RANSVESTIA

Candy didn't look again into the dark eyes. She picked a spot on the bridge of Buck's slab-like nose and concentrated her gaze upon it. "No one," she said. "There was only Lou and I in the apartment."

""

"Aaaaah," Buck drew out a long sigh. Then he raised an arm and signalled from a nearby booth a young girl in a white dress glided across the floor to join them. "My niece, Artemisa," said Buck by way of introduction. He pointed a thick finger at Candy. "She says there was no one else up there.'

The dark girl looked at Candy with distaste; "Shots were reported after Basilio came out," she said. Her eyes were such a dark brown that Candy could not see the pupils at all. Slie regarded Candy with almost no emotion at all. A chill ran down Candy's bare back as she realized that this was Lou Bassaglia's killer. But more than that, the eyes were the eyes of Jack Buck. This one could calculate and would kill coldbloodedly, without passion.

Candy had to take her eyes off the slim, sallow-faced girl. For as much as she had taken in what this girl was like, so the girl was also examining 'Candy.' Candy felt the wig-hair touch the top of her bare shoulder as she moved. The earrings had been on too long and she longed to take them off, but she couldn't. She couldn't break the image these Bucks had of her.

"So, my dear," Buck's hand clamped itself onto Candy's thin, smooth-skinned arm, "We know that Lou didn't fire the shots that got Eddie and Dom. Which only leaves you in the apartment. He released his hold, Candy's arm now marked by large, red patches. "And we know that you couldn't kill anyone." He smiled. "Not a girl like you."

·

Candy moved her arm back to her side. She glanced at the emotionless Artemisia. "Women can kill," Candy said quietly.

Artremisia smiled, a sneer that didn't reach her eyes, cross- ing her thin, boney face. "Not a bimbo like you," she said softly, disgust on her face. "Whose bed are you going to warm to- night?"

Even as Candy felt herself going hot all over, her hose feel- ing especially tight and sensitive beneath the silky slip, Don Giovanni's face became enraged. "Artemisia!" he thundered, and beneath his anger. Candy could see something akin to real pain in his expression. But the image was fleeting and Jack Buck, cold and ruthless, was quickly back in place.

"I let you do thr work I should assign to others." Buck rasped. "I do this to try to keep you in the family. But if you take advantage of me....." His shrug was so slight a movement that it chilled Candy and had an immediate effect on Artemisia as well.

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