Jessica is teaching her annual course at St Crispin's Academy, a prestigious private school near Cabot Cove. The headmaster, Dr. Myles Purcell, is about to retire and there is great hope that her good friend Professor Harry Matthews will get the job. He's not the only candidate, however, as history professor James Ryerson, who generally is not very well liked either by colleagues or students, has also applied for the position. There has been a rash of thefts at the school lately and Matthews is particularly worried the influence a new student society, organized by rich student Colin Forbes, may be having on students. Everyone is stunned when Ryerson is appointed to the headmaster position but, when he is found dead, there is no shortage of suspects. A bit of nostalgia on Jessica's part leads her to the killer.
—garykmcd