| I Can Make You a Star: Part 2 |
| Hours later, Starsky and Hutch sat in the Torino, waiting for Floyd Peck to leave the half-way house. They didn't want him hanging around while they were talking to the other kids about Amanda Turner. Finally, Peck came out of the building and walked in the opposite direction. Starsky nodded to his partner. They got out of the car and walked into the central rec room. This time, the teens looked up and smiled as they noticed the visitors. The two detectives walked up to the kids that were playing pool. Starsky smiled at the young girl that had talked to them earlier. "Hi, again. Is Floyd around?" The girl shook her head. "You just missed him. He went to the store, and to the bank. He should be back in an hour or so." Hutch sighed. "That's too bad. But maybe you can help us. We wanted to ask him about Amanda Turner. Did any of you know her?" "Yeah, I did. Floyd told us what happened. I'm sorry that she's dead. We thought she just went home. She wanted to go home real bad. Floyd was going to help her, but she ran away." Starsky flicked a glance at Hutch. He moved closer to the girl. "What's your name, sweetheart?" "Trudy. Amanda was my roommate. She really wanted to be a movie star. We all thought she was going to make it, too. Maybe she would have, if Brett Larson had left her alone." Hutch frowned slightly. "Do you know Larson?" Trudy made a face. "Sure, I know him. He's always trying to talk us into starring in one of his...movies. He used to come around here, until Floyd chased him off. He really had Amanda fooled." "You said Floyd was going to help Amanda get home. What did you mean by that?" "Floyd does everything he can to get us to go back home. If we want to go, that is. He calls our parents, and talks to them for us. If he can smooth things over, he helps us get home. Sometimes he even buys airplane tickets for us. Isn't that great? With all the money that he spends on this old place, he still wants the best for us. Even if you call the hotline, all they give you is a bus ticket." "So, did he talk to Amanda's parents?" Trudy shrugged. "I know he was going to, but I don't know if he ever did or not. Like I said, Amanda left all of a sudden. Anyway, she only lived a few miles from here, so she wouldn't need a plane ticket. She was so upset that I figured she just called her parents herself and had them come and get her." "What was she upset about?" Trudy shook her head. "I don't know, but she was really freaked out about something. I asked her if Larson did something kinky to her, and she laughed like crazy. She said she could handle Larson. It was the ones that snuck up on you that you had to worry about. I don't know what she meant by that." Hutch sat on the corner of the pool table. "Trudy, this is really important. You said she was freaked out. Exactly how did she act?" "Well, she didn't like being by herself. And she jumped if you walked up behind her. She didn't like to be touched, especially by the guys. She was always taking showers, too. I kidded her once that her hair was going to fall out if she kept washing it, but she didn't even smile." Starsky traded a glance with Hutch. "Did she always act like that?" "No! She was so happy when she first got here. I mean, she was kinda mad at her parents, but was friendly with all of us. She just changed overnight." "Can you remember anything special about the last time that you saw her? Did Amanda go anywhere, like maybe to see Larson?" "I think she did go out for a while, but I don't think it was to see Larson." "Why do you say that?" "Because Floyd was really down on him. We have to let Floyd know if we're leaving the Oasis. It's one of the rules here. Floyd knew that Amanda was going out, so I figured that he knew where she was going. If he even thought that she was going to see that creep, he would have made her stay home." Hutch frowned. "Did you see Floyd talking to Amanda?" "Yeah. I was watching TV with some of the other kids when Amanda came down stairs. She told Floyd that she was going out for a while. I heard him say OK, and to be careful. Believe me, he wouldn't have said that if she was going to see Larson." Starsky sighed. "OK, Trudy, you've helped us a lot. Just one more question and we'll let you get back to your game. You said that he bought plane tickets for other kids. You wouldn't happen to remember their names, would you?" "Well, I remember Gwen Anderson. She left right after I got here. And Bobbie Cross. Somebody said that she lived in Louisiana, and Floyd paid for her ticket home. It was first class, and everything." Starsky grinned and patted her hand. "Thanks, Trudy. You've been a big help. Tell Floyd that we stopped by, OK? We'll talk to him later." "OK. I sure am glad you aren't trying to roust Floyd. He's a great guy. I'm going to miss this place, and him." Hutch stopped by the door. "Why? Are you going somewhere?" "Yeah. Floyd called my mom the other night. My dad ran off a few months back, and I kinda gave mom a hard time about it. He talked to her for a whole hour and I think she's going to let me come home. It's funny; I swore I'd never go back to Arizona, but Floyd talked me into giving my mom another chance. He really cares about us." "Well, good for you. I hope everything goes OK." "Me, too. Being on your own isn't all it's cracked up to be, that's for sure." Starsky and Hutch went back to the precinct and pulled the missing person's reports for Gwen Anderson and Bobbie Cross. Hutch smiled slightly. "Well, looks like we can cross these two off the list. At least they had a happy ending." "Yeah. Maybe we can call them and see if they knew Amanda. We need to find out what happened to her that was so bad." "Sure, why not? We can verify that they made it home, and then we can close their cases." Hutch opened Bobbie Cross's file and found the phone number her parents had given. He dialed the number and sat back in his chair. The phone rang twice, then a female voice answered it. "Hello?" "Is this Mrs. Cross? Lena Cross?" "Yes it is. May I help you?" "Yes, ma'am. I'm Detective Ken Hutchinson, with the LAPD. I'm calling about your daughter, Roberta." "Bobbie? Have you found her? Is she all right?" Hutch motioned for Starsky to pick up the extension. "Mrs. Cross, we recieved information that Bobbie had returned home. Are you saying that she's not there?" "No, she's not here! I've been worried sick about her. My husband and I have been in contact with your police department since Bobbie disappeared, but there hasn't been any progress on her case. Who on earth told you she was here?" "Mrs. Cross, I need to be very clear on this. Have you had any contact with Bobbie AT ALL since she left?" "No, not so much as a post card." "Has anyone contacted you ABOUT Bobbie within the last few months?" "No, Detective Hutchinson. I assure you, if anyone had given us any clues as to where Bobbie was, we'd have flown up there immediately. Every time I pick up the phone, I hope I'll hear her voice. We had a horrible fight, and it was over something so trivial. We never meant for Bobbie to run away." Hutch heard the tears in her voice. "I'm sorry to upset you, Mrs. Cross. Apparently, we have the wrong information. I promise, if we hear anything about your daughter, we'll get in touch with you right away. I assume you enclosed a photograph of Bobbie when you filed the missing person's report?" "It's all right, Detective. I was just taken by surprise. I know Bobbie will be back with us soon. Yes, my husband flew to LA and gave the report in person. He took a picture of Bobbie with him. It was a school picture, taken last year. You see, Bobbie always hated Louisiana, and talked about LA all the time. We've filed reports from here all the way to Seattle, but we've always thought she'd end up in LA." "I understand. Thank-you, Mrs. Cross. I'm sorry that we didn't have better news. We'll be in touch." Hutch hung up the phone, and turned to his partner. "What the Hell was that all about? Why would Trudy lie to us?" Starsky shrugged. "Trudy wouldn't, unless somebody lied to her." Hutch spit out the word. "Peck." Starsky thought for a minute. Then he picked up the files on Bobbie Cross and Gwen Anderson. He motioned with his head. "Come on. I've got an idea." Hutch followed the brunette out the door. "You wanna tell me where we're going, buddy?" "To see DeLaney," was all Starsky said. Hutch realized what Starsky was thinking. "Damn it, not her, too." They found DeLaney in his office. He looked up at them between the stacks of reports on his desk. "What's up, guys? Don't tell me you've got another body." Starsky shook his head. "No, not a new one, anyway. We need you to take these pictures and see if they match any of your Jane Does; the one's that matched Amanda Turner's MO." "Sure, no problem. I've got the files right here. Uh, somewhere, anyway." The two detectives hid their grins as DeLaney pawed through the stacks on his desk. After a few attempts, he found the files he was looking for. Starsky handed him the photographs of the two missing teens. DeLaney opened the Jane Doe files, and nodded after only a few minutes. "Yep, they're both here. Jane Doe's two and three. Sorry, guys. I know that's probably not what you were hoping to hear." Hutch was somber. "No, but it doesn't surprise us. Well, it looks like you can clear up two of your Jane Doe files anyway. Hey, have you got a picture of the third Jane Doe?" "Sure, you want a copy?" "Yeah, we do. We might want to show it to some kids we know. Thanks, DeLaney. I think we just got our first real break in the case." Starsky and Hutch walked back to the car in silence. Neither man spoke until they were on the way back to the station. "Well," Starsky asked, "what now?" "Now we get to break someone else's heart. Man, I am REALLY getting sick of this case!" "I know what you mean, partner. You know, I keep thinking about Rosie. What if she was out there somewhere, and the Captain and Edith were waiting for news about her? Not knowin' where your kid is has to be the scariest feelin' in the world." "Yeah, and finding out that she's dead has to be the worst." Dobey wasn't pleased by their latest report, either. "So, we can identify three of the dead girls, and they all stayed at the Oasis. What do you want to do now? If you pull Peck in for questioning, you could spook him. So far, all you have is circumstantial evidence. You still can't put him WITH the victims at the time of the murders." Hutch looked at his captain. "Well, one thing's for sure. These girls weren't killed at the house. There'd be too many witnesses. We may not have enough evidence to pull Peck in, but we can sure put a tail on him. Think we can get some help, Captain?" "I'll do better than that. I'll get enough people for three shifts. I want you two back on the street. This other girl mentioned airline tickets. See if you can find anything with the dead girl's names on it. If we can prove that Peck bought those tickets, we've got our connection." "Right, Cap. We're on it." Starsky found a parking spot for the Torino, and they walked into the main terminal. They found a clerk that was willing to help, and gave her the names of the two victims. She punched in the names, and waited. "No, we don't have any reservations in those two names. I'm sorry." Hutch groaned, frustrated. "How far back did you go?" "Two years, just like you told me. I'm sorry, but we don't have reservations for ANY destination in those two names. Could they be under another name?" Starsky glanced at Hutch. "Try Floyd Peck." She typed in the name and waited. "Yes, we have several reservations for Mr. Peck. Now, isn't this interesting? The destinations are all out of the country. There isn't any for in the US. And they're all open reservations." "What do you mean, 'open reservations'?" Hutch asked. "It means that he buys the tickets in advance and can reserve a seat on any available flight for that particular time frame. Some of our regular businessmen do that. If they know they're going to be traveling, but aren't sure of the exact date, they book an open reservation. That way, they don't have to worry about the plane being full." "What destinations did Peck reserve?" "Let's see. Two are for the Middle East, one is for Africa, and one is for Italy." "OK, thanks. Can we get printouts of those, please? It's really important." "Sure. Let me clear it with my supervisor. I'll be right back." The two detectives waited at the desk. Starsky watched the crowd for a moment. "Well, what do you think now?" Hutch spread his hands. "I don't know WHAT to think. He's obviously selling these kids on some black market, but for what? Who are his buyers? How do they contact him?" "I don't know. We need to get into that house and take a look around. Do you think we can get a search warrant?" "It's worth a try. Let's take the printouts and go back to the station. Maybe Dobey will go to bat for us and talk to Judge Belin. If we can get a search warrant, we'll tear that office apart." On their way to the station, the radio crackled and the dispatcher came on. "Dispatch to Zebra Three. Come in, Zebra Three." Hutch picked up the mic. "This is Zebra Three. Go ahead, dispatch." "Standby for a message from Henry 4. Patching you through now." The radio crackled again, and then another voice. "Hutch? This is Sandy Morgan. We thought you might like to know that your suspect went into the Cunningham Hotel about an hour ago and hasn't come out yet. I thought you said he lived at that half-way house." "As far as we know, he does. Has anyone else went in or out?" "Just your usual assortment of winos and drifters. This isn't exactly the Hilton, you know." "OK, stay with him, Sandy. We're trying to get a search warrant for the Oasis. Looks like we'll need one for the Cunningham, too. Let us know if he moves again, will you?" "Sure thing, Hutch. Over and out." Starsky flicked a glance at Hutch. "Well, maybe things are finally starting to break. Let's see if we can get that warrant." |
| Captain Dobey agreed to call the judge right away, and they had their search warrant an hour later. The telephone on their desk rang as they were getting ready to leave. Starsky stopped at the squad room door while Hutch grabbed the phone. "Hutchinson." "Hey, Hutch, it's Jake Porter from Vice. I've got someone down here that you might want to talk to." "Can it wait? We're right in the middle of a case." "You're working on the Turner homicide, right? Like I said, I got something you need to hear." Hutch sighed. "OK, Jake, we'll be down in a minute." Starsky raised his eyebrows, curious. "What was that all about?" "Jake Porter, from Vice. He said he has something for us." "Well, we've still got the tail on Peck. He'll keep for a bit. Let's see what Porter wants." Jake Porter met them at the Vice squadroom. The lanky, red-haired detective was just seedy-looking enough to blend in with the district he patrolled. He waved his hand in the general direction of two chairs. Once Starsky and Hutch were seated, Porter handed them a thin file. "That's Sarah Fields. She was sixteen when we first picked her up for soliciting. She didn't have a pimp to bail her out, so she did her time and dropped out of sight. Up until last night, I hadn't seen her for about a year. I picked her up on the same corner as the last time. When I brought her in, she had an interesting story to tell. I've called her parents and they're coming after her. They live in Nevada, so it will take a few hours to get here. I wanted you to hear what she has to say first hand. I don't think you'll be disappointed." "OK, let's go talk to her." They followed Porter down to the interrogation room. He nodded to the officer standing guard and went in. "Sarah, these are the detective's I was telling you about. This is Detective Starsky, and this is Detective Hutchinson. Tell them what you told me." "Sure, why not? I got nothing better to do. OK, here goes. I used to do some hooking in the neighborhood, but after I got busted, I decided to try something else. Only, I didn't know what I should do. I met this creep, Brett Larson, and he wanted to get me in one of his movies. I stayed with him for a little while, but it just wasn't my bag. I mean, who wants to do it in front of a bunch of people? But I didn't have any money, so I figured I had to do something. I heard about this other guy that ran a house for runaway kids, so I decided to check him out. At first, it was great. I had a place to sleep, three squares a day, and didn't have to hook anymore." Hutch held up his hand, and said, "This guy's name wouldn't be Floyd Peck, would it?" "Yeah, the creep. He lied to me!" Starsky moved closer to the table. "What do you mean, Sarah?" "I'd been at the Oasis for a few weeks when Floyd started talkin' to me about going back home. At first, I told him I'd rather go back to hooking than go back to Nevada, but he kept at me about it. Look, my parents aren't so bad; they just don't have a clue about being a kid. All they ever talked about was me gettin' married and settlin' down. I'm only seventeen. I want to go places and see all kinds of stuff before I settle down. So, I started baby-sittiing and saved all my money. When I thought I had enough to get started on my own, I took off. Only, it took almost everything I had just for the bus ticket. I ended up on the street and started hooking just for food. When I told Floyd about it, he said he could work things out with my folks. He said he'd call them, and would get me a plane ticket home. Hey, it was better than the bus, so I said OK. Only, when we got to the airport, something weird happened." Hutch asked, "We? Did Peck go with you?" "No, he sent his chaperones with me. Chaperones my foot! They were more like wardens. As long as you went along with whatever Floyd said, everything was peachy. But if you crossed him, they came down on you like a ton of bricks." Hutch looked at his partner. "We didn't see any other adults at the house. But, we didn't go upstairs, either. Go on, Sarah. We're listening. What happened at the airport?" "Well, they wouldn't even let me see my ticket, for one thing. The Wicked Witch of the West held on to it, like it was some kind of secret. Then, they called this flight over the loudspeaker, and the witch told me it was time to go. Only, it wasn't my flight that they called." "How do you know that?" "Because I heard something about customs. I may be just a kid, but I know you don't go through customs when you fly to Nevada. I got really scared then, and took off. It wasn't easy, but I finally gave them the slip and got away from there. I made it back to the city and hid out for a while. I didn't want to go back to hooking, but I knew I couldn't go back to the Oasis. I was doing OK, until last night." J ake Porter sat down beside Sarah. "When I called Sarah's folks this morning, they said they never heard of Floyd Peck. Sarah wasn't with him when he supposedly called them. It's obvious he's lying through his teeth. Now tell them about the Cunningham Hotel, Sarah." "Floyd's a pervert, worse than Brett Larson ever was. He keeps a room at the Cunningham. I was hiding in another hotel when I happened to see him go in there one night. I snuck up the stairs and listened at the door. He had somebody with him, 'cause I could hear her screaming. She sounded really scared, so I ran off before he could catch me. I waited until he left, then went back to his room. The chick came out a little later, and when I heard her go down the stairs, I conned the desk clerk into letting me in. He had all this junk sittin' on his desk. I started looking through his papers, and found a whole bunch of pictures. Every one of them was of a different girl. He had all this weird stuff written on the back of the pictures. I didn't understand any of it. I was going to take a couple of the pictures, but before I could, I heard somebody coming up the stairs. I climbed out on the fire escape and got out of there before anybody spotted me." Hutch stood up. "OK, now we know what to look for. Thanks, Sarah. You've helped us more than you know. I'm going to have Jake send up a stenographer to write this all down, and I want you to sign it. Oh, one more thing." He held his hand out to Starsky, who handed him the picture of the last Jane Doe. "Do you recognize this girl, Sarah?" "Yeah, that's the chick that Floyd was with that night. I felt kind of sorry for her. She was crying and holding her stomach when she left. He must have done a real number on her." "Yeah, he probably did. OK, sit tight for a while. You're a good kid, Sarah. I hope you work things out with your parents. I know four other girls that won't ever see their folks again. You're one of the lucky ones." Sarah smiled shyly. "I know. I guess settlin' down in the old home town isn't so bad after all. I think I've done all the traveling I want to do for a long time." Starsky winked at her. "Good girl. Take care, Sarah." Hutch stood outside the door and talked to Jake. "Keep her comfortable, get her something to eat, and DON'T let her out of your sight until her parents get here. She's the first witness we've found that can actually put Peck with one of the dead girls, and she's the only one that's seen the inside of that room. We'll be back as soon as we can. If her parents get here before we make it back, put them all up in a safe house. Don't let them leave until you hear from us. I don't want Peck tipped off. He's liable to go after Sarah if he finds out we know about the Cunninham." "You got it, Hutch." The two detectives ran to the Torino and took off for the Cunningham Hotel. On the way, Hutch checked in with detectives who were tailing Floyd Peck. "Zebra 3 to Dispatch. Patch me through to Henry 4." "Roger, Zebra 3. Stand by." "This is Morgan, go ahead, Hutch." "Sandy, where's Peck now?" "He's back at the Oasis. He left the Cunningham and came straight back here." "Good. Stay with him, Sandy. If he takes off again, follow him. If he heads for the Cunningham, buzz his room and let us know." "Ten-four, Zebra 3. Out." They pulled up at the Cunningham Hotel and showed the desk clerk their badges and the search warrant. He quietly handed them the key and went back to reading his comic book. They walked up the stairs and opened the door to room 217. The two detectives went in separate directions. Hutch went to the desk that sat against the inside wall of the room. The top of the desk was still covered with stacks of manilla folders. Hutch opened the top folder. Inside was a photograph of a young girl. Along with the photograph was a biography, stating her date of birth, height, weight, and distinguishing characteristics. There was also a brief description of the girl's background, including her address, parent's names and medical records. Hutch turned the photo over. "Starsk, take a look at this." Starsky looked over Hutch's shoulder. "Vital statistics. That's what Sara meant by 'weird writing'. He's selling these girls to the highest bidder." Starsky picked up another folder and thumbed through it. He held up another sheet of paper. "Here's a list of names. Potential buyers, you think?" "That's my guess. Look at these files! He didn't just get into this, Starsk. He's been doing this for years." "Yeah. How many kids run to this city every year, Hutch? Hundreds? Thousands? Some of them run away because home is worse than the streets. If they disappear, who's gonna know, or care? He sells them to the highest bidder and ships them off to God knows where. No wonder he can't stand Brett Larson." "You lost me, Starsk. What's Larson got to do with this?" "Think about it, Hutch. Peck takes these kids in and gives them a home. He cons them into believing he wants what's best for them. Meanwhile, he's selling them on the black market. Even if some of the kids have folks that are looking for them, he still manages to get them out of the country. Everyone knows how easy it is to lose yourself in this town. The kids end up in the dead files section of Missing Persons. He's got a pretty good business going when Larson starts to horn in on his action. Peck doesn't want these kids on video. And you can bet his 'clients' want to remain anonymous, too. If one of these kids gets into Larson's movies, that screws everything up. He can't take the risk that some time down the line, somebody will recognize one of the kids." "And you think that's why Peck killed Amanda Turner and those other girls?" "Sure. Larson said that Amanda did great on her so-called screen test. What do you want to bet that Peck told her not to do it, and when he found out she did it anyway, he decided to get rid of her?" "Sounds good to me. Let's get a van down here and take all this stuff to R&I. I'd love to know who these buyers are." "OK. The phone's over there. You call. I want to look around a bit more." While Hutch was on the phone, Starsky prowled around the room. He opened the closet, and moved the clothes to the other side. He turned and walked across the room to the bed. "Well, the bed's made up. There's no sign of anyone else being in the room. Wonder what he was doing here?" "Probably setting up another buy." As he talked to Starsky, Hutch started going through the desk drawers and putting the contents on top of the folders. He found a ledger in the bottom drawer and looked through it. He whistled quietly. "Will you look at these numbers! This scum has money stashed in bank accounts all over the world." Starsky simply shrugged, and continued searching the room. As he was headed back to the bed, a glint caught his eye. He moved the bed over a bit, and knelt down in the corner. Oblivious to what his partner was doing, Hutch continued to look through the ledger. "OK, here we go. Looks like Peck started his little business right after he got out of the pen. Maybe writing bad checks wasn't lucrative enough for him." "Hutch. Hutch! Look at this." "Hmm? What?" Hutch looked up at his partner. Dangling from Starsky's hand was a shiny, gold chain. A heart shaped pendant hung from the chain. There was a small birthstone in the front. Starsky turned it over and looked at the back. The initials, AT, were inscribed on the heart. He handed the necklace to Hutch. They looked at each other, eyes wide. "Amanda Turner." They crosssed the room to the bed. Gently, they moved the bed to the center of the room. Hutch knelt down and looked along the wall. In the corner, near the floor, there was a small brown spot. Hutch grabbed the phone again. "Come on, come on. Who is this? Bill? This is Hutch. Has that van left that we asked for? Damn. OK, call down to the lab and tell them we need a crime team ASAP. Yeah, tell them we found where the Turner girl was murdered. We'll wait until they get here. And call Sandy Morgan. Tell him NOT to let Floyd Peck leave the Oasis. If Peck starts to move, tell Morgan to bring him in. Tell him we'll be there as soon as the crime team gets here. Thanks, Bill." The van and the crime team arrived minutes later. Hutch gave them hasty instructions. "Take everything down town. Make sure you go over every inch of this room. There's blood on that wall over there. And call Dobey and tell him we're bringing Floyd Peck in!" He raced out the door, and hopped into the Torino as Starsky sped off toward the half-way house. |
| Starsky parked the Torino behind Sandy Morgan's unmarked car. The two detectives walked up to the driver's side and motioned for Morgan to roll down the window. "Is he still inside, Sandy?" "Yep. He hasn't made a move. I've got Wilson and Moore in the back, just in case he decides to run." "Good. You guys stay out here. We'll try to take him without a fuss. I don't want to upset the kids if I don't have to. They all believe in that scum. I don't want to start a free for all." "Sure thing, Hutch. If you need us, give a yell." Starsky walked calmly up the stairs with Hutch right behind him. He opened the door and walked into the rec room. A few of the teens stopped what they were doing and waved at the two detectives. Starsky gave a small wave. "Hi everybody. Is Floyd around?" One of the boys nodded. "Yeah, he's in his office, doing some paperwork or something. You want us to go get him?" "Nah, we'll go back there. We remember the way. You kids have fun." They knocked on the office door and heard a voice inviting them in. Floyd Peck looked up from the paper he was reading. Both detectives caught the angry look on Peck's face before it changed to a smile. "Hello again, Detectives. The kids told me you stopped by earlier. What can I do for you?" Starsky walked up to the desk. "You can come with us, Peck. We have some questions to ask you and we want you to come downtown." Peck stiffened in his chair. "Do you have a warrant for my arrest, Starsky?" Starsky shook his head. "No, but we can get one real fast, if that's the way you want to play it. We thought you might not want those kids out there to see you taken away in 'cuffs. They have enough problems without something like that happening." Peck showed is teeth in a ruthless grin. "And if I tell them you're putting the bum's rush on me, they might just get agitated, right? You don't want a riot, do you, Detective?" Hutch came forward and put his hands on the desk in front of Peck. "What we WANT is for you to come with us. Now, we can do this the easy way, so no one gets upset, or we can do it the hard way. We'll put you in handcuffs and take you out the back door. You'll be gone before they know it." He moved closer to Peck, until they were almost nose to nose. "You see, scum, we just came from the Cunninham Hotel." Peck's face paled as the significance of that hit him. He blurted, "How did you find out?" Hutch stood up, his face icy calm. "It doesn't matter how we found out. We saw everything. We found all the files and photos of the girls that you sold to the highest bidder. We found the list of clients. We found the ledger that you've been keeping for the past two years." Suddenly, his calm disappeared as he picked Peck up by his shirt collar and slammed him against the wall. He hissed, "We FOUND Amanda Turner's necklace! You missed that one, didn't you, Peck!? There's a crime team in your room right now, taking the place apart. We've found blood on one of the walls. You're going down for killing Amanda Turner and for kidnapping God knows how many other girls. There's a cell in the state pen that has your name on it, Peck; and it's going to be your home for a long, long time. Now, turn around, with your hands behind your back. I said, TURN AROUND!" As Hutch was putting the handcuffs on Floyd Peck, Tommy opened the door of the office. "Hey, Floyd, want to play a game of pool?" His eyes widened as he saw the handcuffs. "What's going on? What are you guys doing?" Starsky tried to soothe the confused teen. "It's OK, Tommy. We're just taking Floyd downtown to ask him some questions. It's nothing for you to worry about." "Then why the handcuffs? I don't get this! I thought you guys were our friends! I thought you cared about us! You two are a couple of phonies! You're just like the rest. Floyd shoulda never trusted you!" Starsky stepped closer to Tommy, but the boy darted back. "No, you stay away from me! You wanna close us down, don't you? WHY? What did we ever do to you? Why can't you just leave us alone?!" Starsky remained where he was and spoke softly to the boy. "We don't want to close you down, Tommy. You kids haven't done anything wrong. I'm not going to lie to you. Floyd's been into some heavy stuff for a long time; stuff that you don't know anything about. We have to take him in. He'll have his day in court. No matter what happens to Floyd, we'll do our best to make sure you don't lose your home. I promise." Tommy laughed, his eyes shining. "You promise! You don't care. I thought..." his voice broke. "I thought you liked us. I thought you were different. I'm glad Trudy isn't here to see this. She thought you guys were the best." Hutch turned Peck around and pushed him into the chair. He turned back to Tommy. "What do you mean, she's not here?" Tommy snarled defiantly. "She's on her way to the airport. She's going home today. At least, somebody cares about her. She won't have to worry about being kicked back out on the street." Starsky closed in on Tommy before he could move. He put his hands on the teen's shoulders. "Tommy, I want you to listen to me." Tommy shook his head, sullen. Starsky shook him, his voice stern. "I said LISTEN to me. Trudy's not going home. Amanda didn't go home. NONE of the girls went home! They all were sent overseas. Floyd SOLD them to whoever had the most money. God only knows what happened to them after that. If Trudy gets on that plane, her mom will never see her again, and neither will we. Please, I'm beggin' you. Talk to us. Can you remember what time her plane is supposed to leave?" Tommy looked at the curly haired detective, terrified. "I don't believe you! Floyd wouldn't do something like that." Hutch went to stand by his partner. "Tommy, we found pictures of all the girls that he sold in his room at the Cunningham Hotel. The desk clerk identified him. He's been staying there for a long time. It's all there in black and white. And we found a necklace that belonged to Amanda, and some dried blood stains. We think Floyd killed her. Tommy, we don't have time to take you over there and let you see it for yourself. Trudy doesn't have time. You're the only one that can save her. Please, tell us when her flight is supposed to leave." Floyd shouted at the scared teenager. "Don't you say anything, Tommy! They'll put you back in juvey! Keep your mouth shut!" Tommy stared at the ex-con. "But Floyd, Trudy's my friend. Why shouldn't I tell them? If they're lying, then what harm can it do?" "Shut up, you sniveling little idiot! If I go to jail, your gravy train stops cold." Starsky gently squeezed Tommy's shoulders. "Do you hear him, Tommy? That's the real Floyd Peck. He doesn't want you to talk to us, because he knows where Trudy is really going. Somebody bought Trudy, and what she's gettin' into is a whole lot worse than turnin' tricks. He doesn't care about Trudy; all he cares about is money. He doesn't care about you kids at all." Tommy looked at Peck, then back at Starsky. "I don't know who to believe! But I don't want Trudy to get hurt. I don't know what plane she's takin', but it leaves at six o'clock." Starsky looked at his watch. "That gives us about an hour." He squeezed Tommy's shoulder again, and stepped back. "Thanks, Tommy, you won't be sorry. We'll make sure Trudy doesn't get hurt." He looked at Hutch and nodded, then flew out the door. He raced to back to Sandy Morgan, who had postioned himself in front of the Oasis. "Sandy, have Moore and Wilson take Peck down to the station and book him. There's a kid named Tommy in the back office. You and Johnson get out to the airport, fast, and take Tommy with you. He can point Trudy out to you. Whatever you do, DON'T let her get on a plane. She won't be alone, so be careful. And call Dobey. Have him send some black and whites to the airport, ASAP. Tell'im Hutch and me are on the way." "You got it, Starsk." |
| Starsky ran for the Torino and waited for Hutch, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. "Come on, Hutch. Come on!" Two minutes later, Hutch ran out of the Oasis and jumped into the car. He slapped the mars light on the roof, and the Torino took off with the siren screaming. Starsky weaved through the traffic as cars dodged out of the way. He pulled up in front of the airport, and grabbed their radios out of the glove compartment. The detectives jumped out of the car, flashing their badges at the guard as they ran into the main terminal. They slowed to a walk once they were inside the building, and searched for Trudy. Starsky turned on the radio. "Sandy, you there?" "Here, Starsky. We're pulling up in front now. What do you want us to do?" "Tommy didn't know what flight she was takin', so just start looking. We're going to check with the clerk and see if we can pin it down. We'll let you know if we find anything out." "OK, but I hope you find something soon. There's no way we can cover this whole airport in half an hour. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack." "I know, Sandy, but we have to try. We'll get back with you in a minute." Starsky and Hutch walked up to the nearest reservation desk, and showed their badges to the customers in front. Starsky raised his voice so that he could be heard over the noise. "Sorry, folks, police business. This will only take a minute." Hutch leaned over the counter and showed his badge to the clerk. "I need to know if you have a reservation for Floyd Peck leaving at 6pm. It's important." The desk clerk took one look at the badge, and typed the name into the computer. A minute later, she nodded. "He's booked on United Airlines flight 708." "Where's he going?" "Let's see. Heathrow Airport, then to Algiers." "What terminal?" "Seven. Just follow the green line." "Thanks." Hutch ran to the terminal with Starsky right beside him. Starsky glanced at a clock on the wall as he ran by it. "We've got twenty minutes." Hutch brought his radio up. "Sandy? She's at Terminal 7, UA flight 708. We're on our way. Radio Dobey and see if he can have the flight delayed in case we miss her." "That's cutting it close, Hutch, but I'll try." The two detectives threaded their way through the crowd gathering at the terminal. Starsky stopped and leaned against a support pillar, trying to catch his breath. He searched the crowd, looking for Trudy. Hutch leaned against the other side of the post. "You OK, partner?" Starsky huffed, "Fine. Just catchin' my breath. Don't worry about me, just keep lookin' for Trudy. I ain't goin' anywhere." Hutch scanned the room. Finally, he pointed. "There she is, on that bench over there. Sarah wasn't kidding about those two women. Look at the size of them!" "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm not planning on goin' up against'em. Come on, let's go." They walked to where the three women were sitting. Trudy looked up and saw them coming. Starsky put a finger to his lips. She looked confused, but nodded anyway. They casually moved to either side of the women. Trudy's guards sat on each side of her, reading magazines while they waited for her flight to be called. Starsky and Hutch pulled out their badges and dangled them in front of the women's noses. Both heads snapped up at once. One of the women reached inside her purse. Hutch lifted his gun. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, sweetheart. You'll never make it, I promise. It's over ladies. You're under arrest for attempted kidnapping, and a few other charges that we'll discuss later on." Sandy Morgan ran up to them as Starsky took the women's purses away from them. His partner, Rick Johnson, followed close behind him with Tommy bringing up the rear. Morgan and Johnson took the two women into custody, and ushered them out of the terminal. Tommy hugged Trudy, then stepped back quickly. "Are you OK, Trudy? Did they hurt you?" Trudy looked at her audience, confused."Hurt me? No. What's going on, Tommy? Why are you guys here? I'm supposed to be going home." Starsky sat down beside her on the bench. "That's just it, honey. You weren't going home. Those two broads were supposed to make sure you got on a plane all right, but you weren't going back to Arizona. You were headed for London, and then Algiers." "Algiers? Where's that? Why would Floyd send me there? I don't get this!" Starsky took her hands in his. "Floyd isn't what he pretends to be. He's been sending young girls overseas, instead of sending them home. We're not sure exactly what happens to them after that, but you can bet it isn't nice. If Tommy hadn't helped us, you would have gotten on that plane and we would have never been able to get you back. I'm sorry, sweetheart. I know you really liked Floyd. He's a really bad man. We think he might have killed Amanda Turner, too." "No! How could he do that? He was always so nice to me!" "That's because you didn't rock the boat, Trudy. You always did what he said, and you stayed away from Brett Larson. Amanda went to see Larson against Floyd's orders, and we think he killed her for that. I wish things had turned out differently, but I want you to know that we're going to make sure you get home safely. A couple months from now, this will all seem like a bad dream." "I-I guess so. Can we go home now? Oh wait, I don't have a home!" Trudy put her hands over her face, dejected. Starsky hugged her against him. "Sure you do, honey. The Oasis ain't closed. We'll get some one to take over, someone who really cares this time." He helped her to stand up. "Come on, let's get out of here." |
| Starsky finished the report that he was typing and put it into one of the many folders on his desk. He flexed his hands, trying to relieve the cramps in his fingers. He looked over at his partner. "Thank God! Another report all typed up, in triplicate. Ya know, we might be done by Christmas after all." Hutch put his finger to his lips. "Shhh, don't let Dobey hear you say that. He'll keep us chained to these desks until we're finished, and I for one would like to get out of here at a decent time tonight." Starsky put his own finger to his lips. "Shhh, mum's the word." He grinned wickedly. At the same time, Captain Dobey walked into the squadroom. He held another file in one hand and a sandwich in another. As he passed by, he pointed to his office with one finger. Starsky and Hutch traded looks and followed their captain. After they sat down, Starsky asked, "What's the word, Cap?" "I thought you might like to know that both Trudy and Sarah Fields are back at home. They'll have to come back and testify at Peck's trial, but the state is paying for round-trip air fare for them and their parents." Hutch smiled. "That's great, Captain. Huggy called this morning and said they found a retired couple to take over the Oasis, so the rest of the kids will still have a place to stay." Dobey frowned slightly. "A retired couple? Do you think they'll be able to handle a bunch of troubled teenagers?" Starsky grinned. "Oh, I think so. They're retired from the Marines. I don't think the kids will be any trouble at all." Dobey nodded. "I see what you mean. Oh, and those two women are singing their hearts out. Looks like the DA won't have a problem getting a conviction on all counts." Hutch asked, "Who were they, anyway, Captain? Ex-cons?" Dobey shook his head. "Cooks." Hutch raised his eyebrows. "Cooks? You're kidding." "No. They worked at the state penitentiary. Floyd Peck worked in the kitchen, and since he was in minimum security, he had full run of the place. He stocked, helped serve, and cleaned up after each meal. I guess they had plenty of opportunity to talk." Starsky sat back in his chair. "Well, I'll be damned." Dobey glanced at the folder on his desk. "Well, at least our part is finished. Thank God for small favors." Hutch glanced at Starsky. "Our part?" "Yes. The Feds will be taking over from here. We still have the black market aspect to consider. It's not going to be easy, because some of Pecks...clients... are prominant citizens, in their countries at least. It's going to be a diplomatic nightmare, I'm afraid. That's also why I called you in here. They'll be coming down next week to gather all the files on the case. I want you to make sure ALL the reports are complete and legible. And no literary masterpieces, Starsky. I want them clear and concise." Starsky looked a little wounded. "Yes, Cap." Then he grinned. "I'll let Hutch type them all up, and I'll just sign'em when he's done." Hutch protested loudly. "I don't think so! Don't worry, Captain, we'll have them ready in time." Under his breath, he added, "We hope." Dobey sat back at his desk. "Good. Meanwhile, take the weekend off. You two deserve it. But I want you in here bright and early Monday morning, working on those reports." Starsky's eyes widened. "Yes, sir! Thank-you, sir!" He gave Dobey a mock salute, and grabbed Hutch by the back of his jacket. "We'll see you Monday, Cap." Starsky pushed Hutch ahead of him, and closed the door as he was leaving. He grinned at his partner. "Can you believe it? A whole weekend off. Quick, let's get out of here before he changes his mind." "I'm right behind you, Starsk." Hutch said as he opened the door for the curly-haired detective. "I've got an idea. Let's celebrate. I'll buy you a beer at Huggy's." Starsky rolled his eyes. "A beer? Do you think your wallet can handle that?" "Well, if you're real good, I'll throw in something to eat." Starsky retorted, "You're going to spring for a whole Huggy's special?" He put his hand to his chest. "Can my heart stand the strain." Hutch shook his head. "It's not your heart that I'm worried about, it's your stomach. All that fat and preservatives is bad for you." Starsky threw his hand up. "Now don't start that again. Me and my stomach are doin' just fine without you tellin' me what to eat." Hutch shook his head. "I'm just telling you this for your own good, Starsky. Your diet is lousy. All that junk food is going to clog up your arteries. You need to take better care of yourself. You're not getting any younger, you know." Starsky stopped at the front door of the station. He turned to Hutch. "You know, you're gettin' to be a real nag about this. Have you been talkin' to my mother again?" The End |
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