Shadows

By M. Willow

Chapter Seventeen

Starsky tensed when he saw the two men enter.  The resemblance of the taller man to Hutch was unmistakable. 

“So you’re still alive.” Hutch said, his eyes narrowing. 

“Quite.  Oh, and forgive me for being so late.  I had to wait for my partner to pick me up,”

Walter approached Hutch, the self-satisfied grin pasted on his face.  “I imagine you have questions.  Well, let me save you the time.  You see your Aunt Minerva was a meddlesome woman, always sneaking around, poking her nose where it didn’t belong.  She unfortunately overheard a conversation with my partner the sheriff.  Stupid woman.  She was too much in love with me to turn me in, but she wouldn’t hear of me killing you.  We knew it was only a matter of time when you would start to remember with me still hanging around.  That’s when we came up with a plan.  I would die leaving you with the happy memories of me as your uncle.  I would go live somewhere else with Minerva sending me money every year.  Hell, I thought it was a good idea.  I could get rid of the old biddy and you at the same time,” 

Hutch’s father stood and glared at his brother.  Hutch held him back.  “No, let me take care of this.”

“Yes, brother dear.  Let him handle it.  It’s the last thing he’ll ever do,”

“How dare you.  How dare you do this to our family, to my son,” Richard said as he glared at Walter.

“Like you ever cared.  If you had given me money in the first place, maybe we wouldn’t be here.  Maybe I wouldn’t have had to find a way to make my own money.  But no, all you cared about was your precious name and how much money you had in the bank.  Now shut up and sit down,” He leveled the gun at Richard.  

“Please Richard, he’s going to kill you.  Please sit down.” Helen said with a trembling voice.

Starsky was worried that the man would continue to berate his brother, but he sat down when Helen stood in front of him, a look of pleading in her eyes.  Starsky cringed when he saw his partner stand protectively in front of his parents. 

Walter chuckled.  “To continue my story,” he said coming to stand in front of Hutch. “The good sheriff here helped find a willing victim who would never be missed and the fiery crash secured my place in the after life.  After that I moved to Europe.  Minerva continued to support me, no doubt borrowing from her sister since I had spent most of her money.  But then she found out she was dying and decided to turn me in.”

“The bitch was going to confess everything.  Good thing she never knew about me.” The sheriff added.  “The old dame showed up one day and told me everything.  I told her to go home and say nothing till I contacted her.  Of course it was Walter who paid her a visit.”

Starsky felt the reassuring presence of the gun he had tucked in the waistband of his pants.  He doubted they would notice the gun on the bed since he was standing right in front of it safely blocking the view.  Now if Hutch would only move so he could get a direct shot at Walter.  But he knew that wouldn’t happen.  Hutch was guarding his parents.  He wouldn’t move even if that meant dying first.  Starsky had no doubt that they were all dead if he didn’t do something.  He listened as Hutch spoke to his uncle.

“So you came back here and killed Aunt Minerva to stop her from talking?”

“Yes, just a little poison to help her along, but unfortunately I was too late to stop her from talking.  She had already spoken to Ted by the time she went to the sheriff.  Not a lot, but enough to stir up suspicion.  And then you two came to town.”

Starsky spoke, his eyes on the sheriff.  “So you killed Ted and tried to pin it on Hutch.”

“Yes, but your partner would never have lived to stand trial. 

“You see, I knew it was just a matter of time when you would start to remember,” Walter added.  “I was always afraid of that.  I even thought about killing you years ago, but you became a cop and it was taking too big a chance killing a cop.  So you see Minerva knew what she was doing making you executor of her will.  She knew you would remember everything once you came back here.  The bitch was still calling the shots from her grave.”

Hutch glared at him.  “And I would have figured out you weren’t dead.  It was just too neat, you conveniently dying right after I got back.”

Walter smiled.  “Well, enough of the small talk.  It’s time to die.  You see, you’re going to kill your parents.  Everyone knows what a loving relationship you have with them.  Of course the sheriff here is going to kill you and your partner in self defense after he discovers the bodies. Now turn around.”

Starsky knew the scheme had a good chance of working.  It might look suspicious but nobody would suspect a dead man and a sheriff who had nothing to gain from killing them. It was all up to him.  Hutch didn’t have a gun.

Hutch turned around facing Starsky.  Walter took a step back, leveling his gun on the blond.  Hutch and his parents were in Starsky’s direct line of fire.  No way could he shoot Walter and the Sheriff without shooting Hutch and maybe his parents in the process.  He would have to know when his partner was planning to move.  Hutch wouldn’t be able to give him a clue without alerting Walter and the sheriff.  His only hope was that the guards would hear something and come to their rescue.

“Oh, by the way, I got rid of the guards.  Told them to go home, so you can forget a last minute rescue unless you’re hoping the old butler can help you.” Sheriff Mitchel said laughing.

Starsky’s heart sank. They were his only hope.  He’d have to take the chance. He thought back to all the times when he and Hutch had shared a psychic connection.  It was the joke of the precinct, how he and Hutch could communicate with each other without words.  Dobey had screamed at them more than once about having private conversations in his presence without uttering a word.  Now his friend’s life depended on that ability, but could he pull it off?  Failure meant certain death for Hutch.  Death at his hands.  Starsky knew he could never live with it if that happened.  If that happened he would turn the gun on himself and blow his brains out. 

Starsky heard the sheriff speak, but his mind was on his partner.   He locked eyes with Hutch—cobalt blue and sky blue meeting in a place where words had no purpose.  Their eyes lingered as the soul communication took place and the silent countdown started.

One—Starsky adjusted his hand.

Two—Hutch eyes looked to his right.

Three—Hutch pushed his mother and father to the right, the chair clattering to the side as they hit the floor.  He dove in the direction of the bed, grabbing the gun and taking aim at the sheriff as Starsky leveled his gun on Walter. Two shots rang out and the blond and brunet stood together, guns still drawn on the two men who lay dead on the floor.

Epilog

The reading of the will took place one week after the events of Lamb House.  The aunt who had loved Hutch like a son left him a legacy, not of money, but of answers.

A video tape revealed that she had learned of the counterfeit money and the fact that his uncle had embezzled most of her money.  She hadn’t turned him in because she loved him.  She didn’t know that Sandra had been murdered until later, but she did know about the pregnancy.  Like the rest of the family she had believed that Sandra had run away out of shame.

It was Hutch that made her start to doubt Walter. 

“You were always so afraid of him.” She said on the video tape.  “I couldn’t prove it, but I started to doubt Walter.  I brought it up one day.  I wanted answers.  I wanted to know why a boy who was so close to his uncle had suddenly become terrified of him.  And then there were my finances.  By then I had discovered the embezzlement.  I confronted him and he admitted what he’d done. 

I still wonder if he would have killed me if my money had been willed to him.  You see, my will had a stipulation that my money would go to a family member should I die.  That meant my sister or you in the event she was also deceased. 

I can still remember the day I discovered my husband was a murderer.  I overheard him on the telephone talking to his partner.   I was devastated.  I thought about turning him in.  I thought about the danger to you.  In the end I confronted him and forgave him.  May God have mercy on my soul.  I was just too weak to let him go.  I’d have given my life for him, instead I gave my soul. 

I knew it was just a matter of time when you would start to remember.  I loved Walter, but I couldn’t watch him kill you.  It was then that I made a decision—Walter had to die.  I made a deal with him.  I would send him a sizable portion of my money every month.  In return he would literally disappear.  I am not sure of the details after that.  I was just told that he had secured a body which he would use to fake his own death.  I’m certain that he had help from his partner at this point.  I merely made financial arrangements and secured a promise that I would be able to see him once a year in Europe.  I spent every penny of my money to have him in my life.

Hutch shuddered as he looked at the woman who had been like a mother to him.  He felt Starsky’s hand on his neck and was grateful for the contact.

“One of the hardest things I have ever had to do was to send you away.  I knew it was only a matter of time when you would remember everything.  I couldn’t take that chance.  I hope you can find it in your heart one day to forgive me.”

Hutch felt the tears run down his face.  He was grateful that only he and Starsky were there to see the tape.  His parents had returned to Duluth to try to salvage the family’s reputation once the story had hit the press.

When I discovered I was dying, I knew I had to make things right.  I knew Ted Nelson was still searching for his sister. I had to be right by him.  I knew you still didn’t remember what had happened to you.  I had to be right by you.  Today I called Ted.  I haven’t told him anything except I had information about his sister’s disappearance.  I told him he would learn everything once I spoke to the Sheriff.  I only hope I have the chance to speak to you before I die, but I’m playing a dangerous game.  I don’t know who Walter’s partner is.  I may not live to see Walter brought to justice.  I made this tape and sent it to my lawyer in case something happens to me.”

His aunt paused and Hutch leaned into Starsky all strength suddenly deserting him. He knew that both his aunt and Ted had been killed because of what she knew. 

 “If you are watching this, Ken, know that I loved you.  I’m not perfect.  I made Walter my god.  Your parents are not perfect.  They made money and a name their god.  I want you to know that I was proud when you became a cop.  Proud to know that your life would amount to something.  I love you Ken.”

The screen went blank and Hutch broke down completely.  He clung to Starsky’s as sobs racked his body.  He felt Starsky holding him, stroking his neck, pulling him against his chest. 

“Oh god Starsk, I spent most of my life hating.  Hating Aunt Minerva for giving me up.  Hating my parents for not loving me. I don’t know if I can live without the hate.  I just don’t know.”

Starsky pulled Hutch’s head up, wiping the tears from his face.  Hutch looked into the cobalt blue eyes of his partner and saw only love.  He was laid bare before him, his ugly secret revealed.  He had expected his partner to walk away, to feel disgusted that he’d ever known him.  But it hadn’t happened.  Starsky never left his side.

His partner spoke, the emotions strong in his voice, “Then know only love.  It’s what I feel for you.”  He took Hutch’s hand and placed it on his heart.  “Know only love.”  And Hutch did.

Fin

Author’s Notes:

Sensory Deprivation:  removal or reduction of stimulation: the elimination of or a sharp reduction in sensory stimulation, usually as part of an experiment in psychology or as part of repressive interrogation procedures or brainwashing.  From MSN Encarta dictionary.

A little information about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): 

People with PTSD may startle easily, become emotionally numb (especially in relation to people with whom they used to be close), lose interest in things they used to enjoy, have trouble feeling affectionate, be irritable, become more aggressive, or even become violent. They avoid situations that remind them of the original incident, and anniversaries of the incident are often very difficult. PTSD symptoms seem to be worse if the event that triggered them was deliberately initiated by another person, as in a mugging or a kidnapping. Most people with PTSD repeatedly relive the trauma in their thoughts during the day and in nightmares when they sleep. These are called flashbacks. Flashbacks may consist of images, sounds, smells, or feelings, and are often triggered by ordinary occurrences, such as a door slamming or a car backfiring on the street. A person having a flashback may lose touch with reality and believe that the traumatic incident is happening all over again.

You can find more information about this disorder at the following website:

From the NIMH website:  http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/anxiety.cfm

New research may bring relief for the sufferers of PTSD.  Read about it at:

http://health.msn.com/centers/depression/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100148859&GT1=9301