Transitions Continued

Chapter 5

Micki noticed the dark sedan parked halfway down the street as she got into her own car. She sat there for a minute, thinking about what she had told Hutch. The shame she had felt turned into anger. Pounding on the steering wheel with both hands, she swore out loud.

“Damn you, Danny! I hate you for what you’re making me do. I’ll get you, I promise. If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll get you. I swear I will.”

Blinking through the tears, she slammed the car into drive and squealed away. She let the sedan follow her home, not even trying to lose them. As she turned onto her street, she straightened slightly. Several cars were parked in front of the house. Aside from an occasional visit from Stick, it was unusual for Danny to bring visitors home. As she got closer, she noticed that most of the cars were rentals. Micki was very interested in to whom those cars belonged. She pulled the car into the driveway, then checked herself in the mirror. Swiping her hand across her face, she dried her tears. Taking a deep breath, she went into the house.

The noise assaulted her as she walked into the living room. Almost a dozen men were milling around, talking and smoking. She barely heard Danny as he called out to her. He caught up with her as she started up the stairs.

“I’m glad you’re home, baby-cakes. The boys have been dying to meet you. What’s wrong with your eyes? Have you been crying?”

“No, Danny, it’s just the smoke. I’m sorry I was gone for so long. If I’d known we were going to have company, I would have been back earlier.”

“No sweat, babe. You’re here now. Go on upstairs and make yourself presentable, then come and meet the guys. Maybe you can whip something up for them to munch on, too. They’ve had a long trip.”

“Sure, Danny, I’ll be right down. I’d love to meet your friends.”

Micki went into the bathroom, stripping off her clothes as she went. It only took a minute to touch up her make-up, then she went to her closet. The white blouse and black pants looked almost prim on the hanger, but she nodded to herself as she dressed. The outfit showed every curve she had. That should put their attention where she wanted it. As she started down the stairs, she grinned at the woman in the mirror. Yep, Micki was back.

The next morning, Hutch stood with Starsky and Tracy as they waited for Micki. Worried about what her emotional condition would be, he paced back and forth in the hall until she got there. Again, she surprised him.

“Hi, guys! What’s up?”

Hutch looked at the others, then at Micki. “Nothing. Are you OK?”

“I’m great. What’s everybody doing standing in the hallway? Come on, I want to talk to Dobey. I’ve got some news.”

Tracy stopped her. “Benton’s in there.”

“Good. I want to talk to him, too. What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

She grabbed Hutch’s hand and pulled him along. Baffled by the change in her, he shrugged at the others and allowed her to tow him to Dobey’s office. Once inside, the four detectives sat down in front of Dobey’s desk. Micki waited until Hutch sat down, then plopped herself in his lap, resting her arm nonchalantly on the back of his chair. She started talking as soon as everybody was seated.

“You’ll never guess what happened after I got home last night. I had company waiting for me. Danny had visitors from out of town.”

Benton had noticed the way Micki was acting with Hutch, but let it go. Concentrating on what she had said, he only asked, “Company from where?”

“Nobody said specifically, but from what I overheard, New Jersey. Here, I got a list of names. I wrote all the last names down that I heard, but mostly I was introduced by their first names. I put down any nicknames that I heard, too.” She handed the list to Benton, who passed it around to the others.

Hutch looked at the list. “I recognize some of these. They work for DiConti, all right.”

Benton turned back to Micki. “Did they say what brought them here?”

“Apparently, there’s some sort of crisis in the family.”

“Do you have any idea what it is?”

“Well, since Danny made sure they all knew I was a cop, all I got was a bit here and there. From what I understood, somebody’s been putting his hand in DiConti’s till.”

Starsky cleared his throat. “Somebody’s stealing from the big man himself? Now, who would be that dumb?”

“This is only my impression, but if I had to guess, I’d say it was Richie Sarpedo. He’s one of Danny’s old enforcers from his protection racket. He was wearing a four hundred-dollar silk suit, and two hundred dollar shoes. I know DiConti isn’t paying him that well. His IQ isn’t much bigger than his shoe size, but my money’s on him.”

“What’s DiConti planning to do about it?”

“They’re going to have a summit meeting, at the club.”

“When?” Benton asked.

“It’s set for the day after tomorrow.”

“That doesn’t give us much time. I wish we could figure a way to get you in on it.”

Micki grinned. “We’re already invited. Danny wants the band to provide the entertainment for his little get together.”

“Good. Now if we could get Starsky and Hutch in to back you up...” Dobey thought out loud.

“They’re in, too. I let it drop that David and Tracy had a thing going, so Danny invited him. Since Hutch is David’s partner, the more the merrier.”

Benton was suspicious. “That’s really stupid. Why fill the place with cops if he’s having a meeting?”

“It’s really smart when you think about it. Who’s going to suspect an organized crime summit with cops sitting a few tables away? This way, it will look like a few old buddies getting together to talk over old times.”

“I still don’t like it. It sounds like a set-up to me.”

“It is a set-up, Benton. Only, it’s a set-up for Richie. He’s not going to suspect anything if this looks like a big party. Danny’s hoping he can pour enough booze into him that he’ll spill his guts. From what I saw at the house last night, Danny’s right. Richie’s fairly streetwise as long as he’s sober, but the more he drinks, the more he talks. Give him all the booze he wants, plus entertainment, and he’ll hang himself without even realizing it.”

“How are we going to get close enough to know what’s happening? You won’t be able to hear anything if you’re on stage. I wish we could get a wire in there, but I don’t see how.”

Micki’s grin was wicked. “Well, we could plant one right next to Danny’s bug.”

Hutch blinked. “Carruthers is bugging his own party? Now that’s rich. How do you know that, Mick?”

“Believe it or not, Stick’s one weakness is food; greasy food at that. Since I happen to know that he loves smoked sausages, I put a few on crackers and walked in his direction. He called me over to him in time for me to catch the end of the conversation. Danny wants Richie to admit that he’s been dipping his hands into the cookie jar, and he wants it on tape for

DiConti. So he’s going to plant a bug in the flowers on their table so it will pick up their conversation. It’ll have to be close so they can be heard over the music and the other background noise. I bet if Tracy and I think hard enough, we can figure out a way to get one of our own next to Danny’s.”

“OK, I’ll go along with you, but be careful. We don’t want to foul this up, not when we’re so close. If this is what you think it is, we could bring a lot of DiConti’s men down with Carruthers. We might even cripple DiConti’s whole organization.”

“Don’t worry, Benton. I want Danny as much as you do. Come on, Tracy, we’ve got a show to plan. We’ll be in touch.”

Micki bounded out of the room with Tracy right behind her, talking as they went.

Hutch turned to the Captain. “Well, this sounds like a good time to try out our new computers. We’ll access the database and see if we can’t get some information on these names. Maybe we can bust this arm up before it gets into place.”

“Good. The more information we have, the better. If we bring down DiConti, even partially, the Commissioner is going to love us. That’s not bad for our first case. Benton, we’ll set things up with you as soon as we hear from Micki.”

Starsky and Hutch divided the list of names Micki had compiled, and sat down at their computers. As the files started to come up on the screen, Hutch realized that he recognized some of the names for a reason. He and Starsky had busted some of them for different crimes. Apparently, they were trying to move up in the underworld by working for the family. Hutch was concentrating on the files and didn’t notice Benton until he turned around.

“Is there something I can do for you, Benton?”

“Not really. I noticed that you and Micki seemed to be pretty close, that’s all.”

Hutch walked over to Benton. “I don’t think that’s any of your business. Why do you ask?”

“Micki’s a good cop. We were really lucky that she was the one who could get close to Carruthers.”

“Yeah, I bet you were tickled pink when she volunteered to do your dirty work for you.”

“She didn’t volunteer, Hutchinson. We asked her to go under cover for us. So far, she’s done a good job. We never would have been able to get this much on Carruthers if it weren’t for her. I’d hate for anything to get in her way when we’re getting so close.”

“Meaning me.”

“Look, Hutchinson, what you and Micki do is your own business. All I’m asking is that you put it on hold until this case is closed. Keep your distance until Carruthers is behind bars. We’ve come too far to have this case jeopardized by personal feelings.”

Hutch took a step toward Benton. “No one is jeopardizing your case, Benton. Life is just one case after another to you, isn’t it? You could care less about the people involved, as long as you have another star on your record. You’ve used people like Micki before to get what you want. I didn’t know Micki six months ago. I couldn’t keep her from going into this mess, but I’m going to make damn sure she comes out of this as whole as possible. If you don’t like it, that’s too damn bad.”

Benton turned away, then turned back. “Stay out of it, Hutchinson. If you louse this up, I’ll squash you and this task force like a bug. That’s a promise.”

Tommy Carruthers went all out for his “little get together”. He decorated his club with streamers and balloons, and replaced the normal dim lighting with festive hanging lamps and candles on each table. He handpicked his guests himself to make sure that Richie Sarpedo was completely at ease. An unlimited supply of his best champagne was flowing at each table, especially at his own. Carruthers proclaimed loudly to anyone who would listen that nothing was too good for his old buddies from home. By the time the party was well underway, Richie was talking to anyone who came near him. Tommy Carruthers smiled to himself and let Richie talk.

After slipping out unnoticed to check on the surveillance van parked down the street, Hutch went in the rear entrance and back to Micki’s dressing room. He listened to make sure she was alone, then went inside.

“Ken, what are you doing? If Danny sees you in here, he’ll know something’s going on between us.”

“He’s too busy pouring booze down Sarpedo’s throat to notice anything else. Anyway, I only wanted to see you for a minute. I won’t stay long. I checked the van, the bug’s working fine. It’s picking up anything that’s said at Carruthers’ table. How’s things on your end?”

“They couldn’t be better. I’ve got my own agenda for tonight.”

Hutch caught the look in her eyes. “Micki, what are you up to?”

“Nothing. Danny wants us to put on a good show for his friends, and that’s what I intend to do.”

“Micki, don’t do anything foolish. This whole thing is risky enough as it is. Don’t push you’re luck.”

“I never take foolish risks, Ken. You should know me well enough by now to know that.”

“You’re right. I do know you. I mean it, Mick, behave yourself.”

Micki came over to him and put her arms around his neck. She kissed him, then stepped back.

“You worry too much. Everything’s going exactly the way I hoped it would. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the show. I know Danny will.”

She kissed him again, then pushed him out the door. Mystified by her attitude, Hutch joined Starsky at their table. He was still shaking his head when he sat down.

“What’s wrong?” Starsky asked.

“I don’t know. Micki’s up to something. I can feel it.”

Starsky lowered his voice. “Does she have something new on our guest of honor?”

“I don’t think so. She told me she was going to put on quite a show for Carruthers, and I didn’t like the way she said it. Lord only knows what she’s planning to do.”

“Micki’s not stupid, partner. She wouldn’t do anything foolish.”

“That may be true, but Micki’s idea of a foolish risk isn’t always the same as ours. I wish I knew what was going on inside her head.”

“Well, we can’t do anything about it now. It’s almost show time. Maybe you’re worrying about nothing. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

As if on cue, the stage curtain opened and Danny walked out. He waited for the applause to die down, then spoke.

“OK, enough already. Before we start with tonight’s entertainment, I want to thank everybody for coming. I know my little shindig was on short notice, but it’s not every day that I get to show off for my hometown buddies. We’ve got plenty of food and free drinks, so sit back and enjoy. I have a real treat for all of you. My old lady, Micki, has agreed to provide the music for tonight. Now, you all know she’s a cop, but we won’t hold that against her. She’s also got a voice that’ll knock your socks off. So, it’s my pleasure to introduce to you the best little band in town. Ladies and gentlemen, the California Dreamers.”

Hutch tensed as he waited for Micki to begin the first song of the set. Then, he relaxed. There was nothing threatening about the song; it was a simple ballad that showed Micki’s talent as a singer. He exchanged a glance with Starsky. Maybe he had read her wrong. The song ended and the audience applauded briefly as the curtain closed. There was a low murmur as the crowd waited with anticipation for the next song. The room was quiet for a heartbeat, then the music exploded from behind the curtain. As the tempo accelerated, the curtain raised, revealing a folding screen partition. With only her head visible above the screen, Micki began to sing. The song was about a young girl from the wrong side of the tracks who turned to prostitution because of her family’s reputation. When she stepped from behind the screen, Micki was dressed in a bright red sequined gown made of silk, cut low in the front, and split up the side. A feathered boa, high heels and gloves completed her costume. Her dark hair was upswept; held in place by a diamond tiara. The entire costume left nothing to the imagination. The lyrics left nothing to the imagination, either. Micki sang of pimps, and tricks, and her rise to the top of the prostitution world. As a production number, it was visually stunning. In this setting, however, it was the worst possible choice for a song.

The catcalls and whistles coming from Danny’s private table were so loud that the rest of the audience could barely hear Micki singing. Danny’s buddies were stomping their feet and clapping in time with the music. They obviously were enjoying every minute. Danny, however, was noticeably absent.

Hutch scanned the room and found him standing at the bar. One look at his face told Hutch that his instincts were right. Danny was livid. If looks were bullets, Micki would have died on the spot. He turned back to look at Starsky, and knew that he had seen Danny, too. Mercifully, the song ended.

Starsky looked over at Hutch, and shrugged.

“Why?” Hutch asked. “Please tell me why she did that?”

“Who knows? Well, let’s try not to make too much out of it. It was just a song, after all.”

“Are you kidding, Starsky? Look at Carruthers. He looks like he’s already got his hands around her throat. I don’t know what she was thinking, but it’s really going to hit the fan this time.”

“Well, there’s nothing we can do about it now. We’ll just have to wait to see what happens. We’d better get back to the van and see if the bug picked up anything useful. Tracy said she’d meet us at her apartment after the show. Maybe Micki can get away from Carruthers and come, too. We’ll have a better chance of talking to her there.”

“Oh, I definitely want to talk to her. I can’t wait to see how she explains this one.”

They casually walked out the front door, then went around the back to the van. After securing the tape, they drove to Tracy’s apartment.

After changing her clothes, Micki left the club and went back to Danny’s house. She saw his car in the driveway and braced herself for the explosion she knew was coming. Danny was waiting for her in the living room, a drink in his hand.

Going over to the bar, she made one for herself. Unable to resist, she turned the knife.

“Your friends seemed to enjoy the show. I thought they’d like it.”

“Oh, yeah, they enjoyed it all right. They thought it was a real kick.”

Suddenly, his glass went flying across the room. A slightly raised eyebrow was Micki’s only reaction.

“You really thought you were hot stuff, didn’t you baby-cakes? You couldn’t pass up the chance to make me look bad in front of my friends. I can’t believe you’d do that to me. I mean, you’re my old lady! There you were, dressed like a two-bit hooker and parading around on stage. You made me look like a fool, Micki!”

“Oh, come on, Danny. You’re making this into a big deal. It was just a song. Nobody thought anything about it.”

“Bull! You humiliated me in my own club! If I’d wanted to give them a peep show, I’d have hired some real strippers, not my woman.”

“That probably would have been more their speed, wouldn’t it? I picked that number just for them. You really have some classy friends, Danny.”

He crossed the room in one long stride and backhanded her in the same motion. Her glass flew out of her hand and she rocked back from the blow. Micki’s eyes narrowed as she wiped away the blood with the back of her hand.

“That’s it, Danny. I’m not one of your cheap little tramps. If you think I’m going to stand here and let you knock me around, think again.”

“Bitch! I’ll teach you who’s boss. I ain’t even started good yet.”

He advanced on her with his fists clenched. Defiantly, Micki stood her ground.

Tracy waited in her dressing room until the club was empty. She made sure she was alone, then went to Danny’s private table and removed the transmitter she had planted earlier. She slipped it into her purse, and hurried out the door.

Hutch met her at her apartment door. “Have you talked to Micki?”

“We only talked for a few minutes, Ken. I told her where we would be. I didn’t want to say anything else while everyone was hanging around. She said she’d be here as soon as possible.”

“What in Hell was she thinking? Of all the numbers she could have done, why that one?”

“I don’t know. I tried to get her to sing something else, but she was determined. You know how Micki is. Once she makes up her mind, you can’t change it.”

“Look,” Starsky said, “all this second-guessing isn’t doing us any good. Let’s just see what’s on the tape, then maybe Micki can explain things when she gets here.”

“She’d better have a damn good explanation, too. When Benton finds out what she did, he’s going to hit the roof.”

“Well, it’s too late to change things now. Go on, David, play the tape.”

The three detectives sat down to listen. Predictably, the first few minutes on the tape were useless. Most of the conversation was spent on getting reacquainted. Finally, they heard something of interest.

“So, Richie, how’s the business been doing lately? Is Karl a good boss?”

“Yeah, he’s OK, Tommy. Of course, he’s not as good as you, but we get along OK. Business is really booming. You ought to see the new joints that have opened since you left. We’re really raking it in these days. Say, if you want a piece of the action, Tommy, I’ll be glad to give you a cut.”

“Na, I wouldn’t want to horn in on Karl’s territory, Richie. That wouldn’t be kosher.”

There was a rustle, then they could hear Richie whispering to Carruthers.

“Karl wouldn’t have to know about it, Tommy, and neither would Mr. DiConti.”

“I don’t get you, Richie. You wouldn’t have your own thing going, would you?”

“Yeah, Tommy. How do you think I got these swell threads? You think Karl or DiConti gave them to me? Hell no, they didn’t! They wouldn’t throw me a bone if I was a dog. You know what they call me, Tommy? Richie Stupido, that’s what. They don’t think I got brains enough to pour piss out of a boot. I showed them. I’ve been putting a little back for myself for a long time. I ain’t a bit sorry, either. They don’t treat me good like you used to, Tommy.”

“How are you doing it, Richie? Karl and Mr. DiConti ain’t dumb, either.”

“It’s easy. I just add a little onto Karl’s fees. The stiffs don’t have the balls to ask Karl what he’s getting, so nobody’s the wiser. Since the money I turn in matches the books, Mr. DiConti don’t even know I’m doing it. I’m real careful not to pad it by more than ten or twenty bucks, that way the stiffs don’t go yelling to Karl. I’ve got myself a nice little nest egg built up, I’ll tell you that much.”

“That’s real smart, Richie.”

“Yeah, well I know Karl and Mr. DiConti ain’t going to throw anything extra my way, so I’ve been taking care of myself. You always gotta look after number one, cause nobody else is going to.”

“That’s real good, Richie. Now, let’s sit back and watch the show. I gotta go introduce Micki in a minute. You guys enjoy yourselves.”

The tape picked up the sound of a chair being moved and a few minutes later; Carruthers could be heard on stage.

Starsky sat back. “I guess Richie is as dumb as he looks. If I know the DiConti family, he just signed his own death warrant.”

“We’ll have to start watching Carruthers like hawks. Damn, I wish we could get a wire into that house, or his office. I’d sure like to be a fly on the wall when DiConti hears this tape.”

Tracy was optimistic. “If we’re lucky, he’ll send Danny to take care of Richie, then we’ll have something that will satisfy the Feds. Maybe this whole thing will be over soon.”

“I have a feeling it had better be. I just wish Micki would get here. The way Carruthers was looking at her, SHE might be his next victim.”

As if on cue, the phone rang. Tracy jumped to answer it.

“Hello? Yes, this is Detective Edwards. What? Is she hurt badly? All right, we’ll be there as soon as possible.”

“What’s wrong?” Hutch asked.

“Micki’s in the hospital. Danny beat her up.”

“Good God. Let’s go.” Hutch was already on his way to the door.

The doctor met them at Emergency Room. Tracy introduced herself and the two men.

Hutch asked, “How is she, doctor?”

“Detective Ellis is in good condition. There were no broken bones or internal injuries, just contusions and two bruised ribs. All she needs is a few days rest. However, I was hoping you could talk to her.”

Hutch was puzzled. “Why? If she’s going to be OK, what’s the problem, doctor?”

“My concern isn’t her physical condition, but she’s obviously been beaten. I tried to talk her into pressing charges, but she’s resisting my suggestion. Maybe as a fellow detective, you’ll have better luck.”

Hutch glanced at the others. “I understand your concern, doctor. I know you’re legally bound to report this, but my partner and I can handle that. Micki is on a rather sensitive case at the moment and for reasons we can’t discuss, making this public would endanger her life. I assure you, the person responsible for this won’t get away with it. We just have to move carefully right now.”

“I don’t pretend to understand what’s going on here, but as you wish, Sergeant. I’ll trust you and your partner to take care of this matter. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll get Detective Ellis’ paperwork together so she can be released.”

“You’re not going to keep her, then?” Tracy asked.

“No, there’s really no reason. However, I strongly suggest that she stay away from this person for at least two or three days to give her body time to heal. She is going to be very stiff and sore for at least that long and she doesn’t need any more abuse.”

Tracy nodded. “She can stay with me for a while. She’ll be safe there.”

“I’d like to see her, if I could, doctor.”

“Of course, she’s in cubicle three. I’ll be back shortly with her paperwork.”

Hutch left the others and went to find Micki. She was lying on the examining table and appeared to be sleeping, until she heard him. She stirred and opened her eyes as he came over to her.

“Hi. Did the hospital call you? I told them not to bother you. I’m OK.”

“I’m glad they called. You were lucky, Micki. I’m surprised he didn’t kill you.”

“He’s not that stupid. He can’t risk the exposure right now.”

Hutch sat down beside her. “This has gone on long enough, Mick. I think you should pull out.”

She sat up slowly and turned to him. “I can’t pull out now. You know that, Ken. We’re getting too close.”

“I don’t want you going back there. You’re not the only one working on this. Let someone else take the heat for a change.”

“There isn’t anybody else! If I pull out now, it’ll take months to get someone else inside, and by that time, Danny will be long gone. Please try to understand. I have to do this.”

“I do understand, but your luck is bound to run out sooner or later. Is putting him away worth your life?”

“Nothing is going to happen to me, Ken.” She took his hand. “You know, when I was a little girl, I used to get scared sometimes at night. My dad would come in and I’d tell him there were monsters under my bed. He’d turn on the lights and make a big show of looking under my bed just to make me feel better. He’d tell me that it was my imagination, that there was no such thing as monsters. Then I met Danny. He murdered those girls, and there’s no telling how many more he’s turned onto drugs or forced into prostitution. He takes these small businesses and squeezes them until they die. My dad was wrong. Danny’s the monster hiding under everybody’s bed. I have the power to put him away, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Hutch squeezed her hands gently. “I know how you feel, but what about us? We haven’t had any time to talk, or get to know each other. I don’t want to lose you before we even get that chance.”

She smiled tenderly and touched his cheek. “You’re not going to lose me. You’re probably going to be stuck with me for a long, long time. We’ll have our chance to talk, I promise, but I have to finish this case. I can’t go on with my life until Danny is behind bars.”

Hutch kissed her bruised lips. “OK, but if you’re going through with this, it’s going to be on my terms. Got it?”

She grinned at him, saying nothing. There was a rustle at the curtain, and the doctor came in, followed by Starsky and Tracy.

“I have you’re papers ready, Detective. You can go home now. Here are your medications. I want you to take one as soon as you get home, and then one every six hours for pain. I don’t want you to return to duty for at least two days, understand?”

“Yes, doctor. Thanks.”

The trip to Tracy’s apartment was uneventful. Once Micki settled into her old bedroom, Hutch asked the question that was on everybody’s mind.

“Micki, why did you do it? You had to know what he would do.”

“Of course I knew, but I had to. Danny thinks of women as property. He does what he wants with them, and throws them away when he’s tired of playing. What’s worse, he thinks I’m nothing but a dumb cop. He’s running the family business right under my nose and he thinks I’m too stupid to see it. I couldn’t take that anymore. I had to let him see me, if only for a little while. I’m not dumb and I’m not his plaything, either. I just wanted to show him that.”

“I can see where you’re coming from, Mick. I don’t agree with your timing, but I know how hard this case has been for you. I only hope Benton can see it, too.”

“You know at this point, I really don’t care. As long as you understand, that’s all that matters.”

He took her in his arms, mindful of her bruised ribs, and let her head rest on his shoulder. “I think I’m finally beginning to understand. I’m sorry, Mick. I never meant to put you down. I was afraid for you, but didn’t know how to say that. So, I shot off at the mouth instead.”

“Tracy tried to tell me that, but I wouldn’t listen. We’ve always had to defend ourselves to everyone, because we’re young and we don’t have a lot of experience. It was a gut reaction when you questioned my methods. I promise that from now on, I’ll explain my reasons to you. You may not agree with my methods, but at least you’ll understand them.”

She started to say something else, but yawned instead. She giggled sleepily.

“I’m sorry. I guess I’m getting tired.”

“It’s the medication. Lie back now and try to sleep. We can talk more tomorrow.”

He waited for her to get comfortable, then tucked the covers around her. Kissing her once more, he left the room and joined the others in the kitchen.

“How is she?” Starsky asked.

“Sore. I finally got her to sleep.”

Tracy poured coffee for all of them. “Boy, Danny must be furious to go after Micki like that. Do you think he’ll guess what she’s been doing?”

“I don’t think so,” Hutch answered. “She made Carruthers so mad that he didn’t even notice us, or the bug you planted. As far as he’s concerned, Micki still has no idea who he really is.”

“Well, Richie didn’t help things by calling Carruthers by his real name in a public place like the club. If he’d had a moment to think, Carruthers might have picked up on that. That tells us what his plans are for Richie, doesn’t it?”

“Obviously, he’s not planning on keeping Richie around for long, or he would have corrected him when he slipped up. That’s the kind of mistake that could land Danny in prison.”

“So, what now?” Starsky looked at Tracy.

“I’ll get this tape to the Captain and Benton in the morning. It’s my guess the Captain will want us to stay close to Danny. If he makes a move on Richie, we’ll be right on his heels.”

She got up and stretched. “It’s been a long night. If you two want to crash here for the night, there’s the couch, and an extra cot in the closet. You can fight over who gets what.”

Starsky yawned. “There won’t be a fight. Hutch can have the couch. His long legs would hang off a cot.”

Hutch put the cups in the sink. “Suit yourself, Starsk. At this point, I could sleep on the floor. Goodnight, everybody.”

Hutch stretched out on the couch and tried to sleep. He’d barely drifted off when he heard a cry from the bedroom.

“Danny, no!”

Instantly, he was beside Micki. “Mick, it’s OK. You were dreaming.”

“It was horrible. I was in a room. There was a girl in the room, and I thought at first it was me, but it wasn’t. Danny had his hands around her throat, and he was choking her. I tried to stop him, but I couldn’t move. All I could do was watch.” She shuddered and looked up at him. “I have to stop him, Ken. I can’t let him hurt anybody else.”

He held her close. “We’ll stop him, Mick. I promise. Now, try to go back to sleep.”

“Would you stay, please, and hold me? I don’t want to be alone.”

He lay down beside her and held her against him. She was quiet for a moment, then smiled at him.

“Do you have any idea how safe you make me feel?”

“I’ll always keep you safe, Micki, if you’ll let me. Now, hush.”

Hutch had been awake for a while when he felt Micki stirring beside him. She smiled sleepily.

“Mmm...morning.”

“Good morning to you, too. How do you feel?”

She stretched experimentally. “I think even my aches are aching. That’s something they don’t tell you in the movies, isn’t it? Fights look so exciting on screen, but they don’t tell you how much it hurts in real life.”

“The moral is: don’t fight.”

“OK, I get the point. Umm, I smell coffee.”

“I think I heard Starsky and Tracy a while ago. Feel like joining the party?”

“I think so. Help me up.”

Leaning heavily on him, she managed to make it into the kitchen. Tracy and Starsky looked up as they walked through the door.

“Micki, what are you doing out of bed? Here, sit down, the both of you. I’ll get you some coffee.”

Tracy sat two steaming mugs in front of them. “You look like Hell.”

Micki smiled sweetly and said to Hutch. “Isn’t she supportive? I have such a caring partner.”

“Do you feel as bad as you look? Why don’t you take another one of those pills the doctor gave you?”

“No, I don’t want to sleep all day. Do we have any aspirin?”

Tracy nodded. “Sit still, I’ll get them for you.”

“Thanks, partner.”

“Don’t mention it. If you get up, you’ll probably fall flat on your face, and I don’t feel like picking you up off the floor.”

Micki smiled that sweet smile again. “Well, at least you could pick ME up.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault that I grew up and you didn’t.”

Unable to contain themselves any longer, the two women started laughing. Micki held her side.

“Stop it, Tracy. It hurts when I laugh!” That only made the two laugh harder. Starsky and Hutch grinned at each other and shook their heads.

“OK, that’s enough, you two. Micki, you’re supposed to be taking it easy, remember?”

Micki’s expression sobered. “Yeah, I remember.”

Hutch kissed her cheek. “I’m sorry to bring this up, but what’s Carruthers going to think about you staying away for so long?”

“He knows where I am, you can bet on that. He won’t think anything about it, as long as he knows I’m with Tracy.”

“What’s he going to do when you go back?”

“Danny has the typical mobster mentality. As far as he’s concerned, I got out of line and he knocked me back in it. He’ll probably be very doting and treat me like a queen for a while, but that’s all. I’ll call him after while and let him know when I’ll be home.”

Tracy spoke up. “Well, at least you’ll be away from him for a few days. The doctor said to take it easy, and that’s what you’re going to do. When are you going to call him?”

“Soon. I really don’t want to talk to him at all, but if I don’t, he’ll get suspicious. The thought of acting like I’m the one who’s done something wrong turns my stomach, but that’s what he’s going to expect. It’s early, so he’s probably still asleep. I’ll wait a while longer, then I’ll call.”

Tracy turned to Starsky. “In the meantime, we should get this tape over to Dobey, so we can decide what to do next.”

“OK, we’ll meet you at the station later, Hutch.”

Micki put off the call as long as she could, then steeled herself and dialed the number. Careful not to say anything, Hutch sat beside her, lending his support.

“Yeah, talk to me.”

“Danny, it’s me. I wanted to let you know that I’m still at Tracy’s. If it’s OK with you, I’ll probably stay a day or two.”

“Sure, baby-cakes, whatever you want. It works out good, anyway, ‘cause I gotta go out of town for a bit.”

“Is everything OK? The club’s not in trouble, is it?”

“No, no, don’t worry your pretty head about it. I have to go talk to some people, that’s all. I’ll be home before you know it.”

“Well, whatever you think is best.”

“Sure. You OK, baby-cakes? You know, I don’t like knocking you around, but you had it comin’. I’ll make it up to you when I get back.”

“I know, Danny. I’m sorry. I’ll see you then.”

Micki dropped the receiver back on its cradle, then sat motionless. Hutch reached over and pried her fist open. Small lines of blood ran down her hand where her fingernails had cut her palm. Wordlessly, she closed her eyes and lay her head on his shoulder.

Chapter 6

Micki sat quietly as Hutch cleaned and bandaged her hand. She held him tightly for a moment, then straightened her back and raised her head.

“We need to tell Dobey that Danny’s making another trip back east. He’s probably taking the tape to DiConti. Maybe he can put a tail on him while he’s there.”

“I’ll tell him. Tracy thinks DiConti will put the kiss of death on Richie and Carruthers will get the job.”

“That sounds plausible. I guess we’d all better rest up. If Danny does go after Richie, we’ll have to act fast.”

Hutch finally convinced Micki to take the medicine the doctor had given her and lie down, then he headed back to the station. Benton and the others were already in Dobey’s office.

“I still don’t understand why she’d pull a stunt like that. What the Hell was she thinking?”

“Look, Benton,” Tracy said patiently, “it’s over. Rehashing it isn’t going to change things. We still have the tape and we’re almost positive that Danny’s going to go after Richie.”

“You’d better make that positive,” Hutch added, “Micki called Carruthers to check in, and he told her he’s making a trip back to Jersey. Once DiConti hears that tape, Richie’s dead.”

“All right, I’ll get in touch with Jersey Bureau. We’ll see if we can get someone on Carruthers. Meanwhile, I’ll get a copy of the tape to my Section Chief. If we can identify the voices on it, we’ll have a chance of doing some real damage to the DiConti organization. I’ll be in touch.”

Hutch stepped in front of Benton. “Micki’s just fine, thanks for asking.”

“I already did. Tracy told me. I don’t suppose you had anything to do with that little show she put on, did you, Hutchinson?”

“No, but I do understand why she did it. Do you?”

“I know this assignment hasn’t exactly been easy for her.”

“Easy? She’s been living a nightmare, Benton. She’s trapped in that house with a psycho, and sleeping with one eye open. One wrong word, one hint that she’s up to something, and she’s dead. It definitely hasn’t been easy. I think she’s entitled to let off a little steam, don’t you? Or doesn’t that ice water running through your veins let you feel anymore?”

Before Benton could reply, Dobey interrupted. “That’s enough, Hutchinson. While Carruthers is in Jersey, I think we ALL need to relax a bit. Things are starting to come to a head. We’ll have to stay on top of things when Carruthers comes back. Now, if you have no further instructions, Benton, this meeting is over.”

Still glaring at Hutch, Benton said, “No, that’s it for now. I’ll keep you apprised, Captain.”

Tommy Carruthers threw a few things in his suitcase and headed for the airport. The private plane he’d ordered was fueled and waiting for him. He wasn’t stupid enough to risk taking a commercial flight back to his old stomping grounds. The Feds would swoop down on him so fast he wouldn’t have time to blink. This meeting with Mr. DiConti was too important to risk any complications.

The plane landed at a private airstrip a few miles away from his destination. Carruthers headed straight for DiConti’s private club. On the outside, it looked like all the other casinos on the block. However, behind the flashy decor and the rows of slot machines lay a swank suite of offices. Carlo DiConti had grown up poor, and had vowed never to feel the sting of poverty again after his rise to the top. Caviar and the best imported champagne were offered daily for brunch, served on the finest crystal. Unfortunately, the thick, sculptured carpets which covered the casino couldn’t disguise DiConti’s ruthless character. He ruled his family by fear, and anyone who dared go against him didn’t stay around long. Tommy Carruthers knew exactly what his boss would do once he heard the tape he was carrying.

“Tommy boy, welcome home! It’s been too long.”

“Hello, Mr. DiConti, it’s good to see you again.”

“Sit down, Tommy, and tell me how things are going.”

Tommy cleared his throat, then took the plunge. “Well, all in all, things are going pretty much according to plan. We’ve started slow, like you said, but we’re already exploring protection services, plus some discreet gambling establishments. As I told you earlier, I think it’s best to hold off on any narcotics trade, the cops down there are pretty hot on that right now. I believe if we try to buy ourselves a piece of it, we’ll only be making our presence known before we’re ready. In a year or two, once we’re established, we can ease into things. I’ve sent out a few tentative offers to recycle funds, and I’ve already had a few inquiries. I think that will be our best bet, for now at least. The quieter we keep things until we’re firmly seated, the better.”

“Well, it certainly sounds to me like you have things well in hand. Now, tell me, how are things with that fence?”

Carruthers fidgeted. “Well, Mr. DiConti, he turned out to be a real disappointment. He was storing the merchandise in a warehouse on the pier, and practically had a sign out for the cops to see. I think before we can go on with that, we’ll have to do a little more scouting around. I’d personally like to see someone new in charge, someone that we can train personally. I think it would reduce complications substantially.”

“So, you’re telling me he was busted.”

“Uh, yes, sir.”

“Do I need to ask who busted him?”

“Well, Mr. DiConti, it was Micki. Now, don’t get upset. She told me herself that all they got was him. They couldn’t link him with us, and they couldn’t put him together with Ortega. We’re protected, Mr. DiConti, like I told you.”

“That broad of yours is making quite a name for herself, Tommy. As smart as she seems to be, how much longer do you think you can fool her? It seems to me that she’ll wise up, eventually. What are you going to do when that happens?”

“Like I told you before, I’ll do whatever I have to do. She doesn’t know anything about me. I’m not stupid enough to think she won’t ever find out, but I want you to know the family comes first. If I ever see her nosing around where she doesn’t belong, I’ll take care of her. You have my word on that, Mr. DiConti.”

DiConti leaned back in his plush, velour chair. “I have more than your word, Tommy. You’ve accepted responsibility for her. Don’t forget that.”

“I won’t, Mr. DiConti.”

“Good boy, Tommy. Now, on to more important matters. How did things go?”

“Exactly like we expected. I have the tape right here. Richie spilled his guts.”

Grateful for the change of subject, Tommy played the tape. He noticed DiConti settling farther and farther back in his chair, which meant trouble for Richie. By the end of the tape, his boss was icy calm.

“So he thinks he can take advantage of my generosity. I pulled that scum out of the gutter. I gave him an honest living, a chance to move up in the family. I only did it because of his father. Jason Sarpedo was one of the most honorable men I ever knew. If he were alive today, he’d be ashamed of what his son has done to me.”

“I know how you must feel, Mr. DiConti. This whole thing is a black mark on all of us. What do you want to do?”

“You know what has to be done, Tommy. We can’t let this sort of thing go unpunished. We must make an example of Richie. We must send a clear message to everybody. Dishonesty will not be tolerated. I’m counting on you to make this happen, Tommy.”

“Yes, Mr. DiConti. I’ll see to it as soon as I get back.”

“Good. Sarpedo should be here tonight. Why don’t you stay for a few days? I’ll send you back on new business once Richie goes back to work. Then, I’ll find a reason to send Richie to help you. I don’t care if you make it look like an accident, as long as no one finds the body too soon. I want everyone in the family to know that it was punishment for his betrayal, but I don’t want the cops linking him to us. Use your own judgment, Tommy. I want the example, but not the complications. That could jeopardize our expansion.”

“Don’t worry, Mr. DiConti. I’ll take care of it personally. Now, if there’s nothing else, I’ll freshen up, then I’ll visit a few of my old friends while I’m here.”

“Go ahead, Tommy boy, enjoy yourself. You’ll be busy enough shortly.”

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