Big Name Fan by Knox Ruthie; Mare Annie

Author:Knox, Ruthie; Mare, Annie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-11-14T00:00:00+00:00

Vintage Hollywood Mythology

The audio crackled in Bex’s earphones, but the picture on the podcast studio’s wall-mounted screen was perfectly clear.

Cora and Henri unlock a dingy, battered door facing a street lined with neon lights and occasional sirens. The numbers on the door hang askew. Henri has to shove the door open with her shoulder to unstick it, and what they find is a dark, oppressive motel room, very much past its prime and barely inhabitable. At the same time, they both notice the one very small bed, look at each other, and then look away, visibly uncomfortable.

“And here I thought investigating in the field would be glamorous.” Cora tentatively steps into the room, her festive holiday sweater, flared skirt, and heels in obvious contrast to the environment.

“Maybe if you started charging people real money, it could be.” Henri wrinkles her nose and shuts the door behind them. “You can take the bed, I’ll . . .” Henri looks around rather desperately, then walks over to a door hanging off its hinges to reveal a tiny shower and a sad toilet and sink. There is no sofa or bathtub to sleep in. She looks at the bed in panic. “I can take the floor.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Cora bustles over to the bed and gingerly sits on the edge. “Plenty big for both of us.” But she sounds uncertain.

Henri nods, pained, and shrugs out of her blazer, draping it over a rickety chair while Cora averts her eyes. Cora steps out of her heels and unpins her hair. Henri glances over at her just as the bright red curls tumble down her back.

“After you,” Henri says, and Cora climbs on top of the covers. Henri eases down next to her. The bed is extremely small. Henri flips off the lamp, and the room goes dim except for the glow of neon lights coming through the threadbare curtains. They both stare at the ceiling above.

“What was the best Christmas present you ever got?” Cora asks in a low voice.

Henri smiles a little in the dark. “Badge,” she says. “My dog. I’d asked for a dog for years, and then when I was twelve, she was waiting for me in a laundry basket under the tree with a bow around her neck.”

Smiling, Cora turns her head to look at Henri. “Good dog?”

“She was the best.” Henri’s eyes move around Cora’s face. “Loved everyone. Got me out of my shell. Helped me make new friends. She woke up excited and gave me a reason to look forward to something every day.”

Cora swallows and turns her head back, unable to maintain eye contact. “Mine was a book. Frog and Toad. I was disappointed because I had wanted a pretend makeup set I saw at the toy store, but when my mom read it to me, I just . . .” Cora’s eyes drift back to Henri. “I didn’t know books could be like that. That book made me hungry for other books, and then made me want to be a teacher.

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