RANSVESTIA RA

youth to come and open the door. In a white T-shirt, jeans with a heavy leather belt, socks and oxford shoes, Michael Russell had resumed possession of Candy's body. His dark hair was plastered to one side with grease, though it was still too long to be called masculine. With a smooth skin, no eyebrows to speak of, thin, small nose, Michael Russell now looked like a young hustler, definitely queer.

"You don't have to say it," he said, when Bud was well into the room,. Even his voice was 'fruity'. "I look bloody awlful, don't I?”

"Yes," said Hamilton candidly.

The blue eyes relaxed a little. "Have you reported all you know about me yet to your bosses?" The neutral voice was tense.

"No," said Hamilton. He was pleased to see the slender shoulders relax a little. He accepted the offer of coffee and went to sit on the only rocker-recliner in the place.

Michael Russell brought the coffee on a small tray, not bending from the waist the way a man would, to put the coffee on the table, but bending his knees as of he was still wearing a skirt. As he handed Bud a cup, Bud saw that his nails were still feminine, though covered now by a clear polish.

"What do you want from me?" Russell was quite direct. Without holding anything back, Bud Hamilton told Michael Russell all about his conversations with Jack Buck and his law- yer, and about the street gossip as reported by Al Seivers and Ray Pezanski.

"Well, it's true, isn't it?" said Michael Russell with a touch of bitterness. "You do have me tucked away in here, don't you? And if I don't cooperate with you, you'll throw me to the wolves, right? The press, the courts, everybody will have a field day when I go to court. Do you think they'll let me wear one of Candy's miniskirts there? That would really bring in the crowds, wouldn't it?”

"Probably," said Bud quietly, watching the other build up

his rage.

Michael Russell turned his brilliant blue, enraged eyes upon the detective. He was about to say more, but he checked himself and Bud could almost see him take back control over his body. "So, what do you want?” he asked slowly.

"Justice," said Hamilton, having received his chance. "Justice for Louie Bassaglia and justice for Jimmy Walsh. One deserved to die, and the other didn't. But neither deserved to die by the hand of Jack Buck. He's the one I really want. He and whoever really pulled the trigger on the gun that killed Jimmy Walsh."

-54-