SHORTS FROM THE SHELF features short serialized fiction by author Shannon Muir, administrator of SHANNON MUIR’S THE PULP AND MYSTERY SHELF, that may be later released as part of e-book or print collections. The story line featured over the next  fifteen days is “Beyond the Shining Stars”. This is part 1 of 15.

“How can I help you, Mr. Mallory-Tate?”

Sam Hawkins saw a lot of people on the other side of his private investigation desk over the years. He’d started out a cop, but decided he needed to be able to work more of his own life and hours after his wife Anne died and Sam needed to raise his daughter Carly alone. So, he took his skills and became a private investigator, relying on his parents to help out until Carly’s teenage years. He never looked back.

Randy Mallory-Tate wasn’t much over the age of eighteen, third generation of a famous actor family. His parents, the only son of a 1940s-film star and the porn star-turned-nurse who cared for his grandfather in his final days, both ran a charity to get young girls off the street sucked in by the dark side of Hollywood. After their recent death while on a boating trip, Randy Mallory-Tate found himself thrust into managing the charity as well as their living trust.

“I’ve got a big issue to deal with, and I need your help.”

“Honestly, from my perspective, you have many things going on in your life right now. Not sure how a private investigator can help.”

“Somebody’s stalking me,” Randy told Sam. He could see the kid’s arms shaking. Clearly, whatever was going on wasn’t child’s play. The young man genuinely feared the current events in his life. “I never minded getting all the attention when my parents were alive, heck it was kind of fun. Now, things are different. Everyone thought they could get through me to for my parents’ money. Now, to them, I have all the money. But you and Aunt Lauren know that’s not true!”