RANSVESTIA

There was no one in the dark cabin into which I was ushered by the steward. "Mr. Lawrence will join you shortly sir," he said, as he closed the door quietly.

I meant to explore the cabin, the expensive wall coverings and fittings, but the photographs on top of the oaken desk caught my attention, as they'd likely been intended to. They were the photos of Romy and "her" friends aboard the Beau Sejour. But how could they be aboard this boat?

I was pondering that pretty hard, when the door opened and two women came in. I recognized Adelie right away, but it wasn't till she took the hand of the cute, made-up brunette that I recognized "her," too. She was Brennan Lawrence, in a tight purple silk dress, with heavy gold bracelets on both arms, a thick necklace that must have cost a fortune and earrings to match.

Brennan Lawrence was as assured as a woman as he was tentative and nervous as a man. He moved easily to the desk and sat down, arranging the folds of his skirt over his dark stockings. His makeup was skillfull but at the same time heavily applied and it seemed that the feminine fragrance in the room came mainly from him. Adelie followed behind him and leaned on the back of his high chair. His hand, with what must have been artificial long, red fingernails, met hers and they clasped together. Adelie was looking at me with great hostility.

"Sit down, Mr. Evans," Lawrence's "female" voice was soft and lilting, quite convicing with the teased curls about his face and neck.

"Where did you get those?" I pointed at the photographs, eyeing both of the women in front of me with as much contempt as I could show.

Lawrence opened the top drawer of the desk and pushed across a typed letter. It was a blackmail threat.

I swore as I read it. The more I looked at Brennan Lawrence, the more I realized I had been looking at him, or rather at "her," in the photos with Romy. She was the one who didn't wear bikinis like the other girls, though I was getting more doubtful about them as I looked at the now-feminine Brennan Lawrence.

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