Shooting Star: An Annie Proudfoot Mystery

By Laura Mechem

Annie finds an old steamer trunk in the attic of her partner Lisa Cannon's family home. The trunk, she learns, belonged to Lisa's aunt Star, a traveling nightclub performer who died under mysterious circumstances. While reading Star's diary, Annie becomes obsessed with learning more about this unconventional woman's life. This obsession leads her on a journey that ultimately uncovers some carefully buried family secrets that, when revealed, shake the foundations of Lisa's very identity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 13, 2011
• ISBN: 9781257618651

Book preview

Shooting Star

by

Laura Mechem

Copyright 2009 by Laura Mechem. All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-0-557-13453-3

Flashlight in hand, Annie climbed the narrow, rickety stairs and gave a quick yank on the string that turned on a dusty light bulb in the center of the attic ceiling. Inhaling the dust she had stirred up just by opening the attic door, she stood still and waited a few moments until the dust settled and her eyes adjusted to the dim light. Garlands and tangled strands of Christmas lights lined a singular narrow path winding through what seemed a museum of the Cannon family’s history. Blown glass Santas and snowmen peered up at her through the cellophane lids of their boxes. Annie wondered when these last adorned the family Christmas tree. An old Lionel train set she guessed was at least thirty years old lay inside its original cardboard box. She smiled when she imagined her Lisa as a pajama-clad youngster watching this same train speed around the bottom of the tree.

The dusty bulb blinked twice, then died, leaving Annie standing alone in the dark with boxes stacked high on both sides. She switched on the flashlight and saw a dust-covered box of light bulbs atop one of the stacks of boxes near the light in the center. She found one remaining bulb inside and screwed it in. The light restored, she laid the burned-out bulb she had removed beside two others lying loose on the top of the box. She picked up her flashlight and did a quick survey of the room, casting its beam into dark corners where rafters rose sharply to the center of the A-framed room, and it was then that she noticed the old steamer trunk. It was navy blue with burnished silver latches and leather straps worn thin from years of use. Painted with silver stars of various sizes, some with trails of light behind them, the trunk’s exterior looked like some intriguing illustration of the night sky. The flashlight caught a glimmer on the top of the trunk, and Annie read the word RUBY written in large letters with red rhinestones. Annie could feel her pulse quicken with eagerness as she looked at this piece of nostalgia. She wanted to forget all about Christmas and check it out then and there, but she knew that Lisa was eager to get the tree decorated. Besides, she knew that even reaching the trunk would take a while since she would have to make a path through stacks of boxes just to get to it. So she scooped up a couple boxes of ornaments, pulled the string that once again left the attic in darkness and headed back down the narrow stairway.

Lisa had finished stringing the tree lights when Annie came into the living room with the ornaments. This what you wanted? she asked, handing over the boxes.

Yep, Lisa said, as she plugged in the lights illuminating the tree.

It’s beautiful, Annie said admiring Lisa’s handiwork. Just beautiful. She collapsed on the sofa as Lisa began hanging the colorful balls on the tree. The lights cast a rosy glow all around the tree, enveloping Lisa and mesmerizing Annie. Did you know there’s an old trunk in the attic? she asked.

There are probably several trunks in that attic, Annie, Lisa replied. It’s so cluttered; I don’t even know what’s up there. I just never got around to cleaning it out after Dad died.

"This trunk is blue, and it has stars all over it, and on the top is….

"The name Ruby, Lisa finished her sentence. In red rhinestones," she added quickly.

Yeah, that’s it. So Ruby’s a name?

Ruby is my mother’s maiden name, Lisa said matter-offactly. How about giving me a hand with the tree topper? Lisa pulled a cardboard box from a plastic shopping bag and opened it. She removed the lid to reveal an angel dressed in gold and white.

No relation to Jack Ruby, I hope.

None that I know of, Lisa said.

Annie brought a step stool from the kitchen and placed it near the tree. Then she climbed onto the stool and Lisa handed her the angel. So the trunk belongs to your mother?

No, Lisa laughed. The trunk belonged to my aunt. She stepped back as Annie placed the star atop the tree. A little to the left, she directed. A little more. Little more. Stop! That’s good. Right there. Annie followed Lisa’s instruction and drew her hand away from the top of the tree. My mother’s sister, she finished.

What about your mother’s sister? Annie asked.

You wanted to know about the trunk. It belonged to my mother’s sister. My Aunt Phaedra.

Phaedra???

Yeah, Lisa chuckled, Mom says she always hated her name. She gathered the empty ornament boxes and placed them in the hall closet, then walked back to the living room where Annie had returned to the sofa. Soooooo…..she renamed herself. Not legally, of course. She called herself Star. It was her stage name, really.

Star Ruby, Annie said dreamily, remembering the silver stars and light trails that graced the sides of the trunk. What a name! You know, I’ll bet she was quite a character!

Well, Lisa said, "in Mom’s words, she was full of piss and vinegar whatever that means."

Annie laughed.

I used to ask Mom about her, and all she would tell me is that Star never wore underwear. Can you imagine that being the one thing you would tell your child about your sister? Lisa sat down on the sofa beside Annie and slipped her arm around her shoulder. I think we need snow.

I hate to disappoint you, but I doubt we’re going to see any white Christmases here in New Mexico. It’s about eighty-five degrees out there today.

Not outside, silly! Snow on the tree! You know, flocking. My mother used to make snow for the branches using Ivory flakes. I don’t know if you can even find flakes in the stores these days.

Oh, I see flakes in the stores all the time, Annie said with a straight look on her face. Then she cracked a smile.

Very funny, Annie. Oh, well, Lisa said, I don’t know how to mix up the stuff anyway. I guess we’ll just have to pretend.

Annie was secretly relieved that Lisa didn’t want to flock the tree and that their decorating now was finished.

Tomorrow, while Lisa went Christmas shopping, she would go exploring in the Cannon attic.

"Come in! Come in! Annie shouted from where she stood at the kitchen sink, her hands in dishwater. She knew the knock at the back door was her Grandpa Joe dropping by for his morning cup of coffee. She dried her hands on a tea towel and turned on the coffeemaker. Go ahead and sit down, Joe. Coffee’s on."

So what is it you want me to work on?

It’s on the living room floor. Annie pulled two coffee mugs from an upper cabinet.

Joe walked into the living room to see what project awaited him. And just what am I supposed to do with this thing? It’s so old, I doubt it even runs. He stared at the dusty Lionel box.

I want you to get it to run, Annie said. You know, set it up around the bottom of the tree. I want to surprise Lisa. She handed him his cup of coffee. There’s a little village with lighted houses upstairs, too. Once the train is running, I thought maybe you could set that up, too.

Joe chuckled, You don’t want much, now do you?

Nope, Annie said, that’s all.

Okay, okay. I’ll get it done. Say, what are we having for lunch?

Lunch?

It’s going to take the better part of a day for me to do all this, Annie. Joe took a drink of coffee, set his mug carefully on the coffee table, and sat down on the floor in front of the Lionel box.

Oh, right, Annie said, as if the magnitude of her request hadn’t occurred to her until just then. Well, we can order in pizza. Will that be okay?

Fine, Joe said lifting the lid from the large box and heaving a great sigh before beginning to tackle the train’s assembly.

Annie picked up the remote control for the television and handed it to Joe. Here, she said, you can watch TV while you work. I’m going to be upstairs working in the attic.

What’s in the attic?

Um, nothing in particular. I just want to straighten things up a bit. Joe knew that nothing in particular was, in fact, something in particular, but he decided he wouldn’t pry further. Call me if you need anything! Annie called from the top of the stair and off to the attic she went. Joe just shook his head and smiled, and then he went to work.

It took Annie almost thirty minutes to make a path from the top of the attic stairway to the rear corner of the attic where the blue steamer trunk stood. When she reached it, she ran her hand over its surface, tracing a couple of the stars with her index finger. They had been hand painted on the surface with metallic paint. Annie removed a rag she had placed in the rear pocket of her jeans, and wiped it down the side of the trunk. After all this time, the silver stars still had some of their original shine. She tugged at the worn leather straps. She wondered where the old trunk might have traveled in its day, and she tried to imagine the woman whose belongings it held. Who was this woman, a woman who would abandon her given name and rename herself Star? Star Ruby, she said aloud. Even her name was shrouded in mystery.

Annie decided to look at the exterior of the trunk more closely. In truth, she was deliberately delaying opening the trunk. As long as she did not know what was inside, she could make up stories in her own mind about who Star Ruby might have been, adventures she might have had, struggles she might have endured. Such speculation made her almost giddy with excitement, but her need to discover what she could of Star’s life soon overpowered any desire she might have had to daydream about this woman who remained a mystery even to her own niece. After all, how many women are comfortable enough with their bodies and free enough from convention to forego wearing underwear?

Annie found an old wooden crate, emptied it of its contents and turned it upside down to use as a stool. She plopped it down in front of the trunk and sat down. Then she carefully unfastened the leather straps and metal latches, took a deep breath and opened the trunk like shutters on a window, shedding light on a life that had been closed for more than thirty years, the life of the mysterious Star Ruby. Like a genii escaping as mist from a bottle, a faint smell of roses wafted from the trunk in an invisible cloud. Annie closed her eyes and breathed in the still heady scent of Star’s perfume. It was almost as if, after so many years of captivity, Star herself had stepped out of the trunk to meet her.

Hanging from a hook in the right side compartment of the trunk were brightly colored blouses, sequined silk and satin dresses, tailored slacks with matching jackets, and a multitude of scarves. An inspection of the labels inside the garments revealed that Star Ruby had been a size 4 and a woman of expensive taste, having purchased most of her clothes from the most exclusive department stores in the cities back east. Annie removed each piece with care and laid it aside. She was surprised at the strangely intimate connection she was beginning to feel with this woman whom she had not even known. She felt she was learning something new about Star with each item she pulled from the trunk.

Behind Star’s daytime attire was her nighttime apparel. There were striking gowns with smooth silk bodices, now yellowed with time. Annie ran her hands over one of them, imagining her hands were caressing this woman for whom she