"At last!" I hear you cry. "I thought she'd forgotten about us, waiting for an update." I am once again apologising for the long delay posting. I have no excuses apart from real life, and also the muse deserted me. (And the fact I still haven't finished the first draft of this story.) Thank you for your patience. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 5
Three hours later found both Starsky and Hutch walking into the squad room. After a brief argument at the hospital, Hutch had convinced Starsky that he would get to headquarters under his own steam if necessary, so Starsky had given in, reasoning he could watch his partner more easily if they were together.
"What are you doing here, Hutchinson?" Lt. Thomas greeted them.
"Did you seriously expect me to stay away?" Hutch flared.
Starsky put a restraining hand on his shoulder. "Hey, we're all on the same side here, Hutch," he said quietly before turning to the lieutenant. "C'mon, Ollie. This is important to us."
"Sorry, Hutch. I just didn't expect to see you here tonight. How are you?"
"I'm fine, Lieutenant. How about filling us in on what we've got so far." Hutch sank into his chair and Starsky got him some water from the cooler. Hutch nodded his thanks as Starsky plumped down across from him.
Lt. Thomas pulled up a chair. "As usual there are only a few credible witnesses," he began. "The woman who helped you, Hutch, is the best one. Her description tallies with the one Starsky radioed in and it has been circulated to every officer on patrol. Unfortunately, although the store has some surveillance cameras, they are trained on the tills so we have nothing useful there.
The security at the store is very efficient. The head of security is an ex-cop, as are several of his team, but despite a thorough search of the store it would appear he got away before you raised the alarm and the store was sealed."
Starsky glanced at Hutch who was slouched in his seat with his eyes closed, a picture of despair.
"Go on, Lieutenant."
"We've received no ransom demands or indeed calls of any kind. I've got one team looking at known paedophiles and another is checking recent releases from prison.
The only clue we have is a leaflet in Captain Dobey's mailbox. Forensics are checking it for prints but it looks like some other leaflets which have been in circulation in the area. The first one said 'an eye for an eye'. Then there was..."
"Yes, 'a tooth for a tooth'. Rosie Dobey got that one herself," Starsky interrupted.
"No. This is a new one. It says 'a child for a child'."
Hutch's eyes pinged open. "Another one?"
"I've got officers knocking on doors but so far it seems the Dobeys are the only ones to receive this particular leaflet."
Starsky and Hutch exchanged a look.
"And I think they will be the only ones to receive this one," said Starsky. "This makes it personal to the Captain."
"But why take Rosie?" Hutch put in.
"How long has this been going on?"
"It would seem to be several weeks," the lieutenant said. "Most people though it was some kind of religious group posting the leaflets."
Starsky and Hutch sighed in unison.
"So this guy has been planning this for some time," said Hutch.
"And he always intended to take Rosie," Starsky said.
"Which brings us back to 'why'," said Hutch, wearily "Why target the captain? And why take Rosie?"
"We need to pull Dobey's files," said Starsky. "There must be something in one of them."
"Have you any idea how far back we'll have to go and how many files that is?" Lieutenant Thomas protested.
"We'll go back as far as we have to, Lieutenant," Starsky said, icily.
Hutch snapped his fingers. "What about print shops? Is anyone checking where these leaflets were produced? We're not just talking ten or twenty here. You said these leaflets have been circulating for several weeks and he's probably dropped several at each house to get his message across."
"Yeah, Rosie said something like 'another one of those leaflets'," Starsky added. "There could've been hundreds of them."
"Hopefully one of the print shops will have a record of who ordered these leaflets."
"I'll get a team on it," Lieutenant Thomas said, standing. "Starsky, call R&I, get those files and you and Hutch make a start on them. And don't overdo it, Hutchinson. I'm still not convinced you should be here."
Hutch looked up and growled, "I need to be here, Lieutenant. I've got to be doing something."
Starsky rested a hand on his shoulder and gave him a gentle shake. "Drink your water, Tiger, and I'll get on to R&I."
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"This is the part of our job I really hate," Hutch huffed, slumping in his chair, letting his head fall back and closing his eyes. Before Starsky could respond, Hutch's eyes cranked open and he leaned across to snag another file.
"Why don't you take a break?" Starsky ventured, putting his hand over Hutch's.
Hutch's eyes shot blue ice daggers at him. "Do you think Rosie's getting a break? Or the guy who took her? Is he having a break? You take a break if you want, buddy. I'm not stopping till we find her."
Starsky refused to be intimidated. "Hey. I'm just worried about ya, that's all. Ya should still be in hospital, not here. Jus' take ten minutes. Please, Hutch. You're no good to Rosie back in hospital...and that's where you're gonna end up if ya don't give yourself a break."
Two pairs of blue eyes met across the desk. Hutch gave a small nod, knowing he had not only reached the limit of his strength but gone beyond it.
"Okay. But only ten minutes. No more." He wagged a finger under Starsky's nose but even that lacked conviction.
"Go grab a coffee and something to eat, Hutch. You'll be ready to hit those files again then."
"Yes, Mom," Hutch said with a small smile as he heaved himself out of his chair and slowly left the room.
Starsky found himself looking at the closed door, worried at Hutch's easy capitulation. Obviously he was feeling worse than he was letting on. He dragged his attention back to the files he was meant to be reading, looking for something...anything...that might yield a clue as to who had taken Rosie and why.
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Hutch took the elevator down to the cafeteria on automatic pilot. When he realised where he was he nearly turned straight back round but his growling stomach persuaded him that maybe he should try to eat something, so he joined the short line at the counter. However the cooking smells nauseated him and he got to thinking about Rosie and what kind of ordeal she might be being subjected to.
Years of working the streets had shown Hutch that there were some seriously depraved people out there and the thought that Rosie might be in the hands of a sexual predator sent his guts into overdrive.
He just reached the men's room in time to lose the meagre contents of his stomach. He cupped his hands to scoop some water to rinse the acrid taste of bile from his mouth and then swiped his face with his wet hands. Leaning on the edge of the sink, he took in the haunted eyes that stared back at him from a waxen face.
"'S all my fault," he whispered to his reflection. "'S all my fault. We wouldn't have lost her if I'd kept hold of her hand. I'll never forgive myself if anything happens to her."
Hutch could feel the terror rising inside him, causing his muscles to contract almost painfully, even pulling at his stitches. He made a conscious effort to slow his breathing and calm himself. He needed to focus on finding Rosie...recriminations could come afterwards.
He swept water across his face once more and took out his frustration on the towel dispenser, jerking a long stream of paper from its jaws. Then, squaring his shoulders, he left the bathroom.
As his hand reached out to open the squad-room door an angry voice assailed him and he turned to see Captain Dobey. His superior quivered with rage and Hutch felt like he was standing on the edge of an erupting volcano.
Dobey stalked up to Hutch. "What happened, Hutchinson?" he hissed. "You were responsible...I made you responsible. How could you let her go? I trusted you!" His voice rose to a shout, "I TRUSTED YOU!"
Hutch had no defence. The captain was only voicing Hutch's own thoughts. Before he could open his mouth to respond, the squad-room door flew open.
"That ain't fair, Captain, and you know it! That guy stuck a knife in Hutch..."
"And where were you, Starsky? Where were you when some low-life was abducting my daughter?"
Starsky's face flushed scarlet. Hutch put a calming hand on his chest. This was his failure, not Starsky's. Although the captain's attack was unfair it was also understandable. Hutch could see the grief and fear behind Dobey's anger, mirroring the grief and fear he felt himself. And to be honest, he had a valid point. Neither he nor Starsky had been as alert as they could have been, although they could not have foreseen what was to happen.
"Harold! What are you doing here? Come on through to your office." Lieutenant Thomas glided smoothly between the three men and took Captain Dobey's arm. As they passed Starsky and Hutch, he frowned at them and shook his head slightly.
Starsky and Hutch watched the two men enter Dobey's office, then returned to their shared desk to resume trawling through the files that represented Captain Dobey's career thus far.
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What little was left of the day passed quickly as everyone applied themselves to their tasks. Gradually things quieted as phones rang less frequently and officers left to pursue leads or go out on patrol. Starsky realised he'd been staring at the same page for several minutes without taking in any of the information. He raised his eyes to look at his partner. He was worried about Hutch but knew better than to raise his concerns in front of the others. Physically his buddy looked ill, as befitted someone who ought to be resting up in hospital, but Starsky knew he would also be suffering mentally, as he was himself.
Hutch was one of the strongest people he knew and he had no doubts that he would keep pushing himself until Rosie was found. However Hutch's downfall was his clever brain. They both knew only too well what kind of sick people there were out there. Starsky knew Hutch would be imagining all kinds of situations Rosie could be facing and blaming himself for failing to keep her safe. Hutch wasn't always as adept as Starsky at putting up the barriers to keep out the darkness of their working lives, especially when the crime was so close to home. And poring over files at their desks was giving him far too much time to think.
Hutch was a man of action and this enforced inactivity was doing him no favours. Starsky thought back to his own abduction at the hands of the followers of cultist, Simon Marcus. Only Starsky knew about the nightmares that had followed...not his own, but Hutch's. This case must be reviving bad memories for his sensitive partner.
Starsky stretched and groaned causing Hutch to look up at him. "I feel like I'm swimming through molasses here. Let's grab a quick break, huh?"
At first he thought Hutch was going to refuse but giving a curt nod, he pushed back his chair and rose stiffly to his feet. Starsky noticed how he appeared to be unaware that he was holding his side where he had been stabbed. Wisely he said nothing as they walked to the elevator. Unusually no one else was riding the elevator when they entered.
"You okay?" Starsky asked quietly, resting a hand on Hutch's arm.
"I'm fine, Starsky!" Hutch snapped irritably, pulling away from Starsky's touch. "I could see you keep watching me."
"I'm just concerned about you, buddy, that's all."
"Well save your concern for someone who deserves it. You should be thinking of Rosie, not me. That's our job, remember...buddy?"
Starsky kept his temper in check, knowing that Hutch's anger was really directed at himself and not Starsky. As usual the partners were able to ground each other when necessary, one able to balance the other emotionally, and this was one of the many things that made them such a good team.
"I am thinking of Rosie and we will find her. But ya gotta stop with this guilt-trippin'. 'S not your fault." He pre-empted Hutch's response with his own version of the 'Hutchinson finger' and an intense blue stare. "It is not...your...fault." He emphasised the last three words with a prod of his finger in Hutch's chest. "Please, Hutch. Ya gotta believe me. Dobey is reacting like any father would, but he doesn't really blame us."
Hutch held his gaze for a few seconds then his eyes dropped. "I blame me," he mumbled as the elevator doors swished open.
Starsky took Hutch's arm and steered him to a vacant seat in the cafeteria. "Sit!" he said in a tone that brooked no argument. He grabbed a tray and headed to the counter. At that time of night there was no queue but there was also little choice of food. Casting worried glances towards the forlorn figure in the corner, Starsky paid for two plates of meatloaf and two coffees.
Hutch didn't even look up as he put the plate in front of him. "I'm not hungry, Starsk."
Starsky decided to get tough. "Well ya need to eat somethin', Hutch, or I'm takin' ya back to hospital." Hutch's head shot up at that.
"I mean it, Hutch. Ya look like death warmed up and I bet ya feel like it too."
Hutch opened his mouth to reply but subsided at the fierce glare Starsky gave him. He picked up his fork and began to push food around his plate.
Starsky ate in silence, mulling over the few facts they had regarding Rosie's kidnapping, then sat back to watch his friend. When Hutch finally pushed his plate away, having barely touched the meal, Starsky quietly suggested it was time for a pain killer. It was then he realised just how much Hutch was suffering as he took two bottles from his jacket pocket, read the labels and swallowed the medicine without any argument.
Starsky wished Hutch would go home and rest but knew he would continue to push himself as long as necessary, as he would himself if their roles were reversed.
Hutch gave him a small smile. "Satisfied?"
"Not really but I guess it'll have to do. You ready to get back to it?"
Both men pushed their chairs back and headed back to the squad-room.
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AN:- Well, now we're all at the same stage in the story, so we are on a journey of discovery together from here on in! I will try to post the next chapter more quickly. Thank you to all who have stuck with me this far.