CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Hutch looked at his scribbled notes and then discreetly slipped the small notebook back into his pocket. His worst suspicions had been confirmed. Huggy had come through and uncovered the dirt about Nicky and Jessica. They had been a couple for almost six months before Jessica's sudden move to Bay City. They hadn't even tried to conceal the fact that they were living together.

At the time, however, Jessica had been using the name Carla Bennet instead of her legal name When Hutch investigated her under that name, he found a police record for a variety of minor offences, including shop lifting and solicitation. Apparently, whatever form of fake ID she had been using; it had been good enough to fool the New York Police Department.

She had also moved to Bay City later than she had told Starsky. She had only been in town for a couple of weeks when she met the brunet at Huggy's bar, which clearly indicated that she was pregnant before she left New York, and that the father, in all likelihood, was Nick Starsky. That cleared up a lot of unanswered questions, but raised even more.

It was apparent to Hutch that Jessica had not gotten involved with Starsky at random. She had carefully planned her seduction. Did she believe, knowing that he was Nicky's brother, that she could pass the baby off as his due to the strong resemblance between the two men? Or did she have a more sinister motive in mind? And how much did Nick Starsky have to do with the whole scheme? Hutch knew that he had to tell Starsky about the new information he had uncovered. His partner had the right to know.

Hutch waited until after they were off duty and relaxing at Starsky's newly remodeled apartment. The sofa had been recovered in a soft brown tweed, and the coffee table had a glass top. They had both had a few beers and were feeling mellow. Tipping his bottle to take a sip, Hutch said nonchalantly, "I did some digging and came up with some things I think you should know."

"About Jessica?"

"Yeah…and about Nicky."

"They knew each other from New York, didn't they?" Starsky asked flatly, surprising the blond once more with his sharp instincts and keen mind. Too many people assumed that the brunet wasn't that intelligent because of his background and lack of formal education. But, actually, Starsky was one of the smartest, most intelligent men that Hutch knew. Not just street smart, but mostly self-taught from his eclectic choices in reading material. The man would read anything he could get his hands on, from his beloved trivia books to an encyclopedia. That curly head was crammed full of bits of information that would amaze most people.

"Yeah, pal…they did."

"The baby is Nicky's, isn't it?"

"Probably," Hutch admitted quietly.

"So, they both played me for a sucker." Starsky looked at Hutch, his eyes filled with a deep sadness and bitterness. "Nicky knew that I would do the right thing if I thought the baby was mine. I wouldn't just walk away the way he would."

"There's more. Apparently, Jessica has done this same thing before. Five years. She tricked this guy into marrying her using the same scam. Only this time, it really was his kid. When the baby was born, he paid her twenty-five thousand dollars to sign away all her rights to the baby and agree to an uncontested was before she met Nicky but if she told him about it, that's probably where the idea to scam you came from. They probably figured since you and Nicky look so much alike, you'd never know."

"The bottom line is: she used me. She played me for a sucker. They both did," Starsky grumbled.

"You're right, they did. But, her little scheme backfired on her when Nicky showed up."

"You really think that's what happened?"

"I'd bet money on it. I don't think she planned on Nicky arriving when he did."

"So, why did he show up?"

"Who knows? Knowing Nicky, maybe he was worried she'd slip up and you'd find out about the baby. Maybe he just wanted to be here to see how things played out. He probably thought, since the two of you were married, that Jessica had access to your bank accounts and credit cards."

"I bet he was pissed when he found out that I wasn't that stupid," Starsky said, with a thin smile. A puzzled frown appeared on his face. "Why didn't they just keep quiet? Let me go on thinking the baby was mine? I'd have still gotten stuck paying child support. Why did Jessica sue me for sole custody on the grounds that the baby wasn't mine?"

"I don't know," Hutch admitted. "I still haven't figured that one out myself. Maybe she got scared and figured if there was a long drawn out court case because of the baby that the truth would come out eventually."

"I guess we'll never know for sure unless Nicky or Jessica decides to come clean," Starsky commented sourly. "And I don't see that happening anytime soon."

"Neither do I. I don't think either of them could tell the truth if their life depended on it."

Starsky's eyes clouded with sadness and he said softly, "It really sucks, Hutch…I really wanted that baby."

"I know you did, buddy." Hutch said, slipping a consoling arm around the brunet's shoulders. "But, at least you found out the truth now instead of farther down the road."

"Next time, I'll trust your instincts when it comes to one of my girlfriends. If you don't like her or she doesn't like you, then I'll know to cut her loose," Starsky said with a feeble attempt at humor to defuse the tension in the air.

"Guess that means we're stuck with each other, huh?" Hutch teased the brunet fondly.

"Yeah, well, don't expect me to give you no ring, because I'm through with marriage for good," Starsky quipped. He turned to Hutch with a crooked grin. "I guess you'll just have to settle for living together, Blondie."

"At least you don't have to worry about me getting pregnant by accident," Hutch shot back. Both men burst into laughter at the image that comment brought to mind.

"I'll call my attorney tomorrow and fill him in about all this, but I'll tell him not to use it in the divorce hearing unless he has to," Starsky said. "There are some things I'd rather keep under wraps, ya know?"

"Can't blame you there," Hutch agreed, rising to his feet to get them both another beer. "There's no need for anyone to know all the dirty little details."

"Except for you," Starsky said with a chuckle. He could feel the strength of the bond that held them together as the two friends exchanged a meaningful glance that spoke volumes without either one of them uttering a word.

The ringing of the telephone broke the silence. Hutch grabbed the receiver. "Hello?" He said. Starsky watched the play of emotions that crossed Hutch's handsome face as he listened to whoever was on the other end of the line: irritation, anger, and something that came close to being hatred.

Slamming down the receiver without ever saying another word, he looked at Starsky and said, "That was Nicky. Jessica is in labor and, for whatever reason; he thought that you might want to know. He even had the nerve to ask me to find out if you wanted to be there."

"Why? So he can gloat?" Starsky growled, "I don't think so. I'm not that much of a sucker. What's he expect me to do? Forgive and forget?"

"With Nicky anything is possible. You know that." Hutch said with a snort of disgust as he continued on to the kitchen for their beers.