My apologies for the delay. I have no good reason.

"Wow, would ya look at that."

Hutch followed Starsky's pointing hand until he saw a young man wearing rubber gloves and a jump suit remove a white, brick-sized bundle from where it had been hidden behind the panel of a car door. Cocaine.

Hutch took a breath, smelling motor oil and chemicals, and turned away. He and Starsky were making their way through the bustling garage, turning every so often to avoid tripping hurried mechanics. Hutch felt out of place in his clean clothes and boots that tapped delicately upon the cement floor. The grating, high-pitched sound of drills echoed throughout the garage as cars were dismantled.

"There," he said, nodding towards where one crumpled yellow school bus was raised up on lifts. Directly beneath it stood an older man with graying hair, who alternated between reaching up into the underbelly of the bus and writing on a clipboard. It wasn't until Starsky and Hutch drew very close that the man realized their presence.

"Oh, detectives, you startled me." The man reached out a hand, saw that it was covered in soot and grease, then retracted. "I'm Herbert Miller, automotive forensics."

Starsky nodded. "I'm detective Starsky, this is my partner, Hutch." He took a step forward, looking up at the bus overhead. "Captain Dobey said you found something?"

"Uh, yeah," Herbert said distractedly, then began flipping through the pages on his clipboard. Hutch wondered if all scientists were squirrelly.

Herbert moved underneath the bus and glanced up at it quickly before looking back to Starsky and Hutch. "It's standard procedure for us to examine vehicles anytime there's been an accident. Especially one that has resulted in death," he began in a formal tone, sounding like he was starting a lecture.

Perhaps he was.

Hutch sighed, and Herbert picked up the pace.

"So, anyway, we're looking at the brake system. We ran complete diagnostics on the brake anchors, the brake bands, the brake cylinders… they all turned out normal. I'm afraid it was a waste of time, however, because our problem was much more obvious. Look at this."

Hutch slowly moved to stand underneath the large bus. How could a couple of simple lifts keep the enormous vehicle in the air for so long? He tensed as he stood in the shadow next to Starsky.

"This part here," Herbert continued, poking a dark box-type piece of machinery, "is the hydraulic unit. It controls the force of the brake fluid in the lines, thereby controlling how fast the bus stops."

Starsky reached up and grabbed a piece of loose tubing, then turned deep blue eyes on Hutch.

"Ah, I see you know what you're looking at, detective."

"The brake lines were cut," Starsky announced, seemingly unaware of Herbert's presence any longer.

"What?" Hutch questioned as he moved closer. He reached up, his fingers touching each of the four lines that connected to the hydraulic unit. They had been severed close to the pump, as if someone simply took a knife and ran it over all four lines in one swipe. "There's no way this could have happened during the accident?"

"I doubt it. The brake lines are cut too smoothly and all at the same angle."

Hutch looked at Starsky numbly. "So this just turned into a premeditated murder."

Herbert coughed lightly, breaking the detective's stares. "One thing bothers me though."

"What is it?" Starsky asked, finally dropping the brake line and letting his hand fall heavily.

"The emergency brakes are in tact. Why didn't the driver use them?"

"We've got a pretty good hunch on that," Starsky replied quietly.

Herbert nodded and flipped through some pages on his clipboard. "You'll be getting a full copy of my report by the end of the day. I just thought you might be interested in this."

"Yeah, thanks," Starsky said as Hutch shook himself from his trance-like state. "Good job, Herbert. This is pretty important."

Hutch followed Starsky out from underneath the bus. Premeditated murder. Someone intentionally cut those brake lines with the purpose of harming those children. Hutch's stomach twisted at the thought and he suddenly needed to get far away from that bus. He made his way across the garage as Starsky excused them.

Who would do such a thing? Children were innocent, the hope of humanity… we are suppose to protect our children, not send them to an early death. The thoughts and visions chased each other around in his head as he walked blindly. He could still hear their screams, their pleas for help… he could see the blood and smell the smoke and taste the death-

"Hutch!"

Hutch blinked and held out a hand just before he collided with a wall. Starsky was instantly beside him as he turned, leaning back against the cool concrete as his world stopped spinning. Under the sound of drills and revving engines, he could hear laughter. Hell, if it had been anyone but him, he'd probably laugh too.

"You okay? Didn't you see where you were going?"

"I'm fine," Hutch huffed. "Just embarrassed. Can we go now?"

Starsky raised an eyebrow and turned on that annoying penetrating look he wore when peering straight into Hutch's soul. Hutch turned his head, feeling somewhat naked under the scrutiny. Then Starsky relaxed, and took a step back. "Sure. Let's go."

Good, he must have passed the test.

They walked out to the Torino in silence, neither man in a good mood but Hutch in even less of one. The jolt from air conditioning to dry heat and back again was starting to give him a headache. Not a big one, just enough of an ache for you to be aware of its presence as it pounded steadily against your temple. The kind that drove you insane.

They got in the car and Starsky cranked the air conditioning to full blast. Once again, they were met with hot, stagnant air, then it began to cool. "You know where we gotta go now, right?" Starsky asked, waving at the guard as they drove through the open chain-link gate.

Hutch let his head fall back against the headrest as the car continued to cool. Yes, he knew where they needed to go, and just thinking about it caused the pain in his head to flare. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "The school." After, of course, returning to the station to gather employee backgrounds.

Starsky turned a corner, keeping his gaze off of Hutch. "You don't sound too excited."

It was bait, and Hutch knew it, but like a damn fish, he just had to bite.

"Of course I'm not excited. Didn't you watch the news? The bus drivers are appalled. The parents don't trust them anymore. The school board is investigating them, along with the Transportation Safety Board. Things are a mess."

"What if it's not a bus driver?"

Hutch tossed a hand in the air between them. The thought crossed his mind just as Starsky had spoken. "And it might not be a bus driver."

They rode in silence for a few minutes before Starsky began to glance at Hutch. He squirmed a little in the seat, then cleared his throat. "So, uh, what happened back at impound? With the wall, I mean."

"Starsk-"

"No, don't try to weasel out of this. I need you to hold it together on this." More softly, he added, "And I wanna help."

The words brought a stab of guilt. Starsky's tactics were improving.

Hutch sighed softly, looking intently at a small scratch on the otherwise flawless dashboard. "I just got to thinking, that's all."

"Thinking?"

"Remembering."

"Oh."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, only this time the void between them seemed to shrink a little. Hutch let his vision go blurry as he watched the scenery pass by. His heart ached not only for the children, but for the parents as well. They must feel devastated… and betrayed. School was like a church- sort of a Holy ground… you were supposed to be safe at school. Protected.

"It's just terrible, you know? It shouldn't have happened."

Starsky glanced at him, then patted Hutch's shoulder gently. "Yeah buddy, I know."

o0O0o

"I say we talk to the creepy guy in the sunglasses first."

Hutch looked at Starsky, who was studying the group of bus drivers intently. They were parked some distance away, with five manila background files in hand, and like lions, analyzing their prey in order to determine which one to take down first.

"Creepy, Starsk?" He looked back to the printouts. "That a technical term?"

"Sure it is. I use it in my repots all the time. So what's this guy's name?"

Hutch let his incredulous gaze linger on Starsky's profile a few seconds longer before clearing his throat. "Uh… his name is Terry Gray, I think." Hutch looked at the photo then squinted at the figure loitering fifty feet away.

"You think?" Starsky retorted, grabbing the file from Hutch's lap.

"Well he's far away and that picture was taken years ago…"

"Well let's go find out then, shall we?"

Both men sat silently, watching the waves off heat roll off the Torino's hood. Had it always been that red, or was the car starting to sun burn?

Starsky sighed. "Guess it's not getting any cooler." He grabbed the door handle.

"Yeah. Let's go."

Hutch reached for the door handle and stopped. He hated to go over there and upset the recently traumatized bus drivers, but even more, he hated to do it in the heat. He sighed, then with more force than should have been necessary, Hutch pushed open the passenger door and was immediately engulfed in dry torridity.

Yuck.

Hutch took a deep breath and pushed the heavy door shut behind him. Starsky was already making his way towards the large garage that served as the elementary school's bus barn. There were five remaining full-time drivers after the death of Tom Bandy. Just as Hutch presumed, they were all squeaky clean. The worst offense among the group was a ticket for littering. It looked like he and Starsky would have to do some digging to find any dirt.

Hutch was sweating by the time they were within shouting distance of the bus drivers. The group was milling around in the shade of the garage… some sitting on plastic lawn chairs and some leaning against the building. There had been no school today, but Hutch suspected the teachers and bus drivers were called in to attend meetings regarding yesterday's events, and what the future might hold.

"Hey, are you Terry Gray?" Starsky asked as he trotted up to the group.

Way to be subtle, Starsky.

Terry froze in that deer-in-the-headlights stance that Hutch was all too familiar with. "Yeah," the man replied slowly, facing Starsky but most likely searching for an escape route behind those dark sunglasses.

Starsky slowed to a stop and Hutch moved up beside him. Starsky reached for his badge and began, "I'm Detective St-"

Terry's eyebrows rose over the top of his sunglasses and that was all the warning they had before he turned and ran.

"Awww, come on!" Starsky whined, stamping a foot at the fleeing figure. "It's too hot for this!"

Hutch bounced a little in preparation for the chase. "Come on," he said, patting Starsky on the shoulder as he darted around the brunet.

The other bus drivers looked on in confusion and partiality. None of them moved.

Hutch quickly picked up speed, trailing Terry as he sprinted across the school grounds. The pressing heat burned in his lungs as he ran. Terry moved confidently towards the abandoned playground and quickly jumped the small retaining wall, landing in the mulch on the other side. Hutch followed closely, darting between two horse-shaped spring riders and around a teeter totter. He was aware of Starsky behind him and pumped his legs harder. This guy had to be running for a reason, and Hutch was determined to find out what it was.

Terry was ten feet from the edge of the playground when Hutch saw his opening. He was moving in at an angle and motioned for Starsky to keep moving straight before he leaped onto the bottom of a tall metal slide. The metal gave a little under the heavy impact, probably leaving a dent in the bottom of the ramp. Hutch scaled the slide, his shoes clanging as he moved, and leapt off the top and onto Terry as the man moved underneath. They both fell to the mulch with a grunt.

Starsky arrived one second later, gun out and cuffs dangling from one clenched fist. "Alright Gray, that was not a smart move. Give me your hands."

Hutch rolled to the side, allowing Terry enough space to comply. He was panting and sweating heavily, and his ribs hurt a little from where he had caught Terry's elbow.

Terry, dazed, offered no resistance. "Alright, alright, shit man. You have to jump on me like that? I think I broke something."

Starsky bent over the man, tightening the cuffs around his wrists as Hutch sat in the mulch, sweating. "Did you have to take off like that? It's two degrees from Hell. Now why'd you run?" He re-holstered his gun.

Terry scrunched up his nose, trying to straighten his sunglasses that had been knocked askew. "I ran cuz you chased me. Now are you gonna let me go? You don't have nothing on me."

Hutch caught Starsky's incredulous gaze. Terry had a head of light brown hair, almost as long as Hutch's, and the very start of a five o'clock shadow. His jeans were holy, but whether that was due to poverty or personal choice, Hutch couldn't be sure. Though he couldn't see his eyes, Hutch wouldn't put the guy over 30 years old.

"Your attitude isn't gonna get you out of those any faster, so I suggest you cut the defiant act and talk to us." Starsky glared at Terry as the man rose awkwardly to his feet.

Tired of squinting up into the sun, Hutch rose also.

"Fine. What do you want to know?"

"How about where you were yesterday between 6 and 7 am?" Starsky asked. He crossed his arms and wore that face that Hutch was so familiar with. The one that said he wanted answers.

"Before school started? I was here- wait a minute. Why are you asking me this? You think I did something to that bus driver?"

"Hey," Hutch interrupted. "We're the ones doing the questioning here. You just tell us the truth, got it?"

Terry looked mad, even behind his dark sunglasses. "Yeah. Fine."

"What do you know about Tom Bandy?" Starsky asked, taking control once more.

"I know he was a good guy," Terry said, suddenly remorseful. "Good friend."

"How long did you know him?"

"Uh… three years. He was here when I first got hired. Tom showed me around, introduced me. Great guy right from the start."

"So he loved his job?"

"Of course. You have to. You ever had to drive around thirty screamin' kids?"

Hutch snorted softly, imagining how Starsky would pull his hair out in that scenario.

Starsky shifted his weight. "Did you guys hang out a lot, outside of work?"

Terry shrugged. "Maybe once in a while we'd go get a drink. He was pretty quiet."

"He drink a lot?"

Hutch looked at Starsky.

"What? No, man. I told you, he hung out by himself a lot."

Starsky broke eye contact and faced Terry. "You notice anything different about him yesterday morning?"

"Different like how?"

"Answer him," Hutch growled quietly.

Terry looked a little nervous underneath the lenses. Hutch watched a bead of sweat roll down his temple as Terry answered, "No. I didn't notice anything."

Hutch felt his own sweat trickle down the length of his spine. Maybe it was time to take a break, or at least move into the air conditioning.

Terry seemed to notice Hutch's discomfort. "Look, are we done now? I'm boiling alive here."

Starsky sighed and ran a hand across his forehead. "Yeah we're done," he said, approaching Terry with the key to the cuffs. "Just make yourself available for further questioning, got it?"

"Yeah, man, whatever."

There was a soft clink as the cuffs were removed, then Terry rubbed at his wrists. Hutch rolled his eyes, watching as Terry turned and headed back to the bus barn without another word. Starsky and Hutch started walking behind him, moving slower to gain privacy.

"What do you think?" Starsky asked.

Hutch rubbed the sore spot on his side where there would surely be a bruise tomorrow. "I think he knows a little more than he lets on," he said, as more sweat dripped down his stomach. At this rate, his shirt would be soaked before they reached the Torino.

"We'll squeeze him more later," Starsky replied as they stepped over the rock retaining wall. "He's scared, he's not going anywhere."

Hutch looked ahead to the parking lot, and the waves of heat rolling off it. The Torino quivered like a mirage in the distance. "We need to dig up any of Bandy's relatives and see what they have to say." And that would stink, because it was poking at exposed nerves. But somebody had to bring justice to this accident, and it was one duty Hutch would gladly serve.

Starsky glanced at his watch as they passed under some large maple trees. "Let's call it a night. You wanna grab something from Huggy's?"

Hutch walked over the long shadows on the grass, realizing just how late it was getting. While there was still plenty of daylight, the sun was already well on its way into the horizon. How had the time flown by so quickly? While he was too hot to be hungry, perhaps a cold beer would hit the spot. "Sure," he replied as they stepped onto the blacktop.

Without another word, they were on their way.