CHAPTER 5

Receiving the package with Starsky's personal possessions raised more questions than it answered about the dark haired detective's fate. Despite the fact that the passenger's list claimed Starsky was on the plane when it crashed,. Hutch clung to the belief that Starsky was still alive, just waiting for Hutch to find him and rescue him. Dobey tended to be a bit more realistic. He knew that Starsky could still be dead, they would never find his body because of the plane crash. The most logical place to start looking for some answers as to what really happened to Starsky six months ago was in New York City.

Dobey immediately got on the phone to the New York City Police Department and explained the situation to them. They agreed to extend professional courtesy to Hutch so he could go to New York and investigate Starsky's disappearance. While Dobey made the travel arrangements, Hutch placed a phone call to Rachel Starsky to tell her he was coming to the city.

Rachel answered the phone after three rings. In a smooth warm voice, she said,

"Starsky residence."

"Rachel, this is Hutch."

"Hutch!" she said in a delighted voice "It's so good to hear from you. How are you?"

"I'm fine." Hutch said, biting his lower lip as he pondered the best way to break the news to her about the new development concerning Starsky. "Uh….Rachel, the reason I called is because I'm going to be coming to New York…there's been a new development in David's case and I need to tie up some loose ends." He decided not to elaborate. It would be better to tell her all the details in person instead of over the phone.

"I see…" she said, the tone of her voice making it apparent that she knew there was something Hutch wasn't telling her. "How soon will you be here?"

"As soon as possible."

"Well, you're going to stay here while you're in town. I insist."

"Rachel, that's not necessary. I can check into a motel." Hutch said uneasily, not sure if he was up to staying in Starsky's childhood home while he was in New York.

"Nonsense. I insist and I don't want to hear any more arguments about it." She said firmly.

Hutch chuckled softly. It wasn't hard to see where Starsky had gotten his stubbornness from. "Alright." He agreed "If you insist." His eyes narrowed and he asked a bit coldly "Is Nick going to be there?"

"No. He has a new girlfriend he's been staying with." Rachel told him "So you'll have David's old room all to yourself."

"Thanks again, Rachel." Hutch said gratefully "I'll give you a call as soon as I know my flight number and arrival time."

"You do that, dear. I'm looking forward to seeing you." Rachel said in a warm, sincere voice.

Hutch sighed as he hung up the phone. He pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers, trying to ease the ache in his head. For the past six months, he had been trying to drown himself in the alcohol, to ease the constant pain of losing his best friend and his partner. Now, he had a reason to be a cop again. He smiled faintly as he glanced at the two rings he had slipped on his own pinky. Starsky's rings, entrusted to his safe keeping until he could return them to their rightful owner.

The news about the package and its contents was being kept a closely guarded secret between Hutch, Captain Dobey and the police commissioner. The fewer people who knew about this new development, the better. Hutch would call Dobey once a day to check in and to report anything he discovered about Starsky's disappearance while he was in New York. While Hutch would have the vast resources of the New York P.D. at his disposal, he intended to use whatever means necessary to find the answers he sought. And if Starsky was really dead, then he intended to find his body so he could have a proper burial. Without a body, Hutch refused to give up his renewed hope that Starsky could still be alive.

Huggy Bear looked at the tall detective in amazement. "Do you think Starsky could still be alive?" he asked in a stunned voice after hearing Hutch's explanation about the reason for his upcoming trip to New York City.

"I don't know, Hug." Hutch admitted in a frustrated tone "I just don't know. I know that someone couldn't have gotten his badge and those rings from

him without one hell of a fight."

"Unless he was in no condition to fight when they took 'em." Huggy pointed out "Maybe knocked out or drugged."

"Somebody went to a hell of a lot of trouble to make sure it looked like he was on that plane when it crashed." Hutch stated grimly "And in order to do that, they had to send a ringer on that flight pretending to be Starsky."

"But why?" Huggy asked in a puzzled voice looking at Hutch for the answer to his question.

"When I find out the why, then I'll find out what really happened to Starsky." Hutch told him with a weary sigh. He finished off his beer in one long swallow and motioned for a refill. He needed to keep a clear head for what lay ahead. His flight for New York left in two hours. Maybe after all this time, he would finally find the answers he needed so desperately.

The Starsky residence was located on a side street in eastern Brooklyn. Over the years the neighborhood had slowly deteriorated as gangs and drugs took over the area. Rachel Starsky had lived in her house for over forty years and had made it clear that she had no intentions of moving. This was her home and it would remain her home until the day she died. The small two-story frame house was in good repair compared to some of the neighboring houses which sported boarded up windows and overgrown lawns.

Hutch paid the taxi and gathered his bags, walking slowly up the sidewalk to the front door. The door opened before he could ring the bell and Rachel Starsky smiled at him warmly. As Hutch stepped over the threshold, she put her arms around him in a warm, welcoming hug. Hutch smiled. She had always made him feel welcome in her home and had treated him just like one of her own sons. She knew how close he was to Starsky and she had accepted their relationship without question. She had always known that he was more of a brother to Starsky than Nick ever had been or ever would be.

"Why don't you put your bags in David's room?" she suggested "Then we can catch up over a cup of tea."

Hutch nodded and carried his bags up the steps to the second floor. He put his bags in the first room on the left at the head of the stairs. It had been Starsky's childhood room and Rachel had kept it in the same condition it had been in when he was a youngster. It was a warm comfortable room that reflected the child that Starsky had been when he had lived in this house. Hutch couldn't help but compare this room to his old bedroom in his family home. His parents had totally cleaned out his room when he left home, leaving nothing behind to even hint of his occupancy in their house.

Hutch felt both uncomfortable and yet strangely at peace at the thought of staying in this room while he was in New York. In this room he could feel close to Starsky again, at least for a little while. Sitting his bags beside the double bed in the middle of the room, he went back downstairs to join Rachel in the kitchen.

He sat down at the kitchen table and watched as Rachel poured two cups of tea. She sat one cup in front of Hutch and kept the other one for herself as she took the seat across the table from him. "So," she said with a faint smile tugging at her lips "Are you ready to tell me why you're really here?"

Hutch chuckled. Rachel was just as perceptive and as direct as her oldest son. It was plain to see where much of Starsky's personality came from. Hutch owed her the truth. Taking a deep breath, he said "A few days ago a package was delivered to my Captain at police headquarters back home. It was postmarked from here but there was no return address. It contained Starsky's badge, his ID, his wallet, his keys, his watch and his rings. It also contained his blue tee shirt. The one you said he was wearing when he left that day for the airport."

Rachel looked at Hutch with sapphire eyes that looked so much like Starsky's that it was unnerving. A variety of emotions flickered through those eyes simultaneously. Alarm, surprise, fear, and hope. In a carefully controlled voice, she said "That means that David wasn't on that plane. He could still be alive."

"That's right." Hutch told her "That's what I'm here to find out."

"But why now? Why would someone wait this long to send David's things to you?"

"I don't know but that's one of the things I intend to find out." Hutch assured her solemnly.

"Someone got on that plane pretending to be David. Why would they do that?"

"Because someone obviously wanted us to believe that he died on that plane to keep us from finding out what really happened to him."

"Are you going to be able to find out what really happened after all this time?" Rachel asked. She had been married to a cop. She knew how difficult it was to solve a case that had gone cold.

"Somebody out there knows what happened." Hutch said firmly "All I have to do is find out who."

"Well, first things first. You need a good home cooked meal. You can start looking for answers tomorrow." She smiled and reached out to touch Hutch's hand "I know that you'll find my son and bring him home to me….one way or the other."

"I will." Hutch said with a sad little smile, "I promise you that…no matter how long it takes….I'll find him and I'll bring him home."