A Matter of Conscience

When Serena Connolly is expelled from the prestigious Jacaranda College, close to the little town of Zeerust in South Africa, her parents are astounded by the catalogue of misdemeanours their daughter has apparently committed - and which Serena stubbornly denies. Something does not seem right, so they ask their friend, Bethany Gallagher, recently resigned from the police service, to intercede on their behalf. Beth willingly accepts the commission.A visit to the college, far from clarifying matters, serves only to arouse Beth's suspicions that something is certainly amiss. With the help of her partner, Paul, and her former police colleague, Charl Pienaar, she sets out to investigate further - and the more she does, the more the college's account of events unravels. Her suspicions are further piqued when she discovers that the Principal of Jacaranda, Philip Stonehouse, has a shady past in Britain and the Headmistress, Madeleine Winstanley, was far from a model of propriety in her previous life. Furthermore, from where have they acquired their inordinate wealth: Stonehouse basking in the lifestyle of an English gentleman and Winstanley indulging a passion for designer clothes and French erotic literature?It seems the only way to prise open the secret world of Jacaranda College is through new teacher, Jeffrey Butler, but he, too, is quickly discovering that nothing at Jacaranda is as it appears to be - and that the concept of loyalty has a special meaning at the college. The rewards and privileges for loyalty, both for staff and students, stretch his credibility, but the price for disloyalty can be very unpleasant. A confused Butler finds himself trapped between the Devil, in the shape of Gallagher, and the deep blue sea, in the shape of Stonehouse and Winstanley, but Beth does manage to get to the truth behind Serena's expulsion. However, the real reason for Jacaranda's existence only becomes apparent to Butler - and Beth - when he is asked to accompany a German trip to Namibia.With the aid of Paul, Pienaar and Butler, Beth follows the party across the Kalahari Desert to uncover the secret of Jacaranda College, but who are her friends and who her enemies? Can she really trust Butler? Can she get the evidence she needs to prove her case - and if she can, will she be allowed to reveal it?