Part 4 – Epilogue

'I can't believe its over' Starsky said as he got up at the end of the hearing to sentence Fisher. In true brunet fashion, he'd paid his customary visit to the bathrooms before Judge Webster came into court.

At the end of the "night of the pool", as Hutch and his partner had started to call it, Rigger and Dobey had taken Fisher back down to the Metro and had worked on the man for almost 24 hours. At the end of that time, his lawyer had finally convinced the man that he had no defence and that his final shots at Starsky had blown any chance of a trial out of the water. A day later, Edgar Fisher stood up in the courtroom and pleaded guilty to the murder of 6 boys between the ages of 11 and 16 at the children's home, assault of one David Michael Starsky, kidnap of the same man and attempted murder. He was of course, remanded in custody pending social reports.

Starsky and Hutch attended the sentencing hearing expecting Fisher's lawyer to mitigate for a light sentence. They'd even suspected that Fisher might play the insanity card. They never expected the lawyer to say that he too had been under Fisher's influence and that he could no longer represent the tall thin defendant. As the hearing progressed, it became apparent that Fisher would represent himself to the bitter end.

The Judge's sentencing remarks were short and to the point. He pointed out that Fisher had set about to control he minds of just about everyone he came into contact with. That he was a danger to society and that although his lawyer had quit, he felt that it would not be right to sentence an unrepresented man to the death penalty. He would, however sentence him to life imprisonment, and that life meant just that – life. Fisher never so much as blinked as sentence was passed and as he was led from the courtroom he didn't even look back at the two detectives. In a way, Starsky almost wished that he had, just so that his last memory of the brunet would have been of Starsky smiling at him.

The two men got up from their seats at the back of the courtroom and walked out of the stuff building into the afternoon sun. Waiting for them outside were Traff and Beth, and a moment later Liz, who had prosecuted the case appeared and kissed Traff passionately on the lips. Hutch hugged Beth to him and smiled happily, his relationship with the young psychiatrist blooming by the day.

Hutch's battered car and Traff's T-Bird stood outside the courthouse, ready to go and the blond opened the door for Starsky to get into the back seat as Beth sat up front with him.

'What now?' the brunet asked, seeing three holdalls on the back seat next to him.

'Now we take a road trip' Hutch said as he started the engine. Ahead of his Traff pulled the T-Bird out into the traffic and Hutch fell in line behind.

'A road trip? Where to?' Starsky asked. 'I havent' packed anything.'

'I did that for ya buddy.'

Beth looked over her shoulder. 'We thought you needed a break. Captain Dobey has given you a weeks leave and Traff has got leave from the base. Liz and I are tagging along if that's ok.'

Starsky sat back, his face a picture of glumness. 'Yeah, sure. Whatever. A week of playin' gooseberry while you four act like sumthin outa the Karma Sutra. That'll be soooo relaxin.'

'Aww Starsk, you'll be fine. Beth thinks you need a complete rest, just to get over things' Hutch said gently. 'You'll enjoy it, I know you will.'

'Whatever' the brunet grumped, the elation at Fisher's sentence washing away as thoughts of long walks by himself while Hutch and Beth and Traff and Liz got it on flashing through his mind. 'So where are we goin'?'

'Does he always ask so many questions?' Beth asked.

'Uh huh. he was one of those kids who started huntin' for Christmas presents in June and hated surprise parties' Hutch advised.

Starsky leaned forward in the car. 'Hey, I'm right here ya know. I'm not crazy no more, ya don't need to talk about me like I'm some kind of village idiot.'

The blond snorted. 'Just sit back and relax Starsk. This is just what the Doctor ordered, and I should know' he put his arm round Beth's shoulders and Starsky groaned.

'See, that's just what I was afraid of. A whole week of you lot bein' lovey dovey an' me playin' solitaire in my room. Did ya pack ear plugs, or are ya gonna do it quietly?'

'Starsky! You're so gross! Just shudup, sit back an' enjoy the ride huh? It'll be worth it.'

Doing as he was told, Starsky sat back and watched the scenery flash by the car. Hutch kept behind Traff's car all the way down the freeway south and as the time went by and the temperature inside the car rose, the brunet nodded off into a deep sleep lulled by the motion of the car on the road. It was quiet for some time before he realised that the car was in fact slowing.

Starsky opened his eyes slowly and yawned loudly, the afternoon sun having given way to a magnificent magenta and orange sunset. Through the open window of the car, the brunet could smell the tang of the ocean and as he sat up straighter and looked out of the window, the scenery seemed somehow familiar. So familiar, in fact that as they drew into a small whitewashed village, his heart gave a small skip and he looked around.

'Hutch, this is….'

'San Carlos, yeah.'

'This is the village where I…..'

'Met the woman of your dreams, I know' Hutch said with a smile. He drew the car to a halt beside the small garage, right behind Traff's T-Bird and as though in a dream, Starsky got out of the car and looked around. It was exactly as he remembered it, the chickens scratching in the dirt, the sound of the gulls overhead and then, in the doorway, there was Juanita.

As if in slow motion, Starsky started to walk towards her, and she to him. As they got closer, the woman ran to him and threw her arms around Starsky's neck, burying her face in his neck as she sobbed against him. For a moment he stood, holding her, tears in his own eyes. Finally he pushed her away gently and she looked up at him.

'I don't understand' the curly haired man said gently. 'How did you know?'

Behind him, Hutch got out of the car, accompanied by Beth and formally he shook Juanita's hand. She smiled at him and then back at Starsky.

'Your friend Senior Hutch telephoned me and told me what had happened. I could not come to see you, but he told me everything that happened and he asked me if I could meet with you again. Of course, I said yes and he asked if I could have time off from the school.'

Starsky looked over his shoulder at Hutch. 'You did this for me?'

'Well for her too buddy. For some reason I don't understand, the lady seems to like ya.'

The brunet grinned down at the young woman. 'The feelin's mutual. But what now?'

'Now, you grab her bag, like a gentleman and you help her into the car. Then we drive south and check in to the luxury hotel we booked for the next week. All six of us' Hutch beamed.

'Ya mean, no gooseberry? No solitaire in my room while you an' Traff….'

'Uh uh. Now you got your very own lady Starsk, and a beautiful one I might add.'

Starsky kissed Juanita on the lips and she responded. Breaking free he smiled up at his friends. 'I don't know what to say.'

Traff and Hutch exchanged glances. 'Well its been worthwhile just for that' the soldier grinned.

'What?'

'Just to see Curly boy speechless! C'mon, get in the car. Time's a wastin'.'

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

As Starsky and Juanita sat on the back seat of Hutch's car becoming reacquainted, further north other introductions were taking place. Edgar Fisher had gone through processing at Bay City Penitentiary and was now ensconced in his cell. He'd been there less than a day, but already, he was beginning to make the best of a bad job. And he was amazed how easy his life was going to be.

Now, he sat on the edge of the hard single mattress, his back ramrod straight, staring up into the blank face of the man wearing the uniform.

'You are my friend, aren't you Pat? I feel we're going to get on so well together, you and I. You will do whatever I say, won't you?'

By the door, slack faced and totally under his prisoner's control, Patrick Rafferty stared unblinkingly at Fisher. 'Yeah….your friend…..anything you want' he said tonelessly.

--fin--

Dear friends thanks for reading this marathon story. I'm gladd you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Tomorrow we start Alpha Male - Chosen One - sequel to Moonshadow.