Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Hutch sits removing another brittle leaf from the plant, leaving only the stem with a dead leaf. He looks at their plant. It had once brought a touch of life to their desks in the squad room. The plant had even survived when Hutch had been undercover long term. When his assignment had finished, Starsky admitted to neglecting the plant, giving it little attention. Even then it had survived. But now, for no reason its fight for life was over.
“Hey, Mr Green Fingers, what happened to it?”
Hutch pauses, his puzzled expression doesn’t change. “I have no idea. It was fine on Monday.” He looks over the plant one last time for any sign of life.
As Hutch is studying the remaining dead leaf, Officer Wilson enters the squad room looking for Officer Palmer, his partner. He notices the dead plant in Hutch’s hand.
Officer Wilson is a good officer but not as good as he thinks. Starsky often feels looked down on by him. He’s ambitious and professionally frustrated after repeatedly failing to gain promotion. He clearly resents colleagues who are successful. All reasons they find it difficult to click with him.
Wilson looks over at Hutch.
“You need to visit to Petal Power. The quality of their plants is fantastic. My wife swears by them.”
Starsky wants to roll his eyes at Wilson but refrains himself for once.
“Petal Power?” Hutch thought he knew all the local nurseries but hasn’t heard of it.
“Down Elm Ridge, the florist. Has a quaint little nursery, at the rear.”
Starsky tips his head back, closes his eyes and bites back his smile knowing what his partner is thinking. This time he can’t control himself, “Thanks Wilson. Guess we’ll have a detour on our way home now.”
“Oh, come on, Starsk, we’re knocking off early.” Hutch knows that look on his partner’s face. They’ll go but he won’t hear the last of it. “We can pick up pizza on route to my apartment. My shout. Order whatever you want. We’ll have time before the game starts.”
Starsky looks up at him, considering the offer. “Okay.” He can’t say no to his friend, not while he’s been looking so sad about their plant.
“I might see you there,” Wilson says as he turns and leaves the office.
“Thanks Wilson,” Hutch calls out after him.
Chapter 2
As agreed, on the way home they call in at Petal Power. “I’m amazed I never knew this was here,” Hutch says, looking around at the impressive stock of plants.
“Yeah, she said they’ve been here a whole two months!” Starsky kids while he pats Hutch on his shoulder, stopping at the cactus display. “How about this prickly little fella?”
“Don’t we meet enough prickly characters…”
“Ouch…gone off that!” Starsky interrupts, putting the cactus down and looking closely at his thumb.
“This is the one,” Hutch says enthusiastically, holding up a plant. “Maranta Fascinator, Prayer Plant.”
Starsky looks at the plant Hutch is holding up proudly. “I like the leaves. Flashy like a certain friend of ours.” Hutch knows exactly who he means.
“Detective Starsky. Detective Hutch. You found it then,” Wilson says loudly as he joins them and nods to the man stacking the shelves behind them.
Hutch is in his element with all the plants. “I’m glad I did. There is such a good variety in here. But honestly, drop the ‘detective’,” Hutch replies, eagerly still glancing round the shop.
Wilson and Hutch start talking plants. So Starsky leaves them to it, already bored with the conversation. As Starsky returns, he gives Hutch a gentle nudge. “You paid yet? We still gotta go get the pizza.”
After they watch the match, Starsky stands putting his jacket on to leave Hutch’s apartment. He turns to Hutch and reminds him the new plant is for their desks, not for his personal collection.
Hutch assures Starsky that the only reason it isn’t in the kitchen, where it should be, is so when he walks past it in the morning he won’t forget it.
Chapter 3
Starsky sits up startled. He’d fallen back to sleep after turning his alarm off. Thankfully, Hutch hasn’t arrived yet to complain about him not being ready.
Sipping his coffee, he notices Hutch is 15 minutes late. He feels a prickle of concern, although tells himself not to be paranoid.
Starsky phones his partner. He tries to push down the feeling something is wrong. Dobey had ordered Hutch to bring his car in for a radio check. It had genuinely been playing up recently and they could not afford to be caught in an emergency with a faulty radio.
As his partner’s answer machine clicks on, he hangs up the phone. Instantly redialling, with trembling fingers, he asks to be patched through to Hutch via radio.
As he waits, he wonders what he will say to Hutch when he gets through. But he doesn’t really care. At least he’ll know things are okay. Hutch will only tease him for a while.
Dispatch comes back on, explaining Hutch hasn’t booked on yet or responded. Starsky’s stomach sinks. With a blink of his eye and an unusually curt response thanking them for trying, he hangs up and is out the door. He’s hoping Hutch will have a good laugh at his expense, for overreacting. But he can’t ignore the bad feeling he has.
Turning the last corner too fast, it isn’t just the screech of his car tyres that screams out. His gut turns on seeing the old Ford outside Hutch’s apartment.
He leaps out of his car, gun in hand, taking the stairs in threes. He reaches Hutch’s apartment door, finding it open slightly. Adrenaline running high. Inside he finds nothing. No Hutch. Nothing out of place. No signs of a struggle. Nothing until he turns seeing it, Hutch’s python hanging up in its holster.
Starsky is dialling automatically. “Captain!”
“Starsky! What’s the excuse this time?” Dobey barks, his voice unusually gruff. A split-second pause and this tone completely changes. “What’s happened?!” There is something about the way Starsky has paused. Something is wrong, very wrong.
Chapter 4
Dobey can’t just sit back. Hutch is missing and he knows how this will be impacting Starsky. Those two aren’t just partners, they’re family to each other, and to him. Dobey has seen it before. When one of them is hurt or in danger, the other partner carries the pain.
That’s why he heads straight to the apartment. He wants to be there, not only as a captain, but as someone who cares. He’s already called for back-up and forensics to go, but right now, his priority is Starsky. If anyone needs support, it’s him. Dobey isn’t about to let him face this alone. Or let anyone else arriving deal with the wrath of Starsky if they arrive first. At times like these both detectives become unpredictable.
He finds Starsky pacing Hutch’s apartment, muttering to himself repeatedly. “Not slept in. Bottles on side. Holster in place. Nothing! But something. Something’s off. I feel it. Not slept in…” Starsky repeats it like he is stuck in a loop, unable to stop until he finds what he is looking for.
“Starsky?” Dobey steps forward, gently interrupting him.
Two officers arrive in Hutch’s doorway. Dobey holds his hand up to them, indicating for them to wait. Starsky continues pacing and repeating himself. Starsky unconsciously nods to Dobey as he circles the coffee table slowly again. He’s like an eagle about to strike at any moment. Dobey stands to the side, watching as Starsky pushes the coffee table to the left a couple of inches with his foot.
“There…see that!”
Dobey looks down at the floor but can’t see what Starsky’s eagle eyes are studying.
Starsky turns suddenly, his attention completely changed. His eyes scanning the room. “Where’s the plant?!” He rushes to the kitchen. “He didn’t put it here!” He turns to Dobey. “Need prints off that plant pot.” Starsky says, pointing to a plant in the kitchen. “Coffee table and over there. It’s Hutch’s blood.”
Dobey is kneeling on the floor studying the area which Starsky had been so interested in, he looks at the plant Starsky is pointing to.
“Starsky, what’s so important about the…” Before Dobey can get up on his feet or finish the question, Starsky is gone.
They know someone has Hutch. Dobey knows, somehow, the plant is a lead to who has him. But Starsky hasn’t explained how he knows.