Shadows

By M. Willow

Chapter Fourteen

Hutch drove the car like the demons of hell were chasing him.  And perhaps they were.  He had been framed, easily, without any reason he could figure out, but he had been framed.  No way had he killed Ted and no way was Sandra dead.  Sandra was off somewhere probably married with children.  Only his father could tell him where she was, but the last person on earth he wanted to talk to was his father.  Now if he could only reach his parent’s before the sheriff arrived.  It didn’t’ take a rocket scientist to figure out where they were going.  He figured they had a head start because the sheriff was probably still searching the house.

 He looked at Starsky.  He should have prepared him, told him more about what his parents were.  He’d had his chance when he told Starsky about Kevin Anderson, but he just couldn’t do it.  He’d seem the love in the cobalt eyes and didn’t want to risk it.  Now it was too late.  There was no way to prevent Starsky from finding out.  He would know the minute he met his parents what kind of life Hutch had led.  It nearly brought tears to his eyes.  He wanted to turn the car around, turn himself in, but that was suicide.  He needed answers from his father.  He had to prove Sandra was still alive and Ted was out of his mind. 

“Hutch, I know where we’re goin’ but do you think it’s a good idea?”

“Where else can we find answers?” he countered, his eyes riveted to the darkened streets.  Hutch felt a shiver run up his spine.  Something was about to happen, something that would destroy him.  In the mist of it, his major concern was for the man sitting by his side.  What Starsky was about to find out could change everything.

00000

Hutch turned the car into the driveway of a white mansion.  The house was spectacular even in the dark.  Almost the same size as Lamb House, it had a more contemporary style. Starsky tensed when Hutch pulled the car in front of the house.  He didn’t know what to expect from Mr. Hutchinson.  The sheriff had placed a call to the man, saying he had things under control.  Now they were going in and he didn’t even have a gun.  Even if he had one he didn’t think he could shoot his best friend’s father.  He had to hope the man wasn’t desperate enough to hurt Hutch, yet that thought provided little comfort considering his past behavior.

“We’ll have to wake them up,” Hutch said as they got out of the car and headed to the house.

Hutch punched the doorbell five times and waited.  Soon a sleepy servant appeared, his eyes searching the detectives faces, then settling on Hutch.

“Mr. Hutchinson,” the man said with a smile.  “You’ve come home.”  He let them in. “I’m afraid your parents are asleep, Mr. Hutchinson.  Most of the servants are gone too so there’s no one to prepare your room should you decide to stay.  Your father’s annual trip is coming up tomorrow so he gave the staff the week off.  I and the two security people are the only servants here.”

 “I need to see my father, Henderson.  Send him down at once.”  Hutch said.  He didn’t wait for a response.  He walked quickly through the house and opened a door which led to what Starsky could only describe as the living room.  Of course a house this size probably sported several living rooms, he thought, all with appropriate names.

“Wow,” he said, his eyes traveling around the extravagant room.  He saw a wing back chair near a sofa and sat down. Hutch made his way to the bar and poured himself a drink.  He gulped it down nearly with one swallow and poured another.

“I’m sorry, Starsk for dragging you into this,” he said, his eyes meeting the brunet’s.

“Hey, me and thee, remember.  I’m here because I want to be.  You didn’t drag me nowhere.”

Hutch shook his head.  “You don’t know the half of it.”

Starsky was about to say something when a blond man strode into the room.  He was tall with blue eyes and blond hair mixed with grey.  His resemblance to Hutch was unmistakable.  The man regarded him with a look of disgust, hardly noticing the blond. 

Starsky was startled to see the hatred in the man’s eyes before he turned and faced his son.

“So why do I have the pleasure of seeing my son at this ungodly hour?” he said sarcastically, tightening the sash around his robe.

“Dad, this is my partner Detective Dave Starsky, Dave this is…”

“I’m his father,” the elder Hutchinson said, as he strode over and took a seat on the sofa.  Starsky felt like a cow going to the slaughter when Mr. Hutchinson looked at him again.  Hatred, pure hatred, yet he had never met the man.

“I’m aware of your partnership, but I should think you would know better than to bring a Jew in this house,” he shouted.

And there it was.  Starsky looked at Hutch, but the blond wouldn’t meet his eyes.  He couldn’t believe what he had just heard.  It had to be what Hutch was hiding.   Kevin Anderson was a racist and he was trying to get Hutch to accept his parent’s racist beliefs.  Hutch had rejected it, and was tortured as a result.  It hurt Starsky to know the most loving man he’d ever known had been tortured simply because he couldn’t hate. And Hutch had believed Starsky wouldn’t understand.  Even now he could see the look of shame on the blond’s face. 

Starsky took a deep breath as he watched his friend prepare another drink.  He had to talk to him, but first they had to get answers.

Starsky turned his eyes on the man who’d made a biological contribution to his best friend’s life.  “My religion is not why we’re here.  We’re here because the cops are tryin’ to pin Ted Nelson’s murder on Hutch.  We’re on the run until we get answers to clear him.  Now, tell us what you know about his sister.” He waited for an answer but the man just sat there, his eyes cold.

“Your son’s life is in jeopardy and you sit there like nothin’ wrong.  I know you…”

“I know my son got a half Jew slut pregnant.  That’s all I know about Ted Nelson.  I did what I had to do to salvage the family name.  I believed I was successful until now.  End of story.”

Starsky stood and moved angrily forward.  The elder Hutch stood, his hate filled blue eyes disconcerting for their resemblance to Hutch’s.

“Kenneth take your friend and get out.  His kind is not welcome here.  Now, if you want to talk, I’ll be glad to give you a few minutes after he’s gone, but that’s all.  I’ve already wasted too much time on you.”

Hutch came angrily around the bar, his face red.  “If you know what’s going on, and my partner thinks you do, you better start talking.”

“Is that some sort of threat,” the senior Hutchinson said.  Father and son were standing almost eye to eye, each refusing to back down.

“Ted Nelson is dead.  He seems to think his sister was murdered.  I need to find her to clear my name.  Now tell me what you know.”

Richard Hutchinson glared.  “All I did was covered up the pregnancy.  I gave the parents some money to keep their mouths shut.  The slut left town.  That’s all I know.”

Hutch moved before Starsky could react.  He grabbed his father by the collar of his robe.  He spoke slowly, enunciating each word.

“I want answers.  I want to know what you did in 1957.”

“I did what was necessary for the family name,” Richard shouted, glaring at Hutch. “Do you know what a scandal like that would have done to us?  Do you?”

 “Where is she?” Hutch shouted.  “Where did you send her?”

“I don’t know where she went and frankly I don’t care.  I kept your name out of the paper for getting a girl pregnant.  I gave the parents some money.  Now if that lunatic Ted Nelson thought that meant she had been murdered, that his problem.”

“Was his problem.  He’s dead.  They think I did it.  I think I’m being framed.  Do you know anything about that?”

“Why in the hell should I know about it?  I don’t know what you’re capable of doing.”

Starsky knew it was time to speak up.  Richard Hutchinson was prepared to deny his part in Sandra’s disappearance at all cost.  He didn’t seem to care what happened to Hutch.  He made his decision. 

“Why did you have her killed, Mr. Hutchinson?” Starsky asked. 

Hutch and his father both turned to him, but it was the senior Hutchinson that interested the brunet.  He looked completely surprised. 

“Starsk, what are you talking about?” Hutch asked as he let his father go, his eyebrow raised in question.

“Hutch, I didn’t want you to find out this way, but I went to see the sheriff a few days ago after Ted told me he thought you murdered his sister.”

“When did Ted tell you that?”

“Right after you left the store.  I’m sorry Hutch.  I wanted to tell ya, but you were so…”

“I know,” Hutch said.  “It’s okay.  But what did he say?”

 Your aunt spoke to him before she died saying she had some information about Sandra.  He believed your aunt was murdered because of what she was about to tell him.”

“But that’s impossible, Starsk.  She died from cancer.”

“I’m not so sure.  Look what’s happenin’ now.  I also found out the sheriff placed a call to a Mr. Hutchinson telling him he would take care of things here. I can’t think of anybody that could be but your father.”

Hutch turned sharply to face his father.

“What did you do?  Did you have Ted killed?  Did you kill Sandra because you thought I got her pregnant?”

 “How dare you.  How dare you come in here and accuse me of killing that slut.  Is this what I get after all I did for you?”

“What.  You thought a year in that prison was gonna make me into the hate monger you are.   You thought Kevin Anderson asking me to say I hated Jews, that I hated blacks, that I hated everything that wasn’t part of your master race, was going to get me to change.  Well it worked.  I hate alright.  I hate everything you represent.  You make me sick just looking at you.”

“That’s enough,” Starsky said.  Hutch had his hands tightly fisted.  He was trying to control his temper and losing at the same time.  He stepped in front of the blond, his eyes meeting the pain filled blue eyes of his partner.

“Hutch let it go.”

Hutch’s voice shook as he spoke.  “How can I?  Do you know what kind of hell he put me through?  Everyday of my life listening to him talk about the master race.  Being forced to attend meetings with other people like him. Reading about how Hitler was misunderstood.  And then my parent’s final solution.  Do you know how I felt in that place?  I thought he was going to leave me in that room.  That I would die there.  I lived in terror every day.   But my parents didn’t care.  They only wanted results.  And now you know.  How can you look at me?  Knowing what my family is.  Knowing what I was raised to be.  I feel so dirty.”

Starsky shook his head, his hand resting on Hutch’s forearm.  “What you are is the kindest, gentlest man I know.  They raised you to hate, but you couldn’t.  It’s just not in you.”

“But I lied to you.  I tried to keep you from knowing.  How can you ever forgive me?”

“You never lied to me.  You just wanted to protect me.  Think I can hate ya for that?  Don’t you know I love you?”

Hutch had tears in his eyes.  “Oh, god, Starsk.  You don’t know what this means.  You just don’t know.  I was so afraid.  I thought if you knew you would walk away.”

“Ain’t possible.  I’m never gonna leave you.  You’ve got to believe that.”

Behind him Starsky heard the disgusted grunt.  “So my son is queer as well.”

Hutch broke away from Starsky and confronted his father again.  “I never touched her,” Hutch said slowly.  “You had her killed for nothing.”

“I didn’t have her killed.  All I did was give her parents money to keep their mouths shut.”

“Who told you Mr. Hutchinson?” Starsky asked, stepping between his partner and Richard.  “Who told you the girl was pregnant?”

The man shook his head.  “I’m not saying anything without a lawyer.”

“Who told you Mr. Hutchinson?” Starsky demanded again.

“My brother.  That’s who told me.  My brother.”  The senior Hutchinson walked to the chair and sat down.  He seemed drained, like a man who knew he’d lost.

Hutch took a step back, his eyes wide.  He clutched at his head as he sank to the floor.  Starsky was beside him in seconds. 

“Hutch?”

“Oh, god, Starsk.  How could I have forgotten?  How could I have forgotten?  I remember everything now.”  And he slowly told his story. 

Summer, 1957

Hutch was mesmerized by the beautiful blonde in front of him.  She kissed him on the lips, and then drew back, her eyes nearly melting him on the spot.

“Please, Kenneth.  We’ve looked all over the house except your aunt and uncle’s room.  Come on, no one has to know.  Your aunt is out of town visiting her sister.  Your uncle won’t be back for hours.  Please, just one more room.”

Hutch found himself giving in.  They had explored all the hidden rooms of the old mansion except one.  Now she was asking to see that room, but the thought of getting caught scared him.  He didn’t want to risk the respect of his uncle.  Uncle Walter was the most important person in his life.  He couldn’t bear displeasing him.

“Please, Kenneth,” Sandra said again and before he knew what he was doing, they were in the room.

They searched the walls for a hidden panel.  It was a fun endeavor on a raining afternoon.  If he was lucky they could spend some time together necking in the hidden room off from the library.  But for now, Sandra was in full adventure mode.

“I found it,” she shouted, as the panel opened to reveal a room.  The lights came on automatically and they entered.  Hutch was surprised.  All the other rooms were dark.  For a moment he wondered if the old rumor of priceless stolen paintings was true.  He looked around the room, searching for the paintings.  Instead he saw stacks of money piled on a table and some equipment.  He knew instantly that he was looking at counterfeit bills and so did Sandra.

He regarded her.  “We can’t tell anyone what we saw,” he implored.

“We can’t hide this.  What your uncle is doing is against the law.  We’ve got to turn him in.”

“No.  Let me handle this.  There’s got to be a reasonable explanation.”

“Yes.  He’s a criminal.”  Sandra headed for the door.  Hutch knew he had to do something.  There was no doubt his uncle was making counterfeit money, but he couldn’t figure out why.  Aunt Minerva was rich and his uncle had money even before he married her.  There had to be an explanation.

“Please, Sandra.  You’ve got to let me handle this,” he said, catching her at the door of the bedroom. 

“Kenneth, I can’t.  What he’s doing is wrong.  You have to see that.”

“I do.  I do.  And I promise to do something about it.  But you have to let me handle it.  You have to.”

“No,” Sandra said.  She opened the door and stopped.  At first Hutch didn’t see his uncle standing there.  He only saw the look of horror on Sandra’s face.

“What are you doing here?” his uncle said, pushing them into the room, eyeing the still open panel.

“I can explain,” Hutch offered, backing up and pulling Sandra behind him. 

He didn’t like the look on his uncle’s face.  He looked angry, dangerous. Hutch had never been so aware of the sheer size of the man.  Years of lifting weights had left him with muscles that showed even under the suit he wore now.  And he was tall.  In short, Hutch knew he was no match.  The best he could do was try to reason with him.

“I’m sorry, Uncle Walter.  We just wanted to explore the hidden room.”

His uncle knocked Hutch to the floor and grabbed Sandra.  Sandra called his name, pleading for help.  He couldn’t move at first, but then he did, getting up and charging at his uncle.  He had to fight with everything he had if he hoped to save her.  But his uncle was too strong, knocking him back to the floor with little effort.   He didn’t stand a chance of rescuing Sandra, but he had to keep trying.

Hutch felt Starsky touch his arm bringing him back to the present.  He realized he had stopped talking and then blackness overtook him.

TBC