June 1999 This story is written for entertainment purposes only, and
is not meant to infringe on rights or holders of
rights to Starsky and Hutch.
FORWARD
This short story was written as a sequel to the episode, "Starsky vs.
Hutch". Fans have long been dissatisfied with
the episode, which pitted the two partners against one another for
the attentions of a female, fellow detective. Their
behavior in this episode was totally out of character. This is one
writer's effort to offer a possible explanation of
what may have gone on behind the scenes.
CHAPTER 1
Starsky slammed the door of the red Torino and squealed away from the
curb without even checking the rear view
mirror. In all the time he had known Hutch, both as his friend and
his partner, Starsky couldn't remember ever
having been so angry with him.
Sure, there had been disagreements, some even kind of serious….but he
had always been willing to forgive Hutch
anything. But not this time. No, this was different. How could his
best friend, his partner, the person who knew him
best in the world, betray him like this?
Rather than the speed dissipating Starsky's anger, each passing block
seemed to fuel it. He rolled down the car
window and took several deep breaths. The scene that had just played
out at Kira's seemed like a bad dream. Had
he really seen Hutch come from her bedroom with a guilt-ridden expression
on his face? It must have been true;
Hutch wouldn't even look him in the eye or make any move to deny what
had just occurred between them.
It was impossible that Hutch could have been so callous as to go to
bed with a woman that Starsky had declared his
love for only this morning! Did Hutch care for her too, or was he for
some inexplicable reason, doing this to hurt
Starsky?
As always, Starsky thought with his heart rather than his head--and
in doing so, denied that Hutch could have
wanted to hurt him. Not Hutch. Not after all they had been through
together. Not after surviving such tragedies
together as losing Gillian and Terry. Hutch loved him like a brother;
no, loved him even more than his real brother,
Nickie did. Damn, it made no sense!
***************
Hutch stood on the stoop, watching his best friend speed away, a red
blur in the twilight of the evening. Kira had
slammed the door behind them as she ordered both men from the house.
Time stopped. Hutch felt numb. What had
just happened? What was he thinking?
Something about Kira was irresistible. Hutch had gone to Kira's to confront
her about her feelings for Starsky and
her feelings for him. What she said about being able to love more than
one person at a time had made sense to him
at the time. He really couldn't deny that he himself had found it possible
to be involved with more than one woman
at a time.
One thing had led to another, and before he knew it, Starsky was forgotten.
I'm only human. Starsky is a big boy. All's fair in love and war….
Hutch knew these were only cliches, but he clung to them, perhaps out of confusion, more likely out of guilt.
Quietly, the door opened a crack. Lost in these thoughts, Hutch had
no idea how long he had been standing there.
Kira opened the door a little further. "Hutch, I'm so glad you didn't
go. Please come in. I don't want to be alone
right now," she simpered. Hutch wanted to resist, to run after Starsky,
but somehow, he was compelled to do as she
asked.
Kira looped her arms around his neck and lightly touched her lips to his, drawing him into the room.
CHAPTER 2
The following night at the Golden Lady Ballroom, the case Starsky, Hutch,
and Kira had been working on came to
a climatic close. All three detectives were on hand to play their parts
and capture the demented Viet Nam vet, when
he finally snapped and tried to blow up the dance hall and everyone
in it.
In spite of what had transpired the day before, Starsky and Hutch managed
to disarm the man and get the hand
grenade out of the building before it detonated. Still, they had not
spoken a single word to one another except what
was necessary to do the job.
As soon as Joey Webster was apprehended and in custody, Starsky disappeared
from the scene and went back to
the station to complete the paperwork. Hutch and Kira left and went
back to her house, barely noticing Starsky's
departure.
************
Eight-thirty the next morning, Hutch walked into the squad room. Starsky
sat at the typewriter, slowly pecking
away at yet another of the never-ending reports which were a part of
their daily routine. He barely looked up as his
partner entered the room.
"Morning," Hutch said, avoiding eye contact with the dark-haired detective.
As a peace offering, he dropped a bag
of warm, sticky donuts on the desk in front of his partner. He knew
Starsk could never resist sweets, being the
consummate junk food junkie.
Starsky ignored them, acknowledging Hutch with only a muffled, "Mornin'."
Hutch flipped through the open file on the desk. "Any leads on the rape
cases?" he asked, pretending not to notice
Starsky's refusal to accept his bribe.
"Just one," Starsky replied without looking up. "Cap'n Dobey wants us
to contact some stoolie named Tucker who
says he heard on the street there's a bad dude braggin' about teach'n
a lesson to the 'sluts' out there who think
they're too good for him."
"Mmm. Might be something." Hutch sipped his coffee and looked through
photos of the perp's latest victims. Six
so far. Each more brutal than the previous. The last two had been raped
and then pistol-whipped, even though, they
told the police, they had been too frightened to resist. No leads until
this morning. Maybe things would get back to
normal with this case finally opening up.
"Hit the street?" he suggested, looking up in time to see Starsky rip the completed form out of the typewriter.
"You got it," was his only reply.
Still no eye contact between the partners….
************
As the Torino thundered up the street, a cloud of tension lay between the two men.
I don't think I can take this, Hutch. Say somethin'--tell me it was
a mistake-- Hell, tell me she held you at
gunpoint!
Unbidden memories surfaced as Starsky recalled their last argument over
a woman--Gillian. Hutch really loved her
and it tore Starsky's heart out to tell his partner the truth about
his lady. Sure, Hutch didn't want to believe it. He
even accused Starsky of lying, of jealousy--anything to keep from admitting
the truth to himself.
But Hutch knew, deep down inside, that his partner wasn't making up
wild accusations. He knew that he could
always count on Starsky to be honest with him, no matter what.
Tell me, Hutch. Tell me anything to help me understand!
Still, Hutch was quiet.
All the while, Hutch was lost in his own thoughts. The past two days
with Kira had been indescribable. The only fly
in the ointment had been his underlying sense of guilt that he had
betrayed his friend.
You know I don't want to hurt you, Starsk, but this woman makes me crazy!
How can I explain it to you? Does she
make you feel the same way?
Several times during the short ride, Hutch tried to say the words aloud,
but was afraid of opening the wound. Right
now they needed to concentrate on getting this sadistic bastard off
the streets. There would be time later to mend
fences. And they WOULD resolve this. Nothing could ever end the friendship
built on the mutual trust and respect
they had for one another. Besides, he didn't understand himself why
he was acting this way, so how could he
possibly explain it to Starsky?
Starsky swerved into the curb in front of Huggy's and turned off the ignition.
"Supposed to meet Tucker here," he told Hutch. First words spoken since
they had left the station. Hutch opened
his door and got out without comment. Both detectives entered the dimly
lit club and took a seat at the bar.
"What it is?" Huggy greeted them. Although both guys spoke, Huggy could
tell that something wasn't right.
Everyone who knew the 'dynamic duo' could attest to the chemistry between
them as the reason for their uncanny
success as L.A.'s finest. They worked like two parts of the same brain,
soul mates, silent communicators. This
morning, these two acted like they were from different planets.
Huggy pretended not to notice. Whatever it was, it would pass. "The
man's already here," he said, looking around
inconspicuously as he poured two cups of coffee. "Waiting in the corner
booth--kind of jittery. I think this dude he's
talkin' about must be one whacked-out cat. Never seen Tucker watchin'
the shadows like today."
"Thanks, Huggy," Hutch said, dropping a couple of bucks for the coffee
on the counter and heading over to the
booth. Starsky followed without a word.
Tucker was your typical snitch--greasy hair swept back from a sallow,
puffy face which hadn't seen a razor in at
least three days. As Starsky & Hutch approached the booth, Tucker
nervously searched the room with slightly
bulging, obviously worried eyes. "You guys the cops lookin' for the
creep hurtin' all the girls?"
"Heard you might have somethin' for us," Starsky said as he slid into
the booth. Hutch slid in from the other side,
hemming in the snitch.
"Maybe, maybe not. What's it worth to you?"
Hutch laid a twenty on the table, his expression barely suppressing
the disgust he felt for this vermin who would
cash in on the suffering of others.
"You gotta be kiddin'," Tucker snarled. "You guys don't know what you're
dealin' with here. You think I'm gonna
risk my life for a lousy twenty."
Starsky reached into his back pocket and pulled out another fifty. Tucker
reached for the bill, only to have it
snatched back by Starsky. "Uh-uh. Tell me what you've got first."
"Puchelli…. Frank, I think they call him. Small time loser who gets
his kicks beatin' up the ladies. Just recently
progressed to more, shall we say, active participation? Seems this
guy hates women and the only way he can get it
off is to force 'em, then beat the hell out of 'em. If the word on
the street is on the mark, each of the girls ends up a
little worse off than the last."
Tucker reached for the bill again. Starsky let him take it.
"Fifty more will get you the address," he said, cutting his eyes to
Hutch. With a grimace, Hutch dug deep into his
jeans and brought out his last ten. "Okay. Okay. Stayin' at a dump
down on Madison. A flophouse, Sunset Hotel.
Now you guys ain't seen me and you never talked to me. You got it?"
"You're a prince among thieves," Starsky sneered as he and Hutch stood up to leave.
"This one's for free," Tucker added. "You guys better watch each other's
backs. This lunatic is gonna kill
somebody. If you push him, it'll probably be you."
************
The red Torino rolled to a stop two blocks east of Sunset Hotel. The
two detectives weren't taking any chances that
they may scare off the suspect. Most of the street people recognized
the Striped Tomato and knew that wherever it
was, Starsky & Hutch weren't far away.
"So what do you think?" Hutch said, turning and actually looking Starsky
in the eyes for the first time that day.
"Want to take the direct approach, or split up and try flushing him
out?"
"Your call."
"I say we march on in there, strong-arm the room number out of the desk clerk and move quick."
"The Hutchinson Subtle Approach, hmmm?" Starsky actually came close to smiling.
"You got it, partner," Hutch said, feeling a fleeting moment of their
old familiar camaraderie. Enough said, they
headed into the flophouse.
************
"Police! Open up!" Hutch shouted. Not giving Puchelli time to escape
through a window, he kicked the door open.
Without needing to speak a word, he and Starsky quickly entered the
room in their traditional fashion. With the
precision born from years of working together, Hutch went high with
the Magnum held rigidly in front of him, while
Starsky went low with the Smith & Wesson, ready for action. The
room was empty. The adrenaline still pumping,
Starsky ran to check the fire escape while Hutch checked the bathroom.
No rapist, but plenty of evidence that the pervert had been there recently.
Well-worn, dog-eared S&M magazines
lay scattered around the room, as well as various paraphernalia used
for bondage games. It looked like they were
on the right track.
"Damn!" Starsky muttered his disappointment. "Within twenty minutes
he'll hear we're lookin' for him. He's not
gonna risk coming back here."
"I'm going to call Dobey and get a search warrant," Hutch said. "There's
some pretty powerful circumstantial
evidence here. May need it later."
CHAPTER 3
By the end of the day, both detectives were frustrated at their failure
to locate Puchelli. They knew as nightfall
approached, another woman would be in danger. The attacks were occurring
more frequently and were more
horrendous.
Starsky pulled into a fast food joint, not even bothering to engage
in his usual good-natured ragging on Hutch. Nor
did Hutch offer his predictable lecture about the 'non-existent nutritional
value' of the food served at these greasy
spoons.
The atmosphere in the Torino fairly crackled with the strain that had been building all day.
Hutch, what's the matter, buddy? Why can't you open up and tell me why you did it?
Starsky suspected Hutch was struggling with his conscience when he ordered
a cheeseburger "all the way" AND a
large order of fries. If he hadn't been so miserable, Starsk may have
even laughed.
They ate in silence. Their only conversation throughout the day had
been directly connected with the case. Nothing
personal--nothing risky--nothing that they both knew needed to be said.
Finally, Starsky couldn't hold back any longer. As usual, his emotions
took control, leaving him with no alternative
than to meet the problem head-on. He gazed out the side window, not
wanting to risk Hutch reading the pain in his
face as he spoke.
"So, why'd you do it, Hutch? Huh? Will you just tell me?"
Hutch shifted in the seat, gazing out his side window. "Do what, Starsk?
Fall for a woman that you imagined
yourself in love with? For God's sake, Starsky, every time you get
involved with a woman, you think you're in love
with her. Don't you know that you can't go through life fooling yourself
that the next woman you meet may be able
to fill the void Terry's death left in your heart?"
The anger flared through Starsky with such intensity, he could barely
control his voice to speak. "And I guess you
think you got my whole life all figured out. I don't deserve a little
happiness? You think that it's okay to hop in the
sack with someone hours after I bare my soul to you and tell you I
think I'm in love with her? Damn it Hutch, how
could you do this to me? Huh? All the women you know, all the women
you could be with, and you gotta have
Kira?"
"Look, I didn't plan it. Okay?" Hutch answered quietly. "I went over
there to find out how she felt about both of
us. It just kind of happened. There's something, I don't know, something
that I can't describe…. I'm just drawn to
her, Starsk, like a moth to a flame. Hell, I can't explain it to you….
Why can't you just bow out gracefully and let
things take their own course?"
Starsky's eyes hardened and seemed to turn a darker shade of blue as
he took a deep breath and tried to calm his
voice before speaking. "Do you love her, Hutch? Huh? Can you really
sit there and tell me you love her? Or are
you lettin' your libido speak for you? I thought you were my partner,
my buddy, my best friend."
Starsky's voice was thick as he struggled to keep his emotions in check.
"Best friends don't do one another this
way, Hutch. How can I trust you now? Huh? Our whole relationship has
been based on trust."
Suddenly Starsky realized his feelings for Kira were no longer the issue.
What he was really dealing with here was
his fear that Hutch didn't value their friendship as much as he did.
He had never before had reason to doubt
Hutch's loyalty. Many times they'd risked their lives for one another,
and they did it without a moment's hesitation.
It just didn't seem possible that a woman they had known only a few
weeks could shatter their friendship so easily.
Despite his intention to be adult about the situation, Hutch felt his
on temper rising. From his perspective, his
partner was blowing this way out of proportion.
"Why can't you just grow up, Starsk?", he snapped. The moment the words
were spoken, he knew that he would
give anything to take them back.
God, what's happening here? Where did that come from? Why can't I stop this whole ugly scene?
The anger drained from Starsky, quickly replaced by hurt and disappointment.
"What ever happened to 'me and
thee'?" he asked quietly.
Hutch reached out and laid his hand on Starsky's arm. "Look, buddy,
can't we just forget all this? This thing with
Kira may not work out anyway. Just give me a chance to see if it's
for real. Is that asking too much?"
Starsky shrugged off Hutch's hand and turned to faced him. "Hutch, if
you wanna be with her, knowin' how I feel
about her, I don't think I wanna be your friend anymore. That may sound
stupid to you, but to me, it's a matter of
trust and a matter of loyalty. Without that, partner, we got nothin'."
Hutch's eyes went wide with surprise. "You can't be serious…. Starsk...."
Hutch reached out again toward his
partner, but Starsky withdrew as though he couldn't tolerate the physical
contact.
The engine of the Torino roared to life as Starsky put it in gear and headed home.
CHAPTER 4
Kira opened the door wearing only a revealing robe and a seductive smile.
"Hutch, I thought you would never get
here." She stood on tiptoe and planted a soft kiss on his lips. He
could smell her perfume, faintly sweet against his
cheek.
God, she's beautiful.
"Yeah, well, Starsky and I have been running our butts off all day trying
to get a bead on the rape case Dobey has
assigned us," Hutch offered as the reason for being so late. It was
only an excuse. He had actually been home the
past three hours, lying in the dark, trying to figure out how to get
his life back on track.
Starsky's declaration to end their friendship had thrown his world into
chaos. Life without his partner and friend
was unimaginable. It was time to face up to the seriousness of the
situation. What had started out as a harmless
competition of male egos had become a speeding train that Hutch didn't
know how to stop.
Hutch realized what he really wanted was the old "have your cake and
eat it too" scenario, but that didn't seem
likely. So, now, here he was. He would not leave tonight until he cleared
the air with Kira and found out exactly
what her intentions were.
Kira sensed Hutch's withdrawal the moment he arrived. He was usually
so responsive to her touch. One of the
reasons she enjoyed being with him was his susceptibility to her charms.
But then, so is Starsky, she thought.
Kira was accustomed to having her way with men. That's why she'd never
found it necessary to make a
commitment, or limit herself to one lover. She was good at her job
as an undercover policewoman, because she was
good at playing roles.
She rather enjoyed seeing these two go at it. When Kira was assigned
to work undercover with them to solve the
dance hall murders, she had heard about their extraordinary relationship,
their undying loyalty. What an irresistible
challenge they presented!
"What's wrong, darling?" she asked, moving closer.
Hutch swiped his hand over his face and turned toward her. "We need to talk."
"Later," she whispered against his lips as she reached her arms around
his neck again. Hutch's response was
immediate. He pulled her close and kissed her almost brutally, but
only for a few fleeting seconds; then with
strained reluctance, he pulled away.
"No, Kira, now."
With no small amount of irritation, she asked, "What's so important that we have to discuss it now?"
"It's Starsky. It's been a rough couple of days for us. I had no idea
he was so serious about you. But since Terry
died, well, he's been a lot more vulnerable. I just don't want to see
him hurt. I…I'm having second thoughts about
us…. You and me."
Hutch stepped back, putting a few inches between them. "I guess what
I'm trying to say is, where is this going? Is
this just a fling for you?" Without even realizing what he was doing,
he reached out and gently stroked her cheek
with the back of his hand.
So soft, so lovely….
"When I'm with you I can't seem to think straight; when we're apart,
I think of you constantly. Is it--is it like that
for you?"
Kira saw the yearning in his eyes as he continued. "How do you really
feel about me? How do you feel about
Starsk? You said you love us both. But I'm not so sure I can understand
that and believe it."
"Hutch, darling, why do we have to discuss this to death? Why can't
we just take things as they come? Besides,
Starsky is an adult. You aren't his keeper. And if he really cares
so much for me, why haven't I heard from him
since that terrible scene here a couple of days ago?"
"He's hurting, Kira. At first, I thought he was just mad at me, but
it's more than that…much more. Good God, he
told me today we can't be friends anymore! Do you have a clue what
he must be going through to say something
like that to me?"
"No, Hutch, I don't." Kira felt a tremor of excitement at the realization
she was capable of putting a chink in the
armor of these two men who were supposedly loyal to one another to
a fault.
"But I think you should worry about you and me," she continued, "and
let Starsky sort things out for himself.
Come on now, let's forget about Starsky for a few hours. If you promise
not to talk about it anymore, I'll give him a
call myself tomorrow and try to make him understand about us."
************
Starsky had gone directly home after dropping Hutch off at the station.
He tried to eat a TV dinner, but found he
couldn't quite get the food to go down. Usually when he was this depressed,
he would pick up the phone and call
Hutch, regardless of the time. That's the way it was with friends;
that's the way it was with partners.
Following Terry's death, there had been many sleepless nights Hutch
sat up with him talking through the grief, the
remorse. Starsky didn't like this feeling of desolation. It was frightening
to be so miserable, not even be able to
turn to the one person he had always been able to count on.
Maybe he should go right now and confront Kira. Tell her straight out
he was in love with her and demand she tell
him how she really felt. But when Starsky was honest with himself,
he knew he was no longer sure he did love her.
Maybe Hutch was right. Maybe he was just looking for another Terry
in every woman he met.
Starsky cranked up the engine of the Torino and began driving, not to Kira's, but to Venice Place.
Hutch, maybe you're right, buddy. You were just tellin’ me like it is.
I'm not goin’ to let a passin’ attraction for this
woman ruin our friendship. I know we can talk this out and I'll figure
out a way to deal with it.
But when Starsky reached his destination, he found the apartment dark
and no sign of the Hutchmobile. Now that
he was willing to consider that this was only an infatuation he felt
for Kira, the larger problem loomed before
him--his disappointment in how little Hutch valued their friendship.
Maybe it was time to cut his losses and leave the scene. It looked like
Hutch had made the decision for him. And
now it was too late to do anything else….
CHAPTER 5
Hutch entered the squad room and glanced around for Starsky, but saw
no sign of his partner. Disappointed, Hutch
picked up his coffee mug and was pouring a cup when Dobey opened his
door and bellowed, "Hutchinson, my
office--now!"
Hutch nodded, finished pouring his coffee and followed Dobey into his
office. Accustomed to Dobey's blustering,
Hutch figured he was going to get the third degree about Starsky's
whereabouts. Although his partner routinely
showed up late, the captain always felt the need to fuss about it to
Hutch.
Hutch dropped into the closest chair and waited for the interrogation
to begin. Dobey flicked a piece of paper
across the desk at Hutch. "What the hell's the meaning of this?" Hutch
picked up the form and started reading, but
not fast enough to suit Dobey.
"I found this on my desk when I got here at 6:30 this morning. Starsky's
asking to be reassigned to a different
partner. And if that's not possible, a transfer to a different precinct.
Now, do you want to tell me what's going on, or
do I put out an APB on that hot-headed partner of yours, throw your
butts in the slammer and let you settle your
differences!"
Hutch was stunned. This was Starsky's idea of a joke! He slowly lifted
his eyes to meet Dobey's but saw no gleam
of mischief to add credence to the "joke" idea. "Look, Cap'n, it's
a long story. Starsk is just pissed right now. He'll
get over it. You know he's not serious."
"Well, in case you haven't noticed, Hutchinson, we've got a rapist on
the rampage here and you two are supposed
to be solving this case before another woman is attacked. Now, I suggest
you get out there and locate your partner
and get your asses in gear and do it!"
"Right," Hutch said. "Uh, Cap'n. Since this letter was on your desk
when you arrived, do you have any idea where
he could be this early? You know, it's really not his style to start
work before nine or ten in the morning."
"Last time I looked, Hutchinson, you were the detective. I'm sure you
can at least track down your own partner."
Dobey's acrid response left no doubt in Hutch's mind about his mood.
The call came in while Hutch was on the telephone with Huggy. Another
rape, but this time it had ended in murder.
Hutch decided he'd have to postpone his search for Starsky. He needed
to get to the crime scene pronto, before
any of the evidence could be disturbed. Maybe Starsk would already
be there, if he was in Zebra Three and
overheard the call.
************
Hutch steered the Hutchmobile, red bubble flashing, up as close as he
could get to the crime scene. Apparently, the
victim had been discovered by a sanitation worker who was collecting
garbage from a dumpster behind a bar on
Madison Street, only three blocks east of Sunset Hotel. Hutch flashed
his badge and made his way through the
crowd. The corpse was already loaded into the ambulance when he arrived
and the lab team was winding up.
Hutch located Jack Pierson, who had been the first cop on the scene,
to get a run down of what they knew so far. As
Hutch began the routine questioning, Jack gave him a strange look.
"I already gave all this to your partner, Hutch.
Do I have to go through it again, or can't you guys just use the report
I gave to him?"
Somewhat surprised, but not wanting to let on that he was unaware of
Starsky's whereabouts, nor that he had
already been to the crime scene, Hutch replied, "Sure Jack. I just
wondered if you remembered anything else after
he left."
"Not really, but I think the guy reached some sort of turning point
last night. The victim was not only raped, she
was mutilated. He finished her off by putting the gun in her mouth.
We'll probably have trouble I.D'ing her."
Hutch felt his stomach churn at the description of what the victim had
endured. He thanked the police officer and
made his way back to the car, determined to find Starsky and get things
straightened out. They needed to put their
personal feelings aside and get this psycho off the street.
************
Starsky sat at the bar drinking a beer and talking to Huggy about the
murdered rape victim. "Hug, we know who
the creep is and can't find him. He's gone underground. I spent the
whole damn day talkin' to every snitch on the
streets. Nobody knows nothin' or else they just ain't talkin."
"I hear you, man." Huggy leaned closer, "He's one scary dude. By the way, where's the other half of the team?"
"No clue," Starsky mumbled into his glass as he took another swig of beer.
"Yeah, well, he called here twice today looking for you. I mean, aren't
you two supposed to be partners, as in, 'work
together on the case until it's solved'? Seems like a little team work
might be cool about now."
"Not anymore, my friend. I put in my request to Dobey for a new partner.
Until it comes through, I'm gonna fly
solo."
Huggy looked past the brooding face at the bar to see Hutch enter, his
eyes sweeping the room before coming to
rest on his partner. Hutch made a beeline for the bar and pulled up
a seat next to Starsky.
"Where you been all day, partner?" Hutch asked, as he signaled Huggy
to pour him a beer too. "We've got a case
to solve, you know."
Starsky didn't bother to look up. "Been doin' my job. Been lookin' for Puchelli."
"Starsk, why didn't you wait for me at the crime scene?" Hutch leaned
his head closer to Starsky's. "I felt like a
damn fool interrogating Pierce after he'd already given his report
to you."
"Sorry," Starsky replied, without a grain of remorse. He had had the
entire day to think about his feelings toward
Hutch. He knew he still loved the guy and would lay his life down for
him, but right now, he needed distance--the
more the better.
Just about everybody in Starsky's life, up until Hutch came along, had
been a disappointment. Now, his best friend
had let him down too. Maybe they would get through this--maybe they
wouldn't. Right now, it was just too painful to
talk about.
"We've got to put our heads together on this, Starsk. We've got to catch this son-of-a-bitch."
"Fine," Starsky said, not even glancing at Hutch. "I'll give you a copy of my report when I get it typed up."
"Not good enough," Hutch said, his patience wearing thin, but struggling
to keep his temper in check. He laid his
hand on Starsky's shoulder. "Starsk," he began.
Starsky shrugged off his partner's hand. "Hutch, didn't Dobey tell you
I've requested another partner? In the
meantime, I'll keep you posted on any progress I make."
"Starsky, I want to talk--you know, talk about what's going on with
Kira and me." Hutch lowered his voice. "Can
we talk somewhere a little more private, buddy?"
"Nothin' to talk about. You were right--I was wrong. Kira prefers you over me. I hope you're both very happy."
"Starsk, that's what I'm trying to tell you. I mean, about Kira and me--"
Starsky turned and looked Hutch straight in the eyes. "Look, don't you
get it? Kira doesn't matter to me. What
matters to me is, I can't trust you no more, Hutch. You know how that
makes me feel? Huh?" The cerulean blue
eyes mirrored the pain in his voice. "I can't be your partner, if I
can't trust you!"
With that, Starsky slid from the stool, dropped some cash on the bar
and quietly left, leaving a speechless Hutch in
his wake.
Huggy looked on in amazement. He never would have believed anything
could come between these two. But it
looked like a woman finally had.
CHAPTER 6
Hutch didn't stay at Huggy's long, but long enough to unload on his
friend about the mess he had created between
Starsky and himself. Looking back over the past few weeks, he realized
he should have seen how deeply his
partner was getting involved with Kira.
Starsky had been an emotional wreck after losing Terry and desperately
needed someone in his life to love. Hutch
had been as good a friend as he knew how--grieving with Starsky, sitting
up with him during prolonged bouts of
insomnia, letting him talk about Terry when the need came on him. So
how had he managed to be so blind about this
one area?
Huggy listened as Hutch spilled his guts and offered no words of repudiation.
He knew how much these two guys
cared about one another, so he was a little surprised things had gotten
so bad, so fast. Once he was fairly certain
Hutch had had his say, Huggy asked only one question, "Is she worth
it, man? I mean, is she worth this pain? She
is definitely one foxy chick," he chuckled, "but I've seen you with
better."
"That's just it, Hug, that's what I was trying to tell Starsky. She
isn't worth it, not to me, and I don't think to him
either. The thing that keeps us alive on the streets, that keeps our
sanity intact--the thing that makes us damn good
cops is our friendship. 'Me and Thee'--that's always been our creed.
Now he's shut me out and won't even listen."
"He'll come around, my brother. I just hope one of you doesn't get himself killed in the meantime."
After leaving The Pits, Hutch decided to go back to the Sunset Hotel
and see if Puchelli had made another
appearance. Of course, the possibility of him being there was remote,
but what better option did Hutch have? The
APBs hadn't turned up anything. Time was of the essence.
Hutch parked his bomb a block away. Although he was off duty, Hutch
decided that without Starsky's back-up, it
would only be sensible to call in and let the dispatcher know his location.
He wasn't crazy about going into a
flophouse to look for the homicidal rapist on his own, but someone
had to do something.
The stealthy detective made a quiet entrance, not bothering to wake
the sleeping desk clerk to ask him if Puchelli
was around. He would probably just tip off the slime-ball that Hutch
was looking for him anyway.
As he approached the apartment door, Hutch heard noises coming from
inside. There really wasn't time to call for
backup. This was the closest they had come to getting this guy, and
Hutch wasn't about to blow it.
"Police, open up!" he shouted, simultaneously rapping the door with
the barrel of the Magnum. The response was
immediate. A shot rang out, as a slug blasted through the door, barely
missing Hutch, who had had the good sense
to step to the side before calling out to Puchelli. With that, Hutch
kicked the door open just in time to see the
murderer flee through the open window and climb the fire escape toward
the roof of the building. Without giving a
thought for his own safety, Hutch followed in hot pursuit.
************
Starsky had just left "Leila's Exotic Massage Salon" where he had been
questioning a girl who called the police
earlier in the day to say that she thought she could I.D. Puchelli's
latest victim. He had gotten her name when he
checked in with Captain Dobey earlier in the evening. Although, like
Hutch, his shift had ended a couple of hours
ago, he was anxious to find out anything that may help solve this case.
As he cranked the engine of the Striped Tomato, Starsky heard Hutch's
voice over the radio to the station
dispatcher. He had missed most of the message, but was sure he heard
Hutch say he was returning to the Sunset
Hotel. Why hadn't he asked for back-up?
"Dispatch, this is Zebra Three. Connie, did Detective Hutchinson ask for back-up just now?"
"Negative, Zebra Three. Aren't you with him, Starsky?" the dispatcher asked.
"Not yet, but I will be in about five minutes." Starsky did a 180 turn
around in the middle of the street, slapped the
red light on the roof and made tracks to the hotel.
Damn it, Hutch. Why do you wanna do somethin' like this without back-up?
But I guess you wouldn't, if I hadn't
acted like such an ass back there.
The Torino just wasn't going fast enough to suit its driver.
Hang in there, buddy. Don't try to be a hero.
Just minutes before the car squealed around the last block before the
hotel, the much dreaded words crackled
through the dispatch radio.
"Zebra Three, Zebra Three, shots fired at 4480 Madison Street. Possible
officer in trouble. Starsky, did you hear
me?" Connie added after the official statement.
"Ten-four, dispatch. I'm on it." The Torino skidded to an abrupt halt
on the sidewalk in front of the grungy hotel.
Starsky didn't even take time to close the car door as he vaulted into
the lobby and took the stairs two at a time to
the fourth floor. As he sprinted toward the apartment with gun in hand,
Starsky heard two more shots ring out.
Oh, God, please, please let him be okay! was the mantra which kept replaying
in Starsky's head. As he reached the
apartment, it became obvious that the shooting match was not there,
but most likely taking place on the roof.
Starsky ran to the window and followed the same path the criminal and
Hutch had taken.
Peeking over the edge of the roof, Starsky could see Hutch crouched
behind a large ventilator fan which was
running full blast, creating a good deal of noise. He was trying to
coax Puchelli out of hiding, offering to take him in
without any further gunplay--assuring him of a fair trial.
Starsky didn't see Puchelli anywhere and decided to make a run for it
to Hutch's hiding place. Once Hutch knew he
was there, they would work in tandem to rein in the bastard. As was
common with the two detectives, there would
be little need for verbal communication between them.
Maintaining a low profile, Starsky crouched down and started toward
his partner. He was diagonal from Hutch and
hoped his partner didn't turn and shoot him by mistake. He tried to
call out softly to get Hutch's attention without
alerting Puchelli that it was now two against one. But the fan was
just too noisy, so Starsky knew he'd just have to
take his chances.
Starsky was less than five feet from his goal when he tripped over a
pipe protruding from the roof. Trying to keep
from falling, he stumbled forward, dropping his gun. To his horror,
it skidded out of reach. At precisely that same
minute, he saw Puchelli rise from behind another vent and take aim
at Hutch's back.
There was no time for Starsky to retrieve his gun. There was only time to react.
"H U U U UUUTCH!" he shouted as loud as he could, running toward Hutch
in hopes of tackling him to the
graveled rooftop.
Hutch turned just in time to see Starsky's body take the full impact
of the bullet meant for him. His friend was
vaulted forward into his arms from the force of the blow.
CHAPTER 7
As Starsky fell forward against Hutch, his eyes registered shock and
disbelief. His only words were, "Hutch--stop
him." To Hutch, it seemed like an eternity passed in those next few
seconds as he was faced with the decision to
stay with his friend or to stop the animal who was raping and murdering
innocent women. Hutch realized in that
instant he may just have also become the bastard who murdered Starsky.
With that thought, the decision was easy.
He gently lowered Starsky to the rooftop, careful to lay him on his
side.
"Starsk, you gonna be okay, buddy? Can you hang in there a few minutes?"
Starsky seemed far removed from his surroundings, but nodded and reached
over to squeeze Hutch's arm. "Just
get the turkey, partner. I ain't goin' nowhere."
By now, Puchelli had taken cover once more and was frantically trying
to figure an escape route. He had just killed
a cop and was planning to make it two. But he sure as hell wasn't planning
to get himself killed in the process.
Puchelli had no way of knowing the wrath he had just incurred with
his decision to shoot Starsky.
Hutch was blind with fury, but fought to bring it under control. He
knew that the faster he got Puchelli, the faster he
could get help for Starsky.
"Give it up, Puchelli! Back up is on the way right now."
No response.
"We'll have this whole block cordoned off in ten minutes. You just shot
a cop. Your best chance is to give up now.
Once word gets out what you did to my partner, your life isn't going
to be worth spit!"
Hutch's entreaty was met with two shots in rapid succession. He was
rattled, but not so much so that he didn't
realize that Puchelli had only one bullet left. This bolstered his
courage even more. Running on a mixture of rage
and adrenaline, Hutch charged forward and fired two shots in the area
he last saw Puchelli.
Puchelli panicked as he saw Hutch speeding toward him, obviously without
fear or reason. He waited until he
thought there was a clear shot, then stepped from behind his shield
and fired at Hutch.
Unfortunately for Puchelli, Hutch was faster. He fired two shots, one
striking the criminal in the chest near the
heart, and one nailing him in the right shoulder. Puchelli collapsed,
but was still conscious when Hutch reached him.
"You got me, pig, but not before I killed your partner. Don't you forget
that, pig. Don't forget the look on his face
when I shot him.... Almost as good as those whores I took care of,
almost as much...."
His final breath was cut short as his heart stopped beating. Hutch fought
the urge to kick the dead man square in
the face. Somehow, he felt cheated. It was as if Puchelli went too
easy.
Hutch hurried back to where Starsky lay and was alarmed to see the widening
pool of blood as it flowed from his
partner's back. He kneeled down and removed his jacket, wadded it into
a large ball and pressed it against the
wound in an effort to staunch the flow of blood.
"Starsk, can you hear me, buddy?" he asked, barely above a whisper.
"Starsky, try to listen to me. I need to get
us some help. Will you be okay for another minute?"
Starsky's eyes fluttered open momentarily. "Hutch, don't leave. Gotta talk…don't have much time."
"Shhhh…. Don't try to talk, we'll have plenty of time for that later."
"No," Starsky answered, clinging tightly to Hutch's arm. "Now…. I don't wanna die with you mad at me."
Suddenly, the door leading to the rooftop flung open as three police
officers and Captain Dobey rushed onto the
scene. Dobey immediately assessed the situation and used his hand-held
radio to call for an ambulance and
paramedics.
Relieved to see the cavalry arrive, Hutch sat down on the graveled roof
and lifted Starsky's head onto his lap. As
the injured man lay on his side, Hutch took a clean handkerchief from
his back pocket and gently wiped away the
glistening sweat which had accumulated on Starsky's face. His breathing
was more labored, but he still struggled to
speak.
"Hutch.... Sorry, I do trust ya.... Never stopped...."
"It's okay, partner. I'm the one who's sorry. I screwed up. We'll work
it all out," he said soothingly, then shouted
over his shoulder, "Where the hell is that ambulance? Cap'n, can't
you do something?".
Dobey had quickly gone over to check on Puchelli before returning to
where Starsky & Hutch were huddled on the
rooftop. "Hang in there, Dave. Help's on the way," Dobey said, in a
warm, caring voice that the two detectives
weren't accustomed to hearing from their boss.
Hutch held the make-shift bandage to the wound, his fear mounting as
the jacket became warm and sticky with the
freely flowing blood of his partner.
Please don't die, Starsky. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I can't live with myself if you do….
While these thoughts screamed through Hutch's mind, he struggled to
conceal from Starsky the seriousness of the
situation.
"Starsk, sometimes I think you'll do anything to get out of work. Do
you think for one minute Cap'n Dobey's going
give you extra time off because of this?" he said, hoping to come across
light-hearted, but failing miserably.
Starsky's grip on Hutch's arm gradually weakened. "Listen, partner...at
least this time...you're gonna get
stuck...with the paperwork.... You did get 'em, didn't you, Hutch?
I mean, I sure as hell would hate to die...and have
you still not get 'em." The words grew weaker as Starsky faded into
oblivion.
Hutch was completely undone by Starsky's feeble attempt at humor. He
tried to swallow the rising sob his throat.
He hugged Starsky to him and quietly wept.
Hutch knew that his partner and friend was bleeding to death. In the
distance he could hear the wail of the fast
approaching ambulance. He only hoped they weren't too late.
CHAPTER 8
The ambulance ride seemed to last for hours, though it was really only
a matter of minutes. Hutch had insisted on
going along, though Starsky was barely conscious of his presence.
Hutch continued a litany of encouragement. "Hang in there, Starsk. We're
almost there; don't leave me now,
buddy." He wasn't sure if his partner could hear him or not, but hoped
he was getting through at some level.
The medical staff whisked the gurney into the emergency room and slammed the door in Hutch's face.
"Sorry, sir, no one allowed beyond this point," the polite, but stern nurse told him.
Within minutes, Captain Dobey arrived and began the tortuous waiting with Hutch.
Hutch rubbed his forehead, trying to stave off the tension headache
that was mounting quickly. He knew it could be
a long night and dreaded the waiting. Maybe he should call someone….
Starsky's mother, Huggy, Kira....
With the thought of Kira, Hutch stopped short. God, if he could only
take back the last few days! The wave of guilt
was overwhelming. He knew now the brief excitement of his involvement
with the woman had not been worth the
pain he had caused his friend.
What if Starsky didn't make it? What if he died without Hutch having
a chance to make it up to him? The thought
was more than he could endure. Hutch jumped up from his seat and began
pacing, no longer able to hold in the
anxiety.
"Hutchinson--Ken, relax son," Dobey said soothingly. "It could be a
long wait. Try not to get too worked up. You
know he's strong and as stubborn as a mule."
"Cap'n, you don't understand," Hutch said. He felt an overpowering need
to unburden himself of the guilt. "We
kind of had a falling out and I've acted like a real jerk. I, well….
I, uh, haven't had a chance to make things right."
Hutch looked down as he spoke.
"I know you two have been at odds for several days now. I know it's
affected your work and I hoped you'd had a
chance to resolve your differences. In all the time you two have been
working for me, neither of you ever asked to
be reassigned." Dobey shook his head in disbelief. "It must have been
a doozy of a fight."
"It was," Hutch said quietly. "And I could have prevented it, but I
didn't." Hutch rubbed his eyes, trying to
discreetly brush away the tears lurking behind the lids.
"Well, he'll pull through, and you'll have a chance to clear it up."
Captain Dobey awkwardly laid his hand on
Hutch's shoulder. "You know Starsky has never stayed mad with you for
any length of time. This time will be no
different."
"Cap'n, the blood.…" Hutch closed his eyes, remembering the dark pool
staining the rooftop where Starsky had
lain. "Did you see how much blood he lost? I think he went into shock."
Dobey didn't answer. He also believed that Starsky had gone into shock.
The deathly white pallor of the detective's
face as he was lifted into the ambulance had been a frightening sight
for the veteran cop. He had seen his own
partner bleed to death many years earlier, shortly after he had joined
the force.
The next hour and a half passed in silence, as neither man could offer
the other further encouragement. Hutch
continued the incessant pacing and Dobey simply sat staring at the
floor. Finally, the doctor appeared in the
doorway and asked who was there with Detective Starsky.
"Right here," Hutch said anxiously. "How is he? Can I see him?"
"I'm Dr. Riser," he said. "And you are...?"
"Detective Hutchinson. He's my partner. This is Captain Dobey. We're
the closest thing to family he has here in
LA."
The doctor nodded his understanding. "Well, he's a very lucky man. We've
stopped the bleeding for now. It wasn't
easy, as the bullet nicked a lung. We've given him two units of blood
and I've ordered four more. We'll wait and see
if that's enough. He was in shock when he arrived here, but I believe
we've stabilized him for now."
Dobey and Hutch simultaneously let out a sigh of relief. The doctor
noted this and hurried on, "However, he's not
out of the woods yet. If we can prevent further internal bleeding,
I think he stands a good chance of recovery. The
next few hours will be critical."
"Can I see him?" Hutch asked again.
"He's unconscious, Detective," Dr. Riser answered. "But if it will make
you feel better to see him, I don't think it
could do any harm. We'll be moving him to ICU in a few minutes. Once
he's settled, you can go in and sit awhile. I
can't honestly tell you when or if he will regain consciousness this
early in the game."
After what seemed a lifetime passed, a nurse escorted Hutch to ICU.
Starsky presented a stark vision, his ghostly
white face contrasted by the curly, midnight black hair. He lay motionless,
his breathing shallow, but even. Hutch
was encouraged that Starsky wasn't hooked up to any breathing apparatus,
just the transfusion IV and several
monitors which were recording his heartbeat, blood pressure and other
vital statistics.
Hutch pulled a chair close to the bed and sat where he would be within
Starsky's line of vision, should he
unexpectedly open his eyes. "Starsk, I'm here," he said quietly, as
he reached over and took his partner's hand.
"I'm gonna stay with you, buddy."
There was no acknowledgment from the man who lay quietly clinging to
life. But Hutch expected none. It just made
him feel better, being able to say the words.
The allotted visiting time came and went, but Hutch made no effort to
leave. The nurse came in, touched him lightly
on the arm and told him he should leave now. "I need to be here," he
told her simply. The nurse decided not to
press the issue and quietly left the room. It had been her experience
that even with unconscious patients, having a
loved one near by could be beneficial.
Eventually overcome by fatigue, Hutch laid his head against the bed
railing and fell asleep. He woke when another
nurse came in to hook up the sixth unit of blood. She encouraged Hutch
to go home and rest, but he still refused to
leave.
"He's doing much better," she offered. "The last lab report shows his
blood count is coming back up. That
indicates the internal bleeding has stopped. So perhaps he'll regain
consciousness soon."
Hutch rubbed his eyes and rose to stretch his legs, "I can't leave yet,"
he said. "I have something important to tell
him."
The nurse didn't argue. She and the others assigned to the ICU that
night had decided Detective Hutchinson would
be allowed to stay.
************
Hutch woke again when his shoulder was gently prodded by Captain Dobey.
"Ken, go get some coffee. You look
like hell. I'll sit with him awhile."
Hutch fought his way up from the restless sleep in which he had been
submersed. He stretched his stiff back and
neck before standing to face his boss.
"Besides," Dobey went on, "there's a young lady in the waiting room
who wants to see you. Kira heard about the
shooting this morning when she arrived at work and insisted on coming
right down."
This was not welcome news to Hutch. He wasn't sure yet what he wanted
to say to Kira, but he was sure of one
thing. He intended to end his relationship with her, whether Starsky
pulled through this crisis or not. Even if she
was sincere, but confused about her feelings for the two of them, Hutch
would not let her destroy their friendship.
"Before you talk with her, I'd like to see you outside for a minute,"
Dobey whispered. The two men stepped into
the hallway.
"Hutch, after our talk last night, I realized that the problems between
you and Starsky started about the same time
Kira Clark was assigned to our department to work on the dance hall
murders. I hadn't requested her. Dan Parker,
the Captain of her precinct, called me and said he would consider it
a favor if I'd give her a chance to do some
undercover work with us." Dobey paused and cleared his throat before
continuing.
"Well, I called him this morning and asked him if there was anything
he had failed to tell me about Detective Clark.
It seems that she has a history of causing problems among her male
co-workers. She apparently gets her kicks by
playing one man against another. Parker sent her to us while he tried
to straighten things out in his own
department."
Dobey looked Hutch in the eyes. "Look, I don't know if something like
that happened with you and Starsky, but if
it did, don't be too hard on yourself. You're not the first."
Hutch felt a surge of emotions, a combination of anger and disbelief,
as he digested what Captain Dobey was telling
him. He had been such a fool! Kira didn't care about either of them.
It was all a game to her. The conniving bitch!
Well, he'd put an end to it here and now.
"Hutch, calm down before you talk with her," Dobey suggested. Hutch
held up his hand to stop him from saying
more.
"I'll handle it, Cap'n." he said as he strode forcefully toward the waiting room.
CHAPTER 9
When Hutch entered the waiting room, Kira rushed toward him and threw
her arms around his waist. "Oh, Hutch, I
came as soon as I got the news. Why didn't you call me?" She looked
up at him, posing her lips in a pouting
expression.
Hutch reached down and peeled her arms from around his waist. His face was contorted with a look of utter disgust.
"Listen, lady, I don't know what kind of sick game you're playing, but
it's over. You don't give a damn about me or
about Starsky. You never did. How could you? You don't even know the
meaning of love, much less, how to love."
Hutch looked past Kira, then shook his head in disbelief. "I just can't
believe I was stupid enough to buy into the
line of crap you've been feeding me."
Kira took a step back, intimidated by the deadly quiet in Hutch's voice.
"Just be glad that my partner wasn't killed on that rooftop before I
came to my senses and saw you for what you
really are."
Only the fire in Hutch's hardened blue eyes hinted at the depth of his
anger. He was deceptively calm as he said,
"Now, I suggest you find someone else to play your mind games on. Because,"
he pointed his finger at Kira as he
spoke, "I've got your number now, and you will never, I repeat, never
have another opportunity to come between
my partner and me."
With that final word, he turned and walked down the hall toward the
cafeteria to have that much needed cup of
coffee Captain Dobey had suggested. Huggy stepped from the shadows
where he had silently witnessed the
encounter, and followed Hutch down the hall, leaving Kira reeling with
the realization that she had finally been
exposed for what she truly was.
Huggy clapped his hand on Hutch's shoulder, "You are one bad dude, my man. One bad dude."
************
"Detective Hutchinson, your friend is awake. He's asking for you," the
nurse said, as she approached Hutch and
Huggy in the cafeteria. Hutch leapt from his chair and practically
sprinted down the hallway to the ICU.
As he neared Starsky's bed he saw his partner's eyes were open, though
still a bit glazed from the medication.
"Hey, buddy, how're you doing?" Hutch asked as he reached over and
took Starsky's hand.
"Better than you, blondie. Ya look like somethin' the cat drug in,"
Starsky came back. His voice was still weak and
the words slurred, but the spunk was there. Hutch felt as though a
great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
"Listen, Hutch," Starsky said in a much more serious tone, "I wanna
apologize for the way I been actin'. I mean, if
you're happy with Kira, I wanna--like you said, 'bow out gracefully'."
Hutch tried to interrupt, but his partner ran on, not allowing him to
speak. "And all that stuff about not wantin' ta be
your partner no more, well, it was bull."
"Starsk, would you just listen a minute?" Hutch finally got a word in
edgewise. "I'm the one who's been acting like
the village idiot. The woman was bad news. I'm ashamed that I let things
get out of hand." Hutch smiled at the
expression on Starsky's face. "I was really worried for awhile there,
buddy, that I wasn't going to have a chance to
set the record straight. I was afraid I wasn't even gonna have a chance
to thank you for backing me up, for saving
my life back there."
Starsky wrinkled his brow, confused by this turn of events, but mumbled,
"Piece a cake," then flashed one of those
killer smiles Hutch knew so well.
"You know--when the chips are down, like we've always said, 'me & thee'."
Starsky wanted to ask more questions, wanted to understand what had
happened to cause Hutch's change of heart
about Kira; but he was exhausted now and didn't have the strength to
pursue it further.
Hutch saw he was drifting off to sleep again. "All you need to know
right now, Starsk is that you're my partner, and
we're gonna stick together. And next time, we'll talk it through, okay?"
Starsky's only reply was a smile.
As Starsky's eyes slowly closed, Dr. Riser entered the room with the
medical chart. "Your friend is doing fine
now," he told Hutch. "His vitals look good and I don't think he'll
need further transfusions. We'll keep him a few
days and monitor him closely in case the bleeding starts again. But
frankly, I don't expect that to happen."
Suddenly Hutch felt very, very tired. He smiled at the doctor and thanked
him for the good news. Hutch sat down
beside the bed and watched Starsky's even breathing for a few minutes
to assure himself that the doctor was right.
He could go home now. He needed the rest. In a few days, Starsky would
be honking the horn on the Striped
Tomato, complaining at Hutch to hurry up--they had another case to
solve….
The End