| To Dream; Perchance to Die: Part 2 |
| Micki and Tracy waited for the back-up units to arrive, then went into the warehouse. Weasel had assured them that the warehouse would be empty until later on that night, when the game started. The warehouse was dim, with no windows close to the office. Micki turned on a flashlight so they could make their way to the right place. Using the map that Weasel gave them, the two detectives found the evidence where Weasel had said it would be. They bagged the evidence carefully to preserve any possible prints, and turned it over to the uniformed officers. Once the evidence was safely on it�s way to the station, Micki sat down on the barrel. �Well, it�s about time we got a break. At least Corey Sims won�t be running around loose any more. Score one for the good guys.� Tracy agreed. �It�s a shame we can�t be there when Corey�s attorney gets the news. It might shake his confidence just a little.� �Now that�s an understatement if I�ve ever heard one. Come on, let�s get back to the station. I want to make sure we get the reports into Dobey before he has another fit. We don�t want any loose ends on this one.� As the women started for the exit, the lights inside the warehouse suddenly came on. Instantly, Micki and Tracy drew their weapons. Danny�s voice boomed over the old intercom system. �Now isn�t that precious? Score one for the good guys. Glad I could help, baby-cakes.� �What do you want, Danny?� �I wanted to see you two good cops in action. I thought I might learn something from you. Aren�t you glad that I�m still interested in what you�re doing, baby-cakes? Didn�t you miss me?� �About as much as an abscessed tooth.� �Now, Micki, you�re going to hurt my feelings if you keep talking like that. I thought we had something going.� �In your dreams, punk. You were a job to me, that�s all.� �Bull. You can�t tell me you didn�t feel anything, Micki. Nobody held a gun to your head when you jumped into bed with me.� Tracy saw how his comment affected her partner, so she tried to divert his attention to her. �What�s the matter, scum? Are you too scared to show yourself? You don�t have any innocent girls to hide behind now, do you? Why don�t you come out and face us like a man?� �Shut up, bitch! This doesn�t concern you. You couldn�t stand watching me and Micki, so you turned her against me. I ain�t going to forget that, either.� Micki looked around for the hidden speaker. �You�re wrong, Danny. You were the one who messed things up. You wanted to own me and when you couldn�t, you broke into my apartment and threatened me. When I found out who you really were, I decided to go after you. It was MY idea, not Tracy�s. I wanted you behind bars, and that�s where I put you.� �Who are you trying to fool, baby-cakes? You couldn�t get enough of me. You begged me for it. You know you did.� �That�s a lie! I didn�t want you near me! You made my skin crawl when you touched me.� �Sure, that�s why you stayed around for so long. You�re kidding yourself, baby-cakes. I was more than just a job to you. You wanted me then, and you still want me now.� �You�re wrong, Danny! You�re an animal. You�re scum. I took you off the streets once and I�ll do it again.� �Sure, just keep telling yourself that. I know it isn�t true.� �You�re crazy, Danny! I hate you! I�LL DIE BEFORE I LET YOU TOUCH ME AGAIN!� �If that�s the way you want it, baby-cakes.� The intercom clicked off and the lights went out. Micki stood in the darkness and shivered. She hugged herself and moved closer to her partner. As soon as they got the call from Dobey telling them what had happened, Starsky and Hutch rushed to the warehouse. Starsky parked the Torino behind the patrol cars, and ran to catch up with Hutch. Dobey was waiting for them inside the building. Hutch stopped just long enough to ask, �Where are they?� Dobey pointed to the small office. �In there, Hutch.� Hutch ran into the room, leaving Starsky and Dobey behind. Starsky asked, �What have we got, Cap?� Dobey shook his head. �He�s long gone, Starsky, if he was ever here. We checked the intercom system. It was disconnected a long time ago. Carruthers must have re-wired it and patched into the telephone. He was probably calling from a pay phone. He could have been a block away, or ten miles away. Who knows?� Starsky muttered under his breath. �Terrific.� Tracy met Hutch as he entered the office. Hutch kept his voice low. �How is she, Tracy?� �She�s trying not to show it, but she�s really shaken up. He was pretty graphic, Hutch. He really knew which buttons to push.� Hutch clenched his fists and growled, �If I ever get my hands on that son-of-a-bitch, I�ll push his buttons. I might even forget I�m a cop.� Tracy laid her hand on his arm. �That�s not going to solve anything, Hutch. Micki needs you right now. The last thing she would want is for you to get into trouble over him. He�s not worth it.� The blonde detective sighed. �I know, Tracy. I just hate to see what he�s doing to her.� �The best way for you to help her is to go by the book. Put him back where he belongs, and keep him there.� �Well, that's what we intend to do. It won't be soon enough for me. I think I�d better get her out of here.� Tracy nodded. �Why don�t you take her home? I�ll go back to the station with David and see what we can find out.� �All right. Let me know if anything comes up.� �I will. Just keep her away from Danny. I think we�ve had enough for one day.� Hutch walked over to Micki. He kneeled down in front of her. �How are you doing, sweetheart?� Micki looked down at the floor, refusing to meet his eyes. When she spoke, her voice was devoid of emotion. �He said that I begged for it. He said that nobody held a gun to my head when I jumped into bed with him.� She looked at him then. It was a look of pure agony. �He was right. No one did. What does that say about me?� He held her face gently in his hands. �Don�t do this to yourself, Mick. He�s just yanking your chain. Come on, let�s go home.� He held her close as they walked out of the warehouse. Tracy followed close behind, and Starsky was waiting for them at the door. Once they were outside, Micki looked around slowly. Starsky reassured her. �He�s not here, Mick. There�s a good chance he never was. He rigged the intercom system. Don�t worry. He�s not going to follow you home.� Micki turned to Hutch and buried her face in his chest. �I wish he would. I wish he�d find me. I just want to get it over with. I can�t take this any more.� Hutch tightened his arms around her. �Just hold on for a while longer, Micki. We�ll get him, I promise.� |
| Hutch unlocked the door and stepped aside to let Micki enter the apartment. She dropped her coat on the couch and walked to the greenhouse. She leaned against the railing, staring at the stars. Hutch followed and stood quietly beside her. Softly, he asked, �Are you hungry? Do you want me to fix something to eat?� Micki shook her head. �No, I don�t want anything.� �You can�t go all day without eating. How about some soup? We�ve got some ham in the fridge. I could make us a couple of sandwiches.� Micki�s eyes flashed briefly. �I said...!� Then she shrugged. �Fine. Whatever.� She ate the soup and sandwich mechanically. She kept her eyes down, refusing to look at Hutch. All of his attempts at casual conversation failed. She crossed her arms and rubbed them, trying to warm herself. Suddenly, she jumped up. �I�m going to take a shower.� Micki took her nightclothes out of the drawer and ran into the bathroom. She turned the water on and stepped into the stall. Danny�s voice echoed in her mind. �You begged me for it! You couldn�t get enough of me. No one put a gun to your head." She shook her head violently. �No!!!� She reached up and turned the cold water off, and scrubbed herself vigorously. She chanted a mantra under her breath. �I won�t let him touch me again. I won�t. I won�t.� After the water turned cold, Micki dried herself and dressed. She put on the oversized bathrobe, to cover her scalded body. She walked to the living room and sat on the couch, curling her legs under her in an attempt to make herself small. Hutch sat beside her, close but not touching. After an endless silence, Micki spoke in a monotone. �I didn�t beg for it. I never wanted him to touch me. It wasn�t until I decided to go undercover that I let him do anything more than kiss me. I knew when I moved in with him he�d expect me to let him.... � She clenched her jaws. �I never begged for it.� Hutch took both her hands in his right hand. He gently lifted her chin with his left. �Micki, you have to stop this. You didn�t do anything wrong. You were undercover, on a case.� �I know that. I knew what I had to do when I went into this. I told myself that it was just an assignment. I thought I could handle it.� She took a deep, shuddering breath. �I didn�t know it would be this hard!� Hutch grasped her shoulders. �You are a cop. You were on an extremely dangerous case and you did what you had to do to stay alive. Micki, look at me. I said, look at me. Do you think you�re the only one that�s ever been in this situation? Starsky and I have both been undercover before. I�ve done some things that I haven�t been proud of, too. I�ve kicked myself for the things I had to do. It�s called �being on the job�. You�re beating yourself up over something that wasn�t your fault. It�s over. The only thing we have to do now is put Carruthers back in prison. Rehashing the past isn�t going to do that. Accept what you did and move on. You are NOT the criminal. Carruthers is.� Her mouth trembled and her eyes shined with tears. �But he said...� �He�s trying to break you down! You�re a psychologist. Think about this for a minute. Imagine a patient that was going through the same ordeal. If she were blaming herself, what would you say? Carruthers is psychotic. He loves to terrorize women. He torments them and feeds on their pain. Stop playing his game. Get rid of him, once and for all, and get on with your life.� Micki nodded slowly and attempted a smile. �I�ll try. Just don�t be mad at me, OK? I couldn�t handle that right now.� Hutch took her in his arms and held her close. �I�m not mad at you, Mick. I hate what he�s doing to you. He�s not worth it. Don�t let him win.� After Hutch took Micki back to their apartment, Starsky and Tracy went back to the station to fill out their reports. Starsky showed Tracy the list of names that Benton had given them. �The only hope we have is that Carruthers will be in touch with one of these people. Even if he doesn�t ditch the car, it�s a cinch that he won�t go back to Wilkins� house.� Tracy nodded. �Have you ran any of these names through R&I?� Starsky shook his head. �We were about to when we got the call from Dobey.� �OK, let�s run them and see if we can come up with anything. What about Huggy? Have you talked to him lately?� �Not since yesterday. If we come up with anything promising from R&I, we�ll go to the Pits and see if he�s heard anything.� They went through the list of names, making notes on each suspect. They put the photographs of the suspects in a small folder and went to the Pits. Huggy slowly went through the file, telling the detectives what he knew about each person. It didn�t take long. He frowned as he handed the file back to Starsky. �Man, I�m sorry that I wasn�t much help. Let me do some checking around. If I find out Carruthers is hanging with any of these dudes, I�ll let you know, pronto.� Starsky nodded. �Thanks, Hug. Right now, we�re fresh out of leads.� �I can�t promise anything, but I�ll do my best. You and Micki hang in there, Tracy. Don�t let this snake get you down.� Tracy smiled sadly. �We�re trying not to, Huggy, but it isn�t easy.� Starsky put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. He nodded at Huggy. �It�s getting late. What we need right now is a good night�s sleep. Huggy, if you hear anything, let us know. Dobey will know how to reach us.� �You got it, bro�.� Starsky took Tracy home. He opened the door, and let her walk in first. �Hey, are you hungry? I don�t know about you, but that sandwich I had for lunch is long gone.� Tracy shook her head. �Not really, but it has been a while since I ate. If you want to whip something up, I�m game. I think I�ll take a shower while you cook. OK?� �Sure, go ahead. You look beat. Maybe a hot shower will relax you.� Starsky rummaged in the refrigerator and pulled out a meatloaf that Tracy had cooked the day before. He made two sandwiches, and grabbed a bag of potato chips. By the time Tracy finished with her shower, two plates of food were waiting on the counter. Determined to put the events of the day behind them, Starsky made small talk while they ate. He put the dirty dishes in the sink, and gave her a hug. �I think I�ll grab a shower before we hit the sack. I�ll only be a minute.� Tracy smiled wanly. �OK, I am kind of tired.� Starsky silently congratulated himself as he showered. Tracy�s spirits had improved with the meal and shower. Maybe they could finish the evening without mentioning the Carruthers case. Tomorrow, they would concentrate on finding the felon and putting the whole episode behind them. His good mood evaporated when he saw Tracy sitting on the couch, her gun disassembled in front of her. He sat down beside her. �Hey, what�re you doin�?� �Cleaning my gun.� Starsky put his arm around her. He pulled her close to him. �You don�t have to do that tonight, do you?� Tracey dropped the rag she was holding. Softly, she asked, �Have you ever killed anyone, David, in the line of duty?� �Yes. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do.� �I never have. Micki and I wanted to go through our whole careers without killing anyone.� Her smile was grotesque. �Isn�t that ridiculous?� Starsky pulled her head against his shoulder. �No, it�s not ridiculous. I think it�s admirable.� Tracy sat up straight and looked at him. �He�s going to make us kill him. He�s going to come after us and he won�t stop until we kill him.� �I won�t let that happen, Tracy. We�ll get him, I promise.� She threw her arms around him and held on tight. �I don�t want to kill anybody! Keep him away from us, David, please. Just keep him away.� |
| The next morning, Hutch quietly slipped out of bed and made himself a pot of coffee. As he sipped the hot brew, he thought about the nightmares that had plagued Micki for most of the night. A knock at the door brought him back to the present. He answered it quickly; putting a finger to his lips as Starsky and Tracy walked inside. �Micki�s still asleep. She had a rough night. Those damned nightmares are back and they�re getting worse.� He sighed, then changed the subject. �You two want some coffee?� Starsky nodded, but Tracy shook her head. �I�ll have a soda, if you have one, Ken.� Ken smiled slightly. �Sorry. I forgot you�re not a coffee drinker. One coffee and one soda coming up.� He sat the refreshments on the small kitchen table and motioned for them to sit down. After he placed cream, sugar and a spoon in front of Starsky, he joined them at the table. He looked at them expectantly. �Well, does any one have any ideas where we go from here?� Starsky shook his head. �We went over the list of known associates that Benton gave us and we even showed the list to Huggy, but no go. Huggy said he�d let us know if he hears anything, but that�s it.� Tracy took a drink of her soda. �You know, Danny said something last night that I didn�t catch until now. He said, �glad I could help�. Now, what did he mean by that?� Starsky stirred his coffee. �Do you think he had something to do with that tip you got?� Tracy shrugged. �It wouldn�t be the first time that he threw us a bone to manipulate us. Do you remember how he let us catch Pernell Mason? He�s the fence we picked up with the stolen merchandise from that department store robbery. Danny thought if he sacrificed the fence that it would throw us off his track. Maybe he gave us that tip because he wanted to make sure we showed up at the warehouse last night.� Hutch nodded slowly. �It makes sense, considering the Sims case has nothing to do with Carruthers. He could care less if Corey Sims goes to prison. All he wanted was you two in that warehouse so he could intimidate you.� Tracy smiled ruefully. �Well, he intimidated us, all right. Danny doesn�t care about anyone as long as he gets what he wants.� Starsky patted her hand solicitously. �Well, we don�t always get what we want, do we? Think back, Tracy. Did Weasel happen to mention Carruthers?� �No, all he said was he got the tip from a reliable source. Still, it wouldn�t be hard for Danny to drop the hint to someone else and pay them to take it to Weasel. That way, he stays out of it.� Hutch refilled his and Starsky�s cups. �So, we go pay a little visit to Weasel. We get him to reveal his source and see if it goes back to Carruthers.� Tracy shook her head in protest. �If you guys go in that arcade and Weasel spots you, he�ll run and we�ll never see him again. I�ll go back and talk to him. I�ll wear a wire so we can keep in touch, but you two have to stay out of sight.� Starsky spoke up. �I don�t like it. What if Carruthers is hanging around? I don�t like you being out in the open like that.� A voice spoke from behind them. �I have a better idea. Why don�t we both go talk to him?� Micki stood in the doorway to the bedroom, holding her robe together with one hand. Hutch got up and went to her. He led her to the table, grabbed another mug from the cupboard and filled it with coffee. Micki sat down with Hutch close beside her. Hutch said gently. �Are you sure you feel up to that, Mick?� She shrugged. �Tracy�s right. Weasel won�t talk to you and Dave. You�ll just scare him off. He�ll be less likely to run if he sees us. He still has his bonus coming to him, anyway. He won�t be so skittish if we wave money in front of his face.� Hutch sighed and traded looks with his partner. �OK, we�ll do it your way, but I want you out of there at the first sign of trouble. We�ll see if we can requisition a surveillance van so we can park right outside the arcade. We need a signal to let us know if you need us.� Micki and Tracy spoke in unison, remembering a similar situation. �How about �Help�?� For the first time since Carruthers escaped, the two women laughed out loud. Starsky grinned. �I think that might be a tad obvious. How about sayin� something like �we�re leaving�? �Cause if you spot Carruthers, that�s what you�d better do.� Tracy looked at Micki, who nodded. �Sounds good to me.� Starsky got up. �OK, how about me and Tracy checking on that van while you two get dressed? We�ll meet you at the station in a bit.� Hutch walked them to the door. �You�d better check with Dobey while you�re at it. He�ll have a fit if you don�t.� Starsky rolled his eyes. �Thanks a lot, buddy. You know he�s going to have a fit anyway when he hears what we�re planning to do. I can hear him now.� Hutch grinned at his partner. �That�s what friends are for.� He closed the door and went back into the kitchen. Micki had picked up the cups and set them in the sink. Hutch put his arms around her and held her close. �Are you sure you want to do this, Mick? You didn�t get much sleep last night. We can put this off for a little while if you want to.� She shook her head. �No, I�m OK, really. If I�m going to go on with my life like you said, I have to get Danny back behind bars. Right now, Weasel is our only lead. Someone gave him that tip and it sounds like Danny had a hand in it. So, maybe if we find out who Weasel�s source is, we can find Danny. I don�t know what else to do.� He turned her around and kissed her tenderly before he stepped back. �OK, why don�t you jump in the shower while I fix us something to eat? It looks like it�s going to be another long day.� �I�m not really hungry, but I guess I should eat something. OK, I won�t be long.� Two hours later, a white van with �Bugbuster�s� written on the side pulled up in front of the arcade and parked. A black plastic cockroach sat on the roof of the van, hiding a large antenna. Starsky turned the vehicle off and joined Hutch in the back. Hutch was sitting in front of a radio receiver, wearing a set of headphones. Next to the radio was a TV monitor. Starsky sat down in the other chair and watched the screen. A few minutes later, Micki and Tracy walked down the street and entered the arcade. Weasel was in his usual spot in the back, concentrating on the game he was playing. He didn�t notice the two girls until Micki dangled a hundred dollar bill in front of him. His eyes widened, and he snatched the bill. �Hey, Micki, you found the stuff, huh? It was right where I told you it would be, wasn�t it?� �It sure was, Weasel. You did good. By the way, who gave you the tip? We wanted to thank who ever it was. The DA was really happy to get that stuff. You wouldn�t mind telling us your source�s name, would you?� Weasel swallowed. �I don�t know, Micki. I wouldn�t want him to think I squealed on him. You wouldn�t bust him, or anything, would you?� Tracy smiled sweetly. �No, we�re not interested in arresting anybody. You and your source helped us out a lot. We just wanted to talk to the guy, that�s all.� �Why? Maybe I can help you out.� Micki�s expression grew serious. �Weasel, we�re going to level with you. After we found the stuff, and the other detectives took it down to the station, we had company in that warehouse. Do you know a guy by the name of Tommy Carruthers?� Weasel�s face paled and he looked around frantically for a place to run. Micki caught him by his arm before he could move. Weasel licked his lips nervously. �Wh-why did ya ask me that? I don�t have nothing to do with that guy. Honest. I�m just a little fish. What would a player like that be hanging around me for?� Tracy soothed the little man. �It�s OK, Weasel, we�re not accusing you of anything. We think Carruthers gave the tip to your source so he could manipulate us. He escaped from prison the other day and wants to get back at us for sending him off.� �Honest, Tracy, I didn�t have anything to do with that! You can ask Kyle. He�s the guy that gave me the tip. I ran into him the other night and he asked me if I still snitched for you. I told him that I helped you out once in a while, and that�s when he gave me the tip about Corey Sims. He didn�t tell me where he got the information, he just told me where the stuff was hidden. He hangs around the bus stop down on 4th Street at night. He�s a hooker. Knowing Kyle, he was with a trick the night he saw Corey�s shyster in the bar.� Tracy patted his arm. �OK, Weasel, thanks. Don�t worry, we won�t let him know that you told us who he was. You�re not in any trouble and neither is Kyle. Now, what does he look like?� �He�s taller than me, and has bleached blonde hair. He dresses real flashy, especially when he�s working. You won�t have any trouble pickin� him out of a crowd, believe me.� Micki patted Weasel on the back. �Thanks, Weasel, we owe you one.� The girls waved good-bye and walked out to the van. Micki looked around, making sure no one was looking, then climbed into the van with Tracy close behind her. Micki stood beside Hutch. �Well, at least we have a name. I think we should talk to Kyle and see if he can lead us back to Danny.� Starsky nodded. �Sounds like a plan to me. I doubt that Kyle will be around until later on tonight, so why don�t we go back to the station and take care of the paperwork? Dobey wasn�t too happy with us this morning. He might be a little happier if he knows we got a name.� Hutch agreed. �Sure. Then we can grab a bite to eat and relax a while before we go see Kyle.� Micki raised her eyebrow. �We? If Kyle gets a look at you two, he�s going to think you�re out to bust him. Tracy and I can change into something a little more sexy, and talk to him without letting him know we�re cops. I don�t want him taking off before we even get close to him.� Hutch started to protest. �I don�t think that�s a good idea. We won�t be able to protect you in the kind of crowd that hangs out down there. You�d be like sitting ducks.� Micki started to reply, but Tracy spoke first. �Ken, Micki�s right. The only way we can get close to Kyle is if he thinks we�re a couple of working girls. You and David can blend in with the crowd. You�ll still be close enough to help if something goes wrong, but far enough away not to frighten Kyle. Besides, by the time we�re finished with our disguise, Danny won�t even recognize us.� Hutch sighed. �OK, I can see that you�re determined to do this. You�d better believe that Starsky and I will be close, and we�ll be on you like white on rice at the first sign of trouble.� Micki grinned. �We believe you. Although, I don�t think Danny would risk showing up in public like that, especially down there. He�s just as scummy as they are and somebody would probably recognize him.� The two couples went back to the station and gave their reports to Captain Dobey. After filling him in, the went to the Pits and had a quiet dinner. The girls left Starsky and Hutch at the Pits and went home to change. |
| An hour later, there were two new �working girls� on the corner of 4th and Main. One was tall and blonde, dressed in a scarlet red mini-skirt and black halter top. The other girl was smaller, with long, dark hair cascading down her back. Her black leather pants hung on her hips, and her black halter top was covered in silver studs. Together, they cruised the area with long, sensuous strides. Both girls had small handbags hanging from their shoulders. Casually, they walked toward the blonde man standing on the corner. As they stopped beside the man, the blonde batted her eyelashes at him. �Hi, handsome. Would we be invading your turf if we stood here for a while?� The young man shrugged. �It�s a free country. Stand where ever you want to. Besides, I don�t think we�re after the same kind of company.� The blonde�s laugh was sultry. �I guess not. Have you had any luck tonight? My friend and I are kind of new here, and we were just wondering if this spot was hot. Time is money, after all, and we don�t want to waste our time out here if nothing is happening.� �Yeah, it�s OK. It just depends on the crowd. This is a good time, because the bars are still open. If you wait until the bars close, everybody�s too drunk and too broke to be any good.� The brunette spoke for the first time. �What about the bars? Is it safe to work them, or will the owners give us a hard time?� �Well, that one bar down there, with the blue shutters, is OK. Barney won�t kick you out as long as you don�t flash it around. As long as somebody�s buying the drinks, he doesn�t care how long you stay. It�s more money for him and that�s all he cares about. Now that one across the street is bad news. He�ll let you work his bar, but only if you cut him in on your profits. I made the mistake of doing that one night, and he ended up with most of that nights pay. He knew I couldn�t do anything about it, like calling the law.� Tracy smiled again. �Thanks, we appreciate the info. You really know this area. Have you been here long? By the way, I�m Julie and this is Kelly.� Kyle smiled back. �Hi, I�m Kyle. Yeah, I�ve been here about two years now. I�ve worked all up and down Main Street. I like this spot the best because there aren�t as many pimps around. Most of us are independent. The cops don�t roust us to much, either. There�s too much other stuff going on down here. They�re not too worried about a few hookers hanging around.� Micki nodded. �Yeah, we�ve been hearing about all the action down here. To tell the truth, we were kind of nervous about coming down to this part of town. We don�t want to end up with some freak. We�re not into the kinky stuff.� �Nah, you don�t got to worry about that down here. The dealers hang out mostly in the alleys, and the bookie�s close up shop before dark.� Tracy smiled at a man walking down the street, then rolled her eyes when he rushed by. She turned back to Kyle. �Wasn�t there a bookie that was killed a little while ago? One of the girls in our old neighborhood was telling us about it. That wasn�t down here, was it?� �No, it was on the other end of Main. Anyway, they got the guy that did it. The cops are gettin� ready to send him up the river.� �Well, that makes me feel better. You don�t think he�ll get off , do you?� Kyle looked smug. �He might have, but I made sure he wouldn�t.� Tracy looked at him, her eyes wide. �You did? What did you do?� �I got this hot tip the other day, and I whispered it in a buddy�s ear. He turned it over to the cops. I made more money that night than I�d made all week.� �Oh yeah? How�d you do that?� �It was really funny. This guy I used to hang around with saw me in the V Room and told me he�d give me two hundred bucks to pass the tip on to this snitch I know.� Micki grinned. �Wow, two hundred bucks for a tip? That guy must be loaded. Hey, he didn�t want you to give him a freebie for it, did he?� Kyle laughed. �Nah, Tommy�s not that kind of guy. He likes the wall-flower type. I guess he gets off on hero worship or something. Anyway, he just told me that he wanted to help out an old friend, but he didn�t want her to know it was him. I gave the tip to Weasel, and he got two hundred bucks, too. So everybody was happy.� Tracy giggled. �Looks like we�ve been working the wrong side of town. Say, this guy Tommy wouldn�t be interested in having a good time, would he? Just for fun, I mean. Like I said, we�re new here and don�t know many people.� �I don�t know. Tommy is always busy doing one thing or another. And I get the feeling he�s hiding from the cops.� Micki glanced at her partner. �The cops? Why? What did he do?� �He got into some trouble a few months ago and got sent up. He says he�s out on parole, but I don�t think he�s telling the truth. I mean, he wasn�t in the pen that long. I think he might have escaped.� �You�re kidding! He must be a real player. Does he hang around here a lot?� �I think he�s staying at Dempsey�s Hotel, on 4th and Temple. I�ve seen him come out of there a couple of times. Why? Do you girls want to party with Tommy and me?� Tracy sighed. �We�d love to, but if we don�t make some money fast, we�re going to get kicked out of our pad. Hey, if you�re still around in a couple of days, maybe we can all get together then.� �Sure, you know where to find me. I guess I�d better get back to it, too. The only thing bad about being independent is you don�t have a free roof over your head. But then, you don�t have anybody knocking you around, either.� �You got that right. Well, we�d better stroll around some more. We�ll see you around, Kyle.� The girls waved at the young man and strutted down the street. They waited until Kyle�s attention was focused on a passing car, then ducked into an alley. They jumped into the back seat of the Torino and hid in the shadows. Ten minutes later, Starsky and Hutch joined them. Micki was elated. �Finally, we get a real break! I think we should stake out that hotel and see if we can catch Danny coming out of it.� Hutch held up his hand. �Hold on there, Mick. Carruthers isn�t dumb. He knows Starsky and me, and he knows this car. We�ll turn this over to Dobey so he can assign someone else to watch Carruthers, someone he doesn�t know is a cop.� Micki scowled. �I don�t like it, but I know you�re right. We just found him, so we don�t want him taking off again. But, if we do find him, I want to be there when you and Dave take him down.� Hutch shook his head. �You can see him at the station. I don�t want you anywhere near him until he�s locked up safe and sound.� Micki�s eyes flashed. �I�m not a kid, Ken. You don�t have to treat me with kid gloves. Considering all the Hell he�s put me through, I have the right to be there when you take him into custody.� �You have the right, I agree, but I�m not taking any chances with him. I�m not about to let my guard down until he�s in handcuffs. He�s too slippery out here on the street.� Starsky cleared his throat. �Um, guys, we don�t even have the guy staked out yet. Why don�t we wait until we actually see Carruthers before we decide who�s going to arrest him?� Micki reluctantly agreed. �OK, I guess we are jumping the gun a bit. But we�re not finished with this yet, Ken. I�m the one Danny�s after and I am NOT going to stay home and hide under the covers. I know you want to protect me, but I have to draw the line somewhere.� Hutch wasn�t giving in. �You�re right; it�s not finished yet. We�ll talk about this later. I think it�s time we called it a night. Let�s go see Dobey and then we can go home.� |
| The four detectives gave their reports to Dobey and went back to their own apartments. Hutch reached above the doorframe and retrieved the spare key. Micki stood silently to one side, then walked past him into the living room. She went into the bedroom and pulled out her bedclothes, slamming the drawers shut as she headed for the bathroom. Hutch exhaled slowly and grabbed a beer from the fridge. He sat on the couch and rested his head against the back. He kept his eyes closed when the water stopped and Micki emerged from the bathroom. Without opening his eyes, Hutch asked quietly, �Would you like something to drink? I think there�s some Chianti left in the cabinet.� �No, I don�t want anything. Thanks anyway.� Hutch forced himself to get up. He walked over to Micki and gazed at her. �Micki, I�m not treating you like a child. I think it�s too dangerous for you to be around Carruthers until he�s in custody. I don�t want anything to happen to you.� �Nothing is going to happen to me. I�m a cop, too, Ken. I�m not some rookie fresh out of the academy. I fought Danny once, remember? He didn�t get me then and he won�t get me now.� �I know that. All I�m asking is that you be careful. Let Starsky and me handle this scum. As soon as he�s behind bars, you can see him. It will hurt his pride even more when he finds out you�re the one who tracked him down.� Micki looked up at him. �You don�t understand. He took something away from me, and the only way I can get it back is to be there when he�s arrested. Unless I can look him in the eyes when you put the handcuffs on, I�ll never be free of him. I won�t do anything stupid, I promise. I�ll stay out of the way. I just need to be there.� Hutch rubbed his forehead and then raised his hands, surrendering to her. �OK, if it means that much to you, but you damned well better be careful. If I so much as THINK you�re going to pull anything, I�ll lock you in the car.� She smiled ruefully. �I believe you. Besides, Tracy would probably help you.� Hutch reached out and ran his fingers through her long hair. Micki took his hand in hers and turned it palm up. Tenderly, she kissed his palm. Hutch drew her to him and kissed her passionately. Wordlessly, he picked her up and took her into their bedroom. He was sleeping soundly when a faint noise penetrated his subconscious. He opened his eyes and looked down at Micki. She was on her side, pressed up against him, with her arm across his chest. He could see rapid movements under her eyelids, which was a sign that she was dreaming. The soft whimpers that had awakened him were coming from her. He reached over and gently shook her. �Micki, wake up. You�re having a nightmare. Come on, wake up.� Her eyes flew open and she gasped. She sat up and scooted back in the bed until her back was against the headboard. Although her eyes were open, she clearly didn�t recognize Hutch. He moved closer without touching her and talked quietly. �Micki, it�s me, Ken. You�re dreaming. You�re safe. No one�s going to hurt you. Come on now, wake up. Look at me.� Micki shook her head and moaned softly. Hutch kept talking in soothing tones. Finally, she focused on his face. Her body relaxed and she released the breath she was holding. She pulled her knees up close to her and wrapped her arms around them. Exhausted, she leaned her head on her knees. Hutch kept his voice even. �You OK now?� Micki nodded without lifting her head. �Was it about Carruthers?� She nodded again. �Was it the same dream?� She shook her head, then looked up at him. �No. Tracy and I were back in the warehouse. Danny was there. He was laughing and calling us names. I told him not to come any closer, but he wouldn�t stop. He had a gun. He said he was going to kill Tracy first to punish me. He aimed it at Tracy, so I shot him. It knocked him back a little, but then he started walking toward us again. No matter how many times I shot him, he just kept coming! I was afraid he was going to kill her, so I shot him again. Only this time, I shot him in the head.� Hutch pulled her into his arms. He knew that Micki was against killing, even though she was a police officer. He remembered what she had told him one night when they were discussing the oath they both had taken. �I swore to protect and serve, not to kill. I will do whatever it takes to save someone from harm, but I think extreme force is a failure. If I have to kill a suspect, then I have failed somewhere along the way. I�m a cop and a psychologist. My job is to save lives, not to take them.� As her words echoed in his mind, Hutch gently lifted her chin and looked in her eyes. �Could you do that, Mick?� She nodded slowly. �If I have to.� She shuddered. �Then I�ll have to try to live with myself.� He held her close, trying to comfort her. Then he kissed her tenderly, and got out of bed. �Stay put. I�ll be right back.� Hutch went into the small kitchen and heated up some milk. He added cocoa to it and took it into Micki. �Here, drink this. Maybe it will help you sleep.� She accepted the hot cocoa. �I don�t think it will help, but thanks. I don�t think I�ll sleep again until Danny is back in prison.� Despite her prediction, Micki was able to go back to sleep and the rest of the night passed quietly. The next morning, Hutch woke up and made coffee, hoping she would sleep a while longer. As the coffee was perking, he called Starsky. �Hello.� �Hey, it�s me. How�s Tracy this morning?� �Puttin� on a good front. How about Micki?� �Not good. She had the latest in a series of nightmares about Carruthers. This one had a new twist. She killed him.� �My God. I know how she feels about that. Tracy�s thinking the same thing. He�s really pushing them to the limit.� �Yeah. Well, we�ll just have to get him first. Did you talk to Dobey about the stake-out?� �Yeah, it�s all set. Blandford and Reaves will take the first shift. He said he could spare three teams for a few days, but that�s it. He said we could ask the Feds for help, but I said no.� �Good. I don�t want to bring them in on this unless we have to. If Kyle was right and Carruthers is staying in that dump, he should show himself fairly soon. You got any other ideas?� Starsky sighed. �No. I hate the thought of sittin� around just waiting for Carruthers to show up, but I don�t know what else to do. At least the girls will be safe when they�re with us.� �Yeah, you�re right about that. I hope he does show up soon. I don�t know how long I can keep Micki off that corner. She�s already stretched pretty thin.� �Just keep her from going off the deep end, partner. We�re doin� the right thing.� Hutch glanced at the bedroom. He could see Micki stirring. �I hope so, buddy. Look, I think she�s waking up, so I�d better get off here. If we don�t hear anything by tonight, how about meeting at Huggy�s? Maybe we can keep them occupied for a while.� �Sure, how does seven o�clock sound?� �That�s good. We�ll see you then.� He had barely replaced the receiver on it�s cradle when Micki sat up in bed. Hutch pretended to be busy while watching her from the corner of his eye. Micki slipped into her robe and hugged herself again. Hutch wondered if she would ever feel warm, or safe, again. He called out a greeting. �Coffee�s on if you want some.� �Sure, just let me splash some water on my face. I�ll be back in a sec.� Micki walked into the bathroom and closed the door. The cold water felt good. She reached for a towel and dried her face. As she hung the towel back on the rack, she caught a glimpse of the mirror. Micki stood, transfixed, as the light in the mirror dimmed. Instead of her reflection, she saw her gun, hanging in mid-air. Danny�s face floated into her sight, laughing at her. Her eyes widened as she saw the trigger on the gun pulled back, and she could see the flash as the gun fired. She turned away from the mirror and put her hands over her face. She shuddered and tried to dispel the image that she had seen. After taking several deep breaths, she composed herself enough to walk back into the kitchen. Micki carefully avoided Hutch�s searching look. She stiffened slightly as he kissed her, then forced herself to relax. Hutch poured the coffee into a cup and handed it to her. She tried to hide her shaking hands from him, but he saw them anyway. �Micki, are you sure you�re up to this? You�re not in any condition to work.� Her voice was tired. �I have to do this, Ken. We�ve been through this enough. I don�t want to go over it again.� Hutch massaged the back of his neck. �OK, I don�t want to fight, either. I talked to Starsky. Dobey�s OK�d the stakeout for a few days. Hopefully, it won�t take that long for Carruthers to show himself. If nothing happens before tonight, we�ll meet Starsky and Tracy at Huggy�s for dinner. Is that OK with you? If you�re not up to it, we can beg off.� �No, that�s OK. I sure don�t want to sit around here for several days. I�d go stir crazy.� Hutch smiled. �Then it�s settled. In the meantime, why don�t we just relax today? We need to get our minds off Carruthers for a while. We�re doing everything we can.� �Sure, I�m game if you are. It would be nice to think of something besides Danny for a while.� |
| Starsky hung up the phone as Tracy came out of the bedroom. He whistled in appreciation as he saw her. She was toweling her blonde hair, wearing only his robe. �Better be careful, schweetheart. You come out looking like that and I might start getting ideas.� Tracy smiled sensuously. �Just what did you have in mind, big boy?� �I just might show you after breakfast.� Tracy put her hand over her forehead. �Mom was right. The way to a man�s heart IS through his stomach.� Starsky grinned. �Well, a man�s gotta eat to keep up his strength.� Tracy laughed and gave him a kiss. She walked around to the bar and sat down. �Were you on the phone a minute ago? I thought I heard you talking to someone.� �Yeah, Hutch called.� �He did? How�s Micki this morning?� Starsky watched the eggs he was scrambling. �She�s OK.� �David, look at me. How is she, really?� Starsky sighed. �She had some nightmares last night, but Hutch said she was sleepin� in this morning.� �She was dreaming about Danny again, wasn�t she?� �Yeah, she was, just like you were last night. I know this isn�t easy for you, but you have to believe that Hutch and me will take care of this creep. We�re not going to let him any where near you, Tracy.� �I know you want to help, David, but Danny isn�t after you. He�s after us. We�re the ones who put him away. Danny�s not going to forget that. Micki�s right. We can�t go hide somewhere and hope this all goes away. He�s not going to let us.� �I know that, Trace. We�re just tryin� to keep you safe. We�re not going to lock you away. You�ll be there when we take him down, but we have to do it the right way.� Tracy took his hand in hers. �I know. I trust you, David. I want this whole mess to be over, that�s all. I�m tired of worrying about Danny and I want to get my life back.� He kissed the palm of her hand. �We�ll get him, sweetheart. I promise. Now, come on, let�s eat. I still want to know what�s under that robe.� Tracy smiled back at him. �Well, I guess you�ll just have to find out after breakfast.� The rest of the day was uneventful. Later that evening, the two couples met at The Pits for dinner. Micki and Tracy were in a better frame of mind, and even laughed at Huggy�s pitiful jokes. They were getting ready to leave when the call came. Huggy answered the phone and motioned for Hutch. Micki and Tracy watched his face as he talked to the unknown caller. Hutch nodded once and hung up the phone. He had a determined look on his face as he walked back to the table. �That was Joe McDougal on the phone. He�s with Ray Estes. They�ve got the hotel staked out and they think Carruthers just showed up. I told him we were on our way and to call for back-up.� Micki grabbed her purse. �Well, what are we waiting for? Let�s go.� Hutch started to say something, then thought better of it. He traded glances with Starsky and followed the girls. Hutch slapped the mars light on the roof of the Torino and Starsky headed for the hotel. He pulled onto a side street a block before the hotel and switched off the ignition. Micki and Tracy got out of the car, but before they could start down the street, Hutch stepped in front of them. He pointed his finger at both girls. �Now look, you two. I want you to stay behind Starsky and me. We�ve got the place covered, so Carruthers isn�t going to get away. Stay out of sight until we�ve got him in custody. Understand?� Micki nodded grudgingly. �Yeah, we understand, but don�t lose him. If he gets away this time, we might as well hang it up.� �We�re not going to lose him, Mick. Just behave yourself and let us do the dirty work.� The four detectives walked to the unmarked car parked in front of the building. McDougal and his partner were waiting for them. Hutch spoke quietly. �Is he still in there, Joe?� �Yep. I had Estes go in and check out the lobby. The desk clerk said �Mr. Wilson� is in 319. The layout�s pretty standard. The elevator�s out, so we won�t have to worry about it. The only way out the back is through the kitchen. We�ve got two officers covering the back door and two in the kitchen. We�re ready whenever you are, Hutch.� �OK, I want you and Estes to stay out here, with Micki and Tracy. We�ll go up the stairs and see if we can get him to surrender. I don�t expect him to give up without a fight, but we have to try. If he gets past us, do whatever it takes to keep him from escaping, but don�t kill him unless you have to. I want him alive.� �You got it, Hutch.� The blonde detective started toward the front door, but Micki pulled him back. �Wait a minute, Ken. You know Danny�s not going to give up. Why don�t you let us go in with you, as back-up? It�s too dangerous for you and Dave to go in alone.� Hutch was stern. �We�ve already talked about this, Mick. Starsky and I will be careful. I want you to stay out here. We can�t concentrate if we have to worry about you two. Besides, if he runs out this way, I won�t have to worry about him getting past all four of you.� Micki frowned back at him. �Fine, we�ll do it your way. But, for God�s sake, don�t let him get away. I�ve had about all I can take.� Hutch�s expression softened. �I know you have. We�ll get him, Mick, I promise. His luck has to run out sooner or later.� �I hope it�s sooner rather than later, for all our sake�s.� Starsky and Hutch drew their weapons and slowly climbed the stairs. As they reached the second landing, an older man came out of his room. Starsky showed the man his badge and held a finger to his lips. The man�s eyes widened and he scuttled down the stairs. Hutch rolled his eyes at his partner and motioned with his head. The two detectives started up the stairway again. They reached the third floor without any problems. They stayed close to the walls as they searched for Carruthers� room. Room 319 was half-way down the hall, which didn�t please either detective. If Carruthers did try to resist arrest, the noise would surely attract the attention of the other tenants. A shootout would endanger the lives of a lot of innocent people. Starsky held up a finger as an idea occurred to him. Then he held up his hand as a signal to Hutch, to wait. Starsky positioned himself on the left side of the door. He knocked twice and stepped back. A voice came from the room. �Yeah, who is it?� �It�s the desk clerk, Mr. Wilson. You�ve got a phone call at the desk.� �Well, transfer it up here, you idiot! There�s a phone in my room.� �I tried that already, but something�s wrong with the switchboard. It�s already disconnected the guy once. He was pretty pissed, so I didn�t want to try it again. He said it was important, or I wouldn�t have bothered you.� �Oh, all right. I�ll be down in a minute. Tell whoever it is to keep his pants on.� �OK, what ever you say, Mr. Wilson.� Starsky gave his partner a thumb�s up, and Hutch grinned back. They waited for the door to open. As Carruthers came out of the door, Starsky grabbed his wrist and yanked him into the hallway. Before the felon could react, Starsky pushed him up against the wall. Hutch pulled Carruthers� arms behind his back and handcuffed him. Then he swung him around. Hutch grinned at him. �I�ve got your phone call right here, Carruthers. The message is: you�re busted!� Carruthers swore. �Damn it! How the Hell did you pigs find me?� �That�s our little secret, scum. Besides, you know what they say: don�t shoot the messenger. Come on, let�s go.� Starsky let Hutch and Carruthers go in front of him, then he pulled the radio from his belt. �It�s OK, everybody, we got him. We�re on our way down.� They walked their prisoner to the patrol car in front of the hotel. Hutch turned him over to the other officers. �Here, Joe, I�ve got a present for you. Take him downtown and book him. We�ll be there in a bit.� �Sure thing, Hutch. Come on, Carruthers. We got a cell reserved in your name down at the lock-up.� As Carruthers passed Micki, he smiled. �Hello, baby-cakes. Did you come down to say good-bye?� Micki snorted. �Yeah, only this time it�s for good. You�re going back to prison, Danny, where you belong.� Carruthers showed his teeth. �Been there, done that. See you around, baby-cakes.� Hutch waited until Carruthers was safely in the car, then shut the door. As the patrol car drove off, he put his arm around Micki. �Come on, let�s go home.� |
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