She's Not There

By M. Willow

Chapter Nine

The trip to Hutch's apartment hadn't taken much time. Starsky had let himself in and made himself comfortable on his partner's sofa. Hutch was nowhere to be found.

Starsky had a beer in his hand. It was his forth. He was bone tired, worried, confused, didn't know which end was up. It was who do you trust time and he knew the answer. Susan was lying. Had for some reason set his partner up and Starsky, for the life of him, couldn't figure out why.

A feeling of dread washed over him and he put the beer down on the table. It wasn't like Hutch not to be home at this hour unless he had a date. Starsky didn't figure on his partner having a date, which left him feeling like something bad was happening.

He thought about it for a moment, then picked up the telephone. It rang several times before Huggy picked up.

"Better be good," Huggy said.

"Hi, Hugs. Is Hutch still there?"

"Place been closed for over an hour, Starsk. He's probably home and in bed."

"He's not. I'm at his apartment."

Starsky heard the rustle of fabric, and Huggy's voice went on alert. "His car out front?"

"What's going on?" Starsky felt the cold stab of fear run up his spine.

"Maybe nothin'. Maybe he's with a chick."

"Tell me what's going on. If Hutch is in some danger…."

"It's not my place. You gotta talk to your other half."

Starsky was getting frustrated. "Please, Huggy, I got a bad feeling about this."

"I don't know where he is, Starsky, but you need to talk to him."

"It's about Susan, isn't it?"

Huggy took a deep breath, silence followed for several moments before he spoke. "Yeah, but that's all I'm sayin'. Talk to him."

"Look, Huggy, I think he's in danger."

Again Huggy stopped talking and Starsky practically held his breath.

"He was lookin' into Susan's past," Huggy finally said. "I gave him a glass with her prints on it. It's the last time I saw him."

"Huggy…"

"I'll make some calls over here. I'll let you know if I find anything."

Starsky's heart was pounding in his chest.

"Be careful. Okay?" Huggy said. "That chick is dangerous."

And Huggy hung up.

Starsky checked the apartment, looking for any clues that could tell him where Hutch had gone. One thing was certain, the car was not out front and Hutch had taken his gun.

--

Gilly's Bar was located in an upscale part of Bay City. The neighborhood was home to high-rise condos and a number of stores and bars that catered to the affluent citizens of the area. The bar itself had been inspired by art deco, the white building practically gleaming in the night sky. It had two high pillars and in the center, over the entry way, the pink letters proclaiming the bar's name, Gilly's.

The streets were pretty much deserted at this hour, the hustle and bustle of an area that always reminded Hutch of the busiest shopping center, had quieted to just an occasional car drifting by. Hutch parked his car in front of the bar on a wide street that glistened with moonlight.

Hutch wondered why Kira would pick this location for a meeting. The place reeked of money. Kira could hardly afford to live there. She'd left the department a few months ago, leaving no word as to her future plans. Hutch heard that she'd hooked up with a gambler once and was living well. Later, he heard that she was the mistress of an underworld figure. All rumors, he believed, with no foundation in truth. But now he wasn't so certain. He didn't trust her; that much he was certain, but if his partner's life was in danger, he needed to find out why and stop it.

Hutch looked around. There was only one other car on the street. It was parked directly across from him. The fire-engine red late model Volkswagen seemed out of place in an area home to BMWs and Mercedes, but then, of course, his car wouldn't exactly fit in either. Nevertheless, Hutch was on alert. He reasoned the car belonged to Kira and that she was now waiting for him in the alley where they agreed to meet, but the woman had sounded stressed, under duress. It was just possible that she had a gun pointed to her head when she'd called. Under normal circumstance Hutch would have called Starsky, but she had asked that he come alone and maybe he was just being paranoid.

Hutch strained his eyes, hoping to get a glimpse inside the car, but the windows were tinted black. He felt like there was someone there. It was cop instincts, but it had kept him alive all these years. Still, he had no other recourse but to get out of the car and take his chances. If Starsky was in jeopardy, he needed to discover why.

He got out of the car slowly, crouching low, gun drawn, ready for action. But nothing happened. Hutch stood up, looking at the car, then the building and finally headed for the alley.

Alleys were alleys, Hutch decided. It didn't matter if it was in the richest area of town or skid row. This alley was no different. It was dark and smelled of food and city smog. A few garbage cans sat straight ahead, illuminated by one single streetlight. And there was no sign of Kira.

He walked further on, hearing nothing but the sound of his own footsteps and his heartbeat. A cat leaped out and he nearly shot it, but it scurried across the alley, and headed out into the night. Then a rat ran across his foot and huddled in a corner, proving that there wasn't a place on earth that a rat couldn't call home.

For a moment, Hutch wondered if this was just another trick to get him back. Or maybe she had called Starsky and this was all a setup, the final blow to their friendship.

A sudden sound and Hutch pushed himself back against the wall. He could barely see the garbage can opposite him and wondered if there was someone behind them, hiding, waiting to leap out and take his life. But he heard nothing further and no one came out. Probably a rat or another cat, he reasoned. But it was too dark to really tell what he was looking at.

Hutch strained his eyes, trying to get a better look around the garbage cans. Eventually, he was able to see something dark lying next to the garbage can, but it was difficult to figure out what it was. It could easily be a bag, or a person seeking shelter from the night. He needed to get closer, so he inched along the wall, careful to keep himself hiding in shadow. At the last moment he launched himself across the alley, rolling quickly, then coming up to his feet, gun drawn. It was then that he saw what lay at his feet. She was shivering, blood pouring from her abdomen. Hutch didn't have to recall his medical training to know she was dying.

"Kira," he said, putting his gun down, and removing his jacket in spite of the danger. Blood was spurting from her abdomen and he needed to stop the flow. He pressed his jacket into the gaping wound and heard her gasp.

"Ken…Ken…So sorry. Wanted the money." Her voice was low, raspy. "Tell Dave I'm sorry."

"It's okay, baby. Okay. I'm gonna get you help. You'll be alright."

Kira grabbed his wrist. "Too late. Must know…Must tell you…green eyes. Golden eyes. Medusa."

And then he felt her body relax. He touched her neck, seeking the carotid artery, but knew he would find no life there. He sat, holding her to his chest, weeping openly, sorrow clutching his heart. She was gone.

Hutch didn't hear the car door open. He didn't hear the approaching footsteps. Nor did he hear the gun as it was cocked. A second later his world reverberated with the sound of gunfire.

TBC