| Unseen Enemy: Part 2 |
| The next morning, Starsky was putting away the bed when he heard a clatter from the bathroom and a muffled curse. He shoved the bed into the corner and knocked on the bathroom door. "Hey, Hutch! You all right in there?" Hutch opened the door, clad only in a towel. He was holding the antibiotic cream in one hand and bandages in the other. "I can't get the damned cream on, and I can't get the bandage to stay. It just keeps sliding off!" Starsky held out his hands. "Give'em here. Now, come in to the kitchen and sit down." Hutch did as he was told. Starsky applied the cream and gently batted his friend's hand away when he started to touch the wound. "Quit fussin' with it. You'll get it irritated." "I'm not fussing with it! Does it look OK?" Starsky applied the bandage, then straightened up. He squeezed Hutch's shoulder tightly. "It looks fine. Now, get dressed. I've got Allison Sweeney's address. Her husband leaves for work at 8:30. We'll probably do better if we talk to her alone." He squeezed his friend's shoulder again, letting him know that he was scared, too. Allison Sweeney's home was as modest as the O'Roarke mansion was grand. The white siding was clean, and the yard neat and tidy. A wheel chair ramp was positioned next to the concrete steps. Starsky looked at it and said, "Well, looks like Mr. Sweeney is still recovering from whatever illness he had. At least he's recovered well enough to go back to work." "It's been three years, Starsk. I'm wondering now if Allison's rumors were just a case of sour grapes. Maybe she thinks the good doctor committed malpractice where her husband is concerned." Starsky frowned at his partner. "We're supposed to be narrowing down the list of suspects, Hutch, not adding to it." "I'm just saying what I think, Starsk. It's a possibility we have to consider." "Well, all we're doin' is guessing. Let's see what the lady has to say." Hutch knocked on the plain white door and stepped back. Minutes later, a voice came from the other side of the door. "Yes, who is it?" Hutch spoke loud enough to be heard through the door. "We're with the BCPD, Mrs. Sweeney. I'm Detective Hutchinson and this is Detective Starsky. We'd like to talk to you about Dr. Samuel O'Roarke." There was silence for a moment, then the door was unlocked, and Allison Sweeney peeked out. "I don't work for him anymore." Starsky put on his most charming smile. "Yes, ma'am, we know that. We talked to Evelyn Chambers, and we'd like to talk to you about some information she gave us. May we come in?" She gazed at them steadily, then shrugged. "I guess I knew she would. Come on in. My husband has left for work, so we can talk openly. There are some things I don't want him to know." They followed her into the living room. The house was cozy and well kept. She motioned for them to sit down. Hutch sat on one end of the couch, with Starsky beside him. He looked at Allison Sweeney. She was slightly older than he had imagined, with sandy blonde hair and expressive blue eyes. He got right to the point. "What don't you want your husband to know, Mrs. Sweeney?" Allison sat across from them. She sighed regretfully. "I want you to understand how it was back then. Brad was in construction when I first went to work for Dr. O'Roarke. He was a foreman, but he always worked right along side of his men. They were tearing down an old building when part of a wall collapsed unexpectedly, and Brad and a few of his men were buried underneath for almost twelve hours. I was a basket case, as you might expect. Dr. Sam was wonderful to me through the whole thing. When they finally got Brad out, he stayed right with both of us. When Brad needed an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Sam went out of his way to find the best one. We were very grateful to Dr. Sam for all his help, and Brad still thinks very highly of him. When I quit, I told Brad that it was because I wanted to stay home with him until he was able to go back to work. If he ever finds out the real reason I quit, it would devastate him. Brad will be in a wheel chair for the rest of his life, but he's able to work, and still enjoy a good life. But it wasn't always that way. He was very depressed for a long time after the accident. He sees Dr. Sam as a savior. If he knew the truth, it would break his heart." Starsky prodded her gently. "What is the truth, Mrs. Sweeney?" "My job was to submit claims to the different insurance companies. Some of them are very particular about claims being filed promptly, so I stayed late a lot after Brad got out of the hospital. I would leave at my normal time, go home and fix Brad dinner, and then go back for a while. One night, when I came back to the office, I found the door unlocked. That wasn't unusual, because Dr. Sam often worked long after office hours were over. I was working on the claims when I heard voices coming from one of the exam rooms. I didn't think much about it at first, and just kept working. Then I started hearing other sounds. They were very...intimate. I thought I was just imagining things, but they just kept getting louder. So, I grabbed my purse, and ran out the door. I was so embarrassed! I told myself over and over that I couldn't have been hearing what I thought I'd heard. Then I did something I'm not proud of. I hid in the ladies room across the hall and waited for the longest time. Dr. Sam came out, with a patient I recognized. I still wouldn't let myself believe the truth, so I simply left and went home. I didn't say anything about that night, and kept working for Dr. Sam. Two weeks later, it happened again, with a different patient. I knew that I couldn't ignore what I heard any longer, so I confronted Dr. Sam with it. He just laughed at me! He made light of the whole situation. When I threatened to go to the medical board, he said he knew I wouldn't do it. He knew how much Brad respected him, and he also knew how depressed Brad was. A scandal like that would have pushed Brad over the edge, and Dr. Sam knew I wouldn't risk that happening. So, I quit. Dr. Sam never said a word, and when I went back to work last year, he gave me a glowing reference. I guess he thought that would buy my silence. I'm ashamed to say that it did. Evelyn Chambers was the only person I ever told. You've seen Evelyn. She's very attractive. Dr. Sam was always proper with his employees, but we were older, and married. I just wanted to warn her about him." Hutch thought for a moment. "What about the other women? Did they know what was going on after hours?" "I honestly don't know, but you can bet Elizabeth Reineike wouldn't have let on if she did. She was like a bulldog where he was concerned. If we were caught criticizing Dr. Sam in any way, we got a severe tongue lashing from her." "What about his wife, or his mother? Did they know about the other women?" "I don't know for sure, but I would guess they did. Leia isn't blind, and neither is Katherine. I met Leia a few times, and she strikes me as being a very shrewd woman. Everyone knew how the two Mrs. O'Roarkes felt about each other. The only thing they had in common was Dr. Sam. If her husband's infidelities ever bothered Leia, she never let on, because she knew she'd be the loser in any divorce. Katherine would have loved any excuse to kick her out of that house." "What about his mother? How would she have reacted?" "As far as Katherine is concerned, her little boy could do no wrong. When Sam's father died, Katherine turned all her attentions to him. She's always hated Leia, but she was smart enough to keep her feelings in check when Sam was around. She knew that Sam would never give up Leia, so she never risked making him choose between them." "So, she just pretended that nothing was going on?" "You have to understand Katherine, Detective Starsky. The O'Roarkes are an old family. Sam was the only male child, so it was his responsibility to carry on the family name. As long as Sam was discreet about his affairs, Katherine didn't care what he did. She certainly wasn't worried about his marriage, since she hates Leia so much." Hutch glanced at his partner, and then stood up. "Well, at least that gives us something to think about. Thank-you for being honest, Mrs. Sweeney. We'll try to keep this quiet, as long as we can. I feel like we need to warn you, though. Should this case come to trial, the DA may decide to call you as a witness." "I understand, Detective Hutchinson. I hope it doesn't come to that, for Brad's sake. If it does, I'll simply have to sit down and explain everything to him. I have to say that I'm angry at Dr. Sam. He hurt so many people with his lies. I wonder if he knew, or cared, that my husband thought so highly of him." Hutch shrugged philosophically. "I don't know, ma'am. I guess we never will." |
| Starsky started the Torino and headed back to the station. He looked over at Hutch. "Well?" Hutch gave his partner a sideways look. "Well, what?" "You were right about the good doctor having feet of clay. So, do ya think we should look closer at the two Mrs. O'Roarkes, or should we get a bigger piece of paper for all the names we're gonna have to add?" "I don't know, Starsk. I can't see a jealous husband walking into that office and calmly shooting O'Roarke in the back. We've dealt with a few of those in the past, and calm is one thing they're not." "You got a point, there, partner. If I found out he was makin' time with my wife, the whole hospital would hear about it. And I could think of a few other things I'd do before I shot'im, like punch his lights out." "Exactly. At the risk of being called a male chauvinist, I can't see a jealous husband as pulling the trigger, either. So, I think we should go talk to both Mrs. O'Roarkes. They've been waltzing us around with this case, and I'm tired of dancing." "You got it partner. Let's check in with Dobey, then go pay the palace another visit. Dobey's not gonna be happy when we tell him about the doctor's little flings, but he's gotta know." Hutch grunted. "That's an understatement if I ever heard one. I'm not looking forward to it, but it has to be done." Before they could tell the Captain their news, he had some news of his own to tell them. "I was just getting ready to call you two. The airline called back with the information you asked for about Leia O'Roarke. It seems like the widow was not being truthful. According to UA, she came in on Flight 352 last Friday night, not Saturday morning." The duo exchanged looks. Starsky cleared his throat. "We were gettin' ready to pay her another visit anyway, Cap. We found out something about Dr. O'Roarke that you're not gonna like, but since her alibi just bit the dust, you need to know what's going on. It looks like the good doctor wasn't as lily white as we thought." Starsky filled their superior in on what Allison Sweeney had told them. As expected, Dobey wasn't thrilled with the information. "All right, I agree that you need to look into this more, but for God's sake, keep it quiet. If the media finds out about Mrs. Sweeney's allegations before we have proof, the Commissioner will hang us all out to dry. I won't risk ruining that man's reputation based on a few innuendo's, but if this pans out, we'll take it to the DA. So, get going. If it looks like she's our strongest suspect, book her and read her her rights. I want an airtight case on this one." "You got it, Cap. We'll let you know what she says." Thirty minutes later, they were knocking on the ornate door again. Toby opened it, and instantly went into protective mode. Before he could speak, Hutch raised his finger. "Uh, uh, Toby. I'm not in the mood to dance with you. We want to see Leia O'Roarke, and we want to see her now. If you make so much as a little peep, I'm going to personally arrest you for obstruction of justice. Trust me, you won't like jail. The exercise yard is the pits." The two men gazed levelly at each other. Starsky moved closer to his partner and remained silent. Toby growled low in his throat. "She's out back, in the garden. Just follow the path around back." Hutch smiled sweetly. "Very good, Toby. And where would Katherine be? We may need to talk to her, too." "She's upstairs. She had business to attend to, and going outside of the house always exhausts her." Hutch nodded. "Of course, the arthritis. That will be all, Toby. Thank-you." Toby growled again and slammed the door. Starsky looked at his friend and grinned. "Bully." Hutch snorted. "I told you, I'm tired of dancing with these people. Come on, let's see what tune the lady is playing today." Leia O'Roarke was sitting on a small bench when they walked around the house. She saw them and stood up, instantly. She erased the frown and put on a pleasant smile. "Good afternoon, Detectives. I was thinking about you this morning. Is there any progress on my husband's case?" Hutch stood at the foot of the bench. "Yes, there is. We have a few more questions, if you don't mind." "Of course, what do you need to know?" Hutch didn't mince words. "We checked with the airline, Leia. You didn't come in Saturday morning, like you said. You came in Friday night. Would you mind telling us why you lied?" Leia sat down, with her eyes downcast. "I shouldn't have lied, I admit. But you must believe me. I didn't lie because of my husband's death. I lied because of where I was. It's no secret that Katherine hates me. If she ever finds out where I was Friday night, she'll make sure my reputation is ruined and will find a way to break Sam's will." "Exactly where were you, Leia?" "I was telling the truth when I said I was visiting an old school friend. What I didn't tell you is that friend is a man. We've been seeing each other for almost a year. He came back with me and we spent the night in an apartment that I've rented. We've always been very discreet about our affair, not that Sam would care anyway. Katherine is a different story, of course. She'd love to get hold of this. She'd finally get what she's always wanted: after twenty-three years, I'd be out of her hair at last." Starsky spoke for the first time. "So you know about your husband's affairs?" "Of course. I'm not blind. I've never held any misconceptions about my marriage. I really did love my husband, Detective Starsky. Unfortunately, when Sam found out that I couldn't have children, he lost interest in me. Perhaps, if he hadn't been raised Catholic, he would have divorced me years ago. Katherine would glady have withstood the scandal if he had, believe me. Though, oddly enough, he never mentioned divorce. So, as time went on, we came to a mutual agreement. I would retain the name and the house, and Sam would have his little adventures. At first, he was careful. No one had a hint of what our life was really like. Then Sam changed. He stopped worrying about what people would say. He told me once that everyone knew how great a doctor he was, so no one would care about his affairs if they ever found out." "So, you decided after a while to have an affair of your own? Sam was doing it, so why shouldn't you?" "No, Detective! It wasn't like that at all. I was faithful to Sam, no matter how many times he was unfaithful to me. I told you this man is an old school friend. His wife died two years ago, and he turned to me for comfort. We didn't set out to have an affair, it just happened. We respect and care for each other. We were friends long before we became anything else. To Sam, I was a necessity. He needed a wife to escort to functions and such, and to enhance his reputation. The medical community can be very old-fashioned. A married doctor is a stable doctor. Our arrangement may not have been a typical one, but it worked for us. I DID NOT kill my husband, Detective. I'll give you my friend's name, and he will vouch for me. What you do with the information is your business. I'd rather be penniless than go to prison for a murder I didn't commit." "All right, Leia, we'll talk to your friend. For your sake, I hope you're telling us the truth this time. Somebody killed your husband, and we intend to find out who that person is." The two detectives nodded to the widow and walked back to the front of the house. Hutch stood there, looking at the house thoughtfully. Starsky nudged him in the shoulder. "So, do we talk to the other Mrs. O'Roarke?" Hutch shook his head. "Not just yet. I want to go back to the hospital, first." "Why? O'Roarke's office is taped off. Nobody's going to be there." "I know that, but the hospital isn't closed. I want to know if Leia O'Roarke was seen around there the night of the murder. If she was, her alibi still isn't worth anything." "OK, but don't you think someone would have mentioned that already?" "Not necessarily, Starsk. We've been asking about any strangers that were seen. Dr. O'Roarke's wife wouldn't be considered a stranger." Starsky sighed. "I don't think it will do any good, but we'll give it a try." |
| An hour after they arrived at Memorial Hospital, Hutch was ready to concede defeat. No one they talked to remembered seeing Leia the night of the murder. Everyone said the same thing: they were simply too busy to notice who went in or out of the Doctor's Annex. The blonde detective threw his hands up in the air. "You win, Starsk. This isn't getting us anywhere. So, we're back to square one. We have two main suspects and no solid leads. Dobey's going to put us back on traffic detail if we don't solve this case soon." "Don't count us out just yet, buddy. Maybe we're talkin' to the wrong people. Let's go talk to the girls that work in the other offices. Dr. Clayton's office is right across from O'Roarke's, so let's start with Nurse Howell. It's a long shot, but since we're already here, it's worth a try." They walked through the double doors and up to Dr. Clayton's receptionist. They asked for Rosemary Howell, and the receptionist smiled politely. "She's in with a patient right now, but if you can wait, I'll tell her you're here." Starsky gave her his most charming smile. "Sure, we can do that. Tell her it's Detective's Starsky and Hutchinson. We only need a minute of her time." "Of course. Please sit down, Detective." They didn't have to wait long before the pretty nurse came out. She smiled at them. "It's nice to see you again, Detectives. Sergeant Hutchinson, how are you doing? Are you following the doctor's orders?" Hutch reached behind his back unconsciously. "Uh, yes, I am. I'm doing OK, Nurse Howell. Thanks." "That's good. Now, how may I help you?" Starsky took over, diverting her attention from his partner. "We'd like to ask you a few questions about Dr. O'Roarke. We know he was killed sometime Friday night. Do you remember what time you left the office?" "It was sometime around 5:30. We had a late appointment, so it took a little longer than usual to close up. Why do you ask?" "We're trying to find out who was the last person to see Dr. O'Roarke alive. I know that you're very busy here, but did you happen to see anyone going in as you were leaving?" She made a rueful face. "You're right, we were very busy that day. Let me think for a moment." Starsky motioned for her to sit down. "Take your time, Mrs. Howell. It's very important." She was deep in thought for a few minutes, then shook her head regretfully. "I spend so much time in the back, it's hard for me to see anyone coming or going. By the time I left Friday, the Annex was virtually deserted. Most of the other offices were already closed. I'm afraid the only person I saw going into Dr. O'Roarke's office was Mrs. O'Roarke." Two heads came up at once. Hutch sat forward. "You saw Leia O'Roarke go into her husband's office?" Rosemary Howell shook her head. "No, no, it was Dr. O'Roarke's mother, Katherine. I remember because it was so unusual to see her away from her house. I think it was the first time I'd seen her in months, aside from her usual appointments." "Wait a minute. Do you mean that Dr. O'Roarke was her personal doctor? Isn't that a little unusual?" "It's always been rumored that she wouldn't let anyone else touch her after her husband's death. This is only my opinion, but I think it had something to do with her arthritis. I just don't think it was as serious as she let on. I've seen her a few times, when she didn't know anyone was around, and she seemed awfully spry to me." Starsky squeezed her hand and stood up. "Thank-you, Nurse. You've been very helpful. We'll let you get back to work now." "You're welcome, Detective. Sergeant Hutchinson, don't forget your appointment with Dr. Clayton Friday. I know how busy you are, but it's important that you be here." Hutch nodded. "I know, Mrs. Howell. I won't forget, I promise." They walked back to the Torino. Starsky laid his hand on his friend's arm. "You OK, buddy?" Hutch smiled. "Yeah, I'm OK. Come on, let's go see what the other Mrs. O'Roarke has to say." |
| For the second time that day, Starsky drove up the circled drive and parked. When they knocked on the door, Toby let them in without saying a word. Hutch looked steadily at him. "We need to talk to Katherine. First, though, I want to talk to you, in private. Is there somewhere we can go?" Toby glared at the blonde, but led them into a nearby room. He turned to them, scowling. "I'm busy. What do you want?" Hutch picked up a nearby photo and turned it around for Toby to see. "You grew up in this house, didn't you Toby?" "Yeah, so what?" Hutch put the photo down and grabbed Toby by his lapels. Shocked by the sudden movement, Toby staggered back against the wall. "Now, look! I am sick of your attitude! We are investigating a homicide, and unless you start cooperating, you're going to find yourself on the wrong end of an arrest warrant. Do you understand me, punk?" "I didn't do anything wrong. You can't arrest me for doing my job." Starsky came up beside his partner. "We can if you stop us from doing ours. Now, let's start over, shall we? You grew up here, didn't you?" "Yeah, I did. My dad worked for the O'Roarkes, then when he retired, I took over." "So, you are really loyal to Katherine O'Roarke. I can understand that. But you don't have much use for Leia, do you?" "I don't think she should stay here, now that Dr. Sam is gone. She used him for his money, and now he's dead. It's time for her gravy train to end." Hutch stepped back and nodded thoughtfully. "Is this the way you feel? Or, is it the way Katherine feels? Did you ever take the time to get to know the lady? Or, did you let your loyalty to Katherine color your feelings for Leia?" "So, I'm loyal to Katherine. She's done a lot for my family. When we had to put my mom in a nursing home, she paid for the best one. She knew we couldn't afford it, and she knew how bad the county homes are. Then she was kind of like my own mother. She's never treated me like I was just a servant. No matter what anyone says, she's a great lady. I'd do anything for her." Starsky asked softly, "Does that include lying?" Toby scuffed the carpet with his shoe. "I don't know what you mean." "Where was Katherine the night her son was murdered?" "I told you, she doesn't get out much. Her arthritis is too bad." Starsky kept his voice level. "Toby, we know that she was at his office the night he was killed. Be careful of what you say. If you lie to us, you could be charged as an accessory to murder." Toby'd head snapped up. "NO! I didn't know--" He stopped, with a trapped look in his eyes. "You didn't know what, Toby?" All the fight went out of the tall, young man. He sat down hard on the sofa, and put his head in his hands. "She said she just wanted to talk to him. I heard them that morning, before he left for the office. They had a terrible fight. That afternoon, she told me to bring the car around. She said she wanted to apologize to him for the things she'd said. I didn't know he was dead until Mrs. Reineike called. Honest, I didn't!" Hutch spoke quietly. "What was the fight about, Toby? Was it his affairs?" "Yeah. Everybody knew about them, so I was really surprised when I heard them fighting about it. I thought maybe Lady Katherine wanted Sam to kick Leia out of the house, so I moved closer to the door so I could hear better. Leia's not so bad, I guess. She really has guts, you gotta give her that. She's got a mother-in-law that can't stand the sight of her and a husband that runs around on her, but she still keeps her chin up. I never understood why Katherine didn't like her, when it was Sam that was acting like an animal." "So, what did you hear?" "They weren't arguing about Leia at all. Sam was apologizing over and over for something. It didn't make any sense, though. He just kept saying that he thought he'd done what Katherine wanted. He didn't understand why she was so angry. She told him that he'd disgraced the family name, and to get out of her sight. He was practically begging her to listen, but she wouldn't. Finally, he left. Lady Katherine stayed in her room all day, until she had me bring the car around." "What time was that?" "About 5:00. I drove her to his office, and she told me to stay in the car. She wasn't gone long. When she came back, she just told me to take her home. I thought she was quiet because of the fight they had. She always hated fighting with Sam. He was her baby boy, and all she had left after Mr. O'Roarke died." Hutch looked around. "Are there any guns in the house, Toby?" "Mr. O'Roarke was a collector. There's a cabinet in the main study with all the guns in it. We keep it locked, because some of them are valuable, but there aren't any kids running around." "Would you show it to us?" "Yeah, I guess. I can't believe what you're thinking is true. Lady Katherine wouldn't do something like that. She wouldn't!" Starsky almost felt sorry for the guy. "I'm sorry, Toby. Show us the cabinet. You've come to far to stop now." They weren't surprised to see the empty space in the cabinet. Starsky turned to the young servant. "Which piece is missing, Toby? Is it a .25 caliber hand gun?" Toby hung his head. "Yeah." Starsky laid his hand on Toby's shoulder. "We need to go talk to her now. I want you to go to the kitchen and wait. Don't touch anything, and don't call anybody. You can't help her anymore, Toby. Nobody can." |
| Starsky looked at his partner. Hutch simply shook his head. Neither one was looking forward to what they had to do. Although Samuel O'Roarke had been a great doctor, he had ruined as many lives as he had saved with his lies and deceit. It was impossible to feel good about arresting an elderly mother for killing her son, but it was their job. They quietly climbed the stairs for the last time. Starsky took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Katherine O'Roarke's voice came from inside her room. "I'm resting, Tobias, and I don't want to be disturbed." Starsky cleared his throat. "It's not Toby, Mrs. O'Roarke, it's Detective's Starsky and Hutchinson. We need to talk to you, now." They heard movements inside the room, and then Katherine opened the door. She didn't try to hide her frown. "I'm very tired, Detectives. Can't this wait?" Hutch shook his head. "No, ma'am, it can't. We've recieved some very important information about your son's case and we need to discuss it with you." She sighed. "Very well, come in." They followed her into the sitting room and waited for her to sit down. Hutch hesitated for a minute, unsure of where to begin. Finally, he asked, "Mrs. O'Roarke, where were you the night your son was murdered?" "I've already gone over that. I was here, in this room. I don't get out much. My arthritis keeps me from leaving the house a lot." "That's very interesting. You see, we have a witness that saw you go into your son's office the night he was shot. We just talked to Toby. He's admitted driving you there and waiting in the car for you to come out. He also told us about the fight you had with your son that morning. Would you like to start over? Where were you the night your son was shot?" "Your witness is obviously mistaken. And Toby drives me everywhere. It's not surprising that he gets confused on which days I go out. I've been to my son's office several times. However, on that night, I was at home." Starsky pulled another chair close to hers and sat down. He kept his voice gentle. "Mrs. O'Roarke, we know about the affairs your son had. It was probably the worst kept secret in town. We know about the fight, and we know there is a gun missing from the cabinet downstairs. Toby said it was a .25 caliber hand gun, and that's the same type of weapon that killed your son. Now, we can get a search warrant, and go over this house, but do you really want us to do that? Wouldn't it be easier if you just told us what happened?" Katherine O'Roarke gazed back at him, then shrugged. She stood up and moved around the room, without her cane. Hutch's eyes narrowed. "Your arthritis seems much better today, Mrs. O'Roarke." When Katherine turned around, she was a changed woman. The light of madness shone clearly in her eyes. "A harmless ruse to hold onto a worthless son. As long as I played the frail, elderly mother, he would never consider exiling me from my own home. Samuel was always a headstrong young man, but after he met that woman, I lost all control over him. He had absolutely no regard for the family's reputation, or our status in the community. To him, being a good doctor was a game. He took care of those people, then laughed at them behind their backs. Dedicated? My son never knew what the word meant. He used his practice, and his marriage, to keep up appearances. All the while he was cavorting in the playground that he had created. If Leia had been able to give him children, things might have turned out differently. I begged him not to marry that woman, even before I knew she was barren. I suppose when I first found out that he was unfaithful to her, I should have taken matters into my own hands. To be honest, I didn't think she would tolerate his affairs. I thought she would sue for divorce. I was ready to surrender to any demands she had, even if it meant defying the church. It would have been worth it to get rid of her. Unfortunately, Leia was far too smart for that. She knew that someday, I would be gone, and she would have full power over this household. Sam was too busy playing to care about it." Hutch shook his head to clear it. The abrupt change in the matriarch had stunned him. He found his voice again. "What did you fight about that night? You already knew about his affairs." "Yes, I knew about them, but Sam had always been discreet before. Now, he was becoming careless. He was seen with many different women, and they were all patients of his. I had warned him several times, but he laughed in my face. That isn't important. We weren't fighting about his affairs in general. It was his latest indiscretion that we were fighting about." "I don't understand. What was so different about his latest one?" "Because this time he got the woman pregnant! Then, he had the gall to tell me that the bastard child she was carrying was going to be his heir. He thought I would be happy about it. Happy?! Why should I be happy about an illegitimate child? I told him that I would die before I saw that child inherit a dime, or him, for that matter. I told Samuel that I was going to see our lawyer that afternoon and disinherit him completely. He begged me not to, and offered to pay for the woman to have an abortion." Starsky rubbed his face and looked over at Hutch. The blonde just shook his head again. The message was plain: he didn't understand any of this. Starsky had to ask what was on his mind. "I don't get you. If you had the power to do that, why did you kill your son? It would have hurt him a lot more if you'd cut him out of your will." "You make me sound like a cold-blooded monster, Detective Starsky. I didn't plan to kill Samuel, not right then, anyway. I thought about all the affairs he'd had, and started wondering if there were more illegitimate children running around with his genes. For over thirty years, I endured a loveless marriage. I raised a son that was rebellious and headstrong. I endured his marriage to that piece of trash, despite my objections. But I WILL NOT tolerate having our reputation destroyed by his weaknesses. If I had disinherited him, the scandal would have been devastating. I thought I was being careful that night. I also thought Tobias would remain loyal to me and keep quiet. I guess I was wrong, on all counts." Hutch's jaw dropped. "You didn't want a scandal, so you killed him instead? What do you think people will say when you go to prison?" She laughed, sending a chill down their spines. "Prison? I'm an old woman, Detective Hutchinson and I have lots of money. I have a team of attorneys that will walk into any courtroom and say that Samuel's infidelities pushed me over the edge into insanity. They will point out my infirmities, and convice any judge that I am not a threat to anyone else. I doubt seriously if I'll spend little, if any, time in prison." That was all Starsky could take. He stood up, and brought out his handcuffs. "You know, I was actually feeling bad about coming in here to arrest you, but that's all changed now. Lady, you are nuttier than a fruit cake. I don't care how much money you have, or how old you are. You committed pre-meditated murder, which you've just confessed to. It doesn't matter how many lawyer's you have, either. By the time we get done testifying, they're not going to be able to get you out of a paper bag." He walked around behind her, put the handcuffs on her wrists and recited from memory. "You have the right to remain silent..." |
| Ken Hutchinson stood in front of the bathroom mirror and contemplated his reflection. He would find out the results of the test today. A small part of him didn't want to know. He wanted to bask in the shelter of ignorance. He wasn't that old, for God's sake! He'd been well aware of his own mortality for a long time, but never thought of dying this way. A knock on the door brought him out of his funk. "Hey, Hutch! Get a move on, will ya? It's almost time to go." "Hold your horses, Starsk. I'll be out in a minute." He slipped into his trousers and opened the door. Starsky accepted the ointment and the bandages, and put on a clean dressing on the incision. He put on his most cheerful attitude. "Well, last time for this, right, partner?" "Yeah. Today, the stitches come out, and we can throw that stuff away." Starsky looked at his friend. "Are you ready?" Hutch took a deep breath. "Yeah, let's go." However, when they pulled up to the Doctor's Annex, Hutch didn't get out of the car. Starsky stopped at the front of the Torino, then went around to the passenger side. "Hutch, come on. What are you waiting for?" The car door was open, but the blonde didn't get out. He looked up at Starsky. "I can't move, Starsk." Starsky kneeled down beside him. "What's wrong, buddy?" "I'm scared, Starsk. What if it is cancer? There, I said it. What am I going to do?" "The same thing we've always done: deal with it. Let's go see what the doctor has to say, then we'll take it from there. OK?" The curly haired detective held out his hand. Hutch took it, and grasped it tightly. He closed his eyes briefly, then nodded. "OK, buddy. Let's go." They walked into the Doctor's Annex and paused briefly at the vacant office across from Dr. Clayton's. Hutch shook his head regretfully. "It's a damned shame, isn't it? Everyone said he was a great doctor. They put their trust in him, and he betrayed that trust. Nobody won on this one, Starsk. Leia O'Roarke may have inherited her husband's estate, but she wasted over twenty years in a mockery of a marriage." "What's the moral of the story, Hutch? Money doesn't buy happiness? Or, never judge a book by it's cover?" "It doesn't matter, Starsky. The end result is the same. A man is dead, and his killer is in jail. In a few months, what happened will be a dim memory for most people. A new doctor will move into this office and life will go on." Starsky nodded. "It's sad, isn't it? What a waste. Well, come on, Blintz. It's time. Let's go face the music." "OK. Uh, Starsky, this time you're coming in, right?" Starsky smiled. "They ain't gonna keep me out, buddy." Ten minutes later, they were sitting in Dr. Clayton's office. Nurse Howell had removed the bandage and the stitches, then ushered them into the private office. Dr. Clayton came in a few minutes later. "Well, Ken, Nurse Howell said the incision looks good. There's no sign of infection, just a small scar. It's gratifying to know that you followed my instructions. Now, I'm sure you're anxious to hear the test results. They came in this morning." Hutch ran his fingers through his hair. He tried to laugh. "I'm not sure I want to know, Doc, but go on. Spill it." "Well, there were some suspicious cells in the section we tested, but there was no cancer. Now, before you start feeling guilty for coming in here, let me finish. The results were good, this time. However, if you had waited a year, or even six months, the outcome may not have been so optimistic. Because you acted quickly, we caught the problem before it became serious. I know that sounds like a lot of medical mumbo-jumbo, but it isn't. Skin cancer can be life threatening. You are the best judge of your body. You know when something isn't right. You noticed the appearance of the mole had changed, and you did something about it. Please don't feel like you've wasted my time, or yours. On the contrary, you did exactly what you should have done." Hutch let out the breath he'd been holding. He looked over at his best friend. Starsky clapped him on the back. "See, I told ya it would be OK. Aren't you glad you came in, instead of sitting in my car?" Hutch laughed out loud. "Yeah, buddy, I am." The three men stood up, and shook hands. Dr. Clayton escorted them out of his office. "Now, I'll see you in a year, for your annual exam, Ken. And that goes for you, too, David. I know you've seen enough doctors to last you a lifetime, but a yearly exam is for your benefit. I know you both are busy, but please take the time to come in. It doesn't take that long, and it could save a lot of pain and misery." Starsky gave that 1000 watt smile. "You've made a believer out of me, Doc. We'll be here, promise." They walked out of the office and into the sunlight. They stood in front of the Torino, grinning at each other. Starsky clapped his partner on the back again. "Come on, Blintz, let's go celebrate!" |
| ********************************************************************************************************************************************** Hutch stood in his front room and glared at his partner. "Starsky, I am not wearing this get up!" Starsky tried to cajole his friend. "Now, Hutch, you already had one scare. I'm just trying to keep you safe. You said you wanted to go fishin', didn't ya? In case you haven't noticed, it's really sunny outside. You don't want a sunburn, do ya?" Hutch looked down at himself. He was wearing tan pants, and a cream colored shirt, which he didn't mind. What he did mind was the pair of white cotton gloves which covered his hands and the floppy white hat Starsky had stuck on his head. Starsky slipped the sunglasses on his friend, then jumped back out of reach. He studied the blonde carefully. "There! Now, you're covered. No sunburns for you, buddy. Are you ready to go? The fish are waitin'." "Go? I can't MOVE, Starsky. How am I supposed to fish with these gloves on?" Starsky grinned. "Don't worry, I'll help ya. Oh, wait a minute, I forgot something." He rummaged in his fishing vest and pulled out a small tube. He squeeze out a small amount of white goo and put it on the blonde's nose. "Voila! NOW, you're ready." He grabbed the door and ran out before Hutch could catch him. The End |
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