Chapter 6

The next morning, early, Starsky dropped Gina back at her apartment so that she could shower and get ready for work. They'd had a wonderful night during which they'd made love two or three more times and each time the brunet claimed her body as his own, he'd erased a little bit more of Ramsey's hold over her so that by the time she'd fallen asleep in his arms, head cushioned on his chest, she'd resolved to hand in her notice and look for somewhere else to work. She had the skills and the qualifications and she knew she could do without the money and the fancy car. Nothing was worth jeopardising her happiness with the tall dark handsome cop.

Starsky was feeling mellow. Gina was one of the most caring women he'd ever met and she could please his body in many other ways than the typical blow job. Although he missed that, he was more than happy with their night and he sang as he drove along, his voice melodious if not quite as smooth as Hutch's.

Gina laughed out loud as he started the refrain of the comic song "Does your chewing gun loose its flavour on the bedpost overnight?" and gently punched him on the arm.

'What am I gonna do with you? Most men would be singing love songs to their girl after a night like we've just had. But you……?'

Starsky grinned widely. 'I aint most men honey.'

'I know that' she replied happily and rested her head on his shoulder as they drove. Five minutes later, the brunet kissed her tenderly and said goodbye as he watched her perfectly formed ass shimmy up the steps to her apartment. Happily, he turned the car and drove off to collect Hutch, secure in the knowledge that his girl loved him as much as he loved her.

Gina showered quickly and pulled on her Channel suit, its pinstripe black fabric hugging her figure perfectly. She topped it with a sugar pink blouse and a pair of plain black court shoes, pulled her hair up into an elegant chignon and rushed down to her car. She wanted to be in before Ramsey so that she could write her letter and have it on his desk first thing.

Pulling up in her parking space in the company parking lot, she got out of the car, straightened her skirt and took the elevator up to the top floor, stepping out into the hushed office and over to her desk. As she passed Ramsey's office she was brought up short to see her boss already in his chair, although it was turned so that his back was to the door. He was looking at flickering images on his private television, but the screen was angled in such a way that she couldn't see the images. She did however hear the low guttural moan which sounded suspiciously like her name. She froze, watching curiously.

Ramsey was lost in his own world, the scenes that were hidden from his PA being highlighted by his slow rhythmic stroking of his right hand against his groin. He replayed the video tape of his night with Gina again and again, his erection getting harder and more insistent by the moment and as the women watched unnoticed he grabbed for a handful of tissues, flung his head back and released himself into the soft paper handkerchiefs groaning her name aloud.

Gina ducked back out of the office and rushed to the ladies bathroom where she closed the door and rested her back against it breathing heavily. Oh my God! What had she just witnessed? He had called her name, she could hear him and she was left in no doubt as to what he was doing while he moaned it. She shivered, left now in no doubt at all as to what she should do.

Opening the bathroom door, she ducked out and headed for another desk belonging to another PA at the other end of the open plan office. There, she sat down at the typewriter and hurriedly typed out her letter, sealing it into a plain white envelope and writing his name in a confident round hand on the front. Standing, she took a deep breath and marched into his office as he spun round in his chair, his eyes wide.

'Gina! I didn't expect you so early darling.'

'I wanted to get in early' she said quietly

'You did? Were you out last night?'

She didn't answer for a moment and he nodded. 'That'd be a yes. Seeing that no good cop again? How many times do I need to tell you that you could do so much better? He's no good for you. What the hell can he give you that one of our lawyers couldn't?'

'Love' she answered before she could stop herself.

'Aww, aint that sweet? Love won't buy the next Mercedes darling. It won't buy the next Cannel suit or the next holiday in Hawaii.'

'I don't want any of those things. I have Dave. And I have something for you too' she said and slapped the envelope down on his desk. Ramsey took it and looked at the handwritten name on the front.

'"Mr Ramsey". Very formal Gina. What's this all about?' he ran his thumb nail under the flap of the envelope and pulled the single sheet of paper from within. Flattening it out he read it swiftly and looked up. 'Resign? Why?'

She stared at him incredulously. 'After what happened the other night? How can you ask me that? How can you behave like nothing happened? I was…… '

'A damned good distraction. And if I recall, you didn't put up a fight. You were as willing a participant as I was. Don't come the wounded party with me Miss Bianchi, now take this away and don't be such a silly little girl.'

'I'm not being silly and my resignation still stands. I'll draft an advertisement out for a new PA for you today. I leave at the end of the week.' She turned to go.

'Gina, darling. Don't be stupid. What we did was fun and you were so good in the sack. But it was just that – fun. You didn't…. 'He smiled a slow smile 'Oh my God darling. You didn't think there was anything in it did you? You're an even sillier little girl than I took you for. Now run along and get back to your desk. We'll pretend this never happened.'

She glared at him. 'But it did happen, and I can't forget. I feel cheap and dirty and used. And I can't work for you any more when I don't have respect for you.'

'Respect? Well maybe you won't have respect for me. That's neither here nor there. But how about fear? Try that on for size Gina darling. Fear can make us do a lot of things we'd prefer not to.'

'Are you threatening me?'

Ramsey grinned. 'Threats? No my dear. Not threats. The fear is a promise. Now get back to work.'

Gina walked out of his office in a daze, unsure what Ramsey meant by fear. Fear of what? She sat at her desk and stared at her typewriter for a long time without actually seeing it, her head in a whirl and her heart easing down from its staccato rhythm. Eventually she managed to pull herself together and told herself that she was just being silly. Ramsey was a high flying lawyer. He wouldn't throw away his reputation and his career by doing anything as stupid as holding a vendetta against her. They'd had one night together and although she had been silly enough to think that her boss might have cared for her, she now realised he'd wanted nothing more then relief from her. OK. So be it. But she didn't have to be in the same room, office or even building as him. And so at lunchtime, she went out and bought a newspaper and spent her lunchtime circling likely adverts in the "positions vacant" column.

Starsky meanwhile was almost half way to his partner's house when he got a call on the car mic. He picked it up, full of bonhomie and pressed the button.

'Goooood mornin' Mildred. An' how are you this wonderful fine day? The sun's shinin' the birds are coughin' an' it's good to be alive.'

There was a chuckle form the other end of the call. 'Take it you had a good night sweetie' she sounded down the line.

'Oh yeah. The love machine was workin' overtime.'

'Well get the detective machine warmed up honey. Dobey's asked for you an' Hutch to get down to a factory on the east side. Reports of a fight and an injured girl.'

Starsky's grin faded as he heard the address Mildred gave him. 'Can't someone else take it honey? I haven't even picked Cotton Top up yet. We aren't logged as rollin.'

'Sorry Starsky. The Captain asked for you two. Control out.'

The brunet sighed and slammed the mars light on top of his car, pressing the gas pedal until he was threading through the early morning traffic neatly and quickly. He came to a shuddering stop outside Venice Place to see Hutch prowling his sidewalk. Obviously Mildred had taken the precaution of calling ahead and making sure Hutch knew to be ready too. He got in and Starsky set the car going again in a squeal of tires.

'Mornin' the blond said laconically.

'Wow. Mornin' to you too. What's with the long face? Lost a dollar and found a dime? The smaller man asked.

Hutch propped his head up on his hand as the car swerved round anther corner, heading for the factory. 'Something like that. We were goin' really well, me an' Sarah. We'd made up for the argument an' she was bein' all…… well you know. Said she was sorry she'd flown off the handle an' all that an' we were just about to go for the encore when Mildred rang and told me about this shout.'

'An' I take it the future Mrs Hutchinson didn't take too kindly?'

The blond snorted. That's an understatement. She bounded off the bed an' she was dressed before I could say anythin.' Then she told me I needed an attitude adjustment and that it was either her or the job.'

Starsky's face fell. 'Shit!'

'Yeah. Shit is right. God I hate this!'

'An' so what did you tell her?' Starsky asked.

'Didn't. But I'm here aren't I? I guess she got the message.'

'She'll be fine buddy. You'll see. I guess it's always tough to know you're sharin' your marriage with BCPD but she'll come around, you'll see.'

Hutch sighed. 'I dunno. An' maybe….. Oh forget it.'

'You don't think she's getting' cold feet do ya?'

The blond braced himself as the Torino came to a sudden halt outside the factory and as both detectives got out Hutch muttered 'No, but maybe I am.'

The detectives drew their guns, checked their ammunition and then headed up the small staircase at the back of the building. They holstered their weapons as they got to the top of the steps and saw the usual circus of uniformed patrol men, forensics and police photographers at the scene and they flashed their badges at the man on point and ducked under the black and yellow police tape into the small room.

It was set up as a small film studio with a central raise stage affair in one corner surrounded by reflective aluminium umbrellas and cameras on stands. The equipment was of good quality but it was the stuff hung on the walls around the room that leant it a seedy air. Line upon line of whips, chains, leather restraints and items Starsky preferred not to think about hung in serried ranks along the wall.

On the stage itself was a bed with a wrought iron frame hung about with handcuffs and ropes and on the bed a battered and bloody naked figure lay, surrounded by three officers all trying to preserve its dignity while not disturbing the crime scene. The bed was draped in blood stained sheets and there was a smell of burned hair and flesh in the air. Starsky stepped up and took quick instructions from the uniform in control of the incident.

'Seems this studio was set up some time ago. They specialised in the kinkier stuff until recently but now it appears they've made a change in policy. Ever heard of snuff movies?'

The brunet nodded. 'Yeah, but I thought that was just an urban myth. No-one would really want to have sex with a girl while they're killin' 'em……would they?'

The flatfoot swallowed hard. 'That's what I would have thought too. But if they aren't doin' that, then someone got mighty pissed at her' he stood to one side as Hutch approached the bed slowly and as he got there, Starsky heard his pained voice as he knelt by the bed.

'Oh my God……Sweet Alice.'