CHAPTER 2
Hutch took a deep breath to steady himself as he dug his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door to Starsky's apartment. A rush of emotion swept over him as he stepped across the threshold followed closely by Rachel. The time had come to close up Starsky's apartment and to begin the process of packing his things for his return to New York with his mother.
"It's so stuffy in here." Rachel said as she walked into the kitchen to open a window, sitting the paper bag she was carrying down on the table as she passed.
"I've been collecting his mail and watering the plants." Hutch said as he let his gaze sweep around the familiar surroundings. Although he was as comfortable in Starsky's apartment as he was in his own it still felt strange being here without Starsky. The apartment was too quiet, too empty. Hutch choked back the lump that suddenly seemed to be lodged in his throat as he realized that this would be the last time he set foot in this place.
As if she had sensed his discomfort Rachel moved to his side and touched his arm with a sad little smile. "We should get started. Why don't you pack the things in here and I'll start packing the things in the bedroom?"
Hutch nodded, not trusting his voice enough to speak. His emotions were too raw, too close to the surface. The last thing he wanted to do was to break down in front of Rachel. The two of them had decided to donate the furniture and other household items to a local shelter except for the major appliances which had come furnished with the apartment. The only things that would be shipped to New York were Starsky's TV, his stereo, and his personal possessions.
A pile of packing boxes lay on the sofa. Rachel gathered up a few and disappeared into Starsky's bedroom leaving Hutch alone with the memories that surrounded him. Sighing heavily, he opened one of the boxes and began to carefully pack Starsky's collection of Mexican pottery and the model ships that he had painstakingly built by hand. The items were too fragile to risk shipping across the country so Hutch would be taking them with him back to his own apartment. Hutch fought back the tears as he methodically sorted through Starsky's things.
He decided to pack Starsky's eclectic collection of books to send to New York. There were trashy paperback novels, several biographies, a couple of books of poetry, numerous books on photography, and a large collection of the trivia tomes that Starsky loved. Hutch smiled sadly as he remembered how Starsky would drive him crazy with his knowledge of trivia during long, boring stakeouts. Hutch found a few of his own books that Starsky had borrowed and set them aside. He worked in silence trying not to let the memories overwhelm him.
The ache in his heart intensified as he began to sort though Starsky's pictures. Several framed photographs hung on the wall and sat around the apartment. Very few people realized just how good Starsky was when it came to his photography. He'd had an amazing eye for detail and a talent for capturing the essence of his subject in his pictures. He was good enough to have done it professionally if he ever decided to stop being a cop.
Several of the photographs were shots of Starsky and Hutch together, a mute testament to their unique bond. Hutch chose a couple of his favorites to keep for himself and carefully packed the rest in a box for Starsky. Each picture brought back painful memories of happier times spent with his partner and best friend.
"Do you want to take a break?" Rachel's voice said from behind him, startling Hutch badly. He had been so absorbed in his memories that he hadn't heard her come out of the bedroom. He felt her hand settle on his shoulder. "Why don't I make us some sandwiches?" She suggested. "You must be hungry."
Hutch nodded without speaking or turning around. Rachel squeezed his shoulder comfortingly before walking over to the table where she had set the bag when she first came in. Although Hutch had thrown out the perishables in the refrigerator after Starsky was shot, Rachel had thoughtfully brought some cold meat and bread with them.
Hutch sat down on the sofa and brushed his hand across his face wearily. He had known that this ordeal was going to be emotionally draining but he had never anticipated just how much. He listened to Rachel moving around in the kitchen as she fixed the sandwiches and made a pot of coffee. He wasn't really hungry but he knew that he should eat something.
"Are you all right, dear?" Rachel asked as she sat a plate of sandwiches and two cups on the coffee table in front of the sofa.
"I'm fine." Ken told her with a thin smile as he picked up one of the cups and took a cautious sip.
"I know how hard this is for you but I'm glad you're here."
"It's the least I could do. For you and for Starsky…"
"Are you sure that you don't want to come to New York with us for a couple of weeks?" Rachel asked. "You know you're more than welcome."
"I know but I can't…not right now. I have to make sure that the case against Gunther is ready for the D.A. He's going to pay for what he did." The bitterness in Hutch's voice was obvious as he talked about the man who had hired the hit on the two detectives that had almost cost Starsky his life.
"Yes, he's a very evil man." Rachel said quietly. "But at least he's in jail where he can't hurt anyone else." She looked at Hutch with a concerned expression on her expressive face. "Have you decided what you're going to do when this is all over?"
"I already talked to Dobey." Hutch told her "I won't go back on the streets not without Starsky. I told Dobey that I'd resign if he tried to assign me a new partner." He sighed softly as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't know if I want to go on being a cop or not…" he admitted.
"I understand." Rachel said with a nod of her head. "Just don't make any rash decisions that you may regret later."
"I don't think I can do it…" Hutch said in a choked voice. "Not without Starsky. I probably would have quit a long time ago if it hadn't been for him."
"You and David have always had something special. I realized that the first time I met you. But, I know how you feel. Mike's partner couldn't go back on the streets either after Mike was killed." She smiled sadly as she spoke of her deceased husband who had been gunned down in front of their house when her David was only twelve years old. His murder had torn apart their little family and nothing had ever been the same. Although Rachel was still an attractive woman she had never remarried continuing to live in the tiny suburban house she had shared with her husband.
They finished their coffee, both lost in their own thoughts. Hutch ate a few bites before shoving his sandwich aside. He didn't want to offend Rachel but he knew if he ate anymore it wouldn't stay down.
"We'd better get this done." Hutch said as he shoved himself to his feet, pausing when Rachel reached out to touch his arm. He looked at her questioningly.
"Let me know if it gets to be too much for you." Rachel said softly. "I can always get Edith or that nice, Huggy Bear, to help me finish."
"I'll be okay." Hutch promised with a wan smile. He patted her hand reassuringly and then politely assisted her to her feet. Rachel returned to the bedroom while Hutch returned to his own task.
Two hours later, the boxes were neatly packed and marked for either donation or for shipping back to New York. Hutch had already made arrangements for Huggy to come by the next day and pick up the boxes that needed to be shipped. Huggy had also volunteered to make sure the things marked for donation made it to the shelter.
Huggy had been friends with Starsky ever since the displaced New Yorker moved to Bay City as a rebellious teenager. Over the years he had become good friends with Hutch too. More than once he had proven his friendship to the two men by being there when they needed him. More than anyone else, he knew just how lost Hutch felt without Starsky and how devastated he was by Rachel's decision to take Starsky back to New York.
As he left the apartment for the last time, a single teardrop slid down Hutch's cheek as he locked the door. Rachel pretended not to notice. She knew the man was grieving for the loss of his partner and his best friend. But, in her heart, Rachel felt that she was making the right decision for her critically injured son. The only decision she could make as a loving mother who had missed out on the majority of her eldest son's life.
