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The White Rabbit
By

Liz Barrett

"He wears a waistcoat?"

"Yeah."

"What's a waistcoat?"

"Like a vest."

"Oh."

"Yeah, it's tartan as I remember, and it has a large pocket in it"

"Tartan?"

"Plaid."

Starsky frowned.  "Why would he need a waistcoat?"

Hutch sighed.   "You didn't see the film did you, Starsk?"

His partner shook his head and looked totally bemused.

"Well, it's simple," Hutch continued.   "He needed a waistcoat so he didn't have to carry his watch.  That's what he kept in his pocket."

"He kept his watch in his pocket?  Why didn't he just wear it?"

"I have no idea, no idea at all.  Look I'm sorry I brought the whole subject up now"

Starsky leaned on the table his head resting on the back of one hand and frowned again.  "So he had a waistcoat and a watch?  What had made him late in the first place?"

Hutch groaned audibly.  "Can't we just discuss something else?  It really isn't that important."

His partner, however, refused to be fobbed off.

"Something must have made him late, didn't they give you any clues in the film at all?"

"Not that I recall.  Starsk, I'm really getting tired of this conversation."

"So he ran round, looking at his watch, yelling, `I'm late, I'm late,' for no apparent reason?"

Hutch stood up from the table and began to walk away.

Starsky pushed his chair back and got up to follow him.

"You're a detective, don't you feel an urge to know what was going on?"

"No, Starsk, it was a film, just a film that's all.  I'm really wishing we hadn't started this whole subject."

"Yeah but you did, and now you have me intrigued."

Hutch knew that whatever happened now his partner was not going to give up.  "Okay, you really want to know?"

"Yeah."

"Right.  Then come with me"

The blond strode confidently to the bookshelf which stood against the far end wall of his apartment, and after glancing briefly, pulled a book off the shelf and handed it over.  "Read this and you'll find out".

Starsky frowned and raised an eyebrow.  "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland?"

"Precisely."  Hutch replied and disappeared out the door shutting it loudly behind him.

THE END