Dark
Desires
Detective
David Starsky gulped down the rest of his coffee and sat the mug in the sink.
He glanced up at the clock on the wall.
“Hey, Hutch! If you don’t get a move on, we’re going to
be late for work.”
Detective
Ken Hutchinson came out of the bathroom, toweling his head as he headed for
their bedroom.
“Well,
if you hadn’t hogged the shower, we wouldn’t be running late.”
Starsky
looked wounded. "Hey, I wasn't hogging the shower. I was washing the
tomato sauce out of my shirt. If you don't get that stuff out fast, it'll leave
a stain. And you know how much I like that shirt.”
Hutch
shook his head, bemused. "You know, I've lost track of how many times
you've had a run-in with spaghetti, lasagna, or linguini. You must be a pasta
magnet or something.”
The
brunet gave his partner a baleful look. “In case you've forgotten, every time
I've had something thrown at me, I've been chasing a suspect. And who is it
that just happens to duck at the right time? I haven't seen any stains on your
shirts lately, Detective Hutchinson.”
Hutch
laughed. “You're just jealous because my reflexes are better than yours. That's
what happens when you eat all that junk food. Now, if you started eating
healthy, you might be able to avoid those flying dishes. But don't worry,
Starsk. The next time I talk to your mom, I'll have her send you some bibs.
Maybe she's got some of the ones you wore when you were a baby put away.” He
walked into the bedroom and started dressing. "Anyway, we'd better get going.
I don't want to have to explain to Dobey why we're late again."
“Yeah,
we wouldn’t want him to pop a blood vessel or anything.”
They
took a last look around their apartment, making sure everything was off and
hurried out the door. Starsky hopped into the driver’s side of his car while
Hutch climbed into the passenger side. The red
After
one particularly hectic day, Hutch was heard to remark, “One thing’s for sure,
you could find that refugee from a parade even in the worst smog. The thing
sticks out like a sore thumb.”
Starsky
had promptly replied, “Well, unfortunately, we couldn’t be lucky enough to lose
that tin can you call a car. I’m ashamed for anyone I know to see me in that
hunk of garbage.”
The
two men would grin at each other and simply go on their way. No matter how many
times they had the same argument, it was always a draw.
Starsky
parked in his usual spot in the police garage and jumped out of the car,
locking his door. Hutch locked his side up and followed his friend into the
front entrance of
One
of the detectives that worked the night shift, Steven Adler, was sitting in a
chair; his head thrown back, and was snoring loudly. Adler was a young, stocky
man with unruly dark hair and black horned-rimmed glasses. Nick-named “Teddy
Bear”, it was often said that he could sleep anywhere and at any time. Tip
toeing past him, Starsky quietly opened the drawer of the nearest file cabinet then
immediately slammed the door closed. Adler jumped convulsively and looked
around.
“What- oh, hi Starsky. Hi
Hutch.”
Starsky
grinned. “Hi, Steve. How’s it going? Did you have a
busy night?”
“Well,
let’s see. We had one mugging, a domestic over on
He
got up and stretched. “I’m sure glad to see you guys, though. It means my shift
is almost over. One more and I start my vacation. Two weeks with no alarm
clocks, no sirens and no time clock to punch. Now that’s my idea of paradise.”
Hutch
grinned. “Go ahead, rub it in, Adler. But that’s OK, your time’s coming. Starsky
and I have one month to go before we start our vacation.”
“Well,
in the mean time, I’ll be thinking about you when I’m sitting on my dad’s boat
in sunny
Starsky
winked at his partner as he kidded the other man. “Do you mean you’ll be all by
yourself on a big boat? Won’t you be a little lonesome?”
Steve
grinned at the brunet. “I didn’t say anything about being alone, Starsky. I
plan on having lots of company.”
Hutch
nudged Starsky. “Uh oh, does daddy know?”
Steve
turned beet red. “Of course he knows. Who do you think set it up?”
All
three men laughed as Steve grabbed his jacket and walked out the door. He stuck
his head back in and said, “See ya, guys. Have a good day.”
Hutch
looked at the retreating back of the younger man and shook his head. “And while
he’s relaxing on a boat in sunny
Starsky
clapped his partner on the back. “Well, it’s not glamorous but it’s a living.”
Hutch
snorted. “Yeah, but it’s a living that can get you killed. Come on; let’s see
what we’ve got lined up this morning.”
Starsky
sat down on his side of the desk and flipped the calendar. “Well, we’re clear
until
“Starsky,
with the way you eat, it’s a wonder your arteries aren’t so clogged that you
couldn’t get a pin through them.”
“Don’t
worry about my arteries, Blondie. You can keep on eating your wheat germ and
molasses and I’ll keep eating food that actually has taste.”
Hutch
grinned wickedly at his friend. “Look, Starsk, I happen to have a vested
interest in that body of yours. You're my partner, and I depend on you to watch
my back. I’d hate to see all those muscles turn to flab before we’re forty.”
Starsky
wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “So, you’re telling me that you only want me
for my body?”
Hutch
played along. "Of course I do, you sexy thing."
Starsky
pretended to swoon. “I love it when you talk dirty to me.” He laughed and stood
up. “Come on, Romeo, I’m hungry.”
The
commissary was starting to empty out when the two detectives walked in. The
employees that worked the
Starsky
smiled at the woman standing behind the counter. “How ya
doin’, Connie?”
“Hi, Detective. I’m not doing too badly
today. What’ll you have this morning?”
“Let’s
see; how about some scrambled eggs with a little gravy over them and a couple
pieces of bacon? And I’m gonna get some milk and a large coffee to go. That
stuff they got brewing in the squad room would eat up a coffee cup.”
Hutch
clucked reprovingly and shook his head. “See what I mean, Starsky? All you have
there is fat, sodium, and cholesterol. That stuff is full of preservatives.”
Starsky
nodded and rubbed his hands together. “Yeah, not to mention my favorite food
group: starch.”
Connie
laughed as she handed the brunet his plate. “I don’t think you’re ever going to
change him, Detective. So, what can I get for you?”
“I
think I’ll just have wheat toast and fruit. One of us has to think about our
waistlines.”
Starsky
protested. “Hey, I think about my waistline. In fact, I’m on a diet.”
The
blond looked at him with suspicion. “What kind of diet?”
Starsky
grinned. “I’m on a sea food diet. I see food and then I eat it.”
Hutch
groaned and rolled his eyes. “Come on, Gordo; let’s eat before those bad jokes
of yours curdle your milk.”
They
took their trays and sat down at one of the long tables. One of the junior
detectives that had recently joined the 9th sat near the center with
his wife, Shannon, and their son. Shannon Wentworth had been a civilian
employee for several years, and the couple had met shortly before Jack entered
the academy. Jack Wentworth had spent his two years as a uniformed officer then
taken the detectives exam only a few months ago. He was currently on rotation,
gaining experience in each department before applying for a permanent position.
After completing the required eight weeks in the Vice department, he had been
transferred to Robbery for his stint there.
Starsky
grinned at
Starsky
made faces and wiggled his fingers at the toddler, making him laugh. They spent
the rest of the meal playing with the child and talking with his parents.
Starsky was drinking the last of his milk when he happened to look over at his
partner. The blond was still playing with Colin, but his smile no longer
reached his eyes. Starsky frowned to himself but didn’t say anything. He
finished his breakfast then patted Colin on the head as he got up.
“Well,
we’d better get to work before Dobey comes huntin’ for us. See ya later,
Shannon and Jack.”
Once
they were out of the cafeteria, Starsky turned to his partner. “You wanna tell
me what that was all about?”
Hutch
wouldn’t meet his eyes. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Starsky
turned to face him in the hallway. “One minute you’re playing with the baby and
the next you shut down completely. What happened?”
Hutch
looked at the people passing by. “I don’t want to talk about it right now. I’ll
tell you later, OK?”
“All
right, but you’re not gonna put me off. We will
talk about it when we get home.”
The
rest of the day was uneventful. The deposition was canceled in lieu of a plea
bargain between Ross Chandler and the district attorney. The autopsy report
revealed that Reggie Woodward had died of a heart attack, presumably brought on
by stress. When the fifty-six year old male was found in the parking lot of one
of
They
spent the rest of the day plowing through the mountain of paperwork that
covered their desk and clocked out at a normal time for once. They picked up a
pizza at their favorite restaurant and went home. Starsky hadn’t forgotten the
incident at breakfast and wanted to get to the bottom of it as soon as
possible. It wasn’t like Hutch to close up like that, and he wanted to know why
he suddenly turned inward.
After
they ate, Starsky brought a beer to the blond and sat down beside him on the
couch. He patted him on the knee.
“Do
you want to tell me what happened this morning?”
Hutch
got up and walked away. “I got some weird vibes from Jack.”
“What
kind of vibes?”
The
blond took a drink of his beer. “I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like he
was saying one thing, but he meant something else. If I didn’t know better, I’d
swear he was coming on to me.”
Starsky
walked over to Hutch and looked in his eyes. “Jack’s married and he’s got a
kid.”
Hutch
spread his hand out. “You don’t think I could see that, Starsk? Since when has
that made a difference? Look at John Blaine. How long were he and Maggie
married before he died? You lived right next door to them and never knew he led
a second life. I’m not that vain, Starsky. I don’t go around thinking that
every man on the force finds me
attractive.”
“I
know you don’t. I trust your instincts. What do you want to do about it?”
“I
don’t want to do anything about it.
I’m just telling you that it made me uncomfortable. Like you said, he’s
married, and he has a kid. What can happen?”
“Well,
as long as he doesn’t push it, we’ll let it rest. I don’t know Jack all that
well. He’s new on the force, so probably no one else has noticed anything yet.”
Hutch
gave him a small smile. “Thanks. I was afraid you were going to say I was
imagining things.”
Starsky
took a sip of beer then shook his head. “I wouldn’t say that to you. I’m glad
you told me. You had me worried for a minute, there.”
He
yawned and stretched. “It's been a long day. I don't know about you, but I'm
bushed. I think I'll hit the sack.” As he pulled the roll away bed from its
corner of in the kitchen, he glanced back at his friend. "Hey, don't worry
about Jack. Even if he is hiding the fact that he's gay, he knows we aren't. I
don't think he'd be stupid enough to make a move on you."
Hutch
smiled gratefully. "Yeah, you're right. I was probably misreading what he
said. If he tried anything, he'd be jeopardizing his career, not to mention his
marriage. I can't see
Starsky
undressed and put his dirty clothes in the hamper. "I can't either. If he
is gay, he's skating on thin ice as it is. Good night, buddy. I'll see you in
the morning."
"Night,
Starsk." The blond walked into the bedroom, got undressed then crawled
into bed. Before he drifted off to sleep, he replayed the scene in the
cafeteria. Starsky's right. Jack wouldn't be that dumb. I
had to be imagining things. I hope.
The
next morning, the two detectives were back on their beat. The beginning of
summer had been unusually mild and the crime rate had dropped accordingly. The
entire police force of
“Dispatch
to Zebra three. We have a report of a silent alarm at Rhode’s Liquor Store at
Hutch
slapped the mars light on the roof, but left the siren off. He picked up the radio. “Roger Dispatch. Zebra Three out.”
Starsky
glanced over at his partner and shrugged. “We knew it wouldn’t last.”
“Yeah,
well, when Adler gets back I’m going to tell him he jinxed us. It was quiet
until he left this morning.”
“Don’t
tell that poor kid that. He’ll believe you.”
Hutch
laughed and simply shook his head. He watched the streets carefully as Starsky
sped to the scene. When they turned onto the block before the liquor store,
they pulled up behind an unmarked car and two squad cars. The uniformed
officers were talking to Jack Wentworth and his senior partner, Eric Silvers.
Starsky glanced at Hutch before they got out of the
“Are
you going to be all right with this? You can hang around the car while I talk
to Silvers.”
“No,
I’m OK, Starsk. We all have a job to do. If Jack can’t be professional about
it, we need to know now.”
“OK,
but if he starts acting weird again, give me a sign and I’ll make sure you’re
separated.”
They
quietly walked up to where the other officers were talking. Starsky nodded at
the unformed men then turned to Eric Silvers.
“What
have we got, Eric?”
“We
think the owner pushed the panic button but we can’t get close enough to see
what’s going on. If there is a robbery going down, and the perp sees a bunch of
uniforms headed his way, he could start shooting.”
“OK,
have the uniforms spread out and come around the block to the back of the
store. You and Jack stay in touch with them through the hand-held radios. Hutch
and I will try to get closer to the front of the store. We don’t have any way
of knowing how many perps we got or how many hostages. Until we know what we’re
dealing with, I want everybody to stay out of sight.”
“You
got it, Starsk. We’ll follow your lead.”
The
two detectives quietly approached the front of the liquor store. Starsky
motioned for Hutch to stay back then glanced in the window. Two men stood on
opposite sides of the counter. The man Starsky assumed to be the owner was
approximately fifty years old, wearing a white smock over a dark brown shirt
and trousers. He was looking at the other man, and his hands were resting
carefully on the counter top. The perp was younger, and a few inches taller
than the other man. As Starsky watched, he moved sideways slightly, gesturing
with the gun in his hand.
He
turned and whispered to his partner. “OK, I’ve got one civilian and one perp
with a gun. I can’t see any farther into the store. I’m going to crawl under the
window and take a look from the other side.”
“OK,
but be careful!”
He
dropped to his hands and knees and scuttled to the other side of the window. He
straightened until his eyes were above the window sill then peeked through the
glass. The store was small, with only a couple of aisles. The three walls were
covered in shelves and all types of alcohol were displayed. From his vantage
point, he could see that there weren’t any other customers in the store and the
perpetrator was acting alone. Nodding in satisfaction, he went back to Hutch.
“Well,
at least we’ve got one break. The store’s empty except for those two. I’m going
to have the uniforms keep an eye on the back and we’ll keep watch from here. I
think it would be better if we let the guy get his money and pick him up when
he leaves the store.”
“That
sounds good to me. You’d better let Eric know what’s going on. We don’t want
anybody to rush in and start shooting.”
Starsky
thumbed the button on his radio. “Eric, are you there?”
“I’m
here, Starsky. What does it look like?”
“We’ve
got one perp and one hostage. Tell the uni’s to watch the back door just in
case. When that scumbag gets the money, we’ll catch him on the way out. I think
that will be safer.”
Eric’s
reply was drowned out by a shout from Hutch. Starsky looked in the window and
saw the perp gesticulating with his gun. His manner was extremely agitated and
the barrel waved around wildly. Moments later, the owner clutched his chest and
swayed.
Hutch
cursed out loud. “Damn it, I think he’s having a heart attack. Tell Eric and
the others to move in!”
Starsky
thumbed the button on the radio again. “Change in plans, Eric. The owner is in
trouble. Hutch thinks he’s having a heart attack. Move in, everybody, now!”
He
clipped the radio to his belt and drew his weapon, charging into the store
right behind Hutch. The suspect whirled around and pointed his gun at the two
detectives, but Starsky was faster. He aimed and squeezed the trigger in one
fluid motion, knocking the gun out of the suspect’s hand. Before the younger
man could escape, the uniformed officers ran in from the back of the store.
Eric motioned for them to take him out of the store then turned to the owner.
Hutch
was down on the floor, examining the unconscious victim. He shook his head in
agitation. “He’s not breathing. Call an ambulance, now!”
Eric
kneeled down beside the blond. “It’s on its way, Hutch. We called it in as soon
as Starsky said the guy was down.”
Together,
Starsky and Hutch administered CPR to the older man. Although the ambulance
arrived in less than ten minutes, it seemed like an eternity to Hutch. By the
time the paramedics took over, his hair was plastered to his scalp with sweat
and he was trembling from exertion. The two EMT’s hooked up a defibrillator and
tried to shock the man’s heart, but to no avail. After twenty agonizing
minutes, the younger EMT looked over at Hutch and shook his head.
“I’m
sorry. He’s gone. From the way he looks, I’d say it was a massive coronary. He
was dead before he hit the ground.”
Hutch
looked at the still face and then back to the paramedic. “Can’t you do
something? He was fine when we first saw him. How could he just drop dead like
that?”
“It
happens in traumatic situations. The guy was literally scared to death. I’m
sorry. I wish we could bring him back, but we can’t.”
Hutch
shook his head in denial then stalked out of the small store. Starsky left the
fallen man to the paramedics and followed his friend. The blond had disappeared
by the time he reached the street. Starsky looked around him, but his partner
was no where in sight. One of the uniformed officers pointed to the back of the
building. Starsky nodded his thanks then went after Hutch.
Hutch
was standing in the alley, close to the wall of the building. Starsky walked
quietly up beside him and laid a hand on his shoulder. Hutch shrugged the hand
off and moved away.
Starsky
tried to find the words that would comfort his partner. “It isn’t your fault,
Hutch. You did everything you could.”
Hutch
swung around and glared at him. “It wasn’t enough, was it, Starsky? We waited
too long! We should have gone in there, but we played it careful. If we hadn’t
wasted time sitting on our thumbs, that guy might still be alive.”
“What
were we supposed to do, Hutch? We didn’t know the layout of the store and we
had no way of knowing how many people were involved. God knows I’m not the one
to spout regulations, but we were doing it by the book. We didn’t have a
choice.”
“A
fat lot of good those regulations did him! An innocent man died and we didn’t
do a damn thing to stop it.”
Starsky
took a step closer. “And if we’d gone flying in there, that scumbag would have
started shooting. He could have killed that guy, or me, or you. What good would
that have done? Let it go, Hutch. It was a horrible tragedy. We’re not mind
readers. There’s no way we could have known what was going to happen.”
Hutch
shook his head fiercely. He was still for a moment then lashed out with his
fist. Before it could come in contact with the brick wall, a comforting hand
reached out and caught it. Two pairs of blue eyes met, reflecting their pain.
Starsky gathered Hutch into his arms. He held him close, murmuring words of
solace. Hutch closed his eyes and buried his face in Starsky’s shoulder.
Unknown
to both men, Jack Wentworth hid in the shadows of the building and watched the scene
with a speculative eye.
Several
hours later, Starsky and Hutch sat in Dobey’s office, discussing the tragic
events at the liquor store. Dobey sat back in his chair and studied his men.
“I’ve
already been on the phone with the district attorney. Since Mr. Matthews died as
a direct result of the robbery attempt, he’s going for murder in the second
degree. The suspect’s name is Manfred Logan. He’s a two-time loser, and just
got out of the pen last week after serving five years for armed robbery. Before
that, he spent two years in juvey for mugging one of his neighbors. He’s not
even thirty years old yet, and already he’s spent half of his life behind bars.
Now it looks like he’ll be spending most of his adult years there, too.”
Starsky
made a face. “That’s terrific. We put him behind bars for a few years and then
he’s back on the street doing what he did to get sent to prison in the first
place. When are the courts going to learn that these guys never change? Now
Matthews is dead, and
Dobey
shrugged. “Starsky, I ask myself that same question every day. You know the
drill. We catch them, the district attorney prosecutes them then the court
slaps them on the wrist and lets them go. The system isn’t perfect, but it’s
the only one we’ve got.”
Hutch
shook his head in disgust. “Tell that to Matthews’ widow. I’m sure our
imperfect system will be a real comfort to her.”
The
black man regarded the blond. “Do you have a problem with this,
The
blond jumped to his feet, agitated. “Yeah I have a problem with this! An
innocent man died and all we can do is say “we’re sorry”! What about the next
Manfred Logan that walks out of prison and goes right back to his old habits?
How are we supposed to protect the Matthews of the world if we can’t keep these
scumbags locked up?”
“And
what do you suggest? That we issue a gun to every law abiding citizen and tell
them to take the law into their own hands?”
Hutch’s
voice was bitter. “If Matthews had a gun today, he might still be alive.”
Dobey
shook his head, pointing his finger at the blond. “You’re talking about
vigilante justice. That would be setting this country back a hundred years. You
and Starsky, and the other officers, did what you were supposed to do. What
happened to Matthews was a tragedy, but you can’t use that as a defense for
anarchy.”
“Yeah,
well, forgive me if I’m not real thrilled with my job right now.”
He
grabbed his jacket and stalked out of the door. Starsky shot an apologetic look
at his captain then followed his partner. Hutch was nearly out of the precinct
when Starsky caught up with him.
“Hey, where you goin’?”
Hutch
turned back and looked at him. “I need some air. I think I’ve had enough of
this place for one day.”
Starsky
sighed and kept his comments to himself. He knew his friend all too well. The
famous
Instead,
he led the way to the
Over
the next few days, the incident at the liquor store dimmed and Hutch returned
to his normal self. The two detectives walked in one morning to find a flurry
of activity going on in the station. Starsky stopped one of the female officers
and asked her what was happening.
She
grinned and shook her head. “It’s another of the Commissioner’s public
relations ideas. To promote cooperation between the public and the department,
we’re having an open house tomorrow. It’s going to be a real hassle for us, but
when the Commissioner gets an idea in his head, there’s no changing his mind.”
Starsky
turned to his partner. “Oh, great. This place will be
crawling with civilians and the media. Maybe we’ll get lucky and have a case to
work on. Then we’ll be out of the building all day.”
“Don’t
bet on it, Gordo. Dobey will probably want us right here, rubbing elbows with
the good citizens of this town. Just put on your best jeans and paste a smile
on your face. At least it’s only for a day.”
“Yeah,
unless it goes so well that he decides to make it an annual event.”
Hutch
looked stricken. “Shhh! don’t say that too loud. Someone might hear you.”
Hutch’s
prophecy came true. Dobey called them into his office before they left and let
them know he “expected” them to be accessible to all the visitors the next day.
Starsky groaned audibly as Hutch simply rolled his eyes. Dobey wasn’t thrilled
with the display.
“Look;
I know this isn’t the way you planned on spending the day, but give me a break,
will you? The Commissioner is big on PR these days, and he takes it for granted
that we’re behind him all the way. So, dress accordingly and play nice with the
visitors. You got that, Starsky?”
Starsky
looked wounded. “What are you looking at me for? I always play nice with the
public.”
Dobey
harrumphed. “I’ll pretend you didn’t say that. Now, go home and get some sleep.
I’ll see you bright and early in the morning.”
The
two detectives were back in the squad room before seven the next morning. They
wanted the chance to prepare themselves for the onslaught of strange faces.
Promptly at
Tables
had been set up in the hallways, with finger sandwiches and punch. Each table
was in front of a different squad room, and manned by the personnel in that
department. The other detectives mingled with the guests, extolling the virtues
of the force. During the course of the morning, Starsky found himself standing
beside Jack Wentworth. He gave the junior detective a polite nod and continued
sipping his punch.
Jack
nodded back. “It’s a real madhouse today, isn’t it? We sure aren’t going to get
much work done with all this going on.”
Starsky
kept his voice neutral. “Well, it doesn’t hurt to stay on the good side of the
people we protect. I think we’ll survive rubbing elbows with them for one day.”
“I
suppose so. How’s Hutch, by the way? He was pretty upset over that liquor store
robbery.”
Starsky
looked Jack in the eye. “I think we all were, don’t you? It’s not easy when an
innocent man dies.”
"Oh
I agree. It was a horrible tragedy. I was just surprised at the intensity of
his emotions. He's a very sensitive man."
"Hutch
cares for the people he protects. He wouldn’t be much of a cop if he
didn't."
"That's
true. I think it's commendable that his compassion hasn't suffered after so
many years on the streets. A lesser man would be hardened by now."
Starsky
waited a moment before answering. "Hutch tries to find the good in
everybody. That's what makes him a good cop. He's doing OK, though. He knew we
did everything we could."
“That’s
the important thing, isn’t it? You and Hutch have been together a long time,
haven’t you? I've heard some very interesting stories about you."
“Yeah,
we have. But, don't believe everything you hear. We're just two cops trying to
do our job. How are Shannon and Colin doing? I’ll bet he’s a handful right
now.”
“They’re
doing great. Colin is our pride and joy. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”
Starsky
saw his partner coming down the hall way and smiled briefly at Jack.
“I’m
sure he’s a lucky little boy. You and Shannon make great parents. Well, I guess
I’d better mingle. I’ll see you around, Jack.”
As
he walked toward Hutch, Starsky shuddered slightly. I’m not going to let you hurt your wife and your baby, Jack. And I’ll
be damned if I let you hurt the person I care about most in this world. Stay
away from Hutch!
Later
that day, Jack Wentworth walked into the small cottage he shared with his wife
and child.
“How’s
my boy doing today? Did you have a good time at Grandma’s?”
“It
was a complete success, from what I could see.
At least, Dobey was in a good mood the whole day, so that’s a good
sign.”
“And
a happy Dobey makes for a happy precinct. Well, get washed up. Dinner will be
ready soon. And could you wash Colin’s hands, too? He’s been playing with his
stuffed animals.”
Jack
kissed his son on the cheek. “Of course I will. Come on, big guy. It’s time to eat!”
He
carried Colin into the bathroom and sat him carefully on the counter. “Now sit
right here and we’ll get you all cleaned up.”
As
he washed the toddler’s face, the image of Starsky holding Hutch behind the
store came back to him. You are a fine
one, aren’t you, Hutch? If that had been me, I would have kissed all your tears
away. Hmmm, I wonder if Starsky did the same thing that night. I’ve heard
rumors about those two. Could they be true? And who could I ask? I have to be
careful. I don’t want anyone to discover MY secret.
He
finished washing the boy, carried him into the dining room and put him in his
high chair.
“So,
how was your day? You said you left at three. Did you have a lot of visitors
before you left?”
“Well,
we had some, but most of them wanted to see where the detectives worked. I
don’t think many of them were interested in our filing system or how we keep
records. They wanted to hang out where the action was.”
“You
can say that again. I’ve never seen so many strangers in one place before. It’s
a good thing we don’t have a crime wave going on. I think Dobey must have kept
every detective on the force at the station. In fact, I saw Starsky around
lunch time and he was eating the finger sandwiches like he was starving.”
Jack
smiled. “Yeah, I’ve heard that he’s a real ladies man. In fact, both Starsky
and Hutch have quite a reputation. They’ve been partners for a long time,
haven’t they?”
“Yep,
they’ve been partners for almost ten years now. I guess they’re the closest
thing we have to a living legend.”
“They’re
not married, are they?”
“And
now they’re living together, right?”
“Uh huh. After Starsky was shot, Hutch moved him
into his apartment, so he could take care of him. Even with our insurance,
Starsky’s medical bills must have been enormous. After Starsky went back on
active duty, I suppose it was just easier financially for them to keep living
together.”
Jack
nodded slightly. “Well, they certainly seem to know what they’re doing. I hope
when I go over to Homicide on my rotation, I'll get the chance to work another
case with them. I know I can learn a lot.”
Jack
smiled reassuringly. “I won’t do anything foolish, I promise. I want to be
around to see Colin grow up.”
Jack
Wentworth carefully went about his normal duties and stayed close to Eric
Silvers. They were on routine patrol for most of the morning, so the
opportunity to get Hutch’s address didn’t arise. Then, after lunch the chance
he was looking for came in the guise of a would-be mugger. The unlucky felon
went looking in the park for an easy mark and instead chose an off-duty police
officer as his target. In record time, the mugger was in custody and Jack
generously offered to take care of the booking. As soon as the suspect was
safely behind bars, Jack found a pay phone that was away from the desk and
dialed a number from memory.
“Personnel,
Chambers speaking.”
“Yes,
this is Keith Moreland from
“Yes,
that’s true. He’s staying with his partner, Ken Hutchinson. Do you have that
address?”
“I
think so. We have his mailing address, so I assume it’s the same. Could you
give it to me again, though?”
“The
address we have is 1027 and a half Ocean,
“No,
thank-you, that’s what we have in our files. Thanks so much for your help!”
“You’re
quite welcome, Mr. Moreland. Have a good day.”
“Thank-you
and you do the same.” Jack hung up and rubbed his hands together. I think my day just got a whole lot better.
Now, all I have to do is find the right place and set up my telescope. He
chuckled quietly. I'll bet Dad never
thought I'd be using the telescope for something like this when he gave it to
me.
The
day was almost over for Starsky and Hutch, for which the detectives were
eternally grateful. The temperatures were starting to rise and as a result, the
quiet on the streets was slowly giving way to short tempers and senseless
fights. So far, they’d broken up two brawls, and narrowly averted a small riot
when a hapless driver stalled his car in the middle of one of the city’s busiest
intersections. After traffic was finally moving again, Starsky turned to the
blond.
“I
know it’s hot, but don’t you think picking that guy’s car up and moving it was
a little much?”
Hutch
grinned slightly. “I don’t think the guy minded that part of it. Hey, it saved
him the cost of a tow truck. But when they started to put it in the middle of
that fountain, I think he got a little upset. If we hadn’t been there, the car
would be water logged by now.”
“You
can say that again. Anyway, it’s almost the end of our shift. Why don’t we log
out then stop at Huggy’s for a beer before we head home?”
“Now
that sounds like a plan to me. Let’s call it in.”
They
were almost back to the
Starsky
yelled when they were only a few feet away. “Police, freeze!”
The
purse snatcher looked over his shoulder at the approaching detectives and
yanked even harder on the purse. Finally, the strap snapped in two and the
felon ran off in the opposite direction from the two detectives. Starsky and
Hutch instantly gave chase, which led them through the middle of a modern,
upscale health spa. The startled patrons scattered as three strange men rushed
through the crowded lobby. It didn’t take long to reveal that the purse
snatcher was out of his element, and clearly had no idea how to get out of the
building. He pushed open doors, running from room to room as he searched for
the exit. As he turned the corner, he nearly collided with a matronly woman
that was clad in a robe and a turban. He pushed the woman down and fled through
the first doorway that he found. Starsky stopped long enough to make sure the
woman wasn’t injured then followed his partner in pursuit of the felon. He
stopped inside the door and gawked at the scene before him. The room was
divided into sections, and each section contained a sunken tub filled with mud.
Several of the vats were occupied, but the one in the center of the room was
empty. The hapless criminal tried to flee through the thick substance, but the
consistency of the mud slowed him down. Instantly, Hutch was on him, and they
both landed face first in the mire. After a brief struggle, the blond subdued
the suspect and slapped his handcuffs over his slimy wrists. He yanked the
young man up and pushed him out of the vat, onto the dry carpeting.
Starsky
fought vainly to smother his laughter at the sight of his partner. Hutch was
covered in brown goo from the top of his head to the soles of his shoes. His face was a solid mass of mud, from which
his blue eyes glowed in stark contrast.
Starsky
tried to speak amid his giggles. “Well, doesn’t that make your blue eyes
brown?”
“That’s
not funny, Starsky. Why is it that you’re the only one that stayed dry? Where
were you?”
“I
was right behind you, I promise. I had to make sure that lady was okay, didn’t
I?”
Hutch
just growled in response. “Well, what are you standing there for? Make yourself
useful and call for back up. I want to get out of these clothes before the mud
dries and turns to cement, and besides, I’m freezing!”
Starsky
laughed and held up a hand. “OK, don’t get your panties in a wad. It’s not the
end of the world. Anyway, just think of how lucky you are.”
Two
blue orbs rolled skyward. “I know I’m going to regret asking this, but why am I
lucky?”
“Think
about it for a minute. You’re in a fancy health spa and you’re covered in mud,
and you didn’t have to pay a dime for it. Do you know how expensive that stuff
is? You ought to count your blessings, Hutch. You’re a health nut, and you’re
in a health spa. What better way to end the day?”
Hutch
cast a baleful look at his friend. “Starsky, you have two minutes to get a
patrol car down here and get this scum bag out of my sight! I want to go home
and take a shower before I catch pneumonia.”
“OK,
Blintz, I’ll get on the radio and have someone pick Robin Hood, here, up. Just
relax and try not to drip on the carpet. I’ll be right back.”
“And how am I supposed to keep from dripping
on the carpet?”
“Well,
you might try getting back in the mud bath. As stressed as you are, it might
make you feel better.”
Hutch
glared again and pointed a mud covered finger toward the exit. “Starsky, go!”
The
brunet’s laughter could be heard as he walked to the car. He was back in just a
few minutes.
“OK,
they’re on their way. Come on, Dillinger, it’s time to face the music.”
Starsky
pushed their captive ahead of him and out the front door. Ten minutes later, he
was safely ensconced in the back of a patrol car, sitting on a blanket to
protect the interior, of course. The two uniformed officers stifled their
laughter as they cast one last glance at Hutch and drove away. The blond sighed
in relief.
“Thank
God that’s over. Can we please go home now?”
Starsky
fairly leapt in front of the
Hutch
stood there, stunned. “Starsky, I don’t freaking believe you! You’re not going to make me walk home, are
you?”
Starsky
hopped into the driver’s side and rolled down the window. He gave his friend a
wounded look.
“Would
I do that to you? I’m going back to the station and get your car. There ain’t no way you can hurt the inside of that junk
heap!”
As
the
“Starsky,
you come back here right now! Starsky!” He gave up and
sat down on the curb, looking abandoned.
The
detective returned twenty minutes later and his partner climbed into the
passenger seat without saying a word. They bypassed Huggy’s and drove straight
home. Starsky ran up the stairs to their apartment and was waiting for the
blond when he climbed the last step. He was holding a
towel in his hands.
Hutch
looked from the towel to his friend. “Starsky, that’s not going to do any good,
I can’t wipe this mud off with just one towel!”
“No,
dummy, it’s for the floor. Here, step on that and get those clothes off. If you
traipse across the room looking like that, we’ll be mopping mud off the floor
for days.”
Hutch
growled and did as he was told. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?”
Starsky
grinned gleefully. “Yep. I wish I had a camera. You
look like a giant mud pie with eyes. I think you’re cute.”
Hutch
stepped over the mound of ruined clothes and headed for the bathroom. “One of these days, Starsky. One of these
days.”
Fifteen
minutes later, Hutch walked out of the bathroom clad only in a towel. There
were still tiny bits of mud stuck to his hair, but Starsky wisely refrained
from pointing that out. Instead, he got a beer out of the refrigerator and
offered it to the blond.
“Here
ya go, Blintz. See if that helps wash down the stuff you swallowed.”
“Why,
that was very nice of you, Starsk. I could use a cold brew right now. By the
way, what’s for dinner? I’m hungry.”
“Well,
we can have Chinese, Mexican, Italian, or pizza. Take your pick and I’ll call
it in.”
“I
don’t care, as long as it’s not chocolate. I don’t think I’ll want anything
brown for a long time.”
Starsky
grinned. ”So, I guess I can forget about that box of chocolates I was going to
get you for your birthday."
Hutch
rolled his eyes. “Oh, God, please don't. Anything but that.”
“Hey,
don't take it out on the chocolate industry. Chocolates are one of the innocent
sins. Besides, brown happens to be my favorite color.”
“Really? Well, then, you’ll love what I have for
you.”
Starsky
narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “You got me a present? When did you have time?
Besides, it’s not my birthday or anything.”
Hutch’s
eyes gleamed wickedly. “Well, you were talking about how expensive that mud
bath was, so I thought I’d save some for you. Here you go, buddy.”
With
an evil laugh, Hutch brought the hand he was hiding behind his back around and
rubbed the mud he was holding down Starsky’s face.
“There,
that should be good for your complexion. We wouldn’t want you to get premature wrinkles,
would we?”
Starsky
stood for a moment as the mud slowly slid down his face. “Now, you didn’t have to do that.”
Hutch
gave him an unrepentant grin. “I’m sorry. I know that was mean, but you know
what they say about paybacks. Here, let me take care of that for you, buddy.”
He
backed up and picked the muddy towel off the floor and wiped Starsky's face,
leaving more mud than before.
"Ooops,
silly me, I should have used a clean towel. I guess you'll have to wash it off
in the bathroom. Be careful, though. You don't want to drip on the
carpet."
Starsky's
eyes gleamed wickedly as he picked Hutch's ruined clothes off the floor.
"While
I'm at it, I'll just get rid of these."
Instead
of moving toward the bathroom, he advanced on his partner with a
Hutch
circled around, using the couch as a barrier against the approaching threat,
shaking his head and laughing. "Oh, no, you wouldn't do that! I just got
clean!"
Starsky
kept coming. "Don't worry, buddy, we have plenty of hot water."
With
a maniacal laugh, he jumped over the couch in one leap and pounced on the blond.
Like two kids playing in a mud puddle, they rolled over the floor, leaving
tracks on the dark red rug. Finally, exhausted and covered in mud once again,
Hutch held his hands up in surrender.
"Uncle! I give up. You win, Starsk."
Starsky
raised his fist in the air. "Yes! Still champion after all these
years!" He stood up and took off his dirty clothes. "Come on; I'll
race you to the shower. The loser gets to choose dinner."
He
tore off for the bathroom with Hutch right behind him. Both men squeezed
through the door at the same time, slamming it shut.
In
the darkened apartment of another building, Jack Wentworth took a handkerchief
out of his pocket and wiped the sweat off his face. He stood up and stretched,
walking away from the telescope bolted to the tripod by the window. From his
position, he could see straight through the kitchen window in Hutch’s apartment
to front room. His breathing hitched as he imagined the two men making love on
the floor. Then he looked down at the stain spreading across the crotch of his
pants. His deranged eyes glittered and he laughed maniacally.
“Now
I’ve got you both! Enjoy him while you can, Starsky. Before long, he’ll belong
to me!”
A
rare rain shower cooled off the temperatures slightly the next morning,
bringing relief to everyone in the city, including Starsky and Hutch. The brief
respite from heat related crime put everyone in
“Hey,
Hutch, I thought you were supposed to take your clothes off before you got in the bathtub. It's better that way, I’ve heard.”
“Well,
Smitty, I guess I was a little shy, with all of those strange women around.”
Jeremy
Smith laughed. “Look at it this way; you would have been doing your bit for
public relations.”
Starsky
grinned and winked at his partner. “Yeah, and starting a riot at the same time.
Once those women found out he was an eligible bachelor, they would have chased
him out of the spa. Dobey would’ve had to call in crowd control.”
Hutch
winked back. “You’re just jealous, Gordo. They didn’t even look twice at you.
But don’t worry. I would’ve given the older one’s your number.”
Matt
Grimes snickered. “Uh oh, you’d better watch out, Starsky. Some of those senior
citizens can be pretty persistent. Your Casanova days might have been in
jeopardy.”
“That’s
OK, Grimes. I would’ve given them your number, too. There were enough of them
to go around.”
They
all enjoyed a good laugh then settled down and went back to work. Dobey stuck
his head out a few minutes later and motioned at Starsky and Hutch.
“Starsky,
The
two detectives exchanged looks then walked into their captain’s office. Starsky
plopped down in a chair and started to put his feet on Dobey’s desk, but
reconsidered.
“What’s up, Cap?”
“I
wanted to let you know that Lieutenant Sims called this morning. It seems that
purse-snatcher you arrested has been creating quite a stir in that area. He
mugged more than a dozen women in just the last month, alone. The spa caters to
the upper middle class, so he’s made a pretty big haul in a short time. The
Commissioner wanted me to express his gratitude, and so did the owner of the
spa.”
Dobey
grinned at Hutch in a rare display of humor. “And the owner said he wouldn’t
charge you for the mud bath, or the cleanup. After you risked your health
jumping in after the perpetrator, he said to tell you it was on the house.”
Starsky
chortled. “See, I told you that you were lucky. How many people do you know
that got a free mud bath lately?”
Hutch
glared at his partner. “Starsky, I remember where that spa is, and I know where
you live. If you don’t watch out, you’ll find yourself head first in one of
those mud baths.”
The
brunet laughed out loud then turned back to Dobey. “I really wish I had a
camera, Cap. I think Hutch looks good in brown. It really sets off his eyes.”
Dobey
pretended to growl. “OK, you two, that’s enough horsing around. Get back to
work and try to earn your paycheck for once.”
As
the two men left his office, Dobey sat back in his chair and laughed out loud. I wish you had a camera, too, Starsky. I
would have paid to see our elegant and proper Sergeant Hutchinson covered with
mud. Ah, it’s the little things that give us joy.
As
the door closed behind them, Hutch pointed a finger at his partner. "Next
time we go running through a spa, you
go first." He shook his head in resignation. "I'm never going to live
this one down, am I?"
Starsky
laughed. "Sure you will, in a year or two."
Hutch
muttered under his breath. "Oh, God."
As
he reached his desk, he noticed something new. A long, narrow white box was
lying on top of the files that cluttered his side. Mystified, he opened the
box. A single red rose lay on a piece of cotton with a note underneath.
Starsky
started to kid his partner about having a secret admirer, until he saw the
expression on his face. Hutch was staring at the gift as if it were a snake on
the verge of striking. Reluctantly, he picked up the note and read it. You are as beautiful as the rose and your
heart is as tender as the petals. He shuddered with revulsion and swept the
rose and the note into the trash can beside his desk. Two pairs of blue eyes
met.
Starsky
growled the name. "Wentworth."
Hutch
hissed angrily. "How did he get past the other guys without them seeing
him? I can't believe he'd be that stupid."
"He
could have put it there during the night. We weren't paying attention to our
desk when we came in. With all the activity in here, no one would notice
him."
"That's
all I need, an obsessed secret admirer. If I ever see him close to my desk,
I'll knock him out of the squad room."
Starsky
shushed him. "Just calm down a little. We don't
know for sure that it was him. Nobody saw anything, so let's drop it for now.
If we make a big stink, Dobey will want to know what's wrong."
"Yeah,
you're right. But, damn it, the thought of him skulking around my desk gives me
the creeps."
The
two detectives crammed the rose and the note down into the can before they left
the station. Hutch pushed the gift out of his mind as they made their rounds
through the inner city. The coolness of the morning gave way to rising
temperatures, and soon Hutch wished they were back in the spa. Even a short break from the heat would be
nice, he thought. Finally, after breaking up two more domestic disputes, and
playing referee at a local department store, they went back to the station to
write their reports at the end of their shift.
Hutch
frowned as he rummaged through his desk drawer then looked up at his partner.
“Hey, Starsky, you got any more DD-5’s?”
Starsky
opened the drawer on his side then shook his head. “Nope.
I guess I’ll have to run downstairs and pick some up.”
Hutch
stood up first. “Oh, no, I’ll go down and get them. The last time you went down
there, you and Earl Parsons started talking about that dumb book and you were
gone for over an hour. I want to finish these reports and get out of here
before Dobey finds something else for us to do.”
“Hey,
The Guinness Book of World Records is not dumb. There’s a lot of good
information in there.”
“Yeah,
right, like who ate the most hot dogs while standing on their heads. Just keep
working on those reports. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Hutch
heard his friend grumble as he walked away. He wasn’t sure what Starsky said,
but he thought it ended with “never let me have any fun.” He went down the
stairs and opened the door to the filing room. Shannon Wentworth looked up from
her filing and smiled.
“Hey,
Hutch, what brings you down to the caverns?”
The
blond smiled. “Dobey’s been keeping us so busy that we ran out of DD-5’s,
“I
think the captain is ready for this heat wave to end, too, Hutch. The heat and
humidity are enough to make a saint crabby. Can you wait a few minutes while I
find the file Lieutenant Bowman needs? He’s in court and I have to send it over
by courier as soon as I can.”
“I’ll
tell you what; why don’t you give me the master copy and I’ll run a few off
myself. Then you can send the rest up when you have time.”
“That
would be great; if you’re sure you don’t mind. The courier is already on his
way over and the judge only gave them a half hour recess. That doesn’t give him
much time to get here and get back to the courtroom, especially if the
traffic’s bad.”
Hutch
smiled. “I don’t mind. You’ve got your hands full right now, and I think I
remember how to work the copy machine.”
“Well,
if it acts cranky, give it a good thump on the side. That always works for me.”
“I’ll
do that, and I’ll bring the master back to you in a few minutes. Thanks,
Hutch
walked across the hall and went into the small room that housed the antiquated
copy machine. Despite the new technology of the 80’s, the old machine still
worked, spitting out the standard forms like DD-5’s and requisition orders, as
it had done for over ten years. Every man and woman on the force had wrestled
with the giant apparatus at one time or another, and Hutch was no exception. He
pressed the black button on the side, whistling a nameless tune as he waited
for it to warm up. Finally, the small light on the top glowed green, and he put
the master face-down on the screen, and punched the “go” button. A few minutes
later, the first copies slid into the large tray on the side of the machine,
but then stopped. Hutch frowned as a low metallic groan came from the inside of
the device.
“Oh,
come on, sweetheart. Don’t do this to me. I can’t go home until I get those
damned reports done and I need my DD-5’s!”
Making
a fist, he thumped the side of the machine and grinned when the copies started
coming faster than before. “That’s my girl! Come on, baby; just a few more and
we’re there.”
A
voice from behind him spoke with amusement. “Are you always that nice to
inanimate objects, Hutch?”
The
blond stiffened without turning around. “
“She
was. She’s walking the courier to his car. They’re old friends, you see. They
went to college together.”
Hutch
moved toward the door. “Well, I’m sure she’ll be back in a few minutes. She
said the courier was on a tight schedule. I’ll leave the master copy on her
desk and get back to work now.”
Jack
closed in on the blond, whispering in a silky voice. “What’s your hurry? I know
we've chatted a few times, but I'd love the chance to get to know you better.”
“Starsky’s
waiting for me upstairs. We have reports to finish.”
Jack
raked his eyes up and down Hutch’s body. “You’re looking very dapper today,
Hutch. That shirt is cut perfectly for you. It accents that beautiful chest and
those slacks show off those trim hips. You are a fine figure of a man, aren't
you? Did you like the present I left for you?”
He
reached out to stroke the blond’s face, but Hutch stepped back, avoiding the
contact.
“Don’t—touch
me. I don't want your attentions, and I certainly don't want your gifts. Leave
me alone, Jack.”
“I'm
sorry, but you're just too irresistible. It’s a crime that Starsky has you all
to himself. I know, if you gave me the chance, I could make you very happy.”
Hutch
scowled. “I don’t think
Jack
took a step closer. “What
As
he stroked the front of Hutch’s shirt, the blond jerked back. “I said, don’t touch me. Leave me alone, Jack.
I’m not interested. Stay away from me, or I’ll have a little chat with
Jack’s
brown eyes flashed. “And how do you think everyone else will react when I tell
them your sordid little secret? How much longer do you think you’ll be Dobey’s
fair-haired boy if he finds out you and Starsky are more than just…friends?”
Hutch
stood still, stunned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t
play innocent with me, Hutchinson. I know exactly what you and Starsky are to
each other.” With a malicious grin, he sang a bad imitation of Charlie Rich. “And when we get behind closed doors, he lets
his hair hang down. And he makes me glad that I’m a man. No one knows what goes
on behind closed doors.” Then he laughed insanely. “Except me, that is. I
thought you looked adorable covered in mud. Of course, it would have been more
exciting if you hadn't rolled around so much, but I have a very vivid
imagination. I'll bet you're a very accomplished lover, Hutch. Starsky is a
lucky man.”
The
puzzlement Hutch felt turned to dread as he realized the meaning of Jack's
words. He thought back to the previous night. He and Starsky had been horsing
around, but to Jack's demented mind, it could have looked like foreplay. As
cold sweat beaded his forehead, he tried to keep his voice level.
“You’re
lying, Jack. There’s no way you could see into my apartment.”
Jack
licked his lips, lust glinting in his eyes. “Oh, it was easy, believe me. I had
a perfect view of your living room. I saw you two playing in the muddy clothes.
Starsky's simply a child that never grew up. He must keep you on your toes. I
even took pictures. I think they’d look stunning posted on the main bulletin
board at the station.”
“Now
I know you’re bluffing. There wasn't anything going on that would incriminate
us. There's no law against acting silly. Nice try, but no cigar.” Hutch curled
his lip. “If you think you can make anyone believe what you say, go ahead and
try, Jack. People have gossiped about us before and it hasn’t gotten them any
where. Our reputations have survived worse, and you’ll end up looking like a
fool.”
“We’ll
see about that.” Before Hutch could move, Jack darted in and kissed him on the
lips. “It’s your loss, Hutch. We could have made beautiful music together. I’ll
be seeing you around.”
Hutch
watched the other man walk out the door then wiped his mouth with his free
hand. He leaned against the wall, waiting for his body to stop trembling.
Taking a few deep breaths, he composed himself before going back to
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