Cold Case Hot

by Jasmine2009

A cold case gets reopened 25 years later. Hutch focused. Nothing graphic, but some pedophilia connotations. Complete!

Title: Cold Case Hot

Universe: S&H

Author: Jasmine

Date: July, 2009

Rated: M

Contact:

Summary: A cold case gets reopened 25 years later. Hutch focus. Complete: 11 Chapters.

Chapter 1

Hutch walked into the chalk room and abruptly stopped. Among the room full of people were his parents. And at that moment, if he could have hit someone, he would have. But his options were few save for one man: Evan Scully. Decking him was too easy, he should reach into his holster, pull out his Magnum and blast the man's fucking head off.

Chapter 2

One hour earlier

"Thank you for coming, Mr. and Mrs. Hutchinson," Evan Scully, Captain of Special Investigations, said. "I hope your trip was pleasant?"

Everyone in the small conference room stood, presumably out of politeness but more likely because there lurked a certain amount of admiration when in the presence of beautiful people. It was easy to see where the detective got his good looks; she, a slender woman with blue eyes and shoulder length blonde hair, looked years younger and could have easily adorned the cover of a fashion magazine; and he, a tall man, with dark eyes and handsome features, looked like he once could have played defensive back for an NFL team. They weren't exactly what anyone had pictured, but it was very pleasant to be seated with such a striking couple.

The Hutchinson's looked worried and uncomfortable, but politely smiled at Captain Scully. For having just arrived from the airport, both appeared unusually neat and refreshed. From all appearances, they didn't seem to be as nervous as the room full of police officers. "We don't like being here without Kenny's knowledge," Mrs. Hutchinson softly admitted. If she knew that every man, save for one, agreed with her, she might have called the meeting off.

"I'm sorry about that too, Mrs. Hutchinson," Captain Scully soothed, "we also don't like the circumstances surrounding your visit, but as we spoke over the phone, it's very important to a case we're working on. Please, won't you sit down?"

Mr. Hutchinson pulled a chair out for his wife and then one for himself. As she looked around the room at the men, she spotted David Starsky, a familiar face and left her chair and walked over to him, "David!" she reached out her arms, "So good to see you! It's been too long." Her husband followed and they sensed David's nervousness in his reply, "Good to see you again, Mrs. Hutch," and to her husband, he shook his hand and said, "Sir." She smiled at her moniker and the memory that she was never able to convince him to call her by her first name, Catherine. In silence, they shared a brief moment of understanding: no body wanted to be at this meeting. Mr. Hutchinson asked, "Do you know what this is all about, David?"

Starsky's mouth opened but before he could reply, Captain Scully was redirecting the conversation as well his guests back to their seats. Starsky complied with a not too subtle facial expression and answered, "He'll explain it to you."

Captain Scully began the meeting by saying, "Let me make the introductions. Mr. and Mrs. Hutchinson, I'd like you to meet Captain Dobey--Chief of Detectives, Dr. Fullbright--police psychiatrist, Dr. Anderson--department's medical doctor, Detectives Babcock and Malone, and you already know Detective Starsky."

Mr. Hutchinson stood and shook everyone's hand, saying, "Please, call me Bill," while Mrs. Hutchinson offered a slight nod.

As Captain Scully began his explanation, it was obvious that his voice had lost some of its authoritative edge, and to Captain Dobey, it seemed to have taken on a sympathetic quality, "We are working on a case that involves you and your son, Ken." Softly he continued, "I think you already know what I'm talking about."

Bill Hutchinson placed his large hand over his wife's protectively.

Scully continued, "We think we know who kidnapped Ken twenty-five years ago."

Mrs. Hutchinson inhaled at the words. She never spoke of it and to hear it laid out so quickly caught her off guard.

"Can I get you a glass of water, Mrs. Hutchinson?" Dr. Anderson asked.

"Please, call me Catherine," she responded to the young spectacled female doctor. "Yes, I would like that."

Dr. Kate Anderson filled a styrofoam cup with cool water and gave it to her.

Scully opened up a file and showing remarkable compassion in both his voice and his actions, he gently laid several black and white photographs on the table in front of the couple. The subject of the pictures was easily recognizable. Four pictures of a cheerful, fun-loving blonde haired blue eyed seven year old boy with a bright smile and mischievous eyes. The pictures evoked a deep feeling inside Catherine Hutchinson and she touched each one gently and smiled. "He was such a happy child. He was always getting into trouble, but all he had to do was smile at you and you'd forgive everything."

Interesting insight into the life of one of their own, but not a surprise; Dobey knew all too well the detective's unique ability to get himself out of trouble.

Captain Scully let her reminisce; after all, that was the point of this meeting. Then he laid down another photo, only this wasn't of a boy full of smiles and mischief. It was of a frightened boy, with torn clothes and haunted eyes. She startled at the site and turned away. Bill Hutchinson toned, "Why do you have that one!"

"Mr. Hutchinson Bill" Scully correctly himself, "I'm sorry, but we need for you to remember everything that happened."

"Why haven't you asked Kenny? And why isn't he here?" Looking away from the photo, he continued, "What makes you think you know who this mad man is… after twenty-five years?"

Scully pulled out another folder and opened it. "Because we found these in an apartment." And he proceeded to set on the table newspaper clippings of a little boy who had been found wandering the plains after three weeks of being missing. Another picture followed of a filthy little boy, scared beyond comfort, tear streaked face, two black eyes, and cradling his arm.

Catherine Hutchinson remained surprisingly calm, although her uneasiness manifested itself in the form of clutching her husband's hand. She took an unusually deep breath and asked, "What is it that you want from us?"

"I need for you to tell us everything you can remember about what happened. I really believe we have this guy, but as you well know, he's killed all his victims. Everyone who can possibly identify him is dead; everyone except one person... and that person is your son. Kenneth Hutchinson is the only boy to survive being kidnapped and abused at the hands of this monster."

The Hutchinson's knew this. They had worried every day about another kidnapping. Even now, the thoughts haunt their dreams. Admittedly, they wanted to catch this man and so it was with a combination of anticipation tainted with reluctance that Bill acquiesced, "What do you want to know?"

"What was Ken doing the day he disappeared?"

Catherine Hutchinson answered, "He was going to a friend's house a mile away. We lived pretty far from the school and after the long bus ride, Kenny could never sit still. On that particular day, he wanted to visit a friend."

"Who was this friend?"

"Jason Wright, he lived two farms over."

Bill Hutchinson interrupted, "You can get all this information in his file, you don't have to ask us for it."

"Believe me when I tell you that I've read his file a hundred times. But there's one thing I've learned over the years: not everything makes its way into the file. I'm sorry if this is tedious, but like I said, I think we have a real shot a nailing this bastard, and I'm not going to forget what I know to be good detective work and louse up my investigation." The venom with which he spoke made for an awkward moment, but he reined his emotions back and resumed his more compassionate tone. "Now, did this friend, Jason, ride the bus home with Ken that day?"

"I think so. I can't remember."

Scully looked worried.

"Why is that important?" she asked.

Sadly, he explained, "Our man's MO is not clearly defined."

"What are you saying?" Bill Hutchinson asked.

"I'm sorry to ask you such detailed questions, but we want to learn exactly how he manages to coax young children to go off with him?"

Mrs. Hutchinson turned her head as if she were turning away from the truth.

Scully continued, "My theory is that the man who abducted Ken scared him into telling you that lie. Then, when Ken walked away to supposedly visit his friend, this man was waiting for him."

Mrs. Hutchinson swallowed, remembering the day. "Kenny would never have gone off with a stranger! He knew better!"

"Mrs. Hutchinson, your son was seven years old. It wouldn't take much to scare a young boy. What happened next?"

She paused a moment, allowing her brain to reel with this information. "He didn't come home for dinner. When I called the neighbors, they said he had never been there."

"When did you contact the police?"

Bill Hutchinson answered, "She contacted me at work and I contacted the police. It was seven o'clock."

"What'd they do?"

"They tried to tell us that kids run off all the time. They explained that children get mad at having to go to school, or having to do chores and they take off. And that he'd be back in a few hours."

"Did they search for him?"

Catherine answered, "Yes. After someone reported seeing a white pick up truck, they got a little concerned and started searching the area. But it was getting dark. They tried to assure us that Kenny would be fine. The night was warm and Kenny had a bit of a reputation, even at seven he could fend for himself pretty well. All the neighbors and everyone who knew him were so sure that he was fine that we promised to save a laugh for the next day when we'd see him walking out of the woods holding up a line of fish he'd caught or a squirrel he trapped." Her smile slowly faded, "But that didn't happen."

"Did the police ever mount a search party?"

"Oh yes, the very next day! Every person within 100 miles showed up. The town practically shut down. We had fifty men on horseback searching, and another hundred on foot. We had thirty hound dogs sniffing. The problem was Kenny could be anywhere!" Mrs. Hutchinson stood and walked over to the interior windows and looked down the hallway. The place was alive with people bustling from this place to that, carrying files, escorting prisoners, walking in pairs. She turned and said, "He just disappeared. There was no sign of him, no tracks, no clothes, nothing. He'd vanished without a trace."

The words weighed heavy in the room. It didn't feel like the case was 25 years old. Scully nodded his head, understanding and encouraging them to continue.

"We searched day and night for five straight days. Nothing. There was no ransom note, nobody claimed responsibility. My Kenny was just gone." She walked back to her husband and sat down again.

Bill Hutchinson continued, "We didn't give up. I spent every day passing out his picture, asking for any information. But there was nothing. The police tried to be helpful, but they were at a dead end too. They tried to keep hope alive, but after twelve days, one of the detectives admitted that the chances of finding him alive were less than five percent."

"What happened then?"

Catherine thought back to the exact date and said, "Well, a miracle is what happened. On June 15, I was in the kitchen doing the dishes when I looked out the window. Across the prairie, I saw a boy! I thought I was going crazy and my mind was playing tricks on me, seeing things that I wanted to see. But I saw a boy! And I knew it was Kenny. I ran out the door and I ran and I ran and as I got closer to him, I realized that God had answered our endless prayers! It wasn't an aberration; it was really him! But, he was… he was…" she covered her mouth at the memory of her son.

Scully and the others were listening intently, "He was what?"

She looked up and continued, "I grabbed him but I didn't know! His face was bruised and his eyes were black and blue, but I didn't find out until later that he had a broken arm, broken ribs, a broken jaw. I was just so happy to see him! My neighbor saw us and she called the police and within minutes the place was swarming with officers." She reached down and picked up the photo of the tear stained child and held it. "This is what he looked like." She slammed the photo down and pleaded, "How could anyone do that to a little boy! A child! And I couldn't protect him…I'm his mother! And I should have protected him! How could someone steal his innocence and leave him to die! How!"

She didn't expect an answer, she was venting some feelings that she'd obviously harbored over the years. Bill wrapped his arms around her shoulders and led her back to her chair where she sunk into it, distraught over the memory of her son. Several minutes passed in silence, each person in the room was left to conjure up some answer to these questions about a man they'd grown to admire and respect as a police officer.

Bill continued, "He was in bad shape. We rode to the hospital where he got a full examination. He was sexually abused, but not raped. He was dehydrated and malnourished, with more than a body's share of broken bones… but he was alive. And we thank God every day for that miracle."

"I know this has been difficult, Mrs. Hutchinson, but when you found Kenny, did he say anything to you?"

She had taken a tissue that Dr. Anderson had quietly pushed her way. She dabbed her eyes and shook her head, "No, Kenny didn't say anything. In fact, he didn't speak for sixteen weeks. The bruises faded, his bones healed, but he wouldn't talk. He was questioned by every professional in the police department and then some. He was seen by every doctor in the state, and no one could explain it. Physically, he healed. But he was wounded beyond understanding and there was nothing anybody could do about it."

"This next question is very important, so I want you to think very carefully. When Ken did speak again, what was the first word he said?"

The question was unusual and the officers in the room thought it odd, but Scully asked it with such sincerity that everyone was trying to answer it.

Catherine didn't have to think about it, she remembered it exactly, "He walked up to me and said, 'I'm sorry, mom.'"

Scully wrote down the word with very little emotion, "I'm very sorry to have put you through this again. And I'm sad for what happened to you, and to your son, Ken. You've been extremely helpful, and I want you to know that I honestly believe that we're on the verge of capturing this monster."

"I don't understand why you didn't get this information from Kenny?"

"Mrs. Hutchin—, Catherine," Scully compassionately said, "Ken won't talk about it."

She sighed, "That's not surprising. He has never spoken of it, ever. He sometimes acts like it never happened."

Dr. Fullbright offered, "It's not unusual for a person to act like that, especially if the experience was particularly horrendous. It's often their only means of coping."

The phone in the conference room buzzed and the captain punched the speaker button, "Scully."

A voice crackled, "Captain Scully, you wanted me to let you know when Detective Hutchinson arrived. He's here."

"Good. Send him down."

Three minutes later, Hutch walked into the chalk room and abruptly stopped. Among the room full of people were his parents. And at that moment, if he could have hit someone, he would have. But his options were few save for one man: Evan Scully. Decking him was too easy, he should reach into his holster, pull out his Magnum and blast the man's fucking head off.

Looking at his parents, Hutch forced a smile, "Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?"

His mother greeted him halfway across the room with a hug and he leaned over and kissed her. She replied, "We were flown out here by Captain Scully."

When he saw his father, Hutch smiled genuinely and they embraced. "Ken," Bill endeared, then pushed back and said, "They think they have a lead in your case."

Hutch's demeanor slightly changed. He smiled, but very nervously. "Oh," he said, feigning disinterest. He looked closer at his mother and in dismay, he said, "You've been crying." Then he looked up sharply at Scully and Dobey and the tightness in his jaw evidenced his anger.

"Detective Hutchinson—" Scully began defensively, but before he could answer, his mother cut him off. "Now Kenny, let's not get upset over this. I'm doing well and Captain Scully has been very kind."

Diverting his attention back to his mother and seeing her smile, he replied, "Okay, if you say so," but it was obvious that he was flustered. Repeating himself, he asked again, "What are you doing here?"

The question brought some concerned looks from several of the occupants of the room, but his father put a hand on his son's elbow and repeated his answer, "They think they have a lead in your case."

Embarrassed, Hutch replied, "Right, you said that." Looking around at the room full of people only served to fluster him that much more. In the awkward silence that ensued, his eyes darted from his parents to his colleagues. Finally, he broke the silence by asking, "Well… ah, how long are you in for?"

"Just a couple of days."

"Well, where are you staying?"

His father answered, "At the downtown Carlton Hotel."

Thinking was proving to be a bit of a challenge for the detective, but he managed to state, "You're coming over tonight for dinner." He turned to his mother and said, "I wrote a new song that I think you'll like."

She reached up and touched his face, "You still playing that guitar?"

He smiled and nodded.

Bill Hutchinson slapped his boy on the back and said, "I don't know about you, but I'm ready for a basketball rematch."

Hutch almost snorted at the comment, "You haven't beaten me in fifteen years!"

"Resting heartbeat!" the baritone voice ordered, and both he and his son grabbed their wrists and stared at the clock.

Starsky knew what that meant because he'd witnessed the challenge before, the rest of the people in the room watched in fascination and more than a little veneration at the father and son banter.

Fifteen seconds later, the senior Hutchinson declared, "64."

"68," Hutch admitted, disappointed.

He slapped his son on the back and teased, "You should really be in better shape, Kenny. C'mon Catherine. Let's get out of here so he can get to work. What time should we be at your place?"

"I'll pick you up around seven. You know how to get out of here?"

Bill Hutchinson replied, "You better make it six so we can get our game in… and yes, we can find our way out." They said their goodbyes and Hutch watched with affection as the two walked down the hallway and disappeared around the corner. But when he turned to face Scully, his eyes blazed with anger and his jaw clenched. Starsky moved forward just in case he had to intercept his partner, and Dobey stood erect, sensing the tension.

"Just what in the hell are you doing!?" Hutch seethed.

"I'm trying to solve a case!" Scully shot back.

"How dare you bring them here!"

Starsky inched closer to his partner, whispering, "Take it easy."

Hutch's reply to his partner was a quick, "Shut up!"

Scully angrily jeered, "Listen, Hutchinson—"

"No, you listen!" Hutch retorted, but he'd only taken two steps before a photograph caught his eye and he looked down on the table at the pictures. He froze in mid step, and stared. Slowly he reached out and touched the photo that was taken the day he was found in the field. He rested his hand on it and it was obvious that his mind was going to a place far away from the chalk room in Bay City.

It was the first time he'd seen it, and it definitely hit something inside him. He closed his eyes, as if willing the memory to vanish, but when he opened them, there he was again. So afraid, so confused, and so not in control.

Scully watched with interest, as did Drs. Anderson and Fullbright. Nobody spoke while the blonde detective seemed to be completely distracted. Fascinated, Scully inched closer to the young man, thinking he might be able to take advantage of this sudden vulnerability. Standing next to him, he whispered, "Who was the man that kidnapped you, Hutch? What can you tell me about him?"

The windows shook with the weight of Scully's body being slammed against the wall. The sudden attack surprised everyone, including his partner. Scully was taller and outweighed Hutch, but with the angry detective's forearm pressed hard against his throat, Scully felt himself actually being lifted off the floor.

"Hutch!" Starsky yelled, pulling at his arm along with Babcock, but Hutch was finding strength from deep down and he wasn't easy to pull off. "Hutch! Let him go!" Starsky hissed.

"Hutchinson!" Dobey commanded, also pulling on his subordinate, "Back off!"

Ignoring everyone, Hutch seethed, "What the fuck do you want from me!"

Seeking to catch his breath, Scully gasped, "I want you to help me put away this pedophile!"

"I can't!" Hutch yelled. "I can't!" he repeated. But his strength was slipping and once he relaxed the slightest bit, Starsky, Dobey and Babcock were able to jerk him off the captain.

Scully rubbed his neck and caught his breath.

Seeing the encounter from the hallway, several police officers had barged in but Dobey turned them away, "It's okay gentlemen, we have it under control." Reluctantly, they turned and left, closing the door.

Hutch backed away catching another glimpse of the photos. Slapping them off the table, he demanded, "Get rid of these!"

Turning to exit, he didn't get two steps before he heard the order, "Sit down, Hutchinson! That's a direct order!"

"Fuck you!"

"I said sit! If you don't, I'll have your badge!"

"Ah, c'mon, Captain," Starsky beseeched. "Let him go."

Hutch raised his chin in defiance, but Dobey reiterated, "You heard him, Hutchinson! Sit down!"

Hutch looked at Starsky who was staring at Scully and trying to figure out a course of action that would help his partner. Realizing there was none, Starsky communicated via expression that there wasn't anything that could be done and that he'd be wise to sit down.

Hutch took another minute, debating, but he finally pulled out a chair and sat. Scully continued to gain his composure by straightening out his tie and fixing his jacket, then he pulled a chair up and sat across from him. Before he said anything, he looked around the room. Dobey, Starsky and Babcock were standing behind Detective Hutchinson. Malone watched from a distance and the two doctors were observing intently.

Scully sniffed and rubbed his face, still trying to catch his breath after being held in a choke hold against the wall. He was angry at being caught off guard by the blonde detective and he wanted to make damn sure that Hutchinson didn't lose control again and do something worse. "Detective Starsky!" he toned.

Starsky looked his way warily.

"Remove his gun."

"What?"

"You heard me, I said remove it!" the force behind the order meant Scully wasn't playing around.

Starsky was hesitant to carry out his order and Hutch was just as shocked, but Scully had been in the police force long enough to know how to handle someone like Hutchinson, who was accustomed to being alpha dog. It was Scully's turn to play alpha, and Hutchinson was going to acquiesce or one of them was going to exit the room in a prone position, and it sure as hell wasn't going to be him.

Starsky took no action towards his partner's gun and Scully toned, "You want me to take your badge!"

Dobey was wondering why Scully had a death wish, but he also knew Starsky well enough to know that he wasn't about to remove Hutch's gun. Just to avoid an internal affairs investigation, Dobey grunted, "I'll take it."

He reached into Hutch's jacket, feeling the warm body heat and rapid breathing, and removed the Magnum that was holstered at his side and pushed it across the table to Malone.

"Now," Scully toned, looking into the steely blue eyes, "you asked me what I was doing. Well, let me tell you. I'm trying to capture a pedophile that's been preying on children for at least twenty five years! And you are the key to unraveling this case. Do you understand that! I need your help!"

A sharp pain shot through Hutch's head, behind his eyes, and he reached his palm to his head, shaking. "I can't tell you anything."

"You won't talk about it, I already know that! But you're not seven years old anymore!" Scully pursed his lips, "I want details! What did he look like? What was he wearing, what did he smell like—"

"Damnit it, Captain! I don't know!" Hutch shot back, furiously angry.

Remembering the detective's expression at seeing his picture, Dr. Fullbright interjected, "Captain Scully, this may not be the best approach."

"Shut up! He remembers! " Scully ordered. "Hutchinson! You do know! Tell me!"

"Fuck you!"

This time, it was the weight of Hutch's body being slammed against the wall that shook the windows. Scully used his weight to pin him and without any leverage, Hutch was effectively helpless. With a strong forearm pushing against his throat, Scully gritted, "Where did he take you? What did he say to you? What did he do to you? I need answers, damnit! Think, Hutchinson! Think!"

The pain in his skull blurred his vision, or maybe it was the lack of oxygen. He tried to think about that time in his life. He wanted to tell them what he knew. He wanted to tell them everything at the time it happened to him, and he wanted to tell someone about it every day of his life for the past twenty five years. But it was impossible.

Scully pushed harder. Hutch thought he saw Starsky and Babcock grappling with the captain but his vision was sharply impaired, and then suddenly the pressure on his throat and against his body was gone, but so was the strength in his legs. Starsky tried to hold him up, but he sunk to the floor.

"Hutch…"

"Starsky…" Hutch whispered, "I can't remember what happened. I swear…I try, but I can't remember."

"It's okay. We'll track him down some other way."

Scully slumped to his chair, exhausted, and still under the tight grasp of Dobey and Babcock. He looked at the man on the floor, and suddenly saw the seven year old boy, helpless at fighting back against a grown man. "I'm sorry, Hutchinson… I'm sorry."

Chapter 3

The only person who left the chalk room was Detective Kenneth Hutchinson. Malone had picked up the photos and put them back into the folder.

Dobey, agitated that he had to take orders from SI on this case, threatened, "Scully, you'd better be careful with the way you handle my boys."

Tired and frustrated, Scully said, "Malone, hand me those files. I have something to show you, Captain."

Starsky was ready to leave and catch up to his partner, but Scully told him to stay. "I'm not trying to be a bastard here," he explained to the people in the room. "I'm trying to save Detective Hutchinson's life. I have real good evidence that this man, this guy we're after, is here in Bay City for one reason and one reason only. We believe that he's here to tie up loose ends, and right now the only loose end he has is the only person alive who can ID him… Kenneth Hutchinson."

Dobey and Starsky stared at the captain. This was the first time they'd heard about this. "What are you talking about?" Dobey grunted.

Scully opened a file and handed over copies of handwritten scrawl. "We found these in a locker." The name scrawled on the paper was easily recognizable: Kenny Hutchinson, Deluth, Minnesota, Live s in Bay City, Ca. And in large dark letters, the note read, "Must die!"

"When you'd find this out?" Starsky asked, annoyed.

"Several days ago. It's given us new impetus to finding this guy. It was the reason I was able to bring Hutchinson's folks out here. If we can pick this guy up, and get Hutchinson to detail what that creep did to him AND gets him on a witness stand to ID the guy, then we'll be able to close the book on this pervert's murder spree."

"There's only one problem, Captain," Starsky said. "Hutch can't remember anything."

"That's why I'm here," Dr. Douglas Fullbright said. "I might be able to help."

"How?"

"Have you heard of hypnosis?"

"Of course I've heard of it—" Starsky stopped abruptly, understanding where this was going. "You can't be serious? You think you're going to hypnotize Hutch to find out what happened?"

Dr. Fullbright didn't immediately answer.

"You can't do that! You said yourself that bringing back memories wasn't such a great idea!"

"In an uncontrolled environment, it can be devastating. But in a controlled situation, it could prove beneficial, and like Captain Scully said, it might even save his life."

Chapter 4

Starsky parked the Torino at the curb and walked across the playground. Father and son were engaged in a spirited game of basketball. Starsky acknowledged Hutch's greeting and yelled, "Who's winning?"

"I am," the sweaty blonde partner answered. But it cost him as his father took advantage of the distraction and went in for a lay up. Hutch tried to stuff him, but age won out over agility this time.

Catherine Hutchinson shook her head, "Can you believe those two? They've been at it for forty five minutes."

"They seem to enjoy it."

"Yes, they do. In fact," she reminisced sadly, "it was basketball that brought Kenny out of his… well, the melancholy. That's what I called his personality after the kidnapping. Bill hung a hoop on the barn and that's where you'd find Kenny, shooting baskets." Shaking the thoughts away, she looked at the dark haired man and asked, "How have you been, David?"

He held a soft spot for the woman. She looked and acted so much like Hutch that it was like being with his partner, only she was, simply stated, a very beautiful lady. "Okay. It's good to see you, even if the circumstances are less than favorable."

Her smile waned and she eventually said, "You know, I've never been able to get Kenny to talk about what happened to him."

Starsky stepped up on the picnic bench and sat on the table, listening.

"I remember one night, he had a really bad nightmare. It must have been several months afterwards and he woke up in complete and utter terror. Terror like I'd never seen it. It took Bill an hour to get him to stop shaking. But during that time, he kept saying that the man wouldn't stop hurting him, but he didn't know what he'd done to make him so angry, and he didn't know what to do to make him stop." Her eyes lifted to Starsky's and he could see the pain of a mother's guilt.

"It's not your fault," Starsky soothed.

"People always tell me that. And in my head, I know it; but in my heart…." Her voice trailed off. She looked across the court at the two men in her life and smiled proudly. "I hope you catch him."

"We will."

Out of breath and covered in sweat, Hutch and his father approached the table. Hutch stuttered, "Starsky, I'm glad you're here. You gonna have dinner with us?"

"That depends on who's cooking?"

Hutch took a deep breath and replied, "I am."

"Than I'm staying," he turned to Mrs. Hutchinson and commented, "You know, he's a pretty good cook when he wants to be."

Chapter 5

Hutch returned to his Venice Place apartment after dropping his parents back at the hotel and leaving them under the watchful eye of a helpful security guard. To his surprise, his partner was half asleep on his sofa. "What are you still doing here?"

"Oh…, well…, I just didn't feel like going home just yet."

Hutch walked to his window and looked out. The black and white was in a new location, but it didn't mask the fact that he was being watched. "Uh uh," he said disbelievingly. "What's going on, Starsk?"

Starsky looked up surprised, "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. I've had some sort of tail on me since I left the station today. And you're still here."

Starsky walked to the window and saw what Hutch saw. He should have known that they wouldn't be able to pull one over on his partner. He debated whether or not to tell Hutch the rest of the story; he decided against it. "Well, dinner was great, I think I'm gonna hit the road."

Hutch beat him to the door and blocked his retreat. Slowly he repeated, "What's going on Starsky?"

"You're always so suspicious. How do you know that car isn't there for some other reason?"

"Because I know, that's why."

Starsky yarned and smacked his mouth, feigning sleepiness, "Why don't you go ask them?"

"Because I'm asking you."

The rumpled dark haired man debated his options, but he knew once his partner steeled his eyes on him, he wouldn't be able to redirect the conversation. Dropping his arms to his sides, he replied, "All right. There have been some developments in your case."

"What kind of developments?"

"Captain Scully has reason to believe that this man may be gunning for you again."

Hutch remained expressionless, only his eyes flicked.

But a lack of emotion said volumes to Starsky. "It's probably nothing, but after you left today, Scully said that he thought this guy was tying up loose ends, and you are his biggest, if not his only, loose end."

Hutch walked slowly away from the door, lost in thought. What would he do if he saw his kidnapper again? Nothing, he thought, because he wouldn't even know he was looking at him. He couldn't remember what the man looked like.

"You okay?"

Hutch never answered; instead, he leaned over his kitchen sink in deep thought.

Starsky decided against leaving and opted to sleep on the sofa.

Chapter 6

Dobey entered their office in his usual fashion. Starsky looked up and his expression said it all. Hutch smiled at his partner's less than subtle reaction, but his smile faded when Dobey said, "Hutchinson, Captain Scully wants to see you."

"Why?"

"I don't know why! Just get your butt down to his office."

Hutch made no attempt at moving.

And this was the sort of situation that angered Dobey the most; being caught in the middle. He didn't like being messenger, he didn't like telling his two best detectives to do something he himself didn't want them doing, and he didn't like the fact that they didn't follow orders! His reaction was predictable, "I said get your butt down to see Scully! If you know what's good for you, you'll go! And stop questioning every damn order!" He turned on his heels and slammed his office door behind him.

Starsky and Hutch looked at each other. Dobey got angry with them all the time, but he usually gave them an opportunity to rebut his order. But not today; he had just turned and slammed.

Hutchinson knocked on Scully's office door and waited. Annoyed, he turned the handle and walked in. The room was empty. Hutch stood there, wandering if he should wait or leave. The folder on the desk caught his attention and he decided to take a look. The label read, "Kenneth Hutchinson". He slowly opened it and looked at the first paper. It was something he'd already seen. He flipped to the second page, and then the third, and before he realized it, he was seated at the captain's desk turning each page and studying it. Maybe, just maybe, something in it would help him remember his past. He didn't like not knowing what had happened to him. He didn't understand it for one thing. It felt like he was running away from it, but he didn't know what he was running from. And he was pretty sure that most people never believed him when he said he couldn't remember. They felt sorry for him and left him alone, but he knew that the memories were in his head… he just had to find a way to unlock them. But, did he want to unlock them? Could he handle what the creep did to him? Or would he just succeed in opening a pit of angst and hardship that he'd have to figure out a way to crawl out and deal with all over again?

The closing door startled him and he jumped up quickly from the captain's chair, apologizing, "I'm sorry, Captain." Uncomfortably, he moved away.

"Don't be. I'm glad you're looking through that." He walked around his desk and sat down wearily. "Detective Hutchinson, we need your help on this one." His voice was even and firm, yet compassionate. "I can't solve this case without you."

Hutch turned away, wanting to help, but not knowing how to.

"I know you don't remember much of what happened to you. I was thinking that you might remember some details if you were hypnotized."

Hutch looked up, unsure of this development.

Scully continued, "You have the memories, you have everything locked up in your head. I just want to pull enough out so that I can nab this guy. I promise you that you won't have to get involved with the bust. After you identify him, you don't even have to see the guy."

Hutch shook his head. "Captain, I don't know what's in my head. I don't know what it'll mean for me to remember."

Scully pulled out a piece of paper and slid it across his desk. "You know that we have reason to believe that he's come to the Bay City area to kill you, and that you're in danger right now."

Hutch turned his back on the captain. He would rather die than have to remember that man.

Scully leaned back in his chair and sighed. After a beat of observation, he pulled out another file and opened it. "Hutchinson, I want you to take a look at these." He pushed a series of pictures across his desk. From the other side of the room, Hutch turned his head and looked. "This picture is of his latest victim." The young boy was blonde and smiling. "This next one is also one of his victims." The next young boy was blonde and smiling. "This third one was killed not too far from here." Hutch turned his head away, not wanting to see another smiling blonde haired, blue eyed child. Softly, Scully continued, "These kids will never play ball again, never experience a first kiss, never drive a fast car, never drink a cold beer… Think about it, Ken. You're able to do things that these boys won't ever be able to do… because he killed them all. He hurt them, then he raped them, and then he killed them. You may want to forget about what he did to you, wash your hands of him, pretend nothing happened. But these boys had no choice, and there won't be any second chances for them. Think about this: there will be future victims. If you don't want to do it for me, then do for the next child he gets."

Hutch swallowed, the pain in his eyes tortured his face. Almost imperceptibly, he nodded in agreement to the captain's request.

Chapter 7

Dobey, Starsky, Scully, Babcock, and Malone were standing behind the one way mirror that looked into the interrogation room. Dr. Fullbright and Hutch were seated at the table, sitting across from each other. Dr. Anderson had strapped a monitor around Hutch's chest which was connected to a small device that monitored his vitals: blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, respiration.

"Whenever you're ready," Dr. Anderson said.

Dr. Fullbright explained, "Detective Hutchinson, this is a simple procedure but it comes with no guarantees that it'll work. Sometimes even when the person is 100% willing, it still doesn't work. In your case, your reluctance to remember can be enough to prevent it from being successful. But rest assured, your mind won't let you remember anything that it doesn't want to."

The medical doctor rolled up Hutch's sleeve and swabbed his arm with disinfectant.

In a soothing voice, Fullbright continued, "Dr. Anderson is giving you something to make you relax. It's a very mild sedative, just enough to calm you. When it's had a chance to work, I'll begin the hypnosis."

Anderson administered the shot, then went back to study the monitor. When she was satisfied, she looked up, punched the button on the recorder and nodded. Then Fullbright began his methodical and mesmerizing process.

Dobey grunted, "Did you talk him into this?"

Starsky shook his head, "It wasn't me; it was Captain Scully."

Dolby turned and looked at his counterpart in the agency. "Did he do this voluntarily, or did you threaten him again?"

"You don't give your boy much credit, Captain."

Starsky answered, "No offence, Captain, but this just ain't Hutch's style."

"Style or no, I showed him pictures of the other victims. How many pictures of yourself can you look at before you decide you've had enough?"

Fullbright's voice broke over the intercom, "Detective Sergeant Hutchinson, you're a cop on the Bay City Police Force. I want you to remember the time just before you made detective… you wore a uniform and patrolled the streets." Fullbright's voice was soothing and gentle and easy to listen to. "Before that, you went to college…" With each sentence, Fullbright was stepping the detective back in time, one event at a time, until he was finally at the young age of seven.

The monitor reacted.

Fullbright glanced at Anderson who, after studying his vitals, confirmed that it was okay to continue. "Kenny, it's May 25, and you're coming home from school. You seem worried about something."

Hutch seemed to freeze in time. He sat very still; it was easy to see that his breathing was becoming more and more shallow.

"Kenny, you're going to visit a friend, Jason Wright."

Hutch started to stand, but both Fullbright and Anderson laid a hand on his shoulder.

Starsky shifted on his feet, not liking this at all.

"You're scared; it's okay to be scared. You're safe with me. Why are you going to visit Jason?"

Hutch didn't respond. He stared at Dr. Fullbright like he was seeing someone else.

"Kenny, you're not going to Jason's house, are you? You're really going to meet someone. Who are you meeting, Kenny?"

Hutch's answer was choppy, "A man."

"Good. What's his name?"

No answer.

"This man, where does he take you?"

No answer.

"Can you describe this man?"

"He's big. He's holding a picture."

Fullbright perked up and repeated, "This man is big, and he has a picture with him. What is the picture of?"

"Mom."

"Why does he have this picture of your mother?"

No answer.

"Does he say anything about the picture?"

"He's going to kill her."

"Kenny, you're mom is safe right now. So tell me where he's taking you."

No answer.

"Kenny, where are you going?"

Still no answer.

"Kenny, what does this man look like?"

"He's big."

"Take a good look at him right now. Describe him."

"He's big. He's hurting my arm."

"What is he doing?"

Hutch moved his wrists together. In his mind they are tied.

"This big man is tying you up?"

Hutch nods once and tries to wrest his wrists apart. Even though they aren't tied, he's having trouble separating them.

"Kenny, he's right in front of you. What does he look like?"

Hutch looks like he's searching a face, but doesn't respond.

"Kenny, look at him. He's right in front of you. What color is his hair?"

No answer.

Behind the mirror, Scully ordered, "Malone, take the book in there! Hurry!"

A minute later, Malone walked slowly through the door and set a book of mug shots on the table, and backed away as slowly as he'd entered.

Fullbright looked at the pictures and directed his patient, "Kenny, this man is still in front of you. You see him, now it's time to show me what he looks like. Look at the book and point to his face."

Slowly Hutch dropped his eyes. He looked at the pictures but remained unfazed. Fullbright turned the page and encouraged him to look again. Another page passed and another. No response.

Suddenly, the screen that Dr. Anderson was monitoring beeped loudly. All the numbers jumped drastically, while their patient was fixed on a photo. It was evident to everyone that Hutch recognized his abuser. His heart began to race, his breathing became shallower, his body temperature and blood pressure shot up.

Fullbright looked on in amazement and followed his patient's eyes to the photo. Just to be certain, he suggested, "Kenny, point to him."

But instead, Hutch stood quickly and shoved the book so hard it went sliding across the table and ended on the floor on the opposite side of the room. He pulled the strap off his chest and bolted for the door at the same time Starsky, Dobey and the others bolted for their door.

Starsky ran head first into Hutch and with the help of Scully and Babcock, they managed to restrain him.

"Starsky?"

"I'm right here, Hutch. He doesn't have you."

Catching his breath, Hutch shouted, "He's the security guard at the Carlton Hotel!"

Chapter 8

The caravan of police vehicles numbered seven, and more were on their way. Starsky skidded the Torino to a stop in front of the hotel and Hutch raced out. At the desk, he flashed his badge and he and Starsky took the first elevator.

The ride seemed to last forever and Hutch was still feeling the effects of the sedative. He leaned heavily on the wall. The doors had barely opened when he shot out and raced down the hallway towards room #914. He banged on the door and shouted, "Mom! Dad! Open up!"

Catching up due to a more cautious approach, Starsky looked up and down the hallway.

Hutch tried the knob and it turned. He pushed it open and stumbled into the room, eyes frantically looking around. The first room of the two room suite was empty. He darted into the bedroom; empty. Hutch turned around running a hand through his hair, letting his mind race at the worst possible scenario.

Starsky wondered if they were downstairs in the dining room having lunch, but before he had a chance to wonder it aloud, Hutch slowly picked up a piece of paper from the table. By his expression, Starsky knew who the note was from.

Hutch leaned back against the wall as he read it. Scully, Dobey, Babcock and Malone caught up to them and they knew by his expression that the note was his worst nightmare.

Starsky reached down and took the paper and read it. He put a hand on his partner's shoulder as he handed the note off. Scully snatched it, "Damnit!" His mind raced at the scenario unfolding. This maniac was holding Mr. and Mrs. Hutchinson hostage.

Hutch pushed off the wall and headed for the door, but Scully stepped in front of him and held him back, "Where the hell are you going?"

"It's me he wants. Not them. I'm going to meet him."

"Not without backup."

"You read the note! He sees one car other than mine and they're dead. I'm going in alone." Hutch pushed forward.

Scully took on a firmer grip and pulled him back with more force than necessary and in Hutch's current sedated condition, he was easy to manhandle. "Hold on, Hutchinson. You aren't going anywhere without backup."

Hutch glared, but he was in no condition to put up more than a verbal fight. And with Scully, that didn't work.

Dobey had remembered a plan he'd used on a case years ago when he was a detective and offered it up, "Scully, I have an idea. Hutch drives a Ford Galaxie with a trunk the size of a baseball diamond. Three people can fit it in easily. One person can fit on the floor of the back seat and one can hug the floorboards in the front. From a distance, he won't know we're there. We'll give Hutch time enough to find them, then we'll come in strong."

Scully liked it, a lot. Starsky mumbled, "Just watch the horn."

Chapter 9

"I'm pulling onto the old industrial road," Hutch informed. Starsky was crouched low on the floorboards of the passenger seat, and Scully was low on the boards in the backseat. Dobey, Malone and Babcock were stuffed into the trunk. Babcock commented that the damn trunk was larger than his entire car and that three people fit easily into it, even when one was actually two. Dobey ignored it.

Starsky observed Hutch. His partner was sweating and there were other signs of anxiety, like darting eyes. "You okay?"

Hutch looked down at his partner and forced a smile, "Yeah. I'll be better when this guy is put away and my folks are okay."

Hutch stopped outside the warehouse designated in the note. He sized up the place and looked for signs that he was being observed. Nothing. But he wasn't naïve enough to think he wasn't being checked out that very moment. He opened the garage door and slowly drove his beat up old Ford through. It was much darker inside the warehouse than out, and by the time he had closed the garage doors and returned to his car, he needed a minute for his eyes to adapt.

Scully thought that at least something was going in their favor. But then he remembered the sound of Hutch's voice. "Listen Hutchinson," he whispered, "you think you're going to be able to handle this?"

"Too late for that."

Scully was now having second thoughts about the whole operation. He couldn't get the feeling out of his head that this might not have been the best plan.

Hutch stepped out of the car, this time looking around the interior of the abandoned warehouse. Debris covered the floor, most of the third story windows were broken and empty palettes filled the space. He could feel his heart racing inside the dark cavernous space. In all his years on the force, no other moment compared to this one. A small spotlight caught him in the face and he shielded his eyes with his arm while looking up on the catwalks for its source. A voice called out, "Kenny! Good to see you again; it's been far too long!"

Hutch's mouth went dry; he recognized the voice. He went to respond, but his breath wasn't there, and no words came out. Starsky's heart skipped a beat upon seeing his partner pale.

The voice called out again, "What's the matter, Kenny? It's been twenty five years, but I must say you look pretty damn good. You've grown into quite a good looking man… but then you were definitely the most attractive boy that I managed to covet."

Hutch wanted to shut his hearing off. The sound of this man's voice was making him nauseous, causing memories to find their way to the surface of his mind. His upper lip twitched and his chest felt hollow. At that moment, the boy in him wanted to pull out his gun and start blasting. But, there would be time for that. Right now, he had to concentrate. He stole a quick look inside his car and caught Starsky's eyes. There were wide with worry, and they were anxious. But they were also willing him through this. With new impetus, Hutch found his voice and yelled, "Where are they?"

"So you do talk. For right now, they're safe, but that can change depending on what you do next."

"Let them go."

"In due time, Kenny, in due time. Do you remember how I was able to lure you away the first time? How old were you anyways? Six, seven? My methods are tried and true my handsome boy. You do remember our time together, don't you?"

Frustrated, Hutch snapped, "Where are they, Frazier!"

"Well, well, well… I was wondering if you knew my name by now. It's not the same name you used to call me. The best thing I ever did was make up something in the unlikely event that one of my young victims escaped." Feigning surprise, he said, "But that's right!" his tone turned sarcastic, "you were the only one to actually escape from me. And you did it before I was able to consummate our relationship. You know, I always enjoyed the young boys, so innocent in the act."

The guttural voice was deeper than he remembered but the inflection and accent were still there, and bit by bit his memories began to stick together to form a vision. "Shut up!"

"I'm not done yet, Kenny. I have to tell you that I find your mother extremely beautiful. I almost decided to settle for her, but I knew I'd never be able to rest until I had you. I find you even more attractive, and I'm here to finish what I wasn't able to finish twenty five years ago. So if you want your dear ole mom and dad to live, you'll do exactly what I say." He waited for a reaction from the blonde, when none came and he was satisfied of his dominance over his victim, he continued, "First, take out your gun and set it on your car."

Hutch looked around again, catching the same glimpse of his partner. Looking away quickly, he did as he was told. The heavy metal of his .357 made a loud clunk as he rested it on the roof of his car. From Scully's vantage point, he could only make out a portion of Hutchinson's chest, but the gun clunking on the roof came in loud and clear.

"Very good, Kenny. Now, on the other side of this warehouse, you'll find metal pipes. You'll also find a pair of handcuffs next to one. You're to take those cuffs and put one on your right wrist and connect the other cuff to the pipe. Make sure they're on good and tight." He smiled coyly and even though his face couldn't be seen, the smile could be heard in his voice, "Remember Kenny, if you try anything, anything at all, I'll kill them. I've wired a bomb to the room they're in and with one press of a buttom, kaboom…"

Hutch didn't bother closing his car door. Instead he walked across the warehouse in search of the metal pipes.

Several minutes passed before Starsky whispered, "Can you see anything?"

Scully poked his head up in the shadows of the interior of the car and looked around. Too dark to see anything, but they had time and numbers on their side. "Looks okay." A minute later, Starsky and Scully were kneeling by the trunk of the Ford waiting for the three men to slither out. Scully carefully closed the trunk, then turned and gave a brief order, "Find Mr. and Mrs. Hutchinson."

"What about Hutch?" Starsky asked.

He put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and said, "He'll be okay. The guy's MO is to 'play' with his victims. It's more important for us to locate his parents because if my suspicions are correct, he'll kill them," and he added somberly, "if they aren't already dead." With one circular motion of his hand, he instructed everyone to spread out and don't stop looking until they're found. As an afterthought, he gave his final order, "Don't do anything until the Hutchinson's are safe. Got it?"

He received a nod from everyone and watched as they dispersed. Starsky took off towards his partner. Again, if Scully had thought it out more thoroughly, he would have known his direction. He was okay with it; afterall, any monster can change his MO and it would be to Hutchinson's advantage to have someone watching his back.

Dobey took off towards the second floor; Malone went left, while Babcock went right. Scully followed Dobey.

Starsky knew how important it was to stay out of sight on this one. One wrong move and someone he cared for, perhaps several people he cared for, could be killed. He took it slow and methodical, watching his step to avoid debris that might crunch, alerting the pervert of an intruder. He stayed in the shadows and slowly yet steadily made his way across the warehouse.

Hutch found the cuffs and studied them a moment. Police issue, latest technology. They were even better than the ones he carried. He clamped it around his wrists and attached himself to the pole. He wouldn't allow himself to think too long or too hard about what he was doing; as it was, the sweat beaded across his forehead as he listened for the sound of his predator to appear. It didn't take long before he looked up and into the eyes of the man who'd kidnapped him. The image before him was as lecherous as he'd remembered and he knew his heart skipped several beats. Unfortunately, he didn't cover his apprehension too well.

"Glad to see that you remember me," Adam Frazier, the murderous pedophile, croaked.

The skin on Hutch's neck crawled.

Then came the laugh, the one that twisted into a cough from too many cigarettes. Hutch knew what came next and his lip twitched at the thought and his stomach tightened. As if on cue, his abuser began the slow and deliberate circling like the hyena impatiently waiting for the moment to pounce.

The saliva in Hutch's mouth dried up, and his breathing shallowed. "You stay the hell away from me."

Starsky stopped cold when he heard his partner's voice. The warehouse carried sound and he had to listen hard to pinpoint its exact location, but there was no mistaking one thing: Hutch was scared. Starsky slithered in the direction of the voice until he suddenly pulled back, flattening himself against a crate. He refused to breath or even blink for a full minute. He hadn't realized just how close he was until he crept around an old palette of crates and found himself within twenty feet of them.

Gun in the air and pressed against the wood, Starsky heard the raspy voice of Frazier as he addressed his victim, "Kenny, don't be so afraid."

Starsky peeked around the crate and watched as Frazier ran a hand down his partner's face.

Dobey and Scully searched each room on the upper floors, careful not to make a sound. Nothing. Babcock followed a cold trail down several hallways, but his gut told him he wasn't going to find anyone. Malone's instinct told him to check out the neighboring warehouses and he slipped through a broken door. He figured that if you're going to blow something up, you're probably not going to blow up what you're standing in. It took him several minutes to find a broken window in a nearby warehouse that he could pull himself through. He dropped to the cement floor and allowed his eyes to adjust. There was something about the place that told him this was it. But caution, not speed, was the name of the game if explosives were involved, so he took it very slowly as he searched the second warehouse.

Hutch brought his left arm up fast and knocked Frazier's hand from his face. But Hutch had also remembered all too well this man's temper, and he waited for the blow. The backhanded punch slammed his head against the pipe, causing his vision to blur. The cold barrel of a gun pressed against his temple and even before his mind cleared, he was forced to focus on his tormentor's voice. "You fucking bastard! Don't ever push me away! Do you understand me! You're mine now, I own you and I'll do as I please to you!"

Hutch looked up into the wide murderous eyes, waiting for another blow. But instead, Frazier turned quietly and took several steps away.

Starsky aimed his gun at Frazier's head and pressed his finger against the trigger. But Captain Scully's words came back to him, 'Don't do anything until the Hutchinson's are safe.' He lowered his gun and sunk further back into the shadows. Looking at Hutch, he whispered, "Hang in there, partner."

Dobey and Scully made their way back to the car. Babcock was already there waiting and asked, "Anything?"

Dobey shook his head. "Where's Malone?"

Babcock shrugged.

"Starsky?"

Babcock shrugged again, but they all knew where he was.

Scully said, "Nothing's gonna happen to Detective Hutchinson, especially since Starsky has him covered. I'm worried about Bill and Catherine. We have to find them and soon."

He no sooner said the last word when they heard a faint noise from across the warehouse. All three men took cover and steady aim at the shadows until they recognized Malone. He had Mr. Hutchinson's arm around his shoulder and with the help of Mrs. Hutchinson, they were half carrying him to safety.

Scully and Babcock met them half way and took over. Scully whispered, "Are they all right?"

"She is," Malone said, indicating Hutch's mother. "But Bill took a nasty hit to the head. He's still groggy."

"What about the explosives?"

"The room was full of dynamite and they were handcuffed to a pipe, but they were standard police issue."

"Good work, Malone," Scully praised, and they set Bill Hutchinson down next to his son's car. "How are you doing Catherine?"

She nodded, but her expression was stolid. "Where's Kenny?"

Nobody answered.

"We're going to get him right now," Dobey comforted. Scully patted her on the shoulder and then moved the group of officers away to discuss his plan out of earshot range from the Hutchinson's. "All right. We know he has explosives and as far as we know, he may even have the back portion of the warehouse mined. So when we go in, we go in slow. We'd like to take him alive… a lot of families would like some answers and we have a duty to try and get them." After he received confirmation from the three men, he turned to tell Mrs. Hutchinson to stay with her husband.

It was then that they realized she was gone.

"Captain!" Babcock exclaimed, "Hutch's gun, it's gone too!"

Chapter 10

Frazier's gun was back on Hutch's temple.

Starsky's gun was centered on Frazier's head, but the pervert held in his hand a small grey box with a small switch poking up. "You see this Kenny," he had sneered. "This is what's gonna keep them alive, or, it's what's gonna kill them. Once I flip this switch, they're history. So you had better do exactly what I say!"

Hutch stared from his captor's eyes to the small box. His voice was playing tricks on him and his throat felt like a rubber band was strapped around it. Hutch flicked his deep blue eyes up and found a voice that didn't seem to sound like his own, "I'll do whatever you want, just put that down."

Smiling in triumph, Frazier pulled out another pair of cuffs and remembering that Hutch had smacked his hand away earlier, he demanded, "Hold out our wrist."

When Hutch didn't move, Frazier reached down and grabbed his left arm and clamped the cold metal ring to it. The next closest pipe required a considerable stretch and Frazier was none too gentle. It was almost too far away but Hutch's arm span made it so the empty cuff just barely reached the pipe and he heard the adjustment of the shackle as it clamped around the rusted pipe.

"Now," Frazier smiled lasciviously again and put the gun in his waist band, "that's more like it. You're a very handsome man, Kenny." He moved closer and touched Hutch's side.

Starsky raised his gun, aiming directly at the pervert's head…but that damn grey box!

Frazier stood face to face with Hutch. He reached down and unbuttoned the first button on the detective's shirt.

Hutch remained impassive. He didn't move, but he asked, "Could you please put that box down? I wouldn't want it accidently going off."

"Atta boy," Starsky thought, "get him to put that damn thing down and he'll be picking his brains off the wall."

"Don't tell me what to do!" he shouted into his victim's face.

The memories of his anger surfaced and Hutch felt like he was seven all over again, even to the point of getting angry with himself for allowing this man to have so much power over him. Frustrated, Hutch yelled at his tormentor, "You have me! Let them go!"

Livid with anger, the pervert backhanded his victim, snapping his head around. As if that wasn't enough, he ripped Hutch's shirt and followed that by grabbing his victim around the throat and pushing his head up. "Listen to me, boy! You don't tell me what to do! I tell you! I own you now!" To punctuate his warning, he took his fist and landed it squarely across his victim's jaw. Blood splattered the floor and poured from his lip and nose. Hutch's head slumped forward. But Frazier grabbed his hair and pulled his head up, "You look at me! You belong to me now! And just so you don't forget it…" he punched his victim hard in the ribs. Hutch doubled over as much as he could from the pain. The mad look in his eyes exploded into an attack, and Frazier grabbed his victim's head and forced his lips on him.

Starsky applied pressure to the trigger, but the shot that blasted through the air and shattered the cement wall behind Frazier's head didn't come from his gun. Starsky jerked his head in the direction of the blast and was very surprised to see Mrs. Catherine Hutchinson holding steady her son's 6" .357 caliber weapon. She calmly toned, "Get away from him!"

After the initial shock of the blast just inches from his head, Frazier stood frozen. Whether he was unable to move, or simply chose not to was anyone's guess.

Scully, Dobey, and Babcock pulled up behind crates just as her gun fired. Scully couldn't believe that Mrs. Hutchinson was within seconds of blowing this man's brains out. And if she wasn't careful, she just may take her son out too.

Scully soothingly said, "Catherine, put the gun down. We can take him from here."

But she paid no attention to him. She stared at the man who'd kidnapped her son and she was intent on revenge.

Frazier knew he was a dead man, and that knowledge allowed him to continue to play with the family he'd so tormented. "Mrs. Hutchinson," he calmly stated, "Nice of you to join me and your son. I guess I won't be needing this anymore," and he tossed the grey box aside, and continued, "I was just telling Kenny here how often I think about him. Probably more than you do." The gun was in his hand and pointed at her son's head before she knew it.

Frazier laughed wickedly, "It seems we have somewhat of a standoff." He looked around at the now crowded warehouse and speaking to his prisoner, he added, "It also seems to me that we have company, Kenny. I hope you don't mind dying in front of all these people."

"Frazier!" Starsky toned, "You've lost this one. Drop the gun."

"I've lost nothing. I'm a dead man no matter what happens to me now." As he spoke he moved closer to his victim, running a hand through the blonde hair while holding the gun point blank to his head.

Catherine restated, "Get away from him!"

Frazier studied the woman, thinking what sweet revenge it would be to have Kenny's own mother pull the trigger. "I'm not gonna do that, Mrs. Hutchinson. I'm not finished with him, yet. You see we need to take our relationship to the next level."

Hutch watched his mother intently but saw a woman he didn't recognize; a woman whose eyes betrayed her…a woman intent on killing. "Mom," he whispered, "don't do it. Please, don't do it."

Frazier dropped his smile, "Shut up! She'd like nothing more than to put a bullet through my heart."

Scully motioned to Babcock to move around and flank the perpetrator. This way, he'd have a gun trained on him from four different angles.

Ignoring his tormentor, Hutch continued to talk softly, "Please, put the gun down, Mom. If you kill him, you'll be doing him a favor." The knuckles crunched across his cheek and he spewed blood and saliva. He saws stars and felt the hot burning flow of blood as it trickled down his face.

"I said shut up!" came the frustrated orders from a man trying to get himself killed. He turned to the woman and toned, "You wanna know what I did to him twenty five years ago?"

Scully ignored the man's question and in a soothing voice, he pleaded, "Catherine? We want him alive. A dead pedophile won't do us no good. Please, let us handle it."

Annoyed with the interruptions, Frazier continued goading, "It took several attempts to convince Kenny to go off with me… you did a real good job teaching him. But you want to know what finally did it? I showed him a picture of you, the most beautiful girl in all of Minnesota, and I told him what I would do to you if he didn't get in my truck."

She steadily aimed her son's gun.

Starsky interrupted his diatribe and spoke softly, "Catherine, don't do it. Hutch is right. That's what he wants. He wants for you to kill him so that you carry his death on your conscience."

Hutch's heart was pounding so hard and so fast that it was difficult to breath. His tormentor felt it and laughed, "Having a tough time believing all this, aren't you? Well, let me say that I'm enjoying this maybe as much as I would be enjoying having you. But I'm running out of patience and," he turned to face the woman, "in less than a minute, I'm gonna put a bullet in your son's back."

Ignoring the foul odor of his breath, Hutch stared at his mother. He knew what she was thinking and he knew what she was capable of doing, "Mom, listen to me. Killing him won't help. It won't kill the memory of Jim Dunnegan, ever."

For the first time, Catherine faltered, and it was enough to convince Frazier that Kenneth Hutchinson had won again. Realizing he'd lost his edge, he shouted, "No!" And as he took that extra second before firing to look at his blonde victim, he heard a gun blast and felt the bullet penetrate his arm, breaking his bone. A final shot was fired before the gun dropped to the floor and his legs crumpled under him.

Starsky's aim was dead on and for a full ten seconds, nobody moved. Then Starsky hurried towards Frazier and kicked the gun away while Babcock none to gently pulled his arm behind him and slapped a handcuff on his uninjured wrist. In a low voice, Babcock read him his rights. Starsky did a quick appraisal of his partner: Hutch had a deep graze from where Frazier's bullet cut across his side, his face was bloodied and cut, but he was going to be okay. "It's over now buddy. It's over now." He produced a small key and uncuffed his wrists, one at a time, from the pipes.

Scully approached Catherine Hutchinson who was still aiming her gun at the man on the floor. He put a gentle hand over the barrel and pushed the gun down. "It's over now Catherine. Go to him."

Her eyes were filled with tears as she looked up into her son's eyes. She approached him cautiously, like he would break if she went too fast. She wanted to touch him but she was afraid. The memory of holding him twenty five years ago with all his broken bones was like yesterday to her. She touched his torn shirt and mustered the courage to whisper, "How did you know?"

He put his hands on her trembling shoulders and replied, "I'm a cop. I looked it up."

The knowledge that it was out in the open seemed to lift a weight off her shoulders and in the cold dark moment of the warehouse, mother and son embraced one another.

Chapter 11

Starsky waved across the bar to Captain Dobey and Captain Scully. The two pulled up a couple of chairs and joined the party which already consisted of Babcock, Malone, Starsky, Hutch and Bill and Catherine. Huggy Bear delivered the first round of drinks with his usual flare. "I don't mind a few of you folks hanging around my place, but when it begins to look like the annual policemen's convention, then that might be bad for business, if you catch my drift."

Starsky raised his mug and said, "Huggy, we're celebrating."

Huggy looked over at a banged up Hutch, seated next to an extremely attractive woman and equally handsome man. The party was so big that several tables were pushed together to accommodate all the highfalutin patrons. "Before I hear your illustrious tale of conquest, I'd like to be introduced to some new faces who happen to be single handedly raising the caliber of people walking through my door tonight?"

Huggy was looking straight at the woman so Hutch stated, "Huggy, this is my mother, Catherine, and this is my father, Bill. Mom, Dad, meet Huggy Bear, owner of this establishment."

Huggy took the woman's hand and kissed it, saying, "It's customary to allow the prettiest lady in the house free drinks. You, my dear, can have all the drinks you want."

She smiled, "Thank you, Huggy. Kenny has told me a lot about you."

Huggy shook Bill Hutchinson's hand and asked, "I understand the father-son competition is alive and well in the Hutch household." Without giving him an opportunity to respond, Huggy said, "Mr. Starsky, you said you were celebrating. Celebrating what, might I ask?"

Celebrating the closure of a twenty-five year old cold case."

While the glasses were raised, Catherine turned to her son and said, "Can we talk,… privately?"

"Sure." They both excused themselves and walked over towards the bar.

"I hate to bring this party to an end, but my wife is waiting for me," Babcock said while draining his glass. "C'mon, partner," he nudged Malone, "let's leave these fine folks to their celebration."

"Nice job, fellas," Scully acknowledged. "It always feels good buttoning up a case, especially one with such a history." After they'd left, Captain Scully took advantage of Catherine's absence and said, "Bill, Ken said something in the warehouse that I didn't understand. He told his mother that killing Frazier won't erase the memory of Jim Dunnegan. Who was Jim Dunnegan?"

Bill put down his glass and gave it a minute before he answered. The gentlemen remaining at the table were all people he felt he could trust with sensitive information. "Jim Dunnegan…" There was no easy way to lead into a story like this, so he just began, "When Catherine was sixteen years old, she was brutally attacked and raped by a man named Jim Dunnegan. He left her for dead in the woods. The authorities knew who did it, but they were never able to catch him. A few years later, Dunnegan's body washed up in the lake, at least they thought it was Dunnegan's body. They weren't a hundred percent sure, but they closed the case anyway. Catherine was never convinced that the body was Dunnegan's and when Kenny was kidnapped, she just about had a breakdown. Knowing what Dunnegan did to her and, well, knowing what might be happening to Kenny was the darkest days of her life. She never really forgave herself for what happened."

Starsky stated, "She can't still be blaming herself."

After years of investigating crimes of passion, Scully answered, "People who are victims of sexual crimes have the most difficult time coming to terms with it. They often blame themselves and feel responsible in some way. She may blame herself for the assault by this fella, Jim Dunnegan. Guilt is extremely prevalent in young children. Do you remember when Ken was under hypnosis? Do you remember that he hardly answered any of Fullbright's questions? That's a sure sign that he feels responsible in some way for what happened."

"That's ridiculous. He was only seven. What could he have done?"

"That's not the point. Somewhere in his head is a thought that either he manufactured or Frazier planted. It's had twenty five years to mature into something."

The pause in the conversation allowed them to steal a glance in the direction of Catherine and Hutch. They seemed to be involved in a thoughtful conversation.

Bill Hutchinson gave each man at his table a good hard look, trying to decide if he could trust them with certain information that wasn't exactly common knowledge. Ken had spoken of each at some time or another, and he had spoken with admiration. He decided he could, and that's when he really dropped the bomb, "What you don't know is that Ken isn't my son."

The men turned their attention away from mother and son and back to the tall dark haired man. "What?" Starsky put into words what everyone was thinking.

Bill templed his fingers and took a deep breath before repeating, "Ken isn't my biological son… he's a product of the rape." The news had the effect of being hit in the face with a snow ball filled with rocks. "Catherine tried to put him up for adoption but she couldn't go through with it. She couldn't stop thinking about her son. Against everyone's wishes, she took him back. I met her about that time, a struggling young mother of a boy who everyone knew was the result of a brutal attack."

Huggy stole another glance at his surfer cop and furrowed his brow.

"I know what you want to ask, Huggy. So here's your answer: As you can see I'm a few years older than she is, but when I saw how much she loved her son, I just knew she was the type of girl I'd been looking for. I took her away from the small town she lived in and we resettled in Duluth. She's been the best thing to happen to me."

The men were silent as they contemplated the news. Huggy took his question a step further, "Does Hutch know?"

"That question is a little tougher to answer. I think he knows, but he's never brought it up and I doubt he ever will. It's difficult to accept that your father is a rapist and a murderer, but I think he knows. I think he's known for a long time." He paused and added, "Do you know he was offered a contract to play professional baseball?"

"Hutch? Professional ball player?" Huggy repeated.

"Yeap. Last year of college he pitched a perfect game. He was being scouted by five major league franchises. And he received a contract from two. But he very suddenly and unexpectedly turned them down… We think he was afraid of the publicity that it might bring to his mother. And to himself. The media has a way of digging up the ugly facts and plastering them on the front page of the sports section and he must have decided that he wouldn't put his mother through it. So he packed up and moved here."

Starsky started remembering bits and pieces of conversations that he'd had with his partner over the years, and slowly things started making sense. Bill saw the confusion and smiled. "David, there's no way you could have put this together. Kenny wouldn't have let you. I told this to you because there may come a day when Kenny's going to need a little support to make it through the day. I'm thinking of when this case goes to court. He's got a lot of anger and I'm counting on you to help him through it. Is that too much to ask? Is it possible to count on you?"

Each man nodded somberly, lost in their own thoughts. This time when the crowded table of men looked across the bar at the detective and his mother, they stared a little too long.

Hutch leaned his elbow on the bar while his mother sat on the swivel bar stool. "You didn't call me away to ask me about my girlfriends?"

She took a sip of her drink and nodded, he could always see right through her. "You're right, as usual."

"Well?" he gently nudged.

"I want to know how long? How long have you known about it?"

He looked down into his beer and said, "Since I was twelve. I overheard a conversation between you and Aunt Clara. I didn't believe it at first but I did some research and read some news reports. When I became a cop, one of the first things I did was to look up your case."

"Does your father know that you know?"

"We've never talked about it. But he knows that I know." She looked down. "Hey," he smiled. "Why so sad? We've managed to put away that creep Frazier, with your help I might add."

She tried to smile but it was forced. There was more to ask, but she couldn't bring herself to form the words. Whenever she tried, nothing came out. After several futile attempts, a single tear fell down her cheek.

Hutch put his arm around her and confessed, "I know, mom. I know everything."

His words were a relief to her ears, yet they also meant a new chapter in her life had begun. She steeled her emotions, forcing the tears to stop. The conversation needed to be had, but not here, not now. Unable to continue what she'd started, she straightened in her chair and used a napkin to wipe away any signs of sadness. "You were always too smart for your own good," she teased.

He paused, not sure of her intentions. Did she want to talk about it? When she made no effort to discuss it, he encouraged, "Whad'ya say we join the others?" he looked at the somber group of men at the table and added, "They look like they could use some cheering up."

She smiled and pushed her thoughts away. "You're absolutely right. This is a time to celebrate!" She took a few final swipes with the napkin, pushed a strand of hair from her face, picked up her glass and wrapped her arm around her son's waist and together they rejoined the group.

Hutch commented, "This doesn't look like much of a celebration."

Bill set an empty beer mug on the table and grinned, "I challenge everyone at the table… RESTING HEART BEAT!"

As if on cue, every male at the table reached for their pulse and started counting. Huggy Bear narrowed his eyes at the spectacle and looked at the only person besides him not participating, Catherine Hutchinson. She laughed at his confusion and placed a soft hand on his, "Sit this one out… they'll get you next time."

Fifteen seconds later, Starsky was gloating that he'd beaten everyone at the table with a rate of 62 beats per minute.

"Bill, we need to be getting to the airport," Catherine hesitantly interrupted the much needed jovial atmosphere.

"I'll drive you," Hutch offered.

Bill shook his head, "Not necessary. I've already called a cab."

Catherine said her goodbyes and when she came to Captain Dobey, she asked, "Please let him off this Christmas. I want to see my boy over the holidays."

"You can count on it. I'll put him on a plane myself if I have to."

"And let David come too. We love it when they come to visit."

Looking at the other man, she said, "And Captain Scully, thank you for all you've done. You've closed a chapter in our lives that I didn't realize how desperately I needed closed."

"That's my job, Catherine, it feels good to put away a monster like that."

She turned her attention to her son and gave him a loving hug. Looking up into his eyes, she gently touched the bandage that covered the cut on his cheek. "You gonna be alright?"

"I'm always alright. You know that."

"Yeah, I guess I do." They shared a silent understanding and she walked away. Hutch gave his dad a hug and they too shared a silent understanding. Words didn't seem necessary at certain times and this was one of them.

~Fini