Love Thy Brother
                                                                                        By
                                                                                             Tooki




                                                                                        Chapter 1


A young man stood watching in the shadows of the precinct, he had been there for several hours, waiting, watching, and hoping he could get a glimpse of the man. A man he had only seen from a distance or from pictures, pictures that he had painstakingly gathered over nearly ten years. He also had every article he could fine from the newspaper with the man’s name in it. He knew everything about him, where he lived, what he drove, even down to what he ate. He even knew about his best friend and partner, he had quickly realized they were a set, as close as brothers. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, he was getting tired, it was hot and he was beginning to draw looks from passersby’s and he couldn’t afford that, not yet anyway. He was just getting ready to leave when he saw two men bounding down the front steps of the precinct, stepping back into the shadows he watched intently as the pair, one blonde and the other dark headed, jumped in a red car with a white stripe. They had been parked illegally in front of the building, the dark headed man was driving, and he peeled out into the street and sped off.
The man stepped onto the sidewalk, he was happy even if he only got to see the detective for a moment. Soon, very soon he would make his presence known; he wondered as he walked down the street how the detective would react, he had played out the different scenarios in his head many times. It would be dark soon, so he headed back to his motel, if the detective could have seen the young man’s room he probably would have been frightened. Hundreds of photos adorned the walls; scrap books filled with articles lay on nearly every surface, after 10 years of collecting, there was a lot.

Hutch looked over his shoulder as they sped away from the precinct, he had an uneasy feeling lately, a feeling of being watched, but the detective never saw anybody out of the ordinary creeping around, yet the feeling still persisted.
“What are you looking at?” Starsky wanted to know as he noticed his partner turned in his seat looking out the window.
Hutch shrugged, “Just lookin’.” He hadn’t told Starsky about his feelings; they had been on a tough case lately. They were sure they were dealing with a serial killer.
Men between the ages of sixty and seventy were turning up dead, they were white, well educated men; they lived in nice houses, with nice cars and most of them with families that were devastated by their deaths. It had taken a while for the police to catch on as the cause of death was different, some had been drown in their own pools, some strangled at their offices, while others looked as though they had been mugged walking down the street. The one thing that finally drew the victims together was the puncture wound on their necks. It had been missed before until one of the coroners examined the tiny hole on the fifth victim more closely and then he found one on the sixth, seventh and eighth. For some reason something clicked and Sam Douglas decided to go back and check the reports on the first four bodies, sure enough there had been a mark on the neck of those gentlemen as well. Sam was just going to assume that it was caused by a needle; he wasn’t putting those families through exhumations unless he absolutely had to.
“You aren’t afraid that serial killer is after you are you?” Starsky joked; his partner had been acting funny for the last couple of weeks. Hutch just wasn’t ‘the jump at shadows type’, but he seemed to always be looking over his shoulder lately. “You aren’t old enough yet, pal.”
Hutch shot a look at his partner. “I thought you were hungry.”
“Cap had us in that meeting all day; didn’t even break for lunch, I’m starved.” Starsky proclaimed. “How about Burrito Joes?”
Hutch wrinkled his nose, “I was thinking more of stopping at the store and grabbing a couple of steaks, I’ll cook.”
Starsky thought about it for a few minutes, “Okay, sounds good. I can have the burrito for lunch tomorrow.”
“Oh, Starsk,” Hutch said shaking his head, “Didn’t your mother ever tell you that crap was bad for you?”
“She doesn’t have to; I have you to do that.” Starsky answered good humouredly. He was more than glad to be out of the station, they had spent hours upon hours going over the reports, crime scene photos and taped interviews from family and friends of the eight dead men. They were no closer than they had been before.
“Zebra Three, Zebra Three,” the radio squawked.
Starsky groaned, “We are off duty.”
Hutch grabbed the microphone. “Zebra Three.”
“Detective Hutchinson, there has been a body found,” the operator reported then relayed the address.
“We’re on it.” Hutch said hanging up the mic. “Well partner, we almost made it home.”
Starsky was already making a U-turn in the street to head toward the address they were given. “Maybe it’s not the killer. Maybe it’s just…” But both detectives knew that it was the serial killer, they felt it in their guts. The killer had been dubbed the ‘Gentleman Killer’, both detectives hated it when the press named killing monsters, why glorify them by making what they were doing sound glamorous?
“I wonder who they will have playing me?” Hutch mused as he stared out the window, his feeling of being watch gone.
“What?” Starsky asked, caught off guard.
“You know, in the movie version. I’m sure Hollywood will be chomping at the bit to get a hold of this one.” Hutch explained.
“Yeah the tabloids and newspapers are already having a field day.”
“And only making our job harder.” Hutch shook his head; they had already had thousands of tips called in, all of which were bogus.
The address was that of a Baptist church, Starsky pulled as close as he could get to the entrance, both men got out and took the steps two at a time. They entered the sanctuary quietly; groups of police officers were standing around talking in whispers.
Captain Dobey came striding up the main isle way toward them, “This way,” he motioned for his detectives to follow him. Dobey climbed the two steps to the pulpit; there on the carpeted floor lay the pastor of the church. He looked as though perhaps he had been rehearsing his sermon for the Sunday service.
Pastor Thomas was lying on his back; he looked as though he had fallen asleep, if it hadn’t been for the length of rope around his heck. Hutch crouched next to the body, “Is there a needle mark?”
Dobey shook his head, “We’re waiting for the coroner.”
Starsky tapped his foot impatiently, as he looked around the sanctuary, anyone could have come into the church, the doors were wide open, and nobody was around to see anything; just as it had been with most of the other victims, if this was indeed part of the growing body count. As he glanced down at the man lying on the floor he knew that this was their ninth.
Sam Douglas, bag in hand, came hurrying up the isle; he knelt next to the man. After putting on latex gloves he photographed then removed the rope from the pastor’s and dropped it into a paper bag and sealed it. Then he examined Pastor Thomas, if he hadn’t been looking for it he would have missed the tiny hole in the man’s neck. “We have our ninth victim,” Sam announced.
“What is the point of shooting them full of a sedative if he is just going to kill them?” Hutch wondered out loud.
“Maybe it’s a she,” Starsky interjected. “It could explain the need to disable them before killing them. That way they couldn’t over power her.”
“Possible,” Dobey mused. “How long will this take Sam?”
“I have really done all I can do here, I need to get the pastor back to the lab.” Sam said snapping his case shut and grabbing the evidence bag.
The detectives looked questioningly at their captain, they had been off duty when the call came in and wanted to get to their dinner. “Oh go on,” Dobey said reading their minds, “This can keep until the morning; I’ll have the crime lab go over this place with a fine tooth comb. You boys just be in early.”
“Thanks Cap,” Hutch said. “If anything comes up we will be at my place just give us a call.”

Back in the car heading toward the store and Hutch’s apartment; Hutch seemed quieter than usual. “Hutch what’s up?” Starsky asked concerned, as he peered at his partner.
“My father is a Lutheran Pastor, I guess seeing Pastor Thomas dead made me think of my dad, I haven’t really thought of him in a while.” Hutch said softly
Starsky looked at Hutch in surprise; he never shared much about his family. The only thing that Starsky knew was that he was from Minnesota and that he had a slightly older sister he was in contact with. “How long has it been?” Starsky wanted to know.
“Since I have seen my parents?” Starsky nodded, a pained looked crossed Hutch’s face, “I left when I was eighteen and never looked back. I call my often but dad I never talk to him. Dad gave his all to the church, he had nothing left for his family but he ruled us with an iron fist. Heaven forbid if the pastor’s kids made a mistake. We had to be perfect, including my mother. Life became unbearable when my sister went off to college, my dad was pressing me to go into the seminary, I didn’t want to be a pastor.
“Is that why they didn’t come when we graduated from the academy?”
“I never let them know, I high tailed it out of there and came to the west coast, I called to let my mom know I was okay.”
Starsky reached over and put his hand on his partners arm, “I’m sorry, Hutch.” He hadn’t had a perfect childhood either, his father had been killed when he was young but at least he felt like he was loved, he could tell by the look on Hutch’s face that talking of the past brought him a lot of pain. “Hey, what sounds good with those steaks?”
Hutch gave his friend a smile; he knew he was changing the subject which he was grateful for. “We could get some greens for a salad; you could use something healthy in your diet.” He teased.
“You just can’t let it go can you?” Starsky said good naturedly, Hutch was back to his old self. “I have a stomach made of cast iron, nothing can hurt it.”
“Your stomach might be made of iron but your arteries are going to clog up.”
They were still bantering back and forth when they arrived at Hutch’s front door laden with three grocery bags of food and a six pack of beer. Hutch shifted one of the bags so he was precariously clutching two bags in one arm while he was feeling for his house keep above the door with the other. He frowned for a moment, it wasn’t there, he always put it directly over the center of the door, he felt down further and his fingers finally touched the cold metal of the key. Nearly dropping his load he opened the door then held it for Starsky who had the third bag and the beer. Hutch started to put the key back over the door but instead dropped it in his pocket.
Starsky took his burdens to the kitchen and came back for the last two bags that Hutch had set on the floor. “Hutch are you sure you’re okay?”
Hutch was surveying his living room, looking for anything that might be out of place. Nothing looked moved but he thought he caught the faint odor of a man’s aftershave. “Hutch!” Starsky called again.
The detective snapped his attention back to his partner. “Sorry, I just…just…” Hutch didn’t know how to answer, just what? Just going crazy?
Starsky stood rooted, watching his partner, “Something is going on with you, we have been partners and friends way too long for you to hide anything from me.”
A smile crept across Hutch’s face. “I know I have been acting a little out of it lately. I just can’t put my finger on it; I just feel like I’m being watched and just now when we came in, I felt like somebody had been here. Do you smell that aftershave?”
Starsky sniffed the air and shook his head, “The only thing I want to smell is those steaks on the grill.”

It was well after midnight; Hutch lay in bed staring at the ceiling thinking of his father, something he hadn’t done in a very long time. He wondered if the man had mellowed out any now that he was in his mid sixties, probably not; he also wondered if his mother was still with him or if she had finally grown tired of his abuse and left. Maybe she would have called to let him know and then again maybe not, she had some eccentricities of her own. Hutch felt as though his mother blamed him for the way his father acted toward the family. He could remember her saying, “Kenny, if only you would just do what your father asked.” But his father asked too much. He played with the idea of calling them just to see what was going on, he would sleep on it and decide in the morning. Hutch rolled over on his side but sleep was long in coming.

He had almost been caught, he had heard the car doors slam and he had only time enough to slip off the balcony and drop to the ground before the two detectives entered the apartment. He had also twisted his ankle when he hit the ground and now he was limping slightly but that didn’t matter. It wouldn’t be long now; he knew he was getting reckless, he was just too anxious to finally confront the detective. Maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day, he wanted to do it when the other detective wasn’t around and catching Hutchinson alone wasn’t easy. He had many, many questions he needed to ask, and a few stories of his own to tell. He wondered what Hutchinson’s reaction would be, surprise for sure, disbelief almost guaranteed, anger possibly, but at whom? A shiver ran up the young man’s spine, what if he slammed the door in his face and told him to go away. Then what? He would show him, he would show all of them. It would never end.

Hutch groaned and rolled over, he was tired, it couldn’t possibly time to get up; he felt as though he had just fallen asleep, which he pretty much had, his thoughts had kept him awake most of the night. As he came fully awake he realized that somebody was pounding on his front door, he rolled over and looked at the clock. It had to be Starsky, they were supposed to be in early to work on the evidence from the night before. He stumbled to the door, blonde hair tousled; he jerked the door open to find Starsky holding not a bag, but a whole box of donuts.
“About time, buddy,” Starsky brushed past his partner and set the box on the coffee table. He flipped the lid open and grabbed a pastry covered with powered sugar which speckled the front of his t-shirt as he took a bite, “Want one?” he asked knowing the answer, but to his surprise Hutch grabbed a glazed donut, stuffed it into his mouth and headed toward the bathroom.
“I’ll be out in a minute,” Hutch mumbled around the donut.
Starsky shook his head at his partner and flopped on the couch wishing he had grabbed a couple of cups of coffee but they would be at the station soon enough, he could get one there.
Minutes later Hutch stepped from the steaming bathroom a towel wrapped around his waist and another in hand to dry his hair. “Sorry, man,” Hutch said, “I had a rough night.” He continued on into his bed room, Starsky followed and leaned in the door way with his back to Hutch.
“Thinking about your parents?” Starsky guessed it wasn’t hard to figure out, he wasn’t sure he wanted to leave after dinner the night before. He hadn’t liked Hutch’s mood.
“Yeah, I don’t know why, after all this time I suddenly…well…miss them.” Hutch said surprising himself by his words.
“I think no matter what has happened in the past we all miss our parents and our families, heck I even miss Nicky sometimes and he’s a pain in the ass.” Starsky smiled then noticed the front of his shirt and rubbed off the sweet sugar.
Hutch gave him a rueful smile, “I’m thinking about calling them.”
“You should if you think it might make you feel better.” Starsky glanced at his watch, “But you had better make it tonight, Dobey is going to have our butts in a sling if we don’t get to the station like two minutes ago.”
Hutch emerged from his bed room still buttoning up his shirt. “Let’s get out of here and don’t forget the donuts, I might just want another one.”



                                                                                                  Chapter 2


When they arrived at the station it was buzzing with activity, the squad room had been turned into serial killer central with a large cork board and push pinned photos adorning it. Pastor Thomas’s face was front and center, it was confirmed, no doubt, that he was the ninth victim. Bags of evidence were being cataloged in the lab as the detectives stood and stared at the board. Nine distinguished gentlemen dead with no leads.
“About time,” Dobey said gruffly coming up behind them. “I said early.”
“Cap give us a break it’s just seven-ten,” Starsky said holding out the box of donuts as a peace offering to Dobey.
The Captain grunted, took the entire box and headed for his office, over his shoulder he grunted again, “In my office now.”
Starsky frowned and scurried after his donuts, Hutch let a small smile play across his lips as he followed. They entered the office and took chairs in front of their Captain’s desk. “So what, are we in trouble?” Starsky asked.
“The whole department is in trouble. You two have got to find some leads on this killer or we are all going to be out of a job. It was bad before, but now a man of the cloth has been killed in his own church. Do you know what the public out cry is going to be like? The Commissioner has already called and chewed my ass out this morning and like you said Starsky, its only seven-ten.”
“Has the lab found anything?” Hutch wanted to know.
Dobey shook his head as he reached for his second donut. “Nothing, no prints, fibers, not even a smudge that could possibly pass for something, this man or woman is good or just damn lucky, I’m not sure which at this point, but we have got to step this operation up.”
“I’m not sure what more we can do, the MO is all over the place, only thing they have in common is an age range and the needle in the neck.” Starsky said, “What does the profiler have to say?”
“Probably a father complex, but heck my ten year old daughter could have figured that out,” Dobey said in frustration. “We can’t watch the entire population of men over 60 in Los Angeles; do you know how many men that is?”
“Maybe we are missing something. Why don’t Starsk and I take a look at all the files again?” Hutch suggested. Starsky shot him a look, the last thing he wanted was to be stuck in the office all day staring at reports.
“Good thinking Hutchinson, get to it, if you find anything let me know.” The two detectives got up to leave, “Starsky, take this box, if I gain one more pound Edith will kill me.”
“I think it’s too late, Cap,” Starsky said as he grabbed the box and retreated out the door.

“Stop thinking of your stomach for a change and let’s get through these files,” Hutch suggested as he opened the first folder, Donald Adams had been found dead in his pool three weeks ago by his wife. It has been labeled an accidental drowning until Sam had found the connection of the injection sights.
Starsky shut the lid and pushed the donuts aside. “I don’t see what we are going to find in these reports; they have been gone over a dozen times.”
“There has got to be something.” Hutch said exasperated.
“You can’t find something that isn’t there,” Starsky said taping the folder.
“Maybe we should talk to the witnesses.”
“What witnesses? There aren’t any of those either.”
Hutch rifled through the files and pulled out the one of the fifth victim, Max DeVaul, “This guy was killed in his office, he was found the next morning. Somebody had to have seen something, there are security cameras, guards, secretaries, this is ridiculous, is this person a ghost?”
“Take a breath buddy,” Starsky said as he got up to pour Hutch a cup of coffee.
“I want to see the tapes,” Hutch said getting up, “Everything is locked in the evidence room.”
Starsky handed his partner a mug full of steaming coffee, “Why don’t you let me go find the box of tapes. Have another donut.”
Hutch sat at his desk and tapped on the telephone receiver playing with the idea of calling his folks, the station probably wasn’t the best place to do that, it had been while since he had talked to either one of them. He got a Christmas card every year and he sent one too, off and on he would get a birthday card, both cards signed by his mother. He was sure that his dad had all but disowned him for not following in his footsteps. There was that feeling again of somebody watching, Hutch looked around but he didn’t see anybody he didn’t recognize, everybody was busy with their part of the investigation.

His heart was pounding and his hands sweaty as he stood in the hallway of the police station; just down the hall from the squad room where he knew Hutchinson was, he had seen him and his partner enter the building. He froze as the dark headed one came out of the squad room and walked to the elevator. The detective didn’t give him a second glance as he boarded the elevator, and why would he, the detective didn’t know who he was. Walking quickly to the squad room doors he peered in trying to catch a glimpse of the blond detective. He was there sitting at a desk looking as if where about to make a call. It was then and there he decided that tonight would be the night even if his partner was hanging around he could wait no longer.

Starsky dropped a box of tapes on the desk; it looked like a daunting task to go through all of them. There were tapes from the whole office building, some of which would probably have no bearing on their case, but they would all have to be gone through. “Has somebody already looked at these?” Starsky wanted to know.
“We haven’t looked at them,” Hutch said standing and pulling the box towards him. He began picking up the tapes looking at the labels on each one. He finally selected one and took it over to the machine to play it. The tape was from DeVaul’s office the day of his murder, Hutch sat down, Starsky pulled up a chair next to him.
“What are you looking for?” Starsky asked.
“I don’t know,” Hutch answered honestly, “I was hoping something would just not seem right to me.”
They watched the tape for several hours, fast forwarding when nothing was happening. It was nearly the end of the day when a man in a ball cap, carrying a package came in; he spoke to the secretary, who pointed down a hallway. “I’m sure somebody checked this out,” Starsky said reading Hutch’s mind.
“What if they didn’t?” Hutch said backing up the tape and freezing it on the man. “There is so much evidence coming in, this could have been missed.” He pointed at the screen, “This could be our killer. I want to talk to that secretary.”

Miss Walman was sitting at her desk when the detectives enter the office of the former Mr. DeVaul. Hutch flashed his badge at the woman. She sighed and looked at them. “I have answered a million questions I didn’t see anybody out of the norm, I’m sorry, I wish I had, Mr. DeVaul was a good man. His family is devastated by this death.”
“We are sorry for everybody’s loss, but we are trying to track a killer and we want to cover every base,” Hutch explained. He pulled out a photo that had been captured from the tape. He handed it to the woman.
“That’s the messenger,” she explained his presence away.
“We realize that ma’am but do you know him?” Starsky wanted to know.
She gave the detectives a strange look, “Know him? No don’t know him. He delivers packages letters, etc.”
Hutch sighed but patiently asked, “What my partner means is, is this the usual messenger?
Miss Walman started to nod then stopped and thought a moment. “You know, come to think of it, no it wasn’t. This kid named Eddie is usually our messenger but it wasn’t him. I didn’t really think anything about it. We have different people from time to time.”
“Where is the package he delivered?” Hutch asked.
“I guess you guys have it, when the police came in they took just about everything in his office.” She said as tears pricked her eyes, “I haven’t been in his office since it happened. The head boss sealed it up.”
Suddenly thinking of something he saw, Starsky asked, “On the tape, it looked like the messenger took the package directly to Mr. DeVaul’s office, don’t you sign for stuff and then take it to your boss?”
“Usually, but sometimes it is requested by the sender that it goes directly to the person it’s sent to and for them to sign for it.” Her eyes widened, “You don’t think the messenger killed Mr. DeVaul do you?”
“What service do you use?” Starsky asked pulling out a pad of paper so he could jot down the name.
“City Express, we have used them as long as I have been here.” She answered.
“And you said your usual guy’s name is Eddie right?” Starsky said.
Miss Walman nodded. “The messenger was still in there when I left. He came only moments before we close for the day, he made a comment that he just made it.” The young woman looked horrified, “I let a killer in there with Mr. DeVaul. Oh My God!”
“Miss, you had no way of knowing, if in deed, he was the killer,” Hutch said trying to comfort her. “You have been very helpful though. Thank you.”
The detectives left the office, as they were waiting on the elevator to take them to the ground floor Starsky said, “You were right, Hutch.”
Hutch shrugged, “At least we have a lead for Dobey. Now we just have to find the messenger under the hat.”

They checked out City Express, they had been told that Eddie hadn’t shown up that day for work and they hadn’t seen him since. “And you didn’t try to contact him?” Starsky asked puzzled.
“Detective, you have to realize, we are a messenger service, and these guys come and go. Some work one day and can’t hack it, others have been here for years; they enjoy riding the streets. If we tried to track down ever employee that didn’t show up, that is all we would be doing. We just assign somebody else.” The manager of messenger service told them.
“Could you tell us if you had a delivery for Mr. DeVaul’s office that day?”
The manager sighed, “Sure I can look back in our records, what was that date?” Hutch provided him with the date and the manger checked his book, he ran his finger down the column of dispatched packages. “No, doesn’t look like there was a delivery to his office that day.”
The detectives headed to the squad room to let Dobey know they had a break in the case, and then they headed to their respective homes. Hutch didn’t even have time to remove his holster when there was a knock on the door. He opened the door as he was removing it, there was a young man with blond hair and blue eyes looking very much like him. “Can I help you?”
It took a few minutes for the young man to answer, but finally he stammered, “M-my name is Randy Sears.”
“Listen, if you are selling something, I just got home from…”
“I’m your brother,” he interrupted, that wasn’t how he had planned on doing it but Randy was so overwhelmed at finally being able to speak to his brother he just blurted it out.
Hutch shook his head, “I’m sorry, you have the wrong guy, I don’t have any brothers.”
“Your father is Randal Hutchinson?
“Yes,” Hutch was suspicious.
“He’s my dad too,” Randy dug in his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Hutch. He came armed with it, he knew if some stranger appeared on his doorstep proclaiming he was a long lost brother that he wouldn’t believe them either.
Hutch took the paper and unfolded it. He read it carefully as he ran his fingers over the official seal, his father was named as this young mans father, but a woman could put any man’s name on a birth certificate, it didn’t make it so. But as Hutch looked from the certificate to the man’s face in front of him he knew it was true. According to the birth date, Randy would be twenty-two years old. Hutch would have been 14 when he was born. He shook his head, how could this happen? The mother’s name was Rachel Sears; he didn’t know a Rachel Sears. Then he wondered if his mother knew about his father’s indiscretion.

                                                                                                 Chapter 3


Hutch stood studying Randy Sears, realizing he was being rude; he opened the door wider, “Come in.”
“Thanks,” Randy looked nervous as he entered the apartment he had already been in countless times before. “I’m sorry to just spring this on you; I guess there is no easy way when it comes to something like this.”
“No, I guess there isn’t.” Hutch flopped down in a chair and motioned for Randy to have a seat on the couch. “Does my father know…about you?”
“He sent my mother a check every month until I turned eighteen then helped with college, I just graduated this past spring.” Randy said as he sat down. “We saw him once or twice a year.”
“Where do you and your mother live?” Hutch wanted to know trying to put all the pieces in place.
“Kansas City.”
Hutch rolled the name of the city over and over in his head, he vaguely remember his father going to some kind of convention every year, maybe that was where it was.
“I have been looking for you for a long time. When I was twelve our father was in Kansas City, staying with us for a few days, he always took me out shopping or to a ballgame, something. I found his wallet lying on my mother’s dresser. Even though I knew it was wrong I went through it and I found a picture of you, it looked like it might have been your senior picture. That was when I knew I had a brother. I started to take the picture out to see if there was a name on the back but I heard him coming so I put the wallet back and ran.”
Hutch was still so stunned he just sat watching the young man. Finally, he got out, “I never knew.”
“I could kind of tell from your expression.” Randy tried to smile at the detective. “I started searching for you and had pretty much given up hope when there was an article in the Kansas City Star about two detectives that were given special awards for breaking a case. When I looked into your eyes and read the name I knew it had to be you. So I started doing research and here I am.”
“Have you been watching me?”
Randy blushed beet red, “I-I…uh…yeah,” he finally admitted. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to make you uneasy, I was just trying to work up the courage to talk to you.”
“I can understand that,” Hutch gave the young man a tentative smile. “Would you like to stay for dinner? I haven’t eaten yet.”
Randy brightened, “Sure that would be great!”
Hutch got up making is way to the kitchen, he check is cupboards but found little for the makings of a meal. He had been so busy with the case he hadn’t had time to stock up and the food he and Starsky got last night was gone. Hutch walked back into the living room looking a bit sheepish, “I guess I should have checked my kitchen before asking you to stay for dinner.”
“Oh, that’s okay,” The disappointment was etched on Randy’s face. He wanted to spend more time getting to know his big brother.
“Tell you what, I there is this little dive my partner and I go to all the time. It’s not much but my friend Huggy makes great burgers.” Hutch suggested.
A large smile spread across Randy’s face. “Sounds good.” As they were leaving the apartment, he asked, “Huggy? What kind of name is that?”
Hutch laughed, “You’ll see.”

Randy was sitting in a booth at Huggy Bear’s sipping a beer, Hutch had excused himself to use the bathroom but where he was really heading was the phone that was on the wall between the men’s and women’s restrooms. He dialed the number he knew by heart and waited, after the fifth ring he was about to hang up when a breathless Starsky answered, “Yeah.”
“Hey, Starsk.”
“Hutch,” Starsky gasped, “Hold on a sec.”
“Are you okay?” Hutch wanted to know.
“Just…got..in…from running.” He panted. “Guess I’m a little out of shape.”
“I told you too many of those burritos weren’t good for you?” Hutch teased, “Do I need to call the rescue squad?”
“Very funny,” Starsky answered his breathing more normal. “What’s up?”
“You sitting down?”
“Why?”
“I have a brother.” Hutch said without mincing words.
“A brother?” Starsky did sit down but more from exhaustion than the news. “How old is he?”
“Twenty-two, seems like a nice guy.”
“Do you want me to come over?” Starsky asked knowing that was probably why his partner was calling.
“Yeah, if you don’t mind.” Hutch said shifting his weight so he could see the table, Huggy still had Randy engaged. “We are at Huggy’s, just come in causal like.”
Starsky laughed. “Undercover operation, uh?”
“Something like that.”
“Give me thirty, I’ll be there.”
“Thanks, buddy.”
When Hutch returned to the table Huggy had Randy in stitches telling him stories of the two partners. “You aren’t telling a bunch of lies are you?”
“Me?” Huggy tried to look offended. “Nah, just letting your Bro here know what kind of fools he fell in with.”
“Sounds like you and Starsky have lots of adventures.” Randy said his eyes full of fascination.
“It’s not that exciting,” Hutch said giving Huggy the eye.
Their food was just arriving when Hutch heard a familiar voice call, “Hey Huggy, throw another burger on the grill.”
“Will do,” The black man answered as he poured a beer and handed it to Starsky on his way to Hutch’s table.
“Hey, Hutch,” Starsky said sliding in next to his partner, “Who do we have here?”
Randy’s eyes narrowed for a moment, he knew this was no coincidence; Hutch had called his partner, probably when he went to the bathroom. “I’m Randy.”
“Nice to meet you, Randy,” Starsky thrust his hand across the table nearly toppling the glasses.
Randy grasped the hand offered him. “Starsky,” Randy said, there was a smile on his lips but a coldness in his eyes that wasn’t missed by the detective.
“Starsk, this is my brother.” Hutch said, without much commitment, he was still getting used to the idea.
“Brother, uh?” Starsky studied the young man’s face for a moment; he could see the family resemblance. He had never met Hutch’s parents but the kid definitely looked like he could be his partner’s younger brother. “Where have you been hiding yourself?”
“Kansas City,” Randy said in a clipped tone, and then he turned to Hutch, “Are you working on anything exciting right now?”
Hutch’s brows furrowed at the used of the word exciting. He didn’t find a string of dead bodies exciting. “No, not really.” He wasn’t sure why he didn’t tell Randy what they were really working on; there was a vibe he was getting from the young man that he didn’t like.
“So, Hutch been telling you all about me,” Starsky joked.
“No,” Randy answered and turned his attention back to his brother again. “Could I ride with you one day?”
“Randy, I don’t think that is a good idea,” Hutch said, “You could get hurt.”
“Ah come on,” Randy pleaded.
“I’ll have to think about it.”
Randy looked like a small boy in a pout when he said softly, “Well, I guess I had better be getting back to my hotel.”
“I’m finished, I’ll drive you.” Hutch offered.
“No, I’m fine,” Randy slid out of the booth, “I’ll get a cab.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Thanks but I can find my way on my own, I don’t think I’ll get hurt.” Randy said emphasizing the word hurt.
Hutch immediately felt bad, “Say Randy, why don’t you come by the station tomorrow and we’ll take you on a tour. Show up about lunch time and we’ll let you have some of our horrible cafeteria food. What do you say?”
Randy perked up, “Sounds like fun. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
As the young man left the bar, it hadn’t escaped the two detective’s attention that he hadn’t bothered calling a cab. “Is he a little strange or is it just me?” Starsky asked as he dug into the steaming burger and fries Huggy had put before him.
Huggy slid in across from his friends, “He’s a little strange.”
“Oh come on guys, he’s just nervous. How would you feel if you had a brother you had never met?” Hutch wanted to know.
“I guess you are right Hutch, but still, I just get this strange feeling about him.” Starsky said not really buying what Hutch was saying. “What does he want?”
“Just to get to know his big brother.”
“Are you going to check him out?” Huggy wanted to know.
“I guess I should,” Hutch said feeling a bit guilty about not completely trusting the young man who was saying he was his brother. He pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Starsky.
“What’s this?”
“Randy’s birth certificate.”
Starsky unfolded the certificate and studied it. “You know a woman can put any man’s name on here.”
“But how would his mother know Dad? She lives in Kansas City.” Hutch said.
“I didn’t say she didn’t know him, I’m just saying that your dad might not being the kid’s father.” Starsky said, “Heck, your dad might not even know he’s not the kid’s father if she was getting money from him.”
“Ahh come on, Starsky look at the kid.” Hutch said taking the paper back from Starsky.
“Yeah, you got me there; he looks like your high school year book picture.” Starsky admitted. “I guess you haven’t had time to talk to your dad either have you?”
“No, but that’s the next order of business.” Hutch said draining his glass.
“Tell you what, why don’t you go home give your dad a call and I’ll head to the station and see what I can find out about this Randy guy.” Starsky offered.
Hutch took a deep breath, he knew he was going to have to confront his father but it was not something he relished doing.

“Hello?” Randal Hutchinson answered the phone; it was nearly ten p.m in Minnesota.
“Dad, it’s Ken,” Hutch said, he was sitting on his couch with two empty beer bottles on the table and a third half gone…liquid courage.
“Ken?”
“Your son?”
“I know that,” Randal sounded perturbed. “Do you know what time it is?”
Hutch glanced at a clock, he had forgotten about the two hour time difference. “I’m sorry Dad, I didn’t realize.”
“Can this wait until morning, your mother and I were just about to turn in?
“No, I’m sorry this can’t wait, I have to talk to you now.” Hutch said determinedly, he knew if he hung up now he would never place the call a second time.
A loud sigh came over the phone. No are you okay, is something wrong, nothing, typical of his father. “Alright but make it quick. I have to be up early in the morning.”
“Do you know a woman named Rachel Sears?” Dead silence met his ears, “Dad?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Your son, my brother, turned up on my door step today, birth certificate in hand.” Hutch said evenly. He grabbed the beer bottle from the table and drained the last of the contents.
“Randy?” The older Randy said he was too shocked to even lie.
“Yes, Randy,” Hutch said, “Are you still seeing her?”
“She died about three years ago.” His dad said, sadness filling his voice.
The tone of his father’s voice enraged Hutch. “Does mom know?” He nearly yelled in the phone.
“NO!” Randal snapped out of his memory of the doe eyed Rachel who had been fifteen years younger than he. His voice turned threatening, “And you won’t be telling her either.”
“I wasn’t planning on it, father,” Hutch said just as deadly; “I wouldn’t want to hurt her like that.”
“You don’t know anything about it.” Randal snapped.
“Then why don’t you tell me, uh? Tell me how it is you can go off to Kansas City and have a whole other family? TELL ME!” Hutch nearly yelled.
“You calm down boy,” Ordered the older Hutchinson.
“Don’t call me BOY!” Hutch said his voice still raised, “I’m not your boy nor am I your son!” Hutch slammed down the phone, he snatched the bottles from the table and stalked to the kitchen. Dropping the bottles in the trash he grabbed another from the fridge, opened it and knocked half of that back.


                                                                                       Chapter 4


Hutch was still standing in the kitchen finishing the last of his fourth beer when the phone rang. He hesitated before he walked into the living room to pick up the receiver; he wasn’t up to having another battle with his father. “Yeah.”
“Hutch, are you okay?” Starsky asked instantly, he could tell by the tone of his partner’s voice that he wasn’t.
Blowing out a breath, Hutch answered, “I just had a talk, if that is what you want to call it with my dad.”
“Didn’t go well?”
“No.”
When Hutch didn’t elaborate, Starsky asked, “Did your dad deny it?”
“No.”
“Hutch, do you want me to come over there?” Starsky asked as he held a manila folder containing information on one Randal Sears.
There was silence on the other end of the phone. Finally Hutch said, “I’m okay, did you find out anything on Randy?”
“Clean as a whistle, he has done everything he told you he had done, squeaky clean, not so much as a parking ticket.
“Does it say if his mother is dead?”
“Yep, three years ago.” Starsky said after he scanned one of the sheets of paper in the file.
So his dad didn’t lie about that, Hutch thought to himself. “Thanks, Starsk.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to drop by?”
“You go home and get some sleep,” Hutch said. It was far from what he got all night long as the detective tossed and turned. His dad had paid for his half brother’s education, something that he wouldn’t do for him since he didn’t want to go to the seminary. Hutch wondered if his father had tried to force Randy into ministry; what a contradiction that would have been since Randy was the bastard child of a minister.

After Randy had walked out of Huggy’s he stood on the sidewalk and looked up and down the street. He didn’t feel like going back the hotel yet but he sure wasn’t going back into the bar. He was hurt and angry that his brother had to call his partner to eat with them. Why? Was he unworthy of being his brother? Maybe he should just get back on the bus and head back to Kansas City, but there was nothing left for him there. His mother was dead, he was certain she had died of a broken heart since his father refused to leave his wife and marry his mother. She had given up her whole life for him. She waited, hoping year after year that one day Randal Hutchinson had come to stay but he never did. Rachel Sears withered away after her son left for college; Randy was the only thing she was living for. Randy had been at the beginning of his sophomore year when the call came that his mother was dead. Not even the doctors knew what killed her; natural causes had been listed on her death certificate. Full of guilt, Randy had gone back to college and graduated with honors.

Joe P. Graves, brief case in hand, pulled his keys from his suit pants pocket and bounced them in his hand until he saw his car key. He was nearly to his car when he thought he heard footsteps behind him. Joe turned surveying the underground garage but he seemed to be alone, it was after all late and Jill, his wife of nine years, was going to be angry since his lateness had ruined the dinner she had prepared. But it hadn’t been his fault, his tyrant of a boss had made him stay and rework some papers, it was nearly ten. Only a hand full of cars still remained, one being his boss’s. A smile spread across Joe’s face and he thought of going over and keying his boss’s car, something that in his youth he might have actually done. He shook the thought out of his head and continued to his old red Dodge, he had promised Jill that as soon as he got a raise they would buy a new car.
Joe was so lost in thought about pleasing his wife with a new car that he didn’t hear the approaching footsteps this time. He wasn’t aware that anyone was behind him until he felt something that felt like a bee sting on his neck. As Joe slid to the ground, the effects of the injection began almost immediately; he only had time to think of his wife a final time before he dropped to the ground.
The figure pulled the syringe from his victim’s neck; he looked around as he placed the syringe into a duffel bag he was carrying. There was no one in sight as he yanked the man’s tie from his neck, after straightening the tie out he wrapped it back around the man’s neck and began to twist, the man’s breath was coming in wheezing gasps as the tie became tighter and tighter. There was a sound, he stopped twisting the tie and cocked his head to listen, it was the sound of the elevator and it was about to deposit somebody where they would be able to see what he was doing. The man jumped up, he looked around to see if he had left anything, he was going to grab the tie and take it with him but there wasn’t time, the doors were about to slide open.

Clinton McMann stepped from the elevator, he checked his watch, he hadn’t meant to keep his employee so late but things had to be done and Joe was one of the only people in the office he could really count on to do things right. Maybe he would give Joe a promotion to let him know how much he did appreciate all his hard work. But this night, Clinton McMann, the tyrant of a boss was going to give his favorite employee something more than a raise, he was going to give him his life.
A soft noise caught Clinton’s attention as he started to turn toward his car, the parking garage was dim, and he had been on the building’s owners to put in some better lighting. He squinted in the direction of the noise. He took a few steps toward what he would later describe to the police as moaning. He saw a man lying next to a car; his brief case was laying a few feet from him, his car keys still in his out stretched hand, as he moved closer Clinton realized who the man was, “Joe? Joe, are you alright? What happened?”
The Gentleman Killer had just allowed his latest victim to live but through no fault of his own. He stood in the shadows watching one man lean over the other, if he had a second syringe he could have taken them both out. But he didn’t, and that mistake that wouldn’t happen again.

Banging on his front door awakened Hutch who had finally fallen asleep near dawn. His clock had gone off at some point but he must have shut it off with out even really hearing it. Feeling groggy, he stumbled to the front door to let his partner in.
“You look like crap buddy.” Those were the first words out of Starsky’s mouth when he saw his partner.
“I feel like crap.” Hutch croaked. “How late am I?”
“Well, since I’m always late, you are very late.” Starsky tried to joke but Hutch didn’t crack a smile he just headed toward the bathroom.
Starsky noticed the beer bottles sitting in the kitchen and wondered just what was said between the younger and older Hutchinson. “Rough night?” he called picking up one of the bottles.
“My dad is an ass,” Hutch said as he came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel.
“I’m really sorry.”
“There’s nothing for you to be sorry about,” Hutch said towel drying his hair with a second towel. “I gotta get dressed.” As he entered the bed room the phone rang, “Get that will ya? If it’s my dad, tell him to go to hell.”
Starsky grabbed the phone. “Hello?”
“Starsky?” A gruff voice on the other end asked.
“Hi Cap, we are on our way,” Starsky said.
“Never mind that, I need you and Hutchinson to get over to County General. We are pretty sure that the serial killer struck last night but this time his victim didn’t die.”
“On our way,” Starsky slammed down the receiver. “Hutch, we might have a break in the case.”
Hutch emerged from his bed room, buttoning up a plaid shirt. “What’s going on?”
“I’ll explain on the way.”

When they arrived at the hospital they were greeted by a uniformed officer sitting outside the victim’s room, he nodded at them as they entered. A woman who looked to be in her mid thirties was standing near the window, a man with a shock of white hair lay in bed, a white bandage around his neck. The woman jumped when she heard the detectives enter, her eyes were red from crying and there were dark circles under them from lack of sleep. “My husband needs his rest.” She spoke softly but firmly.
“We are detectives, I’m Starsky and this is my partner Hutch,” The dark headed detective said. “We really need to ask your husband some questions. It’s very important.”
“He can’t really talk; he had some damage done to his wind pipe when that monster tried to strangle him with his tie. If it hadn’t been for ….for Mr. McMann Joe would be dead.”
“We understand, Mrs. Graves, but there is a killer out there.” Hutch said gently.
“The Gentleman Killer? Did a serial killer try to kill my husband?” She wanted to know.
“Where did you hear that?” Starsky wanted to know.
“I overheard several policemen talking when they posted the guard on my husband’s door. You don’t think the killer will return do you?” Fresh tears were pricking her eyes.
“Why don’t you sit down Mrs. Graves,” Hutch said taking her arm and guiding her to one of the uncomfortable chairs in the room.
“Please, call me Jill.” She gave him a weak smile.
“We think it’s unlikely but to be totally honest with you Mrs….Jill, we really don’t know what this person is capable of. This is the first time a victim has lived.” Hutch answered squatting down next to her.
She nodded as she looked from one detective. “What will we do when Joe is released from the hospital?”
“Don’t worry,” Starsky said, “You and your family will have protection.”
Joe Graves lay in bed listening to what the detectives were saying to his wife; finally he patted the bed and made a throaty sound.
Jill jumped up from the chair and went to his bed side. “Do you think you can help these two detectives?” Joe shrugged his shoulders but mouthed the word “try”.
“Mr. Graves, how about if we try this with yes or no questions.” Hutch suggested. The man nodded. “Did you see your attacker coming?”
Joe shook his head but then touched his ear, then shrugged his shoulders.
Starsky nodded understanding what the man was trying to say. “You think you might have heard someone.” Joe smiled at Starsky happy that the officer could understand exactly what he meant. “Was your attacker a woman or a man?” Joe pointed at Starsky, “A man.” Joe nodded. “Are you sure? Joe nodded again. “Did you get a look at him?” Joe shook his head no.
“How are you certain it was a man then?” Hutch wanted to know. Joe held up his arm and pumped up his muscle. “Too strong to be a woman?”
Joe nodded, Starsky smiled, “I have seen some pretty strong women.”
“Just a feeling,” Joe whispered.
His wife gave him a stern look, “No talking.”
Joe sighed. Then took his thumb and pointer finger and pulled at his neck then made a face.
“Did he inject you with something?” Hutch asked. The man nodded, and then slumped in the bed. “Made you pass out.” Joe nodded then opened his eyes wide and pointed around the room. “And you woke up here.” Joe smiled. Then he looked sad and shrugged. Hutch understood, “You did just fine. We will need to talk to your boss to see if he saw anything.”
The words were hardly out of Hutch’s mouth when the door opened, all they could see was a huge bouquet of flowers. A man’s head peeked out from around them and he said, “How ya doing Joe?”
“This is Joe’s boss, Mr. McMann.” Jill explained.
“Just who we need to talk to,” Starsky said.
The man set the flowers on the bedside table and turned to face the detectives. “I’m sorry I won’t be much help. I didn’t see anybody. The elevator doors slid open and I saw Joe lying on the ground with his tie around his neck. I looked around the garage but didn’t see anybody. I am so glad that I left the office when I did or Joe wouldn’t be with us. He’s my best employee.”
Joe had a look of shock on his face then smiled. He had never gotten any kind of compliment from his boss.
“Thank you, Mr. McMann, if we have any more questions we will be in touch,” Starsky said as he took out a business card, “And if you think of anything, no matter how small it might be, you call us.”
“Will do,” Mr. McMann said as he took the card and slid it into his breast pocket.

Hutch was exhausted when he finally got home that night, with the lack of sleep he had been getting all he was doing was looking forward to taking a hot shower and sliding in between his sheets and sleeping until morning. Hutch started to open the door when he noticed it was standing open just a crack, he pulled his gun and gently pushed open the door. The lamp next to the couch was on and a man was sitting there reading some sort of book. Hutch let his arm drop, and then he re-holstered his gun, “Dad, what are you doing here?”
The older Hutchinson let his Bible close and stood up, “I didn’t like the way we left things son.”
Hutch grimaced at his father’s use of the word son; he hadn’t felt like his son for a very long time. “We have phone service in California; you didn’t have to come all the way out here.”
“I know you do, Ken, I just thought we should talk this out face to face.”
Hutch wanted to scream who are you and what have you done with my father? Not since he was a small child had his father talked to him so kindly. Then suddenly it dawned on him, Randal Hutchinson was terrified that his son would tell his wife.
“Did you bring mom?”
The elder Hutchinson shook his head, “This is between you and me.”
“And Rachel and Randy Sears, looks like mom is the only one in the dark here.” Hutch said as he took off his holster and put it away.
“I’m sorry you had to find out this way.”
“No, you’re sorry that I had to find out at all.” Hutch said standing over his still sitting father.
His father signed deeply, “You are right. I’m sorry you had to find out at all, I don’t want your mother or sister to know. Please?”
“You would really think I would hurt them like that? Hutch asked, “How could you do this to us. A whole other family? For Christ’s sakes dad, you’re a minister.”
“Watch your mouth,” Randal snapped.
“Watch my mouth? Seems like you should have been watching something else.” Hutch snarled.
Randal stood up, “Listen, I didn’t come here to fight with you Ken, I came to explain.”
“How do you explain something like that? Mom has always taken wonderful care of you, did everything you asked and things you didn’t ask of her just because she knew it would make you happy and this is the way you repay her?”
“I stayed with you all.”
“Yeah while you still carried on with another woman for years and even worse, led her on, making her think that someday you would leave us and be with her.”
“I never said that to her…never.”
“Why don’t your sell your crap to Randy, maybe he will believe you.” Hutch said as he walked toward his front door and opened it. “I think we are done here and don’t worry, I won’t tell mom.”
Randal didn’t move from the spot he was rooted too, “Ken, I would like to sit down with you and Randy and talk.”
“I think we have said everything we need to say. If you want to spout your lies to Randy you go right a head but I’m not listening to them.”
“Ken, please.”
Hutch’s jaw was set tight and he didn’t speak again, he just stood with the door standing open until finally his father left, Hutch slammed the door loudly behind him.



Chapter 5


There was a light tapping on Hutch’s door, he rolled over in bed with a groan and looked at the clock next to the bed, it was five am. “Shit, now what?” Hutch said out loud as he got out of bed. He stumbled to the door in his pajama bottoms, “Yeah, who is it?”
“Randy.”
Hutch leaned his head on the door and closed his eyes, next to his father this was the last person he wanted to talk to. “Randy it’s early, come back later, uh?”
“I need to talk to you.”
Hutch sighed and opened the door; Randy stepped inside, “What is it?” Hutch said without moving away from the door. All he wanted was to get rid of Randy and maybe catch a little more sleep before he had to get up at seven.
“Dad’s here.”
“Yes, I know,” Hutch said tiredly. “I talked to him last night.”
“He wants to talk to us together.” Randy said flopping down on the couch.
“I have said everything I need to say to my father,” Hutch said still not budging from the door. “I have no intention of sitting down to a family powwow, sorry.”
“But we are family and we need to talk this out.”
“Listen Randy, I don’t want to be rude but you aren’t my family, you are my father’s son, a son that his family knew nothing about and still doesn’t except for me.” Hutch said as he turned the door knob and opened the door. “Now if you don’t mind, I have to be at work soon and I would like to get a little more shut eye.”
Randy didn’t move from his spot on the couch he just stared at Hutch, “You don’t want to be my brother?” He was nearly pouting.
“Can’t we discuss this later? Please? I haven’t been getting much sleep lately and I’m dead tired.”
Randy got to his feet as he glared at Hutch, “I don’t understand why you are being so difficult about this.”
Hutch hiked his eye brows at the Randy, “I’ll explain it to you sometime but not now.” He opened the door wider.
“Breakfast?” Randy perked up at the suggestion of further contact.
“I have to work today.”
“Lunch?”
“Randy!”
“But you invited me to lunch at the station remember?” Randy persisted.
“Fine, lunch then, noon.”

When Hutch pulled up in front of Starsky’s he was out of sorts, he barely acknowledged his partner’s cheery hello. “What’s up grumpy?” Starsky wanted to know.
“My father was at my apartment when I got home last night and Randy knocked on my door at five this morning, so I’m sorry if I’m not Mr. Cheerful.”
“Ouch,” Starsky frowned, “What did your dad want?”
“To make sure I wasn’t going to tell my mom and sister about all this, he was trying to make it sound like that wasn’t what he was concerned about, but I know my dad.” Hutch said pulling out into traffic. “He doesn’t give a damn what I think, he just doesn’t want mom to find out.”
“Do you think she would leave him?”
“I doubt it,” Hutch said, “That life is all she has known, at this age what would she do?”
“Maybe find a man that deserves her.”
Hutch snorted, “That sure doesn’t describe my dad.”
“Why is he so adamant about Julie not finding out?” Starsky asked about Hutch’s sister.
“He knows she will go straight to mom no matter what he says or I say for that matter. Julie was always mom’s ally, she has been trying to get mom to leave him for years just because he is such an ass, this would just be icing on the cake.”
Starsky turned in the seat and looked at his partner and Hutch stopped at a red light, he put his hand on Hutch’s shoulder, “I’m really sorry you have to go through this.”
“Yeah and at my age.” Hutch quipped, and then he looked at Starsky, “Thanks, Starsk.”
“So what is on the agenda for today?” Starsky wanted to know changing the subject; little did he know that would be hard to do.”
“Randy is coming to the station for lunch and a tour today.” Hutch answered.
“Are you kidding me? After all this?”
“I know but it’s the only way I could get him to leave this morning. He’s like a little kid, pouting because I don’t want to be his big brother.”
“This should be fun.”

Promptly at noon Randy pushed open the squad room door. Hutch was still studying his notes from the previous day from their talk with Joe Graves. Randy walked over to Hutch’s desk and when the detective didn’t look up from his work Randy knocked on the desk, “Ready for lunch?”
Hutch jumped and looked up to see Randy standing close to him. “Yeah, just a second, I need to finish this.” Randy flopped down in the chair next to Hutch’s desk and began drumming on the desk top with his fingers.
Starsky entered the squad room, he had been checking with the garage where Joe Graves had been attacked to see if they have surveillance cameras, which they didn’t. He saw Randy immediately, he disliked the young man, there was something not right about him but he just couldn’t put his finger on it. “Hi ya Randy,” Starsky said as he approached their desks.
Randy nodded his head but didn’t speak, “You done?” he addressed Hutch.
Hutch dropped the notes on his desk with a sigh, “I guess so.” He sure wasn’t going to get any work done with Randy breathing down his neck.
“Come on,” Starsky said, “The grub ain’t good but you won’t starve.”
Randy glared at Starsky, “Is he coming?”
“Yes, he’s coming,” Hutch said as he got up.
“I thought we could talk.” Randy said as disappointment spread across his face.
“We can talk; I don’t have any secrets from my partner.” Hutch led the way out of the squad room and to elevator doors that would take them to the cafeteria. Randy followed but kept shooting Starsky dirty looks in the hopes that the man would get the idea.
Starsky wasn’t oblivious to the looks Randy was giving him but he wasn’t going to leave Hutch unless his partner asked him too.
Once in the cafeteria the trio got in line to wait their turn. “I don’t understand why he has to be here.” Randy said.
“He is my partner, he has my back, I have his, we spend a lot of hours together, we are probably closer than most brothers,” Hutch informed Randy.
Randy blanched when Hutch said brothers. “I see, but I thought we were going to talk.”
“And as I already told you, anything you have to say to me you can say in front of Starsky.”
“Listen Hutch, I can get something to eat later.”
“Sounds like a good idea,” Randy said.
Hutch’s face turned stormy, “This is our work place Randy, and you are a guest so maybe you should act like it.”
Several people in the room turned to look at the three men in line. Hutch had raised his voice a little louder than he had intended.
“But I wanted to talk about dad,” Randy nearly whined.
“There is nothing to talk about!” Hutch said, “You are not part of our family, we might have the same dad but that doesn’t make us brothers.”
“Hutch,” Starsky said calmly trying to get his partner to stop.
“Just because you stalked me for what a week? A month? Doesn’t make us family, nor does that piece of paper you keep shoving under my nose.” Hutch was nearly shouting now, the whole room was staring curiously in their direction.
“Hutch!” Starsky exclaimed. “Why don’t we go outside?”
“I’m not going anywhere, but you,” Hutch pointed at Randy, “You need to pick up your stuff and go back to where ever you came from.”
“B-but I have been trying to fix all this,” Randy said with a quiver in his voice, “I have been making it right, don’t you see?”
“All I can see is that you are still here,” Hutch stormed. “I don’t want you calling me, coming by my apartment or watching me. If you do I’m going to take out a restraining order on you. And when you see dear old dad, you can tell him the same thing goes for him.”
Randy finally got the message and turned to leave the room, he shoved open the cafeteria doors and stormed down the hall. Starsky rushed after him, when he caught up with Randy at the elevators he put his hand on his shoulder. “Look, Hutch is upset; you just pushed him too hard.”
“Get your hands off me,” Randy hissed. “I don’t need your help.”
The doors slid open and Randy stepped in, “He’s going to wish I was his brother.”
As the doors closed Starsky’s brow furrowed wondering what Randy had meant. He hoped that the young man would go back to where ever he was staying, pack his bags and leave.
As Starsky headed back to the cafeteria, he met Hutch, “You want to go to Huggy’s?”
Hutch shook his head, “I lost my appetite.” Hutch kept walking; he went to the end of the hall and through the doors leading to the stairwell.
“Where are you going?” Starsky wanted to know.
“I just need to work off a little steam; I’ll meet you after lunch.”
Starsky stopped in his tracks, he knew when his friend needed alone time. Starsky’s stomach was growling; he looked back toward the cafeteria but didn’t feel like eating there, he knew there would probably be questions from some of the diners; he didn’t want to leave and go to The Pit’s so he opted for one of the snack machines in the hall.
Hutch sat down on the top step, he knew Starsky wouldn’t follow him and he needed time to think. Maybe he would call Julie, she had a right to know what was going on and that she had a half brother, for all Hutch knew, Randy might try and track her down next. As for his dad, he didn’t care if he ever laid eyes on him again. He didn’t understand how Randal Hutchinson could have done this to his family. Hutch glanced at his watch, it was nearly time to get back to work and it was the last thing in the world he felt like doing. If he had his way, he would pack his bags and just take off for a while. He needed to get away, but with the serial murder case he was on, he knew that there was no way he could get off, even for a couple of days.

Randy nearly ran out of the police station wanting to get as far away from the pair of detectives as he could. He would show his brother, he would make him understand. He had done it all for him, he knew that their father was a cad and didn’t deserve either son. He had failed them both miserably. Randy would make his brother see.

Hutch dropped Starsky off at his apartment that night, “Are you sure you don’t want to come in buddy, we could order a pizza and have a couple of beers, maybe a case,” Starsky joked.
“Thanks, Starsk, sounds good but I’m beat,” Hutch said. “I think I’ll just head home, take a hot shower and hit the sheets.”
“Okay, but if you need anything.”
“I’ll call,” Hutch said, he waved and drove off leaving a worried Starsky watching his tail lights disappear down the street.
As Hutch pulled up in front of his house he looked around, no strange cars, nobody lingering around the building, he got out and made his way up the stairs to his apartment, the door was still locked. He sighed but still opened the door cautiously and poked his head in, all clear. Hutch took off his holster and put it in the closet then went to the kitchen to see what he could rustle up for dinner. After missing lunch his stomach was knotted with hunger. There wasn’t much, he pulled a half gallon of milk from the fridge and sniffed it; he was pleased to find that it hadn’t gone bad. Hutch grabbed a box of cereal from the shelf and a serving bowl; he filled it with the cereal and added milk. Taking his bowl, he walked to the couch and sat down placing the bowl on the coffee table, then he grabbed his address book. He thumbed through it until he found the H’s, it made him sad that his sister had never married, Hutch wondered if it had anything to do with the relationship that his parents had that kept Julie from marrying. He found her number quickly but then hesitated, he wasn’t sure he wanted to call her and put her through the pain he was going through now. But it could be worse if Randy turned up on her doorstep like he did his.
He checked the number in the book then dialed it. The phone rang nearly a half dozen times and Hutch was nearly ready to hang up when an out of breath voice answered. “Hello?”
“Julie, are you alright? “ Hutch asked nearly fearing the worst.
“Ken?” Julie said catching her breath.
“Yep, it’s me big sister, everything okay there?”
“Yes worry wart, I was just bringing groceries in.” she laughed.
Hutch smiled at the sound of her laughter, it brought back good memories of their childhood. “How have you been?”
“What’s wrong?” Julie asked sitting down at a stool in the kitchen.



                                                                                      Chapter 6


Hutch smiled again, even though he and his sister hadn’t spent much time together in years she still knew him very well. He wasn’t sure how to break the news to her except to just say it. “Julie, I’m not sure how to tell you this, but we have a brother…a half brother.” Silence met his ears, “Julie, are you there?”
“Yeah, I’m here,” She said softly.
“You don’t sound surprised.” Hutch said.
“Ken, you are just confirming what I always thought,” She said as she poked at one of the brown paper bags containing her groceries.
“You knew?”
“Not exactly, but I suspected years ago when dad came home from his Kansas City conference.” Julie wiped a tear that ran down her cheek, she hadn’t wanted to Ken to ever find out. “It was late when he came in, he and mom woke me up arguing.”
“Where was I?”
“I think you were spending the night with Danny.”
“I snuck down stairs, they were in the kitchen, the rest of the house was dark. Mom was crying and dad was trying to comfort her but she wasn’t having it. At first I thought something had happened to you and I was about to burst into the room when dad picked up something from the counter and ripped it in half. He said he wouldn’t go there again and he tossed what he ripped up in the trash. Only then did mom let him comfort her, I hid until they went up stairs then I crept into the kitchen and dug in the trash. Dad ripped up a picture of a woman and a little boy. On the back it said ‘Love Rachel and Randy’, Ken, I still have that picture.”
“So mom knows?” Hutch asked confused. “Dad is here or he was, I’m not sure if he still is or not. He kept telling me not to tell mom, he didn’t want her to know.”
“Maybe she didn’t want you to know but she did. I’m sure she doesn’t want me to know. I tried to talk around it for years but she would never admit that dad was having an affair and she would get so upset that I just finally dropped it.”
“Maybe she knows that he had an affair but doesn’t know that Randy is his son.” Hutch speculated.
“So his name is Randy?” Julie let out a breath. “You know I always held out hope that I just misunderstood what was going on but I guess I had it right all along.”
“I’m sorry, sis,” Hutch said.
“So how did you find out?” Julie wanted to know.
“Randy showed up on my door step a few days ago birth certificate in hand. I called dad to find out if it was true and the next thing I knew he was out here.” Hutch said.
“You have got to be kidding me? This guy just showed up at your apartment? How old is he?” Julie asked full of questions. “What does he look like?”
“He is twenty-five and looks enough like me to know we are brothers.” Hutch said, “But there isn’t something quite right about him, I can’t put my finger on it but…I don’t even know how to describe it.”
“Cop instinct kicking in?”
“Something like that.”
“What does Starsky say?” Julie wanted to know, she had never met her brother’s partner but she had heard a lot about him.
“He hasn’t said much, just been my support and listened to me. Starsky did check him out so he isn’t like a mass murderer or something; he has a clean record and seems to have done all the things he has told me.”
“I’ve got some vacation time that my boss is driving me nuts to take, I’m coming out there.” Julie said.
“Oh Jules, you don’t have to do that, if you are due a vacation go some place fun.”
“Are you trying to tell me Los Angeles isn’t fun? I thought that is where everything happened. Don’t you want to see your big sis?”
“Of course I do, but not like this, why would you want to come out here and get involved in this mess?” Hutch wanted to know.
“Number one, I am already involved and number two, I want to be there for my baby brother.” Julie smiled into the phone. “I’ll be out tomorrow or the next day, I’ll call and let you know. See you then.” Julie hung up before Hutch could protest any further.
Hutch sighed and hung up the phone. He tried to think when the last time was that he had seen Julie; it had been at least five or six years. They did try to talk every few months but they both had their own lives. Maybe by the time Julie arrived, Randy and their father would be long gone.

He filled a syringe from a vile, then a second one, he wasn’t letting what happen last time happen again, he would not be caught off guard. Although he was hoping this time there would be no mistakes. He would make sure of that. After putting the filled syringes into a bag, he pulled a hooded sweatshirt over his head and drew the hood tight. He was ready, he would put things right.

Hutch was heading toward the bathroom with his robe in hand when the phone began to ring. He figured it was Starsky, he would call him back after his shower, he needed a nice long hot one, and hopefully it would wash away the stress of the last few days and allow him to sleep.
Starsky hung up the phone after only a few rings, he was hoping that his partner was finally getting the sleep he needed, he scooped up his dinner dishes and put them in the sink, sleep sounded good to him too. He headed to the bedroom, took off his clothes and got into bed but sleep wouldn’t come, Randy’s words as he had gotten on the elevator nagged at him. It almost sounded like a veiled threat, but he just didn’t seem like the type of kid that would do anything other than throw a tantrum. At twenty-five the boy still had a lot of growing up to do. He tried to turn over and get comfortable, Starsky pounded his pillow a few times, he rearranged his covers but nothing was helping. He thought of calling Hutch again, he hadn’t told him what Randy had said, at the time it hadn’t seem important but the more he thought about the more he was worried. Hutch was probably long asleep, it was after midnight now. He would just talk to him in the morning and tell him that maybe he needed to watch his back where Randy was concerned.

When Hutch came out of the steaming bathroom he felt relaxed, he looked at the phone but decided it would wait until morning, he knew his partner would understand. If he got to talking about Randy or his dad it would only work him up again and he was feeling sleepy. He didn’t notice that his front door was slightly ajar as he headed for the bedroom; he slipped off his robe and put on a pair of freshly laundered pajama pants that he pulled from his dresser. He was just about to climb into bed when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye; his attacker was so speedy that Hutch didn’t have time to react. He was grabbed and tossed onto the bed, before he could fight back he felt a sting to his neck and almost immediately felt himself getting light headed. He weakly tried to struggle; he clawed at his attacker’s, back pulling the hood from the sweat jacket off. Through blurred vision Hutch mumbled, “Randy?”

Starsky waited outside on the sidewalk for his partner to show up, he looked at his watch. It was so unlike Hutch to be late but with the turn of events lately Starsky wasn’t surprised that his partner had over slept. He waited another ten minutes before he finally went back inside his apartment to give Hutch a wakeup call, but the phone rang off the hook. Thinking that he must be on his way Starsky went back out to wait, another ten minutes passed, then another. Starsky fished his keys out of his pocket and climbed in his Torino and headed to Hutch’s apartment.
When he arrived the front door was standing open, he drew his gun and entered quietly, Starsky looked around but saw no one and the place felt empty. He moved cautiously toward the bedroom, the bed was unmade and the closet door was standing open but nothing was disturbed. Starsky looked in the closet, Hutch’s clothes and suitcases were still there so he knew that his partner hadn’t just taken off, not that he would without notifying his friend.
Starsky knew that Hutch’s clunker was sitting out front since he parked behind it. Maybe he went for a run and lost track of time, or maybe he went for breakfast, but Hutch didn’t lose track of time and Starsky knew if breakfast was in the plan then he would be part of it. He had a bad feeling something was wrong. His thoughts went to Randy and his words from the day before. Had he shown up and Hutch’s apartment and done something? But the place was nearly spotless; there had been no struggle that he could see. Starsky jumped in his car and headed for the station.

Unaware that her brother might be missing Julie Hutchinson boarded a plane and headed toward Los Angeles. She had been tempted to call her mother but decided that she would stop there on the way back; this was something she needed to do in person.
It was late afternoon when Julie landed and made her way to the waiting area, and to the first unoccupied payphone, she placed a call to her brother’s apartment. Getting no answer she decided she would just catch a cab and meet him at his home.
It was nearing dark when the cabbie dropped Julie in front of a building; the bottom was a restaurant while the top was where her brother lived. She climbed the steep set of stairs to his door and knocked. Getting no answer she looked around, then felt above the door, sure enough there was a key, Julie shook her head as she let herself in. Old habits die hard she thought as she replaced the key and shut the door.
Julie had just put down her suitcase and purse when the door flew open, a dark headed man had a gun trained on her. Neither one of them moved for a moment then Julie asked, “Dave Starsky?”
Starsky looked at her inquisitively, “Yes, who are you?” She looked like somebody he knew but couldn’t put his finger on it.
“Julie,” She said, when he didn’t respond, “Julie Hutchinson.”
“Julie,” Starsky said as he holstered his weapon. He looked at the woman before him. She was forty, five years older than his partner but she didn’t look more than thirty, she had long blonde hair and the same blue eyes as Hutch and she was probably almost Hutch’s height. “What are you doing here?”
“I guess you haven’t talked to Ken, I told him I was flying out to see him. He called and told me what was going on.” She said. “Where is he?”
Starsky crossed the room to stand near her, “I hate to tell you this Julie but Hutch has disappeared.”
“Disappeared? But I just talked to him last night.” She said her brow furrowing with worry.
“What time was that?”
She thought a moment, “I guess about seven your time.”
“That would have been right after he dropped me off. I tried to call him about ten but he never answered, I just figured he went to bed.” Starsky silently cursed himself for not following up the phone call.
“You can’t blame yourself.” She smiled at him.
Starsky looked at her, the Hutchinson intuition obviously ran in the family. “So it looks like he went missing sometime between seven and ten,” The detective theorized. “At least that is more than I had to go on before.”
“Have you talked to his neighbors?” Julie wanted to know.
“Are you a cop too?” Starsky asked although he she was an account executive for a large firm.
Julie laughed, Hutch’s laugh Starsky thought making him miss his partner even more. “I’m sure you know what I do. If Ken talks about me as much as he talks about you I’m sure you know as much about my life as I do.”
Starsky shrugged and blushed a bit, she was right, he knew nearly everything about Hutch’s sister and she knew way too much about him for comfort. “There really aren’t that many people around that time of night. Nan closes the restaurant early and most of the other businesses even earlier, not many apartments around here.”
“I see.” Julie sat down on the couch.
“You don’t seem too concerned.”
“He’s alive.”
“Yeah, I know,” Starsky said feeling what she was. “But I have to make sure it stays that way.”

Hutch started to come to, his head was pounding as he slowly opened his eyes, it was dark where ever he was and he knew that his attacker had been Randy, he only caught a glimpse before he passed out but there was no mistake who it was.
“I was wondering when you were going to wake up, I’ve never had to worry about that before,” Randy said, he was sitting in a chair across the room from the bed Hutch was laying on.
“What are you doing?” Hutch croaked, his throat was dry, whatever Randy had injected him with had his head pounding and his mouth dry.
“Making you appreciate who I am and what I’m capable of.”
“I don’t understand,” Hutch said trying to shake the headache away along with the fogginess. “Starsky is going to be looking for me.”
Randy laughed, “Neither of you have figured it out yet what makes you think he will now?”
All of a sudden Hutch started putting two and two together, the needle in the neck, what they hadn’t figured out yet. “You’re the Gentleman Killer?”
“Has a nice ring to it doesn’t it?”
B-but why?” Hutch sputtered.
“You can’t figure it out?” Randy asked he was still sitting in the dark.
“I was doing it for you, for us.”
“Doing what? Killing innocent men?”
“Killing our father.”
“Through innocent men?”
“You don’t think I could actually kill our father do you?”
Hutch closed his eyes, he knew there was something off about Randy but he never thought he was crazy. “So what are you going to do with me?”
“Well that depends on our little…what did you call it, a powwow?”
“What are you talking about?” Hutch said in confusion.
Randy got up and snapped on the lights, Hutch squinted, his eyes shut in the sudden brightness. As he eyes got used to the light he looked around to see there was another bed in the room and there was somebody laying on it with their hands bound behind their back, legs tied. At first he thought it might be Starsky but as he looked more closely he knew who it was, “Dad?”



                                                                                Chapter 7


Julie looked at Starsky, “So where do you go from here?”
Starsky picked up the phone, “I’m going to call dispatch and have them put an A.P.B out on Randy and your dad.”
“Do you think this Randy has my dad too?”
“It’s possible.” Starsky dialed the number, when it was answered he said, “I want two A.P.B’s put out, one on a Randal Sears, twenty five year old male, about six feet tall, blond hair, blue eyes, the second on a Randal Hutchinson.” Starsky covered the phone, “Describe your dad.” Julie did quickly and Starsky relayed the information to dispatch. Then he told them to also keep any eye out for Hutch.
“Do you know where Randy was staying?” Julie asked.
Starsky shook his head no, “I’m not even sure Hutch did. We offered to take him home one night but he refused.” Julie stood up and grabbed her suitcase heading toward the bed room. “Where are you going?”
“I need some sleep; the jetlag is starting to catch up with me. I can’t think straight. With some sleep maybe I can be of some help.”
“You can’t stay here,” Starsky said stepping forward and taking her suitcase from her. “Randy might come back looking for you.”
“He doesn’t even know I’m here.”
“He still might come back for who knows for what reason and he can’t find you here.”
“I’ll find a motel room then.”
“Why? Come stay with me.” Starsky suggested, “Hutch would never forgive me if something happened to you.”
“I’m a big girl.”
“Yes, a big girl in a big city you have never been to before. And there might possibly be a mad man out there wanting to harm you.” Starsky said.
“But I told you he doesn’t know I’m here.”
“I know Julie, but you don’t know what he has done to Hutch. He could have forced Hutch to tell him where you are.”
Julie hadn’t thought of that, “Alright.”
Starsky smiled at her “Atta girl. I’ll get you settled in at my place then I’m going to hit the streets and see what I can come up with.”

The form on the other bed groaned and moved. “What are you doing Randy?” Hutch demanded.
“I thought we could all have that little talk.” Randy said settling back in the chair.
Hutch looked around at his surroundings, they were in a hotel somewhere but the curtains were drawn so he couldn’t get an idea of where they might be. “Untie me and dad, I promise I won’t tell anybody, not even Starsky.”
Randy laughed, “You must think I am an idiot. All I ever wanted was to have a family; I thought you would be the big brother I never had, and he could be the dad I never had. Seeing him once a year was not enough for a young boy who needed a role model. All I had was a mother that couldn’t get over the man that impregnated her.”
“Randy, I’m sorry, just untie me and we will talk.”
“Now you want to talk, why couldn’t you have done that before?”
“I was just overwhelmed, how do you think you would feel if I had showed up on your doorstep?” Hutch wanted to know. He was trying to loosen the ropes binding his hands. He wanted to ask Randy about the men he had killed but he didn’t want to antagonize him further.
“What’s going on?” The voice came for the bed next to Hutch. “Ken, is that you?”
“It’s me dad, we are here with Randy.”
“What happened? Why am I tied up?” Randal Hutchinson asked. He tried to struggle to free himself. “What’s going on?” He repeated, fear suddenly surging through his body.
“Randy wants to talk, dad; I’m trying to get him to untie us so we can.” Hutch said calmly. Then to Randy, “It’s going to be hard to have a conversation tied up like this.”
“Why would he tie us up?” Randal mumbled.
“Because…” Randy nearly yelled, then check himself, he didn’t want anybody coming to the door to see what was going on. “Because, it was the only way that I could get anybody to listen to me.”
“I would have listened,” Randal said. “I came here to see you both. I just didn’t know where to find you Randy.”
“You haven’t seen me in three years, once my mother died you stopped coming around.” Randy spat out.
“I sent you money.”
“I didn’t need your money, I needed a father.”
As his half brother and father talked, Hutch kept working on his bindings without much success, Randy had tied him tightly. Why hadn’t he called Starsky last night, not that it would have mattered? Then he thought of Julie who was supposed to come, she wouldn’t find him at home but he knew Starsky would take good care of her.

After Starsky got Julie settled in his apartment, he went to the station to see if there were any leads on the whereabouts of Randy Sears. He was gone less than ten minutes when the phone rang. Julie looked around unsure if she should answer it, then she had a thought, what if it was Ken’s kidnappers. Gingerly she picked up the phone, “Hello?”
“David Starsky please,” Said a familiar female voice.
“MOM?” Julie asked shocked.
“Julie? What are you doing there?”
“I came to see Ken, why are you calling Dave? I didn’t even know you knew him?” Julie asked.
“Ken gave me his phone number in case there was an emergency and I couldn’t get a hold of him.” Ann Hutchinson explained. “What are you doing in his apartment?
“Ah…I…ah,” Julie sputtered. “I came to see Ken and they are…hum...fumigating his apartment so Dave said we could stay with him for a couple of days.” Julie lied; she didn’t want to tell her mother that her only son was missing.
Ann furrowed her eyebrows; she knew that Julie was lying to her. “Are you dating David?”
Julie laughed, “No mom, I hardly know him; in fact we just met today for the first time.”
Letting it go Ann asked. “Where is Ken?”
“At work, they both are.”
“I need to ask him something. Could you have him call me when he gets back?”
“Maybe I could help,” Julie suggested.
“I’m just looking for your father; you know he is there too?” Suddenly, Ann put it all together, “You guys aren’t out there having some family reunion without me are you?”
Again Julie laughed, “No mom. I haven’t even seen dad yet. Hasn’t he called you?”
“I haven’t heard from him since he left three days ago. I can’t believe he hasn’t called. I have tried him at his hotel several times and he is never there, I have even left messages.”
“Give me the name of the hotel and I’ll go check it out. If I find dad I’ll tell him to give you a call. And I’ll have Ken call just as soon as he can.”
“Alright, let me find the paper your dad left me with his information on it.” Julie could hear her mother rifling through papers. “Here it is. Hilton Los Angeles North, room four-fifteen.”
Julie jotted it down, “Okay, got it. I’ll call you back in a little while mom.”
“Are you sure nothing is going on?”
“Like what?” Julie asked in what she hoped was an innocent tone.
Ann sighed, “Call me as soon as you can.” After Julie hung up Ann Hutchinson didn’t hang up the phone, instead when she got a dial tone she punched in the number of the airport she had looked up while talking to her daughter, she knew something was up. “Yes, I would like the first flight to LAX.”

“Are you sure?” Starsky blustered, “Nobody has seen either of those men?”
“Sorry, detective,” The police woman behind the desk informed him. “We are all worried about Hutch too. Everyone out on the streets is looking for them and your partner.”
“I know, Joyce, I know.” Starsky gave her a weak smile. “I think I’ll head out and look myself. If anything comes up radio me.”
“Will do.”
Starsky headed out, not really knowing where to go. It was impractical to try and find what hotel either man was staying in, there were hundreds of hotels and motels in the surrounding area.

Julie picked up the phone and dialed the police station, “I would like to speak to Detective Starsky please.” Julie waited for several minutes before the voice came back on the phone.
“I’m sorry miss but he just left, if it’s important I can radio his car.” Julie looked at the name of the hotel she had written down, and then made a decision. “No but could you give him some information when he gets back? This is Julie; tell him that my father is staying at Hilton Los Angeles North, room four-fifteen.” She said. As she hung up Julie wondered if she was making a mistake. But how dangerous could it be to check out a hotel room in what sounded like a fancy hotel. Julie dialed zero for the operator, she needed a cab.

Randy stood over Hutch with a hypodermic needle in his hand; he had a second one lying on the bedside table by his father. Hutch twisted around to see what Randy was doing. “You don’t have to do that.” Hutch pleaded with him.
“I need to go out and I don’t trust you.” Randy said leaning over his half brother.
“Why don’t you untie us all and we can go get something to eat and we can talk.” Hutch tried to sound calm; he didn’t want to be drugged again. He was still feeling the effects from the first dose. He wondered how much he could have in his system before it was fatal.
“Randal, listen to me, you untie us right now.” The older Randal ordered.
Randy just laughed at his father. “Now you want to try and be a father to me, uh? Well it doesn’t work that way.”
“You never gave me a chance Randy.” Randal Hutchinson said.
“You had twenty-five years of chances ‘dad’”, Randy spit out. “Twenty-five years, where have you been?”
Randal tried to roll over to look at his younger son. “I did my best. I had a family I didn’t want to hurt.”
“But it was okay to hurt me?” the boy stormed. “Hurt my mom?”
“I never meant to hurt you or your mom.”
As the two talked back and forth Hutch tried to free his hands again. “Stop,” Randy said poking Hutch sharply in the ribs making the detective grunt in pain. He leaned over Hutch again and plunged the needle in his neck. Hutch struggled for a few moments then went limp.
“What did you do to Ken?” Randal demanded.
“The same thing I’m going to do to you.” he said as he walked over to where his father lie with the second syringe. “Don’t worry; I’ll be back for you.” He plunged the needle into his father’s neck. Randy tossed both syringes into the trash, after looking the room over he turned off the lights, made sure that the ‘do not disturb’ sign was on the door handle and close the door gently. Julie was unaware that she passed Randy Sears in the lobby of the hotel. He still had on his hooded sweat jacket and nearly walked into her since he had his head down. Randy was worried that the police might be looking for him by now. He was sure that Hutch’s partner would be looking for him at the very least; he had to keep a low profile.


                                                                                Chapter 8


Julie made her way to the fourth floor and down the hall to room four-fifteen. Julie fingered the do not disturb sign. She knocked on the door several times before she called out “Daddy, it’s me Julie are you there?” Nothing, no noise from inside, she knocked a few more times before giving up and going back down stairs to the front desk.
“May I help you?” Asked an older man behind the desk, his name tag read, Stanley.
“I’m trying to locate my father.” Julie explained. “He is staying in Room four-fifteen.”
Stan pulled out the registration book and check for the name Julie had given him. He tapped on the book, his name is right there, checked in three days ago and according to this, he is still registered. Perhaps he is just out seeing the sights.”
“My mom hasn’t heard from him since he got here.”
The man wanted to tell the young woman that maybe he didn’t want to talk to his wife but he didn’t, instead he said, “You can leave him a message and I’ll make sure he gets it.”
“Could you let me in the room?” Julie wanted to know.
“I’m sorry Miss, that is against policy.”
“Could you check then?”
Stan was beginning to get annoyed. “There is no reason for me to disturb Mr. Hutchinson if he is in his room. I am assuming that if he is not answering the door, he is out. And I have no way to know where he went or when he is coming back.”
It was Julie’s turn to be annoyed. “Listen, if he is out, why would he leave the not disturb sign?”
“Maybe because he doesn’t want to be disturbed.” Stan needed for this conversation to be over with. It was nearly time for him to leave and he had plans right after work.
“What if he is hurt or had a heart attack or some other medical problem?” Julie asked.
Stan sighed. “Why don’t you go out and have some dinner and come back in a little while, maybe Mr. Hutchinson will be accepting guests.”
Julie’s eyes narrowed, maybe she would just call a certain cop she knew but she didn’t say it out loud. “Thank you,” frustrated, Julie left the hotel. She stood on the sidewalk and looked up and down the street. Maybe she would get something to eat; she was starving and very tired. She thought of calling Starsky but her hunger won out, she would get a quick bite then come back to the hotel. If she didn’t get an answer at her father’s door, she would break it down herself.

Randy Sears came out of a nearby Chinese restaurant with several brown bags loaded with food. He still had his hood up and looked up and down the street before he stepped on to the side walk. A gust of wind blew down his hood and with his hands full he couldn’t pull it back up so he did the only thing he could, ducked his head and hurried down the sidewalk. He was going in opposite direction of the hotel. He wanted to make sure that if anybody was following him he could lose them before he got back to the hotel; he wasn’t finish yet, far from it.
A police cruiser passed by, going to slow for comfort, Randy ducked into a doorway and waited until the car was a block away before continued on his way. The first alley he came to Randy turned and walked to the next street, he stayed in the shadows until he was sure there were no police cars on the street then he headed back toward he hotel.

“Zebra Three.”
The operator didn’t even get out the second call before Starsky picked it up, “Zebra Three.”
“Officers might have spotted your suspect.”
“Which one?” Starsky wanted to know, he wasn’t worried about the older Randal.
“Randal Sears.”
“Where?”
The operator rattled off the address.
Starsky slapped the light on the top of the car and flipped on the siren. When he got in the area, he saw the police car in front of the Chinese restaurant. He hopped out and joined the officers that were talking to the owner. “Where is he?” Starsky wanted to know.
“Sorry, we lost him.” One of the officers responded.
“But he was on foot so he couldn’t have gotten far.” The other officer offered.
Starsky ran to his car and got on the radio. “Get every officer available down here!” Starsky looked around franticly, if Randy was on foot, then maybe Hutch was close by.
In less than five minutes the street was teaming with police cars. Dobey pulled up in his big black car and hopped out. “Where is he?” The police captain asked.
Starsky was agitated, he had just spoken to the cashier that had handled Randy Sears but she didn’t know anything; he had paid in cash and been on his way. “Somewhere, somewhere,” Starsky more mumbled to himself than answered his captain. “He couldn’t have gotten far. I want all the hotels searched within a twelve block radius.” He told an officer standing near him. “Randy Sears must be staying in one of them if he was on foot.” Little did Starsky know how close he really was.
“We don’t have the manpower for that,” the officer said.
“Then find it!” Dobey barked. “We have an officer missing and possibly that officer’s father. Since we have it narrowed down to this area, as of right now, put everything else on hold, this is a priority. Have you got a problem with that?”
“No sir!” The officer ran off to radio for more help and organize the officers that were on the scene.
“Thank you, Cap,” Starsky said. “I am getting a really bad feeling about this.”
“Let’s just find Hutchinson.” Dobey said.

Randy took the stairs when he got to the hotel, he didn’t want to have to stand in the lobby or maybe run into somebody in the elevator that might recognize him. As he opened the door on the fourth floor he saw a woman pounding on one of the room doors, as he got closer he realized that it was the room where he was holding his brother and father. He stood several rooms away and looked at her; there was something familiar about her. The color of her hair, her eyes, even her the way she held her body.
“Daddy, are you in there? Open up.” She called, “I’m going to get the manager if you don’t.”
A tingle of fear ran though Randy, he had to think of something fast or everything would be ruined. But he was delighted at the fact that he was looking at his older sister. He had plans on tracking her down. But now he had his whole family here. Maybe things would be better.
Julie didn’t feel the presences standing behind her until he slammed her up against the door and her breath left in a whoosh. She was so surprised that she didn’t try to struggle as a hand snaked around her and inserted a key into the door lock; her attacker turned the doorknob and let her fall unceremoniously to the carpeted floor. Julie turned over and sat up, coming face to face with her half brother. “Randy?” She said only guessing.
“So, they actually told you about me.” He growled at her.
Julie tore her eyes away from the young man before her and looked around the room. She first saw her father lying on his side on one of the beds; he was groaning and trying to move. As her eyes swept the room she saw the second bed and instantly knew the still form was Ken. “Kenny?” She called out; she had a gut feeling there was something wrong. She scrambled to her feet, expecting Randy to grab her but he didn’t. Julie went to the bed where her brother lay, she shook his shoulder, “Ken, its Julie, wake up.” She turned to look at her half brother, “What have you done to him?”
Randy shrugged, “Maybe I gave him too much stuff or too close together.”
Julie’s eyes went to the bedside table where an empty syringe lay, “What is wrong with you?”
“Julie?” Randal Hutchinson had opened his eyes; he was staring at this daughter.
“Yes, I’m here, dad.” At least she now knew why he hadn’t called her mother. Julie confronted Randy; she was a good three inches taller than he was. “We need to call an ambulance.”
“For what?” He wanted to know.
“Ken is going to die if he doesn’t get help, look how shallow his breathing is, you have overdosed him you idiot.”
Randy’s eyes narrowed. “You need to shut up and sit down.”
Julie sat down next to Hutch and touched his face. “We didn’t do anything to you. We didn’t even know about you, so why are you punishing us for our father’s sins?”
Moving closer to the bed Randy said as he pointed to Hutch, “He had a chance to make it right but he refused.”
“It wasn’t his job to make it right, he it was his!” Julie pointed to their father. “Don’t you see Randy; she he screwed all of us over not just you. He had two families, neither of which he deserved.”
“Shut up,” Randy yelled at her, “Just shut up, you had the family; all I had was my mother and his money once a month.”
“But that wasn’t our fault!”
“I said to shut up.”
“Let us out of here, we can get you help to deal with all this.”
“I don’t need help; I’m dealing with it right now.”
“By punishing Ken and me?”
Randy advanced on Julie and hit her across the face with the back of his hand; the corner of her mouth began to bleed. “I said to shut up.” He yelled at her.
Julie brought her hand to her bleeding mouth but stayed silent. “You didn’t have to do that,” Randal said. “Do what you want with me but leave them alone.”
“Don’t worry old man, I have plans for you.” Randy snarled. He looked at Julie, “Don’t you move.” He opened the door and grabbed the bags of food he had left in the hall; he sat them on a table in the room. “I need to think.” He said to no one in particular.
Julie leaned over Hutch again, “Ken, wake up.” She shook him but there was no response. Why hadn’t she called Starsky again, or told the woman at the station to get him the message as to where her father was. “Come on Kenny, you need to open your eyes.” Julie felt for a pulse, it was there but seemed slow to her.
“Here,” Randy said holding out a box of fried rice to Julie.
“I’m not exactly hungry right now.” She snapped.
Randy snatched the offered food back as if he had been burnt. “Suit yourself,” he said around a mouth full of food.
Julie sighed, “Randy, I’m sorry. Ken needs help; you don’t want your brother to die do you? We can figure this out.”
Randy was about to dig into the rice he had offered Julie when he stopped as if was having second thoughts. “All I ever wanted was a family.”
Julie glared at her father, “It’s not always what it’s cracked up to be, no family is perfect.”
“Well, I wouldn’t know, all I ever had was my mother.” He said setting down the white container and pushing it away.
“Randy, just think how Ken and I feel, he cheated on our mother, he had a kid that we didn’t know about and he would have never told us if you hadn’t looked up Ken. It’s out in the open, he can’t hide it anymore.”
“And that is supposed to make me feel better? I spent twenty-five years without a father.”
Julie didn’t know what else to say, she could try to make a run for it but Randy was between her and the door. She was sure that he had more of whatever he had injected into her father and brother and she knew he wouldn’t be afraid to use it on her. Hutch was looking even paler than he had when they had first entered the room. “Randy please, Ken’s breathing keeps getting shallower, he’s dying.”
“Son, please,” Randal said from the other bed.
“I’m not your son, I never was.”

“Zebra three, zebra three, come in please.” The radio crackled.
Starsky was just returning to his car after checking his third hotel with no luck. “This is Zebra three,” he said leaning in the car and grabbing the microphone.
“Starsky, this is Marie, at the front desk. A call came in for you a while ago now, I should have radioed you right away but the caller said it wasn’t important.”
“What caller?”
“All she said was that her name was Julie and that her father was at the Hilton Los Angeles North, room four-fifteen. At the time I just didn’t think much of it, but maybe it has something to do with Hutch.”
“Thanks!” Starsky didn’t even have time to be mad that he hadn’t gotten the message sooner. The Hilton was about eight blocks away, he picked up the microphone again, “Patch me through to Captain Dobey’s car.”
“Dobey.” The captain answered immediately, he was in his car after talking to a shop owner.
“Cap, get everybody to the Hilton, I am betting they are in room four-fifteen. I’m on my way there now.” Starsky said as he stomped the gas pedal. A sudden sense of urgency gripped him.

Julie shook Hutch, “Ken…Ken.” Tears stood in her eyes as she looked at Randy, “He has stopped breathing”, Julie stood up and took off her jacket, she knew what she had to do, and hoped it would save her brother. She wasn’t one hundred percent sure how to do it, but she was going to figure out CPR to save her brother.



                                                                                          Chapter 9


The first thing that Starsky saw when he burst into the hotel room was Julie trying to pump life back into Hutch’s still body. He didn’t even bother to look to see if Randy was in the room, it was another officer that threw him to the ground, cuffed him and hauled him out. Randy went without so much as a whimper.
Julie didn’t even know help had arrived until she felt two strong hands on her shoulders. “Keep it up,” Starsky said, “Help is on the way.”
She nodded then asked, “Did you get him?”
“Yes. What did he do to Hutch?”
“Injected him with some sort of drug, syringe is on the table there.” Julie jerked her head toward the bedside table. “He drugged dad too but I think he’s okay. He overdosed Kenny, but if it’s any consolation I think it was an accident.” Julie puffed as she worked on her brother.
Starsky picked up the syringe on the table and looked at it. And as with his partner, it suddenly clicked that Randy was the Gentleman Killer. “Make sure everything in this room is taken to the station.” Starsky ordered one of the officers.
Just when Julie thought she was going to give out and would have to ask Starsky to take over, medical help arrived. They loaded the two Hutchinson men onto gurneys and while they continued to work on Hutch, the attendants sped down the hall toward the waiting elevator.
Julie tried to stand up but she was so emotionally and physically tired she couldn’t. Starsky put his arm around her and helped her stand. “Are you okay? He didn’t drug you did he?”
She shook her head, “No, I’m fine.”
“I’ll take you to the hospital.” Starsky said as he steer her toward the door.

They had been in the waiting room at the hospital for three hours before a doctor finally came to find them. The waiting room had filled up as time had dragged on, Dobey, several officers that were close to the detectives and some that weren’t had showed up to lend their support. Even Huggy Bear had gotten wind of what had happened and appeared.
The one that surprised them most was when a female officer from the station showed up with Ann Hutchinson, who had just gotten into town. She hadn’t been able to reach anyone at the numbers her son had given her so she had the taxi drop her off at the police station hoping that someone there would know what was going on. She had been, to her horror, briefed on what had transpired and been whisked to the hospital where she could be with her family.
“Mom?” Julie said spotting her.
Ann ran to her daughter and wrapped her arms around her. “How are Ken and your father?”
“Dad is going to be okay, but Ken…oh mom, I don’t know, we have been here for what seems like forever and nobody will tell us what is going on. He wasn’t breathing when they brought him in.” She didn’t tell her mother she had done CPR on her brother for what seemed like an eternity.
“He’s going to be alright,” Starsky said approaching the two women.
“Mom, this is Dave Starsky.”
Ann smiled at Starsky then threw her arms around him. “I feel like I know you. We don’t talk to Ken much but when we do, he is always telling us about you.”
“It’s going to be okay, Mrs. Hutchinson.”
“Ann, please,” she released him; she turned to her daughter, “Good lookin’ boy there.”
“MOM!”
A doctor appeared at the door way and looked around the room. “Is the Hutchinson family here?”
“That would be us,” Julie spoke up, she and her mom started to walk toward the doctor, Starsky hung back, it was usually just him that was ‘family’. Julie hooked her arm in his, “You are family too.”
The doctor looked tired but he had good news. “It was touch and go there for awhile,” he informed them. “But once we had the drug analyzed, we were able to give Detective Hutchinson something to counter it. He’s going to be just fine after a few more days in the hospital.”
“And my husband?” Ann asked.
“He is just fine; he wasn’t given enough of the drug to cause any complications.” The doctor smiled at the older Hutchinson and patted her on the shoulder. “You will be able to see your son in about an hour. He will be groggy but should be awake.”
“Can I see my husband now?” Ann wanted to know.
“Sure, he is on the second floor, room two twenty. Your son will also be in there when he is moved from intensive care.”
“Thank you, doctor.”
Ann headed toward the elevator, Julie shot a look at Starsky, they needed to tell her mother all the details before she saw her father. “Mrs. Hutchinson….Ann, could Julie and I speak to you for a minute before you go up?”
Ann hesitated, she really wanted to see her husband and be there when Hutch was brought up. But she could tell by the look on both of their faces it was important. “Sure.”
Starsky found an empty room and led the two women in shutting the door behind them.

Twenty minutes later Ann Hutchinson exited the room, her face was tear stained, she had known that her husband had a son but she had never wanted their children to find out. That was what upset her. She had come to terms with her husband’s infidelity years ago and she had encouraged him to continue to send checks to take care of the boy.
As soon as she walked into her husband’s room he held his hand out to her, “I’m so sorry, Ann. I never meant for any of this to happen.”
“I know you didn’t, Ran,” Ann said using her pet name for him. “But now we are going to have to fix this.”
He nodded, “How is Ken?”
“They should be bringing him up soon,” Ann said sitting down next to her husband. “The doctor said he is going to be fine.”
“No thanks to me.”
“You didn’t know how crazy that boy was, it’s not your fault.” Ann said graciously.

Starsky and Julie stood in the hall outside the room, Julie could not bring herself to go in and see her father just yet. At the moment she pretty much saw her father as a monster.
“It’s going to be alright,” Starsky said slipping his arm around her waist.
She shook her head as she tried to hold back the tears. “How can mom be in there with him? He almost cost Ken his life and he has cheater on her for years.”
“It was Randy that pumped Hutch full of drugs not your father.”
“But if Dad hadn’t been fooling around, Randy would have never been born and this would have never happened.”
“Honey, we can’t change the past, we just have to learn to live with it.” Starsky advised wisely. “Your mom is a strong lady and apparently has come to terms with his long ago.”
Julie started to speak but the elevator doors opened and a bed moved out being pushed by an orderly and a nurse. Both Julie and Starsky went to Hutch’s bedside as he was being wheeled toward his room. “You okay, buddy?”
Hutch opened his eyes a crack and smiled at Starsky, “Yeah, I think so.”
Julie grabbed his hand, “I’m here little brother.”
The nurse pushed open the room door to allow the orderly to put the bed into place next to the older Hutchinson, “Can I get you anything detective?” the nurse asked. Hutch shook his head he was still groggy.
Ann went to her son’s bed, “How’s my Kenny?” She asked fondly as she brushed his hair back from his forehead as if he were a small child.
“Mom?” Hutch asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Didn’t want to miss out on the fun,” She teased as she leaned over to plant a kiss on the top of his head.
“What about dad?” There was concern in his voice, he was angry at his father but he didn’t wish him ill.
“Right next to you sweetheart,” Ann moved so that Hutch could see his father in the bed next to his.
His next question was about Randy, “He’s in jail where he belongs,” Starsky responded as he stepped closer to the bed, he hadn’t wanted to intrude on the family moment. “I’m pretty sure he is our Gentleman Killer also.”
Hutch nodded, “Yeah.”
“I’m sorry about your brother,” Starsky said as he put his hand on Hutch’s leg from the bottom of the bed.
Hutch motioned for Starsky to come closer, “You are my only brother.” He said as he held out his hand to his friend. Starsky took the outstretched hand. “I don’t need another one.”
Starsky merely nodded, tears stood in his eyes, he was afraid to speak for fear he would actually cry and how would that look.
Hutch squeezed his hand then looked at Julie, “Hey big sis, what do you think of L.A.?”
Julie laughed, “Maybe a little too exciting but I kind of like it.”
“Ken,” Randal Hutchinson began. “I’m sorry, for everything, I have ruined this family.”
Hutch sighed and looked over at his father, “I think the Hutchinson’s are little tougher than that. Mom has seemed to have forgiven you, so I guess I can too.”
“Me, too,” Julie piped in, although she still thought her mom should not have stayed with her father.
There was a tap on the room door; Starsky who was standing close to the door opened it. A grim Captain Dobey entered. “I’m sorry to bother you all, but I need to speak to you a moment Starsky.”
“What’s going on Cap?” Hutch wanted to know, he didn’t like the look on his captain’s face.
Dobey looked at Starsky who shrugged; the captain took a deep breath. “Sears got away.”
“What?” Hutch nearly hollered he was coming more awake, “How the hell did that happen?”
“Some kind of mix up at the station,” Dobey tried to explain, he himself wasn’t even sure what had transpired.
“You do realize that the Gentlemen Killer was allowed to escape,” Starsky said.
Dobey’s dark complexion paled, “Sears was the Gentleman Killer? Why wasn’t I told?”
“Everything just happened so fast.” Starsky said.
Ann looked frighten, “Do you think he will come here?”
“Mrs. Hutchinson, I guarantee your family will be safe, I have already arranged to have a guard posted at the door. Now it’s even more critical that we find him.” Dobey said. “You need to come with me.” He looked at Starsky.
“What I need to do is stay here with my partner and his family.” Starsky said standing his ground.
“There is an armed guard on the door nobody is getting in here and I need you out there looking for Sears.” Dobey said, “I would recommend that the women stay in the room, if you need to leave for any reason we will get you an escort, but you are not to go anywhere by yourself.”
“So you think Randy might come looking for us?” Julie asked.
“He is obviously crazy, so there is no telling what he might do, it’s better to be safe than sorry.” Dobey said. “Are you coming Starsky?”
When Starsky hesitated, Hutch said, “We’ll be okay, you’ll do more good out there looking for him.”
“Alright, but I’ll be back in a little while.” Starsky said, he went over to the bed and leaned down next to Hutch’s ear and whispered, “I’ll bring you your gun.”
Hutch nodded, he grabbed his partner’s arm, “Randy already didn’t like you, so watch your back.”
As Starsky walked by her Julie said, “Be careful, Dave.”
Starsky smiled at her, “I will, anything I can bring you back?”
“Just you. You’re kind of interesting; I wouldn’t mind getting to know you better.”
“Julie!” Hutch exclaimed after his captain and partner left.
Julie shrugged, “You and mom are always after me to meet somebody.”
“Well, I didn’t mean my partner.” Hutch said trying to sound mad but he gave her a small smile.



                                                                                                  Chapter 10


It had been easier to escape than Randy had thought, he told the officer that was holding him that he needed to go to the bathroom and after a little cajoling the officer finally relented and allowed his prisoner to use the facilities. Randy went into one of the stalls, then began groaning saying he was sick, when the officer checked on him, Randy pulled him into the stall and knocked him out. After taking off his hooded sweatshirt and slicking his hair back with water, Randy strolled out of the restroom, down the hall and out the front door of the station. He didn’t dare look back, he just kept walking.

It had been three hours since Randy Sears had walked out of the police station. Every police officer in the city and been immobilized, news stations broke into the daily shows to pass along information on the serial killer. Newspapers would have his picture on the front page of their upcoming additions. Starsky had gone to the station to find out just what had happened, he was outraged at the simple mistake that had allowed a killer to go free. What would Randy do next, leave town to possibly carry on his killing ways or go after Hutch and his father again? All those thoughts were swirling in Starsky’s head as he drove to Hutch’s house; he wanted to make sure that Hutch was armed. He trusted the officer outside Hutch’s hospital room but it was clear that Randy Sears was smart and slick and capable of anything.
Starsky greeted the officer on duty outside the room, he entered without knocking, Hutch had been lying in the bed watching the door and his eyes lit up when he saw his partner. The senior Hutchinson appeared to be sleeping. Starsky approached the bed and pulled Hutch’s .357 Magnum from under his jacket and handed it to his partner. “I thought you would feel better with this under your pillow.”
Hutch accepted the gun, “Thanks, buddy, any word on Randy?”
Starsky shook his head no as an angry scowl etched his face, he quickly told Hutch about the mistake that had cost them their prisoner. “Where do you think he would go?”
“How would I know?” Hutch said as he put the gun in the bedside table. “I so misread the kid, I thought there was something off about him but not this.”
“I don’t think he’s gone.” Starsky looked over at the sleeping form of Hutch’s father. “You two patch things up?”
“I don’t think there is a patch big enough but we are working on it.” Hutch said, then getting back to the subject at hand. “Randy is still here, he sees himself as invincible, especially after escaping custody. Plus I don’t think he really cares what happens to him, so that makes him even more dangerous.”
“I agree, but how do we find him, wait until he decides to track you down? We don’t even know where he is staying.”
“Maybe we need some bait.”
“Oh no you don’t, you are still recovering from the effects of the drug.” Starsky said knowing what his partner had on his mind.
“We could put it out that I’m being released and be waiting at my apartment.”
“No, Hutch, I’ll find him.” Starsky stressed, “You just worry about getting well.”
Hutch sighed; he hated just laying in bed. “But the moment I’m out of here…”
“I’ll put you to work,” “Starsky grinned at him. “Hey where is Julie…..and your mom?”
Hutch shook his head, “They went to get something to eat at the cafeteria.” Before his partner could ask, “Yes, they have an officer with them.”
“I think I could use a cup of coffee, can I bring you something, Hutch?”
Hutch’s narrowed his eyes, “You know that is my sister right?”
“Yeah…so…I just need a cup of coffee, you know how long I’ve been up?” Starsky wanted to know.
“Just make sure it’s coffee you’re after.” Hutch advised.
“Don’t you think I’m good enough for your sister?” Starsky huffed.
“She doesn’t live here; you would never do good long distance.” Hutch said, “Remember Kathy the stewardess, the one that did all those overseas flights?”
“You just had to bring her up didn’t you?” Starsky turned to leave the room, “Don’t worry, I’m getting coffee.”

The moment Julie saw Starsky enter the cafeteria she waved him over. After grabbing himself a cup of coffee he joined the Hutchinson women. “So, did you get him yet?” Julie asked right away.
Starsky nodded to the police woman that was also sitting there, “Connie.”
“Hey, Starsk.”
“Not yet, but we’re working on it.” Starsky answered. “It’s a big city, and he doesn’t know it well.”
“Do you think Randal and Ken are in any danger?” Ann asked, she had been quietly sipping her coffee watching her daughter and the detective, it was clear they liked each other.
“There is always that possibility, the two of you could be in danger also. I would like to move you and Julie to a safe house.”
“I’m not leaving my husband, we will be safe here.”
“But not very comfortable and I’m sure that the two of you could use some sleep.” Starsky said.
“A nice nurse already said she could find us a couple of beds.” Ann said stubbornly.
Starsky laughed, “Well, I see where Hutch gets it.”
“Get’s what?” Ann wanted to know.
“His stubborn streak, he wants to leave the hospital so he can be bait.”
“That’s not a bad idea.” Julie piped in.
“Don’t you start in on me.” Starsky smiled at her.
“Why can’t I be bait?” She wanted to know.
“First off, we don’t know if he is even after you, and second, NO.” Starsky shook his head.
“So I’m just supposed to sit around here doing nothing?” Julie snapped.
“Exactly,” Starsky said, “I’m the cop, and you are damsel in distress.”
Julie tilted her head back and laughed, Hutch’s laugh again. “I am hardly a damsel, just an old maid.”
“There is nothing old about you.” Starsky grinned.

Randy, after going back to his motel room on the outskirts of town, was now at the hospital; he had changed his clothes and wore a baseball cap which he pulled down over his eyes. He slipped in with a bunch of nurses returning from lunch, nobody gave him a second look. He ducked into one of the storage rooms and found himself set of scrubs and a lab jacket which he quickly changed into; dropping the clothes and hat he had been wearing into a hamper of soiled sheets. Randy snapped his fingers and grabbed his jeans from the hamper. He pulled several syringes from the pocket which he put into the pocket of the lab jacket. He pulled a bunch of clean towels from a shelf and carried them out of the room as if he worked there. As Randy walked by the nurses’ station, he saw a stethoscope lying on the desk; he grabbed it and continued on down the hall. He dumped the towels as soon as he could and placed the stethoscope around his neck.

“Why don’t I walk you back to the room? Connie, you can take a break,” Starsky offered. “I’m going to have to get out of here and I would like to look in on Hutch again.”
Julie smiled at him, “That would be nice.” She looped her arm though his.
Starsky held out his arm to Ann, “I have the two prettiest girls in the city.”
“Oh, Dave.” Ann blushed as she giggled.
“Mom you sound like a school girl.”
“And what’s wrong with that? I haven’t had a handsome young man escort me anywhere in a long time.”
It was Starsky’s turn to blush, “I guarantee you Mrs….Ann, I’m not that good of a catch. I’m sure Hutch as told you all about my evil ways.”
“Nonsense, Kenny has said nothing but good things about you.” Ann smiled at him as she tightened her grip on his arm. “I’m so glad I finally got to meet you.”

“Dad,” Hutch called to his father, he was sure that he was pretending to be asleep.
“Yes,” the man answered without opening his eyes.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, just laying here thinking of what a mess I have made. I never intended things to turn out this way son.”
“I know that, dad,” Hutch answered almost feeling sorry for his old man.
“I’m sorry I was so hard on you when you were younger, and that I didn’t support your move out here, you have become a fine man.”
Hutch stared at the ceiling; he wasn’t sure what to say, it wasn’t as if his father had anything to do with how he turned out. “Thanks.”
“I didn’t do right by you or Randy. I should have just told the truth, maybe things would have turned out differently.”
“We can’t go back,” Hutch commented, wishing that Starsky or his mom and sister would come back to the room.
The door eased open but nobody stepped in, then it closed again. Hutch thought it was odd, but maybe it was a nurse who forgot something or got called away. Thankfully Randal stopped talking and both men lay in silence with their own thoughts.

Randy walked by the Hutchinson room several times, sizing up the cop that was sitting outside the door. He was hoping that the officer wouldn’t recognize him but if he did, he had a syringe ready for him. Randy was planning on using it on the officer, but he wanted to lure him out of the hall first, so he wouldn’t get caught. It was lunch time and the hall was nearly empty, Randy waited until the last nurse had gone into a room or the nurses’ station before he approached the officer, “Officer!” Randy called.
Mitch Jones came to full attention at the sound of the voice. “Can I help you?”
“I saw a suspicious looking man down the hall, he slipped into that room,” Randy pointed to a room he knew was empty.
The officer started to take his radio off his belt, “I’ll get somebody up here to check it out.”
“No, you’ve got to come now, he might get away. It could be the guy that killed all those men.”
Mitch looked unsure of what to do, he had only been on the force a year and wanted to make a name for himself, catching the Gentleman Killer would be a feather in his cap. “Which room?”
“Down here, officer,” Randy said pointing at the door. “Hurry!”
Mitch glanced at the door he was guarding, he had been told by Detective Starsky not to leave no matter what, but this was different. The officer left his post and went to stand in front of the door that the man indicated. “You better stand back,” Mitch ordered as he pulled his gun.
Randy stood back until the officer opened the door and poked his head in the room. “Over there,” Randy whispered, pointing in the direction of one of the beds that had a curtain pulled around it. As the officer crept toward the curtain Randy pulled a syringe from his pocket, this time the dose was lethal, he had no time to finish the job like the “Gentlemen Killer” did.
Mitch was just getting ready to call out to the supposed suspect when Randy plunged the needle into his neck. The officer wasn’t even able to turn around before he hit the floor, his body twitched a few moments then he was still. Randy pushed his body under the bed and pulled the curtain.

                                                                                  Chapter 11


The first thing Starsky noticed when the elevator doors opened was that Officer Mitch Jones was not at his post. He froze; he now wished he hadn’t told Connie to take a break. Maybe Mitch was in the room talking to Hutch, but Starsky had a gut feeling something wasn’t right. He turned to Julie and her mother, “You need to go to the nurses’ station and stay there.”
“What’s going on?” Julie asked fearfully as she also noticed the missing officer.
“It’s probably nothing,” Starsky tried to sound reassuring. “But I need you to do this Julie, don’t be a hero. You could have gotten yourself killed once already.”
“Julie what are is he talking about?” Ann asked.
Nobody had given Ann any details of Julie’s involvement of her son and husband’s rescue. “I’ll tell you later mom.”
“You tell one of the nurses to get security up here and any officer that might be in the building.” Starsky ordered. He walked them as far as the nurses’ station, then made his way to Hutch’s room alone.
“Be careful,” Julie whispered after him.

Randy opened the door of the empty room and peered out into the hall, it was still empty. He quickly made his way to the Hutchinson’s room and only hesitated a moment before stepping into the room, making sure he kept his back to the occupants. Randy slipped his hand into the pocket of the lab coat and brought out another syringe, he turned ready to do battle with his brother. But he found that Hutch was asleep and their father was on his side facing away from the door. Randy crept toward his father’s bed with the syringe in his raised hand.
“Randy stop!”
Randy whipped his head around to see Hutch pointing a gun at him. “You can’t shoot me before I inject him and I have enough in here to kill him instantly. Being in a hospital won’t save him.”
“Do you really want to kill him after he took care of you and your mom all these years?” Hutch asked. He wondered where the guard was, probably dead. His only hope was that Starsky would come back before he left.
“He sent a check, big deal.”
“That is a lot more than some dads do, believe me I know. I have seen it all working on the streets.” Hutch reasoned, “You had it good compared to some of these kids.”
Randy didn’t lower his hand but he did seem to relax a bit. “Why couldn’t you have just talked to me? I just wanted a brother.”
“I know that,” Hutch said. “I was being selfish, I guess I thought if you weren’t around you would have a better relationship with dad than I did. He paid for you to go to school where you wanted, I had to leave home and do it on my own because I wouldn’t do what he wanted.”
“Am I supposed to feel sorry for you? You had him all the time; I got to see him once a year for a few days.” Randy sound like he was about to sob.
“Come on Randy, let me help you, put down the needle.” Hutch said, without taking the gun off Randy he slid his legs over the side of the bed.
“The only place I’m going is jail and I can’t do that.”
“You aren’t in your right mind, I will testify to that, you will have to spend some time in a hospital but…”
“I’m not crazy.” Randy shouted as he started to plunge the needle in to Randal’s neck. The man had been awake the whole time but was afraid to move or speak.
Hutch did the only thing he could do, fire his gun, he had it aimed at the center of Randy’s back but at the last moment dropped the gun lower and fired into the back of his thigh.
Randy screamed as he dropped the syringe and crumpled to the floor. Only moments after the gun went off, the door opened and Starsky, gun drawn came running in.
“Hutch!” Starsky called to his partner, relieved to see him still breathing, he didn’t see Randy on the floor between the two beds. “What happened?”
“Get a doctor, I just shot Randy.” Hutch said as he got out of bed and went to his half brother. He rolled Randy over, “I’m sorry but I couldn’t let you stick dad with that.”
“Go to hell,” Randy seethed at him as he gripped his upper thigh. “This isn’t over.”
“Oh, I think it is,” Starsky said as he holstered his gun.
The door flew open again, several nurses, a doctor and three police officers rushed in. Julie and Ann followed them.
“Give me your hand cuffs,” Hutch asked one of the officers. After cuffing Randy and giving the doctor the syringe, he got back in bed. He handed his gun to Starsky, “Thanks for bringing that.”
Starsky nodded then looked at Randy, “Where is Officer Jones?” Randy just glared at him but didn’t answer. “Get him out of here.”
A loud shrill scream distracted them all; it was coming from outside the room. The officers bolted from the room toward the sound, Starsky joined them. Hutch got out of bed and got as far as the hall, “Where do you think you are going young man?” Ann Hutchinson wanted to know.
Hutch grinned at her, “Instinct.”
In the confusion nobody noticed Randy get out of the wheelchair that he had been put into to be taken to the emergency room and then to jail.
A nurse came running out of a room down the hall, her face as white as a sheet. “T-there is a dead officer in there.”
“Damn,” Starsky said as he went to investigate.
Hutch stepped back into the room with murder on his mind, he wanted to kill Randy with his bare hands but the wheelchair was empty. “Where the hell did he go?”
Randal just shrugged, he had seen Randy get up, but he was the one that made him what he was and he would not be the one to see him put in jail. Randy had turned and looked at his father before he hobbled out of the room, with everybody’s attention focused down the hall it was easy for him to slip by and make his way to the stairwell.
“Here’s a blood trail,” Julie pointed out.
“Get in that room and stay there,” Starsky ordered her, “You too, Ann.”
Starsky and Hutch followed the blood droplets to the door leading to the stairs; both detectives had guns in hand and were ready to shoot to kill. Starsky slowly opened the door and looked in but there was nobody there, and to make matters worse, the blood trail had stopped.
“Where the hell did he go?” Hutch asked as he first looked up then down the stairs.
Starsky yelled down the hall to the nurses’ station. “Get on the phone and have this hospital locked down. He is not getting away again.”
“I’ll go down, you go up,” Hutch said to his partner.
“I’ll go up, you get back in bed. We have three officers on this floor, they can help and there are more on the way!” Starsky ordered.
“But…”
“No buts, besides, somebody needs to be there to protect your family in case he doubles back.” Starsky said.

Nobody found any more blood droplets or saw any sign of Randy Sears, every room was checked and rechecked in a man hunt like the hospital had never seen before, but he was gone. “He just couldn’t disappear into thin air,” Hutch said wanting to get up and search himself.
“Looks like he did just that,” Starsky said. “There is an A.P.B out on him, but I have a feeling he has skipped town now. He has to know if he shows up anywhere around here to get that leg patched up that he will be turned in.”
“Maybe he bled to death some place,” Julie suggested.
“It’s always possible, but I doubt it.” Hutch told his sister.
“So, now what?” Julie wanted to know.
“I guess you all go back to your lives in Minnesota and I go back to my job.” Hutch said.
“I hope you will come visit,” Ann said. “And bring Dave.”
“I’ll try mom, it’s just hard to get off.” Hutch looked at Starsky to see if he was going to contradict him, but Starsky kept his mouth shut, he knew that Hutch would have to deal with his feelings about his parents on his own terms.
“Are you going to hang around for awhile Julie and let me show you the sights?” Hutch asked. “You said you had all these vacation days.”
“Yeah, I think I’ll stay a while if you will have me,” Julie smiled at her brother.
“We can show you all the fun places.” Starsky piped in.
“We?” Hutch grinned at his partner.
“Well sure.” Starsky looked at Julie, “That is, if your sister doesn’t mind.”
“No, not at all,” she said in a flirty tone.

~A week later~

Julie hung up the phone, she had just finished talking to their mother, “Dad’s doing fine,” she informed Hutch.
“Good,” Hutch answered as he put the finishing touches on a salad he was preparing to go with dinner. He looked at his watch, “I wonder where Starsky is, he is never late when it comes to food.”
“Give him a break; I’m sure he got hung up in traffic.”
“Oh, so now you are taking up for him, uh?” Hutch came into the living room and joined her on the couch.
“You should give him a break little bro.”
“A break? Are you kidding me, have you seen the crap he puts in his stomach?” Hutch wanted to know.
Julie laughed. “It’s not that bad, you should try it sometime.”
“He is corrupting you!” Hutch covered his eyes for dramatic effect.
The door opened and Starsky stepped in, “Sorry I’m late, traffic.”
“See, I told you.”
“What are you doing to my sister, Starsk?”
“Nothing, yet.”
Hutch hiked an eyebrow, “Watch it buddy, I’m well now, I can take you.”
“And I’m a big girl; I can take care of myself.” Julie smiled.
“I think I heard that somewhere before.” Starsky teased her. He sat down next to her on the couch, a little too close.
“You know, there is a chair over there,” Hutch pointed across the room.
“Don’t you have something on the stove Ken-eeeee,” Starsky over exaggerating what Julie liked to call her brother.
“Just keep it up,” Hutch glared at Starsky as he got up to check the food. “Just keep it up.”
Julie loved their banter, which they did often, especially when it came to her. “I do have some news I have been keeping to myself.” Julie winked at Starsky.
Hutch came into the living room carrying a spoon, “What, that you opening a taco stand with my partner?”
“Not a bad idea and maybe a possibility,” Julie looked mischievous, “I’m transferring to a firm out here.”
“You mean you are moving here?” Starsky asked looking almost giddy.
Hutch wasn’t sure if he were pleased or worried, the close relationship growing between his sister and partner hadn’t been lost on him. “Do mom and dad know?”
“Ken, I’m forty, I think I can move to L.A. if I want.” Julie said with a bit of hurt in her voice, she had thought her brother would be excited that she was moving and would be close to him.
A smile spread across Hutch’s face, “I’m sorry sis, that’s great you are going to move here.” He put down the spoon and hugged her. “I can help you find a place.”
“I’ve already got a place,” Starsky said.
“I wasn’t talking to you, I was talking to Julie,” Hutch glared at Starsky.
“I know that.”
Hutch picked up the spoon again and advanced on Starsky, “Listen buddy, you leave my sister alone.” Hutch raised his voice but a small smile still played at the corners of his mouth.
“Are you going to hit me with that spoon?”
“If you aren’t careful I might.”
Starsky jumped up from the couch ready to do battle, “I need a spoon then too.”
Julie looked from her brother to Starsky and burst out laughing. “Is this what I’m going to have to put up with?”
“Probably.” Both partners said in unison as he went after Starsky with the spoon.
“Good,” Julie said settling back into the couch as she watched them chase each other around the couch.

THE END