The Starsky and Hutch Connection

By

Cynthia

Starsky and Hutch quickly walked down the hallway and when they reached the door, Hutch pushed it open without knocking.  Standing behind a desk was blonde haired man with a file open in his hands.  He looked up at them.  He stared at Hutch for a minute and then looked over at Starsky.

“Gentlemen”, the man said.

“You’re taking over for Fargo”, Hutch asked.

“I’m Detective Sergeant Dylan Wade”, Dylan answered.  “Who may I ask is it that barged into my office without knocking?”

“Well, we always get a little nervous when our cases for the last three years get yanked”, Starsky replied with a hard look.

“Detectives Starsky and Hutchinson”, Dylan replied sitting down in the chair.  He set the file down on his desk and leaned back in the chair appraising both man.  He looked over Hutch before speaking.  “Considering your involvement in the Committee investigation and the officers involved, we felt it was necessary.”

“We”, Hutch asked before looking over at Starsky.

“This scandal has hit the entire police force rather hard as you well know”, Dylan explained.  “The publicity has put this department under a very uncomfortable microscope and every officer even near this investigation is being put under very close scrutiny most especially the two of you.”

“So pulling our cases is a part of that”, Starsky said with a shake of his head.

“As is yours and every other officer, Detective Starsky”, Dylan replied with a hard look.  “It’s imperative the public sees us taking care of a serious matter and it has to hold up in court should this case make it that far.”

“Are you saying there may not even be a trial”, Hutch asked.

“The District attorney is attempting to plea bargain with the officers involved in exchange for more information about their activities.”

“There’s more cops that are a part of this”, Starsky said his gaze never leaving Dylan’s.

“I think this conversation is over”, Dylan replied evenly.

Hutch could see the cold intensity in the eyes of Dylan Wade and he looked over at Starsky.

“Come on”, Hutch said giving Starsky a small pat on the stomach. 

Starsky didn’t move for a minute and he slowly turned and walked to the door.  He opened the door up and as Hutch walked through, Starsky looked back at Dylan who was staring back.  Starsky slammed the door behind him and walked over to Hutch in the hallway.

“I knew it”, Starsky said with a shake of his head.  “There are more cops in on this thing.”

“No way of knowing how many or even who”, Hutch replied.  “With these guys getting busted, the rest of them are kicking back until the heat blows over.”

“Who do you suppose he answers to”, Starsky asked. 

“He must’ve been brought in just for this case, Starsky.  Bringing in an outsider to police our department had to have come down from the brass.”

“This whole mess sucks, Hutch”, Starsky said leaning back against the wall.  “Those assholes are running through this entire precinct looking at us like we’re all just as bad as Fargo and Knight.”

“I guess we just weren’t prepared for the aftermath”, Hutch said with a shake of his head.  “Hopefully Wade is wrong about more dirty cops.”

Hutch walked away and Starsky stared after him.  He pushed himself up off the wall and followed his partner down the hall.  When they reached the office, they were told to see Dobey.  Hutch opened the door and both walked in.

Standing near the window was a dark haired man and one of the other detectives from the precinct.

“Cap’n”, Starsky said.

“We’ve got a new transfer”, Dobey told Starsky and Hutch.  “This is Ethan Morgan and I’m putting him with Harvey Quinton.”

Ethan looked over both men and gave them a short nod.  He gave Starsky a glance before turning back to Dobey.

“I want the four of you working on the child pornography ring that’s in the district.  Pool your resources.  The D.A. is chomping at the bit on this one.”

“Sure”, Hutch replied.

“Get out of here and get to work”, Dobey said not looking up from his desk.

“Cap’n”, Starsky said.  “Can we get a minute?”

Ethan gave Starsky a dark look and walked out of the room followed by his new partner.  After the door was closed, Dobey looked up at Starsky and Hutch.

“Spill it”, Dobey ordered.

“How far does this committee go”, Starsky asked.

“How in the hell should I know.  My own department is under investigation, Starsky”, Dobey replied with a stern voice.  “Every officer in this precinct is under suspicion and there’s no telling where this thing will go or if even there are more of them.”

“You mean to tell me there may not even be any other bad cops”, Hutch asked with raised eyebrows.

 “This’ll turn into a damn witch hunt”, Starsky replied incredulously.

“There isn’t a hell of a lot anyone can do about it”, Dobey said angrily.  “Knight’s going to testify against Fargo, but he doesn’t know too much.  It’s Fargo that’s not talking.”

“He’ll talk”, Hutch said with a look over at Starsky.

“The two of you are already on a case”, Dobey replied firmly.  “This investigation is off limits as of right now.  The only ones who will be doing the investigating are Internal Affairs.”

“We met one of them already”, Hutch said sitting down in the chair.  “Where in the hell are these people coming from?”

“It’s being kept very hush hush”, Dobey said with a shake of his head.  “They’ll know the size of our underwear by the time this is over.”

“What about Morgan”, Starsky asked.  “Where’d he transfer from?”

“San Diego P.D.”, Dobey answered.  “He’s a straight across board cop who wanted a transfer.”

“Sure ‘bout that, Cap’n”, Hutch asked.

“Of course I’m sure”, Dobey said angrily.  “I spoke to his captain this morning!”

Hutch looked up at Starsky who stood with his arms crossed.

“Cap’n, our case files for the last three years is getting yanked”, Starsky explained.  “What’s going to happen next?”

“My guess is you both will be brought before I.A. and questioned about your prior cases on any discrepancies they find.”

“That’s great”, Hutch said pushing himself up out his chair.  “We’re going to take a fall over not crossing a t or dotting an i.”

“Calm down, Hutchinson.”

“Cap’n, Starsky’s right.  These people are going to smell dirty cop everywhere they look and they’ll find the most pathetic excuse they can think of.  It’ll look great to the public to find a couple more cops to hang out to dry.”

“That’s enough”, Dobey yelled standing up.  “I don’t like this any better than you do!  I’ve got an entire department of good cops who will have to answer to these people!”

“Cap’n”, Starsky said putting a hand on Hutch’s arm.  “This thing isn’t easy for any of us to swallow.  I guess we all hoped that it ended with Fargo.”

Dobey relaxed a bit and sat down in his chair.

“Just do your jobs and cover your asses”, Dobey told them.  “It’s the best we can hope for at this point.  Don’t give them any excuses to come after you.”

Starsky gave Dobey a nod and walked over to the door.  He held it open and looked over at Hutch.  Starsky could see Hutch didn’t like the situation one bit.  Hutch sighed and walked out the door into the office.

He looked over at the desks across from his and Starsky’s at the detectives they would be working with.  Hutch never cared much Harvey Quinton since he had met him and he knew nothing about the new guy.  He walked over with Starsky close behind as Quinton stood up.

“We got a start”, Quinton told them.  “There’s a skin shop on Clifton Avenue where a few pedophiles have been known to frequent.”

“I heard of it”, Starsky replied.  “Hutch and I busted a perp who was stalking kids at a playground.”

“He was spotted there a few times when we staked him out”, Hutch finished.

“You didn’t move on it”, Ethan stated with a dark look.

“We needed more”, Starsky answered.

“We’ll find one”, Ethan said as he headed out the door.

Starsky looked over at Hutch as the two men left.  Hutch gave him a shrug of his shoulders before leaving.

Twenty minutes later Starsky pulled the Torino to a stop in front of the pornography shop.  A dark sedan pulled up behind them where Ethan Morgan and Harvey Quinton stepped out of.  Hutch looked over at Ethan who was adjusting his gun under his jacket.  Ethan started for the door and Starsky stepped in front of him.

“We go in like gangbusters and we won’t get past first base with this place.”

“You telling me how to do my job”, Ethan asked with his hands on his hips.

“I want these guys as bad as you do.  We don’t want them walking once we bust them.”

Ethan said nothing as he stepped past him over to Harvey.  Starsky followed Hutch inside and the four of them walked their way past the pornographic magazines littered through the entire shop.  Starsky leaned on the counter at the sweaty older man who was looking at his merchandise.

“Well, Marty”, Starsky said.  “How’s business?”

Marty sighed as he lowered the magazine.  He looked over at the four cops who were looking him over.  Ethan was walking around a bit and he looked down a hallway.

“No laws are bein’ broken”, Marty told him.  “This place is legal.”

“My ass”, Harvey blurted out.

Hutch looked back at Harvey and his eye caught Ethan who was standing near the entrance to the hallway.

“Marty”, Hutch said looking back at him.  “We know some of the types that come here.  It won’t take much to get a search warrant for this dive.”

“Get your warrant”, Marty said picking up his magazine.

Hutch sighed and turned away from the counter.  Ethan walked over to the counter and looked at Marty.

“Hey, man”, Ethan said.  “You got a john in this place.”

“Last door on the left”, Marty replied not paying attention to him.

Before anyone could stop him, Ethan headed down the hallway.  Instead of going to the bathroom, he stopped at a door and opened it up.  He didn’t find what he was looking for and shut it.  He stepped across the hall and opened the door up.  Ethan didn’t move as he scanned the room and found the child pornography sitting in the open.  He walked inside and he felt his stomach lurch at what he was looking at.

Ethan turned around as Starsky walked into the room.  He gave him a look and started out of the room.  Starsky grabbed him by the arm.

“We don’t have a warrant”, Starsky said with a hard look.

“You’re kidding”, Ethan said with a dark laugh.  “I took a wrong turn going to the john and look at what I find.  I’d say its probable cause to lock this place up and find this ring.”

“You know that’s not how it is”, Starsky said evenly.

“You and I both know this guy would have cleaned this place up before we got back with a warrant, Starsky.  I’d say I just stumbled across it which is what my report would say.”

Ethan pulled away from Starsky and walked out of the room leaving him standing with the horrific pornography around him.  Starsky sighed as he left the room.

Hutch watched as Ethan came out and he grabbed onto Marty.  He watched as Ethan and Harvey pulled Marty out of the shop.  He looked over at Starsky who had a look on his face.

“Well, Morgan managed to find probable cause”, Starsky told him.

Hutch didn’t say anything as Starsky headed out the door.  He followed him and saw Ethan radioing the station and Harvey cuffing Marty.  Ethan set the radio down and walked around the car towards Marty.

“You wanna start talking now”, Ethan asked.  “By the time we search that dive, we’ll find more of that crap you’re peddling.”

“I want a lawyer”, Marty replied not giving anything away.

“You’ll get your lawyer you piece of shit”, Ethan breathed angrily.  “But not before you spill your guts about who is supplying you with that garbage.”

Hutch took the initiative and stepped forward.

“Back off, Morgan”, Hutch said with a hand on his shoulder.

Ethan gave Marty a deadly look before walking away.  Hutch looked back at Starsky who had observed the scene and then he turned his head over at Harvey who was talking to Ethan.  Hutch felt a coldness in his gut at the sight of them.  He took Marty by the arm and guided him over to the Torino. 

Ethan saw this and he walked over to Hutch.

“What the hell are you doing”, Ethan asked.  “This is our bust.”

“We’re working on this together”, Hutch answered.  “Marty will go in our car.”

“Bullshit”, Ethan said with an angry look.  “Quinton and I get first crack at him.”

“This isn’t about getting the glory for a bust, Morgan”, Starsky said taking a step closer.

“This is about taking out dirt bag scum”, Ethan answered with a cold stare at Starsky.

“Just the same”, Hutch said opening the door.  “He goes in our car.  You two will get your chance to interrogate him at the station.”

Ethan stood back as Hutch put Marty in the back seat of the Torino.  He turned around and headed back into the shop as more police cruisers showed up at the scene.

During the trip back to the station Ethan pulled his cigarettes out and lit one.  He took a long drag and blew the smoke out the window.

“Relax, kid”, Quinton told him.  “The bust will stick.”

“You’re backing me up”, Ethan asked.

“Hey, we’ve got to take care of each other.  Nobody else will.  Just remember, we’ve got a hell of a lot of brass breathing down our necks here.  You’ve got to watch yourself.”

“Makes it tough when you’ve got cops like Starsky and Hutch dogging your every waking moment”, Ethan said before taking a drag.

“Those two are pretty self righteous cops.  They can’t be bought and I’m sure it’s been tried by a few.”

“I want this ring brought down, Harvey”, Ethan replied solemnly.  “The people doing this shit should be roasted over an open fire.”

“You won’t hear any arguments from me, kid.  Just keep it to yourself.”

Ethan looked over at Harvey as he drove.  He looked back out the window and nursed his cigarette. 

Starsky walked over to his desk and sat down behind the chair.  He looked over at Hutch who was working on his report.

“Well, Marty’s lawyer is already raising hell about this bust”, Starsky said.  “I doubt he’ll get far with it.”

“He’ll get bail”, Hutch said not looking up from the typewriter.  “Where are Morgan and Quinton?”

“They’re talking to the desk sergeant.  Jesus, Hutch.  Morgan sure knows how to walk the line.”

“Quinton will back him”, Hutch said as he stopped typing.  “I don’t like the way it went down either way, buddy.  Maybe we’ll get something that’ll take this ring down.”

“Hutch, you don’t think Morgan’s a part of this committee”, Starsky asked.

“I don’t think so.  He’s out of San Diego and Dobey told me a bit ago that he’s a top rated cop with a few commendations under his belt.  They may just do things differently there.”

“He’d better learn quickly”, Starsky replied.

Hutch looked up at the opening of the door and watched as Dylan Wade walked over to them.

“Detective Starsky”, Dylan said.  “I need you in my office first thing in the morning.  I have a few questions regarding a couple of your cases.”

“What kind of questions”, Hutch asked.

“None concerning you, Sergeant.”

“I disagree”, Hutch said with steely eyes.  “Starsky’s my partner.  Besides we’re in the middle of a case right now.”

“You can continue with your case, Hutchinson”, Dylan replied.  “It shouldn’t take long.”

“Relax, Hutch”, Starsky said with a small smile.  “They don’t have anything to crucify me with.”

Hutch could feel his anger subsiding at the smile on Starsky’s face.  But when he looked into the eyes of Dylan Wade, he saw something else there. 

“I’ll go with you”, Hutch told him.

“You’ll get your turn”, Dylan told him.  “You’re more than welcome to wait outside in the hallway while I question your partner.”

Dylan turned and left.  Hutch looked over at Starsky.

“I don’t like it, Starsky”, Hutch said leaning towards him.  “You shouldn’t go in there alone.”

“It’ll be fine”, Starsky said as he stood up.  “These guys don’t have anything on us.  Come on, it’s your turn to buy me a beer tonight.”

Hutch pulled the report out of the typewriter and quickly signed it.  He stuck it in a file folder and handed off to Minnie on his way out.

It was close to 2am.  Dylan sighed as he leaned back against the couch.  He rubbed his eyes and stared down at the coffee table which was littered with various records of police officers.  He heard the quiet knock at his door and looked over. 

Dylan stood up and as he walked to the door he pulled his gun from its holster.  He held it close as he looked through the peephole.  Dylan opened up the door at the man standing there with the torn twenty dollar bill in his hand.  Dylan held the door open for him and pulled the half he had out of his pocket.  Seeing that they matched up, he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Ethan Morgan”, Ethan told him.

“Dylan Wade.  Need some coffee”, Dylan asked.

“Sure”, Ethan answered.

Dylan walked into the kitchen and poured two cups while Ethan looked around the sparse apartment.

“Not much to this place”, Ethan observed.

Dylan picked up the cups and walked into the living room.  He handed one off and took a sip of his.

“It’s not mine”, Dylan replied.  “I guess the feds set it up.”

“Well, there’s not much to mine but they did hook me up with a TV.”

“I guess they figure you’ll have more time than me.”

Ethan looked down at the records and sat down on the couch.

“That’s a hell of a lot of cops”, Ethan replied.

“The other precincts are coming back fairly clean.  They’ve came across a few on the take, but nothing like the committee”, Dylan explained. 

“Not this one”, Ethan asked.

“No”, Dylan said quietly.  “There’s too much at this place.  It’s tough because it’s located in one of the worst places in the city.”

“Well, the district I’m working is reminiscent of mine in New York”, Ethan stated.

“So how is this partner working out”, Dylan said sitting in a chair.

“A real piece of work if you ask me”, Ethan said pulling out his cigarettes.  “It’s too soon to say if he’s even a part of this thing.”

Dylan watched Ethan light one up and took a drink of his coffee.

“Fargo still won’t talk about who else might be involved.  I’m inclined to believe we’ve got more cops on this thing, but there’s no way of knowing who.  Did you make the right impression?”

“Well, have you had a chance to look over the reports from the bust?”

“Quinton’s came back pretty clear and antiseptic.  Nothing to raise eyebrows at.”

“Starsky and Hutch?”

“Well”, Dylan said with a sigh.  “It’s all a matter of interpretation.  You walked back there under false pretenses, but their wording will have the lawyers battling it out over this guy.”

“Do you think they’re clean”, Ethan asked blowing smoke out of his mouth.

“I think so”, Dylan admitted.  “There are some questions which will have to be asked which I’m sure won’t put me on their Christmas card list.”

“No matter how this thing goes down, not many people will like us”, Ethan said with a bitter smile.

“Why did you volunteer for this task force”, Dylan asked Ethan.

Ethan looked down at his coffee and didn’t speak for a moment.  He looked back up at Dylan.

“I’ve got my reasons”, Ethan answered.  “I’m sure you’ve got yours as well.”

“I hate dirty cops”, Dylan told him.  “Not much more to it than that.”

“But that’s not the only reason, is it?”

“So what’s the plan for tomorrow”, Dylan said purposefully changing the subject.

Ethan laughed and Dylan chuckled knowing neither of them really wanted to talk about it.

“I’ll back off a bit and not come across so damn gung ho”, Ethan answered.  “I don’t want you getting any complaints about me too early.”

Dylan reached forward and handed Ethan a card.

“Those have all my numbers on it.  You can reach me anytime, Ethan.  If you think you’re even remotely getting in over your head, call me.”

“I will”, Ethan promised.  “I hate the fact we can’t trust anybody here.”

“You can, buddy”, Dylan said with affirmation in his eyes.  “Trust me.  I won’t let you down.”

Ethan smiled and stuck the card in his pocket.  He stood up and headed for the door where Dylan met him.

“We’ll get these guys”, Ethan told him. 

“Be careful”, Dylan told him.  “You’re alone out there.”

“No, I’m not”, Ethan replied with a look at Dylan.

Dylan smiled a bit as Ethan slipped out the door.  After he left, Dylan walked over to the couch and sat down.  He picked up the file sitting on top of the stack and looked down at it.  He had intentionally kept something from Ethan.  Dylan didn’t think it had anything to do with this case, but he couldn’t be sure.  He had to know the truth and he wouldn’t stop until he had it.  Dylan set Detective Sgt. Kenneth Hutchinson’s file back down and leaned back against the couch.

Starsky and Hutch walked down the hallway towards Dylan’s office and they were almost to it when they saw it open.  Starsky slowed to a stop with Hutch next to him as Bernie walked out of the office.  He looked up at them and just as quickly averted his eyes as he quickly brushed by them.

Hutch looked over at Starsky who was as surprised as he was.  Starsky looked over at Hutch and gave him an ‘I’ll be fine’ look before walking in.  Hutch leaned back against the wall after seeing the door close.  He was getting a bad feeling in his gut about this whole thing.

Starsky eased himself down in the chair as Dylan walked around to the back of his desk and picked up a file.  He opened it and scanned through it before looking up at Starsky.

“I want to talk to you about Sharman Crane”, Dylan stated.

“Yeah”, Starsky said easily.  “What about her?”

“You knew her when you were a kid”, Dylan asked looking up from his file.

“Yeah, we had the same class together.  She didn’t even know who I was back then.”

“You knew her”, Dylan replied.

“Is this what you called me in for”, Starsky asked with a grin.  “If you want you can question my third grade teacher about that nasty spit ball habit I used to have.”

“No, Sergeant Starsky”, Dylan answered with a sigh.  “I want to know where she was being held while in protective custody.”

“What”, Starsky whispered.

“I’ve gone over the case files and there is nothing indicating where she was being held at.”

Dylan looked over at Starsky who looked away a bit.  Starsky looked back up at Dylan and laced his fingers together with his elbows resting on the armrests of the chair.

“Sharman was being well taken care of”, Starsky told her.  “Her statement is there.”

“I’ve read her statement”, Dylan told me.  “It was two days after you and your partner found her.  Why wasn’t there one done on that day?”

“I don’t see the problem here”, Starsky told Dylan.  “The jerk is pushing up daisies and his girl is serving time.  It was a cut and dry case.”

“I’m not questioning the veracity of this case, Starsky.  I’m questioning your actions during this case.  Anything we come up with is subject to review by my superiors and I can’t have any holes anywhere.”

Starsky sighed and when he looked up at Dylan he could see the seriousness in his eyes.

“You ever heard of Sharman Crane”, Starsky asked.

“Yeah, she was a model for a while.  She keeps pretty much to herself nowadays.”

“Have you questioned her about any of this?”

“I thought I’d give you first shot”, Dylan answered carefully.

“Well, she’s a special lady.  She was when we were kids and she is now.  You have to remember everything she’s been through before we found her.”

“I know the history, Starsky”, Dylan said sitting down.  “Are you going to tell me what happened with her or not?”

“On the condition that this doesn’t become a part of your report to the people you answer to.”

“Sgt. Starsky”, Dylan said leaning forward.  “I’m not here to bargain with you.  I’ve got a job to do and I make the decisions regarding what I put in my reports.  I’m not about to risk my career and the careers of good cops because of you wanting to protect some girl you had a crush on.”

Starsky leaned back in his chair and studied Sgt. Wade.  There was something about the guy, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.  It was something about the way he was looking at him.  Starsky knew he wouldn’t let this thing go.  He hoped Sharman would forgive him.

“When we found Sharman”, Starsky began.  “She was a flat out drunk.  She couldn’t even stand up straight.  I dried her out.  I couldn’t let anyone see her like that.  The press would have had a field day with her.”

“She was at your place”, Dylan stated.

Starsky shot a look at Dylan.

“I figured as much given the reports I read”, Dylan told him.  “They came to your place to murder her where you and Hutchinson showed up.”

“You needed to know why”, Starsky said evenly.  “So what now?  Are you gonna run this tidbit up to the brass and let it blow open.”

“No”, Dylan told him.  “It’s not imperative in this investigation.  I’ll leave it as it is.  I gave you the third degree because I don’t know if you’ll be honest with me.  Hopefully you’ll honest with me about the next case we’re going to discuss.”

“Are we going to pick apart every case I’ve ever had”, Starsky asked with a look.

“Just two”, Dylan said reaching for a file. 

Starsky watched Dylan pull the file in front of him and open it up.  He could see the detective was mulling the contents over in his mind.  He watched as Dylan closed the file.

“You’re partner was abducted for four days by Ben Forrest”, Dylan stated.  “The report I have says you’re the one who found him.”

“Yeah”, Starsky said keeping his emotions in check.

“Was anyone else with you when you found him?”

Starsky looked at Dylan and he remembered the way Bernie looked when he left the office.  He hadn’t even told Hutch that Bernie had been there.  Hutch had no memory of Bernie even being there.  Hutch had said all he remembered seeing was the Torino and him.

“Bernie was there”, Starsky said quietly.  “You knew that, didn’t you?”

“I suspected.  Although he won’t admit it.”

“How?”

“Bernie’s partner radioed the call in, Starsky.”

Starsky nodded a bit and looked down at his hands.

“So why the secrecy?”

“It’s no secret”, Starsky said.

“It must be for Bernie not to admit he was present when you had found your partner”, Dylan stated. 

Starsky watched Dylan as he leaned back in his chair.

“I see”, Dylan said with a sigh.  “You didn’t find him.  Bernie did.”

Starsky sighed heavily and kept silent.  He looked at Dylan Wade wishing he could just tell him to forget about it like he was willing to do with Sharman.  Somehow he wasn’t convinced the I.A. puke would.

“What was your partner’s condition when you arrived”, Dylan asked.

“He had the hell beat out of him”, Starsky answered firmly.

“Was that it?”

“Wasn’t that enough”, Starsky said defensivly.  “They had him for four goddamn days!”

“Yes, it’s in the missing person’s report”, Dylan said fishing it out of the file.  “What I don’t understand is why he wasn’t seen by a doctor.”

“He didn’t want to go.”

“He was up to refusing medical attention but he needed three weeks off to recuperate”, Dylan said as he pulled out the report.  “You can read it if you need to refresh you memory.”

Starsky looked up at Dylan who held the report out to him.  He didn’t even move to take it from him.

“Hutch needed some time off”, Starsky said clearly angry.  “They had him for four days.”

“I know how many days they had him, Starsky.  I want to know what they did to him.  I don’t buy this story you fed I.A.”

“That’s your problem”, Starsky replied.  “You’ve got my report.”

“I’ve got your report”, Dylan said letting the report fall to his desk.  “I’ve got Hutchinson’s as well.  I’ve also spoke to your captain who stands by you and your partner’s reports as well.”

“Then that’s it”, Starsky said standing up.

“Bullshit”, Dylan said standing up.  “I’ve got enough to start a full investigation which will open this case back up, Starsky!  If you don’t come clean with me on this you won’t give me a choice in the matter!”

“There’s nothing to tell”, Starsky said with conviction.  “If anyone did anything wrong it was me by not telling anyone that it was Bernie that found Hutch that day.  I’ll get a nice little reprimand in my record.”

Dylan watched as Starsky stormed out of the office and he saw Hutch standing in the hallway.  Dylan rounded his desk and stuck his head out the door.

“Hutchinson”, Dylan called out. 

Hutch looked over at Starsky who looked like he was ready to blow a gasket.  He swung his gaze back over at Dylan who stepped outside the office with the door open.  Hutch started forward and Starsky grabbed his arm.

“Hutch”, Starsky said quietly.

“It’ll be okay”, Hutch replied.

Hutch gave Starsky a reassuring pat on the shoulder and walked inside the office.  Starsky turned back as the door closed behind Hutch and Dylan Wade.  He clenched his fist tightly and hit the wall.  Starsky released a lungful of air and leaned back against the wall.  God, don’t let this get out, Starsky prayed.

Hutch had his hands in his pockets as he watched Dylan sit in his chair behind the desk.

“Have a seat”, Dylan said as he fished through the files.

“I’ll stand”, Hutch replied remembering the look on Starsky’s face.

“Suit yourself”, Dylan replied as he pulled out the file he was looking for.  “I just needed to clear up a few things about a case.”

“Something wrong with one of my cases?”

“Actually, from what I’ve found they’re all pretty tight”, Dylan said looking up at Hutch.  “You’re record keeping is impressive as is your attention to detail.”

“So you put my partner through the wringer and you don’t have anything on me”, Hutch stated.

“I just need to know one thing”, Dylan told him.  “I need to get a statement from a witness and I’m having problems locating her.  I was hoping you could help me out.”

“Who is that”, Hutch asked.

“Jeanie Walton.”

Hutch froze at the sound of Jeanie’s name and he stared at Dylan.  It took a moment for him to get his bearings and he finally cleared his throat before answering the question.

“I don’t know”, Hutch said.  “She felt that considering the circumstances that we end it.  I agreed.  I haven’t seen or spoken to her since.”

“I’ll keep looking for her”, Dylan said simply.

“Why do you want to talk to her?”

“Just too clear up a few things”, Dylan replied.

“What things?”

“Well, I wasn’t going to ask you, Sergeant.  I figured with the beating you took from Forrest and his goons, you’re memory wouldn’t be too clear.  Your statement to Internal Affairs was fairly vague at best.”

“You pressured Starsky about it”, Hutch told him.  “He didn’t look too pleased when he left this office.”

“We didn’t discuss your time with Forrest”, Dylan replied. 

“I don’t understand”, Hutch said taking a step closer to the desk.  “What exactly are you looking for?”

“The truth”, Dylan said gazing into Hutch’s eyes.  “There are questions that need answered.  It’s obvious you both cover for each other.”

“We’re partners, Wade”, Hutch said. 

“More than that, I’d say.”

“We’re best friends.  Is that what you’re looking for?”

“No”, Dylan said standing up.  “The two of you have covered for each other in the past and I need to know how far it goes.  How far are you willing to go to cover each other’s backs?”

“You’re out of line”, Hutch whispered angrily.

“Really”, Dylan said putting his hands on his hips.  “Your reports backed up Starsky’s when he was keeping a material witness in his apartment.”

Hutch raised his head up slightly at the new information.

“Yeah, I know all about it”, Dylan told him.  “He’s already owned up to it.  What I want to know is why your partner is covering up for you over this Ben Forrest case and your abduction.”

Hutch’s eyes glittered with anger at Dylan and he slowly turned around and walked over to the window not saying a word.  He planted a hand next to the wall and looked out not speaking.

“Goddamn it, Hutch”, Dylan said angrily.  “How in the hell am I supposed to protect the good cops if I can’t get a straight answer?  What the hell happened to you?”

“Read the reports”, Hutch said quietly. 

“I’ve read the bullshit that your partner put in them.  Unless I get the truth, I’ll be forced to reopen this case.  It could change everything including Forrest’s conviction.”

“Forrest’s men are the ones who brokered a deal with the D.A”, Hutch said not looking at Dylan.  “Their testimony locked Forrest up.  That’s all they needed.”

Dylan walked around his desk over to Hutch.

“Listen to me”, Dylan said.  “I have to answer every discrepancy I find during my investigation.  If I skip out on my job, I’m just as bad as those jerks that are giving the force a rotten name.  If you’re not honest with me you are forcing me to go hunting for the answers myself.”

Hutch turned around and looked at Dylan.

“What the hell kind of cop are you”, Hutch asked incredulously.  “You’re supposed to be looking for cops who were a part of the committee and instead you dragging out old cases to punch holes in our reports.  Are you looking to get the guys we busted off?”

“Are you telling me not to go searching through past case files”, Dylan asked.  “Are you going to point out the dirty cops for me, Hutch?  I have to start somewhere and right now this is all I’ve got.  The only way you will convince me that you aren’t one of them is to be honest with me.”

Hutch could see the earnestness in Dylan Wade’s eyes.  He turned back to the window and looked out.  Dylan sighed heavily and walked back to his desk.

“How was your time off after the abduction”, Dylan asked sitting down.

“A much needed vacation”, Hutch replied.

“Why didn’t you report to the emergency room directly when you were found?”

“There was no need”, Hutch said with a sigh looking out the window.

“I would think four days of beatings would require at least a doctor to check you out.”

Hutch said nothing and continued to stare out the window.

“Two days after you were found, you accompanied your partner to the precinct when Forrest was arrested”, Dylan said reading the report.

“Yes”, Hutch said turning around to look at him.

“This doesn’t make much sense to me”, Dylan said with a shake of his head.  “You were abducted for four days, and then you were found.  You and your partner were incognito for two days after that until Forrest’s arrest.  You were well enough to come along for Forrest to get booked, but then take three weeks off afterwards to recuperate.”

“I don’t see the point in this”, Hutch said with a shake of his head.

“One thing is obvious”, Dylan replied.  “Something happened.  It was more than just being beaten.  Your partner lied, your Captain is lying by standing by the reports and so are you.”

“There’s nothing to tell”, Hutch replied.

Dylan studied Hutch closely not speaking and he ran his hand through his blonde hair.  He looked back up at Hutch.

“I’m finished for now”, Dylan said quietly.

After Hutch left the office, Dylan rested his arms on the desk and stared down at the stacks of files.  His eye caught one and he pulled it out.  After reading the name on it, Dylan stood up.  He tossed it down and grabbed his jacket.  Dylan quickly walked out of the office as he slipped it on.

Ethan followed Quinton through the bar and slipped into the booth.  He looked over at another table and saw Starsky, Hutch, and another man huddled together.  Ethan looked over at Quinton and after the waitress left he nudged him.

“Who is that with Starsky and Hutch”, Ethan asked.

“Huggy Bear”, Quinton answered.  “He’s their snitch.”

“If they’re talking about this case, they’d better not leave us in the dark.”

“They hang out with the guy quite a bit.  If it was anything, they’d tell us.”

Ethan lit a cigarette and when their beers were set down in front of them he looked over at the figure of Dobey walking over to them.  He took a long drag from his cigarette and watched as the four men talked quietly amongst themselves.

“That’s weird”, Harvey observed. 

“What is it?”

“Dobey never comes here.”

Ethan looked at what appeared to be a serious discussion among them and he was suspicious.  This was an odd situation.  He made a mental note to discuss it with Dylan during their next talk.

Dobey shook his head after Starsky and Hutch explained the situation.  He ran his hand under his chin thoughtfully when they relayed the content of their questioning by Detective Sergeant Wade.  He looked at both of them.

“Cap’n”, Hutch said.  “If Wade finds out about this, what do you suppose will happen?”

“I think you know the answer to that”, Dobey said quietly.  “The three of us will be brought up before a board of review and I shouldn’t have to tell you how uncomfortable those can get.”

“They’ll hang us out to dry”, Starsky mumbled.

“Starsky”, Huggy said.  “You said that this guy was willing to let Sharman Crane go off by the wayside.  If you three went to him, any chance he might do the same for Hutch?”

“No”, Hutch said quietly.  “This isn’t drying out a drunk.  In their eyes I would be junkie cop.  Starsky and Captain Dobey’s careers might survive it, but not mine.”

“Bullshit”, Starsky blurted out.  “If they’re going to stretch your hide out, you won’t be alone.  I covered this up, Hutch, and I’m not gonna let you take a fall for the rest of us.”

“Hutchinson, I’m not about to let some I.A. hatchet man axe two of my best men.  I’ll go to bat for you and I know a hell of a lot of cops that will stand by you no matter what.”

“That’s all well and good, Captain”, Hutch replied.  “I can’t let you and Starsky take the blame for this.”

“Blame, hell”, Huggy said with an angry look.  “It wasn’t your fault for what happened, Hutch.  If those people don’t see it, they’ve got their heads too far up their asses to know a good cop when they see one and they’d be fools to kick their finest off the force.”

“Huggy’s right”, Starsky said looking at Hutch.  “If Wade finds out, we’ll stand by you through thick and thin.  We’ll tell them the truth of it all if we have to, but if one of us goes, we all go.”

“I second that”, Dobey said.

Hutch looked down at his beer and smiled a bit.  He looked at his friends and nodded.  Hutch couldn’t recall being so thankful for people who were willing to put their own livelihoods on the chopping block for him.  He only hoped it wouldn’t come to that.  Hutch wasn’t about to let Starsky and Dobey put their careers on the line for him if he could help it.  He wasn’t about to tell them that either.

Dylan paced back and forth in the waiting room nervously.  He could feel his heart pounding in his chest and he wiped the perspiration from his forehead.  He straightened his tie and checked the visitors badge on his blazer.  God, he hated ties.  Back home he would be in jeans and a t-shirt right now. 

Dylan didn’t think twice when he was offered this job on the task force.  He had seen the name Hutchinson name before and never really thought too much about it.  It was common enough, but after he had arrived for this case…

The door opened and Dylan’s thoughts turned to the prisoner being brought in by two guards.  His hands and feet were both shackled.  Dylan watched as he shuffled over to the chair and helped down.

“You can leave”, Dylan told the guards.

After they left, Dylan walked to the table and sat down across from him.

“There’s something about you”, the prisoner said.  “Who are you?”

“Detective Sergeant Dylan Wade”, Dylan answered.

Dylan watched him closely as he leaned back in the chair.

“Surprise to see a cop visit me.  They quit coming some time ago.”

“I have some questions”, Dylan said with an unforgiving tone.  “It’s in regards to Detective Hutchinson.”

Dylan studied him as he slowly smiled and he felt chills on the back of his neck at the cold laugh coming from the man.

“Does Hutch miss ole Ben”, he asked with a bitter laugh.

“Are you going to answer my questions”, Dylan asked him.

“Why all the interest after all this time”, Ben Forrest asked.  “Did Hutch go flying again?”

“What”, Dylan asked. 

“You don’t know”, Ben said leaning forward.  “Hutch didn’t tell you about the great time he had with us?”

“What did you do to him”, Dylan asked evenly.

“Oh, come on, cop.  I don’t buy that no one knows.  I’d bet that partner of his knows all about it.”

“I’m not asking again”, Dylan said with a lethal look.

“You tell me where Jeanie is and I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

“How about you tell me what I want to know and I’ll have your restrictions eased a bit.  Enough for you to at least see the sun more than just an hour out of a day.”

He could see the thoughtful look in Ben’s eyes and Dylan knew he had him.  Dylan had no doubt in his mind that Ben would tell him what he needed to know.

“You’d be surprised what a change in body chemistry will do to a human being”, Ben stated.

“Body chemistry”, Dylan said with a confused look.

Dylan didn’t understand what he was saying and as Ben chuckled, the realization ran over him like a snowstorm.  He shook his head for a moment barely believing it, but he had to hear him say it.

“You strung Hutch out on horse”, Dylan whispered.

“Took to it like a baby”, Ben said with a smile.  “He spilled the beans about Jeanie after that easily enough.”

Dylan looked away not wanting to look at the old man and wanting to rid himself of the vile images which ran through his mind.

“He sure loved that juice”, Ben laughed.

“Shut up”, Dylan told him.

Dylan had to think and he stood to leave.  He looked back at Ben when he called his name.

“He’s still a junkie, isn’t he?”

“Guard”, Dylan called out.  He leaned in close to Ben.  “I’ll see to it that you get more than what you’ve got now.  If anyone comes to you about Hutchinson, you are not to talk to them.  If you breathe a word of this to anyone, you’ll be sitting in a fucking hole for the rest of your miserable life.”

Ben didn’t say a word as Dylan headed towards the door where the guards where coming through.  He didn’t slow down as he walked out of the prison to his car.  When Dylan reached it he leaned his head on the window on the driver’s side.  This mess just got a hell of a lot more complicated.  What was he going to do now?

Dylan hadn’t even touched the files sitting on the coffee table.  His thoughts returned to the strange conversation he had with Ben Forrest.  He wished he could just erase it all from his mind.  Hell, he wished he hadn’t of pushed the issue, but he knew it wouldn’t change anything.  He knew he would have kept at it till he got the truth either way.  He was a cop and he considered himself a good one.  Dylan took a long drink from his beer and sighed heavily.  He still had no idea how to proceed.

He heard the quiet knock at his door and he knew it was Ethan before he even looked through the peephole.  Dylan opened up the door and Ethan slipped inside.

“It’s a little early for a visit”, Dylan told him closing the door.

“I had something I needed to talk to you about”, Ethan replied.

“Help yourself to a beer”, Dylan told him.

Ethan walked into the kitchen and pulled a beer from the fridge.  He looked over at Dylan and knew something was wrong.

“You had a rotten day from the looks of it”, Ethan observed.

“You first”, Dylan told him.

Ethan lit a cigarette before walking into the living room.  He sat down on a chair and looked up at Dylan.

“It seems as if something a bit out of the ordinary happened today.  I think we’ll need to rethink a couple of cops and their captain.”

“Who”, Dylan asked not wanting to know.

“Starsky, Hutch and Dobey.  They were having a rather intense conversation with their snitch.”

“A snitch”, Dylan asked.

“Yeah, he goes by the name Huggy Bear.  Quinton said that Starsky and Hutch rely pretty heavily on him for quite a bit of their Intel.”

“What’s so odd about them having a conversation with their snitch?”

“Dobey”, Ethan said after blowing smoke.  “What in the hell is a police captain doing having a session with his cops and their snitch in a bar of all places?”

Dylan sat down on the couch and set his beer down on the table in front of him.

“Did your best friend die or something”, Ethan asked.  “You look like hell.”

“I questioned them today”, Dylan said quietly. 

“What happened?”

“I found a few discrepancies and I followed up on them.”

“You must have not liked what you found.  Is it that bad?”

“Hutch was abducted by one of the biggest drug kingpins on the coast”, Dylan told him.  “It was all about finding a girl.  Hutch was hiding her out.”

“Did he spill his guts?”

“After they juiced him for four days”, Dylan said quietly.

“Jesus Christ”, Ethan blurted out.  “Hutch is a junkie?”

“No”, Dylan said. 

“How can you be so sure about that?”

“I just don’t think so”, Dylan said with a shake of his head.

“You were wrong about them before, you could be wrong now.  I’ve seen those guys together.  They’re pretty tight.  I would imagine it’s not the first time one covered for the other.  Tell me I’m wrong, Dylan.”

“You’re not”, Dylan said.  “Hutch covered for Starsky before.  They’re best friends.”

“Starsky covered for Hutch on this and may still be doing it.”

“I don’t buy that he’s a junkie, Ethan.”

“Oh, come on”, Ethan said standing up.  “Let’s face reality here.  You and I’ve been on the street long enough to know how hard it is to beat a demon like this.”

“It’s just not an easy thing to take, man.”

“So the three of them could be a part of the committee”, Ethan replied.

“No”, Dylan said.  “They were the ones that blew the lid on the committee in the first place.”

“You could be right, but Fargo and Knight were getting sloppy in their work.  They used it to expose them to keep everyone else safe.”

“Fargo’s not talking, Ethan.  He’s still holding out.”

“If he talks, he’s dead.  It’s enough to keep his mouth shut.”

“Right now it appears that Hutch was abducted, strung out so Forrest could find out about this girl.  Starsky may have helped him kick it.”

“Or Starsky and Dobey are covering up for him and his habit.  It wouldn’t be hard between the two of them to help Hutch keep it together.  Either way it’s a motive, Dylan and you know it.”

“No, I don’t”, Dylan said with an angry look at Ethan.  “There’s nothing to indicate what you’re saying is true.”

“Man, if I’m wrong, I’ll be glad to say it.  No one wants to see a junkie cop.  Starsky and Hutch are playing it fast and loose with their captain’s approval.  They start the committee with the help of Fargo.  Hutch falls for the girlfriend of a high dollar drug pusher and keeps her to himself.  This Forrest guy gets pissed and hooks him.  Only his buddy finds out about it.  Dylan, there is no way in hell they could’ve kept this thing quiet without help.  The right questions weren’t even asked from what you’re saying.”

Dylan shook his head and reached for his beer.  He took a long drink and looked over at Ethan who was playing with the cigarette in his hand.

“I just don’t buy these cops are bad”, Dylan said.  “Hutch’s nickname on the street is white knight and I don’t think it’s because of his hair color.”

“You sure are taking this awfully personal, my friend.”

“I guess I don’t like the turn of this thing.”

“It’s more than that”, Ethan said finishing off his cigarette.  “You were hit pretty hard after finding out about Hutch.  It’s more than just hunting for dirty cops.”

“That’s why I took this”, Dylan said with a smile.  “I hate cops that use the law for their own benefit and their own brand of justice.  Makes it a hell of a lot harder to get the bad guys for the rest of us.”

“So when did it get personal?”

“After I got here”, Dylan said looking at Ethan.  “The first jackets I pulled were the investigating officers which were Starsky and Hutch.  Starsky really didn’t surprise me any.  He struck me as the kind of guy that would protect a bird from a drop of rain.”

“But Hutch did?”

“Yeah”, Dylan admitted.  “His paperwork for the last five years is damn near perfect.  The guy has a memory like a steel trap and every bit of it is by the book.”

“You went back five years on these guys”, Ethan asked with wide eyes.

“Just Hutch.”

“Why just Hutch?”

“It’s complicated”, Dylan said before taking a drink of his beer.

“Did you know him before you got here?”

“I never met him before I came to this city.”

“Spill it, Dylan.”

“If I do are you going to tell me the real reason you came here”, Dylan asked Ethan.

“Man, you do hit below the belt”, Ethan said with a smile.

“Every chance I get”, Dylan replied with an affectionate look.  “Listen, Ethan.  I like you, man.  You’re a damn good cop and I just feel like I could trust you with my life.  I feel like I know you pretty well and I don’t even have to run a make on you.”

Ethan did laugh and he looked at Dylan who had a twinkle in his eye.

“Okay”, Ethan said.  “You’ve got a deal.  You spill your guts and I’ll open mine up right along next to yours.”

“That makes me feel so much better”, Dylan said before finishing off his beer.  Dylan stood up and walked into the kitchen.  He pulled a beer from the fridge.  He opened it up and tossed the cap on the cabinet.  He walked back into the living room and sat back down.  He took a long drink from the bottle before beginning.  “I was born in New York City.  Before that, my mother lived in Duluth, Minnesota.”

“Yeah”, Ethan said.

“Hutch is from Duluth”, Dylan told him.

“Man, you’re loosing me.”

Ethan watched as Dylan took a deep breath.  Dylan leaned back on the couch with the beer in his hand.

“My mother was a secretary for Richard Hutchinson who was Hutch’s father.  I guess he had an affair with her.”

“Dylan”, Ethan said leaning towards him.  “Are you saying that Hutch is your brother?”

“My half brother”, Dylan told him.  “I don’t have a hell of a lot to back me up except a letter from her to him that was never mailed.”

“Hutch doesn’t know?”

“You’re the only person I’ve ever told”, Ethan explained.  “His old man never knew a thing about it.”

“Hutch’s father is dead?”

“Yeah, he died a few years ago.”

“Jesus”, Ethan said.  “No wonder you don’t want to think the worst.”

“I had no idea until I pulled Hutch’s jacket.  When I saw who his father was and where he lived at, I knew.  I made a few more calls and there’s no doubt.  The Hutchinson family ain’t exactly broke which I knew from what my mother had said in that letter.”

“She never told you”, Ethan stated.

“She died when I was 12 and I was sent to live with my grandparents.  I guess she lived with her folks when she found out she was pregnant.  We lived in a small house on Long Island until she died.  After she died I found the letter.”

“Did you ever try to find him?”

“Yeah, I did.  It wasn’t too hard, but I didn’t feel like the bastard kid should show up on Daddy’s doorstep.  I decided some time ago, I would make it on my own so that when I finally did see him, he would know I wasn’t after the family fortune.”

“But he died, Dylan.”

“Well, it happened before I ever had a chance.  I guess he had a heart attack.  It never even hit me that he had kids until I pulled Hutch’s jacket.”

“Jesus”, Ethan said with a shake of his head.  “What are you going to do?”

“You’re next, pal”, Dylan said with a smile.

“Asshole”, Ethan said with a shake of his head.  “I wonder how much we could make if we sold our stories to some supermarket tabloid.”

“Come on, yours can’t be as twisted as mine is.”

“Let’s just say it doesn’t fall far from it.”

Dylan could see the nervousness on Ethan and the seriousness in his eyes.  He was patient as he waited until Ethan was ready.

“When I took this job, I took it knowing who I would meet out here.  The name is legendary where I grew up.”

“Starsky”, Dylan asked.

“My mother was a cop”, Ethan explained.  “I guess back in those days the neighborhoods were getting ran over by the mob and it was taking everything the boys in blue had to keep the streets somewhat safe for the civilian population.  She was sent in undercover to get close to a wiseguy.”

“Tough assignment”, Dylan observed.

“It was from what I’ve been told.  She caught a lot of hell over it and the only cop that stood up for her was her contact.”

“Would he happen to have the last name of Starsky”, Dylan asked.

“Damn, you’re good.”

Dylan gave Ethan a salute with his beer before taking a drink.

“I guess a few of the boys thought she was giving it to the wiseguy which was far from the truth.  She was in pretty deep and her only contact was Michael Starsky.  He wasn’t home too much during that case and I guess one thing led to another.”

“I don’t believe it”, Dylan whispered.  “Are you saying that…?”

“No one else would either”, Ethan replied.  “That’s why no one knows and no one will ever know.”

“Your old man never knew?”

“I don’t know”, Ethan answered honestly.  “I turned four a few months after he was killed.  My mother may never have said a word to him.  She cared about him a hell of a lot and she wasn’t out to hurt him or his family.”

“Didn’t that bother you that he had kids and you never knew them?”

“At first, but I realized she was right.  Michael Starsky was a top rated cop and highly respected by a hell of a lot of people.  I wasn’t about to screw with them and I won’t now.”

“You came out here to check out your brother”, Dylan stated.

“When his name popped up and I went to my captain he got me hooked up.”

“Doesn’t it bother you that he could be a dirty cop?”

“I don’t know him”, Ethan said easily.  “He could be or he may not be.  I’m here to do a job and I wanted to eyeball him for a few days.  If Starsky is a dirty cop, he’ll have ruined the memory of a great cop back home.”

“So what precinct do you work out of”, Dylan asked.

“One ten”, Ethan answered.

“That’s in Queens.  It’s a rough neighborhood.”

“Better than some, but I like it”, Ethan replied.  “You?”

“The 34^th”, Dylan replied.

Ethan leaned back against the chair and whistled.

“Damn, Manhattan.  You bust the high dollar perps”, Ethan said with a laugh.

“I knew a guy from 110”, Dylan told him.  “His name is Ackerman, I think.”

“Yeah, Leo.  I remember he transferred, but I didn’t know where.  He’s at the 34^th?”

“Yep, he’s doing good there.  I hear he’s got a kid in school close by.”

“That’s understandable.  Do you know Tanner Caulfield?”

“Sure”, Dylan said with a smile.  “He’s the one that turned me on to this assignment as a matter of fact.  I didn’t realize you knew him.”

“I wouldn’t be a cop if it wasn’t for him”, Ethan replied.  “I heard he was working a big case.  Must’ve been this one.”

“The feds wanted cops on this who could blend in with the locals.”

“Jesus, Dylan”, Ethan said with a shake of his head.  “What a small fucking world this is.”

“I know”, Dylan said looking at him.  “We’re too close to this thing as it is.  You can say it don’t matter to you, but it does.  You care about your father’s name.”

“I guess it does”, Ethan admitted.

“So what do we do?”

“Our jobs”, Ethan said firmly.  “We came here to get the goods on dirty cops and if it’s Starsky and Hutch, there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“This won’t be easy, you know.”

“I suspect it’ll get worse before it gets better.  I’ll tell you something, Dylan.  I’m not telling Starsky who I am and I have no intention of doing so.  I came here to check the guy out and if he is dirty, he’s not above the law any more than we are.”

“You’re right”, Dylan told him.  “If it came out that we’re related to these guys it could compromise everything including your cover.  We can’t afford it.”

“If you want to tell Hutch the truth after it’s over, it up to you.  Just be ready for them to not believe you.  You could have all the money in the world and they will refuse to believe anything that will make them think less of your father.”

Ethan stood up and lit a cigarette.  He took a drag and looked down at Dylan.

“I’ll be in touch.”

Dylan gave him a nod and he watched Ethan leave.  Dylan finished off his beer and leaned back against the couch.  There was only thing Dylan was confident about.  It would get worse before it got better.  In fact he almost counted on it.

 The next few days passed relatively slow.  Dylan kept on his search and said nothing to anyone about Hutch while he mulled over what he had learned.  He knew he had some time and he hoped Ethan’s undercover would force something to break.

Ethan on the other hand continued working with his partner and Starsky and Hutch to break down the child pornography ring operating.  They tracked leads down and the four men were surprised when they unexpectedly ran across the place where the obscene acts were being committed.

Starsky, Hutch and Quinton sat in Hutch’s beat up LTD across the street from an old office building.  They were waiting for Ethan who had gone inside to get the layout of the place.  Starsky suggested Ethan go inside.  Since he was new to the area all agreed Ethan would be the one to go in.

After half an hour Ethan made is way back to the car and he slipped into the back seat where Quinton was.

“There’s three of them”, Ethan told them as he pulled his gun out.  “They’re using a large office on the main floor and when I checked the back there were a couple of ‘em using an office on the upper level to check out their work.”

“What are you doing”, Starsky asked observing Ethan as he checked the magazine of his 9mm.

“There’s a couple of kids inside”, Ethan said with a solemn look.  “They’re located in the office on the main floor.  I could hear them crying.”

“Great”, Hutch said with a heavy sigh.

“We have to go in after them”, Quinten said.

“What about the third guy”, Hutch asked.

“With the kids”, Ethan said.

“We’ll call back up and go after them”, Hutch said.  “We sure as hell can’t let these guys let on that we’re here.”

“Hostage situations can get messy”, Starsky said looking at the building.

“Morgan, you and Quinton take the back”, Hutch said.  “Starsky and I will go through the front.”

“We’ll take the fire escape to the second floor”, Ethan said.  “There’s easy access and we won’t be seen.”

“First chance we get, one of us will get the kids out”, Starsky said.

The four men stepped out of the car.  Ethan and Quinton headed around the back while Starsky and Hutch worked their way to the front of the building.  They reached the door and each man stood at the opposite sides of the door.  Starsky eased the door open with the barrel of his gun.  He looked over at Hutch giving him the all clear and both men slipped inside.

The main room in front of them was empty with the exception of some trash and empty boxes.  Starsky and Hutch made their way forward and stopped when they heard some yelling coming from the large office directly in front of them.  They took cover behind a large shelf.

“How far in do you suppose they are”, Starsky asked in reference to Ethan and Quinton.

“Hopefully far enough”, Hutch whispered.  “We can’t move until we know they’ve subdued the perps upstairs.”

“We can’t tip these guys off”, Starsky said looking at the door to the office.

“We wait one minute”, Hutch replied quietly.  “If nothing by then, we move in.”

Starsky nodded and both men sat quietly waiting.  Hutch looked down at his watch and waited for the countdown to end.  Suddenly a shot rang out and both men shot glances at each other.

Hutch moved out first towards the door to the office with Starsky close behind.  The door opened up and a man was running out the door with a gun in hand.  Starsky and Hutch stepped out with guns aimed at him.

“Freeze”, Hutch yelled.  “Police!”

The man stopped in his tracks with his hands up and the gun in the right hand.

“Easy”, Starsky said with his gun aimed.  “Slowly set the gun down.”

The man did as he was ordered and Hutch quickly cuffed him.

“I’m upstairs”, Starsky said.

Hutch looked over at the door after Starsky disappeared and saw two uniforms show up.  He handed the guy over to them and Hutch went to see to the kids.

Starsky arrived at the top of the stairs and just as he was starting down the hallway, one of the perps came out of the room and ran down the hallway.  Starsky caught him and brought him down to the hard floor.  It took only a minute to subdue the guy.  After a bit of struggle, Starsky had him cuffed and on the floor.  Starsky handed him over to a uniform and he walked to the room where the suspect had run out of.

Starsky wasn’t prepared for what he saw.  His snitch Oleander lay on the floor dead with a gun in his hand.  Quinton was standing over him and Ethan was leaning against a wall.  He looked over at Quinton who looked back at him.

“Dumb guy pulled on me, Sarge”, Quinton told him.  “I had no choice.”

“Morgan, is that how it went down”, Starsky asked quietly.

Ethan wiped his face with his right hand and looked down at the gun in his left hand.  He looked over at Quinton and then back at Starsky.

“Yeah”, Ethan said quietly.

Starsky watched as Ethan pushed himself off the wall.  Ethan walked past him and headed down the stairs.  He didn’t slow down as he pushed past Hutch and past the arriving officers.  Ethan reached the LTD and leaned back against it wondering how in the hell he was going to get out of this mess.

Starsky pulled Hutch aside as the various officers milled around and began collecting their evidence.

“Hutch, Oleander wasn’t stupid”, Starsky said quietly.  “He was my snitch for almost two years and I don’t buy that bit Quinton is feeding us.  Carrying a gun isn’t his MO.”

“What about Morgan?”

“Morgan’s backing him up”, Starsky said with a heavy sigh.

“Did you see anything”, Hutch asked.

Starsky shook his head and Hutch leaned against the wall.

“If we didn’t see anything, Starsk, there’s nothing we can do.  If Morgan saw what went down, maybe he’ll open up to what really happened.”

“Maybe this I.A puke will put the screws to Morgan”, Starsky told him.  “I’d like to get Harvey Quinton off the street.”

“If Wade can put the pressure on us like he has, I don’t see him letting this one go after we turn in the reports.”

Half an hour later, Dylan Wade was on scene and while Starsky and Hutch were talking to Dobey, he spoke with Quinton.  No one noticed the look pass between Dylan and Ethan.  Hutch was standing near his car not far from Ethan who was on the sidewalk.  He looked over at Dylan Wade who was walking over to Ethan.

Hutch caught enough of the conversation to hear Ethan Morgan back up the statement Quinton was giving out.  Hutch could see Ethan was subdued by the events and he knew the cop wasn’t being honest about what he had witnessed.  It was in his every movement.

He stole a glance over at Starsky who was standing with Dobey.  Hutch did not like what was happening and the suspicions in his gut were growing with every passing minute.

Dylan slowed down as he reached the door of Ethan’s apartment.  He paused for a minute before knocking.  After hearing the muffled come in from the other side, Dylan opened the door.

He saw Ethan in the kitchen pouring himself a shot of whiskey.  Dylan closed the door and walked into the kitchen while Ethan quickly downed it.

“Man, I would never have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes”, Ethan said with a shake of his head.

Dylan was quiet as Ethan poured himself another shot.  Ethan downed the second shot and then lit a cigarette.

“Harvey Quinton blew that guy away in cold blood, Ethan.  I saw the whole fucking thing.”

“Marlon isn’t talking”, Dylan stated quietly.  “My guess his he’s too damn scared of the cops to talk about what went down.  I’ve got him on ice downtown with some feds.”

“How’d you manage that”, Ethan said before taking a drag.

“He’s got an outstanding up north.  As far as anyone else is concerned he was quickly extradited.  Oleander had a gun in his hand, Ethan.  Is there any chance you missed it?”

“Quinton planted it”, Ethan said looking at the bottle.  “He did it like it was the most normal thing in the world.”

“Be that as it may, you may be in.”

“Quinton didn’t have any doubts that I would go along with this thing, Dylan.  I could see it in his eyes.”

“You’ve got to pull yourself together, Ethan.  If you do anything less, we’ll loose any chance we have of nailing these guys.”

“It is looking like Quinton is a part of the committee.”

“My guess is they made the decision to up their initiation process”, Ethan said as he played with the cigarette in his left hand.  “They’ll watch me to make sure I don’t cave in.”

“If you do, you’ll get a bullet for your trouble.”

“What’s Starsky and Hutch’s report looking like?”

“Nothing”, Dylan answered.  “They didn’t see anything.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not”, Ethan said with a sigh.

“There’s no way of knowing if they’re a part of this thing or not”, Dylan said.

“Have you talked with Hutch about what you found out about him?”

“No”, Dylan admitted.  “I’m just not sure where to go with this thing.  There’s not enough for me to move on him without blowing the rest of this case.”

“We just have to bide our time”, Ethan said as he stabbed the cigarette out in the ashtray.

Ethan started to grab the bottle and Dylan took it in hand.

“I know today was rough, Ethan, but you’ve got to keep your head on straight.”

“I just can’t believe it”, Ethan said quietly.  “It wasn’t supposed to go down like this.”

“They’ve changed how they bring in new members”, Dylan told him.  “Since it all came out, they’ve been forced to.”

“I just wish it was enough to know if we can let Starsky, Hutch and Dobey off the hook.”

“It’s more dangerous now, Ethan”, Dylan said seriously.  “You’ll have to really watch every move you make.  They still may attempt to force you to take out someone.”

Ethan thought for a moment and then his eyes lit up.

“Wait a sec”, Ethan said.  “I think I know a way to do this and I know who.”

“What do you have in mind?”

Ethan smiled a bit and shook his head.  He pulled out a cigarette as he began telling Dylan his plan.

Hutch walked into his living room and sat down on the couch next to Starsky.  He looked over at Dobey who was sipping on a cup of coffee.

“We may be right back at where we started from”, Dobey told them.

“Where’s Marlon”, Starsky asked.  “He disappeared right after that bust.”

“He’s been extradited to Sacramento”, Dobey answered.

“Already”, Hutch asked.  “We never even got the chance to question him.”

“Wade questioned him and pushed the extradition through”, Dobey explained.

“Why would he do that”, Starsky asked.

“Keep what really happened to Oleander under wraps”, Hutch said with a sigh.  “If Quinton acted without provocation, Marlon and Morgan witnessed it.”

“The guy’s hardnosed as hell”, Starsky said.  “I can’t see him being a rotten cop.  Hell, he’s the one doing the investigating on this mess.”

“Who better”, Hutch said looking at Starsky.  “Having someone who is actually a part of the committee doing the investigating would ensure they can keep operating.”

“He’s not from Metro, Hutch.”

“It means this thing stretches out more than what we thought”, Dobey said.

“This also means that Morgan may be the next inductee”, Hutch told them.  “If what we think went down, Quinton is a part of it as well.”

“Morgan stands by Quinton’s report.  They matched up”, Dobey said.  “What raised my eyebrows up is that given how far Wade pushed the two of you and not Morgan and Quinton over this shooting.”

“Morgan was pretty rattled at the scene”, Hutch said.  “It may not have taken much to get him to talk.”

“I just realized something”, Starsky said looking at Hutch.  “Wade could be hanging us out to dry as scapegoats so the committee can keep operating.  I’d bet he knows a hell of a lot more than what he’s telling.”

“Well, it leaves the three of us that we can trust”, Dobey said with a heavy sigh.  “We’ll operate as we did before.  Keep personal records at home.”

“We need to talk to Morgan”, Hutch said.  “Maybe we could shake him up enough to work with us on this thing.”

“He was pushing the envelope enough as it is”, Starsky said.  “I don’t see him opening up to us about what happened with Quinton.”

“We’ll keep our eyes on both Wade and Morgan”, Hutch stated.  “Later tonight we’ll swing by Morgan’s and talk to him.”

“Keep me posted”, Dobey said standing up.

After he was gone, Starsky looked over at Hutch.

“Wade’s been pretty quiet about looking into what happened to you”, Starsky observed.

“It’s got me worried, Starsk”, Hutch said leaning back against the couch.  “He’s been too quiet about it.  Do you think he knows?”

“I don’t know, buddy.  If he knows it’s all a matter of what he’s planning on doing with it.”

“We would make the perfect scapegoats.  If it all went public it would throw public scrutiny at us rather than the bad guys working under our noses.”

“If I didn’t think it would throw up red flags, I’d do a make on both of those guys”, Starsky said.  “I hate being in the fucking dark.”

“Let’s go get a beer”, Hutch said standing up.  “You’re turn to buy.”

Starsky wish he knew how this thing was going to play out and he was more worried about Hutch who could be the collateral damage in this entire mess.

Ethan sat down on the couch with the fork in hand.  He started to dive into the TV dinner when he heard the knock at his door.  He knew it had to be damn important for Dylan to pay him another visit on the same day.  When he opened the door, Ethan was surprised to see both Starsky and Hutch standing in his doorway.

“Can we come in”, Starsky said casually.

Ethan was silent as he stepped back and let them in.  He closed the door and he watched as Starsky and Hutch walked around the small apartment taking it all in.  He could see the careful observations they were making and he hoped they weren’t that smart.

“So what brings you guys over”, Ethan asked walking over to his couch.

“We wanted to talk to you about what happened earlier today”, Hutch said.

“Well, you know what happened”, Ethan said reaching for his cigarettes. 

“Why don’t you tell us”, Starsky said as he watched Ethan light one up.

“Listen”, Ethan said after taking a drag.  “You both know what happened.  I don’t see how it can be made any clearer.”

“Morgan”, Hutch said walking over to him.  “I saw you after that shooting and I know you were pretty shook up afterwards.  If something happened that shouldn’t have happened, Starsky and I can help.”

“It’s in my report”, Ethan said with a hard look.  “Is this what you came over here for?  Are you looking for conspiracies where none exist?”

“We’re looking for the truth”, Starsky said with his hands on his hips.  “I’m sure you know what happened just prior to you showing up at Metro.”

“You guys looking to get the goods on committee members if they even exist”, Ethan stated.  “It could also be you may be committee members and you want to make sure your newest potential member stays in line.”

Hutch looked back at Starsky who crossed his arms looking at Ethan.

“Come on, Hutch”, Starsky said heading for the door.  “He’s probably already bought and paid for.”

Ethan started for Starsky with fury in his eyes and Hutch stepped in front of him.

“You have something to tell us”, Hutch asked.

Ethan looked at Hutch and then over at Starsky who was waiting to see what he would do next.  Ethan turned away without saying a word and as he heard the door close he had no idea what had just happened.  The only thing he was sure about was that if they got too close to him they could blow his cover and the entire case.

Hutch leaned back behind the wheel of his car.  He looked down at his watch and saw that it was nearly 1am.  He looked over at Starsky whose head was resting on the seat.

“He sure does keep some late nights”, Starsky said looking up at Dylan Wade’s lit windows of his apartment.

“Starsk”, Hutch said.  “Did you notice how sparse Morgan’s place was?”

“He just got here”, Starsky said not looking at Hutch.  “Takes time to get settled into a new place.

“Where are the boxes”, Hutch said looking at him.

Starsky pulled his head up and looked over at Hutch.

“What do you think it means”, Starsky asked.

“I don’t know”, Hutch said with a shake of his head.  “Nothing’s making much sense right now.  Ever since Dylan Wade came to Metro…”

“Hutch”, Starsky interrupted.

Hutch looked over at Starsky who was looking at the apartment.  He followed his gaze over to the apartment and his eyes narrowed at the sight of Ethan Morgan heading up the stairs.  Both men watched as he stood at the door.  The door opened and Ethan quickly slipped inside.

“What the hell”, Hutch said quietly. 

“I don’t buy that he’s just stopping in for a beer”, Starsky said.

“I’d bet Wade approached Morgan after the shooting”, Hutch said with a glance at his partner.

“Morgan went for it”, Starsky said quietly.

“Maybe”, Hutch said with a sigh.  “We need evidence.”

Starsky was silent as he looked up at the apartment and he wished there was an easy way around this mess.  The only thing he knew at this point was to keep a close eye on both Morgan and Wade.

Dylan stared out the office window gazing at the activating on the street below.  He hadn’t slept well the entire night after talking with Ethan.  The plan had already been put in motion and if successful, Ethan would be completely accepted by the committee.  Now it was only a matter of them making their move.

What was disturbing him was the visit to Ethan’s by Starsky and Hutch.  He didn’t know what to make of it.  He usually trusted his gut instincts, but this was one time everything was suspect and that included his brother.  Half brother, Dylan corrected thoughtfully.  He hated this and he hated how he was going to have to throw Hutch and Starsky off.  There was no choice in the matter.

Dylan turned when he saw the door open and Hutch walk inside.

“I got a message you wanted to talk to me”, Hutch said.

“Yeah”, Dylan said as he sat behind his desk.

Dylan adjusted his tie for a moment and looked up at Hutch.

“We can do this with you standing or sitting”, Dylan offered.

“Standing suits me”, Hutch said not betraying any emotion he was feeling inside.

“Good”, Dylan replied.  “I’ll just get right to the point.”

Dylan leaned back in the chair and laced his fingers.

“Are you clean?”

The simple question froze Hutch to his core and he stared down at Dylan unsure of how to react.  Hutch debated denying everything, but he wasn’t sure if it was the right move to make.

“I know the truth, Hutch”, Dylan said.  “I know Forrest abducted you and strung you out to find out where Jeanie Walton was.  Just answer my question.”

Hutch stuck his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath before answering.

“How”, Hutch asked.

“You”, Dylan answered.  “You forced me to go searching for the truth.  I spoke with Ben Forrest and with the little he said it didn’t take long to put two and two together.”

“What do you intend to do with this information”, Hutch said grappling with his emotions.

“I need to know if you’re clean and if so how long.  Your answers will determine my next move.”

“I kicked it with Starsky’s help”, Hutch admitted.  “I escaped from Monk and he hid me so I could go cold turkey.”

“You haven’t used since”, Dylan stated.

“I never used to begin with”, Hutch said raising his voice.  “I was kidnapped and they shoved that shit up my veins until I couldn’t even tell you my own name!”

“Answer the question, please”, Dylan said patiently.

“No, I haven’t”, Hutch said feeling his temper growing towards Dylan.

“Can you prove it?”

“Why would I need to prove it, Wade”, Hutch asked.  “Are you going to report this?”

“I don’t have shit unless you are square with me on everything!  I shouldn’t have to explain this to you.  You’re a veteran cop!”

“A cop with a hell of a lot to loose if this were to get out!”

Hutch shook his head and clenched his teeth.  He looked back at Dylan.

“Every physical I’ve had since then has been excellent.  There is no evidence I was even hooked”, Hutch explained quietly.

“You couldn’t have buried this without help”, Dylan stated.  “I know Starsky covered for you.  Who else?”

“You can hold it right there”, Hutch said with his finger raised at Dylan.  “I’m not going to have anyone that helped me hung out to dry for something that wasn’t their fault.”

“Your refusal to name names could complicate matters”, Dylan said.

“If you’re going to hang anyone it’ll be me”, Hutch said quietly.  “Starsky was never a part of it until after he found me.”

“He wasn’t the one who found you”, Dylan explained.  “Bernie was the officer who found you.  His partner radioed the call.”

“That’s how you started putting it all together”, Hutch said.

“I’ll need your medical records released to Internal Affairs”, Dylan said moving the chair close to the desk.  “I’ll also have to have you examined by a physician from the department.  I’ll schedule that first thing this afternoon.  As of right now, I’m having you put on desk duty until we sort this mess out.”

“How do you intend to sort it out”, Hutch asked barely containing his anger.

Dylan looked up at him and he could see the anger and the pain in Hutch’s eyes.  He hated himself before he even uttered his next words.

“Your past and present cases will be brought up in front of a review board as well as your partner’s, your captain’s and Bernie, too.  Any other officer with any knowledge of your abduction will also have to answer to Internal Affairs.  We have to discover how far this cover up goes.”

“No wait a damn minute”, Hutch said taking a step towards Dylan.  “I’m not about to let you drag my partner and my captain in front of a review board so they can be raked over the coals.  That’s also including any other officers you think might know something.  You’re talking about ruining careers here!”

“I know it”, Dylan said angrily.  “You think I’m out to hang good cops over this?  I’m not doing this for my health!  Don’t you get it, Hutch?  The committee may still be in operation in this precinct and given this new information I don’t have a choice to but to follow it up!”

“I’ll resign if it’ll stop what you’re doing”, Hutch told Dylan.  “You stop it here and now, you’ll have my resignation by the end of the day.”

Dylan stared up at Hutch surprised at his willingness to give up his career to protect those that had helped him.  He was already having second thoughts about his suspicions.  If it hadn’t been for this sacrifice Hutch was making, Dylan would have gone through with it.  Now he wasn’t so sure.

“You would give up your career over this”, Dylan stated quietly.

“I don’t have to think twice about it”, Hutch said never letting his eyes leave Dylan’s.

Neither man moved for a moment and Dylan was on the verge of telling Hutch it wasn’t necessary when the phone rang.  It rang two more times before he reached for it.

“Wade”, Dylan said quietly.  “Yeah…what…are you sure…when…”

Hutch could see the conversation Dylan was having over the phone was suddenly taking priority over their discussion.  He was about ready to turn away when he saw Dylan’s eyes shift up to him briefly and then back down to the desk.  When he finished, Dylan slowly set the phone in its cradle.

“Fargo’s dead”, Dylan said unemotionally.

“What”, Hutch said.  “How?”

Dylan slowly stood up and looked at Hutch evenly.  He tightly clenched his fists before speaking.

“Whether you resign or not, it won’t change a thing”, Dylan told him.  “Everything I learn during this investigation will get forwarded to my superiors, Sgt. Hutchinson.  I suggest you and your partner prepare yourselves for some very uncomfortable questions.”

Hutch turned on his heel and stormed from the office throwing the door open.  Dylan didn’t move to close the open door and he sat down in the chair.

Starsky found Hutch in the parking lot taking long strides towards his car.  He had to jog to catch up to him.  Starsky grabbed his arm to slow him down.

“Fargo’s dead”, Starsky told him.

“I know”, Hutch said angrily.  “I got the news from Wade.”

“You saw Wade”, Starsky asked.

“It’s over, Starsk.”

“What’s over?”

“Everything”, Hutch replied firmly.  “My career, your career, Dobey’s and anyone else that’s associated with us.”