Chapter 7
It was about 0900 by the time Starsky climbed the steps leading into his apartment. He had been up all night searching for Hutch and he was exhausted. He took a quick shower and flopped on his bed hoping to get a couple hours of shut eye before going to the station. He was sound asleep when he heard some kind of movement in his bedroom. He rolled over and reached for the gun that he kept in the drawer of his nightstand. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Lieutenant."
Starsky was hit in the face hard enough that his lip was bleeding. He drew back his fist to fight back but he heard the clicking sound of a gun's hammer being pulled back. He wiped the blood from his lip and noticed that there were three men standing in his room. "Who are you and what do you want?" He asked through clenched teeth with anger showing on his face. He sat up in his bed leaning against the headboard.
"I'm hurt you don't already know." The older, well-dressed man said.
"I take it you're either Monroe or Spitzer and these clowns are your goons."
"Let me first introduce myself and my staff. I am Thomas Monroe and this," he pointed to the man who hit Starsky, "is my associate Pete Parks."
Starsky took his eyes off of Monroe and looked at Parks and said, "I'll get even with you for this," as he wiped more blood from his lip. Parks laughed.
"This gentleman," Monroe pointed to the man holding the gun, "Is Joe Malone."
"Well, let me introduce myself," Starsky said as he pointed his index finger at each of them in one sweeping movement. "I'm your worst nightmare."
His remark was met with laughter. "Now, Officer, there's no need for this kind of tension between us. We all know why we're here," Monroe said. He spoke in a voice of authority and his mannerisms told Starsky that he was in control. And being outnumbered three-to-one, Monroe was calling all the shots, for now at least.
"No, we all don't know why you busted into my place. But I'm all ears, if you want to explain it."
"Ah, now we get down to the nitty-gritty," Monroe continued. "Spitzer will be out of my way by the end of today. Now that I know you and Hutchinson are working together again, you will both allow me to continue to sell my merchandise."
"Not a chance. You know Hutch and I will bust you as soon as we get enough evidence on you. Who knows, you just might find yourself behind bars by the end of the day. You just confessed to a murder."
Monroe looked at his two men then back at Starsky, "I said nothing about a murder, Officer. I merely stated that Spitzer will be out of my way. I didn't expect you to just sit back and let me operate without some incentive. And I know that you and Hutchinson probably can't be bought with any amount of money, correct?"
"That's right. Hutch and I aren't for sale at any price."
"Everyone has their price, Lieutenant. Name yours."
"I told you, Hutch and I aren't for sale."
"Let's change tactics for a minute then, shall we? Money may not be your price, but I know what is."
"You think so?"
"I know so." Monroe looked very assure of himself.
Starsky didn't know what Monroe had in mind but he was pretty sure he wasn't going to like it. "What's that?"
"Your friends. Hutchinson's in the hospital right now being guarded. But he's just one person you care about it, isn't he?"
Starsky didn't say a word, he just looked at Monroe. The phone rang and Starsky looked at it. "Go on, pick it up. It's your Captain. I wouldn't advise you tell him you have company."
Starsky picked up the phone, "Starsky here."
"Starsky, I just wanted you to know Rosie was hit riding her bike. It was a hit-and-run. I'm at the hospital now." Starsky could tell his captain had tears in his eyes.
"Is she okay?" Starsky asked quickly as the anger inside him was building. He knew it was one of Monroe's men that had run the little girl down.
"I don't know, Dave. It looks like just a broken arm, but they've taken her to x-ray."
"I'll be there as soon as I can, Cap'n." Starsky hung up the phone. "I see where you're coming from now. You're not man enough to play with the big boys; you have to go after little girls."
"I have every intention of moving my merchandise. I know threatening you and your partner will get me nowhere."
"You got that right," Starsky said with a matter-of-fact tone.
"We both also know that if I get rid of you and Hutchinson, the department will just put someone in your place like they did when the last two lieutenants had their unfortunate accidents. Here's the way things are going to work. You and Hutchinson will keep your present positions in the department. I think we can work a way to keep my operation intact without jeopardizing your careers. Do I make myself clear?" He received only a cold hard stare from Starsky. "If we have to take it further, Huggy might be next or the good captain's lovely wife. And I promise you next time, it'll be more than just a fall from a bike."
Starsky weighed his options and at the moment, he didn't have a choice but to agree to Monroe's demands. He bowed his head in defeat, "Hutch and I will stay out of your way," he pointed his finger at Monroe again, "But, you'd better not hurt anyone else, or make no mistake, we'll come after you and there won't be enough of you left for your own mother to recognize. Now, get out of my place." He got up and bent down to pick up his jeans that were on the floor. When he stood up, he slugged Parks, "Now we're even."
Before he left, Monroe said, "Remember, no one's to know about our little arrangement. I have eyes and ears everywhere, remember that, Officer." Monroe and his men left.
Starsky hurried and finished getting dressed. He checked his gun to make sure it was fully loaded and put it back in its holster. After grabbing a jacket, he ran out the door. Starsky ran into the waiting room to find Captain Dobey sitting next to Edith trying to console her. Starsky squatted in front of Edith and put his hands on her shoulders, "She'll be fine," he said in a soft, soothing voice. "Where's Cal?" He asked Captain Dobey.
"He's with some friends at the movies. I sent Baker to pick him up." Starsky nodded.
The doors opened and Cal, the Dobey's son, entered the room followed by Baker. "Dad, is she okay? What happened?" He sounded very concerned for his little sister.
Captain Dobey explained how Rosie was in front of their house riding her bike and a car came up on the sidewalk and hit her just hard enough to knock her down. He said that Rosie had a broken arm but they wanted to take her to x-ray to make sure everything was okay. Cal sat next to his mother.
The doctor came in and said that Rosie had a broken right arm and would be in a cast for about six weeks but she would be just fine. He said he was just about to put a cast on her and would allow her parents and Cal to be with her. Starsky said, "Go ahead, Cap'n. I'll check on Hutch."
Edith wiped away her tears before she entered her daughter's room. Rosie was lying in the bed with her head elevated a little. "They gave me medicine so it doesn't hurt anymore."
"That's good, Honey," Edith said. She pulled up a chair and sat beside her youngest child.
Rosie looked at Captain Dobey with big, sad eyes, "Daddy, why would someone knock me off my bike?"
"I don't know, Sweetheart, but I'm going to find out."
A tear rolled down the little girl's face. Cal walked up beside her and wiped it away, "Rosie, don't be scared. It'll be okay. I broke my arm too, remember?"
"I'm not scared. That's not why I'm crying."
"Then why are you crying?" Cal asked.
"I just got that bike for my birthday and it's broken."
"I promise I'll get you a new one, okay?" Captain Dobey said.
"Really?"
"I promise. This wasn't your fault." Captain Dobey hugged his daughter so hard she said he was hurting her arm. He broke the embrace and stood next to Edith. After the cast was put on Rosie, Captain Dobey asked Edith to take the kids home saying he had some things he needed to look into. He asked Baker to follow his family home and to keep a watch on them. Captain Dobey said goodbye to his family, and got in the elevator and pushed the button to the third floor.
Starsky walked into Hutch's room to find Hutch lying down but wide awake. "I thought you were going home to get some sleep, you look like hell there, partner." Hutch said. Starsky looked around the room. He even opened the closet. "We're alone. Starsk, what's wrong?" Hutch just noticed that his partner looked like he'd seen a ghost.
"I can't say a whole lot, not here, but we've got more problems, Hutch." Starsky was pacing like a caged animal.
Hutch studied the look on his partner's face a minute and knew whatever it was had Starsky shook up. "Just relax and tell me about it."
"I had a visitor."
"Spitzer or Monroe?"
"Monroe. Hutch, we're in it now and I don't know what to do."
Captain Dobey opened the door and said, "You don't know what to do about what, Starsky?"
Not wanting to reveal Monroe's threat just yet, Starsky said, "What to do about dinner. See, I can't decide if I want to go to Huggy's or that new Mexican restaurant Kiko's mother opened."
"Don't play that game with me. What are you hiding, Starsky, and if it has anything to with Rosie being hit…"
"Rosie was hit? What?" Hutch interrupted.
"Rosie was hit by a hit-and-run driver. She has a broken arm," Starsky said. He turned his back to Dobey so only Hutch could see the look in his eyes. Hutch knew that whatever happened had everything to do with what happened to Rosie.
"Starsky! I want it and I want it now!" Dobey sounded like a very angry father.
Starsky put his finger to his pursed lips, "Shhhh," he whispered, "Captain, I can't tell you much but Hutch and I have to work this out ourselves. I promise I'll explain everything but not here, not now."
Captain Dobey lowered his voice to match Starsky's, "Are you telling me you have something to do with what happened with Rosie?" Starsky had a very hurt look on his face, his mouth was wide open and he looked stunned. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I know you'd never hurt her. Just tell me, what the hell is going on."
Starsky shook his head no and said, "I can't, Cap'n. I just can't. Please, just give me and Hutch a little time."
"Time! Hutch's is already in the hospital. What am I supposed to do, let you go off on some wild private party on your own? You know how I feel about private parties."
"I know, Cap'n. Trust me, please." He looked at Captain Dobey with those pleading dark blue eyes.
Captain Dobey looked at Hutch who just shrugged his shoulders. It was obvious that Starsky hadn't told Hutch what was going on either. He huffed, "All right. Just tell me how worried I should be."
Starsky made a motion with his hand like he was up to his eyes in trouble. Dobey closed his eyes and quietly walked out of the room. He knew Starsky needed to fill Hutch in on whatever it was they had gotten themselves into this time.
As soon as Dobey left the room, Hutch sat up, "What's going on?"
Starsky sat in the chair next to Hutch, "Monroe paid me a visit. Rosie getting hit by a car was just a warning."
"A warning?"
"Yep. Seems he likes us in our current positions and wants us to stay there. He also expects us to let him operate or more accidents will happen. He knows he can't buy us or make threats against each other to make us do what he wants, so…" Starsky stood up and started pacing.
"He had someone hit Rosie to keep us in line."
"You got it." Starsky sat back down. "God, Hutch, what are we supposed to do? He said he has eyes and ears everywhere. Who do we trust?"
"We trust Me and Thee, partner, like always. We can't tell anyone else or they'll be in danger too."
"Dobey already knows something. What do we tell him, Hutch?"
"Nothing. We tell him nothing until we can figure out how we're gonna get Monroe." Hutch watched as Starsky started pacing the floor again. "Starsk, you need some rest and so do I before we both pass out from exhaustion. Monroe isn't going to do anything else right now. He thinks he has us. Sleep a couple of hours in the recliner and we'll come up with a plan later."
Starsky knew Hutch was right. Neither of them was in any shape to think straight right now, let alone come up with a workable plan to catch Monroe at his own game. Starsky looked at the recliner and agreed. He eased the recliner into a comfortable position and he fell asleep quickly.