“I didn’t find them,” Celeste’s voice drifted up, sharp and irritated. “Check the hook by the pantry.”

My heart hammered against my ribs.

I quickly slid the ledger and the correspondence into my leather satchel.

I pushed the secret panel closed and turned the key, locking the cherrywood desk.

The small key slid deep into my pocket.

I moved to the window, looking down at the gravel driveway.

Graham’s black SUV sat idling in the rain, its headlights cutting through the gray mist.

I needed to get out of the main house before they came upstairs to search Eleanor’s room.

I slipped out of the study and hurried down the narrow servants’ staircase at the back of the hall.

The wooden steps were cold beneath my boots.

I let myself out through the heavy side door, stepping into the damp afternoon air.

The smell of wet earth and boxwood filled my lungs.

I crossed the lawn quickly, staying close to the hemlock hedges to remain out of sight.

I headed for the old stone carriage house where I had set up my temporary quarters.