Carolina Heat by Christi Barth

later.”
    “I understand it’s possible to sneak a private look through the library.”
    Tucker frowned at her. “I don’t know where you heard it, but we prefer everyone stick to the tour. There are no deviations.”
    “Even with the right credentials?”
    “Oh, are you with a museum?”
    Annabelle handed him Vanessa’s business card from Wanderlust . “I’m profiling Charleston, and a friend of mine who’s a curator viewed your library last month and told me it was not to be missed.”
    He thrust his hands in his pockets. “True, our collection is superb. I suppose if you left something with me as collateral an exception could be made.”
    “I have just the thing,” she said, slipping a fifty dollar bill into his hand. Tucker’s demeanor changed instantly.
    “It’s interesting you wish to see the collection. Your friend the curator must really be spreading the word. You’re the fourth person in a month asking to see it. Usually we get maybe one inquiry a year. Are you all part of a club or something?”
    Annabelle’s heart plummeted. “Are you sure there’ve been three other people?” It meant someone besides Vanessa and Tad had visited. Whatever she was there to look for was probably gone by now.
    “Oh yes, Mr. Prescott himself arranged for the last viewing about two weeks ago.”
    “So Prescott Hall is still owned by the Prescotts?”
    Tucker gave a disparaging look. “Haven’t you been paying attention to the tour? The Prescotts still own it outright, and even stay here on special occasions. Remember, you have to be finished when the lunch break ends.” Tucker went out the front door and closed it firmly behind him, leaving her alone in the mansion.
    Twenty minutes later, Annabelle sat on the edge of an ancient velvet covered settee and rubbed her neck. Staring at bookshelves sideways had given her nothing more than a stiff neck. The library did contain numerous books on the Confederacy. Unfortunately, she didn’t have time to read each and every one, and none of the titles were very helpful. Certainly nothing as obvious as A Historical Reference to All Those Who Served in the Confederacy . Someone with Davis or Tad’s background would probably be able to make more sense of all the books, or at least narrow it down. On the other hand, Vanessa must have discovered something here, and her historical knowledge was just as rudimentary as Annabelle’s.
    There had to be something. She looked at her watch and knew her time was running out. Annabelle rubbed her neck one last time and climbed the old-fashioned rolling ladder. Two top rows to finish before she’d be forced to admit defeat. Like the rest of the library, the majority of books were leather-bound and musty, at best.
    She blinked in surprise. “I guess next time I’ll start at the top.” In front of her was yet another set of books glorifying the Confederacy. Except in the middle of this particular row sat a dust-free sixtieth anniversary edition of Gone with the Wind .
    Even from her brief scan, it was easy to see no other book in the library had a copyright newer than the 1930’s. The obvious explanation was someone had come with the deliberate intention of stealing a book, and brought along Gone with the Wind so as not to leave a discernable hole in the stacks. It was impossible to read the titles without being on the ladder.
    Voices rang in the hallway, and Annabelle knew her time was up. At least now I know for sure I’m on the right track , she thought. If only she knew where to go from here. Her tour group began to trickle past the library door. Annabelle stood slightly behind it, watching them pass so she could slip out without attracting Tucker’s attention.
    She stiffened when she noticed a new addition to the group, a man sporting not only a Hawaiian print shirt but also a pair of binoculars. He was a dead-ringer for the man watching her the night before. Admittedly, that man had been all the way across the street, at