Comments about this story can be sent to: suedavid1@yahoo.com
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See part one for the disclaimer.
Faith Healer - Part Three
By
Sue David and Valerie Wells
8/2001
Bob sped through the streets and managed to arrive at the hospital not far behind Halliday. He found the Mercedes almost immediately; Halliday had left it at the emergency room door. Bob parked his own car in the lot and slipped inside.
He spotted the blond head in the waiting area for the emergency room and ducked behind a pay phone where he wouldn't be spotted. Luckily, the emergency room was crowded and he hadn't been noticed. Between the babies crying and the general confusion, he was still able to pick out Halliday's voice. It was practically a roar, hardly the voice of a weak, ailing man.
"Where's David Starsky?"
Bob didn't catch the nurse's reply.
Halliday's voice roared again, even louder now. "I'm his partner, dammit! I have power of attorney. How IS he?"
Again, the indistinct murmur of the nurse's voice. Bob risked poking his head around the pay phone long enough to be certain that it really was Halliday making all that fuss. It was.
The blond was pacing now, running his hand over his rumpled hair, his face pale and his movements agitated. He ducked around scampering children, stepped over the outstretched cast on a man's leg, but never slowed his restless pacing.
Bob watched for a moment. The man didn't look at all ill now. And he'd asked for David Starsky, not David Frank. Brother Haley was going to be very interested in this information. He didn't wait for more. He slithered down the hallway, to the other end, where there was another bank of pay phones, out of sight of the frantic blond and the other people in the waiting area.
Haley replaced the phone with a thoughtful expression. He stood there for a few moments, thinking, and finally made his decision. He glanced at his watch. It would probably be at least a couple of hours before it would be safe to visit the hospital himself. Time enough to make his plans.
"Ben?" Esther came rushing into the trailer the two of them shared. "What happened? I heard that reporter almost got killed!"
Haley nodded soberly. "Carelessness on the part of the crew. They asked him to help them readjust the lighting and one of the fixtures fell on him. He's in the emergency room even as we speak."
Esther covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide. "Oh, Lord. Do you know how bad it is?"
"We can only pray," Haley said, shaking his head.
Esther closed her eyes and held out her hands. Haley joined hands with her and she began to pray, first in English, then in the "heavenly language," while Haley listened silently. His sister pleaded for David's life, while his own prayers were that the light rig had been the instrument of God, to remove what was surely an obstacle to the plans Haley had so carefully made with, he was certain, the approval of his God.
Hutch paced for what seemed like hours, his heart beating so fast it made him light-headed. He felt shaky and sick and strange, but his fear for Starsky overrode anything else. At last a doctor appeared and called his name. Hutch all but ran to his side. "How bad?"
"He took a nasty blow to the side of the head," the doctor said. "And then falling, on top of that. He's lucky, though. Concussion, severe bruising about the rib cage -- but none of them broken. Dislocated his shoulder and wrenched his knee. He's going to have a limp for a while and he'd better not use that arm much for a couple of weeks. We had to take stitches in the side of his face," the doctor indicated a spot near his hairline. Then he smiled reassuringly and patted Hutch's arm. "Head wounds always bleed like the dickens," he said. "I know it's upsetting to see but, really, the gash in his forehead is the least of his worries."
"Thank God," Hutch breathed. "I thought sure he'd cracked his skull."
"No, no," the doctor said. "He'll be all right in a few days. We've got him on some pretty stout pain medication and we had to knock him out to fix the dislocation. He won't wake up for at least a couple of hours. But he's in no danger."
"Can I see him?"
"In a while. I'll have a nurse come and get you. He's out cold right now, still in the recovery room. Relax, okay? Get some coffee or -- " The doctor peered at Hutch. "On second thought, skip the coffee. You're wound up tight as a fiddle string already. Get something to eat and some orange juice. Doctor's orders." He smiled to take the sting out of the words, patted Hutch's arm again, and left.
Hutch sank down in a chair, tired but still wound up tight, as the doctor had said. Food sounded good, now that he knew how Starsky was. He started to rise to find the cafeteria but was stunned into immobility by the sight of Haley coming into the waiting area.
"Ken? How is he?" Haley approached and sat down next to him, slipping an arm around his back.
Hutch had to fight the instinct to cringe away from the man's touch. He decided he'd better play it cautious. "They don't know yet," he said. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same question," Haley said with a smile. "I felt so badly about the poor man getting hurt I had to come and find out how he was."
"Me, too," Hutch said, striving for the right note of concern in his voice. "I thought maybe someone should be here."
"You're a good Christian," Haley said. "Loving others as yourself. But if you're tired -- and you don't look at all well, if I may say so, Brother -- you can run along now. I'll stay."
This was a pretty mess, Hutch thought. How could he keep this man away from Starsky -- who might give himself away, all doped up as he was – without bringing suspicion on himself? And the very last thing Hutch wanted to do right now was to leave his partner, anyway. He glanced past Haley to the clock on the wall. The revival was going to start in a couple of hours. Surely the man would have to leave to go conduct his service. Hutch would simply stay until then.
"I'm fine," he said. "I don't mind staying. I'd like to see if my doctor has a few minutes to speak to me, anyway. I have some questions for him."
"Then we'll both stay," Haley said cheerfully. "As the Bible says, 'wherever two or more are gathered in My name, there am I, with them.'"
Hutch suspected there was one fewer than "two" gathered in God's name at this particular place and time, but he kept that thought to himself and settled in to wait it out.
Uncomfortable thoughts about Haley crept into his mind. What if Haley knew they were cops? His instincts were telling him that at the least, Haley had decided to get rid of one nosey photojournalist. He believed this had been no accident. After a few minutes, he excused himself and went up to the emergency receptionist. He read her nametag, Leanne.
Keeping his voice low he said, "Remember me, Leanne? I'm Detective Hutchinson. I made an ass out of myself a little while ago when they brought my partner, David Starsky, into the ER." She nodded and smiled at him. "Good. Pretend I'm asking you for some information, but I want you to listen carefully. My partner and I are on an undercover assignment and the man I'm sitting with is part of that investigation. I can't show you my badge or he'll see so you're just going to have to trust me. He doesn't know he may be an important witness and he doesn't know we're cops." She started to look past Hutch toward Haley, but he stopped her instantly, knowing that would be her natural response. "Don't look at him. Will you help me?"
"Yes," she quietly answered.
"Good. I need you to do several things for me. First, get Starsky's chart and change his last name to Frank on it. Make him a new wristband with the name 'David Frank.' Get someone to cover your desk for a little while. Not right away, wait a while and then make it look like a break. Then I want you to go and find Starsky's doctor. Tell him to come out here again in a while and ask for the people waiting for David Frank. Then have him tell us that he can't have any visitors. I want him to say he's been sent to the ICU in critical condition and they're not sure he's going to make it. He can say they're looking for his family. You got all that?"
"I've got it. Is your partner in danger?" Her eyes looked at him with concern.
"I don't know, but I hope not. I'm hoping what you are going to do will help keep him safe. Tell the doc I really want him marked for no visitors except immediate family. I mean nobody. That guy over there is a minister and he might try to weasel his way in to see him. That could be dangerous for my partner." Hutch had moved to the side a little while speaking to her and she had a view of Haley, who was staring barely concealed daggers at Hutch's back.
Leanne nodded. Keeping her face as disinterested as she could she said, "I can see him from here. He's staring at you and he doesn't look nice."
"Thanks. You should be a cop; you're a cool cookie. Okay, one last thing. Quietly as you can, call the Metro police station and ask for Detective Cavanaugh or Detective Hill. When you get one of them on the phone, call me – my name's supposed to be Halliday. You can tell me you have Dr. Brock on the phone for me. Can you do that?"
"You bet. I'll get started on the wristband and the chart first."
"Great. I'll get Cavanaugh or Hill to come down and watch over my partner." He gave her his most charming smile and said, "Thanks, Leanne. I owe you."
As he walked away, she blushed and muttered to herself, "Yeah, and I just might want you to pay me back somehow."
After Hutch sat back down with Haley, Leanne scooted her chair back to the sliding glass window in the wall and quietly asked for Starsky's chart. She made a new label for it, and a new plastic addressograph card. She used that to make him a wristband that read "Frank, David."
Another patient walked up to the front desk and she had to help her. When she was done, Leanne placed the call to Metro. For that one, she put on her headset so she could speak quietly and she turned her head away from the waiting room chairs.
"This is Leanne Modinsky at Receiving Hospital. I need to speak with Detective Cavanaugh or Detective Hill."
A minute later, a man's voice said, "Hill."
"Detective, please listen to me. I'm Leanne Modinsky. I work in the Emergency Room at Receiving Hospital. Detective Hutchinson asked me to call you."
"Hutch? Is he okay?" Hill asked her. Every eye in the squad room turned toward him.
"Yes, he's fine. His partner's not though. Hang on a minute. I'm going to get him to the phone."
When he was put on hold, Hill said to his partner, "Get Dobey. Starsky's hurt."
Cavanaugh stuck his head in Dobey's office and said, "Cap'n Dobey, you'd better get out here. I think something happened to Starsky."
Meanwhile, Leanne had called him over saying, "Mr. Halliday? I have Dr. Brock on the phone for you. You can take it over there." She pointed to a phone in a secluded corner. Smart girl. I like her.
When he picked up the phone, he said, "Dr. Brock?"
"Hutch, this is Jack."
"Thanks for calling, Doc. I have some questions." He kept up the pretense as best he could, casually glancing over to see if Haley was listening. He was.
"Is Starsky all right, Hutch?"
"No, I'm over here at Receiving. I came to see a patient here. He's a reporter and he had a bad accident where I was this afternoon."
"Is he in any danger?" By now Dobey was standing by and everyone in the squad room was paying anxious attention to the half of the odd conversation they could hear.
"No, I don't think so. What a weird accident. They haven't said how he is yet though."
"Can you tell me what happened?"
"No, I don't really know him. I was just there and I thought, well you know how I am."
"You want me to come down there?"
"Yeah, do you have time this afternoon?"
"Sean and I are on it, Hutch. Is that preacher there with you?"
"Yeah, it is. Really been feeling kinda tired, you know and the pain's worse. I was hoping maybe we could try some different pain medications."
"Did I read you right? Is he gonna be okay?"
"Yes. Thanks. You will? If you think it's safe to do that without seeing me, that'd be great. I'll pick them up on my way home. I appreciate this, Doc."
"Don't worry. We won't let anyone near Starsky. Watch your back, you're out there on your own."
"I know. Thanks again." He hung up his lifeline to safety. At least the guys at Metro knew what was happening. He hoped Jack got all of his cryptic messages.
Hill hung up the phone and looked at Dobey. "I hope I read this right. Hutch is at Receiving. Starsky had some kind of freak 'accident' this afternoon. I'll bet Hutch is afraid that guy's gonna blow his cover. He wants us to go down and stand watch over Starsky, I mean David Frank."
"Is he all right though?" Dobey asked, his voice tense with worry.
"I think so. At least that's what I think Hutch was trying to say. I'll call you. Come on Sean, let's hit it."
As they scrambled for the door, Dobey called after them, "Keep it discreet, boys. I don't want any screw ups while Starsky's defenseless down there."
"You got it, Cap'n." Hill replied as the doors closed behind them.
An hour later, Dr. Bradley walked back out to the waiting area as if it he hadn't done that yet for this patient. Hutch admired his ability to play along and he was determined to do something nice for both the doctor and Leanne to thank them for their part in keeping Starsky safe. He stopped at the desk and looked like he was asking Leanne to point out who was waiting. When she did, he strode over to Hutch and Haley.
Both men stood and shook hands with the doctor who said, "Are you waiting here for Mr. Frank?"
"Yes," they said together.
"Either of you immediate family?"
"No, we know him from my ministry," Brother Haley said.
"Do you know how to reach his family?" Dr. Bradley asked.
"No," Hutch said, "I'm not sure he has any. He told me he didn't have anyone. Said his parents were gone and his brother died last year."
Haley turned and looked at him, a wary smile on his face, "Why, Brother Ken, I had no idea you and Mr. Frank had become so friendly."
Hutch knew Haley was too busy the previous night to know if he really had been interviewed prior to the service or not. Hutch shrugged. "We really were just chatting right before the healing service. He said he overheard me tell you I was dying the night before and that his brother had died of a brain tumor. Said he wished he'd known about you then, Brother." That remark turned Hutch's stomach. His heart rate was finally starting to settle down as the amphetamine Haley had slipped him wore off – and he had not made the connection that he had been drugged. Haley looked at him, wondering if he should believe him or not.
Dr. Bradley stood in amazement at what a cool liar the blond cop was and how sinister the pastor's demeanor felt to him. Hutch had just given him the perfect segue to be able to reveal Frank's medical condition to non-family members.
"Well, since you two seem to be his friends, I'll tell you. I'm sorry, but your friend is in critical condition. He sustained a severe blow to the head. His Glasgow Coma Scale number is too low. If his condition worsens, we'll perform a craniotomy, but I'm fairly certain there isn't any hope. I'm sending him up to the ICU now." The doctor was delivering an Oscar-level performance. Hutch was simultaneously chilled, impressed, and grateful this was just an act.
However, in the next instant, his almost detached admiration became panic. The doctor had arranged to have Starsky pushed to the outer elevators. He was hooked up to monitors, oxygen, and an IV. They had placed a portable defibrillator between his legs on the gurney as if it were ready in case he went into cardiac arrest. The only thing that kept Hutch from rushing to his side or collapsing where he stood was that the orderly pushing Starsky past him was Jack Hill. His hair was hidden under a surgical cap, and his head was down, concentrating on the unconscious patient. He didn't dare make eye contact with Hutch, but he hoped the other man noticed it was him. Otherwise, he was afraid Hutch would lose it and all of their efforts would be for nothing. Jack knew how he would react if he saw Sean like that on a gurney. Starsky was in bad shape, but he wasn't going to die. He hoped Hutch would remember that.
Haley said, "Wait, can I lay hands on him, Doctor?"
Bradley saw the flash of hatred in Hutch's well-schooled eyes and he refused.
"I'm sorry, pastor, you'll have to pray from a distance. This man needs to be in the ICU. He's not to have any visitors."
Good answer, Doc.
"Please, just for a moment." Haley looked so sincere. The doctor nodded.
Haley reached for Starsky's hand. He took it in his own hand, turning it unobtrusively to read the wristband. That didn't escape Hutch's notice and he was grateful to see it had been changed to reflect his undercover persona. His chart was also resting on the gurney, clearly marked "Frank, David." After saying a short prayer of healing, Brother Haley released Starsky's hand and nodded at the doctor. He was satisfied his attempt to kill the reporter was going to be successful in time.
Hutch watched as Starsky disappeared into the elevator with Jack. He was relieved to see their friend was there and keeping an eye on things. He knew Jack wouldn't let anyone near Starsky. He excused himself again to go to the phone.
"I'm just going to call The Pulse and let them know what has happened." He stepped toward the phone in the corner again while Haley spoke with the doctor.
Hutch quickly made two calls. The first was to The Pulse. He told Detchel what had happened and asked him to cover for them if Haley called, no matter what he asked. "You're a newspaper man," he told Detchel. "Think fast on your feet."
Next, he called Dobey. He told him the truth about Starsky's condition and asked him to call Dr. Brock's office and tell him to cover for him about the prescription. Dobey said he'd have Brock call in something to the outpatient pharmacy there at Receiving immediately. When he hung up, Hutch felt he had effectively repaired any damage that had been done. He realized that what he just did would probably keep Starsky safe, but it also put him out of the action for the rest of this case – unless he had a miraculous healing. That thought dripped of so much irony, Hutch almost laughed aloud. He choked down that urge, knowing the strain he had been under that day might just cause him to be unable to stop laughing.
Not liking it at all that he had to leave the hospital without seeing Starsky, he did what he had to do. He prepared to leave, knowing that Haley had to get ready for that night's service soon and he would have to leave also.
When he approached the doctor and Haley, he overheard the preacher's "sincere" expression of faith that the Lord would heal the reporter. Hutch shook Dr. Bradley's hand. "Thanks, Doc. I know Mr. Frank would appreciate everything you're doing for him. Maybe what you can't do with medical science, we can do with healing prayer in services tonight."
Bradley looked at him and said, "You sure you're up to that? How are you feeling?"
Hutch thought that was icing on the cake.
"I'm a little tired, Doc. My doctor called a prescription in for me. I'll take some and I'm sure I can make it to the services. Thank you for your concern."
Dr. Bradley walked back through the Emergency Room doors, Hutch's gratitude and admiration in his wake. Hutch said, "Brother, hadn't you better head back to prepare for services?"
Haley turned toward him. "Yes, but I'll stay with you until you're ready to leave."
Hutch was starting to lose patience with this man. Even with Jack there, he didn't want to leave the hospital until he was certain Haley would not trouble Starsky. At least he was reasonably sure the minister was unarmed.
"I just have to pick up a prescription. Then, I'm going home to rest for a bit. I think I'll feel up to coming tonight."
"I'll walk with you to the pharmacy. Here in the hospital?" Haley was still suspicious. Hutch stalled.
"Yes. The chapel is on the way. Won't you accompany me there to pray for David Frank before we part company?" Hutch put on his sincerest face.
"Of course, Brother." Haley couldn't resist, just like Hutch hoped.
After stalling in the chapel for half an hour, Hutch walked to the outpatient pharmacy, fervently hoping the bogus prescription would be ready. Thankfully, Dobey and Dr. Brock had come through again. He picked it up; satisfied by the relaxing effect it had on Haley to see it was really there.
As he got into the Mercedes, Hutch said a genuine prayer of thanks to God that things seemed to be all right. Starsky would heal, and he was safe from Haley. Hutch wasn't looking forward to working the rest of the case without his partner, but he was ready to do so if necessary. Whatever it took to protect his best friend. The only other important thing to him at this moment was to nail Haley. Hutch was convinced now that Haley was involved with the dead woman's death. He would love to add attempted murder of a police officer to his writ.
Haley didn't return to the ministry immediately. First, he found a pay phone and called The Pulse. He asked many questions about Mr. David Frank. Detchel was cool under his interrogation. When asked about it, Detchel told Haley that Frank's real last name was Starsky, but he had recently dropped it in favor of his pen name, just his first and middle names – David Frank. Haley was starting to wonder if Bob was overreacting. Frank must have mentioned it for some reason to Halliday. Bob hadn't thought much about having heard the blond say that "Starsky" was his partner. He hadn't passed that information along, being too focused on telling the preacher about the different name, and Halliday's suddenly vigorous demeanor.
After his call to The Pulse, he called Dr. Brock's office and asked if he had a few minutes to see him. The man's calendar was booked, but he did come to the phone. He told the preacher that Ken Halliday was a patient of his. He refused to reveal his diagnosis, but he did admit to the man who said he was Ken's pastor that his prognosis was poor.
By the time Haley headed back to his domain, he was reasonably comfortable that the two men in question were who they said they were. He was ready for any sign of deceit though.
After Jack steered Starsky into the ICU, a real orderly helped him transfer him into a bed. Dr. Bradley was right behind them, having come up the back stairwell. He immediately checked Starsky over and got rid of the unnecessary heart monitor. He checked Starsky's vitals, including his pupil reactions and jotted the results into the chart.
Starsky's pallor and appearance concerned Jack. "Doc, is he really all right?"
"Oh, yes, he'll be fine. He does have a moderate concussion, but he'll make it."
"Is he gonna wake up soon?"
"Sometime in the next couple of hours. When I heard what we needed to do down there, I gave him a little something to keep him out long enough to make it believable."
Jack interrupted him, "Wait a minute. I thought you weren't supposed to give knock-out drops to a guy with a head injury."
Bradley smiled at him. "Well, you're right about that. We don't usually give sedatives to concussion patients, but he had to be put out already to treat his shoulder. Don't worry. I'm going to monitor him extra closely. Is he really in danger on this case?"
"Could be. Doc, you were terrific down there. I'm glad I was there though. When you started talking about how he wasn't gonna make it and that thing about a scale, was it something about Scotland?"
Bradley laughed. "Not exactly, the Glasgow Coma Scale tells us how severely a person's brain may be injured. The lower the number on a scale of 15, the worse the patient's chances."
"Well, whatever, Doc. You sure were convincing. Like I said, glad I was there because you were too good. Hutch was real close to freaking out when you said that stuff. He relaxed when he saw it was me as the orderly. Remembered we were just sort of undercover." Jack smiled and shook his head at the flash of fear that had passed momentarily into Hutch's eyes. "I'll bet even Starsky's never been undercover while unconscious."
Bradley laughed at that, too. "Those two close?"
"Best friends. Staying away from here to protect their cover is going to drive Hutch crazy. Those two are almost never apart when one of them is hurt."
"You'll be staying here to keep an eye out for any trouble, won't you? Mr. Frank here doesn't really need to be in the ICU, but I thought it would be more convincing and we have the space up here right now. I want to be sure he's safe though."
"Either I'll be here or my partner will be all the time. I dropped him off at his place on the way over here to get some stuff. This may be a long wait."
The doctor told Jack to call him when the patient was awake or if he needed anything. He also instructed the nurses that Mr. Frank was to have no visitors except for police officers Hill, Cavanaugh, Dobey, or Hutchinson unless given further instructions by one of those men. If anyone called for Mr. Frank's condition, he was still critical. If anyone called for a patient named "Starsky," they were to say there was no patient by that name.
Bob was adjusting the light rigging that had fallen on Starsky when Haley returned. This time, he was bolting it securely into place. When he saw Haley, he stopped what he was doing and climbed down to ask him what he'd found out.
"I think they're bona fide," Haley said. "But I'm not willing to take any chances. Apparently, that reporter's barely hanging on and probably won't make it, so we won't have to worry about him. Halliday says he just went down there because he felt sorry for the guy and thought somebody ought to be there for him."
"You believe him?"
Haley stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I don't know. It looks legit, but I just don't know. We're going to keep a close eye on that one, just in case. I'll be too busy during services, so I'm counting on you."
"Sure thing, Brother. I'll watch him."
Hutch went back to the safe house from the hospital and found Dobey there waiting for him. He dropped into a chair and threw his head back after the barest nod of greeting for his captain.
"Did we get it all covered?" Dobey asked anxiously.
Hutch nodded. "I think so. Man, that guy's creepy. Stuck to me like a damned cocklebur until I left the hospital. I only got a glimpse of Starsky as they took him upstairs."
"Jack called in a while before you got here," Dobey said. "Starsky's okay. They gave him a little extra knockout to keep him out until they could get rid of Haley."
"I'd feel better if I could see him myself." Hutch rolled his head to get the kinks out of his neck.
"This is one time you're gonna have to let somebody else stand guard over your partner," Dobey said sternly. "We can't risk blowing your cover. This Haley is a dangerous character. We knew that even before this attempt on Starsky."
"I know, dammit!" Hutch flared. "That doesn't make it any easier for me to leave Starsky's safety in someone else's hands!"
"Hill and Cavanaugh are taking turns," Dobey said. "One of them will always be in the room with him. He's in ICU, with orders that no one but the two of them or the two of us are allowed in. You trust them, don't you?"
Hutch nodded slowly. "Yeah. Not as much as I trust ME, but yeah."
"You'll only be risking his safety and yours, too, if you don't watch your step."
"I know, I know." Hutch got out of his chair and paced. "Haley expects me at the service tonight."
"Then go," Dobey said. "I'm sending a couple guys in undercover with you. Just as part of the congregation. To keep an eye on things."
"Haley's on the alert now," Hutch argued. "That won't be any safer than me going in to see Starsky."
"They don't have to barge in waving their badges," Dobey pointed out. "They'll just be two more seekers."
"Who are you sending?"
"Who do you want?"
Hutch thought about it. "Why not have Simmons bring a policewoman and they can pose as a couple? Less obvious than two men."
Dobey nodded. "Okay. I'll arrange it." He glanced at his watch. "I'd better get on it. And you'd better get ready to go to church."
"I'm not going to 'church,'" Hutch said bitterly. "I'm going to a sideshow."
Hutch was a little late getting to the service and as soon as he walked in, he recognized Simmons and Tracie Carter, a detective from Vice, sitting about halfway between the front and back. Neither one of them took any notice of him. The tent was crowded, as usual, and Hutch had to sit on the aisle near the back.
He also noticed Stephanie and her mom and dad in the crowd. Stephanie was more animated than usual, laughing and chattering, and her parents' faces were not as drawn with worry as they had been last time he saw them. He wondered what brought that on.
Instead of the service beginning with music, as usual, Haley came out first, looking very sober, and walked straight to the podium. "Brothers and sisters," he said quietly, "today the reporter who has been writing a series of articles about our ministry had a terrible accident right here in our sanctuary. Some of you have met him when he interviewed you or took photographs of you."
There was a low murmur of assent.
Haley shook his head. "One of our light racks fell on the poor man as he was trying to assist our crew this afternoon. He's not expected to live."
This time there was a sort of gasp that ran through the crowd, and Hutch could see Stephanie freeze and stare at the evangelist in horror.
"But the Lord can do wonders beyond our wildest imaginings, brothers and sisters," Haley went on. "I ask that you join me in prayer for his life and healing now." Haley bowed his head, and all over the tent, the congregation followed suit, including Hutch. "Heavenly Father," Haley began, "we come to you tonight in supplication for our brother, David, who lies injured in the hospital. We claim the promises in Your Holy Word that say where two or more are gathered in Your name, You are there. We pray for his healing, Lord God, we pray for his life. Spare him, Lord, if it is in Your holy will to do so, in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen."
"Amen," echoed the congregation.
Hutch forced his face to remain impassive, though inwardly he was raging.
Damned hypocrite. You arranged that accident and now you're pretending to be concerned for him! He sincerely hoped that even if the "pastor" was a charlatan, there were enough sincere believers present to make the prayer worthy. Hutch had never considered himself very religious, but both he and Starsky had skated near death enough times that he'd come to believe somebody was watching out for them.
Haley asked the band to play "O God Our Help in Ages Past" and the congregation sang in hushed, reverent tones.
Jack Hill was reading Sports Illustrated, sitting in a very uncomfortable plastic chair in Starsky's room, when the curly head stirred on the pillow. Jack put the magazine aside.
Starsky blinked blearily around the room, winced at the light, and finally noticed Jack sitting there. His eyes widened. "Jack?"
"Welcome back, Sleeping Beauty," Jack said. "I was getting bored."
Starsky sat up and winced again, holding his head in his good hand. "Damn, my head hurts. What hit me?"
"Lay back down, big boy," Jack ordered. "Doc says you gotta rest. Apparently, you asked one too many nosy questions and somebody dropped a light rack on your head. It might've been an accident, but I doubt it."
"Where's Hutch?" Starsky looked around and his eyes got a little wild. "Is he okay? Is he hurt? Did that son of a --"
"Easy, Starsk," Jack said. "Hutch is fine." He looked down at his watch. "He's probably at the service now. Dobey won't let him come here, Haley almost made him earlier when they brought you in. So you're stuck with me and Sean playin' nursemaid while Hutch goes on with the assignment and tries to keep Haley from figuring all this out."
"Does Haley know who we are?" Starsky was even more alarmed.
Jack shook his head. "No. It was close, but between Hutch and Dobey and me and Sean and your doctor playin' along, we clamped the cover back down."
"Are you sure? What if he's plannin' something else? What if they do something to Hutch? We gotta -- "
"Whoa!" Jack stopped him. "Look, Starsk, it's covered, okay? Simmons and Carter from Vice are there with him tonight undercover. Sean's gonna take over for you doing the reporter gig -- "
"No way!" Starsky interrupted. "I'm going back. I ain't leavin' Hutch in there without me."
"Yes, you are," Jack said. "You're supposed to be dying. We want Haley to think he succeeded."
"Why?"
"So he won't try again," Dobey said, coming into the room. "Next time, he might succeed. Don't argue with me, Starsky," he added when Starsky opened his mouth. "You're more valuable here anyway. If he thinks he got away with killing you, he's likely to get a little cocky and he might make a mistake, then we could nail him."
"But Hutch -- "
"No, Starsky," Dobey said. "Hutch won't have it, and neither will I."
"Don't worry," Jack added with a chuckle. "You'll still get to help write the articles and they definitely want your photos. Sean always cuts people's heads off when he takes pictures."
As the service went on, Hutch found it more difficult to play his part. Now that Haley had shown his hand a bit by attacking Starsky, Hutch could hardly look at the man without wanting to kill him. When the time came for prayer, he stayed in his seat, though it would have been more in keeping with his cover to join the line of seekers wanting personal prayer. He watched as Stephanie and her parents joined the line, and that was the impetus it took to move him. He had to hear what Haley said to them. He hurried forward so as to be right behind them.
There was such a crowd this evening that it was a long wait. Though Esther prayed with those who wanted only salvation, Haley handled all the healing requests himself.
At last, Stephanie was in front of him. He knelt to look into the child's eyes. "What would you ask of the Lord tonight, child?"
"I don't want to ask Him for something, I want to thank Him for something," Stephanie said eagerly.
Haley smiled gently and stroked her hair once. "And what's that, dear?"
"The doctor said I can have a pros -- a pros -- " Giggling, she gave up. "A leg! I'm finally getting a leg, Pastor! They measured me and everything today and the doctor said it'll be here in a few weeks."
Hutch was stunned. Not that he believed Haley'd had anything to do with it, not really, but it was going to be difficult to refute that now.
Haley smiled even more widely and raised his eyes to Mike and Suzanne. "I knew the Lord wouldn't fail this dear child," he said to them. "But He does things in His own time. Praise His name."
"We'd all but given up hope," Mike said, beaming.
"I'm gonna be able to walk again, and maybe even ride my bike, once I get used to it," Stephanie said, bouncing a bit in her wheelchair. "I can hardly wait!"
Hutch couldn't help smiling at the child's enthusiasm. She sensed him behind her and turned in her wheelchair, returning the smile, which made Haley look up at him, too. The two men exchanged a glance, Hutch trying to look merely interested in Stephanie, Haley's glance more calculating.
"Nice to see you, Brother Halliday," Haley said. "I was afraid you'd be too ill to attend."
"I couldn't stay away," Hutch said truthfully. "And I'm so blessed to be here at this moment, hearing how God has helped this little girl." It damn sure wasn't you, you bastard, he added silently.
Stephanie gave Hutch another beaming grin and turned back to Haley. "I would like to ask God for something, Pastor," she said shyly.
"What's that, dear?"
"That man you said got hurt today? He's a very nice man. I'd like to ask God to help him, too."
"Of course, dear. Shall we pray then? Brother," Haley added to Hutch, "will you join our circle?"
Stephanie and her parents all joined hands, leaving Hutch no choice but to take Stephanie's free hand -- and Haley's.
"Stephanie, would you like to say the prayer?" Haley asked.
Say yes, honey, please, Hutch pleaded silently. He'd feel a lot better about this if the child did the praying.
"Okay," she said, even more shyly. She closed her eyes and said, "Jesus, thank you that I'm getting a new leg and please, can I be able to ride my bike when I get used to it? I'd really like that. And please heal that nice Mr. Frank, too. Amen."
"Amen," Hutch echoed, thinking Out of the mouths of babes. Just before the family turned away, Hutch reached out and snagged Mike's sleeve. Lowering his voice, he asked, "How'd she lose her leg?"
"Car accident," Mike said, equally softly, as his wife and Stephanie, not realizing he had stayed behind, went back to their seats. "We're lucky she even survived. The car rolled and trapped her."
Hutch shuddered. He'd had a similar car wreck himself. "Poor kid."
"She's been very brave about it," Mike said. "We're just so thankful she's getting an artificial leg at last. It's tough on her, being stuck in that chair." He smiled, patted Hutch's arm, and rejoined his family.
Hutch was next now, and Haley asked, "Have you heard how poor David is?"
Hutch shook his head sorrowfully. "No better, I'm afraid. I called the hospital just before I left to come here. They said they don't really expect him to last the night."
Haley made a "tsking" sound in his throat. "Poor man. I do wish they'd let me see him. I could at least pray for him."
Over my dead body, Hutch thought.
He really did call the hospital when he got home about 10, and Starsky's doctor was still there and came to the phone.
"He's sleeping now," the doctor said, "but he was awake for several hours, and he asked for you. I believe Detective Hill explained the situation to him."
"Is he okay?" Hutch asked anxiously.
"Yes, he's fine. Or he will be."
"Will you tell him I called?" Hutch asked.
"Yes, I promise," Bradley said. "Don't worry. He's safe here."
Hutch wished he could believe that.
When Starsky awoke in the morning, it was Sean in the plastic chair instead of Jack. "Morning," Starsky said, wincing again at the light. His head felt like somebody had drilled a hole in it with a buzz saw.
"Hiya," Sean said cheerfully. "Man, you snore like a grizzly bear."
Starsky grinned in spite of himself. "Funny, none of my lady friends has ever complained. And how many sleeping grizzly bears have you met, anyway?"
Sean laughed. He had a lapful of notes -- Starsky's interview notes, in fact -- and had been reading them. "I guess I gotta go do the Brenda Starr routine over at the sideshow tonight," he said. "Wanna fill me in? I can hardly read your chicken scratchin' here."
"Do I have to lay here and get insulted?"
"Yup," Sean said. "You gonna fill me in or not?"
Starsky gave in, and spent the next hour telling Sean everything he could think of about the case and the services. Sean's eyes alternately widened in surprise and narrowed in suspicion as Starsky talked.
"Damn," he said when Starsky finished. "I hope I can pull this off. They sound weirder than weird, man. Don't see that kinda thing at Mass too often."
Starsky chuckled. "The next thing," he said, "is to get you disguised. You can't barge in there with your own face hanging out. Haley might recognize you from when you went to the first crime scene. Hutch is good at that. Go ask him to help you out."
"Okay," Sean said. "But I can't go anywhere till Jack gets here. Oh, and speaking of Hutch, he's been keeping the phone lines hot calling here asking about you. We can't let him come see you."
"I know," Starsky said, his voice showing his disappointment. "But I'm not sure it's any better for him to call. What if Haley has his phone bugged or something?"
Sean shook his head. "We checked that out already. Whatsa matter? You think you and Hutch're the only detectives around here?"
"Not the only ones," Starsky said, grinning. "Just the best ones."
Haley had turned up at the safe house unexpectedly around 11 a.m. and startled Hutch, who had to turn on his "sick" act without warning when he opened the door and found the evangelist standing there.
"You look better today," Haley greeted him.
Hutch groaned inwardly. Because he hadn't expected Haley, he hadn't put on any makeup to make himself look pale and wan. But he manufactured a smile. "I think the services are doing me good," he said with a friendly gesture to Haley to come in. "And the doctor gave me some new medication that seems to help a lot."
"Good," Haley said. He took a seat on the sofa.
Hutch remained standing. "Would you like something to drink?"
"Have you any iced tea?"
"Sure," Hutch said. He went into the kitchen and returned with glasses for both of them. "It's already sweetened. Hope that's okay."
"That's wonderful," Haley said. He took a long drink and set the glass down and looked at Hutch expectantly.
Hutch sat down across from him. "What can I do for you, Pastor?"
"Every couple of weeks, my sister and I take a group on a retreat," Haley said. "Usually it's the people who have the most serious illnesses. A couple of days of intense prayer and study sometimes helps when the evening services do not. I wonder if you'd like to attend the next one."
Hutch thought fast. There was no way in hell he was going anywhere with Haley, but he had to have a good reason. "When is it?"
"Next weekend."
Hutch nodded thoughtfully. "Let me consult with my doctor," he said. "If he gives the okay, and if I feel up to it, I'll come. But I just never know how I'm going to feel."
"Of course," Haley said. He reached out for his tea glass, but his hand bumped it and knocked it over, spilling tea all over the coffee table and carpet. "Oh, dear!" he exclaimed, "I'm so sorry!"
"I'll get some paper towels," Hutch said, rising and glad to get out of the room for a moment. He was having a tough time even talking to the man who'd almost had Starsky killed.
As soon as Hutch's back was turned, Haley produced a small bottle of powder and emptied it into Hutch's glass. It was done so quickly that by the time Hutch came back into the room only moments later, the little bottle was safely back in Haley's pocket.
Hutch handed Haley another glass of tea and then bent down to clean up the spill from the table and carpet. When he stood back up, he paused unsteadily, dropped the wet paper towels from his hand and went down to the floor, landing on his backside.
"Brother, Ken, what is it?" Haley asked.
Hutch pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head a little. "I guess I just stood up too fast. Damn. This is the strangest illness. I can't get used to how I feel. From hour to hour it changes. I'll feel great for a while, then I'm so weak, I can't even stand without feeling faint. I'm sorry."
Haley thought that would explain why Halliday's condition seemed to change so frequently. Perhaps brain tumors were somewhat unpredictable in their behavior. He made a mental note to go to the medical library at the local university to do some research.
"Let me help you." Haley extended a hand to the blond. Hutch squelched his immediate revulsion and managed to paste a look of gratitude onto his face as he took the preacher's hand.
Haley helped Hutch to a chair, handed him his tea, and then took the wet mess of paper towels to the kitchen and threw them in the trash. He returned to the living room to find that Hutch had downed the entire glass. Good.
They sat together and chatted for some time. Hutch was growing weary of Haley's company by the time the man announced it was time for him to return to the ministry.
"Will we see you tonight?" he asked.
"I'm not sure. I have some things I need to do and I might not make it until tomorrow night. Don't worry if you don't see me." Hutch really wanted to sneak over to the hospital to see his partner.
"Is there any way I can help you?" Haley asked with a solicitous smile.
This guy is too smooth. Cold hearted bastard. Hutch put on an equally insincere face.
"No, not at all. I've just had a commitment for several weeks to help a friend with something. If I finish early enough, I'll come."
"Excellent. See you soon, Brother. How are you feeling, by the way? You look a little better than you did a while ago." Haley was hoping his drug was taking effect. That was the reason he had stayed so long.
"Now that you mention it, I feel, well, energetic. Maybe it's all the caffeine in that tea." Hutch chuckled. He noticed a flash of nervousness that crossed Haley's face, but it was gone as quickly as it came. Making a note in his mind to think about that later, he concentrated on shuttling the man out of the safe house.
While Haley was plaguing Hutch with his presence, things at the hospital were not going well. Sean was sitting with Starsky chatting about the case and his assignment as a writer when Jack arrived to relieve him.
"Hey, you back to hospital duty, Jack?" Starsky asked with a grin that said, "sucker."
"Yeah, my turn. He behavin', Sean?" Jack asked his partner.
"He's been good. Hasn't tried to give me the slip or anything."
"Aw, he just doesn't want to miss out on the nurses. Hey, Starsk…" Jack stopped mid sentence when he saw that Starsky suddenly looked flush. "Starsky, you okay?"
The dark haired detective didn't answer him. His eyes had a far away look to them and the hand that wasn't bound in a sling was trembling. Before Jack could ask him again, Starsky suddenly stiffened and started into a seizure.
"Shit! Get somebody!" Jack shouted to Sean as he moved to the bed to prevent Starsky from hitting his head on the side rails. He was scared and even though he was concentrating on Starsky, the back of his mind was already worried about what he was going to say to Hutch if something happened to his buddy while he and Sean were on watch. He barely noticed when the nurses rushed into the room to take over and he heard the overhead page go out for Starsky's doctor. One of the nurses pushed both of the other detectives out into the hallway with instructions to go sit in the waiting area.
Jack and Sean were discussing whether they should try to call the safe house when Dr. Bradley approached them.
Jack stood up and asked anxiously, "Is he okay, Doc?"
The doctor shook his head and said, "I'm afraid he's taking a turn for the worse. This happens sometimes with head injuries. He's spiked a high fever and he's unconscious. Try not to worry. If we can get the fever back down, he should still be all right."
Sean swallowed and said, "Uh, he's not in any danger, is he? If he is, we'd better call his partner and our captain."
Dr. Bradley tried to look reassuring, but he answered, "I wish I could just say he isn't, but I can't. My sense is he's going to be fine, but maybe you'd better call them."
The partners exchanged a frightened look. Sean spoke first, "Why don't you call the unmarked unit and ask if Haley is at the sideshow where he belongs? I'll call Dobey."
Sean had just confirmed Haley was safely at the ministry when one of the nurses walked up to him and said, "Detective Hutchinson is on the phone, he wants to speak with you."
The walk to the phone at the ICU nurses' station felt to Sean like one of the longest he had ever taken. He was hoping Captain Dobey would call Hutch, but he couldn't chicken out now. Picking up the phone he said, "Hutch, it's Sean"
Hutch's voice sounded edgy, "How's he doing?"
The pause made Hutch nervous. Then, for the second time in his life, he heard the eight words that struck the most fear into his heart. "You'd better get down here right away, Hutch."
This time, he didn't drop the phone, but asked another question. "What's wrong?"
Sean didn't know how to explain it. "He had a seizure and he's unconscious. I already checked, Haley is at the tent. He won't follow you."
Hutch hung up on him without another word. Despite Sean's assurance, he looked around him several times before he peeled out of the driveway. Then, he frequently looked behind him as he maneuvered the small car through traffic. He drove as fast as he dared without a light or siren. He parked the car a few streets away at a pay garage, hoping that if Haley did drive by or sent a lackey to do it, his car wouldn't be right next to the hospital. Then, after a final check to see if he had been followed, Hutch ran for the hospital. His heart was beating too fast. He'd been unable to go for his regular runs during this assignment, but they hadn't been under long enough for him to get out of shape. He guessed it was the scare Cavanaugh had put into him on the phone.
Hutch slipped into the hospital near the loading dock, then up to the ICU floor on the back stairs. Despite his fear, he wasn't willing to run any risk of being observed. When he spilled out into the hallway, Captain Dobey saw him and stopped him before he got halfway down the hall.
"Whoa, slow down, Hutch!" he said. "The doctor's in there now."
"What the hell happened!" Hutch said, his voice raised above the level appropriate for an ICU floor. Captain Dobey winced and shushed him. Hutch took a deep breath and quietly said, "Sorry. Talk to me."
"We don't know a lot yet. Hill and Cavanaugh were in with him when he had a seizure. Up until then, he was recovering and resting quietly. The doctor said..." At that moment, Dr. Bradley walked out of Starsky's room and approached them.
"Detective Hutchinson," the doctor started, then he shifted gears after taking a look at the tense blond, "Are you all right?"
"Doc!" Hutch said, "Please, what's happening with my partner?"
"We hit a snag a little while ago," the doctor said in typical physician understatement. Hutch wondered why doctors always seemed to say "we" when they were talking about their patients.
"What does that mean?" Hutch tried desperately, and unsuccessfully, to slow his breathing and calm his heart rate. He knew something was wrong, but didn't have the time to focus on himself.
"Does your partner have a history of high fevers?" Bradley asked.
"I don't know about it being a history, but yeah, when he's sick his temperature can get pretty high. I always figured it was his high metabolism working against him," Hutch replied.
"That's what happened here. For reasons I can't be sure of, he spiked a high fever and had a seizure. His temperature was 105.8. We're working on getting it down, but he's still unconscious. This is something we usually see in children, but not unheard of in an adult. This type of thing can be tough to get under control after a head injury."
"Is he going to be all right?" Hutch asked, needing the answer, but fearing it.
"I think so. Just give us a little time. I'm hoping we'll get his temperature under control soon. We'll know more when he's awake."
Hutch ran a hand across his face before asking if he could go in and see his best friend. The doctor agreed and stepped aside.
Before he reached the door, Hutch took another deep breath. He hadn't seen Starsky since Jack pushed him into the elevator and he hadn't gotten a good look at him then. When he walked into the room, he was shocked. Starsky's face was purple on one side. That was the only color in it. He was too still. Hutch never got used to seeing his energetic partner in a state of unconsciousness. His right arm was in a sling, close to his body on the right side. Hutch sat in a chair facing the bed and took his partner's left hand in his. He reached up and touched his face. Too hot.
"Hey, buddy. I'm here. What's wrong with you, huh? I can't let you out of my sight for a day without you getting into trouble." Hutch stroked the back of Starsky's hand with his thumb. Starsky's hands were strong, but smaller than Hutch's. He still had the gold and silver rings on his pinky. Hutch turned them in his fingers. "Wake up and give me a hard time, will you?"
Dobey walked in and stood behind him. "Hutch, I know you need to be here, but shouldn't you go to the service tonight?"
Hutch turned and shot an angry look at his superior officer. His eyes bright and a little more wild than they should be. The captain looked at him and said, "Are you okay?"
"Why does everyone keep asking me that? I'm fine!" he hissed, not wanting to speak too loudly again.
Dobey put his hands out and said, "Okay, okay, calm down. You know we'll keep watch here. We need you in that tent if we're gonna nail this turkey. I'm not going to order you, but you know what you need to do. Sitting here isn't going to catch Haley and it isn't going to change what happens with your partner."
The blond detective could see the logic in Dobey's statements. "I know. Just give me a little while with him. If his temp is down when they check next time, I'll go. The service isn't for a few hours and I already told Haley I might not go tonight."
Dobey nodded. "Sean's going with you this time. He and Starsky were talking about you helping to get Sean disguised. He could be recognized."
"All right. In a while, okay?"
"Yeah. Look, try not to worry. I promise we'll find a way to pull you out of there if anything happens to him."
Hutch sat and talked quietly to Starsky. The next temperature check wasn't much better so he stayed. The other officers hovered around out in the hall or wandered in and out of Starsky's room. Hutch's anger toward Haley was increasing by the minute. When the following temperature check revealed a drop to 103.6, Hutch began to breathe easier. Not wanting to leave the hospital any earlier than necessary, he gave Jack a list of things to buy for Sean's disguise. Sean went to The Pulse to pick up a camera and some identification papers for his cover.
While they were gone, Starsky started to stir. He opened his eyes, still feverish, and looked at Hutch's anxious face. "Hutch?" He looked disoriented and sounded confused.
"Hey. Take it easy, Gordo. I'm here."
Starsky blinked and looked at him again, trying to figure out what was wrong with his partner. "What? Hey, you're gonna blow your cover!"
Relieved that Starsky seemed all right and that he remembered they were on a case, Hutch laughed. "I think you ought to worry about you right now, mush brain."
"Missed you," the sleepy detective muttered as he gave his partner's hand a weak squeeze.
Hutch stood and put the back of his hand on Starsky's forehead. He felt cooler. His hand was shaking and he was starting to feel a little sick.
The patient's eyes opened again and focused on the blond man's face. "You okay? You look pretty uptight."
"Don't suppose it could be the scare you put into me, buddy?"
"Nope. Sure it's not." Starsky smiled. "What happened? I feel kinda strange."
"You spiked one of your famous fevers and had a seizure. You've been out for a while. Scared the devil out of me, thank you."
Laughing at that, Starsky said, "I thought that was Brother Bigshot's job."
Hutch remembered what happened with Stephanie and he'd wanted to tell Starsky. "You know what? Stephanie is better. She's going to get her leg. I know you don't put any stock in Haley's abilities, but it's sure weird that she's suddenly better."
"Hutch…."
"Don't worry about me, buddy. I know the guy is bad. Rotten to the core. I'm so pissed at him over what happened to you, I can barely stand to be in the same room. I'm just saying it's weird, that's all."
Starsky looked relieved. "Okay, but watch yourself. I don't like you out there without me. I wanted to be there, but Dobey said you wouldn't allow it. That right, buddy?"
"That knock on your noggin must have jolted what little sense you have left loose. You're not goin' anywhere and that's final. Sean's going under with me. Don't worry."
Dr. Bradley walked in behind them and said with a smile, "Anyone in here planning to let the DOCTOR know his patient is awake?"
Hutch turned red and said, "Sorry, Doc. I guess I was too relieved to think about it."
"Get out of my way then and let me take a look."
Obliging the doctor, Hutch stepped out of the way and watched as Bradley examined his best friend. When he finished, he smiled at both men. "Looks good."
"Leave it to my partner to develop a complication that usually happens only to kids."
"Now, I didn't say that," Bradley protested
Starsky asked, "Crisis over, Doc? You need to tell my partner he can go back to work."
"I think so. You know how non-committal doctors like to be. All right, Detective, I think I worked hard enough to reestablish your 'cover' as you say. Now go on out and work on it."
Hutch blushed again. "Okay, okay, but you find a way to contact me if anything else happens."
"It won't," Starsky said.
Cavanaugh and Hill had both returned from the assignments Hutch had given them. He and Sean went out to the waiting room to work on his disguise. Hutch was sweating and pale, he was suddenly tired and his hands were shaking worse than they were in Starsky's room.
"Man," Sean said. He lowered his voice and said, "You on something?"
Hutch was instantly angered. Even the suggestion he might be using drugs was offensive. Seeing his anger, Sean added, "Look at yourself." He held out the mirror for Hutch to look at his reflection. His pupils were abnormally dilated and his heart was just starting to slow down to where he couldn't feel it beating in his chest.
"Sean, you know me better than that. No, I'm not on something."
"Hold out your hands, Hutch."
The blond obeyed and was appalled at the trembling in his hands. Adding all of the physical symptoms he'd been having up in his head, Hutch suddenly realized what was happening. "Dammit!"
"Hutch?"
"That son of a bitch Haley," Hutch said looking at Sean with such intensity, the other man was surprised. "I think he's been slipping me speed. He must think it'll make me believe he's helping my illness."
"Damn, Hutch. We need to tell Dobey." Sean started to stand up, but Hutch grabbed his arm and pulled him back down onto his chair.
"No. He might decide to pull out and I can't let that happen. He's a killer and he tried to get my partner."
"I don't know…"
"Sean, imagine if it were Jack in there. Please. We're getting close. I know it. I knew he'd start making mistakes, and he did. He tried to drug me. Damn. I can't believe I've been so worked up about Starsky and this whole case, I didn't guess."
Cavanaugh reluctantly agreed. The two men got to work putting together an effective disguise for Sean. By the time they were ready to go to the revival meeting, Starsky's fever was down to 100 and Hutch felt comfortable leaving. He said goodbye to his partner, despite the fact that he was sleeping. Jack took up his position guarding the dark-haired detective and he told both his own partner and Hutch to be careful.
First, Sean went to the tent and found Esther. He introduced himself as Sean Carter and explained that he was there to finish David Frank's article. Esther looked sad when she asked how Mr. Frank was doing.
"He's still alive, but he's had some complications. The doctor told our boss he still doesn't expect David to make it. Everybody down at the paper is so shocked. What a freak accident."
"Yes, we feel terrible. My brother led the congregation in prayer for your friend last night. We hope the Lord will see fit to heal him." She looked and sounded so sincere. Starsky had debriefed him, explaining that he believed Esther to be innocent of anything other than being clueless about her brother's real activities. He studied her face carefully, wondering how much she knew.
"David was pretty far along in his interviews and pictures. I will be filling in the blanks he hadn't gotten to yet."
"That's fine. You can go into the tent and find a good spot to sit. The services will start in a short while." She escorted him into the tent and then left him to his own devices. Sean was determined to take good pictures, especially since he had been accused of taking bad ones. He knew his would never meet the quality of Starsky's, so he decided to concentrate on the crew members and some of the congregants. Tonight was another healing service.
Hutch showed up in the tent late. The service was well underway and he was spared the need to come forward with the rest of the people seeking God's healing graces. He hung back toward the rear of the tent and studied the faces. Watching the people as they were healed, he was struck by the familiarity of one of them. The man had a disguise on and it was a good one. He appeared heavier, his hair had been cut close to his head and bleached, and the mustache was gone. This time, he had a goatee. He came forward to the minister using a walker, but Hutch realized with a sinking feeling that this was the same man Starsky had captured on film at the previous healing service. This was the man his partner had tried to convince him was the same healthy man he had photographed on another night.
Cavanaugh took his pictures of what he called in his head the "cast and crew." Though he didn't have time to practice his religion as often as he liked, Sean considered himself to be a faithful Christian. Haley's demeanor and what Sean saw as obvious chicanery offended him.
Bob was watching Hutch. When the preacher called for his "partner" in the ministry to join him on the stage, something clicked in his feeble-minded memory. He had forgotten something Halliday had been screaming in the emergency room that day. Halliday had told the receptionist that he was the injured man's "partner."