Meet Me at the Starlight

Chapter 19

MATT

What happened to Harlow? Why were Simon Caster and his brothers passing out the Starlight flyers?

“Simon, hey, what are you doing?” Matt looked inside the sack looped across his body. “Where’s Harlow? Are those her skates?”

So far the flyers were a huge success, with people taking several, promising to talk to friends, family, coworkers. Several admitted they’d not heard about the Starlight’s demise or the chance to save it. Most of the businesses and shops sided with the Starlight. Salty, one of the assistant managers at Biggs Market, took a handful of flyers. “We’ll stuff them into the grocery sacks.”

As promised, Matt nailed several to the exterior of the theater, then headed to the bank. They rejected him. “We’re on the side of progress.” Figures.

“Harlow handed them to me when I told her some man was looking for her.” Simon waved a flyer at a passing family. “Do you live in Sea Blue Beach? Cool, take a couple of these. Sign the petition to save the Starlight. Say, do you know this dude? He’s Matt Knight. Yeah, from the movies.”

“Hey, how’re you doing?” Matt nodded at the family.

The woman who took the flyer grabbed her husband’s arm. “Matt Knight. We heard you grew up here but never thought we’d see you. Honey, it’s Matt Knight.”

“I can see that,” he said.

“I loved you in Under the Lamplight.” Ah, his first rom-com. “Can I have your autograph? We just moved here last year. I’m Jenn. He’s Bob.” She dug out a Biggs receipt. “Bob, do you have a pen?”

“Why would I have a pen when you’re the one with the Mary Poppins bag?” He focused on Matt. “Dug you in Arizona, man. Gutsy stuff. Heard you did all your own stunts.”

“Aha. At last.” Jenn speared the air with her ballpoint. Matt scribbled his name while reminding Bob and Jenn to sign the petition. Then it was back to Simon.

“Some man was at her house. Said he was her fiancé.” Simon stopped outside of Suds Up Laundromat. “When I told her, she yanked off the skates and hightailed it, all heels and elbows. Miss Lucy, can we put some flyers in your window?”

Miss Lucy was more than eager. “I voted for that Harry Smith but never again. Move home, Matt. Run for mayor. You’d win in a landslide.”

“Maybe one day.”

“All sorts of celebrities are getting into politics. Our own president used to be an actor. Sonny Bono ran for office.”

Miss Lucy was a hoot. She talked on as Matt taped a few flyers to the front window.

Then he went back to interrogating Simon. “Her fiancé? Xander Cole?”

“That’s the dude.”

Matt looped his Gazette sack over Simon’s head. He had to find Harlow. “Take flyers to the library and the fishing museum. And Alderman’s Pharmacy.” A blue truck eased alongside them. Dale Cranston rolled down the window and raised a fistful of ripped-up flyers.

“Aren’t you supposed to stay away from me? I consider this breaking your protective order. I’ll let this one slide, but don’t let me catch you or any of your posse posting these gall dern flyers on the side of my theater or I’ll have vandalism added to your list of offenses.” Dale snorted and drove off.

More and more, he regretted punching that guy. But he had bigger concerns at the moment. Matt dashed toward Harlow’s in his skates, all the while working up a speech for Xander Cole. But when he saw a dark sedan in front of the house, he stopped in the middle of Sea Blue Way.

What was he going to do, barge in and punch him? Get arrested again? Did he even have a right to get involved? This was Harlow’s private business.

Still, what was Xander doing here? Did he want the house? Did he decide she needed to pay him for it? If so, Matt would gladly loan her the money. She must be free and clear of that lump of flesh.

He considered sneaking onto the porch and peeking in the windows just as Dad drove by.

“Hey, someone from The David Letterman Show left you a message at the house.” Dad passed him a slip of paper with a New York area code. “The lady said Emilio Estevez canceled.”

Matt tucked the paper in his pocket. “Do you think I should go in there?” He pointed toward Harlow’s.

“Does it have anything to do with why you’re standing in the middle of the street wearing skates?”

“Harlow’s ex is here. I should see if she’s okay.”

“Leave her be, Matt. She can handle herself.”

A car horn sounded and Dad drove on while Matt skated to the curb with a final glance at Harlow’s front door. Dad was right. She could handle herself.

He hated when Dad was right.

TUESDAY

OCTOBER 1939

The Starlight was shining! The entire town buzzed about her Stars at the Starlight. LJ had proposed the idea one evening after dinner while perusing Roller Skating magazine.

“Ma, let’s get the Van Horns or Heddy Stenuf to perform at the rink. Or Vivian Bell. She’s the reigning speed skate champion.”

“Now why would those stars want to come to the Starlight?”

LJ and his mischievous smile ... “’Cause we’re the Starlight.”

He wrote to them via the magazine that night, and now the rink was the center of the Sea Blue Beach Fall Fair. Farmers, growers, pickers, fishermen, sailors from the naval ports, the boys from Eglin, and folks from across the growing Panhandle converged on Sea Blue Beach, expressly the Starlight, for a week of celebration from their harvesting labors and to see the stars.

Surely the Man on the Moon could see their festivities from his lofty perch. Shop doors were opened from seven in the morning until midnight. Beach vendors sold boiled peanuts and hot, buttery corn on the cob. With Burt’s help, Tuesday set up a bonfire outside the Starlight and introduced folks to a newfangled idea—marshmallow roasting.

But that was nothing to the show going on inside the rink. Spectators lined the walls and filled the balcony, crowding together under the raised panels.

The Van Horns replied to LJ’s inquiry first, then Heddy. Once the ball got rolling, Tuesday gave her heart and soul to this night. She made long-distance phone calls she couldn’t afford and used the last penny in her account to pay for travel and lodging. The Fall Festival had always been good to her, but this year was her pièce de résistance.

And now, it was time for the show! Wearing her beautiful Richardson skates, Tuesday rolled through the crowd and onto the amber-colored wood floor, with the cord of the microphone rig she’d rented all the way from New Orleans trailing behind her.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Tuesday began, “tonight the Starlight presents”—LJ aimed the spotlight on her as her voice filled the rink and swirled around every man, woman, boy, and girl, across the sand and over the sea—“for the first time ever”—the band, positioned in the balcony around the Wurlitzer, blasted the first notes of “Goodnight My Love”—“the great acrobatic skating couple Earl and Inez Van Horn.”

Tuesday faded from the light, coiling the microphone cord, as Earl and Inez swept past her in an artistic and acrobatic dance skate. The crowd ooh’d and aah’d. Tuesday watched for a few minutes thinking Prince Blue would be proud, then hurried to her office, where Heddy Stenuf waited to go next.

Jackpot, jackpot, jackpot. The money she’d shelled out for her stars, the band, the equipment and food, plus a few extra employees, had been worth it. The Starlight was shining, and after tonight, she’d be well in the black.

“Do you have everything you need, Miss Stenuf?”

“Sure do. Swell little joint you’ve got here, Tuesday Knight. Good for you.”

“You don’t know how much all of this means to us.”

“I love to skate, and I love anyone who gives me a stage.”

Tuesday refreshed Heddy’s coffee, then found LJ in concession, boiling hot dogs and stirring up a large batch of hot cocoa.

“I know you’d rather be out watching the show with your friends,” she said. “But I can’t do this without you.”

“I know,” LJ said with a sly grin. “That’s why you’ll let me go flying tomorrow morning. Mr. Diamond is taking me up again in his crop duster. Then we’re going to watch the training at the airbase.”

“I don’t suppose I could talk you out of this flying craze. It makes me nervous to have you up in the air with only God’s breath keeping you afloat.” She brushed her hand over his dark brown hair, which even Brylcreem couldn’t tame. He wore a red-and-blue plaid shirt, the colors faded from washing and ironing, corduroys, and a pair of scuffed brown lace-ups.

“Ma, flying is freedom. Wait until I’m really good and I’ll take you up. You’ll see.”

“Are you going to run away, join the circus? Become a wing walker?”

“No, I want to pilot the plane, not walk on it.” He made a face. “Though if I found a pretty girl who wanted to walk on my wings . . .”

Tuesday laughed and kissed his cheek. “You will most definitely find a pretty girl. Hopefully one who makes you feel like you have wings without an airplane.”

LJ blushed and shrugged off her hand. “Did Pa make you feel like you had wings?”

The older LJ became, the more keenly he noticed his parents’ relationship. “Your pa made me feel grounded and protected. Which was what I wanted.”

“Does he still?”

“What are all these questions?” She shoved LJ out of the minuscule kitchen. “I’ve decided you have the rest of the night off. Go find your friends. Have fun. Ginger, can you take over here with the hot dogs and cocoa?”

Back out to the rink, Tuesday worked the crowd and caught the rest of the Van Horns’ show. They were spectacular. When she spied her youngest leaning against the ticket booth, arms folded, she made her way over to him. Dupree Knight had grown another two inches over the summer, matured a little, and became smitten with Mimi, a girl from school.

“I can do what they’re doing,” he said, scowling. At seventeen, he swam in young man pride. He believed he could fly to the moon if you gave him a rocket. “Me and the fellas turn tricks like that when we’re not trying.”

Dupree was a talented skater but hardly like the Van Horns. He couldn’t toss a girl through the air like Earl just did Inez, catching her as she landed.

“Why not enjoy the magic, Dup? Don’t compare, have fun. Where’s Mimi?”

Dup jutted his chin toward the benches. “With her friends, gushing over the Van Horns.”

“Well then, next time she comes to the Starlight with her skates, you show her what you can do.”

Dup grinned as he lowered his arms and defenses. “Guess I’ll go sit with her.”

Tuesday watched him head over to the group of girls, passing Daisy and William Anderson, a lovely young couple, new to Sea Blue Beach. Tuesday started to say hello when Leroy appeared with several other men just beyond the lights. For a moment, everything stopped. There was no music, no skating sensation on the rink floor, no crowds filling every space. There was just Leroy.

He looked fine. Mighty fine. In his dark jacket over light gray slacks, his hat set jauntily on his head. The scar on his cheek had faded more since she’d last seen him.

Of the three men accompanying him, Doc was not among them. He’d not been around much since his near confession. Tuesday missed him but thought it was best he find comfort elsewhere. Leroy saw her and removed his hat. Doggone it, he melted her every time.

The sudden explosion of cheering and applause startled her. The Van Horns circled the rink, taking their bows.

“Tuesday, Miss Stenuf is up.” Burt handed her the microphone and fed her the long cord. He jerked his head toward Leroy. “What’s he want?”

“Don’t know.”

“Whatever it is, tell him no.”

With Burt’s advice riding in her chest, Tuesday skated to the center of the rink. “Thank you, Van Horns. Weren’t they marvelous? Simply marvelous. Three cheers. Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray!”

Earl and Inez waved and shook a few hands before disappearing into the back room.

“Give another round of applause for the Van Horns. They’ll be back later tonight. But now, ladies and gentlemen . . .”

Leroy and his boys were on the move. Where are you going? What are you doing here tonight of all nights?

“Give a Sea Blue Beach welcome to Miss Heddy Stenuf.”

The beautiful blonde burst into the spotlight as the band begin to play. Tuesday hurried off the floor and handed the microphone to Burt with a sense of foreboding.

“They’re in the office,” he said.

“Bring four hot dogs, will you? And some coffee.” At the door, Tuesday squared her shoulders, raised her chin, and stepped in. “Good evening, gents. Lee, I’m surprised to see you.”

Leroy sat at her desk, while two others leaned against the wall, arms propped on her file cabinet. The third man watched her from under a dark, thick brow, possessing an air of authority. She didn’t need introductions to know he was the one Lee worked for, the one who kept him away.

“Can I get you seats to the show?” she asked. “It’s quite something.”

“We’ve seen Heddy before,” Leroy said. “Great gal.”

“Really? You never said.”

Leroy looked to the man in the corner, then reached into his pocket and tossed a roll of money onto her desk.

“What’s this?” Even from a distance, she saw the bills were hundreds, not tens.

“Rent.” This from the man in the corner.

“Rent for what? You could have a thousand private parties for that much money. We don’t charge—”

“We want to use the Starlight for...” Leroy glanced at the boss. “Business.”

“What kind of business?”

“Don’t you trust your husband?” The boss man had a smooth, arrogant voice.

“I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“Runner Jenkins.” He offered his hand, but Tuesday didn’t take it.

“Mr. Jenkins, the Starlight is mine and mine alone.”

“Bought with my money.” Leroy’s tone was harsh, no doubt saving face before his colleagues.

“You gave it to me, and you cannot take back a gift unless it’s surrendered. I am not surrendering the Starlight.”

Burt kicked the door open, carrying a tray of hot dogs and coffee.

“Let’s leave the room to Leroy, fellas. Go watch Heddy.” Runner took a hot dog and cup of coffee. The others followed suit.

“You embarrassed me, Tooz,” Leroy announced when they were alone. “If a man can’t manage his own wife, then how—”

“Manage? I don’t work for you, Lee. I’d give my right arm if you lived a life worth sacrificing for, but you don’t.” She stepped closer and tapped the desk with her finger. “How dare you come into my place, my sanctuary, and offer me dirty money to turn the beautiful Starlight into a thieves’ den.” She flicked her hand toward the bundle of money. “How much is that? A working man’s annual wage?”

“Ten years’ wage, Tuesday.” He reached for the last hot dog on the tray. “Don’t you see? This is my ship coming in.”

“Your ship?”

“Our ship. The SS Lee and Tooz. Baby, with this money I can buy you the diamond ring you’ve always wanted and a gall dern new stove. Shoot, let’s get a new house and a new car. We can send the boys to some fancy Yankee school.”

“I’m comfy in the old house, thank you. LJ doesn’t want to go to college, he wants to fly airplanes. Dup loves to work with his hands. But you’d know these things if you lived with your family.”

“You’re starting to sound like a broken record. Listen, doll, we’re married. What’s mine is yours, what’s yours is mine.” He offered her the money. “Take it. Get what you need. Go shopping. Get your hair done, order new clothes. All we want is the rink at night after closing.” His eyes narrowed and expression darkened. “And we’re going to have it.”

She slapped the money away. “I don’t know what kind of tomfoolery you’ve devoted your life to, but you’re not the man I married.” She’d never said those words out loud before. But there they were, stinging her heart. By the look on Lee’s face, stinging his pride. “I’m not riding this train with you, and the only way you get the Starlight is over my dead body, Leroy George Knight.”

He peered at her with fire in his eyes. “I can take the Starlight anytime I want. Don’t forget it.”

“Are you going to stab me? Huh? Are you?” She shoved his chest. “Maybe shoot me? Are you that greedy?”

“Pa, you’re home.” Dupree burst into the room and wrapped his arms around Leroy. Forget being seventeen and on the verge of manhood. He was a boy who adored his father.

“Um, yeah, Dup, I’m home.” Leroy had sense enough to cool his ire and embrace his son, clap his hand on his back, tell him how tall and handsome he’d become and how he hoped he’d played the heck out of linebacker this year.

“You coming to see me play?”

“Of course he is. Aren’t you, Lee?” Tuesday said, a rod of steel in her backbone.

“We play Chipley next week. It’s going to be a whale of a game.” Dupree started out the door. “Come see Heddy, Pa.”

“Sure, right behind you.” He leaned toward Tuesday. “We’ll finish this later. I can do what I want with the Starlight, you know I can. The bank will trust me over you.”

“Lee, you promised me you’d never touch the Starlight.”

“Did you file the deed with the county? Or is it at the house?”

“I guess that’s for me to know. Now, find your son and watch the show with him. Or have you given up keeping your word altogether?”

When he’d gone, Tuesday collapsed into her chair, trembling. If he got a hold of the deed, he could do anything. All he had to do was inquire at county records to know she’d not filed it. She’d been nervous they’d require her married name. Maybe even Leroy’s. Why he’d not insisted on his name being added remained a mystery. Maybe he was hoping the county would do it for him. Maybe he meant to keep his promise, but his hoodlum boss, Runner, got him thinking otherwise.

She trusted none of them. If he inquired at the county records, he’d probably try to search the house and the rink. The loose floorboard in the kitchen just might give her away.

“Tooz, Heddy’s almost done.” Burt leaned in. “You okay?”

“You were right, Burt. I had to tell him no.”

She collected herself and headed out of the office. Lee stood at the front of the rink with his arm wrapped around Dup’s shoulder. Overhead, the image of Immanuel looked down from the raised panels.

“What do I do?”

Then she spotted LJ in the balcony with his friends and waved him down.

“Go home, get the box under the kitchen floorboard,” she whispered. “Take it, hide it, but don’t tell anyone where, including me. But you remember, hear me?”

“Ma, what’s going on?”

“You hear me?”

“Yeah, but what—” LJ caught sight of his pa from the corner of his eye. Without another word, he squeezed past the spectators and dashed out of the Starlight.