Chapter 8

Starsky and Hutch were only able to sleep a couple of hours, but they were use to functioning on little or sometimes no sleep. "Maybe Ray will roll over on Monroe or what about one of his other goons?"

"Maybe, but we can't do anything until I'm outta here." Hutch tried to sit on the edge of the bed but he was just too weak and the pain in his ribs stopped him from moving. He cringed and grabbed his chest with both arms.

"Hutch, come on now, don't hurt yourself worse," Starsky's voice was very calm and reassuring as he helped Hutch back into the bed. He covered Hutch back up. "Don't worry, we'll get him. You'll feel better tomorrow." Starsky poured Hutch some water and handed it to him.

"Thanks." Hutch sounded defeated.

"When you get out of here tomorrow we'll go to the station and start on Ray."

"What are you going to do today?" Hutch asked as he finished the water.

"I'm going to the station in a little while and see what I can dig up on Monroe and the rest of his creeps. I want us to interrogate Ray together tomorrow. I'll be back in a few hours and let you know what I find out. I just hope I don't run into Dobey."

"Too late for that. Dobey's here and he thinks it's time for some answers." Starsky turned around and saw Captain Dobey standing in the doorway.

Hutch sank into his bed and turned his head away. Starsky said, "Come in, Cap'n. Hutch and I were just discussing what we're going to do."

"Hutch and you are going to start by telling me what the hell is going on here and now." Dobey's voice was low but had a very angry tone to it.

Hutch didn't want to tell Captain Dobey anything. But the captain was suspicious already and he knew he may as well let him in on what they did know. He nodded at Starsky for him to go ahead and tell him. Starsky pulled another chair beside Hutch's bed. "Captain, I had some visitors at my apartment this morning. A Thomas Monroe informed me that he wants me and Hutch to continue in our current positions. He let me know, in no uncertain terms, that we are to let him take over Big John's area. He knows he can't buy us with money so…"

"He's threatening you by going after your friends," Captain Dobey said as he stared at both of his detectives.

"Rosie was just the first, Cap'n. He said he'd go after Huggy, Edith and everyone else Hutch and I care about if we don't cooperate. He also said he has eyes and ears everywhere," Starsky said as he patted his captain's shoulder.

"We thought we'd start by having a little chat with Ray as soon as I can get out of here tomorrow. Maybe the two of us together can persuade him to give us enough on Monroe to have him put away," Hutch said as he sat up a little.

"Oh, Captain, Monroe also said that Spitzer would be out of his way by the end of the day."

"Monroe didn't go to your place alone. Who was with him?"

"A Pete Parks and Joe Malone," Starsky said as he rubbed his lip that still hurt from the blow Parks gave him.

"All right, I'll have someone look…"

"No!" Starsky and Hutch said simultaneously.

"You can't say anythin' to anyone, Cap'n," Starsky said.

"He's right, Captain. If anyone else goes digging around, Monroe will go after someone else. We can't risk it," Hutch said. He held up an empty Styrofoam cup.

"We won't risk it. There's too much at stake. We have to do this on our own." Starsky took the cup from Hutch and filled it with some ice water from the pitcher on the table and handed it to Hutch.

"How's Rosie, Captain?" Hutch asked. He looked at Starsky and raised his eyebrows thanking him for the water.

"She has a broken right arm but she's okay. She asked me why someone knocked her off her bike." He wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I want the two of you to be extra careful this time. If this Monroe's willing to do this to Rosie there's no telling what he's willing to do with the two of you."

"We thought about that too, Captain," Hutch said struggling to keep his eyes open.

"Okay, that's it. Hutch, you need some sleep. I'll be back before I go home," Starsky said as he stood up and straightened Hutch's pillow and covered him up.

"Is it safe for you to go home tonight?" Hutch asked.

"I refuse to be scared in my own place. I'll be fine. Monroe thinks I'm giving into his demands and right now I'm going to let him think just that."

Captain Dobey stood up and stretched his arms out in front of him. "You say I can't dig into Monroe's record, what do I do about Rosie? How do I find out who hit her? I can't just let that go, I won't."

"I know, Cap'n. Maybe you can find out who Monroe hired without actually looking to catch Monroe," Starsky said.

"Starsky, do even hear yourself. That makes absolutely no sense."

"I understood what he meant."

"You would," Dobey mumbled.

"No, think about it a minute. If you don't do anything, it will be obvious that we told you about Monroe. You can look for who hit Rosie without linking the two events."

"Exactly. You find out who hit Rosie and make it look like it had nothing to do with Monroe and his little operation."

"Everyone thinks Simmons and Babcock have run out of clues in the Stratton and Martin case." Captain Dobey sighed, "I guess I can assign them to this. I hate not telling them everything."

"You know the more people that know about Monroe…"

Starsky started to say but Hutch cut him off. "Let them in on it, Starsk. That way they'll know to stay away from Monroe. I know it's dangerous but there in danger anyway. At least if they know, they can be careful."

"Yeah, but I thought we decided not to tell anyone," Starsky said, sounding confused that Hutch had changed his mind.

Dobey sat back down as he watched his favorite team think things out. He loved how they could bounce ideas off each other.

"I know. But think about it, Starsk. Monroe wants us to feel alone and separated from the rest of the department."

"He's setting us up to take one hell of a fall if he is caught. He'll have a lot of proof that we're on the take."

"Do you buy it?"

"I buy it. So who do we tell then? He said he has eyes everywhere."

"I don't think he does. He doesn't know that we know about the bugs he had planted."

"He probably does by now, Richard was arrested. And we removed the ones out of our apartments."

"I forgot about Richard. I don't think any of Stratton's or Martin's men are involved."

"Okay, so we tell them. All of them."

"Yes."

"Starsky, who exactly did Monroe threaten?" Captain Dobey asked.

"Everyone Hutch and I care about including Edith and Huggy. We can't protect them all if that's what you're thinking."

"Hutch, let's wait until after we talk to Ray before we decide to tell anyone anything, except Huggy. Go on and let him know everything. Maybe he can come up with something we can use against Monroe. Captain, continue looking into who hit Rosie but let's keep the rest of it under wraps until we talk to Ray, okay?" Captain Dobey nodded in agreement.

"Okay. Be here first thing in the morning and spring me outta here, then we'll talk to Ray, Starsk." Hutch yawned and laid his head on the pillow.

"That's enough for now. Hutch, you've got to get some rest."

"See you tomorrow, Hutchinson," Captain Dobey said as he left the room.

Starsky moved to the door to leave.

"Hey, Buddy?" Hutch said. Starsky just nodded. He knew Hutch was worried about him, no words were needed. Starsky opened the door and left.

Starsky went back to the station and was looking through the file on Monroe when Captain Dobey knocked on the door. "Come in." Captain Dobey opened the door and Starsky pointed to where the small listening device had been planted. He wanted the captain to know he had not removed it. Dobey nodded, acknowledging that he understood. Dobey had left the one in his office too.

"Starsky, you look beat. Take the rest of the day off. I mean it, go on home and get some rest. Hutch is going to need you tomorrow."

Starsky nodded and wrote Huggy's 2000 on a piece of paper. Captain Dobey stuck the paper in his pocket and nodded.