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After rapes and a murder of schoolgirls, a teacher uses herself as bait to catch the perpetrator, aided by a reporter and against a psychologist's advice. Suspects include the headmistress's husband, the psychologist, or an unknown threat.

After one schoolgirl is raped while taking a short cut through the local woods, and another is murdered in the same woods a few days later, the local police are baffled. With the help of a reporter from one of the local papers, and against the wishes of a psychologist at the local hospital, a young teacher at the school the girls attended uses herself as bait to lure the perpetrator out. Could it be the creepy husband of the head mistress at the school, the psychologist who seems to be taking an unusual interest in the case, or something altogether more sinister?—Kevin Steinhauer <K.Steinhauer@BoM.GOV.AU>

Tessa Hurst, a young teen aged girl who attends an English girls school, is raped in the woods in the vicinity of the school. The attack leaves her in a catatonic state after her traumatic experience. One month later, Susan Miller, another girl from the same school is attacked and is killed in the process. Julie West, the school's art teacher, witnesses the killer as he is leaving and in her hysterical state, mistakes him for the devil. She then decides to use herself as bait to catch the rapist. She is aided in her plan by Dr. Greg Lomax, who also happens to be treating Tessa. During the investigation, the police come up with a list of several suspects from the voyeuristic husband of the school's headmistress to Dr. Lomax. They eventually come up with a plan to try and catch the killer by administering truth serum to Tessa to bring her out of her state. Just as Tessa is about to be injected, Julie realizes that the killer is a colleague of Greg's and struggles with him. During the struggle, Tessa wanders out of the doctor's office and returns to the place where she was raped. She is then confronted by her attacker, who again tries to rape and murder her.—Brian Washington <Sargebri@att.net>

The story opens at Heatherdene School, an exclusive girls' academy in rural England. Young student Tessa Hurst decides to take a shortcut home through Devil's End woods, a wooded area dominated by electrical pylons. As she walks along the isolated path, she encounters a masked assailant who brutally rapes her beneath one of the towering metal structures. The attack leaves Tessa in severe psychological shock, rendering her completely mute and unable to provide any description of her attacker to authorities. Dr. Lomax, a psychiatrist, works tirelessly with Tessa, attempting various therapeutic techniques to help her overcome the trauma and speak about her ordeal. Despite his professional efforts and genuine concern, Tessa remains locked in silence, her mind protecting itself from reliving the horrific experience. Her muteness becomes a crucial obstacle for the police investigation, leaving them without their primary witness. Several weeks pass, and the community begins to settle into an uneasy routine, hoping the attack was an isolated incident. However, their worst fears are realized when another Heatherdene student, Susan, is found murdered after being sexually assaulted on the same woodland path. The discovery of Susan's body transforms the investigation from a single rape case into a hunt for a serial predator who appears to be specifically targeting the school's students. Detective Chief Superintendent Velyan takes charge of the expanding investigation, recognizing the urgency of the situation. The police face mounting pressure from the community, the school administration, and parents who demand their daughters' safety. Velyan methodically examines potential suspects, including various men connected to the school and local area. As the investigation progresses, Julie West, a dedicated teacher at Heatherdene, becomes increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of official progress. Driven by protective instincts toward her students and determination to see justice served, she proposes a dangerous plan - to use herself as bait to lure the attacker into the open. A local reporter becomes aware of her intentions and offers assistance, seeing both a story and an opportunity to help catch the predator. Dr. Lomax strongly advises against Julie's plan, arguing that it's both dangerous and psychologically unsound. He believes the risk to her safety far outweighs any potential benefits, and that proper police work will eventually identify the perpetrator. However, Julie remains convinced that direct action is necessary to prevent further attacks on innocent students. The suspects under consideration include the headmistress's husband, whose proximity to the school and knowledge of student routines make him a person of interest. Dr. Lomax himself falls under suspicion due to his access to information about the case and his psychological expertise. An unknown assailant remains a possibility, suggesting the attacker might be someone entirely outside the immediate community circle. Despite warnings and official disapproval, Julie proceeds with her plan to walk the dangerous path through Devil's End woods, hoping to draw out the killer. The tension builds as she makes herself vulnerable, knowing that the predator may be watching and waiting for another opportunity to strike. The climax unfolds in the very woods where the attacks began, as the killer emerges from hiding to target Julie. However, the confrontation doesn't proceed as anyone anticipated. In a dramatic sequence among the trees and shadows, the true identity of the predator is finally revealed, bringing shocking revelations about motives and connections to the school community. The resolution comes through violent confrontation rather than careful detective work, as events spiral beyond anyone's control in the woodland setting. The killer's attempt on Julie's life triggers a deadly chase through the garden and into the forest, where the long investigation reaches its bloody and definitive conclusion, finally bringing justice for Tessa, Susan, and the terrorized community.