Inmates

Cynatnite

Hutch hummed to himself as he dried himself off with a towel. He was looking forward to the double date with Starsky and the two stewardess friends. It had been a horrendous week at work and he just wanted to unwind and relax. He did so little of that as it was. Starsky getting damn near killed had put both of their lives on hold for too damn long.

When Starsky had finally gotten the all clear to go back on full duty, both were relieved but wound up spending more and more time working at their desks. Neither had the same drive and passion as before and both were content sitting opposite of each other trading banter back and forth.

He grabbed the robe from the hook and slipped it on cinching the knot tightly at his waist. Hutch grabbed his blow dryer and plugged it into the socket near the sink. He whistled an old Bob Dylan tune as he began drying his hair. Hutch thought he heard a noise, but the noise of the dryer drowned it out. He ignored it and finished up.

Hutch switched off the dryer and unplugged it. He heard the noise again. This time it was the sound of book dropping to the floor. Hutch shook his head and with the blow dryer in his hand stepped out expecting to see Starsky searching through his reading materiel.

What he found instead were two men searching through his things. They swung around towards him and before Hutch could move a thunderous sound echoed through his head reverberating in his ears. He felt a sharp bite in his shoulder sending him back against the wall. Hutch felt a flash of blinding pain as he fell to the floor.

The tall dark haired man walked over to the unconscious police officer and knelt down. “Jesus.” The word was barely a whisper. He reached down and pulled the blow dryer from the unconscious man’s hand. He looked over at his counterpart with thinning grey hair. “He had a fucking blow dryer.”

“Andy, are you sure?”

Andy stood up and held it up for his friend to see whose eyes widened at the sight. “Gib, what are we going to do?”

“We’ll do what we came here to do. Start looking and we’ll fix this up before calling it in.”

Andy Woods nodded and set the dryer down. He stepped over the prone body lying on the floor and his eye caught the magnum in the holster hanging up. “Gib, get a load of this.”

Gibson Pride looked over from across the room and smiled. “How convenient.” He turned his attention back to searching through a stack of mail and stopped in his tracks. “Andy,” Gibson called out. He heard the footsteps behind him and kept his focus on the mail. “Didn’t you say 1027 half Ocean Drive?”

“No, I said 1027 half Ocean Avenue.” Andy looked over at his partner who swung around to look at him. He took the bill being held out in front of him and looked down at it. “Shit. How are we going to explain this?”

“I don’t know, but get a load of the name.” Gibson nervously crossed his arms staring across at his friend.

Andy looked down and read the name. “Ken Hutchinson. Yeah, so?”

“So, I think this guy is a cop. If he’s the one I’m thinking, we fucked up royally.”

“Who is he?”

“He’s the man that brought Gunther down. Don’t you read the papers?”

“Are you sure about this? There’s no way in hell anyone would believe this was a screw up!”

“Even if they believed it was, our hides won’t be worth a damn.”

Andy shook his head and looked over at Gibson who walked over to the body lying on the floor. He could see the wheels turning in his partner’s head as he swung back around and looked at him. “If I thought we could get away with killing him, I’d do it. However, I’ve got a better idea.”

“What’s that?”

“Get down to the car and get our stash.”

“Gib, do you have any idea how much money you’re talking about here?”

“It’s a hell of a lot better than the alternative. We’ll come out of this smelling like a rose, buddy.” The smile on Gibson’s face gave Andy a dose of confidence and he left the apartment to do his partner’s bidding.

The darkness was comforting but when he moved his head, the pain hit him with a horrendous vengeance. Hutch slowly opened his eyes mindful of the pain which was radiating through his entire body. The light hurt his eyes and he closed them wishing the pain away. He slowly opened them and looked up. Hutch looked up and saw that he was in a hospital. He remembered someone in his apartment, but he couldn’t put a face on them.

Hutch tried to bring his hand up and was stopped by the handcuff at the railing. He looked at his right hand in disbelief seeing the cuff on it. He looked over and saw the same on the other. He yanked at the cuffs in frustration not understanding why they were there. He laid his head back. “Somebody!” Hutch yelled.

The door swung open suddenly and Hutch sagged against the pillow in relief upon seeing Starsky. He watched his best friend come to his side and relaxed at the gentle warmth of his hand on his head. “Hey, buddy,” Starsky said warmly. “How ya’ doin’?”

“What the hell is going on, Starsk? Why am I cuffed?”

“How much do you remember?”

Hutch shook his head briefly not liking the fact that Starsky hadn’t answered his question directly. “I remember thinking you had arrived early and when I walked into the living room someone was there. I don’t know who.”

“You don’t remember anything else, Hutch?”

Hutch had a confused look on his face looking at the eyes of Starsky. “Starsky, what the hell is going on?”

Hutch could see the range of emotions running across his partner’s face. He watched Starsky take a hard swallow and at that moment fear began to take control of his heart. “Hutch, you’ve been taken into police custody.”

“What?” Hutch was in disbelief. “Why?”

“There were two undercover officers in your apartment. They had a tip from an informant about a drug buy.”

“I don’t believe this. I was shot, wasn’t I?”

“They said you aimed your gun at them.”

Hutch shook his head vigorously and stared straight back at Starsky. “No, that’s a lie!”

Starsky reached over and put his hand on Hutch’s arm. “I know, buddy. We’re still trying to put the full story together. That’s why you need to try and remember everything that happened.”

“There’s more. I can see it in your eyes.” Hutch saw Starsky lower his head a bit.

Starsky took a deep breath and looked down at Hutch. “They found two kilos of cocaine and $25,000 in your apartment.”

“They set me up,” Hutch whispered.

“Hutch, these cops don’t even know us. It’s got to be someone else.”

Hutch licked his dry lips and looked up at Starsky. “Gunther.”

Starsky shook his head. “Dobey doesn’t think so since most of Gunther’s organization is in shambles. He’s got Minnie running our past cases.”

“Starsk, that informant? These guys can give him up at least enough for you to talk to him.”

“I tried, Hutch. They won’t budge an inch. They feel that given their findings, it’ll be putting their informant at risk.”

Hutch relaxed against the pillow and closed his eyes barely believing what was happening. In a matter of minutes, his whole life was turned upside down. He opened his eyes and looked over at Starsky. “So, what now?”

Starsky’s look was somber as he looked across at Hutch. “When you’re well enough, you’ll be booked. The D.A. is going to press for a high bail, Hutch. I’ve called Bill McCaughey who’s going to represent you.”

“Jesus.” It was barely a whisper but enough for it to be heard. “I guess heading to South America is out.”

“Not as far as I’m concerned.” Starsky smiled and squeezed Hutch’s hand. “Soon as you get out, we’re hitting the streets and we’ll find who set you up, partner.”

“If I get bail.”

“You will.” Starsky’s face was confident and Hutch wished he felt it. “I’ve already got Huggy on it and I’m going to get a hold of the reports from the arresting officers. It’s not over, buddy. We’ll find who’s responsible.”

Hutch felt Starsky squeeze his hand and he hoped some of the faith his partner had would flow into his own body. Hutch felt cold inside as the reality of the situation settled over him like an icy blanket.

Three days later, Hutch was released from the hospital. He was taken to the jail and booked. It was a humiliating experience for him even though it wasn’t the very Metro precinct he worked at. He was processed through as he would have booked any other suspect. Hutch was achingly aware of the process and wondered how people dealt with the degrading experience.

He was brought before a judge and listened as the list of charges were read. Hutch felt outside of himself and wondered how anyone would think him not guilty given the evidence stacked against him. Bail was set high, but he managed to pay it with a bit of help from Starsky.

They left the courthouse and Starsky drove to his place. Hutch didn’t fight him on it. He wasn’t ready to go to Venice Place and when he walked inside Starsky’s place, he collapsed down on the couch. Hutch leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He ignored the sounds coming from Starsky and a few minutes later when he opened his eyes, Starsky stood over him holding a beer out to him. “You know, drinking is a violation of my bail conditions.”

“I won’t tell, if you won’t.” Starsky had a soft smile on his face and Hutch returned it with one his own as he took the bottle from him. Hutch opened the bottle and felt the cold liquid trace a cooling path down his throat to his insides. He sighed heavily and looked over at Starsky. “You can’t go with me to Huggy’s, Hutch.”

“I know.” Hutch hated it, but he knew one violation could put him in jail for the duration. He wasn’t quite ready to face the possibility of prison, but he wasn’t going to voice his concerns to Starsky. “You’re going with me to see Bill, aren’t you?”

Starsky took a drink of his beer and sat down next to Hutch. “You know I am. We’ll get you cleared, Hutch. Dobey’s giving me plenty of leeway to find out who did this to you and why.”

“Well, I’m not sure how much time will be allowable, Starsky. I’m not even a cop right now.”

“You’re only on suspension, Hutch. You’re still a cop.”

Hutch looked down at the bottle in his hand and gripped it tightly. “It sure didn’t feel that way today, partner. God, how in the hell do people who are really innocent deal with the humiliation of being arrested and standing in front of a judge like that?”

Starsky put a comforting hand on Hutch’s shoulder. “They just do just like you will. I’m here, Hutch. This isn’t over yet.”

Hutch raised his head and met Starsky’s confident smile. “I know.” Hutch took a drink of his beer and looked back at his partner. “You’d better get to Huggy’s before it gets too late.”

Starsky stood up and took another drink of his beer. He walked back in the kitchen and poured the remainder down the sink. He walked back into the living room where Hutch remained on the couch. “Hey, are you going to be okay?”

“I’ll be fine. I don’t need a babysitter at this point.” Hutch smiled at Starsky who took a deep breath before reaching for the door.

“I’ll call you as soon as I know anything,” Starsky promised.

Hutch watched the door close behind him and he turned his attention back to his beer. He felt his confidence slip away as soon as Starsky had walked out the door.

Huggy picked up the mug and headed to the other side of the bar where Starsky sat waiting for him. He set it down in front of him and slid in the chair on the other side. He didn’t say anything as Starsky took a large drink. “How’s Hutch?”

Starsky brought the glass down and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He looked down into the mug and back up at Huggy. “He’s holding his own, Hug. I think the both of us could use some good news about now.”

Huggy shook his head a bit. “I wish I had some for you, Starsky. There’s nothing on the street about anyone looking to take either of you down.”

Starsky leaned forward in his chair intently staring into Huggy’s eyes. “Someone’s got to know something!” The whisper was filled with anger and Starsky caught himself. He exhaled the deep breath he had been holding and relaxed. “Sorry, Hug.”

“Hey, man. Don’t sweat it.” Huggy gave Starsky an understanding smile.

“Okay, what about this informant?”

“No one knows.”

“What do you mean no one knows?”

“Starsky, I can tell you damn near any cop’s snitch you’d want to know. But whoever the dude is, I couldn’t tell you a thing.”

“These cops…uh…Woods and Pride. What do you know about them?”

Huggy shook his head briefly and looked over at Starsky. “Solid cops for the most part is what’s said. They do have a tendency once in a while to go for a few high dollar toys, but nothing to say they’re on the take.”

“Hutch and I’ve never even met these guys before this went down. They work out of the 34^th and Hutch’s place is in that district. This whole thing just doesn’t add up.”

“Starsky, all I can do at this point is to keep rattling the grape vine to see what falls out.”

“We’ve got to find this snitch, Huggy. Make that your priority.”

Starsky finished off his beer and tossed a couple of bills on the table before leaving. Huggy sat there watching the moody cop. He had never seen Starsky like this before. In fact, it only seemed like Starsky was a walking reproduction of the state Hutch had been in not that long ago.

Hutch sat in the leather chair attempting to casually play with the zipper on his jacket. He looked over at Starsky who was tense in the way he held his hands together. Hutch sighed a bit and looked to the desk where his attorney Bill McCaughey was sorting through the case file. Hutch’s breath caught as Bill closed the file and leaned back in his chair.

“Well”, Hutch asked. “Tell me how bad it is.”

“Ken, I wish I could offer you some good news here.”

Starsky’s hand dropped down in his lap and he looked squarely at the older lawyer. “Don’t tell me you’re giving up.”

“Far from it, Dave. We can put up a hell of a fight and drag this thing out. Maybe something will give.”

Hutch looked down at his hand not wanting to meet the eyes of his attorney. “What are our options?”

“Given the evidence, the D.A. is pushing for the maximum should this go to trial. Every case in your career will be gone through with a fine tooth comb and given what you’ve told me so far, you won’t be painted in the best light, Ken.”

“Oh, come on,” Starsky said raising his voice. “You can’t sit there and tell me they’re going to hold him responsible for the shit he’s gone through!”

“Maybe not, Dave. But you have to realize how it will appear. The deaths of Vanessa Hutchinson and Gillian Ingram will be used in the worst possible way.”

“How much time could I get if I go to trial and I’m found guilty?”

“You won’t be”, Starsky assured Hutch.

Hutch raised his eyes and fixed them on Bill’s face. “Tell me, Bill.”

“Ten to twenty.” The answer was soft and plain spoken.

Hutch felt the wind leave him and he brought his head down. He felt Starsky’s hand on his arm. “Hutch, we’ll find out who did this. It won’t make trial.” Hutch swallowed the huge lump in his throat and he rubbed his eyes before bringing his head back up.

“I am obligated to present you with an offer from the D.A.’s office.”

“It’ll be turned down,” Starsky blurted out.

Hutch looked over at Starsky. “Starsky.” He looked back at Bill. “What’s the offer?”

“Plead guilty to drug possession with intent to distribute. You’ll get three to five. You could be paroled as early as 32 months.”

Hutch could see the adamant shake of his partner’s head. “Hutch can’t go to prison. You know as well as I do he’ll be dead inside of a month.”

“Ken, should you go to prison, you won’t be put in with the general population unless you request it.”

Hutch ignored the look on Starsky’s face and kept his firm eyes on Bill. “How long does this offer stay on the table?”

“Till trial. After that, any and all offers will be rescinded and if found guilty, more than likely you’ll get the maximum allowed by law. The public has little tolerance for bad cops.”

Hutch was thoughtful for a moment and he suddenly stood much to Starsky’s surprise. He shook Bill’s hand. “Thanks, Bill. I appreciate your work on this. I’ll be in touch.”

Starsky’s eyes were filled with shock as Hutch walked out of the office. After a moment of sitting he finally pushed himself out of the chair and followed his partner. Not a word was passed between them during the drive back to Starsky’s.

As soon as they walked through the door, Starsky closed it behind him and watched Hutch pull a beer from the fridge. “Want to tell me what happened back there, Hutch?”

Hutch took a long drink and leaned against the counter. “If I was just another perp and you took a good look at the evidence sitting at my feet, you’d say I was guilty, wouldn’t you?”

Starsky pushed himself up off the door and walked towards Hutch. “You’re not. I want to know what you’re thinking.”

“Come on, Starsk. You know what we’re looking at here.”

“Yeah, we’re looking at finding who was responsible for setting you up.”

“It’s been damn near two weeks now. We’re nowhere and you know it.”

“I don’t know it! The only thing we haven’t looked at is those two cops.”

Hutch took a long drink of his beer and set the bottle down on the cabinet. “Well, I have looked at those two cops. They’ve got the top arrest records in their precinct with the commendations to back them up. They’ve made some impressive busts that have stuck. Who did this and why is probably something we’ll never know.”

Starsky’s eyes widened a bit as he studied Hutch. “You’ve given up, haven’t you?”

“Far from it.” Hutch’s smile was bitter. He shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed. “I’m facing reality here, buddy. Maybe you should, too.”

“If you think I’m going to just stand by and let you get sent up…”

“It’s my choice!” Hutch yelled. Hutch pulled a hand out and ran it through his blonde hair. He took a deep breath trying to get a handle on his emotions. “Listen, we’ve got to look at this objectively no matter how tough it may be. If this thing goes to trial, not only will they drag out Gillian and Vanessa, if they dig deep enough, they could find out about Forrest and what he did. You know as well as I do, that’ll be the nail in my coffin and yours, too.”

“Taking a deal means that any hope of beating this thing is out of the question, Hutch. You’re career as a cop will be over and you’ll spend the rest of your life as an ex-con.”

“Starsky, I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but we’ve got to be realistic. There’s no way in hell I can beat this thing.”

“No! I’m not giving up and neither should you. We’ll find this snitch and…”

“And then what,” Hutch said holding his hands out. “The snitch said he got word about a dirty cop selling coke out of his apartment? What are you going to do to make him own up to it? Play your bad cop routine? He’ll scream police brutality at the top of his lungs to anyone that will listen and it’ll be your career they’ll be playing taps to.”

“I don’t give a damn about my career!”

“I do! Jesus Christ, Starsky! If this goes to trial, your career right along with mine will be stretched out for the world to see. You could find yourself in a cell right next to mine and I won’t have it!”

Starsky could feel his temper taking control and he tightly clenched his fists. “Don’t you dare play the fucking martyr with me! I’m not letting you do this, Hutch, so you can forget it!”

“Is that what you think I’m doing? Martyrdom as appealing as it may sound is not what this is about. I’m just trying to feel my away around the dark here and 32 months in prison sounds a hell of a lot better than ten years.”

Starsky blinked back the tears that were trying to overwhelm him. He rubbed his eyes furiously and let his arms drop down to his sides. “Trial is set 22 days from now, Hutch. Don’t make this decision just yet. Let’s just keep at it at least until then.”

Starsky could see that Hutch was thinking hard. He could see the muscles working back and forth in Hutch’s jaw. Starsky walked over to him and gently set his hands on Hutch’s arms. “I know you want to do what you think is the best for the both of us, Hutch. God, I’d probably want the same thing if I were in your shoes. Please wait. If you don’t do anything else for me, please do this.”

Hutch swallowed the hard lump in his throat and looked up at Starsky. He could feel the cry inside his chest threatening to break loose. “I’m scared, Starsk.” It was a whispering plea and the fear was as real as Starsky’s hands on his arms. “I’ve never been more scared than I am right now.”

Starsky suddenly pulled Hutch close and held him tightly. He felt as if he’d never touch him again and never see him again. Letting go of Hutch was not an option right now nor ever if he had his way about it.

14 DAYS BEFORE TRIAL

Starsky had his arms crossed tightly against his chest as he looked through the two way mirror. Watching the officers who had arrested Hutch he felt almost a sense of looking at himself and his partner briefly.

Andy Woods was the handsome of the two. His dark brown hair was neatly combed and the dark brown eyes glanced at him briefly knowing someone was observing them. Everything about the guy was perfect right down to the perfectly matching shoes which blended so well with the casual clothes he wore.

Starsky slowly moved his gaze over to Gibson Pride. The somewhat older man had spent most of his career on the street. Starsky didn’t have to look at his record to know the man had seen the worst the city had to offer. It was all in his grey eyes. He wore a loosely fitted tie which looked as tired as Gibson Pride looked.

Starsky turned and headed out and when he arrived at the door he was met by Captain Dobey who leaned in close. “Starsky, I know you’re going to press these men hard about their actions that night. Remember, these are highly decorated officers who are considered as credible as you.”

“So’s Hutch, Cap. They’d better remember that, too.” Starsky opened the door and walked inside the interrogation room. He sat down at the table and set the records he had brought inside down. “I’m sure you both remember me.”

Andy crossed the room and sat down at the table across from Starsky. “Hey, we were only doing our jobs, you know. Sorry it turned out to be your partner.”

Starsky shot his head up at the detective who was looking back at him. He saw neither remorse nor even regret in those eyes. “I just want to make sure I’m covering all my bases. If you guys have a problem with me talking to you about this, I’m sure your Captain can come down here or even IA can sit in to make sure everything’s on the up and up.”

“Just what are you implying, Detective Starsky?” Gibson asked roughly.

“Surely if you were in my position and it was your partner, you’d want to make sure every possible thing was done to insure there’s no mistake.”

Gibson pushed himself away from the wall and planted his hands on the table. He loomed over Starsky and forced him to look up at him. “There’s no mistake about finding enough coke to supply a small country and 25 grand.”

Starsky knew the tactic Gibson was using well. He had used it enough during many interrogations in the past. He wasn’t about to let either one of these guys take over this questioning. “Let’s talk about your informant first.” Starsky lowered his gaze down to the record in front of him. “Any idea on where he gets his Intel?”

Andy looked down at his fingernails looking for dirt that wasn’t there. “Detective, you know as well as I do, if he talks too much it’s his life.”

“Being that a police officer was being fingered, I would think you’d want to make sure he was reliable.” Starsky observed the officer closely watching for anything that might give him an opening.

Gibson stuck his hands in his pockets and shook his head. “How would a snitch set up that much coke and cash in a cop’s apartment?”

“It’s not hard. Some of us have got a lot of enemies. I’m sure the two of you have your share given the remarkable arrests you’ve made in the last few years. Someone could have pushed your snitch enough to drop the info in your laps after making sure the damaging evidence against my partner was stashed at his place.”

“You’re grabbing at straws, detective.” Andy set his forearms down on the table and gave him a condescending look which Starsky hated. “You’ve used everything you’ve got to get your hands on our snitch with no luck. We’re not giving him up to you or to anybody. The evidence against your partner is rock solid and there’s not a damn thing you can do to change it.”

Gibson smiled a bit at Starsky and straightened his crooked tie just a bit. “Face it, Starsky. Your partner’s a dirty cop who got caught. You just hate the fact he buffaloed you. Best chance you’ve got is to cut the scum loose to keep your own career intact.”

Starsky shot up out of the chair and grabbed Gibson Pride. He slammed him hard against the wall and when he turned his head Andy Woods was coming towards him. Starsky brought his leg up and a blue tennis shoe landed square in the chest of Woods. Andy fell back against the hard floor with a loud thud. He was dazed from what Starsky could see and he turned his attention back to Pride. “Let me tell you something, you sack of shit! Hutch is innocent and I’ll prove it! The only way that dope got in his place was by someone planting it! You and your buddy over there are at the top of a list with only two names! You might as well plan on seeing a lot of me because I’ll be your shadow 24/7.”

Starsky pushed himself away from Gibson and as Woods was pushing himself up, he stepped on his back pushing him back down to the floor. Starsky headed out the door and met his captain who was leaning against the wall. He walked past Captain Dobey knowing nothing would be said about his behavior.

5 DAYS BEFORE TRIAL

Starsky pulled the Torino in behind Hutch’s beat up LTD wondering why he had been called to Venice Place. He shut off the ignition and stepped out of the car. Starsky hurried inside and took the stairs two at a time. He swung the door open and froze at the sight.

Scattered around the apartment were several boxes and Hutch was hunched over one putting some items inside. Starsky quietly closed the door behind him and made his way to Hutch sidestepping the boxes sitting on the floor. He took note that several had already been filled and taped up. “What do you think you’re doing, Hutch?” Starsky asked in a low voice.

Hutch picked up a stack of books and started setting them inside a box. “I’ve marked the ones that need to get sent to my parents and the rest can go to storage.”

Starsky took a hold of Hutch’s arm stopping him in his movements. “I thought we made an agreement.”

“We did, Starsk.” Hutch licked his dry lips and refused to meet Starsky’s eyes. “Everything needs to be taken care of just in case…” Hutch closed his eyes momentarily. He took a deep breath and continued setting the books inside the box.

Starsky refused to go along with it. He reached back into the box and pulled out the books Hutch had just set inside. “No, we’ve still got time and I’m not going to let you go to prison.”

Hutch sighed heavily and leaned against the back of the couch. He watched Starsky set the books down on a nearby table. “Starsky, I don’t want this any more than you do.”

“I’m not letting you give up.” Starsky gave Hutch a firm look and walked back over to the box.

“Stop it, Starsky.” Hutch walked over to Starsky who was pulling items from the box. Starsky ignored Hutch. “Starsky!” Hutch took a thick book from Starsky’s hands and set it down. He grasped onto Starsky’s arm and held it tightly. “You know the odds, partner. If we haven’t come up with anything by now, we’re not going to.”

Starsky tried to swallow the hard lump in his throat and he couldn’t. He wanted to beg Hutch not to let go of his arm. He couldn’t take it if he had to. Starsky stared down at the box still not wanting to face the grim reality. “You’re asking me to do something that I can’t accept, Hutch. I can’t go along with this.”

Hutch took a step closer to Starsky. He put his hand on his best friend’s cheek and brought his face to look up at him. “I have to be ready, Starsk.” Hutch whispered it gently knowing how much pain this separation would hurt them both. “I can’t do it without you. I need you more than ever in my life.”

The tears suddenly fell uncontrollably on Starsky’s cheeks and Hutch instinctively pulled him close. He wrapped his arms tightly around his partner and felt the pain in Starsky’s body. “Stay strong for me, buddy. I need you to hold on for a little while longer.”

Starsky took a deep cleansing breath and stepped away from Hutch. “I’ve still got a few leads to check out later tonight.” Starsky wiped the tears on his face away with the back of his hand.

“You know I have to do this, Starsky. I don’t want you to have to deal with it alone.”

Starsky nodded not trusting himself to speak. He took a deep breath and picked up the thick book. “We’ll pack everything. But it all stays here for the time being.”

Hutch wanted to tell Starsky that sending it now would be better, but he knew Starsky wasn’t quite ready to hear it. He knew his partner very well. Well enough to know that Starsky would fight until his last dying breath and probably even them some. Hutch had witnessed it first hand. He wished he had his partner’s strength. Hutch knew he would need all he could get.

ONE DAY BEFORE TRIAL

Starsky eased down on Hutch’s kitchen floor. He handed the beer off to him and ignored the stacks of boxes piled around him. An unfinished game of monopoly had been pushed aside and a half empty pizza box sat between them.

Hutch snickered and took a drink of his beer. “There is a bright side to this.”

Starsky took a drink of his beer and looked at his partner. “Only you would find the bright side to going to the pen.”

“I’ll get a chance to catch up on all that reading I’ve never gotten around to.”

“Yeah, maybe do all that meditating, too. You’ll be the only bohemian con there.” Starsky giggled a little and looked over at Hutch who was laughing hysterically

“Call it new age rehabilitation, Starsky.” Hutch took a drink of his beer to keep the fear he was feeling at bay.

Starsky pushed the pizza box away with his foot and leaned back against the cabinet. “I’ll come every week, Hutch. You’ll get tired of seeing my ugly mug.”

“I’m counting on it, Starsk. Just make sure you call my parents every week. They’ll have a tough time with this.”

“I won’t quit,” Starsky promised solemnly. “No matter what, your name will be cleared.”

Hutch reached across and gave Starsky’s knee an affectionate squeeze. “Just be there for me, buddy. That’s what’ll get me through this.”

“You know, Hutch. Nobody’s ever stood by me like you have. In all the years we’ve been together you’ve been the only one that’s really been there went it counted.”

“Where else would I be? You’ve been through a hell of a lot, Starsk. If I haven’t learned anything else from you, I’ve learned what it takes to survive even when things are at their worst.”

“I tried, Hutch.” Starsky’s eyes began suddenly watering and the tears were now impossible to stop. “I tracked every lead I could find to stop this from happening.”

Hutch scooted over next to Starsky and put his arm around him. “I know that, Starsky. You’ve spent everything you’ve got and I don’t want you thinking you didn’t do enough.”

Starsky didn’t move to wipe the tears on his face. “I’ll wonder if I did. We have never been apart like this.”

Hutch reached over and gently wiped a tear from Starsky’s face. “We won’t be apart. Even when you’re not with me, you’re with me. I’ve always believed that even when I thought you were going to die.”

Starsky took a deep breath and grappled with his emotions. “You’ve never told me that before.”

“Well, you had a hell of a recovery, partner. I wasn’t going to burden you with the demons I was fighting at the time.”

Starsky swung his gaze over at Hutch and looked into his soft eyes. “Tell me about them.”

“I did tell you.”

“You told me about seeing the shrink after the shooting, but you never really talked about it.”

Hutch reached for his beer and took a drink from it. “Post traumatic stress syndrome, Starsky. I told you that’s what kept me off the street for a while.”

“You never told me what it was really like for you, Hutch. I want to know.”

Hutch leaned his head back against the cabinet and closed his eyes briefly. He saw the flash of memory and he opened his eyes. “Right after it happened I quit closing my eyes for any length of time. I didn’t sleep much. It would play over and over in my head. I felt like I was reliving it again and again.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I was right back there at that very moment, Starsk. We were at the Torino. Every sound and movement was as real as you are right now. I can tell you exactly how that car sounded grinding against the police car next to it. I know exactly how the tires sounded running across the pavement. I can count every single bullet fired by those hitmen. I can feel the glass raining down on me and I still remember how it dug into my hands when I was pushing myself up from the ground. I know every shot I fired and where it landed.” Hutch turned his head and looked at Starsky. “From the time it started to when I found you on the ground it took 23 seconds. Those 23 seconds changed your life and mine.”

Starsky cleared his throat hating how deeply it had affected Hutch. “Do you still have these flashbacks?”

Hutch shook his head. “Every once in a while, one will hit me when I least expect it. When they first started, they came at me like gangbusters. Now, when they come, I let it happen. Once I started accepting them, it became easier to deal with.”

“I want a promise from you, Hutch. You’re not to keep anything from me again. No matter what, you tell me everything.”

Hutch put his arm around Starsky and pulled him close. “You’ve got it. Since we’re on the subject of promises, I expect one from you.”

“What’s that?”

“Dobey’s going to assign you a new partner before long, Starsky.”

“I’ve already got one,” Starsky said firmly.

“Starsky, be reasonable about this.”

Starsky pushed himself up from the floor and dropped the empty beer bottle in the trash. “I don’t want another partner, Hutch. I’ll stick it out behind a desk.”

Hutch stood up and looked at Starsky squarely. “There may come a time you’ll have to go out on the street. I don’t want you out there alone.”

“You’ll be with me like you said, Hutch.”

“God damn it, Starsk! It’s not the same and you know it!”

“Don’t you think I know that”, Starsky yelled. “Taking on a partner is out of the question and I’m asking you to respect that.”

“Just don’t give me anything to worry about while I’m locked up.”

Starsky could see the fear in Hutch’s eyes and the anger quickly escaped him. “You worry? Hutch, you’ve damn near cornered the market on worrying along with guilt.”

Hutch smiled a bit. “I’m selfish that way.”

Starsky slowly sat back down on the floor and leaned back against the cabinet. “God, listen to me. I’m bitching about not wanting a new partner and you’re worried about me. I think you’ve got it backwards, partner.”

Hutch eased down next to Starsky and smiled at him. “It’s just my roundabout way of saying if anything happens to you, I’ll escape and come back here to kick your ass.”

“Maybe my getting my ass kicked isn’t such a bad idea after all.” Starsky’s smile was sad. He leaned his head on Hutch’s shoulder. “I could make a burrito and stash a file in it should the need ever arise.”

“I think any burrito you make would be more than adequate to saw through the bars, Starsk.” Hutch chuckled a little at the thought. He liked the idea and he was looking forward to the countless jokes and crazy ideas Starsky would think up in the way of escaping.

Hutch refused to let the idea of what he was facing tomorrow be known. The fear was almost overwhelming and the power of it threatened to explode from him. He wasn’t about to let Starsky know how much the terror of being in prison was paralyzing him.

Instead they focused on the good times and remembering all the times they had been there for each other. Both knew they wouldn’t sleep that night and they spent the remainder of the night sitting on the kitchen floor next to each other.

It was almost 9am the next morning. The sun shining brightly over the city was almost offensive in the grim task which lay ahead. Hutch was dressed in his suit and he had his hands crammed in his pockets. He looked over at Starsky who stood close by. They took the steps slowly and met Dobey and Huggy at the top.

Starsky saw Bill and left Hutch to speak to him briefly. Hutch took the opportunity to quietly talk to Captain Dobey and Huggy Bear. “This is going to be rough on him,” Hutch said glancing over at Starsky.

“Not to worry, Hutch.” Huggy put a hand on Hutch’s shoulder. “I’ll keep a close eye on him.”

“We both will, Ken. You just make sure you let us know if you need anything”, Dobey assured Hutch. “I expect you to remember that just because you’re not a cop; it doesn’t mean you’re not my boy.”

Hutch nodded. “Thanks, Cap. Just let me know if Starsky has any problems. I will be able to help on that end if nothing else.”

When Starsky walked over to them, Dobey and Huggy wisely stepped away for the last time the two friends would be alone together. Hutch swallowed the lump in his throat and pulled out his wallet. He pulled the keys out of his pocket and handed them over to Starsky. “Is there anything I’m forgetting?”

Starsky shook his head not trusting himself to speak. He gently rubbed Hutch’s wallet and held to it tightly. “Starsky.” Starsky brought his wet eyes back up to Hutch. “I’ll be fine. The time will fly and before you know it, you’ll be force feeding me all that rotten food you like.”

“I guess I wasn’t as prepared for this as I kept telling myself.” The admission was tough for Starsky and he shoved Hutch’s keys in his pocket. Starsky gripped the wallet tightly in his hands. “It should be me, Hutch.”

Hutch put his hands on Starsky’s arms. “Don’t say that! Don’t ever say that to me again, Starsky. I’m leaving right after my sentencing and I need you to be strong for me. I won’t make it if you let this take you over.”

They pulled each other close and held tightly. Starsky squeezed his eyes closed. “I love you, Hutch. I don’t care who hears me say it. I love you with all my heart.”

A tear rolled down Hutch’s cheek and he buried a hand in Starsky’s curly soft hair. “I know, Starsk. I love you, too.”

They held tightly afraid of letting go. “Ken, it’s time.” Hutch heard Bill and he was reluctant to let Starsky go, but he did nonetheless. He touched a soft finger to Starsky’s face and stared at him. Hutch leaned down and gave Starsky a soft kiss on the cheek before quickly walking away.

Starsky stood there not moving. He was afraid to. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up at Huggy who stood next to him. Starsky gave him a nod. He looked over at Dobey who was stoic, but the emotion in his eyes gave him away. The three men walked inside the courthouse.

Starsky stood behind Hutch who was standing next to Bill in front of the judge. He barely heard the words spoken by the judge and the attorneys in the courtroom. The world was out of kilter for him and Starsky didn’t know how he was keeping his balance. The best friend he had ever known in his life would soon be taken away from him. This was a man who was closer to him than his own brother and closer to him than any other human being had ever been. Starsky knew no one would ever even come close to what Hutch meant to him.

He didn’t even notice Woods and Pride in the back of the courtroom and he never heard the comment Dobey had made to Huggy questioning their presence. It wasn’t until Starsky saw Hutch move, that he finally started to hear. He looked up to see an officer putting the handcuffs on Hutch. Starsky stepped forward and Hutch swung his head back to him.

Their eyes locked and nothing would break the silent words passing between them. Hutch was pulled away and Starsky’s eyes remained locked with his. He took a step towards Hutch and he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. Starsky and Hutch’s eyes remained locked on each other and the contact wasn’t broken until the door was closed behind the best friend of his life.

Once out of his site, Starsky leaned forward grabbing onto the railing which had kept him away from Hutch. He closed his eyes and he froze at the sound of a familiar chuckle. Starsky swung around to see Woods and Pride with smiles on their faces leaving the courtroom.

Starsky started towards them and he was grabbed by Huggy and Dobey. “You sons of bitches!” Starsky yelled not caring who heard him. He struggled against the tight hands holding him back. The officers who had arrested Hutch stood staring at him. “You lied and I’ll prove it, you fucking bastards! If it’s the last thing I do, you’ll go down for what you did!”

The detectives left the courtroom not letting Starsky’s outburst get to them. Starsky shook himself loose from Huggy and Dobey. He slumped down in the chair burying his head in his hands.

Starsky stood in the middle of Hutch’s empty apartment. The last of his things had been put in storage and Starsky kept a few to take back to his own place. Hutch didn’t die, Starsky thought. It sure as hell felt like he did. <