CHAPTER 17

Huggy Bear sighed as he looked at the tall blond lying on his sofa. Hutch had aroused the bar keep from a sound sleep when he pounded on the door. Huggy wasn't that surprised to see his unexpected visitor. After a bit of persuading on Huggy's part, Hutch had finally agreed to lie down and get some rest while Huggy called in some favors. Hutch had drifted into an uneasy slumber, tossing his head restlessly from side to side and mumbling in his sleep.

Reluctantly, Huggy reached out to shake Hutch awake. He would have preferred to let him sleep but Huggy had a promising lead that he knew Hutch would want to follow up on as soon as possible. Hutch awoke with a start, momentarily confused and disoriented,

"Hey relax, Blondie," Huggy soothed him "It's me…the Bear." He stepped back out of range in case Hutch decided to start swinging.

"Hug?" Hutch mumbled as he opened his eyes and looked around at his surroundings. He shoved himself to a sitting position and looked at the tall, thin black man. "What've ya got?"

"Maybe nothing," Huggy told him "But I figured you want to check it out anyway. Sister Magda said she has a friend that has some info for you on Curly."

"Where?" Hutch asked, instantly wide awake and focused.

"Her place." Huggy said.

Hutch jumped to his feet and headed for the door, then stopped and looked back at Huggy. "Keys?" he said, holding out his hand as he remembered that he didn't have a car available.

Huggy sighed but dug his car keys out of his pocket and tossed them to Hutch. "Just bring it back in one piece." He grumbled as Hutch went out the door. "And watch your back!" He called after the rapidly retreating blond.

Hutch waved a hand in Huggy's direction, acknowledging his warning. He hurried down the steps to the street and climbed into the white Caddy parked at the curb. The engine roared to life as Hutch pulled into the street.

Sister Magda was a local working girl who worked in the neighborhood. She never caused any trouble so Starsky and Hutch didn't hassle her. They let her ply her trade

In exchange for a lucky tip now and then. Hutch prayed that this time her information would help him find Starsky before it was too late.

Magda lived in a rundown hotel on the west side of town that rented rooms by the month, the week, the day or the hour. Hutch climbed the steps to the fourth floor and knocked on the door to apartment 416.

"Who is it?" a woman's voice said from behind the closed door.

"Hutch. Open up Magda. Huggy said you had some information for me about Starsky."

He heard the chain being taken off the door, followed by the deadbolt being slid back. Finally, the door opened and Magda peered out at Hutch. She was an attractive woman in her early thirties with shoulder length red hair and curves in all the right places. She was tall for a woman almost as tall as Hutch. Instead of her usual attire, she was dressed in a pair of worn blue jeans and a modest white button up blouse.

"I don't have anything for you," Magda said as Hutch stepped into the apartment "But, she does…" Magda jerked her head towards the far corner of the room where a tiny oriental girl was sitting on the sofa with her legs tucked up underneath her slender frame. As he moved closer, Hutch recognized her as one of the employees of Diamond Escorts.

It fit. He and Starsky had always assumed that there had to be someone on the inside helping the killer select his victims.

"Cindy isn't it?" Hutch said quietly "Cindy Lee?" The young woman nodded, keeping her head bowed and her eyes on the floor. Sensing her fear, Hutch crouched down in front of her and said in a gentle, soothing voice, "Do you have something to tell me? About my partner?"

"I'm sorry," Cindy said in a tearful voice as she finally raised her head and looked at Hutch. "I'm so sorry…I didn't know he was a cop. He's crazy…I'm afraid he's going to kill me next…"

"Who?" Hutch asked with baited breath as he waited for her to identify the killer.

"Cody…" Cindy said with a deep, shuddering breath "Cody Brent…Sheila's brother."

"Her partner in the agency?" Hutch said in a stunned voice. "Why? Why is he killing the escorts?"

Cindy reached out and picked up the glass sitting on the end table beside her and drained the contents in one long swallow before answering. In a soft, barely audible voice, she said, "The first victim…Dale Bradshaw…used to be Cody's lover. Then he dumped him and started working for an escort service across town. Cody went crazy…he's always been into some kinky stuff but when Dale dumped him…he took it to a whole new level."

"How did you get involved in all this?"

"I had an affair with Cody. I thought he loved me…but I found out different. By the time I figured that out, I was already in too deep to just walk away."

"Where is he? Where is my partner?" Hutch asked the most important question. He held his breath as he waited for Cindy to answer him.

"He owns this old abandoned farm about twenty miles outside of the city. That's where he has his fun with them before he kills them."

"How do I get there?"

"I'd have to show you. It's too hard to tell you how to get there. It's pretty isolated."

Cindy said. "Just promise me that you'll put him away where he can't hurt anybody anymore."

"Count on it." Hutch said grimly. He carefully considered his options. He didn't like the idea of taking Cindy with him but he knew that he didn't have much of a choice. He knew that he should call Dobey and get some backup, but not yet. This was personal. Hutch was going to show Cody Brent that it was a mistake to mess with a man's partner. His mind made up, he stood up and reached out to take Cindy's hand, pulling her to her feet. Pointing his finger at her face, he said grimly, "I'm taking you with me because I don't have much choice. But, you will do exactly what I tell you do and you will stay in the car when we get there!"

"Okay," Cindy said softly, her hair falling forward and hiding her face as she bowed her head submissively.

Hutch turned to face Magda who had been quietly standing behind him. "Thank you, Magda. I owe you one."

"You don't owe me anything," Magda said graciously "Just find that handsome partner of yours and bring him back in one piece."