| To Dream; Perchance to Die: Part 1 |
To die, to sleep To sleep, perchance to dream, ay, there's the rub For in that sleep of death, what deams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil Must give us pause, there's the respect That makes calamity of so long life William Shakespeare_Hamlet Sergeant David Starsky pulled his Torino to the curb and honked once. Minutes later, his partner, Ken Hutchinson climbed into the passenger side. Starsky handed him a wrapped sandwich. �You didn�t get the chance to eat breakfast, either, huh?� Starsky shook his head and grinned. �We thought about setting the alarm earlier, to see if that helps.� Hutch grinned back. �It doesn�t. We tried that. We still missed breakfast.� Starsky laughed, almost choking on his sandwich. �Oh, well.� Hutch laughed with him. If anyone had told him that he would ever be this happy, he wouldn�t have believed it. Six months ago, Hutch wasn�t sure that he would ever have a career, or a partner, again. James Gunther had come alarmingly close to taking both away from him. After Gunther, the two detectives had come perilously close to the edge of a cliff. That was before he met Micki Ellis. She and her partner, Tracy Edwards, had pulled the two men back from the edge of that cliff. Micki had been involved in an extremely hazardous case involving a known organized crime family. He and Starsky had been assigned to the case after a series of homicides. The case had been their first as members of the new task force the Commissioner had created. Now, both he and Starsky had new lives, new careers, and new loves. They climbed the stairs to their new office, and went inside. Captain Harold Dobey was waiting for them. �Morning Cap. Want a sandwich?� �No, thanks, Starsky.� Hutch looked at his partner. �Uh, oh, the Captain�s refusing food. What�s the matter, Captain?� �I just received a fax from Warden Woolridge. Tommy Carruthers escaped from prison sometime during the night.� Hutch wadded the wrapper he was holding and slammed it into the trash can. �Carruthers is in maximum-security lock-up. How the Hell did he escape?!� �The warden isn�t sure. We�ll get the details later on, but apparently he had help. What matters now is he�s gone and we have to assume he�s headed here. You need to tell Micki and Tracy right away.� Hutch walked to the window and looked down at the morning traffic. He thought briefly about how quickly the peace and serenity could be shattered. He spoke without turning around. �Do you know how many times she�s woke up screaming in the middle of the night? Do you know how long it�s taken for the nightmares to go away? She�s just beginning to accept what she had to do to stay alive. She�s the cop, and he�s the monster, but she�s the one who feels guilty.� He looked at Dobey. �Man, I really don�t want to tell her that he�s loose again. I don�t know what she�ll do.� �You have to tell her, Hutch. If he is headed here, it�s only for one reason. He�s coming after her. She can�t protect herself if she doesn�t know she�s in danger.� Starsky glanced at Hutch, then asked, �Are we sure he is headed here, Cap? It would make a lot more sense if he went to Mexico, or even Europe. Coming back here is the biggest mistake he could make.� �Right now, we�re not sure of anything, Starsky. Look, Hutch, I can�t tell you what to do. If you want to hold off telling Micki that he�s escaped, I�ll go along with that. But if we find out that he�s definitely headed here, you won�t have a choice.� Hutch sighed. �I know that, Captain. I just hope he�s headed back to Jersey, or anywhere but here.� They spent the rest of the day catching up on the never-ending chore of paper work. Hutch admitted to himself that the computers made it easier, but until they invented a computer that could think for itself, he and Starsky would still spend a lot of time filling out forms. They stopped several times to check for leads on Tommy Carruthers. So far, no one had seen him. Thankfully, it was soon time to go home. Hutch parked his car behind Micki�s and walked upstairs to their apartment. After keeping separate apartments for two months, Micki had given in to Hutch and moved in with him. It didn�t make sense to keep her own apartment when she was spending all of her time at his. He knew the two women had been in court all day, so hopefully they wouldn�t know about Carruthers� escape. He unlocked the door and walked inside. The first thing he saw was the kitchen table. A white tablecloth covered it, and there were two candles in brass holders sitting on the table. Micki had turned the lights down low. Hutch could smell the tantalizing aroma of roast beef and potatoes. She turned to him as he closed the door. �Hey, you�re home right on time. Dinner�s almost ready. You�ve got time to wash up, if you want to.� He kissed her and held her close to him for a moment. �Something sure smells good. How was your day?� She rolled her eyes. �Boring, of course. But what can you expect? We had to sit all morning while the DA called the other witnesses, then it only took a few minutes to give our testimony. Oh, well, at least it turned out right. Judge Prescott threw the defense attorney�s insanity plea right out the window. Corey Sims may be a cold-blooded killer, but he�s competent to stand trial.� �So you got to sit in court all day. That�s about as interesting as my day was.� �That good, huh? What were you and Dave doing?� �Paperwork, mountains and mountains of paperwork.� �You poor thing. Go take a nice hot shower while I finish cooking.� Hutch did as she suggested, washing away all thoughts of Tommy Carruthers with the hot water. They talked about their day at work, their plans for the next day, and for the next weekend. Then, Micki brought up a subject that jolted Hutch back to the present. �I really need to figure out what I�m going to do with that house, Ken.� �Why the rush, Mick?� �I was talking to Martin Soames today, after the hearing. Since Danny-damn it, I mean Tommy-put the house in my name, I�m responsible for all the taxes on it. I don�t want the house and I hope I never have to live in it again. So, I guess I need to get everything in order so I can sell it.� �It�s your choice, Mick. I don�t blame you for wanting to get rid of it. So, what do you have to do?� �I need to go over to the house and get it cleaned up, for starters. Then I�ll have all the utilities turned off, and close it up. As soon as I do that, I can turn the keys and everything over to a real estate agent, and he can sell the damn thing.� Hutch thought quickly. He tried to seem casual when he asked, �So, when were you planning to go over there?� �Whenever I can find the time. I want to do it as soon as I can, though. I�ll draft Tracy into helping me.� �Well, if we can get away, Starsky and I can help, too. Then it won�t take long to close the house.� �Sounds good to me. �OK, I�ll talk to Starsky tomorrow.� Hutch sighed inwardly. He�d offered to help so Micki and Tracy wouldn�t be in the house alone. With Tommy Carruthers on the loose, that�s the last thing he wanted. When Micki got up and started gathering the dishes, Hutch stopped her. �Oh, no, you don�t. You cooked; I�ll clean. Why don�t you hit the shower while I take care of this?" She grinned. �You talked me into it.� Hutch put away the leftovers while she was in the shower. He smiled to himself when he opened the refrigerator door. You could always tell there was a woman in the house by the amount of food in the fridge. When he was living alone, you could usually count on a few beers and an occasional leftover pizza, but not much else. He was thinking about the past when he heard Micki coming out of the shower. She came over to stand next to him. �Would you like dessert?� �No, thanks, I�m -� Hutch stopped talking as he looked at her for the first time. His throat was suddenly dry. She was wearing his favorite shirt, the one that she wore to sleep in every night. Only one button held the shirt together and he could tell that she wasn�t wearing anything else under the shirt. �So, what would you like to do now?� He grinned. �What did you have in mind?� �Well, we could do the dishes.� �I don�t think so.� �Is there something else you�d rather do?� �I can think of a few things.� �More fun than doing the dishes?� �Definitely.� She moved closer to him and raised her arms, not quite touching him. As she put her arms around his neck and lifted her mouth to his, she whispered, �Show me.� |
| They had barely drifted off to sleep when the phone rang. Hutch growled, �If that�s Starsky, I�ll kill him.� Micki laughed. �I don�t think it�s David.� She answered the phone, then gave it to him. �It�s Captain Dobey.� He carefully ignored her questioning look, and said, �Yeah, Captain?� �I want you and Starsky down at the corner of 8th and Main, right now. There�s something you need to see. Don�t bring the girls.� �Sure, Cap, we�ll be right there.� He climbed out of bed and grabbed his trousers, talking to Micki as he dressed. �As much as I hate to, I have to go. Captain wants us to see something. It shouldn�t take long.� �Do you want Tracy and I to come along?� �No, not right now. If it looks like it�s going to be serious, I�ll give you a call.� �OK.� As he was putting on his shoes, the phone rang again. �Now, that�s David.� She answered it, and listened for a minute. �OK, David, I�ll tell him.� �He�s on his way. Are you sure you don�t want me to go with you?� �I�m sure. Why don�t you get some sleep? I�ll be back as soon as I can.� David Starsky hung up the phone and finished tying his shoes. He turned to Tracy and sighed. She was standing by the bed, wrapped in a sheet. He could hear the sound of a romantic night going down the proverbial drain. He grabbed his keys and headed for the door. Suddenly, he turned and strode back to her. He gently cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her. Regretfully, he stepped back. �Hold that thought. I�ll be back as soon as I can.� Tracy watched him run to the car and speed out of sight. She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. �So much for that.� Starsky pulled the Torino around the coroner�s wagon and parked behind Dobey�s car. A crowd of on-lookers stood behind the yellow tape. Dobey saw them approach and motioned for them to join him. �I�m sorry that I had to call so late, but I thought you needed to see this.� He walked a few feet away to a figure lying under a blanket. He pulled a corner back and looked up at the two detectives. �Take a close look, you two.� Starsky and Hutch knelt down beside the body. She had been pretty at one time. Hutch figured her age to be around twenty-five or thirty. The marks around her neck stood out sharply, even under the dim light of the streetlamp. The bruises on her face and the blood around her mouth contrasted with her pale skin. He looked over at the coroner. �Was she raped?� �We�ll have to do the autopsy to make sure, but it�s a safe bet.� �What about the time of death?� �I�d say not long; make it two or three hours ago.� Hutch stood up and faced his Captain. �Cap?� Dobey was grim. �Did you take a GOOD look, Hutch? Who does she remind you of?� Hutch looked down at the body again. He noticed the dark hair and her small stature for the first time. He closed his eyes and slowly shook his head. �It�s the same MO, isn�t it? Beaten, raped and then strangled. It�s his old stomping grounds, too. Well, I guess that cinches it. Carruthers is definitely here.� �That�s right.� Dobey glared at his detectives. �I want those girls told. I want to see all four of you in my office, first thing in the morning. Understand?� Hutch nodded. �Yes, Captain.� He waited until the Captain was gone, then slammed his fist on the Torino�s hood. �Damn it!� Instead of going home and facing the questions of both girls, Starsky and Hutch spent the remainder of the night working on the homicide. The victim matched Tommy Carruthers� profile right down the line. The young girl was not married and had no close friends or family. She had lived in the city for only a few months and had worked at several nightclubs during that time. When Hutch heard Tracy and Micki talking in the outer office, he quickly closed the file and sat back in his chair. He and Starsky exchanged looks. �Hi, guys. Have you been here all night?� �Uh, yeah, we�ve been waiting for some information on a case. That doesn�t matter. The Captain wants to see us.� Micki looked up at Hutch as the four detectives headed for Dobey�s office. �What�s going on, Ken?� �We can talk inside, Mick. We�ll explain everything there.� Captain Dobey was waiting for them. As soon as everyone was seated, he came around and leaned against his desk. �Micki, Tracy, I have some news that I think you should hear. There isn�t an easy way to tell you, so I�ll just say it right out. Tommy Carruthers escaped from prison yesterday morning.� Micki stood and walked to the window. Without realizing it, her thoughts echoed Hutch�s. Everything looked so peaceful. It was amazing how fast things could change. Tracy came over to stand beside her. Micki tried to smile. �So much for storybook endings.� She straightened her shoulders and looked back at the captain. �He escaped yesterday. Why didn�t anyone tell us?� Hutch cleared his throat. �We wanted to get a lead on him before we said anything, Mick� �Obviously, you�ve got one.� �Yeah, the way it looks now, we�re pretty sure he�s back.� Tracy glanced at Micki again, then asked, �What makes you so sure he�s here?� �We think he attacked a young woman last night. At least, he�s our prime suspect.� Micki said, �Well then, can�t you get her to ID him? Show her his picture, and see if it was really Danny. Damn it! I mean Carruthers!� �Micki, we can�t do that.� �Why not? Didn�t she get a good look at him? He never bothered to cover his face before. Or won�t she talk? Why don�t you let us try? We�ll let her know she�s not alone and that we can protect her.� Hutch took her hand and led her back to her seat. He knelt in front of her. �She�s dead, Mick. It was the same MO. She was beaten, raped and then strangled.� Her face paled. �My God, he really is back.� Hutch stood up, still holding her hand. �Come on; let�s go home. I�m beat. It�s been a long night.� Micki sat on her side of the car and looked out the window. She was still quiet as Hutch unlocked the door and went in. Hutch took a bottle from the cabinets and made them both a drink. He sat down beside her and handed her the glass. �Go on, Mick, drink it.� She laughed without humor. �Like that�s going to help? You should have told me, Ken.� He sighed. �I know. I just didn�t want to bring it all back again. I was really hoping he�d go anywhere but here.� �I should have known. He said it wasn�t over and that he�d be seeing me again. Even with most of DiConti�s men behind bars, he managed to escape. He killed that girl on purpose. He knew it would get my attention. He wants me to know he�s back.� �Micki, we�ll get him. We won�t let him anywhere near you or Tracy. I promise.� �He�s never going to let me go. I thought it would be so easy. I told myself that I would do anything to put him in prison. I pretended that it wasn�t me that he made love to. Now, when I think about it, I feel like he raped me. I can�t do that again. I won�t ever let him touch me again.� Hutch took her in his arms and held her close. �He won�t, Mick. It IS over; I�ll make sure of it this time.� |
| Although they did their best, Starsky and Hutch couldn�t uncover any leads on Carruthers. The first person they went to see was Huggy Bear. �What it is, fellas? How�s it going?� �It was going pretty good, Hug, until Tommy Carruthers escaped from prison.� �Whoa, that�s not what I wanted to hear. Are you sure?� �Yeah, the body we found last night has his signature written all over it. We need your help, Hug. He�s dropped out of sight, and we need to find him before he gets to Micki and Tracy.� �You know I�ll do everything I can. How are they taking it?� �They�re not real thrilled. If you hear anything, let us know, OK?� �You got it. I�ll start making some calls. You tell those girls to stay safe. We�ll put that scum back where he belongs, never fear.� Hutch smiled at his friend�s confidence. �Thanks, Hug. We�ll check back later.� Forty-eight hours later, Micki decided enough was enough. �Look, Ken, Carruthers is going to surface when he�s damn good and ready. I, for one, am not going to sit in this apartment forever. I�m going to go on with my life and he can try and stop me if he�s brave enough. Tracy and I are going to go over to the house and get it closed up. You can put an unmarked car outside if you want to, but we are going.� �Micki, I wish you wouldn�t. He�s probably got someone watching the house.� �Good. Then we can get this over with and go back to leading our lives. The sooner he�s caught, the sooner we can all breathe again.� �You�re determined to go over there, aren�t you?� �Yes.� She walked over to him and put her arms around his waist. She held him tightly for a few seconds, and then looked up at him. �I know what you�re thinking. I�m not being reckless. I want to be rid of that house, and if it helps bring him out in the open, then so be it. We�ll be careful, and if we even think he�s around, we�ll yell loud and clear. OK?� �No, but I know I can�t talk you out of it. Don�t stay any longer than you absolutely have to, all right?� �All right. It won�t take long, I promise. We�ll just make sure everything�s turned off and all the windows and doors are locked. Then I�ll turn the keys over to the real estate company and I�ll be finished with the house for good.� Micki picked her partner up at Starsky�s apartment and they drove over to the house Carruthers had bought for her. Though they couldn�t see them, several unmarked cars kept track of the women. A utility company van was parked strategically down the street from the house. �Come on, Trace. This place gives me the creeps. Let�s get this over with and get out of here.� �You�ll get no argument from me, Mick. Lead on.� They worked quickly, going from room to room and checking to make sure everything was in order. They save the kitchen for last, and were checking the contents of the refrigerator when Micki looked over at Tracy. �Now what in the world do I do with all this stuff?� �I�d pitch most of it out, Mick. I guess it�s a good thing you left the electricity on, or you�d probably have something growing in here by now.� Micki chuckled. �Yeah, the monster from the monster�s fridge. Hey, maybe we could get it to eat Danny if he comes back.� �Nah, Danny would probably give it indigestion. No self-respecting monster would want any part of Carruthers.� �Yeah, he always was a slimy son-of-a-bitch.� Suddenly, the phone rang. Micki jumped slightly then looked at Tracy. Tracy shrugged. �It has to be the station. No one else knows we�re here.� Micki walked over and spoke cautiously into the receiver. �Hello?� �Hello, baby-cakes. I�m glad you�re finally home. I�ve been hunting everywhere for you.� �What do you want, Danny?� �Why, baby-cakes, didn�t you miss me? Aren�t you glad to hear my voice? It�s been a long time.� �Not long enough.� �Why, Micki, you�re gonna hurt Danny�s feelin�s if you�re not careful. I thought you�d be dying to see me.� �In your dreams, punk.� �Still the same old Micki, I see. Is that blond bitch of a partner still around, too?� Tracy answered, �I�m right here, scum.� �I owe you one, bitch. You shot me and no one gets away with that.� �Whenever you�re ready, scum. You just name the time and the place.� �Oh, don�t you worry about that. You both will be seeing me, real soon. Like I said, baby-cakes, it ain�t over till it�s over.� The receiver clicked in Micki�s ear. Tracy took the phone from her partner, and cut the connection. Then she dialed a number. �What are you doing, Tracy?� �Calling the station, what else? We have to let Dobey know we�ve heard from Danny.� �Oh, God, Ken�s gonna kill me.� Less than thirty minutes later, Dobey, Starsky and Hutch were gathered in the living room. The two women repeated the conversation they�d had with Carruthers. �How long was he on, Mick?� Hutch asked. �Not long enough for a trace, even if we had the equipment set up. He just wanted me to know that he was back and that he was watching me. I know him, remember? He likes to be in control and he likes to intimidate women.� Dobey sat down at the kitchen table. �That settles it. You two are going to a safe house, right away. I don�t want you anywhere near Carruthers. Starsky and Hutch can track him down.� �So we�re supposed to hide out until they catch him? How long do you think that�s going to take, Captain? We can�t drop out of sight forever. We have other cases that we�re responsible for.� �I know that, Micki. But you can�t go running around like nothing�s happened, either. We can�t protect you when you�re out in the open like that.� Tracy interrupted him. �There�s something else that you haven�t thought of, Captain. I agree with Micki on one point. Carruthers killed that girl to let us know that he�s in town. If we go into hiding, it might make him angry enough to kill again.� �So what are you saying? I�m supposed to let two of my officers use themselves as bait to draw this psycho out of hiding? No way.� Micki spoke calmly. �Captain, think about it. He said that he�s been looking for me. He called the house on the chance that I might be here. I don�t think he knows about Ken and me. If he did, he would have called me at Ken�s apartment, or maybe even showed up there. Look, we�ll be at the station during the day, and David and Ken will be with us at night. It�s not as dangerous as you think.� Micki stopped talking and looked away for a minute. When she looked back at Dobey her eyes were haunted. �Danny�s killed enough young girls already. I don�t want to be the reason why he kills again.� Dobey growled, �All right, you win, for now. You just make sure that you two DO NOT go anywhere without back up. And, watch your backs. This nut could be anywhere. He may not know where you are now, but he still has connections. I don�t want him sneaking up on you.� Micki sighed with relief. �Don�t worry, Cap. I don�t want him sneaking up on me, either.� �I think I�ll keep the van here in case Carruthers shows up. Are you finished here? I think the sooner you leave the better.� �Yeah, we were just about to lock-up and go home. I guess with him running around, I�d better not turn the keys over to the real estate guy yet. If Danny sees strange people looking at his house, it might set him off.� Tracy said, �You�re right. Besides, we might get lucky. If Danny�s trying to hide out, he might just turn up here. He thinks we�re all a bunch of Keystone Cops anyway.� Dobey grunted. �Well, the joke�s going to be on him if he does come back.� |
| That evening, Micki stood on the balcony of Hutch�s apartment and looked out over the city. Hutch came up behind her and hugged her tightly. �We�ll find him, Micki.� �I know we will, eventually. I keep thinking about that girl. I don�t want to see anyone else killed. All those other times, he went after the girls he killed. It was a way for him to control them. He seduced them by making them feel special and when they wouldn�t do what he wanted, he exploded. This isn�t the same thing. It was a cold, calculated move to draw me out in the open. I think Tracy�s right. If I go into hiding, he�ll keep killing until he finds me.� �Micki, you aren�t responsible for him, or for what he does. He�s a monster and you helped put him away. You and Tracy helped the Feds put away a whole lot of DiConti�s men. They couldn�t have done it without you. Don�t let Carruthers beat you down. You did a good job.� �Well, it doesn�t change the fact that he�s still out there. I lived in Hell for six months and what good did it do? He�s in prison for three lousy months and then he escapes. We�re no better off than we were.� �I wish I could think of something to say that would make you feel better.� Micki turned around and held him close to her. �Just find him, Ken. Find him before it�s too late.� After a restless night, the four detectives met in the Task Force offices. Micki sat down in front of a computer and checked the activities of the previous night. �Well, at least there weren�t any more homicides with Danny�s MO. Of course, no one spotted him either.� �He�s just laying low, Mick. His picture is all over the news and Huggy has all his feelers out. He might be conceited, but I don�t think he�s stupid enough to roam around aimlessly.� Before Micki could answer, a young man in a tan uniform knocked on the front door, and then entered cautiously. �Excuse me, but I have a delivery for Micki Ellis? The cop-I mean police officer- downstairs said she was here.� �Yeah, that�s me.� �Here you go. These are for you.� Micki accepted the long white box and tipped the deliveryman. She looked up at Hutch with a smile. �Now when did you do this? That is so sweet!� Hutch looked at her with a serious expression. �I didn�t.� Micki looked back at the box then quickly dropped it on her desk. Hutch bent down so he could listen then straightened up. �Well, it�s not ticking. Go ahead, Mick, open it.� Carefully, she cut the string that held the box together. She took a deep breath and then lifted the top. Lying in the box, on a layer of white cotton, was one black rose. Gingerly, she lifted it and laid it aside. Underneath was a small white card. She picked it up and read it aloud. �Good morning, baby-cakes. I hope you slept well. If you didn�t see me in your dreams, you�ll see me soon. Danny.� She gathered everything up and started to drop it in the trash, until Hutch stopped her. �Micki, don�t. We�ll send it down to the lab so they can dust it for prints.� �Why? We know Danny sent it because he signed it. Why should we waste the lab�s time?� �It�s evidence, Micki, you know that. Look, I want you and Tracy to stay here. Starsky and I will go to the Flower Shoppe and see if he left an address or anything.� �How do you know which florist these are from?� �It was on the kid�s shirt, Mick. You must have missed it.� Micki massaged the back of her neck. �Yeah, I guess I did. OK, we�ll stay here, but please be careful. I don�t think you�re going to get anything and I�d hate for you to get hurt chasing a red herring all over town.� �We�ll be careful,don't worry. We�ll be back as soon as we can.� Micki watched the two men until they were out of sight, then dropped back into the chair. She looked over at Tracy. �Yeah, I see him in my dreams. He�s my worst nightmare. How am I ever going to get rid of him, Tracy?� �I don�t know, Mick, but we�ll exorcise him somehow.� Hutch stood in the Flower Shoppe and tried valiantly not to lose his temper. He told himself, again, that the lanky young man behind the counter hadn�t done anything wrong. He took a deep breath and carefully lowered his voice. �OK, one more time. What did this guy say?� �This guy, the one in the picture that you showed me, came in and said he wanted to buy one black rose. I told him that there wasn�t such a thing as a black rose, and he told me there�d better be. So, I went out back and found this hybrid rose that was a really dark red. I brought it out to the guy. He said that was close enough and that he would dye it so it would be black. He asked me for a card and wrote something on it. Then he handed me the card and fifty bucks. He said the rest of the money was mine if I delivered it in person. He told me where to take it and then he left.� �And he paid cash, so you didn�t get an address or anything.� �Right. The only time we have to get an address is when they charge it. Look, the guy was a little pissed when I told him there wasn�t any black roses. When I showed him the dark red one, he cooled off. He didn�t cause any trouble.� Starsky exchanged a look with Hutch. �Did you happen to see if he left in a car, or did he walk?� �Now that I caught. He had one Hell of a ride; let me tell you. It was a black 1968 Plymouth Barracuda, with red interior. That was a sharp car! It was parked just down the street and I could see it from here. He took off toward the docks. I�m sorry officer; that�s all I know.� Hutch sighed. �That�s OK. You did fine. I doubt that you�ll see him again, but if you do, here�s my card. Try to stall him if you can, but don�t push it. Just call the number on that card and let us do the rest.� �Sure. Hey, what did he do?� Starsky turned around. �Nothing. We just don�t like his taste in flowers.� They waited until they were in the car before speaking. Hutch looked over at his partner. �Well, at least we got something out of this mess. That�s not the car he drove before he went to prison, is it?� Starsky shook his head. �He was driving a sedan of some kind. If he�d had the Barracuda, we�d remember it.� �Well, he�s not too worried about being spotted, or he wouldn�t be driving around in something that noticeable. Let�s get it on the air. There can�t be too many cars that fit that description in this city.� They put the information on the air and went back to the station. Hutch told the two women what they had found out. �Wait a minute. Where did he get the car?� �We don�t know that yet, Mick. We ran a check on the car through the DMV. It could take a while, since we don�t have the license number.� �Oh, come on. How many black Barracuda�s can there be in this city? No, don�t answer that. So here we sit, while Danny makes fools of us all. And they say history never repeats itself.� |
| Tommy Carruthers drove the black Barracuda around the small framed house and parked it in the garage. He used his key to let himself into the back door. He threw the keys down on the table and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. He grinned at the tall young man that was standing in the doorway. �Hey, thanks Carl, for letting me borrow the �Cuda. That�s one sharp ride you got there.� �Any time, Tommy. I wouldn�t have it if you hadn�t put in a good word for me with your boss. Mr. DiConti likes his people to drive around in style. How did it go?� �Couldn�t have been better. Stage one is complete. By the time I�m finished, Micki and that blonde bitch of a partner are going to be sorry they ever crossed Tommy Carruthers.� �She must have really done you wrong, Tommy. I mean, breaking out of prison and coming back here was a huge risk. Every cop in this city is going to be looking for you.� �I ain�t worried about the cops, Carl. I got away from them once; I�ll do it again. I should have taken care of Micki a long time ago. I bought her that house, and I was willing to take care of her, but she wouldn�t leave that damn job. By the time I get done with her, she�s going to wish she�d never been born. The same thing goes for that partner of hers. I never liked that blonde bitch anyway, and that was before she shot me. They�re going to think they died and went to Hell already before I�m finished. Then, we�ll see where Mr. DiConti wants us to go next. Before you know it, we�ll have a new business started in a new city. This one�s getting a little too hot for me.� �Sure, Tommy. I�m ready to go whenever you say the word. This town�s become a real drag for me, too.� �Just hang loose, Carl. I�ll be starting stage two before long. I want all the loose ends tied up before we go.� Starsky and Hutch sat in the squad room, watching the report from the DMV scroll across the computer screen. After several hours, they had narrowed down the list of Barracuda owners to ten possible suspects. Since Tommy Carruthers had been in prison for three months, it was obvious that he wouldn�t be listed as the owner. They tried crosschecking the car titles with the names of DiConti�s known associates, but came up empty. Starsky frowned at his partner. �Well, looks like he�s managed to cover his tracks, as usual. I got to give this scum one point; he�s smooth. No wonder it took over two years to catch him. He doesn�t miss a trick.� �Yeah, well, his luck has to run out sometime. He�s so bent on getting the girls that he�s bound to make a mistake sooner or later.� �Let�s hope it�s sooner rather than later. We don�t need another string of body�s a-la Tommy Carruthers.� �You got that right, partner.� Hutch sat back and thought out loud. �Well, we know that a lot of Carruthers� men went to prison with him. So, I�d say he�s probably made connections with a few new ones. How do we find out who they are?� Starsky replied, �I have a suggestion, but you�re not going to like it.� �Now, Starsk, how do you know that I�m not going to like it before you even tell me what it is? Go on, spit it out. I�m open to any suggestions at this point.� Starsky sighed, then said, �OK, I�ll tell you. We need to find out what DiConti and his men have been up to while Carruthers has been in prison. The fastest way to do that is to talk to Benton.� Hutch stared at his partner for a moment. �You�re right; I don�t like it.� �Hutch, you know that the Feds have been watching DiConti and Carruthers for over two years. I�m sure that they�re still keeping an eye on things. Micki and Tracy may have crippled the organization, but they didn�t destroy it. If anyone can point us in the right direction, it will be Benton.� Hutch slammed his fist on the desk, and stood up. He paced around the office. �Benton is the one who got Micki into this mess! He didn�t give a damn about the danger he put her in before. Why do you think he�d care now?� Starsky went to stand in front of his best friend. He looked directly into Hutch�s eyes. �Look, I know that Benton is about as emotional as that wall over there, but I don�t think he�ll stand back and watch Carruthers go after the girls. I overheard what he said to Micki before she wore that wire into Carruthers� house. He really WAS worried about her. You were too occupied to notice it.� �Yeah, well, I wasn�t too occupied to notice how he kept her in that whole nightmare for six months. He worried more about taking DiConti down than he did her safety.� �Well, if you feel that way about him, why don�t we appeal to his professional side? I�m sure he�ll do anything to get Carruthers back behind bars, and put another chink in DiConti�s organization.� Hutch sighed as the anger left him. �I guess you have a point. We�ve been so busy with our other cases that we haven�t kept up with DiConti�s movements. OK, we�ll go talk to him. But, so help me, Starsk, if he says one wrong word, I�ll deck him. I haven�t forgotten the remarks he made about Micki and me.� Starsky grinned. �It won�t be the first time that you two went at it. Seriously, though, Benton is our best bet. We could chase our tails for weeks without coming up with any new leads. You might try to hold your temper for a little while, partner.� Hutch scowled back. �I�m not making any promises, Starsky, but I�ll try for the girls� sake.� Hutch and Benton eyed each other warily as Starsky filled the FBI agent in on Carruthers� activities. Benton motioned for them to sit down while he checked his files. He opened a file and read it over quickly. �We�ve been keeping an eye on this area for any resurgence of activities while Carruthers has been in prison. We�ve seen very little movement. DiConti must be keeping a lid on everything while he re-groups. Aside from illegal betting and some protection rackets, there hasn�t been much going on.� Starsky sighed. �Well, that figures. DiConti�s been in business too long to start making mistakes now. The only solid lead that we have now is a black 68 Plymouth Barracuda. We know that Carruthers doesn�t own it. We�re trying to find out who does. We�re hoping that whoever does own it will lead us to Carruthers. If we�re real lucky, we may even find Carruthers when we find the car.� �I assume you�ve run a search through the local DMV.� Hutch bit back a retort, then said calmly, �Yes, we have. We eliminated all the owners except for ten. We were hoping that we could crosscheck those ten names with any new associates of DiConti.� Benton handed Hutch a sheet of paper, carefully not touching his hand. �We haven�t been able to compile much of a list, but you�re welcome to it. If you want to know the truth, my section chief has been worried about the lack of activity. We�re afraid that DiConti may be planning to leave the area and set up somewhere else. If he does that, with Carruthers in charge, it will put us back to square one. Believe me, that is the last thing that we want. If there is any way that we can help put Carruthers back where he belongs, just ask.� Starsky stood up and headed for the door, with Hutch close behind. He turned back to Benton. �Thanks, we�ll keep that in mind. If we hear anything, we�ll pass it along. We want Carruthers back where he belongs, too.� As Starsky opened the door, Benton spoke again. �Look, Hutchinson, I know you won�t believe this, but I�m really sorry this happened. We�re looking into how Carruthers managed to escape in the first place. We would never have gotten this far if it weren�t for Micki and Tracy. I hope you catch him soon.� Hutch thought for a moment, then simply replied, �Yeah, so do I.� |
| Starsky and Hutch took the list of names that Benton had given them and went back to the Task Force offices. They compared it to the list that they had gotten from the DMV. After a few minutes, Starsky looked at his partner and grinned. �Well, what do you know? We finally got lucky, partner.� Hutch grinned back. �It�s about time.� The only name that appeared on both lists was Carl Wilkins. They quickly ran his name through R&I and came up with a rap sheet. Starsky said sarcastically, �Now, why doesn�t this surprise me? He�s been busted for gambling, petty theft, public drunk, and assault. He sounds like the perfect flunkie for Carruthers, dumb with a mean streak down his back.� �He reminds me of Richie Sarpedo. It sounds just like him.� �You�d think DiConti would learn from his mistakes. Well, let�s go see if he�s still at this address. Wouldn�t it be something if Carruthers was there, too?� Hutch snorted. �It would, but I doubt we�ll get that lucky.� The two detectives left a message for Captain Dobey, letting him know where they were going, and headed for Carl Wilkins� house. When they arrived at the small house, the Barracuda was parked in the driveway beside the house. As they parked next to the curb, a man walked out and got into the car. Hutch exclaimed, �That�s Carruthers!� Before they could get out of the Torino, Carruthers started the black car and pulled out of the driveway. �Follow him, Starsky. Don�t lose him!� Starsky stepped on the gas and caught up with Carruthers just as he was turning the corner. The escaped felon speeded up suddenly, and turned again, with Starsky close behind him. Hutch swore. �Damn it, he�s on to us. I don�t know how he fixed us as cops, but something spooked him. Stay with him Starsk.� �I�m trying, buddy, but this is a residential neighborhood, not the freeway. We can�t risk hitting a pedestrian.� �I know, Starsk, but I sure as Hell don�t want to lose him. I�ll see if I can get some help.� Hutch put out an APB on the Barracuda and urged all units in the area to be on the alert for the vehicle. A few blocks later, they left the suburb and entered the downtown area. As soon as the road expanded to three lanes, Carruthers increased his speed. Recklessly, he wove in and out of traffic, narrowly missing several cars. Starsky stayed as close as possible without causing an accident himself. Suddenly, Hutch knew where he was going. �He�s headed for the docks, Starsky. For God�s sake, don�t lose him now. We�ll never pick up his trail again if you do.� Starsky speeded up and passed the only car that was between the Torino and the Barracuda. Carruthers stomped on the gas pedal and the Barracuda jumped ahead. The smell of burning rubber filled the air as he turned the next corner on two wheels. Before Starsky could follow him, a semi truck pulled out of an adjacent parking lot and into the path of the Torino. Starsky stood on the brakes and barely avoided hitting the truck. Hutch stuck his head out of the passenger side window and shouted, �Get out of the way! Police! Move, will you!� The driver made an obscene gesture and leisurely moved his vehicle out of the Torino�s path. Starsky completed the turn, then stopped in the middle of the street. He and Hutch looked both ways, but the Barracuda had disappeared. Hutch threw his hands up in the air. �I don�t believe this! We almost had him!� Starsky shrugged, �He�s as slick as ever, or as lucky. It�s a safe bet he won�t go back to Wilkins� house now. He might even ditch the car and get another one now that he knows we�re after him. So, what do you want to do?� Hutch sighed. �I don�t know. We�ve still got that list that Benton gave us. Let�s go back to the station and run through those names. We�ll have Huggy put some feelers out and see if any of them are in contact with Carruthers, too.� �OK, sounds like a plan. We�d better touch base with Dobey and the girls while we�re at it. They�re not going to be too happy that Carruthers is still on the loose, but they need to know anyway.� �Yeah, I guess so. I just thought of something. What�s Carruthers doing down here, anyway?� �That�s a good question, Ollie. Maybe one of his friends can tell us.� While Starsky and Hutch were staking out Carl Wilkins� house, Micki and Tracy were meeting with one of their snitches about another case. �Weasel� Tompkins was a small man with a long nose and narrow, deep set eyes. Whenever he was nervous, which was most of the time, his eyes darted around constantly and his nose twitched at the same time. The two women walked into the arcade that was Weasel�s usual hang out, and went to the back of the room. As they had expected, Weasel was playing one of the games close to the back exit. �Hey, Weasel, how�s it going?� Weasel shook his head quickly, without stopping his game. �Not now, I�m winning here.� Micki threw a disgusted look at her partner. She snapped at the snitch. �Fine. You called us, remember? We�ve got better things to do than watch you play that stupid game. What did you do, con some poor teenage kid out of his money so you could play?� Weasel stopped his feverish movements and turned to the girls. �Hey, what�s with the attitude? Haven�t I always been straight with you in the past? I always give you guys hot tips. And, I don�t steal from kids. I got better morals than that.� Micki sighed and softened her voice. �Yeah, I know you do, Weasel. It�s just that we�re working on something heavy right now. I didn�t mean to take it out on you. So, what�s up?� �You know that guy that you busted? Corey Sims? Word on the street is that you can�t find the knife he used to slit that bookie�s throat, or the money he snatched from the guy.� Tracy nodded slowly, �That might be true. So?� Weasel wrinkled his nose, and grinned. �Well, I just MIGHT know where you can find the knife AND the money.� Micki grinned back. �OK, you�ve got our attention. Just where would they be?� Weasel�s eyes darted around the room. �Uh-uh, not until you tell me what it�s worth. I figure it should be worth a hundred at least. A couple of my buddies were in the bar the other night when Corey�s mouthpiece was blowing his own horn. He said that the DA doesn�t have squat against Corey and that he�d be out of jail by the end of the month.� Micki smiled dangerously, �Oh, he said that, did he? Well, I�ll tell you what Weasel. We�ll give you a hundred now, and if we find what we�re looking for, we�ll give you another hundred as a bonus. How�s that sound?� Weasel�s tiny little eyes opened wide. �Two hundred bucks?! Man, you must want this guy bad! You got a deal! Sims stashed the stuff in a warehouse by the docks. It�s that old oneat the end of Pier 7, where the floating craps games always are. He�s got a buddy that runs one of the games. The stuff�s in a barrel close to the office. I�ll draw you a map so you can find the right barrel. And don�t worry, I got this stuff from a good source. The tip�s kosher, I swear.� Tracy handed him the money, and nodded. �OK, Weasel, we�ll take your word on that. If we find the knife and the money where you say it is, we�ll be back tomorrow with your bonus. Now, draw us that map and we�ll go check it out.� Twenty minutes later, Micki was on the radio to Captain Dobey, informing him of the new lead. Dobey bellowed over the radio. �Do you mean to tell me you gave him a hundred dollars BEFORE you checked his tip out? And you promised him another hundred as a bonus? Are you NUTS, Ellis?� Micki tried to soothe her irate Captain. �Cap, Weasel is a harmless little man and his tips have always been hot in the past. He�s not going to pull a fast one on us. He doesn�t have the nerves for it. The only time we hear from him is when he has something really hot. You have to admit that our case against Sims is pretty shaky. If we get the murder weapon and the money, that would make it air-tight. Sims couldn�t wriggle out of it then. I think it�s worth the risk.� Dobey lowered his voice slightly. �All right, you�ve got a point. IF we get the weapon and the money, it will be worth the two hundred. But, that tip better be SCORCHING, or the hundred is coming out of YOUR pocket, Micki.� Micki winced. �Yes, sir. It will be, sir.� She signed off and turned to Tracy. �I guess he wasn�t too happy.� Tracy grinned, �That�s putting it mildly. Why did you offer Weasel the other hundred, Micki? We could have given him fifty now, and fifty when we found the evidence.� Micki shrugged. �I don�t know. I guess because I jumped down his throat. He�s never stiffed us before. I shouldn�t have taken our troubles out on him. It�s not Weasel�s fault that we can�t find Danny.� �We�ll find him, Micki. It might take some time, but we�ll put Danny back in a cage where he belongs.� �Yeah, I know. But how long is it going to take? I can�t handle being in this nightmare for another six months.� Tracy shook her head. �It won�t be that long, Micki. We�ll get him long before that, if we have to go after him ourselves. It�s you and me against the world, sis.� She held out her hand with her little finger hooked and Micki did the same. With pinky fingers clasped together, Micki replied, �Forever and always, kid, as usual.� |
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