The Major Redemption
Chapter 3
Dinner had been wonderful. After they had eaten, the two detectives had wandered the ship finding their way around. They came to the casino finally. The room was smoky and crowded with tables for poker and other card games and slot machines around the walls. The carpet was thick and red and the furniture around the room was guilt coloured with red leather upholstery. Mirrors adorned the walls and a spiral staircase lead up from the deck beneath into the centre of the room.
At one of the tables, a large crowd had gathered and Starsky and Hutch found themselves drawn to the table by the murmurs of excitement. They caught sight of two men sat opposite each other across the roulette table, game chips stacked in front of each. The man on the left had just won another round and the croupier was pushing a large stack of $1000 chips in his direction. Both men had women draped around them, kissing and nuzzling their necks as they waited for the next spin of the wheel. The man on the right nodded to the dark haired woman dripping diamonds who stood at his shoulder. With a confident movement, he wadded all his chips together and pushed them onto the table 'everything on red' he announced as the spectators gasped.
'That must be at least half a million' Starsky gasped, as he pushed forward to get a better view.
The man on the opposite side of the table mirrored the move and placed his considerable bet on the black.
'The table is closed' the croupier intoned, closing the deals. Taking the small silver ball in his right hand, he deftly flicked his wrist, sending the wheel spinning. Letting loose the ball in the opposite direction, there was silence around the table as everyone leaned in to see which colour would win the spin. The wheel slowed and the ball skipped from one pocket to the next before finally settling in the black 11 pocket. A roar of approval went up around the table as the croupier pushed $1 million in chips towards the winner. He smiled magnanimously to the spectators, pushed a $100 chip towards the croupier and got up to leave the table.
The looser on the opposite side of the table pushed his chair back from the table and rose. Pushing the spectators out of the way, he launched himself at the winner, who was kissing his female companion passionately. Landing a telling punch to the side of the winners head, he was winding up for another blow when suddenly a dark missile propelled itself into him, knocking him sideways to the floor.
As Starsky grappled with the looser on the floor, finally sitting astride the man and pinning his arms to the deck above his head, Hutch was pushing the crowd of now screaming spectators back and checking the bleeding winner. He looked around to check his partner who had reached behind him instinctively for his handcuffs. Realising that the metal bracelets and dinner suits did not really go together, Starsky was stuck sitting on the man until the ships security officers arrived to take over the situation.
Finally a phalanx of white clad officers arrived and assessed the situation. Once they'd cuffed the assailant, Starsky could get up off the floor. He went over to the blond. 'You OK Gordo?' asked Hutch. 'Neat move ya did there'.
Giving a mock bow, the curly haired man replied with a southern accent 'Why thank you kind sir'. For the first time in a long time, Hutch saw the shadow of the sparkle his friend always used to have in his navy blue eyes.
As the man was lead away to the brig by two security men, the Bosun headed over to the two detectives.
'I'd like to thank you two. Your quick reactions saved what could have been a very nasty situation. Where'd you learn those moves?' He appraised the dark haired man who seemed not even to be out of breath.
'LAPD' said Hutch. Holding out his hand he introduced them 'Detective Sergeant Ken Hutchinson and Detective Sergeant David Starsky. We're supposed to be getting away from all this' he added with a smile.
'Well, the least I can do is buy you a drink. My name is Alex, by the way. Alex Moore. I'm the Bosun'. He led the way out of the casino and up to the bar on the next deck and got three chairs around a table at one end of the bar.
'What can I get you?'
'Mines a scotch on the rocks' said Hutch.
'Brandy for me please' added Starsky.
The drinks arrived. 'So what brings you onto a cruise ship? Didn't think LAPD would pay enough for this'. He smiled.
Starsky smiled back. 'Sick leave. We've had a pretty intense year, so we needed a bit of R&R' he shrugged his shoulders, and to Alex's credit, he didn't push the matter.
The night wore on and the three men chatted comfortably as they drank their drinks. Eventually, Alex looked at his watch. 'Well, better be going. My next shift starts at 06.00 and its 01.30 now, so I'll see ya around. Oh, and don't go inciting anyone else to riot!'
Watching the officer depart, Hutch stretched and stood up. 'Well, that's enough excitement for me for one night'. He looked down at his partner. 'I'm gonna turn in. Are you coming?'
They both made their way back to the cabin. Getting ready for bed, Starsky put on his pale blue pyjama bottoms and got into bed as Hutch finished cleaning his teeth in the bathroom. Clad in similar fashion to his friend, he too got into his bed and pulled up the sheets.
There was silence for a moment.
'You OK Starsk?' Hutch asked.
'Yeah. I think I am. I feel pretty good' he smiled. 'Pretty beat though. G'night Hutch'.
Hutch put out the light and stared into the darkness, listening to his partner as his breathing slowly took on the quiet regularity of sleep. As Starsky finally slept, Hutch allowed himself to relax. He was quietly pleased as he thought back over the day. His partner did seem to be relaxing. Just one day at a time, partner. One day at a time.
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Hutch was instantly awake, looking at the shadows moving in the room. He looked over to the other bed, which was empty, the bedclothes rumpled as if its occupant had been in a fight. At first he thought Starsky had got up to use the bathroom, but there was no light on. Something made Hutch look towards the door, which he now realised was open slightly. Getting out of his bed, he padded to the door and looked down the corridor. Where are ya goin' now Gordo? Hutch put a sweat top over his pyjama bottoms and wandered off in search of his partner.
Ten minutes later, he found his way out onto the deck to see a familiar figure holding onto the deck rail and looking out into the velvety blackness. He walked over to the smaller man and was about to put an arm round him when something about his demeanour stopped him. Gazing at Starsky's face, he realised that the dark haired man was actually asleep. Aw Starsk. when you told me you were sleep walking again, I didn't think it had got so bad. Gently he took hold of Starsky's arm to try to lead him back to the cabin. As he made contact, the brunette gave a start and looked around him in confusion.
'Hutch? How'd I get out here?'
'You sleep walked buddy. You told me you'd started again, but I didn't realise it was this bad. God Starsk, you could've thrown yourself overboard or somethin'.
Starsky shivered. 'How long have I been here?'
'Dunno. I woke up and found you missing, but I don't know how long you'd been gone. Come on, lets get you back to the cabin before you catch your death of cold'.
The smaller man allowed himself to be lead back up the deck and into the warmth of the interior of the ship. Once back in their cabin, he lay back down on the bed, closed his eyes, and was asleep within seconds.
Hutch looked down at his partner, and gently ran his fingers through the mahogany curls.
'What am I gonna do with ya, eh?' he tucked the sheets around the body, and got back into his own bed. Sleep didn't come as easy to the blond and dawn was pushing its light into the cabin before he was able to close his eyes and relax.
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The next morning Hutch awoke as Starsky bounded about the cabin.
'Come on Blintz. The suns up, the seas calm and there are lots of pretty ladies out there. Hey, you OK?'
'What, ya mean after the jog round the decks in the middle of the night. No. Actually I'm wiped'.
'What do you mean, jogging round the decks? Couldn't you sleep or somethin'?' Starsky at once all concerned for his friend.
Hutch looked at him disbelievingly. 'Ya mean ya don't remember walking out onto the deck into the middle of the night in your sleep?'
Starsky's blank look said it all. 'I thought I'd got over that again. It was bad when I first got home from hospital, but I thought it had stopped. Sorry Blondie'.
He was stopped by a knock on the cabin door. Getting up to answer it, Starsky was surprised to see the Bosun standing in the corridor.
'Hi Alex. What can we do for you?' he asked, motioning the officer inside.
Alex entered the cabin, twisting his cap round and round in his hands. 'I know you guys are on vacation, but I think I may need your expertise. Em…there's been an incident on board. A murder, during the night. I wonder if you could come and see the body and the scene.'
The two men exchanged glances. 'Sure, lead the way'.
The Bosun set quite a pace as he ploughed down the corridors of the ship and out onto the stern section of deck seven, where the promenade deck was covered by a walkway near the engine room. In the bright sunlight of the day, the two detectives could see a body covered by a sheet, two security officers standing guard over it.
Approaching the body, Starsky squatted down on his heels and pulled back the sheet. The body of the man had been strangled. He realised with surprise that it was the body of the winner of the roulette game the previous evening - a tall blond in his late thirties or early forties. His face was blue and his eyes bulging in their sockets. The body had had its shirt ripped open, and as Starsky looked further he could see blood. Motioning Hutch over, the two men looked at the grim sight.
Carved deeply into the flesh of the body's chest were three cuts in the shape of a letter H.
