Chapter 5

Morning light flooded in through the wooden blinds of the small office, the sounds of traffic from the street below muted through the closed window. The desk lay littered with files, some open, some cast carelessly away. Several dirty coffee mugs stacked at one end of the large desk, testament to the fact that the owner of the workplace had not left it for some time. Caffeine helps keep a sleepy Captain awake, but does nothing for his temper. Sometimes even caffeine cannot keep a man from sleep, especially after he's been awake for 36 hours solid.

Something awoke Dobey from his nap, some noise outside in the squad room and carefully he eased his head from its resting place on the crook of his arm. The skin felt creased and stiff and as he lifted his head a slip of paper stuck to the side of his cheek annoyingly. The big teddy bear of a black man batted the paper away angrily, scrubbed his hands down the sides of his face and then stretched, popping the tightest of the buttons on his white shirt to show an expanse of brown belly.

There was another knock on the door. So that's what had awoken him from a dream of cherry cream pies, hot dogs and cold, cold beer. Clearing his voice Dobey put on his best growl.

'What?'

The door opened and a young recruit to the department stuck his head around the door. 'Sorry to bother your Cap'n, but your visitors are here to see you.'

Dobey grunted. He'd been putting off this moment since the initial report had come in three days ago. Thing was, he could only cover up two cops disappearance, and the dead body for so long. Damn! What he wouldn't give for a shower, a change of clothing and maybe a nice long vacation on one of the remoter Caribbean islands – or maybe just let the earth open up and swallow him for a decade or two.

The Captain sat straighter in his chair. Wouldn't do to see the visitors looking like he'd fallen off of the back of a removal truck. He straightened his tie, got a paper cup of water from the machine in the corner of his office and then sat down again, braced for the inevitable.

'Ok Jackson. Show them in.'

There was a moment for the Captain to get himself together and then through the door a small, bird-thin woman and a tall, achingly familiar looking young man came. Mrs Rachel Starsky stepped forwards and shook Dobey's hand. Nick Starsky stood back from the desk and nodded a curt greeting. His associations with the police in New York meant he didn't want to become overly familiar with his elder brother's boss.

'Mrs Starsky….Nick. Good to see you again. Please, take a seat.'

Rachel sat down on the hard chair by the desk. Nicky took the bucket chair that Starsky and Hutch usually shared. Somehow it looked so right for the curly haired man to be there, and at the same time, so wrong. Dobey dragged his attention back to the woman who was looking at him expectantly.

'Can I get you a coffee? A tea maybe?' he asked.

Rachel regarded him with eyes as blue and as piercing as her sons. 'Captain, if I didn't know you better, I'd think that you were stalling. I asked to see you yesterday and one of your men told me you were busy trying to find my son and his partner. I'm here today to find out how you're getting along.'

'He don't know shit Mah. It's written all over his face.' Nicky leaned forwards and stared at Dobey almost aggressively.

The small woman turned in her seat and smacked her youngest on his knee. It was the type of blow that Nick would have ignored, designed to insult rather than hurt. 'Mind your language! Captain Dobey will tell us what he can in his own time.' She turned back to the black man. 'Won't you Captain?'

Dobey wriggled uncomfortably in his seat. Weeping widows he could handle; he could deal with the addicts, the murderers, the rapists in a heartbeat, but having to explain what was going on to this pint sized powerhouse of a woman left him quivering, not only because she seemed to have the ability to reduce him to a wreck with one look, but also because he could hardly believe what he was about to tell her himself. The black man picked up a pencil and twiddled it nervously in his fingers.

'Mrs Starsky we have no idea where your son or his partner are.' Even to Dobey the words seemed to come out in a rush and he steadied himself, forcing himself to take a deep breath.

Rachel cocked her head on one side as her eldest child often did. 'Are you telling me that Davey is officially missing?'

'Missing, yeah. He left to go to Joe Durniak's funeral over a week ago and we haven't heard from either of them since.'

'So all this guff about he and Hutch being on some top secret assignment that no one could give me details about was a lie?'

Dobey ran a finger around his collar feeling like a little boy in front of the headmistress. 'We didn't want you to be worried unduly, but as time has gone on and um….certain other things have come to light. Well lets just say I'm now officially worried myself.'

Rachel sat forwards in her seat. 'But you have an APB out on them don't you? I mean two full grown men in a bright red striped car – that's awful difficult to lose.'

'We found the car yesterday' Dobey said carefully.

'Yesterday? Where? Was it abandoned?'

'It was on its roof covered in tree branches. It looked like it had run off the road. Almost like Starsky had lost control. That or he'd wanted us to believe he'd lost control.'

'What does that mean? And what about Davey and Hutch?' Rachel asked, her voice rising now with panic and anger.

'There was no sign of them.'

'So I ask you again Captain. Did you put out an APB?'

'No, but um…..well the FBI have set up a search party.'

It was Nicky's turn to react now. The younger Starsky stood and glared at Dobey. The black man answered his glare before looking away as though he were embarrassed.

'What are the Feds involved for?' Nicky asked softly.

'Sit down son. This isn't easy for any of us, but I'll try to explain as best I can. When Joe Durniak was brought here to Bay City, Starsky and Hutch were given the job of protecting him until he was due to give evidence. When Durniak was shot, the Feds became suspicious. Starsky and Durniak knew each other; Durniak was around when Starsky's Dad was killed. They started snooping around and found $10,000 in Starsky's apartment. For a while they had him taped as being involved until he and Hutch told them about Terry Nash and what had been happening out in the desert. For a while the feds lay low.'

'You're trying to tell me that they thought my Davey was involved in something illegal?' Rachel asked. 'Anyone who has sat in a room with him for more than five minutes would know that was a lie.'

Dobey nodded. 'And I did too, but at the time, my hands were tied. When Terry was brought in, it seemed that Starsky and his partner were in the clear.'

'Why are you using the past tense?' Nick growled. There was little love lest between his elder brother and him, but he too knew that Starsky would never knowingly commit a crime.

'On the day of Durniak's funeral Starsky and Hutch failed to turn up at the cemetery. No-one has seen them since. We do, however, know that they were on their way there.'

'How?'

'We didn't know very much at all until yesterday when we got a call from the Sheriffs department out at Cyote Point. A walker had wondered what his dog was barking at. He went to investigate and found the body of a young woman hald covered by undergrowth. She had a bullet through her head and Starsky and Hutch's cards in her purse.'

'So? Maybe she asked for their protection. They're cops for fucks sake' Nicky almost yelled.

'That's what I thought too son' Dobey said almost sadly. 'and I would have told the Sheriff's officer just that had it not been for the fact that the bullet lodged in the back of her head had been analysed.'

Nicky paled a little and sat down heavily on the seat. 'And?'

'And the bullet matches those discharged from Starsky's gun. Coupled with the fact that the girl is known to be associated with Durniak, it seems Starsky and Hutch are once more on the FBI's most wanted list.'

Rachel buried her face in her hands. 'He would never do that. My Davey would never do that. Surely you believe me Captain. You've worked with him. You've seen how passionate he is about his job. No-one who knows him could believe he would be anything but honest. As for killing anyone in cold blood, let alone a woman…..'

Dobey sighed deeply. 'I'm with you all the way Mrs. Starsky, believe me, but the weight of evidence is against them, you have to see that.'

'I know he wouldn't do anything like that. Not my Davey, not him.'

The big back man got up and came around the desk to kneel a little stiffly in front of the woman. His hands hovered above her shoulders, as though wondering whether to hug her or not. In the end, he chose not, but he lingered there for a few more minutes until Rachel had pulled herself together and stopped weeping. She took a hanky from her purse, dabbed at her eyes and sniffed, shaking herself like a bird getting its feathers back into order. She turned the full force of her piercing blue gaze onto Dobey.

'Find my boy. Find my boy and he'll show you he didn't do it.'

'Mrs Starsky I know in my heart of hearts he didn't, but I need information. I need background stuff on your son and on Joe Durniak. Starsky volunteered for the assignment and yet when we spoke, he seemed to have a love/hate relationship with him. Anything you can tell me would help. Anything.'

'It's very personal' Rachel almost whispered.

'Personal enough to put Starsky and Hutch in danger? Personal enough that your son would kill?'

'Never.' Rachel's eyes shone defiantly and she seemed to pull herself together and sit up straighter.

'Then help me Rachel. Help me find them. Help me set everything straight, because without your help, the FBI will find them and when they do, your son and Hutch will be on death row.'

Rachel looked at her younger son. 'Nicky, why don't you wait outside for me?'

'Why? So that you can tell him all your sordid little details? So you can share our family secrets. Jeez Mom, it aint like I haven't heard 'em all before.'

Dobey looked up, unwilling to enter into what seemed to be a family feud and yet needing information – anything to help his men…..just in case they were still alive. 'Indulge us son. There's coffee in a percolator by the door. We'll only need a few minutes.'

Nick Starsky looked for all the world as though he were going to refuse to move. It showed on his tightly pressed lips and yet it seemed the younger man couldn't just bring himself to remain. With a shrug of his broad shoulders, he got up, have him Mom a none too friendly glare and slammed the door on his way out. That at least seemed to be a family trait. Dobey turned his attention back to Rachel. He pulled up a chair and sat alongside her, close, but not touching. Rachel licked her lips nervously.

'It was a long time ago and Michael, my husband was a young cop trying to make a name for himself. He was good – a little too good. He was moral and that's what almost got him killed on more than one occasion. He tried to take on the Mafia single handed and he came this close so many times to being killed because of his stupid pride. By the time he'd learned his lesson, the New York Kings – the local and the biggest gang - had him proclaimed almost as public enemy number one. I was so scared for him in those days Captain Dobey. You have to understand what it was like for me. I loved him so much and I couldn't stand by and let them kill him just because he'd try to do what he knew was right. Can you understand that?'

'Yeah, I understand' Dobey nodded, feeling somehow dirty for having this determined little woman tell him her deepest, darkest secrets. He patted her knee reassuringly and made his face as blank and bland as possible. Rachel smiled a sad, small smile and continued.

'So after another night when Michael had come home angry that his partner had been shot, I knew I needed to do something. I was selfish. I couldn't contemplate life without my husband. This was before Davey and before Nicky. I wanted the all American dream; a white picket fence, a family…..and my husband by my side always and I knew I would stop at nothing to keep Michael safe. And so I went to Joe Durniak. I'd known him since I was a young girl. And I asked him what it would cost for the Kings to leave Micky alone. He said only one thing. Me'.

Dobey looked up sharply, only sheer will power stopping himself from gasping in astonishment. Talk about a curved ball! The big black man looked at the small woman and was surprised to see tears in Rachel's eyes. She went on.

'He said he wanted one night with me. Just the two of us, and whatever he wanted. And after that he'd leave Micky alone. What could I do? I hated Joe, but I loved my husband. I was young and I had nothing else to bargain with, so I did it' she looked up, the tears now coursing down her cheeks. 'I spent a night with him, and in the morning he drove me home and I made breakfast for Micky as though nothing had happened. He couldn't understand why the Kings behaved so well after that. They never caused him trouble. They never came after him again. And six weeks later I…..I found that I was expecting a baby'.

'You thought it was…..?'

'Yes, Durniak's'.

'And? I'm sorry, that's none of my business' Dobey looked away, wondering if Edith would ever have done similar.

'For a long time I never knew. I kept the secret to myself for a long time after Micky's death. It was only that incident with Starsky in New York that proved once and for all by a blood test that Davey was Micky's. But Joe stood my me throughout. I wanted for nothing. He paid my rent, paid for my air fares to come see Davey. And David hated him for it. But not enough to so anything……stupid. Or illegal.'

Dobey sat back, reeling from the story he'd just heard. Was Rachel right? Would Starsky truly have forgiven and even protected Durniak? Would he Harold do that? Slowly he got up and paced back to his desk, his big honest face a mask. When he reached his chair he was once again composed.

'Thank you Mrs Starsky – for your honesty. We'll take it from here.'

'And you'll find my son?'

'I'll do all I can.'

'And when you find him?'

Dobey sighed. 'One step at a time Rachel. One step at a time huh?'