RANSVESTIA

as the shooting started. We tried to block them at the door, but they just came bursting out. I musta hit one guy but they got Jimmy before I -- I ......

"

"You were fired on, too," said Bud with more sympathy than he felt.

"Yeah," Seivers was eager. "I hit the deck when Jimmy went down. They dragged two of their guys into the one car they took off in. I think I hit it again when I fired after it." You shouldn't have had a shell left, thought Bud, and you know it. Now, it's going to tear you apart, whether or not Jimmy Walsh lives.

"You didn't see what happened up here?" asked Bud.

""

"No," Seivers skook his head. "But when I came up, Ledano he pointed to the now grey-shrouded corpse near the door, was firing at her." He indicated Candy. "She took him out, and then surrendered to me when I identified myself."

((

Hamilton looked through the open doorway to the other two shrouded bodies beyond. "Did Bassaglia have a gun?" he asked.

It was Owens who answered. "Yeah, a '38'" he said.

"Was it fired?” asked Bud.

"No," Owens shook his head. "I picked it up. The clip was full and it was cold. I smelled it and it was just gun oil."

Hamilton turned and looked at the woman seated on the bed. She looked back at him. Her pictures had not done her justice. True, she was still quite heavily made up, false eyelashes and thick eyeshadow about her blue eyes, but her skin was quite smooth and her high cheekbones gave her a classy look even against the cheap decor of Lou Bassaglia's apartment.

"So you were Lou's bodyguard," said Hamilton, feeling Seivers and Owens start with surprise at his statement.

-85-