March 30, 1935:  New York City, New York:

The young man looked at himself one last time, staring directly into his own eyes.  His name was Justin Taylor.  He was twenty years old and hungry for success.  At the moment, he was also questioning himself deeply.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked himself out loud.  

Justin was standing in the ornate bathroom of his benefactor, Oscar Vanderbeke, and feeling vulnerable for the first time since meeting the much older man at the artist's show where Justin had several pieces on display.  He had been so excited when he received news from the art academy that he was attending that he had been among the chosen few to be allowed to hang at least three of their pieces during the annual 'New Artists of America Show', which brought out a lot of art patrons and critics during the pre-Christmas season.  It was a prestigious show that had launched a number of careers in the art world over the years, and Justin was one of the youngest to be asked to participate.  He had only been attending the academy for a year and a half.  His biggest hope had been that he would attract a patron that would help to get his work out into galleries.  When the elderly gentleman, who was dressed to the nines and looking every bit the wealthy art patron that he was, stopped to admire Justin's work and then went on to engage in a lively conversation about his art style, Justin was thrilled.  When the gentleman handed over his calling card with the name of Oscar Vanderbeke emblazoned in gold on it, Justin felt a sharp thrill.  Even more thrilling was the news his best friend, Daphne, passed on to him when she sidled up next to him as Oscar left, and breathlessly told him that one of the other artists told her that the man was one of the richest art dealers in the Country. 

Now, almost four months later, Justin was having second thoughts about his luck in meeting Oscar.  He knew he should stop stalling and go back downstairs to the drawing room of the palatial estate house that Oscar owned, but he really didn't want to argue with the man any more.  He considered just slipping out of the house and hailing a cab to go back to his cramped little apartment in the city, but he didn't really want to hurt the old man's feelings.  After all, Oscar might be asking him to do something he really didn't want to do, but the man had been really good to him up until this point.  He felt he owed him something for all he had done.  As he continued to stare into the gilded mirror, Justin thought back to the previous months.

********************************************************************************

December 12, 1934:  New York City, New York:

Justin had spent the last two days debating whether he should call the phone number on Mr. Vanderbeke's calling card.  Daphne displayed her frustration with her friend over his timidity.  'You'll never make it in this world if you don't stand up for yourself,' she had declared in a huff.  Justin allowed her to talk to him in any way she chose since they were lifelong friends.  Daphne had stood by him when his father had thrown him out of the family home after discovering Justin's deep dark secret, when he caught his son smooching on a high school friend... not of the female persuasion... in his bedroom just after graduation.  Despite his mother's pleas to be understanding, Justin was asked to leave the house immediately and ordered to never reveal his deviancy to the outside world and bring shame on the family name.  Daphne and her parents took Justin in until he was able to find a job that paid enough for a tiny apartment.  Luckily Justin's mother continued to slip him a little financial help on the side when she could without her husband knowing, and used the threat of Justin going public to convince her husband not to withdraw his financial support at the art school he was already enrolled in, thus ensuring that the young man would at least be able to get an education in his chosen field.  

Daphne enrolled in a nearby medical school that year and the two remained strong friends.  Now she was doing her best to get Justin to take advantage of the obvious interest that the art dealer had shown in Justin's work.  Luckily she didn't have to wait for Justin to make the first move.  Just as he was about to give in to Daph's nagging, he got a call at the apartment from Mr. Vanderbeke's assistant.  Justin accepted the invitation to luncheon the next day, which was to be held at one of the finest hotel restaurants in the city.  A free meal at such a prestigious place was not to be frowned upon or passed up.   Justin dressed as best he could in the suit he had always worn for Sunday dinners at home.  He had almost outgrown it and couldn't afford nicer clothes anymore, but he still looked pretty damned good despite the tight fit.  He took one more look at his dark blue pleated slacks and light blue shirt with the gray silk tie his mom had chosen for him.  He was pleased with the overall effect, especially when he added the maroon vest over his shirt and laid his jaunty newsboy cap atop his pale blond head.  He looked every bit the up and coming young artist, in his own mind.

That afternoon's luncheon with Oscar was the first of many such meetings over the next few months.  Oscar had spent the entire lunch hour praising Justin for his style of artistry and comparing him to many of the great artists of the past.  He made promises to help Justin further his career by making introductions to gallery owners and collectors, and he had kept those promises.  By the end of March, Justin had sold several pieces privately to a few customers that Oscar had introduced him to.  He hadn't gotten a showing at any of the galleries as of yet, but there had been interest shown.  It was enough to make Justin let down his guard and accept Oscar at face value.  That was why he was so shocked during the last week of March when he had supper with Oscar at his home, and the man made a request of Justin that seemed to come from out of the blue and was not entirely welcome.

******************************************************************

March 27, 1935: New York City, New York:

Justin had been invited to a dinner party at the Vanderbeke estate.  It was the first time he had been invited to a full gathering with other guests and he was super excited.  Oscar had told him that some of New York's finest art patrons would be attending and it was time to impress them.  He had requested that Justin bring his sketchbook and samples of his work with him.  The night had gone smoothly and Justin truly enjoyed himself, although he did feel a little out of place with all the glamorous ladies and gentlemen dressed in all their finery, topped off by diamonds and solid gold cuff links.  There had even been a few guests who showed a distinct interest in Justin's work.  The entire evening would have been a roaring success for the young man if it had not been for what transpired in Oscar's private study after most of the guests had left.  

One of the servants passed on a message that Oscar wanted to see Justin in the study.  He had gone without hesitation.  When he arrived in the large room filled with massive heavy oaken furniture and large stuffed divans, he found Oscar sitting behind the wide desk that dominated the room.  Another gentleman that Justin did not know was planted comfortably in a wide leather easy chair facing the desk.  Oscar rose to greet Justin the moment he arrived and then waited for the servant to leave the room.  Once the door was closed behind the young lady, Oscar quickly introduced his other guest as Mr. Christian Beecher.  Mr. Beecher rose and offered his hand.  Justin felt a strange sense of unease but couldn't put his finger on why.  Mr. Beecher was certainly not menacing in any way, but there was something off-putting about the greasy way the man smiled at Justin that he didn't like.  He turned back to Oscar.

"You wanted to see me," he inquired.  

"Yes, yes, my dear boy.  Justin, I have an offer to make to you that will set you up in such a way that all your financial woes for at least a  year or more will be over, and you can devote yourself to your art full time.  Are you interested?"

Justin hesitated only a second.  "I, of course, would be interested in hearing what the offer is, Sir," he stated.

That is when Oscar went on to outline a plan he had to have a famous painting owned by his friend, Mr. Beecher, copied.  When he saw Justin beginning to frown he hurriedly went on to add that it had nothing to do with anything illegal.  He insisted that Mr. Beecher simply wanted to display the copy publicly while protecting the safety of the original from the threat of thieves who had already stolen two of Mr. Beecher's masterpieces.  Until the culprits could be found, he did not want any more of his authentic paintings made vulnerable.  Both men hastily assured Justin that they had no intention of trying to sell the fakes and every intention of destroying them once the thieves had been caught.  Oscar smiled at Mr. Beecher as he remarked that he was certain that Justin had the talent to make an excellent copy that would fool those who saw the painting hanging in Mr. Beecher's home.  They hoped to lay a trap and entice the thieves to try again, only this time the staff at the estate and the police would be prepared. 

Justin was extremely uncomfortable with the notion.  Like many young artists, he had made duplicate copies of masterpieces for the practice and fun of it but had always destroyed them once they were completed.  They were not meant to be kept.  He had never even heard of Mr. Beecher before.  When Oscar saw how reluctant Justin was he made haste to let the young man know that there was no hurry.  His parting words to Justin were that he should take a few days to think about it.  Then he let the young man know that the job would pay $5,000.00.  It was a princely sum of money in the post Depression era and Justin left the house knowing he would have to think the offer over seriously.

**********************************************************************************

March 30, 1935:  New York City, New York:
     
Justin squared his shoulders as he took one last look in the mirror.  He had made up his mind over the last few days, and he had come to Oscar's estate with the determination that he would not accept the offer made to him by Oscar and Mr. Beecher.  There was just something fishy about the whole thing.  He had bounced his feelings off Daphne enough until he finally became convinced that refusing was the right thing to do despite the financial incentive.  The servant led Justin to Oscar's private bedroom, since the master of the house had insisted that he wanted to see Justin the minute he arrived.   Oscar, naturally, had not been happy when Justin gave him his decision.  The man had stormed out, throwing an order over his shoulder that Justin should think it over for a few minutes and then join him in the drawing room when he had come to his senses.  

Justin had not hurried after Oscar.  He was still in shock.  He had never seen Oscar lose his temper before, and it was a bit unnerving.  Still, he knew he had to face the man after all the kindnesses he had shown him until this one ugly scene.  He left the room and took the stairs down to the foyer.  He didn't see any of the half dozen servants that worked in the house or hear a single sound.  Justin approached the half open door to the drawing room.  He was just about to push it open when he heard an unfamiliar sound, like a clap of thunder.  He pressed forward just in time to see a man standing near the large sliding glass doors that led to the outside garden.  He was standing outside of the pool of light from the only lamp that was turned on in the room, and his face was too much in shadow for Justin to make out who he was.  The one thing that Justin could see plainly, as the light bounced off the gloved hand in front of the man, was the glint of metal.  Off to the side, lying on the floor with a red stain spreading quickly over his smoking jacket above his chest, was the figure of Oscar Vanderbeke.  
 
Justin let out an audible gasp, causing the mysterious figure to turn and face him.  Justin still couldn't make out the face, but he couldn't miss the action of the man as he lifted what Justin could now plainly see was a gun towards him.  The man squeezed the trigger and a strangled click filled the room.   The gun had misfired.  The sound of running feet could be heard behind Justin, and the unknown murderer suddenly threw the gun down and turned to race out the open garden door.  Without thinking, Justin rushed over to the fallen gun and picked it up... his only thought, to keep it from being used again.  He moved over to Oscar's lifeless body just as the servant who had ushered him into the house burst through the drawing room door.  Justin started to speak but the woman spoke first.

"You!  What have you done?  Don't shoot me... please!"

That was when Justin realized he was holding the gun.  "No!  No!  I didn't do this!  You've got to believe me!"

Justin started to stand up when the woman began screaming.  The sound caused panic to rise in Justin's heart and all rational thought left him.  He threw one more, "I didn't do this," over his shoulder and dropped the gun as he ran out of the house, following in the footsteps of the real killer.  Justin kept going for miles until he was finally able to hail a cab.  He gave the address for Daphne's place and sat back.   He couldn't think straight.  He needed to talk to someone who was level headed.  He prayed all the way to her apartment house that she could help him make sense of what had just happened, and maybe tell him what he should do next.  

**********************************************************

March 31, 1935:  New York City, New York:

Daphne came out of her bedroom and checked on her sleeping friend stretched out restlessly on her couch.  Poor Justin had been in a state of panic when he arrived at her place the previous night, and it had taken some doing to help him calm down enough to tell her what had happened to him.  She couldn't believe her ears.  Her first instinct had been to call the police immediately, but Justin rushed to stop her.  He explained to her again how he couldn't identify the man who actually shot Mr. Vanderbeke, and how he had been the only one in the room when the maid had hurried in... even worse, he had been holding the gun while bending over the body.  He knew he was innocent but if he was arrested he could never prove it.  He wouldn't be the first innocent man who went to prison.  After hashing it out into the wee hours of the morning, they had finally gone to sleep agreeing to use a fresh eye on the situation in the morning.  

Daphne opened her apartment door to see if her daily paper had been delivered.  She found it in the usual spot alongside her quart bottle of milk and pulled them in quickly.  She walked slowly to her kitchen table with the milk bottle under her arm and the paper open in front of her.  She came to a dead halt when she saw the prominent headline....

'Young Artist Sought in Murder of Art Collector!'

She almost dropped the milk.  She quickly set it on her kitchen table and rushed to Justin's side.  She began shaking him until he finally snapped awake, befuddled by the unfamiliar morning surroundings.  The fog cleared from his brain as the events of the previous night came flooding back.  Soon his friend had his rapt attention as she began reading the front page article.  It became clear that Justin was suspected of murdering Mr. Vanderbeke and was being hunted all over town.  

"I've got to turn myself in," Justin cried out.  

"You could do that, but I have another idea.  What about you leaving town until this dies down a little?  In the meantime I could hire a detective and try to figure out who the real killer is.  Then it would be safe for you to come back."

"I don't want you getting mixed up in this Daph.  It could be dangerous.  What if the killer figures out what you are up to?"

"How is anyone going to connect me to anything?  Look, I'll be real discreet.  You know I can afford it since I received that inheritance from my Grandfather.  I even know where you should go.  Our family has a vacation home in California, just off the beaches of Malibu.  No one goes there this late in the Winter.  No one would think to look for you there."

"I don't know Daph.  You could get in real trouble helping me.  Besides, they'll be looking for me.  How would I get there?"

Daphne had been casually thumbing through the paper as they talked without paying any attention to what she was reading.  Just then a picture caught her eye.  It was on the Entertainment page and showed a snapshot of a large group of women holding various musical instruments.  Like a bolt of lightning, a wild thought flashed through Daphne's head.  

"I think I've got it," she all but shouted.  "Look at this article."

Daph proceeded to read about the DeeBee's All Ladies Orchestra from New York City that had received an offer to appear in one of MGM's splashy new musical films.  They were traveling by train to Hollywood, California that very evening.  

"This is how you can travel incognito.  Who is going to be looking for a cute blond fellow traveling with an all girl orchestra to California?"

"What as?" Justin asked nervously, already suspecting what his friend had in mind.

Daphne grinned.  "Oh no!  No you don't!  You are not getting me to dress up as a woman and try to blend in with an all girl orchestra!  Hell, I don't even know how to play an instrument."

Daphne laughed out loud.  "Come on Justin.  I didn't say you had to play with them.  You just have to look like you belong with them.  Look, there are over twenty gals there.   What's one more?  And besides, you'll make a very cute girl... trust me."

Justin turned pale.  The thought scared him almost as much as getting caught and not being able to prove his innocence.  He knew he had no time to waste.  Daphne had already said the train was leaving that evening.  He quickly made up his mind.  He was sure he was making the biggest mistake of his life, but even the slight chance of figuring out who the real killer was before being arrested was enough incentive.  Justin gave up arguing and followed Daphne to her bedroom where she immediately began rummaging in her closet for something to fit her best friend.  She would have to go out and buy a wig, but other than that, she was all ready to turn Justin into Justina, despite his avid protests.   She loved the guy and knew she had to do whatever it took to keep him safe and out of jail.  With that thought in mind, she began taking the necessary steps to help Justin become a man on the run.

To be continued...................

March 30, 1935:  New York City, New York:

Detective Kinney walked through the saw horses that had been set up to keep onlookers, reporters, and unnecessary folks away from the crime scene and entered the ornately carved oaken door that led into the murder room of the ostentatious mansion.  As he stepped in he was momentarily blinded by the flash of the bulb from the police photographer's camera as the man took his various shots of the slain victim.  Brian could see his Captain, still wrapped in his heavy overcoat and holding his hat, standing over to the side of the busy scene in deep conversation with a pretty young thing in a tidy black maid's uniform with a crisp white apron around her waist.  She sniffled several times while talking and dabbing carefully at her runny nose with her handkerchief.  She let out a shuddering breath every few moments as emphasis of her distress while she told her story to the raptly listening Police Captain.  Brian removed his own hat and loosened his coat.  He should have known the Captain would come out on a case that involved such a prominent citizen.  Horvath wouldn't have been here for a derelict lying in the street, no doubt.  

Brian took in the scene quietly as he waited for Captain Horvath to notice him.  When the older man spotted his number one detective, he acknowledged his presence with a nod of his head and pointed over to the body.  He then turned his attention back to the maid, as she continued to describe the horrible events of the night.  Brian walked over to the body stretched out on the rich carpeting that Brian instinctively knew had probably cost more than every piece of furniture he owned at home.  Someone was going to have a devil of a time getting that large crimson stain out of the carpeting, Brian thought to himself casually.... not that the owner of this place would care anymore.  

Brian bent down and took a closer look at the victim.  The entire left side of the man's smoking jacket was covered in blood and it had spread across most of his upper body and down his side to form a pool of sticky red.  The elderly man was rather stocky with a thick head of salt and pepper hair now plastered to his scalp.  He had the surprised look of a man who was most definitely not expecting to meet the Grim Reaper plastered on his face, with his eyes staring into nothingness.  There were no other signs of injuries to the man.  He was dressed elegantly, which befitted his status as master of the house.  Brian had enough experience with human nature to know that wealthy men usually left behind a slew of people who felt they had good reason to do away with the rich bastard.  Brian wondered what skeletons he would discover when he entered Mr. Vanderbeke's closets.  Brian looked up in time to see one of the uniformed officers leading the still sniffling maid out of the room, leaving the Captain free to talk.  Brian hurried over to Horvath's side.

"So Cap, what's the scoop," Brian inquired.

"Well it looks like we are lucky enough to have a witness on this one, Kinney.  Should make your job a lot easier, I imagine.   Miss Magillucuddy... that's the house maid unlucky enough not to have the night off... walked in within seconds after the shooting and saw the killer standing right there with gun in hand.  She doesn't remember his name but she says he has been here before and that she knows that Mr. Vanderbeke's friends know who the young man is.  She thinks he is one of the old man's artists.  Apparently he gets his kicks out of supporting young up-and-comers in the art world.   She says his private secretary will have a list of names of people we can interview, and maybe even the killer's name too.  Young guy... maybe twenty years old or so, real blond, kind of short, slender, and she says he is really cute.  Couldn't be more than a half million, give or take, of those in New York City.  Should make our task a lot easier, wouldn't you say?  Of course it will be a lot easier once we get the name."  Brian nodded in agreement.  "Anyway, she says that the kid ran out the patio doors and that's the last she saw of him.  I need you to go out there and see if you can find any evidence.  The uniforms have made a sweep of the area but you know how they sometimes miss the obvious.  I'll wait here until she comes back with the secretary's address."

Brian nodded and turned towards the large glass doors leading outside.  On his way outside he made a bet with himself.  He had been a detective for nearly five years now and a uniform officer for nearly four before that.   Brian was a pretty good judge of situations.  He decided this case should be settled in less than a week.  After all, they probably already had the necessary info on who committed the crime, so now all they needed to do was locate him.  From the maid's description this young man would be hard to miss.  

****************************************************************

March 31, 1935:  New York City, New York:

Justin took another look into Daphne's bathroom mirror and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.  The blonde wig she had purchased fit his scalp perfectly but the long spit curls looked ridiculous, at least in his eyes.  It made him look like a kid, not a grown woman who could travel alone.   Luckily she had also purchased a completely different style of wig.  He took the second wig from the box.  This one had lots of waves and finger curls and looked much more sophisticated.  Justin pulled off the first wig and tried on the second one.  Now, that was much better.  At least with the second one he was certain he'd be allowed to board the train without someone questioning him as to where his parents were.  

Just then Daphne entered her bathroom.  She stopped dead and looked at Justin's reflection in the mirror.  She did her best to stifle the laugh that quickly threatened to bubble up as she handed over a ladies makeup bag full of her new purchases.  Justin looked in horror at the bag as he started pulling out items and lining them up on the sink.   There were several tubes of lipstick, a powder puff, a round silver holder for face powder, an eyebrow pencil, and a small round container of rouge.  He gave his best friend a pleading look.

"It's the only way to go unrecognized Justin, and you know it.  The police will be checking the bus terminals, train stations... even the airports for you as soon as they know who they're looking for, and that shouldn't take long.  You said the maid saw you standing there with the gun in your hand and she knows who you are.  Plenty of people know who you are by name, since the old man kept putting it out there."

Justin nodded his head.  He could always stay in the City of course, but that would put any friend who helped him at risk.  Daphne was right.  Justin knew he had to get out of town until the heat died down.  Once it did he could more easily try and find out who really killed his benefactor, or if he was lucky the police would do their job right and find out for themselves who was guilty.  After all, he reasoned, he had never owned a gun in his life.  He realized he had made a mistake picking the damned thing up and leaving his fingerprints on it, but the police would surely track down the owner of the gun and then figure out that he himself couldn't have used it to shoot Oscar.  Time, that was all he needed.... time to let the case turn cold or be solved.  Once the heat was no longer on him, he could come back.  He would let his Mom know he was safe through Daphne, and she could also pass on any messages.  They had already worked on a code that they would use to communicate after he left.

Having resolved to accept his fate, Justin sat himself down on the little stool in Daphne's bathroom and allowed her to apply makeup to his face, while he held up a mirror so that he could be instructed on how to apply the makeup on his own.  He felt ridiculous.  He knew he was homosexual but he had never had an effeminate thought in his life, so he wasn't exactly comfortable in the new role he was about to play.  He also knew his very freedom would depend on his ability to succeed as a woman, so he stiffened his upper lip and concentrated on Daphne's instructions.  When she was finished with her ministrations she stood back and admired her work.  I'll be damned, she thought to herself, he is one pretty young lady.  Of course she didn't dare voice her thoughts.  Justin stood up and looked in the larger mirror so that he could get a full view of his entire head and shoulders.  He wasn't wearing a shirt and his smooth flat chest belied the face, but with the blonde wig and makeup Justin realized he looked very much like a female.

"Damn!  If I didn't see it for myself I wouldn't have believed it," he exclaimed to his best friend.  "You've worked miracles.  Now if I can just look right in the dress, I do believe I might get away with it, Daph.... at least long enough to get out of New York.  So I might as well bite the bullet and see the dresses you picked out for me."

Daphne laughed out loud.  "Well don't expect anything fancy.  I do try to stay within my budget, and I won't be buying a new wardrobe for myself this Summer, but I guess you're worth it.  Oh, and I got some of the best foundation garments for you that I could find, but I really had to guess on the size.  I'm not used to buying undergarments for fellas, you know.  I bought plenty of cotton balls for you to stuff them with too.  No one would suspect anything since a lot of gals travel with a big supply of cotton balls.  They come in handy in a lot of ways.  And I also got some nail polish for you.  I'll have to give you a manicure before you leave. "

Justin felt that sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach again.  Damned if it wasn't going to be a whole lot more work pretending to be a woman than he originally thought.  It flashed through his mind that he was awfully glad he was a guy and not a gal.  The two left the bathroom and entered Daphne's bedroom, where she had several big square boxes and round hat boxes laid out.  She began opening the boxes and started pulling out various articles of clothing.  Justin walked over and proceeded to help her in opening boxes, pulling out their contents.  Soon everything was laid out neatly on the large bed.  There were a few simple bias cut dresses with V necks and sleeves that reached just above the elbow.  They came in lovely floral prints of rayon material and included a simple navy blue cotton dress that was a little more formal.  Each dress was designed with a cinched waist which made Justin glad that he had always possessed a rather slender waistline.  One simple print dress came with a bright bold red belt that was at least two inches wide.  All the dresses ended with a slight flair from the waist down to inches below the knee.  One dress was obviously meant to be a cocktail dress.  It was a tailored black dress with a row of tiny pearl-like and crystal beads sown around the neckline. The flared skirt was elegant in its simplicity.  

After checking out the selection of dresses, Justin noticed that Daphne had even considerately included a simple pleated black rayon crepe skirt and a couple of lovely print button down blouses to go with it.  She even included a pair of high-waisted slacks and a pair of simple short shorts to go with the blouses.  Daphne had thoughtfully bought Justin two pink lace and satin one piece foundation garments with garters, a couple of soft cotton petticoats, and a silk nightgown that was floor length and would easily disguise what Justin didn't want seen in case he was unlucky enough to be spotted in the nightwear.  As a final touch Justin noticed a box on the floor and opened it to find two packages of nylon stockings and two pairs of low heeled shoes.  

"I got the thickest heel I could for you so it would be easier for you to walk in them," Daphne informed Justin, proud of herself for thinking ahead about the difference he would feel in his ability to walk in women's shoes.

Justin was in shock.  He couldn't believe Daphne had bought him so many things and done so with such thoughtfulness.  He dropped the shoes on the bed and gathered his friend in his arms.  

"I love you Daph.  I don't know what I would do without you.  You've thought of everything."  He gave her a peck on the cheek.  "I just hope I can pass for a woman long enough to make it to California.  If I do, I'll owe it all to you."

"You'll do fine.  I have faith in you.  You're a wonderful observer of human beings...probably the artist in you....so just pay attention to the women in that band and copy their behavior.   I called the train station and told them that you were a last minute substitute musician for the band and needed to make one more reservation on the same car if possible.  I acted like I was the band manager, and I must have sounded real because they didn't hesitate for a second.  You have an upper berth in the exact same car that the majority of the band is riding in.  Now all you have to do is finish getting dressed while I pack up your things and I'll get you down to the station."

Justin looked in awe at his best friend.  He had always loved Daphne but never more than he did right then.  She had thought of everything and was  the only reason he wasn't in jail right this minute.  He knew he would never be able to repay her.  He gave her another peck on the cheek and looked over the dresses again, finally picking the one that looked most comfortable.  He grabbed it, a petticoat, and the undergarment and went back into the bathroom to get dressed.  Daphne followed with the cotton balls to fill out the bra of his one piece and then hurried back to the bedroom.  She got out her best piece of luggage and began packing the bag with all the goodies she had purchased.  She laid an envelope on top of the garments and closed the bag, snapping the locks.  Justin would find out later that she had put several hundred dollars... more than half of her savings... into the envelope to help him on his journey.  It wasn't as much as she would have liked to give him but with prices so low right now she knew he would get by until he could find some work in California.  She finished up by packing the small makeup case, that had been a gift from her Mom, with all the female tools Justin would need to complete his disguise.  She closed and locked the case and crossed her fingers while saying a silent prayer for her best friend's journey.

A couple of hours later, Justin... now Justina... was standing in his print dress, wide brimmed hat, low heels, and wig with a train ticket and clutch purse in one hand and his suitcase in the other.  Daphne stood next to him on the train platform holding the makeup case.  The train conductor began walking along the platform announcing last call for boarding the train for departure.  As he called out 'All Aboard', Justin gave Daphne one last hug and took the makeup case from her.  

"Wish me luck, Daph," he begged.

"You know I do."  She let out a small sob and a tear escaped down her cheek.  "Oh God, Justin, please take care of yourself.  Don't get into any trouble.  And don't forget our code.  I want to know how you are doing as often as possible, and I'll keep an eye on the progress the police are making on the case.  Now, you'd better go or you'll miss the train."

Daphne pushed Justin away.  It was so obvious he didn't really want to leave, but he knew he had to.  Justin got a firm hold on his new things and quickly stepped over to the steps leading onto the train.  He stepped up and then looked back.  In a matter of moments the train began to move.  Billows of smoke bellowed out of the engine's stack as the train gathered steam and pulled away from the station.  Justin sat his suitcase down behind him and waved farewell to his friend, to New York City, to the only life he had ever known, and maybe even to his future.  The world had changed for him all in one night and now he would have to look to a whole different future in a different world altogether.  He wondered if he would ever see his home or his family or his friends again.  He wondered if he would ever be free of the threat of arrest.  But now was not the time to think about things he couldn't do anything about.  Now was the time for him to start playing the part he had set for himself.  It was time to become Justina for real.  He hadn't failed to notice the dozen or more police officers at the train station this evening, and it was obvious they were looking for someone.  Not one had cast an eye in his direction.  Daphne had been right, but now the real work was beginning.  He had to live among people and convince everyone that he was Justina, or else someone might get curious as to why he was in disguise and report him.  Then it would all be over.  With that last thought in mind, Justin squared his shoulders, gathered his suitcase back in hand, and moved into the rail-car.  He needed to locate his berth and get settled in.  It was going to be a long journey to California and tonight was only the first step.

To be continued..........................................

March 31, 1935- Leaving New York City:

Justin checked his ticket again quickly and pushed the slipping strap of his purse back up on his shoulder, as he tightened his grip on the makeup case and suitcase he had borrowed from Daphne. He made his way carefully down the aisle of the rail-car, concentrating hard on not falling over with the heeled shoes that Daphne had bought for him. She had been careful to avoid getting a heel that was too high in order to make it easier for the poor young man to adjust to walking, but they still felt odd on his feet. He had gotten on the wrong car when boarding so he had to continue through two more rail-cars before finding the one that contained his upper berth. He had not attracted any attention that was noticeable as he passed by the dozens of passengers who were getting comfortable in their seats for the journey ahead. Mothers were doing their best to contain the high spirits of their youngsters. Older couples were chatting next to each other. Single men, who appeared to be traveling salesmen, were pulling out brochures from weathered briefcases and looking them over. Only one thing stopped Justin in his tracks. He was almost to the end of the second car when he spotted a man sitting with his late edition newspaper wide open in front of him as he perused the inner pages. Justin couldn't miss the headline on the front page.

'Missing Artist Identified in Vanderbeke Murder Investigation', it read in big bold letters. Justin stopped dead. He couldn't read the smaller print very well but his eyes locked onto his name in the first sentence. He also caught the word blond. The article obviously had a full description of him. The fact that the article also had his name was extremely disturbing. Daphne had called him Justina several times while giving him his makeover, so the thought crept into his mind that calling himself a name that was so close to his own, on top of the fact that Daphne had insisted on buying him blonde wigs rather than another color (she claimed it would be less noticeable in case his own hair poked out), made Justin very nervous. Apparently this story was important enough to make the front pages more than once already and who knew how far the news would travel. What if someone noticed the glaring similarities between the young blond Justin and the young blonde Justina? Justin moved on to his sleeper car with this thought nervously chasing itself around in his head.

The sleeper car was full of activity as he entered it. There were women everywhere. It looked like the entire car had been booked by the all girl orchestra that Daphne had mentioned from the newspaper article. He was still awed by Daphne's cleverness in getting him a berth in the same car as the actual orchestra members. Some stood around talking and laughing while others were searching out their private sleeping berths and stowing away their luggage. Many had instrument cases in hand. Justin recognized a couple of violin cases and a trumpet case. He assumed that there were a lot more instruments that had been stowed in the baggage car since this was not a small group of musicians. There had to be at least twenty ladies present. Justin kept his head low as he hurried down the row of berths looking for his number. It turned out to be the last upper berth on the left side of the car and he hurriedly tossed his suitcase, and makeup case onto the bedding.

Before he had the chance to climb the small ladder to reach the upper berth, the door leading to the next car opened suddenly letting in a whoosh of cool air from the outside and a firmly packed middle aged lady with flaming red hair and cheerful smile. The lady, who several of the women called out to with a hearty 'Miss Debbie', almost knocked Justin off his feet when she caught him by surprise with his foot planted on the bottom rung of the ladder. He swung away from the ladder to avoid falling and 'Miss Debbie' caught him up by the arm and helped him to steady himself. She immediately began to apologize but then stopped dead in her tracks.

"I'm sorry," she began, "I wasn't watching where I was going. I...ahh, I'm sorry but I don't recognize you and I know all my girls. Are you sure you have the right car?" Justin was about to stammer out some answer, when the redhead suddenly stopped him by answering her own question. "Oh of course, you must be the replacement Lou found for me for Carol. Pity really... her finding out she was pregnant at the last minute and hubby refusing to let her take the trip. She really has a lovely voice, but I'm sure yours is fine too. I didn't get the chance to talk to Lou before we left so I didn't get your name."

'Miss Debbie' waited for Justin to give his name. He panicked. Justin started to give the name he and Daphne had practiced but at the last second he remembered the danger in using a name too close to his own. He searched his mind for a good name. Like a light bulb going off over his head he could hear his Mom calling him by the pet name she had used so often when he was a young boy... Sunshine. The words jumped out of his mouth without another thought.

"Sunny.... they call me Sunny... ahh... Chambers. It's a name that my Mom used to use all the time instead of my real name and it kind of stuck." Justin tried smiling disarmingly, while praying his voice sounded high enough to pass as feminine.

"Sunny? I like it. It suits you, my dear. You have the sunniest smile I've seen in a long time. Well Sunny, I look forward to hearing you sing tomorrow, but I'm sure you'll be fine. Lou has an eye for talent. It's getting late now so why don't you get settled in and I'll introduce you to the rest of the girls at breakfast." She turned to the rest of the ladies who were half listening to their exchange and half taking care of their own business. "Okay girls, I want you to get settled for the night and I expect everyone to meet me in the dining car at seven sharp. We will have breakfast and then retire to the observation car. The conductor has been gracious enough to allow us the use of it for a little practice session. So get a good night's sleep, and I'll see you then. As you know my son, Michael, and brother, Vic, and I will be in Rooms 4A and 4B one car down from here in case you need us for anything."

Everyone stopped what they were doing long enough to offer their thanks, acknowledge her instructions, and wish 'Miss Debbie' a good evening, and then resumed all the chattering and settling-in the moment the door to the car closed behind her. Justin breathed a deep sigh of relief that he had gotten over his first hurdle, although he was certain it was only the easiest one. The band leader hadn't even blinked or shown any suspicions of Justin, and they were almost nose to nose as they talked in the cramped space. It was obvious that the other ladies present were well acquainted with each other, and only gave Justin a passing glance of curiosity as they went about their business. Justin hurriedly climbed up to his berth. The less time he was exposed to scrutiny on this first night the better in his opinion. Morning was time enough to deal with convincing everyone around him that he was just one of the girls. Now all he had to do was pass as female AND a singer. That part was going to be easier than he and Daphne had hoped for. Justin really had no experience on any instrument, but he had always had a really nice voice and had often sang in his church choir from the time he was little. Luck had been on his side once more. With his high singing voice he might be able to pull off a charade as a singer, whereas he was certain he would have failed as a musician. As Justin pulled out the long nightdress that Daphne had bought him, he closed the curtains on the berth and prayed he'd get through the masquerade during the night.

***************************************************************************************************

Later That Same Evening- New York City:

Detective Brian Kinney checked his notepad again and made sure he had the right address. He had finally gotten the name of the young man that the maid had seen in the murder room of the Vanderbeke estate and was now on the hunt to find him. He had spent the entire day checking out the young man's home address and talking to friends, classmates, teachers, and relatives. He hadn't been seen at his apartment since early the day before, and his classmates at the art academy he attended had nothing new to offer. Brian got a funny feeling after talking with the parents. The father, one Craig Taylor, was very aloof and didn't even seem interested in why the police were looking for his son. Brian could tell immediately that there was bad blood of some kind between father and son. Brian couldn't help wondering why the friends and teachers spoke so highly of Justin Taylor and yet the father was giving him an entirely different picture of the young artist. Mr. Taylor even indicated that he wasn't surprised that his son had gotten into trouble, whatever it was about. When Brian mentioned that he was investigating a murder, Brian heard Mrs. Taylor gasp audibly but Mr. Taylor still seemed undisturbed. Brian left the large house in the nicer part of the city with mixed images. Was Justin Taylor a sweet young man who wouldn't hurt a fly, or a kid who was looking for trouble?

It was getting late by the time he had interviewed the parents, and the only helpful information he walked away with was the name of Justin Taylor's closest friend since early childhood and her address. Brian decided that this would be his last stop for the night. He would pick up the investigation in the morning. Now he stood outside Daphne Chander's door. He was dead tired. He must have interviewed a couple of dozen people already, and he was nowhere near discovering young Taylor's whereabouts yet. He had expected to have this whole thing wrapped up in no time. An APB had gone out on the young man, but he had simply dropped off the face of the earth. He hadn't been spotted at any of the logical places one would go to skip town... the bus station, train station, or even the airport. There was no knowledge of him owning or having access to a vehicle. But Brian knew he was somewhere and he would be found... sooner or later.

With that thought in mind, he knocked on Miss Chander's door. He hoped this interview would yield something for him to go on and give him a chance to knock off for the night. He had a favorite bar where his 'special' friends and he could safely mingle for the evening, and Brian was very much in the mood for just such a night. He started to knock a second time when the door was yanked open. He came face to face with a lovely young lady with exotic features and dark eyes. She looked him over carefully and then spoke.

"What can I do for you?" she asked the detective.

"Miss Daphne Chanders? My name is Detective Brian Kinney. I would like to speak with you about a close friend of yours, a Mr. Justin Taylor. You know him, do you not?"

"Yes, of course I do. We grew up together. May I see your badge please."

Brian brought his badge out and waited for the young lady to usher him into her apartment.

"I have a few questions, if you don't mind, Miss Chanders."

She hesitated for only a brief second, but Brian noticed it.

"Of course I don't mind, but what is this all about?"

"I'm investigating a murder in which your friend may have been a witness?" he lied. He noticed that there was no look of surprise on the young lady's face.

"Murder? Whose murder?"

"Mr. Oscar Vanderbeke. You know of him?"

"Of course. He's a patron of the arts and is helping Justin to get discovered. So who do they think murdered him?"

Brian also noticed that she didn't ask how he was murdered, as most folks do first thing when told of something so horrendous.

"We're not sure yet, but your friend was at the house at the same time as the murder so we would like to speak with him in case he saw something. We haven't been able to locate him yet. His parents told us that you two were very close, and I thought maybe you would have some idea where he may have gone. I mean, if he witnessed something so upsetting he might have come to you about it."

"Well no, I haven't seen him in a couple of days," she answered almost too quickly. "I wish I could help you, but if Justin is in trouble, I'm sure he'll let me know. I'll be happy to call you if I do hear from him."

She didn't sound happy at all.

"Well, I'd really appreciate that, Miss Chanders. We just need to get some things straight with the young man so that we can continue on with the investigation." Brian fished out a card from his breast pocket. "If you hear from him, will you give me a call or pass on my number to your friend?"

"Yes, of course I will," Daphne answered in her most sincere voice.

Brian started to move to the door when he noticed a notepad on the telephone stand next to the entryway. He stopped suddenly and turned to the young lady again.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but do you think I could trouble you for a glass of water? It has been a trying day and I've been on the move almost non-stop. I'm quite parched, and I still have more to do before I can head home."

Daphne hesitated again. All she wanted to do was get this man out of her apartment and go to bed. Today had been one of the most exhausting of her life, and she was extremely worried about whether Justin would be able to pull off the charade he was going through. The last thing she needed was some good looking detective in her living room posing questions to her that she had no intention of answering truthfully. But she decided it would appear suspicious if she rushed him out the door, so she asked him to wait right where he was, and she hurried off to her small kitchen to fill a glass from her tap.

Brian didn't hesitate for a second. The moment the young lady left the room he looked at the notepad. It had a train number, track number, and time written on it. The time was almost two hours earlier. He committed the information to memory and quickly moved back to the entryway just as Daphne came back with the glass in hand. Brian swallowed the water down quickly and thanked her profusely for her kindness. He got her assurance again that she would call if she had anything new to tell him and then closed the door behind him as Brian stepped back into the hallway. Brian quickly copied down what he had read into his own notepad and hurried back to the station house. If his suspicions were correct he just might have to make a trip out of town, and he needed to talk to his superiors first. It looked like his drinks and 'whatever' with his friends would have to wait for a little while.

To be continued..........................

April 1, 1935- 4:35 a.m.:

Detective Kinney settled into his spot on the bench outside the tiny train station depot and waited for his train to arrive. It hadn't been easy getting here in time. This tiny little hamlet was a last stop for the train in the State of New York on its way to California. Only the skilled driving of one of New York's finest had made the connection possible. Brian had just waved the young officer off after he had hurtled through the night at higher than posted speeds to get Brian to a place where he could board the train that they had every reason to believe carried a murder suspect as a passenger. The poor highway patrolman was exhausted but he would be alright. His Captain had provided funds for the young man to stop at a roadside motel and get some sleep before returning to the City.

Brian had a little time, though not much, to reflect on how he had arrived at this spot. He had gone straight to headquarters after talking with the young lady who was his suspect's best friend. She had been of little help in figuring out where the suspect, Justin Taylor, might be while being questioned, but she had inadvertently left a clue for Brian to discover on his own. Just before leaving her apartment Brian had spotted a notepad next to the telephone with a train schedule written down in rushed handwriting. It included a train number and its destination. Because the time that was noted for the train's departure was at least two hours earlier that evening it was obvious the information was not for Miss Chanders benefit. The cop in Brian told him it was more than likely for young Taylor's benefit. Now all he had to do was convince his superiors that this train should be checked out.

That had not been an easy task to accomplish at first. As the Captain reminded him, in these hard times the city could hardly afford to send a detective off on a wild goose chase across the country. It was during their discussion that Captain Horvath got a call from the police chief. The man was tense as he reminded Horvath that the victim was a personal friend of the Mayor and his wife, not to mention a prominent (and wealthy) Patron of the Arts. He ordered Horvath to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of those responsible for the crime. That was all Horvath needed to hear. In no time at all Detective Kinney had a voucher for his train ticket, expenses, and a car arranged to get him to the town where he could board the train.

The train would be arriving any minute now. Brian sat calmly waiting and working things out in his head. He wondered if there was any chance he would spot the suspect right away. He would no doubt be well disguised. After all he had managed to board the train, if indeed he was on it, without being spotted by the large cadre of police officers on the lookout for him. He would probably be wearing a dark wig of some sort and maybe thick glasses to hide those penetrating blue eyes he possessed. Brian had seen a couple of photos of young Justin and even carried one with him in his pocket at that very moment. He pulled it out and looked it over again.

Brian was a man who had always appreciated a fine piece of masculinity and this young man was certainly that. Brian had been intrigued by the young man's eyes to begin with. They were certainly not the eyes of a killer, Brian mused to himself, but the cop in him was experienced enough to know that looks could often be deceiving. And yet every time Brian looked into the picture, which was a full frontal close-up of the blond's face, he saw a warmth and gentleness in those eyes that almost spoke to him. Brian shook off the feeling that had slowly washed over him while staring at the photo. This was ridiculous, he told himself. Young Taylor wasn't the first cute blue-eyed blond that had caused a stirring in Brian's nether regions, and he wouldn't be the last. Brian tucked the photo back in his overcoat pocket. He didn't need it. He knew exactly who he was looking for. He just had to find him.

***********************************************************************

April 1, 1935- 5:05 a. m.:

Justin shivered in his bed. The need to pee was overwhelming but he really didn't want to risk getting up. He would have happily spent the entire train trip tucked away in this berth with the curtains drawn but he knew he'd never get away with that. The need to pee had been growing steadily for almost an hour and he knew he couldn't hold it much longer. Justin decided to bite the bullet and creep out to make a run for the bathroom. It had been totally quiet for some time so he was fairly certain no one else was awake. Justin checked out his wig, which remarkably had stayed pretty much in place during the night, and took one last look in the large hand mirror Daphne had provided him. He was happy to see that the night hadn't robbed him of his feminine look in his nightdress, but he was looking forward to reaching California so he could be himself again.

Justin stepped gingerly down the short flight of steps to the floor and did his best to be as quiet as a mouse, as he made his way to the next car where the public bathrooms were installed. The train had stopped moving and Justin could see the platform of a small train station right outside the windows on his left side. He could see very little activity on the platform but there were a couple of people milling around with luggage. They were about to board. Justin also spotted a tall man who only carried a single small bag. He obviously wasn't traveling far, Justin thought to himself. It was still dark out so Justin couldn't make out any faces. He didn't see anything else of interest, and his need to relieve himself was making itself known again so he hurried on to the nearby bathroom.

As Justin stood in front of the commode and let the steady stream loose, Detective Kinney was boarding the train in the very next car. The man was bone-tired. He had been on his feet for nearly two days straight and he desperately needed a little sack time. Naturally the department wasn't going to swing for a first class ticket in one of the sleeper cars so Brian moved down the aisle of the coach class railcar looking for an empty seat in which to settle his weary bones. A few hours sleep and he'd be in a far better mood to start checking out the passengers. Hopefully he wouldn't have to look far to locate his suspect. Once he found the young man, he could arrest him on suspicion, get off at the next station they came to, and take the next train back to the City. Once he got back home he'd have a story to tell his friends while looking for a prime piece of tail for a good fucking. With that thought in mind, Brian found a pair of seats empty and settled down in the one next to the aisle.

Brian looked around him before removing his overcoat and settling down into the semi-comfortable chair. Nearly every person in his car was sound asleep. The muted sounds of snoring came from several locations throughout the car. One small child whimpered in the background in the throes of a bad dream. Brian could hear the mother reassuring the youngster, who quickly settled back into sleep. Brian couldn't see the faces of most of the passengers since many of them were scrunched down into their seats with blankets drawn up to the chins, or had faces turned away. Brian didn't care right now. He needed sleep more than his target. He stretched his long legs out under the seat in front of him and pulled his hat down over his eyes so the brim would keep out any light as the sun rose outside the car's windows. In a matter of seconds, Brian was in dreamland.

Meanwhile, his intended target had finished his chore and was heading back in the opposite direction to return to his own car and the safety of his berth. It was still barely five in the morning so the sleeper car was almost totally quiet. Justin hurried to his berth and was halfway up the steps when the curtains to the berth below him opened suddenly. A young lady with milky-white skin and jet-black hair poked her head out. She rubbed at her eyes as she tried to focus on what had awakened her. She saw Justin's legs in front of her face.

"Hey missy, can we keep it a little quiet out there," she asked sleepily.

Justin stepped back down to the floor. "I'm so sorry," he answered, being careful to use his soprano voice. "I tried to be as quiet as a church mouse."

"That's okay, darling," the young lady returned. "It's not really your fault. I'm a light sleeper." She stuck out her hand. "Hi, we haven't been formally introduced. My name is Cherry. Well, it's actually Prunella, but I've never forgiven my parents for that. I mean, who wants to be named after a prune. I figured if they could name me after a fruit, I could change it to a different fruit."

The girl laughed quietly to herself. She had a beautiful smile and Justin could see right away that she was a friendly and outgoing person. He warmed to her then and there.

"I know how you feel, Cherry. My parents stuck me with a funny name too but I like my nickname better. I'm Sunny."

"I know. I was here when Miss Debbie was introducing herself to you. So you're our new singer? You'd better be as good as Carol or Miss Debbie will eat you alive," she said sternly. A second later she let out a laugh. "I'm just kidding Sunny. Don't look so scared. Miss Debbie is really a sweetheart. Everyone loves her to death. If you have any questions, honey, just come to me. I'm sort of the family gossip... just ask anyone, but don't worry because I'm also really good at keeping secrets if someone asks me to keep something to myself. Anyway, it looks like it is still too early for good girls to be up so I'm going to try and get a few more winks. You'd better get some more rest too, my dear. Miss Debbie never lets up on rehearsal time, even when traveling. Hey, I look forward to hearing your voice tomorrow. Well, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite."

With that, she drew the curtains closed to her berth. Justin stood there with his mouth still open, waiting to say something. He hadn't been able to find anywhere to put a word in edgewise. Cherry could definitely talk, he laughed to himself, but there was something really nice about the young lady. Justin already missed Daphne. Maybe Cherry could become his new best friend. He shook his head. No one could really replace his Daph. With that thought in mind, he hurried back up to his berth before he woke anyone else up. He tried his best to settle down into the bed and get some more sleep but he couldn't relax. He realized that the morning was fast approaching and the real work of convincing everyone on board that he was a female singer was about to start. He was scared. If his disguise failed he would be in so much trouble. How in the world could he explain away disguising himself as a woman, if caught? Of course that was presuming the person who caught him didn't know about the hunt for a young man named Justin Taylor who just happened to look like him.

Justin asked himself again how he had gotten to this point and in this place. What had he done to deserve being in the wrong place at the wrong time? Why in the hell hadn't he stayed in Oscar's bedroom that night, or just left the house earlier, or wiser still... not gone to Oscar's place at all that night? How in the hell would he ever prove his innocence, and who in the hell was the actual killer? The man probably thought that Justin had seen him and could finger him, but in truth he could stand right next to the man this very minute and there was no way he could identify him. Justin simply hadn't gotten a good look at the man's face. The only thing he remembered seeing clearly was the gun in the man's hand. As he thought about it he realized there was something odd about the hand holding the gun, but he had been too traumatized at that moment for the oddity to register. Now looking back on it he recalled the impression the hand made on him, but he still couldn't remember why he had thought it odd.

Thinking about that night's events was giving Justin a headache so he did his best to focus on something more pleasant, and after a little while he was finally able to fall asleep again. The night slowly slipped away as dawn came and with it, a new day. Both hunter and hunted slept fitfully just yards away from each other, neither one aware of the man with the crooked pinkie finger, which stood at a permanent V-shape as the result of a childhood accident. He was on his way to visit one of his oldest friends, the chief of police, in order to learn any news about the fugitive who was running from the police after witnessing (or in the minds of the police participating in) the murder of Oscar Vanderbeke. The distinguished-looking businessman wasn't quite sure why the young man had run away rather than face the police and give evidence about the killer's true identity, but he wanted nothing more than the chance to question the young man and find out the reason for himself. First he had to find him, and hopefully it would happen before the police got to him first.

To be continued........

April 1, 1935: 6:30 a. m.: Somewhere just on the border of New York and Pennsylvania

The sound of a hearty 'rise and shine' echoed through the sleeping car as Miss Debbie went about the business of rousing her girls. The train had just started moving again after a short layover in the last town they'd pass by in New York State and she wanted to make sure everyone was up and ready to have breakfast so that they could be energized for their first practice session since the previous week. The girls needed it, because they had two new members of the band in addition to the new singer. She wanted her girls to be in perfect harmony with each other by the time they stepped off the train in Hollywood. This gig could make or break all their futures and make life much more secure for Debbie and her family. Her brother, Vic, had not been in the best of health since suffering a heart attack a few years back. He had survived thanks to her devoted nursing, but he needed top-notch medical care to stay healthy. This job would provide the necessary finances for such help. 

Miss Debbie also had another reason to look forward to the trip to Hollywood. It was a secret reason that she kept all to herself. It involved her son, Michael. Michael, a son she loved most dearly, had finally revealed to her that he was a homosexual man just a few years ago. He had been convinced that his mother would hate him, but he could no longer endure keeping his secret to himself. What Michael didn't know, and Debbie had never told him, was that she was already quite familiar with the world of men who loved men and had suspected her son was one of ‘those' men for a very long time. Her intimacy with gay men went back decades. Her own brother was one of ‘those' men and she had had the misfortune of falling in love with Vic's best friend, who was also one of ‘those' men, when they were still teenagers. 

The young man she had fallen for was desperate to prove that he wasn't one of 'those' men and had bedded the lovesick Debbie, resulting in an unwanted pregnancy and a runaway boyfriend who thought she had decided on an illegal abortion. The entire family turned against the high school senior who barely managed to graduate before she started showing. Vic was the only member of the family who supported Debbie, especially when she opted to keep the baby. It took years of struggle before the music-loving lady finally discovered her greatest talent, managing an orchestra. She had quickly discovered that babysitting a group of ladies was far easier on her than a bunch of macho men who secretly resented being managed by a woman, and thus she formed her all-girl orchestra. 

Now her goal was to make DeeBee's All Ladies Orchestra a big name in the business and an appearance in a hit movie musical could help to ensure that. She had also made up her mind that it was time for Michael's father to meet his son. She had discovered that he now lived in Hollywood where he had become a semi-successful actor. She hoped that having a gay father would make Michael feel less alienated from the rest of society. He had formed so few friendships over the years and had not even come close to discovering that one special man. Hollywood, which was known for its large gay (although underground) population might be just the ticket to her son's future happiness.

Debbie finally saw that every head had popped out from behind their drawn curtains of the sleeper car. Now that she had their attention, she announced that each girl had just thirty minutes to get dressed and meet her in the dining car. As she walked back to her own car she could hear the sound of scrambling bodies behind her as the girls made haste to get ready. When Miss Debbie said thirty minutes she didn't mean thirty-five minutes and they all knew it, even the newer girls thanks to word of mouth. Debbie passed by her new singer's berth last and saw the panicked look on the face of the young lady. There was something about this new singer that spoke to Debbie's heart. She stopped for a quick second to have a word with Sunny.

"Don't look so scared, child. My bark is really a lot worse than my bite," she whispered with a grin. "But don't tell the others I said that. I'll just deny it," she laughed.

Justin sighed heavily. For some reason Miss Debbie's words had soothed him just a little. The truth was that he was terrified at the prospect of not being able to pull off his disguise. He had already been awake for a little while now, finding sleep hard to come by. He had checked his face in the large mirror Daphne bought him and saw the soft, peach fuzz growing there. He pulled out his razor, which he'd bought in order to keep his legs clean-shaven, and did a clean swipe around his face. Luckily he never nicked himself and even luckier still was the fact that he had never been able to grow any decent facial hair at anything more than a snail's pace. It would certainly make the job of disguising his male face from prying questions a lot simpler.

Now it was time to change from long nightgown into his daytime dress, complete with proper padding. As he adjusted his bra he mumbled profanities at fate again for placing him in this position. He asked himself again why women had to wear these stupid things. They were so uncomfortable. Finally Justin felt put together enough to face the world. He took one more glance into the mirror and made sure his perfectly-fitted wig was in place. Yes, he decided, he was ready. With fingers crossed tightly, Justin opened his curtains and stepped out into the treacherous waters of no man's land and uncertain fate.

*****************************************************************

Same Day: 8:00 a.m. Somewhere in Ohio:

Detective Brian Kinney turned in his sleep and was immediately awakened by a sharp pain in his ankle. He opened his eyes reluctantly, sleep deprivation making his movements slow and painful, and looked around him. He immediately realized that he wasn't at home in his comfortable bed and that the pain was coming from his leg where it had gotten wedged under the footrest in front of him. He twisted his body back into its original position so that he could loosen his foot from its confines. They didn't make train seats to fit the body of a six-foot-two man. That was for certain. Brian felt aches in his entire body but at least he had gotten a few hours of sleep. He had a job to do so he figured he might as well get started with it. The sooner he found what he was looking for, if the suspect was even on board, the sooner he could get back home and get a real good night's sleep. 

Brian stretched out his limbs as far as they would go and yawned deeply. The car he was riding in was abuzz with activity. Most of the passengers had already enjoyed a full night's sleep and were quite active now, visiting with others or enjoying the view as it rushed past their windows. According to some of the conversation he overheard, they had just left Pennsylvania and were now in Ohio. The further away from New York City that the train got before he found his man, the further he would have to travel back. It was just the impetus Brian needed to get him moving despite his tired state of mind. He quickly rose from his seat and headed for the nearest bathroom so he could relieve himself and get started. As he stood at the urinal, he heard his stomach growl. It was the first time he realized he also hadn't eaten in quite a while.

Brian shook himself off and tucked himself back into his pants. Normally he would give himself a little morning five-finger exercise if he had not had any man-on-man action the previous night, but he was too eager to get the ball rolling on his job this morning so he ignored the call for action that his alter ego was sending him. 

"Not now, boy. We have a different kind of man to find today," he admonished himself as he patted his package lovingly. 

Brian moved off to find the dining car. He was in desperate need of sustenance if he was to keep working. As he entered the busy car he could see that every table was full. Luckily there was only one couple standing in line ahead of him waiting for a table, so he knew he wouldn't have too long a wait. Sure enough the tables were quickly emptying. One extremely large party in particular, was getting up from their multiple tables and heading his way. There were countless women in the group along with two lone men. Brian's heart went out to the men. That much estrogen in one place was probably quite daunting to them and the older lady with the bright-red hair, who seemed to be herding everyone to the end of the car, didn't look like somebody a man would want to mess with. As the ladies passed Brian he noticed that most of them were not as young as they seemed from a distance. They certainly knew how to apply makeup artistically. One young lady, who was prettier than most, couldn't stop giggling as she eyed the handsome detective and significantly slowed down her pace.

"Stop dawdling, Cherry," came the red-headed drill sergeant's voice from behind Brian.

The young lady giggled again, batted her eyelashes, and moved on, followed by an extremely beautiful young blond. The blond had been walking with 'her' head down but the loud voice of the redhead caused the 'girl' to bring 'her' face up. Brian suddenly found himself staring into the deepest, clearest blue eyes he had ever seen. They were almost mesmerizing. With no warning at all he found himself feeling a stirring in his groin. The surprise caused him to look down, losing eye contact with the young 'lady'.

"What the hell was that?" he asked himself under his breath. 

He had never once before in his life had a reaction like that from looking at a woman. He quickly turned back to watch the young 'lady's' retreating back. All he could see was a well turned-out figure with an ample butt and attractive legs in silk stockings. As he watched the figure disappear through the door, he felt that tiny stirring in his loins again.

"Well shit! If that don't beat all," he muttered again.

Just then the steward signaled him to follow to the nearest clean table. Brian was too hungry to try and decipher why he had had such a strange reaction to seeing the young 'lady'. He sat down and ordered his breakfast. Shortly after he finished eating he decided it was time to start exploring all the various cars on the train. He decided to start with the caboose and work his way up. He journeyed down to the end of the long line of cars. He slowly and methodically visited each car as he came to it. His senses were on high alert but there wasn't anything or anyone who seemed familiar to the detective's receptive brain.

Eventually Brian reached the observation car that was set up like a lounge on wheels. There was a small bar at the end of the car where drinks would be served later in the day. A part of the car near the bar was occupied by a phalanx of female musicians playing popular songs of the era. Standing in the center of this group was that same enigmatic blond that had caused such a strange reaction in Brian. The young 'lady' was singing a swinging version of 'Frankie and Johnny' and Brian was struck by what a powerful voice 'she' had. He completely forgot what he was supposed to be doing as he became engrossed in the lyrics of the song and the voice of its singer. There was something familiar about the 'woman' but Brian couldn't put his finger on it. He was certain he had never heard 'her' perform before. He wouldn't have forgotten a voice like that. As the young 'lady' finished with panache, the crowded car broke into applause. Whoever the singer was, 'she' was certainly getting a good reaction from the crowd. The orchestra leader, the older of the two men Brian saw with the redhead in the dining car, and the band members took a bow.

Brian noticed the redhead over in the other corner sitting with the younger of the two men who had been with her in the dining car. Both of them looked quite pleased. Their enthusiastic applause for the singer was followed by whistles. The singer blushed prettily and took a bow, then sat back down in 'her' nearby seat. The redhead jumped up and stepped into the circle the singer had just vacated. She raised her hands to calm the audience, and once it became quiet again she made her announcement.

"Thank you so much, ladies and gentleman. That was our very own singer, Miss Sunny Chambers. Now we are going to take a little break, but we'll be back at two for another practice session and we hope you will join us at that time. From the members of DeeBee's All Ladies Orchestra and myself, Miss Debbie, we wish you a pleasant afternoon and safe journey. Thank you again."

With that, the redhead turned back to her band members and began talking animatedly. Brian realized he hadn't bothered to check out any of the car's inhabitants so he quickly returned to his job of scanning every face he could see as they left the car going past him or continued to sit and smoke their cigarettes while watching the scenery passing by outside the large windows. Some were leaving heading the opposite direction, but Brian knew he would be able to check those folks out later as he moved to the other end of the train. So far he hadn't spotted anyone who looked remotely suspicious. The only person who even caught his attention was the talented young singer, and she certainly wasn't what he was looking for, either personally or professionally. Maybe he was just too tired to be his usual sharp self, he thought to himself, or maybe he had simply been wrong and the fugitive wasn't on board this train. Oh well, he needed to keep moving. He wasn't going to find what he was looking for just sitting here and staring at a beautiful 'woman' who shouldn't have attracted his attention in the first place.

****************************************************************

Earlier that morning, New York City, a Private Airfield just outside the city:

Johan Jaeger was getting irritated. When he wanted something done, he wanted it done immediately and he never accepted excuses. He had ordered the charter flight to Chicago immediately after learning that the police believed that young Taylor had fled to California via train the previous night. It was extremely important that he catch that train on the layover in Chicago. Normally Johan would hire someone else to do his dirty work for him, but this was a special case. He didn't trust anyone else with this task. It was the price he had to pay for dirtying his own hands with that damned fool, Oscar Vanderbeke. Why he had ever gotten involved with the stupid lech, he would never know. He wasn't sorry he had eliminated the problem before the old man had screwed up all of his future plans... he was just sorry he hadn't been more cautious when he did it. Now he had to tie up that one last loose end that could connect him to Oscar's murder. Hopefully he would get to Chicago on time... that is, if the fucking pilot would hurry up and finish his pre-flight duties.

To be continued............................

April 1, 1935: 4:30 p.m.: Chicago, Illinois' Union Station:

The arrival at Chicago's famed Union Station was hectic, with passengers boarding and deboarding. Detective Kinney had been nursing his headache for far too many hours now. He spent almost all of the last nine hours traveling up and down the extremely long train from car to car, only missing the actual engine in his search. It had done him no good. He had never come across anyone even vaguely matching the man he was looking for. The only odd experience he had during the entire day was his confusing reaction to the singer in the all girl orchestra that was traveling to California. Despite his failure to spot his suspect, Brian still had a sense that the young man was on this train. Call it cop's intuition, but he couldn't shake the feeling.

The train would have a long layover in Chicago so Brian got off and found the nearest phone booth. He searched his pocket for the right coin and dropped it into the slot. He quickly gave the number for police headquarters to the operator and then dropped in a few more coins when instructed to. He waited patiently. His head continued to throb as he waited and finally heard a click on the other end of the line. He lucked out when the cop on the desk informed him that Captain Horvath hadn't left the office yet. He tapped his foot waiting for Carl to answer the line. He noticed a whole troupe of women exiting from one of the cars and couldn't miss the pretty blonde in the center of the group. The redhead exited behind the group and gathered them around her. Brian was too far away to make out what she was saying, but he could imagine her barking out orders like a drill sergeant. The women were nodding their heads in agreement and then escaped down the ramp and into the cavernous building that was Chicago's depot.

Brian's mind wandered back to the second time he had watched 'Sunny', the singer performing. He had unconciously made it a point to return to the observation car in time to enjoy the second set of rehearsals the band put on for fellow travelers. Brian was mesmerized by the blonde singer's truly beautiful voice. It had to be one of the most captivating voices he had ever heard, but there was something else about the singer that drew him. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. The more he thought about it the more he decided it was those eyes... those deep, blue eyes.

Brian had the feeling he had looked into those eyes many times before. They seemed to be speaking to him in a language he just couldn't quite decipher, at least not for now. There was an innocence and yet longing in those eyes, as if the young lady was searching for something but afraid to find it at the same time. It called to Brian, which probably was what was throwing him for a loop.

He loved his job solving crimes and protecting innocent citizens, but he never really felt the urge to be protective of anyone outside of his job. He just didn't like it when someone bullied or abused someone else... either their jobs, their families, their finances, their well-being, or their very lives. He hated bullies and criminals, which was why he became a cop in the first place. It probably went back to a childhood that was controlled by his abusive father. Whatever it was, Brian had always left his protective nature at work. At home it was pretty much every man or woman for themselves.

For some reason this 'Sunny' gave him the feeling that he should stay close and keep a watchful eye on 'her'. Just then his thoughts were interrupted by the Captain's brusque voice. Brian made quick work of checking in and giving Horvath all the facts, not that there was much to relate. He finished his report and waited for the man to react. He wasn't really prepared to abandon the search because he still had a hunch that Taylor was on board hiding, but it would be up to his superior officer. Carl took his time mulling it over but finally responded.

"So you still have a gut feeling that this isn't a wild goose chase? Is that what you're telling me?"

"I don't know why but that's the way it is, sir. There are plenty of places for someone to hide even in an enclosed environment like the train. I simply can't think of any other reason for that young lady I interviewed to have that particular train information written down. The timing is just too coincidental, in addition to the fact that the suspect has not shown up anywhere in the city and we know he had no financial resources. His friend did, so who else would he turn to? I guarantee you his father didn't come to his rescue. If you'll approve it, I'd like to continue on this trip until I'm more convinced he simply isn't on board."

Brian waited again while the Captain thought a bit more. He had faith in Kinney. The man was a very good detective and his hunches had a habit of turning out right. With that thought in mind he made his pronouncement.

"You go ahead and continue on Lieutenant. Consider it a working holiday." The man let out a short laugh. "If I'm not mistaken you haven't taken a vacation in two years. If you make it all the way to Hollywood you can check out the footprints in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater. I hear they just got Shirley Temple's footprints a couple of weeks ago."

"Cap, I didn't know you were such a fan. But isn't she a bit young for you?"

"Very funny smartass. My little girl loves her so I get dragged out to see her movies. Anyway, just keep me informed on what's going on. Call me when you get to your next layover. Maybe you'll have some better news for me by then."

"Will do, Sir," Brian answered, putting seriousness back in his tone.

He hung up the phone and debated as to what he should do next. After some thought, he decided he would check out the town. He had heard of a few gay-friendly spots that he could frequent and who knew, maybe he could get a little relief. After all, the Captain told him to consider this a working vacation and the train wasn't scheduled to pull out until after eight. Maybe a quick fuck would sharpen his senses. Brian turned on his heel and made straight for the nearest exit to find a cabbie. He just barely missed his target, who had been talked into joining some of the girls for a ride to view the legendary Windy City by Cherry. If they were lucky, she had announced, they would run into some local gangsters, although most were either dead or incarcerated like Al Capone.

**************************************************************
Same Day: Same Place: 8:20 p.m.:

Johan Jaeger hurriedly thrust a couple of bucks into the hand of the red cap who had helped him to his first-class bedroom on the train. He had arrived in Chicago with plenty of time to spare, which he put to good use as he placed call after call to his clients and explained why he might not be able to keep appointments with them for the foreseeable future. He wasn't worried about their reactions. After all, where else could they go to get what he was selling? 

It made Johan a little angry that he had to waste his time like this in the first place. If only that bastard, Vanderbeke hadn't been so greedy, he thought to himself. The son of a bitch couldn't be happy with the money he was making off the stolen paintings he was selling in the back room of his art gallery. No, he had to go and hire starving, but talented, young artists to make forgeries of those same stolen paintings and then try to sell them as the real thing. If he had gotten away with it much longer he would have ruined Johan's reputation in no time at all, and then he would never be sought after again for the job of filching paintings that collectors wanted so badly whether they could display them openly or not. 

Johan felt like kicking himself for going into partnership with Vanderbeke in the first place. He had done well selling the stolen paintings one on one, but a chance meeting when the man caught him red-handed with a stolen 'Matisse' in his hands at an estate in France led to the realization that he could make more money and have a larger client base using Vanderbeke's connections. It had worked well for several years but then Johan got word from a client that a painting he had purchased was declared a fake by the crooked appraiser he had hired. The client couldn't go to the police of course, since they knew it had been stolen, but their threat to destroy Johan if he didn't fix the problem wasn't to be taken lightly. As a result he needed to prove to himself that Oscar was behind the forgery, and that it wasn't a simple case of he himself unwittingly stealing a forgery in the first place. 

Johan convinced his old friend Christian Beecher to request a fake of one of his own paintings to see if Oscar was into that business. It didn't take long for Chris to report back that Oscar had jumped at the chance to provide the necessary services, even mentioning that he would have to hire someone new since his old forger had moved out of town recently. It was all the proof of Oscar's guilt that Johan needed, and he decided then and there to remove the problem of forgeries of his stolen artwork as soon as possible. He hadn't counted on the young artist that Chris had mentioned being present when it happened. 

A part of him felt sorry for the kid. It was just his bad luck to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sentiment, however, had never been one of Johan's strong suits. He had been on his own ever since his father was killed just prior to the beginning of WWI and the family had emigrated to America. They had been dirt poor, and he learned the hard way how to survive on the mean streets of the city. Once his mother passed away due to the lack of funds for proper medical care, he made up his mind that he would be rich some day and New York City seemed a good place to make that fortune. The first few years had been abysmal failures. All that changed when he ended up sharing a cell with an experienced art thief after getting caught for a petty theft that had only netted him a little over a hundred dollars. 

Once Johan was released he waited for his new mentor to be released too, which fortunately was only a month later. That day changed his entire life. He found he had an affinity for artwork in general, and the lifting of it in particular. He was far more stealthy than even he had known. Ten years later he had amassed a small fortune and by the time his mentor unexpectedly died from a heart attack while on a vacation in Cuba, Johan was more than prepared to go out on his own and continue to reap the rewards of his craft. Almost twenty years had passed without incident and he had gained both respect and allies in the real world of high society without many knowing who and what he really was. He had no intention of letting a piss-ant like Oscar destroy what he had carefully built. Unfortunately, he was now facing the consequences of his actions.

Johan settled into his room and opened his expensive new suitcase. It was filled with the fine clothes and accessories his wealth could afford him. Everything was brand new. He had left New York in such a hurry that he hadn't even taken a thing with him. It didn't matter. He used the extra time he had before the train arrived to shop, something he took tremendous pleasure in doing. He even bought a diamond and pearl ring for his girlfriend. He imagined her pleasure when she got a peek at the hefty stone. 

Johan relaxed. He dug out the revolver from under his packed clothes... the same make and model as the one that ended Vanderbeke's life. He knew what the detective on board looked like, and he knew what the kid looked like thanks to his connections in the police department. He would find them both. The detective would either be his means to finding Taylor or end up in the way of him finding him. Didn't matter which. He would get to the young man, one way or another. Once he had gotten rid of the witness to his crime, he could get back to his normal life. That day couldn't come soon enough for Johan. 

To be continued.................................

April 3, 1935: 10:00 a.m.: Just Outside of Needles, California:

The train finally pulled out of its first station stop in the Golden State of California. There were approximately eight more hours to ride on this fully loaded train before the final stop in Los Angeles. It couldn't come soon enough for almost all of the passengers who had been cooped up in the moving boxes for three whole nights. That was long enough for all but the hardiest of travelers. That sentiment was shared by three men who would never have even considered being on this train in the first place if circumstances hadn't forced it on them.

The Detective was particularly irritated. He could think of lots of better ways to spend some vacation time. Not that this trip was anything close to a vacation. His boss had called it that facetiously, but Brian Kinney knew he had a job to do. His Captain was relying heavily on Brian's gut instincts, which kept telling him that the man he sought really was on this train. The full-on search for the suspect in Vanderbeke's murder had revealed nothing in and around New York City. An APB on their only suspect hadn't elicited anything new either. It was as if Justin Taylor didn't exist anymore. Brian was certain the young man did, but had escaped the clutches of the law by hiding out in plain sight. It was what he would have done if the situation was reversed. Time was now limited to find the young man while they were still traveling. Once they got to LA, it would be even more complicated to locate his quarry. Brian decided he'd make his umpteenth trip up and down the cars searching for the elusive suspect. This time he would try and catch the eye of everyone he saw. He was certain he'd recognize those eyes no matter what kind of disguise the young man was using. 

In the meantime, the young man Detective Kinney was seeking was sitting only two cars down from the detective. Justin Taylor was congratulating himself on the success of his ruse. He had managed to fool an entire bevy of women, including the sharp Debbie Novotny, into thinking he was one of them. There hadn't been a single sign that anyone was the least bit suspicious. Justin had to laugh to himself. Maybe he should consider becoming an actor once he hit LA. He had more talent at becoming someone else than he would have ever imagined only a few days ago. Right now he was looking forward to arriving at their destination. The first thing he wanted to do was shed his female clothing and become the masculine young man he felt comfortable being. He did regret that he would have to leave Debbie without a singer for her band. He had grown quite fond of the tough old gal and her little troupe, but the longer he stayed in disguise the higher the risk of being caught.

Two cars down in the opposite direction from where Justin was sitting with a group of the girls from the band gossiping the morning away, sat the third man in this secret circle of players of this cat and mouse game. Johan was angrier than he had been in quite some time. He had been absolutely certain he would have no trouble finding young Taylor, and yet the kid had managed to stay hidden during the entire trip. Even bribing some of the train personnel hadn't gotten Johan any information that would help in his search for the kid. He had found Detective Kinney easily enough, thanks to a photo of the man given to him by one of his cop buddies. Keeping a close watch on the Detective hadn't proven very fruitful, however. It was obvious from the start that Kinney had no more of a clue as to Taylor's whereabouts than he himself did. Johan knew that today was his last chance to locate Taylor before the vast city of Los Angeles swallowed the kid up. He could still be found, of course, but it would take a lot more time and Johan didn't want to waste his time in that way. He decided it was time to make another trip through the train before lunch. Maybe he'd get lucky this time.

****************************************************************

Same day: 12:20 p.m.: Dining Car:

Brian entered the dining car, which was now fully packed. He stood in line at the end of the car and waited for his turn to be seated at whatever spot opened up for him. He was totally unaware that the man he should have been seeking was directly behind him waiting for his spot at a table too. Johan knew better than to dog Brian's every move but he made it a point of keeping the Detective in his sights as much as possible, especially when it was obvious the man was on the search again. When Brian decided to take a break for lunch, Johan saw no reason not to do the same. 

After a relatively short wait, a large group of travelers finished their meal and exited the car. Within seconds the waiters had cleared the table, leaving room for four new hungry patrons. The man in charge of seating stepped forward and gave the sign for the next four people in line to follow him. Two elderly ladies moved forward first, followed closely by Brian and Johan. The ladies sat down on one side of the booth while the two men sat across from them. Brian secretly prayed that the women wouldn't be the talkative type. Johan smiled politely at all three of them and avoided any further eye contact as he checked out the small menu the waiter had given him. Soon all four people in the booth were enjoying their meal silently, except for the occasional comment between the ladies. Only Johan recognized the irony in his sharing a booth with the very man who would have slapped handcuffs on him in a heartbeat had he known who he was actually sitting with. He found it humorous to be sitting so close to the Detective, but he didn't let on as he ate his meal in silence.

Brian finished first and laid a small tip on the table as he indicated to his table mate that he needed to get out of the booth. Johan politely scooted out and waited for Brian to remove himself from the booth and then immediately sat back down. It was at that precise moment that the door slid open to the dining car and a rather noisy group of ladies from the orchestra piled through. They usually were the first to be seated during a meal but their rehearsal had run overtime and they were ravenous. There were at least nine or ten of them standing tightly squeezed into the small space available for waiting diners. Brian realized that he would have to make his way through the throng in order to exit the dining car, or choose to go the other way. He had no choice. He needed to leave by way of their end. 

Brian had not really taken a close look at any of the women before now. First of all he wasn't looking for a woman, and secondly he knew Taylor couldn't be in this group since the women all worked together and knew each other. A stranger would stand out like a sore thumb to these women. He was completely unaware that the singer, 'Sunny', was new to the band. He certainly had noticed the singer, but not in the way a cop would notice a suspect. Again he did take notice of the slender blond who had brought out such a strange reaction in him... one he had only experienced before when spying a particularly nice hunk of man. 'She' seemed to stand out in the crowd of women every time, at least for Brian.

'Sunny', the singer, was talking animatedly with the flirtatious dark-haired woman that Brian remembered being called Cherry. They seemed to be enjoying whatever the topic of their conversation was. As Brian started to move forward, prepared to be as gentlemanly as possible while pushing his way through the women, he realized that 'Sunny' and Cherry seemed to be staring right at him as they laughed at their own comments. Were they talking about him, he wondered? He did have a way of attracting the attention of women even though it didn't affect him in any way. For some odd reason he was a bit glad to know that the singer was noticing him. As he came closer to the girls, he found himself staring right into the blond's eyes only inches away from him. The first time he had seen those beautiful, blue eyes the contact had lasted only seconds. This time neither he nor the blond could seem to look away. 

Brian didn't realize it at first, but he had come to a full stop right in front of the singer. 'Sunny' and he continued to stare at each other for what seemed like an eternity but was actually no more than a half minute or so. It was at that moment that two more tables were freed up and the waiter again stepped forward to usher more diners to their seats. Cherry, who was at the head of the group of women along with 'Sunny', pulled gently on 'Sunny's' arm to get her to start moving.

"Honey, our seat is ready. Stop flirting with the nice man and let's go. The girls and I are starving."

'Sunny' blushed a charming shade of pink, which stood out clearly on 'her' porcelain-white cheeks. Brian hated to admit it but the sight was certainly charming. The thought crossed his mind that he would have definitely flirted back with the singer if he ever leaned in that direction. Just then 'Sunny' gave Brian a smile that flashed all 'her' ivory white teeth and lit up 'her' entire face. It was in that instant that Brian had a flash of why the singer's eyes seemed so familiar. He absolutely knew he had seen those eyes in a photo. For some reason that he couldn't even understand himself, he hesitated in doing what he knew he had every right to do. 

For the first time in days Brian knew exactly why he hadn't been able to find his suspect, but he wasn't so sure as to why he had no desire to embarrass the young man by grabbing him right there in front of everyone and making an immediate arrest. He masked his discovery quickly and made up his mind then and there that he would confront the young man in private. Now that he knew who the singer really was, he was certain the kid wouldn't try to escape as long as he still felt safe in his disguise... and what a disguise it was. Brian almost whistled out loud in appreciation of the young man's ingenuity, although Brian suspected that Justin's female friend back home might have had a hand in helping the kid so successfully. He had to admire her devotion, even if it had made his job much harder. Now that Brian knew where to find Justin Taylor, he broke eye contact with the blond and continued forward to leave the car. He had to decide within the next five or six hours when and where he would confront the young man. Once they actually got to LA he couldn't be sure that Taylor would stay with the band. He had to have him in handcuffs before then.

As Brian walked away he failed to notice his eating companion, who had just risen from their table and was about to leave too. Johan certainly did notice the Detective and the way he had stopped and stared for such a long time at the young blond from the girl band Johan had seen on board. He normally enjoyed a bit of music but he had been far too busy to stop and watch the band during any of their rehearsals, and on top of that none of the ladies of the band were anywhere near as sexy as his own mistress. Because of that he had paid scant attention to the girls. 

Johan was a student of human behavior, however, and he couldn't help noticing the subtle change in Brian's body language just before he moved on from the group of ladies waiting to be seated. It caused Johan to give the two ladies who seemed to catch Brian's attention the most, very close scrutiny as he passed by them. It was the first time he had actually looked at any of the women on board so closely and it answered his question as to why he hadn't spotted the young man he had been seeking much sooner. Johan had also been carrying a photo of Justin, and as soon as he looked into the blond 'girls' eyes he saw Taylor. He had to give the kid credit. The SOB had thought of a disguise that would have never occurred to Johan. Now that he knew, he only needed to get the kid alone. He sensed that the Detective had figured it out too, but he couldn't be sure. He realized that this might not be as easy as he would have hoped, but he would take care of business no matter what the risks were. By the time they hit LA, Justin Taylor would no longer be a problem. 

As Johan passed through the sliding door to head back to his room where he could try and work out a plan, he didn't hear the soft giggling between Cherry and 'Sunny' as they followed the waiter to their table. Justin had come to like Cherry quite a lot and actually enjoyed gossiping with her. She reminded him a lot of Daphne, with the same irreverent sense of humor and joy in poking fun or critiquing the men around them. Of course Daphne knew that she was sizing up men with a gay boy next to her, while Cherry thought she was sharing the fun with another gal like herself, but other than that they were very much alike. Justin actually wished he could be truthful with Cherry but his sense of self-preservation was too strong to take the risk in exposing himself to her. 

The two 'gals' had noticed the tall slender brunet more than once on this trip. They both agreed that he was quite a looker and would make a good catch. Of course they knew nothing about him but the mystery was half the fun. Justin figured he was no doubt a hetero man, but it didn't hurt to dream... and dream he did. He had already had one very sexy dream about the stranger with the hazel eyes just the night before. Of course it was only fantasy. He would soon be in Los Angeles, city of dreams, and there he would hopefully find the real thing. The stranger certainly wasn't it, even though it had been odd just moments ago when the brunet had stopped short right in front of him and couldn't seem to take his eyes off Justin. 

Justin would have worried that the stranger had seen through his disguise, recognizing him as a man dressed in women's clothing if he hadn't moved on without saying a word once they lost eye contact. Justin had to admit though that there had been an intangible something that seemed to pass between them in those brief moments that their eyes were locked together. If it was flirting that the brunet was doing, Justin felt sorry for him. He would certainly have been disappointed if he had tried to pursue the object of his flirtation any further. Justin couldn't suppress the grin that crossed his face as he pictured the stranger kissing him and reaching a hand under his skirt only to discover the bulge he kept tightly encased underneath. When Cherry slid into the booth and noticed the grin on her friend's face she pulled at 'Sunny's' wrist.

"What in the world just gave you that Cheshire grin on your face, Missy?" Cherry asked pointedly.

"Oh nothing," the blond responded dismissively.

"You were thinking about that delicious morsel that just passed us, weren't you. Go on, admit it. I saw the way you two looked at each other. Hey, maybe he'll finally introduce himself before we get to LA. So, if he does will you be wiling to give him a tumble? Brother, I certainly would."

Cherry laughed out loud, making the others curious as to what was so funny. 'Sunny' just ducked 'her' head and mumbled something under 'her' breath.

"What did you say?"

"I said I don't have time for romance Cherry. I'm on this trip for one reason and one reason only and finding a man isn't it... at least not for fun and games. Besides we don't know anything about him. He could be anyone. I'm not eager to take a chance like that. He seems really nice, but you know that looks can be deceiving. Things aren't always what they seem you know. Trust me. I know what I'm talking about," the blond concluded.

"Yeah right," Cherry huffed. "Well believe me, if he gives me a second look I'll be happy to respond. Your loss kiddo."

With that the girls placed their order with the waiter. Everyone was on pins and needles. They were almost to their destination. Everyone had big plans for the future. Only the blond singer knew that 'her' future was completely uncertain. Only Justin Taylor had reason to worry about what would happen once the train rolled into Los Angeles. Only he had the possibility of never making it there, or getting to stay there even if he did make it. But Justin was blissfully unaware of what plans were being hatched in the minds of two different men nearby as he dug into his lunch while the train continued clickety clacking down the tracks, moving inexorably nearer and nearer to its final destination on this particular trip.

To be continued...........................

April 3, 1935: 4:25 p.m.: A Few Miles Outside of Fullerton, California:

Detective Kinney watched as the large family across the aisle gathered up their belongings in preparation for deboarding the train at the last stop before reaching Los Angeles. His car, along with the rest of the train, was far emptier than it had been when Brian first boarded a few days ago. Many of the passengers left the train in Chicago but just as many took their place for the final leg of the trip which ended in LA. In many ways Brian was grateful that so many of the passengers, most of them families with children, had already left the train. It would make for less of an audience when he took young Taylor off the train in handcuffs. 

Brian had waited for his chance to get the young man alone so that he could make the arrest without any scenes, but the chance never came. At least the kid hadn't tried to leave the train at any of the short stops they made along the way after Brian first recognized the blond through his disguise. That would have forced Brian's hand and he would have had no choice about embarrassing the kid. It was a little unsettling for Brian when he realized that it mattered to him how he took custody of Taylor. He had never felt anything like it before. If the suspect had been anyone else, the guy would have already been in cuffs and if necessary, Brian would have marched him right down the center of the aisle in full view of all passengers. This time around he knew he would still arrest the suspect, but he had no desire to make it public. 

His chance to make a move finally came when he noticed Taylor separating himself from the girls of the orchestra. The train was only minutes away from the next stop. From snatches of conversation that Brian had overheard in the lounge car, the other girls planned on getting off in Fullerton during the short thirty-minute layover. Taylor must have decided he would need more time to prepare himself for arrival in LA, because he moved off in the direction of the band's sleeping car on his own. Of course there was also the possibility that the kid would grab his things and sneak off the train now, rather than waiting to reach the end of the line. Brian knew that it was time to grab Taylor. 

Brian had been sitting at the other end of the lounge car when he saw Justin moving towards the exit in the opposite direction. He jumped up to follow the blond at the precise moment the entire gang of more than a dozen women left their seats in preparation for stepping off the train. They stood between Brian and the other end of the car, completing blocking his view of the sliding door leading out of the car. He could see the door sliding open and knew that Taylor had left the car. What Brian didn't see was the older gentleman who had been sitting in the last seat at the exit Justin had just gone through. Before the door slid closed again, that man had also stepped through in order to enter the next car right behind Justin. 

Justin was in a hurry to get to the sleeping car several cars down. He wanted to make sure that he had everything packed up and that his disguise was safely in place. Things would be different once he left the train. There would be a whole world of people out there to try and fool until he could safely shed his disguise. After some serious thinking since waking up that morning, he had decided to remain in disguise and stay with the band for a short while until he could find his footing in the strange new town. He could also get more information on how the case was progressing in New York City. The newspapers he had bought along the way didn't really have anything to say about the case. It was of more interest locally than nationally. If it was possible, Justin could change his name but go back to being a young man once he knew whether they were looking for him as far away as California. Daphne might be able to help him with that. 

Justin's thoughts were so focused on his future plans that he didn't notice the man who was following him. He wouldn't have recognized the face anyway, even if he had turned around and noticed him. Johan stayed close to his target as they moved into the next car. It was a sleeper car and there were few people around. Johan felt the gun in his coat pocket. He was ready. He pulled his wide brimmed hat down low over his eyes and kept his head down. He concentrated on the high heeled shoes only a short distance in front of him. He only glanced up for a brief second to see if the car they were in was empty. This one wasn't, so he continued to follow Justin. As they entered the next car, the one Justin had been heading for, Johan looked up again. There was not a soul in sight.

Brian had done his best to get past the gaggle of talkative ladies, only to be slowed down again by several elderly couples who blocked his exit as they took their time leaving the car. Brian tried to move forward more quickly in the next two cars but it was as if fate was laughing at him. In every car there were people blocking his path as they gathered their things and prepared to exit the train. By the time the train pulled into the station Brian was several minutes behind Justin and Johan. 

It was all the time that Johan needed. He stealthily pulled out his pistol and aimed it at the back of the wig-covered head in front of him. His trigger finger began to flex. It was just at that moment that fate stepped in twice, saving the intended victim's life. First the train lurched suddenly as the brakes were applied in sight of the train's depot. Justin, who had become far more adept at walking on his heels in the last few days, found himself just off balance enough to make him stumble in the narrow passageway between sleeping berths on both sides of the car. He began to fall forward, reaching out to the side to try and steady himself. 

At that precise moment, the sound of the sliding door at the end of the car could be heard a split second before the sound of the gun going off. Brian would not have been certain it was gunfire if he had not seen the brief flash from the muzzle of the gun in the dim light of the windowless car. His cop instincts kicked in and he reached for his own gun resting in its shoulder holster.

"Stop! Police officer," he shouted at the back of the man who was standing with his arm raised high and pointed at the blond's head.

Everything happened so quickly then that it would be hard to recall all the sequence of events later on. The stranger with the gun was a fast thinker. He lowered his arm at the same time that he grabbed the person he was aiming at and whirled him around as a shield between himself and the cop. Justin had felt something fly by his cheek but was completely unaware of how close he had come to a bullet in his brain. He was more shocked at being grabbed from behind and twirled around. The surprise was evident to Brian, even from the distance between them. The stranger and Justin were only a matter of feet from the next exit, and the stranger was clearly edging towards that door, still holding Justin in front of him. Justin would have pulled away but the stranger gave him a glimpse of the gun he was holding to his head. 

Justin could see that the man at the other end of the car was also holding a gun and his confusion was complete. He recognized the other man as the one he could not help flirting with during the trip, and even had a dream about. He couldn't fathom why the guy behind him was holding a gun on him and why the dreamboat was holding a gun on both of them. It hadn't registered with him yet that the good-looking one had announced himself as a police officer. During the few minutes it took for the two armed men to complete their standoff with one another, Justin finally found his senses enough to wonder if the guy behind him was the real killer of Vanderbeke. He also wondered if the cop was actually after one or both of them. Justin's blood turned cold. 

Before he could react to this new thought, the man behind him reached the exit and pushed the button to open the door. By this time the cop had inched closer to the gunman and his captive. Brian was baffled as to what was going on between the Taylor kid and the stranger, but he didn't have time to think about it. All he knew was this man, whose face was shadowed by his hat, had just tried to kill Justin Taylor. It didn't make any sense but Brian had immediate problems to deal with first. He had no intention of letting the stranger kill the kid. Suddenly the stranger gave Justin a mighty shove which caused him to stumble forwards towards Brian. Brian was caught off guard. He grabbed at Justin just as he was within reach and pulled the young man to the ground. It was a good thing he had done that, because the sound of gunfire could be heard again as another flash appeared from the muzzle. The bullet flew over the heads of both men lying on the ground. 

When Brian and Justin cautiously raised their heads they saw only empty space where the gunman had been. The door was closing behind the mysterious figure. Brian quickly disentangled himself from Justin and ran for the door. As it opened for him and Brian carefully looked out, he could see nothing. The gunman had simply vanished. By this time the train had come to a stop at the station and Brian saw a bunch of people leaving and boarding the train through the gap between rail-cars. The gunman could have easily stepped off the train and blended into the crowd. He didn't even get a good look at the man's face so he probably wouldn't know him if he saw him anyway. The long coat he wore was all the fashion for men in today's society so there were plenty of others in sight wearing the same thing. The thought crossed his mind that young Taylor might have some answers so Brian abandoned the search and returned to the car and a waiting Justin Taylor.

By the time Brian returned, Justin had gotten back on his feet. It crossed his mind briefly that he should run and hide. After all, he now knew that the guy he had been admiring was a cop. Maybe he was looking for him and just happened to stumble on the attempt on his life by the mysterious man who had killed Vanderbeke, or he could simply be a cop who was in the right place at the right time to save an innocent 'girl'. Justin didn't have to wait long to find out which was the correct theory. Brian approached Justin and stopped inches in front of him. Justin used his high-pitched voice and began to thank the officer for helping him.

"I can't tell you how glad I am that you arrived in time to save me, Officer. Heaven only knows what that crazy man wanted from me. A girl just isn't safe anywhere nowadays."

Brian didn't waste any time. "You can cut out the girlie voice Mr. Taylor. I am fully aware of who you are. As a matter of fact I've been looking for you for several days now. I finally figured out who you really are this morning. I would have arrested you on suspicion of murder sooner, but I thought I'd give you a break and wait until I could get you alone. I was about to do just that when I came across this strange scenario between you and some kook with a gun. So tell me Mr. Taylor, do you have any clue as to who the guy was or why he seemed to want you dead?"

Justin's body went cold! It was over... just like that! This whole time he had been flirting with and desiring the very man who was about to destroy his life and send him packing off to prison, maybe even the gas chamber... and all for a crime he didn't commit. He swallowed hard, trying to clear the hard lump that had formed in the back of his throat, choking off any response he could make. The cop remained patient, waiting for an answer. Finally Justin could see that the cop wasn't one of those tough guys who liked to push their prisoners around. His first impression of the man as a decent guy seemed to be accurate. It gave Justin the courage to speak up at last.

"I have an idea why that man wanted me dead, but I don't know if you'll believe me", Justin declared.

"Why don't you give me a try," Brian answered. "I have a fairly open mind."

Justin proceeded to tell Brian his tale of woe and how he was the poor sap who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, which was why he was now running for his life rather than facing his accusers. By the time he reached the point where he was passing on his theory that the killer was the very man who had just tried to silence him, Justin couldn't tell at all whether the handsome cop had believed a word of what he was saying or not. His face was totally impassive. Justin's nerves felt shaky all over again. His life was literally in this man's hands.

When Justin finished his story, Brian stood staring at the young man and peered closely into his eyes. Brian had always believed that the eyes were the windows to the soul, that you could tell more about a person's character through their eyes than all the words they spoke or deeds they performed. What he saw when he looked into Justin's clear, blue eyes was innocence and an honesty he didn't encounter very often. The story of a mysterious man shooting in the dark and running away, leaving a witness, would have been far less plausible if Brian hadn't witnessed the attempt on the young man's life for himself. Someone certainly had a reason for wanting the kid dead. It made Taylor's story plausible. 

On top of the assassination attempt on Taylor, Brian had a gut feeling about the young man. He refused to believe that it had anything to do with the fact that he found himself attracted to the blond. He was too practical for that. No... there was simply something innocent about the kid. His Captain back home was keeping Brian abreast of the progress in the case with each phone call at different stops along the way and no one had been able to find a good motive for the young artist to take Vanderbeke's life. If anything, the kid had reason to be grateful to the old man for taking an interest in his work. Brian was not one to make snap decisions but he did this time. He grabbed hold of Justin's arm and moved the young man forward towards the next car. 

Once they got there he told the blond to stay quiet and waited to see if anyone was leaving one of the private bedrooms in this car. After a few minutes a couple stepped out of a room a few doors down with suitcases in hand. Brian and Justin remained still until the couple exited the train. Brian then led Justin the short distance to the room that had just been vacated. Once they were inside, he closed the door behind them and lowered the shades to the outside and inside windows. Justin took a seat, completely unsure of what was going to happen next. He was shaking inside from the fear that had gripped him from the moment he knew his cover was blown. The cop's attitude had freed him of some of that fear, but not all.

"You do know that if I was doing my duty I'd have you in handcuffs right now and being marched straight off this train?" Brian began.

"I know. I don't understand. Are you saying you believe my story?"

"I'm saying that it makes sense, which is the first thing that has made sense since I got the case. So Taylor....."

"Justin," he interrupted.

"So Justin," Brian continued, "do you have any idea who the real killer is? You say you didn't get a good look at him, but what about this time? Now I want you to think really hard on this. It is vital that we find out who wanted you dead."

Justin scrunched up his eyebrows as he did his best to recall anything he could about the figure of the man who had held him. He hadn't gotten a look at the man at all from the front but as his brow furrowed deeply from the strain of his thoughts, a memory flashed in Justin's brain. All of a sudden he could see the hand holding the gun at his head when the killer was trying to make his point that it would be foolish to fight back. That hand brought back another memory of a hand with something quirky about it. That something was the odd angle of the pinkie finger holding the gun. In a blinding vision, Justin could see that same hand in the shadows of Vanderbeke's study. Now he had no doubt that the man who had just tried to kill him was the same man who had been responsible for Vanderbeke's murder. 

Justin quickly passed on this revelation to the cop, who listened intently. When he had finished, Brian shook his head in understanding. They finally had a clue as to the murderer's identity. All they needed to do was find one man on the train or out there somewhere who had a crooked pinkie finger. No big deal, Brian mused. He saw the doubt in Justin's eyes and knew the kid wasn't sure yet that his story was believed. Brian sat down on the seat next to Justin and took the young man's hand. He patted it.

"Look kid, I believe you. I do. I could be mistaken, but I have good instincts about people and I'm seldom wrong. This could get me fired, but I'm not going to arrest you. If we're right and that guy was the real killer, then he has no more desire for you to be found out than you do. So I think your best bet is to continue with your disguise for a little longer. The killer obviously knows who you really are and what you were planning so we need to set a trap for him. I don't like to ask you this, but are you up to playing decoy in order to clear your name. It could be dangerous."

The fact that this cop believed him was a huge relief to Justin. It was a break he had no reason to expect, but was extremely grateful for. Obviously his first impression of this man had been right. He was a good man.

"I'm willing to do whatever it takes, Officer.....?"

"Detective Kinney, but you can call me Brian. If we're going to be in cahoots with each other we might as well be on a first name basis.... Justin."

Justin smiled. "I agree.... Brian, but I don't want you to risk your career.

"You let me worry about my career. I don't like seeing innocent people railroaded. I'll be damned if I'll let some scumbag send you to prison for something you didn't do," Brian declared. "Now listen, Justin. I want you to stay with the girls from the band at all times. The killer isn't about to do anything with witnesses around. No more going off alone. And when you aren't with them, I'll be nearby. Hopefully it won't take long for him to make a move or if we're real lucky I'll find him before he does. There has to be a reason he killed the old man. Once we know who he is, that reason should be enough to clear you."

Justin couldn't help himself. His relief was overwhelming after all the days of being constantly on edge. He finally had someone in his corner who could really make a difference and get him out of this mess. Without thinking, Justin threw his arms around Brian's neck and whispered 'thank you' several times. Brian was surprised, but only for a second. He didn't feel any urge to disentangle himself so he let the hug continue for a bit longer. Finally he reached up and took Justin's arms, pulling them away from his neck. He saw the blond blush. It only served to make the young man even more attractive. 

Brian didn't see a young lady looking back at him with tears of gratitude in her eyes. He saw a beautiful young man and it caused that familiar tight feeling in his pants again. This wasn't a good idea, he told himself. It would make things too complicated. He needed to keep things on a strictly business level, but that was going to be hard. Inside his head he heard himself say, 'you have no idea how hard'. 

Out loud he simply said, "That's alright kid. You don't have to thank me. Now remember what I said, stay with the girls. In the meantime, I'll check every car on this train and try to find the guy. At least I have a clue what to look for now. I have a strong feeling he got off in all the confusion, but we're not that far from LA so I'm afraid we haven't seen the last of him even if he is off the train. Now you let me go first and we'll get back to the lounge car until we find some of your group. I won't leave you alone until then. I promise."

Justin was embarrassed at the familiar way he had hugged Brian on the one hand, but at the same time it had felt really good. He was just so grateful to the man for being on his side. Anything Brian asked him to do, he would. At least now he had a chance of getting back to a normal life, thanks to the handsome brunet he had been admiring since the day he first saw him. 

To be continued......................

April 3, 1935: 5:15 p.m.: Union Station, Los Angeles :

Justin tried his best to act casual as if he didn't have a care in the world as he stepped down from the train onto the station platform. Half the girls from the orchestra were ahead of him already waiting, and the other half were behind him waiting their turn to deboard. They had all made it to Tinseltown in one piece, and their anticipation over their future careers kept them chipper and carefree. Justin, still playing his role as 'Sunny', plastered an excited smile on his face to match theirs. All the while, his eyes scanned the crowd around them searching out two faces, one that had become well known by now and one that was still a mystery to him.

Brian had left the train ahead of the girls and placed himself strategically behind a thick pole, out of view in the hopes of spotting the mysterious shooter that had made an effort to silence young Taylor. He didn't have much to go on as he scanned the crowd. His eyes fell on one male hand after another, because a crooked pinkie finger was the only solid lead he had. Luckily, few men were wearing gloves like they would have been in the still frigid air of New York City. Unluckily, Brian saw nothing suspicious that would lead him to believe that the shooter was nearby, watching the girls as they gathered on the station platform.

Neither Brian nor Justin could see the object of their search as he sequestered himself safely behind a large cart holding dozens of suitcases, waiting to be placed in the baggage car for the return trip back East once all the previous baggage was taken off. Johan had managed, by some miracle, to exit the train in Fullerton without getting caught by the intrepid police detective. He then made haste to hire a taxicab with a driver more than willing to take him all the way to LA for the extra hundred-dollar bill he was getting for a tip. A hundred was more than he usually earned for a whole week's worth of pick-ups. Johan managed to beat the train to the station by just enough time to find his excellent hiding spot. Best of all, he was close enough to hear some of the conversation of the group of girls that Justin was a part of.

Justin remembered Brian's instructions and kept himself surrounded by the ladies. The moment that Debbie exited with her son and brother in tow, the excited chatter began to die down and all eyes turned to the redhead. Debbie waited until she had everyone's full attention and then made her announcement.

"Okay, ladies, we have reached the Promised Land and all we have to do is show those movie folks that we have the talent to make their film even better. Are we all going to give it one hundred percent effort?"

A chorus of voices rose almost simultaneously. "You bet, boss." And, "We're with you all the way, Miss Debbie." And, "We're ready to take our shot at the big time, Deb," could be heard loud and clear, despite all the noise of departing and arriving passengers up and down the platform.

"Alright, ladies! That's what I want to hear. Now, I need you to gather all your luggage and instruments and meet me outside at the cab stands. I've got rooms booked for us at the 'Hollywood Hotel for Young Ladies' and Vic and Michael will be staying at the YMCA nearby. We're expected to report to the studio on Monday so you'll have a few days to get oriented and check out the city. Of course, we'll also have rehearsals every day, but I promise you plenty of free time too. We're here to make a name for ourselves, however we all know that musicians who have a little fun in their lives are also musicians who play their hearts out. So, let's get started on our grand new adventure, shall we?"

Again, a chorus of approval rang out. Justin felt a great deal of relief. This meant that he had at least five days to figure out where to go from here. At least he was no longer completely alone in his struggles. It was hard to believe that just hours ago he was blithely unaware of how close he was to feeling the cold steel of handcuffs on his wrists or a bullet in his brain, and he had no one he could trust with his secret. Now, as he looked around again trying to spot the handsome detective who had unmasked him, he knew he had not only an ally but someone who actually believed in his innocence, besides Daphne.

Justin was surprised at how much he trusted Detective Kinney, despite the fact that he had only really met him an hour or so ago even though he had been noticing the man for a lot longer. Logically, there was no reason to trust him so completely even though the man had literally saved his life. But logic didn't hold a place in this equation. Illogical or not, Justin felt safe knowing that Kinney was out there watching his back.

As for Brian, he too was confused by how much faith he had in young Taylor. There was no real reason for him to believe Justin's story about how Vanderbeke was murdered and how he had become involved, but whether it made sense or not he did believe the kid. There was simply something about Justin that cried out 'innocence'. Brian didn't stop to analyze whether there was something else about Justin that cried out to him. And yet, at that moment an image of some of the randier dreams about the blond that he had been having for the last few days flashed through his mind. He quickly shook it off. He reminded himself that he wasn't helping Justin just so that he could get into his pants. He was helping him because he believed in his innocence. One thing Brian hated most was injustice.

Brian quickly set his mind back to the task at hand and carefully watched the gaggle of females as their leader finished up her speech and everyone hurried to obey her. He waited until the troupe was on the move and then blended in with the crowd as best he could in order to follow them. He was unaware that his quarry, Johan, had slipped past him after hearing where the redhead had informed the group they would be staying while in Hollywood. He had work to do. He had been surprised to see that the cop hadn't arrested the kid, even though he was certain that the detective had also recognized the blond for who he really was under the wig. Maybe he had misinterpreted the cop's actions earlier. Maybe he just thought he was rescuing a damsel in distress.  It didn't much matter. He knew who Justin was, and he was still free to go after the kid. His job wasn't completed yet. Whether the cop was still around or not, Justin had to be silenced. He moved quickly to the cab stands and gave the address of the hotel the redhead had mentioned. He needed to scope out the place before his next move.

***********************************************************************************

Much Later that Same Night:

Brian stretched out on the cramped little bed in the cheap hotel he had checked into right after making sure all the ladies of the band, especially Justin, had gotten to their destination safely. It was the only place he could afford that was very close by to the 'women-only' hotel where they were all staying at. He could clearly hear melodious sounds of singing over the sound of running water coming from the tiny shower in the bathroom off to his right. He was eager to see the 'man' who would be emerging from that room very shortly.

Brian was surprised at how quickly young Taylor had responded to the message he had left for him at the desk right after the ladies checked in. If the young man hadn't responded to the message, which informed Justin as to where he was staying and that he needed to see him as soon as it was safe to get away, Brian wasn't sure what Plan B would entail in order to safely talk to Justin and work out how they were going to draw the mystery man out in the open without risking Justin's life. Fortunately, Justin did get the message almost immediately after settling into his room with roommate, Cherry. The first thing Justin did when he arrived at Brian's door was tell him how he had enlisted Cherry's help in getting away from his own hotel for the entire night.

Luckily, Justin was not only artistically talented but in possession of a very sharp mind. He used that intelligence to come up with a cover story that he knew his die-hard romantic roommate would love. He told Cherry that the gorgeous man they had both been flirting with on the train had approached 'her' the day before they arrived in LA and struck up a conversation. He added that the attraction between them proved mutual, and that the man was staying in Hollywood for a little while on business. He had invited 'Sunny' to spend some time with him while they were both in town.

All of the girls in the orchestra knew that Miss Debbie was no prude. If any of her girls found romance while on the road, she never interfered as long as they didn't miss rehearsals or go off without someone knowing where they were or with whom. As long as 'Sunny' kept Cherry informed as to when she was going to be with her new beau, Miss Debbie would not care at all. Thus, 'Sunny' told Cherry that 'she' would be spending the night with her new fella and gave her the name of the hotel. Cherry was tickled pink as her new best friend strode purposefully out of the room on 'her' way to 'her' rendezvous with the handsome stranger. If she couldn't have him, she was content for 'Sunny' to have a chance with him. Even though he was a stranger, Cherry could sense that he was one of the good guys. Her instincts had never been wrong.

The first thing that Justin asked the detective when Brian ushered him into the tiny room was if he could have a shower and change out of his 'girlie' clothes. He had carefully packed his only male clothing into the overnight bag he carried and he longed to look like himself again. Brian agreed and was now waiting to see the results of the change. The sound of the water running finally stopped but the music continued on. Brian could picture the young man's relief at no longer being forced to be in disguise. No doubt that was why the song sounded so cheerful.

Finally the door opened, letting out steam into the outer room. Justin stepped out into the room and Brian could finally see clearly why he had been so attracted to the young man when he first saw him on the train. Justin Taylor was simply beautiful... much more so as a young man than as the woman he was pretending to be. Brian was so caught up in the image of a masculine Justin that he failed to say a word.

"Well? Is this better... more like the man you were trying to track down?"

"Oh yes," Brian almost sighed. He got up from the bed and walked over to stand in front of Justin. Without thinking, his hand went up and brushed a long, wet strand of silken hair away from Justin's forehead.

Justin felt goose bumps as they rose along his skin. Was he getting his signals mixed up? Was this gorgeous hunk of a man actually flirting with him? There was no way that the very cop who had been assigned to drag him back to New York was a man like himself... and attracted to him to boot! He couldn't be that lucky, could he? Justin instantly decided to test his theory.

"Brian, I really can't thank you enough for coming to my rescue, and even more so for trusting me when I told you the truth about what happened. I know the story sounds wild because I have nothing to back it up, but your faith in me is the kindest thing to happen to me in my entire life. I owe you my life and much more."

Justin leaned up on his tip-toes and placed a soft kiss on Brian's stubbly cheek. As he stood back on his heels, he looked deep into Brian's eyes. Their eyes remained locked for breathless seconds. Suddenly Brian's hands came up. He laid a palm on each cheek and let his mouth come down to join his lips to Justin's. What started out as a soft, lingering kiss slowly grew in intensity. Before either man knew what was happening, or could explain what drove them, their lips parted and the kiss deepened. It began to engulf them. Instinctually their bodies drew closer until there was no space separating them. Still the kiss lingered on.

Finally the two men broke apart, each breathing hard like a marathon runner at the finish line. They stood there, slightly bewildered by what had just happened. They had each recognized their attraction to the other, but never expected for it to go any further. Now it was clear that the attraction was mutual. Justin said nothing. The next move was Brian's. Brian's response happened swiftly, before he could analyze and ruin the moment. He pulled Justin into a close hug and kissed the young man again, this time letting his tongue probe for entry between pearly white teeth.

As the two men kissed ardently, Brian's hands reached for Justin's shirt and he removed the garment from Justin's body in one swift movement. Justin did the same for Brian just as quickly. Their pants fell to the ground next and the two men stood back to admire the view. All the fantasies were proving to be short of the real thing. A few moments more and they could no longer hold back. The couple scooted the few feet backwards to the bed as they clung to one another. They fell to the bed in a clinch. Justin thanked heaven for his wisdom in preparing Cherry not to expect him back until morning. It was going to be a night that cried out for no interruptions. It was going to be a night to remember.

To be continued........

April 4, 1935: 7:30 a. m.: Hollywood, California:

Brian rolled over at the sound of the hotel phone ringing next to him. He quickly answered, hoping to keep the jangling noise from waking up the young man who was gently snoring next to him. Justin let out a tiny moan at the disturbance, but then fell back into his dream without ever waking fully. Brian listened to the tinny voice of the hotel operator informing him of his requested wake-up call. He thanked her politely and laid the phone back in its cradle. He turned back over to face the smooth, naked back of his night-time companion.

Brian reached out his free hand and laid it on Justin's silken, blond hair. He ran his hand gently through the locks and watched the strands slip through each long finger. Brian leaned forward and kissed Justin's exposed shoulder blade. It was a gentle kiss and nothing like anything Brian had ever done before. Brian knew he'd have to wake Justin soon so that he could be ready for the 9:00 a. m. rehearsal his band leader had scheduled, but he was loathe to do it. There was something so beautiful about this young man and he was enjoying the sight of him, so peaceful and unguarded. Brian knew that they would both have reason to be on guard, as well as anxious, very shortly.

Brian took the opportunity, while waiting before he roused the young man, to think back on the night they had just shared. It had been a revelation for the jaded cop. Brian had been with countless men since getting away from home and out on his own. It hadn't been easy for him in the beginning. He wasn't shy, but being gay was a crime and homosexual men made it a point of staying underground. You could count the out-of-the-closet gay men on your fingers. Brian was well aware that his career, and maybe even his life, would be over if he was ever exposed. It was that very knowledge that kept him from getting too close to any of his sex partners. He remained anonymous outside of a very few select friends that he truly trusted. That number could be counted on less than the fingers of one hand. The result of all this caution, reinforced by his miserable childhood, was that Brian simply never allowed himself to feel much of anything for any of his bed-mates. Now somehow, this one was different.

Brian could clearly remember how gentle he was with Justin as he slowly and deliciously worked the young man into a sexual frenzy. He had no idea just how experienced Justin may or may not have been when it came to having sex with men, but he treated the blond as if he were virginal in every way. In the midst of it all, Justin had suddenly started to beg Brian to fuck him all the way. It was obvious the young man knew what he was asking for by the way he raised his legs and wrapped them around Brian's waist, exposing his waiting hole at the same time as he grabbed tight to Brian's butt and pulled the man even closer to him. Brian only hesitated a second and then spit several times into his hand, using it to lubricate his cock and Justin's hole as much as he could. Once that was done, he placed his cock-head against Justin's hole and began an extremely slow and careful assault inside until he was firmly seated within the young man's tight walls.

Brian was not sure where it came from but the more he fucked Justin, and the more he stared into the blond's fevered eyes which held a look of such immense ecstasy, the more emotion Brian felt welling up inside him as he came closer and closer to a shattering climax. Brian had reached down between them and grabbed onto a fistful of Justin's cock as he continued to invade the young man's body. His stroking of that hard flesh, combined with the pressure inside brought Justin to his own release just before Brian reached his. As Brian collapsed onto Justin, temporarily sealing the two men together, he felt an after-tremor that was nothing akin to anything he had ever felt after being brought to orgasm by another man. The feeling touched his heart even more than his body. It left him feeling confused. What had this young man just done to him, was all he could think as he embraced the trembling blond.

The two men cleaned themselves up and then slept peacefully after that experience. Justin had fallen asleep almost immediately, but Brian found it much harder to escape into sleep. He spent almost an hour turning over all the new things that he was feeling in his head, and then trying to decide what to do next to protect Justin from both his enemy and the police. He wasn't really certain of too much right now, except for one pertinent fact. In less than twenty-four hours, Justin Taylor had become someone very important to him and he would do whatever it took to find the young man justice, and also free him of any threats.

Brian was now fully awake and aware that it was time to get started. He would have to wake Justin so that they could have a little time to strategize, something they were supposed to have done last night instead of what they did do. He leaned over Justin's sleeping form and kissed the young man on his stubbly cheek. His lips slowly traveled across to Justin's ear and he poked his tongue in, wiggling it about. Justin groaned and tried to swat at the offending object tickling him, but Brian was too quick for him. Justin turned over onto his other side, all without opening his eyes. Brian swooped in and repeated the tongue flick inside Justin's other ear, followed by a... "Wake up, Sunshine".

Justin groaned again and rolled onto his back this time, keeping his eyes firmly shut even though it was obvious he was waking up. Brian took the opportunity to swoop in once more, but this time connecting with the young man's mouth instead of his ear. His tongue flicked out again and he poked it between Justin's full lips. It was too much for Justin. He couldn't stop himself from parting his lips, allowing Brian's tongue the entry it requested. Their lips met, the kiss deepening as Brian explored the warmth of Justin's mouth. This went on for several minutes until Justin pulled away, begging Brian to let him up so he could make a run to the bathroom. Brian reluctantly let the young man go.

Minutes later, Brian heard the flush of the toilet and sat back on the bed, waiting for Justin to join him. He came over and sat next to Brian. He was still having a hard time believing that this beautiful man was interested in him. Justin was completely unaware of how appealing he was, in both personality and looks. Suddenly, the echo of what Brian had just said crept into his memory. 'Sunshine'...he had called him 'Sunshine'. It must be because he was using the fake name of Sunny while posing as a woman.

"Brian, I wish you wouldn't call me by that fake name when we're alone. You have no idea how hard it is to pretend to be something you are not and would never want to be even if you could?"

Brian looked Justin squarely in the face. "I wasn't calling you 'Sunny', Justin. I called you 'Sunshine' because it just seems to suit you. Do you have any idea how much you light up a room just by smiling?"

Justin blushed slightly, but Brian wasn't finished. Only this time his voice turned serious as he began to speak again.

"And Justin, believe me when I tell you that I know very well how hard it is to put on a false face every day and avoid being yourself just to survive. Do you have any clue as to what would happen to me if my fellow officers ever discovered my true nature? Not only can I never be true to myself at work, but I have to watch myself even outside of work just in case I make a false move that could expose me. It was even worse when I was still in uniform. Can you imagine what I had to go through when an order would come down to raid or harass another gay bar or gathering place? Talk about tap dancing around assignments. Sometimes I could give one of their targets a warning, but I had to even watch myself when doing that. Trust me, Justin, I know all about putting on a disguise and living a lie."

Justin felt shamed. He hadn't even thought about how hard it must be for a cop who preferred men to women in today's society. Justin was well aware that if Brian was caught in the actual act of having sex with a man, he could be arrested by his own fellow officers. No doubt his career, as well as his life would be in jeopardy then. It now dawned on him how much harder life must have been for Brian all these years. It had been different for Justin. In the artistic circles that were a part of his life, being gay wasn't frowned on near as much, although it wasn't really discussed openly either.

Actually, Justin had found it simpler to avoid romantic entanglements altogether, and concentrate only on his education. It wasn't that difficult since no fellow had piqued his interest... at least, not until a certain cop got on board his train. For the first time in his life, Justin found himself wanting to spend all his time with a specific man. Strangely enough, Brian was feeling the same thing. He was quite reluctant to let Justin out of his sight. He had good reason to be. If their plan to entrap Justin's would-be-killer failed, Justin's life could be over in more ways than one. Brian pulled Justin in for another kiss.

"Hey, don't look so serious, Justin. I've learned to accept things the way they are. You get used to it after awhile. What we don't want for you is to be forced to get used to your masquerade. And speaking of masquerades, it's getting late and you had better get changed. Once you're dressed as 'Sunny' we can talk more about the plans we need to make."

Justin was reluctant to obey, but he knew Brian was right. Until the threat of the murderous stranger was ended, Justin would have to maintain his disguise... at least, if they wanted any chance of setting the killer up to be caught. Justin knew his best bet was to leave everything in Brian's capable hands. The man knew what he was doing. Justin was sure of that. He felt safe with Brian in control. He gave Brian one more quick kiss and jumped off the bed, gathering his female attire and accessories and heading for the bathroom.

While Justin was getting all dolled up for his return as 'Sunny', Brian mulled over all the options available to keep Justin safe. Their options were limited. Of course, Justin could ditch the disguise and the two of them could go on the lam together in hopes that someday the truth would come out, but there was no guarantee they wouldn't be caught by either the police or the killer himself before that happened. Besides, looking over one's shoulder every minute of every hour was no way for a young man to live... or a seasoned cop, for that matter. Brian could also return Justin back to New York City safe and sound and then spend every minute available trying to prove that Justin was innocent. Of course, there was always the chance that he would fail to prove his case and Justin could end up in prison. Brian shuddered at that thought. He doubted the young man could survive that experience.

No, the only thing that made sense, despite its dangers, was to lure the killer out in the open and capture him. Once he was caught, the reason why he killed Vanderbeke should become apparent. Brian hated the thought of Justin being bait for this plan, but the young man was more than willing and it was probably the only way. Brian was one hundred percent certain that the crooked-fingered man hadn't just run off and abandoned his plans to get rid of Justin. It was obvious that he really believed Justin could identify him. He probably thought that Justin didn't go to the police because of some other unknown reason that had nothing to do with witnessing the murder. For whatever reason, Brian's gut told him that the man was still close by and just waiting for his chance to strike.

Finally, Brian saw the bathroom door swing open and 'Sunny' stepped into the room. Brian let out a low wolf whistle. Justin twirled around, giving Brian a full view.

"If I was into women and not already involved with someone, I would have to give you a tumble," Brian announced to the blond.

"Wait a minute," Justin paused in his twirls, "you have a boyfriend?"

Brian hadn't realized what he just said. He waited for several heartbeats and then announced, "I don't know about boyfriend, but it looks like I am involved with someone... now."

Justin took the few steps needed to bring himself right in front of Brian as he sat on the bed. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Brian's lips. As he pulled away, he could see the bright-red lipstick he had left behind. Justin laughed gently and pulled the handkerchief from his skirt pocket, dabbing the offending color off Brian's lips. He let the handkerchief rest there for a second as he smiled down at Brian. Their eyes locked and that now familiar spark ignited again. There was no denying it... something had happened to the two men, and all in the shortest time imaginable. They had connected profoundly.

The two men took another half hour to discuss some possible scenarios for drawing their target out into the open. By the time Justin knew he would have to leave to get to the studio for the scheduled rehearsals, they had formed a tentative plan of attack. All they needed now was luck and good timing. Everything depended on it. Brian reminded Justin to stay with as many of the girls as he could until he could sneak out the back of their hotel as he had done the night before to join Brian. In the meantime, he would talk to his boss again and then go on the lookout for the stranger. With a final hug, the two parted. Justin got in the cab that Brian had arranged for him while he was dressing and gave the studio address. His only hope was that all this intrigue would be over soon. Then he could explore his growing relationship with the cop more thoroughly.

To be continued........

April 6, 1935: 7:45 p. m.: Hollywood, California:

Debbie walked from booth to booth, making sure all her girls had had their fill of the fine cuisine the Hollywood landmark was famous for. The ladies were seated all throughout 'The Brown Derby' for this very special treat their boss was providing for them. It was Debbie's way of thanking them for all their hard work. They had only been in Hollywood for a few days, but the girls of the orchestra had worked long hours to perfect their music and make it appealing for the producers of the new musical they would be appearing in. This was a dream come true for Debbie and would provide the girls bragging rights for decades to come. Not just any old orchestra was asked to appear on camera for one of Hollywood's musical extravaganzas.

Once Debbie reached the table where her lead singer, 'Sunny', sat along with several of the other ladies, she had given the same grateful speech several times over. She was particularly pleased with her new singer. 'Sunny's' voice never failed to enchant her. It was always so clear and melodic. That said, she had noticed a slight difference in the young 'lady' lately. When she thought on it, she realized that there had been a subtle change in 'Sunny' ever since they first arrived at the LA depot. Debbie couldn't put her finger on why, but 'Sunny' seemed more reserved than she had been on the train, as if she was on guard for some reason. It was a curious thing, but Debbie didn't believe in being nosy about the private life of other folks. She had always respected those boundaries and only gave advice when specifically asked for it.

Whatever had gotten under 'Sunny's' skin, it hadn't interfered with her work. She was always faithful about showing up for rehearsals and done an excellent job every time. On the first day of rehearsals she had been slightly late and Cherry, her roommate, let it slip that 'she' had spent the night with a man 'she' had met on the train. Cherry was caught off-guard when Debbie asked why 'Sunny' didn't come with her, but she knew Debbie wouldn't be shocked or upset over the reason. Since 'Sunny' did show up less than ten minutes later, Debbie said nothing more about it. She only hoped that whoever the young man was that 'Sunny' was spending time with would be a decent guy and not break the sweet girl's heart.

At that moment, the reason for 'Sunny' being late was sitting in his hotel room anxiously waiting for the alter ego, Justin, to show up. He had thought about following Justin to the famous 'Brown Derby' and keeping a watchful eye on the young man, but he knew that the entire orchestra would be there and he would probably be quite safe. Justin had become quite adept at sneaking out of the ladies' hotel every night and meeting in Brian's hotel room, where they struggled to figure out a sure-fire plan to entrap their enemy, before they always ended up giving in to their desire for each other. They couldn't be certain, of course, but they felt oddly secure that the gunman hadn't figured out that Justin was leaving the ladies' hotel every night. Justin always sneaked back into his hotel and conspicuously left for rehearsals with the rest of the band every morning since that first day.

The one thing that had bothered Brian the most was not having a face to go with the crooked pinkie finger the gunman sported. This would have made his task in finding him far easier. Now he sat at the tiny desk in his hotel room and a slow grin spread across his face. He shuffled the papers in front of him around a little and found himself staring at the same photo he had been looking at for a couple of hours now. Again he thought of how glad he was in choosing not to follow Justin on this particular evening. Just two hours ago, he had answered his door when someone knocked and found a delivery boy standing there. The young kid handed over a thick manila envelope addressed to Brian at the hotel. Brian dropped a dollar bill in the kid's hand and closed the door quickly.

Brian noticed right away that the package was from his boss in New York. He had spoken to Carl just yesterday and the man had said nothing about sending him something. He did mention that they were still investigating Vanderbeke's history and planned on doing another search of the man's vast estate again, looking for more clues as to why he had been murdered. No one had been able to come up with any motive for the young man, Justin Taylor, to want Vanderbeke dead. After talking to Justin's classmates and friends, all of them had stated that Taylor felt gratitude to the older man for his patronage. Carl had developed a sense that there was much more to this murder than met the eye. That was the last Brian had heard, but now he had this package.

Brian tore open the large envelope and watched as several dozen papers and photos slid out onto the table. Brian spent the next two hours going over everything inside, first checking out the note that Carl sent with the items. In the note, he informed Brian that this last search of the Vanderbeke house had revealed a treasure trove of new information. One of the detectives had been searching through the book shelves lining the wall of the murder room. When he pulled out a book high up on the top shelf, he was almost knocked over by the shelf as it swung open to reveal a doorway to a hidden room. Once the excited officers entered the small, compact room that was set up like an office with file cabinets lining the wall, they found a vast new world concerning the known art collector and patron. They also found a couple of plausible motives for the man's murder.

As he perused the copies of pertinent items the detectives had found in New York, Brian was surprised Carl hadn't gotten ahold of him instantly over the find. He decided it was because he thought that Brian was now on a wild goose chase, going after a young man who might possibly not be the real culprit in the murder. They could find no link to Justin where the gun was concerned, or any gun for that matter. Of course, they had no idea back home that Justin had been the target of someone else. If they had, Brian was sure that Carl would have provided all this information much quicker.

The paperwork revealed a lot about shady dealings over stolen artwork by Vanderbeke and a co-conspirator named Johan Jaeger. There were actually two sets of books that Vanderbeke had been keeping. One set clearly involved stolen artwork, the other forged artwork. The books also revealed much more. It seemed that money was going out to Jaeger for stolen pieces but not for the forgeries being made from those same pieces. The only money going out for the forgeries was to a list of names that turned out to be artists who were not well established yet. Justin Taylor's name was only mentioned once at the top of the page with a question mark after it and no sum of money mentioned. An artist who was questioned admitted that he had been hired to forge a well known piece of art.

The package also contained some photos of the few artists mentioned and the man, Johan Jaeger. Carl asked Brian to show the photos to young Taylor and see what he had to say about them if he ever caught up with the young man. He then gave Brian until the end of the week to return home with or without the young man, who still had to be considered a person of interest. This meant that Brian had six days at most to end this thing and protect Justin from further harm. Brian stared at the photos again, his eye moving on and then stopping at the photo of the distinguished-looking older man. He read some of the report gathered on the man. It was intriguing. Brian wondered if he was their mystery gunman. He apparently had a record and was built the same as Justin's foe. It was too bad his hands were not revealed in the photo. Brian committed the face to memory and continued to wait for Justin. He could hardly wait to pass on this newest information.

***********************************************************

While Brian stared into the photo of Johan Jaeger, the man himself was staring into the mirror looking at that same face. All he saw was his anger reflected back at him. His frustration had grown to monumental proportions in the last few days. It was supremely galling to have his target right in front of him and never get the chance to end this thing once and for all. Johan was a man more than willing to take risks, but he wasn't crazy. He knew that getting rid of Taylor had to look like an accident if he wanted to avoid the police asking why someone would want him dead, throwing suspicion for Vanderbeke's murder onto someone else. The attempt on the kid's life on the train had been a colossal mistake in judgement. He had let himself think like a common criminal. His original plans to push the kid off the train after breaking his neck, hopefully making it look like an accident, had gone out the window when he saw his chance just before reaching their final destination. That moronic move had cost him dearly, including bringing the cop into the picture.

It had become obvious that Taylor was avoiding being caught alone since then, although Johan could not figure out why the kid didn't just abandon his disguise and move on. It had also become obvious that Taylor had every intention of staying with the band. He wondered if the kid actually liked dressing as a woman or simply felt safe in his persona as a female singer. Even though it was puzzling, Johan saw no evidence that the kid was going to run, so he continued to keep an eye on him from the moment he left the hotel in the morning until he went back to the hotel at night. Johan had hired a PI to keep an eye on the hotel at night to see if the young man ever left. The man had been given Justin's photo as both 'Sunny' and himself, but the detective said he never saw him leave.

There had also been no sign of the police detective assigned the task of bringing Taylor back to New York City. His inside sources back home informed Johan that Kinney was still on the job, although that was all they knew, but Johan was fairly certain the man was enjoying the Hollywood scene more than doing his job. After all, he had had Taylor in his sights whether he knew who the blonde singer was or not. Since he hadn't arrested the young man, Johan figured that the cop had only thought he was protecting an innocent woman from being attacked when he stopped Johan from completing his job. This made things easier for Johan, since he wouldn't have to deal with both men, so he wasn't complaining. It also left Taylor more vulnerable. Any advantage Johan had made him happy. He forced a small smile on his face. He just had to calm down and be patient. Taylor would let down his guard sooner or later, and then he would be silenced. Taylor was bound to slip up soon.  He couldn't possibly avoid being alone forever.

To be continued..........

April 10, 1935: 9:20 p.m.: Hollywood, California

Brian wrapped his arms around Justin the moment he pulled him into his hotel room, giving him a welcome kiss that curled the young man's toes. Brian had been feeling tense all day, knowing that his time was almost up. It was already Wednesday night and he was expected to take the train back to New York City by Friday in order to be back on the job at the beginning of next week. He and Justin knew that the time in which to draw the killer out in the open was now severely limited. Whatever they came up with could be their last chance. The orchestra had worked on the set most of Monday, Tuesday, and today, but they now had a break until the following Monday.

Brian had shown Justin all the photos and paperwork he had received from his boss as soon as the young man had paid his nightly visit to Brian's hotel room. Justin had been unable to recognize the man named Johan, but he got an immediate vibe that was far from pleasant when he looked into the man's face. Brian told him to memorize the face because he had a strong gut feeling about the man. Justin, being an artist, was able to imprint the man's image on his brain as if it was a snapshot inside his head. Ever since that night he always scanned the faces around him looking for that one face, but Johan had always stayed out of sight... not knowing if the young man knew who he was or not. No matter what, Justin stayed on his guard, even though he felt protected simply knowing that Brian was nearby laying low and watching his back when he was out in public.

Tonight, however, there was no public threat to either of them. Brian maneuvered Justin over to his narrow bed and the two fell to the mattress with their arms still around each other. Justin lay under Brian and felt his hunger for the man growing by the second. The tight undergarments that held his manly package firmly restrained in case the wind blew his skirt up, or he sat wrong, was now causing him a great deal of discomfort. He let out a tiny groan as Brian's lips kept meeting his over and over. Brian's tongue snaked out several times and licked those lips as if teasingly requesting entry between them. Justin happily obliged. His mouth opened and he could feel Brian's silken tongue exploring inside, as if looking for a treasure. He obviously found one.

Justin was stimulated by what Brian was doing with his mouth, not to mention the busy hands that kept exploring other parts of him. Justin felt it the instant Brian's hand touched his manhood, even through the tight clothing. It was like an electrical spark ignited. Justin could no longer stand the intrusive clothing that kept him from feeling Brian's naked skin and being felt by Brian in return. He laid his hands on the sides of Brian's face and pulled him away from his mouth. Brian was about to protest, but before he could, Justin spoke up.

"Take these feminine things off me, Brian. I need to be the man you want."

Brian smiled down at Justin. "There's no feminine clothing that can hide the man I know is underneath them, Justin. But I am more than happy to oblige you."

With that said, Brian moved back from Justin, pulling him up from the mattress. He made quick work of removing every feminine piece of clothing from head to foot, saving the undies for last. As Brian slipped off the last piece of clothing and watched Justin's manhood escape its confines, he stopped to stare in awe of the young man who sat before him. Justin had the alabaster skin of a true blond, with a thatch of pale, curly hairs at his crotch to prove the naturalness of his coloring. He had shorter legs than Brian with just the right amount of muscles for a young man who enjoyed exercise, but not to excess.

Brian lay Justin back on the mattress and stepped off so that he could hurriedly remove his own clothing. He looked down at the young man, who lay with his arms above his head. Brian could see the pale hairs exposed under Justin's arms. He loved the sight of Justin's small nipples. They lay flat on his chest in the center of their light brown orbs and waited for the special attention they knew that Brian would give them. Brian quickly straddled Justin's body. He slowly descended downward and clamped his lips over one of Justin's nipples, as if he heard them calling to him. Brian let his tongue and teeth nibble and soothe the tiny nub until it rose up to the challenge to awaken. Once that was accomplished, Brian moved over to provide the same enticement for the other nipple.

Justin could not refrain from voicing his pleasure. Mewling sounds began to pour out as the young man started to writhe under Brian's skillful treatment. When Brian abandoned the nipples and began an ascent upwards with his tongue trailing a damp streak to his neck, Justin had reached the point of moaning deep in his throat. He wanted more than anything to wrap his arms around Brian's neck and pull him in for a kiss, but Brian had entrapped Justin's hands above his head. It made it easier for the older man to let his tongue move from the center of Justin's neck over to his shoulder and then to his underarm. The tongue tickled the soft hairs there, eliciting a giggle in between moans. Again, Brian serviced the other side equally.

It soon became obvious that tonight was entirely for Justin's pleasure. Brian was in a giving mood, and how he could give! Brian had tongued every inch of Justin while the young man lay spread-eagled on the bed. When he was done, he prepared Justin for the assault that he had discovered Justin enjoyed with all his heart. Once he had the young man ready and he had lubricated himself as best he could, he entered Justin with the same care he always used on the beautiful blond. It didn't take much effort on Justin's part, with the way he pushed himself against Brian every time he thrust forward more deeply, to bring Brian to a thoroughly satisfying climax. As he spilled himself into his lover, Brian worked on Justin a few seconds more until he too fell over the edge.

Brian, as had become his practice, had a small hotel towel waiting by the side of the bed and used it to clean the two of them off. They would take a bath together in the tub before retiring for the night, but that would come later. For now, they lay squeezed close together with their arms around each other. Brian was still surprised how making love to Justin was so different from what he was used to. He could not think of a single man that gave him this contented afterglow once the actual sex was over. He had no desire to part from his closeness to Justin's body when they were done. Even more amazing was the fact that Brian wanted to talk about things... all matter of things, not just what was uppermost in their minds right now, until the wee hours of the morning. He loved the sound of Justin's voice, whether talking or singing.

Justin lay close enough to Brian to feel his heart beating in his chest and found himself thinking along the same lines as his companion. He had put aside the notion of falling in love some time ago and only wanted to be a big success as an artist. It would be his way of thumbing his nose at his father. The man may have resented how his son turned out, but he would certainly have no problem bragging to all his hoity-toity friends if his son became famous and made a ton of money. Now, in such a remarkably short time, he had no thought of how he could show up the old man. His only thought was how he could keep this magnificent man in his life once all the drama which had brought them together, and continued to surround them, was finished and over with.

They continued to lay in comfortable silence side by side for quite a while until Brian spoke up.

"I just had the wildest image flash in my head," he stated with a small laugh.

"What's that?" Justin queried.

"Here we are lying here together in this dingy hotel room and worrying about keeping you alive, and all of sudden all I can picture is you and I on some nearby beach with the sun pouring down on us and not a soul around. At the moment, I really want nothing more than to make love to you right out in the open with the smell of ocean water in the air and the sun warming our naked skin."

Justin turned on his side and ran his hand lovingly along Brian's torso, feeling the taut muscles of his chest and abs.

"Your skin is so warm right now and you smell better than anything I can imagine. But, Brian, I would want to make love with you anywhere on this earth," Justin sighed.

Brian lifted his head and pulled Justin to him. He kissed the young man fervently. He could feel Justin relaxing into the kiss when all of a sudden Justin pulled away from Brian with a strange look on his face.

"Wha...?" Brian began.

"Oh my God!" Justin almost shouted. "I just remembered something!" he said excitedly. "Why in the world didn't I think of this before? It was staring me right in the face all this time. I think I know the perfect place to set the killer up. We won't have to worry about anyone else getting hurt or anything. Oh my God! I even still have the key. All we have to do is figure out a way to get the guy to follow us there."

Justin's voice had risen in his enthusiasm. Brian grabbed the naked young man by the arms and told him to calm down, because he was babbling. Justin was too worked up. He slapped his hands on both sides of Brian's face to hold him steady and force him to look right at him.

"Listen, Brian. You know all about my friend, Daphne, now. I told you how she helped me with this whole female charade idea and has protected me from the beginning. One thing I had forgotten was that she also told me about her family's vacation home in Malibu. It is just down the coast and less than an hour's drive from here. We can rent a car and lure the killer down there. It should be isolated enough to make him feel bold enough to make a move, but we can be ready for him. She told me her family never goes down there until they take a Summer break. I have a key to the place too. She told me they have a caretaker who comes once every couple of weeks to check on things, but otherwise it is empty."

Brian couldn't help smiling at Justin's enthusiasm. In addition to that, the idea didn't sound so bad. Brian only saw one flaw in his scenario.

"It sounds like a good idea, Justin, but one small problem. How do we get him to find you there? We don't want him following you because that wouldn't give us any time to set up a trap. I couldn't go with you that way either. Then he would see that you had me there to keep an eye on you. Right now, we don't really know how much he is aware of you and me together or even as fugitive and cop. If the killer is this Johan guy then apparently he has plenty of resources from what little we've learned about him."

Justin suddenly snapped his fingers. It was as if everything was falling right into place. He had been struggling for some time now on what he was going to do about the orchestra and, Miss Debbie, in particular. He had become exceedingly fond of the old girl and his faux roommate, Cherry. He already knew that he wasn't going to leave her high and dry without a singer if he could help it. But he knew that either he would be outed by circumstances beyond his control, or he would have to out himself sooner or later.

Justin now realized that the time had come to be honest with Miss Debbie. If he could convince her to forgive him for the hoax he had perpetrated on her, then he could ask for her help in setting his plans in motion at the Malibu house. He knew exactly how she could help him too, but only if she was willing to go along with his plan, and he couldn't be certain of that...not after he made his confession to her. Brian had been looking at Justin quizzically. Justin leaned in and gave Brian another sweet kiss and then proceeded to lay out his scheme of how he would enlist the help of his boss, the feisty (and hopefully forgiving) Miss Debbie.

To be continued.....

April 11, 1935: 5:30 p.m.: Malibu, California

Brian Kinney scanned the entire area around the fancy house with the careful eye of a seasoned Detective. He was extra careful not to miss anything because the life of his lover was on the line. One mistake and he would go back to the solitary life he had been living since the day he was born. He may not have known the budding artist for very long in chronological terms, but every time he saw the young man's face he felt like Justin had been a part of his life forever. It was a feeling that Brian had no desire to lose. He would do whatever it took to protect Justin and give him back his freedom to live his life in whichever way he chose.

Brian finished his task when he felt comfortable that the place was deserted. There was no sign of the man they were hoping would show up tomorrow. As he made his way into the beach house, Brian's face revealed the tension that he had been feeling ever since he and Justin had made their final plans to trap Vanderbeke's real murderer. He knew that there were plenty of ways for everything to go wrong, but he also knew they had no choice if they wanted to end this cat-and-mouse game with their dangerous foe. Brian tried to relax his tensed muscles as he went in search of Justin. He knew how well the young man could already read him and he didn't want Justin feeling any more nervous than he already was.

Brian found Justin in the kitchen, putting up the few bags of groceries they had brought with them in the car they rented in Los Angeles. He turned around when he heard Brian coming into the room and smiled. Brian felt a fluttering in his stomach. What was it about this young man's smile, he asked himself? Why did Justin always make him feel like a schoolboy with his first crush? He was a hardened veteran of a decade of police work and had never thought of himself as being capable of romantic feelings. But now he couldn't deny that this was exactly how Justin made him feel. The thought of that smile being lost to him forever was not even remotely acceptable. Brian simply could not let Justin's stalker hurt him, or worse.

Justin let Brian wrap his arms around him and the two men stood like that for long minutes, just enjoying the warmth of each other.

"Is everything quiet outside?" Justin inquired, seeing the worry lines on Brian's face despite his best efforts to hide them.

"Not a soul in sight," Brian answered, punctuating it with a quick kiss.

Brian let Justin go and began rummaging in the refrigerator for a beer. Naturally the wealthy owners of the house had a modern fridge, unlike the old icebox that Brian had to use in his apartment at home. Still, the drink hadn't cooled off enough yet, so Brian set it back on the shelf. He'd settle for water until later. He turned on the tap and filled a glass from the shelf. He got down a second glass and offered Justin some water too. The young man noticed for the first time how dry his throat was and accepted gladly. They knew that the next day or two was probably going to be the beginning or the end of everything they hoped for and they were clearly on edge. Brian set his glass down and draped his arm around Justin as the young man drank deeply from his glass.

"Don't worry, Justin. Your boss knows what to do and will make sure that Jaeger is aware that you are here in Malibu and all alone. Chances are he'll be here as soon as he can tomorrow, but we have tonight to ourselves. If she waits until morning to leak the news to the press about your sudden need to get away to recuperate for a few days, he'll have no choice but to take advantage of this opportunity to get at you and finish the job he started. This place is ideal for him, being separated from any nearby houses and having its own private beach. I'm sure he'll case the place first but once he is assured that you are alone, he's bound to strike.... and when he does, we'll be ready for him."

Justin nodded his head, but he still felt the anticipation in the pit of his stomach. He was almost as nervous as he was when he had to face Debbie earlier that afternoon.

*******************************************************

Early That Same Afternoon:

At first Justin hadn't been sure whether Brian should accompany him to his meeting with Miss Debbie, but in the end he knew his story would carry a lot more weight if the cop who had been chasing him was in attendance as he told his tale of woe. The couple had left Brian's hotel separately with Justin dressed as 'Sunny'. Brian went to Debbie's hotel room and waited at the door for Justin to show up. Justin was relieved to see that Miss Debbie had not gone out. He was even more relieved that she was alone.

The first thing Justin did was introduce Detective Brian Kinney to his boss. Debbie's curiosity was piqued immediately. She had already heard about the cop from Cherry and was well aware that 'Sunny' was interested in him. The way they stood so close together, their bodies just barely touching, and the way they glanced at each other confirmed the affection that Cherry had mentioned. What made her curious was why 'Sunny' had brought the cop to see her and why 'she' looked so serious as she began to talk. By the time that Justin had reached the point of telling her that the reason the Detective had traveled to California was in pursuit of a fugitive killer, Debbie began to feel concern. Before she could voice her thought that the fugitive might be 'Sunny', the blond laid the real bombshell on her. Yes, 'she' said, 'she' was the fugitive... but there was more.

Justin then proceeded to slowly peel away the perfectly-fitted blonde wig off his head. He stood there with his short blond locks and barely made-up face and watched Debbie's reaction. The red-head sat with her mouth agape. She had lived a long time and seen a lot of things, and she had been sure that nothing would surprise her anymore. She had even known a few cross-dressers in her time, but this one had caught her completely by surprise. She was totally speechless. Justin stood with his hand in Brian's and waited for the explosion... words of recrimination... anger... accusations... anything. Finally he couldn't stand the suspense any longer.

"Say something," he begged. "Please! I promise you I didn't do this for any other reason than self-preservation. I'm innocent, Miss Debbie, I swear to you. Brian... Detective Kinney knows this now and he has been helping me to find the real killer."

Debbie suddenly stood up and walked over to Justin. The young man flinched, obviously thinking he was about to be slapped. Instead, the buxom woman gathered him into her arms and hugged him tightly. Brian stepped back, surprised by what he was witnessing. Once Debbie let Justin go, she led him over to the bed and sat him down, taking the seat she had just vacated and turning it towards him. She sat down and gathered Justin's hands in hers. She leaned in and smiled.

"My dear boy, I may be a bad judge of gender... apparently... but I've never been accused of being a bad judge of character. Of course you are no murderer! Anyone who knows you should be able to tell that. It isn't in you." She turned to Brian. "And apparently this handsome officer has gotten to know you quite well."

Justin blushed. Debbie went on. "I have the feeling there is more to this story. Otherwise, why would you feel the need to out yourself to me at this particular time? And while we're at it, what name should I be calling you by?"

Justin felt like the weight of the world had just been lifted off his shoulders. He couldn't believe his good fortune. He now knew unequivocally that he and Brian would be able to count on Debbie's help with their scheme. He gave Debbie his real name and filled in all the blanks, including their certainty that they knew who the real killer was. Justin then sat back while Brian went on to explain how they intended to draw Jaeger out into the open and trap him. Debbie was none too happy to hear that Justin would be setting himself up as bait in the trap, but she fully understood their desperation. She could see that there was something far deeper than professional dealings going on between the two young men. She had been around enough gay men in her life to recognize all the signs. It was obvious that her adored singer wanted to be himself, and there was only one way to achieve that.

She listened carefully as Brian explained her part in the plan. She was to use the studio resources to make an announcement to as many of the media as she could that her band singer had come down with a nasty case of laryngitis while waiting for them to resume work on the film they were appearing in. She was to say that they were sure that a few days of rest, relaxation, and solitude at the Malibu beach house of family friends, the Chanders, should get 'her' voice back in top form by the time shooting began again on Monday. By the time Brian finished with his explanation, Debbie was convinced that this was as good a plan as any. The killer might not be fooled, but it was a chance worth taking.

Brian and Justin remained with Debbie for a while longer as Justin opened up to Debbie about who he really was and tried repeatedly to apologize for leaving her without a female singer, but the couple finally decided it was time to get moving. There were kisses and hugs all around and then the men hurried away. Debbie watched them leave and felt her brow knit with worry. She prayed that she would see 'Sunny'... or rather, Justin's smiling face again real soon and his ordeal would finally be over.

********************************************************

That Same Night Back In Malibu:

Justin felt the cold splash of the Pacific Ocean on his legs. It may not have been like Winters in New York here in Sunny California, but the sun had gone down and the water was freezing. Justin hurried out of the surf and ran over to the large blanket that had been spread out for him and Brian to lie on. Brian lay out on his back, staring up at the winking stars in the evening sky. He sat up on his elbow and grinned as Justin grabbed the large fluffy towel from the house and wrapped it around his body to ease the chill.

"I warned you the water would be too cold," Brian laughed out loud.

"At least I'm not too chicken to give it a try," Justin shot back.

He plopped his towel-wrapped body down onto the blanket next to Brian, wrapping his arms around his legs and hugging them close to his body. He turned to observe Brian still grinning at him. Justin stuck his tongue out at Brian, which Brian took as an open invitation. He reached up and pulled Justin's face down to his. Justin had no time to escape, not that he would have wanted to. Brian clamped firmly onto Justin's lips and worked them until he was able to capture Justin's tongue. He very gently nipped it and then increased the pressure of his lips. By the time he freed Justin, the young man was panting. His whole body was tingling. If this was Brian's idea of punishment, then he was sure he would be prone to misbehave many times over in the future.

"Better think twice before sticking your tongue out at your elders again, young man," Brian warned, a wicked grin lighting up his face.

"Oh, I will indeed, old timer," Justin promised.

The couple settled back onto the blanket and lay side by side staring up at the same sparkling stars. Suddenly, one star shot across the sky and disappeared.

"Quick, make a wish," Justin said, excitedly. He closed his eyes tightly and whispered something into the night air.

Brian didn't believe in such things, but he found himself following Justin's lead. He made a silent wish too.

"So what did you wish for?" Brian asked.

"I can't tell you," Justin answered, surprised that Brian would even ask. "It will never come true if I say it out loud, and I really, really want this one to come true. So did you make your wish?"

"I did, but I'm not worried about it coming true. I won't have it any other way," Brian proclaimed.

For a while, the couple simply lay together drinking in the fresh-smelling sea air and enjoying the peaceful solitude. The sound of the waves hitting the shore was somehow reassuring that all would work out as they had planned. For now they felt safe. Nothing could harm them or come between them. Brian was a hundred percent certain that they hadn't been followed by anyone and this location was far too open for anyone to be able to sneak up on them unexpectedly. The house was surrounded by a private beach front and only an occasional low sand dune offered minimal hiding space once you could reach it. The front of the house had an excellent security system with a locked gate entering onto the circular driveway leading to the house. The men had no doubt that tonight belonged to them and they would not need to worry about an intruder until tomorrow at the earliest. Justin suddenly sat up and leaned over Brian to give him a warm kiss.

"What was that for?" Brian asked.

Justin stared down at Brian and the corners of his eyes moistened.

"I just had to. I don't think I have felt this safe and at peace in what seems like forever. I owe you more than I can ever repay."

"You don't owe me anything, Justin. In case you haven't figured it out yet, you have come to mean a lot to me and I have no choice. I intend to get to know you a lot better and I can't do that until this thing is solved. Believe me, I'm being totally selfish here. But if you want to show your appreciation, I know one way you can do that."

"Oh? And what is that," Justin inquired.

Brian reached over and grabbed Justin by the arms. He forcefully lifted the much smaller blond onto his outstretched body. Justin spread his legs instinctively and straddled them over Brian's waist. The two were wearing loose swimming trunks without their accompanying tank tops, in defiance of the modest style that was expected of male bathers of their era. They could only have dared this on a private beach. Brian's hand slipped under the heavy fabric of Justin's suit and snaked its way up his thigh. He finally reached what he was aiming for.

Brian grabbed a handful of Justin's already hardening manhood. Justin let out a low moan and leaned down to kiss Brian fervently. As he did, he stretched out, covering Brian's body with his own. Justin could feel Brian's growing excitement as it pushed against him. Brian removed his hand from under Justin's trunks and hooked both hands into the waistband. He began pushing Justin's trunks downward. Justin quickly joined in and soon the trunks were off, thanks to their united efforts. Justin then took the time to help Brian with removing his trunks too. Justin returned to his position sitting atop Brian, straddling his waist.

Brian ran his hands slowly down Justin's smooth chest from his bare shoulders to his waist. He stopped only long enough to gently pinch Justin's soft nipples until he felt them hardening to his touch. Justin leaned backwards and reached behind so that he could lovingly stroke Brian's magnificent hard-on. Soon both men were panting with shortened breaths as they slowly built up their desire to be connected again. Somewhere in all the stroking of the silken skin of his young lover, Brian had managed to encircle Justin's ample buttocks and find the prize he was seeking. He began working a finger, then two inside of Justin until he could feel the blond's sphincter relaxing. He knew from the sounds pouring from Justin and the feel of his partner's body that it was time to take possession of his lover.

"I want you, Justin," he whispered into the night air.

It was almost drowned out by the sound of the surf, but Justin knew what Brian wanted. He lifted himself up and scooched back until he felt he was in position. Justin found Brian's rock hard member like a man seeking shelter from the storm. He prepared himself for the onslaught and then dropped his body down onto Brian. Justin let out a whoosh as the first moment of pain hit, but seconds later he felt himself swallowing Brian to the hilt and his whole body shook as the pain turned into pure pleasure.

Justin began riding Brian, his knees digging deeper into the blanket covered sand with each downward stroke. Brian held back his release with a mighty effort. He wanted this ride to last as long as humanly possible. He had been up inside countless asses in his time, but none had felt like this. This was an emotional connection as well as a physical one. Brian had no desire for it to end. Mother Nature, being what she was, couldn't allow it to go on forever and eventually the lovers reached their limit. Brian let out a loud groan as he shot his release deep inside his lover. Within seconds, Justin offered up his own release to decorate Brian's chest. Brian wrapped his arms around Justin as the young man fell forward onto Brian's dampened chest.

They lay there for the longest time, feeling one another's rapid heartbeats as they slowly returned to normal. Eventually the cooler air forced them to retreat back to the house. They took a long leisurely bath in the extra large claw-footed tub and settled together on the big four-poster bed in the main guest room. As they snuggled tightly together, they went over their plans for the next day again. It was of the utmost importance that they not slip up in any way. If the fates were on their side, this would be the last night they would have to sleep with an uncertain future hanging over their heads. Hopefully Jaeger would swallow the bait that was set for him the next day and think he had his one best shot at Justin here at the beach house. If he did, and Brian's carefully thought out plan worked, the bastard would be in cuffs by the end of the day... or the next day at the latest. Tomorrow was Friday. It all had to be over by Sunday or the lovers would be faced with impossible choices. But at least for this one night they were safe and sound. They would sleep peacefully tonight. Tomorrow was another story.

To be continued.............

April 12, 1935: 4:45 p. m.: Hotel Windsurf in Malibu:

Johan took another deep swallow of his drink and tapped the rim of the glass, letting the bartender know that he was ready for another. It would be his second one and he would have to stop after that. He had no intention of having his mind befuddled when he got ashore later tonight. He watched as the young man poured the amber liquid into his glass and let a slight grin flash across his face. He was a very happy man right now... not as happy as he would be by tomorrow, but happy enough.

It was really amazing, if you thought about it. Yesterday he had sat in his upper class hotel suite in Los Angeles without a clue as to what he would do next. His frustration had grown to enormous proportions in the last few days. The detective that he had hired to keep a close watch on Justin Taylor had little to report. The man revealed that he would see the young man dressed as a woman entering his hotel every evening and not see him again until morning. Apparently all Justin did was work and hang around the hotel with his co-workers when he wasn't on the job. He didn't even venture out alone during the short break that the band got from their filming duties. The only time that he wasn't at work or in the hotel, he would always be in the company of a large group of the other girls from the band, with their boss often in attendance. Johan had fared no better on those occasions when he shadowed Justin himself. There had never been an opportunity to strike at the young man without exposing himself to danger.

The only good news for Johan had been when he heard from his police source in New York that the Detective they had sent after Justin had been given permission by his boss to use up some of his vacation time while in sunny California before coming home. They had apparently given up searching for young Taylor. His source told him that they were looking elsewhere closer to home for the runaway suspect. Of course he was completely unaware that Captain Horvath had planted this story after research into Jaeger's background revealed that he had connections inside police headquarters. Now that Johan had become a prime suspect, thanks to all they had learned about him in Vanderbeke's secret files, Horvath had quickly put a lid on any true information about the investigation.

Johan still had a tiny nagging doubt as to whether the Detective knew he was protecting Justin Taylor or a damsel in distress when he interfered on the train just as Johan was about to kill the kid. He was ninety-nine percent certain that the cop wasn't aware of the truth at all. Otherwise he surely would have gone ahead and arrested Taylor right then and there. The kid was obviously quick-witted and probably did a great job of snowing the Detective after his skin had been saved. Anyway, all signs were that the kid had no protection, but only if he could get him alone in a vulnerable spot. And this morning, Fate finally smiled on Johan.

That morning, Johan had gotten up and ordered his breakfast from the hotel's room service. With it came the 'Los Angeles Times' and 'Daily Variety' papers. He sat munching on his eggs and ham as he perused both papers. That's when a small article in 'Variety' caught his eye the moment he saw the name of 'DeeBee's All Ladies Orchestra'. Knowing this was the group that Justin Taylor had joined, he sat his fork down and began reading. By the time he had read the last word, he knew what he had to do. So they were saying that 'Sunny' would be taking a little trip out of town to recuperate by the sea... well, Johan would help him get over his sore throat permanently.

It didn't take Johan more than a minute to call his P.I.'s office and put him on the job of finding out all he could about a beach house owned by the Chanders family in Malibu, California. The detective got right on the job. After all, Johan was paying him twice what he normally made for such work. He was a priority client. Less than an hour later, Johan had the address of the only residence on the Malibu beach owned by anyone named Chanders. Another hour later, Johan was on his way to Malibu in his own rented car.

A careful inspection of the area showed Johan that this was not going to be as easy as he had hoped. The property was not open and easily accessible. Upon further exam, it appeared that the only way to reach the house safely, without giving any warning, was by way of the sea rather than by land. That would require the use of a boat and someone who knew how to operate it. Johan didn't have time for niceties. He used his vast underground connections to provide a boat and skipper who were less than lawful and aboveboard and quite capable of keeping their mouths shut for a hefty price. Now all he needed was the cloak of darkness. In the meantime, he hired a local thug to keep an eye on the house. The man reported back that he had spotted a lone blond man on the beach several times while using a pair of binoculars, but that he hadn't stayed out more than a few minutes at any one time. He also mentioned that he had a towel wrapped around his throat. It sounded like Taylor was nursing a sore throat just as reported. It certainly sounded like he was alone, since no one else was ever spotted with him during his short jaunts outside. Everything was ready. Now all Johan needed was to be patient. The dark would be here soon enough.

*********************************************************

Same time: Chanders Malibu Beach House:

Justin came in through the back entrance and pulled the towel off his neck again. He was shaking just a little, but not from cold weather. It made him nervous every single time he stepped out the door. Brian had assured him that it was important that Johan knew he was in residence in case he was watching, but that there should be no danger, since even a long range rifle couldn't reach him from any vantage point near the house. Justin trusted Brian with his life, but he still felt like a sitting duck with a bulls-eye painted on his back every time he walked out. He was more than happy to be back inside. Justin hurried off to the front of the house where all four of the bedrooms were located. He found Brian sitting at a desk cleaning his gun. He walked up to him and leaned down for a kiss.

"How many more times do you think I should go out and put myself on display?" he asked Brian.

"Not too much longer. I have a strong hunch that Jaeger will strike after dark, if at all. That seems to be his modus operandi. I'm just not sure how he'll get to you. I've tried to put myself inside his head, and unless he knows how to get hold of a key for the lock on the gate and get it open without setting off the alarm, I only see one way for him to make it."

"By way of the water.... right?"

"That's what I would do. All he needs is a boat and I'm sure he has enough resources to get that. Are you scared?" Brian asked.

"No, of course not! I love being bait for a homicidal maniac determined to end my life! Shit, Brian, I've never been more scared in my life. If we don't stop him now, he could kill me and then I'd never have the chance to see how far I could go in life. I have so many dreams and hopes for the future... not the least of which is spending a lot more time with you."

Brian put down his weapon and wiped his hands on the kerchief he was using. He wrapped his arms around Justin's middle and pulled the young man close to him. He knew he had to be on guard with his ears perked for any sounds, which meant no loving with Justin for now, but all he wanted to do was make the fear go away for the young artist. He actually prayed that Jaeger would show up tonight. The sooner he did, the sooner this whole thing would be finished.

"It's almost over, Justin. You'll live those dreams. You have my word, and my friends back home will tell you that I never break my word."

Justin leaned down and kissed Brian passionately. He believed Brian. He felt a little better, at least for now. He dreaded the dark of night, but now he wished more than anything that it would hurry up and get here. He and Brian knew what they had to do as soon as the sun set. They were as prepared as they could be. Justin moved away, once Brian let him go in order to resume cleaning his gun. He kissed Brian on the top of his head and went back out to the kitchen area which led outside. He'd wait another half hour and then wrap the towel around his throat again and step back into the late afternoon sun once more. Soon, he thought... soon.

**********************************************************

Same Night: 2:45 a.m.: Just Off-Shore From Chanders Beach House:

Johan stepped to the side of the larger boat his criminal connections had provided for him. He looked over the side and saw the little motorboat he would take to get ashore, as it bobbed up and down in the water. He waited for the signal from the disheveled Skipper of the boat, who had greedily pocketed the large bills Johan handed over shortly before pulling out into the water. The man was an ex-rum runner from Prohibition days and had drunk more than his fair share of the profits, surviving now on whatever charters he could muster up, half of which were less than legal runs. He had even ferried a body out to sea for burial by a well known gangster a few years back. Johan knew he could be assured of the man's discretion.

It was around 3:00 a.m. when the Skipper gave Johan the signal he had been waiting for. The killer didn't hesitate. He slipped quickly over the side and lowered himself onto the waiting vessel. He started the engine, which was a bit louder than he had hoped, and pulled away from the bigger boat. It was pitch black outside with very little light from the Moon. He prayed that the motor's sound would be drowned out by the sounds of the surf. He crossed his fingers and reminded himself that it didn't matter. Once he was on shore he would move swiftly to the house, and once there he knew the kid would never escape him. He would cut the telephone lines to the house and Justin would be totally vulnerable. He almost chuckled in anticipation of ridding himself of his threat.

As he approached the shore, he could plainly see that there were no lights on in the house, as was expected this late in the night. He knew from the reports that Taylor was still at the house and there had still been no signs of anyone else. Just before reaching shore, Johan shut off the engine and let the surf bring him the last of the way to the sand. He pulled the boat up on shore and quickly made his way towards the back of the house. He had drawn his gun once he hit the sand. One could never be too careful. He doubted the kid was armed, but better to be cautious than sorry. Johan found the telephone line leading into the house and quickly snipped it. Taylor was now at his mercy, but he had no intention of showing any. It was either him or the kid, and he knew what that meant.

As soon as Johan took care of the telephone line, he began checking out windows. The back door was locked, but he knew that people often forgot to lock up their windows. He soon found that he had been right and luck was on his side. The first couple of windows he checked were securely locked, but the one over the sink in the kitchen was not. It was pitch black in the house, so Johan was unable to see that the sink was half full of glasses and utensils. He cursed under his breath as his foot hit the mess and made a loud noise. He froze where he was, his gun pointing into the darkened room! He waited with bated breath to see if a light would go on or anyone would call out. There was nothing. He waited a few more moments before moving forward again, swinging his other leg over the sill and making sure to avoid the large sink this time.

Johan gingerly and silently slid to the floor. He had removed his shoes outside so he now crept noiselessly through the kitchen and towards the front of the house. It was a very large place, and he wasn't sure where he should look first, but as he entered the hallway leading to the front he heard the low sound of music for the first time. He crept forward until he reached the door leading to where the sound was coming from. Just then he heard the music stop and the low sound of a radio announcer talking about the next number. Lucky for him, it appeared that Taylor liked to go to sleep with the sound of the radio on. It was probably why he hadn't heard the motorboat or the sound of the cutlery in the sink. Even luckier, it told Johan where to look for the sleeping young man.

Johan opened the door just a sliver. The room was extremely dark, but another break came because of the light coming from the big circle dial on the radio. It wasn't very bright but it was enough to vaguely make out a large lump under the blankets on the bed. Caution was no longer needed. He had his victim in his sights. Johan moved to the light switch and flipped it on. Simultaneously, he moved further into the room and pointed at the covered body. Shots rang out... one, two, three, four, five, six. The blanket jumped and feathers went flying. There were no other sounds. It was now dead silence.

Johan moved over to the side of the bed. He grabbed a corner of the blanket and pulled it away. His mouth dropped open. The sheet was covered in feathers, not blood, from all the pillows that had been used to simulate a body lying under the covers. Before his anger could fully develop, he heard a sound from the doorway. He whipped around and saw, to his horror, that the same son-of-a-bitch cop who had stopped him from killing Taylor earlier was standing in the doorway with his own weapon drawn and pointed right at him.

"Drop your weapon, Jaeger," Brian ordered.

In less than a heartbeat, Jaeger dropped to the floor using the bed to shield him. He came up again around the end of the bed with his gun aimed at the doorway. In that second, Brian had already crouched down and moved to the other side of the bed. When he saw Jaeger's head pop up, he launched himself over the bed and the men became entangled in a deadly duel for survival. Fists flew and weapons were knocked out of hands. Brian was strong, but eventually Jaeger had Brian pinned to the floor on his stomach. He had somehow grabbed the belt from the pile of clothes that had been left on a chair to further set the scene, and now he had it around Brian's neck, pulling on both ends with all his strength. The belt cut into Brian's throat and choked off his oxygen. His attempts to free himself were weakening.

Suddenly the grunting noises of the struggling combatants was shattered by the sound of gunfire. A piercing yelp of pain filled the room. Justin stood in the doorway, Brian's gun shaking in his hands. Everything now seemed to move in slow motion. First a tiny dot of pink appeared on the back of Johan's light blue shirt. It then darkened to red and began to spread. Johan looked behind him once the pain had registered and saw the blond standing there. He had no time to react. His eyes closed and he slumped forward.

Brian's strength returned the moment he got a lungful of air. He pushed the dead weight of Jaeger off him and flipped the killer over onto his back. He jumped up when he saw how pale Justin was turning. He threw his arms around Justin and hugged him close to his body. He could feel the blond shaking from head to toe. He carefully lifted Justin's arm and pried the gun from his cold fingers. Suddenly Justin felt bile rising in his throat. He pulled free of Brian and ran for the bathroom. Brian could hear the sounds of retching but he had to check on Jaeger first. A couple of minutes later, he joined Justin who was sitting on the floor with his cheek resting on the toilet bowl.

"Did I kill him?" Justin managed to squeak out.

"No, Justin! He's still breathing, but it's serious enough that we'll need to get him to a hospital. I think he'll live for you to see justice done. You know that you saved my life just now, don't you? Looks like we're even now."

Justin smiled for the first time this whole night. The waiting for Jaeger had been excruciating. Once all the windows and doors, except for the one over the sink, had been checked and locked, and once the sink had been fixed up as an early warning signal... and once the bedroom had been prepared with the made-up bed and radio on, the couple had been forced to wait together across the hall with the door slightly ajar so they could see when Jaeger showed up... if he showed up. They had shared a few kisses in the dark while sitting it out, but no more. They knew they had to remain alert or they would be dead men. By the time Jaeger did arrive, both men were ready to jump at any sound.

Now Justin couldn't believe it was over. Jaeger had just proven that he was the killer. There was no other reason for him to want to silence the only witness to the murder of Vanderbeke other than to protect himself from accusations. That, along with what they had learned about his dealings with Vanderbeke were all they would need to shift all their focus off Justin and onto Jaeger. All these thoughts tumbled around inside Justin's head and he almost missed what Brian was saying.

"Are you feeling better? We don't want to delay much longer. We want this bastard alive, not dead. I checked and it looks like he cut off our telephone service so we'll have to drive him to the hospital and I'll call the local authorities from there."

"It's over?" Justin whispered, as if in disbelief.

"It's over, Justin. Nothing left but the clean-up."

Justin threw his arms around Brian's neck. Brian hugged Justin close to him. They shared a kiss that was full of promises to come. It was over, and yet it was just beginning.... a beginning of a lifelong love affair born from the ashes of violence and deception.

***********************************************************

Epilogue: One Year Later:

Debbie opened the door to her New York apartment and happily welcomed the newly licensed Private Detective and his boyfriend into her home. She gave Brian a huge bear hug and an equally snug one for Justin. She had never been so happy to see her boys. The last year had been rough on them, but everything was finally over. The trial was over and Johan Jaeger was cooling his heels inside a maximum security prison in New York. He had gotten a fair, yet extremely exhausting trial and been found guilty of multiple crimes which included Murder in the First Degree. He was now awaiting his date with the electric chair.

So much had happened in the year since Brian and Justin had captured Jaeger. Justin's shot had hit Jaeger in the back but luckily missed any vital organs. Luckier still, it had stopped him from hurting Brian seriously. As soon as the couple had gotten Jaeger to the hospital, Brian put in a call to the local police first and Captain Horvath next. Horvath ordered Brian to remain in California until Jaeger was fit for travel and then return with him to New York. Of course, he ordered him to bring young Taylor back too, since he would be expected to testify even though he was no longer a suspect. Brian had no problem with this request. He had no wish to lose sight of Justin, especially now that he was a free man.

Justin called Daphne and filled her in on all the excitement. She cussed him out properly for risking his life and then praised him for his heroism. He thanked her profusely for the use of her family's vacation home. He promised to tell her even more when he saw her once he got back to New York City. He was eager to tell her about Brian too but decided to wait for that news once they were face to face.

It took a full week for Jaeger to be able to travel. They went by train, which was a lot slower than a commercial flight but much cheaper for the New York City budget to handle. Neither man was complaining. They got adjoining bedrooms on the trip back and found a number of opportunities for private time while Jaeger was handcuffed to the railing of his bunk and unable to escape. Of course they were extremely discreet, making sure that no one saw any intimacy between them. This was especially true in front of Jaeger.

The only fly in the ointment was Justin's guilt over leaving Debbie high and dry without a singer when they went back to shooting of the film. The studio had felt put out by the whole thing, but their publicity department ended up salvaging it by using the drama of Justin's story in their advertising of the film. They kept the footage that included Justin singing as 'Sunny', and a new female singer was hired to finish up their scenes. Justin was even offered a contract with the studio, but respectfully declined. He let them know that he enjoyed singing as a hobby but his first love was art. They reluctantly let him out of the contract for the one film.

It took a while for the trial to commence, because Jaeger was being investigated for much more than just the murder. Further investigation revealed a great deal about the arrangement between Vanderbeke and Jaeger. More than one person ended up in courts by the time the case was wrapped up. Brian had quite a time explaining why he had not mentioned finding the man he was supposed to arrest and bring back to New York City. In the end, Brian received an incident report on his record and two week's suspension without pay. In most cases he might have received a demotion too, but the end result of his failure to follow procedure saved him.

It didn't matter to Brian. First, he used the two weeks off to spend every moment he could with Justin. The two men made love repeatedly and spent long hours talking about their lives, hopes, and dreams. Brian knew Justin was 'the one' because he had never opened up to anyone else before, and this time he wanted to put himself totally out there for Justin. Secondly, Brian took the time to re-evaluate his life. He knew that Justin had changed him in a very short time, and his discontentment with having to be so closed off while doing his job grew to huge proportions. The end result of hashing it out with Justin was that Brian decided to go Private. As a P. I., he wouldn't have anyone looking over his shoulder anymore. He would be his own man. He would even spread the word through the gay community that he was the man for them to see if they had legal problems.

After turning in his resignation, something that frustrated the hell out of Captain Horvath, Brian studied for his Private Investigators license. Now, a year after saving Justin's life, the couple were happily ensconced in their own small loft apartment and full of confidence about the future. Justin returned to school and moved on to his third year at the Art Academy. Daphne had instantly fallen for Brian's charms and supported her best friend's relationship wholeheartedly. Once Debbie returned to New York with her band, they all became close friends. Cherry, with her usual positive outlook on life, cheerfully accepted Justin's apologies for deceiving her. Her one complaint was that she had wasted time flirting with Brian on the train when she never stood a chance with him. However, she was happy for her good friend, Justin.

It was Debbie's idea to throw a First Anniversary Party for Brian and Justin. Many of the girls from the band showed up since they had taken quite a liking to the young man they had met as 'Sunny'. Naturally, Daphne was there, along with a few of their old friends and some new ones that Brian and Justin made during their first year together. The party was a lively affair with an eclectic mix of gay and straight, artists, entertainers, and just plain folks. As the party wound down, Brian and Justin slipped off to the bedroom to get their coats and hats. Brian found his first and slipped it on.

As Justin pulled his from the few remaining coats on the bed, Brian came up behind him and encircled his waist with his arms. He hugged Justin tightly to him and buried his nose in his soft blond hair. He let his lips linger on the smooth skin of Justin's neck. Justin's head fell back onto Brian's chest. He sighed deeply. He couldn't believe how happy he was. One year ago, he was a frightened young man who believed he was doomed. Today he couldn't imagine a happier life. It was all due to Brian. He knew he was loved by this man. There was a time when Justin felt sorry for himself when he realized he was born gay, but no longer. Maybe it wasn't safe to shout out to the whole world how he felt about Brian Kinney, but he wouldn't trade his life for anyone else in the world. With luck, they would live out the entire balance of the twentieth century together as a couple. But it didn't matter whether they lived for a brief time or for decades. It was only a matter of time. What did matter was that they would do it together for as long as life allowed them to.... and maybe even longer.

The End