Chapter 4

Gonzalez waited impatiently in the squad room for Hutch to show. He glanced at his watch for the tenth time that hour and then checked the time with the clock on the wall. No, they both showed the same time. Hutch was 45 minutes late. Gonzalez was beginning to get a little anxious. In the short time he'd known the blond he'd come to realise that Starsky was the one that was always late, not Hutch. In fact you could usually set your watch by the blond, he was so punctual.

Gonzalez had rung Hutch's apartment three times now, thinking maybe the blond had got up late, or was in the shower, but after he'd had no answer from the third attempt, he'd gone to the Metro and told Dobey. With all the hype about the 'Blond Murders' as they were being called, he had an ice cold feeling in the pit of his stomach. Dobey was making his own enquiries as Gonzalez waited and as he checked his watch yet again, Dobey's substantial mass came through the door into the squad room.

'Black and white called by his apartment, but he wasn't there. It's not like Hutchinson. I've put an APB out on him. I don't like this Gonzalez, not one little bit. Did he say he was going out last night?'

The big man shook his head. 'No. He said he was heading off home and I went down to R&I to get any information on the Mark Harley. There was nothing, by the way. It's either a false lead, or a false name'.

Dobey grunted. 'I want you to get back over to his apartment and do a thorough search. The patrolmen were just doing a cursory run by. Let me know what you come up with'.

'What about Starsky?' Gonzalez asked. He knew the brunette would be beyond angry if he knew Hutch was missing and he wasn't told.

Dobey grunted. 'I know he's supposed to be looking after his Mother, but I wouldn't want to be around him when he found out we hadn't told him about Hutch's disappearance. I'll give him a ring. No doubt he'll be on the next available plane back'.

Gonzalez went back to Hutch's apartment and let himself in with the key Hutch left at work. Going into his friends lounge felt strange, like an invasion of the blonde's privacy and the big man had to steel himself to poke around and check out the various rooms. It was obvious the bedroom hadn't been used during the night and that worried Gonzalez a lot. He wandered out into the kitchen and felt at the kettle. It was stone cold and the cooker rings hadn't been on at all. Hutch hadn't made it home from the Metro the previous evening. He was sure of that. Going back outside and locking the door behind him, he went downstairs and out into the street. Hutch's car was parked outside in its customary spot, but there was no sign of a struggle, so he must have been taken somewhere between the car and his apartment.

Like a good detective, Gonzalez began working the case. He called at all the other apartments in the block asking if anyone had heard or seen anything the previous evening, but drew a blank. Casting his net wider, he checked the next buildings to either side, but got nothing there either. Finally frustration set in and he headed back to the precinct to let Dobey know the bad news.

As he got back to the big black man's office, he heard the tail end of a telephone conversation.

'…….so we'll expect you back tomorrow late afternoon. No, we're doing everything we can till then. Gonzalez has just got back. Look, just get your Mom organised and take your time. And Starsky……..don't worry we've got it covered'.

Dobey put down the phone and looked up as Gonzalez entered.

'Starsky's coming back as soon as he can get his Mom fixed up with some care. If he could have grown wings, I think he'd have flown down here! You got anything?'

The Latino shook his head. 'Hutch obviously didn't make it back home last night, or if he did, he wasn't in it very long. No sign his bed had been slept in, no sign he'd set to making his super or breakfast. His car was still parked outside, but there was no sign of a struggle either in the building or the car. Whoever took him was quick. There was no blood anywhere so if they hurt him, it wasn't a gunshot or the like'.

Dobey wiped his face over with his handkerchief. 'So. Where do we go from here?' he asked.

Gonzalez sat down heavily in the chair opposite the desk. 'Well, we got the APB. I'm gonna go see Huggy, see if he's heard anything. We drew a blank with this name Harley, but I'll ask R&I to run a wider search. Maybe one of our regulars has another identity? I dunno. It's a start'.

'Go do that. I've informed the patch office if they get anything out the ordinary to let me know. Hope we get somethin' before Starsky gets back tomorrow. He's gonna be madder'n' hell'. Dobey drained the dregs from his cup of coffee and headed out for a refill.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Hutch had remained in the darkness of the blindfold since she'd left him. As the recognition of the voice finally sunk into his tired brain, he'd tried to keep his fear under control. He knew Diana Harmon was a mad woman. Since she'd seen him that one time at the hospital and sutured his hand, she'd stalked him continuously. His mind went back to his time with her.

At first he'd felt flattered that she'd followed him to the bar and he'd introduced her to Starsky. He hadn't noticed that she completely ignored the brunette and sat with her eyes fixed on him all night. When he'd taken her back to her apartment and she'd gotten changed into her blue nightie, he'd thought all his birthdays had come at once. Not only was she caring, but beautiful too, with her thick auburn hair and large wide brown eyes. She'd laughed at all his jokes that first night and their love making in front of the fire had been slow and sensuous. But Hutch had expected it to be a one night stand whereas Diana wanted a long term commitment, weddings and children. It wasn't that Hutch was afraid of commitment. He just needed to choose the right girl carefully. He'd had one messy relationship with Vanessa. He was going to make damned sure he got the next one right. So at the end of the evening, he'd told her goodnight, let himself out after he'd retrieved his shirt and closed that page of his life.

It was more with horror than surprise that he'd found her in his apartment the next evening, cooking angel hair pasta at his stove, like she'd known him for years. Trying to be gentlemanly and not upset her, he'd agreed to go to the disco with her and Starsky and Kathy, but things had gone downhill from there. After the showdown at the Metro where she'd completely lost it, he thought he'd seen the last of her.

He didn't suspect anything the night she'd gotten into his apartment and it was like a scene from Psycho when she came at him in the shower with that knife. Afterwards, as his partner had manhandled her away from him and handed her over to the patrolman, he collapsed down on the floor, more in shock than anything. He'd managed to dry his hair and get some jeans on and drape a shirt over his shoulders and Starsky had taken him to the hospital. It was normally the brunette who needed hospital care and it was normally the brunette who wouldn't allow Hutch out of his sight while he was hurting. But that night the roles had been reversed.

Hutch hadn't been able to stop shaking, even though he'd gotten warm and dry. As the nurse approached him in the ER, he'd felt like a little kid waiting to go to the dentist. He remembered grabbing Starsky's arm and telling him not to leave, and the brunette had stayed by the side of the bed all the time he'd had the fifteen stitches put into the wound. The nurse had looked at him like he was seven shades of a coward, but he didn't care. Just at that moment, he needed his curly haired partner more than ever and he'd locked his eyes onto the brunette's deep indigo ones and lost himself there for a while.

Afterwards, when he'd gone to the hospital to see Lynda, he'd put a brave face on it. But the combination of the experience with Diana, and his fear of needles from the time he'd been strung out on heroine had been almost too much to hide and he'd almost run out of the place as soon as he'd been able, sweating and with his heart racing. Only Starsky ever really knew how much the whole thing had affected him, and he knew the brunette would keep the secret with him for ever.

And now, here he was in Diana's care again. She'd seemed so happy when he'd finally figured out who she was, like she'd been waiting for him to recognise her. She hadn't taken his blindfold off, but she'd held a straw to his lips and he'd gulped down some cool water. It felt wonderful against his parched throat and when he'd had another mouthful he managed to gasp at her

'What are you doing here?'

'They needed someone to take care of you, so they found out I was an Emergency Room nurse and brought me here' she explained.

'What d'ya mean "brought you here"?' he asked, something not quite ringing true in his head.

'They just came for me and brought me here' she explained. 'I don't know where "here" is and I was so scared till they brought you to me. But I'll look after you now, don't worry. Just rest'.

'Who are they?' he asked, trying to get his thoughts in order. It was difficult to think clearly through the pain and he wanted to rub his eyes, to get some clarity, but of course his hands were secured. 'How many of 'em are there?'

'There's two men, but I don't know who they are' she said, although her voice didn't seem particularly scared. 'They said they were going to hurt you. But don't worry, I'll make you better, honest I will'. She was babbling now.

'S'ok' he managed to grunt as another wave of pain took him and shook him. 'Just give me somethin' for the pain huh?'

'Oh no, I'm sorry, I can't do that. The doctors said I could use all the equipment, but they won't let me near the drugs'.

'Ya mean there's doctors here?' he wondered just where the hell he'd come to, when there were doctors who let a man get beaten up in their hospital.

'No, silly! The doctors aren't here. I'm here. Your fiancé. I told the two men what a coincidence it was. I thought they'd leave you alone, but it just seemed to make them madder' she explained.

Hutch froze. What had she just said? Fiancé? Oh no no no. Not again. Please not again.

He had to try to explain. To get things straight between them before he could think of an escape plan.

'Diana, honey' he started carefully. 'I'm sorry if I ever lead you on, truly I am, but you're not my fiancé. Ya never have been. I don't have a girlfriend'.

He felt the movement at his side and knew she'd stood up, feeling her anger.

'You're with that trollop again aren't you? That Lynda. I thought I'd seen her off, but you're just a womanising monster Kenneth Hutchinson'.

And with that, he felt her brush past him and leave him in the darkness.