CHAPTER 2
Hutch was awake before the alarm went off the next morning. Pulling on his sweat suit and running shoes, he went out for his usual morning run. There was a mild chill in the morning air that was both bracing and refreshing. The ever-present haze of smog hung over the city, but today it wasn't too heavy.
Hutch's long legs covered the ground quickly, his muscles flexing as he fell into an easy jog. Staying fit was a requirement of his job. Besides jogging daily, he also worked out in a gym two days a week and tried to eat a healthy diet. Starsky, on the other hand, was a true junk food junkie who didn't work out unless Hutch goaded him into it. Still, he managed to stay fit and trim without an extra ounce of fat on his frame.
Hutch followed his normal five mile route, making a loop that eventually brought him back to his own doorstep. He opened the intricately carved front door and climbed the enclosed stairway to his second floor apartment. He opened the door and went inside, smiling at the sight of his partner, still sleeping soundly on the sofa, only his dark curls visible under the blanket that covered him.
Hutch decided to let Starsky sleep while he took a shower and made his usual morning health drink. When he finished with his morning routine, he called out in a cheerful tone, "Rise and shine, partner!"
Starsky grumbled and wiggled further under the comfort of the blanket. Smiling, Hutch walked over to the sofa and grabbed the blanket, jerking it off his sleeping friend. Starsky growled and opened his eyes, glaring sullenly at Hutch. He was not a morning person and didn't appreciate Hutch's early morning cheerfulness.
Ignoring the glare in those dark blue eyes, Hutch said, "Grab a shower and get dressed while I make some coffee."
Starsky stood up and made his way to the bathroom, muttering under his breath. Hutch chuckled as the bathroom closed behind his disgruntled partner. He knew that Starsky wouldn't be sociable until he had at least two cups of coffee and some food in him.
By the time Starsky rejoined him after completing his own morning routine, Hutch already had toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon cooked and ready to eat. Starsky sat at the table and began to devour his food. Hutch sipped his own coffee as he watched his friend enjoy his breakfast. Finally, Starsky pushed his plate aside and looked at Hutch with a sheepish smile. "Good morning."
"Good morning to you, too," Hutch replied with a grin. "Why don't you start packing the car while I fill a thermos for the road?"
Starsky nodded and finished his coffee as he shoved himself to his feet. There wasn't that much to load into the car. They had put their suitcases in the trunk the night before, so all that remained was Hutch's guitar case and three stage outfits he had packed in a clothing bag. They were on the road and headed for Phoenix within the hour.
They had taken Hutch's car by mutual agreement. Starsky refused to risk 'his baby' on this road trip. The Torino was safely stored at his mechanic's garage until Starsky returned to claim it.
Settling back into the passenger seat, he pulled his sunglasses from his jacket pocket and slipped them on against the glare of the early morning sun. "So, what all does a roadie do?"
"Anything he's told to do," Hutch shrugged. "Loading and unloading equipment, hooking up cables, setting up speakers, running errands…"
"Kissing ass…" Starsky quipped.
"Kissing ass." Hutch grinned in agreement. He pulled into the opposite lane to pass a slow moving sedan.
Hutch was still anxious about his upcoming debut. Performing in public was something he tried to avoid whenever possible. He had sung at a friend's bar a couple of times after having had too many beers to care how he sounded, and had won a police department talent contest that Starsky signed him up for without his knowledge. Starsky was the only person he felt comfortable enough with to sing in front of without feeling awkward and self-conscious.
The morning passed quickly. By the time they stopped in a small town for lunch, they were almost half way to their destination. The diner was small and all the tables except for one in the back were already taken. They sat down across from one another and began to look at the one-page menu lying on the table at each place setting.
A harried waitress appeared at their table. She was an older woman with dark blonde, gray-streaked hair and soft brown eyes. She greeted them with a warm smile. "What can I get you fellas?"
"I'll have a cheeseburger deluxe with a double order of fries and a large Coke." Starsky stole a quick glance at her name tag. "Marjorie."
"I'll have a chef's salad and a bowl of mushroom soup."
"Anything to drink, handsome?" the waitress asked as she scribbled their order on her pad.
"Just water."
She nodded and walked away to turn in their order. Starsky settled back in his seat and sighed happily, taking a deep breath of the delicious aromas floating in the air. His stomach growled loudly as Hutch tossed him an amused grin. Hutch felt the heat rising in his neck as his own stomach grumbled in response.
"I figure we should get to Phoenix around four or four-thirty," Hutch said. "As long as the traffic stays light between here and there."
"I'll drive the rest of the way," Starsky volunteered. "That way you'll be ready for your big debut tonight."
"I just hope I can get through it without making too much of a fool out of myself." Hutch grumbled.
"You'll be great. I know you will," Starsky said encouragingly. If Hutch needed Starsky to hold his hand, then that's what Starsky would do. He knew that once Hutch made it through that first song, he would be okay. It was up to Starsky to keep his friend's nerves from getting the best of him until then.
Marjorie returned with their food and set the plates in front of them. She hurried off to wait on another customer while the two men began to eat. After a leisurely meal with two cups of coffee each, they paid for their food, left a generous tip, and were on their way.
Starsky turned the radio to a local station and sang along with the songs in a slightly off key voice, making up his own lyrics when he didn't know the words. Lost in his own thoughts, Hutch watched the passing landscape, admiring the mountains in the distance.
The closer they got to Phoenix, the heavier the traffic became, forcing Starsky to slow down. It was almost five p.m. by the time they reached the arena where the show was being held. Stopping at the gate, Starsky showed the guard the show and crew passes that Ray Lewis had sent over the night before.
The guard consulted a list of names he had on his clipboard and checked off Ken Hamilton and David Stone. "Just follow the drive around to the back of the building and park in the private lot."
Starsky followed the road to the back of the arena. Two large buses were already parked in the lot along with a semi and three other cars. Starsky pulled in beside a bus painted in gold and blue with Mandy Reed And Country Pride on the side in large flowing black script.
Hutch grabbed the clothing bag and his guitar case from the back seat. Starsky pocketed the keys as the two men walked to the back stage door and entered the building. The backstage area was teeming with people. Some of them were setting up equipment, while others seemed to be just wandering around. Despite the chaos, everything seemed to be running smoothly.
A man around their age with a ruggedly handsome face and dressed in blue jeans, a denim work shirt and the seemingly mandatory cowboy hat appeared at their side almost immediately.
"You must be the new roadie and the opening act." He greeted them with a warm smile and a handshake.
"Ken Hamilton and Dave Stone," Hutch introduced them, at the last minute remembering to use their undercover names.
"Mandy's in her dressing room. She said to let her know when you got here. Follow me."
He led the way through the crowd to a closed door near the steps that led to the back of the stage. He knocked lightly and then opened the door for them. As they stepped inside, he closed the door behind them.
Mandy Reed was sitting at a make up mirror carefully applying her make-up for the up-coming show. Her hair was in rollers, and she wore a blue satin robe belted tightly at the waist. She smiled brightly as she turned to face the two men.
"You must be Dave and Ken. I'm happy to meet you. I hope y'all can find whoever is doing this." She tilted her head at a bouquet of red roses lying on a nearby chair. "Those were waiting for me when I got here."
Hutch picked up the small white card lying on the chair beside the flowers. Neatly written on the card were the words 'Soon we'll be together'. He automatically shifted into cop mode.
"Did anyone see who brought them?"
"It was a regular delivery guy. Ray called the store, but whoever bought them paid for them in cash, just like the others." She turned soulful eyes on Hutch. "I don't mind telling you that I'm starting to get scared."
"When did you start getting flowers and notes like this?" Starsky asked
"About six weeks ago, just before a show in Ohio. At first I figured it was just a regular fan, ya know? I'm always getting flowers and notes or little gifts from my fans." She paused, chewing on her bottom lip nervously. "But then the notes started getting more personal, and the flowers would be waiting for me whenever I arrived at a new venue. A couple of times, they were even waiting in my hotel room if we were going to be somewhere for a couple of days. And that information is always kept strictly need to know so the fans won't find us."
"So whoever this guy is he must have some kind of access to confidential information. Have you fired anyone recently or had anyone quit unexpectedly?" Hutch asked.
Mandy shook her head. "No, most of the guys have been with me since before I signed with MCA. And the others have all been checked out before they were hired."
"What about before you signed with a major label? Any ex-boyfriends or anyone else that might hold a grudge?"
"No, nobody." She lowered her eyes demurely. "I'm actually engaged to my boyfriend from back home, but nobody connected with the show knows that. The record company doesn't want that to be made public yet. They think it will suit my image better if it looks like I am still available." She raised her head to look Hutch in the eyes. "I know you and I are supposed to make it look like we're a couple." She offered him a soft smile. "My fiancé knows that…as matter of fact, he is the one who suggested it."
"I'm glad to know that he's okay with this." Hutch said with a warm smile to put her at ease.
"As soon as this guy is caught and the awards show is over, I'm announcing our engagement. I don't care if the record company likes it or not. I don't like lying about my relationship with Jimmy."
"I can understand that," Starsky told her with a warm smile of his own. "My partner and I will do everything we can to find out who is responsible for this and put a stop to it before anyone gets hurt."
"Thank you. I really appreciate that. Now, I'm sure the two of you would like to meet the rest of the crew and that you," she looked at Hutch "Would like to do a quick sound check before the show."
"Yes, I would." Hutch agreed.
Mandy walked to the door and opened it. She spoke quietly to someone outside, and a younger man with long brown hair pulled back into a pony tail entered the room. He wore a blue tee shirt that identified him as "Crew" and had a back stage pass clipped to his belt.
"This is Billy Roberts." Mandy said. "Billy, this is David, our new roadie, and Ken. He's going to be my opening act for the rest of the tour. Please show them around and introduce them to everyone. And help Ken set up for a quick sound check."
"Sure thing, Mandy. Nice to meet you guys."
"Same here." Hutch said politely as they followed Billy out of the dressing room.
For the next twenty minutes, there was a blur of introductions as Billy introduced them to the rest of the crew and the members of the band. It was a lot of people to try and remember all at once but, between the two of them, Starsky and Hutch carefully made note of each person's name. They also identified any distinguishing feature each person had that made them stand out. They would get word back to Captain Dobey to check them out individually for criminal records or any other information that might prove vital to the case.
When the introductions were out of the way, Hutch joined the band on stage for a quick rundown of the songs he planned to sing in the show that night, while Starsky began going over his duties with Billy.