CHAPTER 10
Starsky sat in the Torino alone…staring into space and lost in his own
thoughts as Hutch said his good-byes to the last of the officers who had
taken part in the search. Nightfall was upon them and it was painfully
obvious that whomever had taken Max was long gone by now. All they
could do was hope that he would call…to set up a meet. Starsky let his
mind take a trip back a few years to visit Terry…where it had spent a lot
of time lately. She had been a source of strength for him during those
times
when he felt that he might not be able to go on. When he felt that
he wasn't capable of being the cop that he wanted to be. Somehow…she
had never really left him. How could he explain that to Hutch? How
could he explain it to anyone…including himself? All he knew was that whenever
he thought of her…the answers would appear…out of no where…and he would
be able to move forward.
He didn’t notice the passenger door as it opened and closed. He didn’t even notice as Hutch spoke to him…or that he was now seated next to him in the car.
“Did you hear me?….STARSK!” Hutch yelled from a foot away to get his attention.
“What?” Starsky said turning his head to find his partner staring at him.
“Where’d you go?”
“No where…I was just thinking.”
“He’ll call…Don’t worry.” Hutch told him as he placed his right hand on Starsky’s shoulder and gave it a pat. “Dobey says we should go to your place…he may try to call you there. If he calls the station…they’ll patch it through for you…they’re setting it up now.”
“I don’t know if I can go through this again Hutch.” Starsky confessed to him. “What if he kills him anyway?”
“I don’t have a crystal ball…I wish to hell I did.” Hutch told him sadly. “But you just gotta’ have faith Starsk…and I’ll be here if you need to get it off your chest.”
“Get what off my chest?” He asked curiously as he looked at him.
“The guilt…the feeling that it’s all your fault. I know how your mind works.” Hutch said calmly and with compassion. “You were thinking about Terry again weren’t you?”
“It was THAT obvious?” Starsky said realizing that it wouldn’t have been to most people…but that Hutch wasn’t most people.
“I can see her in your eyes sometimes.” Hutch told him…”It’s weird.”
“You never told me that before.”
“Because I didn’t think you’d believe me.”
Starsky turned his eyes downward as he thought about it. Then as if he had just reserved that moment for her…he quietly looked up at him…and let him know without a word that he did believe…and he was glad that Hutch did too.
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They were quiet all the way to Starsky’s place. But in times like these…they didn’t need to talk much. Their thoughts could travel back and forth with a quick glance. Words would only get in the way when the exchange was going on.
After a quick shower…Starsky came out of the bathroom wearing a different
pair of jeans and no shirt as he threw the clean towel he had flung over
one shoulder to his partner. Hutch caught it and stood up to take a quick
stretch while Starsky disappeared into the bedroom and emerged quickly
with a set of clothes neatly folded in his arms. He strolled over to Hutch
handing them to him as he made his way into the bathroom. Still no
words…just a mutual understanding. But the strange thing was…they hadn’t
even noticed it.
When Hutch came back into the living room…Starsky was sitting at the kitchen table cleaning his gun. He had taken it apart and there where a few rags and a metal container of cleaning solution in front of him. Hutch walked over to the hook on the wall and slid his own gun out of his holster and sat down beside him. Starsky handed him a rag and he began to take his own gun apart to inspect it.
Starsky stood up and opened the kitchen cabinet removing two cups and proceeded to pour coffee into them. Then he pulled down the sugar and added a couple of spoonfuls to one of them before setting the sugar-less cup in front of his partner. He knew Hutch liked it black.
Still no words…
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After the pizza delivery boy left…They sat down on the couch…now fully clothed except for their jackets…with holsters and guns in place…looking like a couple of Mafia hit men as they tore into the box. They almost gave the pimple faced teenager a stroke when they answered the door together to pay him.
It was Starsky who broke the four-hour marathon of silence…not realizing that it was even going on…
“It’s eight thirty…I wonder if he’s bothered to feed him.” Starsky asked as he stared at his pizza and remembered Max’s appetite. He knew he’d be starving by now.
“Probably not…” Hutch answered him and then posed a question of his own. “I wonder what he’s waiting for…”
“Yeah…I know…He shoulda’ called by now.” Starsky told him. “I can’t take much more of this.”
“He knows your waiting…maybe he wants you to sweat for awhile.”
“Or maybe he wanted to kill us both…Maybe Max is already dead.” Starsky deduced as he dropped his pizza back into the box and stood up to pace the floor. “Who knows what he’s thinking.”
“Relax…He’ll ca….” Hutch’s words stopped short as the ringing cut him off.
Starsky hurried over to reach his hand out to rest it on the receiver and waited for the second ring before picking it up.
“Yeah…”
“Detective Starsky…I have a patch through phone call…the caller doesn’t know you’re at home. We put him on hold when he asked for you.”
“Put it through…” He said quickly as Hutch drew his head closer to the earpiece to listen in.
“Starsky here…”
“Loose something Pig?” The voice asked on the other end.
“I’m not in the mood to play games with you so let’s just get down to it.” Starsky said with authority. “Is he still alive?”
“Wanna talk to him…I figured you would…you got ten seconds.”
Starsky could hear the mans voice fade into the background as he spoke roughly to the frightened child…
“Max…Max…talk to me…its Dave.” He said trying to coax a sound from him.
“I wanna’ go home…” His weak voice answered in between whimpering sniffles.
“Hang in there cowboy…” Starsky told him. “I’m comin’ to get you.”
“I’m scared…”
“I know Max…It’s gonna be alright…I promise.” Starsky said softly.
“Times up Pig…Meet me at midnight…same place I found him…that oughta be simple enough for you.” He said in a sarcastic tone.
“I’ll be there…But I want to see him alive…You here Me!”
“Come alone…”
The phone went dead suddenly and the dispatcher came back on…
“He hung up…we didn’t get the trace.”
“Thanks Millie…” Starsky told her and placed the receiver back down.
“He’s got close to three and a half hours…time enough to…” Hutch let his words trail off.
“Yeah…I know…time enough to kill him and dump the body somewhere.” Starsky broke in to finish his partner’s gruesome scenario.