Like any good journalist, a homicide detective has to be able to get answers to the five question words: who, what, when, where, and why?
Why do all the question words start with ‘wh’? I ponder this for a while ‘cause things like that make me curious and after a bit I ask my partner what he thinks and he says, “You forgot how and that starts with an ‘h’.” Yeah, I know. Irritating but he’s right.
People muddle our names up all the time; I don’t know why. It’s obvious that he’s Hutch and I’m not. For a start, he’s blond and I’m brunet. He’s from Duluth; I was born in New York. He’s academic; I got street smarts. He says I’m uncouth so he must be couth with a capital C. He can be sunshine and darkness all in one day; me, I’m more a blue sky with the occasional cloud or at least I think I am. We both love our jobs as detectives in the Bay City Police Department… that’s the who in answer to your question.
Like I say, we’re detectives: we’re also partners and best friends. We’re chalk and cheese. We’re yin and yang. We’re two sides of the same coin and, by the way, I don’t cheat at coin toss whatever Hutch says. We’re Me and Thee: our own secret code for an army made up of two. The roles of attacker, defender, enforcer, negotiator, strategist, and chaplain interchangeable as needed. Sometimes, he’s the ‘Me’ and I’m the ‘Thee’; sometimes it’s the other way round. We’ve been connected so long, I truly don’t know where he begins and I end. That’s the what of us.
When did we become best friends? I can’t answer that. If you asked Hutch yesterday, he’d have said, “The moment we met.” Ask him today, he’ll say, “Don’t ask stupid questions!” Ask him tomorrow, he’ll say, “Before time began.” Yeah, he can’t answer the question either.
We live and work in Bay City, California, where the sun is always shining except when it rains; where the temperature it always ideal, except when it’s too hot; where the rich and industrious rub shoulders with the homeless and hypes. We work with the criminal element but they can appear in any of those four types. Hey, hypes and types rhyme. Hey, Hutch, I’m a poet and I didn’t know it! My partner rolls his eyes at me and I grin back. So that’s the where of it.
“Don’t forget how,” my pedantic partner interrupts my train of thought and I decide to humor him. So how? How do we do our jobs? How do we stay sane? Well, we do it with style, babe! Have you seen my car? A candy apple red Ford Gran Torino with a slick white stripe emblazoned on the side. A beaut! No, don’t look at Hutch’s car, it will make you cry. Shouldn’t police detectives wear suits, you ask. No way. How d’ya run after a perp in a suit and fancy shoes? Give me my blue Adidas running shoes any day of the week. How do we stay sane? Well, we got a good captain who keeps an eye on us; even shares his family with us. We got a place to hang out where our friend Huggy provides beer and advice. Got each other. What else do we need?
I suppose you want to know the why? But what question are you asking? Hutch leans over and says, “It should be ‘Which question are you asking?’.” Dang! That’s another ‘wh’ word but that don’t fit what I’m thinking about. Shut up, Hutch! Stop interrupting, I’m thinking here.
I have a few why questions myself. Why do we do this job? Why are we partners? Why do we put up with each other? Why are we friends? Hutch pretends he’s not interested in the answer but I know he is. Let me think.
I guess we do this ‘cause we like solving puzzles and we like helping people no-one else cares about. Why do we put up with each other? What’s there to put up with? That’s all surface stuff: the coping mechanisms; the bristling armor plating. You’re only seeing the outer shell. You’ll never see the inner workings: that place belongs to him and me alone.
Why friends? I can’t answer for Hutch but… he’s loyal to the end; he’s got my back; he’ll protect me even from myself; he’s my family when mine is so far away; he’s let me in – inside his armor and that’s a privileged place to be. I can trust him always; I can read his mind. I like him despite his grouchiness; despite the hot dog with no relish; despite the way he thinks he’s always right; and even despite his car. I love him, plain and simple.
Hutch fixes me with a look and asks, “You finished with that report yet, Gordo?”
“Nearly, Blintz,” I reply and we both know I’m lying.
Then he looks at me as if he’s been listening all along to my thoughts (or was I talking out loud, I don’t know for sure) and says, “By the way… likewise.”
This is outstanding! I great idea to explain everything one needs to know about our guys. You used some different words to describe them perfectly: ‘The roles of attacker, defender, enforcer, negotiator, strategist, and chaplain’.
‘ don’t look at Hutch’s car, it will make you cry. ‘ Love it!
‘he’s let me in – inside his armor and that’s a privileged place to be.’ Beautiful.
‘Likewise.’ Of course.
Well done! <3
Thank you so much for your kind words! 🙂 🙂
I think you picked out all my own favourite bits!
Love this, Lapfordlass! Perfect. This paragraph, “Why friends? I can’t answer for Hutch but… he’s loyal to the end; he’s got my back; he’ll protect me even from myself; he’s my family when mine is so far away; he’s let me in – inside his armor and that’s a privileged place to be. I can trust him always; I can read his mind. I like him despite his grouchiness; despite the hot dog with no relish; despite the way he thinks he’s always right; and even despite his car. I love him, plain and simple.” So simple and yet so deeply indicative of who and what they are together.
Thank you for this lovely gift! KUDOS
Thank you so much 🙂 🙂
Glad you love it!
Capturing Starsky’s voice can be tricky, and you make it look effortless! I love how Starsky is trying to apply some “just the facts, ma’am”-type questions to his and Hutch’s partnership, but his narration is so lively and meandering that it can never stick to just the facts. Which is just as well, because if S&H’s partnership was easy to explain, it probably wouldn’t be so strong. Thanks for a lovely story!
Thank you 🙂 🙂
I always love the way Starsky goes off on complete tangents! It just seemed to work for this piece.
What a lovely look into Starsky’s thoughts and a perfect ending, showing us true Me and Thee. Thank you, Lapfordlass.
Thank you, MatSir! 🙂
Awww. This brought a tear or two to my eyes.
Just wonderful. And I can only repeat what previous commenters said: you capture Starsky’s voice perfectly. The end made my heart skip a beat.
🙂 🙂 Thank you!
Wonderful answers to Questions! I really loved what you did there – an everyday moment by the desk, but lots and lots going on inside that curly head. And as others have already said, you’re very fluent in Starsky.
Many thanks! 🙂
I like delving into Starsky’s mind!
Ahhhh. Really enjoyed this! I love reading a story that makes me feel like I am right there, listening and witnessing everything!
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it!
Nicely done. I’m happy you let Starsky’s intelligence shine through here. He’s one smart guy. Thank you!
Thank you! I’ve always thought he was smart just in a different way from Hutch.
What a different view of our guys, Lapfordlass! I can’t remember ever reading anything quite like it and, especially from Starsky’s utterly unique mind (you nailed his mental ‘voice’), it’s put a huge smile on my face. This line’s my favorite: “You’ll never see the inner workings: that place belongs to him and me alone.” Extremely well done. Thanks so much for this lovely gift!
Aww! Thank you so much. It was only my second ever attempt at first person writing so I was really pleased how it came out.
This is wonderful! So Starsky and so true to their character. I love this!! Thank you!
🙂 Thank you!
Very good! Thank you for this!
🙂 Thank you!
Love it, love it, love it! It sums up in a few paragraphs a relationship we’ve all been studying for years. Is that even possible?? I really enjoy the snappy style–brisk reading with familiar phrases, both fresh and original–genuinely Starsky’s voice. You’ve beautifully allowed him to describe Hutch, too, without denigrating Hutch’s complex (and often misunderstood) personality. As a Hutch girl, I appreciate that!
I can’t even decide which phrase or paragraph is my favorite… just when I think it’s got to be this one, along comes another that’s just as good or even better! I have only one *question* for you: When can we have more???
🙂 🙂 🙂
Glad you liked it so much.
I was a Starsky girl when I first watched the show but when I rewatched the whole series a few months ago (I found some of season 4 I had never seen!), I got a whole new appreciation for Hutch. I think because I’m definitely hot dog with no relish!
Very good! Thanks for your story.
Thank you! 🙂
Love it all but the last line is the best ☺ I’m looking forward to your next story…
Thank you! 🙂 🙂
What a wonderful story! I loved Starsky’s first person POV. I was going to quote a few of my favorite passages, but that became impossible once I realized I’d basically have to quote the whole thing.
And, omg, that ending!
Thank you for your kind words! Glad you liked it! 🙂 🙂
What a fabulous idea to use the 5 W’s (and the one H) of journalism for Starsky’s analysis of his and Hutch’s life together. And do well-written. Thanks for writing and sharing.
Thank you. Glad you liked it! 🙂 🙂
Wow. Love this. Starsky’s voice was right there in my head the whole time. Unique and perfect. Thank you.
Thanks! Glad you could hear Starsky’s voice – I tried hard to get inside his head! 🙂
Aw, so nice! I especially love Starsky’s explanation of Me & Thee, and how he states, so matter of factly, that there isn’t anything to ‘put up with’ at all; at least, nothing of any importance. Thank you for all the lovely feels, L!
Thanks. I seem to have got into his head okay for this piece. Glad you liked it!
My favorite line: Sometimes, he’s the ‘Me’ and I’m the ‘Thee’; sometimes it’s the other way round. That’s the truth!
Glad you liked it and especially that line! 🙂
This is wonderful! You’ve so totally captured the essence of their friendship and brotherhood in this sweet story.
There are so many wonderful lines in this story: “I truly don’t know where he begins and I end”, “…a good captain…even shares his family with us”; “he’ll protect me from myself…” All of them showing how special they are.
My favorite line: “he’ll protect me even from myself” which shows just how strongly Starsky trusts Hutch to be there for him.
Again – a wonderfully, marvellous story!! LOVE IT!!
Thank you so much, Arlene! I really enjoyed getting inside Starsky’s head for this one! 🙂
I’m glad you picked out the line “he’ll protect me even from myself” – that just popped in to my head and seemed so right. Think it works both ways!
Aww this was so sweet and perfectly Starsky. I especially loved “We’re Me and Thee: our own secret code for an army made up of two.” Just perfect! Thank you for sharing this!