HOME SWEET HOME

How much trouble can Starsky get into on a simple trip back to New York to visit his mom for a week? Lots!! Thanks to Brook for her help on this one.

Beta read by Megan.

CHAPTER ONE

"Damn!" David Starsky said, glancing at his watch as he expertly drove through the mid-morning traffic towards the airport. "I'm gonna miss the plane if I can't get out of this mess!"

"I told you that you should have left sooner." His partner, Ken Hutchinson, chided him mildly from the passenger's seat of the vehicle.

"We would have left sooner if this piece of junk you call a car had started the first time!" Starsky complained "I knew we should have brought my car!"

"Well, next time remember to renew your tags on time." Hutch said with a grin. Starsky's car, his pride and joy, was temporarily grounded until Starsky found the time to get down to the DMV and buy new license plates since his old ones were expired. He had found out the hard way the night before when he was pulled over on his way home from work for a faulty taillight. Luckily, he had gotten off with just a warning to get the light fixed and was told in no uncertain terms to take the car home and not to drive it again until the tags were renewed. Hutch couldn't resist teasing the brunet about it. Starsky teased Hutch constantly about his car and turnabout was fair play. Although Hutch had offered to drive him to the airport, Starsky had insisted on doing the driving since he was running late for his flight.

"The light's green, moron!" Starsky yelled at the driver in front of him, ignoring Hutch's comment. As he pulled through the light, Starsky turned left onto a side street and got out of the heavily congested traffic. Fifteen minutes later, he was pulling into the vast parking lot at the Los Angeles Airport. He found a place to park as close to the front entrance as possible and jumped out of the car. He grabbed his suitcase and an overnight bag out of the truck as Hutch eased his long, lanky frame out of the battered LTD.

The two friends hurried towards the terminal, Starsky walking faster to keep up with Hutch's longer strides. He made it to the check in desk with only a few minutes to spare. The attendant confirmed his reservation and waved him along to the boarding area.

"See ya in a week, Blondie!" he called back over his shoulder to Hutch.

"Say hi to your mom for me!" Hutch called back with a wave of his hand. He smiled as he watched his high spirited partner give his ticket to the stewardess and walk through the glass doorway to the tarmac to board the plane. Normally, the two friends spent their time off together but Starsky's mother was scheduled to have major surgery in a few days and this visit back to New York had been a last minute decision on Starsky's part. Hutch had declined Starsky's request that he come along. This was a private family matter and the big blond didn't want to intrude.

Hutch watched through the large plate glass windows until Starsky disappeared on board the plane, then he turned and walked back through the terminal to retrieve his car and go home. For the next five days while Starsky was in New York, Hutch would be stuck in the office doing paperwork since he refused to work the streets without Starsky at his side. At least he would be able to catch up on the endless stacks of reports that never seemed to get done on time.

Starsky and Hutch were undercover detectives working the inner city. The two men had met in the Police Academy where they had become fast friends, despite the vast differences in their personalities and backgrounds. After graduation, they had worked in different areas of the city during their eighteen month probationary period. They had both applied to take the test for promotion to detective as soon as they were eligible. Starsky had been promoted first and reassigned to the ninth precinct in downtown Bay City. When Hutch's promotion came through two months later, he had asked to be assigned to the same precinct and after some fast talking on both sides, they had convinced their commanding officer, Captain Harold Dobey, to assign them as partners even though it went against normal procedure to assign two newly promoted detectives as partners. It was a decision that Dobey had never had to regret.

In the past eight years as partners, Starsky and Hutch had become the best team on the squad. They had earned more commendations than most of their peers and often worked on the most difficult and high profile cases that came across Dobey's desk. Although they were officially assigned to the homicide division, they were part of an elite Zebra team which meant that they had their own assigned sector that they patrolled. They also handled other cases besides homicide as the need arose.

They had become the best of friends, spending the majority of their time, both on duty and off, together. They had become so close over the years that they often seemed to share an almost physic connection with each other, often carrying on entire conversations without ever saying a word. It was that unique part of their relationship that made them so good at what they did. They had earned the respect and the admiration of most of their professional peers.

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On board the plane, Starsky settled into his aisle seat and tried to relax as he waited for the plane to take off. He was a white knuckled flier at best. He hated heights and always requested a seat on the aisle so he wouldn't have to see how far away from the ground he really was. He only went back to New York once or twice a year to visit his mother and brother who still lived in Brooklyn. He smiled nervously at his seatmate, a young man in his early twenties wearing a set of earphones.

He listened as the stewardess gave the usual pre-flight instructions, including what to do in case of an emergency. Starsky snorted softly. The way he figured it if something did happen to the plane while they were in the air, he might as well stick his head between his legs and kiss his ass goodbye. Not many people walked away from a plane crash at thirty thousand feet.

He took a deep breath and held it as he felt the plane start to taxi down the runway. He felt that momentary sensation of being pressed back into his seat as the plane lifted into the air. As soon as the seat belt sign went off, he unfastened his and jumped to his feet, heading for the lavatory at the back of the plane. After taking care of business, he returned to his seat and gratefully accepted the stewardesses offer of a complementary drink, ordering a beer. The flight would take three hours, non-stop, to reach New York. At least the in flight movie was Godzilla, one of his favorites. He settled back in his seat, sipping his beer, and trying to relax.

He was disappointed when the film had to be stopped in the middle of the movie due to technical difficulties with the projector. He leaned back and closed his eyes, deciding to try and catch a nap before they landed. He was rudely awakened sometime later by the plane dipping and shuddering violently. His eyes flew open and he grabbed the stewardess arm as she passed by.

"What's going on?" he asked in a worried voice, his tone slightly higher pitched than usual with anxiety.

"Nothing to worry about, sir." The stewardess said calmly with a patented smile. "Just a little turbulence. Please fasten your seatbelt until we're out of it."

"Yeah, sure…" Starsky said, fumbling nervously with his belt and cinching it tightly around his waist. His fingers dug into the armrests on his seat as his heart pounded wildly. God, I hate fucking flying! Next time I'm gonna drive to New York! He thought to himself as he braced himself and waited for the turbulence to end. He was thankful that his cool, calm and collected partner wasn't there to see him now. He'd never hear the end of it. But, at least if Hutch was there he'd feel a lot calmer and safer than he did right now.

Finally, the plane seemed to level out and resume smooth flying. Starsky let out a huge sigh of relief and slowly unclenched his fingers but he left his seat belt fastened. No sense in taking any chances. He listened carefully as the pilot announced that the flight would be arriving thirty minutes behind schedule because of the unexpected turbulence. Starsky made another trip to the lavatory just before the plane landed in New York.

He pasted a crooked smile on his face aimed at the stewardess as he left the plane. She smiled back at the ruggedly handsome brunet with the headful of curls and beautiful sapphire colored eyes. Using the pretense of bidding him farewell, she slipped him a tiny piece of paper with her phone number on it along with a note that she would be in New York on a layover for the next three days.

Starsky grinned as he left the plane and entered the busy terminal. He made his way through the crowd of tourists and commuters until he reached the baggage carousal. He grabbed his bags and turned towards the main entrance of the building, walking with confident, self assured steps now that he was safely back on the ground. Outside of the terminal a long line of yellow taxi cabs were lined up just waiting for fares. Starsky jerked open the back door on the closest one and shoved his luggage into the rear seat. Settling down against the worn leather, he shut the door and gave the driver his mother's address in Brooklyn.

"It's gonna cost you extra to go that far this time of day." The driver growled, obviously not pleased with his long distance fare. "Downtown traffic is murder about now." The cab jerked as he pulled away from the curb, accelerating sharply.

"Not if you take the freeway all the way to Forty-Eighth street and then cut over to Hillcrest." Starsky told him with a smirk, subtlety letting the driver know that he wasn't just another out of town tourist who wasn't familiar with the city.

The driver scowled at him in his rear view mirror, grumbling under his breath as he saw his opportunity to make a few extra bucks going down the drain. Starsky ignored him as he looked out the window at the familiar landscape of his hometown.

Starsky had lived in New York until he was thirteen. That was the year that his life changed drastically when his father, a respected police officer with the NYPD, was gunned down in his own driveway on his way home from work. Starsky had been standing on the front stoop waiting for him and had seen the whole thing. His father had died in his arms before the ambulance arrived. His murderer was never identified.

His mother, Rachel, had been devastated. She had retreated into a deep depression, her only solace coming from the time she spent at the Synagogue saying Kaddish for her murdered husband. Starsky had been left at home alone to watch over his eight year old brother, Nicholas. Filled with his own anger and grief at his father's tragic death, Starsky had starting hanging out with a neighborhood gang and getting into trouble. The responsibility of watching Nicky had been pawned off on a neighbor while Starsky was running the streets.

By the time his mother realized what was happening with her two sons, Starsky's behavior was out of control. He was rude and disrespectful with a volatile temper, always ready to pick a fight with anyone who crossed him. Six months after his father's murder, he was attacked by a rival gang and seriously injured. He spent almost two weeks in the hospital and was left with a permanently weak left ankle that would bother him for the rest of his life.

At her wits end, Rachel had made the hardest decision any mother could ever make. She sent her thirteen year old son to California, over three thousand miles away, to live with her brother-in-law and his wife. Being sent away to live with relatives he barely knew only increased Starsky's sense of abandonment, resulting in a rift between mother and son that had lasted for almost five years. His aunt and uncle had their hands full trying to deal with a rebellious teenager full of anger and resentment.

The move to the west coast had been traumatic for Starsky. In Bay City, he was just a skinny Jewish kid from Brooklyn with a funny accent who never quite fit in. A next door neighbor to his uncle named John Blaine had taken a special interest in the headstrong teenager and spent months slowly gaining his trust. Over the next four years, he had helped Starsky turn his life around and become a young man that his mother could be proud of. Starsky had come to regard the older man as a surrogate father, something he was in desperate need of during that time of his life.

Starsky was jarred out of his melancholy memories of his childhood by the driver's curt announcement that they had arrived at his destination. Pulling some bills from his wallet, he handed them to the driver. He shot the driver a quick hard look that shut him up when he started muffling obsecenties at not getting a tip from his fare. Starsky grabbed his bags out of the back seat and sat them on the street. The cab squealed away from the curb as Starsky slammed the car door and turned to gaze at his childhood home.

The two-story frame house was badly in need of a coat of paint and the grass needed cut but everything else still looked the same. The entire neighborhood had gone down hill since Starsky had lived there over twenty years ago. Gangs had slowly infiltrated the area until lifelong residents like his mother were afraid to go outside after dark. Starsky had repeatedly tried to convince Rachel Starsky to move to California but she steadfastly refused to leave the home she had lived in for over thirty-five years.

The front screen door slammed open and his mother ran out of the house. Throwing herself into her eldest son's arms, the petite dark haired woman cupped his face in her hands, kissing him repeatedly on the cheek as she cooed at him affectionately in Yiddish.

"Aww, Ma…" Starsky said, pretending to embarrassed by her open display of affection but secretly loving every minute of it. He wrapped his arms around the slender waist and hugged her enthusiastically. Mother and son had resolved their differences when he was drafted and sent to Viet Nam just after graduating from high school. Now, they were closer than ever. Starsky called her religiously every Friday night and sent her money out of his paycheck every two weeks.

"Let's go inside." Rachel said, finally releasing her son. "No need to put on a show for the neighborhood yentes." She proudly linked her arm through her son's, leading him up the front steps and into the house.

CHAPTER TWO

The inside of the house hadn't changed much in the past twenty years. The furniture was the same just a bit more threadbare but still well taken care of. The hardwood floors had been covered with thick carpet but the walls were still painted the same soft beige colors that his mother had picked out years ago. The tiny black and white television that Starsky had watched as an adolescent had been replaced with a floor model color set that he had bought for his mother's birthday just after his promotion to detective. The sparkling clean windows were still covered with the same heavy drapes, held apart by decorative sashes during the day to let in the sunlight. Two other improvements that Rachel had allowed Starsky to make to the house over the years was the addition of an air conditioner in the front window and electric baseboard heaters throughout the house.

Rachel pulled Starsky into the kitchen, the heart of the house in any Jewish family. The same wooden table sat in the middle of the room with the ever present plate of homemade cookies sitting in the middle. A delicious aroma filled the air making Starsky's mouth water in anticipation. His mother was considered one of the best cooks in the community and often made pies, cakes or cookies for local events or charities. She supplemented her widow's pension from the police force by taking in sewing and making wedding cakes for goy weddings. She had done the same thing for years, using the two skills that had enabled her to stay at home with Nicky after she sent his brother to live in California.

Rachel poured Starsky a tall of glass of cold milk and sat it on the table in front of him. "You can have some cookies…but don't spoil your appetite." She scolded him as if he were still a child. "I've been cooking all morning, all your favorites."

"Ma, you didn't have to do that." Starsky said, eagerly grabbing one of the chocolate chip oatmeal cookies from the plate and popping it into his mouth. "Shouldn't you be taking it easy?"

"Easy," she said with a snort "This house won't clean itself. Who has time for easy?"

"What did the doctor say?"

"Doctors? What do they know? He says I have 'female problems'. So what else is new?" she told her son evasively. "Now he wants to take out the part of me that I no longer need…so I'll let him. But it’s a waste of money if you ask me."

"Maw, I told you…the insurance from the department will cover it. You won't have to pay anything." One compensation that Michael Starsky had provided for his wife was lifetime medical coverage in the event of his untimely death. "Is the surgery still scheduled for Friday morning?"

"Yes. At eleven a.m. but they say I have to be there at seven a.m. for tests. Haven't they ran enough tests already?"

"That's just the way they do things, Maw. Don't worry. I'll be there with you all day."

"You're a good boy, Davey." She said with a fond smile as she reached out to ruffle his dark thick curls. "I have some nice young ladies from good Jewish families I want you to meet while you are here. Maybe you will be taken with one of them and finally give me a grandchild."

"Maw!" Starsky whined. This was an old argument that he had been hearing from his mother since he turned twenty-one. When was he going to settle down with a nice Jewish girl and give her a houseful of grandchildren to brag about? It was an argument he knew he couldn't win so he wisely decided to keep his mouth shut. Or better yet fill it with cookies so he had an excuse for not answering her. "Where's Nicky?" he asked, deftly changing the subject.

"Who knows? Out." Rachel said with a shrug of her shoulders, turning her attention to a pot simmering on the stove. She stirred the contents with a long wooden spoon. "He's always out. He only comes here once in a while to sleep or to get money."

"Maw, I told you that you shouldn't be giving him money all the time." Starsky scolded her. "He has a job. Doesn't he?"

"Yes…he works part time for Mr. Fredricks down at the Deli. But business has been slow lately. Sometimes he doesn't need Nicky so much."

"Maw, he's never gonna grow up if you don't make him take some responsibility." Starsky said with a soft sigh. This was an old argument too. Feeling guilty for sending her oldest son away, Rachel had lavished all of her attention and love on her remaining son, spoiling Nicky rotten. As a result, the youngest Starsky had grown into a selfish , self-centered adult who was always out to make a quick buck with as little effort as possible.

During an unexpected visit from Nicky two years ago, Starsky had learned that his brother was involved in some illegal activities, including selling both weed and stolen merchandise. And the sad part about it was Nicky seemed proud of that fact, bragging how much more money he made doing what he did than his big brother did being a cop. Nicky had turned into what Starsky could have become if he had stayed in New York. He wasn't sure how much his mother knew about Nicky's illegal activities and he wasn't going to be the one to tell her about them.

"I'm sure he will be home tonight. He knows you were coming today." Rachel said, a wistful tone creeping into her voice. She turned her attention back to her cooking, opening the oven door to check on the roast she had put in to bake that morning.

Starsky grabbed another cookie and ate it, washing it down with the last of his milk. His father's murder and the years spent apart from his immediate family had alienated him from his only sibling. The two brothers might resemble each other physically but that was where the resemblance ended. Inside, down deep where it really mattered, they were as different as night and day. Nicky had a cold, ruthless streak that the hardened streetwise cop from California didn't possess. That didn't mean that Starsky couldn't be a cold, ruthless bastard when he needed to be but that particular trait wasn't an ingrained part of his basic personality like it was with Nicky.

"Why don't you take your things upstairs and get settled into your old room? You must be tired from such a long flight." Rachel suggested.

"Thanks. I think I'll do that." Starsky said "Maybe I'll take a nap before supper."

"Go on. I don't need you underfoot while I'm cooking. There won't be enough food left for the rest of us." She teased him with a mischievous sparkle in her deep blue eyes.

Starsky grinned as he rose to his feet and gave his mother a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving the room. He grabbed the bags he had sat at the bottom of the steps and climbed the stairway to the second floor of the house. His mother's bedroom was on the first floor, tucked away in the back of the house. Nicky and Starsky's rooms were upstairs along with the original bathroom. Shortly before his death, Michael Starsky had added a second bathroom downstairs, adjoining the master bedroom. After his murder, some of his fellow officers had helped finish it by doing the painting and putting down the tiled floor.

Starsky's old bedroom was at the end of the hallway, while Nicky's room was at the head of the stairs. When they were kids, Nicky used to sneak out of his room in the middle of the night so he could sneak into bed with his big brother until morning. Before Michael Starsky's murder, Nicky had idolized his big brother and followed him around all the time. It used to annoy the hell out of Starsky, who didn't want his eight year old brother tagging along with him, especially when he wanted to talk to the neighborhood girls. He missed the closeness they had shared as kids and wished that Nicky still looked up to him that way. After he was sent to Bay City to live, he often found himself regretting the fact that he hadn't paid more attention to his kid brother when he had the chance.

Starsky pushed open the door to his room and felt as if he had stepped back in time. It still looked the same way it did the day he left this house when he was thirteen. His mother had never changed a thing. The bed was still covered with the colorful quilt his grandmother had made for him just before she died and the same posters still hung on the walls. His Louisville slugger and his basketball still stood in the corner by the window and his portable record player with a small collection of forty-fives still sat on top of the dresser. The only things missing were his clothes from the closet and a framed picture of himself at age six standing beside his father that had always sat on the nightstand beside the bed.

Starsky didn't bother to unpack his bags. He just set them inside the closet and closed the door. He opened the window that overlooked the street to let in some fresh air. Flopping down on the bed, he closed his eyes and let the familiar sounds of the neighborhood that drifted into the room lull him to sleep.

A heavy weight landing on top of him, making the bed bounce, awoke him with a start and a grunt of surprise as the air was knocked out of his lungs momentarily. Instinctively, he started to swing at his assailant until Nick Starsky grinned at his older brother from his position on top of him. "Hey, Davey." He greeted him enthusiastically "Maw said you were up here. Were you asleep?"

"I was until you jumped on me you big oaf." Starsky said with a chuckle in his voice as he pushed Nicky off so he could stand up. The two brothers grinned at each and exchanged a quick, sincere hug. They were both the same height with the same skin coloring, dark curly hair and sapphire blue eyes but Nicky outweighed Starsky by fifteen pounds. His eyes held a tougher, more callus, expression than his older brother but they both had the same crooked smile and easy charm. Despite the easy bantering between them as they got reacquainted, Starsky knew it wouldn't take much for them to be at each other's throats. That was another thing they shared, the same volatile, unpredictable temper that could lead to an explosion if they were pushed too hard the wrong way.

Tossing his arm around his younger brother's shoulders, the two men left the bedroom and went downstairs into the kitchen. The table was set with three place settings and bowls of food graced the table. Starsky grinned with pleasure as he sat in his usual spot between his mother and Nicky. True to her word, his mother had prepared all of his favorites for supper. A pot roast swimming in gravy with carrots and potatoes, hot rolls, chicken broth with thick rich dumplings, and an apple cobbler for dessert. The three adults ate their meal while carrying on a light conversation among themselves.

After they finished eating, Starsky cleared the table and volunteered to do the dishes. Nicky scowled darkly when he told Rachel that the two men would clean the kitchen while she rested in the living room. Starsky ignored his younger brother's displeasure as he ran water in the sink for the dishes. Nick leaned against the counter and watched with a bored expression on his face as Starsky started washing the plates.

"Come on, lazy ass." Starsky scolded him "Grab a dishtowel and give me a hand."

"Why? This was your brilliant idea. Not mine." Nicky drawled "Didn't you get enough of doing dishes when we were kids?"

"Quit bitching. There aren't that many. Besides, Maw deserves a break now and then."

"Maw don't mind. It's her job to take care of the house, not mine." Nicky said smugly. He shoved himself away from the counter and reached out to pat Starsky's cheek disdainfully. "I'm going out. Don't wait up." With those words, he was gone, leaving through the back door. Starsky sighed as he turned his attention back to the task at hand. Although he had been willing to give Nicky the benefit of doubt, it was obvious that he hadn't changed. He was still a self centered bastard who didn't care about anyone but himself. It was beneath him to help do a few simple chores around the house because that wasn't his job.

Starsky realized he should be grateful that between his mother and his Aunt Rose, they had installed a sense of responsibility in him that Nicky would never have. Despite his personal preference in clothes, his apartment and his car were both kept immaculately clean. He didn't like a lot of clutter in his immediate surroundings. It was a trait that often surprised his friends and acquaintances. Finishing in the kitchen, he joined his mother in the living room where they watched a movie on television. Neither of them mentioned Nicky's abrupt departure almost immediately after supper.

Rachel went to bed when the movie ended but Starsky decided to stay up a bit longer. He grabbed a cold root beer from the refrigerator and made himself comfortable on the sofa, reaching for the phone to check in with Hutch. His day didn't seem complete without at least talking to Hutch before he went to bed.

"Yeah?" Hutch's voice said over the phone, sounding a little breathless as if he had hurried to the phone.

"Hey, it's me. Am I interrupting something?" Starsky asked with a grin. He knew that Hutch wasn't seeing anyone at the moment, at least not on a regular basis, but they often hooked up with a casual friend for the evening, especially if one of them was busy or out of town for a few days.

"No, I was just unlocking the door when the phone started ringing."

"Where were you?"

"At the Pits shooting pool with Huggy. He took me for twenty bucks."

"When are you going to learn, Blondie?" Starsky said with a chuckle. "Huggy's the best pool hustler around…besides me."

"How's your mom?"

"Good. She said to tell you that she said hi. She was disappointed that you didn't come with me like the last time."

"I figured this was a family time. You didn't need me there getting in the way."

"You wouldn't be in the way. You know that. Besides, I'd rather look at your ugly mug than at Nicky."

"You two fighting already?"

"Not yet but it's still early. I just got here."

"Well, don't let him push your buttons. I don't want to have to come out there and bail you out of jail."

"Don't worry about Nicky." Starsky said with a soft laugh. "I can handle him. I doubt if I'll be seeing much of him anyway."

"So does your mom have a bunch of eligible young ladies lined up to introduce you to while you're there?" Hutch teased him good naturedly.

"Yeah…half the neighborhood probably." Starsky admitted ruefully. "But don't worry, I plan on coming back to you, schweetheart…" Hutch laughed at Starsky's poor Bogart impression.

"Call when you know your flight number and I'll pick you up at the airport."

"Okay. I'm gonna get offa here and hit the sack. It's been a long day."

"Okay. Call me tomorrow."

"I will. Same time?"

"Yeah, that'll be good."

The two friends hung up. Starsky smiled faintly as he shoved himself to his feet and took his empty soda bottle into the kitchen to throw it away. He missed Hutch already and it hadn't even been twenty-four hours yet since he'd last seen him. He would be forever grateful that God had blessed him with a friend like Hutch to share his life with.

CHAPTER THREE

Starsky carefully balanced the small bag of groceries he had picked up at the corner market on his left arm as he reached out with his right hand to open the front door. He was startled when the door flew open and Nicky stormed out of the house, almost running into him. "Get out of my fucking way!" Nicky snarled as he brushed past his older brother and stomped down the steps. With long, angry strides, he disappeared down the street.

"NICKY! HEY, NICK!" Starsky yelled after his rapidly retreating brother. Nicky ignored his shouts and kept walking.

Starsky went into the house and carried the bag into the kitchen. Sitting it on the table, he raised his voice slightly "Maw? Are you here?"

"Right here." Rachel said, appearing in the doorway that led to the back of the house. Her eyes were red as if she had been crying and she avoided looking into her eldest son's face.

"Maw! What happened? Are you okay?" Starsky demanded in a worried tone, hurrying to his mother's side and putting his hands on her shoulders. He could feel her trembling through the thin material of her housedress.

"I'm fine." Rachel insisted, brushing aside his concern. "I just had something in my eye that's all."

"I saw Nicky storm out of here." Starsky said "What was he so mad about?"

"He's just a little upset." Rachel said evasively, avoiding her son's question. "He'll be fine. He just needed a little money that's all."

"Maw…" Starsky scolded her gently "How much did you give him?"

"Twenty dollars. It was all I had to spare." She admitted, a single tear escaping from her eye and falling down her cheek.

Starsky knew there was no point in getting upset with her for her actions. He sensed from her emotional state that there was a part of her that was afraid to deny Nicky's demands for money. He eased an arm around her shoulders and led her over to the table, helping her to sit down. "You sit there and I'll make you a cup of tea." He said gently.

"You're a good boy, Davey." She said with a watery smile. "A good boy. Not like your brother." She covered her face with her hand and took a deep shuddering breath as she struggled to regain her composure. "It's all my fault. I let him get away with too much."

"It's not your fault." Starsky told her as he prepared her tea. "Nicky just needs to grow up and stop taking advantage of you." He strove to keep the bitterness from creeping into his voice. He was angry at Nicky for the way he treated their mother but he was wise enough to know that he couldn't change the habits of a lifetime. Not Nickys and not his mothers. He finished the tea, adding a little cream and sugar just the way Rachel liked it, and sat the cup on the table in front of her. He sat down in the vacant chair across from her as she carefully took a sip of the hot brew.

"David," Rachel said hesitantly, looking at her oldest son beseechingly. "Do you still hate me for sending you away?"

"Of course not." Starsky said, reaching out to clasp her hand tightly. "I never hated you for that. I just didn't understand at the time why you were doing it."

"I was so afraid of what would happen to you if I didn't." she said with a soft sigh. "I just wanted to protect you and keep you safe. I honestly thought that it would only be for a little while, that in a few months you could come back home. But then Al and Rosie convinced me that it would be better if you stayed with them." She smiled thinly "Considering the way things have turned out with your brother…I guess they were right."

"It's not your fault that Nicky turned out the way he did. He made his own choices…just like I did when I was a kid. You did the best you could…for both of us."

"You've made a good life for yourself in California. I've always been proud of you. I know I don't tell you that enough but I am."

"I know you are." Starsky said, a catch in his voice. This was a discussion he usually avoided having with his mother. She still carried a lot of guilt for her decision to send him away. He knew that now. And he also knew that she had done it out of love, not because she no longer wanted him around. It had taken him a long time to understand that. But that didn't automatically discount the sense of abandonment and rejection that he had felt at the time. Or the breech that it had put between him and his younger brother.

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He wasn't sure how his mother would react to his next suggestion. "Maybe it's time you cut Nicky loose. Tell him to get out."

"I can't do that." Rachel said, her eyes widening in alarm. "You don't understand. Nicky isn't like you. He needs me."

"Nicky doesn't need anybody but Nicky. Maybe someday you'll realize that." He said with a thin, sad smile. He wasn't really surprised at his mother's words. He knew that she needed Nicky almost as much as she thought he needed her. In her eyes, he was all she had left. Despite Starsky's weekly phone calls and the money he sent her on a regular basis, he was still three thousand miles away and had a life that was totally separate from hers. He had been forced to grow up in a hurry. Nicky never had to. "Would you like some more tea?"

"No. I think I'm going to lie down for a little while."

Starsky bounced to his feet and helped her up. She smiled faintly and cupped his face with her hand. "Maybe we can order a pizza tonight. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Sure. That'd be fine." Starsky told her with a crooked smile. When he was younger, Rachel had tried to observe the dietary laws and keep their house kosher. Things like pizza, pork, and other foods were not allowed. But after his father died, that had all changed too. The holy days were still observed but some of the other customs and traditions were ignored. Since his Aunt and Uncle weren't actively practicing the Jewish faith that had been another culture shock for him to get used to when he was sent to California. In deference to Rachel's wishes for her son's religious upbringing, they had began observing the more traditional holy days and celebrations but had also continued to celebrate the traditional Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter too.

As Rachel retired to her room to rest, Starsky decided to do a little snooping on his own. He had a feeling that his brother was into something shady and he intended to find out what it was. Making sure that his mother's bedroom door was securely closed, he quietly made his way up the steps and slipped into Nicky's bedroom at the head of the stairs.

The room obviously hadn't been cleaned in a while. Dirty clothes littered the floor around the bed and had been tossed carelessly over a chair sitting in the corner. Starsky opened the closet door, automatically noting the expensive silk shirts and tailor made jackets. On the floor, neatly lined up in a row, were several pairs of expensive loafers, boots and tennis shoes. There was no way Nicky could afford such an expensive wardrobe with what he made working a part time job at the local deli. On the overhead shelf in the closet, he found a neatly stacked pile of playboy magazines and a shoebox full of family photos.

The dresser drawers held equally expensive sweaters and jeans. Starsky grinned as he poked through a drawer of skimpy silk briefs that would leave little to the imagination. He found himself wondering if little brother was into something more kinky than he thought. He answered his own question when he found a small package of snapshots held together with a rubber band hidden in a bottom drawer. They were revealing pictures of Nicky with a variety of young ladies and even a few men. Also in the drawer was a tiny black notebook with cryptic notes and codes written beside a long list of names. Starsky had been a cop long enough to recognize a trick book when he saw one. So, that explained one way that Nicky apparently supplemented his income. Somehow he wasn't surprised to discover that his little brother was turning tricks. He just hoped that Nick had the sense to be discreet about it.

Lying on the nightstand was an ashtray with a partially smoked marijuana cigarette in it. Lying on the stand beside the ashtray was a large number of matchbooks, all from the same place. Some bar called The Orchid Lounge with an address on North one hundred and tenth street several blocks away from the Starsky home but still within walking distance.

Kneeling down beside the bed, Starsky slipped his hand between the mattress and the box springs, running his palm between the two surfaces. He sighed heavily when he pulled out a plastic baggy filled with a fine white powder. He dipped one finger into the bag and then touched the tip to his tongue, immediately recognizing the taste of high grade cocaine. The amount in the bag was more than what would be kept around for simple recreational use which meant that Nicky was probably doing some dealing on the side.

Starsky took the bag of powder and stuffed it in his pocket. Leaving Nicky's room, he went down the hallway to his own. He took the bag of cocaine and hid it on the top shelf of his closet. He cursed Nicky for his stupidly at having the gall to bring drugs into their mother's house. He would find a way to dispose of the cocaine later. First, he was going to confront Nicky about his behavior. Grabbing a jacket from his closet, he went back downstairs. He scribbled a note to his mother telling her that he was going out for a while but would be back in time for supper and left it on the kitchen table.

Leaving the house, he turned and started walking in the direction of the bar listed on one of the matchbooks he had slipped into his pocket. Forty-five minutes later, he found himself standing in front of a bar with a flashing neon sign that read The Orchid Lounge. Strippers and topless waitresses. A smaller sign in the front window read "Open from 6 A.M. until 3:00 A.M. Seven days a week." Squaring his shoulders, Starsky pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped into the smoky, dimly lit interior.

He paused to let his eyes adjust to the lighting as his gaze slowly swept across the room. There were several small tables gathered around a small stage in the middle of the room, along with several large booths along a back wall. A fully stocked bar ran along the entire length of the wall on Starsky's left. In spite of the fact that it was early in the afternoon on a weekday, several of the tables and booths were occupied. The stage was vacant but several well endowed women were drifting around the room taking orders from the thirsty customers. The waitresses were nude from the waist up and wearing red leather shorts that barely covered their assets. Most of them were wearing high heels that added at least three inches to their height.

Finally, he spotted a familiar head of curls sitting at a booth in the rear of the room along with three women and two other men. Starsky began making his way across the room to where his brother was sitting with his friends. He yelped in surprise when he felt a sharp pinch on his ass. Turning his head, he glared at an aging blond sitting at one of the tables. She smiled suggestively and made an obscene gesture with her mouth. Dismissing her with a curt shake of his head and an equally obscene gesture of his own, he kept walking.

Nicky was laughing and talking to the overly made up brunette sitting beside him and didn't notice Starsky approaching the table from his rear until he spoke.

"Hey, Nicky…I need to talk to you." He said in a firm, no nonsense tone.

"Later, Bro." Nicky sneered "Can't you see I'm busy?" Ignoring Starsky, he smiled at the brunette as he slipped his arm over her shoulder and caressed a firm, full breast that was barely concealed by her low-cut form-fitting sweater. The woman smiled and licked her lush lips, focusing her green eyes on Starsky's face with a curious expression on her face.

"Now, Nicky…" Starsky insisted impatiently.

"Who's your friend, lover?" the brunette at Nicky's side purred in a husky, seductive voice.

"Just my big brother. He's out slumming." Nicky turned to look at Starsky, his eyes shooting daggers at his older sibling. "Aren't you, Davey?"

"I don't have time for your bullshit, Nicky." Starsky said in a mildly warning tone.
"I said that I needed to talk to you."

"We can talk when I get home." Nicky said, deliberately turning his attention back to his friends. "I'm sure whatever it is can wait until then."

"NOW NICKY!" Starsky said raising his voice slightly to make sure he had Nicky's attention as he reached out and clamped his fingers on Nicky's shoulder.

Determined to save face with his friends, Nicky smiled at his companions and said, "I'll be right back. Order another round of drinks on me."

He bounced to his feet, glaring at his older brother as Starsky grabbed his arm securely and pulled him towards the rear entrance to the bar. Not wanting to cause a scene in his favorite bar, Nicky followed Starsky's lead without resisting. As soon as they stepped through the doorway into the alley behind the bar, Nicky jerked his arm away and snarled "Okay, hotshot…what's so damned important that it can't wait till later?"

"For starters, how about telling me about your friends in there?" Starsky growled, locking eyes with his brother. "That's Joey Lumis and his brother, isn't it? Two of the biggest slimeballs in the neighborhood. Who's the little brunette? Your latest flavor of the week?"

"Fuck you, Davey! It's none of your business who I spend my time with."

"It is if you're peddling drugs for them!" Starsky said sharply. "I found the coke, Nicky! How could you be so stupid? Don't you care about Maw at all?"

"What were you doing, Mr. big shot Cop! Snooping in my room?" Nicky said fiercely. "So you found a little coke. Big fucking deal."

"That was more than a little coke. That was enough to put you away for one to five for possession."

"Yeah? Who's gonna turn me in? You?"

"No, I won't turn you in…this time. But, if you ever bring that shit in Maw's house again, I will."

"Yeah, right. You'll be gone in a few days and forget all about us. As usual." There was no mistaking the bitterness or anger in Nicky's voice. He raised both hands and shoved his brother backwards against the brick wall of the building. "Go back to Bay City where you belong and stay the fuck out of my life! I don't need you, Davey! I never have!"

Before Starsky could reply, Nicky pulled open the rear door and disappeared back into the bar. Starsky decided against following him back inside. Nicky had made it clear where he stood. Nothing Starsky said was going to make any difference. But at least, he had delivered his warning although he doubted if Nicky even cared. Stuffing his hands in his jacket, he turned and began the long walk back home. He suddenly felt a lot older than his thirty-five years.

Warning: This chapter contains a very graphic sexual scene that could be seen as a sexual assault. If this type of content offends you, please do not read. Be advised however that this chapter is an important part of the story.

CHAPTER FOUR

Nicky didn't come home that night or the night after that. Not that Starsky was surprised. He assumed that Nicky was deliberately avoiding him and probably would continue to do so until Starsky went home. Starsky planned to return to Bay City the following Monday unless Rachel needed for him to stay longer. Confronting Nicky may not have been the wisest thing to do. He was right. What could Starsky do when his life was three thousand miles away? He'd seen the surly, street tough side of Nicky that the younger Starsky usually kept carefully concealed from his mother and his brother. Maybe the best thing he could do, the only thing he could do, was to continue to encourage Rachel to cut Nicky loose.

Starsky had dumped the bag of cocaine he had found in Nicky's room down the toilet. He had also conducted another, more extensive search, of his brother's bedroom but failed to find any more drugs. Although he did find some expensive jewelry hidden underneath the nightstand. The simple fact that it was hidden made Starsky wonder if it was possibly stolen. Nicky didn't seem to be very creative when it came to choosing his hiding places. But, he was probably cocky enough to assume that nobody would ever search his room that had a trained eye, especially his own brother.

"David," Rachel said breaking into her son's thoughts. "Did you and Nicky have a fight? Is that why he hasn't been around?"

"No, nothing like that." Starsky said. He hated lying to his mother but he couldn't bear to tell her the truth either. It would break her heart if she discovered just how far over the line Nicky really was. For her own peace of mind, she chose to look the other way and ignore his bad behavior. He smiled as he stepped up behind his mother as she stood at the kitchen counter making a pie. Slipping his arms around her waist, he leaned his chin against her shoulder. "Maybe he's got a new girlfriend." He reached out and swiped a piece of apple, popping the stolen fruit into his mouth. His mother playfully swatted at his hand.

"You'll spoil your dinner." She scolded him fondly.

"No, I won't. It was just a little piece of apple. It takes more than that to spoil my appetite." He told her with a grin.

Rachel chuckled softly, well aware of her son's hearty appetite and iron clad stomach. Even as a child, he ate at least two helpings at every meal and never gained any extra weight. Constantly on the move, he burned off the extra calories as quickly as he packed them in. That same hyperactivity had carried over into adulthood, making him a perpetual ball of energy who still maintained a lean, muscular build with little or no exercise. Nicky was the same way but to a lesser degree. He had to watch his weight to keep from getting too pudgy. She sighed as she put the crust on the pie and carefully pinched the edges.

She missed her oldest son and wished that he would visit more often. But, as a cop's widow, she was well aware of the demands of his job. She had been terrified when he told her about his decision to follow in his father's footsteps and join the police force. He had just returned from Viet Nam where he had been held prisoner in a POW camp for almost 6 months while everyone back home thought that he had been killed in action. He had spent an additional two months in a military hospital stateside before coming back to New York for the summer.

She had listened to him cry out in his sleep at night, plagued by nightmares of his ordeal in the Asian jungle. She had reached out to the son who had come home a stranger, a shell of his former self. And for a time, she had been able to be his mother again. Then he had decided to return to Bay City and the life he had left behind there. Two weeks later, he had called her with his decision to enter the police academy. She hadn't been that surprised. He had always idolized his father and his tragic death had traumatized her David almost beyond repair. So, his decision to become a cop had not come as a surprise but that didn't mean the idea of losing him in the same way she had lost his father didn't terrify her.

There had been several close calls over the years. He had been shot, poisoned, knifed, and kidnapped by a cult of crazies who had tortured him for almost twenty-four hours. But Hutch had always been there to protect him and to keep him safe. For that, Rachel was eternally grateful. A man's partner could be either a blessing or a curse. Thankfully, David had found a partner that matched his personality perfectly and had become his best friend, closer to him than his own brother would ever be.

"Penny for your thoughts." Starsky said quietly, distracting her from her memories.

"A penny?" she chided him "A dime is more like it. Inflation you know." Starsky laughed at her little joke and took the opportunity to steal another piece of apple that was lying on the counter. "Sit down…sit down." She said waving her hand at him "I'll fix you a sandwich if you're so hungry."

"Thanks, Maw. I'm starving." Starsky said, sitting down at the table and giving her one of his patented puppy dog looks that also made her giggle. She opened the refrigerator and took out everything she needed to make him a roast beef sandwich with tomatoes, onions, lettuce and mayonnaise. She fixed the snack and put it on a saucer, then poured him a tall glass of ice tea. She sat it in front of him and stood there at the counter watching him as he ate. She shook her head slightly wondering just where he managed to put it all. He could eat a huge breakfast and still be hungry two hours later. His father had been the same way so at least he came by it honestly.

The phone rang in the other room. Excusing herself, she went to answer it. A moment later, she appeared in the doorway and said, "It's Nicky. He wants to talk to you."

"Okay," Starsky said, taking a final bite of his sandwich before shoving himself to his feet and going into the living room to see what Nicky wanted to talk to him for. Making sure that his mother was busy in the kitchen and out of earshot, he said, "Yeah, Nicky?"

"Hey, Davey." Nicky said cheerfully. "Sorry about the other night, ya know? I mean, I was with my friends and I guess I overreacted. How about you let me make up to you? Maybe we could get together tonight and have a couple of drinks. Okay?"

"Okay. Where and when?"

"Why don't you meet me at Gina's place around seven? That's the little brunette I was with the other night. She's hotter than a fire cracker if you catch my drift."

"What's her address?"

"2102 East Forty-Second Street. Apartment 16. I'll see ya around seven. Okay?"

"I'll be there." Starsky promised. He hung up the phone without bothering to say goodbye. He didn't know if he could trust Nicky or not. His moods shifted dramatically from one minute to the next. But Nicky was still his brother and he wanted to salvage their relationship. Maybe he could finally make Nicky see the light and realize how dangerous his illegal activities were, especially when he brought those illegal activities into their mother's house. He had to try anyway.

"What did Nicky want?" Rachel asked as he rejoined her in the kitchen. "Is he going to be here for supper?"

"I doubt it. He wants me to meet him at his girlfriend's place for drinks later."

Starsky told her as he sat back down to finish his snack.

"That's good. You boys need to spend some time together before you have to go back." Rachel said in an approving voice. "You never seem to see much of each other when you're here."

"Hey, that's not my fault. Nicky's always too busy hanging out with his friends to care if I'm here or not."

"David, don't be so hard on him." Rachel scolded him gently. "It sounds like Nicky is at least trying to make an effort to spend some time together before you leave."

"Yeah, I guess your right." Starsky said with a sigh. He finished his sandwich and picked up the saucer. He rinsed it off and put it in the sink. "I'm gonna grab a shower." He said, giving his mother a kiss on the cheek on his way out of the kitchen.

His steps were heavy as he climbed the stairs to the second floor. His visits back to New York always seemed to be wrought with emotional turmoil leaving him anxious to get back to Bay City and home. It wasn't so bad when Hutch was with him. The big lug always managed to calm him down and keep him on an even keel. Whenever Hutch wasn't around, he always felt at odds with himself as if something vital was missing. Over the years, the two friends had become so connected that sometimes Starsky wasn't sure where he ended and Hutch began. He found himself wishing once more that Hutch were there with him. He would know what Starsky should do about Nicky.

He grabbed some clean clothes from his room and then detoured into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. He stripped off his clothes and reached into the tub to turn on the shower, adjusting the water to a comfortable temperature. He stepped under the spray, turning his face up into the water and enjoying the feel of the wet heat that spread over his body. He had always liked to take long, hot showers, letting his mind wander as the water washed away the stress of his day. He grabbed the shampoo and lathered his curls, his fingers digging into his scalp. He rinsed his hair and then grabbed the bar of soap, working up a thick lather on his chest and belly, his hands moving lower to finish his bathing.

When he was finished, he turned off the water and stepped out of the tub, grabbing a thick heavy towel from the rack. Beads of moisture clung to his fur covered chest as he began to dry himself briskly. Once he was dry, he pulled on a clean pair of socks and cotton briefs. Standing at the sink clad only in his underwear, he carefully shaved, borrowing Nicky's electric razor for the task. That chore out of the way, he finished dressing, wiggling into his favorite pair of skintight faded jeans and a red tee shirt. Dropping down the seat on the commode, he sat down to pull on his trademark blue and white Adidas running shoes. Feeling refreshed and invigorated, he went downstairs to watch some TV until supper was ready.

Shortly before seven that evening, the cab dropped him off in front of the building where Nicky had asked him to meet him. It was a two story building built in a long L shape with a tiny courtyard in the middle. Apartment 16 was on the first floor near a small fountain. Starsky knocked lightly on the door.

It was opened almost immediately by the same brunette with the dark green eyes who had been with Nicky at the bar. "Hi," she said brightly "Come on in. Nicky should be here soon." She stepped aside to let him enter the small but well kept efficiency apartment. A double bed stood in the far corner of the room covered with a brown comforter. In the opposite corner was a tiny kitchenette and sitting along the wall to the right of the entrance was a leather sofa with a tiny portable TV sitting on one of the end tables. "Sit down." She said "My name is Gina by the way. Gina Dalton. Nicky never did get around to introducing us properly."

"Nice to meet you, Gina." Starsky said politely as he sat down on the sofa. "I'm Dave."

"You can sure tell you and Nicky are brothers. You look alike."

"Yeah, that's what they say." Starsky told her "But I'm the better looking one."

"I'd have to agree with that." Gina said with a grin. "Would you like a drink?"

"Beer if you have it."

"Coming right up." She swung her hips suggestively as she walked across the room. Unobserved, Starsky watched her thoughtfully. She was dressed to seduce in a short denim skirt that barely covered her ass and a low cut yellow tank top that outlined the swell of her large firm breasts. She was too flashy for Starsky's taste. He preferred women who at least left something to the imagination and didn't look like an overly made up Barbie doll. And he never did care for the thick black eyeliner and heavy mascara that seemed to be the latest rage. But she was exactly the type of woman that Nicky seemed to like. Free and easy, the kind that put out without much effort. Starsky found himself wondering if she was one of the strippers at The Orchid Lounge.

He accepted the cold Budweiser she handed him and took a long deep swallow. "So how did you meet Nicky?" he asked. He wasn't really that interested but felt the need to make light conversation until Nicky arrived.

"At the club." She said with a giggle, settling down on the sofa beside him. "I'm one of the dancers there and Nicky always was a real good tipper."

"I bet he is." Starsky said dryly, remembering how Nicky liked to flash a roll of cash around whenever he could. He shifted position uncomfortably. Gina was sitting a little closer than necessary and he hoped she didn't try anything. He didn't feel like fighting off her unwelcome advances. He took another long swallow of his beer. "How long is Nicky going to be?" he asked a bit impatiently.

"He should be here any minute." Gina said with a smile, letting her fingers trail up and down his right arm "He was going to stop and get some beer on his way here."

"Sounds good…" Starsky said, wondering why his tongue suddenly felt so thick. He knew he wasn't drunk, not on just one beer. He tried to shove himself to his feet but fell back against the couch as a wave of dizziness swept over him unexpectedly.

"You know, I think you're right…you’re a lot cuter than your brother." Gina whispered seductively, leaning in close and letting her hand drop to his crotch, rubbing gently.

"Mmmm…No…I…" Starsky said, trying to clear his head enough to put together a coherent sentence. He reached for her fingers intending to move her hand away from its present location but his hand didn't seem to want to obey his brain. His hand flopped heavily to his side, his fingers twitching weakly.

He felt her fingers fumbling with the button on his jeans and then pulling down his zipper. A hiss of air escaped his lips as he felt her fingers slip inside, caressing the bulge between his legs through the thin cotton briefs. Against his will, Starsky felt his body beginning to respond to the intimate caresses.

"Mmm…baby…" Gina whispered into a curl covered ear. "I thought Nicky was hung good but you're hung like a horse."

"Stop…" Starsky gasped, forcing the words out through numb lips and a tightly constricted throat.

"Shhh….I'm gonna make you fly, honey." She cooed "Fly high as a bird."

Starsky felt her fingers tugging at his shorts, freeing his erection from its confinement. He shivered as the cool air touched his throbbing erection. His groin ached with lust and the increasing need for release. Whatever she had put into his drink was not only making him incapable of resisting her advances but also seemed to be increasing his sexual desire.

Gina ran her tongue across her bottom lip in anticipation as she eyed the thick long penis in front of her and the heavy, lightly furred sack hanging between the muscular thighs of the man sitting on the couch beside her. She impatiently pushed his jeans farther apart and leaned down to run her tongue over the sensitive crown. She heard Starsky gasp as she lapped at the moisture gathered in the tiny slit at the tip.

Through a thick haze that seemed to cloud his mind, Starsky heard the sound of the front door softly opening. He tried to focus his eyes on the figure that appeared off to his left side. With a start, he realized that it was Nicky standing there. He never said a word, he just stood there with a smug smile on his face, watching as Gina closed her lips around the head of Starsky's shaft and began sucking. Starsky felt a tightness in his chest as he realized that his own brother wasn't going to do anything to help him. He felt a strong sense of betrayal unlike anything he had ever known.

Starsky moaned, his hips involuntarily thrusting up and driving his erection deeper into the inviting cavern of her mouth. Her nimble fingers stroked the shaft firmly as she coxed him closer and closer to the edge. Starsky tried to fight the overwhelming urge to come but he was fighting a losing battle. He cried out, a cry that was half pain and half relief, as his body exploded filling her waiting mouth with his seed.

The brunet let his head fall back against the cushions, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply as he willed his racing heart to slow down to a more normal pace. His eyes flew open when he felt a sharp prick on his left forearm. Even as his brain tried to decipher what had just happened, he felt the darkness closing in around him.

Gina smiled at Nicky as she moved away from Starsky's unconscious body, reaching out to gently tuck him back into his jeans. "It seems like such a shame to do this to him." She said with a trace of regret in her voice.

"He's got it coming." Nicky growled. "Always trying to show me up and tell me what to do." He pulled a white baggie filled with cocaine out of his pocket and stuffed it into the inside pocket of Starsky's leather jacket. Glancing at Gina, he said, "I'm going to take him home and tuck him into bed. When I get back, we'll finish up here."

Gina nodded and picked up Starsky's empty beer bottle from where it had fallen on the floor. She carried it into the kitchen and tossed it into the trash. She leaned against the counter and watched as Nicky slung his brother's limp form over his shoulder and carried him out the door.

CHAPTER FIVE

"Davey! David! Are you awake?" The insistent voice, combined with a loud pounding on the bedroom door, tugged as his consciousness and pulled him out of the darkness. Starsky forced open his heavy eyelids with a deep groan. There was a pounding in his head that made it feel like it was going to explode at any minute. "Davey! Wake up!" his mother's voice called again.

"Yeah, okay…I'm awake." Starsky managed to call out as he swung his legs over the edge of his bed and sat up. He cupped his head in his hands as the room spun around crazily. He heard a soft click as the door opened and then his mother's hurried footsteps as she crossed the room.

"David," she said anxiously, peering at his face worriedly. "There are two policemen downstairs. They said they need to talk to you right away."

"Cops?" Starsky repeated in a confused voice, trying to clear the cobwebs out of his head. "What do they want?"

"They wouldn't tell me. They just said they need to speak to you." Rachel's eyes narrowed as she took in her son's disheveled appearance. He had obviously slept in his clothes and he looked like he had a major hangover. That kind of behavior was something she would expect from Nicky, not from David.

"Tell them that I'll be there in a minute." Starsky said, still trying to clear his head and process what was going on. He suddenly realized that he had no idea how he had gotten home the night before and had only vague memories of the entire evening. The last thing he remembered clearly was leaving the house to meet Nicky at his girlfriend's apartment.

Starsky stumbled to his feet and slowly made his way down the hallway to the bathroom. After taking care of his business, he splashed some cold water on his face and straightened up. He frowned when he caught his reflection in the mirror above the sink. There were three distinctive scratches on his left cheek and he had no idea how they had gotten there. Hutch! The image of his partner's face suddenly flashed into his mind. What if they were here to tell him that something had happened to Hutch! The thought cut through his heart like a knife but then he shook it off. If something had happened to Hutch, Captain Dobey would have called him personally, two New York cops wouldn't be coming to the door to tell him. Squaring his shoulders, he left the bathroom and went downstairs to see why there were two police officers waiting to talk to him.

Two uniformed officers stood in the living room, looking slightly uncomfortable and awkward. The older officer, a man in his late forties with closely trimmed brown hair and a slightly overweight build, looked at him and said curly, "Are you David Starsky?"

"Yeah." Starsky said quietly, not volunteering any additional information until he found out exactly why these men were here.

"I'm Officer Mitchell and this is my partner, Officer Conner. Would you mind telling us where you were last night between seven p.m. and ten p.m?"

"I…uh…was meeting my brother at his girlfriend's apartment. We were going to have a couple of drinks."

"Would that be Gina Dalton? At 2102 East Forty-Second Street. Apartment 16." The older officer asked, consulting a small notebook he pulled from his pocket.

"What's this all about?" Starsky asked in an irritated voice, eyeing the two men suspiciously. His cop instinct kicked into high gear and he sensed that something was wrong, very wrong.

"Miss Dalton was assaulted and raped last night. She's says that you’re the one who attacked her." Officer Mitchell said "I'm afraid that we're going to have to ask you to come downtown with us to answer some questions."

Starsky heard his mother gasp. Rachel was standing off to one side where she had been listening to the officers question her son. When the assault was mentioned and he was named as a suspect, she threw her hand up to cover her mouth and her eyes widened with shock.

"You must be mistaken!" Rachel said in her son's defense. "My son is a highly decorated and respected detective with the Bay City California Police Department! He'd never do such a thing!"

"You're a police officer?" the younger uniformed officer said in a surprised voice, eyeing Starsky with a new respect and admiration. He obviously had only been on the force a short time and was still easily intimidated by a higher ranking officer.

"Am I under arrest?" Starsky asked in a level, calm voice, eyeing the two uniformed men warily. .

"No one said that, Mr…uh…Detective Starsky." The older officer said, flushing self-consciously as he automatically corrected his form of address to Starsky's formal title. He cursed under his breath at his superiors for not warning him in advance that the suspect was a fellow police officer from another state. "We just want to ask you some questions. Find out from you exactly what happened last night." Officer Mitchell said with he hoped was a pleasant smile. Starsky knew exactly what he was doing and he wasn't falling for it.

"I'm not talking to you until I talk to a lawyer." He told the two officers firmly, his sapphire eyes snapping indignantly.

Officer Mitchell scowled and immediately dropped the 'good ole boy' routine. "You have the right to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you have one here in the city then I advise you to give them a call and have them meet us at the station."

"Is my son under arrest?" Rachel asked in a cold, dangerously calm voice. She locked eyes with her son, offering the only support she could as she tried to keep from losing control.

"Yes, Ma'am. I'm afraid he is." Officer Mitchell said. He took a tiny card from his shirt pocket and began reading Starsky his rights as the younger officer pulled a pair of handcuffs from his belt and took a step towards Starsky to officially take him into custody.

Starsky stood in stony silence as the younger cop ordered him to put his hands behind his back. He obeyed, wincing slightly as he felt the cold metal bracelets snap shut around his wrists. After reading him his rights, the older officer stepped forward and took Starsky by the arm to lead him outside to the patrol car parked at the curb.

"Don't worry, David! I'll call my attorney right away and have him meet you downtown!" Rachel called out behind him as the two officers walked out the front door with their prisoner.

"Call Hutch!" Starsky called back over his shoulder as he was escorted to the curb. He fell silent as he was put into the back seat of the police cruiser parked on the street in front of the house. His heart was pounding in his chest as he tried to make sense out of his present situation. From the attitude the two arresting officers were presenting, it was obvious that they believed he was guilty of the crimes he was being accused of. Starsky leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes as the car pulled away from the curb. He struggled to try and remember the events from the night before but all he could grasp onto was vague distorted images. He remembered Gina coming on to him and trying to resist her advances but not being able to. He knew that he must have been drugged somehow. He had to find out what evidence they had against him. The only thing he was sure about was the fact that he was innocent. He had not raped and attacked Gina Dalton.

At police headquarters, Starsky was escorted to an interrogation room to wait for his mother's attorney to arrive before being questioned. His hands were uncuffed from behind his back but the bracelet was left fastened around his right wrist while the other bracelet was fastened to the arm of his chair. Then he was left alone in the tiny room with the two way mirror on the wall in front of him. His mouth was dry and his head still pounded relentlessly but he was confident that things would be cleared up soon and he would be free to go back to his mother's house. He refused to allow himself to consider any other options.

It was almost an hour before the door to the interrogation room opened and a well dressed man in his late fifties entered the room. Having met him before, Starsky immediately recognized him as Troy Barnes, his mother's attorney. Troy smiled and held out his hand. The two men shook hands and then Troy took a seat at the table across from Starsky.

"All right, David. First of all, I want to hear your version of what happened last night." Troy said calmly, eyeing his new client with an experienced eye. "Just start at the beginning and tell me everything you remember."

"That's just it. I don't remember much." Starsky admitted in a frustrated voice.

"Were you drinking?"

"I had one beer. I think somebody put something in it."

"Why would they do that?"

"I don't fucking know." Starsky growled impatiently, his nerves stretched to the limit from the mornings events.

"Tell me what you do remember and try not to leave anything out."

"Okay. Nicky, my brother, called me at Maw's house around three o'clock yesterday afternoon. He asked me to meet him at his girlfriend's apartment around seven. He wanted to go out and have a few drinks…and talk."

"About what?"

"We'd had a disagreement a few days ago. I assumed that was why he wanted us to get together."

"What kind of disagreement?"

"A difference of opinion." Starsky said evasively. He had no intention of telling anyone about the drugs he had found in Nicky's bedroom or any of the other evidence that appeared to support Starsky's suspicions about his brother's illegal activities. "Nicky got pissed because he thought I was coming on too strong…trying to tell him what to do."

"So he asked you to meet him at his girlfriend's apartment." Troy stated "That would be Gina Dalton, right?"

"Yes. Nicky said to meet him at 2102 East Forty-Second Street. Apartment 16 around seven o'clock."

"And you went?"

"Yes."

"How did you get there?"

"I called a cab."

"Was your brother there when you arrived?"

"No. His girlfriend said he should be there in a few minutes and invited me inside."

"Had you met the young lady before?"

"No, not really. I'd seen her with Nicky a couple of days before that but we weren't introduced."

"So what happened after you went inside?"

"She offered me a drink while I was waiting."

"Then what?"

"That's when things start to get fuzzy…I think she put something in my beer."

"Tell me what you do remember."

"I remember her coming on to me…I…uh…think she gave me a blow job." Starsky said, trying to gather his scattered thoughts. He felt the heat gathering in his face, embarrassed at being forced to confess his patchy memories of some sort of sexual encounter with the young lady in question.

"You think or you know?"

"I don't remember for sure." Starsky growled in irritation, his frustration level rising as he tried to remember the specific events.

"Did you touch her? Kiss her…return her advances in any way?"

"I don't remember…I don't think so…" Starsky said with a hint of anger creeping into his voice.

"What time did you leave?"

"I don't know. I don't remember anything else until I woke up in my own bed this morning with my mom pounding on the door and telling me there were cops downstairs that wanted to talk to me."

"So you don't remember leaving the young ladies apartment or how you got home?"

"No."

"Did your brother ever show up while you were there?"

"I don't know…maybe…I seem to remember seeing him or hearing his voice at some point."

"How did you get those scratches on your face?"

"I don't know." Starsky sighed heavily and looked at the attorney solemnly. "How bad is it? How much trouble am I in?"

"A lot. The young lady claims that you attacked her and raped her. The police have pictures that clearly show that someone beat the hell out her and the hospital report clearly states that it does appear that she was violently raped. They found traces of blood and skin underneath her fingernails that will be cross matched against your blood type and they will be taking hair samples and a sperm sample to compare to the other evidence they gathered at the scene."

"Is that all?" Starsky asked with a snort. He knew it was enough circumstantial evidence to warrant holding him on the charges especially since Gina was identifying him as her assailant.

"No, they also have statements from three of her neighbors who reported hearing an argument and her screaming. You match the description of the man they said they saw leaving her apartment. One of the neighbors checked on her and found her lying on the floor. He's the one who called the police and an ambulance."

"Anything else I should know about?"

"Yes. After they brought you in, another team of officers went back to your mother's house and searched your room. They found a bag of cocaine in your jacket pocket. Care to tell me about that?"

"I don't know anything about that!" Starsky said defensively. "Someone must have put it there." He knew how lame that sounded even if it was the truth. Suddenly, he didn't feel quite as confident as he had earlier. He rubbed a hand across his face and said, "Look, somebody is trying to set me up! I don't know who or why…but I didn't rape her."

"I'm going to tell the officers that I have advised you not to answer any questions at this time and I'm going to demand a copy of all the evidence that they have against you. In the meantime, I'm afraid you're going to have to remain in custody until your arraignment which probably won't be until sometime tomorrow."

"Terrific." Starsky muttered, a heavy weight settling over his shoulders as he realized how things must look. It was his word against Gina Dalton's that he didn't rape her. He had no idea how things had gotten so out of control or how he was supposed to defend himself when he only had vague memories of the events from the night before. He suddenly felt scared and very much alone.

CHAPTER SIX

Hutch scowled as he tried to decipher Starsky's left handed scrawl on the report he was trying to finish. He was one of the few people, other than Starsky's family, who could make sense out of the brunet's handwriting. When the phone sitting on the desk beside him rang, he was grateful for the interruption. He'd had a nagging headache all morning and an uneasy feeling in his gut that he couldn't identify. If his partner hadn't been in New York with his mother, he would have sworn that his 'Starsky radar' was warning him that Starsky was in some kind of trouble.

"Hutchinson." He said as he grabbed up the receiver.

"Ken, oh thank god I got hold of you."

"Rachel?" he said curtly, immediately recognizing Rachel Starsky's voice on the other end of the line. "What's wrong? Is Star…uh…David okay?"

"He's been arrested!" Rachel blurted out "They said he raped some girl last night and assaulted her!"

"WHAT?" Hutch bellowed loudly. "Is he okay? Where is he?"

"He's in jail. I called my lawyer and he met David down to the station. He just called me. He said they're going to hold David until the arraignment tomorrow. He said they've got a lot of circumstantial evidence against him including the girl's statement that he's the one who hurt her."

"I'm going to talk to the Captain and I'll be th