LOVE CHILD
BY TOOKI


CHAPTER ONE

    It had been a grueling three-day stake out, sitting in a car in the broiling heat for ten hours at a time.  Not once had anyone come in and out of the mansion of Francis Melvin Precola, known to his friends as Franny.
   The guys sat with their feet up on Starsky’s coffee table, even Hutch who was against that sort of thing was stretched out. They both had cold bottles of beer and appeared to be asleep.  “Can you believe it?”  Hutch said without opening his eyes.  “Vacation, Precola is on vacation and we sat there for three damn days in 100 degree heat waiting for the bastard to leave his house.”
   Starsky snorted, “I bet he is laying on a beach some place enjoying himself.”
    “If I get a hold of that snitch that gave out bad information I’m going to string them up.” Hutch grouched.  “Good thing it wasn’t Huggy.”
   “Huggy is better than that,” Starsky grunted.  
   Hutch just groaned in reply as he rotated his neck. He was stiff all over; sitting in a car for three days had a way of making all your mussels ache.  He drained his bottle and with a lot of effort got up,    “Want another?” He asked Starsky holding up his empty.
   “Sure as long as you are getting it,” Starsky said not willing to get up even for a beer.  His stomach growled. “Hey partner what do you want to do about dinner?”
   Hutch came from the kitchen with two new bottles. “Anything where I don’t have to move.” He handed Starsky his fresh beer and flopped down on the couch.
   “Pizza?” Starsky said reluctantly knowing that it wasn’t Hutch’s favorite fair.
   “Sure,” came the reply.  Hutch was too tired to even argue the finer art of dining besides it would mean getting cleaned up and sitting in a car to get anything better.
   “The menu is over there on the end table,” Starsky pointed past Hutch to the table next to him.
   “Listen buddy I’ll eat it but I’m not going to order it.” Hutch said as he stretched out again and closed his eyes.
   “Fine,” Starsky said getting up with a groan, “but I’m getting anchovies.”

   Five minutes later there was a knock at the door, “Man that was fast.” Hutch commented but didn’t move.
   “You know I ordered the least you could do is get the door.” Starsky glared at Hutch.
   “Your place,” Hutch grinned at him.
   Starsky sighed and got up, when he opened the door a beautiful young woman was standing before him. She had long brown hair that was curling around her face and brilliant blue eyes.  “I think you forgot something,” Starsky said when he noticed she wasn’t holding their pizza. She just stood there transfix staring at him.  It was clear it wasn’t their food being delivered.  “I already bought Girl Scout cookies, “ he quipped.  The lovely girl still didn’t speak Starsky was beginning to become concerned. “Miss are you alright?”
   By this time Hutch had joined him at the door to see what was taking so long. He wasn’t that anxious to dive into the pizza but he was starving. “What’s going on Starsk trying to cheat her out of a tip?” he joked.
   Starsky jabbed him in the ribs, “I think there is something wrong.”  Then to the girl, “Would you like to come in and sit down? We are police officers maybe we can help you.”
She stepped into the living room and looked around for a moment.       “I…I’m sorry, this isn’t…” She stammered then looked at the floor.
   “It’s alright,” Starsky said, “Why don’t you sit down.  What’s your name?”
   She sat down on the edge of the couch and looked up into his blue eyes, her mother was right they did look a lot a like. “Hannah,” she said then after a beat, “Hannah Malone.”
   Now it was Starsky’s turn to stare, the name Malone made his heart beat faster.  Visions of Rosie flashed through his mind, the way she smiled, and her passion for the Huichol Indians, even the love for her father that caused her to leave him.  She had gone so many years ago, he had never heard from her again…not even a post card.
   “This is Starsky,” Hutch spoke up since his stunned partner wasn’t going to speak.  The name hadn’t really registered with him.  “And I’m.”
   “Hutch, “she finished his introduction.
   Hutch hiked his eyebrows at her.  “Do we know each other?”
   Starsky shook his head as if trying to get his speech pattern started up.  “In a round about way.” Starsky said smiling at the girl. “This is Rosie Malone’s daughter.”  He looked at her to see if he was right.
   Hannah blushed and nodded, “I’m sorry just to pop in on you like this.”
   “Rosie’s daughter?” Hutch said a bit taken back. He knew it was true as he studied her features, but she also looked a little like somebody else he knew.
   “How is your mom? I haven’t seen her in years. She still down in Mexico?” Starsky quizzed her.
   Hannah’s eyes grew sad as she looked at Starsky, “I’m sorry to have to tell you this but mom died last week, she contracted Malaria.”
   Starsky was bewildered and heartbroken at the news. He had never truly gotten over Rosie, she was a hard woman to get over.  “I’m so sorry,” he said softly putting his hand on her shoulder.
   Tears filled her eyes, “This was mom’s last wish that I come and find you.” Rosie told him.  “Grandfather was against it, but finally he relented for her.  He loved her so and could never say no to anything she really wanted.”
   Starsky had no good feelings for Frank Malone, he was the soul reason that Rosie had left him.  “So your grandfather is well.”
   She nodded, “He is doing fine, heart broken as we all are but he’s coping.”
   “As flattered as I am why would Rosie want you to come and find me I haven’t heard from her in seventeen years.” Starsky asked puzzled.
   “More like eighteen,” Rosie have him a little half smile.
   Sudden with those words the light went on for Hutch. He looked from Starsky to Hannah his mouth dropped open, he now knew who else Hannah looked like.
   “I know it’s been along time.” Starsky said. “Where are you staying?”
   Hannah shifted on the couch; she was kind of hoping that he would realize why she had come after all these years for she didn’t really know how to tell him.  She looked up at Hutch and could tell by the look on his face that he had in fact figured it out.
   Hutch smiled at Hannah, Starsky really was dumb as a post sometimes.  “Starsk,” Hutch said, “I think Hannah is trying to tell you something.”
   “Uh?”Starsky said. “Well then tell away.”
   Hannah looked at Hutch again, her eyes almost pleading with him, he shrugged, he thought it should come from her not him.
   “Ok what’s going on?” Starsky asked seeing the look that Hannah and Hutch had exchanged. He was beginning to think that this was some kind of joke and it wasn’t funny.
   “Ah…,”She stammered.  “My mother wanted me to come here because she thought you should know.”
   “Know what?” Starsky asked confused.
   Hutch slapped his hand to his forehead. “Starsky you are being so thick here. How long ago has it been since you have seen Rosie? Eighteen years?  Hannah how old are you honey?”
   She looked at Hutch gratefully, “Eighteen.”
   “Am I missing something here?” Starsky asked he actually wasn’t as dumb as they though he was.  It was just taking awhile to sink in.
    Hannah finally sighed, she reached in her purse and pulled out a letter, which she handed to Starsky, “This should explain it all.”
   Starsky took the letter, he got up as he opened it and walked into the bedroom as he ead.  He was gone for a few minutes then stepped back into the room.  He looked at Hannah.  “You are my daughter?”

 

 

CHAPTER TWO

   Starsky sat down stunned by this new development; he stared at Hannah and knew it was true. She had his eyes and her hair color was some where in between theirs.  Hutch poked him hoping to get him to speak for he could see that Hannah was becoming worried that his partner might be angry.  Starsky was beginning to get angry but not at the beauty sitting in front of him but at a man he scarcely knew.  He was sure it had been Frank Malone that had kept not only Rosie from contacting him but his daughter too.  Starsky leaned over and took Hannah’s hand.  “I’m not really sure what to say.”
  “I have my birth certificate.”
  Starsky gave her one of his award winning grins then pulled her into his arms. “I believe you honey, it’s just this comes as quite a shock.”
  Hannah hugged him tightly; she had waited for this moment for eighteen years. Her mother did nothing but talk about David Starsky much to her grandfathers dismay.  Rosie made sure that Hannah knew who her father was, and how wonderful he had been even in the short time they had known each other. “Mom loved you very much.”
  “And I loved her,” Starsky said as he pushed Hannah away from him and held her at arms length. He wanted to get a good look at her. He had a daughter.  “So where are you staying?”
  Hannah made a face, “Some fancy hotel Grandfather set me up in.”
  Starsky laughed, “Why don’t you just stay here. I really don’t want you running around this city alone.”
  Hutch rolled his eyes, “You have only been a father fifteen minutes and you are already sounding like one.”
 But Hannah looked grateful, where they lived in Mexico wasn’t exactly a metropolis and truth be known she had been scared to death to come to Los Angeles but her mothers wishes and her own sense of family drove her there. “I would love that…Dad.”  She gave him an unsure look at calling him Dad.  But her insecurities vanished as Starsky beamed at her.
  “Dad,” he repeated.  Then he looked at Hutch, “I’m a Dad!”
  Hutch grinned at him, “Yep so what does that make me?”
  “Uncle?” Starsky teased him.”
  “Uncle Hutch,” Hutch pondered the words for a moment. “I guess it will have to do. Welcome to the family Hannah as crazy as it is.”   Hutch hugged the new female in their lives.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Franny Precola was sitting a beach in the Bahamas just as Starsky had predicted.  With his fifth Jack and Coke in his hand Franny was soaking in the sun forgetting all about business back in the states.   He was one of the top mob bosses on the west coast and the cops of late had been breathing down his neck.
  He was almost asleep when he felt someone standing next to him.    Franny shaded the sun from his eyes as he looked up. A young man was standing there with a white piece of paper in his hand.  “What is?” Franny snapped.
  “I’m sorry to bother you Mr. Precola,” the young man apologized,   “But the caller said this message was urgent.”
  Franny snatched the note from the kids’ hand.  As he started to walk away, Franny called to him, “Hey kid.”
  The boy turned around to see the man holding up a hundred dollar bill.  “Wow thank you Mr. Precola.”
  “Now see that I’m not disturbed again uh Laddy?”
  “Yes Sir, and thank you again sir.”
  Once the boy was gone Franny opened the paper and read it. He sighed and reluctantly got up out of his beach chair. He plopped his panama hat down on his balding head and headed back to his cabana. He hated that fact that he owed people favors because they always came to collect eventually.  
  The note had said to meet in the hotel bar at noon, which gave him thirty minutes to shower and change.  There were very few people he would interrupt his vacation for but this was one of them.  
  By noon Franny was sitting on a bar stood dressed in white pants and shirt the hat still perched on his head.  Since the bar was one of those out side jobs he didn’t feel the need to remove it.  He scanned the patrons of the bar to see if the note sender had arrived.  Not seeing him he ordered another Jack and Coke not caring that it was his seventh of the day after all he was on vacation or suppose to be anyway.  He wonder just whom had told where he was.  He also wondered when he told people he was not to be disturbed how much detail he had to go into.  But he also knew this person could be very persuasive.
   Franny sat munching on peanuts and knocking back his drink when a voice said, “How the hell are you Franny?”
 He turned to greet the speaker.  “I was enjoying my vacation but it’s great to see you.  You managed to find me, remind me to fire my staff when I get home.”
  There was a laugh, “Now now, you know I always get what I want.”
  “So what can I do you for?” Franny asked as he motioned for the bartender.
  “I need a favor.”
  “I figured as much since you tracked me all the way here. Must be pretty important.”  Franny answered then he ordered another drink for himself.  “What are you drinking these days?”
  “Just a little sparkling water.”
  Franny looked disgusted. “That’s what my grand kids drink.”
  The man shrugged, “Doctor told me to lay off the booze and fat if I want to live.”
  “Mine told me the same thing and you can see how well I listen,” Franny chuckled.  “So what’s the favor?”
  “Lets walk.”
  Franny slapped some bills down on the bar and the two men left. His companion looked a bit out of place in his dark suit and leather shoes but they headed for the beach.
  Once they were away from prying ears and eyes the man pulled out a photo and handed it to Franny who looked at it and commented, “Nice looking couple.”
 A scowl spread across the mans face, he snatched the photo back ripped it in half and gave Franny one half and put the other half in his breast pocket.  “I want him dead.”
  Franny’s eyebrows shot up. He though that he was coming to him for some kind of a business deal not a hit.  “What did he do?”
  “He stole something very precious from me.”  The man said. “I have been waiting for a lot of years to take care of this matter and now I want it done right. That is why I’m coming to you Franny.”
  Franny sighed, he wasn’t apposed to offing anybody but it was the surest way of bringing heat down on you.  “You sure this guy is worth it?  Just what the hell did he steal?”
  “My daughter.”
 Again Franny’s eyebrows shot up.  “Tell me a bit about him.”
 “He’s a cop in L.A. his name is David Starsky.  He’s not hard to find especially if he is still driving around that side show of a car.”
  “A cop?” Franny looked at his old friend. “You got to be kidding me.  That is heat in the worst way.”
  “I would love to do it myself but I can’t show my face back in the states.”
 “Ok fine but this makes us even.”
 “Even,” Frank Malone said as he walked away trying not to get any more sand in his shoes.

 

CHAPTER THREE

 

  Starsky was so busy looking in his kitchen cupboards that he didn’t hear Hannah pad softly into the kitchen.  She had her hair up in a ponytail and his robe on.  She stood there watching him wondering what he was doing.  Starsky felt eyes on him and turned to see her, he gave her a sheepish grin.  “’Morning.” 

“Good morning,” she said as she sat down at the kitchen table.  “What are you looking for?”

   “Something for breakfast,” he commented as he kept looking hoping to find a stray box of cereal that would still be edible.  I don’t really do breakfast, just grab something on the way into work.”

  Hannah smiled as she watched him fumble around; she had the feeling he wasn’t going to find anything.  He opened the refrigerator door and looked in, there was a cardboard box of two-day-old pizza sitting on the top shelve.  “How about that?” she asked.

  Starsky spun around and grinned at her. “A girl after my own heart.”  He pulled the box from the refrigerator sat it on the table and turned the get some paper plates when there was a knock at the door.  His first urge was to hide the pizza for he knew it could only be Hutch this early.

  But it was too late as Hutch opened the door and came in.  Hutch shook his head as he saw what they were planning for breakfast. “I thought this is what you might be having. Starsk you should be ashamed of your self.” Hutch said as he sat a white paper bag down on the table scooting the offending box away.  He made a production out of opening the bag and taking out it contents.  There were two Styrofoam cups with lids, “This one is a strawberry-banana smoothie and this is peach.”

  Hannah’s eyes sparkled, “Can I have the strawberry-banana?”

  “Anything for you,” Hutch handed her the cup and a straw.

  “Trader,” Starsky whispered under his breath. Hutch then dug around in the bag and produced a white wrap object, which he handed Starsky. “What’s this?”

  “A breakfast burrito.” Hutch said as he took out a couple more. He handed one to Hannah then remove the sack from the table and sat down to eat his.

  Starsky opened the wrapper suspiciously and sniffed the contents.  Then he took a bite, “Hey this isn’t bad,” He exclaimed and picked up the pizza box to get it off the table.

  “Hey wait a minute,” Hannah called out. “I still want a slice of pizza.”

  “Oh God,” Hutch said rolling his eyes, “Not another one.”

  Hannah giggled as she grabbed a piece of cold pizza.

  Starsky grinned at her, “That’s my daughter.”

  After they had finished breakfast and Hannah had gotten dressed, Hutch asked, “So what is on the agenda for today?”

  “How about the zoo?” Starsky smiled at Hannah.

  “Starsk she is eighteen not eight,” Hutch admonished.

   But Hannah’s eyes lite up, “I would love to go to the zoo!”

  Starsky gave Hutch an ‘I told you so’ look, “Then the zoo it is.”

 

   Frank Malone slammed down the receiver angrily; he had been trying to call Hannah but hadn’t gotten an answer.  He knew that she had to be in L.A. her flight had landed late in the afternoon the day before.  He grabbed the phone up again, dialing a number from a pad of paper before him. 

  After two rings, “Beverly Hilton, how may I help you.”

  “Yes, I would like to see if my granddaughter has checked in yet?” Malone said into the phone.

  “Certainly sir, may I have her name?” the desk clerk asked.

  “Hannah Malone, she should have checked in yesterday afternoon.”

   “One moment sir.” The clerk looked up the name on the computer. “I’m sorry sir but Miss Malone has not checked in yet.”

  Frank slammed down the phone without even thanking the man for his trouble.  “Damnit,” he raged.  He knew just where she was…with that cop!  Once again he snatched up the phone and dialed a number.  “Yes I need a fight to L.A.!”

 

  Starsky held out a chocolate-coated ice cream on a stick to Hannah, she was already holding a purple balloon.  “For God sakes Starsky, you don’t have to make up for the last eighteen years today.”

  Hannah leaned up against Hutch, “It’s okay Uncle Hutch, I’m enjoying it. You know I missed out on having a dad just like he missed out on having a daughter.”

 “You are a terrific young woman.” Hutch said as he put his arm around her to give her a hug.

  “You aren’t so bad yourself Uncle Hutch.” Hannah smiled at him.  She felt as though she knew them since her mother had talked so much about them.  It irked her Grandfather every time she had brought up David’s name but that never stopped Rosie.  She insisted that Hannah know who her father was. 

   Once Rosie had planned a trip to the states she wanted Hannah who was six at the time to meet her father.  But Frank Malone went ballistic; he for bid them to leave Mexico and even hired a guard to make sure that Rosie didn’t try to sneak off saying it was for their protection.  A horrible fight had ensued and Rosie had threatened to leave and never come back. However she didn’t and the subject was never brought up again.

  “Ohhhh,” Hannah squealed, “Look at the koala!” She ran to the exhibit and stood transfixed as she watched it sleep. 

  Starsky came up next to her, “You know they sleep a lot.”

  “Who are you Marlin Perkins?” Hutch teased his partner.

 “I do watch more on TV than just sports.” Starsky retorted trying to act offended.

  Hannah laughed, “Marlin who?”

  “Never mind,” Hutch answered.

  “He’s showing his age,” Starsky wisecracked.

  Hutch glared at his partner, then winked at Hannah who laughed again. She loved being with them, they were so much fun.  “You know where I would love to go?”

  “Your wish is my command,” Starsky said as he took her hand kissed it and bowed.

  “Disneyland,” Hannah managed to get out between giggles.

  “Really?” Hutch asked.

  She nodded vigorously, “I have never been to an amusement park before. In fact this is my first trip to the states.”

  Starsky looked at her incredulously, “You have got to be kidding me.”

  She shook her head. “Nope, I went to school in Europe, I have been to Africa, and Australia but never to the states.”

  Starsky didn’t even bother to ask why for he already knew that answer…Frank Malone.  The man would stop at nothing to have kept Rosie from him.  He knew that Hannah loved her grandfather so all he said was, “Well you are here now.”  He took her hand and squeezed.  “Can Disneyland wait until tomorrow?  I would like you to meet somebody.”

  “Lunch?” Hutch asked Starsky nodded.  He didn’t even have to ask where they were going to lunch at for he knew his partners every thought.

  

It was shortly before noon when the plane landed at LAX and Frank Malone disembarked.  He went straight to the Beverly Hilton where he had booked the room for Hannah. He was going to get her and they were going to go home.  She didn’t belong to that cop she belonged to him. She would be going away to college at the end of the summer and he wanted her with him for he knew that this would probably be the last summer they spent together.  First he lost Rosie and now Hannah it was almost too much for him to bear.  She would be going to Oxford College in England.  She was going to study engineering.  Frank was bursting with pride at how well his granddaughter did at school.

  He would be damned if this cop was going to ruin that all. Hannah had worked too hard to get where she was. Her mother had put so many romantic ideas about him into her head that Frank feared Hannah might deviate from her path. That was why he had contacted Franny Precola but he couldn’t wait for the hit he had to get her back now.  It was already starting; she had disobeyed him when she hadn’t check into the hotel.

  He picked up the phone and dialed Franny’s number but only got his answering service.  Frank slammed down the phone nothing was going his way.  Franny had to still be in the Bahamas, he had said that he would take care of it just not when.  Well he wasn’t going to wait for him to get back to town. He was going to whisk Hannah away now and Franny could take care of the cop when he got back into town.

 

 

 

CHAPTER FOUR

 

 

     When they entered the Pits Huggy was nowhere to be seen so the trio found an empty booth.  Hannah and Starsky sat together while Hutch slid in across from them.  Starsky pulled a sticky menu from behind the salt and pepper shakers and handed it to Hannah. She held it by the corner and looked doubtfully at her father.

  He laughed, “Trust me the food is good.”

  “I’ll take your word for it,” she said as she dropped the menu back in its place. “You just order for me okay Dad?”

  Hutch shook his head every time Hannah would say ‘dad’ Starsky would get a dopey look on his face.  “The burgers are great. There are finer dining establishments around here but I think Starsk here just wanted to show you off.”

  She looked around the dim bar wondering whom they knew in this place. It didn’t look like a place that cops would hang out in but rather the seedy side of the law. 

  Hannah didn’t have to wonder much longer Huggy came out of the back and as soon as Starsky saw him he motioned him to come over.  Huggy came directly over only stopping long enough to get his friends a couple of beers.  He sat the tray on the table and looked at the girl sitting next to Starsky.  “Pick’em kind of young Starsk.” Huggy commented as he put the beers in front of the men and a glass of coke in front of Hannah.

  “Huggy don’t be a wise ass,” Starsky said shaking his head.  “Huggy this is my daughter Hannah.  Hannah Huggy bar the owner of this dump.”

  “HEY!” Huggy exclaimed then stopped short. “Daughter?”

  “Yep, this is Rosie’s daughter.”

  “Well I’ll be,” Huggy said as he slid in next to Hutch, he wanted to hear all the details of how the lovely young woman happened to be Starsky’s daughter.

 

   Frank Malone sat at the desk in Hannah’s unused suite.  He knew that Starsky’s name wouldn’t be listed in the phone book and he sure didn’t want to make a phone call and alert anyone that still might be around that he was back town.  Talking to Franny in the Bahamas was one thing but actually contacting anybody here if there was even anybody to contact after eighteen years was another.  Come on Frank think, there had to be away of getting the cops address. He had been out of the business for along time some might even say he had gone straight but it hadn’t been by choice.  It had been that damn cop that had ruined it all for him.  He still couldn’t believe that Rosie had taken up with a cop and even after she knew it she still kept seeing him.

  By the time they had gotten to Mexico Rosie had realize that she was pregnant. He had hoped that it wasn’t that cops but his hopes were dashed when Rosie assured him that the cop was the only man she had even dated since she had come into town.  Frank had said the word abortion only once for Rosie flew into such a rage that he was afraid that she would leave and he would never see her again.  She did want to write the cop and let him know that they were going to have a child but Frank told her no, it would only make it harder on all of them.  Which was true, for the cop couldn’t or wouldn’t have come there and there was no way Rosie could have gone back and been safe.  Frank had also told her that somebody might take the baby to use it against him. The emotional blackmail worked and Rosie had her baby there with him.

  At first Frank didn’t want to have anything to do with the baby even if it was part of Rosie but Hannah had quickly won him over with her flashing blue eyes and curly hair.  He melted the first time she wrapped her tiny fist around his finger.  And she had him wrapped ever since, which was how they were in this mess now.

  Hannah had begged him to let her come. She would only be a week she would stay in the hotel where he wanted her to be she wouldn’t spend too much time with the cop.  The capper had been it was her mothers last wish that she meet her father.  Just in case she ever needed him.  Frank had grumbled over that why would Hannah ever need him?  But against his better judgment he had let her go.

   Frank drummed his fingers on his desk, then he remembered something, he had told Franny about that cops car. It was hard to miss bright red with a stripe; maybe just maybe he still had the car.  He picked up the phone calling down to the desk.  He would rent a car, get over to the police station and see if he could spot it.  Then he could follow the cop home. He was sure that was where Hannah was. He wondered what kind of lies he told her? After all he had lied to Rosie.

 

  Starsky pulled his Torino up in front of the station house; their next stop was Dobey.  Harold Dobey was only a couple of years from retirement and had slowed down a bit but was still as gruff as ever.  “IN!” he yelled when Starsky wrapped on the door.  “What are you two doing in here?” he asked when they opened the door.

  “Hey Cap I just wanted to introduce you to somebody,” Starsky said.  He hauled Hannah into the room.  Huggy had been fun but now she was starting to get embarrassed by Starsky’s enthusiasm. He had introduced her to everybody they had run into whether he knew them or not.  Starsky had promised her this would be there last stop.  “Cap this is my beautiful daughter Hannah.  Hannah this is our Captain, Harold Dobey.”

  “Nice to meet you,” she smiled at him.

  Dobey a bit shocked got to his feet to shake her hand.  “Hello Hannah.”  The captain looked past Hutch for an explanation.

  “Remember Rosie Cap?” Hutch asked.  Dobey nodded no more was needed.  He did remember her very well and how upset Starsky had been when she had left.

 

  As they were leaving the station none of them notice the car that was sitting across the street. If Hannah hadn’t been laughing at one of her father’s jokes she might have recognized her grandfather glaring at them.  Hannah asked if they would take her to Malibu, a place she had only heard about and seen on TV.  There was no way that Starsky would deny her anything so they were off to the beach.

 

  Frank Malone followed them keeping enough distance between them that they wouldn’t notice they were being tailed.  Then he sat in his car for over an hour while they walked the beach.  He had been happy to see that Hannah looked well, happy as it were which made him even angrier.  He didn’t know what he was hoping for blind hatred?  Not the way that Rosie had talked him up.  He seethed as he watched the three of them walk from the car down to the beach.  He should get out of the car right then and take her back.  But he knew this wasn’t the time. He would wait until he could get her alone then convince her to come home and never see the cop again.

 

 

 

CHAPTER FIVE

 

 

   Starsky pulled up in front of his apartment, Hutch got out to go to his own car which he had left parked there.  “See ya in the morning partner.  Disneyland uh?” he winked at Hannah who nodded and smiled at him.

  After Hutch had driven off Starsky turned in his seat to look at Hannah. “So what do you want to do now?”

  “How about getting to know my father?” She said.

  Hannah looked so much like her mother that it made his heart hurt.   “And I would like to get to know my daughter.”

  They spent the rest of the day and into the evening catching up as Frank Malone sat out side watching and waiting.  He knew if he bided his time he would catch her alone. Then he could talk some sense into her and they would head home.

  It was well after midnight before Starsky and Hannah finally went to bed but he was up early the next morning so that he could run to the store before Hannah awoke, he was determined to have something in the house besides cold pizza.  After all he had a daughter to take care of.

  Hannah had heard him l leave but didn’t let on she was awake having a good idea of where he was going.  She sat up in bed and looked around the room, he had insisted that she take his room while he slept on the couch.

  Starsky had only been gone a few minutes when as she was putting on a robe heard the front door open.  “Did you for get something Dad?”  Hannah came out into the living room to find Frank Malone standing there. “Grandfather!”

  “Get your stuff we are leaving.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Get your stuff,” he said again.

  “No I came here to get to know my father.” Hannah said wrapping the robe tightly around her.  “You said I could come.”

  “And I made reservations in a nice hotel what are you doing in this dump?”

  “This is not a dump,” Hannah said angry that he had followed her there. “You know I didn’t need your permission to come here.  I’m of age now, an adult. I only asked out of respect for you.”

  “Then show me some respect and let’s get out of here before he comes back.” 

  “No I won’t do that to him.”  Hannah snapped.  “He loved mom very much I can tell by the way he says her name and the way he looks when we talk about her.”

  “He’s not good enough to be talking about her.” Frank spit.  He had lost Rosie now he was going to lose Hannah.

   “GRANDFATHER!”

   “Don’t you take that tone with me young lady.  Get your stuff now.”

 Hannah just stood staring at him she knew that there was no love loss between David Starsky and her Grandfather but she had never seen him like this before.  Rosie and Frank had kept their discussions about Starsky out of earshot of Hannah.  Rosie didn’t want anything thing said between the two of them to influence Hannah.

  “I am going to Disneyland with my father today.” Hannah said defiantly.

  “I’ll take you to Disneyland if that is what you want to do,” Frank offered.

  “I want to go with my father.  I’ll go with you tomorrow, please just give me today.”  He winced every time she said the word father.  Frank started to tell her no when Hannah added, “He’s a good guy Grandfather.”

  “And how do you know this, you haven’t even known him two days.”

  “Mom loved him that is all I need to know, it’s enough for me it should be enough for you too.”

  Frank closed his eyes, “Fine but I want you at the hotel first thing tomorrow morning ready to go.”

  Behind them the door opened and Starsky entered carrying a sack of groceries  “I got us some ...” he stopped mid thought when he saw Frank Malone.  “Malone what are you doing here?”

  Franks eyes never left Hannah’s face and he never acknowledged the fact that he had been spoken to by Starsky.  “Tomorrow morning.” With those last words Frank turned on his heels brushed past Starsky slamming the door behind him.

  “What was he doing here?”

   “He’s upset I didn’t stay in the hotel he had arranged for me.”

  “So he came here all the way from Mexico?”  Starsky sat down the bag on the kitchen table and started emptying the contents.  “I think it’s a lot more than that.  It’s no secret that he hates me.”

  “Grandfather doesn’t hate you,” Hannah said entering the kitchen to help.

  “You are sweet but yes he does. How much has your mother told you about how we met?”

  Hannah shrugged, she had asked several times but Rosie had always been vague with her.  “She just told me you guys met while she was jogging.”

  Starsky took her hand, “I think you are old enough to know the truth.”

 

   Hutch was just finishing up breakfast when the phone rang.  He grabbed the receiver, “I’m on my way Starsk,” Figuring it was his partner wondering why he wasn’t there yet.  They had asked him to come to the amusement park with them.

  “Hutchinson,” the voice on the other end was Captain Dobey.  “Precola is back in town, arrived this morning on a fight from the Bahama’s.”

  “This isn’t from the same snitch that gave us bad info the last time is it? I don’t feel like going on anymore wild goose chases.”

  “No this is good.  He was spotted by airline security.  “I want you and Starsky back on stake out at his house.”

  “Cap Starsk is taking Hannah to Disneyland today.  How about if I just take this one alone?” 

  Dobey grunted, “Suit yourself but don’t going playing hero.  Anything happens you get back up.”

  “Will do Cap,” Hutch said then depressed the button to disconnect himself with his captain and dialed Starsky’s number.  “Starsky?”

  “Hey man where are you?” Starsky asked.  He and Hannah has just finished breakfast and were waiting on him to show up.

  “Dobey called, Precola is back in town he wants his place staked out again.”

  “Shit,” Starsky sighed as he looked over at Hannah. He hated to disappoint her especially now that it looked like she was leaving in the morning.  He had thought about making a stink over it and asking her to stay telling her that she could even move in with him if she wanted.  But he could tell that she had already been though enough with Malone and there was still time for them to get know each other another time.

  “Hey partner don’t sweat it. You take that beautiful daughter of yours to meet Mickey Mouse. I told Dobey I would do the stake out today.”

  “Thanks Hutch, now don’t you be a hero you call for back up if anything goes down.”

  “You know you are starting to sound like Dobey more everyday.”

  “Bit your tongue.  You can give me a run down in the morning.  Call if you need me.”

  Hannah looked at him, “Do you have to go to work?”

  He smiled and shook his head. “Let’s go to Disneyland.”   

 

 

CHAPTER SIX

 

 

   It was early the next morning when Starsky pulled up in front of the Beverly Hilton.  He jumped out opened the trunk to retrieve Hannah’s suitcase.  “I’ll walk you up.  

     Hannah shook her head, “I think it would be better if I went by myself.”  She had been shocked by what Starsky had told her about her grandfather and why Starsky had first pursued her mother.  She didn’t want to believe the things about her grandfather but knew that he wouldn’t lie to her.  

   “Alright then,” Starsky had tears standing in his eyes as he hugged her. “You take care of yourself.”

  “I’ll write to you.” She promised. “As soon as I get my address at school I’ll send it to you.” They both knew it would do no good for him to write her at her grandfathers for she would never get his letters.  “I love you daddy,” Hannah whispered in his ear sounding like a little girl.

  “I love you too sweetie.”

  Hannah held back her tears until she was in the lobby of the hotel.  She so much wanted to stay and get to know him but she knew that her grandfather would make that impossible.  She found a restroom and freshened up her make up so that he wouldn’t know she had been crying before she went to find the room.

  As Hannah approached the room number her grandfather had given her she noticed the door was standing open a crack.  She could hear him talking so she paused at the door to listen.

  “We are leaving here in two hours then you take care of that cop!” Frank spat into the phone.  “I don’t want him in my granddaughter’s life, it was a mistake to let her come here.”

  Horrified Hannah backed away from the door.  She wasn’t sure what he meant by “take care of” but after what her father had told her about him she could just image. As she turn to leave Hannah stumbled almost falling, she dropped her suitcase.  She looked toward the door to see if he was coming.  After a second she grabbed her suitcase and headed for the stair well.

  Frank heard the noise out side and went to investigate after he had hung up.  He opened the door and looked out but there was no one in the hall. He didn’t see the door closing to the stair well.

 

   Starsky sat glumly at his desk playing with a paper clip when Hutch came in.  “So how was Disneyland?”

  “Fun,” Starsky answered.

  Hutch frowned he knew something was up.  Starsky had been walking on cloud nine ever since Hannah had shown up. “Where is Hannah?”

  “Gone.”

  “Gone? Where did she go?”

   “Frank Malone showed up at my apartment yesterday and demanded that she return home.”

  “Oh,” Hutch said as he sat down at the desk next to Starsky’s.  “I saw him going into Franny Precola’s place last night.”

  “What?  Why didn’t you call me?”

  “You were with Hannah and there wasn’t much to tell, he was in there about 30 minutes, he was driving a dark colored sedan, it was a rental.”

  “And you didn’t think that was strange with Hannah here?”

  “I actually would have been surprised if he hadn’t come with her.  Just to make sure you two didn’t get to close.”

  “Well he didn’t come here with her. He showed up because she wasn’t in the room he had reserved for her.” Starsky was furious, not at Hutch but at Malone.  He had stopped him from being with Rosie and now he was taking Hannah away from him too.  “Damn it not again. Why should he have it all.”  Starsky stormed out of the squad room.  Hutch had to run to catch up with him.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To the airport, I’ll be damned if Frank Malone takes another woman from me.”

 

  By the time Hannah was back in the lobby of the hotel she was in tears again.  She ran out onto the street hoping that her father might still be there but he was long gone.  She knew he was on his way to work so going to his apartment wouldn’t help.  But she didn’t know how to get to the station.  A taxi drove by and she flagged it down.

  “Where to miss?” the drive asked.

  “The police station.”

  “Which one?”

  Hannah hadn’t thought of that a city this big probably had dozens of different stations.  “I-I don’t know.”  She thought for a moment then she remembered where they had taken her to eat.  “Then how about...” darn she didn’t know the name of the place just the owner.  “...do you know anybody named Huggy Bear by chance.”

  The driver laughed, “Sure, I’ve been known to knock back a few at his place.”

  She sighed in relief, “Could you take me there?”

  “Honey the Pits ain’t open yet.”  He could see from watching her in the rearview mirror that she was getting up set.  “But hey if it’s the man himself you need to see he lives above the bar.”

  “Great then take me.”

 

   Frank paced the floor as he checked his watch for the fifth time.  Hannah had promised to be there by eight and it was going on nine. Their plane left at ten-thirty.  Where could she be, that cop had probably talked her into disobeying him.  He called down to the desk and asked them to bring his rental car around.

 

  Huggy had just gotten up when he heard the pounding on the bar door.  At first he started to ignore it but at the last moment decided he had better see who it was.

  He was ready to be angry as he yanked the door open but was caught off guard by Hannah standing there in tears.  When the cab driver saw Huggy at the door he honked and drove off.

  “Oh Mr. Bear you have got to help me.”  Hannah exploded.

  “Come on in here, where is Starsky?” Huggy asked.  “And just call me Huggy.”

  “He’s at work...it’s a long story but he needs help now!” she wailed.  “And I didn’t know which police station he works at.”

  “Why don’t you have a seat,” He guided her toward one of the tables.  “How about if I put on some coffee?”

  “Huggy we don’t have time for that. You don’t understand I think my Grandfather has hired somebody to kill my Dad.”

   “Whoa slow down,” She was talking so fast he could hardly understand her.  “Now why don’t you start at the beginning.”

  Taking a deep breath, Hannah explained it all starting with Frank Malone showing up at Starsky’s apartment.  “So you see we have to warn him.”

  “Holy shit,” Huggy breathed out.  “I got their number why don’t I give’em a call you just sit tight honey.”

 

   Dobey’s phone rang, “Dobey.”

  “Captain there is a call for Starsky.”  One of the officers in the squad room had picked up the detective’s line.

  “I’m not his secretary,” Dobey barked into the phone.

  “I know sir but this sounds important.”

  “Fine which line?”

  “Two.”

  Dobey depress the number two button on his phone. “Dobey here.”

  “Captain Dobey this is Huggy Bear.”

   “Why didn’t you just have them patch you through to the car?”

  “Tried that Captain they must be out of the car no answer.” Huggy explained.  “Starsky’s daughter show up at my door a little while ago.  She over heard her grandfather talking on the phone about putting a hit out on Starsky.”

  “They are staking out Precola’s place, I don’t know why they would be out of the car.” Dobey said almost more to himself than to Huggy.  “Huggy you keep the girl there. I’ll find Starsky.”

  “Got ya Captain.”

  “Oh and Huggy?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thanks!”

 

      Starsky and Hutch ran down the concourse toward the gate where Malone and Hannah would be boarding.  The waiting room was full of people gathering their things together in anticipation of boarding the plane.  Starsky looked around wildly but didn’t see Hannah.  He went to the window, “I’m looking for two of your passengers.  A Hannah and Frank Malone.”

  The woman punched in few keys into the computer after Hutch flashed his badge.  “I’m sorry sir but they haven’t checked in yet.”

  They waited until the plane had taken off before leaving.  “What do you think happened?” he fretted.

  “Let’s check the hotel,” Hutch suggested.  But there they were told that Frank Malone had called from his rental car and there hadn’t been a young woman with him when he came down.

  Starsky felt panic begin to rise in the pit of his stomach. “I don’t like this. Maybe she went back to my apartment.”  They had no luck there either. It had been while they were in Starsky’s apartment that Huggy had been patch through. 

  “Now what?” Hutch asked. They were pretty much out of options, since Hannah had never been to the city before she didn’t know her way around.

  “Maybe we should have an A.P.B. put out on her.” Starsky said, it wasn’t something he wanted to do for fear of scaring her.  He told Hutch his fears.

  “Then lets have one put out on Malone.  He might know where she is.”

   Starsky nodded in agreement and picked up the phone.

 

 

 

CHAPTER SEVEN

 

 

   Dobey called the operator to have him patched through to the detectives.  “Yes I need to be patched to Starsky and Hutchinson.” He said when the woman answered.

  “Sure thing Captain, they just called in here.”

  “They did what?”

  “Yes sir they put an A.P.B. out on a Frank Malone.

  “Get me that patch through,” Dobey growled. He was going to have them walking a beat if they weren’t careful.  They were supposed to be staking out Precola’s house not chasing after Frank Malone.

  When the radio went off in the car Starsky leaned over and flipped it silent. “Hey,” Hutch exclaimed. “What are you doing?”

  “We are going to fine Hannah before we do anything else.” 

  “But that could have been something about Malone.”

  Starsky shook his head, “Not that fast, it was probably Dobey.”

  “Even more reason to answer it.”

  “Not until I find Hannah,” he said stubbornly.

  “You are going to get us fired buddy.”

  Starsky ignored his partner.  “You said that Malone showed up at Percola’s last night right? Then maybe that is where he has gone.”

  “Could be a possibility.” Hutch turned the car in the direction of Franny Percola’s house.

 

   Hannah paced the room while Huggy was on the phone with her father’s captain.  When he hung up she asked, “Did they find him.”

  Huggy shook his head, “They can’t raise them on their radio. They are suppose to be on a stake out so they should be in their car.”

  “What if somebody has already gotten them?” She sat down in a near by chair, put her face in her hands and started to cry.

  Huggy crossed the room. “Why don’t we just take a quick drive over there I happen do know where the guy lives that they are watching.  Maybe their radio is just on the fritz.”

  Hannah looked up at him gratefully.  “Thanks Huggy.”

 

  Frank Malone pulled up the driveway of Franny Percola and stopped at the gate.  He depressed the buzz and waited for someone to answer.  “Yeah.”

  “Malone here I need to see Franny.”   He waited a few minutes then the iron gates swung open to allow him to enter.

  Franny was standing at the door when Frank parked and got out.  “So what do I owe this pleasure to?”

  “I want Starsky dead,” Frank said skipping the pleasantries.

  Franny held the door open for Frank, “I just got back Malone give me sometime.”

  “I don’t have any more time. I want him dead and my granddaughter on a plane back to Mexico.”

  “I can handle Starsky, you take care of the granddaughter.”

  “I plan on it,” Malone snapped.  His patience was wearing thin.  “She was suppose to meet me at my hotel this morning but she never showed.  I should have had him killed eighteen years ago.”

  “It’s going to take a few days Malone. I don’t go out and do this stuff myself you should know that. I’m going to have to hire someone.  Trying to find someone that will off a cop ain’t going to be easy. Nobody wants the tag of cop killer.”

  “Screw this,” Malone exploded.  “Do you have a gun I can use? I’ll fucking do it myself.

  “Frank your rage has unhinged you.” Franny said.  “Why don’t you calm down we’ll have some breakfast and then I’ll make a few calls.”

  “Do you have a gun or not? I can go out on the streets and find one if you don’t.”

  “Sure, sure Frank I have a gun you can use.  Just make sure it disappears when you are done with it.”  Franny said something to one of his many bodyguards that milled around.   The bodyguard returned shortly carrying a gun wrapped in brown paper that he handed to Franny whom in turned handed it to Frank.  As they walked to the door Franny warned, “Don’t come back here again Frank, we are even now.”

 

  Hannah was impatient as she sat next to Huggy, she wanted to find her father before it was too late.  She couldn’t understand why her grandfather hated him so much.  All Starsky had ever done was love her mother.  Yes he had told her the whole story of how he had gotten to know her mother as part of a sting operation but he had fallen in love with her and in Hannah’s book that was all that counted.  Then her grandfather had black mailed her mother into going with him down to Mexico.  If they hadn’t been there Rosie would never have died so young and she might have had two parents to love her.

   Tears stung her eyes as she thought about her parents and how happy they could have been as a family.  She might even have the brothers and sisters she had desperately wished for when she was younger. 

  Hannah had a fairly lonely childhood under Frank’s ever-watchful eye.  Even when she had gone away to school he had been there, watching...waiting.   She had never been quite sure what he had been supposedly protecting her from but she was now getting a pretty good idea that he had feared Starsky might some how find out he had a daughter and come looking for her.

 

   Dobey tried several more times to raise he detective with no luck; he slammed the phone down. He got up from his desk pulling his suit jacket from the back of his chair.  He was getting one of those feelings something wasn’t quite right.  Starsky and Hutch pulled a lot of stunts but this was even unusual for them.  Something was going to go down and he had a feeling it might be at Francis Melvin Precola’s house.  As he went though the squad room he barked to one of the detectives sitting there, “Get a couple of squad cars out to Franny Precola’s house.  Silent approach, tell them to wait for me and to stay out of sight of the house.”

 

   With everybody converging on Precola’s house Starsky and Hutch were the first ones to arrive.  They pulled into their usual spot and Hutch turned off the ignition.  “Give me the binoculars,” Hutch said since he had a more clear view of the house.  Starsky handed them to him from the glove compartment.  “There is a car parked in front of his door that looks like the same one Malone was driving last night.”

  Starsky started to get out of the car. “Whoa partner where do you think you are going?”

  “To see if he knows where my daughter is!”

  “You will get your ass shot up if you tried to parade in there.”  Hutch said grabbing his arm.  “Patience my friend. Hannah is in no danger. You know Malone would rather die than let anything happen to her.”

  Starsky fell back into the seat; he knew what Hutch was saying was true.  The only person that Frank Malone had any interest in hurting was probably him.  He hated waiting and wondering.  What the hell was Malone doing with Precola?

  Moment’s later Hutch echoed his thoughts.  “What do you think Malone wants with Precola?”

  Starsky shrugged, “Who knows, from what Hannah said this is Malone’s first time back in the states since the left with...Rosie.” Even after all these years it still pained him to talk about her.

  Hutch looked at his partner knowing how hard this was on him and wishing there was something he could say or do to make things easier.  He wondered how Starsky would react if he lost Hannah to Frank Malone.

 

  “You stay down,” Huggy advised Hannah. “This guy is one bad cat.  Hannah slumped down in the car seat and peered over the dashboard.  A huge house came into view it had a vast yard of green that was surrounded by a black wrought iron fence.  Two locked gates blocked the entrance to the property.  Trees dotted the land making it look more like a park than somebody’s home.  Hannah saw a man walking close to the house with what looked like a rifle slung over his back.

  Alarmed she asked, “Does that man have a gun?”

  Huggy looked where she was pointing but the man had already turned the corner of the house.  “Probably.”

  A shiver ran up Hannah’s spine just what kind of people were these? She didn’t ask Huggy for she didn’t really want to know the answer. All Hannah could think of was finding her dad and warning him.

  Huggy drove slowly down the road searching the side streets for any sign of the detectives.  “Stay down now,” he hissed at Hannah. He wasn’t worried about Precola; he was worried about what Starsky would say if he knew he had brought Hannah here.  Finally he spotted Hutch’s car on one of the side streets that had a perfect view of the driveway and front door.  Huggy thought it was best if he just drove by and went around the block to come up behind them.

  Starsky was watching the traffic going by in front of them.  A black Lincoln Town car caught his attention; it was driving much more slowly than any body else.  He squinted trying to see the driver, it surprised him to see the drive squinting back at him.  “I’ll be a son of a bitch!”

  “What?” Hutch asked looking away from the binoculars he was watching the door with.

  “Huggy just drove by.”  Starsky said craning his neck trying to see further down the street.

  “What would he be doing way over here? This out of his territory.”

  “I’m telling you it was Huggy.”

  “Maybe he’s just out for a drive.” Hutch said. 

  “Bullshit, something is going on.” Starsky said as he put his hand on the door handle.

 

 

 

CHAPTER EIGHT

 

 

 

   “Where the hell do you think you are going?” Hutch said grabbing the back of Starsky’s jacket.

  Starsky whirled around, “I can’t stand this anymore.  I’m not just going to sit around and wait while Hannah might be in trouble.”

  “We went though this earlier, Malone is not going to hurt his only granddaughter.”

  “I don’t think Hannah is with him.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  Starsky slammed the car door and leaned in through the window.  “I don’t think that he would bring her someplace like this. She would be asking too many questions and until I told her she had no idea what Malone use to do.”

  Hutch jumped out of the car, “Damn it Starsky you aren’t going to do anybody any good getting yourself killed.

 

  Malone slammed the door of his rental car and placed the loaded gun on the passenger’s seat next to him.  He would take care of the cop himself at least that way he would know it was done right.  He started down the driveway slowly waiting for the gates to swing open that was when he noticed a man running across the street toward him.  The man was yelling something, seemingly at him.  Then he recognized him; it was that damn cop what the hell was he doing here?

  Malone stepped on the gas and screeched through the opening gates then jammed on his breaks bringing the car to a neck jerking halt.  He grabbed the gun and jumped out of the car aiming it at Starsky who was dashing toward him.

 

  Two patrol cars came down the main drag, they also saw Starsky running across the street and Dobey was coming from the other direction.  Huggy pulled up behind Hutch’s heap just in time see Hutch draw his gun and tear after his partner.  Starsky stopped at the curb when he saw Malone getting out of the car. 

  “Where’s Hannah?”  Starsky yelled at him.

  “That’s what I want to know cop. What did you do with my granddaughter?” Malone yelled back.

  “I don’t have her, I dropped her off at your hotel this morning. Just like you wanted.” 

  The two police cars came to a skidding stop blocking traffic from the unfolding scene before them.  Dobey did the same thing from the other direction; he got out of his car leaving the door open so he could crouch behind it.  Hutch had stopped in the middle of the street he had his gun trained on Malone.

  Starsky didn’t even have his gun drawn, “What are you going to do Malone shoot me in cold blood?” He said raising his hands to show he had no weapon.

  “I don’t care what I have to do to kill you. I just want you dead, even if it means me going to jail the rest of my life. At least I will know you will never have my granddaughter.”

  “She is my daughter just as much as she is your granddaughter.”

  “NO, you weren’t there when she was sick, or scraped her knee or some boy broke her heart.  You weren’t there to listen to her sob when her mother died.”

  “And whose fault is that Malone? I would have been there for her and for Rosie but you wouldn’t allow that to happen.  Do you really think I would have taken Rosie from you and never let her see you again?  We could have come and visited you anytime but you had to make her go with you saying you wouldn’t go if she didn’t.  You held your life over her head. Nothing would have happened to Rosie if she would have stayed.”

 

   Hannah jumped out of the car and ran down the sidewalk.  Huggy tried to grab her but she was too fast.  She only paused for a second to take in the sight, her father across the street her grandfather pointing a gun at him.  “Grandfather no!” She screamed as she took off across the street toward Starsky.

  Everybody’s attention was torn away from Malone and Starsky to the girl with the long hair running across the street.  Hannah had almost reached Starsky when the shot rang out.  They all froze, except for Starsky who fell to his knees then face forward on the pavement.  Frank Malone dropped the gun and held his hands over his head.

  Hannah was the first to reach Starsky; she dropped to her knees not even noticing that she skinned both of them on the asphalt.  Frank’s face fell as he watch his granddaughter with the man he hated most in the world. Even now he was still losing out.

  The police closed in upon Malone who still had his hands above his head.  Hutch reached his partner and Hannah who was sobbing next to her father’s lifeless body.  Dobey grabbed the microphone from his car to radio for a life squad then went to see if he could help.

  Hutch put his hand under his partner to turned him over to tell how badly he was hurt.  Starsky’s clothes were already saturated with blood; once rolled over they could see that he had been hit in the chest.

  Hannah got to her feet and stalked toward her grandfather. She got to with in inches of him and spit out, “How could you?  What did he ever do to you? Love my mother? Love me?  How can that be wrong?  He wasn’t the problem you are.  You kept me from my father for eighteen years and now you have killed him?  What was the point in that so that you could have me all to your self?  You are a selfish man. You could have had it all and now you have lost everything. Do you hear me everything!  You will never see me again. I’ll go away, change my name and never look back.”

  Hannah then turned on her heels and went back to Starsky’s side where Hutch had ripped up part of his shirt to hold over the bullet wound to stop the bleeding.  They could hear the siren of the life squad in the background.

  Malone stood silently staring after Hannah then suddenly he shoved one of the officers and grabbed his gun. Another officer yelled, “GET DOWN.”

  Hutch jumped up and grabbed Hannah throwing her to the ground and covering her with his body.  They both heard the shot but they didn’t know what had happened until they looked up to see Frank Malone sprawled on the ground.

  Hannah had the urge to run to her grandfather but she knew it was too late, he had shot himself in the head.  No matter what she had said or what he had done she still did love him but she would never forgive him for taking her father from her.

  “Come partner stay with us,” Hutch was whispering in Starsky’s ear as he was applying pressure to the bullet wound.

  Hannah took Starsky’s hand then looked at Hutch, “Is he still alive?”

  Hutch didn’t know what to tell her, he had felt for a pulse but didn’t fine one.  It was hard for him to control is own emotions but he would do it for Starsky’s daughter.  He had to give her some hope even it there was none.  “I don’t know.  The life squad should be here any minute.” They could hear it getting louder.

  Hannah gripped her father’s hand, “Please don’t die Daddy you are all I have.”

  The life squad squealed up next to them and two paramedics jumped out.  Hutch got to his feet and pulled Hannah up, “Come on let’s get out of the way so that they can work.”  He guided her over to where Huggy was standing.

  “How is he?” Huggy asked but Hutch just shook his head with out answering.  “Can you take her?”

  “No I want to stay with you,” Hannah wailed. 

  “Honey I need to get cleaned up.” Hutch said he was covered in Starsky’s blood.  “Have Huggy take you over to the hospital I’ll meet you there.” 

  After they left Hutch joined Dobey as they were loading Starsky in to the life squad.  “It’s not good is it?”

  Dobey shook his head, “I’m sorry Hutchinson, I’m sorry for the girl too what a thing for her to have to see.” They both glance over where another set of paramedics was lifting Malone into a life squad.  A sheet was over the man’s face. At least they hadn’t covered Starsky’s face maybe he had chance. 

  “You going to the hospital Cap?” 

  “Of course.”

  “I’m going to run home and clean up.”  Hutch said as he started toward his car. “Don’t let him die.”

  The paramedics worked tireless in as the squad sped toward the hospital.  They started several IV’s and had to shock his heart once for it had complete stopped beating.  But they got him back, he was nowhere near stable when they finally arrived at the hospital and the paramedics were very happy to hand Starsky off the awaiting doctors.

 

 

 

CHAPTER NINE

 

 

   The only things Starsky could remember was the sound of Hannah yelling, the gun shot and the searing pain as the bullet ripped into his chest, and thinking not again.  His last thoughts he had as he hit the ground were of Hannah, hoping that she was okay and how much he loved her. 

  But now there was only peace, he felt as if he were floating. There was no pain only a feeling of tranquility.  He felt calm as if everything was right with the world.   Starsky looked around but it was if he was in some kind of a fog, he wondered for a moment if he was in heaven.  Then moments later he knew he was as a figure approached him, it looked like there was a halo around the figures body and as it got closer Starsky realized that he knew who it was.

  “Rosie?” Starsky yelled but it only came out as a whispered.

  She smiled and held out her hand to him.  “David.”

  He tried to hug her but all he got was a wisp of air.  “I have missed you Rosie.”

  “I have missed you too.” She said pulling him along next to her.  “And I want to show you what you have missed.  Rosie waved her hand and the fog seem to shift, they were watching a baby crawling on the floor, then a little girl on a swing, next came a young girl in a long dress she looked like she was going to dance.  Then they watched a graduation.

  “Hannah?” Starsky asked in awe.

  Rosie nodded, “You missed so much, I’m sorry. I should have stood up to my father.  Hannah had the courage to do so and so did you.”

  He felt so safe standing there with Rosie, so happy, happier than he had been in along time.  There had been others but nobody ever measured up to her.  That was why he had never married, just as Rosie had never either.   “She is beautiful.”

  “I’m glad she came to find you.”  Rosie said, she was getting harder to see. At first her form had been sharp and clear but now it was getting fuzzy.

  “Rosie?” Starsky asked as he notice the difference, he could feel her fading away from him.

  “You have to take care of Hannah, you are all she has now.”  Rosie whispered softly.  He could feel her breath on his face; it felt like the wings of a dove.

  “But I want to stay here with you,” he said almost pleadingly.

  “I know you do but it’s not your time yet.” She said gently.  “A time will come when we will all be together again.  But for now you and Hannah need each other.”  Starsky nodded and she was gone as fast as she had appeared.

  “I’ll take good care of her Rosie.” The fog began to lift.

   Suddenly there was pain and discomfort and he longed to be back with Rosie for he knew what lay ahead of him. This hadn’t been the first time he had been severally shot.

 

 

  Hannah slept sitting in a chair next to her father her head on the bed, her hand in his hand.  The surgery had been long and grueling as the surgeons worked to repair the damage the bullet had caused.  Malone’s bullet narrowly missed Starsky’s heart one millimeter closer and it would have penetrated his heart most likely causing instant death.  But even now he wasn’t out of the woods it was a waiting game.

  Hutch stood in the doorway watching Hannah sleep. When he had arrived at the hospital after getting cleaned up Hannah had been arguing with one of the nurses about cleaning up her scraped knees.  She had sounded so much like Starsky it made Hutch smile in spite of what was going on.

  Hutch stepped in, “Hannah let the nurse clean you up honey.”

  “But I’m okay,” Hannah insisted.

  “Now what kind of Uncle would I be if I let this go and you got an infection?  You think your dad would ever let me baby sit?”

  Hannah laughed at his words.  “Okay,” Then she looked at the nurse. “But don’t take too long.”

 

   Hutch waked over to where Hannah was sleeping and gently touched her head.  Hannah stirred, opened her eyes and looked up at him.  “Why don’t you let me take you down to the cafeteria so you can eat?”

  “No I’m staying here,” Hannah said.

  “Your dad is sleeping, he probably won’t be awake until tomorrow. I talked to the doctor they have him pretty heavily sedated.  They don’t want him moving around right now.”

  “I don’t care, I’m not leaving!”

  Hutch shook his head that Starsky stubborn streak was a mile wide in Hannah there was no doubt she was his daughter.  “How about if I bring you a cup coffee?”

  “I hate coffee.”

  He sighed went around to the other side of the bed, pulled up a chair and sat down.  Hutch slid down in the seat until his head was resting on the back of the chair and closed his eyes.

  Starsky moaned softly in his drug induced sleep, then almost inaudibly he whispered “Rosie?”

  Both Hutch and Hannah leaned forward trying to hear what he was saying. “Daddy?”

  “He’s not awake, he’s dreaming,” Hutch said softly.

  “But I want to stay here with you,” Starsky said but it was garbled and they didn’t quite catch all the words.  “I’ll take good care of her Rosie.”

  This came out fairly clear, Hannah gasped, “He is talking to mom about me!”  Tears sprung to her eyes.  “That means…oh my god…Daddy wake up.” She shook his arm. “You can’t leave me too!”

  “Hannah, he’s going to be fine.” Hutch said.  “He always keeps his promises.

  Hannah smiled through her tears.  She leaned over to kiss Starsky on the cheek. Then settled back down in the chair content that her father was going to pull through.

  The doctor’s left Starsky sedated for two more days then on the fourth day they started slowing backing off his IV to allow him to regain consciousness gradually.  Hutch and Hannah only left his side for short periods of time their hunger finally driving them to the hospital cafeteria.  Huggy, Dobey and several officers would drop in to see how he was doing but none stayed too long.

  It was late afternoon on that fourth day that Starsky opened his eyes for the first time since he had been shot.  He laid quietly taking inventory, he wiggled his toes and fingers then moved his head from side to side. Things seemed to be working, as more came into focus he realized that both Hutch and Hannah were in the room.  She sat reading a book while Hutch dozed. 

  Starsky watched her for a long time, she sat her legs curled up under her and twisting a long strand of hair around her finger.  Every now and again she would turn a page in the book, once she even smiled at something that was written there.  He felt as if he could watch her forever.

  Sensing that she was being watched Hannah looked up from the page she was reading to find her father looking at her intently.  She gently closed the book and stood up.  “Hi,” Hannah said as if he had just woke up from a short nap.

  “Hi yourself kiddo,” he said in a whisper his throat felt dry and scratchy.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Well I’m not really sure but I think I have all my parts.”

  Hannah giggled.  “You still have all your parts but we were worried there for a while.”

  “Pretty bad uh?” 

  Hannah nodded.  She wanted to ask him so badly how her mother was but was he actually with her or had he only been dreaming.  “You are going to be as good as new.”

  “I guess you and Hutch have been here the whole time?” He asked wondering how long he had been out which was his next question.

  “Four days and you know we would never leave you.” Hannah said, as she leaned over and kissed his forehead.  “You can’t get rid of me that easy.  You are stuck with me now.”

  “I can’t think of anything I would rather be stuck with.” Slowly he moved his hand to take hers, he was still very weak and she could barely even tell he was grasping her hand.

  Hannah put her other hand over his, holding it trapped in-between hers she would never let go.  “Good.”

  “How long has Blondie been sleeping over there?” Starsky asked looking over at Hutch who was sleeping deeply his chin resting on his chest.  “He is going to have an awful crick in his back.  Four days is a long time to sleep in a chair.”

  As if on cue Hutch lifted his chin from his chest and opened his eyes.  He smiled instantly when he saw his partner watching him. “It’s about time you wake up sleeping beauty.”

  “How’s it going?”

  “Pretty good but I’m getting tired of sleeping in this damn chair.” Hutch said getting to his feet and stretching his back.  “Good to have you back buddy.”

 

 

CHAPTER TEN

 

 

     After nearly a month in the hospital Starsky was finally allowed to come home.  Hutch and Hannah supported him on either side as they helped him up the steps to his apartment.  By the time they got him into his apartment and settled him in bed he was exhausted.  That had been the most excursion he had put forth in weeks.  Hannah fluffed his pillow and pulled a blanket up over him.

   “For God sakes I’m not a invalid,” he snapped instantly wishing he could take the harsh words back when he saw the crest fallen look on Hannah’s face.  He was so tired of not being able to do things even this simple act of coming home had done him in.  He knew the last time he had been badly wounded it had taken months before he had been himself again and even still he had some aches and pains from it.  He grabbed her hand and pulled her down on the bed next to him.  “Honey I’m sorry, it’s not you, it’s…it’s…”

  She leaned over and hugged him, “I understand. I know how I would feel if this were me.”  Hannah remembered when she had been laid up in a cast for six weeks once.  Her mother and Grandfather drove her nuts. At first it had been fun but after a while she was tired of it and was ready to get back to her routine.

  Hutch leaned in the door watching the exchange between father and daughter. He was use to Starsky’s out bursts and he wouldn’t be much better if any when he was laid up.  They were use to being on the move not sitting around waiting to mend.  “Hey why don’t we let grumpy here get some sleep and we’ll see if we can’t come up with something for dinner?” Hutch suggested.

  Starsky looked at his partner gratefully.  “A nap sounds good. Why don’t you guys go get some fresh air I’ll be fine.”

  Hannah looked at him uncertainly not sure she wanted to leave him alone.  “But it’s your first day home.”

  “You two have been with me day in and day out you deserve some time.  Hutch take her out have some fun,” Starsky ordered.

  “Alright but you call if you need us.” Hutch said. “Come on Hannah.”

  Reluctantly she left her fathers bedside.  “We won’t be long.”  Hannah was almost afraid to leave him; she had lost so much in just the last few months, her mother and her grandfather in more ways than one.  He had died but she has also lost the respect for him that she had once had.  Frank Malone was a cruel man even if it was in the name of what he thought was love. 

  Hannah had him shipped down to Mexico to be buried but she didn’t go to the services, she refused to leave Starsky.  Someday when she found it in her heart to forgive her grandfather for everything that he had done then she would go and lay flowers on his grave.

   “Disneyland?” Hutch joked.

  “Huh?” Hannah looked at him; she had been so deep in thought that she hadn’t heard that he had been asking where she wanted to go.

  Hutch laughed, “I thought that might get your attention.” Hannah had loved Disneyland and had recounted her and Starsky’s adventures there many times while they had been sitting around the hospital.

  “Well I think I will pass on that I think the best place for us to go is the grocery store,” Then she lowered her voice. “Have you seen his cabinets?”

  “To the store it is,” Hutch said holding out his arm to her.

  Several weeks past, Starsky was getting stronger by the day and he and Hannah were catching up on each other’s lives.  She cooked for him, cleaned the apartment and even would read to him up on occasion.  One day after she had gone out to get the mail Starsky found her sitting on the top step out side his apartment.  She had taken so long he had gone looking for her.

  He could tell by the way her shoulders were shaking that she was crying, he joined her on the step and slipped his arm around her shoulders.  “What’s the matter?” She silently handed him an official looking letter, which he scanned quickly.  “This doesn’t sound like anything to cry about.”

  “I don’t want to go back there,” Hannah said through her tears.  The letter was from her Grandfather’s lawyer.  Frank Malone’s estate had needed to be settled. Someone has made an offer on the house too.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Starsky said

  “Really?”

  “Now you don’t think I would let my favorite daughter go all the way to Mexico by herself do you?”

  Hannah smiled at him relieved but still unhappy about having to go.  She love California and the new life she was building for her self, lately she had been hunting the want ads thinking that as soon as Starsky was really back on his feet she would find a job.  “I can show you what mom loved so much about Mexico.”

  “I would like that.” Starsky said kissing the top of her head.

  But the very next day their plans were dashed when Starsky’s doctor told him there was no way he wanted him on a strenuous trip like that.  Packing and moving things were not what the detective needed to be doing at this point of his recovery.   But the doctor did say he was allowed to go back to work as long is it was light duty and shorten work days.

  That evening she called Mexico and spoke to the lawyer to see if they could postpone her coming for a while until Starsky could go with her. But the sale of the house was pending and they needed her to sign papers before the sale could go through. The house also needed to be cleaned out. 

  “I can’t do this by myself,” Hannah stated pacing the room.

  “Sure you can, you are a strong willed girl after all you are my daughter.”

  “Okay I’ll rephrase I don’t want to do it.” 

  “It won’t take too long, few days tops.”

  “But who will take care of you?”

  “Hannah I’m fine, the doctor is just worried about me carrying stuff and possibility of picking up a disease. He is worried that something like that could set me back.”

  “Damn.”

  “Hannah!”

  She burst out laughing.  “Oh Daddy.”

  There was a knock on the door and Hannah ran to get it.  Hutch stood there with two sacks of Chinese.  “I thought a celebration was in order.”

  “And what are we celebrating?”  Starsky asked heading to the kitchen to get plates but Hannah beat him to it.  “You know I’m going to get use to this. What am I going to do when you go off to school?”

  A dark cloud passed over Hannah’s face but was missed by her father who was still trying to find out what they were celebrating.  She had been meaning to talk to him about that.  She had decided no to go to college or if she did to go there where she could still be around.  They had already missed so much of their lives together.

  “Got a clean bill of health today didn’t you?”

  “Well yes and no,” Starsky said.  He quickly explained what the doctor had told him and Hannah’s problem.

  

 

CHAPTER ELEVEN

 

   With Starsky unable to travel Hutch offered to go to Mexico with Hannah to take care of her grandfather’s estate.  When they arrived at the house Hannah paused at the door, it was the first time she had been back since her mother had died and now her grandfather was dead too.  Hutch gently took the key from her hand and unlocked the door.

  “Are you okay?” He asked.  Hannah nodded as she entered the house.  It had a dusty smell to it after being closed up for two months.  Now they had two days to clear the place out and get it ready to sell. 

  Starsky had tried to talk her out of selling it thinking that someday she might want the place but Hannah insisted that she never wanted to return to Mexico she had come to think of it as her prison, the bars that kept her from her father.

  Hannah walked slowly though the house looking in each room. The furniture had been covered with white sheets to keep the dust off.  They would be leaving all the furnishings, only taking personal belongings, which was fine with her.  The buyer wanted it all. 

  Hutch trailed her as Hannah walked to the end of the hall and opened the door; it was her mother’s bedroom.  She went in and sat down on the bed for a few moments taking in everything that was there. The photos of her as a child, ribbons she had won at the art fair, it looked more like her room than her mother’s but Rosie had kept everything that Hannah had ever done.

  Finally Hannah got up and went to the end of the bed where a cedar chest sat, she pulled a chain from around her neck, which had a key on it.  Hutch had never remembered seeing her wear it before.  Carefully she inserted the key into the lock and opened the lid of the trunk.   The trunk had always sat at the end of the bed for as long as Hannah could remember. She use to ask then beg and plead with her mother to show her what was in it. Rosie always refused, the chain that Hannah now had hung around Rosie’s neck, she never took it off.  Right before her death she had given it to Hannah.

  Hutch stepped around the end of the bed to see what lay inside. It was full of letters, some photos and a few newspaper clippings.  Hannah picked up one of the letters they were all addressed to David Starsky she opened it.  The date at the top caught her eye for it was the date of her birth.  She began reading it silently:

 

Dearest David,

 

Today our beautiful daughter was born.  I wish with all my heart that you could see her she has your eyes….

 

  Hannah’s eyes filled tears with blurring the words written before her.  She handed the letter to Hutch.  She picked up another letter then another; there were hundreds of them. Rosie had written Starsky letters yet never mailed them.  The few photos were of the two of them smiling looking so happy and young.  Hannah found several newspaper articles that mentioned the two detectives one of them even had a photo of them receiving some kind of an award.  Hannah wondered how her mother had gotten them.  There was also a photo album of Hannah growing up that was when she knew who the trunk was for.

  She looked up at Hutch to find tears standing in his eyes also as he finished reading about the day of her birth.  “Your whole life must be in these letters,” he said in a choked voice as he handed the letter back to her.

  Hannah carefully put the letter back in its yellowing envelope and put it back with the other letters.  “This has to go back with us,” she said closing the lid.  She couldn’t look any more right now.  

  They began packing the house up; there was little that Hannah wanted.  She took a few things from her room; everything from her mothers and wouldn’t even walk into her grandfather’s room.  So the job of packing up Malone’s stuff fell to Hutch.  He would send it state side and store it just in case Hannah might want it someday after the pain faded. 

  It was getting close to dark when there was a knock at the door.  Hannah went to answer it as she wiped the dust from her hands.  Douglas Moorehouse stood in the doorway.  “Miss Malone.”

  “Mr. Moorehouse,” Hannah opened the door wider so that he could enter.  “Uncle Hutch this is Doug Moorehead, my grandfathers lawyer.”

  Hutch shook his hand, “Nice to meet you.”

  “Can we talk?” Moorehead said to Hannah.

  She nodded leading him into the living room. She pulled back one of the sheets that covered the couch. “I would offer you something to drink but there isn’t anything. We were about to head to our motel for the night.”

  “Don’t worry about it Hannah,” He said as he sat down and opened his briefcase.  He took out a large pack of papers then looked up at her.  “Won’t you sit down?”  Hannah shook her head no, she wanted this over and done with, she was sure this had to do with her grandfathers will and she wasn’t sure she wanted his money.  “Suit yourself.  Your grandfather had a great deal of savings.”

  “I’m sure he did,” Hannah said coldly.

     With out missing a beat the lawyer went on.  “In his will he left it all to Rosie but since her death was prior to his all the money and property goes to you.”

  She wanted to scream out that she didn’t want his blood money but Starsky had convinced her that she should take it, it would pay for her schooling something regretfully he couldn’t pay for.  So she finally agreed that she would keep it but she was also going to leave a good chunk of it behind in an education fund, she knew her mother would want that.  “Just how much is there?”

  “Well let me put it his way Hannah, you are a very rich young woman, you will never want for anything the rest of your life.” He said handing the paper work to her.

  The words echoed in her head never want for anything.  She would never have what she really wanted…her family.  Taking the papers she looked at the amount at the bottom of the page and gasp, it was far more there than she had ever dreamed there would be.  What the hell did Frank Malone do to earn ten million dollars?  She handed the papers to Hutch.

  “Now that doesn’t include the properties he owned nor the stocks and bonds. That would probably be roughly another ten mil maybe more.”  Moorehouse said with out blinking an eye.

  Hannah finally sat down in a shower of dust that flew up from the chair she flopped in.  She was beyond stunned and wondered if her mother had any idea just how much he had been worth.

   Moorehead handed Hannah a pen, “If you just sign there on the last page I’ll get the ball rolling.”

  Hannah accepted the pen then looked up at Hutch who nodded for her to go ahead and sign.  She flipped to the last page and quickly signed her name Hannah Malone for the last time.  She had already made up her mind that the first thing she would do when she got back to the states was to change her last name to Starsky like it should have been all along.  “Are we finished now? My Uncle and I would like to get back to our hotel and get cleaned up.”

  “Sure Hannah,” he said taking the pen and papers from her. “I’m sorry about your grandfather.”

 “Thank you,” She walked him to the door. When he was gone she leaned against the closed door.  “Can you believe how much money there is?”

  “You are a very rich young lady,” Hutch smiled at her.

  Hannah looked disgusted, “I’m not impressed, sorry.”

  Hutch laughed, “Let’s get out of here, we’ll finish this up in the morning.”

 

 

CHAPTER TWELVE

 

 

   Hutch pulled the rental car up at the entrance to the cemetery and stopped, Hannah sat next to him silent holding a dozen roses, “Do you know where?”  She nodded and gave him directions.  He pulled up where she indicated but Hannah still didn’t get out of the car.   “Honey our plane leaves soon if you are going to do this. You want me to come with you?”

  Hannah sighed, shook her head no and got out of the car.  She stood on the perfectly manicured grass staring out over all the headstones of buried loved ones.  Then she slowly walked toward two stones, both were fairly fresh you could still the dirt though the newly sprouting grass.  Hannah bent down and placed the roses at the basic of one of the stones then reached up and traced the name engraved there. ROSIE MALONE   She missed her mother so much but she knew that Rosie was up in heaven smiling down her, happy that she was with her dad.  Then she glanced over at the stone of her grandfather wishing he were alive so that she could ask him why.  As she stood up to go Hannah pulled one rose from her mother’s bouquet laying it on her grandfathers grave then she headed back to the car. 

  Hutch was leaning against the car as she walked up.  “Are you alright?”

  Hannah went to him wrapping her arms around Hutch hugging him tightly. Hutch folded her into his arms, they stood that way for a while until she finally said, “We better go.”

  

  Starsky was standing at the gate when Hannah and Hutch disembarked the airplane.  They had only been gone four days but it had felt like a lifetime. Hannah looked tired as she came thought the doors, but her face lit up when she saw her father standing there waiting.  She ran to him remembering to still hug gently, even thought the stitches had been long removed he was still tender.  “I’m never leaving you again.”

  “How ya doing buddy?” Hutch asked patting Starsky on the back as Hannah still clung to him.  She was so emotionally drained all she wanted to do was go back to the apartment and fall into bed.

  Several days later the crated up cedar chest arrived as well as the rest of the things that Hannah had kept. Most had been sent directly to storage save the chest, which she wanted her father to have.   It was early morning when the knock came on the door.  Two strapping young men a bit red in the face stood out side the door when Hannah opened it.  Starsky was showering getting ready for his first full day back to work.  It would be spent sitting behind a desk still but he was getting restless spending so much time at home.

   Hannah had them set it in the living room, as she was shutting the door Starsky walked in buttoning his shirt.  “Who was that?”

  “I had something sent from Mexico.” Hannah explained.  “I think you will want to see it.”

  Starsky came around the couch to see the chest sitting on the floor.  He looked at his daughter she pulled the chain from around her neck and handed it to him.  He took it then knelt next to the chest and inserted the key into the lock.  Starsky opened it slowly and looked at the contents then he looked at Hannah again with questions on his face.

   “It’s mom’s,” Hannah explained.  “She has had this chest for as long as I can remember. She never let anyone look in it and always wore that key around her neck.”

  He picked up several of the letters and was shocked to see his name and address on each one.  “She never sent them,” he said mostly to himself. He had wanted to write her countless times but she hadn’t given him an address.  Starsky sat down on the floor and one by one he began to read each letter Hannah joined him.  It was as though he were there with Rosie and Hannah. Everything single thing they did was written in those letters to him. 

    He cried openly when he read about Hannah’s birth, she put her arm around him and laid her head on his shoulder.  He had missed so much and it was all because of her grandfather. She wasn’t sure that she could ever forgive him.

 There was a knock at the door but Starsky scarcely heard it, Hannah got up to see who was there.  Hutch came in smiling glad to finally have his partner back.  “You ready to…” he trailed off when he saw what had been delivered.

  Starsky looked at Hutch, “Do you think Dobey would mind if I had one more day?”  He didn’t want to leave the chest until he had read and seen everything in it.

  “No I don’t think he will mind buddy.” Hutch said his heart aching for his friend.  “Hey how about if I come by after work and take you and Hannah to dinner?”

  Starsky didn’t answer, as he was already engrossed in another letter.  Hannah spoke for her father.  “I think that sounds great Uncle Hutch.”

  It was late in the afternoon by the time that they had gone through everything in the chest.  Hannah told him stories from her childhood that she had forgotten but was reminded by the photographs her mother had stored away in the trunk.  “You had a happy childhood?” Starsky finally asked as he closed the chest.

  Hannah nodded, “I guess the only thing I was really lacking was you. But mom always made sure that I knew you loved me and wished you could be with us. I never really understood why I couldn’t see you.  I do now.”

  “I’m sorry,” Starsky pulled her in to his arms. “I would have been but…”

  “I know you don’t have to explain.” Hannah said then out of the clear blue she asked. “How is mom?”

  The question caught Starsky off guard and he looked at her perplexed.  “I…I don’t know what you mean,” But when she asked the question something sparked in his memory.  A feeling came over him as if he had indeed been with Rosie.

  “When we were waiting for you to wake up you were talking to her.  You promised her you would take care of me.”

  He closed his eyes as the memory rushed over him.  He had seen Rosie and talked to her, she had shown him scenes of Hannah growing up.  “Hannah she is happy and at peace.” She said taking her hand and looking into her eyes. “And I’ll keep the promise I made you mother.  I’ll always take care of you.”

  “I love you Daddy,” Hannah said as she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

 

 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  

 

 

   “No, I don’t want to go,” Hannah wailed, tears were streaming down her face.  This was the first fight she had had with her father since their reunion. 

  “Hannah be reasonable this is an opportunity of a life time. You can’t just toss it away.  You worked hard to get into Oxford.” Starsky paced the floor in front of the chair his daughter was sitting in.  “You will be home for vacations and the summer.”

  “But I don’t want to be away from you. We have already missed so much.”

  Starsky sighed, she was right and he felt the same way in his heart but his head was telling him she needed to go, get her education then she could come back and they would have all the time together they wanted.  “We still have three more weeks before you have to go.”

  “Three weeks,” Hannah jumped to her feet. “Three weeks to make up for eighteen years, that is hardly fair.”

  “You have been here all summer.”

  Hannah suddenly pouted. “You are tired of me and want me out of your hair.”

  Starsky burst out laughing, he spun Hannah around to face him.  “How can I ever get tired of you?”

  Hannah grinned at her father for she knew what she had said wasn’t true, she could tell by the way he looked at her.  That was part of the reason she didn’t want to go. Every time they talked about college he looked like his heart would break at the thought of her going away.  “Come with me.”

  He stopped intrigued by the idea Starsky shook his head after a moment but the idea stuck with him.  “You know I do have some vacation time coming.”

  Hannah’s eyes lit up, “Seriously?”

  “We’ll see if you promise me you will get yourself ready for school.” Starsky said glaring at her then he grinned he just couldn’t look at her sternly. 

  “You got a deal!”

  Hutch was a bit surprised when Starsky told him he was thinking of going with Hannah to England.  He wanted to say ‘what about me’ but he reframed, knowing he was just being selfish.

 But Starsky read his mind, “It won’t be forever partner, just a few weeks until she gets settled in. You don’t really think I would go off and leave you here by yourself?  You are family too you know.”

  Hutch had been feeling a bit left out of late, he and Starsky hadn’t been to Huggy’s in weeks or anywhere for that matter. The moment their shift was over Starsky rushed home to be with Hannah.  Of course he understood but he missed his best friend.  “I know Starsk.”

  “Why don’t you come?”

  “Oh yeah I’m sure Dobey would be just thrilled that both of us take off. We are so back logged that even if there wasn’t another crime it would be months before I caught up.”

 Starsky looked guilty knowing that part of the backlog was his fault. With only Hutch working on cases first by himself then with Starsky part time and having to sit behind at desk made him fall that much further behind.  But he was back full time and on the streets again so the caseload had eased up somewhat.  “Hey we’ll work a little over time get some of these knocked out.”

  “You’ll want to spend the time with Hannah,” Hutch said trying to hold the resentment out of his voice.

  But Starsky heard it, “I’m sorry Hutch.”

  “For what,” Hutch flopped down in his chair and opened one of the many files on his desk.

  “Forgetting you. It’s just that…”

  Hutch waved his words away,  “You don’t have to say anything I understand, really I do.  I just miss you.”

  “Why don’t we go out tonight, just you and me. Hit Huggy’s get some burgers, what do you say?”

  “What about Hannah?”

  “I gave her my car this morning so she could go shopping for clothes.” 

  “You did what? You let her drive your car? Man does she have your wrapped.”

  Starsky glared at his partner, “You keep that up and I won’t take you out to dinner!”

 

  It was just like old times, Starsky on one side of the pool table Hutch on the other side squaring off with Huggy holding the bets.  It was their third game in a row with Hutch winning every time.  Hutch sank the last ball then looked up at Starsky grinning, “Want to go for a fourth?”

  Starsky snorted, “As it is now you are going to have to buy dinner you have all my money.”

 Hutch flipped him a quarter, “Go get yourself a candy bar.”

 Starsky caught the quarter, “Haven’t you heard of inflation?  What do you expect me to get with a quarter?”

 

  It was well after midnight when Starsky staggered up the stairs to his apartment half drunk.  He quietly turned the key in the lock and let him self in not wanting to wake Hannah who would be asleep on the couch.  She had moved there after he had been shot to allow him to rest better.  Starsky had made a mental note that he needed to look for a bigger place while she was away at school so that she would have her own room when she came home.

  He knew where every stick of furniture in his apartment was and he could walk through it with his eyes closed.  He was rather shocked when he tripped over something and went sprawling on the floor. The light flicked on immediately, Hannah was sitting in the chair not sleeping on the couch and she was fully clothed. Her eyes were red and swollen and there were a pile of tissues on the table next to her.

  “Hannah?”  He said squinting in the sudden light, as his eyes adjusted and he got a good look at her he became concerned.   “Honey what’s wrong? What’s happened?”

  “What’s wrong?” She stormed getting up out of the chair.  “Where have you been? I called the station, I called your cell phone, and Hutch’s cell phone even had them try to raise you on the radio and nothing.  Do you know what time it is?  Do you know how long I have been sitting here going out of my mind?”

  Starsky was now in a sitting position on the floor, his head was swimming a bit; this was the first time he had really had much to drink since the shooting. With the pain medication he had been on he wasn’t allowed to drink.  “Shit,” he closed his eyes, which made the room spin. His eyes popped open, “Oh Hannah I’m so sorry I totally for got to call you. I took Hutch out it’s been so long since we did the guy thing that I promised him we would go to Huggy’s for dinner. I meant to call you and it got busy and I just forgot.”

  “God no wonder you aren’t married, what woman would have you if this is the way you treat them,” she snapped.

  “Hannah please.”

  “Don’t you Hannah please me.” She ranted as she went in to the bathroom slamming the door.

  He could hear her sobbing from the living room, slowly he got to his feet steadying him self on the back of the couch.  Starsky went to the door, “Hannah I’m really sorry honey.” He put his hand on the door; he hated to hear her cry. “Come out please.”

  Gradually the door opened, Hannah fell into his arms still weeping, “Oh Daddy I thought I had lost you.  You have no idea what went on in my head when I couldn’t find you.” She said through her tears.

  “Baby I am so sorry. I won’t do that again I promise. I was just worried about Hutch and…”

  “What’s wrong with Uncle Hutch?” Hannah said her anger disappearing and being replaced with a new worry.

  “Nothing really, just feeling a little left out that’s all.”

  “Because of me.”

  He knew he couldn’t deny it so he nodded, “Hutch and I are close probably closer than some brothers. We pretty much do everything together.”

  “Then I appeared on the scene and screwed everything up.”

  “Listen young lady you didn’t screw anything…well except for maybe my floor plan.” He looked around to see what he had tripped over.  Several shopping bags were sitting next to the coffee table.  “Shopping I see.”

  She nodded, “We will just have to include him more.  You and Uncle Hutch are the only family I have now.”

  He smiled at her, “You let me worry about Hutch uh? I just need to learn to balance my time with you both.  Now why don’t you show me what you got?”

 

 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

 

 

   Hutch was worried that for the first time in their friendship he might actually lose his partner.  The thought was almost unbearable; Starsky was pretty much all the family he had left.  When Starsky had lost Rosie he had been in a funk for months playing over and over in his mind what he could have done differently.  Insisted she stay, go with her.  The staying part would have been impossible for he knew that she would have grown to resent him if anything happened to her father and going with her really wasn’t an option either.  Just throwing out the fact that her father hated him what would he have done in Mexico.

  Hutch had listen patiently to his ranting knowing that it would pass and it did but Starsky never quite got over Rosie.  Now here was their daughter and Hutch knew that Starsky wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice.  If it meant that he move to England then that was what he would do Hutch would almost bet on it.  Even with Starsky assuring him that he would be only be gone two weeks he could see it stretching into months and maybe years…four to be exact. 

  He knew just like Starsky had told Hannah there would be holidays and summer vacation but if they were together would them come back just to see him?  Of course they would he kept telling himself and he could go and visit them.  But how would he manage he had never had another partner and didn’t relish the idea of breaking in a new one.  Starsky had his annoying habits but he was use to them. He would never find anybody else that thought his thoughts, knew his moves almost before he did himself.

   “Damn Hutchinson you are being one selfish bastard aren’t you?” Hutch said aloud to his empty apartment.

  Maybe it was time he got a life but it wasn’t for the lack of trying. There just weren’t many women that understood his life style or wanted to live with the danger that he faced every day.  He didn’t even think about it, it was his job just like anybody else’s.  Hutch kept hoping he would find that one special lady could deal with his job and his friendship with Starsky but that might not even be a factor anymore.

  He flopped down on the couch, they had a fun evening that night.  It had been just like it use to be, going out after work having a few drinks, sometimes dinner if either of them had a date.  He was just too damn old to start looking for a new best friend not that he even wanted to.

  As Hutch was sitting there feeling rather sorry of himself the phone rang.  “Yeah.”

  “What are you doing?”

  Hutch smiled, “Just kind of sitting here Starsk. How ‘bout you?”

  “I’m in the dog house with Hannah.”

  “How’s that?”

  “I forgot to tell her I wasn’t coming home, that we were going out.  She was pretty worried and mad when I got home.”  Starsky lay propped up on pillow the phone cradled under his chin.  After Hannah had shown off some of the clothes she had bought during her shopping spree that after noon she had gone to bed drained from being so up set.

  Hutch chuckled, “Not use to having people checking up on ya uh?”

  “Naw nobody but you.”

  “And I would never chew you out for not checking in would I?”

  Starsky laughed, “Yeah right.” They perpetually worried about each other when they weren’t together.

  “What’s on that pea brain of yours buddy?”

  “Nothing just wanted to here your voice.  I will be back in two weeks ya know.” Starsky said sounding reassuring, something Hutch really needed to hear at that moment.

  “I know.”

  “Night.”

  “Night.”

 

  Just as Starsky hung up there was a soft tap at his door and Hannah peeked in. She had on a new nightgown she had just gotten along with a matching robe.  “You like?”

  He smiled and nodded, “Very pretty and lady like.  Proper attire for England.”

  “How would you know?” she teased. 

   He patted the bed next to him. Hannah bounded over the end of the bed landing beside him as if she were a child.   She laid her head on the pillow and looked up at the ceiling. 

  “I’m sorry about this evening,” He apologized once again. 

  “I know I’m sorry too I shouldn’t have jumped all over you, I was just so worried.  I was sure something had happened to you.”

  “Nothing is going to happen to me Hannah I promise you that.” Starsky knew that he shouldn’t be making a promise like that for in his line of work you never knew what might happen.  Hannah had seen it all first hand.

  “I’m going to talk to Dobey in the morning about taking a couple of weeks off to see you get settled into school.”

  Hannah squealed and sat up. “Really?   That would be so super!”

  “It would only be for two weeks though, I can’t leave Hutch in a lurch any longer than that.  With me being off he has had double the work.  I’m going to work some over time to try and help him catch up.  You won’t yell at me when I come home will you.”

  Hanna blushed but then said stubbornly.  “Not as long as you call and let me know what is going on.”

  “I promise.”

 

  The next three weeks flew by; Hannah shopped to ready her self for school. She found the clothes in Los Angeles so much more exciting that what she was use to.  Starsky went out of his way to spend as much time with Hutch as he possibly could.  Dobey okayed Starsky’s request for some vacation time to take Hannah to England.  Hutch tried not to think about his friend leaving him.

  But the day came all too soon and Hutch was standing watching the plane with Starsky and Hannah on it take off.  They had said their tearful goodbyes and Hutch promised to take care of Starsky’s apartment and water the plants.

  Slowly Hutch made his way back to the parking garage and got in the car where he sat for a while thinking back to all the things he and Starsky had done over the years.  They had always been there for each other the good and the bad.  Now there was nobody to get him through the bad and to share the good with.

  Not wanting to go home Hutch arrived at the Pits right at its busiest time.  Huggy was nowhere to be seen, Hutch disappointed consoled himself with a beer at the bar hoping Huggy would show up soon.  He needed somebody to talk to and he knew Huggy would understand.

  He was there nearly an hour when a woman screaming for the rear of the bar alerted Hutch who instantly drew his gun and went to investigate.  

  Huggy had staggered in the back door, through the storage room and into the bar; there as a large gash on his head that was bleeding profusely, his eyes were swollen and bruised his nose was twice its normal size, his lips split and bleeding.  He had collapsed nearly knocking over a woman who was now doing the screaming.

  After making sure there was no danger, Hutch holstered his gun and dropped to the floor beside the barkeeper. “Huggy what happened?” But he couldn’t hear what he was trying to say because the woman was still screaming at the top of her lungs.  “Will you SHUT UP!” Hutch bellowed at her.

  The woman looked startled but went silent.  Hutch leaned closer to Huggy to hear what he was saying, “Starsky…he’s in trouble…there is a hit on him…Percola…” Huggy fell unconscious before he could finish.

 

 

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

 

 

   Huggy had been heading to the bank to make a deposit after the lunch crowd when two men camp up on either side of him grabbing him by his elbows and propelling him toward a waiting car. At first Huggy thought he was being robbed but soon he realized that was the last thing on their minds.

   He was quickly blindfolded and sped toward an unknown destination. Once the car stopped Huggy was unceremoniously pulled from the car and walked a short distance. He heard the creak of a door then he could tell he was in some kind of a building where he was shoved into a chair.

  “Where is David Starsky?” The question was fired at him.

   Huggy instantly recognized the voice as belonging to Franny Precola.  “I don’t know the man.”  A fist slammed into his nose sending blood spurting down the front of his shirt and a blinding pain through his head.

  “I need him now.”

  Huggy didn’t answer this time and sealed himself for another blow he knew was surely coming.  He didn’t have to wait long as he was struck over the head with some unknown object that he presumed was the butt of a gun.  Huggy nearly passed out from the pain and his head dropped to his chest.

  “Don’t kill him you fool,” Hissed the voice Huggy knew. 

  Huggy’s head was jerked up, “Unless you want to die you had better tell me where the cop is. And don’t give me that bullshit you don’t know him.”

  “Gone, he’s gone,” Huggy mumbled almost incoherently.

  “Gone, gone where?”  When Huggy didn’t answer immediately another punch was delivered to his right eye though the blind fold.

  “Out of the country,” Huggy hoped he would live through this and get to Hutch so that he could warn Starsky to be on his toes.

  “WHERE?” the voice yelled at him.

  “England.”

  After the thugs finished beating Huggy he was dumped just outside the door to the Pits in the alley.

 

  Hutch was pacing the waiting room.  He spent entirely too much time in hospital waiting rooms, how he hated hospitals.  After an hour the doctor finally came telling Hutch that Huggy was awake and he could speak to him.

  When the detective pulled back the curtain that sectioned Huggy’s bed from the others he was sadden by the shape of their friend.  “How bad?”

  “I’ll live,” Huggy wisecracked.

  “So what was this all about?” Hutch asked hoping the few words that he thought he had heard come from Huggy’s lips were wrong.

  “Hutch ya got to warn Starsk,” Huggy said through his split lips.  “He has a hit out on him.”  On the way back when his captors had thought he was out cold they talked about the hit on the ‘cop’.

  Hutch closed his eyes thanking God that Starsky was in England at the moment.  “Who?”

  “Precola,” Huggy said with out missing a beat. “I would know that bastards voice anywhere.

  “Why would Precola have a hit out on Starsky?”  Hutch questioned.

  “I don’t think he does, Frank Malone does.”

  “B-but Malone is dead.  If he had hired Franny to hit Starsky why would he risk it now that Malone is dead?”

  “Who knows, maybe he’s mad because he got Malone’s brain matter on his fancy fence.”  Huggy tried to grin but it hurt too much.

  “They letting you out of here tonight?”

  “Yeah as soon as the nurse comes back with a script for pain medication.”

 “You come home with me. I don’t want you back at the bar in case they decide to pay you another visit.”

  “Hutch, I think I might have told them that he went to England.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Hutch went to call Starsky while they were finishing up with Huggy.

  He found a pay phone and as he picked up the receiver he realized that he didn’t know where Starsky was staying. He had told him that he would call when he found a place.  Hutch frustrated slammed down the receiver.  He hated not knowing where Starsky was but then neither did Precola for he had the same information that Hutch had, Starsky was in England.

 

   When they arrived back at Hutch’s apartment his front door was standing open.  Making Huggy stay he back pulled his gun from under his jacket and peered around the corner into his apartment.  It was in a disheveled state but it was clear that who ever had been there was now gone.  He put his gun away for the second time that day and motioned for Huggy to come in.

  They both stood around and looked at the mess.  It was mostly drawers that had been opened and dumped.  “They were looking for an address or phone number for where Starsky is,” Hutch surmised. He bent over and picked up the phone that was lying off the hook on the floor, that was when he noticed his answering machine.  It lay open several feet from the phone. Hutch grabbed it, the machine was empty, and he looked around franticly for the tape.

  “NO, NO, NO,” Hutch roared as he tossed the answering machine across the room where it hit the wall and fell to the floor in pieces.

  “Hutch, what’s wrong,” Huggy asked alarmed.

  “They know were Starsky is staying!”

  “Just call him and let him know.”

  “That is just it Huggy, I don’t know where he is.  That is why that message was so important, he was calling to tell me where he was going to be staying.”

   Hutch grabbed the phone from the floor and dialed zero. “I need an international operator.”  It took him a few minutes to get the phone number for Oxford College but it felt like a lifetime.

  “It’s going to take sometime for they to get over there,” Huggy tried to console his friend.

  “Huggy who knows Precola might already have a hit man there and he could be on his way to the hotel right now.” Hutch said as he dialed the number the operator gave him.

  A woman with a British accent answered the phone.  “Oxford College.”

  “I’m looking for a student,” Hutch explained.

  “I’m sorry sir but I can’t give out information on our students.”

  “But this is an emergency.”

  “You can leave a message and they can call you back.”

  “Fine, her name is Hannah Starsky, she is from the United States and starting the fall term, she was suppose to register today or I guess it would be yesterday…I don’t know but she should be there.”  Hutch was rather confused with the time difference.  It had been a happy day when Hannah had gone into the judge’s chambers and her last name changed from Malone to Starsky.  

  “Yes Miss Starsky is registered with us and has been assigned her room. Give me the message and see that she gets it.”

  Hutch gave the woman a very short message. Call Hutch!

 

  Hutch put Huggy to bed in his room then went to clean the mess up.  Just as he was finishing the phone rang, he leapt for it.  “Hey buddy what’s up. Didn’t you get my message?”

  “Starsky listen, you have got to watch your back. Huggy was kidnapped to day they were looking for you.  And he over heard that there is a hit out on you.”

  “What?” Starsky asked startled.  Then he lowered his voice, Hannah was in his room. He had found a hotel with in waking distance of the college. “Who has a hit out on me to you know?”

  “Frank Malone.”

  “Come again?”

  “Apparently that must have been what Malone was doing at Franny’s that day.” 

  “And he’s going on with it?”

  “Looks that way partner.”

  “At least he doesn’t know where I am,” Starsky said a bit relieved.

  “Well I’m afraid he does.  Somebody broke into my apartment and stole the tape out of my answering machine. I just guessed that you had already called to leave me a message where you are staying.”

  “Yeah earlier today.”

  “I think you need to find a different place to stay.” Hutch advised.  He was ready to jump on a plane and fly there.

  “Ok I’ll do that.  I think I’ll take Hannah back to the college she will be safe there.”

  “I don’t think you will have to worry about her Starsk I’m sure Malone had given Franny strict not to harm Hannah.”

  “Yeah well I would rather not take that chance. I’ll give you Hannah’s dorm number in case you need to reach us before I find some place else.”  Starsky was just about to hang up when there was a loud knock at the door.

  “Who is it?” Hutch asked he hearing the knock.

  “I don’t know,” Starsky said reaching for his gun that wasn’t there.  Since he wasn’t on police business he couldn’t get it through customs. “I’ll call you back in a few.”

  “Starsky?  Starsky!” Hutch called into the phone but it was dead.

 

 

 

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

 

 

      Hannah jumped up to get the door.  “Get back,” Starsky hissed softly. Then louder, “Who is it?”

   “Room service,” came an English accent.

  Hannah started for the door again, “I ordered something when you were in the bathroom, I’m starving.”

  “Get in the bathroom and stay there until I tell you it’s safe to come out,” her father commanded.

  With out hesitation Hannah headed toward the bathroom she looked at him with confusion on her face. “What is going on?”

  He put his finger to his lips to quiet her then went to the door.  Slowly he opened the door ready to slam it if need be.  A young man was standing there with a covered tray in his hands.  “Room service,” he said again.

  Starsky relaxed slightly and took the tray, still being very careful.  “Thank you,” Starsky answered and handed the man a tip.

  After he was gone Starsky called for Hannah to come out.  “What was that all about?”

  “Sit down,” he handed her the tray.  “Hutch said… there is a hit out on me.”

  “A hit?”

  “Somebody is out to kill me.”

  Hannah looked annoyed. “I know what a hit is dad.  But who? Why?”

  At first he wasn’t sure he wanted to tell her but then he decided she deserved to know and he wanted to be up front with her.  “Your grandfather.”

  She almost dropped the tray she was holding.  “What? But he’s dead.”

  “I guess he set it up before he died and they are still going to go through with the hit.  One less cop on the streets is good for them.”

  Tears sprung to Hannah’s eyes.  “God this is all my fault. If I hadn’t come to find you none of this would have happened.”

  Starsky sat down next to her and took her hand in his.  “Honey even if they did manage to kill me, which they won’t it would be worth it just to have spent these last few months with you.”

  She put her arms around his neck and hung on to him.  “I love you.”

  “Don’t cry everything is going to be alright. But you need to get back to your dorm where you will be safe.”  Starsky told her.  “I think it’s best if I leave as soon as I can. They will follow me back to the states and you won’t be in danger.”

  Hannah was to stun to even argue she just nodded.  “Okay Daddy.”

 

  Hutch looked at the dead phone in his hand.   “What happened?” Huggy asked.

  As he hung up the phone he said, “Somebody was at the door, Starsk said he would call back.”

  “You don’t think…” Huggy left the sentence unfinished.

  “I don’t know.”

  The wait for Hutch and Huggy was endless; it was over an hour before Starsky called back.  Hutch jumped on the phone the moment it rang.  “Starsk?”

 “Yeah it’s me partner. Sorry it took so long but I wanted to get Hannah back to her dorm safely and get a flight.”

  “Flight?”

  “I’m on my way home.  I figured that Hannah will be safer if I’m not around.”  Starsky said.  Hannah was sitting on her bed her eyes filled with tears.

  “Give me your flight number I’ll be there to pick up buddy.”  Hutch scratched down the information that his partner gave him.

 

  Little did either of them know, that when Precola’s men recovered the answering machine tape they also tapped Hutch’s phone. At that moment the two men that had raided his apartment were sitting in a van across the street from Hutch’s apartment listening to the detectives conversation.  After they had hung up, the one man got into the drivers seat and started up the van as the second man pulled out his cell phone.

 

  Hutch paced the waiting room at the airport; Starsky’s flight was thirty minutes over due.  He asked the agent at the counter several times if she knew what the delay was.  Hutch could tell something was going on by the whispered conversations between employees. Then in a flurry of importance two men came to address the people in the waiting room. One was dressed in a suit the other was clearly a minister.

  “If I could have your attention,” the man in the suit called to everyone there.  After they gathered around he said. “I am sorry to inform you of this but Fight 288 from Heathrow crash into the ocean one hundred miles off the east coast roughly two hours ago.  There are no known survivors at this time.”

  Several women screamed one fainted most everyone began to cry.  Hutch stood there stunned.  He had just lost his very best friend in the world.  Finding his voice he called out, “What happened?”

  “That is under investigation sir.” The suited man answered. The minister was going around trying to comfort people, as were several airport employees.

  There was no way Precola would down a whole airline to get to Starsky would he?  “Excuse me,” Hutch held up his badge. “I need to speak with you privately.”

  The man sighed and nodded. Hutch followed him to an empty room near by.  “Listen officer…”

  “It’s Detective, Detective Hutchinson. My partner was on that fight.  And there is a possibility that what ever happened on that fight was not an accident.”

  “We have already figured that out Detective…Hutchinson was it?” the man said.  “A bomb went off about dead center of the plane blowing a hole large enough that half of the passengers were sucked out immediately.  What people were left burned up as the plane plunged into the ocean.”

  Hutch sucked in his breath he had thought he was being paranoid.  “Mr…uh?”

   “Davis.”

  “Mr. Davis, my partner had a hit out on him…”

  The man interrupted Hutch, “And he is so important that someone downed a whole plane.  I don’t have time for this detective.  We have some 200 plus families to contact and console. I understand your loss and it’s hard to except but I don’t have time to deal with your wild stories. So if you will excuse me.”

  Davis left the room leaving Hutch staring after him opened mouthed. Maybe he was right it was just a coincidence.  Hutch with his heart aching left the airport and headed home.  Once he got there he made two phone calls one to his captain and one to Huggy who had insisted on going to work.  Then he sat there in the growing darkness to numb to move.  He didn’t turn on a light just sat there thinking of the all the things good and bad that he had Starsky had been through. Nothing would ever been the same for him.  He thought about Hannah and how he would have to be the one to tell her she was an orphan.  She had just found her father and now he was gone.  Hutch’s next thought was how this was all his fault. If he hadn’t called Starsky he would never have been on that plane.

  He couldn’t even cry as twilight turned into darkness.  Hutch didn’t know how long he had been asleep, he didn’t remember even feeling sleepy but a noise at the door woke him.  Instantly he was alert wondering if that bastard Precola was coming after him.  Stealthily he crept to where he kept his gun and pulled it from its holster.  He slipped behind the door just as it opened. 

 The intruder entered the room; Hutch stuck the barrel of the gun to the back of the person’s head.  “Just give me a reason I have nothing more to lose.”

  “Hutch what the hell are you doing?”

  The voice made Hutch’s heart leap; he flipped the light on leaving both him and Starsky blinking in the sudden brightness.  Hannah lugging a suitcase came though the door.  “Hi Uncle Hutch!” she said cheerily. 

  Hutch’s gun hand hung limply at his side.  Starsky took it from him before he dropped.  “Are you alright Hutch?  What’s going on?”

  Hutch threw his arms around Starsky, “I have never been so glad to see anyone in all my life.”

  Starsky looked at Hannah confused.  Suddenly her mouth formed an O.  “Dad weren’t you suppose to be on that flight that crashed?”

  “God Hutch is that what his was all about?”

  Hutch nodded as his unshed tears from earlier steamed down his face. “I was waiting for you at the airport when we were told about the plane.   Starsky there was a bomb.”

  “How do you know that? It’s not on the news.”

  “A man, Mr. Davis told me. I pulled him aside to tell him that the crash might not have been an accident. That was when he told me it was a bomb. I guess they are keeping it quiet for right now.”

  “You don’t honestly think….”

  “I don’t know buddy I’m just glad you weren’t on that flight.” Hutch said embracing his partner again. Then he went and hugged Hannah.

  “Well you can thank my bratty daughter for that one.” He smiled at his daughter.

 

 

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

 

 

   Hannah had been very upset at the prospect of Starsky leaving especially knowing there was a hit out on him.  She sat sobbing on her bed in the dorm.  She had begged with him to stay as he called the airport and booked the soon to be doomed flight.

  “Hannah it’s not safe for you for me to be here,” he explained for the hundredth time.

  “I don’t care. I want to be with you.”

  “This will be over soon then I’ll come back I promise.”

  “It’s not fair,” she pouted.

  “I know it’s not but that is the way life is.”

  “Having a hit put out on you?”

  He laughed, “Honey it’s not the first time nor will it probably the last. Just a hazard of the job.”

  Hannah looked at him astonished she had never really thought what the life of a cop was really like.  Since she had known her dad he had been shot and now had a hit out on him.  She shook her head, “Why would anybody want to be a cop,” she said more to herself than her father.

  Starsky laughed again.  “Guess we are missing a few brain cells.”

  “A few?” She got up from the bed pulled a few things from the dresser drawer that she had been putting away and placed them back in her suitcase.  Then she closed and locked it.

  “What are you doing?” Starsky asked.

  “I’m going home with you,” Hannah said. 

   “Listen young lady…” Starsky started.

  “If I lose you then I have nothing I would rather be killed with you than to live alone with nobody.”

  He couldn’t argue with that, he knew how she felt he had lost so much over the years.  “Let’s get to the airport then.  But don’t think you are going to get out of going to college there are plenty of them in the states.”

 

  Now the two of them were standing in Hutch’s living room.  Hutch was still getting over the shock that his partner was still alive.  “We had to take a different flight that one was booked, I couldn’t get Hannah a ticket,” Starsky was explaining.

   A knock on the door startled them all; Hutch took a couple of steps and pulled the door open.  Huggy was standing there a mournful look on his face.  “I’ve been listening to the news man. I can’t believe Starsk is…” Huggy caught sight of the thought to be dead detective.  “Well I’ll be.”

  Starsky quickly explained what happened then after getting a good look at Huggy’s face asked, “Precola’s goons do that to you?”

  Huggy nodded.  “They mean business about this hit.”

  “But I think we just got the upper hand on them,” Hutch said a grin spreading over his face. “If we all thought that Starsky was dead then a good bet is that Precola thinks so too.   And I’m betting he sent one of his men on that plane, how they got a bomb on there is anybody’s guess.”

  It hurt Starsky to think of all the people that died because someone was after him.  “Maybe it was just a coincidence.” Starsky said with hope in his voice.

  Hutch knew how his partner must have been feeling.  “Let’s hope so Starsk, let’s hope so.

   Leaving Hannah at Hutch’s apartment with Huggy the two detectives went to headquarters to let their captain know Starsky was alive and well.  Dobey was on the phone when they walked into his office.  He quickly hung up when he saw both of his detectives standing before him. 

   “How…what.” Dobey was actually speechless.

   Starsky grinned at his captain. “You don’t think a little old plane blowing up was going to keep me from coming to work do you?”

  “Cut the crap Starsky,” Dobey said gruffly but he was overjoyed to see him.  Once again Starsky told his story of how he ended up on a different plane.  “Well I’m glad.”

  “Thanks Captain,” Starsky said.  “Hutch here would have hated to have to break in another partner, he’s just getting use to me.”  Hutch poked him in the ribs.  “See what I mean?”

  Hutch sighed. “I think we need to get out on the streets while we still have an upper hand. I doubt it will take Precola long to figure out that you are alive.”

 

  “How about some lunch?” Huggy asked Hannah who had settled in to watch a daytime soap.

  “Sure that would be great, I’ll see what Uncle Hutch has.”

  Huggy shook his head, “Honey believe me you ain’t going to want to be eating anything he has around here.  That is unless you are in to that gray goop he whirls up.”

  Hannah wrinkled her nose.  “I could go out and get something. There is a store up the street.”

  “You finish your show I’ll go.” Huggy offered.  “What strikes your fancy?”

  Hannah shrugged, “Anything is fine, but pizza sounds good.”

  Huggy shook his head as he went out the door and mumbled, “Just like her old man.”

   While Huggy was gone the soap ended and the noon news came on.  Hannah started to get up to hunt up some plates and fix drinks when a story about Francis Precola came. She recognized the front gate of his house as the female reporter stood in front of it.  She was saying something about Starsky’s shooting then went into the police trying to pin racketeering charges on Precola.  The longer the reporter went on the madder Hannah got.

  Finally she grabbed her jacket and purse, she thought about leaving a note but what was she going to say ‘went to see Mr. Precola?’ she thought not.  Once out on the street she looked up and down and was relieved that Huggy wasn’t on his way back yet. She knew that he would try to stop her. 

  Hannah walked a few blocks hoping that she would find a cab; finally as she got closer to more businesses she spotted a cab and haled it.  After she got into the cab the driver asked. “Where to Miss?”

  “Do you know where Mr. Precola lives?”

  “Franny Precola?”
  “Yes.”

  “Miss just about everybody knows where he lives. What do you want to go there for?”

  “I got some business with Mr. Precola.”

   “What would a sweet young thing like you what to talk to Precola for?”  The cabbie asked.  She sure didn’t look like a hooker and Precola wasn’t into that anyway; it was about the only thing he wasn’t into.

  “I have money can you just take me there, please?”

  “Sure thing doll.”

  Huggy kicked the door with his foot since his hands were full. In one he had a pizza in the other a six-pack of pop.  After he waited a few minutes, he sat the pop down and twisted the doorknob.  An empty room greeted him but the television was still on.  “Hannah?”

  He sat the pie on the coffee table and retrieved the drinks for the hall floor then went out on the porch to see she maybe she was getting some sun. He called out to her a few more times.  Thinking maybe she just went for a walk Huggy helped himself to the pizza.

 

  The cabbie dropped Hannah off in front of Precola’s mansion. “You sure about this?”

  Hannah didn’t answer she just handed the man the money owned him and walked toward the gate.  She saw a box on a pole that she guessed was to call to the house to announce yourself so she depressed the button.

  Jackson who was manning the gate from inside the house nearly fell out of his chair when the buzzer went off.  He was half dozing with the chair tilled back on two legs.  The front two legs hit the floor with a teeth jarring bang.  Dazed he looked around wondering what startled him, and then he heard the gate buzzer go off again. 

 “Yeah!” he said angrily into the intercom he hated being jolted from his sleep.

  “I need to speak to Mr. Precola,” came the young voice though the speaker.

  “Oh you do do you? Well what ever you are selling missy Mr. Precola isn’t buying.”

  “I’m not selling anything. I need to talk over some business with him.”

  The man chuckled. “He don’t hire prostitutes.”

  “Listen I’m not a prostitute.” Hannah was getting irritated with this man.  She decided to use her clout knowing her name would get her in.  “I’m Hannah Malone…Frank Malone’s granddaughter.”

    The name Hannah meant nothing to Jackson but the name Frank Malone meant everything. He had even worked for the man for a time.  “Just a minute let me see if Mr. Precola is in.”

 Precola was sitting at his desk eating a turkey sandwich as he was going over some papers.  When Jackson appeared in the doorway, he asked. “What is it?”

  “There is someone at the gate for you.”

  “Well who is it?”

  “She says that she is Frank Malone’s granddaughter.”

  Franny dropped his sandwich back on the plate. “What the hell does she want?”

  Jackson shrugged, “Just said she had some business she wanted to discuss with you.”

  “Then I guess you had better let her in.”

 

  It was nearly six o’clock when the two detectives arrived back at the apartment.  Huggy was sprawled on the couch sound asleep a half a pizza sitting on the coffee table. 

  “Hannah?” Starsky called out as he reached over the couch to shake Huggy awake.  Huggy roused up and looked at Starsky.  “Hug where is Hannah?”
  “She’s not back yet? What time is it?” Huggy asked, he had taken one of the pain pills the doctor had given him, which had knocked him out.

   “Back yet?  Where did she go?”

  “I don’t know man I went to get some lunch and when I came back she was gone. Just thought she went for a walk, then I fell asleep.”

  “Where the hell could she have gone?” Starsky asked franticly thinking the worst instantly. 

 

 

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

 

 

  It was dark, damp and Hannah couldn’t move her arms or legs.  Her head ached; she started to cry out then remembered the events that had got her in this predicament.  “Crap I’m stupid,” Hannah said out loud as she wondered how she was going to get herself out of the mess she was in.  Now she wished she had left a note at least her father would have known where to start looking for her.

  Jackson had buzzed Hannah in the gate and was waiting at the front door for her.  Then lead her to Franny Precola’s office; he was still eating his lunch when she was escorted in.

  “Would you like something to eat Miss Malone?” he asked holding up the half eaten sandwich.

  “No thank you,” Hannah said as she took a seat in front of his desk.

  “How about a drink then?”

  “Sure,” She looked up at Jackson, “Water?”

  “Coming up,” he guard said and left the room.

  “Now Miss Malone how may I help you?” Precola asked.  “I would like to extend my condolences on your grandfathers untimely death.”

  Jackson brought a glass of water in and handed it to Hannah.  She took it and sat the glass on the edge of the desk. “Let’s cut to the chase Mr. Precola. I’m here to ask you to call off a hit.”

  If Precola was startled by her words he didn’t let it show.  “Is that so and just what hit is that?”

  “The one my grandfather hired you for. Grandfather is dead and I want the hit called off.”

  “I don’t see where this concerns you Miss Malone.”

  “Well it does and it’s Miss Starsky now, name ring a bell?” She looked at the man piercingly.

  This time surprised did register on the man face.  “Miss Starsky? I thought you were Frank Malone’s granddaughter.”

  “I am and David Starsky is my father, I just recently claimed my rightful name.”  Hannah’s gaze did not waver.  “Since my grandfather is dead I seen no reason for the hit to continue.  I will pay you your fee for the hit.”

  “You just can’t waltz in here and cancel a hit, that isn’t the way it works.” Malone got up from his seat and walked to the window to look out.

  “Then just how does it work?  She demanded.

  “Listen missy, I have a reputation and if I called off this hit the talk on the streets would be that Franny Precola has gone soft.  I won’t let that happen. I was hired to see a job done and that is what I’m going to do.”  He turned to look at her. 

 Hannah was glaring at him with hate filled eyes, “Don’t you care about anything?”

  “Yeah saving my own skin, if I let this drop every two bit hood out there would be vying for my job.”

  “So an innocence man is going to die?”

  Precola chuckled, “Just one less cop to hassle us.”

  With out even thinking Hannah jumped to her feet and lunged at Precola, she never saw Jackson behind her.

  Now here she sat tied up in a wine cellar cursing herself for being so childish as to think she could go up against somebody like Precola. From her aching head she surmised that the bodyguard had whacked her over the head.  She strained to see in the darkness, there was only a faint shaft of light coming from under a door.  Hannah struggled against the ropes that bound her wrists and ankles.

 

   Starsky climbed in his car, Hutch had to run to catch up with him jumping in just before his partner pulled away from the curb.  “Where could she be all this time?”

  “Maybe she just went shopping uh?” Hutch suggested as he gripped the dashboard as Starsky screeched around a corner.  “Slow down man we will never see her at this speed.”

  “She should have called, should have left a note.” Starsky muttered to himself.

  “Starsk she is a teenager did you leave notes when you were that age?”

  Starsky shot Hutch a look as he rounded another corner narrowly missing a parked car. “That was different.”

  “How?”

  “I’m not a girl.”

  “Chauvinist”

  “It’s my daughter.”

  “I know that buddy but you aren’t going to help Hannah by wrecking the car.”

  Starsky slammed on his breaks almost rear ending the car in front of them.  He has been so busy looking up and down the sidewalks he hadn’t see the car.

  “Starsky stop,” Hutch commanded but his words were unheeded as Starsky took off again once the light was green.  When Starsky almost ran the next stop light Hutch reached over and turned off the ignition.  “Just STOP!”

  “Give me my god damn keys,” Starsky bellowed as he grabbed for them but Hutch held them out of his reach.

  “Starsky you are not thinking clearly. We are never going to locate Hannah if you don’t stop being so crazy.  Why don’t we put out an APB on her?  Maybe she just went out for a walk and got lost.  She has only been to my place a couple of times.”

  Starsky snapped his fingers, “Maybe she went back to my apartment.”

  “That’s miles from here.”

  “She could have gotten a cab if she got lost.”

  “Hey partner that’s not a bad idea,” Hutch said picking up the microphone.

  “Huh?”

  “Let’s call the cab company and see if any of the drivers picked up a girl of her description.”

  A look of relief came over Starsky face.  “Thanks man at least one of us is thinking.

  Hutch put the call into the cab company who told him that they were welcome to come down and talk to the drivers but dispatch didn’t go on descriptions of customers only addresses.  Hutch did give them Starsky’s address but there had been nobody dropped off there.

  They arrived at the cab company just as the shift was about to change the garage was a hubbub with drivers checking in and out. The night dispatcher was understanding and put out a call to all the drivers in the garage.  It went silently immediately.  “Listen up,” Charlie said over the loudspeaker.  “This gentleman is looking for his daughter. He’s going to give you a description of her and where she might have caught a cab so give him your attention.”

  Charlie handed Starsky the mic, he quickly described Hannah down to what she had been wearing the last time he had seen her.  He also gave them the area around Hutch’s apartment.  Starsky ended by saying, “Please think hard, she is new to the city and maybe lost.”

  Starsky handed Charlie back the mic and thanked him.  Then he looked at Hutch, they listened as the drivers talked amongst themselves but nobody came forward.  Starsky’s face fell he was sure this would pan out.

  “It was worth a try Starsk,” Hutch said trying to comfort his friend.  “Let’s go down to the station about get that APB out on her.

 As they were about to leave, a cabbie called out to them, “Hey wait!” The two detectives turned around a man was hurrying toward them.  “I think I might have picked up the young lady you were describing.  Sorry I was in the can over heard a couple of buddies talking.  Tell me again what she looked like.”

  Starsky pulled his wallet from his back pocket. “I can do you one better than that.”  He handed the man a photo of Hannah that had been taken only a few weeks before at one of those cheesy photo places at the mall.

  The cabbie took the photo and without delay nodded, “Yep that’s her.”

  Starsky let out his breath he felt as if it had been holding it since they had discovered Hannah was missing.  “Where did you take her do you remember?”

  “Oh sure that’s easy I’ll never forget that.  I dropped her at Franny Precola’s place.”

  Both Starsky and Hutch’s jaws dropped, as they looked at the cabbie in stunned silence.

 

 

 

CHAPTER NINETEEN

 

 

   Hannah strained against the ropes binding her hands hoping to loosen them. She had no idea what she would do once she was loose but it was better than sitting there tied up.  The door opened suddenly sending a blinding light into her face.  Hannah squinted trying to see who was coming toward her.

  Franny Precola circled the chair studying Hannah as she wiggled trying to free her self.  “This couldn’t have worked out any better.”

  “What are you taking about,” she seethed.

  “Starsky will come looking for you and then he’s mine.”

  “He has no idea where I am.”

  “Well Starsky and Hutch have a rep they aren’t stupid and they will find you, count on it missy.” Franny said rubbing his hand along the side of her face.

  “Get your fucking hands off me.” Hannah spit out.

  Franny laughed, “You are spunky, I like that.”

  “If my grandfather was alive you wouldn’t be treating me like this.”

  “You are right about that and you wouldn’t have come knocking on my door if he were alive either.”

  Hannah glared at him.  “My father is too smart to fall into a trap.”

  Franny crouched down until he was eye level with Hannah.  “Over the years I have found people do stupid things for the people they love.  He’s not thinking about protecting himself only you.”

  “He has his partner to protect him! 

 

   “Let me drive,” Hutch ordered, fearing if he let his partner drive they would never get there.

  At first Starsky hesitated then tossed Hutch the keys, “Fine let’s just get going.”  When the cabbie said that Hannah had gone to Franny Precola’s an electric current of fear ran though Starsky’s body.  He knew if Frank Malone was alive that Hannah was safe but with him dead who knows what Precola might do to her especially to get at him.

  Once they arrived at the gated fence that surrounded Precola’s house Hutch pulled off down the street where they had been staking out the place.  He picked up the microphone Starsky snatched it from him.

  “What are you doing?” Starsky said hanging up the mic.

  “I was going to call for back up.” Hutch answered.

  “And get her killed? If police surround his place she is as good as dead and you know it.  We are going to have to do this our selves or am I in this alone buddy?”

  “You know better than that Starsk I’m with you all the way. I just thought a little back up might not hurt.”

  They got out of the car and crossed the street then began walking the perimeter of Precola’s compound looking for a way in with out being seen.  “You know,” Hutch whispered as they squatted near the cover of several bushes, “We could probably just walk in the front door. I doubt Precola wants to keep us out, I’m sure he knows we will be coming for Hannah.”

  “It sure is quiet isn’t it?” Starsky said surveying the area. Usually there was at least one guard.  “You know that’s not a bad idea.”

  “What’s that,” Hutch said absently as he concentrated on how to get them in side the fence.

 “Walking in the front door.”

  Hutch looked at his partner, “Are you crazy?  Precola’s men will shoot you dead.”

  “I don’t think so,” Starsky said hoping he was right.  “I’m sure Precola will want to have a few words with me and I’m also sure he won’t want blood on his carpet.  You go call for back up I’ll wait a few minutes then go in.”

  “Starsky no, I won’t let you do it, it’s suicide and you know now it.”

  “Do you see a better way?  I don’t want Hannah dying on a count of me. How would I live with that?”

  “Precola is just as likely to kill you both.”

  “He has no reason to kill Hannah if he has me.”  Starsky looked his partner in the eye. They both knew that he was right.

  Hutch took a deep breath he didn’t like it, not one bit.  “Alright but you see if you can’t some how leave that front door open or unlocked. I’ll go and call back up and be right behind you.”

  Starsky nodded, he stood up and walked around the corner to the front gate.  He depressed the same button that Hannah had hours earlier.

  “Yeah.”

  “This is Detective Starsky I need to speak with Precola about my daughter.”

  Jackson was surprised that the cop would be bold enough to just walk in the front door.  “Just one moment I’ll see if Mr. Precola is in.”  Jackson practically sprinted to the wine cellar door, he took the steps two at a time. When he reached the bottom he saw Precola talking the girl.  “Mr. Precola Starsky is at the front gate he wants to speak with you.”

  An evil grin spread across Franny’s face, “See I told you he would come to me,” he breathed in her face.

  “NO NO,” Hannah screamed, “DADDY NO! IT’S A TRAP!”

  Precola laughed, “You stupid girl he knows the score, he knows he will never walk out of here alive!  He’s your knight in shining armor.” 

  “No, no,” Hannah sobbed more quietly.  “Please Mr. Precola please don’t kill my daddy, he’s all I have left.”

  Precola express his amusement as he left.  “It’s better not to have anyone then there is nobody to lose.

  As soon as the door slammed shut Hannah looked around franticly, she had to get loose she had to save her father some how.  She twisted her wrists until they were raw but the rope wouldn’t budge.  “Damn it!” she yelled out loud.  Hannah noticed for the first time that there was a pillar made out of brick off to her right, maybe just maybe if she could get close to it she could cut the rope on the sharp edge of the brick.  She wiggled her way in the wooden chair, as she moved she realized that even if that would work it would take entirely too long.

  Just as she was about to make the last hop to the wall the chair leg caught in a crack in the cement floor tumbling Hannah to the floor.  There was a loud crack as two of the chair legs broke.  Hannah’s legs were free but she was still tied to the back of the chair and the rope around her hands.  Hoping the rest of the chair was as brittle as the legs she walked a few paces from the pillar then with all her weight propelled her self backward. She hit with a spine jarring crash as the chair broke into several pieces and fell to the floor.

 

  Franny Precola had positioned him self at his desk before he allowed Jackson to let Starsky in.  A gun lay across his lap just in case the cop tried anything.  As Starsky entered Franny nodded at him.  “Detective Starsky.”

  “Where is my daughter Precola,” Starsky demanded with out mincing words.

  “What makes you think I have your daughter?”  Precola asked then he laughed. “I don’t ‘have’ your daughter, she came to me.”

  “What the hell would she do that for?”

  “To beg for your sorry ass life.”  Precola said, he shifted in his seat but didn’t get up he wanted to keep the gun hidden until it was needed.

  “Well you got me, let her go.”

  “I could do two for the price of one no skin off my nose.”

  “But she has done nothing to you. Malone would have your hide for this.”

  “Frank Malone is no longer with us now is he? So I really don’t have to worry about what he would or wouldn’t do to me.”

  “Precola I’m begging you please let her go.”

  He laughed, “You know you sound just like your daughter.  Maybe I’ll just hang on to her, might be nice to have some sweet young thing at my beck’en call.”

 At those words Starsky lunged across the desk at Franny Precola but Franny was expecting the move and pushed his desk chair away from the desk leaving Starsky grabbing nothing but air.

  Franny jumped to his feet and aimed the gun at Starsky’s head.  “Pretty stupid move for a smart cop.”

 

 

CHAPTER TWENTY

 

 

   As soon as Starsky started toward the front gate Hutch took out on a dead run to get to the car.  He didn’t like his partner going in Precola’s house alone. He would get back up called, then find Starsky hopefully he wouldn’t be too late.

  Hutch managed to climb the fence and hoist himself over with out impaling himself on the sharp points that adorned the top of the wrought iron fence.  He dropped down behind some bushes then peered out to see if anyone had spotted him.  There was no movement on the grounds or inside the house.  Quickly he made his way to the front door hoping Starsky had been able to leave it unlocked.  Hutch gripped the doorknob and turned but it was locked. “Damn,” he swore under his breath. He flattened himself against the side of the house and looked around for a way to get in.

 

   Precola had Starsky’s head pinned to his desk the gun pointed at the officer’s temple.  “Was it worth it?”

  “You are really a bastard you know it?” Starsky snapped.

  Precola jabbed the muzzle of the gun into the side of Starsky’s head painfully.  “You aren’t in any position to be such a smart ass.”

  “Hey boss,” Jackson said, “you want me to take care of him?”  Jackson was just itching to shoot the cop; he had his gun out trained toward the two men.

  “I think I want this one, if you don’t mine Jackson.  I’ll let you have the girl.”

  “NO!” Starsky tried to pull away from Precola but his head was slammed back on the desk.  “Damn it Precola you let her go. She hasn’t done anything.”

  “She will run to the cops if I let her go and I’m be damned if I get taken down by some little teenage slut.”

  “No she won’t, let me talk to her.” Starsky pleaded.

  Precola tipped his head back and let out a loud chortle. “Just how fucking stupid to you think I am?”

  Little did any of them know that Hannah had untangled her self from the broken chair and was finding her way toward the den where Precola was holding her father.    The house was huge but she steadily made her way in the direction of the voices she could hear.

  Once out side the den door Hannah stopped holding her breath and tried to calm her self.  Her heart was beating so fast she felt as if it were going to hurl its self from her chest.   She peeked in the crack of the partially open door. She could see Precola holding her father with a gun pointed at his head and Jackson was standing only inches on the other side of the door.

  Hannah wondered where Hutch was and looked around hoping that he was hiding some place waiting for the right moment to make his move but there was no sign of him.  It was up to her to save both her self and her father.  Hannah now realized why her grandfather had kept her and her mother from his real life.  This is what he had so feared would have happened to both of them if they had reminded in the states. 

 

   Outside Hutch moved from window to window but all of them were covered with iron bars there was no breaking in.  He was beginning to get frantic for he knew he was running out of time.  His only hope was that back up would get there soon and they could break down the front door.  He kept moving around the perimeter of the house hoping against hope he would find a way in.

  Then the shots came… three of them in secession.  Hutch felt the blood drain from his face, he should have never let Starsky go in there they should have waited for back up.  He ran for the front door and began pounding on it not caring if Precola himself opened it.

 

   Hannah took a deep breath then in one fluid movement pushed open the den door, kneed Jackson in the growing causing him to drop his gun, which she swiftly picked up.

  As Jackson rolled on the floor clutching his throbbing balls, Precola began laughing.  “Who do you think you are one of Charlie’s Angels?”

  Hannah’s eyes narrowed as she took a step closer to the man that was holding her father. “You alright daddy?”

  “Hannah run!” Starsky yelled at her.

  But Hannah held her ground never taking her eyes off Precola.  She was aiming the gun at him as she took another step.  He laughed again. “What are you going to do girlie shoot me?  You don’t have the guts!”

  Precola began to squeeze the trigger, the gun still held to Starsky’s head. But he was looking at Hannah he wanted to see the look in her eyes as he killed her father.

  There was the sound of a gun going off but it wasn’t Precola’s, Hannah pulled the trigger of the gun she held in her out stretched hand.  The look of total shock on Precola’s face didn’t stop her from pumping two more bullets in the man’s chest. 

  Franny couldn’t believe that she had actually shot him, he tried to squeeze the trigger wanting to kill the cop but two more bullets pounded in to him before he could driving him into his desk chair.  The gun fell from his limp hand to the floor.

  Starsky jumped up immediately grabbing the gun from Hannah’s hand.  “You okay?”

  “Yeah I’m find,” Hannah said calmly.  She knew she should be shook up but she wasn’t.  All that had been on her mind was saving her father and she had done that.  She threw her arms around Starsky’s neck are you okay?”

  He nodded, “On you feet,” Starsky ordered Jackson who was still rolling around.  But the man was unable to stand.  “Man you sure know how to handle yourself.”

  Hannah smiled at him.  “Grandfather taught me how to use a gun and how to defend my self.  He’s just lucky he went down I know karate too.”  She kicked the man’s foot. “Don’t mess with a Starsky.”

  Starsky laughed.  “You can say that again.”

  The front door banged open, a battering ram along with several officers flew into the hallway.  Hutch ran past them yelling for Starsky.

  “In here buddy.”

  Hutch found his way to the den and was relieved to see his partner and Hannah in one piece.  He surveyed the room, Precola sat dead in his desk chair and Jackson was still withering on the floor.  “Wow partner you took them out.”

  Starsky shook his head. “It wasn’t me buddy.”

  “Then who?” Hutch asked looking around the room. 

  “We got our selves a little wild cat here.”  Starsky said hugging Hannah.
  “YOU? You did all this?” Hutch said unbelieving at first.

  Hannah blushed and nodded.  “I guess it wasn’t very lady like was it?”

  “I’ll be shit!  Hell we could use somebody like you on the force.” Hutch teased her.

  “Wel-l-l, I have sort of been thinking.”  Hannah beginning.

  “NO…oh no you don’t I’m not going to have any daughter of mine being a cop.”  Starsky sputtered and glared at Hutch for bringing it up.

   “It’s good enough for you daddy,” Hannah grinned at his reaction.

   “Well it’s different,” he said.

   “How?”

   “You’re a girl.”

   “There are plenty of police women out there.”

  “Yeah but they aren’t my daughters.”  Starsky answered.

 

   …and graduating at the top of her class we are proud to present Hannah Rosey Malone-Starsky top honors.  She is one of the finest officers to ever come out of this academy.”

  A loud cheer rose from the audience but none louder than her biggest fan David Starsky.   Hutch patted his partner on the back as they both yelled Hannah’s name.  Huggy was on his feet next to them as was Captain Dobey. 

  Hannah stepped up to the microphone dressed in her new police uniform.  “Thank you,” she said to the Commissioner then looked out at the audience.  “I am proud to be here today and I hope to make a difference in our fine city.  But I wouldn’t be standing here if it hadn’t been for the love and support from my father David Starsky and his partner Ken Hutchinson. I love you both.”

  Another loud cheer rose from the crowd.  Starsky moved down the row of seats until he was in the isle, with tears standing in his eyes he made his way toward the stage his daughter was standing on.  She came down the steps to meet him.  Starsky grabbed her holding her tightly in his arms, “I’m so proud of you honey,” he whispered.  “I know your mom is proud too.”

  She kissed him on the cheek. “I love you daddy.”

 

  After the ceremony they were walking back to Starsky’s car, “Now no special treatment, no pulling strings to get me in a prime spot I want to work my way to the top on my own.”  Hannah admonished her father.

 Starsky beamed as he looked at Hutch, “She wants to be a detective like her old man.”

  Hannah laughed, “Detective? Hell no, I plan on making Captain so I can be your boss.”  She sidled away from Starsky and ran for the car.

  “Hey you come back here you little brat, I didn’t give you your spanking yet,” He called as he ran after her

  Hutch sighed and shook his head, “I don’t know if I can stand two Starsky’s in the same police department.

 

            THE END