More and more thanks to Tricia ;-) You´re the best!
Chapter 9
Right after leaving the hospital building, Hutch headed to the parking lot. He climbed into his car and grabbed the radio mike while starting the engine.
"Zebra Three to dispatch"
"Go ahead Zebra Three" One female voice answered.
"Sally, please, patch me through to Captain Dobey. It's very urgent." Hutch asked.
"Something's wrong with Starsky, Hutch?" Sally asked with a clear note of concern in her voice.
"No Sally, Starsky's okay, thanks." Hutch answered curtly, musing the inaccuracy of his answer. The dispatcher woman didn't ask any further questions, and a few seconds later Hutch was talking with his superior officer.
"Everything okay, Hutch?" The huge man asked.
"Starsky told me about his kidnapping, Cap." Hutch answered, his eyes staring at the road ahead him.
"How much did he say, Hutch?" Dobey asked tactfully.
"A whole lot, Cap." much more than I'd wish to be true, actually. Hutch thought somberly. "With all of what he's told me, we'll have enough to fill the official report, I guess. He even told me about the guys hired by that woman to get him. They were two brothers, employees in the General Mental Health Hospital, the place where she was locked up in."
"Where are you, Hutch?" Dobey asked, already guessing the answer.
"On my way towards that hospital, where else did you think I'd be going?" Hutch answered firmly.
"Okay Hutchinson" Dobey agreed. "I'm not going to ask you to not go there; I know it would be a waste of time. However, I'm sending Newman to back you up; his partner is still on sick leave so he's available right now and..."
"Oh, come on Cap!" Hutch cut in. "There's no need…"
"SHUT UP HUTCHINSON!" Dobey barked through the radio "I´m sending Newman over there no matter what you say, and you'll wait for him before doing anything, that's an order! Besides, you're on leave of absence, remember? If there's any chance to catch that scum, we must do it by the book, or maybe you want them getting off the hook because of a slip in SOP?"
"It's okay, Cap. It's okay, you got a point there." Hutch conceded though reluctantly.
"Okay, son." Dobey softened his tone. "I'm going to send Newman. He'll be at the hospital in about ten minutes."
"Okay Cap. I'll wait for him. By the way. Ask Newman to bring a picture of Starsky with him. I guess it can be useful in any moment." Hutch asked. "He can pick it out from Starsky´s missing persons file, or anywhere else."
"A picture of Starsky? okay Hutch. Good idea." Dobey agreed before hanging up.
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Greg Newman, the man Dobey sent to join Hutch in the mental hospital was a veteran detective in his mid forties. He, along with his partner, Bill Jennings, who was currently on sick leave due to a car crash he had suffered some days ago on his way back home, formed one of the most effective teams in the ninth precinct. Well, it was after he and Starsky were partners, Hutch thought with a pinch of jealousy nagging his insides. Since Starsky was kidnapped and he had left the streets, Jennings and Newman were now the more effective and the best team. However, despite his mixed feelings towards both men, Hutch had to admit that he liked them. Newman and his partner were very experienced cops besides being good companions, and they feel nothing but outrage for what had happened to one of their own. The truth was that when Hutch met Newman in the mental hospital, the black man was almost as eager as Hutch to find the material perpetrators of Starsky's kidnapping, and for the blond detective, the fact that Dobey had picked Newman and not anybody else to be his back-up clearly showed that the captain didn't want mistakes.
Moments after meeting each other at the hospital entrance, and once Newman gave Hutch the picture of Starsky he had asked Dobey for; both men were lead by a secretary to the office of Doctor Walston, the hospital chief. He was an older, slim and tall man with controlled manners and an irritatingly slow way of talking that didn't take long before it grated on the detectives´ nerves.
"My dear gentlemen." Walston said in his slow tone of voice once Hutch and Newman had told him the reason of their visit. "That is a very serious accusation. You're telling me that, according to somebody, two of my employees are accomplices to kidnapping and you expect me to collaborate with you to stain the good name of this respectable hospital, without having any solid proof beyond one man's statement."
"I beg your pardon, Doctor Walston." Hutch said leaning forward over Walston's desk, "But there's something we'd like to make clear. First. The witness who gave us that information isn't a simple somebody, as you put it. He's a fine, very qualified police officer, besides being the victim of that kidnappingAnd if somebody's going to stain the goddamned name of this place, they are the men who grabbed him, not us or you, unless you, for any reason yet unknown by us are covering them."
"What? Your insinuation here is deeply offensive besides defamatory, Detective Hutchinson." Walston said, defensively getting to his feet. "For your information, this hospital has nothing to hide and I, as well as the rest of the staff, want nothing but to cooperate with the police in whatever…"
"Okay, okay, Doctor; we got it." Newman cut off impatiently. "So if that is true, then, you mind ending this talk and getting down business. We're positively sure that two of your current or formers employees are directly related with the kidnapping of a police officer that happened two years ago. They were two brothers; so being the chief of this hospital, the task of finding out the names of all the brothers working here two years ago shouldn't be too difficult for you."
"Alright, gentleman." Walston said. "I´ll search in our employees' records, and in a few days I'll call you and let you know what I've found."
"No. No way." Hutch said determinedly.
"Excuse me?" Doctor Walston asked in puzzlement "I don't think I…"
"Not in a few days, but now." Hutch demanded. "We aren't leaving until we get the names of all the brothers that were working in this hospital two years ago. I don't think that they are going to be many, actually, so I´m sure that you'll be able to get this information for us quickly."
"Look detective, when you both came, I was leaving for lunch." The doctor tried to argue.
"With all the due respect, Doctor." Hutch said softly. "This matter is more important than your lunch. So I'm very sorry, but we must insist. We aren't leaving without the names of those brothers."
"What are you asking me to do means an awful lot of work and time, Detective Hutchinson. In the last two years, we have had many employees working in this hospital. Some of then are still here, another ones not, and as far as I can remember right now we haven't any brothers among our personnel, so more likely, they'd have to be former workers."
"Fine, that's a start. Now just find them…Please." Hutch said slowly, raising his brows and aiming his forefinger at Walston.
"Okay, detectives, okay." Doctor Walston gave up. "Sit down, please. I´m going to ask Laura, my secretary for our personnel's records. If you want, she can get you something to drink while I check out those files."
"No thanks, Doctor" Newman refused while he and Hutch sat again down in their chairs. "We only want those names."
"Alright…Those names…yes. Two brothers." The doctor mumbled while punching his intercom to ask his secretary for the records.
During the next half an hour, Walston kept himself busy checking carefully through the large pile of files, until finding what he was looking for.
"Here; we got it, gentlemen. As I've found here, we have had only two pairs of brothers working in this hospital since it opened, though one of those couples can't be the men you´re looking for." While talking, Walston handed two files out for Hutch and another two out for Newman.
"Psychiatrist Doctor Samuel Kaminski, dead in 1977 at the age of 60." Hutch read aloud. "Internist Doctor Albert Kaminski; retired two years later, in March of 1979, at the age of 65."
"If my memory serves me well." Walston said, "After his retirement, Doctor Kaminski moved to San Francisco with his wife. Their daughter, son-in-law and grandkids lived there."
"Roberto Arenas and Julio Arenas." Newman read. "Two years ago, when Starsky was kidnapped they were working here as gardeners…And back then they were 37 and 40 years old."
"These two have to be our men!" Hutch said getting sharply to his feet and getting the files from Newman´s hands. "And in their records it says that they left their employ here just five weeks after Starsky´s disappearance." He read.
"Is that their current address? Are both they still living together in the same place?" Newman asked to the chief doctor as Hutch was scribbling down the Arenas´ brothers address in his notepad.
"To be honest with you, I haven't the foggiest idea detective. You know, once any of our workers leave, we have no reason to keep in touch with him."
"Why did they leave?" Hutch inquired.
"I´m not sure, the only thing I know is that the oldest one, Julio had some serious problems. Back then, his younger kid was very sick; leukemia, I think, and he couldn't afford the treatment for him. That family was Puerto Rican, and not too well-off as you can guess."
"Okay Doctor, thanks. You have been very helpful." Newman said shaking briefly Walston's hand before hurrying out of the office behind Hutch who was already racing down the corridor.
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Hutch and Newman drove towards the place where, with a bit of luck, the Arenas' brothers could still possibly be living in. A while later, both detectives were already there, climbing the steps of the dark and ramshackled landing that lead towards the Arenas´ apartment. It was a small one, placed in a block in the middle of a very poor, degraded neighbourhood in the city. A neighbourhood filled mostly with poor inhabitants, cheap hookers andsmall timedrug dealers.
Hutch rang the doorbell, not hearing the bell sound; he then knocked on the door. A petite, Hispanic woman in her forties, thin and all dressed in black opened the door. She was carrying a baby in her arms and behind her, a little girl and two boys; all of them in their under ten were playing in the floor.
"Good afternoon. Mrs. Arenas?" Hutch asked tentatively, hoping she would speak English, as he and Newman showed their badges to the woman.
"¿Policías¿Are you both policías?" The woman asked fearfully in a mix between English and Spanish.
"Yeah señora. We are policias." Hutch answered struggling to remember the Spanish he had learned years ago. "We are looking for Roberto and Julio Arenas. Are they here?...Roberto y Julio…¿Estan ellos aquí?"
"Julio es mi marido…My husband." The woman asked looking increasingly scared "Por qué…¿Why are you buscando a Julio y Roberto?"
"We are looking for him and Roberto, because we need to ask them a few questions… Do you understand me, Mrs. Arenas?" Hutch asked. "Questions…Preguntas, para Julio and Roberto."
"They don't do anything wrong, sir; they are good men. Mi Julio es un hombre bueno…Julio is a Good man." The woman tried to explain.
"Yeah, Mrs. Arenas. I hope so. However, can we have a talk with him, please? It's very important. Is he at home? Can we come in, please?"
Without a further word, the woman stepped aside allowing Hutch and Newman to go into the small hall of the apartment.
"¡JULIO¡Dos policías quieren hablar contigo! (Two policemen want to have a talk with you!) ¡Julio!...¡Julio!" She called aloud for her husband turning her back to Hutch and Newman.
A moment later, a door opened and a strong, tall man, with his black hair uncombed and dressing in a wine-stained t-shirt without sleeves and worn out jeans approached both detectives.
"¿Qué pasa aquí?" ("What's going on here?") He asked moodily, scratching his head ¡Joder¿Es que un hombre no puede ni siquiera dormir la siesta en su propia casa?" ("Fuck! Can't a man even take a nap in his own house?)
"Mr. Arenas, we are Detectives Newman and Hutchinson, from the Bay City Police Department." Hutch introduced himself as he and Newman flashed their badges again.
"Do you speak English, I guess. We'd like to ask you a few questions." The blond one added.
"Questions? What questions." Arenas grumped as he watched his wife hold her baby out to her daughter, asking the kids to go to play to the living room before approaching her husband.
"Is your brother Roberto at home?" Newman asked to Arenas.
"No, he's at work, what do you wan' from us?"
"Have you seen this man at any time? Do you know him?" Hutch asked, producing Starsky's picture from his wallet, showing it to Arenas.
"No. Should I?" The man said after glancing briefly at Starsky's picture. He tried to look calm, though both detectives could see, if just for the smallest instant, a sparkle of recognition mixed with fear shining in his eyes.
"Listen Mr. Arenas. This man is a police officer. Sergeant Detective David Starsky. Two years ago, he was kidnapped in his apartment, and we know for sure that the men who grabbed him were two brothers that worked in the General Mental Health Hospital. We were wondering if you and your brother could possibly tell us something about." Hutch explained as Newman kept his arms folded over his chest and his hand placed onto his gun holstered under his jacket, ready to drag it out if needed.
"Kidnapped?" The woman cut off nervously. "¿Eso significa secuestro, Julio¿Secuestro de un policía¿Que habéis hecho, Julio¡Por el amor de Dios¿Que habéis hecho?" She shouted increasingly upset.
("That means kidnapping, Julio? Kidnapping of a police officer? What have you both done, Julio? For God sake! What have you done?" )
"¡CALLATE MUJER!" ("Shut up, woman!") Julio screamed at his wife raising a menacing hand to her while Hutch and Newman got between him and the woman to prevent him from hurting her.
"Okay, Mr. Arenas. Now you're coming to the precinct with us." Newman stated while cuffing Arenas´ hands at his back. "We want to ask you a few questions. The first one is for starters, where we can find Roberto, your brother?"
Then, in front of both detectives amazement, Julio Arenas, running nervously his fingers through his dark hair simply, broke down.
"Roberto didn't want to do it! I had to convince him!" Arenas screamed. "You don't understand! We needed money to save the life of our kid, Juanito! He was very sick, and that woman told us that she didn't wanted to hurt that guy! Besides, she offered us a lot of bucks just for getting him and taking him to her house! We had no other choice! We couldn´t refuse that money!"
At that moment, all three men turned startled to look at Arenas´ wife. She had uttered a blood-curling yell, falling to her knees and holding her head with both hands.
"¡NOOOOO!...El dinero para el tratamiento de mi Juanito¡Mi bebé¡Nooooo¡Mi bebe murió por tu culpa¡El Señor se lo llevó de nuestro lado por que ese dinero estaba manchado de sangre¡Manchado por el sufrimiento de un hombre¡Era dinero del Diablo¡Dinero del Diablo!..."
( "Noooo! The money for the medical treatment for my Juanito! My baby! Nooo! My baby died because of your fault! The Lord took him away from us because that money was stained with blood! Stained with one man's suffering! It was money from the Devil! Money from the Devil!")
The next few minutes at Julio Arenas´ place were plainly dreadful. His wife, victim of a nervous breakdown and surrounded by her terrified older kids did nothing but scream and cry, while insulting her husband with a string of angry Spanish words, unintelligible for Hutch and Newman, while they had to restrain Julio to prevent him to get closer to his family. Both detectives had seen more than once people that, in feeling trapped would take any member of their own families as hostage to get a way out, and they weren't willing to take that risk. Meanwhile, one of the kids had gone to call for neighbours to help his mother. It was only after the arrival of the two women who rushed into the small apartment, hurrying to the crummy couch were Mrs. Arenas laid crying hysterically when the detectives left to take Julio Arenas to the precinct.
The fact was that once arrested, he didn't try anything, and he obediently told Hutch and Newman the address of the garage where his brother Roberto was at that moment, working as a car repairman.
A few hours later, after Hutch had left the hospital to look for the men who had helped Diana Harmon to destroy Starsky´s life as well as his own, they were arrested. He had gotten them, and as odd as it sounded, he didn't feel even a little satisfied, much less retaliated. Hutch rather felt empty, upset and miserable, and he knew for sure that Starsky would feel the same way if he knew why those men had done what they had done, because even being an unforgivable fault besides a major crime, it was nothing but a desperate attempt to save the life of their little kid. That fact, turned the whole situation into something especially sordid and sad, and Hutch, for his own amazement found himself unable to hate those men as much as he was supposed to. At that moment he only feel the pushing need to start over, going back to Starsky's side to face the future with him and to do all in his power to mend their lives as much as possible.
Plunged into those thoughts, Hutch stepped into Starsky's room, to see in bewilderment that his friend wasn't there. The bedcovers of his bed were gone and the nightstand was empty of all his stuff.
"Starsky?" He asked, yet not expecting an answer "But ….What happened here?" Hutch asked for himself, turning on his heels and striding to the nurses station to ask, a little more roughly than he intended about Starsky's whereabouts.
"Oh…well...the fact is that I wasn't here when they took him away." A young nurse explained shyly, bracing herself for the outburst to come.
"They took him away? Where? And who in hell are them?" Hutch demanded drilling the young nurse with his cold look.
"Mr. Starsky has been transferred to the General Mental Health Hospital, Detective." The chief of nurses, getting into the conversation explained almost embarrassedly. "An ambulance took him there about an hour ago…I'm very sorry detective, but the order came directly from Doctor Preston. I couldn't do anything about it." TBC
