CHAPTER 14

Starsky drove to the meet with anticipation as he prayed for a miracle.  The thought that Cassie might still be alive had given him a new sense of hope. But he knew he would be alone against an undisclosed number of other men and he wasn’t looking forward to standing up to them without his partner.  The only way he felt he would have a chance at all was if they really did have Hutch.  Because his partner would find a way to help him…tied up or not.

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Hutch called in the description of the car that Prudholm and his men had stolen along with the license plate number. Cassie had also given him a real good description of the other two men and that information was relayed as well.  During the drive, She told Hutch that Randy had tried…but she hadn’t been raped.  She hated to have to lie to Dave like that but she had been given no choice. Hutch assured her that Starsky would understand and that everything was going to be fine.

They pulled up to Starsky’s apartment and were both surprised not to see the Torino in the driveway.  It wasn’t like him to be gone at this time of night and the last thing he had told Hutch was that he was going to bed.  Cassie got out and started to go inside. Hutch opened the driver’s door and called to her.

“Cassie…stay with me tonight.” He suggested. “I can’t leave you here alone.”

She walked over to his side of the car to talk to him. “I’m worried about him.” She said as she stood there. “I want to stay until he gets home.”

“I’m not leaving you here by yourself.” Hutch told her with conviction.

“Alright…” She reluctantly agreed. “Just let me go in and grab a few things then.”

“I’ll go in with you.” He told her as he got out and escorted her to the door.

Cassie turned her key in the door and they both stepped inside.  It was quiet and dimly lit. Only the small lamp on the end table by the couch was on along with a small ray of light that came from under his bedroom door. Cassie walked around the living room curiously as she listened for the strange sound that was coming from the corner of the room. Hutch followed her cautiously as a glimpse of something shinny caught his eye and caused him to turn his head quickly.  There on the coffee table was his badge…lying open with his police ID facing upwards. Meanwhile, Cassie had found the source of the strange noise as she noticed the turntable on the HI FI spinning with her favorite Bee Gee’s record turning round and round on top of it.

“Hutch.” Cassie called to him. “He’s been playing my records.”

Hutch walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders from behind.

“He was pretty depressed.” He told her in a soft whisper. “He really loves you ya know.”

“His bedroom light is on.” Cassie told him as she spun around. “Did you look in there?”

“No need to.” Hutch said calmly. “His car’s gone…I found his badge on the coffee table.”

“Where do you suppose he is?” Cassie asked curiously.

“I don’t know…maybe he couldn’t sleep and went down to the beach.” Hutch told her as he walked around the room looking for more clues. “He likes to go there when he gets this way.”

Cassie began to look around carefully with him. Neither one of them really believed the words that Hutch had just spoken.  It was just a feeble attempt to ease her mind…and she knew it.

Suddenly she saw something that caught her attention and caused her to panic.

“Hutch…look.” She yelled as she grabbed it down from the hook that it had been resting on.

Hutch walked over and took it from her as he studied it. It was Starsky’s holster but his gun was missing from it. This didn’t look good. Was he so depressed that he was gonna go somewhere and blow his brains out?  Hutch thought for a moment as he stared at it.  Not Starsky…he wouldn’t do something like that would he?  Hutch remembered what he had overheard that night in the hospital…when she was so deathly sick.  He had been listening at the door when Starsky said those words.  The night that he told Cassie how he really felt…deep in his heart.  She was still in her coma and he hadn ’t noticed Hutch at the door.  It was then in that moment of anguish and desperation that he leaned over her and confessed his love.

“Hutch?” Cassie asked as she moved her hand in front of his face to get his attention. “Are you alright?” He had been standing there holding the holster with a blank look on his face…as if he had just checked out of the reality hotel.

“Sorry.” He said as he shook his head and looked at her with a weak un-convincing smile.

“Something’s wrong…I can see it in your face.” She said, as she looked him in the eye. “Tell me.”

“He took his gun Cas…he wouldn’t take it to the beach with him…or the store or where ever in the hell else he would go at this time of night.” He told her as he confessed to the fact that this one thing in particular had now caused him to really worry.

As Cassie listened to Hutch she happened to glance down and spotted the note pad lying on the end table next to the lamp.  She picked it up and turned it over to read what was on the other side. The words…Twelfth and Hudson had been scribbled on it sloppily in Starsky’s handwriting as if he had been in a hurry to write it down. She read it quickly and then handed it to Hutch.

“Look at this.” She said as she gave it to him.

Hutch glanced at it and then back at Cassie.  It was directions to an old abandoned warehouse. He was familiar with the address.

“Stay here Cassie.” He said suddenly as he turned to head for the door.

“What is it Hutch?” She asked him in a panicked voice.

“Just do what I tell you and stay put.” He told her a little more serious.

Cassie grabbed him by the arm and pleaded with him desperately. “Tell me what’s going on?” She insisted.

“Lock the door and wait for me.” He told her as he pulled his arm away.

Cassie pushed him away from the door with both her hands as hard as she could and stood in front of it…blocking his way out.

“STOP IT CAS.” He said as he grabbed her by both arms and pulled her away fr om it. “I’m not kidding.”

“Take me with you.” She pleaded with him as she started to cry. “Please Hutch…I feel like this is all my fault…I gotta know that he’s alright.”

Hutch looked at her for a moment as a small tear began to fall down her bruised cheek. He knew now what had happened to Starsky.  He had figured it out as soon as he saw the scribbled instructions. Prudholm had summoned him to a meet.  Probably because he had lost Cassie and wanted to drive him out before she could make it back to him. Hutch knew what his partner was walking into…that’s why he left his badge and why he took his gun out of the holster. It all made sense to him now.

But the tears that had begun to flow steadily down her face were getting to him.  She had been through so much already and look at her…standing there demanding to go with him.  How could he refuse her?

“Alright…but you have to promise me that you’ll stay in the car.” Hutch told her as he grabbed the doorknob to open it. “I mean it.”

“Ok…I promise.” She said as she took her index finger and touched it to her chest…and drew an X across it. “Cross my heart.”

And hope to die Hutch thought as he remembered the gesture from his childhood. He only hoped it meant the same thing now as it did back then. “C ’mon let’s go.” He said as he placed his hand on her back and escorted her out the door… closing it behind him.

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  Chapter 15
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