A story of obsession and complicated family relationships and the tracking down of disappearing rare books
Part of three interconnected e-books and then published in book form in 2002
Margaret Anne Philips is a volunteer at the Writer's Space in Bethesda, MD and the week before she and her husband are due to leave for a vacation on Maryland's Eastern Shore, she is asked to pick up a large, valuable book donation from the home of wealthy Phoebe Skagan Van Peeples. Margaret Anne picks up ten cartons of books which she delivers to the Space but must return to the Van Peeples for two remaining boxes. In the interim, the first ten boxes disappear and the Administrative Director asks Margaret Anne to hold onto the other two for safekeeping until the original ten can be found. Reluctantly, she agrees, leaving the boxes in her car, thus taking them to the shore with her on her vacation.
Eventually the Space tracks down the ten "lost" boxes and Margaret Anne inadvertently reveals their whereabouts to Clovis Patterson, Van Peepoles' estranged younger sister who has been waiting in the wings to receive her share of the family rare book inheritance. Clovis then sets about stealing the whole collection after talking Margaret Anne into giving her the two boxes in her possession.
Excerpt
"People die," Margaret Anne said philosophically,rattling the Friday morning "Washington Post" and shaking her head.
Dan said nothing, lost in the sports page.
"Do you ever think about it?" she persisted, with a trace of irritation.
"You're never going to get all that stuff you've got piled by the door downstairs into the car," he said, looking up briefly, his faded blue eyes flashing for a moment before returning to the newspaper.
"You always say that, and I always do," she said, running a long-fingered hand through her short red hair. "Did you hear me?"
"What?" he said, without looking up.
"Do you ever think about dying? Nobodyr eally thinks it's going to happen to them. Other people, but no them." She jabbed a finger at the story she had beenr eading. "That woman, Phoebe Van Peeoples, whose husband donated all those books to the Writer's Space, you know the ones I delivered to the Space last week that disappeared? She died. She's been in a coma for months....
