| For One Brief Moment: Part 2 |
| The two detectives finished going through Chris� files. Her articles were relevant and illuminating, but gave no hint as to why she�d been murdered. The only article worth a second glance was about possible corruption in the construction industry. Careful not to divulge any specifics, Chris hinted that the contracts for new government buildings were awarded to those who had political ties. Starsky and Hutch knew that the construction business was highly competitive. If someone were buying the biggest contracts, it would definitely make some ripples. If Chris had stumbled onto something, whoever was behind it wouldn�t be happy about her nosing around. Maybe they would even be willing to kill to keep it quiet. Starsky packed up the other articles and sent them back to the Dispatch. �It�s getting late. Why don�t we call it a day? We�ll go back to my place, get a good night�s sleep and hit it again in the morning.� �Your place? I�m fine, Starsk. I don�t need to go back to your place. I�ll be fine at home.� �Hutch, listen to me. You don�t need to be alone right now. I know that Doc Massey would agree with me. You�re coming home with me and that�s final.� Realizing that it was useless to argue, Hutch agreed to go back to Starsky�s apartment. He agreed to try eating some soup to stop Starsky from nagging and settled down on the couch to sleep. Mercifully, the nightmares didn�t come and both men were able to get some sleep. The next morning, they decided to look into the article Chris had written about the corruption in the construction industry. Both were aware of the magnitude of the research they were doing, so they concentrated on the companies she mentioned in her files. Finally, they got their first real lead. Throughout her files, the J.M. Clairmont Construction company was mentioned several times as coming out the winner on the largest contracts awarded in the past six months. Clairmont, they found, was a subsidiary of ClairCo. The principal stockholder was John Michael Clairmont, reputedly one of the wealthiest men in the country. Unfortunately, Clairmont Construction had never been implicated in any illegal practices in the twenty years it had been in business. Still, they groused, this was the first hint of a possible reason for Chris� murder. So they decided to check into ClairCo further, hoping to uncover something shady in it�s background. Several hours later, Starsky rubbed his tired eyes and stretched, trying to relieve his aching back. He stood up slowly, feeling as if his knees were permanently bent. He got himself and Hutch a glass of water from the cooler. �I don�t know about you, but I�ve had about all the reading I can stand for a while. I think we should get everything together that we�ve got so far, and take it downstairs to the computer wizards. That should save us some time and I know it would save my poor aching back.� �Sounds good to me. Let�s go.� They stuffed everything into Chris� folder and headed for the R&I department downstairs. They had barely gotten out of the squad room when an unhappy Dr. Massey confronted them. �I told you I wanted to see you every day, Ken. That wasn�t open for negotiation. I meant it.� Hutch was sincere. �I know you did, Doc. I honestly wasn�t trying to skip out on you. We�ve been so busy that I haven�t had time to get down there yet.� �All right, I�ll buy that. Now is as good a time as any. I mean it, Ken, no excuses.� Hutch protested. �We were on our way to R&I. We�ve finally got something and were taking some information down to put into the computer.� �Well, Dave can do that while you stop in my office for a minute. It won�t take long, but you are going to come down, now.� Starsky and Hutch exchanged looks. Hutch shrugged. �You�re the boss, Doc. Starsk, I�ll be down there as soon as I can.� Hutch followed the doctor down to his office. True to his word, Dr. Massey performed a quick examination. �Well, Ken, I�ve got to hand it to you. Your blood pressure is down and your color is much improved. Have you been able to eat anything?� Hutch nodded. �I ate some soup last night, and a light breakfast this morning. So far, I haven�t had any problems. Are you satisfied, now?� Massey relented with a small smile. �Yes. You definitely seem to be pulling out of it. However, I still want to see you, at least for the next day or two.� �Whatever you say Doc. Can I go now?� �You may. I want you to keep eating and try to get plenty of rest. I think that�s probably going to be the best advice I can offer you. Time will have to take care of the rest. Has your memory started to come back yet?� �No, not yet. I wish the Hell it would, though.� �I think it will, if you keep improving. As I said, take it easy for a while and make sure you take in at least some nourishment. Don�t try to force your memory to return. It will take care of itself in time.� �I guess you�re right. I�ll see you tomorrow, Doc.� Hutch left the doctor and went to join Starsky in R&I. He found him in a small cubicle in the back of the computer room, talking to Howard Ryan. Howard looked more like a flower child from Woodstock than a computer wizard. There had been rumors that Howard had been offered a lucrative position in the most profitable computer firm in the country, but had turned it down. He said he preferred the excitement of working in the police department. Hal possessed an uncanny knack for ferreting out the most relevant facts in a case. Starsky had almost finished filling him in on what they had so far. �So, Hal, what�s the word? Do you think you can sift something meaningful out of all this hooey?� �I can try. Give me a few hours on this and I�ll see what I can do.� �All right. We�ve got some other leads to run down, so we�ll check back later.� Hutch waited until they were out of the office, then said, �OK, Starsk, what other leads do we have?� �We need to find Chris� story. So we still need to find out if she checked into a hotel before she called you. So, that means we hit the phone book.� Hutch stopped and stared. �Starsk, you�ve got to be kidding! Do you know how many hotels there are in this city? It will take us days to call all of them!� �We can skip the dives on Skid Row, and probably most of the inner city. We�ll concentrate on the hotels closest to the airport and branch out from there. That ought to cut it down some.� �Well, I wish I could come up with a better idea, but I can�t. So we might as well get to it.� They divided up the list of hotels and started calling. Although there were a lot of hotels to cover, it didn�t take long to check their registers to see if Chris had booked a room. They knew the exact date, and Chris was attractive enough to remember. Instead of giving just her name, they asked for any female that matched her description. By the end of their shift, they had gone through half the hotels. �I think that�s enough for today, don�t you? Let�s grab a bite to eat and go home.� Starsky said. �Sounds good to me.� They decided to stop at The Pits to eat so they could check in with Huggy. Even though he had nothing new to report, they didn�t let it spoil their mood. Dinner was relaxed and amiable for the first time in days. By the time Huggy�s clientele began to trickle in, Starsky and Hutch had finished their meal and ordered a beer. The three men were sitting at the table and talking when two more customers came into the bar. They sat at the bar, and for a while, all was quiet. Then, their voices rose as they started arguing among themselves. As Huggy and the two detectives watched, one man punched the other in the nose, knocking him off his stool. The man retaliated by picking up his beer and throwing it in the other�s face. Before the conflict could escalate, Starsky and Hutch jumped up and grabbed each of the men by their shirt collars. �OK, boys,� Starsky said, �let�s settle down. Whatever�s going on between you two, take it outside. OK?� The heavier and drunker of the two scowled at Starsky. �Oh, yeah? Who are you to tell us what to do, friend?� �I�m not your friend, friend. I�m a cop. So you can either take it outside, or my partner and I can take you and your buddy downtown to cool off. Now, which is it going to be?� Neither man was so drunk that the word �cop� didn�t penetrate their sodden minds. After a few minutes grumbling and grousing, they staggered outside and down the street. Once the excitement was over, the rest of the customers went back to their own conversations. Huggy helped Diane, his senior barmaid, clean up the mess, then went back to Starsky and Hutch�s table. As he was sitting down, he noticed Starsky watching Hutch carefully. Hutch was staring ahead, not looking at anything in particular. He looked thoughtful, as if concentrating deeply on something. Starsky kept his voice low so he wouldn�t disturb Hutch�s concentration. �What is it, buddy?� Hutch shook his head briefly. �I�m not sure. When we were watching those two men fight, I got a flash of something. It was just an image and lasted only for a second or two, but there was something there.� �OK, just relax for a minute. Don�t try to force it. Is it Chris?� �Yes, I think so.� He closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair. He spoke softly, slowly at first, then with more confidence. �We were sitting at a table somewhere. It wasn�t the Fortress, but somewhere else. We were talking, not about anything in particular, just catching up. Then, I think she spotted somebody. Whoever it was, I think he scared her. I asked her what was wrong, but she wouldn�t tell me. She wouldn�t even tell me who it was that made her so afraid. That�s when she wanted to leave. I tried to get her to come back to my apartment with me, but she said no. Instead, she suggested a hotel. I thought she meant hers, but she said she didn�t want to go back there. We drove around for a while, not really headed anywhere. Somehow we ended up on Skid Row, and she said we should park the car and get a room. I tried to tell her it wasn�t safe; that I couldn�t protect her, but she insisted. So we picked the Broadway at random and checked in.� He stopped talking and looked at Starsky. �That�s all I remember.� �Well, at least it�s something. You did great, buddy. Don�t push it. Look, it�s been a long day. Why don�t we head home and get some sleep? We�ll pick this up in the morning. Maybe by then you�ll remember something else.� �OK. Huggy, if you hear anything...� �You�ll be the first to know, I promise. I�ll see you tomorrow.� |
| Hutch reached into Starsky�s cupboard for a coffee cup, knocking over the sugar bowl instead. �Damn it!� He grabbed a towel and swiped the mess into the sink, and threw the towel back onto the rack. He turned and saw Starsky gazing at him steadily. �Want to talk about it?� Starsky asked. �It�s been three days, Starsk. Three days, and we�re still grabbing at straws. While we�re poking around in the dark, whoever killed Chris is out there, laughing at us.� �We�re doing all we can, Hutch. This is old-fashioned detective work. You plow through the mess and ferret out the important stuff. We�ve got Huggy looking out on his end, and we�re following Chris� trail as best we can. We�ll find him, Hutch, I promise. He won�t get away with this.� �How can you be so sure? The longer it takes, the colder the trail gets. We�ve got to find something solid to go on, and soon.� �We will. All you have to do is keep yourself together. The legwork will take care of the rest.� On the way to the station, Starsky thought about what he had said. Keep yourself together, Hutch. You seem like you�re doing that, but something�s not quite right. Of course he�s not quite right, you dummy. What he�s been through is not going to disappear in a few days. Maybe that�s what�s wrong. Maybe he�s a little too together. I don�t know how I�d react to this, but I know it would take more than a few days to get over it. Maybe it hasn�t really sunk in yet. God only knows what he�ll do when it does. They checked in briefly with the Captain, then went back to the phone books. Since Hutch had remembered a little more, they were sure she had checked into a hotel that day. If Chris had been murdered because of an article she had written, maybe they would find evidence of that in her hotel room. They used the same routine as before, making fast work of the rest of the pages. They had almost reached the end of the list when they found the right one. The Sheraton Inn, which was only a few blocks from the Dispatch�s main office, had checked a woman in matching Chris� description at three in the afternoon on that day. �She must have thrown her stuff in the room and called you right after she checked in.� Starsky said. �If someone was after her because of a story she wrote, maybe she had it with her. Hopefully, she didn�t have time to stash it anywhere else. I think what we need is a search warrant.� The two detectives told Captain Dobey about what they had found and asked him to help them obtain a search warrant. He called Judge Shaw and talked to him, briefly. They would have the search warrant in a few hours, Shaw assured them. �You know,� Dobey remarked, �it would save a lot of time if we had her key. Then you could go in legally, without a warrant.� Starsky and Hutch exchanged looks. Hutch shrugged sheepishly. Starsky said, �Why didn�t we think of that? All hotel keys have the name and address of the hotel on them, in case they�re lost or stolen. We�ve spent the last two days wearing out our fingers on the phone, when all we had to do was get her key from her personal effects.� He turned to Dobey. �Has Chris� clothes been released to her family yet, Captain?� �No. Her family lives in Seattle. They won't be here for a couple more days yet." His voice was stern. "I�d like to be able to tell her parents something concrete about this investigation when they do get here. Understand?� �We understand, Captain,� Hutch answered. �We�d like to be able to tell them that we�ve made an arrest. We�re going to do our best to do just that.� �Good. Let me know how things are going. Now, get back to it. I�ll call Property and let them know you�re on your way.� Starsky was halfway out of the squad room before he realized what they were about to do. He turned to Hutch, blocking his path. �Where do you think you�re going?� He asked. �The same place you are, Starsk; to the property room downstairs.� �Oh, no you�re not. Hutch, you don�t have any business going down there. You really don�t have any business going through Chris� clothes. Let me go down and find the key, and I�ll meet you in the car.� �No way! I can handle this, Starsky. I�m fine, really.� When Starsky didn�t move, his voice rose a notch. �Starsky, I�m going with you and that�s final.� The look Starsky gave him was full of exasperation. �What am I going to do with you? OK, I give, but I still think it�s a mistake.� Hutch smiled slightly. �Come on, we�re wasting time.� Despite his optimistic manner, Hutch hung back when they got downstairs. He let Starsky handle the paperwork, then followed him into the Property room. The clerk on duty brought out the small box that held Chris� clothes. Hutch watched as Starsky opened the box and took out the jacket Chris had worn. The room tilted sharply, and he swung around, clutching for the wall. He closed his eyes and hung on, waiting for the floor to go back to where it belonged. He felt Starsky�s hands, holding on to him so that he could keep his balance. Hutch�s breathing was labored as he fought the vertigo. �I�m sorry. I can�t do it. You were right, this was a mistake. I just... I can�t do it.� �It�s all right. Come on, sit down.� Starsky helped him to the small couch outside the examining room. He left him long enough to grab the bottle of Scotch that Bailey kept for �medicinal purposes�. He poured some in a paper cup and took it back to Hutch. �Here,� he said, �drink it. All of it.� Hutch coughed as the harsh liquor went down his throat. He kept his eyes closed and his head down as he fought the dizziness. Slowly, the room righted itself and he sat up. �OK? Hutch, are you all right?� Hutch nodded. �Yeah, I�m OK.� �I want you to sit right here and wait for me. I�ll only be a few minutes. Don�t move, understand?� Hutch nodded again. Starsky left him and went back into the other room. He went through Chris� belongings quickly, searching her pockets for the hotel key. He cursed out loud as he fumbled for her purse, nearly dropping it. Forcing himself to slow down, he dumped the contents onto the table and carefully went through them. The key wasn�t there. Picking up her wallet, he searched all the compartments. Sliding his fingers in each of them, he finally found the key behind her credit card. On the key was the name, Sheraton Inn, and the number, 1404. He pocketed the key and returned the rest of the contents to the box. Taking the box back to Bailey, he signed for the key and went back to Hutch. Hutch looked up as Starsky came toward him. �Did you find it?� �Yes, let�s go.� They showed their badges to the desk clerk and went up to Chris� room. Starsky unlocked the door and went in first. He took three steps into the room, far enough to let Hutch enter, then stopped. The two men looked around the room, then at each other. The room was in shambles. Pillows were ripped open, sheets torn off the bed, chairs were overturned and drawers were pulled out of the credenza. Chris� suitcase lay open on the bed, it�s contents strewn all over the floor. Her make-up case lay upside down on the carpet, and her make-up was scattered all over the mattress. Hutch walked over to the bed and looked down at the mess. He picked up the bottle of make-up, juggling it in his hand as he looked at the chaos. Anger flashed across his face, and he threw the bottle against the wall. �Damn it! We�re too damned late! Every time we think we�re getting ahead of this, we end up being a step behind! There�s no telling how long ago they were here. It could have been days!� �I know that, Hutch, but we can�t do anything about it now. Well, there�s nothing for us to see here. Let�s go back to the station and try to figure out what to do next.� |
| Starsky headed for the door and waited for Hutch to join him. With a last disgusted look at the mess, he closed the door behind him. They rode back to the station in silence. Neither spoke until they were back at their desks. �I guess we�d better let the Captain know that someone beat us to Chris� room.� Starsky said. �Why don�t you start on the report while I talk to Dobey?� Hutch nodded. He sat for a moment, then snatched a piece of paper and jammed it into the typewriter. He pounded out the words, slapping the carriage back with an open hand. When he was finished, he yanked out the paper and grabbed for Chris� file. When he opened the folder, pictures of the crime scene jumped out at him. He lifted the picture of Chris� face from the pile and gazed at it. He sat there looking at it, and thought about how they would be viewed. They won�t know who you were. They won�t know how beautiful or how talented you were. They won�t care that you never got to write that one great story. They�ve never held you close, or watched your eyes light up with laughter. They won�t care. As he sat looking at her picture, he could see her as she was that night. In his mind, he could see her looking at him. �Why, Ken? Why did you let this happen to me?� I tried, Chris. I honestly tried, but I didn�t know. You wouldn�t tell me. I did the best that I could; I swear I did. �Did you? Did you really do everything you could? Wasn�t there anything you could have done?� His answer was soft, tortured. �No. Please, no.� Suddenly, he couldn�t stand looking at her face any longer. He flung the folder away from him. The fury in him boiled over, and he stood, tossing his chair aside. With a tormented cry, he lashed out, not caring what he hit or destroyed. He swept everything off their desks with one arm. He ransacked the entire squad room, turning tables over, throwing chairs against the wall, and tipping filing cabinets over on their sides. The four other detectives in the squad room tried to restrain him, fearing he would injure himself. He threw them aside without effort or second thought. Hearing the noise, Starsky rushed out of Dobey�s office to see what was happening. The first thing he saw was Don Baker flying across the room after grabbing Hutch�s arm. James Dayton was hanging valiantly onto his other arm. With a slight movement of his shoulder, Hutch threw him against the wall. Ignoring the other two detectives that were trying to stop him, Hutch turned and reached for the tall filing cabinet against the back wall. Effortlessly, he pulled it over with a resounding crash. As he moved again, his hand connected with the coffee maker and he lashed out at it. There was another crash as he encountered the pot. Broken glass and hot coffee flew as his hand shattered it. Together, all five men went for Hutch. The four other detectives grabbed for Hutch�s arms and legs while Starsky went low, pinning Hutch against the wall by his waist. Hutch fought back, not caring whom it was that held him. Chris� face hung before him, her eyes growing ever larger. He lashed out at his captors, struggling to free himself. Then, as abruptly as it had begun, the rage left him and he collapsed against the wall. Slowly, the four men released him. Only Starsky kept his hold on him, alert for another outburst. Hutch slid down the wall. �I�m sorry. Dear God, I�m so sorry!� Starsky half-carried him into Dobey�s office. He sat beside Hutch, offering what little comfort he could give. Minutes later, Dr. Massey appeared. The doctor sat on couch and squeezed Hutch�s shoulder gently. �Ken, this has gone far enough. Why don�t you let me give you something to help you rest, then Dave and I will take you to the hospital?� Hutch shook his head. �No, I don�t want to go to the hospital. Please, I don�t want to go.� �Hutch, the doc�s right. You�re hurting; you need help. You can�t handle this on your own.� �Yes, I can. I�m all right now. Really. Please don�t make me go. I want to see this through. I have to. Please, Starsk, I just need a minute. I�ll be all right.� Starsky looked at Dr. Massey, his eyes questioning him. Massey shrugged and shook his head. �I�m against it, Ken. You need medical treatment. You can�t go on like this much longer. If you won�t check yourself into the hospital, I can�t force you. At least let me give you something to calm you down. I promise I won�t give you anything that will knock you out.� Hutch nodded. He sat quietly as the doctor gave him another injection. �There, just sit here for a little while and give it time to work. You�ll feel better in a few minutes.� He helped Hutch sit back against the couch, then motioned for Dobey and Starsky to follow him. When they were far enough away that Hutch couldn�t hear them, he spoke. �I�m going out on a limb, here. He doesn�t have any business staying on this case, but my hands are tied. I definitely don�t want him running around on his own.� �Can�t you admit him, Doctor?� Dobey asked. �You said yourself that he needs medical attention. Isn�t there anything you can do?� �I can walk into a judge�s chamber and try to have him committed. A judge might even go along with it. Is that what you want me to do, Captain?� Dobey shook his head. �No, of course not. I wish there were something we could do to help him.� �All we can do for the time being is watch him and make sure he doesn�t harm himself. I�m afraid most of that is going to fall on your shoulders, Dave. You�re the one who�s with him most of the time. I know how difficult your job is going to be. You�re going to have to solve this case and keep your partner together at the same time. He�s afraid that if I give him something strong enough to put him out, he�ll wake up in the hospital. That�s exactly what I�d like to do. The only hope I can offer is that he pulled himself out of it once. Maybe he�ll do it again.� Starsky answered, �Unless something else happens to knock him back down. What about his memory, Doc? What do you think he�s blocking out?� �Oh, you mean besides having the woman he was making love to blown away?� Starsky�s reply was tolerant. �He remembers that, Doc. Could he be blocking something else out? Something that he can�t handle right now?� Massey sighed and shook his head. �I don�t know, Dave. It�s possible. What could be worse than seeing Christine shot?� �I wish I knew. I just have the feeling there�s more to this than we know.� �Well, whatever is bothering him, you�d better find out before he does.� �You lost me, Doc. What do you mean?� �He can�t handle any more right now. He needs professional help in dealing with this situation. He�s very close to the edge already. If he regains his memory before he�s capable of dealing with the trauma, it could send him over.� �Well, that�s great. I�m supposed to solve this case and keep my partner from falling apart at the seams. If that isn�t enough, I�m supposed to make sure he doesn�t remember whatever it is that he can�t handle before he�s ready to handle it. There�s nothing to it, Doc. Is there anything else you want me to do? Why don�t I solve the energy crisis in my spare time?� �I know it sounds impossible, Starsky. Until I can convince Hutch to check himself into a hospital, that�s all we can do. I�m sorry that the burden lies on you.� Starsky sighed. �It�s not your fault, Doc. Well, I might as well get back to work. Do you think he�ll be all right now?� �Yes, the medication should be working by now. It should help him for a while, at least. Do you know what you�re going to do next?� �I haven�t got the slightest idea. We sent the lab boys over to the Sheraton. Maybe we�ll get lucky and they�ll pick up some prints or something.� Dobey snorted. �They haven�t so far. Do you still think something Chris was working on got her killed?� �I�m sure of it, Cap. There isn�t any other logical explanation. Chris was a good reporter. She went after the hottest stories. This time she stepped on the wrong person�s toes. I think if we find her last article, we�ll find whoever�s responsible for her death.� �So that means you�ve got to find that article.� �Yeah. I�m going to try to find which airline she used. Maybe she rented a locker before she left the airport. Maybe she asked them to hold something for her, I don�t know. I doubt that it�s going to be that easy, but it�s worth a try. So, Captain, Doc, I�ll check with you later.� He went over to sit beside Hutch. �Hey partner, how�s it goin�?� Hutch rubbed his face and sat forward. �I�m all right, Starsk. Don�t worry about me.� �OK, so, are you ready to get back to work?� �Yeah, I think so. What do you have in mind?� �I think we should try the airlines. We need to find out which one she used and when she got here. Maybe we can pick up her trail from the airport. That�s not exactly a brainstorm, but it�s all I can think of right now.� An hour later, Starsky turned to Hutch. �Well, she came in on the Delta Shuttle. Her plane landed at one o�clock that afternoon. That gives her plenty of time to stash the story before she went to the hotel. The clerk that I talked to said they don�t have a record of her renting a locker, or putting anything in their safe.� �So there�s two hours between the time her plane landed and she went to the hotel. Then, another two hours before she called me. That�s four hours that we don�t know about. She could have done anything and gone anywhere during that time.� �I know that, Hutch. It stands to reason that if she were afraid for her life, she�d stash that story where you could find it. We just have to keep digging.� |
| Downstairs, Dr. Massey continued working on Hutch�s case. He had requested copies of the reports from the crime lab and the autopsy report. After reading the autopsy, he called the county coroner�s office. �Coroner�s office, Garner speaking.� �This is Dr. Massey from the Metropolitan Precinct. I was reading the autopsy report on Christine Phelps and realized that this is only a preliminary report. Could you tell me if the final report has been finished and when it will be sent over?� �Of course, Doctor, let me check and see. Could you hold for a minute, please?� A minute later, the clerk was back. �Here it is, Doctor. It was due to be sent over there this afternoon. Would you like me to have a courier run it over to you now?� �Yes, that would be helpful. I�m on the first floor. Thank-you.� Dr. Massey was going over the final report when there was a soft knock on his door. Dr. Kevin Marshall was the physician in charge at County General Hospital. Dr. Massey had filled him in on Hutch�s condition, in the event he was needed. Dr. Marshall noticed the look on Massey�s face as he read the report. �What�s wrong, Stewart?� �This is the final autopsy report on Christine Phelps. I think we have the answer.� �What answer is that?� �Sergeant Starsky wanted to know if Hutch could be repressing something that happened before Chris was shot. I think I just found out what it is.� He handed the report to his colleague. Dr. Marshall read the report silently. �Oh, my God. What are you going to do?� Dr. Massey picked up the phone and dialed a number. �Starsky.� �This is Dr. Massey. I need to see you, right away. I don�t want Hutch to know we�re talking, so come alone.� �Sure, whatever you say. I�ll be down in a minute.� Starsky cursed under his breath. What now? He looked over at Hutch, who was watching him curiously. Starsky shook his head. �It�s nothing important. There�s been a mix-up with the R&I file. I need to go straighten it out. Look, why don�t you start calling the bus stations? See if they keep records on who rents their lockers. It�s a long shot, but she had to stash her stuff someplace.� �OK, I�ll try anything at this point.� �I�ll be right back.� He hurried down to Massey�s office, still muttering under his breath. Whatever the doctor was going to say, Starsky was sure he wasn�t going to like it. Dr. Massey introduced him to Dr. Marshall and handed Starsky the report. �I had a courier bring over the final autopsy report on Christine. I wanted to look it over before Hutch saw it. It�s a good thing I did.� At first, the final report read the same as the preliminary one. As he turned the page, his eyes widened. He stared at the words, not believing them. He looked at Dr. Massey and echoed Dr. Marshall. �Oh, my God.� �I think we know now what Hutch is blocking out. It all fits, doesn�t it?� Starsky closed his eyes and shook his head. �You think she told him and that�s what he can�t stand to remember.� Dr. Massey nodded. Starsky paced the floor. A dozen thoughts ran through his mind. He spoke slowly in an effort to organize them. �That�s what she came down to tell him that night. Hutch keeps saying he didn�t know that she was in trouble. She didn�t tell him, because she knew what he would do. If she had something damaging on somebody and told Hutch about it, he would have to act on it. She knew that he wouldn�t let up until she told him everything. She probably knew that someone was after her, so she picked the Broadway instead of going back to her own room. She wanted to talk to Hutch without having to look over her shoulder. Damn. Hutch is as much in the dark as we are. Even if he does remember more about that night, he�s not going to be able to tell us much.� He stopped talking and shook his head again. He looked at both Doctors. �What�s this going to do to him, if he remembers?� Dr. Massey spoke. �It will do what I told you it would. Right now, he�s insulating himself by treating this as a typical investigation. He�s letting his cop�s instincts lead him. As horrible as the shooting was, he�s coping with it by putting it into a professional perspective. This is different because it�s personal. There�s nothing for the cop to do. There�s no way to insulate the man from what he knows.� �You�re making it sound like he�s two different people.� �In a way, right now he is. It�s the only way he�s managed to stay on his feet.� Starsky looked baffled. �You�ve lost me, Doc. I don�t understand.� �Dave, Hutch isn�t coping with what happened. He�s simply going through the motions. He�s separated himself from the horror, by drawing from his experience as a cop. You two have had some gruesome cases in the past and he�s using those experiences to build a wall around himself. That way, he�s not really involved. As long as he keeps this on a purely professional level, he remains in control. It�s only when he runs across something that he can�t divorce himself from, that reality intrudes. He told me about seeing Chris� body under the sheet instead of your bed. This latest episode happened when he saw her pictures in the file. These things are too real for him to ignore. So is this.� As Dr. Massey paused, Dr. Marshall continued. �David, we�ve said this before, but it�s especially vital now. Ken needs professional help. This report answers a lot of questions. It explains why there is so much guilt and so much anger. If he remembers this before he�s ready, the results can be devastating.� �So, what can we do to keep that from happening?� �The same thing you�ve been doing all along. Watch him carefully and keep him from the personal aspects as best you can. All we can do is hope that nothing happens to trigger his memory.� Starsky was angry. �This just keeps getting better and better! Now I�m supposed to censor everything he sees and hears. How the Hell am I supposed to do that?� Dr. Massey was patient. �You can�t, unless you�re psychic. We don�t know exactly what happened that night, so we can�t predict what will bring those memories back.� Starsky got up to leave. �So, what can I do?� �Keep watching him and shield him as best you can. That�s all anyone can do right now.� �What if he does hear something that triggers his memory?� Dr. Massey�s voice was grim. �Then you hope there are some pieces left for us to pick up.� Starsky was not in the best of moods when he returned to the squad room. He stood in the doorway, watching Hutch. There was a time bomb ticking away inside his partner�s head and it could go off at any time. Starsky looked up at the ceiling. How was he supposed to keep it from going off before Hutch was ready? Hutch looked up as Starsky came toward him. �Well, so far, I�ve struck out. The bus stations all say the same thing. Whenever someone rents a locker from them, all they do is drop some coins and take the key. They don�t keep any paperwork on them. So what now? Do you want to go back down to Property and see if you can find another key?� Starsky noticed that Hutch didn�t mention Chris� name or offer to go with him. He shook his head. �No, I went through everything thoroughly. I don�t see any reason to go through her things again, or to go back to the hotel. As usual, we�re stumped.� The phone rang, putting an end to their brainstorming. Hutch got to it before Starsky did. �Hutchinson. Hey, Hug, what�s up?� He listened for a minute, then continued. �You�re kidding. Really? We�re on our way.� He hung up the phone and grabbed his jacket. �Huggy says he�s finally got something for us. Maybe this is the break we need. Are you coming?� Hutch was almost to the door before Starsky stopped him. For a minute, they stood there, looking at each other. Then Starsky swore to himself. What was he supposed to say? Uh, excuse me Hutch, but you can�t go because you might hear something you shouldn�t? If you hear the wrong thing and you remember what really happened that night, it could kill you, too? Yeah, right. Hutch looked at Starsky. �Starsk, come on! Huggy�s waiting. Let�s go!� Starsky threw up his hands and shook his head, following Hutch out the door. |
| When they arrived at the Pits, Huggy was waiting for them. He waved them over and had Diane pour them a beer. �What�s up, Hug? You said you had something.� �You got that right! I told you it wouldn�t take long before some punk started running his mouth.� �OK, Huggy, spill it. What did you hear?� Starsky asked. �I just heard from a reliable source that a certain two-bit junkie was in the Broken Bottle last night blowing his own horn. He was throwing cash around like confetti, to any one who would catch it. He was talking about going to work for a really heavy dude. He said the guy hired him to be his top mechanic and had already made his first hit.� Starsky asked, �Did he say who it was that he took out?� Huggy glanced at Hutch. �Yeah. Apparently his boss wanted to get rid of this chick that was getting too close to his business. He told this junkie that if he did a good job, he�d make him his main man. My source said he was really strutting around.� �OK, he sounds like our boy. Did he say anything else?� The look Huggy gave him was scathing. He glanced again at Hutch. �He supposedly was bragging about how it went down. He said he wasted this chick while she was making it with a cop, that he blew her right out from under him.� Hutch swung away from the other two, clutching the bar for support. Starsky squeezed his shoulder gently. Neither man spoke while they waited for Hutch to pull himself together. Starsky had to wonder how much strength Hutch had left and how much more he could take. Hutch stood motionless as he fought to regain control of his emotions. When he was sure he could speak, he turned back to Huggy. �Does this �reliable source� have a name?� �Joe Meyers.� Hutch was incredulous. �Spooky Joe Meyers? Huggy, that scum is so far gone that he talks to himself and answers in a different voice. How can you possibly listen to anything that man has to say?� To anyone on the street who knew �Spooky� Joe, what Hutch said made perfect sense. It was rumored that Joe could have been the top dealer on that side of the city except for one small problem. He couldn�t stay away from his own stuff. He couldn�t handle more than a few customers at a time without losing his shirt. Huggy answered Hutch. �I know where you�re coming from, Hutch. Joe might not be an intellectual giant, but he does know his customers. If one of his steady marks has a sudden increase in income, Joe knows about it. It�s only good business. He doesn�t want to charge more than they can pay, but he sets his prices according to their income.� Starsky quipped, �Oh, yeah, he doesn�t want to bleed them dry. He just takes them for everything he can get. He�s a real enterprising individual, Huggy, real trustworthy. So who�s this junkie turned hit-man?� �His name�s Eddie Avery. He�s about twenty-four, five-eight or so, and weighs about a hundred and fifty pounds. He doesn�t have a real close relationship with water, if you know what I mean. He�s got straggly blonde hair and brown eyes. If I remember right, he�s got a scar down the left side of his face. From what I hear, one of his unsatisfied customers cut him during a brawl.� Hutch shook his head. �Do you happen to know where we can find this sterling example of mankind?� �He usually hangs out in an abandoned hotel on Eighth Street. Lately, he�s been spending his nights in the bar, throwing his money around.� �What�s the name of the hotel?� �It used to be the Biltmour. It�s been abandoned for over a year now.� Hutch turned to Starsky. �Well, why are we still standing here? We�ve waited this long for a lead, we don�t want it to get cold. Let�s go!� They said a quick good-bye to Huggy and took off for the hotel. Since it was still early, they had a small hope that they would catch him before he left. When they arrived, they went up the stairs cautiously. As they peeked through the front door, they could see four men sitting on a couch. One of them matched Huggy�s description of Avery. Starsky grabbed Hutch as he went past him. He swung him around to his side of the building. �Where do you think you�re going?� �I�m going in after him, what else? I don�t want him to get away, not when we�re so close.� �Hutch, if you bust in there now, all you�re going to do is get us both killed. He�s not alone and I�d bet none of those boys are anxious to meet a couple of cops. What we�re going to do is call for back-up and sit tight �til it gets here.� �What if they decide to take off? Are we supposed to watch them get away? After all we�ve been through? I�m not going to let them get away, Starsky.� �Hutch, you listen to me! We are NOT going in without back-up! If you try to go in there before help arrives, I will personally handcuff you and put you in the car. Do you understand me?� Hutch looked stunned. �You wouldn�t.� Starsky met his eyes. �Try me.� Hutch put his hands up and nodded. �Fine, whatever you say. We�ll wait.� Ten minutes later, two patrol cars drove up silently and parked behind the Torino. Starsky directed the four officers around the building and waited for them to get into position. Starsky counted to ten, then made his move. He went through the front door with Hutch behind him. The uniformed officers came in through the other entrances and surrounded the men. �OK, friends, it�s the heat! Stay where you are and no one will get hurt.� The four suspects, including Avery, looked around them and decided not to resist. They put up their hands and walked quietly out of the hotel. Starsky booked the four suspects and separated Avery from the others. He had one of the officer's take him to the interrogation room. Deciding to let him sweat for a while, they stopped by Captain Dobey�s office. �So who are the other three?� Dobey asked. Starsky answered. �They�re small time dealers for Spooky Joe. We wanted to make it look like a drug bust. No one will guess that we like Eddie Avery for Chris� murder.� �OK, I�ll go along with that. Do you actually think this punk is the one who shot Christine Phelps?� Hutch replied, �We think he�s the one who pulled the trigger, Captain. There�s someone else pulling his strings; someone a Hell of a lot bigger.� �So, why are you still here? Did you read him his rights?� �Yeah. He say�s he didn�t do anything, so he doesn�t need a lawyer. Don�t worry, Cap, I�ll be careful. If he changes his mind, I�ll make sure he gets one.� �I want this one by the book, Starsky. If he�s guilty of murder, I don�t want him going free on a legal technicality.� �I hear you, Captain, loud and clear.� As Starsky and Hutch headed for the interrogation room, Dobey stepped in front of Hutch. �Where do you think you�re going?� Hutch stared at his Captain. �I�m going in there, Captain. It�s kind of hard to question a suspect through the door.� �You got this wrong, Hutch. Starsky is going to question Avery. You�re not going anywhere near him. You can watch from the other room, but that�s as close as you get.� �Now, wait just a minute, Captain. I�m as much a part of this investigation as Starsky is. I was in on the arrest, and I�m going to be in on the interrogation, too.� �No, you�re not. This man is our prime suspect and I won�t have this case jeopardized by letting you anywhere near him. You were emotionally involved with the victim, and in the room with her when she was killed. If I let you question him, and he confesses, the judge will take one look at that and throw it out of court. Starsky is the officer in charge of the interrogation, and that�s final.� Hutch started to protest again, but Dobey stopped him. �I gave you a direct order, Hutchinson. You can watch from the other room, or you can wait in my office. Which is it going to be?� Hutch snarled an answer and stalked into the other room. |
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