Dead by Any Other Name by Sebastian Stuart Read Free Book Online Page A

loose in a few places, and there was a small identically dressed stuffed monkey perched on her left shoulder. She saw me and stuck out a hand.
    â€œVin Bump, how are you?”
    â€œJanet Petrocelli, nice to meet you.”
    â€œThis is Jerome.”
    â€œHi, Jerome.”
    â€œHe’s a bit out of sorts today, his fibromyalgia is acting up. Where’s that sister of mine?”
    â€œShe went looking for Pavel.”
    â€œI don’t trust that lad!”
    â€œNo?”
    â€œHe’s cast some sort of spell on my sister. Not the first, believe me. She’s been led through life by her pudenda. I love her dearly but you do know she’s …” she leaned toward me and lowered her voice, “… unstable .”
    â€œIs she?”
    â€œAbsolute nutter! It all started when she was born—being a female is a wretched fate. My condolences to you on that account, dear girl. Believe me, I thank Jupiter every day for my dangly-bits. Time for tea, Jerome.” Vin took out a flask and filled a teacup full of whiskey, then poured in a single drop of tea and took a long swallow. “It’s a bloody marvelous Assam, isn’t it?”
    â€œIt’s nice and strong.”
    â€œEsmerelda, Jerome would like a steak and kidney pie,” Vin called in the direction of the kitchen. “I can’t abide steak and kidney pie myself, but Jerome loves it.”
    A maid brought in a steak and kidney pie, still in its tin but with the lid off. As she put it on the table, Lavinia reached out and pinched her bohunkus.
    â€œJerome, stop that! Terribly sorry, Selena, he’s in a mood, his fibromyalgia.”
    The maid nonchalantly picked up a lemon square and walked out.
    Vin cut herself a big slice of the steak and kidney pie and began to devour it. “I do hope Pavel isn’t down at Denton’s, that always drives Octavia right round the bend.”
    â€œOh?”
    â€œOh, good God, yes. Those two bonkers are both mad for the lad, have come to blows on more than one occasion. Jerome has tried to intercede, but they’ve no interest in making peace.”
    As if on cue, we watched through the picture window as a Mercedes plowed down Collier Denton’s drive and skidded to a stop in front of his house. Octavia leapt out of the car, ran to the front door and banged on it.
    â€œOh my, there she goes!” Vin said, not making much effort to disguise her excitement.
    The door opened and a tall elderly man in a silk dressing gown stepped out.
    â€œThat’s Denton, I do hope neither of them is armed!” Vin chortled.
    Octavia asked Denton something, he shook his head and turned away from her, she grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, he slapped her, she slapped him back. He raised an arm and ordered her off his property. She planted her feet and crossed her arms over her chest. He took out a cell phone and started to punch in a number. She turned and stormed over to her car, got in, and roared off, spitting gravel. Denton put away the phone, straightened up and walked back into his house.
    Vin clucked in disappointment, “That was lovely-jubbly compared to their real rows.” Then she helped herself to a second piece of steak and kidney pie, “Jerome’s fibromyalgia always gives him an appetite.”
    â€œAnd it’s all over Pavel?”
    â€œPrecisely. Denton is a poofter, don’t you know. I don’t care a fidget as long as he keeps his bloody hands off my arse!”
    I’d treated clients with gender-identity issues and was in awe of how well Lavinia had resolved hers; her personality- displacement psychosis was another matter.
    But it was time for me to get moving—I needed to find this Pavel.

fourteen
    Just as I left the house, Octavia pulled up and leapt out of her car. “I’m afraid I shall have to kill that dreadful man. But never mind, he’s just jealous. The witch is dead, I’ve won, Pavel is