Chapter 7
Micki’s wounds healed as her doctor said they would and soon her energy returned. She desperately needed the time away from Danny, emotionally as well as physically. For the first time in months, she felt whole. The strain of pretending to be someone she wasn’t disappeared as the pain died. Feeling like her old self again, Micki was restless. She was tired of waiting around for something to happen. She endured the peace and quiet for two nights, but couldn’t stand it any longer. She decided to take matters in her own hand. She surprised Tracy by coming out of her bedroom with an overnight bag in her hand.
“Micki, where are you going?”
“Tracy, we’ve been stuck here for three days. You’ve been nursemaiding me, while David is sitting over in his apartment, alone. I know he wants to be with you, and you know where I want to be. So, why are we standing here? Will you give me a lift?”
“Micki, are you nuts? What do you think Danny will do if he catches you with Ken? He’ll make that beating he gave you feel like a pat on the back.”
“Danny won’t know where I am and neither will his men. I’ll leave my car here, so they won’t even know I’m gone.”
“Micki, think about what you’re doing. We’re about to close this case. Can’t you wait until we do?”
Micki put down her bag and looked up at Tracy. “Trace, you know better than anyone what I’ve been through, and you know what it’s cost me. Danny’s only going to be gone for a few days, and I need that time to get my life back on track. I need to feel normal again. I don’t know what’s going to happen when Danny comes back. I only want to be with Ken, for a little while. Now, will you please drop me off on your way to David's?”
Micki searched her partner’s eyes for understanding, and sighed with relief when Tracy nodded.
“OK, I still think you’re taking a big chance, but I know how you feel. Come on; let’s get out of here before I change my mind.”
Tracy was cautious as she drove to Hutch’s apartment, then to Starsky’s. She checked the rear-view mirror constantly; looking for any cars that seemed to stay behind them. She refused to drop Micki off until she was positive that they weren’t being followed. Finally, she turned the corner and pulled up in front of Starsky’s apartment. She took a deep breath, then knocked on his door.
Starsky’s eyes widened as he opened the door. Tracy smiled shyly. Suddenly, she wasn’t sure what to say.
She settled for a simple, “Hi.”
Starsky grinned. “Hi, yourself. Are you psychic?”
“No, why do you ask?” She laughed.
“I was sitting here thinking about you. I was trying to think of a way to lure you away from Micki.”
“Well, you don’t have to think about it anymore. I wanted to come.”
Starsky pulled her into the apartment and shut the door. “I’m glad you did. I kept telling myself to wait, until this mess with Carruthers was over, but I don’t want to do that.”
“I don’t want to wait, either, David. Tommy Carruthers doesn’t own you, or me. He’s just a creep that belongs in a cage. Why should we put our lives on hold for him?”
He led her into the living room and sat with her on the couch. “Where’s Micki? Is she feeling better?”
“Yes. She’s back to her old self again.”
“Uh oh, should you have left her at the apartment all by herself?”
“She’s not at my apartment. She’s with Ken. I dropped her off before I came here.”
Now he drew back slightly. “Do you think that was the smart thing to do, Tracy?”
“I wasn’t happy about it at first, but I understand how she feels. It’s even worse for her. At least I don’t have to live with that monster, and pretend that I care about him. You’ve seen how hard this is on her. She wanted to be with someone who really cares about her, and that she cares about. She wants to be with Ken, and I want to be with you.”
“Well, I guess that says it all, doesn’t it?” Starsky smiled and took her in his arms.
Ken Hutchinson was sitting in his apartment trying to concentrate on the local news when there was a soft knock at his door.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me.”
Stunned, he opened the door. “Micki, what are you doing here? Are you crazy? What if somebody followed you?”
“No one followed me. I couldn’t stand being cooped up in that apartment any longer. Please don’t be angry. I just wanted to see you.”
“Micki, it’s too dangerous. You know Carruthers told his goons to keep an eye on you while he’s out of town.”
“Danny still thinks I’m at Tracy’s. He doesn’t have a reason to have me followed.”
“How did you get here?”
“Tracy dropped me off on her way to David’s apartment. I left my car at her place, so if anybody decides to check up on me, they’ll think I’m still there. Don’t worry, we were careful.”
Micki shrugged off her jacket and dropped it on the couch. She stepped closer to Hutch, and put her arms around his neck. Standing on tiptoe, she kissed him tenderly.
“I just wanted to be with you. Do you remember the first time you kissed me? I haven’t felt that way in a long, long time. I need to feel that way, again, Ken.”
She unbuttoned his shirt and caressed his chest. She kissed him again, harder, and whispered, “Remember?”
Hutch tried valiantly to remain sensible. “Micki, this is insane. If Carruthers catches you here...”
“He won’t. No one else knows I’m here, and Tracy’s too busy to tell him.”
She looked up at him, her eyes darkened with desire. She lightly traced his mouth with her fingers, and moved against him.
“Do you want me to leave? Say the words, and I’ll go.”
Instead of moving away, she pressed her body closer against his. Surrendering to his own desire, Hutch clutched her to him.
“No, I don’t want you to leave. I never want you to leave again.” With one swift movement, he picked her up. As he carried her to his bed he swore softly.
“Damn you, Micki, this could get us both killed. Right now, I just don’t care.”
The next morning, Hutch dressed as quietly as possible, trying not to wake Micki. He started toward the kitchen, intending to make coffee when he heard a sleepy voice behind him.
“What time is it?”
“Good morning. It’s almost six-thirty.”
“What are you doing up so early? We don’t have to be at work for hours.”
“I know, but Carruthers is coming back today. What if he calls, wanting to talk to you? Won’t he get suspicious if he can’t find you?”
Micki’s voice fell. “He won’t be back until tonight. Besides, I used to live with Tracy, and he won’t expect me to go home until after work. Now, come back to bed. I don’t want to think about Tommy Carruthers any more.”
Smiling tenderly, he lay down beside her again. Stroking her hair, he said, “We’ll have to talk about him sooner or later, Mick. He’s not going to disappear.”
“I know, but not yet. It feels like we just went to sleep.”
He kissed the tip of her nose and grinned. “We just did. Should you call the station and check in with them? What if Carruthers calls there?”
“Any call that comes for Tracy and me is automatically routed to the Captain. He’ll cover for us until we get there. Please don’t worry any more. We still have time. I don’t want to waste it talking about Danny.”
She let the cover fall between them, and reached out. Hutch felt his resolve weaken as he looked at her. He took her in his arms once more.
“Why do I try to argue with you? I should know better by now.”
Hutch had finally made their coffee when there was a knock at the door. Instantly on the alert, Hutch grabbed his gun and eased quietly to the door.
“Who is it?”
“Open up, partner, we’ve got trouble.”
Hutch stepped back as Starsky and Tracy entered. “What’s wrong?”
“Benton’s been in Dobey’s office for the past half-hour, raising hell.”
Clad in Hutch’s robe, Micki joined them. “Why?”
“He knows where you are. He’s ranting about you blowing this case.”
“Wait a minute. How does he know where I am? Danny’s men didn’t follow me.”
“Carruthers’ men didn’t, but Benton’s men did.”
“What? Benton had me followed? Why, that rotten son-of-a-bitch!”
“He said it was a good thing he did. Anyway, he wants both of you in Dobey’s office, now.”
“Oh, we’re going, believe me. I want to talk to him.”
Minutes later, the four detectives were in Dobey’s office. Still angry, Micki confronted Benton.
“You had me followed. Why? In case you’ve forgotten, Danny’s the one under investigation, not me.”
“It was simply a precaution, in case Carruthers men decided to go against their boss’s orders and do something stupid.”
“Oh, I get it. You had me followed for my own protection. Bull. I had my tracks covered. No one knew where I was. Tracy and I know how to ditch a tail. You were out of line, Benton.”
“You didn’t ditch my men, Micki. You were out of line, too. You had no business going over to Hutchinson’s apartment. If you thought you were safe, you’re fooling yourself. This situation is much too sensitive to take that kind of risk.”
“There wasn’t any risk. Danny is out of town. Tracy and I have been partners for years, and we’ve shared an apartment since we were eighteen. That’s the one thing that’s made this assignment possible. We haven’t hid any of our movements from him. As long as we don’t interfere with Danny, his men leave us alone.”
She took a deep breath and continued slowly. “I left my car parked in the driveway, and Tracy drove her car to David’s. I told you that Danny knows that Tracy and David are involved. I stayed low in the seat so no one could see me, and Tracy let me out a block from Ken’s apartment. Then, she went to David’s. Of course, you’re already aware of all this, since you were the one who had me followed, not Danny.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that, but I also know that if we could tell you weren’t with Tracy when she got to Starsky’s, so could any of Carruthers’ men. I don’t have the same confidence that you do regarding Carruthers’ respect for your job. My point is, you had no business going over there, no matter how careful you thought you were. You put this whole case in danger. This whole thing could have blown up in your face.”
Hutch interrupted them. “Why are you so bent out of shape, Benton? Nothing happened. Carruthers will be back this afternoon and things will go on as planned. He has no idea where Micki was.”
“You people insist on putting your confidence in Carruthers integrity. This man is a monster with the morals of a rattlesnake. He wouldn’t think twice about having Micki followed if he thought she was up to something. Going over to your apartment was reckless and irresponsible. There’s no excuse for it.”
“No excuse? You don’t think that maybe Micki needed a little time away from this case? Maybe she needed a little companionship.”
“Companionship? Now, that’s good! It wouldn’t surprise me if you were the one who instigated the whole thing, Hutchinson. It would be just like you to put your feelings ahead of the case. You’d throw the entire investigation out the window just because you couldn’t keep your pants zipped up!”
“Why you rotten--” Hutch advanced on Benton, fist raised.
Starsky stopped him before he could land the blow. Dobey stepped in front of Benton at the same moment, blocking his path.
Micki stepped between the two men. “Wait a minute, Benton! This wasn’t Ken’s idea, it was mine. He didn’t know what I was planning to do.” Her anger spilled over.
“Now you listen to me, and listen good. You don’t own me, nobody owns me! If you ever follow me again, that’s it. I’m out of it. What happens to your precious case if I walk out that door right now? Who are you going to find that’s crazy enough to go to bed with Tommy Carruthers?”
“You can’t walk out now. I won’t allow it.”
“YOU won’t allow it?” Tossing her long hair behind her, she looked up at him. “Try to stop me.”
Before Benton could reply, Dobey spoke. “All right, that’s enough. Sit down, all of you. I said, sit down!” He waited until they all grudgingly took their seats. “That’s better. Now, Micki, Benton was right. You shouldn’t have gone to Hutchinson’s apartment. The investigation notwithstanding, you put Hutch’s life in danger, as well as your own. I understand the strain you’ve been under, but we all know that Carruthers can’t be trusted. So until this case is resolved, you have to be careful. No
more going to Hutch’s. Understand?”
Micki sighed. “Yes, sir.”
“Good.” Then Dobey turned to Benton. “Micki has a point, too. She may be working with you on this, but Micki is still one of my detectives. You had no right putting a tail on her. The next time I catch you doing that, you’d better have a damn good explanation, or you’ll answer to me. Do I make myself clear?”
“You can’t tell me how to run my investigation, Captain.”
“This isn’t only your investigation, Benton. The Commissioner assigned us to this case, and you will give my detectives the respect they deserve. Now, if there’s nothing else, this meeting is concluded.”
Benton started to say something else, but changed his mind when he saw the look on the Captain’s face. Still angry, he stalked out the door.
Micki followed the others out of the room. Sensing that Micki needed some time alone with Hutch, Tracy and Starsky excused themselves. After they were gone, Micki put her arms around Hutch’s waist.
“I’m beginning to hate this job. If things weren’t bad enough, now I can’t see you anymore.”
“We can still see each other, Mick, but not at my apartment. We still have work to do, remember?”
“I know, but sometimes I feel like this nightmare is never going to end. I only want away from Danny. I don’t ever want to see him again.”
“It will end, before you know it. He’ll be behind bars, for the rest of his life. Try to hang on for a while longer.”
The air of anticipation they all felt turned into frustration when Danny returned that evening. Instead of taking the action they had predicted, he simply went back to business as usual. Fortunately for Micki, he seemed preoccupied with the club, and spent most of his time there. When he came home early one morning, she pretended to be asleep, and he left her alone.
After a few days of forced idleness, the detectives were feeling very unsettled. Micki stayed around the house until she could no longer stand it, then took off for the station. She wasn’t surprised to see Tracy, Starsky and Hutch already at their desks.
Tracy could tell from her partner’s expression that nothing had changed, but she asked anyway.
Micki shook her head. “I don’t get it, Tracy. He hasn’t made a move, and I heard him tell Stick that Sarpedo was back in Jersey. I can’t see DiConti letting Richie get away with what he did.”
“Micki, he’s not going to get away with anything. If DiConti lets this slide, he’ll lose control of the whole family. We all know that he’s ruled that organization by fear ever since he took over. I don’t think that’s what he’s planning. For some reason, he’s playing a waiting game. All we can do is be patient. Personally, I don’t think we’ll have to wait long.”
“I hope not. This is starting to get on my nerves. If Danny’s going to make a move, I wish he’d hurry up.”
Starsky brought over coffee for everybody. “I talked to Dobey. Benton said that Carruthers stayed close to the club the whole time he was in Jersey. Other than going out with a few of his cronies, he stayed out of sight. Sarpedo got back the night after Carruthers got there, and went right back to work. It doesn’t figure. Why put him back in a position where he can keep stealing when DiConti knows what he’s doing?”
Hutch answered him. “Maybe they don’t want Sarpedo to know they’re onto him. DiConti’s not going to take care of him on his own turf. I think Tracy’s right. I’d be willing to bet that Richie comes back here within the next day or so. Then Carruthers will be on him so fast he won’t know what hit him.”
“Well, all we can do is wait. That’s the hard part. Maybe I can nose around the house a little since Danny’s been spending so much time at the club. We still haven’t found Peggy Holder’s bracelet, and if Danny does move on Richie, we won’t have time to look.”
“It would definitely help our case on the homicides if you found it, but be careful. Carruthers might have his attention focused somewhere else, but he’s not blind. If he’s planning to take Richie out, he’s bound to be edgy, and one wrong move could set him off.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. If I decide it’s too chancy, I won’t even try to look. We can always get a search warrant later. If he’s still at the club when I get home, I’ll see what I can do.”
Unaware that he was the center of attention, Tommy Carruthers was catching up on business. After going over the books for the next month, and checking the progress on the expansion, he called Stick into his office.
“Fill me in on what’s been happening, Stick.”
“It’s been pretty quiet, boss. Ortega’s back on the street; I guess the cops couldn’t hold him on that bust. Mason’s still in the slam, but I guess Micki was tellin’ the truth. From what I read in the paper, he was nabbed for tryin’ to sell stolen property. There wasn’t even a whisper about anything else.”
“Good. We don’t have time to worry about either one of them. What about Ortega? Did you talk to him?”
“Yeah, and I told him exactly what you said, boss. I said if he kept his mouth shut, there’d be some big money in it for him. He sure hates the cops. He said he didn’t need a reason to keep quiet. He ain’t gonna tell them anything. He did say that scum he was running with sneaked out of town. I guess he was scared they’d bust him, too.”
“Bass ain’t smart enough to squeal on us, anyway. Good riddance, I say. The farther he runs the better I like it. Well, that’s good. Mr. DiConti’s going to be sending Richie back this way pretty soon, and I don’t want nothing to complicate our job. We have to do this right, Stick. Everyone in the family has to know what’s going on, but we have to keep the cops out of it. I’ve been looking into some places where we can do it, and I’ve come up with a couple good ones. The best place is that old equipment site off the canyon road. It’s outside the city limits and nobody messes around there no more.”
“That sounds good, boss, but how are you going to get Richie out there without him getttin’ suspicious?”
“Once Richie sets foot inside this club, I don’t care if he gets suspicious or not. In fact, Mr. DiConti wants him to know exactly what’s going to happen. Richie thinks he’s so smart, the boss wants him to know that he’s been onto him all along. Richie don’t know it yet, but once he gets on that plane, he’s a dead man.”
Apparently, Micki’s opinion of Richie Sarpedo’s intelligence was accurate. Later that evening, he strolled into the Torch, wearing another designer suit and shoes made of the softest leather.
“Hey, Tommy, guess what? Mr. DiConti sent me back to help you take care of some business. Can you believe it? Maybe he ain’t so bad after all. Only, he didn’t say what kind of business.”
“Oh, yeah? That’s funny. Well, I’ll tell you what, Richie. Make yourself at home, and grab something to eat. I have some stuff to do around here, then I’ll tell you all about it.”
“Sure, Tommy. I asked Mr. DiConti when he wanted me back, and he laughed and said whenever. Now, ain’t that strange? What’s so funny about that?”
“I don’t know, Richie. I guess you’d have to ask him.”
While Richie was enjoying his dinner, Tommy Carruthers quietly gathered his men. He carefully outlined his plan, making sure each man knew what was expected of him. When they were all finished, they all drifted away, waiting for nightfall. After the others had left, Tommy joined Stick at the office door.
Stick looked at Tommy and grinned. “The condemned man eats his last meal. Only, he don’t know it. Think we should have gotten him a broad, boss?”
Carruthers laughed, “Na, he probably wouldn’t know what to do with one if we did. Give him anything else he wants, Stick, as long as he stays put. Don’t give him too much to drink. I want him stone cold sober when this goes down. I want him to know why he’s going to die.”
Blissfully unaware of is fate, Richie took advantage of his host’s hospitality. Stick was being a little stingy with the booze, but Richie figured it was because they were going to be working later. He was so relaxed that didn’t even realize it had gotten dark. Boy, if they didn’t get a move on, it was going to be too late to get anything done. It was only then that he noticed that he wasn’t alone anymore.
“Hey, guys, what’s up? Are you going to be helping Tommy, too?”
“Yeah, Richie, we are. How you been doin’?”
“Things are finally going my way, Joey. Mr. DiConti sent me to help Tommy with a big job, and I think he’s getting ready to give me a promotion. Maybe he’ll even give me my own territory.”
Joey laughed out loud. “How do you figure that, Richie?”
Boy, Richie thought again, everybody was laughing at the strangest things. “Well, everybody’s been so swell to me all of a sudden. Before, they wouldn’t give me the time of day. Why else would Mr. DiConti send me all the way back here to help Tommy if they weren’t going to move me up?”
“I don’t know, Richie. Why would he?” Tommy came out of his office and stood in front of his men.
Richie stared at Carruthers. Tommy’s voice was filled with contempt. His attitude toward Richie had changed completely. Even the expression on his face had changed.
“I--I don’t get you, Tommy? What’s the matter? Why are you all looking at me like that?”
“We’re just trying to figure out if you’re really as stupid as you pretend to be, that’s all.”
“Now, wait a minute, Tommy.” Richie started to get up, but froze as four guns appeared, all aimed at him. He sat back down, slowly. “OK, this ain’t funny anymore. What’s goin on?”
“We have a message for you from Mr. DiConti. Nobody steals from the family, Richie. Mr. DiConti’s been good to you. He didn’t have to take you in, but he did. He did it for your dad, in his honor. How did you repay him, Richie? You stole from him. You put the whole business in danger, Richie. The stiffs ain’t going to pay if we can’t be honest with them. Did you really think you were fooling anybody?”
“Honest? You went home and squealed on me. How can you talk about honesty when you’d do something like that?”
“I didn’t squeal on you, Richie. The boss already had it figured out. As soon as Karl started getting complaints, it wasn’t hard to figure out who was ripping us off. You put your own neck in the noose at the party. All I did was play the tape for Mr. DiConti.”
“Tape!? You planted a bug? You set me up, Tommy. That’s what you planned all the time, wasn’t it? That’s why you had the party in the first place.” He shook his head, a hurt expression on his face. “You set me up. How could you do that, Tommy? I thought we was friends. Where was your honor then?”
“My honor’s intact. You’re the one that messed up. You should have known, Richie. The boss ain’t going to let you get away with stealing. If he did, where would the family be? Why, any outsider could come along and take what he wanted.”
“Outsider? Is that what I am to you? My father was working beside the boss when you were still in diapers. You’re more an outsider than I am, Tommy. He just liked you more than me. You’re the one who ended up with this big, new territory to run. You really surprise me, Tommy. With everything you got, I didn’t think you’d begrudge me a little piece of the action.”
“It wasn’t your piece to take, Richie. If you had been patient, and worked a little harder, someday you would have had your own territory. You blew it, punk. You were too greedy. You had it good, and didn’t even know it.”
“Good? Walking my legs off, messin’ with foreigners that couldn’t even speak good English? Bustin’ heads when somebody got stupid enough to resist? I got every dirty job that came along, Tommy. How can you say I had it good?”
“You had a job, Richie. The family gave you a roof over your head, food in your gut, and money to buy anything you wanted. You didn’t have to worry about anything.”
Richie snorted. “No, I didn’t have to worry about nothin’. Only my friends stabbing me in the back, that’s all.”
Carruthers curled his lip. “You make me sick, Richie. Enough is enough. You dug your own grave.” He nodded to Stick. “Come on, let’s go.”
Carruthers and his men herded Richie into the car that was waiting behind the club. The road to the canyon was deserted, so they didn’t pass any cars on their way to the site. When the car finally stopped in the middle of the lot, Carruthers motioned again to his men. With Richie between them, they walked to the spot he had picked earlier. Carruthers took the shovel from one of his men and thrust it into Richie’s hands.
“Here, Richie, start digging.”
“Digging? What are you talking about? What am I supposed to be digging?”
“You stupid dick, what do you think? I told you that you dug your own grave. I said, start digging! Before you do, hand over that ring.”
Richie looked down at his hand. The ring his father had given him before he died shined in the moonlight. Seven diamonds were clustered around a single sapphire on a wide gold band. The only way Richie would take off that ring was if he were dead. Richie realized that he had already been tried and convicted. This was his sentence, and DiConti had been judge and jury. His death would be a warning to everybody. They wanted his ring to show off, because no one would ever find his body. Whatever else he was, Richie Sarpedo was no coward. He took his ring off slowly and handed it to Carruthers.
“I never thought you would do this to me, Tommy. I hope you like looking at yourself in the mirror after tonight. I hope you sleep good knowing what you did.”
All the evil that was in Tommy Carruthers showed in his smile. “I sleep just fine, Richie, don’t you worry.”
Chapter 8
Ken Hutchinson watched the rain falling from his terrace and thought about the case. Was Richie watching the rain, too, blissfully unaware that his death was near? Hutch didn’t know, or care. He was tired of waiting for Carruthers to make a move and wished silently that something would happen.
He turned away and started into the living room when there was a knock at the door.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me.”
He yanked open the door. “Micki, what are you doing here? Benton’s going to have a fit!”
Micki stood in the doorway, shivering. “I didn’t know where else to go. Tracy’s at David’s and I didn’t want to risk going there. I was afraid Danny would follow me.”
Hutch saw that she was soaking wet. “What’s wrong? Has something happened?”
“Yes. Danny came home a little while ago. I don’t know where he was, but I think I know what he was doing.”
“What?”
“I think he killed Richie Sarpedo tonight, and I think he knows.”
“Knows what?”
“I think he knows about me, about what I’ve been doing.”
An hour later, Hutch’s small apartment was filled with people. Benton, Dobey, Tracy and Starsky gathered in the living room. Sitting on a couch, wrapped in a blanket, Micki was once again the center of attention. She told her story as she sipped a mug of coffee.
“I was upstairs in the bedroom, going through Danny’s dresser. I found the bracelet he bought Peggy Holder, a bottle of perfume, and a silk scarf. I’d put everything back except the bracelet when I heard Danny pull into the driveway. I watched him get out of his car, and managed to make it into the kitchen before he got inside. He took off his shoes right inside the door.
Now, that doesn’t sound unusual, unless you know Danny. He’s not that neat, or that domestic. Then I heard him on the hone with DiConti. He said the problem had been solved. When he went upstairs, I went over to the closet where he put his shoes. They were wet and had mud on the soles, but I thought I saw traces of blood on them. I opened the door and thought I saw blood on the steps, but the rain had already washed most of it away. I went out to his car, and looked inside. There was blood on the floor mat, on the driver’s side. That’s the only place I saw it, but it was there. I shut the door and got up. That’s when I saw the curtain close in the bedroom. Danny had been watching me the whole time. He knows that I saw the blood.”
“What happened to the bracelet?”
“I’ve got it. I didn’t have time to put it back, but it doesn’t matter. He saw me going through his car. It won’t take him long to figure out what I was doing. Once he does that, he’ll realize I’ve been onto him all along.”
Benton paced the floor, thinking out loud. “OK, so your cover’s blown. Maybe it doesn’t matter. If Sarpedo’s dead, then we can move on Carruthers. The bracelet and other articles will tie him in with the female victims, but so far all we’ve got is the blood in his car for Sarpedo. That’s still not enough for a warrant. Damn it! Every time we think we’ve got this snake, he wriggles away.”
“There is one way we can get him,” Micki offered.
“How?”
“I can go back in the house.”
Hutch objected. “Why? If he’s onto you, you can’t do anymore. You’re cover’s blown.”
“I can go in with a wire. I can get him to tell me that he killed not only those girls, but Richie as well.”
“Micki, that’s crazy. Do you actually think you can get Carruthers to confess?”
“Yes, I do, Ken. I know Danny. I’ve lived with him. If I go in there and feed his ego, he’ll tell me everything. Then, we’ll have his confession on tape, and he won’t be able to weasel out of it.”
“What makes you think he won’t kill you the minute you walk back into that house?”
“He can’t. He knows that if he kills me, the whole police force will be down on him before he can run. Besides, he won’t be able to resist bragging. Look at it from his point of view. He went out with these girls, behind my back, more than once. He courted them, and then killed them, while he was living with a cop. If I play him right, he’ll give us everything we need. Richie will be a little harder, but I think I can do it.”
“Micki, think about this for a minute. What if something goes wrong? You’ve seen his temper. What if you make him so angry that he kills you anyway?”
“That’s why I’m going to be wired. I don’t think he’d be that stupid, but if he goes crazy, you’ll be close enough to hear. I know I can pull this off, Ken. I’ll try to get him to take me to where he dumped Richie. As long as I can keep him talking, I’ll be safe.”
Benton turned to Dobey. “I can have a dozen men ready to roll in an hour. Can you get her wired in that time?”
“Yes, and Tracy, Starsky and Hutchinson will be there, too.”
Benton shook his head. “I’m against it. Hutchinson’s too emotionally involved.”
“Micki is still my detective, Benton, as we’ve discussed before. My detectives will work with your people, but they will be there. That’s final.”
“All right, Captain. Have it your way, but you’d better keep them on a short leash. I don’t want anybody fouling this up.”
Hutch ignored Benton and turned back to Micki. “Please think about what you’re doing. It’s suicide. Even if you’re wired, you’re still going in there cold. If he tries anything, we may not be able to get to you in time.”
Micki faced him, blocking out the others. “I know it’s dangerous, but it’s my last chance to get Danny. This is the only way.”
Hutch could see the resolve in her eyes. He smiled at her. “Are you always going to be this hardheaded?”
Micki grinned back. “Probably. See what you have to look forward to?”
He reached out and touched her hair. “I can’t wait.”
The early morning sun was shining before everything was ready. Micki was sitting in a small van parked a block away from Danny’s house. Dobey and Benton were giving her last minute instructions.
“The wire’s one way, so we’ll be able to hear you, but you won’t be able to hear us. It’s sensitive, so you can talk at a normal level. All we need is a code, so you can let us know if something goes wrong.”
“How about ‘help’? No, I’m kidding. I’ll say something about the cavalry coming, but, please, don’t break in unless I yell. I don’t want you visible unless there’s nothing else I can do. As long as I can keep him talking, don’t do anything.”
Benton sat down beside her. “We won’t, but listen to me, Micki. If it starts getting hairy, yell loud and long. Don’t be a hero. I want Carruthers as much as anybody, but not at the expense of your life. I trust you, and your capabilities. I know you won’t bail out unless you have to.”
Both men walked her around the van and to her car. Dobey stood looking at her for a minute, and Micki thought he was going to say something. Instead, he simply nodded to her and opened her door.
Micki had to admit that Benton’s men were good. She drove the block and a half to Danny’s house without spotting anybody. She pulled into the driveway and sat for a moment, gathering her resolve.
“OK, guys, it’s show time. This one’s for all the marbles.”
Though Danny’s car was in the driveway, she didn’t see him when she went inside. She went to the bar and made herself a drink, and waited for him to realize she was back. She didn’t have to wait long.
He came down the stairs and stopped when he saw her. “Where’ve you been, baby-cakes?”
“I had to go out for a while. Was there something you wanted?”
“No. Did you find what you were looking for?”
Micki nodded to herself. He wasn’t pretending anymore, either. Good. She was weary of the game.
“That depends on what you’re talking about. I found the bracelet you gave Peggy Holder, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“So you know her name. That’s interesting. What else do you know?”
“I know that the silk scarf and perfume don’t belong to me. What are they, Danny, trophies?”
“You could say that.”
“You were going out on me the whole time. What’s the matter, Danny? Were you bored?”
“Not really. I’m not a one-woman man, I guess.”
She turned away and set her drink down, carefully keeping her hands where he could see them. The last thing she wanted was a shooting match.
“I have to hand it to you, Danny. You really had me fooled. You must have nerves of steel to come home and sleep with me after what you did to those girls.”
“It wasn’t hard. Those broads were nothing. They didn’t mean anything to anybody.”
“Is that why you killed them, Danny? Because you knew there wouldn’t be anybody to complain?”
“I wasn’t worried. Anyway, I did them a favor. I gave’em a few weeks of the good life. Killing them meant they wouldn’t have to go back to their miserable lives. Like you said, who’s going to miss them?”
“You’re good, Danny, no doubt about it. Though, you messed up when you kept those things. That puts you with the victims.”
“Who’s going to know, baby-cakes? You’re not going to tell anybody.”
Hutch listened to them from inside Starsky’s Torino. He grabbed the mike.
“We’ve got him, Benton, let’s move!”
“Only for the female victims. Let her get him to admit he took care of Sarpedo.”
Instantly, Danny’s gun was aimed at her heart. “Hand over your piece, babe.”
“What piece?”
Anger flared in his eyes. “Don’t play games with me, Micki. I know you’ve got your piece in your purse. You’re too good with that thing for me to risk letting you keep it. Now take it out, nice and easy, and hand it over. I’d hate to waste you right here, but I will if I have to.”
“Benton, he’s going to kill her!”
“Not if she does what he says, Hutchinson. Hold your horses, she’s got everything under control.”
She took her weapon out of her purse, holding it with her thumb and forefinger, and dropped it on the couch. Carruthers picked it up and tucked it into his belt.
“That’s better, isn’t it? Now, we can talk without worrying. You know, I’m really disappointed in you, baby-cakes. I would have thought you’d figure everything out before now.”
“Everything? Oh, you mean that you’re name isn’t really Danny Wilson? That it’s Tommy Carruthers? I knew that from the start, Danny. Oops, I’m sorry, it’s kind of hard to break the habit.”
“So you were stringing me along the whole time.”
“Of course. Do you really think I would actually fall for your line? Think about it. Why would I refuse to sleep with you, then suddenly change my mind? I had you checked out. When you broke into my apartment, I took a glass that you drank out of and had them run your prints. When I found out who you really were, I contacted my boss. It was my idea to go ndercover,
Carruthers. I wanted to put you away, but I guess you were too smart for me. I mean, look where we are. You have the gun.”
“That’s right, I do. You know, baby-cakes, I’m almost sorry it turned out this way. We could have done something special.”
“Sure, as long as I did what you wanted. I’m a cop, Tommy. Even if I didn’t know who you really were, I couldn’t go along with what you do. So don’t cry any crocodile tears. It wouldn’t have worked anyway.”
“So who have you told about me?”
“So far, only Tracy and my boss. She had to know since she’s my partner. Now it’s my turn to ask a question. Where’s Richie Sarpedo?”
“What do you know about Richie?”
“Only that he did something to your boss, something you didn’t like. I overheard you tell DiConti that the problem was solved. Did you kill him, too, Tommy?”
Carruthers leaned back against the couch, completely relaxed. “I might as well tell you, since you won’t be alive to tell anybody else. Yeah, we took care of him. He was stealing from the family. Nobody, and I mean nobody, does that. So I got rid of him.”
“Where is he? Where did you dump the body?”
“You’re going to find out real soon, babe. You’re going to be keeping him company for a long, long time.”
“OK, Benton, you got what you wanted. Now, let’s end this.”
“Micki said she would give the word. We need to know where Sarpedo’s body is. Let’s give her a few more minutes.”
Hutch looked over at his partner, exasperated. “He’s going to kill her, if we don’t move now.”
“Micki knows what she’d doing. She’ll yell if he starts to go crazy.”
Back in the house, Micki tried again. “So where did you go, Tommy, outside the city somewhere?”
“Why is it so important, baby-cakes?”
“I’d like to know where I’m going. After all, this is going to be my last ride, right?”
“Yeah, I guess I can see where you’re coming from. OK, I’ll tell you. It’s the old equipment site off the canyon road. The construction company that owns it went bust, so nobody ever goes out there. You and Richie will have a nice peaceful resting-place. The cops will never find you. Time’s up, babe, no more talking. Come on; let’s go, nice and easy.”
Hutch grabbed the mike again. “Come on, Benton, you’ve got your location. Grab him!”
“Not as long as he doesn’t try anything. We’ll rendezvous at the site. My men will be there well ahead of him.”
Hutch slammed his fist down on the dash. “Dammit, he’s got enough. He’s going to get her killed.”
“Carruthers won’t make a move until they’re out of the car. Tracy left before Benton did. She’s probably halfway there by now.”
Starsky took a short cut, and arrived right behind Benton’s men. Benton’s voice came over the radio.
“Stay out of sight, Hutchinson. My men will handle this.”
“No way, Benton. I’m going to be as close as I can, in case Micki gets into trouble.”
“I said, stay back. I don’t want you jumping the gun.”
Hutch started to protest, but his Captain’s voice stopped him. “Do as he says, Hutch. We’ve got Micki and Carruthers covered.”
Frustrated, Hutch grabbed the binoculars out of the glove compartment and got out of the car. He adjusted them, bringing Carruthers and Micki into focus.
Without taking his eyes from Carruthers’ car, Hutch asked his partner, “Where’s Tracy?”
Starsky was looking through his own set of binoculars. “There she is, coming around from the other side. She’s right behind that old crane.”
Micki got out of the car slowly, with her hands in front of her. She walked in front of Carruthers quietly until he told her to stop. She looked down at the freshly dug ground.
“So this is where you buried him. Smart, Danny, really smart. You’re right, no one will ever think to look here.”
Carruthers laughed. “I’m glad you approve, baby-cakes. Well, I guess this is it. Got any last words?”
She let her hand drop to her side and flexed her wrist. The very illegal switchblade she always wore slipped into her palm. Finally, she gave the signal.
“Not really. I don’t guess the cavalry will be coming over the hill, do you?”
Several things happened all at once. As Carruthers was bringing his own weapon up, Micki let the knife fly, catching him in his arm. At the same time, a shot rang out from Tracy’s gun. Carruthers reeled back, and tried to clutch his shoulder and forearm at the same time. Instantly, he was surrounded. Powerless, Tommy Carruthers surrendered. Two men wearing FBI jackets herded him toward the cars.
Micki met Tracy as she was coming toward Richie Sarpedo’s grave.
“Well, I guess we’ll have to get the body exhumed. Micki, I just had an awful thought. What if they perform the autopsy and the bullet’s not from Danny’s gun?”
“It will be. DiConti gave the order himself. Danny wouldn’t let anyone else do it. Damn it, I can’t stop calling him Danny!”
Tracy laughed. “Neither can I. Oh, well, I guess it doesn’t matter as long as he’s behind bars. At least it’s over. Case finally closed.”
Micki sighed with relief and nodded. She looked over at Tracy and grinned. “By the way, thanks, partner. I owe you one. For that shot, I mean.”
Tracy grinned back. “I’ll put it on your tab.”
She held her hand out, little finger hooked. Micki hooked her finger in her partner’s in their secret sign. Turning away from the grave, they walked toward Carruthers. Micki stood for a moment, gazing at him.
“Well, BABY-CAKES, who’s got the gun now?”
Carruthers was calm. “It ain’t over til it’s over, Micki. We’ll be seeing each other again, soon.”
Micki snickered. “In your dreams, punk. The only thing you’re going to see is a prison wall, for the rest of your life.”
She turned away, then turned back. “Oh, here, Danny, this belongs to you.”
Carruthers looked down. At his feet lay the ridiculous diamond ring he’d put on her hand six months earlier. Wordlessly, he looked at her.
She met his eyes. “I think you know what you can do with it.”
She walked away from Tommy Carruthers for the last time and jumped into the arms of the man she loved. Free at last, she held him as tight as he held her. An eternity later, Hutch put her down. He took her face in his hands.
“Are you all right, Micki?”
She smiled up at him. “Yes, finally, I’m all right.”
He took her hand in his. “Come on; let’s go home.”
The next day, a red and white Torino pulled in front of Hutch’s apartment. Tracy laughed and tried to speak.
“David, come on!”
“I promise, I’ll only be a minute.”
Starsky was true to his word. He jumped out of the car and ran up the stairs. Seconds later, he was back, grinning from ear to ear.
“It’s still there. We won’t see them for days.” He turned to Tracy, taking her into his arms. He kissed the woman he loved and said, “Let’s go home.”
At the top of the stairs, a “Do Not Disturb” sign hung from the doorknob, and the rest of the world obeyed.
THE END