CHAPTER 7
Starsky drew his gun and took off the safety as he crept back up towards the apartment. Hutch followed suit and they positioned themselves on either side of the door in the manner that they had grown accustomed to. Hutch gave Starsky a quick look to see if he was ready and after receiving a nod from his partner he stood back and gave the heavy door a powerful kick. They bounded in suddenly…with Starsky taking a roll on his back and onto his feet in a crouched position and Hutch standing halfway behind the door waving his gun around the room to cover him. The living room was empty but they couldn’ t allow themselves to relax until they checked out the rest of the apartment. Starsky took the bedroom and bathroom while Hutch took the kitchen and outdoor patio. He was just turning around when Starsky reentered the room…slipping his gun back into his holster.
“What do you make of it?” Hutch asked as he put his own gun away and stepped closer to him.
“I don’t…” Starsky cut his words short when something caught his attention.
It was a tape recorder sitting in the middle of the coffee table with a note taped to it. He walked slowly over to it as Hutch watched. It had only one hand written word on the front of it. ‘Pig’
Hutch grabbed a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and wrapped it around his finger before pushing ‘play’ on the machine. Then they both waited for the message.
‘I knew you’d come here Pig. Did you think I would just disappear? Did you think I would EVER let you have her? She’s mine. She’s always been mine. If you’d just stayed away…If you hadn’t stuck your nose in where it didn’t belong…she would still be alive. But you left me no choice. You made me do it! It’s all your fault! YOU killed her! Do you understand that PIG? YOU did it! (Soft crying is heard before his final statement.) I loved her…damn you I loved her…(More crying.) Your gonna pay PIG…So help me…I’ll make you pay if it’s the last thing I do.’
The tape was finished and Hutch hit the rewind button. They listened to it a total of three times before Starsky lifted his eyes to meet his partner’s and spoke.
“I don’t understand this guy.” Starsky commented as he tried to analyze his state of mind. “How could anyone do what he’s done and then try to make me believe that I was responsible.”
“I was afraid something bad might happen if you got involved.” Hutch told him trying not to make it sound like a belated ‘I told you so’. “But never in my wildest dreams…”
“So you agree with him?” Starsky asked with a look of disbelief on his face.
“Of course not.” Hutch answered without hesitation. “The poor bastard’s gone over the edge. He’s lost touch with reality. That doesn’t justify what he’s done…but it DOES make him dangerous.”
“So how do we find him now?” Starsky posed the question as he threw his hand up in desperation and turned away from his partner to pace the floor.
“From what he’s told us…it looks like he’ll be hanging around to get his revenge on you.” Hutch told him. “At least now we should have enough evidence to obtain a warrant for his arrest.”
“So I just sit back and wait for him to come after me?” Starsky asked as he stood now leaning against the bookcase near the wall. “I can’t live my life afraid of shadows…that’s what she told me.” He stated as he gave his partner a look of desperation. “I guess now it’s my turn.”
“I’ll be here.” Hutch said in a comforting voice. “If he want’s to get to you…he’ll have to go through me first.”
“So what do you plan to do Hutch? Move in with me?”
“If I have to…” Hutch assured him. “Just consider me your personal bodyguard.”
“Well…” Starsky said as he took in a worried breath. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to keep you close to me for a few days.”
“Don’t worry Starsk.” Hutch added with a grin. “I’ll still respect you in the morning.”
“You’re taking the couch Blondie.” Starsky told him with a half-smile.
“I love you…but I don’t need you THAT close.”
Back at the station that afternoon the tape was played twice for Captain Dobey. He listened carefully to the ramblings of the desperate voice on the tape as they watched for his reaction. He hit the stop button and cleared his throat before speaking to them.
“He’s coming after you.” Dobey remarked as he looked up at his dark haired detective. “You better be ready for him.”
“So do we have enough now for the warrant?” Hutch asked him hoping for a positive response.
“We have his voice…admitting his guilt…and threatening a police officer.” Dobey told them. “I’ll push it through this afternoon. Get to work on your snitches and I’ll post a guard in front of your apartment at night until this crisis is over.”
“That won’t be necessary Cap.” Hutch broke in. “I’ll be there…and we wouldn’ t want a marked patrol car around to scare him away.”
“I thought that was the whole idea?” Dobey asked puzzled. “You mean to tell me that you want him to make an attempt on your partner’s life?”
“It might be the only way we can get to him.” Hutch explained.
“Using Starsky as the bait?”
"I’m not too thrilled with it myself.” Starsky told him. “But if we can draw him in…it just might work.”
“Alright…” Dobey gave in. “But call for backup if you need it. By the way…we ’ve contacted Max’s grandparents. They told us that his father died a few years ago and that they would be flying in on Monday to take him home. He still hasn’t acknowledged his mother’s death. He just keeps asking for you.” Dobey said looking at Starsky. “I think he’s still in shock.”
“I’ll stop by tomorrow to see him if you think I should.” Starsky offered.
“He knows you…we’re strangers.” Dobey said with a wrinkled brow. “You might have better luck reaching him.”
“I can try…I owe her that much.”
They spent the rest of the day trying to find Mark Blair with no results. While on patrol they dealt with the usual daily distractions…a few fights…an attempted robbery and a silent alarm triggered by a trainee at a local convenience store who didn’t know how to shut it off. A typical slow day on the streets, which left them with the feeling that they hadn’t accomplished much during their ten hour watch. Drained and defeated…they stopped off at Hutch’s place for a change of clothes and some other essentials and headed across town. A quick dinner…and a couple of turns in the shower later…they found themselves staring at the television at Starsky’s place with heavy eyelids as they sipped on a couple of cold beers.
By the time the 11 o’clock news was about to go off…they were both asleep. Starsky’s beer resting between his legs while Hutch’s teetered on the edge of the arm of the sofa in his limp hand. A loud crash from the back yard startled them both as Hutch’s beer fell to the floor and Starsky’s spilled onto his lap when his body jumped. Disoriented and a little confused they both sprang to their feet and drew their guns from their holsters, which they had placed between them on the couch. Hutch motioned to Starsky as he made his way to the backdoor to stay back while he investigated. Starsky took position behind the kitchen counter with his elbows resting on it and his gun aimed at the door. Hutch unlocked it quietly and turned the knob. He took in a breath and pushed it open quickly bringing his gun down in front of him as he stepped halfway outside. There…hanging from the roof…was the neighbor’s cat…it’s throat slit apparently before it had been hoisted into the position. The crash they had heard was evidently the result of the overturned metal garbage cans he spotted near the back gate…obviously part of the plan to get their attention. Secure in the fact that the perpetrator had made his escape, Hutch pulled his forearm up to his mouth to keep from gagging as he spoke.
“Son of a Bitch!” Hutch said as he turned his head in disgust.
“WHAT!” Starsky called to him unable to see from his perspective.
“Take a look.” Hutch told him as he stepped back inside and allowed his partner to view the atrocity.
Starsky peered out and spotted the dead feline…recognizing the white stripe down its nose and other colorings. He turned to face his partner with a slight hint of relief in his voice as he commented.
“It belongs to the neighbors…Well…at least I won’t have to worry about
him tearing up my garbage or keeping me awake all night with his howling
anymore.” He said trying to make light of the situation. “I just hope they
won’t think I did it.”