Captain Harold Dobey twisted in his chair in his new office, trying to get comfortable. Three months ago, he was promoted to Captain of the Homicide Division in the Bay City Police Department. He was still getting used to his new position, and twice in the last three months, he had absentmindedly gone down the hall to his old position as a lieutenant in Narcotics.

Dobey knew he had doubters of his present assignment, some due to racism and some not. Whether he wanted it or not, his promotion would be a test as he was the first black promoted above the rank of lieutenant. His eyes were drawn to a picture of his old partner, Elmo Jackson, and another with the two partners laughing, arms around each other. I made it, Elmo, he said silently, just like you said, one day we'll be promoted and light the way for all blacks who think it can't be done. Dobey had always assumed it would be Elmo, at least first, but a mobster had killed him several years ago. He felt a tear on his right cheek and sighed again.

Dobey's friends had advised him to not make waves in his new position. The cases that had come up had been the usual type of murders and had not been hard to solve. He had more than average detectives under him and was learning about each one.

Any resentment he felt from his group of detectives was mostly kept under the surface. He was aware of a few hostile glances, but so far, his promotion had gone smoother than he had expected. For close to two months.

Then the shoe dropped in the form of a 21-year-old policeman by the name of David Michael Starsky.

Starsky was a tough looking brunet with eyes of deep blue and a no-nonsense manner to him. Starsky was a former vet and had finished high in the police academy – in New York. If only he had stayed there, Dobey sometimes thought.

A call from Captain Michael Santos of the New York City PD had led to the fateful meeting between the two men, the new Captain, and a young policeman. Santos informed Dobey of a reputed takeover in the Bay City area of a protégé of Joe Durniak, a big cheese in the mob in New York. After a consultation with Chief Stanley, Dobey was given the okay to go ahead with the meeting.

Dobey met with Starsky at a secluded location. After a firm handshake while the two eyed each other, sizing up the other one; Starsky gave Dobey a brief explanation of his life and why he would be perfect to infiltrate Durniak's Bay City organization.

Starsky's father and grandfather had been policemen for several years. When Starsky was fourteen, his father was killed in a 'drive-by' shooting. Starsky had used air quotes and rolled his eyes to express his doubts of the shooting being a 'wrong place at the wrong time' kind of drive-by. Michael Starsky had left behind a wife and two boys. Starsky's little brother Nick was six years younger.

Joe Durniak had offered help. Joe and Michael had known each other in high school and had become good friends. They stayed in touch even though Michael followed his father into the police department and Joe went to work for his uncle Tito.

Starsky was speaking in a monotone, pausing only to wipe his brow. The Starsky family had just bought a house to help with the expanding family. Rachel Starsky had been busy raising the two boys and taking care of both of her parents and Michael's mother.

Grandmother Esther Starsky had been in poor health and a lot of Michael's money had gone to keeping her afloat and paying her medical bills. Grief-stricken at the loss of her son, Rachel had moved Esther into the house. Rachel's mother and father were scrapping by; and Michael had helped them as well. Rachel, grieving for her beloved husband was tasked with caring for two sons, her mother-in-law, Esther and keeping tabs on her parents. Rachel had been unable to find a job and Michael's pension would only last a short while.

Fourteen-year-old David, he insisted he be called instead of Davey, had watched his mother cry at night when everyone else was asleep and pray for resources to keep going. David had moved lawns, worked in a grocery store, but quickly realized the little he could bring in would not keep the family afloat.

Starsky paused, took a sip of his root beer, and said, "So I went to Joe Durniak."

Starsky had boldly marched up to Joe Durniak's office and asked for a job.

Durniak had agreed and David was soon a well-paid errand boy. Durniak even paid the mortgage on the new house for one year.

"I moved up in the organization," Starsky continued as Dobey remained silent. "Then I was drafted and spent the next two years in Vietnam. Got back and entered the academy. Been a patrolman for most of the year."

"Hmmm," Dobey spoke for the first time after drinking his coffee. "You reconnected with Durniak?"

"Yes. I told him at once I am a policeman, like my father and grandfather, and that I planned to move far away. He told me if I decided to choose another path; he had a place for me in Bay City, where he was opening another branch. He reminded me of how my family had suffered when Pop was killed. I offered to join the department and check on what information the department has on his organization. He agreed. I gave him some information so I would look dirty, as agreed to by Chief Stanley. Now I have "quit" the department under suspicion and have a place in the new organization."

"You're still with the department, but only a few people know that."

"You, Chief Stanley and Captain Santos. And that is the way it must be. Durniak had more than one informant at NYPD. He would here also. He would not expect me, as a new policeman to have access to top information. Since I don't know who is dirty, I don't want any mistakes."e

"This is an enormous undertaking for such a new officer," Dobey remarked.

Starsky nodded. He waited.

"I want to know your reasons for doing this," Dobey asked firmly, leaning forward into Starsky's face.

Starsky smiled. He had been expecting the question. "First, Joe Durniak had fallen in love with my mother. He isn't good enough for her by a long shot. And just before I went to Vietnam, I lost two friends to drug overdoses. And lastly, before I was sent to Vietnam, I overheard one of Durniak's men say that he thought Joe had Dad killed because Dad knew too much, and Joe wanted to marry my mother." Dave Starsky leaned forward as well, holding Dobey's hogaze.

"Well, Starsky," Dobey stated. "Let's get started."

Though Starsky smiled and leaned back in his chair, Dobey had a bad feeling he was signing the young man's death warrant. He hoped Starsky was as tough as he looked.

TBC