Chapter 3 Dobey

After he had sent Starsky packing and had given Hutch a new partner, he called the Mayor and told him that he had done what was expected.

"Mayor, may I ask why you want them to not communicate with each other off duty?"

"Sure, the reason is that I am worried that if they are off duty Hutch may talk about the cases with Starsky and I don't want Mr. Starsky involved with he police anymore. In fact, I do hope that you will take my suggestion and fire him!" The mayor said to Dobey. Dobey rubbed his hand on his forehead, thinking:

"Now, why would the mayor want Starsky fired?" he listened to the mayor for a little time more and then said:
"Mayor, they are both professionals, they would never say anything to each other about anything they were doing if it was off duty!"

"I am sure they wouldn't, but you never know, words can be said and overheard! I have to leave I will be in touch!" The mayor said and hung up. The mayors' aid had just stepped in to let him know he had a conference call coming in.

"Okay, I will take it in the conference room. Will you please get me the file on David Starsky and leave it on my desk!" The aide said yes, and the mayor left for his call.

Dobey had been writing up a review for the board but could find nothing wrong in Starsky's file. He had done everything by the book, albeit some tactics had been a bit unusual, but instead of being fired, he should get a commendation!"

Three weeks later when Starsky had called and asked for help, he was astonished that Starsky had found Hutch. He arranged for Hutch to be sent to a small rehab nursing facility out of town. He then took the afternoon off saying his wife needed help with something. He drove to Foster's Nursing and Rehab center and met Starsky in Hutch's room. Hutch was laying on the bed, he looked a little worse for wear but other than that he was okay.

"So, what is happening, how come you went swimming?" Dobey aske Hutch.

"I did not intend to go swimming! I was investigating the death on the pier when I was hit from behind and rolled into the water. I don't know where Grossman is? Is he okay?" Hutch asked genuinely concerned for a fellow detective.

"You have been gone for a while. Grossman came back and said you disappeared and could not find you. He tried your home, and other places but you turned up missing."

Starsky looked at Hutch and then at Captain Dobey and said;

"There is more to it, Cap! Hutch tell him?" Ken looked at his partner and looked at the captain, if he said something he might be off the force as well. But how to explain why he was gone so long and not dead if he had been floating in the water!

"Okay, Cap, this goes back to the case where I ended up missing and was strung out. The man that did it to me, we know he is still in prison right?" Hutch asked Dobey.
"He is actually dead now. But go on…"

"Well, I was doing our investigation, I was drinking a lot of coffee, Grossman was with me. I think he gave me a couple of cups of coffee with sugar, but the sugar was not sugar, it was heroin. So, when I was drinking it, I did not realize that I was hooked again. I was sure that someone had put that in my coffee, but I had to break the habit again, I knew that I would need help, so a week ago, I decided to jump in the water and drown myself, except Starsky found me. Pulled me out and got me here! Dobey, I think Grossman is on the take!" Hutch said as he started to shake again. Starsky held onto his hand and Dobey stood there for a few minutes and then he said:

"You know, Hutch, I am not sure we can keep you on the force, but I don't want to lose two of my best detectives! Starsky, I can't put you back on the force, but I need you to investigate Grossman for me. Hutch has to remain at the center for another two weeks. No one needs to know about this. In fact, as far as anyone is concerned, Hutch, you are still missing, Starsky, you are officially off the force. We can reinstate both of you when we have this cleared up!" He finished talking to them and left. Hutch had been registered under a false name to protect his identity, Starsky had also gone by a false name as a friend of the person.

"Got any ideas where to start?" Hutch asked Starsky

"Yes. I am going to talk to Huggy Bear and see what he has to say."

"That is good, talk to Jack Barber, he might know something as well." Hutch said. Starsky nodded and said goodbye and left.

In the parking lot, Starsky went to his red and white striped car and got into it. All of their police information had been taken out of the car. His car was no longer a detective's car, but he still drove it. He left the parking lot and headed down the Blvd. As he was driving he noticed a blue and white convertible was following him. He did not speed he just drove normally. When he turned, it also turned. A green car came and got between the two cars. But still the blue and white car stayed in the same lane and when the green car turned, it was again behind the red tomato!

That was when Starsky made a U-turn and went back the way he was coming from. He looked into the blue and white car and saw a familiar face but could not remember that face. He did get the license and wrote it down on a piece of paper. The blue and white car did not turn around nor did it pursue Starsky. It headed away from the town and headed up the road to a little dirt road then turned and went down that dirt road to a small, dilapidated house. There was another car a brown sedan. The blue and white car was parked, and the men got out of the car and went into the house.

Chapter 4 Why is the Mayor involved?

Inside there was a small kitchen and two bedrooms, one bath. The house was furnished with a television set, Orange Shag Carpet, Avocado Green kitchen appliances and of course the living room walls were dark brown wood paneling along with a dark blue velvet couch and chair. One bedroom had a regular bed and the other a bunk bed. The outside had not been painted for some years, so it looked rather shabby. The impression for anyone coming to this place was that of a small family of modest means lived there. In reality, the family did live there but had gone to visit other family out of town for a month. The people who rented it were Debbie and Donnie Green who were only looking to stay for a little while and leave. They had two children, a girl about 2 and a boy about 5. They were not their children but children whom they had found lost on the street and taken to live with them. The plan was to use them and then send them to someone else. Debbie though was starting to have the feelings of a substitute mother and began to really enjoy taking care of these children.

"Robbie, why don't you take your sister Ruby out to the back while we grown-ups talk?" She said as she walked out to the back yard, with some Kool Aid in the Kool Aid bowl mixed with sugar and cookies. They had a dog it was a rather large yellow labrador who had been named for the dog in the Disney movie 'Old Yeller'. This had been the Mayors choice because when he was finished with this he would use the dog and children for his campaign next year.

The children were settled outside, Debbie came in and they began their meeting. Grossman was there as well as a few other police officers who had joined the Mayor in his project. The project was twofold, to rid the police department of any 'bad cops' and to ensure that those who ran the police department in Bay city would be amenable to any suggestions that the Mayor or the mafia leaders wanted to make. The plan, to take over the city, then the local community, the state and hopefully have a candidate to run for President in 3 years.

"Grossman, are you sure that Hutch is dead!"

"Oh, very sure, I made sure that he was strung out on Heroin again and then hit him over the head and tossed him over the pier!" Grossman said to his boss.

"Did you check to be sure his body did not float back to shore?" Staver asked. He was the assistant to the Mayor, if this plan went through, he was hoping to rise to be vice president of the United States.

"There was a storm that was causing a lot of wave and ocean action. He was on the end of the pier that would have taken him out to sea!" The mayor seemed satisfied, Jore Salvatore was a little skeptical.

"If his body makes it to shore, then someone will find it!"

"It did not make it to shore. I know, I sat up all night and then combed the beach and the rocks to be sure!" Said Grossman with clenched teeth.

"Hey, guys, he is dead. I believe Grossman, let's ask about his partner Starsky? Have we done something about him yet?" asked another person. Donnie Green answered:

"You bet I did, I planted some evidence at his house that when the cops come to look for it, it will be there, and he will be fired on the spot!"

"What was that evidence?" The mayor asked, Donnie smiled and said:
"I took some of Hutch's clothing that he had, soaked it in heroin and alcohol, planted it in the back bedroom of his house. Reynold's you are going to go over to his house tomorrow and find that evidence and he will be booked on suspicion of murdering his once best friend Ken Hutchison!"

Grossman smiled and he liked that. He had not liked Starsky or Hutch from the beginning, they seemed to be too good to be true. They were always getting the investigations and the criminals and were headed for commendations. Grossman had only been a cop and when he found Starsky in the alley with Hutch who was strung out, he was told not to say anything. He didn't but he waited for his break, and it came. When the Mayor tapped him to become a detective, he was ready. He had access to all the confiscated heroin he could find. And he was able to get Hutch strung out and this time he was not going to survive!

The meeting went on for another hour. It was stopped when the 2-year-old fell off the swing and was hurt. Debbie then went to take care of her, and she had to take the baby to the emergency room. Everyone at the meeting left and Debbie and Donnie took the baby to the ER.

Starsky had gone home and was drinking a beer and had just got off the phone with Huggy Bear when there was a knock on the door. He went to the door and he saw Grossman and a couple of cops.

"Hello Dave. We are searching for your missing partner and wanted to find out if you had any knowledge of when he went missing?" Dave looked at them and said:

"No, I haven't, I have been told not to see him and I haven't seen him since I left the office?"

"Do you mind if we come in and search you place?"
"Why do you need to search my home?" Dave asked suspicious of their motives.

"Well, it was reported that someone saw Hutch come by here a few weeks ago, and well, since you and he were best friends it could be that you and he talked?" Grossman said as he pushed past Starsky and waved for the police officers to follow.

"Drinking a lot lately? I know it is hard, depression can set in, have you found yourself another job?" Grossman asked to keep Starsky occupied. Starsky did not answer but saw that the officers went straight to his laundry room and removed some clothing. They had been Hutch's clothes. They smelled the clothing, then looked in the pockets and found a baggie.

"I am surprised at you David? You did not even attempt to hide the evidence! I am placing you under arrest for the murder of Detective Ken Hutchison!" Grossman turned him around and put handcuffs on him. Starsky did not say anything. He just followed orders. He knew in his mind something as up, but he had to wait. He would call Dobey and he thought he would be out before the end of the day.