RANSVESTIA

Ellis shook his head bitterly. "I can't see anything but one perver- sion after another in this case."

"Well," said Hamilton, "let's review what we have. Danny Mezlivsky was shot twice in the back at close range in the bedroom. How could he get into such a position? Surely it must have been some one very close to him, a lover or something, perhaps a brother, to get him into the bedroom, someone whom he trusted. Why did he want to borrow Ryan Lucas' apartment? Couldn't he take the person he was meeting to his own apartment? Or did the murderer have to stay close to his or her own pad, perhaps to preserve an alibi? I think we'll get a lot of answers at the Riverview building. Right now, we have to move quickly to the address Gail Warren gave you before Richie, and his alibi, skip out on us."

At Hamilton's urging, Ellis used both lights and siren to get them quickly down to Manton. As they pulled up outside the Riverview Apartments, the first thing they noticed was that the place was being staked out by fellow detectives of the Central Precinct. Ellis waited while Hamilton went for a quick walk about the block. He was back within a minute. "The stake is on Tommaso Truppi," he said quickly, "and guess what? He's been living here for the last month or so with a girl friend, a platinum blonde with an unbelievable figure, name of Rachel Messina."

Ellis snapped his fingers. "That's the one! Moore's picture! I should have recognized her."

It was Rachel Messina who opened the door to the detectives' knocking. Gail Warren had understated the impact that the platinum blonde would have upon the two men. The black mini-dress was cut almost to the waist revealing a pair of beautifully shaped breasts thrusting forward above the tiny waist. Long, shapely legs, pert derriere and trim ankles were only part of the totally feminine effect. Rachel's platinum hair was long and flowing onto her shoulders. Her green eyeshadow above black-lined eyelids brought out the green- flecked color of her eyes, as did the pale pink lipstick. She almost pouted as she spoke.

"See anything you fancy, boys?" both men were taken aback at the sultry contralto.

"Rachel Messina?" Hamilton recovered first.

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