Honey and the Moon

It shouldn’t be this way- the morning after a night that saw yet another argument with the most important person in his world. But as a third thing soaked in, the fact that he was lying in his partner’s bed wrapped up in his arms, he was convinced that everything was all right.

Published in the 2004 SHarecon zine. Sequel to Blood and Trust.

Kenneth Hutchinson slowly work up in the morning hours of Friday morning and gradually realized two very critical details.. First, he was truly warm for the first time in what seemed like ages and second, and even more important, that he was happy.

Their fight of the night before wasn’t far from his thoughts but in safety of Starsky’s embrace it felt like it was a long time ago. It was hard to believe that it was less that six hours ago when he had lain in bed with this same person and the ice between them had been tangible. Neither could sleep and both were frustrated with their current case. Continuing the trend of the nights before, the fighting had started again and it was enough to make him physically ill. He had dressed and had opened the front door before he even realized what he was doing.

His ex-wife had had always had her own melodramatic way of ending an argument by slamming the door and making a point of not coming home until the next evening at the earliest. And every time the pattern had been the same. They never talked about the fight, just went to bed and fucked, ignoring their problems until the next battle occurred. And the cycle repeated, until one night Vanessa left for good and Hutch hadn’t gone after her.

Last night he and Starsky had come closing to losing everything, but somehow they had managed to pull each other back from the edge once again. His past history was part of why Hutch couldn’t leave but the main reason was how much Starsky meant to him. He knew that had things remained unresolved between them it would have irrevocably broken their partnership in all ways.

He could not walk out on Starsky but he could not bring himself to go back into the bedroom either. At an impasse, he had given in to his anger, slammed the door and retreated to the couch. Depressed and alone, he had been unable to do anything until Starsky had found the courage to come to him. And together they had worked out a new way.

Although he knew this wouldn’t be their last serious fight, the resolution of last night had given him faith that they could make a go of this together. This agreement between them would be a permanent solution, not a mere temporary truce. Two men of their temperaments would no doubt find others things to argue over but they would not repeat the same mistakes again. They would stumble upon new ways to hurt each other, but years of experience had taught them both how to heal as well. That they loved each other was never in question. The rest was just working out the details. As long as they kept doing that, they’d be fine.

Not so lost in his thoughts that he wasn’t aware of the man spooned up behind him, he knew the instant Starsky woke up when he heard his breathing change and felt the strong body stretch around him. Judging from the welcoming hardness pressing up against him, he was apparently ready to go as well.

He almost felt more than heard the soft, “Mornin’, love” as he stared to turn in Starsky’s arms to claim a kiss.

“Oh no, you stay put, got you right where I want you,” came the gentle demand as Starsky pulled him even closer against the length of his body. Hutch offered no resistant as his partner turned them so that he was half lying on Starsky’s chest. “Now I can reach all of you,” Starsky murmured as Hutch tilted his head up and was finally able to collect his kiss. The first touch of their lips was soft and gentle,

as they woke up to each other. It didn’t take long for the kiss to deepen as they explored each others’ mouths.

“What do you want me to do,” Hutch managed to gasp out.

Starsky voice was as smooth as silk as he told Hutch, “Just stay there, beautiful. Wanna stroke you all over. Wanna hold you when you come. Been wanting to do this for a long time…”

Hutch moaned loudly as Starsky reached over and stroked his hand down his chest, caressing his way slowly down to his hard cock. He could feel Starsky’s own arousal find its way between his buttocks and he pushed back against him give his lover some friction. He smiled at the moans coming from Starsky’s mouth.

They were both so aroused that it didn’t last long and Hutch gave himself over to his lover’s expert touch. As the last of his orgasm ebbed away, he could feel the strong arms tighten around him as his partner reached his own climax.

When he regained control of his body, Hutch turned over to enfold Starsky in his arms as the last tremors of his lover’s completion faded away.

“I didn’t do anything for you,” Hutch whispered. He was looking forward to getting his own chance to drive his partner to the edge and hold him when he came.

“Sweetheart, you did plenty. Sometimes I feel like I could come just from looking at you. Or listening to you, or feeling how hard you get for me.” Starsky kissed him deeply once again and then continued with conviction, “You stayed last night, you’re here in my arms this morning, s’all I need.”

He leaned up to look over Hutch at the alarm clock. “Well, that and a time machine.”

“If you find one, can we please use it to go back and start this week over?”

“As bad as it was, and I never want to go through that again, Hutch, ever, I think we needed it. Good to get that out of the way early.”

“Early, huh. As long as it’s not often.”

“No, I think we got that out of our system.”

“Think so too,” Hutch agreed, looking over at the time also. “Seven seventeen. Shit. I don’t think were going to make it.”

Two hurried showers and a quick foraging stop in the kitchen later, they were out the door. As Starsky turned the key to start his red Mustang he asked, “Okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, everything’s fine.” Hutch answered, reaching across the seatback to gently squeeze Starsky’s shoulder.

“We’re good,” Starsky confirmed again. “Let’s get this damn thing solved so Laura can rest in peace.”

They had been due to start work at 8am. Thanks to Starsky’s driving, they arrived at Metro by twenty after. After a quick detour for desperately needed coffee, Hutch sat down and pulled out his notebook. “Okay Starsk, let’s start over from the beginning.”

“That’s usually where you’re supposed to start,” Starsky replied, settling on the edge of the desk and easily ducking the hand Hutch swatted in his direction. Sipping from his cup, he continued, “At least we know more than we did a few days ago.” He smiled at Hutch, but sobered rapidly as he continued, ticking off the points on his fingers as he went.

“We know that Laura Quantrill was smothered to death while she was sleeping. We know that was found dead by her stepfather, Richard Erickson, on Monday morning. We know she was found in a house owned by her uncle, Stephen Quantrill, and we know she was probably killed sometime between midnight and six am. And we know that she was smothered with a blue satin pillow.”

“Which gave us no useful fingerprints whatsoever.”

“Come on Hutch, that would have been way too easy.”

“What’s wrong with easy?” One look at Starsky face and he quickly added, “Don’t say it.” Hutch flipped through his notes again.

“Okay, we also know that her biological father, James Quantrill, had custody of her that night because her mother, Janice Erickson, aka the former Mrs. James Quantrill, dropped her daughter off at her ex-husband’s house around 7pm the night before. We know that James and Janice fought that night. And we’ve got one witness, Rose Jenkins, the next door neighbor…” Another look from Starsky and Hutch conceded, “with admittedly questionable eyesight.”

“Who saw the mother leaving the house shortly after midnight,” Starsky finished with a nod to Hutch.

“And we got a father and a stepfather who both have questionable alibis.”

“An uncle that we can’t locate.”

“And at least three people with a potential motive.”

“Yeah, get rid of the kid so we can get on with our lives,” Starsky said, bitterly.

Hutch reached up to squeeze Starsky’s knee in an attempt to convey some reassurance. “We’ll get whoever did this, I promise.”

“I know,” Starsky replied, covering the hand with his own and squeezing back.

They sat there in the deserted squadroom for a few minutes. Hutch thought about the harshness of Laura’s death, and wondered who she would have been had she been given the chance to be a teenager. To grow into a young woman with children of her own. Even with all of the brutalities he had witnessed over the years, he still could not fathom how someone could kill a child. The day he understood that mentality was the day he would quit this job for good. It seemed there was so little love in the world.

“Starsk…” he began tentatively, but for reasons different than the fear of last night. Then he had been afraid to talk to his partner, now he was reluctant to disturb the Starsky’s train of thought. There was a faraway look on his face and he wondered where his thoughts had taken him. They probably were not far from his own, this was one issue both had always felt strongly about. Although neither had the desire to become a father, adopting other people’s children was almost an unwritten rule of being a police officer. “To protect and serve,” especially the young and the weak…

He wasn’t the least bit surprised at Starsky’s quiet “I know, I love you, too.”

“Yeah,” agreed Hutch with a soft smile. “There’s that. No matter what this damn job throws at us, whether we stay with it or not, we stay together.”

“I know that too, Hutch, we always have. Matched set, remember.”

“Good to know we’re back in the same place again.” It wasn’t a question, and the certainty in his heart came through in his voice.

“We just got a bit lost somewhere along the way. Next time don’t forget the map,” Starsky teased.

“You got it.”

They spent a few more minutes in their own world before coming back to reality. “How much you want to bet we’re going to spend most of the day chasing down suspects,” Hutch grumbled.

“At least we know James is currently enjoying the lovely hospitality of the LAPD lockup, that’s one down already.”

James Quantrill was currently in custody for possession of cocaine. He had been found in his brother’s house on Monday morning, deeply asleep and apparently unaware of his daughter’s dead body lying in the room next to his.

“The warrant’s still out for Stephen.” The elder Quantrill was a ‘person of interest’, wanted both as a possible witness as he was the registered owner of the house and also due to his many previous convictions for drug offenses, given the charges against his younger brother.

“And the step-father is due here at ten. It might not be that bad. We could get lucky for a change.”

“Uh-huh.” Hutch was not convinced that their luck would extend to suspects conveniently showing up on their doorstep, summons to appear or no summons to appear.

“You know what you’re going to ask Richard Erickson?” Starsky asked, quickly adding, “When he shows.”

They had barely finished working out the details when Dobey noticed their tardy arrival. He didn’t waste any time calling them on it.

“Starsky, Hutchinson, my office,” came the succinct command.

“Our captain has such a way with words,” quipped Starsky.

“After all these years, I’m surprised he hasn’t worn those particular words out yet,” Hutch replied as they hustled in to their superior’s office.

Dobey barely waited long enough for them to make themselves comfortable in the guest chairs, sitting as they always did almost close enough to touch.

“It would make my morning to hear that you two have made substantial progress on the Quantrill case. It would make me even happier to hear that you’ve figured out who killed her.” He gave them both an expectant look as he walked around them to sit down behind his desk.

Starsky rapidly jumped in before he could start lecturing. “Actually, Cap’n, we do have a plan.” Between the two of them, they quickly outlined their ideas.

“Good. Get on it.” He gestured toward his door with his pen. As Hutch was opening it, Dobey asked, “Can I assume that you two have also solved whatever’s been interfering with the performance of your sworn duties of late.”

Hutch could read the concern in the gruff words and answered for them both, “All taken care of Captain.”

“Glad to hear it. Not get out of my office so I can get some work done.”

Once they’d reached the safety of the squadroom Hutch asked, “Think he heard your ‘way with words’ crack?”

“I think he hears everything. What’s worse is, I think he knows everything too. We’re much better off if we keep him happy.”

“Words to live by partner.”

Richard Erickson arrived right on time, just as a uniformed officer was bringing James Quantrill up from the lockup for his interrogation. The two men traded glares as they passed in the hallway but did not speak.

As he reached the door of Interrogation Room B, Hutch stopped for a moment, watching the confident steps of his partner as he moved past him to Interrogation Room C. Starsky also stopped at the door and as if he knew he was being observed, looked back at Hutch. The glance lasted no more than a second but was packed with a deep meaning that only partners who had been as close as they were for as long as they had could interpret.

Thus fortified, Hutch took a deep breath and moved into the small room to start the questioning of Laura Quantrill’s stepfather. The tall black man who awaited wore a grease stained but recently laundered mechanic’s uniform. His work calloused hands were clasped in front of him, brown eyes conveying grief and sadness. An hour and a half later, it was clear to Hutch that the man had nothing to do with his stepdaughter’s death.

As he was documenting the interview, he felt rather than saw Starsky lean over his desk, and without looking up from his file asked, “Any luck?

“You mean did I get a tearful confession, signed and in triplicate?” Starsky asked as he settled himself on the same spot of the desk where he’d been sitting earlier. Hutch looked up at his partner, a hopeful look in his eyes.

“No. And I can tell you I’m positive it’s not him.”

“Damn. No luck with Erickson either. He loved that girl like she was his own. He’s got a few priors for theft, but the last one of those was four years ago, back in ’78. He says he’s trying to settle down, earned an auto mechanic’s certificate and he’s been working in the same place for over a year now. We know he and Janice have been married for six months and that they knew each other for two years before then. And he’s genuinely upset, wants to know when they can have her body so they can bury her. You sure about the father,” Hutch asked reflexively but not really doubting his partner’s judgment.

“There are many things that we can charge our man James with, not the least of which is child neglect, if not outright abuse, as well as possession with intent, given what he told me about him and his brother’s little drug dealing business. He wasn’t happy about the child support, when he bothered to pay it, and he wasn’t thrilled about babysitting sometimes, but I don’t get the feeling he was bothered enough by his daughter to kill her. Plus the fact that he’s high most of the time.” Starsky shook his head, conveying his disgust. “He just didn’t care.”

“So we were both wrong. Strike those two men off the list,” Hutch agreed.

“But, and here’s where it gets really interesting, Hutch. Your neighbor did see something. Rose Jenkins was right. Janice came back around midnight.”

At that Hutch relaxed a little, leaning back in his chair and putting his long legs up on the desk. He used one foot to nudge Starsky’s thigh, encouraging him to continue. This was the first solid lead they’d had in days.

“Was news to me, too. The had a big fight, Janice had heard they’d made a big sale and wanted her cut of it. Said that says as his ex it was part of her alimony, if you can believe it. They had a huge argument, and he walked out on her.”

“Around midnight?”

“Yep. Which well within the time the ME says Laura died.”

“Good thing Mama’s next on our list. She’ll be here at two. If she shows,” Hutch said.

“So far, so good, partner. Wait and see. Our luck might hold.”

There wasn’t much to say after that, so both men concentrated on updating their reports, determined that the paperwork was not going to be an opening for the defense. Hutch had just finished the last of his notes on the Erickson interview when his partner declared that he was in an advanced state of starvation. They decided on a deli close by, both needing to get out of the station for a while but reluctant to go too far.

By unspoken agreement they ate quickly and were back to work inside of an hour. Once again their boss was waiting for them upon their arrival.

“You two look a lot better. Tell me this means you solved the Quantrill case?”

“Not yet, but we got a plan, Cap. Nothing to worry about.” Hutch tried and almost succeed in hiding his smile at his partner’s glib reassurance.

Dobey obviously wasn’t impressed. “You said that this morning. And seeing as I know all about you and your plans, Starsky, I’m not exactly convinced.” Using his partner as cover, Hutch took the opportunity to slide away from the discussion, heading for the other side of the room.

He heard his partner start to try again, “Cap…, ” only to be dismissed with a wave of his boss’ hand. “Get going. Less talk, more case solving. And Starsky… I’m glad to see you and Hutch really did get things sorted out. I’d hate to have to saddle someone else with one of you two.”

“Yeah, he may be a pain, but he’s my pain.”

“Goes both ways partner,” Hutch called from across the room, not insulted in the least. “Get over here and help me out.”

“Duty calls, Cap.”

“Get on with you,” Dobey growled, heading for his office as they headed back to their desk once again. Resuming his perch, Starsky rummaged through the file yet again. Snapping his fingers, he said, “Damn it Hutch, we’re slipping.”

“What?”

“We didn’t find the money. James made a sale, that’s what they fought over. Janice wanted a cut. But we didn’t find the cash,” Starsky said, waving his arms around enthusiastically.

His excitement was contagious and it sparked a thought for Hutch. “Neither did the uniforms? What if it’s not in the house?”

“If we’re really lucky, big brother Stephen is dumb enough to be carrying it around.”

“That assumes we can find him,” Hutch said, as he reached over to answer the ringing phone. “Hutchinson… Yeah… Really… Good, thanks.”

“What,” Starsky had been trying to lean over into Hutch’s space to listen in but couldn’t get close enough to hear the answers on the other end.

“You’re not going to believe who they just brought in.”

“Tell our luck’s still holding.”

“Must be that rabbit’s foot of yours, Starsk. They just booked Stephen Quantrill. Found him at the Roughbay. The same …”

“…bar Janice and Richard were hanging out at on Saturday night.” Starsky finished.

“We’re not dealing with a real bright group here.”

“No argument from me. But the big question is, did he have any money on him?”

Hutch grinned and picked up the phone. “Hey, Bruce, did Stephen Quantrill have any cash on him when you brought him in.” This time Starsky did get close enough to listen in and both could clearly hear, “Yeah, the guy had a wad on him like he just robbed a bank or something.”

“Or something,” laughed Hutch.

“Not illegal to carry around a few grand,” Starsky pointed out. “Stupid, but not illegal.”

“Unless we can prove where he got it from,” Hutch responded. “Then it might very well be illegal.”

From the phone came the question, “Hey, you still there Hutch?”

“Yeah, what else you got for me.”

“Your guy had about five vials of coke on him, too.”

“That’ll do it. Thanks Bruce.”

“You guys want him in one of the interrogation rooms.”

“Not yet. We’ll let you know.” Hanging up the phone, Hutch said, “That was entirely too easy.”

“Shh, you’ll jinx us,” Starsky warned.

“You don’t suppose Mrs. Erickson is really going to show up.”

“Why not? James and Richard did.”

“James didn’t have a choice, remember. And we now know Richard had nothing to hide. Janice, on the other hand, has every reason to make a run for the border. You do realize that we’ve used up all of our luck for the next month? I can just see our next case being one big game of hide and seek all over the wilds of LA.”

“‘Wilds of LA’, Hutch?” Starsky chuckled. “I don’t care if we have to play hide and seek all over the entire US, I just want this one finished. And I’ll take all the luck we can get.”

“We’re not going to get that lucky, Starsk. She was supposed to be here ten minutes ago. She’s not going to show and we’ll spend the rest of the day and half the night trying to trying to track her down,” Hutch grumbled.

“Pessimist, ” Starsky accused.

“Realist” Hutch shot back, but without heat. It was a debate they’d been having for years.

“Bet you ten bucks she shows in the next twenty minutes,” Starsky offered.

“You’re…” Hutch started to say, just as an officer poked her head around the door. “Hey Hutch, there’s a Mrs. Erickson here to see you. Say’s she sorry she’s late. I put her in Interrogation B.”

“Never mind,” Hutch quickly said, deliberately ignoring his partner’s trademark grin.

“I’ll take it out in trade later,” Starsky said, still smiling.

They slowly walked down the hall to the interrogation room, figuring it wouldn’t do any harm to let her sit for a few more minutes. Stopping outside the closed door, Hutch pulled a quarter out of his pocket. “Want to flip for it?”

“Nah.” Hutch looked at him in surprise as Starsky continued, “I know you want it. Go on, get started. I’ll be there in a minute.”

By the time Starsky walked in ten minutes later carrying three cups of coffee, Hutch was well into the interrogation. Two hours later, it was over. The petite twenty-three-year-old woman had finally admitted to returning to the house and killing her only child. She had gone back to demand what she considered to be her share of her ex-husband’s drug proceeds. Finding the house empty except for Laura, she had taken her anger out on the girl, and then calmly gone back to the bar where she had been drinking with her current husband and continued on with her night out. When pressed for a motive, Janice would only say that the pregnancy had been an accident and she couldn’t imagine spending the next ten years rearranging her life around Laura’s.

“Jesus, Starsk. How in the hell does a mother smother her own daughter?” Hutch asked angrily.

“I’d tell you if I could, Hutch,” Starsky replied, obviously just as upset. “But I don’t think I want to know what makes someone like that tick.”

“Why the hell they just didn’t send her off to an aunt or a cousin or something? Or call social services. Someone must have wanted her.”

“Her stepfather did, remember that. From what you told me, Richard loved her like a daughter. If nothing else, she had that much.” Leave it to his partner to find the one bright spot in the little girl’s life. Lord knew Starsky’s love was the only reason he kept going somedays.

On their way back up the hall they met their boss for the third time that day. Dobey must have read something in their faces because instead of the demanding inquiry Hutch was expecting, he took pity on them. “Go home, you two. Tackle it fresh in the morning. I know this has taken a lot out of you both.”

“It’s over. Her mother killed her,” Hutch said wearily.

“You got her statement.” It wasn’t a question. They all knew this case was too important to be lost on any kind of technicality.

“Yeah. They should be working on the transcription now,” Starsky replied. “I’m glad this one’s done.”

“Then go home. The report’ll keep til the morning.”

“Thanks, Cap,” Starsky said as he pulled on Hutch’s arm to get him moving. Hutch gave a small smile in returning, knowing it was always best to get going before something else came up.

“And don’t be late,” Dobey hollered after them as they went out the door. They walked around the block to where Starsky’s car was parked. Hutch still refused to go into the garage and Starsky had long ago given up trying to convince him.

“Your place or mine?” Starsky inquired.

“Wish we didn’t have to ask that.”

“Could be worse. Don’t have to ask if, just where.”

“Good point.” Hutch replied with a smile. “Where do you want to go.”

“Yours,” Starsky decided. “You were saying last night that your plants were pining away for your presence.”

“I also remember saying that I had a couple of steaks in the freezer that needed to be eaten.”

“Oh yeah.”

Starsky’s fake surprise didn’t fool Hutch for a moment and he punched his shoulder lightly. “If nothing else fails, I can always get your attention with food.”

“Least I’m consistent. Let’s get out of here.”

Starsky drove them home at only a slightly slower pace than the breakneck race into work that morning. Some things never change, Hutch thought fondly, put the man behind the wheel of any vehicle and he turned into a race car driver. The conversation was light and easy, as both put the day’s work behind them. They had reached the front door of his apartment and Hutch was in the process of unlocking the door when he suddenly stopped. “Wait a minute.”

“What?”

“There’s something I need to ask you.”

“And it can’t wait until we get inside? It’s been a long day Hutch. I’m tired, I’m hungry. You oughta know, you were there.”

“I know Starsk, but this is important. I just thought of it.”

“All I want to do is go inside, get something to eat, curl up on the couch with you and not have to think about anything. And almost everything I want is on the other side of that very door. The door which I am on the wrong side of. So now if you’ll kindly get out of the way,” Starsky said, pushing against Hutch in an attempt to moved him over to the side. In response Hutch simply moved the two necessary steps to completely block the door.

“One minute, Starsk. One question and I’ll even cook you dinner,” he promised.

“That’s not much of an offer, seeing as it’s your turn to cook anyway, but shoot. I’m listening.” With that, he stopped leaning his weight against Hutch and shifted over to rest against the wall on his left.

“We got so caught up in getting Laura’s murder solved that we forgot about the rest of the drug ring. Wonder if we can get one of them to turn on the rest, might be enough pressure there to the main supplier. Plus we got one of the runners, might not be too hard to get something out of him. ”

“Damn Hutch, that’s a good question. I think you might be on to something there. Think it’ll keep until tomorrow since both Quantrill brothers are in on possession with intent anyway?

“Yeah. Just wanted to mention it before I forgot.” But it was more than that, and they both knew it.

“Okay, we got tomorrow planned. Now what does a guy have to do to get something to eat around here. I have to point out that I am still on the wrong side of this here door. That couch is calling my name.” But he was smiling as he said it and Hutch knew he understood. As he turned around to unlock the door he felt strong arms wrap around his waist and hold him tight.

“Hurry up, babe, I’m starving here,” Starsky begged, nibbling on his partner’s neck for emphasis. Somehow getting the door open despite the welcome distraction that was his partner, he pulled his Starsky across the threshold and into his arms for the first of many kisses. It was going to be a very good night.