Excerpt: Working Title

Homecoming week at the Butterfield Academy was always full of activity. Head gardener, Eric Bergman had planned to spend a few hours sprucing up the school’s quiet prayer garden nestled behind the chapel. Most students never even knew the garden existed but a few would make their way back to the peaceful oasis. The first headmistress had carved out the restful garden as her own private retreat but over the years it drew a few students, some seeking a quiet place to study and some to meditate and escape.

This Homecoming week would be no different – the kids might be older now but they would gravitate back to those places on campus that had been comfortable or where they had good memories. This time of year the garden lacked the lush blooms of spring and summer but it still held a quiet beauty. Eric intended to be sure any dead fern fronds were trimmed away and the fountain was clear of algae growth. Miss Westbrook might be long gone, but her garden would look as though it did when she herself was still alive to nurture it.

The body was lying across the giant bird of paradise plant at an awkward angle, one hand out in front of the body, palm up as though pleading with the heavens. The long blond hair hung like a curtain around the head. Eric stopped dead in his tracks, stunned by the unexpected sight. His chest started to hurt and he realized he wasn’t breathing. He inhaled deeply through his nose and backed slowly away from the dead girl.