Chapter 15

Gina walked into her office late the next morning feeling dirty, used and more than a little sore. She was trapped, she knew that, but she'd done what Ramsey had ordered and he'd promised that she wouldn't need to do anything else. She'd convinced herself that this nightmare was now at an end and that Ramsey would let her alone and in a few days she could leave, get out of Bay City, out of California and even out of the country.

She slid into her place behind her desk, smiling weakly at some of the other PAs who were already at work. They couldn't help but stare at the woman who was habitually in first and always impeccably groomed. Today she looked pale, almost grey. Her usually beautifully tailored suit seemed to hang from her frame and she had black circles under her eyes. Always one to greet others on the way in, this morning Gina barely managed to meet their gaze and instead set to work immediately, feeding her sheet of paper into the typewriter and beginning to type. She hit the wrong key and cursed, dabbing at the error with an eraser and started again. A moment later she hit another wrong key and this time she gave a small cry, leaned her head on her arms on the computer and sobbed.

As one of the other women got up to come to comfort her, Ramsey got up from behind his desk and rushed outside, the picture of avuncular concern. He put his arms around her and guided her into his office, closing the door behind him. And as he made sure they weren't being watched he turned to her and held out a tissue.

'Just what the hell are you playing at darling?' he asked sharply.

She looked up at him with open disbelief in her eyes. 'As if you didn't know!'

'Don't tell me you didn't enjoy last night as much as I did. And as for Davey boy. Well….. "Gina…. No…yea, more, oh God please just….oh my God, I'm gonna cum honey, I can't hold on" Ramsey made a passable impersonation of the mild Brooklyn accent as he clawed dramatically at his chest. 'David certainly wasn't complaining.'

'You're evil' Gina exclaimed. You have no idea how much you're hurting me, and ultimately David. Please, just stop this now. I'll go away. I promise I'll never contact you. Your sordid little secrets are safe with me, but for Gods sake, this has to stop now' she sobbed uncontrollably.

Ramsey put his arm around her and drew her to him as a lover might pet their partner. He shushed her and stroked her hair and for a moment she really thought that he might relent and let her go. She tried to dry her eyes and heaved a deep unsteady breath and as she pushed herself away from him he smiled at her.

'See? That's so much better! You've made all your pretty eye make up run. Take a minute and get yourself cleaned up in the washroom huh? And then get back out there and do some work. You can take tonight off.'

She looked at him sharply. 'Tonight? What do you mean I can take tonight off?'

'Well you don't need to do anything tonight. Go out. Enjoy yourself. Have a nice easy time with your date.'

'I'm not seeing him again' she said forcefully.

Ramsey grabbed her by the arm and dragged her across the office. He slammed her against the wall and held her there, all pretenses at friendliness gone as he fixed her with a stare. 'You are going to see him again. And for that little show of defiance, you'll be seeing him again tonight.'

'No. I don't want to. He hasn't telephoned me. He doesn't want to see me.'

'Then he's a crazy man. Phone him. Now' Ramsey pulled her over to the desk and put the phone in her hand.

'I can't. He's at work' she blustered.

'That didn't stop you the other day. Just tell him you want a nice quiet night with him, ok? Maybe at the disco? And afterwards….. Well lets see what happens afterwards' Ramsey said as he punched in the numbers to the BCPD. He waited till Gina had been put through and held her as she made the arrangements and as the call finished, he took the receiver from her and replaced it.

'Good girl. Now run along and get me the depositions for the big fraud case huh? And I don't want to be disturbed for the next hour. I have um…. personal things to deal with.'

Gina walked to the office door but was stopped as she put her hand on the handle. 'And darling? Remember our arrangement. If the police or Dave finds out what's happening, the whole of BCPD will suddenly find themselves watching two videos now. And just imagine how little Davey will feel with his butt plastered all over their televisions.'

As the woman walked out of the office and closed the door behind her, Ramsey took the video he'd been leant from his desk drawer. It showed a woman bound to a pillory on the front and the blurb at the back read like a third rate porn novel. "4 convicts of a small country where short prison sentences may be changed to corporal punishments. Though this form of Corporal Punishment is optional, once the process has begun, it can only be interrupted if the doctor thinks it is necessary". The lawyer licked his lips in anticipation and loaded the cassette into the player. For the next hour he and his right hand remained busy while the outside world continued to work. At the end of it, he first, dialed the number that Jeff the store keeper had given him and made a lucrative deal and second he formulated what he knew he wanted to happen with his own private little whore next.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Hutch picked up Alice from the hospital just after Starsky received an unexpected call from Gina to say that she would like to meet him and maybe they could go to the disco that night? The brunet had stared at the mic in disbelief after the way she'd almost thrown him out of the apartment. Haltingly he accepted the date and as he put the mic down slowly he stared at it, as though he might have misheard.

'That's one special girl ya got there buddy' Hutch said wistfully. He hadn't heard from Sarah in two days and the newness of being single again was still raw and abrasive. He didn't think he had the energy any more to go out and start looking for another woman. First Van, then Gillian, then that flake Diana who had led him to Sarah. And at first she'd been everything he hoped a girl could be. In the hospital when she'd cared for him she'd been kind and warm and gentle. When he'd met her afterwards, she continued those traits, but once she'd moved in it was as though someone had flicked a switch and she'd changed from happy caring Sarah to jealous possessive Sarah almost overnight. He sighed, but was happy that at least his partner seemed to have found someone he could be happy with. In a small measure, that made him feel a little better.

'I know she's lovely, but I can't get a handle on her' Starsky said, his voice holding more than a little concern. What is it with women Hutch? So help me, if I live to be a hundred I'll never understand 'em. Why can't we just marry each other huh? At least I understand ya. It'd be so much easier.'

'Uh huh. Which side of the bed do ya want?' the blond asked smoothly. Rumors abounded in the Metro about just how close the detectives were, but he and Starsky were just friends. Close friends – closer than anyone else they knew, but friends nonetheless.

They'd been working all morning but they'd come up with very little on the Reno telephone number. It was an answer machine and they'd not thought it particularly prudent to leave a message. 'Please Mr. Kink. Could you get in touch with the two cops who want to arrest you?' somehow didn't cut it. So they made a quick call to the Reno police and sat back to wait.

So now, as Hutch pulled into the parking lot, he told Starsky to stay put while he went in to collect his new patient. A quarter of an hour later, and laden with medications and flowers, Hutch and Alice made their way across the hot tarmac to the car. As the blond opened the door for her, Starsky scooted into the back seat and smiled warmly at her. The nurses had done a pretty good job with her hair and now it was cut in a short elfin style which framed her face and made her look years younger. She was ordinarily a beautiful woman, but now she seemed to stand out further from the crowd and Starsky could almost understand why Hutch had had a soft spot from her right from the time they'd met.

'Hey honey, how're ya feelin'?' he asked as she got carefully into the car. It was only as she sat forward to check on something that Starsky saw the raised welts still across her back through the silky material of her blouse and he winced sympathetically.

'I'm ok Suga' she said softly, her southern drawl making her seem even more childlike. 'Handsome Hutch is gonna make sure I'm ok' she said almost shyly. Starsky glanced at Hutch as he got into the car, but made no comment.

'An' he'll do a great job. Just don't let him smother you in kindness' the brunet replied. 'Believe me, when he gets the Florence McNightlight look, he's the very devil to get shut of.'

Alice giggled. 'Oh my. Him an' me are gonna be just fine' she murmured and Starsky caught a look of something that looked suspiciously like love in her eyes.

Hutch dropped Starsky off at his house first with an agreement that he would meet him at the disco later that night. The brunet had been worried about the blond. Hutch seemed somehow distant and he was concerned that with everything that had gone on with Gina, he wasn't giving enough attention to his partner. He knew Hutch was hurting about splitting up with Sarah and hoped that he wasn't looking out for Alice on the rebound. He surmised it must be his feelings for Alice and he vowed that once the night was over, he'd make time for some man time with the tall blond and they could thrash out the issue.

In the meantime, he flipped a wave at Hutch and Alice and made his way up his steps to get ready for his night out. The two people left in the car watched him go and Alice turned to the blond.

The woman reached out and placed her hand on the flaxen haired cop's knee. 'You're a good man Hutch. Whoever catches ya is gonna be mighty happy.'

He smiled at her and turned the car in the direction of home, arriving 10 minutes later. He helped Alice from the car and up the steps to his apartment, nudged open the door and helped her in. She stopped and looked around at the chaos that was Hutch's world. Clothes were strewn across the room, dirty dishes filled the sink and newspapers littered the floor. The only things that were neat and orderly were the plants in their pots and hangers. He saw her face and chuckled.

'Some of it's me. I'm not a neat freak like Starsk. Some of it is Sarah's way of lettin' me know she's gone. She kinda trashed the place before she left. I just haven't really got around to cleanin' it yet.'

'Mind if I tidy up a little?' Alice asked. There was no accusation in her voice, just a willingness to help out and he nodded.

'Sure. But not tonight huh? You're tired an' ya need your rest. I think you're the same size as Sarah, she's bound to have left some clothes around here. Feel free. You sure you don't mind me leavin' ya tonight?'

'Hey Suga. In my line of work, I love to have a night in all to myself' she smiled. 'Just go an' be with Starsky huh? He sounded like he could use a friend.

'Yeah, this girl – Gina. She has him pretty screwed up. She isn't as straight forward as you honey' Hutch leaned over and pecked her on the cheek as she reached up and cupped his cheek.

'You'll make someone a good husband Hutch.'

'Sure' he agreed, blushing

'Just not me huh?' she asked sadly.

As the blond walked away he sighed. 'Maybe some time Alice. But not now.'