Part VIII
"Easy, Huggy. Just give me the gun."
"I don't think so, Starsky. Now, take that lily white butt of yours over there and park it in the chair. This seems to be the only way to get your full attention at the moment."
Starsky grumbled the entire way, but in the back of his mind, he did have to acknowledge that Huggy had at least one point. These guys had him so anxious about Hutch that he was reacting instead of thinking. Part of that must have been visible in his body language because Huggy gave a small, satisfied nod.
"Better already. Now, Mister Detective? What part of what the man said strikes you as odd?"
Not being given the option to move around, Starsky gave an irritated sigh, but closed his eyes and replayed the conversation back one more time.
"He - he said we react the same. React the same to what?"
"I was thinking while you were driving. Can you imagine these guys being able to take Blondie down without a fight?"
Starsky could answer that without the slightest hesitation.
"No."
"Me either. But did you hear a fight? Anybody mention seeing or hearing a struggle?"
Starsky was starting to frown as he was starting to think he could see where Huggy was leading him.
"No. So - Hutch went with them willingly? That doesn't make any sense, Hug."
"Not if he was reacting then like you're reacting now. That phone call - this phone call? You know they were watching the restaurant. Lots of glass? Could you have been seen from outside?"
His nod came slowly as his brain shifted into overdrive.
"Hutch went with them because they were threatening to do something to me - or maybe Tabby. Even if Hutch had wanted to bust her in the nose, he wouldn't have let some loser shoot her if he could have stopped it."
"Now that brain is starting to work again. Good."
"Doesn't make any difference, Hug. I have to go or they'll hurt Hutch again."
"So, you prefer him dead is what you're saying?"
"No!"
"Starsky - once they have you, they have the set. 100K and the two of you are not likely to be seen again outside of a funeral parlor. But listen to me - they aren't going to kill Hutch. Hurt - well, maybe. But they already have him -"
Groaning, Starsky let his head fall into his hands.
"And alive he's worth five times more to them than he is dead. I see what you're saying now, Hug. If I balk, he's hurt - but I co-operate, he's dead."
When Starsky looked up again, Huggy had put the gun back into its holster.
"More to the point? While you're free, Hutch has somebody looking for him that won't stop until he's found. Call Dobey. We need a squad on this street that can get you away from here. I'll stay and answer the phone if it rings again. Main thing right now is to keep you out of their hands."
He wanted to argue, but instead, Starsky took a deep breath then reclaimed his badge and gun.
"What will you tell them?"
"I will think of something. Just get focused on finding our Beach Boy."
Nodding, Starsky picked up the phone and dialed, running the fingers of his left hand through his hair as he waited for the Captain to answer the phone.
"Cap? We've got big problems, sir."
