I'm afraid this is not going to be pretty…

Chapter 20

Starsky was restless. The pizza was gone, and the beer sat untouched. It had simply been an excuse to see Wanda again. He could not be certain she was not who she said she was. He did not have a flashback the second time he met her. She didn't look like Julie. Not even close. There was just something in the voice that bothered him. He could not recall ever hearing Julie talk to him while Rob and Julie held him, but something in Wanda's voice reminded him of that time.

"Vertigo" was just beginning, when Starsky jumped up and turned off the set. He didn't know why, he just went over and put his shoes back on, grabbed his jacket and his keys and headed for his car. He was on his way to Hutch's when he began to think what a fool he would be for intruding on Hutch's date. He had no plausible excuse for showing up. He had taken all the beer. He knew he would never forgive Hutch if he showed up on his doorstep when Starsky had a hot date, so why was he headed over there? He could have called. He could stop at a telephone booth and make a call. It would take him out of his way by a few minutes, but it would save him an embarrassing arrival. He thought about it and decided it might be a better tactic.

Starsky pulled into a gas station and went over to the phone booth. The phone rang and rang. He was just about to hang up and head over to Hutch's when it finally picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Wanda? This is David. Is Hutch there?" Starsky asked.

"Sure, but he's not, ah, available right now. Can I have him call you right back?"

"Um. No. I'm not at home right now. Could you tell him it's important? I really need to talk to him."

"I'm sorry David. Not right now. Call back a little later, Ok." With that, she hung up the phone.

Starsky did not know what to make of the phone call. It just did not sit right with him. Giving into his instinct, he got back in his car and drove the rest of the way to Hutch's apartment. He sat in the car for a moment, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing. He could see a female shadow pass in front of the window. Nothing else. No big deal. Hutch could be on the couch. His concern grew despite the calmness of the circumstances.

Finally, he got out of his car and headed up to the second floor apartment. Even though there was a key above the door, Starsky felt better knocking.

"Come in." Came the familiar female voice.

He opened the door and stepped in the apartment. The lights were dim. He closed the door and looked up into the barrel of a gun.

"Come in, David. You are just in time. I wasn't expecting you, but I could use the help." Starsky stood still, assessing the situation. He could make out the form of his partner lying on the couch. He wasn't moving.

"You kill him?" He said, a deadly calm masking his anger. If Hutch was dead, this broad was going to feel his fury. Hutch had been there to rein him in with Prudholm. There would be no stopping him now.

"No. He's not dead. He may be wishing he were in a little while, but no. He is very much alive. Come on in. Place your gun at your feet and kick it towards me. Slowly. Now, kick it towards me. What a good boy!" Without taking her eyes off of Starsky, Julie bent down and picked up his gun. "Now your handcuffs. Take them out slowly."

"Lady, I didn't bring my handcuffs."

"Aw. Now that's just too bad." Without movingher gun off of Starsky, Julie took his gun and aimed it at Hutch.

Sighing, Starsky reached in his pocket and removed the handcuffs.

"What a little liar you are! Put the cuffs on your left hand. Now go over there next to the post and lock yourself to it." Slowly Starsky obeyed. When he got there he closed the handcuffs loosely around his right hand, hoping she would not notice and he could get his hand out quickly.

"Now, aren't we just the devious one." Julie crooned. She walked behind him and tightened the cuffs down until they cut into his wrists. She put his gun into her waistband of her pants and searched him. She was not delicate about it. She found his keys and pocketed them.

"What did you give my partner?" Starsky asked. He was wishing fervently that he had called in his suspicions to Dobey. It's not something he would normally do, but in hindsight it would have helped considerably.

Julie just looked at him and smiled. She picked up all of her possessions and put them back into the bag. The "meal" she had made went into a plastic bag and after that, into the grocery bag. Methodically, she cleaned each pot and put it away. She wiped every surface with 409 to erase every fingerprint. The glasses were washed and dried and put back in the cupboards.

"Where are we going?" Starsky asked. When he got no answer he added, "I'm talking to you." in that same, calm, deadly voice.

Julie looked at him for a moment and then went over to her bag. She pulled out a roll of duct tape and then walked back to Starsky, put the gun to his head and said, "If you know what is good for you, you will close your mouth right now." Reluctantly, he did what he was told. The tape went over his closed mouth. All he could think was how much it would hurt when she pulled it off with part of his beard.

She walked over to Hutch and did the same thing to him. Hutch moved his eyes as if to follow her and Starsky noticed his eyes began jumping, like the muscle that controlled eye movement was twitching. Julie picked up the bags and went downstairs. Starsky took that time and tried like mad to release his hands while she was gone. He was unsuccessful. If the store downstairs had been open, he would have jumped up and down in the hopes that someone would hear him. That would have risked another life though, and Starsky was grateful that there was nobody there. This way, he did not have to choose. Julie returned to the apartment with cotton gloves on her hands. She smiled as if she knew of his struggles and they pleased her.

Julie moved behind Starsky and released one of the cuffs. "Now, we are going to go downstairs to the car. You are going to help your friend there into the backseat. Let's go."

Starsky walked over to where Hutch lay, and looked quickly into his eyes. He could see fear there. His pupils were not dilated or pinpoint. They seemed normal. They just did not seem to be able to focus on anything. He noted that Hutch too wore his handcuffs on one hand. His anger mounting, Starsky silently assisted his friend to sit and tried to get him to stand. It was no use. Hutch was unable to control his legs. Sighing as best one can around duct tape, Starsky lifted Hutch over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. Julie indicated with the gun the way she wanted him to go.

Starsky thought rapidly on the way down the stairs, searching for any opportunity to run. Julie had parked the car in the alley, and there was no one around. It was deadly silent, and the sound of the car door opening sounded like a firecracker in a graveyard. He tried to help Hutch the best he could into the car without jostling him around too much. The car was only a two door, and trying to get Hutch into the tiny backseat was a nightmare. He could not help much, and Starsky could not talk to him to get any cooperation. By the time he had his friend in the backseat, Starsky was breathing heavily and wishing he could breath through his mouth.

"Look closely. You will find an eyebolt on the side. Put his cuff through that and lock in his other hand. I will be checking, so you had better do it right."

Reluctantly, Starsky located the eyebolt and did what he had been instructed to do. Hutch began to get a wild look in his eyes and he seemed to be getting movement back in his arms and legs. Once secured to the car, he slouched down on the seat and lay there, unmoving, taking rapid, shallow breaths.

"Your turn, curly. Put your cuffs through the eyebolt on the other side. That's it. Put your legs down here." Starsky did what he was told and quickly found his legs lashed to another bolt in the floor. He wasn't going anywhere. Julie placed the rest of the rope and her gloves in the grocery bags in the passenger seat, and came around the car. With nothing else to do, Starsky studied the bolts. They were not new. The bolt had been painted black to blend in with the paneling. Starsky noticed there were scuffmarks on the one that held his hands. It looked as if someone had struggled against the bonds that now tethered him to the car. It gave him a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He tested the possibility of unscrewing it. Nothing. It didn't budge.

"Oh. One more thing, dear Dave." Julie said in a soft singsong voice. "Close your eyes." Starsky heard the roll of tape again and resigned, he closed his eyes. He was now completely at her mercy. Just where Julie wanted him.