Two weeks before Christmas and David Starsky was a happy man. For once, Hutch had given up his ‘bah-humbug’ attitude and was happily planning the events of the holidays along with his partner. They planned to do some volunteer work at the children’s center and, much to Starsky’s amazement, Hutch had even agreed to dress up as Santa and pass out presents. When Hutch had made that announcement, Starsky had playfully reached up his hand and pretended to check the blond for fever. Hutch had dodged his hand, called him a mushbrain, and they had continued making arrangements for the party.
“Hey,” Hutch’s voice cut into Starsky’s thoughts. “You got the file on the Caruso case?”
Starsky absently reached out and shuffled through the papers on his desk. “Here it is!” he exclaimed triumphantly, handing over the file. “You find something new?”
“Nah,” the blond answered as he perused the file. “Just wanting to catch up on the latest evidence. My Christmas wish this year is to see this scumbag behind bars for good. I know there are a lot of parents out there with dead or missing children who feel the same way.”
Juan Caruso was a big time drug dealer who had recently moved his entire operation from New York to the Bay City area. Rumor had it that it had gotten too hot for him back east. There were even whispers that one of the men in his organization had gotten disillusioned after the move west and had decided to turn state’s evidence. According to the word on the street, the man was in hiding somewhere and Caruso had put a rather large price on his head.
In the six months since Caruso had come to Bay City, he had nearly doubled the size of his operation which was exclusively directed at the under eighteen crowd at the local high schools. He would lure teenagers into his service with promises of money and glamour, hook them on drugs, and farm them out as prostitutes and pushers to line his coffers. There had already been ten teenagers killed as a direct or indirect result of his activities, but, so far, nothing could be proved. The only people ever arrested were the teens, and they were either out on bail or put in Juvie for a few months before they were right back out on the streets to hustle another day.
Starsky looked up to see the frown on Hutch’s face and watched as his partner tossed the file onto his desk, closed his eyes tightly and pinched the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. “Tell ya what,” Starsky said, his lip curling into a sympathetic grin. “Why don’t we go to lunch at that deli you like so much and then hit the streets and see what we can dig up? Ya never know. Maybe Santa will honor your Christmas wish today and we can turn that turkey.”
“Sounds great, buddy. Let’s do it!”
The two detectives rose from their chairs, grabbing their jackets, and had almost made it out the squad room doors when they heard an all-too-familiar bellow from behind them.
“Starsky! Hutchinson! In my office!”
They turned to look at each other, shrugging their shoulders in unison.
“All right, Starsk,” Hutch said, trying to read the expression on his partner’s face. “What did you do this time? Another toilet? Perhaps some glitter glue in the Captain’s coffee mug? I know, you decorated his desk in shaving cream and red confetti again, didn’t you? I keep tellin’ ya...”
“C’mon, Hutch,” Starsky interrupted as the two men made their way into the Captain’s office. “Give me some credit. You know I ain’t gonna pull the same old stunts this year I did in the past. Too predictable. I got somethin’ special in mind for this year!”
Hutch shook his head as they took their customary chairs in front of the Captain’s desk. “So honored that you gentlemen would join me!” Dobey said sarcastically. “Perhaps we can get started now.”
Hutch, ever the peacemaker, spoke up first. “Sure, Cap. What’s on your mind?”
“I have a little surprise for you. It’s about the Caruso case.” Both men nodded and the Captain continued. “Well, it seems that the rumors about the defector in his organization are true. The Feds have him in custody about sixty miles south of here in a remote location. He’s scheduled to testify in front of a Grand Jury in three days.”
“That’s great, Cap.” Starsky replied, eyeing Dobey suspiciously. “So where do we fit in?”
“I need a volunteer. The Feds are going to move him to a safe house in the city and I agreed to allow them the use of one of my men to help protect him. I need the best on this one, so I decided that one of you would be elected. I want the two of you to discuss it amongst yourselves and decide who the lucky one will be. The other will stay here, assigned to patrol with officer Schlenko for the duration.”
“Schlenko? The rookie?” Starsky asked, rolling his eyes. “The only cadet at the Academy ever to fail lunch? Have a heart, Cap!”
“Yes, Schlenko,” Captain Dobey replied, his tone stern. “The boy just needs a little guidance and I thought this would be a perfect opportunity for him to see one of the city’s finest in action. Whichever one of you is going to guard our key witness, you’d better hurry. The Feds are due to arrive with him within the hour, so you don’t have much time. I’ll leave you alone for a minute so you can decide who will do what.”
Captain Dobey walked out of the office and shut the door, leaving two very unhappy detectives behind. “Great!” Starsky said, bounding out of his chair and pacing around the room. “What a choice! No matter how ya look at it, we both get baby-sittin’ duty!”
“Do you have a preference?” Hutch asked diplomatically. “It really doesn’t matter to me.”
“Nah, I don’t care either.”
“So, how do we decide?”
“Well,” Starsky said, digging into the front pocket of his jeans. “I think we use the same careful, scientific method we always use. We discuss the pros and cons of each scenario, determine our individual strengths and weaknesses, carefully consider the possible ramifications...”
“Do you mind?” Hutch asked, rising to his feet to face his partner. “Just flip the stupid thing and get this over with. Heads you go with Caruso’s man, tails I go. Agreed?”
“Agreed.” Starsky flipped the coin into the air, catching it expertly with his left hand and slapping it against his right wrist. Both men watched as he slowly peeled away his hand revealing the heads-up coin underneath.
“Well,” Starsky said philosophically. “At least there’s a forty-eight hour western movie marathon on TV in the next couple of days, so I know I’ll be entertained. But you,” he continued, poking his finger at Hutch’s chest, “need to be careful! I don’t think I like the idea of you bein’ out on the street with that flunky, Schlenko.”
“Well, I can’t say I’m exactly thrilled with the idea of you guarding a witness with an unknown Federal agent either. I guess we both need to be on our guard, eh?” Hutch replied, tapping Starsky’s stomach lightly with the back of his hand.
Captain Dobey stormed back into the office and flopped down in his chair. Starsky and Hutch immediately returned to their own seats and the three men faced each other over the desk.
“Well?” Captain Dobey asked impatiently.
“Well, Cap,” Hutch began. “Starsky and I have come to a decision based on the pros and cons of each situation, taking into account our individual strengths and weaknesses and pondering the ramifications of our choice...”
“Cut the crap, Hutchinson!” Dobey interrupted. “Just tell me who won the coin toss.”
Starsky looked at his partner and grinned broadly. “That’s the problem, Cap. We know what the outcome of the toss is, but we have no idea who won. We kinda think we both lost on this one.”
“Starsky...” Captain Dobey said, warning his men that there were to be no more delays.
“I’ll be in the safe house, Cap, while Hutch here plays wet nurse to the rookie.”
“Good,” Dobey replied. “Now let me tell you the rest of it. Your assignment, Starsky, lasts 48 hours starting about thirty minutes from now. The safe house is located downtown in room 206 of the Westermeier hotel, and the Feds are going to smuggle the informant in by means of a laundry cart. What I didn’t tell you is that, while you are there, no one, and I mean NO ONE, will be allowed in or out of that room for any reason. No phone calls, no visitors, no pizza deliverymen. We want that room to look vacated, so stay away from the windows too. It is imperative that Caruso not have a clue that any of this is going down. Do you understand?”
“Do you mean to tell me that I’m gonna be cooped up in some stinkin’ hotel for 48 hours and not even be allowed a phone call now and then? Or a pizza?” Starsky looked at his Captain and saw the determination on the older man’s face. “Terrific.”
“Hey, don’t worry Starsk.” Hutch cast a sympathetic glance over at his partner. “This will give me a chance to get my Christmas shopping done without you lookin’ over my shoulder. Maybe this year I can finally surprise you.”
“I don’t know,” Starsky replied, shaking his head miserably. “It’ll be hard to top all the other thoughtful gifts you’ve given me over the years. What do ya give a man who already has everything, including his very own tree?”
Hutch chuckled in spite of himself. Five years later and Starsky was still going on about the tree. Ever since that Christmas, Hutch had gone out of his way to get Starsky the things he really wanted, especially since he had almost lost his partner to Gunther’s bullets. But Hutch was beginning to think another “thoughtful gift” was in order, even though he knew he’d have to go a ways to top that tree.
Dobey once again interrupted their conversation. “Let’s move it guys. Starsky, you’re to meet the Feds in a laundry truck on the corner of Maple and Eastlake Street. There’s a company uniform waiting for you in the squad room. From there, you’ll accompany the witness and the Feds to the Westermeier and remember - once you’re in there, you’re in there. Period. No excuses, no contact. You got that? Officer Delaney is waiting to take you to the rendezvous spot.”
“Got it, Cap.” Starsky rose from his chair, sighing loudly, and placed a hand on his partner’s shoulder. “See you in 48 hours, Blondie. Don’t do nothin’ I wouldn’t do.”
“Not to worry, Starsk. I wouldn’t do most of the things you would do.” All bantering aside, Hutch looked up at his partner. “You be careful, ya hear?”
Their eyes met briefly as Starsky smiled down at Hutch one more time before heading out the door. “You too, buddy. See ya around.”