MISPLACED TRUST
Nick comes to town, bringing more trouble and heartache for Starsky. This time it could prove fatal.
CHAPTER 1
A loud pounding at his front door aroused Starsky from a deep slumber. He tried to ignore it but the noise persisted. Grumbling a few choice words under his breath, he shoved back the cover and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. His sleep gritted eyes sought out the clock sitting on his nightstand. Seven am. Who the hell was knocking on his door this early in the morning on his day off? He knew it wasn't Hutch. His partner was out of town until the following afternoon enjoying an extended weekend with his latest girlfriend.
Annoyed at the persistent pounding, Starsky yelled "Yeah! Yeah! I'm coming!" Flipping the lock, he jerked open the door and growled "This better be fucking important!"
"Hey, Davy!" Starsky's brother, Nicky, stood in the doorway. He was much too cheerful for Starsky this early in the morning. "Geeze…did I wake you up?" He brushed past his older brother and stepped into the apartment, immediately making his way into the kitchen and opening the refrigerator to investigate the contents.
"Nicky, it's seven o'clock in the morning." Starsky pointed out sarcastically, watching his younger brother making himself at home.
"Oh, crap. I always get confused about the time difference between here and New York." Nicky said with a lopsided grin identical to the one his older brother often displayed. He grabbed a carton of orange juice out of the refrigerator and a clean glass out of the cabinet.
"What are you doing here, Nicky?" Starsky asked in a tired voice. It had been almost three am before he'd gone to bed and his rude awakening hadn't put him in a sociable mood.
"Hey, aren't you glad to see your little brother?" Nicky said, taking a long swallow of his OJ.
"Sorry," Starsky muttered apologetically, "Of course I'm glad to see you. It's just that I didn't get in till late last night and I planned on sleeping in this morning."
"Hot date, huh?" Nicky said with a leer. "Is she still here? I guess I should have called first."
"Naw, that's okay and no, it wasn't a hot date. I didn't get off work until late." Starsky said. "I need some coffee." He walked into the kitchen and began making a pot of coffee. Everyone who knew Starsky knew that he was not a morning person and that he needed at least two cups of coffee in the morning before he was ready to face the day.
"Hey, great!" Nicky said, moving into the living room and flopping down on the sofa. He propped his feet up on the coffee table. "Since you have the day off, we can just hang out and catch up."
"What are you doing here, Nicky?" Starsky asked, repeating his earlier question. The last time Starsky had seen his younger brother had been almost three years ago when he'd shown up in Bay City unexpectedly. But, then Nicky's visits were always unannounced.
"Just needed a change of scenery. It's cold in New York this time of year in case you've forgotten." Nicky said lightly. Starsky wasn't sure if he believed Nicky or not but he decided not to press it. Nicky was still his brother and Starsky longed for the closeness that they once shared.
"How long are you planning to stay?"
"I don't know. A few days, maybe a couple of weeks." Nicky said evasively. "Who knows? Depends on how things go, ya know?"
"How you'd get here?"
"Took a cab from the bus station." Nicky replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "Stashed my bags in a locker. I'll have to go pick 'em up."
"Why didn't you bring them with you?"
"I wasn't sure you'd let me crash here."
"Of course you can crash here…but you get the couch." Starsky replied with a thin smile.
"I figured that." Nicky said with a pout. Starsky and Nicky both shared a certain boyish charm. But, where Starsky's charm was natural and easy, Nicky's charm was more calculated and artificial. While their physical appearance might readily identify them as brothers, their personalities were dramatically different. "You sure I'm not going to be in the way? I wouldn't want to cramp your style with the ladies."
Starsky snickered as he poured himself a cup of freshly brewed coffee. "I haven't had much time for the ladies lately, been too busy at work."
"We'll have to do something about that while I'm here." Nicky said with a grin. "Can't have my big brother losing his touch."
"Hey, I ain't losing my touch." Starsky said defensively, smiling at Nicky's good-natured teasing. "Hutch and I went out with a couple of stewardess Friday night."
"Oh, yeah…Hutch." Nicky said with a barely concealed scowl. It was no secret that Hutch and Nicky didn't care for each other. Hutch could see through the carefully constructed façade that Nicky presented to his brother, while Nicky was jealous of the close relationship between the two partners. In spite of their estrangement, Nicky was still Starsky's brother and he felt that he should come first when it came to his brother's loyalties.
Starsky chose to ignore Nicky's attitude at the mention of Hutch's name. He was well aware of that Nicky resented Hutch. But, the truth was, Hutch closer to Starsky than Nicky would ever be. Starsky and Hutch were brothers in every sense of the word even if they weren't related by blood. Still, Starsky felt a bond and a responsibility to his younger brother. He felt guilty for not being there for him like he should have been. As a result, he tried to overlook Nicky's shortcomings.
"You hungry?" Starsky asked, as he rummaged through the refrigerator for the ingredients for omelets.
"You bet. I'm starving."
His comment brought a smile to Starsky's face. That was another thing the two brothers had in common. They both had healthy appetites and loved junk food. Starsky gathered together eggs, cheese, some mushrooms, some green peppers, onions and some bacon to make his loaded omelets, a favorite he seldom had time to make in the mornings.
Nicky smirked as he sat back and watched his brother cooking breakfast. As he cooked, Starsky carefully wiped up spills as they occurred and even washed the bowls when he was finished with them. Nicky could barely boil water without burning it. It was a good thing Davy knew how to cook. Nicky got tired of wasting his money eating out all the time.
"Where is that partner of yours anyway?" Nicky asked, trying to sound interested. "I thought you two were joined at the hip."
Starsky chuckled at the remark. It wasn't the first time someone had referred to him and Hutch that way. "I told you that we had dates with a couple of stewardesses Friday night," Starsky said "Hutch hit it off with his date, so he took a couple of days off to spend some more time with her. He'll be back sometime tomorrow afternoon."
"Ole Blondie's off getting him some, huh?" Nicky said with a laugh. That was good to know. It gave him over twenty-four hours to get Davy to give him the money he needed to get out of the jam he was in. Without Hutch around to interfere, he'd have plenty of time to work on Davy.
Starsky ignored Nicky's comment about Hutch as he finished cooking the omelets. "You wanna eat, get off your butt and make some toast. Then you can set the table." Starsky ordered him.
"Yes, Ma." Nicky replied, shoving himself to his feet with a heavy sigh. At home, Ma waited on Nicky shamelessly and he enjoyed it. Too bad Davy wasn't more like Ma. But then, Nicky knew hos to pull the wool over his mother's eyes. It wasn't as easy to do that with Davy. Hell, Ma believed Nicky worked at some crummy minimum wage job back home. She had no idea how he really made his money or how much he made.
The two brothers finished preparing their meal in silence and then sat down at the table to eat. Neither of them talked as they concentrated on their food. Finally, Nicky pushed aside his empty plate and said,
"That was great, Davy. You're gonna make somebody a good little wife someday."
"Very funny, hotshot." Starsky said with a grin. "Just for that, you can wash the dishes."
"Oh, hell…" Nicky muttered sullenly. He hated doing chores around the house but he knew if he refused, it would only annoy Davy. He even yelled at Nick if he tossed his towel on the floor after a shower. Nicky knew he needed to be on his best behavior to stay on Davy's good side until he got what he came after. Pasting a phony smile on his face, he started to gather up the dirty plates and silverware. While he started washing the dishes, Starsky went into the bathroom to shower.
Thirty minutes later, Starsky came back into the living room, dressed for the day in his usual style; a blue tee shirt and a pair of skintight faded jeans that were threadbare at the knees. His thick dark curls still glistened with moisture from his shower.
"So what are we gonna do today, Davy?" Nicky asked in an excited voice. He was used to going out, making deals, seeing people. Hanging around Davy's apartment watching TV wasn't his idea of a good time.
"I guess we can run down to the bus station and get your bags." Starsky said, digging in his pocket for his keys.
As the two brothers left the apartment and started to climb down the steps to the street, Nicky said, "Hey, can I drive?"
"You? Drive my car?" Starsky said with a snort. "Not on your life."
Nicky pouted as they finished climbing down the steps. Davy wasn't any fun at all. He had a really hot set of wheels but he wouldn't let Nicky touch it when he was in town. Starsky's pride and joy sat parked at the curb, the custom paint job gleaming in the sun.
It was a 1976 Ford Torino painted Candy Apple Red. A foot wide racing stripe ran across the roof from side to side just in front of the rear window, then down both sides and forward, tapering to points at the front of the vehicle. The only other person that Nicky had ever seen Davy let drive his precious car was Hutch and even didn't happen very often.
Starsky unlocked the door on the passenger's side. Nick slid into the front seat and leaned over to unlock the other door. Starsky slid under the wheel and inserted the key in the ignition. The powerful V8 engine roared to life with a twist of his wrist. Starsky pulled away from the curb with a burst of speed and headed towards the downtown bus station.
When they arrived at their destination, Nicky led the way to a low row of rental lockers. Locating the correct one, he unlocked it and pulled out two bags, a suitcase and a smaller overnight case. He handed Starsky the suitcase but he kept hold of the overnight case. The case was securely locked but there was no sense in taking any chances. If Davy ever found out what was in the overnight bag, he would really be pissed. They stowed the luggage in the Torino's trunk.
Nicky convinced Starsky to cruise the downtown streets of Bay City for a couple of hours before heading back to his apartment. He knew that Starsky was bored cruising the same streets that he cruised everyday on his job but Nicky was enjoying the sights, especially the pretty girls.
"You know, Nicky, you could rent a car for a couple of days." Starsky suggested "So you can come and go as you please."
"And miss visiting with my big brother? No way." Nicky said. He didn't want to admit that he didn't have enough money to rent a car. Until he found a buyer for the contents of the overnight bag, he was pretty much broke. Hopefully, his finances would improve when he hit big brother up for a 'loan.'
Finally, Starsky had enough cruising and headed for home in spite of Nicky's objections. Nicky spent the rest of the day being bored, stuck on the sofa watching TV, while Starsky tended to some housekeeping chores. That evening Nicky decided to use part of his rapidly dwindling funds to call a cab and go clubbing for a while. It sure beat staying in his brother's apartment for another mind-numbing minute. Starsky gave him a spare key so he could get in if he got home after his brother went to bed.
Nicky had a good time, drinking heavily. He was definitely intoxicated when he finally got back around three am. Letting himself into the apartment as quietly as possible, he discovered that Starsky had left a pillow and a blanket lying on the sofa for him. He stumbled into the bathroom to get rid of some of the alcohol flowing through his veins, then went back into the living room.
His eyes narrowed speculatively when his gaze fell on the desk sitting in the corner of the room. He knew from a previous visit that Davy kept his checkbook, unpaid bills, receipts and other important documents in the desk. Crossing the room as quietly as he could, Nicky began rummaging through the drawers. He didn't find anything of interest in the two big drawers on the side. The middle drawer was locked.
Smiling, Nicky pulled a pocketknife out of his jacket and popped the lock. Inside the locked drawer, he found just what he was looking for. Davy's checkbook and his bankbook. Taking both items out of the drawer, he opened the checkbook to check the balance in the account. A couple of hundred bucks. Not much. The bankbook for Davy's saving account wasn't much better. It had just a little over a thousand dollars in it. Nicky knew that Davy had a couple of credit cards. Nicky pondered how he could get his hands on them.
"Did you find what you were looking for?" Davy's voice said from the darkness behind him. Startled, Nicky guiltily dropped the checkbook and bankbook on the desk.
"I was…uh…looking for an envelope." Nicky lied easily "I thought I might write Ma a letter."
"Bullshit, Nicky." Starsky said a hard edge to his voice. "You're not going to find an envelope in my checkbook."
"Okay, okay. I saw 'em lying there and got curious, that's all. What you gonna do? Arrest me?"
"I could. That drawer was locked. Looks like you've added picking locks to your many talents." Although Starsky's voice was calm and level, Nicky could tell that he was angry. Before Nicky could think of another excuse for snooping, Starsky said, "Is that why you're here, Nicky? You want money again?"
"Well, now that you mention it, I could use five thousand dollars." Nicky said. "I got a chance to get in on a really sweet deal out here but I need some cash to buy my way in."
"I don't have five thousand dollars to give you." Starsky said coldly "And I wouldn't give it to you, even if I did. I told you the last time, Nicky. No more money. You might be able to fool Ma with your stories but not me."
"Come on, Davy! I really need it." Nicky whined
"No." Starsky said, turning to head back to his bedroom. "And I think you better find a motel to stay at in the morning."
"NO!" Nicky yelled, running to Starsky and grabbing his arm. "Please, Davy…you gotta help me!"
"I'm tired of helping bail you out of trouble, little brother." Starsky said coldly. "This time you're on your own."
"You bastard!" Nicky yelled. Without a second thought he pulled back his fist and punched Starsky in the jaw. Starsky stumbled backwards, his foot slipping on the hardwood floor. He fell backwards, hitting his head on the corner of the coffee table as he tumbled to the floor. He lay there, unconscious, at his brother's feet.
Nicky stared at him, panic clawing at his throat. He knew he was in big trouble now. Then his eyes narrowed as a thought occurred to him, a way to save his own hide and still get the money he needed. He could make it look like a break-in that went bad. Quickly, he put his plan into action.
Hurrying into Davy's bedroom, he found his wallet lying on the nightstand. Opening it, he found eighty dollars and Starsky's credit cards. Smiling, Nicky slipped the wallet in his pocket. Returning to the living room, he grabbed the checkbook and bankbook from the top of the desk. He tossed the contents of the other drawers on the floor and then overturned the coffee table and knocked over the lamp on the table to make it look as if Starsky had surprised someone trying to rob him.
Pausing to inspect the scene, he glanced back at his unconscious brother. Shit! If Davy wakes up,he'lltell them what really happened! Ican'tlet that happen!Glancing around the room, his gaze settled on Starsky's gun hanging on the peg beside the front door. Sorry, Davy.But, I can't let you tell them it was me.Nicky reached out and pulled the Beretta out of the holster.
Shutting off any feelings he still harbored for his older brother, Nicky's instinct for self-preservation took over. Kneeling beside his older brother, Nicky began to beat him viciously with the butt of the gun. He didn't stop until Starsky's face was unrecognizable and his hands were stained with his brother's blood.