| Bear Trap: Chapter 1 |
| Huggy Bear Brown walked around the bar, making sure all the lights were off before locking the front door. The slim black man grabbed the last bag of trash and took it out the back door, locking it behind him. It was after 2 am and he was tired. He'd had a busy night, which was good for his wallet, but hard on his body. He tossed the garbage in the dumpster and felt around in his pocket for his car keys. The brown convertible was parked close to the door. Huggy was looking forward to a hot shower and a good night's sleep. He was going home alone, tonight. His long list of lovelies would have to wait for another night. The Bear was too tired to hug the girls, let alone anything else. Huggy chanted to himself as he walked around to the driver's side door. "The girls gotta love me cause they all wanna hug me." He laughed at himself. He was really tired. That shower was really looking good right now. "Ah, man!" Huggy swore silently as he saw the flat tire on the front of the convertible. "This is not what I wanted to see!" He shook his head, grumbling as he walked back to the trunk of the car. He unlocked it and reached in for his tire iron and spare tire. He frowned when he saw the dark blue gym bag sitting at the back of the trunk. It didn't belong to him and he had no idea how it had gotten in his trunk. Curious, he unzipped it and peered inside. His dark eyes widened as he saw the small packets of white powder. "No! This can't be what I'm seein'!" He shook his head, hard. His hand trembled slightly as he picked up a small packet. He tore one corner and stuck his finger in the powder, then tasted it. He groaned out loud. "Damn! Now how did this junk into my ride? I can't believe this!" Huggy reached for the offending bag and was lifting it as the sound of a car caught his attention. He dropped the bag and slammed the trunk shut, and turned around to face the black and white patrol car that was moving slowly up the alley. He felt the first pangs of fear when he saw who the uniformed policeman was. Saul Mitchum had patrolled the same area for over ten years, and had never liked the black proprietor of The Pits. He didn't like the clientele that frequented the bar; he didn't like any man that went by the garish name of "Huggy Bear"; and he really didn't like the fact that Huggy was a good friend of Starsky and Hutch. The two detectives had turned to Huggy for information over the years, and to Saul, that meant he was their snitch. Saul thought it was very bad form to get emotionally involved with a snitch. Sooner or later they would stab you in the back, no matter how friendly they were. Saul got out and walked around to the front of Huggy's car. He shook his head and grinned maliciously when he saw the flat tire. "Aww, you got a boo boo on your fancy ride, snitch. What a shame. Two o'clock in the morning and not a soul in sight. That's not good. Here, let me give you a hand." Huggy moved away from the car. "That's OK, Mitchum. I got it. I'll have the tire changed in flash and I'll be on my way. Thanks for the offer, though." "Now, would I be doing my duty if I left you out here all by yourself? What if you got mugged? We can't let that happen, now, can we? Hand me your keys." Huggy backed up another step. "I said, thanks but no thanks, OFFICER. I can handle it." "And I said, I would be derilect in my duty if I left you alone. Hand me your keys!" Before Huggy could move, Mitchum grabbed the keys out of his hand and opened the trunk. His laugh was sinister when he spied the gym bag, which was still open. "Well, what have we here?" He leered as he picked up the bag. "Now, don't tell me. This is sugar packets for your bar, right? Except, I don't think the scum that you associate with drink much coffee." Mitchum tore open a packet and tasted it's contents. He tsked as he sat the bag down, and pulled out his handcuffs. "You've really done it this time, snitch. Not even Starsky and Hutch can get you out of this one. Turn around. I said, turn around! You're under arrest for the possession of a controlled substance, with intent to sell." Huggy did as he was told, his eyes looking upward. "OK, I can wake up any time now." |
| Detective David Starsky was dreaming. He smiled at the lovely blonde woman lying beside him on the oversized beach towel. His blue eyes lit up as she handed him a bottle of suntan lotion, then rolled over on her back. He squirted the lotion into his palm and rubbed his hands together. He was reaching for her pale, silky shoulders when the phone rang. RRINNGGG!!! Starsky moaned and rolled over, unwilling to relinquish the dream. The strident sound continued, and he finally surrendered to it. Without opening his eyes, he groped for the reciever, and mumbled into it. "Starsky. This better be good." "Well, from where I'm standin', it ain't that great, Starsk." Starsky rubbed his face and opened his eyes. He focused on the voice he'd heard. "What? Huggy? Is that you? What's wrong?" "Nothin' that the cavalry can't handle. I'm in jail, Starsky." Starsky sat up in the bed. "In jail? Why?" "It ain't because I want to be! Look, will you just call your other half and get down here ASAP?" "Down where? Metro?" "Yes, your home away from home. Where you go to WORK, Curly." "OK, calm down. We'll be there in a few minutes. Don't go anywhere." Huggy hung up the phone and looked over at the cop standing beside him. "And where would I go?" Thirty minutes later, Starsky and Hutch waited in an interrogation room for the officer on duty to bring in Huggy. Their long time friend was subdued and his unique style of clothes looked out of place in the somber surroundings. Starsky motioned for Huggy to sit down and sat a fresh cup of coffee in front of him. Hutch waited for Huggy to settle himself in the chair. "OK, Hug, we read the report. Now, do you want to tell us what really happened?" For the first time in hours, Huggy smiled. "You know the stuff wasn't mine. That's the best thing I've heard all night. Hutch, I don't KNOW what happened. This is all like a bad dream!" "So start at the beginning. Tell us everything that happened. Don't leave anything out, no matter how unimportant you think it is." Huggy took a deep breath. "OK, here goes. I closed the Pits down at 2:00, just like always. Diane and everybody else went out the front door. I made sure everything was locked up tight, grabbed the last bag of trash and went out the back door. I locked it behind me, threw the trash in the dumpster and went to my car. I started to unlock the door when I noticed the front tire was flat. After a few choice words, I went to the trunk to get my spare out. When I opened the trunk, I noticed this blue gym bag sittin' in one corner. I knew it wasn't mine, so I unzipped it to see what was in it. Man, I never saw so much dope in one place in all my life! I opened one of the baggies and tasted it. It was pure heroin, all right. I was so surprised that I just dropped the bag. That's when Superfuzz pulled into the alley. He was grinnin' so big that I could count all his pearly whites. He kept offerin' to help me change the tire and when I turned him down, he grabbed the keys out of my hand. Before I could stop him, he opened the trunk and saw the bag. I hadn't zipped it back up, so he saw the dope. Next thing I knew, I was cuffed and stuffed. As soon as they booked me, I called Curly." The two detectives traded looks. Hutch looked down at the report, then back at Huggy. "So your prints are on the bag and the junk. Nobody was around to see who put it in the trunk. It's a nice, neat frame up. Not bad, not bad at all." Huggy snorted scornfully. "I'm glad you can see the beauty of my predicament, Blondie. You'll forgive me if I don't appreciate all the ins and outs." Hutch grinned. "You should. Whoever set you up pays attention to detail. And they know you pretty well. They've done their homework, Hug. The only question is, who did it? Who wants you in jail, my friend?" Huggy spread his hands out in front of him. "I don't know. I'm just a bit player. I ain't worth all this trouble. When you get right down to it, the only time something like this happens to me is when somebody takes a dislike to you two chumps." Starsky grinned. "Ain't friendship grand?" Hutch shook his head. "I don't think they were after us this time. Usually, someone carrying a grudge against us takes a more direct approach. They either rough you up, or they trash the bar. That way, they get our full attention." "I'm glad my personal safety means so much to you, Blondie. Pardon me if I don't dig the distinction. I'm still out of action, and I'm still in a cage. I think that got your attention pretty good." Starsky spoke up. "I know what he's sayin', Hug. This ain't the work of some two bit hood. Somebody with brains set this up. They know that we're tight with you, and they want to make sure we can't help you wriggle out of this. So, like Hutch asked, who wants to see you behind bars?" Huggy sighed dejectedly. "Starsky, I just don't know. Anybody who knows me knows that I don't dig the drug scene. I stay away from the heavy stuff and the big players. I've been racking my brain since I opened that damned bag. I wish I knew, but I can't think of anybody that would go to all that trouble." Hutch shrugged, then stood up. "OK, but keep thinking. Your arraignment is at nine o'clock. The judge will set bail then. So try to get some sleep. We'll poke around a little and see if we can come up with anything." Huggy frowned. "I guess I could have waited a while before I disturbed your beauty sleep, but I wasn't exactly watchin' the clock. I appreciate you comin' down here, I really do." Starsky squeezed the thin man's shoulder. "Don't give up yet, Huggy. We're just gettin' started. We'll figure this out, I promise." "Thanks, bro. I knew I could count on you. Just get me out of here. Please?" Starsky opened the door and let the uniformed officer back in. He winked at Huggy as he was escorted out. "You'll be back in your own bed in no time." |
| Starsky and Hutch went back to their desks and read over the arrest report for a third time. Starsky turned his chair around and grabbed the coffee pot sitting on the table behind him. He poured himself and his partner a cup, then replaced the pot. He added cream and sugar to his and took a cautious sip. "Coffee ain't bad this mornin'. Tastes more like battery acid than day old socks." Hutch chortled. "I'm glad your palette can make the distinction. Well, at least it's strong. I don't think we'll be getting much sleep for a while." "Yeah. So, what have we got?" Hutch took another drink and grimaced. He put the cup down and sat back in his chair. "OK, we know that somebody wants Huggy out of action. They know his schedule, and they know that he's the one who locks up at night. His car's easy to spot, and they know he parks it in back of the Pits. They've been watching for a while, so they know how many times someone goes in or out of the back door. They had to time it just right, or somebody would have seen them slash the tire. Or let the air out of it, whichever it was. Then they called in a tip, probably anonymous, to the station. They might even know that Mitchum hates Huggy with a passion. He sure as Hell wasn't too concerned with proper police procedure. Any Public Defender worth his pay can have the whole thing thrown out of court with no problem. Huggy plainly told Mitchum that he didn't need any help, but Mitchum yanked the keys out of his hand anyway. Huggy's never been convicted of any drug charge, so there's no probable cause. That's illegal search and seizure, pure and simple." Starsky frowned. "Yeah, but Huggy isn't exactly your typical citizen. His past is a little blurry, and some of his customers ain't exactly upright citizens, either. Mitchum might be a bigoted SOB, but he's got a good record. If we get the wrong judge, he might not be too picky about the arrest." "That's what worries me. The street value of the junk is over a million dollars. That carries a heavy fall. If we don't find out who the stuff really belongs to, the Pits might be closed for a very long time." "You got that right. Well, we got just enough time to get cleaned up before the arraignment starts. I don't know about you, but my teeth feel like they're wearing socks now, and I ain't exactly dressed for court." "You can say that agian, buddy. Let's get out of here. I don't want Dobey to spot us, either, until we have something solid to tell him. He's liable to pull us off this one before we get started." Promptly at nine o'clock, Starsky and Hutch sat behind their friend in the courtroom. Stuart Connely was the PD assigned to Huggy's case. The two detectives had worked with Connely before. The young man had only been with the Public Defender's office for two years, but seemed to know what he was doing. His neatly cut brown hair and boyish face exuded earnestness. At twenty-eight, he still believed in the system and wasn't in love with money or power. When Judge Shaw walked up the podium, the two detectives traded glances. Starsky shrugged slightly. Shaw had a reputation for being hard, but fair. He believed in the letter of the law. He wasn't their first choice for a judge, but he wasn't the worst choice, either. After the people in the courtroom sat down again, the bailiff read the charges and Shaw asked for the plea. Connely answered solemnly. "My client pleads not guilty, Your Honor." Shaw turned to the DA. "Do you have a recommendation for bail, Mr. Jackson?" The older attorney nodded. "Yes, we do. We recommend bail in the amount of one million dollars, cash bond, Your Honor." Huggy gasped as he heard the outrageous amount. Stuart protested immediately. "Your Honor, that's preposterous. Mr. Brown has never been convicted of any crime. He has been a member of this city all of his life. He owns his own business, which he manages personally. There is absolutely no flight risk involved. I recommend that he be released on his own recognizance." Shaw smiled tolerantly. "You're dreaming, Counselor. On the other hand, Mr. Jackson, you are insulting; not only to Mr. Brown, but to this court as well. Bail is supposed to insure the defendent's appearance at his trial, not put him in the poor house. Bail is set at $100,000, ten percent cash bond." Huggy sighed with relief. The Pits would be mortgaged once again, but he could handle the bail. He closed his eyes briefly and said a silent prayer. If Starsky and Hutch didn't find the scum who had did this to him, he would lose his freedom and the Pits. That would be more than he could take. He opened his eyes as he heard Hutch's voice behind him. "We're prepared to post bail now, Your Honor." Shaw looked over his glasses at the blonde man. "And you are...?" "Detective Sergeant Ken Hutchinson, sir. Mr. Brown is a close friend of mine, and my partner. We can vouch for him, and guaurantee his appearance for his trial." Starsky stood up beside his partner as Shaw gazed at them. The Judge nodded once. "Very well, Sergeant. See the bailiff about the arrangements. I'm holding you personally responsible for the defendent's actions, Sergeant. Don't let this court down." Hutch answered confidently. "We won't Your Honor." Starsky and Hutch followed Connely and Huggy to the bailiff's desk. Hutch filled in the amount on a check and handed it to the bailiff. After signing some papers, he turned to his friend. "Well, what are you standing there for? You're free. Let's get out of here before the Judge regains his senses and order's you locked up again." Huggy Bear closed his mouth with a snap. He blinked twice, then grinned hugely. "Whatever you say, my blonde brother. Let's get while the getting is good." He turned to Stuart. "Thanks, kid, for your help. There's no way I could have come up with a million bucks. I'd be sitting in the slam until my trial, that's for sure." "Don't worry about it, Huggy. I'll call you first thing in the morning and we'll get started on a defense. I'm going to start on a motion to dismiss right away. Officer Mitchum searched your trunk without a warrant, and that's illegal. If we can convince Shaw that there was no probable cause, we won't even go to trial." "That would be music to my ears, Stu. I'll see you in the morning." As soon as he was out of the courthouse, Huggy stopped and looked at the two detectives. "Hey, wait a minute? How did you two come up with ten thousand dollars? What'd you do, rob a bank?" Starsky glanced at his partner, then smiled at Huggy. "We had some cash that was just sittin' around in the bank. We figured it could sit in the courthouse safe for a while, instead. It's no big deal, Hug. We know we'll get it back." Huggy put one arm around Starsky's shoulders and the other around Hutch's. He smiled with gratitude. "Thanks for believing in me, guys. I won't let you down, I promise. I'm not going anywhere." Starsky's blue eyes twinkled. "We know that, Hug. Besides, if it looks like you're gonna run out on us, we'll just handcuff you to the Torino. You won't be able to go anywhere, then." Huggy snorted with glee. "You got that right, bro. I wouldn't be caught dead drivin' that striped tomato." Starsky glared at his partner as Hutch laughed out loud. |
| Starsky and Hutch waited as Huggy packed a small suitcase. The proprieter of the Pits grumbled under his breath. "I still don't see why I can't stay in my apartment. Why do I have to stay in that dinky room over the bar? It just ain't my style." Hutch answered patiently. "We've already gone over this, Hug. Somebody is out to get you. If Connely does his job and get's the charges dismissed, they might think they were a little too discreet with this plan. They might decide on a frontal attack next. We'll have a better chance of protecting you if you stay in one place. There are too many good places for an ambush between here and the Pits." "You really think somebody is willing to go that far? But, who? I still can't figure that part out." Starsky came up and took the suitcase from his friend. "Well, until you do, I think Hutch is right. If we're gonna solve this thing, we can't be babysittin' you twenty-four hours a day. There's too many people coming and going at the Pits for them to risk a showdown. You'd be a sittin' duck here, all by yourself." "OK, if you're that worried. But, I'm not spending the rest of my life hiding out. I haven't done anything wrong, and being cooped up at the bar is not much better than being in jail. I still don't have any freedom." Starsky shook his head. "It's not going to be forever, Hug. We'll get to the bottom of this, soon." "I sure hope so, Starsky. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up any time now, and this is all going to be a bad dream." They dropped Huggy off at the Pits with a promise to stay in touch. Huggy shook his head at the unfairness of it all, and climbed the steps to his temporary home. He plunked the suitcase on the bed and sat down beside it. He surveyed the room with a critical eye. Although the small room stayed empty most of the time, Huggy kept clean sheets on the bed and plenty of clean towels in the small bathroom. The room had been a safe haven for all three men at one time or another, and Huggy guessed it was his turn once again. Yet, the room made him uncomfortable. His dark brown eyes fell on the sparse furnishings around him. It reminded him too much of the cramped apartments he had lived in as a child. The woman that had given birth to him was a painful memory, as was the conditions in which he grew up. Strolling down memory lane was Huggy's least favorite pastime, but the events of the last several hours brought it all back. It was only then that he remembered an incident that had been buried for years. His eyes widened slowly as the memory came back to haunt him. He sat up straight, and groaned aloud. "Oh, my God. It can't be. After all this time, it can't be him. Why now? WHY NOW??!!" Huggy snatched the handle of the suitcase and flung it across the room. Back at the Metro division, Starsky and Hutch were headed back to their squad room when a belligerent voice stopped them. "It ain't going to work, you two! That snitch of yours is going down this time and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it." Starsky and Hutch turned around as if they were one and confronted the angry Mitchum. Starsky fought to keep his cool. "What are you talkin' about, Mitchum?" "Jackson called me. Didn't you think he would? That snot-nosed brat of a PD entered a motion to dismiss the charges. He said it was a bogus search. I didn't have to search that car! That horse was sitting right there in plain sight." Hutch scowled at the older man. "It was in plain sight after you opened the trunk, Mitchum. You opened that trunk without Huggy Bear's permission. You didn't have any right to do that." "Being in that part of town gives me all the right I need. That sleazy bar is a hangout for all kinds of scum. There are dealers on every corner. I didn't do anything wrong. You're just sore because your favorite snitch screwed up. He ain't going to be ridin' on your coattails any more." Hutch's eyes turned to blue fire. "Now you listen to me, Mitchum. Huggy Bear is a friend of ours. He's got more ethics in his little finger than you do in your whole body. He might not wear a badge, but we trust him with our lives. But more than that, he happens to be a citizen of this town. As such, he has the right to our protection, and he has the right to a fair and speedy trial. AND HE IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW!!! OR HAD YOU FORGOTTEN THAT, OFFICER MITCHUM??!!" The blonde detective moved closer to the target of his fury, and his anger made him look seven feet tall to the other man. Saul Mitchum shrank back against the wall. "What are you going to do, Hutchinson? You gonna beat me up? You think you're so high and mighty because you're a detective? I wonder if your Captain will agree with you." Before Hutch could answer, he felt Starsky's hand on his arm. The brunette's voice was soft. "Don't do it, Hutch. He ain't worth the paperwork. We've got better things to do." Hutch took a deep breath and stepped back. He nodded once. "You're right. We do have better things to do. Watch your step, Mitchum. After we clear Huggy, I'll be back. Then we'll have a little chat." Mitchum sneered at the blonde. "Any time you're ready, SERGEANT Hutchinson." The two detectives turned around and stood face to face with their superior. Captain Harold Dobey had witnessed the confrontation without interfering. He gazed steadily at his top detectives and pointed a solitary finger toward his office. The pair traded looks then walked quietly in front of their Captain. |
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