Chapter 13

Hutch let himself into his own house quietly. Venice Place was in darkness, the curtains closed against the early morning sunshine and from habit, the blond man walked straight through the darkened living room and out to his greenhouse to his beloved plants. The plants were his relaxation, his pride and joy and on occasions his salvation. They were quiet, held a beauty all of their own and were silent companions. Plants never answered back. They didn't require walks, like a dog, neither did they need the attention a cat did. They didn't answer back to him and they didn't argue with him or second guess his decisions. The plants were merely there, waiting for him to come and linger with them, breathing in their perfume, watering here, pruning there.

It had always been the same. For such a big, all action type of guy, Hutch had always found a quiet serenity around the greenery first in his Mom's garden and then, lately in his greenhouse. And that greenhouse had seen plenty of use during the past months when Starsky had been at deaths door, or recovering from the bullet wounds. After harrowing days watching his partner fight for life, Hutch had come home, locked himself into the greenhouse and lost himself in their calming company. Many was the night he'd fallen asleep in there and woken stiff and sore but calm in the morning, ready to face the next in the long line of Starsky's fevers or physio sessions.

Now Hutch lingered in that same small room, letting his fingers drift through the lacy leaves of his favourite maiden hair fern. His head was once more in turmoil and, again, the subject of that turmoil was his partner. At first, Hutch had been so happy to see the life return to those familiar indigo eyes. The strut in the step that had been missing for so many months had made a welcome return and it was all because of a woman.

One night not too long ago, Starsky had sat down in that very conservatory with Hutch. They'd had a few beers at The Pitts and had come home slightly the worse for wear. Hutch had tried unsuccessfully all night to get the curly haired cop fixed up with Antonia, a leggy brunette with assets to die for and legs that went all the way up. Although Starsky had been a gentleman and had made all the right noises, at the end of the night, he'd kissed Antonia chastely on the cheek, told her she was a great chick and had made a quick exit to the bathroom. Hutch had been left to try to make some sort of explanation to the girl and her friend who had been understandably upset and had finally calmed their ruffled feathers and got them a cab. Then he'd gone in search of Starsky who was uncomfortably quiet on the way home. Eventually with a beer in his hand and slightly slurred speech, Hutch had asked Starsky what the hell was going on……and had been stunned at the answer.

'I can't get it up.'

'Huh?'

'You heard. Hutch I've had more tubes and pipes stuck up it since I got shot and every time it was some pretty nurse who had to do the deed. They all smiled at me and they had their hands all over me……I mean it's every guy's wet dream aint it? To have women all over 'em like that? Well I did. They were all over me, down there and….. I don't wanna brag but I'm more'n a handful down there. And always before, when I've had…..ya know…..fantasies, it's been great. Till it happened for real and…. and I couldn't get it up.'

'Aww Starsk. What kinda guy could get it up with all that plumbing going on down there. Damn it buddy, you had tubes where tubes were never meant to be!'

'And that's what I'm sayin'. They've done sumthin to me. I used to be horny as hell most of the time and now….. shit! I've sat at home with Playboy on my lap and never even so much as a rise. How can I date a chick if at the end of it I just go down on her and can't finish it, huh?'

'But you have to give yourself a chance Starsk. There's a world of difference between pictures in a porn mag and the real deal.'

And Starsky's troubled eyes had bored into Hutch's through a fog of beer, but the words and the sentiment were clear enough. 'Would you want to chance it?'

Hutch had been so happy to see Starsky looking happy with himself because that conversation had stayed with him for weeks. The flush on Starsky's face tonight had said it all. He could achieve and Hutch was over the moon for his buddy. On the way home, however, alone in his car, Hutch had started to have misgivings. Starsky had once before got mixed up with a beautiful girl who just happened to be part of an investigation they were carrying out. On that occasion, he'd been sent in undercover to woo Rosey Malone so that the Feds could get to her father. The romance had become the real thing and when Rosey had chosen life with her father over marriage with Starsky, it had taken months for the brunet to fully get over the loss. Was it all happening again with Jade? Could Hutch, in all honesty, allow it? Whatever happiness she could give the curly haired man now, it would all be for nothing if Starsky had once again to give up the love of his life because of an ongoing investigation. Even true love can have boundaries.

For a full hour Hutch sat on his favourite chair surrounded by his plants as he mulled over what was happening with Starsky. Should he warn his best buddy away from Jade and spoil the first true happiness Starsky had had for months? Or should he stand back and let life take its course, knowing that at the end of the affair, he would be the one to pick up the pieces and put Starsky back together again?

So many difficulties and so many things to weigh one against the other. Starsky had once gone out on a limb for Hutch, when Gillian, the love of his life had been discovered to be a high class hooker. Then Starsky had taken his life savings from the bank and had offered it all to the woman just so that she would leave and save Hutch from a broken heart. As it was, Gillian didn't take the money and eventually paid for her romance with Hutch with her life. Did Hutch want that sort of thing to happen to Starsky? Although he knew he, Hutch, would do anything for his partner, the blond also reminded himself that he had Jade to consider too.

The maiden hair fern allowed her leaves to trail through the blond man's fingers one more time and then Hutch rose heavily from his chair.

'Your right, dammit!' he said to the plant. 'How come something so beautiful can be so wise, huh?'

Hutch opened the door to the greenhouse just as the telephone rang. Ok, Starsk, old man, ready yourself for the pep talk. Uncle Hutch is gonna spoil your enjoyment again. Hutch braced himself as he reached for the phone.

'Starsk, I'm…..'

'Detective Hutchinson? Is that you?' A woman's voice sounded down the telephone and brought the blond man up short.

'Yeah. Who's this?'

'It's Jade Lin. From the Royal Phoenix Restaurant? We met….'

'Jade! Are you ok? Is Starsky there?' Hutch's stomach had bunched painfully as he forced the words out. Had the brunet had some sort of relapse?

'No, that's why I'm ringing you. We had a date last night and then Dave was called away. He dropped me back at home and….. Well, I needed to see him, but when I telephoned the station they couldn't get a hold of him. They said his phone line was dead.'

The pain in Hutch's stomach redoubled and he clutched the phone harder. 'When was this?'

'I tried to phone him about 15 minutes ago. My brother is angry Detective and now I'm worried for Dave.'

'You think Kim has something to do with his phone line going down?'

The woman's voice came back pained and hushed. 'My brother was very angry.'

'Are you ok?' Hutch asked.

'I'm a little bruised, but I managed to get away. I'm scared Hutch…..can I call you Hutch? I feel like we've never properly been introduced.'

The flaxen haired cop smiled at the sudden formality in the girl's voice. 'Sure. I need you to go home and wait. If you heard from Sta…Dave, call the station and have them patch through to me.'

'I have no home to go to' Jade said quietly.

'Where are you?'

'In a phone booth at the corner of….. East Central and Durham.'

Hutch's mental map plotted a course. 'I know it. Stay put, try to keep in the shadows, or a doorway. I'm comin' to get you.'

'Please. I can take care of myself. Find Dave.'

Hutch snorted. 'I need to get you safe first. Maybe you can help. Gimme 10 minutes to get to you and then we'll find Starsky.'

Hutch put the phone down and grabbed his holster, gun, jacket, badge and cuffs. He bounced down the steps from his apartment three at a time and out to his car and within a minute of putting the phone down was out on the road and heading for the city centre. As he drove, Hutch cursed himself. Why hadn't he warned Starsky off getting mixed up with Jade earlier? Why hadn't he stooped his partner even before this had begun? Why hadn't he just dragged Starsky out of the restaurant last night and high tailed it home with the smaller man?

Why?

Such a small word that held so many other possibilities. Hutch shook himself. Hindsight was a great thing to beat himself over the head with and he could do all the head bashing he wanted later, but right now he had a bad feeling about his partner and he needed to keep all his concentration on that one thing. Find Jade, find Starsky and arrest Kim.

The battered brown car drew around the corner onto East Central and coasted along to the next corner. The phone booth was empty and Hutch stopped the car and got out, his eyes searching the shadows. Jade saw the cop's flaxen hair haloed in the light from a street lamp and came out from her hiding place deep in the darkness of a store doorway. She almost ran into Hutch's arms and clung to the big man so that he had to forcibly hold her away from his body so that he could check her out. Only then did Hutch see the blackening bruise down the side of Jade's face, the still bleeding lip and the awkward way she held her right arm.

'What happened?' he asked.

Jade looked around her as though checking for her brother's men. 'May we get into your car? I feel very vulnerable out here.'

'Sure' Hutch opened the door for her and she got in with a barely stifled hiss of pain. The blond man trotted around to the driver's door and got in, carefully checking out his passenger. 'What happened? We need to get you to a hospital.'

'I'm fine….honestly. Please, let's just find David. I have a bad feeling.'

'He's probably tucked up in bed and he's forgotten to pay his phone bill' Hutch said without conviction. His "partner senses" told him something seemed wrong, but then again, they'd been on red alert for months now. Maybe they just needed a rest from overwork. He set his car in motion again and pressed the pedal to the metal. No sense in slouching, huh?

15 minutes later, Hutch turned the car into Ridgeway and pulled up outside 2000. The black TransAm was still parked in its customary spot, the bare metal on the hood shining brightly in the early morning sunshine. Hutch got out of his own car and automatically reached for his gun. The huge Colt was in his hand even before he realised he'd drawn it and the blond man snickered to himself as he cautiously climbed the steps to his partner's front door.

'Sure. Nothing's wrong. Just going to check on Starsk. Just draw the gun anyway Kenny.'

Jade followed behind the cop and it wasn't until Hutch had gained the top step that he realised his instincts had been right. With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, he saw that the front door was pulled to, but was not fully closed. Either Starsky was getting exceedingly sloppy, or something very wrong had occurred. Hutch signalled for Jade to hang back as he pressed his own back to the wall of the apartment, next to the front door. With the barrel of his gun Hutch pushed at the open door and pulled back, waiting for the bullet. It didn't come and carefully, the blond cop peered through the open doorway at the scene of the struggle inside.

'Shit!' he muttered as he rushed through the doorway and stood in the middle of the upturned furniture and the smashed photograph frames and pottery. Behind him, he heard a gasp and turned to see Jade, her hand up to her mouth in shock.

'Dave' she whispered.

'Uh huh. Starsk' Hutch echoed.