In the Beginning

by provencepuss

So this is how it all began..... the loss of chapter divisions when uploading was beyond my control. Sorry for the inconvenience

IN THE BEGINNING

This was the first story I ever wrote . Ever since I first saw Starsky and Hutch I had my own idea of where Starsky had come from and what he'd been through...it took me nearly 30 years to write it down.

"I've been here before", that's what was going through Dave's head on a long recall loop and it wasn't going to stop no matter how hard he hit the mental stop button.
How many times in his life had he found himself, holding his breath, hiding and hoping the other guy wouldn't notice he was there?
His mind went back.
He was fourteen years old, mom had sent him down to Solly's to buy milk. He was wandering back along the alley when he saw them. Two guys, waiting behind the trash cans by the fire-escape. Waiting for his dad! Davey slipped into the doorway, and held his breath. Dad was coming home like nothing was wrong, "just another day, just a bit more pay" he used to joke, but this wasn't just another day. This was his last.
Davey stayed frozen in place, he was so sure the wise-guys could hear his heart beating he tried to hold his breath a bit too long, letting go was a risk, he did it as quietly as he could, gulped in another supply of air and …
…he couldn't warn him! He couldn't call out to him, if he did they would both be in trouble. Struck dumb, struck solid like a statue the kid watched as his father walked towards the end of the alley, the brownstone steps seemed so near but not near enough, then the shot rang out. Just the one, that's all it took. Davey shut his eyes when he heard it and didn't open them until he heard the two guys run away.
His dad lay on the ground, a blood halo round his head, seeping out on the sidewalk, his eyes were already blank. Davey didn't need to be told that his dad was dead.

Suddenly he was surrounded, his aunts, his uncles, his little brother and his mother, stunned, staring down at the lifeless body. His mother started crying, his uncle began chanting the prayer for the dead. Someone tapped him on the shoulder and he realized that his dad's blood had stained his shirt, but he had no memory of putting his head on the body.

As the cops arrived, the crowd broke up. Davey's aunt took his mother back up to the apartment, a cold-water walk up, better than the old country, but still not the American Dream. An uncle took Davey to one side. "Did you see them?" "Yeah" "Say nothing, it's better that way" A man walked towards them, Davey recognized the stocky figure of one of his dad's best friends, even if they were on different sides of the law now, they'd been on the same school bench together. Joe Durniak took the kid by the hand. "I'll deal with it Davey, you can count on me for that. Tell your mother the funeral's paid for."
Davey started to stammer that he he'd seen the men, Durniak stopped him short "I know who they were Davey, there weren't mine, they'll pay for this"

After the funeral was over, Davey's mother decided to get her son as far away from danger as she could. Her sister lived in LA; the kid could go there for a while, until things calmed down. But the kid didn't want to go, what would she do without him? Even at his age he was the only one who could have any influence on his wilder young brother, Nicky. "Don't you understand" she told him "they know you saw them. The people who sent them know and they won't stop just because you're still a kid".

He never knew where the money came from to pay for his ticket.

Life in LA wasn't too bad. His cousins made him feel at home straight off, his aunt's cooking wasn't like his mom's – she did weird things to chicken soup for a start! He soon developed a taste for pizzas and hotdogs, eating where and when he wanted to. He ran with the pack, came close to breaking the law – but every time his father reappeared in his mind's eye, just in time.

Life went on. High School came and High School went without making that big an impression on him. Oh he was bright enough, he drove all the teachers nuts because he seemed to refuse to use his good, quick brain – he preferred dreaming up pranks to doing chemistry! He's rather be on the football field than in the bio class.

He left school and took whatever came along, waited table, drove a hack, then the envelope arrived.

"Holy shit, I've been drafted!"

His aunt started crying, "How will we tell your mama?"
Davey, matter-of-fact as ever, gave her a look that said "I'll handle it". And he did

"Mama, it's me, Davey" His mother's voice seemed so close on the 'phone even if she was the other side of the country. "What's the matter, why are you calling me in the middle of the week? Oh, my Davey, you're not in trouble are you?"
"Kinda, Ma, looks like I might be in for some foreign travel."
"Whaddya mean foreign travel?"
" 'Nam ma, I got the papers this morning!"
The silence at the other end of the 'phone was thick enough to cut with a knife, then she started sobbing…
"Ma? Mom? Mommy! Willya stop crying please? I don't know if they'll send me out there…calm down, I'll call you Friday, maybe I'll know more"

"Kenny, come on in and wash your hands, lunch is ready"

The blond boy carefully put away the bike he was working on in the neatly-swept backyard. He went inside and washed hands and face, before presenting himself to his mother in the family kitchen. His mom was wearing a freshly starched apron and she smiled at him as he pulled out his chair. His father and sister came into the kitchen, dad fresh from painting the front porch, sis looking smug because she finally had a date with the school heart-throb.
Four heads bent over the table for grace, then mom put the lunch on the table. Ken grimaced, and his father catching the expression on the boy's face rapped out "You'll eat what your given, think of those who have nothing". Ken resigned himself to another helping of over-cooked broccoli.

"Your teacher tells me that you'll be on the honor roll, Kenny" said his mother "…my, that is wonderful. Just think, with your grades you can go to college and….."
Ken cut her off short "I don't know if I want to go to college mom"
"Don't speak to your mother like that"
"Sorry, dad. What I mean is I don't know what I want to study, so why go?"
"I thought you wanted to be a lawyer, Kenny, I thought……….."
"Yes, mom, I know what you thought, but I still don't know.."
His sister chimed in "Well at least if you go to college you'll get deferment, I'd hate to think of you going to that awful place"
"Yea, that's a point, and I could join the protests too, maybe more effectively than our little group here"
"Well you graduate this summer, better start thinking seriously" said his father. 'I'd rather finance your studies than your funeral"
"John!" his mother's shock silenced them all, they finished lunch in silence

Minnesota State University, the riots in Ohio had hit home. The students, long-haired girls and boys, difficult to tell the difference from behind they all wore the same uniform, jeans, ponchos, sandals, stood outside the faculty building singing the Crosby Stills Nash and Young song that had become their anthem
"…..4 dead in Ohio…4 dead in Ohio"

Ken and his friends walked away from the main group.
"I don't know about you guys" said Ken, "but I feel we need to do more, and I don't see how if we're stuck with classes and all. I'm dropping out of this place, I don't want any part of it any more"
"But Ken," it was Vanessa, his girl-friend who spoke up first, "You can fight it better if you get your law degree"
"I don't know. I just don't feel ready for the suit and tie trap"
"Well you do lot kind of cute dressed like this, I can't imagine you with short hair"

The hardest part wasn't finding a job, there were always things a guy could do and he finally found himself hauling a rig across the Midwestern states. The hardest part was explaining to his parents and his sister. She took it the worst, accused him of running away from reality and thinking he could change things without responsibility. His parents were simply stunned that he preferred to drive a truck.

His latest job was taking him further afield. He had to drive right over to Maine. Maybe he'd look up that old girlfriend, what was her name, Val? No Van, Vanessa, her long dark hair shining on her shoulders as she snuggled up close after a long night of sex. She came back to him like a dream, and the hard-on brought him back to reality with a thump, he was so distracted he'd nearly hit the safety barrier!

He headed the truck east, east to Maine, to a new world and to Van.

"Do we ever get to do something?" Dave was asking himself the same thing over and over again. The inexorable logic of the Pentagon had sent a street-wise kid, with a mean talent for dodging the defense line on the football field, to a boot-camp somewhere in New Mexico. Miles from anything remotely like a city, leave was no big deal. Worse, they'd put him in the supplies department. Checking in and out the equipment truly necessary to a camp in New Mexico (or 'Nam for that matter) arctic-protection suits; deep-sea diving bottles, could you believe this? His mom didn't believe it when he told her, but at the same time she tried to reassure herself that he was safe where he was.

Two days later he got his answer. The unit was moving out, tour of duty, arriving in Saigon next week. Part of him was excited, at least he would see some action, he was so shit-scared he finally had to run to the john!

So here he was again, hiding and holding his breath, hoping and praying to the god he'd forgotten since his Bar Mitzvah that they other guy wouldn't see him. As quietly as he could he flipped the safety on his pistol and with his right hand he parted the leaves to get a better look. Five of 'em, waiting for yours truly to fuck up. OK kiddo up an' at 'em. He launched himself without thinking about what he'd do next. He heard the shots and felt the burn as his left leg seemed to explode beneath him. The jungle turned from green to red to black.

He woke in a MASH unit. His left leg was in a cast, his right arm in a sling. He was having trouble seeing out of one eye
"Congrats" the doc was saying " you've just gotten yourself your ticket home, how about a little R&R in Hawaii on the way?".

Dave looked at him; the eye seemed out of focus. "OK doc, give it to me straight…"
The medic laughed, "Oh God, where did you learn to speak like that? Cagney and Bogart matinees?"
"No, all the guys where I come from speak like that, gotta a problem with it?"
"No. OK you have a broken leg; you must have fallen onto a rock or something. Your right shoulder is a little bent out of shape, nothing broken just shall we say 'displaced'. You took a bamboo splinter in the corner of your eye, no damage to the eye, but you'll have tiny scar on the corner of the lid". You're a hero; you should see what you did to the other guys!
"What about the women and kids?"
"You saved their lives; you'll get a medal for it"
"Stuff that, I'd rather have the 'plane ticket. Hey when are you going to give me something to ease the pain?"

Six weeks in a hospital bed is a small price to pay for coming home in one piece. Six weeks in a hospital in Hawaii made it a bit easier to bear. Two weeks R&R before going home a civilian made it even better.

Tanned and even more muscular that he'd been before he left two years earlier, Dave stepped out of the terminal at LAX and went to find a 'phone booth.
"Uncle Al, it's me Davey, I'm home and I need a lift"

Meeting up with Van was the best thing he'd done for a long time. She had a good job and supported them while Ken decided where he wanted to be in his life.
When Van got the offer to go to California, they packed up U-haul and set off on a long vacation/house moving. They planned to take about a week to cross the country, stopping off at Duluth on the way so that his mom and dad could meet the most recent Mrs. Hutchinson, - not that Van called herself that, she'd read her Friedman and her Greer, Sontag, Steinem and the others, she was still Ms Richards to the world at large. But deep in her heart she had a fond notion about being Mrs. Hutchinson.

They finally arrived in LA, found an apartment in North Hollywood and settled in. Van's job kept her busy and the question of kids never arose.
Ken began to think about what he could do. His sense of justice was still burning in him and the more he saw of the victims that crime left behind, the more he wanted to do something. Being a househusband was not his idea of contributing either. He thought about going back to college, but somehow the idea of being with students younger than he was didn't seem appealing. Sure there'd be guys on the GI bill program, but what would he have in common with veterans of a war he'd fought against? It was Van who put the idea into his head. In the most expected way.

They'd been fighting – again. He was sure that she was seeing someone else; she knew he was, why shouldn't she have some fun? He said that she should be faithful. She called him a moralizer, he raised his fist…. As she ran out of the room she screamed "if you want to be cop, go do it in someone else's life!"

A cop, yes, why not. He grabbed the 'phone book and looked up the number of the Police Academy.

Dave had been hanging around with the wrong kind of company. The hard-noses and the street thugs that he's seen all his childhood bored him. He didn't want to take up with other Vets, he was more likely to go join in the chorus "LBJ, LBJ how many kids did you kill today?" They thought they were tough, these kids swaggering and priding themselves in the bloodied noses and broken teeth that they notched up the way Dave had seen the Viet's huts chalked on the side of the jeeps that came back from a "clearing raid". He'd seen the villages after the massacres. He didn't want any part of the gangland wars that the kids he'd grown up with were trying to fight.
He knew that deep-down, he'd like to follow in his dad's footsteps. Not a suggestion he could put to Uncle Al!
Dave looked at the cards in his hand, Jack o' clubs, wasn't that the death card? Queen of Hearts, full of good luck. Death or luck? Good guys or bad guys. "I don't wanna be in your gang" "Bang bang, pop pop, you're dead, I'm not"

Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
He'd never forget it.
Bang!
Bang!

He sat up covered in sweat. The girl beside him slept on, so the shot must have been in his head and not for real. He looked at her, what was her name? Mandy? Sandy?
He looked around the room, not his. "Time to get up and go Davey boy" he said to himself and eased out from under the sheet that was twisted around them both, witness to the night's activities.

As he left the apartment block, he instinctively looked down the alley. No shadows waiting for him. No nightmares to call him home.

As Dave let himself into his apartment, the 'phone was ringing.
"Hi mom, yea, I knew it was you 'cos the 'phone was about to come off the wall! No mom, I'm only kidding."
Listening to his mom, and searching through the fridge for the milk carton, "Yea I saw on the news they'd arrested him, so what?' Dave suddenly stood bolt upright.
"I thought it looked like…yea mom, I saw it, I saw it all, and I couldn't stop it…mom, I was so afraid and it doesn't go away, you'd think after 'Nam I'd be over it, but ……."

After he put the 'phone back on the hook, he stood quiet for a minute, leaning on the fridge, absently stirring honey into the glass of milk in his hand.

He started thinking again about that Poker hand. Jack of Clubs; seemed to him that running with Uncle Al and his shady business associates would lead him that way. Sure the money would come in, but a what price? He glanced up at the bulletin board beside the 'phone...saw the photos of a proud man standing beside a bloody-nosed junior version of himself. There was his answer.

I gotta get my act together. I know what dad would have wanted…
He went back to the 'phone and punched a number…"yea, John? It's Davey I'm back from 'Nam and ready to do something right with my life; gimme the number for the Police Academy willya, please"

For Sergeant Jackson this was the nightmare beat. Rookies on their first day. Looking like a crowd of Keystone Cops in the uniforms that they weren't used to wearing.
Two of them stood out straight off. A little older than the others, "who knows" he hoped to himself, "maybe a little wiser too".
The blond rookie looked serious, do-it-by-the-book yes sir, no sir, learn the lesson off by heart. Model student. Apple pie.
The other one was different ball game. Something in that boy's eye told Jackson that he'd seen a lot and some of it not very pretty. His hair was a disaster, looked like he'd cut it himself and although it was regulation short there was something wild peeking out from under the cap.
Jackson looked at the files in front of him. The blond kid was Ken Hutchinson. Law -school drop-out. Married but getting divorced. Pure Middle America.

The other file brought him up short. Commendation for action in Viet Nam, honorable discharge. Not what he expected, somehow the guy looked more the type to have been on the wrong side of the streets. And somehow he thought the boy looked familiar.

They were the same age (Hutchinson a few months younger) but somehow it seemed like a lot of years separated them…that and the difference between coming up the hard way, and always having things on a plate. Jackson wondered how well they'd work together, and decided to find out.

In the locker room the rookie cops took stock of one another. Most of them were kids, eighteen, nineteen years old. Dave looked around the room. These kids all looked the same to him, like the recruits in boot-camp, full of bravado until the bullets start to fly.
He looked for the guy that Jackson had paired him with, and saw him coming out of the shower. Boy was this guy everything Dave wasn't! Blond, smooth chest, and even though he was obviously strong, his body looked soft. He looked like a farm boy from the mid-west Dave had never seen (nor wanted to, thanks). Dave wondered how this "partner" would cope when he heard a gun go off.

Coming out of the shower, Ken stopped to towel off and became slowly aware that he was being watched, and evaluated. It felt a bit like when potential date starts to eye up the possibilities, and at the same time he felt hostility.
Looking around he sought out his hunter. Across the room, one leg up on the bench as he dried his foot was a muscular man, dark curls covered his chest and ran in a line down to his crotch, he seemed totally aware of the menace that emanated from his casual movements. "Jeez" thought Ken, "if I didn't prefer Van I'd fancy that guy!"
Their eyes met. The other guy ambled over, still naked, Ken felt almost sissy with the towel neatly tied around his waist.
"Hi, I'm Dave Starsky. People who think they know me call me Dave. My family is allowed to call me Davey "his eyes hardened slightly despite the lop-sided grin "every one else calls me Starsky"
"K-ke- ken Hutchinson…" Before he could finish, Starsky raised an eyebrow, seemed to reflect for a second and then "Well isn't that sweet. I'll call ya Hutch, OK?" Somehow Ken ("no 'Hutch', I'll get used to it ") thought it was best to go along with this guy if he wanted to survive the Police Academy.

Later that evening, when Van finally came home, she found Ken sitting on the sofa staring into space.
"So how was the first day in the rest of your life?"
"I don't know. I mean I don't know what to think, Van. There was so much to take on board. We got paired off and my partner is either going to be a friend or an enemy and I have no idea which."
"Well I hope he's going to be a friend, because he's going to be all you have. I'm moving out tomorrow. I have a new job and it means moving out. I'll send you the divorce papers. Don't worry; I won't ruin your promising career as a lawman by citing marital violence…"
Before he had a chance to raise his fist, she was gone, the door slamming behind her.
"Shit!" He went into the bathroom, stripping his clothes as he went, as he put his shorts in the laundry basket he saw that it was empty – she' even taken her dirty stuff with her!

Dave let himself into his apartment. With a cop's salary (even a rookie's) and what he saved from the army he could afford a nice place. A leafy street, instead of a city alley. He'd found an apartment over a double garage belonging to the house next door. The rent was OK and he liked having space for his clutter. He lived in an eclectic mix that no-one could ever add up. Flashing lights, crazy street signs, Pirelli calendar, fake tiger-skin blankets, Mozart and Fats Domino. In his quieter moments he even made model ships – but he never tried to get them into a bottle.
He made coffee, sat down and thought about this new life.
Ken Hutchinson seemed OK, but he'd need some toughening up. He might be a balance when Dave's impetuosity got the better of him…or he'd be a pain in the ass.
One thing's for sure, I'm not gonna let him be a pain in my ass

The locker room stank of the sweat from twenty five men who'd just taken the assault course. Hutch (he'd learned to think of himself as Hutch now) was exhausted. He thought he was fit, but now he knew he wasn't…Starsky, on the other hand, was barely panting. "How did you do it?" Hutch asked him.
"That's nothing; you should see what I had to do in the army"
"The army? You were in the army?"
"Yep, private Starsky" (he flipped a salute and winked) "wounded war hero and …."
"War hero!"
"Well maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but I saved a few women and kids in the jungle, it was them or me, and I figured that I was more expendable."
"And you got wounded doing it, right?"
"Yea, fell over while I was shooting the gooks, broke a leg, injured my shoulder…heroic, huh." He stopped and looked at the expression on Hutch's face "You impressed or you need the toilet?"
"You called them 'gooks'?"
"We all did, figure of speech, if they seem like humans you can't shoot 'em, and sometimes buddy, I had to shoot 'em. So what did you do in the war? No, don't tell me, you played a guitar and sang protest songs. Don't blame you either, some of us sang those songs after a coupla joints. I always liked that one by Grateful Dead you know 'one two three what a we fighting for, good god I don't give a damn….See I didn't choose to go there, Uncle Sam sent me! I woulda been quite happy working for my Uncle Al…"
Hutch detected a hesitation
"No, come to think of it, I couldn't have worked for my Uncle Al, too many shady associates if you see what I mean"
"Oh boy" Hutch thought to himself" I do have lot to learn".

When they were dressed they left together, walking towards his car, Starsky turned, "How about a beer, we could maybe find out who we're saddled with as long as we're in this place." Hutch hesitated; he had nothing to go home to, so why not, like Van had said, he was going to need friends.
"OK"
"We'll take my car, that thing" Starsky gave a disdainful glance at Hutch's beat-up Beetle, "looks like something out of a Disney movie, and moves like a sewing machine with the clap!"
As Starsky continued towards his car, Hutch stopped in his tracks. It was a low-slung custom job that looked as if someone had cut in half a car from a thirties gangster film and joined it to a stock car. It was a weird shade of blue with white flames painted along the wheel arches. Starsky turned towards, him, head on one side, right eye slightly narrowed "What's the matter, never seen a paint-job like this before? My Uncle Al's in the business, a guy might as well have little fun in this gray world."
Hutch got in, still wondering what was wrong with his car. Starsky started her up, a roar like a jet engine deafened Hutch for a second, then as the car lurched forward he felt himself flattened against the seat.
"Aw shit, wrong direction, hold onto you kishkas kid, you're in for a trip" as he said this, Starsky hit the parking brake and the car seemed to turn on its own axis in a screech of tires and a distinct smell of burning rubber. If Hutch had known what his "kishkas" were, he'd have been holding onto them for dear life! For the second time, and certainly not for the last, he asked himself what he was in for.

Starsky finally brought the car to a halt in front of a seedy store-front bar. The sign over the door announced that it was "Joe's place". Hutch felt sick. This was not a neighborhood he felt comfortable in. This was not his idea of a bar. This was, this was, no he had no idea what this was, but his new-found partner seemed sure of himself.

They went down into the smoky basement bar-room. Starsky went over to the counter and for the first time Hutch really noticed how this guy walked. It wasn't the 'tough guy' swagger he'd seen the would-be thugs on the streets use, it was as though Starsky had to consciously move one leg…maybe the leg he'd broken. Whatever the problem, it didn't stop him running twice as fast as Hutch (and nearly twice as far). Hutch realized that he was going to have to get in a lot better shape if he was going to run with this guy on and off duty.
Hutch joined Starsky at the bar. His friend was bantering with guy, who seemed to be the owner of the place.
"This is Hutch. We're going to be working together! Now in case you're wondering Hutch, this guy is much meaner than he looks and if he doesn't know what's going on, nobody does. His dad knows a guy who knows my Uncle Al's brother-in-law's………"
"Starsky, please, I got lost at the first turn here. Hi, I guess we'll have 2 beers."
The bartender grinned, looked at Starsky square in the face and said "Came in your car, right?" Starsky laughed, drained his beer and wandered over to the pool table. As Hutch turned to join him, the bartender touched his arm. "He's more fragile than he looks. And he's dynamite at the pool table so watch out!"

Police Academy training takes time, and then it's over. The Rookies that go in either come out as cops, or they drop out before the damage is done.
The graduation photos show Starsky and Hutch standing side by side, big cheesy grins on their faces, cap on head…cap in hand…cap in the air.
For the next couple of years they walked and drove a beat. Somehow it was usually Starsky at the wheel of the Black and White – "that's OK" he'd tell Hutch "I'll do the driving, you do the thinking"

They won some, they lost some. Both took a few injuries, but never anything serious, mostly cuts and bruises. Their beat was not one of the most dangerous parts of the city. What impressed everyone in the precinct station was the way they worked together. Like two halves of the same machine. One was always there to watch the other (sometimes literally). Their timing was as perfect as the comics in the corny movies Starsky loved to go to on days off – Abbott and Costello, The Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy.
Secretly some of their colleagues referred to them Husky and Starch a reference to Dave's tough appearance and Ken's upright good-guy looks.
Hutch had graduated to calling his partner 'Starsk'; Dave always called his partner Hutch.
In self-defense against Starsky's superior physique, Hutch had started running every morning, and he'd become a health freak. His eating habits were every bit as weird as his partner's. If Starsky was capable of breakfasting on cold pizza, half a left-over burrito and a Dr Pepper, Hutch's breakfast was an unappetizing glop that only he could drink…but it was chock full of vitamins and mineral supplements. What Hutch didn't know was that when Starsky went back east to see his mother, he ate wholesome home cooking! And when he came home, (when no-one was looking) he was capable of cooking those same dishes just for himself; and just occasionally for a very lucky lady.

Hutch went regularly to the gym, Starsky went to the deli! But the truth was that Starsky's metabolism could handle it. He was fit without even trying, and Hutch knew that he had to work on it or lose it.

After two years the guys' luck hit. They'd participated in a drug bust, and were working out of uniform. The bust had nearly gone fatally wrong, and only the fact that Starsky and Hutch worked in their usual anarchic but totally coordinated way saved the arrest and 2 of the arresting officers.
In the middle of it all Hutch got an insight into what seemed to be driving his partner. They were waiting at the end of an alley; covered by a pile of cartons and by overflowing trashcans. Suddenly Starsky went very quiet. As Hutch glanced across at his partner, he saw him quickly trap his lower lip with his teeth, a movement a child makes before taking on a dare. A shadow passed through Starsky's deep blue eyes, and his Adam's apple quivered.
"Hey, buddy, you OK?" Hutch whispered.
"Huh? Oh yea, just saw a ghost that's all. I'll be fine; don't worry about me ….worry about him!" As the words were leaving Starsky's mouth Hutch saw one of the assailants coming towards them, gun in hand. He wheeled round just in time to fire off a warning shot. In the scuffle that followed two known drug dealers saw their careers come to an abrupt end.
Back in his car, Hutch turned to his partner and said softly "So tell me about the ghost".
Starsky turned to him, for a split second Hutch saw a vulnerable kid instead of his tough-talking partner.
"Oh yea, well…the ghost is all grown up now."
"You'll have to run that by me, buddy, if you're going to see ghosts, I need to know what I'm dealing with."
"Ok. The 'ghost', was me, fourteen years old, watching 2 fellas gun down his father. Now start up this lame excuse for a car and take me somewhere we can have a beer. If you're good I'll tell you the whole story – but it ain't no bed-time tale"

The commendations were delivered the same day as the notification that they were now to work in the detective division and report to Captain Dobey, Monday morning, 8.30am.

That left a weekend to celebrate. And celebrate is what they did. Starting out in Starsky's favorite bar, they went on to a disco where they met a pair of pretty blonde stewardesses.

Sunday morning. Hutch was slowly becoming aware that the ringing wasn't in his head, but coming from the bedside table. He rolled over and grabbed the 'phone, reaching over the sleeping figure beside him.
"It's Van, I'll be by in five minutes, there's something I forgot to take with me…." Before he could reply the line went dead.
He woke the stewardess, using all the words he could think of to avoid the name he couldn't remember, and finally "sweetie" got a response.
"You have to go. My soon-to-be ex-wife is on her way"
"Well thank you" She left the bed, grabbed her clothes and must have met Van on the way down the stairs.
Van glared at him. "Couldn't wait huh?"
"It's not like that. Starsky and I were celebrating our promotion and….."
"….what was his prize, a brunette?"
"You're a bitch, you know that?"
"Don't tempt me to tell you what you are, dear"
Not for the first time Hutch was tempted to raise his fist. He let her go
The sooner she was out of his life the better.

Starsky woke up alone. Alison was OK, but somehow he didn't want her to stay. Maybe she looked too like his sister. Whatever. He'd managed in 'Nam without because he had no wish to pick up something itchy from a local hooker. Like the song said "one enchanted evening, you will meet a stranger…." Yea well until then, the odd one-night stand was OK but he was more of a romantic than many of his friends would ever know.

Monday morning found the two of them in Dobey's office. Captain of detectives, Harold Dobey had a reputation for being tough with his men and standing no nonsense. He also had a reputation for having little or no sense of humor!
In plain clothes the two cops somehow looked even younger, and certainly not the standard issue. Told that they would be working undercover, the two were dressed in a style that Dobey had never seen before on the right side of a desk in his precinct.
Both wore jeans. Hutch topped his with a T-shirt and a thick plaid shirt that hid the holster carrying his magnum.
Starsky wore a black T-shirt a thick South-American wool jacket and on his head perched a warm-up cap. His holster hung on the right and the strap just showed when he moved forward and snapped the sketch of a salute.
"Starsky and Hutch reportin' for duty, Captain. Sir!" Why did it sound to Dobey that he was being mocked? Hutch remained silent, standing almost to attention, watching Starsky out of the corner of his eye.
"What is he going to do next?" he thought.

Dobey filled them in on their duties, gave them their roster, and sent them to get familiar with the squad room before going home to get some sleep. For now they were on Night Shift 4pm to 6am.

Starsky went over to the coffee machine, poured himself a cup, sniffed it, grimaced, put the cup down and went to the water fountain in the hallway. Passing the candy machine he laughed. "Don't ya just love that? 'Fresh' candy, as if it ain't been in the machine for a year!" All the same he leaned forward and with an expert tap just above one of the drawers removed a Hershey bar. "Wanna bite Hutch?" "You know I don't put that poison in my body, Starsk"
"Yea, yea, my body the temple, already. "The imitation of his mother's accent was perfect. "You're nuts, ya know that? You'll need the energy later kiddo." Grinning, Starsky broke off a piece and shoved it into Hutch's half-open mouth, before his partner could start to protest. "Besides, my gramma always said ya shouldn't go to work on an empty stomach! OK hot shot, see ya later"

After he left the station Dave looked at his car. He'd had a lot of fun with it, but even he had to admit it was ill-conceived for cop work. There was barely enough room for the driver and a passenger, nowhere to put a snitch or a bust.

Merle was under a pink '64 Mustang with gold hubcaps and a blue stripe from front to back. From where he was, he saw the wheels first. Then the scruffy jean legs and familiar sneakers. He dragged himself out from under the chassis and stood up.
"Starsky man, what you doin' here?"
"Well Merle I decided it was time to upgrade the wheels, you know what I mean? So what you got to show me. I need something fast in all senses of the word, but room to put someone in the back"
Merle grinned. "Don't think dirty thoughts before mid-day Merle, it's bad for your health. My partner and I have gone plain clothes, under-cover; if we bust someone we'll need room in the car. And if you saw his car you'd know why I want to be the guy with the wheels."

"I got the perfect thing for you, kid." He walked Starsky across the lot to where a car stood covered by a tarp. Merle whipped the tarp off the car as Starsky let a long low whistle.
"Now that's what I call a car!"

Ford brought out the Torino to fill the mid-compact market that was growing since the last gas crisis. It was never intended to be anything more than a workhorse, a car that mom could take to the supermarket, and use on the school run. Merle had other ideas.
Lifting the hood, he showed Starsky the adapted V6 engine. Another whistle.
Torinos came in gray, blue, light tan…the kind of colors that suburban families favored. This one was candy-apple red. Along the side, starting narrow and getting wider as it went back from the front fender was a white-stripe that crossed the roof.
The back of the car was raised higher by one of Merle's little tricks with the suspension. The wheels sported big wide steel-belted radials. Once upon a time Starsky wouldn't have been able to buy just one of those tires, now he was up for the whole deal.
"Beeyooteefull" Starsky whooped his approval. "How much?"
"For you, if you trade me the custom job, and being as you're Al's nephew, I go down to $2500"
"I'll bet you want in cash! I'll bring it tomorrow. Just one adjustment, Merle, take out those tacky fluffy dice and re-vinyl the dash willya please"

"I can't wait to see Hutch's face" Starsky mused as he drove away, he's gonna hissy fit himself halfway to the San Fernando Valley and back. But no way do I ride in that wreck he calls a car!"

Hutch was already in the precinct squad room when Starsky checked in for duty the next day. Hutch looked up from the manual that he was still trying to get straight in his head, Starsky had the kind of look on his face that he had already learned meant mischief.
"Ready to roll, blintzie?"
"Blintzie? What in the hell does that mean?"
"I see I have a lot to teach ya. You're a Goy with blond hair, so I figured the Blond Blintz would fit the bill."
Hutch ran what little Yiddish he'd ever heard in his life through his brain and made a rough translation.
"So what does that make you? Pastrami on dark rye?"
"Close" grinned Starsky, "but not close enough. Come on; let's get outta here before the cap'n finds us something less interesting to do"

As they walked into the precinct parking garage, Hutch noticed that Starsky had the hint of one of his best lopsided smiles. He looked around for Starsky's horrendous car, and not seeing it said "Well we're taking my car out are we?"
"What? No…way! I've brought my new short"
"Short?"
"Car. Wheels. Automotive transportation. If you're going to need a translator every time we speak with someone on the streets I'm in big trouble!"
As he said this, Starsky stopped by a shining red car.
"Looks like a striped tomato to me"
"Funny. V-e-r-y funny. Get in and check the list!"

They were easing along one of the streets of their beat. Driving slowly, close to the kerb, Starsky was enjoying the effect the low growl of the engine had on the hookers' passing trade. Hutch was hoping he wouldn't see anyone he knew. Starsky's last car had been a joke, even he seemed to think so, but this one…this one, he was serious about.

As they were passing in front of a storefront a kid, a girl no more than ten years old, ran out and started into the road. Starsky's quick reaction and the Torino's good brakes saved the situation. Hutch banged his head on the windscreen. "Teach ya to wear the safety belt" said Starsky with a chuckle. He never buckled up either, and he was out of the car first.

Hutch rubbed his head, and climbed out of the car. The heavy doors on this thing nearly drove him nuts in the best of situations, feeling groggy didn't make it any easier.

Starsky was calming the kid down. Simply by holding her with his gaze, he seemed to be able to help her to get herself together. Not for the first time Hutch wondered how he did it; just with his eyes, Starsky could reassure or intimidate; the rest of his face remaining impassive. In a low voice he was reassuring the kid. "It's OK. We're cops. Now wait in the car 'til we come back. OK?"
The kid nodded and Starsky turned to his partner. "Come on, we got work to do here".

Starsky's face hardened. The two men went slowly into the store and assessed the situation. Three customers held at gunpoint by a young man in a ski-mask and the clerk emptying the till into a sack held by another hooded figure.
Starsky gestured to Hutch to go up behind the first gunman, while he slipped round into an office and reappeared behind the counter.
Like perfectly choreographed dancers, the two cops pounced on their prey.
It seemed to Hutch that he must have missed a couple of frames, because when he looked up from cuffing his guy he saw that Starsky had his adversary pinned face squashed against the wall, Starsky's knee in the small of his back.

Very, very slowly, weighting every word with a menace that made the hair stand up on the back of Hutch's neck, Starsky told the man not to even think of moving.

"I'll call for assistance to get these guys out of here", said Hutch and he went out to the car. Starsky gathered up the dropped pistols, and started re-arranging the goods on the shelf behind the counter. Very slowly. Very methodically. As he did so he recited the "Miranda" to the two captives. His delivery was interesting. "You have the right to remain silent…" as if to emphasize how much these guys were going to need a lawyer.

The store cleared and the gunmen hauled off in a Black and White, Starsky and Hutch went back outside. The kid was still there.
"Jump in" said Starsky "we'll take ya home"

Hutch nearly fell back from the smell in the hallway. Sweat, piss and worse, stale cooking and the kind of cigarettes you couldn't buy in the stores. Somewhere a TV blared, in behind another door a radio serenaded the neighbors. A baby was crying and children were laughing. Somewhere a man yelled and a woman screamed.
The kid let herself into an apartment without opening the door wide enough for the guys to see inside, and slammed it shut.

"Thank you is a nice word" said Starsky and he turning with a shrug to go back to the car.

Hutch sat for a while in the car.
Hutch was still pale going on green.
"If you're gonna throw up, don't do it on my upholstery."
Starsky looked at him again. "Hey, what is it?"
"How can they live in a place like this?" Hutch's voice was shaky. "I mean, the smell and the filth…"
Starsky cut him off short.
"Yea well, some people grew up in nice Dick and Dora suburbs, Andy Hardy lived around the corner and a little older they get the hots for Nancy Drew. Other people live like this, or worse, or slightly better. It's called life Hutch!"

Silence. Then Hutch said, "You haven't seen my new place yet, I've got some beer in the fridge"

Hutch's one-room house stood alone, facing one of the Venice canals. Ducks swam by and you could almost ignore the tire and the cans floating along with them.

Starsky hadn't seen Hutch's new place. "Cute" he thought to himself "he found himself a little bit of home-town suburbia" "So where d'ya hide Nancy Drew?" he asked aloud.

Hutch threw a beer can to him, and they sat down.
Hutch took a deep breath.
"You scared me back there."
"I scared you! I was trying to scare the bad guy."
"No, that's not what I mean. Look Starsk this isn't easy for me OK. So hold the quips until I've finished."
Starsky looked solemn and sipped his beer.
"You scared me because of your reaction to that guy. You were really after him." He trailed of, Starsky was had an odd look in his eye, one that said "don't ask if you don't want to know" Hutch decided not to ask.
They both laughed.
Starsky tipped the beer can as far as it would go, drained the last drop and jumped up,
"Come on! I'll buy you a health food pizza! Anchovy and seaweed OK?"

Starsky cut a slice off his pizza (pepperoni, jalapeno peppers and two kinds of cheese) and looked up…
Hutch cut in before Starsky could say anything else…"I knew places like that existed, I just didn't think it happened anymore, not here, not in the 1970s"
"You didn't think… Look Hutch, like I said, you grew up in Duluth, Middletown, Main Street – call it what you want. The worst violence you saw was John Wayne on the TV getting the bad guy one more time. Or maybe a dog got run over in the street near your house. Mom and Pop were there to keep the big bad wolf away. Andy Hardy and Nancy Drew, played by Rooney and Garland all sweet an' innocent. Me, I grew up in a different movie – the one where Cagney squishes a grapefruit in his girlfriend's face. When the guns went "bang" real bullets came out and the hero didn't come back same time same channel a week later. I was 14 Hutch, 14. I saw them kill my dad, and I knew who they were. If he saw them, he knew too. They were the kids he grew up with. I ran with their kids…and when I go back east I still watch my tail in case one of those old buddies is coming after me because his dad paid the price. What was the worst thing happened to you when you were 14? You had your first hard on and the girl didn't notice, maybe? You fumbled a catch in a baseball game? You had the choices I didn't get to even hear about. You went to college and had the luxury of deferment, and you dropped out and still didn't get caught. Meanwhile I was sweating my blocks off in a jungle hoping that I'd get home in one piece. I don't even think you really know why you chose to be cop…"

It all came out so fast it took Hutch by surprise, like a punch in the solar plexus.
"I do know why I decided to be a cop Starsk "he said quietly, "because I want be in on the ground level helping people survive, not up there with the suits in a law office. I'd like to know what made you choose."

"S'easy" Starsky had a mouthful of (heat)hot cheese and (spice)hot peppers. "After they killed my dad, mom sent me to her sister where she thought I'd be safe. Uncle Al. Safe? Al's friends are into everything from numbers to coke. I ran with the pack a little, but I found it scarier that I let show. I didn't want to go that way. The family who lived next door to us? He was a cop, uniform guy. He took me under his wing when I was about 16. Stopped me dropping out of High School. Taught me to fight. Taught me to defend myself. Thanks to John, I graduated High School I stayed the course. He taught me that. Stick with it even when it hurts, if you believe what you're doing is right." The shadow passed through the blue eyes one more time, Starsky bit his lip "I guess he just took over where my dad left off. So that's why I'm a cop, because I have this crazy notion that somehow, by keeping people like the creeps in the alley off the streets, I might just be able to save someone. Just once, it would be real nice"

Hutch took a moment, he could feel tears burning behind his eyes. This tough guy in front of him was really, an idealist, driven and driving. Like the guy in the bar had told him, Starsky was more fragile than he seemed and this afternoon in the store, a crack had opened up.
"What about the people you saved in Viet Nam? Women and kids? Doesn't that count?"
"Yeas, but not in the same way. They probably got napalmed the next day anyway. That war is over for me, Hutch, what we're fighting here is undeclared war, and you and me, we're just like the other grunts unless we can make it happen"

Hutch called for the check "It's on me buddy".
As he watched Starsky walk towards his car, Hutch said a little prayer under his breath.

For once Starsky was early. He walked into the squad room, sniffed the coffee and made for the water fountain. Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered to go to the coffee pot first. He preferred his coffee strong, this stuff always looked and tasted like it had been strained through a sock.
He wandered over to his desk, and sat on the back of his chair. It was one of his habits that drove Hutch nuts, Starsky would sit on the top of the chair back, feet on the seat and keep perfect balance. Hutch couldn't work out how he did it, that's what drove him nuts.

A half hour later, Starsky was still writing up the bust in the grocery store, typing fast with three fingers, the clatter of the machine stopped him from noticing that Dobey had walked into the room and was staring at Hutch's empty chair.
"Now where is he?" the Captain barked.
"Dunno Cap. I got here on time, guess he overslept or something."
"Well find him. You two have a big day ahead of you, word is that there's a big drug deal going down and it will be on your patch."

Methodically Starsky rearranged his desk. Files neatly stacked beside the typewriter, pen in the tray, he glanced around, smiled, and went out to rouse his partner.

Hutch's car was outside the little house. Starsky parked alongside of it and went towards the door. No lights. He took the key from the ledge above the door reflecting for the umpteenth time that Hutch ought to know better than to use such an obvious hiding place for it. He opened the door
'"Hey Hutch? Hey Blondie, you awake? Rise and shine the ducks are quacking,the dealers are dealing and you and I should be rolling. Come on lazy………….."
As he kept up the banter, Starsky walked across the room, and as he did so he became more and more uneasy. Something was wrong. He went towards the closet, running shoes still in place, so Hutch wasn't out jogging. He carried on to the bedroom…empty bed. Slowly Starsky made for the bathroom. Instinctively his hand went to his holster, but he didn't draw the gun. Knocking on the door he called again. "Hutch, are you in there? He opened the door, staying back; covered by a one and a half inch thickness of wood just in case. He could see the bathroom reflected in the mirror and scanned the scene. Hutch was brushing his teeth. It looked like he plain didn't hear Starsky come in. It looked like he'd been crying.
Starsky said softly "You need a friend?"
His words seemed to jolt Hutch back to the world around him. Looking at Starsky in the mirror he sketched a wan smile. "Hi, what are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here? Dobey sent me, there's a deal going down and we're supposed to be taking the starring roles in busting it."
Hutch looked at him vaguely, "A deal? A bust?"
"Yeah. Remember, cops an 'robbers. Daring exploits by LA's finest and all that crap? Hey what's the matter with you anyway?"
"I don't know Starsk. I came home last night and all I could think of was how you chewed me out."
"I 'chewed you out'? Hey come one willya? I just put you straight that's all."
"No, it felt like more than that. And you know what? I think you were right."
"We'll talk about in the car, OK?"
Like an obedient child, Hutch followed Starsky out of the house to the Torino.
As they drove along Hutch tried to explain.
"You know what you said to me last night, you had a point. I don't know anything about the way these people live. All I know about is their police files and the reasons they're in them. I never had a dangerous moment in my life until I went to the Academy – and we were protected there. Even when we were in uniform it was mostly routine stuff, and the beat was an easy one. I don't want you to think you have to protect me."

Starsky seemed to be chewing the inside of both lips as he concentrated on driving the car and listening to Hutch at the same time. He hadn't realized how bad it was.

"Protect you! Fuck that. I'm protecting me! If you screw up I'm in danger, and I don't like the idea of losing it quite yet. Any way, what do I need to protect you from? Reality? No way, you've gotta see reality smack in your face until you learn to live with it"
They continued in silence. When Hutch spoke again he took Starsky by surprise.
"What makes you so sure that where you come from is the real world?"
"I didn't say that"
"Yes you did. I come from Andy Hardy-land remember? So Cagney and Bogart represent the real world?"
"No, well,…not exactly. What I meant was you need to see the tougher side of the coin."
"And don't you think that you could learn from …."
Starsky cut him off short
"I don't need to Hutch, not working the beat we do. Besides, the schoolbooks and the movies were about Dick and Dora, Rock Hudson and Doris Day too you know. I got to see the other side of the tracks, even if I didn't get to go there. You didn't know they existed! To you the gangster movies were just like playing Cowboys 'n' Indians in the back yard. The baddy got shot, the baddy stood up again and starred in 'another exciting new episode next week'. That's the difference. If I knew that there was another squeaky clean world out there, you had no idea about what happened outside of Middletown. How could you, you were protected from it by that nice middle class picket fence that went around your world. I'm not blaming you, I'm not criticizing you…yea, I'm even a little envious of you…but please, get your act together before we both fall over the rainbow."

The radio cut in before Hutch could even begin to think of a reply.
"Zebra 3. Zebra 3; See the woman on the corner of Ninth and Main."
Hutch grabbed the handset "Zebra 3, we are responding" as he did so he nearly landed across Starsky's lap as his partner pulled off yet another parking brake turn in the middle of the traffic. Slapping the red light up on the roof (and nearly losing it) Hutch yelled "Do you have to do that?"
"NO, I could go up to the next junction, take two left turns and come back down the street; I could back into an alley and turn back out, but I didn't because it takes too much time. " Starsky shot Hutch a big grin "And anyway, I love the look on your face when you feel your breakfast ask for a return ticket!"
"Tomorrow we take my car"
"Tomorrow I'll bring in my motorbike. Now I know you'd love riding pillion on that!"

She was standing on the other side of the street, not that Starsky was bothered by that little detail. He hauled the car across the junction and came to a halt directly in front of her.
"Must you?"
"Yea, I may not learned much in school, but I do know that the shortest route is a straight line"
"OK OK you win"

Their contact was a pretty blonde with a sweet face.
"Ma'am"
"Just like a polite kid" Hutch thought
"Ma'am, you wanted to see us?"
"Yes, I heard that you two are straight up."
"Oh ", Hutch cut in "you can count on us miss." A voice in is head continued "…too beautiful to be true" He didn't see the look on Starsky's face, he was to blinded by the hooker to notice anything or to really take in what she was telling them.
"I heard you were looking for that person who's selling trafficked dope outside the High schools."
"Mmm?"
"Well I think that perhaps he came to visit me last night"
"Came to visit with you?" Starsky's voice stayed even as he said it.
"Well yes, you see I had this gentleman visitor and he was so generous, when he was taking his wallet out of his pocket, well he just dropped this on the floor."
She held out a small plastic sachet of white powder.
Hutch took it from her, trailing her hand for one second too long as he did so. Starsky showed no that he'd seen, and took the sachet from Hutch and with a deft movement flipped it open. Dipping the tip of his little finger in and tasting it quickly, he grimaced, "Not as pure as it might be, too much of that could lead to a one-way trip."
"So, Miss eh…"
"Alice, but my friends call me Sweet Alice. So, I know his name."
"…and?"
"Not here, look I know a guy owns a bar just around the corner, buy me a drink OK guys?"

Hutch stepped over to the car and opened the passenger door, with a slight bow he gestured the seat "After you."
Grinning to himself and thinking "This just might be what he needs to snap him out of it" Starsky slid behind the wheel.
"Where too?"
"Take a left and then the first alley on the right."
The alley was blind. Starsky couldn't help but scan the side-mirror as he drove along. You just never can tell, after all. He stopped the car alongside a chain fence and gate that was the back entrance of 'The Pits" "Well," Starsky said airily " with a name like that it can't get any worse".

The bar was smoky and badly lit. Two pool tables took up the center of the room. Pinball machines lined one wall. The barkeep' was one of the tallest, skinniest black men Hutch had ever seen in his life.
Alice took them over to introduce them
"Huggy, this is Hutch and…"
"Starsky" Huggy finished for her.
Hutch glanced over at Starsk. A big grin was slowly spreading, as usual it started on the right, like the side of his mouth was reaching for his eye, then the other side, all Starsky's upper teeth.
"Huggy? What kind of name is Huggy? I seem to remember your name is…………"
"Huggy Bear. That's what all my friends call me"
"OK, Huggy Bear. If that's want you want. Me, I'm still Dave Starsky, just like on the school register."

"You two know each other?" – Alice and Hutch sounded like the chorus in a musical.
"We were in the same school", Huggy explained, "I moved out of the neighborhood and anyways, we only knew each other by sight; or maybe I knew him. This guy; he was a bit ahead of me in school and way ahead of me on the football field"
Hutch mentally filed that piece of info – he'd find out more, if and when Starsky felt like telling him.

Starsky was still staring at Huggy. "So how did you end up here?"
"I got a lucky break"
"Yea, guess we both did one way or another. Gimme a beer willya."

Hutch had already taken Alice over to a booth. Their heads were close and the conversation seemed confidential. Starsky winked at Huggy, "OK let's leave love's young dream alone over there, why did Alice bring us to you?"

"Joe Mancini"
"Phew. Joe Mancini's still alive?!"
"Not the old Joe we dodged on the streets, this is his son. Half the age and twice as mean."
"And…"
"And he reckons that if you cut heroin with a little soap powder you "clean up" if you see what I mean."
"And that's what Alice had in her purse?"
"Yes, Joe's been seeing her on a purely professional basis for about a year now. She doesn't know anything about him, thinks he's an "executive in the family business" – she may be a hooker, but she's almost as innocent as she plays it. She doesn't know family is spelled with a capital F"

"So where do we find little Joey boy then?"

He's come up in the world Starsky. Got a nice house near the beach…wait up… you know the one named after some old time movie star…"

"Thanks….Eugene….Huggy. Hope we might be able to work together again"
"Man, I know things I don't even want to know, always happy to lend a hand to an old school buddy – even if he is a cop!"
"Some things work out for the best" Starsky laughed and drained his glass.
"OK, now I'd better go help Cupid to put the arrows back in the quiver"
"Leave them; they're enjoying each other's company"
"Yea, that's what's worrying me. He's kinda naïf!"

"I wonder if I'll ever find out who you really are."
Hutch was thinking aloud and Starsky heard him. Turning his head, just enough to look at Hutch and the road ahead, he raised an eyebrow and said nothing.

"She's a very pretty lady. She plays at being a sweet Barbie Doll. But the truth is, Hutch, the truth is that Sweet Alice is a hooker, and don't you believe what you might hear, hookers never really have hearts of gold. In fact for their professional protection, it's better if they don't have hearts at all. There is one thing, though; she really doesn't understand what she's gotten herself into with Mr. 'Dopebags' Mancini"

Starsky continued driving along the coast road. Checking his mirrors he accelerated slightly, just enough to jerk Hutch against the seat again.

"What? How do you I was thinking of Alice?"
"Oh, you mean you have another mystery character in your life."
Hutch said nothing. Feeling the car speed up again, he glanced in his mirror.
"Trouble Starsk?"
"One way to find out"
Starsky hit the gas hard, the engine began to roar then settle to the deep growl, like a lion warning its prey. Looking up into the mirror, he smiled, but somehow his eyes didn't join in with the rest of his face.
Hutch looked again in the side mirror. Behind them, holding speed but keeping back, was a black extra-long sedan with blackened windows.
"Fun time! Let's see where this little track goes."
In a cloud of dust, the Torino started up a dirt track leading into trees.
"Well either we're not the only ones going to have a nice picnic on the beach, or these guys mean trouble" Starsky looked grim as he scanned the wood for a place to tuck the car out of sight. Spotting a big rock he slowed down, backed up and slid the car into place
The dust just had time to settle when the second car slid into view.
"Say what you like about this car (but not when I'm around!) but it's a lot more snappy than that shark tank."
As he spoke, the sharks got out of the tank.
"Holy shit!"
"What is it Starsk"
"The guy on the left, he's my cousin. Dammit Hutch, now what am I going to do?"
"Stay in the car, I'll handle it"
"He'll handle it! My cousin's running with Joey Mancini junior and thugs, and Blondie here thinks he'll handle it!"
"I said I'll handle it"
"This, I've gotta see. Shame I didn't bring my camera!"
"Shut up and stay covered"
Opening the door as quietly as he could, Hutch got out of the car. Using the rock for cover he straightened up and took in the situation.
Two men were standing by the sedan, talking to the passenger, hidden by the blackened windows. One of them was a stocky dark-haired guy ("must be the cousin"), the other had his head shaved and was built like a middle-weight boxer.
Hutch took a deep breath, and ambled out from behind the rock.
"Hi, nice day for a picnic on the beach."
"The two men turned towards him. The bald guy moved his hand under his jacket. Hutch continued towards them, big grin on his face trying to be as cheery as he could think of.
"My family is already down there, I decided the walk would do me good." Lovely day isn't it, makes you forget the pollution back in the city. I just love the Ocean at this time of year, don't you?"
Baldy moved towards him but the other man put a hand on his arm.
"Drop it, the guy's just a regular schmuck out having a nice time with the kids"
Turning to Hutch he shouted "You didn't see another car come down here did you? We're supposed to meet someone and we might have taken the wrong track."
"Nope, sorry, haven't seen anything since Mary-Lou went on down the track with the kids about 10 minutes ago."
The two men got into the car. As the sedan pulled away the front window rolled down and the bald guy shouted out, "Have a nice day!"

Hutch watched the car pull back up the track, shrugged and walked back to the Torino behind the rock. The moment the sedan disappeared from view; Starsky drove out to meet him.
"You see Starsk. Sometimes it pays to be All-American Apple Pie."
His partner was roaring with laughter. He was laughing so hard, he had to stop the car to recover.
"Hey come on, it wasn't that funny. I was scared the hell of those guys."
"That's not why I'm laughing. My cousin looks ridiculous with his hair shaved off!"
"But I thought…"
"Naw, the hair comes from dad's side of the family, mom, her brother Al and my cousins are all fair-haired Hah ha-ha, wait 'til I tell mom and Nicky, that Harvey shaved his head…..hahahaha. The other guy, the guy with the luxurious locks? He's a mean piece of work. Stevie McGuire, even in school he was Joey's pit-bull. Musta been Joey in the car.
We might just have a little problem on our hands here buddy."

Back at the precinct Starsky and Hutch erupted into Dobey's office. The Captain was on the 'phone; looking up he gestured the two detectives towards the chairs in front of his desk.
Putting the handset back on its cradle Dobey turned to Hutch and then Starsky.
"Now suppose you tell me what the hell is going on here?"
"Well Cap……"
"Captain…………"
"Please one at a time"; OK Starsky suppose you give me an explanation for going over the county line without signaling it"
"Well Cap. We…wait a minute, how do you know we were over the county line? I didn't know we were over the county line. Hutch? did you know we were over the………."
"Starsky!"
"Yea well. We had information for the whereabouts of a known drug dealer, and we were on our way to find out if the information was valid, Captain, Sir" Starsky delivered this with a mock military tone and followed it with a salute."
"You had information that you didn't feel like sharing with me, your superior officer, not to say…"
"Not to say who, captain." Hutch asked.
"The IRS. They think you have blown their operation. They've had this Mancini under observation for a month, and you two go rolling in."
"Great" snapped Starsky "we go in to get a creep off the streets before he feeds cut dope to High School kids and the tax department gets miffed. 'scuse me Captain, next time we'll check with the FDA as well before we bust anyone."
"Starsky, that's enough!"
Starsky got up and stormed out of the room.
Dobey looked across at Hutch,
"Don't ask me captain, I'm still trying to work out what's going on too."
Leaving the room, Hutch turned, "Captain, Starsky knows some of these people, I think he might be in a lot of danger if anything goes wrong"
"You want me to take you off the case?"
"I wouldn't dare, Captain. Starsky's driven on this one, and he has friends who can help us get to the top."
"Be careful, Hutch."
"I intend to be Captain, but I don't know about Starsky."

Starsky had already finished his third beer when Hutch arrived. The unexpected sight of his partner obviously drunk shook Hutch. This was not something he had ever imagined. Despite Starsky's sometimes unpredictable outbursts, he always seemed to Hutch to have his feet too firmly on the ground to allow booze lessen his control. Joining him in the booth, Hutch sat down opposite and pushed a glass across the table.
"Huggy tells me you started early. " Starsky looked up at him. His steady gaze was as unnerving as ever. One eye seemed to be out of focus. He giggled softly. "Don't worry, I know when to stop."
He stood up, and swaying slightly made his way over to the pool table.
"Bet I can still wipe the floor with you" came the challenge as he started chose a cue and picked up the triangle to rack the balls.
"10'll get you 20 you can't"
"Oooh ambitious huh? I'm still sober enough to put that ball in the end pocket."
And he did, then the next and the next until only the 9 ball was rolling on the baize.
"And that little baby goes to bed in the right pocket". It did and Hutch got out his wallet yet again.
"You see Hutch, you've gotten yourself fit enough to run with me, now you gotta learn to play with me too."
Hutch secretly promised himself that he'd be back to practice whenever he could – without Starsky.

Huggy laughed.
"See Hutch, he was always hard to beat when he decided he wanted to win."

Hutch joined Starsky back in the booth. "How about soaking up the booze with some food? Chinese be OK?" Starsky looked up at him and smiled. "OK. Let's get take-away and go back to my place, there's a great gangster movie on tonight, and you still need a little education." Hutch laughed and the two men walked out of the bar.
The cool air sobered Starsky up on the spot. So did the sight of his car. The passenger door was wide open, and a bald man sat in the driver's seat.
"Get in Davey and friend, we're going for a little drive."
"Harvey, long time no see, how are you cousin?"
"Cut it Davey. Just get in, because if I don't take you for a friendly drive there are a few people who would like to take you on a very unfriendly trip."
"Well in that case…"
Starsky gestured to Hutch to get in, then held him back. "No, on second thoughts I think it would be best if the cousins sat together, don't you Harv?"
The two of them slipped into the car, Hutch in the back (Starsky called it the brownbag seat) and Harvey started the car. Hutch wondered how come he had a key; Starsky apparently didn't need to ask. "Merle still owe uncle Al?" "You got it"

Harvey slid the car into place in front of a car-parts store on one of those low-rise blocks you find all over the south central area. Most of the buildings looked like they might be temporary. This parts store took up four or five units. The sign over the door told Hutch that Starsky had come home.
"Dad's upstairs, Dave; why don't you go up and say 'Hi' while I talk to your friend here"
"We go up together,then we talk together" Starsky's tone warned Hutch that trouble was brewing. He also picked up the signal to be ready to move when his partner did.
The three of them went up to the office. A thickset, man, with light brown hair graying at the temples, turned to greet them. His smile had the same quiet menace that Hutch had seen on Starsky's face more than once.
"Davey, Davey good to see you"
"Uncle Al, guess I'd say the same in other circumstances"
"Davey you're family. You're a cop, but you're still family. Your mother would never forgive me if something happened to you. And Davey listen very carefully to what your cousin says, if you don't; I can't be sure to stop something happening to you. Do you understand me?"
"Yea, I understand. I understand that my uncle and my cousin are tied in with a guy who peddles poison to High School Students. I understand that…"
"No. You don't understand. Mancini and I went to school together. You and Harvey, you were in class with his boy. I know I've never been squeaky clean Davey………."
"Putting it mildly…"
"OK, so we don't see entirely eye to eye. But listen to me will you, please. I got into debt to Mancini. Harvey here is paying it off, by working with little Joey. Now you've gotten involved and we could all find ourselves playing footsie with the Santa Monica Pier."
Hutch watched the two men carefully.
"I'm listening."
"You want to get that poison off the streets, and you're right. I don't want anything to do with it…"
"Yea I know, keep it clean, numbers don't kill anyone blah blah blah"
"Numbers is different. Harvey and I can give you the people who push the drugs, but in return you lay off little Joey OK?"
"Give me a very good reason" – that slow deliberate delivery that Hutch knew only too well.
"I need a month to get Joey off my back, and Harvey is dealing with it. We have something on Joey and his father that gives me my insurance, when I've paid Joey off, when Harvey has done a couple of small tasks for little Joey, he won't dare try to call me in. And if he does, Davey, I'll call you and give you all the details. Now you wouldn't want your mother to have to come over here for my funeral would you?"
Starsky nodded. "Go on"
"So, tomorrow you go to a certain High School – Harvey will give you the address -.Be there when the kids come out at lunch time. A green LTD. That's all you need to know"
Starsky sighed. Looked up at Hutch, and signaled with his eyes that is was OK.
"You got it. This time and this time only. Got that? Oh and Uncle Al, tell Joey he should pay his taxes."

Hutch had hardly opened the front door before he started to take of his jacket. Struggling with the buckle of his holster, he walked over to the kitchen and opened the fridge. He threw the holster over toward the sofa – as usual it fell short and landed on the floor. He reached into the fridge and took out a cold beer. Popping the cap he leaned against the wall and though about what had happened since Van walked out.
"Time to take stock Hutchinson" he muttered under his breath. A couple of sips of beer later he felt ready to take a shower. Stripping as he walked across to the bed, he left a trail of clothes that he's pick up later. "No, slob, now" said the little voice of reason that still managed to make itself heard in the back of his mind from time to time. He retraced his steps and picked them up.
In the shower he retraced his life, taking inventory of the past few months.
"Achievements: now let me see. I made a big decision and stuck with it. I didn't drop out of the Academy, though God knows I came close enough"
The scenes flashed across the internal screen, failing his first attempt at the assault course – much to the amusement of all the other rookies. Closing his eyes the first time he fired a gun – that got him enough sarcasm from the training officer to last him a lifetime.
His one strong point at the Academy had been the theorizing. His time in pre-law had at least served for something there. He knew most of the laws, and had an easy time learning the ones he didn't know. He remembered details that many of the others couldn't grasp.
He stopped himself – "How come I don't remember how Starsky did in all this? I can't even remember him on the assault course, but I do see him at the finish, hardly panting. What was he like in the rest of the classes?"
He decided to heat a pizza, but the box was empty. A rummage hunt in the kitchen found 2 eggs that still seemed OK when he broke the shells and sniffed, a half an onion and a tiny scrape of butter; he scrambled eggs and stood forking them from the pan.
"I have to stop comparing myself with him. I have to prove to myself that I can do it too."
So back to the achievement list: graduating the Academy (fourth from top, who were the other 3 guys?)
Getting himself fit, he could hardly keep up with the others at the start of the course, now he ran 5 miles every morning and his timings were pretty good.
Not getting shot – cynic!
Getting promoted to detective after only a year in uniform. Now that really meant something to him. Working as a detective got him closer to helping people the way he'd imagined the job would let him.
As he reassessed himself Hutch came to realize something. For the first time in his life, he felt he was doing something worthwhile; And or the first time in his life, he felt that he was really taking responsibility for his actions. Married to a woman like Van, it was so easy to let her run their house, especially because it was her income that kept it going. As a child he didn't have to bother…he trusted his parents to know what was best for him. Didn't all kids? No maybe not.
So now, here he was and another decision had to be made. A tough one. A decision about his future. A decision about friendship and loyalty too. He couldn't accept Al's deal. But he couldn't betray Starsky.
Hutch tipped the beer can, and realized that it was empty. He put it in the trash can and went back to the bedroom. He dressed quickly and grabbed his holster as he went out of the door.

The car needed three chances before it started. This clunker would have to go, but he couldn't face the idea of a new car. Tomorrow he'd go see what was on offer at the used car lot down the road. He headed for 'The Pits'

Checking the alley for Starsky's car before he went in, Hutch headed straight to the bar.
"Huggy I need your help"
"Well any friend of Starsky's who needs help gets it here man."
"Yes, well err, this is not for him to find out about, OK?"
"Hey man, my lips are zipped" Huggy gestured a zipper across his broad mouth. "So what can I do for you?"
"Starsky's uncle Al, what do you know?"
"I know that he got his ass in a sling with Mancini just after Starsky went to 'Nam. Never really known what. You want me to ask around a little?"
"Yea but fast, Huggy. Tomorrow is too late"
Huggy slouched over to the 'phone and punched a number
"Uhuh. Mmhmm. He did? How much is he in for…and the kid's nearly paid it off, right?...seems Joey junior don't see it that way…that's bad man, that's really dangerous. Yea, I owe you one OK"
Huggy came back to the bar – "Go upstairs, first door on the right at the top of the stairs. Wait for me, OK?"
Hutch did as he was told (still the obedient kid from the suburbs at heart, huh).

Huggy came into the room a couple of minutes later.
"Better no-one sees or hears this conversation Hutch."
"So…"
"It's a set-up. Mancini ain't gonna let Al off ever. He owes too much. Mancini refinanced him, shall we say, and Harvey is in over his eyebrows – even though he shaved them off. Al won't ever pay it off, because the interest doubles every time he gets close. He gets a rebate if he gets the cops off Mancini's back. And Harvey gets to see another sunrise."
"Thanks Huggy. If you see Starsky you haven't seen me and you know nothing. Got that?"
With a hangdog look in his eye Huggy nodded his agreement.

Hutch ran down the stairs, and out to his car. For once it started first time. It backfired twice, but it started.
He headed for Al's store. The lights were still on in the office and he could see the silhouette of Harvey's bald head…and three other men. Glancing around the yard, Hutch saw the black sedan from that morning. They were all there. He went back to his car and called dispatch, and asked for a patch to Dobey.
"Captain this is Hutch. No Starsky isn't with me, he should be home in bed, off duty. Yes, I know that's where I should be too, but this is urgent. I've got Mancini and his buddies in sight and I need back up. Not Starsky, no, it's complicated, but he would just get in the way. I'll explain to you later. I need a couple of back up teams, make one of them the IRS " he gave the address " tell them not to use sirens or lights, I don't need them to announce their presence. OK."
Satisfied that Dobey would go along with him, Hutch moved to the next stage of his plan. There was a 'phone booth on the corner "Just this once let the book still be there". It was. He flipped to the Auto Parts section and found what he was looking for. Digging in his pocket he pulled out two buttons and a lump of fluff. He tried the other pocket, and brought out a dime. The 'phone at the other end of the line hardly got the chance to ring.
"Yes" It was Al's voice.
"Don't say anything, just listen. The cops will be here in five minutes; They don't want you, they only want Mancini and his thugs. Find a reason to get yourself and your son out of there…yes…now….no I'm not going to tell you who I am, let's say I'm a friend of the family OK."

Hutch went back to his car. A couple of seconds later Harvey slipped out of the building. No sign of Al. Hutch mentally crossed his fingers. He started the car and coasted it over to the side of the building, Harvey was walking along the alley. Sensing the movement behind him he turned in time to see Hutch holding his finger up to his lips.
"Ssssh. I'm here to get you out of this OK?"
"You made that call"
"Yes"
"Why"
"Because, like I said, I'm a friend of the family. Or one member of it anyhow"
"What do I do?"
"Shut up and get out of here. Oh and Harvey; I was not here this evening OK."

Harvey nodded and ran off into the darkness.

The back up units arrived. One of the officers came over to Hutch to get instructions.
"It's easy. Mancini and his thugs are up there in Al's office – Al's the guy with the gray sideburns. It's Mancini you IRS guys want, not Al. The thugs are a little extra for the Police department OK. I'm not coming in with you, I have to keep my cover."

The four other cops ran up the stairs. Hutch saw the struggle in black and white, a silent movie show against the blind. Minutes later they came back down, with Mancini and his thugs. No Al.
Hutch ran into the building and arrived in time to see Al coming out of the toilet.
"I thought the coast was clear."
"It is. Harvey's ok, I guess he's already home. You better go home too."
"Do you know what you've just done? You saved me from those guys, but now they think I set them up…"
"No they won't. The IRS has been watching Mancini for ages, just luck they finally took him in your office."
Al laughed. " Hey wait a minute, where's Davey"
"He's not here, Al, he doesn't even know this is going down. And I'm not here either. Harvey knows I'm not and so do you. Am I clear? Because if I'm not, I'll make sure that you go down the next time. Family or no family."
Al nodded and walked away.

Hutch went back to his car, it choked on him…in the alley, Al turned back.
"You know you need a new carburetor for that heap, probably cost you more than the car is worth if you go to a dealer, so why don't you come by with Davey tomorrow and I'll see what I can do. Family, OK?"

Hutch drove away. Driving home he smiled to himself. He felt like he'd achieved what he'd started out to do. He had enforced the law, and helped a whole lot of people at the same time.
He was still grinning when he fell asleep.

Starsky and Hutch stopped at a flower stall and picked up a big bunch of flowers to go with the candy Hutch had already bought.
"Never go empty-handed when you're invited to dinner" Hutch quoted his mother.
"We are going to Uncle Al and Aunt Rosa, Hutch, you'd be better off bringing Dramamine or something to stop you throwing up."
"Oh come off it Starsk…"
"My mother can cook. You name it she cooks it, stuff from the old country and real American apple pie. Now my aunt Rosa, she's a different story, her chicken soup can kill an elephant; why d'ya think I got into the habit of eating stuff from stands?"
Hutch looked at him out of the corner of his eye; Starsky was not smiling. "Oh my God" Hutch thought "he's serious"
"You know what Starsk, why don't we just pick up my car, and say we have a couple of beautiful dates waiting for candy and flowers."
"Good idea. Hey buddy I think you might be shaping up."
"If only you knew" Hutch to himself "oh boy, if only you knew."

Starsky continued driving in silence. From time to time he shot Hutch a look and tried to work out what was going on inside that blond head of his. Hutch had this little smile on his face. "OK, you wanna share it?"
"Share what"
"You've been grinning like a dog that found the meat market garbage cans ever since I picked you up."
"I'm just feeling good Starsk, that's all. And I'm looking forward to meeting a bit of your family that you go on about so often."
Shrugging slightly, Starsky grunted and drove on.

They turned into one of those quiet streets that you can still find in the city if you know where to look. Only a couple of blocks from Al's store, but lined with houses.
Starsky swung into a driveway,he parked behind Hutch's car and grimaced, then he opened his door slowly. As Hutch got out of the car, he realized that Starsky was still sitting there.
"Hey, come on."
"You really sure you want to do this? I mean we could find someone else for the candy and flowers if we really tried you know. I met these two nurses……….."
"Davey, my little………" Starsky was cut off by a the sound of his aunt coming towards him, arms out as though she was going to sweep a toddler up into her arms, not greet
A muscular adult about twelve inches taller than she was.
"Here we go" he muttered, then aloud "Aunty Rosa, this is my partner in crime-busting, Ken Hutchinson, but I guess……………"
"Ken, or is it Kenneth, so nice to meet you."
"No ma'am, Ken is just fine."
They walked to the house. The smell of something resembling chicken flooded the room.
"Oh Aunt Rosa, you shouldn't have bothered…you made your chicken soup…"
Starsky was grinning at his Aunt, but he turned to wink at Hutch.
"No darling, I know how much you liked my curry recipe the last time, so I thought I'd do you something really special. I bet he still doesn't eat properly, the worries this boy used to give me, never wanted to eat, but look at him, but he's grown up so strong and…"
Starsky's face was picture. Behind his aunt's back he was doing a near-perfect imitation complete with over-exaggerated arm gestures. Hutch had trouble keeping a straight face.
Al and Harvey came in and saved the situation by handing out beers. Neither man made any sign of having seen Hutch the week before. Al picked up the conversation
"Don't worry; we also got in a couple of steaks."
"Al!"
"OK Rosa I was joking, but you know what this kid is like. Fussy eater"
Hutch nearly choked on his beer. He could think of a load of descriptions about Starsky's eating habits "fussy" was not one of them.

"Aw Aunt Rosa I love your curry, don't you worry about that" Wide-eyed and with almost boyish innocence, Starsky smile was a winner.

Two hours later, Starsky and Hutch drove away. They turned to one another and said in unison: "I feel like I ate a brick"
"Don't say I didn't warn ya! I'll drop you off, or would you rather walk the rest of the way to lighten the load?"
"Just drive!"

They'd been at Starsky's house, watching a game, eating pizza and drinking beer. The 'phone rang just as the play got vital; "that can only be my mother" Starsky went to the 'phone grinning
"Hi mom, no you're not disturbing me." Big wink.
"So take a breath and tell me…she is? Who's the fall guy? No mom I didn't mean it. I have very pretty sister. I'm not surprised that some mutt wants to marry her, how could he resist you as a mother in law? OK OK I'm sorry, I love you. So when's the wedding? Ok I'll be there…. of course I will…I'm her brother aren't I, who else is going to lead her up there? Nicky? No mom I was kidding. I'll call you when I know my flight."

"How about that? My kid sister's getting married and she's not even pregnant!"

"When's the wedding?"
"Next weekend, guess I'll have to finally take some leave. Take care of yourself; I think you're ready to go out without me."
Hutch kept his comment to himself.

Starsky was away a week. When he came back Hutch couldn't believe his eyes. Instead of the wild curls that Starsky had been cultivating ever since he got out of uniform, his hair was cut short. He looked like he did when they first went into the Academy. And he was using the warm-up cap again to hide the disaster.

"What happened?"
"What happened to what?"
"Your hair."
"Oh yea, well you have a mother don't you? She never tell you to cut your hair?"
"Well mommy's good little boy obeyed someone at last"
"Piss off! If you really wanna know I did it for my sister. The wedding? It was the full works, the guy's family is kosher with a big K, know what I mean. Yours truly here had to put on the kippa and lead kid sister up to the canopy looking like a conventional Nice Jewish Boy." Starsky delivered the last three words with a stage Yiddisher mother accent worthy of Ethel Merman.
"So if I didn't want to borrow three of the bride's bobby pins, the only answer was a trip to uncle Sammie's for a little trim. Trouble is mom came too. 'Take off a little more Sammie ' 'don't you think it's too long round his ears' " Ethel Merman again. "I'm sitting there like a kid, letting mommy have her way. It'll grow back, and I won't be going east again for a while – well 9, 10 months at least!"
"Nine months?"
"Maybe more, but the way those two look at each other I reckon momma will have her first grandchild pretty soon, and if it's a boy yours truly will have to go over for another yiddisher family gathering…"
"You will.'
"Yea, you know, what you've still got and I had cut off" Starsky made a swift clipping motion towards Hutch's pants and laughed.

"Anyway, my mom, told everyone mother in sight at the wedding what a lovely boy her son is, how he's got a steady job and his own apartment in LA and if anyone had a daughter etc. etc. Bet your mom isn't like that."

"No, in fact she didn't seem too happy when I introduced her to Van. Come to think of it, she was probably mad because she didn't get a chance to cry in church"

"Don't talk to me about crying, the place nearly floated away with all the women in the two families sobbing their little hearts out."

The two of them went into the Squad Room still laughing at Starsky's imitation of his mother wailing as her daughter married a "Nice Jewish Boy with a Steady Job".

Weeks passed; Routine bored them, people shot at them, they made a few busts, and blew a few too.

They fell back into their routine.

Thursday, they were on night shift so Starsky would pick Hutch up from the gym.
Today was a Thursday. Starsky took the steps two at a time, carefully balancing his evening-for-morning breakfast as he did. Coffee and a Danish. Once Hutch had finished working out, the two of them tossed for the car (Starsky lost) and made for the precinct station.
As they were walking towards the garage stairway a car was being hauled in from a crime scene, something made Hutch turn back…
"Starsky, it looks like your car!"

…..and…

… that's….

…….where……………

…..we all….

……..came in!

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