Chapter 7

Hutch was sitting at his desk trying to concentrate on the notes lying in front of him. Starsky had been missing for almost two weeks without any clue to his disappearance. It was as if he had simply driven off into the traffic and vanished. Even the streets were quiet. Nobody seemed to know anything or at least nothing they were willing to admit to. When his extension rang, he grabbed the receiver and barked, "Hutchinson."

"Ken?" a soft, quiet voice said in his ear. Hutch immediately straightened up, his heart beating frantically in his chest when he recognized Rachel Starsky's voice. The two friends had made a pact years ago that whenever one of them was hurt or missing, the other one would not notify his partner's family until he absolutely had to. Hutch had been putting off calling Starsky's mother hoping to have some positive news to give her when he did finally call her.

"Rachel," he said with forced cheerfulness. "How are you?" He knew that it was an inane question as he tried to avoid the inevitable.

"Actually, I'm trying to reach David." Rachel said "He didn't call me Friday night…and he never misses a call unless something is going on. Is he there?"

Hutch took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. In a level voice he answered, "No, he's not. I'm sorry, Rachel…he's missing…"

"Missing?" Rachel repeated in a carefully controlled voice "What do you mean missing?"

"He disappeared almost two weeks ago," Hutch told her "Nobody seems to know anything or if they do…they're not admitting to it." He paused and then added, "I'm doing everything in my power to find him. He's still alive…I know he is…I can feel it…"

"Why didn't you call me? I had the right to know!" Rachel said sharply. "I know that David tends to keep things from me so he won't worry me…but I'm not that fragile. You had no right to keep something like that from me for this long." Her voice rose almost hysterically. Hutch listened in silence feeling in his heart that he deserved the rebuke.

"I'm sorry," Hutch said apologetically. "You're right. I should have called you sooner."

He heard Rachel exhale loudly and then exhale slowly. In a calmer voice with just a trace of a sob in her voice, she said, "I'm the one who should apologize. I shouldn't have said that to you. I know how you feel about my David. I've always been grateful that he had a friend like you to watch out for him. Sometimes it seems like my David attracts trouble. Michael was the same way and David is so much like his father…" Her voice trailed off into silence.

"I'll find him…I swear to you that I'll find him," Hutch promised her in a determined voice as he fought to keep his own emotions under control.

"If anyone can find him, you can. Let me know as soon as you find out anything…anything at all," Rachel said in a pleading voice that tore at Hutch's sensitive heart. "Please…"

"I will. I promise."

There was a soft click as Rachel hung up the phone. Hutch blinked back the tears that had gathered in his eyes as he slowly replaced his own receiver. He prayed that he would be able to live up Rachel Starsky's faith in him. He would go to his grave looking for his missing partner if that was what it took to find Starsky. Hope was all he had left. Hope and his own unfaltering faith which told him that Starsky was still out there somewhere and he was alive.

Hutch shuffled the papers on his desk into a neat buddle and shoved them in the drawer. Shoving himself to his feet, he strode out of the squad room and down the hall towards the elevator. His co-workers gave him a wide berth. They knew that with Starsky missing, Hutch had one thing and one thing only on his mind.

He punched the button for the elevator and waited impatiently for the doors to open. When they did, Hutch stepped inside and pushed the button for the ground floor. Thankfully he was the only one on the elevator. He was still disturbed by Rachel's call. Talking to Starsky's mother only reinforced how much he missed his partner. Lost in his own thoughts, he barely noticed when the elevator stopped on the third floor and Minnie Kaplin, the resident computer guru, stepped in beside him.

"Hey, Hutch," Minnie said with a smile snapping the big blond out of his thoughts. "How're you doing?" She reached out and put a comforting hand on his shoulder gently caressing the tense muscles she could feel through the thin material of his shirt.

Hutch spared Minnie a soft smile. The petite woman with the thick black rimmed glasses habitually flirted outrageously with Starsky but she was still a close friend to both detectives. She often baked homemade treats and left them on their desk in the mornings. She was also more than willing to drop whatever she was doing to do a special favor for either one of them. She had been working her magic on the computer trying to find a lead to help Hutch find Starsky without any success.

"Hey, Minnie," Hutch said with a hopeful look into her deep brown eyes. "Any news?"

"I'm afraid not," Minnie said regretfully. "You look exhausted. Have you been sleeping at all?"

"Only when I have to," Hutch said trying to make a joke out of his comment but failing miserably.

"You need to take care of yourself, " Minnie reminded him gently. "For Starsky's sake. He needs you now more than ever."

"I know. Thanks, Minnie."

The elevator stopped at the ground floor and Hutch stepped out, hurrying across the reception area to the main entrance. He knew that Minnie meant well and he was grateful for her concern but he had to focus on Starsky. That was his main priority now. He would sleep when his body demanded it and eat when he was forced to by either Huggy Bear or Lizzie.

The thought of Lizzie made him smile as he crossed the street to where he had parked that morning. They had been spending a lot of time together since Starsky had disappeared more at Lizzie's persistence than through Hutch's own actions. Lizzie's love helped keep him grounded and she was a good listener. She let Hutch vent his frustrations and anger as much as he needed offering him comfort and understanding afterwards. Hutch felt more comfortable with her than he had ever felt with any other woman and he couldn't ignore the feelings that were starting to surface.

Lizzie was waiting for Hutch at his apartment. The aroma of the food cooking on the stove filled the air making Hutch's mouth water involuntarily. Lizzie smiled warmly and held out a large glass of iced tea which Hutch accepted gratefully.

"Why don't you take a shower?" Lizzie suggested "Supper will be ready soon."

"I think I will," Hutch said in a weary voice as his exhaustion caught up with him. He drank the tea in one long swallow. He handed the glass back to Lizzie and added, "But, I'm not really that hungry."

"You're going to eat something," Lizzie told him firmly. "And then you are going to get a good night's sleep." She smiled to take the sting out of her words. She had learned when to push and when to back off. She sincerely cared for Hutch and she knew how much Starsky's disappearance was affecting him. She had always accepted the unique relationship between Starsky and Hutch knowing that she would always come in second in Hutch's affections. She was willing to accept that because she was in love with the kind hearted blond.

"Okay," Hutch said giving in gracefully as he walked into the bathroom to take his shower. A hot, relaxing shower sounded good to Hutch's tired, aching body. He knew that he was dangerously close to the edge but he would force his exhausted body to keep going as long as Starsky was out there somewhere.