A Morning in the Life of a Cop

A re-write of a scene from the unfilmed S&H script, “Day in the Life of a Cop.”

“Hey, Hutch!” Starsky yelled at the top of the stairs. “What’s takin’ so long?” He grasped the doorknob to the apartment and turned it. He had been waiting in the Torino for several minutes, even honking the horn impatiently at one point, but Hutch hadn’t appeared.

Starsky frowned. It wasn’t like his partner to be late. Of the two, Hutch was the early bird, the one who woke at 6:00 am to go for a morning jog or a stint at the gym. Starsky hated waking up early and Hutch knew it.

Dobey wanted them in the office as soon as possible and they were about to be late. If they didn’t leave now, Starsky knew they would be in trouble the minute they walked through the squad room door. I didn’t wake up early just to be chewed out at work, he grumbled. And speakin’ of chewing, I’m also hungry!

In his rush to pick up Hutch on time, Starsky had forgotten to bring the sweet rolls he was looking forward to having for breakfast. Now his stomach was groaning. Maybe Hutch had some sardines in the fridge he could eat.

As Starsky entered the apartment, he saw why Hutch hadn’t come downstairs. He was sitting on the sofa, clad only in his bathrobe, listening intently to whomever he was speaking with on the phone. He was grasping the handset tightly in his right hand while nervously twisting the cord with his left. Every now and then, he would nod or say something in hushed tones that Starsky could not quite discern.

He approached his partner quietly and sat in the chair facing him, looking at Hutch intently, and trying to figure out whom he could be talking to at this hour of the morning. The face that he saw was white as a sheet and the pale lips were trembling.

“…are they sure…maybe it’s not them…”

Starsky gave Hutch a quizzical look. Hutch acknowledged his partner’s silent question by looking back at him with blue eyes that had begun to well with tears. He’s speaking with his sister, Starsky realized. He could hear her voice on the other end of the phone. At times it sounded like she was crying, while other times she seemed to be shouting.

Something was wrong; something to do with their parents, but Starsky couldn’t make out what it was.

“Okay…yeah…hey, I gotta go, sweetheart…I’ll call you later,” Hutch told her in a trembling, unsteady voice. Trying hard to keep it together, Starsky thought. But for who? For me or for her?

Hutch leaned forward, holding the receiver limply in his hand, presumably planning to hang up. But he seemed dazed and held onto it instead. Starsky removed it gingerly from his partner’s hand and placed it back on the base.

“My parents…they were on their way to Indiana to visit my sister….” He struggled to say the words. “…and their plane…it…there were no survivors,” Hutch said thickly while staring blankly ahead.

Starsky was stunned. He knew there was nothing he could say, but he was damn well sure there was something he could do. He got up from the chair, sat next to Hutch, who was still leaning forward on the sofa, put his arms around him, and pulled him close.

“I’m here, boy,” he murmured tenderly into his partner’s ear, leaning his head against the blond locks that were still damp from the shower, as Hutch slumped against him and sobbed.

He briefly considered telling Hutch it was okay, as one does in these situations, but decided against it. Because it wasn’t okay, was it?

Outside, life continued on, as it does, blissfully unaware of the early morning heartbreak that had unfolded inside 1027 ½ Ocean Avenue, Venice, California 90291. The sound of a dog barking could be heard on the sidewalk below, along with the faraway wail of a fire engine on its way to a different tragedy across town. While 2,000 miles away, another fire engine left the scene of the fatal crash of a two-engine plane in a field in rural Minnesota.

In his office at Metro, Dobey looked at the clock and wondered what was keeping his two detectives. He tapped his fingers on the desk, getting more irate by the minute. They were late, dammit, and he needed them on a case.

Inside the silent, still apartment, the two partners continued to huddle together on the sofa, Starsky’s arms wrapped tightly around his despondent friend. At one point, Starsky softly kissed the top of his head.

After a few minutes, Hutch placed his hand over Starsky’s and squeezed, as he continued to sob quietly in his partner’s arms.

-The End-

Chapter End Notes:

In the unfilmed script “Day in the Life of a Cop” written by Steven Fisher, Hutch’s parents have chartered a private plane to take them from Minnesota to Indiana to visit Hutch’s sister, but the plane goes missing and authorities fear the worst.

Starsky and Hutch spend the day investigating various cases involving a missing woman, a child who has fallen down a well, and a bust at a sporting goods store where they meet up with a cynical veteran cop whose health suddenly takes a turn for the worst.

Throughout the day, Hutch tries to take his mind off of what’s happening with the search for his parents’ plane, becoming increasingly more anxious and despondent, while Starsky feels powerless to help his partner

At the end of the story, he finds out that the plane has been found and his parents are okay.

Neither of Hutch’s parents, or his sister, are given names in the script.

The copy of the script that I have is marked as the Final Draft, dated May 2, 1977, so it was presumably meant to air during the third season.

Here is Hutch’s dialogue at the beginning of the story, telling Starsky what happened: “Last night they boarded a private plane in Duluth. Two engine job. My sister called a little while ago. The plane is seven hours overdue.”

The stage direction then reads: Hutch goes o.s. to put on his clothes. There’s nothing Starsky can say.

At the end of the script, after Dobey informs Hutch that his parents’ plane has been found and they’re safe, the final paragraph reads: Hutch’s eyes well with tears. He looks at Starsky. Starsky embraces Hutch, then holds him at shoulder length. FADE OUT