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 4 of 15.

“Whoever this guy is, he keeps going through various phones to contact me. Either burner phones or he’s spoofing the number.”

Randy might be an actor, but also smart as a whip about tech. Sam understood what Randy meant from an investigative side of things, even if he didn’t understand how some of those processes worked. His daughter Carly, now part of the police force, probably had a far better clue.

“It he trying to hit on you? Does he know your interests?”

“Yes. I’ve been as discreet as I can but apparently that’s impossible. What’s worse, he knows about my involvement with her. I’ve been told to break it off with her and be in a relationship with him, or he promises to expose all of her to the world.”

“Sorry to interrupt. You keep saying her again here.”

“The guy contacting me always uses the drag artist name referring to the person I’m in the relationship with. By ‘expose all of her’ I can only presume he means to tell the whole world about her birth name and her full past.”

“I’m guessing it’s a rough history. You seem to really want to protect that information.”

“You have a daughter, right? And Aunt Lauren? Wouldn’t you do anything to protect them?”

Randy had a point.

“I totally understand,” Sam reassured Randy. “But right now, I’ve got to be upfront with you. Without knowing more about the very things you don’t want to reveal, it puts limits on how I can help.”

Randy slumped back in his chair.

“I wish I could share them with you, Uncle. I really wish I could.”

“And until you can, my hands are pretty tied, Randy.”