GUTTERS AND ALLEYS

CHAPTER SEVEN

Code 14 Resume normal Operation

We drove at the death-defying speed of ten mph down 58th and Prospect. It's a crude area, a small strip known to most of us on the force as Paradise Lane. However, the place wasn't filled with the usual things you'd find in paradise, like sunny beaches, blue skies, and skimpy bikinis. Nope, instead Paradise Lane was filled with things, like sex shops, sex shows, whips and chains.

The area was routinely patrolled, for what good it does -- I don't know. By day, the streets were nearly empty, not much to the area, but by night the rundown apartments, blinking neon red motel lights, and old men wearing raincoats, some trashing some flashing -- all came to life.

Here, you lived fast and died young. It's a hairy neighborhood. Where you can blow ten bucks or should I say, get blown for ten bucks. Within a three-block radius, you could find it all. Slimy gutters, sex, drugs, porn, and fresh faced girls that should still be home watching Sesame Street.

We'd been going in circles around the area for thirty minutes now almost making me forget about the gun shoved in my partner's ribs or the bomb that could have gone off any second. It's not much of a diversion but 'Paradise' would have to do.

The silence was broken when I heard a man and a woman screaming at one another. I looked out my window but didn't see anyone.

"Damn it!" Hutch slammed a fist to the steering wheel.

"Whatcha got?"

"It's Duzee!" he growled. "One of Bay Cities most upstanding citizens," Hutch said using a phony tone of voice.

Our code 14 didn't last long before turning into a code 37 -- Aggravated assault.

Duzee was the sleazeball who kept the ladies in business on Paradise Lane. His motto. 'Keep the girls working hard, and the guys will come.'Nice pun, isn't it?' To Duzee, women were just merchandise, and if you were looking to score a freebie you could forget it -- Duzee didn't believe in charitable events. He's a pimp and proud of it. Doesn't even try to hide the fact from his own mother. In fact, he'd probably turn his own mother out if he thought she could bring in a buck. We'd busted the guy plenty of times, but it sometimes is a twisted system and somehow he always managed to get off.

Hutch stopped the car, jumped out before me, and headed around the corner of the Cee-Ray Motel. I was hot on his heels and it didn't take me long to see what had my partner so fired up. Duzee had a firm hold of Charlotte's arms and he was shaking her hard, demanding she get back to work -- or else.

Charlotte was an old timer, who'd been out on the streets a long time. I was certain she'd long past her shelf life, but Duzee kept her on anyway. Her face was etched with worry lines and the edges of her dark brown hair were highlighted with gray. She had a soft warm smile, but her eyes always looked empty - like she'd given up many years ago. She looked like she was in her early fifties, but her rap sheet said she was thirty-four.

"I told you to get back to work, Charlotte!" Duzee spat in her face, shaking her savagely. "You haven't pulled in anything the last three days." His flattened right hand came hard across Charlotte's face, sending her down to her hands and knees to the gutter.

Like a bullet shot out of a gun, Hutch slammed into Duzee, twisted his arm behind his back and shoved his face against the side of the building, bloodying up his nose.

"What have I told you about getting too rough with the ladies, scumbag!" Hutch snarled. "How about I stick you in a dress and put you in a cell with …"

"You've got to be kidding! This is police brutality!" Duzee grunted in pain. "Hutchinson, you know my lawyers will have me outta there before you even thread the paper into your typewriter."

"Go after her again and find out if I'm kidding or not!" Hutch's eyes flashed fierce with anger.

"That bitch's been giving out free buffets all week, if she don't start charging regular price I'm going to beat the shit out of her."

"Now that's classy," I said, hands behind my back and fingers locked I strolled up and stood beside my overheated partner. "Don't you think that's classy, Hutch?"

"Nope!" Hutch sternly stated, as he flipped the man around to face him.

Hutch's face was beat red, he was sweating, and shaking hard with anger. That partner of mine can pierce a person's psyche, reducing them to a puddle of gray soupy mush in two seconds flat. The only person who never seemed to be affected by Hutch's eye piercing was Dobey.

I decided I better get between Hutch and the unsavory gentleman in his grasp. I wormed my way in, and Hutch backed off as I got real close to Duzee's face. I gave the man a white toothy grin, but made sure my eyes told a different story, as he squirmed under my scrutiny.

"You all right, Charlotte?" I heard Hutch say and watched out of the corner of my eye as he crouched down beside the woman.

It was just like Hutch to go from red-hot fury to soft as an over washed tee shirt in a split second.

With my hands still clasped behind my back I calmly said, "You get out of here, and don't you come near her again."

I knew my threat wouldn't hold up long. Charlotte worked for Duzee and until she felt it was safe to leave, he'd always be around.

"Starsky, you think you're real tough behind that badge and gun don't you?" Duzee stated in an arrogant tone.

"You've got that all wrong, scum. You should see me in action without my accessories," I said using the same steely calm voice. "I'm much tougher."

Duzee gave me an evil look, but said no more. I took a step back allowing him his getaway.

"You don't need to be here, Hutch." I turned to see Charlotte still on the ground her and Hutch appeared to be searching for something.

"You can get away from him, Charlotte. You don't have to stay here."

"I- I can't go. I'm his forever," she said with great sadness in her voice.

"Hey, what are you two looking for?" I crouched down beside them.

"The charm my grandmother gave me. He ripped it off my chain and threw it on the ground. It has to be here somewhere," Charlotte sniffled and wiped a tear from her eye.

"What's it look like?" I asked rummaging through the trash-covered ground, until Hutch and I bumped foreheads.

"Ouch!" We chimed together.

"Starsky," Hutch snipped, as we both rubbed at the sore spot. "I got this area. It's a gold seashell. Look over there." Hutch pointed a finger a few inches away.

Charlotte laughed out loud. "Which one of you is the Skipper and which is Gilligan?"

"You got us all wrong. I'm the Professor -- he's the chimp," Hutch smirked.

"I was always partial to Mary Ann," I said pokerfaced, as I continued to search for the pendent I heard Hutch telling Charlotte again how she didn't have to stay here.

"Duzee's Mr. Good Enough, Hutch. Unless you want to be my Mr. Perfect."

I looked up to catch my partner's eye. The sorrow I saw there was one that will keep me awake for some nights to come.

Hutch turned to Charlotte, cupped her chin, and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I wish that was possible," he gently said, then went back to searching.

Charlotte had taken a liking to Hutch awhile back, and he knew it. It broke his heart to see her struggle through life like she did. He wanted her away from this place, but it's a redline my partner won't ever cross.

My hand ran over something small and round. "I found it!" I shouted in triumph as I stood and placed the pendant reverently in Charlotte's hand.

"Thank you so much!" Charlotte muttered her gratitude to me, but she only had eyes for Hutch.

My gallant partner lifted her closed hand that held the pendant and lightly brushed his lips over her skin, and then we left Charlotte standing there in her reality, as we returned to ours.

Back on patrol, I noticed how super-quiet Hutch had gotten. His shoulders were tense and he hunched forward over the steering wheel as he peered intently out the windshield. I couldn't help but think he looked several years older than he had just a few short minutes ago. In fact, he looked exhausted -- heart and soul exhausted.

"Hutch," I barely whispered.

"Yeah, Starsk?" He briefly glanced my way.

"Nothin'" I gave an encouraging smile. "Just checkin'."

Hutch placed his hand on my shoulder, took a deep breath.

"Keep checking, buddy," he said, a heavy sigh escaping his lips.

Hutch always understands all that I can't put into words.

TBC