Although David Starsky didn't go to synagogue, his apartment and car often had items of décor which bore witness to the fact that he wasn't about to give up certain Judaic holidays. Also enjoying Christmas and Easter, he didn't have a problem with putting his hand on a book which contained the sacred writings of the Christian religion. Inside of a courtroom that was approximately 400 miles away from Bay City, he was about to testify against Alfred Snider King. The bailiff had just instructed him to place his hand on the Bible and repeat, "I solemnly swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God."

Chapter One

It wasn't all that long ago that Starsky and Hutch had become sergeants. Starsky's stint in the Army had something to do with him being the first one to acquire the title. Yet it was only a short time later that Hutch got his promotion, and joined Starsky in often having authority over detectives and uniformed officers who were older. All the same, Starsky and Hutch would not have been given the higher rank if they did not deserve it.

The men were partners, but that did not mean they always worked together on a case. When Chief Arnold placed the long distance call to his good friend Captain Dobey, he wanted only one of his best detectives who didn't live or work anywhere nearby the city known for among other things The Golden Gate Bridge to approach King's house and pretend to be a fill-in for the regular postman. After the genuine piece of mail was signed for, produce from the delivery bag another envelope. This one without a certified mail receipt taped to the front. The back having been left intentionally unsealed, show the drug dealer the money inside, with the amount not so enormous to cause even a hint of suspicion that he was being set up. At the same time, hopefully the sum would stir up enough greed in King so that he would sell the Bay City officer with the precautionary undercover name 'Bill Marcum': Heroin, Valium, Phenobarbital, and other drugs all which were classified as 'Controlled Substances' by the DEA.

Airfare, a rental car, a stay at a reasonably nice motel, meals and any other expenses incurred being taken care of by the S.F.P.D.--- Dobey selected Starsky to be Bill Marcum.

Although the captain was highly aware that being the key player in the sting operation was the more stimulating assignment, he needed Hutchinson (also a fine actor but the better typist) to remain in Bay City and work on some important, albeit, extremely boring paperwork.

After arresting King, Starsky had flown home. Then he left again for King's trial. But because Hutch hadn't been present when Starsky purchased the ample supply of illegal drugs from the dealer, there was no way any police department in California, or the world, was also going to pay for his airfare to San Francisco. It depended on the criminal case but sometimes, just for the fun of it, Hutch liked to watch the trial.

The long-legged cop was never the only person who was sitting behind the waist-high wooden divider inside of the courtroom, he'd been told before that he was a real weirdo, utterly bananas, insane for classifying watching any kind of trial as being fun. In no way implying that this friend of Hutch's and who once again would say that he was "crazy" was being malicious with any of the name-calling; King's trial was something that Hutch would like to see. However, the past few months he had encountered some expenses. Ones which had left his checking and savings accounts dry enough that though he had groceries and thankfully the utilities were still on, he couldn't afford an airline ticket. Using an American Express or Visa to purchase it was out of the question. Back in March, while looking at the billing statement for one of his minor credit cards, Hutch had been quick to spot a purchase he hadn't made. No reason to lose his temper over it--especially when a computer had to be responsible for the error-- he whistled, dialing the toll-free number. Before someone had a chance to pick up having the decency to end the shrill sound, the female customer service representative who answered still snarled, "Hello! May I help you!?"

Keeping a smile on his face, he explained the problem. So much for his charm---

Snapping so many questions at him that the interrogation in combination with the persistent rudeness began to wear heavily on his nerves, being put on hold for eternity did not help any. He was known to swear but the word 'witch' was much more applicable to what the woman was. When she finally returned, she said that the rather small charge he'd called and griped about had been deleted.

Certainly he was relieved that it had been erased from his bill but, "You call $75.00 a rather small charge!? And I did what!?" Hutch hollered at the top of his lungs. Demanding to speak to the head executive and feeling his blood pressure shoot to an unhealthy level when the lady he hadn't succeeded in temporarily deafening with his yelling replied, "You're speaking to her," he slammed the handset into the cradle as loud as he could. Next he took some sharp scissors to every piece of plastic he had.

Then, though Hutch's current heavily dented Ford had a full tank of gas, and he had some coins in a glass jar that could be used to put more fuel in, he didn't wish to watch King's trial badly enough when to make it there in time, he would have had to get up at a ludicrous hour in the morning. Still, Hutchinson would have hauled his butt out of bed and wearing nothing but boxer shorts put on some pants, grabbed a shirt out of the closet, and then driven the approximate 400 miles to the San Francisco courtroom if he thought Starsky's life was in danger---------"Objection!" Hutch would cry out. His protectiveness of his partner, who was that much more extremely special to him when Starsk was also his best friend, went tremendously deeper than that!

Last night at precisely 7:58 Starsk had flown out of Bay City. If Starsk was in jeopardy of being murdered, the one hour and fifteen minute flight to Frisco could've cost Hutch well over a zillion dollars and he would have found the finances to be on board. Not just having a gun on him, he would be Starsky's personal body guard.

Upon arrival at the airport, Hutch would've accompanied Starsky to the luggage pick-up area and afterwards walked with him to the rental car checkout desk. Rode with him to the roach-less and non-seedy motel that the S.F.P.D had paid for only one person to stay in. Escorted him into the courthouse and until Alfred Snider King's trial was over and they were safely back home again, Hutch would've been everywhere with Starsk. That meant if Starsky was in danger of being murdered that he wouldn't be able to use the toilet without Hutch tagging along.

It was a long story why Chief Arnold wanted King busted so badly that he'd found within the police department's budget the finances to bring in one of Captain Dobey's best detectives. However, the good news was that the city with the world-famous cable cars did have cops, plain clothes and otherwise, who were great at their job. Because of those particular law enforcement officers, King's buddies-- and ones who knew how to use several types of weapons to kill Starsky to keep him from testifying against the drug dealer-were in jail on various charges and awaiting their own trial.

Besides, there was no reason for Hutch to be worried about Starsky's safety. Before the brunet flew out of Bay City for King's trial, he reminded Hutch that nothing bad had happened to him when he'd pretended to be a mailman and arrested the drug dealer. Having just finished downing another soft drink with the legal central nervous system stimulant 'caffeine', Starsky gave Hutch an extra hearty pat on the back, assuring him that nothing bad was going to happen this time.