CHAPTER 7

Joe Durniak. Mob Boss. Gangster. Hiding under the cover of a respected and respectable businessman. And a friend of the Starsky Family. Somehow, he didn't seem that surprised to receive Rachel's call and he quickly agreed to meet with Hutch that same afternoon at his downtown office.

When Hutch arrived for the scheduled meeting, he was immediately ushered into Durniak's private office by his very pretty and very efficient secretary. The office was lush and elegant, filled with expensive furniture and art pieces hanging on the wall. Durniak sat behind his desk, his eyes warily sizing up the blond detective as he entered the inner sanctum. Durniak was a distinguished looking man in his late sixties with shrewd watchful eyes. He motioned to the overstuffed black leather chair facing his desk with a thin somewhat condoning smile. As Hutch sank into the chair, Durniak spoke, his voice rough and gravelly sounding due to an injury to his throat years ago, "So you are Ken Hutchinson, Davy's partner from California."

"Yes. I am." Hutch said, eyeing the other man cautiously, the way you would eye a strange dog to make sure it wasn't going to bite. By reputation alone, Joe Durniak was a very dangerous man. He was also a man who knew how to get things done.

"How long have you and Davy been partners?" Durniak asked, leaning back comfortably in his chair and gazing at Hutch with a thin smile.

"Seven years but we've been friends ever since the Academy."

"You must be alright if Davy's kept you around that long."

"I know that Rachel told you why I'm here. Can you help me find out what happened to Starsky or not?" Hutch asked bluntly, not in the mood to continue this casual conversation. He needed to know if he could count on the mob boss for help or not.

"You know that David was not on the plane that crashed." Durniak said. It was a simple statement of fact, not a question.

"Who was?"

"Some poor soul who thought he was getting a few dollars to pretend to be someone else and a free trip to California. Nothing more, nothing less. Someone who wouldn't be missed by anyone when he disappeared."

"Why have him pretend to be Starsky?"

"I'm sure you've already figured that out. The people who took Davy wanted everyone else to believe that he was on that plane when it crashed so nobody would coming looking for him." Durniak replied offhandedly as if the answer to that question should have been obvious.

"Where is my partner?" Hutch demanded. He hated the pleading tone in his own voice but when it came to Starsky, he would get down on his knees and beg if that was what it took to find out what really happened to him.

"I have some of my associates looking into that as we speak." Durniak said

"What I can tell you is that the money to finance this operation came from the west coast. You and David have made some very powerful enemies over the years because you are so good at what you do."

"Who's the bank?"

"That doesn't matter. I assure you that he will be dealt with in the end." Durniak looked at Hutch with a thin smile, reading the questions in his steady gaze. "I knew nothing of this when Davy was taken or I would have stopped it before it happened."

"Then how do you know so much about it now?" Hutch asked, not really caring how brash or insensitive the question seemed to be.

"Because the person who had Davy's personal possessions came to me for help. They wanted to know what they should do but they didn't want to get involved. So I suggested sending a package to California. A package I knew would bring you here looking for answers." Durniak explained patiently.

"Who sent the package?" Hutch asked in an icy voice, fighting hard to control the anger that boiled inside of him. He wanted to tear something apart with his bare hands, anything to vent the anger that he had no outlet for.

"That I can't tell you. I gave my word that I would keep them out of this." Durniak told him firmly "Let's just say that they are in my debt now and they will do as I say." Hutch didn't like the answer but he knew the rules and he would play by them for now if he had to. The only thing that mattered to him was finding Starsky even if it meant doing it Durniak's way.

"Did they have anything to do with whatever happened to my partner?"

"Indirectly….they provided the men who took him with the information they needed to find him in the right place at the right time."

"It was Nicky, wasn't it?" Hutch said in a brittle tone, the rage in his voice barely contained. "He sold out his own brother, didn't he?"

"Some people will do anything for the right price." Durniak said without answering Hutch's question directly but the blond detective could read the answer in his steely eyes. "To those people, honor means nothing….." His own voice turned hard and cold. "But that is not your concern. That is another issue I will take care of when the time is right."

"Is Starsky still alive?" Hutch asked, struggling to keep his voice calm and steady.

"As far as I can determine….. I should have more detailed information for you soon."

"How soon?"

"Within the next twenty-four hours. I trust that I can reach you at Rachel's number."

"I'll be there."

"Good. Then go back there, Detective Hutchinson and wait for my call."

Knowing that he was being dismissed. Hutch rose to his feet and left the office. A mixture of emotions raged inside of him: Rage, bitterness, fear and hope. His police instincts told him that Durniak was telling the truth and that he would help him find his missing partner. Those instincts also told Hutch that he had a score to settle with Nick Starsky. But first things first. First he had to find his best friend. The other half of his soul.

Hutch slowly drove his rental car back to the Starsky home. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air in the kitchen as he stepped into the house. Rachel smiled at him warmly and sat a cup on the table, gesturing for him to sit.

"Can Joe help?" she asked as he sat down, looking at him hopefully.

"Yes….he said he'll call me in the next twenty-four hours with more information." Hutch sighed softly and rubbed the bridge of his nose between two fingers. He was suddenly exhausted, physically and emotionally. He had been running on nothing but pure adrenaline for almost a week and his resources were starting to wear thin.

"Is David still alive?"

"As far as Durniak knows he is."

"Oh, thank god!" Rachel exclaimed in a relieved voice as she sank into a chair facing Hutch. Automatically, her fingers closed around the Star of David that she wore around her neck and raised it to her lips, kissing it gently. Tears glistened in her eyes as she looked back at Hutch and tried to smile. "God has answered my prayers…."

"Rachel, we haven't got him back yet." Hutch pointed out solemnly. "We don't know who's had him all this time or what they may have done to him."

"Joe will find out. Nicky was right about one thing….Joe has the connections to find out that information easier than the police do."

Hutch's eyes turned dark and cold at the mention of Nicky's name but he kept his feelings carefully concealed and held his tongue. There was need to upset Rachel Starsky any more than she already was by telling her that Nicky may have been involved in his own brother's disappearance. A thin smile tugged at his lips. He had a feeling that Durniak would make Nick very sorry for whatever part he may have played in this whole affair. From his brief meeting with the man, Hutch could sense his genuine concern for the Starsky family. His friendship with Michael Starsky dictated his debt of honor to protect his family from harm and that commitment would include his eldest son.

The rest of the day passed slowly. Hutch called Caption Dobey and reported what he'd discovered so far. He promised to get back in touch as soon as he knew more. He was only mildly surprised when he received a phone call from Joe Durniak shortly after supper that evening.

"Detective Hutchinson, I have most of the answers you were seeking." Durniak said without any preliminaries. "As I said, you and David have made some very powerful enemies over the years. The west coast connection contacted several of your more, shall we say, influential enemies and arranged for Davy to be sold to the highest bidder."

"Oh my god…." Hutch muttered, his heart starting to pound frantically in his chest as he thought about what that could mean for Starsky.

"The good news is that an associate of mine has agreed to sell me certain 'merchandise' that he no longer has any use for. He was very cooperative when I expressed an interest in obtaining the merchandise from him." Durniak said. Hutch knew immediately that the 'merchandise' that Durniak cryptically referred to was Starsky. He listened as Durniak continued, "I have been assured that the 'merchandise' is still viable but is in very poor condition. You will want to have it assessed immediately upon delivery."

"When will that be?" Hutch asked trying to keep the anxiety out of his voice.

"Sometime tomorrow afternoon. As soon as the details for delivery have been confirmed, I will contact you with the instructions for pickup."

"All I care about is the safe return of the 'merchandise,'" Hutch told him firmly

"Rest assured that once the product is safely delivered, I will pay for any necessary repairs and I will take the appropriate steps to make sure nothing like this ever happens again." Hutch didn't reply. He sensed that whoever the men were behind this whole affair they had just signed their own death warrants, including the west coast connection. Everyone of course, except for Nicky but he would still pay for his part in the whole affair. Hutch would make sure of that if Durniak didn't.

"Thank you." Hutch said with sincere gratitude.

"I did not do this for you, Detective Hutchinson. I did it for Davy and his mother. They've suffered enough….and now my debt is repaid to an old friend." Without any further comment, Durniak hung up the phone ending the conversation.