LOOKING FOR HOME
Hutch goes on a journey to finally bring home his missing partner. Trust me, this is not a death story and it does have a happy ending.
A/N: This story was inspired by the story Finally Coming Home by Jan in Va. If you haven't read this story, I strongly encourage you to do so. It can be found at the Bay City Library.
Chapter One
Captain Kenneth Hutchinson glanced around his office one last time to make sure that everything was in order. In a few minutes he would leaving on a long overdue journey. A journey to finally bring home his missing partner, Detective Sergeant First Class David Michael Starsky.
For the past eight and half years, there been a void in Hutch's life. A void left by the disappearance of his partner and best friend. Although there had been evidence that Starsky had been forcibly abducted from his apartment, no trace of the missing man had ever been found. Hutch had almost gone crazy trying to find him but eventually, even he had given up hope. As the days turned into weeks, the weeks into months and then the months turned into years, Hutch had been forced to accept the fact that his partner was gone and he would never see him again.
For Hutch, the pain had been almost unbearable. He had crawled into a bottle and came dangerously close to losing himself in an alcoholic haze. It was only through the support and love of his closest friends that he had been able to pull himself together again.
Unable to face going back on the streets without Starsky at his side, Hutch had been encouraged by his commanding officer, Captain Harold Dobey, to take the Lieutenant's exam so he could advance in the department. Now, he held the rank of Captain and had taken Dobey's place as the commanding officer of the robbery/homicide division at Metro. But, he had never forgotten Starsky and he had never given up hope of someday finding his body and finally bringing him home.
Two days ago, the answer to his prayer had been answered in a totally unexpected way. He had received a call from Warden Thomas at San Quentin Prison who had notified him of the death of an inmate named John McFarland. He had urged Hutch to make the hour and half drive to the prison, stressing that he had something of great importance to tell him concerning the deceased prisoner.
Upon his arrival at the prison, the warden had given him an envelope with his name on the front that had been found in McFarland's personal effects. It was addressed to Captain Kenneth Hutchinson, but it looked as if the word Captain had been written over something else that had been written and then erased, obviously more than once.
The warden had explained that the envelope had been unsealed when it was discovered and that a note inside had instructed that the second envelope inside be delivered to Hutch. Curious, Hutch had taken the envelope and asked to be left alone for a few minutes while he examined the contents.
His hand was shaking when he removed the second envelope and immediately recognized Starsky's scrawl. Inside, he had found a note from Starsky. A goodbye note that his captors had allowed him to write before his death at their hands. Tears were running freely down Hutch's face as he unfolded the piece of paper that accompanied the letter. Directions. Detailed directions on where to find Starsky's body after all these years.
Hutch had left the warden's office and drove back to Bay City in a daze. When he returned to his office, he had immediately contacted his superiors and informed them of the new information he had uncovered in Starsky's case. In a murder case, especially one that involves a police officer, the case is never officially closed even if it does go cold. Hutch had been granted a leave of absence from his duties so he could be the one to bring back Starsky's body. For the past two days, Hutch had been making arrangements for his trip and his absence from the department. He kept the letter Starsky had written in his pocket, close to his heart. David Starsky was finally coming home.