SHATTERED
                                                                                           By
                                                                                         Tooki
                                                                               Beta read by Tonya


​​​This is a follow up story to the Objects Trilogy ​

​​

Chapter 1

​​
He paced the stage as he talked, occasionally running his hand through his blond hair, “Will I ever get over wanting to kill myself?” He thought for a few seconds before answering the question posed by one of the students and began shaking his head, “No, not for me, it’s like being an addict. In my case, that nagging feeling is always there in the back of my head. And I know what I’m talking about, not only did I try to kill myself but I was also a heroin addict though no fault of my own, hazard of being a cop.” He took a deep breath, “But that is a story for another time.” Ken Hutchinson glanced out into the audience of college students; the auditorium was nearly full of psychology majors and he was feeling like a specimen under a microscope with all eyes on him. He could see the expressions of some of the students and wondered if they would make it in their chosen profession.
Starsky sat in the front row, he was staring at his hands, Hutch hadn’t wanted him to come but Starsky had insisted on being there for support. The book had opened old wounds for his partner, but for himself, Hutch felt like it was helping him finally heal. It had started out as a journal that his doctor had recommended he keep to help him get his thoughts together. As he filled the pages, Hutch felt like the book might help someone else that had gone through something similar. After getting his Captain’s and the Commissioner’s permission, Hutch wrote his book, submitted it and it was almost instantly bought by a publisher. It wasn’t for sale yet but he had enough copies to pass out to each student, the proceeds going to the family of the two men he had killed and the sister of the man that had brainwashed him.
A fresh faced young man in the front row raised his hand, Hutch pointed at him, “Question?”
He stood, “Yes, I was just wondering if you ever thought of taking heroin when you were at your worst?”
“No, it never entered my mind, maybe if the man that brainwashed me knew about my addiction he might have used it to his advantage and he could have put that thought in my mind again, but luckily he didn’t know anything about it. Not many people do, but when the book comes out everyone will.” Hutch glanced down at Starsky; they had both been through so much. The book had been startling for Starsky who knew most of what happened but not everything. He had helped with the areas where Hutch didn’t remember or where his memory was foggy. But Hutch’s most inner thoughts, the process of getting ready to kill himself, nearly crushed his partner when he read it. Starsky still blamed himself for not seeing what was coming.
Another hand shot up, Hutch pointed at them, “Do you think you will try again?” It came from a mousy young girl that didn’t look old enough to even be in college.
“I think I covered that,” Hutch answered, his eyes not moving from his partner as he watched Starsky wince when the question was asked, he needed to end this. “Well I think that is all the time I have but I do have a copy of my book for anybody that wants one.” He held up a copy of the book, there were several boxes sitting on the edge of the stage.
Another hand shot up and without being acknowledged asked, “Would you sign my copy?”
Hutch visibly sighed, “Sure, sure.” This was more than he bargained for, a few kids grabbed a book and headed for the door but most stayed behind wanting their copy signed and asked questions one on one. Starsky lurked in the background waiting for it to be over. At some point a piece of paper was slipped into Hutch’s hand, he absently dropped it in his jacket pocket and turned to answer yet another question.
Professor Margret Graening had her reddish hair pulled back in a tight bun and was wearing a tan suit and black rimmed glasses, yes the stereotype of a female college professor, she finally stood up from the chair she had been sitting in near the edge of the stage, “Okay class lets wrap this up, Detective Hutchinson needs to get back to work.” She could sense he was growing more uncomfortable as time wore on. When the last student left she turned to Hutch, “Thank you Detective,” She smiled at him, “I know that had to be difficult.”
Hutch gave her a grin, “Yeah, a little tougher than I thought it would be.” He looked around for Starsky; it wouldn’t have been nearly as tough if his partner hadn’t been sitting watching his every move and hanging on every word.
“I think this book is going to be a best seller,” the woman added as she shook Hutch’s hand, “And thank you again.”
Hutch just nodded, he needed to get out of there. He started to turn around to look for Starsky but he was already at his side, more than ready to go. As they were walking out of the auditorium, Starsky said without too much excitement, “Let’s get something to eat, my treat.”
“Starsk,” Hutch shook his head.
“You gotta eat,” Starsky headed for the car, it was easy to pick out among all the other nondescript cars.
“Are you alright?” Hutch asked pointedly, he grabbed his partner’s arm; Starsky wasn’t his normal jovial self. He had asked the same question when Starsky had read the last page of the manuscript before it had gone to the publisher. He was expecting the same answer now that he gotten that day and he got it.
“I’m fine,” Starsky pulled his arm from Hutch’s grip and jumped in the driver’s seat.
“You are always fine, even when you aren’t,” Hutch said refusing to release Starsky’s arm. “I need you to tell me what you are thinking.”
“Hutch, I’m not thinking anything except my stomach is telling me I need to feed it.”
“I think you need to talk to Sam,” Hutch said as he slid into the passenger seat.
Starsky turned in his seat and looked at Hutch, his face serious, “I haven’t stopped seeing Sam.”
Hutch didn’t know how to respond, he hadn’t realized that Starsky had been seeing the doctor, who had gotten them through so much. He felt a little stab in his heart knowing that he had caused his partner so much pain that he needed help. Starsky started up the car and pulled into the street as Hutch fumbled in his pocket, he had forgotten about the note that had been palmed to him at the lecture. He pulled the slip of paper out and read it, then gasped.
“What?” Starsky asked as he pulled to a stop for a red light.
“Thanks for the lesson; I’ll see you in hell.” Hutch read the note.
“What is that supposed to mean,” Starsky said and tried to snatch the paper out of Hutch’s hand, “Don’t listen to those ding-dong kids.”
“I think this is a cry for help,” Worry etched across his face.
“Don’t be so dramatic Hutch.”
“My life has been nothing but drama.” Hutch fingered the paper as if he could figure out the author. “I just handed them a how to book.”
“Hutch, this is NOT your fault, even if this is something.” Starsky started through the intersection.
“Turn around,” Hutch ordered.
“Awww come on Hutch, I’m hungry,” Starsky said, but was already turning around; he knew there was no winning this one.
When Hutch entered the auditorium a woman was on stage, her long red hair flowed down her back. “Excuse me,” he called, “I’m looking for Professor Graening.”
“You found her,” She said without turning around, her jacket was thrown across the back of a chair that was still sitting on the stage, her glasses perched on top of her heard. She stopped and turned to see who was looking for her. “Oh, Detective Hutchinson, I was going to send back the books that were left over.”
Hutch was a little taken aback by the look of the professor, she was much younger than Hutch originally thought and very pretty “I don’t care about the books. And please, call me Hutch.”
She smiled at him, her blue eyes sparkling, “Call me Maggie, so then, what can I help you with?”
Hutch climbed the stairs to the stage where he had stood telling his story not even an hour ago. “One of your students handed me this note when I was signing books. I just put it in my pocket at the time; I wish I would have looked at it then.” Maggie took the note, reading it quickly she looked at Hutch questioningly, “I’m afraid that they might be thinking of killing themselves.”
She frowned, it wasn’t much of note, a couple of hurriedly scrawled lines, “I don’t know you might be making too much out of this.”
“Just what I said,” Starsky said joining them on stage. “I’m Dave Starsky, Hutch’s partner.”
She nodded, “I feel like I know you from reading the book. I saw you in the audience this morning.”
Starsky’s face reddened slightly, “Don’t believe everything you read,” his voice had a nervous air to it.
“Listen, we need to do something about this student, I really feel like they might be planning on killing themselves.” Hutch said.
Maggie picked up her jacket from the chair and grabbed her briefcase, “I’m not sure what we can really do, there were a hundred kids in that class, and I’m sorry to say I don’t know all them personally. All of my classes meet in this lecture hall. I have a few students that come to my office during office hours and I know them, but the rest are pretty much a blur, plus this isn’t my only class.”
“Come on Hutch, you’re wasting the lady’s time. It’s going to be okay, probably just a kid trying to be a smart ass.” Starsky patted his stomach, “Time to eat.”
Hutch rolled his eyes at Starsky, then turned to Maggie, “Do you really think it’s nothing?”
“I’ll keep my ears open, promise,” She could tell that Hutch was distressed by the note. “If any student sticks out I will talk to them.”
Hutch nodded, as he turned to leave the stage he stopped, “Maggie would you like to go grab some lunch with us?” He glanced at Starsky who nodded his approval. In fact, he more than approved, it had been a long time since Hutch had shown any interest in a woman.
She ran her hands down her tan slacks, wishing she had worn something else, she hadn’t been expecting a lunch invitation from two attractive men, “Sure, I’m done for the day. Let me get my purse from my office.”
The detectives followed her out of the lecture hall and to her office, it was cluttered with books, papers and files were stacked on her desk, she grabbed her purse and looked flustered at the mess in her office. Hutch sensing her distress said, “You should see Starsky’s desk at the squad room.”
“Hey,” Starsky grunted, “Don’t throw me under the bus.”
Maggie laughed, “Such a mess.”
“Me or your office?” Starsky asked.
“Starsk!” Hutch elbowed him.
Just as Maggie started to turn off the light and lock up her office she stopped, she went to a black filing cabinet, opened the top drawer and ran her hand over the top of the folders, finding the one she wanted she pulled it out and shoved it into her briefcase. “Class lists,” she explained, “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to give it a look, since you are so concerned Hutch.”
They sat in a back booth at the Pit’s; Maggie was going over her class list, some names she checked off immediately since she knew the students. “So who is this pretty lady?” Huggy Bear showed up at the table carrying menus, he dropped them on the table and slid in next to Starsky, “What are they doing?” Huggy wanted to know when no one answered him.
“Looking over a class list,” Starsky had grown bored watching them.
“Class list for what?” Huggy peered at the woman who was quite pretty and looked a little too sophisticated for Hutch. His usual flavor was stewardesses who flew in and out of town leaving him his freedom.
Starsky grabbed a menu like he hadn’t eaten there a thousand times. “I’m starved Hug, what’s good today?”
“It’s all good my man, just tell me what you want and I’ll have it whipped up for you. Are they eating?” Huggy asked.
Starsky shrugged, “Just bring three burgers, fries and beer.”
The food came and Starsky finished his but the other two plates of food had been left untouched and were now cold. He felt like a third wheel, to what he wasn’t sure, it wasn’t like they were dating. “Guys, your food is totally ruined.”
Hutch looked at his partner, “Starsk this is really important, Huggy can warm it up.” Starsky sighed and got up heading toward the bathroom.
“What about the students that asked questions?” Hutch asked.
Maggie shook her head, “I know all of them, all top students in the class and not suicidal as far as I can tell. What about the students you were talking to one on one during the book signing?”
Hutch gave her half a smile, “Most of them were more interested in the fact that I had been addicted to heroin.”
“What did you tell them?” she asked curiously.
“I told them to read the book.” Hutch suddenly looked at her, “What about the girl that asked if I would try killing myself again?”
Maggie thought back trying to remember the girl, she had remembered the question and thought it was out of line considering it had been asked and answered before.
“She was sitting in the back, kind of plain, looked like she hadn’t seen a hair brush in a while.” Hutch described. “She just seemed of out of place.”
“Yes, I do remember seeing her,” Maggie said closing her eyes to think. “I did see her leave, she got up as soon as you said that you had copies of the book but she didn’t come down, she just walked out the door and I swear she had your book in her hand.”
“How could she have gotten it? The book isn’t for sale yet.” Hutch asked.
“They were delivered about an hour before class started so maybe she came in and took one.” Maggie answered, “Do you remember a book being missing when you started handing them out?”
Hutch shook his head no, by that point he didn’t really want to be there anymore and was eager to get the books signed and out of there. “All the boxes had been opened by the time I got there and I didn’t notice a book gone but I wasn’t really paying attention either. Can someone that isn’t a student just come into a class?”
“Sure, happens all the time. I’m not sure how we will find out who she is if she isn’t registered at the college, and even if she is, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. It also might be nothing. I’m sure you have fans out there.”
“Those are not the kind of fans I want,” Hutch said. He was getting an uneasy feeling, like when they found out that Curtis Mayfair was still alive.
Starsky had just come back to the table; he didn’t like the look on Hutch’s face, he knew he was thinking about Mayfair. “Don’t be dredging all that crap up.” Starsky said, “I think it’s time to go. I’ll get Huggy to wrap up your burgers.”
After Starsky left to find Huggy, Maggie hiked her eye brows, “Wow, he is protective.”
“He has seen me though all of this and never left my side, even after I tried to kill him.” Hutch decided his partner was right; he didn’t need to be reliving all this.
Starsky returned to the table with Huggy in tow, the barkeep had two Styrofoam boxes in hand. “Food not to our liking?” Huggy asked as he dumped the now cold burgers and soggy fries in the boxes.
“Sorry, Huggy,” Hutch apologized, “We were kind of distracted. Oh and this is Maggie Graening, she is a professor at the college.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Huggy held out a hand to her which she shook.
“Nice to meet you uh…Huggy is it?” She had never met someone with such an usual name.
Huggy nodded as he closed the lids on the boxes. “Next time eat it while it’s hot.” He joked and was gone.
“So now what?” Starsky asked, hoping they were ready to call it a day, it was getting late and the dinner crowd would be coming in soon. He couldn’t believe they had spent all afternoon on this wild goose chase.
Maggie glanced at her watch, “Well I think it’s time I get back to school, pick up my car and head home. Got an early class tomorrow and I have some grading I need to do.” She had ridden with the boys to The Pits. “If you want to come by my office about two tomorrow, I’ll see if I have a name for you.”
“That will be great,” Hutch slid out of the booth behind Maggie. “Let’s get you back to your car.”

After dropping off the professor Starsky grinned at Hutch, “You like her don’t you?”
“Awww Starsk, don’t start,” His partner had been trying to fix him up for months. “She is helping me out, that’s it. I don’t even know her.”
“But you can get to know her.”
“Starsk.”
“Just admit it, you like her.”
“All I will admit to is that I’m comfortable around her, she knows my past, I don’t have to explain anything to her.”
“She is pretty, that sure doesn’t hurt.” Starsky winked at Hutch as he drove away from the college.
“STARSK!”
“Okay okay, what do you want for dinner?”
“Dinner? We just had lunch.”
“I had lunch, you didn’t. Besides that was hours ago.”
Hutch shook his head, “What am I going to do with you?”



Chapter 2

Maggie left her hair down instead of having it in the bun she usually wore; she had on a light weight flowery dress, as she cleaned her office knowing that Hutch would be there at two which was only minutes away. She almost felt like a schoolgirl herself and admonished herself for feeling that way. He was only there to get a name, which she didn’t have. There was a knock at her door, the knob turned and there he stood, looking as handsome as he did the day before.
Hutch poked his head through the door, “Are you busy?”
She tapped her watch, “It’s two, I’m all yours,” Maggie blushed slightly, and tried to back pedal, “I mean…ah, I meant…”
He suppressed a smiled and stepped into her office. “Any luck?” Hutch asked wanting to give her a break, he did like her. And like he told Starsky, he didn’t have to do any explaining, she knew it all. He noticed his book lying on her desk, she had tossed some papers on top of it as if she was trying to hide the fact it was there.
Grateful he was getting down to business she pushed her chair back and got up. “Sorry, I don’t have a name but I’m pretty sure the young woman isn’t a student. I talked to several in the class and none of them had ever seen her before. I think she is probably the one that slipped you the note.”
Hutch frowned disappointed, “I was hoping this would be easy, I just want to make sure she is going to be okay, that’s all. Maybe I could walk around campus and see if I spot her.”
Maggie looked at him sadly, “I don’t think you are going to find her, she found out you were going to be here and showed up just to see you and now she is gone. You don’t even know if she is the one that slipped you the note, it is all speculation.”

“Starsky get in here,” Dobey bellowed from his office, although the door was nearly closed Starsky heard him clearly, he had been cooling his heels at his desk and trying to avoid Dobey until Hutch got back and he had managed it up until now.
The detective heaved himself out of his chair and shuffled to the office door, he poked his head in, “What’s up, Cap?”
“Get in here,” Dobey looked like a puffed up toad, anger was clear on his face. “Where is Hutchinson?”
“Cap, you see….uh.”
“Stop stalling and just tell me what is going on. You two are supposed to go on a stakeout tonight and I need to know if your heads are going to be in it.” Starsky quickly gave Captain Dobey a run down on what was going on with Hutch. “I see, so is this real?”
“Cap, I don’t know, Hutch is sure that whoever slipped him the note is going to kill themselves and I’m afraid if it is for real and they do kill themselves, it might just send Hutch off the deep end again.”
“What does Sam say?” The annoyance left Dobey’s voice and was replaced by concern.
“He hasn’t talk to him yet.”
“Well, I suggest you get him to see Sam before this whole thing blows up in our faces.” Dobey looked at his detective, “He has come too far to have a setback.”
“Agreed,” Starsky nodded.

“Thanks for walking me out.” Hutch said touching her elbow, “I’ve got a stakeout with Starsky tonight. But maybe we can do something tomorrow night if you’d like.”
Maggie smiled, “Sure, oh here,” She handed him one of his books he had asked for when they had been in her office, “You said you wanted one.”
“I want to give one to Sam.” Hutch said taking the book. “You can do what you want with the ones left over and if you need more for some reason let me know.”
“Sam?” Maggie asked slowly.
“He’s my doctor; don’t know what I would have done these years without him.” Hutch opened his car door. “My captain is going to kill me if I’m late; we have to get ready for the stakeout.”
“Hutch, I need to tell you something.” Maggie said, but she thought better of it. “Never mind, I’ll tell you tomorrow.” She didn’t want to distract him from his night’s work.
“I’ll call you in the morning, we’ll figure out what we want to do.” He waved out the window as he drove off.
Maggie stood watching his car disappear around the corner. She wondered what he was going to say when she told him. She decided that she would tell him at the end of their date, then at least that way they would have one night together. She smiled to herself as she walked back to her office, she didn’t want to, but she really liked the guy.

“About time,” Starsky looked like he had been through the wringer when Hutch entered the squad room.
“Dobey?”
“What do you think? I had to tell him what was going on.” Starsky said handing Hutch a thermos of coffee for their long night.
“What did he think?” Hutch wanted to know, he grabbed his jacket that he had left on the back of his chair.
“He thinks we need to keep our minds on this stakeout tonight. He was about ready to pull us off it.” Starsky answered. “I know finding this girl or whoever it was that gave you that note is important, but not as important as us doing a good job.”
“I think Maggie has convinced me it’s pretty much a lost cause, it is going to be impossible to find the author of that note.” Hutch pulled it out of his pocket and crumpled it up tossing it in the trash. “You’re probably right anyway, just some kid being a smart ass.”
Starsky sighed with relief, two days of Hutch talking and obsessing about the note was more than enough. “Well let’s go see if we can catch the bad guys, uh?”
“I hope this doesn’t take all night.” Hutch said slipping on his jacket.
“You got a hot date?” Starsky joked.
“As a matter of fact I do….tomorrow night.”

Maggie was standing on the sidewalk in front of her house when Hutch pulled up. She had on white shorts and a blue tank top, her hair was pulled up in a ponytail. Hutch jumped out of the car and ran around to open the passenger side door for her. When he did, his morning news paper still lay in the front seat, “Sorry,” he tossed the paper in the backseat, his book was laying there. “Damn, I forgot to take this to Sam.” He grabbed the book, tucked it under his arm and helped Maggie into the car. “I have to make a quick stop or I’m never going to remember to give Sam this book.”
“Hutch, I need to tell you something,” Maggie began.
“It will only take a second, promise, then we will go to the beach or where ever you want.” Hutch checked his mirror and pulled out into traffic.
Maggie bit her lip and stared out the window as Hutch drove; arriving at Sam’s house he pulled in behind Starsky’s car. “Your partner is here.”
“So he is….he sees Sam too. He needs somebody to talk to about me,” Hutch gave her a forced smile.
“Maybe we should just come back later.” Maggie suggested.
“It’s fine, just dropping off the book, remember.” Hutch got out of the car and opened her door, “Come meet Sam.”
“I’ll wait here,” Maggie said.
“Oh come on,” Hutch reached in the car and pulled her out. “Starsk would love to see you. You will like Sam.”
“Uh uh,” Maggie reluctantly followed Hutch up the sidewalk to the front door.
Hutch knocked on the door, Maggie hung back, maybe they were in a session Sam wouldn’t answer the door. But the door opened, “Ken!” Sam exclaimed. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I just wanted to bring you a copy of the book.” Hutch held the book out to him.
“I want to see you in the next couple of days,” Sam said accepting the book he opened it, “You didn’t sign it.”
“Starsky has been telling you what has been going on,” Hutch shook his head, “He can’t keep his mouth shut.”
“You should have been the one telling me.” Sam opened the door wider, “Why don’t you come in a minute.”
Sam hadn’t noticed Hutch’s date, “I’m on my way to dinner. I’ll come by tomorrow.”
“Maggie?” Sam asked when he got a good look at the woman with the detective.
Maggie smiled, “Hi, Dad
“DAD?” Hutch looked at Maggie and then at Sam. “Sam is your father?”
“Hutch, I tried to tell you.” Maggie said, “Several times.”
“Why don’t the two of you come in,” Sam offered. Hutch just stood there, not sure how to feel about the situation. “Come on, Ken.”
Hutch felt rooted to the porch, finally he made his feet move and entered the house, Starsky was nowhere to be seen, “Where’s Starsk?” Hutch knew his partner was probably going to get a kick out of this development.
“We were sitting out back, I just happened to come in for drinks when you knocked.”
“Just my luck,” Maggie mumbled. She felt bad, she should have made Hutch listen to her.
“This isn’t some kind of intervention is it?” Hutch was beginning to get angry. He walked through the kitchen and out the back door; Starsky was sitting at the picnic table.
Starsky was startled to see him, “What are you doing here? I thought you had a hot date.”
“Better question is, what are you doing here?” Hutch demanded.
“You told me that I should talk to Sam, remember?” Starsky got up wondering why Hutch seemed so agitated.
“Yes, talk to him about you, not me.”
“I wasn’t talking to him about you.”
“Funny, he seems to know all about the letter, all you left out was the fact I was taking his daughter to dinner.”
“What? I thought you were taking Maggie…oh,” Starsky stopped as he saw Sam and Maggie come out the back door. “Really?”
“Really!”
“Ken, why don’t we go in my office and talk?” Sam said approaching the two men.
“What is there to talk about?” Hutch wanted to know, “Seems like everybody is doing the talking for me.” Hutch stormed out the side gate and disappeared.
Maggie started after him, “Let him go,” Both Starsky and Sam said at the same time. They had seen this many times and after Hutch walked a little and cooled off he would come back.
Hutch walked quickly, his head down mumbling to himself, he knew if anybody saw him they would think he was crazy, maybe he was. What was wrong with him, he thought to himself, why did he get so angry? But he was angry, angry at the person that wrote the note, angry at Starsky, Sam and Maggie, he felt betrayed somehow. Most of all he was angry at himself, angry that he agreed to be a guest speaker in Maggie’s class, none of this would have happened if he had just said no.
When Hutch finally looked up he realized he didn’t know where he was, he looked at his watch, he had been walking a while, figured that he was at least a mile from Sam’s. He was surprised that Starsky hadn’t come looking for him. Usually walks cleared his head but it would take more than a walk this time, he did need to talk to Sam.

Sam had moved his guests into the house by the time Hutch got back and they all looked up when he walked in the backdoor, it had been a warm fall day and Hutch’s blond hair was plastered to his head and his shirt, wet with sweat, clung to his body. “Can I get you a drink?” Sam offered. Hutch nodded and perched on the edge of a chair next to Starsky.
“Are you okay?” Starsky asked, worry creasing his forehead.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Hutch managed a smile. “I’m sorry, I’m just not myself, and this whole note thing has just unnerved me.”
Starsky knew his partner far too well, there was more going on, he could tell that Hutch was upset with more than the note. “Listen, I didn’t come here to tattle on you buddy. I just needed somebody to talk to and ….”
“And I told you that you needed to talk to Sam.” Hutch finished for his partner. “It’s okay, really.”
Maggie sat quietly not knowing what to say, she hated that she had further upset him. “We need to talk too.”
“Can I ask a question?” Sam stood in the doorway with a glass of ice water in his hand.
“Dad, we can do this later,” Maggie said her face turning slightly red. She didn’t want a confrontation with her father in front of the detectives.
“How long have you been back?” Sam didn’t give up.
Maggie sighed and glanced at Hutch who was sipping the glass of water. She wanted to tell him about herself but not in front of her father and Starsky. “Six months, dad, okay, six months, now can we talk about this later? We can go out for breakfast in the morning.”
“You have been back in town for six months? Just when were you planning on letting me know you were back?”
“Daddy please,” Maggie pleaded.
“Fine,” Sam looked angry, it was the first time that they had ever seen their doctor upset. He turned to Starsky, “David you want to come into my office?”
“Sure,” Starsky said, slowly he got up and followed the doctor; he glanced at Hutch over his shoulder wishing he had found something else to do that evening.
Maggie stared at her hands, Hutch put the glass of water on the coffee table, he knelt next to her, “Hey, I’m sorry I shouldn’t have brought you here.”
She laughed, “I should be the one apologizing not you. When I read your book that was when I realized my dad was your doctor. I didn’t say anything when you were speaking because, well, I never really expected to see you again. Then I kept trying to tell you but …..”
“I wouldn’t let you.”
Maggie nodded her distress apparent on her face. “I have made such a mess out of things. I knew that I shouldn’t have come back.”
“Well, I’m glad you did.”
She smiled at him, “Dad and I have a stressful relationship. You see I married rather young against dad’s wishes. I went off to college, my husband wasn’t what you would call the supportive type, he wanted to have fun, was mad at me all the time because I needed to study. One day I came home and he had packed all his stuff and most of mine and left. I didn’t even know where he was until I got the divorce papers. Dad stepped in, let me live here, helped pay for me to finish my schooling.” Maggie stopped and looked at Hutch trying to read his face.
“Go on,” he had a feeling there was more.
“I became a psychiatrist, and I felt like I was living in my dad’s shadow so I decided to teach and became a professor. Dad wasn’t happy about it; I think he had visions of us starting our own practice or something. We got into a fight and I left and we have barely spoken in the last ten years.”
“Why did you come back now?”
She shrugged, “Dad is getting older, heck I’m getting older, I guess I was lonely for family. Mom died a long time ago so it was just dad and I.”
“He never said anything about having a daughter,” Hutch said.
“I’m not surprised; he always kept his professional life and his private life separate.”
Hutch frowned, he had considered Sam more than just a doctor, he was a friend but he realized how little he really knew about him. He couldn’t help but feel a little hurt. “I guess we should go, you want me to take you home?”
“Well not unless you want me to, I’m hungry; this was only supposed to take a minute.”
Hutch held out his hand and pulled her out of the chair she had been sitting in. “Where do you want to go? You name it.”
“Where ever you want to take me. But just not Huggy’s, that was a bit embarrassing not eating our meal while we were there.”
“Huggy is used to us, it didn’t bother him.” Hutch smiled, “If you don’t think I’m totally crazy you want to come back to my place and I’ll make us something?”
“I don’t think you are crazy; remember I’m a trained psychiatrist.”


 Chapter Three

​​
It was close to 11 p.m. when Starsky pulled up in front of the house he shared with Hutch. The place was dark but Hutch’s car sat out front so Starsky entered the door quietly not wanting to disturb his partner if he was sleeping. He wondered if Hutch and Maggie had gone to dinner or if he had just taken her home. Starsky hoped that they had dinner; he really liked Maggie and thought she would be good for Hutch.
The room was lit only by the an old western on the TV, Starsky could make out Hutch sprawled on the couch, one foot on the floor the other propped up on the coffee table. Maggie’s head was resting on his shoulder both were snoring softly. A half eaten pizza was sitting on the table near Hutch’s foot and there were two empty bottles of beer.
Starsky leaned over and grabbed a slice of cold pizza and gently kicked his partner’s foot, Hutch’s eyes fluttered open and he started to sit up but realized that Maggie was sleeping next to him. He looked up at Starsky who was munching on the pizza and grinning. Gently Hutch eased himself from under Maggie’s head; he grabbed a pillow and slipped it under her head as he lay her down.
“Get a blanket from my room,” Hutch whispered.
“You are just going to leave her there?” Starsky wanted to know wearing his devilish grin.
“Tomorrow is Saturday we don’t have to work,” Hutch looked at her sleeping form, “It’s been a rough day for all of us I’m not going to wake her.”
After getting the blanket Hutch requested, Starsky jerked his head toward the kitchen, Hutch followed him, “So what did Sam say about Maggie?” Starsky shook his head, “Didn’t Sam tell you anything?
“No, we talked a bit but nothing about you or Maggie, he didn’t even ask how we know her. I think he was in shock that she had been back so long without contacting him. So what gives?”
“I don’t think it’s my place to say.”
“Come on partner.” Starsky pressed, he could see that Hutch wanted to talk; he sure couldn’t talk to Sam about this.
Hutch sighed and quickly told his partner about Maggie. “I’m not sure what to do, I really like her but I don’t want to lose Sam as my doctor.”
“Why would you have to choose?” Starsky wanted to know as he opened the fridge and grabbed a beer. He held one out to Hutch who shook his head no.
“It just might be awkward.”
“They haven’t seen each other in years, she has been back for months and not contacted her father, I doubt they are going to start having family dinners and even if they do what does that have to do with you buddy?”
Hutch shrugged, “I’m just confused I guess.”
“Why don’t you get some rest? Starsky suggested.
“Yeah maybe that is what I need,” Hutch looked doubtful, a night’s sleep wasn’t really going to solve anything. He was tired of everything coming back around to his past. He had finally stopped getting stares everywhere he went. His face had been plastered all over every paper in the country but as time when went by people started to forget. He just wished he could.

The wafting smell of bacon woke up the detectives the next morning. Starsky was the first to stumble into to the kitchen; Maggie was just putting toast in the toaster and smiled at him, “Morning.”
“Morning,” Starsky grumbled as he headed toward the pot of coffee she had made. “Give me a minute,” He poured himself a cup and drank half of it in one gulp. “That’s better,” He topped off his mug and looked at the feast Maggie had prepared, there were even blueberry muffins.
Starsky started to snag one, “Hey keep your mitts off,” She teased as she acted like she was going to swat him with a spatula.
“Where did you get the blueberries, I know we didn’t have any of those.” Starsky said eyeing the muffins.
“It’s called a store; the one down the street is pretty nice.” She took a muffin from the pile and handed it to the detective. “I love to cook but I don’t do much with just me.”
Starsky wanted to say she could be cooking for her father but he held his tongue, it was none of his business. He understood baggage between parents and children; he had watch Hutch struggle with his relationship with his father many times.
“Having a party without me?” Hutch appeared in the doorway, his blond hair was tousled and he was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“Here,” Starsky handed his partner a cup of coffee. “I think she is a keeper.” Starsky winked at Maggie who blushed a deep red.
Hutch made a face at Starsky, “This looks good.”
“Well it will be ready as soon as you tell me how you like your eggs,” Maggie said as she put a big plate of bacon on the table.

Monday morning came too quickly, Hutch entered the squad room smiling, Starsky wasn’t too far behind, carrying a bag of greasy doughnuts much to Hutch’s dismay.
“Hutchinson! Starsky! In my office!” Dobey yelled from his desk.
“How does he do that?” Starsky asked knowing there was no way their captain could know they were there.
Hutch shrugged as he walked into Dobey’s office. “What’s up, Cap?”
Starsky flopped in a chair and tossed the bag on Dobey’s desk, “Have a glazed Cap.”
Dobey ignored his detective. “That stakeout Friday got us nowhere.”
“Yeah it was a big waste of time,” Hutch agreed.
“Are we going to give it another go?” Starsky asked.
Dobey growled, “What do you think? I want these drug dealers busted.”
“We will give it another try tonight.” Hutch said.
Dobey gave the detectives a grunt and went back to shuffling papers on his desk. They exited the office quickly, Hutch spotted something white lying on his desk, he hadn’t noticed it when they had come in. It was a folded piece of paper with Detective Hutchinson scrawled on it. Hutch flipped open the paper as he read what was written there all the blood drained from his face.
“Hutch?” Starsky questioned when he noticed his partner’s pale face. “What is it?” Looking shaken Hutch sat down in his desk chair as he handed the note to Starsky. Starsky grabbed it and read it, “When I kill myself, I won’t be a failure like you. I didn’t have rich parents to help me.” Starsky frowned, “What is that supposed to mean?”
Hutch, still trying to process the note, realized it was clearly written by the same person that had written the first note. “I-I don’t know. My parents sure aren’t rich.”
“Hutch I think you need to see Sam….now…right now.” He didn’t like the way his partner looked.
“I’m fine; I need to figure out who is behind these notes.”
“You need to take care of yourself.”
Hutch stood up and looked around the squad room, somebody had to have seen who put the note on his desk. He took the note from Starsky and held it up, “Did anybody see who put this on my desk?”
Everybody in the room looked up, “I put it there,” Dan Bishop said, “Found it lying on the floor out in the hall. It had your name on it Hutch so I put it on your desk.”
“You didn’t see anybody?” Starsky asked.
Dan shook his head, “Nope, sorry.”
“Do you think it’s from the same person?” Starsky took the note back from Hutch. “Where is the other note?”
“I tossed it remember, you and Maggie convinced me it was nothing. I guess it’s something now, I’m pretty sure it’s the same handwriting.”
“I should know by now to listen to you, sorry partner.”
Hutch shrugged, “I’m going to go see Maggie. I want to see what she thinks of this.”
“I’ll stay here and hold down the fort,” Starsky said, “Get things ready for the stakeout tonight.”
Hutch gave his partner a half a smile. “Thanks buddy.”
“Go see Sam while you are at it,” Starsky called after his partner.

Maggie was just finishing up a class when Hutch arrived at the college; he stood in the hall waiting for her to dismiss her class. He heard her say “That’s it for the day.”
The students streamed past Hutch as he pressed himself against the wall to keep from getting trampled. One of the students did a double take and said, “Detective Hutchinson?”
“Yes,” Hutch answered distractedly, he wanted to catch Maggie before she got out of the class room.
“I heard you speak the other day, and I read your book over the weekend.” The young man continued. “I’m thinking of going into law enforcement.”
Hutch looked at him for the first time. “What are you studying now?”
“Law, detective.”
“Call me Hutch,” Hutch stretched out his hand to the young man.
“I’m Kevin Steward; do you think we could talk sometime?”
“I hope my book didn’t make you want to be a cop,” Hutch gave a glimmer of a smile.
Kevin returned the smile, “No sir, I was already thinking about it, my dad is pushing me to be a lawyer but I have always wanted to be a police officer.”
Hutch could relate, his father had pushed him to be a pastor. “Well, you read my book and still want to be a cop, come see me down at the station.” Hutch held out his card for Kevin to take.
“Thanks!” Kevin hurried off to his next class.
“Hutch?” Maggie was surprised to see the detective.
“Can we talk in your office?”
“Sure, that is my only class for the day.” Maggie answered leading him to her office. The mess on her desk was even worse than he remembered. “Grading papers, my TA is out sick.”
“Looks like fun,” Hutch said, he was sure that it wasn’t.
“So what is going on?” Maggie perched on the edge of her desk as she took off her glasses.
Hutch fished the note from his pocket and handed it to her. Maggie read the note then look at Hutch, “Do you think this is a cry for help or somebody just messing with me?”
“Maybe you should assume that it’s real.” Maggie reread the note. If this really was a call for help could you live with yourself if you did nothing? “Where was this left?”
Hutch blanched at her words although he had thought the same thing. “At the station, another detective found it laying in the hall and put it on my desk.”
“Okay where do we start?
Hutch looked at her and shook his head, “I’m not sure. But I don’t think it’s a student.”
“Why?”
“Gut feeling.” Hutch took the note back from her. “What is really puzzling is the line about the rich parents, my parents aren’t rich.”
“Maybe it’s not about you.” Maggie suggested, “I read your book, you deal with a lot of crazies, maybe this has something to do with one of your cases.”
“You know I never thought of it that way, I guess I am taking it too personal.”
“Well it is personal,” Maggie said sitting down at her desk with a sigh as she looked at the stack of ungraded papers. “I wish I could help you right now Hutch, but I have to have these graded by tomorrow.”
Hutch smiled, “I understand, looks like you will be busy the rest of the day and night.”
She nodded grimly and grabbed the first paper from the stack. “I might still be here in the morning.” Maggie grinned but was only half joking, she might be there all night.
“Maybe we can go to dinner tomorrow night, Starsk and I have another stakeout tonight.”
“Sounds good.” As Hutch started to leave she said, “Hutch, don’t let this get you down.”
He shrugged as he headed out the door and to the parking lot. He had been hoping she would be able to talk. Getting in the car Hutch pointed it in the direction of Sam’s house, maybe his partner was right, it was time he talked to Sam.

Sam was in the backyard when Hutch arrived, after banging on the door the detective followed the path around back to find Sam tending his roses. “Hey, you too busy to talk for a while?”
Sam looked up and smiled when he saw his favorite patient, whom he really thought more of as a friend these days. “Come on back,” Sam waved a pair of clippers in the air.
Hutch unhooked the gate, “How are the roses?”
“Okay I guess, I only really pay attention to them when I’m upset,” Sam said honestly.
“Maggie?” Hutch asked without mincing words.
“Yeah, I love that girl but I just don’t understand her.” Sam dropped the clippers on the table and sat down in a lawn chair.
“I know it’s hard when your kids don’t do what you want them to do.” Hutch pulled up a second chair next to Sam. Sam hiked his eyebrows; he knew that Hutch didn’t have any kids. Hutch smiled. “I was a big disappointment to my dad, he wanted me to follow in his footsteps and be a pastor but it just wasn’t my calling, he could never understand that.”
“I guess we have never really talked about your family life,” Sam said. “I’m sorry.”
“There is nothing to be sorry about, it is what it is.” Hutch stretched his legs out and relaxed for the first time in days. “I go home once in a great while, my mom is always glad to see me and my dad, well he goes through the pleasantries but that is about it. He has never asked me about my work, my friends, he will ask about my health which always makes me laugh.”
Sam looked at the ground, “How is Maggie?”
Hutch felt his heart break a little, the man next to him sounded so sad, “She is doing well, she loves teaching, and her students seem to really like her.”
“I’m glad,” Sam mumbled.
“Why don’t you two just talk?” Hutch suggested, “Before it’s too late like my dad and I?”
“It’s been 10 years and she has been back all these months and never said anything. If you hadn’t bought her here I might never have known she was living back here.” Sam wiped his eyes and then waved his hand in front of his face. “Damn bugs.”
Hutch suppressed a smile. “We could all have dinner if that would be easier.”
Sam looked at Hutch and laughed, “Who is the doctor here anyway? And why are you here?”
“I got another note,” Hutch pulled the note from his pocket and handed it to his doctor. Sam scanned it quickly and handed it back. “What do you think?”
“It’s a cry for help, if this person was going to kill themselves they would have already done it, they want to be stopped and apparently by you.” Sam sounded like himself again.


Chapter 4

​​
Starsky yawned, rubbed his eyes then stared out into the darkness. “Will this night ever end?”
Hutch, lost in thought, didn’t respond he was racking his brain trying to figure out who was writing the notes; they weren’t giving him much to go on. It was clear they had read his book, but why?
“Hutch…..Hutch,” Starsky poked his partner in the side.
“W-what?” Hutch looked around.
“Over there,” Starsky pointed to the abandoned apartment building they had now been watching for two nights. “I saw some movement.”
“It was probably a stray cat, or maybe a rat,” Hutch grumbled.
“Not unless cats have started walking on two legs,” Starsky said as he softly opened the car door, he drew his gun as he got out. “Are you coming?”
Hutch got out of the passenger side also drawing his gun, he didn’t see what his partner saw but he trusted Starsky with his life and if he saw something then they would investigate.
They made their way to the building covering each other’s backs, sure enough, the boarded up front door was open. “Maybe we should call for back up,” Hutch suggested as he peered into the pitch dark building.
“We might lose them if we do that,” Starsky hissed back, “I see a light down at the end of the hall.”
Hutch didn’t like it; they had no idea what they were walking into. They walked down the dark hall as they got to a door that was cracked open they stopped to listen to see if they could tell how many could be in the room, no sound came from the room. They looked at each, Starsky nodded, and kicked the door open going high, Hutch squatting taking the low position.
Much to Starsky’s surprise the room was empty. A large battery operated lantern stood on a box in the middle of the room, there were several ratty mattresses lying on the floor against one wall. Trash littered the room, an odor assaulted their noses as they looked around the room, trying to figure out where the form Starsky saw enter went.
Hutch spotted a window covered by newspapers; he pulled it back revealing broken glass. “Guess he got out this way.”
Starsky sighed as he made his way across the room to inspect the window. There was a piece of cloth and some blood on the shattered window. “Looks like he hurt himself as he was leaving, he must have heard us.”
“Damn,” Hutch muttered under his breath. “I really wanted to wrap this up tonight.”
“We don’t even know if he had anything to do with dealing drugs, could have just been homeless looking for a place to crash.”
“Let’s call it a night,” Hutch said, “Nobody else is going to show up here tonight with us stomping around.”

“Dinner?” Hutch was on the phone with Maggie.
“Sure, I got my grading all done,” Maggie said as she looked at her desk full of papers, she wasn’t going to turn down a date with Hutch to grade papers.
“Are you lying to me?” Hutch grinned on his end of the phone.
Maggie sighed, “How did you know?”
“I’m a detective,” Hutch joked. “Are you sure you have time, I understand if you don’t.”
“Hey, a girl has to eat; dinner will be fine, maybe even a walk or something.”
“I’ll pick you up at seven, your place or the college?”
“Well I had better be home by seven.” They said their goodbyes and Maggie hung up the phone only to stare at the mounting papers. Her TA needed to get well.
Hutch smiled as he hung up the phone. “Wipe that smile off your face Hutchinson,” Dobey growled from his office doorway. “Got any leads on that drug case?”
“We are working on it.” Hutch said.
“Where is Starsky?”
Hutch shrugged, “We came in together, not sure where he went.”
“Well find him and get in my office.”
“Okay Cap,” Hutch got up from his desk, a dark cloud settled over his happy mood. Between the drug case and the notes being left for him, it was hard to smile about anything, but Maggie always seemed to bring one out in him.
Hutch was almost to the elevator when the doors opened and his partner came bounding out. “Where have you been?” Hutch asked.
“Had to get a candy bar and the machine up here is out.” Starsky said holding up the wrapped candy for his partner to see.
“Well, Dobey is on a rampage,” Hutch said
“What does he want us to do? The stakeout didn’t play out the way we hoped.” Starsky peeled the wrapper back and started to take a bite when he heard Dobey roar.
“I expect you to bust the drug ring. They are breathing down my back upstairs; we have had several murders that are related to this ring, and countless robberies.”
“Cap, we know the facts of the case, but the guy gave us the slip.” Hutch explained. “We aren’t sure if he made us or if something else spooked him, but I doubt he will be back anytime soon. Or if he even had anything to do with the ring in the first place.”
Dobey ran his large hand over his face. “Alright lay off the stakeout for a couple of nights but that doesn’t mean I don’t want you still working this case.”
“Got it,” Starsky said, happy not be working all night again. “Hutch has got a hot date tonight.”
Dobey’s face clouded over, “I don’t give a damn about your social life. Get these guys before somebody else gets killed.

Hutch pulled the note from his pocket and reread if for the millionth time as if it would tell him something new. They had been so busy with the case that he hadn’t really had time to do any investigating. The light turned green, a black car behind him honked bringing Hutch from this thoughts, he jammed the note in his pocket and waved out the window as he stepped on the gas.
Hutch pulled up in front of Maggie’s house, he saw her standing on the porch, at first he thought she was waiting for him but then he noticed a man sitting on the steps. He could tell by the look on Maggie’s face she wasn’t happy. He pulled in behind her car and got out. Maggie glanced his way as he approached.
The man on the steps got to his feet. “Hutch this is my ex-husband, Jack Graening. Jack this is Ken Hutchinson my ah ah…..friend.” Maggie didn’t want to call Hutch her boyfriend at least not yet, they were still getting to know each other.
Hutch held out his hand, Jack eyed the detective for a moment then took his hand, “Nice to meet you.” Jack mumbled. “Can we finish our conversation Mags?”
“Stop calling me Mags,” Maggie hissed at him. “You can’t come around after all this time.”
“I have been looking for you for six months,” He nearly yelled at her. “You disappeared.”
“I wonder why.” Maggie looked at Hutch; he looked as though he was about ready to jump her ex. “The only time you come around is when you need money; well I don’t have any to give you anymore.”
“But you don’t understand,” Jack nearly whimpered.
“I think it’s time you go,” Hutch grabbed the man by the arm.
Jack winched and pulled away, “Get your hands off me; you have nothing to do with this.”
“I think it’s time you go,” Hutch repeated slowly as if he were speaking to a child that didn’t understand.
“Jack, go,” Maggie pleaded, “I am not giving you any more money.”
“This doesn’t have to get ugly; I’m not trying to hurt you Mags. We just need to talk, I’m in trouble.” Jack said trying to make eye contact with his ex-wife.
“You are always in trouble, that isn’t my problem anymore. We have been divorced twelve years, I don’t owe you anything.” Maggie stepped toward Hutch, she wasn’t afraid of Jack but it made her feel better with Hutch there.
“Mag’s come on.”
“STOP CALLING ME THAT!”
“Okay it’s time to go.” Hutch said as he pulled his badge from his coat pocket, “I’m a police detective; if you don’t go I’ll have a black and white here in minutes.”
Jack held up his hands, “Fine, fine I’ll go.”
“And don’t come back,” Maggie called after him.
Maggie sat down on the porch steps drained; she dropped her head in her hands and started to cry. She wasn’t a crier, in fact, she couldn’t remember the last time she cried but she was emotionally drained. She couldn’t help herself. Jack had knocked on her door thirty minutes before Hutch had arrived and began asking her for money. He had refused to leave, the only reason she hadn’t called the police was because she knew Hutch was on the way.
“Are you alright?” Hutch dropped down on the step next to her. She nodded without speaking. “Did he hurt you?” She shook her head no. “Come on.” Hutch nearly picked her up as he guided her back into the house. He sat Maggie on the couch and went into the kitchen to get her a glass of water.
“Thanks,” She wiped her eyes and smiled at him. “This isn’t me; I don’t fall apart like this. I’m sorry about Jack. I haven’t seen him in years. I don’t even know how he found me.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Hutch put his arm around her shoulders. “Are you sure he didn’t hurt you?”
“I’m fine, really. What about dinner?”
Hutch laughed at how fast she had switched gears, “Are you sure you want to go out?”
Maggie stood and smoothed the dress she had on, “Yes, we are going out….no pizza on the couch. I don’t have this much drama in my life really.”
Hutch kissed her cheek, “Hey, you’re talking to a cop, I’m used to drama and my life isn’t perfect.” He fingered the note in his pocket but didn’t pull it out.

Starsky knocked on Sam’s door; the older man was surprised to see the detective. “Come in Dave,” Sam invited.
“Thanks,” Starsky stepped into the entry way of the doctor’s home. He always had mixed feelings of calm and anxiety.
“Is this business or pleasure?” Sam asked, Starsky shrugged not sure himself. “Why don’t we go into the living room? Is everything okay?”
“Did Hutch tell you he got another note?”
“Yes, we talked about it.” Sam said sticking his pipe in his mouth that had been resting in an ashtray smoldering.
“And?”
“David, you know I can’t discuss what Ken and I talk about.”
Starsky frowned, “Okay then, discuss the note with me. What should I be doing for my partner?”
“What you have always done, be there for him.” Sam said leaning forward in his chair. He pointed the end of his pipe at Starsky, “If this person does kill themselves, Hutch is going to feel responsible even though it’s not his fault.”
“So you’re telling me I need to find this person and stop them.”
“I didn’t say that but it wouldn’t be the worst idea. If you do find them feel free to bring them to me.”
Starsky nodded then asked, “When did you start smoking a pipe?”
Sam pulled the pipe from his mouth and looked at it. “I smoked years ago then gave it up when Maggie moved in with me, I knew she didn’t approve I just never picked it back up again until now.”
“Until Maggie came back?”
“Something like that, I might be a psychiatrist but that doesn’t mean I don’t come with my own baggage.”
Starsky nodded in understanding. “We’ve tried to track down this person writing these notes but so far no luck. Maggie seems to think maybe it has something to do with one of our cases.”
“Hummmm,” Sam closed his eyes, “Possible, somebody trying to get back at Ken for putting them in jail.” Suddenly Sam’s eyes popped open and he sat up. “Were there others rescued with Sara Mayfair?”
“Yes, there were several children.” Suddenly a surprised look crossed Starsky’s face, “You don’t think it could be one of these children do you?” Starsky snapped his fingers, “Sara Mayfair’s parents were rich and the note said something about rich parents.”
Sam cocked his head and smiled, “We might be on to something.”

Hutch walked Maggie to her door; the dinner had been pleasant enough but her ex had put a dark cloud over the evening along with Hutch’s mysterious notes. Maggie sighed as she stepped up onto the porch, “I can never remember to leave my porch light on when I leave.” She fumbled with her house key.
“Here let me,” Hutch took it from her and inserted it into the lock and turned. Maggie smiled at him and reached inside and flipped on the porch light. “Let there be light,” Hutch joked as they squinted in the sudden light. He reached inside and turned the light back out, Maggie looked surprised until Hutch leaned forward and kissed her.
Maggie pulled away and looked at the handsome man that just kissed her. “Thanks for dinner,” She whispered as she turned her face up to his to be kissed again, which Hutch did gladly.
“Anytime lady,” Hutch smoothed her hair back. “I guess I had better get going. We are giving it a few nights before we work the stakeout again but we still got a lot of legwork to do.”
“Be careful,” Maggie burrowed her face in his shirt, she liked the way he smelled.
Hutch put his arms around her, “I always try to be, I have Starsky watching my back.”
“You have known each other a long time haven’t you?”
Hutch nodded, “You get to be very close when you do the work Starsky and I do, you have to rely on and trust each other. I trust him with my life and he trusts me.”
“He has been though a lot then with everything that has happened to you.” Maggie was afraid she was prying but Hutch only nodded again.
“I think in some ways it was harder on him than me, Starsky had to pretty much stand by and watch as I spiraled out of control.” Hutch leaned on the door frame and stoked her hair again.
“I read your book but I’m sure that wasn’t even the half of it.” Maggie put her hand on the side of Hutch’s face; she hadn’t felt like this for a long time.
There was a loud bang of a car backfiring, Maggie cringed next to Hutch, who wrapped his arms around her, “It’s okay it’s just a car.”
“I guess Jack showing up spooked me more than I thought.” Maggie admitted, she hadn’t even realized that she was that unnerved about him.
“You want me to come in and check out the house?” Hutch asked peering in to the dark living room.
“It’s okay I’m just a little jumpy.”
“Well then….”
Maggie interrupted him, “But you can still come in if you want, it’s not that late.”
​

 Chapter Five
​

Starsky was in the records room when Hutch arrived at work the next morning. The officer at the front desk informed Hutch of this as he came in. He made his way to the room and could hear his partner moving boxes around. “Starsk?” Hutch called from the doorway.
“Back here,” came the muffled reply.
“What are you doing down here?” Hutch made his way toward the sound of shuffling boxes. “Do we have a lead on the case?”
“Has to do with your notes,” Starsky sneezed, “Somebody needs to come up with a better way for storing this stuff.”
Hutch finally found his partner. “Funny Maggie suggested maybe the notes had to do with some case.”
“Not some old case,” Starsky pulled out a box and grinned, he had finally found it, “Your old case.”
Hutch looked at him puzzled, “Which old case, we worked most of them together.”
“You aren’t getting it partner, and I hate to dredge up all these old memories but Sam and I…”
“Sam?” Hutch asked, “You’ve been talking to Sam about me again.”
Starsky ignored him, “We think it might have something to do with the Mayfair case, well not exactly that case but the other kids that were rescued at the same time Sara was.”
“What are you talking about?” Hutch was flustered feeling betrayed once again.
“Hutch will you just stop being mad for two seconds and listen to what I’m trying to tell you.” Hutch took a deep breath and nodded at his partner.
“It is all falling into place, what if it’s one of the other kids that was rescued when you broke up that kiddy porno ring? Remember the note talked about rich parents? You can’t get much richer than the Mayfair’s.”
Hutch closed his eyes, the notes were bad enough but if this led back to the Mayfair’s or even that case, he wasn’t sure how he was going to handle it. He didn’t need that stress again; things had been looking up again since he had met Maggie. “Do you think it’s good to dredge up all that again?”
“Do you want to find out who is writing the notes and possibly stop them from killing themselves?” Starsky wanted to know as he slid the lid from the box. We just need the list of kids that were rescued.”
“Starsk, I don’t know.”
“I’ll do it,” Starsky rifled through the files in the box. “You don’t have to be involved in this part. If I think I possibly have something I’ll let you know.”
“I can’t let you do that Starsky,” Hutch sighed as he held out his hand for the folder his partner pulled out. “It will go faster if we split up the names.”
“Are you sure?” Starsky handed him the file.
Hutch flipped it open; Jackie Delocasa’s name jumped off the page, Hutch had carved him up like a Thanksgiving turkey under the brainwashing of Curtis Mayfair. Hutch had been angry and appalled when he and other officers had burst into that warehouse full of cameras filming children on filthy beds doing things that they shouldn’t be doing at that age, maybe at any age. Even though it had now been 10 years ago it still made him sick to think of it. There had been three girls and three boys between the ages of 10 and 13, Sara Mayfair being the oldest. She had been so traumatized she had been hospitalized for several years. But she had finally recovered and moved on with her life, Hutch heard from her now and again. She had even invited him to her college graduation which he didn’t attend. Her father wouldn’t have allowed it. He sent her a card along with a check and wished her well. What happened to the other 5 children he had no idea, maybe it was time to find out.
“We better get upstairs,” Starsky put the box back.
“Are we telling Dobey about this?” Hutch wanted to know.
“I think maybe we should hold off until we see if this goes anywhere first.”
Hutch nodded in agreement. “We have the drug case so I guess we will have to do this on our own time.
“I’m going to drop these names off with Becky and see if any of these kids were, or are in the system, they would be what…. all in their 20’s? That will save us some work. You go up to the squad room and head Dobey off, we are late.”
They went their separate ways at the elevator. Hutch went into the squad room and straight to Dobey’s office; he tapped on the door and then opened it. Dobey was not at his desk. Hutch leaned out the office doorway and said, “Hey anybody know where Dobey is?”
“Upstairs,” Bert answered looking at the ceiling.
“That’s not good,” Hutch closed his captain’s door and went to his desk. Upstairs were the offices of the Commissioner. They needed a lead on the drug case or he and Starsky might be busted back to walking a beat. He knew that wouldn’t really happen but with the heat Dobey was getting, heads would roll and he didn’t want it to bed his and his partner’s.

“Hey Beckie.” Starsky said, a pretty dark haired girl looked up from her work. “Can you do me a favor?”
“Sure, anything for you, honey,” She flirted.
Starsky handed her the list of names. “Can you run these names? See if anything pops on them and get back to me as fast as you can.”
She took the file and flipped it open, when she saw what case it was she began shaking her head. “I don’t know Dave, this was a pretty high profile case and your partner nearly ended up in jail for life. Does your Captain know about this?”
“No, not yet, we want to see if we get any hits first. If none of these names are in the system then no harm no fowl.”
She hesitated for a few more minutes then kept the file, “If anybody asks, I have no idea what this is, okay?” Starsky nodded. “It will most likely be tomorrow before I can get you what you want.” He made a face. “Sorry, don’t give me that look, my shift is almost over and I can’t stay over to work on this, somebody will start asking questions.”
“Okay, but as soon as you can.” Starsky headed up to the squad room, wondering why the case seem to be so out of bounds.

Hutch looked up as his partner came in the room, he had been going over all the information they had collected so far on the drug case hoping that he might see something that had been missed. “So?”
“Beckie can’t have it until tomorrow.” Starsky looked over his partner’s shoulder to see what he was doing. “Do you have any idea why Becky would be reluctant to have anything to do with Jackie Delocasa case?”
Hutch shook his head slowly, “It was ten years ago and it’s a closed case.”
“Well, Becky sure didn’t want to have anything to do with it. She was happy to help until she got a look at the case file.”
“We can’t worry about that now,” Hutch handed Starsky some of the paperwork, “I’m going over this, we need a break on this case. Dobey has been called upstairs.”
Starsky mouthed ‘oh’ without making a sound.
“Yeah, not good.” Hutch scratched his head, then slapped his hand down on papers, “What the hell are we missing?”
The squad room doors burst open; an angry Dobey came through them, “In my office!” The two officers followed their Captain, “Shut the door!”
Hutch closed the door then joined Starsky who was already sitting in the chairs Dobey had in front of his desk. “What is going on Cap?”
“What is going on is that the two of you aren’t doing your jobs! There was another murder overnight!”
“Why didn’t you tell us, we would have gone out and had a look.” Starsky said.
“I would have if I could have found either of you, you were late!” Dobey bellowed. “This case is your first priority got that? Nothing else but this case and until this drug ring is broken up you are to eat, sleep and breath this case and only this case. Got it?”
“Yes Cap, but…..” Hutch began.
“No buts, there is nothing else more important, not mysterious notes, not girlfriends, not time off. GOT ME?”
The detectives looked at each other; they had seen their Captain mad before but never THIS mad. “What is going on?” Starsky wanted to know.
Dobey looked as though he would explode then the expression on his face softened slightly, he sighed, “Look, I’m sorry but they are about to have my head upstairs.”
“Cap we are doing our best, but if the leads aren’t coming there isn’t much we can do.” Starsky said, “Hutch has just been going over the case again and nothing.”
“Listen, the latest victim was the Commissioner’s daughter.” Dobey said grimly. “He is heartbroken and busting balls.”
“Lily?” Hutch asked sadly. Both he and Starsky had known the girl since she was a baby, she was only eighteen and in her first year of college. “What happened?”
“What happened was she was shot trying to buy pot,” Dobey sputtered.
“Are you sure the cases are linked, pot is a pretty tame drug, not like its heroin.” Starsky said sadden by the news.
“The investigating officers think that the seller was the target and she just got in the way. We have a turf war between drug dealers.” Dobey answered. They should have been the investigating officers. “It doesn’t matter, get your asses out there and find her killer. You might get lucky and break this case. Now, get out of here.”
Both detectives grabbed their jackets and left the squad room. “Everything is on the back burner, you hear me Starsk, everything.”
Starsky nodded. “Let’s go see what Roberts and Dodson can tell us about the killing.”

Maggie heard a noise on her front porch; she looked out to see Jack sitting there. She put her hand on the phone, she wasn’t going to bother Hutch, this time she was calling the police. But something stopped her, Maggie went out onto the porch, “Jack what are you doing here?”
“Did you already call your cop boyfriend?” He asked.
“No, but I was ready to call the police and still will if you don’t get out of here.” Maggie stood with her hands on her hips and her mouth was in a tight line showing her disapproval.
“Mags….Maggie I need your help, I am really in trouble this time. I was trying to make a few bucks and got mix up with the wrong people and if I don’t get them their money they are going to kill me or at least put a serious hurting on me.” Jack explained.
Maggie noticed blood seeping through his shirt on his sleeve, “Is that why you are bleeding?” There was a tinge of concern in her voice.
For a split second Jack thought of using that concern to possibly get what he needed but instead, he told the truth leaving out the details. “I cut my arm on some broken glass.”
“Are you lying to me?”
“Nah, I promise,” He went a step further hoping for more sympathy that she saw on her face. “I was looking for a place to sleep, I found an abandoned building, went in but got spooked when I saw somebody else’s stuff so I crawled through a broken window, cut my arm on the way out.” It was the whole truth; probably the first time in his life he had told her the complete truth about anything.
She sat down next to him and pulled up his sleeve, he had a makeshift bandage made from a rag he had found in the trash. Maggie made a face when she saw it, “Come on in, let me get this cleaned up before you die of an infection.”
“Thanks….Maggie,” Jack followed his ex wife into her house.
She sat Jack down at the kitchen table, “Take that nasty thing off,” Maggie said as she went into her pantry to search for the few medical supplies she had. “You should go to a doctor.”
As she sat down a bottle of antiseptic and gauze, Jack said, “Listen, I’m sorry about this. I thought I was getting it together.”
Maggie sat down and looked at the cut, she shook her head, it looked bad, she began to clean it with the antiseptic, Jack grimaced, “You have to see a doctor, this needs stitches.”
“How am I going to pay for that?” he looked at the floor. “I owe this guy ten grand, this cut is the least of my worries.”
“Ten grand?” Maggie looked at her ex. “What have you gotten yourself into now? No, wait don’t tell me, I don’t want to know. It’s illegal and I don’t want to lie to Hutch.”
“I don’t want to get you involve Maggie.”
“You just want my money?” Maggie put her hands on her hips again. “Well I don’t have any to give you. Just about all my money went into this house when I moved back 6 months ago.”
“How is that going?” Jack snapped.
“Well it was going fine until you showed up at my door.” Maggie snapped back.
“And how is your dad?”
“My dad is just fine; I know you think dad had to something to do with our breakup. He wasn’t happy about our marriage because he saw in you what I didn’t at the time. But you are to blame.”
“Because I didn’t want to stick my nose in a book constantly?” Jack growled.
“You never grew up, look at the mess you have yourself in now.” Maggie paced the kitchen. “Why don’t you talk to Hutch, maybe he can help you.”
Jack got up from the table, grabbed the first aid supplies, “And get myself killed? I don’t think so. I’m taking these, I won’t bother you again.”
“Jack I wish you well, I really do, but stay away please.”
“I said I won’t bother you again, and don’t tell that cop boy friend I was here. At least do that much for me.” Jack opened the backdoor, “Take care of yourself Mags.”
Maggie let it slid this time, she gave him a small smile as he slipped out, she had loved him at one time. She pondered if she should give Hutch a called but then decided against it. She would do what Jack asked at least for now.
​

Chapter Six

Becky sidled up to Starsky in the hall, “Here you go,” She slipped him an envelope, “What happened to those kids wasn’t pretty, seems like the only one that truly survived was the Mayfair girl.”
“Rich parents,” Starsky said to himself.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Starsky smiled at her, “Thanks.”
“Sure.” Becky flashed him a smile as she left him to his thoughts.
Starsky opened the envelope and pulled out five sheets of paper, two of the boys ended up in the system, one for stealing a car and the other for robbing a liquor store. The third boy was killed by his father shortly after he had been saved in the raid on the kiddy porn ring. The father was in prison for life. He knew what had happened to Sara Mayfair, one of the other girls was arrested for prostitution but there was no paper on the third girl. “Hey Beckie.” Starsky called down the hall before she could get on the elevator.
She turned and looked at the detective, she knew what he was going to ask, “I didn’t find anything on Jennifer Ames.”
Starsky frowned, “So nothing at all on this Jennifer Ames, she was the youngest at ten.”
“She would be twenty now.” Beckie said sadly shaking her head, “Those poor kids.”
“The information is ten years old on the rest, nothing since then?”
“Sorry, that is all I found, I guess the boys straighten themselves out and the one girl either hasn’t be caught again, or it’s possible they have all moved on, who knows.” Beckie said, “You could also check the old addresses but 10 years later odds they no longer live there.
“Maybe the parents if I’m lucky. Thanks again.”
Starsky stuffed the envelope in his jacket pocket; he didn’t want Hutch to know he had found anything. They had enough on their plate with the drug case and the murder of the Commissioner’s daughter. He decided he would dig into it on his own time.
When Starsky entered the squad room, Hutch grabbed him by the arm and hissed, “Where have you been?”
“Had to pick up something.”
“Information on those kids?” Hutch was angry, “What about ‘everything is second to this case’ don’t you understand?”
“But Hutch, this is important too.” Starsky pulled the envelope from his pocket. “I have some information on the others, at least four of them.”
“Put it away, I’m not even going to think about that until we get these drug dealers off the street and Lily’s killer is caught.”
“But one of these kids could have their life on the line Hutch.” Starsky waved the envelope at his partner.
“When did you get so onboard with this?” Hutch wanted to know.
“If this helps you find peace then I’m all for it.” Starsky stuffed the envelope back in his pocket when Hutch didn’t take it.
“What did Roberts and Dodson have to say?” Dobey wanted to know when the two detectives entered his office.
After their conversation in the hall about the kids they had gone to see Roberts and Dodson. They didn’t get much from them. Lily had been gunned down, the punk selling her drugs had taken off and nobody had seen him on the streets since. He was a small time seller named Squeaks, nobody knew the origin of the nickname but everybody knew who he was. Squeaks never sold hard drugs only pot and the best pot on the streets and mostly to the younger set.
“We are trying to track down the seller but so far no luck, thought maybe he could give us a description of the shooter.” Hutch said.
“He has probably bugged out; I doubt we will ever see him again.” Starsky added. “I thought we could talk to the Commissioner.”
“He has taken a leave of absence to be with his family.” Dobey informed the detectives. “Lily was their only child. And I doubt he could shed much light on the situation anyway, he had no idea that his daughter bought drugs.”
“Maybe we could talk to her dorm mate.” Hutch suggested. His thought was that if they found her killer maybe they would find who was behind everything.
“Could this be random and not connected with the other deaths, after all, they were all dealers and Lily was hardly a dealer.” Starsky said he wanted to get some answers so he could look into the kids from the porno ring.
“Roberts and Dodson didn’t talk to the dorm mate?” Dobey asked.
“They didn’t say anything if they did.” Hutch shook his head? “They weren’t too forthcoming with details; I guess nobody wants to catch the investigation of the murder of the Commissioner’s daughter.”
“Go check it out then.” Dobey waved a dismissive hand in their direction.

They arrived at the college around lunch time, Hutch knew that Maggie didn’t have any classes at that time and should be in her office. He made the excuse that perhaps Maggie might know Lily and headed toward her office as Starsky went to the Admissions Office. Hutch poked his head into Maggie’s office, she was engrossed in grading papers, her glasses were perched on the end of her nose and a half eaten sandwich sitting on her desk. “Hey you.”
Maggie jumped and gasped, she looked up as smile spread across her face. “Hutch!”
“Hey there,” he stepped into the room. “Looks like you are having a good lunch there.”
Maggie looked at the half eaten sandwich, and shrugged. “Are you here to ask me to lunch?”
“I wish I could but Starsky and I are actually here on business.”
“What’s wrong now?” Maggie got up and sat on the edge of her desk.
“We are investigating the murder of the police Commission’s daughter. Did you know her or have her in a class?”
Maggie shook her head slowly, “I heard about it on the news. No, I can’t say that I know her. Poor girl.”
Hutch leaned over and gave Maggie a quick kiss on the lips. “I have to work tonight probably but let’s do something tomorrow night.”
Maggie nodded then said, “It was drugs wasn’t it?”
“Yes, seems like she was buying some pot and possibly got in the way and was killed.”
“So you think the shooter was going after the dealer?”
“Well if this is connected to the case we are working on yes.” Hutch kissed her again, as he started to leave Maggie called to him, he looked at her, “Something wrong?”
“No, no,” Maggie smiled at him. She suddenly felt she needed to tell him about Jack showing up at her house. But it could wait until later. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Hutch met Starsky coming down the hallway to Maggie’s office. “Did you get a name?”
Starsky nodded, “Charlotte Blackwell, she has been Lily’s best friend for 3 years and roommates since they got to college. Let’s head over to the dorms and see if Miss Blackwell is home?”
The two detectives found the dorm; the girl’s room was on the third floor. “Which room?” Hutch asked as they reach the third floor, a long hallway stretched before them.
Starsky checked a slip of paper with the details. “315.” They walked down the hall until they were standing in front of the door, Starsky knocked. A muffled voice answered from inside but neither of them understood what the occupant said.
Suddenly the door was jerked open and a beautiful young woman stood before them, she had her hair up in a towel and brush in her hand. “Yeah?”
The detectives held up their badges, “Can we walk to you a minute?”
The girl shrugged and stood back to allow them to enter the room. It was a typical dorm room, barely big enough for one let alone two. “Am I in trouble?”
“You’re Charlotte Blackwell?” Hutch asked.
“That’s me, but call me Charlie,” she answered as she unwrapped her long dark hair; she towel dried her hair then began to brush it.
“You are roommates with Lily?” Starsky asked.
“Yeah but she isn’t here,” Charlie stopped brushing her hair and looked at the two officers, “Is there something wrong?”
“Apparently you haven’t seen the news,” Hutch shifted his weight; they were going to have to tell her that Lily was dead.
“No sorry, I have been studying…midterms and we don’t have a TV in our room, too distracting. Where is Lily?”
“We are sorry to have to tell you this Charlie but Lily was killed last night.” Starsky said as he moved toward the young woman.
Charlie’s face crumple and tears streamed down her face, “I just saw her yesterday morning, she was going out, said she would be back late but would be back because we were going to start studying this morning. When I woke up this morning she wasn’t here, I just figured she spent the night with her boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?” Hutch pulled out a notebook to write down the young man’s name. “Can you give us a name?”
“Squeaks, I know it’s a stupid name but it’s some sort of a nickname, he is a basketball player. I guess he had squeaky shoes or something. What happened to Lily?”
“She was shot and killed while buying pot. And from what we have heard it was from a dealer names Squeaks.” Starsky said.
“What? No, Lily wouldn’t touch that crap.” Charlie, still crying, reached for a tissue on the desk. “Squeaks isn’t a drug dealer, he is a straight A student and star of the basketball team, great guy.”
“Great guy that sells pot,” Hutch quipped.
Charlie’s eyes narrowed, “Maybe it’s the wrong guy.”
“How many guys around can be named Squeaks, pretty unique name don’t you think?” Starsky said. “What is this guy’s real name?”
She shrugged, “Everybody calls him Squeaks, I have no idea. But you could talk to his roommate Craig.”
“Second floor, their room is right under ours….mine,” A fresh batch of tears streamed down her face.
“We will go see if Craig is home, you don’t leave campus,” Hutch told Charlie as he handed her his card. “We will be in touch, might have a few more questions.”
They made their way down to the floor below and knocked on the door, they could hear movement inside, “Police!” Starsky called out. They heard the window being pushed up, “We got a runner.”
The detectives put their shoulders into the door, as it flew open they saw a sandy haired man trying to jump out of the second story window. Starsky grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pulled in back into the room and to the floor. “Where do you think you are going?”
“Are you Craig?” Hutch asked as he stood over the young man.
Craig nodded. “I don’t have anything?”
“What don’t you have?” Hutch asked amused.
“N-Nothing,” Craig stammered.
“Are you Squeaks roommate?” Starsky asked pulling him to his feet.
“Yes…no…uh he’s not here.”
Starsky shoved him into a nearby chair, “If you know where he is Craig you need to tell us, his life could be in danger. We know he sells drugs and by the way you are acting you seem to have something to do with it.” Craig wagged his head back and forth denying what they were saying. “Listen, Lily was killed last night; we think the shooter was after your roommate so if you know where he is you need to tell us.”
Craig’s face went white, “Lily is dead?”
“Yes,” Hutch told him, “Gunned down by a gang putting a move on known drug dealers. We think they were after Squeaks so if you know where he is then you need to tell us.”
“I haven’t heard from him since last night, he was going out to….to deal a little and then he and Lily were going to dinner. He only sells so that he can stay in college.” Craig said as though that made a difference. “He is a good guy.”
“Good guys don’t sell pot.” Hutch said. “Is there any in the room?”
“No, we…I mean he doesn’t keep it in the room.” Craig sighed; he knew he had talked himself into a corner.
“Where is he?” Starsky asked.
“I told you I haven’t heard from him.”
“But you know where he might have gone right?” Starsky pressed.
“Probably home.”
“Where is home?”
“Beverly Hills.”
“Beverly Hills,” Hutch repeated, the detectives looked at each other, it wasn’t the first time a rich kid had gotten messed up in selling drugs. But Craig said he was selling to stay in college. “Why would he need to sell drugs to stay in school if he lives in Beverly Hills?”
“His parents are pissed because he isn’t following in his father’s footsteps into law, his whole family is lawyers, he wants to be a cop…..I mean a police officer so they refuse to pay for his college.”
“Is his real name Kevin?” Hutch asked.
“How did you know that?” Craig was too shocked to even lie.
“I met him; he is one of Maggie’s students.” Hutch explained, “He talked to me outside her classroom a couple of days ago about becoming a cop.”
“Oh, Professor Graening, she’s a looker.” Craig winked at Hutch who just stared at him. “Sorry, listen I’ll come clean with you, we deal a little weed to make ends meet, that is it. I get the stuff and Kevin sells, we have been doing it for 4 years, we will graduate this year and be gone.”
“So what you are saying is that because you are selling it for what you think is a good reason that my partner and I should just let it slide?” Starsky asked leaning in the doorway.
“Something like that,” Craig gave the dark headed man a hopeful look.
“I think at this point you better hope that Kevin is at his parent’s and not dead.” Hutch said, “What’s the address?”
Craig shuffled his feet, sighed then said, “I had better go with you?”
“And why is that?” Starsky asked.
“Well, he is at his parent’s but they don’t know he is there. We stash the pot in his parent’s pool house, they never go out there and sometimes we crash there when we don’t feel like being here or on the weekends.”
“And his parents don’t know?” Hutch shook his head.
“We go in the back through a hedge; they are older and never used the pool or the pool house. If you ring the doorbell to talk to his parents and Kevin hears you, he will be gone and you will never find him.”
Starsky looked at Hutch, they both shrugged, “Okay buddy let’s go.”

“Stop here!” Craig exclaimed, “We walk from here.”
“This is ridiculous,” Hutch grumbled, “I’m too old to be climbing through hedges.”
“Oh come on Hutch,” Starsky bumped him with his shoulder.
“This way.” They followed Craig along an 8 foot hedge that separated the two properties, as they got toward the back of the neighbor’s yard there was a hole in the hedge which Craig slipped through as he motioned the detectives to follow him. He held his finger to his lips as he peeked through the other side of the opening “Gotta make sure his parents aren’t out back.”
“I thought you said they didn’t use the pool,” Hutch peeked over the kid’s shoulder. The pool was huge, the yard beautifully landscaped. He saw a table close to the house which is where they figured was as close as the parents got to the pool.
They slunk along the hedge staying in the shadows, the pool house was a large as some people’s houses, there were sliding glass doors in the front but there was a door on the side of the house which is where Craig entered, “Kev?” There was the sound of movement, “Kev, it’s Craig, I got a couple of……”
“Cops? You brought the cops HERE?” Kevin yelled then looked out the sliding doors toward the back door of his childhood home.
“Lily is dead.”
“Don’t you think I know that, I was there!”
“Come on out they just want to help,” Craig encouraged his friend.
A head popped up from behind a rattan couch. “Why do I need help?”
“Really Kevin, you don’t think you need help? Your girlfriend is dead, you could be next.” Hutch said.
“I know you.” Kevin finally got to his feet and came out into the open. “We talked outside of Professor Graening’s class room the other day, Detective Hutchinson, right?”
Hutch nodded, “Kevin, you are in some real trouble and I’m not talking about the drugs. We think you were the target.”
“Y-you mean Lily was killed because of me?” Kevin’s voice wavered.
Hutch put his hand on the young man’s shoulder. “We need a description of the shooter and we will put both of you in protective custody.”
“You mean arrest us,” Craig said matter of factly.
“No not yet, let’s see how much help you can be first.” Starsky said.
As they were leaving Kevin said, “You should talk to this dude named Jack. I think he has something to do with it.”
“Jack.” The name caught Hutch’s attention.
“Yeah, he blew into town not long ago.”
“What does he look like?” Hutch wanted to know. Kevin gave him a quick description. “Let’s get out of here boys.”
They left through the side door and back along the hedge, when they were safely back out on the sidewalk, Starsky grabbed Hutch’s arm, “What was that all about?”
“The description the kid gave me is Maggie’s ex and his name is Jack. He was at Maggie’s the other day looking for money.”
“You think Maggie’s ex is a dealer?” Starsky asked as he gripped Craig’s upper arm, he wasn’t taking any chances the young man might bolt.
“I don’t know but there is something going on and I have a feeling Maggie’s ex is right in the middle of it.” Hutch said.
​

Chapter Seven

Maggie had just gotten home from work when there was a knock on her door. “Hutch!” she exclaimed happy to see the detective at the door. “Did we have a date?”
Hutch shook his head no, “I’m here on, I guess you could say, official business.” Hutch replied.
“Oh no what did I do?” Maggie grinned and opened the screen door she started to kiss him but her smile faded when she saw he was not kidding. “What is going on?” They sat on the couch; she kicked her shoes off and folded her legs under her.
“It’s about your ex.”
Maggie didn’t even bat an eye, she was not surprised. “What did he do this time?”
“The girl that was murdered…”
She interrupted, “Lily?”
“Yes, Lily, her boyfriend is Kevin and has the street name of Squeaks…”
Again Maggie interrupted, “Kevin Steward?” Hutch nodded, “Street name?”
“He has been dealing pot, he goes by the name Squeaks on the street. It seems as though the bullet that killed Lily was meant for Kevin, not her. This is the case we have been working on. There is a drug war and somebody is taking out all the small time dealers.” Hutch explained.
“And you think Jack has something to do with it?” Maggie was shocked, “Jack has made some bad decisions and has gotten mixed up with some bad people but he has never killed anybody.”
“Kevin told us we should talk to his guy named Jack and gave me a description that matches your ex-husband.” Hutch looked intently into her eyes; he didn’t like what he was seeing there.
Maggie dropped her eyes to her hands, “I knew I should have told you,” She said barely above a whisper.
“Told me what?” Hutch hooked his figure under her chin and brought her eyes up to meet his. “What is going on?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
Maggie sighed, “Jack came back, he had a pretty bad cut on his arm, he said he cut it on some glass climbing out a window, I patched him up. He also said he was involved with some bad guys and if he didn’t come up with ten grand they were going to kill him.
Hutch got up and paced the room, “I bet it was him that we saw when we were on the stakeout. Starsk and I followed this guy into an old abandoned building, we found a room that looked like somebody was living in but there was no one was there. The window was smashed, a piece of cloth and blood was on the glass.”
“At least he was telling the truth about that.” Maggie shook her head. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I was going to but….” She didn’t finish.
Hutch put his hand on her shoulder, “He is your ex, I understand.”
“I have no allegiance to him,” Maggie said firmly. “And if I had thought it had anything to do with your case I would have called you.”
“You had no way of knowing.” Hutch smiled at her. “Do you know how we can find him?”
Maggie shook her head, “He just shows up.”
“Is he still in that abandon building?” Hutch wanted to know.
“He said he was looking for somewhere to hold up but when he saw someone else was already staying there he left.” Maggie went into the kitchen and started making coffee. She needed something to keep her busy. “He hasn’t change a bit, that is why I divorced him, Jack was always into something but this sounds big. I don’t want him getting killed.”
“I won’t let that happen,” Hutch assured her, “But we have to find him, maybe we can help him and Jack can help us.”
“I’ll bet he’ll show back up here.” Maggie got out two mugs and sat them on the counter. “Coffee?”
Hutch started to tell her no, but he was there on business so he nodded. “Sure, but I can’t stay long. Heads are really rolling back at the station.”
She looked a little fearful, “Are you going to arrest Jack?”
“Well it will depend on how deep he is in, if he helps us he might get off but if he was part of the murders….”
Maggie nodded sadly, “It’s so sad about Lily. She poured the coffee and set the steaming mugs on the table, they both sat down. Switching subjects she asked. “Any word on the note?”
“That is on the back burner.” Hutch said blowing on the hot liquid.
Maggie let out a snort, “I doubt if Starsky is letting it go.”
Hutch grinned. “Your father, I think, has put us on the right track.”
“Dad? She raised her eyebrows, “Is he playing cop now too?”
“You need to lighten up on your father.”
Maggie’s eyes narrowed but she didn’t reply. She got up and put her mug in the sink, “I think I’ll take a bath before I make dinner.” Her tone was dismissive she was ready for Hutch to leave.
Hutch got up joining her at the sink, he put his hand on her shoulder, “Hey, I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said that, it’s none of my business.”
Maggie nodded but she felt tears forming in her eyes which was making her angry. She knew it was easy to lash out at Hutch, he was one there but he wasn’t the one she was mad at. “It’s okay. I guess you are kind of caught in the middle.”
The detective hadn’t thought about it before, but maybe he was. Sam was his doctor and he felt as though he might be falling in love with Maggie. “I won’t bring your father up again.”
“Now that will be impossible since he is a part of your life.” Maggie turned and looked at Hutch.
“And you are part of my life now too.” Hutch said softly looking into her eyes. “I have to get back.”
“It’s so late,” Maggie said looking at her watch it was almost nine. “Stay and have dinner.
Hutch kissed her hand, “I would love to but we have to try and find Jack, I think he might be the key, if he comes by again call.”
“I will, I promise.” Maggie hugged Hutch and whispered, “I’m sorry about earlier, I know you are just trying to help Dad and me.”
Hutch kissed her lips, “I have to get going, sorry.”

Starsky was sitting on the couch with several files spread out on the coffee table when Hutch entered the house. Starsky looked up, “Where have you been?”
“I went to see Maggie, thought she might have an idea where Jack could be.”
“There is this thing called a telephone,” Starsky said as he went back to the files but he had a grin on his face that Hutch couldn’t see.
“And what are you doing? Working on the case?” Hutch asked.
“Yeah sure,” Starsky mumbled. Hutch looked over his partner’s shoulder. He made a face when he saw the files from the Delocasa case. “I’m trying to find information on Jennifer Ames; I think she might be the one writing the notes. She was ten when the ring was busted so she would be 20 now, Jennifer was the youngest.”
“We are supposed to be working on the drug murder case not a ten year old case.” Hutch trudged toward the kitchen, he needed a drink. “Remember what Dobey said, drug case, everything else on the back burner.”
Starsky joined Hutch in the kitchen. “And this girl might not simmer on the back burner. She might be planning her suicide right now. She has reached out to you twice.”
Hutch handed Starsky a beer and grabbed one for himself. “I know Starsk, but it might not even be her.”
“You don’t really believe that do you?”
Hutch sighed and shook his head, “But we have no idea how to find her. You said yourself there was no information on her after the raid and trial.”
“But she is out there.”

Jennifer Elizabeth Ames sat on the rooftop of the warehouse where she and five others had been forced to do unspeakable sex acts, she wondered if the tapes were out there. She knew they had finished several so called movies before the raid; chances were they had been sold.
She had never had a boyfriend because she feared men, no friends because she didn’t want to answer any questions about herself. Sure she could have lied and painted herself a happy life but lies always seem to catch up with you. Her mother had tossed her out days after the trial was over. Saying that Jennifer has asked for it and that she was a whore and no whore was going to live in her house. Her mother told her she knew how to make a living.
Jen had lived on the streets for the last 10 years, sometimes in shelters but mostly in alleys making sure she avoided the police and do gooders that came around. She got food by scavenging trash cans; she knew where all the good ones were behind some of the fancier restaurants. There was one kind chef that had seen her going through a dumpster and would leave plates of food for her but he never tried to talk to her. That went on for several months until the plates suddenly stopped, she wondered if he had left the job or got caught by his boss and ordered him to stop leaving food. She had been grateful; he was the only person that she had almost trusted at least from a far.
She didn’t hate Detective Hutchinson, far from it really, but after 10 years she was startled to hear his name again, she had been hanging out in the college library one rainy afternoon when she heard some students talking about him. She had snuck into the auditorium grabbing a copy of his book which she sat in the back and read. Jen had somehow missed when he was on trial for murdering the man that had lured her into that warehouse promising her a career in the movies. She should have known better but after all she had only been ten. She was glad he was dead and his scum of a lawyer that was just as involved with the movie making as Delocasa, Jen had seen him once when they were supposed to be sleeping, they both got what the deserved.
Jen had slipped Hutch the note, not thinking he wouldn’t know who she was or how to find her, she was still so much a child. She also had not meant to upset him only to get his attention. Now she sat on the roof of the building where her life changed, not that it had been a wonderful life, her father had left when she was a baby and it only been her and her mother, who worked several jobs and they still had no money. The only time Jen had a good meal was when she was at school, she only had a 5th grade education, after her mother kicked her out she didn’t go to school. Sometimes she wished that she had told somebody instead of just hitting the street but she had heard horror stories of kids that went into the system, Jen figured she could do okay on her own.
She wondered if the detective would find her last note, she had left it at the station again; Jen had slipped it on the front desk and beat it out of there. She wondered if he would figure out where she was and come to save her again. She had thought several times of killing herself once she had gotten older but hadn’t ever tried it. But she was tired of fighting to live; she wasn’t even sure why she had contacted the detective, maybe because he had been through horrors, although different from hers, brought on by the same two men that hurt her and who knows how many others. She wasn’t sure that she wanted him to save her as much so that somebody would know that she had died.

Maggie was just about to turn out the kitchen light and head to bed when she heard a tap on her backdoor. She froze in her tracks, she knew that it wasn’t Hutch he would knock on the front and besides it was late. Maggie quickly turned off the light a peered out the back door, Jack stood there looking worse than he had just a couple days ago.
She opened the door, “Jack!” He stumbled in; she caught him stopping him from falling to the floor. “Sit down,” She pulled out a chair and guided him into it. “Are you hurt?”
“It’s my arm, I think it’s infected.” He groaned as he laid his injured arm on the kitchen table.
Maggie peeled back the dirty bandage she could tell that Jack hadn’t bothered to clean the wound. After getting a look at the cut she agreed with her ex husband. “It is infected alright, you need to go to the hospital or you are going to lose your arm, it’s bad.”
Jack shook his head no, “I can’t.”
She squatted next to him, “Jack listen to me, my friend is a police detective, they are looking for you, he was here earlier asking if I knew where you were.”
He jumped up nearly knocking the chair on the floor, “What did you tell him?”
“That you had come back but I didn’t know where you went which was the truth.” Maggie caught Jack for a second time as he swayed, “You are burning up. Let me call Hutch, please Jack.” The man looked at her with feverish eyes and nodded. Maggie sighed with relief, “Let’s get you in the living room, you can lie on the couch and I’ll call him.”

It was 11:30 when the phone began to ring; Hutch rolled over and grabbed the receiver before it could ring again. “Hello?” Hutch mumbled.
“Hutch its Maggie.”
Hutch sat up swinging his legs over the side of the bed. “Is everything alright?”
“I have Jack here; he says he is ready to talk.” Maggie said looking worriedly at her ex. “Hutch he needs to get to a hospital.”
“Has he been shot?”
“No, but that cut I was telling you about is very infected, it looks horrible and he is burning up.” Maggie answered.
“I’ll send a black and white to pick him up and I’ll meet Jack at the hospital.”
Maggie was shaking her head, “I told him you would come. If a cop car pulls up he might bolt.” She explained although she doubted Jack would get very far in the shape he was in.
“I’ll be right there.” Hutch said, he hung up and got dressed. He tapped on his partner’s bedroom door then opened it; Starsky was lying on his stomach snoring softly. “Hey buddy.”
Starsky grumbled something incoherent and pulled the pillow over his head. Hutch crossed the room and grabbed his foot and shook it. “What!” Starsky snarled as he pulled the pillow from his head and stared at Hutch.
“Maggie just called, Jack is at her place.” Hutch answered, “I’m heading over there do you want to come?”
“You wake me up out of a sound sleep to ask me if I want to go over to your girlfriend’s place.” Starsky started to pull the pillow back over his head, then the name Jack finally clicked, he tossed the pillow on the floor and rolled out of bed, “I’m coming I’m coming.”
Twenty minutes later the two detectives were knocking on Maggie’s door, she escorted them into the living room. Jack had seen Hutch before but seeing the other detective with him gave him a start, he started to get up but it was a weak attempt. “W-who is that,” Jack asked eyeing Starsky.
“He is my partner, Dave Starsky, it’s okay,” Hutch said.
Jack looked to Maggie who nodded at him. Jack sighed and began telling his story to the two detectives.


Chapter 8

Hutch walked into the hospital waiting room where Maggie was waiting, Starsky was in the hall calling their captain to get a guard on Jack Graening, partly to protect him and partly to make sure he didn’t try to take off.
Maggie jumped to her feet, with real concern on her face she asked, “How is Jack?”
Hutch took her hands, “He has a bad infection, Jack is lucky that gangrene didn’t set in. The doctors think they got it in time. He is also dehydrated and malnourished.”
A look of guilt crossed Maggie’s face; it wasn’t missed by Hutch, “I should have taken him in when he came to me the first time.”
“This is not your fault; he is an adult and has chosen his own path.” Hutch guided Maggie back to the couch she had been sitting on.
“I know but still….”
“But still nothing, he is not your responsibility.” Hutch’s voice had a slight edge to it; he couldn’t help but feel a little jealous. “He has given us some names and agreed to testify, that will look good to the court. Plus, I don’t think he had anything to do with the murders.”
Maggie looked relieved, “Jack might be a little stupid and get himself in over his head but he isn’t a killer.”
Starsky entered the waiting room, “Cap said he will have an officer here within the hour, he wants us to hang out until then.”
Maggie looked startled, “Why does he need an officer with him?”
“If the men he is working for figure out he has talked to us he could be in danger.” Hutch explained, he left out that they were also afraid Jack might run.
“Is it alright if I see him?” She wanted to know.
Hutch started to object but Starsky piped up, “I don’t see why not, a friendly face might be what he needs.” Hutch shot his partner a look, “What?”
Sighing Hutch said, “I’ll take you Maggie.”
As she was gathering her things, Hutch leaned in the doorway waiting, Starsky looked from his partner to Maggie and it suddenly dawned on him what the look from Hutch was about. His partner was jealous, Starsky put his hand on Hutch’s shoulder, “She only has eyes for you,” he said in his friend’s ear.
“Yeah, we’ll see.” Hutch mumbled.

After dropping Maggie back at her house, the two detectives arrived at the precinct, the desk sergeant handed Hutch a note, “Found this laying on the desk.”
Hutch nodded his thanks, stifled a yawn, they had been up all night as he followed his partner to the elevator. As the elevator lifted them to their destination Hutch opened the note. The color drained from his face as he read the words.
Hutch handed the note to Starsk with a shaking hand, Starsky took the note, read it then looked at Hutch, and the look on his friend’s face scared him. “Do you think it’s from her?” They were now pretty sure the notes had been coming from Jennifer Ames.
“Yes,” Hutch took the note back and scanned it again. “It all comes back to the beginning, catch me if you can.” He read out loud letting her words sink in.
Starsky shook his head, “What is that supposed to mean?”
The doors slid open on their floor, Starsky stepped out but Hutch remained in the elevator. “I have to go.”
“Go where, you know where she is?”
Without responding, Hutch jabbed the ground floor button and was gone before Starsky could question or stop him. He cursed himself for not following his partner; he had not been on that particular case although Starsky did know a lot about it now.

Hutch pulled in front of a warehouse, he hadn’t been there since the bust, it looked like every other warehouse on the block but it had been a house of horrors for those young children. It was vacant, a large available sign hung on the side of the building. A side door was open a crack, Hutch pushed it open and stared into the dark building. “Jennifer?” he called into the darkness, only silence met his ears. Hutch walked into the building several feet calling out the girls name again. But only his own voice called back, nothing looked disturbed.
Hutch walked back to his car; maybe he had misunderstood the note. He started to climb into his car when movement from above caught his attention. Hutch looked up to see a face peering down at him. “Jennifer?” The head disappeared, Hutch looked around trying to figure out how she got up on the roof, he spied a ladder running up the side of the building, it was a long way up and he didn’t relish the idea of the climb. He walked to the ladder and shook it, it seemed well anchored; after calling out that he was coming up, Hutch began to climb.
He reached the top and stepped onto the roof, he saw a small figure near the edge, she stood with her arms stretched out as though she was going to take flight. “Jennifer! I’m here, its Detective Hutchinson; you have been leaving me notes?”
“I have and call me Jen,” She looked at him with brown eyes that held so much pain it made his heart hurt. She dropped her arms to her sides.
“I’m Hutch, come away from the edge and let’s talk.” Hutch didn’t move except to hold out his hand in her direction.
“It’s too late for talk,” Jen said, the wind whipped her long hair around her face. A tattered backpack lay on the ground next to her, all her worldly possessions, which wasn’t much, inside.
“I want to help you,” Hutch took a few steps toward her.
“Too late for that too.”
“Come away from the edge,” Hutch pleaded, he was afraid to go any closer for fear she might jump. “It’s never too late.”
“It is for me,” Jen looked over the side. “I’m tired, I have nothing….nobody.”
“You have me.”
She looked at the detective, “This isn’t your problem to fix. I don’t blame you, I’m sorry if you got that idea from my notes. I guess I was just trying to get your attention; I wanted someone to know that I lived. And I knew from reading your book you would understand what I’m going to do.”
The wind was picking up and storm clouds were forming, Hutch could smell rain on the air. “Jen please, it wasn’t the answer for me and it sure isn’t the answer for you. You are young you have so much to live for.”
She shook her head sadly, “My own mother didn’t want me, and she tossed me out like I was trash.”
“Your mother was wrong.” There was a flash of lightening and a heavy clap of thunder, Hutch glanced at the sky again. He took a few more steps toward Jen still holding out his hand.
But she only shook her head, spread her arms again and stepped backward off the roof of the building.
“NOOOOOO!” the word ripped through his vocal cords. Hutch rushed to the side and looked down, Jennifer Elizabeth Ames, lay on the ground below, she fell flat on her back, her long hair spread out around her head, blood was pooling around her.
Large rain drops began to fall quickly soaking her lifeless body, Hutch stood staring up into the sky allowing the rain to fall in his face, the drops mixed with the tears he was shedding for the young woman. He turned to leave when his foot struck her backpack; he picked it up, as he did his book slid out landing on the wet roof. Hutch picked up the book and chucked it into the air. If it wasn’t for that damn book Jen would still be alive, this was his fault. All the pain that he had tried for so long to hide came rushing back, he sat down on the roof still clutching the backpack. Hutch bent his head to his chest as the rain pelted his back.
That was the way Starsky found him, soaked to the bone holding a dirty backpack, his head down, Starsky fell on his knees next to his partner not caring how wet it was. “Hutch….Hutch,” he pulled his partner into his arms and rocked him back and forth as the rain poured down on them.

The moment the elevator doors closed Starsky ran to Dobey’s office, he burst in the door; his Captain was on the phone and scolded angrily at his detective. “Cap…” Starsky began but Dobey held up a finger as he finished his conversation and hung up the phone.
“Knock,” Dobey growled and was about to light into Starsky because Hutch wasn’t there also but stopped short when he saw the look on the detectives face, “What’s wrong, where is Hutchinson?” He knew that only Hutch could make Starsky’s face look like that.
Starsky quickly explained about the note, what it said and how Hutch took off. “He seemed to know where she was, do you have any ideas?” There was desperation in the detective’s voice.
“What did the note say again?” Dobey asked
“It all goes back to the beginning, catch me if you can.” Starsky repeated, the words were burned into his brain.
“Go back to the beginning,” Dobey said more to himself. “The beginning would be the warehouse where Hutch found her and the other kids.”
Starsky slapped his forehead, “Of course, I need the address.”
Dobey nodded and picked up the phone, within a few minutes he had the address which he scratched on a pad of paper. “Go find Hutchinson.”
It began to rain as Starsky sped through the streets and blowing lights to get to the warehouse where he was hoping he would find his partner. He had the feeling that Hutch had been teetering on the edge again and he was not going to let him down this time like he did before.
Starsky felt a rush of relief when he saw Hutch’s battered brown Ford but his heart sunk when he saw the young woman sprawled on the pavement. He grabbed the microphone and called for help before getting out of the car. He stood looking down at her, it was obvious she had jumped, his eyes swung to the top of the building. “HUTCH!” he yelled hoping he could be heard above the noise of the storm. It was clear Hutch was not in his car; Starsky saw the ladder going up the building and quickly climbed it.
As he climbed over the edge onto the roof, Starsky spotted Hutch sitting in a puddle; he fell to his knees and pulled Hutch into his arms. Hutch was shaking, Starsky wasn’t sure if he was cold or just emotionally spent. “Come on buddy, we have to get you off this roof.”
“This is all my fault,” Hutch’s voice was barely audible.
Starsky had to strain to hear his partner. “It is not your fault.”
“That damn book.” Hutch muttered.
“Come on,” Starsky pulled him to his feet, and wondered how he was going to get him down the side of the building. Starsky noticed a door at the far end of the roof and hope that he could get it open and Hutch down that way. Hutch was nearly dead weight in his arms. “Move your ass,” Starsky hissed in his partner’s ear. He half dragged Hutch to the door, he turned the knob and as luck would have it, it was unlocked. He got them inside where at least it was dry but also very dark. Starsky could hear sirens in the distance and decided he would have to leave Hutch just inside the door; he was going to need help. He wished he had the fore thought to have called Sam; he would have been very useful.
“Hutch, sit down right there,” Starsky gently pushed Hutch into a sitting position on the landing. “You stay there, I will be right back.”

With the help of two uniformed officers Starsky managed to get Hutch out of the warehouse and into his car, he handed one officer car keys and asked him to take Hutch’s car back to the precinct. The coroner had arrived and was loading Jennifer’s body into the back of his wagon; Starsky spoke to him briefly before he got in next to Hutch. As they were about to drive away an officer knocked on the driver’s side window, Starsky rolled down the window. The officer passed the soggy book Hutch had penned, “I found this laying over there,” The officer jerked his head in the direction of where the book had been laying.
Starsky nodded at him, took the book and tossed in the floor of the backseat. “Thanks, Ron.” He then got on the radio and had the operator tell Dobey that he had found Hutch and to contact Sam and tell him to meet them at the hospital.
When they arrived at the hospital Sam met them outside the emergency room, the doctor took one look at Hutch and asked, “What happened? Starsky quickly explained as much as he knew. “So the girl killed herself in front of Ken?”
Starsky sighed, “That’s what looks like went down. I don’t think Hutch would have been on the roof if she had already been on the ground.”
Sam knelt in front of Hutch, “Ken, its Sam.” Hutch didn’t respond. “Let’s get him inside and out of these wet clothes.”
An hour later Hutch was dry and in a hospital bed, he was still clutching Jennifer’s book bag, the only time they got any sound out of Hutch was when they tried to take the bag, and then it was inaudible. He was staring out into space as Sam tried to talk to him. Starsky, who had been sitting in the corner, suddenly got up and left the room. He couldn’t take going through this again. All the progress that had been made with Hutch over the last ten years had been destroyed by one little girl that had happened to get her hands on his book.
Starsky sat down heavily in a chair outside Hutch’s room, he was lost in thought when he heard his name being called, Maggie was rushing down the hall toward him. “What happened?”
Once again Starsky explained, if he had to tell the story one more time he was going to go out of his mind. “Your dad is in there with him now.”
She nodded and sat down next Starsky to wait.

Sam paced the floor at the end of Hutch’s bed; he had ordered some IV fluids and a mild sedative so that the detective would sleep and perhaps wake up in a better mental state. A nurse entered the room and set up the IV, took vitals, and checked the monitor then left. Sam watched as his patient’s eyes slid shut, he walked over and took the damp, dirty book bag and put it the chair next to the bed so that Hutch could see it when he woke up. The doctor stepped out of the room to find Starsky and his daughter sitting in the hall.
They both got to their feet when they saw him. “How is he daddy?”
“I’m not sure; Ken is sleeping, that is the best thing for him right now,” Sam put his hand on Starsky’s shoulder, “Tell me everything you know.”
“I already told you.” Starsky sighed.
“I want you to tell me again.” Sam suggested coffee in the cafeteria, as they walked by the nurse’s station Sam stopped; he addressed the nurse behind the desk. “I want somebody in the room with Detective Hutchinson until I get back.” The nurse nodded and went back to her paperwork.
An hour later Starsky, Sam and Maggie stood in front of Hutch’s door, “Why don’t you two go home, come back in the morning, Ken will be out until then.”
“I need to see him first,” Starsky insisted. Sam nodded and opened the door. The bed was empty, the IV needle was lying on the bed and the book bag was gone. There was no nurse in the room. Maggie went to the bathroom door and knocked, then opened the door, it was also empty.
Starsky looked at Sam, “Where the hell is my partner?”


 Chapter 9


Hutch sat on the edge of the tub, a pack of razor blades next to him. He ran his finger over the scars on his wrist, then looked at the other wrist and then he held them side by side. Hutch had thought maybe he would do it a quicker way this time. Perhaps jumping off the same building where Jen had ended it would be the way to go or just sticking his magnum in his mouth and pulling the trigger. But the blades were a familiar friend and in a way comforting. This time there would be no notes, he was going to do it and be done with it. Hutch could not go through the long hours of Sam probing and prodding his thoughts and emotions. He felt as though he had spent the last 10 years standing on the edge willing himself not to fall off and it would only been a matter of time before something set him off again. He picked up the pack of blades and pulled one out then looked over to the hot and cold handles on the bath tub, he shook his head, he wasn’t filling the tub with water this time either. He knew what a mess that had been. He didn’t want Starsky cleaning up after him again.
Hutch’s eyes fell upon Jen’s tattered book bag that was sitting on the back of the toilet where he had put it when he entered the bathroom. He unzipped the bag and peered inside, there wasn’t much, a plastic bag with a few toiletries, a hair brush, a pair of dirty jeans, and couple of shirts. In the bottom was a damp paperback book ‘To Kill A Mocking Bird’, good choice Hutch thought to himself. As he started to put the book back in the backpack a folded sheet of paper fell to the floor, Hutch was shocked to see Detective Hutchinson scrawled on one side. He opened the note, Hutch’s eyes blurred with tears as he read what she wrote. “Dear Detective Hutchinson, you are my hero. We were both damaged by the same men, you were strong you survived but I can’t go on anymore. Please don’t blame yourself, none of this was your fault, you did your job by getting us out of that horrible place. You have to go on and save others who might not otherwise be saved. Jen”

Starsky was in a panic upon finding his partner missing from his bed. “Call security, have them search the hospital top to bottom.” He ordered one of the nurses. Then he turned to Sam, “Do you think he will try to….” Starsky couldn’t finish.
Sam looked grimly at the detective, “In the state he is in….yes. We need to find him.”
“Where would he go?” Maggie asked.
Starsky looked frightened, “I’m not sure. I’ll go check our house.”
“What is the address of the warehouse?” Sam asked.
“You don’t think he would go back there.” Starsky wanted to know.
“It’s possible,” Maggie said. Starsky had forgotten she was also a psychiatrist. “Daddy I’ll go with you.”
They headed out after hearing from hospital security that there was no sign of Hutch. There was also no sign of him at the warehouse and when Starsky anxiously entered the house they shared he went straight to the bathroom, thoughts of the last time swirled in his head. The door was slightly cracked open, “HUTCH!” he yelled as he shoved the door open but the bathroom was empty, he quickly searched the rest of the house. “Damn it Hutch where are you?”
Starsky picked up the phone and called their Captain, “Get an APB out on Hutch. He doesn’t have his car so maybe he called a cab or is on foot but we have got to find him.”
“Will do,” Dobey sounded distressed after Starsky filled him in. “I’ll get in my car and help in the search.”
Sitting on the edge of Hutch’s bed Starsky dropped his head in his hands, it had been well over an hour since his partner had disappeared from the hospital, and it could already be too late to save him. He racked his brain where would Hutch go, possibly to a hotel but that just seemed to seedy. Starsky raised his tear filled eyes and looked around the room, he noticed a plant sitting in the window and he smiled slightly, Hutch loved his plants, his old apartment had always been full of them.
Starsky jumped off the bed, maybe just maybe, Hutch had gone to his old apartment. Only a few days ago Hutch had commented that he had noticed a For Rent sign on his old place and he had been tempted to go in and have a look. That was it….that was where his friend had gone. He dashed from the house, jumped in his car and slapped the light on top; he made it to the apartment in record time unlike the last time when Hutch’s life had hung in the balance.
The For Rent sign was still there and Starsky took the steps two at a time, the front door was closed but when he tried the knob it was unlocked. “Hutch, are you here, answer me.” There was only silence, not again….not again was all Starsky could think.
Then he heard a very soft, “I’m in here.”
Starsky shoved open the bathroom door not knowing what to expect, he surveyed the room quickly taking in Hutch sitting on the side of the tub, the razor blades next to him, the dirty book bag on the floor and the note in Hutch’s hand. Hutch held out the note to Starsky, who was afraid to take it, he knew it was suicide note but it was not what he expected. He quickly read the note and then looked down at his friend; he bent over and pulled Hutch into his arms. It was Starsky that broken down into tears and Hutch who was comforting him. “I’m okay,” Hutch said and for the first time he actually meant it, he did feel okay.
Once they were in the car Starsky radioed dispatch to let them know that he had Hutch and they were heading to the hospital. Minutes after Starsky hung up the mic the radio squawked again, “Zebra Three here.”
“Zebra Three I have a patch through for you from Sam.” The operator said.
“Sam, I have Hutch, we are on our way to the hospital,” Starsky informed the doctor.
“Is he hurt?” Sam asked.
“No he is fine.”
“Then take him to Maggie’s house. I will meet you there.” Sam had hung up before Starsky could respond.
“I don’t want to go to Maggie’s; I don’t want her to see me like this.” Hutch said sounding distraught.
Starsky put his hand on Hutch’s shoulder, “I’m sure Sam has his reasons, he has never failed us yet.”
Hutch seemed to settle until they pulled up in front of Maggie’s house. He reluctantly got out of the car. Sam was standing on the front porch, as Hutch approached he smiled, “Good to see you in one piece.”
Despite how he was feeling Hutch smiled at him. “Thanks, I think.”
“Come on inside.” Sam held open the door. Hutch entered slowly looking around but there was no sign of Maggie. “In here.” Sam motioned to Maggie’s office; once they were inside he shut the door leaving Starsky by the front door.
“You look like you have been though the wringer.” Starsky jumped at the sound of Maggie’s voice, she was carrying two cups of steaming coffee, she sat down on the couch in the living room, “Have a seat it might be a while.”
She held out a cup to him, “Thanks, I need this.” He took the cup sipping the hot liquid.
“You could write your own book.” Maggie smiled at him.
Starsky shook his head, “No thanks, I think Hutch’s book has caused enough problems.”
“It wasn’t the book.” Maggie kicked off her shoes and got comfortable on the couch.
“I know, I know,” Starsky mumbled as he sprawled in the arm chair and was asleep almost instantly. Maggie pulled a blanket from the back of the couch and covered up the sleeping detective then stretched out on the couch and fell asleep herself.
It was nearly 4 a.m. when Sam and Hutch emerged from the office to find Maggie and Starsky still sleeping.
Hutch crossed the room and started to shake his sleeping partner awake, he was ready to go home and get some shut eye himself. “Let him sleep,” Maggie said sleepily, she hugged Hutch and looked at his haggard face, “You can lie down in my room. There is a guest room you can use Daddy, you both look like you could use some sleep.”
Sam nodded and followed his daughter and Hutch up the stairs. When Maggie returned to the living room Starsky was beginning to stir, “What going on?” he mumbled.
“I put Hutch and Daddy to bed. Go back to sleep.” Which he promptly did.
Several hours later Starsky stirred again, the sun was streaming in the living room window, he squinted in the bright light and looked around the room, Maggie was gone. He got up and folded the blanket she had covered him with and made his way to the kitchen where he could hear noise.
Would you like some breakfast?” Maggie asked as she put on a pot of coffee.
Starsky rubbed his face feeling the two day stubble that was growing there, “I’m starved. Could I wash up a bit?”
“There is a bathroom down the hall by the office, help yourself,” Maggie said pulling a skillet out.
Sam showed up in the kitchen just as his daughter was putting a large bowl of scrambled eggs on the table, Starsky was already at his place with fork in hand, he couldn’t even remember the last time he had eaten. Maggie smiled at her father, “Good morning.”
“Morning,” Sam said sleepily, his gray hair was tousled and his clothes rumbled. He sat down and Maggie poured him a strong cup of coffee. She remembered that was the way he had always liked it, it had been years since they had a meal together let alone her cook for him.
“How is he?” Starsky asked.
“I checked on him before I came down,” Sam said sipping the hot coffee. “He’s stirring; I figure he will be down soon.”
“That wasn’t what I meant,” Starsky said spooning eggs on his plate.
“I know son,” Sam smiled, “I think he is going to be fine, really fine this time. The note that Jen left really made an impact on him and made Ken realize that he did have a reason to live. That he does make a difference.”
“We have been telling him that all along.” Starsky sighed.
“Yes, but he had to figure that out for himself.” Sam said.
Hutch arrived in the doorway, “Are you all taking about me again?” But this time he was smiling, he still looked tired, but content.
Maggie kissed him lightly on the check and handed him a cup of coffee, “You look like you could use this.” He nodded.
Hutch joined them at the table. “Thanks for last night Sam.”
Sam shrugged, “Just doing my job.” He winked at his patient. “I want to see you at least a couple times a week for a while.”
“Yes sir!” Hutch saluted Sam.
“I’ll make sure he makes every appointment.” Starsky said.
“It wouldn’t hurt you to have a few sessions too.” Sam looked at Starsky.
“If Hutch is fine I’m fine.” Starsky told Sam who just gave him a stern look. “Okay, okay, I’ll come talk to you.”
“Good man, now pass that sausage.” Sam said patting his stomach.

Two months later Jack Graening stood with the two detectives along with Maggie and Sam in front of the courthouse. Jack shook hands with Hutch then Starsky, “Thanks, if it wasn’t for you two I would be going to prison.” Jack had been given immunity for giving up the names of men that had murdered several drug dealers and the Commissioner’s daughter and testifying against them. The two college students got probation and community service.
“Keep yourself out of trouble,” Starsky advised.
“You bet ya.” Jack turned to Maggie. “Come with me Mags.”
Maggie sighed, “No Jack, my life is here, and my family is here.” She squeezed Sam’s hand and looked at Hutch. “You have a good life.” She wanted to add and don’t come back.
Jack looked dejected and with a final wave, turned and walked down the street. “How about lunch at Huggy’s?” Starsky suggested.
Hutch shook his head, “Always thinking about your stomach aren’t ya?”
“It’s been a long morning.” Starsky said defensively.
“You kids go on,” Sam said, “I have some afternoon appointments.”
Maggie giggled at being called a kid, “Oh daddy, we are far from kids.”
He kissed Maggie, “You will always be my kid. And you two….well you know.” Sam walked off to find his car.
“I guess it’s off to lunch.” Starsky said.
“We better get him something to eat before he chews off his own arm.” Maggie laughed.
Hutch put his arm around Maggie’s waist. “I guess we are going to Huggy’s.

The end

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