Chapter 15 – Part 2 - Secrets
'If you're not careful we're gonna be late' Hutch called into the bedroom as he heard his partner rummaging around. Moments later, the curly haired cop came out with a frown on his face and the waistcoat to his navy blue suit slung over his shoulder.
'Don't know which goes first' he muttered darkly.
'Huh?'
'Why do they make things complicated?' the brunet complained.
'Starsk, what're ya talking about?'
'If I'm in my work clothes, its fine. Tee shirt goes on, holster, then jacket. Not a problem'.
Hutch stared at him as though he were speaking fluent Swahili. 'The lips flap and sounds come out, and yet I have no clue what ya mean buddy'.
Starsky glared at him. 'The holster. Do I put the shirt, the holster, the waistcoat and then the jacket? Or is it shirt, waistcoat, then the holster and the jacket? Huh? Its too complicated'.
'Well leave off the waistcoat and just go with the shirt and jacket' Hutch offered brightly. 'And then think about footwear'.
'What about footwear. I got my footwear on. What're they? Lumps of fog?'
'They're um…..unconventional. Most guys would go for black lace-ups maybe?'.
Starsky looked down at his blue sneakered feet and snickered. 'Now that's just goin' one step too far'. He buttoned the waistcoat, shouldered into his holster and inserted his gun, then put the jacket on over the top, looking in the mirror to make sure that the weapon wasn't too obvious beneath his clothes. 'Ready?'
'Have been for the last half hour while you try to make yourself beautiful' the blond muttered.
'What d'ya mean, "try to"? No, don't answer that. I don't want to spoil a beautiful friendship. C'mon, the sentencing hearin's at 11:00. We got time for a burrito and a coffee before we go in'.
'Starsk, do you really want to go? We've been before. We know the score. They tell the Judge that Dalango is wonderful, kind to his Mom, never kicks dogs, that kinds thing. They make out he's had a bad childhood and far from being bad, he's just severely misunderstood. So we really want to listen to that crap?' Hutch tried desperately.
'I wanna make sure he goes down, and I wanna make sure he goes for a long time. He near killed ya buddy!'
'Yeah, me. Not you. So why the burning ambition for seeing him go down? If anything that'd be my goal, not yours. We'll find out what happened to him sooner or later' Hutch said desperately.
'I have a vested interest in this case Blondie. I don't appreciate bein' held over a barrel by some flake from my teenage years, an' I want to see him one more time before he disappears into #Folsom never to be seen again' Starsky said decisively. By the set of his shoulders, Hutch knew there was little point in him arguing further and so he kept his counsel and hoped that the hearing would go as smoothly as possible. He'd hate for Dalango to say something he couldn't rectify some way.
Hutch followed on as his partner trotted down the steps and out to the car and as Starsky unlocked it he got into the passenger seat and took a deep breath. Ok, he could see out. He could open the door any time he wanted to. There was plenty of air to breathe. He was fine. Just relax. Starsky's here, you're here. Everything's fine. Despite the almost 6 months since the brunet had rescued him from the coffin that Dale Dalango had kept him in for four days - probably the worst four days of his life, the claustrophobia still continued to plague him, especially in times of stress. And today he was most definitely suffering from the stress of the occasion, not, as Starsky thought because of the sentencing hearing, but for another, far more personal reason.
Dalango had been arrested and had pleaded guilty to kidnap and assault of a police officer and was due for sentence today. But Hutch hadn't seen the young gangster for 3 months and the last occasion, when he'd taken the interview in the hospital wing of the jail had been one of the most uncomfortable times of his life. The time Dalango had revealed a secret that would destroy his partner.
'What I have to say aint the sort of thing Davey'll want to hear'.
'So why tell him? Hutch asked.
Dale snorted. 'Ya need to ask?'
'So tell me' Hutch had said and Dale had proceeded to tell Hutch his secret. At the end of it, the blond was shaken to the core and vowed that first he'd find out the truth and second, if the revelation was correct, he'd move heaven and earth to keep it from his partner.
'And you were gonna tell him?' he'd snapped at Dalango.
'Sure, I still might'.
'What'll it cost to keep ya quiet?' Hutch said softly.
'Somewhere comfortable'.
'So, if I can get you into a minimum security jail, you'll keep your mouth shut?'
Dale had smiled and nodded.
And the stark truth of the matter had been that while Starsky had always thought of Michael Starsky, hero cop and family man as his father, Dale Dalango knew the truth. That Joe Durniak, one of New York's most dangerous crime bosses and Mafia kingpin could indeed be his real father. The fact would slaughter the curly haired cop and Hutch had vowed immediately that the black secret would go to the grave with him. He could count on his own resolve to keep the devastating news quiet, but today Dale and Starsky would be in the same courtroom together, and if things were to go badly...
The brunet drove downtown swiftly, pulling up in the parking lot outside the courthouse. Checking his watch, Starsky grinned. 'See, we still got time for coffee across the road. The stuff they have in the machine in there's almost undrinkable. C'mon' he set of across the busy road and pushed his way through the door of the coffee bar opposite, ordering two coffees and insinuating himself into a booth by the door. They'd just got their drinks when Jo Newman, a sharp suited and clever lawyer that they'd had dealing with before came in a sheaf of papers under his arm. He ordered and looked around for a seat, seeing that the only available one was in the booth with the two detectives. The brunet looked up and a shadow fell over his face as he saw the lawyer.
'Look what the cat dragged in' he muttered as he focussed on something terribly interesting on the rim of his coffee cup. Hutch glanced up and groaned. That was all they needed.
'Mind if I join you?' Newman asked as he sauntered over
'Do we have a choice in the matter? Starsky asked, his eyes searching out and finding his partner's.
'You know, we really should let bygones be bygones' Newman said, sitting down by the side of them.
'You start letting the flakes get to jail an' we'll let bygones be bygones' Hutch said as evenly as he could.
Newman looked at him over his coffee cup. 'I'm just doing my job Hutchinson, just like you and Starsky. We all have to earn a crust you know'.
At that moment, Hutch spotted the name on the top paper in Newman's bundle and his blood ran cold. 'Most of us can sleep at night though. You representing Dale Dalango?'
Newman smiled. 'I sleep pretty good, nice and comfortable in my penthouse. What about you?'
Starsky grabbed the papers from the lawyer's grasp. 'You are, aren't ya? Representing Dalango'.
'And?'
'And if you'd read the papers, you'd know you shouldn't be talking to us'.
'Ah yeah, Hutchinson. No harm done. Against my advice, he pleaded guilty. Now it's my job to make sure he doesn't serve too long'.
'Why you…..' Starsky got up, almost knocking over his drink. 'You have no idea, do ya? Just how many lives get ruined coz of turkey's like you. C'mon Hutch. Suddenly the coffee's leavin' a sour taste in my mouth' He got up and walked out of the diner as the blond followed, his heart pounding all the heavier now that he knew that Dalango would have backup in the form of Newman.
The two detectives walked back over to the courthouse, checked on the lists and found their way up to the courtroom. Hutch waited expectantly for his partner's usual ritual to begin. He wasn't disappointed.
'I'm um…just….'
'I know buddy, you're goin' off to the little cop's room'.
Starsky grinned. 'It works. Works every time, and today I really need the mojo'.
The blond nodded and smiled. 'Go for it buddy. Anythin' that helps huh?' he took a seat and sat looking out of the first floor window at the blue sky and the tops of the trees lining the road opposite. Once Dalango had been put away he'd relax. Once Dale had been sent to the jail, he'd be fine. He'd be out of the way and Starsky would never have to hear the devastating truth. Dobey had said that he's speak to the prosecutor, who would speak to the Judge about which jail Dalango would be sent to. Hutch had promised him "somewhere comfortable" which translated as minimum security and the blond could only hope now that the Judge would do as he'd been asked. He looked up and smiled as the brunet came back and together they headed into the courtroom and got places at the back of the public gallery.
At precisely 11:00am, the court bailiff walked in and brought the Judge into court. The black gowned man looked around, sat down and asked for Dalango to be produced. As the gangster walked into the room between the two guards, he looked around and his eyes fastened onto Hutch and Starsky sitting at the back of the public area. He winked cheekily then stood in front of the Judge as he started his sentencing remarks.
'Dale Dalango. Yours is a particularly nasty and cowardly crime, committed against one of this city's finest police officers. The damage you did to Officer Hutchinson, both physically and mentally will stay with his for the rest of his life. To use one person's life as leverage to obtain what you desire goes against every code this country holds dear.
I have listened carefully to the facts put forward by your lawyer and I take into account your early guilty plea and the fact that Officer Hutchinson has made a good recovery. In the circumstances, I have no alternative but to pass a custodial sentence'.
Starsky nudged Hutch. This was it. This was what they'd been waiting for. He held his breath, hoping Dale would be sent down for a long, long time. At the front of the room, Dalango stood cockily upright between the two guards, as though he were here to hear the latest pop song rather than his fate.
The Judge continued. 'Dale Dalango, in the eyes of this court, your crime is so grave that no sentence short of fifteen years can be contemplated. Because I believe that you are a danger not only to yourself but to your fellow man, and because I believe that only hard labour will convince you of your wrong doing, I sentence you to 15 years in a maximum security facility. You'll…..'
Suddenly, Dale, who had been standing quietly yelled out at the Judge. 'NOOOO, that's not right. Ya got it wrong. It was all sorted, I was going to minimum security. I….' he turned and looked directly at Hutch. 'You double crossing no good bastard' he yelled. 'You told me. You said you'd…..Oh I get it. I know your game Hutchinson'.
The Judge was shouting for the bailiffs to restrain Dalango, but despite the fact that they'd taken a hold of their prisoner's shoulders, they couldn't shut him up and now Hutch was trying to push past his partner and pull Starsky out of the courtroom and into the corridor outside. The brunet however, wasn't for moving and Dale continued to shout.
'I got your measure Hutchinson. You thought you could double cross me. Well no way Jose. I told ya what had happen if you didn't get me somewhere comfortable. Ya told him yet? Ya told little Davey your news?'
Starsky looked at Hutch, questions in his indigo eyes. 'What's he sayin'?'
'Nothing. C'mon Starsk, he's crazy. Let's just get outs here' the blond mumbled desperately. He pushed at the smaller man but Starsky stood his ground as Dale continued his tirade.
'He knows your secret Davey, even if you don't. Ask him about it Bro. Ask him who your Daddy really is. He'll tell ya. Hutch knows everythin'. Aint that special Bro?' the bailiffs started to pull him from the room and Dale pulled back against them just long enough for his final parting shot. 'He wasn't gonna tell ya ever, but he knows. Ask Joe, Davey. Go see your Dad'.
As Dalango was dragged from the room, Starsky turned to his partner, face white and frame trembling in indignation.
'Just what do you have to tell me partner? What've you and that turkey been talkin' about behind my back huh?'
'Not here Starsk' Hutch muttered, feeling as though he'd throw up at any moment.
'Yes here. Just what secret are ya keepin' partner?' the brunet asked softly.
'Starsky don't, let's go somewhere else. Somewhere quiet' the bond urged and without waiting for an answer, he took a hold of his buddy's arm and dragged him from the near deserted courtroom. Starsky allowed himself to be pulled along but the minute they got into one of the small consultation rooms off the main corridor, he slammed the door and turned on the pained blond.