A/N: Here's the longer story I told some of you about. The guys go undercover in a hotel to investigate a series of murders, and start out having some fun with the assignment, but along the way they meet someone who's determined to have his revenge on Hutch. I'm thanking wuemsel again for the encouragement and help, and all you guys who keep reviewing.

Chapter 1

There was trouble in the squad room. Hutch had lost his watch and there was a major search operation underway. The search team consisted of one man, while his partner sat on the desk reading a newspaper.

Starsky watched Hutch for several minutes over the top of his newspaper, before helpfully asking, "Where did you leave it?"

"If I knew that I wouldn't be looking!"

"Well where did you last see it?"

Hutch's glare stopped the unhelpful questions. Taking pity on his partner, Starsky looked around the floor and desk for a few moments. Seeing nothing, he tried to cheer Hutch up. "Maybe someone will get you a new one for your birthday."

"I liked the old one." Hutch hadn't paused in his search of the room.

Attempting again to help the search, Starsky opened his desk drawer and shoved aside some papers and stuffed animals. It was then that he spotted a silver gleam in the bottom of the drawer. "Ah... Hutch?"

Hutch was still searching the floor and didn't answer.

"Hutch!"

"What?" he snapped, turning his attention to Starsky.

Starsky sheepishly held out the watch. "I found it."

Hutch took the watch and gazed at Starsky speechlessly, pointing to the open drawer. Starsky nodded, flinching. Fortunately for Starsky, Dobey chose that moment to open his office door and peer out at them.

"You two, get in here."

They both moved towards the door, not looking at each other, and reached it at the same time. There was a brief standoff, and then Starsky waved Hutch through first.

Inside, Dobey waved them to sit. Hutch sat, and Starsky perched on the arm of the chair, in spite of Hutch's efforts to stop him. He leaned over and whispered, "Hey, Hutch. I'm sorry, okay? I didn't know it was there."

Dobey glared at them suspiciously. "Whatever's wrong with you two, save it for later. There's work to be done."

The pair stopped glaring at each other and paid attention to Dobey. Starsky spoke up first. "What kind of job is it, Cap'n?"

"Well, you know there have been a series of murders at the Golden Sands Hotel." Starsky and Hutch nodded. "The investigation isn't progressing very far. The killer might strike again, and we need more information."

Starsky leaned over to Hutch again. "I can guess where this is going."

"One of you will have to pose as a guest; for one thing so you can mix with the other guests and see what they know, and also so one of you will be in the building overnight. The other will have to blend in with the staff; see what you can find out from them."

Starsky and Hutch glanced at each other as if preparing for the battle that would follow.

Starsky had a thought. He held up a hand, and shared his thought. "Whichever of us plays the guest, there's a chance that the killer will come for us, right?"

Dobey nodded. "That's why both of you need to go. And whichever of you does play the guest, you'll have to be on your guard for that."

Starsky and Hutch nodded, and Dobey uttered the fatal sentence. "You can decide between yourselves who plays which part."

"There's only one way to settle this," Starsky told them authoritatively, standing up and digging in his pocket. "Coin toss." He looked at Hutch. "You got a dime?"

Hutch rolled his eyes and handed one over.

"You want heads or tails?" Starsky asked him, positioning the coin, while Dobey looked on, hiding his amusement.

"Tails."

Starsky tossed the coin and inspected the result. "It's heads."

Hutch grabbed his hand and inspected the coin for himself. It was heads. "You cheated!" he accused, glaring at Starsky.

"How could I cheat at a coin toss? Besides, it was your coin. I won it fair and square, right Cap'n?"

Hutch had to admit defeat. Dobey said nothing, but it didn't dampen Starsky's enthusiasm.

"All expenses paid Cap'n?"

"All necessary expenses, Starsky."

Starsky nodded to himself, grinning.

Dobey continued speaking, ignoring Hutch's outrage and Starsky's over-excited enthusiasm. "I'll arrange a meeting for the both of you with the manager of the hotel. She can tell you what you'll need to do. Now, I want you two to go and read up on the case. Go on."

Standing up, the two made their way to the door again, with Starsky opening it to allow Hutch through first.

Outside, Hutch made his way to the desk, sat down, and picked up the phone to request the records of the case. Starsky sat down opposite and watched. When Hutch was done, he looked at Starsky again. "Are you sure you didn't cheat?"

"Yes!"

Hutch nodded. "Okay. And how did my watch get in your drawer?"

Starsky shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. I guess it must have been on the desk when I was clearing it, and I kinda... cleared it into the drawer."

Hutch nodded again. "Next time you feel like tidying my stuff away, you might wanna warn me first."

"Yeah. I won't do it again." Starsky managed to look guilty enough that Hutch believed him, and they got to work preparing for the mission.

***

The Golden Sands Hotel was a large, imposing and vaguely attractive building that had probably seen better days, situated almost on the beach. Starsky and Hutch had parked their cars a discreet distance away and were standing near them, looking around. It was late evening and few people were around, but there were some out at this time. Starsky's gaze involuntarily followed two scantily clad girls walking by.

"Try and keep your mind on the job, partner," Hutch reminded him, taking Starsky's chin in his hand and turning his face back towards the building they were about to enter.

They were here at a quiet time to meet the manager of the hotel, and discuss how they would go about the operation. The woman they were to meet was called Mrs Hawthorne, and both were slightly apprehensive about meeting her, given what Dobey had told them about her.

Hutch looked at his watch, which he was now keeping close to him at all times, and pulled on Starsky's arm. "Come on. We'd best be going in."

They approached the hotel, and headed up the steps leading to the front doors. Starsky was impressed. "Hey Hutch – look at the size of the door handles!" he whispered, pointing to the large, gold coloured handles on the oversized glass doors.

Hutch rolled his eyes. "Starsk, only you would be impressed by door handles."

Approaching the front desk, and seeing the young woman at work there, both men turned on the charm. Hutch spoke first. "Hi. We're here to see Mrs Hawthorne, she's expecting us."

The woman smiled. "I'll just go and get her." She slid off her chair and disappeared through a door to the side of the desk.

Starsky looked at Hutch. "I was hoping that was her."

Before Hutch could answer, the door opened again and the real Mrs Hawthorne came towards them. Older and fiercer than the other woman, with gold-chained spectacles and immaculately curled grey hair, she regarded them suspiciously. "Come through here, Detectives," she told them, gesturing to the door she had just come through. Starsky motioned for Hutch to go first, but found himself being shoved forward by Hutch.

Inside the office, she sat down at a desk, pointing them to the two seats in front of her. They sat down nervously, and Starsky introduced them. "I'm Detective David Starsky, and this is my partner Ken Hutchinson."

To his surprise, Mrs Hawthorne smiled at him. "You might want to dress a little differently when you come here next," she told him, but her tone wasn't unkind.

Starsky looked down at himself; he was wearing his usual tight jeans, t-shirt and leather jacket.

"Ah... okay." Realising what she meant, he agreed.

She started to speak to them again. "Now then, as you probably know, this is a prestigious hotel. However, lately, there have been a series of... murders." She shuddered as she said the word, then composed herself. "All four have taken place in the guest's rooms, and all in the evening or night. So, I understand that your captain requires one of you to take the place of a staff member, and one of you to pose as a guest."

"That's right." Hutch told her, nodding. "I was to be the staff and he was the guest," he informed her, pointing at Starsky.

"I see." She smiled at Starsky again, causing him to glance at Hutch in confusion.

She then proceeded to outline the plan for them for the next hour, including the times Hutch would have to work, as well as showing them the rooms where the crimes had taken place. Starsky was alarmed to hear that Hutch would have to be in at 5 every morning, and relieved that he had cheated at the coin toss. He figured it was fair though; Hutch was used to getting up early.

Finally, she had told them enough information, and thanking her, they stood up to leave. Starsky was sure he saw her wink as he exited after Hutch. They said goodbye to the girl at the front desk as they passed, and made their way out.

They pushed the heavy double glass doors open and headed slowly down the steps. A smirk spread across Hutch's face, and he glanced at Starsky. "I think she liked you. Must've been those jeans."

"Don't even joke about it. What's wrong with how I dress anyway?"

Hutch snorted. "Where do you want me to start?"

They had decided that Hutch would go in first in the morning, reporting for work, and Starsky would follow later to take his reserved room, at a more reasonable hour. They started to walk towards their cars, and as they got nearer they separated.

Starsky snapped his fingers and looked at Hutch. "You wanna go out for dinner tonight? I just read about this restaurant where you get all-you-can-eat, and unlimited ice cream refills."

"When they made that policy, they probably weren't counting on you turning up. After you've been in there, they'll have to close down. You'll eat them into bankruptcy."

"Don't be mean. I'm sure they've got a salad bar for you. You wanna go or not?"

"Okay, but I wanna get home early. Remember what time some of us have to go to work tomorrow."

"Luck of the coin toss, partner. I'll pick you up at seven."

TBC