P and C Productions
P and C Productions
143 Buckmeadow Drive
Brunswick, GA 31525
pebbles1
Cat and Mouse
CHAPTER 1
It was quite a cool November night as the High School band played during halftime and Hutch pushed his way through the many legs that blocked his path back to his seat. With the casual ‘excuse me’ and ‘pardon me’. He finally found the spot where he had left his partner and proceeded to sit back down. They watched her raise her pom poms high in the air and spin around with a few high spirited kicks. With a smile on her face she shouted the familiar cheers to the crowd. Starsky always got a little overzealous at these games and Hutch had been slumping down in his seat to avoid the annoyed looks they received from the other parents.
“Did you see that last play?” Starsky asked Hutch as he grabbed the chili- smothered hotdog from his hand. “I can’t believe they threw a penalty flag on him.” He said as he took a bite. “The kid was great!”
“Don’t talk with your mouthful.” Hutch told him as he began to take a bite of his own… “Hey and do me a favor will ya? Stop yelling at ‘em…they can’t hear you from way up here.”
“Hey…I used to play football when I was in High School…believe me they can hear from down there.” He said as he took a sip of his soda.
“Oh Yeah!…I wonder what they used to yell at you.” Hutch kidded him.
“I was good…they loved me…I was MVP” Starsky replied as he looked his partner in the eye. “And what were you…Captain of the debate team?”
“As a matter of fact….” Hutch began.
“It figures.” Starsky ended.
The Band finished in a crowd-pleasing finale and they rose to their feet to applaud. Cassie and the other girls jumped up and down in their little skirts raising their pom poms and performing splits in the air to their excitement.
“Look at that will ya!” Starsky said as he motioned to Hutch to watch her. “That’s why I told you I didn’t want her down there.”
“Aw C’mon Starsk…it’s all part of being young.” Hutch explained to him. “Don’t you remember having cheerleaders when you played the game?”
“That’s what I’m worried about.” Starsky told him. “I remember having every last one of them,’
“You mean you…” Hutch asked the half-question.
“Every last one.” He answered with a devilish grin.
As the game resumed and the penalty flags flew…Starsky continued to yell his embarrassing remarks to the playing field. The ‘Wildcats” were unbeaten and it seemed to Starsky that the Umpires that night were totally prejudiced towards the visiting team. In the end it really didn’t matter. Despite all the flags and Starsky’s constant belly-aching…they emerged victorious. Just another reason for more high leg lifts and jumping splits that cause short skirts to fly up high in the air…again and again. By the end of the night as usual...both Cassie and Starsky were totally exhausted...and Hutch held onto a monster of a headache until the following morning. He’d just as soon not attend these frequent Friday night torture sessions but Starsky wouldn’t let him back out of them. If his partner had to suffer through them …then so did he.
**************
Another spectator also watched the show eagerly…the one on the playing field and the one that Cassie and the other girls displayed. He had been watching them for the past couple of weeks. Patiently waiting. Keeping a mental log of their daily activities. Even going as far as rummaging through their garbage to find what he needed. Paid bills and discarded receipts…old homework assignments and graded term papers. He had been watching and waiting for the right time…the perfect moment. He knew where they would be at any given time of day. The two cops and the pretty little teenybopper. And now…after all his careful planning and all the nights that he had laid awake…perfecting his crime. Laying out every small detail so carefully…He was ready. He was finally about to get what he had wanted…for so long. The chance to get even with them. Tonight would be the perfect night.
**********************
They stopped off at Huggy’s for a hamburger and a few beers. Cassie always insisted on one of Huggy’s hamburgers after the game and it gave the guys a chance to talk and relax. Hutch nursed his headache in the usual fashion with a pouch of powdered BC aspirin followed by a couple large gulps of beer to chase it down. It really didn’t help the pain much…but it did seem to put him in a better mood.
Huggy approached their table for a little conversation as soon as he had the rest of his patrons taken care of. He always looked forward to seeing them after the game. Starsky gave him his usual play by play and Cassie gave him the latest gossip that had been going around school that week. Neither of which particularly interested him…but that wasn’t the point. He just enjoyed having them around.
“So…the Wildcats win again?” He asked with a smile as he sat a tall glass of soda down in front of her.
“Naturally..” She replied as she smiled up at him and took a long sip from the straw.
“Unbeaten all season.” Starsky announced proudly. “You should see this kid Williams…What an arm.” He told him.
“Sorry I missed it.” Huggy said with a grin and laid a comforting hand on Hutch’s tired shoulder. “And how’s the other half of the Dynamic Duo holding up?”
Hutch just gave him a weak thumbs up and a half-smile as he continued to nurse his beer.
They laughed and talked for a little while longer as Cassie finished her burger and then it was off to drop Hutch off at his place and home. With a wave goodbye to Huggy and a small kiss on his cheek from Cassie…the three of them were gone.
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As Cassie cleaned the kitchen of what little glasses and silverware remained in the sink from their hurried breakfast earlier that morning she noticed a few pieces of bacon and a half-eaten egg on Starsky’s plate. He never finished his breakfast no matter how much time she took to prepare it. He would always pick through it and hurry out the door. She knew he would grab a donut or two before hitting the streets with Hutch. He always preferred sugar to nutrition. Still, it seemed such a shame to let this good food go to waste.
Starsky was in the bathroom taking his usual long hot shower the way he had done every Friday night after Huggy’s. She knew she didn’t have much time and she knew he would only yell at her again if he caught her but she took the chance anyway. After all the poor little thing was always so hungry and he was used to her feeding him at night. She knew he would be waiting at the back steps for her and she just couldn’t throw that plate of food in the garbage.
She slowly opened the back door and crept quietly out…careful not to make any noise as she let the door close behind her. Then quickly she walked over to the trash cans and called to him…”Here Boy…C’mere Boy.”
A shy little puppy stepped cautiously from behind the hedge and crept over to her…whimpering pathetically as it inched closer and closer. His frail little body trembling as he walked. She was obviously the only source of food that he knew and though he was afraid of her…his hunger had overcome his fear. She knew he wouldn’t let her keep him…He would always get mad at her for feeding him. But her heart went out to him and she couldn’t help herself.
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After his shower, Starsky put on his underwear and robe and walked out into the kitchen to let her know she could have her turn in the shower. When he didn’t find her in there he walked back down the hallway and knocked on her door. It opened with his touch and the room was empty. A very strange feeling crept over him as he realized that she wasn’t in the apartment at all. Then the thought occurred to him…the puppy. He remembered how many times he had gotten onto her lately about that dog.
They couldn’t keep him and he was probably loaded down with fleas and ticks anyway. Feeling a little relief at the thought he walked over to the back door and opened it slowly…expecting to find her bending down with an out-stretched handful of food for that same ugly little puppy.
He stepped outside slowly and looked around for her…calling her name a couple of times but she wasn’t there. He glanced over towards the hedge and spotted the puppy…eating a piece of bacon from an overturned plate with a large crack running down the center of it. He recognized it as one of his own…but it seemed to have been dropped instead of carefully placed there. Then he knelt closer as the puppy backed away from him…and there he saw it. One of the red ribbons from her hair. The puppy had been standing on it. But what happened to Cassie? His heart began to race as he picked the ribbon up in his hand…… It was his only clue.
“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 2
Cassie leaned down carefully so she wouldn’t frighten the little puppy as she held the plate of food out in front of her. Then without warning she felt an unfamiliar arm grab her tightly around the waist and pull her backwards. She tried to scream but it was silenced quickly. (With a white piece of cloth held tightly against her open mouth.) As she breathed in the fowl smelling substance, she could feel herself growing weaker… until she could no longer keep up her frantic struggle. Her then motionless body was carried over to a waiting van and she was tossed into the back. They sped away only moments before he had gone out to look for her.
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Starsky stood there holding onto the red ribbon for a moment. Then he ran down to the street to see if he could spot any sign of tire tracks or possibly a glimpse of her assailant…anything. But the street was empty. There was nothing but one familiar car pulling into his neighbor’s driveway. His mind was racing and his heart was pounding out of his chest. She was gone…just like that. He yelled for her a couple more times but he knew she wouldn’t answer him. Someone had taken her…maybe at random or maybe because they knew who she was. He had made a lot of enemies on the streets and he had always told her to be careful and never to go anywhere alone. So many thoughts flooded his mind at the same time that it was hard for him to think clearly. He ran back into the apartment and headed straight for the phone.
Hutch had just settled down into bed with the book that he had been trying to read for the past couple of weeks. He had been so tired lately that he hadn’t made it past three pages before falling asleep with it on his chest. The sound of the bedside phone ringing had awakened him from his peaceful dream. Turning his head in the direction of the disturbance…his eyes opened slightly and his hand grabbed aimlessly in that direction. He fumbled with the receiver for a second before recovering it enough to place it next to his ear.
“Yeah..” He said in a very groggy voice.
“She’s Gone Hutch!” A panicked Starsky yelled on the other end of the phone.
Pulling the phone away from his ear slightly he reached one hand up to his tired eyes and rubbed it down his face to his chin.
“What are you talking about?” He asked a little more alert.
“She’s gone…I don’t know…I think somebody took her.” He said still in a panic. “Oh God Hutch …”
“Call the station and tell them what happened…I’ll be right there.” Hutch told him as he sprang to his feet and pulled a fresh shirt and pants from his dresser drawers with one hand. “Don’t worry…we’ll find her.”
“Alright…just hurry.” Starsky said as he pushed the buttons on the top of the phone down and released them quickly as he dialed the station. It rang at least three times before it was answered. He was a little calmer now after speaking with Hutch and was able to sound a little more professional as he explained the situation to them in detail.
A missing persons would have to be filed and he was given the standard lecture that since she was over the age of fourteen, they wouldn’t consider it seriously until twenty four hours had past unless he had cause to believe there was fowl play involved. With that Starsky went off on him…reading him the riot act up…down…and sideways. After a few choice words and a threat to one of his most prized body parts…the officer agreed to send a patrol car over to investigate. He obviously didn’t know who he was dealing with.
Hutch pulled up behind a marked police car that was already in the driveway. He could hear a commotion coming from the other side of the building as he stepped out of his car. It sounded like Starsky was mad as hell at someone…probably the officers who had come over to investigate. He knew that it was procedure and they would be going by the book. But his partner wasn’t in the mood for twenty questions…especially stupid ones.
Hutch hurried around the side of the building and found his hot-tempered partner telling the two pale in the face officers exactly what he wanted them to do and how he wanted it done. They were young and couldn’t have more than a few years on the force between them. Hutch knew there was no way he was gonna let them handle this case. Dobey would have to put them on it or Starsky would have the two of them call in sick until they found her…it was that simple.
***********************
She slept for what seemed like a long time and awoke slowly to find herself in a motel room lying in bed with her cheerleading outfit still on and covered with a blanket. Her head hurt so badly that she could feel it throbbing with every beat of her heart. Two men sat in front of her playing cards and talking as if she wasn’t even there. She wasn’t tied up or restrained in any way but she had a feeling that they weren’t about to let her walk right through the front door either. She realized that the two men were obviously placed there to baby-sit her.
“Where am I?” She asked in an innocent voice as she sat up in bed and looked at them.
“Just stay right there and don’t cause any trouble.” One of them spoke up. “And if you’re a good girl we might get you some scrambled eggs and bacon in a little while.”
The mere thought of breakfast began to turn her stomach…she was already feeling nauseous and his words were enough to send her straight to the bathroom cupping her hand over her mouth as she ran.
They laughed at her for a couple of seconds and then resumed their card game. There was no window in the bathroom and so no chance for escape…that is unless she intended to flush herself down the toilet. It was just one of the many thoughts that ran through her mind as she hovered over it on her knees.
As she crept slowly out of the bathroom she glanced around and spotted a small clock on the dresser…the time as far as she could tell was 3:00AM. Dave would be so worried by now. He must be looking for her she thought. But he’ll never find her here. She didn’t even know where here was.
She stayed awake and listened to them…trying to catch a clue as to where she might be. But they were careful…even as she pretended to be asleep… they kept their conversation simple. Either they were too smart or too dumb to give her any clues…she wasn’t sure.
******************
Starsky and Hutch decided to go to the station and pull some files on some of their old cases. Starsky felt that she must have been taken by someone he knew and maybe if they dug out some old names and ran them down…they could track the most recent parolees and possibly find the guy. Hutch knew they were grasping at straws at best. Kids are kidnapped everyday just because they happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. There must be any number of perverts on the streets at all hours of the night that would love to get their hands on her. But if his partner was right…and she was taken to get to him…odds were she would still be alive. It would actually be good news. A pervert would rape and kill her and then dump her body somewhere and go on with his life. But someone with an ax to grind would have nothing to hold over him if he killed her before he could prove that he even had her. And in order to have the necessary leverage he would then have to prove that she was still alive. Hutch could only hope that Starsky’s instincts were right…for his sake and for Cassie’s
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“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 3
Both Starsky and Hutch spent the night at the station going over all their old files and making sure her picture was circulated through the department and that every cop that walked in that morning got a good look at it. They had narrowed their search down to parolees and escapees from the past year and still had 20 possibles. But that was only out of the ones that the department had been made aware of. There could be others that weren’t on the books yet and they could still be barking up the wrong tree. It could be someone that they didn’t know…that didn’t want anything more than to rape her and dump her body somewhere. The thought was eating at Starsky’s mind but he kept pushing it away…it would be like giving up hope. And he just couldn’t do that.
A couple of younger police officers made their way into the squad room at around 7:00AM. They were talking to each other as they sat down with a cup of coffee and picked up the paperwork that had been placed on the desk. Current felons and missing persons and other reports for them to go over before hitting the streets…and among these was the report on Cassie and the picture attached.
Starsky and Hutch were still going through files and listening to the portable police band radio that Hutch had placed on his desk to keep abreast of any sightings of her. They had noticed all the other officers as they came and went that morning…but they were too tired and too into what they were doing to bother to look up.
Officer Brian Palmer and his Partner Tom Hill, began to thumb through the paperwork that they found in their in box as they sat down. Brian picked up the file with Cassie’s picture and whistled….
“Would ya look at that…” He remarked as he held it in his hands. “It says here that there were signs of a struggle at the scene and she is suspected to have been kidnapped.”
“Yeah….so.” Tom replied.
“So just look at her…I mean…we’re never gonna find her alive.” He told him. “She’s probably already been raped and dumped by now…girls like that are only taken for one reason.”
With that Starsky leaped from his chair and jumped over the table to the other side where Hutch grabbed him by the arm to hold him back. If he hadn’t caught hold of him at that moment …he knew that young detective would be choking on that report. Because Starsky was about to ram it and his fist down his throat.
“Take it easy Starsk…he doesn’t know.” Hutch said as he held onto him.
Officer Palmer had heard the chair as it slid with a loud racking noise when Starsky pushed it out from underneath him and stood up. It had made him look over in that direction and he watched as the hot-tempered Detective started after him. He was frozen in place with both fear and disbelief as he wondered what the hell he had said to ruffle the feathers of the ‘Station house Lunatic’. Only Hutch could keep his temper under control and at this moment Hutch was the only thing standing between them.
“What..” Brian said as he backed away and took shelter behind his own partner “Keep him away from me…He’s Crazy!”
Starsky glared at him as he allowed himself to be restrained by his partner…only because deep down inside the guy was probably right. Still as a cop he should keep those kind of comments to himself.
“Don’t assume anything…You just do what your paid to do and keep your eyes open for her. Take a look at her. Take a real good look…until you burn her image into your puny little narrow-minded brain. Then let us know if she walks right up to you and spits in your face.” He told him sarcastically. “That is if you can recognize her.”
“Sure…I hear ya.” He said as he stood there shaking. “Take it easy.”
Dobey arrived at 7:30 and was surprised to see the two of them there so early. One look at them and he knew that they had probably been there all night. Hutch’s shirt was untucked and Starsky looked like hell. Something was obviously going on…and he hadn’t been informed.
“Ok…in my office.” He said as he opened the door and stepped inside.
They laid the whole story out for him in a matter of a few minutes and both made it clear that they weren’t gonna rest until she was found…one way or the other. Dobey knew that he really didn’t have a choice but to let them handle it. He had seen that same look of determination on their faces before. They wouldn’t be of any use to him until she was found and besides all that he had grown fond of her too. He knew what he would be going through if, God forbid, it had been one of his own kids.
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There was a knock on the door that startled all three of them. One of the men who had been playing cards got up and walked over to the door.
“Yeah..” He said as he waited for a response.
“It’s me.” Came a voice from the other side of the door.
Cassie had been awake and hadn’t spoken another word to them during her captivity. She just listened and waited…out of fear and also out of something in the back of her mind that told her that she would be better off by keeping quiet. She didn’t know why they had taken her but she knew that she was obviously just part of a bigger plan. At least that was the impression she had gotten from their hushed conversation.
The door was unlocked and opened and a short balding man with what little hair he had remaining…totally gray entered the room. He looked to be at least fifty or better and his rough exterior and disposition told her that he must have had a hard life. He spoke in low tones to the other two men for a moment and then approached her.
“I bet your wondering why you’re here?” He said with a half-smile.
“The thought had crossed my mind.” She told him as she crept a little further away from him on the bed. He had weird eyes. Like he might be a little crazy. A little crazy…she thought to herself…of course he was…he kidnapped me didn’t he?
“Don’t worry…you’ll be alright as long as you do and say exactly what I tell you to.” He told her. “If you cooperate…you’ll be released unharmed.”
“Why did you pick me?” She asked.
“Because you hold a certain value.” He answered. “To a certain pair of cops.” He said with a smile.
He did know who she was and who Dave was. But at least she knew now that he wouldn’t hurt her…that is if he was really telling her the truth.
He pulled a notebook from one of the dresser drawers and opened it up to a particular page. Then he walked over to the phone and began to dial a number. As it began to ring he grabbed her forcibly by the arm and sat her down in a chair in front of it.
“Now all you have to do is read exactly what’s on the paper. Don’t try to say anything else.” He told her as he held the phone to her ear and bent down close and held the receiver at an angle so he could listen.
She knew that she better do as she was told and so she took a deep breath and waited for the party on the other line to answer. Then a voice came on the line…a familiar voice that made her heart jump!
“Hutchinson….”
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“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 4
She wasn’t expecting to hear Hutch’s voice and the sound of it caused a rush of adrenaline to flow through her body. She wanted so much to cry out to him for help…to scream for him to come and rescue her. But she couldn’t. All she could do was begin to cry as the lump formed in her throat. She looked down again at the paper and began to read through the wall of tears that blurred her vision.
Hutch looked over at his partner who was leaning with his head against his hand and his elbow on the desk about to fall asleep.
“Is anyone there?” Hutch asked into the receiver. He could hear her sobbing into the phone but he hadn’t been able to recognize her yet.
“Let me speak to Detective David Starsky.” She finally managed to get out as she read from the paper.
“Oh my God.” Hutch said in a whisper as his eyes widened. Starsky could hear the disbelief in his partner’s voice and sprang to life as he watched him for a response.
“It’s her.” Hutch said, as he looked his partner in the eye.
Starsky grabbed the phone and pushed in the glowing button that Hutch had picked up. He then quickly lifted the receiver to his ear to speak to her.
“Cassie where are you?” He asked insistently as his heart began to pick up it’s pace.
His voice sounded like music to her ears. She wanted to speak to him in her own words. But her captor now held his hand on the back of her neck tightly and she knew that she had to continue from the hand-written page.
“I’m being held by someone of your acquaintance.” She began. “Any attempt to rescue me will cause my instant death.”
“Cassie…talk to me honey…are you alright?” Starsky pleaded with her. He could tell by her voice that she was being forced to speak. But obviously allowed to say only what they wanted her to.
She wanted to answer his question so desperately…she knew he was worried about her…but she continued to read.
Starsky continued to listen as Hutch got on the other line to set up a tap and a trace. He wanted to have the conversation recorded so they could play it back later.
“There will be a series of robberies…all of which will not be met with any resistance. I will let you know exactly where and when only minutes before they take place. Any attempt to prevent them or interfere in any way and they will be forced to kill me.”
She stated as she continued through her tears. “There are also three bombs all placed in very populated areas of the city. They have timers and remote detonators. They can be discharged at will if you choose not to cooperate. Just a little extra incentive for the rest of cops out there who may not give a damn about me.”
Cassie hated what she was doing to him. She knew he would have no choice but to cooperate with them and she felt responsible for putting him in this situation. If she hadn’t gone outside to feed the puppy…if she would have just listened to him. This wouldn’t be happening.
“For every successful robbery…the location of a bomb will be revealed. Until all bombs are recovered. Then I will be released somewhere outside the City limits.” She ended. “Your next set of instructions will be called in at 11:00AM.”
The message was complete and her captor grabbed the phone from her and hung it up.
*****************
Starsky heard the click on the other end as the conversation ended abruptly.
“Cassie…..CASSIE….Damnit!” He said as he slammed the phone down and looked up at his partner who was still on the other line with the communications department.
“Thank you.” Hutch said as he hung up the phone.
“Well did they have time to trace it?” Starsky asked eagerly.
“No…not enough time…but we have it recorded.” Hutch told him. “They’re sending the tape up now.”
“She said she was being held by someone we know.” Starsky told him as he rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and leaned on the table with the other.
“I guess you were right….at least she’s alive.” Hutch said as he put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “We’re gonna get her back.”
“Yeah…I just hope we get to her before they have a chance to hurt her.” He said with a sorrowful look in his eyes.
“We won’t let that happen.” Hutch said as he began to rub the shoulder where his hand was placed. “Besides they’ll probably be too busy…”
“To rape her…” Starsky said as his eyes met his partners. “That’s what you were gonna say.”
“Isn’t that what you were thinking?” Hutch asked in a whispered voice.
“Hutch I don’t know what I’ll do if they….”
“They won’t.” Hutch said with confidence. “All they want is money…it’s not part of the plan.”
“Plans change.” He told him.
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“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 5
Cassie sat in the chair crying as he placed the phone on top of the dresser. Then he grabbed her up by the arm and placed her back on the bed.
“You did good…I knew you would.” He told her. “Straight A student that you are I knew you wouldn’t do anything stupid.”
“How do you know that?” She asked him.
“I know everything little lady…I even know how much Starsky still owes on that flashy red hot rod of his.” He remarked.
“Well I’m glad you know so much.” She said with an attitude. “Maybe I won’t have to answer any stupid questions.”
“Oh there is one question.” He told her as he sat down on the bed near her. “Are you his real daughter…or maybe his little underage mistress.” He asked her. “I don’t recall him having you around a few years back.”
Cassie’s first urge was to tell him the truth. But why should she? He probably wasn’t telling her the truth and anyway the real truth would be a little difficult to explain…So she decided to lie.
“He’s my father.” She told him. “He didn’t know about me until just a few years ago.”
“Well that’s kinda funny.” He said as he stroked her long blonde hair and looked into her deep brown eyes. “You don’t look nothin’ like him.”
“I take after my mother.” She said quickly. “She died two years ago.”
“I don’t know if I believe you little girl.” He said with an evil smile. “How old are you…about 16 maybe?”
“Yeah.” She answered him.
“So he must have been about twenty when you were conceived.” He concluded.
“I guess so.” She answered.
“Well then I don’t see how that’s possible.” He told her.
“Why not?” She asked.
“Because he was in the army then…and you don’t look Vietnamese to me.” He said as he glared at her. “Now you want to try telling me the truth this time.”
“I don’t have to tell you anything.” She said with a tone of rebellion.
He grabbed her up in his arms angrily and placed his hand on her face squeezing the sides of her cheeks in very hard.
“You’ll tell me everything I want to know.” He said as he held her just about an inch from his face. “Or I’ll rip your pretty little head off.”
**********************
Starsky and Hutch informed Dobey of the conversation quickly and the tape was delivered to his office. They sat down and listened to it a couple of times and Dobey held his forehead in his hand as he rested his elbow on his desk.
The tape ended for the second time and Hutch hit the stop button on the recorder.
“What time is it now?” Dobey asked not bothering to raise his head.
“10:30…” Hutch answered him.
“Well I guess we just have to wait for the next call.” Dobey said as he finally raised his head up and focused his eyes on Starsky. “Poor kid…I wonder how she’s holding up.”
“The guys obviously pretty smart.” Starsky told him. “Letting us know that she’s still alive by making her give us the instructions and at the same time by using her, he can keep his identity a secret.”
“Yeah it sounds like he’s thought this thing through carefully.” Dobey agreed.
“What else have you got to do when you’re in the slammer?” Hutch commented.
**********************
Cassie kept quiet for the next few hours. She still hadn’t told him the truth about who she was and she wasn’t going to if she could help it. Why did he want to know anyway? It was obviously important to him. But his attention had been diverted by the other two men as they began to prepare for the first robbery. She knew he would ask her again later, but for now she had avoided it.
He was going to take one of the other two guys with him while the younger of the three would be left behind to stay with her. He argued about it for a minute but reluctantly agreed. It was just a couple minutes till 11:00 and the four of them sat patiently waiting on the clock. At 1 minute till…he began to dial the phone. It was again placed between them in the same manner as before and she was handed the notebook flipped to the next page.
After three rings it was answered.
“Starsky…”
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“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 6
Cassie took a deep breath and began to read from the second set of instructions.
“The first robbery will occur in approximately 20 minutes. If they see a sign of a police car or are delayed in any way…they will set off one of the bombs and I will be killed.” She spoke as if she were reading an assignment in class. She had detached herself from the words and sounded a little calmer now than before.
“Just do what they tell you to do…we’ll handle the rest.” He told her.
“The First National Bank on the corner of Fifth and Broadway. You are not to alert them of the situation. Just stay out of the way.” She said calmly. “You will be informed of the location of the first bomb afterward. Expect the next call around 12:30.” She told him.
“I love you Cassie.” He told her quickly as the conversation ended.
Without thinking she answered him. “I love you t……UUHHH”
A hard backhand sent her flying out of the chair and onto the floor.
“I Told You Not To Talk To Him!!!” He yelled at her as he hung up the phone.
Starsky could hear the intense blow to the face that she received and listened as a man’s voice scolded her before the phone went dead.
“The bastard hit her.” He said as he laid the phone down gently with a hurt expression on his face. “But at least now we have his voice.”
It was like he had been punched in the gut. He couldn’t bare the thought that she had been hurt and there was no one around to defend her. He walked away from the table and stood by the wall as Captain
Dobey gave instruction to alert the cars on patrol to stay clear of the area. Hutch walked over to his partner and put a concerned hand on his arm.
“You alright?” He asked as he looked at him with a comforting softness in his eyes.
“Yeah…I’m ok.” He said as he gave him a small half smile.
“He still needs her to cooperate…she’ll be alright.” Hutch told him.
“Let’s get outta here.” Starsky told him as he headed for the door and grabbed his jacket from the coat rack. They had to get to the Bank so they could watch from across the street. Maybe they could catch a glimpse of the guys and find out a little more about them. Maybe even follow them to the place where they were holding her.
During the short drive, Starsky didn’t speak. He kept thinking about what he had done to her. He had set it up so that they could try and get the guys voice on tape. To find out who he was. Starsky had tricked her. He knew she wouldn’t be able to resist saying it back to him. He hadn’t really come right out and said it to her before. How could she not return the words? He knew it would cause a reaction…but he had hoped the guy wouldn’t hit her over it. At any rate…he was just doing his job. So why the hell did he feel so damned guilty?
They parked across the street in Hutch’s car so they wouldn’t be noticed. Starsky’s car would have been spotted in an instant but Hutch had the type of car that would blend into any background. Sometimes he was thankful that his partner drove a beat-up old wreck.
After a few minutes they spotted a black van pull up in front of the bank and two men emerged wearing stocking masks and sporting some heavy artillery. One of the men wore brown dress pants and a button up flannel shirt and had a heavy build. The other man wore faded blue jeans and a dark colored Button up dress shirt. The heavier one seemed to be a little older by the way he carried himself. He was quite a bit slower than his partner.
They watched and waited as the robbery took place…feeling useless as they heard the screams from inside and knew that those people were also in danger. But there was nothing they could do about it.
Starsky and Hutch both ducked down low as they watched the two men emerge from the bank carrying the sacks of stolen money. As the van sped off Hutch threw the car in gear and made a quick U-turn after them. They were trying to be careful not to be spotted as they followed them down the street. After a couple of quick turns the van sped up and Hutch knew that they had been made.
“I have to turn off.” Hutch said as he made a quick turn to the right to give them the impression that he wasn’t following.
“But we’ll loose them.” Starsky said in an excited voice.
“They said they’d kill her…do you wanna take the chance?” He asked as he pulled the car over and stopped.
“Then how are we ever gonna find her?” Starsky asked as he looked at his partner.
“You seem to forget that Cassie isn’t the only consideration here.” Hutch told him. “I know you’re worried about her but there are three bombs out there somewhere set to go off at anytime and some sick bastard has his finger on the trigger.” He paused for a second and then finished. “How many people do you think could die if we aren’t careful about what we do?”
Starsky knew Hutch was right. He hadn’t been thinking about anything else but getting Cassie back. He had almost forgotten about the bombs.
“How do we know the bombs are real?” Starsky posed the question.
Hutch put the car in drive and stepped on the gas. “I think we’re about to find out.” He told him.
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“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 7
Starsky and Hutch arrived back at the station around 12:00 and headed straight for Dobey’s office. They knew that they would have the tape ready by now and they wanted to listen to it. If it was somebody they knew…they would probably be able to identify the voice. If they could figure out who was behind all this…maybe they could find a way to stop him. Once a criminal forms a certain pattern…his next move can usually be predicted.
When they finally arrived Dobey was waiting for them. He had the tape recorder on his desk and had already listened to it about a half dozen times. The lab had done the best that they could to filter out the background noise…including Cassie’s mournful sobbing. But the voice was of a man yelling and at that vocal level…it would be hard to identify.
“So what happened?” Dobey asked his two Detectives as they each took a seat in front of him.
“We were gonna be made…I had to back off Cap’n” Hutch told him as he leaned forward in his chair and rested his forearms on his knees.
“It’s five minutes after twelve.” Dobey noted. “They’re supposed to call in the location of the first bomb in twenty five minutes.”
“If they stick to the plan.” Starsky added.
“In the meantime…listen to this…and tell me if you can recognize him.” Dobey said as he hit the play button on the recorder.
The tape had been made from the initial recording and was only a few seconds long…just his voice after he struck her. They couldn’t totally eliminate the sound of the blow to her face because it happened so close to the receiver. Starsky cringed as he listened to it and then to the man’s voice as Dobey played it over and over for them until Starsky finally raised his hand to let him know that he had heard enough. The voice sounded familiar. That he was sure of…but he just couldn’t place it.
********************
The two men returned to find Cassie and the younger man in a struggle on the bed. He was apparently attempting to rape her but she was putting up a good enough fight to keep him from getting very far. Frustrated with her and with the fact that the other two men had walked in on them…he struck her across the face and moved away from the bed.
“Stuck up little Bitch.” He said as he wiped the blood away from his cheek were she had obviously scratched him pretty badly.
“What the hell do you think your doing Randy?” The other young man said as he glared at him. “You don’t do anything unless you’re told to….do you understand?”
“What’s the harm in having a little fun?” He asked. “I was bored.”
“I’ll tell you what to do and I’ll tell you when.” The old man said as he pushed her assailant up against a nearby wall and held him there with an elbow at his throat.
“Ok old man…take it easy.” He cried out with a frightened look in his eyes.
“So what do we do with her now?” The other one asked.
“Well…they tried to follow us in his partner’s car.” The old man said as he released his hold on the man he had pinned against the wall. “Let’s give them a little penalty.”
*************************
As Starsky and Hutch paced the floor they tried as hard as they could to think of whose voice they had heard on the tape. Hutch didn’t have as strong a feeling as Starsky did that he knew who it was.
“He had her ask for you.” Hutch told his partner as he looked over at him and then at Dobey. “The guy obviously didn’t want to deal with anyone else.”
“Maybe because she would be more comfortable talking to you.” Dobey remarked.
“But why did he pick Cassie in the first place?” Starsky told him. “He obviously has something against me.”
“You heard his reaction when she spoke to you.” Hutch said as he thought out loud. “She was only allowed to read from what he gave her.”
“He’s playing some kind of sick game,” Dobey concluded.
A short black haired woman entered the room from the half open door. She held a report in her hand and spoke with some urgency.
“Forgive me for bothering you but I was told you might want to see this.” She said as she stepped in a little further and held the report out in front of her.
“It’s alright Minnie…C’mon in.” Dobey said with a smile as he held out his hand to receive the file.
“What is it?” Hutch asked as he stepped closer to his Captain.
“They said downstairs that there was a name on the list that might interest you.” She told them as she let go of the report and quickly walked out the door.
“Thank you.” Dobey called to her as he read from it carefully.
“What name?” Starsky asked insistently as he moved behind Dobey to read over his shoulder.
“Where did this list come from?” Hutch said with a puzzled look as he was now trying to read over Dobey’s other shoulder.
“It’s from the nearby Institutions.” Dobey told them. “Recently released patients who have been found mentally sane and fit to function in society.”
With that Starsky grabbed the list out of Dobey’s hand and walked away from them as he read down the list frantically…through the B’s…..through the F’s….through the J’s…..the M’s…..Prudom, George! There it was in black and white. His worst nightmare!
Starsky stood there staring at it as his blood ran cold. It was him…the voice he suddenly recognized…the fact that he had taken her. It all fit. First the two cops he didn’t even know…then Terri….and now he was back. To torture him once more…and this time he had Cassie. His body grew weak as the blood rushed to his brain and he leaned on Dobey’s desk for support.
Hutch watched as Starsky seemed frozen in place with his back to them. He knew that there was something in that report that had just dealt his partner a heavy blow…and he had to know what it was.
“Well what is it?” Hutch asked insistently as he walked over to him and spun him around by the arm.
Starsky almost fell onto his partner as he struggled to regain his balance and the file fell to the floor. He glanced down at it and then back up at Hutch with a hollow expression.
“We’ve all been had.” He told them with a tone of assurance in his voice.
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“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 8
“What are you talking about?” Hutch asked as he leaned forward and picked up the file. It seemed like an unusually long list for only the last couple of months. He noticed as he skimmed down it quickly.
“Take a look.” Starsky said as he watched his partner study it.
All these people were apparently deemed criminally insane by trained psychologists. Hutch thought to himself as he continued to read in silence. Just who the hell decided all of a sudden that they’d been hit with some miracle cure?
“Check the P’s.” Starsky said as he turned his back and took a few steps from him…and waited for his reaction.
Hutch proceeded to skip down the list to the letter P and there he saw it.
“Holy Mary Mother of God.” He said as he read the name with disbelief.
“Not even close…try again.” Starsky said as he turned around to face him. “I’ll bet ya next weeks salary the bombs are just a figment of his warped fucking imagination.”
“Damn…” Hutch said as he raised a concerned hand to his partners shoulder. “He just got away with close to a half million dollars.”
“And we just sat there on our asses and watched.” Starsky added and then paused before his next thought escaped him. “I wonder what he’s gonna do to Cassie?”
“Now wait just a minute..” Dobey jumped in. “We don’t know anything for sure yet.”
“She said they’d call back at 12:30. What time is it now?” Hutch asked.
“We’ve got 5 minutes.” Starsky told them. “He’ll call.”
“How can you be so sure?” Hutch posed the question.
“Because he’ll want to rub it in my face.” Starsky said as he walked towards the open door to the squad room. “Let’s get ready for it.”
Hutch had requested a make on the license plate number that he had remembered from his short time behind the van…but of course it came up stolen. Just another dead end. They got the news just before the 12:30 call came through.
******************
Prudholm pulled the notebook over to him as he sat at the table and began to scribble down some last minute instructions. He kept his eye on the clock as he wrote. The scene that he had walked in on when they got back from the holdup had given him an idea. Now that he had the money and Cassie. The fun could begin. He was going to enjoy himself. It would be his final revenge.
He pulled Cassie over to the table as the time drew near. He wanted her to read what he had written on the page.
“I want you to say this.” He told her. “Exactly the way it’s written.”
She skimmed through it quickly and then looked at him with a horrified expression. “I can’t say this…It’s a lie!”
“Ok…so it’s a lie…” He told her with an angry glare. “We can make it the truth …if it’ll make it easier for you.”
“But I just can’t tell him that.” She said as she began to cry. “It’s cruel.”
“If you don’t cooperate little girl….you’ll get that and worse.” He assured her.
“But why?” She asked through her tears. “What good will it do you?”
“I want to see him suffer. This is just the beginning.” He said with a smile.
“I HATE YOU!” She screamed at him as the tears began to flow down her face. She knew what it would do to him.
****************
The phone call came in right on time and Starsky waited for the third ring before lifting the receiver to his ear.
“Starsky…” He said as he waited for her to speak.
She was crying uncontrollably as he put the phone in her hand and put his ear next to hers as before….so he could listen.
“You shouldn’t have followed us.” She said through her tears. “We warned you…”
“Cassie why are you crying?”” He asked in a soft voice.
“It’s your fault that they had to do it.” She said as she tried to find the strength to read the next sentence. “They raped me.”
Starsky swallowed hard as he let the words sink into his brain. His breathing suddenly grew short and quick as his temper flared out of control. He stood up and brought his fist down hard onto the surface of the table. “PRUDHOLM!!!” He yelled into the phone in a fit of rage. He knew the bastard was listening.
Hutch grabbed Starsky by the shoulders to try and calm his anger but he shrugged him off. He was mad as hell and wanted to drive him out of hiding.
“I thought you’d like that.” Prudholm said as he took the phone away from her. “Aren’t you going to ask me were the bombs are?
“I know where they are.” Starsky said smugly. “Where pigs fly!”
“Already figured it out Dick Tracy.” He replied. “How does it feel?”
“What’s the matter you sick bastard?” He said as he let his words flow out of his mouth with no regard to the running tape or the more than a half dozen other men in the room. “You can’t find anything better to do with your life than fuck with me?”
“You didn’t answer my question Cop?” He said in a sinister voice. “How does it feel?”
“Fuck you!” Starsky replied with all the finesse of a street punk.
“Starsky!” Hutch yelled at his partner to make him look his way. Then he made a motion with his finger skimming across his throat under his chin…a sign for his partner to cool it.
“You killed my boy.” Prudholm told him as he attempted to explain his actions. “How does it feel cop? She like your own daughter?” He asked.
“Go to hell Prudholm…You want me…just name the time and the place.” Starsky said as he threw out the challenge.
“I’m gonna give you the same pain that you gave me.” Prudholm stated. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this…Listen cop…Listen carefully.”
“Leave her alone Prudholm.” Starsky told him.
“I want you to hear it.” He said with an evil coldness in his eyes as he reached behind his back and pulled out a small caliber handgun. “One….Two…” He counted as he raised the gun to shoot. “Three…”
Two loud shots echoed over the phone line as Starsky cried out. “NOOOO….!!!!”
“She’s dead cop…live with it.” He said as he hung up the phone.
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“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 9
Starsky picked up the phone in a fit of rage and heaved it across the room. He was madder than he’d ever been in his entire life! Hutch had been listening on one of the extensions as well as one of the investigators from upstairs who wore a set of headphones as he operated the recording equipment.
Dobey had been watching and though he only caught Starsky’s end of the conversation…he knew that something heavy had just gone down.
“Starsky…Hutch…in my office now!” He yelled at them as he held the door open and stood there waiting to close it behind them. He had witnessed the outburst that Starsky had just displayed and he didn’t approve of his tactics at all.
Dobey closed the door and walked up to Starsky ready to display a little anger of his own.
“What the hell was that all about?” He asked his detective in a forceful tone.
“Prudholm claims to have just killed her Cap…give him a break will ya?” Hutch told him as he tried to calm the situation.
Dobey walked over to the water cooler and pulled a cup down to fill it as he thought…about his own kids for a moment. He probably would have gone a little crazy himself. Starsky walked over to the window of his office and just stared out into space for a moment as Hutch waited for one or the other of them to speak next.
“Do you think he was telling the truth?” Dobey finally asked them as he turned around.
“I don’t know.” Starsky answered. “All I do know is that I probably won’t ever see her again.” He told them as he continued to look out the window. “He wants me to think she’s dead…true or not…he won’t call back.”
“So that’s it then?” Hutch asked him. “We just wait for her body to surface or we assume that he still has her.” Hutch concluded. “We have no way of knowing either way.”
“It was his plan all along.” Starsky told them as he finally turned around to face them. “To make me suffer for the rest of my life…never knowing for sure what really happened to her.” He explained. “If he really did kill her you can bet he’ll hide the body so good we’ll never find it.”
“If he’s still in the city.” Hutch told him. “We’ll find him.”
“I’ll find him.” Starsky replied as he walked over to Dobey’s desk and pulled his gun from the holster and his badge from his back pocket…and threw them both on top of it.
“What the hell are you doing that for?” Hutch asked with astonishment.
“When I find him…I don’t wanna be a cop.” He said.
All of a sudden he headed out of Dobey’s office and towards the exit not bothering to grab his jacket on the way out.
Dobey looked up at Hutch and motioned towards the door with a pointed finger. “Get him back here!”
Hutch started after him when Starsky turned around quickly to yell at him.
“Leave me alone.” He said in an angry tone that Hutch had never seen directed at him before.
“I’m not gonna let you leave like this.” He told him as he grabbed him by the arm.
“You can’t stop me.” Starsky said with conviction him as he pulled his arm away and stormed out the door.
Starsky hurried outside…climbed into his car and peeled rubber as he left the parking lot. Hutch followed close behind… jumped into his own car and went after him. Starsky could see the beat up old Ford as it raced to catch up with him and he stepped a little harder on the gas.
“Leave me alone Hutch.” He said out loud as his tears fell softly on the collar of his shirt. He hadn’t taken notice of them until that moment.
Hutch drove frantically to keep up with him. Starsky took every back street he could to try and loose his partner but Hutch was good. Every corner he took at whatever speed was matched skill for skill until he finally realized that no matter how hard he tried…Hutch wasn’t gonna give up.
Finally Starsky pulled his car over to the side of the road near a small park.
Hutch pulled up behind him and stepped out of his car while Starsky remained in his with the engine running. Hutch walked up to him quickly and began to yell at him.
“What the hell are you doing…have you gone ballistic on me?” He asked his partner as he walked over to him.
“Hutch I need to do this alone…can’t you understand that?” He told him bluntly.
“I love her too.” Hutch told him. “If you’re going after him let me go with you.”
“I can’t let you do that Hutch.” He said as he looked into his eyes. “I just might wind up in prison if I find him.”
“Well…at least we’ll be there together.” Hutch said with a smile. “You’ll need someone to watch your back…just in case you drop the soap or something.”
“Look I know what you’re trying to do” Starsky reasoned as he turned the key in the ignition to shut it off. “I don’t need you to save me from myself.”
“I’m the voice of reason remember.” Hutch replied as he bent down closer to him. “You know you need me.”
“I don’t think he was bluffing this time Hutch.” Starsky told him in a sad voice as he fought to hold back his tears.
“You believe him.” Hutch asked softly.
“Yeah.” Starsky whispered, as the lump in his throat grew larger. “He killed Terri…didn’t he?”
“I won’t believe it until I see her body.” Hutch told him as he reached into the car and put his hand on his partners forearm to comfort him.“And you shouldn’t either.”
“Hutch I heard it in his voice…listen to the tape again….He wasn’t lying.” Starsky said as a few small tears escaped him and ran slowly down his cheeks. Until Hutch believed it the way that he did…he wouldn’t understand.
“I’m here for you partner.” Hutch said softly.
“So what do you suggest we do now?” Starsky asked in a weak voice.
“We’ll just have to watch the airport…bus station…put up road blocks…whatever the hell else we can think of and just hope he doesn’t find another way out of town.”
“I sure would love to get my hands around the neck of the asshole that let him loose.” Starsky said as he wiped the tears from his eyes.
“I’ll bring the beer.” Hutch said with a comforting half-smile as he opened the car door. “Now slide over and let me drive.”
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“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 10
They spent the rest of the day making sure that the whole town was sealed off…with roadblocks and uniformed police officers at the bus terminals and airport. They stopped by the station and Hutch went in to retrieve Starsky’s badge and gun Starsky didn’t want to have to go in and face Dobey so he remained in the car. Hutch did however assure his Captain that he would keep a close eye on his partner until he had time to get over the shock. Realizing that lack of food and sleep combined with this horrible tragedy, had taken their toll on his two favorite Detectives, Dobey was glad at least that they had each other to turn to.
“Take care of him.” Were the last words spoken between them as Hutch picked up the items on the desk and answered his last comment with a smile and a nod.
They went by Huggy’s for the third time that day to see if he had turned up any news from his inquiries on the streets. After receiving no good news they decided to visit a few of the roadblocks to speak to the other cops on duty until nightfall. They were both completely exhausted and hungry. But the thought of food although ever present…was overruled by the need for sleep.
They decided to go back and pick up the Ford as Hutch tried to persuade his partner to spend the night at his place. Starsky declined the offer with the assurance that he would be all right. He felt the need to be alone. He had been struggling to hide his emotions all day for Hutch’s sake. But he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep up the act for much longer.
As he made the drive home from the park by himself, he finally allowed his mind to drift where it had so desperately wanted to be all day. Thoughts of Cassie washed over him and he let them take control. Finally able to relax as he released the pent up anger and tears that had been fighting to reach the surface for so long.
As he pulled into the driveway he turned off the ignition and sat there for awhile, not wanting to turn the key to the apartment and walk inside. Too many memories were waiting for him in there… so he remained in his car… slumped over the wheel…crying softly in his solitude.
He hadn’t noticed how much time had gone by until he finally found the courage to open the car door and step up to the entrance. He turned the key slowly and took a deep breath as he made his way inside.
The place looked so empty all of a sudden. He knew it was his imagination but the sound of the unsettling quiet was almost deafening. He put his holster on the hook were he had kept it for the past 4 years as if he was placing it there for the first time in his life. Nothing seemed as familiar as it should to him. It was like he had stepped into someone else’s apartment. There was no one to great him at the door with a hug and a kind offer to remove his jacket and keep his dinner warm while he took a long hot shower. He hadn’t realized until that very moment how used to her he had become. How many years had he lived by himself with never a thought of being lonely? He enjoyed his freedom. His first reaction to the thought of sharing his life with her was one of intrusion. He liked having his privacy. If not for the sake of his promise and the fact that he felt an instant bond with her…he never would have agreed to the invasion of his personal space.
In an effort to remove the quiet from the room he walked over to the Hi Fi and turned it on. Then he skimmed through some of his music and noticed a few of her albums standing in the rack with his own. He picked one of them up carefully…slid the record from it’s cover and inserted it onto the turntable. Then he pulled back on the release button and allowed it to fall as the needle moved slowly towards it. He had heard the music before…played at a much higher volume and remembered how many times he had asked her to turn it down. She liked to dance around the living room as it played.
He just stood there…listening to the soft sweet tones…and closed his eyes as he watched her dance…through his mind.
He allowed the entire record to play as he tried to imagine how his life would be without her…but he couldn’t. He walked into his room and forced himself to get undressed and get ready for his shower. He came out of the room in his robe and suddenly realized…that there was no need for it. He was alone and could walk around in the buff if he chose to. It was one of the things he thought he would miss when she moved into his life. But now he felt more comfortable in his robe.
He stepped into the shower and let the hot water hit his body. It felt so good to just stand there and let it warm his entire body with its soothing wetness. He always loved his shower. He would set it so hot that it would almost burn his skin…then he would turn around and let it pound him in the back to relieve the stiffness in his tired shoulders. For a moment he allowed himself to pretend that she was still there…waiting for him in the kitchen with a hot plate of food. Talking on the phone while the music played in the living room. A sense of normality finally found him as he continued his shower. Maybe if he stayed in there long enough he could wish her back into existence…and he would find her puttering around the kitchen when he was done.
Of course the hot water didn’t hold out forever and he was forced to turn off the faucet and step out. The music had stopped and the quiet was back. After he dried himself off he thought about a quick shave…she always liked to touch his face just after he finished. She used to love the smell of his after-shave. But he was too tired to make the effort at the moment. Deep inside he knew that there would be no one around to appreciate the effort when he was done...not tonight at least.
He opened the door and went straight to his room to throw on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. He had passed by her room twice already but couldn’t bring himself to open the door…not yet. Then he went back into the living room and put another record on to play. The soft sound of the Bee Gees drifted through the air as he thought about the concert he and Hutch had taken her to. They had a blast. Cassie was so happy that night.
The lump that refused to leave his throat kept company with the tears that seemed to fall steadily down his face. It kept hitting him in waves…getting weaker and stronger and then weaker again.
He walked down the hallway and opened the door to her room slowly with one hand. It was clean and neat with her stuffed animals sitting on her bed as if they had been waiting patiently for her return. Ollie sat in a small rocking chair in the corner. He was her favorite and this was his own special place. She used to tell him that he sat in the chair to watch over her at night as she slept. He made her feel safe. Starsky had always thought it was so ironic.
He didn’t linger for very long. He felt like he was intruding in her space. It was her room…her personal belongings. It would be wrong to invade her privacy that way. So he turned and walked away…closing the door behind him.
Starsky knew that he should try to eat something. His stomach had been growling for hours but his heart was so heavy that food just didn’t appeal to him…even when he remembered the two thick steaks he had purchased on Friday for dinner tonight. She knew how to cook it just the way he liked it. He could only afford the good meat once a week on payday and so he had left them in the bottom of the refrigerator thawed and ready.
He decided to make a quick trip to the kitchen for a glass of milk to calm his stomach before attempting to sleep. As he walked passed the back door he heard a mournful sound coming from outside. It drew his attention over to peer out the small window at the top of the door. There he saw the source of the disturbance. That same ugly little puppy that Cassie had grown so fond of. Starsky thought about it for a moment and then walked over to the refrigerator…pulled out one of the steaks…and opened the door to throw it out for him. He kept the door open as he sat on the stoop and watched as it was eaten.
“Go ahead and enjoy.” He said with a sad tone in his voice. “You’d probably end up with it anyway.”
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“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 11
As he watched the puppy eat his dinner…he listened to the record play softly in the background. It echoed through the apartment and drifted lightly onto the night air as he sat in the doorway quietly. The song “How Deep is Your Love” had just begun to play and his thoughts were wandering back to a night…not long ago. When she was so deathly sick. The night Hutch had come over and they rushed her to the hospital. He didn’t know why that particular memory had decided to surface.
It was her favorite Bee Gees tune. The one she played over and over again. The one that made her reach for the volume control knob in the car every time it played on one of the local stations. It was her song…as much as if they had been thinking solely of her when they composed it.
His thoughts focused on that night as he allowed himself to relive it again. He had felt so helpless as her fever shot higher and the pain in her side left her in a state of delirium. He would just as soon erase it from his memory all together if not for that one moment that he didn’t want to forget. The moment when in her weakened and feverish state of mind she had reached out to him…with a kiss. So sweet…so tender…and so full of love. It was a moment that he knew…he would remember for the rest of his life.
He continued to listen to the music as it played. There were a few words that surfaced in the lyrics that he had always felt a connection to…he listened as they were sung in harmony.
“Cause’ we’re livin’ in a world of fools…breaking us down…when they all should let us be…we belong to you and me.”
His tears feel a little faster as he listened to them…and held a picture of her face in his mind. He could even hear her laughter if he tried…as it seemed to echo softly through the trees in the night air.
The phone rang so suddenly that it caused his body to jump. He had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts that the sound had actually taken a few seconds for him to recognize.
He stepped back inside…to shut and lock the back door as he reached for the phone on the wall.
“Yeah..” He said after clearing his throat quickly.
“I just thought I’d call and see how you were doing.” Hutch’s voice came through the line softly.
“I was just going to bed.” He said in an attempt to put his worried partner’s mind at ease.
“Good idea.” Hutch told him. “Try and get some sleep…they’ll call us if they find him. He can’t leave the city without us knowing. It’s just a matter of time.”
“Yeah…night Hutch.” Starsky said in a soft voice. Hutch could hear his partner’s disbelief through the receiver. Hell…deep down he didn’t believe it either. There are just too many ways to sneak past a roadblock.
“Goodnight buddy.” Hutch said as he held the phone in his hand and waited for the click on the other end before setting it back down. If Prudholm didn’t surface soon…if he vanished without a trace before they could ask him. There would never be a resolution to the mystery…and her memory would never give him any peace. Hutch sat there wishing to God there were something more he could do for him.
**********************
They had decided to wait until nightfall to leave. It would be easier to steal a car in the dark and make their escape. They would drive for a while until they could find an airport somewhere in another city to take the flight to New York.
Prudholm had sent Randy out for some food while he and the other man played cards and watched the clock.
“So how long do we wait here?” The other man asked as Prudholm dealt the cards.
“Patience is a virtue.” He told him as he began to deal. “Haven’t you ever heard that one before?”
“But they’re looking for us.” He said in a worried voice. “You got the whole damn police force pissed at us.”
“Pipe down and quit your whining.” Prudholm said annoyed. “We’ll leave when the time is right.”
“No more phone calls…No more games…we’re just gonna leave.” The young man told him as if posing a question.
“I’ve already played out my hand.” He answered him. “He’s gonna suffer…that’s all I care about.”
A knock on the door sent Prudholm to his feet to open it. After a quick confirmation it was opened and Randy walked in with a few small containers of Chinese food from down the street.
They all three sat down together and began to open up the boxes as they passed the food around. Randy picked one of them up and walked over to the bed as he placed it down gently.
“You hungry?” He asked as he pushed it over to her slowly.
“Go to Hell.” She said in a very weak voice as she turned away from him to face the wall.
“Have it your way sweetie…It don’t bother me none.” He told her as he picked it up and began to eat from it.
“Hey George…what are we gonna do with her anyway?” The other man asked as he took a sip of his drink.
“I know a guy in New York who’ll give us top dollar for her.” He said with a smile. “If she’s a virgin…He’ll pay even more.”
“That means hands off Randy.” The young man said a little louder as he looked towards the bed.
Randy had been sitting near her…still eating from the container.
“I don’t want her anyway…all she does is cry…she’s getting on my nerves.” He told them.
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“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 12
Around 11:30PM Prudholm and the other two men began to gather their personal items together. They were preparing to leave in the van and would quickly find a parked car somewhere to hot wire so they could dump the van and switch vehicles. Cassie had been listening to them as they made their getaway plans. She had already made up her mind. She wasn’t going with them…no matter what it took. She knew that it would be up to her to save herself. Starsky thought she was dead and she just couldn’t let it end this way. She loved him and she knew that he loved her too. She could hear it in his voice even before he actually said the words. She just had to be patient and wait for her chance to break free.
Prudholm grabbed the last item and shoved it into the van as Randy climbed up on the bed to grab her by the arm.
“C’mon baby…time to go.” He told her.
“Alright I’m coming…just keep your hands off me.” She said as she pulled her arm away.
“I’ll bet you’re not even a virgin.” Randy said as he watched her scoot off the bed and stand up to fix her skirt.
“I don’t care what you think.” She answered him as she bent over to tie one of her loose shoestrings.
Randy stood up and grabbed her around the waist…pulling her up to face him as he held her close.
“Did he ever give you anything like this?” He said as he pulled her closer and kissed her hard on the mouth.
She pushed at him and tried to scream but only emitted muffled sounds of panic.
Then he released her and began to laugh. “You’re a virgin alright…A real woman would appreciate a kiss like that.”
“Yeah …well when I find a real man…I’ll let you know.” She said as she wiped her mouth off and looked at him with disgust.
He drew his hand back and hit her hard in the face as the other two men stepped into the room. She fell onto the floor and cupped her small hand over her swollen lip. Prudholm helped her to her feet as she looked at the palm of her hand. It was covered in blood.
“Get in the van Randy.” He told him as he looked at her face. Her bottom lip was split open and the blood was pouring from the open wound.
“Grab a towel from the bathroom and put her in the van.” Prudholm told the
other young man. “And keep Randy off her…She won’t be worth anything if he keeps beating her.”
Cassie was put into the back of the van and the younger man climbed in behind her. Prudholm positioned himself in the driver’s seat and started the engine. Randy had already been seated on the passenger side in front waiting for them. Prudholm put it in gear and the van sped off into the night.
They found a small unattended parking garage with a few cars inside. It was well lit and deserted. Randy and Prudholm got out and walked down the row of cars looking for one that would blend in with the night traffic. An older dark blue four-door Chevy sat in the corner. Randy walked up to it and tried one of the doors…it was unlocked. After a few minutes they were able to rig the wires under the dash and Cassie heard the engine start.
Prudholm walked back over to the van and told the younger man to follow them to a place were they could leave it. It would be found too easily in the garage and the cops would be able to figure out which car they had taken.
The younger man climbed behind the wheel of the van and Cassie was told to sit up front as Randy and Prudholm pulled the blue Chevy out onto the street. They drove for a little while and hit a few traffic lights as they headed out of town. Cassie was waiting for just the right moment…she was ready for it.
At the next light the blue Chevy made it through a light just before it turned red. The van stopped and Cassie watched as the car continued to get further away. The young man who was driving had been listening to the radio and hadn’t noticed her hand as it gripped the door handle tightly. As the light turned green and the van started through it Cassie pulled the door open and jumped out suddenly. The van was only moving at about 10 miles an hour but it was fast enough to cause her to fall to the pavement and skin herself up a bit before standing to her feet again. She ran as fast as she could and jumped over a small ditch and into a thick patch of woods. By the time he pulled the van over and got out to look for her…she was gone.
“Damn it!” He yelled as he kicked one of the tires and punched the side of the van. “The old man’s gonna kill me.”
Cassie ran for a while until she came to a clearing where there was another road leading back to town. She was still in the city but on the outskirts. She knew it would be a long walk back and so she decided to try and flag someone down to give her a ride. Her father warned her about hitchhiking and she knew how dangerous it was but she had to take that chance. She saw the lights of a car as it drew near her and put out her hand with her thumb up…praying that the driver would be a reasonably nice person.
The younger man decided to catch up with the Chevy and tell them what happened. It took a few miles before he could get them to stop and both vehicles pulled over to the side of the road.
Prudholm stepped out of the car and up to the van. “This’ll be a good place to dump it.” He said and then he noticed the empty seat next to his friend. “Where the hell is she?” He asked as he glared at him.
“She got away.” The younger man told him. “Let’s just get out of here.”
Prudholm yanked open the van door and pulled the man out forcibly. “We can’t leave now you idiot!” He screamed at him. “You just ruined everything!”
“We have the money…so what if she got away?” He asked him in a worried tone.
“Because you dumb little shit…now she’ll go back to him.” Prudholm explained. “All of my careful planning…everything I’ve worked for…how could you be so damn stupid?”
“Well there’s nothing we can do about it now.” The young man said as he started to walk towards the car.
“Oh yes there is.” Prudholm told him as he followed behind and grabbed him by the arm to talk to him. “We’re not leaving until I finish this.”
It was quite a cool November night as the High School band played during halftime and Hutch pushed his way through the many legs that blocked his path back to his seat. With the casual ‘excuse me’ and ‘pardon me’. He finally found the spot where he had left his partner and proceeded to sit back down. They watched her raise her pom poms high in the air and spin around with a few high spirited kicks. With a smile on her face she shouted the familiar cheers to the crowd. Starsky always got a little overzealous at these games and Hutch had been slumping down in his seat to avoid the annoyed looks they received from the other parents.
“Did you see that last play?” Starsky asked Hutch as he grabbed the chili- smothered hotdog from his hand. “I can’t believe they threw a penalty flag on him.” He said as he took a bite. “The kid was great!”
“Don’t talk with your mouthful.” Hutch told him as he began to take a bite of his own… “Hey and do me a favor will ya? Stop yelling at ‘em…they can’t hear you from way up here.”
“Hey…I used to play football when I was in High School…believe me they can hear from down there.” He said as he took a sip of his soda.
“Oh Yeah!…I wonder what they used to yell at you.” Hutch kidded him.
“I was good…they loved me…I was MVP” Starsky replied as he looked his partner in the eye. “And what were you…Captain of the debate team?”
“As a matter of fact….” Hutch began.
“It figures.” Starsky ended.
The Band finished in a crowd-pleasing finale and they rose to their feet to applaud. Cassie and the other girls jumped up and down in their little skirts raising their pom poms and performing splits in the air to their excitement.
“Look at that will ya!” Starsky said as he motioned to Hutch to watch her. “That’s why I told you I didn’t want her down there.”
“Aw C’mon Starsk…it’s all part of being young.” Hutch explained to him. “Don’t you remember having cheerleaders when you played the game?”
“That’s what I’m worried about.” Starsky told him. “I remember having every last one of them,’
“You mean you…” Hutch asked the half-question.
“Every last one.” He answered with a devilish grin.
As the game resumed and the penalty flags flew…Starsky continued to yell his embarrassing remarks to the playing field. The ‘Wildcats” were unbeaten and it seemed to Starsky that the Umpires that night were totally prejudiced towards the visiting team. In the end it really didn’t matter. Despite all the flags and Starsky’s constant belly-aching…they emerged victorious. Just another reason for more high leg lifts and jumping splits that cause short skirts to fly up high in the air…again and again. By the end of the night as usual...both Cassie and Starsky were totally exhausted...and Hutch held onto a monster of a headache until the following morning. He’d just as soon not attend these frequent Friday night torture sessions but Starsky wouldn’t let him back out of them. If his partner had to suffer through them …then so did he.
**************
Another spectator also watched the show eagerly…the one on the playing field and the one that Cassie and the other girls displayed. He had been watching them for the past couple of weeks. Patiently waiting. Keeping a mental log of their daily activities. Even going as far as rummaging through their garbage to find what he needed. Paid bills and discarded receipts…old homework assignments and graded term papers. He had been watching and waiting for the right time…the perfect moment. He knew where they would be at any given time of day. The two cops and the pretty little teenybopper. And now…after all his careful planning and all the nights that he had laid awake…perfecting his crime. Laying out every small detail so carefully…He was ready. He was finally about to get what he had wanted…for so long. The chance to get even with them. Tonight would be the perfect night.
**********************
They stopped off at Huggy’s for a hamburger and a few beers. Cassie always insisted on one of Huggy’s hamburgers after the game and it gave the guys a chance to talk and relax. Hutch nursed his headache in the usual fashion with a pouch of powdered BC aspirin followed by a couple large gulps of beer to chase it down. It really didn’t help the pain much…but it did seem to put him in a better mood.
Huggy approached their table for a little conversation as soon as he had the rest of his patrons taken care of. He always looked forward to seeing them after the game. Starsky gave him his usual play by play and Cassie gave him the latest gossip that had been going around school that week. Neither of which particularly interested him…but that wasn’t the point. He just enjoyed having them around.
“So…the Wildcats win again?” He asked with a smile as he sat a tall glass of soda down in front of her.
“Naturally..” She replied as she smiled up at him and took a long sip from the straw.
“Unbeaten all season.” Starsky announced proudly. “You should see this kid Williams…What an arm.” He told him.
“Sorry I missed it.” Huggy said with a grin and laid a comforting hand on Hutch’s tired shoulder. “And how’s the other half of the Dynamic Duo holding up?”
Hutch just gave him a weak thumbs up and a half-smile as he continued to nurse his beer.
They laughed and talked for a little while longer as Cassie finished her burger and then it was off to drop Hutch off at his place and home. With a wave goodbye to Huggy and a small kiss on his cheek from Cassie…the three of them were gone.
************************
As Cassie cleaned the kitchen of what little glasses and silverware remained in the sink from their hurried breakfast earlier that morning she noticed a few pieces of bacon and a half-eaten egg on Starsky’s plate. He never finished his breakfast no matter how much time she took to prepare it. He would always pick through it and hurry out the door. She knew he would grab a donut or two before hitting the streets with Hutch. He always preferred sugar to nutrition. Still, it seemed such a shame to let this good food go to waste.
Starsky was in the bathroom taking his usual long hot shower the way he had done every Friday night after Huggy’s. She knew she didn’t have much time and she knew he would only yell at her again if he caught her but she took the chance anyway. After all the poor little thing was always so hungry and he was used to her feeding him at night. She knew he would be waiting at the back steps for her and she just couldn’t throw that plate of food in the garbage.
She slowly opened the back door and crept quietly out…careful not to make any noise as she let the door close behind her. Then quickly she walked over to the trash cans and called to him…”Here Boy…C’mere Boy.”
A shy little puppy stepped cautiously from behind the hedge and crept over to her…whimpering pathetically as it inched closer and closer. His frail little body trembling as he walked. She was obviously the only source of food that he knew and though he was afraid of her…his hunger had overcome his fear. She knew he wouldn’t let her keep him…He would always get mad at her for feeding him. But her heart went out to him and she couldn’t help herself.
**************************
After his shower, Starsky put on his underwear and robe and walked out into the kitchen to let her know she could have her turn in the shower. When he didn’t find her in there he walked back down the hallway and knocked on her door. It opened with his touch and the room was empty. A very strange feeling crept over him as he realized that she wasn’t in the apartment at all. Then the thought occurred to him…the puppy. He remembered how many times he had gotten onto her lately about that dog.
They couldn’t keep him and he was probably loaded down with fleas and ticks anyway. Feeling a little relief at the thought he walked over to the back door and opened it slowly…expecting to find her bending down with an out-stretched handful of food for that same ugly little puppy.
He stepped outside slowly and looked around for her…calling her name a couple of times but she wasn’t there. He glanced over towards the hedge and spotted the puppy…eating a piece of bacon from an overturned plate with a large crack running down the center of it. He recognized it as one of his own…but it seemed to have been dropped instead of carefully placed there. Then he knelt closer as the puppy backed away from him…and there he saw it. One of the red ribbons from her hair. The puppy had been standing on it. But what happened to Cassie? His heart began to race as he picked the ribbon up in his hand…… It was his only clue.
“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 2
Cassie leaned down carefully so she wouldn’t frighten the little puppy as she held the plate of food out in front of her. Then without warning she felt an unfamiliar arm grab her tightly around the waist and pull her backwards. She tried to scream but it was silenced quickly. (With a white piece of cloth held tightly against her open mouth.) As she breathed in the fowl smelling substance, she could feel herself growing weaker… until she could no longer keep up her frantic struggle. Her then motionless body was carried over to a waiting van and she was tossed into the back. They sped away only moments before he had gone out to look for her.
************************
Starsky stood there holding onto the red ribbon for a moment. Then he ran down to the street to see if he could spot any sign of tire tracks or possibly a glimpse of her assailant…anything. But the street was empty. There was nothing but one familiar car pulling into his neighbor’s driveway. His mind was racing and his heart was pounding out of his chest. She was gone…just like that. He yelled for her a couple more times but he knew she wouldn’t answer him. Someone had taken her…maybe at random or maybe because they knew who she was. He had made a lot of enemies on the streets and he had always told her to be careful and never to go anywhere alone. So many thoughts flooded his mind at the same time that it was hard for him to think clearly. He ran back into the apartment and headed straight for the phone.
Hutch had just settled down into bed with the book that he had been trying to read for the past couple of weeks. He had been so tired lately that he hadn’t made it past three pages before falling asleep with it on his chest. The sound of the bedside phone ringing had awakened him from his peaceful dream. Turning his head in the direction of the disturbance…his eyes opened slightly and his hand grabbed aimlessly in that direction. He fumbled with the receiver for a second before recovering it enough to place it next to his ear.
“Yeah..” He said in a very groggy voice.
“She’s Gone Hutch!” A panicked Starsky yelled on the other end of the phone.
Pulling the phone away from his ear slightly he reached one hand up to his tired eyes and rubbed it down his face to his chin.
“What are you talking about?” He asked a little more alert.
“She’s gone…I don’t know…I think somebody took her.” He said still in a panic. “Oh God Hutch …”
“Call the station and tell them what happened…I’ll be right there.” Hutch told him as he sprang to his feet and pulled a fresh shirt and pants from his dresser drawers with one hand. “Don’t worry…we’ll find her.”
“Alright…just hurry.” Starsky said as he pushed the buttons on the top of the phone down and released them quickly as he dialed the station. It rang at least three times before it was answered. He was a little calmer now after speaking with Hutch and was able to sound a little more professional as he explained the situation to them in detail.
A missing persons would have to be filed and he was given the standard lecture that since she was over the age of fourteen, they wouldn’t consider it seriously until twenty four hours had past unless he had cause to believe there was fowl play involved. With that Starsky went off on him…reading him the riot act up…down…and sideways. After a few choice words and a threat to one of his most prized body parts…the officer agreed to send a patrol car over to investigate. He obviously didn’t know who he was dealing with.
Hutch pulled up behind a marked police car that was already in the driveway. He could hear a commotion coming from the other side of the building as he stepped out of his car. It sounded like Starsky was mad as hell at someone…probably the officers who had come over to investigate. He knew that it was procedure and they would be going by the book. But his partner wasn’t in the mood for twenty questions…especially stupid ones.
Hutch hurried around the side of the building and found his hot-tempered partner telling the two pale in the face officers exactly what he wanted them to do and how he wanted it done. They were young and couldn’t have more than a few years on the force between them. Hutch knew there was no way he was gonna let them handle this case. Dobey would have to put them on it or Starsky would have the two of them call in sick until they found her…it was that simple.
***********************
She slept for what seemed like a long time and awoke slowly to find herself in a motel room lying in bed with her cheerleading outfit still on and covered with a blanket. Her head hurt so badly that she could feel it throbbing with every beat of her heart. Two men sat in front of her playing cards and talking as if she wasn’t even there. She wasn’t tied up or restrained in any way but she had a feeling that they weren’t about to let her walk right through the front door either. She realized that the two men were obviously placed there to baby-sit her.
“Where am I?” She asked in an innocent voice as she sat up in bed and looked at them.
“Just stay right there and don’t cause any trouble.” One of them spoke up. “And if you’re a good girl we might get you some scrambled eggs and bacon in a little while.”
The mere thought of breakfast began to turn her stomach…she was already feeling nauseous and his words were enough to send her straight to the bathroom cupping her hand over her mouth as she ran.
They laughed at her for a couple of seconds and then resumed their card game. There was no window in the bathroom and so no chance for escape…that is unless she intended to flush herself down the toilet. It was just one of the many thoughts that ran through her mind as she hovered over it on her knees.
As she crept slowly out of the bathroom she glanced around and spotted a small clock on the dresser…the time as far as she could tell was 3:00AM. Dave would be so worried by now. He must be looking for her she thought. But he’ll never find her here. She didn’t even know where here was.
She stayed awake and listened to them…trying to catch a clue as to where she might be. But they were careful…even as she pretended to be asleep… they kept their conversation simple. Either they were too smart or too dumb to give her any clues…she wasn’t sure.
******************
Starsky and Hutch decided to go to the station and pull some files on some of their old cases. Starsky felt that she must have been taken by someone he knew and maybe if they dug out some old names and ran them down…they could track the most recent parolees and possibly find the guy. Hutch knew they were grasping at straws at best. Kids are kidnapped everyday just because they happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. There must be any number of perverts on the streets at all hours of the night that would love to get their hands on her. But if his partner was right…and she was taken to get to him…odds were she would still be alive. It would actually be good news. A pervert would rape and kill her and then dump her body somewhere and go on with his life. But someone with an ax to grind would have nothing to hold over him if he killed her before he could prove that he even had her. And in order to have the necessary leverage he would then have to prove that she was still alive. Hutch could only hope that Starsky’s instincts were right…for his sake and for Cassie’s
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“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 3
Both Starsky and Hutch spent the night at the station going over all their old files and making sure her picture was circulated through the department and that every cop that walked in that morning got a good look at it. They had narrowed their search down to parolees and escapees from the past year and still had 20 possibles. But that was only out of the ones that the department had been made aware of. There could be others that weren’t on the books yet and they could still be barking up the wrong tree. It could be someone that they didn’t know…that didn’t want anything more than to rape her and dump her body somewhere. The thought was eating at Starsky’s mind but he kept pushing it away…it would be like giving up hope. And he just couldn’t do that.
A couple of younger police officers made their way into the squad room at around 7:00AM. They were talking to each other as they sat down with a cup of coffee and picked up the paperwork that had been placed on the desk. Current felons and missing persons and other reports for them to go over before hitting the streets…and among these was the report on Cassie and the picture attached.
Starsky and Hutch were still going through files and listening to the portable police band radio that Hutch had placed on his desk to keep abreast of any sightings of her. They had noticed all the other officers as they came and went that morning…but they were too tired and too into what they were doing to bother to look up.
Officer Brian Palmer and his Partner Tom Hill, began to thumb through the paperwork that they found in their in box as they sat down. Brian picked up the file with Cassie’s picture and whistled….
“Would ya look at that…” He remarked as he held it in his hands. “It says here that there were signs of a struggle at the scene and she is suspected to have been kidnapped.”
“Yeah….so.” Tom replied.
“So just look at her…I mean…we’re never gonna find her alive.” He told him. “She’s probably already been raped and dumped by now…girls like that are only taken for one reason.”
With that Starsky leaped from his chair and jumped over the table to the other side where Hutch grabbed him by the arm to hold him back. If he hadn’t caught hold of him at that moment …he knew that young detective would be choking on that report. Because Starsky was about to ram it and his fist down his throat.
“Take it easy Starsk…he doesn’t know.” Hutch said as he held onto him.
Officer Palmer had heard the chair as it slid with a loud racking noise when Starsky pushed it out from underneath him and stood up. It had made him look over in that direction and he watched as the hot-tempered Detective started after him. He was frozen in place with both fear and disbelief as he wondered what the hell he had said to ruffle the feathers of the ‘Station house Lunatic’. Only Hutch could keep his temper under control and at this moment Hutch was the only thing standing between them.
“What..” Brian said as he backed away and took shelter behind his own partner “Keep him away from me…He’s Crazy!”
Starsky glared at him as he allowed himself to be restrained by his partner…only because deep down inside the guy was probably right. Still as a cop he should keep those kind of comments to himself.
“Don’t assume anything…You just do what your paid to do and keep your eyes open for her. Take a look at her. Take a real good look…until you burn her image into your puny little narrow-minded brain. Then let us know if she walks right up to you and spits in your face.” He told him sarcastically. “That is if you can recognize her.”
“Sure…I hear ya.” He said as he stood there shaking. “Take it easy.”
Dobey arrived at 7:30 and was surprised to see the two of them there so early. One look at them and he knew that they had probably been there all night. Hutch’s shirt was untucked and Starsky looked like hell. Something was obviously going on…and he hadn’t been informed.
“Ok…in my office.” He said as he opened the door and stepped inside.
They laid the whole story out for him in a matter of a few minutes and both made it clear that they weren’t gonna rest until she was found…one way or the other. Dobey knew that he really didn’t have a choice but to let them handle it. He had seen that same look of determination on their faces before. They wouldn’t be of any use to him until she was found and besides all that he had grown fond of her too. He knew what he would be going through if, God forbid, it had been one of his own kids.
**************************
There was a knock on the door that startled all three of them. One of the men who had been playing cards got up and walked over to the door.
“Yeah..” He said as he waited for a response.
“It’s me.” Came a voice from the other side of the door.
Cassie had been awake and hadn’t spoken another word to them during her captivity. She just listened and waited…out of fear and also out of something in the back of her mind that told her that she would be better off by keeping quiet. She didn’t know why they had taken her but she knew that she was obviously just part of a bigger plan. At least that was the impression she had gotten from their hushed conversation.
The door was unlocked and opened and a short balding man with what little hair he had remaining…totally gray entered the room. He looked to be at least fifty or better and his rough exterior and disposition told her that he must have had a hard life. He spoke in low tones to the other two men for a moment and then approached her.
“I bet your wondering why you’re here?” He said with a half-smile.
“The thought had crossed my mind.” She told him as she crept a little further away from him on the bed. He had weird eyes. Like he might be a little crazy. A little crazy…she thought to herself…of course he was…he kidnapped me didn’t he?
“Don’t worry…you’ll be alright as long as you do and say exactly what I tell you to.” He told her. “If you cooperate…you’ll be released unharmed.”
“Why did you pick me?” She asked.
“Because you hold a certain value.” He answered. “To a certain pair of cops.” He said with a smile.
He did know who she was and who Dave was. But at least she knew now that he wouldn’t hurt her…that is if he was really telling her the truth.
He pulled a notebook from one of the dresser drawers and opened it up to a particular page. Then he walked over to the phone and began to dial a number. As it began to ring he grabbed her forcibly by the arm and sat her down in a chair in front of it.
“Now all you have to do is read exactly what’s on the paper. Don’t try to say anything else.” He told her as he held the phone to her ear and bent down close and held the receiver at an angle so he could listen.
She knew that she better do as she was told and so she took a deep breath and waited for the party on the other line to answer. Then a voice came on the line…a familiar voice that made her heart jump!
“Hutchinson….”
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“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 4
She wasn’t expecting to hear Hutch’s voice and the sound of it caused a rush of adrenaline to flow through her body. She wanted so much to cry out to him for help…to scream for him to come and rescue her. But she couldn’t. All she could do was begin to cry as the lump formed in her throat. She looked down again at the paper and began to read through the wall of tears that blurred her vision.
Hutch looked over at his partner who was leaning with his head against his hand and his elbow on the desk about to fall asleep.
“Is anyone there?” Hutch asked into the receiver. He could hear her sobbing into the phone but he hadn’t been able to recognize her yet.
“Let me speak to Detective David Starsky.” She finally managed to get out as she read from the paper.
“Oh my God.” Hutch said in a whisper as his eyes widened. Starsky could hear the disbelief in his partner’s voice and sprang to life as he watched him for a response.
“It’s her.” Hutch said, as he looked his partner in the eye.
Starsky grabbed the phone and pushed in the glowing button that Hutch had picked up. He then quickly lifted the receiver to his ear to speak to her.
“Cassie where are you?” He asked insistently as his heart began to pick up it’s pace.
His voice sounded like music to her ears. She wanted to speak to him in her own words. But her captor now held his hand on the back of her neck tightly and she knew that she had to continue from the hand-written page.
“I’m being held by someone of your acquaintance.” She began. “Any attempt to rescue me will cause my instant death.”
“Cassie…talk to me honey…are you alright?” Starsky pleaded with her. He could tell by her voice that she was being forced to speak. But obviously allowed to say only what they wanted her to.
She wanted to answer his question so desperately…she knew he was worried about her…but she continued to read.
Starsky continued to listen as Hutch got on the other line to set up a tap and a trace. He wanted to have the conversation recorded so they could play it back later.
“There will be a series of robberies…all of which will not be met with any resistance. I will let you know exactly where and when only minutes before they take place. Any attempt to prevent them or interfere in any way and they will be forced to kill me.”
She stated as she continued through her tears. “There are also three bombs all placed in very populated areas of the city. They have timers and remote detonators. They can be discharged at will if you choose not to cooperate. Just a little extra incentive for the rest of cops out there who may not give a damn about me.”
Cassie hated what she was doing to him. She knew he would have no choice but to cooperate with them and she felt responsible for putting him in this situation. If she hadn’t gone outside to feed the puppy…if she would have just listened to him. This wouldn’t be happening.
“For every successful robbery…the location of a bomb will be revealed. Until all bombs are recovered. Then I will be released somewhere outside the City limits.” She ended. “Your next set of instructions will be called in at 11:00AM.”
The message was complete and her captor grabbed the phone from her and hung it up.
*****************
Starsky heard the click on the other end as the conversation ended abruptly.
“Cassie…..CASSIE….Damnit!” He said as he slammed the phone down and looked up at his partner who was still on the other line with the communications department.
“Thank you.” Hutch said as he hung up the phone.
“Well did they have time to trace it?” Starsky asked eagerly.
“No…not enough time…but we have it recorded.” Hutch told him. “They’re sending the tape up now.”
“She said she was being held by someone we know.” Starsky told him as he rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and leaned on the table with the other.
“I guess you were right….at least she’s alive.” Hutch said as he put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “We’re gonna get her back.”
“Yeah…I just hope we get to her before they have a chance to hurt her.” He said with a sorrowful look in his eyes.
“We won’t let that happen.” Hutch said as he began to rub the shoulder where his hand was placed. “Besides they’ll probably be too busy…”
“To rape her…” Starsky said as his eyes met his partners. “That’s what you were gonna say.”
“Isn’t that what you were thinking?” Hutch asked in a whispered voice.
“Hutch I don’t know what I’ll do if they….”
“They won’t.” Hutch said with confidence. “All they want is money…it’s not part of the plan.”
“Plans change.” He told him.
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“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 5
Cassie sat in the chair crying as he placed the phone on top of the dresser. Then he grabbed her up by the arm and placed her back on the bed.
“You did good…I knew you would.” He told her. “Straight A student that you are I knew you wouldn’t do anything stupid.”
“How do you know that?” She asked him.
“I know everything little lady…I even know how much Starsky still owes on that flashy red hot rod of his.” He remarked.
“Well I’m glad you know so much.” She said with an attitude. “Maybe I won’t have to answer any stupid questions.”
“Oh there is one question.” He told her as he sat down on the bed near her. “Are you his real daughter…or maybe his little underage mistress.” He asked her. “I don’t recall him having you around a few years back.”
Cassie’s first urge was to tell him the truth. But why should she? He probably wasn’t telling her the truth and anyway the real truth would be a little difficult to explain…So she decided to lie.
“He’s my father.” She told him. “He didn’t know about me until just a few years ago.”
“Well that’s kinda funny.” He said as he stroked her long blonde hair and looked into her deep brown eyes. “You don’t look nothin’ like him.”
“I take after my mother.” She said quickly. “She died two years ago.”
“I don’t know if I believe you little girl.” He said with an evil smile. “How old are you…about 16 maybe?”
“Yeah.” She answered him.
“So he must have been about twenty when you were conceived.” He concluded.
“I guess so.” She answered.
“Well then I don’t see how that’s possible.” He told her.
“Why not?” She asked.
“Because he was in the army then…and you don’t look Vietnamese to me.” He said as he glared at her. “Now you want to try telling me the truth this time.”
“I don’t have to tell you anything.” She said with a tone of rebellion.
He grabbed her up in his arms angrily and placed his hand on her face squeezing the sides of her cheeks in very hard.
“You’ll tell me everything I want to know.” He said as he held her just about an inch from his face. “Or I’ll rip your pretty little head off.”
**********************
Starsky and Hutch informed Dobey of the conversation quickly and the tape was delivered to his office. They sat down and listened to it a couple of times and Dobey held his forehead in his hand as he rested his elbow on his desk.
The tape ended for the second time and Hutch hit the stop button on the recorder.
“What time is it now?” Dobey asked not bothering to raise his head.
“10:30…” Hutch answered him.
“Well I guess we just have to wait for the next call.” Dobey said as he finally raised his head up and focused his eyes on Starsky. “Poor kid…I wonder how she’s holding up.”
“The guys obviously pretty smart.” Starsky told him. “Letting us know that she’s still alive by making her give us the instructions and at the same time by using her, he can keep his identity a secret.”
“Yeah it sounds like he’s thought this thing through carefully.” Dobey agreed.
“What else have you got to do when you’re in the slammer?” Hutch commented.
**********************
Cassie kept quiet for the next few hours. She still hadn’t told him the truth about who she was and she wasn’t going to if she could help it. Why did he want to know anyway? It was obviously important to him. But his attention had been diverted by the other two men as they began to prepare for the first robbery. She knew he would ask her again later, but for now she had avoided it.
He was going to take one of the other two guys with him while the younger of the three would be left behind to stay with her. He argued about it for a minute but reluctantly agreed. It was just a couple minutes till 11:00 and the four of them sat patiently waiting on the clock. At 1 minute till…he began to dial the phone. It was again placed between them in the same manner as before and she was handed the notebook flipped to the next page.
After three rings it was answered.
“Starsky…”
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“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 6
Cassie took a deep breath and began to read from the second set of instructions.
“The first robbery will occur in approximately 20 minutes. If they see a sign of a police car or are delayed in any way…they will set off one of the bombs and I will be killed.” She spoke as if she were reading an assignment in class. She had detached herself from the words and sounded a little calmer now than before.
“Just do what they tell you to do…we’ll handle the rest.” He told her.
“The First National Bank on the corner of Fifth and Broadway. You are not to alert them of the situation. Just stay out of the way.” She said calmly. “You will be informed of the location of the first bomb afterward. Expect the next call around 12:30.” She told him.
“I love you Cassie.” He told her quickly as the conversation ended.
Without thinking she answered him. “I love you t……UUHHH”
A hard backhand sent her flying out of the chair and onto the floor.
“I Told You Not To Talk To Him!!!” He yelled at her as he hung up the phone.
Starsky could hear the intense blow to the face that she received and listened as a man’s voice scolded her before the phone went dead.
“The bastard hit her.” He said as he laid the phone down gently with a hurt expression on his face. “But at least now we have his voice.”
It was like he had been punched in the gut. He couldn’t bare the thought that she had been hurt and there was no one around to defend her. He walked away from the table and stood by the wall as Captain
Dobey gave instruction to alert the cars on patrol to stay clear of the area. Hutch walked over to his partner and put a concerned hand on his arm.
“You alright?” He asked as he looked at him with a comforting softness in his eyes.
“Yeah…I’m ok.” He said as he gave him a small half smile.
“He still needs her to cooperate…she’ll be alright.” Hutch told him.
“Let’s get outta here.” Starsky told him as he headed for the door and grabbed his jacket from the coat rack. They had to get to the Bank so they could watch from across the street. Maybe they could catch a glimpse of the guys and find out a little more about them. Maybe even follow them to the place where they were holding her.
During the short drive, Starsky didn’t speak. He kept thinking about what he had done to her. He had set it up so that they could try and get the guys voice on tape. To find out who he was. Starsky had tricked her. He knew she wouldn’t be able to resist saying it back to him. He hadn’t really come right out and said it to her before. How could she not return the words? He knew it would cause a reaction…but he had hoped the guy wouldn’t hit her over it. At any rate…he was just doing his job. So why the hell did he feel so damned guilty?
They parked across the street in Hutch’s car so they wouldn’t be noticed. Starsky’s car would have been spotted in an instant but Hutch had the type of car that would blend into any background. Sometimes he was thankful that his partner drove a beat-up old wreck.
After a few minutes they spotted a black van pull up in front of the bank and two men emerged wearing stocking masks and sporting some heavy artillery. One of the men wore brown dress pants and a button up flannel shirt and had a heavy build. The other man wore faded blue jeans and a dark colored Button up dress shirt. The heavier one seemed to be a little older by the way he carried himself. He was quite a bit slower than his partner.
They watched and waited as the robbery took place…feeling useless as they heard the screams from inside and knew that those people were also in danger. But there was nothing they could do about it.
Starsky and Hutch both ducked down low as they watched the two men emerge from the bank carrying the sacks of stolen money. As the van sped off Hutch threw the car in gear and made a quick U-turn after them. They were trying to be careful not to be spotted as they followed them down the street. After a couple of quick turns the van sped up and Hutch knew that they had been made.
“I have to turn off.” Hutch said as he made a quick turn to the right to give them the impression that he wasn’t following.
“But we’ll loose them.” Starsky said in an excited voice.
“They said they’d kill her…do you wanna take the chance?” He asked as he pulled the car over and stopped.
“Then how are we ever gonna find her?” Starsky asked as he looked at his partner.
“You seem to forget that Cassie isn’t the only consideration here.” Hutch told him. “I know you’re worried about her but there are three bombs out there somewhere set to go off at anytime and some sick bastard has his finger on the trigger.” He paused for a second and then finished. “How many people do you think could die if we aren’t careful about what we do?”
Starsky knew Hutch was right. He hadn’t been thinking about anything else but getting Cassie back. He had almost forgotten about the bombs.
“How do we know the bombs are real?” Starsky posed the question.
Hutch put the car in drive and stepped on the gas. “I think we’re about to find out.” He told him.
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“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 7
Starsky and Hutch arrived back at the station around 12:00 and headed straight for Dobey’s office. They knew that they would have the tape ready by now and they wanted to listen to it. If it was somebody they knew…they would probably be able to identify the voice. If they could figure out who was behind all this…maybe they could find a way to stop him. Once a criminal forms a certain pattern…his next move can usually be predicted.
When they finally arrived Dobey was waiting for them. He had the tape recorder on his desk and had already listened to it about a half dozen times. The lab had done the best that they could to filter out the background noise…including Cassie’s mournful sobbing. But the voice was of a man yelling and at that vocal level…it would be hard to identify.
“So what happened?” Dobey asked his two Detectives as they each took a seat in front of him.
“We were gonna be made…I had to back off Cap’n” Hutch told him as he leaned forward in his chair and rested his forearms on his knees.
“It’s five minutes after twelve.” Dobey noted. “They’re supposed to call in the location of the first bomb in twenty five minutes.”
“If they stick to the plan.” Starsky added.
“In the meantime…listen to this…and tell me if you can recognize him.” Dobey said as he hit the play button on the recorder.
The tape had been made from the initial recording and was only a few seconds long…just his voice after he struck her. They couldn’t totally eliminate the sound of the blow to her face because it happened so close to the receiver. Starsky cringed as he listened to it and then to the man’s voice as Dobey played it over and over for them until Starsky finally raised his hand to let him know that he had heard enough. The voice sounded familiar. That he was sure of…but he just couldn’t place it.
********************
The two men returned to find Cassie and the younger man in a struggle on the bed. He was apparently attempting to rape her but she was putting up a good enough fight to keep him from getting very far. Frustrated with her and with the fact that the other two men had walked in on them…he struck her across the face and moved away from the bed.
“Stuck up little Bitch.” He said as he wiped the blood away from his cheek were she had obviously scratched him pretty badly.
“What the hell do you think your doing Randy?” The other young man said as he glared at him. “You don’t do anything unless you’re told to….do you understand?”
“What’s the harm in having a little fun?” He asked. “I was bored.”
“I’ll tell you what to do and I’ll tell you when.” The old man said as he pushed her assailant up against a nearby wall and held him there with an elbow at his throat.
“Ok old man…take it easy.” He cried out with a frightened look in his eyes.
“So what do we do with her now?” The other one asked.
“Well…they tried to follow us in his partner’s car.” The old man said as he released his hold on the man he had pinned against the wall. “Let’s give them a little penalty.”
*************************
As Starsky and Hutch paced the floor they tried as hard as they could to think of whose voice they had heard on the tape. Hutch didn’t have as strong a feeling as Starsky did that he knew who it was.
“He had her ask for you.” Hutch told his partner as he looked over at him and then at Dobey. “The guy obviously didn’t want to deal with anyone else.”
“Maybe because she would be more comfortable talking to you.” Dobey remarked.
“But why did he pick Cassie in the first place?” Starsky told him. “He obviously has something against me.”
“You heard his reaction when she spoke to you.” Hutch said as he thought out loud. “She was only allowed to read from what he gave her.”
“He’s playing some kind of sick game,” Dobey concluded.
A short black haired woman entered the room from the half open door. She held a report in her hand and spoke with some urgency.
“Forgive me for bothering you but I was told you might want to see this.” She said as she stepped in a little further and held the report out in front of her.
“It’s alright Minnie…C’mon in.” Dobey said with a smile as he held out his hand to receive the file.
“What is it?” Hutch asked as he stepped closer to his Captain.
“They said downstairs that there was a name on the list that might interest you.” She told them as she let go of the report and quickly walked out the door.
“Thank you.” Dobey called to her as he read from it carefully.
“What name?” Starsky asked insistently as he moved behind Dobey to read over his shoulder.
“Where did this list come from?” Hutch said with a puzzled look as he was now trying to read over Dobey’s other shoulder.
“It’s from the nearby Institutions.” Dobey told them. “Recently released patients who have been found mentally sane and fit to function in society.”
With that Starsky grabbed the list out of Dobey’s hand and walked away from them as he read down the list frantically…through the B’s…..through the F’s….through the J’s…..the M’s…..Prudom, George! There it was in black and white. His worst nightmare!
Starsky stood there staring at it as his blood ran cold. It was him…the voice he suddenly recognized…the fact that he had taken her. It all fit. First the two cops he didn’t even know…then Terri….and now he was back. To torture him once more…and this time he had Cassie. His body grew weak as the blood rushed to his brain and he leaned on Dobey’s desk for support.
Hutch watched as Starsky seemed frozen in place with his back to them. He knew that there was something in that report that had just dealt his partner a heavy blow…and he had to know what it was.
“Well what is it?” Hutch asked insistently as he walked over to him and spun him around by the arm.
Starsky almost fell onto his partner as he struggled to regain his balance and the file fell to the floor. He glanced down at it and then back up at Hutch with a hollow expression.
“We’ve all been had.” He told them with a tone of assurance in his voice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 8
“What are you talking about?” Hutch asked as he leaned forward and picked up the file. It seemed like an unusually long list for only the last couple of months. He noticed as he skimmed down it quickly.
“Take a look.” Starsky said as he watched his partner study it.
All these people were apparently deemed criminally insane by trained psychologists. Hutch thought to himself as he continued to read in silence. Just who the hell decided all of a sudden that they’d been hit with some miracle cure?
“Check the P’s.” Starsky said as he turned his back and took a few steps from him…and waited for his reaction.
Hutch proceeded to skip down the list to the letter P and there he saw it.
“Holy Mary Mother of God.” He said as he read the name with disbelief.
“Not even close…try again.” Starsky said as he turned around to face him. “I’ll bet ya next weeks salary the bombs are just a figment of his warped fucking imagination.”
“Damn…” Hutch said as he raised a concerned hand to his partners shoulder. “He just got away with close to a half million dollars.”
“And we just sat there on our asses and watched.” Starsky added and then paused before his next thought escaped him. “I wonder what he’s gonna do to Cassie?”
“Now wait just a minute..” Dobey jumped in. “We don’t know anything for sure yet.”
“She said they’d call back at 12:30. What time is it now?” Hutch asked.
“We’ve got 5 minutes.” Starsky told them. “He’ll call.”
“How can you be so sure?” Hutch posed the question.
“Because he’ll want to rub it in my face.” Starsky said as he walked towards the open door to the squad room. “Let’s get ready for it.”
Hutch had requested a make on the license plate number that he had remembered from his short time behind the van…but of course it came up stolen. Just another dead end. They got the news just before the 12:30 call came through.
******************
Prudholm pulled the notebook over to him as he sat at the table and began to scribble down some last minute instructions. He kept his eye on the clock as he wrote. The scene that he had walked in on when they got back from the holdup had given him an idea. Now that he had the money and Cassie. The fun could begin. He was going to enjoy himself. It would be his final revenge.
He pulled Cassie over to the table as the time drew near. He wanted her to read what he had written on the page.
“I want you to say this.” He told her. “Exactly the way it’s written.”
She skimmed through it quickly and then looked at him with a horrified expression. “I can’t say this…It’s a lie!”
“Ok…so it’s a lie…” He told her with an angry glare. “We can make it the truth …if it’ll make it easier for you.”
“But I just can’t tell him that.” She said as she began to cry. “It’s cruel.”
“If you don’t cooperate little girl….you’ll get that and worse.” He assured her.
“But why?” She asked through her tears. “What good will it do you?”
“I want to see him suffer. This is just the beginning.” He said with a smile.
“I HATE YOU!” She screamed at him as the tears began to flow down her face. She knew what it would do to him.
****************
The phone call came in right on time and Starsky waited for the third ring before lifting the receiver to his ear.
“Starsky…” He said as he waited for her to speak.
She was crying uncontrollably as he put the phone in her hand and put his ear next to hers as before….so he could listen.
“You shouldn’t have followed us.” She said through her tears. “We warned you…”
“Cassie why are you crying?”” He asked in a soft voice.
“It’s your fault that they had to do it.” She said as she tried to find the strength to read the next sentence. “They raped me.”
Starsky swallowed hard as he let the words sink into his brain. His breathing suddenly grew short and quick as his temper flared out of control. He stood up and brought his fist down hard onto the surface of the table. “PRUDHOLM!!!” He yelled into the phone in a fit of rage. He knew the bastard was listening.
Hutch grabbed Starsky by the shoulders to try and calm his anger but he shrugged him off. He was mad as hell and wanted to drive him out of hiding.
“I thought you’d like that.” Prudholm said as he took the phone away from her. “Aren’t you going to ask me were the bombs are?
“I know where they are.” Starsky said smugly. “Where pigs fly!”
“Already figured it out Dick Tracy.” He replied. “How does it feel?”
“What’s the matter you sick bastard?” He said as he let his words flow out of his mouth with no regard to the running tape or the more than a half dozen other men in the room. “You can’t find anything better to do with your life than fuck with me?”
“You didn’t answer my question Cop?” He said in a sinister voice. “How does it feel?”
“Fuck you!” Starsky replied with all the finesse of a street punk.
“Starsky!” Hutch yelled at his partner to make him look his way. Then he made a motion with his finger skimming across his throat under his chin…a sign for his partner to cool it.
“You killed my boy.” Prudholm told him as he attempted to explain his actions. “How does it feel cop? She like your own daughter?” He asked.
“Go to hell Prudholm…You want me…just name the time and the place.” Starsky said as he threw out the challenge.
“I’m gonna give you the same pain that you gave me.” Prudholm stated. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this…Listen cop…Listen carefully.”
“Leave her alone Prudholm.” Starsky told him.
“I want you to hear it.” He said with an evil coldness in his eyes as he reached behind his back and pulled out a small caliber handgun. “One….Two…” He counted as he raised the gun to shoot. “Three…”
Two loud shots echoed over the phone line as Starsky cried out. “NOOOO….!!!!”
“She’s dead cop…live with it.” He said as he hung up the phone.
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“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 9
Starsky picked up the phone in a fit of rage and heaved it across the room. He was madder than he’d ever been in his entire life! Hutch had been listening on one of the extensions as well as one of the investigators from upstairs who wore a set of headphones as he operated the recording equipment.
Dobey had been watching and though he only caught Starsky’s end of the conversation…he knew that something heavy had just gone down.
“Starsky…Hutch…in my office now!” He yelled at them as he held the door open and stood there waiting to close it behind them. He had witnessed the outburst that Starsky had just displayed and he didn’t approve of his tactics at all.
Dobey closed the door and walked up to Starsky ready to display a little anger of his own.
“What the hell was that all about?” He asked his detective in a forceful tone.
“Prudholm claims to have just killed her Cap…give him a break will ya?” Hutch told him as he tried to calm the situation.
Dobey walked over to the water cooler and pulled a cup down to fill it as he thought…about his own kids for a moment. He probably would have gone a little crazy himself. Starsky walked over to the window of his office and just stared out into space for a moment as Hutch waited for one or the other of them to speak next.
“Do you think he was telling the truth?” Dobey finally asked them as he turned around.
“I don’t know.” Starsky answered. “All I do know is that I probably won’t ever see her again.” He told them as he continued to look out the window. “He wants me to think she’s dead…true or not…he won’t call back.”
“So that’s it then?” Hutch asked him. “We just wait for her body to surface or we assume that he still has her.” Hutch concluded. “We have no way of knowing either way.”
“It was his plan all along.” Starsky told them as he finally turned around to face them. “To make me suffer for the rest of my life…never knowing for sure what really happened to her.” He explained. “If he really did kill her you can bet he’ll hide the body so good we’ll never find it.”
“If he’s still in the city.” Hutch told him. “We’ll find him.”
“I’ll find him.” Starsky replied as he walked over to Dobey’s desk and pulled his gun from the holster and his badge from his back pocket…and threw them both on top of it.
“What the hell are you doing that for?” Hutch asked with astonishment.
“When I find him…I don’t wanna be a cop.” He said.
All of a sudden he headed out of Dobey’s office and towards the exit not bothering to grab his jacket on the way out.
Dobey looked up at Hutch and motioned towards the door with a pointed finger. “Get him back here!”
Hutch started after him when Starsky turned around quickly to yell at him.
“Leave me alone.” He said in an angry tone that Hutch had never seen directed at him before.
“I’m not gonna let you leave like this.” He told him as he grabbed him by the arm.
“You can’t stop me.” Starsky said with conviction him as he pulled his arm away and stormed out the door.
Starsky hurried outside…climbed into his car and peeled rubber as he left the parking lot. Hutch followed close behind… jumped into his own car and went after him. Starsky could see the beat up old Ford as it raced to catch up with him and he stepped a little harder on the gas.
“Leave me alone Hutch.” He said out loud as his tears fell softly on the collar of his shirt. He hadn’t taken notice of them until that moment.
Hutch drove frantically to keep up with him. Starsky took every back street he could to try and loose his partner but Hutch was good. Every corner he took at whatever speed was matched skill for skill until he finally realized that no matter how hard he tried…Hutch wasn’t gonna give up.
Finally Starsky pulled his car over to the side of the road near a small park.
Hutch pulled up behind him and stepped out of his car while Starsky remained in his with the engine running. Hutch walked up to him quickly and began to yell at him.
“What the hell are you doing…have you gone ballistic on me?” He asked his partner as he walked over to him.
“Hutch I need to do this alone…can’t you understand that?” He told him bluntly.
“I love her too.” Hutch told him. “If you’re going after him let me go with you.”
“I can’t let you do that Hutch.” He said as he looked into his eyes. “I just might wind up in prison if I find him.”
“Well…at least we’ll be there together.” Hutch said with a smile. “You’ll need someone to watch your back…just in case you drop the soap or something.”
“Look I know what you’re trying to do” Starsky reasoned as he turned the key in the ignition to shut it off. “I don’t need you to save me from myself.”
“I’m the voice of reason remember.” Hutch replied as he bent down closer to him. “You know you need me.”
“I don’t think he was bluffing this time Hutch.” Starsky told him in a sad voice as he fought to hold back his tears.
“You believe him.” Hutch asked softly.
“Yeah.” Starsky whispered, as the lump in his throat grew larger. “He killed Terri…didn’t he?”
“I won’t believe it until I see her body.” Hutch told him as he reached into the car and put his hand on his partners forearm to comfort him.“And you shouldn’t either.”
“Hutch I heard it in his voice…listen to the tape again….He wasn’t lying.” Starsky said as a few small tears escaped him and ran slowly down his cheeks. Until Hutch believed it the way that he did…he wouldn’t understand.
“I’m here for you partner.” Hutch said softly.
“So what do you suggest we do now?” Starsky asked in a weak voice.
“We’ll just have to watch the airport…bus station…put up road blocks…whatever the hell else we can think of and just hope he doesn’t find another way out of town.”
“I sure would love to get my hands around the neck of the asshole that let him loose.” Starsky said as he wiped the tears from his eyes.
“I’ll bring the beer.” Hutch said with a comforting half-smile as he opened the car door. “Now slide over and let me drive.”
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“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 10
They spent the rest of the day making sure that the whole town was sealed off…with roadblocks and uniformed police officers at the bus terminals and airport. They stopped by the station and Hutch went in to retrieve Starsky’s badge and gun Starsky didn’t want to have to go in and face Dobey so he remained in the car. Hutch did however assure his Captain that he would keep a close eye on his partner until he had time to get over the shock. Realizing that lack of food and sleep combined with this horrible tragedy, had taken their toll on his two favorite Detectives, Dobey was glad at least that they had each other to turn to.
“Take care of him.” Were the last words spoken between them as Hutch picked up the items on the desk and answered his last comment with a smile and a nod.
They went by Huggy’s for the third time that day to see if he had turned up any news from his inquiries on the streets. After receiving no good news they decided to visit a few of the roadblocks to speak to the other cops on duty until nightfall. They were both completely exhausted and hungry. But the thought of food although ever present…was overruled by the need for sleep.
They decided to go back and pick up the Ford as Hutch tried to persuade his partner to spend the night at his place. Starsky declined the offer with the assurance that he would be all right. He felt the need to be alone. He had been struggling to hide his emotions all day for Hutch’s sake. But he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep up the act for much longer.
As he made the drive home from the park by himself, he finally allowed his mind to drift where it had so desperately wanted to be all day. Thoughts of Cassie washed over him and he let them take control. Finally able to relax as he released the pent up anger and tears that had been fighting to reach the surface for so long.
As he pulled into the driveway he turned off the ignition and sat there for awhile, not wanting to turn the key to the apartment and walk inside. Too many memories were waiting for him in there… so he remained in his car… slumped over the wheel…crying softly in his solitude.
He hadn’t noticed how much time had gone by until he finally found the courage to open the car door and step up to the entrance. He turned the key slowly and took a deep breath as he made his way inside.
The place looked so empty all of a sudden. He knew it was his imagination but the sound of the unsettling quiet was almost deafening. He put his holster on the hook were he had kept it for the past 4 years as if he was placing it there for the first time in his life. Nothing seemed as familiar as it should to him. It was like he had stepped into someone else’s apartment. There was no one to great him at the door with a hug and a kind offer to remove his jacket and keep his dinner warm while he took a long hot shower. He hadn’t realized until that very moment how used to her he had become. How many years had he lived by himself with never a thought of being lonely? He enjoyed his freedom. His first reaction to the thought of sharing his life with her was one of intrusion. He liked having his privacy. If not for the sake of his promise and the fact that he felt an instant bond with her…he never would have agreed to the invasion of his personal space.
In an effort to remove the quiet from the room he walked over to the Hi Fi and turned it on. Then he skimmed through some of his music and noticed a few of her albums standing in the rack with his own. He picked one of them up carefully…slid the record from it’s cover and inserted it onto the turntable. Then he pulled back on the release button and allowed it to fall as the needle moved slowly towards it. He had heard the music before…played at a much higher volume and remembered how many times he had asked her to turn it down. She liked to dance around the living room as it played.
He just stood there…listening to the soft sweet tones…and closed his eyes as he watched her dance…through his mind.
He allowed the entire record to play as he tried to imagine how his life would be without her…but he couldn’t. He walked into his room and forced himself to get undressed and get ready for his shower. He came out of the room in his robe and suddenly realized…that there was no need for it. He was alone and could walk around in the buff if he chose to. It was one of the things he thought he would miss when she moved into his life. But now he felt more comfortable in his robe.
He stepped into the shower and let the hot water hit his body. It felt so good to just stand there and let it warm his entire body with its soothing wetness. He always loved his shower. He would set it so hot that it would almost burn his skin…then he would turn around and let it pound him in the back to relieve the stiffness in his tired shoulders. For a moment he allowed himself to pretend that she was still there…waiting for him in the kitchen with a hot plate of food. Talking on the phone while the music played in the living room. A sense of normality finally found him as he continued his shower. Maybe if he stayed in there long enough he could wish her back into existence…and he would find her puttering around the kitchen when he was done.
Of course the hot water didn’t hold out forever and he was forced to turn off the faucet and step out. The music had stopped and the quiet was back. After he dried himself off he thought about a quick shave…she always liked to touch his face just after he finished. She used to love the smell of his after-shave. But he was too tired to make the effort at the moment. Deep inside he knew that there would be no one around to appreciate the effort when he was done...not tonight at least.
He opened the door and went straight to his room to throw on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. He had passed by her room twice already but couldn’t bring himself to open the door…not yet. Then he went back into the living room and put another record on to play. The soft sound of the Bee Gees drifted through the air as he thought about the concert he and Hutch had taken her to. They had a blast. Cassie was so happy that night.
The lump that refused to leave his throat kept company with the tears that seemed to fall steadily down his face. It kept hitting him in waves…getting weaker and stronger and then weaker again.
He walked down the hallway and opened the door to her room slowly with one hand. It was clean and neat with her stuffed animals sitting on her bed as if they had been waiting patiently for her return. Ollie sat in a small rocking chair in the corner. He was her favorite and this was his own special place. She used to tell him that he sat in the chair to watch over her at night as she slept. He made her feel safe. Starsky had always thought it was so ironic.
He didn’t linger for very long. He felt like he was intruding in her space. It was her room…her personal belongings. It would be wrong to invade her privacy that way. So he turned and walked away…closing the door behind him.
Starsky knew that he should try to eat something. His stomach had been growling for hours but his heart was so heavy that food just didn’t appeal to him…even when he remembered the two thick steaks he had purchased on Friday for dinner tonight. She knew how to cook it just the way he liked it. He could only afford the good meat once a week on payday and so he had left them in the bottom of the refrigerator thawed and ready.
He decided to make a quick trip to the kitchen for a glass of milk to calm his stomach before attempting to sleep. As he walked passed the back door he heard a mournful sound coming from outside. It drew his attention over to peer out the small window at the top of the door. There he saw the source of the disturbance. That same ugly little puppy that Cassie had grown so fond of. Starsky thought about it for a moment and then walked over to the refrigerator…pulled out one of the steaks…and opened the door to throw it out for him. He kept the door open as he sat on the stoop and watched as it was eaten.
“Go ahead and enjoy.” He said with a sad tone in his voice. “You’d probably end up with it anyway.”
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“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 11
As he watched the puppy eat his dinner…he listened to the record play softly in the background. It echoed through the apartment and drifted lightly onto the night air as he sat in the doorway quietly. The song “How Deep is Your Love” had just begun to play and his thoughts were wandering back to a night…not long ago. When she was so deathly sick. The night Hutch had come over and they rushed her to the hospital. He didn’t know why that particular memory had decided to surface.
It was her favorite Bee Gees tune. The one she played over and over again. The one that made her reach for the volume control knob in the car every time it played on one of the local stations. It was her song…as much as if they had been thinking solely of her when they composed it.
His thoughts focused on that night as he allowed himself to relive it again. He had felt so helpless as her fever shot higher and the pain in her side left her in a state of delirium. He would just as soon erase it from his memory all together if not for that one moment that he didn’t want to forget. The moment when in her weakened and feverish state of mind she had reached out to him…with a kiss. So sweet…so tender…and so full of love. It was a moment that he knew…he would remember for the rest of his life.
He continued to listen to the music as it played. There were a few words that surfaced in the lyrics that he had always felt a connection to…he listened as they were sung in harmony.
“Cause’ we’re livin’ in a world of fools…breaking us down…when they all should let us be…we belong to you and me.”
His tears feel a little faster as he listened to them…and held a picture of her face in his mind. He could even hear her laughter if he tried…as it seemed to echo softly through the trees in the night air.
The phone rang so suddenly that it caused his body to jump. He had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts that the sound had actually taken a few seconds for him to recognize.
He stepped back inside…to shut and lock the back door as he reached for the phone on the wall.
“Yeah..” He said after clearing his throat quickly.
“I just thought I’d call and see how you were doing.” Hutch’s voice came through the line softly.
“I was just going to bed.” He said in an attempt to put his worried partner’s mind at ease.
“Good idea.” Hutch told him. “Try and get some sleep…they’ll call us if they find him. He can’t leave the city without us knowing. It’s just a matter of time.”
“Yeah…night Hutch.” Starsky said in a soft voice. Hutch could hear his partner’s disbelief through the receiver. Hell…deep down he didn’t believe it either. There are just too many ways to sneak past a roadblock.
“Goodnight buddy.” Hutch said as he held the phone in his hand and waited for the click on the other end before setting it back down. If Prudholm didn’t surface soon…if he vanished without a trace before they could ask him. There would never be a resolution to the mystery…and her memory would never give him any peace. Hutch sat there wishing to God there were something more he could do for him.
**********************
They had decided to wait until nightfall to leave. It would be easier to steal a car in the dark and make their escape. They would drive for a while until they could find an airport somewhere in another city to take the flight to New York.
Prudholm had sent Randy out for some food while he and the other man played cards and watched the clock.
“So how long do we wait here?” The other man asked as Prudholm dealt the cards.
“Patience is a virtue.” He told him as he began to deal. “Haven’t you ever heard that one before?”
“But they’re looking for us.” He said in a worried voice. “You got the whole damn police force pissed at us.”
“Pipe down and quit your whining.” Prudholm said annoyed. “We’ll leave when the time is right.”
“No more phone calls…No more games…we’re just gonna leave.” The young man told him as if posing a question.
“I’ve already played out my hand.” He answered him. “He’s gonna suffer…that’s all I care about.”
A knock on the door sent Prudholm to his feet to open it. After a quick confirmation it was opened and Randy walked in with a few small containers of Chinese food from down the street.
They all three sat down together and began to open up the boxes as they passed the food around. Randy picked one of them up and walked over to the bed as he placed it down gently.
“You hungry?” He asked as he pushed it over to her slowly.
“Go to Hell.” She said in a very weak voice as she turned away from him to face the wall.
“Have it your way sweetie…It don’t bother me none.” He told her as he picked it up and began to eat from it.
“Hey George…what are we gonna do with her anyway?” The other man asked as he took a sip of his drink.
“I know a guy in New York who’ll give us top dollar for her.” He said with a smile. “If she’s a virgin…He’ll pay even more.”
“That means hands off Randy.” The young man said a little louder as he looked towards the bed.
Randy had been sitting near her…still eating from the container.
“I don’t want her anyway…all she does is cry…she’s getting on my nerves.” He told them.
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“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P&C PRODUCTIONS
CHAPTER 12
Around 11:30PM Prudholm and the other two men began to gather their personal items together. They were preparing to leave in the van and would quickly find a parked car somewhere to hot wire so they could dump the van and switch vehicles. Cassie had been listening to them as they made their getaway plans. She had already made up her mind. She wasn’t going with them…no matter what it took. She knew that it would be up to her to save herself. Starsky thought she was dead and she just couldn’t let it end this way. She loved him and she knew that he loved her too. She could hear it in his voice even before he actually said the words. She just had to be patient and wait for her chance to break free.
Prudholm grabbed the last item and shoved it into the van as Randy climbed up on the bed to grab her by the arm.
“C’mon baby…time to go.” He told her.
“Alright I’m coming…just keep your hands off me.” She said as she pulled her arm away.
“I’ll bet you’re not even a virgin.” Randy said as he watched her scoot off the bed and stand up to fix her skirt.
“I don’t care what you think.” She answered him as she bent over to tie one of her loose shoestrings.
Randy stood up and grabbed her around the waist…pulling her up to face him as he held her close.
“Did he ever give you anything like this?” He said as he pulled her closer and kissed her hard on the mouth.
She pushed at him and tried to scream but only emitted muffled sounds of panic.
Then he released her and began to laugh. “You’re a virgin alright…A real woman would appreciate a kiss like that.”
“Yeah …well when I find a real man…I’ll let you know.” She said as she wiped her mouth off and looked at him with disgust.
He drew his hand back and hit her hard in the face as the other two men stepped into the room. She fell onto the floor and cupped her small hand over her swollen lip. Prudholm helped her to her feet as she looked at the palm of her hand. It was covered in blood.
“Get in the van Randy.” He told him as he looked at her face. Her bottom lip was split open and the blood was pouring from the open wound.
“Grab a towel from the bathroom and put her in the van.” Prudholm told the
other young man. “And keep Randy off her…She won’t be worth anything if he keeps beating her.”
Cassie was put into the back of the van and the younger man climbed in behind her. Prudholm positioned himself in the driver’s seat and started the engine. Randy had already been seated on the passenger side in front waiting for them. Prudholm put it in gear and the van sped off into the night.
They found a small unattended parking garage with a few cars inside. It was well lit and deserted. Randy and Prudholm got out and walked down the row of cars looking for one that would blend in with the night traffic. An older dark blue four-door Chevy sat in the corner. Randy walked up to it and tried one of the doors…it was unlocked. After a few minutes they were able to rig the wires under the dash and Cassie heard the engine start.
Prudholm walked back over to the van and told the younger man to follow them to a place were they could leave it. It would be found too easily in the garage and the cops would be able to figure out which car they had taken.
The younger man climbed behind the wheel of the van and Cassie was told to sit up front as Randy and Prudholm pulled the blue Chevy out onto the street. They drove for a little while and hit a few traffic lights as they headed out of town. Cassie was waiting for just the right moment…she was ready for it.
At the next light the blue Chevy made it through a light just before it turned red. The van stopped and Cassie watched as the car continued to get further away. The young man who was driving had been listening to the radio and hadn’t noticed her hand as it gripped the door handle tightly. As the light turned green and the van started through it Cassie pulled the door open and jumped out suddenly. The van was only moving at about 10 miles an hour but it was fast enough to cause her to fall to the pavement and skin herself up a bit before standing to her feet again. She ran as fast as she could and jumped over a small ditch and into a thick patch of woods. By the time he pulled the van over and got out to look for her…she was gone.
“Damn it!” He yelled as he kicked one of the tires and punched the side of the van. “The old man’s gonna kill me.”
Cassie ran for a while until she came to a clearing where there was another road leading back to town. She was still in the city but on the outskirts. She knew it would be a long walk back and so she decided to try and flag someone down to give her a ride. Her father warned her about hitchhiking and she knew how dangerous it was but she had to take that chance. She saw the lights of a car as it drew near her and put out her hand with her thumb up…praying that the driver would be a reasonably nice person.
The younger man decided to catch up with the Chevy and tell them what happened. It took a few miles before he could get them to stop and both vehicles pulled over to the side of the road.
Prudholm stepped out of the car and up to the van. “This’ll be a good place to dump it.” He said and then he noticed the empty seat next to his friend. “Where the hell is she?” He asked as he glared at him.
“She got away.” The younger man told him. “Let’s just get out of here.”
Prudholm yanked open the van door and pulled the man out forcibly. “We can’t leave now you idiot!” He screamed at him. “You just ruined everything!”
“We have the money…so what if she got away?” He asked him in a worried tone.
“Because you dumb little shit…now she’ll go back to him.” Prudholm explained. “All of my careful planning…everything I’ve worked for…how could you be so damn stupid?”
“Well there’s nothing we can do about it now.” The young man said as he started to walk towards the car.
“Oh yes there is.” Prudholm told him as he followed behind and grabbed him by the arm to talk to him. “We’re not leaving until I finish this.”
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