Part 2 - Chapter 31 - Sunday night. And a double helping today for all those ladies who asked and are waiting patiently for a Starsky chapter! (Don't go skipping right to 32, will you?)

Hutch watched as Traff poured a half of a tumbler full of the amber fluid and handed it to him. The soldier's face held a sad smile as he took his own glass and raised it.

'Departed friends' he toasted as both men took a sip of the fiery liquid.

'He's not dead, I know he's not dead' Hutch insisted as he put his glass down and stared hard at the coffee table.

Since Dobey's visit two days ago, the two men had run themselves ragged, chartering motor boats and searching the area by sea before taking Traff's car and patrolling up and down the coast. They'd spent long hours searching, starting before first light and ending, weary and grimy late into the night on both the days. The more they searched, however, the more they both came to realise just what an enormous area they had to look at and what a daunting task they'd set themselves.

On the first day, out on the boat, Hutch had sat at the helm, his shirt open and a cap jammed on his head, the peak sheltering his eyes from the strong sunlight. Sparkles danced off the surface of the water and stung at his eyes as he'd swept the horizon time after time. The waves played tricks with his mind and there were several times during that first day that he'd thought he'd seen a head bobbing about on the surface of the ocean. Twice he'd gunned the engine and knocked Traff off balance as he'd thrown the small launch in the direction he'd thought he'd seen his partner, but each time he reached the place he'd marked with his eyes to find nothing but inky water and white crested waves.

Had their quest not been so dire, the men might have enjoyed their time out on the sea. To begin with the sun shone brightly and only a playful breeze ruffled the surface, rocking their boat gently, but by mid afternoon, a squall could be seen on the horizon and the clouds started to gather, the wind picking up until the calm waters were churned into waves several feet high. Traff, who was at the controls struggled to keep the shallow draughted motor boat on an even keel, but finally he had to turn to Hutch with regret in his eyes.

'It's getting too rough' he shouted over the wind and spray. 'We need to get back to harbor or we're gonna be no better off than Curly.'

Hutch had opened his mouth to reply, but the waves were too big for him to argue logically and so sadly he nodded his assent, they turned the boat around and headed for the shelter of the harbor just as the squall hit. The sea changed almost immediately from the calm turquoise waters of minutes ago to inky blue waves that buffeted their craft and blocked their view of the harbor wall and it was only then, with their boat rocking precariously that Hutch truly realised what a miracle it would have been if they'd found Starsky.

The next day, tired but still determined, they'd taken to the car and had searched each cove and beach along the coast road, scrambling over rocks to get to the more inaccessible areas. But with each place coming up empty, both Traff and Hutch had a sinking feeling that their search would be futile.

Now it was 10:00pm Sunday night and they'd been back in the house for a half an hour. Hutch had taken a shower first, his body aching in places he didn't think it was possible to ache. He felt dispirited, weary and was trying hard not to think of the inevitable. If Starsky was dead in his head, then it was tantamount to the brunet being dead in reality and despite the fruitless search and the time he'd been gone, Hutch was still not fully ready to give up on his partner. Still there was a glimmer of hope in his heart and still he didn't "feel" that Starsky was dead. Traff had just come out of the bathroom from his own shower, towel round his neck and bare chested to see the blond with his had in his hands, his shoulders shaking silently. The soldier took the brand new bottle of whiskey from the shelf and poured two generous measures and handed one to Hutch. Together they toasted their friend.

Traff sat down on the chair opposite the flaxen haired cop and regarded his friend sadly. 'I know it's tough Blondie, but some time soon you're gonna have to come to terms with the fact that he may be de….'

'He aint dead' Hutch exploded, his terror at the thought evident in his response. He smiled shyly at his own outburst and his voice softened. 'He isn't. I'd feel it, I know I would, and I don't. He's still out there an' we just need to find him.'

'Times gettin' on Chief. It's been almost two weeks with no sign' the soldier said gently. 'Don't do this to yourself Hutch. Don't torture yourself like this. Sometimes, we have to know when to let go.'

'I know. And I do, believe me. But now isn't the time Traff. I'm gonna keep on looking until I know I can't look any more.'

The dark haired soldier sighed. 'I miss him too ya know. He was so….'

'Gullible?'

Traff's eyebrows rose. 'Not the description I'd use. Gullible? How so?'

'Dunno, maybe it's not the right word…. Just some of the things he did. Some of the stuff he got up to. Like buyin' a pet stone from Huggy and payin' 20 dollars for it. There again, it saved his life.'

'A pet stone huh? How?'

'We were undercover' Hutch rubbed at his jaw as though he could still feel the blow his partner had delivered. 'He was with a group of dirty cops and they had him cornered and under fire. He threw the stone, they shot at it an' not Starsk and he managed to get away.'

'Wow! Sounds like Curly boy. But he was innocent too. Leastways he was when I knew him first time.'

Hutch almost choked on his drink thinking of his partner, the great Romeo as innocent. 'Now that I don't believe!'

'It's true. I mean he wasn't exactly pure as the driven snow, but he wasn't….experienced either. We were together in 'Nam – he told you that?'

'Uh huh.'

'We'd had a bad run of operations and we had a night off and we headed for the local village. It was kind of a one horse town, but they had a bar and a whore house and we needed some diversion. While he was busy elsewhere, I got us a couple of girls. They were twins, but it turned out they only had one room. When I told Curly he couldn't get his head round the fact we'd be havin' a foursome. Never seen a guy colour up so quick' Traff grinned at the memory.

'You mean you two and two girls in the same room?'

'Uh uh. In the same bed. It was wild.'

Hutch smiled back. 'I bet it was! Jeez, he never slipped that one into conversation!'

'Did he tell you about his plans to give up bein' a cop and start his own livestock business?'

It was Traff's turn to choke and he giggled. 'Curly as a farmer….wow. Not two words I'd have put in the same sentence.'

'Well he wasn't exactly talkin' cows and sheep. Some flake sold him a guinea pig but said it was a pure bred chinchilla. Told him it would make him a fortune if he bred 'em right.'

'A guinea pig huh?'

'Yeah. We tried to tell him, but in the end he gave it to Dobey's daughter. He'd had a bad time and she came around. She was the only one who could get though to him.' Hutch's mind went back to the days after Wheeler's daughter had been killed. (see Shining Link, by this author).

'Hiya Rosey, how are you?' Hutch asked as he helped her out of her jacket. She threw her arms round Hutch's neck.

'Hi Uncle Ken, I'm good. I brought Louise, like you said. Is Uncle Dave sick?' her little round face creased in concentration.

'Yeah, he's sick. Some bad men hurt him and he's real sad' Hutch explained, seeing her struggling to take it in. 'They're gone now. Your Daddy took care of that, but St…Uncle Dave is very sad because his girlfriend died and they hurt him too. We wondered. Do you think you can cheer him up?'

She nodded, clearly proud of her mission and without pausing went to the bedroom door, reaching up to the handle. Dobey and Hutch watched as she went into the dimly lit room and crossed confidently to the bed.

She walked around the bed until she could see Starsky's face, but his eyes were closed. She gently put out a podgy little hand and brushed it through his hair.

'Uncle Dave, are you asleep?' she whispered.

The unfamiliar voice seemed to penetrate the fog clouding the brunet's mind and slowly his eyes opened and he looked at the little girl.

She smiled at him. 'Uncle Ken said you were sad' she said in the direct way kids have of coming to the point.

Starsky's eyes opened a little wider and he managed the shadow of a nod. Rosey climbed up onto the bed and put her arm round his neck, resting her face in his curls. She always liked his hair because she said it tickled her nose when she kissed him and it always smelled warm and comforting. She pulled away and looked at the healing wounds on his back, gently tracing one with her little finger.

'Uncle Ken said some bad men hurt you. Does it hurt a lot?' she asked.

The question seemed to spark something in the injured cop's mind and he turned slightly in the bed so that he could see the little girl better.

'Yeah, it hurts' he mumbled as he reached out to run his fingers through her black hair.

'I had to go to the doctors and he bandaged my knee when Cal pushed me out of the tree house. That hurt, but the doctor said a cuddle would make it alright. Do you want a cuddle Uncle Dave? Daddy says I give the best cuddles'.

Stiffly Starsky lifted his arm and she insinuated herself beneath it, wrapping her small arms around his neck as she planted a kiss on his cheek. The brunet smiled into her eyes, seeing only love and childlike innocence. No hurt, no pain and no evil. It seemed so long since he'd just been able to enjoy the simple pleasures and he sighed, relaxing against the little body as Rosey continued to prattle about her school, her brother and her new pet guinea pig. It was so normal, so comforting and so…..ordinary.

The night wore on with friendly chat and also with the level of the whiskey bottle plummeting. Finally Traff put his empty glass down on the table and stood uncertainly.

'C'mon Hutssssh. Court t'morrow. We gotta be ready for da Judge.'

The blond regarded him blearily. 'Don't wanna.'

'Don't wanna go t'bed?'

'No… don't wanna ssshtand…..can't.'

'Sh'alright….I'll help' Traff mumbled, holding out a hand to the three blonds sat on the chair. The central man held out his own hand and grasped his friend's pulling himself to his feet and together they tottered into the bedroom where Hutch flung himself down on the bed without getting undressed and Traff found his way back into the living room, lay down on the sofa and was asleep in moments.

Next morning, Hutch woke with a raging headache and a mouth that felt like the bottom of a parrot's cage. He squinted at the bright light flooding through the crack in the curtain and wondered for a moment why he had such a feeling of foreboding in the pit of his stomach. Reality hit with a bump and he remembered. Monday. Court hearing for Starsky's case and no defendant to answer bail. Shit!

Easing himself off the bed, he ignored the pile driver in his head and headed for the living room where the hard drinking soldier was already up and brewing strong black coffee. He glanced up as Hutch walked in and snickered.

'Oh God, do I look as bad as I feel?' the blond asked, running his fingers through his mussed flaxen hair.

'Probably worse. And you've got an hour before we need to be at the courthouse. Get a shower and get yourself ready huh? We're meeting Liz outside to brief her on what we've been doin'. Hopefully the Judge will grant a continuance under the circumstances and we can get back to searching for Starsk.'

Hutch grunted and headed for the shower. He turned the faucet to cool and stood under the reviving stream for a while until he felt more or less human, got out, towelled his hair dry, shaved and got dressed.

Forty minutes later, the two men pulled up outside the courthouse, parked up and ran up the steps. Liz was waiting at the top for them, a worried look on her face.

'I take it you haven't found him then?' she asked. Traff leaned over and kissed her chastely on the cheek and she returned the greeting. Suddenly Hutch knew exactly how Traff had managed to persuade Liz to apply for bail for Starsky and he snickered to himself. So, what they said about men in uniform was true!

'No, we've been searching for days, but nothing.'

'So what do you want me to tell the Judge?' the woman asked. 'As I see it we have two choices depending on when the police department are willing to um….to…'

'Announce that he's dead?' Hutch asked bitterly. 'Not gonna happen. Over my dead body.'

The woman gave him a peculiar look but saw the steely glint in Hutch's eyes. She sighed. 'In that case we need a damned good excuse as to why he isn't here to answer his bail.'

'Can't you tell the Judge he's sick?' Traff offered.

Liz pursed her lips. 'I think that in this case, honesty is the best policy. We outline the case, we tell the Judge about the tapes you found and we explain that we think Starsky is still under hypnotic influence and has disappeared.'

'And you think the Judge will buy that?' Hutch asked hopefully.

The lawyer looked at him pityingly. 'I looked on the list. We've got Judge Steiger. They call him the Smiling Executioner. Would you believe the story I'm gonna be telling him?'

'We can but try' Traff said as he put his arm around Liz's waist. 'It's amazing how persuasive people can be.'

She smiled up at him and nodded from beneath half closed eyelids. 'Where's the uniform soldier boy?' she whispered. He squeezed her waist and they walked into the courtroom.

Liz took up her position at the front behind the defence desk and Martin O'Shea, the prosecutor walked in with a file under his arm. He smiled at Liz who wondered over to him and the two put their heads together. Martin looked over at Hutch, his eyebrows raised and then went back to his conversation, but it was cut short by a knock on the door and the court bailiff cleared his throat.

'All stand. Bay City Courthouse is now in session, the Honourable Judge Elmer Steiger presiding.' The black gowned judge whisked into court and sat down and shuffled his papers on his desk.

'Miss Abraham, where's the defendant?'

Liz stood up. 'Your honour, Mr Starsky is plainly missing and I move for a continuance. The tapes lodged at court as defence exhibits one thru three clearly show that Edgar Fisher had my client under hypnotic influence. I say that that hypnosis is still influencing Mr Starsky in some way and….'

'And the moon is made of green cheese' Steiger muttered. 'Counsel for the prosecution, what are your views on this?'

O'Shea stood up from his chair refusing to look at Liz. 'Your Honour, the state wasn't happy about David Starsky being granted bail originally. It seems our fears were unfounded. We move for a warrant of arrest to be issued.

Hutch came to his feet. 'No, you don't understand! You can't do that' he yelled.

The Judge glared at the angry blond man. 'Bailiff, have that man removed' he snapped before turning his attention back to the matter in hand. One of the uniformed officers came to collect Hutch and started to man handle him out of the courtroom as the Judge continued.

'This court is of the opinion that David Michael Starsky has wilfully ignored this court hearing. A warrant for his immediate arrest should be issued forthwith. Bailiff call on the next case.'

At the back of the courtroom Hutch clenched his jaw and ground his teeth together in an attempt to stop shouting out again and as the court official pushed him out through the door, he was joined by Traff and Dobey. Together they found a quiet conference room and put their heads together.

'So? What now?' Dobey grunted.

'Now we kick some butt' Hutch yelled. 'Pump Fisher for everything we can and me and Traff keep lookin' If he's out there we'll find him. We'll fine him.'

Traff smiled sadly at Dobey and took a hold of the blond's arm. 'Hutch, God knows I don't want to tell you this buddy. Curly's as much my friend as yours, but you have to start admitting that he's been gone too long. It's been almost 2 weeks without seeing hide nor hair of him. You have to accept the fact that he's gone. I've been on enough search and rescue missions to know' the soldier said quietly.

Hutch's eyes blazed back at him. 'But you've never searched for Starsky before.'

'Um, yeah, I have Chief. In 'Nam.'

'And did you fine him?'

'Uh huh. he was pretty far gone, but I found him.'

'Well we have a repeat performance. And if you won't help me, I'll do it myself. One last time guys. I'm not giving up.'