![\"\"](\"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/divider-300x87.jpg\")
<\/p>\nA bit of fluff during the summer between Seasons 3 and 4.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cStarsky! Hutchinson! My office!\u2026 Now!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Hutch sent me a long suffering look, pushed his chair back, and got up. As he walked behind me, he put a hand on my shoulder. \u201cBe nice,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n I followed him into the office usually occupied by our captain, Harold Dobey, and closed the door behind me. Instead of Dobey, however, the desk chair was occupied by Captain Levi Stillman, a strict disciplinarian whose appearance was definitely not \u2018old school.\u2019 He was in his early sixties and had been called out of semi-retirement when Dobey had had a mild heart attack a few weeks before. Dobey was due back any day but Good Ol\u2019 Levi was bound and determined to exert every ounce of control he had over us miscreants, as he liked to call Hutch and me.<\/p>\n Stillman gestured to the two guest chairs and Hutch took his usual place. I strolled to the water cooler and drew a cup before moving to mine and sharing the libation with my partner.<\/p>\n The captain seethed silently while I did this. When I was settled, he cut his stare back and forth between us, holding up two sheets of paper. \u201cThis is completely unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n Hutch and I exchanged a bland look before Hutch put on his best conciliatory tone. \u201cWhat\u2019s that, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThese reports of yours!\u201d Stillman\u2019s reply was much louder than necessary. \u201cYou\u2019ve both been warned, many times since I took over this office –\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain Dobey\u2019s gonna be back any day, sir.\u201d I couldn\u2019t sit there and take the pompous ass\u2019s self-important bullshit any longer. \u201cHe\u2019s familiar with the way Hutch and I write our reports.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe has <\/em>asked us to alter a few words in the past.\u201d Hutch was using his most soothing persona. \u201cAnd, of course, we will change whatever you find offensive. Captain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2026\u201d Stillman lowered the pages and his voice. \u201cOn the other hand, they\u2019re not as bad as some you\u2019ve written.\u201d He ran his sausage fingers over them, smoothing any wrinkles. His hands matched his physique. He was as tall as Hutch and very sturdily built. His curly steel gray hair foamed around his head, almost becoming part of his full, grizzly beard. His eyes were a penetrating dark brown. My guess was he\u2019d gotten onto the force sometime in the fifties — possibly having tried other professions first — and had moved slowly up the ranks only because he\u2019d never pissed anybody off enough to get fired.<\/p>\n I had begun to wonder about something during the last three weeks, though. If The Powers That Be didn\u2019t like my non-reg appearance — I heard about it often enough — what did they think of Stillman\u2019s? He dressed conservatively enough, but that hair! And the beard? Mentally, I shook my head. His rank, of course, must be the answer. It had its privileges.<\/p>\n \u201cAs you know, gentlemen, I\u2019m not fond of what I consider your shoddy practices.\u201d Stillman\u2019s gravelly voice was stern. \u201cOn the other hand, your records show they do get results.\u201d<\/p>\n Hutch quickly, but very innocently, jumped to our defense. \u201cYes, sir. Our record does show that.\u201d<\/p>\n The captain paused, probably trying to figure out if Hutch was being sarcastic. Apparently deciding he wasn\u2019t, he continued. \u201cOn the other hand, more precise written reports would make my job much easier.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir.\u201d Hutch was mollifying for all he was worth and I made sure to keep my expression blank.<\/p>\n Stillman picked up another folder and brandished it. \u201cNow this report, on the other hand, is a model of what I expect.\u201d He handed it to Hutch.<\/p>\n My partner got up and gestured for me to precede him out of the office. \u201cWe\u2019ll study it carefully, sir. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n Back in the squad room, I went to the coffee machine and drew two cups while Hutch moved around and sat at his desk, the folder in front of him. I handed his coffee across to him and perched on the back of my chair. \u201cOn the other hand\u2026\u201d I mimicked.<\/p>\n Hutch laughed and I heard several others in the room chuckle. \u201cHe\u2019s an overstuffed jerk, Starsk,\u201d Hutch noted, quietly. \u201cDobey\u2019ll be back soon, and we can get on with our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow often do you think he\u2019s said that phrase in the past month?\u201d I asked, keeping my voice down, as well.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, a thousand,\u201d Hutch guessed.<\/p>\n \u201cAt least.\u201d I took a swallow of coffee.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the other hand\u2026\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n I nearly choked. \u201cDon\u2019t even joke about something like that.\u201d I sat down in my chair. \u201cI swear t\u2019 God, Hutch, if I pick up the habit, would you shoot me? Please?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you insist.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing serious,\u201d I added. \u201cA flesh wound. Something to get my attention and make me realize what I\u2019ve said.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll keep that in mind, Starsk.\u201d He was trying to hide a smirk.<\/p>\n \u201cHey! I just remembered something!\u201d I rooted around among the stuff on my desk and found the morning paper. Leafing through it, I held up a section. \u201cThe Bay City Community Players are going to be doing ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ next season. Think, if we hinted enough times, Stillman would audition?\u201d<\/p>\n Hutch thought about it. \u201cHe would make an impressive Tevya.\u201d<\/p>\n I drank more coffee. \u201cBut can he sing?\u201d<\/p>\n Hutch shuddered. \u201cGod willing, we\u2019ll never have to find out.\u201d<\/p>\n A bit of fluff during the summer between Seasons 3 and 4. \u201cStarsky! Hutchinson! My office!\u2026 Now!\u201d Hutch sent me a long suffering look, pushed his chair back, and got up. As he walked behind me, he put a hand on my shoulder. \u201cBe nice,\u201d he whispered. I followed him into the office usually occupied … Continue reading “December 22nd- Catch Phrase by DPPatricks”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,18,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fic","category-gen","category-sfw"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=241"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":604,"href":"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241\/revisions\/604"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/catch-phrase.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"