Chapter 2
'Huggy? Hey, how're ya doin'? Yeah, I was wonderin'. Ya know when you set me up with that nice little vacation right after Bellamy got me? Well, d'ya still have connections in the hotel trade?' Starsky sat on the sofa in his new living room with the telephone to his ear as he listened to Huggy.
'No. It wasn't as lucrative a scene as I thought it might be, ya dig? Me an' the airlines didn't exactly see eye to eye about how payments should be made. Or rather they thought I should pay 'em and I um….well the doe got diverted elsewhere, if ya get my drift.'
'Uh huh. I get your drift.' Starsky sighed. He'd promised his partner he'd find a nice paradise for them to vacation in, but the insurance company had yet to pay out on his burned down apartment on Ridgeway and the rent on his new place was eating up what few savings he had in the bank.
'Ya got any ideas for a nice place to go. Me and Blondie need to get away from it all.'
'Well, there's always Playboy Island. That's got cool beaches an' nice hotels' the barkeep offered.
'Uh huh. An it has Papa Theodore, and your Aunt, an' I don't know who scares me more. Can't ya think of somethin' else?'
'What about a cruise?'
'Nope. Last time we were on board a ship it was full of tickin' bombs. We want to relax Hug.'
'Well can help it if trouble follows the two of you around? What about Dobey's Cabin. That's up in the hills. How much trouble can ya get up to up there?'
'Well apart from it holdin' real nasty memories of Hutch keepin' me prisoner while I came down off the heroin, there's this thing with snakes in the refrigerator and Satanists in the next cabin' Starsky replied glumly.
'Well Goddamit Starsk, where have ya been where you've felt safe?' Huggy Bear's voice held an edge of exasperation and Starsky got to thinking.
'Well there's…..no. God, no, I don't wanna think about it.'
'What?'
'Well, the only place we've never had an accident is when we've been campin'
'So? Go camping. You know Blondie loves to get back to nature. He's in his element when he can go all "Eagle Scout". I think it takes him back to his childhood. What's the problem?'
'The problem, wiseguy, is that there are bugs and bears an' all sorts of real nasty things out there. An' it's damp an' it rains and the grounds' hard to sleep on, there's not a pizza shop for miles and beer is real heavy to carry. I was kinda thinkin' more four stars than four tent pegs. But you're right, Hutch'll love it. He just needs to get some rest.'
There was an audible sigh of relief at the other end of the phone. 'There ya go then. Settled. You, the blond and the great outdoors. What a combination! Oh…..an' I'm still lookin' for another place for you to buy, unless you're happy rentin'?'
Starsky looked around. The apartment was definitely not home, and he needed roots. The brunet was the kind of guy who needed to know that he had a permanent base and renting just didn't cut it.
His new apartment was nice enough. In fact it was better than nice; it was the best place he'd ever lived. Twice the size of Ridgeway, it was on one level, accessed by a path edged by a white picket fence. The front door led straight into the living room which was light and airy and painted in soft creams and blues. It came fully furnished with the softest and most comfortable sofa Starsky had ever had the delight to sit on and a huge television.
Through a connecting door, three rooms led off. A separate kitchen big enough to house a table and four chairs opened by means of French windows out onto a flower filled patio, while back inside, there was a large dark blue and white tiled bathroom with bath, shower, wash basin and toilet and next to it an enormous bedroom filled by a super king-size bed and enough closet space to allow Abercrombie's to move in. Sadly, only a couple of pairs of jeans and some shirts hung there, as clothes too had been lost in the fire.
'No, keep lookin'. Too much luxury is bad for the karma' he muttered and put the phone down.
Disconsolately, Starsky sat back on the comfortable sofa and stared at the ceiling, sighing deeply and fingering the gold Mogein Dovid on a gold chain that Hutch had bought him to replace the Chinese coin he had habitually worn before Sue Gunther took it from him. He still had the coin. It held memories and a special place in his heart. The coin was the symbol Hutch had found signifying that his brunet partner was still alive, but it held too many connotations to make it comfortable to wear around his neck again.
So, what was he gonna do about the vacation? They needed it for sure. Hutch looked haggered and old beyond his years and despite his reassurances that he was fine, Starsky knew differently. Hutch had never been able to hide anything from the brunet in all the years they'd known each other. The blond was stoical, brave, selfless, but ultimately, he still relied on the curly haired man who watched his back on a daily basis. And Starsky relished the task. Did he want to mention a camping trip? He knew Hutch would jump at the idea, but was it right for the two of them right then? The blond looked more like he needed fattening up than taking more exercise and Starsky's fantasies of lounging on a blow up chair in the middle of a turquoise pool with a Mojito in his hand dissipated like a loud of dust.
He jumped as he heard a knock on the door, and snickered to himself. Starsky too was still on edge and even the shrink he'd been forced to see for six sessions so far admitted that he'd never seen a man so on edge and keeping on working. Yes, they most definitely needed a break.
Hutch poked his head round the door just as Mrs Krantz appeared with a freshly brewed pot of coffee and some cakes. She smiled at the two men in a homely.motherly way and when Starsky invited her in, she set the tray down on the coffee table in the living room.
'I've just finished baking. Mr Krantz doesn't have a big apetite and I baked too much as usual. Just give me the plate back when you've finished with it ' she dimpled and let herself out.
Hutch watched her go. 'She's a sweetheart. Why d'ya wanna move away from here Starsk? You've got it all. Cushy pad, nice area and a woman who looks after you like a Mom.'
'Uh huh. And that's exactly why. She looks after me like a Mom. I feel like I have to knock on her door and ask her for a late pass if I'm goin' to the Pits. And as for askin' a chick back…..'
'Would ya?' the blond asked quietly.
'Would I what?'
'Would you ask a chick back if ya found one?'
'I aint lookin'. I told ya, I'm either gonna remain celebate or marry you. I had enough of blond females to last me a lifetime' the brunet said with feeling. For a second, the indigo eyes narrowed as unwanted memories floated back to him. Hard, cold, concrete floors, fists and feet connecting with his body, tainted water. Starsky gave an involuntary shudder. Although he told Hutch and the shrink that he was absolutely fine on a regular basis, he knew deep down he wasn't, and that this time, he would find it almost impossible to put his experiences behind him.
Starsky watched as Hutch eased himself down onto the sofa and rested back. There were black circles beneath the blond's crystal blue eyes and a gaunt, pinched look to his face. He looked 45 instead of 35 and the hand that ran through his flaxen bangs shook slightly. Self consciously, Hutch put his arm down and almost sat on his hand to stop the tremble.
'You ok buddy?' Starsky asked casually. He knew Hutch hated him keep asking, but he was determined to find out anyway.
'Huh? Yeah, I'm f….' Hutch stopped himself from uttering the usual litany and sighed. 'No. I feel like shit. I almost managed a bowl of oatmeal this mornin' for breakfast. I thought I was doin' really well and then the pains started and suddenly it put in an impromptu reappearance. So it was back to the glass of milk. I swear Starsk, I think I'm becoming more like a cow than a cop.'
'What did the Doc say?' Hutch had been for a checkup the previous evening and had yet to report back to his partner.
'He said I was doin' great, that the linin' on my stomach was recovering and that I just had to give it time. He also said I could use a vacation. So. Where are we goin' buddy? Antigua? St Kitts? Barbados?'
The brunet looked crestfallen. 'Well, here's the thing. Um…..I kinda…..well, till the insurance pays out, I'm kinda strapped for cash. So I was wonderin' if you wanted to go camping?'
Hutch grinned. 'Nothing I'd like more buddy, but I know you. You hate anythin' that isn't covered in a foot of concrete and this is as much your vacation as mine.'
'I know that, but right now, that's all I can afford' Starsky said glumly.
'Well its as well you have a partner with money as well as taste then. How does two weeks on the beautiful Caribbean Island of Aruba grab ya. Four star hotel, all meals found……oh and there's great marlin fishin' too.'
The brunet stared open mouthed. 'I couldn't. It's too much……that's your money Blintz. I couldn't expect you to pay for me too. I can camp. I'm man enough.'
'I know you are. You an' tents get on great, but humour me. I want some luxury, an' I know you'll pay me back when ya can. I just wanna do this for us both. Will ya let me? Huh?'
Starsky was just about to open his mouth to answer when the telephone rang. It startled him, not least because having moved house, only Hutch, Huggy and work knew his new number and he picked it up cautiously.
'Hullo.'
'Starsky, I have a caller for you. She insisted I put her through. She said it was a life or death emergency' Mildred's voice sounded down the line.
'Who is it Hon?'
'Dunno. Never heard of her. She sounds young. Said her name was Danny? You want for me to get rid of her?'
Starsky's eyebrows shot heavenwards. 'Danny you say?'
'Uh huh. That's what she said. Why? Do you know her?'
The brunet put his hand over the receiver and motioned to Hutch. 'Its that girl.'
'What girl? I thought you were leaving girls alone?' Hutch said.
'No! THE girl. The one I told you about. My angel. It's her. She's on the phone' Starsky explained with excitement and shock in his voice.
'Well dummy, if she's so special, don't ya think you'd better answer her?'
'Huh? Oh! Yeah! Um….Mildred, patch her through honey, thanks'. The brunet waited for the taps and whirs on the line signifying that the lady at the metro was working her radio wizzardry and then another voice came on the line.
'Dave? Is that you?'
'Danny? Oh my God! Danny. Is that really you? Are you ok sweetheart? This is….'
Starsky's words were cut short by the girl. Oddly she didn't ask how he was, or if he was better, but instead, she launched into a request.
'Dave, I have to see you again. It's important that I see you, and maybe Hutch? Is that his name?'
'Are you in trouble Danny? Are you ok?' Starsky asked.
'Oh yeah' the girl said brightly. 'It's just, I really want to see you. Now. Today. Can you come?'
'Um……well, its kinda…'
'Dave please? Today?' the little girls voice held an edge of urgency to it and Starsky's heart melted, remembering the popsicle she'd given him when he was so dehydrated he didn't think his tongue would move in his mouth any more. He remembered little hands carefully putting a Band-Aid over one of the hundreds of cuts on his body back in that hell hole of a room and he knew he could refuse her nothing.
'Sure sweetheart. Where?' he heard himself say.
'You know the apartment block where you were? Well there's a dump just behind there. Come with Hutch huh? And soon.'
The line went dead before the brunet had chance to question the ten year old on why she was at a dump and he put the phone down, mystified.
Across town, Danny looked up at the four men surrounding her and smiled at them. 'They're coming, my Uncles. They know where the drugs are. They'll tell you.'
