up in court. You’d better find out who Howard Hamilton is, and who hired him. As it stands, the D.A. wouldn’t even attempt to go to trial.”

Hutch answered him. “We know that, Captain. We’ll keep Eddie under wraps until we track down this Hamilton. Eddie’s a loose end, and Hamilton might be waiting for us to turn him loose so he can take care of him. No one with any sense is going to make Eddie their top hit man.”

Starsky continued, “As long as we have Eddie, we’ve got the first link in the chain. That’s where you come in, Captain. If we can keep the other three dealers in custody, it will make our smoke screen a little stronger. It’ll give the impression that Eddie was picked up along with them on a routine drug bust. Maybe it will buy us a enough time to find Hamilton.”

“All right, I’ll see what I can do. What are you going to do now?”

“We’ll put Hamilton’s name and description into the computer and see what happens. If we can find out who he works for, we’ll have our next link.”

Howard Runyan met them at the door. “I’ve been looking for you two. I might have something that will help you. It’s not much, but maybe it’ll help.”

“Well, spill it, Hal. What did you find?”

“John Clairmont is not only the biggest stockholder in ClairCo, he’s the CEO, too. Clairmont Construction might appear to be squeaky clean, but some of its divisions aren’t. Several smaller companies have filed official protests against Clairmont’s L.A. division. They accused Clairmont of using political influence to win the contract for the new prison that was built last year. As far as I can tell, nothing ever came of the protests.”

“John Clairmont has enough clout to squash any protest, and the companies who made them.” Hutch looked at his partner.

“Looks like Chris might have stumbled into a hornet’s nest. By the time she realized who she was fighting, it was probably too late. I still don’t understand why she didn’t tell me! I could have helped her.”

Starsky could guess why she didn’t, but only said, “She knew that you’d have to get involved. She wasn’t ready to give it up, yet. Whatever her reasons were, you have to let go of it, Hutch. All the guessin' in the world ain't going to change what happened, and neither is blaming yourself. We have to concentrate on finding the people responsible for her death. If Clairmont’s monopolizing the construction business, this could get hairy. We’d better start watching our backs. Which brings us to why we’re here, Hal. We want you to run this name and description, and see if any priors come up on the guy. Also, see if you can find a connection with this guy and ClairCo.”

“OK, when do you want it?”

“It’s getting late. Do you think you can have something for us by morning?”

“I don’t know, Starsk. I should have something definite by noon, though. If it comes together before that, I’ll give you a call.”

“That’s great. We’ll be in touch.”

The next morning, the two detectives were catching up on paperwork when Captain Dobey came out of his office.

“I just heard from the San Francisco P.D. That roommate of Chris Phelps, what was her name?”

Starsky answered, “Cindy Friedman, Cap. What about her?”

“She came home from work early and surprised a couple of apes that were ransacking her apartment. They attacked her, then left. She’s in the hospital. She told the detectives assigned to the case that they were looking for some papers that belonged to Chris Phelps. I’ve booked you on the next flight out. Your plane leaves in an hour; get to it.”

Grabbing their jackets with one hand and the plane tickets with the other, the two men rushed for the airport.

Cindy Friedman resembled thousands of other young women in San Francisco. Cindy was simply an ordinary citizen, going about her rather ordinary life.

The only excitement that Cindy had in her life came from her roommate. When Cindy first advertised for a roommate, she only hoped for someone responsible to share expenses. Being on her own in the big city was hard; rent was high if you wanted a decent place to live. When Chris Phelps answered her ad, Cindy knew she was perfect.

It wasn’t that Chris was rich, although she always paid her half of the expenses, it was more about who Chris was. She was a real live reporter, someone Cindy had only read about. Chris brought excitement to Cindy’s mediocre life, and for that, Cindy adored her. Chris was everything Cindy wasn’t. She was beautiful, sophisticated, and adventurous. Cindy could maintain her own safe, secure life while taking part in Chris’ vicariously. The two women would sit for hours, eating ice cream, while Chris talked about all her adventures.

Lately, though, Chris had been quiet and subdued. When Cindy asked her what was wrong, Chris only said that it wasn’t her work. Cindy never pried into Chris’ life, but knew her well enough to know something was wrong. Then, suddenly, Chris’ mood changed. She was happy and excited, almost glowing. She told Cindy that she had something to do, and when she was finished, she would tell Cindy all about it.

The next day, Chris left for L.A., and Cindy never saw her again. When the police told her that Chris was dead, Cindy was devastated. It felt like she had lost a sister, not just a roommate. A big part of her life was gone; routine and humdrum replaced the excitement and adventure. Her whole life was just a shade darker without Chris.

About the same time Starsky and Hutch were starting their shift, Cindy Friedman’s day was already turning sour. The alarm clock didn’t go off again, so she had overslept. She rushed to get ready for work, and ripped a button off her brand new blouse. When she finally made it to the office, the hussy she alternated shifts with was waiting for her. Cindy was one of only two secretaries that worked for a local tabloid. Karen told her that she needed the afternoon off, so they were going to switch shifts. Cindy could go back home and return at four o’clock. If Karen had asked her nicely, Cindy wouldn’t have minded, but Karen was always so demanding. She simply ordered Cindy to do her bidding.

Cindy was still angry when she returned to her apartment, so she didn’t notice the absence of Oscar, the doorman. Still griping to herself about the rotten morning she’d had, she stomped into her apartment. She was halfway into the living room before she noticed the room. She stopped and looked around her. The place was destroyed! Then, the alarms started going off in her head. Cindy wasn’t dense, but years of living in her apartment without incident had made her comfortable and secure. It took her a few minutes to equate the mess in the room with possible danger to herself. Unfortunately, it was a few minutes too long.

As Cindy turned to run, two of the largest men she’d ever seen came out of Chris’ bedroom. When they saw her, they stopped talking and stared at her. Obviously, she wasn’t supposed to be there. They grabbed her before she escaped, and she started to cry.

“Please, whoever you are, don’t hurt me! Take anything you want. I won’t tell anybody, I promise. Take what you want and go. Please!”

“Well, missy, we’d do that if we could find what we came here to get. We can’t find it, so you’re going to help us. If you do, then no one gets hurt. If you don’t-”

“What do you want? I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what it is.”

“We want Christine Phelps’ papers, the one’s she was working on before she died. They have to be somewhere, and we’re not leaving here without them. Do you understand me?”

“I don’t know where they are! Chrissy never talked to me about her work, honest. I thought she took them with her. If they’re not in her room, then she did. We don’t have a safe, or anything. The building doesn’t have one, either. I swear, I don’t know anything about them!” She screamed as they moved toward her, “Don’t hurt me! Please, God, don’t kill me! I don’t know anything!”

It was a full hour before a neighbor heard Cindy sobbing from inside her apartment. He called the police and an ambulance, but the thugs were long gone.

Arriving a few hours later, Starsky and Hutch went straight to the hospital to talk to Cindy. As they were about to enter her room, they met the doctor that was assigned to her case. They introduced themselves, and asked about her condition.

“She’ll recover completely. There weren’t any life threatening injuries, just bruises and two cracked ribs. We’ll keep her for a few days for observation because she does have a slight concussion. She could go back to work in a few days, but she’s still very frightened. Apparently those men terrorized her completely.”

Hutch said, “We understand, Doctor. There’ll be an officer outside her room while she’s here, and she’ll have protection when she’s released. It won’t make what happened go away, but maybe it will make her feel safer. Can we talk to her? It’s important, or we wouldn’t ask.”

“Yes, but don’t upset her, and don’t stay too long. Maybe it will help her state of mind if she knows the police are taking this seriously.”

“Believe me, Doctor, we’re very serious about this case.”

The two detectives introduced themselves to Cindy and listened to her story.

When she was finished, Starsky looked at Hutch.

“Well, as usual, they’re one step ahead of us. Miss Friedman, you said Chris never talked about her work. Can you think of anything she might have told you that would help us?”

“No, I’m sorry, but Chris was really strict about that. She said it was for my own protection. She said that the less I knew, the safer I’d be. Considering what happened today, that’s really funny!” Cindy laughed shrilly. “I told those men the same thing, but they didn’t believe me.”

“Do you still think that Chris took everything with her? Would she have done that if she thought someone was after her?”

Cindy nodded. “There isn’t anyone in San Francisco that she’d trust with something that important. In fact, I can’t think of anyone at all that she’d trust with her work.”

Hutch changed the subject. “How did she seem lately? Was she worried, or scared?”

“With Chris, who knows? She didn’t let anyone see what she was really feeling. She could have been terrified and still pretended everything was OK. It was normal for her to be cautious when she was working. Maybe she thought she could finish whatever she was working on before anyone could get to her. I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful. All I can do is guess about what was going on in Chris’ head.”

“We understand, Miss Friedman. What about in general? Can you tell us anything about her state of mind?”

Cindy smiled as she thought back. “She was in great spirits. Chris was always up, you know, she loved her work and her whole life. Nothing ever got her down for long. She was always telling me to lighten up, and to quit taking things so seriously. Do you know what I mean?”

Hutch looked away for a moment. “Yes, I know. She was always like that.”

Cindy looked closely at him. “You’re Ken, aren’t you? She told me about you.”

He was startled. “She did? What did she say?”

“She said you were the one thing she missed about L.A. She always said that if she ever settled down, she would go back there. She said you were the one person who made her think about staying in one place. Then, she would laugh and say the only way she would ever settle down was if she were...dead.”

Starsky was feeling very uncomfortable about the way the conversation was going. It was getting entirely too personal. Ever mindful of the secret he carried, he ended the meeting.

“I’m sorry, Miss Friedman. I know this has been difficult for you. I’m sorry you were dragged into this. We promise you, we’ll get the men who attacked you. You have our word.”

“Thank-you, that helps. I was dreading going back to my apartment. I was afraid they would come back and maybe even kill me this time. I feel better now.”

As the two men started to leave, Cindy stopped them. “You know, Chris was so happy the last time I saw her. She was excited about something, but she wouldn’t tell me what it was. It’s so hard to remember how good she was feeling about everything. It’s so unfair!”

Before Hutch could question her further, Starsky answered, “Yes, it is. Good-bye, Miss Friedman, we’ll be in touch,” and practically threw Hutch out of the room.

Hutch pinned Starsky with a bemused look.

Starsky said quickly, “She was starting to get upset again. I didn’t think it would be good for her condition. She’s supposed to rest and stay calm.”

“OK, so what next? Should we take a look at her apartment?”

Starsky sighed with relief. “No, I don’t think it would do any good. Why don’t we check in with the local PD, and see what they’ve got so far? Maybe we can get a description of the suspects and try to match it with what we’ve already got.”

“Sounds good to me. I’d like to get back to L.A. soon, so we can check in with Hal. Maybe he’ll have something for us.”

Cindy had given the local police descriptions of the men that attacked her. Starsky and Hutch picked up copies of the file, and headed back to L.A. to talk to Hal.

Hal was waiting for them. “Starsky, Hutch, I’m glad you’re back. I’ve got something for you.”

“Well, don’t keep us in suspense. What have you got?”

“It was sticking out like a sore thumb, guys. The minute I ran this Hamilton’s name against Clairmont Construction, up he pops. He’s a lawyer all right. In fact, he’s the senior attorney for ClairCo. He answers only to John M. Clairmont himself.”

“I guess Eddie was telling the truth. So, Chris was investigating ClairCo. and Clairmont got nervous. She must have found something big if he was willing to commit murder to stop her.”

“Well, Chris couldn’t be bought, so he probably figured he had no choice. This helps a lot, Hal. We’ve got some more information for you, too. Can you run these descriptions against ClairCo’s personnel records? We’re looking for any possible connection with Clairmont, or Hamilton.”

“Sure, no problem. When do you want it?”

Starsky barely concealed a yawn. “It’s getting late, and we’ve had a long day. We’ll check with you first thing in the morning.”

“That’s good. It shouldn’t take long.”

Hal was waiting for them when they got to the station.

“I’ve got your match, guys. The descriptions you gave me match the files of two men who’ve been working on that new building over on South Main. Their names are Tony Manson and Greg Towers. They’ve worked for ClairCo for two years.”

“Now, isn’t that interesting? Well, Starsk, I think we need to have a little chat with Mr. Hamilton, don’t you?”

“I think that’s a very good idea, Ollie. Let’s go talk to the Captain.”

Captain Dobey was slightly more receptive when they gave him their report.

“Well, at least you’re making headway. So far, everything points to Clairmont. How are you going to play this?”

Starsky shrugged. “We’ll go in the front door, Cap. If we can get a warrant, we’ll bring Hamilton in for questioning. If we can convince him we’ve got a tight case, he might talk.”

Dobey pointed his finger again. “You don’t have a tight case. True, you’ve got more than you did a few days ago, but it still has a lot of holes.”

Hutch smiled. “He doesn’t have to know that, Cap. Eddie’s name should be enough to shake his confidence. Remember that he doesn’t have Chris’ article. We might be able to convince him that we do.”

“All right, I’ll call Judge Shaw. You’ll have your warrant within the hour.”

When they arrived at Hamilton’s penthouse apartment, Hamilton answered the door himself. Neither Starsky nor Hutch noticed the flicker of recognition in Hamilton’s eyes when he saw Hutch.

“Yes, gentlemen, may I help you?”

“Howard K. Hamilton? I’m Detective Starsky and this is Detective Hutchinson. We’d like to ask you a few questions, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, please come in. What is this about, Detective?”

“We’d like to ask you some questions about Eddie Avery and the murder of Christine Phelps. We’ve had Eddie in custody for a while now, in case you didn’t know that. He told us all about you.”

“I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage. I don’t know anyone named Avery, and I certainly don’t know anything about a murder.”

“Is that so? We think you know all about it, Hamilton. You’re under arrest for conspiracy in the death of Christine Phelps. You have the right to remain silent...”

“Come, come, Detective, I am an attorney after all. I know the Miranda decision by heart. Shall we go?”

Hutch didn’t protest when Dobey sent Starsky in alone to question Hamilton.

Starsky got to the point quickly.

“I’m going to make this easy on you, Hamilton. We’ve got you cold. We have Avery’s testimony, which connects you directly with Chris’ murder. We also have more than enough circumstantial evidence to take to the D.A. For the past several months, if not years, Clairmont Construction has been underbidding for state, as well as federal, contracts. That, in itself, is a felony. Add to that the tiny fact that you answer to the big man himself, and you have conspiracy in capital letters. So, naturally, when Christine Phelps started digging and uncovered your dirty little scheme, she became a distinct liability. So being the inventive little soul you are, you came up with a foolproof plan to get rid of her. It almost worked, too. Unfortunately, you goofed by leaving a witness. Leaving Avery alive wasn’t too smart, either. When we told Eddie that he was going down for murder one

all by himself, he started singing. As if that wasn’t enough, you sent those gorillas over to Cindy Friedman’s apartment. They work for Clairmont Construction, so that ties them with you. So, Hamilton, you can either go down all by yourself, or you can take the real idea man with you. Which is it going to be?”

Hamilton’s expression didn’t change, but Starsky could see he was starting to sweat.

“Avery’s testimony won’t stand up in court. I know that. He’s a convicted felon. A defense attorney fresh out of law school could tear him apart on the stand. Without him, your so-called evidence isn’t worth beans. You’re fishing, Starsky, and I’m not biting.”

“You think so, Hamilton? We have an eyewitness who nails Avery as the murderer. Avery, himself, names you as the one who hired him. We have ClairCo’s personnel records that link you, Clairmont and the goons that roughed up Cindy Friedman. To my way of thinking, that adds up to one vicious circle. Of course, it’s only a matter of time before we find Chris’ story, and all the research she did along with it. That, in itself, will be enough to hang you and Clairmont. I’m not in the mood to play games,

Hamilton. You can either start spilling your guts, or you can sit in solitary and take this fall all by yourself. We can always haul Clairmont in after we find the story, which won’t be that long. It’s your choice. Either way, it’s all the same to me.”

“You’re bluffing. You don’t have a clue as to where Chris Phelps hid her story. Hutchinson hasn’t-”

Starsky moved closer to Hamilton. “Hutchinson hasn’t- what? You pretended not to know Hutch when we arrested you. Why is that? Is it because you and your boss were depending on Hutch to lead you to Chris’ article? Is that why you left him alive? Of course it is. Why else would you take a chance like that? It’s true, isn’t it? Well, think on this. What makes you so sure that

Hutch doesn’t have the story already? We may already have this case sewn up.”

“You think you have all the cards, don’t you Starsky? OK, what if I deal? What can you get me?”

“Oh, no, Hamilton, not this time. You’re going down for conspiracy and murder. There ain't going to be any deals. The only thing I’m offering you is the chance to take your boss down with you. Don’t take too long to decide, Hamilton. While you’re sitting in the slam, Clairmont’s probably already trying to buy his way out of this. As the old saying goes, money talks. Are you so loyal to him that you’re willing to spend the next thirty years in prison?”

Hamilton walked over to the barred window. He spoke softly, almost to himself.

“That’s exactly what you would do, isn’t it, John? You’d throw me away without a second thought. I’m sure you have a judge or two in your pocket, so you’d slip out of this. What was it you said? If you went down, you’d take a whole lot of others with you. Well, by God, I’m not going down alone. I’m not the one who’s been raking it in these last few months. The retainer you pay me is only a fraction of what you’ve made.”

He turned back to Starsky. “No, Detective, I’m not that loyal. So, do you want to hear the words? John Clairmont put out the contract on Christine Phelps. He ordered me to find someone who would do it, and to keep him out of it. Phelps was getting too close for John’s comfort. He wanted her and her story silenced before she ruined a lucrative business.”

“Was this a routine chore for you, Hamilton? Was setting up a young woman all in a day’s work?”

“No! It wasn’t like that! I approached her several times about stopping the story. At first, she was like some crusader. She preached about how it was her civic duty to expose the scheme. When I offered her a great deal of money for the story, she acted offended. The last time I saw her, I gave her a blank check. I offered her anything she wanted, but she refused. She said

she already had more than anything I could give her. The story was her chance to have it all. When I told John what she’d said, he was livid. He said he wasn’t going to let one nosy reporter ruin everything. That was when he ordered her killed. So, I found Avery and set the plan in motion.”

Something in the back of Starsky’s mind was screaming for attention. He had heard those words before. Cindy Friedman had said the same thing when she talked about Chris’ last days in San Francisco. The article she had written, exposing Clairmont, had become her ticket to happiness. No amount of money could tempt her to give up what it would bring her. What was screaming at him was the fact that Hutch was behind that two-way glass, watching and hearing everything Hamilton had just said.

Starsky shook himself out of his reverie. Frantically, he tried to think.

“All right, Hamilton, my suggestion to you is this. Use your one phone call and hire yourself a good lawyer. When he gets here, I’ll send someone in to take your statement. Then we’ll take it to the District Attorney.”

With that, he ran to the door, told the guard to stay put, and ran straight for Hutch. On the way, he ran into Captain Dobey.

“Captain, please tell me he’s not still in there.”

“Who? Hutch? As far as I know, he is. Why? What’s wrong?”

“Maybe everything, maybe nothing, I don’t know. Maybe he didn’t make the connection. I don’t know!”

“Starsky, what the Hell are you talking about? You’re not making any sense.”

“I’m talking about the real reason why Hutch can’t remember what happened in that hotel room. I know why Chris really came to L.A. that night. It was all in the final autopsy report.”

“What final autopsy report? That’s not in her file. Starsky, you’d better have a damn good reason for withholding that report from me!”

“I’m not withholding it from you, Captain. I’m trying to keep it away from Hutch.” He told Dobey what the Coroner had found.

“My God, do you think something Hamilton said triggered his memory? What’s it going to do to him if it did?”

“I think it will kill him, Captain. I’ve got to get in there.”

“Maybe we’re making too much of this. Maybe Hamilton didn’t say anything to jog his memory.”

Hutch listened to Hamilton as he confessed to Starsky. He heard the truth in Hamilton’s words. Chris believed it was her duty to inform the public. Money couldn’t buy her silence. Chris was like that.

The more he thought about her, the more he remembered. He was transported back to that night in the hotel room. After they left the club in such a hurry, they simply drove around with no destination in mind. Hutch knew that Chris was in trouble, but he didn’t know how serious it was. Stubbornly, she refused to tell him. She kept saying that she would tell him later. Even though she denied it, he knew it had something to do with her latest project. When they ended up at the Broadway, he protested loudly. Chris was adamant, saying that she needed to talk to him alone, and no one would think to look for them there. He signed the registration card with a fake name, and they went to the room. Still, she seemed reluctant to tell him what was on her mind. One thing let to another, and before he knew it, they were in bed together. Afterwards, when he came back from the bathroom, she was crying softly.

“Chris, if you don’t tell me what’s wrong, I can’t help you. Please tell me. I want to help, whatever it is.”

“It’s not what you think. Ken, I have something to tell you. Quite frankly, I don’t know how you’re going to react.” She paced around the small room. Then, she laughed strangely. “I never thought I’d be saying this to anyone. My God, I’ve been married twice, and this never happened to me! I’m too smart to let something like this happen. I’ve always been so careful. I don’t know what to do.”

“Chris, whatever it is, you can tell me. We’ll deal with it together.”

She sat down beside him. Taking a deep breath, she blurted it out. “Ken, I’m pregnant, and it’s your child.”

If he had sat for hours and tried to guess what she was about to say, he would never have imagined she would say that. Stunned, all he could say was, “Are you sure? I mean, have you seen a doctor?”

“Yes, it’s been confirmed. I’m about thirteen weeks along.”

“Thirteen? How long have you known?”

“I found out last month.”

“Last month? You’ve known for a month that you’re carrying our baby and you didn’t tell me? Why?”

“I had to be sure of what I wanted to do, Ken.”

He thought about that for a minute, then it hit him. “Abortion? Chris, how could you think about doing that without talking to me? Don’t I have a right to be a part of this?”

“Of course you do, but I had to know what I wanted first. This was an enormous surprise to me. I was taking the pill, and I thought I was protected. Obviously, I was wrong. Don’t you understand, Ken? I was so confused. I had to know what I wanted before I talked to you.”

“Do you know, now?”

“Yes. I want this baby, Ken. I’ve never imagined myself as a mother, until now. My life, because of my work, has always been so hectic. Now that it’s happened, I realize that I want this baby. I know it’s not going to be easy, and I know it’s going to mean a big change in my whole life. I can make this work, Ken. We can make it work.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God she didn’t want an abortion. He felt a quiet joy. He was going to be a father. When Vanessa had walked out on him, he had given up on marriage and the possibility of ever having a family. Now, the dream he didn’t dare dream was coming true. Then it was his turn to surprise her. He took her hand in his and said the words.

“Marry me, Chris. I want to give our baby a real home.”

She began to cry softly again. She touched his face gently with her fingertips, then moved away.

She turned back to him and replied quietly, “I can’t marry you, Ken.”

“Why, Chris? Why can’t you marry me? It’s the sensible thing to do.”

“That’s why I can’t marry you. It wouldn’t be for the best. No, don’t say anything yet. If I hadn’t told you that I was pregnant, would you have asked me to marry you? No, I can see by your expression that you wouldn’t. I love you, Ken, in my own way. I believe you love me in your own way, but we’ve both been in bad marriages before. We know how hard it is, and we know that our careers make it worse. That’s not the only reason. Our relationship has always been without ties. We’ve always been free to see other people. Look at me, Ken, and tell me that you don’t see anyone else. Tell me that you’ve never slept with anyone else since we’ve been lovers. You can’t, and if I told you that I’ve never been with anyone else, I’d be lying. That’s not what we were about. We were happy with the way things were. A baby isn’t going to change that. If I were to marry you now, this baby wouldn’t guarantee that we’d have a good marriage. We’d only end up resenting each other. I care far too much for you to let that happen.”

“It’s my baby, too, Chris. I want to be a part of its life. I want to be there for the baby, and you.”

“You will be. I wouldn’t take that away from you, no matter what. That’s why this article is so important. It’s so big that I can walk in to any newspaper in this town and write my own ticket. I can settle down here and still do what I love to do. We can both have our own careers, and be happier because of that. If I’m here, you can be a part of this baby’s life. I want it to know you. I want it to know what a wonderful, caring father it has. Who knows? Maybe this baby will bring us closer together than we’ve ever been and we’ll decide to get married. The whole future is ahead of us, Ken. All we have to do is give it a chance.”

“What about this story, Chris? You’re in trouble, and I think it has something to do with the article. Won’t you at least let me help you?”

“I can’t. If I told you what was going on, the cop in you would jump out and take over. I can’t take that chance, not yet. Tomorrow, Ken. Tomorrow I walk into the L.A. Times and plunk down the biggest scandal since Watergate hit the Whitehouse. Then I’ll turn my research over to you. You’ll have enough evidence to bring down one of the most powerful men in this country. Just give me one more day. That’s all I ask.”

He looked at her fondly and smiled for the first time. “Do I have a choice?”

She sat beside him and took his hand in hers. “No.” She kissed him gently and smiled back. “Hi, dad.”

He took her in his arms and lay back on the bed with her. Joyfully, he made love to the mother of his child. Then, the door crashed open and his whole world exploded.

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