Detective David Starsky sat in the passenger side of his partner’s battered LTD with his head cocked to one side…listening.
“Hey Hutch, does this car sound worse than usual to you?”
Detective Ken Hutchinson listened for a second. “You’re just hearing things, Starsk. It sounds fine to me.”
“I dunno, Hutch. I think your transmission might be going.”
“Better not be. I just had it fixed last week.”
Starsky just shrugged and went back to watching the streets roll by. After a few minutes, he turned to his partner and started to say something when a flash of color caught his eye. He suddenly realized what that flash of color was…
“HUTCH, LOOK OUT!!!!!”
Hutch looked up and swerved the car…too late. There was a sickening thud as metal connected with flesh and a body went rolling off towards the curb.
The LTD shrieked to a halt. Hutch sat unmoving for a brief moment as he realized what he had just done. Then he jumped out and ran over to the still form of the young woman he had just hit.
“Starsky, call for an ambulance! I’m going to see how badly she’s hurt.”
Starsky picked up the radio to call for help as Hutch fought his way through the gathering crowd and bent down over the woman. She was small and fair and pretty. She also appeared to be pregnant. Hutch’s eyes widened as he looked at the bulge under her shirt. He tentatively felt for a pulse on her neck and was rewarded by a steady, albeit weak pulse.
As Starsky ran over, Hutch looked at him with anguish in his eyes. “She’s pregnant, Starsk. What have I done?”
“It wasn’t your fault, babe! She ran out in front of you. You couldn’t have avoided her…there was no way.”
“But…I hit a pregnant woman! I’ve hurt two people! What if she loses the baby? What if she dies? What am I going to…what the hell?”
Hutch had been gently running his hands over the woman’s limbs looking for broken bones. He reached down and touched her stomach, hoping to feel a baby kicking. He realized that something didn’t feel right. Gingerly, he lifted her shirt. There, sitting on her flat stomach, was a bag. It was a purse that she had hanging by the strap from her neck down into her shirt.
“Hey, Starsky. Come look at this. What do you suppose is the purpose of this?”
Starsky looked down at the girl and shook his head. “It’s an old trick I used to see in New York. Women on the bus or subway would shove their purses up their shirts like that to insure themselves a seat. Sometimes they’d do it to get ahead in line at the bank or something like that.”
Hutch wasn’t sure if he was angry with the woman for the little subterfuge or grateful that he hadn’t hurt a baby. Either way, his guilt was still overpowering both of the other emotions.
When the ambulance arrived, the attendants removed the purse as they put the young woman on the backboard. Hutch felt he needed to ride in with her. Starsky followed in Hutch’s car. Once inside the ambulance, Hutch looked in the woman’s purse. He pulled out her wallet to try to find out her identity.
‘Joanne Logan, age 28. What were you doing running out into the street like that?’
Joanne naturally didn’t move or answer. Of course, even if she had been awake, she wouldn’t have been able to move. Being strapped to a backboard tends to limit one’s move base.
“Hutch rifled the wallet looking for a name of someone he could call for her. There were several credit cards, $50 in cash, a picture of Joanne and another girl (presumably her sister, judging from the resemblance), a couple of movie ticket stubs, two tickets to an upcoming concert and a slip of paper with Huggy Bear’s name and number on it.
Hutch was still looking at the slip of paper when the ambulance pulled up to the emergency room and Joanne was wheeled inside. He got out of the ambulance as Starsky pulled up. He walked into the hospital and went straight to a payphone, ignoring Starsky’s questioning looks.
Hutch dropped the dime in and dialed the number for The Pits. Starsky joined him as Huggy answered the phone.
“Yeah, Huggy. It’s Hutch. I was wondering if you know a girl by the name of Joanne Logan? She had your name and number in her purse.”
Hutch listened to Huggy for a minute. “So you’ve never heard of her? No, I don’t know what she would have wanted with you…no I can’t ask her. She’s in the ER, unconscious. What? She was hit by a car. That’s not important…okay, I hit her. She ran out in front of me. Look, Hug, could we discuss this later? I just wanted to know if you knew why she’d look you up. Yeah, if you think of anything, let me know, okay? Yeah, check with you later. See ya.”
As Hutch hung up the phone, Starsky put a hand on his shoulder. “You okay, babe?”
Hutch nodded, “Yeah, I think so. I still don’t believe what happened. There had to have been something I could have done to avoid hitting her.”
“There was no way, Hutch. I was looking in that general direction and I didn’t even see her until it was too late. It wasn’t your fault.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Hutch conceded. “But why doesn’t that make me feel any better?”
“It’ll be okay. She’ll pull through and everything’ll be fine. You’ll see.” Starsky put his arm over Hutch’s shoulders. “Come on. Let’s get some coffee and find a waiting room, okay?”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Two hours later, a nurse came in to the waiting room. When she saw Hutch, she walked up to him and touched him on the shoulder. Hutch immediately sprang to his feet and looked hopefully at the woman in white.
“Are you the person who came in with Ms. Logan?” When Hutch nodded, she said, “I just thought you’d like to know that she’s out of danger. She cracked a couple of ribs and has a concussion, but she should be fine.”
Hutch slumped back down into his seat. The relief he felt crashed in on him like a tidal wave and he simply couldn’t remain standing against it.
“Can I see her?”
The nurse nodded. “She’s been moved to room 428. She’s been drifting in and out of consciousness. She may or may not know that you’re there.”
“Thank you.” Hutch leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. He could feel the tears start to flow as the emotions that he had been holding back before collided with the ones he was now feeling.
Starsky entered the waiting room with two cups of coffee. He saw Hutch sitting in the same place as before, only this time he was crying. Starsky ran over to his partner, forgetting the coffee in his hands until one of the lids popped off the cup and the hot coffee scalded his hand. He swore quietly and dumped the cups in a nearby trash can. When he got to Hutch, he knelt down in front of him and touched his cheek gently, wiping away a tear.
“What’s wrong babe? Are you okay?”
Hutch turned shining eyes to his partner. “She’s gonna be okay, Starsk! The nurse just came to tell me. She’s gonna be okay!”
“That’s great, Hutch! Really great! You gonna be allowed to see her?”
“Yeah, I was just waiting for you to get back before I went up.”
“You want me to go with you?”
Hutch nodded and the two of them headed for the elevator.
When they got to the fourth floor, they got off the elevator and turned to go down the hall. The closer they got to room 428, the more nervous Hutch became. When they finally got to the room and saw the name ‘Logan, Joanne’ written on the board next to the door, Hutch was visibly shaking.
“You want me to go in with you, Hutch?” asked Starsky softly.
“Thanks Starsk, but I think I need to do this by myself. Stay close, though.” Hutch took a deep breath and Starsky gave him an encouraging pat on the back. Then he pushed the door open and quietly entered the room.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Joanne was in the bed on the far side of the room. If it weren’t for the bandage above her left eye, one would think she was just having a nap. Hutch studied her while he had the chance. She was pretty; there was no doubt about that. Her blonde hair was long and straight and came down below her shoulders. He wondered what color her eyes were. Her figure was slim and well proportioned. There was no ring on her left hand. There was no tan line that indicated a ring was ever there. Hutch probably would have asked her out if circumstances were different. As he stared at her, he gradually became aware that he was also being scrutinized. Joanne’s eyes were blue, he noted as soon as he realized she was awake.
“Hi.” He said tentatively. “How’re you feeling?”
“I’ve been better,” she answered in a strong Australian accent. “What happened?”
Hutch looked at the ground – unwilling to answer at first. She had a right to know. “I sort of hit you with my car. I’m so sorry.”
“Sort of? You did hit me!” she said. Then, as she saw the anguished look in his eyes, she realized how callous that sounded. “Look, I’m sorry. It wasn’t your fault. I wasn’t looking where I was going.” She smiled, “You yanks drive on the wrong side of the road here. I always look the wrong way first before crossing the street.”
Hutch allowed himself to smile. “I’m just glad you’re okay. Friends?”
She nodded and held out her hand. He stepped forward and took it eagerly. He introduced himself and they chatted about nothing for a few minutes before Hutch finally decided to bring up Huggy Bear.
“When I went through your wallet to see who you were,” then, at her shocked expression, “Don’t worry, I didn’t take anything. I’m too honest for that. I came across the name and phone number of a friend of mine: Huggy Bear. I talked to him and he says he’s never heard of you. Why were you looking him up?”
She looked at him suspiciously, “What are you, a cop or something?”
Hutch nodded and showed her his badge.
She looked at him for a minute, debating about what to tell him. Finally she decided he had an honest face.
“Okay. I have something I need to sell. I was told Huggy was one to help me find a buyer.”
Hutch looked at her, brow furrowed in confusion.
“No, nothing illegal. It’s a family heirloom. I had it appraised and it’s worth a lot. Me dad sent it back with me when mum died. He told me to sell it and send the money back. After funeral expenses, combined with a drought, he’s about to lose the family farm. I couldn’t take it to an auction house or anything because I don’t have any authentication documents. But I know it’s real. Dad needs the money – he’s in debt way over his head.”
She looked around suddenly, panicked. “Me bag? Where’s me bloody bag?”
Hutch smiled and pulled the bag from behind his back. “I kept it for you. They took it off you when they put you in the ambulance. By the way, what’s the idea carrying your bag like that? Do you have any idea what it was like thinking I had hit a pregnant woman?”
She gave him a sheepish look. “Sorry, I didn’t want my purse to be stolen or anything. What better hiding spot? I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“What is this family heirloom, anyway?” he asked as he handed the purse to her.
She reached into her purse and pulled out a small box that she handed to him. He opened the box and pulled out an object wrapped in tissue paper. He carefully unwrapped it and his breath caught in his throat. He looked at her with eyes wide.
“Is this real?”
When she nodded, he cautiously lifted the object out of the tissue paper. It was a Faberge egg. It was blue lapis lazuli delicately trimmed in chased gold carved into regal designs. It was topped with a tabletop diamond showing the initials of one of the Russian nobles, the Imperial crown and the year 1912. There was a large diamond on the bottom of the egg as well. Hutch gingerly felt around until he found the catch on the front of the egg. He reverently pulled the top back to reveal a small double-headed Imperial eagle, covered front and back with diamonds. There was a miniature, enameled portrait of a nobleman on the eagle’s chest. The craftsmanship was brilliant. Hutch carefully closed the lid as he realized that he was holding several million dollars in his hands.
Starsky chose that moment to pop his head into the room. “Everything alright in here? Hutch, you okay?”
Hutch jumped at the sound of his partner’s voice, nearly dropping the precious object in his hand.
“Dammit Starsky! Do you realize what you almost made me do? I could have dropped this!”
Starsky came into the room and looked over his partner’s shoulder. “Hey, that’s pretty. It’s a little late for Easter though, ain’t it?”
“Starsky, do you have any idea what you’re talking about? This is NOT an Easter egg. This is a Faberge egg.”
“Faberge? I’ve heard of them. Hey, those eggs are supposed to be worth a lot of money, aren’t they?”
“Yeah, but not broken. Next time, knock, okay? I damn near dropped it when you snuck up on me like that.”
Starsky shrugged apologetically. “Sorry, buddy. Didn’t realize you’d have an egg in your hands. So what’s it worth - couple thousand? Ten?”
Hutch nearly laughed out loud. Joanne answered, “$3.5 million – at least that’s what the appraiser said.”
Starsky’s mouth dropped open. “Oh God, Hutch. I’m sorry! I had no idea. Really, I’ll knock next time.”
Hutch gave him a look that said ‘you’d better!’ as he neatly re-wrapped the egg in the tissue paper and put it back in its box. He breathed a sigh of relief as he handed it, unharmed to Joanne who put it back in her purse.
“So, you gonna introduce me to the little lady?” asked Starsky as he fixed Joanne with his most charming smile.
Hutch made the introductions. As Joanne looked at the two men standing in her room, a funny thought struck her. “Yin and Yang,” she said.
Starsky and Hutch looked at each other then back to Joanne. Starsky asked in that articulate way he has about him, “Huh?”
“Sorry. I was just looking at the two of you. Dark and light. There’s just something about the two of you standing together. Yin and Yang - two halves of one whole. Or am I just crackers?”
Starsky and Hutch looked at each other again. This time, Hutch spoke. “Well, we’re partners and best friends. I guess you could say we go pretty well together.”
“That doesn’t mean we don’t get out on our own,” said Starsky. “Especially when we find an attractive young lady to keep company with.” The lopsided grin came out to play again.
“Starsky, the girl feels bad enough. You don’t have to make her feel worse.”
Joanne laughed. “If that’s a roundabout way of asking me out, at least wait until I get out of here. Not much of a date with me in hospital.”
“Hey, Starsky. I saw her first.”
“Technically, I saw her first. You just made first contact.”
“When I get out of here, I’ll flip a coin.” She said with a smile. “Ken, you’re a cop. Can I trust you to keep the egg safe while I’m here? I doubt I can trust the hospital staff. Maybe ask your friend Huggy Bear if he knows of any private collectors who’d be interested?”
“Yeah, I’ve got a safe deposit box I can put it in. As for Huggy, I know he knows some high rollers, but I don’t know if anyone he knows rolls quite that high.” Hutch removed the box from her purse. “How’d your family get a Faberge egg in Australia?”
“My great-grandmother brought it from Russia. She worked in the
Imperial House before the revolution. It was never clear if it was
a gift or she stole it. I don’t really know how she got it.
It’s been in the family ever since, though.”
Hutch nodded as he stared at the box in his hands as if it would bite
him. Then he looked up at her and smiled. “I’ll be back to
see you tomorrow - if that’s okay with you.”
She returned the smile. “I’d like that.”
Hutch turned to leave and then stopped and turned back around, “I almost forgot, is there anyone I can call for you? Let them know you’re here?”
She hesitated for the briefest of moments. “Nah, I’m all alone here. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
He handed her one of his cards. “Call me if you need anything. See you later!” With that, Starsky and Hutch walked out of the room.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
As they walked down the hall, Starsky was watching Hutch carefully. After all, it wasn’t very often that a person is entrusted with several million dollars. It’s even less often that the person doing the trusting is a virtual stranger. He noticed that Hutch had that look on his face that said ‘something’s not right here’.
“What’s wrong, babe? Afraid you’re gonna drop it?”
Hutch stopped and turned to his partner. “That’s not it. Something she said bothers me a little.”
“She trusts you, a complete stranger, with $3.5 million and you think something she SAID bothers you?”
“She said she had no one to call. When I went through her wallet for ID, I found two tickets for the ELO concert next week. Why would she have two tickets if she was alone in town?”
“Maybe she thought she’d pick up a date later.” Starsky suggested.
“Those tickets are thirty bucks a pop. Would you spend that much on the off-chance you might find a date?”
“With me, it’s a bit more than an ‘off-chance’.” Said Starsky indignantly.
“You know what I mean, though.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” The darker man conceded. “If I were a stranger in town, I wouldn’t spend that kind of money unless I knew someone to go with me.”
“Another thing, she was running into the street. I know I only saw her for a second before I…before the accident, but she didn’t seem to be concerned with the direction of traffic like she said.”
“So, what was she running from?”
“We’ll have to find that out, won’t we?”
“How do we do that? She doesn’t seem to want to tell us.”
“I know somewhere we can start.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Frank Talbot was just putting the ‘CLOSED’ sign in the window of his antiques shop when Starsky and Hutch arrived. When he saw the two detectives, he turned the sign back around and opened the door. The two detectives entered and Hutch replaced the ‘CLOSED’ sign and locked the door behind him.
Talbot looked at the blond detective quizzically. “Something I can do for you Ken?”
“I need a favor Frank. By the way, Frank Talbot, this is my partner David Starsky. Starsk, this is an old buddy of mine from college, Frank Talbot.”
Starsky and Talbot shook hands.
“Frank, I ran into a young lady who has something she needs to sell. I need you to authenticate it for me.”
Frank nodded and Hutch handed him the box. He opened it and unwrapped the egg. His eyes widened and he whistled softly. He took it behind the counter where he picked up a magnifying glass and started looking over every detail of the outside of the egg. After a few moments, he opened the egg to look at the surprise inside.
Starsky leaned in to look. “Hey, that’s neat! I didn’t know they opened like that. Would you look at that bird! What’s that on his chest? Who’s that a picture of? It’s so small!”
“That’s the Czarevich Alexei. He was a member of the house of Romanov.” He turned to look at Hutch. “I can’t be positive just yet, but I think this is the Czarevich egg. It’s been photographed, but no one ever knew where it had gone. It is one of only 56 Imperial eggs made. There are only 44 that have been located and two more photographed. I have to do some more research, but I think you have the real thing here.”
“The current owner says her great-grandmother worked in the Imperial House. She wants to sell it, but she has no documentation to authenticate it.”
Talbot nodded. “When the Revolution hit, there was no time to grab certificates of authenticity. If she worked for the House of Romanov, it’s very likely she stole it in the ensuing chaos.”
“She did say she wasn’t sure if great-grandma stole it or not.”
“I know a few private collectors who would pay top dollar for a genuine Faberge Imperial Egg. This one – assuming I can be sure of its authenticity – would bring at least $3 million, maybe $3.5. Maybe more since it’s been considered lost.”
“She said an appraiser already told her it was worth $3.5. I just wanted someone I knew to look at it.”
Talbot rewrapped the treasure and reluctantly handed it back to Hutch. “Do you want me to contact anyone about selling it? I could put you in contact with someone for a small percentage of the selling price.”
Hutch shook his head. “Not yet, Frank. I want to check this girl out a little more carefully. She’s running from someone or something, I think I’d better see if it has anything to do with this egg before I allow it to be sold.”
“That’s a good idea. There could be a lot of trouble in selling one of these things if it’s fake or stolen. I’ll keep researching the egg to make sure the real one hasn’t surfaced somewhere. I’m 99% sure you’ve got the real thing, though.”
Starsky and Hutch thanked Talbot and left the shop. They drove to Hutch’s bank and made it two minutes before they closed. After Hutch locked up the precious egg in his safe-deposit box, he and Starsky headed for The Pits.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Huggy Bear looked up as Starsky and Hutch walked in. Both men sat at the bar and ordered beers. As Huggy put the drinks down in front of them he turned his dark eyes to Hutch.
“Okay, you wanna tell me how you hit a girl with your car?”
Hutch flinched. Starsky answered.
“She ran out into the street, Hug. There was no way Hutch could have avoided her. As long as you’re gonna ask him questions like that, you wanna give him a paper cut and pour lemon juice on it too?”
Huggy held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Peace, m’man! I did not mean to offend. Hutch, I am sorry for bringing up the subject in such a painful way.”
Hutch looked up with a half smile. “S’alright Hug. I’m okay. It’s just kind of a sensitive topic.”
“Understandable. What did you say the lady’s name was that had my name?”
“Joanne Logan. I’ve talked to her already. She said she’s never met you, she had something to sell and thought you might find someone to buy it.”
“Do I look like a fence to you?”
“Huggy, believe me, the finder’s fee on this one would make you gladly take on the title.”
“That good, huh?”
Hutch nodded.
“T’be honest, Huggy,” said Starsky. “I don’t think you know anyone in this league. It’s that big.”
“So why would the unfortunate lady come looking for me?”
Starsky shrugged. “She’s from outta town. I dunno who would have given her your number. Whoever it was must think you know everyone in the city. You don’t know any millionaires, do you Hug?”
“Millionaires? Man, what is this chick selling?”
“Would you believe a Faberge egg?” asked Hutch conspiratorially, leaning in towards Huggy.
“An egg? All this fuss for an egg? Who does she think I am – Old MacDonald?”
“Huggy, it’s an egg worth over $3 million dollars.”
Huggy’s spindly arm stopped mid-wipe on the bar. His dark, angled eyes widened and he forgot to breathe for a moment. Finally, he let out a long whistle.
“That’s a lotta bread for an egg! I’d love to see the chicken! You ain’t kidding about the finder’s fee. For that I would change careers.”
Hutch chuckled. “I know. Could you check around and see if anyone is in the market. Not necessarily wanting to pay for it. She’s running from something. Her name’s Joanne Logan from Australia. See if anyone’s looking for her.”
“I’ll check the word on the streets. Most cats ‘round here don’t deal that big, though. I’ll call you if I find anything.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Hutch lay in bed that night listening to the silence. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her dash into the street. He heard the sickening sound as she bounced off the front of his car. He saw the bulge under her shirt. In his dreams, it really was a baby he killed. Finally, after waking up in a cold sweat for the third time in as many hours, he gave up.
He was reaching for the telephone to call Starsky to talk him through this night when the phone rang. Hutch jumped and stared at the phone as if it had just landed from Mars and was demanding to see his leader. Finally, he picked up the receiver.
“Hello?”
“Ken? It’s Joanne. I hate to bother you so late at night, but I’m in trouble. Someone was just in my room going through me purse.”
“Are you okay? Did he get anything?”
“No. That’s just it. He was dressed like an orderly. If it was just an orderly, he would have taken the cash in me wallet and possibly me credit cards. He didn’t take anything, but he had the perfect opportunity. I didn’t let him know I was awake.”
“I’ll be right there.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
As the night nurse started to protest, Hutch flashed his badge as he headed for Joanne’s room. He threw open the door to her room and found her sitting in a chair by the window. She looked up when he entered. Her eyes briefly registered fear before she recognized her visitor. She jumped up from the chair and ran up to hug him tightly.
“I’m so glad you’re here!” He felt wetness on his shirt and realized she was crying. He gently put his arms around her and let her cry.
After a few minutes, she sniffled and pulled out of his embrace. She looked up at him sheepishly and then turned to find a tissue. He waited patiently for her to collect herself.
“Did something more happen? Are you okay?” he asked, worried.
She nodded. “I had just hung up after ringing you when he came back into the room. He knew I was awake this time. He put a knife to my throat and demanded to know where the egg was. I told him I gave it to a cop and didn’t know where it was. He found your card by the phone. He’s going to come looking for you! I’m so sorry!” She was crying again and he hugged her until she was able to calm down again.
“Okay, just relax. It’ll be alright.” Hutch said soothingly. “I’m going to call the station and have them put a couple of guards on the door. You’ll be okay.”
“What about you? He’s going to go after you next.”
Hutch pulled back his jacket to reveal his magnum sitting snugly in its holster. “I can look after myself. Do you want to tell me what this is all about?”
“I came to this country on a student visa two years ago. I’m getting my master’s degree in international law. In Australia, I was already a practicing lawyer. I was looking to branch out.”
Hutch nodded and led her back to bed. He sat down in the chair and waited for her to continue.
“Two months ago, Mum died.”
“I’m sorry.” Said Hutch quietly. She smiled a little and continued talking.
“When I went back for her funeral, I realized just how badly Dad was doing. He had been trying to modernize the farm for years, but every time he got the money together, some emergency came up. This year, the drought hit hard and his crops were dying. I found out that he had been borrowing money regularly for the past few years to make ends meet. I offered him as much money as I could spare, but he turned me down. He’s always been a very proud man.”
Hutch smiled to himself, thinking of his own father.
“After the funeral and her estate was settled, when I was packing to return to the U.S., Dad brings me the egg and tells me to sell it when I get here. He wanted me to sell it in America because the exchange rate is better and he might be able to get more for it that way. The money would pay off his debts, modernize the farm and give him a nice little bit to retire on.”
“When I got back to this country, I went to a friend of mine - an art history major by the name of Andrew Joyce. I asked him to authenticate the egg. He’s the one who told me what it was worth. I don’t think Dad had any idea that it was worth quite that much.” She smiled, remembering her own reaction to the figure Andrew quoted.
“Andrew said he knew someone who might want to buy it. He also said if this source petered out, this Huggy Bear person would find someone. Mind you, I didn’t think I wanted to trust someone named ‘Huggy Bear’, but Andrew said he was good people.”
“He is.” Said Hutch with a smile. “Huggy is definitely good people.”
“Andrew rings me yesterday to say that he might have a buyer for me and that I was to bring the egg to a gallery on 15th Street. When I got there, the place was deserted. I should have known better than to go in alone. I heard angry voices coming from a back room. It was Andrew and another bloke arguing with a third. I peeked into the back room and saw one of the men pull a gun on the other two. As I watched, he shot Andrew and the other guy. I tell you, it took all I had not to scream. I saw his face when he looked around, but he doesn’t know I saw him. I bolted. I ran for blocks without stopping. That’s when I ran into you. Then I stopped.” She looked up at him with a smile to take the sting out of her last sentence.
“Was it the same man who threatened you tonight?”
She nodded. “That’s how I was so sure that he didn’t see me in the gallery. If he had, I’m sure he would have killed me. It was dark in here when he threatened me, so he doesn’t think I can identify him. I knew the voice, though. It was him.”
Hutch called the precinct and got a couple of uniformed officers sent to the hospital to stand guard outside of Joanne’s room. Then he called Starsky.
“H’lo?” came the mumbled answer to the ringing phone.
“Starsky, you awake?”
“I am now. Hutch? What’s wrong? You okay?”
“Someone just came looking for the egg. I’m at the hospital with Joanne. Someone threatened her.”
“You want me to come down there?”
“No, just meet me at my place, the guy found my card by the phone. She’s afraid he’s gonna come looking for me. I’ll be leaving here in about ten minutes.”
“I’ll be waiting for you. See you in about half an hour?”
“Half an hour. See you.”
Hutch hung up the phone and sat talking with Joanne until the officers showed up. He said goodbye, left instructions with the guards and headed for home.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Torino was parked at Venice Place as Hutch drove up. Hutch got out of the car and met Starsky at his car. They pulled their guns and headed into Hutch’s apartment. Hutch looked at the scrapes around the lock on his front door and looked at Starsky. Starsky nodded and they burst into the apartment, guns swinging. Nothing moved in the silent apartment. Starsky reached out and turned on a light. Hutch gasped as he looked at his formerly neat apartment.
The place was trashed. Books were on the floor, pictures torn off the walls, the couch cushions had been ripped to shreds and scattered, dishes were broken and the cupboards had been emptied. It looked like most of his plants had been knocked over and the roots torn up, as the intruder had been very thorough.
Guns still drawn, they headed for the bedroom. Clothes were scattered all over, his closet and dresser had been emptied, his pillows had been shredded and his mattress now had a nice long slit down the middle.
While Hutch surveyed the wreckage, Starsky made one last sweep of the apartment to make sure there was no one there. He put his gun away and went back into the bedroom. Hutch was completely shell-shocked. There wasn’t a piece of furniture that hadn’t been slashed; there wasn’t an article of clothing that hadn’t been thrown around, and his plants! His poor, poor plants; every single one had had its roots shredded as the intruder dug through the dirt looking for something that wasn’t there.
“Hutch? You okay?” A very worried Starsky came up behind Hutch and put his hand on the taller man’s shoulder.
Hutch turned angry eyes on Starsky. “Hell no, I’m not okay! I’ve just had everything I owned trashed and you want to know if I’m OKAY?”
Starsky retreated at his partner’s harsh words. Hutch realized he shouldn’t be taking his anger out on his friend.
“I’m sorry, Starsk. I’m angry and I shouldn’t be taking it out on you. When I got here, I sort of expected my apartment to be ransacked. I just didn’t think it would be this bad.”
“It’s alright, babe. I’d probably react like that if it was my place. Come on, let’s find a suitcase to pack and you’ll stay with me ‘til we can get this place fixed up.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
After the crime lab left Hutch’s apartment, they found an old gym bag that hadn’t been destroyed. Hutch was too frazzled by the ruins around him to pack effectively. Starsky packed his partner’s bag and they headed out, stopping at an all-night drug store to replace Hutch’s toothbrush and other toiletries.
Starsky put Hutch to bed and went to call Dobey. After explaining about Joanne, the egg and the current state of Hutch’s apartment, Dobey told him to make sure Hutch took the day off. As to the murders in the gallery, no one was aware of them yet. The gallery had been closed and was not scheduled to open until 10 am. Starsky looked at the clock – 6:30. It had been a long night. Dobey suggested that as soon as Joanne was able, she should be moved to a safe house until this mess was cleared up. Starsky agreed to arrange it and hung up.
Before crashing on the couch, he called Huggy and asked if he could use the rooms above The Pits for Joanne when she got out of the hospital. After making arrangements for Joanne, he peeked into the bedroom and was glad to see his exhausted partner seemed to be sleeping peacefully. He pulled a pillow and blanket out of a closet and stretched out on his couch for a few hours of shut-eye.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Hutch woke up to the smell of coffee brewing. For a brief moment, he forgot where he was – then memory came crashing back. He was in Starsky’s bed. His apartment was trashed, uninhabitable.
“Mornin’ Hutch!” said Starsky as he looked into the bedroom to see his partner sitting up in bed. “You doin’ okay this morning? I’m makin’ omelets. Hope you’re hungry. Dobey says you don’t have to go in today. Why don’t you pick up Joanne and take her to the Pits? Huggy’s gonna let her stay upstairs ‘til this thing blows over. I’ll start looking into the bodies at the gallery. I’ll meet you guys for lunch and share what I get.”
“Uh…morning to you too. I’m okay, I guess. No, I’m not really hungry. I think I’ll just grab a shower for the moment.”
After his shower, Hutch did feel better. He called the hospital and found out Joanne was being released in a couple of hours. When Hutch talked to her, he told her about Huggy’s and she agreed immediately. He offered to pick up some of her clothing at her apartment and she told him where she hid her spare key. Then, after a cup of coffee and an omelet (okay, truth to tell, he was hungry after all) he and Starsky went their separate ways until lunchtime.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Hutch drove to Joanne’s flat and wasn’t surprised to find it had also been ransacked. He managed to find a couple of outfits in the wreckage. He put them into a bag along with some toiletries that survived the ransacking of the bathroom. Before leaving, he called for a crime lab to come collect evidence.
Joanne was sitting in a wheelchair beside her bed when Hutch arrived. She was still wearing her hospital gown as the doctors had cut her clothes off when she had been admitted. She took the bag he had packed for her and he stepped outside while she changed clothes.
Once discharge papers were signed, Hutch put Joanne in his car and headed towards The Pits. That’s when he noticed the Corvette following them.
“Joanne, do you recognize the car that’s behind us?”
Joanne turned in the seat and looked at the bright blue car behind them. She nodded.
“It was parked across the street from the gallery. I remember because of all the American cars I’ve seen, Corvettes are me favorites. I always notice them.”
Hutch smiled at this. ‘It might as well be Starsky following us in the Red Tomato as conspicuous as that car is. This guy isn’t a professional, that’s for sure.’
“Hold on, Joanne. We’re gonna try to shake our friend here.”
‘I can’t outrun or outmaneuver a ‘Vette in this thing. I only hope he’s not a professional driver either.’
Hutch continued driving normally as he called Starsky on the radio to ask for help with the tail. Then he put the pedal to the metal and took off through traffic. The Corvette followed, but Hutch could see that this person, whoever it was wasn’t a professional driver. The guy was relying more on the maneuverability of the car than on his own driving skill. After a few minutes, he saw the Torino come up behind the ‘Vette. Hutch smiled as he saw the driver realize he was pinned. Hutch deliberately slowed down, forcing the Corvette to slow as well. Suddenly, the blue car swerved off into an alley with the Torino hot on its tail.
Hutch heard Starsky on the radio telling him he’d take care of Blue boy and that Hutch should take Joanne to the safe house.
When they arrived at The Pits, Joanne looked at Hutch as if to say, ‘You must be joking!’ Hutch just smiled as he put his hand on the small of her back and escorted her into the bar.
“Hutch, m’man! ‘Tis a pleasure to see you in here. Is this the young lady of whom I have heard so much about?”
“Yes it is. Joanne Logan, this is Huggy Bear.”
Joanne looked as though she was trying not to laugh as she shook his hand. As they moved to a booth, Hutch looked at her curiously.
“What’s so funny?”
“He’s not exactly what I picture for someone named ‘Huggy Bear’.”
“Yeah, well, once you get to know him, you’ll see it suits him.” Hutch smiled. “You hungry? It’s about lunchtime and I know hospital food isn’t much more than survival.”
“Yeah, rather like airplane food in that respect. Huggy a good cook?”
“One of the best. How ‘bout a hamburger?”
Joanne nodded and Hutch ordered burgers for the both of them. While they were waiting, Joanne and Hutch talked. They talked about likes and dislikes. Their past histories and future plans (Speaking of which, Hutch got himself invited to an ELO concert; inheriting Andrew’s ticket). Overall, they found they had a lot in common. Hutch was beginning to be glad that he hit her with his car (okay, not exactly…he was glad he met her. The car/body contact was still deeply regretted.).
As Huggy brought their lunches, Starsky entered the bar and looked around until he spotted his partner. He ordered a burger from Huggy and went over to join the blond couple in the booth.
“Hey guys, I hope I’m interrupting something.” Starsky grinned at the pair. He winked at Hutch as he sat down.
Hutch blushed. “We were just talking, Starsk. Hungry?” he smacked Starsky’s hand as it snuck over to his plate to steal a French-fry. Starsky’s hand and fry escaped relatively unscathed and Starsky just grinned at his partner as he shoved the unfortunate potato into his mouth.
“Matter of fact, Blondie, I am.” Starsky grabbed another fry. Hutch rolled his eyes and allowed it.
Joanne chuckled as she watched them. “Yin and Yang.” She muttered under her breath as she watched the two men interact in a more relaxed atmosphere.
“You get the guy in the Corvette?” asked Hutch.
“Nope. He got lucky when a truck pulled out in front of me. I got his license number. They’re running a make on him now.”
“That’s good, anyway.”
Huggy brought Starsky’s lunch over. He leaned down to Hutch, “Hutch, there’s some guy on the phone for you. Says his name is Frank Talbot.”
Hutch went over and picked up the phone.
“Frank? How’d you know I was here?”
“I called the precinct. Your Captain Dobey said you sometimes hang out there.”
“Yeah. What’ve you got?”
“I did some research on the Czarevich egg. It was believed to be stolen by a servant during the revolution. It hasn’t been seen since. I really think it’s the genuine article. When I looked at it, I could see that all the gems were real. The painting on the eagle was a good likeness of Alexei, and the outer markings were consistent with every photograph I’ve ever seen of this particular egg. I did some more digging, too. There are collectors out there offering as much as $5 million for this particular egg. This girl is sitting on a gold mine.”
Hutch was glad he wasn’t eating anything at that moment. At the mention of $5 million, Starsky would have had to perform the Heimlich maneuver on him. He was speechless for another full minute until he heard Frank calling his name on the other end of the line.
“I’m still here, Frank. I’m just a little floored that something so small could be worth so much. I’ll pass the message along. Starsky and I are almost to the bottom of this thing. I’ll let you know soon if you can set up a buyer. Thanks a lot. I owe you one, pal.”
“Just let me have the finder’s fee when she sells it and we’ll call it even. Let me know when you’re ready to sell.”
“You’ve got a deal. See you later, Frank.”
Hutch returned to the table in a daze. Starsky and Joanne both looked at him curiously.
“Something wrong?”
“Nope. That was Frank at the antiques shop.” Hutch looked at Joanne with wide eyes. “He says the egg is real and there are collectors out there willing to pay up to $5 million for this particular egg.”
Hutch turned and slapped his partner on the back. Coca-Cola went shooting out his nose as he reacted (rather violently) to the new price tag on the egg.
“No wonder someone’s willing to kill for it.” Starsky exclaimed when he could breathe again.
“What’d you find out about the victims?” asked Hutch.
“The victims: One Andrew Joyce, art history major at UCLA and one Harrison Davis, curator of the Talmadge Gallery. Both men were killed with a .44 caliber handgun. Also found at the scene was a Swiss bank account number and information about a potential funds transfer - probably to pay for the egg. Lots of fingerprints, they’re trying to make them all now. It’s gonna take awhile.”
“The guy had access to a Swiss bank account and he left it? Definitely NOT a professional.” Hutch said. “Of course, that was obvious from the conspicuous tail he tried.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. It’s probably some rabid collector who don’t have the dough to buy an egg.”
Hutch turned to Joanne. “Did you tell anyone besides Andrew about your egg?”
She shook her head. “No. He did say something about asking one of his professors about it, though. I think he wanted to double-check his estimate.”
“Do you know this professor’s name?”
She furrowed her brow in thought. “It was either Dr. Morrison or Dr. Connor. They were his two favorite professors.”
“Do you know they’re first names?” asked Starsky as he pulled out a small notepad and pencil.
“I think Dr. Connor is Jim and Dr. Morrison is either Henry or Harry, I don’t remember for sure.”
“I’ll check them out. See if one of them drives a blue Corvette.” Said Starsky. He finished his hamburger and stood up. “Why don’t you get Joanne settled, partner and I’ll see you back at my place tonight.”
“See ya later Starsk.”
As he left, Joanne turned to him with a puzzled expression. “Do you always spend your off time together?”
“Well, you were right about that guy coming for me. He trashed my place. I’m staying with Starsky until I can get it cleaned up again.”
“Fair dinkum? I’m so sorry! When I sell the egg, let me help you pay for any repairs or anything, okay? It’s the least I can do.”
“No, the least you can do is tell me what ‘fair dinkum’ means. Then we’ll talk about selling the egg.”
Joanne laughed. “It means…well…to put it bluntly… ‘no shit?’ Or more politely… ‘is that true?’ However you want to put it.”
Hutch joined her in laughter. “I think in this case, I’ll choose ‘no shit’. It seems to fit the circumstances.”
They laughed for a few minutes longer before Hutch stood up and picked up her bag. “Shall I show you to your suite m’lady?”
Joanne did an exaggerated curtsey, “I should be honored sir. Well, should be, anyway”
They looked at each other and started laughing again.
Hutch saw her upstairs and got her settled into her room. She looked around at the dingy room and then back at Hutch, who shrugged apologetically.
“It’s not the Ritz, but it’s safe. Huggy’ll take good care of you while I’m gone.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’ve got the day off. I thought I’d go see what I could salvage from my place.”
“I really am sorry for getting you into this.”
“You didn’t get me into anything. As I recall, I hit you. You didn’t come looking for me.”
She stepped up and hugged him. “Thank you so much for everything. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
Hutch smiled as he returned the hug. He leaned down and gently kissed the top of her head before he released her. She stepped back and looked up at him. She stood up on tiptoe and kissed him. The kiss lingered for a few seconds before he pulled back and headed for the door.
“If I don’t leave now, I’ll never leave at all.” He said with a smile.
“No one’s asking you to leave.” She replied shyly.
He opened the door. “I don’t think I’m ready to handle that just yet. I’m going to leave now while I still have enough self-control to be a gentleman.”
“I’ll be here.” She said quietly. He smiled and closed the door behind him.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Starsky arrived at his apartment with his arms full of pizza and beer. He walked in and found Hutch sitting on the couch staring at the wall. He didn’t acknowledge his partner’s arrival.
“Hutch?”
No response from the blond man on the couch. Starsky became a little worried. He put the pizza and 6-pack on the table and hurried over to the couch. He knelt down in front of Hutch. After waving his hand in front of dazed blue eyes, Starsky finally got his partner’s attention.
“Hey, Starsk. When did you come in?”
“You okay babe? I been here for a couple of minutes. You were a million miles away. What’s wrong?”
Hutch sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. “I dunno, Starsk. After you left Huggy’s, Joanne and I talked for a while. Then I took her upstairs to get her settled in and she kissed me.”
“That’s great, Hutch! I thought you guys made a cute couple. So what’s the problem?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I really do like her. But I hit her with my car!”
“I’ve heard of stranger ways to meet women.” Starsky said with a teasing smile.
“That’s just it. Do I like her for real? Or is this a knee-jerk guilt reaction for hitting her? She’s just got me confused, that’s all.”
“She’s a nice girl, Hutch. Just take it slow and see where it takes you. She’s fine, you did no permanent damage and she acknowledged the accident was her fault. You got nothin’ to feel guilty about. Look, just relax and let nature take its course. If it is guilt, you’ll figure it out soon enough.”
“I just don’t want to hurt her in the meantime.”
“She’s a grown woman. She knows what she’s doing. ‘Sides, you’re too nice of a guy to hurt a nice girl like her. You’d find a way to let her down easy. Meantime, let’s eat, I’m starvin’!”
As they sat down with the pizza, Hutch asked, “Any leads on the Corvette?”
“It belongs to a Karen Fisher. I talked to her this afternoon. She told me her boyfriend borrowed it, but someone stole it from him.”
“Who was the boyfriend?”
“Would you believe Dr. Jim Connor, PhD – art history professor at UCLA?”
Ice-blue eyes met violet-blue eyes with a smile attached to both sets of eyes. “Car stolen my ass! He’s our boy!”
Starsky nodded in agreement. “We’ll have to pay him a visit tomorrow.”
“After we pick him up, we’ll have Joanne pick him out of a lineup.”
Starsky grinned and they turned their attention back to their pizza.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“The Faberge eggs were originally created as Easter gifts from Czar Alexander III for his wife Maria. Every year, a new egg was created. All the eggs were unique and all of them had a ‘surprise’ inside. When Alexander died, his son, Nicholas II continued the tradition.” Dr. Jim Connor’s dry voice floated out of the lecture hall as Starsky and Hutch entered the building.
Connor stopped talking as the two detectives entered the lecture hall. The students all turned around to see what was so fascinating at the back of the room.
Finally, Connor said, “Is there something I can help you with, gentlemen?”
Starsky and Hutch flashed their badges. “We’d like you to come with us please.”
Connor stood up straighter and crossed his arms. “Do you have a warrant?”
“Nobody said anything about an arrest. We just need to ask you some questions, that’s all.”
“About what?” The professor ran nervous fingers through his dark hair. His dark eyes flashed uneasily between the two detectives.
“A ‘stolen’ blue Corvette. You’re girlfriend said her car was stolen from you.”
Connor seemed to relax. “Yes, it was. I just went into the coffee shop for a minute and…”
Hutch sighed impatiently. “Of course. You can make a full statement when we get to the precinct. Meanwhile, I’d say class is over, wouldn’t you?”
As they led Dr. Connor out to the Torino, he blanched as he saw the car. Starsky could see Hutch really wanted to pound the unfortunate professor into a pulp. As soon as they got Connor into the car, Starsky turned to Hutch.
“Relax, babe. If he is our boy, you can’t do anything to jeopardize an arrest. His lawyers would have him home in time for dinner.”
Hutch took a deep breath and nodded. Starsky squeezed Hutch’s shoulder encouragingly and they got in the car and headed to Metro.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Joanne walked into the police station nervously. She knew she couldn’t be safer than in a cop shop, but still, she was going to face a killer. She tightened her grip on Hutch’s hand.
“We’re just going to talk to Captain Dobey for a minute, okay?”
She nodded and, without releasing his hand, entered the squad room with Hutch. As they walked toward the office, she saw Connor sitting in a chair next to Starsky’s desk. She gasped and hid behind Hutch.
“That’s him! That’s the bloke I saw in the gallery!”
“What is this girl talking about?” said Connor indignantly as he tried vainly to save the situation.
“I know that voice, too! It’s him.”
“I want my lawyer.”
Starsky handed him the phone. “You do get one phone call. Hutch you wanna read him his rights?”
“What I want to do to him is illegal. You read him his rights. I’d punch him before I got to the part about the attorney.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“Next item up for bid is number 212 – An Imperial Egg from Faberge. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Czarevich egg, long thought lost. It was discovered in Australia and brought to this country to be sold. There are photographs and a full description in your programs. 3 separate experts have authenticated this egg. Shall we start the bidding at one million? One million thank you sir.”
Starsky, Hutch, Huggy, Frank Talbot and Joanne sat in the back of the auction house. Listening to the bidding war on the egg. When the bidding passed $3.5 million, Starsky’s mouth dropped open. When it hit $4.5 million, Joanne’s mouth had joined Starsky’s on the floor. By the time the bidding petered out at a paltry $6.1 million, there were five jaws on the floor.
“$6.1 million going once. Last call ladies and gentlemen. $6.1 million going twice. Any final bids? Sold for $6.1 million to the gentleman in the third row. Congratulations sir. You may see the clerk to arrange payment and delivery.”
As soon as the auctioneer said ‘sold’, Joanne threw her arms around Hutch’s neck and kissed him. He looked over her head at his partner who was grinning at him. He shrugged, closed his eyes and kissed her back.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Starsky looked around the Venice Place apartment. It had been completely transformed. Gone were the destroyed furniture, broken dishes and wrecked planters. There was new furniture, new dishes and new plants.
“Whaddaya think Starsk? Not bad, huh?”
Starsky nodded in approval. “This is the best this place has looked since…well, since!”
Hutch grinned. “I know. Do you realize that after Joanne paid Frank, helped me repair my place, fixed up her place and paid the taxes on the sale, she still has over $3 million for her father?”
“She helped you repair this place?”
Hutch nodded. “The insurance took care of most of it. She just helped make sure I got the good stuff. She wanted to pay for all of it, but I wouldn’t let her. I had enough trouble taking what I did from her.”
“Why’d she want to pay for all of it?”
“She felt responsible for Connor finding me and trashing my place. I couldn’t convince her it wasn’t her fault. She insisted on at least helping pay for repairs. She’s got the puppy-dog-eyes thing down pat. I couldn’t say no.”
“You got it bad, don’t you?”
“Okay Starsk, I admit it. I think I’ve moved beyond the guilt thing. She really is a great girl.” He looked at the clock. “I gotta get ready. We’re going to the ELO concert tonight.”
“So she did find a date, huh?” asked Starsky with a twinkle in his eye. “You guys have fun. I’ll let myself out. You go get cleaned up.”
As Hutch headed for the bathroom, his partner called, “Hey Hutch. I was talking to Joanne earlier today. What does ‘fair dinkum’ mean?”
End.