CHAPTER 3

Hutch

I was appalled at what I'd just learned. Starsky had needed me to be there, had phoned me, but Louise hadn't bothered to tell me. She'd probably tell me she'd been worried about my indigestion, but that didn't cut any ice with me. She knew how much I cared about Starsky and how concerned I was about him still, and to me this was inexcusable. I remembered the night in question very well. We'd run out of indigestion pills and I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep without taking something. So I'd gone to the twenty-four-hour drugstore. It hadn't even been a bad case of indigestion, and I'd only gone to get tablets so I'd be able to get some sleep. I'd really have to talk to Louise, but it was nearly time to go to the precinct.

"Starsk. I would've been there..."

"Hey, blintz, I know that. It was probably just a misunderstanding." I looked at him and realized he didn't believe that any more than I did. I really was going to have to have a serious talk with Louise.

"Let's go." Starsky grabbed his jacket and, as he walked past me, I grabbed his arm.

"You do know what you mean to me, don't you, Starsk?"

His grin could have lit up the street. "Yeh, Hutch, I know. I feel the same, ya know?" and he pulled me into a hug. I held on for a couple of seconds after he tried to pull away.

"Just you remember that I trust you with my life, always." I felt his arms come around me again, and we remained like that for a few moments longer.

"Me and thee, eh?" his voice was muffled into my shoulder.

"Always. Now let's go listen to the Vegas boys." I finally pulled away, surprised at how emotional I was feeling. It was shared, for I could see that Starsky was moved, too. We didn't speak as we drove to the precinct, but it was a comfortable silence--both of us relaxed and totally at ease with each other. My tension level only started to mount as we got out of the Torino and made our way into the precinct.

The Las Vegas cops weren't pleased to see me, but I noticed Dobey was and he even spoke up for me, saying that I was Starsky's partner and had every right to be at the briefing. They didn't like it, but they weren't going to alienate Dobey. I exchanged a glance with Starsky as we sat down to hear all the gory details.

"Right. As you know we've been investigating a series of homicides. There were seven bodies found, now eight. All of the bodies have been young men from out of town, and six of them have stayed at the boarding house, the Hackney. It's a cheap, hostel-type accommodation in the center of Las Vegas. The owners don't have a record, but the fact that six of the bodies stayed there, gives us cause for concern. That, and the way they've been murdered." Rafferty laid down the photos of the bodies.

I looked at the photographs in horror. They were definitely worthy of a Marcus massacre. The bodies had been severely beaten and cut up. Their heads had been shaved, and two of the bodies were naked.

"There are signs of sexual assault on the two bodies that are naked, but the others were just beaten and cut up. They have one other thing in common." I waited, but wasn't sure I wanted to hear this. This was going to be worse than even I had anticipated. I couldn't look at Starsky, but I'd heard his gasp when he viewed the mangled bodies.

"The hair that had been shaved was left next to them and, was in all cases, black and curly. The victims had blue eyes..." I jumped up.

"That's why you want Starsky--he fits the description of the bodies!" I tried to hold on to my temper but it wasn't easy as I was also fighting panic, seeing Starsky lying there, cut up and dead. Surprisingly, Starsky was silent, as was Dobey.

"When he volunteered, we weren't unhappy. We do need to find out what's going on..." I couldn't let him finish.

"YOU WEREN'T UNHAPPY! I'm very glad about that! Did you tell him all this before he volunteered? Of course not! You don't want an undercover agent--you want to use him as BAIT! You want them to come after him! Well, I want to know first, why you think this is a cult and not just some sick nut. Not that it makes any difference to me. It's highly unsavory whatever it is! Secondly, and most importantly, what do you intend to do to protect him?" My panic was overwhelming me, and I only calmed down when I felt the familiar hand on my arm.

"Easy, Hutch. Let 'em finish, then we'll ask the questions, all right?" I looked at Starsky and saw that he was as shaken as I was. The bodies in the photos were gruesome sights. I calmed down, knowing that Starsky was right, but I didn't apologize and ignored the glares that the officers threw at me. Dobey was still looking noncommittal.

"If you've finished, Hutchinson," Rafferty continued, "we don't have proof it's a cult, but we do believe there's more than one person involved and there are a couple of reasons for that. It could be a sicko, or two, but there are some parallels to a series of murders that happened here in LA about five years ago. Murders that were carried out by Simon Marcus. Also, if you look at the bodies, they all have Satanic symbols tattooed on their chests." My heart froze at that name, and I didn't have to look at Starsky to see his reaction.

"There are differences and we know that Marcus is dead and his main cohorts, are still in custody. We also know..." he waved me silent, "that there are differences in the murders. Doesn't matter--we've gotta get whoever is doing this off the streets and we need to plant someone in the boarding house. I also believe that Starsky has some experience with cults..."

I guess I took Rafferty by surprise when I jumped up and grabbed him, throwing him up against the wall, totally ignoring Starsky and Dobey trying to pull me off him.

"YOU LISTEN HERE, YOU LOUSY SON OF A BITCH! MY PARTNER DOES NOT HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH CULTS! HE WAS ABDUCTED BY THOSE ANIMALS AND TORTURED!"

"Hutch, calm down, please..." I heard Starsky's voice pleading with me to calm down. They managed to pull me off him, but I couldn't contain my rage.

"DID YOU BOTHER TO CHECK YOUR FACTS? OR DOES MY PARTNER'S APPEARANCE AND SO-CALLED EXPERIENCE, MEAN THAT YOU DON'T NEED TO? DID YOU BOTHER TO READ WHAT HE'S GONE THROUGH AT THE HANDS OF MARCUS' FREAKS?"

"Look, Hutchinson, I didn't mean anything by that. I just meant that he'd had dealings with cultists before and..." Finally he got the message and shut up.

"CALM DOWN!" Dobey decided it was time to regain control. Before I could grab at the creep again, I felt Starsky's hands holding me back as Dobey spoke.

"I don't like this, Rafferty. You didn't tell me a quarter of this when you called me, and I can't help but wonder why." He glared at Rafferty, who was getting the full force of my barely controlled rage and Dobey's more controlled anger. Only Starsky had remained uncharacteristically silent and I vaguely wondered what was going through his mind.

"Before I make any further comment on this ridiculous situation, I want to know what your plans are to back Starsky up. You obviously want him to go in as a guest to this boarding house, but you can't just plant him as bait and leave him!" Dobey was far from happy with how the briefing was proceeding and wanted a lot more details before he'd sanction one of his officers going undercover. Especially one who had a partner who was barely in control.

"We've got a man in there already," Rafferty explained. "He's been appointed as a janitor. Your man won't ever be on his own. But we need someone in as a guest and, like it or not, your man does fit the profile of the victims. Having said that, it is obviously a very dangerous cover and if Starsky doesn't want to take it, then we'll accept that. It's up to him." I looked at Starsky, as did the others, but my heart was already sinking. I knew my partner and I knew he wouldn't say no, despite the high risk, and I wasn't going to be able to stop him. I couldn't help the pleading glare that I fixed on him. This was so much worse than what I'd expected, and I hadn't expected much.