Chapter 8

Starsky received a cold reception from Sarah when he rang her to let her know that Hutch would once again be late home from work. He avoided telling his partner' fiancé exactly where her man was. It was bad enough he was late. It would add fuel to her flames if she found out he'd been sitting with a hooker in the hospital and holding the woman's hand as though he were her lover. Instead he plumped for being general in the extreme. Yes, he'd been working with Hutch. No, he didn't know what time he'd be home. And no, he didn't think it was a good idea for her to phone and complain to Dobey. By the time he'd come off the phone he was angry at Sarah and almost sorry for Hutch who had always though of the girl as angelic. How things change!

His next phone call was to Gina. He'd been thinking about his own girl all day and he'd wanted to take her more flowers, but things had got out of hand with Alice and he'd not had the time. Now, after seeing the abuse meted out to the blond woman, he wanted to make his own girl feel extra special and after phoning to make a reservation, he phoned Gina's office number and heard her answer.

'Hey honey it's me' he started.

'Dave! How lovely. You rang me!'

From the interior office Ramsey heard the name and quietly picked up his extension phone, covering the mouthpiece so that he wouldn't be heard. He listened intently.

'I was wonderin' if my wonderful girl would like to come out to dinner tonight?' Starsky said.

'Of course. I have something to celebrate.'

'Ya have?' the brunet asked

'Yes. I handed in my resignation today. I'm a free agent as of the end of the week.'

'Wow! That's givin' up a lot honey. What brought that on?'

She paused for a split second and in the inner office Ramsey too wondered what she was going to say. 'Ohh, I didn't like how they treated you. And I'm sick of the um…. office politics. So I decided to get out. I gave Ramsey my letter this morning.'

'Then it's a celebration! I'll pick you up at 7:30 tonight huh?'

'Lovely. Where are we going?'

'The new restaurant that's opened in the centre of town. The Gauguin. Its Polynesian food' the brunet said proudly.

She smiled at his tone. It was just like Dave to be so excited about anything new. Just like a little boy, especially when the new entailed food. 'That's wonderful. I'll be ready at 7:30. Love you.'

'I love you too honey' Starsky sighed as he put down the telephone. The meal would probably cost him half a month's salary, but he didn't care. He had Gina and that was all that counted.

Back at the office of Ramsey, Ramsey and Mahoney, two phones went down simultaneously. But while Gina smiled to herself and set about thinking of what she would wear that evening to impress her man, Ramsey picked up the phone again and made a reservation of his own.

At 7:30 sharp, Starsky got out of his car and bounded up the steps to Gina's apartment. Dressed in black pants and a pale blue shirt, dark blue tie and a cream jacket, he'd dressed to impress and as the woman opened the door she looked suitably shocked to see her usually jeans wearing man looking every inch the debonair man about town. She looked over his shoulder in mock surprise.

'Um, have you seen Dave Starsky? He was due to pick me up at 7:30. You must know him. Always wears jeans and tee shirts.'

'Well not tonight honey' the brunet growled. 'Tonight is a special night.'

'It is? Why?'

'Coz tonight I want to show you how special you are to me' he said softly and took her hand to escort her down the steps. Gina had dressed carefully too and wore a long black lace skirt and a pale blue halter top. Unintentionally she matched her man perfectly and as he got into the car, gathering her skirt around her, she couldn't help admiring the strut of his hips as he trotted around to get into the driver's seat.

The night was warm and they drove with the windows down letting the cool evening breeze ruffle their hair. The stars were out and as they got to the restaurant a girl in a grass skirt and very little else welcomed them while a parking attendant held his hand out for Starsky's car keys. Gina smiled to herself as she saw the hesitation on the brunet's face before he handed them over. Starsky hated anyone driving his baby.

They went into the restaurant which was decorated with copy Gauguin paintings on the walls and floral displays of exotic flowers on all the shelves around the booths. The waitresses all wore the same grass skirts while the waiter, incongruously wore black dinner suits. It gave the place an eclectic, unconventional feeling which went well with the almost surreal paintings.

The couple were show to a small booth above which hung a picture entitled "Men on the Beach". Starsky appreciated the vibrant colours of the piece but secretly believed he could have drawn them better himself. They sat down and he ordered two Pina Coladas as they waited for the menu.

As the drinks arrived, served in half pineapples and with umbrellas and straws and tiny dancing girls on sticks, Gina snuggled up to her man and put her head on his shoulder.

'This is perfect' she murmured, her eyes closed as she soaked up the ambience. But instead of hearing Starsky reply, an annoying, chillingly familiar voice sounded instead.

'Gina, darling!'

She opened her eyes and look directly into Ramsey's pale blue ones and immediately her nerves were on edge. 'Isn't this a divine place? I come here every chance I get. I have a table permanently reserved. Is this your first time here? I don't suppose cops can afford to eat here very often' he said ingratiatingly.

'Yeah, but we get by at the hamburger stand for the rest of the time' Starsky grunted good humouredly. Nothing tonight would spoil his enjoyment.

'Oh I say. I'd be honoured if you'd come over and join me at my table. I have one or two friends here, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind' Ramsey said with an oily smile.

'Oh no, please Ian, we wouldn't want to intrude' Gina jumped in immediately. She couldn't bear the thought of having to spend a whole evening with the man who'd threatened her that morning.

'But I insist' Ramsey said expansively and without further ado called over the waiter and had the man gather up the drinks on the table and follow him over. Gina mouthed "sorry" to Starsky and the two trailed behind like lambs to the slaughter. They wound their way between the booths and tables to a table for eight in the prime position in the restaurant. There were already four people sat there – two lawyers from the office with their well dressed and slightly snooty looking women. Ramsey indicated Gina and Starsky should sit down and did the introductions, making sure everyone knew that Starsky was a cop from the inner city, as if that made him somehow a second class citizen.

Moments later, the waiter brought over the menu and handed them around. Starsky stared at the rows and rows of French names and his second grade teacher's voice rang in his head. 'You're hopeless at languages David. Stick to working in America huh?' he snickered to himself as the words swam before his eyes. Spanish he could cope with. His partner had taught him a little German over the years, but French? He'd never have to use it, so he'd never bothered to try to understand it. Now he was at a complete loss. Ramsey saw the brief flash of bewilderment in the indigo blue eyes and swooped.

'Perhaps Mr Starsky would care to order for us all?' he asked expansively.

The brunet looked up sharply and saw the others looking at him expectantly. He swallowed and went back to the menu.

L'entrée Francais L'entrée Polynesia

Pate de foie gras Ahi Poke

La piperade Lomi Lomi

Pissaladière

La salade (de) chèvre

La salade niçoise

La soupe à l'oignon

What the hell was he supposed to choose? It could all be stewed car parts with a side of tree for all he knew. Shit!

Gina looked venomously at Ramsey, understanding now why he'd put on the display of friendship. He didn't want their company. He was using this as a chance to get back at her for handing in her notice! He wanted to belittle Starsky and he was doing it in the most public way he could. She knew at that moment she'd made the right choice in getting out and she took a breath.

'It would be very bad manners indeed for two new guests to dictate what everyone should eat. We don't want to impose.'

'Oh it's no imposition Gina. Mr. Starsky will make a superb selection for us all' Ramsey said with a wolf-like grin.

Starsky looked at the menu and then summoned over the waiter. 'What does the chef recommend today?' he asked as calmly as he could.

The waiter puffed up his chest importantly. 'Ichiban Ahi as a starter and for the main course Lau Lau.'

'Great' the brunet sighed. 'We'll have that all round.' He breathed a sigh of relief and was just putting down his menu when the waiter handed him another fat tome.

'The wine, Sir?'

Ramsey grinned. 'Oh yes, the wine Mr. Starsky. Would you care to order that too?'

The cop looked at the wine list and cringed. 'Sure' he said with a confidence he didn't feel.

St Veran Louis Latour

St Francis Chardonnay

Laurensford Sauvignon Blanc

Salena Estate Shiraz

Terrazas Alto Malbec

Chateau Canada

Starsky was at a loss until his mind went back to the night in the Italian Restaurant all those years ago. What had his partner told him then? Vino de Casa – house wine. That was it. With a flourish, he put the wine list down and ordered four bottles of the house wine, two white, two red as the waiter nodded in approval and Gina squeezed his hand encouragingly. Across the table, Ramsey glared, his sport at an end for the time being.

As the night went on, the slimy lawyer made as much as he could of the cop's inadequacies and Starsky tried for Gina's sake to be calm and not rise to the bait. It helped that his girl sat close to him, her hand always on his knee and her head for the most part resting on his shoulder. Throughout the uncomfortable meal, Ramsey constantly singled the cop out for questions about the law, always technical and always difficult and always Starsky answered in the same way. He wasn't a lawyer, but this was his opinion.

By the time the desert course arrived, he'd had enough. His blood was at boiling point and if Gina hadn't been there he'd have let his temper go and ripped into the smarmy man. But he knew he couldn't and so when things got too much, he excused himself and made for the gent's bathrooms, hiding in there until his temper had cooled some.

Meanwhile, out in the restaurant, Gina sidled over to her boss and glared at him.

'There was no need for any of that. He's done nothing to you and yet you treat him like some kind of moron.'

'But that's what he is Gina darling. A moron. All cops are. I swear they have a frontal lobotomy before they join up. I'm just making you see how much better you could do. I'm trying to show you the error of your ways darling.'

The woman ripped her arm away from Ramsey's damp hand. 'I'm happy to be getting out of it' she snapped.

'Are you? Are you really sure you should get out?' Ramsey put his hand into his inside pocket and pulled out an envelope. He pushed it towards Gina and she took it uncertainly.

'What's this?' she asked

'Just a little reminder that you should stay. Take a look.'

With shaking hands, the woman opened the envelope and gasped at the photographs inside. All were glossy Polaroid's of her and Ramsey in the throes of having sex, all timed and dated and leaving nothing to the imagination. She was stunned. How had he got them? What had she done? She stared at him, lost for words.

'And don't think you can destroy them darling. I have the negatives of course. Oh, and also the full colour video from which I took the stills. Stay with the firm, otherwise your silly little cop boyfriend and all his friends at the Bay City Police Department will have a free showing.'

'You wouldn't' she gasped.

'Not if you stay. But set one foot out of line….. make one false move, or try to tell anyone and…. Well let's just say your man isn't going to respect you very much. And you two seem so much in love.'

'We are' Starsky's voice sounded behind her. Gina dropped the photos and scrabbled under the table to pick them up, stuffing them back into the envelope before she got up. 'What's up honey?' the brunet asked.

'Nothing' she muttered. 'I um… I have a headache. Will you take me home?'