Kenspeckle
Starsky didn't know where his partner had gone. One minute he was there, the next he wasn't.
They'd been running around all morning, following leads and Starsky had declared he was starving. At the first bodega they passed, he stopped the Torino and dashed inside to grab a snack. One minute later, he came out to find the passenger door open and Hutch gone. Bewildered, he looked up and down the street.
A little way up the block, he could see a group of agitated people all talking at once. He hurried towards them and interrupted their excited conversation.
"Excuse me. I'm a police officer. Detective Starsky. What's going on?"
"A laddie stole my bag," one woman said. Starsky noticed she had a Scottish accent.
"We shouted for help, and then suddenly this tall, blond man came running by and went after the laddie!"
"That'll be my partner, Detective Hutchinson," Starsky said.
Worrying about his partner's safety, he went to move in the general direction the ladies had pointed but then saw Hutch coming around the corner of the block, bag in one hand, 'laddie' in the other.
Starsky relaxed immediately and decided he'd do the easy part and get details of the victim and her account of what happened.
"...and then Detective Hutchinson came running past and gave chase."
"What a kenspeckle figure, he was!" uttered one lady, practically swooning.
Starsky smothered a grin and asked, "A Ken what?"
"Oh, kenspeckle. It means 'larger than life'."
Another lady shook her head. "No, it's more like 'conspicuous'."
"Still works. He's my kenspeckle hero," the smitten lady said softly as Hutch drew level with the group.
A smattering of applause broke out and Hutch looked both pleased and embarrassed. Once the bag had been returned, the visiting female tourists reassured and thanks received, Starsky and Hutch headed to their car with the perp.
When the youngster was safely stowed in the back seat, Starsky asked, "What were you thinking going off on your own? What if he'd have had gun?"
"You'd have heard the shots and come running."
"What if he'd had a knife?"
Hutch shrugged. "He's just a kid. He didn't take much effort to subdue."
Starsky rolled his eyes as he said, "Well, come on then. We'd better get him back to the precinct, Ken Speckle."
"Ken What?!"