The phone rang. Detective David Starsky moaned and rolled over in bed. The clock on the nightstand read 11:30pm. With another moan Starsky reached for the receiver, "ello?"
"Dave?" a female voice asked. Starsky recognized the voice, Hutch's girlfriend Heather? Hannah? Holly!
"Holly?"
"Yeah it's me. Um . . . is Hutch there?" Holly sounded concerned.
Starsky sat up in bed, "No, I dropped him off at his place around nine, why?" Starsky didn't like the long pause that answered him.
"Well Hutch and I were going to go out to dinner at 9:30, but he never showed up. I called his apartment but when I didn't get an answer I called you."
Starsky literally jumped out of bed, "Holly why don't you try calling again? If you still don't get an answer call me back, okay?" Holly agreed and hung up.
Starsky went straight for his dresser and grabbed a pair of jeans, and a shirt. He was dressed and pacing when the phone rang. He jerked the phone of the holder, "Holly?" "Still no answer, Dave. Do you think . . ." Starsky didn't hear the rest of the question. He slammed the phone down and ran out the door.
The drive to Hutch's apartment seemed to take forever.
I'm probably just over reacting. Hutch may have gone out with someone else tonight and just forgot to call Holly.
Starsky's mind went back to the last time his partner had 'forgotten' a date. Hutch had planned a dinner for two and left the dinner to burn. The result of that incident left Hutch pinned under his car for two days.
But that was a year ago. And I made him promise not to go somewhere to meet a snitch without telling me.
But Hutch hadn't listened the first time Starsky had told him that.
He had gone to see Mickey. If Dobey hadn't radioed me who knows what could have . . .
Starsky shook himself mentally. That was all in the past. Hutch had recovered from his addiction and promised not to 'wander off' on his own. But he had wandered that day he went to see Lou. And look how that had turned out.
God Hutch if you made the same mistake again . . .
Starsky slammed the police light on the roof and floored it.
The Torino screeched to a halt in front of Venice Place. Starsky ran across the hood of the car, not wanting to waste the extra few seconds he could get. He took the steps two at a time, but stopped short for the landing.
The door to Hutch's apartment was open.
Starsky immediately drew his Beretta. He slowly walked to the open door and peered inside.