Noble Quests

Cynatnite

Hutch pushed the food around his plate with a fork and glanced over at Starsky who returned his look with a nervous one of his own. Hutch sighed heavily and dropped the fork to the plate. He picked up the napkin and wiped his lips. He opened his mouth to say something when Captain Dobey and Lucinda Walsh arrived at their table.

Lucinda was a strikingly attractive woman with a smart sense of law. As the assistant D.A. she was the best among her peers. Her dark brown hair was pulled back highlighting the tiredness in her normally sharp green eyes.

“Well,” Starsky asked. “How did the hearing go?”

Lucinda glanced at Dobey and then over at Starsky. She then focused on Hutch. “He got it.”

Starsky cursed loudly throwing down his napkin. “That’s a load of crap! That’s never happened with any other case we’ve done!”

“This isn’t most cases, Dave, and I think you know that.” She looked at Hutch who was leaning back in his chair remaining stoic. “Ken, I know this isn’t going to be easy for you, but I think we can get around it.”

“What were the judge’s reasons for agreeing to this?” Hutch asked softly.

“The unusual circumstances, for one. James Gunther has pulled together one of the best law teams on record. Everyone from the Justice Department to the agencies at the local level is going to be watching this trial like the proverbial hawk. While I know the evidence and the witnesses are going to take a hard hit, you are the lynch pin that keeps them all together. Casting doubt on your abilities as a police officer will not only discredit you, but it will affect the evidence gathering. In this instance, the judge agreed the defendant’s right to a fair trial outweighed your privacy.”

“How?” Starsky asked. “Hutch is a top rated cop with commendations out the…” Starsky glanced at the hard look in Dobey’s eyes. He shifted nervously in his seat and moved his eyes back to Lucinda. “None of that stuff has anything to do with this case.”

Lucinda sighed and shook her head. “I’m not sure what they have in mind. We have to be prepared for anything.”

“How much did they get, Lucinda?” Hutch picked up the glass of water to hide his nervousness.

“The judge agreed not to let them have complete access to your personnel file, he did allow records from internal affairs and cases specific to your personal life,” She explained.

“Cap?” Hutch asked.

Dobey sighed heavily. “The commissioner knows everything, Hutch. While he’s not happy about learning this just now, it’s better to not get blindsided once you’re on the witness stand.”

“Do I still have a job?”

“You’re damn right you do,” Dobey answered emphatically. “I told him if he considered terminating you, he’d take my resignation right along with it.”

“That’s not the reason Hutch still has his badge, is it?” Starsky asked.

“Officially the department is going to stand by you,” Dobey stated. “It doesn’t look good for the D.A.’s case if we bail on you when this comes out.” Dobey paused. “Unofficially, don’t either of you expect promotions any time soon.”

Lucinda took a drink of her coffee and set the cup down. “Dave, the defense won’t do much to you on the stand. Going after you will turn the jury against them which is something they can ill afford at this point.”

“They risk the same thing by going after Hutch with everything that happened to him,” Starsky said leaning forward. “None of that was his fault. Besides, Gunther’s the one on trial.”

“It’s a more worthwhile risk in their eyes,” Lucinda replied with a shrug of her shoulders. “Ken’s investigation while you were recovering, laid all the groundwork for this trial in the first place. If they can discredit him, it affects the entire case against Gunther.”

Starsky shook his head. “Jesus, how in the hell is he going to get off from murdering Bates?”

“I’m not sure just yet. Whatever it is, I can’t see a jury buying it,” Lucinda answered.

Hutch planted his elbows on the table and gave her a level look. “They’ll find out about what Ben Forest did to me. How do you expect to handle it, when they bring it up?”

Lucinda gave Hutch a sharp look. “We bring it up before they do. By doing that, it’ll steal whatever thunder they’ve got against you. The murder of your ex-wife and girlfriend will only serve to get the jury to sympathize. The defense will demonize themselves in the process.”

“You sure do have a lot of faith in the jury,” Starsky mumbled.

“We have to, Dave. The jury will see a man who used his power and wealth to commit murder, attempted murder, not to mention his numerous operations. The working man or woman has little tolerance for those kinds of abuses.”

“If that’s the jury you get,” Hutch added. “Starsky and I’ve been in enough courtrooms over the years to know it doesn’t always go as expected.”

Lucinda gave Hutch a hopeful look. “Ken, trial date is set two weeks from now. Given the numerous delays and motions Gunther’s defense has filed, it has taken over six months just to get to this point. Gunther will have to face a judge and jury. He won’t have an easy time of it by no stretch of the imagination. All we can do is prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”

“You’re not painting a very good picture, counselor,” Hutch replied.

“I’m not trying to. In this job you have to be realistic about your chances of a conviction. We filed every single charge we could find. I don’t expect all to be a guilty verdict, but he’ll take a fall in that courtroom.”

Starsky reached over and squeezed Hutch’s shoulder. “I just don’t think this is right. He’s having to pay a price for stuff that wasn’t his fault.”

“Starsk, it’s okay. I’ve handled difficult testimonies before. I can handle this.”

“Sure you can,” Dobey said with an encouraging look.

After the dinner, the two detectives headed to the Torino. Starsky glanced over at Hutch who was staring pensively out the window. “Hey, why don’t we grab a beer over at Huggy’s? You’ve been working too hard on this case.”

Hutch kept his gaze outward. “Drop me off at the precinct. I have some more work to finish.”

“Hutch, it’s almost nine. You’ve been working late for weeks.”

“It’s just for the duration of this case, Starsk. I have to stay on top of things.”

Starsky’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. “We need to talk about this.”

Hutch glanced over at Starsky. “There’s nothing to talk about. If I drop the ball, Gunther walks.”

“That’s not what I mean and you know it, Hutch.”

Hutch sighed heavily knowing what his partner meant. “Later, Starsky. Just drop me off at the precinct.”

Starsky looked at Hutch and he saw how his partner had closed him off. Starsky clenched his teeth together as he turned the corner. A few minutes later he pulled into the parking garage. He parked the car and turned towards Hutch. “Hutch, you’ve been working too hard for too long. Between taking care of me and this case, you haven’t taken any time for yourself.”

“Relax, will you? After this is over, I’ll take a vacation.”

“Promise?”

Hutch smiled and squeezed Starsky’s arm. “Promise, buddy. Get home. I expect you to pick me up in the morning.”

Hutch got out of the car and Starsky watched him enter the precinct. Since his shooting, Hutch was a raging workaholic. Between laying a concrete case against Gunther and taking care of him, Hutch was always on the go. Starsky worried at some point, Hutch would break under the strain of it all.

He started the car blaming Gunther for it all. If he hadn’t been shot, he’d have Hutch and not the guy that just left his car. Now, it was worse. Starsky knew his partner would work that much harder to keep some kind of control over what he couldn’t control.

~*~

Hutch nervously stood up and approached the witness stand. He could feel his palms sweating and after swearing to tell the truth, he wiped his hands on his pants as he sat down. Hutch stared back at the faces looking at him. His eyes caught Gunther leaning forward in his seat as if in expectation. When Hutch moved his eyes again, they locked on Starsky sitting in the front row just behind the prosecution.

Lucinda moved in front of her table with the notepad in her hand. She began questioning Hutch’s career path over the years. He answered various questions about his time on the police force and recited the commendations he was awarded. When she finished, Lucinda set the notepad aside and stepped forward. “Detective Hutchinson, I would like to begin when you were abducted by Ben Forest.”

Hutch nodded and swallowed the hard lump in his throat. “Yes.”

“Would you please tell the court what were the events which lead up to your kidnapping?”

“I was seeing a woman by the name of Jeanie Walton. We dated for a while and it became apparent she was hiding from someone.”

“Did you know who this was?”

“Not at the time. She was deathly afraid and didn’t want anyone to know anything about her. She said it was too dangerous for me to know.”

“What happened next, Detective?”

“She was spotted in a bar where she was working and I took her out the back. I hid her at a friend’s place.”

“You told no one?”

“I promised her I wouldn’t. I didn’t even tell my partner.” Hutch glanced over at Starsky who gave him an encouraging smile.

“Then what?”

“One evening I was working late and after I called her, I left for a four day weekend to spend with her. I got home where two or three men lay in wait for me. I tried to fight them off, but was unsuccessful.” Hutch shifted in his seat to get more comfortable.

“What’s the next thing you remember, Detective?”

“I was tied to a chair and blindfolded.” Hutch cleared his throat. “They beat on me for two or three hours. I’m not sure how long.”

“What did they want?”

“They wanted me to tell them where Jeanie was. I wouldn’t.”

“Continue, please.”

Hutch licked his dry lips and reached for the glass of water. His hand shook as he sipped the glass and set it down. “They injected me with heroin.”

Lucinda approached the stand and looked into Hutch’s eyes. “How do you know it was heroin, Detective?” Lucinda asked gently.

“By that point I’d been working the streets for a while. I heard enough junkies talk about how it felt. I was sure that’s what it was.”

“How long did this continue?”

“Four days. I only know because Starsky-my partner-told me later.” Hutch’s eyes met Starsky’s soft eyes and he felt calmer.

“Did you tell them what they wanted to know?”

Hutch shuddered at the memory. “They quit giving me the heroin and I began to experience withdrawal.” Hutch closed his eyes. “I did eventually tell them where she was.”

“Detective, how severe was the withdrawal?”

Hutch clenched his right fist tightly remembering. “It’s hell on earth. The pain is everywhere and the shaking never stopped. My body wanted the drug more than anything else no matter how hard my mind tried to fight it.”

“After you were forced to tell them where she was, did they continue forcing the heroin on you?”

Hutch slowly nodded. “Yes, I remember hearing her voice. They took me to a car and when I was in the back, my head cleared a little. I heard them talking about what they were going to do with me. I managed to escape and by the time my partner found me, I was starting to go into withdrawal.”

“How long did it take for your body to adjust without the heroin, Detective?”

“Two days. Starsky took me to a friend’s place where he stayed with me until I recovered enough to find out who did this to me and why.”

“And you learned why, didn’t you?”

“I found out later it was Ben Forest. He was one of the worst crime lords in the city.”

“Detective Hutchinson, since your recovery from your ordeal, have you had any setbacks?”

“I experienced some cravings afterwards for almost three months, but I never touched heroin with the intent of using.”

“In the years since this nightmare, you’ve had ample opportunity. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“As a police officer, there were several occasions I could have, if I chose to do so with out anyone’s knowledge.”

“Thank you, Detective Hutchinson.” Lucinda walked back to the table and picked up her notepad. She glanced through it and turned towards Hutch. “You also had an investigation cross over into your personal life, Detective Hutchinson. Would you please elaborate for the court?”

“Detective Starsky and I were investigating a murder on our beat. A mother and son with mob connections were squeezing out the competitors to increase their profits. They were running a prostitution ring.”

“How did this investigation work into your personal life?”

Hutch shifted in his chair. “My girlfriend worked for them.”

“That would be Gillian Ingram?”

“Yes, she came with them from Cleveland when they opened up their operation.”

“What did you think she did for a living?”

“She told me she was a writer,” Hutch answered remembering her smile.

“You had no reason to doubt her?”

Hutch shook his head. “We were very close and I loved her.”

“How did you learn the truth, Detective?”

Hutch grabbed the glass and took another drink. He held it in his hand. “I got a call and I went to her apartment. When I got there, my partner had already arrived. He told me.”

“This must’ve been devastating for you.”

Hutch shook his head to get the memory out of his head. “It was. She wanted out of that life and they killed her for it.”

“Did you retaliate against the perpetrator for this act?”

“In the only way I knew how,” Hutch told her. “He went to trial and was sentenced to prison for the rest of his life.”

Lucinda nodded in satisfaction at Hutch’s statement. She was very pleased with how he was handling the difficult questions. “Detective, would you like to take a break?”

Hutch shook his head. “No, I’m fine.” Hutch looked over at Gunther and his lawyers. Seeing nothing, he turned his attention back to Lucinda.

“We have one final matter before we get to the heart of your testimony, Detective. Your ex-wife, Vanessa Hutchinson, came to town unexpectedly last year.”

“Yes,” Hutch answered.

“Where you expecting her?”

“No, she called out of the blue and wanted to meet with me.”

“Did she give a reason for the visit?”

“Not at first. We met and fought. When I left to go to my car, she followed me out and said she was diagnosed for a tumor. She wanted to stay with me for the night and seeing how upset she was, I agreed.”

“What happened that night?”

“We talked for a little while. She told me she was involved in a lucrative business deal of some kind. I didn’t know what it was at the time.”

“Detective Hutchinson, did you have sexual intercourse with your ex-wife?”

“No, I did not.”

“What happened the following morning?”

“I went on my run and when I came back she was murdered.” Hutch looked down at the glass remembering he was still holding it. He set it down. “I found her on the floor and I called my partner.”

“How was she murdered?”

“She was shot with my gun.”

“What did you learn as you were investigated?”

“Van was fencing a stolen diamond worth a great deal of money. She was killed over it and I was framed for her murder. I was cleared by the department and those responsible were sent to prison.”

“Thank you, Detective Hutchinson.” Lucinda picked up the notepad and checked her notes. She looked at Hutch. “Now, early this year you and your partner started an investigation over cocaine coming into the city.”

“Yes, two showgirls were transporting it from Las Vegas to a distributor here.”

“Did you learn anything under interrogation, Detective?”

“Their pick-ups and payoffs were in Vegas. Those were arranged at their show and they never saw the face of the individual or individuals in Las Vegas.”

“And the distributor?”

“The connection was blown due to a car accident and the suspects were too fearful to identify him even with our assurances of their safety.”

“Where did this lead you and Detective Starsky next?”

“To Lionel Rigger,” Hutch told her. “He was offered to help eliminate the suspects by way of using two dirty cops. Lionel had a charge filed against him at the time and in return for a deal he was willing to finger the person who was running the drugs into the city.”

“Did he tell you who this person was?”

“Judge McClellan.”

“This was a very high profile judge.”

“Yes, he was a federal judge. Given the seriousness of the matter we knew there was a possibility Lionel would be forced to testify in open court. He also knew there was a risk not only to himself, but his family as well.”

“What happened to Lionel Rigger, Detective?”

“We were forced to name him. My partner and I put him in a safe house. I was followed and my car sabotaged with explosives. The explosion caused enough havoc to pull my partner away from Lionel. He was executed.”

“Was this when you and your partner quit the police force?”

Hutch nodded. “We both felt responsible for what happened to Lionel and as police officers we should have been able to protect him.” Hutch’s eyes locked with Starsky’s.

“During your time as civilians, did this case come up again?”

“Yes, even though we didn’t realize it at the time it was connected. A friend of Detective Starsky’s contacted us to help her father. He was being blackmailed for information at the company he worked at.”

“What sort of information?”

“Lists of homeowners behind on their mortgages.”

“What purpose did this serve, Detective?”

“Another mortgage company was buying FHA mortgages and getting them current. When they fell behind again in their payments, this mortgage company would foreclose on the homes and resell them at a profit.”

“This isn’t illegal, Detective.”

“Money was being laundered through the mortgage company. By the time it reached the FHA, it was clean and no one was the wiser for it.”

“Capricorn Mortgage Company.”

“Yes, we discovered Judge McClellan sat on the board.”

“What did you learn next, Detective?”

“Allison May’s father was murdered and during this investigation, two FBI agents were putting pressure on us to back off. We discovered the bureau chief didn’t know anything about them and we went to question the agents. My partner and I discovered Judge McClellan was a former agent with access to possibly hundreds in the witness protection program. He made the call for them to bully us into backing off.”

“What did the two of you do next?”

“We went to Deputy D.A. Clayburn with the evidence. He made the call to have McClellan watched; only it was to have him killed.”

“Do you know who it was Mr. Clayburn called?”

“At the time, no we didn’t.”

“What did you and Detective Starsky do after Judge McClellan was killed?”

“We did more investigating and discovered that Clayburn and McClellan were well-connected to each other. We discovered he didn’t make the call until after an appointment he was supposed to attend. We later learned he never made that appointment.”

“What happened next, Detective?”

“Clayburn was making a run from the country. A plane ticket was waiting for him at the airport which is where we apprehended him. During his arrest he was shot and killed. The shooter was a woman by the name of Karen Black.”

“What did you learn about this woman?”

“Records showed her working for Capricorn Mortgage Company as an operations officer. She had no police record and two years priors, she was working overseas. We were never able to learn more information about her.”

“What happened to Ms. Black, Detective?”

“She was murdered in her jail cell two days before her arraignment.”

“Detective, how did Ms. Black know the late Mr. Clayburn was going to be at the airport at that specific moment?”

“From whoever arranged the flight reservations. At the time, we didn’t know who he spoke with prior to his death.”

Lucinda crossed her arms and looked at Hutch. “After this you and your partner were given your badges back and you returned to work for the city.”

“Even though not all the questions were answered, we felt coming back was the right decision.”

“You returned to your positions as law enforcement officers and continued on as you had before?”

“Yes.”

“What happened to change all that, Detective.”

Hutch took a deep breath before answering. “My partner was shot down in the parking lot near the precinct.”

“Could you tell the court what happened?”

Hutch closed his eyes for a moment, reliving those horrifying seconds. He opened them and stared straight ahead not even allowing himself to look at Starsky. “We had just gotten to the car. Starsky was on the driver’s side unlocking the door and I was on the other side. I heard a loud screeching sound. Metal against metal.” Hutch flinched remembering the shriek of the metal grinding against each other. “I saw the police car speeding through the parking lot and the man was holding an automatic weapon out the window. I yelled Starsky’s name and got down. The glass exploded above me and when I got up I pulled my gun shooting at the car. I remember yelling for Starsky, but got no answer. When they were out of range, I turned and didn’t see him. I ran to the other side and found Starsky lying on the ground. He had three bullet wounds and was barely breathing.”

Hutch quickly grasped the glass of water and finished it off. Lucinda came forward and refilled Hutch’s glass. The tiredness and stress was etched on Hutch’s face. “Were there more attempts on your lives?”

“At the hospital.” Hutch cleared his throat which was beginning to feel dry again. “An intern was murdered in the bathroom and I caught up to the man before he entered Starsky’s hospital room. We fought in the hallway, but he managed to get away.”

“There was a second attempt as well, wasn’t there, Detective?”

“Yes, in the parking garage. Two men tried to kill me. I managed to get the drop on them and one was killed in the process. The second man told me who hired him.”

“Who was this?”

“Jenny Brown, the model.”

“What did you do next?”

“After his arrest I went to see Jenny Brown at Park Towers. She was too afraid to talk and I took her into custody. When I arrived back at the hospital, I discovered the man who had tried to kill me was dead. He had been murdered while in custody. I called booking and found out Jenny Brown had made bail. She jumped her bail and hasn’t been seen since.”

“What did you do next, Detective?”

“I went to the law firm which arranged her bail to see if I could find out who posted it.”

“Did you hope to accomplish something by this, Detective? A lawyer is bound by their client’s confidentiality.”

Hutch sighed heavily. “I hoped Mr. Welles would see his way clear to helping me find out who gave her the money to hire the hitmen.”

“Did Mr. Welles offer any, Detective Hutchinson?”

“No, he refused.”

Lucinda turned and walked to the prosecution table. Her associate handed her a sheet of paper with perforated edges. She walked to the judge and handed it to him. “Your honor, I offer into evidence the call sheet from Mr. Welles’ office.”

The judge looked it over and then to Jonathan Welles who was sitting next to James Gunther. “Mr. Welles, this is your final opportunity to motion against this being entered into evidence.”

Jonathan Welles stood and straightened his dark blue suit. “No objection, your honor. The defense will address the document.” Welles adjusted his thick rimmed glasses and sat back down.

The judge gave a nod and handed it back to Lucinda. She walked over to Hutch and handed it to him. “Detective Hutchinson, this is the call sheet your received from an informant which came from Mr. Welles’ office. Is that correct?”

Hutch glanced over it and handed it back to Lucinda. “Yes, it is.”

“Would you please tell the court what is written?”

“Eight calls made from Mr. Welles’ office to a private line belonging to James Gunther.”

“What indicated to you of James Gunther’s involvement?”

“They were all made within several hours of each other. The last one was just after she was bailed out of jail. I thought it extraordinarily high in such a short amount of time plus it was unusual given the powerful man James Gunther is known to be. It made sense given the strings being pulled during investigating my partner’s shooting and the attempts made on our lives.”

“Given this information, what did you surmise, Detective?”

“James Gunther wanted us dead.”

“Why?”

“At the time, I didn’t know.”

“What did you discover after learning this new information?”

“I had the information ran through the department’s computers and found Gunther Industries not only owned Jenny Brown’s condominium, but also the law firm represented 13 subsidiaries. During the search, it came to light that Judge McClellan sat on the boards of three companies which were also under Gunther Industries. The late Deputy D.A. Clayburn also was a large stockholder and Gunther Industries was found to be making large contributions to his campaign for mayor prior to his death. There were significant paper trails which lead straight to Gunther Industries and James Gunther, himself.”

“What did you surmise upon learning all this information, Detective Hutchinson?”

“Gunther Industries is a multi-billion dollar company and our investigations into McClellan and Clayburn made a serious impact on his west coast operations. We estimated his losses to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars by what we did. It was motive enough in our eyes and in the eyes of our superiors.”

“Detective Hutchinson, by your investigating you acquired enough evidence to arrest James Gunther for his numerous crimes.”

“Yes, your office contacted the S.F.P.D. and it was arranged for me to make the arrest and bring him here to face charges.”

“When you arrived at the Gunther estate, tell the court what happened.”

“I was let in by the butler. My arrival was expected. I was shown to his office where he sat behind his desk.”

“What was the defendant’s demeanor, Detective?”

“He appeared calm and alert.”

“What happened next?”

“I walked further in and saw Trevor Bates sitting in a chair obviously dead. James Gunther introduced him to me as if it was the most normal thing in the world stating he looked forward to meeting me. When I stepped closer, he pulled a gun and aimed it at me.”

“Did you feel your life was threatened, Detective?”

“Yes. I wrestled the weapon away and then arrested him.”

“During transport, did the defendant make any statements to you?”

“He exercised his right to remain silent.”

“Detective Hutchinson, your experiences as an officer of the law grants you to give your impressions of a suspect. Would you please describe to the court the kind of man you consider James Gunther to be?”

Hutch shifted his eyes to Gunther and gave him a hard look. He moved them to the jury and kept his eyes firmly on them. “James Gunther is a man accustomed to power and control. He considers himself above the law and everyone else. Whoever he deems a threat no matter how inconsequential they may be, he will use his power and money to remove them in any way he chooses with no remorse nor guilt. James Gunther is a cold and calculating criminal who considers himself untouchable.”

Lucinda was pleased with Hutch’s testimony. “No more questions at this time, your honor.” She moved back to the table and sat down.

Hutch looked over at Starsky who gave him a thumb up. He felt a small bit of relief knowing it was almost over.

“Mr. Welles,” the judge said. “I will remind you the line of questioning you will be pursuing with Detective Hutchinson, will be followed by the guidelines I set prior to this trial. Any attempt to go beyond the scope of Detective Hutchinson’s personal life will result in contempt of court.”

“Yes, your honor.” Jonathan Welles stood up and walked around his table. He leaned back against it and crossed his arms. “Detective Hutchinson, that is fascinating testimony. I’m curious, Detective. When you were abducted years ago, who knew about your experience?”

Hutch swallowed the hard lump in his throat. “My partner, my Captain, a friend and a few others.”

“So would five people be a safe guess?”

“Yes.”

“So why the secret?” Welles shrugged his shoulders.

“It would have done irreparable damage to my career and personal life. Not everyone would have understood the circumstances.”

“And now?”

“Considering the gravity of this case, it was in the best interest of everyone involved I speak out about my experience.”

Welles turned around and picked up a file from his desk. He pulled out a sheet of paper and walked to the judge. “Your honor, I offer Internal Affair’s report regarding this matter into evidence.”

The judge looked it over and glanced up at Lucinda. “Counselor?”

Lucinda sighed knowing she had no grounds to object. “No objection.”

Welles retrieved the paper and walked over to Hutch. “I have here the report you gave to Internal Affairs which bears your signature, Detective.” He handed it to Hutch. “Nowhere in this official document did you state heroin was forcibly injected into your veins.”

“That’s correct,” Hutch stated. “As I explained earlier we felt it was best. My career was at stake.”

“Is your career still at stake, Detective?”

Hutch sighed. “No, the department is standing by me.”

Welles walked back to his table and set the file down. He swung around and looked at Hutch. “This must’ve been a horrifying experience, Detective Hutchinson. Do you still have difficulties when recalling it?”

“Some,” Hutch admitted.

“Wouldn’t you say you were deeply affected?”

“Of course, I was.”

“Would it also be fair to say this traumatic event changed your life forever?”

“Objection,” Lucinda called out. “Leading the witness.”

“Rephrase, counselor,” the judge instructed.

“How did this change your life, Detective?”

“As much as it would anyone, I suppose. As time went on, I got over it and moved on with my life.”

“Did it affect how you dealt with other addicts on the street?”

Lucinda shot out of her chair. “Objection, your honor. This line of questioning serves to call into question Detective Hutchinson’s competence.”

“With all due respect, you honor,” Welles replied. “The defense has no intention of calling into question Detective Hutchinson’s ability as a police officer. His record to date indicates he is a fine officer. We do however question his objectivity and judgment to date which has a direct bearing on my client and the case made against him.”

“How Detective Hutchinson conducted himself with regards to addicts have no common boundary with his own personal experience. It also has no bearing on the case at hand.”

“I disagree,” Welles said looking at Lucinda. “It is a fact Detective Hutchinson was addicted to heroin. The defense is well aware of the circumstances of how it came about. There is no getting around the fact he was forced to kick the habit as any other drug addict. The defense is also aware this event was in no way Detective Hutchinson’s fault nor are we attempting to change the facts otherwise. In fact, we find it to be a traumatic and horrifying ordeal. It’s a testament to Detective Hutchinson’s character he survived and remained a police officer to this day.”

“Mr. Welles,” the judge said. “Enough grandstanding. I’ll allow the question, but if you continue on with this line of questioning, I’ll put a stop to it. I won’t have you maligning a decorated officer in this courtroom.”

“Thank you, your honor.” Welles turned to Hutch. “Detective, please answer the question.”

Hutch shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I understood what many of them were going through.”

“You were sympathetic to their plight?” Welles asked turning towards his table.

Hutch watched him open up a folder. “Yes, I was.”

Welles found what he was looking for and turned around. “Your honor, I offer into evidence an article written by C.D. Phelps.”

“Objection,” Lucinda said as Welles approached the judge. “This was not a part of the requests the defense filed with the Pritchess Motion.”

“Your honor, this article is a matter of public record. It goes towards Detective Hutchinson’s own testimony.”

The judge looked over the article and handed it back to Welles. “I’ll allow it. Tread carefully, counselor.”

Welles took the article and handed it to Hutch who glanced over it. “Detective, this article was written some time ago about two officers called Mutt and Jeff. A subsequent article was written referring to you and Detective Starsky. You and your partner were the officers written in the previous article?”

“Yes.”

“This article states you gave a drug addict money. Is this true?”

Hutch picked up the glass of water and took a sip. “Yes, I did.”

“Why did you give money to someone who would more than likely use it to continue their habit?”

“This was an informant we used from time to time.”

“Was this a normal practice? Did your partner also give funds to drug addicts as well?”

Hutch sighed heavily. “At times it was necessary.”

“Detective Hutchinson, did you give drug addicts money to feed their habit because of your own experience?”

Hutch looked at Jonathan squarely knowing he was getting backed into a corner. “On occaision.”

“Why, Detective?”

Hutch straightened in the chair. “As I said before, the withdrawal was hell on earth. I was fortunate to have my partner to help me recover. Not all are that fortunate, Counselor. Only the well-to-do have access to the help they need and most of these people don’t have anyone.”

“Except a cop who became a supplier,” Welles shot.

“Objection!” Lucinda said hotly.

“Withdrawn,” Welles said turning back to his table. Welles picked up his notepad and glanced down. He turned back to Hutch. “Detective Hutchinson, the woman you loved, Gillian Ingram. How long had you known her prior to her death?”

“A few months.”

“You stated in your testimony, she claimed to be a writer.”

“Yes.”

“You had no reason to doubt her.”

“I was in love with her, Mr. Welles.”

“Of course, Detective. Did Ms. Ingram at any time tell you what newspapers she had written for?”

“She said she was a freelance writer.”

“Did she tell you about previous articles she had written?”

“No.”

“Did she tell you what publications her work appeared in?”

“No.”

“Did Ms. Ingram at any time show you any works in progress?”

“No,” Hutch said firmly.

“I’m confused, Detective. Weren’t you the least bit curious about what she claimed she did for a living?”

“She told me she was a writer, Mr. Welles. I had no reason to doubt her.”

“Detective Hutchinson, even with your years of experience working the streets, how did you not see the signs?”

“Signs?”

“Surely, there were indications which a seasoned police officer such as yourself would have spotted immediately.” Hutch rubbed his forehead and Welles continued. “Ms. Ingram produced nothing to back her claim as a writer and according to the reports she lived in a fashionable high dollar apartment complex.”

“I was in love with her, Mr. Welles. I believed what she told me about how she earned her living and didn’t question it.”

“Your objectivity was clouded by your love for this woman?”

“No,” Hutch said raising his voice. He took a deep breath to get a handle on his emotions. He looked at Welles and clenched the armrest tightly when he saw a small smile playing at the attorney’s lips.

“We’ll move on, Detective. You’re ex-wife Vanessa Hutchinson came into town early last year?”

“Yes.” Hutch took a sip of water and grappled with his raging emotions.

“How would you characterize your ex-wife, Detective?”

“Objection,” Lucinda said standing up. “The character of Detective Hutchinson’s ex-wife has no bearing on this case. She is dead and unable to defend herself.”

“Officer Hutchinson can, your honor,” Welles pointed out.

“This is his ex-wife we’re talking about here, your honor.”

“Objection sustained. Her character has no place in these proceedings.”

Lucinda sat back down and Welles turned to Hutch. “As per your testimony, you stated she stayed with you the evening before her murder.”

“Yes.”

“Mrs. Hutchinson told you she was coming into a large sum of money. Did she elaborate?”

“No, she didn’t.”

“Did you ask, Detective?”

“I didn’t know if she was serious at the time.”

“What was your reply?”

“I let her know that I was a cop and if it was shady, I couldn’t have any part of it.”

“Didn’t you feel as a police officer you had a responsibility to inquire if she was involved in anything illegal?”

“As I explained, I didn’t know whether to take what she said to heart.”

“In the reports it said you had been drinking, Detective. Any chance your objectivity and judgment was clouded by the alcohol?”

“No.”

“Was it the fact Mrs. Hutchinson was your ex-wife which prevented you from ascertaining whether or not she was involved in criminal activity?”

“She was never involved in anything illegal before. I wasn’t about to make unfounded accusations.”

“Interesting you say that, Detective.” Welles searched through the reports and looked up at Hutch. “By your own statement it was four years, six months and twelve days since you saw her last prior to her death. Is it possible, you didn’t know the woman you used to be married to anymore?”

“Yes, it’s possible,” Hutch conceded.

“And when Vanessa Hutchinson dropped hints she may have been involved in less than scrupulous business dealings, you did nothing.”

“Objection!” Lucinda said loudly.

“This is your last warning, counselor,” the judge warned. “Move on.”

“Yes, your honor.” Welles walked closer to Hutch and made eye contact. “Detective Hutchinson, when you and your partner were made aware of Judge McClellan’s activities, who did you this report to?”

“We went to Captain Dobey and then called in Deputy D.A. Clayburn.”

“At the time you didn’t realize his connections with Judge McClellan.”

“No, we didn’t. Clayburn indicated to us he had just as much desire to put McClellan away as we did.”

“What was Clayburn’s motive for arranging Judge McClellan’s execution?”

“To protect James Gunther.”

“How did you ascertain Mr. Clayburn was in contact with Mr. Gunther?”

“Phone records showed several calls to Gunther’s private line from Clayburn’s office.”

“Yes.” Welles turned towards his desk and pulled out the phone record. He retrieved the call sheet and brought them to Hutch. “These are the phone records from the late Mr. Clayburn’s office. The highlighted numbers are Mr. Gunther’s private line, is that correct?”

Hutch glanced over them. “Yes.”

Welles handed Hutch the call sheet. “Is that the same number on the call sheet retrieved from my office?”

“Yes, it is.”

“On the call sheet, Detective Hutchinson, it states who it was that was spoken to. Would you please read the name for the court?”

“Trevor Bates,” Hutch answered.

“Isn’t it perceivable, Detective, Mr. Clayburn spoke with Trevor Bates rather than my client?”

“Yes, it is. Trevor Bates worked for your client.”

“We’ll get to my client in a moment, Detective. That call sheet, whose name is next to Mr. Gunther’s private line.”

“Trevor Bates.” Hutch could already see where this was leading and his look was stern.

Welles took the papers from Hutch and returned them. He turned towards Hutch. “This shooting where your partner almost died, Detective, must’ve been a very traumatic event for you.”

“Any cop would find the shooting of their partner difficult.”

“You and your partner are close, are you not?”

“Yes, we are.”

“How close, Detective?”

“Objection, you honor. Detective Hutchinson’s relationship with his partner has no bearing.”

“It goes to state of mind, your honor. This unfortunate attack on Detective Hutchinson’s partner set in motion a chain of events which lead up to the arrest of my client.”

“I’ll allow it, but keep it short.” The judge turned towards Hutch. “Answer the question, Detective.”

“Starsky and I are best friends. Have been since before the academy.”

“How did this violent attack against your partner affect you, Detective?”

Hutch ran his hand over his eyes and brought it down to his side. “It never left my mind. I thought he was going to die.”

“When you thought you were going to lose your partner, there was another attempt made on his life?”

“Yes.”

“This compelled you to begin investigating who wanted you and your partner dead?”

“I didn’t have any indication of who was responsible until the attempt in the parking garage.”

“A witness in the garage report hearing several gunshots. First was a series of three shots and after a few minutes he heard two more. Did you fire your weapon during this incident?”

Hutch clenched his teeth tightly together before answering. “Yes, I did. He was armed. He was the first individual I had access to that could tell me who tried to kill my partner.”

“You threatened this person, Detective?”

“At times force is necessary. I exercised what I deemed necessary.”

“Is it fair to say you acted on the emotion of seeing your partner shot down, the possibility of losing him and the attempt on your own life?”

“I acted on my training and experience,” Hutch said firmly.

“Detective, you had already suffered a series of violent events that day. You testified moments ago, you partner is your best friend and at that time you were on the verge of losing him. Did your emotions play any part in your actions?”

Lucinda looked up from her notepad. “Objection, your honor. The defense should realize that while Detective Hutchinson is a highly trained officer, he is also human with real emotions.”

“Your honor, as a trained officer, Detective Hutchinson should not allow his emotions and personal experiences dictate his actions and cloud his judgment. The defense is ascertaining whether or not Detective Hutchinson was lead to my client by his clouded emotions or by evidence.”

“Considering Detective Hutchinson’s involvement in his partner’s shooting and his investigation into this case, I’ll allow it,” the judge explained.

“Answer the question, Detective,” Welles told him.

“There is no way of separating the two,” Hutch explained. “As a police officer and has a human being, we have to apply a careful balance between the two in order to be able to do our jobs.”

Hutch became uneasy seeing the smile on Welles’ face. “Detective, during your investigation, you found Mr. Clayburn and Judge McClellan were well connected to Gunther Industries.”

“That is correct.”

“You also investigated each individual business which they were tied into?”

“Yes, I did.”

“What did you uncover during these smaller investigations?”

“They used their influence and connections to run illegal activities from them which were directly connected to James Gunther.”

“The connections you speak of, Detective, how were those verified?”

“Telephone records and memos were confiscated from the companies.”

Welles picked up a variety of phone records and handed them to Hutch. “Detective, what is the telephone number you are referring to?”

“James Gunther’s private line.”

“Is this the same number from the call sheet?”

“Yes.”

“Detective, would you remind the court of the name of the individual spoken with from the call sheet?”

Hutch gave Welles a hard look. “Trevor Bates.”

Welles took the records from Hutch and handed him several memos. “Are these the memos confiscated?”

“Yes, they are.”

“Whose signature is at the bottom of those memos, Detective Hutchinson?”

Hutch stared directly at Welles. “Trevor Bates.”

“Do you have any evidence which directly ties my client to Judge McClellan and Mr. Clayburn?”

“The telephone records go directly to Gunther’s private line.”

“Isn’t it possible Judge McClellan and Mr. Clayburn spoke with Trevor Bates and not Mr. Gunther?”

“Trevor Bates worked for James Gunther and reported directly to him.”

“Did any of the witnesses you interviewed during the course of this investigation have direct contact with or knowledge of direct contact with James Gunther?”

“Trevor Bates followed James Gunther’s orders and saw to them being carried out. He was nothing more than a glorified secretary in James Gunther’s eyes.”

“Answer the question, Detective,” Welles said firmly.

Hutch clenched the armrest tightly with his hand. “No.”

Welles smiled in satisfaction and Hutch felt a sudden urge to punch the man in the face. “You said when you arrived at my client’s estate, you found Trevor Bates dead.”

“Correct.”

“Was there any evidence of a struggle between James Gunther and Trevor Bates?”

“Files were scattered on the floor.”

“Was this definitive of a struggle?”

“No.”

“You saw nothing else to indicate a fight between my client and the late Trevor Bates?”

“Trevor Bates was poisoned. The coroner’s reports indicated he may not have even been aware of it until it was too late.”

“The coroner’s report also indicated the poison was ingested.”

“Yes, the coffee in the cup tested positive for arsenic.”

“Did it test positive anywhere else, Detective?”

“No.”

“Crime scene investigators tested the coffeepot?”

“Yes.”

“Mr. Gunther’s home was also searched, Detective. Was there evidence of arsenic in his home?”

“No.”

“Did you find any evidence on how this poison got into Mr. Bates’ coffee?

“It is my belief Mr. Gunther poisoned Trevor Bates when the details of my investigation came to light.”

“Where would the poison have come from, Detective?”

“We were never able to ascertain how James Gunther acquired the arsenic.”

“Detective, if you believe my client murdered his assistant without the benefit of solid evidence, isn’t it just as probable Trevor Bates brought the poison into James Gunther’s home? After all, the events leading up to your partner’s shooting and the criminal activities had just come to light. Trevor Bates knew his involvement would be discovered. His career and his freedom were over and rather than facing the humiliation of an arrest and trial, he took his own life.”

“I find it highly unlikely.”

“Explain, Detective.”

“Trevor Bates was considered an over-achiever with four degrees. Given what I learned about the man after his death, I don’t believe he would have willingly ingested the poison himself.”

“Detective, if Trevor Bates was responsible for all the events leading to this trial and if his involvement was discovered, isn’t it a foreseeable possibility?”

“No, Mr. Welles. All the evidence indicated James Gunther was responsible. Trevor Bates answered directly to him.”

“No matter how highly unlikely you consider the scenario to be, is it possible, Detective?”

“Yes,” Hutch conceded.

“You stated my client was calm and alert in the presence of the late Trevor Bates.”

“Yes.”